Fair or not, Apple has turned its AirPods into the default option for most iPhone owners casually shopping for a new pair of wireless earbuds. But if you’re one of the many people who use an Android phone, the options worth considering aren’t as obvious. Fortunately, we’re here to help. We’ve tested and reviewed dozens of wireless earbuds over the years and broken down our favorite options for Android users below. Whether you use a Galaxy phone or Pixel, and whether you want something for the gym or your morning commute, these are the best AirPods alternatives for Android.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
What to look for in wireless earbuds for Android devices
For the most part, the features you want from a set of “Android earbuds” are the same as what you want from any headphones. Pleasing sound quality, a comfortable fit and sufficient battery life are still the foundations. Adequate water resistance is good for workouts, and nobody wants a crummy mic for making calls. Once you approach the $100 range, features like active noise cancellation (ANC), wireless charging, an ambient sound mode (which lets you better hear outside noise without turning off your music) and multipoint connectivity (the ability to pair with multiple devices simultaneously) should be expected.
For Android devices specifically, there are a few extras to consider. A dedicated app that makes it easy to switch sound modes, customize the audio profile, locate your earbuds if they ever get misplaced or adjust other settings is strongly preferred. Features like Google Fast Pair or NFC-based pairing, which can help you avoid having to dig through your Bluetooth menu to connect your earbuds for the first time, are also nice perks. Some Android devices can also utilize higher-quality Bluetooth codecs such as aptX Adaptive or Sony’s LDAC — these aren’t nearly as important to audio quality as the actual architecture of your earbuds, but they can help wring out a little more detail if the buds are capable enough and you’re streaming lossless files. AptX Adaptive can also help reduce latency, which is good for streaming video or gaming.
Diversity is Android’s greatest strength, but it also means that some wireless earbuds play nicer with certain devices, typically those made by the same company. Recent Samsung earbuds, for instance, come with a few perks that are only available if you use a Galaxy phone. We have a couple of recommendations related to this idea above.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-earbuds-for-android-devices-120015765.html?src=rss
Black Friday/Cyber Monday is more than a month away (Thanksgiving falls on November 28 this year — I looked it up so you don't have to). So while we wait for all of the best-of-the-year discounts the shopping event usually entails, there are still a few worthy sales out there on the tech we've reviewed and recommend. For example, the space gray M2 MacBook Air (our pick for the best budget Apple laptop) is down to $700 with an on-page coupon. For those ready to make (very tasty) ice cream at home, the Ninja Creami has a coupon code for $40 off. There are plenty of Anker batteries and accessories on sale too, plus we found discounts on a few choice video games to round out the savings. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 at Ninja ($40 off): Use the code CREAMI40 to save $40 off the list price directly from Ninja. The 7-in-1 ice cream maker isn’t your average appliance, as we make clear in our Ninja Creami review. It's based on machines found in restaurants, and creates uniquely high-end frozen treats.
Anker Prime Power Bank 27,650mAh for $130 at Amazon ($50 off): This beefy battery earned a mention in our guide to laptop batteries. It carries a lot of extra charge for laptops, tablets and phones and can even be paired with an optional dock to conveniently recharge the unit itself. This sale price is about $5 more than the all-time low.
Apple Watch Series 10 for $370 at Amazon ($30 off): Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago and it's down to its lowest price yet. The wearable earned a 90 in our review thanks to its thinner frame and bigger screens and it's our favorite smartwatch overall. The 42mm model is down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black and the 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (small band) for $700 at Amazon ($99 off) : If you've got a smaller wrist (or plan to swap out the watch band anyway) you can snag the AW Ultra 2 with a titanium case for nearly $100 off. The sale only applies to the small size of the Alpine Loop in indigo or olive. This is still the current model of Apple's largest smartwatch, as a new one didn't materialize during Apple's iPhone 16 event in September.
