Unity Software is eliminating 3.8 percent of its global workforce and terminating an agreement with VFX company Weta as part of a “reset,” Reuters has reported. The news follows some severe turbulence in the company, after it imposed and then partially walked back a controversial runtime fee for its game engine. Last month, John Riccitiello stepped down as president and CEO of the company after nine years in leadership. 

Some 265 employees will be laid off, all related to Unity’s professional services agreement struck as part of its purchase of Weta Digital’s technology and engineering division back in 2021. Employees will have only a week to wrap up before their positions are fully terminated, according to FX Guide — a tough blow just before Christmas. In a statement, Weta FX said it will extend offers to as many affected employees as possible.

Unity will close offices in up to 14 locations including Berlin and Singapore, pending consultation with employees in some locations, while reducing its office footprint in San Francisco and Belleview, Washington. The company will no longer require that employees work from offices three days a week and will reduce “full in-office services” to three days a week.

After Unity’s acquisition, Weta FX (the film industry VFX division) split off into a new and separate company. Unity, meanwhile, acquired Weta engineers along with tools for pipelines and FX, Weta’s data platform, a library of assets and more. “Unity will retain ownership of the technology it acquired from Wētā in December 2021 and will be evaluating the best way to enhance its offerings with it over time. The technology will also remain fully available to Weta FX,” Weta said in a statement. 

Just a month ago, Unity rolled out some significant concessions to its developer pricing model after widespread backlash over its plan to charge developers for game installations. The move will directly impact developers, publishers and distributors. The upheaval of Unity’s business model came at the same time as a series of massive layoffs. In 2023, the company reduced its headcount three times in an attempt to cut costs. CEO John Riccitiello, who took much of the brunt of the criticism, stepped down last month and was replaced by former IBM president James Whitehurst, who is serving as an interim CEO. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/unity-cuts-265-jobs-as-part-of-a-company-reset-123511764.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Unity cuts 265 jobs as part of a company ‘reset’

Eduards Sizovs is the founder of DevTernity, a software development conference that had to cancel its most recent event. Mostly because the lineup included female speakers who, under closer inspection, turned out to be fictional. But this may not be the first time Sizovs has invented a woman, and he might also be behind a massively popular coding influencer.

Coding_Unicorn has over 115,000 Instagram followers and purports to be run by Julia Kirsina, who shares tips on software development below her selfies. 404 Media has posted evidence connecting her to Sizovs, suggesting the account is a sock puppet. Evidence includes images from a YouTube video showing Sizovs logged in to her email account, and that a lot of her posts mirror ones posted by Sizovs.

— Dan Cooper

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The biggest stories you might have missed

Our favorite Cyber Monday deals for 2023: These are the 37 still left

The best Cyber Monday deals on Amazon devices still live today

The best Cyber Monday laptop deals still live today

The best Cyber Monday TV deals still available: Save hundreds on sets from Samsung, Sony, LG and more

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

The best Chromebooks you can buy

Google’s first geothermal energy project is up and running

It produces 3.5 megawatts of electricity.

Google is showing off a first-of-its-kind enhanced geothermal energy plant in Nevada, which is now operational. The search giant, in partnership with clean power startup Fervo Energy, dug a pair of narrow wells in the desert, 8,000 feet deep. When filled with cold water, the resulting steam is powerful enough to run a turbine generating 3.5 megawatts around the clock.

Continue Reading.

Ayaneo’s Macintosh-inspired mini PC starts at $149 with internals to match

It makes no sense, but that doesn’t stop me wanting one.

Ayaneo’s next project is the AM01, a small form factor PC with a case that sorta looks like an original Apple Mac. The handheld gaming pioneer isn’t going to blow too many socks off with the specs, with the $149 base model packing a Ryzen 3 3200U, 8GB RAM and 256GB storage. But, and I cannot stress this enough, it does look cute.

Continue Reading.

IKEA’s new smart home sensors focus on safety and avoiding water damage

Yes, even IKEA makes a water leak sensor now.

IKEA may not be the first name you think of in the smart home space, but it has quietly built up an impressive suite of tools. The latest additions to its range include window and door sensors as well as a water leak detector, all of which are compatible with its most recent hub. And while the US pricing hasn’t been announced, all the units are so cheap in Europe they’re a no-brainer.

Continue Reading.

Meta pauses Quest 3 Elite Battery Strap sales, reportedly due to a charging flaw

It also had issues with the Quest 2 Elite strap.

Meta has paused sales of its Elite Strap with Battery for the Quest 3, citing a firmware-related charging defect. It says, when fixed, it’ll replace already-sold units, as and when buyers contact the company. The strap is meant to boost battery life by two hours on the standalone VR headset, but users have found it stops charging earlier than expected.

Continue Reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-is-a-famous-coding-influencer-fake-121545348.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Is a famous coding influencer fake?

There’s a lot of bad stuff on the internet, but memes tend to be a bright, silly light in digital interactions. Now, they might be even easier to access and create thanks to Google Registry launching a new top-level domain type: .meme. That’s right, forget .com or .org, you can lean right into the jokes and get a meme-centric domain. According to Google, “.meme domains are meant to spread humor, ideas, style, and culture. Use it to show your audience that you’re in the present.” The whole idea feels reminiscent of the early days of Tumblr. 

Google has teamed up with six companies and individuals to showcase options for using .meme. These include Know Your Meme (which highlights trending memes and history) and Tenor (for searching and creating new memes). Plus, there are another four sites devoted entirely to cat memes, including dedicated domains for both Nyan Cat and Grumpy Cat. Basically, if you want to create a lighthearted, meme-filled website, this is your chance. 

The Early Access Period (EAP) for registering a .meme domain has begun, but it includes an extra one-time fee. That additional cost will be reduced every day until December 5 at 11AM ET when .meme domains become available for a base annual price. If you’re interested in buying a domain, search the name’s availability at get.meme. If it’s available, Google will show you a range of partners that you can purchase the domain from, such as GoDaddy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/googles-new-domains-can-really-put-a-price-on-a-meme-115542941.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google’s new domains can really put a price on a .meme

Apple and Goldman Sachs are potentially ending their partnership four years after joining forces on an Apple credit card, The Wall Street Journal reports. The companies recently extended their agreement until 2029, but Apple proposes ending the contract in the next 12 to 15 months.

Although the pair launched a high-yield savings account in April of this year, it’s likely that Goldman won’t be too upset by a possible breakup. Last month, reports suggested the bank was aiming to get out of the consumer lending business. It had gone as far as to tell Apple earlier this year that it would like to get out of the agreement and approached American Express to take over its side of operations. 

Goldman also recently made arrangements to sell home improvement loan company Green Sky and plans to end its other credit card partnership with General Motors. Basically, Goldman tried to diversify outside of corporate and very wealthy clients, potentially writing off billions of dollars before returning to basics. The bank told employees that any layoffs would include one year’s salary.

