Samsung launches Galaxy M17 5G budget segment phone with 6 OS updates

Galaxy M17 5G also comes with On-device Voice Mail that allows callers to leave a message when a call goes unanswered, along with Samsungs Knox Vault and Voice Focus features

Lenskart to launch UPI-integrated smartglasses

Lenskart said that users can complete transactions by scanning a QR code with their smartglasses

The best smartwatches for 2025

Smartwatches do more than just track your steps and deliver phone alerts to your wrist. The best smartwatches go even further, giving you the ability to pay for a cup of coffee, take calls and connect to apps like Spotify all without whipping out your smartphone. Chances are, if youre reading this, you already know all of the benefits of a smartwatch. Youre ready to invest, or upgrade from an aging accessory, but we wouldnt blame you if you if you didnt know where to start. There are dozens of smartwatches available now, including GPS running watches , fitness trackers that look like smartwatches and multi-purpose devices. Plus, youll want to consider factors like durability, battery life and operating system before you spend a lot of money on a new wearable. Weve tested and reviewed most major smartwatches available today and these are our top picks. Table of contents Best smartwatches for 2025 Stylish smartwatches: Fossil and more Factors to consider before buying a smartwatch Other smartwatches our experts tested Smartwatch FAQs Best smartwatches of 2025 Stylish smartwatches: Fossil and more Fossil Yes, there are still companies out there trying to make fashionable hybrid smartwatches. Back when wearables were novel and generally ugly, brands like Fossil , Michael Kors and Skagen found their niche in stylish smartwatches that took cues from analog timepieces. You also have the option to pick up a hybrid smartwatch from companies like Withings and Garmin these devices look like classic wrist watches but incorporate some limited functionality like activity tracking and heart rate monitoring. They remain good options if you prefer that look, but thankfully, wearables made by Apple, Samsung, Fitbit and others have gotten much more attractive over the past few years. Ultimately, the only thing you cant change after you buy a smartwatch is its case design. If youre not into the Apple Watchs squared-off corners, all of Samsungs smartwatches have round cases that look a little more like a traditional watch. Most wearables are offered in a choice of colors and you can pay extra for premium materials like stainless steel for extra durability. Once you decide on a case, your band options are endless there are dozens of first- and third-party watch straps available for most major smartwatches, and for both larger and smaller wrists, allowing you to change up your look whenever you please. Factors to consider before buying a smartwatch Compatibility Apple Watches only work with iPhones, while Wear OS devices play nice with both iOS and Android phones. Smartwatches made by Samsung, Garmin, Fitbit and others are also compatible with Android and iOS, but youll need to install a companion app on your smartphone. The smartwatch OS will also dictate the type and number of third-party apps youll have access to. Many of these arent useful, though, making this factor a fairly minor one in the grand scheme of things. Price The best smartwatches generally cost between $300 and $400. Compared to budget smartwatches, which cost between $100 and $250, these pricier devices have advanced operating systems, communications, music and fitness features. They also often include perks like onboard GPS tracking, music storage and NFC, AMOLED displays, and long battery life, things that budget devices generally dont have. Some companies make specialized fitness watches: Those can easily run north of $500, and wed only recommend them to serious athletes. Luxury smartwatches from brands like TAG Heuer and Hublot can also reach sky-high prices, but we wouldnt endorse any of them. These devices can cost more than $1,000, and youre usually paying for little more than a brand name and some needlessly exotic selection of build materials. Battery life Battery life remains one of our biggest complaints about smartwatches, but theres hope as of late. You can expect two full days from Apple Watches and most Wear OS devices. Watches using the Snapdragon Wear 3100 processor support extended battery modes that promise up to five days of battery life on a charge if youre willing to shut off most features aside from, you know, displaying the time. Other models can last five to seven days, but they usually have fewer features and lower-quality displays. Meanwhile, some fitness watches can last weeks on a single charge. If long battery life is a priority for you, its worth checking out the watchs specs beforehand to see what the manufacturer estimates. Communication Any smartwatch worth considering delivers call, text and app notifications to your wrist. Call and text alerts are self explanatory, but if those mean a lot to you, consider a watch with LTE. Theyre more expensive than their WiFi-only counterparts, but cellular connectivity allows the smartwatch to take and receive phone calls, and do the same with text messages, without your device nearby. As far as app alerts go, getting them delivered to your wrist will let you glance down to the watch face and see if you absolutely need to check your phone right now. Fitness tracking Activity tracking is a big reason why people turn to smartwatches. An all-purpose timepiece should function as a fitness tracker, logging your steps, calories and workouts, and most of todays wearables have a heart rate monitor as well. Many smartwatches' fitness features include a built-in GPS, which is useful for tracking distance for runs and bike rides. Swimmers will want something water resistant, and thankfully most all-purpose devices now can withstand at least a dunk in the pool. Some smartwatches from companies like Garmin are more fitness focused than others and tend to offer more advanced features like heart-rate-variance tracking, recovery time estimation, onboard maps and more. Health tracking on smartwatches has also seen advances over the years. Both Apple and Fitbit devices can estimate blood oxygen levels and measure ECGs. But the more affordable the smartwatch, the less likely it is that it has these kinds of advanced health tracking features; if collecting those kinds of wellness metrics is important to you, youll have to pay for the privilege. Music Your watch can not only track your morning runs but also play music while youre exercising. Many smartwatches let you save your music locally, so you can connect wireless earbuds via Bluetooth and listen to tunes without bringing your phone. Those that dont have onboard storage for music usually have on-watch music controls, so you can control playback without whipping out your phone. And if your watch has LTE, local saving isnt required youll be able to stream music directly from the watch to your paired earbuds. Displays Most wearables have touchscreens and we recommend getting one that has a full-color touchscreen. Some flagships like the Apple Watch have LTPO displays, which stands for low-temperature polycrystalline oxide. These panels have faster response times and are more power efficient, resulting in a smoother experience when one interacts with the touchscreen and, in some cases, longer battery lives. You wont see significant gains with the latter, though, because the extra battery essentially gets used up when these devices have always-on displays, as most flagship wearables do today. Some smartwatches have this feature on by default while others let you enable it via tweaked settings. This smart feature allows you to glance down at your watch to check the time, health stats or any other information youve set it to show on its watchface without lifting your wrist. This will no doubt affect your devices battery life, but thankfully most always-on modes dim the displays brightness so its not running at its peak unnecessarily. Cheaper devices wont have this feature; instead, their touchscreens will automatically turn off to conserve battery life and youll have to intentionally check your watch to turn on the display again. NFC Many new smartwatches have NFC, letting you pay for things without your wallet using contactless payments. After saving your credit or debit card information, you can hold your smartwatch up to an NFC reader to pay for a cup of coffee on your way home from a run. Keep in mind that different watches use different payment systems: Apple Watches use Apple Pay, Wear OS devices use Google Pay, Samsung devices use Samsung Pay and so forth. Apple Pay is one of the most popular NFC payment systems, with support for multiple banks and credit cards in 72 different countries, while Samsung and Google Pay work in fewer regions. Its also important to note that both NFC payment support varies by device as well for both Samsung and Googles systems. Other smartwatches our experts tested Apple Watch Ultra 3 The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is probably overkill for most people, but it has a ton of extra features like extra waterproofing to track diving, an even more accurate GPS and the biggest battery of any Apple Watch to date. Apple designed it for the most rugged among us, but for your average person, it likely has more features than they'd ever need. If youre particularly clumsy, however, its high level of durability could be a great reason to consider the Apple Watch Ultra 3. Apple Watch SE 3 The Apple Watch SE 3 is less feature-rich than the flagship model, but it will probably suffice for most people. We actually regard the Watch SE as the best smartwatch option for first-time buyers, or people on stricter budgets. The gap has narrowed between the SE 3 and Apple's main flagship smartwatch, too, so you won't have to make as many compromises. Garmin Forerunner 745 Garmin watches in general can be great options for the most active among us. The Garmin Forerunner 745 is an excellent GPS running watch for serious athletes or those who prize battery life above all else. When we tested it, we found it to provide accurate distance tracking, a killer 16-hour battery life with GPS turned on (up to seven days without it) and support for onboard music storage and Garmin Pay. Amazfit Bip 6 The Amazfit Bip 6 , an $80 smartwatch from Zepp Health, didnt quite make the cut. As a fitness tracker, its decent, but its a frustrating smartwatch. For workouts, the built-in GPS tracks runs and rides without your phone and, combined with the heart rate and blood oxygen sensors, collects a good amount of data to create accurate pictures of your exertion levels, cadence and pace. Its remarkably lightweight but doesnt feel cheap and the AMOLED screen is bright and sharp. Its not an always-on display, but lifting your wrist wakes it reliably. The sleep tracking data is on par with what we measured on other smartwatches and theres even a daily readiness score that compares your sleep quality and the previous days exertion to estimate how physically prepared you are for the day ahead similar to what Pixel Watches, Fitbit devices and Garmin watches offer. And since the watch battery lasts for over a week on a charge, you may be a lot more apt to wear it to bed than a watch you have to charge daily. We werent expecting an $80 device to be a serious Apple Watch challenger, but the Bip 6s glitches and overly complicated interface (both on the app and on the watch itself) were disappointing. During a week of testing, I got multiple repeated notifications, even after they were deleted, along with suggestions to stand when I was actively doing chores around the house. The watch faces are not customizable, so it was hard to get the info I needed at a glance (the Zepp app has lots of paid watch faces that may have what I wanted, but I didnt want to pay $3 for something thats free elsewhere). Marketing details state that the Bip 6 can auto-detect workouts, including walking and bike riding. During testing, I walked once or twice per day for over one mile and went on two bike rides, but no workout was ever detected. The watch integrates with Apple Health, so I was able to see how it compares to the data my Apple Watch gathers. After a week of wearing the Bip 6, with no changes to my daily routine, I averaged 400 fewer calories burned and 2.4 fewer miles tracked each day. That was possibly the biggest disappointment of all. Amy Skorheim, Senior Reporter Smartwatch FAQs Is there a difference between a smartwatch and a fitness tracker? While smartwatches and fitness trackers share some similarities, theyre designed for slightly different purposes. A fitness tracker is primarily focused on health and activity tracking. It keeps tabs on your steps, heart rate, sleep and workouts, and some even offer advanced metrics like blood oxygen levels and stress tracking. Fitness trackers are generally more compact, have longer battery life and are built with activity in mind. A smartwatch, on the other hand, is like a mini smartphone on your wrist. It offers fitness tracking features, but also lets you do things like reply to texts, take calls, use apps and control smart home devices. Many smartwatches support voice assistants, mobile payments and even LTE connectivity, so you can leave your phone behind in some cases. If you mainly want health and activity tracking with long battery life, a fitness tracker is the way to go. If you want a more connected experience with extra features, a smartwatch is the better choice. How long do smartwatches last? How long a smartwatch lasts mostly depends on two things: battery life and overall durability. Smartwatch battery life varies a lot depending on the brand, features and how you use it. Basic models with e-ink displays or monochrome screens can last a week or more, while full-featured smartwatches like the Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch usually need a charge every day or two. If you're using features like always-on display, GPS tracking or LTE connectivity, expect the battery to drain faster. Physically, a good smartwatch should last several years before you need to upgrade. Premium models with scratch-resistant glass, water resistance and strong build materials tend to hold up well over time. However, software support matters too brands like Apple and Samsung typically provide updates for at least a few years, while some budget smartwatches may not get long-term software support. You can expect to charge most smartwatches daily or every few days, and if you take care of them, they should last 3-5 years before an upgrade is necessary. How much should you spend on a smartwatch? How much you should spend on a smartwatch depends on what features you need and how often you plan to use it. If you just want the basics step tracking, notifications, heart rate monitoring and basic fitness tracking you can find some solid budget-friendly options from brands like Amazfit, Fitbit and some Wear OS models. These usually have decent battery life but may lack premium features like LTE, advanced health tracking or third-party apps. In the mid-range smartwatch price bracket, youll find popular models like the Apple Watch SE and Fitbit Versa series. These offer a good mix of fitness tracking, smart features and design quality. Youll get better build materials, more accurate sensors and app support, but battery life might still be limited to a day or two. High-end smartwatches like the Apple Watch Ultra, Samsung Galaxy Watch Ultra and Garmin Fenix/Epix series offer advanced health tracking, rugged designs, LTE connectivity and longer software support. These are great for serious athletes, outdoor adventurers, or anyone who wants the latest and greatest features. If you just want a simple smartwatch for notifications and fitness tracking, a budget or mid-range model will do the job. But if you want a premium feel, advanced health tracking or LTE connectivity, its worth spending a bit more. For most people, $200 - $350 hits the best balance of features and value. Do all smartwatches have GPS? Not all smartwatches have built-in GPS. Some rely on your phones GPS, while others have it built-in for independent tracking. High-end and fitness-focused smartwatches, like the Apple Watch, Samsung Galaxy Watch and Garmin models have their own built-in GPS. This means they can track your runs, walks, bike rides and hikes without needing to be connected to your phone. Its a must-have for serious athletes or anyone who wants accurate location tracking without carrying a phone. Some budget and mid-range smartwatches (like some Fitbit and Amazfit models) dont have built-in GPS but can use your phones GPS when connected via Bluetooth. This works fine if you usually carry your phone while working out, but its less convenient if you prefer to leave it behind. Some very basic or budget smartwatches skip GPS entirely and rely solely on step tracking or motion sensors. These are fine for casual users who dont need location tracking. Can you leave your phone at home and still use a smartwatch? Yes, but it depends on the smartwatch and what you want to do without your phone. If your smartwatch has LTE or cellular connectivity , you can make calls, send texts, stream music, use maps and even access apps without your phone nearby. However, youll need a separate data plan from your carrier, which usually comes with an extra monthly cost. Even without LTE, some smartwatches can still do plenty on their own, including track workouts and GPS routes (if they have built-in GPS), play music offline (if they support downloads from Spotify or Apple Music), may contactless payments with features like Apple Pay and Google Wallet and control smart home devices. If going phone-free is important to you, look for a smartwatch with LTE and built-in GPS for the best experience. Can a smartwatch make calls without a phone? Yes, a smartwatch can make calls without a phone but only if it has the right features. Some smartwatches have built-in LTE connectivity, meaning they can work independently from your phone. You can make and receive calls, send texts, stream music and use apps as long as you have a mobile data plan for the watch. However, youll need to pay for a separate cellular plan and battery life drains faster when using LTE. If your smartwatch doesnt have LTE, it can still make calls, but only when connected to your phone via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. It essentially acts as a remote speaker and microphone for your phones calls. Watches like the standard Apple Watch or Samsung Galaxy Watch (Wi-Fi versions) can do this. However, if your phone isnt nearby or connected to Wi-Fi, calling wont work. Some fitness-focused smartwatches (like certain Garmin, Fitbit and Amazfit models) dont have a built-in speaker or microphone, so they cant make or receive calls at all only show notifications. If calling without a phone is a must, make sure to choose an LTE model with a built-in mic and speaker. What's the difference between an Android and Apple smartwatch? The biggest difference between Android and Apple smartwatches comes down to compatibility, features and ecosystem integration. Apple smartwatches (Apple Watch) only work with iPhones. If you have an Android phone, you cant use an Apple Watch at all. Android smartwatches (Wear OS, Samsung Galaxy, Garmin etc.) mostly work with Android phones, but some also support iPhones with limited features. If you have an iPhone, the Apple Watch is the best choice. If you have an Android phone, go for a Wear OS or Samsung Galaxy Watch. Apple Watch (watchOS) has the best app support with seamless integration into Apples ecosystem (iMessage, FaceTime, Apple Pay, Apple Fitness+, Siri etc.). Android smartwatches offer more variety, with access to Google services (Google Assistant, Google Wallet and Google Maps), and some support Amazon Alexa or Samsungs Bixby. In terms of design, Apple Watch has a single design but comes in different sizes and materials. Its sleek, but your only real customization comes from bands and watch faces. Android smartwatches, on the other hand, come in tons of styles and brands (Samsung, Google Pixel Watch, Garmin, Fossil etc.), meaning you can pick a round watch, a rugged design or a luxury-looking model. If battery life is important to you, the Apple Watch lasts about a day or two per charge, depending on usage and model. Many Android smartwatches (especially Garmin, Amazfit or Mobvoi TicWatch) last multiple days or even weeks on a single charge. Georgie Peru contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/best-smartwatches-153013118.html?src=rss

The iPhone Air: A bold reimagining of the iPhone

Apples engineering lets you easily grab the phone from any surface without slippage, making the iPhone Air feel like youre holding nothing but a screen

Someone programmed a 65-year old computer to play Boards of Canada's 'Olson'

The Programmed Data Processor-1 (PDP-1) is perhaps most recognizable as the home of Spacewar!, one of the world's first video games, but as the video above proves, it also works as an enormous and very slow iPod, too. In the video, Boards of Canada's Olson is playing off of paper tape that's carefully fed and programmed into the PDP-1 by engineer and Computer History Museum docent Peter Samson. It's the final product of Joe Lynch's PDP-1.music project, an attempt to translate the short and atmospheric song into something the PDP-1 can reproduce. As Lynch writes on GitHub , the Harmony Compiler used to translate Olson to paper tape was actually created by Samson to play audio through four of computer's lightbulbs while he was a student at MIT in the 1960s. He used it to recreate classical music, but it'll work with '90s electronic music in a pinch, too. While these bulbs were originally intended to provide program status information to the computer operator, Lynch writes, Peter repurposed four of these light bulbs into four square wave generators (or four 1-bit DACs, put another way), by turning the bulbs on and off at audio frequencies. The signal from each bulb is then downmixed into stereo audio channels, transcribed via an emulator and merged into a single file that has to be manually punched into the paper tape that's fed into the PDP-1. It's a laborious process for playing even the simplest of songs, but it's worth it to hear Boards of Canada's already nostalgic music from an even older classic computer. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/someone-programmed-a-65-year-old-computer-to-play-boards-of-canadas-olson-220857441.html?src=rss

The ESA's Power of Play report paints a portrait of the the world's gamers

The Entertainment Software Association has released its Power of Play report, which presents a snapshot of who is playing video games, and why, all around the world. There are a lot of interesting data points here from more than 24,000 respondents, all of whom are older than 16 and play at least weekly. The doubters who think gaming is just for kids may be surprised to learn that the average age of the respondents is 41 years old, and the gender split is nearly even between men and women. One of the most intriguing aspects to the report were the benefits people said they received from playing games. The top answer was that games offered mental stimulation, which 81 percent of the respondents said. Eighty percent said games provided stress relief, 73 percent said games made them feel happier and 64 percent said games connected them with other people which helped them feel less isolated or lonely. ESA Power of Play 2025 ESA And although having fun was the top reason respondents gave for playing (66 percent), they also said gaming could improve their skills. Seventy-seven percent said gaming increased creativity, 76 percent said it improved problem-solving and 74 percent said gaming upped both cognitive skills and teamwork or collaboration. The report also points to how popular mobile gaming still is. Overall, 55 percent of the respondents said mobile was their favorite gaming platform. Half of the respondents under age 35 play on mobile, and an impressive 61 percent of the over 50 gamers also play on mobile. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-esas-power-of-play-report-paints-a-portrait-of-the-the-worlds-gamers-205105064.html?src=rss

The final details of Samsung's Android XR headset have been all but confirmed

After announcing its intentions to make an XR device in 2023, and revealing the design and intended use-cases for the headset alongside the announcement of Android XR in 2024, Samsung has shared precious few details about Project Moohan. A new leak from Android Headlines is set to change that, detailing not only the specs of Samsung's new headset, but also a final name and new controller accessories ahead of the device's rumored launch later this fall. Samsung's Project Moohan officially called Samsung Galaxy XR per Android Headlines is a marriage of sorts between the discontinued Meta Quest Pro and an Apple Vision Pro . It features an adjustable headband, primarily acts as passthrough goggles to the world around you and supports an external battery pack. While Samsung's demos of the Project Moohan focused on the headset's ability to accept voice commands and track eye and hand movements through built-in microphones and cameras, Android Headlines reports the headset will also support two controller accessories that look a lot like Meta's Touch Plus controllers for the Quest 3 . Android Headlines More expected are the internals and software experience on the new device. Project Moohan will use a Snapdragon XR2 Gen 2 chip to power its One UI-ified version of Android XR, just as Qualcomm promised when it announced the new processor in 2024. Samsung appears to be taking a lighter touch when it comes to software. Screenshots shared by Android Headlines show an app grid with the company's browser, photos and camera apps, but the rest lines up with what Google's shown of Android XR. The headset will also reportedly feature one high-resolution 4K micro-OLED screen per eye, as previously rumored by Korean publication The Elec , and around a two hours of battery life, which is comparable to the Vision Pro. Importantly, Project Moohan is also lighter. The headset reportedly weighs 545 grams, a good bit less than the over 600-gram Apple headset. The only thing really missing now is a price for Project Moohan and a release date. Samsung shared in its Q2 2025 earnings that it still expected to ship the headset in 2025, but hasn't announced an event to introduce the new device. Whenever it does launch, it sounds like it'll be expensive. In August 2025, rumors pointed to Project Moohan costing anywhere from 2,500,000 to 4,000,000 Korean won (around $1,700 to $2,800). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/the-final-details-of-samsungs-android-xr-headset-have-been-all-but-confirmed-200915560.html?src=rss

Researchers find just 250 malicious documents can leave LLMs vulnerable to backdoors

Artificial intelligence companies have been working at breakneck speeds to develop the best and most powerful tools, but that rapid development hasn't always been coupled with clear understandings of AI's limitations or weaknesses. Today, Anthropic released a report on how attackers can influence the development of a large language model. The study centered on a type of attack called poisoning, where an LLM is pretrained on malicious content intended to make it learn dangerous or unwanted behaviors. The key finding from this study is that a bad actor doesn't need to control a percentage of the pretraining materials to get the LLM to be poisoned. Instead, the researchers found that a small and fairly constant number of malicious documents can poison an LLM, regardless of the size of the model or its training materials. The study was able to successfully backdoor LLMs based on using only 250 malicious documents in the pretraining data set, a much smaller number than expected for models ranging from 600 million to 13 billion parameters. Were sharing these findings to show that data-poisoning attacks might be more practical than believed, and to encourage further research on data poisoning and potential defenses against it, the company said. Anthropic collaborated with the UK AI Security Institute and the Alan Turing Institute on the research. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-find-just-250-malicious-documents-can-leave-llms-vulnerable-to-backdoors-191112960.html?src=rss

Nintendo just surprise-dropped a Japan-only SNES Mario game onto the Virtual Console

Nintendo just released an odd little game onto the SNES Virtual Console that was previously exclusive to Japan. The simply-titled Mario & Wario is a point-and-click puzzle game that finds the plumber on the search for his brother after his money-obsessed doppelganger drops a bucket on his head. That's the actual plot. Players lead the bucket-headed Mario through 100 levels, each of which are filled with point-and-click puzzles set in a sidescrolling world. The original game was controlled via mouse and this Virtual Console release is no different. Switch owners can simply plug in a USB mouse to get going but Switch 2 owners have a niftier option. You may remember that the new console's Joy-Con controllers can flip over and be used as a mouse . Mario & Wario is another use case for this concept, after Drag x Drive and a minigame in Nintendo Switch 2 Welcome Tour . The game is available right now for Nintendo Switch Online members. That's not the only title that hit Virtual Console today. The SNES platformer Bubsy in Claws Encounters of the Furred Kind is available to play, as is the SNES fighter Fatal Fury Special . That one includes characters from both the original game and Fatal Fury 2 . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-just-surprise-dropped-a-japan-only-snes-mario-game-onto-the-virtual-console-183536913.html?src=rss

Tensor's Robocar will be 'Lyft-ready' out of the factory

Lyft is partnering with San Jose-based Tensor Auto. Lyft says it has reserved hundreds of Tensor robotaxis and will operate its own fleet. The other piece of the partnership: Tensor will make its Robocar Lyft-ready straight out of the factory. Shipping the Robocar with Lyft's platform will allow a futuristic form of passive income for owners in regions with level 4 regulatory approval. Traditional car ownership means a vehicle loses value as it sits idle most of the time, the companies wrote in a press release. Tensor Robocars flip this model, turning personal luxury vehicles into productive assets that can generate income around the clock. It's similar to what Tesla plans to do with its yet-to-be-shipped Cybercab . Lyft's rival Uber announced a similar plan in July, involving 20,000 Lucid EVs . That's also a rendering. Tensor / Lyft Tensor plans to deliver its first Robocars by the end of 2026. The company says the Lyft-ready autonomous vehicle (AV) will include over 100 sensors. (That includes 37 cameras, five lidars, and 11 radars.) Eight NVIDIA chips, based on Blackwell GPU architecture , help it interpret sensor data. Tensor says the computer is capable of 8,000 trillion operations per second. This is far from Lyft's first AV partnership. Among others, it teamed up last month with May Mobility to launch an autonomous fleet in Atlanta . Lyft also plans to match users with Waymo rides in Nashville starting next year. However, Bloomberg notes that the Tensor partnership is Lyft's first where it will purchase its own AV fleet. Tensor spun out of the Chinese robotaxi company AutoX . The company says it divested and discontinued its China operations to focus exclusively on the US-based Tensor. The Robocar will be produced in Vietnam through a partnership with VinFast. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tensors-robocar-will-be-lyft-ready-out-of-the-factory-182010143.html?src=rss

OpenAI's TikTok of AI slop hit one million downloads faster than ChatGPT

Sora , OpenAI's app and social network for AI-generated videos, has been downloaded over one million times, according to Sora head Bill Peebles . The app reached one million downloads in less than five days, Peebles says, even faster than ChatGPT did. That's despite OpenAI only making the app available in North America, and its decision to require users to have an invite to actually use it. Like TikTok, Sora offers an endless vertical feed of videos, only Sora's videos are AI-generated rather than uploaded by users. Creating a 10-second video of your own is as simple as writing a prompt to OpenAI's Sora 2 model in the app. And through the Sora's Cameo feature, you can even create videos of yourself and anyone else who's agreed to share their likeness to the service. sora hit 1M app downloads in

One of our favorite budgeting apps has 30 percent off annual plans right now

Monarch Money is one of our favorite budgeting apps and, fittingly enough, there's a way for newcomers to save money on a subscription right now. If you use the code WELCOME at checkout, you can get an annual plan for 30 percent off. It typically costs $100, but you can get 12 months of access for $70 with this code. There are some key caveats here. The discount is only for new users, and it can't be combined with other offers. The code only works when you sign up through the web. You can't redeem it through the Monarch mobile app. We feel that Monarch has a steeper learning curve than some other budget trackers and that certain aspects of the app are slightly more complex than they probably need to be. But it offers a great deal of customization and granularity , which outweighs our misgivings. On the main dashboard, you'll see your net worth along with your latest transactions, spending versus the previous month, your income so far for the month and details about upcoming bills, your investments and goals you've set. There's also a link to a month-in-review page, which offers an in-depth overview of what's been happening with your money that month. You'll also be able to take a peek at how your net worth has changed over time. Monarch can connect to your bank and track Apple Card, Apple Cash and Savings accounts. It can pull in your transactions and balance history automatically and detect your recurring expenses and income. The app can even keep your car valuation up to date. While it might take a little work to set up Monarch (and you might have to tweak things here and there), it's a detailed budgeting app that can help you keep better track of your income, expenditure and net worth. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-budgeting-apps-has-30-percent-off-annual-plans-right-now-174011690.html?src=rss

Sony and AMD tease the GPU tech they're building for the next PlayStation

Sony just dropped a new video with Mark Cerny, and its a big one, with significant implications for the companys next console and AMDs future GPUs. Over nearly nine minutes, Cerny, who was the lead designer for the PlayStation 4 and PS5 , chats with Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager of AMDs Computing and Graphics Group, about a series of technologies, collectively dubbed Project Amethyst, the two companies are developing together. According to Cerny, those technologies only exist in simulations right now, but theyre broadly designed to make the next PlayStation better at ray tracing, upscaling and other machine learning-based rendering techniques. If you know anything about AMD graphics cards, its that theyve historically offered poor ray tracing performance relative to NVIDIAs RTX GPUs. For years, AMD tried to bridge the gap with cards that outmuscled NVIDIAs offerings with better rasterization performance, an approach the company now admits wont work for modern, graphically intensive games. Trying to brute force [ray-tracing] with raw power alone just doesnt scale, Huynh said. AMDs solution is an entirely new architecture that combines two hardware innovations: Neural Arrays and Radiance Cores. In AMDs older GPUs, the individual compute units are designed to work independently of one another. This approach worked great for a long time, but in modern games dependent as they are on expensive upscaling techniques likes FSR and Sonys own PSSR to deliver playable framerates at high resolutions it can lead to inefficiencies. AMD is trying to solve that problem with Neural Arrays, which give the compute units a way to work together and share data between one another. According to Huynh, AMD isnt linking an entire GPU together, as that would create a cable-management nightmare, but it is giving the silicon a way to process a large chunk of the screen in one go. In practice, he says that should allow the next PlayStation and AMDs future video cards to offer a whole new level of machine learning performance. In turn, that will translate to better and faster upscaling performance, alongside better ray regeneration. The latter is something NVIDIA already offers with DLSS Ray Reconstruction and in games that support the technology, it translates to better-looking ray tracing effects and improved performance. As for Radiance Cores, it sound like AMD is taking another page from NVIDIA. For the uninitiated, the companys RTX cards feature dedicated, fixed-function RT cores designed to accelerate the math needed to simulate light rays in real-time. Huynh says the Radiance Cores are an entirely new hardware block designed to handle ray and path tracing. Its a brand-new rendering approach for AMD, he added. As a bonus, by taking on this work, the Radiance Cores will free up other parts of AMDs new GPUs to process shaders and textures more quickly, leading to further efficiency gains. Lastly, the two companies are working on new software theyre calling Universal Compression. It builds on the PS5 and PS5 Pros existing Delta Color Compression technique. It will theoretically allow Sonys next console to compress everything that goes through its graphics pipeline, reducing the amount memory bandwidth needed by the GPU and potentially reducing its power consumption. Again, Ill note Cerny said its still early days for all the technologies he and Huynh discussed, but its reassuring to know Sony and AMD are thinking about how to best approach ray tracing performance and upscaling. Techniques like ray-traced global illumination can completely change the look of a game, making for a more immersive experience. If Sony and AMD can find ways to make those technologies less expensive to run, thats a win for everyone. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-and-amd-tease-the-gpu-tech-theyre-building-for-the-next-playstation-172500942.html?src=rss

YouTube will give 'second chances' to some banned creators

Last month, Alphabet told the House Judiciary Committee that it would allow some creators who were banned from YouTube for spreading COVID-19 and election-related misinformation to come back to the platform. Now, the company is outlining how that process will work, though it's not clear exactly who will be provided that opportunity, YouTube says that beginning today it will give some previously terminated creators the ability to request a fresh channel in an effort the company is characterizing as a bid for second chances on the platform. The update doesn't reference its COVID-19 or election misinformation policies, which had come under fire from House Republicans. Instead, YouTube says that the pilot program will be available to some qualified creators. It doesn't explain how it will determine who qualifies. Last month, far-right personalities Nick Fuentes and Alex Jones both of whom were banned from YouTube years before the pandemic attempted to rejoin YouTube after the letter was made public and were promptly removed . Our goal is to roll this out to creators who are eligible to apply over the coming months, and we appreciate the patience as we ramp up, carefully review requests, and learn as we go, the company wrote. Not every type of channel termination will be eligible. Among the factors YouTube will consider are whether the creator committed particularly severe or persistent violations of our Community Guidelines or Terms of Service, or whether the creators on- or off-platform activity harmed or may continue to harm the YouTube community. People banned for copyright infringement won't be able to apply. All that is still remarkably vague compared to the language Alphabet used in its letter to the House Judiciary Committee last month . YouTube will provide an opportunity for all creators to rejoin the platform if the Company terminated their channels for repeated violations of COVID-19 and elections integrity policies that are no longer in effect, it said. Importantly, YouTube isn't giving previously banned creators access to their old channels and subscribers. Anyone who is let back on under the program will instead have the opportunity to create an entirely new channel, which means they'll have to rebuild their presence from scratch. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/youtube-will-give-second-chances-to-some-banned-creators-172000443.html?src=rss

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting a New Game+ mode and other goodies

Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is getting another update to celebrate developer MachineGames 15th birthday. The big news here is the addition of a New Game+ mode, which is always a good time. This mode will be available upon finishing the main story and most of the upgrades carry through, including adventure books (skills) and medicine bottles. Currency also follows from the first playthrough, as do any unspent adventure points. Players who complete this mode will be treated to a new ending sequence after the credits. The update also brings the iconic Cairo outfit that Indy wore in Raiders of the Lost Ark . This outfit can be worn whenever he isn't wearing a disguise. The studio promises more outfits are coming in the near future. There's even a new voice language section tool. This lets people mix and match any of the nine available voice languages with the fourteen text languages. Prefer to hear the original English performances with subtitles in your native language? Want to try a new combination? The choice is yours, the company wrote in a blog post. There are also plenty of bug fixes and quality-of-life improvements accompanying this update. Finally, the game is adding software to detect the upcoming ROG Xbox Ally and Ally X handhand devices and will automatically adjust the video quality for better performance. The update drops on October 10 for PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC. For the uninitiated, Indiana Jones and the Great Circle is a first-person adventure that puts players in the shoes of the titular hero. It's a fun game, but likely the best Indiana Jones movie since The Last Crusade . The story and acting are just that good. MachineGames recently dropped some DLC for the game and announced that it's coming to the Nintendo Switch 2 next year . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/indiana-jones-and-the-great-circle-is-getting-a-new-game-mode-and-other-goodies-164624275.html?src=rss

Skate Story finally arrives on December 8

Who among us hasn't fantasized about escaping hell as a skateboarding demon made of glass? That's the task laid out for you in the offbeat indie title Skate Story . Devolver, always up for creative and subversive risk-taking, announced on Thursday that the game will arrive on December 8. Skate Story has you performing ollies, kickflips and grinds to swallow the moon and free yourself from the Devil and his minions. Do I understand developer Sam Eng's metaphors? Nope. Does it look badass nonetheless? You bet. Just check out the trailer below, where the shattering of your glass body looks just as satisfying as nailing that tailslide. The game was announced way back in 2020 and delayed multiple times . In 2023, Devolver even included it in its tongue-in-cheek Delayed showcase , where it proudly announced titles it was pushing back to 2024. Of course, it missed that window, too. But with its first specific release date, it looks like you'll finally have the chance to play it (on PC, Mac, Switch 2 or PS5) on December 8. And you can try the Skate Story demo on Steam right now. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/skate-story-finally-arrives-on-december-8-160911918.html?src=rss

The best SSD deals from Prime Day are still available: Save on Samsung, microSD cards for Switch 2 and more

Although October Prime Day is over, you can still grab some of our favorite deals on brand-name SSDs, portable SSDs and microSD cards, including several storage solutions compatible with the Switch 2 . If you've never considered adding a solid-state drive (SSD) to your PC or game console, now is a great time to start and if you already know what a difference extra storage can make, it's still a fine time to outfit your build. A solid-state drive (SSD) gives your hard drive more bandwidth to process huge chunks of data in parallel, getting everything done faster while keeping your device from running too hot. Some of the best products in the field are still discounted, so let's get into it. Best Prime Day microSD card deals Samsung PRO Plus microSD Memory Card for $75 (35 percent off): The Samsung PRO Plus was a strong runner-up in our testing of the best microSD cards , with speeds only beaten out by an even higher-end card from Samsung. This excellent deal should be plenty of speed and space for most normal tasks, though, from photography to gaming. SanDisk 1TB MicroSD Card for $120 (19 percent off): For those of you who haven't managed to snag a Switch 2 yet, SanDisk is offering a near-best price on the best storage card for the original Switch. With 1TB, you'd need to download a mind-boggling number of games to get anywhere near filling it. Plus, 90MB/s write speeds mean games download fast. Best Prime Day SSD deals Crucial BX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5-inch Internal SSD for $69 (28 percent off): The BX500 is Crucial's budget-conscious SSD option, but that doesn't mean it disappoints. This internal solid state drive cuts down on battery consumption and improves processing with read speeds reaching 540MB/s. It comes with a three-year warranty, too. Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB for $70 (33 percent off): This is an incredible deal on an internal SSD from a reliable brand. All capacities of the Samsung 990 Evo Plus are currently on sale, but even the 1TB option can visibly boost your performance with top read speeds of 7,250MB/s. There's no heatsink, but nickel plating on the controller reduces both heat output and energy use. Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB for $151 (28 percent off): Samsung's 990 Pro series represents a massive leap forward for the brand, cutting energy costs by around half while boosting speeds up to at least 7,000MB/s write and 5,000MB/s read. This version comes with 2TB of storage and its own built-in heatsink. Samsung SSD 9100 PRO 4TB for $418 (27 percent off): The 9100 Pro series comes with speeds and capacities that dwarf even the 990 Pro. If you need to improve your speeds while training large AI models or simply playing massive games, this is about the most power commercially available right now. Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off): The Samsung Fit Plus isn't just the best thumb drive on the market right now it's one of the best SSDs , period. This deal gets you 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s for almost unfathomably cheap. It's also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation. Samsung 870 EVO SATA III Internal SSD 1TB for $95 (19 percent off): Samsung's 870 Evo series consists of some of the best entry-level SSD storage available. While it's not quite as fast as the Samsung 990s above, it still posts read and write speeds around 550MB/s, enough for a visible difference when organizing a media library. It's also way more affordable. Kingston Fury Renegade G5 for $240 (27 percent off): For those who need the most power available especially on machines working with AI Kingston Fury Renegade is an affordable way to access fifth-gen PCle power. With working speeds over 14,000MB/s and backward compatibility, you'll be well-prepared for the next generation of processing. WD_BLACK 2TB SN7100 for $130 (19 percent off): The SN7100 is a strong entry point to WD_BLACK's extremely powerful Gen 4 SSDs. It's built for gaming, with read speeds of up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds of 6,900. The 2TB edition has the best markdown, but 1TB is more affordable overall if you're on a tight budget and both can easily run a whole operating system in parallel. WD_BLACK 8TB SN850X for $544 (20 percent off): Honestly, we can't think of a lot of people who need an SSD with 8TB of storage but if you're one of those people, this is the deal of a lifetime. The SN850X is both capacious and high-functioning, including both a heatsink and a digital dashboard you can use to monitor its performance. The smaller, cheaper versions are also marked down. Best Prime Day portable SSD deals SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD for $150 (29 percent off): The SanDisk Extreme line of portable SSDs provides a great middle ground in both price and performance. Read speeds of 1,050MB/s are enough for transferring most files you'll encounter day-to-day. Its external design holds up too, with a large carabiner loop, IP65 waterproofing and dustproofing and drop protection as high as three meters. Kingston SX1000 1TB High Performance for $89 (23 percent off): If you can't swing a Crucial X9 or X10 right now, Kingston offers a much more affordable alternative. The SX1000 can handle both PC backups and gaming storage with ease, nearly matching the X9 in our speed tests. It's also easy to carry around, though keep a tight grip as it's not officially rated for any drop height. Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 (44 percent off): This Seagate SSD is specifically for expanding storage on the Xbox Series X and S, and it's designed to meet Xbox specs exactly. You'll get exactly the same performance booting a game from this card as you would from internal Xbox storage, which makes data management infinitely easier. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-ssd-deals-from-prime-day-are-still-available-save-on-samsung-microsd-cards-for-switch-2-and-more-170039536.html?src=rss

