As far as the EU is concerned, TikTok requires strong, ongoing regulations. The EU's General Court dismissed an action brought by TikTok's parent company, ByteDance, which argued that the platform shouldn't be considered a "gatekeeper" under the Digital Markets Act (DMA). The designation came in September 2023, and ByteDance filed to undo it just two months later.
ByteDance had painted TikTok has an up and comer EU market, citing pushback through the development of Reels and Shorts — the General Court disagrees: "Although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position, and even strengthened that position over the following years, despite the launch of competing services such as Reels and Shorts, to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size, in terms of number of users within the European Union, of Facebook and of Instagram."
ByteDance had argued that TikTok was not dominant in the EU market, citing Instagram's Reels and YouTube's Shorts as meaningful competition. The General Court disagreed, writing that "although in 2018 TikTok was indeed a challenger seeking to contest the position of established operators such as Meta and Alphabet, it had rapidly consolidated its position ... to the point of reaching, in a short time, half the size ... of Facebook and of Instagram."
The General Court added that TikTok meets the qualifications set out to be a gatekeeper: a €75 million ($82 million) global market value, over 45 million monthly active end users and over 10,000 yearly active business users across the EU over the last three years.
The DMA went into effect in March and prohibits gatekeepers — including Alphabet, Meta, Amazon and more — from favoring their own platforms or forcing users to stay inside their company's ecosystem. ByteDance has just over two months to launch an appeal with the Court of Justice, the EU's highest court.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-will-still-be-a-gatekeeper-under-the-digital-markets-act-eu-rules-131534890.html?src=rss
At about 1,230 feet across, the Apophis asteroid is slightly smaller than the Empire State Building. On April 13, 2029, that skyscraper-sized space rock will approach Earth, and the European Space Agency plans (ESA) to shadow it. The ESA has announced the Rapid Apophis Mission for Space Safety (Ramses), a planetary defense mission. The plan is to have a spacecraft reach Apophis in early 2029 and follow it during the flyby — though this would require quick action for an April 2028 launch.
Scientists discovered Apophis in 2004, and it wasn't until 2021 that NASA confirmed it shouldn't smash into Earth for at least 100 years, despite the upcoming close encounter. Instead, it will come within 20,000 miles of Earth — less than one-tenth the Moon's proximity. According to the ESA, objects of this size only get as close as Apophis will about every 5,000 to 10,000 years, providing a rare opportunity to study an asteroid and how to avoid one colliding with Earth without needing to travel deep into space.
"Ramses will demonstrate that humankind can deploy a reconnaissance mission to rendezvous with an incoming asteroid in just a few years. This type of mission is a cornerstone of humankind's response to a hazardous asteroid," Richard Moissl, head of ESA's Planetary Defence Office, said in a statement. "A reconnaissance mission would be launched first to analyse the incoming asteroid's orbit and structure. The results would be used to determine how best to redirect the asteroid or to rule out non-impacts before an expensive deflector mission is developed." The ESA will decide whether to proceed with the mission in late 2025, but preparatory work will begin imminently.
NASA, in turn, will follow the aftermath of Apophis' flyby. The space agency is using the spacecraft from last year's Osiris-Rex mission, which collected samples from the Bennu asteroid, for a new mission, Osiris-Apex. The spacecraft should reach Apophis about one month after the asteroid reaches its closest distance to Earth. The Osiris-Apex mission is meant to study any physical changes that Apophis undergoes due to Earth's gravitational pull, such as quakes or landslides. The hope is to get a look at what exists beneath its surface. Individuals in parts of Europe, Africa and Asia should also be able to see Apophis with the naked eye.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-european-space-agency-will-follow-a-skyscraper-sized-asteroid-as-it-flies-past-earth-130030777.html?src=rss
DJI has introduced a new video transmission device that will allow creators to control cameras and gimbals and view video from up to 1.8 miles away. Called DJI SDR Transmission (SDR stands for "software defined radio"), it's designed for use in "complex environments" and is targeting small- to medium-sized film crews.
The system consists of transmitter and receiver (each weighing 5.1 ounces), sold separately or in a combo. You can also purchase a phone or tablet holder kit, along with an RX to phone connection cable.
