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Roomba robot vacuums are up to $620 off right now

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Roomba robot vacuums are up to $620 off right now via Wellbots. These are some real-deal discounts, so if you’ve been saving up for a robovac, it might be time to take the plunge.

The best deal of the bunch is for the iRobot Roomba Combo j9+, which is down to $780. The standard asking price is a whopping $1,400, so this is a savings of $620 on the hybrid vacuum/mop. All you have to do is jot down “ENGAD620” in the checkout field.

We loved this robovac in our official review, calling it “the ideal robot vacuum and mop.” The vacuuming performance is top-tier and can even suction up stubborn cat hair. The obstacle detection is also on point, so it won’t get tripped up by the actual cat. The battery life is good and the base is well-designed and easy to use/empty.

The j9+ also found a place on our list of the best robot vacuums. It won the award for best combo model, as the mopping element is nearly as refined as the vacuum. It can struggle with extremely sticky messes, however, but will easily handle regular floor maintenance.

The only real downside with this device is the price. It’s hard to recommend any vacuum at $1,400, even if it helps save tons of time. This isn’t quite the case at $780.

Wellbots is also selling the Roomba Combo j5+ model for just $440 instead of $730, which is a savings of $290. Just pop the code “ENGAD290” in the checkout field. The regular j9+, without the mop, is on sale for $580 instead of $900 with the coupon code "ENGAD320."

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/roomba-robot-vacuums-are-up-to-620-off-right-now-130055975.html?src=rss

Annapurna’s entire video game team has reportedly left the company

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The entire Annapurna Interactive team has left the company after its executives walked out, according to Bloomberg. Apparently, the video game publisher's president, Nathan Gary, had been negotiating with Annapurna Pictures' founder Megan Ellison to spin off Annapurna Interactive into its own entity. A company spokesperson confirmed to Bloomberg that the parties had explored the possibility of a spinoff, but their discussions broke down. Gary and the publisher's other executives had resigned and walked out as a result, and the team's other members had followed suit. 

"All 25 members of the Annapurna Interactive team collectively resigned," the team said in a joint statement. "This was one of the hardest decisions we have ever had to make and we did not take this action lightly."

Annapurna Interactive, like other publishers, teams up with developers, funds their games, takes care of the QA process and then markets and distributes titles when they're ready for the public. Its partner developers have reportedly been scrambling to find out what the team exodus means for them over the past few days. Bloomberg says Hector Sanchez, an Annapurna Interactive co-founder, assured developers that the company will honor their agreements. Sanchez had been at Epic Games the past five years, but he recently rejoined the publisher as its president for Interactive + New Media. Annapurna will also reportedly hire new staff members to replace those who left, essentially building a brand new team. 

"Our top priority is continuing to support our developer and publishing partners during this transition,” Ellison told Bloomberg News. “We’re committed to not only our existing slate of games but also expanding our presence in the interactive space as we continue to look for opportunities to take a more integrated approach to linear and interactive storytelling across film and TV, gaming, and theater."

The publisher made a splash when it debuted with What Remains of Edith Finch back in 2017, and it now has a number of critically acclaimed and popular games under its belt. Its games include the cat simulator Stray, a puzzle adventure game featuring a world-hopping beetle called Cocoon, pop album rhythm action game Sayonara Wild Hearts, and action adventure game Outer Wilds, which is set in a solar system trapped in a time loop. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/annapurnas-entire-video-game-team-has-reportedly-left-the-company-123045395.html?src=rss

Tesla Semi fire required 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish

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California firefighters needed to spray 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish a roadside Tesla Semi fire, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) announced in a preliminary report. Crews also used an aircraft to drop fire retardent in the "immediate area as a precautionary measure," according to the agency.

The crash happened at 3:13 AM on August 19 on the I80 freeway east of Sacramento. The tractor-trailer departed the roadway while navigating a curve, struck a traffic delineator and eventually hit a tree. The driver was uninjured but taken to hospital as a precaution.

Tesla Semi fire required 50,000 gallons of water to extinguish
California Highway Patrol

The Tesla Semi's large 900kWh battery caught fire and reached a temperature of 1,000 degrees F while spewing toxic fumes. It continued to burn into the late afternoon as firefighters dowsed it with water to cool it down (Tesla sent a technical expert to assess high-voltage hazards and fire safety). It wasn't until 7:20 PM (over 16 hours after the crash) that the freeway was reopened. 

All of that caught the attention of the NTSB, which sent a team of investigators, mainly to examine the fire risks posed by large lithium-ion battery packs. The agency — which can only make safety recommendations and has no enforcement authority — said that "all aspects of the crash remain under investigation while the NTSB determines the probable cause." 

