Tag Archives: author_name|Kris Holt

Cyber Monday deals: The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is $80 off at Amazon

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The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro has dropped to a record low of $320 as part of a Cyber Monday sale that includes significant discounts on many of the company's appliances. The air fryer is typically available for $400. Breville's products tend to be on the pricier side and they don’t go on sale often. So, if you’re a Breville aficionado or haven’t been able to find an entry point into its wares until now, this looks like a good opportunity to snap up a device or two.

This model is our pick for the best multi-purpose air fryer. Sure, it's a capable air fryer, but it's so much more than that. In a pinch, it can act as a second oven, which could be very useful if family and/or friends are coming to your place for the holidays. The appliance has a number of other functions, such as toasting, broiling, baking, pizza baking, dehydration, slow cooking and proofing.

The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is large enough to accommodate a 14-pound turkey or a five-quart Dutch oven. There's enough space for a 9 x 13-inch pan too.

On the downside, the "Smart" part of the product's name is a slight misnomer. You can't control or monitor it it using an app. Instead, Breville says the device employs algorithms to distribute power as needed between six independent quartz elements to foster an ideal cooking environment. It uses sensors and temperature control to detect and eliminate cold spots, with the aim of delivering a precise, even cook.

If you'd prefer a model with app integration and voice assistant compatibility, you can opt for Breville's Joule Oven Air Fryer Pro, which is also on sale. It has dropped to $440. With that model, you can opt to receive push notifications when your food is finished cooking. There's a companion app with guided recipes too.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cyber-monday-deals-the-breville-smart-oven-air-fryer-pro-is-80-off-at-amazon-153902077.html?src=rss

The Sonos Five speaker is 20 percent off today only for Cyber Monday

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Cyber Monday is as good a time as any to snap up a smart speaker (or two or three) to build out your home audio setup, and here's some welcome news for those who've been dithering over whether to buy Sonos' most powerful model. The Sonos Five is 20 percent off for Cyber Monday. The smart speaker has dropped from $549 to $439. It's a one-day-only deal, so you'll need to act quickly if you're interested.

We reckon the Sonos Five is the best smart speaker for music lovers. In truth, it's more of a connected speaker than a smart speaker, since it doesn't have a built-in voice assistant. If you already have other Sonos speakers or don't mind setting up an Echo Dot or Nest Mini so you can control the Five with Alexa or Google Assistant, that won't be too much of an issue.

The Sonos Five delivers the highest quality audio of any device in our round-up of the best smart speakers. It certainly sounds better than any other Sonos model. The Sonos Five pumps out audio with more bass, clarity and stereo separation than many other smart speakers. If you can swing it, we recommend picking up two units and pairing them in a stereo setup for even better music playback.

Folks who aren't quite willing to splash out that much cash on a Sonos device may be pleased to learn that many of the company's other speakers and soundbars are also on sale through the end of November 27. Sonos home theater devices are up to 20 percent off, while you can save up to 25 percent on portable speakers. Most of the products pair together seamlessly, so you can, for instance, set up two Era 100 speakers ($50 off at $199) as surrounds for a second-gen Sonos Beam ($100 off at $399) for a great home theater system.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-sonos-five-speaker-is-20-percent-off-today-only-for-cyber-monday-140059880.html?src=rss

Early Cyber Monday deals knock 20 percent off the Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

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Black Friday may be over, but many of the best tech deals seem to be carrying over into Cyber Monday 2023. Elgato gear is included in some of the best Cyber Monday gaming deals you can get right now: the company's Stream Deck MK.2 is 20 percent off as part of a Corsair gaming sale at Amazon. Plus, there's an additional $10 coupon you can clip to bring the final price down to $110, which is the best we've seen. The Stream Deck is one of our recommended accessories for streamers. It's also useful for other creators like podcasters, as well as anyone who carries out the same tasks over and over on their desktop system.

The Stream Deck MK.2 (not to be confused with Valve's Steam Deck) is a highly customizable desktop controller. You can set up a Stream Deck to fire up your streaming software, simultaneously start a stream and let social media followers know you're going live, mute your mic and change your lighting. If you enjoy annoying your friends, you could use the device as a soundboard too. 