In a statement to CNBC, an Apple representative said: “Apple and Goldman Sachs are focused on providing an incredible experience for our customers to help them lead healthier financial lives. The award-winning Apple Card has seen a great reception from consumers, and we will continue to innovate and deliver the best tools and services for them.”

Apple and Goldman’s partnership was never a match made in heaven for the companies or consumers. Goldman employees were frustrated with aspects such as the payment schedule and a push for mass application approval. Customers, on the other hand, reported that the bank’s customer service was a nightmare, including delayed transfers and lectures from representatives, according to The Information.

The future of Apple’s credit card and high-yield savings account is uncertain. The pair are part of Apple’s services sector, which is seeing growing revenue compared to reductions in its general sales. Synchrony Financial, which works with Amazon and PayPal, has been exploring the possibility of taking over Goldman’s role. The company originally bid against Goldman for the program.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-reportedly-ending-its-partnership-with-goldman-sachs-104511694.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple is reportedly ending its partnership with Goldman Sachs

Do you have a Google account you haven’t checked for awhile but still want to keep? You’d better log in soon before it gets purged. Starting December 1st, 2023 (Friday), Google will begin deleting accounts that have been inactive for at least two years. The company says it’s doing so for privacy reasons and no doubt to free up quite a bit of space on its servers. 

“If an account hasn’t been used for an extended period of time, it is more likely to be compromised,” Google noted in May 2023. “This is because forgotten or unattended accounts often rely on old or re-used passwords that may have been compromised, haven’t had two factor authentication set up, and receive fewer security checks by the user.” It added that abandoned accounts are “at least 10 times less likely than active accounts to have 2-step-verification setup.” 

Google will warn users before deletion via emails sent to the inactive account and another email, provided one has been set up. The policy only applies to personal and not business or education accounts, Google said. Some accounts will be exempt from deletion, including those with YouTube videos uploaded, an active paid subscription or holding gift cards. Deletion will start with accounts that have never been used, it said in May. 

To stop deletion, you’ll need to sign into the inactive account and access some of the services (read or send an email, use Google Drive, watch a YouTube video, etc.). If you have anything saved in Google Photos, you’ll want to access that content specifically, as Google has a separate policy for that service. “If you’re inactive in Google Photos for two years or more, all of your content may be deleted,” it states. 

Google isn’t alone with this policy, as since 2019, Microsoft has deleted Outlook (or related Hotmail) accounts that have been inactive for two years. In any case, it’s always a good idea to backup your Google accounts using the company’s Takeout feature and have a backup email for any important accounts. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/psa-your-inactive-google-account-could-be-deleted-on-december-1-100515990.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – PSA: Your inactive Google account could be deleted on December 1

HTC released the Vive Ultimate Tracker, which when paired with one of the company’s virtual reality headsets, delivers multi-point body tracking for users for everything from first-person shooter gaming to soccer skills training. The new tracker follows HTC’s Vive Tracker 3.0 line and will cost $199 per unit. HTC is also selling a three-pack that comes with the required wireless dongle and other accessories for a bundle price of $599.

You can use up to five “six degrees of freedom” (6DoF) Ultimate Trackers simultaneously and connect to a single headset to collectively support multi-point full-body tracking. Each tracker relies on two wide field-of-view cameras to precisely locate the wearer’s motions in 3D spaces, which ultimately gives it those self-tracking capabilities. The Global Head of Product at HTC, Shen Ye, said the technology built into the Ultimate tracker will enhance the virtual reality experience, making sessions “a lot more realistic and immersive.” Previous models relied on a base station for its tracking capabilities.

The lightweight positional trackers, weighing in at 94 grams a unit, can be attached to a variety of accessories, like a racket sports set, which expands its usability for things like VR training and dancing in VRChat. For example, the Vive Ultimate Tracker can be used specifically for foot tracking, which can be used to gauge passing skills during drills for soccer players. “From elite athletes to casual gamers, it’s extremely versatile and easy to set up anywhere,” Adam Dickinson, director of Rezzil, a tech company focused on training athletes using VR, says on using the new tracker.

The new Ultimate trackers are flat and are smaller than a smartphone, giving it an entirely different look from its three-pointed predecessor, the Vive Tracker 3.0. The Ultimate Tracker can also be paired with a standard mount and paired with HTC’s Vive XR Elite and Vive Focus 3. The trackers communicate positional and map data to the headset via 2.4 GHz band and a 5 GHz WiFi band and have a battery life of up to 7 hours.

Though the company may be getting ahead of itself, Vive says it would eventually like the Ultimate Tracker to work independently with SteamVR without being paired to an XR headset. The first step in this process should come soon, as HTC plans to release a beta for direct connection to SteamVR “in the coming weeks.” This, the company says, will expand the Ultimate Tracker’s capabilities for industrial use. HTC headsets have been vying for space in the race to deliver the best virtual reality headset and accessories, primarily against the likes of Meta and its Quest headsets. Expanding the capabilities of its trackers may help Vive narrow the competitive gap, as more innovative applications may be key to enticing the niche world of VR gamers and users moving forward.

Update, November 30 2023, 1:08 PM ET: This story has been updated to clarify how the trackers use WiFi to operate.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/htcs-vive-ultimate-trackers-have-cameras-to-improve-full-body-tracking-000008776.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – HTC’s Vive Ultimate Trackers have cameras to improve full-body tracking

Hyundai is on a design roll these days. Everything that’s coming out of the brand’s South Korean design studios looks fresh and interesting, and that’s very much the case with the new Santa Fe. Dropping next year, the 2024 Santa Fe looks nothing like the current car. In fact it looks more like a Land Rover, but still has a look all its own.

It has a selection of great tech, too, like dual wireless chargers, dual 12.3-inch displays and wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Plus, with three rows of seating, the Santa Fe hauls more folks and more cargo than ever before. Two engines will be on offer: a 2.5-liter, turbocharged four-cylinder making 277 horsepower and a 1.6-liter hybrid, with 232 ponies.

But what’s it like to drive? And is that third row actually usable? We headed to South Korea to find out. Watch the video below for the full story.

Amazon has revealed more about its upcoming Fallout series on Prime Video. The company shared the first images from the show and gave Vanity Fair a sneak peek ahead of its April debut. Based on the game franchise, it stars Ella Purnell (Yellowjackets) as a naive newcomer to the post-apocalyptic surface world she’s spent her comfortable life hiding from underground.

The series takes place in the year 2296. That’s 219 years after nuclear war ravaged the Earth, driving deep-pocketed survivors into subterranean bunkers, leaving everyone else to fend for themselves above ground. Lucy is the daughter of “Overseer Hank” (Kyle MacLachlan, Twin Peaks), the mayor-like figure of Lucy’s Vault 33.

