It's an experience many of us know all too well: open up a food blogger's recipe only to scroll past a mountain of content you don't care about to actually reach the ingredients and method. Google is trialing a feature that could eliminate this step, even though it's the result of the company's own policies.
The Verge noticed a new button on the thumbnails for select recipes called Quick View. This button brings up the complete recipe without leaving the search results page. In their testing, a search for "chocolate chip cookie recipe" revealed this Quick View button for the site Preppy Kitchen.
"We’re always experimenting with different ways to connect our users with high-quality and helpful information," Google rep Brianna Duff told Engadget about these Quick View recipes. "We have partnered with a limited number of creators to begin to explore new recipe experiences on Search that are both helpful for users and drive value to the web ecosystem. We don’t have anything to announce right now." While Google does have agreements inked with the participating bloggers, the company declined to reveal any further details about the scope of this testing.
It's quite a catch-22 Google has created when it comes to recipes online. Home cooks may find this Quick View feature appealing since so many food blogs front-load their posts with photos and personal stories before actually sharing the recipe. But it was Google's own rules that pushed bloggers toward that approach in the first place, with longer posts generally indexing higher up in search results and thus getting more traffic. (And no offense to the food bloggers of the world, but the only chocolate chip cookie recipe you need is the one on the back of the chocolate chip bag.)
While this recipe feature is just an early trial, Google has been rolling out other tools aimed at keeping users on its own webpages and platforms. The AI Overviews in search are one of the latest (and occasionally surreal) ways the company is changing the rules of engagement for web content.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-tests-feature-to-show-full-recipes-in-search-results-212257585.html?src=rss
Blizzard co-founder and ex-CEO Mike Morhaime’s publishing company Dreamhaven just announced a new game that mixes elements of tabletop RPGs with party games like Jackbox. Sunderfolk looks to be a more casual pick-up-and-play take on something like Gloomhaven.
The title has been “designed for players who love tabletop, board and video games.” It’s a two-screen experience, with players actually controlling many aspects of the game on their smartphone. You know, just like the immensely-popular Jackbox franchise. The “tactical couch co-op RPG” is being advertised as a way for veteran tabletop players to introduce the genre to their inexperienced friends.
Sunderfolk can be played by up to four players at once and there are six hero classes, like bard, arcanist, ranger and some of the other usual suspects. The TV is the main screen and the phone acts as a controller as folks navigate the game board. The story follows a beleaguered town as it is attacked by various monsters. In other words, it’s a standard fantasy RPG.
The unique control scheme looks to eliminate some of the barriers of entry with this type of game, like the steep learning curve and lengthy set-up time. Like many tabletop RPGs, it’s cooperative in nature and not competitive. You and your friends against the world.
Dreamhaven
While the designer’s say Sunderfolk was made with couch co-op in mind, there will be online play. The game releases for Nintendo Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S sometime in 2025, with an affiliated iOS/Android companion app.
Kotakugot to try the game during a preview event and came away mostly impressed, saying that “working in tandem with other players quickly turned into a thrilling spectacle that felt right out of a TTRPG game night.” However, the site also said that the complexity of the gameplay may fail to lure in newbies. In other words, it’s more Gloomhaven than Jackbox.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/blizzard-co-founder-mike-morhaime-is-making-a-tabletop-rpg-party-game-174323950.html?src=rss
Amazon has revealed the extensive list of PC games that Prime members can snap up at no extra cost in October. It's a very solid line up with a little something for everyone, including big hitters, killer indies and, since it's spooky season, a cauldron full of horror games.
