Tag Archives: region|US

Three months of Audible for $3 is still available the day after Cyber Monday

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Cyber Monday might be over, but some of our favorite subscription deals haven't gone away just yet. From video streaming services to budgeting apps, many services will have some promotion you may be able to take advantage of. One of the best we're tracking is for Audible. You can sign up and get your first three months for just $3 in total.

That's $1 per month for your first three months of audiobooks. Just make sure you cancel before the 90 days are up, otherwise the subscription will auto-renew for its normal $15 per month price. That's a solid deal if you want to sample Audible before you decide to commit.

Audible has a diverse catalog that goes beyond audiobooks. It also hosts podcasts and Audible Originals. Subscribers get to choose one audiobook each month to keep in their collection for free, including best-sellers or new releases. Users also get unlimited access to the Plus Catalog, which houses thousands of audiobooks. Finally, active members get discounts on many audiobooks when looking to purchase. Winter is coming and this is a good way to make sure you have plenty to listen to throughout the next three months. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/three-months-of-audible-for-3-is-still-available-the-day-after-cyber-monday-151010648.html?src=rss

Cyber Monday Apple deals start now: AirPods Pro 3 are $30 off and down to a record low

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Apple’s new AirPods Pro 3 are already shaping up to be one of the most sought-after tech gifts this season, and now you can grab them at a lower price. They’re on sale for $220, down from the regular $249. Previously, the lowest we’ve seen the AirPods Pro 3 discounted to is $239. If you’ve been holding off on upgrading your earbuds, this is the deal worth grabbing.

Apple didn’t reinvent its flagship earbuds with the AirPods Pro 3, but it made smart refinements that elevate nearly every part of the listening experience. We praised these earbuds in our AirPods Pro 3 review for delivering noticeably richer audio and more effective active noise cancellation while keeping the same pocketable form factor that made earlier models so popular.

The standout upgrade here is Apple’s Live Translation feature, which was an unexpected but welcome surprise, announced at the iPhone 17 event. Leveraging Apple’s H2 chip, the AirPods Pro 3 combines Voice Isolation, ANC and beamforming mics to kick Live Translation into action. Siri’s translation filters seamlessly through the earbuds, but if environmental noise gets too intrusive, you can view a real-time transcription in the iOS Translate app, which is a useful feature for international travel and business calls.

Battery life has improved, too. You get up to eight hours on a single charge with ANC on, and the case adds another 24 hours of playback. The MagSafe charging case, with its new U2 chip, now supports an increased distance for Precision Find My, so it’s easier to locate if misplaced.

Since we’re talking about earbuds, audio quality plays a key role in deciding whether to purchase the AirPods Pro 3 or upgrade from a previous model. Although improvements have been made to sound quality through new drivers and transducers, Apple’s decision to increase air flow inside the earbuds has been the most noticeable update. You can expect the AirPods Pro 3 to deliver deeper bass, crisper highs, and an expanded soundstage that makes everything from podcasts to orchestral tracks feel more dynamic.

There’s not much to fault here beyond the familiar Apple premium price, but that’s why this AirPods Pro 3 deal is such good news. The AirPods Pro 3 remain the best wireless earbuds for iPhone users who want seamless connectivity, top-tier ANC and reliable comfort. Elsewhere when it comes to Cyber Monday AirPod deals, the AirPods 4 with ANC are down to $99.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-apple-deals-start-now-airpods-pro-3-are-30-off-and-down-to-a-record-low-144509574.html?src=rss

There’s a cute voice messaging app for Playdate now

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If your friend group or family happens to include multiple Playdate owners, there's now a cute way to chat amongst yourselves right within the device. Jon Simantov, the developer who gave us Cranky Cove, has released an app called helloyellow where you can send voice messages, create group chats and share achievements with anyone you've added as a friend. It's available to download from itch.io for free, with some limitations, or $5 to get the full version. Now, excuse me while I lament being the only person in my circle with a passion for weird little gadgets. 

