Tag Heuer has announced its latest luxury smartwatch, the Connected Calibre E5, and it comes complete with a partnership with sneaker maker New Balance on a particularly sporty version. The biggest selling point here is likely the design. This is a snazzy-looking watch, with a bright purple and green color scheme that is reminiscent of Unit-01 from Evangelion.

The exterior is coated in Grade 2 titanium and the watch ships with a flexible strap that’s also been inspired by New Balance sneakers. Tag Heuer promises “outdoor-readable screens” and full compatibility with iOS devices. It offers dual-band GPS and a battery that lasts a day and a half per charge. The watchmakers say it can charge from dead to 100 percent in just 90 minutes.

It comes with a Snapdragon 5100+ chip, an AMOLED display and plenty of sensors to track health and fitness. These include a heart rate monitor, a steps counter, a blood oxygen saturation monitor and a sleep tracker, among other sensors.

The only potential downside? The smartwatch runs via a brand-new, untested OS. It comes with a bunch of New Balance training plans preloaded, including options for marathons and 10K races. The companies also promise “gamified prompts” and post-run graphs that “transform data into clarity.”

The watch costs over $2,000, which is an extraordinary asking price but not far off from other Tag Heuer products. In addition to the New Balance Edition, the company is offering the smartwatch in a variety of case materials and strap combos, some of which get the price down to $1,600. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/tag-heuer-made-a-smartwatch-with-new-balance-183614594.html?src=rss

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Google’s Pixel Watch 4 starts shipping this week, and it’s got a few nice little improvements over the Pixel 3. I’ve started testing the new watch for a forthcoming review, and I wanted to share my thoughts on how the device compares so far. Here are three changes I already love.

I love the new charging dock

Credit: Beth Skwarecki

The new charging dock is a big improvement over the older style of charger. Previously, we had to make do with a magnetic puck at the end of a cord, with four little pins on the puck. You’d need to stick it to the back of the watch, and make sure to align the cord to the side with the crown. 

Many smartwatches have a charger in approximately the same format—the Galaxy Watch and the Apple Watch are similar. It’s OK, I guess, though these chargers tend to be more convenient when you have a stand to put them in (here’s one that fits the Pixel Watch 3). 

This new dock is different, and I much prefer it. It sits on your desk or nightstand. To charge the watch, you just pop it in there sideways, crown up. The display remains visible while charging (telling you the time and battery status) and the watch band is tucked out of the way. No longer will your watch be flipping around on the desk while you try to find a good spot for it.

Ultra fast charging works even better than advertised

Google boasts that the Pixel Watch 4 can go from 0 to 50% in about 15 minutes. I tested that and found it performed even better than advertised: The watch went from 10% to 60% in 12 minutes, and was up to 82% (72% added) in 19 minutes. I’m impressed.

The display is bigger even though the watch is the same size

The biggest thing you’ll notice about the Pixel Watch 4 is the expanded display, even on the same size of watch. In these photo I have placed the Pixel Watch 3 (gray band) next to the Pixel Watch 4 (yellow band—they call this color “lemongrass”). I turned on the flashlight app, and you can see a difference in the display size already: 

Pixel Watch 3 on left (gray band), Pixel Watch 4 on right (yellow band)
Credit: Beth Skwarecki

The display is also now domed, although to be clear, the exterior shape of the watch hasn’t changed (at least not that I can tell). To show you what I mean, here’s how the two watches look when displaying the Concentric face, which got a redesign for the Pixel Watch 4. I actually think the older version looks nicer, but that’s not really the point: The seconds around the edge of the face actually appear to go over the rounded portion, rather than staying inside of it. It’s a cute detail. 

Pixel Watch 3 on left (gray band), Pixel Watch 4 on right (yellow band)
Credit: Beth Skwarecki

I’ll have more thoughts on the Pixel Watch 4 in my full review, coming soon.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days end tonight, Oct. 8, and until then, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

When I first started DIYing stuff in my house, I didn’t have a lot of power tools, and I thought buying them would be a waste of money. I knew they’d make the work easier, of course, but I didn’t think that convenience was worth paying for. I had two hands, after all. I could do everything like my ancestors did: The hard way.

