Google pays Apple 36 percent of all ad revenue it generates whenever someone does a Google search using Apple’s Safari browser. The number, which was supposed to remain confidential, was revealed by Kevin Murphy, an economics professor at the University of Chicago during his testimony on behalf of Alphabet at the company’s ongoing Justice Department trial in Washington on Monday, Bloomberg reported.

The number shed more light on the relationship between two of the world’s largest tech companies, which has come under antitrust scrutiny in the last few years. The DOJ has accused Google of using its vast resources to maintain market dominance by paying companies like Apple, whose iPhone, iPad, and Mac devices have billions of users collectively, to be the default search engine on Safari. In 2021, Google reportedly paid Apple “around $18 billion” to be the default search engine on Safari, a New York Times report revealed.

Last week, Google and Apple had raised objections making details of their arrangement public, Bloomberg noted. Google said that making more details public “would unreasonably undermine Google’s competitive standing in relation to both competitors and other counterparties” in a court filing. 

It’s not clear how much ad revenue Google generates from Safari, but it’s safe to assume that 36 percent of that number would likely be tens of billions of dollars. In 2022, Google’s total revenue was $279.8 billion, and a majority of it came from advertising.

Google and Apple did not respond to Engadget’s request for comment.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-reportedly-pays-apple-36-percent-of-ad-search-revenues-from-safari-191730783.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google reportedly pays Apple 36 percent of search advertising revenues from Safari

The Game Awards 2023 are almost upon us and this year’s nominations have been revealed. Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead the pack with eight nods each. They’re both up for the top prize of Game of the Year alongside Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 (seven nominations overall), the Resident Evil 4 remake (four nods), Super Mario Bros. Wonder (five) and The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (five).

Nintendo snagged the most nominations of any publisher with 15, followed by Sony (13), Microsoft (10, including Bethesda and Activision Blizzard’s nods) and Epic Games (nine). There are 31 awards in total, including Best Adaptation. The nominees in that category this year are Castlevania: Nocturne, Gran Turismo, The Last of Us, The Super Mario Bros. Movie and Twisted Metal.

A bunch of deserving indies picked up nominations as well, including Cocoon, Dave the Diver, Dredge, Tchia, Viewfinder, Pizza Tower and Hello Kitty Island Adventure. Meanwhile, continuing a redemption arc after its disastrous debut three years ago, Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 and its Phantom Liberty expansion racked up four nominations in total.

The results of a fan poll will be added to votes from a jury of more than 100 global media publications and influencer outlets to determine the winners. You can watch The Game Awards live on December 7, where the hosts will undoubtedly zip through many of the awards to get to the next big trailer (which may just include one for Grand Theft Auto VI).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/baldurs-gate-3-and-alan-wake-2-lead-the-2023-game-awards-nominees-185729344.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Baldur’s Gate 3 and Alan Wake 2 lead the 2023 Game Awards nominees

If you’ve been waiting for a reason to finally grab a headset to watch 360-degree videos on YouTube or have an exceptionally immersive experience with first-person shooter games, Amazon’s early Black Friday sale on the Meta Quest 2 VR headset might be your gateway into the world of VR. The Quest 2 with 128GB of storage is getting a $50 price cut in a Black Friday pre-sale, bringing it to $250. This record low price, which normally sells for $300, is worth considering, especially since Engadget hailed it as one of the best VR headsets your money can buy.

Despite being an older model, we still consider the Meta Quest 2 the best budget VR headset, and for good reason. Most competitors, including its successor, start at around $500 and can go for as much as $1000. The Quest 2’s screen resolution of 1832×1920 per eye, when coupled with a 90Hz refresh rate, makes activities like gaming a more pleasurable experience. And because the Quest 2 operates using Qualcomm’s Snapdragon XR2 processor and packs 6GB of RAM, the device can dabble with more demanding games. If you are already a console user, things like Xbox Cloud gaming pair quite nicely.

The Quest 2 Active bundle, which includes the 128GB headset and accessories for VR workouts, is also on sale on Amazon for $319. But if you want to go big and invest in the 256GB version of the Quest 2, Amazon’s deal on that model will make the device $300, knocking off $50 bucks from its $350 starting point.

