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It's not hard to understand why Lego sets are some of the most sought-after gifts for the holidays. We're big fans of the building blocks here at Engadget, and we know they make particularly good gifts this time of year. Whether it's a Super Mario starter set or a mammoth Star Wars collectible, there are dozens of Lego sets to consider shopping for right now - be it for yourself or for someone on your gift list. And no, you don't have to spend a fortune to get a good set as some come in at $50 or less. These are the best Black Friday deals on Lego sets you can get this year.Most of these deals are on Amazon, but you can find the same (or similar) pricing direct at Lego and other retailers like Target.The highlights for Black Friday include a couple of Lego advent calendars: one for Disney fans and another that's more general for all kids. Lego makes a bunch of other advent calendars in addition to these, and we expect to see more of them go on sale in the coming days.There's also the beautiful Insect Collection, which when completed, includes three life-size, posable models of a butterfly, Hercules beetle and Chinese mantis. Even as someone who detests bun appreciate the elegance of this set and how striking they'd look sitting on a shelf.Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter sets have been discounted as well. For example, this Star Wars set recreates the "boarding the Tantive IV" scene from Star Wars: A New Hope in which the Rebels battle Darth Vader and his Stormtroopers. This Super Mario expansion set includes a brick-built Bowser and his muscle car, and once complete, you can pull the lever on the car to make its hood ornament move. We'll be updating this post through the entire Black Friday and Cyber Monday time period, so check back for the latest offers.Black Friday Lego deals

The satellite-to-phone service T-Mobile and Starlink first announced back in 2022 has gotten a lot closer to deployment. As SpaceNews and Reuters report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has granted the companies conditional approval to provide T-Mobile subscribers coverage using Starlink satellites in locations that can't be reached by the carrier's network. Specifically, the FCC has given them permission to use up to 7,500 second-generation Starlink satellites for the service, as long as they do not interfere with other networks.The commission has deferred on deciding whether to allow Starlink to increase its satellites' radio emission power in order to be able to provide real-time voice and video calls. From the very start, though, the companies intended to launch the service with messaging capabilities before expanding it until it can offer data and voice. When the companies introduced the project, T-Mobile CEO Mike Sievert said they were envisioning a future wherein you're connected on your mobile phone as long as you have a view of the sky, even if you're in the middle of the ocean. By providing subscribers with supplemental coverage from space, they'll still be able to stay in touch with loved ones - or ask for help in case of emergencies - from far flung locations cell towers don't typically reach."The FCC is actively promoting competition in the space economy by supporting more partnerships between terrestrial mobile carriers and satellite operators to deliver on a single network future that will put an end to mobile dead zones," said FCC Chairperson Jessica Rosenworcel.While the companies announced their teamup back in 2022, the commission only set a regulatory framework for supplemental coverage from space (SCS) services in March this year. Those rules are meant to ensure that satellite-to-phone services wouldn't affect the quality of 4G and 5G networks. AT&T previously raised concerns that T-Mobile's and Starlink's service, in its proposed state, could interfere with existing wireless services. The carrier also has plans for satellite services of its own in partnership with AST SpaceMobile and said it intends "to provide the demonstrations necessary to show that they will not cause interference to any authorized terrestrial system."T-Mobile and Starlink sent and received the first text messages using the technology back in January. In the months that followed, the FCC had given them permission to enable satellite texting in certain locations so that people could stay connected in hurricane-hit areas.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/t-mobile-and-spacexs-satellite-to-phone-service-gets-fcc-approval-134501756.html?src=rss

Earlier this year OpenAI unveiled Sora, a text-to-video AI model, showing off detailed scenes and complex camera motion from relatively simple prompts. It's been radio silence since then, but the company recently granted artists free early access to the tool for testing. However, a group off around 20 of those just leaked access to Sora in protest, saying they were acting as "PR puppets," prompting OpenAI to suspend access, The Washington Post reported."We received access to Sora with the promise to be early testers, red teamers and creative partners. However, we believe instead we are being lured into 'art washing' to tell the world that Sora is a useful tool for artists," the group wrote on the AI art repository site, Hugging Face.Pointing out that OpenAI recently hit a $150 billion evaluation, they noted that artists have been providing unpaid testing and feedback. The group also noted that all Sora-generated content needed to be approved by OpenAI, making it "less about creative expression... and more about PR and advertisement." The group then said it had released the tool to let anyone play with it, saying it hopes that OpenAI will "support the arts beyond PR stunts."In response, OpenAI shut down early Sora access after just three hours while it looks into the situation. "Hundreds of artists in our alpha have shaped Sora's development, helping prioritize new features and safeguards," OpenAI spokesperson Niko Felix wrote in a message to The Post. Participation is voluntary, with no obligation to provide feedback or use the tool." Another artist in the program, Andre Allen Anjos, chimed in as well saying that the protest artists' stance didn't reflect the views of most artists in the program.Though Sora isn't yet widely available, the tool has been scrutinized over its training materials. In March, OpenAI CTO Mira Murati said she wasn't sure if Sora took training data from YouTube or other video platforms. The next month, YouTube's CEO specifically warned OpenAI that training models on its videos was against its terms of service.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-suspends-access-to-sora-video-generation-tool-after-artists-protest-133015289.html?src=rss

A four-pack of Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 trackers is on sale at Amazon for only $60. This Black Friday deal represents a 41 percent discount and brings this particular combo pack down to a record low price. Bluetooth trackers make excellent stocking stuffers for the folks in your life who might be a bit more forgetful than they'd like to admit. These are a top pick in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, and with good reason. They are the perfect companion accessory to Samsung phones. The finding network is vast and the battery life is fantastic. These trackers will stay powered on for up to 500 days, or even longer with Power Saving Mode enabled. We also appreciate the simple, yet aesthetically pleasing, design. There's an actual hole for keychains, which is something Apple AirTags lack. These trackers are IP67-rated for water and dust-resistance. This means that the unit is protected from dust that's larger than 1mm in diameter and that it can be submerged in water up to one meter deep for up to 30 minutes. Just don't throw it in a lake and you should be good to go. The four-pack includes two white tags and two black tags, for a little yin and yang action. There's not really a serious downside here for Samsung users. However, there's a major caveat for everyone else. The SmartTag2 trackers only work with Samsung phones and tablets. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-a-four-pack-of-samsung-galaxy-smarttag2-trackers-for-60-194307904.html?src=rss

Whether that special person on your gift list is a photographer or content creator, a camera or accessory is always highly appreciated. And with technology in areas like autofocus and video quality constantly improving, it's a great time to own a new camera. However, it can be confusing to sort through the latest models or find the best memory cards, backpacks, tripods and more. Fortunately, we've done the research and selected the best cameras at a wide range of prices, along with accessories that will help your loved one get the most out of their gear. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/best-gifts-for-photographers-and-videographers-140040483.html?src=rss

