Author Archives: Lawrence Bonk

Early Prime Day deals include up to 58 percent off Amazon Fire tablets

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Amazon Prime Day is nearly upon us, as the festivities officially kick off on July 16. However, there are already plenty of early Prime Day deals making the rounds. Even better? Some of these discounts are among the best Prime Day deals we’ve seen so far. Case in point? There’s a sweeping sale on various Amazon Fire tablets with some record-low prices.

The Fire HD 8 has been discounted to just $55, which is 58 percent off and a record-low price. Don’t let the low cost fool you. This is a surprisingly decent tablet that’s perfect for content consumption. I have one and it’s great for streaming episode after episode of 90s Star Trek while sick in bed.

The battery lasts around 13 hours per charge and the HD display gets the job done, though it won’t be winning any visual fidelity awards. This sale is for the 64GB model, which is twice the storage of the entry-level tablet. Additionally, there’s a microSD slot that adds up to 1TB of expandable storage.

This isn’t an iPad Pro, however, so there are trade-offs. It’s underpowered and only offers 2GB of RAM. Like I said before, this tablet is for laying around and watching stuff or playing simple mobile games. It’s not for power-intensive creativity-focused apps. You get what you pay for, though the price has certainly been sweetened.

For those looking for a slightly higher-end experience, the Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is also on sale for $75 instead of $140. The kid-friendly version of this model actually made our list of the best tablets. The RAM is slightly increased compared to the Fire 8, at 3GB, though the base storage is 32GB. This one also has a microSD slot that accommodates up to 1TB.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-prime-day-deals-include-up-to-58-percent-off-amazon-fire-tablets-154648570.html?src=rss

Early Prime Day deals include up to 58 percent off Amazon Fire tablets

Posted on by

Amazon Prime Day is nearly upon us, as the festivities officially kick off on July 16. However, there are already plenty of early Prime Day deals making the rounds. Even better? Some of these discounts are among the best Prime Day deals we’ve seen so far. Case in point? There’s a sweeping sale on various Amazon Fire tablets with some record-low prices.

The Fire HD 8 has been discounted to just $55, which is 58 percent off and a record-low price. Don’t let the low cost fool you. This is a surprisingly decent tablet that’s perfect for content consumption. I have one and it’s great for streaming episode after episode of 90s Star Trek while sick in bed.

The battery lasts around 13 hours per charge and the HD display gets the job done, though it won’t be winning any visual fidelity awards. This sale is for the 64GB model, which is twice the storage of the entry-level tablet. Additionally, there’s a microSD slot that adds up to 1TB of expandable storage.

This isn’t an iPad Pro, however, so there are trade-offs. It’s underpowered and only offers 2GB of RAM. Like I said before, this tablet is for laying around and watching stuff or playing simple mobile games. It’s not for power-intensive creativity-focused apps. You get what you pay for, though the price has certainly been sweetened.

For those looking for a slightly higher-end experience, the Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet is also on sale for $75 instead of $140. The kid-friendly version of this model actually made our list of the best tablets. The RAM is slightly increased compared to the Fire 8, at 3GB, though the base storage is 32GB. This one also has a microSD slot that accommodates up to 1TB.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-prime-day-deals-include-up-to-58-percent-off-amazon-fire-tablets-154648570.html?src=rss

This early Prime Day deal brings the Samsung Galaxy A35 phone to a record-low price

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Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, officially starting on July 16, but early deals are already starting to trickle in. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy A35 smartphone is currently available for $350, which is a discount of $50 and a record-low price for the mid-level handset.

The A35 just became available in the US back in April, so the discount comes as a nice surprise. This is a capable smartphone with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display that boasts a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, just like its cousin the Galaxy A55. This phone also includes the company’s Vision Booster software, which adjusts the screen’s tone according to ambient lighting conditions, and Samsung’s Knox Vault privacy technology.

We put the Galaxy A35 on our list of the best midrange smartphones for a number of key reasons. We loved the screen, calling it one of the best displays available for the price, and the versatile camera system. We also enjoyed the 5,000mAh battery, which easily allows for all-day use. This battery supports 25W fast charging.