On monitors (which can be dedicated Atomos-type systems, iPhones or tablets), filmmakers will see a 1080p/60fps live feed with a 20Mbps bitrate and latency as low as 35 milliseconds. Video can be transmitted up to three kilometers (1.8 miles) and remain stable in obstacle-laden environments thanks to "superior penetration capabilities," DJI said.
DJI
DJI SDR Transmission can output three SDR signals and two Wi-Fi signals at once. In broadcast mode, it can connect to unlimited receivers for multiple users. Users can connect to monitors via SDI/HDMI and smartphones/tablets via USB-C or Wi-Fi. "The Wi-Fi option allows for a cost-effective, dual-channel monitoring experience without another receiver," according to DJI.
Along with monitoring, the system allows for remote control of cameras and gimbals. That enables features like virtual joystick and gimbal recentering, along with DJI's Force Mobile function that lets you control a gimbal by tiling and rotating your smartphone. It supports PTP (USB-C) camera control for supported devices, along with CEC for Sony Cameras that gives you all the camera's controls on a remote screen.
DJI
The new product is not unlike DJI's Transmission system, which transmits 1080 60p video over 20km (12.4 miles) but costs $2,500. It appears to be part of DJI's effort to diversify away from drones in the face of a possible US ban. DJI is likely to get even more deeply into the camera market if that happens, given the success of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and other products.
The DJI SDR Transmission system is now available in the US, Europe and elsewhere priced at $549 for the combo, or $309 for the transmitter or receiver sold separately. The phone and tablet holders are $49 each, while the RX to phone connection cable is $10.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/djis-latest-gadget-lets-you-control-cameras-and-view-video-remotely-130049291.html?src=rss
It's summer sale time for the PlayStation Network, and this year's discounted offerings include some of the biggest games released these past few years. You can grab Elden Ring for the PS4 and the PS5 for 30 percent less than its usual price at $42. The critically acclaimed title, developed by FromSoftware with world building by George R.R. Martin, was one of Engadget's favorite games for 2022. It's also notoriously difficult and will definitely challenge you and test your patience. Armored Core VI, another FromSoftware creation, is listed for $42, down from $60. Its deluxe edition that comes with a digital artbook and a copy of its soundtrack only costs $7 more.
Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III Cross-Gen is also half-off right now at $35, though for around $4 more, you can get the bundle with some extra items. Hogwarts Legacy for the PS5 is down 60 percent, so you can get it for $28 instead of $70. Meanwhile, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, the sequel to Fallen Order that was released last year, is only $31.49. That's 55 percent lower than its retail price of $70. There's a bunch of discounted Resident Evil titles included in the sale list, as well, including RE Village for the PS4 and PS5, which you can get for only $16 instead of $40.
And if you're curious about the new versions of Final Fantasy VII and haven't tried either of the games that are already out, you can get the FFVII Remake and Rebirth Twin Pack for $75 instead of $100. For $90, you can buy the digital deluxe version of the bundle that usually sells for $120 to get access to both games for the PS5, a digital artbook, a digital soundtrack and some special items. The PlayStation Summer Sale will run for almost a month, ending on August 14, though some games will be removed from the promotion earlier than that.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/playstation-summer-sale-slashes-prices-on-elden-ring-cod-modern-warfare-3-ffvii-remake-bundle-and-more-123035675.html?src=rss
Some of the world’s largest tech companies trained their AI models on datasets that included transcripts of more than 173,000 YouTube videos without permission. That’s according to an investigation from Proof News, which laid out how Apple, NVIDIA and Anthropic, among other companies, used transcripts of YouTube videos from more than 48,000 channels. This goes against YouTube’s own platform rules, which Google execs have repeatedly mentioned.
Earlier this month, Apple was criticized for failing to reveal the source of training data for Apple Intelligence, the company’s own spin on generative AI.
Not only have these AI models been trained on some of your favorite YouTube stars, like Marques Brownlee and MrBeast, but also Engadget’s own Cherlynn Low. (I love you, Cher.)
