Amazon Prime Day 2024: The best early deals ahead of the October Big Deal Days sale and everything we know about the event so far

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is back this year, returning on October 8 and 9. The “fall Prime Day” of sorts has served as the online retailer’s unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season for the past few years.

We expect most of the deals to be Prime exclusives, meaning you must be an active Prime subscriber to get the discounts. There are always a couple of deals available for everyone, though, so it’s worth perusing Amazon’s site even if you don’t pay for Prime. It’s also worth doing so now because we’ve found a number of solid early Prime Day deals already available. These are the best of the bunch; we’ll be updating this post regularly in the lead-up to October Prime Day, so check back for the latest deals.

Apple AirPods 4
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

In addition to discounts on iPads and Apple Watches, you can save a bit on the new AirPods 4 right now. AirTags have a slight discount as well, both in single and multi-packs.

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

It's a safe bet that we'll see even more Amazon gear discounted on October Prime Day, but for now, you can snag a Fire tablet on sale, as well as Ring and Blink security cameras for much cheaper than usual.

Google Pixel Buds Series A
Engadget

Early Prime Day deals on tech include discounts on robot vacuums, webcams, smart plugs and more. There are also wireless earbuds and smartphones that you can grab for cheap, along with storage gear and power banks.

Paramount+
Paramount+

While these discounts aren't technically October Prime day tech deals, we'd be remiss not to mention them. While sales on streaming services are becoming more common, there isn't as much rhyme or reason to them as there is to, say, Amazon's Prime Day sale cycle. That said, if you see a discount on a service you've been meaning to try, it's worthwhile to jump on it.

October Prime Day will be held on October 8 and 9 this year.

October Prime Day is a members-only sale event run by Amazon in which the online retailer has thousands of sales on its site that are exclusively available to those with an active Prime members.

October Prime Day will last two full days.

Most October Prime Day deals will not be revealed until the days of the event. However, in years past, we've seen everything from clothing to household essentials to outdoor gear go on sale during this event. Engadget cares most about tech deals, and in past fall Prime Days, we've seen things like phones, tablets, headphones, earbuds, robot vacuums, smart home gear and more receive deep discounts.

Yes, because most deals will be Prime exclusives. However, there are always a few decent deals available to all Amazon shoppers, so it's worth checking out Amazon's site during October Prime Day to see where you can save even if you don't pay for Prime.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazon-prime-day-2024-the-best-early-deals-ahead-of-the-october-big-deal-days-sale-and-everything-we-know-about-the-event-so-far-050506744.html?src=rss

Disney+ account sharing crackdown starts today in the US

Disney announced a new rule intended to curb password sharing among its streaming subscribers, following through on plans initially shared last month in an earnings call. Today's blog post from the company explained that Disney+ is getting a Paid Sharing feature. For an additional $7 a month on Disney+ Basic or $10 a month on Disney+ Premium, an account holder can provide access to their plan to one person outside their household, dubbed an Extra Member. Paid Sharing is rolling out today in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

With the upcoming price increases — $10 a month for Basic and $16 a month for Premium — the Extra Member route is still cheaper than buying a separate Disney+ plan. However, the Paid Sharing option comes with several caveats. For starters, only one Extra Member is allowed per account. And if your plan is part of a Disney Bundle, you don't have access to the Extra Member feature at all. Ditto for any subscribers billed through Disney's partners, meaning bundle customers are out of luck. The post says those restrictions apply "at this time," but doesn't give any hint as to whether the company is considering a policy change in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-account-sharing-crackdown-starts-today-in-the-us-201102641.html?src=rss

Disney+ account sharing crackdown starts today in the US

Disney announced a new rule intended to curb password sharing among its streaming subscribers, following through on plans initially shared last month in an earnings call. Today's blog post from the company explained that Disney+ is getting a Paid Sharing feature. For an additional $7 a month on Disney+ Basic or $10 a month on Disney+ Premium, an account holder can provide access to their plan to one person outside their household, dubbed an Extra Member. Paid Sharing is rolling out today in the US, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Europe and Asia-Pacific.