Vanity Fair says Vault Boy, the iconic game logo, appears as the mascot for Lucy’s underground dwelling. We’ll even hear about its origin story. “That was something that they came up with that’s just really smart,” Bethesda’s Todd Howard said, describing the series’ creative take on Vault Boy’s genesis.

Amazon / Bethesda

The Ghoul, familiar to fans of the games, will be played by the scene-stealing Walton Goggins (Justified, The Hateful Eight) in a role that sounds tailored to the wry character actor. “Walton’s equally adept at drama and comedy, which is so difficult,” creator Jonathan Nolan told Vanity Fair. “There is a chasm in time and distance between who this guy was and who he’s become, which for me creates an enormous dramatic question: What happened to this guy? So we’ll walk backwards into that.”

Nolan says The Ghoul represents all sides of Fallout’s world. “He’s got a lot of mileage on him, but he’s still got a swagger and kind of a charm to him,” Nolan said. The series’ take on the character strikes a balance between using prosthetics and makeup to show his disfigured face while still giving Goggins room to find the half-dead, half-immortal character’s humanity. “I need to be able to see Walton and his performance, he needs to look like a Ghoul from the game, and he needs to be kind of hot,” Nolan said.

The series was created by Westworld creators Nolan and Lisa Loy. They describe the story as hitting similar notes as the games, including its retrofuturistic stylings, biting social commentary and themes of gray morality. “We had a lot of conversations over the style of humor, the level of violence, the style of violence,” Bethesda’s Howard, an executive producer on the show, said. “Look, Fallout can be very dramatic, and dark, and postapocalyptic, but you need to weave in a little bit of a wink…. I think they threaded that needle really well on the TV show.”

Fallout premieres on April 12, 2024, on Amazon Prime Video.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazons-new-fallout-series-will-reveal-the-origins-of-vault-boy-221607044.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Amazon’s new Fallout series will reveal the origins of Vault Boy

Many companies give away free plugins in honor of the holiday season, but Universal Audio is taking things a step further. The audio giant is giving away free Volt 2 hardware interfaces with the purchase of a yearly subscription to its Spark plugin platform. These interfaces typically cost $170, so this is a pretty great deal for beginners, as the hardware plus the Spark software is pretty much everything you need.

Spark subscriptions are also on sale for the holidays, at $150 instead of $240, though this price point is fairly common. The end result? You pay $150 and you get a year of access to every available plugin on the service, plus the Volt 2. Not bad. The company’s subscription-based Spark platform allows access to dozens of popular UAD plugins, from iconic compressors like the 1176 to virtual instruments like the company’s Minimoog reproduction.

As for the Volt 2, this diminutive audio interface features a pair of TRS / XLR inputs on the front and associated gain control knobs. There’s a phantom power button for condenser mics and a proprietary Vintage Mode that runs the signal through a simple tube preamp emulation. These interfaces are powered via USB-C, though ship with a 5V jack for when you’re plugged into an iPad or another mobile device.

In our official review, we praised the Volt 2 audio interface for its minimal noise floor, simple controls and low latency, particularly on Windows machines. The biggest con was the price, which is normally the case for UAD products. Now that it’s down to $0 for this promotion, that worry has dissipated.

This isn’t the first time that UAD has leveraged the holiday season to give away free hardware. The company used to hand out free Satellite DSP accelerators to run its plugins with the purchase of higher-priced hardware items like the multi-channel 4-710d preamp and compressor.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/universal-audio-is-giving-away-volt-2-audio-interfaces-with-spark-subscriptions-182131900.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Universal Audio is giving away Volt 2 audio interfaces with Spark subscriptions

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

Source: Engadget – Nintendo Switch Cyber Monday deals you can still get on consoles and games

Back in June, the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) began an in depth investigation into the planned $20 billion Adobe and Figma merger. The organization has released its findings and, well, they don’t paint a rosy picture. The probe tasked independent experts to determine whether or not the merger would reduce competition in the design space and the results suggest that, in fact, it’ll do just that.

It must be noted, however, that these are provisional findings. With that said, the CMA’s message is clear. The group states that the merger will “eliminate competition between two main competitors”, which is fairly obvious given Figma and Adobe’s standing in the industry. The findings also state that the deal would “reduce innovation” and the development of competing products. Finally, it’ll also “remove Figma as a threat” with regard to Adobe’s flagship software suites like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Figma is a giant player in the UK design space, accounting for 80 percent of the market. It’s also a major part of the country’s $19.4 billion app development sector. Without the merger, the CMA suggests, Figma would continue to develop or expand products that challenge Adobe. That goes away once the merger is in place because, you know, why challenge yourself?

The investigation concludes that the merger would eliminate competition between these two major players across multiple fields, including product design, image editing and illustration. These sectors account for $60 billion in annual revenue across the UK, adding up to nearly three percent of the national economy, with 850,000 skilled workers across the impacted industries. Another intent of the investigation was to suss out if the merger would damage the UK’s economy and it concluded it most likely will.

Again, these are provisional findings and the CMA has yet to consult the data to reach a final decision as to whether or not it’ll allow the sale to go through. It plans on taking some time to “listen to any further views,” likely referring to Adobe. To that end, Adobe argues that buying Figma would strengthen both companies, saying that the Creative Cloud apps would get some of Figma’s collaborative features and vice-versa. The company says it’s “deeply committed” to keeping Figma an independent entity and that it has no plans to change the pricing, including Figma’s free tier.

If the deal’s approved by the UK, which looks more unlikely with this report, Adobe still has some other battles to fight before this merger officially goes through. The acquisition still faces a US investigation, and the EU has issued its own dire warning.

This would be the larger-ever-purchase for Adobe in its storied 41-year history. Figma, on the other hand, is a relative newcomer to the market, springing forth in 2012.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/adobe-and-figma-deal-will-harm-digital-design-sector-uk-report-suggests-163954858.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Adobe and Figma deal will ‘harm’ digital design sector, UK report suggests

Google says a first-of-its-kind geothermal energy project is now feeding carbon-free electricity (CFE) into the Nevada grid that powers its data centers in the area. The company says that the enhanced geothermal system (EGS) is delivering a round-the-clock supply of CFE to the grid. It’s a step toward Google’s goal of entirely powering its data centers and offices on CFE by 2030.

Google teamed up with clean energy startup Fervo Energy in 2021 to work on an EGS. Unlike other sources of CFE such as solar and wind, geothermal projects can operate at any time (solar projects, for instance, can only capture energy during the day). 

Cyber Monday is officially in the rear view mirror, but if you’re still looking to pick up a new TV at a discount, it’s not too late. While some of the best Cyber Monday TV deals we could find are no longer available, a handful are still live, including discounts on both premium OLED TVs and more budget-friendly sets from Samsung, LG, Sony, Hisense and TCL. To help make sure you get a TV that’s worth your money, we’ve rounded up the best of the bunch below. And if you’re already happy with your set, we’ve also included a few good Cyber Monday deals for Roku and Chromecast streamers that are still kicking.

