Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

reMarkable E Ink tablet bundles are up to $70 off for Black Friday

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E Ink tablets are a great purchase for anyone looking to get some distraction-free writing done, and reMarkable is selling some of our favorite models for up to a $70 discount for Black Friday. A bundle comes with an E Ink tablet of your chosing, plus a folio case to cover the screen and a rechargeable Marker stylus.

The reMarkable 2 and the reMarkable Paper Pro are available in the deal, and you'll find both on our list of the best E ink tablets. The reMarkable 2 in particular offers a great grayscale reading and writing experience, with support for Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox. It's easy to use and the screen makes text look crisp.

The battery lasts around two weeks, which is one of the benefits of this type of display. It supports Wi-Fi and can integrate both PDFs and ePub files. It's also easy to create your own notebooks that keep track of handwritten notes. To that end, there are eight brush types here to mark up documents and take notes.

The only major downside of the reMarkable 2 is that it doesn't ship with the company's newest Marker Plus stylus. However, this sale lessens that concern. A bundle with the tablet, the Marker Plus and the most simple case costs around $458, whereas the tablet by itself typically costs $399.

There's a similar discounted bundle available for the Paper Pro tablet. This knocks $50 off the asking price.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/remarkable-e-ink-tablet-bundles-are-up-to-70-off-for-black-friday-125523431.html?src=rss

Oura Black Friday deals: Smart rings are up to 30 percent off right now

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Smart rings are becoming more ubiquitous and a more subtle way to track your everyday activity than fitness trackers or smartwatches. For Black Friday, you can save on Oura ring models. Arguably the most noteworthy deal is on the Oura Ring 4, the latest model, which is down to $249.

The Ring 4 actually topped our list of the best smart rings, and with good reason. It's comfortable to wear for long periods of time, which is always nice. It's a visually striking ring. We also appreciated the size options, as it fits fingers from size 4 to 15.

As for functionality, this smart ring tracks a number of health and fitness metrics. The affiliated app will send out notifications when it thinks you need a rest or to remind you to exercise. It keeps an eye on sleep, heart rate, stress, body temperature, menstrual cycle and a whole lot more. The battery lasts around a week, which is always nice when taking a quick vacation.

The only downside here, and this applies to all Oura rings, is that many features are locked behind a subscription paywall. This costs $6 a month or $70 per year.

The company is also selling the gold version of the Ring 4 for $349, which is a discount of $50. The water-resistant Stealth Oura Ring 4 is down to $299, which is a discount of $100.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/oura-black-friday-deals-smart-rings-are-up-to-30-percent-off-right-now-123010598.html?src=rss

Total Chaos, which started life as a Doom II mod, is now out for Xbox, PS5 and PC

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The survival horror game Total Chaos has been in development for years and it's finally available for Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 and PC. Incidentally, this a Game Pass release if you're hankering to spend $30 a month. The launch announcement was made during a recent Xbox Partner Showcase.

This is an interesting title for a number of reasons. First of all, it's absolutely dripping with style. The art direction seems plucked right out of the Alan Wake universe. It also seems to have something akin to an insanity mechanic, which reminds me of recent games like Dredge and not-so-recent games like Eternal Darkness. It's a survival horror title set in a creepy old fort, so that tracks.

The developer also made Turbo Overkill, which was a well-liked FPS with retro vibes. Total Chaos actually started its life as a Doom II mod, so releasing as a standalone title on gaming consoles is a legit flex. The soundtrack was composed by Akira Yamaoka, who made the music for many of the Silent Hill games. It's likely to include some terrifying bangers.

The game is available on the Xbox Store, the Microsoft Store for PC, PlayStation and Steam. It costs $25, but there are some introductory sales right now. Again, it's also playable on Game Pass.

Update, November 20, 4:20PM ET: This story was updated after publishing to include information on the game’s launch on PS5.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/total-chaos-which-started-life-as-a-doom-ii-mod-is-now-out-for-xbox-ps5-and-pc-194508861.html?src=rss

Google’s Nano Banana Pro image generator leverages Gemini 3 for improved visuals and text rendering

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Google just unveiled its Nano Banana Pro image generation platform, which is also going by the name Gemini 3 Pro Image. The company promises this is an improvement over previous versions of the software in nearly every way. Google says it will "turn your visions into studio-quality designs with unprecedented control, flawless text rendering and enhanced world knowledge."