The Stream Deck is useful for other purposes as well. You can, for instance, set up macros with AutoHotkey on Windows and Shortcuts on Mac to boost your productivity across a wide range of apps. Alternatively, you can use the 15 LCD hotkeys to control music playback, set timers for focused work sessions, trigger actions through IFTTT, change your Slack status, jump into your favorite Discord channel or paste in a lengthy phrase of text that you frequently use. The possibilities are almost endless.

Meanwhile, the Stream Deck+ has dropped to an all-time-low of $170. That's $30 off the usual price.

This model has eight LCD hotkeys and four dials that offer users more refined control over a variety of functions. You can finely adjust the volume of your headphones or mic, the brightness of connected smart lights or the zoom level of your webcam, for instance. The Stream Deck+ has a touchscreen that displays what each dial does. You can also use this to swipe between different pages of hotkey functions.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-2023-is-still-going-the-elgato-stream-deck-mk2-is-20-percent-off-right-now-211508546.html?src=rss

This Black Friday gaming monitor deal takes $220 off one of our favorite LG OLED displays

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This time of year presents many opportunities to make significant updates to your gaming kit without spending too much money. Gaming monitors can be particularly pricey, but you can save some cash on a number of LG gaming displays thanks to Black Friday deals. Our pick for the best gaming monitor has dropped to an all-time-low price — the LG 27GR95QE-B is $220 off and down to $780 right now.

This is a 27-inch OLED QHD display with a resolution of 1440p, 240Hz refresh rate and sub-1ms pixel response times. We have yet to see a dedicated gaming monitor that delivers better HDR performance. However, it’s worth noting that, at a maximum of around 200 nits, the display isn’t very bright.

It’s also worth bearing in mind the typical issues with OLED displays, such as potential burn-ins and text legibility. But if those aren’t a concern for you and you have the cash to spare, we highly recommend the LG 27GR95QE-B.

If you’d rather snap up a mid-range monitor, consider LG’s 27GL83A-B. That’s also available for an all-time-low price, albeit at a far more palatable $200. That’s $100 off. The 27GL83A-B is one of our favorite mid-range gaming monitors. It has a 27-inch IPS display, 165Hz refresh rate and a QHD 1440p resolution. Unless you have a high-end gaming rig (say one with a GeForce RTX 4080 or 4090 GPU), this monitor should more than do the trick.

On the downside, the power supply isn’t built into the display’s housing, so you’ll have a cumbersome power brick to deal with. Also, like most LCD displays, you won’t get true HDR here. That said, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better mid-range gaming monitor for $200.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/this-black-friday-gaming-monitor-deal-takes-120-off-one-of-our-favorite-lg-oled-displays-201517396.html?src=rss

Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday deals you can still get on consoles and games

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Gaming deals are always abundant during the holiday shopping period, and there are a few good ones left on the Nintendo Switch that you can grab as leftovers from Cyber Monday. It's next to impossible to find true discounts on Switch consoles, but Nintendo will often toss in some freebies when you buy one during this time of year. The OLED model is the one to get if you're more likely to play the Switch in handheld mode, but if you plan to mostly use the console in docked mode, there's no harm in opting for the standard Switch and saving $50.

There's a bundle that includes Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and three months of Switch Online access at no extra cost. You'll get a Switch, the game and a Switch Online membership for $300. That's handy for newcomers to the Nintendo ecosystem or those who want to race against a family member in Mario Kart. It's worth noting that you won't see the price of the bundle until you check out at Amazon.

It's hard to argue that this is a great deal, given that the console has been around for nearly seven years and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a port of an even older Wii U game. But it's among the best deals you'll find on a Switch right now, at least until Nintendo releases the console's successor (which is widely expected to happen in 2024). In addition, upgrading to the Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack plan or buying the Booster Course Pass for $25 will give you access to dozens of extra tracks in Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

Those who don't mind spending a little more cash may prefer to pick up a Switch OLED instead. A bundle at Walmart and GameStop includes Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and three months of Switch Online access. This bundle costs $350. So, if you're hankering for some fighting game action on a larger, better display than you'll find on the regular Switch, this is the way to go.