Anker Charging Station (100W) for $40 at Amazon ($20 off): On any given day, I'm testing (and thus needing to recharge) between one and four electronic devices — ereaders, smartwatches, portable batteries and more — plus I have my own phones and gadgets. This compact box is the only thing I've found with enough ports to handle everything at once. I just wish I'd bought mine on sale.
Anker Prime 67W USB C Charger for $40 at Amazon ($60 off): This is about $2 more than the all-time low from last Black Friday. Anker products often find themselves at the top our lists for chargers, batteries and more. So if you need quick charges for a few of your smaller devices, this should serve you well.
JLab Go Air Sport for $14 at Amazon ($16 off): The Go Air Sport is the budget pick in our guide to the best running headphones. The hook design stays in place and the water-resistance holds up to sweat and light rain. This is close to the lowest price. Just be sure to click the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway.
Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $20 at Amazon ($10 off):In other video game deals, this is an all-time low for the physical PS5 copy of last year's Resident Evil 4 remake. That's the same price as it's selling for through PSN for the digital copy.The Xbox version is available for $22 at Amazon.
Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon ($30 off):We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse buying guide for those who don't mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic, right-handed shape. This deal has been live for a couple of weeks but still matches the device's all-time low. Note that Razer released an updated version with an improved sensor earlier this month — we'll test that one soon.
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/deals/the-m2-macbook-air-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-700-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-171031718.html?src=rss
Black Friday/Cyber Monday is more than a month away (Thanksgiving falls on November 28 this year — I looked it up so you don't have to). So while we wait for all of the best-of-the-year discounts the shopping event usually entails, there are still a few worthy sales out there on the tech we've reviewed and recommend. For example, the space gray M2 MacBook Air (our pick for the best budget Apple laptop) is down to $700 with an on-page coupon. For those ready to make (very tasty) ice cream at home, the Ninja Creami has a coupon code for $40 off. There are plenty of Anker batteries and accessories on sale too, plus we found discounts on a few choice video games to round out the savings. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget
Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 at Ninja ($40 off): Use the code CREAMI40 to save $40 off the list price directly from Ninja. The 7-in-1 ice cream maker isn’t your average appliance, as we make clear in our Ninja Creami review. It's based on machines found in restaurants, and creates uniquely high-end frozen treats.
Anker Prime Power Bank 27,650mAh for $130 at Amazon ($50 off): This beefy battery earned a mention in our guide to laptop batteries. It carries a lot of extra charge for laptops, tablets and phones and can even be paired with an optional dock to conveniently recharge the unit itself. This sale price is about $5 more than the all-time low.
Apple Watch Series 10 for $370 at Amazon ($30 off): Apple released its Series 10 Watch only a month ago and it's down to its lowest price yet. The wearable earned a 90 in our review thanks to its thinner frame and bigger screens and it's our favorite smartwatch overall. The 42mm model is down to $370 from $399 in Jet Black and the 46mm model is down to $399 from $429 in Jet Black and Silver Aluminum.
Apple Watch Ultra 2 (small band) for $700 at Amazon ($99 off) : If you've got a smaller wrist (or plan to swap out the watch band anyway) you can snag the AW Ultra 2 with a titanium case for nearly $100 off. The sale only applies to the small size of the Alpine Loop in indigo or olive. This is still the current model of Apple's largest smartwatch, as a new one didn't materialize during Apple's iPhone 16 event in September.
Anker Charging Station (100W) for $40 at Amazon ($20 off): On any given day, I'm testing (and thus needing to recharge) between one and four electronic devices — ereaders, smartwatches, portable batteries and more — plus I have my own phones and gadgets. This compact box is the only thing I've found with enough ports to handle everything at once. I just wish I'd bought mine on sale.
Anker Prime 67W USB C Charger for $40 at Amazon ($60 off): This is about $2 more than the all-time low from last Black Friday. Anker products often find themselves at the top our lists for chargers, batteries and more. So if you need quick charges for a few of your smaller devices, this should serve you well.