It took sanding down the old stairs in my house to change my mind forever. The stairs were old but solid, and I had to strip layers of paint and roughed-up wood off the treads as part of the rescue project. And it was torture doing this by hand. Halfway through, I stood up and went directly to the hardware store to purchase an orbital sander. These sanders are great for stripping stuff down, because the random action of the sanding pad reduces the scuff marks, resulting in a nice, smooth finish. I finished the rest of the stairs pretty fast after that, and I’ve never looked back.

DEWALT 20V MAX Orbital Sander, Tool Only (DCW210B)

$114.99
at Amazon

$179.00
Save $64.01

$114.99
at Amazon

$179.00
Save $64.01

The DeWalt DCW210 is one of the best orbital sanders I’ve ever used, honestly—and you can get one right now for 30% off (note that this is the “bare tool,” without a battery or charger—if you need those you’re better off buying the kit, which is 34% off right now, too). It’s cordless, which is great when you’re working over a large area. It uses a standard 8-hole hook-and-loop attachment pad, so you can use whatever sanding pads are best for the project at hand without being tied to some strange proprietary system. And it’s very comfortable in your hand, though it does tend to feel a bit heavy after you use it for a while.

Battery life is good, typically in the hour range, though it can be shorter if you’re using heavy-duty grit or really working the sander hard. The battery also charges up fast, so a lot of times I can get hours of continuous use by charging a battery while I work and swapping as needed. If you’re still hand-sanding, or if your orbital sander has seen better days, grab this one at 30% off before Prime Day ends.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days end tonight, Oct. 8, and until then, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

The second and last day of October Prime Day is upon us. Right now, Amazon is having a big sale on Sonos devices, with almost all of its products seeing good deals. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 is one of the best deals of the bunch currently down to the lowest price it has ever been—$369 (originally $499)—according to price-tracking tools. The Sonos Ace is also seeing its lowest price of $298.99 (originally $399) if you’re looking for some good quality headphones.

Sonos Beam Gen 2 5.0ch Smart Soundbar (Black)

$369.00
at Amazon

$499.00
Save $130.00

$369.00
at Amazon

$499.00
Save $130.00

Sonos Ace Headphones

$298.99
at Amazon

$399.00
Save $100.01

$298.99
at Amazon

$399.00
Save $100.01

As the name suggests, this isn’t the first generation of the Beam soundbar. That would be the Sonos Beam Gen 1, which came out in 2018. It was the first smart soundbar to support both Google and Alexa voice assistants, as well as AirPlay. The Sonos Beam Gen 2 then came out in 2021, adding Atmos compatibility, eARC connectivity, NFC connectivity, and a better processor from the features that were already in the Gen 1. The Sonos companion app also improved dramatically, making for a much better experience and extra features, like the Sonos TruePlay (only for Apple phones), which calibrates the speaker based on its environment.

The release of the bigger and more powerful Sonos Arc Ultra last year meant the Beam Gen 2 was no longer the flagship premium soundbar, which has helped bring the price down in sales like these.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

Over a year after former Twitter executives sued Elon Musk for around $128 million in unpaid severance benefits, both parties have agreed to settle for an undisclosed amount. The settlement is dependent on “certain conditions” being met in the near term, according to a new filing in the Northern District Court of California, but will postpone existing deadlines in the case so Musk can fulfill his obligations.

Former Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal, CFO Ned Segal, chief legal officer Vijaya Gadde and general counsel Sean Edgett originally sued Musk for millions of dollars of unpaid severance benefits in 2024. The justification for their lawsuit was made clear in Walter Isaacson’s account of the Twitter acquisition: Musk closed the $44 billion deal early and fired the executives in an attempt to avoid paying out their severance and vested stock options. The executives naturally sued, and now appear to be receiving some amount of what they’re owed.

The whole lawsuit likely wouldn’t have happened if Musk hadn’t originally tried to back out of his acquisition of Twitter, which the company later forced to happen through an extended legal battle. The early days of Musk’s ownership of the social network were characterized by drastic cost saving measures as a result, including mass layoffs and the decision to just not pay rent for some of the company’s offices.

