The best President’s Day tech deals on Apple, Samsung, Dyson, Blink and more

Presidents’ Day typically brings discounts on mattresses and appliances more so than consumer tech. But every year, there are a few standouts in the areas Engadget knows best like smartphones, tablets, earbuds and more. This year is no different; notably, Presidents’ Day deals include $50 off an annual subscription to Peacock Premium, and get the best price on the AirPods Pro 2 that we’ve seen since the holidays last year. If you want to get a jump-start on spring cleaning, iRobot and Dyson deals can help with that, and there are a number of discounts on Blink security cameras at the moment. These are the best Presidents’ Day deals we found on tech for 2025. 

A tablet resting against books.
Nathan Ingraham for Engadget

Apple iPad mini for $499 at Amazon ($100 off): Apple’s smallest tablet was updated in October and got a new A17 Pro chip, which Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham found to be plenty fast for anything you’d want to do with the mini — casual browsing, couch binging, game playing and email checking. He gave it an overall score of 83 in our official review and particularly enjoyed it as a Balatro machine. It’s also our favorite (partly because it’s the only) small iPad on our list of the best iPads. 

Apple AirPods 4 for $100 at Amazon ($29 off): Apple’s newest wireless earbuds came out in September and last week, they hit their lowest price yet. That price is still going strong, so you can still pick them up at a discount. Engadget’s Billy Steele gave them a review score of 88, saying they sounded clearer and more balanced than most open-back earbuds. Plus you get all the Apple-perks like fast pairing and device switching with other Apple gadgets, hands-free Siri and Find My tracking. Also at Target and Best Buy. There’s also a noise-canceling version on sale for $149.

Apple MacBook Pro (2024) Desk View on macOS
Devindra Hardawar for Engadget

Apple 2024 MacBook Pro M4 for $1400 at Amazon ($199 off with coupon): Apple’s latest Pro-model laptop is down to $1,400 at Amazon with a discount and an on-page coupon. The 14-inch MacBook Pro has 16GB of memory and 512GB SSD storage and both the Space Black and Silver colorways are on sale. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar gave the computer a 92 in his review and it’s currently Engadget’s pick for the best MacBook for creatives. It has a fast M4 chip, long battery life, bright display and Sharp 12MP Center Stage webcam.

Apple Studio Display with tilt-adjustable stand for $1,300 at Amazon ($300 off): We appreciated the excellent build quality of Apple’s pricey display in our official review, but noted that it’s probably only for Apple diehards. Both the standard glass model and the nano-textured glass option are on sale. The Studio Display made our list of the best monitors and has built-in speakers, a 12MP camera, three USB-C ports and a screen with 5K resolution — but a max refresh rate of 60Hz and single-zone backlighting.  

Apple Pencil (USB-C) for $69 at Walmart ($10 off): Apple sells too many versions of the Apple Pencil. So we made a guide. The USB-C model works with all current-generation iPads, including the M2 iPad Air, the M4 iPad Pro, the new iPad mini and the 10th generation iPad. It’ll also work with a few older tablets too. Just note that this one attahced magnetically but doesn’t recharge that way, like the other Apple Pencils. And it doesn’t have pressure sensitivity. Also at Amazon and Target. 

A logo.
Peacock

Peacock Premium (one-year) at Peacock for $30 ($50 off): Here’s one from our new streaming deals guide: A year of Peacock’s streaming service is $30 if you use the code WINTERSAVINGS at checkout. The code is valid through February 18 and saves you 60 percent off the usual $80 annual fee. Though it’s called “Premium” it’s actually the ad-supported tier (Premium Plus is the ad-free plan but it’s not discounted and goes for $140 yearly). Peacock is one of our picks for the best streaming services and has some great original content, including Poker Face, a Twisted Metal adaptation and Mrs. Davis.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16 GB) for $135 at Amazon ($25 off): Our choice for best premium ereader. is the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition that goes for $200 and isn’t discounted. The standard Paperwhite, on sale here, is basically the same machine, minus a few (inessential) perks like auto-adjusting front lights, extra storage and wireless charging. This is the lowest price we’ve tracked this year (it went about $5 lower for Black Friday) on a very lovely e-reader with remarkably fast page turns, a super crisp display and a great battery life.

