X’s firing of an employee who pushed back against a return-to-office policy imposed by Elon Musk last year was illegal, the National Labor Relations Board alleges. In what Bloomberg reports is the NLRB’s first formal complaint against X Corp., filed on Friday, the labor board accused the company of retaliating against software engineer Yao Yue for attempting to organize workers in the wake of the new policy. After Musk gave then-Twitter employees an ultimatum in November 2022 to return to the office, Yue urged others not to resign in response but instead “let him fire you.”

Musk at the time had told employees, “If you can physically make it to an office and you don’t show up, resignation accepted.” Yue was fired five days after tweeting about it and writing a similar post on Slack. In terminating her, the complaint filed by a San Francisco branch of the NLRB alleges the company violated federal labor law by “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees” exercising protected rights, according to CNBC. A hearing is now set for January 30.

The formal NLRB complaint may be a first for X, but accusations of retaliation against employees are nothing new for a Musk-helmed company. In early 2023, Tesla workers in Buffalo, New York accused the company of firing them for unionizing, and eight SpaceX employees filed a complaint with the NLRB in 2022 claiming they were terminated for criticizing Musk.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/us-labor-board-says-x-illegally-fired-a-worker-in-retaliation-for-critical-tweet-183132363.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – US labor board says X illegally fired a worker in retaliation for critical tweet

You may have to pay a bit more for NVIDIA’s cloud gaming service starting on November 1. The company has raised the subscription prices for GeForce Now in Canada and Europe “to account for increased operational costs in those areas.” To be exact, if you’re paying in CAD, GBP, EUR, SEK, NOK, DKK, CZK or PLN, expect to get hit by price adjustments next month. In Canada, for instance, the $10 Priority tier will cost $14 per month. Meanwhile, the Ultimate tier, which grants you access to servers with RTX 4080 GPUs, 240 fps gameplay and full support for hardware-based ray tracing, will cost $6 more at $26 per month. 

If you’re in the UK, you’ll have to pay £2 more for the UItimate tier. It’s also an additional €2 if you’re paying in Euros. As you can see, the amount you’ll have to add depends on your region, but there is a way to lock in the service’s current pricing for the next half year: Simply pay for a 6-month membership before November 1. Take note that a 6-month Ultimate membership will cost $40 more in Canada and £20 more in the UK when the new prices take effect next month. 

You can also purchase membership gift cards within the next couple of weeks at their current prices. NVIDIA says it will adjust gift card pricing after November 1, as well, but it will honor cards purchased before that even if they’re redeemed at a later date. If you got into the service early and are a “Founder” member, though, don’t worry — the price hikes don’t apply to you, and you can continue paying your current rates. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nvidias-geforce-now-will-cost-more-in-canada-and-europe-starting-in-november-120104655.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NVIDIA’s GeForce Now will cost more in Canada and Europe starting in November

EU Commissioner Thierry Breton has been sending warning letters to online platforms, reminding them of their duty to address disinformation going around regarding the Israel-Hamas war. Now Breton has written a letter addressed to Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai, reminding him of the company’s “precise obligations regarding content moderation under the EU Digital Services Act.” Specifically, Breton is asking Alphabet to be “very vigilant” when it comes to Israel-Hamas-related content posted on YouTube. 

The European Commission has been seeing a “surge of illegal content and disinformation” being disseminated via certain platforms, he said, telling Pichai that Alphabet has an obligation to protect children and teens from “violent content depicting hostage taking and other graphic videos.” Breton also warned Pichai that if Alphabet receives notices of illegal content from the EU, it must respond in a timely manner. Finally, he reminded the CEO that the company must have mitigation measures in place to address “civic discourse stemming from disinformation.” The video-sharing service must also adequately differentiate reliable news sources from terrorist propaganda and manipulated content, such as clickbait videos. 

YouTube spokesperson Ivy Choi told The Verge that the service has “removed tens of thousands of harmful videos and terminated hundreds of channels” following the attacks in Israel and the “conflict now underway in Israel and Gaza.” The platform’s systems, she added, “continue to connect people with high-quality news and information.” She also said that YouTube’s teams are “working around the clock to monitor for harmful footage and remain vigilant to take action quickly if needed on all types of content, including Shorts and livestreams.”

