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Headphones are one of the hottest categories in any major sale and the October Prime Day event is no exception. There are discounts available all over the shop for true wireless earbuds and overear headphones alike. We reckon it's worth drawing attention to the Beats Studio Pro headset, which has dropped to $180. That's nearly half off, given that it regularly sells for $350. It's the lowest price we've seen for these headphones to date.Over the summer, we gave the Beats Studio Pro a score of 81 in our review. So, they're not exactly the best wireless headphones you can buy. But the conversation changes significantly now that they're down to $180.A second-generation Beats audio chip helps to deliver better active noise cancellation, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking than previous models from the brand. We found that voice performance was above average and we appreciated the inclusion of a transparency mode and USB-C wired audio for higher-resolution playback.There are several reasons why the Beats Studio Pro didn't score higher than an 81, however. They're not the most comfortable headphones around and there's no automatic pause feature that kicks in when you take them off. Even though the Beats Studio Pro are from an Apple subsidiary, there's no iOS multipoint connectivity option. So, you can't connect them to, say, your iPhone and Mac at the same time for seamless switching.Even so, this is an excellent deal, particularly for Beats fans. The sound quality is far better than you'll find on previous Beats models, so if you've been clinging onto an older set for several years, it might be time to upgrade.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-170-off-on-amazon-right-now-for-prime-day-194316696.html?src=rss

Valve has confirmed that Counter-Strike 2 (CS2) won't support Mac and older Windows PCs. The game's predecessor, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO), ran on those machines, but the company said since the refreshed title represents the largest technical leap in CS history," users on those platforms are out of luck.In addition to macOS, older hardware, including DirectX 9 and 32-bit operating systems," are discontinued. Valve described the abandonment as a difficult decision" based on technological advances. The company notes that, when combined, users on those platforms represented less than one percent of active CS:GO players, suggesting the gaming behemoth didn't view legacy support for those platforms as a cost-conscious move.Valve will offer refunds to eligible players on those systems who bought the Prime Status Upgrade, an optional $15 boost that matches players with fellow subscribers while earning various bonuses. However, there are caveats. Mac users can only get their money back if most of their CS:GO playtime was on macOS" between March 22 and September 27. Meanwhile, DirectX 9 and 32-bit Windows users must have bought Prime Status Upgrade from Steam between those dates.Valve will only offer refunds until December 1. In addition, the company notes that CD keys, gifted purchases and banned accounts are ineligible.The legacy version of CS:GO, currently classified as a frozen build," is still available for players on the defunct platforms. But Valve says that version will lose support after January 1, 2024. Any functionality associated with the Game Coordinator (access to inventory) may degrade and/or fail" after that date.Valve launched Counter-Strike 2 in late September after months of hype. The enormous update offers enhanced graphics, upgraded maps and more believable smoke. It uses Valve's in-house Source 2 engine for more believable lighting, sharper textures and updated geometry. CS2 replaced CS:GO on Steam.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/valve-has-no-plans-for-counter-strike-2-support-on-macs-or-older-windows-pcs-185307909.html?src=rss

Amazon's October Prime Day sale is discounting many of Anker's best accessories. So if you're in the market for cables, portable chargers or power adapters, you can get a those devices for a lot less money right now. While most of these deals are just for Prime members, one or two are open to anyone. One notable deal is on the new Nano power bank with a built-in USB-C connector. Now that the iPhone 15 has USB-C charging, you can handle iPhone charging with the same accessories Android phones use. We've tested and recommended Anker products in plenty of our buying guides as they tend to be reliable, well-designed and reasonably priced buys. Here's the best of what's on offer for Anker's Prime Day sale.Nano Power Bank with built-in USB-CAnker's Nano Power Bank comes with either a built-in USB-C connector, for iPhone 15 and Android phones or a built-in Lightning connector for iPhone 14 and earlier. They're both on sale for Prime Day, but only for Prime Members. You'll save 38 percent on the Lightning version and 25 percent on the USB-C version. Both will give your phone a partial charge whenever you need it.Anker Prime 67W USB C ChargerThe Prime 67W USB-C Charger comes with two USB-C ports and one USB-A and it's 37 percent off, bringing its price from $60 to $38. Though keep in mind, you'll need to be a Prime member to take advantage of the sale.Anker X Transformers USB-C 65W Charger, 735The Anker 65W USB-C Charger 735 is 20 percent off right now for Prime members. We named this the best 65W fast charger you can buy after putting it through a slew of tests on five different devices. Of course, we didn't test the one branded with the Transformers, but that can only make it faster, right?Anker Lightning Cable (3-pack)If you're still rocking an iPhone 12, 13 or 14 and your cords are breaking at the seams, pick up Anker's lightning cable three-pack for 20 percent off, dropping from $25 to $20.Anker 765 USB C to USB C CableOne of the best deals in the sale comes courtesy of Anker's fast charging 765 USB-C to USB-C cable, which is down from $35 to $15 - a 57 percent discount for Prime members. It's compatible with the new iPhone 15 models, along with the MacBook Pro 2021, iPad Pro, iPad Air 4th and Samsung's Galaxy S23+ and Ultra.Other notable dealsThen there's Anker's portable chargers currently on sale for every time you stay out later than expected or drain your battery playing games. The Prime 20K Power Bank is down to $22.40 from $28 and can juice up an iPhone 12 halfway in 30 minutes using USB and USB-C chargers. For $30 (down from $60), you can pick up Anker's Magnetic Portable Charger 5K for wireless charging. Plus, the Prime Power Bank with 200W Output and a smart display has fallen from $130 to $90 for Prime Day - giving you high-speed charging with enough money left over to buy quality cables.If you're a Prime Member, you can also save on our pick for the best budget wireless charging stand, Anker's 313 Wireless Charger. Don't expect fast charging here - this tops out at 10W (and just 5W for iPhones). But you can position your phone in landscape orientation to take advantage of StandBy mode on iPhones.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-charging-accessories-get-discounts-up-to-57-from-prime-day-deals-184324221.html?src=rss

As with most other Amazon devices, Fire TV gadgets have been deeply discounted for the company's October Prime Day event. We're into day two of the Prime Big Deal Days sale, and whether you're looking to upgrade an old TV or pick up a holiday gift, now is a good time to grab one of Amazon's devices. Fire TV gadgets can hold their own against the Rokus and Chromecasts of the world, especially if you regularly use Amazon services like Prime Video, and one even makes an appearance on our list of best streaming devices. But arguably one of the best things about the lineup is that it includes an option for every budget - and many are down to lower-than-usual prices for this sales event. Here are the best deals on Amazon Fire TV Sticks (and more) that we could find.Amazon Fire TV Stick LiteThe entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite has dropped to $18 for this sale, which is close to its record-low price. It's a barebones dongle that provides 1080p streaming, Wi-Fi 5 connectivity and access to all of the apps you'd want like Netflix, Disney+, Max and, of course, Prime Video. It comes with a basic Alexa remote but still lets you search for content using voice commands.Amazon Fire TV StickThe Amazon Fire TV Stick is down to $20 for Prime Day. It includes all of the same features that the Lite dongle has, but it adds Dolby Atmos into the mix for better audio. The Alexa Voice Remote that comes with this model lets you control your TV with voice commands, and it has power and volume buttons as well.Amazon Fire TV Stick 4KThe Fire TV Stick 4K has dropped to $23 for this sale. It has the same processor, RAM and storage as the standard Fire TV Stick, but it can stream 4K HDR content in all its glory. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, while a picture-in-picture live view feature can show you feeds from compatible security cameras right on your TV screen.Do note, though, that this is the previous model of the streaming stick - if you can wait for the newly refreshed Fire TV Stick 4K to go on sale, do that instead, but right now it's not discounted.Amazon Fire TV CubeThe Amazon Fire TV Cube has dropped to $110 for October Prime Day, which ties its all-time low. It's the most powerful streaming device in Amazon's lineup, with a 2.2GHz octa-core processor, 2GB of RAM and 16GB of storage. It streams 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision and Atmos, works with picture-in-picture live view, and supports hands-free Alexa commands. You can also connect other devices like your cable box or game console directly to it and supply them with an Alexa overlay.Amazon Fire TVsMost of Amazon's Fire smart TVs are discounted for Prime Big Deal Days. You'll find a number of different sized TVs in this sale from brands like Toshiba, TCL and Insignia, so you should be able to find a model that's the size you need and also within your budget. Arguably the best of the bunch are Amazon's own Omni OLED Fire smart TVs, which support 4K HDR content with Dolby Vision IQ, hands-free Alexa and the Fire TV Ambient experience. The latter lets you display artwork, photos and more on the TV screen when you're not actively using it. For more TV deals, be sure to check out our dedicated roundup.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-amazon-prime-day-fire-stick-deals-182130379.html?src=rss

Star Trek: Prodigy has found a new streaming home with Netflix, after being both canceled by Paramount+ and completely deleted from the platform back in June. Not only will Netflix air the previously-released 20-episode first season later this year, but it's also putting the final touches on the second season, which will stream sometime next year.The initial cancellation came as a surprise, as Paramount had already greenlit a second season and those episodes were just about finished. Then it did that recent streamer thing where it went through and deleted all of the old episodes, kicking them to the dustbin of history. That may be possible for a lesser-known IP, like the criminally underrated Infinity Train, but this is Star Trek. Trekkers have been conducting successful campaigns to bring back shows ever since the original series was canned back in 1969. These are the same fans, after all, that helped Star Trek: The Animated Series and Star Trek: The Motion Picture get off the ground.So they went to work, amplifying fan engagement across various social media sites. Prodigy's creators have long held out hope for a new platform, and it looks like this optimism has finally paid off.Star Trek: Prodigy follows a ragtag group of alien adolescents after finding the titular spaceship. It's actually very good and acts as the perfect entry point for parents who want to introduce their kids to the ideals of Star Trek. It's also a pseudo-sequel to Star Trek: Voyager, with Kate Mulgrew reprising her role as Captain Janeway and Robert Beltran appearing as Chakotay, among other guest stars. Season two looks like it'll integrate further with Voyager, if leaks are anything to go by.It's odd that the show will now be on Netflix, given that one of Paramount's slogans is The Home of Star Trek." This has been a busy week for streamers selling shelved projects to other platforms. Disney+ inked a deal with Roku, giving the platform rights to air an adaptation of the acclaimed book series The Spiderwick Chronicles. As for Star Trek animation, Paramount+ is still home to the stellar Star Trek: Lower Decks which is currently airing its fourth season.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/star-trek-prodigy-finds-a-new-home-on-netflix-183015701.html?src=rss

This is the last day of Amazon's Prime Day sale of 2023 and all three models of the Apple Watch lineup are still seeing discounts as of right now. Apple just announced the Apple Watch Ultra 2 at its iPhone event last month, but it's already $50 off for Prime, which is its lowest price yet. The other new wearable from Cupertino is the Apple Watch Series 9. That one is seeing a modest, $9 discount, but that's not surprising for as new as it is. The budget model, the Apple Watch SE, wasn't given a new iteration this time around, so the newest is still the second generation SE, which is down to $199 instead of its $250 MSRP. We've also included smartwatch deals from Samsung, Google and Withings, just in case you're not an iPhone user (or have an Android user on your holiday gift list). Here are the best Prime Day deals on Apple Watches and smartwatches we could find this Prime Big Deal Days.Apple Watch Ultra 2The Apple Watch Ultra 2 is the brand's newest high-end watch and has the same list price as last year's model, which is $799. For Amazon's sale, it's down to $749 or $50 off, which is a new low. The new Ultra has the same S9 SiP (system-in-package) as the Series 9, which allows for on-board processing of Siri requests and will help offer more intuitive answers to questions about your health and activity data. The Ultra 2 comes with GPS and cellular connectivity and has a large 49mm case to accommodate its always-on Retina display and battery with a claimed 36-hour lifespan. Engadget's Cherlynn Low particularly liked the new Modular Ultra watchface, which manages to make the most of the watch's vast screen real estate.Oddly, Apples first generation Apple Watch Ultra is not on sale for Prime Day. It's still full price at $799 at Amazon right now, which means there's very little reason not to go for the newest model if you've been thinking about getting Apple's most premium wearable.Read our thoughts from our hands-on with the Apple Watch Ultra 2.Apple Watch Series 9It only arrived last month, but the new Apple Watch 9 has already handily beaten out other contenders for the top spot in our guide to the best smartwatches. And now it's on sale for $9 off the list price, thanks to Amazon's second Prime Day. It's a modest discount, but likely the largest you'll find on a Apple's brand new flagship wearable. That makes the 41mm case $390 and the 45mm size $420 instead of $429 on Apple's site. One of the most notable updates to this model is the upcoming Double Tap feature that will let you answer calls or dismiss an alarm just by tapping your thumb and forefinger together.Now that the Apple Watch Series 8 is no longer the brand's most recent model, it's seeing a significant discount. The list price is $399 for the 41mm GPS model, but the sale brings it down to $300 which is nearly $100 off.Read Engadget's full review of the Apple Watch 9 and the usefulness of Double Tap.Apple Watch SEApple didn't release a new version of the Apple Watch SE, which makes the second generation the current budget watch in the brand's official lineup. It's usually $250 for the GPS-only model and 40mm case but October's Prime sale brings that base model down to $199. If you want more room on the screen, you can grab the 44mm version, which is usually $270 but down to $229 during the sale.In our Engadget review, we called the SE the best smartwatch $250 can buy." It doesn't have the new Double Tap and on-board Siri features of the new watches, and it's missing a few of the sensors you get with the higher-end models, such as blood oxygen, temperature sensing and EKG readings. You also don't get an always-on-display.Here's our review of the Apple Watch SE (second gen).Samsung Galaxy Watch 6For those who don't carry an iPhone, the Galaxy Watch 6 is our favorite Android smartwatch. Samsung's latest wearable was released a few months ago and typically goes for $300, but is down to $269 during Amazon's sale. It's lighter than the previous model with a brighter display, better battery life and a processor upgrade. The Galaxy Watch 6 Classic returns the spinning bezel which Samsung removed on the Watch 5. That model usually sells for $400, but the sale brings it down to $369 instead.Engadget's Malak Saleh gave the Galaxy Watch 6 an 84 in her review, noting the expansion of the wellness and health features - though many of those updates simply bring the Galaxy Watch 6 up to the standards of its competitors like Apple Watch and Google's Pixel wearables. Still it's a comfortable, well-designed wearable with customizable workout routines that will give you a good amount of health data.Here's our full review of the Galaxy Watch 6.Google Pixel WatchThe Google Pixel Watch 2 was announced last week and will ship this Thursday. That's probably why the first generation of the Google Pixel Watch is 40 percent off. That brings it to $210 and an all-time low. While we liked the overall design, we found the rather short battery life concerning. Since the newer generation promises a slightly larger battery and more efficient use of it, you may want to go with the Google Pixel Watch 2, which we had a moment to try out during Google's event. But it looks like that one isn't discounted for Amazon's sale and is currently selling for the full $350.Here's our review of the first generation Google Pixel Watch. Withings SteelYou can get the look of a classic analog watch combined with the health tracking features of a smartwatch by opting for Withings Steel HR Sport. The hybrid watch is usually $200, but the Prime sale brings it down to $160. Instead of displaying your health and workout stats on the watchface, the Steel HR Sport sends everything to the companion app on your phone. It can track heart rate, activities and workouts as well as monitor your sleep. Since it has no screen, Withings claims the battery can go for up to 25 days on a charge.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-deals-on-apple-watch-and-smartwatches-hit-their-lowest-prices-yet-182507971.html?src=rss

