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The Morning After: It’s Black Friday!

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Black Friday is finally upon us, willing us to purchase some much-needed tech with some degree of a discount. Our Black Friday hub has been collecting the best deals available, so you can save a bundle in the run-up to the holidays. And while there have been some tasty deals in the last few days, the real blockbusters have now dropped.

That includes $75 off the PlayStation 5 Slim, with a decent chunk sliced off the price of a PS5 wireless DualSense controller. Sony has also knocked $100 from the price of its class-leading XM5 headphones, which you can snag for $298. Not to mention, you can grab the brand-new M4 Mac Mini with 16GB RAM and 256GB storage for $500.

There are plenty more where that came from, which is why we have the Black Friday hub. So go and get all the biggest and best deals without having to lift a finger.

— Dan Cooper

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News In Brief

Promotional image for WhatsApp's new VM transcripts.
WhatsApp

Voice messages: You either love them or feel you’re being forced to listen to the world’s least engaging podcast. Someone at WhatsApp must feel similarly given the platform has now added a way to transcribe the voice messages you receive. The feature is rolling out globally in the coming weeks, with more languages incoming.

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Amazon may face an EU antitrust investigation next year, with regulators curious if it promoted its own products at the expense of competitors. The continent has stringent rules around big tech platforms that act as both the marketplace and a player in the same space. If found to have given its own gear preferential treatment, the fines under the Digital Markets Act can be hefty.

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The New York Times and OpenAI are battling it out in court, with the former accusing the latter of plagiarism. During the discovery phase, OpenAI created two virtual machines that the NYT’s lawyers could examine to gather evidence. But after 150 hours of research, some of that data was erased, which OpenAI blamed on a glitch.

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Image of a person using a wheelchair.
Neuralink

Canada has given its blessing for Neuralink to conduct human trials of its brain implant in the country. The Elon Musk-owned company has already opened the door for would-be trialists to apply to be the first Canadian to receive the implant. It’s asking for volunteers with quadriplegia caused either by a spinal cord injury or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

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Image of the Rabbit R1
Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget

The Rabbit R1 was a neat-looking pocketable AI doodad that sadly didn’t really do enough to justify buying one. Since it stumbled out of the gate, however, a raft of software updates has added many of the features initially promised at launch. The latest is Teach Mode, which lets users automate tasks on any website, which is nice.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121559120.html?src=rss

The Kobo Libra Colour ereader is $20 off in this Black Friday deal

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If you’re in the market for a color ereader, one of Rakuten Kobo’s latest models is on sale for Black Friday. Today, you can order the Kobo Libra Colour, which has a seven-inch color e-ink screen and physical page-turn buttons, for $200. If you’re content with black-and-white reading, two of the company’s other models — the Sage and Elipsa 2E — are also discounted.

Although not everyone needs a pop of color while reading, the device can enhance the visual presentation of book covers, highlights and comics on its seven-inch 1,264 x 1,680 E Ink Kaleido 3 display. Unlike tablets such as the iPad, it doesn’t add glare from sunlight. The device includes Kobo’s ComfortLight Pro, which automatically adjusts the front light’s blue levels for a more comfortable reading experience. It also has a dark mode for night reading.

One way the device stands out from Amazon’s new Kindle Colorsoft is physical page-turn buttons. Although reaching your thumb slightly to tap the screen isn’t exactly a chore, I prefer the satisfying feel of physical buttons: Keep your thumb rested on it and press when it’s time to flip the page.

The Libra Colour supports note-taking, annotating and highlights — all in color — with the Kobo Stylus 2. Unfortunately, the pen-like accessory isn’t included in the box; you’ll need to pony up an extra $70 if you want a more notebook-like experience.

The ereader has 32GB of storage, enough for 24,00 ebooks or 150 audiobooks. Rakuten Kobo rates the device for up to 40 days of battery life, although that will vary with usage. The Libra Colour has an IPX8 rating, meaning it can handle immersion in over 6.5 ft of water for an hour. As a welcomed perk, the ereader is self-repairable through a partnership with iFixit.

