The UK and China today signed a new bilateral agreement on scientific collaboration [non-paywalled source], narrowing the scope of their partnership to exclude sensitive technologies. Lord Patrick Vallance, Britain’s science and technology minister, met his Chinese counterpart Chen Jiachang in Beijing and agreed to focus cooperation on health, climate, planetary sciences, and agriculture.

The previous agreement from 2017 had included satellites, remote sensing technology and robotics. Those fields are absent from the new accord. The countries announced no new funding for joint research. Vallance said the UK had “deliberately gone for areas which we think are not carrying such a security risk.”

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Amazon is selling three months of Audible for just $3 in honor of Black Friday. The company typically reserves this sale for Prime Day, so it’s nice to see the deal make an unexpected return.

This breaks down to $1 per month for the first three months, which is a boon for audiobook fans. Just make sure to cancel before the 90 days are up, as the subscription will auto-renew at $15 per month. That’s not the worst deal in the world, given the vast number of titles available on the platform, but still.

Audible has a diverse catalog that goes beyond audiobooks. It also hosts podcasts and Audible Originals. Subscribers get to choose one audiobook each month to keep in their collection for free, including best-sellers or new releases. Users also get unlimited access to the Plus Catalog, which houses thousands of audiobooks. Finally, active members get discounts on many audiobooks when looking to purchase.

Winter is coming and this is a good way to make sure you have plenty to listen to throughout the next three months. This deal does have a time limit. It expires on December 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-three-months-of-audible-for-3-in-this-black-friday-deal-140010983.html?src=rss

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Amazon just marked down the Nothing Phone 3 to $678.99, its lowest price yet, according to price trackers. That’s about $120 off the usual $799 tag for the 12GB RAM and 256GB storage base model.

Nothing Phone 3 Cell Phone

$678.99
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $120.01

$678.99
at Amazon

$799.00
Save $120.01

It’s the company’s most ambitious phone to date, moving confidently into flagship territory while keeping intact its trademark minimalist aesthetic. This PCMag review calls it “the company’s best yet,” awarding it an “excellent” rating for performance, design, and camera improvements.

The Phone 3 keeps Nothing’s signature transparent back, now redesigned with a Glyph Matrix—a ring of 489 micro-LEDs that light up for notifications, timers, and even playful “Glyph Toys” like a mini clock or a spin-the-bottle game. It’s a fun detail, though one you’ll probably either love or switch off entirely. The phone feels sturdy, built from 100% recycled aluminum and shielded by Gorilla Glass 7i, with an IP68 rating for dust and water resistance. Its 6.67-inch AMOLED display is sharp and bright, with a 2,800 x 1,260 resolution and a 120Hz adaptive refresh rate that keeps scrolling and animations smooth.

Under the hood, the Snapdragon 8s Gen 4 chip powers through everything from multitasking to heavy games like Genshin Impact without a hitch. The 5,150mAh battery lasted about 15 hours in PCMag’s rundown test and supports 65W wired charging, 15W wireless charging, and reverse charging for smaller devices.

Camera performance is another step forward for Nothing. The triple 50MP setup covers wide, ultra-wide, and telephoto ranges, producing images with crisp detail and accurate colors. The software side feels clean, too—Nothing OS 3.5, layered on Android 15, keeps things simple without unnecessary clutter. It’s not loaded with AI features like some rivals, but it gets the basics right, offering five years of Android updates and seven years of security patches (which is reassuring longevity).

The only major drawbacks are the lack of mmWave 5G support and the still-limited AI integration, which might bother future-focused users. But overall, the Nothing Phone 3 manages to feel refreshing in a market where everything looks the same.

The holiday season is swiftly approaching and it’s officially the time of year to ask: What presents am I going to get everyone? Thankfully, there are a ton of early Black Friday deals for the tech lover in your life.

Take the 39 percent discount currently available on the 8Bitdo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller and Charging Dock. It’s a great option for the gamer in your life, and a steal down from $70 to $43 — a new all-time low price. The controller comes with perks such as the charging dock, 22 hours of battery per charge and compatibility with everything from Steam Deck to Switch. The deal is only for the white model. 

