Amazon is laying off several hundred employees working on Alexa

Amazon is sacking employees in its Alexa division even as it prepares to upgrade Alexa to be as smart as modern AI-powered chatbots like ChatGPT. The move will impact several hundred employees in the US, Canada, and India, according to an internal email sent on Friday.

“As we continue to invent, we’re shifting some of our efforts to better align with our business priorities, and what we know matters most to customers — which includes maximizing our resources and efforts focused on generative AI,” wrote Daniel Bausch, Amazon’s vice president of Alexa and Fire TV in the email, first obtained by GeekWire. “These shifts are leading us to discontinue some initiatives, which is resulting in several hundred roles being eliminated.”

An Amazon spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that the company was, indeed, laying off “several hundred” people in the division and said that Amazon was trying to find roles for those impacted wherever possible. “While this was a hard decision to make, we remain very optimistic about the future of Alexa,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “As we move forward, Alexa remains an incredibly important part of our business, and we will continue to invest and innovate to deliver on our vision.” The spokesperson did not say which initiatives were being discontinued.

Amazon released Alexa in 2014. But nearly ten years later, most people don’t use the digital assistant for anything beyond playing music, asking for the weather, or setting timers. OpenAI’s ChatGPT, which was powered by generative AI, was widely perceived to be smarter than Alexa and Siri, which sometimes struggle with basic requests. A few months ago, OpenAI added voice capabilities to ChatGPT, letting people have conversations with it in natural language.

In September, Amazon announced that it would upgrade Alexa with capabilities that would bring it closer in line with ChatGPT. Alexa will soon be powered by a large language model, the same foundational technology that is the basis of modern chatbots like ChatGPT. “Our latest model has been specifically optimized for voice,” David Limp, Amazon’s SVP of Devices & Services, told the audience at the company’s event that month, “and the things we know our customers love — like having access to real-time information, efficiently controlling their smart home, and getting the most out of their home entertainment.” Earlier this year, Limp announced he would leave Amazon after more than 13 years later this year and is now the CEO of Jeff Bezos’ space company Blue Origin.

The new upgrades to Alexa will mean that you won’t have to say “Alexa” each time you want something done. You’ll also be able to give complex requests, like asking the assistant to prepare the house for bedtime every weeknight at 9 PM, dim the lights, lock the doors, and set the temperature all at one go. Alexa will also be able to hold longer conversations and maintain the context of the discussion.

Amazon has so far laid off more than 27,000 employees across the company after it began mass-scale cutbacks a year ago for the first time in its history. Last week, the company cut 180 jobs from its gaming division, including the entire staff of Crown, a company-backed Twitch channel. Earlier this month, Amazon also laid off an unspecified number of employees in its music streaming unit and has previously cut more than 100 employees from its gaming divisions.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-is-laying-off-several-hundred-employees-working-on-alexa-190339189.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Amazon is laying off several hundred employees working on Alexa

Cadillac's midrange Optiq electric SUV takes cues from the high-end Lyriq

Cadillac has unveiled a new entry-level compact electric SUV. The Optiq will sit below the Lyriq in Cadillac’s lineup, and images the automaker shared suggest it will also borrow from the more expensive SUV’s stylings. However, you may have to wait a while before buying one, as Cadillac says we won’t hear more about the Optiq (including its full specs) until 2024.

The Optiq will continue Cadillac’s naming convention of ending its EVs’ names with some form of “IQ.” In addition to the Lyriq, other examples include the Escalade IQ and Celestiq.

Although Cadillac hasn’t explicitly stated so, the Optiq will likely use GM’s Ultium battery platform. Road and Driver speculates that since Cadillac’s SUV is similar in size to the Chevy Equinox EV, it could have similar specs. The Equinox has a 210-horsepower electric motor for the front wheels and an optional 290-horsepower dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup with a range likely capping out at around 300 miles for maxed-out configurations.

Marketing photo of the Cadillac Optiq, sitting under a modern building at nighttime. The vehicle is a reddish-orange.
Cadillac

Autoblog notes details we already know about the version of the Optiq made for China, thanks to photos and information shared through the country’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) pre-market vehicle approval process. That model is allegedly 189.8 inches long, 75.3 inches wide and 64.6 inches tall. That would make it around 2.5 inches narrower and seven inches shorter (in length) than the Lyriq. The China model is listed as weighing 4.850 lbs with a top speed of 112 mph. It has two front-wheel-drive configurations, including a 201-horsepower motor and a 241-hp one.

Cadillac’s full press release was short and to the point. “Today, Cadillac has confirmed the fourth vehicle to join its expanding global electric vehicle portfolio — OPTIQ,” the announcement reads. “OPTIQ will act as the entry point for Cadillac’s EV lineup in North America, slotting in below LYRIQ, a luxury compact SUV. OPTIQ’s spirited driving dynamics are designed to appeal to global luxury customers.  Additional details, as well as available features and pricing, will be unveiled next year.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cadillacs-midrange-optiq-electric-suv-takes-cues-from-the-high-end-lyriq-183414934.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Cadillac’s midrange Optiq electric SUV takes cues from the high-end Lyriq

Anker's Black Friday deals will save you up to 37 percent on some of our favorite charging gear

A number of Anker chargers, cables, power adapters and other accessories are on sale for Black Friday at Amazon, with discounts of up to 37 percent. One key callout is on our favorite premium power bank, Anker’s Prime 20,000 mAH battery with charging base. It’s currently down to $130 for the set and the lowest price ever. At full price, we’ve seen the set go for as high as $200. The base is what makes it really stand apart from other power banks — simply drop the brick on the platform and it starts recharging. 

The screen on the Prime bank is impressive as well, detailing just how much charge the pack has left and how much is heading out of each of the three ports (one USB-A and two USB-C). In our tests, it revived a dead iPhone back to 100 percent in just over an hour and 45 minutes, with enough left over for another three-quarters charge. It brought a spent iPad Air back to full in a little under two hours. Not only is the base an easy way to recharge the battery, it also acts as a charging hub with three ports of its own for powering up other stuff. 

Other Anker accessories we like are seeing big discounts too, including the 67W USB-C charger for 37 percent off, bringing it to $38, matching its all-time low. It has two USB-C ports and one USB-A port, so you can charge your phone, tablet and even a battery pack at one time. 

Our top 65W fast wall charger is Anker’s 735 GaN Prime, which is down to a new low price after a 38 percent discount. It’s got the same three ports as the above wall adapter and outperformed other contenders in our tests. 

Finally, the diminutive and handy Anker Nano Power Bank is seeing one of its first discounts since coming on the market a couple months ago. It’s down to $21 and would make a great stocking stuffer — particularly for those who always seem to have a phone hovering around 5 percent. The small brick has a built-in foldable USB-C connector and in my experience, it got a Galaxy S23 Ultra to 62 percent in about an hour. Plus its easy to use the phone while the bank is pugged in. 

Check out the larger Black Friday Anker sale here.  

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ankers-black-friday-deals-will-save-you-up-to-37-percent-on-some-of-our-favorite-charging-gear-183048555.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Anker’s Black Friday deals will save you up to 37 percent on some of our favorite charging gear

NVIDIA’s Shield TV Pro drops to a record-low of $170 for Black Friday

If you’re looking for a streaming device with a bit more oomph than a standard USB stick, you should check out the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro. It’s on sale right now for Black Friday, matching a record-low price of $170. That’s $30 off the MSRP, representing a savings of 15 percent for those keeping score.

This is an extremely powerful device, with enough juice to stream movies, run a PLEX server, play games via the cloud and do just about anything you want. There’s a reason, after all, the Shield TV Pro made our list of the best streaming devices you can buy in 2023. It runs on the Android TV platform and boasts a capable Tegra X1+ processor, so it easily handles 4K streams. It’ll even upscale 720p and 1080p video to 4K via the company’s proprietary AI neural network.