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition (32 GB) for $230 at Amazon ($50 off): Engadget’s Valentina Palladino found a lot to like about the Kindle Colorsoft in her review including quick page turns, the fairly accurate (if a bit cold) color technology and the pinch to zoom feature, which was especially nice for reading comics. If you’re just looking to read black and white text, you can save yourself a bit of money and go with the Paperwhite — text on the Colorsoft is not as crisp.

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 quart tilt head stand mixer for $350 at Amazon ($100 off): One of our top picks for kitchen tech is, unsurprisingly, KitchenAid’s famed stand mixer. It’s not only powerful, the seemingly endless array of available attachments make it a true kitchen multitasker. KitchenAid is hosting a larger sale for President’s Day on its own website, and many of the brand’s countertop appliances are currently up to $100 off.

iRobot Roomba Combo 10 Max for $789 at Wellbots ($610 off with code): Wellbots has a few iRobot vacuums on sale for President’s Day, including the new Roomba Combo 10 Max and its Autowash Dock, which can empty and cleans the vac. Right now it’s on sale for $789 if you use the code ENGAD410 at checkout. That’ll take a full $610 off the hefty $1,399 MSRP. That’s even cheaper than the last time it was on sale. Not only does the robot itself mop and vacuum, the dock can hold 60 days worth of dust and seven days worth of dirty mop water. For a slightly cheaper combo robo vac, Wellbots is also discounting the Roomba Combo j5 for $239 instead of the full $529 with the code ENGAD210. 

Dyson V12 vaccuum for $499 at Dyson ($150 off): Now through President’s Day, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim stick vacuum is $150 off. This is the lighter sibling to the V15 model we picked as the best cordless vac in our guide. This one includes the Fluffy Optic cleaner head that won us over in our testing. It’s a hard-floor brush head with a laser “blade” that clearly shows you the tiniest bits of dust so you can be sure to suck them up. The Gen5 Outsize Absolute is also on sale for $150 off. It’s down to $899. That model is the largest cordless vac and has up to 140 minutes of run time. 

Samsung Music Frame
Photo by Billy Steele/Engadget

Samsung LS60D Music Frame for $150 at Woot ($250 off): You might be familiar with Samsung’s Frame TV — the sets that mimic works of art when you’re not watching television. The Music Frame furthers that home-theater-as-decor aesthetic by hiding Dolby Atmos audio equipment behind what looks like a regular picture frame. This one doesn’t have a screen, instead you’ll insert your own photo or art behind the glass. Inside are two woofers, two tweeters and two mid-range drivers. The speaker array is capable of Dolby Atmos audio and it leverages Samsung’s SpaceFit tech to calibrate the sound to the room. We checked it out at CES 2024 and were impressed with how robust the music sounded.

Fitbit Charge 6 Fitness Tracker for $116 at Amazon ($44 off): Our current top pick for a fitness tracker is back on sale. It went as low as $100 for Black Friday, but this is the lowest price we’ve seen this year. Our favorite fitness tracker is the successor to our previous top pick, the Charge 5. This new generation has a more accurate heart rate monitor and the ability to pair with exercise machines via Bluetooth. Plus there’s now a physical side button for navigation in addition to the touchscreen.

Mill food recycler for $874 at Mill ($125 off): A President’s Day sale from Mill, the kitchen food recycling company, will run until Monday, February 17 and will give you $125 off a new food recycling bin. If you’ve explored the different options for composting food and have decided to give a machine a try, Mill could be a good one to check out. The machine dries and grinds food scraps, reducing odors and bulk while creating grounds that you can add to your garden.