With the upcoming price increases — $10 a month for Basic and $16 a month for Premium — the Extra Member route is still cheaper than buying a separate Disney+ plan. However, the Paid Sharing option comes with several caveats. For starters, only one Extra Member is allowed per account. And if your plan is part of a Disney Bundle, you don't have access to the Extra Member feature at all. Ditto for any subscribers billed through Disney's partners, meaning bundle customers are out of luck. The post says those restrictions apply "at this time," but doesn't give any hint as to whether the company is considering a policy change in the future.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/disney-account-sharing-crackdown-starts-today-in-the-us-201102641.html?src=rss

CTO Mira Murati is the latest leader to leave OpenAI

Mira Murati has departed OpenAI, where she had been the chief technology officer since 2018. In a note shared with the company and then posted publicly on X, Murati said that she is exiting "because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration."

Murati gained additional visibility as a face for the AI company when she briefly assumed CEO duties in November 2023 when the board of directors fired Sam Altman. Altman returned to the helm and Murati resumed work as CTO. However, her departure follows on two other notable exits. Last month, president and co–founder Greg Brockman and co-founder John Schulman both announced that they would be stepping away from OpenAI. Brockman is taking a sabbatical and Schulman is moving to rival AI firm Anthropic.

Here is the full text of Murati's statement:

Hi all,

I have something to share with you. After much reflection, I have made the difficult decision to leave OpenAl.

My six-and-a-half years with the OpenAl team have been an extraordinary privilege. While I’ll express my gratitude to many individuals in the coming days, I want to start by thanking Sam and Greg for their trust in me to lead the technical organization and for their support throughout the years.

There’s never an ideal time to step away from a place one cherishes, yet this moment feels right. Our recent releases of speech-to-speech and OpenAl o1 mark the beginning of a new era in interaction and intelligence - achievements made possible by your ingenuity and craftsmanship. We didn’t merely build smarter models, we fundamentally changed how Al systems learn and reason through complex problems.

We brought safety research from the theoretical realm into practical applications, creating models that are more robust, aligned, and steerable than ever before. Our work has made cutting-edge Al research intuitive and accessible, developing technology that adapts and evolves based on everyone’s input. This success is a testament to our outstanding teamwork, and it is because of your brilliance, your dedication, and your commitment that OpenAl stands at the pinnacle of Al innovation.

I’m stepping away because I want to create the time and space to do my own exploration. For now, my primary focus is doing everything in my power to ensure a smooth transition, maintaining the momentum we’ve built.

I will forever be grateful for the opportunity to build and work alongside this remarkable team. Together, we’ve pushed the boundaries of scientific understanding in our quest to improve human well-being. While I may no longer be in the trenches with you, I will still be rooting for you all.

With deep gratitude for the friendships forged, the triumphs achieved, and most importantly, the challenges overcome together.

Mira

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/cto-mira-murati-is-the-latest-leader-to-leave-openai-200230104.html?src=rss

Blumhouse Games’ Fear The Spotlight set for release on October 22

Blumhouse, the horror production company behind such big cinematic hits as Get Out, M3GAN and the Insidious films, has extended its creepy tentacles to scary shows and movies to scary video games.

Fear the Spotlight is Blumhouse Games’ first entry into gaming with the help of the indie developer Cozy Game Pals. The horror game will get a full release on October 22 and there’s a demo currently available for PCs on Steam.

Fear the Spotlight is a third-person horror adventure game that takes place in a high school after hours. Two curious teens Vivian and Amy sneak into Sunnyside High, a school with a dark, mysterious history, in the dead of night to perform a séance. A deadly creature with a bright, glowing gaze rises and starts roaming the halls of the school. The spotlight monster separates the girls and it’s up to Vivian to unravel the school’s mystery, find Amy and make it through the darkness alive.