The text rendering portion seems to have gotten a big upgrade here, as Nano Banana Pro can create context-rich infographics and diagrams. The software can render legible text on top of a pre-existing image, making it a good option for generating posters and stuff like that. Google says that this feature is available in multiple languages.

The tool in action with a recipe.
Google

Google also says it can blend multiple elements into a single composition, with the ability to use up to 14 images at once. There are plenty of new editing controls. Users can select and edit any part of a created image. This can be used to adjust camera angles, change focus, adjust the color grade and even swap out the lighting from day to night.

Images created with Nano Banana Pro will have C2PA metadata embedded. This should, in time, make it easier to spot generative AI or deepfakes out there in the world. We'll have to see how that plays out. TikTok recently announced it would be using this metadata to better label AI-generated content, of which it currently does a very bad job at.

Nano Banana Pro is actually free to use. Free users are limited to a daily quota of images, with the number expanding for Google AI, Plus, Pro and Ultra subscribers. Just open up the Gemini app and create an image, but be sure to use the "Thinking" model. It's also available in Search and NotebookLM for some subscribers. This is all part of the recently-launched Gemini 3 model.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-nano-banana-pro-image-generator-leverages-gemini-3-for-improved-visuals-and-text-rendering-185505073.html?src=rss

Uber Eats will use Starship robots in the UK to make deliveries

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Uber Eats has announced it'll soon start using Starship robots to complete food deliveries in certain parts of the UK, beginning in the Leeds and Sheffield areas. These little robo-couriers will only be able to handle deliveries from "select merchants" for the time being.

The robots won't accept tips, for obvious reasons, but customers can still rate their experience via the app. We aren't sure what happens to a particular robot with enough bad ratings. Maybe it gets sent to a farm in the countryside somewhere. 

The service launches in December and the platform says it'll share more information at that date. Uber Eats also says it plans on expanding the operating territory in the near future. To that end, Starship robots are coming to "additional European markets in 2026" and more US markets in 2027.

This isn't Uber's first foray into robot deliveries. Uber Eats has used robots from Serve Robotics and Avride in the past to deliver food.

As for Starship, these diminutive delivery robots have actually been around since 2018. The company says there are currently around 3,000 robots in operation across the world in more than 270 different locations. They can be found at several college campuses, including Purdue University and George Mason.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/uber-eats-will-use-starship-robots-in-the-uk-to-make-deliveries-171928694.html?src=rss

This Black Friday deal brings the DJI Neo drone down to $159

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The DJI Neo drone is on sale for $159 as part of the Black Friday deals across the web. This is 20 percent off and represents a record low price. It's a heck of a deal, given that the original asking price is nearly $200. There's just one caveat. The price is only for Amazon Prime members.

The DJI Neo was recently pushed off our list of the best drones in favor of the newer Neo 2, but the original is still a fantastic, budget-friendly option. We called it the "best $200 drone ever made" in our official review, and with good reason. It's quick, ultra-maneuverable and beginner-friendly. The learning curve here isn't that steep.

It boasts four propeller guards, for safety, and the built-in 4K camera certainly gets the job done. It's extremely light, weighing just 135 grams. This makes it easy to transport, sure, but also means that the Neo is exempt from drone license requirements.

This version doesn't ship with a dedicated controller, though there is a combo pack for that, but that doesn't really matter here. The Neo can be maneuvered by hand gestures, human voice, mobile app or standard RC controller.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-black-friday-deal-brings-the-dji-neo-drone-down-to-159-155647372.html?src=rss

Get $50 off the Xreal One Pro smart glasses for Black Friday

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Some Xreal smart glasses have been discounted as part of a Black Friday promotion. This includes the recently-released Xreal One Pro glasses. The smart specs are down to $599, which is $50 off. The sale applies to both sizes.

These glasses are the real deal. We praised them in our official review, saying they offer similar functionality to the Apple Vision Pro, but at a much friendlier price point. Wearing these glasses allows access to a massive 222-inch virtual display that can be used for just about anything. The glasses connect to laptops, gaming consoles and smartphones, among other gadgets.

The 1080p Micro-OLED screens are surprisingly bright and sharp, which makes this device great for both work and consuming content. The frames even darken to give the illusion of wearing sunglasses.

The glasses are light and comfortable, especially when compared to the Vision Pro. However, the comfort does come at a price. These oversized glasses are not as immersive as Apple's product, because they don't completely block out light and cover the entire face. They offer a 57-degree field of view. This is squarely an augmented reality product and not a virtual reality product.

