Streaming services keep raising prices. At this point, if you subscribe to all the major services out there, you're basically paying the same price as cable — those antiquated local monopolies that streaming was supposed to save us from. But streaming still has one big advantage over the old ways: no contracts. That means you can grab a good streaming deal and then cancel without penalty.
Our advice is to sign up for a service when you see a good streaming deal (or the latest season of, say,Doctor Who,Severance,Andor and/orThe Last of Us). Then, when the deal ends or you've binged whatever it is you want to watch, cancel as needed. But streaming deals don't come around all that often and, when they do, it's easy to miss them thanks to...everything. So we're keeping eyes out for the best streaming deals out there and we update this guide often — so check it out the next time you have a hankering to watch something new.
Best streaming deals
True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, they’ll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, we’ll see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while you’ll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing.
If you’re able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. You’ll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate.
Audible subscription (three months) for $3 ($42 off): From now through mid-December, you can get Amazon’s audiobook subscription for just a dollar a month for three months. Note that it will auto-renew at $15 per month after that, but you can cancel at any point.
Starz (one year) for $30 ($40 off): Pay upfront for one year and you can get $40 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $5 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.
DirecTV starting at $50/month for one month ($35 off): All of DirecTV's signature packages are $35 off right now for your first month when you sign up. If you opt for the base "Entertainment" package, you'll spend $50 for the first month and get access to over 90 channels, including many local stations as well as ESPN, ESPN 2 and Fox Sports 1. You'll also be able to watch on the go with the DirecTV mobile app.
Fubo Pro for $55/month for the first month ($30 off): Fubo has introductory discounts on most of its packages, and the Pro package is the least expensive plan currently listed. It offers access to 224 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. It even includes regional sports content from the NHL, MLB and NBA.
Spotify Premium Individual (3 month) for $0 ($36 off): This is our favorite music streaming service for podcasts and social features. The Premium Individual plan lets you listen ad-free and skip songs at will. You can also organize your listening queue and download content for offline listening. Just be aware, your subscription will auto-renew at the end of the trial period. So if you don't want to be on the hook for the $12 monthly fee, set a reminder to cancel and go back to the free version.
Streaming bundle discounts
There’s more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, you’ll spend less overall by just paying for the single service.
Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on HBO Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option.
Disney+
If you feel like Charlie Kelly trying to figure out who Pepe Silvia is when you look at Disney's streaming prices chart, you're not alone. The confusion comes from the fact that Disney owns, or has a hand in, many streaming services including Hulu and ESPN. Throw in a partnership with HBO Max and you have a ton of options to consider and, probably, whiplash to match. Here's a quick overview of popular Disney+ bundle pricing.
Paramount+ used to bill its tier with Showtime as a sort of bundle, but it has since renamed its plans and focused the Showtime inclusion in its premium tier as just another bonus of paying for the higher priced plan.
It pays to be a student — sometimes, at least. A number of streaming services have student discounts you can take advantage of as long as you're actively studying. What that translates to most of the time is being able to verify your student status and signing up with your .edu email address.
Spotify student discount — Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off): Spotify’s student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulu’s ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, you’d pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up.
NBA League Pass student discount — one year for $120 (40 percent off): Students can get one year of League Pass for only $10 per month, which includes access to NBA TV and the ability to watch classic and archive games on-demand. On the NBA League Pass website, look for the student discount banner at the top and follow the instructions to verify your student status.
Black Friday is a time for all kinds of shopping, not just gifts. And since it’s become more of a month-long affair than a one-day event, it’s a good time to pick up things for yourself and for other people while you can save some money in the process. But to say money is tight is an understatement this year. If Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days was any indicator, folks are spending more on essentials than anything else right now. That, combined with the rising trend of holding on to big tech purchases for longer means that gadgets may be showing up lower on your shopping list this year.