Intrigued by what else may be part of that dataset? Head over to the Proof Newslookup tool.
To the surprise of many, Beats has re-entered the crowded market of Bluetooth speakers with a redesigned Pill ($150). Taking more aesthetic cues from its older models, it’s the Pill speaker you know and love(d), but upgraded for 2024. Better sound, lossless audio over USB-C and doubled battery life make this an impressive return.
Take a look at the unannounced Pixel 9 Pro Fold, from almost every conceivable angle. Android Authority spotted the photos at Taiwan’s National Communications Commission (NCC) archives and uploaded galleries of each of the four phones, including the Pixel 9, 9 Pro, 9 Pro XL and 9 Pro Fold. For the foldable, Google has moved the selfie camera to the inside screen for a wider field of view. The 9 Pro Fold also has slimmer bezels and a seemingly reduced fold crease.
This year’s Prime Day came with a surprising number of discounts for Apple products, the usual barrage of headphones, Amazon hardware and a 4K TV or two. While the official sale wraps up, there’s still time (and stock?) for some of these deals. The Engadget editorial team have teased out the best sale items worth your money.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-ai-models-from-apple-nvidia-and-more-were-reportedly-trained-on-youtube-videos-111542441.html?src=rss
Tesla has started selling a couple of new accessories for the Cybertruck, including a $300 tailgate shield. It's a custom-made padding for the vehicle, designed to hang off its tailgate and protect it from any equipment you're hauling.
We gotta say, it's admittedly quite amusing to see Tesla selling an accessory to protect the Cybertruck when one of the vehicle's promotional videos shows someone shooting guns at it. When the company debuted the model, it also staged a demonstration to show that it can withstand a sledgehammer. Still, if you regularly put, say, a road or a mountain bike in the bed of your truck, the shield could prevent it from banging up against the vehicle's tailgate and cause scratches and other cosmetic imperfections. To mount the pad, you'll need to insert its straps into the tailgate gap while it's halfway open, so you may need a friend to help you out.
In addition to the tailgate shield, Tesla is now also selling a $100 jumpseat that you can attach to your Cybertruck. The vehicle's tailgate can fit up to three jumpseats, and you can install them even with a shield on. Tesla recommends the jumpseat for tailgating parties, picnics, sporting and other outside events. And once your activity is done, you can fold the collapsible seats up for storage.
Tesla also offers the Cybertruck Jumpseat for $100 per unit on the Tesla Shop.
“Relax anywhere. The Cybertruck jumpseat is wrapped in a durable cordura nylon fabric and features cyber-style thermoformed backrest and alloy g-hooks. Fit up to three jumpseats along the Cybertruck… pic.twitter.com/Ci7XQ0o7us
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tesla-now-sells-a-300-cybertruck-tailgate-shield-to-protect-your-bulletproof-truck-110037148.html?src=rss
Canon has unveiled its most important camera in years — the EOS R1 mirrorless. Launched alongside the 45-megapixel R5 II, it’s the company's new flagship designed to replace the 1DX Mark III DSLR and help Canon maintain its leadership in the pro sports photography field.
The R1 is all about speed, with the stacked sensor allowing 40 fps RAW bursts with continuous autofocus. Other features are designed to help nail crucial shots, including pre-capture, eye-tracking AF and sports-specific settings. At the same time, it should be great for video, thanks to its support for 6K RAW capture.
One potential downside is the 24-megapixel resolution, which is lower than rivals like Sony’s A1 and the Nikon Z9. To see how that affected image quality and gather some impressions on performance and new features, I was able to get a short amount of hands-on time with the R1 in Phoenix, Arizona.
Though massive for a mirrorless camera, the R1 is lighter than it looks — it only weighs 2.12 pounds. The magnesium alloy body is dust- and water-resistant and the large, comfortable grip uses new rubber to reduce slippage. It’s a stable platform, even with telephoto lenses, and was clearly designed for working photographers.
Controls are laid out much like the EOS R3, with two control dials, a rear dial, joystick, mode switch and many customizable buttons. It has matching vertical controls, with the same layout in portrait and landscape modes.