A screenshot of a chat in the helloyellow app on a Playdate
A screenshot of a chat in the helloyellow app
Jon Simantov

The app works over Wi-Fi, but you can record messages even when you're offline that will be sent once you reconnect. You can also record voice notes for yourself. The full version of helloyellow allows for messages of up to 10 minutes long, while messages in the free version are capped at two minutes. Friends are added via hellocodes, and there's an emoji library so you can send reactions. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/theres-a-cute-voice-messaging-app-for-playdate-now-223620942.html?src=rss

Netflix’s Assassin’s Creed TV show could kick off in ancient Rome

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Fans of the Assassin's Creed franchise may finally get to visit Ancient Rome, but it could instead be through a Netflix adaptation of Ubisoft's best-selling video game IP. Nexus Point News reported that the live-action adaptation will be set in Ancient Rome and feature historical figures like Nero, the fifth emperor of Rome.

With the potential featuring of Nero, the news outlet predicts that the TV series could be set between 54 to 68 AD during the infamous emperor's rule. Details are still sparse about Netflix's latest video game adaptation, but the streaming giant and Ubisoft announced its first series regular of Toby Wallace, earlier this month. In the blog post, the plot was described as a "high-octane thriller centered on the secret war between two shadowy factions."

Before the first casting reveal, Netflix greenlit the Assassin's Creed TV show in July of this year, five years after the announcement that a series was being produced. While the original plan to introduce multiple different series in the franchise's universe may have changed over the five-year gap, fans are still hoping for an anthology-like structure similar to the video games.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflixs-assassins-creed-tv-show-could-kick-off-in-ancient-rome-200238552.html?src=rss

Team Cherry is working on more Silksong content but won’t say when it’ll release

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Only roughly 15 percent of Hollow Knight: Silksong players have earned the 100 percent completion achievement, according to SteamDB. For the remaining percentage, there may still be plenty of time to finish the game before Team Cherry announces new content for the hit side-scrolling game. As first revealed by Bloomberg's Jason Schreier, the development team confirmed that it's working on a content update that could be similar in scale to the Hollow Knight: Godmaster DLC.

According to the report, the new content could feature Steel Assassin Sharpe, a mysterious character that was teased several years ago but never made an official in-game appearance. In the interview, Team Cherry co-founder Ari Gibson said that this character is "waiting in the wings" and added that "we're excited to reintroduce Sharpe." When asked if Steel Assassin Sharpe would appear in an upcoming DLC, Gibson said that it would "be a good opportunity to uncover more about them."

As exciting as more content for Silksong sounds, Team Cherry isn't ready to reveal any release dates yet. The team's other co-founder, William Pellen, told Bloomberg that Team Cherry will "start talking about it more soon, but maybe we won't mention a timeframe right now." As for the development team's plans beyond the Hollow Knight franchise, both co-founders mentioned that Team Cherry wants to make games outside the beloved universe.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/team-cherry-is-working-on-more-silksong-content-but-wont-say-when-itll-release-190606167.html?src=rss

The Ayaneo Next II is a hulking gaming handheld with a 9-inch display

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Ayaneo may be working on more affordable gaming handhelds lately, but it hasn't forgotten how to do the extravagant designs that the handheld maker is known for. One-upping the bulky Legion Go 2, Ayaneo announced its latest Windows handheld called the Next II.

Ayaneo is continuing the theme for its Next lineup of devices, making these handhelds as big and powerful as possible. The Next II packs a 9.06-inch OLED display with a 2,400 x 1,504 resolution and a variable refresh rate that can be adjusted between 60 and 165 Hz. Ayaneo's latest premium handheld should handle any game you throw at it thanks to an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip and a massive 115 Wh battery. The company didn't reveal any battery life estimates yet, but it's unlikely we'll see all-day usage with these high-end specs.