Even if that’s the case, I’d recommend not overlooking tech entirely this Black Friday. Besides, all of us have essential tech that we use every day; more often than not, you can avoid paying full price for most of those devices (and all of the rest of the best tech of the year) if you're looking to add to your repertoire or need a replacement. I'm actually not eyeing a new smartphone or laptop this holiday shopping season, but there are a few tech purchases I’d like to make if the prices are right. This is the tech I’m hoping to save on this year during Black Friday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/these-are-the-black-friday-deals-on-tech-im-hoping-to-see-for-2025-100014802.html?src=rss
Color is the buzziest feature in ereaders right now, but is it necessary? It makes the covers more fun, and readers of comics and graphic novels will appreciate the added hues (though they may be happier with an E Ink tablet for better image detail). Color is just one factor to consider when picking out the best ereader. The lights, screen quality, housing and buttons make a difference too. Then there’s the software: Do you want to stay in the Kindle ecosystem or get a device that can handle lots of apps? We tested more than a dozen ereaders to come up with our recommendations. This guide also points out ways to get the most out of your new e-book companion once you pick your favorite.
Editor’s note: Amazon announced two new Kindles at its fall hardware event: the Scribe 3 and the Scribe Colorsoft. Reviews for both of these writing tablets are forthcoming and will also appear in our guide to E Ink tablets. No new Kindle ereaders were announced at the event. Boox announced two new devices as well, a new Note Air5 C tablet and the Palma 2 Pro, both with color. We’re in the process of testing the latter for inclusion in this guide..
Plenty of apps, including the Kindle app, will let you download and read digital books on an iPhone, Android Phone or tablet. But what makes ebook readers different is the screen: nearly all of them use technology from a company called E Ink. It manufactures electronic paper displays (EPD) composed of three sheets: one containing millions of microcapsules filled with black and white ink particles sandwiched between transparent electrode layers. When a charge is applied, either the black or white particles shift to the top, forming letters and the whitespace around them.
Color ereaders add a color filter array on top of the standard black and white microcapsule layer. The result is two different resolutions on one screen — the color clarity is 150 dpi while black and white images and text are still 300 dpi.
Because these displays are so different from standard backlight LED panels, you can expect most good ereaders to do a number of things well. They’ll be easier to stare at for long periods of time and easier to read in direct sunlight. Also, since E Ink displays only require power to rearrange the ink, these devices have much longer battery lives than even the best tablets: we’re talking weeks on a single charge, not days.
The ereader market is not as saturated as, say, the smartphone market, but there are still plenty of options out there and they do have small but important differences among them. They tend to range from around $100 to more than $400, though usually the higher end options are stylus-enabled read/write E Ink tablets like the Kindle Scribe. Beyond price, you should consider physical properties like buttons, lights, storage and resolution, as well as how the software lets you find and access books.
Reading features
With any ereader, you’ll navigate the OS via taps and swipes, and some add physical page-turn buttons. Most with built-in buttons have an auto-rotating screen so you can press with your right or left hand.
As E Ink technology has advanced, resolution has greatly improved – even the budget Kindle ereader has a 300 ppi display. You can still find models with lower resolution, but we don’t recommend them.
Some ereaders have front LEDs that support light temperature adjustment. That means you can switch to a warmer light after the sun goes down, which will feel easier on the eyes. If you’re concerned about blue light, you should go for a reader with that feature. Finally, dark mode is available on most later model ereaders, allowing you to invert the black and white text and background, which some people find easier to read in low-light settings.
Other features
The capabilities of these pocket libraries have advanced considerably since the early days. In addition to storing books, some let you browse the web, run apps and play music. The screen’s frame rate can’t handle gaming, but it’s good enough to show you the Wikipedia entry for Striver’s Row while you read Crook Manifesto.
If you listen to audiobooks, you may want a Bluetooth-enabled ereader capable of playing them. Most of the models we tested have that ability, with the notable exception of the Nook ereader we tried. Keep in mind that audiobook files can take up more space than print files so you'll probably want a device with a higher storage capacity if you plan on doing a lot of listening.
Above all, you should consider where and how you intend to find books to read. Most ereaders make it easiest to shop through their own digital bookstores, but all of them (even Kindles) will now let you download titles from other sources, like libraries, unaffiliated ebook sellers and free public domain sites.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
How to get books for your ereader
Kindle, Nook and Kobo all have their own stores that you access directly from each brand’s devices. Prices are the same among all sellers, too. Publishers set the price of an ebook, not the retailer, so a title will cost the same at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, eBooks.com and the Kobo store.