Earlier this year Splice launched a new mobile app called CoSo that used AI to build what it calls "Stacks" collections of samples that are supposed to work well together. Slowly but surely elements of that app have made their way to Splice proper under the banner of Create. But it was always just a complete roll of the dice. You picked a style and Splice spit out four loops. You can swap out individual samples if you don't like them. But that's about the extent of your ability to curate.The latest update to Create allows you to start a Stack from any loop in the Splice library. (Well, almost. Currently Create only works with loops of eight bars or less, which generally works out to under 25 seconds.) As you're browsing around the site or the desktop apps you'll see a new option when you hover over a sample giving you the option to create a Stack. This opens up a side bar with a fresh Stack featuring the sample you were just eyeing.Here you can swap out samples you don't care for, add more layers or tweak the mix. You can also change the BPM if you want to hear what the loops would sound like slowed down. Perhaps more interesting though, is the ability to change the style informing the AI's selections. This is great hearing what a sample might sound like in a less obvious context. Sure, that tasty Rhodes lick sounds great over mid tempo breakbeat, but how does it fair when placed against a 140bpm distorted kick drum and thick synth bass?In general this new approach feels a lot more useful than the original CoSo and Create AI features. I tend to use Splice one of two ways. Either, specifically to find drum loops (I am not a drummer, don't own a drum set and my drum programming skills need work), or to dig up something unexpected (percussive or melodic) as a jumping off point. And I'm usually looking for an undiscovered gem buried in the nether regions of the Splice library.The new ability to start a Stack based on (almost) any loop in the Splice library adds an additional layer of abstraction to this process. It's another thread to pull at in my effort to turn up something unique or ear catching. The use of AI in the creation of works of art, whether that be images or music, is definitely a controversial topic at the moment. But it seems like Splice has figured out a rather innocuous way to use AI to aid in the creative process, without actually stepping on the toes of the creator. After all, what makes an artist is not necessarily their technical skill or willingness to spend valuable hours digging for diamond in the rough, but their taste.The new Create feature will be available even to free users, though it still hasn't made its way to the mobile apps just yet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/splice-create-uses-ai-to-find-samples-that-work-with-any-loop-that-catches-your-ear-160029462.html?src=rss

NASA is ready to share its findings of a sample taken from the 4.5 billion-year-old asteroid Bennu with the masses during a livestream at 11 AM ET today, October 11, on its YouTube channel. The reveal comes less than three weeks after the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft parachuted a capsule of Bennu's fragments into a Utah-based Department of Defense training site. NASA then transferred the sample to its Johnson Space Center in Houston for a complete analysis.OSIRIS-REx set off on its $1.2 billion mission in September 2016, reaching the 1,650-foot wide asteroid two years later. In 2020, the spacecraft burrowed into Bennu much deeper than expected, collecting the largest asteroid surface sample to date. The goal was to bring at least 2.1 ounces back, and initial estimates put the collection at around 8.8 ounces. NASA should reveal the exact specifications and the quality of the substance during its livestream, as well as other interesting tidbits uncovered.As for OSIRIS-REx, it already has a new name and mission. The now-dubbed OSIRIS-APEX is on its way to asteroid Apophis to examine the impact of a close encounter with Earth in 2029. NASA expects the asteroid to come within 20,000 miles of the Earth's surface - 90 percent closer than the moon.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/watch-nasa-reveal-its-bennu-asteroid-samples-at-11am-et-143009980.html?src=rss

If you're in the market for a new smartphone and prefer Android to iOS, Amazon's October Prime Day (or Prime Big Deal Days") sale looks like a good time to take the plunge. While you won't find any iPhones on sale, the event has brought several handsets we like from Samsung, Google, OnePlus and Motorola down to lower prices than usual. There's always a chance we see better deals come Black Friday, but for those who need a refresh today, here are the best Prime Day smartphone deals we could find. Just remember that a few of these offers are only accessible to Prime members.Samsung Galaxy S23 UltraThe Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra is on sale for $950. That's $100 more than the deal we saw during July's Prime Day event but $50 lower than the typical sale price we've seen in recent months and $250 off Samsung's list price. The high-end S23 Ultra is the top Android pick in our guide to the best smartphones, and it earned a score of 89 in our review this past February. Our biggest knock against it was that it's expensive, but this deal helps mitigate that a bit.Samsung Galaxy S23+The Galaxy S23+, meanwhile, is on sale for $800, which is within $50 of the lowest price we've seen for the unlocked model. This 6.6-inch handset sits between the standard Galaxy S23 and the S23 Ultra in Samsung's lineup: It has the same Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip, 1080p resolution and triple-camera system as the former, but it provides a larger OLED display without being as weighty (or pricey) as the latter. Compared to the base S23, it also supports faster charging speeds up to 45W instead of 25W. We gave the S23+ a score of 86 in February.Samsung Galaxy S23Rounding out the Galaxy S23 deals, the standard model is available for $650. Again, that's $50 more than the deal we saw during July's Prime Day sale but still $150 off Samsung's MSRP and $50 lower than the usual discount we've seen in recent months. The S23's biggest selling point is that it's one of the smallest high-end phones on the market, with a 6.1-inch display that's generally easier to hold with one hand. It's a step down from the S23 Ultra, with lesser battery life, charging speeds and camera hardware, but that's to be expected given the lower price.Google Pixel 7aThe Google Pixel 7a is down to $399, which is the lowest price we've seen for this unlocked version and $100 off Google's MSRP. This is the top pick in our guide to the best midrange smartphones, and we gave it a review score of 90 back in May. It delivers just about everything we want out of an affordable handset: a steady Tensor G2 chip, a relatively smooth 90Hz display, strong cameras, wireless charging support, IP67 water resistance and a clean software experience with several years of planned updates. The upcoming Pixel 8 will almost certainly be better in a vacuum, but for less than $400, the 7a is a great value.OnePlus 11The unlocked version of the OnePlus 11 with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage is down to $650. That matches the lowest price we've seen for this variant and comes in $150 below the phone's MSRP. This is the top midrange pick in our guide to the best Android smartphone, as it offers a superb 6.6-inch, 120Hz OLED display, super-fast charging, long battery life and a speedy Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip. That said, its IP64 dust- and water-resistance rating could be better, and its camera system generally isn't as impressive as what you get from a Galaxy S23. We gave the device a score of 83 in our review this past February.Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5Moving onto foldables, the new Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is down to $800 for an unlocked 256GB model, which is another all-time low. We gave this one a review score of 88 in August, and we currently name it the best flip-style foldable in our smartphone buying guide. There'll always be some durability concerns with foldable phones like this, and the Z Flip 5's cameras aren't quite on par with the best normal" handsets. But for the most part, this is a modern flagship you can fold in half. The big upgrade this year is its larger 3.4-inch cover display, which is handier for completing tasks while the phone is folded.Motorola Razr+Though we think the Galaxy Z Flip 5 is the better flip-style foldable for most, the Motorola Razr+ is a solid alternative. Its main benefit is a bigger 3.6-inch cover screen that works with all apps out of the box. (You can get most apps to work on the Z Flip 5's outer display too, but it requires a workaround.) Right now the unlocked Razr+ is available for $800, which is an all-time low and $150 off its typical street price. We gave this device a score of 85 in our review this past June.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5If you want a larger, book-style foldable, Samsung's Galaxy Z Fold 5 is on sale for $1,400. That's $400 off Samsung's MSRP and the best price we've tracked for the unlocked model. We call the Z Fold 5 the best foldable for multitasking in our smartphone buying guide and gave it a review score of 86 earlier this year. It's an iterative update over last year's model and still plenty expensive even after this discount, but it's fast, and its bright 7.6-inch main display is still a treat. The big upgrade this year is a redesigned hinge, which helps eliminate any gap between the two sides of the device when it's folded in half.OnePlus Nord N30 5GThe OnePlus Nord N30 is our pick for the best budget phone you can buy, as it provides a fast-for-the-price Snapdragon 695 chip, a surprisingly decent 6.7-inch 120Hz display and the promise of security updates through June 2026. It'll also be updated to Android 14. If you need a new phone on the cheap, the Nord N30 is currently down to $237. That's $63 off its list price and marks the lowest price we've seen for an unlocked model.Samsung Galaxy A54 5GThe Samsung Galaxy A54 is the updated version of a phone we highlight in our midrange smartphone guide, and it's now down to $330. That's the lowest cash discount we've seen and $120 off Samsung's list price. We'd still recommend the Pixel 7a to most, but the Galaxy A54's lovely OLED display, lengthy battery life, IP67-rated water resistance and five years of security updates make it a worthy alternative. Just don't expect top-tier performance, and know that its camera falls short of the Pixel 7a.Motorola Moto G StylusThe Moto G Stylus is an honorable mention in our budget smartphone guide, as it's one of the few ultracheap phones to come with a built-in pen. Most people are better off with the Nord N30 or one of our midrange picks, but if you really can't spend more than $100 and need that stylus support, it's an alright buy at its current deal price of $161. That's a few bucks cheaper than the price we've seen for most of the last few months and roughly $40 off Motorola's list price.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-amazon-prime-day-smartphone-deals-for-october-2023-122351211.html?src=rss

Sony's well-reviewed WH-CH720N headphones are on sale for just $98, which is $52 off the MSRP. It's part of Amazon's October Prime Day event, so make sure to snatch one up soon before the deal ends or before the stock runs out. These headphones are typically $150, and considered a bargain at that price, so this discount is sure to entice many consumers.The WH-CH720N is already a budget-friendly purchase when compared to Sony's spate of high-end headsets, but it still brings some modern features to the table. During our review, we called out the proprietary V1 chip that allows for high-grade active noise cancellation (ANC) and helps boost the sound quality a bit. We also appreciated the robust battery life, allowing for 35 hours of use per charge, which is a mighty fine metric for budget or mid-range headphones.The controls are easily accessible, with a power/pairing button on the left side and a noise canceling button on the right side that cycles between ANC and transparency modes. There's also the typical three-button array for volume and for switching tracks. The center button, however, can be used to instantly call up your preferred voice assistant, like Siri or Google Assistant.As for connections, there's the standard USB-C port for charging and there's a 3.5mm headphone jack if you want access to sweet, wired audio. The design is comfort-forward, with ample cushioning in the ear pads and a lightly-wound headband hinge that won't squeeze your noggin.What are the downsides here? The exterior uses a whole lot of plastic, which takes the aesthetic appeal down a notch. This model also lacks Sony's Speak-to-Chat feature that automatically pauses audio when you're talking. The 720N headphones don't even pause when you take them off, so make sure you manually push the stop button on your track to preserve battery life.As previously stated, this is a limited-time Amazon Prime Day deal that will likely bid adieu by the end of the day. These headphones are available in both black and white.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-wh-ch720n-headphones-are-just-98-for-prime-day-114520875.html?src=rss

Google is going all-in on Amazon's Big Deal Days Prime sale with an array of deals on its latest Pixel phones, along with Pixel Buds Pro, Pixel Watches, Nest Thermostats and more. To start with, Pixel 8 phones are available in a bundle with the Pixel Buds Pro starting at $700, effectively giving you the earbuds for free. The Pixel 8 Pro is offered in a similar bundle with the Pixel Watch 2 from $1,000, again letting you have the latter for free.Google has also discounted the Pixel 7a smartphone, Pixel Watch and Pixel Buds Pro individually, with 40 percent discounts on each. And along with some of the Nest savings we saw earlier, Google's Nest Thermostat is available for just $90, saving you 31 percent off the regular price.Google's new Pixel 8 flagship has a smaller 6.2-inch display and body than its predecessor, along with a more rounded and compact design. It's improved across the board spec-wise, with a new Tensor G3 chip, a brighter 1,400 nit display with 120Hz refresh rate, a larger battery and a much-improved 50-megapixel (MP) camera. If you'd been looking to pull the trigger on one, and also eyeing some Pixel Buds Pro, you can get both in a bundle starting at $700 - saving you a full $200 (22 percent).The Pixel 8 Pro boosts the size of the display, while also offering enhanced photo and video features along with a new temperature sensor and a full seven years of software support. If the $100 higher price over the Pixel 7 Pro gave you pause, you can pick it up now with a Pixel Watch 2 for the same $1,000 price, saving you $350 (the price of the Pixel Watch), or 25 percent.If you'd rather pay less and don't need a watch or earbuds, Google's also offering the Pixel 7a for $400 (20 percent off), as we saw yesterday. It's still the latest midrange Pixel phone, and offers impressive features like wireless charging and a 64-MP camera, along with a 90Hz OLED display, Tensor G2 processor and 8GB of RAM. The $400 price is the lowest we've seen, letting you get the best mid-range phone on the market at a steep discount.Google's Pixel Buds Pro are on sale in no less than six colors for $120 (40 percent off the regular $200 price) - again an all-time low. They were well-reviewed across the board and even made it into our list of the best earbuds. These are far and away the best wireless earbuds Google has ever made, with deep and punchy bass, decent ANC performance, near-perfect touch controls, wireless charging and more. If that's still too much and you don't need the noise cancellation, the Pixel Buds A-Series are on sale in four colors for just $60 for a savings of 40 percent.Google's original Pixel Watch combines Samsung and Fitbit technology into a clean, beautiful design. It's just been superseded by the Pixel Watch 2, which offers better battery life and improved fitness tracking, but it's still a beautiful and powerful wearable. And it's now at an all-time low, priced at $210 for the Wi-Fi version (40 percent off) and $260 for the LTE model (35 percent off).If it's smart home products you're seeking, Google has you covered there as well. The Google Nest Thermostat is on sale for just $90 (31 percent off), back down near the lowest prices we've seen. It lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere and suggests tweaks to help you save money, and in some cases, can entitle you to rebates from your utility provider. It's easy to program an works with Google's Nest Hub and other smart displays like the Echo Show.The Nest Doorbell (Battery) is a popular item because it's much easier to install than any wired doorbells. As with the cameras, it will send you alerts when you have a visitor and you can chat with them through your phone and the built-in speaker and microphone. If the regular $180 price has made you pause, it's now on sale for $120.Meanwhile, the Nest Cam Outdoor has a weatherproof design so that you can install it outside your home, along with expanded Night Vision to better spot outdoor intruders. It's on sale for just $120, or $60 off the regular $180 price. Finally, the Nest Cam indoor is designed to blend in to your home, with a range of colors, built-in stand, wall mount and hinge, and is currently on sale for $70 or 30 percent off the regular price.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-deals-on-google-pixel-phones-and-nest-devices-113543783.html?src=rss

Somehow, it's already time for remodeled current-generation consoles. A new PS5 model has the same horsepower, but its detachable drive means you can buy the Digital Edition and add the drive later as an $80 accessory. Sony has also increased internal storage to a 1TB SSD, which should be more forgiving than the original's 670GB of accessible storage on an 825GB drive... but not by much.SonyImprovements go beyond the detachable disc drive. It apparently runs 30 percent quieter and is roughly 20 percent lighter. The new design uses four cover panels (the top is glossy and the sides are matte). Both models include a horizontal stand, but there will eventually be a vertical option too. The Digital Edition will cost $450, and it's $500 for the model with the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc drive. The new PS5s will start shipping in November in the US, and Sony says it will roll out globally in the following months.- Mat SmithYou can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest stories you might have missedAdobe brings more generative AI features to ExpressPorsche's electric Macan will be the one to getTikTok now lets you post directly from third-party appsAssassin's Creed Mirage reviewThe 32 best Amazon Prime Day deals to shop for right nowAll the best October Prime Day deals in one place.Prime Day sales are chaos. Amazon sells... everything. Fortunately, we have a team of editors and writers perusing the retailer, gathering the best deals for the best tech. Sure, there's a lot of Amazon-branded hardware (Kindles, Echos, etc.), but we've got great portable speakers, wireless headphones and some of the top-rated smartphones from the likes of Samsung and Google. Here are all the best deals, in one convenient link.Continue reading.All of Doctor Who is finally coming to BBC iPlayerThe BBC is releasing its grip on its cash cow.The BBC announced it will finally add every available classic episode of Doctor Who, and all of its spin-offs, to iPlayer. Every episode of the classic series, plus spin-offs like The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood and Class, will be available November 1. With over 800 episodes, it's a lot of TARDIS and a lot of Daleks. (And in case I need to remind you again, I'm not that Matt Smith.)Continue reading.Sony Inzone Buds hands-onA slick, gamer-focused twist on the WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds.EngadgetIf you want your wireless buds to match your updated PS5, you might be interested in Sony's Inzone Buds. They use the same drivers as the highly regarded WF-1000XM5, so they sound great. You also get support for Sony's excellent active noise cancellation tech, an ambient sound mode and optimized sound quality when streaming game audio. The Inzone buds cost $200, $100 less than the WF-1000XM5s, making them an interesting option, aside from the PlayStation-matching design.Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-sonys-smaller-ps5-has-a-detachable-disc-drive-111538334.html?src=rss