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-meta-quest-2-vr-headset-drops-to-an-all-time-low-of-250-during-amazons-early-black-friday-sale-181828211.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Meta Quest 2 VR headset drops to an all-time low of 0 during Amazon’s early Black Friday sale

Ransomware group LockBit leaked data allegedly belonging to Boeing on Friday, about a week after the aerospace giant confirmed it had fallen victim to a cyberattack. The leak includes more than 43GB of backup files that LockBit says it stole from Boeing, according to Bleeping Computer. 

As of Monday afternoon, the Boeing services website remained out of order. A notice posted to the site acknowledged a cyber incident affecting Boeing’s parts and distribution business, but reiterated that it did not impact the safety of its aircrafts. “In connection with this incident, a criminal ransomware actor has released information it alleges to have taken from our systems,” a Boeing spokesperson told Engadget. “We continue to investigate the incident and will remain in contact with law enforcement, regulatory authorities, and potentially impacted parties, as appropriate.”

The saga started on October 27 when LockBit listed Boeing as a victim on its website, saying that the company had until November 2 to negotiate a payment. While LockBit briefly removed Boeing from its list of victims on its website, the ransomware gang returned on November 7 stating that Boeing had ignored its attempts to negotiate. LockBit initially threatened to release 4GB of sample data before it decided to leak all of the data it had stolen on November 10. 

The Boeing backup data released by LockBit includes configuration data for IT management software, auditing and monitoring logs and some Citrix information believed to be connected to a previous exploit. 

LockBit has grown into a notorious ransomware gang since its first appearance on Russian cybercrime forums in January 2020. There have been about 1,700 attacks in the US linked to LockBit, with companies paying about $91 million in ransoms to the gang, according to the FBI. Victims include the Chinese bank ICBC, chip giant Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company and Canadian book seller Indigo Books and Music, among others. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybercriminal-gang-lockbit-leaks-alleged-boeing-data-180021333.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Cybercriminal gang LockBit leaks alleged Boeing data

Remedy’s latest title, Alan Wake II, is garnering rave reviews and is a surefire game of the year contender. The studio will be hoping to build on that success with the several other games it has in the works, including a Control sequel and co-op spinoff. However, Remedy is going back to the drawing board with another game it has been piecing together.

It emerged in 2021 that the studio was working on a free-to-play co-op shooter with Tencent. Given the uncertainty of the market for free-to-play multiplayer games, though, the two sides have decided to go in a different direction. They’re rebooting Project Vanguard as Project Kestrel, which will be a “premium game with a strong, cooperative multiplayer component.”

The game is going back to a concept stage with core leadership and some members of the team remaining on Kestrel. Other folks who were working on Vanguard are being reassigned to other Remedy teams. The studio says Kestrel will “lean more into Remedy’s core strengths.” It plans to repurpose many of Vanguard’s assets, features and themes for Kestrel.

“We have made some great strides in free-to-play and multiplayer development in Vanguard,” Remedy CEO Tero Virtala said in a statement. “After a lot of careful consideration, we believe that taking on a new direction where the game will be built more around Remedy’s core competences is the right way to go. We are creating another distinct Remedy game with Tencent’s continued support in making a great cooperative multiplayer experience.”

Changing tack feels like a smart move. The free-to-play multiplayer shooter market is saturated with high-profile competition such as Apex Legends, Fortnite, Call of Duty: Warzone and Overwatch 2. As a result, a number of notable live service shooters have been shut down or canceled this year. One of those was CrossfireX, a free-to-play shooter that Remedy worked on, so the studio may be forgiven for feeling wary about re-entering that fray anytime soon.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/remedy-scraps-plans-for-a-free-to-play-multiplayer-game-174701519.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Remedy scraps plans for a free-to-play multiplayer game

Meta now lets Threads users avoid automatically sharing their posts with its other apps. When activated, the opt-out feature prevents Meta’s Twitter clone from sharing posts to Instagram and Facebook without user consent. Software engineer Alessandro Paluzzi spotted early signs of the privacy toggle earlier this month.

Threads users can turn off automatic cross-platform content sharing by heading to their profile page, selecting the menu at the top right, then Privacy > Suggesting posts on other apps, and toggling off Instagram and Facebook individually. Note that changing this feature only prevents your posts from being used in cross-promotions; you’ll still see other people’s Threads posts on Instagram and Facebook, irrespective of your privacy settings.