Earlier this year, 8Bitdo released a new version of this $70 controller, aptly called the Ultimate 2 Bluetooth. We rated it as one of the best controllers for the Nintendo Switch 2. While the upgraded model brings you features like more precise and sensitive joysticks, this sale brings the original Ultimate Controller back into view — and our shopping carts. Plus, it also works well with the Nintendo Switch 2. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/8bitdos-ultimate-controller-drops-to-a-record-low-price-in-early-black-friday-sales-133023804.html?src=rss

Planning out what you’re going to do is huge for productivity, which is why SMART goals (and their alternatives) are so popular throughout the working world. Another important—but perhaps more overlooked—element of the productivity process is the assessment, however.

Reviewing what you did is just as integral as planning how you’ll do it—in reviewing, you get a chance to plan better (and improve!) for next time, while also carving out space to appreciate what you did well—also a major motivator!

What is an after-action review? 

An after-action review, or AAR, is a way to measure the results of your performance and improve on your processes. It was first introduced by the U.S. Army to give units feedback after they had collective training exercises. The Army has actually released a ton of literature on it, but all you need to know is that when carried out right, it’s standardized, done the same way every time, and useful for building a framework that can enhance future labor. 

If you do end up diving into that mountain of literature on the AAR, you’ll notice that it was designed for units or teams and is typically conducted by a facilitator who encourages members to discuss each part of the effort with the group. But it can be useful for individuals, too, since the process of completing an AAR is standardized and easy to follow. Build time into your schedule to conduct your own personal AAR after completing a major project, whether at work or in your personal life. You can complete it at the end of every week, or once you’ve finished a specific project. Either way, you’ll want to keep notes of these reviews, whether in your planner or in a document you can add to a larger file about the project, like a single source of truth (SSOT).

You may feel silly “reviewing” work you just completed, but the arguments for it—and the potential benefits—are substantial. First, if you’re honest with yourself about what went wrong, you can figure out why the parts that didn’t work were inefficient or ineffective, then seek solutions. In identifying what went well, you can set plans to replicate your process in the future, and find a little motivation in a job well done.

An AAR (or something similar) is an integral part of many popular productivity techniques, including Getting Things Done and Agile Results. All the planning in the world doesn’t matter if you never reflect on how it all went so you can improve next time around.

What you should put into your after-action review

This is where we get into the rigid, structured process of the Army. There are four questions you’ll ask yourself when conducting your AAR and they’ll always be the same: 

1. What did I intend to accomplish?

2. What did I do?

3. Why did it happen the way it did?

4. What will I do to change my strategy or execution for a better outcome next time OR how can I duplicate my success?

Essentially, consider what you wanted to get done, what you actually got done, what impacted the outcome, and what you can take away for future attempts. Even running over this checklist in your head is a good practice, but writing it down is best, so you can refer back to it next time you’re in the planning stages on a new project. 

For instance, say you want to clean your kitchen. That’s the answer to the first question. What you really did, whether it was clean the kitchen, avoid the task, or only give it a half-effort, is the answer to the second. The third question is where you get introspective: If you did clean the kitchen, was it because you had company coming over and felt a sense of urgency, aligning your productivity with the Yerkes-Dodson Law? Or maybe it was because you needed to feel a sense of accomplishment after an otherwise unproductive week, but you were so burned out that you didn’t do a great job. If you didn’t clean, was it because you felt overwhelmed? Did you get too busy? Did you lack the right tools for the job? Once you’ve established your reasons, you can build them into the answer to the fourth question, writing something like, “I will clean my kitchen weekly to make sure I’m always ready for unexpected company,” “I will follow a regimented cleaning method to avoid feeling overwhelmed,” or, “I will invest in better cleaning tools to make the next attempt go smoother.” 

When cleaning time rolls around again, you’ll pre-plan your actions as normal, scheduling out time for the activity and setting goals. Refer back to your AAR to refresh your memory on what went right and what went wrong the last time you tried to do the task. Eventually, you’ll smooth out the issues that are preventing you from being most efficient and get more results. 