Ayaneo showing off the Next II during its product showcase video.
Ayaneo

To match the powerful internal components, Ayaneo equipped the Next II with Hall effect joysticks and triggers to prevent deadzones and stick drift. Borrowing from its previous high-end handheld called the Ayaneo Kun, the Next II also features dual smart touchpads that can be customized with gesture controls and key mapping. The back of the handheld is home to four extra buttons, but you can also set specific controls for four other customizable buttons.

Ayaneo hasn't revealed any pricing details yet, but the Next II might be reserved for those willing to spend closer to $2,000. Don't forget that Ayaneo's previous flagship handheld, the Ayaneo Kun, could be fully kitted out for a $1,700 price tag.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-ayaneo-next-ii-is-a-hulking-gaming-handheld-with-a-9-inch-display-175018940.html?src=rss

Passengers face disruption as Airbus updates thousands of planes

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An Airbus directive that ordered the immediate software update for 6,000 A320 planes has lead to flight disruptions around the world. As Reuters notes, that’s more than half of the 11,300 A320 jets in operation. The narrow-body A320 is widely used globally, but its largest operator is American Airlines, which has 480 of the model in its fleet.

American Airlines said 340 planes out of the 480 it has need to be updated, with each plane taking two hours, during one of the busiest weekends for travel in the US. It told CNBC that it expects the “overwhelming majority” of those planes to be completed through the night, with only a handful remaining on November 29. The recall also heavily affects Asian carriers that rely on A320s for short-haul flights. Japan’s ANA had to cancel 95 domestic flights for Saturday, affecting over 13,000 passengers.

In its announcement, the European Union Aviation Safety Agency said it issued an Emergency Airworthiness Directive after a problem manifested on a JetBlue flight back on October 30. Airbus said that an analysis of the event revealed “that intense solar radiation may corrupt data critical to the functioning of flight controls.” Solar flares, or bursts of electromagnetic radiation from the sun, are known to cause radio blackouts and the disruption of satellite and GPS signals,. To prevent future issues, the affected planes would have to revert to an earlier version of their software.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/passengers-face-disruption-as-airbus-updates-thousands-of-planes-065955605.html?src=rss

Black Friday deals on tech for 2025 are still live: Up to 50 percent off the best gear from Apple, Amazon, Disney+, Lego, Dyson and others

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Black Friday is technically over, but long gone are the days in which all of the deals dry up at midnight. Black Friday is very much a multi-day event now, with most of the best deals (as long as they don’t sell out) lasting through Cyber Monday. This year, we’ve found some of the best prices of the year on tech like headphones, game consoles, robot vacuums, speakers and more.

Below, we’ve collected the best Black Friday deals you can still get today. We expect many of these to run through Cyber Monday this year, but we'll keep this post updated as we account for possible sell-outs and any new deals we can find that are worth your money.

Disney+ Hulu bundle — $60 for one year: The Disney+ and Hulu (with ads) bundle is on sale for $5 per month for one year (for a total of $60) through December 1. New and eligible returning subscribers can take advantage of this deal, and considering the bundle typically costs $13 per month, this deal represents more than a 50 percent discount on the standard monthly price.

Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $220 ($29 off): Apple's latest flagship wireless earbuds are the ones to get if you have an iPhone and any other Apple gear. They have improved sound quality, impressive ANC improvements, extra features like Live Translation and even better battery life.

Apple iPad A16 for $274 (21 percent off): Apple's cheapest iPad makes a great first tablet for kids, or anyone who just wants a basic slab for watching videos, online shopping, sending emails and more. It's plenty fast thanks to the A16 chipset that powers it, plus it has a nice screen, 128GB of storage in the base model and good battery life.

Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max's Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you're getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

PlayStation 5 digital edition for $399 ($100 off): The PlayStation 5 is getting a major Black Friday discount, with $100 off consoles. That brings the PS5 Digital Edition down to $399, the standard PS5 to $449 and the new PS5 Pro to $649. If you’ve been holding out for the right time to upgrade or buy your first console, these are the deals to beat. You'll find them direct at Sony and from other retailers including Amazon and Walmart.

Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle for $499: Black Friday Nintendo sales were announced recently and, unsurprisingly, there won't be many true deals out there this year. There are no straight discounts on the Switch 2 console, so your best bet is to pick up a bundle that saves you some cash on a Switch 2 game. One of the best is the Mario Kart Wold bundle, but Pokémon fans should consider the Pokémon Legends: Z-A bundle, too.

Meta Quest 3S VR headset for $250 ($50 off): We consider this to be the best VR headset for newbies or those on a budget. It's comfortable to wear for long sessions, has solid performance, comes with excellent controllers and you'll have access to a large app library with it.

PlayStation VR2 + Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle for $299 ($100 off): It’s hard to broadly recommend the PSVR2: The actual hardware is superb, but there aren’t a ton of standout exclusives to play. Thankfully, you can now use the device with a gaming PC through a separate adapter, though it’s all wired-only. Still, if you have cash to burn and want to dive into games like Gran Turismo 7, the Resident Evil 4 remake or the Horizon adventure bundled here, this is a new low. If this offer runs out of stock, the standalone headset is on sale for the same price. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off, Prime exclusive): Yes, the Neo 2 just came out, but it's still unclear if that model will make its way to the US. For now, if you want an affordable drone to capture your next adventure, the original Neo remains an excellent option. It was our top pick for the best drone for those on a budget, and it's an even better buy at this sale price.

Samsung S95F (65-inch) for $2,298 ($700 off): The S95F is a premium model that's received almost universally stellar reviews for being especially bright among OLED TVs while keeping the bold colors and contrast expected from a QD-OLED panel. That brightness, combined with the display’s matte finish, means it’s uniquely adept at fending off glare. It also has four HDMI 2.1 ports and a native 165Hz refresh rate for gaming. That said, there’s still no Dolby Vision HDR, and the matte coating means that black tones won’t look as deep in a bright room. It's not cheap, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 65-inch model. Also at Samsung and Best Buy.

Sonos Arc Ultra soundbar for $879 (20 percent off): Sonos' most premium soundbar offers crisp, clear sound and an impressive bass boost over the original. It has a sleek design and works with the Sonos Ace headphones as well. There are plenty of other Sonos Black Friday deals to consider as well, both on Amazon and direct at Sonos.

Google Pixel 10 Pro for $749 (25 percent off): You can get much better than this when it comes to Android phones. Google's latest flagship has a brighter display, longer battery life, a camera that supports 100x Pro Res Zoom and Pixelsnap (i.e. Qi2) charging support.

Audible — three months for $3 + $20 Audible credit: For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible's enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It's only three months, after which you'll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

MasterClass — up to 50 percent off annual subscriptions: The MasterClass Black Friday deal discounts most subscription tiers by 50 percent when you pay for one year upfront. The Premium tier, the most expensive option, usually costs $20 per month but now only sets you back $10 per month for one year. That gives you access to the entire MasterClass content library, offline viewing and up to six simultaneous streams.

Starz — one year for $12: Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.

Paramount+ (2 months) for $6 ($20 off): Paramount+ is doing its Black Friday deal a little differently. Instead of a reasonably cheap long-term plan, you get an incredibly cheap short-term deal — two months for less than a Starbucks run costs these days. That's more than enough time to binge Yellowjackets, Dexter: Resurrection or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, along with weeks of NFL games through CBS Sports.

Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV's most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It's also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now's your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

Proton VPN (24 months) for $59.76 (75 percent off): Proton VPN is our pick for the best VPN — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn't sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you'll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we've tested so far can unblock Netflix.

1Password (one year) for $24 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

Monarch Money budgeting app (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): One of our favorite budgeting apps, Monarch Money gives you a lot of control over the organization of your funds. There's a helpful goals feature for when you're planning out big purchases or financial milestones you want to hit, and we found the month-in-review recap it provides to be more thorough than other budgeting apps we tried. There's even Zillow integration for folks looking to buy a home.