Amazon offers Kindle Unlimited for $12 per month, and it includes four million titles from which you can pick your next read. It includes audio and ebooks, but you won’t find many big, new releases or older bestsellers. Kobo has a subscription called Kobo Plus with about 1.3 million titles: it goes for $8 per month for ebooks only, $8 for audiobooks only or $10 for both.
Buying a book from a proprietary store instantly delivers it to your device, provided you’re connected to WiFi. It also syncs your reading across devices and apps, so you can pick up where you left off on your phone if you forgot your ereader at home. It truly is the most convenient way to go, but if you don’t want to be locked into one brand’s store, or if you opt for an ereader without its own marketplace, you do have options.
How to upload ePubs onto an ereader
Stores like ebooks.com and Google Play have millions of ebooks for sale as digital rights-managed (DRM) ePub files, which Kobo, Nook and PocketBook readers can read in their native ereader apps. Kindles don’t support DRM ePub files at all and Boox devices require third party reading apps (of which there are many) to read those files. Titles from Apple Books are only readable in iOS devices.
Titles from some publishers like Tor and public domain classics from sites like Project Gutenberg are also sold as ePubs, but without the added DRM. Consequently, Kindles and the Boox Neoreader do support those files. Books you get from third-party sources will look just like ones you bought from a proprietary store, thanks to the flowable, formatted nature of ePub files. While these device-agnostic ebook collections give you extra options for finding your next read, they require a few additional steps to get the files onto your ereader.
To do so, you’ll typically need a computer running a free program called Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). After buying and downloading the ePub file, open ADE and plug your ereader into your computer (all readers here have a USB-C port for charging and data transfers). Your device should pop up in the left panel. Drag and drop the ePub file from your downloads folder into the main panel in ADE. The file will display as an image of the book cover. Drag that image onto your device on the left panel. If the file includes digital rights management (which protects against unauthorized copying) you’ll need to authorize your ereader, which requires using or creating a free Adobe ID. Once you’ve finished adding files to upload, eject the reader from your computer to complete the transfer process.
Kindles use a web-based uploader instead of the ADE method. But since Kindle uses its own proprietary DRM technology instead of Adobe's, the only files it can accept from third parties are non-DRM files, such as from Tor Publishing or Project Gutenberg. After downloading a compatible ePub file, drag and drop it into your browser with the Send to Kindle page open. As long as you’re signed into Amazon, this wirelessly transfers the files to your associated device.
Boox also uses a browser uploader called BooxDrop (along with many other methods) to deliver ePubs to the device. Open it from the Boox App menu and you’ll see a device-specific url. Type that into your browser to access a file delivery portal that uploads to your library. Boox’s built-in ereader app, NeoReader, also doesn’t support files with DRM, so you won’t be able to read current titles from most publishers using that app. Fortunately, Boox devices run nearly every ereader app out there, Kobo and Kindle included, letting you access ePubs any number of ways.
Recently, Bookshop.org, the online seller of physical books that supports indie bookstores, started selling ebooks and up to 100 percent of the profits will go to local booksellers. The company uses a different rights management system than ADE so, right now, you can only read titles you buy from them on the Bookshop.org app, but the company is working with the makers of both Kindle and Kobo to extend compatibility to those ereaders.
How to read library books on an ereader
Your local library card lets you borrow audio and ebooks through a program called Overdrive and its companion app Libby. On a Kobo, you have have built-in access to Overdrive in a separate tab. Once you’ve linked your public library card, the search function will include results for titles available from your local library system; a few taps will upload your selections to your device for the length of the loan. I personally find it easiest to borrow the title I want through the Libby app on my phone. After that, the book pops up on my Kobo’s home screen once the device syncs.
To read library books on a Kindle, you can either go through the Libby app or the Overdrive section of your library’s website. Once you click Borrow, you’ll see the option to “Read now with Kindle,” which takes you to Amazon’s site to sign in. After that, the book will be delivered to your device the next time it connects to WiFi.