As for power, the Exynos 1380 processor won’t break any speed records and the 6GB of RAM is on the lower side. The same goes for the 128GB of onboard storage, though Samsung has added a microSD card for expansion. Despite these specs, the Galaxy A35 performs admirably with most tasks. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-early-prime-day-deal-brings-the-samsung-galaxy-a35-phone-to-a-record-low-price-174556637.html?src=rss

This early Prime Day deal brings the Samsung Galaxy A35 phone to a record-low price

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Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, officially starting on July 16, but early deals are already starting to trickle in. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy A35 smartphone is currently available for $350, which is a discount of $50 and a record-low price for the mid-level handset.

The A35 just became available in the US back in April, so the discount comes as a nice surprise. This is a capable smartphone with a 6.6-inch Super AMOLED display that boasts a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz, just like its cousin the Galaxy A55. This phone also includes the company’s Vision Booster software, which adjusts the screen’s tone according to ambient lighting conditions, and Samsung’s Knox Vault privacy technology.

We put the Galaxy A35 on our list of the best midrange smartphones for a number of key reasons. We loved the screen, calling it one of the best displays available for the price, and the versatile camera system. We also enjoyed the 5,000mAh battery, which easily allows for all-day use. This battery supports 25W fast charging.

As for power, the Exynos 1380 processor won’t break any speed records and the 6GB of RAM is on the lower side. The same goes for the 128GB of onboard storage, though Samsung has added a microSD card for expansion. Despite these specs, the Galaxy A35 performs admirably with most tasks. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-early-prime-day-deal-brings-the-samsung-galaxy-a35-phone-to-a-record-low-price-174556637.html?src=rss

Sonos has discounted refurbished speakers and soundbars by up to 25 percent

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Sonos speakers and soundbars are up to 25 percent off as part of a sitewide sale on refurbished products. This includes the well-reviewed Beam Gen 2, which found a place on our list of the best soundbars. You can scoop up a refurbished Beam for $300, which is a discount of $100 or 25 percent.

We picked it as the best choice for consumers looking for a mid-range soundbar that provides pro-level features without breaking the bank. That’s even more true now with today’s sale. The Beam Gen 2 boasts solid sound quality, Dolby Atmos support and a compact form factor that won’t call attention to itself.

As with most Sonos products, the Beam Gen 2 can team up with other models to create a robust home sound system. It’s also incredibly easy to set up and use. There are no upward-firing speakers here, but Sonos has addressed this limitation by tweaking the audio timing and frequency. On the downside, it only features a single HDMI port, so you won’t be able to directly connect a gaming console to the soundbar.

If Dolby Atmos doesn’t matter to you, the original Sonos Beam is available for $191 instead of $319. The company’s subwoofer, the Sub Gen 3, is available for $480 instead of $640 and the entry-level Ray soundbar is $164 instead of $220. These are all refurbished b-stock items but ship with the company’s standard warranty.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-has-discounted-refurbished-speakers-and-soundbars-by-up-to-25-percent-164042803.html?src=rss

China’s BYD is catching up with Tesla in sales

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China’s leading EV manufacturer, BYD, is catching up with Tesla in sales, according to sales figures published by Reuters. The company posted a 21 percent increase in electric vehicle sales throughout the second quarter. This totals 426,039 EVs from April to June, which is just 12,000 fewer vehicles than Tesla’s estimated deliveries for the same time period. This places BYD in a good position to become the world’s leading vendor.

Tesla just reported a five percent drop in deliveries for the most recent quarter, which is the first time the company has ever experienced two straight quarters of decline. It produced 410,831 units and delivered 443,956 EVs in Q2. Production decreased by over 20,000 units compared to quarter one. Analysts like Barclays predicted an even steeper drop, so this is (sort of) good news for the company. 

There are a lot of factors playing into Tesla’s decline, but the biggest one is likely the fact that it seems to have abandoned budget-friendly models in favor of robotaxis and dystopian stainless steel beasts. BYD’s cars are fantastically cheap, with the recently-released Seagull starting at just $10,000. Of course, the company doesn’t have much of a presence in the US yet and tariffs on imported Chinese vehicles hope to keep it that way. The EU has taken a similar approach to curb the influx of inexpensive Chinese EVs.

