Make This Risotto With Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

If risotto has ever seemed intimidating to you, put down the “instant” rice and listen up: Unlike risotto’s brother, regular rice, risotto is so forgiving that the only way to screw it up is to walk away from the stove. Post Thanksgiving is a great time to learn to make it, as this creamy, luxurious dish is perfect to tuck into on a cold fall day. As a vehicle for leftover turkey, risotto makes a strong argument. 

Risotto is a better, more aspirational version of rice

Risotto is made from a different rice than your standard white or brown: It’s called arborio, and it’s usually readily available in supermarkets in the aisle with the other rice. Arborio can take on an enormous amount of liquid, and it is a short grain variety. When cooked with enough liquid, it retains a little bite in the grain, but forms a creamy texture. Normally, you give it a little push with butter at the beginning and Parmesan cheese at the end.  

There are no rules for what goes into risotto, and it has the benefit of being cooked in liquid, so meat doesn’t tend to dry out. For leftover turkey, this is excellent, because right about now, you’re sick of the leftover turkey sandwich. Also, think of all the leftover veggies you have in the fridge, because they can also likely go into your risotto. Anything without much of a sauce is game: grilled mushrooms, baked asparagus, roasted squash. If there’s any left at this point, you can even toss in a little gravy. 

A solid coating of butter lays a good foundation

To start, you’re going to sauté your rice and shallot in butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. On a second burner, you want a stockpot with your broth or stock.  If you made stock with your carcass, this is a great use. If not, you can make some with Better Than Bouillon or just use any chicken stock you normally buy. (It doesn’t need to be turkey stock; even vegetable stock would be good.) Get your stock going to a nice simmer. 

Move the rice around in the pan with a wooden spoon: You want each kernel of rice coated, and it’s OK for it to get a little toasted. As soon as you detect a slightly nutty aroma from the butter, ladle in a cup of stock into the sauté pan and start stirring as you turn the temperature down to medium. You want to maintain a simmer at all times, and keep in mind the one key to a good risotto: lots of stirring.

Never stop stirring

As you stir, the liquid is going to evaporate as it is absorbed by the rice. As it does, add more liquid, and just keep stirring. While this may seem cumbersome, it is also the beauty of risotto: Unlike regular rice where you really get one shot to nail the ratio of liquid to rice, that’s not true with risotto. Just keep adding stock until the rice is cooked. 

On this topic, there is also some debate, as some people prefer an al dente risotto, where the rice has more bite to it. Some chefs insist on a very loose risotto that falls onto a plate and spreads. As it is cooking, you’ll need to taste it and see where you fall. Generally, the process will take 20-25 minutes.  If the rice feels “done” before you’ve used all the liquid, that’s OK. If you run out of liquid, throw some more stock on the stove. What is critical is that the stock is hot when you add it to the rice, which is why we have it simmering away on another burner. 

As you approach “doneness,” it’s time to throw in any vegetables and meat you’d like to include. Shred any meat you want using your hands, toss it in, and stir. You don’t want the turkey in there the whole time, as it’ll overcook—you just want it in long enough to cook through. The same is true of the vegetables: Cut them into bite-sized pieces and add them while there is still liquid in the pan. Stir them in and let them heat through. If you have leftover gravy, add a tablespoon or two to make the taste even richer; just be sure to stir it in well. 

Only you know when the risotto is right

Once you find the risotto to have the right mouthfeel (a very personal decision), take it off the stove. At this point, you can add your Parmesan to the top and quickly stir it into the rice. Taste it and season to your liking with salt. Risotto really needs to be enjoyed right away: it’s at its peak right now. Use the ladle to spoon it into a bowl (or a plate with a good rim), and watch the risotto “relax” on the dish as it spreads out. 

While not the same, you can certainly store leftover risotto in the fridge and reheat it, although that is best done in the microwave, in a covered bowl, at thirty-second bursts, stirring in between. 

This is a simple risotto, but the flexibility of this dish, by definition, means it can accommodate an awful lot of play. Add more alliums like onion or garlic or even pancetta or bacon to the initial sauté, or use herbs like thyme in the broth. You can add white wine to the stock as well, and you don’t have to just use leftover vegetables. Use any sautéed vegetables you like, or swap out the protein (or don’t use any at all). Garnish with some chopped parsley at the end for a nice finish. Mostly, play around: This is a dish that will remove the intimidation from cooking. 

Leftover turkey risotto

 Ingredients:

  • 1 shallot, finely chopped

  • 2 tablespoons butter

  • 1 cup of arborio rice

  • 5 cups of stock or broth

  • 1 cup of leftover turkey

  • ½ cup of grated Parmesan cheese

  • Salt to taste

  • Leftover vegetables from Thanksgiving (optional)

  • 1-2 tablespoons of gravy (optional)

Directions:

  1. Tear turkey into bite-sized pieces and set aside. Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces and set aside. 

  2. Put the stock or broth onto the stovetop in a saucepan over medium heat, allow to boil, then lower it to a simmer.

  3. Melt butter in a large sauté pan over medium high heat. Sauté the shallots and rice together, consistently moving them around for about 4 to 6 minutes. Once the butter starts to smell nutty or turn brown, move to the next step. 

  4. Add one ladle of stock to the pan, and stir continuously with your wooden spoon; turn the heat down to medium. Add more stock whenever the liquid in the pan evaporates. 

  5. Around the twenty-minute mark, check the rice for texture. It is still raw inside, or chewy? Do you like the texture, or would you prefer it creamier? If you’re happy with it, proceed to the next step. If not, add more stock. If you run out of stock, make more or add wine or water, so long as they’re also hot.

  6. Right after you add the last ladle of stock, add in your vegetables and meat. Season to taste, and continue stirring. Once the liquid has evaporated, toss the Parmesan in, and stir through. 

  7. Remove from heat and serve immediately.



Source: LifeHacker – Make This Risotto With Your Thanksgiving Leftovers

One Of The Best Assassin's Creed Games Is Free On PC

Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, the Ubisoft stealth adventure series’ 2015 entry featuring dual protagonists that’s set in 19th century London, is currently free on PC until December 6. There’s just one twist: You’ll need to get it from Ubisoft Connect launcher (insert horror emoji). Don’t hate the messenger.

Read more…



Source: Kotaku – One Of The Best Assassin’s Creed Games Is Free On PC

Reel Savings Up To 68% Off James Bond, John Wick And More Cyber Monday Blu-Ray Deals

Reel Savings Up To 68% Off James Bond, John Wick And More Cyber Monday Blu-Ray Deals
We live in a world where streaming rules the day, but if you like the comfort of owning a movie or TV show on physical media, than Blu-ray is still the way to go. Now is a great time to flesh out your collection (or start one) too, because Cyber Monday discounts abound on a plethora of Blu-ray flicks and shows, including entire compilations.

One

Source: Hot Hardware – Reel Savings Up To 68% Off James Bond, John Wick And More Cyber Monday Blu-Ray Deals

The 35 best Amazon Cyber Monday deals you can get

With Cyber Monday deals have come big savings on all things Amazon. If you’ve been looking to get a new Echo speaker for your home office or pick up a Kindle as a holiday gift, now’s a great time to shop for all of Amazon’s gadgets and gear. For 2023, we’re seeing a new low on the Kindle Scribe, the refreshed Echo Show 5 and the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max, among other deals. Here are the best early Cyber Monday deals you can get on Kindles, Echo speakers, Fire TV devices and more.