Apple AirPods 4 for $69 (47 percent off): These are the most affordable AirPods you can get, and the latest model has been substantially improved over the previous. They have a better fit and noticeably better sound quality than their predecessor, plus some advanced features previously only found on pricer models.

Apple AirTags (four pack) for $63 (36 percent off): iPhone users who frequently misplace things should invest in a few AirTags. Slip them into your wallet, bag, jacket and other belongings to keep track of their locations in the Find My app. Just make sure that, if you're going to attach one to your keys, you also pick up an AirTag holder to go along with it.

Apple Watch SE 3 for $199 ($50 off): The SE has been our top pick for the best Apple Watch for those on a budget, and the latest model only solidifies that further. It has the same chipset found in the latest flagship Apple Watches, fast-charging capabilities, an always-on display and most of the same activity-tracking features you'll find in more expensive model.

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M4) for $749 ($250 off): Our top pick for the best laptop you can get, the M4 MacBook Air will be plenty of power for most people in a convenient, premium package. It's thin and light as ever, with an excellent keyboard and trackpad, plus enough battery life to get you through a whole day of work, video calls and more.

Apple Pencil Pro for $95 ($35 off) at Amazon: The Apple Pencil situation is a little messy, so you’ll want to double check which model is compatible with your particular iPad. The Pencil Pro is the most fully featured in the lineup with haptic feedback, barrel roll and squeeze capabilities, and a hover preview feature. It’ll work with the two most recent models of the Air and Pro iPads, as well as the latest iPad mini. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.

LEGO Botanicals Happy Plants Building Toys 10349 for $18 (20 percent off): Here’s an ideal Secret Santa gift — everyone loves Legos and these cheery little guys will keep your giftee company at their desk or on a windowsill, and are the lowest-maintenance plants around. Also at Target and Walmart; it's one of many Lego Black Friday deals you can get right now.

Philips fabric shaver for $13 (32 percent off): Consider this the Black Friday tech deal you didn't know you needed. If you have shirts, sweaters, pants, even blankets that have pilled over time, this handy little fabric shaver can get them looking more like new again. I bought this on a whim after wishing I could refresh some of my most-loved wardrobe staples without spending hours pulling pills off myself. Philips' fabric shaver has delivered and then some, and my clothes look much fresher than before.

Amazon Smart Plug for $13 (48 percent off): Those who use Alexa often will get the most out of this smart plug. We like that it's super simple to set up and can turn almost anything with an on-off switch "smart," allowing you to control it via your phone or with Alexa voice commands.

Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $19 (52 percent off): This is one of the best Roku devices to get if you're on a budget and just want to make an aging TV set feel a little bit newer. This model supports 4K HDR content, has pretty accurate universal search and gives you access to a ton of free content to watch via Roku's streaming OS.

Govee Smart LED Light Bars for $30 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): Another of our stocking stuffer picks are these smart LED light bars from Govee. They can stand up or lie flat so they can go just about anywhere and are infinitely adjustable via the app. You can even set them to light up in sync with your music. Alexa and the Google Assistant will let you control them with just your voice (and a smart speaker).

Samsung Evo Select (512GB) for $33 ($14 off): We recommend the Evo Select in our microSD card buying guide for those on a tight budget. It has mediocre write speeds, so it’s not ideal for a camera, but it should be serviceable for most people just looking to add space to an Android tablet or original Nintendo Switch on the cheap. (Note that this is a standard UHS-I card, not a newer microSD Express model.) This deal matches the lowest price to date for the 512GB variant. Also at Samsung and B&H.

UGreen Uno Nexode Charger Block (65W, 3-Port) for $33 (35 percent off): There are other ways to charge your devices, but few are this cute. That’s why we named it one of the best stocking stuffers you can buy. You get three ports in its head and outlet prongs hidden in its removable magnetic feet. Its 65 watts are enough to charge multiple devices at once. Also available directly from UGreen.