Another legal complication may have surfaced in The Onion's bid to buy the Infowars empire from bankrupt conspiracy media mogul Alex Jones. X filed a limited objection to the transfer of Infowars' X accounts to the satirical media empire in a federal Bankruptcy Court on Monday.The objection claims that X Corporation's terms of service states the Trustee cannot sell, assign or otherwise transfer such license absent X Corp.'s consent," according to court records.X Corporation cites its own Terms of Service (TOS) agreement in its objection. The TOS states accounts cannot be transferred, gifted, sold or assigned to other parties "without X's express written consent."Because the X accounts are governed by the TOS, the TOS make clear that X accounts are X Corp.'s exclusive property," according to X's court filing.Jones' assets including the Infowars website went into a liquidation auction earlier this month to raise money for the nearly $1.5 billion in damages he accrued in civil trials brought by the family members of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. Jones was found liable for spreading rumors about the victims' family members that the Sandy Hook shooting was staged as a false flag attack.The Onion's parent company Global Tetrahedron stepped in to purchase the Infowars site after receiving permission from the families to accept a lower bid and forgo a portion of the sale to pay Jones' other creditors. Onion CEO Ben Collins announced the deal on his Bluesky account as well as the newspaper's plans to turn Infowars.com into a very funny, very stupid website."US Bankruptcy Judge Christopher Lopez halted the deal calling for an evidentiary hearing to review the auction process. The auction's trustee Christopher Murray said in court that Global Tetrahedron's bid was not the highest offered but the sale price included a legal clause citing its deal with the families. The Associated Press reported Monday that Lopez will hear arguments on the trustee's sale of Infowars to The Onion on December 9 or 17 in order to ensure a fair and transparent process."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/x-says-the-onion-cant-have-alex-jones-infowars-accounts-000006993.html?src=rss

Microsoft has quietly announced the end of an era, with the Xbox Avatar Editor going away early next year. "Due to low engagement and our shift in focus towards delivering other player experiences, the Xbox Avatar Editor app will no longer be available starting on January 9, 2025," the company wrote in its FAQ about the feature.The latest approach to personalizing avatars launched in 2018. The Xbox Avatar Editor allowed players to customize cartoon versions of themselves with both a free and purchased library of cosmetics. The options gave a lot of room for diversity and personal expression, so that you really could create a clear likeness of yourself, or whatever self you wanted to show to the Xbox community. Microsoft said it will refund players for Xbox Avatar Editor purchases made between November 1, 2023 and the app's end date.Microsoft introduced avatars to player accounts back in the Xbox 360 era. These Xbox Original Avatars will not be impacted by the editor app's departure; they'll continue to appear for players using those old school images as well as on Xbox 360 hardware.If you created an avatar that you want to preserve as your profile photo on the Xbox into the future, you can use the Avatar Editor app until the shutdown date to save a picture to your account. The Xbox support forums have a full explainer on how to create or upload your profile photo.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/microsoft-is-taking-away-the-xbox-avatar-editor-233712034.html?src=rss

Japan's Fair Trade Commission has conducted a raid on Amazon over antitrust concerns. "There is a suspicion that Amazon Japan is forcing sellers to cut prices in an irrational way," an unnamed source told Reuters.Amazon Japan received an on-site inspection by the regulator today to explore whether the retailer gives better product placement in search results to sellers who offer lower prices. Additional reporting in The Japan Times suggested that this inquiry is focused on Amazon's Buy Box program, which puts recommended items more prominently in front of online shoppers. The publication said that in addition to demanding "competitive pricing," sellers were allegedly required to use Amazon's in-house services, such as those for logistics and payment collection, to qualify for Buy Box placement.The Japanese FTC has not released an official statement about the inquiry. Amazon Japan's comment to Engadget on the situation states, "We are cooperating fully with the authorities."Amazon has also been questioned about anti-competitive behavior around the world. Stateside, both the Fair Trade Commission and the Attorney General of Washington DC have raised similar concerns about Amazon's practices. The company is also expected to face an antitrust investigation in the European Union next year.Update, November 26, 2024, 6:17PM ET: Updated to add comment from Amazon Japan.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/amazon-japan-hit-with-a-raid-over-antitrust-concerns-191558080.html?src=rss

Bloomberg reports that Uber has started farming out independent contractors for data-labeling services as well as coders-for-hire.Uber describes its new Scaled Solutions division as a platform of analysts, testers and independent data operators," according to the company's website. Scaled Solutions began life as an internal team, handling large-scale annotation tasks" for Uber's other services. Now it's been expanded to provide coders and data labelers for outside companies like Pokemon Go developer Niantic Inc. and the self-driving trucking software firm Aurora Innovations. Aurora acquired Uber's self-driving Advanced Technologies Group (ATG) unit in 2020 and Uber is one of Aurora's investors.Uber started recruiting workers this month for its Scaled Solutions division from India, the US, Canada, Poland and Nicaragua. Scaled Solutions also posted some corporate openings for positions in San Francisco, New York and Chicago. According to an onboarding FAQ reviewed by Bloomberg, contractor pay is distributed monthly and totals are based on the tasks that contractors complete. The company did not reveal any specific rates to Bloomberg for its new crop of freelance employees.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/ubers-latest-gig-economy-play-is-offering-out-coders-for-hire-215036314.html?src=rss

The US Fair Trade Commission published a paper that found 89 percent of connected devices do not detail how long the item will receive software support. The study examined product websites looking for specifics about how long the company expected to support the device. Within the 11 percent of product sites that shared this information, the review found cases with ambiguous language as well as inconsistencies in where dates were displayed. As a secondary test, the researchers conducted basic Google searches for information about support dates and couldn't quickly find answers for 67 percent of the devices."Consumers stand to lose a lot of money if their smart products stop delivering the features they want," said Samuel Levine, director of the Bureau of Consumer Protection at the FTC. "When shopping for smart devices, consumers should ask questions and consider how long their product will last."The 89 percent figure sounds like a pretty damning rate, but there is a major caveat to this research. The FTC only looked at 184 products, and they fell across a huge range of categories. The review excluded laptops, personal computers, tablets and automobiles, but any other "connected device" was covered. So while the real percentages are likely hazier than this report suggests, the FTC's point about considering ongoing product support is still a good one.It's becoming more common for smartphone manufacturers to say upfront how long they'll support the device; for instance, Samsung will keep the S24 line updated for seven years. The wave of right to repair laws that have been passed in a few states, most recently in California, could also point toward longer lifespans for hardware. However, that practice clearly hasn't spread to all personal and home tech. Today's paper from the FTC doesn't advise any action on the topic, but it does highlight a need to set expectations around how and when companies will offer support for their software-driven products.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/ftc-warns-that-companies-dont-disclose-how-long-connected-devices-will-be-supported-212432111.html?src=rss

Noble Audio just announced pending availability of its most advanced earbuds yet. The FoKus Rex5 earbuds manage to cram a whole lot of tech into a small package, with a $450 price tag to prove it. First of all, Noble has installed five drivers into each earbud. This is likely the first time that's ever been done, as the idea of cramming multiple drivers into a tiny earbud is a relatively new concept. Noble's own FoKus Prestige earbuds include three drivers, but certainly not five. Noble Audio The FoKus Rex5 earbuds include a dynamic driver, a planar driver and three balanced armature drivers to extend the frequency range. The company says this particular combination creates an impressive soundstage that effortlessly delivers rich, full bass, detailed mid-tones, and crystal-clear highs across an extended frequency range of 20Hz to 40kHz." For the uninitiated, planar drivers provide a more accurate signal through the treble and mid ranges. Dynamic drivers have the power to move a whole lot of air, resulting in an improved bass response. The company's recently-released FoKus Apollo headphones also combine these two types of drivers. These earbuds integrate with a proprietary app and Audiodo's personalization software. This lets people create a custom EQ setting based on their hearing, which is then actually uploaded to the earbuds. Of course, the Rex5 buds offer active noise cancellation and multiple transparency modes. Noble Audio As for connectivity, the Rex5 earbuds use Bluetooth 5.4 with Multipoint. They're also equipped with both aptX Adaptive and LDAC hi-res codecs, along with AAC and SBC. The company says customers should expect five hours of use per charge with ANC on and seven hours when it's off. The earbuds come with a charging case that can power an additional 40 hours of use, with a quick charge feature. The case is also green to match the buds. Noble Audio's FoKus Rex5 earbuds are available for preorder right now, with shipments beginning on November 29. As previously mentioned, they cost $450, which is $200 more than Apple's top-of-the-line AirPods Pro 2. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/noble-audio-announces-its-most-advanced-earbuds-yet-with-five-drivers-per-ear-193352556.html?src=rss

