ChatGPT can browse the web, write code and analyze images, but ask it what time it is and you might get the correct answer, a confident wrong answer, or a polite refusal — sometimes all three within minutes of each other.

The problem stems from how large language models work. These systems predict answers based on training data and don’t receive constant real-time updates about things like time unless they specifically search the internet. AI robotics expert Yervant Kulbashian told The Verge that a language model “is only referencing things that have entered this space,” comparing it to a castaway on an island stocked with books but no watch.

OpenAI can give ChatGPT access to system clocks, and does so through features like Search. But there are tradeoffs: every clock check consumes space in the model’s context window, the finite portion of information it can hold at any given moment. Pasquale Minervini, a natural language processing researcher at the University of Edinburgh, said the leading models also struggle to read analog clock faces and have trouble with calendars.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

When the US Fish and Wildlife Service reintroduced 14 gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park in 1995, the animals were, in some ways, stepping into a new world.

After humans hunted wolves to near-extinction across the Western US in the early 20th century, the carnivore’s absence likely altered ecosystems and food webs across the Rocky Mountains. Once wolves were reintroduced to the landscape, scientists hoped to learn if, and how quickly, these changes could be reversed.

Despite studies claiming to show early evidence of a tantalizing relationship between wolves and regenerating riparian ecosystems since the canines returned to Yellowstone, scientists are still debating how large carnivores impact vegetation and other animals, according to a new paper published this month.

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We recently looked at Tiny vinyl, a new miniature vinyl single format developed through a collaboration between a toy industry veteran and the world’s largest vinyl record manufacturer. The 4-inch singles are pressed in a process nearly identical to standard 12-inch LPs or 7-inch singles, except everything is smaller. They have a standard-size spindle hole and play at 33⅓ RPM, and they hold up to four minutes of music per side.

Several smaller bands, like The Band Loula and Rainbow Kitten Surprise, and some industry veterans like Blake Shelton and Melissa Etheridge, have already experimented with the format. But Tiny Vinyl partnered with US retail giant Target for its big coming-out party this fall, with 44 exclusive titles launching throughout the end of this year.

Tiny Vinyl supplied a few promotional copies of releases from former America’s Got Talent finalist Grace VanderWaal, The Band Loula, country pop stars Florida Georgia Line, and jazz legends the Vince Guaraldi Trio so I could get a first-hand look at how the records actually play. I tested these titles as well as several others I picked up at retail, playing them on an Audio Technica LP-120 direct drive manual turntable connected to a Yamaha S-301 integrated amplifier and playing through a pair of vintage Klipsch kg4 speakers.

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Welcome back! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, we’re facing the annual torrent of Black Friday deals (and non-deals). I stand by $100 off the PS5 probably being the most intriguing discount this year, as it’s a rare one — and consoles have continued to get more expensive in the last few years.

There are other big discounts on more tech I personally bought (at full price, ugh), like Anker’s Laptop Power Bank, down from $135 to $88. I confess to giving a full show-and-tell performance when someone asks me about this giant battery pack, capable of charging laptops, Switch consoles and multiple phones. The best feature is the two built-in cables: one as a carrying strap, the other a retractable cable that is very satisfying to use. 25,000mAh is more than enough for multiple phone top-ups too.

Alongside small discounts on some Apple devices like the latest AirPods Pro, the iPad (A16) is down to $274. It’s the cheapest current-gen Apple tablet and more than enough for most. Sure, we wish the display were laminated and had some anti-glare coating, but a 21 percent discount? That mostly makes up for that.

Going on experience, most of the best deals have been announced by now, but a few surprises could pop up in the early hours of the morning. Keep an eye on our Black Friday 2025 deals page for the latest deals before they sell out.

— Mat Smith

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The news you might have missed

• Black Friday deals under $50: Apple AirTags, Lego sets, Blink cameras and more

• The Disney+ Hulu bundle drops to $5 per month for one year during Black Friday

• How to watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade

• A designer in Singapore created a functional SNES inside a wearable Nike sneaker

Dyson’s Black Friday deals include $600 off its robot vacuum

Stick vacuum discounts too.

Engadget

Dyson’s Black Friday sale covers vacuums and related products, with a $600 discount on its 360 Vis Nav robot vacuum — the cheapest we’ve ever seen it. Stick vacs, what Dyson is best known for perhaps, are also discounted, with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim cordless vacuum down to $400 ($330 off) at Amazon and Dyson. (We loved the green laser beam feature for ensuring you’ve cleaned every inch of your floor.) The Dyson V9 Motorbar cordless vacuum is even cheaper at $270, more than half off.

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Sony teases the A7 V, its next flagship midrange camera

When you have as many cameras as Sony, you can call something a flagship midrange.

Tech news is a little light, as most companies push their sales and stock-clearance offers. However, Sony appears to be ready to announce another addition to its Alpha camera lineup. The company shared an image on the Sony Alpha Instagram account with the text “Chase your dream” and the date December 2 at 9AM EST. The giant “V” is likely an unsubtle reference to a Sony A7 V, a follow-up to the Sony Alpha 7 IV. Rumors suggest the A7 V could feature a new 33MP “partially stacked sensor” designed by Sony. It might be able to capture 30 fps video in electronic shutter mode and 4K 60 fps video without cropping the sensor. That could make it more potent than Sony’s cinema cameras, like the FX2.

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Plex starts paywalling remote streaming to TVs

You may need to pay to stream from a friend’s server.

Some bad news for anyone who’s been using Plex to stream stuff from a buddy’s personal media server. The service is starting to enforce a paywall for remote streaming from an individual server to TV apps. Plex is rolling out the change on its Roku app this week, followed by its other TV apps (on the likes of Fire TV, Apple TV and Android TV) and third-party clients that use its remote streaming API in 2026.

The owner of a media server will need a Plex Pass subscription to grant other people remote access to it through the service. A Plex Pass now costs $7 per month, $70 per year or $250 for a lifetime membership. Yeah, it’s the opposite of a deal.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111554474.html?src=rss

Amazon Web Services has rolled out a DNS resilience feature that allows customers to make domain name system changes within 60 minutes of a service disruption in its US East region, a direct response to the long history of outages at the cloud giant’s most troubled infrastructure.

AWS said customers in regulated industries like banking, fintech and SaaS had asked for additional capabilities to meet business continuity and compliance requirements, specifically the ability to provision standby resources or redirect traffic during unexpected regional disruptions. The 60-minute recovery time objective still leaves a substantial window for outages to cascade, and the timing of the announcement — less than six weeks after an October 20th DynamoDB incident and a subsequent VM problem drew criticism — underscores how persistent US East’s reliability issues have been.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.