Some Threads users were upset about Meta automatically sharing their content from the nascent X competitor, mainly because people often use the apps to connect with different crowds (for example, Threads for news and politics with strangers, Facebook for extended family and old friends). TechCrunch highlighted several comments from people describing Threads posts automatically posted on other platforms as odd clickbait seemingly “designed to get comments” by stripping bold statements of context. In October, the company said it was “listening to feedback” in response to a Threads user’s complaint about automatic sharing to Meta’s more established platforms.

Meta is no stranger to using its existing stockpile of social apps to turbocharge its newest ones. It used easy onboarding and promotion via Instagram to vault Threads to the fastest app to reach 150 million downloads. Although growth appeared to slow after that, CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said Threads had tallied nearly 100 million users. The Facebook founder said he sees a path for the Twitter clone to reach the one-billion user milestone.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/threads-users-can-now-opt-out-of-automatically-sharing-posts-to-facebook-and-instagram-172807726.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Threads users can now opt out of automatically sharing posts to Facebook and Instagram

As part of a Black Friday deal, you can get two MasterClass annual memberships — one for yourself and one to give away as a gift — for the price of one. Memberships start at $120 per year, which lets you watch on one device at a time, $180 grants access to two devices simultaneously and allows for downloads, and a Family membership covers six devices. The free membership for gifting will be at the same level you buy for yourself. The deal is available now and ends at midnight on Black Friday.  

If you’re looking for something that’s not a “thing” to gift this year, MasterClass makes a nice option. A membership includes access to 180 different big name instructors teaching on topics they know a lot about. Classes on offer sound like an A-list roll call: Martin Scorsese and Jodie Foster teach lessons on filmmaking, Samuel L. Jackson and Helen Mirren cover acting, Questlove shows you how to DJ, and Margaret Atwood gives a seminar on writing. 

Classes range from around two to six hours and are broken up into shorter lessens, usually between 10 and 20 minutes. There are even exercises and community forums to get you actually doing the things the teachers teach. Recently, MasterClass added series as part of its lineup, such as GOAT, which are 20 minute episodes covering a single topic (such as making a grilled cheese or playing pickleball) that feel more like a mini documentary than a lesson. The mobile app also offers series of short, swipeable videos, for a highly polished TikTok feel. 

When I tried out MasterClass, it struck me that the learning platform was more like a streaming service than anything else — a really smart streaming service, where you get to watch masters talk about how they go about their craft. Even if you don’t see yourself becoming a comedian, watching Steve Martin tell you how it’s done is riveting nonetheless.  

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/this-masterclass-black-friday-deal-gives-you-two-memberships-for-the-price-of-one-170010173.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – This Masterclass Black Friday deal gives you two memberships for the price of one

Volvo has unveiled its first fully electric minivan, which is geared toward comfort. So much so, the brand describes the EM90 as a “living room on the move.” While it might be comfy enough to travel in while wearing PJs, Volvo is pitching the EV as an option for those who want a space where they can get work done too.

The EM90 is infused with sound isolation and road noise cancellation tech, while Volvo claims that dual chamber air suspension and silent tires will offer the driver and passengers a smooth ride. If that works as promised, you’ll be able to get the most out of an audio system that has 21 Bowers & Wilkins speakers.

Along with a 15.4-inch infotainment screen for the driver, there’s a roof-mounted 15.6-inch HD display to which you can cast shows and movies from your phone. Attach a compatible camera, and the screen can be used for video calls. 5G connectivity will come in handy for business-minded users too.

The hype surrounding emerging technologies like generative AI creates a wild west, of sorts, for bad actors seeking to capitalize on consumer confusion. To that end, Google is suing some scammers who allegedly tricked people into downloading an “unpublished” version of its Bard AI software. Instead of a helpful chatbot, this Bard was reportedly stuffed with malware.

The lawsuit was filed today in California and it alleges that individuals based in Vietnam have been setting up social media pages and running ads encouraging users to download a version of Bard, but this version doesn’t deliver helpful answers on how to cook risotto or whatever. This Bard, once downloaded by some rube, worms its way into the system and steals passwords and social media credentials. The lawsuit notes that these scammers have specifically used Facebook as their preferred distribution method.