We also liked that this box supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, in addition to boasting 16GB of built-in storage for direct uploads of content. You also get 3GB of RAM to help speed up navigation and opening apps. As for content, you have your pick from all of the major streamers and anything else available on the Google Play Store. It’ll also play just about any game from the Play Store, though you’ll have to bring along your own controller.

To that end, you can use the device to opt into NVIDIA’s GeForce Now cloud gaming service, which provides access to over 1,500 games, including the full spate of Xbox Game Pass titles. The Shield Pro boasts an ethernet port for graphically-intensive game streams. About the only downside to this device is the original asking price, an issue made less urgent due to this sale.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-shield-tv-pro-drops-to-a-record-low-of-170-for-black-friday-182709988.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NVIDIA’s Shield TV Pro drops to a record-low of 0 for Black Friday

The Google Pixel Fold is $400 off for Black Friday

The Google Pixel Fold, released earlier this year, is on sale for $1,399, knocking $400 off its original price of $1,799. This Amazon Black Friday deal marks the lowest price ever on the 256GB model. If you need more storage on your smartphone, the 512GB model is going for $1,519, down from $1,919. The foldable is powered by the Google Tensor G2 and offers 12GB of RAM, making it a great option for those looking to invest in a foldable smartphone as their daily driver. If you’re interested in other Black Friday Google Pixel deals, the Pixel 8 and 8 Pro are down to record low prices as well.

The Pixel Fold earned a spot on Engadget’s top foldable phones list, namely for how easy it is to use and for its wide-screen design. Folded, the phone gives you a 5.8-inch screen to work with, and unfolded you get a big, 7.6-inch immersive display. When open, the foldable’s split screen allows you to multitask and do things like shop online and make video calls at the same time. You’re also able to use the main screen and external screen together, letting you take pictures and look at live previews simultaneously. Coming soon is Google Translate’s interpreter mode as well, which allows you to watch translations appear on both screens while you’re talking to another person in a different language.

In terms of camera quality, the Pixel Fold has a lot to offer. The triple rear camera system includes a 48-megapixel main lens, an ultrawide shooter and a telephoto camera with up to 5x optical zoom that delivers sharp photos in daylight and well-exposed photos in the dark. In Engadget’s review, one of its selling points was that the photos beat the competition. When compared to Samsung’s Galaxy foldable, Google’s phone delivered images with better shadows and highlights. Notably, even with Samsung’s “food mode” on, Engadget’s Sam Rutherford said the Pixel Fold’s photo chops made food look more appetizing. The phone can also shoot 4K videos at 30 frames per second and 60 frames per second, which is on par with other foldables.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-pixel-fold-is-400-off-for-black-friday-181050039.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Google Pixel Fold is 0 off for Black Friday

Apple Black Friday deals include up to $200 off the M3-powered MacBook Pros

It has only been a couple of weeks since Apple debuted its M3-powered MacBook Pros, but most variants are already on sale for Black Friday. For instance, you can snap up the base 14-inch M3 MacBook Pro for $1,449 in a great Apple Black Friday deal. That’s $150 off the standard price.

This model, to which we gave a score of 90 in our review, sits between the MacBook Air and more powerful MBPs. The standard M3 chip has an eight-core CPU and a 10-core GPU. It should handle basic tasks without any issue, as the chipset is fast and efficient. The 14-inch MBP has a gorgeous Liquid Retina XDR display, while Apple’s keyboard and trackpad remain great.

Unfortunately, this model only comes with 8GB of RAM. That could prove a problem for those who like to keep several apps open or have a bunch of tabs in their browser at the same time. We’d definitely add more RAM before recommending it as the best MacBook for creatives. There’s also one fewer USB-C port than you’ll get in more expensive variants.

So, you may want to stump up some extra cash for a more capable version. A model with a more powerful M3 Pro chip (11‑core CPU and 14‑core GPU), 18GB of RAM and a third USB-C/Thunderbolt port is also $150 off at $1,849. However, it still has 512GB of storage.

Apple MacBook Pro 16-inch from the front
Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Meanwhile, if you’re looking for a model with a larger screen, you can opt for a 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro. Those are typically $200 off for Black Friday. The 16-inch MBP is much the same as a 14-inch one, albeit with a larger screen and spec bump.

A variant with an M3 Pro chipset that has a 12‑core CPU and 18‑core GPU, a 16.2-inch display, 18GB of memory and 512GB of storage will run you $2,299. That’s eight percent off the usual price of $2,499. This version is also available in the eye-catching Space Black colorway.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-m3-macbook-pros-are-up-to-200-off-for-black-friday-175043898.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple Black Friday deals include up to 0 off the M3-powered MacBook Pros

A GoPro Hero 12 Black bundle with accessories is $100 off for Black Friday

The GoPro Hero 12 Black action camera is on sale for $100 off as part of a Black Friday deal. The sale’s available via Amazon, Adorama and even the manufacturer itself. This deal is for an accessories bundle, so you can get a carrying case, a strap, an extra battery, a mount and other add-ons, in addition to the camera. All told, that brings the price down to $350 from $450.

This is the latest and greatest action camera by the company. We admired the Hero 12 in our official review, calling out the improved battery life when compared to the Hero 11, as it allows for 35 minutes of continuous use per charge. Remember, this deal ships with an extra battery, so that’s 70 minutes, minus 30 seconds of fiddling with the battery compartment.

We also loved the addition of Bluetooth audio streaming, which even works with devices like Apple’s AirPods Pro earbuds. This means you can easily wear earbuds without calling too much attention to yourself while hosting an impromptu vlog or live commentary of some kind. The latency is barely perceptible, if noticeable at all. This functionally also allows you to control the GoPro from afar, thanks to voice commands. Gone are the days of having to chop off those awkward final seconds of footage featuring you clumsily walking to turn the camera off.

The Hero 12 Black boasts a larger image sensor, allowing users to experiment with different aspect ratios using the same footage, in addition to offering an 8:7 mode across every setting. On the downside, this is a modest upgrade of sorts, so many of the remaining metrics remain the same as with the GoPro Hero 11. Your footage will look a bit cleaner, but it won’t be a night and day difference.

Still, this is a good deal for a full-featured action camera that ships with everything you need to not only get started, but thrive. This is a limited-time offer but there’s no set end-date, with the company stating that it “will continue until GoPro terminates the program.”

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-gopro-hero-12-black-bundle-with-accessories-is-100-off-for-black-friday-171926991.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – A GoPro Hero 12 Black bundle with accessories is 0 off for Black Friday

Apple joins Meta and ByteDance in contesting the EU’s ‘gatekeeper’ designation

Apple has joined Meta and TikTok owner ByteDance in contesting their platforms’ definitions as part of the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA). The legislation allows regulators to designate dominant companies’ services or platforms as “gatekeepers,” or big and powerful enough to act as a bottleneck between businesses and customers, which it can then fine for prohibited behavior. It currently targets 22 gatekeeper services run by six Big Tech companies (Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet’s Google, Meta, Amazon and ByteDance’s TikTok). The law encourages consumer-friendly competition, preventing businesses from imposing unfair conditions on customers.

The EU Court of Justice (via Reuters) posted on X Friday about Apple’s formal objection, announcing that the iPhone maker had joined Meta and ByteDance in contesting its decisions. Although the complaint details aren’t public, Bloomberg News reported last week that Apple would challenge the App Store’s gatekeeper designation. The company said this week it would soon support RCS on iPhone, potentially removing one of the EU’s bones to pick with iMessage consumer lock-in. 

Microsoft and Google have reportedly accepted their DMA designations, while Meta and ByteDance contested theirs. Meta specifically questioned Messenger and Marketplace’s gatekeeper labels, seeking to clarify why they were included. (Meta didn’t challenge Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp’s inclusion.) The company argued Marketplace is a consumer-to-consumer service and Messenger is a chat feature on Facebook, not an online intermediary.

Meanwhile, ByteDance argues that TikTok is a challenger in the social market rather than an established gatekeeper. It claimed designating its platform as such would only serve to protect more established companies.