Threads just announced that it has experienced significant growth throughout November, to the tune of 35 million signups. A platform spokesperson told Engadget that the social media app has received more than a million signups every single day for the past three months. To that end, Instagram CEO Adam Mosseri announced 15 million signups for November in the middle of the month. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently informed investors that the app had over 275 million monthly active users.There's one likely reason Threads is crowing like this. Rival social media app Bluesky has been rapidly growing and snagging a whole lot of positive press. However, it's worth noting that Bluesky just passed the 20 million user mark, which my advanced math skills tell me is much lower than 275 million. Threads garnered 20 million users in around a day after launching, though it has the entire weight of Meta behind it, and both Facebook and Instagram display posts from the app to pull in new users. Bluesky basically has word of mouth and a collective seething hatred of X

There are a bunch of Black Friday deals on PlayStation products, but here's one that was perhaps a little unexpected. The PS5 Access controller has dropped to $59, which is a record low price. It's slightly over a third off the list price of $90. Sony created this controller to make the PlayStation 5 more accessible to a wider group of players. It released the Access controller last December. The Access controller comes with 19 button caps and three stick caps to help players find a configuration that works best for them. A button cap that takes up two sockets might be a better fit for someone compared with the standard one, for instance. There are 23 swappable tags for the button caps to help players identify which input they've mapped to each button. In addition, there are four 3.5mm aux ports, into which players can plug external buttons, switches and other accessories. It's possible to create as many as 30 profiles with different button and stick settings. Buttons can be disabled to avoid accidental presses too. Meanwhile, there's the option to pair up to two Access controllers and a standard DualSense together as one virtual controller. That way, as many as three people could control the same character, meaning that loved ones and caregivers can offer some direct assistance to those playing the games. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-ps5-access-controller-is-on-sale-in-a-black-friday-playstation-deal-174747478.html?src=rss

Black Friday deals offer opportunities to pick up holiday gifts for less but also treat-yourself items you've been eyeing. One of our favorite gadgets that falls under that category is the Ninja Creami, a favorite kitchen gadget of ours that scored a 90 in our review. Ninja Black Friday deals seem to already be in full swing because you can grab the ice cream maker for $50 off right now, for a final price of $180. That's not too far away from its record low price, making it a solid deal. While it isn't quite the season for ice cream in North America, there's never truly a bad time to enjoy it. This is a more compact ice cream machine than many other household models. The Ninja Creami is very easy to use as well, since it operates in a similar way to a food processor. You'll need to make a liquid ice cream base and then freeze it, ideally for 24 hours. You can then use the machine to blend in flavors. Cleaning up is a cinch if you have a dishwasher, since everything aside from the machine component is safe to place alongside your dishes on the racks. On the downside, it is a rather noisy machine. We estimate that the volume is somewhere between that of a food processor and a countertop blender running at full speed. It's fairly tall too at 16 inches, so you'll want to make sure you have enough space for the Ninja Creami before buying it. Otherwise, we have no major complaints, other than the design not being overly attractive. As such, we gave it a score of 90 in our review. The Ninja Creami has seven one-touch programs, but if you'd prefer an 11-in-1 deluxe model, you're in luck: that's on sale too. At $220, it's $30 off. It supports 24 oz tubs that hold 50 percent more ice cream than those in the original Ninja Creami. The Deluxe model also has a dual processing feature. This allows you to add two different mix-in flavors to the same base. So you can, for instance, add sprinkles to the top part and cookies to the bottom. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-the-ninja-creami-ice-cream-maker-for-50-off-203207986.html?src=rss

American EV maker Rivian just announced that it has received a commitment from the US Department of Energy (DOE) for a loan totaling $6.6 billion. This is thanks to the DOE's Advanced Technology Vehicle Manufacturing (ATVM) Loan Program. This includes a principal loan of $6 billion and approximately $600 million of capitalized interest.The company says it will use this money to to accelerate its growth and leadership of electric vehicle design, development and manufacturing in the United States." Rivian fans can guess what that means. The Georgia manufacturing plant is back on the table, after the company halted construction to save money back in March.If finalized, the loan will support continued construction of its manufacturing facility near Social Circle, Georgia. This plant will be used for production of the company's midsize platform," which includes the forthcoming R2 SUV and the absolutely stunning R3/R3X line.Designed, engineered, and built in America to deliver an incredible combination of capability, function, performance, and pricing, Rivian believes its R2 and R3 vehicle lines will be critical drivers in the company's long-term growth and profitability," the company wrote in a press release.Rivian says this will bring around 7,500 operational jobs to the area, along with 2,000 construction jobs. The plant will be able to build 400,000 vehicles each year, which will support Rivian's continuing expansion both in America and in foreign markets. The current plan is for the facility to be built in two phases, with phase one (accounting for 200,000 vehicles per year) going live in 2028.This will not impact the manufacturing output of the company's current plant in Normal, Illinois. However, that facility is reportedly not the safest place to work, so maybe it could stand to slow things down a bit.

If you didn't know, Tencent (which is, among other things, the world's biggest video game vendor) is the one that brought the Nintendo Switch to China in 2019. These Chinese versions of the console have access to fewer games, and they also can't connect with consoles from outside China. Before long, these consoles will get significantly less useful: Nintendo announced that owners won't be able to buy any games from the eShop starting March 31, 2026. Downloads and code redemption services will end on May 15, 2026.Fortunately, all other online features won't be affected, and Nintendo is throwing in a bonus for owners. Between November 27, 2024 and March 31, 2026, all verified Chinese Nintendo Switch consoles can use WeChat to redeem up to four games, including Mario: Kart 8 Deluxe, Kirby: Star Allies, Pokemon: Let's Go, Pikachu! and Pokemon: Let's Go, Eevee!Just in case you're looking to get a cheap Chinese Switch for games, you likely won't be able to buy or redeem any in the first place. You'll need WeChat Pay from China to buy games, and most non-China residents don't have access to the mainland version of the service.There isn't a concrete reason given for this decision. According to Reuters, it's likely due to how Chinese gamers are opting for international versions of the Nintendo Switch. It may or may not be related to the upcoming Switch 2 console, which we won't hear about until next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-chinese-version-of-the-nintendo-switch-wont-be-able-to-access-the-eshop-in-2026-163246531.html?src=rss