A dozen of the games are available now, including BioShock and Doom Eternal. It's worth noting that you'll only be able to claim the latter in regions where the Microsoft Store is available. Here's the full list of what you can claim and when, along with the launcher you can play each game on:
Available now
Hive Jump 2: Survivors (GOG)
Scarf (Amazon Games App)
Tomb Raider: Legend (GOG)
The Eternal Cylinder (Epic Games Store)
Spirit of the North (Epic Games Store)
No Straight Roads (Epic Games Store)
BioShock Remastered (GOG)
Doom Eternal (Microsoft Store)
DreadOut 2 (Amazon Games App)
Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed Ecto Edition (Epic Games Store)
Priest Simulator: Vampire Show (Epic Games Store)
The Gap (Amazon Games App)
October 17
Mystery Box: Hidden Secrets (Legacy Games Code)
Vlad Circus: Descend Into Madness (Amazon Games App)
Through the Darkest of Times (Amazon Games App)
Killing Floor 2 (Epic Games Store)
Zombies Ate My Neighbors and Ghoul Patrol (Amazon Games App)
October 24
Pumpkin Jack (GOG)
The Gunk (GOG)
Stasis: Bone Totem (Epic Games Store)
Gargoyles Remastered (Amazon Games App)
Monster Train (GOG)
Morbid: The Seven Acolytes (Epic Games Store)
October 31
A Plague Tale: Innocence (GOG)
Death's Door (Epic Games Store)
Haunted Hotel: Personal Nightmare Collector's Edition (Amazon Games App)
Scorn (GOG)
Coromon (GOG)
As ever, Amazon has refreshed the lineup of games that Prime members can stream on Luna at no extra cost. Fortnite and Trackmania are still in the mix, of course. Ubisoft's arena shooter, XDefiant, is on the list along with another notable name in Alien: Isolation. Amid Evil, Valfaris, Perish, Dr. Fetus' Mean Meat Machine, Tormented Souls, Dusk, Mortal Shell, Doomblade and Monster Harvest are the other games Prime members can stream (almost) for free in October.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/amazon-prime-free-games-for-october-include-bioshock-remastered-doom-eternal-and-a-plague-tale-innocence-170939596.html?src=rss
October’s PlayStation Plus Game Catalog lineup is certainly stuffed to the gills. There’s something for everyone, from zombie classics to narrative adventures and beyond. Let’s take a look.
The biggest draw here is likely Dead Island 2. For a while, we weren’t sure if this game would ever come out, but it did and it’s a blast to play. The action-heavy zombie slaying sim is set in Los Angeles and boasts six playable characters. There’s three-player co-op and, of course, more gore than you can shake a bloody baseball bat at. The game’s available for both PS4 and PS5.
Gris is a stylistic 2D platformer that was a bona-fide hit when it was released several years back. We said it “might be the prettiest game” ever made, so the graphics and vibes are strong with this one. It’s a relaxing mixture of puzzles, exploration and platform jumping. The dev team has another game on the way, called Neva, that also looks quite pretty.
It took 13 years, but we finally got a new entry in the Monkey Island franchise. Return to Monkey Island continues the comedic adventures of Guybrush Threepwood, as first seen in several iconic Lucasfilm titles from the 1990s. Reviews were kind, with many players calling it a true return to form. As a warning, this is an old-school adventure with roots in the point-and-click genre.
Those are the big three, but this month’s drop also includes Ghostbusters: Spirits Unleashed, Overpass 2, Tour de France 2023 and The Dark Pictures Anthology: The Devil in Me, among others. PlayStation Premium members are also getting some games, including The Last Clockwinder for PS VR2 and Dino Crisis.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/dead-island-2-and-gris-join-the-playstation-plus-game-catalog-for-october-162432379.html?src=rss
Sony’s line of LinkBuds products has served two key purposes. First, it gave the company a playground to introduce wildly different designs like the donut-shaped first-gen LinkBuds. It also allowed Sony to develop the LinkBuds S, a more traditional set that offered a taste of its flagship 1000X products for $100 less. That model was certainly more compelling than the company’s basic models that go for $120 and below.
Two years after the LinkBuds and LinkBuds S, Sony is back with an all-new model and a revamped version of the original. With the LinkBuds Fit ($200), the company has developed a full-featured, comfy set of earbuds with impressive sound. And on the LinkBuds Open ($200), Sony tweaked its unique open-wear formula by updating some tools. Then there’s the third member of the 2024 LinkBuds trio, the LinkBuds Speaker ($180), which is designed to integrate seamlessly with the two new pairs of earbuds when you return home or to the office. Since Sony introduced these all together, I’ve reviewed them that way, so buckle up because you’re about to get three reviews for the price of one.
LinkBuds Fit
Sony’s LinkBuds S were a low-key hit in 2022. They have some of the great features from the 1000X line, with a similar overall shape, too. Small and comfy, they offer significantly more in terms of sound and tools than most $200 earbuds. With this year’s LinkBuds Fit, Sony has debuted the next progression in its active noise canceling (ANC) LinkBuds.
This is the option for people who prefer a closed design and a secure fit. Sony completely redesigned the LinkBuds Fit, aiming for the optimum shape for most people. To get there, the company made the main housing a lot smaller, as the whole thing tucks almost entirely into your ear. There’s a so-called Air Cushion silicon support wing that’s hollow instead of solid. This allows more flexibility, and honestly it’s more comfortable since you can tuck it into the ridges of your ears however you need to. The combination of the smaller size and the Air Cushion make the LinkBuds Fit some of the most comfy in-ears I’ve tested. Even though they plug your ears closed, they never become a burden, even after hours of constant use.