Amazon Kindle Cyber Monday deals

Kindle Scribe

A number of Amazon’s Kindles are on sale for Cyber Monday, including a new all-time low on the read/write Kindle Scribe. The model with 16GB of storage and the “Basic Pen” stylus is down to $240. That’s $100 off its $340 list price and its lowest price we’ve seen. We reviewed it when it came out last year and named it the best ereader/E Ink tablet combo in our guide. The Scribe lets you draw, make to-do lists, create sticky notes and scribble in the margins of a limited selection of Kindle titles (mostly puzzle and journaling books).

Kindle

The standard Kindle is our favorite budget ereader and down to $80, which is 20 percent off though about $15 more than its members-only Prime Day price. It lacks a warm back light and isn’t waterproof, but it’s got a crisp, 300 ppi screen and 16GB of storage, which should take you many years to fill up. Plus it’s an affordable way to access the Kindle library and Kindle Exclusive titles.

Kindle Paperwhite

The standard Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $120 after a 15 percent discount. That’s a good deal more than the $95 it went for on Prime Day in October, but if you like the idea of a warm front light, a bigger screen and a waterproof build, this is a good upgrade from the standard Kindle. 

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

We called the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition “the best ereader. Period” in our review of the device when it came out. Right now it’s $50 off, making it $140. It doesn’t have lock screen ads, which come standard on most Kindles, plus it offers an auto-adjusting, warm front light, a waterproof build, wireless charging and an ample 32GB of storage. 

Kindle Kids

The Kindle Kids edition is pretty similar to the standard Kindle but adds a case, a two-year warranty, and a free year of Amazon Kids+, which auto renews at $5 per month. The subscriptions lets kids read a few thousand kid-appropriate titles and listen to hundreds of audiobooks. There’s also a parent dashboard that lets you set time limits, add books and track your kid’s reading progress. It usually goes for $120, but now it’s $100 instead. That’s $25 more than its lowest price ever during July’s Prime Day.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids

The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is essentially the same hardware as the Kindle Paperwhite, but this version comes with a case, a two year guarantee and a free year of Kindle Kids+ content with access to thousands of kid-appropriate books. It’s now $35 off, which is a 21 percent discount that brings it to $135.

Kindle Unlimited

Amazon is also offering Prime members three months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents. It’s usually $12 per month and will auto-renew once the trial is over (so set a reminder if you don’t want that to happen). A subscription lets you read as many ebooks as you want from a selection of around four million ebooks. Bigger new releases and some of the more popular bestsellers aren’t included. It also includes a few thousand audiobooks, which all models of Kindle support via Bluetooth and headphones.

Amazon Echo and Echo Show Cyber Monday deals

Echo Dot

Amazon’s most popular smart speaker is the baseball-sized Echo Dot. It’s now down to $23 which matches the all-time low it hit for the last two Prime Days. It’s one of our favorite smart speakers because it pumps out good sound and volume for its size and adds Alexa’s helpful AI assistance to your home. Use it to set timers, tell you the weather and remind you about stuff you need to do and when to do it. It’s also a convenient way to control your other smart home devices, from light bulbs in the ceiling to robot vacs on the floor.

Echo Pop

Amazon’s smallest smart speaker is the Echo Pop, which came out earlier this year. It’s currently down to $18, which matches its all-time low. The colorful half-sphere is perfect for stashing in a corner of a room where you don’t have much space. It’ll let you ask Alexa the time, weather news and more, while also directing the voice assistant to remind you when it’s time to leave for an appointment or shut off the holiday lights. It can also play music, but the sound won’t be as good as it would be with a larger Echo speaker.

Echo Pop with free Sengled smart bulb

The Echo Pop is a great candidate for a voice-operated smart home controller, which is probably why Amazon is bundling it with a Sengled Smart Bulb. The set costs $38, which is 36 percent off their full prices. The Sengled bulb earned an honorable mention in our guide to smart bulbs for its easy, if slightly unpolished app, and the fact that it outputs millions of colors on any schedule you’d like.

Echo

The Echo is the original Amazon smart speaker and has been refreshed four times since its launch. The latest model updated the shape from a puck to a globe, which makes room for a three-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters. The result is quality audio with plenty of bass. The highs could be more crisp but overall it’s noticeably louder than its two closest competitors, the Nest Audio or HomePod mini and can fill a room with sound. The Echo is now down to $55, which is the same as it went for during both 2023 Prime sales, though it’s about $5 more than its all-time low. It’s currently our favorite smart speaker under $100 because it combines great sound with all that Alexa can do.

Echo Studio

Amazon’s biggest smart speaker, the Echo Studio, keeps the focus on the sound quality, with three two-inch midrange speakers, a single one-inch tweeter and a 5.25-inch downward-facing woofer packed into its eight-inch frame. The list price is $200 and right now it’s down to $155 which matches its all-time low. We gave the Studio an 88 in our review, impressed by the hi-res sound.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart display and was completely refreshed back in May of this year. The processor and audio quality were improved, but the device is largely the same, acting as a screen-enabled bedside alarm clock or a handy kitchen display for recipe videos and the like. It’s currently down to $40 which is $50 off and a discount it has hit twice in the past couple months.

Echo Show 5 with Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell and an Echo Show 5 make a great smart home starter kit The bundle is now $65, instead of the $190 you’d pay at full price. Currently, both devices are on sale on their own — buying the bundle saves you an extra $10 off their sale prices. The Ring Video Doorbell can run either on your existing doorbell wires or on battery. It shoots motion-triggered 1080p video, and sends it to the Ring app on your phone or directly to your Echo Show 5.

Echo Show 8

The mid-sized Amazon smart display, the Echo Show 8 is on sale for $105 instead of $150 and represents its first discount. We did a hands-on with the new Echo Show 8 during Amazon’s devices event this September and were impressed by the new Adaptive Content feature. Depending on how far away from the display you are, the information changes, with simple time and weather info when you’re across the room and more detailed and personalized info, like a playlist or news articles when you’re closer.

Echo Show 10

Do you want a smart display that can track you as you move around the room? The Echo Show 10 with a pivoting base can do just that. The ability should keep you in frame for video calls and make sure you can always see your recipe as you move around the kitchen. The 10-inch screen will keep tabs on your connected cameras and doorbells and the large base housing two one-inch tweeters and a three-inch subwoofer, will deliver quality sound.

Echo Show 15 

The Echo Show 15 is a smart display that verges on smart TV territory and it’s one of our recommended gifts for tech folk. It can display your video doorbell feeds, control your smart home devices, act as a widget-driven bulletin board, offer Alexa’s help, and play your shows on streaming apps. The 15-inch screen can be wall-mounted in portrait or landscape and can be operated with the remote, via touchscreen or with your voice. 

Echo Dot Kids

The Echo Dot for kids has the same general design as the regular Dot, but has a cute owl or dragon exterior. It also comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, which lets young folk access age-appropriate audio books, morning routines and Alexa’s educational skills. The speaker is currently 53 percent off and down to $28. That matches the low it hit for both Amazon Prime sales this year.

Echo Buds

Another entry in our affordable earbuds guide are the Echo Buds made by Amazon. They’re down to $35, which matches their all-time low. If you don’t like the style of buds that go into your ear canal, and would prefer the type that rest on the concha (the bowl next to the canal) these are a worthy compromise to Apple’s more expensive AirPods.

Amazon Cyber Monday Fire TV deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $40, which is a 33 percent discount and its lowest price since its debut in September. This new model has a faster processor than the previous 4K Max dongle, and is the first stick to support Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which was previously limited to the Fire TV sets. When you’re not watching, the screen can display art, along with widgets for weather, calendar and smart home devices. The Alexa remote lets you search for and play shows and movies just by talking, and also supports Wi-Fi 6E, letting those who’ve upgraded to take advantage of that tri-band connection.