The best foldable phones for 2025

Foldable phones have gone from futuristic novelties to genuinely useful devices that blend portability with big-screen versatility. Whether you're into multitasking, mobile gaming or just love having a phone that turns heads, the best foldable phones you can buy offer powerful performance, durable designs and impressive displays that unfold to reveal more room for apps, videos and productivity. From book-style designs to flip-style clamshells, the best foldable phone for you depends on how you like to use your device. Some models focus on flagship-level power and multitasking features, while others aim to keep things compact and stylish. Either way, these folding handsets are pushing the boundaries of what smartphones can do. Note: For this guide, were focusing on devices that are widely available in North America and Europe. Thats because while there are even more options for people who live in Asia (especially China), they are often difficult to buy from abroad and may not support your local carriers. Table of contents Best foldable phones for 2025 How we test foldable phones Are foldable phones worth it? A note on durability Foldable phone FAQs Best foldable phones for 2025 How we test foldable phones When evaluating new foldable phones, we consider the same general criteria as we do when were judging the best smartphones . Devices need to have good battery life (at least a full days use), bright inner displays (peaks of at least 1,000 nits), sharp cameras and responsive performance. That said, foldable phones come in different shapes (and sizes); there are varying designs that may appeal to different types of people. For those who prefer more compact and stylish devices, flip phone-style foldables resemble old-school namesakes but with flexible interior displays (typically six to seven inches diagonally) and smaller outer screens, often referred to as the cover display. Alternatively, for power users and people who want to maximize mobile productivity, there are larger book-style foldables (with seven to eight-inch main displays) that can transform from a candy bar-style phone to essentially a small tablet when opened. Are foldable phones worth it? A note on durability Aside from their displays, the biggest difference between foldable phones and more traditional handsets is durability. Thats because while some models like the Pixel 10 Pro Fold and Samsungs foldables offer IP68 designs or IPX8 water resistance (which is good for submersions of up to five feet for 30 minutes), their flexible screens which are largely made from plastic present some unique challenges. Most foldables come with factory-installed screen protectors. However, unlike regular phones, users are instructed not to remove them without assistance from approved service centers. Thankfully, Samsung phones do offer one free screen protector replacement for its foldables, while Google charges between $29 and $129 depending on the warranty status of your device. That said, while we cant do long-term testing for every new foldable phone on the market, after personally using the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 4 each for a year, Ive found that Samsungs pre-installed screen protector tends to start bubbling nine to 12 months after purchase. So youll probably want to factor in that your foldable may need some sort of servicing after about a year unless you plan on removing the screen protector entirely (which is possible, but goes against most manufacturers' instructions). Furthermore, foldable phone owners need to be mindful about keeping sharp objects away from their flexible displays, as rocks, keys or even pressing down very hard with a fingernail can leave permanent marks. In the event that you need to get a flexible screen serviced, youre potentially facing a much higher repair bill when compared to a typical phone (up to $500 or more depending on the model and the severity of the damage). In short, while the ruggedness of foldable phones has improved a lot, they're still more delicate than traditional handsets, which is something you need to account for. However, foldables continue to evolve, with better AI features, improved specs and a more refined form factors that makes them even more practical. Whether youre after a flip phone for nostalgia or a big screen device for multitasking, todays foldable phones offer exciting possibilities you just have to decide if theyre the right fit for you. Foldable phone FAQs What is the difference between a foldable phone and a flip phone? Foldable and flip phones both use flexible displays, but the way they fold and what that means for usability is different. A foldable phone typically opens like a book, giving you a larger tablet-like screen inside, which is great for multitasking or media. A flip phone, on the other hand, folds vertically to become more compact, kind of like the classic clamshell phones of the early 2000s. Flip phones are more pocket-friendly, while foldables offer more screen real estate when open. What is the disadvantage of a foldable phone? The biggest trade-offs with foldable phones are price and durability. They're often more expensive than traditional smartphones, thanks to the complex hinge mechanisms and flexible displays. Battery life can sometimes take a hit too, especially with larger screens. And while the tech has come a long way, foldables can still be a bit bulkier and not quite as seamless as regular slab phones when it comes to everyday use. Are foldable phones less durable than other phones? Generally, yes at least for now. Foldable phones use flexible displays and intricate hinges, which can be more prone to wear and tear over time compared to standard phones with solid glass screens. That said, newer models have gotten tougher with improved hinge designs, water resistance and stronger ultra-thin glass. They're definitely more durable than they used to be, but they still require a bit more care than your average smartphone. Georgie Peru contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/best-foldable-phones-160030013.html?src=rss

iFixit calls Meta's Ray-Ban Display glasses 'unrepairable' but praises the tech

The how-to website iFixit posted a teardown of Meta's new Ray-Ban Display augmented reality glasses and came away impressed by the tech but wary of repairability. As a matter of fact, one of the techs said in the accompanying video that it's very clear that the first iterations of these smartglasses are going to be unrepairable. This repairability issue is relatively unsurprising, given this is a newish technology. The website says there are several factors that contribute to the problem, noting that users would have to split the arms and frame in half to do something as simple as replacing a battery and Meta doesn't provide any way to do that. Any repairs here are going to need specialized skills and specialized tools, the tech concluded. This also applies to the speakers, as they are soldered in. The same goes when looking to replace the lenses, as they are specially-made and would be difficult to source. However, iFixit did come away impressed with the glassmaking skills used to manufacture these lenses. The lenses use a reflective geometric waveguide system that bounce light to the wearer's eyes at specific angles using partially reflective mirrors. This not only creates an augmented reality experience but helps prevent other people from getting a glimpse of the screen when staring at you. iFixit There's a mini-projector in the right arm, which would also be difficult to repair. This liquid crystal on silicon (LCoS) device creates a 600x600-pixel grid image that should be free from artifacts and won't flash the tell-tale eye glow at onlookers. Again, this is due to the lenses, as they differ from older diffractive systems. All of this advanced tech adds up and iFixit thinks Meta may be selling these glasses at a loss, as those lenses are particularly expensive to manufacture. Despite this, the website urges Meta to prioritize replaceable batteries, modular arms and swappable lenses in the future. The Meta Ray-Ban Display AR glasses are already on digital store shelves and cost $800 . We thoroughly enjoyed our time with them during a hands-on , calling them discrete and intuitive. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/ifixit-calls-metas-ray-ban-display-glasses-unrepairable-but-praises-the-tech-154820301.html?src=rss

Razer Blade 18 (2025) review: An 18-inch gaming laptop that does the most

As the 7-pound Razer Blade 18 sat on my desk, its all-black unibody case and enormous 18-inch screen towering before me like the monolith from 2001 , I couldnt help but think, Who the hell needs such a big-ass computer? Im sure theyre out there the gamers with deep pockets and little regard for portability, the video editors who demand as much screen space as possible. But on the whole, the market for the Blade 18 is pretty small, especially when Razers Blade 14 and 16 strike a far better balance of price, performance and weight. What the Razer Blade 18 promises, if you choose to accept its gargantuan proportions, is unbridled power and screen real estate. Its running Intels new Core Ultra 9 275HX processor, a 24-core beast with a maximum speed of 5.4GHz. Its 18-inch screen can reach up to 240Hz at slightly over 4K (3,840 by 2,400 pixels) and 440Hz when downscaled to 1080p+ (1,920 by 1,200). And of course, you can equip it with NVIDIAs fastest mobile GPU, the GeForce RTX 5090. Given everything under the hood, its honestly impressive it weighs just seven pounds, alongside a 2.1-pound power adapter. (In comparison, the similarly premium 18-inch Alienware Area 51 comes in at 9.5 pounds with a 2.2-pound power adapter.) When we last reviewed the Razer Blade 18 a few years ago, my colleague Sam Rutherford bristled at the laptops size, battery life and high cost (which could reach upwards of $5,000 when fully decked out). All of those points are absolutely fair, but this time around its easier to see what Razer is trying to do with the Blade 18: Its simply doing the most for the people who demand it. And its doing so with the excellent build quality weve come to expect from Razer (albeit with a high $2,799 starting price). If youre still trying to wrap your head around why an 18-inch laptop even exists, the Razer Blade 18 isnt for you. And honestly, the concept isnt even that farfetched. Given the move towards thinner display bezels and other refinements, laptop makers have been able to squeeze in larger screens inside of their typical case sizes. The Razer Blade 16 was a bit heavier than the Blade 15 when it launched, but now Razer has slimmed its case down considerably. The Blade 18 similarly serves as an upgrade to the old Blade 17 and what an upgrade it is. Razer Blade 18 from the side, viewing a few ports. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget My review unit, which was equipped with that new Intel chip, an RTX 5090, 64GB of RAM and a 4TB SSD tackled Cyberpunk 2077 with all of its settings cranked without a sweat. At its native resolution, which again is a bit higher than 4K, it reached 131 fps with 4X frame generation (which uses DLSS 4s upscaling to interpolate additional frames). Thats roughly half as fast as the desktop RTX 5090 running in 4K with the same settings but dont forget, that GPU alone typically runs between $2,000 to $3,000 these days. Razer charges an additional $1,400 to upgrade the Blade 18 from an RTX 5070 Ti to the 5090. (And for the record, the total cost for our fully decked out testing unit was $4,599.) Beyond frame rates, Cyberpunk 2077 simply looked great on the Blade 18s 240Hz IPS LED display. Its not as bright as the MiniLED screens Razer offers on the Blade 16, and it doesnt offer the insane contrast levels of an OLED screen, but it does the job well. For the price, though, it would have been nice to see more modern screen technology. Like the Blade 16, the 18 also offers a dual-mode display, which is how it reaches those higher 440Hz refresh rates in 1080p+. Razer Blade 18 rear case Devindra Hardawar for Engadget It worked as advertised in Overwatch 2 , where I played several matches well above 300fps with high quality settings. The additional visible frames are particularly helpful during fast-paced moments, where you may have the blink of an eye to take out an opponent before they headshot you. I had no doubt the Blade 18 would be fast, but I also noticed that it felt genuinely more immersive than the Blade 16 because of its more expansive display. As I leaned in during Cyberpunk 2077, Halo Infinite and Overwatch sessions, it almost felt like I was in front of a desktop setup. Thats ultimately what youre paying for with this machine. When I opened up audio files in Audacity, I also noticed that the additional screen space simply made it easier to sift through my timelines. PCMark 10 3DMark (TimeSpy Extreme) Geekbench 6 CPU Cinebench R23 Razer Blade 18 (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, NVIDIA RTX 5090) 7,703 12,228 2,733/19,340 1,104/33,150 Razer Blade 16 (2023, Intel i9-13950HX, NVIDIA RTX 4090) 7,364 8,667 2,713/16,245 2,024/15,620 Razer Blade 18 (2023, Intel i9-13950HX, NVIDIA RTX 4060) 7,326 5,009 2,708/12,874 1,900/15,442 When it comes to direct benchmarks, the Core Ultra 9 chip isnt much better than Intels 13th-gen hardware in single-threaded tasks, and its sometimes best by AMDs latest batch of hardware. Intel has made significant progress in multi-threaded tests like Geekbench 6, though, and that sort of performance makes the Blade 18 ideal for tasks like video rendering and complex games. The Blade 18 also ran remarkably cool: During a 3DMark stress test, which involved running one demo 20 times in a row, the CPU stayed at 70 degrees Celsius most of the time, with occasional spikes to 85C. During the CPU-heavy Cinebench tests, Intels chip jumped to 80C on average with some jumps to 90C. The GPU, meanwhile, held a steady 70C and never wavered during 3DMark benchmarks. The fans sure can get loud, though, as youd expect for a system thats relatively thin and needs to pump out a ton of heat. Razer Blade 18 power, Ethernet, USB 2 and USB-C ports. Razer has been building sturdy and attractive gaming laptops for well over a decade now, so its not a huge surprise that the Blade 18 feels incredibly solid and premium. Its keyboard has a great depth to it that feels just as good playing shooters as it does while typing, and its trackpad is wonderfully smooth and accurate. (It does get a bit overzealous when detecting multi-touch gestures, though.) Port-wise, the Blade 18 also packs in everything youd want, including three USB Type-A 3.2 connections, one Thunderbolt 5 USB-C port, a Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, 2.5Gb Ethernet and a full-sized SD card slot. Personally, if I had to choose between Razers current lineup, Id go with the Blade 16 so that I could actually carry it around and occasionally use it as a productivity machine. Not so with the Blade 18 its short two hour and 17 minute battery life (in PCMark 10s battery benchmark) means youll always need to lug around its beefy power adapter. After an hour of writing this review, its battery life also dropped from fully charged to 38 percent. But really, nobody is buying this thing just to deal with spreadsheets and emails. You want ultimate power and an enormous screen? Then battery life will suffer. A transparent window along the bottom of the Razer Blade 18 Devindra Hardawar for Engadget To paraphrase The Lord of the Rings , one does not simply choose to live with an 18-inch gaming laptop not without considering all of the conveniences youre leaving behind. For the sickos who would dare tread that path, the Blade 18 is a solidly built powerhouse that weighs significantly less than rivals like the 18-inch Alienware Area 51. Just be prepared to pay Razers high price to own one. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-blade-18-2025-review-an-18-inch-gaming-laptop-that-does-the-most-153000136.html?src=rss

The Browser Companys Dia is now available on Mac, no invite needed

The Browser Companys AI-powered browser is now available to download for all macOS users. Dia started rolling out to private beta testers in June, following its initial reveal at the end of last year, but if youre a Mac user you can download it here if you want to try it. Note that you need a Mac with an M1 chip or later running macOS 14 or later. AI is being baked into a lot of web browsers right now , but with Dia its at the heart of everything you do. It allows you to interact with The Browser Companys chatbot within every tab you have open, where its able to search the web, compare websites and answer questions about the content displayed on the page you have open. It features an in-line copy editor too, and can summarise text without requiring you to copy-paste it into a separate field. Itll also happily talk you out of an expensive purchase, if prompted. The Browser Company previously worked on the popular Arc browser, but shifted its focus entirely to Dia back in May, after CEO Josh Miller said the former lacked cohesion, in both its core features and value. Miller said Arc was too different for widespread adoption, but committed to providing future security updates for the people who were on board (many of whom were effusive in their praise). The Browser Company was recently acquired by Atlassian in a deal worth around $610 million, which should be finalized by the end of 2025. As part of the agreement, the former was allowed to continue operating independently while it worked on Dia, and wrote in a blog post published at the time that the acquisition would help it roll out its new AI browser more aggressively. At the time of writing, theres no word on plans for a Windows launch. But given Arc eventually made its way to Windows , chances are itll happen sooner or later. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-browser-companys-dia-is-now-available-on-mac-no-invite-needed-150240626.html?src=rss

The 19 best Amazon Prime Day deals under $50 still available from Anker, Roku, UGreen and others

It's true: October Prime Day 2025 is over . But you can't expect a site like Amazon to shut down every deal the company was built on the discount. Today, we hunted down the tech deals under $50 that are still available. While there's a lot fewer deals than there were yesterday (we counted 59 on Wednesday and just 19 today) some decent brands , like Ugreen, Anker, Lego and Roku are still in stock. Interestingly, a few of the current-model Echo smart speakers are still discounted, too, likely as a way to get the new Alexa+ into as many homes as possible. Who knows how long these sale prices will stick around. But if you miss them, don't fret, Black Friday is just around the corner. Best Prime Day tech deals under $50 still available PNY microSD Express (128GB) for $39 ($6 off with Prime) : If youve gotten yourself a Switch 2 (or planning to gift one for the Holidays) you may want to get a couple microSD Express cards. Theyre the only type that work with the new console, which you can read all about in our guide to Switch 2 storage . This is one of the cards we recommend. Audible subscription (three months) for $3 ($42 off) : From now through mid-December, you can get Amazons audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point. UGreen Revodok Pro 109 USB-C Hub for $39 ($16 off with Prime) : The top pick in our guide to the best USB-C hubs has a good array of ports, including an HDMI 2.0 connection that supports 4K monitors at 60Hz, plus three USB-A ports, Ethernet and one USB-C (plus another for delivering 90W of power to your device. Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 for $31 (30 percent off): 'Tis the season for advent calendars . They've flooded the internet, as they usually do this time of year, and there are plenty to choose from (and stock up on) before we get to December. Lego has a bunch, and this Star Wars one will be fun for everyone, not just kids, to open up each day at the end of the year. Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $30 ($40 off) : Some prefer a wired connection when playing games. Razers Basilisk V3 is our top budget pick for a wired mouse in our gaming mouse guide . Its comfortable, well-built, accurate and a good value particularly with a Prime Day discount. Anker Nano 3-in-1 Portable Charger for $35 ($11 off with Prime) : Its a wall charger! Its a portable battery! It has its own USB-C cable! In short, this handy power bank is clever and compact, which is why its one of our favorites . It went as low as $33 for Prime Day. Anker Nano portable charger for $20 ($10 off with Prime) : It looks like an oldy timey lipstick case and can deliver a partial refill to any small device with a USB-C port. We named it a good pick after testing it for our battery guide. 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth controller (Switch 2) for $45 ($25 off with Prime) : If youve got a Switch 2 and are looking for a good controller to go with it, we think this is a good one. Recommended in our guide to the best Switch 2 accessories , its got an Xbox style configuration with the left stick placed higher on the game pad, which some prefer. Echo Pop smart speaker for $25 ($15 off) : The half sphere Pop is the most affordable Echo speaker in Amazons lineup. The sound wont be as full as its larger siblings, but will do a fine job of bringing Alexas help to smaller rooms. Just note that it went as low as $18 for Black Friday and October Prime Day last year. Elden Ring (PS5) for $30 ($20 off) : If you somehow havent yet played the action-RPG Elden Ring, heres a chance to do so for less money. Its challenging yet accessible if you want plus its darkly funny and one of our favorite games . Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off) : We named this thumbdrive one of the best SSDs you can buy. This configuration has 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s. It's also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation. Roku Streaming Stick HD for $18 ($12 off) : If you dont care about 4K (or your screen resolution isnt that high anyway) you can still get the same simple-to-use Roku OS with this device. The best thing about Roku streaming sticks is the access to all the free content so this is an affordable way to get it. Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker for $26 ($9 off with Prime) : This is one of our top picks for Bluetooth speaker . It gets pretty loud for its size and has decent sound quality. You can pair two together for stereo sound as well, and its IP67-rated design will keep it protected against water and dust. It went for $23 during the sale. Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $30 ($15 off with Prime) : This small speaker was a past pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers . Its waterproof and goes for 24 hours on a charge. We found the sound to be surprisingly big for its size. It sold for $27 during Prime Day. Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): Amazon brought the Echo Spot smart alarm clock back from the dead last year with a new design and improved speakers. In addition to being able to control smart home devices and respond to voice commands, the Echo Spot can also act as a Wi-Fi extender for those that have Eero systems. It went as low as $45 for Black Friday last year. Samsung EVO Select microSD card (256GB) for $23 ($4 off) : This Samsung card has been one of our recommended models for a long time. It's a no-frills microSD card that, while not the fastest, will be perfectly capable in most devices where you're just looking for simple, expanded storage. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-19-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-under-50-still-available-from-anker-roku-ugreen-and-others-120531063.html?src=rss

The 20 best Prime Day tech deals you can still get today

Another Prime Day has come and gone, but a few deals are still lingering on the internet today. If you missed the two-day event but still have some shopping to do, you may be in luck. On the tech side of things, you can still save on a number of Apple devices, handy tech under $50 and even some big-ticket items like cordless vacuums. Here, we've gathered the best tech deals you can still get today now that October Prime Day is over. Prime Day deals: Engadget's top picks Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 75418 for $31 (30 percent off): 'Tis the season for advent calendars . They've flooded the internet, as they usually do this time of year, and there are plenty to choose from (and stock up on) before we get to December. Lego has a bunch, and this Star Wars one will be fun for everyone, not just kids, to open up each day at the end of the year. Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $25 (14 percent off): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don't have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan's blades show its remaining battery level. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3 months) for $57 ($33 off): Microsoft recently jacked up the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $30 per month, but for now, you can get around that by stacking codes . Pick up this code for three months of the service at the old rate and you'll save some cash. Google TV Streamer 4K for $80 ($20 off): This is our current favorite streaming device thanks to its attractive design with handy remote and easy-to-use interface that gives you access to all major streaming services. It also puts a smart home control on your TV, so you can easily turn on compatible smart lights, check video feeds of security cameras and more right from your TV. Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $330 (39 percent off): This is a good entry-level Dyson with strong suction power and easy handling. It has a decently sized dustbin and comes with four cleaning attachments, plus it will run up to 40 minutes on a single charge. Prime Day deals: Apple devices Apple iPad A16 for $279 ($70 off): Apples entry-level iPad is best for kids, casual users or anyone on a tight budget who still wants a bonafide Apple tablet. It has solid performance, double the base storage compared to previous models, great build quality and a solid battery life. Note, though, that it doesnt support Apple Intelligence. Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 (20 percent off): Our top pick for the best laptop for most people, the latest MacBook Air is impressively thin and light without skimping on performance. The M4 chipset is powerful enough to handle everyday tasks without breaking a sweat, plus some gaming and labor-intensive work. It has a comfortable keyboard, luxe-feeling trackpad and an excellent battery life. Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review , appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that's more affordable than the Pro models. Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off) : The Pencil Pro is Apples premium stylus, offering pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, haptic feedback and unique gesture controls compared to the standard Pencil. Its a dependably tool for sketching and note-taking; just note that its not compatible with the base iPad and most older models. This is another discount weve seen regularly over the past year, but its $30 off the pens list price. Prime Day deals: Tech and gadgets Samsung EVO Select microSD card (128GB) for $13 (24 percent off): This Samsung card has been one of our recommended models for a long time. It's a no-frills microSD card that, while not the fastest, will be perfectly capable in most devices where you're just looking for simple, expanded storage. Roku Streaming Stick Plus 2025 for $24 (40 percent off): Roku makes some of the best streaming devices available, and this small dongle gives you access to a ton of free content plus all the other streaming services you could ask for: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and many more. Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for $100 (33 percent off): The UE Boom 4 is a balanced speaker that does well anywhere. Take it camping (it's waterproof and a charge lasts for 15 hours), to a party (it puts out loud 360 degree sound) or make it part of a permanent home system by chaining it with other UE speakers one of these plus two Minirolls or Wonderbooms would come pretty close to full surround sound. DJI Osmo Action 4 for $229 (23 percent off) : DJI's Osmo Action 4 is a solid deal at this price, as you're not giving up much in comparison to the most recent model, the Action 5. It has the same big 1/1.3-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, especially in low light. It also features a D-LogM profile to boost dynamic range, DJI's excellent clip-on mount and high-quality 4K 120p video. Amazon Kindle Scribe for $300 (25 percent off): The latest Kindle Scribe is one of the best E Ink tablets you can get, particularly if you want a slab that can handle both note-taking and e-reading well. Its edge is providing users full access to the Kindle ebook store and the ability to take notes to accompany reading material. This model has 16GB of storage and includes the Premium Pen. XReal One Pro AR glasses for $649 (16 percent off): The latest from XReal , these smart glasses can let you use almost any device, including your smartphone, with a large virtual display. Their 1080p Micro-OLED screens are bright and sharp, plus they're pretty comfortable to wear. Samsung S90F 55-inch QD-OLED TV for $1,100 ($498 off) : The Samsung S90F is an upper-tier TV with a QD-OLED panel, which blends the usual perks of a quality OLED set near-perfect contrast, wide viewing angles, clear motion, low input lag with a layer of quantum dots. This helps it produce a wider gamut of more vivid colors compared to traditional WOLED TVs . It also comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports and has a fast refresh rate of 144Hz. It doesnt support Dolby Vision HDR, however. This deal marks a new low for the 55-inch model, while the 65-inch and 77-inch versions are also at all-time lows of $1,598 and $2,298, respectively. Just make sure you only buy the 55-, 65- or 77-inch model, as every other size in the US uses a lesser WOLED panel. Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it's worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-20-best-prime-day-tech-deals-you-can-still-get-today-050801239.html?src=rss

Nintendo Switch 2-compatible microSD Express cards are still on sale after Prime Day

If you finally got your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 and have been loading it up with games, the thought of storage expansion may have crossed your mind by now (maybe more than once). But since the Switch 2 is only compatible with newer microSD Express cards, the pickings are slim at the moment. You can't just buy any microSD card you find at a cheap price but there are some good deals on microSD Express cards, specifically, right now. The most affordable of the bunch is this 128GB PNY microSD Express card , which is 15 percent off and down to $38. Engadget's Jeff Dunn has been testing microSD Express cards since the Switch 2 launched. The best microSD Express card for Switch 2 at the moment is really the one you can most easily afford. While the cards he's tried out so far didn't perform identically in our benchmark tests, the differences in overall performance and load times will be tough for most people to notice. Thankfully, the ones he's tested so far have been good there isn't a bad one in the bunch, and while the most consistent performer was the SanDisk microSD Express card , you won't really sacrifice by getting a different one. In fact, at least in the case of these deals, you'll be gaining by saving some cash. PNY's card in particular was actually slightly faster than SanDisk's in our testing when it came to moving games from the card back to the Switch 2's internal storage. However, it was a bit slower in writing games to the card itself. That just means you may wait a few extra minutes before you can open Mario Kart World and get to racing, but for most people, the difference will be negligible. Also on sale are two configurations of Lexar's Play Pro microSD card. The 512GB version is down to $88, while the 1TB model is on sale for $158. That's up to 28 percent off and the lowest we've seen them. If you're hoping to make a one-and-done purchase and you already plan on packing your console with the best Switch 2 games , we'd recommend getting the card with the highest capacity that's still within your budget. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/nintendo-switch-2-compatible-microsd-express-cards-are-still-on-sale-after-prime-day-134147650.html?src=rss

California just passed three bills to boost internet privacy

California has passed three new bills designed to boost privacy for internet users, governor Gavin Newsom's office announced . The biggest one, AB 566, builds on a 2018 law by requiring web browsers to let users universally opt-out of allowing third parties to sell their data. The original California Consumer Privacy Act from 2018 only let Californians opt out third-party data sharing one site at a time. However, AB 566 signed into law yesterday by Newsom requires web browsers like Chrome, Firefox and Safari to allow users to opt out of all third-party tracking with a single setting. This law will help people protect their personal data by allowing them to simply switch a toggle that tells businesses they cant sell or share it, said Consumer Reports policy analyst Matt Schwartz. The bill was originally passed by the California legislature last month , but its signing by the governor wasn't necessarily a done deal. Newsom vetoed a similar bill last year for being overly broad as it also applied to smartphone operating systems. He also said that major browsers already offer one-click opt out for third-party data sharing, though Consumer Watchdog said at the time that none offer a universal way to decline data sharing. Two other bills will also help internet users keep their data to themselves. SB 361 boosts the Data Broker Registration Law (Delete Act) signed into law in October 2023 by giving consumers more information about which personal information is collected by data brokers and who else might have it. AB 656, meanwhile, requires social media companies to make canceling an account straightforward and clear while it triggers full deletion of the users personal data. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/california-just-passed-three-bills-to-boost-internet-privacy-120031025.html?src=rss

The best digital frames for 2025

Making a good digital picture frame should be easy. All you need is a good screen and an uncomplicated way to get your favorite photos onto the device. Combine that with an inoffensive, frame-like design and you're good to go. Despite that, I can tell you that many digital photo frames are awful. Amazon is positively littered with scads of digital frames and it's basically the 2020s version of what we saw with knock-off iPods back in the 2000s. There are loads of options that draw you in with a low price but deliver a totally subpar experience that will prompt you to shove the thing in a drawer and forget about it. The good news is that you only need to find one smart photo frame that works. From there, you can have a pretty delightful experience. If you're anything like me, you have thousands of photos on your phone of friends, family photos, pets, vacation spots, perhaps some lattes or plates of pasta and much more. Too often, those photos stay siloed on our phones, not shared with others or enjoyed on a larger scale. And sure, I can look at my photos on my laptop or an iPad, but there's something enjoyable about having a dedicated place for these things. After all, there's a reason photo frames exist in the first place, right? A great frame can help you send photos to loved ones and share cherished memories with friends and family effortlessly. I tested out seven smart photo frames to weed through the junk and find the top picks for the best digital frames worth buying. Best digital picture frames for 2025 What to look for in digital picture frames While a digital photo frame feels like a simple piece of tech, there are a number of things I considered when trying to find one worth displaying in my home. First and foremost was screen resolution and size. I was surprised to learn that most digital photo frames have a resolution around 1,200 x 800, which feels positively pixelated. (That's for frames with screen sizes in the nine- to ten-inch range, which is primarily what I considered for this guide.) But after trying a bunch of frames, I realized that screen resolution is not the most important factor; my favorite photos looked best on frames that excelled in reflectivity, brightness, viewing angles and color temperature. A lot of these digital photo frames were lacking in one or more of these factors; they often didn't deal with reflections well or had poor viewing angles. A lot of frames I tested felt cheap and looked ugly as well, which isnt something you want in a smart device that sits openly in your home. That includes lousy stands, overly glossy plastic parts and design decisions I can only describe as strange, particularly for items that are meant to just blend into your home. The best digital photo frames don't call attention to themselves and look like an actual dumb frame, so much so that those that arent so tech-savvy might mistake them for one. Perhaps the most important thing outside of the display, though, is the software. Let me be blunt: a number of frames I tested had absolutely atrocious companion apps and software experiences that I would not wish on anyone. One that I tried did not have a touchscreen, but did have an IR remote (yes, like the one you controlled your TV with 30 years ago). Trying to use that with a Wi-Fi connection was painful, and when I tried instead to use a QR code, I was linked to a Google search for random numbers instead of an actual app or website. I gave up on that frame, the $140 PixStar, on the spot. Other things were more forgivable. A lot of the frames out there are basically Android tablets with a bit of custom software slapped on the top, which worked fine but wasn't terribly elegant. And having to interact with the photo frame via touch wasn't great because you end up with fingerprints all over the display. The best frames I tried were smart about what features you could control on the frame itself vs. through an app, the latter of which is my preferred method. Another important software note: many frames I tried require subscriptions for features that absolutely should be included out of the box. For example, one frame would only let me upload 10 photos at a time without a subscription. Others would let you link a Google Photos account, but you could only sync a single album without paying up. Yet another option didn't let you create albums to organize the photos that were on the frame it was just a giant scroll of photos with no way to give them order. While some premium frames offer perks like unlimited photos or cloud storage, they often come at a cost. I can understand why certain things might go under a subscription, like if you're getting a large amount of cloud storage, for example. But these subscriptions feel like ways for companies to make recurring revenue from a product made so cheaply they can't make any money on the frame itself. I'd urge you to make sure your chosen frame doesn't require a subscription (neither of the frames I recommend in this guide need a subscription for any of their features), especially if you plan on giving this device as a gift to loved ones. How much should you spend on a digital picture frame For a frame with a nine- or ten-inch display, expect to spend at least $100. Our budget recommendation is $99, and all of the options I tried that were cheaper were not nearly good enough to recommend. Spending $150 to $180 will get you a significantly nicer experience in all facets, from functionality to design to screen quality. Digital frames FAQs Are digital photo frames a good idea? Yes, as long as you know what to expect. A digital picture frame makes it easy to enjoy your favorite shots without printing them. Theyre especially nice for families who want to display new photos quickly. The key is understanding the limitations. Some frames have lower resolution displays or need a constant Wi-Fi connection to work properly, so theyre not a perfect replacement for a high-quality print on the wall. But if you want a simple way to keep memories on display and up to date, theyre a solid choice. Can you upload photos to a digital frame from anywhere? Most modern digital frames let you do this, but it depends on the model. Many connect to Wi-Fi and use apps, cloud storage or email uploads, so you can add photos from your phone no matter where you are. Some even let family members share directly, which is great for keeping grandparents updated with new pictures. That said, a few budget models only work with USB drives or memory cards, so check how the frame handles uploads before buying. Georgie Peru contributed to this report. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-digital-frame-120046051.html?src=rss

After Flipkart, Royal Enfield announces availability of 350cc bikes on Amazon

Royal Enfield buyers can get the 350cc range across 10 cities in India, using the e-commerce platforms including Amazon and Flipkart

The best streaming deals: Save on Hulu + Live TV, Audible, Starz, Fubo TV and more

Streaming services keep raising prices . At this point, if you subscribe to all the major services out there, you're basically paying the same price as cable those antiquated local monopolies that streaming was supposed to save us from. But streaming still has one big advantage over the old ways: no contracts. That means you can grab a good streaming deal and then cancel without penalty. Our advice is to sign up for a service when you see a good streaming deal (or the latest season of, say, Doctor Who , Severance , Andor and/or The Last of Us ). Then, when the deal ends or you've binged whatever it is you want to watch, cancel as needed. But streaming deals don't come around all that often and, when they do, it's easy to miss them thanks to...everything. So we're keeping eyes out for the best streaming deals out there and we update this guide often so check it out the next time you have a hankering to watch something new . Best streaming deals True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, theyll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, well see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while youll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing. If youre able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. Youll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that youre fine paying full price for it thats the ideal situation. But if youre not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to cancel at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now. Audible subscription (three months) for $3 ($42 off) : From now through mid-December, you can get Amazons audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point. Hulu + Live TV (three months) for $195 ($54 off): New and eligible returning subscribers can get three months of Hulu + Live TV at a rate of $65 per month, which is much cheaper than the standard $83-per-month rate. In addition to live TV content, this service also includes Disney+ and ESPN Select, so you're essentially getting three separate streaming services under this umbrella. We consider that to be Hulu + Live TV's edge, and we named it one of the best live TV streaming services on the market right now. The offer runs through October 23. Spotify Premium Individual (1 month) for $0 ($12 off): This is our favorite music streaming service for podcasts and social features. Right now, users who have not signed up for Spotify's Premium service before are eligible to get one month for free. The Premium Individual plan lets you listen ad-free and skip songs at will. You can also organize your listening queue and download content for offline listening. Just be aware, your subscription will auto-renew at the end of the trial period. So if you don't want to be on the hook for the $12 monthly fee, set a reminder to cancel and go back to the free version. Fubo Pro for $55/month for the first month ($30 off): Fubo has introductory discounts on most of its packages, and the Pro package is the least expensive plan currently listed. It offers access to 224 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. It even includes regional sports content from the NHL, MLB and NBA. DirecTV starting at $50/month for one month ($35 off): All of DirecTV's signature packages are $35 off right now for your first month when you sign up. If you opt for the base Entertainment package, you'll spend $50 for the first month and get access to over 90 channels, including many local stations as well as ESPN, ESPN 2 and Fox Sports 1. You'll also be able to watch on the go with the DirecTV mobile app. YouTube TV (three months) for $219 ($30 off) : You can get three months of our favorite live TV streaming service for $50 per month. That should give you a decent chunk of time to see if the service is right for you while saving some cash. The discount and trial are only open to new subscribers to YouTube TVs base plan, which includes access to over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space and six household accounts with the ability to stream on three devices at once. DashPass Annual + HBO Max (with ads) for $96/year ($144 off): This offer includes access to HBO Max with ads for no extra cost when you sign up for a DashPass Annual plan. You can then decide to upgrade to Max Standard, which removes ads, for a discounted rate of $11 monthly if you want. Aside from the obvious streaming benefits, this deal gives you $0 deliver fees and lower service fees on some restaurant DoorDash orders, five percent DoorDash credits on pickup orders, on-demand grocery delivery and other members-only exclusives. Peacock first responders discount one year for $48 (50 percent off) : Medical professionals and first responders can save 50 percent each year of Peacock. The deal requires annual verification and is open to those who work for either private or public institutions. Peacock has some great stuff to watch, including Poker Face and Killing It and more . Student discounts on streaming services HBO Max student discount subscribe for $5/month (50 percent off): HBO Max offers their ad-supported tier to students for half off the usual rate. Youll just have to verify that youre a student through Unidays , and make note that this offer is only good for up to 12 months of service. Hulu student discount subscribe for $2/month (75 percent off): Those with a valid student ID can get Hulus ad-supported tier for 75 percent off the typical rate. Theyll keep the same sale price for as long as theyre a student as well. Spotify student discount Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off): Spotifys student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulus ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, youd pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up. NBA League Pass student discount one year for $120 (40 percent off) : Students can get one year of League Pass for only $10 per month, which includes access to NBA TV and the ability to watch classic and archive games on-demand. On the NBA League Pass website, look for the student discount banner at the top and follow the instructions to verify your student status. Streaming bundle discounts Theres more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, youll spend less overall by just paying for the single service. Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on HBO Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option. Also, it's worth noting that anything Disney-related will be getting a price hike soon. As of October 21, 2025, you'll pay more for Disney+, Hulu and most associated bundles. But if you subscribe now, you'll at least pay one month at the old, cheaper rate. Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max bundle with ads for $17/month : Ad-supported HBO Max is included here, along with full, ad-supported access to Disney+ and Hulu. Youll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for all three services individually. Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium for $20/month : Disney and Hulu offer a few different bundles, which you can view in the drop-down lists under Choose Your Plan. This bundle removes the ads from both Disney+ and Hulu (with the exception of select live and linear content) and allows you to download content for offline viewing. Youll save 42 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for both ad-free tiers individually. Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $96/month: This streaming bundle amalgamation is a bit confusing but it does offer a lot: you get live TV streaming via Hulus service plus access to the following VOD services: Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Out of those three, only ESPN+ will have ads. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Basic for $17/month : You get full access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ content with this package, albeit with ads across the board. This bundle price is 46 percent off the total price of all three separate subscriptions. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Bundle Premium for $27/month : Similarly to the Duo bundles, the Premium version of the Trio removes ads from most content in Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, and you can download content for offline viewing. This price represents a 43-percent savings when compared to paying for all three ad-free tiers separately. Sling TV + HBO Max starting at $53/month: Sling TV and HBO Max have partnered on a discount that gives new subscribers 50 percent off their first month of Sling TV, plus $5 off monthly when you subscribe to the Sling TV + HBO Max bundle. The standard price for the Sling Blue + HBO Max duo is roughly $58/month, so you'll get a monthly discount of $5 off that. In addition, for the first month only, you'll get half off the price of the bundle. The promotion also applies to the Sling Orange & Blue + HBO Max package, which has a standard price of $73/month. Paramount+ with Showtime for $13/month or $120/year : This includes everything in Paramount+s Essential plan, except the ads, and also provides access to Showtime content, live CBS streams and download features. Read more streaming coverage The best live TV streaming services to cut cable The best streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max and more The best streaming devices Follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-streaming-service-deals-133028980.html?src=rss

Prime Day speaker deals are still available: Save on JBL, Bose, Ultimate Ears and more