Given the long road shutdown time, dangerously hot fire and toxic fumes, the accident is likely to provoke a lot of discussion in and out of government. The NTSB concluded in 2021 that battery fires pose a risk to emergency responders and that manufacturers' guidelines around such fires were inadequate. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/tesla-semi-fire-required-50000-gallons-of-water-to-extinguish-120006477.html?src=rss

Engadget Podcast: iPhone 16, AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10 impressions

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The iPhone 16 event is over, and now we've got plenty of thoughts to share after playing with all of Apple's new hardware. In this episode, Devindra and Cherlynn chat about the entire iPhone 16 and Pro lineup, and Senior Reporter Billy Steele joins to chat about his experience with the AirPods 4 and Apple Watch Series 10. It turns out, the Apple Watch stole the show from the iPhone.

Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

  • Post-Apple event thoughts on AirPods, Apple Watch Series 10, and, iPhone 16 with Cherlynn Low and Billy Steele – 0:47

  • Huawei releases a $2,800 tri-fold phone that won’t be coming to the US – 58:30

  • Taylor Swift endorses Harris for President, says AI material promoting Trump pushed her to make a statement – 59:24

  • No, Kamala Harris wasn’t wearing vaporware audio earrings at Tuesday’s debate – 1:01:00

  • Sony releases PS5 Pro Price, it’s $700! – 1:02:21

  • Meta admits to scraping all Australian user data for AI training – 1:04:12

  • Polaris Dawn astronauts perform first commercial spacewalk – 1:07:10

  • Around Engadget – 1:07:54

  • Pop culture picks – 1:09:33

Hosts: Devindra Hardawar and Cherlynn Low
Guest: Billy Steele
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/engadget-podcast-iphone-16-airpods-4-and-apple-watch-series-10-impressions-113003225.html?src=rss

The Morning After: OpenAI made its latest model slower, on purpose

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OpenAI has unveiled yet another artificial intelligence model. This one is called o1, and the company claims it can perform complex reasoning tasks more effectively than its predecessors. Apparently, o1 was trained to “spend more time thinking through problems before they respond.” According to the company: “[the models] learn to refine their thinking process, try different strategies and recognize their mistakes.”

That more considered response means it’s significantly slower at processing prompts than GPT-4o. And while it might be thinking more, o1 hasn’t solved the problem of hallucinations — a term for AI models making up information. OpenAI’s chief research officer Bob McGrew told The Verge, “We can’t say we solved hallucinations.”

— Mat Smith

The FixHub is a USB-C powered soldering iron designed to help fix whatever’s on your workbench (and be easily fixable itself). The iron includes a 55Wh battery pack, which acts as a stand and temperature control. Founder Kyle Wiens told Engadget FixHub was born of frustration with soldering irons and their limits. So his company tried to fix those.

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TMA
Elgato

Elgato has introduced the Stream Deck Studio, a new version of its creative control tech targeting professionals. This 19-inch rackmount console has 32 LCD keys and two rotary dials. Oh, and a $900 price tag.

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A decade — and countless clones — later, the original Flappy Bird is coming back. If you don’t recall the 2014 hit mobile game, you’d tap the screen to flap the bird’s wings and squeeze it through gaps between pipes. The game debuted in May 2013, but it didn't blow up until the following January. Developer Dong Nguyen soon revealed the game was raking in $50,000 per day from advertising. He decided to remove the game, but clones of his creation persisted. Under the banner of the Flappy Bird Foundation, some dedicated fans acquired the rights to the game, officially, so now it’s flapping back.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-the-700-ps5-pro-111649960.html?src=rss

An artist says Nerf’s Destiny 2 hand cannon is a ripoff of their work

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An artist who goes by @tofu_rabbit on X says that the look of Nerf’s Ace of Spades handgun from Bungie's Destiny games came from a commissioned artwork they drew almost a decade ago.

Nerf and Bungie unveiled its newest foam dart gun collaboration on Tuesday featuring a limited edition version of Cayde-6’s iconic “Ace of Spades” blaster from Destiny 2 that is available for purchase on Bungie’s online store. The following morning, @tofu_rabbit posted images comparing Nerf’s newest foam dart launcher to a piece of art they made in 2015 and posted on their DeviantArt page based on the same gun from the game.

The artist pointed out 11 parts or designs on the Nerf gun that allegedly line up perfectly with their original design. They include features like an upside down spade on the handle, identical shaped cracks in a strip of paint on the bullet chamber and a paisley pattern etched on the gun just in front of the trigger. They claim the design of the Nerf gun "DIRECTLY lifts a commission" they did in 2015, and add that the likeness goes beyond just being "similar" or "coincidence."

Bungie issued a statement on its official Destiny 2 X page that they are investigating the artist’s claims and “will share more on what next steps we are taking once we have gathered more information.” We’ve also reached out to Nerf’s parent company Hasbro for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/an-artist-says-nerfs-destiny-2-hand-cannon-is-a-ripoff-of-their-work-224824750.html?src=rss

Elgato’s latest Stream Deck is a $900 rackmount unit for pros

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Elgato has introduced the Stream Deck Studio, a new version of its creative control tech that's firmly targeting professional broadcasters. This 19-inch rackmount console has 32 LCD keys and two rotary dials. The $900 price tag shows that this is not an entry-level purchase.