Fire TV Stick Lite

We found Amazon’s Fire TV Stick Lite to be the best budget streaming device you can buy — which goes double now that it has dropped to $16. The deal represents a 46 percent discount off the $30 list price (though it often sells for $20). It’s also just a dollar more than its all-time low. The Fire TV Stick Lite doesn’t stream content in 4K and can’t control a TV’s volume or on/off functions, but lets you use all the streaming platforms you subscribe to, presenting them in an interface that’s easy enough to navigate, but we do wish that it didn’t favor and promote Amazon content quite as much as it does.

Fire TV Stick

The standard Fire TV Stick is down to $20, which is 50 percent off the $40 list price (though it’s often on sale for $25). The standard stick offers HD content and, unlike the Lite, has the ability to control your TV’s volume and power.

Fire TV 40-inch 2-Series

Many of Amazon’s Fire TVs are discounted, including models from Toshiba and Insignia, but the arguably better sets are the “Amazon-built” ones the company manufactures. The Fire TV 65″ Omni QLED Series 4K TV is now 26 percent off and down to $590, the same price it hit in October for Prime Day. It supports 4K content with Dolby Vision, adaptive brightness and includes hands-free Alexa both through built-in speakers on the TV itself, no remote required (though it does come with one).

Amazon Cyber Monday Fire tablet deals

Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet

The Fire HD 8 is probably the cheapest way to get a tablet that will actually perform. Right now the latest generation, which came out in 2022, is down to just $60, which is $5 more than it’s all time low, but still $40 off the MSRP. It’s not as fast as the larger Fire HD 10 and doesn’t have the clearest screen at 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it should serve well as a casual streaming device and web browser. Plus it gets 10 hours on a charge and has a lightweight build.

Fire HD 8 Kids

The Fire HD 8 Kids is down to $75, which matches its lowest price. It’s usually $150, but often drops to $100. The kids version has the same hardware as the Fire HD 8, but comes with a kickstand case, a two-year guarantee and a free year of access to Amazon Kids+ which includes age-appropriate games, books, videos and shows. The UI is also simplified for kids and connects to a parental dashboard to help you keep tabs on your kids tablet activities.

Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon’s revamped Fire HD 10 tablet came out in late September and is already down to $80 for the model with 32GB of storage. That’s 42 percent off and the first discount this generation has seen. This new model is speedier and lighter than before and upgrades the front camera to a 5MP for better video calls. It makes a good couch companion, handling casual streaming and browsing, as well as simpler games. It’s not meant for serious productivity, particularly since it relies on Amazon’s more limited Fire tablet apps library, but for less than $100, it’s hard to beat the price.

Fire HD 10 Kids tablet

Like the Fire HD 10, the Fire HD 10 Kids tablet is a newly refreshed model with a quicker processor and a slightly lighter build. The kids version adds in a protective case with a kickstand, plus access to Amazon Kids+ for a slew of kid-friendly content. It’s currently $65 off making it the cheapest it’s ever been. Amazon makes the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro for older kids. It comes with a slightly less bulky case and allows more access to the web via a filtered browser.

Fire Max 11

Amazon calls the Fire Max 11 their best tablet yet and in our hands-on we were impressed by how much Amazon is offering for the money. It has an 11-inch LCD display, an aluminum frame, an octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. Like all Fire tablets, you’re limited to the apps within the Fire Tablet App store, so it’s not going to become a laptop-replacing workhorse. But now that it’s on sale for $150, matching its all-time low, it’s a good buy for a casual use tablet.

Amazon Cyber Monday deals on Ring and Blink cameras

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus was refreshed this year and is currently seeing a 33 percent discount making it just $120 instead of $180. It captures head-to-toe, 1536p video and in-color night vision and send it to your phone or smart display. The Package Alert feature lets you know when your Amazon (or other) delivery arrives and the two-way audio allows you to communicate with whoever is at the door. It operates on a rechargeable battery pack or you can hardwire it to your doorbell wires for continual power.

Echo Show 5 with Blink Mini

The Echo Show 5 is the perfect size for keeping an eye on your Alexa-enabled smart cameras and doorbells, so this Blink Mini bundle makes sense. For $45, you get the 5-inch Echo Show and the wired indoor security cam from Blink. Separately and at full price, you’d pay $80. Right now, the Show 5 alone is down to $40 and the Blink Mini is $20, so you’re still saving $15 on the set.

Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell is down to $55 after a 45 percent discount. It takes 1080p video triggered by better motion detection, compared to the previous model and offers two-way audio. It also allows for privacy zones and can shoot with night vision, operating on either rechargeable (built-in) batteries or through your existing doorbell hard wires. It connects via Wi-Fi and the Ring app, but if you also connect with an Alexa device, you can enable preset announcements triggered by different actions, like a doorbell press. It’s also available as a bundle with an Echo Show 5 smart display for $65, or about $10 less than their individual sale prices. 

Blink Video Doorbell

Both Blink and Ring are owned by Amazon, and both use their individual apps for setup, but also work with the Alexa app and other Amazon smart home devices. Blink just makes one doorbell, the Blink Video Doorbell and it’s less expensive than all Ring models, with a list price of $60. Now it’s half price and down to just $30, which makes it one of the more affordable ways to keep tabs on your porch and packages. Keep in mind that it’s battery-powered only and to see a live view on-demand (as in, not triggered by motion), you’ll need an additional device, the $35 Sync Module 2.

Blink Mini

The indoor, wired Blink Mini security camera is 43 percent off for Cyber Monday, going for $20 and about $2 more than its all-time low and about $5 less than it often sells for. The camera offers HD video and two-way audio so you can hear and talk to people in the room (or tell the dog to hop off the couch). If you also have a Blink Video Doorbell, the Blink Mini can act as a chime

Blink Outdoor 4

The Blink Outdoor 4 is our preferred outdoor security camera in our smart home guide. Right now it’s half price for a set of two, down to $99 for the set. This latest generation came out in August and supports better motion detection, a wider field of view and infrared night vision. An optional subscription unlocks person detection and allows clips to be stored in the cloud. The mounting kit attaches to a variety of surfaces and thanks to the two-year battery life, you can stick it just about anywhere you want.

Amazon Cyber Monday deals on Eero routers

Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router

If you want to take advantage of that 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, you’ll need a router (and devices) that support it. Amazon’s Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router is $400 for a set of three, which covers up to 6,000 square feet. In our tests, the routers performed well enough; they’re easy to set up and use, with an app that has a clean UI and step-by-step instructions. Unfortunately, many of the management features are paywalled, whereas systems from Google offer many of those tools for free.

If you’re not worried about accessing that 6GHz band, a three-pack of the Eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6 router may serve you better. It’s currently 40 percent off and down to $240. The set will also cover 6,000 square feet, and can deliver gigabit speeds from ISP plans that offer it. This is technically also a tri-band router, with two antennas for the 5GHz band along with a single 2.4GHz receiver.

A single unit of the Eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi router is currently $90 after a 36 percent discount. It’s a dual-band, gigabit router with up to 1,500 square feet of coverage.

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-35-best-amazon-cyber-monday-deals-you-can-get-144532716.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The 35 best Amazon Cyber Monday deals you can get

Pipewire 1.0 released

PipeWire, the audio/video bus meant to
replace PulseAudio, JACK, and other systems, has reached
1.0
. In celebration, Fedora Magazine is running an
interview with PipeWire creator Wim Taymans
.

PipeWire is an IPC mechanism for multimedia. The most interesting
stuff will happen in the session manager, the modules, the
applications and the tools around all this. I hope to see more cool
tools to route video and set up video filters etc.