JLab Go Air Sport for $14 at Amazon ($16 off): The Go Air Sport is the budget pick in our guide to the best running headphones. The hook design stays in place and the water-resistance holds up to sweat and light rain. This is close to the lowest price. Just be sure to click the $6 on-page coupon, and note that it only applies to the teal colorway.
Resident Evil 4 (PS5) for $20 at Amazon ($10 off):In other video game deals, this is an all-time low for the physical PS5 copy of last year's Resident Evil 4 remake. That's the same price as it's selling for through PSN for the digital copy.The Xbox version is available for $22 at Amazon.
Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 at Amazon ($30 off):We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our gaming mouse buying guide for those who don't mind using a cable and prefer a more ergonomic, right-handed shape. This deal has been live for a couple of weeks but still matches the device's all-time low. Note that Razer released an updated version with an improved sensor earlier this month — we'll test that one soon.
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/deals/the-m2-macbook-air-is-cheaper-than-ever-at-700-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-171031718.html?src=rss
For a few years now, it’s been hard to pin down the strategy behind Samsung’s Fan Edition products. Ostensibly, they’re supposed to offer high-end features at a more affordable price. However, following the Galaxy S20 FE, most FE devices haven’t lived up to that promise. Whether it was the poor timing of the S21 FE or the boring hardware of the S23 FE, those phones never felt like the absolute steal the S20 FE was four years ago.
With the new Galaxy S24 FE ($650), Samsung is offering its cheapest entry into its Galaxy AI ecosystem. Unfortunately, a few hardware changes and a lot of AI aren’t enough to overcome an uncompetitive price.
Design and display
When I first took the S24 FE out of the box, I thought Samsung had left the design of the phone untouched. It turns out I was only half right. The new model features a display that is 0.3 inches larger than the S23 FE’s 6.4-inch one. In terms of size, that means the S24 FE is a much closer match to the S24+ than the S23 FE was to the S23+. I want you to keep the S24+ top of mind as you read through this review; The S24 FE is the phone Samsung wants you to consider if everything about the S24+ is appealing to you other than its $1,000 price.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Like with the S23 FE, Samsung chose an AMOLED 2X panel that has an adaptive 120Hz refresh rate and 1080p resolution. In addition to being bigger, the S24 FE’s screen is brighter than the one on last year’s FE, offering close to 1,900 nits of peak brightness compared to 1,450 nits. The S24 FE is still missing the battery-saving LTPO tech found on Samsung’s flagship phones, but as far as screens on midrange phones go, the S24 FE easily has one of the best I’ve seen. I also think it’s the reason to buy the FE.
The display looks great, especially when scrolling through social media and playing games. It’s also easily legible in bright sunlight. Likewise, I found it was plenty sharp, despite having a lower resolution than the QHD screen on the S24+. It’s nice Samsung offers such a large display on a midrange device, but I’m not a fan of big phones. Obviously, personal preference will dictate if the FE’s girth is your thing, but those with smaller hands like me, consider this your warning: it’s not an easy phone to hold.
In North America, the S24 FE is available in four colors: blue (pictured), graphite, gray and a lovely mint. It might not be made of titanium, but I think the FE looks just as premium as its more expensive siblings. I also wouldn’t worry about its durability too much; the front and back of the phone are protected by Gorilla Glass Victus+, and the entire phone is IP68-certified against dust and water.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Cameras
I’ll be honest, I did not expect to like the S24 FE’s camera as much as I did. The new phone offers the same hardware as its predecessor. Specifically, it comes with a 50-megapixel, f/1.8 main camera; a 12MP, f/2.2 ultra-wide camera; an 8MP, f/2.4 telephoto camera and a 10MP selfie camera with f/2.4 lens.
The one addition here is the company’s ProVisual engine. It’s the first time Samsung has offered the software on one of its FE phones. Having not used last year’s model, I wasn’t able to directly compare the two devices.