Black Friday has long been a good time to restock on video games and gaming gear on the cheap, and this year is no exception. If you’ve been looking to grab a PlayStation 5, pad out your Nintendo Switch backlog or refresh your PC setup with new accessories, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday gaming deals we could find. So far, the highlights include PS5 consoles for $100 off, all-time lows for tons of well-reviewed games and solid price drops for various mice, keyboards, headsets and other peripherals we like. We’ll update this post as new deals worth your time pop up.

Black Friday game console deals

Sony PlayStation 5 Digital Edition for $399 at Walmart ($101 off): The disc-less version of the PS5 actually launched for $399 five years ago, but in 2025, that price now counts as a deal. A Fortnite bundle is available for the same price. Also at Best Buy and others.

Sony PlayStation 5 Pro for $650 at Amazon ($100 off): Most people don’t need the PS5 Pro, but this discount still ties the lowest price we’ve seen for Sony’s most powerful console. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and others.

Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World for $499 at Amazon: Yes, we know this isn’t an actual deal, but we note it just to say that we aren’t seeing any discounts on Nintendo’s latest hybrid console as of this writing. This SKU with the newest Mario Kart remains the best “value” if you’re looking to grab the device for the holidays, as you’d have to pay an extra $30 if you bought the console and game separately.

Black Friday Nintendo Switch deals

The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom for $30 at Target ($20 off): Echoes of Wisdom makes a few bold changes to the series’ usual formula, mixing the freeform spirit of Tears of the Kingdom (which isn’t on sale) with the top-down view of earlier 2D Zelda games. This deal is a new low. Also for $40 at Amazon, Best Buy and others.

Super Mario Odyssey for $30 at Walmart ($30 off): It’s pushing a decade old, but Odyssey remains a joyous 3D platformer with pitch-perfect controls and a relentless stream of inventive ideas. This deal comes within a dollar of the game’s all-time low. Also at Best Buy and others.

Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door for $30 at Best Buy ($30 off): Here’s a new low for the Switch remake of this beloved GameCube RPG. Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar called it an “absolute treasure” in his review last year. Also at Target and GameStop.

Several other first-party Switch exclusives are down to $30 as well, including Princess Peach: Showtime!, Splatoon 3, Nintendo Switch Sports and Kirby’s Return to Dream Land Deluxe. Luigi’s Mansion 3, meanwhile, is on sale for $40 as of this writing.

Samsung P9 Express (512GB) microSD Express card for $75 at Amazon ($25 off): If you want more space for a Switch 2, this is a new low for the 512GB version of Samsung’s newest microSD Express card. Full disclosure: Samsung launched this model a couple of weeks ago, and we only just got it in for testing. But given the trend of similar Switch 2 performance we’ve seen with other Express cards thus far, and the fact that this is easily the cheapest 512GB model we can find in stock as of this writing, we figure it’s worth noting. Also at Samsung and B&H.

Lexar Play Pro (1TB) microSD Express card for $186 at Amazon ($34 off): If you need more space for a Switch 2, this is the second-best price for Lexar’s most spacious microSD Express card since July and the cheapest 1TB model we can find right now.

Best Black Friday PS5 deals

Sony DualSense controller for $55 at Amazon ($20 off): Here’s a nice chance to save if you’ve been meaning to stock up on new gamepads for your PS5 (or PC). Several colorways are on sale, though some cost $5 to $10 extra. Also at Best Buy, Walmart, PlayStation Direct and others.

Sony DualSense Edge controller for $169 at Amazon ($31 off): This ties the best price to date for Sony’s “pro” PS5 controller, which adds customizable back buttons, swappable thumbstick modules, trigger stops and the ability to set custom button mappings and sensitivities. We found it to have worse battery life than the standard DualSense, though, typically lasting just five to six hours. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and others.

PlayStation Plus Premium (12-month) for $107 at PlayStation ($53 off): Sony’s online service has only gotten pricier over the years, but this is still a rare chance to save on annual subscriptions. A Premium membership gets you cloud streaming support and an on-demand library of retro games on top of the perks included with the lower PS Plus Extra and PS Plus Essential tiers. A 12-month Extra subscription is also on sale for $101, though at that price you might as well go all the way. Just remember that your subscription will be set to auto-renew by default. The offers apply to new and select existing customers; for the latter, the exact discount will depend on how much time you have left on your current membership. Sadly, there doesn’t appear to be any deal for the standard Essential tier.

PlayStation 5 Access Controller for $70 at Amazon ($20 off): The Access Controller is a circular, customizable PS5 pad that’s designed for players with accessibility needs. This isn’t the device’s best discount ever — it went as low as $49 over the summer — but it’s still a nice drop from its usual street price. Also at Best Buy and PlayStation.

Death Stranding 2: On the Beach for $50 at Amazon ($20 off): The latest adventure from Metal Gear creator Hideo Kojima, Death Stranding 2 is both a fascinating delivery sim fixated on how we physically interact with the world and an indulgent melodrama you’ll either find endearing or unbearable. Either way, there really isn’t another game like it. This discount matches the lowest price we’ve seen. Also at Best Buy and PlayStation.

Helldivers 2 for $30 at Amazon ($10 off): This ties the best price we’ve tracked for the PS5 copy of the raucous co-op shooter Helldivers 2, which straddles the line between Starship Troopers-esque satire and engaging strategic action. Also at Best Buy and Target. If you’d rather play on PC, Steam is selling the game for $2 extra.

Final Fantasy VII Rebirth for $30 at Amazon ($20 off): Engadget’s Mat Smith gave this grandiose action-RPG a favorable review last year. You need to play its predecessor — and ideally, the original PS1 game — to get the most out of it, but it’s stuffed with things to do, and its combat system is still a tactical rush at its best. This is its all-time low. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

God of War Ragnarök for $34 at Amazon ($36 off): Rangarök is another PlayStation “prestige” sequel that’s more about upping the scope than truly reinventing itself, but its Norse world is beautifully detailed and smashing baddies with a magic axe always feels great. This matches the all-time low for the PS5 version. Also at Best Buy and PlayStation.

Sony has discounted a ton of other first-party PS5 games for Black Friday beyond this. Highlights include the open-world adventures Horizon Zero Dawn Remastered and Horizon Forbidden West for $20 each, while Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, Gran Turismo 7, The Last of Us Part I, The Last of Us Part II Remastered, Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart, Ghost of Tsushima: Director’s Cut and Demon’s Souls are all $30 apiece.

Black Friday Xbox deals

Seagate Storage Expansion Card for Xbox (2TB) for $200 at Amazon ($30 off): Annoying as it is, the only way to fully add storage to a new Xbox is to use a proprietary expansion card. Only a couple of those exist, and they’re all pricey, but this deal for Seagate’s 2TB card is about $20 off the device’s recent street price. The 4TB variant is also on sale for $380, which matches its all-time low. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

Black Friday video game deals

Battlefield 6 for $35 at GameStop ($35 off): This latest entry is generally seen as a return to form for the long-running military FPS series — at least when it comes to its chaotic multiplayer suite. If you’ve been meaning to step outside of the Call of Duty bubble, this is a new all-time low.