For other ereaders, you’ll go through your library’s Overdrive portal and download the ePub after clicking the Borrow button. You can then use the ADE process we described above. Devices that run external apps, like Boox's Page, Go Color 7 or Palma, allow you to read library books via the Libby app, just as you would on a smartphone or iPad.
You can also use the Libby app to borrow audiobooks, but you won’t be able to access them through your ereader. (The exception is an ereader, like a Boox device, that allows external apps). I found it was easier to listen to an audiobook on my phone anyway, regardless of whether I borrowed it through Libby or bought it from Kindle or Kobo.
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
How we test ereaders
When putting together any guide, the first thing we do is spend hours researching the field. We look at what’s available, what’s new, and what shoppers and professional reviewers have to say. Then we narrow a list to the best candidates for hands-on testing.
Over the course of the past two years, I’ve tested just over a dozen ereaders, representing five different brands: Amazon, Kobo, Barnes & Noble, Boox and PocketBook. I bought, borrowed and uploaded books for each device using the methods above. I used each one for between a few days to a few months. I evaluated each one in the areas of book access, ease of reading, extra features and overall value. Here’s everything we tested so far:
Amazon’s first color Kindle impressed with its quick page-turns and load times, auto-adjusting front light and, of course, a decently striking color E Ink display. But at $280, it’s more expensive than all of the other color ereaders in its size range, including the Kobo Libra Colour and the Boox Go Color 7.
Also, some Colorsoft owners reported seeing a yellow band at the bottom of their ereader’s display. This issue did not affect our first review unit during the original testing period, but it eventually appeared. An Amazon spokesperson told Engadget: "A small number of customers have reported a yellow band along the bottom of the display. We take the quality of our products seriously—customers who notice this can reach out to our customer service team for a replacement or refund, and we’re making the appropriate adjustments to ensure that new devices will not experience this issue moving forward."
Amazon sent us a new Colorsoft ereader at the end of 2024 and it does appear that the fixes the company made resolved the yellow-band issue. The screen on our second review unit appears warmer overall, but not overly so. It’s more akin to the screen on the Kobo Libra Colour, and that’s a good thing.
Boox Go 7 stylus-enabled ereader
Boox recently released two new stylus-enabled generations of their seven-inch reader: The monochrome Go 7 and a color-screen Go Color 7 (Gen II). After trying out the stylus-enabled Go 7, I still like the standard, non-stylus enabled version better. True, I liked the Notebook app with its array of handwriting templates and I appreciated the low-to-no latency with the stylus. It also offers a good assortment of brush, pen and style options. But outside of the Notebook app, I didn’t find much use for the stylus.
I was able to doodle in the margins of DRM-free books in Boox’s native NeoReader, but it doesn’t work in other apps or on any rights-managed books. There's a FreeMark option that allows you to draw or write atop any app, but it saves your doodles as separate images, as opposed to allowing you to mark up the page itself. I also found enabling the stylus to be a little glitchy. If you plan to do a lot of writing, you’ll probably be better served by an E Ink tablet, but if you want an ereader that can mark up your books, I suggest going with the Kobo Libra Color, detailed above.
Ereader FAQs
What's the difference between an ereader and an e-ink reader?
Really, they are the same thing. E Ink is a company that designs and manufactures the paper-like screens found in most ereader devices. Technically, anything you read ebooks on can act as an ereader, so your phone, iPad or Android tablet could all serve that purpose, but they’re not considered dedicated ereaders. While there are some devices marketed as ereaders that have LCD or OLED screens instead of E Ink, they aren’t as common. One of the benefits of ereaders is the E Ink screen’s paper-like quality, which causes less eye strain for many people.
But there is a difference between ereaders and E Ink tablets. These larger e-ink devices also employ E Ink screens, but they have stylus input and are often used for note taking and other tasks in addition to reading ebooks. We have an entire guide devoted to helping you pick out an E Ink tablet.
Are there ads on my ereader?