One of the best things about the LinkBuds S was the impressive sound quality for the price. That continues on the LinkBuds Fit as Sony offers balanced tuning right out of the box. There’s crisp highs, ample mid range and snappy bass throughout most genres, even with more restrained, country-tinged rock like Jason Isbell’s Live from the Ryman, Vol. 2. Plus, the company's DSEE Extreme upscaling can help restore some audio quality lost over compression for Bluetooth streaming. Audio presets and a 5-band EQ are here for adjustments, but I didn’t even think about using them.
The sonic abilities of the LinkBuds Fit are on full display with BONES UK’s Soft. The crunchy guitars, droning bass lines and punchy kick drum provide a full, deep soundstage for the textured vocals to float across. And for a bass-heavy experience, the synth-heavy tune “Generator” from Justice’s Hyperdrama is a loud, pulsing track with a big low-end thump while the keys still cut through on top. Interestingly, there’s nuance to the bassy beats on the LinkBuds Fit, rather than just a one-note rhythm. All of these sound improvements are due in part to the earbuds inheriting the Dynamic Driver X and Integrated Processor V2 audio chip from the 1000X. There’s more enveloping sound on the WF-1000XM5, but not by much, as Sony has closed the gap between its flagship model and the LinkBuds line – for now.
Billy Steele for Engadget
Features like Adaptive Sound Control, multipoint Bluetooth and Speak to Chat make their return on the LinkBuds Fit from the LinksBuds S. But Sony has gone well beyond those with a host of new conveniences. The company took a page from Apple’s book and now allows you to answer or reject calls by nodding or shaking your head. There’s also a built-in voice control that doesn’t require your phone’s assistant, something akin to what Bose offers on the new QuietComfort Earbuds. And because the earbuds are so small, there aren’t onboard touch controls. Instead, Sony employs the Wide Area Tap gestures from the original open-design LinkBuds. They work really well, but I will never be comfortable tapping my upper cheek to make adjustments.
Perhaps the only area where the LinkBuds Fit fall well short of the WF-1000XM5 is ANC performance. I’d call this active noise reduction more than cancellation. You’ll get some relief from constant sources like white noise machines or a raucous fan, but these earbuds don’t silence them. They also struggle mightily with human voices, so if you sit near a chatty coworker, you’ll have to crank up the volume to compensate.
For calls, the LinkBuds Fit will give you better-than-average voice clarity, which means you’ll sound better than if you’re on speakerphone. The earbuds also do a decent job of blocking background noise, although I noticed a slight delay in them picking up sounds that began during calls. Sony also boasts that this model has its “best ambient sound,” and while I’m not ready to bestow that honor, the audio mode does have a natural quality that makes it pleasant to use. Plus, a new Auto Ambient Sound feature can automatically adjust the level of transparency when you encounter a noisy environment.
With the LinkBuds Fit, Sony says you can expect up to five and a half hours with ANC on and 21 hours total when you factor in the case. There are a lot of advanced features at work here, and those have an impact on power consumption. With the volume at a comfortable 75-80 percent, I only managed around four hours and 45 minutes. That’s with noise-canceling active as well as Voice Control, Speak to Chat and DSEE Extreme all enabled. The good news is that Sony offers a tool called Auto Battery Save that will disable the latter three tools, as well as any EQ tweaks, to conserve power. This will extend things beyond the 5.5-hour mark, but not by a ton.
The LinkBuds Fit are a massive advancement over the LinkBuds S. In fact, they’re some of the best earbuds Sony has ever made. But they aren’t without a few significant faults. My primary gripe is ANC performance, and though it's the only one, it’s a biggie. Like it usually does on the 1000X line, Sony has packed in a ton of features here, and for the most part they work as advertised. It’s clear the company is taking notes from the competition with the Apple-esque head gestures and automatic sound adjustments, in addition to the Bose-like built-in assistant. But, somehow, Sony managed to innovate and keep the price tag exactly the same as the LinkBuds S.
LinkBuds Open
The original LinkBuds were wonderfully weird. After years of very normal-looking earbuds (besides the Xperia Ear Duo), Sony took a big swing in early 2022 with the donut-shaped, open design model that sought to provide all-day wear while keeping your earbuds unobstructed from your environment. They were different, but they were unique, with their own drizzle of Sony’s special sauce. However, overall comfort was a big issue, and one the company sought to remedy on the follow-up with the LinkBuds Open.