So I did the next best thing: I compared the photos I snapped with the S24 FE to those I took with the last Samsung phone I reviewed, the Galaxy A53 5G. If I had to pinpoint a difference, it’s that the S24 FE did a better job of consistently nailing white balance and properly exposing dark scenes.
At the same time, Samsung’s image processing hasn’t dramatically changed over the last couple of years. There’s no mistaking the photos from the S24 FE came from a Samsung device. As you can see from the gallery below, nearly every image features bright and saturated colors.
Even as someone who’s not a fan of Samsung’s image processing, I had a lot of fun using the FE’s cameras. Of the three main ones, my favorite was the telephoto. Thanks to its 32-degree field of view, it gives you a 3x optical zoom over the FE’s main camera. That might not seem like much, but when most midrange phones, including the excellent Pixel 8a, don’t come with a telephoto camera, any bit of optical zoom makes it feel like you’re using a more premium product.
In the case of the FE, it’s a quality camera too, with a bright f/2.4 lens and built-in optical image stabilization. I’m usually not a fan of portrait modes on more affordable handsets like the S24 FE, but here I found it made sense since the compression from the telephoto lens leads to better subject separation. I ended up snapping a lot of portraits because the phone did a great job of rendering natural-looking skin tones and background blur.
The main camera is less of a standout. Thanks to that 50MP sensor, it can produce the most detailed images of the S24 FE’s cameras, but the autofocus wasn’t as fast as I would have liked. When I tried to get a closeup of something, such as my cat Celine, the camera took a few seconds to lock focus. However, outside of that, the S24 FE can take stunning photos. It’s no slouch in low light, either.
As for the 12MP ultra-wide, it was my least favorite of the FE’s cameras. Samsung’s image processing doesn’t do a great job of correcting for the fish-eye distortion produced by such a wide lens, so buildings and anything else captured in the periphery of the frame look misshapen. Photos look fine when zoomed out, but begin to look worse as soon as you start pixel-peeping. Part of the problem here is that Samsung didn’t update the ultra-wide camera to add autofocus, so not every shot comes out as sharp as it could be, despite the sensor offering a decent amount of resolution.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Speaking of autofocus, the selfie camera is missing that feature as well. It’s a shame because the FE has one of the better front-facing cameras I’ve used recently. It offers enough resolution to make selfies look detailed but not so much that every pore and blemish is rendered in painful detail. At the same time, the company seems to have toned down the overly aggressive skin smoothing it was known for in years past.
I mentioned the Pixel 8a earlier, and I think it’s worth returning to it for a moment. When my coworker Sam Rutherford pitted Google’s midrange handset against the Galaxy S24 Ultra, he found the two were surprisingly comparable when it came to camera performance. Despite costing $800 less, the Pixel 8a frequently produced photos with more accurate colors and superior detail. The S24 FE’s cameras perform a shade worse than their counterparts on the S24+. Unless you value the inclusion of a telephoto lens as much as I do, there’s a case to be made that the S24 FE doesn’t offer enough of an upgrade to warrant spending $650.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Performance
Thankfully, the S24 FE is not all small tweaks. Internally, the phone features Samsung’s new Exynos 2400e chipset. It’s the one processor the company is using for both US and international variants. I can already hear some of you groaning since Exynos chips have been known in the past for both poor performance and efficiency relative to their Qualcomm counterparts, so let me get straight to the good news: The 2400e is a powerhouse.
When I put the S24 FE through Geekbench 6, the chip delivered a single-core score of 2,140 and a multi-core performance of 6,690. To put those numbers in perspective, when my co-worker Sam did the same with the S24+ earlier this year, its flagship Snapdragon Gen 3 SoC performed better but not significantly so, posting scores of 2,284 and 7,003, respectively.
