Tag Archives: author_name|Lawrence Bonk

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

Black Friday deals include the 4K Chromecast with Google TV for $40

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The 4K Chromecast with Google TV streaming stick is down to $40 on Amazon as part of a Black Friday sale. That’s a savings of 20 percent, or ten bucks for the math wizards out there.

We called the 1080p version of this device “a great little streaming dongle” and that certainly holds true for the newer 4K model. It supports HDR and is compatible with just about any TV with an HDMI port. Once plugged in, it streams via Wi-Fi.

The model also allows users to view live TV in 4K. This works with a bunch of different live TV providers, like YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV and Philo. It ships with a voice remote embedded with Google Assistant, allowing people to bark orders regarding what stuff they want to watch.

As with most streaming sticks, users can cast stuff from their phones or tablets. There’s also the option to build a kid-friendly profile, complete with family-friendly content and robust parental controls.

However, there is one caveat here. This model is likely on the way out. The company looks to be prioritizing the recently-released Google TV Streamer, which drops the dongle design in favor of a wedge. This one boasts more storage and a faster CPU than the aforementioned dongle. The company also shoehorned some AI in the new device because that’s what everyone must do now. However, the Google TV Streamer costs $100. I’d go for the $40 Chromecast myself.

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/black-friday-deals-include-the-4k-chromecast-with-google-tv-for-40-194854930.html?src=rss

Star Wars Outlaws just fixed those maddening stealth missions

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Happy days. Massive and Ubisoft have listened to the complaints and fixed one of the most glaring problems with Star Wars Outlaws. Players know what I’m talking about. It’s those mind-numbing stealth missions that automatically fail as soon as someone is spotted. A new patch lets the game continue, even after being caught, so players can try to shoot their way out of a situation.

The developers say this change was instituted to give players a decision as to whether they prefer stealth or combat in any given scenario. Drew Rechner, Creative Director on Star Wars Outlaws, notes that the dev team has removed “forced stealth from almost all quest objectives.” However, stealth is still an option for any of these objectives. It’s just not required.

“Star Wars Outlaws represents to us a true scoundrel experience and as Kay and Nix are street thieves by trade, stealth will always be an option for players that prefer that playstyle,” the devs wrote in a blog post. “We heard your feedback, and we're implementing changes that allow for greater player freedom and embracing more playstyles.”

The update also improves detection mechanics while operating in stealth mode, as the pre-existing enemy AI “could be unpredictable and inconsistent.” Now players will be able to choose stealth, action or, of course, a combination of both. My preferred method will be stealth until I get caught, which should happen approximately five seconds after entering a compound.

Today’s build expands player choice in other ways beyond removing forced stealth objectives. Players can now pick up and keep weapons for longer periods of time in the field, and the developers have added “more opportunities to use them in various scenarios.” Combat has also gotten another update, as players will now be able to target additional enemy body parts beyond the head for “exploiting weak points.”

Update 1.4 even includes some slight graphical upgrades, thanks to a refined camera system that improves the focus. To accompany today’s update, Ubisoft has dropped some story DLC called Wild Card. Everyone’s favorite villain-turned-hero Lando Calrissian is a major player in this expansion.

Star Wars Outlaws still has a few glaring problems, but Massive and Ubisoft have been busy improving the game since launch. The game now features improved and refined combat, with a complete overhaul of the stats of various weapons and enemies.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/star-wars-outlaws-just-fixed-those-maddening-stealth-missions-185341382.html?src=rss

Spotify drops a bunch of new tools for audiobooks, including a sleep timer

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The Spotify audiobook experience has been lacking when compared to rivals like Audible, but it looks like that’s beginning to change. The streaming platform just announced a bevy of updates for audiobook listeners and some are downright useful.

Perhaps the biggest one for me is the addition of a sleep timer. Audiobooks are great for lulling people to sleep, but it sucks when you sleep through a hundred pages and can’t remember where you left off. The built-in sleep timer lets users set how long the content will play. This sleep timer already exists for podcasts and music.

Spotify users can also now make audiobook-specific playlists, helping people keep track of what they want to read or, uh, listen to. The platform says this tool will “help you keep your library organized” and that playlists will “be a place for you to aggregate the audiobooks on your reading list.” In addition to traditional playlists, the streamer will publish curated playlists from the audiobook editorial team.