Split Fiction for $30 at Walmart ($20 off): A pick from our guide to the best couch co-op games, Split Fiction overcomes some hacky writing with brisk action, a lighthearted tone and a Nintendo-like committing to presenting new level ideas. This is the best price we’ve seen for the PS5 copy. Also at Best Buy, PlayStation, Nintendo and Xbox for $40.

Metal Gear Solid Δ: Snake Eater for $35 at GameStop ($35 off): Metal Gear Solid 3 is on the shortlist of the PS2’s greatest games. Delta is full-scale remake that preserves the original’s core while drastically overhauling its visuals and modernizing its controls. We saw it fall as low as $30 at Amazon and Walmart earlier this week, but this is still a nice drop. Also available for $49 at PlayStation and Xbox if you can only get a digital copy.

Kingdom Come: Deliverance II for $30 at GameStop ($30 off): Another one of the year’s highest-rated games, this systems-heavy action-RPG is something of an acquired taste, but it takes the “role-playing” bit more seriously than most of its peers. This is an all-time low for the PS5 version and $5 off the Xbox copy’s best price. Also at Humble for $36 if you want to play on PC and at Best Buy for $40.

Silent Hill f for $50 at Amazon ($20 off): It takes a bit to get going, but this newest installment in the long-running psychological horror series is surprisingly layered on top of being good for some unnerving scares. This is a new low. Also at Best Buy and PlayStation.

Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds + $10 digital credit for $40 at Amazon ($40 off): Mario Kart World may be the year’s most famous kart racer, but CrossWorlds is a fine alternative with a greater sense of speed, more customization options and less overall restraint. This deal is $10 more than the all-time low we saw earlier this week, but it includes a $10 digital Amazon credit when you redeem the code SONIC10 on the product page or at checkout.

Elden Ring for $15 at Walmart ($35 off): The action-RPG Elden Ring is both challenging and darkly funny, with a world that runs incredibly deep and feels lived-in (died-in) in a way few games have. This is a new low, but as of this writing it only applies to the Xbox version. Also at Amazon. The PS5 copy is down to $20, which is still a decent savings.

Cyberpunk 2077: Ultimate Edition for $39 at Steam ($44 off): The moody Cyberpunk 2077 started as a technical disaster but now stands as a perfectly solid action-RPG, one bolstered by its pointed narrative and striking techno-future art style. This ties the best price we’ve seen for the PC version of the Ultimate Edition, which includes the game’s well-regarded Phantom Liberty DLC. Also at Xbox for $40 and PlayStation for $43.

Returnal for $23 at Steam ($37 off): This third-person shooter roguelike is at once a technical showcase, a stiff test and an achingly beautiful reflection on the nature of grief. It’s also worth checking out if you’re eager to play developer Housemarque’s next game, Saros, which looks to borrow many elements introduced here. This deal is for the PC version; the PS5 copy is also on sale for $30 at Amazon, Best Buy and others.

Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10 at Steam ($30 off): We’ve seen this deal a bunch of times over the years, but it matches the lowest-ever price for The Master Chief Collection, which gathers six of the venerable FPS series’ games in one package. Also at Xbox.

Thank Goodness You’re Here! for $12 at PlayStation ($8 off): Thank Goodness You’re Here! is a delightfully clever and exceedingly British comedy game about a little yellow man who does everything requested of him to an increasingly surreal extent. It’s three hours long and, as Engadget’s Mat Smith wrote in his review, all Actually Funny. The ending alone is worth this price, which ties the game’s all-time low. Also at Steam.

Pentiment for $10 at Xbox ($10 off): One of the Xbox’s true gems, Pentiment is an unusually soulful 2D adventure/visual novel that does nothing less than scrutinize the nature of truth. It’s also very pretty. This deal ties the game’s all-time low. Also at Steam.

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon for $20 at Amazon ($10 off): Armored Core VI is a loud action game about building a mech and using it to blow up everything in sight. It’s as awesome as that sounds, and it feels great, but its formidable bosses and deep customization options keeps it from being mindless. This discount ties the best price we’ve seen for the PS5 and Xbox editions.

Grand Theft Auto IV for $7 at Xbox ($13 off): Perhaps the most underrated GTA game, the 17-year-old GTA IV is still worth revisiting today thanks to its grimy depiction of city living and empathetic (if vulgar) story about the cracks in the American dream. Maybe just ignore the incessant calls to go bowling. This deal matches the game’s all-time low.

Black Friday gaming handheld deals

Lenovo Legion Go S (SteamOS, Ryzen Z1 Extreme) for $650 at Best Buy ($250 off): A top pick from our guide to the best gaming handhelds, the Legion Go S is sort like a “Steam Deck 1.5” with a larger screen, faster chipset, higher refresh rate and the same SteamOS software. It’s also much more expensive, but this discount helps lessen that. It’s a new low for the version with AMD’s Ryzen Z1 Extreme chip. Also at Lenovo.

Retroid Pocket Flip 2 for $209 at Retroid ($20 off): Another recommendation from our gaming handhelds guide, the Retroid Pocket Flip 2 is an Android device designed to emulate retro games. Getting those emulators set up takes some serious legwork, but this model can run games up to the PlayStation 2 and GameCube era without major issues, while its clamshell design and OLED display impress for a handheld in the $200 range. Use the code BFCM$15 to see this discount at checkout, but keep in mind that the price doesn’t include any extra shipping fees.

Retroid Pocket 5 for $184 at Retroid ($15 off): You can use the same code above to get this deal for the Retroid Pocket 5, which is essentially the Flip 2 in a Sony PSP-style shape. It’s currently the top retro handheld pick in our guide and remains excellent for emulating up to the PS2 and GameCube, but it’s worth noting that Retroid recently released a new Pocket G2 model that puts a stronger chip in the same design. We haven’t tested that one yet, but it should be better if you want to emulate select PC or Switch 1 games. That one is now on sale for $204. Looming over both devices, however, is the Retroid Pocket 6, which will ship in January and looks to be a slightly more substantial upgrade.

Black Friday VR headset deals

PlayStation VR2 + Horizon Call of the Mountain bundle for $299 at Amazon ($100 off): It’s hard to broadly recommend the PSVR2: The actual hardware is superb, but there aren’t a ton of standout exclusives to play. Thankfully, you can now use the device with a gaming PC through a separate adapter, though it’s all wired-only. Still, if you have cash to burn and want to dive into games like Gran Turismo 7, the Resident Evil 4 remake or the Horizon adventure bundled here, this is a new low. If this offer runs out of stock, the standalone headset is on sale for the same price. Also at Best Buy, Walmart and others.