Google’s official blog post on the matter notes that it sent over 300 takedown requests before opting for the lawsuit. The suit doesn’t seek financial compensation, but rather an order to stop the alleged fraudsters from setting up similar domains, particularly with US-based domain registrars. The company says that this outcome will “serve as a deterrent and provide a clear mechanism for preventing similar scams in the future.”

The lawsuit goes on to highlight how emerging technologies are ripe for this kind of anti-consumer weaponization. In this case, the alleged scammers said that Bard is a paid service that required a download. In reality, it’s a free web service.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-sues-scammers-that-allegedly-released-a-malware-filled-bard-knockoff-162222150.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Google sues scammers that allegedly released a malware-filled Bard knockoff

Michigan-based healthcare nonprofit McLaren Health Care notified more than 2 million people about a data breach exposing personal information on Thursday, according to a data breach notification report. Unauthorized access to McLaren systems began on July 28 and lasted through August, but the individual impact varies from person to person. 

According to a notice on the McLaren website, the company learned of the breach on August 31. An investigation into the impacted files concluded on October 10, and if you’ll take a look at today’s date, it took an additional month for the company to let the public know about the incident.

“Potentially affected current and former patients of McLaren are encouraged to remain vigilant against incidents of identity theft by reviewing account statements and explanations of benefits for unusual activity and to report any suspicious activity promptly to your insurance company, health care provider, or financial institution,” the nonprofit said in a statement.

While McLaren hasn’t released any details about the attack, such as who is behind it or possible motivations, the ALPHV/BlackCat ransomware group claimed responsibility for the attack, according to Bleeping Computer. Ransomware groups are known to do this for publicity, but the actor behind an attack usually can’t be confirmed until a third-party security researcher independently verifies it.

McLaren encompasses 13 hospitals and employs 490 physicians across Michigan and Indiana, with an annual revenue of $6.6 billion. Its offering identity protection services to affected people that enroll by February 9. There’s currently no evidence that data leaked in the breach has been misused, according to McLaren. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/data-breach-of-michigan-healthcare-giant-exposes-millions-of-records-153450209.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Data breach of Michigan healthcare giant exposes millions of records

It’s widely believed that Nintendo will unveil the Switch’s successor in 2024, but you can still expect a steady stream of games to hit the current console for the foreseeable future. To that end, the company has announced its latest Indie World showcase, which will start at noon ET on November 14. You can watch it below.

The stream will feature around 20 minutes of announcements and updates related to indie games on the Switch. Typically when an Indie World or Nintendo Direct takes place, a few games that are featured hit the Switch eShop on the same day. So, you’ll likely have something unexpected and new to play on Tuesday (that is, if you don’t already have an obscene backlog of games to dive into).

As for what games Nintendo will show off, that remains a mystery for now. I know we mention this every single time there’s a Nintendo showcase, but there’s always the possibility that Hollow Knight: Silksong makes an appearance and we finally learn its release date. Fans can but hope.

In its 119-year history, the NYC subway system’s straphangers went from tickets, to tokens, to mastering the swipe. In 1997 the MetroCard debuted, and 1999 saw the introduction of the MetroCard vending machine. Together they became a beloved, iconic part of New York’s visual identity. They were also the first public-facing project by Antenna Design, whose founders Masamichi Udagawa and Sigi Moeslinger have since left their distinct, thoughtful design all over New York City with projects like LinkNYC.

It’s now 2023, and the MetroCard is being phased out in favor of the MTA’s next-generation fare system, OMNY. Having made its debut in late 2019, OMNY trades magnetic swipes for the tap-and-go infrastructure now common across public transportation systems worldwide.

As the city prepares to say goodbye to a vending machine that has served millions, we wanted to know: How did something designed in the 1990s withstand the test of time — and New York? Watch the video below for the full story.

NVIDIA has launched its next-generation of AI supercomputer chips that will likely play a large role in future breakthroughs in deep learning and large language models (LLMs) like OpenAI’s GPT-4, the company announced. The technology represents a significant leap over the last generation and is poised to be used in data centers and supercomputers — working on tasks like weather and climate prediction, drug discovery, quantum computing and more. 