There are new Countdown Pages, which are splash pages for forthcoming audiobooks. These let people save a book prior to the release date, making it easy to find once it actually comes out. Spotify says this feature can be used by authors, publishers, and narrators” to “help promote their upcoming titles ahead of launch.”

An author page.
Spotify

Speaking of promotions, Spotify’s new Author Pages display biographical information on specific writers and will allow perusal of their entire catalogs. This is in a pilot program for now, with only a “select number of authors” having access to the tool. There’s also a new video player specifically for audiobooks, that lets "select authors and publishers submit a short video about a specific title.” The platform likens this to a book’s jacket, offering a “taste of an audiobook before pressing play.”

Finally, some audiobooks are getting a follow-along feature. This is described as an “immersive visual experience” akin to a music video that displays illustrations, photos and graphics as the audiobook is being read. Look for this in the “extras” section of eligible audiobooks.

Last year, Spotify began offering 15 hours of audiobook listening to Premium subscribers. There’s also a subscription specifically for audiobooks that costs $10 per month that provides 15 hours of listening. The Premium subscription, however, costs $12 per month and adds ad-free music to the mix. It’s good to know that humanity’s collective musical output is worth $2 per month.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/spotify-drops-a-bunch-of-new-tools-for-audiobooks-including-a-sleep-timer-173327861.html?src=rss

Apple pledges $100 million Indonesia investment to lift iPhone 16 ban

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Apple has offered $100 million to Indonesia as part of an effort to lift a recent ban of the iPhone 16 in the country, as reported by The Wall Street Journal. The company has presented an investment plan that would use that $100 million to set up a manufacturing plant in the nation.

Earlier this month, Apple offered the country $10 million to reverse the ban. This latest proposal is worth ten times that, so the company certainly sees Indonesia as an important market. After all, the country is home to 280 million potential smartphone customers. The Ministry of Industry of Indonesia is scheduled to review Apple's proposal this week.

This all started because Apple missed a local investment threshold by around $15 million. Indonesia mandates that certain devices sold in the country must have at least 40 percent “domestic content.” This percentage can be met by using domestically-sourced materials, building manufacturing plants or by employing local workers.

Apple previously invested around $94 million in the country through a variety of means, but it wasn’t enough to stave off the ban. The sale stoppage also applies to other recently-released Apple products, like the Apple Watch Series 10. The ban doesn’t impact older Apple devices, which are still available for purchase throughout the country.

Apple has opened up several developer academies throughout the country, but an actual manufacturing plant would be a major boon for Indonesia. Both Samsung and Xiaomi have already set up factories in the nation.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-pledges-100-million-indonesia-investment-to-lift-iphone-16-ban-162217627.html?src=rss

The Google Pixel 9 Pro with 1TB of storage is $150 off for Black Friday

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Black Friday is really in the air now, and we got the deals to prove it. Google’s latest and greatest smartphone, the Pixel 9 Pro, is $150 off. This deal applies to 1TB version of the standard model. With the discount applied, the Pixel 9 Pro is $1,300. We're seeing various discounts on the beefy XL version as well, but they aren't super consistent. At the moment, the lowest price on the Pixel 9 Pro XL is $934.

That’s still a lot of money, but these are maxed out versions of Google’s most powerful phones. The latest iPhone 16 Pro models with a full 1TB of storage cost between $1,500 and $1,600. These Pixel handsets are also unlocked, so feel free to bring it to any carrier out there.

The Google Pixel 9 Pro easily made our list of the best smartphones in 2024, and this is especially true for those tied to the Android ecosystem. The camera features are outstanding, including the much-improved telephoto camera. We said the “Pixel camera is still the best smartphone camera” in our official review, and that holds true today.

The battery life is on point and the bright screen makes these phones a joy to use outdoors. The newly-adopted Tensor G4 chip even allows the phones run cooler than their predecessors. Both the Pixel 9 Pro and the XL are absolutely best-in-class smartphones, with access to all of the AI tomfoolery one would expect from a modern Google handset. Google Gemini is nearly-baked, while Apple Intelligence is about as half-baked as it gets.