The Exynos 2400e was equally impressive in real-world use. Even though the FE only has 8GB of RAM at its disposal, I didn’t experience any hiccups scrolling through websites, switching between apps and other daily tasks. When it came to gaming, I could play Diablo Immortal with the game’s 60 fps mode enabled and graphics settings pushed to their max. I didn’t experience any hitching or dropped frames. I’ll mention here that Samsung redesigned the FE’s vapor chamber to make it bigger and thereby improve cooling. In my experience, the phone gets warm — but not hot — running graphically intensive games.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Battery
As I mentioned at the top, this year’s FE is bigger than its predecessor. Samsung has wisely used the extra space to include a larger 4,700mAh battery. Disappointingly, the company only made a minor change to the FE’s charging capabilities. Thanks to Qi2 support, wireless charging now tops off at 15W, up from 10W on the S23 FE. As for wired power delivery, the FE is still limited to 25W.
During one test, I left home at 8AM with the FE’s battery at 87 percent. For the next three hours, I used the phone to track a bike ride on Strava and snap photos along the way. When I got home, the battery was at 67 percent. I then went out for lunch with my partner, snapping plenty of photos along the way, and using the FE to surf the web and check social media. I later played an hour of Diablo Immortal for a total of three hours of screen time that day. Before bed, I had about 40 percent battery left. Samsung says the S24 FE can power long gaming sessions, and judging by what I saw, that’s accurate.
Charging the FE is far from an ideal experience. In my testing, it was possible to get the battery from zero to 50 percent in about 30 minutes. That’s in line with Samsung’s claims. However, charging to full takes substantially longer. It took close to 70 minutes to get a dead battery to 100 percent. Of course, this is assuming you own a compatible 25W fast charger. Did I mention Samsung doesn’t include a power adapter in the box? Yes, you’ll need your own. Otherwise, expect glacial charging speeds.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Software
I’ve spent a lot of words on the S24 FE’s hardware, but for Samsung, that’s not the story of this phone. The company wants you to see the new FE as a more affordable way to access its Galaxy AI tools. I won’t bore you with a review of the entire suite since Engadget has already covered what’s included.
What I will say is that all of the S24 FE’s AI features work well, but none of them are reasons I would go out and buy this phone for myself. Take Circle to Search, for instance. By long pressing the FE’s home button, you can bring up Google anywhere, including while scrolling through photos on Instagram and your camera roll. It’s then possible to search for a specific object by drawing a circle around it. So, the next time you spot a cute floof, you can confirm it was a Samoyed without leaving Google Photos. No need to switch between apps or try to figure out how to describe what you saw to Google.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Circle to Search is useful, but I could also live without it. And I can safely say the same for all of Samsung's own AI features. For example, Transcript Assist was handy for turning voice memos into written notes, but it didn’t save me much time in the long run since I ended up editing most of what the software produced. I also don’t want to subject my friends to AI-generated texts courtesy of Chat Assist.
Most importantly, I can’t see myself paying for any of the FE’s AI features once they’re no longer free. In case you forgot, Samsung plans to monetize Galaxy AI. “Fees may apply to certain AI features at the end of 2025,” the company said in the press release announcing the S24 FE. If you’re in the market for a midrange device, the prospect of paying a subscription to use some of its features feels like a non-starter. I don’t know about you, but if I’m buying a budget phone, I want it to save me over the long run, not cost me more after a year or two.
Igor Bonifacic for Engadget
Wrap-up
In a vacuum, the Galaxy S24 FE is a great all-around phone and would be an easy recommendation if the S24+ didn’t exist or had Samsung released the two devices at the same time. At $650 for the base 128GB model and $710 for 256GB, the FE isn’t substantially cheaper than the S24+, especially when you consider the Plus comes with 256GB of storage by default and has already been reduced by as much as $150 off in recent months. If you want a discount S24+, you’re better off just waiting for that phone to go on sale.
The S24 FE is in an even weirder spot compared to the best midrange phones you can buy right now. Yes, it has a larger screen and an extra camera over our current top pick, the $499 Pixel 8a. However, for most people, I don’t think those upgrades warrant spending an extra $150. If you’re looking to get the most phone for as little money as possible, the S24 FE is not it.