Black Friday deals have come for Blink security devices, including the new-this-year Blink Mini 2. You can snag a two pack of the updated, wired security cameras for only $35, which is half off and $5 less than you'd usually pay for just one of them. That's a record low - and cheap enough to qualify as a stocking stuffer. There are a bunch of other Blink devices on sale right now as well, including the Blink Video Doorbell, which is also half off and down to $30. The compact security camera has color night vision capabilities thanks to its built-in LED spotlight. It supports person detection, although you'll need a Blink Subscription for that. They start at $3 monthly or $30 annually for one device. (And you get a 30-day trial to see if it's worth it.) The camera supports 1080p HD live view and has a wider field of view than its predecessor (143 degrees diagonally vs. 110 in the original). It also has a low-light image sensor. The Blink Mini 2 works with Alexa and supports two-way audio. The plug-in camera works indoors and out, but you'll need a $10 weather-resistant power adapter to use it outside. However, it does include mounting screws in the box, along with a 13-ft indoor power adapter and a stand for each camera. You can order the camera in black or white. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/black-friday-2024-deal-a-two-pack-of-blink-mini-2-cameras-is-on-sale-for-only-35-140009849.html?src=rss

Google is running a short test in Germany, Belgium and Estonia that removes more detailed results from Google Search when users look for hotels and lodgings in these countries. Results will instead appear in a simple blue link" that older users may recall from years past. The primary reason behind this test is pressure from the European Union, which is calling for more Google compliance with the Digital Markets Act (DMA).According to a blog post, Google has been working hard over the past year with the European Commission and various industries, particularly hotels, airlines and small retailers. The company claims these three business types are experiencing 30 percent less traffic due to changes to comply further with the DMA. However, comparison sites are asking for more. For the uninitiated, comparison sites gather various results for users to pick between.Therefore, Google is now proposing three more changes to Search. The main change is expanded and equally formatted units" that let users choose between comparison sites or supplier websites. This change only applies to searches for products, hotels, flights and restaurants.Another change is new formatting that allows comparison sites to show more information when they appear in Google Search, such as pictures and prices. The final change is the introduction of new ad units for comparison sites.TechCrunch received a statement from the European Commission regarding the enforcement of DMA. Lea Zuber, an EU spokesperson, didn't say much besides confirming that they're assessing Google's compliance proposals."The hotel-specific test is temporary, but Google still says it's very reluctant" to do so, as these changes and more will hurt Google and businesses in Europe. The tech giant is trying to balance trade-offs and find a solution where both the law, European consumers and businesses, and the company will be happy.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-is-testing-plan-blue-link-search-results-for-hotels-in-a-few-european-countries-155417020.html?src=rss

With launch of its Mate 70 and foldable Mate X6 smartphones, Huawei unveiled its latest mobile OS that it says no longer uses any Android open-source code, Bloomberg reported. HarmonyOS Next was supposedly built entirely in-house as part of Huawei's plans to do build a platform entirely free of major US tech sources, both for hardware and software.The Mate 70 series arrives in China on December 4 as follow up to the Mate 60. The latter model was also significant as it was the first Huawei smartphone to use a processor that was fully made in China, showing the company could get around US trade restrictions. However, Huawei will be limited to 7-nanometer tech for the next couple of years, while rival Apple is getting ready to move to 2-nanometer chips.Having in-house chips and software has long been Huawei's aim. The company first announced its own operating system way back in 2012, anticipating that partners like Google "won't let us use their system[s] one day." Seven years later the company confirmed that it did have a homemade operating system later revealed as HarmonyOS. That still used a lot of open-source Android code, but Huawei says the latest version is fully Android-free.Despite the company's claims of in-house chip manufacturing, it was discovered recently that TSMC chips were possibly shipped illegally to Huawei via a third-party company. The US imposed trade restrictions on Huawei in the first place after it tried to steal trade secrets from T-Mobile and bypass Iran sanctions.Huawei said that the new OS still needs several months of refinement to improve the user experience, but the aim is to install it on all future smartphones. The Mate 70 models will start at $760 for the 6.7-inch edition and go up for the pro models, with Huawei promising a 40 percent performance bump, partially due to the new OS.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/huawei-launches-its-android-free-os-133021431.html?src=rss

DJI hasn't finished yet with its busy 2024, as it just announced the Mic Mini wireless microphone system. The company took most of the characteristics of the popular Mic 2 and shrunk it down considerably, while also making it much more affordable. The Mic Mini consists of a receiver and one or two transmitters with built-in microphones. To use it, you just affix the mics to your subject, either via a clip or magnetic attachment, and turn them on. Then, power up the receiver and connect it to your camera via a 3.5mm cable. Everything pairs automatically, and the final step is to adjust your levels using the dial on the side. Steve Dent for Engadget The mics feature omnidirectional recording and the receiver can work with two of them at once, either to separate channels or mixed together. If you use it with the DJI Mimo app, you can record backup audio at 6db lower than the main track to avoid any clipping issues. Audio can be transmitted up to 400 meters (1,300 feet) and DJI says it provides stable audio even in busy electronic environments thanks to the anti-interference tech. The Mic Mini is part of DJI's OsmoAudio ecosystem, so the transmitters can connect to other DJI devices like the Osmo Action 5 Pro, Osmo Action 4 or Osmo Pocket 3 without a receiver to simplify workflow. It also connects directly to smartphones via Bluetooth, again with no receiver required (if you want to use multiple mics with your smartphone, there's an optional USB-C adapter for the transmitter). It's available in a kit with a charging case that keeps everything in one place and provides 48 hours of extended use when fully charged. DJI The main feature missing that can be found on the more expensive Mic 2 is a 3.5mm port on the transmitters for an external microphone. The Mic Mini also lacks the Mic 2's internal 32-bit float recording that eliminates clipping. I've used the system for a short while and the microphones are the smallest and lightest I've seen yet and are relatively discreet apart from the DJI logo (which is nothing a piece of black tape won't fix). They're easy to attach with the magnetic clips and don't flop around like the Mic 2 or other larger wireless mics on loose clothing (t-shirts etc.) because they're so light at 10 grams. I used them for two videos and they offered crisp sound across all frequencies - in fact, I couldn't tell the difference between the Mic Mini and Mic 2 by ear. DJI I also tested the Mic Mini with an Android smartphone, iPad and DJI's Action 5 camera, and it worked flawlessly. You can use the DJI Fly app to connect to a Neo drone and benefit from the noise reduction, much as you can with the Mic 2. The Mic Mini arrives shortly after Sennheiser launched its $299 Profile Wireless Mic, though that product competes more closely with the DJI Mic 2 (and lacks a Bluetooth transmitter). Another option is the $150 Rode Wireless Micro, which only works with smartphones and not cameras. For creators, the most interesting part of the Mic Mini is bound to be the price. For a one receiver and one transmitter, you'll pay just $89, and a full kit with a charging case, two transmitters, a receiver, cable and wind muffs is $169. It's available at DJI's store, Amazon and elsewhere. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/djis-tiny-mic-mini-offers-high-quality-wireless-sound-recording-starting-at-89-130036583.html?src=rss

While the PlayStation Portal offered a way to play PS5 games remotely, it wasn't a standalone handheld. In fact, it's been about 14 years since the PS Vita appeared, and now, according to a report from Bloomberg, the company is developing another portable console able to play games on device, as well as any cloud-based/ remote play tricks.The report cites unnamed sources, and Sony isn't commenting. But since Nintendo's Switch proved there's still an appetite for handheld consoles, the boom in handheld PCs, like the Steamdeck, might have inspired a second look.As the report notes, smartphones (augmented by controller peripherals) dominate mobile gaming and prove there's plenty of appetite for gaming on the move.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