A person uses an 8BitDo Pro2 controller to play a game on a Nintendo Switch.~
8BitDo

8BitDo Pro 2 controller for $39 at Amazon ($12 off): The black version of one of our picks for the best Switch controllers is down to a record-low price. The programmable controller is compatible with the Switch, Apple devices, Android devices, Windows PC, Steam Deck and Raspberry Pi. 

Blink Mini 2 (2-pack) for $38 at Amazon ($32 off): The Blink Mini 2 security camera sell for $40 each at full price, so this deal gets you two for less than the MSRP for one. The small security cameras have two way talk and listen, capture live video in 1080p and have infrared sensors for black and white images at night. You’ll need a Blink Subscription Plan if you want to save clips to the cloud, but if you also buy a Sync Module 2, you can save clips from your Blink Mini cameras to a flash drive.

Blink Video Doorbell and Sync Module 2 for $35 ($35 off): Here’s a bundle that combines the Video Doorbell with a Sync Module 2, the device that allows you to store footage from your Blink cameras and doorbells locally. The doorbell offers 1080p daytime footage and infrared night video plus two-way audio. You can use it wired or on batteries that should last two years before needing to be replaced. The Blink subscription plan is required if you want person detection and the ability to store clips in the cloud.

Ring Battery Video Doorbell for $60 at Amazon ($40 off): Another Amazon security device company, Ring, is also having a sale right now. The discount matches the record-low price for the Ring Video Doorbell. This battery-powered model doesn’t need to be wired into your home, so you can put it near any door. The removable battery is rechargeable via USB-C and will likely need a refill every couple months. You’ll need a Ring subscription to access all the features, like person and package alerts and extended event history.  

Apple Music logo on a red background
Apple

Apple Music (6 months) for $3 at Apple ($60 off): Normally an Apple Music subscription is $11 per month after a 30-day free trial. And when you buy a new Apple device, you usually get a three-month trial. But if you somehow haven’t yet signed up for the service, this promotion applies to you. The deal will run through February 27 and is open only to people who are entirely new Apple Music — current and previous customers are not eligible, nor are those who qualify for the free trial that comes with a new device. You’ll need to redeem the offer through an iPhone, iPad or Mac. Apple Music made our guide to the best music streaming services for its lossless streaming quality, ease of use with Apple devices and emphasis on using DJ curation over AI and algorithm playlists. Note that the subscription will automatically renew unless you cancel. 

NordPass Premium (27 months) for $35 at Nord ($46 off): One of our favorite password managers for cross-platform availability is having a sale. NordPass Premium is currently available for $35 for 27 months. At full price, two years would cost you $81, and this deal throws in three months for free. NordPass also offers a free tier, but the Premium plan keeps you logged in when you switch devices while also helping you analyze your passwords to improve their strength.

EcoFlow DELTA Pro Ultra for $5,299 at EcoFlow ($797 off): The whole-home backup battery and inverter from EcoFlow is on sale for a Valentine’s Day/President’s Day sale at the manufacturer’s site.

Samsung Evo Select (1TB) microSD card for $70 at Amazon ($10 off): The Evo Select is the budget pick in our guide to the best microSD cards: It’s not the fastest model we tested, but it’ll serve as a way to add storage for your Nintendo Switch or Android tablet. This deal matches the all-time low for the extra-spacious 1TB model. Also at Samsung and B&H.

iRobot Roomba Vac Robot Vacuum (Q0120).
Roomba

iRobot Roomba Vac Essential (Q0120) for $119 at Amazon ($130 off): The top pick in our guide to the best budget robot vacuums has hit a new low price. It can’t map paths in your home, instead it randomly traverses a room until it’s covered the area. But it has good suction and cleans well, plus it’s easy to set up and control through Roomba’s mobile app. Also at Best Buy and Target.