Like the Digital Services Act (DSA), the DMA has significant teeth. Companies failing to comply can face fines of up to 10 percent of their global turnover, up to 20 percent for repeat offenders and periodic fines of up to five percent of their average daily turnover. Other penalties, including the divestiture of parts of a business, could also be included following market investigations.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-joins-meta-and-bytedance-in-contesting-the-eus-gatekeeper-designation-165915809.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple joins Meta and ByteDance in contesting the EU’s ‘gatekeeper’ designation

Amazon Black Friday Deal: Elgato's Stream Deck+ is down to its lowest price ever

The Elgato Stream Deck+ is down to $170 ahead of Black Friday at Amazon and directly from Elgato. That’s a $30 discount and its lowest price ever — a full $10 cheaper than it was for Prime Day in July. Game streamers, podcasters and other creators are likely to find the production console endlessly useful, with its programmable buttons, touch bar and dials for incremental adjustments to app settings. 

This is the newest streaming controller from Elgato and we recommend its 15-key sibling, the MK.2 in our guide to game streaming gear. This one has fewer buttons (8 instead of 15) but it adds in dials and a touch bar that let you make minute adjustments to volume and image levels, light brightness, camera zoom or whatever else you set them to control. The buttons themselves are programmable with icons so you can quickly tell each button apart.  

Stream decks are game changers (no pun intended) for live streamers with a single button press controlling actions that usually take a few steps. Program a button to mute your mic, activate canned audio snippets, trigger on-screen effects, switch cameras or set off lighting schemes. The deck is also useful for non-game streamers too, allowing for shortcuts in Photoshop for graphic designers, enabling controls for an audio producer’s DAW or handling functions in Premiere or other video editing programs. 

If you know someone getting into game streaming, this could make a great gift, especially now that it’s more affordable than ever. 

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deal-elgatos-stream-deck-is-down-to-its-lowest-price-ever-163136379.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Amazon Black Friday Deal: Elgato’s Stream Deck+ is down to its lowest price ever

Rivian now offers a wall charger and $2,000 install credit with EV truck purchases

Rivian is sweetening the pot just ahead of the Tesla Cybertruck launch by offering a free wall charger and a $2,000 installation credit when you buy an electric pickup. This deal’s only for the R1T truck and doesn’t apply to the company’s R1S SUV. The Home Charging Bundle, as it’s called, will be in effect until the end of the year.

Here’s how it works. The wall charger ships a few days after ordering the truck, saving you around $800, and the purchase automatically provides a credit with Rivian’s installation partner Qmerit. Just contact Qmerit to set up an installation and it should be smooth sailing from there. According to the installation company, these installation projects typically cost $800 to $2,000, plus a $150 deposit to schedule a visit. In other words, Rivian’s deal should essentially make this free. It’s also worth noting that the R1T qualifies for that $3,750 tax credit.

This enticing offer comes just ahead of scheduled Tesla Cybertruck deliveries, which allegedly begin on November 30. Tesla’s experienced its fair share of controversy regarding the stainless steel dystopian wonder. The company originally instituted a strange policy that would fine Cybertruck buyers $50,000 if they attempted to resell the vehicle too soon, before reversing course after public outcry. There’s also this offputting video. It’s certainly been a long, strange trip since the truck-ish vehicle was announced back in 2019.

Of course, Rivian has had its own issues recently. The company instituted two, yes two, airbag recalls in less than a month. It’s also gone through a couple rounds of layoffs, which is not typically a good sign. It’s not all bad news, however, as Rivian is building a $5 billion manufacturing facility in Georgia.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/rivian-now-offers-a-wall-charger-and-2000-install-credit-with-ev-truck-purchases-162252249.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Rivian now offers a wall charger and ,000 install credit with EV truck purchases

The 10th-gen Apple iPad is at its lowest price ever in an Amazon Black Friday deal

There’s a good iPad deal to be found if you’re looking for an entry-level model. The 10th-generation iPad has dropped to its lowest price ever. The 64GB WiFi variant is down to $349 for Black Friday. That’s $100 off and $30 less than the previous low. You can take your pick from the pink, blue, silver and yellow hues, since they’re all available for $349.

We gave the 10th-gen iPad, which Apple released just over a year ago, a score of 85 in our review. It’s a complete redesign compared with the 9th-gen model. The Home button has vanished, Touch ID is integrated into the lock button and there’s a larger, 10.9-inch display. Apple has also moved the front-facing camera to the landscape edge, which is far more sensible, particularly for those who take video calls on their tablet.

We found that the 10th-gen iPad offers better performance and battery life than the previous model, though its A14 Bionic chip is not as powerful as the M1 or M2 that you’ll find in a current iPad Air or iPad Pro. The display pales in comparison to those on other types of iPads too. However, if you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive Apple tablet on which you can browse the web, answer emails, stream TV shows and movies, take notes and maybe even take care of some light photo editing, the 10th-gen iPad will fit the bill.

Meanwhile, the 9th-gen iPad has been available at a record low price of $249 for a while. It’s our pick for the best budget iPad, though the performance and battery life improvements on the 10th-gen iPad may make that worth the upgrade given the current sale price. However you slice it, the 9th-gen iPad is the least expensive Apple tablet around, and it’s still capable enough when it comes to casual tasks.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-10th-gen-apple-ipad-is-at-its-lowest-price-ever-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-160553943.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The 10th-gen Apple iPad is at its lowest price ever in an Amazon Black Friday deal

Discord is already killing Clyde, its experimental OpenAI chatbot

Discord is pulling the plug on its AI chatbot, Clyde, less than a year after it was first introduced. Clyde’s support page has been updated with a note alerting users that the bot will be deactivated at the end of this month. The platform announced Clyde back in March, describing it as an experimental feature. It’s powered by OpenAI technology.

“By December 1, 2023, users will no longer be able to invoke Clyde in DMs, Group DMs or server chats,” according to the note. Clyde was intended to act as an AI helper that could be accessed right within the server. Users could also converse with it for fun, and ask it to play games or spit jokes. It didn’t seem to roll out universally, though, and in the months after its release some users complained that their servers never got access to the bot. And, screenshots occasionally posted to the Discord subreddit showed it could easily be coaxed into spouting vile language.

Whatever the reason for its shutdown, Clyde will be no more come December. Discord integrated other AI features in the last year alongside the release of Clyde, including moderation tools, conversation summaries and avatar editing.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/discord-is-already-killing-clyde-its-experimental-openai-chatbot-155231238.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Discord is already killing Clyde, its experimental OpenAI chatbot

These are the 10 best Amazon Black Friday deals on Kindles, Fire TV devices and Echos that you can get right now

Amazon started its Black Friday deals early this year, and many Amazon devices are on sale right now. We sifted through the sale and selected standout deals on Amazon Kindles, Fire TV sticks, Echo speakers, and Eero routers. There’s also a bundle that combines an Amazon display with a doorbell to extend the utility of both. We expect these prices to stay the same through Cyber Monday, so it’s probably a safe bet to do the majority of your shopping now.

Echo Show 5

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

Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5

The Ring Video Doorbell paired up with an Echo Show 5 is a great starter kit for a connected home. Right now, the two together are $65. Bought separately and at full price, you’d pay $190, though both devices are often discounted, so this deal is about $10 less than the typical sale price for the two. The doorbell runs on battery or your existing doorbell wires and shoots motion-triggered 1080p video, sending it to the Ring app on your phone or directly to your Echo Show 5.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

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

Kindle Scribe

The base model Kindle Scribe with 16GB of storage and Amazon’s “Basic Pen” stylus is down to $240, which is $100 off its $340 list price and and a new low price that’s $15 less than the members-only deal from Amazon’s July Prime Day. We gave it a review score of 85 when it came out last year and it’s one of our picks in our guide to the best E Ink tablets. At its core, it’s a Kindle ereader that lets you take hand-written notes. That includes drawing, making to-do lists, creating sticky notes and scribbling in the margins of a small selection of Kindle titles (mostly puzzle and journaling books).