Breton was the same the official who had previously sent Elon Musk an “urgent” letter about the spread of disinformation on X amid the Israel-Hamas war. He called out the spread of “fake and manipulated images and facts circulating on [the platform formerly known as Twitter] in the EU, such as repurposed old images of unrelated armed conflicts or military footage that actually originated from video games.” X CEO Linda Yaccarino published the company’s response a day later, claiming to have removed or labeled “tens of thousands of pieces of content” and to have deleted hundreds of Hamas-affiliated accounts from the platform. Even so, the European Union still opened an investigation into X for the lackluster moderation of illegal content and disinformation related to the war.

The EU commissioner also sent Meta a stern letter, voicing similar concerns about misinformation on its platforms. Meta responded by saying that “expert teams from across [ts] company have been working around the clock to monitor [its] platforms while protecting people’s ability to use [its] apps to shed light on important developments happening on the ground.” Breton sent TikTok a letter about disinformation spreading on its platform related to the Israel-Hamas war, as well, giving the company 24 hours to explain how it’s complying with EU law. 

In addition to asking YouTube to keep a close eye on Israel-Hamas disinformation, Breton also tackled the issue of election-related disinformation in his letter. He is asking the service to notify his team of the measures it has taken to mitigate deepfakes “in light of upcoming elections in Poland, The Netherlands, Lithuania, Belgium, Croatia, Romania and Austria, and the European Parliament elections.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/youtube-warned-by-eu-official-to-keep-a-close-eye-on-israel-hamas-war-content-090134619.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – YouTube warned by EU official to keep a close eye on Israel-Hamas war content

Valve has warned Counter-Strike 2 players that AMD’s latest graphics driver could get them banned. The problem lies in AMD’s Anti-Lag+ feature, which triggers the Valve Anti-Cheat (VAC) system, duping it into mistaking the driver’s low-latency mode for cheating.

The problem lies in Anti-Lag+ intercepting and redirecting Dynamic Link Library (DLL) functions. VAC views DLL reroutes as cheats (in other cases, they often are), which could lead to getting booted from Counter-Strike 2.

A Reddit thread about the issue claims “many players” have reported receiving VAC bans from using the latest AMD driver (23.10.1). “It seems that VAC is banning everyone BUT the cheaters,” quipped u/Volfong in the thread. “Can confirm I got banned today and Anti-Lag+ was turned on,” wrote u/trkemrasr. “They better reverse this shit quickly.”

Valve plans to do just that. “Once AMD ships an update we can do the work of identifying affected users and reversing their ban,” the publisher posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Until the problem is resolved, Valve recommends turning off Anti-Lag+ in the graphics card settings. If you haven’t changed the default, you can disable Anti-Lag+ with the hotkey of Alt+L. You can double-check the shortcut’s setting by opening AMD Radeon Software, clicking on the gear icon and choosing Hotkeys from the sub-menu. Selecting the existing hotkey for Anti-Lag+ allows you to customize it.

Engadget has contacted AMD for comment and will update this article if we hear back.

Counter-Strike 2 launched in September after months of hype. The update, which replaced Counter-Strike: Global Offensive on Steam, adds upgraded graphics and maps alongside more realistic smoke. The game uses Valve’s Source 2 engine for improved lighting, clearer textures and updated geometry. You’ll need a somewhat modern Windows machine to play it as Valve says it has no plans to bring the sequel to macOS or older PCs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/valve-warns-that-amds-anti-lag-feature-can-lead-to-counter-strike-2-bans-210239729.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Valve warns that AMD’s anti-lag feature can lead to Counter-Strike 2 bans

Several weeks after Nintendo revealed Charles Martinet will no longer voice Mario, the company has confirmed the identity of the actor who’ll play its most famous character for the foreseeable future. Kevin Afghani is the new voice of Mario Mario and Luigi Mario in Nintendo’s games.

“Incredibly proud to have voiced Mario and Luigi in Super Mario Bros. Wonder,” Afghani, who was perhaps best known until now as the voice of Arnold in Genshin Impact, wrote on X. “Thanks to Nintendo for inviting me into the Flower Kingdom!” Nintendo confirmed to Polygon that Afghani is voicing the characters and will have the honor of being the first actor to portray Elephant Mario.

Fans noticed something different with Mario’s voice when the first trailer for Super Mario Bros. Wonder, which arrives on October 20, emerged over the summer. They noticed a difference in Wario’s voice in a WarioWare: Move It! clip too. It’s not yet clear who’s playing Mario’s arch-rival in that game.

Martinet, who is 67, was the man behind Mario’s “wahoo!” and “here we go!” exclamations for well over two decades in games and since 1991 at trade shows. He’s played several other characters in the Mario-verse during that time, including Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Luigi and Baby Mario.

