Engadget

30.11.2024 00:00 Amazon workers across the world have gone on strike for Black Friday, according to the labor advocacy group UNI Global Union. The protests, dubbed “Make Amazon Pay,” are scheduled to last until December 2. Strikes are happening everywhere, from the US to Australia and Nepal. There are also demonstrations happening in more than 20 countries over “labor abuses, environmental degradation and threats to democracy.” The demonstrators are petitioning the company, which is worth around $2.2 trillion, for increased wages, better working conditions and the permission to form unions. Amazon doesn’t particularly care for unions. #MakeAmazonPay sagen diese Woche Gewerkschaftsaktive aus weltweit mehr als 20 Ländern zum #BlackFriday der auf dem Rücken der Arbeiter:innen ausgetragen wird. #Solidarität gibt es dafür auch von den starken @_verdi Vertrauensleuten aus dem Hamburger Hafen der @HHLA_Group

29.11.2024 18:41 Riot Games added some new clauses to its Terms of Service that could put some players in hot water for unbecoming behavior that occurs “across the various places that touch their gaming experience.” Players can face penalties, suspensions and even “Riot-wide bans” if they are caught violating these new rules. The new clauses first appeared on Riot’s Privacy Notice and TOS on Tuesday. Creators have until January 3, 2025 “to adjust their content to adhere to these rules,” according to Riot Games’ announcement. The new “Off-Platform conduct” rule gives Riot Games the right to issue game penalties when hateful content is brought to their attention. The new clause says Riot Games won’t proactively search for social media for violations. Instead, players can report cases about an offending player’s conduct on a livestream in which one of its games serves as “the background of the content produced.” If Riot determines that the player violated its TOS, Riot could issue a penalty “as if that behavior occurred in-game,” according to the TOS. The new TOS rules also focus on “stream sniping” in which streamers and players hijack or interrupt another stream’s online sessions. The penalty system for these infractions are still in the “early testing phases” using a limited number of English-speaking Valorant creators. Repeat offenders of these and other infractrations could result in complete bans from all Riot Games accounts. The new TOS states that Riot can issue multiple penalties and bans for streamers and players who commit “a seriously egregious violation” or “problematic behavior.” Riot Games has dedicated a lot of time recently to discussing and exploring ways to rein in offensive and ill behavior in its games. Valorant studio head and Riot Games Senior Vice President Anna Donlon acknowledged in May that Riot “absolutely needs to do better” to protect its players laying out new actions they planned to take such as implementing new penalties and increasing support for manual reviews of reports, according to Eurogamer. Twitch has also taken steps to curb some of its users’ disturbing and damaging behavior. Last year, Twitch CEO Dan Clancy announced new terms for the streaming platform during the opening ceremony for TwitchCon in Las Vegas. The new rules established suspensions and bans for streamers who dox or swat other players and the ability for streamers and moderators to anonymously send warnings to chatters who commit bad behavior during sessions.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/riot-games-is-cracking-down-on-players-off-platform-conduct-173303058.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41  David Eulitt via Getty Images Maybe you're a huge football fan, maybe you're someone who wants to kick up your feet on the couch and enjoy something on in the background while you scroll for Black Friday deals on your phone and recover from Thanksgiving. Either way, we have got you covered. This afternoon, the Chiefs host the Raiders in a game that the home team is unsurprisingly favored to win. But last holiday season the two teams faced off on Christmas just for the Raiders to win in a shocking upset — proof that anything could happen on Friday afternoon. And if that's not enough drama for you, odds are Taylor Swift may show up to support Travis Kelce. Are you ready to watch yet? The game kicks off today, November 29 at 3PM ET inside Allegiant Stadium. Here's what you need to know before tuning in. Stream Black Friday football on Amazon Prime Video Black Friday football game time The Raiders vs. Chiefs Black Friday game kicks off at 3PM ET on Amazon Prime Video and locally on KSHB-TV 41 . You can tune into pregame coverage starting at 1:30PM ET. How to watch the Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs game Stream Black Friday football on Amazon Prime Video Unlike the NFL's usual Sunday slate, which airs across several channels and live streaming platforms, this year's Black Friday football game will stream nationally only on Amazon Prime Video . Game coverage will include play-by-play by Al Michaels, Color Analysis by Kirk Herbstreit and sideline reporting from Kaylee Hartung. Amazon Prime Video is included in a standard Amazon Prime subscription , but you can also subscribe directly to the video streaming platform for $9 per month. Amazon Prime offers a 30-day free trial, so you could tune into Friday’s game totally free. How to watch the Raiders vs. Chiefs game locally For out-of-market viewers, the Black Friday game airs on Amazon Prime Video. But for those in the Kansas City market, the game will air on KSHB-TV 41. For Las Vegas viewers the channel is still TBA. Are there any Black Friday deals tied to the game? Last year was the debut of a Black Friday NFL game, and Amazon used the occasion to proffer a handful of deals to the captive audience. We expect the same for this year, but the vast majority of Amazon's Black Friday deals are already up and running, including the usual bevy of Black Friday discounts on Amazon devices, including Kindle readers, Ring doorbells, Fire tablets and Echo smart displays. There's no need to wait for Friday. NFL Thanksgiving week schedule This game is squarely in the middle of the NFL's holiday weekend schedule. If you want to catch all of the action, the games start on Thanksgiving day proper and finish up on Monday night with the Browns taking on the Broncos. All times Eastern Thursday, Nov. 28 Chicago Bears vs. Detroit Lions: 12:30PM New York Giants vs. Dallas Cowboys: 4:30PM Miami Dolphins vs. Green Bay Packers: 8:20PM Friday, Nov. 29 Las Vegas Raiders vs. Kansas City Chiefs: 3:00PM Sunday, Dec. 1 Los Angeles Chargers vs. Atlanta Falcons: 1PM Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Cincinnati Bengals: 1PM Arizona Cardinals vs. Minnesota Vikings: 1PM Indianapolis Colts vs. New England Patriots: 1PM Seattle Seahawks vs. New York Jets: 1PM Tennessee Titans vs. Washington Commanders: 1PM Houston Texans vs. Jacksonville Jaguars: 1PM Los Angeles Rams vs. New Orleans Saints: 4:05PM Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Carolina Panthers: 4:05PM Philadelphia Eagles vs. Baltimore Ravens: 4:25PM San Francisco 49ers vs. Buffalo Bills: 8:20PM Monday, Dec. 2 Cleveland Browns vs. Denver Broncos: 8:15PM This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/how-to-watch-the-kansas-city-chiefs-vs-las-vegas-raiders-black-friday-nfl-game-163550620.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 If you’ve had your eye on a new iPad, now’s the time to seriously consider that purchase. Black Friday Apple deals have arrived, and the 10th-gen iPad is down to its best price yet. Most models are on sale for $259, but a couple of colorways have an additional, clippable coupon that will bring the final price down to a record low of $250. Apple released the tablet back in 2022, but it's still our best budget iPad option for 2024. The 10th-gen iPad is only slightly thicker and heavier than the iPad Air. It looks similar to the iPad Air, too — the tablet no longer has the Home button that its predecessor did, and it has a bigger screen with smaller bezels. The device is powered by Apple's A14 Bionic chip, which was first seen on the iPhone 12 and is powerful enough that we could edit RAW photos in Lightroom when we tested the tablet. When we ran a test for battery life, we discovered that the model could play movies continuously for 11 hours and 45 minutes on a single charge. Unlike previous models with Lightning ports, this one comes with a USB-C port for charging. Apple moved its front-facing camera to its landscape edge, as well. The company gave it a larger display, measuring 10.9 inches, so it doesn't feel as cramped as previous models even with a lot of apps. While the iPad Air does have a better display overall with its lamination and anti-reflective coating, the 10th-gen iPad's isn't bad at all seeing as it costs significantly less, especially with this discount. 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-ipad-black-friday-sales-are-here-get-the-10th-gen-tablet-at-a-record-low-price-130005376.