As for Nintendo Switch game deals, the company's own e-shop has a sale running through December 3 that includes games like Super Mario Odyssey, Luigi's Mansion 3 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land for $40. There are also much cheaper games included, too, like Portal Companion Collection for just under $7.

Your Cyber Monday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Cyber Monday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Cyber Monday tech deals. Learn about Cyber Monday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Cyber Monday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Cyber Monday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nintendo-switch-cyber-monday-deals-you-can-still-get-on-consoles-and-games-173014282.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include Samsung Galaxy S23 smartphones at record-low prices

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Waiting until there are major discounts on a smartphone you have your eye on is rarely a bad idea, especially if you want to pick up one of the best Android phones around. Several of Samsung's Galaxy S23 devices are on sale at Amazon for Black Friday, including our pick for the best premium Android phone.

The Galaxy S23 Ultra has dropped down to $900. That's $300 off the regular price and close to a record low. For a brief time in August, this model was $860, but this is the best price we've seen since then.

We gave the Galaxy S23 Ultra a score of 89 in our review earlier this year and, given that the price was one of the main things for which we dinged it, the current discount makes it more enticing. In fact, our other main criticisms were the minimal design changes and the lack of new S Pen features. So if you're switching from a phone that's at least a couple of years old, the S23 Ultra should be a serious upgrade.

The device comes with said S Pen built in, which is a definite plus. It has an excellent 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate and a resolution of 3,088 x 1,440. The screen's brightness can reach up to 1,750 nits too. The performance, powered by the Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 chipset, is significantly faster than the previous generation.

The S23 Ultra also has terrific cameras, including a new 200MP main sensor on the rear. As for battery life, the handset performed well in our testing. It lasted for 19 hours and 26 minutes in our video rundown test. The S23 Ultra still had plenty of juice in the tank after a day of moderate usage too. Meanwhile, Samsung has started rolling out One UI 6, which is its version of Android 14, so you should have swift access to the latest OS on the S23 Ultra if you pick one up.

Alternatively, if you don't need quite as many bells and whistles, you can snap up the Galaxy S23 or Galaxy S23+ for record low prices. The Galaxy S23 is $100 off at $700. As for the Galaxy S23+ (to which we gave a score of 86 in our review) has dropped by $200 to $800.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-samsung-galaxy-s23-smartphones-at-record-low-prices-110034277.html?src=rss

Intellivision can’t afford to make its long-delayed Amico retro console

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Intellivision’s long-delayed Amico retro gaming system isn’t going to arrive anytime soon. The company says it doesn’t have enough money to build the console in volume. Intellivision unveiled the Amico in 2018, said it would arrive two years later and raised millions from folks who put down a (refundable) $100 deposit.

Since then, Intellivision has faced disaster after disaster and there’s still no indication of when the Amico will be available. To make the console finally happen, though, the company needs money. 

Intellivision revealed its latest plan to help it raise funds earlier this year, an app that's said to ape the experience of the Amico on Android and iOS devices. The Amico Home app debuted in beta on Android this week and it’s bizarre to say the least.

To use Amico Home, you'll likely need at least two Android phones or tablets, or one of each. One displays the game and you use the other as a controller (alternatively, you can use a "real Amico controller"). If you can hook the former up to your TV via HDMI, you can play the games on a big screen.

There are only two games available on Amico Home at the minute. They're updated versions of Missile Command from 1980 and Astrosmash from 1981. Despite the fact Amico Home is in beta, Intellivision somehow reckons it's just fine to charge $15 for them while calling the app "an affordable way to enjoy family gaming entertainment."

Those who pre-ordered the console can get Amico Home download codes for certain games, but that's not exactly going to help Intellivision's bottom line. It seems highly unlikely that Amico Home would get even close to generating enough revenue for Intellivision to make the Amico a reality. Kotaku tried out Amico Home and called it "one janky piece of crap." Still, Intellivision hopes the app will at least be successful enough for it to secure investment for the console.

"Our ability to begin manufacturing Amico consoles in volume requires securing additional investment," Intellivision said in a statement. "The release of Amico Home puts us on a better footing to attract such investment or to eventually fund manufacturing from the proceeds of Amico Home game sales. We remain dedicated to moving Intellivision forward, step by step, until we can deliver on the full vision of Amico, including the consoles."