Canon did add a touch-sensitive IR button called the smart controller, which offers three ways to adjust autofocus. Overall, the R1 handles like an F1 car — fast and reactive, but there's a steep learning curve.
The viewfinder is Canon’s best yet with 9.44 million dots, 0.9 times magnification and 3x brightness, all tops in the EOS series. The rear display fully articulates for high- and low-angle shooting.
Canon decided to ditch SD cards in favor of two CFexpress type B slots. That allows for maximum RAW burst speeds, as well as fast and reliable backups, but you'll end up throwing your SD card collection out the window. By contrast, Sony's R1 has dual card slots for both SD UHS II and CFexpress type A.
The R1 uses a variant of the battery from the EOS R3 that supports up to 650 shots and 70 minutes of 6K video on a charge. Connectivity is the best I’ve seen on any Canon camera, with Wi-Fi 6E, ethernet, USB-C PD and more.
The R1 is built for action and suffice to say, it’s fast. In blackout free electronic shutter mode, you can shoot JPEG and RAW frames at up to 40 fps for a long while before the massive buffer fills — with Canon promising "1,000 or more" shots when shooting uncompressed RAW and JPEG files. It hits 12 fps with the mechanical shutter, a feature missing on Nikon’s rival Z9.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The latter isn’t usually necessary, though, as the stacked shutter largely eliminates rolling shutter distortion.
Canon is bringing numerous autofocus improvements as well. With regular single-point tracking, you can change the target with either the joystick or smart controller. In addition, the R1 has a new eye-tracking system called Eye AF II, a more sophisticated version of its Eye Control AF from the R3.
As with the R3, you must calibrate Eye AF II first. And it won’t necessarily function well for all eye types, but it worked great for me, as the tracking box followed my gaze with less drift than before. That didn’t always translate to sharp photos, but again, I was using a pre-production unit.
Of course the R1 offers face- and eye-detection for both humans and animals. But what happens if you’re trying to single out someone in a crowd of players?
Steve Dent for Engadget
First off, there are now AI modes for three specific sports, volleyball, basketball and soccer. The idea is that the system will track action around the ball to help you nail key shots. It’s also supposed to stay locked on a player even in traffic. Finally, you can register up to 10 faces to keep track of a whole team of athletes.
How well does this work? It’s hard to say in the short time I had the camera, but I didn’t notice a dramatic improvement with chaotic action or specific sports. But these features require time to master, so a full review will tell me more.
Another new feature to help pros avoid missing shots is pre-continuous shooting, something that's seen on many high-end cameras these days. The R1 starts taking photos when you half-press the shutter button, recording up to the last 20 frames once it’s fully pressed.
Canon has led the way in image stabilization since the R5, and the R1 offers a solid 8.5 stops of shake reduction with supported lenses. This isn’t necessarily a great benefit for action shooting, but it does help with landscapes or low-light shooting.
Canon likely anticipated complaints about the relatively low 24-megapixel resolution. In response, it unveiled a new feature called in-camera upscaling. It uses deep learning to quadruple image size to 96 megapixels in-camera after shooting, supposedly while maintaining apparent resolution.
This is different from Sony's pixel-shift scheme that takes multiple separate photos and merges them into one. However, it was hard to get a straight answer from Canon as to how exactly the upscaling works. Obviously, it can’t be a true resolution increase without actually capturing extra pixels.
Image quality is difficult to judge in pre-production cameras, and Canon specifically said that in-camera RAW processing was a work in progress. Nonetheless, JPEGs looked sharp out of the camera and had the company’s typically excellent skin tones.
Low-light image quality is a selling point of this camera, and it did appear to perform well at high ISOs, with decent image quality at ISO 12,800 and beyond. However, it’s no Sony A7S III at very high ISOs, so the max of ISO 102,400 is for emergency use only.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Stacked sensor cameras tend to sacrifice some dynamic range in favor of speed, but there’s no sign of that with the R1. However, I'll need more time to get a full idea of RAW image quality, particularly at high ISOs.