BYD is part of China’s industrial strategy to topple US carmakers, though there’s one sure-fire way to stem the tide. Automakers should manufacture cheaper electric vehicles. BYD is becoming a global phenomenon because it makes budget-friendly EVs that aren’t pieces of junk. Some manufacturers have taken note. Look at the Nissan Leaf, for instance, or the Hyundai Kona. One company that seems to have ignored the memo entirely? Tesla.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chinas-byd-is-catching-up-with-tesla-in-sales-153900131.html?src=rss

Sega’s new Crazy Taxi reboot will be an open-world MMO

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Sega’s upcoming Crazy Taxi reboot is going to be an open-world massively-multiplayer online (MMO) game, according to a developer interview on YouTube. The interview includes both quotes from Sega’s team and some brief instances of game footage.

Series producer Kenji Kanno confirmed that the reboot will be playable by many people at once, though the company is still testing the game mechanics. The goal, according to a translation by Automaton, is to maintain the feel of the original franchise entries while incorporating MMO elements. To that end, the footage shows multiple yellow taxis racing one another with police cars in pursuit. Oddly, the police cars are convertibles.

It also looks like the map will be inspired by California, which makes sense given the previous entries, and will include “theme park-like” elements. The reboot has previously been described as a AAA title, so Sega is putting a whole bunch of resources behind it. Based on one job recruitment page, the game is being developed in Unreal Engine.

The idea of an open-world Crazy Taxi makes perfect sense, as it already was basically a precursor to GTA and the like. The MMO aspect, however, could be annoying or it could be amazing. We won’t know until it comes out.

This reboot is just one of Sega’s upcoming visits to the nostalgia well. The company recently announced that it’s breaking out many dusty IPs to work on modern versions. These include Crazy Taxi, of course, but also Golden Axe, Jet Set Radio, Shinobi and Streets of Rage. It’s worth noting that the company continues to ignore what the people really want, a modern take on the horrifying talking fish nightmare simulator Seaman.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/segas-new-crazy-taxi-reboot-will-be-an-open-world-mmo-155456136.html?src=rss

FCC chair asks telecoms companies to prove they’re actually trying to stop political AI robocalls

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FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has drafted a series of letters to nine major telecom companies, including AT&T and Comcast, to ask if they’re actually doing anything about AI political robocalls. AI-generated voices are getting pretty good at mimicking humans and we’ve already seen this technology in action, when an audio deepfake urged voters to skip the New Hampshire Democratic primary.

“We know that AI technologies will make it cheap and easy to flood our networks with deepfakes used to mislead and betray trust. It is especially chilling to see AI voice cloning used to impersonate candidates during elections. As AI tools become more accessible to bad actors and scammers, we need to do everything we can to keep this junk off our networks,” wrote Rosenworcel.

It’s worth noting that all AI robocalls were banned back in February, political or not, but the big telecom companies have yet to announce any enforcement plans. The mandate, however, does give State Attorneys General the ability to prosecute those involved in the robocalls.

Rosenworcel has also been trying to force political campaigns to disclose whether or not they used AI in TV or radio ads, as reported by US News & World Report. The proposed plan, however, has faced opposition from the Republican chair of the Federal Election Commission. Chairman Sean Cooksey wrote in a letter to Rosenworcel that the plan would overwrite the authority of the FEC to enforce federal campaign law, prompting a legal challenge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/fcc-chair-asks-telecoms-companies-to-prove-theyre-actually-trying-to-stop-political-ai-robocalls-184227549.html?src=rss

Lego made bricks out of meteorite dust and they’re on display at select stores

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There are plenty of Lego sets that feature astronauts, but now there are Lego bricks made out of the stuff that astronauts find out there in the void. The Danish brickmaker has teamed up with the European Space Agency (ESA) to make Lego pieces from actual meteorite dust. Pretty cool, right? They are on display at several Lego store locations until September 20, including the big 5th Avenue branch in Manhattan.