The key product is the HGX H200 GPU based on NVIDIA’s “Hopper” architecture, a replacement for the popular H100 GPU. It’s the company’s first chip to use HBM3e memory that’s faster and has more capacity, thus making it better suited for large language models. “With HBM3e, the NVIDIA H200 delivers 141GB of memory at 4.8 terabytes per second, nearly double the capacity and 2.4x more bandwidth compared with its predecessor, the NVIDIA A100,” the company wrote. 

In terms of benefits for AI, NVIDIA says the HGX H200 doubles inference speed on Llama 2, a 70 billion-parameter LLM, compared to the H100. It’ll be available in 4- and 8-way configurations that are compatible with both the software and hardware in H100 systems. It’ll work in every type of data center, (on-premises, cloud, hybrid-cloud and edge), and be deployed by Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, Microsoft Azure and Oracle Cloud Infrastructure, among others. It’s set to arrive in Q2 2024. 

NVIDIA’s other key product is the GH200 Grace Hopper “superchip” that marries the HGX H200 GPU and Arm-based NVIDIA Grace CPU using the company’s NVLink-C2C interlink. It’s designed for supercomputers to allow “scientists and researchers to tackle the world’s most challenging problems by accelerating complex AI and HPC applications running terabytes of data,” NVIDIA wrote. 

The GH200 will be used in “40+ AI supercomputers across global research centers, system makers and cloud providers,” the company said, including from Dell, Eviden, Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE), Lenovo, QCT and Supermicro. Notable among those is HPE’s Cray EX2500 supercomputers that will use quad GH200s, scaling up to tens of thousands of Grace Hopper Superchip nodes. 

Perhaps the biggest Grace Hopper supercomputer will be JUPITER, located at the Jülich facility in Germany, which will become the “world’s most powerful AI system” when it’s installed in 2024. It uses a liquid-cooled architecture, “with a booster module comprising close to 24,000 NVIDIA GH200 Superchips interconnected with the NVIDIA Quantum-2 InfiniBand networking platform,” according to NVIDIA. 

NVIDIA says JUPITER will help aid scientific breakthroughs in a number of areas, including climate and weather prediction, generating high-resolution climate and weather simulations with interactive visualization. It’ll also be employed for drug discovery, quantum computing and industrial engineering. Many of these areas use custom NVIDIA software solutions that ease development but also make supercomputing groups reliant on NVIDIA hardware. 

The new technologies will be key for NVIDIA, which now makes most of its revenue from the AI and data center segments. Last quarter the company saw a record $10.32 billion in revenue in that area alone (out of $13.51 billion total revenue), up 171 percent from a year ago. It no doubt hopes the new GPU and superchip will help continue that trend. Just last week, NVIDIA broke its own AI training benchmark record using older H100 technology, so its new tech should help it extend that lead over rivals in a sector it already dominates. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidia-announces-its-next-generation-of-ai-supercomputer-chips-140004095.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NVIDIA announces its next generation of AI supercomputer chips

Other than a bike, helmet and a few emergency maintenance essentials, there aren’t many things a person needs to enjoy a bike ride outside. But having the right accessories can go a long way towards making the experience more fun, more safe and, ultimately, more rewarding. The list of recommendations below cover the gamut of things you can give to the cyclist in your life, from must-have safety accessories like bike lights, to more techie gadgets like bike computers. However, each represents an item the staff here at Engadget have personally tested or swear by, and would make for a great holiday gift.

Crankbrothers M19 Multi-Tool

Knog Rear Blinder or Rear Plus Lights

Garmin Varia Radar

Knog Oi Luxe Bike Bell

Kryptonite New York U-Lock

PS Bagworks Rider Strap

Patagonia Houdini Jacket

Planet Bike Waterproof Bike Seat Cover

Park Tool Cyclone Chain Scrubber

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt V2

Ortlieb Back-Roller Plus Panniers

Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Sleeves

Steadyrack Vertical Bike Rack

Burley Kazoo Trailercycle

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-cyclists-140100878.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The best gifts for cyclists in 2023

With each passing year, the phrase “Black Friday” becomes more of a misnomer. What was once a day of post-Thanksgiving special offers has become a month of sales promotions from retailers across the web. It’s happening again in 2023: Target, Best Buy and Walmart are already advertising their early Black Friday deals, while Amazon is price matching many of those discounts and has its own “Holiday Deals” landing page. Many other shops and manufacturers have (or will soon have) early deals as well.