LG B4 OLED TV (48″) for $600 at Best Buy ($200 off): This ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the 48-inch LG B4, which is the entry-level model in LG’s 2024 OLED lineup. While it’s not as bright or color-rich as some higher-end alternatives, it still offers the essential perks of any good OLED TV: superb contrast with deep black tones, clear motion, wide viewing angles and the like. It’s also a nice value for gaming, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support refresh rates up to 120Hz. It’s just better off in a darker room, and this particular model is relatively small.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-presidents-day-tech-deals-on-apple-samsung-dyson-blink-and-more-173252189.html?src=rss

Everything We Saw At This Week’s Big PlayStation State Of Play And More Of The Week’s Top Gaming News

This week gave us PlayStation’s first State of Play presentation of 2025. It was 40-plus pretty packed minutes that showed off plenty of games coming to Sony’s console in the future, and we’ve collected every last trailer and announcement. Also, big changes are coming to Overwatch 2, and Marvel Rivals rapidly changed…

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The best smart home gadgets for 2025

If it feels like every piece of home tech is now “smart,” you’re not far off. The smart home space has grown exponentially in the past few years to include speakers, cameras, locks, lights and even kitchen appliances. There are also different voice assistants and IoT standards to consider, all of which can make it confusing (to say the least) to build your smart home ecosystem from the ground up.

Allow us at Engadget to help with that. We’ve tested dozens of smart home gadgets over the years and continue to test the latest offerings to see which work well and are worth your money. We recommend, before you even dive in, to resist the urge to outfit your whole home in one go. Not only can this be quite expensive, but also we think it’s generally best to buy just one or two items first to see if you like them. You should also pick a preferred voice assistant and stick with it. If you’re at the point where you’re ready to invest in a few new IoT gadgets, below are the best smart home gadgets you can get right now, plus some advice on how to choose the right voice assistant for your needs.

While plenty of the best smart home devices are platform agnostic, there are some — smart speakers and smart displays in particular — that require you to choose your voice assistant. Currently, that means deciding if you’ll use the Google Assistant or Amazon’s Alexa on a regular basis (I’ll address Siri in a moment.)

They’re both compatible with various smart home products from light bulbs to robot vacuums, but there are certain devices that work best with either Google or Amazon. Nest products, for example, are more compatible and have more functionality with Google-powered speakers and displays. They can still work with Amazon devices, but certain features might be disabled. The same holds true with Amazon products: They work better if they’re in the same ecosystem.

So how do you choose between Alexa and Google Assistant? It really depends on your personal preferences. Do you listen to Audible, watch Prime Video and tend to do a lot of shopping on Amazon? Then you might lean toward an Alexa-powered smart home device.

If you want a voice assistant that’s great at answering questions, Google Assistant tends to be better than Alexa. Amazon’s helper, on the other hand, currently supports more smart home products. The company’s smart speakers and displays also support the Zigbee smart home protocol, and some devices even have built-in smart home hubs. Both Google and Amazon devices can sync with your calendar, though Google’s tend to work better with Google services. Plus, if you already have an Android phone, you might be more comfortable with Google Assistant anyway.

But what about Siri? Apple’s assistant supports voice commands as well, but it doesn’t have as many compatible devices as Google or Amazon. The HomePod mini and the full-sized HomePod are the only Siri-compatible speakers on the market at the moment, too. That said, it’s not too hard to find Apple HomeKit-compatible gear as more third-party companies add support for it, but you currently have a smaller pool of devices to choose from.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-home-devices-154557162.html?src=rss

Uber accuses DoorDash of anti-competitive practices in a lawsuit

Uber is suing DoorDash, accusing the biggest food delivery provider in the US of putting pressure on restaurants to exclusively use its services. According to The Wall Street Journal and The Financial Times, Uber filed the lawsuit in California on February 14. Uber said it filed the lawsuit after hearing from “restaurants across the country” that were left with no choice but to “cave to [DoorDash’s] demands or pay the price.” 

Both DoorDash and Uber Eats offer their delivery services to restaurants, even for customers who buy from an establishment’s own website or app. At the same time, they also offer advertising within their apps for those that want to promote their businesses. DoorDash has a significantly larger share of the market than Uber Eats and had previously said that 90 percent of major restaurants in the US is available on its platform. 