The base model Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite come with ads by default, but you can opt to pay $20 to remove them, either at the time of purchase or after you start using the device. The ads are limited to the lockscreen and are typically for other books or Kindle services. Kobo and Boox ereaders don’t come with ads.
Which ereader has the longest battery life?
Of the devices we tested, the Boox Go Color 7 has the largest listed battery capacity at 2,300mAh (Amazon doesn’t list the capacity of its Kindle devices). But thanks to the nature of E Ink screens and the relatively limited processing power required to display e-books, nearly all ereaders can go for weeks before they need a recharge. That means battery life probably isn’t as much of a deciding factor in buying an ereader as it would be with a tablet or smartphone.
Which ereaders can read Kindle books?
Amazon’s Kindle ereaders are the obvious answer, but other devices capable of running apps can also read titles from the Kindle store. For example, you can download the Kindle app on a Boox ereader through Google Play (the store comes standard in the Boox app menu). You can then sign into your Kindle account and access all the books in your library — the same way you’d read Kindle books on your phone or tablet.
Can you buy Kindle books without a Kindle?
Yes. You can buy Kindle books through the Kindle app or through Amazon’s website via a browser. You can read those titles on a Kindle or any device that can run the Kindle app, such as a smartphone, tablet or computer. Just be aware that Kindle titles can only be read through one of Amazon’s ereaders or the Kindle app. The company uses proprietary digital rights management on all ebooks it sells that can’t be read by other ereader apps like Kobo or Adobe ADE.
What's the difference between Kindle and Kobo?
Both Kindle and Kobo are brands of dedicated ereaders that support searching, buying, downloading and reading ebooks from their own stores. Both also support borrowing books from your local library via Overdrive and Libby.
The difference is that Kindle is owned by Amazon and uses the Kindle store, whereas Kobo is owned by Rakuten and its books come from the Kobo store. Both stores come pre-loaded as a tab on their respective ereader and both carry most in-print books. Each store also carries their own exclusive ebooks as well, but Amazon’s library of Kindle-only books is much larger than Kobo’s. Amazon also offers Amazon Original stories to read on the Kindle, which are free short fiction and nonfiction reads that are free to Prime members.
Which ereader is best for library books?
Both Kobos and Kindles have simple systems for borrowing library books. Other ereaders, like Boox, let you borrow books after downloading the Libby App. Only Kobo ereaders let you search for and borrow books directly on the ereader, with a dedicated Overdrive tab. Kindles, on the other hand, utilize a convenient “read on Kindle” function from the Libby app or website. You can send a borrowed book to your Kindle just by signing into your account. Both methods are pretty easy, so which is the best for you probably depends on other factors than just the library-book feature.
Recent updates
August 2025: Included new frequently asked questions covering battery life, E Ink screens and ads on ereaders. Mentioned Amazon’s release of a cheaper Colorsoft Kindle.
July 2025: Added our impressions of the new stylus-enabled Boox Go 7 series. Updated our Boox Palma recommendation to account for the upgrades to the Boox Palma 2. Included text formats to our specs and the battery life of the Kobo Clara Colour.
March 2025: Added news about Bookshop.org getting into the ebook market. Updated information about price-setting by publishers.
January 2025: Updated the "Others we tested" section to include impressions of the second Kindle Colorsoft review unit we received.
August 2024: Replaced our Android tablet pick with the new Go Color 7 ereader from Boox. Updated book titles to current examples. Added an FAQ section to explain the difference between Kobo and Kindle ereaders and further detail library-book support on different models.
November 2024: Following the release of Amazon's new Kindle ereaders, we tested and reviewed the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, the base-model Kindle and Amazon's new color ereader, the Kindle Colorsoft. Accordingly, we updated our budget pick, added a premium pick and noted our experience with the Colorsoft.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ereader-130013808.html?src=rss
Rode’s range of tiny, portable microphones are a mainstay for creators looking for crisp audio on their phone videos. The company knows that those using digital cameras probably want that same blend of portability and performance for their own footage. That’s why it’s launching the new Wireless Micro Camera Kit, which outputs audio over USB-C or via a 3.5mm line-in.