Best Cyber Monday OLED TV deals

55-inch Samsung S90C OLED TV

A 55-inch model of Samsung’s S90C OLED TV is still available for $1,298 at Amazon, Walmart and B&H. Samsung itself has it for $2 more. This has been the S90C’s price for the last few weeks but, outside of a brief drop to $1,098 at B&H earlier this month, it matches the lowest rate we’ve tracked. The S90C has received near–universal praise for its QD-OLED panel, which uses quantum dots to boost its peak brightness and color saturation while retaining the high contrast and deep black tones of a typical OLED display. Put another way: It looks great, and it should hold up better than most OLED TVs in a bright room. It’s also an ideal gaming TV, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to a 144Hz refresh rate in 4K. The main drawback is that, like all Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support the popular Dolby Vision HDR format.

48-inch LG A2 OLED TV

The 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV is now available for $600 at Best Buy. That’s $50 higher than the all-time low we saw during Cyber Monday, but if you want to step up to an OLED TV at a reasonably affordable price, it’s still a solid value. The A2 is an entry-level model from 2022, so it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and doesn’t support other gaming-friendly features like VRR. It has noticeably lower peak brightness than higher-end OLEDs like the S90, too, so it won’t pop as much with HDR content. That said, it’s still an OLED TV, so it still delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag for the money. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms.

55-inch Sony A95L OLED TV

If money is truly no object, the 55-inch Sony A95L is $300 off and down to a new “low” of $2,498 at Amazon and B&H (and $2,500 at Best Buy). That’s far from cheap, but this ultra-premium QD-OLED TV has received wide praise for delivering perfect black levels, superb image processing, particularly punchy colors, and high brightness levels relative to other OLED sets. It’s another Google TV and, unlike the Samsung S90C, it supports Dolby Vision HDR. It can even play games at 4K/120Hz with Dolby Vision, and several reviews praise the quality of its built-in speakers. The main negative, apart from its eye-watering price, is that it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports. The S90C should be a better value for most, particularly gamers, but this deal makes the A95L at least a little cheaper than usual.

Best Cyber Monday 4K LED TV deals

55-inch Samsung The Frame LED TV (LS03B)

The 55-inch version of Samsung’s The Frame TV is still down to $978 at Amazon and B&H, which is nearly $400 off its average street price in recent months. It’s available for a couple bucks more at Samsung and Best Buy. This LED TV lacks contrast-boosting features like local dimming and mini-LED backlights, so its picture quality, while good, can’t match the best sets in its price range. Instead, you’d buy a Frame TV for its style. The whole thing is designed to look like a mountable piece of wall art, and when you aren’t watching something, you can use it to display artwork and photos. The TV comes with a few pieces by default, while others are available with an optional subscription.

55-inch Hisense U8K LED TV

The 55-inch Hisense U8K remains available for $698 an Amazon and Walmart, which is an all-time low and $50 less than its typical street price in recent months. Best Buy has it for $700. The 65-inch model is still a decent value at $900 — though that’s $30 higher than the low we saw on Cyber Monday — while the 75-inch set is at a low of $1,290. Several reviews have praised the U8K as one of the year’s best values among midrange TVs, one that gets impressively bright and delivers strong contrast for an LED display. It comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports that play 4K video up to 144Hz, it supports all the major HDR formats and its Google TV platform is easier to use than most smart TV UIs. Its motion and color performance will still trail a good OLED TV, though, and reviews say it’ll wash out much more heavily when viewed from an angle. But if you want to stay under $1,000 for a 65-inch model or smaller, it should be a good value.

65-inch Hisense U6K LED TV

The Hisense U6K is down to $350 for a 55-inch model and $498 for a 65-inch model, both of which represent all-time lows. The U6K is a well–reviewed option for those on a tighter budget, as it’s one of the few affordable sets to use quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and full-array local dimming. All of that helps it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in this price range. It can’t get as bright as the U8K or TCL QM8, so it won’t exactly sparkle with HDR content, and its picture will degrade when viewed at an angle. Its 60Hz refresh rate and lack of HDMI 2.1 ports mean it’s not ideal for gaming, either. But trade-offs are to be expected for less than $500; if you don’t want to pay up for a higher-end model, this looks to be a solid compromise.

65-inch Hisense U7K LED TV

We’ll also note the Hisense U7K, which is down to a low of $900 for a 75-inch set at Amazon and Best Buy. The 65-inch and 55-inch models are also available for lows of $700 and $480, respectively. As its name suggests, this TV sits between the U8K and U6K in Hisense’s lineup: It doesn’t look as rich or bright as the former, but it’s a step up over the latter if you can afford to stretch your budget a little more.

65-inch TCL QM8 LED TV

The TCL QM8 is generally regarded as a close rival to the Hisense U8K in the same price bracket. Its 65-inch model is still down to $900 at Amazon, which is only $2 higher than lowest price we’ve tracked. Like Hisense’s set, the QM8 uses quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and an expansive local dimming feature to deliver strong contrast for a non-OLED TV and enough brightness to overcome glare in any room. It, too, runs Google TV, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that can play in 4K/144Hz.

The QM8 isn’t available in a size lower than 65 inches, so those who don’t have the space for a larger TV should get the U8K. But TCL’s TV does have one advantage for gamers: Its eARC port is separate from its HDMI 2.1 ports. That means those with a PS5, Xbox Series X and eARC-enabled soundbar can have all three hooked up at once and enjoy 4K/120Hz gaming on the two consoles without having to change inputs. One of the U8K’s HDMI 2.1 ports, on the other hand, doubles as the eARC port, so it might cause a little extra hassle. Otherwise, the two sets appear to offer similar performance.

65-inch TCL Q6 LED TV

The 65-inch TCL Q6 is available for $500 at Amazon and Best Buy, which is $20 more than its all-time low but still $50 below its usual street price. The 75-inch set is also on sale for $650, which is an all-time low. The Q6 is another budget-level TV released in 2023. Most reviews we trust say it lags well behind the Hisense U6K when it comes to contrast and HDR performance, but it’s worth highlighting because it supports a faster 120Hz refresh rate — so long as you play at a 1080p or 1440p resolution instead of 4K. If you’re a competitive-minded gamer who doesn’t want to spend a ton on a new TV, that extra smoothness might be worthwhile. Note that this set runs Amazon’s Fire TV platform, which’ll work best if you often use Amazon services like Prime Video.

Best Cyber Monday streaming deals

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is still down to $30 at Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy and Roku’s online store, among others. That’s $5 more than its all-time low but still $14 off the average street price we’ve seen in recent months. The Streaming Stick 4K is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices: It runs quickly, it supports the major HDR formats and streaming services (Twitch excluded) and it has useful features like AirPlay support and a private listening mode. The Roku OS platform isn’t the sexiest piece of software design, but it’s a breeze to navigate and its search tool does well to find shows across disparate apps.