Though mainly aimed at photographers, the R1 is potentially a monster video camera on its own. It lacks the R5 II’s 8K feature, but does offer 6K Canon RAW video at up to 60 fps, using the full width of the sensor.
You also get fully oversampled full-sensor 4K at up to 60fps, or 4K pixel-binned or cropped at 120 fps. Full HD can be recorded at up to 240 fps, either cropped or with pixel-binning. On top of Log 3, Canon’s Log 2 is now supported with 10-bit capture.
Canon has significantly reduced its previous overheating issues, though they're not completely eliminated. You can record more than 120 minutes of 6K 60p RAW with proxy recording, as well as 4K 60p, with no restriction for 4K 30p. The primary limitation is 15 minutes for 4K 120p, but that shouldn’t be an issue for most videographers or content creators.
As you’d expect, the oversampled 4K 60p and 6K 60p RAW video is sharp. Canon’s RAW video is very easy to work with in post and with the Log 2 setting delivers extra dynamic range and latitude in post.
Steve Dent for Engadget
It’ll be interesting to see how pro photographers react to Canon’s new flagship. They do gain an extra 10 fps in RAW shooting speeds over Sony’s A1 and the Nikon Z9, and the sensor is solid in low light. The downside, though, is the fact that it offers half the resolution of its rivals.
The Eye AF II is an interesting gimmick that may give Canon an edge. Other features like face-memorization, sports-specific AF and cross action seem good on paper, but I wasn’t able to get the most out of them in the short time I had the camera — so further testing is required. The EOS R1 is set to arrive in the fall of 2024 with an estimated price of $6,300.
Canon paid for this contributor's travel and accommodation for the launch of its new cameras in Phoenix, Arizona. This article was produced independently for Engadget, with no oversight from Canon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/canon-r1-hands-on-incredible-speed-but-24mp-resolution-may-disappoint-100044085.html?src=rss
Tinder is trying to end the long-festering nightmare of having to actually look at yourself long enough to choose profile pictures. The new Photo Selector feature uses AI to pore through pictures to pick the ones most likely to get that much-coveted right swipe.
The tool has been in a testing phase since August of last year and it’s finally ready for prime time. Photo Selector works by automatically browsing through a smartphone’s entire camera roll and using AI algorithms to pick the, well, hottest ones. It’s like a supercharged version of the pre-existing Smart Photos feature.
“With Photo Selector, Tinder offers a digital companion that curates a diverse selection of photos from users’ camera roll optimized to help users find a match,” the company wrote in a press release.
You have to pose for a selfie and give the system access to the camera roll to get started. The AI uses that selfie to find other photos and presents you with a selection of your best and brightest glow ups. You make the final selections and then get married and sail off into the sunset or whatever.
Photo Selector will be available to US customers later this month, with a global launch coming at some point during the summer. I very much plan on popping a wig and some glasses on my cat to try to trick the algo.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tinders-new-ai-will-pick-your-most-attractive-photos-for-you-100020367.html?src=rss
As it teased earlier, Canon has launched the R5 II, a successor to the powerful but imperfect EOS R5. With a new 45-megapixel backside-illuminated (BSI) stacked sensor, it not only has superior specs for video, shooting speeds and more, but also adds advanced features like eye-controlled AF. The R5 II was launched alongside Canon's new flagship, the EOS R1, which I've covered in a separate post.
With the new R5, Canon has mostly dealt with the original's primary problem: overheating while shooting video. To see what’s different and try out some of the new features, I spent some time with an R5 II pre-production camera in Phoenix, Arizona.
The R5 II’s body is largely the same as before, but there are a couple of key changes. First off, Canon has moved the power switch over to the top right, next to the mode dial. On the left, where the on/off switch used to be, the company added a dedicated video and photo switch. That should make it easier for hybrid shooters to switch modes and keep settings separate.
Other controls are mostly where they were. The original R5 was already a sweet-handling camera, with a comfortable grip and logical control layout, so Canon wisely left well enough alone.
Also unchanged is the flip-out rear touch display, but the R5 II does have a new OLED electronic viewfinder. It has the same sharp 5.76-million dot resolution — on par with other models in this price range — but is brighter than before.