To start, Sony reduced the overall size of the IPX4-rated LinkBuds Open. Like the LinkBuds Fit, this model also has the Air Cushion silicon support that’s more flexible. That’s a big improvement from the small hump meant to stabilize the first version that didn’t offer much added support. Unfortunately though, the casing for the ring-shaped driver that sits in your ear is still hard plastic. After about 45 minutes, it became uncomfortable, and after several hours it was downright unbearable. On the bright side, the cheek-based Wide Area Tap controls are back and they’re reliable, if not slightly awkward.
Sony made two key adjustments to improve the sound quality on the LinkBuds Open. First, it built a revamped ring-shaped driver and paired it with the Integrated Processor V2 chip from the 1000X line. These two changes make for louder sound and richer bass, according to Sony. And the claim holds up. You’ll only need around 65-70 percent volume, unless you suffer from some degree of hearing loss. And there is more pronounced low-end tone, though you’ll have to coax it out with an EQ tweak.
By default, the stock tuning is heavily reliant on treble, which means vocals tend to overpower most of the mix. However, Sony’s EQ tools actually help balance things out, and adding more mids and bass makes the LinkBuds Open’s sound profile more well-rounded. After this adjustment, the kick drum thumps under vocals and guitars, an improvement over the default sound profile for Better Lovers’ thunderous, crunching single “A White Horse Covered In Blood.”
Billy Steele for Engadget
Like it did with the LinkBuds Fit, Sony brought over a lot of the handy tools from the 1000X earbuds to the Open. Those include multipoint Bluetooth and Speak to Chat, but Adaptive Sound Control automation isn’t here. Sony did add its voice assistant, Adaptive Volume Control and head-gesture recognition for answering calls. The company also offers a fit check via your phone’s camera, something it's done for other products to check your positioning for 360 Reality Audio. Most of these work well, though in my experience Speak to Chat is still tripped up when I coughed or cleared my throat. And it seemed to be even more sensitive on the LinkBuds Open than other models I’ve tested.
Thanks to the design, the LinkBuds Open are nice to wear during calls since, well, you can hear yourself. However, the quality of your voice on the other end isn’t as clear as what I encountered on the LinkBuds Fit. It will get the job done, but I did sound slightly muffled. And background noise, while subdued, is noticeable at times when I’m talking.
Sony says you should be able to eke out eight hours of use on the LinkBuds Open, a significant improvement over the five and a half hours on the first LinkBuds. Indeed, I had no trouble hitting that number during my tests with DSEE Auto and other power-taxing tools enabled. If you find yourself in a pinch, Sony devised a faster quick charge solution that gives you an hour of use in three minutes. What’s more, Auto Battery Save from the LinkBuds Fit is in play here, automatically disabling advanced features when you hit 20 percent battery to extend listening time.
The LinkBuds Open offer some improvements over the first-gen model, but Sony hasn’t addressed an inherent issue with the design. Simply put, they aren’t comfortable to wear for longer than a few minutes and that will be a problem for a lot of people. I understand the outer shell around the ring driver has to be robust enough to protect it, but there needs to be even the slightest bit of cushioning to relieve the pressure. If Sony fixes that, it will have a more compelling product rather than a novelty.
LinkBuds Speaker
The LinkBuds Speaker is an unexpected part of the new LinkBuds lineup. It’s a small Bluetooth speaker that’s designed to be your go-to device when you’re stationary, and is equipped with several features that sync with the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open in a bid to make your life easier – at least in terms of listening to music or podcasts.
The LinkBuds Speaker won’t win any design awards, but that’s par for the course with small Bluetooth speakers. Up top are volume and playback controls which you can also use to start music from select streaming services with one tap (Amazon Music, Spotify and Endel). There’s also a microphone for calls, if you’re okay with a no-frills speakerphone option. Around back, the power button sits at the bottom just above a USB-C charging port. There’s also an attached loop here so you can hang the LinkBuds Speaker on a hook or carabiner. That USB-C port is technically the backup charging method though, since the IPX4-rated speaker comes with a charging cradle that connects via metal contacts on the bottom.