As with the Wireless Micro, the new set includes a pair of microphones and a transmitter that all sit in a portable charging case. You’ll also find a pair of furry wind screens should you need to film in less than favorable weather. But unlike that model, the receiver comes with both a cold shoe mount and a 1.1-inch AMOLED screen. That will let you configure the audio setup on the fly, plus you’ll get battery data for all three units and an on-screen visualizer.
Rode
It would appear that Rode noticed user gripes that its own kit was being shown up by DJI’s Mic Mini, which had a transmitter with its own 3.5mm jack and shoe mount for camera connection. In addition, Rode has added Bluetooth Direct Connect to the microphones so they’ll connect to your iOS phone directly via the Rode Capture App. Which, like the 3.5mm, was a notable omission from the older hardware.
In terms of battery life, Rode says the kit and the charging case will hold up to 21 hours of use before you need to head back to an outlet.
Plus, to sweeten the deal, Rode is also throwing in one of its first-generation USB-C smartphone receivers into the package for free.
Rode’s Wireless Micro Camera Kit is available to purchase today for $149.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/rodes-latest-wireless-microphones-now-work-with-digital-cameras-025338766.html?src=rss
It hasn't been a good year for Xbox so far. Microsoft has released its earnings report for the quarter ending on September 30, and it has revealed that its revenue from the Xbox hardware fell by 30 percent year-over-year. Take note that the revenue decline doesn't reflect any dip in sales caused by the console's $20-to-$70 price hike, since that took effect on October 3. Similarly, Microsoft only raised the price for its Game Pass Ultimate subscription from $20 to $30 in October.
Meanwhile, revenue from Xbox content and services remained relatively unchanged from the same period last year. Microsoft says it saw growth from Xbox subscriptions and third-party content, but it was "partially offset" by the decline in first-party gaming content.
The Xbox division was one of the most affected teams when Microsoft started cutting down its global workforce earlier this year, with the company cancelling games that were being developed for the console. Microsoft scrapped the modern reimagining of Perfect Dark, a first-person shooter from the year 2000, and even closed down the Xbox studio working on it. The company also cancelled Everwild, a project that had long been in development by Xbox studio Rare, also in the midst of its mass layoffs.
Overall, Microsoft's $77.7 billion revenue was 17 percent higher compared to the same period last year, and its operating income was up by 22 percent. Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella posted a few highlights about the company's earnings call on X, mostly focusing on its AI efforts. He said that the company will increase its AI capacity by 80 percent this year and will double its data center footprint over the next two.
2/ We’re building a planet-scale cloud and AI factory.
We’ll increase our AI capacity by 80% this year, and nearly double our DC footprint over the next two.
That includes Fairwater in Wisconsin, the world’s most powerful AI datacenter, which will scale to two gigawatts alone.…
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xbox-console-revenue-fell-30-percent-year-over-year-this-summer-012245146.html?src=rss
The 2025 Fall Classic is tied up again after Game 4 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Toronto Blue Jays saw Toronto dominate to win 6-2. The World Series continues with one more game in Los Angeles tonight — Wednesday, Oct. 29 — at 8PM ET/5PM PT. The World Series odds favor the Dodgers ahead of tonight's game. Every 2025 MLB World Series game will air on Fox and Fox Deportes.
Of course, Fox is a "free" over-the-air channel, so any affordable digital antenna will pull in the game if you live close enough to a local affiliate. But if that's not an option, here's a full rundown of how to watch the Dodgers vs. Blue Jays World Series, even without cable.
How to watch the L.A. Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays, Game 5
You can stream Fox on any live TV streaming service that airs Fox local stations, including DirecTV, Fubo and Hulu + Live TV. MLB World Series games will also be available on Fox's new streaming platform, Fox One.
More ways to watch the 2025 World Series
How to watch the MLB World Series from Canada:
When is the Dodgers vs. Blue Jays game time?
Game 5 of the Dodgers vs. Blue Jays World Series is tonight, Oct. 29 at 8PM ET/5PM PT.
What channel is playing the Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays?
Game 5 of the World Series between the Dodgers and Blue Jays is scheduled for Oct. 29, 2025.