Roku Express 4K+

A couple other Roku streamers of note remain on sale as well. The Roku Express 4K+, for one, is within a dollar of its all-time low at $25. That dongle can’t plug directly into an HDMI port, lacks Dolby Vision support and has slightly slower Wi-Fi than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it offers the same general experience otherwise. This deal is available at several stores, including Amazon, Home Depot, Best Buy and Roku.com.

Roku Ultra

The Roku Ultra, meanwhile, is down to $69 at various retailers. That’s a $30 discount. The Ultra is the “best set-top box” pick in our media streamer guide; it’s pricier than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it adds an Ethernet jack and a microSD slot for expanding storage. It also comes with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro, which has a rechargeable battery, two programmable shortcut buttons, a remote finder function and a built-in headphone jack for private listening. Just note that you can buy the Voice Remote Pro separately and use it with most other Roku streamers if you don’t want to buy a whole new device.

Google Chromecast with Google TV

The Google Chromecast is on sale for $38 at Amazon, Walmart, Target and others. This deal doesn’t represent an all-time low, but it’s still $12 off Google’s list price. The Chromecast is the runner up in our streaming device guide: It was released way back in 2020 and doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6, but it still performs competently and supports the major apps. Its biggest selling point is the Google TV interface, which does well to proactively suggest shows you might like based on your viewing history and has a genuinely convenient voice search function. If the idea of a streamer that adjusts to your viewing habits sounds appealing, it might be worth grabbing over one of the Roku players above. 

If you’re shopping for an older TV, meanwhile, the 1080p version of the Chromecast offers most of the same benefits and is on sale for $20.

Hulu and Paramount+

If you’re happy with your TV setup but need new things to watch, Hulu and Paramount+ are still running Cyber Monday sales for new and returning subscribers. The former is offering a year of its “with ads” tier for $12 total, down from $80. At the latter, you can get that three months of the ad-supported “Essential” tier for $6 instead of $18. Neither service is essential, but if there’s a show you’ve been meaning to watch on one, offers like these at least make the barrier of entry a bit less imposing. Just remember that your subscription will be set to auto-renew in most cases, so you’ll have to cancel manually if you don’t want to pay full price after the discounted period ends.

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-best-cyber-monday-tv-deals-that-are-still-available-save-hundreds-on-sets-from-samsung-sony-lg-and-more-160503246.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The best Cyber Monday TV deals that are still available: Save hundreds on sets from Samsung, Sony, LG and more

Cyber Monday is behind us, but we’re still seeing a number of noteworthy deals on laptops that are worth your money. While the number of deals is no where near where it was yesterday, there are still a number of the best Cyber Monday laptop deals available right now. If you’re looking to gift a new notebook this holiday season or just upgrade your own aging device, you still have time to save hundreds on machines from Dell, Lenovo, HP, Microsoft and others. Some of the deals have brought record lows to top picks from our guides to the best gaming laptops, MacBooks, Chromebooks and Windows laptops and others. Here are the best Cyber Monday laptop deals that are still live today.

Best Cyber Monday MacBook deals

Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1)

The older 13-inch MacBook Air that was released in 2020 and uses Apple’s M1 chip is also on sale, with an entry-level config available for $750 at Amazon and Best Buy. We’ve seen this deal a handful of times over the last few months, but it matches the lowest price we’ve seen. It’s really worth stepping up to the M2 Air if you can: It’ll get you a more modern design, a faster chip, a sharper webcam and improved speakers. The 8GB of RAM and 256GB SSD in this config is only suitable for casual use, and this model will almost certainly be discontinued when we get the inevitable M3 refresh. But if you’re on a stricter budget and really want a MacBook, the M1 Air is still well-built, long-lasting and fast enough for the essentials. We currently highlight it in our guide to the best budget laptops.

Best Cyber Monday Chromebook deals

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is down to $379 at Best Buy, which is $120 off its list price. This is the latest iteration of the top pick in our Chromebook buying guide. Its 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS touchscreen is good for the money, and it’s plenty fast for the web browsing and light work you’d do with Chrome OS. Both its keyboard and trackpad are comfortable, plus it comes with a decent 1080p webcam. This model comes with an Intel Core i3-1315U processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of eMMC storage, one USB-A port, two USB-C 3.2 ports and a microSD card slot. The chassis isn’t especially light at 3.6 pounds, and we found the battery to last roughly seven hours in testing, which is just OK. But for less than $400, this is a strong value.

Best Cyber Monday Windows laptop deals

Dell XPS 13 (9315)

Dell’s XPS 13 is down to $799 for a configuration with a Core i7-1250U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a 13.4-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 resolution display. That’s $300 off Dell’s list price and only a little bit higher than the lowest price we’ve seen. The XPS 13 is the top pick in our guide to the best Windows laptops thanks to its svelte design, dependable keyboard and trackpad, lengthy battery life and solid display. You’re not getting the latest processor here, but this model is still performant enough for everyday work. The main issue here is port selection: There’s only two Thunderbolt 4 ports and no dedicated headphone jack. Still, if you can tolerate using a dongle every now and then, this is a good price for a high-quality ultrabook.

Dell XPS 15 (9530)

If you want a larger Windows workstation, the 15.6-inch Dell XPS 15 is also on sale. One variant with a Core i7-13700H processor, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an Intel Arc 370M GPU and a 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display is available for $1,099. That’s $500 off Dell’s MSRP and the lowest historical price we could find for this config. Performance in this model should be good for most, though other versions with a richer 3.5K OLED panel, stronger GPUs and extra RAM and storage are similarly discounted.

We gave the 2022 version of the XPS 15 a review score of 93, calling it “the best 15-inch Windows laptop” in the process. This latest iteration uses a newer generation of Intel chips, but it doesn’t make too many changes in terms of design, which is largely a good thing. It still looks sharp and feels well-made, with slim bezels, an aluminum chassis and a soft carbon fiber deck. Its memory and storage are user-replaceable, and it’s not crazy huge for a 15-inch machine, either. Its webcam is still limited to a measly 720p, however, and it doesn’t offer a 120Hz display option. It doesn’t have any USB-A ports, either, though it does include two Thunderbolt 4 ports alongside a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port and a headphone jack.

HP Pavilion Aero 13

The HP Pavilion Aero 13 is down to $530 for a model with an AMD Ryzen 5 7535U processor, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This notebook goes on sale fairly often, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen for this config. It’s also $20 lower than the deal we saw on Black Friday. 