Inside, Sony paired one of its X-balanced woofers with a single tweeter and a passive radiator. The company says this combo provides “well-balanced” and “pleasant and clear sound” that’s tuned so it isn’t exhausting to listen to for long periods of time. In the end, the LinkBuds Speaker suffers a similar fate to comparable Bluetooth devices with a lack of overall fidelity. While it’s true the treble is bright, clean and punchy, the bass is restrained and the mid-range is lacking right out of the box. There are no audio presets to assist you there, but Sony does offer a full 5-band EQ for adjustments, along with a separate Clear Bass slider. You can save changes as custom settings for future use, if you hit on something you like.
After I made the necessary tweaks to address the sonic shortcomings, the speaker sounded slightly better, but there was still a lack of crisp detail some of the competition offers (like the Beats Pill). The only place you’ll notice decent clarity is in the vocals and top end of the EQ. And for outdoor use, you'll be glad the high end is more pronounced so you can better understand the lyrics in the open air.
Billy Steele for Engadget
The LinkBuds Speaker works with Sony’s new Sound Connect app for access to various settings. There’s one key feature I’ll discuss since it’s unique to this device. First, the app allows you to set up routines so that your music starts at specific times during the day. There’s also an automatic switching element to this that works with the LinkBuds Fit and LinkBuds Open, along with additional support for the LinkBuds S, WF-1000XM5 and WH-1000XM5. All of this is managed in the Auto Play section of the app.
Once you sync a set of earbuds or headphones with the LinkBuds Speaker, Sony’s app walks you through the process of setting up morning and bedtime routines. Right now though, those are the only two options, which is frustrating since I need to adjust things throughout the day too. You can set them to any time you want, but they’ll still be labeled “Get Ready” and “Bedtime.” Oddly enough, Apple Music is listed on Auto Play, but Amazon Music isn’t – which is different from the one-tap play setup. Here, you can have the speaker pick up where you left off from your chosen music service or you can have a specific playlist or album set for those two times.
After a routine is set, any music will automatically swap from the speaker to earbuds or headphones when you put them on, and vice versa when you take them off. It works really well, quickly making the change and gradually increasing the volume on the speaker so you’re not blasted from the start. In the mornings, the speaker will even announce the date, time and weather if you want it to (and grant it exact location access). You can also have the device tell you the time on the hour. Lastly, the speaker stays in low-power mode when it’s not in use, which is what allows you to swap the audio when you’re in range.
Sony promises up to 25 hours of battery life on the LinkBuds Speaker, if you have the volume set to “level 23.” Since that’s 23 out of 100, that’s not really a viable scenario. For comfortable, casual listening, you’ll want something around 60 percent – or level 60 in Sony-speak, I guess. At maximum volume, which is deafening, the speaker supposed to last up to six hours. I wouldn’t recommend anything above about 80 percent though, because the pronounced treble starts to cancel out everything else in the mix from that point upwards.
I can see avid users of Sony’s earbuds and headphones enjoying the LinkBuds Speaker's routines and automatic switching. However, there’s much better audio quality from the competition, and in a few cases it’s available for less than the $180 Sony is asking for. I’d like to see Sony incorporate this type of hand-off feature in a speaker designed for your living room or office. With something that’s bigger and offers better sound performance, the company would have a more compelling package for a LinkBuds sidekick.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/sony-linkbuds-fit-and-linkbuds-open-review-two-designs-one-clear-champ-134529932.html?src=rss
Another October Prime Day is in the books, but all of the deals haven’t disappeared from Amazon’s site just yet. This year’s Fall Prime Day brought a bunch of discounts on smartphones, speakers, wearables, robot vacuums and more tech, and you can still grab some of the sale prices right now even after the event has officially ended. While it’s possible we see some of these deals come back in a month during Black Friday, it’s a good idea to pick up your top items now if you’re keen on getting some of your holiday shopping done early. Here are the best Prime Day deals you can still get today.
Best Prime Day deals you can still get: Engadget's top picks
Apple deals can be hit or miss during Amazon Prime Day, but we saw a number of good ones this time and many of them are still available. Whether you've been on the hunt for a new Apple device for yourself or you know you want to pick one up as a gift, you can save a bit of cash if you do so now.
Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299 ($50 off): The new, baseline iPad updates a familiar device with a fresh design, improved performance, USB-C charging and a better battery life.
Apple 9th-gen iPad for $199 ($130 off): This model is on its way out, but $200 for an iPad is a solid sale price. This slab has a 10.2-inch display, an A13 Bionic chip and 64GB of storage — plus the antiquated physical Home button.