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If you’ve been looking to replace an aging desktop without spending a small fortune, this refurbished 2023 model HP Slim Desktop might be worth considering. It’s on sale for $189.99 on StackSocial, and while that price suggests bare-bones, it’s more suited for everyday computing than you might expect. Since it’s a refurbished “Grade A” model, it should arrive looking nearly new, with minimal signs of previous use. Plus, the one-year parts-and-labor warranty from a third party adds some reassurance.

The HP Slim lives up to its name. At approximately 8 by 17 inches, it fits neatly on a small desk or shelf without occupying much space. The design looks clean and professional, blending easily into a home or office setup. You also get practical connectivity options, including HDMI and VGA ports for monitors, USB 2.0 and SuperSpeed ports for accessories, and a headphone/microphone combo jack. It runs Windows 11 Home, so you’ll get the latest Microsoft interface and features without needing to upgrade. That said, the Intel Pentium Silver J5040 chip isn’t designed for gaming or heavy editing, but it handles daily tasks such as spreadsheets, streaming, and light photo editing smoothly. With 8GB of RAM, multitasking feels effortless, and the 256GB solid-state drive helps the system boot up quickly, making a significant difference if you’re accustomed to older desktops that take forever to start up.

At $189.99, this desktop is a practical choice for anyone who needs a simple computer for browsing, streaming, schoolwork, or office tasks. It’s not built for gaming or creative projects, but it’s steady and efficient for daily use. If you’re looking for a compact, quiet, and easy-to-manage desktop without paying premium prices, the HP Slim Desktop makes a strong case for itself.

Samsung has rolled out an update for its SmartThings app on the iPhone, and it will give you the ability to activate routines with Siri voice commands. Specifically, the update adds compatibility between SmartThings and Siri Shortcuts, which is an iOS feature you can use to automate multi-step tasks. You can simply drag and drop multiple actions from the apps that support the feature within the Shortcuts app to create an automation. But this update means you’ll be able to access even routines created in the SmartThings application.

As 9to5Mac reports, Samsung described the update as something that could bridge “the gap between Galaxy and Apple devices to make it easier for everyone in the home to stay connected.” With the update, you can, for instance, have a shared “Good Morning” automation between SmartThings and Shortcuts. On iOS, just activate Siri and say the routine name to switch on the lights and the coffee maker, as well as to raise the blinds at the same time. A “Good night” automation could dim the lights and switch off everything at once.

In addition, the update will give you the ability to see your SmartThings devices and device groups on your Apple Watch. You’ll be able to control them and run automations from the wearable. Samsung will now show your five most recently used devices on iOS Live Activities, as well, so you can quickly check your ACs, air purifiers, washing machines and other Samsung products.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/samsung-makes-smartthings-routines-compatible-with-siri-voice-commands-130000236.html?src=rss

Over the past year, scammers have ramped up a new way to infect the computers of unsuspecting people. The increasingly common method, which many potential targets have yet to learn of, is quick, bypasses most endpoint protections, and works against both macOS and Windows users.

ClickFix often starts with an email sent from a hotel that the target has a pending registration with and references the correct registration information. In other cases, ClickFix attacks begin with a WhatsApp message. In still other cases, the user receives the URL at the top of Google results for a search query. Once the mark accesses the malicious site referenced, it presents a CAPTCHA challenge or other pretext requiring user confirmation. The user receives an instruction to copy a string of text, open a terminal window, paste it in, and press Enter.

One line is all it takes

Once entered, the string of text causes the PC or Mac to surreptitiously visit a scammer-controlled server and download malware. Then, the machine automatically installs it—all with no indication to the target. With that, users are infected, usually with credential-stealing malware. Security firms say ClickFix campaigns have run rampant. The lack of awareness of the technique, combined with the links also coming from known addresses or in search results, and the ability to bypass some endpoint protections are all factors driving the growth.

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It’s been just over a year since Sony launched the updated PS5 Slim and PS5 Pro consoles, so how’s that going given Sony’s pessimistic outlook in May? Pretty well, judging by the company’s latest earnings report. Sony sold more PlayStation 5s last quarter than it did a year ago (3.9 million compared to 3.8 million), boosting total PS5 sales to 84.2 million since launch. Sony also expects more revenue from its gaming (G&NS) division than it previously forecast. 