The company has also discounted its Xreal One AR glasses to $399, which is a discount of around $100. These offer smaller virtual screens than the Pro, with a 50-degree field of view. Elsewhere in the smart glasses space, the Meta Ray Ban Gen 1 glasses are 20 percent off for Black Friday as well.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-50-off-the-xreal-one-pro-smart-glasses-for-black-friday-113032108.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Kindle Colorsoft is 32 percent off in this Black Friday deal

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Amazon is hosting a Black Friday sale that covers many of its ereaders. This includes the Kindle Colorsoft, which has been discounted to $170. This thing usually costs $250, so this is one heck of a deal and a record low price.

The model came out earlier this year and we gave it a glowing review, calling it "the missing link in Amazon's ereader lineup." It's the first Kindle ereader in color, which makes this thing one of the best ways to read comic books and graphic novels. The pinch-to-zoom feature lets you get closer to details, to make each panel really pop.

This is also a high-end ereader, color or not. We found the load times to be exceptionally fast and the same goes for turning pages. There's an auto-adjusting front light, which comes in handy. There are also no lock screen ads by default and a single charge lasts eight full weeks of regular use.

The major downside here is the price. It's tough to truly recommend any ereader at $250, or the original launch price of $280. It's a lot easier to recommend at $170.

Amazon is also selling similar products at a discount, some of which made our list of the best ereaders. The base Kindle is down to $80, which is another record low. The Paperwhite is on sale for $125, yet another record low price. And keeping with the theme, the current-gen Kindle Scribe is on sale for as low as $280, the cheapest we've seen it.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-kindle-colorsoft-is-32-percent-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-110037414.html?src=rss

The Amazon Smart Plug is 48 percent off for Black Friday

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The Amazon Smart Plug is on sale for just $13 as part of a Black Friday promotion. This is a discount of $12 and represents a record low price. If you've been waiting to stock up on some smart plugs, now might be the time.

To that end, this product made our list of the best smart plugs. It's the perfect accessory for those who rely on Alexa to control aspects of the smart home. These plugs are really easy to set up via the Alexa app. You don't have to pop in a Wi-Fi password or anything. It's basically plug-and-play.

Once connected, you'll be able to use any device with Alexa to control whatever it's plugged into. For instance, you can group multiple plugs together as lights and then just say "Alexa, turn all the lights off" and it'll do just that. They are compatible with just about any household device with a physical on/off switch, including lamps and coffee makers.

While these are the perfect smart plugs for Alexa households, they are only for Alexa households. The plugs don't integrate with any other digital assistant. They are still the best choice for those tied into the ecosystem. Other smart plugs on sale for Black Friday include the Kasa Mini smart plugs; you can get a four-pack for $24.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-amazon-smart-plug-is-48-percent-off-for-black-friday-093033189.html?src=rss

Stargate is coming back to TV, thanks to Prime Video

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Disney+ has Star Wars and Paramount+ has Star Trek, so it's about time Amazon gets its own sci-fi franchise with "star" in the title. Prime Video has just greenlit a TV revival of the iconic Stargate franchise, according to a report by Deadline. This will be the fourth major TV show in the series, following the first movie.

We don't know anything about the plot and where it fits into the decades-long mythology but we do know that the showrunner is Martin Gero. He's a veteran of the IP, having cut his teeth in the industry while working on Stargate: Atlantis back in the early 2000s. He also created the show Blindspot and was showrunner on the recent reboot of Quantum Leap, which was actually kind of nifty (RIP.)

Franchise creators Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich are on board as executive producers, as are Brad Wright and Joe Mallozzi. That last duo were behind most of the Stargate TV projects, including the most recent live action show Stargate Universe.

This makes a lot of sense for Prime Video. Amazon did recently buy MGM, after all, and the Stargate IP came along with that purchase. It's not the first time the platform will have dabbled with science fiction. Prime Video most famously saved The Expanse after it was originally cancelled by SyFy. There are three more books in that series that have yet to be adapted. Just saying.

For the uninitiated, the Stargate franchise involves the titular Stargates. These are transportation devices created by ancient aliens that act as galaxy-spanning wormholes. It all started with a movie from 1994.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/stargate-is-coming-back-to-tv-thanks-to-prime-video-200049713.html?src=rss