Apple AirPods Max for $395 ($154 off): These expensive cans are a much better buy when on sale, and they boast excellent sound quality, good ANC, a luxe design and a solid battery life. They're available in Lightning or USB-C.
Apple AirPods 4 for $119 ($10 off): This modest discount has been available for a few weeks now, but it's still worth highlighting given that Apple only launched its new wireless earbuds last month. We gave the pair a review score of 88, praising its improved fit, comfort and overall sound quality. This model doesn't include active noise cancellation or wireless charging, however.
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen, GPS) for $170 ($79 off): The entry-level Apple Watch remains a fine choice for first-time smartwatch buyers, so long as you can live without the larger always-on display and more advanced health features of the pricier Series 10. This is another one of the lowest prices we’ve tracked for the 40mm model; the larger 44mm variant is similarly discounted at $200.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.
A number of Lego sets are still on sale post October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you'll find savings up to 41 percent on those.
Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but it would be unwise to sleep on these Prime Day tech deals that you can still get today. We're seeing steep discounts on headphones, TVs, streaming devices, gaming gear and more, making it a good time to pick up something for yourself or cross a few items off your holiday shopping list early.
Sonos Era 100 for $199 ($50 off): This is one of our favorite smart speakers thanks to its excellent sound quality, Trueplay tuning and Bluetooth support. Plus, if you have two of them, you can pair them for a stellar stereo sound experience.
Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 ($21 off): The brand new Ultra is 30 percent faster than the previous model, and it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6.
LG 55-inch C4 evo OLED smart TV for $1,297 ($700 off): LG's midrange OLED sets, the C4 family includes upgraded Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip, improved brightness and a 144Hz max refresh rate. Most sizes are discounted at the moment.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $300 ($119 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD (1TB) for $85 ($10 off): The X9 Pro is the top pick in our guide to the best portable SSDs, combining dependable performance with a rugged compact design. We've seen this 1TB model go for much less in previously sales, but it's sat in the $90 to $100 range for almost all of the past year. This discount marks the lowest price we've seen since January.
SanDisk Ultra microSD card (1.5TB) for $90 ($60 off): If you don’t care about performance so much and just want a big chunk of space for as little cash as possible, this deal should work. You’ll have to deal with slower transfer speeds, but the discount takes roughly $20 off this 1.5TB card’s typical going rate in recent months.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $696 ($54 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Ninja DualZone air fryer for $168 ($32 off): This 8-quart model of one of our favorite air fryers can cook two totally different foods at the same time, and you can set it up for both foods to be done cooking at the same time. The larger, 10-quart model is $50 off and down to $200.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-deals-you-can-still-get-after-the-october-big-deal-days-sale-apple-anker-sonos-lego-and-more-040010396.html?src=rss
Two former leaders from video game publisher Humble Games, Alan Patmore and Mark Nash, have launched a new outfit called Good Games Group. And ironically, the first deal this indie publisher has landed is with its team's old parent company. According to the statement from Good Games Group, the business will work with Humble Games to provide support for previously released titles.
"Good Games Group’s mission is to bring exceptional indie games to the global gaming community," CEO Alan Patmore said. "Partnering with Ziff Davis allows us to continue working with the amazing indie developers we collaborated with at Humble Games, while also allowing us to chart a new course for the future." Ziff Davis is a media conglomerate that owns sites such as IGN and Eurogamer as well as Humble Games.
In July, Humble Games announced a restructuring that saw most of the staff laid off. Although a rep from Humble Games said it would continue supporting the company's existing game lineup, this amount of upheaval is all but guaranteed to cause trouble for game developers. For instance, Squid Shock Games turned to a Patreon fundraiser to generate financial support for its game Bō: Path of the Teal Lotus. The studio's debut title was released just before the Humble Games cuts.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/former-humble-games-staff-form-new-publisher-that-will-work-with-their-old-company-211539753.html?src=rss
October Prime Day 2024 has given Prime members another opportunity to save one some of our favorite tech and maybe even snag some holiday gifts early and for less. If you checked out Amazon's site yesterday or today, you may have quickly gotten overwhelmed by the volume of deals — we wouldn't blame you.
But Engadget can help make it easier to navigate the sea of discounts. We've curated the best October Prime Day deals on gadgets and gear we can find, including discounts on smartphones, tablets, gaming accessories, robot vacuums and more. These are the best Prime Day deals you can get in the final hours of the sale. We’ll be updating this post regularly throughout the duration of October Prime Day, so check back to see the latest discounts.