Amazon Prime Day is nearly over, but our audio experts are still sifting through Amazon for bargains on the best smart speakers , soundbars and portable blueetooth speakers . We're always ready to argue this high-quality speakers are a worthwhile investment, adding new dimensions to any kind of entertainment and with these deals on top speakers from JBL, Bose, Beats, Marshall and more, there's no excuse not to upgrade. Whether you're building a permanent setup for your home theater or chaining portable speakers together to blast dance tunes through an outdoor party venue, we bet you'll find some deals to love on this curated list. Best Prime Day bluetooth speaker deals JBL Xtreme 2 for $150 (17 percent off): This deal is a great way to get ahold of the JBL Xtreme 2, an old favorite from 2018 we still love. An Xtreme 2 can get louder than you'd expect from a portable speaker, putting out 40 watts at maximum, and stays charged for around 15 hours. JBL Flip 6 for $100 (23 percent off): The JBL Flip 6 is a solid choice for an all-around bluetooth speaker, performing well in any room or on the go. It sounds good at almost any frequency and volume, runs for 12 hours on a single charge and is nearly impossible to damage with falls, dust or water. JBL Go 3 for $35 (30 percent off): The JBL Go 3 is a decent and highly affordable carabiner speaker for all your outdoor adventures as is its sister product, the Go 3 Eco, which is made from recycled materials. It's obviously not the most powerful speaker at 4.2 watts, but it has a surprisingly good functional range. Plus, the design looks good on any belt or backpack. Beats Pill for $119 (34 percent off) : This Bluetooth speaker from Apple subsidiary Beats earned a score of 83 in our review and currently holds a spot in our buying guide . Its not the best raw value on the market, and it can struggle at maximum volume, but it generally pumps out strong bass without sounding imbalanced. A stylish and water-resistant design, ample battery life and the ability to play lossless audio over a USB-C cable add to the appeal. This sizable discount matches the lowest price weve tracked. Ultimate Ears Miniroll for $47 (41 percent off): Miniroll is the smallest speaker from Ultimate Ears , but it punches far above its weight, starting with UE's trademark massive volume buttons. While small enough to fit in a jeans pocket, its combination of a driver and radiator manages about 85 decibels. A Miniroll can run for about 12 hours on a single charge. Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for $95 (37 percent off): The UE Boom 4 is a balanced speaker that does well anywhere. Take it camping (it's waterproof and a charge lasts for 15 hours), to a party (it puts out loud 360 degree sound) or make it part of a permanent home system by chaining it with other UE speakers one of these plus two Minirolls or Wonderbooms would come pretty close to full surround sound. Ultimate Ears Everboom for $231 (15 percent off): The Everboom is the middle ground of the UE line, with more powerful output than the Wonderboom and more portability than the Hyperboom. Its 360 degree sound pairs with an Outdoor Boost feature to work better outside, though it isn't quite as impressive in the middle ranges. Bose SoundLink Flex for $99 (34 percent off): We've rarely seen the Bose SoundLink Flex this cheap, so now is the time to snap up this high-fidelity outdoor speaker. It's small enough to carry in one hand and can be operated from up to 30 feet away via the Bose Connect app. We've also found it simple and fun to use for hands-free phone calls during breaks in the music. Bose SoundLink Revolve+ for $179 (40 percent off): The SoundLink Revolve+ line, Bose's original upright 360-degree speakers, continue to pack a punch. This current model features a 17-hour battery life, IP55 water resistance and the ability to connect to a smart speaker to extend your virtual assistant's range. Bose SoundLink Max for $299 (25 percent off): The Bose SoundLink Max may put you in mind of a classic boombox, with its detachable handle and thudding base. But inside it's all modern, with a 50-watt output, an effective range of 52.6Hz and a 20-hour rechargeable battery. It even comes with a 3.5mm AUX input to connect to a turntable, if you really want to embrace your inner 90s DJ. Anker Soundcore 2 for $28 (38 percent off): This larger speaker doesn't look like much, but it's tough, water-resistant and versatile. It's got a broad range of optimal pitch, effective across 70 Hz from bass to treble, and 12 watts of output. While it's portable and sounds good outdoors, its wide design means it can also substitute for a soundbar in your home theater. Soundcore Select 4 Go for $18 (20 percent off): The Soundcore Select 4 Go weighs only 9.3 ounces, which makes the rest of its specs even more impressive: 20 hours of battery life, IP67 waterproofing and sound that fills rooms. It even sounds pretty good in compact outdoor spaces, more than capable of serenading an outdoor desk or livening up a pool party. Soundcore Motion 300 for $56 (30 percent off): The Soundcore Motion 300 is a full-frequency champ, with clean sound in the higher ranges and reasonably heavy bass. Its adaptive audio feature changes output depending on whether the speaker is currently lying down, standing on end or hanging from your belt loop. It's also small and light enough to carry in your pocket or clip to your backpack. Marshall Emberton II for $100 (44 percent off): Marshall, the old warhorse of the audio world, continues to crush it with the portable and bluetooth-ready Emberton II. Although it looks like an antique, it's anything but, with 360-degree sound and over 30 hours of battery life from a single charge all weighing a little more than a quarter of a pound. Marshall Acton III for $200 (33 percent off): Marshall recently re-engineered the Acton's speaker setup by angling the tweeters outward. It paid off, especially in the Acton III, which now delivers a pleasingly wide soundscape. At 6.3 pounts, it's not technically portable, but the design makes it easy to move around and for the eco-conscious, it's made of 70 percent recycled materials. Best Prime Day smart speaker deals Amazon Echo Pop for $25 (38 percent off): The Echo Pop is Amazon's smallest and cheapest smart speaker, resembling an Echo Dot sliced in half. It's a little quiet, and probably best for extending Alexa's range rather than serving as the primary host for your virtual assistant. In a smaller room, though, this is as convenient and clear-sounding as any other Echo you'll use. Amazon Echo Spot for $45 (44 percent off): Other than perhaps the Pop, no Amazon Echo fits better on a bedside table than the Spot. Its user-friendly design incorporates both a speaker and a digital display so it's recognizable as a classic alarm clock, but with much more information on the screen and far better sound quality. This is the lowest price we've ever seen it sell for. Sonos Era 100 for $180 (10 percent off): The Sonos Era 100 is a fantastic smart speaker for an even better price. It's not only loud it also sounds good at any volume, no matter what platform you're streaming audio from. It can connect via bluetooth or physical lines, and uses TruePlay to tune the sound to your current location using included mics. Sonos Era 300 for $379 (21 percent off): In our full review of the Sonos Era 300 , we found that it's easy to set up and sounds incredible. It includes the exciting spatial audio feature that makes music sound like it's coming from everywhere while it doesn't always work, it's exhilarating when it hits. The Era 300 can even automatically tune sound to your location, and you no longer need an iPhone for this feature to work. Best Prime Day soundbar deals JBL Bar 300 for $250 (38 percent off): The Bar 300, part of JBL's 2023 soundbar explosion , is a mighty yet cheap soundbar with an integrated subwoofer. Despite being small, it manages to create a theatrical experience by working both Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam. Its voice sharpening algorithm is especially good at making dialogue clearer (for those of us who always have to put on the subtitles). Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus for $150 (40 percent off): One of the cheapest soundbars you'll ever see, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus provides a noticeable boost to your TV's audio quality, even if it doesn't reach Dolby Atmos heights. It's simple, but that makes it a breeze to set up all you have to do is plug in one HDMI cable. Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 for $498 (29 percent off): The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is part of Sony's Dolby Atmos soundbar lineup . It stands out from that line as a great entry point, balancing theatrical sound with defined dialogue by adjusting outputs through machine learning. It's capable of transforming normal stereo into surround sound through automatic up-mixing. Roku Streambar for $69 (31 percent off): The Roku Streambar is already affordable, but this deal puts it within anyone's reach. It's also economical in terms of space as we noted in our full review , it's about the size of an egg carton, but still manages to give off near-surround sound. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/prime-day-speaker-deals-are-still-available-save-on-jbl-bose-ultimate-ears-and-more-083538046.html?src=rss

The Prime Day vacuum deals still available on Amazon include iRobot, Shark, Dyson and others

It's the final day of Amazon Prime Day , but it's not too late to get a heavy discount on a traditional or robotic vacuums from Amazon. We're hoping this sale helps ease some of the more granular vacuum-related decisions. Should you go corded, cordless or robotic? Dyson, iRobot or Shark? Are there any decent robotic vacuums that aren't Roombas? (Yes.) Until the very end of the Big Deal Days sale tonight, but until the very end, we'll search for discounts as tirelessly as an automated vacuum scours your floors for dirt, and post all the best deals here. Best Prime Day robot vacuum deals Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch for $450 (36 percent off): This robotic mop/vacuum combo is engineering so you'll almost never need to revisit it after you set it up. It can clean its own mop, refill its own water tank and empty its own dustbin for up to 30 days at a time. It's also equipped with air jets that blast dirt out of corners the vacuum can't fit into. Dreame X40 Ultra Robotic Vacuum for $665 (45 percent off): Yes, it's on the expensive side, but the Dreame X40's performance earns every penny. It's another two-in-one combo, mixing a powerful vacuum cleaner with a precise mop to diligently scrub stains. Its inner workings are engineered to keep the wet and dry messes from touching, which can cause gross leaks in lesser vacuums. Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 for $300 (57 percent off, Prime exclusive): The Shark Matrix Plus takes the robot vacuum concept even further by working a mop into the design for hands-off wet cleaning. This model is self-cleaning, self-emptying, self-charging and capable of tackling ground-in stains on hard floors. iRobot Roomba 104 Vac for $150 (40 percent off, Prime exclusive): This entry-level Roomba is a good pick for anyone who's new to owning a robot vacuum. It features a multi-surface brush and an edge-sweeping brush to clean all types of flooring, and it uses LiDAR navigation to avoid obstacles as it goes. The iRobot mobile app lets you control the robot, set cleaning schedules and more. iRobot Roomba Plus 504 for $380 (49 percent off): For those looking to upgrade to a more advanced robot vacuum, the Roomba Plus 504 is a great next step. It can clean almost anything that might land on a home floor, and if it can't clean it, it can steer around it. Two brushes and strong suction get at tougher stains, and it even includes an app you can use to set cleaning zones and change suction force remotely. Roborock Q10 S5+ Robot Vacuum and Mop for $300 (25 percent off): The Roborock Q10 S5+ is another great option for a vacuum-mop combo. It's skilled at knowing what type of floor it's on and deploying or retracting the mop appropriately, and comes with precision LiDAR mapping. You can change its settings remotely from a paired app. Roborock Qrevo Edge S5A Robot Vacuum and Mop for $650 (35 percent off): The higher-end Roborock choice has two brushes positioned to keep hair from tangling in either roll. The Qrevo Edge features strong suction, hot-water mopping and 60 days of completely hands-off cleaning. It can even mop and vacuum in the same cleaning session by lifting the mop whenever it notices a carpet. Ecovacs Deebot X9 Pro Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop for $900 (31 percent off): Evocacs is a high-end robot vacuum provider to be sure, but this deal makes the X9 Pro accessible. It cleans its mop in real time so dirty water never touches your floor and comes with a lift system that lets it mop and vacuum simultaneously. The X9 also has 16,600Pa of suction in case you've got some really ground-on stains. Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum for $600 (8 percent off): If you like the look of the AV2501S but have even more space to clean, the AV2501AE is also on sale. Its self-empty base can go a full 60 days before you have to dump it out, so it's ideal for large spaces, complex homes or areas that see heavy use. It's got the same features otherwise, including LiDAR mapping and two hours of autonomous work. Best Prime Day vacuum deals Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum for $220 (37 percent off, Prime exclusive): One of our favorite cordless vacuums , this Levoit machine has great handling, strong suction power for its price and a premium-feeling design. Its bin isn't too small, it has HEPA filtration and its battery life should be more than enough for you to clean your whole home many times over before it needs a recharge. Shark NV352 Navigator Lift-Away for $130 (35 percent off): If you want the excellent steering and modular design of the Navigator Lift-Away but don't need as much storage in the chamber as the Deluxe offers, the basic NV352 is cheaper and just as thorough. This slightly smaller unit still comes with a HEPA filter, swivel steering and a detachable handheld vacuum, plus toggleable carpet and hardwood settings. Shark CarpetXpert HairPro for $280 (24 percent off): Not all vacuums need to reinvent the wheel. The Shark CarpetXpert HairPro is the perfect midrange option, with a large brushroll for getting pet hair and other allergens out of your carpets. It's designed internally to suction and store hair without clogging, making it an even better fit for homes with pets. Shark Cordless Vacuum Cleaner for $200 (43 percent off): If you're looking for a lighter vacuum that's more maneuverable, the Shark Cordless Vacuum Cleaner might fit the bill. It's easy to steer with a self-cleaning brushroll and surprisingly strong suction. Being slimmer makes it good for fitting under furniture and around tight corners. Dyson Ball Animal Total Clean Upright Vacuum for $400 (39 percent off): Dyson is still the king of reinventing vacuums, and the bagless, hyper-maneuverable Ball Animal is a blast to use. The Ball design is based on ease of steering, but the hidden MVP is the sealing from the head to the canister, not a hair is getting out of this one once it's in. Dyson V11 Origin Cordless Vacuum for $400 (37 percent off): Dyson's take on the now-classic cordless vacuum design is another winner, with three power settings, a built-in HEPA filter and about an hour of continuous operation per charge. You can also detach the shaft and use it as a handheld vacuum as needed. Eureka Stylus Elite NEC490BL Cordless Stick Vacuum for $190 (32 percent off): Another extremely strong entry into the field of budget-friendly cordless vacuums, the Eureka Stylus Elite comes with its own self-emptying station just plug the holding tank into the stand, and the mechanism does the rest. It also includes an anti-tangle brush roll, five layers of HEPA filtration and three modes that let you decide whether to prioritize power or battery charge length. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-prime-day-vacuum-deals-still-available-on-amazon-include-irobot-shark-dyson-and-others-151504685.html?src=rss

We found the 36 best Prime Day tech deals for Day 2 from Apple, Samsung, Anker, Beats, Google and more

October Prime Day is almost over, yet there's still a slew of discounts across the entirety of Amazons online storefront. As expected, Amazons site is pretty overwhelming at the moment and will be for the next few hours. Even if you came prepared with a wishlist of items you hope to buy on sale, it can be easy to get distracted by the thousands of other deals available during this members-only event. If any of the items on your list happen to be tech or tech related, Engadget has you covered. Weve scoured Amazon to find the October Prime Day deals on tech and gadgets that you can get during the final hours of the sale. Prime Day deals: Engadget's top picks Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 75418 for $31 (30 percent off): 'Tis the season for advent calendars . They've flooded the internet, as they usually do this time of year, and there are plenty to choose from (and stock up on) before we get to December. Lego has a bunch, and this Star Wars one will be fun for everyone, not just kids, to open up each day at the end of the year. Leebein 2025 electric spin scrubber for $38 (46 percent off, Prime exclusive): This is an updated version of my beloved Leebein electric scrubber, which has made cleaning my shower easier than ever before. It comes with seven brush heads so you can use it to clean all kinds of surfaces, and its adjustable arm length makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots. It's IPX7 waterproof and recharges via USB-C. Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 (21 percent off, Prime exclusive): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don't have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan's blades show its remaining battery level. DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off) : The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but it has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots. It can shoot video at up to 4K 30 fps and is quick and maneuverable, though it's also fairly loud. You can also grab one with three batteries and a charger for $229 (21 percent off) . Anker Nano 5K ultra-slim power bank (Qi2, 15W) for $40 ($15 off, Prime exclusive) : The top pick in our guide to the best MagSafe power banks is a much better deal than the battery Apple is selling . This super-slim battery gives an extra charge to any Qi2-enabled phone (iPhones series 12 and later). We found its proportions work very well with iPhones, and its smooth, matte texture and solid build quality make it feel premium. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3 months) for $57 ($33 off): Microsoft recently jacked up the price of Game Pass Ultimate to $30 per month, but for now, you can get around that by stacking codes . Pick up this code for three months of the service at the old rate and you'll save some cash. Google TV Streamer 4K for $80 ($20 off): This is our current favorite streaming device thanks to its attractive design with handy remote and easy-to-use interface that gives you access to all major streaming services. It also puts a smart home control on your TV, so you can easily turn on compatible smart lights, check video feeds of security cameras and more right from your TV. Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $300 ($219 off): This is a good entry-level Dyson with strong suction power and easy handling. It has a decently sized dustbin and comes with four cleaning attachments, plus it will run up to 40 minutes on a single charge. Prime Day deals: Apple devices Apple iPad A16 for $279 ($70 off): Apples entry-level iPad is best for kids, casual users or anyone on a tight budget who still wants a bonafide Apple tablet. It has solid performance, double the base storage compared to previous models, great build quality and a solid battery life. Note, though, that it doesnt support Apple Intelligence. Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 (20 percent off): Our top pick for the best laptop for most people, the latest MacBook Air is impressively thin and light without skimping on performance. The M4 chipset is powerful enough to handle everyday tasks without breaking a sweat, plus some gaming and labor-intensive work. It has a comfortable keyboard, luxe-feeling trackpad and an excellent battery life. Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review , appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that's more affordable than the Pro models. Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) for $329 ($170 off) : As a general rule, most people should buy the newest version of whatever Apple product they want. That said, the Series 11 is only a minor upgrade over the prior Series 10 the glass is more scratch-resistant, the cellular model has 5G support, the battery is marginally bigger and thats about it. If youre mostly worried about saving cash, want LTE support and still need the more advanced health features the Apple Watch SE lacks, this is a worthwhile deal for a version of last years model with cellular support. Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off) : The Pencil Pro is Apples premium stylus, offering pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, haptic feedback and unique gesture controls compared to the standard Pencil. Its a dependably tool for sketching and note-taking; just note that its not compatible with the base iPad and most older models. This is another discount weve seen regularly over the past year, but its $30 off the pens list price. Prime Day deals: Tech under $50 Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off) : We named this the best smart plug for Alexa users because it hooks up painlessly and stays connected reliably. Use it to control lamps or your holiday lights using programs and schedules in the Alexa app, or just your voice by talking to your Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled listener. Samsung EVO Select microSD card (128GB) for $13 (24 percent off): This Samsung card has been one of our recommended models for a long time. It's a no-frills microSD card that, while not the fastest, will be perfectly capable in most devices where you're just looking for simple, expanded storage. Roku Streaming Stick Plus 2025 for $24 (40 percent off): Roku makes some of the best streaming devices available, and this small dongle gives you access to a ton of free content plus all the other streaming services you could ask for: Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+, HBO Max and many more. Anker 622 5K magnetic foldable power bank with stand for $28 (42 percent off, Prime exclusive): This 0.5-inch thick power bank attaches magnetically to iPhones and won't get in your way when you're using your phone. It also has a built-in stand so you can watch videos, make FaceTime calls and more hands-free while your phone is powering up. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): Amazon's most powerful streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and Wi-Fi 6E. It also has double the storage of cheaper Fire TV sticks. Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $43 (47 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds , the Space A40 have surprisingly good ANC, good sound quality, a comfortable fit and multi-device connectivity. Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card 256GB for $50 (17 percent off): This is another Switch 2 microSD card that we tested that we found to be a good option if you're looking to expand storage on your new console. The 512GB model is also on sale for $100. Prime Day deals: Vacuums and smart home Blink Mini 2 security cameras (two-pack) for $35 (50 percent off): Blink makes some of our favorite security cameras, and the Mini 2 is a great option for indoor monitoring. It can be placed outside with the right weatherproof adapter , but since it needs to be plugged in, we like it for keeping an eye on your pets while you're away and watching over entry ways from the inside. Levoit Core 200S smart air purifier for $70 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): This compact air purifier cleans the air in rooms up to 140 square feet and uses a 3-in-1 filter that removes microscopic dust, pollen and airborne particles. It has a mobile app that you can use to set runtime schedules, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. iRobot Roomba 104 Vac for $150 (40 percent off): This entry-level robot vacuum is an upgraded version of one of our favorite budget robot vacuums . iRobot makes robovacs that are easy to use, even for those who have never had a machine like this, and they do a good job of cleaning up all kinds of messes, including pet hair. Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum for $220 (37 percent off, Prime exclusive): One of our favorite cordless vacuums , this Levoit machine has great handling, strong suction power for its price and a premium-feeling design. Its bin isn't too small, it has HEPA filtration and its battery life should be more than enough for you to clean your whole home many times over before it needs a recharge. Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $300 (57 percent off, Prime exclusive): If you're looking for an autonomous dirt-sucker that can also mop, this is a good option. It has a mopping pad and water reservoir built in, and it supports home mapping as well. Its self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days worth of debris, too. Prime Day deals: Tech and gadgets Anker MagGo 10K power bank (Qi2, 15W) for $55 (31 percent off, Prime exclusive): A 10K power bank like this is ideal if you want to be able to recharge your phone at least once fully and have extra power to spare. This one is also Qi2 compatible, providing up to 15W of power to supported phones. Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for $95 (37 percent off): The UE Boom 4 is a balanced speaker that does well anywhere. Take it camping (it's waterproof and a charge lasts for 15 hours), to a party (it puts out loud 360 degree sound) or make it part of a permanent home system by chaining it with other UE speakers one of these plus two Minirolls or Wonderbooms would come pretty close to full surround sound. Amazon Kindle Colorsoft for $200 ($50 off): The latest version of Amazons color ereader has 16GB of storage, improved performance, an adjustable front light and up to eight weeks of battery life. The design is also waterproof, so you can take it to the beach or by the pool without worry. DJI Osmo Action 4 for $229 (23 percent off) : DJI's Osmo Action 4 is a solid deal at this price, as you're not giving up much in comparison to the most recent model, the Action 5. It has the same big 1/1.3-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, especially in low light. It also features a D-LogM profile to boost dynamic range, DJI's excellent clip-on mount and high-quality 4K 120p video. Amazon Kindle Scribe for $300 (25 percent off): The latest Kindle Scribe is one of the best E Ink tablets you can get, particularly if you want a slab that can handle both note-taking and e-reading well. Its edge is providing users full access to the Kindle ebook store and the ability to take notes to accompany reading material. This model has 16GB of storage and includes the Premium Pen. XReal One Pro AR glasses for $649 (16 percent off): The latest from XReal , these smart glasses can let you use almost any device, including your smartphone, with a large virtual display. Their 1080p Micro-OLED screens are bright and sharp, plus they're pretty comfortable to wear. Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it's worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/we-found-the-36-best-prime-day-tech-deals-for-day-2-from-apple-samsung-anker-beats-google-and-more-050801203.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day kitchen deals include our favorite Instant Pots, blenders and more, save up to 50 percent before the sale ends

Amazon's Prime Day sale is a great time to save money on new kitchen tools but there are only a few hours left to do so. We've combed through the thousands of deals on cooking gadgets and appliances to find the best deals on kitchen tech we've tested and recommend in our reviews and buyer's guides . We found deals on some of our top picks for rice cookers, Instant Pots, Kitchen Aid tools, air fryers and of course, the frozen dream-maker, Ninja's Creami ice cream maker . Most of these discounts will expire tonight when the sale ends, so if one of these Prime Day kitchen deals catches your eye, you may want to get it now. The best Prime Day kitchen deals KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer for $379 ($121 off ) : Theres a reason this is so popular among home bakers and chefs. The Artisan KitchenAid is sort of the gold standard stand mixer, as we point out in our guide to the best kitchen tech . This isnt an all-time low (it was $350 as recently as May), but matches the July Prime Day price. Ninja Slushi for $300 ($50 off) : We havent officially tested this one just yet, but given our love of both the Creami and the Creami Swirl , its a fair bet that this one will do good things with cold stuff too. This is the lowest price of the year so far. Cosori 9-in-1 TurboBlaze Air Fryer for $90 ($30 off with Prime) : This is the runner up pick in our air fryer buying guide . We appreciate the roomy basket and easy-to-use touchscreen. Its missing the clear front window that our top pick from Instant has but, unlike that one, the Cosori has a release button on the basket which is a welcome safety feature. Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion Blender for $90 ($40 off with Prime) : For quick sauces and soups, we like this nifty two-speed hand blender from Vitamix, and said so in our guide to cheap kitchen gadgets . It even comes with a whisk for making your own whipped cream. Ninja Dual Foodie Zone Air Fryer (DZ302) for $160 ($70 off) : If you want to air fry two different things at the same time, this is the one to get. This is the same in specs, capacity and wattage as our top pick for a dual-zone air fryer , just with a different model number. It even has a feature that makes sure the two different foods are ready at the same time. Vitamix 5-Speed Immersion Blender for $200 ($100 off with Prime) : If you want a little extra oomph from your hand blender, grab this one. We named it the best counter top replacement model in our guide to the best immersion blenders . The 625 watt motor is more powerful than most and the blender head is intelligently designed to reduce suction and prevent scratches plus it fits inside a wide mouth mason jar. Ninja Creami ice cream maker $180 ($50 off) : This is one of our favorite pieces of kitchen tech and we called it a frozen fantasy-maker in our review. Note that the Creami dipped down to $160 last Black Friday but this matches the lowest price we've seen this year. Instant Pot Vortex Plus with Clear Cook for $80 ($20 off with Prime) : This Vortex air fryer model is similar to our top airfryer pick , but is missing the Odor Ease feature. It still has the Clear Cook window that lets you keep an eye on your food as it crisps and the Vortex cooking tech heats up remarkably fast, with almost no pre-heating time. Meater Pro wireless thermometer for $99 ($31 off with Prime) : This was previously called the Meater 2 Plus, but the company changed the name. We gave it high praise in our review , and like the extended range, strong battery life, durability and precision. Fellow Stagg EKG Pro Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $144 ($36 off with Prime) : This is one of the appliances we recommend in our guide for tea gifts. I bought one based on that suggestion and have been impressed with this little kettles speed and good looks ever since. Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer (4QT) for $60 ($70 off with Prime) : Heres a smaller version of our best overall air fryer. This one has a four-quart capacity, which is perfect for one person and small kitchens. And, like its larger sibling, pre-heats quickly thanks to a 1600-watt output. KitchenAid Variable Speed Corded Hand Blender for $55 ($15 off) : We recommend the cordless version of this immersion blender in our guide to those appliances. This corded version has the same variable speed trigger which makes it easy to control your recipes. Note that this sold for $5 less as recently as May. Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide Machine for $200 ($50 off) : This is the premium pick from our guide to sous vide machines . It has a powerful 1,100-watt heater and a Turbo mode that significantly reduces cooking times. But there are no built-in controls youll have to use your phone and Brevilles free app to use it. AeroPress Original for $30 ($10 off) : Were fans of AeroPress portable coffee makers and recommend the pricer Go Plus model in our guide to coffee gifts . If you dont want to spend quite so much, grab the original model, which is even cheaper for Prime Day. Breville InFizz Fusion beverage maker for $200 ($50 off) : We called this fizz-maker the bubble master in our review. True, its pricier than rivals in the same space, but the upscale design that actually looks good on a countertop somewhat makes up for the price premium. We also appreciate the Fusion Cap that helps prevent messy eruptions when youre bubbling up your drinks. Hamilton Beach Digital Rice Cooker for $37 ($13 off with Prime) : Our top pick for a budget rice cooker is great for small kitchens (but probably not for big families). We thought it outperformed other cookers that are four times the price, though its not the best for all-day warming of rice as the bottom bigs got a little overdone. Cosori Air Fryer Pro Compact for $85 ($15 off with Prime) : One of our concerns with the Cosori 9-in-1 was that it was a little on the wide side, taking up extra countertop space. The Pro Compact has a more space-saving design while still packing a five-quart basket. Instant Pot 4QT Vortex mini air fryer for $55 ($35 off with Prime) : This models four-quart capacity falls between our top Instant Pot air fryer pick and the budget model. It has the Clear Cook window feature, six presets and it comes in pink in addition to the standard white and black. Instant Pot Duo Plus for $70 ($70 off with Prime) : We named this the best multicooker in our guide to the best kitchen tech weve tested. It can cook a dizzying array of foods from basic beans and rice to homemade yogurt. We like this one because its simple to use, and has quick-cooking modes for soup, eggs and grains. Theres even a sous vide cooking function. Breville Bambino Plus for $400 ($100 off) : In our gift guide for coffee lovers , this espresso machine earned our respect for its compact size and the fact that it doesnt cost a grand, like some machines do. Plus the controls are easy for beginners to learn but makes silky milkfoam for pro-level latte artists. Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $120 ($30 off) : This went as low as $110 back in January, but its still a decent discount on a high-powered juice extractor. We were won over by its impressive juicing abilities and despite how it looks, it's surprisingly easy to clean as long as you do it right away. Ninja 5.5-quart Air Fryer XL (AF150AMZ) for $130 ($50 off with Prime) : This one earned an honorable mention in our guide to air fryers. Its double the capacity of our budget pick and has a dehydrate preset. While we found the round basket a little cramped, we liked how the fryers vertical design saved counter space. Just note that this went as low as $90 in July. Vitamix Explorian E310 Blender for $330 ($50 off) : This isnt the best deal weve seen this year this Vitamix dropped to $300 as recently as May. But if youre in the market for a blender that can turn the most recalcitrant nut into the creamiest butter, we think this wont let you down. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-kitchen-deals-include-our-favorite-instant-pots-blenders-and-more-save-up-to-50-percent-before-the-sale-ends-193009680.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day Apple deals: Take up to $200 off MacBooks, AirPods, iPads and more on day 2 of the sale

Amazons October Prime Day sale has brought a number of decent discounts on Apple devices, from iPads to Apple Watches to accessories like the Apple Pencil and AirTag. If youve been waiting to take the plunge and dont want to hold out until Black Friday, here are the best Apple deals from the Prime Big Deal Days event that are still available. As a refresher, today is the second and last day of the sale, and youll need to be a Prime member to view some of the deals. Best Prime Day Apple deals: iPads Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $437 ($162 off) : We call the Air the best Apple tablet for most people in our guide to the best iPads . While its a good bit more expensive than the base model, it has a handful of subtle improvements that add up in day-to-day use. Its speakers are better. Its display is more color-rich, more glare-resistant and laminated, which means theres no gap between the display and the actual glass. Theres a faster chip and more RAM for gaming or more involved tasks. It also works with the Apple Pencil Pro and comfier Magic Keyboard. This is the largest discount weve seen, but it only applies to the purple colorway. Other models are $150 off, which is still a sizable drop. Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M3) for $649 ($150 off) : The 13-inch iPad Air is exactly the same as the 11-inch model, only it has a larger and slightly brighter display. It should be nice if youre willing to trade a little portability for more space for working or taking in movies. We gave this model a score of 89 in our review back in March. Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro) for $379 ($120 off) : The iPad mini is exactly what it sounds like : the smaller iPad. This latest iteration has an improved A17 Pro chip which is enough to support Apple Intelligence along with 128GB of storage in the base model and Apple Pencil Pro support. As always, youd buy it if you want a display you can more easily hold with one hand. This deal is another all-time low. Best Prime Day Apple deals: Macs Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 ($200 off) : The MacBook Air tops our guide to the best laptops . The latest model isnt a major overhaul, but its still exceptionally thin, lightweight and well-designed, and the M4 chip is more than powerful enough for everyday use. This deal ties the best price weve seen for the base model with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. Other configs with more memory and storage are $200 off as well. Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M4) for $999 ($200 off) : The 15-inch MacBook Air is essentially the same as the 13-inch version, only it has a roomier display, a more spacious trackpad and better speakers. This deal is slightly higher than the laptops all-time low, and its another discount weve seen plenty of times before, but its a decent drop from Apples usual list price. Again, other versions with more memory and storage are also on sale. Apple Mac mini (M4) for $499 ($100 off) : This latest iteration of Apples tiny PC has a smaller footprint while adding a faster M4 chip, 16GB of RAM by default, two front-facing USB-C ports and an extra Thunderbolt 4 port. It can also drive three external displays, though it lacks USB-A ports entirely. We gave a higher-end config with Apples M4 Pro chip a score of 90 in our review. This deal is for the entry-level model with the base M4 chip and a 256GB SSD its $30 above the all-time low but still a nice savings. Best Prime Day Apple deals: AirPods Apple AirPods 4 for $89 ($40 off MSRP) : The entry-level AirPods get you tons of Apple-friendly features from fast pairing with your iCloud devices to spatial audio to hands-free Siri and their lightweight design should fit most ears more comfortably than previous models. They still arent the richest-sounding or longest-lasting pair, and they don't support wireless charging, Find My tracking or built-in volume controls. They wont block much outside noise either. But if youre an iPhone owner who truly hates the feeling of earphones that jut into your ear canal, theyre a worthy value with this discount, which comes within a dollar of the lowest price weve seen. Engadgets Billy Steele gave the AirPods 4 a review score of 88 last year. Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $119 ($60 off) : This version of the AirPods 4 adds active noise cancellation (ANC), a wireless charging case and Find My tracking support. They have the same open-style design, so the ANC isn't as effective as what you'd get with a pair that fully seals off the ear canal, but it makes the earbuds more useful in noisy areas all the same. This pair earned a score of 86 in our review, and the discount matches the lowest price we've tracked. Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) for $429 ($120 off) : The AirPods Max are bulkier and older than Sonys WH-1000XM6 the top pick in our guide to the best wireless headphones plus they rely on a weird, flimsy case to preserve power, so we only recommend them to hardcore Apple fans. That said, they offer most of the conveniences of the in-ear AirPods, while their ANC and warm sound profile still rank among the better options on the market. This model is virtually the same as the pair we reviewed way back in 2020, only it has a USB-C port and supports lossless audio with a cable. This discount is $30 off the pairs all-time low, but its the best price weve seen since July. Best Prime Day Apple deals: Apple Watches Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS) for $240 ($9 off) : Apple only released its latest crop of Apple Watches last month, but Amazon is selling each with a modest discount. The Watch SE 3, for instance, is available for $240: Thats just $9 off its list price, but its something if youre buying soon after launch anyway. As for the device itself, this third-gen version of the SE adds an always-on display, which makes it so you no longer have to wake the watch to check the time or your notifications. It now runs on the same S10 chip as its higher-end siblings, too, and it still covers the essential health and fitness features. If youre in the market for your first smartwatch, or if you only want a watch for step counting, sleep tracking and notifications, it should be a strong value. Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS) for $390 ($9 off) : The Series 11 is the top overall pick in our guide to the best smartwatches . Its not as compelling as the SE 3 from a value perspective, but it has a bigger, brighter and more scratch-resistant display, slightly longer battery life and support for more advanced health features like hypertension alerts and an ECG app. We gave it a score of 90 in our review. Just note that theres no pressing need to upgrade if youre happy with your current Apple Watch. This is just a $9 discount, but we note it since the Series 11 has been on sale for less than a month, so any bit of savings are welcome. Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) for $329 ($170 off) : As a general rule, most people should buy the newest version of whatever Apple product they want. That said, the Series 11 is only a minor upgrade over the prior Series 10 the glass is more scratch-resistant, the cellular model has 5G support, the battery is marginally bigger and thats about it. If youre mostly worried about saving cash, want LTE support and still need the more advanced health features the Apple Watch SE lacks, this is a worthwhile deal for a version of last years model with cellular support. If you don't need cell service, the GPS-only model is also steeply discounted at $279. Apple Watch Ultra 3 (49mm) for $780 ($19 off) : The Apple Watch Ultra 3 is a much more niche device than the Series 11 or SE 3, aimed at serious athletes and adventurers more than the typical gymgoer. It is the biggest and most rugged Apple Watch, with the brightest display (up to 3,000 nits), longest battery life (up to 42 hours) and most advanced components. It also supports satellite communications . The watch normally retails for $799, so this isnt a major discount, but since this is a brand-new device, any drop at all is worth noting for early adopters. Best Prime Day Apple deals: Accessories Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off) : The Pencil Pro is Apples premium stylus, offering pressure sensitivity, wireless charging, haptic feedback and unique gesture controls compared to the standard Pencil. Its a dependably tool for sketching and note-taking; just note that its not compatible with the base iPad and most older models. This is another discount weve seen regularly over the past year, but its $30 off the pens list price. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-apple-deals-take-up-to-200-off-macbooks-airpods-ipads-and-more-on-day-2-of-the-sale-125644310.html?src=rss

Discord now says 70,000 government IDs may have leaked in provider hack

Over the weekend, Discord revealed that its users may have had their data compromised when a third-party service provider was hacked. At the time, the platform said that a small number of government IDs may have been illicitly accessed. Today, however, claims circulated that the attackers had obtained more than 2 million photos that had been used for age-verification purposes. In response, the company said that about 70,000 users may have had government-ID photos exposed. Other user data that could have been compromised includes the users name, Discord username, email and other contact details if provided to Discord customer support, as well as a limited amount of billing information. Engadget reached out to Discord for comment, but did not receive a response. However, Discord spokesperson Nu Wexler shared a statement about the issue with The Verge and said that some of the figures being shared were inaccurate and came from the attackers. The numbers being shared are incorrect and part of an attempt to extort a payment from Discord, Wexler said. We will not reward those responsible for their illegal actions. All affected users globally have been contacted and we continue to work closely with law enforcement, data protection authorities, and external security experts. Weve secured the affected systems and ended work with the compromised vendor. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/discord-now-says-70000-government-ids-may-have-leaked-in-provider-hack-225753321.html?src=rss

New York City is suing Meta, Snap, TikTok and YouTube over 'youth mental health crisis'

New York City, its school district and healthcare system have filed a lawsuit against Meta, Snap TikTok and YouTube for allegedly contributing to a youth mental health crisis with intentionally addictive platforms. The lawsuit is the latest in a long string of legal actions against social media platforms over their handling of safety and other issues facing teens. The city of New York was joined in the lawsuit by the city's school district and NYCHealth + Hospitals, the city's largest public hospital system. The lawsuit alleges that the social media companies have intentionally designed their platforms to be addictive to children and that they have failed to implement effective safeguards. The companies, the suit claims have created, caused and contributed to the youth mental health crisis in New York City, causing damage to the publics health and safety, interfering with the use of public places, including schools, and endangering or injuring the health, safety, comfort or welfare of a considerable number of persons, including youth. It says the city, school district and hospitals have been forced to devote significant resourcesin terms of funding, employees, and time to address the youth mental health crisis caused by the companies. The lawsuit also specifically calls out the rise of viral posts about subway surfing in New York, noting that several teenagers have died attempting the stunt and more than 100 have been arrested. Significantly, NYPD investigations have determined that the primary motivation of subway surfers is to imitate the subway surfing videos they see on social media, and to collect social media 'likes,' the lawsuit says. It also claims that teachers and other school staff experience secondary trauma and burnout associated with responding to students in crisis due to social media. Meta, Snap and TikTok didn't immediately respond to a request for comment on the lawsuit. In a statement, Google spokesperson Jos Castaeda said that the allegations are simply not true and fundamentally misunderstand YouTube. YouTube is a streaming service where people come to watch everything from live sports, to podcasts to their favorite creators, primarily on TV screens, not a social network where people go to catch up with friends, he said. We've also developed dedicated tools like Supervised Experiences for young people, guided by child safety experts, that give families control. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/new-york-city-is-suing-meta-snap-tiktok-and-youtube-over-youth-mental-health-crisis-223916712.html?src=rss