On the black and white ereader front, Kobo’s Sage and Elipsa 2E are also on sale for Black Friday. The Sage has a larger eight-inch display with deep contrast and fast page turns. Typically ringing up for $270, it’s on sale for $240. Finally, the Kobo Elipsa 2E has a tablet-sized 10.3-inch screen and software built around note-taking (including handwriting conversion). It has a $400 MSRP but is discounted to $350.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-kobo-libra-colour-ereader-is-20-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-150004882.html?src=rss

PS5 DualSense Wireless Controllers are on sale for $55 for Black Friday

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If you’re looking to stock up on PS5 controllers, now is the time. There’s an early Black Friday deal that discounts the wireless DualSense controller down to $55. These gamepads typically cost between $75 and $80, so this is quite the sale. Even better? The deal applies to a whole bunch of colorways to suit whatever wacky aesthetic you got going on, though some colors are selling for a bit more at $60. 

A brand-new PS5 ships with one of these controllers, but you need two to enjoy some sweet couch co-op. We called out the gamepad in our official review of the PS5, saying it had “some of the most advanced haptic controls” we’ve ever experienced.

The analog triggers can be manipulated to emulate various sensations, like pulling an arrow back or running out of ammo with a gun. It’s a gimmick, sure, but a fun one. The built-in haptics also allow for more realistic rumble, which is heads and shoulders above what the DualShock 4 offered.

There’s a built-in microphone, a headphone jack, a tried-and-true button layout and a pair of joysticks. It’s a really well-designed controller. It’s a DualSense. It is not, however, a DualSense Edge. That’s Sony’s ultra-premium controller that costs nearly $200. That one offers extra features like easy button remapping, multiple joystick nubs, customizable rear paddles and more.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/ps5-dualsense-wireless-controllers-are-on-sale-for-55-for-black-friday-150028471.html?src=rss

Get $75 off PlayStation 5 Slim consoles for Black Friday

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Black Friday is in the air, gently blowing breezy deals our way. Case in point? The PS5 Slim is available for $75 off at Amazon, Walmart, Target, Sony and other retailers. This brings the price of the disc-based version down to $425 and the digital-only model down to $375. This is a fairly budget-friendly way to see what all the PS5 fuss is about.

Despite the moniker, there’s nothing slim about the specs. This is a regular PS5, with the same horsepower as the original unit. However, the PS5 Slim is 30 percent smaller and around 25 percent lighter. When it comes to tech, smaller is typically a good thing.

Both versions ship with a DualSense controller and a 1TB SSD. These consoles also come with Astro’s Playroom pre-installed, which is the precursor to the incredible Astro Bot. They don’t, however, come with a vertical stand. That’ll cost extra. The digital-only model, obviously, doesn’t ship with a disc drive, though there’s a standalone drive available for those who would rather make that decision later.

Otherwise, this is a PS5. There’s no other way (right now) to play games like Marvel's Spider-Man 2 and The Last of Us Part 2 Remastered. It also runs cross-platform hits like Star Wars Outlaws and Elden Ring, in addition to pseudo-exclusives that made their way to PC like God of War Ragnarök.

This sale is not for the recently-released PS5 Pro, so you won’t get all of those graphical upscaling bells and whistles. However, that new console is a whopping $700, whereas these PS5 Slim consoles are just over half that.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-75-off-playstation-5-slim-consoles-for-black-friday-150017389.html?src=rss

The New York Times says OpenAI deleted evidence in its copyright lawsuit

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Stephen Hawking told Last Week Tonight’s John Oliver a chilling but memorable hypothetical story a decade ago about the potential dangers of AI. The gist is a group of scientists build a superintelligent computer and ask it, “Is there a God?” The computer answers, “There is now” and a bolt of lightning zaps the plug preventing it from being shut down. Let’s hope that’s not what happened with OpenAI and some missing evidence from the New York Times’ plagiarism lawsuit.

Wired reported that a court declaration filed by the New York Times on Wednesday says that OpenAI’s engineers accidentally erased evidence of the AI’s training data that took a long time to research and compile. OpenAI recovered some of the data but “the original file names and folder structure” that show when the AI copied its articles into its models are still missing.