The game uses PS1 style, polygonal graphics, which just adds to the game’s creepy aesthetic like some of those early horror classics including Nightmare Creatures and the first Silent Hill game. There’s just something about a square-ish head that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s one of many reasons I’m not looking forward to the new Minecraft movie.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/blumhouse-games-fear-the-spotlight-set-for-release-on-october-22-194907647.html?src=rss

Blumhouse Games’ Fear The Spotlight set for release on October 22

Blumhouse, the horror production company behind such big cinematic hits as Get Out, M3GAN and the Insidious films, has extended its creepy tentacles to scary shows and movies to scary video games.

Fear the Spotlight is Blumhouse Games’ first entry into gaming with the help of the indie developer Cozy Game Pals. The horror game will get a full release on October 22 and there’s a demo currently available for PCs on Steam.

Fear the Spotlight is a third-person horror adventure game that takes place in a high school after hours. Two curious teens Vivian and Amy sneak into Sunnyside High, a school with a dark, mysterious history, in the dead of night to perform a séance. A deadly creature with a bright, glowing gaze rises and starts roaming the halls of the school. The spotlight monster separates the girls and it’s up to Vivian to unravel the school’s mystery, find Amy and make it through the darkness alive.

The game uses PS1 style, polygonal graphics, which just adds to the game’s creepy aesthetic like some of those early horror classics including Nightmare Creatures and the first Silent Hill game. There’s just something about a square-ish head that sends a shiver down my spine. It’s one of many reasons I’m not looking forward to the new Minecraft movie.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/blumhouse-games-fear-the-spotlight-set-for-release-on-october-22-194907647.html?src=rss

Apple TV will make three classic Peanuts specials free to stream

No Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without viewing one of the holiday adjacent Peanuts specials. These days, Apple TV owns the television rights to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas but it appears that Apple TV wants everyone to have a chance to enjoy these Peanuts specials this year.

Apple announced that it’s making all three Peanuts specials available to everyone regardless of whether or not they have an Apple TV subscription. Apple TV will make each of the Peanuts holiday specials available on two days each month before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be free to stream on October 19 and 20. The Peanuts Halloween special features Linus waiting up for the return of the Great Pumpkin while Charlie Brown only gets rocks while trick or treating.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available to stream on November 23 and 24. This Thanksgiving special features Peppermint Patty inviting the whole gang to a Thanksgiving feast while Snoopy puts together his own Thanksgiving meal.

A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream for free on December 14 and 15. It’s perhaps the most famous Peanuts special with too many iconic moments to count from Snoopy’s prize winning holiday display to that sad little tree that the gang turn into a mighty Christmas tree just by waving their arms around it. It also features one of the greatest musical scores ever written for television by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-will-make-three-classic-peanuts-specials-free-to-stream-190041263.html?src=rss

Apple TV will make three classic Peanuts specials free to stream

No Halloween, Thanksgiving or Christmas is complete without viewing one of the holiday adjacent Peanuts specials. These days, Apple TV owns the television rights to It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving and A Charlie Brown Christmas but it appears that Apple TV wants everyone to have a chance to enjoy these Peanuts specials this year.

Apple announced that it’s making all three Peanuts specials available to everyone regardless of whether or not they have an Apple TV subscription. Apple TV will make each of the Peanuts holiday specials available on two days each month before Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas.

It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown will be free to stream on October 19 and 20. The Peanuts Halloween special features Linus waiting up for the return of the Great Pumpkin while Charlie Brown only gets rocks while trick or treating.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving will be available to stream on November 23 and 24. This Thanksgiving special features Peppermint Patty inviting the whole gang to a Thanksgiving feast while Snoopy puts together his own Thanksgiving meal.

A Charlie Brown Christmas will stream for free on December 14 and 15. It’s perhaps the most famous Peanuts special with too many iconic moments to count from Snoopy’s prize winning holiday display to that sad little tree that the gang turn into a mighty Christmas tree just by waving their arms around it. It also features one of the greatest musical scores ever written for television by Lee Mendelson and Vince Guaraldi.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/apple-tv-will-make-three-classic-peanuts-specials-free-to-stream-190041263.html?src=rss

Google and Roblox teamed up on a weird game to teach kids about internet safety

Google and Roblox have teamed up to create a game that teaches kids how to spot internet scams and to increase caution regarding the sharing of personal information online. The suite of experiences is called, and I quote, Be Internet Awesome World. Did Melania Trump name this thing?