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Toronto Blue Jays World Series schedule
All times Eastern. Series tied-2-2.
Game 5: Wednesday, Oct. 29, 8PM ET
Game 6: Friday, Oct. 31, 8PM ET
Game 7*: Saturday, Nov. 1, 8PM ET
*if necessary
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/dodgers-vs-blue-jays-game-5-tonight-how-to-watch-the-2025-mlb-world-series-without-cable-173501690.html?src=rss
Chalk this one up under "The most clever (alleged) legal sidesteps this side of Tony Soprano." On Wednesday, The Guardianpublished a report about a so-called "winking mechanism" regarding Israeli cloud computing contracts with Amazon and Google. The stipulation from 2021's Project Nimbus is said to require the US companies to send coded messages to Israel. According to the report, whenever Google or Amazon secretly complies with an overseas legal request for Israeli data, they're required to send money to Israel. The dollar amount indicates which country issued the request.
The coding system reportedly involves country dialing prefixes. For example, if Google or Amazon hand over Israeli data to the US (dialing code +1), they would send Israel 1,000 shekels. For Italy (code +39), they would send 3,900 shekels. (Out of morbid curiosity, I discovered that the highest dialing code is Uzbekistan's +998.) There's reportedly even a failsafe: If a gag order prevents the companies from using the standard signal, they can notify Israel by sending 100,000 shekels.
The Guardian says Microsoft, which bid for the Nimbus contract, lost out in part because it refused to accept some of Israel's terms.
In a statement to Engadget, an Amazon spokesperson highlighted customer privacy. "We respect the privacy of our customers, and we do not discuss our relationship without their consent, or have visibility into their workloads," they wrote.
The Amazon spokesperson denied that the company has any underhanded workarounds in place. "We have a rigorous global process for responding to lawful and binding orders for requests related to customer data," they said. "[Amazon Web Services] carefully reviews each request to assess any non-disclosure obligations, and we maintain confidentiality in accordance with applicable laws and regulations. While AWS does not disclose customer information in response to government demands unless we're absolutely required to do so, we recognize the legitimate needs of law enforcement agencies to investigate serious crimes. We do not have any processes in place to circumvent our confidentiality obligations on lawfully binding orders."
Google also denied any wrongdoing. "The accusations in this reporting are false, and imply that we somehow were involved in illegal activity, which is absurd," a company spokesperson said. "As is common in public sector agreements, an RFP does not reflect a final contract. The idea that we would evade our legal obligations to the US government as a US company, or in any other country, is categorically wrong."
"We've been very clear about the Nimbus contract, what it's directed to, and the Terms of Service and Acceptable Use Policy that govern it," the Google spokesperson continued. "Nothing has changed. This appears to be yet another attempt to falsely imply otherwise."
We also reached out to the Israeli government for a statement, and we'll update this story if we hear back. The Guardian's full report has much more detail on the alleged leak.
Update, October 29, 2025, 6:29 PM ET: This story has been updated to add a statement from a Google spokesperson.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-and-amazons-israeli-cloud-contracts-reportedly-require-them-to-sidestep-legal-orders-164635805.html?src=rss
A virtual private network (VPN) is useful in several ways — a good one can stream foreign TV shows and events, save you from giving up information to hackers and keep you anonymous to protect against online tracking. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, a bit of comparison shopping goes a long way in this market. VPN pricing can be opaque, and providers don't always portray their best deals accurately.
Even so, there are genuinely great bargains on the table. VPN providers give out deep discounts to customers who sign up for a year or more at a time. This lets them boost their subscriber numbers, but it's a win for you as well — while you pay out more upfront, if you divide the cost by the months of service, it's significantly cheaper over time.
Most of the deals we highlight below follow that pattern, so make sure you're comfortable with a longer commitment before you take the plunge. If you've been thinking about subscribing to a VPN service, read on for the best VPN deals we could find right now.
Best VPN deals
NordVPN Basic — $80.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (74 percent off): NordVPN gets the most important parts of a VPN right. It's fast, it doesn't leak any of your data and it's great at changing your virtual location. I noted in my NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. Although I'm sad to see it shutting down Meshnet, NordVPN still includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This early Black Friday deal gives you 74 percent off the two-year plan, which also comes with three extra months.