Source: LWN.net – Pipewire 1.0 released

Oppo Find X7 Pro Spotted Flaunting A Wild Looking Camera Array

Oppo Find X7 Pro Spotted Flaunting A Wild Looking Camera Array
A new leak of what the camera hump of the upcoming Oppo X7 Pro might look like has emerged, and let’s just say that it’s… massive. Could this be a bluff or something close to the final product?

All eyes are on Oppo to make a splash with its premium flagship Find X7 Pro, right now slated for an early 2024 release. The world has so far been

Source: Hot Hardware – Oppo Find X7 Pro Spotted Flaunting A Wild Looking Camera Array

The OnePlus 12 Will Confuse Your Hands With a Repositioned Alert Slider

A phone is a big brick of plastics, aluminum, and wires. There’s nothing particularly natural about it, but OnePlus’ latest iteration on its mainline phone, the OnePlus 12, is returning to nature thanks to a unique colorway that looks chiseled out of a rockface. More importantly, the company’s next phone will move the…

Read more…



Source: Gizmodo – The OnePlus 12 Will Confuse Your Hands With a Repositioned Alert Slider

Complex, volatile coast makes preparing for tsunamis tough in Alaska

Tsunami damage

Enlarge / Damage from the 1964 earthquake and tsunami in Kodiak, Alaska. (credit: Education Images via Getty)

On an overcast day in September, Heidi Geagel negotiates familiar potholes on a gravel road in Seldovia, Alaska. Cresting a hill topped with a small chapel, her town spreads out below—in the bay, gently rocking fishing boats; onshore, the Linwood Bar & Grill, the Crab Pot Grocery, and a couple dozen homes on stilts.

Geagel, Seldovia’s city manager, turns around to three people sitting in the back seat, who partner with the United States’ National Tsunami Hazard Mitigation Program and have traveled in from Anchorage and Fairbanks for a meeting with community leaders about tsunami hazards. She points out how much of the landscape could be underwater if one of the giant, fast-moving waves were to hit: “Pretty much the entire map of Seldovia is in the inundation zone, except for this hill.”

Alaska is uniquely vulnerable to two types of tsunamis. The first, tectonic tsunamis, are linked to the long string of volcanic islands that curves like a tail from the state’s southern tip; these islands mark the northern edge of the Ring of Fire, a geologically active zone that generates approximately 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes. Tracing those islands, deep under water, is the Alaska-Aleutian subduction zone, a trench where vast plates of hard rock overlap and friction slowly builds. Once or twice a year, the subduction zone generates earthquakes strong enough to trigger tsunami alerts; every 300 to 600 years or so, it ruptures in a megaquake that sends devastating tectonic tsunamis to Alaska’s shores.

Read 43 remaining paragraphs | Comments



Source: Ars Technica – Complex, volatile coast makes preparing for tsunamis tough in Alaska

US, Britain, Other Countries Ink Agreement To Make AI 'Secure by Design'

The United States, Britain and more than a dozen other countries on Sunday unveiled what a senior U.S. official described as the first detailed international agreement on how to keep AI safe from rogue actors, pushing for companies to create AI systems that are “secure by design.” From a report: In a 20-page document unveiled Sunday, the 18 countries agreed that companies designing and using AI need to develop and deploy it in a way that keeps customers and the wider public safe from misuse. The agreement is non-binding and carries mostly general recommendations such as monitoring AI systems for abuse, protecting data from tampering and vetting software suppliers.

Still, the director of the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Jen Easterly, said it was important that so many countries put their names to the idea that AI systems needed to put safety first. “This is the first time that we have seen an affirmation that these capabilities should not just be about cool features and how quickly we can get them to market or how we can compete to drive down costs,” Easterly told Reuters, saying the guidelines represent “an agreement that the most important thing that needs to be done at the design phase is security.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – US, Britain, Other Countries Ink Agreement To Make AI ‘Secure by Design’

The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Just Changed

Heat domes, atmospheric rivers, bomb cyclones, and polar vortex—you’re not crazy, the weather is. And last week, the USDA confirmed it by releasing an updated climate zone map for 2023. And for many gardeners, that means a change in growing zones.

What are hardiness zones?

The map of the US is divided into zones, separated by ten degrees. It starts with 1a (Alaska) and goes all the way up to 13b (Puerto Rico), and the mainland U.S. tends to live between zones 5 and 10.  In between, every single part of the U.S. uses this zone classification system, which tells you roughly how long your growing season is: when it’s likely to start and finish, what kinds of conditions to expect, what your last frost date is, and more. When you shop for plants, you’ll see zones labeled on the plant tag. Knowing your zone helps you shop for seeds. To change your zone means everything you know has shifted a little bit (by ten degrees). 

Zones don’t change often—the map was last updated in 201—but when it does change, as it just did, it can upend what you know about your garden. 

How do I find my new hardiness zone?

It used to be easier to find your hardiness zone: You’d just drop your zip code into Google, and it would spit out the information. But Google hasn’t caught up with the new data yet, so for now, you’ll need to visit the USDA map and input your zip code there. 

Of course, if you’ve been paying attention, you already knew the weather was changing, and your plants have been responding the way plants do: They become more resilient, or they die. So you move in new plants that are better acclimated to the current climate. 

But knowing the new hardiness zone will help you when shopping for new plants by telling you if a labeled plant will thrive in your area. It should also remind you that artificial measures to keep plants alive and thriving when they’re really not meant for one particular zone aren’t sustainable. The citrus you were trying to baby through the winters in 8b are even less likely to survive in 9a. As you shop for seeds this winter and begin growing your starts, consider seeds cultivated for your new zone. 



Source: LifeHacker – The USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map Just Changed

AirPods Pro with USB-C are on sale for $190 in an Amazon Cyber Monday deal

A good pair of earbuds can make experiences like commuting and exercising much more enjoyable — especially with the knowledge you got them for a steal. Now’s your chance as the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging port is at an all-time low price for Amazon’s Cyber Monday sale. The earbuds have dropped to $190 from $249 — the same 24 percent discount just seen for Black Friday

Before we get into all the benefits of the second-gen AirPods Pro, it’s worth first reiterating that they don’t come with a lightning port. Like other recent Apple products, the AirPods Pro has a USB-C charging case (meaning, among other things, that you can charge it from your iPhone 15). The earbuds and case are also IP54 dust and water-resistant, support low latency lossless audio if paired with the Vision Pro and have excellent noise canceling. 

If you want to stick with the lightning port as long as you can (or just want a better deal), Apple’s third-gen AirPods are also on sale, dropping to $140 from $169 for Cyber Monday. The AirPods are IPX4 water and sweat-resistant but don’t offer noise canceling. Both the third-gen AirPods and second-gen AirPods Pro have six hours of listening time before needing a rest in their case to recharge. 

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/airpods-pro-with-usb-c-are-on-sale-for-190-in-an-amazon-cyber-monday-deal-143004734.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – AirPods Pro with USB-C are on sale for 0 in an Amazon Cyber Monday deal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: Engadget – The Sonos Five speaker is 20 percent off today only for Cyber Monday

Why You Should Consider Installing Recessed Outlets in Your House

Living in a compact studio apartment, I consider even the smallest gains in my living space big wins. A single inch could determine whether or not a piece of furniture fits, or give me the clearance I need to be able to open my closet door. And as appreciative as I am of every single wall outlet in an apartment constructed in the 1920s, I’ve also experienced the frustration of losing a few precious inches of my living area because I’m unable to push furniture up against the wall of an outlet that’s in use.

Meanwhile, in another tax bracket, there’s someone trying to mount their flat-screen TV to a wall in an attempt to disguise it as a piece of framed art. Obviously, visible cords aren’t an option, but even if there’s a perfectly placed wall outlet, there’ll still be a small gap between the TV and the wall to accommodate the plug. In this case—as well as in mine, if my lease permitted it—recessed outlets may be the solution. Here’s what to know. 