Apple deals can be hit or miss during Amazon Prime Day, but this year there are a number of good ones you can shop. Whether you've been on the hunt for a new Apple device for yourself or you know you want to pick one up as a gift, you can save a bit of cash if you do so now.
Apple AirPods Pro for $169 ($80 off): Apple's most powerful wireless earbuds have excellent ANC, a good sound profile and decent battery life, and thanks to a software update, they just got new features like voice isolation and Siri interactions (hearing aid features are coming soon).
Apple AirPods Max for $395 ($154 off): These expensive cans are a much better buy when on sale, and they boast excellent sound quality, good ANC, a luxe design and a solid battery life. They're available in Lightning or USB-C.
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen, GPS) for $170 ($79 off): The entry-level Apple Watch remains a fine choice for first-time smartwatch buyers, so long as you can live without the larger always-on display and more advanced health features of the pricier Series 10. This is another one of the lowest prices we’ve tracked for the 40mm model; the larger 44mm variant is similarly discounted at $200.
Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299 ($50 off): The new, baseline iPad updates a familiar device with a fresh design, improved performance, USB-C charging and a better battery life.
Apple 9th-gen iPad for $199 ($130 off): This model is on its way out, but $200 for an iPad is a solid sale price. This slab has a 10.2-inch display, an A13 Bionic chip and 64GB of storage — plus the antiquated physical Home button.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.
One can never have too many charging accessories, be they cables, wireless charging pads or power banks. Anker makes some of our favorites across all those categories, and you'll find deep discounts on Anker gear for Prime Day.
Anker MagGo 3-in-1 charging stand for $72 ($28 off): This stand supports an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, and it comes with a 40W wall charger and a USB-C to C cable which which to connect all the necessary pieces together.
Headphones and earbuds are typically some of the most plentiful deals on Prime Day, which makes it a great time to consider upgrading or picking up a pair for someone as a gift. Whether you prefer over-ear headphones or in-ear wireless buds, you'll find steep discounts across all types for Prime Day.
Aside from Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day is the best time of the year to pick up a piece of tech made by the online retailer. Usually, you can snag record-low prices on things like Echo speakers, Fire TV devices, Kindle ereaders and much more.
Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): This recently revived smart display is billed as a smart alarm clock, and it features a customizable screen, big sound for its size and all the perks for Alexa voice commands. You can also grab it bundled with a free TP-Link smart light bulb.
Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 ($45 off): Amazon just released this new version of the HD 8 tablet, which includes more RAM, a better camera and new AI features not found on the previous model.
Ring pan and tilt security camera for $50 ($30 off): This security camera joined the Ring lineup only a few months ago, and this is the best price we've seen on it. It's part of a larger Ring sale that discounts home security gear by up to 50 percent.
Best Prime Day Lego deals
A number of Lego sets have already been discounted for October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you'll find savings up to 41 percent on those.
Best Prime Day deals on robot vacuums and smart home gadgets
Everyone needs a vacuum, regardless of if you prefer to do the chore yourself or automate it with a robotic gadget. Plenty of top robot vacuums (and cordless vacuums) are on sale for Prime Day, along with a number of other smart home gadgets we recommend.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $300 ($120 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $570 ($180 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Best Prime Day deals on kitchen tech
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
The right kitchen tech can make all the difference in your cooking journey, whether you've just started to meal-prep or you have a multi-course Thanksgiving menu already planned. This fall Prime Day, we're seeing big discounts on some of our favorite small appliances from air fryers to pizza ovens to ice cream machines.
Ninja DualZone air fryer for $168 ($32 off): This 8-quart model of one of our favorite air fryers can cook two totally different foods at the same time, and you can set it up for both foods to be done cooking at the same time. The larger, 10-quart model is $50 off and down to $200.
Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $85.49 ($33.51 off): This newer air fry from Cosori has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity that makes it just the right size to cook a good amount of food without taking up too much space on most countertops.
Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but it would be unwise to sleep on Prime Day tech deals (particularly if you already pay the annual fee to be a Prime member). We're seeing steep discounts on smartphones, TVs, streaming devices, gaming gear and much more this time around, making it a good time to pick up something for yourself or cross a few items off your holiday shopping list early.
LG 55-inch C4 evo OLED smart TV for $1,297 ($700 off): LG's midrange OLED sets, the C4 family includes upgraded Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip, improved brightness and a 144Hz max refresh rate. Most sizes are discounted at the moment.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $570 ($180 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Dyson Airwrap for $500 ($100 off): Dyson's immensely popular hair styling tool uses the Coanda effect to help create waves and curls without excess heat.
