Engadget

09.11.2024 01:00 If you’re at least in your mid-30s , you know the voice of Elwood Edwards, realize it or not. He recorded the phrase, “You’ve got mail!” and three other lines for Quantum Computer Services in 1989. That company later rebranded to America Online, and the rest is early internet history. Edwards died on Tuesday. WKYC first reported that Edwards passed away one day before what would have been his 75th birthday. He was a longtime off-camera presence at the Cleveland TV station, working as a graphic designer, camera operator and jack-of-all-trades employee. His wife, Karen Edwards, worked at Quantum when she heard the company’s then-CEO talking about needing a voice for the software that would soon bombard mailboxes across the US. “So, she volunteered my voice,” Edwards said in a 2012 video. “And on a cassette deck in my living room, I recorded the phrases that you’ve come to know.” He was paid a grand total of $200 for his voiceover work. The new-message catchphrase, recorded in Edwards’ calm and welcoming voice, became a cultural phenomenon in AOL’s ‘90s and early 2000s heyday. Of course, that included inspiring the 1998 Nora Ephron rom-com’s title. Edwards also contributed three AOL sayings: “Welcome,” “File’s done” and “Goodbye.” In the 2012 video, he’s depicted getting hounded by various employees, prompting him to say the thing. “So, that’s the story behind the catchphrase,” he said in the clip, “which, well, I have a certain amount of trouble trying to escape.” This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-voice-of-aols-youve-got-mail-has-died-at-74-214247947.html?src=rss

09.11.2024 01:00 It’s almost time again for Awesome Games Done Quick , the zany speedrun-fest for a good cause. The hook for this year’s event is a run of the Dreamcast classic Crazy Taxi with a live backing band. Funds raised from this year’s showcase will benefit the nonprofit Prevent Cancer Foundation. AGDQ 2025 runs from January 5 to 12 in Pittsburgh. The live instrumental band rocking out during a Crazy Taxi run sounds like a fun centerpiece. You can check out a preview in the video below, which showed the same band rocking out to a recorded run of the game at Summer Games Done Quick 2024. On Saturday, January 11 at 4:48PM ET, you can catch a fully live version. Other highlights on the agenda include a run of the instant PlayStation classic Astro Bot on Sunday, January 5 at 6:30PM ET, a speedrun of Pokémon Omega Ruby/Alpha Sapphire for 3DS on January 11 at 8:18AM ET and a play-through of the Wii port of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time on the same day at 4PM ET. You can check out the full schedule for more. Last year’s AGDQ raised $2.5 million for the Prevent Cancer Foundation. Among its best bits were a no-hit run of Resident Evil 2 , Super Mario 64 completed on an electric drum kit and a pup named Peanut Butter lending a paw to help his person beat the NES classic Gyromite. The Games Done Quick Organization has raised $51.8 million for various charities throughout its 15 years. You can stream AGDQ 2025 on Twitch. Or, if you want to attend live at the Wyndham Grand in downtown Pittsburgh, you can register now.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/awesome-games-done-quick-2025-will-include-crazy-taxi-with-a-live-backing-band-203426032.html?src=rss

09.11.2024 01:00 There’s a new portable gaming console in town, joining an ever-crowded field. The Ayaneo 3 is the manufacturer’s latest portable device, following last year’s Ayaneo 2S. This Windows-based handheld looks to be an improvement in nearly every major way over its predecessors. The Ayaneo 3 will be available in a few different versions. Purchasers can choose between two processors, an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 or Ryzen 7 8840U. The HX 370 is the more powerful option, offering an “extraordinary handheld gaming experience with AI support.” It’s worth noting that the 8840U should still be able to run plenty of modern games, as the company says it’s a good choice for “gamers who prefer classic powerful performance.” Folks can also select between two display options. There’s a model with a serviceable 7-inch LCD screen and another with a 7-inch OLED. Portable devices really pop with OLED screens. Ayaneo Every model boasts a new back button design, to provide for a “richer button combination experience.” The company says the design has been “ergonomically optimized” so human fingers can easily reach those back buttons. There’s also a trigger lock feature, to offer enhanced “control in both popular and retro games.” Otherwise, the front-facing buttons and slanted joystick layout are familiar. The front-facing speakers have received a refresh here, with Ayaneo promising “immersive audio beyond expectations.” It says they were designed in “deep collaboration with sound specialists” and will offer “low rumble” and “depth and clarity.” That’s about all we know for now. Ayaneo says it’ll release more information soon, including new features and “more control innovations.” There’s no price yet and no release date.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-ayaneo-3-looks-to-be-an-improvement-in-nearly-every-way-193511618.