Dyson AM09 Hot + Cool heater and fan for $300 ($200 off): I've had this heater and fan for over five years at this point and it remains one of my favorite pieces of tech. It's lightweight enough to carry from room to room and it's both a heater and a fan: it cuts the chill in my home office during the winter, and circulates the air to keep me cooler in the summer. You can control the whole thing using the included remote (and it includes a sleep timer), and it handily attaches magnetically to the top of the device so you don't misplace it.

Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for $248 ($158 off): While the new XM6 headphones have replaced these as Sony's flagship cans, that doesn't mean the XM5 aren't worth buying. They were our top pick for the best wireless headphones for years before the XM6 came around, and they still have excellent ANC, great sound quality, long battery life, a comfortable fit and handy extra features like multipoint connectivity.

Sony PlayStation Portal for $179 at Amazon ($21 off): Included in the many Black Friday deals on PS5 consoles, games and accessories is this first major discount for Sony’s remote play handheld, which recently added the ability to run games directly from the cloud. Just note you need a PlayStation Plus Premium subscription for that. Anecdotally, I’ve found it a godsend as a new dad. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and others.

Hisense U65QF (55-inch) for $398 ($402 off MSRP): The U65QF is another entry-level LED TV with generally positive reviews. Most feedback around the web suggests that it can’t match the QM6K in terms of contrast, gaming features and overall accuracy, so TCL’s model should be a better buy for most. This iteration also uses Amazon’s Fire TV platform instead of the cleaner Google TV. It can achieve a higher peak brightness, however, so it’s worth considering if you get particularly bad glare in your living room. This is the lowest price we’ve seen for the 55-inch model, but the 65-inch ($548), 75-inch ($748) and 85-inch ($900) models are also at all-time lows. Also at Best Buy.

LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon A New Hope 25th Anniversary Collectable 75375 for $68 (20 percent off): This is a set that any Star Wars fan will love to build and then love to display once it's complete. The 921-piece set features a fully-detailed Millennium Falcone, buildable stand and nameplate. It's one of many Lego Black Friday deals you can get right now.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) for $170 ($80 off): The latest color ereader in Amazon's lineup includes a seven-inch, high-contrast display, USB-C charging and a battery life that can last up to eight weeks on a single charge. Its design is waterproof too, so you don't need to baby it if you take it by the pool or to the beach. If you prefer a black-and-white screen, the base Kindle is also on sale for $80.

Aura 10.1-inch digital frame for $139 (22 percent off): Aura makes some of our favorite digital frames, and this one has a 10-inch HD display, Wi-Fi connectivity and an elegant mat design. Arguably the best thing about Aura frames in general is that you don't have to pay a subscription fee to add photos to it over time — all photos are stored in the cloud, and multiple people can add photos to one frame.

Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $180 (22 percent off): The Creami has been one of the most sought-after kitchen appliances of the past couple of years, and for good reason. It's one of our favorite pieces of kitchen gear because it makes it a breeze to prepare custom ice cream and many other frozen treats. It's definitely worthwhile investment if you're an ice cream lover and want to experiment with making your own flavors.

Dyson 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum for $400 ($600 off): This is one of the best robot vacuums you can get, period. It doesn't have a self-emptying base, but its superior suction power almost makes up for that. It's one of the strongest robot vacuums I've ever tested, and it has excellent obstacle avoidance. The latter means you will rarely, if ever, have to attend to it getting caught on the edge of a carpet or getting stuck under a piece of furniture.

Black Friday 2025 lands on November 28.

Gone are the times when Black Friday sales were one-day-only affairs. Now, Black Friday deals are often available starting on Thanksgiving, or even earlier. Last year, we saw Black Friday deals online begin the week before Black Friday proper.

Black Friday and Cyber Monday have blended a lot over the past few years. Now, you can expect to see a good portion of Black Friday deals extend through the weekend and into Cyber Monday. It's not uncommon for Black Friday deals to expire at the end of Cyber Monday.

Yes, Amazon has Black Friday sales. The online retailer's site will look similar to Prime Day on Black Friday, with discounts on all sorts of items from household essentials to fashion to tech.