Humanoid Origin will be shutting down. The three-year-old indie gaming studio, helmed by former BioWare GM and Mass Effect creator Casey Hudson, is the latest casualty in a brutal stretch for game developers and other industry professionals.In the LinkedIn post announcing the closure, Humanoid Origin said its efforts to shield its team from the industry's woes fell short. An unexpected shortfall of funding left us unable to sustain operations," the studio wrote.Hudson formed the studio (then called Humanoid Studios) in 2021 when industry hiring was picking up steam after COVID lockdowns had lifted. He described the startup as a means to unleash the creative freedom of developers" by bringing innovation and artistry to players through an all-new IP." Its website celebrated content built around interactive worlds, characters and storytelling while embracing innovation that feels magical."Humanoid OriginThe following year, the studio said it was working on a multi-platform AAA game in an all-new science-fiction universe." IGN noted on Monday that Humanoid Origin was hiring as recently as May of this year.We're heartbroken that we will not be able to bring our new science-fiction universe to completion," the studio wrote today. Our main concern at this time however is for our team, and we are committed to supporting them in their transition to new employment."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/mass-effect-creators-new-studio-is-shutting-down-after-three-years-212102929.html?src=rss

Tame Impala's Kevin Parker just announced a musical instrument called Orchid. It's a nifty-looking chord machine with some modern bells and whistles. For the uninitiated, a chord machine is a device or plugin that allows users to simplify the process of playing chords.To that end, Orchid lets players initiate full melodic chords by pressing a note on the tiny one-octave keybed. They can be manipulated by using a handful of buttons on the left. Holding down one of these buttons while playing a key changes the chord in all kinds of ways, like transforming something from a major to a minor.There are a handful of sounds to choose from, and some emulate playing chords on a stringed instrument across multiple octaves. The internal FX and arpeggiator allow for even more unique compositions. Orchid is battery-powered and boasts dual built-in speakers for portable play sessions. The creators are calling it an ideas machine" and, yeah, that tracks. Most chord machines I've fooled around with have been tied to a computer or instrument via MIDI and this one works standalone.I would be remiss if I also didn't mention the attractive design, which was whipped up by co-creator Ignacio Germade. This thing has retro-futuristic vibes to spare. It looks very pretty and I want to stare at it lovingly.Orchid is the first device launched by Telepathic Instruments, a company founded by Parker, Germade and others. There will be just 1,000 of these little beauties available for purchase this December. The initial rollout is being described as a beta test of sorts, with the company saying that these owners will have the chance to shape and refine" the design before a wider release. It costs $550. That's a lot of money for a chord machine but, again, it's standalone and is particularly easy on the eyes.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/tame-impalas-kevin-parker-just-announced-a-retro-futuristic-musical-instrument-called-orchid-193219134.html?src=rss

Instagram spruced up its DM features on Monday. You can now share your live location with friends, handy for meetups at concerts or other crowded places. The social platform also now lets you add nicknames in one-on-one or group chats, and there are over 300 new stickers to share in DMs.You can turn on the new location-sharing feature for up to one hour. It only displays to people in your private DMs (one-on-one or group), and locations can't be forwarded to anyone outside the designated chat. The feature is off by default, and you'll see a You are sharing your location" indicator at the top of every message thread where you enable it. You can also stop sharing it manually anytime.InstagramNicknames let you add aliases for yourself or friends inside DMs. Share an inside joke with a nickname, or simplify lengthy usernames so your friends are easier to recognize," Instagram's announcement blog post suggests.The nicknames only appear in your DMs, not anywhere else on the platform. You can pick or swap out your nickname anytime and choose which friends in a chat have permission to change yours. To create a moniker, tap on the chat name at the top of your conversation, select Nicknames" and choose the username you want to change.Finally, Instagram added 17 new sticker packs for DMs, making over 300 new ones available. You can favorite the stickers you like, including those your friends share.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-dms-have-a-new-location-sharing-feature-185959274.html?src=rss

Spotify just announced that it's begun rolling out a new Recents" page that keeps tabs on everything you've been listening to. This section of the app will hold onto content for up to 90 days and integrates with music, podcasts and even audiobooks. The page also keeps an eye on saved content.The platform says this should be useful for picking up a paused podcast, finding last week's earworm or finally playing that saved album or audiobook." This page replaces the Listening History" tab and will work for both free and Premium subscribers.All you have to do is tap on your profile picture, open the sidebar and click on Recents. Everything will be listed in chronological order, but there are some available filters to help winnow down the search. Spotify also says users will be able to find this page by scrolling through the home feed. The tool releases today for iOS and Android, but could take a while before it reaches every user throughout the globe.

Meta's Threads is pushing out another test that could address a major long-running complaint about the service. The company is experimenting with allowing users to set the non-algorithmic following" feed as the default, Mark Zuckerberg shared in a post.The change, according to Zuckerberg, will allow users to select any feed as their default, including the newly announced custom feeds. But longtime Threads users will likely be relieved to finally have the ability to make following" their default view. Up until now, Meta has pushed users to its for you" algorithmic feed, which has long been criticized for its problems with engagement bait and its uncanny ability to push a mix of bizarre posts from total strangers to the top of users' feedsAs part of the test, Meta will also make the ability to change your feed more visible" in the app. Zuckerberg didn't share how many users would be part of the test or how long it might take for the feature to become official. Interested to see how and if people use this," he wrote.The update is the latest in a series of changes Meta has pushed over the last couple of weeks as it has faced surging growth from rival Bluesky. Bluesky, which has seen an influx of new users since the election, defaults to a feed of content from accounts you follow and doesn't have a centralized algorithmic feed, though it's had custom feeds for more than a year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-latest-test-will-finally-let-you-make-the-following-feed-the-default-180857332.html?src=rss

Anker makes some of our favorite charging gear, and one such item that's great for travelers is deeply discounted right now for Black Friday. Anker's 3-in-1 foldable magnetic charging station is 25 percent off and down to a record low of just over $82. It's part of a larger sale on a bunch of Anker gear for the Black Friday and Cyber Monday time period. This charger features on our list of the best Apple Watch accessories. It can simultaneously charge your smartwatch, MagSafe-compatible iPhone and, if you have a wireless charging case, AirPods. It's handy when power outlets are at a premium or you want to keep your nightstand or desk as clutter-free as possible. The MagGo is compact - it's similar in size to Apple's Magic Mouse and weighs 6.9 oz. Anker says it can charge an Apple Watch Series 9 from zero to 47 percent capacity in 30 minutes. The charger comes with a 40W USB-C adapter and a five-foot cable. You can snap up the MagGo as part of a broader sale on Anker devices. There's another good deal on one of the best power banks around. A 3-in-1 model with a 10,000mAh capacity (enough to fully charge an iPhone 15 nearly twice over) has dropped to $36, but only for Prime members. That's a $9 discount. The charger has a built-in AC plug and USB-C cable. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-anker-3-in-1-foldable-magnetic-charger-is-down-to-a-record-low-price-for-black-friday-155939001.html?src=rss