Back in May, Sony predicted a ¥100 billion ($700 million) hit to revenue in fiscal year 2025 due to tariffs, given that most of its sales occur in the US. Another key blow was the delay of Rockstar’s Grand Theft Auto VI launch that was first pushed back to May 2026 and was recently delayed again until November 19, 2026. 

However, Sony now expects to sell more hardware than it thought and make ¥4.47 trillion in gaming revenue ($29 billion) for its full year ending March 31, 2026 — up ¥150 billion ($973 million) from its last forecast. That figure, would be slightly below its full year 2024 sales of ¥4.670 trillion ($30.3 billion), but it’s still impressive for a nearly five year old console that has seen multiple price hikes. .

In terms of game sales, the main highlight was Ghost of Yotei, which sold 3.3 million units as of November 2, 2025, just a month after it launched. The company sold 6.3 million first-party games across PS5 and PS4 (up one million compared to last year) and 80.3 million games total. 

As for PlayStation Network, monthly active users hit 119 million, up 3 million from last year at this time. Sony doesn’t break out PS Plus Premium subscribers, but that service just launched a new feature that lets you stream games you own over the cloud on the PlayStation Portal. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-has-sold-842-million-playstation-5s-since-launch-123004469.html?src=rss

Apple’s entry-level smartwatch has improved so much it delivers an experience comparable to pricier Apple Watches. The most important upgrades in the SE 3 are the always-on display, faster charging speeds and on-device Siri. This brings a lot of parity to other Apple Watch devices in the most crucial areas.

It doesn’t have everything: The SE 3’s optical sensor is older and lacks the capabilities of Series 10 and 11 smartwatches, which feature electrical heart rate sensors. You’ll still get notifications for irregular rhythms and low cardio fitness as well as high and low heart rate notifications. All of this for $259? (Or $200 if you’re quick.) It’s the most tempting first step into Apple’s wearable yet. It might be time for me to upgrade from my Series 8.

— Mat Smith

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Nintendo announces its Black Friday deals

Switch 2 bundles, Switch game deals and more.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the console launch of 2025, and it will undoubtedly be at the top of many wish lists for both kids and adults. If you were hoping to save a bit on the console during Black Friday, you may be disappointed. However, the marquee Nintendo deals for the holidays come as console bundles. When the Switch 2 launched earlier this year, it was available as just the console only for $449 or bundled with Mario Kart World for $499. Both options are still available, but there’s a new bundle to consider as well, the console with the new Pokémon Legends: Z-A game, which also costs $499.

The Nintendo eShop will have cyber deals on games November 20 through December 3. The shop will feature “holiday offers on select games,” but we don’t know which games they will be. Meanwhile, other retailers will have discounts on some physical Switch games, including Princess Peach: Showtime!, The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom, Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Those will each be $40, while other games like Super Mario Odyssey, Nintendo Switch Sports, Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door and Splatoon 3 will be $30.

Continue reading.

The latest Death Stranding collab is an actual exoskeleton

Get those steps in even easier.

Kojima Productions has a new collaboration for anyone who wishes to enhance their lower-body strength and stability — or simply prepare for cosplay in 2026. The studio has teamed up with exoskeleton maker Dnsys for a limited run of a model based on Death Stranding 2: On The Beach. It’s said to mimic the game’s load-balancing system by offloading up to 200 percent of the wearer’s body weight from their knees to help protect the joints. Dnsys said it adds 50 percent more power to steps and “intelligent gait control” to improve balance on stairs and uneven terrain.

Continue reading.

Renders show off Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy S26+

Maybe no S25 Edge successor.

According to a report from Android Headlines, Samsung may stick with its Plus models of Galaxy phone — and ditch the just-got-here Edge line. A leaker has given us a glimpse at the forthcoming S26+, and it looks similar to the company’s other smartphones. The small, raised camera island has been tweaked a bit, and the report suggests the S26+ will be 7.35mm thick, which is in line with the S25+. It also seems to be decidedly chunkier than the S25 Edge, so this is likely not a swap: The next Plus device won’t be the Edge.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121537568.html?src=rss