This barrage of sales promos can be aggravating, but it also presents a good opportunity to get your holiday shopping done at something closer to your own pace. To help, we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday deals you can get right now below. There’s always a chance we get bigger discounts on November 24, but we’re already seeing all-time lows on LG’s A2 OLED TV, PS5 bundles, the 9th-gen iPad and 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 AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

The latest version of Apple’s AirPods Pro is back on sale for $200 at Amazon and Target. That’s about $10 more than their record-low price and $50 off their usual going rate. The AirPods Pro are the “best for iOS” pick in our wireless earbuds buying guide thanks to their easy pairing and deep integration with Apple devices. Effective active noise cancellation (ANC), a superb transparency mode and a pleasingly warm sound profile help as well, as does a new “adaptive audio” mode that can adjust the earphones’ noise control settings based on your surroundings. That said, their battery life is just average at six-ish hours per charge, and you really have to use an iPhone to get anything out of them. We gave the Lightning-based version of the second-generation AirPods Pro a review score of 88 last year; this new iteration is almost identical, only it comes with a USB-C charging case and has a higher IP54 dust-resistance rating.

Apple iPad (9th-gen)

Apple’s 9th-gen iPad is down to $249 at Amazon, Walmart and Target, 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.

If you want a more modern design, the iPad Air is the top pick in our guide, and it’s now on sale for $500. Be warned, though: A recent Bloomberg report says that Apple plans to launch new tablets in the spring. If you don’t need an iPad right away, it’s probably worth waiting.

Apple Watch Series 9

The new Apple Watch Series 9 has dropped to $349 at Amazon and Walmart in an early 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 (2nd gen)

Starting on November 8, Walmart has the second-gen AirPods for only $69 — a new record low and the cheapest we’ve ever seen. These AirPods are a bit old at this point, but at this Black Friday price, they’re a great deal for anyone who just wants a pair of earbuds that will work seamlessly with their iPhone, iPad or MacBook.

Apple M2 Mac Mini

Amazon has discounted the M2-powered Mac Mini desktops: the 256GB model has dropped to $500 thanks to a discount and a clippable coupon added on top of that, while the 512GB model is on sale for $690 with similar bundled discounts. It’s 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.

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.

Echo Show 5 + Ring Video Doorbell bundle

Prime members can save 65 percent on this bundle that includes an Echo Show 5 and a Ring Video Doorbell, now that it’s down to only $65. The Show 5 is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design and a few useful features that make it a solid smart alarm clock like an ambient light sensor and its tap-to-snooze function. It also works well with the Ring doorbell because you can program it to see video feeds from the doorbell directly on the Show 5’s screen. There are a number of other Ring doorbells and security cameras on sale at the moment as well for as low as $30.

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 these Black Friday deals from Amazon or Samsung direct, and you’ll save $40 if you spring for the 2TB version or $100 on the 4TB model. 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.

PlayStation DualSense Wireless Controller

Amazon has 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 and is itching to do so, this bundle with the console and the new Spider-Man 2 game is down to its cheapest price yet — $500. The PS5 remains one of the best gaming consoles you can get right now, and when we reviewed the new Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, we found it to be even better than its predecessor. In it, you can swap between playing as Peter Parker and Miles Morales, and it includes expanded combat mechanics.

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. 

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.

Reverb music gear holiday sale

Reverb is currently hosting a holiday sale with discounts on a number of synths, pedals, guitars, and recording devices. One callout is the Native Instruments’ Maschine MK3, which is seeing a $300 discount making the $600 groovebox/drum machine/synth combo/controller just $299. The pad based controller will let you build full tracks from scratch without having to touch your mouse and keyboard. We’re fans of Native Instruments and have covered and reviewed their gear many times over the years. If you’re getting into desktop music-making, this is likely a sale you’ll want to check out.  

Bose Quiet Comfort Earbuds

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 85-inch The Frame smart TV

The 85-inch Samsung The Frame smart TV is 23 percent off and down to a new record low of $3,300 at both Amazon and Samsung direct. 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.