The company collaborated with broadcast software specialist Bitfocus on the Stream Deck Studio. The device can run the Companion software that works on other Stream Deck models, but also supports the company's new Buttons software. The Buttons app allows for additional interface customization designed specifically for the Stream Deck Studio.

Elgato has been expanding its Stream Deck line, which began life as a simple sidekick for livestreamers, to reach a broader range of users. For instance, it introduced an Adobe Photoshop integration aimed at visual artists. This push to reach more pro-tier customers could put Elgato into more frequent competition with rival brands like Loupedeck, which Logitech acquired last year, along with established broadcast brands like Blackmagic.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/accessories/elgatos-latest-stream-deck-is-a-900-rackmount-unit-for-pros-215003305.html?src=rss

Google Wallet is testing turning passports into digital IDs

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Google will beta test a new feature for Google Wallet that can turn US passports into a new form of digital identification. Google announced the new feature on its official blog.

Now digital IDs made from passports and state issued IDs can be used as valid forms of identification at certain Transportation Security Administration (TSA) checkpoints at some US airports. Now you won’t have to play Beat the Clock with all of your pockets frantically searching for your wallet as you slowly approach a TSA agent in line.

This new digital ID feature won’t work at every airport. As of Thursday, 21 states and the commonwealth of Puerto Rico have at least one airport that accepts digital ID. You can consult the TSA’s digital map on its website to find out if the state you’re leaving or flying to accepts digital IDs at security checkpoints.

Digital ID adoption has grown across the country for both Android and iPhone users even if it’s not available in every state. Major airports in Arizona, Colorado and Georgia started accepting state IDs from Google Wallet users. Last month, California started accepting IDs in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet at some airports.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-wallet-is-testing-turning-passports-into-digital-ids-213526915.html?src=rss

The LCD Steam Deck is up to 25 percent off right now

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Valve has big savings on the entry-level (LCD) Steam Deck. You can take 25 percent off the 512GB model or 15 percent off the 64GB one, dropping their prices to $336.75 and $296.65, respectively. The sale runs through September 26 while supplies last for the two phased-out models.

The 512GB (NVMe SSD) LCD Steam Deck initially cost $449, so the sale shaves over $112 off its MSRP. For some perspective, the OLED version with the same storage costs $549. This deal on the (lower-grade but still high-quality) LCD variant is a terrific chance to get started with handheld PC gaming on the cheap.

The LCD Steam Deck has a seven-inch display (1200 x 800) with 60Hz refresh rates and 400 nits brightness. The 512GB model adds anti-glare etched glass that the 64GB lacks, so — if both fall within your budget — the former is a no-brainer upgrade at only $40 extra.

Both variants have 40Wh batteries with a theoretical eight hours of uptime, but our tests found they averaged around 4.5 hours with regular use. (If needed, you can squeeze more out by lowering brightness and refresh rates.) Each model includes a standard carrying case.

In Engadget’s 2023 re-review of the LCD Steam Deck, Jessica Conditt concluded the entry-level model offers “a fantastic return on investment,” even compared to its premium OLED sibling. Most mainstream games that launch today are classified as either Verified or Playable on Steam Deck, and most gamepad-friendly games will fare well with the handheld.

The bottom line: Although the OLED model is worth the upgrade if it fits your budget, this LCD model — especially when cut by up to 25 percent — is still a fantastic entry-level handheld gaming device that offers only a slightly compromised experience compared to the (much more expensive) high-end one.

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/gaming/pc/the-lcd-steam-deck-is-up-to-25-percent-off-right-now-194740400.html?src=rss

The PS5 is getting a more customizable home screen

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Sony just released a PS5 system update that includes new options for customizing the home screen. The just-announced Welcome hub is basically a blank canvas that users can fill with various widgets that display console storage space, battery level for accessories, online friends, trophies and a lot more. It replaces the current Explore tab.

These widgets can be resized and arranged in various ways, adding another layer of customization. The background can also be changed, allowing players to choose from animated effects or screenshots. This is still a far cry (reference intended) from the kind of system-wide themes of the PS3/PS4 era, but it’s a start.

The PS5 Welcome hub starts rolling out to US customers today, though it’s a gradual release so it could take a few days to hit every console. Sony says other parts of the world will get the feature “over the coming weeks,” with Japan and Europe grabbing first dibs.

That’s not the only feature arriving with this latest system update. Sony’s also introducing personalized 3D audio profiles for headphones and earbuds, allowing players to make a variety of adjustments to better fit unique "hearing characteristics." This is in beta for now. There’s also adaptive charging for PS5 Slim and the forthcoming (and uber-expensive) PS5 Pro, in addition to the ability to enable remote play for individual users.

PS5 Party Share feature.
Sony

Sony also teased something that’s coming in the next few weeks. Soon, users will be able to share party voice chat links on any messaging or social media app. This means players will be able to invite people to join one of these chats even if they aren’t friends on the PlayStation Network.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/the-ps5-is-getting-a-more-customizable-home-screen-192824758.html?src=rss