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 This year’s Black Friday sales are once again a good time to restock on video games and gaming gear on the cheap. There’s still a ton of junky “discounts” out there to count, but if you’re looking to add some games to your backlog, pick up a new console or upgrade your desktop with new accessories, we’ve rounded up a few Black Friday gaming deals that are genuinely decent below. Among the highlights are $75 price drops for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch, a $50 cut for the Xbox Series S and a truckload of deals on games and accessories we recommend. We’ve dug through reviews and used price history trackers to ensure each offer below is an actual deal, and we’ll continue updating this post as new deals pop up over the course of the day. PlayStation 5 for $424 at Amazon : This isn’t the absolute biggest price drop to date for Sony’s console, but larger discounts have been extremely uncommon over the past year. This bundle throws in a few Fortnite skins and V-Bucks; if it runs out of stock, the standalone console is available for the same price. Walmart, meanwhile, has a separate bundle that pairs the machine with the recent RPG Dragon Age: The Veilguard or one of EA’s sports games for $450. Also available at Best Buy, Target, GameStop and PlayStation Direct, among others. PlayStation 5 Digital Edition + NBA 2K25 bundle for $374 at GameStop : If you have no interest in buying physical media, you can save an extra $50 upfront by going with the PS5’s disc-less model. This bundle comes with the latest NBA 2K game as a freebie. If it runs out of stock, you can grab the same Fortnite bundle noted above for the same price. The console alone is $75 off as well. It’s a good price either way, though it’s difficult to get too excited given that the Digital Edition once sold for $400 before this “slim” revision launched with a $50 price hike. Also at Target, Amazon, Best Buy and PlayStation Direct, among others. The Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch OLED.Kris Naudus / Engadget Nintendo Switch OLED + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle for $275 at Target : To be clear, now is not a great time to buy a Switch: Nintendo has already confirmed that it’ll reveal the console’s successor at some point in the next few months and that the new device will be able to play current Switch games. So if you can wait, you should. But if you just want a more affordable route into the fantastic Switch library — or if you’re buying for a kid who doesn’t care about having the latest and greatest — we almost never see the OLED model fall this low. Besides the console, this bundle includes a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a 12-month subscription to Nintendo’s Switch Online service. Stock has been spotty over the past few days, though, so it may not be available by the time you read this. This deal was previously available at Best Buy, too, but now appears to be out of stock. Nintendo Switch + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe bundle for $225 at Target : If you want to save a bit more, you can get the standard Switch with the same add-ons for $50 less. The Switch OLED still has a larger and noticeably more vivid display, so it’s worth the extra cash if you’ll mainly play in handheld mode. That said, the base model can play all the same games just as well, and there’s virtually no difference between the two when they’re docked to a TV. This rare $75 discount is one of the largest we’ve ever tracked. This deal was previously available at Best Buy, too, but now appears to be out of stock. The Xbox Series S and Xbox Wireless Controller. Xbox Series S for $250 at Xbox : The entry-level Xbox has had a difficult time keeping up with the technical demands of some new games, and the 512GB of storage in this model can run out fast. That said, it still has value for casual players or Game Pass subscribers who don’t care about high frame rates and just want a cheap way to play the latest stuff. This $50 drop isn’t an all-time low, but it makes the console a bit more palatable. Just remember there’s no disc drive. Also at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart and Target. If you happen to have a membership at BJ's Wholesale Club, however, you can grab the device for $220. Meta Quest 3S + $75 Amazon digital credit for $300 at Amazon : Meta only released the Quest 3S last month, so while this isn’t a cash discount, any sort of bonus is worth noting. Just clip the on-page coupon or use the code QUEST75 at checkout to see the deal. The device itself is the budget pick in our guide to the best VR headsets: Its older Fresnel lenses certainly aren’t class-leading, but they’re good enough for those new to VR, and the whole thing is just as fast and comfortable as the pricier Quest 3. Most importantly, it can play the same wide array of apps and games. Also at Target if you'd prefer a different gift card. PlayStation VR2 + Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle for $349 at Amazon : To be candid, it’s difficult to widely recommend the PlayStation VR2: The hardware is excellent, but Sony's software support has been weak. Like the Meta Quest, you can use the headset on PC with an optional adapter, but some reviewers have said that getting that to actually work can be a hassle. So, we’re mostly noting this deal for posterity. But if you do have cash to burn and want to dive into games like Gran Turismo 7, Tetris Effect or the Horizon spin-off bundled here, this deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen. If the bundle goes out of stock, the standalone headset is on sale for the same price. Also at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, GameStop and PlayStation Direct, among others. The Meta Quest 3S.Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Valve Steam Deck for $337 at Steam : The Steam Deck tops our guide to the best gaming handhelds. Its SteamOS software is much simpler to pick up and use than Windows, and it's still powerful enough to play loads of games that just can’t run on devices like the Switch. That said, it’s starting to have trouble keeping up with the most graphically demanding titles, and the design has always been rather chunky. This deal matches the lowest price to date for the version with an LCD display and 512GB of storage. The OLED model is better across the board, but this is a fantastic value if you can't pay the extra $200. The discount comes as part of Steam's Autumn Sale, which includes many of the game deals we highlight below. ASUS ROG Ally X for $700 at Best Buy : The ROG Ally X is the top Windows pick in our gaming handhelds guide. It’s better-equipped to handle recent AAA fare than the Steam Deck, and its 120Hz VRR display does wonders to keep those games looking smooth. Windows itself remains something of a UI tire fire on handheld devices, but it does give you the flexibility to play games from any PC client. This $100 drop isn’t massive but nevertheless ties the handheld’s all-time low. Retroid Pocket 4 Pro for $150 at Retroid : The Pocket 4 Pro is the “best under $200” pick in our gaming handhelds guide. It’s an Android device primarily aimed at emulating retro games, so it takes some legwork to get the most out of it. If you’re willing to tinker, though, it can run many games up to the PlayStation 2 and GameCube range fairly comfortably, which is rare at this price. Its responsive buttons and bright 4.7-inch display are nice, too, though you might want to grab Retroid’s grip add-on to make it a little more comfortable. Retroid recently launched the bigger and more powerful Pocket 5 — which we’re currently testing — but this is a strong value for about $70 less. This discount is a new low. A few lower-power Retroid handhelds are on sale as well. The Steam Deck.Engadget PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller for $54 at Amazon : While Sony’s official PS5 controller has sold for less in the past, steeper discounts have been fairly uncommon over the past year, so this is an decent time to stock up if you need a spare. The offer applies to several different color options, though a few are priced $5 higher than the others. Also at Best Buy, Walmart, Target, PlayStation Direct and others. PlayStation Plus 12-month membership for 30 percent off at PlayStation: Sony’s online service became a worse deal with last year’s sizable price hikes, but it’s still required if you want to play PS5 games online or use cloud saves. This year’s Black Friday deal is geared more toward upgrading than saving on your current plan, annoyingly, but those just signing up can grab an annual membership for 30 percent off. That brings the standard “Essential” tier down to $64. If you’ve been thinking of stepping up from the base service to the higher “Extra” or “Premium” tiers, you can take 25 or 30 percent off the usual cost of that upgrade. You can check Sony’s overview page for a refresher on what perks are included with each tier. The PS5's DualSense Wireless Controller.Aaron Souppouris/Engadget Xbox Wireless Controller for $40 at Amazon : This is another deal we’ve seen a few times before, but it’s a decent $5 to $15 off the Xbox pad’s typical street price, depending on which color you pick. Several different models are on sale, with some of the more vibrant colorways available for $45 or $50. Just remember that each one requires a pair of AA batteries or a separate pack for power. Also at Best Buy, Target and others. Nintendo Switch Pro Controller for $50 at GameStop : Nintendo’s Pro Controller is far more comfortable to hold and satisfying to press than the standard Joy-Cons, so it’s a fine buy if you mainly keep your Switch docked up to a TV. Its 40-hour battery life is great, too, though fighting game and Tetris diehards will likely find its d-pad too imprecise. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen in the last couple of years. Also at Target and Best Buy. Nintendo Switch Joy-Con controllers for $60 at GameStop : Between their beady buttons, lack of analog triggers and longstanding drift issues, the Joy-Cons are far from Nintendo’s finest product. Still, they’re the Switch’s default controllers. If you need to restock, this is about as cheap as they’ve been in recent years. Also at Target, Best Buy and Amazon. Astro Bot.Sony Interactive Entertainment Astro Bot for $43 at Amazon : The wonderfully inventive 3D platformer Astro Bot is the closest thing the PS5 has to a modern Super Mario game, even if it is a bit too reverential to the PlayStation brand. Engadget Senior Editor Jessica Conditt called it nothing less than “one of the best games Sony has ever made” in her review. This is the game’s first major discount across retailers. Also at PlayStation, Best Buy, Target, Walmart and others for $50. Elden Ring for $20 at Bandai Namco : There isn’t much we can say about Elden Ring that hasn’t already been said. Its world runs almost unfathomably deep and feels lived-in in a way few games ever have. It’s both haunting and darkly funny . It is unafraid to test your resolve and make its quest matter, yet it grants you the freedom to simply walk in a different direction and find new paths forward. It’s great, and this deal brings it down to the best price we’ve tracked. Also at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, though stock has been spotty. If you want to double up with the game’s Shadow of the Erdtree expansion, a copy that comes with that DLC is on sale for $52. Metaphor: ReFantazio for $50 at Amazon : It’s about as subtle as you’d expect a game named “Metaphor” to be, but the latest from the minds behind Persona 5 is a fantasy JRPG through and through: bombastic, stylish and deeply earnest. This deal is a new low. Also at PlayStation and Xbox for $2 more. Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $40 at Amazon : Engadget UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith gave this grandiose action-RPG a favorable review earlier this year, and it’s one of the year’s highest-rated games overall. You need to have played its predecessor — and, ideally, the original PS1 game — to really get where it’s going, but it’s absolutely stuffed with things to do , and its combat system is still a rush. This is a new low for the PS5 exclusive. Also at Best Buy, or PlayStation for $2 more. Elden Ring.FromSoftware / Bandai Namco Helldivers 2 for $30 at GameStop : The co-op shooter Helldivers 2 straddles the line between Starship Troopers satire and genuinely rousing, strategically engaging action. You could do much worse if you want a multiplayer game you can hop in and out of at your leisure. This deal matches the lowest price we’ve seen for the PS5 copy. Also at Amazon, Target and Best Buy, or at PlayStation for $2 more. Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 for $30 at Walmart : Spider-Man 2 is essentially “more Spider-Man, but bigger.” It might not be the most creatively daring thing, then, but leaping from skyscrapers and stylishly beating the tar out of bad guys remains a joy, and none of it is overly self-serious. This discount is another new low. If Walmart’s listing goes out of stock, Target, Best Buy and PlayStation have it on sale for $40, which is the second-best price we’ve seen. The Last of Us Part I for $30 at Target : The PS5 version of Naughty Dog’s tense zombie drama may be the most unnecessary remake ever made, but if you’ve never given it a try, it’s still the best way to jump in. This deal is a new low, and it comes as part of a wider suite of discounts on first-party PS5 games, including Gran Turismo 7, Returnal, Horizon Forbidden West, God of War Ragnarök, Demon’s Souls and Ratchet Clank: Rift Apart for $30 a pop. Also at Amazon, Best Buy, GameStop and others. Dragon’s Dogma 2 for $40 at Amazon : Another one of the year’s highest-rated RPGs, Dragon’s Dogma 2 is unusually opaque and unforgiving for a major-studio release, but it owns that. If you can deal with some jank and hate the glut of self-serious hand-holdy “adventures” that’ve come out in recent years, it should be worth the occasional frustration. Don’t bother if you didn’t like the first one, though. This the biggest discount to date for the PS5 and Xbox versions. Also at Target, or at Xbox for $2 more. Marvel's Spider-Man 2.Sony / Insomniac Games Super Mario RPG for $32 at Woot : The lively and brisk Super Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars remains one of the Super Nintendo’s essential games. It didn’t necessarily need a Switch remake, but it got one last year anyway. Thankfully, the new version keeps the original’s oddball spirit in tact as it spruces up the visuals for true 3D. If you’re in the market for a lighter RPG, this deal at Amazon subsidiary Woot brings the game down to a new all-time low. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom for $30 at Walmart : Its story may run in place at times, but Tears of the Kingdom remains a prime example of an open-world game done right. Its world doesn’t kowtow to the player at every turn, and its delightful contraption-building mechanics provide a similar sense of freedom in solving puzzles. This discount is a new low, though as of this writing it only applies to a digital copy. If Walmart runs out of stock, Target and Best Buy also have the game for $40, which is the second-best price we’ve tracked. Super Mario Odyssey for $30 at GameStop : This ties the lowest price to date for Nintendo’s joyous 3D platformer, which combines pitch-perfect movement with a relentless stream of inventive design ideas. Also at Target and Best Buy. A few other first-party Switch games are available for the same price, including the adorable real-time strategy games Pikmin 1+2 and Pikmin 4, the delightful action-platformer Kirby and the Forgotten Land and the cozy island life sim Animal Crossing: New Horizons. Each of those represent all-time lows. The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom.Nintendo Portal: Companion Collection for $5 at Nintendo : Portal and Portal 2 are two of the most fully actualized games ever made, a pair of human-lab-rat simulators overloaded with wit and mind-opening puzzles. The second is also one of our favorite couch co-op games. This discount ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the Companion Collection, which bundles both games for the Switch, and it comes as part of a wider range of digital game deals at Nintendo’s online store. Mass Effect Legendary Edition for $5 at Steam : The Mass Effect trilogy doesn’t hold up perfectly — the original is very much a game from 2007, while the overarching “morality” system feels ancient in a post-Baldur’s Gate 3 world — but it remains as accessible and deeply entertaining as any action-RPG series out there. The Legendary Edition remasters all three titles, and this discount brings the compilation down to its lowest price to date. Also at Epic. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon for $20 at Bandai Namco : Armored Core VI is a big loud action game about building a mech and using it to blow up everything in sight. It rules. Yet it’s not mindless: Its many boss fights are genuine duels, and it’s deeply flexible in how it lets you tweak your death machine to tackle stages in different ways. This price is another new low. Also at GameStop, Best Buy and Amazon. Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon.FromSoftware Unicorn Overlord for $30 at Amazon : Unicorn Overlord’s story leans a little too hard on RPG tropes, but it’s gorgeous, and its battle system should satisfy those who pine for classic Fire Emblem or Ogre Battle games from yesteryear. Engadget Senior Writer Sam Rutherford called it a “must-play for tactics fans” in his review. This discount is the largest we’ve seen for the PS5 and Xbox editions, and it ties the all-time low for the Switch copy. Also at Best Buy and GameStop. Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 for $19 at Amazon : Few games take the responsibility of entertaining you as seriously as the Metal Gear series; even fewer have as clear of a voice and point of view. The Master Collection may not go as far as it should in updating the landmark stealth games for modern consoles, but if you’ve yet to give them a try, you really ought to take the ride. This deal ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Best Buy for $1 more. Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for $40 at GameStop : The moody action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 started as a technical disaster, but years of patches have ultimately left it in a healthy place, one that lets it more easily lean on its surprisingly pointed narrative and dirty-techno-future art style. This is a new low for the game’s Ultimate Edition, which includes last year’s well-regarded Phantom Liberty expansion. Also at Best Buy. Cyberpunk 2077.CD Projekt Red Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth for $25 at Amazon : Infinite Wealth is the kind of goofy, playful and wholly excessive RPG that’s come to define the series formerly known as Yakuza. It can border on “too much,” and you’ll need to have played past entries to get the most out of it, but its turn-based combat is fun, and it’s more endearing than obnoxious in the end. This discount ties the best price we’ve seen for the next-gen versions of the game. Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 at Xbox : This matches the all-time low for The Master Chief Collection, which gathers five of the venerable FPS series’ essential games in one package. It also includes Halo 4 . Also at Steam. Pentiment for $10 at Xbox : Pentiment remains one of the Xbox’s true gems, a gorgeous and unusually soulful 2D adventure/visual novel that examines the nature of truth itself. This deal for the Xbox version represents an all-time low. Several other digital Xbox games are on sale as part of Microsoft’s Black Friday sale. Psychonauts 2 for $6 at Steam : Another entry on our list of the best Xbox games, Psychonauts 2 is a distinctly eccentric, wonderfully written 3D platformer that tackles heavy themes with real warmth. This is another all-time low. Also available for $12 at Xbox and PlayStation. Halo: The Master Chief Collection.Xbox Game Studios Madden NFL 25 for $30 at Amazon : Madden could pretty badly use a creative reset, but it’s ultimately still Madden, so there’s fun to be had if you’re in the football mood and feel like denying Patrick Mahomes a championship in at least one realm of existence. This is the best price to date for this year’s latest installment. Also at Walmart and Best Buy, or at PlayStation, Xbox and Steam for $5 more. EA Sports FC 25 for $30 at Amazon : We’re not going to sit here and tell you the series formerly known as FIFA is good — AI defending is still a mess, and the Ultimate Team mode still blends grinding with gambling to mind-numbing effect — but we realize that many people just want to mess around as their favorite footy team. This is a new low for the PS5, PS4 and Xbox editions. Also at Walmart and Best Buy, or at PlayStation, Xbox and Steam for $5 more. The Switch version is down to $30, too, though it won’t run as well. WWE 2K24 for $24 at Amazon : We acknowledge that this is a new low for the physical PS5 and Xbox copies of the latest WWE game, which should scratch the itch for most people looking to do some fantasy booking and digital powerbombing. Just don’t be surprised if you run into a few bugs every now and then; this is a 2K game, after all. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy, for $1 less at Xbox, or for $20 at Steam. The last-gen versions are on sale for a few bucks less as well. NBA 2K25 for $30 at Amazon : NBA 2K has its own longstanding issues with pay-to-win online modes and occasional glitchiness, but its on-court play is generally rock solid if you’re looking to play through a season or run some offline games with friends. This is a new low for the PS5 and Xbox copies of the game. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Nintendo has the Switch edition for $3 less, though that version is generally slower and more watered-down than the others. The WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S.WD WD Black C50 Expansion Card for Xbox for $99 at Amazon : It’s aggravating, but the only way to fully increase the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only two of those currently exist, but the C50 is one, and this discount drops the 1TB model to a new low. It’s normally sold for about $40 more in recent months. Is this still expensive compared to a normal SSD with the same capacity? You bet. But any extra savings should be welcome. A 512GB model is a couple bucks above its all-time low at $67 as well. Also at B&H and Best Buy. Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S for $200 at Amazon : Seagate makes the other official storage expansion card for the Xbox Series X/S. This discount isn’t the best we’ve ever seen, and it’s been live for most of the month, but it’s still roughly $35 below the 2TB model’s typical street price. There’s little performance difference between this and the C50, so which is best merely comes down to how much space you need and whatever one costs less. Crucial P310 M.2 2230 SSD for $70 at Amazon : The P310 is a small-size SSD you can slot into handheld PCs like the Steam Deck or ROG Ally. It uses cheaper QLC memory, not the faster and more durable TLC, but other reviews suggest that it still performs well for what it is. This is a new low for the 1TB model. The 2TB version is down to its best price yet at $140 as well. Also at Crucial and B&H. The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller.Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Backbone One mobile game controller for $70 at Amazon : The Backbone One is a nifty mobile gamepad that makes playing console-style games on your phone feel a little more natural. This matches the lowest price we’ve tracked for the second-gen model. Both the USB-C and Lightning versions are discounted. Note that the PlayStation-branded version officially supports Sony’s Remote Play app on both Android and iOS, while the standard model only supports it with the latter. Also at Backbone, Walmart and Best Buy. 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller for $48 at Amazon : We’ve raved about this wireless gamepad for Switch and PC in the past. It’s on the small side, but it’s comfortable, and its durable Hall effect joysticks should avoid the “drift” sensation that plagues many modern controllers. This discount isn’t the absolute lowest price we’ve seen, but it’s a solid $12 off the device’s typical street price. It's exclusive to Prime members at Amazon, but Best Buy has the pad for the same price. If you don’t need Bluetooth support, a version that only connects over a USB dongle and uses Xbox-style face buttons is on sale for $40. Turtle Beach Atlas Air wireless gaming headset for $136 at Amazon : The Atlas Air is our pick for the best gaming headset. It’s one of the few wireless pairs with an open-back design, which helps it create a wider, airier and more natural sound than most of its competition. It’s exceptionally comfortable on top of that, though it lets in and leaks noise fairly easily, so you should only buy it if you normally play in a quiet environment. This deal marks the headset’s all-time low. Also at Best Buy for $150. The Turtle Beach Atlas Air.Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $90 at Amazon : The A40 TR is our favorite wired gaming headset. It’s not quite as comfy or spacious-sounding as the Turtle Beach Atlas Air, our top overall pick, but its open-back design still makes games sound like they’re happening all around you instead of feeling confined in your head. Just know that it won’t block much outside noise, and its mic isn’t the best. Also at B&H. HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 gaming headset for $30 at Amazon : The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide. It’s comfortable, with a solid mic and full-bodied bass, though you shouldn’t expect a particularly accurate sound or exceptional build quality. This deal ties the headset’s all-time low. Also at Walmart and Best Buy. Keychron Q3 Max mechanical keyboard for $182 at Keychron : The Keychron Q Max is the top pick in our guide to the best mechanical keyboards, pairing an upscale aluminum case with a lovely typing experience and extensive customizability. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the tenkeyless model, but other size layouts are similarly discounted. Also at Amazon for $6 more, but only for Prime members. The Keychron Q3 Max.Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget Keychron V3 Max mechanical keyboard for $87 at Amazon : The V Max is our favorite mechanical keyboard in the $100 range. It has a plastic frame and suffers a bit more from rattling in the larger keys but otherwise carries most of the same perks as the Q Max line. This Prime-exclusive deal marks the best price we’ve tracked for the tenkeyless model, but other size options are 20 percent off too. Also at Keychron. Keychron C3 Pro mechanical keyboard for $22 at Amazon : If you want to pay as little as possible for a decent mechanical keyboard, the C3 Pro is the budget pick in our buying guide. Its keycaps are a bit slick, but its typing feel and sound are still levels above the membrane boards you usually find in this price range. This is a new low for the model with Keychron's linear Red switches. Be aware that this version isn’t hot-swappable and only has a red backlight; if you’re willing to pay extra, a more customizable version with RGB lighting is also on sale for $33. Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon : We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse buying guide for those who don’t mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic right-handed shape. We’ve seen this discount several times before, but it matches the device’s all-time low. Note that Razer released an revised version with an improved sensor a few months ago, but that one costs $40 more, and it’s not a massive upgrade in practice. Also at Target, Best Buy and others. The Razer Basilisk V3.Jeff Dunn / Engadget Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite MMO gaming mouse for $50 at Amazon : The Scimitar RGB Elite is the top MMO pick in our gaming mouse guide. It has 12 customizable side buttons, which make it easier to pull off strings of actions in games like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft. This deal comes within a couple bucks of the lowest price we've seen. Also at Corsair and Best Buy. A wireless model with an upgraded sensor is also on sale for $89, which is the second-best price we've tracked for that variant. ASUS TUF Gaming A16 Advantage Edition gaming laptop for $680 at Best Buy : Although it’s a 2023 model, this configuration of the A16 should do the job for value-minded buyers. It comes with a 16-inch 165Hz 1,920 x 1,200 display, an AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an AMD Radeon RX 7700S GPU. You’ll still have to deal with the usual trade-offs of a cheaper gaming laptop — it can get warm under load, it’s bulky, the keyboard isn’t great and the screen is somewhat dim. But it’s powerful enough to run newer games in 1080p, the chassis generally feels sturdy, and the battery can reach double-digit hours when you aren’t gaming. This discount matches this config’s all-time low. ASUS ROG Strix G16 gaming laptop for $1,615 at Amazon : While not a top pick in any of our guides, this configuration of the ROG Strix G16 should be a solid value for those in search of a 16-inch all-rounder gaming notebook. It includes an Intel Core i9-14900X chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, which should be enough to run many games at high-ish settings without much hassle. The overall build doesn’t feel cheap, and the 2,560 x 1,600 240Hz display here is both sharp and fast. The RAM and storage are user-upgradeable, too, though the battery life and 720p webcam aren’t ideal. This deal matches an all-time low. Another model with a 1080p panel, a Core i7-13650HX chip and a RTX 4060 GPU is on sale for a low of $1,100, but you’ll have to turn down game settings more frequently to get decent frame rates with that one. The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite.Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget LG 32GS95UV-W 32-inch gaming monitor for $1,000 at Amazon : This is a variant of the “no-compromise” pick in our guide to the best gaming monitors. It’s a premium OLED panel with a sharp 4K resolution and a fast 240Hz refresh rate, though it can jump to a super-smooth 480Hz if you drop to 1080p . That’s great if you spend a decent chunk of time in esports-style games like Counter-Strike 2. Being an OLED monitor gives it excellent contrast with deep black tones, though it’s not quite as vivid as the handful of QD-OLED monitors that use quantum dots to boost colors. Still, it’s well worth a look if you have cash to burn and know you’ll use the dual refresh rate modes. This deal has been live for a month but represents an all-time low. Also at LG and Best Buy. Compared to the recommendation in our guide, the only differences with this model are that it has a white finish and its built-in speakers aren’t as strong. MSI MAG 271QPX QD-OLED E2 27-inch gaming monitor for $500 at Amazon : This is within $20 of the lowest price we’ve seen for MSI’s QD-OLED monitor, which blends the high contrast and inky blacks typical of OLED displays with color-enhancing quantum dots. It has a 1440p resolution and 240Hz refresh rate, which should be sufficient for most, though like many OLEDs it’ll look better in dim lighting than a bright room. Also at Best Buy. MSI MPG 321URX 32-inch gaming monitor for $850 at Amazon : The MPG 321URX is a larger high-end monitor with a gorgeous QD-OLED panel, a 4K resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. It also includes a KVM switch and a USB-C port that can deliver up to 90W of charging power. It’s definitely not cheap, but at its current deal price it undercuts its handful of competitors by a fair amount. MSI very briefly had it for less than $800 earlier this week, but this is the lowest price we've seen otherwise. Also at B&H. ASUS ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM 32-inch gaming monitor for $999 at Amazon : If the MSI 321URX runs out of stock, the PG32UCDM is an excellent alternative with a similar list of features. Some reviewers we trust say it can get brighter, too, plus it supports the popular Dolby Vision HDR format. This discount represents a new low. Also at B&H and Best Buy. Black Friday gaming deals that are no longer available Xbox Series X for $448 at Amazon : This is well off the lowest price we’ve seen for the higher-end Xbox, and there’s a chance we see alternative deals on Black Friday. It is Microsoft’s official discount, though, and any chance to save $50 is still worth calling out. Whether any Xbox is a must-have is another question, as Microsoft has put less and less emphasis on exclusives, but the Series X is still a nice piece of kit if you’re sold on Xbox Game Pass or just have friends who use the platform. Also at Xbox, Walmart, Target and others. Audeze Maxwell wireless gaming headset for $200 at B&H : The Maxwell is another excellent wireless headset we recommend in our buying guide. It’s bulky, and it doesn’t provide the same sense of width as our top pick, but it still sounds fantastic, with ample bass, crisp highs and impressive detail. A nice mic and long battery life help as well. The headset isn’t discounted very often, so this coupon deal marks a new low. The price above applies to the PS5/PC model, but the Xbox version is also down to a new low of $230 with the same $100 discount. 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard for $60 at Woot : While not a top pick in any of our keyboard guides, the wireless 8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard is still a nice value for anyone looking to give their desk a more vintage look, since its keycaps and accents are inspired by Nintendo’s old NES console. It’s comfy for typing and hot-swappable as well, though the default switches are pretty noisy. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen. Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $42 at Woot : This is a new low for the recent Switch remake of the beloved GameCube RPG Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door. Engadget Senior Editor Devindra Hardawar was pretty straightforward in his review: “It’s great, you should play it.” The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for $45 at Woot : The newest Zelda game makes a few bold changes to the series’ usual formula, blending the freeform spirit of Tears of the Kingdom with the top-down perspective of earlier 2D entries. It also puts the titular princess in the spotlight . Engadget Deputy Editor Nathan Ingraham called it a “fresh and enjoyable remix of a classic Zelda game” in his review. This deal matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Alienware M18 R2 gaming laptop for $2,200 at Amazon : The M18 R2 is an iteration of the top 18-inch pick in our gaming laptop buying guide. It’s an absolute tank, but it’s sturdily put together, and this configuration can blow through new games at high settings in 1080p or 1440p. It comes with a 165Hz 2,560 x 1,600 panel, an Intel Core i9-14900HX chip, 32GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. While this deal price is far from cheap, it's a new low for this variant. A lower-spec model is also on sale for $1,900, though that one will likely run into issues sooner with more demanding 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/black-friday-gaming-deals-for-2024-the-best-discounts-from-nintendo-playstation-xbox-meta-and-others-144605036.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 Whether you want a new streaming device to upgrade an aging TV or you want to outfit a new projector with one, Black Friday deals can make it so you spend less on that new set-top box or dongle. One of the best deals we’ve seen on streaming gear is on the latest Roku Ultra, which is on sale for $79, or $21 off its usual rate. That’s an all-time-low price on the 2024 version. Roku unveiled the 2024 Ultra in September. It claims that the device is at least 30 percent faster than any of its other players. As such, apps should load quickly and moving around the user interface should feel zippy. The previous version is our pick for the best set-top streaming box . The Roku Ultra offers 4K streaming with HDR10+ and Dolby Vision, as well as Dolby Atmos audio. It supports Wi-Fi 6 connectivity and you can plug in an Ethernet cable as well. This model comes with a second-gen Voice Remote Pro, which boasts backlit buttons and USB-C charging, though Roku says it should run for up to three months on a single charge. Other features include hands-free voice control and a lost remote finder function. Roku ditched the headphone jack for wired listening this time around, unfortunately, but you can still connect wireless headphones to the Roku Ultra via Bluetooth. The Roku Channel offers more than 400 free, ad-supported streaming channels, along with on-demand shows and movies. The Roku Ultra is also compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, Apple HomeKit and AirPlay. In addition to the latest Ultra, you can save on a number of other Roku devices for Black Friday. The most affordable of the bunch is the Roku Express HD, which is down to only $18, and the Roku Streambar SE is on sale for $69 — only $10 more than its record low. In case you need a new flatscreen to actually plug your Roku devices into, there are a ton of Black Friday deals on TVs as well. Hisense models are up to $602 off and you can get a similar discount on the latest model of the 55-inch Frame TV from Samsung. The prices of some TCL and Sony Bravia TVs have also dropped by hundreds of dollars for Black Friday. 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/amazon-black-friday-deals-discount-the-2024-roku-ultra-to-79-164512532.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 Meta is said to be planning a fiber-optic subsea internet cable that will span the world and could cost north of $10 billion. The project, which was originally reported by subsea cable expert Sunil Tagare, could be formally announced early next year. However, sources linked to Meta told TechCrunch that the project is in the early stages. Only a few contractors would be capable of building out that infrastructure and many are tied up with commitments to other customers. If the project does come to fruition, it’s likely to take several years before the cable is laid and switched on. Meta is said to be the part-owner of more than a dozen subsea networks but this would be the first one that it owns and operates entirely. Google has a few of its own, though Amazon and Microsoft don't have any dedicated cables and are part owners of others. Meta will reportedly be the sole user of its cable. The company and its services are said to account for about 10 percent of global fixed internet usage . At this point, Meta generates more revenue from international markets than it does in North America. The cable would give it greater ownership over its infrastructure in the aim of ensuring its services are as stable as possible, though ISPs and mobile providers will still of course be responsible for keeping users' devices connected. Meta has worked its own Wi-Fi and mobile internet projects, but it wound down the former in 2022. It’s expected that the cable will run from the US east coast to South Africa then to India and the north coast of Australia before hitting the west coast. All told, the cable could be at least 25,000 miles or so long. That supposedly safe route would avoid areas where there are said to be "major single points of failure," according to Tagare. Those include the Red Sea, the South China Sea, Egypt, Marseilles, the Straits of Malacca and Singapore. It would also steer clear of many geopolitical hotspots. Two undersea cables were severed in the Baltic Sea over the couple of weeks. Investigators believe that a Chinese commercial trawler — possibly acting under the influence of Russian intelligence — cut the cables by dragging its anchor along the seabed. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/meta-is-reportedly-planning-a-10-billion-globe-spanning-subsea-internet-cable-161613820.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 There are plenty of great gadgets on sale today for Black Friday that will track your steps or wake you up. But, personally, I'm more interested in the discounts on tools that will boost my beauty routine this winter. So, I'm very excited that the Dyson Airwrap is down to $499 from $600 on Amazon — a 17 percent discount. That brings it to only $20 more than what we saw last year. You can also shop the same deal on QVC. Ok, so spending half a grand on hair tools is still quite an investment, but it should be a big boost to your hair. We named it one of the best self-care gifts for 2024 thanks to its air flow system. It uses the Coanda effect to style your hair — theoretically causing less damage to your locks than typical hot tools. The device also comes with six attachments, including a wide-tooth comb, diffuser and Coanda smoothing dryer. The Airwrap is only one of the Dyson hair products on sale for Black Friday. Right now, you can buy the Dyson Airstrait Hair Straightener for $399, down from $500 — a 20 percent discount. The same deal is available on the Dyson Corrale Hair Straightener, while the Supersonic Hair Dryer has dropped to $329 from $430. 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-100-discount-on-the-dyson-airwrap-153056978.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 Black Friday 2024 is finally here, but we wouldn't blame you if you thought it's been here for quite some time. Deals began in earnest at the start of November, and it's safe to say that the best Black Friday deals we saw launch about a week ago remain the best ones today. If you don't want to bother to sift through the plethora of deals across Amazon, Walmart, Target and other retailers, allow Engadget to help. Below is a curated selection of the best Black Friday deals you can get this year. Whether you’re shopping for yourself or for others as you cross things off your gift list ahead of the holidays, we recommend jumping on these deals now before they sell out or before they disappear likely when Cyber Monday is over. Disney+ Hulu bundle one-year subscription for $36 : This Disney+ Black Friday deal gets you the ad-supported tiers of both Disney+ and Hulu for only $3 per month for one year. It's one of the best streaming deals of the seasons since it gives you the ability to catch up on all those classic Disney holiday movies, and the thousands of episodes of TV that Hulu has. Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $154 : The best AirPods you can get right now, these offer a secure, comfortable fit, good sound quality and ANC, plus excellent transparency mode. Thanks to a recent software update, the Pro 2 earbuds can be used as hearing aids if the user takes Apple's new hearing test and it discovers mild to moderate hearing loss. Apple MacBook Air for $844 : The latest MacBook Air is our top pick for the best laptop for most people, and this model has 16GB of RAM built in — double the previous base amount. If you're ok with getting an M2 processor, that 13-inch MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM is also on sale for $749. Apple 10th-gen iPad for $250 : The best iPad for those on a budget, this model has a modern design, good performance, a landscape-oriented front-facing camera and a solid battery life. It has also done away with the Lightning port in favor of a more modern USB-C port. Note that some color options are on sale for $279 and have an addition coupon that brings the final price down to $250. Also available at Target. PS5 Slim Digital for $374 : If you've been unable to get your hands on a PS5 until now, you can get a decent discount for the holiday shopping season. It earned a score of 87 in our original review for its speedy 4K gaming, minimal load times and excellent DualSense controller. Also available at Walmart, Target and Sony. Peacock one-year subscription for $20 : The Peacock Black Friday deal is back this year, bringing the price of one year of access to the ad-supported tier down to only $20. Note that the subscription will automatically renew at the regular rate after the first year, and the deal is only available to new subscribers who are not currently paying for Peacock Premium or Premium Plus. Max 6-month subscription for $18 : This deal gives you access to the Ads tier for $3 per month for the first six months, coming out to a total of only $18 for that time period. New and returning Max subscribers can take advantage of this. Anker 10K MagGo power bank for $54 : This is one of our top picks for the best power banks you can buy today thanks to its versatile capacity, speedy Qi2 charging capabilities, clear screen that shows remaining battery power and its built-in kickstand. The black model has the steepest discount, while the rest are down to $60. Also available at Anker. Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $30 : A top pick in our best power banks guide, this 10K brick has a built-in USB-C cable so you don't need to remember to bring one with you, plus it has an extra USB-C port for charging other devices. Also available at Anker. Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $45 : The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn't the best, and it won't auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we've seen. Also available at Anker with a coupon. DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal for $89 : The latest version of DJI's smartphone gimbal includes improved tracking and a new Quick Launch feature for iPhones that automatically launches the companion app in camera view so you can get to filming. Also available at B&H Photo. Meta Quest 3s + $75 gift card for $300 : A recent addition to our best VR headsets guide, the 3S is our favorite cheap virtual reality device. It's comfortable to wear for long sessions, has fast performance and excellent controllers, plus it has a vast library of games and programs to choose from. Also available at Target. Bose QuietComfort headphones for $199 : The latest version of Bose's iconic QC headphones, these cans have excellent ANC, a comfortable design, 24 hours of battery life and a quick-charge feature that will get you two hours of battery after just 15 minutes of them being plugged in. Also available at Bose. Black Friday FAQs When is Black Friday 2024? Black Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year. When do Black Friday deals start? We expect some Black Friday tech deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and you’ll likely find early Black Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event. When do Black Friday deals end? Some Black Friday tech deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended Black Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, we’ve seen many Black Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday. Where are the best Black Friday deals? There is no one place to buy all of the best Black Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same Black Friday deals available — both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure you’re getting the best deal before you cross things off your list. Does Apple have Black Friday deals? You typically will not find cash discounts on Apple’s website for Black Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during Black Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isn’t a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple Black Friday tech deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. 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-13-best-black-friday-deals-worth-shopping-right-now-get-up-to-70-percent-off-today-163039852.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 If you’re on the market for an action cam to up the quality of your social media posts , GoPro’s Black Friday deals might have just what you’re looking for. The GoPro Hero 13 Black bundle is $100 off for Black Friday, bringing it down to $350. You can grab the deal at Amazon and directly from GoPro. In addition to the action cam, the bundle includes The Handler grip, two Enduro batteries, two curved adhesive mounts, a 64GB SanDisk microSD card and a case to hold it all in. We’ve tested the GoPro Hero13 Black before, and it’s quite the improvement over its predecessor, the Hero12 Black. Its maximum resolution of 5.3K at 120fps coupled with Hybrid Log Gamma makes it a compelling choice for power users. It also runs longer in both hot and cold environments, even when 10-bit video mode is active. For those who want to capture more footage, the Hero13 Black is rated for 1.5 hours of 4K at 30fps. The Hero13 Black is compatible with several GoPro add-ons like the Macro Lens Mod, Smart Motion Blur ND Filter 4-Pack and Anamorphic Lens Mod, all sold separately. The camera knows when you’ve attached one to it and automatically adjusts its settings to match. This function helps reduce the required setup time, allowing you to spend more time filming. 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-gopro-deals-bring-this-hero-13-black-bundle-down-to-350-144338690.