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 Ghosts of Sparta rejoice, for you can now think in peace without your smart-ass son reminding you how slow-witted you are. The latest patch for the PS5 version of God of War Ragnarok adds the option first seen in the PC port to tone down the boy’s excessive and unsolicited hints when Kratos is contemplating the game’s many puzzles. Stick a sock in it, Atreus. Game Version 06.00 for PlayStation 5 adds the “reduced puzzle hints” feature. Although Atreus isn’t the title’s only overly helpful companion, he’s Kratos’ most frequent comrade in the award-winning game and therefore the most notorious culprit. Activating the option will pipe down all of your partners’ excessive hints throughout the game, a feature players would’ve loved to have had when Ragnarok arrived two years ago. The update also includes PS5 Pro enhancements, like a new mode that enables “Favor Quality” while keeping things running at a smooth 60 fps. The patch also lets owners of the new console unlock the framerate when running on variable refresh rate monitors, and the Favor Performance mode gets boosted to match the PS5 Pro’s boosted specs. Finally, it adds support for the AI-fueled PlayStation Spectral Super Resolution as an upscaling option. On both PS5 tiers, the update also adds a new accessibility option with audio descriptions for all the game’s cinematic scenes. You’ll also find the requisite bug fixes, including remedies for Brok losing his way to the shop in Freyr’s camp and problems related to crafting hilts. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/god-of-war-ragnarok-for-ps5-finally-lets-kratos-solve-puzzles-in-peace-190806687.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 The Pixel Watch 3 is on sale in an early Black Friday deal. Not even two full months after Google debuted the smartwatch, it has hit a new record low price of $280. That's a tasty discount of $70. That deal is specifically for the Wi-Fi-only 41mm model, but there's an offer on the 45mm option too. The larger variant can be yours for $330. That's $70 off as well. Furthermore, you can save on the LTE-enabled versions of both sizes. The cellular variant of the 41mm Pixel Watch 3 has dropped by $100 to $350. As for the 45mm LTE model, that will currently run you $400, which is also a $100 discount. The Pixel Watch 3 is our pick for the best smartwatch for Android users. It's Google's best Pixel Watch yet. It has a display with a 60Hz refresh rate. The screen can drop to just 1 nit of brightness while you're asleep to help conserve battery life. The smartwatch can run for over 24 hours on a single charge. Handily, the Pixel Watch 3 charges faster than previous models too. Thanks in part to the help of Fitbit's knowhow, the wearable is a great activity tracker. Functions include detection and custom running plans, along with the ability to track other metrics such as Cardio Load. However, you'll need to stump up for a Fitbit Premium plan to access more in-depth coaching. Some software quirks and slight bulkiness are other drawbacks of the Pixel Watch 3. Other features include the likes of weather forecasts, calendar alerts and map directions that you can access via Google Assistant voice commands. In the end, we gave the Pixel Watch 3 a score of 84 in our review, with Engadget deputy editor Cherlynn Low calling it a "a serious smartwatch ready for the competition." 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/google-black-friday-deals-include-the-pixel-watch-3-for-a-new-low-of-280-184803582.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 Black people throughout the country, in more than 20 states, have been getting racist text messages that order them to report to a plantation for slave labor, according to reporting by CNN and numerous other outlets. The texts reference “slave catchers” and “picking cotton,” in addition to warning the recipients that they will be searched upon arrival. Following the 2024 election, people in Virginia, Georgia, and more reported receiving racist text messages claiming they were ‘selected to pick cotton at the nearest plantation.’ pic.twitter.com/XUYTyaI1Su— Complex November 8, 2024 These hate-filled messages have been received by both kids and adults. The “texts appear to be targeting Black and Brown individuals, including students,” New York’s attorney general Letitia James said. Various AG offices from other states have also issued statements. The texts all come from unknown phone numbers and began ramping after the election on Tuesday. NAACP president Derrick Johnson said that “these messages represent an alarming increase in vile and abhorrent rhetoric from racist groups across the country, who now feel emboldened to spread hate and stoke the flames of fear that many of us are feeling after Tuesday’s election results.” I have been made aware of racist and vile spam text messages individuals have received throughout Louisiana. I have directed the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation to fully investigate the origins of these disgusting texts that only intend to divide us. I urge anyone who received… pic.twitter.com/akz37kYbXq— Attorney General Liz Murrill November 7, 2024 The mother of a University of Alabama student who received one of the messages said that “it’s eerie that it’s the day after the election. It’s eerie that it came to my daughter’s personal phone. It’s eerie that it’s only going to Black students.” A spokesperson for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign wrote in a statement that it “has absolutely nothing to do with these text messages.” The FBI has addressed the situation