Finally settling this lawsuit closes the book on that original Twitter saga, with a dismissal of the lawsuit the only real missing milestone. If for whatever reason Musk and X are not able to meet the terms of the settlement, the case will continue on October 31.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/elon-musk-and-former-twitter-execs-agree-to-settle-128-million-lawsuit-181915972.html?src=rss

An anonymous reader shares a report: Universities in the UK reassured arms companies they would monitor students’ chat groups and social media accounts after firms raised concerns about campus protests, according to internal emails. One university said it would conduct “active monitoring of social media” for any evidence of plans to demonstrate against Rolls-Royce at a careers fair.

A second appeared to agree to a request from Raytheon UK, the British wing of a major US defence contractor, to “monitor university chat groups” before a campus visit. Another university responded to a defence company’s “security questionnaire” seeking information about social media posts suggestive of imminent protests over the firm’s alleged role in fuelling war, including in Gaza. The universities’ apparent compliance with the sensitivities of arms companies before careers fairs has emerged in emails obtained by the Guardian and Liberty Investigates after freedom of information (FoI) requests.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is coming October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Whether you’re preparing for an emergency, planning a camping trip, or just want peace of mind during routine power outages, a portable power station is the answer. While they’re typically known for being pricey gadgets, this October Prime Day, you can pick up the Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station for 53% off, dropping the price to under $400. (You can also get the same generator bundled with a 200W solar panel at a similar discount.)

Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station

$379.00
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $420.00

$379.00
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $420.00

This versatile power station is part of the brand’s “camping series,” but it works equally well at home in a pinch—it can power up a fridge for 14 hours and a CPAP for over 18 hours. (If you want a longterm whole-home power, solution you’ll want to upgrade to the F3800 Plus, mentioned in this CNET roundup.) According to this “Mashable Choice” review, it has plenty of charging ports and 1,056Wh capacity, and recharges quickly via grid power, solar, or your car, going from 0 to 80% in under 45 minutes on a wall outlet. It’s also easy to monitor and manage with Anker’s companion app. 

At  28.4 pounds, it’s lightweight given the power it delivers, and has a durable exterior. Its built-in LED light strip keeps things visible when the lights go out during a power outage. The USB-C power output maxes out at 100W, and it only supports one expansion battery, for 2,112Wh total. While it’s designed for camping, it’s also reliable for home use, powering up a fridge for 14 hours and a CPAP for over 18 hours.

 If you’re looking for a portable power station with a wide range of features, high capacity, quick recharging, and multiple port options, the Anker Solix C1000 Portable Power Station is a small powerhouse that offers excellent value, especially at 53% off during Prime Day.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+. 

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days is October 7-8, and Lifehacker is sharing the best bargains, based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools.

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

Deals on smartwatches are only getting better and better during Amazon’s Big Deal Days. You don’t need to be a fitness enthusiast to appreciate everything a good Apple Watch has to offer. Right now the Fitbit Charge 6 is available for $104.45 for this October Prime Day, a 35% discount off its list price of $159.95.

Fitbit Charge 6

$104.45
at Amazon

$159.95
Save $55.50

$104.45
at Amazon

$159.95
Save $55.50

This Fitbit is a solid choice for anyone looking for with a simple device that can do the basics. This means steps, sleep, and activities, all without navigating through a ton of menus and accoutrements. If you’re looking for a Fitbit that goes beyond the basics, the Versa 4 is currently $132.95, down from $199.95.

On the flip side, for an even budget-friendlier option, check out the Inspire 3. It’s currently 20% off on Amazon, bringing the price down to $79.95. It doesn’t have its own GPS, and the screen is smaller, but if all you need is a barebones fitness tracker, it’s a solid option.

For more deals on fitness trackers and smartwatches, check out more of the top picks from Amazon’s Big Deal Days here.

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.

Amazon Big Deal Days end tonight, Oct. 8, and until then, Lifehacker is sharing the best sales based on product reviews, comparisons, and price-tracking tools before it’s over. 

• Follow our live blog to stay up to date on the best sales we find.

• Browse our editors’ picks for a curated list of our favorite sales on laptops, fitness tech, appliances, and more.

• Subscribe to our shopping newsletter, Add to Cart, for the best sales sent to your inbox.

• New to Prime Day? We have a primer on everything you need to know. Sales are accurate at the time of publication, but prices and inventory are always subject to change.