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 Black Friday deals are here, and that includes many Apple devices. You can pick up a four-pack of Apple AirTags for just $73, which brings the price per tag down to $18.25. That's nearly a record-low price for the four pack and just about the cheapest we've seen on the price per unit. Apple AirTags easily made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers, particularly for regular iPhone users. We love the vast finding network, which really helps when you misplace a tag. Just think of all of those AirTags, iPhones and other Apple devices out there helping to create this network. Apple AirTags also offer the ability to tap into the ultra-wideband wireless protocol. This creates a sort of game out of finding lost items, as long as the object is within 25 feet of the phone. The screen will display directional arrows and a distance meter so you can zero in on the lost item without having to ring the AirTag. There are some caveats. These trackers only really work with iPhones, so Android users should buy something else. Also, the ringer only goes for seven seconds at a time, which isn’t always enough time to track something down. Finally, there’s no attachment point for connecting to a keychain or a related item. However, there are plenty of good AirTag accessories to solve that problem. We expect to see more Apple Black Friday deals come out in the coming days, but right now, also on sale is the USB-C Apple Pencil, which is down to $69. Apple's stylus lineup is pretty confusing, so we wouldn't blame you for not knowing if this one is right for you. The USB-C Pencil is best for those who don't want to spend the extra money on the Apple Pencil Pro as its a more affordable option, or 10th-gen iPad owners who don't need pressure sensitivity. It's a good value for iPad owners who are only casual note-takers or doodlers. 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-a-four-pack-of-airtags-is-on-sale-for-73-191040170.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 Sonos is getting in on Black Friday deals this year. Right now, you can save up to $200 off the company’s speakers and soundbars, making this a great time to buy that piece you need to complete your home theater setup. The highlight of the Black Friday promotion is the Era 100, which you can currently get for $199, or $50 off its usual $249 price. If you’re in the market for a soundbar, consider the Sonos Arc. Now that the Arc Ultra is available, Sonos has discounted its previous flagship soundbar by $200 to $699. For something more affordable, the Beam 2 is currently $369, down from $499. Lastly, there’s the Era 300. Right now, you can buy the Dolby Atmos-compatible speaker for $359, instead of $449 as usually priced. All of these deals are being matched by Amazon, too. More than a few of Sonos’ speakers, including the Era 100, have found a spot and stayed on Engadget’s list of best smart speakers. If you care about music but still want a speaker with modern features, a Sonos system is the way to go. Not only do the company’s speakers sound great, but you also get access to things like AirPlay 2 that make it incredibly easy to play exactly the song you want to listen to in the moment. You may have seen that Sonos bungled the release of the latest version of its companion app. That’s true, but as things stand, the company has done a lot of work in recent months to fix its software. As a daily user, I can safely say the Sonos app is in much better shape now than it was in the spring. Other than the premium price that comes with Sonos products, there’s not much they don’t do as well or better than the competition. With the discounts the company is offering for Black Friday, its speakers come even more highly recommended. 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/sonos-black-friday-deals-get-up-to-200-off-soundbars-and-speakers-131538123.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 I think it’s fair to say you can never own too many SD cards, and thankfully one of the best models available to buy currently is on sale for Black Friday. Amazon has discounted the Samsung Evo Select microSD card. Specifically, the 256GB variant is $4 off its usual $22 price. An 18 percent price discount might seem modest, but $18 is a new record low price for the storage device. If you want to avoid shopping on Amazon, Samsung has also reduced the cost of the 256GB model on its website, alongside the 128GB, 512GB and 1TB variants. Samsung’s Evo Select microSD cards are among the best value you’ll find on the market right now. While there are models that offer faster sequential read and write speeds, it’s hard to argue with the Evo Select line’s mix of performance and affordability. In the case of the 256GB model, the capability to deliver sequential read speeds of up to 160 MB/s is good enough for most tasks. I’ve been using a 128GB Evo Select card in my Switch OLED since the end of last year and have no complaints. Plus, each card comes with a 10-year warranty from Samsung. For $18, that’s a steal if you ask us. If you’re looking for other storage solutions, I’ll also mention here that Engadget has a roundup of the best Black Friday SSD deals. Check that out if you want to save money on a new NVMe, SD card or external drive. 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/samsung-black-friday-deal-get-a-256gb-evo-select-microsd-card-for-only-18-133037907.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 This time of year has a lot of merry and bright things to be excited about, but it can be stressful if you’re stumped on what to get your mom, dad, best friend, coworker or kids’ teacher as a holiday gift. Whether you enjoy or dread buying gifts for people, it’s safe to say we all want to give our loved ones things they will enjoy and appreciate. But there’s a lot of noise, junk and bad deals disguised as good deals to sift through as we get closer and closer to the holidays.Allow us at Engadget to help you through it. Here, you’ll find all of our holiday gift guides collected in one place, so you can more easily find the best Christmas gifts you need this year. Are you looking for white elephant gift ideas? Are you struggling to come up with a good gift for the father figure in your life? Are you just looking for a good board game to pick up for your own family? We’ve got you covered with gift ideas for all of those scenarios and more. We'll update this post as more of our gift guides hit the internet, so check back for even more gift ideas throughout the season. Table of contents Best white elephant gift ideas Best board game gifts Best gifts under $25 Best gifts under $50 Best gifts under $100 Best tech gifts and gadgets Gifts our editors want Best self care gifts Best gifts for gamers Best retro gaming gifts Best gifts for coffee lovers Best gifts for tea lovers Best cooking gifts Best tech toys for kids Best gadgets for your pets Best travel gifts Best gifts for remote workers Best gifts for book lovers Best gifts for music lovers Best gifts for photographers Best gifts for runners Best gifts for cyclists Best outdoor gifts Best gifts for moms Best gifts for dads Best white elephant gift ideas According to legend, the King of Siam would give a white elephant to courtiers who had upset them. The recipient had no choice but to simply thank the king for such an opulent gift, knowing that they likely could not afford the upkeep for such an animal. It would inevitably lead them to financial ruin. This story is almost certainly untrue, but it has led to a modern holiday staple: the white elephant gift exchange. These gift ideas will not only get you a few chuckles, but will also make your recipient feel burdened. Read more: The best white elephant gift ideas Best board game gifts We could all use more time away from screens of all types and sizes, and board games are a fun way to do that and bond with friends and family. You can find plenty of unique sets out there now, from word puzzles to whodunnits to calming playthroughs that showcase the beauty of the little things in life. From games with giant monsters to those with haunted mansions, we’re sure at least one of our suggestions will be a hit with you and your loved ones. Read more: The best board games to gift this season Best gifts under $25 The most hyped tech is often also the most expensive: flagship smartphones, ultra-powerful gaming laptops, immersive VR headsets and the like. But it would be wrong to assume that those are the only pieces of technology worth gifting. You don’t have to drain your wallet to get someone a cool gadget that will both be useful and make their lives easier. We’ve collected our favorite pieces of tech under $25 that make great gifts and help you to stick to a budget. Read more: The 12 best gifts under $25 Best gifts under $50 We wouldn’t blame you if you try to do all of your tech shopping around the holidays. That’s when you can typically get the best sales, both on relatively affordable gear and on big-ticket items. But it would be wrong to think that only the most expensive tech is worth gifting. Since we at Engadget test a plethora of gadgets every year, we know that there are some hidden tech gems at lower price ranges — you just have to know where to find them. Read more: The best gifts under $50 that make great stocking stuffers Best gifts under $100 If someone on your gift list this year is a big techie, you may want to get them something from Apple, Google, Samsung or another big brand. But once you look at the price tags of their most popular devices, you may get discouraged. Thankfully, you don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars to get a tech gift for someone that has all the cachet of a brand they know and love. These are some of the best gifts you can get from Apple, Samsung, Sony and other big tech companies that come in at $100 or less. Read more: The best tech gifts under $100 from Apple, Samsung, Google and others Best tech gifts and gadgets Trying to find the right gift for an unabashed gadget lover during the holidays can be difficult, especially