in a statement, noting that it’s been in “contact with the Justice Department and other federal authorities on the matter.” FBI Statement on Offensive and Racist Text Messageshttps://t.co/vpQYAO6LT7 pic.twitter.com/iDtN36WhX4— FBI November 7, 2024 It remains unclear who sent the texts and how they did it. The messages targeted people of color, suggesting that the senders had biographical information on the recipients. Many of the messages were sent through TextNow, a free app that provides phone numbers, texting and calling services. TextNow told CNN that it believes this is a “widespread, coordinated attack.” The service lets people sign up anonymously and sends texts via randomly-generated phone numbers. It says it has been busy “rapidly disabling the related accounts.” The company is also “working alongside our industry partners to uncover more details and continue to monitor patterns to actively block any new accounts attempting to send these messages.” If you have received one of these horrific texts, lawmakers encourage you to reach out to your state’s AG or email OAGCivilRights@dc.gov. It’s currently unknown how many people have received the messages.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/black-people-across-the-country-have-been-getting-racist-texts-about-slave-plantations-173059798.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping ahead of time, without paying more than you have to. To help you cut through the noise, we're rounding up the best early Black Friday deals we can find in one easy place. While most major tech retailers haven't started their early sales in earnest just yet, we've seen more than a few new discounts on gadgets we recommend pop up this week. While some have hit their lowest prices to date, there's always a chance discounts will get even deeper as we get closer to the actual sales holiday. We'll continuously update this post as more Black Friday sales pop up, so be sure to check back. The best early Black Friday deals Billy Steele for Engadget Apple MagSafe charger pad for $25 : Apple's newest MagSafe charger provides up to 25W of fast-charging power to iPhone 16 handsets when paired with a 30W or 35W adapter. It works with older iPhones too, of course, and will provide that satisfying magnetic snap with the latest Apple smartphones . Apple 2024 M4 iMac desktop computer for $1,214 : Apple just released the refreshed iMac last month, and now the silver model is $85 off and down to $1,214 at Amazon. It has the latest Apple silicon, the M4 system on a chip that gives it a speed boost and enables the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia. Apple iPad for $200 : Apple discontinued this model with the release of the new iPad Pro and Air models earlier this year. In what's likely an effort to get rid of current stock, the price is down to a new record low of $200. The 9th generation iPad is the former budget pick in our guide to the best Apple tablets and will serve well as a casual browsing, streaming and game playing machine. Pixel Watch 3 for $280 : Google's latest smartwatch is down to an all time low price. This is the model we recommend for anyone with an Android phone in our guide to the best smartwatches and it earned an 84 in our review. It detects workouts quickly, has an extra long battery life and is one of the more attractive smartwatches on the market. The deal applies to the 41mm size with GPS only but the larger and cellular-enabled models are on sale too. Also at Best Buy and Target. Beats Solo 4 for $100 : The Solo 4 is light on features and may be uncomfortable on larger heads, but its even-handed sound and 50+-hour battery life make it worth considering if you prefer a more compact on-ear design instead of traditional over-ears. We gave it a score of 79 in our review. This discount ties an all-time low and is also available at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. The full-size Beats Studio Pro is discounted as well, but that pair is a bit harder to recommend over the top picks in our wireless headphone buying guide. Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $199 : This ties the lowest price we've seen for Bose's mid-tier noise-canceling headphones. At this price, their effective ANC and light fit make them a worthy alternative to higher-end pairs like the Sony WH-1000XM5 . That said, their bass-heavy sound won't be for everyone, and the XM5 has a more comprehensive feature set. Also at Bose.com, Target and Best Buy. The higher-end QuietComfort Ultra, meanwhile, are $100 off and put out even stronger ANC, though we still prefer the XM5 for around the same price. Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $82.50 : This Qi2 charging station supports up to 15W of power output and can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at once. It also comes with a 40W USB-C charger and connecting cable, so you get everything you need to use it in the box. Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $36 : 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. 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 — it's only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker's online store with an on-page coupon. Fitbit Charge 6 fitness tracker for $100 : Our top pick for the best fitness tracker, the Charge 6 has a comfortable design, built-in GPS and heart rate monitors and 20 exercise modes ready to be tracked. Google Nest Indoor security camera for $70 : Google's security camera can tell the difference between people, animals and vehicles while it's monitoring your home, and it supports 1080p video, night vision and two-way audio. Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E for $279 : We consider the Nest Wi-Fi Pro mesh system to be one of the easiest for folks who have never installed their own router, and the three-pack provides coverage for up to 6,600 square feet. Also available at Google. Google Nest Learning Thermostat for $225 : The recently revamped smart thermostat from Google is currently $55 off at Woot when you enter the code ENGBFNLT55 at checkout. It has a larger, customizable display and uses AI that aims to help you save on energy bills. The Amazon Echo Show 5.Amazon Amazon Echo Pop for $18 : Amazon's smallest smart speaker has dropped to a record-low price. It's part of a larger sale that includes the Echo Dot for $28 and the new Echo Spot for $50. Amazon Fire HD 10 for $75 : No Fire HD tablet comes close to matching the performance, build quality and app support of an iPad, but they're significantly more affordable, and they still work well enough if all you need is something for casual streaming, e-reading and web browsing. At this price, the 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 is likely a better value than the smaller Fire HD 8, as it has a sharper display, it's a tick faster and it can last slightly longer on a charge. Just be ready to deal with a bunch of ads for Amazon's own apps and services. This discount ties an all-time low, and it's also available at Best Buy and Target. Amazon Echo Show 5 for $50 : We highlight the Echo Show 5 in our guide to the best smart displays. While the Echo Show 8 — which isn't majorly discounted yet — has a roomier display, louder speakers and sharper cameras, this 5.5-inch model provides most of the same functionality in a design that's easier to fit on a nightstand. If you're already onboard the Alexa train, it'll work nicely as a smart alarm clock. This deal is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last Black Friday, so it may drop further in the weeks ahead, but for now it matches the best price we've seen in 2024. Also at Target, Kohl's and Best Buy. Blink Outdoor 4 for $180 : The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent 1080p video, it's relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it's a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We've seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it's still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on sale for $250, another low. Audible Premium Plus for $1 : Those who don't currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service's Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible's upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn't call it essential, but if you've been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it'd work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel. Samsung Music Frame for $248 : This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Samsung. JBL Clip 5 speaker for $50 : This tiny speaker has a built-in clip so you can hang it from a backpack or bag easily, plus it packs good sound with punchy base. You can expect 12 hours of battery life on it as well. Hisense U8N 4K TV for $728 : The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense's TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don't mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy. Samsung T9 portable SSD for $300 : The latest model in the T-series of Samsung's portable drives supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, and it has dynamic thermal guard to keep it cool even when you're pushing it to its limits. Also available at Samsung. Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 : Seagate's expansion card is one of the best options for expanding your Xbox Series X/S storage. A 2TB version has dropped to $200, its lowest price to date. It's one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. Also available at Seagate. iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max for $974 : You can get a sizable discount on one of the newest robovacs at Wellbots with the code ENGBF425. This one mops, vacuums, empties itself and cleans its own mop pad with little involvement from you. Expired Black Friday deals Apple AirPods Pro 2 for $170 : These are the best AirPods you can get this year, thanks to their good sound quality, secure fit, solid ANC and transparency mode, and they have more hearing aid features now too. Apple Pencil Pro for $92 : While this deal is a couple bucks higher than the lowest price we've ever seen for Apple's top-of-the-line iPad stylus, it's still a sizable drop compared to buying from Apple directly. Just be aware that Pencil Pro is only compatible with the most recent iPad Airs and iPad Pros. Also at Walmart. Apple iPad mini for $400 : The latest iPad mini only just arrived this month, but it's already $100 off with an on-page coupon at Amazon. Only the purple colorway is on sale, but this is a giant discount for a new Apple release, so we wouldn't expect it to last long. We gave the new mini a review score of 83: It's a minor refresh, but it continues to provide most of the iPad Air's strengths in a form factor that's easier to tuck in a bag and hold with one hand. This deal is available in additional colors at Costco, but only