Correction, November 25, 2023, 3:05PM ET: This story originally stated that the Missile Command and Astrosmash were both original Intellivision titles. Missile Command was an Atari arcade and console title. We apologize for the error.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intellivision-cant-afford-to-make-its-long-delayed-amico-retro-console-160952928.html?src=rss

Apple Black Friday deals: The 9th-gen iPad is $99 off and down to a record-low price

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Some folks genuinely need a high-powered iPad to boost their productivity and help with tasks such as video editing and image processing. But many others are content to have an Apple tablet just so they can browse the web, catch up with friends and stream movies and TV shows.

If you're in the latter camp, or you're looking for an entry-level iPad for another reason, it's worth considering a slightly older model that's on sale for Black Friday. The ninth-generation iPad currently starts at $230 for a model with 64GB of storage at Target and Amazon. That's $99 off the regular price of $329. This is the best price we've seen for the tablet all year.

This is our pick for the best budget iPad and we gave it a score of 86 in our 2021 review. Sure, the design is pretty dated, but the 9th-gen iPad is still more than capable of handling casual tasks thanks to its A13 Bionic chip. That's the same chipset Apple used in the iPhone 11.

The 9th-gen iPad has a 10.2-inch display, but it's unfortunately somewhat susceptible to glare. Unlike newer iPads, which have switched to a USB-C charging port, you'll still need a Lightning cable to top up this one's battery. It's one of the last iPads to feature a Home button and while the 12MP front-facing camera is capable enough, it's positioned along a portrait edge of the screen, which makes video calls a little more awkward. One major plus point of this model: it's the only iPad still on sale that features a headphone jack.

If you're looking for something with extra power and a more refined design (but aren't ready to pony up for an iPad Air or Pro), consider snagging the 10th-gen iPad. That's $100 off for Black Friday as it's down to $349 for a configuration with 64GB of storage. This tablet has Apple's A14 Bionic chip. Other pros include USB-C charging and the front-facing camera moving to the landscape edge of the screen. We gave this model a score of 85 in our review.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deals-the-9th-gen-ipad-is-99-off-and-down-to-a-record-low-price-100000164.html?src=rss

Black Friday speaker deals include up to $180 off Sonos gear

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Sonos is a big name in the audio world, and many Engadget staffers are big fans. One thing you'll notice about their speakers, however, is that they rarely go on sale. Which is makes the company's Black Friday sale particularly compelling. Sonos speakers and soundbars are up to $180 off right now, at both Sonos' own storefront and via other retailers. We're seeing discounts on home theater products of up to 20 percent off, and portable speakers going for up to 25 percent off. Many bundles with multiple speakers are also on sale. These offers are available until Cyber Monday, aka November 27.

Sonos Era 100

The Sonos Era 100 is our pick for the best mid-range speaker around and at $199, it's $50 off for Black Friday. We gave the Era 100, which debuted earlier this year to replace the Sonos One, a score of 88 in our review. You won't always find Bluetooth and line-in (though you'll need an adaptor for that) support on Sonos devices so it's great that they're included here. You can use built-in mics to tune the audio output for the room.

Unfortunately, there's no Ethernet jack or Google Assistant integration — the latter is less of an issue if you connect an Era 100 to another smart speaker with Assistant support. We also found that there's no real stereo separation on a single speaker. So, if you can swing two units, that might be the way to go. You can pair them for stereo playback and with other Sonos devices for a richer home theater or whole-home audio experience.

Sonos Roam

The portable Roam speaker is on sale too. It's down from $179 to $134. The Roam is smaller than the Move (it weighs less than a pound). At this price point, it's even more competitive with many portable Bluetooth speakers. The Roam earned a score of 87 in our review with the durability, waterproofing and audio quality all proving to be plus points. If you can afford two Roam units that you can pair together, even better. However, at around 10 hours, the battery life wasn't stellar in our testing and the Roam isn't the loudest portable speaker out there. That's an important consideration when it comes to outdoor parties. Still, the Sonos Roam is our top pick for the best portable smart speaker.