if you don’t keep up with tech industry news yourself. Fortunately, you’re reading Engadget.com, a site entirely staffed by people who spend all day figuring out what new stuff is and isn’t actually good. So allow us to help. We’ve rounded up some of our favorite gadgets and gear that just might satisfy the avid geek in your life. Read more: The best tech gifts and gadgets Gifts our editors want We at Engadget spend a lot of time thinking about the best tech gifts for anyone and everyone in your life. But during that process, we often can’t help but think about the things we’d like to receive as gifts. Here, we’ve compiled a list of gadgets on our staffers’ wishlists with the hope that it may inspire you to splurge a bit on yourself this year. Read more: The best tech gifts on our editors' wishlists for the holiday season Best self care gifts There are plenty of things you could get for someone that not only shows how much you care about them, but also remind them that it’s worthwhile to take time for themselves. And while there’s nothing wrong with an aromatherapy candle, it’s more fun to go beyond the obvious choices and look at what tech products could help your loved ones feel their best. Our picks include things like styling gadgets and grooming devices, but also less techy options like a hair turban and face masks. Read more: The best self care gifts Best gifts for gamers This year may not go down as one of the best years in gaming like 2023 did, but that doesn’t mean there weren’t a lot of great new releases. Between titles like Astro Bot and Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth, there were plenty of games to keep even the most dedicated of gamers busy in 2024. And if you’re shopping for one, especially as a non-gamer, it can be tricky to navigate what’s worth buying. We've got you covered with these recommendations. Read more: The best gifts for gamers Best retro gaming gifts A million new video games seem to come out every week, but for some of us, nothing beats the classics. If you know someone who is way into retro gaming but don’t feel like hunting through eBay and local shops for gear to add to their collection, we’re here to help. We’ve rounded up a few of our favorite gift ideas for the nostalgic gamer in your life, from video upscalers for old consoles to retro-themed books and artwork. Read more: The best retro gaming gifts for the holidays Best gifts for coffee lovers When it comes to making a great cup at home, coffee nerds are constantly learning and love to try new things. Whether the person you’re shopping for is a newly indoctrinated pour over lover or obsessive over every brewing parameter, we’ve compiled a list of the best gear for coffee geeks that you can get this holiday season. Read more: The best gifts for coffee lovers Best gifts for tea lovers Forget coffee — for billions of people around the world, a freshly steeped cup of tea is the best part of waking up. But with so many varieties and methods of preparation out there, it can be difficult to find the right gift for the tea lover in your life. So to help you out, we’ve put together a list of our favorite products, from kettles to samplers. Read more: The best gifts to buy tea lovers Best cooking gifts There are few things more rewarding than making good food for your friends and family. But after a while, it’s easy to get bored with the same tried and true recipes. And what better way to inject some fun into your favorite home chef’s routine than with a brand-new kitchen gadget? To help you find the right gift for the cook in your life, we’ve put together a list of our favorite kitchen gadgets across a wide range of prices and categories. Read more: The best cooking gifts Best tech toys for kids We’re all having a bit of a budget crunch this year, but the good news is that when it’s time to bestow presents on the young ones , you don’t have to break the bank. Our list of our favorite tech, science and design toys is stacked with items under $100, with plenty of reuse packed in so the fun can extend far beyond the holiday season. Read more: The best tech toys for kids Best gadgets for your pets In Engadget’s Slack rooms, our pets are high on the list of stuff we chat about — just behind work-adjacent tech stuff, insane current events, video games and food. We’ve bought plenty of high- and low-tech stuff to keep our furry friends fed, occupied, safe and happy and we’ve put together the best of what we tried here. Perhaps you’re shopping for your own very good boy or girl, or maybe you have a dutiful pet parent on your list — either way, the gadgets gathered here will make great gifts, according to the enthusiastic tail wags of our own fur babies. Read more: The best gadgets for your pets Best travel gifts Since the dawn of humanity, we have traveled. We’ve come a long way from on-foot journeys laden with animal hide satchels. But the goal of good travel gear is the same: Get you and your necessities to a destination in the highest level of comfort available. If you know someone who is always catching a flight, rides the train to work or is bravely embarking on a cruise, some new tech may just help them out. Read more: The best travel gifts Best gifts for remote workers There's a pretty good chance you know at least one person who works remotely in some fashion. While the WFH life has its perks — nobody likes a long commute — it comes with its own set of challenges, from lacking pro-level equipment to dealing with household disturbances. If you’re looking to give a gift to someone who spends much of their time in their home office, we’ve rounded up a few techy gift ideas that should make their days a little more delightful, or at least easier to manage. Read more: The 19 best gift ideas for the remote worker in your life Best gifts for book lovers There are few things better in life than getting lost in a good book — as any book lover will tell you. We have a few heavy readers on staff at Engadget and we all have opinions on the gadgets and subscriptions we think make the experience of reading even better. We've got gift ideas for those who prefer e-reading, as well as for the print-faithful — and of course, some book recommendations, too. Read more: The best gifts for book lovers Best gifts for music lovers Everyone needs a hobby, and chances are there’s at least one person on your holiday shopping list who fancies themselves a musician. Whether they’re a casual synth noodler, a guitar virtuoso or a singer-songwriter we’ve got recommendations covering a range of price points. Some of these even make a great gift for music lovers who have been considering making the jump to music maker. Read more: The 16 best gifts for music lovers Best gifts for photographers 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. Read more: The best gifts for photographers and videographers Best gifts for runners Whether or not you understand your loved one’s desire to wake up before sunrise and get in a 5K is irrelevant when it comes to gifting. Athletes, especially runners, are pretty easy to shop for since they can never have too many of the essentials like socks, gloves, foam rollers, trackers and more. There are plenty of things you can get them that will make their runs more enjoyable, or help them recover more efficiently so they can best yesterday’s time today. Read more: The best gifts for runners Best gifts for cyclists Other than a bike, helmet and a few emergency maintenance essentials, there aren’t many things a person needs to enjoy a bike ride outside. But having the right accessories can go a long way towards making the experience more fun, more safe and, ultimately, more rewarding. Our list of recommendations cover the gamut of things you can give to the cyclist in your life, from must-have safety accessories like bike lights, to more techie gadgets like bike computers. Read more: The best gifts for cyclists Best outdoor gifts The great outdoors can be enjoyed all year round, so we’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for the backyard lounger, patio napper or woodland hiker on your list this holiday season. We even offer help with items to improve your tailgate or next beach trip. With everything from grilling gadgets to drinkware and hammocks to splash-proof speakers, there’s something for everyone – no matter how long or how often they venture outside. Read more: The best outdoor gifts Best gifts for moms We don’t speak for all moms, but a brief and unscientific survey has confirmed one gift most moms will love across the board: Time. Unspoken for, unstructured, zero-obligation time. While we couldn’t find extra hours on sale anywhere online, we did find some gadgets and gizmos that help save time and others that make precious down time more enjoyable. Read more: The 13 best gifts for moms Best gifts for dads Many Dads aren’t known for being forthright about what exactly they want for the holidays. If you’re shopping for a father who likes gadgets but you aren’t sure what to get, let us help jog your brain with these gift ideas. Read more: The 15 best gifts for dads Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-christmas-gifts-that-cover-everyone-on-your-2024-holiday-list-170018838.html?src=rss

29.11.2024 18:41 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. The camera supports 1080p HD live view and has a wider field of view than its predecessor . 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. Blink is just one of the many brands discounted as part of Amazon's Black Friday deals. Check out sales like the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite, available for $130, down from $160 or the newest Echo Spot, down to $45 from $80. 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-blink-mini-2-camera-deals-discount-a-two-pack-by-50-percent-140009569.html?src=rss