But whether it was Martinet’s decision or Nintendo’s, it was evidently time for a change. Martinet will continue to work with Nintendo as a “Mario Ambassador,” which will see him “continue to travel the world sharing the joy of Mario.”

The Evil Within will be free next week on the Epic Games Store. The nearly decade-old title is a survival horror game from Resident Evil creator Shinji Mikami, who left Bethesda earlier this year. The game will be free to claim on Epic from October 19 to 26.

The game puts you in the shoes of Detective Sebastian Castellanos as he finds himself sucked into a macabre world full of nightmarish monsters and traps. The Evil Within’s action unfolds in a third-person perspective as Castellanos uses stealth and whatever weapons and resources he can scrap together to unravel the mystery of his environment and the villainous Ruvik. The highly intelligent antagonist toes the line between madman and tortured soul as he helms the STEM machine, a complex device that can link human minds together in a virtual world.

Although some players and reviewers chided the title’s uneven plot and archetypal (sometimes bordering on generic) enemies, it could be seen as something of a modern cult classic for horror fans and Mikami devotees. You can add the game (typically $20 these days) to your account for free next week in the Epic Games Store.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-ps4-classic-the-evil-within-will-be-free-on-the-epic-games-store-next-week-195626397.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Early PS4 classic The Evil Within will be free on the Epic Games Store next week

The world of ants is a mysterious one, as we’re still learning new stuff about the most populous insect on Earth. Soon we’ll be able to get a more hands-on approach with everyone’s favorite picnic-ruiners, thanks to the forthcoming insect sim Empire of the Ants. The game’s based on the hit sci-fi book series and has you controlling a heroic ant to protect your massive colony.

Publisher Microids and developer Tower Five just dropped a trailer and these are perhaps the most photorealistic ants ever seen in a video game. As a matter of fact, the whole trailer’s teeming with eye candy, which makes sense given the title was built using Epic Games’ powerful Unreal Engine 5. Plus it’s not just one or two ants on screen, as in-game footage shows hundreds of the little buggers doing their thing, complete with a photorealistic forest down to the pebbles and dirt on the floor.

One of the biggest unanswered questions regarding Microsoft’s $67.8 billion purchase of Activision Blizzard concerned the role of Bobby Kotick at the company. Now that the deal is finally complete and the publisher is officially a part of Microsoft, the future of the Activision Blizzard CEO is a little clearer.

In a memo to employees, Kotick wrote that he is “fully committed to helping with the transition.” He’ll remain at the helm “through the end of 2023” and he’ll report to Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer. “We both look forward to working together on a smooth integration for our teams and players,” Kotick wrote.

Kotick is widely expected to step down from the role he has held for over three decades as soon as January 1, though Activision Blizzard has declined to confirm an exact date for his departure. In any case, his contract runs until April.

Other changes are expected at the top of Activision Blizzard. In his own memo to the publisher’s staff, Spencer wrote that “we will share more updates on our new organizational structure in the coming months.”

Kotick shaped his company into a financially successful enterprise after leading a group of investors to buy Mediagenic for a bargain-basement price in 1991. He restructured the company and restored its previous name of Activision. In 2008, following a string of successful games, acquisitions and investments, Kotick engineered a merger with the games division of Vivendi, which owned Blizzard.

However, Kotick’s stewardship of the company has long been a controversial one. As far back as 2010, Kotaku called him “the most hated man in video games,” partly because of the perception that Kotick places a heavy focus on monetizing Activision Blizzard’s games as much as possible. That’s not to mention his reported treatment of employees at his various companies.

Over the last few years, observers have been paying more attention to Activision Blizzard’s culture under Kotick. In 2021, the California Civil Rights Department, sued the company, alleging that it fostered a culture where discrimination and widespread harassment were rife. Later that year, a report by The Wall Street Journal indicated that Kotick had long been aware of sexual misconduct and assault allegations at Activision Blizzard, and that he neglected to share some of those (or details about settlements that were agreed with alleged victims) with the board.

The report led to many Activision Blizzard workers walking out and demanding Kotick’s resignation. The following year, months after Microsoft made its blockbuster bid for Activision Blizzard, the publisher’s shareholders voted to let Kotick keep his board seat.