Echo Dot

Amazon’s most popular speaker, the Echo Dot is back down to $23. That matches its lowest price ever, which it dropped to for both Prime Day sales earlier this year. It’s our favorite smart speaker under $50. It does a good job of delivering Alexa’s abilities and smart home control and is capable of pumping out louder and cleaner music than you’d expect from such a compact device. It can also set reminders, answer questions and turn off your connected smart lights, just by asking Alexa — which should get even more conversational soon. The Dot with a built-in clock is also on sale, with a 42 percent discount making it $35 or about $5 more than it went for Prime Day in July.  

Echo Pop

Amazon’s smallest Echo speaker, the Echo Pop, is currently down to $18, which is a 55 percent discount and matches its all-time low price. It has the same Alexa-enabled features as a full sized Echo speaker, but takes up a lot less space. Of course, the sound won’t be nearly as full as its larger siblings, so this makes more sense as a way to add the AI’s help to the corner of a room than it does as a dedicated music source.

Echo 

The Echo is the original Amazon smart speaker and it’s been refreshed four times since its launch. The latest model switched over to the globe shape, which allows for larger and more directional speakers. It’s currently down to $55, which is the same as it went for during both 2023 Prime sales, but about $5 more than it sold for last Black Friday. We named it our favorite smart speaker under $100 because it is noticeably louder than it’s two closest competitors, the Nest Audio or HomePod mini and can fill a room with sound. The bass is impressive, though the highs could be crisper. It also brings all that Alexa can do to whichever room you park it in. 

Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon’s revamped Fire HD 10 tablet with 32GB of storage is now down to $80, which is 42 percent off and represents the new model’s first discount since its debut in September. Fire tablets make great couch companions, handling casual streaming and browsing, though they aren’t productivity workhorses, particularly since you’re locked into Amazon’s own app store. This generation is speedier and lighter than the previous generation and includes a better 5MP camera for video calls.

Echo Show 10

The latest generation of the Echo Show 10 smart display is on sale for $90 off the list price. That makes it $160 and matches its lowest price ever. The Show 10 is unique among smart displays in that it can pivot to face the screen towards you as you move around the room. Combined that with the upcoming chatbot update to Alexa, and it feels like we’re getting closer to the advent of house robots. In the meantime, you can use the smart display to show you the weather, tell you a joke or start playing M3gan.   

Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router

If you want to take advantage of that 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, you’ll need a router (and devices) that support it. Amazon’s own Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router is $400 for a set of three, that’s a 27 percent discount and matches the lows it’s hit a few times before. The set of three routers should blanket up to 6,000 square feet with Wi-Fi coverage. In our tests, the routers performed well enough; they’re easy to set up and use, with an app that has a clean UI and step-by-step instructions. Unfortunately, many of the management features are paywalled, whereas systems by Google offer many of those tools for free.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/these-are-the-10-best-amazon-black-friday-deals-on-kindles-five-tv-devices-and-echos-that-you-can-get-right-now-153025921.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – These are the 10 best Amazon Black Friday deals on Kindles, Fire TV devices and Echos that you can get right now

The 42 best Black Friday deals available right now from Amazon, Target, Walmart and others

“Black Friday” has become more and more of a misnomer in recent years. What was once one day with truly limited-time offers has expanded into a month-long sales marathon that can feel more exhausting than exciting. It’s happening again in 2023: Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Walmart and several other retailers are already advertising Black Friday deals a full week ahead of the day itself.

If you’re overwhelmed by the amount of discounts showing up in your feeds, you’re not alone — but these sales present a good opportunity to get your holiday shopping done a little earlier while saving some cash. To help, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday deals on tech we’ve tested and reviewed below. Will we see lower prices on Black Friday proper? Potentially, but we expect many of the deals that are live now to run all the way through to Cyber Monday. And we’re already seeing record lows on iPads, wireless earbuds, PS5 controllers, Sonos gear, smart TVs and many other gadgets we like. We’ll be updating our list regularly in the lead-up to Black Friday, so check back if there’s anything else you’ve had your eye on.

Apple iPad (9th Gen)

Apple’s 9th-gen iPad is down to $249 at Amazon and Walmart, which is a deal we’ve seen for much of the past month but still matches the tablet’s lowest-ever price. This is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide, and it earned a review score of 86 in 2021. It’s the last iPad to use Apple’s old design language, so it has thick bezels, a Lightning port, a Home button and a non-laminated display. This variant also comes with a paltry 64GB of storage. At this price, though, it’s still hard to do better if all you want is a large screen for streaming video, playing games and browsing the web. Its 10.2-inch display remains a step up from cheaper slates, its A13 Bionic chip is plenty fast for casual media consumption and its battery still lasts around 10 hours per charge. Most importantly, it’s the cheapest route into Apple’s huge app library, customer support and years of software updates.

Apple iPad Air

The iPad Air M1 is back down to a record low of $500 right now ahead of Black Friday. All color options have some sort of discount, and a few of them have a clippable coupon that will bring the final price down to $500. It’s still the best iPad for most people at the moment, although we expect to see a fresh lineup with the latest M-series processor debut early next year. However, if you want a new iPad immediately, the Air offers speedy performance, good battery life, a slim design and Apple Pencil 2 support.

If you want something of a middle ground between the entry-level iPad and the iPad Air, meanwhile, the 10th-gen iPad is also on sale for a low of $349 at Amazon and Best Buy. We still think the Air’s laminated display, more futureproof chip and superior accessory support makes it worth the upgrade, but the 10th-gen iPad has a much more modern design than the 9th-gen model, and this $100 discount should make its shortcomings easier to accept. We gave the 10.9-inch tablet a score of 85 in our review last October.

Apple Watch Series 9

The new Apple Watch Series 9 has dropped to $349 at Amazon and Walmart in a Black Friday deal. That’s $50 off its usual price and the lowest we’ve seen since it debuted in September. That’s the price you’ll pay for the 41mm model, and the 45mm models have the same $50 discount, bringing them down to $379 each. The Series 9 took the crown of the best smartwatch you can get right now in our guide thanks to its new S9 SiP that brings slightly speedier performance and on-device Siri processing, the new Double Tap feature and other improvements.

Apple AirPods (3rd Gen)

The third-gen Apple AirPods are back down to $140 at Amazon and Best Buy, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. Typically, the wireless earbuds retail between $10 and $20 higher over the past few months. We gave these AirPods a review score of 88 back in 2021: You can get better-sounding and more featured earbuds for much less, but if you’re an iPhone owner who hates the feeling of traditional in-ear headphones, it might suit you well. It has a mostly balanced sound despite its unsealed design, and it gets the usual AirPods conveniences like hands-free Siri, Find My device tracking and quick pairing with other Apple gadgets. Just don’t expect much in the way of deep bass or noise cancellation, as is the case with all earbuds with an “open” design.

Apple M2 Mac Mini

Amazon has discounted Apple’s M2-powered Mac Mini desktops: the 256GB model has dropped to $500, while the 512GB model is on sale for $690 with a clippable coupon. Though we expect an upgrade to the new M3 chip at some point over the next year, the current model is still a great option if you want a speedy desktop running macOS, with a bevy of ports as well. It earned a score of 86 in our review, and it has a headphone jack, a Gigabit Ethernet port, two USB-A connectors, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-Cs and an HDMI 2.0 port.

Meta Quest 2 VR headset

The Meta Quest 2 VR headset is $50 off and down to $249, which is the best price we’ve seen. Despite the launch of the impressive Quest 3, we still consider the Quest 2 to be one of the best VR headsets available right now — precisely because of its more affordable price. It’s still the best way to jump into VR without spending a ton of money, and the Quest 2 has the perks of being completely cordless and comfortable to wear for long sessions. The hardware includes fast-switching LCDs with a smooth 90Hz refresh rate, and it comes with Meta’s sold motion controllers.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

This Roku Black Friday deal knocks the price of the Streaming Stick 4K down to $30, which represents a 40 percent discount. It’s one of the best streaming devices available right now thanks to its support for 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and AirPlay 2, among other things. Roku’s TV interface is super user-friendly, and this dongle supports private listening with headphones paired to your smartphone via Roku’s companion app.