DoorDash allegedly threatened to charge higher commission rates for handling orders made through its marketplace if the restaurant is also on Uber Eats. In its complaint, Uber said that that in one instance, the company threatened to raise a restaurant’s commission rate by 30 percent per order placed. The lawsuit stated another instance wherein DoorDash allegedly told a restaurant that it would cost them millions of dollars in additional fees if it also teamed up with Uber. In 2024, a large restaurant group scrapped long-running plans to launch on Uber after threats from DoorDash to increase its commission rates, Uber said. In addition, DoorDash allegedly threatened to demote restaurants also available on Uber within its app. 

Uber is now asking the court to compel DoorDash to change its business practices. Meanwhile, DoorDash denied all accusations. “Uber’s case has no merit,” the company said in a statement. “Their claims are unfounded and based on their inability to offer merchants, consumers, or couriers a quality alternative.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/uber-accuses-doordash-of-anti-competitive-practices-in-a-lawsuit-130032964.html?src=rss

The IRS Is Buying an AI Supercomputer From Nvidia

According to The Intercept, the IRS is set to purchase an Nvidia SuperPod AI supercomputer to enhance its machine learning capabilities for tasks like fraud detection and taxpayer behavior analysis. From the report: With Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency installing itself at the IRS amid a broader push to replace federal bureaucracy with machine-learning software, the tax agency’s computing center in Martinsburg, West Virginia, will soon be home to a state-of-the-art Nvidia SuperPod AI computing cluster. According to the previously unreported February 5 acquisition document, the setup will combine 31 separate Nvidia servers, each containing eight of the company’s flagship Blackwell processors designed to train and operate artificial intelligence models that power tools like ChatGPT. The hardware has not yet been purchased and installed, nor is a price listed, but SuperPod systems reportedly start at $7 million. The setup described in the contract materials notes that it will include a substantial memory upgrade from Nvidia.

Though small compared to the massive AI-training data centers deployed by companies like OpenAI and Meta, the SuperPod is still a powerful and expensive setup using the most advanced technology offered by Nvidia, whose chips have facilitated the global machine-learning spree. While the hardware can be used in many ways, it’s marketed as a turnkey means of creating and querying an AI model. Last year, the MITRE Corporation, a federally funded military R&D lab, acquired a $20 million SuperPod setup to train bespoke AI models for use by government agencies, touting the purchase as a “massive increase in computing power” for the United States.

How exactly the IRS will use its SuperPod is unclear. An agency spokesperson said the IRS had no information to share on the supercomputer purchase, including which presidential administration ordered it. A 2024 report by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration identified 68 different AI-related projects underway at the IRS; the Nvidia cluster is not named among them, though many were redacted. But some clues can be gleaned from the purchase materials. “The IRS requires a robust and scalable infrastructure that can handle complex machine learning (ML) workloads,” the document explains. “The Nvidia Super Pod is a critical component of this infrastructure, providing the necessary compute power, storage, and networking capabilities to support the development and deployment of large-scale ML models.”

The document notes that the SuperPod will be run by the IRS Research, Applied Analytics, and Statistics division, or RAAS, which leads a variety of data-centric initiatives at the agency. While no specific uses are cited, it states that this division’s Compliance Data Warehouse project, which is behind this SuperPod purchase, has previously used machine learning for automated fraud detection, identity theft prevention, and generally gaining a “deeper understanding of the mechanisms that drive taxpayer behavior.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Kiteboard Jump Over A Flying Plane

This is a video of extreme athlete Lasse Walker kiteboarding OVER a Red Bull plane flown by pilot Łukasz ‘Luke’ Czepiela. It’s allegedly the first time anybody has ever kiteboarded over a flying plane, because why would they? Lasse clears the plane (which is just skimming the water’s surface) by a nautical mile, and, as much as I hate to say it, the video was far less spectacular than I expected. He should have slid across the wings. *shrug* At least he didn’t turn himself into shark chum with the propeller though.