In fact, the turmoil over Activision Blizzard’s toxic workplace culture (and resulting pressure on the company that sent its stock tumbling) was what prompted Microsoft to buy the company. Kotick had claimed that Overwatch 2 and Diablo IV delays resulted in a fall of the stock price. But workers pushed back on those assertions.

Overwatch producer Tracy Kennedy claimed in early 2022 that Kotick pushed “random projects” onto the development team. Kennedy said the team worked overtime only to see those projects canceled and that “entire teams are turning over” and blaming Kotick.

It’s not only at Activision where Kotick has spurred controversy. In 2007, the flight attendant of a private jet he was co-owner of sued him. The attendant alleged that, after she informed the plane’s other owner that the pilot had sexually harassed her, Kotick fired her. The case resulted in a $200,000 settlement for the flight attendant.

Kotick has long been one of the highest-paid CEOs in North America and he’s not exactly going to be retiring with only a nice watch to show for his time at Activision Blizzard. A report last year suggested that he stood to make $375.3 million from the sale to Microsoft. He’s also expected to receive a golden parachute payment of $14.6 million when he departs.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/bobby-kotick-will-remain-activision-blizzard-ceo-until-the-end-of-2023-184419538.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Bobby Kotick will remain Activision Blizzard CEO until the end of 2023

NASA’s Psyche spacecraft has blasted off and begun a six-year, 2.2-billion-mile journey to a peculiar asteroid. Astronomers have speculated that the space rock, also named Psyche, was once the partial core of a small planet in the early days of the Solar System. The seemingly iron- and nickel-rich asteroid may hold clues to the formation of planets, including our own.

On Friday, the uncrewed Psyche spacecraft lifted off at 10:19AM ET aboard a SpaceX Falcon Heavy rocket at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. After successfully jettisoning its fairings and separating from the rocket, ground controllers established two-way communication. Telemetry reports indicate it made it to space in good health. The mission had faced numerous delays before finally lifting off.

Psyche (the asteroid) rotates around the sun in a belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Researchers estimate it’s made of 30 to 60 percent nickel-iron core, allowing them a rare glimpse into a (possible) planetary core. “My best guess is that it’s more than half metal based on the data that we’ve got,” Lindy Elkins-Tanton, an Arizona State University professor working as the mission’s principal investigator, told The New York Times. “We’re really going to see a kind of new object, which means that a lot of our ideas are going to be proven wrong.”

The spacecraft will take around six years to reach Psyche. At that point, NASA’s Psyche craft will orbit the asteroid for 26 months, studying it with various instruments. The craft will use cameras to get an up-close peek, a magnetometer to look for an ancient magnetic field, a gamma-ray spectrometer to detect high-energy gamma rays and neutrons and a radio antenna to map the space rock’s gravity.

“I am excited to see the treasure trove of science Psyche will unlock as NASA’s first mission to a metal world,” said Nicola Fox, a NASA Science Mission Directorate associate. “By studying asteroid Psyche, we hope to better understand our universe and our place in it, especially regarding the mysterious and impossible-to-reach metal core of our own home planet, Earth.”

The spacecraft will also test NASA’s deep space laser communications, an experimental communications method that could increase deep space bandwidth 100-fold over the current standard, radio waves. “It’s exciting to know that, in a few short weeks, Deep Space Optical Communications will begin sending data back to Earth to test this critical capability for the future of space exploration,” said Dr. Prasun Desai, Associate Administrator (Acting), STMD at NASA HQ. “The insights we learn will help us advance these innovative new technologies and, ultimately, pursue bolder goals in space.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/nasas-psyche-spacecraft-embarks-on-a-six-year-journey-to-its-asteroid-namesake-183819998.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – NASA’s Psyche spacecraft embarks on a six-year journey to its asteroid namesake

We knew Netflix’s Squid Game reality show was coming sometime in November, and now we have an exact premiere date of November 22. This puts the release just in time for Thanksgiving, so you can celebrate the holiday by watching a reality show adaptation of a dystopian drama that shined a light on the brutal horrors of late-stage capitalism. Heartwarming fun!

Squid Game: The Challenge is a 10-episode series that features over 450 contestants competing in events inspired by the TV show, in addition to some brand-new challenges. There’s no bloodshed, of course, but there is a $4.56 million prize for the winner, which Netflix says is the largest reality show payout of all time.

There are also plenty of other nods to the source material here, including that terrifying “red light, green light” doll and contestant costumes straight from the show. The shot and framing choices also call to mind the dystopian drama.