When I reviewed the Suunto Run earlier this year, I really enjoyed it. It’s lightweight, with a bright display and excellent GPS and heart rate accuracy. In other words, all the things you’d expect from a mid-range fitness watch, but at a more affordable price. And today it’s even more affordable, dropping to $199 in a Prime Day deal, compared to $249 normally.

It offers at least a week’s battery life (I got about seven days, while the company says it’s good for “up to 12” days) and was a delightful companion on my runs. On the trails, when I was following a downloaded route, it showed the direction I needed to go more clearly than similar Garmin and Coros watches. It also has dual-band GPS where its closest Garmin competitor (the Forerunner 165) does not. So if you’ve been looking for a good running watch at a good price, this is a perfect one to pick up. 

That said, the Suunto Run is one of the lower end watches in Suunto’s lineup, though it definitely holds its own. If you’re looking for something a bit fancier, the Suunto Race is also on sale today: $319 down from $399. The Suunto Race has sapphire glass, a 26-day battery life, and access to the Suunto Plus store where you can download apps for the watch. 

Looking for something else? Retailers like Walmart and Best Buy have Prime Day competition sales that are especially useful if you don’t have Amazon Prime.

• Walmart’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 6 at 7 p.m. ET through Oct. 12 and includes deals up to 50% off. It’s an especially good option if you have Walmart+.

• Best Buy’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Sept. 27 through Oct. 12, and has some of the best tech sales online. It’s an especially good option if you’re a My Best Buy “Plus” or “Total” member.

• Target’s Prime Day competition sale runs from Oct. 5 through Oct. 11, and it has deals going up to 50% off. You can become a Circle member for free.

After cramming dozens more games into the service and announcing a 50 percent price increase for the Ultimate tier, Microsoft has revealed the rest of the Game Pass additions for October. They include some games that were previously confirmed to join Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass on their release day, including Ball x Pit (October 15), Keeper (October 17) and Ninja Gaiden 4 (October 21).

Starting today, Game Pass subscribers on the Ultimate, Premium and PC plans can try out a store management game called Supermarket Simulator. Baldur’s Gate 3 fans who have been meaning to check out the first two main entries in the series can hop into the enhanced editions on PC via the Ultimate, Premium and PC variants of Game Pass starting on October 9.

On October 14, folks on those three Game Pass plans can get a pre-Halloween horror fix with The Casting of Frank Stone. This is a Dead by Daylight spinoff from Supermassive Games that taps into the kind of narrative-heavy gameplay the studio used in the likes of Until Dawn and The Quarry.

The other remaining Game Pass additions for October are:

• The Grinch: Christmas Adventures – October 15 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass)

• Eternal Strands — October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

• He Is Coming (Game Preview on PC only) — October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

• Ninja Gaiden 2 Black – October 15 (Game Pass Premium, already on Ultimate and PC Game Pass)

• Pax Dei (PC) – October 16 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass)

• Evil West – October 21 (Game Pass Ultimate, Game Pass Premium and PC Game Pass)

I played some of Eternal Strands earlier this year and dug it quite a bit. It’s an action-adventure game that lets you do some really neat things with elemental abilities. I enjoyed what I played of The Casting of Frank Stone too. That said, Ball x Pit (I got hooked on the demo this summer) and Keeper are the picks of this bunch for me.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/xboxs-remaining-game-pass-additions-for-october-include-baldurs-gate-1-and-2-and-the-casting-of-frank-stone-172448097.html?src=rss

Synology has released an update to its Disk Station Manager software that removes verified drive requirements from its 2025 model-year Plus, Value and J-series DiskStation network-attached storage devices. The change allows users to install non-validated third-party drives and create storage pools without restrictions.

The company had expanded its verified drive policy to the entire Plus line a few months earlier. Synology-branded drives carried substantial price premiums over commodity hardware. The HAT5310 enterprise SATA drive costs $299 for 8TB compared to $220 for an identically sized Seagate Exos disk. Users who installed non-verified drives in affected models faced reduced functionality and persistent warning messages in the DSM interface.

Synology said today it is collaborating with third-party drive manufacturers to accelerate testing and verification of additional storage drives. Pool and cache creation on M.2 disks still requires drives from the hardware compatibility list. Synology did not clarify whether the policy change applies to previous-generation products.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.