It supports both UHS-II SD cards and CFexpress Type B, with a slot for each. If you want to shoot 8K RAW or sustain long shooting bursts, you’ll need to use CFexpress cards, which are much faster but considerably more expensive.
Canon introduced three new battery grips for the R5 II, with one containing a cooling fan. That largely reduces heating issues, as I’ll discuss shortly. Another grip is designed to improve vertical operability, making the R5 II handle more like the R1. The third grip adds 2.5G base-T ethernet for studio shooters.
With the new stacked sensor, the EOS R5 II is faster than ever. You can shoot blackout-free bursts at up to 30 fps in electronic shutter mode, or 12 fps using the mechanical shutter. Rolling shutter is also substantially reduced. The R5 II has a large buffer as well, supporting up to 93 RAW and 20 compressed RAW shots before it fills in electronic shutter mode.
Steve Dent for Engadget
Autofocus is improved in nearly every way, too. Like the R1, the R5 II comes with Canon’s new EyeAF II eye-tracking autofocus that sets focus where you look. Canon touts it as the fastest way to to move the AF tracking point.
It needs to be calibrated, and won't work with all eye types, but in my brief experience it worked for me. It can be a bit twitchy and isn’t 100 percent reliable, but I didn’t have enough time to really shake it out — so stay tuned for a full review.
Canon also added sports-related features like an action priority mode, subject crossing and the ability to register multiple faces. Face- and eye-tracking is improved, and it supports animals, birds and vehicles, too. Of course, it has 5-axis in-body stabilization with 8.5 stops of shake reduction, up from 8 before.
Shooting in the basketball scenario Canon set up, I found the AF to be generally reliable. The new pre-continuous shooting feature is also a nice bonus, helping ensure you capture shots even before fully pressing the shutter. However, some new things like action crossing require practice to get used to and I didn’t have enough time with the camera to adapt.
It’s hard to evaluate image quality in pre-production cameras, and Canon warned us that it was still working on RAW processing. Still, the benefit of a 45-megapixel sensor is seriously sharp photos.
JPEG images appeared color accurate with pleasing skin tones, as you’d expect from Canon. Using the company’s software, I was able to process the 14-bit RAW images and found that they offer plenty of latitude for pushing and pulling in post.
Like the R1, the R5 also supports Canon's new in-camera upscaling, which quadruples resolution to around 179 megapixels. This uses deep learning to reduce noise, but Canon didn't explain precisely how it works.
A lot of my shooting was done in a gym with relatively low light, but the R5 II handled the high ISOs without generating excessive noise up to ISO 6400 or even beyond. It’s not in the same league as the R1, though, so you’ll need fast lenses if shooting action in dark spaces.
Steve Dent for Engadget
The R5 II is a seriously powerful video camera, right up there with Nikon’s Z8 or Z9. You can shoot 8K DCI RAW video at up to 60 fps, or 4K RAW at 60 fps. It also offers 8K MP4 support at up to 30 fps, or 4K DCI at 120 fps with pixel binning.
4K profiles at up to 30 fps use the full sensor width in “fine” mode, or you can capture higher frame rates with pixel binning. Full HD can be recorded at 240 fps with pixel binning as well. Most 4K modes can also be captured cropped to an APS-C frame size.
The addition of RAW recording and C-Log2 boosts dynamic range, and all the oversampled video modes are very sharp. Canon’s RAW is also easy to work with in Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve.
That takes us to the most glaring issue: overheating. The original R5 certainly struggled in this respect, with temperature limiting recording times in some modes.
Steve Dent for Engadget
With the new camera, the only modes affected are 8K 60p RAW, which is capped at 18 minutes, 8K 30p limited to 37 minutes and 4K 120p, which shuts down after 22 minutes. Adding the fan accessory removes most of those limitations and increases operating times at 8K 60p RAW and 4K 120P.
With incredible video and photos specs, Canon’s R5 II could retake its old crown as the best hybrid camera. The only model that can keep up with it for photos is the $6,500 Sony A1, but it's over $2,000 more expensive. Nikon’s $3,500 Z8 can match it video-wise with 8K RAW at up to 60P. However, it isn’t as good for photos as the R5 II, because speeds are limited to 20 fps and it lacks a mechanical shutter.