No, you will usually not find Black Friday sales at Apple stores or on Apple's website. However, you can find Black Friday deals on Apple devices elsewhere; we recommend checking Amazon, Best Buy and other big retailers for discounts on iPads, Apple Watches and more on Black Friday.

The best Black Friday tech deals are typically available online at retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy and Target. It's also a good idea to check the store websites of the companies that make the products you want — for example, if you're looking for a Sonos speaker, check the Sonos website on Black Friday. Most of the time, you'll find the best Black Friday tech deals are matched at multiple retailers.

Many physical retail stores have Black Friday deals including Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others. Even more retailers have online Black Friday deals, including Amazon, GameStop, Costco and others.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-on-tech-for-2025-are-still-live-up-to-50-percent-off-the-best-gear-from-apple-amazon-disney-lego-dyson-and-others-230008916.html?src=rss

Our favorite Aura digital photo frame is $40 off for Black Friday

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Putting together a photo album is a sweet way to share memories with loved ones, and a digital frame lets you package those feelings in a device that can be constantly updated with new pictures. Aura makes some of the best frames we've tested, and for Black Friday you can get our favorite digital picture frame the company makes for $139. That's $40 off the normal $179 price of the Aura 10.1" Carver Mat Frame, and one of the lowest prices we've seen the frame hit this year.

The Aura Carver Mat has a 10.1-inch display that's bright and high-resolution enough to show off a rotating collection of photos and videos without worrying about glare. The display is designed to be used in landscape orientation, and Aura's software can intelligently pair portrait photos together so the screen isn't left with awkward negative space.

Better yet, actually getting photos on the frame is a breeze. You can add whatever photos or videos you choose through a handy smartphone app, and even organize photos in albums if you want them to be displayed together. By default, the Aura Carver will shuffle through what you've uploaded, but you can also manually swipe through photos via a touch panel at the top of the frame if there's something particular you want to display.

In terms of quality and ease-of-use, the Aura 10.1-inch Carver Mat Frame is the top pick in our list of the best digital picture frames for a reason. Parents and grandparents find it kind of magical to have a frame that you can randomly update with new photos, and of the Black Friday deals we've spotted this year, it's a guaranteed crowd-pleaser.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/our-favorite-aura-digital-photo-frame-is-40-off-for-black-friday-202715971.html?src=rss

AI horror, a dinosaur platformer and other new indie games worth checking out

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Welcome to our latest roundup of what's going on in the indie game space. Even though it's a truncated week in the US with the long holiday weekend, there's still been a spate of new releases and news on upcoming games. There'll be plenty more over the next couple of weeks too, with The Game Awards, Day of the Devs and several other showcases in the pipeline. 

In the spirit of the season, one thing I'm thankful for is indie studios being able to make the games they want despite external pressures. We've seen both extremes of that in recent months. This week, the team at Santa Ragione said it respects players enough to release its latest game, Horses, as intended. However, Valve has blocked the horror title from Steam in what seems to be quite a messy case. As a result of not being able to sell Horses on the biggest PC games storefront, Santa Ragione said it's at risk of closure.

On the other end of the scale, Team Cherry was able to take all the time in the world to make Hollow Knight: Silksong because of the success of its previous game, which has sold more than 15 million copies. Although Hollow Knight fans spent years clamoring for updates on Silksong, the small team had the financial freedom to spend as long as it wanted crafting and polishing the sequel. The devs were able to just keep their heads down and do that until Team Cherry announced a release date just two weeks in advance.

Those are two very different stories. Still, they both resulted in fully realized games based on seemingly uncompromised visions. 

New releases

A.I.L.A — from Pulsatrix Studios and publisher Fireshine Games — has a decent-enough concept. It's a first-person horror title in which you take on the role of a VR game tester. The games that the protagonist plays are crafted by an AI (which, by itself, is a horrifying prospect) and adjusted based on your feedback. In a stunning development, the AI begins to tap into your character's deepest fears and blur the virtual and real worlds. It sounds like a blurb for an airport novel, but it's a solid-enough foundation on which to base a game.