NordVPN Plus — $105.03 for a two-year subscription with three months free (74 percent off): In another early Black Friday discount, NordVPN has also taken 74 percent off its Plus subscription. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information.
ExpressVPN Basic — $97.72 for a two-year subscription with four months free (73 percent off): This is one of the best VPNs, especially for new users, who will find its apps and website headache-free on all platforms. In tests for my ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced — which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This deal, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents a 73 percent savings.
Surfshark Starter — $53.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): This is the "basic" level of Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark has a more closely connected server network than most VPNs, so it can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection — it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
Surfshark One — $59.13 for a two-year subscription with three months free (88 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the previous tier. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features. If you bump up to Surfshark One+, you'll also get data removal through Incogni, but the price jumps enough that it's not quite worthwhile in my eyes.
CyberGhost — $56.94 for a two-year subscription with two months free (83 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers — while it's not totally clear what it does to optimize them, I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites. Currently, you can get 26 months of CyberGhost for 83 percent off the usual price.
Private Internet Access — $79 for a three-year subscription with three months free (83 percent off): It's a bit hard to find (the link at the start of this paragraph includes the coupon), but Private Internet Access (PIA) is giving out the best available price right now on a VPN I'd recommend using. With this deal, you can get 39 months of PIA for a little bit over $2 per month — an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
hide.me — $69.95 for a two-year subscription with two months free (73 percent off): Hide.me is an excellent free VPN — in fact, it's my favorite on the market, even with EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. However, if you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.
What makes a good VPN deal
Like I said in the intro, practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions the whole year round. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time — for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-88-percent-discounts-on-protonvpn-expressvpn-surfshark-and-more-120056432.html?src=rss
Threads has grown to 150 million daily active users. Mark Zuckerberg shared the latest milestone for the company's text-based app during Meta's third-quarter earnings call. The company previously reported in August that Threads had reached more than 400 million monthly users.
Zuckerberg, who has mused that Threads could become Meta's next billion-person app, said that it was "on track to become the leader in its category." He also said that time spent in the app had increased by 10 percent, which he credited to improvements to the company's AI recommendation systems.
On Wednesday, Instagram chief Adam Mosseri said that Meta was also "exploring" algorithm personalization controls for Threads. The company is currently testing the ability to "tune" Instagram's algorithmic recommendations.
As Threads has grown, Meta also confirmed that ads are ramping up on the platform. During the call with analysts, Meta CFO Susan Li said that "ads are now running globally" in the Threads feed. The company had previously brought ads to Threads users in 30 countries following a small test earlier this year. This week, the company also announced that it would expand the type of ad formats on Threads, including video ads. "We're following our typical monetization playbook of optimizing the ads formats and performance," Li said.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-reaches-150-million-daily-users-and-is-ramping-up-ads-214259945.html?src=rss
Sometimes, game development is a labor of love. Other times, it's an agonizing experience akin to pulling teeth. More than a decade after first announcing the project, Lunar Software and Raw Fury appear to be in the home stretch with their project Routine. The sci-fi horror game has been given a December 4, 2025 release date. For their sakes, I hope it comes to pass.
The duo first announced Routine all the way back at Gamescom in 2012 and gave it a 2013 release date. After that window came and went, the project went dark until Summer Game Fest 2022, with promises that the game a) still existed and b) had been fully remade for the new generation of gaming hardware. If the current schedule holds, Routine will be on Steam and Xbox, including day one availability on Game Pass, by the end of this year.
The Aliens vibes are strong in the brief release date teaser. Think film grain effects, janky gadgets and of course the looming threat of death around every corner. The player will explore an abandoned lunar base to try and figure out how everything went horribly wrong before your arrival. The answer seems to involve murderous robots that would make Weyland-Yutani proud.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/13-years-after-it-was-announced-sci-fi-horror-game-routine-has-a-release-date-of-december-4-205604793.html?src=rss