Black Friday gaming keyboard deals

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless for $130 at Amazon ($80 off): If the Lemokey P1 HE runs out of stock, or if you want something closer to a full-size layout, the ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless is another wireless mechanical keyboard we like. It makes typing feel and sound lovely, though it can’t do any of the Hall effect customizations of the top picks in our guide. This deal ties an all-time low. Also at Best Buy and ASUS.

Sony Inzone KBD-H75 for $278 at Amazon ($22 off): As we note in our gaming keyboard guide, the Inzone KBD-H75 ticks just about all of the boxes: a high-quality frame, versatile magnetic switches that feel and sound even nicer than our top pick, crisp PBT keycaps, decent software, even a volume knob. Its only real issue is that it’s way too expensive for a wired keyboard. It still is after this discount, but if you’ve got cash to burn, this matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Best Buy and Sony.

NuPhy Air75 V2 for $84 at NuPhy ($36 off): If you’re looking for a slimmer low-profile keyboard that still uses satisfying mechanical switches, the NuPhy Air75 V2 is an older but still great option we’ve recommended in the past. This is the lowest price we’ve seen, though certain switch options are available for a few bucks more. The newer Air75 V3 is also on sale for $128; we haven’t fully reviewed that one yet, but it should offer a more bouncy typing experience with superior sound dampening.

Black Friday gaming mouse deals

Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed for $70 at Amazon ($30 off): The DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed is a midrange option we recommend in our guide if you prefer a more ergonomic shape. Its contoured design is ideal for small- to medium-sized hands, it tracks reliably and at 55 grams it’s easy to flick around in fast-paced games. This deal marks a new low. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

Razer Basilisk V3 for $29 at Amazon ($17 off): If you don’t mind using a cable, the Basilisk V3 is another ergonomic model we highlight in our buying guide. It’s relatively heavy and bulky but very much comfortable for larger hands, with an impressively versatile scroll wheel that can tilt side-to-side and switch between notched and free-spin modes. This is the lowest price we’ve tracked. The wireless Basilisk V3 X HyperSpeed is also on sale for $38, though that one has a more limited scroll wheel and trades the wired version’s optical clicks for less durable mechanical switches. Also at Target for $30.

Pulsar X2 CrazyLight for $91 at Amazon ($39 off): The aptly-named X2 CrazyLight is an honorable mention in our buying guide for those who mainly play twitchy shooter games and use a claw or fingertip grip, as its compact design weighs a mere 37 grams. This is the lowest price we’ve seen, and the discount applies to several colorways.

Pulsar Xlite V4 for $50 at Amazon ($50 off): The Xlite V4 is another honorable mention in our guide if you’re after a light, comfortable and responsive mouse with an ergonomic shape. The downside is it has cutouts on the bottom, which leaves the interior exposed to dust and debris. We actually tested the older Xlite V3, but the V4 is a very minor refresh that’s currently available for the same price, so it’s worth grabbing instead. This is another all-time low. You need to be a Prime member to access this deal at Amazon, but the mini and large versions are available directly from Pulsar for the same price.

Black Friday gaming headset deals

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 for $30 at Amazon ($20 off): The wired Cloud Stinger 2 is the budget pick in our gaming headset buying guide. It’s comfy, with a solid mic and full-bodied bass. Just don’t expect the most accurate sound or highest-quality materials at this price. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

Astro A50 X for $320 at Amazon ($80 off): The A50 X is a higher-end wireless headset we recommend in our guide for those who game across PS5, Xbox and PC. Its included charging station doubles as an HDMI switcher, allowing you to swap between different three different sources with the press of a button. An excellent mic and mostly balanced sound profile help as well. This deal isn’t an all-time low but still takes a good chunk off the headset’s normal going rate. Also at Best Buy and Logitech.

Logitech G Pro X 2 Lightspeed for $210 at Amazon ($70 off): We call the G Pro X 2 Lightspeed a quality alternative to the Audeze Maxwell — our favorite closed-back wireless headset — in our buying guide when it’s on sale for significantly less. That’s the case right now, as this discount drops the headset to its best price since July. Also at Best Buy and Logitech.

Sony PlayStation Pulse Elite for $129 at Amazon ($21 off): It’s not a top pick in our guide, but the Pulse Elite is a decent wireless option for PS5 owners since it lets you adjust the EQ curve and access other settings directly from the console’s UI. It can also pair to a second device simultaneously over Bluetooth. The flimsy space-age design and poor noise isolation aren’t ideal, however. This deal comes within a dollar of the headset’s all-time low. Also at Best Buy and Walmart.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-gaming-deals-for-2025-save-on-ps5-consoles-nintendo-switch-games-handhelds-and-more-093044783.html?src=rss

Black Friday and Cyber Monday feature some of the best audio equipment deals you’re likely to see all year. Whether you’ve been thinking about upgrading your home sound system, you’re planning a party or you just want something nice to listen to while you cook, we’ve found discounts on a speaker you’ll love. The deals on this list range across brands, with offerings from Ultimate Ears, Bose, Beats and more, plus Sonos and Amazon Echo smart speakers and soundbars from Sony and JBL. We’ll be curating this list all month, so check back daily for new audiophile-approved recommendations, organized by price.

Best Black Friday speaker deals under $50

Anker Soundcore 2 for $28 (38 percent off): This is the absolute cheapest you’ll probably see a full-size Bluetooth speaker go for in 2025 — the Soundcore 2, the latest effort by Anker to expand from charging components into portable audio. This model gets you 24 hours of battery and 12 watts of output, with bass ports designed to heavily boost the low ranges. It all works through a simple set of highly visible and tactile buttons on top of the speaker box.

Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen for $32 (36 percent off): The fifth-generation Echo Dot is cheaper than ever, and it was already the best smart speaker under $50. Its genius spherical design lets it pack a lot of audio into a compact space, and it can be controlled with both hands-free Alexa commands and on-device buttons. The latest release comes with early access to the Alexa+ AI upgrade.

JBL Go 4 for $40 (20 percent off): You might expect a speaker as small and portable as the Go 4 to sound tinny at the higher frequencies and weak at the lower ones, but JBL has worked its magic to make this model sound great at both ranges. Weighing less than half a pound, made partly from recycled materials and including a convenient carabiner hoop, this is one of our favorite speakers to take on treks.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2 for $50 (29 percent off): The StormBox Micro 2 gets you the two things you need out of a portable speaker — it’s light (weighing about a pound), and it’s loud. Tribit hasn’t changed the game on portable sound quality here, but with this on your bike or in your backyard, you’ll be having so much fun you won’t care. And the fact that you only spent 50 bucks will definitely help your mood.