What is a recessed outlet?

Unlike traditional outlets, recessed outlets have a plate that is set deeper into the wall (or floor), so that when it’s in use, the plugs aren’t protruding and wasting space. As I alluded to earlier, recessed outlets make it possible to place furniture, appliances, and wall-mounted flat-screen TVs flush against a wall with an electrical socket, even when items are plugged in. Not only does this save some space, but it will eliminate the awkward gap between a piece of furniture and the wall, where household items like keys, remotes, and all the pens disappear. 

Examples of recessed outlets

If you haven’t encountered recessed outlets before, here are a few examples of some of the different options available:

The process of installing a recessed outlet is essentially the same as installing a regular outlet. It involves stripping, cutting, and connecting wires, as opposed to simply screwing in a wall plate covering an outlet. If you’re comfortable putting in a regular outlet, you should have no problem with a recessed one. Otherwise, an outlet concealer or flat plug extension cord may be your best bet.



Source: LifeHacker – Why You Should Consider Installing Recessed Outlets in Your House

Google Drive Misplaces Months' Worth of Customer Files

Google Drive users are reporting files mysteriously disappearing from the service, with some posters on the company’s support forums claiming six or more months of work have unceremoniously vanished. From a report: The issue has been rumbling for a few days, with one user logging into Google Drive and finding things as they were in May 2023. According to the poster, almost everything saved since then has gone, and attempts at recovery failed. Others chimed in with similar experiences, and one claimed that six months of business data had gone AWOL. There is little information regarding what has happened; some users reported that synchronization had simply stopped working, so the cloud storage was out of date.

Others could get some of their information back by fiddling with cached files, although the limited advice on offer for the affected was to leave things well alone until engineers come up with a solution. A message purporting to be from Google support also advised not to make changes to the root/data folder while engineers investigate the issue. Some users speculated that it might be related to accounts being spontaneously dropped. We’ve asked Google for its thoughts and will update should the search giant respond.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.



Source: Slashdot – Google Drive Misplaces Months’ Worth of Customer Files

FreeBSD 14.0 Is Delivering Great Performance Uplift & Running Well In Early Tests

Following last week’s release of FreeBSD 14.0, I’ve begun testing out this major FreeBSD operating system update on a number of servers. What’s clear so far is the performance being much improved with FreeBSD 14.0 on modern x86_64 Intel/AMD servers over FreeBSD 13.

Source: Phoronix – FreeBSD 14.0 Is Delivering Great Performance Uplift & Running Well In Early Tests

The Best Ways to Help Someone Who Is 'Bad With Money'

We all know someone who seems unable to control their spending or make good financial decisions. When that person is someone you care about, it’s understandable to want to help them better manage their money. However, simply telling them to “be more responsible” is rarely effective. For many people, talking about money can get real awkward, real fast, whether it’s saying no to someone who tends to mooch off you or learning how to heal your own relationship with money. If you feel a little out of your depth, let’s take a look at some ways to help out a loved one who isn’t great with their money, without making anyone uncomfortable.

How to help someone who is ‘bad with money’

Listen without judgment

When it comes to anything money-related, tough love is rarely the way to go. Rather than coming at someone with criticism or lecturing, try having an open conversation to better understand their underlying feelings and perceptions about money so you can determine the best ways to help. As I’ve argued before, we all have a money story—and it’s never as simple as “I’m bad with money.” Listen attentively to feelings like anxiety, inadequacy or even defiance that influence their financial habits. Try to get to the root causes.

Help them set financial goals

Ask how they would like their financial situation to be different in an ideal world. What specific goals and timeframes can you mutually set? Write these downs and determine what initial steps they can take to start working towards these goals. Offer to periodically review progress without judgment. Remember that you’re not their financial advisor, but an accountability buddy.

Share educational resources

Provide tools that help build financial literacy at their own pace. Again, I’m not saying you should be anyone’s financial advisor, but there are plenty of trusty apps that can give your finances a boost. Other resources could include books, articles, budgeting apps, online courses, or even offering to meet with a financial advisor together to discuss developing better money management habits. For more, here are some of the best apps depending on what kind of spender you are, or based on your savings goals.

Give encouragement

When they take positive steps, offer frequent encouragement to build self-efficacy and motivation. Be their cheerleader! If they share small wins like sticking to their budget for a full week, recognize these achievements sincerely. Progress takes time, so patience is necessary.

The most constructive thing you can do is help the person build discipline and skills slowly through compassionate support. At the same time, protect your own peace by setting financial boundaries for yourself. Avoid criticism or control, and focus on boosting confidence along their journey towards financial responsibility. With help, almost anyone can become better at managing money over time.



Source: LifeHacker – The Best Ways to Help Someone Who Is ‘Bad With Money’

The 38 best Cyber Monday gaming deals for 2023: Save on consoles, video games and accessories

Whether you play on PS5, Xbox, Nintendo Switch or PC, the myriad Cyber Monday sales around the web include a number of deals that may be of interest. To help you cut through the junk, we’ve rounded up the best Cyber Monday gaming deals we could find below. Most are left over from Black Friday, but that still means lower-than-usual prices on consoles, games, mice, keyboards, headsets, handhelds, monitors, laptops and more recommended gaming gear our experts have tested and reviewed.

Cyber Monday gaming console deals

PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 is still $50 off and down to $450 at Amazon and GameStop — though stock has been going in and out at the former, and the latter appears to require in-store pickup. This offer only applies to the older version of the PS5, not the smaller “slim” version that was announced last month. But discounts of any kind for Sony’s console have been extremely rare since the device arrived in 2020, and there’s no performance difference between the two models.

If stock for that deal completely runs dry, Sony is still offering a pair of bundles that do include the latest version of the console: one that comes with Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, and one that includes Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III. You should go with the former while both are available: We called Spider-Man 2 a “perfectly balanced game” in our review, while Modern Warfare 3 has been roundly criticized as one of the most undercooked CoD entries in recent memory. Both games cost $70 on their own, so that’s what you’re saving here. 

As a refresher, Sony says the slim PS5 takes up 30 percent less volume than the original models and weighs up to three pounds less. It also has two USB-C ports instead of one. If the slim Spider-Man 2 bundle runs out of stock, Sony is running a similar deal with the older “fat” PS5 as well. As of this writing, that bundle is down to $480 at BJ’s, while other retailers such as Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy, GameStop and PlayStation Direct have it for $500. 

Nintendo Switch OLED

Nintendo’s main Switch promo for Cyber Monday is a bundle that pairs the $350 Switch OLED with a digital copy of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and a three-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online for no extra cost. Smash Bros. arrived back in 2018, but it still tends to retail between $50 and $60 on its own, while the Switch Online sub normally goes for $8. This version of the console also comes with Smash Bros.-themed controllers.

We’ve seen the Switch OLED go for less in the past, so we’d have liked a more substantial discount — especially with a follow-up console reportedly on the horizon. But if you’re jumping on the Switch bandwagon late, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate remains one of the device’s best games, so there’s still value here. This bundle is available at Walmart, Target, GameStop, Best Buy and Nintendo.com.

Nintendo Switch and Switch Lite

Nintendo is selling a pair of holiday bundles for the $300 Switch and $200 Switch Lite as well: The former is available with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and the same three-month Switch Online sub as above, while the latter now comes with Animal Crossing: New Horizons. It’s really worth stepping up to the Switch OLED’s larger and more vivid display if you can swing it, but both of those games usually cost between $40 and $50 individually. Both make our roundup of the best Switch games as well.