Successful flyover starts at 6:30.

Bardcore Cover Of Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ On Medieval Instruments

Seen here doing his best Geralt of Rivia, this is a cover of Black Sabbath’s ‘Iron Man’ as performed by bardcore musician Algal the Bard on classic medieval instruments like the “Lute-guitar, Irish bouzouki, Tin Whistle, drums and Hurdy Gurdy.” And how appropriate, considering medieval knights WERE iron men. Did you know the original song (originally titled ‘Iron Bloke’ — true story, you can look it up) is actually about a time traveler that visits the future, sees the apocalypse, then comes back to warn humanity but is turned into steel by a magnetic field during the trip back, ridiculed when he gets here, and is so angry with humanity he CAUSES the apocalypse? I could see myself doing that too.

SUV Gets Rear-Ended Onto Train Tracks, Driver Jumps Out Before Collision

This is a video from Layton, Utah of a Jeep getting rear-ended onto train tracks with a train approaching. The driver then starts to reverse off the tracks before running into the train crossing arm and deciding it isn’t worth breaking, then exits the vehicle before impact. Now maybe I was raised wrong and don’t have the respect for train crossing arms that I should have, but I would have reversed right through that thing.

Video, which includes footage from onboard the train as the engineer expresses his disappointment with the driver’s decision. And no, the crossing arm doesn’t survive anyways despite the driver’s concern.

Man Builds Miniature Luxury Condo & Food Market For His Pets

These are a couple videos of the insanely detailed luxury condo and food market that Chinese engineer Xing Zhilei built for the family pets. The condo includes luxury accommodations for their dog and cats, as well as rooms for their hamster and jumping spider. That’s wild, and certainly one dog house I wouldn’t mind sleeping in after failing to notice and compliment my girlfriend’s new haircut. She made me sleep in the attic last night. “It haunted?” Haunted AND freezing — the worst of both worlds. I couldn’t tell if I was getting frostbite or groped by a ghost.

Bonus video of Ninja Turtle lair included as well. More videos of Xing’s incredible pet builds on his Youtube channel.

Rare Deep Sea Anglerfish Spotted In The Shallows

Seen here looking like something a child would produce if you asked them to draw a nightmare, this is a video of a rarely seen humpback anglerfish (Melanocetus johnsonii) spotted in shallow waters off Spain’s Canary Islands. The fish typically lives some 1,500m (~1 mile) deep in the pitch-blackness, but this one was apparently surfacing to die, and, in the process, scare the sh!t out anybody who caught a glimpse. Mission accomplished! I can’t believe this thing is even real, and I suspect there may be a door to hell left ajar somewhere at the bottom of the ocean.

Projection Mapping Art Installation Appears To Weave A Rug

This is a video of artist Todd Moyer Designs’ ‘Illoominated II’, a pun on loom and a projection mapped installation of projectors and lasers that appears to weave a colorful rug. There isn’t really a rug though, it’s all just A PROJECTION. Like our reality. I’ve seen The Matrix like twenty times, I know what’s up. “What about the sequels?” THERE’S MORE?!

Atari Joystick Whiskey Decanter

Because hard liquor and video games go together like my PS5 controller and future holes in the wall, this is an Atari controller decanter. The glassware is sold directly from Atari for $125 and is modeled after a classic CX-10 controller. It also includes two whiskey glasses and the display tray. That’s fancy. I actually had an Atari 2600, and I remember this controller. We sure have come a long way, haven’t we? Did we leave a bread trail? Maybe it’s time we get back.

Trump has thrown a wrench into a national EV charging program

This article originally appeared on Inside Climate News, a nonprofit, non-partisan news organization that covers climate, energy and the environment. Sign up for their newsletter here.

For now, Priester’s will have to stick to its famous pecans in Fort Payne, Alabama. But maybe not for long.

Priester’s Pecans, an Alabama staple, is one of more than half a dozen sites across the state slated to receive millions of dollars in federal funding to expand access to chargers for electric vehicles.

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