The Pavilion Aero 13 is the top Windows pick in our budget laptop buying guide. It’s impressively light (2.2 pounds) and slim (0.67 inches) for the money, while its 13.3-inch, 1,920 x 1,200 IPS display is sufficiently bright and colorful. It comes with a solid backlit keyboard and the essential ports as well. It’s still a budget laptop, so it doesn’t have the sturdiest chassis, and it’s saddled with a 720p webcam. You’ll also have to navigate some bloatware. But if you want a cheaper notebook that doesn’t totally sacrifice aesthetics, it’s a decent option.

Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 2 is down to $2,043 at Amazon for a configuration with a Core i7-13700H, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU. We gave the Surface Laptop Studio 2 a score of 85 in our review. The big hook is its hinged touch display, which lets the bottom of the screen pivot and tilt over the keyboard like an easel for digital artists. We found the 14.4-inch, 2,400 x 1,600 resolution panel to look great more generally, while its battery life, build quality and overall performance all impressed as well. It’s slightly bulkier than competing models, and it’s still expensive even at this price, but this deal makes it a little more approachable for those who want a laptop for media editing and like the hinged design.

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

A configuration of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9 with a Core i5-1235U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Microsoft’s Surface Pro Keyboard is down to $1,000 at Best Buy. That’s $540 off Microsoft’s list price. If you don’t need the keyboard, a variant with a stronger Intel Core i7-1255U chip is down to $1,097 at Amazon (or $1,100 at B&H and Best Buy). That’s an all-time low and roughly $200 off the config’s usual street price. Another Core i7 model with 512GB of storage is on sale for $300 more.

The Surface Pro 9 tops our guide to the best 2-in-1 tablets. While its 12th-gen chip is about to be two generations old, this is still the device to get if you want the functionality of a laptop in the slim design of a tablet. We’re past the point of the year when Microsoft would normally announce a refresh, but the current model should still be useful if you’re coming from an older Surface in desperate need of an upgrade.

Best Cyber Monday gaming laptop deals

ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14

The ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 is still available for $1,200 at Best Buy for a configuration with a Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and a GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and takes $400 off ASUS’ list price. This model also has a 14-inch 1440p display with a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top overall recommendation in our guide to the best gaming laptops. It’s a compact notebook that’s plenty capable for triple-A gaming but doesn’t totally sacrifice the “laptop” part of the phrase “gaming laptop.” It’s relatively light and portable at 3.6 pounds, and its keyboard and trackpad both work well. Its 720p webcam could stand to be sharper, though.

MSI Stealth 14 Studio

The MSI Stealth 14 Studio is another gaming laptop we like, and right now Best Buy has it for $1,100. This model includes a Core i7-13620H chip, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,200 display with a 165Hz refresh rate. We gave the Stealth 14 Studio a score of 87 in our review this past June; like the ROG Zephyrus G14, it’s light for the category at 3.75 pounds and it offers capable performance for everyday gaming. This config is a lower-end model than the one we reviewed — it has a slightly slower CPU and its display isn’t as sharp or fast — but the gist is the same. Its biggest flaws are its middling 720p webcam and the fact that it can run hot under load. It’s still a gaming laptop, so battery life isn’t amazing either.

Whether you should get this config over the ROG Zephyrus G14 deal above comes down to whether you can sacrifice a higher-res display for more storage space. The G14 has more ports as well, though the Stealth 14 Studio includes a Thunderbolt 4 port, which may be important if you ever plan on connecting an external GPU.

Razer Blade 15

The Razer Blade 15 is down to $2,100 at Amazon, B&H and Newegg for a config with a Core i7-13800H, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 15.6-inch IPS display with a 1440p resolution and a 240Hz refresh rate. That’s $400 off and the lowest price we’ve seen for this 2023 model. The Blade 15 is the high-end pick in our gaming laptop buying guide. This model is powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings in 1080p or 1440p, but the main reason to buy any Blade is its design, which is slimmer and generally more premium than most gaming notebooks. Just don’t expect it to last super long on a charge or stay especially cool under load. We gave the 2022 version of the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year.

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-best-cyber-monday-laptop-deals-that-are-still-live-today-153010578.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The best Cyber Monday laptop deals that are still live today

Casio’s instrument division has been around a long time, as anyone who got into music as a kid by making fart noises into an SK-1 knows. However, the company is mostly known for entry-level digital pianos that get the job done, but don’t offer much by way of modern conveniences. In recent years, Casio has been dipping its toes into the waters of high-end instruments like the Privia PX-S7000.

The latest Privia entry is a sizable leap over most starter pianos. This is a serious instrument for serious players, with that quad-speaker system, 88 hybrid hammer action keys that feel fantastic, plenty of high-tech bells and whistles and, most importantly, access to three realistic-sounding piano models, along with 400 other instruments. Oh, and it has a hefty $2,400 price tag to match.

All of that is well and good, but let’s talk about why I really decided to splurge on this thing over the myriad of other digital pianos out there — it’s absolutely gorgeous. It hits that sweet spot between a musical instrument and a piece of high-end furniture. I fell in love pretty much instantly when I saw it online. I wasn’t able to try it out ahead of time, as my options here in Minnesota are limited when it comes to testing synths and digital instruments, so I just went for it. My plan was to return the thing if it was a lemon but, as you can see, it’s still there. It’s not a lemon. Maybe it’s a strawberry? Those are pretty.

I had just moved into a mostly-bare new home and had an entire house to fill for the first time in my life. I wanted something that tied the living room together and I don’t really understand visual art, so I went with what I know: expensive musical instruments. It did the trick. It looks stunning sitting there and almost makes up for the lack of wall art.

The piano itself has elegant spruce sides, and it ships with a sleek and sturdy wooden beech stand. There’s also a nice-looking three-pedal unit that attaches near the bottom, providing yet another feature that makes this digital piano feel, well, not-so digital. It weighs just 60 pounds, so it was easy for me to try out different placements on the fly without destroying my back. Real pianos weigh hundreds and even thousands of pounds — I’ve ruined enough friendships in my life asking people to help me move them around, thank you very much.

I ended up with the black model, though it’s also available in white and “harmonious mustard.” Personally, I think the mustard is the most attractive option, but the eye-popping paint job adds another $200 to the price. I’m financially irresponsible, but even I have my limits. I still lust over that warm and luscious yellow, though.

The Privia PX-S7000 is not just a conversation piece, it also sounds and feels eerily similar to playing the real thing. The three primary piano models are excellent, but digital recreations of classic instruments are nothing new. This instrument combines those excellent piano models with a realistic-sounding speaker system and a keybed that’s incredibly satisfying to play.

The keybed feels great, with a textured surface on each key that calls to mind, you guessed it, an actual piano. There’s a proprietary technology here, called Smart Hybrid Hammer Action, but I don’t really understand the specifics. All I know is that the keys spring back nicely and do their part to keep the illusion going that you’re playing an analog instrument. There’s a heaviness to the key presses and an oh-so-satisfying thunk as each press returns to the resting position. It’s just plain fun to play. (Though I’m not exactly Rachmaninoff. I’m more of a dime-store Paul McCartney.)