The best Day 2 Prime Day speaker deals: JBL, Bose, Ultimate Ears and more

We're always ready to argue that high-quality speakers are a worthwhile investment, adding new dimensions to music and dialogue that make any kind of entertainment more enjoyable. Though Prime Day is almost over, our resident audiophiles are still sifting through Amazon for bargains on the best smart speakers , soundbars and portable bluetooth speakers . This October Prime Day , our list of the best deals includes brands like Anker, Bose, JBL, Amazon Echo and more. So if you're ready to hear when your favorite TV actors are scratching themselves, let's get started. Best Prime Day bluetooth speaker deals JBL Xtreme 2 for $150 ($30 off): This deal is a great way to get ahold of the JBL Xtreme 2, an old favorite from 2018 we still love. An Xtreme 2 can get louder than you'd expect from a portable speaker, putting out 40 watts at maximum, and stays charged for around 15 hours. JBL Flip 6 for $100 ($30 off): The JBL Flip 6 is a solid choice for an all-around bluetooth speaker, performing well in any room or on the go. It sounds good at almost any frequency and volume, runs for 12 hours on a single charge and is nearly impossible to damage with falls, dust or water. JBL Go 3 for $35 (30 percent off): The JBL Go 3 is a decent and highly affordable carabiner speaker for all your outdoor adventures as is its sister product, the Go 3 Eco, which is made from recycled materials. It's obviously not the most powerful speaker at 4.2 watts, but it has a surprisingly good functional range. Plus, the design looks good on any belt or backpack. Beats Pill for $119 (34 percent off) : This Bluetooth speaker from Apple subsidiary Beats earned a score of 83 in our review and currently holds a spot in our buying guide . Its not the best raw value on the market, and it can struggle at maximum volume, but it generally pumps out strong bass without sounding imbalanced. A stylish and water-resistant design, ample battery life and the ability to play lossless audio over a USB-C cable add to the appeal. This sizable discount matches the lowest price weve tracked. Ultimate Ears Miniroll for $47 (41 percent off): Miniroll is the smallest speaker from Ultimate Ears , but it punches far above its weight, starting with UE's trademark massive volume buttons. While small enough to fit in a jeans pocket, its combination of a driver and radiator manages about 85 decibels. A Miniroll can run for about 12 hours on a single charge. Ultimate Ears Boom 4 for $95 (37 percent off): The UE Boom 4 is a balanced speaker that does well anywhere. Take it camping (it's waterproof and a charge lasts for 15 hours), to a party (it puts out loud 360 degree sound) or make it part of a permanent home system by chaining it with other UE speakers one of these plus two Minirolls or Wonderbooms would come pretty close to full surround sound. Ultimate Ears Everboom for $231 ($39 off): The Everboom is the middle ground of the UE line, with more powerful output than the Wonderboom and more portability than the Hyperboom. Its 360 degree sound pairs with an Outdoor Boost feature to work better outside, though it isn't quite as impressive in the middle ranges. Bose SoundLink Flex for $99 (34 percent off): We've rarely seen the Bose SoundLink Flex this cheap, so now is the time to snap up this high-fidelity outdoor speaker. It's small enough to carry in one hand and can be operated from up to 30 feet away via the Bose Connect app. We've also found it simple and fun to use for hands-free phone calls during breaks in the music. Bose SoundLink Revolve+ for $179 (40 percent off): The SoundLink Revolve+ line, Bose's original upright 360-degree speakers, continue to pack a punch. This current model features a 17-hour battery life, IP55 water resistance and the ability to connect to a smart speaker to extend your virtual assistant's range. Bose SoundLink Max for $299 ($100 off): The Bose SoundLink Max may put you in mind of a classic boombox, with its detachable handle and thudding base. But inside it's all modern, with a 50-watt output, an effective range of 52.6Hz and a 20-hour rechargeable battery. It even comes with a 3.5mm AUX input to connect to a turntable, if you really want to embrace your inner 90s DJ. Anker Soundcore 2 for $28 (38 percent off): This larger speaker doesn't look like much, but it's tough, water-resistant and versatile. It's got a broad range of optimal pitch, effective across 70 Hz from bass to treble, and 12 watts of output. While it's portable and sounds good outdoors, its wide design means it can also substitute for a soundbar in your home theater. Soundcore Select 4 Go for $18 (20 percent off): The Soundcore Select 4 Go weighs only 9.3 ounces, which makes the rest of its specs even more impressive: 20 hours of battery life, IP67 waterproofing and sound that fills rooms. It even sounds pretty good in compact outdoor spaces, more than capable of serenading an outdoor desk or livening up a pool party. Soundcore Motion 300 for $56 (30 percent off): The Soundcore Motion 300 is a full-frequency champ, with clean sound in the higher ranges and reasonably heavy bass. Its adaptive audio feature changes output depending on whether the speaker is currently lying down, standing on end or hanging from your belt loop. It's also small and light enough to carry in your pocket or clip to your backpack. Marshall Emberton II for $100 (44 percent off): Marshall, the old warhorse of the audio world, continues to crush it with the portable and bluetooth-ready Emberton II. Although it looks like an antique, it's anything but, with 360-degree sound and over 30 hours of battery life from a single charge all weighing a little more than a quarter of a pound. Marshall Acton III for $200 ($100 off): Marshall recently re-engineered the Acton's speaker setup by angling the tweeters outward. It paid off, especially in the Acton III, which now delivers a pleasingly wide soundscape. At 6.3 pounts, it's not technically portable, but the design makes it easy to move around and for the eco-conscious, it's made of 70 percent recycled materials. Best Prime Day smart speaker deals Amazon Echo Pop for $25 (38 percent off): The Echo Pop is Amazon's smallest and cheapest smart speaker, resembling an Echo Dot sliced in half. It's a little quiet, and probably best for extending Alexa's range rather than serving as the primary host for your virtual assistant. In a smaller room, though, this is as convenient and clear-sounding as any other Echo you'll use. Amazon Echo Spot for $45 (44 percent off): Other than perhaps the Pop, no Amazon Echo fits better on a bedside table than the Spot. Its user-friendly design incorporates both a speaker and a digital display so it's recognizable as a classic alarm clock, but with much more information on the screen and far better sound quality. This is the lowest price we've ever seen it sell for. Sonos Era 100 for $180 ($20 off): The Sonos Era 100 is a fantastic smart speaker for an even better price. It's not only loud it also sounds good at any volume, no matter what platform you're streaming audio from. It can connect via bluetooth or physical lines, and uses TruePlay to tune the sound to your current location using included mics. Sonos Era 300 for $379 ($100 off): In our full review of the Sonos Era 300 , we found that it's easy to set up and sounds incredible. It includes the exciting spatial audio feature that makes music sound like it's coming from everywhere while it doesn't always work, it's exhilarating when it hits. The Era 300 can even automatically tune sound to your location, and you no longer need an iPhone for this feature to work. Best Prime Day soundbar deals JBL Bar 300 for $250 (38 percent off): The Bar 300, part of JBL's 2023 soundbar explosion , is a mighty yet cheap soundbar with an integrated subwoofer. Despite being small, it manages to create a theatrical experience by working both Dolby Atmos and MultiBeam. Its voice sharpening algorithm is especially good at making dialogue clearer (for those of us who always have to put on the subtitles). Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus for $150 (40 percent off): One of the cheapest soundbars you'll ever see, the Fire TV Soundbar Plus provides a noticeable boost to your TV's audio quality, even if it doesn't reach Dolby Atmos heights. It's simple, but that makes it a breeze to set up all you have to do is plug in one HDMI cable. Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 for $498 ($202 off): The Sony Bravia Theater Bar 6 is part of Sony's Dolby Atmos soundbar lineup . It stands out from that line as a great entry point, balancing theatrical sound with defined dialogue by adjusting outputs through machine learning. It's capable of transforming normal stereo into surround sound through automatic up-mixing. Roku Streambar for $69 (31 percent off): The Roku Streambar is already affordable, but this deal puts it within anyone's reach. It's also economical in terms of space as we noted in our full review , it's about the size of an egg carton, but still manages to give off near-surround sound. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/the-best-day-2-prime-day-speaker-deals-jbl-bose-ultimate-ears-and-more-083538729.html?src=rss

Sackbird Studios emerges from the Xbox layoffs

When Microsoft and Xbox announced layoffs numbering in the thousands earlier this year, it meant the end for a whole bunch of upcoming game projects. Many studios were forced to downsize, and some shuttered entirely, as a result. Luckily, some enterprising developers are turning the bad news into something positive. A group of former devs from ZeniMax Online Studios, which made The Elder Scrolls Online and scrapped looter shooter Blackbird , have banded together to form a new company called Sackbird Studios. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the team is going for the employee-owned, self-funded route. With no outside investors and full creative control, the team is focused on building great gameson their own terms, the announcement states. Right now, the senior team numbers fewer than ten people , including CEO Lee Ridout and COO David Worley. Sackbird is already in active development on its first project, but the crew isn't sharing any details other than that the game will be available on both PC and consoles. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sackbird-studios-emerges-from-the-xbox-layoffs-214000161.html?src=rss

Apple removed an app that archives videos of ICE arrests

Apple has removed Eyes Up, an app that collects and archives videos of Immigration Customs and Enforcement arrests, 404 Media reports . The app's removal follows similar action taken against ICEBlock last week, an app that tracks ICE activity in an attempt to offer real-time alerts of when and where arrests are happening. Unlike ICEBlock, though, Eyes Up's main purpose is to serve as an archive, not a tool for eluding government agents. The app, which is still available via the web and the Google Play Store , archives videos of ICE arrests from a variety of different sources, and plots them on an interactive map. Users can submit their own videos for inclusion, and tap or click on individual map pins to view videos and download them for later use. Our goal is government accountability, we arent even doing real-time tracking, an Eyes Up administrator told 404 Media . Ultimately, saved videos could prove useful in court, especially in response to possible ICE misconduct. Apple says it removed Eyes Up because it violated the company's policy around objectionable content, according to the report, and because it received information from law enforcement that the app is used to provide location information about law enforcement officers that can be used to harm such officers individually or as a group. Engadget has contacted Apple for more information on Eyes Up's removal from the App Store. We'll update this article if we hear back. Apple reportedly received similar information to spur the removal of ICEBlock from the App Store, including a direct request from Attorney General Pam Bondi, Fox Business reports . The fact that Eyes Up was also removed suggests that Apple is casting a wider net than just banning apps that help pinpoint the location of ICE activity. Google has been removing similar apps on the Play Store, too. The company pulled an app called Red Dot that also plotted ICE activity on a map, one of several apps that were removed because they shared the location of a vulnerable group. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-removed-an-app-that-archives-videos-of-ice-arrests-212946540.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day gaming deals that are still available: Save on PS5 games, headsets, controllers and more

Amazon's October Prime Day is into its second and final day, but the sale still includes a number of decent discounts on gaming gear. Weve rounded up the best Prime Day gaming deals that are still available below, including lower-than-usual prices on mice , headsets , controllers and actual games we recommend. Just remember some deals are only available to Prime members. Elden Ring (PS5) for $30 ($20 off MSRP) : Youve probably heard about it by now, but the action-RPG Elden Ring is both challenging and darkly funny, with a world that runs incredibly deep and feels lived-in a way few games have. Its unafraid to test your resolve, yet it always grants you the freedom to simply turn around and find another path forward. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) for $35 ($15 off) : Engadgets Mat Smith gave this grandiose action-RPG a favorable review last year. You need to have played its predecessor and ideally, the original PS1 game to get the most out of it, but its positively stuffed with things to do, and its combat system is still a tactical rush at its best. Gran Turismo 7 for $30 ($40 off) : Gran Turismo 7 is the PS5s premier sim racer, and a love letter to automobiles as a whole. Like the rest of the GT series, it revels in the patience and precision required to figure out how a given car meshes with a given course. Learning the intricacies of each combination is both intense and rewarding, and theres a singular style to it all that just doesnt exist with most sports games. Returnal for $30 ($70 off) : Returnal is a third-person shooter roguelike thats at once a technical showcase, a stiff challenge and an achingly beautiful reflection on the nature of grief. It is not for the faint of heart, but its bullet-hell battles are wonderfully fierce, and just about everything in it contributes to its overarching story. Its also worth checking out if youre eager to developer Housemarques next game , Saros , which seems to borrow many of the elements introduced here. The Last of Us Part I for $30 ($40 off) : The PS5 remake of Sonys zombie drama is one of the most unnecessary remakes ever made, but if youve never played one of the earlier versions, this is the best way to rectify that . If youre looking to play the (even moodier) sequel, the PS5 version of that one is similarly discounted. God of War Ragnarok for $30 ($40 off) : Ragnarok is another Sony sequel thats more about increasing scope than radically reinventing itself, but its Norse world is beautifully varied and detailed, smashing baddies with a magic axe feels great, and the whole thing is excessive in the way youd expect a God of War game to be without going overboard. Horizon Forbidden West for $30 ($40 off) : Engadgets Jess Conditt called Horizon Forbidden West the total package in her review a few years back, praising its frenzied combat, gorgeous art direction and complex narrative. It still has one of the more distinctive post-apocalypses in gaming, blending robot beasts with stunning vistas. That helps paper over some less-than-inspired side content and bits of sluggish pacing. Final Fantasy XVI (PS5) for $23 ($7 off) : Final Fantasy XVI is a more straightforward action-RPG than something like Final Fantasy VII Rebirth : You dont need to come in with prior knowledge of any other story, and its hack-and-slash combat is simple to pick up. It can get bogged down in pointless side quests, but its main concern is having you watch giant demigods melodramatically smack each other, and theres nothing wrong with that. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon for $20 ($10 off) : Armored Core VI is a big loud action game about building a mech and using it to blow up everything in sight. It rules. But its not mindless: Its many boss fights are genuine duels, and its deeply flexible in how it lets you tweak your death machine to tackle stages in different ways. This ties the best price we've seen for the PS5 version. Metaphor: ReFantazio (Xbox) for $16 ($54 off) : Its about as subtle as youd expect a game named Metaphor to be, but the latest from the minds behind Persona 5 is a fantasy JRPG through and through: bombastic, stylish and deeply earnest. (And long.) This deal represents a new low, though it only applies to the Xbox copy. Madden NFL 26 for $37 ($33 off) : It always feels like Madden could use a creative reset, but at the end of the day, its Madden , and it works fine enough if you just want to scratch the pro football game itch. This is the largest discount weve seen for the latest entry, and it applies to the PS5, Xbox and Switch 2 copies. Xbox Game Pass Ultimate (3-month) for $57 ($33 off) : It hasnt exactly been a great stretch for Xbox lately, what with Microsoft jacking up console prices , laying off huge swaths of employees and massively hiking the cost of its Game Pass service to $30 per month. But if you arent looking to cancel your Game Pass subscription as a result, you can still grab three months of the top-end Ultimate tier for a little less than its old going rate. While the service itself may end up being too pricey in the long term, its still home to a wide range of games worth checking out, so this offer might be useful if you have some free time coming up and want to blast through a few titles youve been meaning to get around to. Astro A50 X gaming headset for $315 ($75 off) : The A50 X is an upgrade pick in our guide to the best gaming headsets . It should specifically appeal to those who own multiple gaming systems, as its base station lets you connect and swap between PC, PS5 and Xbox audio with the press of a button. Its among the better-sounding wireless headsets weve tried as well, and its mic is fantastic. This deal isnt an all-time low, but its the largest drop weve seen since February. The standard Astro A50 is also on sale for $237; that one works just as well if you only play on one device, but it lacks HDMI switching functionality. 8BitDo Ultimate 2 Wireless Controller for $48 ($12 off) : The Ultimate 2 is a versatile wireless gamepad for Windows PCs and mobile devices. It can connect over Bluetooth, a wireless dongle or a USB cable, and its magnetic TMR joysticks should be far less susceptible to joystick drift than typical controllers. Those with large hands may find it a touch too small, but its built well, it comes with a handy charging dock and it gets a solid 20 or so hours of battery life. 8BitDos companion software includes a variety of useful customizations beyond that. This isnt an all-time low, but its still a few bucks below the pads typical street price. Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite MMO gaming mouse for $55 ($25 off) : We recommend the Scimitar RGB Elite to MMO and MOBA players in our guide to the best gaming mice . Its not the lightest or most technically advanced model, but it comes with 12 comfortable and easy-to-reach side buttons, which make it easier to pull off more complex actions in games like World of Warcraft or Final Fantasy XIV . Weve seen it fall below $50 a few times before, but this deal matches the lowest price weve tracked since May. A newer wireless model called the Scimitar Elite Wireless SE is also on sale for a low of $80. Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $30 ($40 off) : We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse guide for those who dont mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic right-handed shape. This is its lowest price to date. Note that Razer now sells a newer version with an improved sensor, but that one costs $49 more and isnt a massive upgrade in real-world use. Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed gaming mouse for $71 ($29 off) : The wireless DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is another recommendation from our gaming mouse buying guide. For less than $100, it gets you a sturdy yet superlight design that weighs just 55 grams making it easy to flick around in fast-paced games and doesnt have any annoying cutouts in its outer shell. Its contoured shape should fit most small- to medium-sized hands comfortably, and it performs reliably for competitive play. This deal is an all-time low. ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless mechanical keyboard for $151 ($59 off) : We speak positively about this model in our guide to the best gaming keyboards . Its sturdy case, crisp keycaps and battery life all impress, while the thocky NX Snow switches in this model feel and sound delightful. Its companion software is a bit of a mess, and its 96 percent layout may feel a little cramped to some, but its a nice buy if you want a higher-class pre-built keyboard. This is the lowest price we've seen since March. ASUS ROG Azoth mechanical keyboard for $155 ($120 off) : Its a couple years old at this point, but the ROG Azoth remains an exceptionally well-built mechanical keyboard for enthusiasts. Its gasket-mounted design and layers of foam give each key press a soft landing, while its pre-lubed switches feel nice and smooth. It even comes with a toolkit for manually lubing the switches down the road, and the PCB is hot-swappable if you ever want to switch things up. Theres a useful control knob and programmable OLED display for quickly adjusting settings and checking the battery level beyond that. ASUS' Armoury Crate software is still fairly sloppy, however. This deal comes within a couple bucks of the lowest price we've seen for a model with the linear NX Snow switches. PNY microSD Express Card (128GB) for $38 ($7 off) : We generally recommend getting at least 256GB of storage from your Switch 2 microSD card, since recent games can fill up that space pretty quickly. But if you only want a little bit extra, this is the lowest price weve seen for PNYs 128GB model. Just note that we found this card to be the slowest one weve tested when it came to moving games to the card from the Switchs internal storage. Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S (2TB) for $190 ($170 off) : Its annoying, but the only way to fully add storage to an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Seagates model is one of the very few examples of those, and this discount marks the lowest price weve seen for the 2TB variant in the past year. Yes, its still overpriced compared to a normal SSD, but any extra savings should be welcome. Crucial X9 Pro (1TB) portable SSD for $75 ($26 off) : If youre looking to offload some games to external storage, we consider the Crucial X9 Pro the best portable SSD for most people, as it offers fast enough transfer speeds in a rugged and compact design. This isnt the best price ever for the 1TB model but it matches the largest discount weve seen since April. Other size options are also on sale. Crucial P310 (1TB) M.2 2230 SSD for $80 ($55 off) : The P310 is a small-size SSD you can use to add storage to a handheld PC like the Steam Deck or ASUS ROG Ally. It uses cheaper QLC memory, not the faster and more durable TLC, but reviews say that it performs well anyway. This deal ties the best price weve seen for the 1TB version since April. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-gaming-deals-that-are-still-available-save-on-ps5-games-headsets-controllers-and-more-082623683.html?src=rss

Xbox's remaining Game Pass additions for October include Baldur's Gate 1 and 2 and The Casting of Frank Stone

After cramming dozens more games into the service and announcing a 50 percent price increase for the Ultimate tier, Microsoft has revealed the rest of the Game Pass additions for October. They include some games that were previously confirmed to join Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on their release day, including Ball x Pit (October 15), Keeper (October 17) and Ninja Gaiden 4 (October 21). Starting today, Game Pass subscribers on the Ultimate, Premium and PC plans can try out a store management game called Supermarket Simulator . Baldurs Gate 3 fans who have been meaning to check out the first two main entries in the series can hop into the enhanced editions on PC via the Ultimate, Premium and PC variants of Game Pass starting on October 9. On October 14, folks on those three Game Pass plans can get a pre-Halloween horror fix with The Casting of Frank Stone . This is a Dead by Daylight spinoff from Supermassive Games that taps into the kind of narrative-heavy gameplay the studio used in the likes of Until Dawn and The Quarry . The other remaining Game Pass additions for October are: The Grinch: Christmas Adventures October 15 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass) Eternal Strands October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass) He Is Coming (Game Preview on PC only) October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Ninja Gaiden 2 Black October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass) Pax Dei (PC) October 16 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass) Evil West October 21 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass) I played some of Eternal Strands earlier this year and dug it quite a bit. Its an action-adventure game that lets you do some really neat things with elemental abilities. I enjoyed what I played of The Casting of Frank Stone too. That said, Ball x Pit (I got hooked on the demo this summer) and Keeper are the picks of this bunch for me. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-remaining-game-pass-additions-for-october-include-baldurs-gate-1-and-2-and-the-casting-of-frank-stone-172448097.html?src=rss

Pixel Watch 4 review: A well-rounded smartwatch with a surprising advantage

Everyone uses smartwatches differently. There are the people who wear them all day, those who only wear them when theyre outside, those who only use them while working out and even those who only wear them to bed. In 2025, most smartwatches can do it all and satisfy your needs regardless of how you use them. They perform a lot of basic activity and sleep tracking while serving as excellent passive data gatherers. Googles latest, the Pixel Watch 4 , stands strong against rivals like the Apple Watch Series 11 and Samsungs Galaxy Watch 8 , and if you look just at those model numbers, its impressive how far Google has come in just four generations. The Galaxy Watch 8 is probably the Pixel Watch 4s closest competitor, considering theyre both compatible with Android while the Apple Watch only works with iPhones. Comparing them can feel a bit futile, since its most likely youll buy the watch that works best with your brand of phone (i.e. Pixel watch for a Pixel phone, Samsung for Samsung). But its still worthwhile to see how they fare against each other. If you know what a Samsung watch can do, it helps contextualize what should be considered acceptable on, say, your Pixel or Apple watch. It bodes well that for the Pixel Watch 4, Im no longer questioning its fundamental functionality or complaining about its battery life. Rather, I found myself pondering its adaptability and consistency, as well as its strengths over the competition. Unsurprisingly, thanks to its Google and Fitbit heritage, those strengths lie in AI and health tracking. But the Pixel Watch 4 has a surprising advantage that I never saw coming: charging speed. Whats new on the Pixel Watch 4 Before I get into that though, lets quickly go over whats changed on the Pixel Watch 4. It now has a curved display under its domed glass covering, which makes it look even livelier than before. Its surrounded by bezels that Google says are 16 percent smaller than the last models, allowing its screen to be about 10 percent roomier. The display is also brighter by about 50 percent, now going up to 3,000 nits. Thats the same as Samsungs Galaxy Watch 8, but higher than the Apple Watch Series 11s 2,000 nits of peak brightness. Altogether, the physical changes make Pixel Watch 4 look eye-catching and attractive, and I kept getting compliments from people outside my usual tech-savvy circles. Other hardware upgrades include the new dual-frequency GPS, custom haptics engine and speaker, as well as updated processors and a revamped, faster charging system that places the contact points on the watchs edge instead of the back. Importantly, though I didnt test it for this review, the Pixel Watch 4 is more repairable, since you can unscrew its case to replace its display and battery if needed. Like many non-Apple smartwatches, the Pixel Watch 4 runs Googles Wear OS, but with some new features like a wrist-raise gesture to trigger the Gemini assistant. The company also improved its algorithms for activity- and sleep-tracking, brought its Material 3 Expressive design languages and new watch faces to the OS and overhauled the Fitbit app to center around an AI coach . However, the redesigned Fitbit app wasnt available for testing during this review, so you wont see any evaluations of it here. One more thing I didnt try on the Pixel Watch 4: Emergency SOS via Satellite. Googles smartwatch was the first mainstream wearable to be announced to have satellite communications built in, though Apple released the Watch Ultra 3 with similar capabilities shortly after. Because the setup would result in a call or message being sent to emergency services, I decided against testing the satellite feature for this review. If youre new to smartwatches or considering your first one, check out our smartwatch buying guide for details on what to expect of a device in 2025. By and large, though, this review wont cover the basics of what a smartwatch does and what apps or features are typically available. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Fast-charging is so good that I no longer worry I never thought Id be such a fan of short charge times, but Googles latest wearable is so fast at refueling that Ive actually changed my behavior around it. I typically place my smartwatch (usually just the most recent Apple Watch Ive tested) on my kitchen island so that I see it when I grab my pre-bedtime cup of water and remember to put it on the charger overnight. With the Pixel Watch 4, Ive started to just drop it on the charger when I wake up, and by the time Im done brushing my teeth, washing my face and changing into my gym clothes, itll have plenty of power for about half a day. I cant say the same for the Apple Watch, though the Series 11 has respectable charging speeds that allow me to get enough for a morning walk and a workout after about 10 minutes of being plugged in. For the actual numbers, you can read my colleague Sam Rutherfords story where he meticulously charted the charge time of the larger 45mm model of the Pixel Watch 4 hes been using. It jives with my experience, where, after just six minutes, my device went from 37 percent to 62 percent. I was also impressed when I saw an alert on the watchs face that told me the charger wasnt actually plugged into an outlet. Ive been burned in the past when I placed other smartwatches on their charging pucks, only to come back an hour later and realize it hadnt actually been charging because I didnt connect the cable to a socket. This feature felt like a particularly thoughtful touch on Googles part. The Pixel Watch 4s battery life With such quick recharging, it can feel like a long-lasting battery isnt as important. But the Pixel Watch 4 still manages to deliver respectable runtimes. In general, I preferred to let the Pixel Watch 4 get a full charge, because I noticed its battery doesnt get me through a whole day after just a few minutes on the dock. But when I took it off the charger at 3:35PM one Friday afternoon, it managed to last all through Saturday night, going from 100 percent to 22 percent by 9PM the next day. Thats after a full day of passive activity tracking, where the watch noted that I had burned about 3,000 calories, hiked 6.73 miles and climbed the equivalent of 128 floors. The Pixel Watch 4 typically lasts about as long as the Apple Watch Series 11. Both devices clock about a day and a half, depending on how frequently I use features like Gemini or the remote control view for the phones camera. That runtime also seems similar to the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, which my colleague Amy Skorheim reviewed. Considering Google rates the 41mm version of the Watch 4 to last about 30 hours on a charge, the experience I had mostly surpasses that estimate. Of course, battery performance usually deteriorates over time, so my brand new review unit will likely get a little less long-lasting after a while. Fitbit / Engadget Sleep tracking: A tale of insomnia and naps I wouldnt usually dwell on a feature that has been around for generations of a device, but Google did update its sleep-tracking algorithms for the Pixel Watch 4, calling it our most accurate sleep-tracking. Plus, as Apple only just introduced Sleep Score on the Series 11, I thought it was a good opportunity to compare the two. Both companies thoughtfully limit the brightness of their watches displays when youre in bed, and tuned their software in response to your usual bedtimes so you wont be awoken by endless notifications while sleeping. They all deliver sleep scores and readouts of the zones you cycled through while you rested, too, to help you get better insight on your slumber. While I prefer Apples presentation of the sleep score in a ring with three segments to indicate areas of potential improvement, I find Googles charts more readable and specific data easier to find. Im not going to spend too much time complaining about an apps layout, though, since it largely has to do with getting used to the way a company organizes its info. Whats more important is how their devices count your sleep, and whether they do so accurately. In anticipation of a long day that would start at about 4:45AM, I went to bed at about 10PM, only to wake up at 1:57AM, unable to fall back asleep. I counted sheep, told myself to fall asleep, got angry at myself for not being able to sleep and peeked at my phone, which showed me that it had been an hour since I woke up. I finally drifted off after some time, waking up when the Pixel Watch 4 dragged me out of a dream by buzzing relentlessly on my wrist. In my half-awake state, I actually thought the vibration was part of the dream and almost went back to sleep, until I remembered it was the silent alarm I had set for 4:45AM. Color me shocked when I saw my sleep score was 81 deemed Good by the Pixel Watch 4 due in part to my accumulating six hours and 24 minutes of rest. I immediately dug into the sleep chart to see if my hour awake had been misattributed to sleep. It had been. The device did pick up many moments of restlessness, saying that movement was detected during 9 percent of my sleep. But it couldnt tell that despite my lying fairly still, I had been, sadly, wide awake. I cant penalize Google or Fitbit too heavily for that. Most sleep trackers cant tell between periods of sleep and complete stillness either. Google said lying awake but very still in bed before you sleep can sometimes be tracked as sleep, and that its a known limitation of the algorithm that its working on improving for future iterations. Another area for improvement: napping. On the way home to New York from Lake Placid, I passed out for about an hour at 9PM. Since that was late enough to count as bedtime for some people, I hoped that the Apple Watch and Pixel Watch would both take those minutes into consideration. But neither did. With the Pixel Watch 4, I found out later that naps during the day would be counted, they just had to last at least two hours. Two-hour naps? In this economy?? I dont know who else has the time but a quick hourlong lie-down is big for me. Meanwhile, the Apple Watch was reported to be able to track naps in a watchOS 11 beta , but Im still waiting on official word and details about that. Like I said at the start of this review, sleep-tracking isnt a major reason I use smartwatches. For those, like Sam, who do, the Pixel Watch 4 will be quite satisfying. Sam noted that the device was mostly accurate in his experience, and detected when he had to get up to feed his baby at night. Plus, its light and comfortable enough to wear to bed (when paired with the right strap), and its battery will last all night. Add the fast charging weve already raved about and it seems like theres almost no reason to not have the Pixel Watch 4 on your wrist at all times. A word on alarms, timers and stopwatches I also like that on the Pixel Watch, I was able to set an alarm to wake me with just vibration and no sound, so I could get up earlier than my partner before we left for our five-hour drive to Lake Placid. I could not find this on the Apple Watch though I did have the option to allow the alarm to break through silent mode. Its just another way the two companies differ, and I imagine theyll both copy each other and add the respective missing features soon enough. Google / Apple / Engadget One thing I do wish Apple would change: the icons for the Stopwatch, Timer and Alarm apps on watchOS. All three of them are represented by orange circles in the app drawer, with slightly different versions of circles with clock hands in them. Theyre not labeled, either, so if youre not in the List view youll have to guess which of these three orange orbs is the time-related app you want, and go back and forth until you find the right one. Google is only slightly better at this, since it uses an hourglass to represent the Timer and the Alarm and Stopwatch icons are a bit more distinct from each other. Plus, Alarm sits at the top of the Pixel Watchs drawer, whereas the Stopwatch and Timer are closer together near the bottom. Theyre clearly organized alphabetically, since other options near the top are Contacts, Calendar and Camera while Recorder, Settings and Spotify are at the end with Stopwatch and Timer. Meanwhile, all of Apples first-party apps are at the top of the watchOS app drawer and if you throw in the other orange circle that is the World Clock, youll have four cheesy orbs sitting in close proximity to each other like Ritz crackers. Gestures and Gemini convenience with some caveats Samsungs Galaxy Watch 8 was the first smartwatch to have Googles Gemini onboard, but when the Pixel Watch 4 launched, it brought the raise to talk to Gemini feature with it. This allows for convenient hands-free communication with the AI, so long as you have an internet connection, anyway. When I left my Pixel 10 Pro in a locker and went for a quick riverside walk, I wasnt able to get the assistant to set a timer so I knew when to start heading back. This isnt just about the wrist-raising gesture Gemini simply wont work on the Pixel Watch 4 if its not online, whether that be via a tethered phone or its own cellular connection. In contrast, while I did have to long-press the Apple Watchs knob or say Hey Siri, I was at least able to get it to set that alarm, even when I put it (and the iPhone it was linked to) on Airplane mode. This isnt a dealbreaker, but its frustrating if you dont have an LTE version of the watch and decide to leave your phone at home. Sure, you can touch the screen and use the app to set that timer, but I dont want to have to stop, lift up my wrist and select the number of minutes my countdown should run. Cherlynn Low for Engadget There are a few caveats to note when specifically talking about the wrist-raise gestures, too. For one, youll have to make sure the Always On Display is enabled, since the system relies on the screen being on to detect changes in movement and state. Youll also have to be fairly deliberate with the gesture, bringing your wrist to your mouth from about waist-level. For the most part the Pixel Watch 4 responded as expected, with the onscreen indicator telling me Gemini was listening when I brought my hand to my mouth. But every now and then, especially when I was sitting down, it would fail to react. There are few situations more embarrassing than sitting in a cafe, repeatedly jerking your wrist up to your face while holding a phone up to get a video of the feature working. I could only hope the other people at the coffee shop where I was writing this review didnt think I was doing something worse. Sometimes, the little glowing animation would appear to show that my action was successful, but if I even moved my wrist slightly after that, it would disappear. Also, if you lift your wrist from any screen other than the home page, you wont see the indicator. But if you confidently speak your request into the ether anyway, youll realize Gemini was actually awoken by your gesture. With the apps drawer open, I lifted my wrist and asked what the weather was like, and promptly got a response. There was also a light vibration to let me know the watch had heard me. When I raised my hand again and asked how about tomorrow, Gemini was quick to tell me it would be rainy in my area. I was impressed by the speedy responses and the fact that I could keep bringing my hand up to my mouth to ask follow-up questions or interrupt an overly wordy response, but I do have to acknowledge that there is a certain finesse that is required to get the gesture right each time. I was a little perturbed that the action needs to be somewhat deliberate, right up until the one time it accidentally triggered when I flipped my wrist during a call. Out of nowhere, the assistant was responding to my conversation with my therapist. This only happened once during my 10 or so days with the Pixel Watch 4, so the rate of false positives is fairly low. The jerkiness of raise-to-talk to Gemini is a tradeoff Im willing to make in exchange for fewer accidental triggers. Plus, Google has said this is an initial foray into gesture-based interaction with the Pixel Watch, and it appears to continue to tweak its algorithms for greater accuracy and sensitivity. The Watch 4 may not currently support the double tap and wrist flick gestures that Apple does (or Samsungs pinch-based actions ). But Ive been in the industry long enough to remember when Android Wear watches allowed you to flip your wrist to scroll through long notifications. It seems Wear OS still supports that , along with a limited set of gesture-based navigation actions. I was able to dismiss notifications and return to the home page by rotating my wrist on the Pixel Watch 4 thanks to the existing ungaze gesture thats designed to close an alerting notification. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Auto workout detection is different, but still here Over the years, Google has gone back and forth on its auto-workout-detection system. With the original Pixel Watch , the device didnt bother to tell you if it noticed you had gone on a walk. Youd have to go into the Fitbit app a few hours later to see that session. That changed with the Pixel Watch 2, which brought reminders to start a workout for seven types of activities including running, walking, rowing and outdoor biking. The Watch 3 improved upon that by being quick on the uptake, suggesting I had been active as soon as I had been moving for 10 minutes. On the Watch 4, Google changed its approach (again). At first, it no longer appeared to automatically track my daily 20-minute walks to and from my gym. But because I remembered my experience with the original model, I went to the Fitbit app on my phone and was relieved to see a suggested workout logged there. Subsequently, I discovered that the Watch 4 would prompt me to confirm detected periods of activity, but only 30 minutes after I was done. The idea is that the prompt to record a walk or impromptu run might interrupt your flow, and while I can understand that rationale, I wish there was an option for me to just set it how I prefer it. The good news is that in my time with the Pixel Watch 4, I never felt shortchanged. As long as they lasted at least 15 minutes, pretty much all my extended walks were accurately logged (minus the location information, which makes sense from a privacy perspective). I also wore a Galaxy Ring during my review, since in my experience thats the most accurate at tracking every little walk I take, and the two devices usually matched up. The Apple Watch, meanwhile, barely ever registered any of my walks, and I always needed to remember to manually start an Outdoor Walk workout. With its new dual-frequency GPS, the Pixel Watch 4 is better at mapping out my routes than its predecessors, especially in building-dense cities like the one I live in. I never noticed a significant delay in the watch latching onto a signal, even as I walked out of a small tunnel into the skyscraper-rich Newport area of New Jersey. Fitbit / Engadget Stress-detection, messaging and more Each of this years new smartwatches has some unique features. Samsung has its antioxidant index test, Apple has hypertension notifications and Google has had loss of pulse detection and body response alerts. That latter basically notices changes in your electrodermal activity and prompts you to note if youre feeling particularly stressed or excited. Its been around since the Pixel Watch 2 , and isnt enabled on the fourth-generation device by default so you wont have to worry about it pinging you too much. I had it activated and was buzzed several times most days to think about my mood, and each evening Id have a nice log of how many times I was agitated. There are quite a few new features on the Pixel Watch 4 that I wont spend too much time evaluating. The real-time streaming of your bike workout stats to your connected phone is one example. Like Apples version of this feature, it works and makes it easy to see your stats safely on a mounted handset during your ride. Google also introduced something called notification cooldown which minimizes interruptions after several of them come through in rapid succession. If your group chat is getting particularly fiery, for example, this can help reduce the amount of vibrations and alerts being sent to your wrist after some time. I made my friend Julian Chokkattu at Wired test this out with me and we sent each other single-word messages nonstop for minutes at a time and both of us found notification cooldown kicked in after a few alerts. Speaking of, the Pixel Watch 4 also features AI-generated suggested replies to messages that support the Wear OS quick reply protocol. Google said this is a first-of-its-kind small language model designed for use on a watch. Because its on-device, it wont require an internet connection to work, though if youre receiving messages I have to imagine youre at least connected to cellular. When it did work, it was nice to see the smart reply suggestions instead of the generic canned ones before. But most of the apps I use, like Telegram and Instagram messages, dont support quick reply. Google also says smart replies wont work on Workspace or select WhatsApp messaging. The interface youre most likely to interact with on any smartwatch is your main watch face, and in general the new watch faces on the Pixel Watch 4 are rich with information and shortcuts. While I wish Google would move away from the cartoonish, rounded fonts in favor of something cleaner and sharper, I like that all its layouts offer plenty of customization options with lots of room for convenient complications. I chose to put my most important stats on my home screen, as well as a shortcut to launch Spotify. I do wish Google would make nicer faces like Apples Photos one that has a dynamic clock to better highlight your pictures, instead of the current option on the Pixel Watch that sticks the text in the bottom and calls it a day. Cherlynn Low for Engadget Wrap-up When I reviewed the Pixel Watch 3, it felt like the first time Googles smartwatch was on par with the likes of Apples and Samsungs offerings. With the Pixel Watch 4, not only is Google closing the gap even further than it did last year, but its also bringing unique tools you wont find elsewhere. This years model differentiates itself with a repairable design, super fast charging and, though its no longer the only one on the market to offer this, satellite communications. The first two alone feel like game changers, and even with its limitations, raising your wrist to talk to Gemini is a convenient gesture when it works. Beyond the new features sit the comprehensive suite of health-related tools that make the Pixel Watch 4 a formidable smartwatch and excellent companion for your smartphone. Wear OS and Material 3 Expressive make for a vibrant, easy-to-navigate interface for a system that can do almost anything your phone can, just on a smaller screen. At $350, the Pixel Watch 4 is $20 more than the Galaxy Watch 8 (and $50 less than the Apple Watch Series 11). Its hard to justify that exact price difference and tell you which is a worthier purchase. My recommendation remains the same as ever: Get the watch thats from the same company as your phone. Itll be better for you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/pixel-watch-4-review-a-well-rounded-smartwatch-with-a-surprising-advantage-170059851.html?src=rss