to store members. Apple iPad Air for $691 : If you'd prefer more screen space, the 13-inch iPad Air is also down to an all-time low at Amazon. This model can get slightly brighter than its smaller counterpart, but the two slates are virtually identical otherwise. Apple iPad Air for $497 at Amazon : This is a new low for the latest iPad Air, which we consider to be the best Apple tablet for most people. While it lacks the top-end performance and 120Hz OLED panel of the iPad Pro, it's much less expensive, and it still gets you a more futureproof M2 chip, a superior display and better accessory support than the base-model iPad. Also at Best Buy. Apple AirTag for $74 at Amazon : The AirTag is, unsurprisingly, the top pick for iPhone users in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, as it uses Apple's giant network of Apple devices and ultrawideband tech to locate items accurately. Its effectiveness has had deeply unfortunate side effects, but if you use it as intended, it can provide a little extra peace of mind. While not an all-time low, this deal is a welcome drop from the usual $80 street price we've seen for a four-pack in recent months. Also at Best Buy. Apple MacBook Air for $700 at Amazon : This matches the all-time low for Apple's last-gen MacBook Air, which remains a perfectly competent notebook for everyday use. The caveat is that this model only comes with 8GB of RAM, so it's really only meant for lower-power tasks. Apple made 16GB of memory the standard across its MacBook lineup earlier this week, so this might be an instance of Apple trying to clear out old inventory. Still, this is a great value if you only need a laptop for basic web browsing, emailing and word processing. Clip the on-page coupon to see the full discount. Anker Soundcore Motion+ for $69 at Amazon : We recommend the Soundcore Motion+ in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. While it isn't especially light or compact, it pumps out a more spacious sound than most speakers in its price range, it's waterproof and it lasts a decent 12 to 15 hours per charge. We've seen this discount a few times before, but it comes within a few bucks of the lowest price we've tracked. Also at Anker's online store with an on-page coupon. Hisense U7N 4K TV for $700 at Amazon : Various reviews around the web suggest that the U7N is one of the year's better TV values, with impressive brightness and contrast for the money. It supports up to a fast 144Hz refresh rate in 4K, which is great for gaming, and it runs on the easy-to-grok Google TV platform. Its image can wash out when viewed at an angle, though, and it's limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. This discount is a new low for the 65-inch model. Also at Best Buy. Dyson Digital Slim cordless vacuum for $250 : It's hard to beat a Dyson for less than $300, but we do expect even more Dyson Black Friday deals to pop up as we get closer to the big day. This model is 33 percent lighter than the Dyson V11, which could make it a good pick for someone who loathes their current, heavy-duty upright vac. The LED screen shows power mode, maintenance alerts and remaining run time, and you should get up to 40 minutes of battery life here. Also available at Dyson. Backbone One for $60: The Backbone One is an comfy gamepad that snaps around your phone and lets you play mobile or cloud-based games without having to rely on touch controls. We've recommended it before. This deal on the PlayStation-themed version isn't an all-time low, but it's $10 to $20 less than the usual discounts we've seen over the past year. Sony's listing doesn't specify whether this is the first- or second-gen model — the latter can fit a wider range of phones and cases — but that shouldn't be a major hindrance if you use an older iPhone or Android device. Both the USB-C and Lightning variants are on sale. 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/black-friday-2024-the-best-early-deals-we-could-find-from-amazon-best-buy-apple-samsung-and-more-163039193.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 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 retro gaming gifts Best gifts for coffee lovers Best cooking gifts Best tech toys for kids Best gadgets for your pets More coming soon! 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 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 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 Check out the rest of our gift ideas here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-christmas-gifts-for-everyone-on-your-holiday-list-170018565.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 You can soon top up the battery of a Volvo electric vehicle at more than 17,800 Tesla Supercharger stations across the US and Canada. That should make it much easier for Volvo drivers to find a place to charge, even though they already had access to tens of thousands of fast charge points. Starting November 18, drivers can locate Tesla Superchargers via the Volvo Cars app or built-in Google Maps. It's possible to pay for charging sessions via the Volvo Cars app as well. There's one teensy catch, however, especially if you have had a Volvo EV for a while: to access Tesla Superchargers and other North American Charging Standard chargers, you'll need an adapter. This costs $230 and can be ordered from authorized Volvo retailers. The automaker will start shipping them to retailers on November 18, but adapters for the EX30 will be available at a later date. That said, Volvo is including the adapter with purchases of the new EX90 flagship SUV, EX40 or EC40 starting with model year 2025. Volvo announced in June 2023 that it would support Tesla Superchargers and the NCAS. It's one of many automakers that have backed a more standardized approach to EV charging in North America.