California is officially the first state to pass a law streamlining personal data removal. On October 10, Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 362, known as the Delete Act, into law, requiring the California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) to create and roll out a tool allowing state residents to request that all data brokers delete their information. There are nearly 500 registered data brokers in California.Advocates for the bill painted it as a necessary protection. Data brokers possess thousands of data points on each and every one of us, and they currently sell reproductive healthcare, geolocation, and purchasing data to the highest bidder," Senator Josh Becker, author of the bill, said in a statement. The Delete Act protects our most sensitive information."Current privacy laws allow Californians to make this request, but they must contact each company, and it can be denied. The CPPA has until 2026 to build the necessary system and has the authority to charge brokers to use it. Under the Delete Act, each broker must register with the CPPA and fulfill deletion requests every 45 days or risk facing a penalty such as a fine. Third-party compliance audits are set to begin in 2028 and occur every three years moving forward.The Delete Act met opposition from organizations such as the Association of National Advertisers, which voiced concerns about schemes that charge consumers exorbitant amounts of money to delete their data and small businesses or non-profits being unable to reach their target audience without this detailed information.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/californias-new-law-makes-it-easier-for-consumers-to-request-the-deletion-of-their-data-095555419.html?src=rss

The newest Apple earbuds are the AirPods Pro with the new USB-C charging case, which were announced during Apple's Wonderlust iPhone event last month. Thanks to Amazon's Prime day sale for October 2023, those buds are down to an all-time low price of $189. The original version with the Lightning charging case are down to the same price. Of course other AirPods are on sale now too, including earlier generations of the AirPods and the over-ear AirPods Max. Whichever AirPods you pick, they'll make great gifts for the iPhone users in your life. Or if you need to replace an older pair of earbuds, now is a good time to do so. And if you've just snagged your first iPhone and are looking for a pair of earbuds that will seamlessly pair up with it, the AirPods Pros are the best option out there. These are the best AirPod deals we could find for Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event.Apple AirPods ProThe second-generation AirPods Pro with USB-C have dropped to $189 for Prime Day, which is a new record low. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparecy Mode. There remains no competition if you have an iPhone and live within the Apple ecosystem - these are the best earbuds to get if you fall into that category.The latest Pro earbuds have the same design as the previous version, and that's because most of the changes are on the inside. Like other AirPods, the AirPods Pro have Apple's H1 chip, which enables most of the iOS and macOS-specific features.If you're interested in the version with the original Lightning charging case, you can save on those bud too. They're also down to $189 and have the same, excellent Transparency mode and helpful iPhone syncing ability.Read our full review of Apple's second-generation AirPods Pro.Apple AirPods (3rd gen)Apple's third-gen AirPods are on sale for $150 right now. These buds are leaps and bounds better than their predecessor, with big improvements in sound quality, battery life and overall comfort. While they lack ANC, they are a good option for any Apple lover who just wants a reliable pair of wireless earbuds.These AirPods also have Apple's H1 chip inside, which enables features like hands-free Siri access. Apple also brought down features like spatial audio and Adaptive EQ here, so they do have a more advanced edge than some other earbuds in the same price range.Read our full review of Apple's AirPods (3rd generation, 2021)Apple AirPods (2nd gen)The second-generation AirPods have dropped to $89 for Prime Day, which is close to their record-low price. These earbuds are a bit old at this point, but if you have less than $100 to send and want a pair that work seamlessly with iPhones and other Apple devices, they fit the bill. They fit similarly to Apple's basic wired EarPods and they have decent wireless range, but we ultimately recommend spending a tad bit more and getting the 3rd-gen AirPods if you can afford them.Apple AirPods MaxApple's high-end AirPod Max headphones are on sale for $479 right now, which is a $50 discount. While there are better wireless headphones out there at prices that won't empty your wallet, the AirPods Max are good for Apple lovers and those who want a comfortable yet unique design, excellent sound quality and good battery life. And since they cost $550 normally, it's always better to wait until they're on discount like they are now to buy them.Read our full review of the AirPods Max.Other headphone dealsPhoto by Billy Steele / EngadgetIf you're looking for headphones and earbud deals that aren't necessarily AirPods, check out our Prime Day headphones roundup for October 2023.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-prime-day-airpods-deals-181657149.html?src=rss

Utah has sued TikTok over child safety issues and the company's China-based ownership, CNBC has reported. In the complaint, attorney general Sean Reyes called the app "an addictive product" and accused it of misleading users about its relationship with China-based parent company ByteDance. The state recently enacted some of the strictest social media laws in the country, requiring parental permission for teens to use social media.The lawsuit compares TikTok to a slot machine that provides "dopamine manipulation" trigged by swiping up on videos. That addictive nature is particularly harmful for the "not-yet-fully-developed" brain of young users and can create a dependence on the app, the state claims. It noted that the US Surgeon General has warned about mental health harms around social media, and cited excessive TikTok usage based around the company's own (redacted) figures."What these children (and their parents) do not know is that TikTok is lying to them about the safety of its app and exploiting them into checking and watching the app compulsively, no matter the terrible effects it has on their mental health, their physical development, their family, and their social life," the complaint states.The lawsuit also delves into TikTok's links to China. "To avoid scrutiny from its users (and regulators), TikTok has also misled Utah consumers about the degree to which TikTok remains enmeshed with and under the control of ByteDance, it's China-based parent company."TikTok previously said that it has dedicated more than $1.5 billion on data security, and has rejected allegations that it's spying for the Chinese government. The company also recently opened a Transparency and Accountability Center in an effort to fend off regulators and potential bans.The federal government has yet to take any concrete action against social media platforms, but states have been more active. Utah recently passed a law requiring parents to get permission before teens can create accounts on TikTok, Snap and other platforms. It also mandates curfew, parental controls and age verification features. The state didn't go as far as Montana, however, which outright banned the use of TikTok. Tomorrow, a judge will hear arguments in TikTok's lawsuit seeking to overturn that ban - a case that could open the company up to more scrutiny and set precedent around the US.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/utah-sues-tiktok-over-child-safety-issues-and-its-links-to-china-085516390.html?src=rss

If you have several Google Nest speakers, Chromecast and smart displays, you can add each of them to several different groups in the Google Home app again. The company implemented changes last month, which would allow certain devices to be added to only one speaker group at a time in response to Sonos' patent lawsuit. This development, announced by the Nest team, undoes that change. If you'll recall, Sonos sued the company back in 2020, accusing it of infringing on several patents it holds, including ones related to managing groups of speakers.In May, a California federal jury determined that Google had infringed on Sonos' intellectual property and ordered the tech giant to pay a $32.5 million fine. However, US District Judge William Alsup has just tossed out the verdict after finding that Sonos' patents were unenforceable. Alsup ruled that Sonos had improperly linked its multi-room audio patents to a 2006 patent application, which didn't disclose the actual invention. He also concluded that Sonos didn't file applications for the patents involved in the lawsuit until 2019, years after Google presented it with a plan to use multi-room audio technology while exploring a collaboration.Sonos told Reuters that the judge's ruling was "wrong on both the facts and law" and that it intends to lodge an appeal. Google has decided to roll back its previous changes despite Sonos' plan, though, which means you "will no longer run into an error when trying to add a device to additional groups." The update has already started rolling out and is currently making its way to the Home app on Android. Google says the change is also "coming soon" to the Home app on iOS devices.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-brings-back-smart-speaker-grouping-after-sonos-lawsuit-victory-081200931.html?src=rss

Amazon's second Prime Day sale event for 2023 kicked off in the wee hours this morning, and it's turning out to be a great opportunity to shop for your holiday gifts early - or get something for yourself. And if you missed out on any of the deals from Prime Day in July, this year's "Prime Big Deal Days" will let you make up for that. The sale has brought back many of the same low prices we saw a few months ago in summer, but we're also seeing new sales as well - including deals on brand new devices. We're adding new deals to this list regularly, all the way through the end of the sale tomorrow, so check back regularly.We've also put together category roundups for deals on headphones, tablets, TVs, video games and other gadgets. If you've got your gift list handy, now's a good time to start checking it off so you won't be pressed for time or funds when Black Friday comes around next month. A few deals are just for Prime members, but many are open to anyone looking to save. If you want to take advantage of some great tech deals, here's best of what we found for October Prime Day.Apple AirPods ProThe second-generation AirPods Pro have dropped to $189 for Prime Day. Apple made a ton of small but noticeable improvements to these models, so now they have better sound quality, noise cancelation and Transparency Mode. There remains no competition if you have an iPhone and live within the Apple ecosystem - these are the best earbuds to get if you fall into that category.Apple Watch SEThe Apple Watch SE is on sale for $199 right now. It's the best smartwatch to get if you're new to the wearable world, or you just want a basic, relatively affordable watch that has all of the basic features you'd need. On top of comprehensive health and fitness tracking, iPhone notifications and dozens of fun watch faces, you'll get features like crash and fall detection, noise monitoring and Emergency SOS.Apple 10.2-inch iPadApple's most affordable tablet, the 10.2-inch iPad, is on sale for $249 right now. It may have an old-school design, but it's certainly the best iPad for people on a budget and it has most crucial features you'd expect in an Apple tablet. It earned a score of 86 from us for its solid performance, sharp screen, TouchID-capable Home button and good battery life. The only major downside to this model right now is that it still sports Apple's old Lightning port rather than USB-C.Apple iPad AirThe iPad Air is on sale for $500, which is $99 off the MSRP. Apple may refresh the Air at some point soon, but for now, we think the existing iPad Air is the best blend of price and performance in Apple's tablet lineup. This model only has 64GB of storage, however, and its display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. We gave the iPad Air a review score of 90 last year. And it's our top overall iPad pick for most peopleSamsung Galaxy Watch 6The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 is down to $270 for October Prime Day, which is the lowest price we've seen since it came out a few months ago. You can't get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it's smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software's UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.Kindle KidsIf you're looking for a good gift for a kid, the Kindle Kids edition is a great idea. It's basically the same as the standard Kindle (which we named the best budget ereader you can buy) with a few extras. You also get a colorful protective case, a two-year warranty, and a year of Amazon Kids+, which grants access to thousands of kid-appropriate titles and hundreds of audiobooks. Even more helpful for parents, the kids edition syncs up with a parent dashboard that lets the grownups set time limits, add books and track their kid's reading progress. The Kindle Kids usually goes for $120, but now it's $80 instead. That's $5 more than last Prime Day, but the lowest price we've seen outside of that sale.Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids ProThe previous generation of the Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro are on sale for $120 each, which matches their all-time lows. Amazon recently launched new versions of these devices, so the company is likely offloading old stock here. Still, this is the version we recommend as the best pick for kids in our guide to the best tablets. It comes with a protective case that doubles as a stand as well as a two-year warranty and a free year of subscription to Amazon Kids+, which includes kid-appropriate games, shows and songs.Apple iPad miniThe Apple iPad mini has dropped to $400 for October Prime Day. It's the best small tablet on the market right now and really your only option if you want a true one-hand-friendly iPad. It's powered by Apple's A15 Bionic chip and sports a Touch ID-toting power button, solid cameras, a good battery life and a USB-C port for charging.Sony WF-1000XM5Sony's WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds are on sale for $278 for Prime Day, which is their best price yet. These are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now, and Sony improved upon it's already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.Anker Soundcore Space A40The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren't quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn't completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won't auto-pause when you remove an earbud.Bose QuietComfort 45The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to $230 for October Prime Day, which is about $80 cheaper than their usual selling price. These cans earned a spot in our best wireless headphone guide thanks to their comfortable, if a little dated, design, excellent ANC and balanced audio.Google Pixel Buds ProThe Google Pixel Buds Pro have dropped to $120 for Prime Day. The company got a lot of things right after years of making pretty standard earbuds; the Pixel Buds Pro are Google's best wireless earbuds yet. These will be great for Android users who want buds with punchy bass, good ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.Amazon Echo DotAmazon has knocked the price of the latest Echo Dot down to $23 right now. It's one of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its orb-like design, surprisingly good sound quality for its size and handy Alexa integration. The Dots can also act as Eero WiFi boosters, adding up to 1,000 square feet of coverage to your existing Eero system.Amazon Echo Show 5The latest Echo Show 5 is on sale for a record low of $40. The Show 5 has been one of the best smart displays available for quite some time, and it'll be particularly good for anyone who wants an Alexa-capable smart display that won't take up a lot of space. It also makes for a good alarm clock thanks to its sunrise alarm and tap-to-snooze features.Tile Pro (2-pack)The Tile Pro has a replaceable battery and taps into a decent finding network to locate lost items. Right now, Prime members can get a two pack for $42, which is about $2 more than it's gone for on Amazon previously. It's our pick for the best Bluetooth tracker for Android users. While the Tile finding network isn't as vast as Apple's (and likely not as large as Google's upcoming network) the Tile still reliably allowed us to track down our missing backpack in a crowded pub.Chipolo ONEThis is our pick for the best overall Bluetooth tracking device. The Chipolo One is currently $25 for the single tag, or you can get a 4-pack for $60. We liked the way the Chipolo reliably told us when we'd left our keys behind and it has the loudest ring of the trackers we tried. That made it easy to find lost keys and other items when they were nearby.Amazon KindleThe standard Kindle has dropped to $75 for October Prime Day. This model saw a lot of improvements when it was updated in 2022. Capacity was doubled to 16GB and the screen resolution jumped up to 300 ppi for much clearer text. We named it the best budget option in our ereader guide because its perfect entry point to reading and borrowing ebooks and audiobooks.Amazon Kindle PaperwhiteThe Kindle Paperwhite, meanwhile, is down to $95 for an 8GB model. That's $5 more than it went for during July's Prime Day event but still $45 off its MSRP. The Paperwhite gets you a few extra perks over the standard Kindle, including a larger 6.8-inch screen, a more comprehensive front light and IPX8-rated waterproofing. This deal applies to the ad-supported version (which displays ads for Kindle books and services on your lock screen); it you want no ads on your device, you'll need to pay $20 more.$100 PlayStation Store Gift Card + $10 Amazon creditHere's a simple one: If you buy a $100 PlayStation Store digital gift card and use the code PSN100 at checkout, you can get an extra $10 Amazon credit to use on future purchases. If you often use Amazon and plan on picking up new PS5 games, renewing a PlayStation Plus subscription or buying any other content through the PlayStation Store anyway, it's effectively a bit of free money.Samsung Smart Monitor M8The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is down to just $500, which is $200 off the starting price and the lowest price it's gone for so far. The 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. This is the updated 2023 version of the model that launched at CES 2022 and not only combines a monitor with a smart TV, it can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more.Blink Mini (2-pack)A two-pack of Blink Mini security cameras has dropped to $40 for Prime Day. That's about $10 more than they went for last Prime Day, but still a decent 38 percent discount. While these cameras are wired, they have most of the same features as the standard wireless Blink cameras including 1080p video recordings and support for two-way talk and motion alerts.Google Indoor Nest Security CamA slew of Google Nest home security devices are on sale, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam is down to $120 for Amazon's October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you'll need a Nest Aware membership.Amazon Fire HD 8Amazon's Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for the Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than the tablet's all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It's slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it's lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it's still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It's not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it's hard to do better.Amazon Fire 11 MaxThe Fire Max 11 is Amazon's largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire slate, so it's a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it's on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don't want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it's a big upgrade over the Fire HD 8 - just don't expect to get any real work done with it.Google Pixel TabletThe 128GB Google Pixel Tablet is down to $409, which is $90 off and a new low. The 256GB model is also on sale for $509. While we think Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 works better purely as a tablet, Google's 11-inch slate still gets you a sharp LCD display, a speedy Tensor G2 chip and an easy-to-hold design that weighs just over a pound. Its big hook, however, is that it can attach to an included charging speaker dock and double as a Nest Hub Max-style smart display. Android still isn't as optimized for large screens as iPadOS, but if that extra functionality sounds useful to you, the Pixel Tablet is worth a look. We gave it a score of 85 in June. (The Galaxy Tab S9, meanwhile, isn't on sale as of this writing.)Google Pixel 7aThe Google Pixel 7a is down to a new low of $399 for this sale event. It's the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.Samsung Galaxy S23 UltraThe entire Samsung Galaxy S23 series is on sale for Prime Day, including the S23, S23+ and S23 Ultra. These are some of the best Android phones you can buy right now, and we recommend springing for the S23 Ultra if you want all of the latest features from Samsung. The Ultra runs on a Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chip and has a big, bold 120Hz display, built-in S Pen and an excellent main camera.Bose Quiet ComfortThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II have dropped to $199 for October Prime Day, which is the best price we've ever seen, though you'll need to be a Prime member to get the deal. They're currently the best wireless earbuds you can get if you want as much noise cancelation as possible. On top of that, these buds have a smaller, more comfortable fit and good audio quality.Beats Studio ProThe Beats Studio Pro headphones are on sale for $179 right now. That's a sizable $170 discount. We reviewed these back in July when they came out and gave them a decent review score of 81. Unfortunately they didn't push any of the top picks from our our best headphones list off their pedestals. They aren't bad, however, offering pleasant, even-handed sound and good noise cancellation. Though Beats is now owned by Apple, these headphones still play nice with Android. There's no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn't super premium, but at this price, you may not care.Sony SRS-XB13 Extra BassThe four-inch tall SRS-XB13 is back to $35 for October Prime, which matches its sale price for July's Prime sale. You'll need a Prime membership to get the deal, however. This is an older model of the tiny portable. Sony replaced it with the SRS-XB100 earlier this year, which is currently seeing a 20 percent discount. They're both rated for water and dust resistance and you can pair two for stereo sound.Roku Streaming Stick 4KOur favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, has dropped to $38 for this sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it's so small, it makes a great travel entertainment device, too.LG B2The LG B2 OLED TV is down to $847 for a 55-inch model. That's a new low and roughly $150 off its average street price in recent months. The B2 is the step-down model from the C2 - which is also on sale at $1,097 for a 55-inch set - as it's not as bright or color-rich with HDR content, it runs on a slower processor and it has two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports. That said, its contrast, colors and motion performance will still be a significant upgrade if you're upgrading from a more basic LED TV. LG's new B3 TV promises a cleaner webOS interface, but it's priced a good way higher as of this writing. If you want an OLED TV for less than $1,000, the B2 should be a better value.Hisense U6KIf you want a more affordable TV, the Hisense U6K is also on sale, with the 55- and 65-inch models down to $400 and $548, respectively. We've seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it's one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It's not ideal for gaming though, as it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can't match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you're on a tighter budget.For a well-reviewed mid-range model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, and it comes with more gaming-friendly features like the ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.iRobot Roomba 694iRobot's Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's our favorite cheap robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.Razer Basilisk V3The Razer Basilisk V3 is down to $44 for Prime members, which is a few bucks more than its all-time low but still $6 less than its usual street price. This is the best for most" pick in our guide to the best gaming mouse, as its sturdy shape should be comfortable for each grip type and all but the smallest hands. (Provided you're a righty.) It has 11 customizable buttons, including a sensitivity clutch" for more precise aiming, and its thumb wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode. That wheel is somewhat noisy, and the whole thing is too heavy for competitive-minded players, but it still tracks accurately and glides smoothly.Samsung Pro Plus microSDThe Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It's our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.Backbone OneThe Backbone One is a well-built gamepad that snaps around the sides of your phone and works immediately with just about any game that supports controller input. It's also convenient for cloud streaming games from a console or PC. Right now both its USB-C and Lightning models are down to $70, which is $30 off. That's not an all-time low, but discounts on the device are relatively uncommon. We gave the One a positive review last year, and we currently highlight it in our guide to the best handheld gaming systems. Backbone says the USB-C models will work with Apple's new iPhone 15 lineup as well.Crucial MX500The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.Here are all the deals we've rounded up so far:

Duolingo is launching its new music course sometime this fall. The educational tech company first announced that it was gearing up to add music lessons to its repertoire back in September, promising "hundreds of bite-sized lessons" that can teach you music with the help of over 200 tunes. Duolingo, of course, has turned music learning into a gamified experience, dividing lessons into levels you have to complete and docking points (or hearts) whenever you enter an incorrect answer.You'll start by having to familiarize yourself with the sounds of the C and D notes of C major using a digital piano. Duolingo will have you matching the sounds of each note with their placement on a staff, so you'd know what they sound like and could spot them on a music sheet by the time you're done. You'll move on to the next notes in subsequent lessons, but before you can proceed, Duolingo will test you on what you've learned so far by having you play familiar ditties like Mary Had a Little Lamb. Don't worry - you only have to follow the notes scrolling on screen, but it could still be plenty challenging for the musically inept, like yours truly. If the first lessons are a bit too basic for you, though, you can skip ahead to the more advanced stages of the course.DuolingoIn addition to creating a brand new music course, Duolingo has also updated its math curriculum to help you gain "advanced real-world math skills," such as the ability to quickly calculate tips and hourly wage. "While Duolingo is known for language, we're expanding to math and music because these are subjects that people often find intimidating," Karen Chow, Senior Learning Scientist for Duolingo Music, told Engadget. "You'll hear people say 'Oh I'm tone deaf' or 'I'm just not a math person.' We want to show people that learning these different subjects is possible and it can actually be a lot of fun!"You can now sign up for the music course waitlist, if you want to start learning as soon as it becomes available. Initially, Duolingo music will only be available in English and Spanish on iOS devices, but the company says it's "hoping to bring the course to more learners very soon."DuolingoThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/duolingos-gamified-music-lessons-are-launching-this-fall-050009231.html?src=rss

Amazon's October Prime Day event (aka Prime Big Deal Days) is upon us, bringing forth discounts aplenty on a wide range of products. Among the deals that may be of interest to you are hefty savings on Samsung's Galaxy S23 devices, which are some of the best smartphones around. In fact, several models have dipped to record-low prices. For one thing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has dropped to $950 for a version with 256GB of storage. That's $250 off the regular price. If you're looking for Samsung's new foldables, those are seeing discounts too, which you can check out here.Samsung Galaxy S23 UltraWe gave the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung's high-end smartphone, a score of 89 in our review back in February. The excellent display, strong performance, better cameras and long battery life were all major plus points. Having a built-in S Pen is great too. However, Samsung didn't quite innovate enough on the design front this time around, as the phone looks much the same as last year's model. The lack of S Pen upgrades was a disappointment as well. We dinged Samsung for the price too, but given the current sale, that's less of an issue.SAMSUNG Galaxy S23+Elsewhere, you can save on the Galaxy S23+ with 256GB of storage. That has dropped from $1,000 to $800, so you'll save $200. It's probably worth the upgrade if you've been clinging onto an older model for a few years or you're outside the US, where Samsung has finally started using Snapdragon processors in the Galaxy lineup (switching away from arguably less-efficient Exynos chips).This is a solid handset that checks most of the basic boxes in terms of the screen, performance and battery life. It's just more of an iterative update than anything that will blow an S22 user away.Samsung Galaxy S23Last but not least, the base S23 has dropped by $150 from $800 to $650. It obviously doesn't have as many bells and whistles as the S23+ or S23 Ultra, but if you're in the market for a newish phone that handles all the basics, this is a decent option.However, it's worth bearing in mind that Samsung is set to release the Galaxy S23 FE (Fan Edition) later this month. It has a larger display and battery than the standard S23, and it's also cheaper at $600.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s23-phones-drop-to-record-low-prices-for-october-prime-day-114029559.html?src=rss

California became just the third state in the nation to pass a "right to repair" consumer protection law on Tuesday, following Minnesota and New York, when Governor Gavin Newsom signed SB 244. The California Right to Repair bill had originally been introduced in 2019. It passed, nearly unanimously, through the state legislature in September.This is a victory for consumers and the planet, and it just makes sense," Jenn Engstrom, state director of CALPIRG, told iFixit(which was also one of SB244's co-sponsors). Right now, we mine the planet's precious minerals, use them to make amazing phones and other electronics, ship these products across the world, and then toss them away after just a few years' use ... We should make stuff that lasts and be able to fix our stuff when it breaks, and now thanks to years of advocacy, Californians will finally be able to, with the Right to Repair."Turns out Google isn't offering seven years of replacement parts and software updates to the Pixel 8 out of the goodness of its un-beating corporate heart. The new law directly stipulates that all electronics and appliances costing $50 or more, and sold within the state after July 1, 2021 (yup, two years ago), will be covered under the legislation once it goes into effect next year, on July 1, 2024.For gear and gadgets that cost between $50 and $99, device makers will have to stock replacement parts and tools, and maintain documentation for three years. Anything over $100 in value gets covered for the full seven-year term. Companies that fail to do so will be fined $1,000 per day on the first violation, $2,000 a day for the second and $5,000 per day per violation thereafter.There are, of course, carve outs and exceptions to the rules. No, your PS5 is not covered. Not even that new skinny one. None of the game consoles are, neither are alarm systems or heavy industrial equipment that "vitally affects the general economy of the state, the public interest, and the public welfare."I'm thrilled that the Governor has signed the Right to Repair Act into law," State Senator Susan Talamantes Eggman, one of the bill's co-sponsors, said. "As I've said all along, I'm so grateful to the advocates fueling this movement with us for the past six years, and the manufacturers that have come along to support Californians' Right to Repair. This is a common sense bill that will help small repair shops, give choice to consumers, and protect the environment."The bill even received support from Apple, of all companies. The tech giant famous for its "walled garden" product ecosystem had railed against the idea when it was previously proposed in Nebraska, claiming the state would become "a mecca for hackers." However, the company changed its tune when SB 244 was being debated, writing a letter of support reportedly stating, "We support 'SB 244' because it includes requirements that protect individual users' safety and security as well as product manufacturers' intellectual property."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/californias-right-to-repair-bill-is-now-californias-right-to-repair-law-232526782.html?src=rss

Last year Meris took its digital effects prowess and built a ludicrously powerful guitar pedal, the LVX. Now the company is back with another modular creation, the MercuryX, but instead of delay it's all about epic reverbs.Like the LVX the MercuryX is built around a "advanced ARM processor" of unspecified origin and a 24-bit AD/DA converter with a 32 bit floating point DSP. It also inherits the LVX's large LCD for navigating the interface and the basic scheme of combining structures, types, and processing elements to create a unique reverb effect.In Meris' lexicon "structures" are the core reverb effects. There are eight different options: Ultraplate, Cathedra, 78 Room, 78 Plate, 78 Hall, Spring, Prism and Gravity. Those first two are borrowed Meris' popular Mercury7 pedal, the middle three from the company's collaboration with Chase Bliss on the CXM 1978, while the last three are completely new creations for the MercuryX. Type determines the characteristic of the reverb, while processing elements are effects that can further alter your tone. These can be as straight forward as compression, as wild as a granulator or just a nice hazy lo-fi effect. These can go anywhere in the signal chain as well, allowing the elements to affect only the reverberations or to completely replace your dry tone.You can also modify parameters automatically using the two LFOs, an envelope follower, a sample and hold function, or the sixteen step sequencer. Not to mention there's an expression jack input and robust MIDI support.And if that wasn't enough, there's a stereo freeze effect separate from the reverb, a tuner and an absurd 2.54 secs of predelay. The latter means you can effectively turn the MercuryX into a delay pedal thanks in part to its modular feedback routing and selectable note divisions for each stereo channel.The early demos make it clear that the MercuryX is indeed a beast of a pedal capable of delivering pretty convincing spring reverb emulation. But it's obviously meant for more epic and creative sounds. This is the sort of thing you might want in your arsenal if you're into ambient, post rock or film scores.The Meris MercuryX will set you back a decent chunk of change however. It's available direct from Meris for $599 and through select retailers as a preorder.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/meris-mercuryx-is-a-modular-reverb-pedal-for-the-sonically-adventerous-230559405.html?src=rss

A top European Union official is warning Elon Musk about the spread of misinformation on X amid the Israel-Hamas war. EU Commissioner Thierry Breton sent Musk an "urgent" letter about the company's handling of misinformation and its responsibilities under the Digital Services Act.The letter comes as researchers and fact checkers have warned about a wave of misinformation on X in the wake of the Hamas attacks in Israel. While Musk's recent move to strip headlines from links shared on the platform has made it more difficult to find news, verified users have also been sharing viral clips of completely unrelated content purporting to be scenes from the unfolding conflict.Following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we have indications that your platform is being used to disseminate illegal content and disinformation in the EU," Breton wrote in the letter to Musk. Let me remind you that the Digital Services Act sets very precise obligations regarding content moderation."