The Department of Commerce has finalized federal funding for two more recipients under the CHIPS and Science Act. One of those is Rocket Lab, which has secured up to $23.9 million in funding to boost production of space-grade solar cells that power satellites and spacecraft.The company, which launched its 200th satellite to orbit over the weekend, will use the money to upgrade its manufacturing plant in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The funding will create more than 100 jobs and the goal is to beef up Rocket Lab's compound semiconductor production by 50 percent within the next three years. The Commerce Department says this will "meet the growing national security and commercial demand for these solar cells in the United States."Rocket Lab's solar cells are vital components of many of the country's space programs. They're found on the James Webb Space Telescope, Ingenuity Mars Helicopter and Mars Insight Lander. The solar cells are also used in NASA's Artemis missions, as well as in commercial satellites. Rocket Lab, one of only two US companies that make space-grade solar cells, agreed to preliminary terms for the funding in June.Defense contractor BAE Systems will also get funding of up to $35.5 million to drastically speed up the timeline of a modernization project. According to the Department of Commerce, BAE will replace "aging tools" and quadruple its supply of chips for key US defense programs, such as F-35 fighter jets.The department will provide the funding to the two companies as they complete various project milestones. To date, the Department of Commerce has allocated over $10 billion of the $36 billion in funding that was earmarked under the CHIPS and Science Act to bolster domestic semiconductor manufacturing.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/space/rocket-lab-gets-up-to-239-million-in-chips-funding-for-space-grade-solar-cells-155932062.html?src=rss

Amazon is marking down a slew of its products for Black Friday and that includes its streaming devices. Currently, the Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $33 from $60 - a 45 percent discount that brings it to a new all-time low price. This device is Amazon's most powerful streaming stick, supporting a 4K Ultra HD display, with an enhanced Alexa Voice Remote and Wi-Fi 6E support. You can, of course, use it to access Amazon Prime Video, along with Netflix, Disney+ and all your favorite streamers. While the Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a good option for streaming, we also use it for something a bit different: playing retro games. Our senior reporter Jeff Dunn bought one to play games from the PS1, Game Boy, Genesis, old arcade games and more. He finds it works much better than having to lug around any bigger devices. However, using your Fire TV Stick 4K Max to play old games requires a bit of setup so, if you're interested in trying it, may I direct you to Dunn's helpful guide here. Amazon's Fire TV Cube is also discounted as part of a larger sale on Fire TV devices for Black Friday. Right now, you can pick up the streaming device for 29 percent off, dropping to $100 from $140. The Cube is your pick if you want access to ethernet and hands-free use with Alexa. It's more powerful than the 4K Max, but, for the price difference, it's a tough call if it's worth it. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-bring-the-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-down-to-a-record-low-of-33-on-amazon-140334469.html?src=rss

NVIDIA has debuted a new experimental generative AI model, which it describes as "a Swiss Army knife for sound." The model called Foundational Generative Audio Transformer Opus 1, or Fugatto, can take commands from text prompts and use them to create audio or to modify existing music, voice and sound files. It was designed by a team of AI researchers from around the world, and NVIDIA says that made the model's "multi-accent and multilingual capabilities stronger.""We wanted to create a model that understands and generates sound like humans do," said Rafael Valle, one of the researchers behind the project and a manager of applied audio research at NVIDIA. The company listed some possible real-world scenarios wherein Fugatto could be of use in its announcement. Music producers, it suggested, could use the technology to quickly generate a prototype for a song idea, which they can then easily edit to try out different styles, voices and instruments.People could use it to generate materials for language learnings tools in the voice of their choice. And video game developers could use it to create variations of pre-recorded assets to fit changes in the game based on the players' choices and actions. In addition, the researchers found that the model can accomplish tasks not part of its pre-training, with some fine-tuning. It could combine instructions that it was trained on separately, such as generating speech that sounds angry with a specific accent or the sound of birds singing during a thunderstorm. The model can generate sounds that change over time, as well, like the pounding of a rainstorm as it moves across the land.NVIDIA didn't say if it will give the public access to Fugatto, but the model isn't the first generative AI technology that can create sounds out of text prompts. Meta previously released an open source AI kit that can create sounds from text descriptions. Google has its own text-to-music AI called MusicLM that people can access through the company's AI Test Kitchen website.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/nvidias-new-ai-model-fugatto-can-create-audio-from-text-prompts-140017297.html?src=rss

A memo spotted by MacRumors indicated Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers will be able to buy speakers as standalone components for the 14-inch and 16-inch M4 MacBook Pro with the M4 family of chips. A source added it'll be an option for repairs on earlier MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon as well.Until now, the speaker repair process entailed replacing the whole top case, including the battery and other parts, which understandably increased the cost. It may not necessarily be a simpler repair - the guide shows a rather involved process - but not having to also replace other parts should shave the price.- Mat SmithGet this delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here!The biggest tech stories you missed

In its heyday, I used the PlayStation Portable (PSP) obsessively, but I haven't been pulled in by other handheld devices - no, not even the Nintendo Switch. That could change in the future as Sony is reportedly developing a new portable console that would offer games directly on-device, Bloomberg reports.Yes, the handheld device will allegedly have games right on the device, so you won't have to invest in a PlayStation 5 (or whatever number we're up to at that point). The news comes from unnamed sources with Sony declining to comment on the possible development.Sony currently offers the $200 PlayStation Portal but, unlike my beloved PSP and the PS Vita, only works for streaming games from your PlayStation. We were not fans when Sony released it last November, giving it only a 68 in our review and found it to be "among the most fickle devices" out there. It's not the best quality picture, even when it and the PS5 have stable Wi-Fi connection.However, we've come to appreciate it over the past year, with some of Engadget's editors really enjoying it. Also, last week Sony started testing cloud streaming on the Portal for PlayStation Plus Premium members. It's a much more reliable connection than in the past and offers over 120 PS5 titles.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-is-reportedly-developing-a-new-portable-console-121417218.html?src=rss

The frustrations of a traditional Wi-Fi router tend to be more noticeable when you live in a larger or busier household. Constant buffering while trying to stream a movie or music cutting out when you want to bust out to some moves using your smart speaker; it's frankly annoying. That's where a mesh Wi-Fi system can make a difference. Unlike traditional Wi-Fi routers, which send a single signal from just one point, a mesh system uses multiple nodes (or satellites) placed around your home to create a more reliable, consistent connection. These nodes work together to blanket your entire space in Wi-Fi, meaning you can say goodbye to dead zones and weak signal strength in certain rooms.