Amazon Echo Spot for $50 (38 percent off): The Echo Spot looks like an Echo Dot sawed in half, which is a surprisingly effective design. It’s designed to work best as a bedside alarm clock, but you can customize the screen to show things other than time, including a weather forecast, smart home controls or the current song on your playlist. It’s Alexa-capable, and like the latest Echo Dot, will let you give Alexa+ AI a try.

Best Black Friday speaker deals for $50 to $100

Amazon Fire TV Soundbar for $85 (29 percent off): This is by far the least you’ll pay for a worthwhile soundbar this Black Friday season. Amazon’s soundbar supports Dolby surround sound, works straightforwardly through a single HDMI cable and can be upgraded with an optional Alexa voice assistant. It doesn’t only work with Amazon products, either, being compatible with all smart TVs.

Marshall Emberton II for $90 (50 percent off): We’re huge fans of the Emberton II, Marshall’s affordable new-age retro speaker. It looks great, but it’s much more than a visual throwback, featuring 360-degree sound, IP67 proofing and 30 hours of battery life. Since the deal cuts the price in half, you can even by two and chain them together for a surround sound setup.

Amazon Echo Dot Max for $90 (10 percent off): The Echo Dot Max just dropped this month, and our reaction was mixed, but there’s no denying the leaps forward in this brand-new addition. Not only does it feature better sound than the vanilla Echo Dot, but Alexa+ makes is a much more equal conversation partner. The Echo Dot Max features a similar spherical design to the Dot, but with forward-facing physical buttons on the surface of the sphere.

Bose SoundLink Micro for $99 (16 percent off): If the Home isn’t small or cheap enough for you, Bose has gone even smaller and cheaper with the SoundLink Micro, a tiny, portable speaker in the vein of the JBL Clip. It’s waterproof, dustproof and surprisingly good at taking hits, all while staying charged for around six hours. The sound quality isn’t intense, but it’s cleaner than it has any right to be.

Beats Pill for $100 (33 percent off): Beats jumping back into portable bluetooth was one of the happiest surprises of 2024. As we noted in our full review at the time, the Beats Pill isn’t content to coast on its brand name or luxurious design. Its re-engineering speaker improves volume while reducing distortion, it can survive dropping into three feet of water and it even works extremely well as a speakerphone. We found that mid-to-high range music showcases its potential best, though the bass also hits hard.

Best Black Friday speaker deals for $100 to $200

Bose SoundLink Flex for $119 (20 percent off): Of all the Bose on this list, the SoundLink Flex may be the most balanced, much cheaper than the Home and a lot more powerful than the Micro. Other speakers may be louder, but few have such good range; we’ve yet to find a track that sounds muddy or tinny coming through the Flex’s speakers. The design is also outdoor-friendly, with a light-but-tough exterior and 30-foot bluetooth range.

JBL Charge 6 for $130 (35 percent off): It’s a little more expensive than the Flip line, but the extra cost of the Charge 6 pays off — it boasts almost twice the battery life of the Flip 7, with the same convenient design, built-in USB-C charger and wide sound range. If you’re looking for a speaker that balances sturdiness with portability and will last you a while, the Charge 6 is a very good investment.

Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 for $150 (25 percent off): The UE Megaboom line is venerable at this point, dropping first in 2015, but its fourth iteration still tops our audiophile lists. It puts out 360-degree sound with an emphasis on bass, can work up to 147 feet away from the music source, and literally floats in water (though you probably shouldn’t leave it in the pool all night). It can even pair with any other UE speaker through PartyUp — combining it with a couple of Wonderbooms pays off in spades.

Sonos Era 100 for $169 (15 percent off): Two years after launch, the Era 100 is still a smart speaker more than worth your time. It’s sleek and simply designed, making it clear Sonos’s engineers put their work into sound quality and features rather than just looking the part. Touch controls have never worked better, and setup takes five minutes, though you will have to use the Sonos app. Once you start playing music, the Era 100 can get as loud as you like, while never sacrificing audio quality.

Bose SoundLink Home for $179 (18 percent off): The SoundLink Home is small for a high-quality speaker, but it packs everything it needs into two pounds and about 10 square inches. Nothing about the sound is diminished thanks to two passive radiators. Though we haven’t gotten to test it directly, given Bose’s record with other compact speakers like the Flex, we’re confident it’ll be loud enough to satisfy anyone.

Bose TV Speaker soundbar for $199 (29 percent off): Bose’s entry into the world of soundbars does not disappoint. For a price lower than some Bluetooth speakers, you’ll get a compact two-foot speaker bar that amplifies dialogue while conjuring a balanced, realistic soundscape from any movie or show. It’s suitable for audio neophytes, too, with no complex adjustments necessary — just plug in the HDMI and start watching.

Ultimate Ears Everboom for $200 (25 percent off): We gave the Everboom a full review when it first dropped last year, and found it stuck to the general Ultimate Ears plan — nothing earth-shattering in the audio quality, but rugged reliability and fantastic extra features. Everboom users can connect it to the UE Boom app, which lets you control the volume remotely, use the speaker as a megaphone to make announcements, import your playlists and pair Everbooms through the PartyUp chaining feature.

Best Black Friday speaker deals over $200

JBL Xtreme 4 for $280 (26 percent off): Xtreme is the largest and highest-end that JBL goes, and the Xtreme 4 is a luminary of the line. At 4.6 pounds, it’s on the outside edge of portability, but that weight means it puts out appropriately heavy bass, along with clear treble. It’s fully weatherproof and — unless it’s in a completely open space — can get loud enough that all your party guests will enjoy the full effect.

Bose SoundLink Max for $299 (25 percent off): The SoundLink Max, Bose’s biggest speaker that isn’t a soundbar, is more affordable for Black Friday than we’ve seen for a while. Frankly, it’s worth more than this, with two radiators and three transducers that make it sound larger than it is. Indoors or outdoors, it’s great for anyone who wants to be able to pick out individual elements of their favorite music.

Sonos Era 300 for $378 (21 percent off): The Era 300 is Sonos’s big (and largely successful) swing at a truly space-filling smart speaker, combining spatial audio with support for both Alexa and its own assistant. The Trueplay feature detects the environment around the speaker and adjusts its setup to reach every corner. Spatial audio can be hit-or-miss on older tracks, but it’s transcendent with modern ones.

Sonos Move 2 for $399 (20 percent off): Move is Sonos’s high-end portable smart speaker, with more heft, power and features than the smaller Roam line. With the Move 2, Sonos improved the Move’s sound quality, boosted its battery life to well over 24 hours, jacked up the volume and redesigned the outer hardware for greater durability. It also works with both Alexa and the Sonos assistant, but it’s more portable than the Era 300.

Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 for $798 (20 percent off): In our review of the Bravia 6 this year, we called out its full sound and special talent for enhancing dialogue, but were frustrated that it didn’t support AirPlay or Spotify Connect. The Bravia 8 works with both services, making it a clear choice for your next premium soundbar. It’s got a tight, low-footprint design that fits any aesthetic, and hits a maximum output power of 495 watts.

Sonos Arc Ultra for $879 (20 percent off): The Sonos Arc Ultra is the best premium soundbar, bar none (pun intended). As we cover in our full review, it delivers full-throated bass without needing an extra sub, and has added more mid-range drivers and tweeters to make dialogue pop. Its software features are also solid, with Trueplay sound tuning, Speech Enhancement and a new Night Sound mode to tone down the boom for your roommates’ sake.

JBL Bar 1300XMK2 for $1200 (29 percent off): If you’re going to drop $1200 on a soundbar, you need to know it’s going to deliver — and the 1300XMK2 does. Its key design element is two detachable speakers that recharge when plugged into the main unit, but can spend up to 10 hours unplugged. The audioscape does an excellent job of separating and clarifying details, which really enhances the sense of a theatrical experience.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-speaker-deals-2025-save-up-to-50-percent-on-bluetooth-speakers-smart-speakers-and-soundbars-091904603.html?src=rss

Black Friday is always the best time to buy cameras and accessories and it’s particularly relevant this year in light of tariffs that have pushed up prices. Most of the major camera and drone makers including Sony, Canon, DJI, Nikon and GoPro are offering substantial discounts across a wide range of products ranging from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Those include multiple options from our guide to the best cameras of 2025, so you’ll get great value for tried and tested gear. These are the best Black Friday camera deals we’ve seen so far in 2025.

Best Black Friday camera and drone deals

DJI Neo drone for $159 (20 percent off): The DJI Neo may be an inexpensive, beginner-friendly drone, but it has powerful features like subject tracking and quick shots. It can shoot video at up to 4K 30 fps and is quick and maneuverable, though it’s also fairly loud. You can also grab one with three batteries and a charger for $229 (21 percent off).

Sony A7 IV for $1,998 (26 percent off): Sony’s A7 IV is still one of the best hybrid cameras you can get thanks to the high resolution, fast shooting speeds and 4K 60p video. Autofocus is incredible for both video and stills, and it comes with in-body stabilization to help smooth your shots. And for photographers, image quality has never been better thanks to the high dynamic range and enhanced resolution compared to the A7 III.

GoPro Hero 13 Black for $319 (26 percent off): GoPro’s Hero 13 Black is now available with a new family of modular lenses called the HB series (ultra-wide, anamorphic and macro), making it far more versatile for action creators. It also has a slightly bigger battery that allows longer capture times, up to 90 minutes for 4K 30fps video. Other specs remain the same, including up to 5.3K at 60fps in 10-bit color, along with the excellent Hypersmooth stabilization. And if you want an even wider field of view, grab the Hero 13 Black Wide Edition for $329.

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 for $507 (37 percent off): When DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 came out I said was “maybe the only vlogging camera you need.” It has a big one-inch sensor that boosts image quality considerably, particularly in low light. You also get a large swiveling touchscreen that makes it easier to switch between horizontal and vertical video. What really makes it great for vlogging, though, are the follow modes combined with face tracking. When working solo, you can simply set it up and it’ll rotate and tilt to follow you around — so you don’t have to worry about focus or even pointing the camera at yourself. There’s very little not to like about the Osmo Pocket 3, but it’s not ideal for photos and is also quite expensive. But with the Black Friday deal and Pocket 4 on the horizon, it’s a great time to get one.

Canon EOS R100 with 18-45mm kit lens for $499 (27 percent off): Canon’s EOS R100 is the best deal on a mirrorless camera with a kit lens, and this is the lowest price we’ve seen to date. It comes with a 24-megapixel APS-C sensor that delivers great picture quality with Canon’s pleasing skin tones, offers rapid and accurate autofocus and lets you shoot 4K (cropped) video at up to 24 fps.

DJI Osmo 360 for $357 (35 percent off): DJI’s Osmo 360 is a worthy rival to Insta360’s X5, thanks to the innovative sensor and 8K 50 fps video. It also matches or beats its rival in other areas, with similar battery life and superior low-light capability. Other positives include seamless 360 stitching, compatibility with DJI’s mics and accessories, and excellent ease of use. The one negative is the editing app, which lacks some features found on Insta360’s app. 

OM SYSTEM Olympus E-M10 IV with 14-42mm kit lens for $700 (22 percent off): OM Systems’ Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark IV offers a great mix of photography and video features and is on sale with a solid kit lens. You get up to 15 fps shooting speeds, 4K 30p or HD 120p video, and it’s one of the few cameras in this price category with built-in five-axis stabilization. It’s portable and lightweight for travel, and the lenses are compact and affordable. The drawbacks are an autofocus system that’s not as fast or accurate as the competition, and a small sensor size.

DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro for $259 (24 percent off): The Action 5 Pro features a large 1/1.3-inch sensor that makes it better than the Hero 13 in low light. It also tops the action cam battery life charts at two hours-plus while shooting 4K 60fps. Another nice feature is 47GB of internal storage, a big help if you forget your microSD memory card. And the Osmo Action 5 Pro works directly with DJI’s noise-cancelling Mic 2 and Mic Mini wireless microphones, providing an easy way to record high-quality sound. You can also grab the Action 4 Pro with the same sensor for just $199, or 31 percent off the regular price. 

DJI Mini 4K drone Fly More Combo for $359 (20 percent off): The Mini 4K is a beginner-friendly drone, but it’s still got plenty of nifty features. As the name suggests, it can capture 4K video at up to 30 FPS. It can also record 2.7K footage at 60 FPS. There’s 2x digital zoom, a 3-axis gimbal and electrical image stabilization. The drone can transmit 1080p video from up to 10km away.

Panasonix Lumix S9 in green for $1,398 with 18-45mm kit lens (22 percent off): The S9 may be Panasonic’s smallest full-frame camera but it comes with the same 24MP sensor and similar video features to the popular S5 II. To that end, it offers up to 6.2K video, in-body stabilization and reliable autofocus. The key feature though is a special LUT button that lets you easily choose a custom cinematic look designed by professional creators.

Fujifilm X-T50 with XC 15-45mm lens for $1,599 (6 percent off): Fujifilm’s X-T50 is a big improvement over the X-T30 II, thanks to its higher resolution sensor, in-body stabilization and upgraded video capabilities. It’s relatively small and lightweight and has solid autofocus and decent shooting speeds of up to 13 fps. Fujifilm cameras rarely go on sale, so if you’re in the market for this model, now’s the time to act. 