The structure of A.I.L.A allows for Pulsatrix to craft a few distinct experiences in various horror subgenres within a larger game. You'll encounter a cult, zombies, aliens, creepy mannequins, puzzles and more as you play through chapters rooted in the likes of psychological horror and survival horror. There are a lot of ideas packaged together here. I’ve played a chunk A.I.L.A and it’s okay so far, even if it does feel a bit like a tribute band playing the hits of yesteryear. A.I.L.A is out now on Steam (usually $30, but there's a 20 percent discount until December 9), PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S.

If you can't get enough of fairly lengthy open-world action RPGs, Of Ash And Steel might be one for you to sink your teeth into. Fire & Frost and publisher tinyBuild claim there's over 45 hours worth of main story material to dig into here.

One interesting thing about Of Ash And Steel is that there are no quest markers. Exploration is a major factor and you can mark locations on your map. Otherwise, you'll need to pay attention to things like what other characters are saying to figure out where to go. Also, the trailer's final shot shows a pair of titans that seem ready to battle, and that has me intrigued too.

Of Ash And Steel typically costs $30. There's a 20 percent discount until December 8 on Steam and GOG.

Young Suns is the latest project from Ko_Op (Goodbye Volcano High). When the team announced the game this week, it immediately became available on all Game Pass tiers as a game preview on Xbox Series X/S, PC and Xbox Cloud. If you'd prefer to buy it outright, you can also do that for $20.

This is (appropriately enough) a co-op life sim for up to four players. The team readily admits that Young Suns is still in development and that means some features and quest content aren't available in the current version of the game. However, as game director Graeme Lennon wrote in an Xbox Wire post, "The game is playable and fun for its intended pattern of play: checking in for an hour or two daily, slowly building up your perfect ship-home and making new friends."

The game is set on Jupiter and you can explore space stations, planetoids and ruins. You can collect resources and other items to help upgrade your ship/home. There are 30 characters (more are on the way), and most have "over two months of unique daily chat content." Young Suns is also coming to Steam down the line.

Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure is the first of two dinosaur games in this week's roundup. This one is an adorable-looking retro platformer from The Dude Games and publisher Meridiem. It's said to pay tribute to classic games like Wonder Boy, Alex Kidd and Contra. 

As an amphibian dinosaur, you can collect special items to upgrade your attacks. There are arcade-style minigames as well. My favorite thing from the trailer, though, is a boss called Gatling Saurus. Love it. Dinopunk: The Cacops Adventure is out now on Steam. It usually costs $8, but there's a 10 percent discount until December 1.

Upcoming 

Ferocious is a very different kind of dinosaur game. This one is a first-person shooter from OMYOG and tinyBuild in which you have a device that allows you to communicate with and control dinos. Sending a rampaging triceratops into combat or riding on the back of one looks pretty fun. You can even take charge of a T. rex.

The gist is that an evil corporation is out to change the world in its favor with the help of these prehistoric reptiles, and it's up to you to stop this cabal. Ferocious will hit Steam on December 4 for $25.

Engadget's UK bureau chief Mat Smith got to try out There Are No Ghosts at the Grand back at Gamescom, and now you can check it out too. Friday Sundae has released a demo for the odd-looking "spooky, cozy musical mystery" on Steam.

After you inherit a rundown hotel, you have 30 days to fix it up using talking power tools (such as a furniture cannon)... or else. At night, you'll have to fend off ghosts. Maybe the title of this game is a bit of a misdirect! 

There Are No Ghosts at the Grand seems a bit strange, but I'm on board with it. It’s coming to PC and Xbox Series X/S next year and it will be a day-one addition to Game Pass. It will hit other platforms later.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/ai-horror-a-dinosaur-platformer-and-other-new-indie-games-worth-checking-out-180000059.html?src=rss