Sonos Black Friday sale

Sonos has kicked off its Black Friday sale for the year, bringing a range of discounts on smart speakers and home theater gear. The deals include the flagship Sonos Arc soundbar down to $719, which is a $180 discount. The mid-range Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the more basic Sonos Ray are also on sale for $399 and $223, respectively; that’s a $100 drop for the former and a $56 drop for the latter. All three devices are recommendations in our guide to the best soundbars. In other home theater deals, the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) subwoofer is $160 off at $639, while the more compact Sonos Sub Mini is $86 off at $343.

Elsewhere, the Sonos Roam portable speaker is down to $134 from its usual $179, while the Sonos Roam SL — which is effectively the same device sans built-in microphones — is down to $119 from its usual $159. For a smart home speaker, the Sonos Era 100 is $50 off at $199. We highlight the Roam and Era 100 in our guide to the best smart speakers. For those looking to add Sonos functionality to existing audio gear, the Sonos Amp is now $599, a $100 discount, while the Sonos Port is now $399, a $50 discount.

You can read our reviews of the Arc, Beam, Ray, Roam and Era 100 for more details on what to expect from those devices. Generally speaking, we like Sonos speakers for delivering relatively clean and balanced sound and a straightforward app that lets you connect to numerous music services. Their main appeal, however, is their ability to link up with the company’s other devices in one connected audio system. Deals on any Sonos gear are fairly uncommon, so this is a good chance to save if you’re looking to build out your own system. Sonos says this sale will run through November 27.

Google Nest Thermostat

Google’s Nest Thermostat is on sale for $90 right now, which is $40 off and close to a record low. It’s a pared-down version of the Nest Learning Thermostat, but it has plenty of smart features and should help you save on energy costs over time. This model is Energy Star-certified and will automatically turn temperatures down in your home when you leave the house, and you can adjust heating and cooling schedules from your phone.

Google Pixel 8 Pro

Google’s latest flagship smartphones are up to $200 off for Black Friday, including the Pixel 8 Pro, which you can snag for $799. The standard Pixel 8 is as low as $549 depending on the storage capacity you choose as well. These are the best Android phones available right now thanks to some substantial upgrades Google brought to each handset this time around. They both have upgraded Tensor G3 processors, vivid OLED displays with 120Hz refresh rates, excellent cameras and solid battery lives.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

The Google Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $116 at Wellbots. That’s the best price we’ve ever seen on what we consider to be the best wireless earbuds for Android users. Google learned from its previous generations of earbuds and made the best model yet with the Pros; they have improved sound quality, a comfortable design with reliable touch controls and good noise cancellation and battery life.

Google Pixel Tablet

The Google Pixel Tablet is on sale for an all-time low of $399 at several retailers, including Amazon, Target, Best Buy and Google’s own online store. That’s $100 off the 11-inch slate’s list price and $10 less than the deal we saw during Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale last month. We gave the Pixel Tablet a review score of 85 earlier this year: Its crisp LCD display, clean software and solid Tensor G2 chip make it a solid Android tablet in its own right, but its biggest selling point is the charging speaker dock that comes with it. Plop the Pixel Tablet onto that and it becomes a Nest Hub Max-style smart display and smart home hub. This deal applies to the base model with 128GB of storage, but the 256GB version is also $100 off at $499.

iRobot Roomba Combo j5+

You can save $300 on the Roomba Combo j5+ robot vacuum and mop at Amazon, spending $500 for the machine and its self-emptying base. The more affordable Roomba 694 is $115 off as well. The Combo machine lets you vacuum and mop with one machine and it comes with a base into which the vacuum dustbin will empty its contents after every job. The cheaper Roomba 694 is one of the best robo-vacs for people on a budget thanks to its slim design, strong suction power and easy-to-use mobile app.

Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

Breville’s Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro is 29 percent off and down to $320 for Black Friday. That’s the best price we’ve seen since the start of this year on one of our favorite air fryers. This Breville machine is much more than an air fryer, though — it has 13 cooking functions and a capacity that can handle a full turkey, so it’s more like a mini convection oven that sits on your countertop. It’s best for people who love to cook and have big families, or those who maybe don’t have a traditional oven and want a versatile (and relatively small) appliance for their kitchen.

Fitbit Charge 6

Fitbit’s newest fitness tracker, the Charge 6, is $60 off right now and down to a record low of $100. It’s the follow-up to one of our favorite fitness trackers, the Fitbit Charge 5, and it brings back the physical side button that previous generations had and integrates even more with Google services. It has an AMOLED touchscreen that displays all of your activity stats and smart notifications, a built-in GPS for mapping outdoor workouts, a week-long battery life and the ability to display turn-by-turn directions on its screen from Google Maps.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon’s most affordable Fire TV Stick is down to $16 for Black Friday, which is only $1 more than its record-low price. You’ll find decent discounts across most of the Fire TV lineup right now — including a $20 discount on the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max — and this model is the cheapest of the bunch. It supports HD video as well as most major streaming services, plus it comes with a pared-down version of the Alexa voice remote. If you want the most powerful dongle that Amazon makes with support for 4K HDR content and Wi-Fi 6, you’ll have to spend $40 for the new Fire TV 4K Max.

Sony WH-1000XM5

The Sony WH-1000XM5 is down to $328 at Amazon and B&H. Though this isn’t an all-time low, it’s about $70 off Sony’s list price and $20 lower than the headphones’ usual recurring sale price. The XM5 is the top recommendation in our guide to the best wireless headphones, as it offers a comfortable design, powerful ANC, crisp call quality and 30 or so hours of battery life. It also comes with a number of useful bonus features such as “Speak to Chat,” which automatically pauses your music when you start talking to somebody else. By default, its bass-heavy sound plays well with hip-hop and EDM, though you can easily customize the EQ curve through Sony’s app. We gave the XM5 a score of 95 in our review last year.

Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony’s WF-1000XM5, meanwhile, is the top choice in our guide to the best wireless earbuds, and it’s now down to a new low of $248 at Amazon, B&H and other retailers. Several other retailers have it for $2 more. Normally, these noise-canceling earphones go for $300. Like the over-ear XM5, this in-ear model delivers excellent ANC (with strong passive isolation), loads of helpful features and a warm sound that’s fun out of the box but can be customized if needed. Battery life is decent at seven or eight hours per charge and, notably, the design is lighter, smaller and altogether more comfortable than past Sony earbuds. The WF-1000XM5 earned a score of 87 in our review this past July.

Anker Soundcore Space A40

The Anker Soundcore Space A40 is down to $54 for Black Friday, matching the lowest price we’ve seen. This is the top pick in our guide to the best budget wireless earbuds: It’s comfortable, it supports wireless charging and multi-device pairing, it can last up to 10 hours a charge and its ANC is remarkably effective for a sub-$100 pair. Its bassy sound should please most by default, but it can also be customized through a clean companion app. The only big negatives are its middling call quality and lack of wear detection.

Dyson Black Friday deals

Dyson Black Friday deals include a $175 discount on the Dyson V15 Detect Absolute, bringing the cordless vacuum down to $575. It’s hard to tell if this is a record-low price, but considering the standard V15 Detect is going for between $650 and $750 across the internet, we consider this to be a good deal. In addition to its strong cleaning power, the V15 Detect has a laser-powered optic cleaner head that illuminates the floor before you as you’re cleaning so you can see dust and grime more clearly. It also has a piezo sensor, which sizes and counts dust particles as you clean and shows you that information on its LCD display.