OpenAI spokesperson Jason Deutrom disagreed with the NYT’s claims and says the company “will file our response soon.” The Times has been battling Microsoft and OpenAI over alleged copyright infringement with its AI models since December of last year.

The lawsuit is still in its discovery phase when evidence is requested and delivered by both sides to build its case for trial. OpenAI had to turn over its training data to the Times but hasn’t publicly revealed the exact information it used to build the AI modes.

Instead, OpenAI created a “sandbox” of two virtual machines so the NYT’s legal team could conduct its research. The NYT’s legal team spent more than 150 hours sifting through the data on one of the machines before the data was deleted. OpenAI acknowledged the deletion but the company’s legal team called it a “glitch.” Although OpenAI engineers tried to correct the mistake, the restored data was missing the NYT’s work. This led the NYT to essentially recreate everything from scratch. The NYT’s lawyers said they had no reason to believe the deletion was intentional.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/the-new-york-times-says-openai-deleted-evidence-in-its-copyright-lawsuit-231805285.html?src=rss

Report: Amazon is likely to face an EU antitrust investigation next year

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2025 could be a tense year for Amazon. Reuters reports that, according to its sources, Amazon “will likely” be investigated by the European Union (EU) for violating the Digital Markets Act (DMA) by allegedly promoting and offering its own products ahead of others in its online store.

The decision to launch the investigation will be made by incoming EU antitrust chief Teresa Ribera. Her term will start next month following outgoing chief Margrethe Vestager, who is stepping down after serving two terms.

Amazon denies that it violated the DMA. The EU’s antitrust regulators launched an investigation into Apple, Meta and Google in March over issues such as fees and preferential presentation of its own apps on its online stores. The European Commission also hinted that it might be looking into Amazon’s business practices under the new laws.

The DMA took effect last year and establishes criteria for large online platforms to “behave in a far way online and leave room for contestability,” according to the EU’s website. The guidelines prevent big tech companies like Amazon from giving preferential treatment to their own products and services on their platforms.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/report-amazon-is-likely-to-face-an-eu-antitrust-investigation-next-year-214556510.html?src=rss

Steam will force developers to be transparent about their season pass plans

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Season passes are one of the most common ways to generate revenue for games such as Fortnite or Call of Duty that want players to keep returning day after day, month after month. This week, PC game platform Steam has rolled out support for this monetization approach. The Valve-owned platform clarified its policy about what it considers a season pass, as well as implementing rules for how developers should communicate with players about pass content.

Steam documentation now states that when a season pass is made available for a game, it must list all of the downloadable content (DLC) included within that purchase. Developers will also need to provide an expected release date for each DLC. Delays are common in game development, but Valve will only allow a studio to reschedule a season pass' release date once; if more changes are needed, Valve has to get involved with making that change. In cases where a season pass is canceled, customers must receive a refund for any unreleased content that they have paid for.

"By offering a Season Pass, you are promising future content," the documentation reads. "In the process of launching a Season Pass you will be asked to commit to a launch timing for each content release in the Season Pass. That launch timing is a commitment to both customers and Steam. If you aren't ready to clearly communicate about the content included in each DLC AND when each DLC will be ready for launch, you shouldn't offer a Season Pass on Steam."

Steam recently revised its language around a few key topics this fall. The platform now clarifies that the hundreds or thousands of games in players' libraries are licenses to those titles rather than outright ownership. Valve has also removed points about binding arbitration from its Steam Subscriber Agreement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/steam-will-force-developers-to-be-transparent-about-their-season-pass-plans-212313027.html?src=rss

Black Friday deals include reMarkable 2 bundles for $89 off

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If you’ve been eyeing the reMarkable 2 for a while, now is a great time to buy one. While the E Ink tablet itself isn’t on sale, reMarkable has discounted the two bundles it offers alongside the 2. Until the end of December 2, you can save $89 off the Type Folio and Book Folio bundles. Both include reMarkable’s Marker Plus stylus, which comes with an eraser feature not found on the regular Marker stylus. It’s also black instead of gray and four grams heavier. As for the two folios, the type one is the one to buy if you need a keyboard.