SanDisk Ultra microSD card (1.5TB) for $89 ($61 off): If you don’t care about performance so much and just want a big chunk of space for as little cash as possible, this deal should work. You’ll have to deal with slower transfer speeds, but the discount takes roughly $20 off this 1.5TB card’s typical going rate in recent months.
Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD (1TB) for $85 ($10 off): The X9 Pro is the top pick in our guide to the best portable SSDs, combining dependable performance with a rugged compact design. We've seen this 1TB model go for much less in previously sales, but it's sat in the $90 to $100 range for almost all of the past year. This discount marks the lowest price we've seen since January.
Sonos Era 100 for $199 ($50 off): This is one of our favorite smart speakers thanks to its excellent sound quality, Trueplay tuning and Bluetooth support. Plus, if you have two of them, you can pair them for a stellar stereo sound experience.
Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 ($21 off): The brand new Ultra is 30 percent faster than the previous model, and it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6.
Elgato Stream Deck+ for $170 ($30 off): This upgraded version of the popular streaming controller includes eight programmable buttons, four dials and a touch strip, all of which work together to let you build the ultimate controller for your gaming or productivity setup.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-deals-to-shop-for-on-the-last-day-of-amazons-big-deal-days-sale-apple-anker-sony-and-more-162402816.html?src=rss
GM is charting a course away from its Ultium battery system. The company is dropping that standardized approach in favor of a wider range of battery cell chemistries and physical formats.
The automaker had hoped that, by adopting a unified system across all of its EVs as well as other products, it would be able to reduce costs and ship them faster. The plan was to pack the flat pouch-style Ultium cells into a variety of modules depending on what was needed for each EV.
Things haven't gone smoothly, as Ars Technica notes. Among other things, COVID-19 slowed down the company's EV roadmap and there were problems with the robots that assembled the modules.
"It now makes business sense to transition from one-size-fits-all to new program-specific batteries," Kurt Kelty, GM's vice president of batteries, said at an investor event. The automaker hopes that switching from Ultium's nickel cobalt manganese chemistry to lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery tech will lower the cost of its EVs by as much as $6,000. As The Verge notes, Tesla and Ford are among those that use LFP cells, which are said to be cheaper and less complicated to manufacture. The second-gen Chevy Bolt, which is slated to arrive in late 2025, will use such batteries.
GM plans to build a new battery research facility at the Warren Tech Center in Michigan. The team there will explore cylindrical and prismatic cells in addition to the pouch format. Researchers will also look into alternative battery chemistries.
The shift in battery strategy comes as GM chases profitability in its EV division. The company said it's getting close to that point. It's on track to build and sell around 200,000 EVs this year. GM now claims to be the number two EV seller in North America behind Tesla.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/evs/gm-is-ditching-its-one-size-fits-all-ultium-battery-system-and-adopting-other-cell-formats-193041348.html?src=rss
If you’re looking for a versatile oven and have a little counter space to spare, this Prime Day deal may be for you. Amazon has the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro on sale for $100 off. The stainless steel appliance that can do everything from toasting and roasting to slow cooking and dehydrating usually costs $400, but today, you can get it for a mere $300.
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is Engadget’s pick for the best budget air fryer toaster oven. The appliance has a versatile skillset, including (deep breath) toast, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, proof, air fry, reheat, cookies, slow cook, keep warm and dehydrate. It has an internal capacity of one cubic foot — enough to fit a 14-pound turkey, five-quart Dutch oven, 9 x 13-inch pan or 12 muffin trays.
The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro makes for a terrific second oven. But you could even use it as your primary one if you aren’t in the habit of cooking things like a giant rib roast or full-sized New York-style pizza. However, it does take up a decent amount of counter space (at least as far as toaster ovens go), so make sure you can accommodate the 21.5-inch wide x 17.5-inch deep x 12.7-inch high appliance.
The oven has an LCD to indicate which mode you’re using, and you control it with a snazzy-looking series of knobs and buttons. It supports temps from 80 to 480 degrees Fahrenheit and includes a feature that automatically begins counting down the cooking timer when it finishes pre-heating. One thing to note is the appliance isn’t app-friendly despite its “smart” branding. For that, you would need the Joule upgrade model, which (unfortunately) isn’t on sale.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/brevilles-smart-oven-air-fryer-pro-is-100-off-for-prime-day-163111071.html?src=rss