Another proprietary system, Casio’s Multi-Dimensional Morphing AiR Sound Source, helps increase the fun factor by adding a bit of damper, string and aliquot resonance with each press. This tech is based on the sound engine from the even more expensive Celviano line of digital pianos, so it’s nice to see it pop up in a cheaper model. There’s also some counterweight and damping voodoo going on underneath the hood. This is the closest I’ve ever felt to the “real thing” with a digital instrument, though I haven’t spent any time with ultra-high-end digital pianos as a comparison point. I have, though, spent hundreds and hundreds of hours playing real pianos, starting in my grandmother’s den as a wee tyke.

When I’m playing the Privia SX-7000, it sounds like the tones are coming from everywhere at once, thanks to the quad-speaker spatial sound system. They really put me in the center of the action and, believe it or not, this actually makes me play better, especially when compared to my caveman plunks on a MIDI controller.

The main draws here are the three piano models, but this is a digital instrument in the year 2023, so there’s some high-tech fun to be had. Casio has introduced a new feature that pairs analog piano sounds and electric tones with on-board effects to recreate the vibe of classic songs. For instance, you can tap away at a piano that sounds like John Lennon’s Imagine, Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, Stevie Wonder’s Superstition and dozens more. There’s even a microphone input and 25 vocal effects options for sing-alongs. I’ve used both to great effect. Starting with a famous piano sound helps me drum up song ideas and plugging a mic in lets me hear my vocals at a decent volume without having to emote like Whitney Houston during the last key change of I Will Always Love You.

All modern digital pianos have a few hundred additional sounds for those times you want to hear an average-sounding bass, and the Privia’s no different. There are 400 sounds to choose from, ranging from good to barely OK. All of the usual bases are covered here, from synth-heavy pads to drum kits and woodwinds. None of these sounds are truly mind-blowing, but they can help generate ideas in a pinch. If I’m recording, however, I prefer a virtual instrument with more control options.

One modern convenience that I enjoy is the included Bluetooth adapter. This is only for incoming sounds, but it’s still pretty cool. I’ve spent many hours streaming music from my phone to the piano and playing along with it. It’s an efficient way to learn new songs.

The piano integrates with a Casio app that offers piano lessons and the like, which I haven’t tried because I like learning in my own way. The app also displays PDF scores on your phone or tablet that you can play along to, though I haven’t experimented much with this feature because I (ducks) can’t read music.

The added features are cool — it’s 2023 after all — but the true draw of the Privia SX-7000 is three-fold: it looks great, it sounds great and it feels like playing a real piano. It’s also really expensive, costing around $2,400, so this isn’t for casual hobbyists. I bought it fully expecting to regret my purchase, but that regret never came. Instead, I feel a spark of joy whenever I see it sitting there, inviting me to play Imagine until I’m blue in the face.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/what-we-bought-casios-latest-flagship-digital-piano-doubles-as-drool-worthy-furniture-150038288.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – What we bought: Casio’s latest flagship digital piano doubles as drool-worthy furniture

IKEA isn’t going to be making a play for top tech company anytime soon, but it has kept up an offering of solid smart home devices. Its latest releases are a trio of affordable smart home sensors for everything from open doors to water leakage.

First in the lineup is the Parasoll door and window sensor. You can mount it on your door or window (basically any access point) and receive a notification if they open or close unexpectedly. It also pairs directly with an IKEA smart bulb. Speaking of light, there’s the Vallhorn wireless motion sensor, which activates lights when movement is detected. You can choose what color and amount of light you want, with the sensor controlling up to 10 IKEA smart bulbs. Rounding out the new offerings is the Barding water leakage sensor, which works to alert you about any rogue water before your floor finds out. The device can send you a mobile notification, or trigger an alarm.

The sensors are small and white, lending themselves to blending in better throughout the house (unless you really love color). All the sensors are compatible with IKEA’s Dirigera Hub, but only Vallhorn works with the older Tradfri gateway.

IKEA points to people’s desire to feel comfortable and secure in their homes as motivation for these new products. “Everyone wants to feel safe at home and we feel excited about entering a new smart product area that creates not only a better, but safer life at home,” Stjepan Begic, Product Design Developer at IKEA of Sweden, said in a statement. “We believe these products can provide our customers with peace of mind and a greater sense of control and comfort.” The three new devices follow the release of previous sensors by IKEA, like Vindstyrka, which measures air quality.

The US pricing isn’t available yet, but the Parasoll will be €9.99 in Europe, with the Vallhorn and Barding sensors priced at €7.99 and €9.99, respectively. These numbers could transfer over directly into USD or be slightly higher. The sensors should be available in the US in January (Vallhorn), April (Parasoll) and July (Barding) in 2024.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ikeas-new-smart-home-sensors-focus-on-safety-and-avoiding-water-damage-133033586.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – IKEA’s new smart home sensors focus on safety and avoiding water damage

In a bid to comply with updated privacy rules in Europe, Meta recently gave Facebook and Instagram users in the region an ultimatum. They either had to agree to receive targeted ads or sign up for a €10 per month subscription for each app (or stop using them altogether). That would give users the choice of opting out of ad tracking, but they’d have to pay a hefty sum to do so. 

Now, an Austrian privacy group called noyb has filed a complaint against that Meta’s actions on behalf of a client in financial distress. The group stated that the subscription price is out of proportion to the value Facebook receives, so it’s effectively a false choice for users without the means to pay for a subscription. 

“More than 20% of the EU population are already at risk of poverty,” wrote noyb founder noted EU privacy advocate Max Schrems. “For the complainant in our case, as for many others, a ‘Pay or Okay’ system would mean paying the rent or having privacy.” 

Citing Meta’s own data, noyb said that the company’s average revenue per user in Europe was $16.79 between Q3 2022 and Q3 2023, or about €62.88 per user. However, it plans to charge a minimum of €120 per year (more if you sign up on a smartphone), or up to €251.88 ($275.88) to have both Instagram and Facebook. 

noyb notes that 3 to 10 percent of users want personalized ads, but 99.9 percent consent, due to the lack of a true choice. “EU law requires that consent is the genuine free will of the user. Contrary to this law, Meta charges a ‘privacy fee’ of up to €250 per year if anyone dares to exercise their fundamental right to data protection,” said noyb’s data protection lawyer Felix Mikolasch. 

Meta’s actions are also likely to set off a “domino effect,” according to noyb. “Already now, TikTok is reportedly testing an ad-free subscription outside the US. Other app providers could follow in the near future, making online privacy unaffordable.” It added that if multiple apps took the same approach, data privacy would be available “only for the rich.” 