Xbox Series X

Both Xbox consoles are still genuinely discounted for Cyber Monday as well. The Xbox Series X is on sale for $440 at Walmart and Microsoft as part of a bundle that also includes the (divisive) action-RPG Diablo IV. That’s a rare $60 drop for the console itself, while the game goes for $70 (though it’s currently on sale for $42). Other stores like GameStop, Best Buy, Newegg, Target and Amazon have the bundle for $450, though stock has only been intermittently available at some of those retailers.

If you have no interest in Diablo IV, the Xbox alone is still available for an all-time low of $400 at BJ’s, though it’s unavailable for shipping as of this writing. If that doesn’t work for you, Best Buy has it for $450 alongside a $50 Best Buy gift card — and you can take another $50 off if you’re a My Best Buy Plus or Total member. Walmart has the machine for $439, too, while Amazon and Target have it for $450.

Xbox Series S

As for the Xbox Series S, a “Starter Bundle” that packs the digital-only console with a three-month Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription is on sale for $240 at Microsoft and Target (though stock appears low at the latter). Other retailers like Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy and GameStop have it for $10 more. 

If that bundle becomes unavailable, Microsoft has the console alone available for $60 off as well. None of these deals represents an all-time low, but they’re still $50 or $60 off the console’s list price, and steeper Series S discounts still aren’t super common. The subscription normally costs $51 on its own. Note that these offers apply to the older Series S with 512GB of storage, not the updated 1TB model that Microsoft released earlier this year.

As a refresher, the Series S lacks a disc drive, and its lesser GPU and RAM count means it can’t hit high frame rates or a 4K resolution as consistently as the Series X. That gulf in power is starting to become more evident as time rolls on. But it can play all the same games, it’s physically smaller and, most importantly, it’s far more affordable if all you need a cheap route into the Xbox library. 

PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox gift cards

Several different gift cards for the three major console platforms are 10 percent off at Amazon and Walmart. Increments ranging from $10 to $100 are on sale, so you could get a $50 gift card for PlayStation’s, Xbox’s and Nintendo’s respective online stores for $45 apiece. If you’re looking to pad your backlog or top up a subscription anyway, it’s hard to complain about a bit of (effectively) free money.

Cyber Monday PlayStation 5 game deals

A metric ton of video games remain discounted for Cyber Monday. There are frankly too many deals for us to recap them all here, but we’ll run through some of the highlights below.

Starting with PlayStation exclusives, the blockbuster action game God of War Ragnarök is down to a new low of $35, while the PS4 version of the gorgeous open-world game Horizon Forbidden West (which includes a free upgrade to the PS5 version) is on sale for a low of $20. The dramatic action-RPG Final Fantasy XVI is also down to $35, the PS5 remake of The Last of Us is down to $40 and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales is available for $20. (We aren’t seeing deals on Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, though.) Other recommended games like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Returnal and the Demon’s Souls remake are each available for $30. Not all of these are all-time lows, but each is at least a little lower than usual. Many of the titles on sale make our list of the best PS5 games.

Among multiplatform games, notables include Street Fighter 6, the recent Resident Evil 4 remake and the turn-based RPG Octopath Traveler II for $30 each. The recent Dead Space remake is still down to $35, while the stealth game Assassin’s Creed Mirage is down to $40. Sports games EA Sports FC 24, Madden NFL 24, and NBA 2K24 are each $30, too. You can peruse through the PlayStation Store’s ongoing Cyber Monday sale for more offers.

Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch game deals

A few of Nintendo’s Cyber Monday game deals appear to have ended, but we’re still seeing some decent prices on games we recommend in our guides to the best Switch games and best couch co-op games. The cutesy adventure game Luigi’s Mansion 3 is about $10 off at $40, for instance, while Super Mario Odyssey and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild are each $30 at Walmart. Kirby and the Forgotten Land is still available for a low of $39 as well. Beyond that, the strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is on sale for $14 and the well-reviewed RPG Xenoblade Chronicles 3 is down to $39. The Nintendo eShop’s “Cyber Deals” sale has several other discounts of note, including the Portal Companion Collection for a new low of $6.79. There still aren’t significant discounts on newer games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, though.

Cyber Monday Xbox game deals

For Xbox owners, Microsoft’s Cyber Monday sale still includes a number of picks from our guide to the best Xbox games. The rhythm-action game Hi-Fi Rush, for one, is at a low of $22.49, while the open-world racer Forza Horizon 5 is down to $29. The wonderfully written murder mystery Pentiment is about $7 off at $13.39, the Halo: Master Chief Collection is available for $10 and the third-person shooter Gears 5 is back down to $12. Older gems like The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion and Prey are available for $3 each. And while our review wasn’t huge on Starfield, the Bethesda space RPG is now down to $55 (or $56 digitally), a $15 discount for those who’ve been curious. Many of the multiplatform titles noted above are also on sale; just keep in mind that several of these games are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription.

Cyber Monday PC game deals

PC gamers have plenty of deals to shop through as well. Steam is running its annual Autumn Sale through November 28, while the Epic Games Store’s Cyber Monday sale includes a recurring coupon that takes 33 percent off eligible games when your cart totals $15 or more. Humble and GOG are still running storewide promos as well.

These sales include literal decades of games between them, so it’s worth browsing the sales for yourself. One highlight, though, brings the trippy survival horror game Alan Wake 2 down to a new low of $33.49 when you use the aforementioned coupon at Epic. Beyond that, the action-RPG/management sim hybrid Dave the Diver is back at a low of $16, while the madcap platformer Pizza Tower is at a low of $15.

Game of the Year contender Baldur’s Gate 3 isn’t discounted, sadly, but several picks from our list of the best PC games are at lower-than-usual prices. Those include the roguelike Hades for $12.49, the VR-only Half-Life: Alyx for $20, the thoughtful RPG Disco Elysium for $10, the driving sim Euro Truck Simulator 2 for $5 and Stray (aka the cat game) for $20. The 27-game Valve Complete Pack is another standout at $14.

Cyber Monday game controller deals

PS5 DualSense Wireless Controller

If you need a spare controller for your PlayStation 5, Sony’s DualSense wireless pad is still down to $49 in various colors at Amazon, Walmart, Target and others. While not an absolute all-time low, that’s a nice $20 or $25 off Sony’s list price depending on which finish you choose.

Xbox Wireless Controller

If you’re after a new Xbox gamepad, official Xbox Series X/S controllers are on sale for $40 at Microsoft, Target and Best Buy. Other stores like Amazon, Walmart and GameStop have them for $5 more. Again, the discounts apply to several different finishes. We typically see the gamepad retail between $50 and $60 depending on the color. The big caveat with the Xbox controller is that it requires a pair of AA batteries for power; we recommend grabbing a rechargeable set like the Panasonic Eneloops to mitigate that annoyance. That said, if you want a new controller for gaming on the PC, the Xbox pad is generally easier to set up and use with most Windows clients than the DualSense.

Nintendo Switch Joy-Cons bundle

Apart from the Switch console bundles, Nintendo is selling a bundle that pairs a red and blue set of Joy-Con controllers with a digital copy of Super Mario Party for $100. A pair of Joy-Cons usually goes for $80, while the game alone typically retails in the $50 range these days, so you’re saving about $30 by getting the two together. Note that this isn’t the latest Mario Party game, though — that would be Mario Party Superstars, which was released in 2021. Still, if you’re looking to play a few new Mario Party boards and need a new set of Joy-Cons anyway, it might be worth the extra cost.