Amazon's latest Prime Day-style sales event is underway, and it's brought a few notable tablet deals along with it. Prime Big Deal Days, as Amazon is terming the sale, includes discounts on various iPads, Amazon Fire slates and the Google Pixel Tablet, among others. For your convenience, we've rounded up the best iPad and tablet deals we could find during the October Prime Day sale below.Before you browse, note that not every discount is exclusive to Prime members, and that there's always a chance we see lower prices come Black Friday. Some recent reports say that Apple may release new iPads in the coming months as well, with updates possible for the iPad Air and iPad mini in particular. Nevertheless, if you need a new slab today, here are the best bargains we're seeing.Apple iPad AirThe iPad Air is on sale for $500, which is $99 less than buying from Apple directly. We may see a refresh at some point soon, but for now, we think the existing iPad Air is the best blend of price and performance in Apple's tablet lineup. It gets you a similarly elegant design as the iPad Pro for less cash, with an M1 chip that's powerful enough for work and heavy games, a pleasing 10.9-inch display, a USB-C port and support for the latest Apple Pencil and Magic Keyboard. This model only has 64GB of storage, however, and its display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. We gave the iPad Air a review score of 90 last year.Apple iPad (9th gen)The 10.2-inch iPad is down to $249, which matches the best price we've seen and comes in $80 lower than Apple's list price. This is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide, and we gave it a score of 86 when it arrived in late 2021. It uses Apple's older design language, so it's stuck with thick bezels, a Home button, a Lightning port and a non-laminated display. This model comes with just 64GB of non-upgradeable storage as well. That said, it's still fast enough for casual media consumption, gaming and multitasking, and its display is still a step up from the screens on most cheaper tablets. It can last more than 10 hours per charge, plus it's the last iPad with a headphone jack. Most importantly, it gets you access to Apple's wide app library, strong customer support and years of OS updates at the lowest price possible.Apple iPad (10th gen)The 10th-gen iPad is available for $399, which is a price we've seen before but still $50 off Apple's MSRP. We gave this 10.9-inch slate a review score of 85 last year. It sits in something of a middle ground between the 10.2-inch iPad and iPad Air: It's not as cheap as the former, but it lacks the laminated display, M-series chip and accessory support of the latter. Notably, it only works with the first-gen Apple Pencil. Nevertheless, it looks and feels almost identical to the Air, it's far from slow, and its landscape-oriented selfie camera makes it more convenient for FaceTime calls. If you absolutely can't pay up for the iPad Air, it's a fine compromise.Apple iPad miniThe smallest iPad in Apple's lineup, the 8.3-inch iPad mini, is currently on sale for $400. That's roughly $50 less than its usual street price and $99 off Apple's list price. This is another iPad that's due for a refresh, but for now it remains the best compact tablet on the market, with all the usual perks of modern iPads in a design that's easier to hold with one hand. We gave it a score of 89 back in 2021. As with the other non-Pro iPads, the big downside is its 64GB of default, non-upgradeable storage.Amazon Fire HD 8Amazon's Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for the Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than the tablet's all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It's slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it's lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it's still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It's not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it's hard to do better.Amazon Fire HD 8 PlusThe base Fire HD 8 is good enough for most budget buyers, but if you're willing to spend a little more, the Fire HD 8 Plus adds an extra gigabyte of RAM (3GB total) and wireless charging support. It's down to $70 for a 32GB model, which is $5 more than the lowest price we've seen but $50 off its typical going rate. The Plus model still isn't outright fast or capable of serious gaming, but the extra GB can make navigating Fire OS just a bit smoother. The wireless charging support, meanwhile, is best utilized with Amazon's own dock, which helps if you want to use the tablet like a pseudo smart display.Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids ProThe Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids Pro are each down to $75, matching the best prices we've tracked. Normally, these tablets retail for $150, with occasional drops to $100. The Kids versions of each Fire tablet have the same base hardware as the standard models, but add a large protective case with a built-in kickstand, a longer two-year warranty, and a one-year subscription to Amazon's Kids+ service, which includes a selection of child-friendly apps, books and games. They also ship with a simplified, kid-friendly UI by default, with a range of robust parental controls and no lock-screen ads. (If you already own a normal Fire tablet, note that you can still set up a child profile on those devices as well.)Between the two, the Kids model comes with a large rubbery case, while the Kids Pro has a slimmer hard plastic case designed for older children. Both devices have the same middling performance and limited app library as the standard Fire HD 8, but they're decent options if you can't trust your little one to handle an iPad carefully, or if you just want to save cash.Google Pixel TabletThe 128GB Google Pixel Tablet is down to $409, which is $90 off and a new low. The 256GB model is also on sale for $509. While we think Samsung's Galaxy Tab S9 works better purely as a tablet, Google's 11-inch slate still gets you a sharp LCD display, a speedy Tensor G2 chip and an easy-to-hold design that weighs just over a pound. Its big hook, however, is that it can attach to an included charging speaker dock and double as a Nest Hub Max-style smart display. Android still isn't as optimized for large screens as iPadOS, but if that extra functionality sounds useful to you, the Pixel Tablet is worth a look. We gave it a score of 85 in June. (The Galaxy Tab S9, meanwhile, isn't on sale as of this writing.)Amazon Fire Max 11The Fire Max 11 is Amazon's largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire slate, so it's a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it's on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don't want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it could make sense - just don't expect to get any real work done with it.Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)The last-generation version of the Fire HD 10 is on sale for $75, which ties its all-time low. We can't recommend this one too strongly, as Amazon released an updated model of its 10.1-inch tablet just last month with faster performance, a lighter design, slightly improved cameras and stylus support. The new model isn't discounted as of this writing, though we wouldn't be surprised to see a deal by Black Friday. If you just can't wait until then, however, the old Fire HD 10 is still an upgrade over the Fire HD 8, with a more spacious 1080p screen and snappier performance. It's typically retailed around $120 in recent months.Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids ProThe last-gen Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro are also on sale for $120 each, which matches their all-time lows. As with the base Fire HD 10, Amazon recently launched new versions of these devices, so Amazon is offloading old stock here. Nevertheless, if you need a large tablet for a child today, these two come with all the same features (and shortcomings) as the Fire HD 8 Kids series, plus larger displays and improved performance.Amazon Fire 7The Amazon Fire 7 is down to $40 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is another all-time low and $20 below its typical street price. We strongly recommend paying extra for the Fire HD 8 if you can; by comparison, this 7-inch tablet has a lower-resolution (1,024 x 600) display, a slower processor and less RAM. But if you just want a second screen for dirt cheap, this is a $40 tablet that's actually functional, so it might work for (very) light use cases.Microsoft Surface Pro 9The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is down to $1,800 for a model with a Core i7-1265U chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That's $100 or so off its usual going rate. You likely know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It's still not especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn't a huge shake-up, it'll be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn't include a keyboard or stylus. We're reaching the time of year where Microsoft would usually introduce a new model, but as of this writing it's not clear when a potential Surface Pro 10 might arrive. For now, the Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best tablets.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-amazon-prime-day-ipad-deals-180354594.html?src=rss

The Securities and Exchange Commission is reportedly looking into how Twitter (now X) handled a security issue in 2018 that led to users' personal information being exposed. The bug allowed people to view email addresses when passwords were reset, potentially exposing user identities, according to Bloomberg. The report notes that the SEC has been investigating whether those in charge of the company at the time properly disclosed the flaws to shareholders and put proper controls in place.Attention was drawn to the flaw last year while Elon Musk was trying to wriggle out of his commitment to buy Twitter. Musk asserted that Twitter had long been contending with operational issues (it has had to deal with multiple security incidents over the last five years) and that it hadn't properly protected user data.Just as Musk was attempting to wash his hands of his takeover bid, Peiter Mudge" Zatko, Twitter's former head of security, flagged a number of concerns about the company to the SEC, the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission last August in a whistleblower complaint. He claimed Twitter had "extreme, egregious deficiencies" when it came to protecting the platform against attacks.Zatko accused Twitter of violating the agreement it made with the FTC in 2011 to settle a previous privacy case. Of note, Twitter last year agreed to pay $150 million to settle FTC charges that it violated said consent decree by misusing user phone numbers and email addresses for ad targeting.Jack Dorsey was CEO of Twitter at the time of the incident that the SEC is said to be looking into. His successor, Parag Agrawal, was then chief technology officer. None of Twitter's executives at the time have been accused of wrongdoing, according to Bloomberg. The outlet notes that it's not clear when the SEC will wrap up its probe or if any enforcement action is expected as a result.Meanwhile, the SEC has sued Musk for refusing to testify in a separate case. That one concerns Musk's delay in disclosing his purchase of over five percent of Twitter stock in early 2022.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sec-is-said-to-be-investigating-a-twitter-security-flaw-from-the-pre-musk-era-205459647.html?src=rss

Amazon's latest storewide sale for Amazon Prime members, Prime Big Deal Days, has brought significant discounts to several headphones, earbuds and gaming headsets we recommend. We've picked out the best headphone deals of the October Prime Day event below, which include new lows on the AirPods Pro, Sony WF-1000XM5, Beats Studio Pro, Amazon Echo Buds and many more. Just note that some, but not all, of the offers are only accessible if you subscribe to Prime.Sony WH-1000XM4The Sony WH-1000XM4 is back down to $248, which is $20 more than its all-time low but roughly $80 below its average street price. This is Sony's last-gen pair of wireless noise-cancelers, but it still delivers powerful ANC, 30-ish hours of battery life and a similarly rich feature set as the newer WH-1000XM5 (which isn't on sale as of this writing.) Unlike its successor, it can also fold up for easier storage. It doesn't have the XM5's adaptive ANC system, however, and its mic quality isn't as clear. It's slightly heavier too, plus it sounds a bit boomier out of the box. But for less than $250, it remains a great value. We gave the XM4 a review score of 94 back in 2020.Sony WF-1000XM5The in-ear Sony WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, are on sale for $278. That's only $20 off, but it marks the first discount we've seen for the top pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide. We gave this true wireless pair a score of 87 earlier this year: Like Sony's over-ear models, it comes with a range of useful features, powerful noise cancellation and a warm yet detailed default sound. The design here is also much more agreeable than previous Sony earphones.Apple AirPods ProThe USB-C version of Apple's AirPods Pro is down to $189, which is $60 off Apple's list price and a new low. The Lightning version is available for the same price. This is the best for iOS" pick in our buying guide. Both models still deliver strong ANC, a superb transparency mode and a pleasingly warm sound. They also come with a variety of Apple-specific features, including hands-free Siri access, Find My tracking and fast pairing with other Apple devices. A recent update added an Adaptive Audio" mode that dynamically blends its ANC and transparency modes based on your surroundings, while the new USB-C model comes with improved dust resistance alongside the new charging port. That said, you really need to be committed to the Apple ecosystem to get the most out of this, and the six-hour battery life is just OK. We gave the AirPods Pro a score of 88 last year.Apple AirPods (2nd Gen)Apple's second-gen AirPods, meanwhile, are back down to $89. That's $10 off their usual street price. We can't broadly recommend the base AirPods to most people these days, as their one-size-fits-all design won't work for everyone and there are better-sounding options for the money. However, if you're all-in on Apple devices and just want the usual AirPods perks in an unsealed design, this deal makes the pair a little more palatable.Beats Studio ProThe Beats Studio Pro is on sale for $180, which is a new low and a sizable $170 discount. We gave these wireless over-ears a review score of 81 in July: We can't recommend them over the top picks in our guide, but they offer a pleasant, even-handed sound, helpful ANC and the ability to stream higher-quality audio over a USB-C connection. Like most Beats headphones, they also play nice with Android. That said, multi-device pairing doesn't work with iOS, there's no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn't super premium. But at this price, the Studio Pro could make sense if you really dig the Beats aesthetic.Anker Soundcore Space A40The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is on sale for $54, which matches its all-time low and comes in $25 less than usual. The Space A40 is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds, as it includes a host of features that belie its price: adaptive ANC, multi-device pairing, wireless charging, a transparency mode and up to 10 hours of battery life. Its audio quality and ANC aren't quite as powerful as more expensive pairs, but both are more than effective enough for the money. Unlike many budget wireless headphones, its default sound doesn't completely blow out the bass. Just note that its call quality is mediocre, and it lacks wear detection, so it won't auto-pause when you remove an earbud.Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NCThe Anker Soundcore Liberty 4 NC carry most of the same benefits as the Space A40 but use a stem" design reminiscent of Apple's AirPods. They put a little more emphasis on the bass by default, but you can change that sound profile up with a few EQ tools in Anker's app. They also support wear detection. If you prefer this sort of form factor, the Liberty 4 NC is down to $80, which is a $20 discount and matches its lowest price to date.Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 3 is available for $150, which matches its all-time low. This pair has normally retailed around $180 in recent months. This is the runner-up pick in our wireless earbuds guide, as Engadget's resident audio expert Billy Steele considers it the best-sounding true wireless pair he's tested. That warm yet customizable sound is joined by a solid adaptive ANC system, though Sennheiser's pair isn't as effective as the Sony WF-1000XM5 in that regard, nor does it have the same deep feature set.Anker Soundcore Space Q45The Anker Soundcore Space Q45 is on sale for $100, which is a $50 discount and an all-time low. While not as nice as pricier models above, the Space Q45 is a fine value if you can't spend more than $100. Its adaptive ANC is better-than-average and can be set to a manual mode if needed, it supports multi-device pairing and its design is comfortable to wear for hours at a time. Sound quality is where the price is most evident, as it's a little too uneven in the treble, but its bass-heavy profile should work for fans of hip-hop and EDM. You can tweak the sound somewhat through the EQ tools in Anker's Soundcore app.Anker Soundcore Life Q30If you want a decent set of noise-canceling over-ears for as little as possible, the Anker Soundcore Life Q30 is also worth considering. It's now down to $56, which is $24 less than usual. This pair isn't built as well as the Space Q45, nor does it sound as nice out of the box, as it massively inflates the bass and degrades when ANC is active. Call quality is worse too. That said, it's comfortable, its battery can last more than 40 hours and the ANC itself is excellent for less than $60. You still get multi-device pairing and a customizable EQ as well.Amazon Echo Buds (2023)Prime members can get the latest Amazon Echo Buds for $35, which is $15 off and an all-time low. This is another pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds. Specifically, the Echo Buds should appeal to those who prefer a more open design, one that lets in outside noise but doesn't insert directly into your ear canal. They can sound solid for the price with a bit of EQ tweaking, and they support features we don't often see for less than $50, such as wear detection and multipoint connectivity. They also have Alexa baked in, natch. Their IPX2 sweat-resistance rating isn't enough for workouts, and their five-ish hours of battery life is just average, but they're worth a look if you're on a tight budget and hate the feel of traditional in-ear headphones. We gave them a score of 77 earlier this year.Google Pixel Buds ProThe Google Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $120, which is a new low and $80 off Google's list price. This is the best for Android" recommendation in our wireless earbuds guide, and it earned a review score of 87 last year. Its ANC and V-shaped sound profile aren't as superlative as our top picks, but they're fine, and the whole package integrates tightly with Google's line of Pixel phones. An upcoming firmware update promises improved call quality - one of our review's chief complaints - and the ability to automatically pause music when you're speaking, similar to what pairs from Sony and Apple offer. Those with smaller ear canals may find the fit to be tricky, though we had few issues with comfort in testing.Beats Fit ProThe Beats Fit Pro is down to $160, which is a price we've seen multiple times in recent months but still takes $40 off the pair's MSRP. The Fit Pro is the best for workouts" pick in our wireless earbuds guide, as it offers most of the Apple-friendly perks you'd get from a set of AirPods - Beats is a subsidiary of Apple - in a sportier, more stable design. Its punchy yet refined sound is a plus, and it uses physical control buttons instead of touch panels. However, it lacks multi-device pairing and wireless charging, and its ANC is a step down from the AirPods Pro. We gave the Fit Pro a review score of 87 in 2021.JLab Go Air PopThe JLab Go Air Pop is down to $16.44 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is about $6 less than usual. We highlight this set in our budget wireless earbuds guide, as it gets you a compact shape, IPX4-rated water resistance, eight or so hours of battery life and a full set of functional touch controls for dirt cheap. Its boomy sound isn't exactly great, but it's serviceable, which is a victory when we're talking about $16 wireless earbuds. Plus, while it lacks a companion app, JLab bakes three EQ presets into the earbuds themselves.Sony LinkBuds SThe Sony LinkBuds S are on sale for $128, which is another price we've seen in the past but still takes about $30 off the pair's average street price. We highlight the LinkBuds S as an honorable mention in our wireless earbuds guide, as we like its compact design, decent noise cancellation, handy bonus features and warm sound. It can't match the ANC strength or battery life of the WF-1000XM5, but it also costs a fair bit less, which helps.Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIThe Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are available for $199, which is an all-time low and roughly $75 off their average street price. This pair has technically been replaced by Bose's new QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, which add a new spatial audio mode. That model isn't discounted as of this writing, however, and the two pairs are largely similar otherwise. The QC II's chief selling point is its ANC performance, which is still among the most powerful on the market. If that's your chief concern, saving $99 to buy the older pair may still make sense. Just note that it lacks multi-device pairing and wireless charging, and that its earpieces are on the bulky side. We gave the QC IIs a review score of 87 last year.Bose QuietComfort 45Along those lines, the Bose QuietComfort 45 are down to $229. That's $30 more than the lowest price we've tracked for these over-ears but still $80 below their average street price as of late. This is another noise-canceling set that Bose recently replaced, but the differences between the QC 45 and the new QuietComfort Headphones appear to be small, so the older model is worth a look when it's discounted like this. We gave the QC 45 a review score of 86 in 2021, and we still like its lightweight design, upper-tier ANC and easygoing sound. You can't manually adjust the intensity of the ANC, unlike the newer model, and Sony's XM5 and XM4 provide longer battery life and a more versatile feature set for those willing to pay up. But if that's not you, the QC 45 is a fine alternative at this price.Sennheiser HD 560SWe've mostly stuck to wireless headphones here since that's just the way the market has moved, but if you want a quality wired model, the Sennheiser HD 560S is worth a look at $150. While not an all-time low, that's about $35 below the pair's typical street price. We recommend the HD 560S in our guide to the best gaming headphones. Its open-back design lets in and leaks a ton of noise, but it sounds spacious, detailed and well-balanced, which makes it a treat for critical listening. It's comfortable to wear for extended periods as well. Just don't expect much in the way of deep sub-bass response.HyperX Cloud Stinger 2The top budget pick in our gaming headphones buying guide, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, is on sale for $35. That's just a modest $5 discount but matches the lowest price we've seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn't have the most balanced or detailed sound, but its V-shaped signature gives action scenes a nice level of impact, and its mic quality belies the dirt-cheap price. The design is comfortable too, though it's made from cheap-feeling plastic.Logitech G535If you're looking for a wireless headset, the Logitech G535 is back down to $80, which is about $25 below its average street price. This is an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, as we like its lightweight design, Bluetooth support and agreeable, relatively well-balanced sound. It forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level though, and its mic makes voices sound a little too thin. It also doesn't work with Xbox consoles. But if you really want a wireless gaming headset for less than $100, it's well worth a look.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-prime-day-headphone-deals-104130119.html?src=rss