This project isn’t just for giggles, though it is pretty fun. It’s a proof of concept to show how astronauts could use moondust to build lunar structures. Consider the sheer amount of energy and money required to haul up building materials from Earth to the Moon. It would be a game changer to, instead, build everything from pre-existing lunar materials.

There's a layer of rock and mineral deposits at the surface of the Moon, which is called lunar regolith. It’s long been thought that regolith of some kind would be required to build our first off-world colonies. It’s readily available and there are several prospective methods to transform it into building materials. After all, humans have been making structures out of dirt, soil and sand for thousands of years.

An image showing the making of a brick.
Lego

However, there isn’t too much lunar regolith here on Earth for folks to experiment with. ESA scientists made their own regolith by grinding up a really old meteorite. The dust from this meteorite was turned into a mixture that was used to 3D print the Lego pieces. Voila. Moon bricks. They click together just like regular Lego bricks, though they only come in one color (space gray obviously.)

A case filled with Lego bricks.
Lego

"Nobody has built a structure on the Moon, so it was great to have the flexibility to try out all kinds of designs and building techniques with our space bricks. It was both fun and useful in scientifically understanding the boundaries of these techniques,” said ESA Science Officer Aidan Cowley.

Humanity is actually getting closer than ever before to our first real lunar base. NASA has teamed up with the Italian Space Agency and the Thales Alenia Space Corporation to build the first permanent human outpost on the Moon, though it won’t happen until at least the 2030s. Recent designs for lunar habitats have ranged from something resembling a mobile home to full-fledged inflatable villages.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lego-made-bricks-out-of-meteorite-dust-and-theyre-on-display-at-select-stores-161440194.html?src=rss

The Steam Summer Sale is here to empty your bank accounts

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It’s that time of year again. The Steam Summer Sale is officially live, offering deep discounts on thousands of games and even the Steam Deck. The sale goes until July 11, so you have a bit of time to browse and fill up that wishlist.

The venerable Steam Deck is on sale, with some caveats. The deals only apply to the LCD model, and not the newer OLED version. Also, the 256GB LCD is not on sale. That leaves the 64GB at $300 instead of $350 and the 512GB model at $382 instead of $450. Incidentally, that puts the 64GB model at the same price as the Nintendo Switch. I love the Switch, but it sure can’t run Elden Ring.

Speaking of Elden Ring, it’s on sale for $42. The good news? That’s a 30 percent discount. The bad news? There’s no sale for the recently-released (and brutally difficult) expansion DLC Shadow of the Erdtree. That’ll have to wait for next year.

That’s not the only AAA title available at a discount. Cyberpunk 2077 is half off, at $30, and Baldur’s Gate 3 is $48, which is 20 percent off. It’s rare to find a discount on Baldur’s Gate 3 at all, so this might be just the time to finally try out 2023's Game of the Year winner. Hogwart’s Legacy is just $24, the indie smash Palworld is $23 and Star Wars: Jedi Survivor is more than 50 percent off, at $32.

There are also plenty of indie darlings available for cheap. The iconic Stardew Valley is $9 and the retro shooter Cuphead is $14. The fantastic Dave the Diver is also $14, which is a discount of 30 percent. Hades is $10, but the sequel remains full price. Even the recently-released smash hit Balatro, which is a sort of roguelike sequel to poker, is on sale, though only with a ten percent cut.

The Steam Summer Sale includes some really deep discounts on popular games. We are talking impulse buy territory here. Disco Elysium: The Final Cut is only $4 and the renowned platformer Celeste is just $2. Borderlands 2 is $3, Castle Crashers is $1.50 and Batman: Arkham Knight is $2. As usual, The Witcher 3 is heavily discounted at $4.

If you are like me, you’ll use this sale to snatch up anything that’s been hanging out in your wishlist for a while, where it will then go into a digital unplayed pile until the end of time. To that end, a researcher recently used SteamIDFinder's database to calculate that unplayed Steam games account for $19 billion dollars. Let’s get it to at least $20 billion by July 11.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-steam-summer-sale-is-here-to-empty-your-bank-accounts-184158057.html?src=rss