Amazon Echo Black Friday sale

Almost the entirety of Amazon’s Echo speaker lineup is on sale for Black Friday, with most bundled alongside a TP-Link Kasa smart bulb for no extra cost. The offers include the Echo Dot back at an all-time low of $23, the Echo Dot with Clock for $35 (a $25 discount), the standard Echo within $5 of its all-time low at $55, the larger Echo Studio for $155 and the entry-level Echo Pop back at its Prime Day price of $18.

Of those, the Echo Dot and base Echo are likely your best bets — the former is the “best under $50” recommendation in our smart speaker buying guide, while the latter is our “best under $100” pick. The Echo Studio is still decent if you want better audio quality, though it’s harder to recommend when the Sonos Era 100 is also on sale, while the Echo Pop is essentially a weaker-sounding Echo Dot for only a few bucks less. But if you’re building a smart home around Alexa, each device offers similar functionality.

Amazon Echo Show Black Friday sale

Along those lines, most of Amazon’s Echo Show smart displays are also discounted. The recently updated Echo Show 8, for one, is on sale for a new low of $105, while the smaller 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 is back down to an all-time low of $40. Those two typically retail for $150 and $70, respectively. Again, both devices come bundled with a free LED smart bulb. You can also get an Echo Show 5 with a Ring Video Doorbell for $65.

The Echo Show 8 is the top Alexa pick in our guide to the best smart displays; compared to the Echo Show 5, it packs a better screen, richer speakers and a much sharper camera for video calls. But if you want something closer to a smart alarm clock for your nightstand, the smaller display still delivers most of the same Alexa smarts. If you want a larger panel, the rotating 10.1-inch Echo Show 10 is $90 off at $160 as well. We gave that one a score of 83 back in 2021, though our review found the Echo Show 8 to be a better value for most.

Google Nest Hub

If you’re partial to the Google Assistant, Google’s Nest Hub is also on sale for $50 at Target and Walmart. That’s $10 higher than its all-time low but still $50 off Google’s list price. The Nest Hub is the top overall pick in our smart display buying guide, and we gave it a review score of 89 back in 2021. It has a 7-inch screen, so it’s a bit bigger than the Echo Show 5 but should still be compact enough to fit neatly in a bedroom or small office. While it lacks a built-in camera, that may be a selling point for those who especially sensitive to their privacy (though no smart display is truly privacy-conscious).

Ultimately, whether it’s worth getting a Nest Hub or Echo Show depends on what services you use: If you own a bunch of Nest devices and depend on apps like Gmail, Google Calendar and Google Photos, Google’s display will make sense. If you want a larger model with a webcam and stronger speakers, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is also on sale for $129.

Samsung T9 SSD

The latest Samsung T9 portable SSD is on sale for $130 right now for a 1TB drive, which is the best price it’s been since it came out last month. You can snag this Black Friday deal from Amazon or Samsung directly, and you can grab a 2TB model if you’re willing to spend $20 more. The T9 is the newest iteration of Samsung’s popular portable drive that we’ve long been fans of, and it supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000 MB/s. It also has dynamic thermal guard to prevent overheating, plus it comes with a USB-C to C and USB-C to A cords so you can use it with a variety of devices.

Samsung microSD card sale

If you need a new microSD card for your Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck or GoPro, a trio of Samsung microSD cards we recommend are also down their lowest prices to date. The 128GB version of the Samsung Pro Plus is down to $11 at Amazon, B&H, Best Buy and others, while the 256GB Samsung Evo Select is on sale for a new low of $15 and the 256GB Samsung Pro Ultimate is available for $25.

The Pro Plus is the top overall pick in our microSD card buying guide, as it consistently ranked among the fastest cards we tested despite its relatively affordable price tag. The Pro Ultimate offers faster read speeds, so it could be worth the step up if you often move files between your card and a computer. The Evo Select is our “best value” pick: It’s slower than the other two, but it’s cheaper, and its losses won’t be hugely noticeable in devices that can’t take advantage of the extra performance such as the Switch. Each card comes with a 10-year warranty.

PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller

Amazon, Walmart, PlayStation Direct and several other retailers have discounted a bunch of PlayStation DualSense controllers ahead of Black Friday, including many of the colorways that typically go for $75. You can pick up Cosmic Red, Starlight Blue, Nova Pink and other models for $50 each, which is just about a record-low price. These controllers work with the PS5 as well as PC, and they sport adaptive L2 and R2 triggers, haptic feedback and a built-in mic array.

PS5 + Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 bundle

If you or someone you love hasn’t gotten their hands on a PS5 yet, a new Black Friday bundle pairs the $500 console with the new (and critically acclaimed) Spider-Man 2 game for no extra cost. The PS5 remains one of the best gaming consoles you can get right now, and we found the open-world game to be even better than its predecessor in our review. In it, you can swap between playing as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and it includes expanded combat mechanics.

PS5 Slim + Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III bundle

You can get Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III for free with this $500 PS5 Slim bundle that’s roughly $60 off the price of buying each separately and available at multiple retailers. Sony announced this new svelte version of its console last month and it’s been popping up sporadically across the internet since then. Depending on the model you choose, it’ll be up to 24 percent lighter than the standard PS5 and it will take up about 30 percent less space overall.

PlayStation and Xbox video game sales

If you’re all set on the hardware front, a truckload of PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S games have dropped in price for Black Friday too. Both Sony and Microsoft have rolled out holiday sales on their respective digital storefronts, while a number of physical games are down to new lows at Amazon, Best Buy and others. 

There are frankly too many deals for us to list them all here, but some highlights include Assassin’s Creed Mirage and the dramatic action-RPG Final Fantasy XVI for $40 each, God of War Ragnarök for $35 at Amazon and Best Buy, Horizon Forbidden West and Gran Turismo 7 for $30 each, the rhythm action game Hi-Fi Rush for $22, Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales for $20 and Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10. Many of those make our lists of the best PS5 games and best Xbox games. We expect to see more Switch and PC game deals over the coming week, but the turn-based strategy game Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope is down to $15 now, and several other multiplatform games are on sale as well.

DJI Osmo Action 3 Creator Combo

As part of a larger sale on DJI cameras and accessories, the DJI Osmo Action 3 is seeing a discount as part of a bundle that includes two batteries, a 32GB microSD card and a case. Separately and not on sale, the set would run you $379, but is now down to $319. This isn’t the newest version of DJI’s GoPro Alternative camera, that one, the Osmo Action 4 isn’t on sale. The newer version has a larger sensor and improved dynamic range, but at a higher price. But if you don’t plan on shooting a lot of low-light footage, you may be happy with the performance of the Action 3. We put it through its paces in our review and liked the excellent video quality, and found it to be on par with GoPro’s Hero 10. The the magnetic clip mount and long-lasting, fast-charging battery are also reasons to buy. 

Masterclass Black Friday deal

Masterclass’ Black Friday deal gives you two memberships for the price of one, starting at $120 per year. That provides two individual memberships, while you can pay a total of $180 for access for two devices simultaneously, content downloads and a Family membership that covers six devices. Masterclass could be a good gift option for people who love to learn or collect hobbies as it provides access to hundreds of hours of video of masters of their craft explaining how they do their work. Some classes have exercises you can complete as well, making it feel more like a real class. This deal will be available until the end of the day on Black Friday proper.

Headspace Black Friday deal

Headspace’s Black Friday deal is back for 2023, knocking half off subscriptions for new and returning subscribers. You’ll spend $35 if you pay for one year upfront, or $6.50 per month if you choose the more frequent payment method. Headspace is a solid meditation and mindfulness app that packs a lot of value, including dozens of guided meditation sessions to choose from at various durations, “sleepcasts” and soothing audio to help you get better shut eye and curated yoga and fitness videos that can help you stick to your physical health goals.

Surfshark VPN

Surfshark’s Black Friday deal knocks up to 86 percent off two-year plans, and you’ll get a few extra months of service for free depending on the plan you select. We consider Surfshark to be one of the best VPN services available right now, particularly if you want a solid VPN at an affordable price. We believe the mid-tier plan, Surfshark One, will be the best for most people and a two-year plan is down to $2.69 per month, with an additional four months of services thrown in for free.