Google Pixel Buds 2a review: Affordable earbuds that are better with ANC

The Pixel Buds Pro 2 have been the best earbuds for Pixel phone owners since they arrived last fall. With the Pixel Buds 2a ($129) though, theres no longer a clear-cut buying decision. This more affordable model finally has active noise cancellation (ANC) as just one of its many updates. It makes sense, then, that the Pixel Buds 2a are more expensive than their predecessors, the Pixel Buds A-Series . Still, there are sacrifices to be made if you decide to save $60 by choosing them over the Pro 2. Whats new on the Pixel Buds 2a? The biggest upgrade on the Pixel Buds 2a is the addition of active noise cancellation. On the previous A-Series earbuds, Google opted to retain any ANC abilities for the pricier Pixel Buds Pro line. While the company continues to reserve its best ANC performance for that model, the Pixel Buds 2a will still deliver some level of relief. Its nowhere near what the best noise canceling earbuds can muster, but in most circumstances, its better than nothing. Another major change is the updated design. Google decided to keep its earbud aesthetic consistent, so the 2a mirrors the Pixel Buds Pro 2 with a tiny stature and the twist-to-adjust stabilizer instead of a stabilizer arc. The new version of the stabilizer is more of a hump than anything else, but its just enough to hold the earbuds in place. Overall, the combination of size and the stabilizer offer a comfortable fit, with balanced weight that never feels like youre hauling something on the sides of your head. Whats good about the Pixel Buds 2a? In addition to the improved comfort, Google bolstered the sound quality on the Pixel Buds 2a as well. You still get spatial audio, albeit without head tracking, but these earbuds do well with non-immersive content too. Through a range of genres from metal to jazz, the 2a offered crisp, detailed sound while much of the competition in this price range struggles with clarity. Oftentimes a set of $130 earbuds will come off muffled, like in Turnstiles I CARE, but the Pixel Buds 2a keep the kick drum punchy and the vocals clear. Bass performance is another area where midrange earbuds tend to struggle, but the 2a holds its own with respectable performance here. Throughout Deftones private music, it maintained the low-end growl of Stephen Carpenters 7- and 8-string guitars. The tuning wasnt just relegated to handling Abe Cunninghams bass drum. And its not just raucous genres either: theres plenty of deep tone in Ruston Kellys acoustic guitar on Pale, through the Window. Another perk of the Pixel Buds 2a is their Hearing Wellness updates that help you maintain healthy listening habits. In the Pixel Buds app, youll see both current listening and exposure levels, as well as comparisons for the last 24 hours and seven days. You can also opt to receive volume level notifications so youll be aware when you exceed the exposure limit. The hearing health tools on the Pixel Buds Pro 2 are more comprehensive, but its nice to see level tracking on a set of mid-range earbuds. Its certainly better than nothing. Potential dealbreakers on the Pixel Buds 2a Billy Steele for Engadget Besides more robust ANC performance, there are several differences between the Pixel Buds 2a and the Pixel Buds Pro 2. Those are almost entirely the advanced features the pricier model offers, despite both sets having the same Tensor A1 chip. Of those, there are three major tools the 2a doesnt have: Adaptive Audio, Loud Noise Protection and Conversation Detection. The first two are new additions to the Pixel Buds Pro 2 in recent weeks, but they provide automatic adjustments that either maintain audio performance or assist with hearing health. You also wont be able to use head gestures to answer calls or reply to texts like you can on the Pixel Buds Pro 2. And for Gemini users, the ability to converse with Googles AI in noisy environments isnt available on the 2a either. You can still talk to Gemini Live on these cheaper earbuds, but youll need to be mindful of ambient noise levels when doing so. Another key difference between the 2a and Pro 2 is related to battery and charging. The biggest issue here is the Pixel Buds 2as case doesnt support wireless charging. Battery life on the Pro model is eight hours with ANC off or 12 hours with it on. On the 2a, that's seven hours and 10 hours respectively. During my tests with the Pixel Buds 2a, I easily got a full workday out of the earbuds with a mix of ANC and transparency mode. Thats what Id consider normal use with the former setting for focus time and the latter for calls and keeping tabs on my mischievous cocker spaniel. While the Pixel Buds 2a are equipped with what Google calls AI-powered Clear Calling, they dont have the same beamforming microphones and voice accelerometer as the Pro 2. As a result, voice performance suffers on the more affordable model. Its perfectly fine for casual conversations and last-minute work chats, but youll want something better for situations when youre recording audio or leading the discussion. Lastly, the Pixel Buds 2a dont have onboard volume controls. This is the biggest dealbreaker for me. In the year 2025, its infuriating to have to reach for my phone or keyboard to adjust the volume of my music or podcasts (looking at you, AirPods 4). I understand Google had to sacrifice some features to sell the 2a for $129, but this is a basic one I really wish it had kept. Wrap-up You can certainly use the Pixel Buds 2a with an iPhone or Galaxy device, but like the Pixel Buds Pro, youre going to get the best out of these if you have a Pixel phone. Like Googles previous models, these were built to be a conduit to Gemini Live and youll sacrifice some of the main features if you use the 2a with a non-Pixel device. If you do have a Pixel handset, theres a lot to like here, including punchy sound, a comfy fit and respectable battery life. The limited hearing health tools are still handy and the addition of ANC is a welcome change. The best Google has to offer on Pixel Buds is still exclusive to the Pro 2, but the 2a is a perfectly capable audio companion for most Pixel phone owners. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/google-pixel-buds-2a-review-affordable-earbuds-that-are-better-with-anc-170052705.html?src=rss

The best thing about the Pixel Watch 4 is Googles new charger

The Pixel Watch 4 is arguably the best looking smartwatch on the market. When you consider that the biggest design changes on the new model are a curvier glass dome, a larger display and slimmer bezels, you could've said the same thing about its predecessor. And while the Pixel Watch 4 also features improved health and fitness tracking and a more lively UI, the best thing about Googles latest wearable isnt even the watch itself. On the Pixel Watch 4, the charger is by far the biggest upgrade. The original Pixel Watch came with a wireless charging puck, which was super convenient and easy to use. I also appreciated that even though it didn't officially support the Qi wireless standard, you could reverse charge it with your phone just as long as you positioned it just right. That meant for short trips like a weekend getaway, you could simply leave the charger at home and travel super light while relying on your phone to pull double duty. The issue was that even in ideal conditions, the watch charged slowly, and when combined with lackluster battery life, you often ended up with a device that ran out of juice at inopportune times. This is the little devil that made charging the Pixel Watch 2 and 3 more annoying than it should have been. Sam Rutherford for Engadget For the Pixel Watch 2 , Google sought to address this by switching to a charging cradle with pins that offered a higher power output. This is where my frustrations began. Because the pins on the charger needed to be aligned precisely, you could only mount the watch one way (i.e., the crown had to point the same direction as the chargers wire). This might not sound like a big deal, but it made keeping the watch topped off harder than it should have been and often felt just as finicky as the unsupported phone-based reverse wireless charging available on its predecessor. The really annoying part is that the connection between the watch and the charger was so particular that I lost count of the number of times I thought I connected the watch to the puck before going about my normal morning routine, only to come back 45 minutes later to a still dead wristpiece. So not only did Google trade convenience for marginally faster charging (which still wasn't speedy enough imo), the company made the whole process more unreliable. And much to my dismay, the Pixel Watch 3 used the same charger as the Watch 2. Not only is the Pixel Watch 4's charging cradle much easier to use, it's design means there's no confusion about how to properly position the watch. Sam Rutherford for Engadget But on the Pixel Watch 4, Google provides a new cradle that makes almost everything so much better. Instead of charging pins, there are just two little contacts that touch the side of the watch. The added benefit of this is that now the screen is positioned vertically instead of lying flat on the table, which allows the watchs display to also double as a little clock while it's recharging. Cute and useful! Also, due to the chargers design, theres no confusion about which way you need to place the watch theres a dial in the way on the wrong side. No amount of fiddling will make the watch sit right if you place it incorrectly. I just wish the charger had a USB-C port instead of a captured cable, so if anything happens to the cord, you could simply swap in another instead of potentially having to replace the entire thing. Of course, the biggest benefit is significantly improved charging speeds. To best illustrate the difference, I took the Pixel Watch 3 and Pixel Watch 4, connected them to their respective chargers and recorded their battery percentage every 10 minutes for an hour. And just to make things as fair as possible, I used Google's new 67-watt dual-port fast charger as the power adapter for both. Compared to the Pixel Watch 3, the Pixel Watch 4 charges nearly twice as fast and all you really need is 30 minutes to get two full days of use compared to over an hour for its predecessor. Sam Rutherford for Engadget After just 30 minutes, the Pixel Watch 4 was basically done as it hit 94 percent. At that point, the Pixel Watch 3 was way behind at 58 percent. In fact, I had to give the Pixel Watch 3 an extension, because even after an hour, it only had an 85 percent charge. It took an extra 20 minutes after that just to crack 90 percent. So not only does the Pixel Watch 4 power up faster, it has a much better charging curve that effectively cuts your daily recharging time in half. Google has finally turned the Pixel Watch's battery life into a non-issue, thanks to faster charging and improved longevity. I get two and a half days easily, even with its always-on display enabled. Though in a perfect world, I would love it if smartwatches only had to be charged once a week. Regardless, the process of keeping the Pixel Watch 4 running isn't a chore like it was for previous models. I can simply drop it on the cradle while I wrangle the kids and grab some caffeine after waking up, and I know that it'll be ready to go as soon as I am. Thanks to tweaks like a larger, curved glass screen with smaller bezels, I'd argue that the Pixel Watch 4 is the best looking smartwatch on sale today. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Admittedly, this isn't a groundbreaking development, and in some ways, I feel like Google should have figured this out a generation or two ago. But sometimes small upgrades can have a big impact, especially on a device that looks this good and now functions even better than before. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/the-best-thing-about-the-pixel-watch-4-is-googles-new-charger-170052942.html?src=rss

Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold review: The tankiest foldable

Every good device builds upon the generation that came before it. In the seven years or so that foldable phones have been around, we've seen some incredible breakthroughs. For all its flaws, the original Galaxy Fold was a magical creation that proved there was merit to Samsungs sci-fi aspirations. Then the Galaxy Z Fold 3 added water resistance to a foldable for the first time plus built-in stylus support. More recently, Google simplified flexible phone design with the Pixel 9 Pro Fold , proving manufacturers didn't need to mess around with funky aspect ratios before Samsung achieved unprecedented levels of thinness with the Galaxy Z Fold 7 earlier this summer. However, there's one thing that has become a standard feature on standard high-end smartphones that hasn't been available on foldables until now: top-tier dust resistance. That changes now thanks to the IP68 rating on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Not only does this solve one of the biggest shortcomings of foldables overall, but it gives you additional protection against one of life's everyday foibles. So while Google's latest flexible phone isn't nearly as slim or sleek as the Z Fold 7, it is the best option for folks who prefer a tankier device. Design: A new level of durability While the Pixel 10 Pro Fold (P10PF from here on out) might look like a carbon copy of last year's phone, there are a handful of subtle changes throughout. Google shrunk its hinge and made it more durable. It also shaved down parts of its aluminum frame specifically the border to the left of its outside screen. As for the displays themselves, they're even brighter than before at 3,000 nits (up from 2,700 nits) while the size of P10PF's exterior panel has increased slightly to 6.4 inches (0.1 inches larger) by reclaiming some space that used to be bezel. And I still love the P10PF's 8-inch main screen for watching movies and reading comics, even with the cutout for its interior selfie cam in the top right corner. That said, if the presence of a rounded corner encapsulated by a right angle messes with your OCD tendencies, Google still hasn't found a fix for that. The biggest shortcoming of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold may be its thickness, because at 10.8mm compared to just 8.9mm for the Galaxy Z Fold 7, it's significantly heavier and bulkier to carry around. Sam Rutherford for Engadget As for the P10PFs IP68 rating, which denotes the phone's ability to withstand intrusion from dust and immersion in water, this upgrade might not sound like a huge deal. But as someone whose daily driver was a Pixel 9 Pro Fold last year, I was sure to toss it in a waterproof bag when I went to the beach. That's because even though I had no intentions of actually swimming with it, I wanted to make sure sand wouldn't find its way inside. The sound of dust, dirt or other particles grinding in a foldable's hinge is deeply unpleasant and should be avoided at all costs. And thanks to the addition of a proper IP rating, you don't need to treat the P10PF like the Bubble Boy every time you want to enjoy a day at the shore. After Google debuted an all-new design on last year's phone, it's probably a bit much to ask for a full revamp 12 months later. Sadly, this means its size and weight haven't changed much, with the P10PF coming in at 9.1 ounces (258 grams) and 10.8mm thick when closed. If this phone had come out back in the spring, that might not have been an issue. However, with the arrival of the Galaxy Z Fold 7 and its wonderfully thin and light design (7.6 ounces and 8.9mm when closed), it's hard to go back once you've experienced a foldable phone that doesn't have any of that excess heft. While I appreciate the added durability and tankiness we're getting now, here's hoping Google can put all of this in a leaner chassis next fall. Lastly, while the rest of the Pixel 10 family is going full eSIM for this generation, I appreciate that the P10PF still comes with a physical SIM card tray. Performance and software: Fast but not great for gaming Don't mess with Teemo or else he will throw a mushroom at you. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Like its pro siblings, the P10PF comes with a Tensor G5 chip, 16GB of RAM and up to 1TB of storage. In everyday use, that's more than enough oomph to make everything feel swift and snappy. Meanwhile, the arrival of Google's Material 3 Expressive UI update makes the whole phone feel even more lively, which makes even simple things like flipping between apps or customizing your homescreen that much more enjoyable. However, in terms of graphics performance, Google's Tensor G5 still can't quite keep up with flagship silicon from Qualcomm and its Snapdragon 8 Elite processor. That's because the Pixel 10 Pro Fold just isn't the best choice for hardcore gaming despite improved loading speeds. Unfortunately, a number of our regular tests like Geekbench 6 aren't available (as we're reviewing the phone prior to its official release), which makes getting concrete numbers a bit tricky. When running those apps on the Pixel 10 Pro XL (which features the same chip and memory), the Tensor G5 produced a multi-core score of 6,091 on Geekbench's Compute test. Thats more than 30 percent lower than what we got from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (9,271). Sam Rutherford for Engadget I wouldn't necessarily mark this down as a dealbreaker, as the P10PF's less prodigious performance isn't something you'll notice all the time. But if you do a lot of mobile video editing or hardcore gaming, that does make Google's latest foldable harder to recommend compared to the Z Fold 7. On the bright side, Google has added some enhanced multitasking features, most notably a new split-screen UI that lets you choose exactly how big you want two apps to be when opened in split-screen mode. Furthermore, you can leave one app open in a tiny sliver on either side and tap to quickly switch between the two, sort of like the card-based UI OnePlus created for the Open . It's very handy and makes it easy to flip back and forth between things like emails and messages or your calendar, though I really wish Google would give us the ability to permanently pin the P10PF's taskbar to the bottom of the screen like you can on Samsung's handset. The new UI for the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's camera app makes much better use of the phone's big flexible screen. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Elsewhere, there's a new layout in the camera app that better utilizes the phone's main screen by putting the camera's viewfinder on the right while your photo roll appears on the left. This gives you an instant, big-picture view of every photo as soon as you take it without stopping you from setting up for the next shot. And for people who need extra help getting a good reaction from kids while posing for a shot, Google has also added some fresh animations to its Made You Look feature. Cameras: Still the best among foldables The Pixel 10 Pro Fold has the same rear cameras as its predecessor: a 48MP main cam, a 10.5MP ultra-wide and a 10.8MP telephoto cam with a 5x optical zoom. Sam Rutherford for Engadget While the cameras on the P10PF are the same as the ones in its predecessor, it's still the best way to capture sharp, colorful and detailed pics with a foldable phone. During the day, the P10PF consistently captured more accurate hues and tones than the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (which has a tendency to exaggerate rich colors). And in low light, Google's Night Sight mode remains unmatched. In a tricky shot of a money cat taken in very low light, the P10PF's photo was noticeably brighter and more detailed, while a pic of some spooky skeletons was sharper and featured richer colors. On top of that, the Z Fold 7 tops out with a 3x telephoto zoom, but the Pro Fold sports a 5x optical lens that gives you more reach for long-distance images. If that wasn't enough, Google also gave the P10PF the ability to edit images solely using your voice, which is not only a time saver but a fantastic option for anyone who doesn't want to fiddle around with toggles and sliders to enhance their photos. Sadly, the coolest new feature from the Pixel 10 Pro line Pro Res Zoom isn't available on the Pro Fold, so you have to settle for a max zoom range of 20x instead of 100x. Battery life: A bigger cell and PixelSnap Packing a 5,015mAh cell, the Pixel 10 Pro Fold's battery is nearly 10 percent larger than last year's model, which resulted in notable gains on our local video rundown test. When using its exterior display, it lasted just over 27 hours (27:02), almost an hour longer than what we got from the Galaxy Z Fold 7 (26:22). Naturally, the P10PF doesn't last nearly as long when using its larger interior display. However, with a time of 21:20, that still leaves a lot of room for activities . Even if you don't use it for charging, being able to slap magnetic accessories on the back of the Pixel 10 Pro Fold is super useful. Sam Rutherford for Engadget When it comes to recharging, the Fold has gotten some upgrades there too. Wired speeds have risen slightly to 30 watts (up from 21 watts), while wireless rate has doubled to 15 watts. This comes thanks in large part to Google's newfound support of the Qi2 standard, which also brings compatibility for magnetic accessories. That means now you can use the kind of accessories iPhone owners have enjoyed for years (Google calls this feature PixelSnap on its phones) and alongside its new IP68 rating, this might be one of the biggest upgrades to the phone's general usability. Wrap-up The addition of proper dust and water resistance on the Pixel 10 Pro Fold has removed one of the last two shortcomings of modern foldables, which is no mean feat. However, at $1,799, the price barrier is still hard to overcome for most folks. On top of that, when compared to its biggest rival, it'd be a mistake for anyone interested in big and expensive flexible phones to ignore the Galaxy Z Fold 7. Its super sleek design simply cannot be denied. Plus, higher performance, more freedom to open additional windowed apps and the option for a permanently pinned taskbar make Samsung's rival the preferred pick for gamers and power users. Sam Rutherford for Engadget When it comes to the category as a whole, the P10PF offers the best photo toolkit around. Theres also Google's excellent (and ever-growing) stable of handy AI-powered features and my preferred skin for Android 16. Factor in longer battery life, improved multitasking and true Qi2 wireless support for the first time on any foldable, and you have a recipe for a versatile and surprisingly rugged flexible phone. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/google-pixel-10-pro-fold-review-the-tankiest-foldable-170051471.html?src=rss

Google wants to see your feet (for virtual shopping purposes)

Google recently started letting you try on clothes from the comfort of your home by uploading a photo and letting AI take care of the rest and if youre in the US, you can now do the same thing with shoes. Fortunately, the process isnt nearly as creepy as Google needing a close-up of your bare feet. Rather, when youre browsing shoes, you tap the pair you want to try on and upload a full-length photo of yourself in any old outfit. Google will then swap out whatever shoes youre wearing in the original photo for the ones youre interested in buying, so you can see how they look with a particular outfit. For the best results, it advises that you stick to solo photos in which youre standing upright, with good lighting and a background that isnt too busy. Your clothing shouldnt be too baggy either. And naturally, Google warns to only use photos of yourself or those you have permission to use from someone else. It wont accept photos of children, either. Google points out that the image it generates is designed to help you see how an item might look, but doesnt guarantee that itll actually fit you in real life. Its an approximation, then, rather than an image that perfectly takes into account your body shape and personal features. This is probably more of a catch when youre for clothes than shoes, though. Just dont walk into a store and blame Google when the sneakers you tried on virtually arent manufactured in your real-world size. Google says that no biometric data from the photo you upload is collected or stored, nor will it use the image for training purposes. It wont share it with other Google apps or third parties either, but you can delete both the original photo and any generated images if youd rather not let it hang onto them. Google has been gradually improving the capabilities of its AI as a virtual shopping assistant. When you use AI Mode to help you find a particular item now, such as a pair of jeans, you can make more specific queries about their style and ask follow-up questions to the chatbot to narrow down the visual results further. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/google-wants-to-see-your-feet-for-virtual-shopping-purposes-165446054.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day TV deals still available on day 2: Take up to $500 off sets from Samsung, LG, Sony and more

While Black Friday remains the best time to grab a new TV at a discount, Amazons latest October Prime Day sale is a decent opportunity to take the plunge if you need to upgrade right away. We're into the second and final day of the Prime Big Deal Days event, but several well-reviewed sets from LG, Samsung, Sony and other name brands are still at or near their lowest prices to date. Weve picked through the best October Prime Day TV deals that are still available below, along with a few choice discounts on streaming devices we like. Just remember that some deals are exclusive to Prime subscribers. Best Prime Day TV deals TCL QM7K 55-inch Mini-LED TV for $570 ($330 off MSRP) : If youre willing to stretch your budget a little further, the TCL QM7K is a fairly comprehensive step up, with noticeably improved contrast, brightness and color volume. It has a 144Hz refresh rate with 288Hz support at 1080p, too, though its still limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. (As with the QM6K, however, neither of those is an eARC port, so hooking up a soundbar wont block a game console if you have multiple systems.) This discount represents a new low, beating the previous best mark we've seen by roughly $30. Hisense U8QG 65-inch Mini-LED TV for $998 ($500 off) : Several reviews suggest that the Hisense U8QG ticks most of the requisite boxes for a LCD TV in 2025: robust local dimming and mini-LED backlighting, exceptionally high brightness, vibrant quantum-dot colors, a fast refresh rate (165Hz in this case), support for the major HDR formats and so on. Its a higher-end option than something like the TCL QM6K or QM7K with superior brightness and contrast, though it still falls short of a good OLED TV when it comes to the latter. Like most LCD panels, itll also look a bit washed out if you view it from an angle. It has three HDMI 2.1 ports, which is one fewer than many other TVs in this price range, though it uniquely includes a USB-C video input if you want to hook up a gaming laptop or Nintendo Switch. (Just note that you wont get VRR or HDR when using that.) Youd mainly get it over an OLED TV if youre willing to trade some picture quality for something better-suited in a bright room. This deal on the 65-inch model matches the best price we've tracked. Samsung S90F 55-inch QD-OLED TV for $1,100 ($498 off) : The Samsung S90F is an upper-tier model with a QD-OLED panel, which blends the usual perks of a quality OLED set near-perfect contrast, wide viewing angles, clear motion, low input lag with a layer of quantum dots. This helps it produce a wider gamut of more vivid colors compared to traditional WOLED TVs . It also comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports and has a fast refresh rate of 144Hz. It doesnt support Dolby Vision HDR, however, and reviews we trust say that the LG C5, a competing WOLED model, retains darker black levels in a bright room. This deal marks a new low for the 55-inch model, while the 65-inch and 77-inch versions are also at all-time lows of $1,598 and $2,298, respectively. Just make sure you only buy the 55-, 65- or 77-inch model, as every other size in the US uses a lesser WOLED panel. Shady, we know. LG C5 65-inch OLED TV for $1,373 ($1,309 off) : The LG C5 cant produce the same bold colors as a QD-OLED display like the Samsung S90F, but reviews almost universally agree that its an exceptional OLED TV otherwise. It should get brighter with non-HDR content, and as noted above it should produce deeper blacks in well-lit environments. It also has just about all the essential gaming features, plus it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format (but not HDR10+). If you need that, or if you want an OLED set in this price range for a bright-ish room, its well worth a look. This is nearly an all-time low for the 65-inch model, beating its typical street price by about $125. You should see the full discount at checkout. Other sizes are also on sale, but note that the 42- and 48-inch models cant get as bright as the larger versions. LG B5 55-inch OLED TV for $997 ($100 off) : The B5 is LGs entry-level OLED TV for 2025, and as such its a level below the C5 in terms of brightness and color performance. Its technically limited to a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 144Hz as well, though that isnt a huge deal right now unless you plan on hooking up a gaming PC. If anything, last years LG C4 which isnt seriously discounted as of this writing is a better value for most on the whole. But if you just want to save cash, the B5 still provides most of the core benefits of an OLED display at a lower price. This is a new all-time low for the 55-inch variant. Samsung S95F 55-inch QD-OLED TV for $1,998 ($200 off) : If youre willing to pay for a top-of-the-line OLED TV, the Samsung S95F should fit the bill. Reviews around the web praise it for being especially bright for an OLED TV while retaining the bold colors and superb contrast youd want from a high-end QD-OLED panel. That brightness combined with the screens matte finish means its particularly adept at fending off glare, so itll be effective in either a dark or bright room. Its also loaded with gaming features, including a 165Hz refresh rate. That said, the matte coating means black levels wont be as deep in a well-lit environment, and theres still no Dolby Vision support. This is the lowest price weve seen for the 55-inch model. LG G5 55-inch OLED TV for $1,747 ($753 off) : The LG G5 competes with the Samsung S95F in the top end of the OLED TV market. Most reviews say it can get even brighter than Samsungs model, it supports Dolby Vision and its lack of a matte coating means it wont lose its inky black levels in a bright room. That said, having a glossy finish also means that its more susceptible to direct reflections. And while its picture is a level above most other WOLED TVs, it isnt quite on par with the S95F when it comes to color volume. Still, if youre mainly going to watch things in the dark, it might be the better buy. This is a new low for the 55-inch variant. Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch QD-OLED TV for $2,798 ($702 off) : Its certainly not cheap, but the Sony Bravia 8 II has earned plaudits for its excellent image processing, upscaling and overall accuracy alongside the expected color, contrast and motion benefits of its QD-OLED display. This should help it make lots of movies and shows look closer to their original intent. It also uses the handy Google TV interface. This deal marks the best price to date for the 65-inch version. That said, if you cant stomach the high price, other reviews note that the older Sony A95L offers similar performance a bit less, while more recent competitors like the LG G5 and Samsung S95F can get noticeably brighter (even if theyre not always as accurate). Those two should be better for gaming as well, as the Bravia 8 II only has two HDMI 2.1 ports one of which is an eARC port for soundbars and its input lag is slightly higher. Sony Bravia 9 75-inch Mini-LED TV for $2,798 ($702 off) : The Bravia 9 is Sonys flagship mini-LED TV. Its pricier than many OLED TVs, but most reviews say that it produces better contrast and black levels than the vast majority of non-OLED sets, with minimal light bloom around bright objects onscreen. So its still a strong performer in a dark room. Like the best LCD TVs, it can also get super bright, and it delivers the excellent upscaling and image processing that high-end Sony TVs are known for, so it should make old DVDs and lower-quality streams look their best. That said, the top OLED TVs still have it beat when it comes to contrast, color volume and viewing angles. Its also not the best choice for gaming, since its limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports and has slightly higher input lag than other models. But if money is no object and you dont want to go OLED, it should satisfy. This discount matches the lowest price weve seen for the 75-inch version. Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 ($20 off) : The Streaming Stick 4K is worth considering if you prefer a stick-style streamer that plugs directly into your TV, or if youre partial to Rokus app-centric interface, which many find simpler to navigate than the content-heavy UIs pushed by Google and Amazon. It supports Apple AirPlay and the major HDR formats, and its performance remains quick enough for most. Youll have to deal with some ads, though, and no Roku player supports the Twitch app. This deal is $5 more than the devices all-time low but ties the best price weve seen in several years. Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $24 ($16 off) : The Streaming Stick Plus is cheaper alternative to the Streaming Stick 4K with no Dolby Vision support and no long-range Wi-Fi extender built in. The latter means it may be less reliable if you dont get a consistent connection in your TVs room. (Both sticks are limited to Wi-Fi 5, though.) That said, this model can typically be powered straight from a TVs USB port instead of requiring a separate power supply. If you can live with the sacrifices, it may not be worth paying extra. This deal represents a new all-time low. Roku Ultra for $69 ($31 off) : Youd buy the Roku Ultra if you want the Roku interface in a set-top box design with built-in Ethernet and USB ports. Unlike the companys streaming sticks, it comes bundled with a rechargeable remote that supports voice controls, a lost remote finder tool and backlit buttons. (You can buy that separately , though.) This latest model also has a faster processor and Wi-Fi 6 support. This deal ties an all-time low. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 ($25 off) : The standard Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers the same core experience as the pricier Fire TV Stick 4K Max , only it comes with a slightly slower processor, half the storage (8GB) and Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 6E. For most people just looking for a casual streamer on the cheap, those shouldnt be huge losses. This model is also more powerful than the just-announced Fire TV 4K Select , though its Fire OS interface can still be messy and ad-heavy , with special emphasis on Amazons own services. This deal is $3 more than the sticks all-time low, though it matches the best price weve seen since Black Friday last year. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 ($17 off) : The Fire TV Stick HD is the budget pick in our guide to the best streaming devices . It can only stream up to 1080p, and it can run a bit choppier than the 4K models since it has a slower chipset and half the RAM (1GB). The usual issues with the Fire TV interface still apply here too. But if you just want to add streaming apps to an aging TV or basic monitor for as little cash as possible, it should get the job done. This discount ties the device's lowest price to date. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-tv-deals-still-available-on-day-2-take-up-to-500-off-sets-from-samsung-lg-sony-and-more-180051817.html?src=rss

DJI's popular wireless Mic Mini kit is discounted to $99 for Prime Day

If you're a creator in the market for a good-quality wireless microphone, DJI has not just one but two of its best products on sale for October Prime Day. The Mic Mini, which is already a good deal at the regular $169 price, is marked down to just $99 for a savings of 41 percent. And DJI's Mic 2, which offers features like 32-bit float recording and support for external microphones, is currently available for $269 or $80 off the regular price . DJI's Mic Mini bundle includes two mic transmitters and a receiver that can be connected to a camera or phone, along with a charging case. The mics weigh just a third of an ounce and attach easily to subjects via magnets or clips. Everything pairs automatically and they offer high quality 24-bit, 20Hz to 20K Hz recording. They also connect easily to smartphones over Bluetooth and other DJI devices like the Action 5 Pro and Osmo Pocket 3 cams using DJI's OsmoAudio direct connection. With a range of 1300 feet and 48 hours of battery life with the charger case, they're an excellent addition to a creator's bag of tricks. DJI's wireless Mic 2 can not only be connected to a mirrorless camera via a 3.5mm cable, but also supports Bluetooth audio to easily pair with a smartphone as well. It can transmit at a range of up to 820 feet (less with a Bluetooth connection) and automatically reduces background noise like wind, city sounds and even drone noise. Sound quality is exceptional thanks to the 20 to 20K Hz frequency response and up to 32-bit float recording internally. And for professionals (and unlike the new Mic 3), you can connect external microphones from Shure, Sennheiser and others if you want. This deal includes two mic transmitters, a receiver for your camera, a charging case and wind muffs. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/djis-popular-wireless-mic-mini-kit-is-discounted-to-99-for-prime-day-163220479.html?src=rss

The 59 best Amazon Prime Day deals under $50 from Anker, Ring, Lego, Roku and others

Welcome to day two of Amazon's October Prime Day sale . While it's a good opportunity to save on expensive stuff its an even better time to stock up on smaller electronics and accessories. For this list, we compared the many (many) sale pages with the stuff we recommend in our guides. For less than $50 each, we found deals on some of our favorite tech including batteries , iPhone paraphernalia , mice , earbuds , speakers , holiday gifts , smart home gear and a ton more. Some deals require you to be a Prime member, others don't but most of these will expire when the sale ends tonight. Here are the best Prime Day tech deals under $50. Best Prime Day deals under $50 PNY microSD Express (128GB) for $39 ($6 off) : If youve gotten yourself a Switch 2 (or planning to gift one for the Holidays) you may want to get a couple microSD Express cards. Theyre the only type that work with the new console, which you can read all about in our guide to Switch 2 storage . This is one of the cards we recommend. Lexar 256GB Play PRO microSD Ex for $50 ($10 off) : Heres another of our picks for a Switch 2-compatible storage card . The 512GB option is on sale too, but its more than $50. Audible subscription (three months) for $3 ($42 off) : From now through mid-December, you can get Amazons audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point. Moft Folding Sit-Stand Laptop Stand for $48 ($12 off with Prime) : I take this with me when I have to work someplace away from my standing desk. It holds a 16-inch MacBook Pro 10 inches off a desk, which is just enough for you to stand up and work. It also configures into four other positions for better ergonomics as you sit. Its one of our favorite MacBook accessories. UGREEN Nexode Pro 65W USB-C Flat Charger for $43 ($13 off with Prime) : One of our picks from our guide to fast chargers , this Ugreen fella has three ports (one of which is USB-A) and a 65-watt max power output. The folding prongs make it even more compact. Just note that its a bit wide and may block adjacent outlets in a crowded power strip. Anker USB C Charger (Nano II 65W) for $26 ($14 off) : Anker makes some of our favorite charging accessories. This one has three USB ports, two Type C and one Type A, plus a max speed of 65 watts. UGreen Revodok Pro 109 USB-C Hub for $37 ($18 off) : The top pick in our guide to the best USB-C hubs has a good array of ports, including an HDMI 2.0 connection that supports 4K monitors at 60Hz, plus three USB-A ports, Ethernet and one USB-C (plus another for delivering 90W of power to your device. Anker Nano Charger, USB-C 30W charger for $13 ($4 off with Prime) : Heres a tiny but mighty wall adapter that we like for iPhones (but it would work for an iPad too). It can pass on 30 watts of power to your device and looks nice doing it in five different pearlescent shades. Instant Pot Vortex 2-QT Mini for $38 ($22 off with Prime) : The budget model from our air fryer guide may not be large but its two-quart basket is enough to reheat leftovers for two or cook up a batch of frozen appetizers. And, because of its small size, it doesnt take up a ton of space on your countertops ideal for a small kitchen. Elgato Stream Deck Mini for $50 ($10 off with Prime) : We like Elgato gear for game streaming , but the handy shortcut deck can also be used for your nine to five. This six-button box can give you better control over PowerPoint presentations, video conferencing calls and spreadsheet wrangling. INIU MagSafe Qi2 power bank for $34 ($16 off with Prime) : This is the budget pick in our guide to the best MagSafe batteries . Not only can it refuel a dying iPhone (12 or newer) wirelessly, it comes with its own USB-C cable (that doubles as a handy carrying strap) so you can charge up other devices, too. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 ($20 off) : Amazon's most powerful streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and Wi-Fi 6E with double the storage of cheaper Fire TV sticks. It earned an honorable mention in our guide to streaming devices and also happens to make a good retro gaming emulator . Lego Icons Dried Flower Centerpiece for $35 ($15 off with Prime) : Who doesnt love a good Lego set? Only people who dont like fun. This floral centerpiece looks good enough to stick on a dining table and itll never die. Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 for $31 (30 percent off): 'Tis the season for advent calendars . They've flooded the internet, as they usually do this time of year, and there are plenty to choose from (and stock up on) before we get to December. Lego has a bunch, and this Star Wars one will be fun for everyone, not just kids, to open up each day at the end of the year. > Check out more sets in our Prime Day guide to Lego deals. Anker USB-C to USB-C cable (10FT, 100W) for $9 ($3 off with Prime) : Having a bad cable is almost as bad as not having a cable at all. Were big fans of Ankers cords. This one is a generous 10 feet and can deliver up to 100W of power. While it can transfer data, it does so slowly, so dont grab this one for that purpose. This is $1 more than it sold for as a Prime-exclusive in July. Chipolo Pop Bluetooth tracker for $25 ($4 off) : If you lose stuff, stop it with a Bluetooth tracker like this. The Pop is our top pick in our guide . It works with either Apples Find My app or Googles Find Hub app, calling on iPhone or Android phone users respectively to anonymously ping your lost stuff so you can find it. Pebblebee Clip Universal for $25 ($10 off with Prime) : This is our runner up pick for a rechargeable Bluetooth tracker. Its ear-splittingly loud, has bright flashing LEDs and works with either Google or Apples finding networks. Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 for $20 ($10 off with Prime) : Our favorite Bluetooth tracker for Samsung users is one of the best-looking fobs we tried. Its got a wide finding network, drawing on nearby Samsung phones to ping your lost items (though not as large as Google or Apples networks). Blink Video Doorbell for $35 ($35 off) : True, Amazon just announced new Blink devices , but those wont hit the market until after Prime Day is over. If you want a video doorbell right now at an impressively low price, this should serve. Weve tested Blink security devices before and have been impressed by what you get for such a small price. Blink Video Doorbell & Blink Mini 2 for $40 ($70 off) : Heres a bundle that combines a Blink Doorbell and a Mini 2 security camera. But again, new Blink cameras are on their way, so only get this if you're ok with last years tech. Ring Battery Doorbell for $50 ($50 off) : At $49.99 this juuust qualifies as an under $50 tech deal. If you dont have doorbell wires at your front entrance, you can still have a camera to capture all the package deliveries and neighborhood animal sightings with the Ring Battery Doorbell. It records video in HD with more vertical coverage than the last model, so you can see people from head to toe. Just note that newer Ring devices are on the way. Blink Mini 2 security cameras (two-pack) for $35 ($35 off) : This is currently the top budget pick in our guide to the best security cameras . The Mini 2 is a great option for indoor monitoring or you can put it outside with a weatherproof adapter , but since it needs to be plugged in, we like it for keeping an eye on your pets while you're away and watching over entry ways from the inside. Blink Mini 2 security cameras (three-pack) for $50 ($50 off) : A three pack is also on sale and squeezes in just under the $50 mark. Or you can just get one camera for $20 . > Want to spend no more than $25? Check out our list of super cheap Prime Day tech. Anker 622 5K magnetic power bank with stand for $28 ($20 off with Prime) : This 0.5-inch thick power bank attaches magnetically to iPhones and won't get in your way when you're using your phone. It also has a built-in stand so you can watch videos, make FaceTime calls and more hands-free while your phone is powering up. J-Tech Digital Ergonomic Mouse for $17 ($7 off with Prime) : This is the budget pick in our ergonomic mouse guide thanks to its vertical format, programmable buttons and nifty RBC lights (which you can turn off). Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $30 ($40 off) : Some prefer a wired connection when playing games. Razers Basilisk V3 is our top budget pick for a wired mouse in our gaming mouse guide . Its comfortable, well-built, accurate and a good value particularly with a Prime Day discount. OtterBox Made for Kids Case for iPad (A16) for $49 ($21 off with Prime) : Where other cases failed, this one has managed to keep my third graders iPad alive and functioning. Itll fit the newest standard iPad or the 10th generation model that came before it. Ring Indoor Cam for $25 ($25 off) : While we thought the Blink Mini 2 was a better overall indoor camera in our guide , we do like the Ring app, which is ideal for beginners. Plus you get access to the Ring Neighbors app which is a fascinating glimpse into your neighborhoods Ring-captured events. Just note that a new Ring indoor model was just announced . Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off) : We named this the best smart plug for Alexa users because it hooks up painlessly and stays connected reliably. Use it to control lamps or your holiday lights using programs and schedules in the Alexa app, or just your voice by talking to your Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled listener. Ultimate Ears MINIROLL Bluetooth speaker for $48 ($32 off with Prime) : Ultimate Ears speakers make a couple of appearances in our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers. The Miniroll is the smaller sibling of the UE Wonderboom. Youll sacrifice a little in the sound department, but it maintains a similarly durable waterproof and dustproof build. Anker Nano 3-in-1 Portable Charger for $32 ($13 off with Prime) : Its a wall charger! Its a portable battery! It has its own USB-C cable! In short, this handy power bank is clever and compact, which is why its one of our favorites . Anker Nano portable charger for $20 ($10 off with Prime) : It looks like an oldy timey lipstick case and can deliver a partial refill to any small device with a USB-C port. We named it a good pick after testing it for our battery guide. Twelve South AirFly SE for $28 ($12 off with Prime) : We recommend this in our fathers day gift guide and a couple of our travel guides. If you know youre travelling on a plane with screens in the backs of the seats, you may want Twelve Souths gadget. It lets you connect your wireless earbuds to the aux jack. Also a good pick for gym equipment. Levoit Mini Core-P air purifier for $40 ($10 off with Prime) : This is the mini version of the top pick in our guide to air purifiers . It has a three-stage filter (pre, activated carbon and particle filters) though that particle filter is not a true HEPA filter. But its rated at 250 square feet and can help clear the air in your office or other small room. 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth controller (Switch 2) for $43 ($27 off with Prime) : If youve got a Switch 2 and are looking for a good controller to go with it, we think this is a good one. Recommended in our guide to the best Switch 2 accessories , its got an Xbox style configuration with the left stick placed higher on the game pad, which some prefer. The lowest price we tracked before this is $50. Anker 555 USB-C Hub for $36 ($14 off with Prime) : To give your iPad (or even your laptop) more connection options, pick up this USB-C hub. Its the model we liked best for our guide to MacBook accessories and adds an HDMI port, an SD card reader, Ethernet jack and two USB-A ports. It also has one data USB-C port and a pass through power delivery USB-C port, along with a built-in USB-C cable. Echo Pop smart speaker for $25 ($15 off) : The half sphere Pop is the most affordable Echo speaker in Amazons lineup. The sound wont be as full as its larger siblings, but will do a fine job of bringing Alexas help to smaller rooms. Just note that it went as low as $18 for Black Friday and October Prime Day last year. Elden Ring (PS5) for $30 ($20 off) : If you somehow havent yet played the action-RPG Elden Ring, heres a chance to do so for less money. Its challenging yet accessible if you want plus its darkly funny and one of our favorite games . Final Fantasy VII Rebirth (PS5) for $35 ($15 off) : We gave this game a favorable review last year. But just note that youll get more out of it if youve played Final Fantasy 7 Remake . > For more video game deals, check out Engadget's Prime Day gaming roundup. Belkin Carrying Case for Nintendo Switch 2 for $25 ($5 off with Prime) : While this model doesnt have the battery pack like Belkins charging case that we reviewed , it will still offer more than enough protection for everyday bumps and tumbles just like its more expensive counterpart. Belkin Apple AirTag holder for $15 ($5 off with Prime) : The best thing about Apples AirTags are their ability to rope in most any nearby iPhone to anonymously hunt for lost trackers. The worst thing is probably the tiny, slippery disk shape that cant attach to anything without some help. This is the help we suggest in our iPhone accessories guide . Ultimate Ears Wonderboom Play speaker for $48 ($42 off with Prime) : This is a relative of the Wonderboom 4, one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers . It only has one driver and passive radiator, while the Wonderboom 4 has two of each. The battery life isnt quite as long here, either (10 hours compared to 14). But this one is currently half the price of its sibling. Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off) : We named this thumbdrive one of the best SSDs you can buy. This configuration has 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s. It's also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation. Roku Streaming Stick HD for $18 ($12 off) : If you dont care about 4K (or your screen resolution isnt that high anyway) you can still get the same simple-to-use Roku OS with this device. The best thing about Roku streaming sticks is the access to all the free content so this is an affordable way to get it. Belkin 45W Dual USB C Charger Block for $29 ($11 off with Prime) : Members of my family fight over this handy wall charger. It has exactly what you need, two USB-C ports and speedy, 45W charging, perfect for juicing up a phone and tablet in tandem. Leebein 2025 electric spin scrubber for $38 ($32 off with Prime): This is an updated version of the electric scrubber we love that makes shower cleaning easier than ever before. It comes with seven brush heads so you can use it to clean all kinds of surfaces, and its adjustable arm length makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots. It's IPX7 waterproof and recharges via USB-C. Blink Outdoor 4 security camera for $35 ($45 off) : We named this the best choice for Alexa users in our guide to security cameras. It works seamlessly with Alexa devices like the Echo speakers and Show displays. Plus it can run for up to two years on a set of AA batteries and we found the motion detection to be spot on. Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 ($6 off with Prime) : This handy little fan is a must-have if you live in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don't have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan's blades shows its remaining battery level. Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go speaker for $23 ($12 off with Prime) : This is one of our top picks for Bluetooth speaker . It gets pretty loud for its size and has decent sound quality. You can pair two together for stereo sound as well, and its IP67-rated design will keep it protected against water and dust. Anker Soundcore 2 Portable Bluetooth Speaker for $28 ($17 off with Prime) : This small speaker was a past pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers . Its waterproof and goes for 24 hours on a charge. We found the sound to be surprisingly big for its size. Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): Amazon brought the Echo Spot smart alarm clock back from the dead last year with a new design and improved speakers. In addition to being able to control smart home devices and respond to voice commands, the Echo Spot can also act as a Wi-Fi extender for those that have Eero systems. It went as low as $45 for Black Friday last year. Samsung EVO Select microSD card (256GB) for $23 ($4 off) : This Samsung card has been one of our recommended models for a long time. It's a no-frills microSD card that, while not the fastest, will be perfectly capable in most devices where you're just looking for simple, expanded storage. Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam $40 ($20 off) : If you like the idea of being able to move the camera around to follow the action in your home, you may want to get a pan-and-tilt option like this one. We will again note that new Ring devices are on the way, but if you dont have to have the latest thing and just want to see what your dog gets up to while youre gone, you may want to snag this 33 percent discount. Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $43 ($37 off with Prime): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds , the Space A40 have surprisingly good ANC, good sound quality, a comfortable fit and multi-device connectivity. JLab Go Air Pop+ for $17.49 ($12 off with Prime) : JLab earbuds pop up in a few of our guides including the best running headphones and best budget buds . The Pop+ earbuds are smaller and lighter than the previous model, and the apps preset EQ modes let you customize your sound. Total battery life with the case comes in at more than 35 hours. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-59-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-under-50-from-anker-ring-lego-roku-and-others-120531690.html?src=rss