The reMarkable 2 is easily the best E Ink tablet you can buy right now. It’s the top pick in our E Ink tablet guide, and for good reason. It boasts a tremendous reading and writing experience, with a responsive, low-latency display that offers the closest pen-and-paper experience among the tablets Engadget tested. 

The reMarkable 2 makes accessing your favorite books and files easy, too. It includes support for both PDFs and ePUBs, and you can link your Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox to make transferring those files a cinch. Each new reMarkable 2 tablet also comes with a complimentary one-year subscription to Remarkable Connect, which is great for transferring any notes you write to your other devices.

One of the few downsides of the ReMarkable 2 is how expensive it is to buy. Although reMarkable hasn’t directly discounted the tablet, a folio cover and Marker Plus stylus are accessories most people will probably want to buy anyway, so this Black Friday promotion still makes the device more accessible. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/black-friday-deals-include-remarkable-2-bundles-for-89-off-210003470.html?src=rss

The Ember Smart Mug 2 is up to 39 percent off for Black Friday

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Amazon’s Black Friday sale has record-low prices on the Ember Smart Mug 2. The accessory heats your beverage to a set temperature (and keeps it there until you’re done), ensuring your coffee, tea or hot chocolate is just right. In this sale, you can get the 10-oz. model, which usually retails for $130, for as little as $75.49. The larger 14-oz. Smart Mug 2 (typically $150) is on sale for as low as $91.49.

The second-generation Ember mug is one of our favorite gifts for moms and teachers. The self-heating mug lets you set a preferred temperature in the iOS or Android app. It will then remember that the next time you fire it up, keeping your beverage at your ideal temp without any extra fuss. You can also add presets for different kinds of drinks. It can keep drinks anywhere from 120 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on your preference.

The Smart Mug 2 has an auto-sleep feature that senses when it’s empty and stops heating. So, you shouldn’t have to worry about coffee residue burning to a crisp in the bottom after you’ve finished. (Ew.) The mug is IPX7-rated, meaning it’s submersible in up to a meter of water. However, it’s a hand-wash-only product, so don’t make the mistake of plopping it in the dishwasher by force of habit.

The Ember mug lasts an estimated 80 minutes on a full charge. It also includes a charging coaster that can keep it heating all day. If you want to use it on the go, Ember sells an optional sliding lid.

The Black Friday sale prices vary by color. For example, the white variant is the cheapest in both sizes, followed by black ($79.49 for 10 oz., $96 for 14 oz.). Meanwhile, the popular copper model costs $110 and $127.49, respectively.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-ember-smart-mug-2-is-up-to-39-percent-off-for-black-friday-203635034.html?src=rss

Chemists have created the world’s thinnest spaghetti

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Researchers from the University College London have done what celebrity chefs and Italian nonnas could only dream of: they've made the world's thinnest spaghetti. This culinary-sounding accomplishment, published in Nanoscale Advances, has yielded strands of starch nanofibers that are just 372 nanometers wide, which is invisible to the naked eye and is even smaller than some wavelengths of light.

"The world's thinnest spaghetti" sounds silly, but starch can actually have important applications in medicine. For instance, nanofiber starches could help wounds heal when used in bandages, since they'd be able to keep out bacteria while allowing moisture through. Rather than going through the energy-intensive process of refining their own plant cell starch for nanofibering, these chemists decided store-bought was fine and made their strands directly from flour. Their version of the nanofibers were created with a process called electrospinning, where an electric charge pulls a flour and liquid mixture through extremely small metal holes into threads that are just nanometers wide. Extrusion through a die is literally the same way you'd make conventional spaghetti to accompany your bolognese or your meatballs, only at a much, much smaller scale.

There's still a lot of study to be done before the product will be appearing in the doctor's office, but this is a step toward more sustainable starch nanofibers. And while I would pay good money to watch chefs try to explain invisible pasta on a reality show, electrospinning almost certainly won't become the new molecular gastronomy hotness. As co-author Professor Gareth Williams of the UCL School of Pharmacy put it: "I don't think it's useful as pasta, sadly, as it would overcook in less than a second, before you could take it out of the pan."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/science/chemists-have-created-the-worlds-thinnest-spaghetti-201509365.html?src=rss