The R5 II will be more expensive than the Z8, however, at an estimated $4,300. It will arrive in stores sometime in August.
Canon paid for this contributor's travel and accommodation for the launch of its new cameras in Phoenix, Arizona. This article was produced independently for Engadget, with no oversight from Canon.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/canon-eos-r5-ii-hands-on-nifty-eye-tracking-autofocus-and-reduced-overheating-problems-100002588.html?src=rss
Amazon Prime Day 2024 will be over in a few hours, but there's still time to save on some of our favorite gadgets. As to be expected, the best Prime Day deals from day one of the sale remain the best offers now on day two — if they didn't sell out already, that is.
We haven't seen a ton of sold out items this year, which is a pleasant surprise. While we have seen some products go up and down in price, they've leveled out eventually. So even if you picked up some items yesterday, there's still time to grab anything you might have forgotten today. We've collected the best Prime Day deals you can still get right now before the shopping event is over tonight. Stay tuned to this post for updates as we close out Prime Day 2024 at the end of the day today.
If you're looking for even more Prime Day deals that are still available, check out Engadget's Prime Day hub where you'll find all of the best tech deals you can get for the shopping event this year. In addition to Amazon devices, Prime Day is typically a great time to pick up big-ticket items like tablets, laptops and robot vacuums, and accessories like power banks, streaming devices, Bluetooth speakers and the like.
Apple AirPods Pro for $169: The Pros are the best pair of wireless earbuds that Apple sells and one of our top picks overall. They'll be hard to beat if you live in the Apple ecosystem and appreciate the conveniences provided by the built-in H1 chip.
Apple AirTag for $24: We think these are the best Bluetooth trackers you can buy if you’re an iPhone user. They rely on Apple’s vast Find My network that calls on every nearby iPhone to anonymously pinpoint an AirTag’s location. We found their locating features to be eerily accurate. The price has gone up and down over the past 48 hours, but you may still be able to get a four-pack of AirTags for a record low of $75, too.
Apple Watch Series 9 for $280: We consider the Series 9 to be the best smartwatch available today, period, and it's a no-brainer accessory for iPhone owners. If you want to spend less and get most of the code features found here, you should consider the more affordable Apple Watch SE.
AirPods Max for $395: We gave this pair a review score of 84 when it arrived way back in December 2020. Despite its age, the Max remains one of the more premium sets of wireless headphones you can buy.
Apple 10th-gen iPad: This is the best iPad for those on a budget thanks to its modern design, USB-C charging, solid battery life and solid performance for the price. It’s even compatible with an optional folio keyboard if you want to turn it into a productivity machine.
Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch) for $850: Apple's 2024 MacBook Air has a 13.6-inch Liquid Retina Display that can support one billion different colors. We gave it a 90 in our review thanks to offers like a 1080p FaceTime HD camera, three mics and up to 18 hours of battery life.
Apple MacBook Air (M2, 13-inch) for $799: If you're coming from an older, Intel-based MacBook, any M-series machine will feel like a big upgrade. This M2 laptop excels thanks to its stellar performance, excellent screen and thin-and-light design.
Engadget
Sony WH-1000XM5 for $289: These are our top pick for the best headphones on the market today — it doesn't get much better than the XM5. If you're on a tight budget and still want the core features in these cans, consider the previous version, the Sony WH-1000XM4.
Google Pixel Buds Pro for $120: The Pixel Buds Pro made our list of the best wireless earbuds for a number of reasons. First and foremost, we love the sound. These earbuds offer deep and punchy bass, which is a rarity with this class of device. They also have decent ANC, reliable touch controls and wireless charging.
Beats Fit Pro for $150: These are our top picks for the best headphones for running thanks to their comfortable, IPX4 design, great sound quality with adaptive EQ, good ANC and transparency mode and solid battery life.
Sony WF-1000XM5 for $228: The XM5 earbuds stand out thanks to their improved design, good sound quality, impressive ANC and special features like adaptive sound and Speak to Chat. These are the best true wireless earbuds to get at the moment.