Backbone One

The Backbone One mobile game controller is down to $70 at Amazon, Target, Backbone’s online store and other retailers. Both the USB-C and Lightning models are on sale; the latter is compatible with Apple’s iPhone 15 series as well as numerous Android phones. We gave the Backbone a positive review last year, and we note it in our gaming handhelds guide: It’s more cramped than a traditional gamepad, naturally, but it has all the requisite buttons to play modern games, it’s extremely easy to set up and it works well for remote streaming from your console or PC. If nothing else, it’s a much better value than the PlayStation Portal.

ASUS ROG Ally

The ASUS ROG Ally is down to $600 at Best Buy, which is $100 off the handheld gaming PC’s normal price and a rare discount. The ROG Ally is the “best Windows alternative” pick in our guide to the best gaming handhelds. As that title suggests, the ROG Ally runs Windows, which isn’t nearly as straightforward to use on a seven-inch display as the Steam Deck’s Steam OS but makes it easier to play games from other clients such as Epic, Xbox, GOG and Itch.io. The ROG Ally is physically smaller than Valve’s handheld, too, and the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip in this config gives it stronger overall performance. It also has a sharper 1080p display with a faster 120Hz refresh rate.

We’d still recommend the Steam Deck (which isn’t discounted) to most, especially after the launch of the new Steam Deck OLED. Apart from being less prone to software quirks, that machine usually lasts longer on a charge, and the new model’s OLED panel is more vivid. The ROG Ally has also had issues with malfunctioning microSD card readers, so you’ll want to stick to its built-in SSD storage (which is thankfully replaceable). But if you’re willing to brave Windows and want the wider game support, the ROG Ally does enough right to be a solid alternative to traditional gaming laptops.

It’s worth noting that the entry-level version of the ROG Ally with a less powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 chip is also on sale for $450, which is a $150 discount. That’s a decent price if you’ll stick to less-demanding games, but the Z1 Extreme model is significantly faster, so it’s worth the extra cash if you can afford it.

Meta Quest 2

Meta’s Quest 2 VR headset is down to $249 and comes with a $50 store gift card or credit at Amazon, GameStop, Target and Newegg. (For Amazon, use the code META50 at checkout to see the complete offer.) Other retailers like Walmart, Best Buy and B&H have the same $50 discount without a gift card. It’s tougher to recommend the Quest 2 after the release of the comprehensively superior Quest 3 last month; that newer model isn’t on sale as of this writing, but it’s worth the extra cash if you can stretch your budget. If you can’t, though, the Quest 2 still offers a relatively polished VR experience. While it’s designed to be used cordless, it’s still perfectly usable when tethered to a gaming PC as well. We name the Quest 2 the top headset for those on a budget in our VR headset buying guide.

Cyber Monday video game storage deals

Samsung Pro Plus

The top pick in our microSD card buying guide, the Samsung Pro Plus, is also on sale. You can grab a 128GB unit for $11, a 256GB unit for $18 and a 512GB unit for $32; the first two of those represent the lowest prices we’ve seen, while the third is within $3 of its all-time low. Despite its relatively affordable price, the Pro Plus was among the fastest cards we tested in both sequential and random performance, so it’s a dependable option if you need to add space to a Switch or Steam Deck.

Elsewhere, Samsung’s Evo Select card is down to $15 for a 256GB unit. That one was a fair bit slower in testing, but the differences aren’t hugely noticeable when it comes to load times on Nintendo’s and Valve’s handhelds, so it should do the job if you want to save a few bucks. Both cards come with 10-year warranties.

WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox Series X/S

Unlike the PS5 or Switch, the Xbox Series X/S requires you to use a proprietary expansion card if you want to add storage space for current-gen games. If your Xbox is running out of room, WD’s Black C50 is one of those cards, and its 1TB model is now on sale for an all-time low of $125 at Amazon, WD, Walmart and Best Buy. That’s much more expensive than a typical SSD with the same capacity, but it’s at least $25 off WD’s usual price. If you need more storage, the 2TB version of Seagate’s Storage Expansion Card is $50 off at $230, which again matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Both cards perform just about identically.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX SSD

If you’re looking to upgrade a PlayStation 5’s storage, the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX is the top pick in our guide to the best PS5 SSDs, and it’s now down to $110 at Amazon and Best Buy for a 2TB model. That takes about $15 off the device’s average street price and ties its all-time low. The 4TB variant is also on sale for $260, which is another low and $20 less than the drive’s price over the last month. Either way, this PCIe 4.0 SSD checks all of the PS5’s requisite performance boxes and comes with a heatsink pre-installed to keep from overheating. It’s also backed by a five-year warranty.

Cyber Monday gaming mouse deals

Razer Basilisk V3

The Razer Basilisk V3 is the top overall pick in our guide to the best gaming mice, and it’s dropped to $40 at Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. That’s an all-time low and $10 off the device’s usual street price. The Basilisk V3 isn’t the lightest mouse around at 100 grams, but its sturdy shape should be comfortable for users of each grip type and all but the smallest of hands. It has no major issues with latency or tracking accuracy, either, plus it comes with 11 customizable buttons, including a “sensitivity clutch” for moments where more precise aiming is required. Beyond that, its scroll wheel supports both left-right tilt and a faster free-spin mode — both helpful for navigating large documents — though it is on the noisy side.

Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite

The Corsair Scimitar RGB Elite is the “best for MMOs” pick in our gaming mouse guide, and it’s now down to $50 at Amazon, Newegg, Best Buy and Corsair’s own store. That’s $2 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $10 below the mouse’s typical going rate. Like most MMO mice, the Scimitar RGB Elite is fairly bulky, but that’s because it has 12 easy-to-distinguish side buttons that you can use to access commands in games like Final Fantasy XIV or Baldur’s Gate 3. Its rounded, gently sloped shape should be comfortable to palm- and claw-grippers of most hand sizes. And while its sensor is fairly old, it’s accurate enough. Just note that its cable is somewhat stiff, and that you probably won’t want to spend much time in Corsair’s messy companion software.

HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2

The HyperX Pulsefire Haste 2 is an honorable mention in our gaming mouse guide, as it’s a solid alternative to the Basilisk V3 if you prefer a flatter shape or one more welcoming to lefties. It performs reliably and weighs a scant 53 grams, so it’s easy to flick around in multiplayer games. Right now it’s down to $40, which is an all-time low and roughly $15 below its average street price over the last couple of months.

Logitech G203 Lightsync

Sticking with gaming mice, the Logitech G203 Lightsync is on sale for $20 at Amazon, Walmart, B&H and Best Buy. That’s about $8 off its usual going rate. The G203 is the budget pick in our gaming mouse buying guide: It’s small, its scroll wheel is a bit mushy and its rubber cable isn’t especially flexible, but it tracks accurately, it’s built well and its light (85g) shape should suit righties and lefties. For less than $20, it’s hard to do better. If you’d rather go wireless, the Logitech G305 Lightspeed puts a newer sensor in more or less the same shape, and it’s currently discounted to $35.

Cyber Monday gaming monitor deals

LG 27GP850-B

The LG 27GP850-B gaming monitor is available for $300 at LG.com, which is $10 more than its all-time low but about $70 below its average street price. This is the “best for most” pick in our gaming monitor buying guide. It’s a 27-inch IPS panel with a 1440p resolution and a native 165Hz refresh rate — not top of the line by any means, but perfectly competent for most needs. We found it to provide clear motion and fast response times in testing, and it works with both FreeSync and G-Sync to ward off screen tearing regardless of your graphics card. It can’t deliver especially high contrast or deep black tones, but for $300 it’s still a nice value.

Alienware AW3423DW

Dell’s Alienware AW3423DW monitor is on sale for an all-time low of $897 at Amazon, which is about $250 off its usual going rate. Dell has it for a couple bucks more.