I’m sure Samsung will adjust the price before long, but for now, this Fan Edition device doesn’t have a clear audience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/samsung-galaxy-s24-fe-review-a-great-phone-but-i-wish-it-was-cheaper-190032655.html?src=rss
Attaching Bluetooth trackers to important items can help you keep tabs on your important stuff. If you have a Samsung Galaxy device, you may wish to consider the Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2, not least because you can pick up a four-pack at a discount. The bundle has dropped to $64 at Amazon. That’s $36 off the list price.
The trackers are oblong-shaped and have a metal ring at one end. This is said to provide improved durability over the first-gen SmartTag while making it easy to attach the tracker to things like a set of keys. Apple AirTag owners, on the other hand, may need to buy a case to attach that tracker to their precious belongings. There is a silicone case you can buy for the SmartTag2 for extra protection, though the tracker is already IP67-rated for dust and water resistance.
Samsung says the SmartTag2 can run for up to 500 days in Normal Mode or 700 days in Power Saving Mode on its CR2032 watch battery. A Compass View that shows the direction and distance of a tag from your phone can help you track down a misplaced item that's nearby. The Lost Mode allows anyone to tap an NFC-enabled phone against the tracker to scan it and see your contact details, as long as you choose to share that info. You can include a personalized message if you wish too.
One major downside of the SmartTag2 is that it only works with Samsung phones and tablets running at least Android 8.0. Other trackers can connect to broader networks of Apple and Android devices, perhaps making missing items they're attached to easier to pinpoint.
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/deals/get-a-four-pack-of-samsung-galaxy-smarttag2-trackers-for-just-64-164101334.html?src=rss
The beloved 7-in-1 Ninja Creami ice cream maker is $40 off right now directly from the company with the coupon code “CREAMI40.” This brings the price down to $160, which is close to a record low.
This isn’t your average ice cream maker, as we detailed in our Ninja Creami review. The design is based on machines found in restaurants, allowing for uniquely high-end frozen treats. This technology wasn’t available to consumers until the last few years, as the machine was under a strict patent. Once that patent expired, Ninja took a look at the design and a sensation was born.
It doesn’t work in the same way as rival machines. The Creami uses a drill-like mechanism that blends everything together. Just freeze a base liquid for 24 hours and let the drill work its magic. The end result resembles soft serve ice cream. Of course, this machine can also be used to make sorbets, yogurt and plant-based alternatives. We love the Creami and it easily made our list of the best kitchen appliances.
Of course, no ice cream machine is perfect, except for maybe whatever technology resides in a Mister Softee truck. The Ninja Creami can get pretty loud during use, though the drill only takes a few minutes to do its thing. Also, the finished product melts quickly. It is, after all, soft serve. You’ll have to pull a President Biden and slurp it down ASAP or pop it in the freezer.
The aforementioned deal is for the standard 7-in-1 Ninja Creami. The extra-large 11-in-1 model is also on sale for $200, with the coupon code “CREAMI30.” This is a record-low price for this version. In addition to ice cream, it can also make Italian ice and other frozen treats.
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/deals/the-ninja-creami-is-up-to-40-off-right-now-173045379.html?src=rss
One of the biggest games on the not-too-distant horizon is Monster Hunter Wilds. While the next edition of Capcom's blockbuster series has a February 28 release date, you'll be able to get a taste of it in an open beta test that's taking place next week.
PlayStation Plus subscribers will be the first to check out this beta starting at 11PM ET on Monday, October 28. That test will run for 48 hours. Capcom will then open up the servers to all PS5, Xbox Series X/S and PC players on Halloween, also at 11PM. The open beta will end at 9:59PM on Sunday. November 3.