Logitech G203 gaming mouse

Amazon is having a big sale on Logitech gaming accessories and peripherals, including gaming headsets, mice, keyboards and more. Of note is the Logitech G203 Lightsync wired gaming mouse, which is half off and down to only $20. It’s one of our favorite gaming mice thanks in no small part to its affordable price, but it’s also fairly lightweight and sturdily built with an ambidextrous design that will work for right- and left-handed users. Also discounted is the Logitech G733 Lightspeed wireless gaming headset, which is 20 percent off and down to $120. It has an attractive design with subtle LED lighting and a stretch band, and it has a solid wireless connection with audio to match.

Solo Stove early 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 early 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.

Google Nest Hub

If you’re partial to the Google Assistant, Google’s Nest Hub is also on sale for $60 at Target, B&H, Best Buy, Google’s online store and others. That’s $20 higher than its all-time low but still $40 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. That’s a $100 discount. 

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. 

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-best-black-friday-deals-weve-found-so-far-from-amazon-walmart-target-and-others-134510813.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The best Black Friday deals we’ve found so far from Amazon, Walmart, Target and others

If you’ve had your eye on one of Apple’s versatile M2-powered Mac Minis, Amazon has you covered. Right now, the 256GB Apple Mac Mini M2 is back down to $500 from $600 — its all-time low price. The first $50 is taken off immediately, while a coupon removes the rest at checkout. If you need even more storage, you can also check out the 512GB Mac Mini M2, currently at $690 from $799, thanks to a 13 percent discount and a $9 coupon thrown in at the end.

Apple’s 2023 Mac Mini M2 is a long way from 2005’s Mini. We gave the Mac Mini M2 an 86 in our review thanks to its eight CPU cores, ten graphic cores and 8GB of RAM. It’s also wild with ports, including a headphone jack, gigabit Ethernet, two USB-A, two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C and an HDMI 2.0. Though, it doesn’t have any front-facing ports, which can be a bit frustrating. 

We also like the Mac Mini 2 for its sleek design and slightly raised bottom, allowing for optimal airflow. Overall, it’s just a really well performing device, that can boost your Mac’s performance without taking up too much room on your desk. Plus, it stays quiet while doing all this hard work. The only difference between the two models is storage, so if you’re happy with 256GB, save yourself $190 (or put it towards Black Friday deals). 

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/apples-m2-mac-mini-is-up-to-109-off-ahead-of-black-friday-125447987.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple’s M2 Mac Mini is up to 9 off ahead of Black Friday

Unlike many of my peers, I prefer desktops to laptops, so I’m always excited when a new iMac rolls off the production line. I’ve had my eye on one for a while, especially now it’s packing an M3 chip with all the power that promises. Sadly for me and other desktop lovers, while Nathan Ingraham’s got plenty of compliments for the new iMac, it’s not all great.

On one hand, he praises the power of the M3, the elegant and clutter-free design and the ease of portability. But that’s paired with the feeling the base model has been hobbled to force users into spending more than they expected. Apple’s always stingy with RAM, but that feeling of being nickel-and-dimed extends to paying more for TouchID, gigabit ethernet and more USB ports.

It’s indicative of the iMac’s price and how it’s positioned that Nathan’s conclusion is to buy a Mac Mini and external display instead. You might lose the clutter-free environment on your desk, but you’ll get significantly more computer for the same amount of cash.

— Dan Cooper

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NASA can’t talk to its Mars robots for two weeks because the sun is in the way

Typical.

NASA’s Mars robots have been told to get on with it and don’t make a mess while the parents are away. That’s because Earth and Mars are now on opposite sides of the sun, which blocks missives between the two celestial bodies. Instead, from now until November 25, the various craft on the planet will gather data alone and otherwise hunker down. And no throwing any wild parties, ya hear?

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Apple’s iPad refresh next year could bring OLED iPad Pros and a 12.9-inch iPad Air

The lineup will get more confusing, not less.

Analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, whose track record is solid enough to warrant attention, says Apple will launch a 12.9-inch iPad Air in 2024. It’s part of a big refresh of the tablet lineup bringing new iPad Airs and a new OLED-equipped iPad Pro. Click through to read what Apple may have in store, which appears to be an even more cluttered lineup than it has right now.

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What happened to Washington’s wildlife after the largest dam removal in US history

Nature found a way.