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has sold five million copies

The French RPG Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 has officially sold five million copies across all platforms. That's a fantastic metric for an original IP, even one that has garnered stellar reviews . Developer Sandfall Interactive is currently prepping a fairly substantial update as a thank you to fans, according to a report by Eurogamer . There's no release date yet on this, but it will be free DLC. We also know there will be a new story that focuses on the fan favorite character Esquie. In April we released Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. 5 months later, weve sold 5 million copies worldwide! Since then, your artwork, your stories, your cosplays and your endless creativity has been loved and appreciated by all of us. And for that we cannot thank you enough. pic.twitter.com/3AAou4DECR Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (@expedition33) October 8, 2025 The update will include new boss battles, a brand-new location, updated costumes for all party members and even more surprises fans can look forward to. Finally, there will be some quality-of-life additions and localization to several new languages. We want to prepare an update to say a big thank you to our players, because it's thanks to our players that we are in such a comfortable situation now, game director Guillaume Broche said. They brought us so much emotion and gave us so much love in return for the game that we want to address that and make a big thank you update with new content, new enemies, new stuff to do for every type of player. For the uninitiated, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a well-regarded RPG that we called a beautiful game with dramatic heft and satisfying combat. It features some well-known voice actors, including Charlie Cox and Andy Serkis. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/clair-obscur-expedition-33-has-sold-five-million-copies-153148952.html?src=rss

The best Amazon Prime Day deals on Kindles, Echo speakers, Fire TV devices and more for Day 2

If youre on the market for a Kindle, Fire TV device or Echo speaker, Amazon Prime Day is basically Black Friday for you. Prime Day deals on those devices are typically the same (or very close to) the prices we see at the end of the year near the holidays. That means now, during day two of the sale, is a great time to pick up a new Kindle ereader, a Fire TV Stick for streaming while traveling or an Echo speaker for your home office before the discounts disappear tonight. As expected, almost all of Amazons hardware is on sale for Prime Big Deal Days; these are the best October Prime Day deals on Amazon gear that you can get right now. Prime Day Kindle deals Kindle Kids for $95 ($35 off): This is the same device as the base Kindle, but it becomes more kid-friendly thanks to the included cover, two-year warranty and the included year of Amazon Kids+ , which gives children ages 3-12 access to hundreds of appropriate ebooks and audiobooks. Just be sure to take note when you activate that subscription because it will renew after one year at the standard $6/month rate. Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($35 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has a seven-inch display, thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 12 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration. Kindle Colorsoft for $200 ($50 off): Amazon's only color e-reader has a seven-inch, high-contrast display, an auto-adjusting front light, a color highlighting feature and an eight-week battery life. Kindle Scribe for $300 ($100 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration. Prime Day Echo deals Echo Pop speaker for $25 (38 percent off): One of the newer Echo devices available, the Pop it sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker and a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy. The Pop also has built-in eero compatibility, so it can extend the area of your home Wi-Fi network if you already have an eero router system. Echo Dot speaker for $35 (30 percent off): One of the smallest Echo speakers, this version of the Dot has improved audio and a compact design that will fit almost anywhere. You'll control it mostly with Alexa voice commands, but there are a few onboard buttons, including a mic-off button for when you need more privacy. Echo Show 5 for $55 (39 percent off): This model is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals. Echo Show 8 for $100 (33 percent off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazons Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub. The 2023 model supports Visual ID, which will show personalized information on the devices display depending on whos using it, and video streaming from Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and other services. Prime Day Fire TV deals Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 (50 percent off): This is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while youre watching your favorite show or movie. Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities. It also supports the Fire TV ambient experience, which lets you display photos and images on your TV screen when youre not actively watching something. Fire TV Cube streaming box for $100 (29 percent off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console. Prime Day Fire tablet deals Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 (45 percent off): This is Amazon's most bare-bones tablet, featuring an eight-inch HD touchscreen, hexa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life. The improvements in the screen quality alone from the old-school Fire 7 tablet make it a better buy for most people, and this slab would make a good couch device for general web browsing, email checking, online shopping and more. Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 (39 percent off): Amazons most powerful tablet, the Fire Max 11 sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case . Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This slab is designed for kids aged three to seven, with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. This model has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case. Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $105 (45 percent off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-on-kindles-echo-speakers-fire-tv-devices-and-more-for-day-2-081210482.html?src=rss

Amazon will start dispensing prescription drugs through vending machines

Amazons quest to become a genuine all-in-one healthcare solution has already seen it commit to same-day prescription deliveries, but visitors to its One Medical offices can now pick up their medication from a vending machine right after an appointment. Amazon Pharmacy Kiosks will start rolling out in December, initially in One Medical practices in the greater Los Angeles area, with plans already in place for an expansion into other locations in the near future. Amazon says it intends to combat the high percentage of people who never file their prescriptions by making them immediately available at the point of care. The idea is that if people dont need to make a separate trip to a dedicated pharmacy to pick up their prescription drugs, theyre more likely to get them, while clinicians wont have to worry about their patients conditions going untreated. One Medical customers can request pickup for a prescription at an on-site Amazon Pharmacy Kiosk in the Amazon app as soon as its handed to them, with the company promising that most medications will be available to collect within minutes. Youll need to already have an Amazon Pharmacy account and attend an appointment at a participating One Medical location to make use of the service. Upfront costs and any available deductions will be displayed in the Amazon app before you check out, and if needed you can also connect to an Amazon Pharmacy pharmacist via the app for a video or phone consultation. Medications that will be stored in the vending machines include antibiotics, inhalers and blood pressure medications, but not controlled substances or anything that requires refrigeration. One Medical subscriptions usually cost $9 per month of $99 annually for Prime members, or $199 for everyone else, although Amazon is currently offering memberships to its Prime customers for $30 off. You can also schedule virtual appointments for a one-off fee without a membership, but to use an Amazon Pharmacy Kiosk during the launch period youll need to visit an in-person One Medical office. Amazon says there wont be any added fees to use the machines, whether youre a Prime member or not. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-will-start-dispensing-prescription-drugs-through-vending-machines-144555105.html?src=rss

Prime Day Lego deals: Star Wars and Super Mario sets now up to 30 percent off for Day 2

October Prime Day is halfway over, and Amazon remains awash with discounts to consider on day two. Amazon uses October Prime Day to kickstart the holiday shopping season even if you haven't even thought about the holidays yet, you should give the latest Prime Day Lego deals a look. A number of Lego sets from the Super Mario and Star Wars collections are already on sale for up to 38 percent off. When shopping for Lego sets on Amazon, we highly recommend checking a price tracker like Keepa or CamelCamelCamel before buying. It's not difficult to find Lego sets on sale at Amazon, but often those discounted prices have been around for a long time. We've clocked deals in which the sale price has been available for months already, going back as far as late spring and early summer 2025. Here, we're mostly highlighting discounts on new Lego sets, recent price drops and record-low (and close to them) prices on popular Lego sets from franchises like Star Wars, Super Mario and others. Best Amazon Prime Day Lego deals Lego Minecraft Advent Calendar 2025 21280 for $38 (16 percent off) Lego Harry Potter Advent Calendar 2025 76456 for $38 (16 percent off) Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696 for $18 (49 percent off) Lego Classic Vibrant Creative Brick Box Building Blocks 11038 for $42 (30 percent off) Lego Star Wars Brick-Built Star Wars Logo set 75407 for $50 (17 percent off) Lego Star Wars Spider Tank Building Toy 75361 for $35 (30 percent off) Lego Star Wars R2-D2 set 75379 for $80 (20 percent off) Lego Star Wars Ahsoka Ghost and Phantom II Spaceship Toy 75357 for $112 (30 percent off) Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Donkey Kong & DK Jumbo set 72033 for $28 (19 percent off) Lego Technic Ford Mustang Shelby GT500 Toy Car 42138 for $35 (30 percent off) Lego Creator 3 in 1 Forest Animals Red Fox Toys 31154 for $35 (30 percent off) Lego Botanicals Bouquet of Roses 10328 for $48 (20 percent off) Lego City F1 Garage & Mercedes-AMG & Alpine Cars set 60444 for $64 (20 percent off) This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-lego-deals-star-wars-and-super-mario-sets-now-up-to-30-percent-off-for-day-2-121513856.html?src=rss

Nintendo's mystery animated short is, in fact, for a Pikmin project

Nintendo has released a second version of the animated short that confused many fans and is now likely to have made some of those who guessed what was going on feeling very pleased with themselves. The video appears to be the same as the one that the company foisted upon the world on Tuesday, but theres one critical difference. This time, you can more clearly see Pikmin moving a babys building blocks and pacifier around its bedroom. The little creatures were invisible in the first version of the video for the most part, though there was an out-of-focus one running underneath the tots crib. Well done you, if you spotted that, or noticed the nods to Pikmin music in the shorts score. According to the Pikmin Bloom mobile game, Pikmin are invisible to humans, which is likely why the tots mother doesnt react to them here. The parent is probably more interested in her kiddos apparent first steps than how the pacifier got caught in the mobile above the crib, anyway. As with the first version of the short, the updated video first appeared in the Nintendo Today app well update this story to include a version from elsewhere once its available. Nintendo clearly really wants fans to use that to get major announcements from the company first. Being able to see the Pikmin in all their glory this time around does clear up one key question about the initial short (which is now even more adorable), but another one remains. Just what the heck is Nintendo actually teasing here? Its unclear whether the company has a new Pikmin game up its sleeve or whether its making a movie about the lil critters. It could be something else entirely! Perhaps another version of the short is coming to clear that up. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendos-mystery-animated-short-is-in-fact-for-a-pikmin-project-135410770.html?src=rss

Nintendo Switch 2-compatible microSD Express cards are on sale for the first time thanks to Prime Day

If you finally got your hands on a Nintendo Switch 2 and have been loading it up with games, the thought of storage expansion may have crossed your mind by now (maybe more than once). But since the Switch 2 is only compatible with newer microSD Express cards, the pickings are slim at the moment. You can't just buy any microSD card on sale for Prime Day but day two of the sale has brought some new deals on microSD Express cards, specifically. The most affordable of the bunch is this 128GB PNY microSD Express card , which is 15 percent off for Prime members and down to $38. Engadget's Jeff Dunn has been testing microSD Express cards since the Switch 2 launched. The best microSD Express card for Switch 2 at the moment is really the one you can most easily afford. While the cards he's tried out so far didn't perform identically in our benchmark tests, the differences in overall performance and load times will be tough for most people to notice. Thankfully, the ones he's tested so far have been good there isn't a bad one in the bunch, and while the most consistent performer was the SanDisk microSD Express card , you won't really sacrifice by getting a different one. In fact, at least in the case of Prime Day deals, you'll be gaining by saving some cash. PNY's card in particular was actually slightly faster than SanDisk's in our testing when it came to moving games from the card back to the Switch 2's internal storage. However, it was a bit slower in writing games to the card itself. That just means you may wait a few extra minutes before you can open Mario Kart World and get to racing, but for most people, the difference will be negligible. Also on sale for Prime Day are two configurations of Lexar's Play Pro microSD card . The 256GB version is down to $50, while the 512GB model is on sale for $100. That's 17 percent off each and the lowest they've been. If you're hoping to make a one-and-done purchase and you already plan on packing your console with the best Switch 2 games , we'd recommend getting the card with the highest capacity that's still within your budget. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/nintendo-switch-2-compatible-microsd-express-cards-are-on-sale-for-the-first-time-thanks-to-prime-day-134147311.html?src=rss

A bundle of two Blink Mini 2 cameras is only $35 this Prime Day

October Prime Day is here and you can grab record-low prices on a bunch of our favorite tech. Blink security cameras are almost always on sale during Amazon's shopping events, and this time is no different. One of the best deals at the moment is on a duo of Blink Mini 2 cameras , which you can get for only $35. That's half off and a record-low price, not to mention less than what you'd typically pay for one full price. It's also Engadget's pick for the best budget security camera . This budget-friend, wired camera is well-suited for nighttime video: It has a built-in LED spotlight, color night vision and a low-light sensor. Day or night, it records in sharp 1080p resolution. It also has a wider field of view than its predecessor. The Blink Mini 2 is primarily designed for indoor use. But you can use it outdoors, too. You'll just need to fork over $10 for a weather-resistant adapter . Wherever you use the camera, it works with Alexa and supports two-way audio. (Hello, doggy, I'll be home soon.) It also supports person detection. (That's a neat feature that differentiates between people and other types of movement.) However, the feature requires a Blink Subscription Plan . They start at $3 per month or $30 per year for one device. The camera is available in black or white. Both colors are available for the $35 Prime Day deal, but they can't be mixed unless you buy each separately. It's worth noting that this deal is open to anyone no Prime subscription necessary. Amazon recently announced an upgraded version of this camera that supports 2K video, but it won't be available until later in October. You can also save on a bunch of other Blink (and Ring) security gear for Prime Day. The Blink Outdoor 4 cameras are some of our favorites, and most configurations are on sale for Prime Day, including bundles like this three-camera system that's 61 percent off. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-bundle-of-two-blink-mini-2-cameras-is-only-35-this-prime-day-201049070.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day SSD deals still available on Day 2: Save on Samsung, microSD cards for Switch 2 and more

October Prime Day is in full swing, and as always, we've put together a list of the best, most-discounted extra storage options for consoles and gaming PCs. Our guide to the top storage deals is split into three categories tiny microSD cards (including a few compatible with the Nintendo Switch 2), portable external SSDs and generally faster (but more labor-intensive) internal SSDs. Whether you're building a gaming rig or just want to stop your PS5 from lagging, there's almost certainly a deal for you on our curated list. Take a look now to see what kind of extra storage might best fit your needs. Best Prime Day microSD card deals Lexar Play Pro microSD Express card 256GB (compatible with Switch 2) for $50 (17 percent off): This is another Switch 2 microSD card that we tested that we found to be a good option if you're looking to expand storage on your new console. The 512GB model is also on sale for $100. Samsung PRO Plus microSD Memory Card for $75 (35 percent off): The Samsung PRO Plus was a strong runner-up in our testing of the best microSD cards , with speeds only beaten out by an even higher-end card from Samsung. This excellent deal should be plenty of speed and space for most normal tasks, though, from photography to gaming. SanDisk 1TB MicroSD Card for $100 (33 percent off): For those of you who haven't managed to snag a Switch 2 yet, SanDisk is offering a near-best price on the best storage card for the original Switch. With 1TB, you'd need to download a mind-boggling number of games to get anywhere near filling it. Plus, 90MB/s write speeds mean games download fast. Lexar 256GB Professional Silver SD Card for $22 (52 percent off): The Lexar 256GB Professional Silver line serves up fast sequential read and write speeds, both in the neighborhood of 200MB/s. That's more than enough space and speed for photos and videos in a high-end camera, and comes with professional waterproofing at a very good price. Best Prime Day SSD deals Crucial BX500 1TB 3D NAND SATA 2.5-inch Internal SSD for $69 ($25 off): The BX500 is Crucial's budget-conscious SSD option, but that doesn't mean it disappoints. This internal solid state drive cuts down on battery consumption and improves processing with read speeds reaching 540MB/s. It comes with a three-year warranty, too. Crucial P310 2TB for $112 ($38 off): The 2TB level of the Crucial P310 is a compact drive that works great in small laptops or Steam Decks especially the latter, given Valve's warning against cramming in large SSDs . For this small size and great price, you get read speeds of over 7,000MB/s, plus a built-in heatsink and more efficient use of the device battery. Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB for $60 (43 percent off): This is an incredible deal on an internal SSD from a reliable brand. All capacities of the Samsung 990 Evo Plus are currently on sale, but even the 1TB option can visibly boost your performance with top read speeds of 7,250MB/s. There's no heatsink, but nickel plating on the controller reduces both heat output and energy use. Samsung 990 PRO 2 TB for $140 (33 percent off): Samsung's 990 Pro series represents a massive leap forward for the brand, cutting energy costs by around half while boosting speeds up to at least 7,000MB/s write and 5,000MB/s read. This version comes with 2TB of storage and its own built-in heatsink. Samsung SSD 9100 PRO 4TB for $370 (35 percent off): The 9100 Pro series comes with speeds and capacities that dwarf even the 990 Pro. If you need to improve your speeds while training large AI models or simply playing massive games, this is about the most power commercially available right now. Samsung Fit Plus 256GB for $23 (30 percent off): The Samsung Fit Plus isn't just the best thumb drive on the market right now it's one of the best SSDs , period. This deal gets you 256GB of storage and read speeds of 400MB/s for almost unfathomably cheap. It's also built to resist water, extreme temperatures, magnets and even radiation. Kingston Fury Renegade G5 for $170 (48 percent off): For those who need the most power available especially on machines working with AI Kingston Fury Renegade is an affordable way to access fifth-gen PCle power. With working speeds over 14,000MB/s and backward compatibility, you'll be well-prepared for the next generation of processing. WD_BLACK 2TB SN7100 for $130 ($30 off): The SN7100 is a strong entry point to WD_BLACK's extremely powerful Gen 4 SSDs. It's built for gaming, with read speeds of up to 7,250MB/s and write speeds of 6,900. The 2TB edition has the best markdown, but 1TB is more affordable overall if you're on a tight budget and both can easily run a whole operating system in parallel. Best Prime Day portable SSD deals SanDisk 2TB Extreme Portable SSD for $150 ($60 off): The SanDisk Extreme line of portable SSDs provides a great middle ground in both price and performance. Read speeds of 1,050MB/s are enough for transferring most files you'll encounter day-to-day. Its external design holds up too, with a large carabiner loop, IP65 waterproofing and dustproofing and drop protection as high as three meters. Kingston SX1000 1TB High Performance for $75 (35 percent off): If you can't swing a Crucial X9 or X10 right now, Kingston offers a much more affordable alternative. The SX1000 can handle both PC backups and gaming storage with ease, nearly matching the X9 in our speed tests. It's also easy to carry around, though keep a tight grip as it's not officially rated for any drop height. Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 (44 percent off): This Seagate SSD is specifically for expanding storage on the Xbox Series X and S, and it's designed to meet Xbox specs exactly. You'll get exactly the same performance booting a game from this card as you would from internal Xbox storage, which makes data management infinitely easier. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-ssd-deals-still-available-on-day-2-save-on-samsung-microsd-cards-for-switch-2-and-more-170039333.html?src=rss

Pick up this battery-powered Ring video doorbell for $80 during Prime Day

If you've been considering a video doorbell for your front door, Prime Day deals may have just what you're looking for at a good price. A great deal available now is on the latest Ring Battery Doorbell Plus , which is 47 percent off and down to only $80. The Battery Doorbell Plus offers a 150-by-150-degree head to toe field of vision and 1536p high-resolution video. This makes it a lot easier to see boxes dropped off at your front door since it doesn't cut off the bottom of the image like a lot of video doorbells. This model features motion detection, privacy zones, color night vision and Live View with two-way talk, among other features. Installation is a breeze since you don't have to hardwire it to your existing doorbell wiring. Most users report that the battery lasts between several weeks and several months depending on how users set up the video doorbell, with power-heavy features like motion detection consuming more battery life. With most video doorbells today, you need a subscription to get the most out of them, and Ring is no exception. Features like package alerts require a Ring Home plan, with tiers ranging from Basic for $5 per month to Premium for $20 per month. You'll also need a plan to store your video event history. Ring was acquired by Amazon in 2018, and now offers a full suite of home security products including outdoor cameras , home alarm systems and more. This deal is part of a larger sale on Ring and Blink devices for Prime Day this October. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-this-battery-powered-ring-video-doorbell-for-80-during-prime-day-154508484.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include the Amazon Smart Plug for only $13

Smart plugs can infuse some intelligence into regular old things around your home. When you're comfortable in bed, rather than getting up to turn off your light, you can connect it to a smart plug to control it from your phone or with your voice. They're some of the most affordable ways into the IoT world, but it's always great when you snag them on sale. Right now, you can pick up the Amazon Smart Plug for a record-low price of $13, down from $25. The 48 percent discount comes as part of Amazon Prime Day sales. Prime members can even get a two-pack for $24 52 percent off its normal price. The Amazon Smart Plug is our pick for best smart plug if you have an Alexa-enabled home. You can tell Alexa to turn off the lights or control it with the Alexa app. It's compatible with most plugged in devices, from lamps and fans to even kitchen appliances. You can also set it to turn on lights or devices at a certain time each day. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-the-amazon-smart-plug-for-only-13-130446766.html?src=rss

Prime Day is the time to buy a four-pack of AirTags

Amazon's fall edition of Prime Day is halfway over, but you can still get some great deals on popular products like the Apple AirTag. Right now, a four-pack of Apple AirTags is $65 , or 34 percent off the regular price. If you're an Apple user, then the AirTag is the best Bluetooth tracker on the market for you. You can put these little discs in your wallet, in a backpack or in your luggage while you're traveling. Your AirTag's location will show up in your Find My app, powered by the vast network of iPhones, iPads and other compatible devices that receive the AirTag's Bluetooth signal. Keep in mind these only work when close enough to participating devices to be located. You can attach AirTags to just about anything thanks to an abundance of available accessories . Their built-in speakers can play a tone, triggered from your iPhone, to help you find them when the object they're affixed to is lost. On iPhone 11 and newer models, you can take advantage of the AirTag's Ultra Wideband capability and have your phone lead you right to your AirTag, complete with directional arrows on your iPhone screen. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-is-the-time-to-buy-a-four-pack-of-airtags-143112431.html?src=rss

IMC 2025: Jio launches new JioBharat safety net phones for elderly and dependents

With the new JioBharat feature phones, the company aims to cater children, elderly parents, and dependents