On the downside, there’s the price. This is a serious investment, even with the discount. Also, 1TB of storage is a whole lot and in today’s world, with streaming and cloud storage, is likely overkill. However, avid shutterbugs could probably fill up that drive in no time flat.

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-google-pixel-9-pro-with-1tb-of-storage-is-150-off-for-black-friday-143005140.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include the Fire Max 11 tablet for a record low of $140

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The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale for just $140, which is a record low price. This early Black Friday deal brings the price down from $230, which is a savings of nearly 40 percent. That’s a whole lot of tablet for not so much money.

This is a fairly recent entry into Amazon’s library of tablets, having just been released last year. The Fire Max 11 boasts a large 11-inch LCD screen, a slim aluminum frame and plenty of smart home controls. Of course, it integrates with Alexa for voice controls. This is the cooler and more refined sibling of the Fire 10 and Fire 8 tablets.

The tablet uses an octa-core MediaTek processor and weighs just over a pound. There’s a fingerprint sensor, support for WiFi 6 and 4GB of RAM. It runs Fire OS 8, which allows for split-screen and picture-in-picture features. This lets users slam some emails while, say, keeping an eye on a YouTube video.

The tablet integrates with a keyboard and stylus, but those cost extra. There are some minor downsides. First of all, this is an ad-supported model that’ll throw advertisements on the lock screen. In my experience, these are surprisingly unobtrusive. I hate ads and barely notice them. This sale is also for the 64GB version. That’s not a whole lot of room but the tablet does come with a microSD reader for up to 1TB of additional storage.

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/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-the-fire-max-11-tablet-for-a-record-low-of-140-150026096.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include the Fire Max 11 tablet for a record low of $140

Posted on by

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale for just $140, which is a record low price. This early Black Friday deal brings the price down from $230, which is a savings of nearly 40 percent. That’s a whole lot of tablet for not so much money.

This is a fairly recent entry into Amazon’s library of tablets, having just been released last year. The Fire Max 11 boasts a large 11-inch LCD screen, a slim aluminum frame and plenty of smart home controls. Of course, it integrates with Alexa for voice controls. This is the cooler and more refined sibling of the Fire 10 and Fire 8 tablets.

The tablet uses an octa-core MediaTek processor and weighs just over a pound. There’s a fingerprint sensor, support for WiFi 6 and 4GB of RAM. It runs Fire OS 8, which allows for split-screen and picture-in-picture features. This lets users slam some emails while, say, keeping an eye on a YouTube video.

The tablet integrates with a keyboard and stylus, but those cost extra. There are some minor downsides. First of all, this is an ad-supported model that’ll throw advertisements on the lock screen. In my experience, these are surprisingly unobtrusive. I hate ads and barely notice them. This sale is also for the 64GB version. That’s not a whole lot of room but the tablet does come with a microSD reader for up to 1TB of additional storage.

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/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-the-fire-max-11-tablet-for-a-record-low-of-140-150026096.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include the Fire Max 11 tablet for a record low of $140

Posted on by

The Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet is on sale for just $140, which is a record low price. This early Black Friday deal brings the price down from $230, which is a savings of nearly 40 percent. That’s a whole lot of tablet for not so much money.

This is a fairly recent entry into Amazon’s library of tablets, having just been released last year. The Fire Max 11 boasts a large 11-inch LCD screen, a slim aluminum frame and plenty of smart home controls. Of course, it integrates with Alexa for voice controls. This is the cooler and more refined sibling of the Fire 10 and Fire 8 tablets.

The tablet uses an octa-core MediaTek processor and weighs just over a pound. There’s a fingerprint sensor, support for WiFi 6 and 4GB of RAM. It runs Fire OS 8, which allows for split-screen and picture-in-picture features. This lets users slam some emails while, say, keeping an eye on a YouTube video.

The tablet integrates with a keyboard and stylus, but those cost extra. There are some minor downsides. First of all, this is an ad-supported model that’ll throw advertisements on the lock screen. In my experience, these are surprisingly unobtrusive. I hate ads and barely notice them. This sale is also for the 64GB version. That’s not a whole lot of room but the tablet does come with a microSD reader for up to 1TB of additional storage.

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/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-the-fire-max-11-tablet-for-a-record-low-of-140-150026096.html?src=rss