Canon EOS R50 for $679 (13 percent off): Canon’s 24-megapixel APS-C EOS R50 is great for travel, parties, street photography and more thanks to the portable size and built-in flash. It offers nice image quality with warm, human friendly photos and is capable for creators as well with 4K 30fps supersampled video, with 10-bit and HDR capability. It comes with a kit lens that’s solid for vlogging or photography with a 24-70mm full-frame equivalent zoom range.

Panasonic Lumix S5 II for $1,498 (25 percent off): The Lumix S5 II is an ideal vlogging camera, thanks to its excellent 6K 10-bit video, powerful stabilization system and phase-detect autofocus. It also offers features that creators need like excellent monitoring tools and advanced audio features, along with the 3.68-million dot EVF and flip-out display. 

Nikon Z6 III for $2,097 (22 percent off): The Nikon Z6 III is one of the best hybrid creator cameras you can buy, thanks to the incredible performance of its partially stacked sensor. You can shoot RAW bursts at up to 20 fps in electronic shutter mode while nailing sharp shots thanks to the much-improved autofocus. On the video side, it supports 6K RAW at up to 60 fps, or 4K 120p. The only thing holding it back from dethroning Sony is image quality that’s compromised a bit by the relatively low resolution and reduced dynamic range.

Sony A7R V for $3,298 (21 percent off): With a 61-megapixel sensor, Sony’s A7R V shoots sharp and beautiful images at a very respectable speed for such a high-resolution model (10 fps). It has equally fast and reliable autofocus, the sharpest viewfinder on the market and in-body stabilization that’s much improved over the A7R IV. Video has even improved, with 8K and 10-bit options now on tap, albeit with significant rolling shutter. 

Canon EOS R5 Mark II for $3,899 (11 percent off): The EOS R5 II comes with a high-resolution 45-megapixel stacked sensor, but still lets you shoot blackout-free bursts at up to 30 fps (and it can pre-capture up to 15 photos when you half press the shutter button). The updated autofocus with AI tracking is as good as anything offered by Sony and it’s also highly capable for video, with up to 8K 60p RAW and 4K 120p shooting. 

Nikon Z8 for $3,496 (18 percent off): Nikon’s Z8 offers the same specs as the company’s Z9 flagship in a smaller body but costs a lot less. It’s one of the highest resolution full-frame cameras with 45 megapixels, but also one of the fastest with burst speeds up to 30 fps. At the same time, it has powerful video capabilities with 8K RAW video at up to 60 fps. Autofocus isn’t on par with Sony’s A1, but the Z8 is a better camera for the price.

Best Black Friday camera lens and accessory deals

Osmo Mobile 7P for $103 (20 percent off): This three-axis gimbal keeps your smartphone video as smooth as can be with DJI’s ActiveTrack 7.0, and includes a magnetic snapping mechanism so you can install your mobile device in seconds. The latest feature is native tracking that follows you around, thanks to the included Multifunctional Module.

K&F Concept 20L camera backpack for $66 (20 percent off): This multifunction backpack can store not only cameras, lenses and even drones in the bottom section, but a couple of changes of clothes up top. It has a laptop compartment, ventilated elastic back, auxiliary straps and more.

SmallRig Camera Tripod for $49 (30 percent off): This 2-in-1 tripod easily transforms into a monopod depending on your needs. It comes with a 360-degree detachable ball head, supports up to 33 pounds and lets you adjust the working height from 16- to 71-inches in seconds.

Rode Wireless Micro for $83 (10 percent off): Another great wireless mic option is Rode’s Wireless Micro designed for smartphone users. The receiver connects to the bottom of your smartphone via USB-C and the microphones attach to the subject via integrated clips or magnets. They capture pristine sound well above what your smartphone can do, with a 20-20 kHz frequency range and 73 dB signal-to-noise ratio.

DJI Mic 2 for $197 (27 percent off): DJI’s Mic 2 can not only be connected to a mirrorless camera like other mics, but also supports Bluetooth audio so can easily be connected to a smartphone as well. It picks up audio from your subject at a range of up to 820 feet (less with a Bluetooth connection) and automatically reduces background noise like wind, city sounds and even drone noise. And unlike the Mic 3, it lets you plug in an external microphone. This deal includes two mic transmitters, a receiver for your camera, a charging case and wind muffs.

DJI RS 4 Mini $305 (17 percent off): The RS 4 Mini is one of the best handheld camera stabilizers on the market thanks to features like its 4.4 pound payload and automatic axis lock. On top of that, the company introduced automatic tracking via its RS Intelligent Tracking Module to keep human subjects in frame no matter where they go. It also offers smoother gimbal tracking, longer battery life and faster charging.

Lexar 64GB Professional 2000x SD Card $48 (31 percent off): If you need very fast SD UHS II memory, Lexar currently has an excellent deal on its 64GB 2000x memory card. It offers 300MB/s read and 260Mb/s write speeds, quick enough to capture high data rate video or bursts of high-resolution photos. Amazon is also offering a solid discount on 256GB memory in the same lineup at $165 or 23 percent off.

Samsung Evo Select 512GB microSD memory card for $33 (30 percent off): This card offers a lot of storage for the money at this price, but it’s fast enough to handle 4K video for drone and action camera storage. 

Samsung P9 512GB microSD Express memory card for $75 (25 percent off): If you want a fast card for your drone or action cam that can also be used on a Switch 2, Samsung has the answer. It’s P9 512GB microSD express card is on sale for just $75, or 25 percent off the regular price. It can run at speeds up to 800MB/s on the Switch 2, and transfer files in compatibility mode at up to 160Mbps. 

Manfrotto Befree GT PRO 4-section travel tripod $299 (36 percent off): Belying its miniscule 4.23 pound weight, this model offers ultra-stable performance for timelapse and other shots, even in bad weather. It’s also great for video thanks to the integrated 3-way pan/tilt head, featuring fluid cartridges for precise control and seamless movements.

Lexar 2TB Professional CFexpress Type A memory card for $509 (15 percent off): For those looking for fast and copious storage for modern mirrorless cameras, Lexar’s 2TB Professional CFexpress Type A Silver 4.0 memory card is a good solution. It offers 1,750 MB/s read and 1,650 MB/s write speeds fast enough to handle RAW video from most cameras.

Panasonic Lumix G 25mm f/1.7 lens $197 (34 percent off): Panasonic and Micro Four Thirds users on a budget in need of a fast 50mm equivalent prime should check this one out. It offers beautiful bokeh and fast speeds in low light, but costs nearly half the price of f/1.4 models.

Nikon Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 Lens $497 (17 percent off): If you want a fast 50mm portrait lens but don’t have a ton to spend, Nikon’s Nikkor Z 50mm f/1.4 lens is on sale for just $497, making it one of the cheapest full-frame options available. At the same time, it offers exceptional sharpness and excellent color rendition, with beautiful bokeh that will flatter your subjects.