Rocket League's player-to-player trading is going away. Developer Psyonix announced Tuesday that peer transactions will be removed from the title on December 5 at 4PM PST. The beloved feature added a game-outside-the-game element as players sought trade partners, often using third-party websites to find suitable swaps. Psyonix says it will consider those sites fraudulent" moving forward.Psyonix wrote that the decision was based on parent company Epic Games' cosmetics policies, which ban sales and only allow in-game trades. We're making this change to align with Epic's overall approach to game cosmetics and item shop policies, where items aren't tradable, transferrable, or sellable," the announcement blog post reads. However, Psyonix hints at the game's automobiles appearing in other titles. This opens up future plans for some Rocket League vehicles to come to other Epic games over time, supporting cross-game ownership."The fan response on social media was swift and fierce. They really want this game to die, huh," wrote u/DshadoW10 on Reddit. This is absolute bs," added u/MuskratAtWork. Still z e r o communication or care for the community at all. Just a cash grab at this point. All [they] care about is selling product and items and no care at all for the health of gameplay or the community."Users on X (formerly Twitter) weren't exactly thrilled either:

Amazon's Prime Day sale for October 2023 is in full swing, but Walmart got the jump on its fellow retailer with a sale of its own that it launched yesterday. The Holiday Kickoff sale is like a Walmart Prime Day sale, which we've seen other storefronts host in the past. It's a way for the company to take advantage of the shopping buzz generated by Amazon - and a way for you to save at more than one outlet. We combed through what Walmart had to offer and found the tech savings that are worth your time. One thing to note is that Walmart carries some devices that Amazon doesn't, like the Google Nest Hub, which is down to $60. Other worthwhile deals include the 9th generation iPad for $1 less than it sold for during Amazon's July Prime Day and an Xbox Elite Series 2 core controller for just $88.Apple 10.2-inch iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB, 9th gen)Apple's 9th-generation iPad dropped down to $250 in July for Amazon's first Prime Day of 2023, and it was one of the top sellers. Now Walmart's sale has dropped that price by a dollar, which makes it the new lowest prices o far. This is the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads and while it doesn't have the thin bezels and as much accessory support as our favorite, the iPad Air, it's excellent for light gaming, streaming and browsing the web - and it's the most affordable way to snag an iPad.iRobot Roomba j7+iRobot's Roomba j7+ is down to $300, which is a huge, $400 discount over the regular price. We named this the runner up model in our robot vacuum tests, though the version we recommended didn't have a clean base, this one does. It has strong suction power and utilizes advanced obstacle avoidance, which helps it steer clear of furniture and other objects while it's cleaning.Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)The second-generation Google Nest Hub is down to $60, which is about $5 more than Walmart sold it for last time it did a Prime-adjacent sale. This is the top pick for a Google smart display in Engadget's Engadget's guide The seven-inch screen lives in an unobtrusive exterior and through it you can watch YouTube, access the Google Assistant, control your smart home devices, and even check in on your cameras around the house. But it doesn't have a built-in camera itself, so you won't be able to make video calls from it.Microsoft Xbox Elite Series 2 CoreThe Xbox Elite Series 2 Core wireless controller is down to $88. That beats the low price we saw a few months ago by a healthy $12 and is a $42 discount overall. The Core version of this gamepad is just like the regular Elite Series 2, except without the additional accessories (like extra joysticks and triggers). Both are designed for competitive gamers with a wrap-around grip, 40 hours of rechargeable battery life, adjustable tension sticks and hair-trigger locks.The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the KingdomIf you haven't bought Nintendo's acclaimed 2023 Zelda game, TOTK for your Switch yet, here's a good opportunity. It's a game we thought unlocked "a ton of creative potential" and is now 31 percent off, bringing it down to $48 which is just $2 more than the lowest price we've tracked. This is the standard, physical copy of the game.Apple iPad (Wi-Fi, 64GB, 10th gen)The 10th generation standard iPad is down to $399. While that's a $40 savings, it's still about $20 more than the all time low price we've tracked for this model. This one didn't make the cut in our list of the best iPads. Though it has a bigger screen and a newer chip than the 9th generation, it's still not Apple's own M-series silicon and it does away with the home button and headphone jack, which the earlier version retains.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/walmart-prime-day-holiday-kickoff-deals-185926040.html?src=rss

Major Amazon sale events like Prime Day aren't typically a haven for laptop deals, but if you're looking for a new notebook, you can still usually find a few worthwhile discounts. That's the case again for Prime Big Deal Days, the company's latest deal-a-thon aimed at Prime members, which kicked off today and runs through Wednesday. We've sorted out a handful of notable laptop deals from the October Prime Day sale below, including price drops on MacBooks and gaming laptops. For the former, just note that there's a chance we see new models by the end of the year, though reports have conflicted on that.Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)The 15.3-inch version of Apple's MacBook Air is down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we've seen and takes $250 off Apple's list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn't be a major problem unless you're looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn't buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn't discounted on Amazon, but it's down to $899 at Best Buy. That's $200 off the notebook's list price.Apple MacBook Air M1The previous-generation MacBook Air with Apple's M1 chip is back down to $750, matching the lowest price we've seen. Apple sells this entry-level config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD for $999, though we've often seen it go for $800 or less in recent months. This notebook arrived back in 2020, so it's harder to recommend these days when the M2 models offer a faster chip, sharper webcam, slimmer bezels and improved speakers. If you only need a laptop for more basic tasks though, it's not a bad value at this specific deal price. It's still quieter and more solidly built than many mid-priced laptops, and its keyboard, trackpad and battery life remain excellent. We gave the M1 Air a review score of 94 at launch.Dell G15 5530 Gaming LaptopA configuration of Dell's G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with an Intel Core i7-13650HX processor, 16GB of RAM, an upgradeable 1TB SSD and an 8GB GeForce RTX 4060 GPU is down to $1,222 for Prime Big Deal Days. That's roughly $180 below its usual going rate. This is an updated version of the best budget" pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: It's heavy, and it can run warm, but this configuration is more than capable of playing modern games at high-ish settings, and its 15.6-inch, 165Hz, 1080p display is sufficiently bright. It is stuck with a 720p webcam though. The slightly larger Dell G16 7630 is also on sale at $1,500 for a model with a Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4070.Acer Nitro 5The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up to the Dell G15 in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a model with a Core i5-12500H, 16GB of RAM, 512GB SSD and GeForce RTX 3050 GPU is down to $700 for Prime members. That's about $100 off its usual street price. These are not the latest specs, so you'll need to crank down the settings in more demanding games to reach a respectable frame rate. The chassis itself is chunky and made of plastic too. But there's enough power to at least keep up with recent titles, and getting a 144Hz display at this price is nice. For those on a super tight budget, it's competent.Razer Blade 14A config of the Razer Blade 14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 6900HX CPU, 165Hz 1440p display, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and a GeForce RTX 3080 Ti GPU is on sale for $1,950. That's certainly not cheap, but you'd buy the Blade 14 if you're willing to pay extra for a gaming laptop with a more slender, portable and premium-feeling design. This is a 2022 model, but the newer editions cost several hundred dollars more, and the last-gen CPU and GPU here are still powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings. Its keyboard is also great, though the whole thing can run hot. We recommend the slightly larger Blade 15 in our guide to the best gaming laptops, but that one isn't discounted. And if you're not into the Blade aesthetic, consider our top overall pick, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14, instead.Microsoft Surface Pro 9The Microsoft Surface Pro 9 is down to $1,800 for a model with a Core i7-1265U chip, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. That's about $100 off its usual going rate. Chances are you know where you stand on the Surface Pro at this point: It's still not especially comfortable to use on your lap, but it remains the gold standard for 2-in-1s that behave and perform like a laptop more than a traditional tablet. While this version isn't a huge shake-up, it'll be a nice bump for those upgrading from a three- to five-year-old model. Just note that this deal doesn't include a keyboard or stylus. We're reaching the time of year where Microsoft would usually introduce a new model, but as of this writing it's not clear when a potential Surface Pro 10 might arrive. For now, the Pro 9 is the top Windows pick in our guide to the best tablets.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-october-prime-day-laptop-and-tablet-deals-183021626.html?src=rss

1010music's colorful and portable Nanobox line just gave birth to a brand-new sampler, the Tangerine. This may be an ultra-portable device, but it boasts powerful sampling features, alongside a pleasingly bright orange colorway. The Tangerine can trigger one shots, play time-synced loops and record live loops, among other tasks.The maximum sample size is 4GB, so when we say trigger one shots" we really mean you can trigger multi-sample pieces that act as a backbone to a beat or melodic composition, in addition to simple snare hits and the like. This being a modern device, you can also slice up clips and resample playback. There's also musically intelligent" looping that should keep everything in time without any obvious air-filled gaps.As for the hardware itself, you get a touchscreen interface for making adjustments and a 32GB microSD card slot for storage, though there's a small amount (64MB) of internal storage. The Tangerine connects to other instruments via MIDI for capturing additional samples, which is always nice.Each file boasts a 4GB storage cap, which the company says is enough for up to four hours of continuous streaming. There's a 500 multi-sample bank limit and a total wav capacity of 1,500. You can save multi-sample banks to nearly 80 presets for later use, complete with 16 velocity layers and eight stereo sample pads. There are plenty of adjustment options to change up the sound of these presets via granular synthesis, pitch, gain, filters, quantization and more. MIDI-mapped parameter controls also transfer over, so you can fiddle with those for even more sonic diversity. This is a real-deal sampler that approaches groovebox territory. Not bad for a ridiculously tiny device that 1010music calls nearly indestructible."There's one caveat, and it's the same one that accompanies other Nanobox devices, like the impressively powerful Lemondrop and Fireball synthesizers. Despite weighing just 0.25 pounds and shipping with a pocket-friendly form factor, the Tangerine sampler is not battery-powered and must be plugged in via USB-C to function. For true portability, you'd need an external power bank.1010music's Tangerine sampler is available now and costs $400. In addition to the device, you also get a USB-C cable, the aforementioned microSD card and a type B TRS MIDI to MIDI 5-pin DIN adapter.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/1010musics-tangerine-is-a-charmingly-orange-and-ridiculously-tiny-sampler-172544831.html?src=rss

As part of the October Prime Day sale, Amazon is selling the 2023 version of the Samsung Smart Monitor M8 for just $500. That's $200 off the starting price and the lowest price it's gone for so far. The 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. This is the updated 2023 version of the model that launched at CES 2022 and not only combines a monitor with a smart TV, it can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more.The 32-inch 4K monitor has a 3840 x 2160 resolution with HDR, a 60Hz refresh rate and a maximum 178-degree viewing angle. Like the original, this 2023 model comes with built-in apps and internet of things (IoT) control features. You can stream from services like Netflix, YouTube, Amazon Prime Video and Disney+, but it also includes Microsoft Office 365 apps for when you want to get work done without connecting to a PC.When it's time to hook it up to your computer, it includes a USB-C cable, and it has built-in ports for USB-C, HDMI and USB-A. It even ships with software to access and control your PC remotely, making it much more versatile on its own than standard monitors. And if you own a Samsung mobile device, you can use the company's DeX software to transform the phone or tablet into a faux desktop computer.The Smart Monitor M8's IoT hub lets you control smart home products through SmartThings, performing tasks like changing your home's lighting or temperature straight from the display. It includes a detachable SlimFit Cam, which records in full HD and has face tracking for video calls. It also has Alexa for voice control, perhaps sparing you the cost of buying an Echo speaker for that room.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-updated-smart-monitor-m8-is-200-off-as-part-an-amazon-prime-day-deal-165722200.html?src=rss

Sony announced new PlayStation 5 models that will likely be unofficially called the PS5 Slim." The new model has the same horsepower on the inside, but it has a smaller form factor with an attachable disc drive and a 1TB SSD. The new model's detachable drive means you can buy the Digital Edition and change your mind later, essentially adding the drive as an $80 modular accessory.To address the evolving needs of players, our engineering and design teams collaborated on a new form factor that provides greater choice and flexibility," Sony wrote in its announcement blog post. The same technology features that make PS5 the best to play are packed into a smaller form factor, along with an attachable Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc Drive and a 1TB SSD for more internal storage."SonySony says the new PS5 has 30 percent lower volume, and its weight is 18 percent and 24 percent lighter than the original. The new design uses four cover panels (the top is glossy while the sides are matte). Both models include a horizontal stand, while a vertical stand compatible with all PS5 models" will be sold separately for $30.In exchange for the flexibility of buy now, add a drive later," the new PS5 model has a higher entry point with the Digital Edition costing $450. Meanwhile, you'll pay $500 for the model with the Ultra HD Blu-ray Disc drive. The new PS5s start shipping in November in the US at select retailers, and Sony says it will roll out globally in the following months. The company also mentions that once the current PS5 model has sold out, it will be discontinued.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-is-releasing-a-smaller-ps5-with-a-detachable-disc-drive-in-november-162625078.html?src=rss

TikTok announced a new API today that will let you post (and do other things) directly to the platform from approved third-party apps. An extension of Share to TikTok, the company says the new feature increases the resources and tools our community can choose from to easily navigate every stage of the creation process both on and off the platform." Early partners for the Direct Post API include Adobe, Twitch, Blackmagic Design (makers of Davinci Resolve) and others.TikTok Direct Post integrations will let creators make drafts, set captions or audience settings, and schedule or post content directly from supported third-party apps. Only videos are supported at launch, but photo content is coming soon."Third-party software supporting the feature at launch include Adobe Premiere Pro, Adobe Express, CapCut (owned by TikTok's parent company ByteDance), DaVinci Resolve, SocialPilot and Twitch. TikTok says developer partners will be vetted through an audit process" before they can use the API.Now more than ever, publishing content in real-time has become a necessity, and creators of all skill levels need tools that can empower them with greater efficiency and without constraints," said Deepa Subramaniam, Adobe's Creative Cloud marketing VP. With the new Direct Post feature for TikTok available in Adobe Express and Premiere Pro, creators can continue to create standout content, but with increased speed and without adding more interruption to their creative workflows."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-now-lets-you-post-directly-from-third-party-apps-160514639.html?src=rss