Sonos Beam Gen 2

Speaking of home theaters, if that's the kind of setup you're looking for, you may want to pick up a Sonos soundbar too. The Sonos Beam includes Dolby Atmos audio in its second iteration, which marks a significant improvement from the first gen as it has more immersive audio. Even though it doesn't have upward firing Atmos drivers, the Beam Gen 2 sounds darn good. As such, it's our pick for the best mid-range soundbar. It's available for $399 during the Black Friday sale.

Sonos Arc

If you're looking for a more premium soundbar experience, the Sonos Arc may be of interest. The higher-end soundbar has dropped from $899 to $719. We gave the Arc a score of 85 in our review, lauding it for stellar audio and its adaptability in terms of how it accounts for different types of content and other connected speakers. The cylindrical design gives the soundbar a modern look too. As with the Beam, you won't be able to hook up all of your devices directly to the Arc, since there's only one HDMI input. Still, it's our runner-up pick for the best premium soundbar after Sony's HT-A7000.

Sonos Sub Mini

It may be the case that you're looking to beef up the low end of your existing Sonos setup. If so, it's worth considering the Sonos Sub Mini. The compact subwoofer can be all yours for $343 during the Black Friday sale. It's down from $429. We gave the Sub Mini a score of 87 in our review. It delivers terrific bass output for its size. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with portable Sonos product, such as the Move and the Roam, but it pairs easily with the company's wired speakers. As such, the Sub Mini is a great addition to home theater setups in apartments and smaller homes.

Sonos Roam

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-black-friday-deals-knock-up-to-180-off-speakers-and-soundbars-140031968.html?src=rss

Dbrand is suing Casetify for allegedly stealing its case and skin designs

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Accessory maker Dbrand has filed a "multi-million dollar" lawsuit against Casetify for allegedly ripping off the designs of its "transparent" Teardown products. The skins and cases, created in collaboration with YouTuber Zack "JerryRigEverything" Nelson, are designed to look like the guts of the device they're applied to, such as smartphones, laptops and gaming systems. Dbrand and Nelson say Casetify stole those designs for its "Inside Out" line.

According to Nelson, he and Dbrand "go to extreme lengths to ensure that every Teardown skin is an accurate representation" of the inside of each device. However, in a video and thread on X (formerly Twitter), the collaborators point out that they add several Easter eggs for fans to find.

Among other things, they claim Casetify's Inside Out cases have a poorly masked version of a label found on Teardown products that features Nelson's signature phrase "glass is glass, and glass breaks.” Nelson took a further dig at Casetify by saying the print quality of its cases is "extraordinarily subpar." Dbrand's logo even allegedly appears on a Casetify case.

In his video, Nelson says the saga stems back to earlier this year, when an X user claimed Casetify was selling a "transparent" case for a Samsung phone that displays the internals of an iPhone. Dbrand poked fun at Casetify for the apparent slip up.

Casetify later rolled out the Inside Out line, which appeared to have more accurate representations of the guts of the devices they're marketed for. Nelson points out that after using a highly detailed scanner to create a copy of the internals of a device, the Teardown team spends several hours cleaning up the scan. It even takes some creative liberties, such as exposing a charging coil to make a case look more appealing. According to Nelson and Dbrand, Casetify's Inside Out skins and cases match up exactly with the modified designs they used for the Teardown line.

In their suit, which they filed in a Toronto court this week, Dbrand says Casetify infringed upon its copyrighted works with 45 Inside Out products. It's asking for unspecified punitive and exemplary damages, among other things.

By Thursday afternoon, a few hours after Nelson and Dbrand published their accusations, Casetify had pulled every Inside Out product from its website. Meanwhile, Dbrand and Nelson took the opportunity to unveil a new set of X-ray skins.

"Casetify has always been a bastion of originality, and we hold pride in that," the company said in a statement. "We are currently investigating a copyright allegation against us. We have immediately removed the design in question from all platforms. We are also investigating a DDOS attack that disrupted our website around the time the allegation surfaced. All systems are back to normal. All customer information is safe."

Update 11/24 10:14AM ET: Added Casetify's statement.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dbrand-is-suing-casetify-for-allegedly-stealing-its-case-and-skin-designs-221012321.html?src=rss