Panasonic Lumix S 85mm f/1.8 lens $448 (31 percent off): I own this lens and it’s fast, sharp and versatile for portraits while offering considerable savings compared to an f/1.4 portrait. It’s also great for working pros due to the dust-, splash- and freeze-resistant design and very light weight next to other brands.

Nikon Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 Lens $577 (15 percent off): If you’re looking for a fast full-frame Nikon Z prime in the 35-50mm category for portraits, architecture or street photos, Nikon has a stellar deal. The Nikkor Z 35mm f/1.4 lens is fast and sharp with painterly bokeh thanks to the 9-blade iris design. It’s great for video as well, with the silent STM mechanism offering silent autofocus and suppressed focus breathing.

Canon RF24-70mm F2.8 L lens $2,299 (12 percent off): If you’ve been eyeballing a fast Canon RF mount zoom, now’s the time to act. The RF24-70mm f/2.8 L lens rarely goes on sale, but is now available with a $200 (8 percent) discount. It offers an f/2.8 aperture across the entire zoom range so you get awesome bokeh for portraits and high versatility in low light situations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-camera-and-drone-deals-get-up-to-36-percent-off-from-sony-dji-and-others-082305347.html?src=rss

Holiday shopping can be tough because you may only have so much money to spend on gifts and things for yourself. Sticking to your budget might be more important to you this year than ever, and you’re looking for deals that can help you do that. Engadget can help, at least in the electronics department. Yes, there are plenty of great deals on big-ticket items this year like game consoles and robot vacuums, but it would be a mistake to think you can snag an excellent gadget for $100 or less. If that sounds like just what you’re looking for, you’ve come to the right place. Here, we’ve curated the best Black Friday deals on tech you can get for $100 or less.

Best Black Friday deals for $100 or less

Apple AirTags (four pack) for $65 (34 percent off): iPhone users who frequently misplace things should invest in a few AirTags. Slip them into your wallet, bag, jacket and other belongings to keep track of their locations in the Find My app. Just make sure that, if you’re going to attach one to your keys, you also pick up an AirTag holder to go along with it.

Audible — three months for $3 + $20 Audible credit: For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off): Getting into the smart home space can seem daunting, but opting for a small but powerful device like the Amazon Smart Plug can make it much easier. It’s one of our favorite smart plugs because it’s almost entirely plug-and-play. It’s super simple to set up and then you can control almost anything you plug into it with Alexa voice commands or mobile app. The only caveat is that it only supports Alexa voice control, making it the best option for those who already use Amazon’s voice assistant often.

LEGO Botanicals Happy Plants Building Toys 10349 for $18 (20 percent off): Here’s an ideal Secret Santa gift — everyone loves Legos and these cheery little guys will keep your giftee company at their desk or on a windowsill, and are the lowest-maintenance plants around. Also at Target and Walmart; it’s one of many Lego Black Friday deals you can get right now.

Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $19 (52 percent off): This is one of the best Roku devices to get if you’re on a budget and just want to make an aging TV set feel a little bit newer. This model supports 4K HDR content, has pretty accurate universal search and gives you access to a ton of free content to watch via Roku’s streaming OS.

Apple TV+ — 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

HBO Max — one year for $36: HBO Max’s Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you’re getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max’s website or, if you’re a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.

Twelve South AirFly SE Bluetooth Audio Transmitter for $26 ($14 off): If you (or someone on your gift list) travels by plane a lot, they might appreciate this dongle. It adds a Bluetooth connection to any 3.5mm aux audio jack so they can use their AirPods or other wireless buds to watch in-flight entertainment. $26 isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen (it went as low as $16 earlier this year).

Govee Smart LED Light Bars for $30 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): Another of our stocking stuffer picks are these smart LED light bars from Govee. They can stand up or lie flat so they can go just about anywhere and are infinitely adjustable via the app. You can even set them to light up in sync with your music. Alexa and the Google Assistant will let you control them with just your voice (and a smart speaker).

SanDisk microSD Express card (256GB) for $60 (12 percent off): If you have a Switch 2, no regular microSD card will do if you want to expand the console’s storage. You need a newer microSD Express card, and currently there are only a handful on the market. We did some testing to find the best microSD Express card for the Switch 2 and found that performance was, in general, very similar amongst all the readily available cards. We recommend getting whichever fits within your budget at the capacity you want.

LEGO Star Wars Millennium Falcon A New Hope 25th Anniversary Collectable 75375 for $68 (20 percent off): This is a set that any Star Wars fan will love to build and then love to display once it’s complete. The 921-piece set features a fully-detailed Millennium Falcone, buildable stand and nameplate.

Google TV Streamer 4K for $75 ($25 off): Our top pick for the best streaming device right now, the latest version of Google’s streamer supports 4K video and an excellent, easy-to-use interface that will feel familiar to anyone who’s seen a set with the Google TV technology built in. It provides access to all of the major streaming services including Netflix, Disney+, HBO Max, YouTube and more, plus it has a handy on-screen pop up that lets you control all compatible smart home devices right from your TV.

Amazon Kindle for $80 ($25 off): Amazon’s entry-level Kindle is the best budget e-reader on the market right now, with a compact and durable design, plus a crisp display. If you already have a bunch of ebooks purchased through the Kindle Store, it’s one of the best options for you, and Amazon’s Whispersync feature lines up where you are in the e-printed version with the narration if you go back and forth between reading and listening to Audible audiobooks.

Anker Laptop Power Bank (25K, 100W) for $88 (35 percent off): A top pick in our guide to the best power banks, this Anker brick is kind of a one-and-done device. It has enough capacity to charge all sorts of devices from smartphones to laptops to handheld gaming consoles, and it has two built-in USB-C cables so you don’t even have to remember to bring your own to use it. Also available at Anker.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-black-friday-deals-on-tech-for-100-or-less-081912662.html?src=rss

Breaking free from Microsoft is harder than it looks. Airbus began migrating its 100,000-plus workforce from Office to Google Workspace more than seven years ago and it still hasn’t completed the switch. The Register: As we exclusively revealed in March 2018, the aerospace giant told 130,000 employees it was ditching Microsoft’s productivity tools for Google’s cloud-based alternatives. Then-CEO Tom Enders predicted migration would finish in 18 months, a timeline that, in hindsight, was “extremely ambitious,” according to Catherine Jestin, Airbus’s executive vice president of digital.

Today, more than two-thirds of Airbus’s 150,000 employees have fully transitioned, but significant pockets continue to use Microsoft in parallel. Finance, for example, still relies on Excel because Google Sheets can’t handle the necessary file sizes, as some spreadsheets involve 20 million cells. “Some of the limitations was just the number of cells that you could have in one single file. We’ll definitely start to remove some of the work,” Jestin told The Register.

Read more of this story at Slashdot.