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/volvo-ev-drivers-can-start-using-teslas-supercharger-network-this-month-165541360.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 Nintendo and the Pokémon Company are seeking approximately $65,700 in compensation from their lawsuit against Palworld developer Pocketpair. In a press release the studio issued on Friday, it said Nintendo and the Pokémon Company want ¥5 million each , for a total of ¥10 million or $65,700 in damages. At first glance, that's a paltry amount of money to demand for copying one of the most successful gaming properties ever, particularly when you consider Tropic Haze, the creator of the now defunct Yuzu Switch emulator, agreed to pay $2.4 million to settle its recent case with Nintendo. While Nintendo and the Pokémon Company may have well wanted to sue for more, their legal approach may have limited their options somewhat. Report on Patent Infringement Lawsuithttps://t.co/iS4Uk2tjWg— Palworld November 8, 2024 As you might recall, when the two sued Pocketpair in September, they didn’t accuse it of copyright infringement. Instead, they went for patent infringement. On Friday, Pocketpair listed the three patents Nintendo and the Pokémon Company are accusing the studio of infringing. Per Bloomberg, they relate to gameplay elements found in most Pokémon games. For example, one covers the franchise’s signature battling mechanics, while another relates to how players can ride monsters. Pokémon games have featured those mechanics since the start, but here’s the thing: all three patents were filed and granted to Nintendo and the Pokémon Company after Pocketpair released Palworld to early access on January 19, 2024. The earliest patent, for instance, was granted to Nintendo and the Pokémon Company on May 22, 2024, or nearly four months after Palworld first hit Steam and Xbox Game Pass. According to Pocketpair, the two companies seek “compensation for a portion of the damages incurred between the date of registration of the patents and the date of filing of this lawsuit.” Put another way, it's a small window of time the suit targets. I’m not a lawyer, so I won’t comment on Nintendo’s strategy of attempting to enforce patents that were issued after Palworld was already on the market. However, I think it’s worth mentioning that Pocketpair CEO Takuro Mizobe had said before the game's release that Palworld had “cleared legal reviews,” suggesting the studio had looked at Nintendo's patent portfolio for possible points of conflict. In any case, the Tokyo District Court is scheduled to hear opening remarks from each side next week.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-palworld-lawsuit-seeks-65700-in-damages-163051523.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 The 9th-gen iPad is on sale via Amazon for only $200. That’s a fairly substantial discount of 39 percent, as the regular price for this model is $330. The deal applies to both the dark gray and silver colorways. This is a tablet Apple first released back in 2021, so it’s getting a bit long in the tooth. However, it’s still a fantastic machine, particularly for the price. We called it a “nice upgrade” in our official review. The battery life is on point, the screen is crisp and the performance is snappy. It’s an iPad. 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/black-friday-deals-include-the-9th-gen-ipad-for-a-record-low-of-200-161404147.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 Thanksgiving is a few weeks away, but there are some killer early Black Friday deals around already. For instance, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 have dropped back down to $170. That's $80 or 32 percent off the list price. It's not quite a record low, as the AirPods Pro 2 have been on sale for $169 in the past, but it's not far off at all. The AirPods Pro 2 are our pick for the best wireless earbuds for iPhone. We also gave them a score of 88 in our review back in 2022. We feel that the transparency mode, which is powered by Apple's H2 chip, is excellent. It sounds far more natural here than on any other earphones we've tested. Apple has built on this by recently enabling hearing health features on the AirPods Pro 2. These include an FDA-approved hearing aid function and hearing test. The earphones may also be used to help protect your hearing in loud environments, such as concerts, without muffling the audio. Other useful features include fast pairing and ease of switching between Apple devices, spatial audio, hands-free Siri and solid active noise cancellation. The earphones are IPX4-rated for water resistance too. On the downside, the touch gestures take a little getting used to. The AirPods Pro 2 ran for about six hours and 15 minutes on a single charge during our testing. The charging case adds up to three extra charges. 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/apples-airpods-pro-2-are-back-on-sale-for-170-ahead-of-black-friday-150737558.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 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. Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-gadgets-for-pets-133024155.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 20:30 Let's get this straight up front: The Vive Focus Vision isn't a competitor to the Meta Quest 3, or the recently released Quest 3S. At $999, how could it be? Instead, it's another stab at the high-end VR market for HTC Vive, an audience it's cultivated since the launch of the first Vive headset in 2016. While Meta has leaned more towards cheaper and more mainstream VR headsets over the last decade, HTC Vive has done practically the opposite, aiming for VR gearheads and enterprise customers with PC headsets like the Vive Pro 2 and feature-rich standalone models like the Focus 3. You can think of the Vive Focus Vision as a cross between the Focus 3 and last year's goggle-like XR Elite. It's a standalone headset with two 16MP color cameras for mixed reality, built-in eye tracking and automatic interpupillary distance adjustment. It could also be appealing to PC gamers with its $149 DisplayPort wired streaming kit, which gives you an uncompressed view of high-end VR experiences like Half-Life: Alyx. Hardware: An aging CPU As intriguing as its new features are, though, the more I tested the Focus Vision, the more it felt like a missed opportunity for HTC’s Vive VR platform. For one, it's running the same Snapdragon XR2 chip as the Focus 3 and Quest 2. That chip originally debuted in 2020, and it simply seems inexcusable in a high-end headset today. Both the $300 Quest 3S and $500 Quest 3 sport the XR2 Gen 2 processor, which is 2.5 times faster than the original chip and also has up to eight times faster AI processing. For a high-end headset at the tail-end of 2024, I would have expected HTC to at least match the power of far cheaper competitors, or – even better – to include Qualcomm's newer XR2+ Gen 2 chip. The Focus Vision is also still using older Fresnel lens optics, which are prone to artifacts and light bleeding, instead of the sharper pancake lenses in the Quest 3. At least HTC shoved in 12GB of RAM this time around, compared to the 8GB found on the Focus 3 and Quest 3. And the company still has a resolution advantage over the Quest 3: The Focus Vision delivers 2,448 by 2,448 pixels per eye, compared to Meta's 2,064 by 2,208 pixels per eye. HTC Vive's 120-degree field of view also delivers a greater sense of immersion than the 110-degree FOV in the Quest 3. The Focus Vision shines best when it comes to overall build quality and comfort. Even though it's made of plastic like the Quest 3, it's a sturdy device that clearly looks more high-end than Meta's offerings. Ample cushioning helps the Focus Vision rest comfortably on your forehead and behind your noggin. And its halo-like head strap, together with the ability to flip up the visor, makes it easy to slip on over large glasses. Best of all, the Focus Vision features a removable battery at the back of its headstrap. That provides a helpful counterweight to the bulky front-end, and it could conceivably let you stay in wireless VR all day if you've got enough spare batteries. The headset also has a small built-in battery, which allows you to stay in your VR session even when you're swapping out the larger rear power cell. This is the sort of thing we'll probably never see in a consumer Quest headset, as it's simply too expensive to implement, and Meta isn't building for enterprise customers who demand continuous wireless. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget In use Using the Focus Vision doesn't feel much different than the Focus — a headset I liked when I reviewed in 2021, but as a business-focused device I warned that no consumer should actually buy it. That's not too surprising, I suppose, since both headsets share the same basic design, displays and CPU. In standalone VR mode, playing the Maestro demo genuinely made me feel like I was conducting an orchestra , and I enjoyed hopping around a few virtual worlds in VR Chat. Other experiences, like the classic underwater VR short theBlu, felt just as immersive as they did on clunkier tethered headsets. While I could tell the Focus Vision didn't have the best lenses around, and I wished it had more graphical horsepower, it still delivered a thrill as I stood in the middle of a sunken shipwreck, waiting for an enormous blue whale to pass by. It was also nice to see the Vive app storefront a bit more populated than it was in 2021. Still, it pales in comparison to Meta's Quest library, which has far more titles and plenty of compelling exclusives . Devindra Hardawar for Engadget We already knew that HTC Vive could build a decent headset – the Focus Vision’s controllers and speakers are just as capable as they were on the previous model – but what about the Focus Vision's new features, like mixed reality and eye tracking? Unfortunately, there's not much to say just yet. There are a handful of mixed reality experiences available, like the creation app Figmin XR and the shooter Yuki, but they're not exactly mind blowing. The Focus Vision's 16MP mixed reality cameras deliver a fuzzy view of the real world , so it's not nearly as immersive as something like the far pricier Apple Vision Pro. The Focus Vision's eye tracking feature also refused to work for me entirely, even after I tried to calibrate it without glasses multiple times. That didn’t seem like a huge loss though, as there are only a handful of games in the Vive store that support it . It's a feature that seems more useful for developers who want to build their own eye tracking experiences, than it is for people who just want to play games with eye tracking. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Solid stand-alone VR A better selling point for the Focus Vision is its ability to stream uncompressed desktop VR experiences — but only when you invest in the $149 DisplayPort streaming kit. While Meta's Quest's headsets have been able to connect to PCs for years, first via USB-C cables then wirelessly, they also deliver a heavily compressed view of desktop VR. By going straight to the DisplayPort connection on your video card, HTC Vive aims to deliver something closer to what we saw with the Vive Pro 2 and other dedicated PC headsets. After playing half an hour of Half-Life: Alyx, I can confirm that the Focus Vision delivers a solid desktop VR experience, especially for a standalone headset. But given that it already costs $999 and requires an additional $149 accessory to get there, it's hard to tell who will find this compelling. True VR heads have likely already invested in serious desktop setups like the Valve Index, or the recent Bigscreen Beyond . The beauty of connecting standalone headsets to PCs has always been about value. It was a huge bonus when the $300 Quest 2 could deliver adequate desktop VR. But that just isn't the case for the Focus Vision. I suppose if you’re a developer who wants a single device for testing both standalone VR and complex desktop experiences, or working for a business that needs multi-use VR headsets, the Focus Vision could fill some sort of need. But either way, that seems like a fairly niche use case. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget The Focus Vision’s auto-IPD adjustment, which scans your eyes and physically moves the lenses to be in the ideal position, was also hit-or-miss for me. Sometimes it worked just fine and landed near my prescribed IPD of 66. But sometimes the automatic process would land on an IPD of around 72, which made everything look a bit blurry. And occasionally the feature just wouldn’t work at all. Auto adjustment is helpful if you’re sharing a headset with other people, but otherwise manually choosing your preferred IPD is far more useful. During my typical standalone usage, the Focus Vision lasted for around one hour and 45 minutes, close to the two-hour estimate from HTC Vive. That’s less than what I typically see on the Quest 3 and 3S, but at least you can purchase additional batteries and easily swap them. The built-in battery, which enables hot swapping, lasts for about twenty minutes, but it’s also not something you’ll typically be stressing. Devindra Hardawar for Engadget Should you buy the Vive Focus Vision? Despite my issues, the Focus Vision still sits in an interesting position in the world of VR – especially since Meta gave up on the Quest Pro, which would have been a close competitor. It still delivers decent standalone VR, despite using an aging CPU and lenses. And if you don’t want the clutter of SteamVR sensors in your office, it’s a smart way to tap into powerful PCs for more immersive VR experiences . But for a $999 headset, it’s a shame HTC Vive didn’t try harder to make the Focus Vision stand out.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ar-vr/htc-vive-focus-vision-review-a-premium-vr-headset-with-average-performance-150029763.html?src=rss

08.11.2024 15:50 Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company has suspended the production of advanced AI chips for Chinese companies, according to the Financial Times. The Taiwanese semiconductor chip manufacturer has reportedly notified its clients from China that it will stop producing AI chips for them, particularly models 7 nanometers and smaller, starting this Monday. If a Chinese company orders products that fall within that category, they'll have to go through an approval process that'll likely involve the US government. The manufacturer's new policy could be a direct result of its discovery that Huawei had used its chips in AI accelerators without its knowledge. A Canadian research firm called TechInsights was the one that notified the company that it discovered the presence of TSMC-manufactured products in Huawei's hardware. It was a violation of the trade sanctions the US Commerce Department had imposed against Huawei way back in 2020 that prevented it from acquiring chips made by foreign firms. More recently, it revoked its licenses that allowed Intel and Qualcomm to manufacture chips for its devices. TSMC reported TechInsights' findings to the US Commerce Department, which is now investigating how it had happened. The company denied any working relationship with Huawei and also stopped selling its chips to the client it believes had been illegally forwarding them to the Chinese brand. The Times' sources said that TSMC made the decision to suspend the production of AI chips for Chinese clients altogether, because it wants to show the US government that it's "not acting against US interests." Its new policy could have a big impact on the AI efforts of its Chinese clients. Baidu, for instance, had plans to build hardware for its AI business powered by a series of chips made by TSMC.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/tsmc-will-reportedly-stop-making-advanced-ai-chips-for-chinese-companies-143029506.html?src=rss