Just seven months after its beta debut, Adobe's Firefly generative AI is set to receive a trio of new models as well as more than 100 new features and capabilities, company executives announced at the Adobe Max 2023 event on Tuesday. The Firefly Image 2 model promises higher fidelity generated images and more granular controls for users and the Vector model will allow graphic designers to rapidly generate vector images, a first for the industry. The Design model for generating print and online advertising layouts offers another first: text-to-template generation.Adobe is no stranger to using machine learning in its products. The company released its earliest commercial AI, Sensei, in 2016. Firefly is built atop the Sensei system and offers image and video editors a whole slew of AI tools and features, from "text to color enhancement" saturation and hue adjustments to font and design element generation and even creating and incorporating background music into video scenes on the fly. The generative AI suite is available across Adobe's product ecosystem including Premiere Pro, After Effects, Illustrator, Photoshop and Express, as well as on all subscription levels the Creative Cloud platform (yes, even the free one).AdobeFirefly Image 2 is the updated version of the existing text-to-image system. Like its predecessor, this one is trained exclusively on licensed and public domain content to ensure that its output images are safe for commercial use. It also accommodates text prompts in any of 100 languages.AdobeAdobe's AI already works across modalities, from still images, video and audio to design elements and font effects. As of Tuesday, it also generates vector art thanks to the new Firefly Vector model. Currently available in beta, this new model will also offer Generative Match, which will recreate a given artistic style in its output images. This will enable users to stay within bounds of the brand's guidelines, quickly spin up new designs using existing images and their aesthetics, as well as seamless, tileable fill patterns and vector gradients.The final, Design model, is geared heavily towards advertising and marketing professionals for use in generating print and online copy templates using Adobe Express. Users will be able to generate images in Firefly then port them to express for use in a layout generated from the user's natural language prompt. Those templates can be generated in any of the popular aspect ratios and are fully editable through conventional digital methods.AdobeThe Firefly web application will also receive three new features: Generative Match, as above, for maintaining consistent design aesthetics across images and assets. Photo Settings will generate more photorealistic images (think: visible, defined pores) as well as enable users to tweak images using photography metrics like depth of field, blur and field of view. The system's depictions of plant foliage will reportedly also improve under this setting. Prompt Guidance will even rewrite whatever hackneyed prose you came up with into something it can actually work from, reducing the need for the wholesale re-generation of prompted images.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobes-next-gen-firefly-2-offers-vector-graphics-more-control-and-photorealistic-renders-160030349.html?src=rss

Few tech companies have embraced generative AI as wholeheartedly as Adobe. At Adobe Max, its annual creativity conference, it unveiled a new version of the Firefly GAI model. Not only that, the company announced more GAI features for Adobe Express, just weeks after making Firefly more broadly available in the app.Adobe Express now includes features such as Generative Fill. This enables users to add, remove or replace items, people and other aspects of images using text prompts. On a similar note, the Text to Template function can help users generate editable templates for things like graphics and social media posts based on text descriptions. Text to Template is powered by the new Firefly Design Model, which Adobe says will generate content that's safe for commercial use.On top of that, Express now offers a GAI-powered translation tool. Translate can localize content between 45 languages, Adobe says. Meanwhile, new Drawing and Painting functions enable more than 50 multicolor paint and decorative brushes. These can mimic things like charcoal, pencil and watercolor textures. The company also noted student-friendly drawing templates that are available in Express for Education can make it easy to create effects like flowers and hearts.A handy resize tool will make it a cinch for folks to automatically get multiple versions of a design to fit all social channels, Adobe said. Meanwhile, you'll be able to use the app to directly schedule and share videos to the likes of TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest and X.Adobe isn't exactly stopping with Express. At Max, it announced more than 100 new features across its main Adobe Creative Cloud applications. These include additional Firefly-powered tools for Illustrator and Photoshop, as well as new editing capabilities in Lightroom.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-brings-more-generative-ai-features-to-express-160018288.html?src=rss

Last year, Sony released its first line of dedicated gaming peripherals with its Inzone brand, which consisted of a couple of monitors and a range of over-the-ear headphones. Now Sony has returned with a new pair of earbuds and an update to its mid-range cans that are worth considering for gamers thinking about upgrading their audio.Sony's more portable offerings are simply called the Inzone Buds and they use the same drivers that you get in the highly-regarded WF-1000XM5, so it probably won't be a surprise when I say they sound great. You also get support for Sony's excellent active noise cancellation tech and a handy ambient sound mode, but from there the buds' features were tweaked to better optimize sound quality while gaming.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAside from an updated design that has clear ties to the PS5, the Inzone Buds' biggest departure from the WF-1000XM5 is its case. It's a relatively large trapezoid that opens to reveal the buds themselves and a wireless audio dongle. The inclusion of an adapter is sort of unusual on everyday earbuds, but it's more common on gaming peripherals as it provides a dedicated low-latency 2.4GHz wireless connection (with a sub-30 millisecond delay) to ensure sounds like footsteps and other audio cues hit your ears in a timely matter. The dongle even includes a switch for PCs or the PS5 / mobile devices to streamline things even further, though you can also rely on a standard Bluetooth connection.In addition to delivering higher-quality sound when gaming, I found the adapter was just really convenient. When listening to music on my phone where latency isn't a big concern, I was happy to use Bluetooth. But when I was sitting in front of my PC or PS5, switching audio sources was as simple as plugging the dongle into a free USB-C port. As another bonus for PS5 owners, the buds allow you to see things like battery level or volume directly in the console's UI, which is typically reserved for PlayStation-branded peripherals. Remember, these buds are made by Sony Electronics (the people who make TVs, speakers and other gadgets), not Sony Interactive Entertainment (the PlayStation folk).Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngdgetYou can use Sony's 360 Spatial Sound Personalizer app to customize audio based on your ear canals. That said, in my experience the effect was much less pronounced than on Sony's over-the-ear headphones, which account for the shape of your entire ear. Though you can further adjust the buds' sound tone personalization in the Inzone Hub app. What I do like is the addition of a new AI-based noise reduction feature that filters out distracting sounds during calls, which is pretty useful especially when you're gaming on PC while using a loud mechanical keyboard. And thanks to support for spatial audio, you get a 3D soundstage that can help you figure out when enemies might be sneaking up on you in a shooter.With battery life of up to 24 hours on a charge when connected via Bluetooth (or around 12 hours when using 2.4GHz), Sony claims the Inzone buds have the best longevity of any true-wireless gaming earbuds. And after using them for a weekend, that figure seems about right. When you eventually run low, the charging case can add an hour of juice in just five minutes while holding enough power for a second full recharge.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetThat said, while I generally like the Inzone buds, I have a few gripes. The first is that the case doesn't support wireless charging, which seems like a weird omission on $200 headphones. Also, the case is rather bulky when compared to more typical earbuds, and when you factor in its trapezoidal shape, some people may wonder if you're hiding a rabbit in your pocket. The other small frustration is that, while you can use the Inzone Hub software on your PC to adjust all sorts of settings, there isn't an equivalent mobile app. That means if you're walking around town and you want to adjust the Inzone Buds' touch controls, you'll have to wait until you get home.What's interesting is that if you're someone like me, who generally prefers earbuds over larger cans due to their portability, it's nice to have small headphones that are equally adept at gaming and general audio. And with the Inzone buds priced at $200, or $100 less than the WF-1000XM5s, these are an interesting option for people who care about both.Photo by Sam Rutherford/EngadgetAside from its new earbuds, the other update to the Inzone line are the new $150 H5 headphones, which are a new mid-range replacement for the older and more expensive $229 H7 cans. Despite costing $80 less, the H5s have a better mic thanks to the same AI-based noise reduction tech you get on the buds, along with support for both wired and wireless audio (the H7s were wireless-only) and a slightly lighter design. The one trade-off is that overall battery life has declined a touch from 40 to 28 hours.The Inzone Buds and the Inzone H5 headphones are available today for $200 and $150, respectively.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sony-inzone-buds-hands-on-a-slick-gamer-focused-twist-on-the-wf-1000xm5-specs-price-160014839.html?src=rss

When Gmail launched for Wear OS last week, folks wondered how long it would be before the companion Google Calendar app would arrive. Well, it's here. Google Calendar has officially shipped for Wear OS, giving smartwatch-wearers all kinds of access to their day-to-day schedules, as originally spotted by 9to5Google.You'll see it on the launcher as Calendar once installed. It's basically a beefed-up version of the Schedule view found on phones. When you open up the app, you'll find a daily calendar complete with precise location details for events, notes, notifications and more. You can adjust whether or not you'll be attending any saved event, in addition to deleting the event entirely.If you're tired of staring at a teensy smartwatch screen, you can also use the Calendar app to open up any date or event on your smartphone. Certain events, like holidays and birthdays, can appear as background images in the main feed of the app. There's even some Google Tasks integration here, so you can mark events as complete.Like many smartwatch apps, Google Calendar is for consumption and not creation. You cannot use the app to make new events or tasks. There are, however, two new Wear OS tiles that let you quickly glance at upcoming events and tasks without opening up the full app.Google Calendar for Wear OS is now available to download on the Play Store. Just search for Calendar in the wearable version of the Play Store or remotely install it via the app listing.As Wear OS 3 and Wear OS 4 continue to gain new features, the company's older smartwatch operating systems are losing tools. Google recently announced that its proprietary voice assistant would no longer work on watches running anything before Wear OS 3.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-calendar-finally-lands-on-wearos-154535767.html?src=rss

Today the BBC announced it will finally add every available classic episode of Doctor Who, and all of its spin-offs, to iPlayer. It's the culmination of work which began when Russell T. Davies returned as the show's major creative force, and a significant change for the BBC. In a statement, it said every episode of the classic series, plus spin-offs like The Sarah Jane Adventures, Torchwood and Class, as well as making-of series Doctor Who Confidential, would all be added on November 1st.All of Doctor Who's post-2005 revival series are widely-available on streaming services both in the UK and abroad. But the original run has rarely, if ever, been on-demand without an extra charge, as it's still one of the BBC's most reliable cash-cows. The series has been released on VHS, DVD and now Blu-ray, with several of its most recent releases requiring multiple printings. The only place to stream Doctor Who on-demand, at least with a clean conscience, is by paying for BritBox's premium streaming service.As part of the release, the BBC is making a point of the new accessibility features - including every episode featuring sign language translation - and that a new archive of material will also be put online on the official Doctor Who website. It's not clear, at this point, if this will include the hours upon hours of special documentaries and behind-the-scenes material that comes with the show's numerous DVD and Blu-ray releases.The change comes as the show builds up to its 60th anniversary later that same month, as the show stops being a purely BBC production. Instead, it's being made by Bad Wolf productions with cash backing from Disney, which will stream the show on Disney+ outside the UK. It's pure speculation on my part, but if the BBC has cleared any issues that prevented it from streaming all of Doctor Who in the UK, then the whole series may also be available on Disney+ at the same time.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/all-of-doctor-who-is-finally-coming-to-bbc-iplayer-152006413.html?src=rss

After Disney releases a new film in English, the company will go back and localize it in as many as 46 global languages to make the movie accesible to as wide an audience as possible. This is a massive undertaking, one for which Disney has an entire division - Disney Character Voices International Inc - to handle the task. And it's not like you're getting Chris Pratt back in the recording booth to dub his GotG III lines in Icelandic and Swahili - each version sounds a little different given the local voice actors. But with a new "AI dubbing" system from ElevenLabs, we could soon get a close recreation of Pratt's voice, regardless of the language spoken on-screen.ElevenLabs is an AI startup that offers a voice cloning service, allowing subscribers to generate nearly identical vocalizations with AI based on a few minutes worth of audio sample uploads. Not wholly unsurprising, as soon as the feature was released in beta, it was immediately exploited to impersonate celebrities, sometimes even without their prior knowledge and consent.The new AI dubbing feature does essentially the same thing - in more than 20 different languages including Hindi, Portuguese, Spanish, Japanese, Ukrainian, Polish and Arabic - but legitimately, and with permission. This tool is designed for use by media companies, educators and internet influencers who don't have Disney MoneyTM to fund their global adaptation efforts.ElevenLabs asserts that the system will be able to not only translate "spoken content to another language in minutes" but also generate new spoken dialog in the target language using the actor's own voice. Or, at least, a AI generated recreation. The system is even reportedly capable of maintaining the "emotion and intonation" of the existing dialog and transferring that over to the generated translation."It will help audiences enjoy any content they want, regardless of the language they speak," ElevenLabs CEO Mati Staniszewski said in a press statement. "And it will mean content creators can easily and authentically access a far bigger audience across the world."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elevenlabs-is-building-a-universal-ai-dubbing-machine-130053504.html?src=rss

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event has an all-time low on the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5. Usually $1,800, the October Prime Day deal can get you the foldable phone for $1,400 - 25 percent off and an all-time low. Or, if you prefer a clamshell design, Amazon also has the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 for $800, record pricing for the more compact foldable. Both devices launched in August, so you're getting relatively new gear for less.The Z Fold 5 folds like a book with a 7.6-inch display when fully expanded. It also has a narrow 6.2-inch Cover Screen outside for when you want to do something quickly without opening the device. Although the handset is an iterative update over its predecessor, it subtly refines Samsung's five-year foldable formula with a Flex hinge that eliminates the device's gap when closed.The foldable uses a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy chip for faster benchmark performance than the Pixel Fold. Its screen is also brighter (1,750 nits vs. the Pixel's 1,450 nits) than Google's alternative. The Z Fold 5 supports stylus use, and its 4,400mAh battery lasted an impressive 19 hours 48 minutes (main display) and 23 hours 10 minutes (Cover Screen) in Engadget's video rundown test.Cherlynn Low / EngadgetMeanwhile, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is still considered the best phone that folds lengthwise. The handset has a 6.7-inch internal display and a 3.4-inch Flex Window" external one. It also uses the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 for Galaxy for impressive performance, and it bends into a compact device that should slide easily into a pocket or purse.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-samsung-galaxy-z-fold-5-is-25-percent-off-for-october-prime-day-123511247.html?src=rss

There's always something so exciting about the first time a big device goes on sale. In this case, Sony's PlayStation VR2 has its first deal, dropping from $549 to $509.15 - a seven percent discount - right in the middle of October Prime Day. Sure, spending over $500 for a headset when the PlayStation 5 is $499 feels like a lot, but you can put the nearly $40 saved toward an extra game or two.Sony released the PS VR2 in early 2023, and it got an 84 in our review despite being priced a bit higher than we'd like. For starters, it's a lot sleeker looking than its predecessor and is very comfortable to wear (it uses the same plastic as the PS5's exterior shell and DualSense controllers). The PS VR2 also has eye tracking, and was the first time we saw haptics for your head. The device is solid, with great OLED displays and well-made Sense controllers.The world might not be as enthralled with VR headsets as it was a few years ago, but there are still a range of new options on the market. With its current sale, the PS VR2 is close to the same price as Meta's Quest 3 but is still far below the $3,499 necessary to buy Apple's Vision Pro. The Quest 3 and Vision Pro are both mixed reality devices, but the PS VR2 is a good option if you only want virtual reality tailored for a console.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonys-psvr-2-gets-its-first-discount-during-october-prime-day-121528847.html?src=rss

The Oversight Board has shared the details surrounding a case involving an altered" Facebook video of President Joe Biden, which could have significant implications for Meta's manipulated media" policy.At the center of the case is a video of Biden from last fall, when he joined his granddaughter who was voting in-person for the first time. After voting, Biden placed an I voted" sticker on her shirt. A Facebook user later shared an edited version of the encounter, making it appear as if he repeatedly touched her chest. The video caption called him a sick pedophile," and said those who voted for him were mentally unwell."In a statement, the board also raised the issue of manipulated media and elections. Although this case involves President Biden, it touches on the much broader issue of how manipulated media might impact elections in every corner of the world," Thomas Hughes, director of the Oversight Board Administration, said in a statement. It's important that we look at what challenges and best practices Meta should adopt when it comes to authenticating video content at scale."According to the Oversight Board, a Facebook user reported the video, but Meta ultimately left the clip up saying it didn't break its rules. As the board notes, the company's manipulated media policy prohibits misleading video created with artificial intelligence, but doesn't apply to deceptive edits made with more conventional techniques. The Board selected this case to assess whether Meta's policies adequately cover altered videos that could mislead people into believing politicians have taken actions, outside of speech, that they have not," the Oversight Board said in a statement announcing the case.The case also underscores the often glacial pace of the Oversight Board and its ability to effect change at Meta. The Biden clip at the center of the case was originally filmed last October, and edited versions have been spreading on social media since at least January (the version in this case was first posted in May). It will likely take several more weeks, if not months, for the board to make a decision on whether the Facebook video should be removed or left up. Meta will then have two months to respond to the board's policy recommendations, though it could take many more weeks or months for the company to fully implement any suggestions it chooses to adopt. That means any meaningful policy change may fall much closer to the 2024 election than the 2022 midterm election that kickstarted the case in the first place.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-oversight-board-will-take-on-metas-manipulated-media-policy-ahead-of-2024-elections-120046787.html?src=rss