Samsung M80C Smart Monitor

Samsung’s Smart Monitor M80C is $300 off and down to $400 right now. You’ll see a $200 discount on the product page, but a clippable coupon will take the extra $100 off at checkout. The selling point for this display, and really any Samsung Smart Monitor, is that it pulls triple duty as an external display, a smart TV and an IoT hub. In addition to connecting it to your computer, you can use it standalone as a TV thanks to the built-in TV operating system and included remote, and the embedded SmartThings hub lets you directly connect things like smart lights and other gear to the display.

Motorola razr+

The Moto razr+ is 30 percent off and down to a record low of $700. It earned a spot in our best foldable phones guides thanks to handy exterior display that’s actually easier to use than that on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 and its ability to fold in half and get super compact and pocket-friendly. It’s cameras are not on par with those on Samsung’s foldables, but it’s a generally solid flip phone with a ton of personality

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are down to $199 at Amazon, which is the same as they went for for October Prime Day. During that sale you needed to be a Prime member to save, but now anyone can take advantage of the discount. They retail for $299, but have sold for $279 for the past few months, so this is still an $80 discount. We think they’re best wireless earbuds you can buy for noise cancelation, as they do a great job of blocking out the world. They also have a smaller, more comfortable fit than the previous generation and offer good audio quality.

Samsung The Frame QLED TV

The 55-inch Samsung The Frame smart TV is 35 percent off and down to a new record low of $978 at Amazon. Samsung itself has it for a couple bucks more. Other size options are also discounted. The Frame has been super popular thanks to its design, which mimics framed artwork when not in use. It has a matte, anti-reflective display and an included slim wall mount so you can get the true “artwork” effect when you hang it on the wall. As an actual TV, it supports 4K content and Quantum Dot technology, plus it runs on Samsung’s Tizen TV operating system.

Solo Stove Black Friday deal

Solo Stove’s Black Friday deals have knocked up to $245 off fire pit bundles, up to $100 off fire pits by themselves and even more. A standout is the Ranger Backyard Bundle 2, which is $145 off and down to $320. It includes the company’s most compact fire pit along with its accompanying shield, stand, lid and shelter. Everything you’d need for an easy setup right out of the box is included in this bundle, and the 2.0-version of the Ranger includes a removable base plate and ash pan, both of which make the fire pit much easier to clean.

TP-Link Kasa Smart Plug

The smart plug we recommend for most homes is TP-Link’s Kasa Smart Plug mini. A four-pack is on sale for $35 which is about $3 more than it sold for during Amazon’s October Prime day sale, :but still a decent $15 savings. Plugs like these are a simple way to add some smart capabilities to any home, letting you turn on lights with just your voice, set automated schedules and routines that are triggered by other activities. These would make a great stocking stuffer for anyone you know who’s curious about smart home connectivity but hasn’t yet taken the plunge.  

ProtonVPN Black Friday deal

Our favorite VPN service, ProtonVPN, is having a rare sale for Black Friday that brings a monthly subscription down to only $4 for a total of 30 months. That means you’ll pay $120 for two and a half years of access, which is a pretty good deal. ProtonVPN passed our tests with high marks, but what made it stand out among other VPN security services was its independently audited no-logs policy, and the fact that the company has proven they don’t comply with law enforcement requests to reveal data. If you want to jump in head-first with Proton services, the company has discounted Proton Unlimited, which includes access to VPN, Mail, Calendar, Drive and Pass, to just under $9 per month for the first year.

LG A2 OLED TV

We expect to see many more TV deals as we get closer to Black Friday, but for now one standout is LG’s 48-inch A2 OLED TV on sale for a new low of $550 at Best Buy. This is an entry-level model from 2022, so it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and doesn’t support other gaming-friendly features like VRR. That said, it’s still an OLED TV, so it delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms. Just note that it can’t get as bright as higher-end OLED sets, so it’s best situated away from direct sunlight. 

Microsoft Surface Pro 9

A configuration of Microsoft’s Surface Pro 9 with an Intel Core i5-1235U processor, 16GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD and Microsoft’s Surface Pro Keyboard is on sale for $1,000 at Best Buy. That’s $540 off Microsoft’s list price. If you don’t need the keyboard, a variant with a faster Core i7-1255U chip is down to a new low of $1,097 at Amazon, Microsoft, B&H and other retailers. That’s roughly $200 off the config’s usual street price. Another Core i7 model with 512GB of storage is on sale for $300 more.

In any event, the Surface Pro 9 tops our guide to the best 2-in-1 tablets. While its 12th-gen chip is about to be two generations old, this is still the device to get if you want the functionality of a laptop in the slim, touch-enabled design of a tablet. We’re past the point of the year when Microsoft would normally announce a refresh, but the current model should still be useful if you’re coming from an older Surface Pro that’s in desperate need of an upgrade.

FAQs

When is Black Friday 2023?

Black Friday 2023 lands on November 24 this year, with Cyber Monday 2023 following up a few days later on November 27. However, the early deals have already begun. The entire month of November might as well be renamed Holiday Shopping Month as that’s when companies really start to get serious with their discounts.

What day is Black Friday 2023 at Walmart?

Walmart Black Friday deals will begin early this year on November 8. Walmart+ members will get a few hours of early access to Black Friday deals if they shop online on November 8, with access for everyone else starting later that day. Walmart will match its online Black Friday deals in stores starting November 10.

Will Amazon have a Black Friday sale in 2023?

Amazon will likely have a Black Friday sale in 2023. While the online retailer hasn’t made its deals known yet like Walmart has, Amazon will almost certainly have deals across all of the types of products it sells, including electronics. We anticipate seeing record-low prices on Amazon devices in particular, like Echo speakers, Fire TVs, Kindles and more. In years past, Amazon Black Friday deals have brought some of the best prices of the year on our favorite gadgets and gear, including headphones, tablets, smartwatches, robot vacuums and more.

What other retailers have Black Friday sales in 2023?

Most retailers have Black Friday sales, so you can expect to see Target, Best Buy, and others join Walmart and Amazon in discounting inventory to capitalize on holiday shopping interest. In the consumer electronics space, we expect most companies to have some sort of Black Friday promotion, so that means you will likely be able to get big-ticket items from brands like Apple, Samsung, Google, Sony, LG, Sonos and others for much cheaper prices.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-42-best-black-friday-deals-available-right-now-from-amazon-target-walmart-and-others-150740814.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The 42 best Black Friday deals available right now from Amazon, Target, Walmart and others

The third-gen Apple AirPods are down to $140 in Amazon's Black Friday sale

Apple’s third-gen AirPods have dropped back down to a record-low price for the Black Friday shopping season. This $30 discount comes back around every so often, but it remains rare in the world of AirPod discounts. That also means that these buds tend to sell out quickly when they’re on sale, so if you’ve needed a new pair for yourself or want to gift these to someone for the holidays, now’s a good time to grab them.

Released in 2021, the third-gen AirPods brought massive improvements to Apple’s popular wireless earbuds. The company redesigned them to be more comfortable and fit better in different ear shapes, and those hardware changes also help lift sound quality. A custom driver and a high-dynamic-range amplifier also bring a lot to the table, and the whole revamped package produces noticeably better sound than that of their predecessors. While these buds do not support ANC, they do support spatial audio, dynamic head tracking and Adaptive EQ, all of which contribute to the overall sound improvements.

Battery life has improved here as well: Apple estimates six hours of listening time on a single charge, and up to 30 hours when factoring in the extra juice their charging case provides. When we reviewed these buds, we managed to get around seven hours of life on a single charge (spatial audio on, dynamic head tracking off), and overall, those battery life estimates are pretty decent when it comes to true wireless earbuds.