In 1910, Washington State dammed the Elwha River, stopping 40 miles of river reaching the open ocean. It caused massive disruption to the local ecosystem, blocking native salmon from making their annual spawning trek and causing countless second-order effects. A successful years-long battle to take down the dam offered researchers the chance to see what happens when we leave nature to recover. And, oh boy, did it recover.

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Tesla fine print says it may sue Cybertruck resellers for $50K if they flip it too soon

That’s if you can even find a willing buyer.

If you buy a Cybertruck, you won’t be able to move it on to a third party for a year after your purchase. That’s down to a freshly added clause in the purchase agreement, with Tesla saying you can’t sell the vehicle unless you get the automaker’s prior permission. Failure to do so might see the car company suing you for $50,000 — which might discourage resellers.

Continue Reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-is-the-m3-imac-worth-it-121522249.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Morning After: Is the M3 iMac worth it?

Black Friday is fast approaching, and with it are more and more opportunities to get great devices for a steal. Take the Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5 bundle, which is currently down to $65 from $190 — a 65 percent sale. The Prime Member exclusive is available with the second-generation video doorbell in either Satin Nickel or Venetian Bronze. 

Amazon’s Echo Show 5 allows you to easily see any motion Ring’s video doorbell detects without always having your phone handy. The second-gen video doorbell isn’t Ring’s latest iteration (this one is from 2020), but it has all the essentials, such as 1080p HD video. It can also run on battery power alone or use a Ring solar charger and lets you block certain areas in its field of vision from being recorded. The latter could be handy if the doorbell faces a neighbor’s place or something else that would invade another person’s privacy. 

Meanwhile, the third-gen Echo Show 5 only came on the scene in May and is 20 percent faster than its predecessor. Looks-wise, it’s quite similar, but sound-wise, it offers double the bass with an updated speaker system. You can also use Alexa to see, listen to or talk with anyone at your front door. Additional features include a 2MP camera, music streaming and transforming into a digital frame for showcasing your favorite photos. It’s $90 to purchase on its own, more than the pair currently costs together. 

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/echo-show-5-and-ring-doorbell-bundle-falls-to-65-in-early-black-friday-sale-114550813.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Echo Show 5 and Ring Doorbell bundle falls to in early Black Friday sale

Black Friday is almost here, and the closer we get, the more great sales are starting to pop up. The latest deal worth listening in for comes on our favorite wireless headphones of the year, Sony’s WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones. In fact, an 18 percent discount brings this fantastic device back down to $328 from $400 — its all-time low price. The deal is available in all three colors: Black, white, and silver. 

Sony released the WH-1000XM5 back in May 2022, and it has reigned supreme ever since. At the time, we gave it a whopping 95 in our review, thanks to features like 30 hours of battery life with ANC on and a total design makeover that adds extra comfort. The 0.55-pound device now connects the headband to the ear cups in just one place (rather than the M4’s two), adding to its sleeker look. 

The M5 headphones also have eight ANC mics — compared to four on its predecessor — and produce crisp, high-quality sound. Plus, they offer physical and touch control buttons, letting you easily make calls and change the noise mode or song. 

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/sonys-wh-1000xm5-anc-headphones-fall-back-to-328-in-early-black-friday-deal-100508200.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Sony’s WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones fall back to 8 in early Black Friday deal

NASA’s Mars exploration robots will be on their own for the next two weeks while the space agency waits out a natural phenomenon that will prevent normal communications. Mars and Earth have reached positions in their orbits that put them on opposite sides of the sun, in an alignment known as solar conjunction. During this time, NASA says it’s risky to try and send commands to its instruments on Mars because interference from the sun could have a detrimental effect.

To prevent any issues, NASA is taking a planned break from giving orders until the planets move into more suitable positions. The pause started on Saturday and will go on until November 25. A Mars solar conjunction occurs every two years, and while the rovers will be able to send basic health updates home throughout most of the period, they’ll go completely silent for the two days when the sun blocks Mars entirely. 

That means the Perseverance and Curiosity rovers, the Ingenuity helicopter, the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, and the Odyssey and MAVEN orbiters will be left to their own devices for a little while. Their onboard instruments will continue to gather data for their respective missions, but won’t send this information back to Earth until the blackout ends.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasa-cant-talk-to-its-mars-robots-for-two-weeks-because-the-sun-is-in-the-way-213022922.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NASA can’t talk to its Mars robots for two weeks because the sun is in the way