Apple upgraded the second-generation AirPods Pro in September by giving them a few improvements and by swapping out their charging case's Lightning port with USB-C. The refreshed model only became available for purchase on September 22, but you can now get it for 24 percent off retail. Apple is currently selling the second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C MagSafe charging case for $189, which is $60 cheaper than what you'd pay for them if you're buying them at full price. That is, of course, without AppleCare+ - if you want to get the earbuds with Apple's extended warranty, you'd have to pay $23 more.In addition to giving the AirPods Pro's charging case a USB-C connector, Apple has also upgraded the model's water resistance and added dust protection for both the earbuds and their casing. With iOS 17, the improved AirPods will be able to "dynamically blend" their active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode capabilities based on your environment. Their Personalized Volume feature uses machine learnings to predict your desired listening level, depending on your activity. Plus, their Conversation Awareness feature can lower the volume when you start speaking, so you don't have to do anything if you do talk to someone. Finally, when the tech giant's Vision Pro mixed reality headset launches next year, you'll be able to enjoy low-latency lossless audio when you pair the earbuds with it.If you want a pair that's even more affordable, however, you can get the second-generation Apple AirPods for $89 instead. The model isn't quite as feature-rich as its Pro counterpart, and it doesn't come with silicone tips to create an acoustic seal. But it's still a great option if you use an iPhone or plan to pair it with Apple's other devices.Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-pro-with-usb-c-fall-to-a-new-low-of-189-for-october-prime-day-115319976.html?src=rss

If you've been looking to buy a robot vacuum for yourself, or you know someone who would love to receive one as a gift this holiday season, Amazon's October Prime Day has a number of deals you'll want to check out. Big sale events like this one are a good time to shop for big-ticket items like robot vacuums, because you can usually find premium models at close to record-low prices. And affordable models aren't excluded either, so you could pick up a budget-friendly robot vacuum for even less. Here are the best robot vacuum deals we found for October Prime Day.iRobot Roomba 694iRobot's Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's our favorite cheap robot vacuum thanks to its strong suction power, attractive design and easy to use app. It'll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn't want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.iRobot Roomba s9+The premium Roomba s9+ is on sale for $600 right now, if you have Prime. It's the most expensive model that iRobot makes, and it's currently one of our favorite high-end robo-vacs. Most people don't need something this advanced, but it's hard to deny how well this machine sucks up dirt and debris, and it doesn't choke up at the first sign of pet hair either. It also comes with a self-emptying base, so when it returns after each job to recharge, it will empty its dustbin into the base - no human interaction required.Shark 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mopShark's 2-in-1 robot vacuum and mop machine is on sale for $400 right now, which is nearly half off its regular price. If you're looking for a robot that can thoroughly vacuum and give hard floors a good scrub with water and cleaning solution, this is a good pick. As a vacuum, it has strong suction power and decent obstacle avoidance. As a mop, it uses its reservoir and attached cloth to get rid of messier grime and stains. It also comes with a self-emptying base for the vacuum only that the machine will empty its dustbin into after every vacuuming job.Shark AI Ultra robot vacuumOne of our favorite robot vacuums at the moment, Shark's AI Ultra is on sale for $403. It's just as easy to use and effective as a similar Roomba, but you can often find it at a notably cheaper price point. It cleans hard and carpeted floors well, and it has a bagless, self-emptying base, which is great because you will not have to continuously purchase proprietary bags over time to keep using it.Your Fall Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-october-prime-day-robot-vacuum-deals-october-prime-day-103453231.html?src=rss

During Amazon's Prime Day this year, Google is offering some of the most enticing deals on its phones and products, including the Google Pixel 7a.The Google Pixel 7a, which we crowned the best midrange Android phone," is now available for just $399. This price represents a new all-time low, making it even more affordable than it was during July's Prime day when it was $450.Although the Pixel 7a is only slightly over a year old and has recently been upstaged by the newly launched Google Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro at last week's Made by Google event, it still offers impressive features like wireless charging and a 64-MP camera, making it a worthwhile purchase at its current price point.The Google Pixel 7a offers 8 GB of RAM that helps the phone operate both smooth and fast, with internal storage up to 128 GB. Our review suggests that the Pixel 7a has outperformed competitors in its category, including the 3rd generation Apple iPhone SE and the Samsung Galaxy A54. The Pixel 7a boasts a 90Hz OLED screen and a powerful Tensor G2 processing chip, setting it apart from earlier Pixel models. Unless you're determined to splurge on the latest model, this Prime Day offer could be a great fit for you.Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog's car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-7a-drops-to-a-new-low-of-399-for-prime-day-102820729.html?src=rss

It's no secret that Amazon Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to pick up an Echo speaker. That was true for the main sales event in July, and it's true again for October. Most of Amazon's smart speakers and smart displays are down to record-low prices, or close to them, so Prime members can pick them up for some of the best prices we've seen all year. If you've wanted to add to your smart home setup, or build one from scratch, now's a great time to get an Alexa-enabled device. Here are all of the best Prime Day deals on Echo Dots, Echo Show displays and more.Echo DotThe Amazon Echo Dot has dropped to $23 for October Prime Day. The latest model has improved sound quality with deeper base and a built-in temperature sensor that could help with home automations if you have a smart setup. And if you have an Eero router, the Echo Dot can act as an extender, adding 1,000 square feet to your home's network coverage.Echo PopThe Amazon Echo Pop is on sale for $18 right now. One of the newest additions to the Echo lineup, the Pop is a compact smart speaker that provides decent audio quality and basic Alexa skills. And, like the Echo Dot, it has Eero functionality built in.EchoThe full-sized Echo smart speaker has been discounted to $55 for Prime Day. The latest model of Amazon's flagship smart speaker has great sound quality, good voice-assistant chops and a built-in smart home hub as well. If you have multiple Echos, or even Fire TV devices, you can connect them all together for home-filling sound.Echo Show 5Amazon's Echo Show 5 has dropped to a new record low of $40 for this sale. It's one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact size, good audio quality and it's capabilities as a smart alarm clock. The latest model has a faster processor, an additional mic for better Alexa responsiveness and an improved screen.Echo Show 8 (2nd gen)Amazon's Echo Show 8 is on sale for $60 right now, which is more than half off its normal price. This is the previous model of the smart display - Amazon announced the latest version a few weeks ago at a hardware event, and you can still pre-order it now before it comes out at the end of the month. The second-gen display is one of our favorite smart displays and it sports an 8-inch touchscreen, a 13MP camera for video calls and all of the Alexa chops you'd expect.Echo Show 10Amazon's Echo Show 10 has dropped to $160 for October Prime Day. This model has a 10.1-inch screen and a 13MP camera to make video chat experiences better. The screen will auto-rotate to follow you when you're video chatting, ensuring you're always in frame. On top of that, the Show 10 has solid audio quality and a built-in smart home hub.Echo Show 15The Amazon Echo Show 15 has been discounted to $185 for Prime Day. It's the biggest of all of the company's smart displays, and it can be mounted on a wall for easier viewing. Custom widgets like calendars and sticky notes allow you to display family schedules, reminders and more, plus it can be used as a mini TV as well. And when you're not actively using it, the display can show pictures from your Amazon Photos collections.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-echo-dot-prime-day-deals-180036240.html?src=rss

Amazon's latest storewide sale for Prime members, dubbed Prime Big Deal Days, has brought several discounts on the company's Fire tablets. We've rounded up the best Fire tablet deals of the event below, with lower-than-usual prices on the Fire HD 8, Fire Max 11 and more. Many of the offers are available to everyone, not just Prime subscribers, but note that we aren't seeing any discounts on the recently refreshed Fire HD 10 as of this writing.As a refresher, a Fire tablet is worth considering if you just want a slab for basic media consumption at a low price. None of them is as fast or well-built as an iPad, and Fire OS's app support is much weaker than iPadOS and Android, with Google apps omitted entirely. It also displays lock-screen ads unless you pay an extra fee. But if you frequently use Amazon services like Prime Video or Kindle and only need a large screen for the essentials, a Fire slate can provide decent value - especially when it's on sale.Amazon Fire HD 8The Fire HD 8 is down to $60 for Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event, which is $5 more than its all-time low but still $40 off its list price. This discount applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you need more space, the 64GB version is on sale for $75. Either way, the Fire HD 8 is likely the cheapest competent tablet for most people: It's slower than the Fire HD 10 and its display is limited to a 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it's lightweight, it can last more than 10 hours on a charge and it's still quick enough for basic streaming and reading. It's not the best value at its standard going rate, but for $60, it's hard to do better.Amazon Fire HD 8 PlusThe base Fire HD 8 is good enough for most budget buyers, but if you're willing to spend a little more, the Fire HD 8 Plus adds an extra gigabyte of RAM (3GB total) and wireless charging support. It's down to $70 for a 32GB model, which is $5 more than the lowest price we've seen but $50 off its typical going rate. The Plus model still isn't outright fast or capable of serious gaming, but the extra GB can make navigating Fire OS just a bit smoother. The wireless charging support, meanwhile, is best utilized with Amazon's own dock, which helps if you want to use the tablet like a pseudo smart display.Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids ProThe Fire HD 8 Kids and Kids Pro are each down to $75, which matches the best prices we've tracked. Normally, these tablets retail for $150, with occasional drops to $100. The Kids versions of each Fire tablet have the same base hardware as the standard models, but add a large protective case with a built-in kickstand, a longer two-year warranty, and a one-year subscription to Amazon's Kids+ service, which includes a selection of child-friendly apps, books and games. They also ship with a simplified, kid-friendly UI by default, with a range of robust parental controls and no lock-screen ads. (If you already own a normal Fire tablet, note that you can still set up a child profile on those devices as well.)Between the two, the Kids model comes with a large rubbery case, while the Kids Pro has a slimmer hard plastic case designed for older children. Both devices have the same middling performance and limited app library as the standard Fire HD 8, but they're decent options if you can't trust your little one to handle an iPad carefully, or if you just want to save cash.Amazon Fire Max 11The Fire Max 11 is Amazon's largest and most performant tablet, with an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 resolution display, an aluminum frame, a respectable octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. It has the same software limitations and lock-screen ads as any other Fire tablet, so it's a tough sell at its usual $230, but now it's on sale for $150, which matches its all-time low. If you already use a bunch of Amazon services and don't want to shell out for an entry-level iPad, it could make sense - just don't expect to get any real work done with it.Amazon Fire HD 10 (2021)The last-generation version of the Fire HD 10 is on sale for $75, which ties its all-time low. We can't recommend this one too forcefully, as Amazon released an updated model of its 10.1-inch tablet just last month with faster performance, a lighter design, slightly improved cameras and stylus support. The new model isn't discounted as of this writing, though we wouldn't be surprised to see a deal by Black Friday. If you just can't wait until then, however, the old Fire HD 10 is still an upgrade over the Fire HD 8, with a more spacious 1080p screen and snappier performance. It's typically retailed around $120 in recent months.Amazon Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids ProThe last-gen Fire HD 10 Kids and Kids Pro are also on sale for $120 each, which matches their all-time lows. As with the base Fire HD 10, Amazon recently launched new versions of these devices, so Amazon is offloading old stock here. Nevertheless, if you need a large tablet for a child today, these two come with all the same features (and shortcomings) as the Fire HD 8 Kids series, plus larger displays and improved performance.Amazon Fire 7The Amazon Fire 7 is down to $40 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is another all-time low and $20 below its typical street price. We strongly recommend paying extra for the Fire HD 8 if you can; by comparison, this 7-inch tablet has a lower-resolution (1,024 x 600) display, a slower processor and less RAM. But if you just want a second screen for dirt cheap, this is a $40 tablet that's actually functional, so it might work for (very) light use cases.Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn aboutPrime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog's experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-fire-tablet-deals-for-october-prime-day-180836598.html?src=rss

Game Pass subscribers will have to wait a bit more before they're able to play Diablo IV and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III on the service. Activision Blizzard has announced on X, formerly Twitter, that it doesn't have plans to add those games - among other upcoming and recent releases - to the service anytime this year. Based on its explanation, it's waiting for Microsoft's acquisition of the company to be finalized, which is expected to happen within this month."As we continue to work toward regulatory approval of the Microsoft deal, we've been getting some questions whether our upcoming and recently launched games will be available via Game Pass," the gaming giant wrote. It added that it expects to start working with Xbox and add its titles to the Game Pass service once the deal closes, and that the process would begin "sometime in the course of next year."Microsoft first announced that it was buying Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion in early 2022 and that it was hoping to close the deal by June 2023. However, several regulators moved to block the purchase over concerns that it would harm competition and stifle innovation. The European Commission rubberstamped the acquisition in May with the condition that Microsoft offers its games on other cloud gaming services. Meanwhile, the UK's Competition and Markets Authority blocked the deal until the companies promised to sell "cloud streaming rights for all current and new Activision Blizzard PC and console games released over the next 15 years to Ubisoft Entertainment... in perpetuity." In the US, courts denied the Federal Trade Commission's (FTC) request to issue an injunction on the purchase. However, the FTC announced in September that it plans to restart its in-house trial against the acquisition.

Google has successfully convinced a California federal judge that it did not infringe on Sonos' multi-room audio patents. As Reuters reports, US District Judge William Alsup has thrown out a previous verdict that slapped the tech giant with a $32.5 million fine for infringing on patents held by Sonos related to managing groups of speakers.The judge explained that Sonos' patents for the lawsuit "ostensibly descended from [a] 2006 provisional application." However, the company apparently didn't file the applications for the patents in question until 2019, and it didn't roll out the technology to its own products until 2020. That's years after Google, in 2014, presented Sonos with a plan to use multi-room audio technology while exploring a collaboration.Since Sonos connected its patents to a 2006 provisional application, they appeared to have predated Google's products. But Judge Alsup said that the early application failed to disclose the actual invention, and that in 2019, Sonos amended the specification of its patent application to insert new matter. "This was not a case of an inventor leading the industry to something new," Alsup wrote in his decision. "This was a case of the industry leading with something new and, only then, an inventor coming out of the woodwork to say that he had come up with the idea first - wringing fresh claims to read on a competitor's products from an ancient application."Sonos sued Google in federal court in early 2020, accusing it of violating five of its speaker patents. Patrick Spence, the company's CEO, said back then that Google had been "blatantly and knowingly" duping Sonos tech and refusing to cooperate on a "mutually beneficial solution." Earlier this year, a California federal jury had ruled that Google did infringe on a patent Sonos holds and ordered the tech giant to pay $32.5 million in penalty. Alsup also served as the judge for those proceedings, but in his newer decision, he said "trial brought to light what happened here."In a statement, a Sonos spokesperson told Reuters that the new ruling was "wrong on both the facts and the law." Based on that, Sonos is clearly not going to accept the newer verdict: The spokesperson said that the company is planning to appeal the decision.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/judge-tosses-out-325-million-fine-against-google-in-sonos-lawsuit-062238869.html?src=rss