The best gaming mouse in 2025

No gaming mouse will magically stop you from getting destroyed in Counter-Strike or Call of Duty , but the right pick can give you a greater sense of control while making your downtime more comfortable. In truth, which one is best for you comes down to preference: Shape is king, as the mouse nerd adage goes, and everyones hands are different. But to make things a little easier, weve tested dozens of well-regarded gaming mice over the past couple of years and picked out a few options that have glided above the rest. After playing countless hours of CS2 , Overwatch 2 , Halo Infinite , Final Fantasy XIV and more PC games , here are our picks for the best gaming mice you can buy, broken down by shape and use case. Weve also included some general advice to keep in mind during your search. The best gaming mice Other gaming mice we've tested The Lamzu Maya X. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Note: The following is a selection of especially noteworthy mice we've tested, not a comprehensive list of every single model weve ever put through its paces. Lamzu Maya X The Lamzu Maya X is a great symmetrical mouse and a close competitor to the Razer Viper V3 Pro. Itd be next in line for an honorable mention, as it has most of the things we like about the Hitscan Hyperlight and Pulsar X2 CrazyLight: a smooth matte finish, a sturdy frame, easy-gliding feet, accurate performance, a tight scroll wheel and a lightweight design (46g). Its close in size to the Viper V3 Pro, but its cheaper at $120, plus it uses the superior Omron optical switches we praised for the Hyperlight above. Its configuration software is also entirely accessible over the web (for Chromium-based browsers at least), so you dont have to download anything extra to your PC. However, we think the Vipers longer frame and ever-so-slightly more concave sides keep it just a little comfier for larger hands and palm grips. Its side buttons are still more satisfying to press and its finish provides more grip. The Maya also follows the leave the entire bottom of your mouse exposed trend to reach its lower weight. And though the software being web-based is great, it is very much a Chinese Gaming App with grammatical errors and weird formatting quirks. The reality is that fine margins separate high-end gaming mice nowadays the Maya X is good, but we prefer the Viper at this size, while the Hitscan and CrazyLight are better for smaller hands. Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 is a close rival to the Razer Viper V3 Pro for those who want a no-frills, high-end wireless gaming mouse. It has a similar potato-style shape, its tracking is similarly tremendous and its optical-mechanical switches have a distinct feel. Unlike the first Superlight, it also charges over USB-C. But the Vipers main clicks are crisper and more pleasant-sounding, its side buttons aren't as mushy and its scroll wheel is both firmer and grippier. Its also slightly lighter. The Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX The G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX is the ergonomic version of the Superlight 2, packing the same sensor and hybrid switches in a chunkier, right-handed shape. We found its right side to flare out a little too much, though, often leaving our pinky finger in a less-than-comfortable position. Those with average-sized hands may find its center hump to be too aggressive for consistent aiming as well. The DeathAdder V4 Pros main buttons are still more invitingly curved and consistent to press beyond that, while its coating isnt as slippery. The DEXs scroll wheel is tighter, and all of its internal tech is great, so by no means is this a poor choice. But at $180 after a tariff-related price hike, there are better values out there. Razer Viper V3 HyperSpeed Much like the DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed, Razers Viper V3 HyperSpeed is a lower-cost variant of the top-end Viper V3 Pro. (Confusing, we know.) At $70, its a solid value. Its symmetrical shape and soft-touch finish are virtually identical to the more premium model, and though it technically has a worse sensor, the drop-off is hardly noticeable. The main trade-off is that its heavier (about 82g), as it requires a AA battery for power. That doesnt make it outright hefty, but you can feel the difference in twitchier games. It uses older mechanical switches and smaller PTFE feet, too, plus it lacks a port for connecting a cable. So its not as close to its big sibling as the mid-tier DeathAdder. Some may prefer that its DPI button is located on the top of the mouse, though, and its simpler on-off switch is nice. Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed The Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed is a more affordable wireless version of the Basilisk V3 with the same comfortable shape and layout, plus a quieter scroll wheel. Because it requires a AA battery for power, though, it weighs around 115g. That's not great for fast-paced games. The scroll wheel cant tilt left or right, either, nor can it switch between a ratcheted and free-spin mode. It also uses less durable mechanical switches and only supports one onboard profile. All that said, its a decent value at $70. Left to right: the Logitech G309 Lightspeed, the Razer Viper V3 HyperSpeed and the Pulsar X2 V2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Pulsar X2 V2 The $100 Pulsar X2 V2 is another decent option if you want a high-performing symmetrical mouse for less than the Viper V3 Pro. Its available in mini and standard sizes: The former is a technically weightier (51 grams) version of the X2 CrazyLight, while the latter is that but bigger. Both have sturdy plastic frames, though theyre still meant for claw or fingertip grips first. They also have cutouts across their undersides. As with the Xlite V3, Pulsar now sells a newer model called the X2 V3 , though thats a minor refresh with an updated sensor and 8K polling rate support. The latest model is worth getting instead when the X2 V2 isnt discounted, but we prefer the Hitscan Hyperlight and its more pleasing clicks to both in this price range. Pwnage Stormbreaker The Pwnage Stormbreaker is a superlight (51g), exceptionally sturdy and premium-feeling wireless mouse thats largely made from magnesium alloy instead of plastic. It performs about on par with our top picks, which is excellent, while its right-handed, medium-sized shape should suit palm and claw grippers well. (If you know BenQs Zowie EC line, the shape is basically that.) However, the extensive cutouts all over the sides and top shell are noticeable in the hand and make the device more susceptible to debris buildup than the DeathAdder V4 Pro. While the buttons and scroll wheel are impressively tight, the main clicks are a bit too stiff and high-pitched for our liking. We also noticed more connection stutters than usual on our test PC, and its $169 MSRP is expensive. BenQ Zowie U2 Speaking of BenQ, its Zowie U2 is a perfectly decent alternative to the Viper V3 Pro that costs about $30 less. It tracks great, its lightweight (60g) and its mechanical clicks feel fine. It also comes with two receivers, one of which doubles as a handy charging dock. It has a symmetrical shape with sides that curve inwards and a decently-sized hump at the back; BenQ says its designed for claw grips, and it is indeed good for that, but it should also work for fingertip grippers with larger hands or palm grippers with smaller ones. Alas, the scroll wheel is gratingly loud, and the plastic coating picks up smudges and hand oils like its its job. Theres also no configuration software, which can make adjusting settings a little cumbersome, though some may prefer not having to install any extra bloat on their PC. This mouse also maxes out at a 1,000Hz polling rate thats not a big deal in practice, but it's technically behind many other mice in this price range. The Pwnage Stormbreaker (left) and BenQ Zowie U2 (right). Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Logitech G309 Lightspeed There isnt much wrong with the Logitech G309 Lightspeed in a vacuum. Its built like a tank, its sensor is accurate and its egg-like shape should feel OK, if not superlative, in most hand sizes and grip types. It uses the same hybrid switches as the G Pro X Superlight 2, so the clicks dont sound great but are fast. It also has a supercapacitor inside, which gives it effectively infinite battery life if you own Logitechs (costly) PowerPlay charging mat . Thats neat! Most people, though, will need to pop in a AA battery, which pushes the weight up around 85 grams. As most of that weight is felt toward the back, the mouse can feel relatively clunky to fling around in FPS games. Were not fans of the ugly recess across the middle of the device, either, as it creates a space for dust to collect. At a $90 MSRP after a recent price hike, the G309 is still OK for casual types wholl only buy from a name brand. But unless you use PowerPlay, it doesnt do much to stand out from other options around the same price. HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is a decent wired model for those who want a flatter ambidextrous shape. It performs well for competitive play, and its plenty light (53g) thanks to a clever design with cutouts on the bottom that are covered by the mouses label. But the Endgame Gear OP1 8K V2 is better-built and more comfortable, so we think its worth the extra cash. The Razer Viper 8KHz was another solid (albeit heavier) option with a similar shape, but that mouse has been discontinued. A few more gaming mice we've tested. Left to right: the Glorious Model I 2 Wireless, the Razer Cobra Pro, the Razer Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed and the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2. Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Core Wireless is a budget-friendly wireless variant of the Haste 2. It may be OK if you must go wireless and only have $50 to spend, as its shell feels sturdy and its low-profile shape is well-suited to claw or fingertip grips. Its a little weightier than the wired Haste 2 (about 70g) since it runs on a AAA battery, but thats nowhere near heavy. That said, its main buttons feel somewhat mushy, and we observed a few sensor hiccups and inconsistencies, particularly when we had HyperXs Ngenuity software open. HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro We had persistent, debilitating connection issues with the HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro on both Windows 11 and macOS over multiple days, so we cant recommend it. Logitech G502 X The Logitech G502 X has a generally similar shape as the Razer Basilisk V3, with a lower weight (84g) and more side buttons. However, its main buttons are noisier, its a slightly more awkward fit for most hands and its rubber cable isnt as flexible. It's also more expensive after Logitech's round of price increases earlier this year, plus it lacks RGB. The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 Pro. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Logitech G203 Lightsync The Logitech G203 Lightsync is our former budget pick. Its often available in the $20 to $30 range these days, and at that price its still fine if you want a competent gaming mouse for as little money as possible. You can feel the cost cutting in its rubbery cable and mushy scroll wheel, however, and its shape is a bit too small and flat for larger hands. The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a wireless model with more or less the same shape, but it requires a AA battery to work and thus weighs just over 100g. It, too, feels somewhat outdated in 2025. Razer Cobra The Razer Cobra is another value-oriented wired mouse with a compact shape. Its much lighter (58g) than the Logitech G203, with a more flexible cable and optical switches instead of mechanical ones. It's usually priced between $35 and $40, though, so the G203 typically costs less. The Endgame Gear OP1 8K V2 still feels higher-quality across the board, but if you have smaller hands, use a fingertip grip and want a cheaper symmetrical mouse, go for it. The Logitech G203 Lightsync Jeff Dunn / Engadget Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse tracks well, glides smoothly and weighs just under 60 grams without having any holes in its outer shell. Its shaped like a Logitech G Pro X Lightspeed 2 with wider sides, so it should be comfortable for palm or claw grippers with large or medium-sized hands. Its matte finish is a touch too slippery, however, and its main buttons arent as consistent or satisfying to press as our top picks (despite using Omron optical switches). Clicking them toward the top is too soft, clicking them toward the back is too stiff. The back side button sounds hollow beyond that, and Alienwares configuration software chews up far too much memory. All of this is overpriced at $150. Glorious Model I 2 Wireless Theres a fair amount to like about the Glorious Model I 2 Wireless : an ergonomic shape thats reminiscent of the Basilisk V3/G502 X but lighter at 75g, four customizable side buttons, the ability to connect over a USB receiver or Bluetooth, a smooth scroll wheel and tasteful RGB lighting, all for a list price of $100. However, its honeycomb-style design and mechanical switches both raise concerns about its long-term durability. Glorious Model D 2 Wireless The Glorious Model D 2 Wireless also has holes all over its shell yet doesnt perform or feel significantly better than other mice around the $100 mark. Other reviews say it has latency issues as well. Glorious Model D 2 Pro + Model O 2 Pro The ergonomic Model D 2 Pro and symmetrical Model O 2 Pro arent loaded with cutouts, meanwhile, but their main buttons are relatively loud and sticky-feeling. The Alienware Pro Wireless Gaming Mouse. Jeff Dunn for Engadget What to look for in a gaming mouse Wired vs. wireless Buying a wireless gaming mouse used to mean sacrificing a certain level of responsiveness, but thankfully, thats no longer the case. Over the last few years, wireless connectivity has improved to the point where the difference in latency between a good wireless model and a tried-and-true wired gaming mouse is barely perceptible. Note, however, that were strictly talking about mice that use a 2.4GHz connection (over a USB dongle), not Bluetooth. Many of the best wireless gaming mouse models support both connection options, which is great for travel, but Bluetooths latency is generally too high to be reliable for gaming. Going wireless still has other trade-offs, too. Battery life is improving all the time, but with their higher performance demands and RGB lighting, most wireless gaming mice usually don't last as long as ormal wireless models. You shouldnt expect more than a few days of power from a rechargeable gaming mouse you use regularly. Some gaming mice offer wireless charging too, which makes things easier. Good wireless gaming mice usually come at a much higher cost than their wired counterparts as well. Thats not to say the premium is never worth it: Who wants yet another cable on their desk? You may need a wireless model if you hate the feel of cable drag or if your gaming PC is located in an awkward spot. Many wireless gaming mice come with a cable you can hook up in a pinch as well. But if price is your primary concern, a good wired mouse may be a better value. Comfort and grip types Everyones hands are different, so at the end of the day, calling one mouse more comfortable than another is mostly subjective. Ensuring your comfort is the most essential step when buying any mouse, though, so weve done our best to consider how each device we tested works with smaller, average-sized and larger hands alike. We also considered how each peripheral accommodates the three grip styles most people use while holding a mouse: palm, fingertip and claw. As a refresher, a palm grip is when your whole hand rests on the mouse, with your fingers resting flat on the main buttons. A fingertip grip is when you steer the mouse solely with the tips of your fingers, with your palm not in contact with the device at all. A claw grip is when your palm only touches the back edge of the mouse, with your fingers arched in a claw-like shape toward the buttons. In general, most people use a palm grip, which tends to offer the greatest sense of control though, depending on the size of your hand, you may need your mouse to be a specific length to use it comfortably. A fingertip grip can allow for more rapid movements, while a claw grip is something of a balance between the two. Switch and Click has a good breakdown if youd like more detail, but weve noted above if a mouse isnt well-suited for a particular grip style. For what its worth, yours truly is a claw gripper most of the time. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Build quality and design A good gaming mouse feels sturdy and wont flex or creak when used strenuously. We valued mice without any overly sharp angles or grooves that could be awkward for most people to hold. And while most gaming mice have plastic exteriors, not all plastic is created equal, so we looked for finishes that were smooth, not too slick and capable of withstanding the sweaty palms that often come with competitive gaming sessions. The gaming mouse market is mostly split between two design styles: ergonomic and ambidextrous. Ergonomic mice are almost always made with right-handed users in mind and often feature dedicated thumb rests. Ambidextrous mice are more symmetrical and designed to be used with either hand (though they may not have extra buttons on both sides). Whether an ergonomic or ambidextrous gaming mouse works best for you is largely a matter of personal preference. A gaming mouses feet, meanwhile, should provide a consistent glide and reduce the friction between your mouse and mouse pad beneath it as much as possible. For the best performance, look for feet made from PTFE (aka Teflon). All feet will eventually wear down, but many mice come with spares, and most manufacturers sell replacements if needed. As for flashy RGB lighting, its a nice bonus, but little more than that. Still, if youve already kitted out your setup with RGB, having a mouse with adjustable lighting effects can add to the gaming experience (and more consumer tech could stand to do things for pleasures sake). More practically, some mice let you assign custom lighting settings to separate profiles, which can make it easier to see which one youre currently using. Weight Gaming mice have gotten lighter and lighter over the years, with some recent releases weighing less than 30 grams. Your mouse doesnt need to be that feathery anything under 80g is still reasonably light, and its not like a 100g mouse feels like a total anchor. Regardless, a lightweight mouse makes it easier to pull off fast movements repeatedly, with less inertia. That said, some players still enjoy a little bit of bulk in their gaming mouse (relatively speaking), especially with games that arent as reliant on twitchy reactions. To reach those lightest weights, some manufacturers have released gaming mice with honeycomb-style designs, which feature an array of cutouts in the outer shell. These mice can still perform great, but having a bunch of holes that expose the internal circuit board to possible sweat, dust and detritus isnt the best for long-term durability. If a mouse must have cutouts, it's better if they're relegated to the bottom of the design, where debris is less likely to enter the frame. Jeff Dunn for Engadget Switches, buttons and scroll wheel A growing number of gaming mice use optical switches instead of mechanical ones. Since these involve fewer bits making physical contact, they should generally be more durable and less prone to unwanted double-clicks over time. Many gamers still find good mechanical switches more satisfying to press, so it's not like you should avoid mechanical mice altogether. They just carry a little more long-term risk in a vacuum. Since most people will use their gaming mouse as their mouse -mouse, you may want main buttons that have a softer feel when pressed, with enough travel to make inadvertent actuations less frequent. But even that is a matter of preference: You may want lighter buttons if you play games that call for constant clicking. We also looked to testing from sites like Rtings to ensure each mouse we recommend has a sufficiently low click latency, meaning your clicks will register with minimal lag. Beyond the standard click panels, a good gaming mouse should also have programmable buttons for quick macros or shortcuts. For most games, shoot for at least two extra buttons on the thumb-side panel that are easy to reach and difficult to press by accident. Many mice have more buttons, which can be a plus, but not if they force you to contort your fingers to avoid hitting them. For MMO mice, having at least 12 side buttons is preferable in order to access as many hotbar commands as possible. As for the scroll wheel, it should have distinct, ratcheted steps that arent too resistant but make it clear when youve actually scrolled. Its texture should be grippy, and it shouldn't make a distracting amount of noise when used. The wheel should also be clickable, giving you another input to customize for certain games (e.g., to control the zoom on a sniper rifle). Sensors and performance Some are more proficient than others, but generally speaking, the optical sensors built into most modern gaming mice are more than fast and accurate enough for most peoples needs. While shopping for gaming mice, youll see a number of terms related to sensor performance. To be clear, a gaming mouses responsiveness doesnt come down to just one spec. But for claritys sake, heres a rundown of the more noteworthy jargon: DPI, or dots per inch, is a measure of a mouses sensitivity. The higher the DPI setting, the more your cursor will move with every inch you move the mouse itself. Many gaming mice advertise extremely high DPIs that top out above 30,000, but thats largely marketing fluff: Few people play above 3,000, with 800 a common sweet spot. This concept is also referred to as CPI (counts per inch), which is probably the more accurate term, though DPI is used more often. IPS, or inches per second, refers to the maximum velocity a mouse sensor supports. The higher the IPS, the faster you can move the mouse before it becomes incapable of tracking motions correctly. Acceleration goes with IPS. In this context, it refers to how many Gs a mouse can withstand before it starts to track inaccurately. Polling rate is a measure of how often a mouse tells a computer where it is. In general, the more frequently your mouse reports information to your PC, the more predictable its response time should be. Anything at 500Hz or above is fine for casual gaming. A sweet spot for most is 1,000Hz. Many newer mice can go all the way up to 8,000Hz, but you start to see diminishing returns the higher you go unless own a powerful PC and play on a gaming monitor with an especially high refresh rate. Even then, a super-high polling rate is far from essential . Not all games are built with it in mind, plus it leads to much faster battery drain. Lift-off distance is the height at which a mouses sensor stops tracking the surface below it. Many competitive players like this to be as low as possible in order to avoid unintended cursor movements while repositioning their mouse. A screenshot of Razer's Synapse 4 software. Razer Software and onboard memory It doesnt take long to find horror stories about bugs and other niggling issues caused by gaming mouse software, so the ideal app is one that doesnt force you to use it all the time. It should let you adjust as many of the aspects above as possible, ideally to several distinct profiles. Preferably, you can save your settings directly to the mouse itself, letting you pick your customizations back up on another device without having to redownload any software. All this is most important on Windows, but Mac compatibility is always good to have. Warranty and customer support Most major gaming mice brands offer warranties between one and three years. The longer and more extensive a manufacturers program is, the better. This is the case with most consumer tech, but we note it here because the gaming mouse market is particularly flush with products from less-than-household names, many of which you may see hyped up on YouTube, Reddit or elsewhere around the web. A bunch of these more obscure mice are genuinely great, but if you ever buy from a more niche brand, its worth checking that some level of customer support is in place. Weve made sure our picks for the best gaming mice arent riddled with an abnormal amount of poor user reviews. Recent updates October 2025 : The Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro replaces the last-gen DeathAdder V3 Pro as our top ergonomic pick, while the lightly updated Endgame Gear OP1 8K V2 supplants its predecessor as one of our favorite wired mice. Weve edited a few other blurbs to reflect these changes as well. June 2025 : Weve added a couple new alternate picks in the Hitscan Hyperlight and Pulsar X2 CrazyLight. Weve removed the Lamzu Atlantis OG V2 4K as an honorable mention as a result, along with a couple other mice that no longer appear to be available. All other details should be up-to-date. The gaming mouse market remains an extremely busy one, so its difficult for us to review everything. That said, were currently testing a few other recent releases, and were keeping an eye out for potential updates to a couple of our picks from Razer and Endgame Gear . November 2024 : Weve updated this guide with testing notes on the Logitech G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX. Weve also added mentions of the Razer Basilisk V3 35K and Pulsar Xlite V4, two recently released updates to a couple of our current picks. We aim to test those more fully, alongside a few others, for our next update. September 2024 : We've completely refreshed this guide for late 2024, adding new main picks based on shape alongside notes on several other gaming mice we've tested in recent months. We're now in the process of testing Logitech's new G Pro X Superlight 2 DEX , a flagship ergonomic mouse that the company announced right as we were putting the finishing touches on this update. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/best-gaming-mouse-140004638.html?src=rss

The best robot vacuum for 2025

Robot vacuums have gone from novelty gadgets to everyday helpers. The best robot vacuum keeps your floors tidy without you needing to drag out a bulky upright or spend time sweeping. Todays models map your space, avoid obstacles and even empty themselves, making them a solid addition to any home. If youve got pets, kids or just a busy schedule, a robot vacuum takes care of the little messes that build up fast. Not every option costs a fortune either. While high-end models pack in powerful suction and advanced navigation, the best budget robot vacuums still do a great job with everyday cleaning. They might skip extras like self-emptying docks, but theyll keep dust and crumbs from piling up without much effort from you. In this guide, weve tested and compared the top models so you dont have to. From premium devices packed with smart features to affordable picks that get the basics right, well help you find the best robot vacuum for your needs and budget. Table of contents Best robot vacuums 2025 What to look for in a robot vacuum Robot vacuum maintenance tips How we test robot vacuums Robot vacuum FAQs Best robot vacuums 2025 What to look for in the best robot vacuums Floor type We recommend thinking first about the floors in your home: Do you have carpet throughout, or tile and hardwood floors, or a mix? Robots with stronger suction power will do a better job picking up dirt on carpets as they can get into the nooks and crannies more easily. Some machines have max modes as well, which ups suction power but also typically eats battery life faster than the normal floor cleaning mode. Vacuum suction Suction power is an important factor to consider. Unfortunately, there isnt a standard power scale that all robo-vacs adhere to, so its difficult to compare among a bunch of devices. Some companies provide Pascal (Pa) levels and generally the higher the Pa, the stronger the vacuum cleaner will be. But other companies dont rely on Pa and simply say their robots have X-times more suction than other robots. If youre looking for the best vacuum for your needs, its helpful to pay attention to real-world testing and how well the vac can pick up fine dust, crumbs and pet hair in an environment similar to that of your home. Wi-Fi connectivity As we explained in our budget guide , Wi-Fi connectivity is a key feature for most robot vacuums. Some of the affordable devices arent Wi-Fi connected, though, so its best to double check before you buy cheap. Wi-Fi lets a robot vacuum cleaner do things like communicate with a mobile app, which then allows you to control the device from your phone. Mapping features and object detection Past a certain price threshold, youll find advanced perks like home mapping features, improved object detection and automatic dustbin disposal. Home mapping is exactly what it sounds like: The vacuum uses sensors to map your homes layout as it cleans, allowing you to send it to particular rooms or avoid no-go zones where you dont want it to roam. Most robo-vacs have object detection, but some will be better than others at actually avoiding things like chair legs and childrens toys. High-end models even go so far as to promise obstacle avoidance to steer clear of things like pet poop that can potentially ruin your machine. Self-empty station Finally, for peak convenience, consider a self-empty robot vacuum that comes with a self-empty station. These are basically garbage bins attached to the machines docking station. At the end of each job, the robo-vac automatically empties its small dustbin into the large clean base that means you wont have to empty the dustbin yourself and youll only have to tend to the base once every few weeks. Just keep in mind that most self-emptying bins require proprietary garbage bags another long-term expense youll have to factor in. Also, any vac-and-mop robot with a water tank will not dump its dirty water into the clean base, so youll still have to clean up that yourself. Robot vacuums with mopping capabilities Mopping capabilities are much more common now in robot vacuums than they were just five years ago. Machines with this feature have a water tank either built into the robots chassis, the auto-empty bin or as a separate piece that you swap in for the dustbin when you want to mop your floors. It makes the robo-vac more useful if you have hard floors in your home that you like to keep squeaky clean, but it does require more work on your part. Filling and emptying the reservoir remains a humans job for the most part (except on the most expensive machines), as does adding cleaning solutions if the mopping robot comes with this feature to ensure it uses clean water for every cycle. Robot vacuum maintenance tips First and foremost, always empty your robot vacuums dustbin after every cleaning job. If you have a model with a self-emptying base, theres less work for you to do yourself. If not, simply detach and empty the dustbin as soon as the robot is done cleaning. Its also a good idea to take a dry cloth to the inside of the dustbin every once in a while to remove any small dust and dirt particles clinging to its insides. In addition, youll want to regularly examine the machines brush roll to see if any hair has wrapped around them, or if any large debris is preventing them from working properly. Some brushes are better than others at not succumbing to tangled hair, but its a good idea to check your robots brushes regardless both their main brush and any smaller roller brushes or corner brushes they have. These parts are often easy to pop off of the machine (because they do require replacements eventually) so we recommend removing each brush entirely, getting rid of any tangled hair or other debris attached to them and reinstalling them afterwards. Robot vacuums also have filters that need replacing every couple of months. Check your machines user manual or the manufacturers website to see how long they recommend going in between filter replacements. Most of the time, these filters cannot be washed, so you will need to buy new ones either directly from the manufacturer or from other retailers like Amazon or Walmart. How we test robot vacuums We primarily test robot vacuums by using them as they are intended to be used: in a home, across different types of flooring and in the face of all sorts of messes including pet hair, spilt coffee grounds and other food debris, dust bunnies and more. We set up all robot vacuums according to their provided instructions and run multiple cleaning jobs during a testing period of at least one to two weeks per machine. If the robot has mopping capabilities, we also test those as well on hardwood and tile flooring. For models with self-emptying bases, we rely on those built-in trash cans for all post-job cleaning, and we make sure to test the robot vacuum's mobile app for usability and convenience. As we're testing, we make note of things like how loud the robot and its components are, how much human attention the robot needs on a regular basis, how the robot handles large messes and big dust bunnies, if the robot gets stuck on rugs, doormats or other furniture and more. Robot vacuum FAQs Are robot vacuums worth it? We tackled this question when we reviewed budget robot vacuums and the answer is yes, especially if vacuuming is one of your least favorite chores. Robots take the hard work out of cleaning your floors just turn the thing on and watch it go. Any robot vacuum cleaner worth buying is semi-autonomous in that it will suck up dirt around your home until its battery is low and then make its way back to its charging dock. Unlike a regular vacuum, you should only have to interact with it to turn it on, empty its dustbin and untangle it if it were to get stuck somewhere. Thats not to say robot vacuums are perfect. Theyre almost always less powerful and less flexible than traditional vacuums. Since most robo-vacs are much smaller than traditional models, they often dont have the same level of suction youll get in an upright machine. Plus, their dustbins are smaller, so they will need to be emptied more frequently. While Wi-Fi-connected robot vacuums give you the flexibility to start a cleaning job from anywhere using an app, targeting a small area of your home can be more complicated. Some robo-vacs have spot-cleaning features that focus the machines attention on a specific area, which almost but not quite mimics the spot-cleaning youd be able to do yourself with a regular or cordless vacuum. How long do robot vacuums last? Robot vacuums can last many years, if you take care of them properly. Check out our recommendations for robot vacuum maintenance above, but in a nutshell, you should make sure that you're emptying the machine's bin after every job and periodically cleaning the interior of the bin and the brushes. It's also a good idea to check the user manual to see how often your robot vacuum's filter needs changing. Do robot vacuums work better than handheld vacuums? There's no straight answer to this question. Robot vacuums offer more convenience than handheld vacuums, so for those who are looking to automate a chore, that could mean one of these devices works better for them than a standard vacuum. However, handheld vacuum cleaners often have stronger suction power, and they give the user a bit more control. It ultimately depends on how you intend to use your main vacuum cleaner and what you want to prioritize most. How often do you have to clean a robot vacuum? Cleaning a robot vacuum isnt too much of a chore, but youll want to give it a little TLC every few weeks or so, depending on how often youre running it and how much dirt its picking up. The dustbin usually needs to be emptied after each cleaning run, especially if you have pets or lots of carpet where dirt can hide. Many newer models have self-emptying docks, which means you wont have to empty the dustbin yourself after every use, but the main bin will still need a good clean once a month or so. Also, its a good idea to check the side brushes and main brush for any hair tangles or debris every couple of weeks to keep things running smoothly. What are the negatives of robot vacuums? Robot vacuums wont work for everyone. One of the biggest drawbacks is that they usually dont have the same suction power as a full-sized upright vacuum or even a cordless stick vacuum , so they might struggle with deep-cleaning thick carpets. Theyre also designed for floors only, so if youre looking to clean furniture, stairs or other tricky spots, youll still need a traditional vacuum to do that. Plus, they can sometimes get stuck or miss spots, especially if youve got a lot of furniture or obstacles in the way. While their sensors help, they might still bump into things or need a little help getting out of tight spots. And while most have decent dirt detection features, theyre best for keeping things tidy rather than doing heavy-duty cleaning. Check out more from our spring cleaning guide. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-robot-vacuums-130010426.html?src=rss

My beloved Dyson AM09 heater and fan is 40 percent off for Prime Day

Believe it or not, October Prime Day is actually a good time to save on Dyson devices. Plenty of cordless vacuums are on sale this year, as well as a few viral hair stylers . But, none of those top my trusty AM09. Dysons Hot+Cool AM09 heater and fan is on sale for $300 right now thats 40 percent off and one of the best prices Ive seen. My love for the AM09 is well documented . At this point, Ive had it for more than five years and I bought it when it was $280 on super-sale at QVC. Previously, I had a Dyson tower fan that worked well until it kicked the bucket after a few years of use. I took the plunge with the AM09 because I generally had a great experience with the tower fan, and at the time, I had been living in apartments that were consistently chilly during wintertime and downright stifling during the summer months. Now, my house is not all that much different than my apartments of yesteryear and my original AM09 is still kicking. It does a great job circulating air in the summer (its not an air conditioner, to be clear) and it cuts the chill in my particularly icy office during the winter. I love its handy fan, which attaches magnetically to the top of the fan so you dont lose it and lets you control the fan speed and heater temperature with just a few presses of a button. But the real kicker with the AM09 is how lightweight it is: at just under six pounds, its incredibly easy to pick up and tote upstairs, downstairs or in the other room, wherever you need it the most. It has literally gone from my home office upstairs down to the main floor of my house and down again into our basement all in the same day for different purposes. Am I a little miffed that, in my impatience, I bought a discounted Dyson heater/fan/air purifier over the summer because I desperately wanted another AM09 and it wasnt on sale at the time ? Yes but at least you, dear reader, can learn from my shopping woes and get the AM09 instead. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/my-beloved-dyson-am09-heater-and-fan-is-40-percent-off-for-prime-day-223428328.html?src=rss

Sennheiser's HDB 630 headphones combine wireless convenience with wired lossless audio

Sennheiser hasnt debuted a premium set of wireless headphones since the Momentum 4 arrived in 2022. Sure, there were two sets of Accentum cans, but those offer more mid-range performance in the $180-$250 range. Instead of a Momentum 5 for its latest release, the company has revealed the HDB 630: a $500 set of wireless noise-canceling headphones that offer lossless listening via wired connection. If youre thinking the HDB 630 looks an awful lot like the Momentum 4, youre correct. Sennheiser says this new model inherited the chassis from those 2022 headphones, but theres a new acoustic system inside for focused listening. That setup includes 42mm dynamic drivers what were designed for purity, not hype. As such, the company promises youll hear the vibe that left the mastering studio thanks to careful attention to the midrange, vocals and overall dynamics. Those drivers are supported by a high-resolution digital audio engine that works for both wired and wireless listening. Via either the USB-C or 3.5mm ports, you can expect to hear tunes in up to 24-bit/96kHz resolution. The HDB 630 also comes with a USB-C transmitter dongle for phones, tablets and other devices so that you can harness higher-quality listening with aptX Adaptive even if your gadgets dont support it natively. With only an estimated 16 percent of smartphone hardware supporting native wireless high-res sound, the included dongle brings this capability to 80 percent of smartphone models in an instant through their USB Type-C port, Sennheiser explained in a press release. There are several audio features available on the HDB 630 for an audiophile experience. First, Sennheiser employs the Crossfade feature from its HE 1 headphones that blends the left and right channels to make it seem like youre listening to speakers. Theres also a new Parametric Equalizer for more granular EQ control, complete with bandwidth, filter and A/B settings. The company says any settings tweaks are then applied to the HDB 630s advanced processing system so listeners determine the tuning rather than the content or app providing it. Lastly, users will soon have the ability to share presets via QR code. Another item Sennheiser retained from the Momentum 4 is long battery life. Like that model, the HDB 630 will last up to 60 hours with ANC enabled, so you wont be reaching for a charging cable often. Whats more, a 10-minuted top up will give you seven hours of use. And when its time to travel, theres an airline adapter included in the box. The HDB 630 is available for pre-order starting today for $499.95. Shipping is scheduled to begin October 21 from Sennhesier and other retailers. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sennheisers-hdb-630-headphones-combine-wireless-convenience-with-wired-lossless-audio-220000711.html?src=rss

Tesla's stripped-back standard models bring the Model 3 and Y back under $40,000

Tesla has been promising less expensive versions of its electric vehicles for several months, and today the company introduced two 'standard' models. The Standard Model 3 sedan will retail starting at $36,990 and the Standard Model Y SUV will start at $39,990. While these price tags make Tesla EVs available for less than $40,000, the cost is still not down to the $35,000 level that the company once briefly had for the Model 3. Although the price tags seem lower, the US ended its federal tax incentive for EVs on September 30. That offered buyers a savings of $7,500 on purchases of electric vehicles. These Standard models effectively cost about $2,000 more than the old spec, now called 'Premium,' would have retailed for last week. Both have an EPA estimated range of 321 miles on a full battery. However, these Standard versions will also have fewer features than their counterparts. They're only available with rear-wheel drive, and they won't offer the Autopilot or the Autosteer driver assistance programs. The trims have also been stripped back, with only the first row of seats containing heaters, no second-row touchscreen and no AM/FM radio. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Tesla updated the higher-end Performance version of its Model Y last week. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/teslas-stripped-back-standard-models-bring-the-model-3-and-y-back-under-40k-205012564.html?src=rss

Prime Day TV deals: Save up to $500 on sets from Samsung, LG, Sony and more

Its time for another October Prime Day sale , and that means Amazon is selling a number of well-regarded TVs for lower prices than usual. Not every deal is exclusive to the event, and its still possible that these sets drop even further as we approach Black Friday. But for now, a number of highly-rated sets from LG, Samsung, Sony and other brands are at or near their lowest prices to date. Weve rounded up all the best October Prime Day TV deals weve seen thus far below, along with a few discounts on streaming players we like. Just note that you may need to be an Prime subscriber to access some of the discounts in Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event, which runs through October 8. Best Prime Day TV deals TCL QM7K 55-inch Mini-LED TV for $570 ($330 off MSRP) : If youre willing to stretch your budget a little further, the TCL QM7K is a fairly comprehensive step up, with noticeably improved contrast, brightness and color volume. It has a 144Hz refresh rate with 288Hz support at 1080p, too, though its still limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. (As with the QM6K, however, neither of those is an eARC port, so hooking up a soundbar wont block a game console if you have multiple systems.) This discount represents a new low, beating the previous best mark we've seen by roughly $30. Hisense U8QG 65-inch Mini-LED TV for $998 ($500 off) : Several reviews suggest that the Hisense U8QG ticks most of the requisite boxes for a LCD TV in 2025: robust local dimming and mini-LED backlighting, exceptionally high brightness, vibrant quantum-dot colors, a fast refresh rate (165Hz in this case), support for the major HDR formats and so on. Its a higher-end option than something like the TCL QM6K or QM7K with superior brightness and contrast, though it still falls short of a good OLED TV when it comes to the latter. Like most LCD panels, itll also look a bit washed out if you view it from an angle. It has three HDMI 2.1 ports, which is one fewer than many other TVs in this price range, though it uniquely includes a USB-C video input if you want to hook up a gaming laptop or Nintendo Switch. (Just note that you wont get VRR or HDR when using that.) Youd mainly get it over an OLED TV if youre willing to trade some picture quality for something better-suited in a bright room. This deal on the 65-inch model matches the best price we've tracked. Samsung S90F 55-inch QD-OLED TV for $1,100 ($498 off) : The Samsung S90F is an upper-tier model with a QD-OLED panel, which blends the usual perks of a quality OLED set near-perfect contrast, wide viewing angles, clear motion, low input lag with a layer of quantum dots. This helps it produce a wider gamut of more vivid colors compared to traditional WOLED TVs . It also comes with four HDMI 2.1 ports and has a fast refresh rate of 144Hz. It doesnt support Dolby Vision HDR, however, and reviews we trust say that the LG C5, a competing WOLED model, retains darker black levels in a bright room. This deal marks a new low for the 55-inch model, while the 65-inch and 77-inch versions are also at all-time lows of $1,598 and $2,298, respectively. Just make sure you only buy the 55-, 65- or 77-inch model, as every other size in the US uses a lesser WOLED panel. Shady, we know. LG C5 65-inch OLED TV for $1,373 ($1,324 off) : The LG C5 cant produce the same bold colors as a QD-OLED display like the Samsung S90F, but reviews almost universally agree that its an exceptional OLED TV otherwise. It should get brighter with non-HDR content, and as noted above it should produce deeper blacks in well-lit environments. It also has just about all the essential gaming features, plus it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format (but not HDR10+). If you need that, or if you want an OLED set in this price range for a bright-ish room, its well worth a look. This is nearly an all-time low for the 65-inch model, beating its typical street price by about $125. Other sizes are also on sale, but note that the 42- and 48-inch models cant get as bright as the larger versions. LG B5 55-inch OLED TV for $997 ($100 off) : The B5 is LGs entry-level OLED TV for 2025, and as such its a level below the C5 in terms of brightness and color performance. Its technically limited to a 120Hz refresh rate instead of 144Hz as well, though that isnt a huge deal right now unless you plan on hooking up a gaming PC. If anything, last years LG C4 which isnt seriously discounted as of this writing is a better value for most on the whole. But if you just want to save cash, the B5 still provides most of the core benefits of an OLED display at a lower price. This is a new all-time low for the 55-inch variant. Samsung S95F 55-inch QD-OLED TV for $1,998 ($200 off) : If youre willing to pay for a top-of-the-line OLED TV, the Samsung S95F should fit the bill. Reviews around the web praise it for being especially bright for an OLED TV while retaining the bold colors and superb contrast youd want from a high-end QD-OLED panel. That brightness combined with the screens matte finish means its particularly adept at fending off glare, so itll be effective in either a dark or bright room. Its also loaded with gaming features, including a 165Hz refresh rate. That said, the matte coating means black levels wont be as deep in a well-lit environment, and theres still no Dolby Vision support. This is the lowest price weve seen for the 55-inch model. LG G5 55-inch OLED TV for $1,768 ($732 off) : The LG G5 competes with the Samsung S95F in the top end of the OLED TV market. Most reviews say it can get even brighter than Samsungs model, it supports Dolby Vision and its lack of a matte coating means it wont lose its inky black levels in a bright room. That said, having a glossy finish also means that its more susceptible to direct reflections. And while its picture is a level above most other WOLED TVs, it isnt quite on par with the S95F when it comes to color volume. Still, if youre mainly going to watch things in the dark, it might be the better buy. This is a new low for the 55-inch variant. Sony Bravia 8 II 65-inch QD-OLED TV for $2,798 ($702 off) : Its certainly not cheap, but the Sony Bravia 8 II has earned plaudits for its excellent image processing, upscaling and overall accuracy alongside the expected color, contrast and motion benefits of its QD-OLED display. This should help it make lots of movies and shows look closer to their original intent. It also uses the handy Google TV interface. This deal marks the best price to date for the 65-inch version. That said, if you cant stomach the high price, other reviews note that the older Sony A95L offers similar performance a bit less, while more recent competitors like the LG G5 and Samsung S95F can get noticeably brighter (even if theyre not always as accurate). Those two should be better for gaming as well, as the Bravia 8 II only has two HDMI 2.1 ports one of which is an eARC port for soundbars and its input lag is slightly higher. Samsung The Frame (2024) 55-inch LED TV for $798 ($700 off) : Samsungs The Frame series has always been for people who care about their TVs aesthetic more than its picture quality, since its designed to resemble a framed piece of wall art . Its still overpriced for a TV with no local dimming or Dolby Vision HDR, but this deal ties the lowest price weve seen for the 55-inch model, making it at least a little more reasonable. Other sizes are also on sale. Note that this deal is for the 2024 model this years version is discounted as well, but its panel still isnt great for the price. Wed recommend saving as much cash as possible if you really want one of these things. Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 ($20 off) : The Streaming Stick 4K is worth considering if you prefer a stick-style streamer that plugs directly into your TV, or if youre partial to Rokus app-centric interface, which many find simpler to navigate than the content-heavy UIs pushed by Google and Amazon. It supports Apple AirPlay and the major HDR formats, and its performance remains quick enough for most. Youll have to deal with some ads, though, and no Roku player supports the Twitch app. This deal is $5 more than the devices all-time low but ties the best price weve seen in several years. Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $24 ($16 off) : The Streaming Stick Plus is cheaper alternative to the Streaming Stick 4K with no Dolby Vision support and no long-range Wi-Fi extender built in. The latter means it may be less reliable if you dont get a consistent connection in your TVs room. (Both sticks are limited to Wi-Fi 5, though.) That said, this model can typically be powered straight from a TVs USB port instead of requiring a separate power supply. If you can live with the sacrifices, it may not be worth paying extra. This deal represents a new all-time low. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K for $25 ($25 off) : The standard Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K offers the same core experience as the pricier Fire TV Stick 4K Max , only it comes with a slightly slower processor, half the storage (8GB) and Wi-Fi 6 instead of Wi-Fi 6E. For most people just looking for a casual streamer on the cheap, those shouldnt be huge losses. This model is also more powerful than the just-announced Fire TV 4K Select , though its Fire OS interface can still be messy and ad-heavy , with special emphasis on Amazons own services. This deal is $3 more than the sticks all-time low, though it matches the best price weve seen since Black Friday last year. Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 ($17 off) : The Fire TV Stick HD is the budget pick in our guide to the best streaming devices . It can only stream up to 1080p, and it can run a bit choppier than the 4K models since it has a slower chipset and half the RAM (1GB). The usual issues with the Fire TV interface still apply here too. But if you just want to add streaming apps to an aging TV or basic monitor for as little cash as possible, it should get the job done. This discount ties the device's lowest price to date. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-tv-deals-save-up-to-500-on-sets-from-samsung-lg-sony-and-more-180051945.html?src=rss

Google's Michel Devoret is one of the 2025 winners of the Nobel Prize in Physics

The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has awarded Google's Chief Scientist of Quantum Hardware the Nobel Prize in Physics alongside former Google employee John Martinis, and University of California, Berkeley professor John Clarke. This is the second year in a row that current or former Google employees have been awarded the prestigious prize: In 2024, a former Google vice president was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics and the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was shared by researchers from Google DeepMind. This year's Nobel Prize in Physics is being awarded in recognition of the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantization in an electric circuit. Google puts it more plainly in its blog , writing that Devoret, Martinis and Clarke created a superconducting electrical circuit with a feature called a Josephson Junction that can be used to create and manipulate quantum phenomena. BREAKING NEWS The Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences has decided to award the 2025 #NobelPrize in Physics to John Clarke, Michel H. Devoret and John M. Martinis for the discovery of macroscopic quantum mechanical tunnelling and energy quantisation in an electric circuit. pic.twitter.com/XkDUKWbHpz The Nobel Prize (@NobelPrize) October 7, 2025 Google says the group's experiments with Josephson Junctions in 1984 and 1985 were important, not just for the field of physics, but also its current research into quantum computing. The work of the company's Quantum AI team is occasionally trotted out as a glimpse of a future where major scientific discoveries are driven by hyperefficient computers. See, for example, the Willow quantum chip the company announced last year. Google is ultimately still working on creating the fundamental components that will power these computers, though. And Josephson Junctions form the basis for todays superconducting quantum bits (qubits), an enabler of many of the quantum computing milestones it's hit in the last few years. It is wonderful to be able to celebrate the way that century-old quantum mechanics continually offers new surprises, Olle Eriksson, Chair of the Nobel Committee for Physics, shared in a press release announcing the winners . It is also enormously useful, as quantum mechanics is the foundation of all digital technology. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/googles-michel-devoret-is-one-of-the-2025-winners-of-the-nobel-prize-in-physics-192226450.html?src=rss

The best fast chargers for 2025

Fast chargers have become essential as phones, tablets and even laptops demand more power to keep up with daily use. Many new devices no longer include a charger in the box, so finding the best fast charger for you is important if you want reliable speed without damaging your battery. A good charger saves you time, keeps your devices powered during busy days and often supports multiple gadgets at once. The best fast charger options now go beyond smartphones. Tablets like the iPad Pro, foldables such as the Galaxy Z Fold series and laptops with USB-C charging all benefit from higher wattage and newer standards like USB-C PD and GaN. Some models are compact enough to fit in your pocket, while others have several ports so you can power a laptop, phone and earbuds at the same time. With so many different devices and charging standards, choosing the best fast charger depends on your setup and how you use it. This guide breaks down our top picks to help you find the right match for your gear. Best fast chargers for 2025 What to consider before buying a fast charger Before you start looking at specific chargers, it's critical to determine three things: how many devices do you need to charge, how much power do they require and whether or not you're planning on traveling with any of them. The reason for the first question is simple. If you only need to charge a single device, like an iPhone or Android phone, it's cheaper and usually more space-efficient to get a lower-wattage phone charger with one port instead of two or three. Next, it's critical to figure out how much electricity your gadgets need because it doesn't make sense to buy a power brick that pushes out more juice than your device can actually use. This may sound a bit tricky, but most major manufacturers will list a product's max charging speeds in its tech specs, which is typically denoted by a specific wattage (15W, for example) or a quick-charge rating. Unfortunately, very powerful or large laptops like gaming notebooks can suck a ton of juice (more than 140 watts), which means they may rely on more traditional power adapters with barrel plugs. This may result in them not being compatible with universal chargers. Some of these PCs may also support charging over USB-C, so even if a specific adapter can't deliver its full power draw, it can still send over some energy but it will do so at a slower rate compared to the laptop's included charger. To get the best performance, using a fast charging cable, such as a USB-C cable, can make a big difference in maintaining consistent power delivery. For frequent travelers, size and weight are often important considerations, because the bigger and heavier a charger is, the more annoying it will be to lug around. You'll also want to think about other factors like support for international plugs, which can be a big help to anyone who regularly visits other countries. If youre already traveling with power banks or a charging station, choosing a compact GaN charger can help streamline your gear. Finally, you'll want to figure out if your smartphone uses a proprietary charging standard or if it's compatible with the USB Power Delivery spec (USB PD). For example, the OnePlus 13's included SuperVOOC power adapter can send up to 100 watts to the phone. However, if you use a generic USB-PD charger, speeds top out at 45 watts. Thats still pretty quick, but not nearly as fast as OnePlus' brick and the same applies to devices with super fast charging support. Also, make sure your charging cable and connector are up to spec, as lower-quality accessories can bottleneck your charging speeds. Fast charger FAQs What is GaN? When looking for chargers, you may notice that some are marked as GaN, which stands for gallium nitride. This is an important distinction because, when compared to older adapters that use silicon switches, GaN-based devices support increased power efficiency and output, allowing manufacturers to create more compact bricks that run cooler and support higher wattages. Depending on the specific power output, GaN adapters can be 30 to 50 percent smaller and lighter than silicon-based alternatives. That might not sound like much, but when theyre sitting in a bag alongside a laptop and a half dozen other accessories you might have, cutting down on excess bulk and weight goes a long way. Do fast chargers affect battery life? Technically yes, because the process of sending a ton of watts into a gadget and potentially generating additional heat while doing so can decrease battery health over time. That said, modern devices and chargers use various protocols to ensure temperatures and power levels stay within preset limits in large part to avoid damaging the product or creating a safety risk. At a base level, simply charging a gadget regardless of speed will cause degradation over time (nothing stays perfect forever, you know?). So as long as you use compatible chargers and cables, the impact of fast charging is generally quite negligible. What's the difference between a fast charger and a regular charger? There isn't a single generally accepted definition of fast charging. However, with power adapters capable of sending as little as five watts or less, it's important to know how much juice your device is getting, especially if you need to recharge something quickly. So depending on who you ask (particularly when it comes to smartphones), any charger that can push out more than 15 to 18 watts is generally considered to be fast. That said, with some phones capable of receiving more than 100 watts and up to 240 watts for some laptops, it's more important than ever to consider what devices you own before buying a new fast charger. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/best-fast-chargers-140011033.html?src=rss

Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deals include the Beats Pill at a record-low price

Amazon Prime Day has arrived for October, bringing discounts to a bunch of tech we love. That includes a bunch of Bluetooth speakers, including the latest Beats Pill . Depending on the color option you choose, you can get the Beats Pill for $50 a record low or between $80 and $100. It's one of our picks for best portable Bluetooth speakers on the market today. Beats released the Pill in late 2024 after nearly a decade without a new portable speaker, and two years since it had discontinued the Pill+. We gave the 1.5-pound speaker an 83 in our review thanks to a huge increase in sound quality and double the battery (24 hours) of previous Beats speakers. It also offers lossless audio over USB-C, a durable build and IP67-rated water and dust resistance. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-bluetooth-speaker-deals-include-the-beats-pill-at-a-record-low-price-114554429.html?src=rss

Mastodon is adding Bluesky-like starter packs

Mastodon, the federated social network built on ActivityPub, is taking cues from Bluesky and introducing its own version of the social platform's Starter Packs. The hope is that Mastodon's Packs will make it easier to find people to follow when you first join a server, a sometimes daunting task given the distributed nature of decentralized social networks. In comparison to Starter Packs, which let Bluesky users curate a list of accounts that you can follow in one foul swoop, Packs will come with some modifications and improvements. For one thing, Mastodon's nonprofit developer Mastodon gGmbH says that users will have a say in whether they appear in Packs. Packs will be incorporated in the discovery features Mastodon already has, so if you don't want to be included in a Pack, you can just toggle off the existing Feature profile and posts in discovery algorithms setting. The developer also says that there will be a more neutral way to remove yourself from a Pack once you're added. On Bluesky, to be removed from a Starter Pack you have to either report the pack or block its creator. According to Mastodon gGmbH, once you're notified you've been added to a Pack, you'll be able to remove yourself in a similar fashion to the way Mastodon lets you remove yourself from Quote Posts . Mastodon gGmbH says it's collaborating with other Fediverse developers on a Fediverse Enhancement Proposal (FEP), that once completed, will allow the feature to be used by any developer building an app on ActivityPub. Bluesky's feature is one of its better additions to the microblogging format, so it makes sense Mastodon would want to adopt it. In fact it's so good that Meta added a clone of it to Threads late last year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mastodon-is-adding-bluesky-like-starter-packs-182014446.html?src=rss

Steam is back online after outage

Steam went down on Tuesday. Steamstat.us indicated earlier that the Steam Store, Steam Community and Web API were all down. But it's been all systems go for the better part of the past hour. Engadget staffers' experience matches that. Earlier, when trying to access the Steam Store on Steam Deck and in the mobile app, only the UI loaded as an empty wrapper. Now everything appears to be loading normally. At the peak of the outage, Steamstat.us showed over 1.5 million page views in the previous hour. That typically means lots of annoyed gamers are trying to find out why they're having problems. PC Gamer reports that APIs for Valve's first-party games (including Counter-Strike 2 and Deadlock ) were also offline earlier. We'll keep an eye on the situation and update if the problems return. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/steam-is-back-online-after-outage-170514965.html?src=rss

This Prime Day iPad deal brings the iPad A16 down to a record low for Amazon's October sale

The entry-level Apple iPad with the A16 chip is on sale for $280 as a Prime Day promotion. This is a discount of around $70 and represents a record-low price for the 11-inch tablet. The deal is available in multiple colorways and is one of the best Apple deals for Prime Day this year. This tablet made our list of the best iPads and we particularly recommend it for the budget-conscious. It may lack some of the bells and whistles of its more expensive cousins, but it still gets the job done . It's fast enough for most common tasks and the battery life is solid, at 10 hours per charge. It also ships with 6GB of RAM, which is a decent enough metric. The tablet integrates with Wi-Fi 6 and features a USB-C connector, along with a pair of 12MP cameras. There's also a Touch ID sensor, which can be used to unlock the device and to make payments. This is the most basic tablet in Apple's lineup, so it lacks some features. It doesn't integrate with the Apple Pencil Pro or the Magic Keyboard. The display is also not quite as gorgeous as the iPad Air or Pro, but it's still a Liquid Retina panel. Elsewhere among the Apple deals for Prime Day, you can get $150 off the iPad Air both the 11-inch model and the 13-inch model . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-prime-day-ipad-deal-brings-the-ipad-a16-down-to-a-record-low-for-amazons-october-sale-082743171.html?src=rss

California bans loud commercials on streaming platforms

California has passed a law to ban loud commercials on streaming platforms like Netflix and Hulu. This is great news for people who don't want to wake the neighborhood up when a streaming show suddenly turns into an aggressively loud ad for migraine medication. Governor Gavin Newsom just signed the law and the ban goes into effect on July 1, 2026. On that date, streaming services won't be allowed to transmit the audio of commercial advertisements louder than the video content the advertisements accompany. TURN DOWN THE VOLUME Californians don't want to hear commercials at a volume any louder than what they were previously enjoying their program at. I just signed legislation enforcing this regulation across streaming platforms. Governor Gavin Newsom (@CAgovernor) October 6, 2025 Newsom said that California is dialing down this inconvenience across streaming platforms, which had previously not been subject to commercial volume regulations passed by Congress in 2010. He's referring to the Commercial Advertisement Loudness Mitigation (CALM) Act, which barred the audio of TV commercials from being broadcast louder than the TV program being aired . California's new law makes streaming platforms comply with those same volume regulations. The bill was authored by State Senator Tom Umberg, who said it was inspired by every exhausted parent whos finally gotten a baby to sleep, only to have a blaring streaming ad undo all that hard work. The full text of the bill is available right here . California holds some major sway in the entertainment industry, so here's hoping that this type of legislation will come to other states. Americans don't agree on much, but everyone hates loud ads. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/california-bans-loud-commercials-on-streaming-platforms-155809660.html?src=rss

The iPhone Air is so light, I forgot it was in my pocket

Apple's iPhone Air is refreshing to use. But its battery and single camera is not for most people.