Meta defended its approach, saying it follows EU laws. “The option for people to purchase a subscription for no ads balances the requirements of European regulators while giving users choice and allowing Meta to continue serving all people in the EU, EEA and Switzerland. In its ruling, the CJEU expressly recognized that a subscription model, like the one we are announcing, is a valid form of consent for an ads funded service,” a spokesperson told TechCrunch, referring to a post from last month.

However, European courts have stated that any fee charged to avoid tracking on products must be “necessary” and “appropriate.” It also says that consent must be freely given. noyb appears to be targeting those clauses by arguing that the relatively high fees will effectively deter free choice by EU citizens, particularly those in financial difficulty. 

“Fundamental rights are usually available to everyone. How many people would still exercise their right to vote if they had to pay €250 to do so? There were times when fundamental rights were reserved for the rich. It seems Meta wants to take us back for more than a hundred years,” Schrems said. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/metas-controversial-ad-free-subscription-is-facing-scrutiny-from-eu-privacy-campaigners-131506495.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Meta’s controversial ad-free subscription is facing scrutiny from EU privacy campaigners

According to an experiment conducted by The Wall Street Journal, Instagram’s Reels video service would serve “risqué footage of children as well as overtly sexual adult videos” to its test accounts that exclusively followed teen and preteen influencers, usually young gymnasts and cheerleaders.

While these tests don’t represent real user experiences (as tech companies tend to counter with), aggregating child sexualization content was apparently a known problem internally, according to current and former Meta employees interviewed by the WSJ.

Meta told its advertising clients it was investigating and that it “would pay for brand-safety auditing services to determine how often a company’s ads appear beside content it considers unacceptable.”

— Mat Smith

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ByteDance’s latest layoffs have reportedly gutted the publisher of Marvel Snap

Restructuring may affect around 700 employees.

According to Reuters and Bloomberg, TikTok’s parent company ByteDance is winding down its gaming arm, including the Nuverse brand, with “hundreds” of jobs likely to be affected. Nuverse, acquired by ByteDance in 2017, is the publisher of notable titles Marvel Snap, Ragnarok X: Next Generation and One Piece: Blood Routes. Despite the apparent success of these games, ByteDance CEO Liang Rubo had reportedly criticized the gaming arm for a lack of focus.

Continue reading.

Tesla sues Sweden for blocking license plate deliveries during labor strike

A district court sided with the automaker in an interim decision.

Tesla sued Sweden’s transportation agency and postal service over a union strike blocking the company’s license plate deliveries in the country. The workers are striking to demand the non-unionized automaker sign a collective bargaining agreement, a standard practice mechanics’ union IF Metall describes as “the backbone of the Swedish model.” However, the Swedish Transport Agency says it already received an interim decision from a district court, ordering it to consent within seven days to Tesla’s request to collect license plates or face hefty fines.

Continue reading.

The best gifts for photographers and videographers

These are our favorite cameras, bags, tripods and more that make great gifts.

There’s never been a better time to own a new camera, as the latest technology means better photos and video than ever. But with all the models out there, let alone the numerous accessories, like backpacks, memory cards, tripods and more, where do you start? Fortunately, we’ve done all the research and found cameras and peripherals at a wide range of prices.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-instagram-reportedly-served-up-child-sexualizing-reels-to-followers-of-teen-influencers-121741678.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Instagram reportedly served up child-sexualizing Reels to followers of teen influencers

Eduards Sizovs, founder of software developer conference DevTernity, has already been in the headlines for listing fake female speakers for a conference. Now, it has been revealed that Sizovs may also be behind is also behind Coding_Unicorn, a popular Instagram account supposedly run by a female coder, 404 Media reports.

Coding_Unicorn has 115,000 followers on Instagram and claims to be run by a professional software developer named Julia. The account features photos — many of which are glamour shots — of Julia at a MacBook alongside “no-BS coding, career, productivity tips.” 

404 Media has laid out a range of evidence that Sizovs is responsible for the account, such as a YouTube video showing Sizovs having previously logged into the account’s email and photos of Julia’s computer screen that show her logged in as Sizovs. Some of Julia’s Instagram captions are also exact copies of Sizovs’ LinkedIn posts. 

Julia also lists herself as a DevTernity fan and links to the company’s upcoming conferences. She was allegedly going to speak at a conference but “switched to helping with the organization.” The event, which was set to start on December 7, has been canceled following the allegations that fake women were added to the lineup in an effort for it to look diverse. Two women — one listed as a staff engineer at Coinbase and another as a Microsoft MVP and WhatsApp senior engineer — were removed from DevTernity’s website and have no online presence or, potentially, existence at all, according to The Register.  

Sizovs responded to the conference allegations on X: “The amount of hate and lynching I keep receiving is as if I would have scammed or killed someone. But I won’t defend myself because I don’t feel guilty. I did nothing terrible that I need to apologize for.” Sizovs did admit that one profile listed on the site was a “demo persona” that was “auto-generated, with a random title, random Twitter handle, random picture.” However, skeptics claim removing the person should have been simple and that it didn’t appear to be auto-generated at all, with the picture even changing early on.

Looking to the future, Sizovs said, “I’ll increase efforts 10x to make sure that next year, if one of our ladies drops out, we have a fallback plan.” As for Unicorn_Coding, it’s unclear who exactly the woman is in the photos or how she’s connected to Sizovs. Read 404 Media‘s article to learn more about this wild case.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-popular-female-coding-influencers-instagram-is-apparently-run-by-a-man-115046245.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – A popular female coding influencer’s Instagram is apparently run by a man

Google Drive users have recently been reporting that files and folders have gone missing, with some saying that months worth of data has disappeared from their accounts. Now, Google has acknowledged the issue, saying that it appears to be caused by the Drive for Desktop app, 9to5Google has reported.

The issue is pretty alarming, obviously. One user on Google’s support forums said that an expense spreadsheet they regularly updated has lost all data from nearly the last five years, with the version history showing the latest version as January 2019. “I’m really mad as this had all the important data which I do not have any local copy for. I need this data retrieved at any cost.” Another poster said the drive reverted to May 2023, with all subsequent data disappearing, and others report similar issues.

In a post from yesterday, Google said that “we’re investigating reports of an issue impacting a limited subset of Drive for desktop users and will follow up with more updates.” It noted the problem affects Drive for desktop v84.0.0.0 – 84.0.4.09. It advised users not to click “disconnect account” within Drive for desktop, and to not delete or move a specific app folder called DriveFS as detailed here. It even recommends making a copy of the app data folder if you have room on your hard drive. 

Google offers several ways to recover (or at least check) deleted files. That includes checking the trash, which is now automatically emptied after 30 days. It’s also a good idea to check the activity panel, which shows any files deleted or moved along with the relevant date. For this latest issue, however, the activity panel doesn’t appear to show that the files have gone missing, according to Google’s support forum users. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-is-investigating-a-drive-issue-that-causes-files-to-go-missing-092028653.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google is investigating a Drive issue that causes files to go missing