You can create both your character and your cat-like Palico companion in the beta. Along with being able to transfer your character creation data over to the full game, you'll get a virtual pendant and a few other goodies for taking part in the beta. The beta's story trial includes two hunts, one with basic tutorials and the other offering the chance to explore the environment on a Seikret animal mount. You can take on both quests in online multiplayer (Monster Hunter Wilds supports cross-play) or get some assistance from computer-controlled support hunters.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/you-can-try-monster-hunter-wilds-next-week-months-before-its-february-28-release-date-154421037.html?src=rss
The latest release is called The Cursed and it’s filled to the brim with creepy stuff to experience. There’s a whole new “twilight universe” where “players will fight to keep a grip on reality while haunted by visions and voices from another dimension.” Time can shift unexpectedly and players could encounter “spectral anomalies.” There’s also no FTL in this twisted realm, forcing players to strategically use the ancient portal network.
To navigate this cursed space, there’s a new ship to pilot. The Boundary Herald Starship is a legitimate flying saucer, made from a “Giger-esque coil of tubes, pipeworks and engines.” It’s a real beauty and the developer’s first attempt at designing a retro-style spaceship. The update also includes bioluminescent pets and a new exosuit.
Hello Games
This is a limited-time event, as players will only have around three weeks to explore this twilight universe. However, the glow-in-the-dark pets, updated exosuit and, thankfully, the flying saucer are here to stay.
This is just the latest gameplay update for No Man’s Sky. So far, there have been over 35 major named updates and many more medium-sized patches and the like. In recent months, the developers added the ability to fish and integrated new weather systems.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/no-mans-sky-just-got-a-creepy-lovecraftian-update-in-time-for-halloween-130020444.html?src=rss
In an update spotted by 9to5Google, Samsung Health now lets users view their medical records. Samsung is working with b.well Connected Health, a platform designed to provide people with access to their health data, to make these changes happen. They can access previous medical records, including vaccinations, prescriptions and specific medical tests.
Not only does Samsung Health provide information from the past. It can also provide recommendations for next steps and actions, as well as prompt users to seek medical attention.
Since the end of last year, Samsung Health has had a medication tracking feature. Now, Samsung says the feature is coming to South Korea and India, and it is collaborating with healthcare providers in those countries as needed.
One final notable update involves food intake monitoring. Samsung Health now has a barcode scanner to more easily record food products. The company is partnering with fatsecret, a provider of verified food and nutrition data. As a result, you can scan a barcode to get nutritional information instantly. This feature is coming first to the US and some EU countries, including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Poland. There are plans to expand it to other regions in the future.
Samsung isn’t only working to improve people’s health with the Samsung Health app. The FDA greenlit a sleep detection feature for Galaxy Watch this year.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/medical-record-tracking-comes-to-samsung-health-170011090.html?src=rss
Only six months after iRobot launched its budget-friendly Essential robot vacuums, the lineup already has two new models. The Roomba Combo 2 Essential and Roomba Vac 2 Essential “double the cleaning power” of their predecessors and bring self-emptying dust bins to the series for the first time.
The Roomba Combo 2 Essential ($425) combines vacuuming and mopping capabilities, while the Vac 2 Essential ($400) is a vacuuming-only model for those without tile or hardwood floors. Both have 100 percent stronger suction than the first Essential vacs. The latter already had 20 times the suction power of the Roomba 600 series it replaced on the low end of iRobot’s product line.
Both machines have self-emptying capabilities, spitting dirt and debris into self-sealing bags inside the docking station. The bags can hold up to 60 days of dirt before you need to change them. The vacuums have four levels of suction power, a multi-surface bristle brush and an edge-sweeping brush.
iRobot
The Roomba Combo 2 Essential has the cheaper model’s vacuuming capabilities while adding mopping with three levels of water dispensing. For only $25 over the vacuum-only model, this one seems like the obvious choice unless your home is fully carpeted.
The Roomba Combo 2 Essential is now available in North America for $425 on iRobot’s website and at third-party retailers. The vacuum-only Vac 2 Essential costs $400 and is sold at select retailers.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/the-next-gen-roomba-essential-robovacs-have-self-emptying-docks-and-double-the-suction-164014213.html?src=rss