PowerWash Simulator 2 arrives on October 23

The sequel to 2022s surprisingly engaging first-person clean-em-up, PowerWash Simulator , finally arrives on October 23.If you enjoyed the first game (along with the other 17 million people it got its hooks into), it looks like youre in for even more shockingly dirty locations on which you can unleash your trusty power washer. A new release date trailer shows off a variety of tools you can use to get the job done, as well your own customizable home base that youre free to decorate, cover in muck and clean to your hearts content. There are also cute cats to play with, a very knowing reference from the developers to this being a 2025 video game, which means you must be able to pet an animal of some description. The latest trailer doesnt focus on it, but PowerWash Simulator 2 also introduces split-screen co-op. The original quickly cemented itself as the ultimate chillout game, so you can now kick back and clean twice as effectively with the help of a buddy. You can also share campaign progress when playing online with friends. PowerWash Simulator 2 hits the PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2 and PC on October 23, and its coming to Game Pass , for those still hanging around those parts after Microsoft's recent price hike. Heres hoping for an eventual DLC add-on as good as the first games (slightly random) Shrek tie-in. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/powerwash-simulator-2-arrives-on-october-23-154854867.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include the Google Pixel 9a for a new record low, plus discounts on Pixel 10 phones

The Google Pixel 9a is our top pick for the best midrange phone on the market right now. It's a great value at $499, but when it's $150 off like it is for Amazon Prime Day , you'll be hard-pressed to find a better smartphone in this price range. You can pick it up for only $349 during the sale, or step up to either the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro , which both are on sale for the first time. The Pixel 9a may lack the cutting-edge sizzle of ultra-premium phones that cost triple what you'll pay here. But in return, you get strong performance, a sleek design, a robust battery that lasts over 28 hours and camera quality that rivals that of competitors costing $1,000 or more. The phone has a simple design with an aluminum frame and a recycled polycarbonate back. It has an IP68 rating for solid protection against dust and water. On the front, you have a spacious 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen's brightness can reach an impressive 2,700 nits, matching the standard Pixel 9. Its resolution is a crisp 1080 x 2424 (422 PPI). In Engadget's tests , the Pixel 9a's camera preserved more details and produced a generally better-looking image than the Galaxy S25 Ultra's . (If you aren't familiar, that's a $1,300 phone.) The Pixel 9a does lack a dedicated telephoto lens. But Google has included the Super Res Zoom AI upscaling feature to help compensate for the loss. Amazon's deal includes all four colors available for the phone: obsidian, porcelain, peony and iris. There's no guarantee stock will last through all of October Prime Day , so you may want to consider pouncing soon if this deal is for you. Also on sale are the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro , which you can pick up for $$649 and $799, respectively. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-the-google-pixel-9a-for-a-new-record-low-plus-discounts-on-pixel-10-phones-120044715.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day kitchen deals include up to 50 percent off our favorite Instant Pots, blenders and more

New gear can make cooking easier (and sometimes more fun) but the best kitchen tech isnt cheap. Thats why its a good idea to wait for a sale like Amazon's Prime Day . At Engadget, weve tested plenty of kitchen gear (and have opinions to accompany said testing) so we searched for discounts on what we actually recommend. We found deals on some of our preferred brands like air fryers from Breville, Instant Pot cookers, sous vide machines and even a Ninja ice cream maker. Weve linked to our testing and reviews so you can get the information you need before you buy. Here are the best Prime Day deals on kitchen tech we could find. The best Prime Day kitchen deals Ninja Slushi for $300 ($50 off) : We havent officially tested this one just yet, but given our love of both the Creami and the Creami Swirl , its a fair bet that this one will do good things with cold stuff too. This is the lowest price of the year so far. Vitamix 2-Speed Immersion Blender for $90 ($40 off with Prime) : For quick sauces and soups, we like this nifty two-speed hand blender from Vitamix, and said so in our guide to cheap kitchen gadgets . It even comes with a whisk for making your own whipped cream. Vitamix 5-Speed Immersion Blender for $200 ($100 off with Prime) : If you want a little extra oomph from your hand blender, grab this one. We named it the best counter top replacement model in our guide to the best immersion blenders . The 625 watt motor is more powerful than most and the blender head is intelligently designed to reduce suction and prevent scratches plus it fits inside a wide mouth mason jar. Ninja Creami ice cream maker $180 ($50 off) : This is one of our favorite pieces of kitchen tech and we called it a frozen fantasy-maker in our review. Note that the unit itself dipped down to $160 last Black Friday but this matches the lowest price we've seen this year. Hamilton Beach Digital Rice Cooker for $37 ($13 off with Prime) : Our top pick for a budget rice cooker is great for small kitchens (but probably not for big families). We thought it outperformed other cookers that are four times the price, though its not the best for all-day warming of rice as the bottom bigs got a little overdone. Instant Pot Vortex Plus with Clear Cook for $80 ($20 off with Prime) : This Vortex air fryer model is similar to our top airfryer pick , but is missing the Odor Ease feature. It still has the Clear Cook window that lets you keep an eye on your food as it crisps and the Vortex cooking tech heats up remarkably fast, with almost no pre-heating time. Instant Pot Vortex Plus Air Fryer (4QT) for $65 ($65 off with Prime) : Heres a smaller version of our best overall air fryer. This one has a four-quart capacity, which is perfect for one person and small kitchens. And, like its larger sibling, pre-heats quickly thanks to a 1600-watt output. Instant Pot Vortex 2-QT Mini for $38 ($22 off with Prime) : The budget model from our air fryer guide may not be large but its two-quart basket is enough to reheat leftovers for two or cook up a batch of frozen appetizers. And, because of its small size, it doesnt take up a ton of space on your countertops ideal for a small kitchen. Ooni Koda 16 Gas Pizza Oven for $520 ($129 off) : Ooni dominates our list of the best pizza ovens . The Koda can run on a propane tank or natural gas line and heats up to 950 degrees in just 20 minutes. Plus its big capacity can cook a 16-inch pizza in around one minute. Breville InFizz Fusion beverage maker for $200 ($50 off) : We called this fizz-maker the bubble master in our review. True, its pricier than rivals in the same space, but the upscale design that actually looks good on a countertop somewhat makes up for the price premium. We also appreciate the Fusion Cap that helps prevent messy eruptions when youre bubbling up your drinks. Cosori Air Fryer Pro Compact for $85 ($15 off with Prime) : One of our concerns with the Cosori 9-in-1 was that it was a little on the wide side, taking up extra countertop space. The Pro Compact has a more space-saving design while still packing a five-quart basket. Instant Pot 4QT Vortex mini air fryer for $55 ($35 off with Prime) : This models four-quart capacity falls between our top Instant Pot air fryer pick and the budget model. It has the Clear Cook window feature, six presets and it comes in pink in addition to the standard white and black. Instant Pot Duo Plus for $90 ($50 off with Prime) : We named this the best multicooker in our guide to the best kitchen tech weve tested. It can cook a dizzying array of foods from basic beans and rice to homemade yogurt. We like this one because its simple to use, and has quick-cooking modes for soup, eggs and grains. Theres even a sous vide cooking function. KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer for $379 ($121 off ) : Theres a reason this is so popular among home bakers and chefs. The Artisan KitchenAid is sort of the gold standard stand mixer, as we point out in our guide to the best kitchen tech . This isnt an all-time low (it was $350 as recently as May), but matches the July Prime Day price. Breville Bambino Plus for $400 ($100 off) : In our gift guide for coffee lovers , this espresso machine earned our respect for its compact size and the fact that it doesnt cost a grand, like some machines do. Plus the controls are easy for beginners to learn but makes silky milkfoam for pro-level latte artists. Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $130 ($20 off) : This went as low as $110 back in January, but its still a decent discount on a high-powered juice extractor. We were won over by its impressive juicing abilities and despite how it looks, it's surprisingly easy to clean as long as you do it right away. Ninja Dual Foodie Zone Air Fryer (DZ302) for $160 ($70 off) : If you want to air fry two different things at the same time, this is the one to get. This is the same in specs, capacity and wattage as our top pick for a dual-zone air fryer , just with a different model number. It even has a feature that makes sure the two different foods are ready at the same time. Ninja 5.5-quart Air Fryer XL (AF150AMZ) for $130 ($50 off with Prime) : This one earned an honorable mention in our guide to air fryers. Its double the capacity of our budget pick and has a dehydrate preset. While we found the round basket a little cramped, we liked how the fryers vertical design saved counter space. Just note that this went as low as $90 in July. Vitamix Explorian E310 Blender for $330 ($50 off) : This isnt the best deal weve seen this year this Vitamix dropped to $300 as recently as May. But if youre in the market for a blender that can turn the most recalcitrant nut into the creamiest butter, we think this wont let you down. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-prime-day-kitchen-deals-include-up-to-50-percent-off-our-favorite-instant-pots-blenders-and-more-193009814.html?src=rss

The 30 best Amazon Prime Day deals we've found so far from Apple, Samsung, Lego, Dyson, Shark and others

October Prime Day 2025 is finally here, so nows the time for members to stock up on discounted home essentials, clothing, shoes, and of course, tech. Amazons website is pretty overwhelming right now and likely will be for the entirety of the event, so we wouldnt blame you if you got distracted immediately upon opening it. If youve got gadgets on your wishlist, Engadget can make it easier to find the best tech deals during the sale. As in years past, Prime Day has brought solid discounts on some of our favorite tech including earbuds, laptops, robot vacuums and home devices. These are the best October Prime Day deals you can get right now. Well be updating this post regularly throughout the duration of Prime Day, so check back to see the latest discounts. October Prime Day deals: Engadget's top picks Leebein 2025 electric spin scrubber for $38 (46 percent off, Prime exclusive): This is an updated version of my beloved Leebein electric scrubber, which has made cleaning my shower easier than ever before. It comes with seven brush heads so you can use it to clean all kinds of surfaces, and its adjustable arm length makes it easier to clean hard-to-reach spots. It's IPX7 waterproof and recharges via USB-C. Jisulife Life7 handheld fan for $23 (21 percent off, Prime exclusive): This handy little fan is a must-have if you life in a warm climate or have a tropical vacation planned anytime soon. It can be used as a table or handheld fan and even be worn around the neck so you don't have to hold it at all. Its 5,000 mAh battery allows it to last hours on a single charge, and the small display in the middle of the fan's blades show its remaining battery level. DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off) : The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but it has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots. It can shoot video at up to 4K 30 fps and is quick and maneuverable, though it's also fairly loud. You can also grab one with three batteries and a charger for $229 (21 percent off) . Google Pixel 9a for $349 ($150 off): Our favorite midrange smartphone , the Pixel 9a is the best phone to get, period, if youre on a strict budget. It has a lot of things you may think youd only find in a flagship: a premium, sleek design with an IP68 rating, a nice display, excellent cameras and a long battery life. Dyson V8 Plus cordless vacuum for $300 ($219 off): This is a good entry-level Dyson with strong suction power and easy handling. It has a decently sized dustbin and comes with four cleaning attachments, plus it will run up to 40 minutes on a single charge. Best Prime Day deals: Apple devices Apple iPad A16 for $280 ($60 off): Apples entry-level iPad is best for kids, casual users or anyone on a tight budget who still wants a bonafide Apple tablet. It has solid performance, double the base storage compared to previous models, great build quality and a solid battery life. Note, though, that it doesnt support Apple Intelligence. Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $799 (20 percent off): Our top pick for the best laptop for most people, the latest MacBook Air is impressively thin and light without skimping on performance. The M4 chipset is powerful enough to handle everyday tasks without breaking a sweat, plus some gaming and labor-intensive work. It has a comfortable keyboard, luxe-feeling trackpad and an excellent battery life. Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M3) for $449 ($150 off): The only major difference between the latest iPad Air and the previous generation is the addition of the faster M3 chip. We awarded the new slab an 89 in our review , appreciating the fact that the M3 chip was about 16 percent faster in benchmark tests than the M2. This is the iPad to get if you want a reasonable amount of productivity out of an iPad that's more affordable than the Pro models. Best Prime Day deals: Tech under $50 Samsung EVO Select microSD card (128GB) for $13 (24 percent off): This Samsung card has been one of our recommended models for a long time. It's a no-frills microSD card that, while not the fastest, will be perfectly capable in most devices where you're just looking for simple, expanded storage. Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off) : We named this the best smart plug for Alexa users because it hooks up painlessly and stays connected reliably. Use it to control lamps or your holiday lights using programs and schedules in the Alexa app, or just your voice by talking to your Echo Dot or other Alexa-enabled listener. Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2025 75418 for $31 (30 percent off): 'Tis the season for advent calendars . They've flooded the internet, as they usually do this time of year, and there are plenty to choose from (and stock up on) before we get to December. Lego has a bunch, and this Star Wars one will be fun for everyone, not just kids, to open up each day at the end of the year. Anker 622 5K magnetic foldable power bank with stand for $28 (42 percent off, Prime exclusive): This 0.5-inch thick power bank attaches magnetically to iPhones and won't get in your way when you're using your phone. It also has a built-in stand so you can watch videos, make FaceTime calls and more hands-free while your phone is powering up. Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $40 (33 percent off): Amazon's most powerful streaming dongle supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and Wi-Fi 6E. It also has double the storage of cheaper Fire TV sticks. Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $43 (47 percent off): Our top pick for the best budget wireless earbuds , the Space A40 have surprisingly good ANC, good sound quality, a comfortable fit and multi-device connectivity. Best Prime Day deals: Vacuums and smart home Blink Mini 2 security cameras (two-pack) for $35 (50 percent off): Blink makes some of our favorite security cameras, and the Mini 2 is a great option for indoor monitoring. It can be placed outside with the right weatherproof adapter , but since it needs to be plugged in, we like it for keeping an eye on your pets while you're away and watching over entry ways from the inside. Levoit Core 200S smart air purifier for $70 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): This compact air purifier cleans the air in rooms up to 140 square feet and uses a 3-in-1 filter that removes microscopic dust, pollen and airborne particles. It has a mobile app that you can use to set runtime schedules, and it works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands. iRobot Roomba 104 Vac for $150 (40 percent off): This entry-level robot vacuum is an upgraded version of one of our favorite budget robot vacuums . iRobot makes robovacs that are easy to use, even for those who have never had a machine like this, and they do a good job of cleaning up all kinds of messes, including pet hair. Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum for $220 (37 percent off, Prime exclusive): One of our favorite cordless vacuums , this Levoit machine has great handling, strong suction power for its price and a premium-feeling design. Its bin isn't too small, it has HEPA filtration and its battery life should be more than enough for you to clean your whole home many times over before it needs a recharge. Shark Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $300 (57 percent off, Prime exclusive): If you're looking for an autonomous dirt-sucker that can also mop, this is a good option. It has a mopping pad and water reservoir built in, and it supports home mapping as well. Its self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days worth of debris, too. Dyson V15 Detect Plus for $570 (33 percent off): Our top pick for the best cordless vacuum on the market right now, the V15 Detect has some of the strongest suction power you'll find in a stick vacuum, plus a lightweight design and a dustbin that can hold more dirt and debris than it might seem. This model comes with five cleaning attachments, including the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that has LEDs to illuminate the floor as you're vacuuming so you can better see where all the dust bunnies are. Best Prime Day deals: Tech Anker MagGo 10K power bank (Qi2, 15W) for $55 (31 percent off, Prime exclusive): A 10K power bank like this is ideal if you want to be able to recharge your phone at least once fully and have extra power to spare. This one is also Qi2 compatible, providing up to 15W of power to supported phones. Amazon Kindle Colorsoft for $200 ($50 off): The latest version of Amazons color ereader has 16GB of storage, improved performance, an adjustable front light and up to eight weeks of battery life. The design is also waterproof, so you can take it to the beach or by the pool without worry. DJI Osmo Action 4 for $229 (23 percent off) : DJI's Osmo Action 4 is a solid deal at this price, as you're not giving up much in comparison to the most recent model, the Action 5. It has the same big 1/1.3-inch sensor that delivers excellent video quality, especially in low light. It also features a D-LogM profile to boost dynamic range, DJI's excellent clip-on mount and high-quality 4K 120p video. XReal One Pro AR glasses for $649 (16 percent off): The latest from XReal , these smart glasses can let you use almost any device, including your smartphone, with a large virtual display. Their 1080p Micro-OLED screens are bright and sharp, plus they're pretty comfortable to wear. Nintendo Switch 2 for $449: While not technically a discount, it's worth mentioning that the Switch 2 and the Mario Kart Switch 2 bundle are both available at Amazon now, no invitation required. Amazon only listed the new console for the first time in July after being left out of the initial pre-order/availability window in April. Once it became available, Amazon customers looking to buy the Switch 2 had to sign up to receive an invitation to do so. Now, that extra step has been removed and anyone can purchase the Switch 2 on Amazon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-30-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-weve-found-so-far-from-apple-samsung-lego-dyson-shark-and-others-050801992.html?src=rss

Xbox Game Pass Ultimate is still $20 a month if you buy pre-paid codes

Microsoft may have made the unfortunate decision to raise the price of a Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription to $30 a month, but you don't have to live by the company's rules at least not yet. Most online retailers are still selling codes for prepaid Game Pass subscriptions at the original $20 a month price. That means you can pay $60 for three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate , stack your codes and keep your subscription without having to downgrade or cancel. As the highest tier in Game Pass, an Ultimate subscription gives you the ability to download and play a library of over 200 games on your PC or Xbox. With Xbox Cloud Gaming, you can also stream the majority of those games to other devices, too, whether it's a smartphone, LG TV or in-car display . It's worth noting, though, the benefits of Ultimate did change with the introduction of the higher price. Microsoft shared that Ultimate subscribers will now also receive the benefits of an Ubisoft+ subscription at no additional cost, a $16 a month value that unlocks access to a back catalog of Ubisoft games from franchises like Assassin's Creed and Far Cry. Starting in November, the new Ultimate subscription also includes access to Fortnite Crew , Epic's $12 a month plan that gives you V-Bucks, battle passes and more in Fortnite . While those new benefits might justify a higher price monetarily, whether that's a convincing reason to stay subscribed is a separate question. This likely won't be the last time Microsoft will raise the price of its subscription service. Avoiding those fees by buying pre-paid Game Pass codes seems like an excellent way to try out the new Ultimate before committing to cancelling your subscription, downgrading your plan or sticking with Microsoft's new price. You can purchase three months of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate for $60 a month. Stacking four three-month codes should come out to around $240. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-game-pass-ultimate-is-still-20-a-month-if-you-buy-pre-paid-codes-222333122.html?src=rss

OpenAI has disrupted (more) Chinese accounts using ChatGPT to create social media surveillance tools

OpenAI has disclosed that a now-banned account originating in China was using ChatGPT to help design promotional materials and project plans for a social media listening tool. OpenAI says that this work was purportedly done for a government client. The tool was a probe that could crawl social media sites like X, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube for specific political, ethnic or religious content as defined by the operator. The company said it cannot independently verify if the tool was used by a Chinese government entity. OpenAI disrupted similar efforts earlier this year. The company also says it banned an account that was using ChatGPT to develop a proposal for a tool described as a High-Risk Uyghur-Related Inflow Warning Model that would aid in tracking the movements of Uyghur-related individuals. China has long been accused of alleged human rights abuses against Uyghur Muslims in the country. OpenAI began publishing threat reports in February 2024 , raising awareness of state-affiliated actors using large language models to debug malicious code, develop phishing scams and more. The company's latest blog post serves as a roundup of notable threats and banned accounts over the last quarter. The company also caught Russian-, Korean- and Chinese-speaking developers using ChatGPT to refine malware, as well as entire networks in Cambodia, Myanmar and Nigeria using the chatbot to help create scams in an attempt to defraud people. According to OpenAI's own estimates, ChatGPT is being used to detect scams three times as often as it is to create them. . This summer, OpenAI disrupted operations in Iran, Russia and China that were using ChatGPT to create posts, comments and to drive engagement and division as part of online influence campaigns. The AI-generated content was used on various social media platforms in both the originating nations and internationally. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-has-disrupted-more-chinese-accounts-using-chatgpt-to-create-social-media-surveillance-tools-142538093.html?src=rss

Vampire Survivors will soon offer online co-op

Its been nearly four years since Vampire Survivors debuted in early access and developer Poncle is still adding new features to the hit game. A fall update will introduce an online co-op mode to the PC and console versions. The studio brought couch co-op to the auto-shooting roguelike back in 2023, and soon you and your buddies will be able to lay waste to thousands of enemies together without needing to be in the same room. Online co-op will use a system where you create a lobby and share a code with friends so they can join, or vice-versa. You can go monster hunting with up to three of your buds, or even let them take care of the dirty work while you roam the map in search of secrets. Poncle says there are four more announcements to come over the next several weeks. The studio teased that, next week, it might finally answer a burning question that has been asked thousands of times. My money is on that being will you ever add vampires ? This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/vampire-survivors-will-soon-offer-online-co-op-141430146.html?src=rss

Nintendo just released a mysterious animated short

Most of what Nintendo uploads to its Nintendo Today app is fairly predictable; think a screenshot or trailer for an upcoming game or the latest soundtrack being agonisingly drip-fed onto Nintendo Music . But todays surprise drop is more mysterious than usual. If you opened up the app this morning, youll have been met with a decidedly Pixar-like animated short, with virtually no context. Titled Close to you, the almost four-minute video focuses on a baby playing with what appears to be an enchanted pacifier. In the childs attempt to catch the flying soother, they start to walk for what seems to be the first time, given the reaction of the mother when she walks into the room. The whole thing is accompanied by some typically pleasant piano music, but ends without Nintendo telling us what any of it means. Could this be a teaser for the recently- announced The Super Mario Galaxy Movie ? Is the child in the short a young Rosalina, perhaps? They certainly seem to have a relationship with magic. There's also already some speculation that Nintendo could be teasing a Pikmin film. Anyway, the short is now all over Nintendos various social media platforms too, so hopefully well find out more soon. For now, it's a perfectly nice (albeit unexpected) way to spend a few minutes. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/nintendo-just-released-a-mysterious-animated-short-140749774.html?src=rss

Prime Day Apple deals include the iPad A16 for $280

Prime Day has brought the entry-level iPad down to its lowest price yet. You can pick up the iPad A16 for $280 right now, which is $70 off and a record-low for the 11-inch tablet. If you're on a budget, this is the iPad to get, and it's one of the best Apple deals for Prime Day this year. This tablet made our list of the best iPads and we particularly recommend it for the budget-conscious. It may lack some of the bells and whistles of its more expensive cousins, but it still gets the job done . It's fast enough for most common tasks and the battery life is solid, at 10 hours per charge. It also ships with 6GB of RAM, which is a decent enough metric. The tablet integrates with Wi-Fi 6 and features a USB-C connector, along with a pair of 12MP cameras. There's also a Touch ID sensor, which can be used to unlock the device and to make payments. This is the most basic tablet in Apple's lineup, so it lacks some features. It doesn't integrate with the Apple Pencil Pro or the Magic Keyboard. The display is also not quite as gorgeous as the iPad Air or Pro, but it's still a Liquid Retina panel. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-apple-deals-include-the-ipad-a16-for-280-082743946.html?src=rss

Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 are cheaper than ever for Prime Day

The unfortunate reality of living in a world that's largely abandoned headphone jacks is that you have to own a pair of wireless earbuds to listen to things on your phone. Accepting that, you might as well own a good pair of earbuds, and if you're on Android, Google's wireless earbuds are one of your best options . You can purchase a pair of Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 for $170 for Prime Day , $60 less than its normal $230 price. That's a pretty great deal for a pair of wireless earbuds that rival Apple's AirPods Pro 3 . The Pixel Buds Pro 2 are compact wireless earbuds with a touch-sensitive surface and a small circular ring in the back to help them stay in your ears. You can currently purchase the buds in bluish-gray Moonstone, off-white Porcelain, pink Peony or light black Hazel color options, but whichever you choose, you'll get solid active noise cancellation and a collection of other helpful audio features. In terms of ANC, Engadget's review of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 found that the earbuds do a good job of blocking out low-to-mid-range noise but still struggle to block out nearby voices. On the whole, though, the Pixel Buds Pro 2 sounds better than Google's previous wireless earbuds, particularly when you're listening bass-forward tracks. The capabilities of the Pixel Buds Pro 2 extend beyond just listening to music, of course. Like its competitors, Google has turned its wireless earbuds into hearing protection, too. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 were recently updated to support what Google calls Loud Noise Protection, which can reduce incoming loud noises to protect your ears. That's on top of features like Adaptive Audio, which can adjust noise cancellation and volume based on your surroundings, and Talk to Gemini Live, which gives you a hands-free way to have a free-flowing conversation with Google's AI chatbot. There might be other earbuds that offer better audio performance, but the Pixel Buds Pro 2 is the best option if you're on Android and want a seamless experience. For $170 during Prime Day, that's hard to pass up. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-are-cheaper-than-ever-for-prime-day-130038433.html?src=rss

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are $100 off for Prime Day

The battle for overall wireless headphone supremacy is fiercely contested every year, but when it comes to banishing undesirable noise, Bose usually comes out on top. That was certainly the case when we pitted 2025s contenders for your cash against each other, and Boses QuietComfort Ultra took away the title of best noise-canceling headphones. And right now, the very same headphones are $100 off for Prime Day at $329. Note that this deal applies to the previous generation QuietComfort Ultra, rather than the refreshed second-gen model Bose has just announced. These offer improved battery life, ANC and audio performance, and they also support lossless audio over a wired USB-C connection for the first time. However, these headphones also cost $449 out of the gate, which is considerably more than the heavily slashed price of their predecessor. If you dont have to have the latest and greatest in every product line, the first-gen QuietComfort Ultra will be more than enough for the vast majority of people. They still offer exceptional noise-canceling, very good sound and a comfortable design. Boses Immersive Audio spatial sound feature can be a bit hit and miss, but with the right content it can be incredible. And while $329 is still a lot of money, $100 is a big saving on what were very recently the best Bose headphones you can buy. Click here for our rolling coverage of the best Prime Day 2025 deals, which well be updating as the event rolls on. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-are-100-off-for-prime-day-123043790.html?src=rss

Supreme Court denies Google's request to pause Play Store changes while it appeals Epic case

Google has failed to convince the Supreme Court to block the injunction requiring the company to make major changes to the Play Store after it lost its case with Epic Games. The Verge and Reuters have reported that the Supreme Court has denied the company's request for a partial stay on the injunction while it prepares to appeal. In a tweet, Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said that developers will be legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens and friction starting on October 22. The Supreme Court has thrown out Google's stay request. Starting October 22, developers will be legally entitled to steer US Google Play users to out-of-app payments without fees, scare screens, and friction - same as Apple App Store users in the US! https://t.co/yO1g1NqXt3 pic.twitter.com/S64YvQLyYM Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) October 6, 2025 If you'll recall, Epic accused Google of having an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices in its lawsuit. A federal jury sided with Epic Games in December 2023 and concluded that it had been negatively affected by Google's policies. Google tried to get the court's decision overturned, but the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals decided to uphold the court's original ruling in July this year. The company intends to file an appeal to the Supreme Court on October 27 and had petitioned it for a partial stay of the permanent injunction. Since the Supreme Court didn't grant Google's request, it now has to allow developers to use payment methods other than its own billing system without fees by the end of the month. The company has to allow developers to steer their customers to those payment systems and to link to ways on how to download their apps outside the Play Store. Google can no longer strike deals with carriers or manufacturers to ensure Google Play exclusivity and the preinstallation of the app store either. By July 2026, the company has to allow users to download other app stores within Google Play and to make Play's catalog available to its competitors, as well. Android provides more choice for users and developers than any mobile OS, and the changes ordered by the US District Court will jeopardize users ability to safely download apps, Google spokesperson Dan Jackson told The Verge . While were disappointed the order isnt stayed, we will continue our appeal. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/supreme-court-denies-googles-request-to-pause-play-store-changes-while-it-appeals-epic-case-121502132.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include the Google Pixel 9a for a new record low

At its typical $499, the Google Pixel 9a is Engadget's pick for the best mid-range phone . But when it's $150 off, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better deal on any piece of tech. Right now, you can get Google's budget-friendly phone for a record-low $349 thanks to Amazon Prime Day . The Pixel 9a may lack the cutting-edge sizzle of ultra-premium phones that cost triple what you'll pay here. But in return, you get strong performance, a sleek design, a robust battery that lasts over 28 hours and camera quality that rivals that of competitors costing $1,000 or more. The phone has a simple design with an aluminum frame and a recycled polycarbonate back. It has an IP68 rating for solid protection against dust and water. On the front, you have a spacious 6.3-inch OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate. The screen's brightness can reach an impressive 2,700 nits, matching the standard Pixel 9. Its resolution is a crisp 1080 x 2424 (422 PPI). In Engadget's tests , the Pixel 9a's camera preserved more details and produced a generally better-looking image than the Galaxy S25 Ultra's . (If you aren't familiar, that's a $1,300 phone.) The Pixel 9a does lack a dedicated telephoto lens. But Google has included the Super Res Zoom AI upscaling feature to help compensate for the loss. Amazon's deal includes all four colors available for the phone: obsidian, porcelain, peony and iris. There's no guarantee stock will last through all of October Prime Day , so you may want to consider pouncing soon if this deal is for you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-the-google-pixel-9a-for-a-new-record-low-120044455.html?src=rss

Prime Day deals include the Beats Pill for only $80

Amazon Prime Day is officially here and bringing all-new low prices on some of our favorite speakers . That includes the Beats Pill, one of our picks for best portable Bluetooth speakers . Right now, you can get the Beats Pill for $80, down from $150. The 47 percent discount brings the speaker to $18 less than its July Prime Day price. Notably, like in July, only the Kim Kardashian branded version in light or dark grey is on sale. However, other than Kardashian holding the speaker in a product image, the devices are identical to other Beats Pills. Beats released the Pill in late 2024 after nearly a decade without a new portable speaker, and two years since it had discontinued the Pill+. We gave the 1.5-pound speaker an 83 in our review thanks to a huge increase in sound quality and double the battery (24 hours) of previous Beats speakers. It also offers lossless audio over USB-C, a durable build and IP67-rated water and dust resistance. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/prime-day-deals-include-the-beats-pill-for-only-80-114554645.html?src=rss

The Beats Studio Pro are on sale for $170 this Prime Day

Amazon Prime Day is upon us and that always means some steep discounts, including on headphones, so if you've been thinking about upgrading your audio, now's a good time to buy. Beats is running a sale on the high-end option from its line of wireless headphones. While the Beats Studio Pro normally retails for $250, it's going for just $170 during Prime Day. That's a hefty savings of $80, and close to a record-low price for the Beats Studio Pro, making this an attractive offer for the audiophiles. Apple-owned Beats refreshed these headphones in 2023. That update introduced some serious upgrades that listeners have come to expect for pro-tier headsets. The Beats Studio Pro improved active noise cancellation and added the very useful transparency mode. It also introduced spatial audio with dynamic head tracking for even more immersion when you're This model also supports USB-C wired audio and 3.5mm wired audio in addition to its wireless capabilities. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-are-on-sale-for-170-this-prime-day-113043590.html?src=rss

The Morning After: The best Amazon Prime Day deals so far

If youre a Prime member or have a friend or family member who takes the hit for everyone elses benefit its time to grab a deal. Several of our most highly recommended products are now on sale for Prime Day and while most of these deals are exclusively for Prime members, there are always a few that anyone with an Amazon account can get. There are the usual suspects, of course: Roku TV sticks, AirTags and pretty much anything Amazon makes all have some heavy discounts. Weve highlighted the most notable discounts, but there are also significant savings on favorites, such as the Dyson V15 Detect stick vacuum (which I love), a random Lego Star Wars advent calendar a term that didn't exist 10 years ago and Apples AirPods 4. Based on previous Prime Days, more deals are likely to be announced during the morning, so keep your eyes on our main hub right here . Something thats tempting me? A $159 DJI drone . Mat Smith Get Engadget's newsletter delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The news you might have missed Rabbit plots its redemption arc The best vlogging cameras Prime Day Apple deals include the iPad A16 for $280 Amazon Prime Day tech deals under $25: Save on Blink, Anker, Roku and Fire TV Why do AI data centers use so many resources? The AI boom introduced several kinds of wastefulness. AI data centers are causing massive strains on local resources, driving up water shortages and power demands. Why is that? The reliance on powerful, energy-hungry GPUs (graphics processing units) generates significantly more heat than traditional CPUs. Its less the processing and more the cooling that requires intensive water-guzzling evaporative systems. This has led to US data centers using more than double the amount of energy since 2018, with AI water consumption projected to hit 124 billion liters by 2028. There are some solutions, but the AI industrys energy demands continue to grow. Daniel Cooper examines what can be done. Continue reading. Nissan Leaf 2026 review Still the budget EV to beat. Engadget The third-gen Leaf is a pretty great upgrade, with the bigger miracle being how its stuck to the same $30,000 starting price as its predecessors. In his test drive, Devindra Hardawar loved the expansive infotainment screens as well as the solid driving performance and long range. It also has a more futuristic redesign. Continue reading. Dont buy an Echo Show (you can have mine) A billboard in your kitchen! Engadget Not everything from Amazons new hardware showcase or current sale bonanza is worth the investment. Take the Echo Show (the old one, not the two new devices teased last week). Amy Skorheim explains how her Show is now interrupting photo carousels with jarring advertising with increasing frequency. And theres no way to turn it off. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-so-far-111603431.html?src=rss