The AW3423DW is a 34-inch curved ultrawide monitor with outstanding image quality thanks to its QD-OLED panel. This is the display tech we’ve seen on higher-end TVs in recent years; it blends an OLED display with a layer of quantum dots, in turn adding a bit of extra brightness and color saturation to the excellent contrast, black levels and motion typically expected from an OLED panel. The display doesn’t have the sharpest resolution (3,440 x 1,440) or fastest refresh rate (175Hz), but its vivid colors and fast response times make it a treat for gaming in HDR or SDR. It natively supports G-Sync as well. It does lack an HDMI 2.1 port, however, so it’s best suited for a PC than a PS5 or Xbox Series X. There’s always some risk of burn-in with OLED monitors too.

We gave the AW3423DW a score of 92 in our review last year. If your rig is based on an AMD graphics card, there’s also the Alienware AW3423DWF, a similar variant with native FreeSync support. That one is currently available for $800.

Cyber Monday gaming headset deals

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Beyerdynamic’s DT 900 Pro X headphones are down to $249 at Amazon and Target from a trusted third-party seller. That’s only $20 off their usual going rate, but we haven’t seen many larger discounts over the past few months. The DT 900 Pro X is a wired pair of open-back headphones designed for critical listening at home. It’s currently the top pick in our guide to the best headphones for gaming, as its wonderfully spacious sound does well to envelop you in the fine details of any given game. Like most open-back cans, it can’t produce truly deep sub-bass, but it delivers enough low-end to give in-game explosions a powerful sense of impact. A set of soft velour earpads keep the whole thing comfortable, though it can’t fold up, and the open design means it won’t block much external noise when you’re outside of the house.

Sennheiser HD 560S

The Sennheiser HD 560S is another open-back pair of wired headphones we highlight in our gaming headset guide. It’s down to $150 at B&H — that’s not an incredible deal, as the pair often sold for the same rate earlier in the year, but it’s about $30 less than the street price we’ve seen since the summer. Regardless, the HD 560S offers a pleasingly balanced, spacious and detailed sound profile and a frame that’s comfortable to wear for extended periods. It can sometimes sound a little piercing in the treble, it’s not as sturdily built as the DT 900 Pro X and, again, it’ll leak and let in lots of noise. But if you want a pair of audio-centric gaming headphones for less than $200, this is one of the better options in the price range.

Astro A40 TR

Our favorite dedicated gaming headset for most people, the Astro A40 TR, is down to $100 at Amazon. That’s a $30 discount. This deal bundles the headset with Astro’s MixAmp M80, an optional amp that connects to Xbox controllers and provides various audio controls. Even without the accessory, we like the open-back A40 for providing a wider soundstage than most gaming headsets. It’s not as open or detailed as the Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X, and it misses more detail in the treble range, but it’s immersive, with a slight bass boost gives in-game effects a little extra boom. The headset as a whole looks “gamer-y,” but it’s comfortable. And while its built-in mic isn’t the clearest we’ve tested, it’s at least serviceable for basic chat.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

If all you want is a decent gaming headset for as little as possible, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 is worth considering at $30. The Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset guide: It sounds narrower and less balanced than the Astro A40, but its built-in mic is great for the money and its bass-heavy profile at least makes action scenes feel a little more exciting. It’s all comfy, too, though it’s largely made of plastic.

HyperX Cloud Alpha

HyperX’s Cloud Alpha headset is also on sale for $50. The wired Cloud Alpha has been around since 2018 but continues to offer great comfort and a solid detachable mic. It doesn’t sound bad either, though it can’t provide the same sense of width as the Astro A40 and its underemphasized treble keeps it from delivering pristine detail. Nevertheless, this is a nice step-up over the Cloud Stinger 2 if you’re willing to pay a little bit extra. We highlight the Cloud Alpha as an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide.

Logitech G535

The Logitech G535 is another honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, one that should specifically appeal to those who want a wireless option for less than $100. If that’s you, good news: It’s available for just under $80 at Amazon, B&H and Best Buy, which is about $25 off its usual street price. The G535’s noticeably light frame, relatively balanced sound and Bluetooth support all impress for the price; just note that it doesn’t work with Xbox, and that its mic sounds a bit thinner than the wired headsets highlighted above. Its battery life clocks in at 30 to 35 hours per charge, which is decent but not great.

Cyber Monday gaming keyboard deals

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL Wireless is back down to $175, a $75 drop that comes within a dollar of the best price we’ve seen. This is the top wireless pick in our gaming keyboards guide. It uses SteelSeries’ magnetic OmniPoint switches, which enable a range of helpful gaming features: You can raise or lower the actuation point of individual keys — setting a high point to make typing more comfortable or a low point to make presses faster for games — or use a rapid trigger mode that lets you repeat critical inputs faster. The rest of the keyboard is solid too, though you’d buy it for that gaming flexibility more than its raw typing experience. The Wooting 60HE, our top overall pick, is a better value if you don’t mind going wired, but it’s not discounted as of this writing. If you really want to reduce clutter on your desk, this is a good alternative.

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless

The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is down to a new low of $145 at Amazon, which is a $35 discount. This was a close second to the Apex Pro TKL in our testing when it came to wireless gaming keyboards. Its pre-lubed ROG NX switches, superb sound dampening and PBT-coated keycaps make it a pleasure to type on, it’s hot-swappable, plus it lasts longer than SteelSeries’ model on a charge. It just lacks the custom actuation tricks we found so useful on the Apex Pro. Still, if you care about a premium typing feel more than gaming-friendly features, this is a good buy.

ASUS ROG Azoth

The ASUS ROG Azoth, meanwhile, is down to $200 at Amazon, Newegg and B&H. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen and marks a roughly $25 drop from the wireless keyboard’s average street price. The Azoth is like a smaller version of the Strix Scope II 96 Wireless with a few more enthusiast touches, including a gasket-mounted design (which gives presses a softer feel), a programmable OLED display and a toolkit for lubing switches in the box. It’s exceptionally well-made, but it probably goes without saying that it’s meant for enthusiasts only, even with this discount.

Razer Huntsman Mini

The Razer Huntsman Mini is down to $70 at Target for a model with linear optical switches. If stock there runs out, Amazon and Best Buy have it for $10 more. Normally, we see this keyboard retail between $90 and $100. The Huntsman Mini is another honorable mention in our gaming keyboards guide. It’s a 60 percent keyboard, so it omits dedicated arrow and function keys but takes up very little space on a desk — providing more room to move a mouse around in turn. Its textured PBT keycaps and aluminum top plate keep it from feeling cheap, while its linear switches are quick, responsive and not terribly loud. Another version of the Huntsman Mini with analog switches is also on sale for $80: We haven’t tested that model, but it lets you customize each key’s travel in a manner similar to the Apex Pro TKL Wireless above.

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 a gaming laptop (3.75 pounds) and 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.

Dell G15 5530 Gaming Laptop

A version of Dell’s G15 5530 Gaming Laptop with a Ryzen 7 7840HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, an RTX 4060 GPU and a 15.6-inch, 1080p, 165Hz display is down to $900 at Amazon. That’s a 22 percent discount and the lowest price we’ve tracked. Another model with a more powerful Core i7-13650HX chip and 1TB of RAM is available for $1,160, which is about $190 below its average street price. This is the most recent version of the “best budget” pick in our gaming laptops buying guide. It’s big, heavy (6.2 pounds) and not especially premium feeling, but it’s strong enough to play many games at high-ish settings, and its memory and storage are user-upgradeable.

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-38-best-cyber-monday-gaming-deals-for-2023-save-on-consoles-video-games-and-accessories-130058613.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The 38 best Cyber Monday gaming deals for 2023: Save on consoles, video games and accessories