These AirPods, like every other pair of earbuds Apple makes, has an H1 chip inside that enables features like hands-free Siri and quick pairing and switching between Apple devices. It’s one of the reasons the company’s earbuds are so popular: if you live within the Apple ecosystem and use an iPhone, iPad or MacBook, using AirPods with any and all of those devices is pretty seamless. Given this sale, the third-gen buds could make a good gift for the Apple obsessive on your list this year, or a good replacement for any aging earbuds you may have.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-third-gen-apple-airpods-are-down-to-140-in-amazons-black-friday-sale-145507691.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The third-gen Apple AirPods are down to 0 in Amazon’s Black Friday sale

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are $50 off in an Amazon Black Friday deal

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are $50 off as part of an early Black Friday sale on Amazon. This brings the price down to $379 and represents a record-low for the recently-released flagship headphones. They just launched last month, so getting any deal at all is a nice surprise.

We loved these headphones in our official review, but thought they were a bit on the expensive side, so this deal couldn’t have come at a better time. We praised the best-in-class active noise cancellation technology, comfortable form factor and improved transparency mode. The sound quality is also on point, with “considerably warmer and clearer” audio signals when compared to previous models. We went as far to say that the QuietComfort Ultra headphones are finally letting Bose catch up to rivals Sony and Sennheiser in the sound quality department.

They also feature a unique spatial audio mode that claims to provide a more immersive listening experience, though we found these tools to be something of a mixed bag. Sometimes it makes songs sound significantly better, which is great, but other times it can muddy the audio a bit.

In any event, if you’re looking for some great headphones at a slightly reduced cost, this is your chance to fill up those stockings with premium audio ahead of the actual Black Friday sales.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-bose-quietcomfort-ultra-headphones-are-50-off-in-early-black-friday-sale-140058854.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are off in an Amazon Black Friday deal

The best tech gifts and gadgets of 2023

If you couldn’t tell, we’re unabashedly nerdy about tech here at Engadget. While our jobs revolve around testing and reviewing gadgets and reporting on technological breakthroughs and social media controversies, our staff is composed of people who genuinely love tech and everything that goes into making cool gadgets. If you have someone in your life who shares the same passion, it might be difficult to find a piece of tech that you think they’d appreciate (and one they don’t already own). Here, we’ve gathered some of our favorite gear that we’ve tested and used and think would make great gifts for the tech nerd in your life — and no, they all don’t cost a fortune.

Marshall Emberton II

Amazon Echo Show 15

Sonos Ray

DJI Mini 3

Audeze Maxwell

Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank

Peak Design Tech Pouch

Logitech G PowerPlay Wireless Charging Mouse Pad

Govee M1 RGBIC LED Light Strips

Tidbyt

Boox Page

LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless Gaming Keyboard

XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro 1080P

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-tech-gifts-and-cool-gadgets-140052910.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The best tech gifts and gadgets of 2023

Engadget Podcast: Why the PlayStation Portal is truly baffling

Sony’s next “PSP,” the PlayStation Portal, is one odd little device. It can only stream games from your PlayStation 5 – beyond that, it’s a $200 doorstop. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra chat with CNET’s Scott Stein about the Portal and the many ways it baffles us. While it does manage to stream games from the PS5 just fine, it’s also expensive, clunky and lacks basic features like Bluetooth audio support. It’s really only meant for the most diehard PS5 owners (and even they should probably wait for a sale).


Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you’ve got suggestions or topics you’d like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News!

Topics

  • What was Sony thinking with the Playstation Portal? (With CNET’s Scott Stein) – 0:54

  • Microsoft rebrands Bing Chat to Copilot – 27:34

  • Qi 2 wireless charging standard will bring Magsafe’s satisfying magnetic click to all supported phones – 34:03

  • Nothing Phone 2 is getting iMessage…sort of – 47:40

  • Late breaking: Apple confirms RCS is coming to iPhones next year – 52:15

  • WhatsApp free storage on Google Drive is coming to an end – 53:53

  • Working on – 1:06:52

  • Pop culture picks – 1:07:34

Subscribe!

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Scott Stein
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-playstation-portal-review-133055102.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Engadget Podcast: Why the PlayStation Portal is truly baffling

Sonos Black Friday deals discount the Era 100 smart speaker to $199

If you’re in the market for a premium smart speaker that sounds better than sub-$100 options, this Sonos Black Friday deal may be what you’re looking for. The company is taking $50 off the Sonos Era 100, which offers improved bass and clarity over its predecessor, the Sonos One. In addition, the company has notable discounts on the Sonos Ray soundbar and Sonos Roam portable speaker, letting you save on a variety of home audio products thanks to early Black Friday sales.

Usually $250, the Sonos Era 100 is one of Engadget’s picks for the best smart speakers in 2023. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham gave the device a review score of 88, writing, “The $250 Era 100 is a complete redesign, inside and out, and the end result is a worthy upgrade and a very versatile speaker.”

The Sonos Era 100’s audio is a cut above budget choices like the Echo Dot and Nest Mini, and it gives you the option of Alexa or the Sonos assistant for voice control. If you pick up two speakers, you can turn them into a stereo pair that fills your room with rich, immersive audio. The WiFi-connected speakers even have Bluetooth as a secondary option.

If you’re looking for a soundbar this holiday season, the Sonos Ray may also be of interest. Engadget found it to have a solid balance of price and performance with its clear dialogue, rumbling bass and solid stereo presence. Usually $279, Sonos’ Black Friday deal brings the soundbar down to $223, making it a much more attractive buy for enhancing your TV’s audio.

Photo of the Sonos Roam (grayish-white) sitting on a wooden outdoor ledge with old buildings in the distance.
Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Meanwhile, the Sonos Roam lets you take your music with you. Sitting at over six and a half inches tall and weighing less than a pound, its sound quality transcends the simple Bluetooth speakers it could easily be mistaken for. Holding down a button is all it takes to switch from its standard WiFi to Bluetooth when taking the little sound machine to a party or outdoor excursion. Speaking of the latter, the speaker is rated IP67, meaning it can withstand sitting in three feet of water for 30 minutes. When reviewing it for Engadget, Ingraham stuck it in a bucket of water and tossed it across the room; it kept playing without skipping a beat. The speaker even adjusts its audio depending on whether it’s sitting upright or horizontally.

Sonos’ sale runs from today through November 27 (Cyber Monday).

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/sonos-black-friday-deals-discount-the-era-100-smart-speaker-to-199-140002193.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Sonos Black Friday deals discount the Era 100 smart speaker to 9

Samsung's refreshed Smart Monitor M8 falls to a new low in early Black Friday deal

Samsung’s Amazon store is selling the 2023 version of its Smart Monitor M8 at a discount, and it’s the lowest we’ve seen the device go for on the website. You can get the smart TV-monitor hybrid for $400, a full $300 less than its retail price and $100 less than its list price during October’s Prime Day sale. Absolutely not bad for a model that only became available for purchase in June this year. The new Smart Monitor M8 is an updated version of the device that launched at CES 2022. It’s slimmer than its predecessor and can rotate to portrait mode for when you want to see the entirety of long documents onscreen. 

The 32-inch smart monitor comes with built-in smart TV experience, complete with streaming apps such as Netflix and YouTube. You can enjoy your movies and shows in 4K and 4K HDR for anything that supports it, but it’s still very much a monitor that you can do work on. In fact, its Workmode will allow you to remotely access another PC and use Microsoft 365 programs. You can also use the monitor as an internet-of-things hub to control your smart home devices. That means you can change the lighting around your home or adjust the temperature right from the monitor, as long as you connect your smart home products to Samsung’s SmartThings. 

In addition, the model comes with a SlimFit camera that you can use for video calls and conferences. You can easily use the camera’s cover for privacy, or even detach it from the monitor if you’re not going to use it anytime soon. The Smart Monitor M8 is on sale for $400 as an early Black Friday deal, so it’ll most likely go back to a higher price after sales for the season are over. 

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

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsungs-refreshed-smart-monitor-m8-falls-to-a-new-low-in-early-black-friday-deal-123505651.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Samsung’s refreshed Smart Monitor M8 falls to a new low in early Black Friday deal