This “gameplay experience” exists within Roblox, which Google says helps it “reach kids where they’re already spending time to teach them the basics of online safety.” It brings kids to the “magical world of the Internauts” which is home to a number of minigames that address various aspects of internet safety. Some of the games focus on phishing attempts, while others emphasize “practicing kindness online.” Good luck with that last one.

In any event, Be Internet Awesome World is available right now within Roblox, which leads us to the elephant in the room. Roblox may be a great place to reach kids, with nearly 80 million daily active users and many of them children. It’s also been accused of being an unsafe space for the younger gamers among us.

Turkey banned the app entirely on the grounds that it allows for the exploitation of children. Sony didn’t even want to bring the game to PlayStation consoles for similar reasons, before finally relenting last year.

There have also been accusations of kids being financially exploited on the platform, according to reporting by The Guardian. Popular creations can make the designers a lot of money, and the userbase is mostly children under 16. This has led many to accuse the app’s developers of gaining notoriety through an influx of child labor. The Roblox tagline, after all, used to be “Make anything. Reach millions. Earn serious cash.”

Roblox takes around 30 percent of all money made via the platform, so it has a vested interest in the creative contributions of children. Studio head Stefano Corazza once told Eurogamer that the ability for teenagers to make money on the platform represented the “biggest gift” and that these kids “didn’t feel like they were exploited.”

“You can say, ‘Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labor,’ right? Or you can say: we are offering people anywhere in the world the capability to get a job, and even like an income,” Corazza continued.

All this is to say that perhaps Roblox should get its own house in order before trying to teach kids about how to avoid scams online. Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki has started to address these concerns, heading to Washington DC earlier this year to discuss child safety with lawmakers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/google-and-roblox-teamed-up-on-a-weird-game-to-teach-kids-about-internet-safety-190007350.html?src=rss

Google and Roblox teamed up on a weird game to teach kids about internet safety

Google and Roblox have teamed up to create a game that teaches kids how to spot internet scams and to increase caution regarding the sharing of personal information online. The suite of experiences is called, and I quote, Be Internet Awesome World. Did Melania Trump name this thing?

This “gameplay experience” exists within Roblox, which Google says helps it “reach kids where they’re already spending time to teach them the basics of online safety.” It brings kids to the “magical world of the Internauts” which is home to a number of minigames that address various aspects of internet safety. Some of the games focus on phishing attempts, while others emphasize “practicing kindness online.” Good luck with that last one.

In any event, Be Internet Awesome World is available right now within Roblox, which leads us to the elephant in the room. Roblox may be a great place to reach kids, with nearly 80 million daily active users and many of them children. It’s also been accused of being an unsafe space for the younger gamers among us.

Turkey banned the app entirely on the grounds that it allows for the exploitation of children. Sony didn’t even want to bring the game to PlayStation consoles for similar reasons, before finally relenting last year.

There have also been accusations of kids being financially exploited on the platform, according to reporting by The Guardian. Popular creations can make the designers a lot of money, and the userbase is mostly children under 16. This has led many to accuse the app’s developers of gaining notoriety through an influx of child labor. The Roblox tagline, after all, used to be “Make anything. Reach millions. Earn serious cash.”

Roblox takes around 30 percent of all money made via the platform, so it has a vested interest in the creative contributions of children. Studio head Stefano Corazza once told Eurogamer that the ability for teenagers to make money on the platform represented the “biggest gift” and that these kids “didn’t feel like they were exploited.”

“You can say, ‘Okay, we are exploiting, you know, child labor,’ right? Or you can say: we are offering people anywhere in the world the capability to get a job, and even like an income,” Corazza continued.

All this is to say that perhaps Roblox should get its own house in order before trying to teach kids about how to avoid scams online. Roblox CEO and co-founder David Baszucki has started to address these concerns, heading to Washington DC earlier this year to discuss child safety with lawmakers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/google-and-roblox-teamed-up-on-a-weird-game-to-teach-kids-about-internet-safety-190007350.html?src=rss