Microsoft says it's working with Ubisoft to fix a problem with its latest Windows 11 update that's been crashing some games, and it's put the update's release on pause for devices with those games in the meantime. Following users' reports of issues after installing the Windows 11 24H2 update, Microsoft confirmed this weekend that certain games may become unresponsive or display a black screen. The problem affects Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora.Ubisoft has released a temporary fix for Star Wars Outlaws, but there still may be some issues, Microsoft says. To safeguard your Windows update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices with these games installed," the company said on its support blog. These devices will not be offered to install Windows 11, version 24H2 via the Windows Update release channel." It goes on to say, We recommend that you do not attempt to manually update to version 24H2 using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or the media creation tool until this issue has been resolved."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/microsoft-confirms-windows-11-24h2-update-is-crashing-some-ubisoft-games-215748241.html?src=rss

It'll soon be possible to replace the speakers in recent MacBook Pro models without having to replace the entire top case, as has long been the procedure. A memo seen by Macrumorsreportedly informed Apple Stores and Authorized Service Providers this week that speakers will be available as standalone components for the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro with the M4 family of chips. A source also told the publication that this will be an option for repairs on earlier MacBook Pro models with Apple silicon as well.The change should make for a less expensive repair. Up until now, the process entailed replacing the whole top case, including the battery and other parts, which works out to be pretty costly. It's been that way since 2016. The repair manual with the new steps for speaker replacement is available online now from Apple Support. It may not necessarily be a simpler repair - the guide shows a process that's rather involved - but not having to also replace other parts like the battery just to change out the speakers should cut costs significantly.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/apple-is-changing-how-macbook-pro-speakers-are-replaced-and-it-could-make-repairs-cheaper-175356909.html?src=rss

It's almost Thanksgiving week here in the US, and that means gift-shopping season is in full swing. As the hardware launches slow down while companies wait for you to buy their wares, so, too, can our reviews team take a tiny breather. That respite will unfortunately be brief, as we begin to prepare for CES 2025 in earnest while getting some year-end retrospectives ready. Many of our team members will be taking meetings all through December ahead of the consumer electronics show in Las Vegas, which is officially starting on January 7 this year, and the news will be coming as early as January 5. In the meantime, our team's holiday gift guide and Black Friday shopping content have been dominating our site, thanks to the relentless hard work of everyone that works at Engadget. There are many people behind-the-scenes involved in the process, as we try to find the best deals this season to better serve our audience. I myself have gone to CamelCamelCamel to make sure a standing-mirror-shelf was indeed 30 percent off, and not just marked as such while being listed at the same price as during non-sale periods. You've got to be so careful with your money and not falling for deceptive deals, and our commerce team is truly adept at sussing out the good stuff versus the bad. Between all the work for our holiday gift guides, planning for CES and taking some well-deserved time off, our team of reviewers has still managed to deliver some great reads, just in time for the holidays. Apple M4 iMac review by Steve Dent Steve's one of our expert photographers and videographers, and his review of the new iMac as a content creator is super insightful. I've always admired Steve's depth of knowledge, and his background brought a different perspective to our review that I found relevant and helpful. One of the biggest takeaways from Steve's review is that Apple is finally offering more RAM in the entry-level model, and that's somehow the most intriguing upgrade here. Though the webcam now has a sharper 12-megapixel sensor, and the display can be configured with a nano-coating, having twice the RAM in the base configuration is the most significant improvement. Steve clearly lays out why. Fellow Aiden review by Billy Steele Whenever Billy files a draft that's for something outside the audio category, I know I have to be prepared. His mouthwatering descriptions of the meats he smokes or pizzas he makes with the cooking appliances he reviews often evoke FOODMO (food-induced FOMO) and, weirdly, so did this review of the Fellow Aiden. It's an automatic coffee maker that promises to replicate the quality of brews you'd get using a pour-over cone. I am a casual coffee lover, in that I know my preference for darker roasts and can kind of tell the difference when a cuppa has been prepared well. But aside from convenience, I couldn't tell you exactly why I prefer my pour-over cone to a French press or drip machine. Billy's review clearly explains why the Aiden is the best of the coffee makers that claim to bring pour-over quality in an automatic system. While simultaneously making me somehow crave an expertly crafted cup of morning joe. Be warned, if descriptions of beans can make your mouth water, definitely make sure you have a mug of your favorite beverage nearby before reading this. Loop Switch 2 review by Billy Steele We don't typically review earplugs, but Billy had done fairly deep testing of the Loop Switch 2, and had enough experience to also compare it to some competing products. That's why we felt confident about assigning these noise-filtering earbuds a score. You might notice that the scorecard is smaller than usual - this is something you'll see more of moving forward. It represents reviews that involved first-hand, in-depth testing, but for products that for a variety of reasons may not rise to the level of our full reviews. Rest assured that a scored review on Engadget will always involve thorough first hand testing and thoughtful criticism and evaluation. Billy's piece on the Switch 2 had me intrigued, especially as I recently went to a concert and was concerned about the loud music and potential damage to my hearing. I never knew earplugs had gotten so advanced, and learned a lot from Billy's description of how you can change between levels of noise-filtering without having to take these buds out of your ears. Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet review by Jeff Dunn Many Amazon tablets fall under the category of products that we would like to review but don't typically have the time or bandwidth to get to. That's why I was excited when Jeff was able to find time to test the Fire HD 8, especially since he is familiar with the Amazon product ecosystem. There are plenty of Android tablets out there, and the Fire series are among the most affordable, making them a popular choice. That's why it's important for us to test them, to get a better sense for what people are using and also to inform our other coverage and reviews. Though Jeff didn't like Fire OS, he did find the HD 8 to be just good enough to be a decent value. As long as you can put up with an ad-heavy interface and a limited app selection, you'll probably find this to be a competent device for, say, your child to use on the go. Sonos Arc Ultra review by Billy Steele Sonos' Arc Ultra manages to deliver better bass and sound than the original, and thanks to Billy's explainer on the company's latest Sound Motion technology, I have a better understanding of how it's different. According to Billy, the acoustic improvement is significant, and the company's improved app makes for a greater overall experience that could be worth the extra $100. Considering the Sonos Arc is now on sale for $699 and the Ultra costs $999, though, the greater difference in cost may be harder to justify. Sony's PlayStation Portal gets a cloud-streaming upgrade by Devindra Hardawar Sony announced this week that it was bringing cloud-streaming to the PlayStation Portal, a handheld gaming console that was previously only capable of playing games that were on the PlayStation in your home. Since this drawback was one of the major complaints Devindra had when he reviewed the Portal last year, he dusted off his Portal and got to testing the new cloud-streaming feature and was generally impressed by the performance and latency. It's nice to see companies deliver features after a product launches, and even nicer when they work well. But since Devindra still has some unaddressed griped with the Portal, like some clunkiness and lag in connecting to a PlayStation, the cloud-streaming addition doesn't yet warrant an update to our original review and score. If Sony further updates the Portal and genuinely improves the experience, we will revisit our evaluation. For now, though, Devindra just says he has "started to hate this thing a bit less." On the horizon: Upcoming reviews We're still awaiting a review unit of the new Kindle Scribe that Amazon announced in October, and continue to work through our backlog of gadgets that includes a Roku, the Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We're also taking some time to revisit some older products so we can review them with some time after launch, which should give us a better view of how the things we test hold up over time. Stay tuned for all that, and feel free to send us your feedback and suggestions on what you'd like to see us review. In the meantime, happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate it, and we'll see you soon!This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-review-recap-an-imac-a-coffee-maker-and-an-amazon-tablet-150018151.html?src=rss