Amazon Echo Dot for $25: Amazon’s smallest smart speaker has dropped to $25 for Prime Day. It’s one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size. The Kids version is also on sale for $28 for this sale.
Amazon Echo Show 8 for $85: The smart display has dropped to $85 for Prime Day. This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub.
Amazon Kindle for $85: The base Kindle is on sale for $85 for Prime Day. It’s our top pick for the best budget ereader out there, and it’s an even better value when you can snag it on discount. In addition to giving you access to Amazon’s vast Kindle ebook library, the entry-level Kindle has a good number of page customization options (for text size, font, margins, etc) and Audible integration, which lets you listen to Audible audiobooks if you have a pair of Bluetooth headphones.
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LG C3 OLED TV for $1,097: This is a 2023 model, but at this price it’s a nice value if you want the deep contrast, wide viewing angles and fast motion response of a quality OLED panel.
Samsung The Frame TV with white bezel for $998: You’d mainly get a Frame TV for theaesthetic, as the whole thing is designed to mount flush against a wall and hang like a piece of art. You can even use it to display actual artwork and photos when you aren’t watching something. Its image quality is still decent as well, though it’s not on the level of the best LED TVs in this price range.
Sonos Ray for $199: In our testing, this soundbar provided good sound quality for both TV audio and music, impressive bass performance for a soundbar of its size and an attractive, compact design.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for $975: This handset is probably overkill for most users, but nevertheless, it’s our top pick for the best premium handset in our best Android phones guide. It stands out for its luxe build quality, speedy performance, excellent cameras and handy new AI tools.
Google Pixel 8a for $449: This is our top pick for the best midrange smartphone you can get right now, as it builds off of the solid foundation found in Google’s Pixel 7a. The 8a boasts a colorful 120Hz OLED touchscreen, excellent cameras, solid performance and a good battery life.
Samsung Galaxy SmartTag2 (four-pack) for $65: Samsung’s tracking tags are extremely reliable and easy to use, and both are reasons why they made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers. This is obviously the best choice for those already tied into the Galaxy ecosystem, but note that they only work with Samsung devices.
Anker MagGo Power Bank 10K for $63: Anker's MagGo Power Bank was one of the earliest Qi2-certified devices on the market, and this early 2024 model is impressive, to say the least. The 10,000mAh and 15W capacities provide you with fast wireless charging. The power bank can bring an iPhone 15 from near-dead to half-charged in just 45 minutes.
Sonos Era 100 for $199: In our testing, this speaker impressed with excellent sound quality (along with even better stereo-pair sound), easier TruePlay tuning, Bluetooth and in-line support and a simple yet attractive design. It's on our list of the best smart speakers you can get thanks to its Alexa compatibility and it's ability to work with Sonos' own voice assistant
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Dyson Airwrap bundle for $550: In addition to the Airwrap and its storage case, the bundle includes six attachments: two long barrels, three brushes and the Coanda smoothing dryer, plus a filter cleaning brush, a detangling comb and another storage bag. That's enough to achieve a bunch of different hairstyles with one tool, and you get a couple of ways to store the machine when you're not using it or when you need to travel with it.
iRobot Roomba Combo Essentials for $190: This model ups the ante a bit by adding in mopping capabilities to the usual robot-vacuum formula. It’s the most affordable vac-and-mop machine that iRobot makes, and it’s an even better buy at this sale price.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum for $295: A version of one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums, it supports cleaning schedules and home mapping, plus it comes with a self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris. The base is also bagless, so you don't have to buy and replace proprietary garbage bags in it over time.
Theragun Mini 2.0 for $149: The runners on the Engadget staff appreciate this percussion massage gun for its compact size, three speeds and swappable attachments.
Fitbit Charge 6 for $100: The Charge 6 sits at the top of our list of the best fitness trackers you can get precisely because it has such a comprehensive feature set. It also has a seven-day battery life, so you won't have to worry about recharging it for days on end.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-end-tonight--shop-our-top-picks-from-apple-sonos-anker-and-more-071542735.html?src=rss