Nintendo Black Friday deals are now live, and they're worth paying attention to if you want to pick up some big games on sale. In addition to video games, you can pick up a few Nintendo Switch bundles on sale as well, including options for the standard Switch, the OLED model and the Switch Lite. The deals are available at retailers like Best Buy and Target, and of course, direct from Nintendo. Perhaps the jewel in Black Friday's crown is a big discount on The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom. Normally $70, Nintendo has the game for $50, but we're seeing even steeper price drops at GameStop ($45), Target ($40) and Best Buy ($40) at the moment. The game is an absolute blast and builds on all of the good stuff originally introduced in Breath of the Wild. This time, however, new abilities allow for even more unique solutions to puzzles. The sale also applies to the long-gestating Pikmin 4 and the sublimely creative Super Mario Maker 2. Both is available for between $35 and $40. Animal Crossing: New Horizons, the belle of the COVID-era ball, costs between $35 and $40 as well, depending on the retailer. There are a few deals on an actual Switch console bundles, too. The Nintendo Switch Lite: Hyrule Edition has dropped to $210, but it comes with some serious perks. This bundle ships with the gold-colored console and a full year of Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack. This provides access to all kinds of retro games, from the NES all the way to the N64. Elsewhere at Target and Best Buy, a bundle with the Nintendo Switch OLED edition and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is down to $275. The standard Switch is also on sale bundled with the same game for $225. There's a caveat here. The Nintendo Switch isn't long for this world, as a sequel is imminent. Adults may want to wait for the new console, but a Switch Lite is still a great gift for a kid. However, nobody has any idea what Trump's promised tariffs will do to console prices, so maybe even the Switch Lite will cost $600 next year. Who the heck knows anymore. If you're keen on getting some holiday shopping done now, though, you can browse the best Black Friday tech deals we've curated. Gaming deals are ramping up, and right now you can get up to 55 percent off Xbox titles right now, or a 1TB Xbox Series X with two included controllers for $490 - that's $110 off the usual rate. Elsewhere, Lego deals are in full swing with up to 40 percent off Star Wars and Super Mario sets, including this Super Mario King Boo's Haunted Mansion (71436) for $60 and Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy Toy (75387) for $44. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/nintendo-black-friday-deals-are-live-get-the-legend-of-zelda-tears-of-the-kingdom-for-a-record-low-price-194609876.html?src=rss

Four years after Tesla filed a lawsuit against Rivian alleging that the company poached its employees with a goal of obtaining trade secrets, the two appear to be nearing a resolution. According to Bloomberg, Tesla says it's reached a conditional" settlement with Rivian and expects to seek the case's dismissal by December 24. In the lawsuit filed in 2020, Tesla claimed Rivian encouraged exiting Tesla employees to steal information, and that it caught three employees taking highly valuable, confidential information as they left for Rivian." Rivian has denied the allegations from the start, calling them baseless."Rivian filed a motion for the lawsuit to be dismissed, but this was denied by a California judge who tentatively ruled earlier this year that Rivian would have to face a trial. The trial was expected to take place in 2025, but it now looks like the matter may be wrapped up before the end of the year without coming to that.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-and-rivian-have-reached-a-conditional-settlement-in-lawsuit-over-trade-secrets-214721559.html?src=rss

New releases in fiction, nonfiction and comics that caught our attention this week. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-this-weekend-a-visual-history-of-futurama-and-more-193047965.html?src=rss

Apple's new Mac mini hasn't been available for that long yet, but you can already grab it at a discount. The M4-powered Mac mini has dropped to an all-time low of $500 thanks to a discount and an additional, clippable coupon that will bring the final price down to $500. That's a total of $100 of savings off the original price. The 2024 Mac Mini is available with an M4 or M4 Pro chip, both of which give the desktop computer a real boost from its previous version. We gave the upgrade a 90 in our review, in part due to the Pro's perks (which we'll get into later), but also general features like the base level being 16GB of RAM. This generation also offers front USB-C and headphone ports, as well as a design that's less than half the size of its predecessor. The Mac Mini with M4 chip should be plenty of power for all your basic tasks. But, if you need a bigger boost, then check out Mac Mini with an M4 Pro chip. It's currently on sale for $1,349, down from $1,399. This deal is available on the model with 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage. It's remarkably fast and offers Thunderbolt 5 support, rather than the M4's Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 5 can triple data transfer speeds to 120GB/s, up from 40GB/s. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-black-friday-deals-the-m4-mac-mini-drops-to-a-record-low-of-500-144307243.html?src=rss

Remember in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic when live audio was suddenly everywhere? The trend was made popular by the briefly viral phenomenon Clubhouse before seemingly every other online platform copied the feature for themselves.Since then, live audio has become mostly a footnote to a weird time when we were all stuck at home at the same time with nothing to do and listening to hours-long streams of strangers talking to each other passed as entertainment. Now LinkedIn, which was somewhat late to the live audio party in 2022, has opted to get rid of its standalone live audio events.In an update, the company says it will no longer support native audio events beginning next month. Users will stop being able to create new events as of December 2, and previously scheduled events will no longer work after December 31. Instead, the company is bringing together" audio events with its live-streaming feature, LinkedIn Live. LinkedIn Live, however, requires creators to use third-party tools to set up streams. So while audio-only streams will still be able to exist on LinkedIn, they will take a few extra steps.LinkedIn isn't the only company to change course on live audio. Reddit, Facebook, Spotify and Amazon have all shuttered their pandemic-era live audio products.Even Clubhouse (which, yes, still exists) pivoted away from the format last year. The feature is, however going strong on X despite a few high-profile technical issues.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/linkedin-is-killing-the-standalone-live-audio-feature-you-probably-forgot-about-232705727.html?src=rss

Amazon is doubling its investment in Anthropic. The e-commerce giant will provide Anthropic with an additional $4 billion in funding on top of the $4 billion it committed last year. Although Amazon remains a minority investor, Anthropic has agreed to make Amazon Web Services (AWS) its primary cloud and training partner."Before today's announcement, The Information had reportedthat Amazon wanted to make any additional funding contingent on a commitment from Anthropic to use the company's in-house AI chips instead of silicon from NVIDIA. It appears Amazon got its way, with both companies noting in separate press releases that Anthropic will use AWS Trainium and Inferentia chips to train future foundation models.Additionally, Anthropic says it will collaborate with Amazon's Annapurna Labs to develop future Trainium accelerators. Through deep technical collaboration, we're writing low-level kernels that allow us to directly interface with the Trainium silicon, and contributing to the AWS Neuron software stack to strengthen Trainium," the company said. Our engineers work closely with Annapurna's chip design team to extract maximum computational efficiency from the hardware, which we plan to leverage to train our most advanced foundation models."According to another recent report, Anthropic expects to burn through more than $2.7 billion before the end. Before today, the company had raised $9.7 billion. Either way, it's bought itself some much-needed runway as it looks to compete against OpenAI and other companies in the AI space.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/anthropic-will-use-aws-ai-chips-after-4-billion-amazon-investment-222053145.html?src=rss

The 9th-gen iPad has fallen to $200 for Black Friday. Considering the regular price for this model was $330 at its peak, this is a great discount. This is a tablet Apple first released back in 2021, so it's getting a bit long in the tooth. The 10th-gen iPad is Apple's official budget" tablet, as the 9th-gen will ultimately be phased out. But it's still a fantastic machine, particularly for the price, particularly if you're dead-set on getting an iPad but have little to spend. This is a relatively ancient tablet with an equally ancient A13 Bionic chip. This isn't the best iPad to buy for those looking for raw power. However, it's the perfect tablet for those who want a media consumption machine on the cheap. Netflix in bed? Sign me up. This sale is for the 64GB model and doesn't apply to the 256GB version. The 9th-gen tablet is being discontinued, so it's highly likely this is the last chance to pick one up at this price. Once the stock is gone, it's all over. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apple-black-friday-deals-discount-the-9th-gen-ipad-to-a-record-low-of-200-161404354.html?src=rss