It’s hard to imagine that anyone in the world was demanding a hybrid Corvette, but those crazy engineers at Chevrolet went and did it anyway. Meet the 2024 Chevrolet Corvette E-Ray, but if you’re already angry at the concept, you shouldn’t be.

The hybrid drive here isn’t to raise the efficiency of perhaps America’s most iconic sports car. Oh no. It’s only here to make it faster. 0 to 60 in 2.5 seconds and a quarter-mile in 10.5 fast. The electric motor up front adds 160 horsepower to the 495 that comes from the LT2 V8 in the back. Yes, it can be driven for a few miles emissions-free, but more important is how it boosts acceleration.

It helps the handling, too. The Stingray is a notorious understeerer on the track. The E-Ray does too, but give it a little throttle and that magic front electric motor pulls the nose right around and through. It’s a delight, and so is the E-Ray – a $104,295 delight. It definitely comes at a premium over the base Stingray, but those looking for the ultimate all-round, all-season ‘Vette have a new choice. Watch the video below for our full impressions.

The Biden administration has selected the recipients of its funding for the seven regional “hydrogen hubs,” or clean hydrogen producers. All regions will receive funds from a $7 billion investment made available through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. The hubs are collectively expected to produce more than three million metric tons of clean hydrogen per year and help put the US on track to produce 50 million metric tons of clean hydrogen fuel by 2050.

The initiative is a crucial step towards achieving President Biden’s goal of reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. But it is also expected to bolster the economy, creating thousands of jobs for the states involved in the project. Collectively, the hubs will create more than 300,000 direct jobs.

The seven hubs named include: the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub, Appalachian Hydrogen Hub, the California Hydrogen Hub, the Gulf Coast Hydrogen Hub, Heartland Hydrogen Hub, Midwest Hydrogen Hub and the Pacific Northwest Hydrogen Hub. Some regions that applied for the hub program together through the Department of Energy will require cross-state collaboration. For example, the Mid-Atlantic Hydrogen Hub is made up of Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey.

The Biden administration said that it expects two-thirds of total project investments will be associated with green (electrolysis based) production. The hydrogen hubs are expected to eliminate 25 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions through its projects—which the Biden administration likens to the annual emissions of over 5.5 million gasoline-powered cars. The hubs will focus on offsetting and creating alternatives to heavy-duty transportation, chemical, steel and cement manufacturing.

This program is just one part of the Biden administration’s efforts to slow climate change and make a lasting impact on the nation’s carbon footprint. The White House has previously pushed similar initiatives, including an executive order that requires half of all new vehicles sold in 2030 to have some form of zero-emissions driving and its plans to allocate billions in funding to decarbonize the country’s power grid by 2035.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/biden-administration-announces-first-recipients-of-7-billion-hydrogen-hub-program-165640048.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Biden administration announces first recipients of billion hydrogen hub program

While most Apple chatter tends to concern the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch and Macbook lines, the company is hardly neglecting those who prefer a desktop Mac. The Mac mini is a capable piece of kit, especially now that the company is shoving its Apple Silicon chips into them. Those interested in picking up a Mac mini may be interested to learn that an M2-powered model is currently on sale at B&H. It has dropped by $100 to $499 to match a solid deal that popped up in August.

This model includes an M2 chipset with an eight-core CPU, 10-core GPU and 16-core neural engine, along with 8GB of unified RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. It has a pair of Thunderbolt 4/USB4 ports, two USB-A slots and one each for Ethernet and HDMI. The M2 Mac mini supports Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3. It has a 3.5mm headphone jack too.

We gave the M2 Mac mini a score of 86 in our review back in January. We appreciated the machine’s performance and variety of ports, as well as its quiet operation. We liked the design too. While it largely looks similar to earlier models, this Mac mini has a slightly elevated base to improve airflow.

We didn’t have any major reservations with this version specifically, though upgrades are expensive and the more advanced M2 Pro model is too pricey. Our main quibble was not having any front-facing ports. Ultimately, there’s not a ton to dislike about the M2 Mac mini.

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/apples-m2-mac-mini-is-just-499-right-now-163023701.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Apple’s M2 Mac Mini is just 9 right now

Cyberpunk 2077 developer CD Projekt Red has confirmed it used AI voice cloning software to reconstruct the voice of a deceased actor for its Phantom Liberty DLC. Actor Miłogost Reczek voiced the character Viktor Vektor in the Polish version of the game and would have been tapped to reprise the role for the DLC, which came out last month, but he died in 2021 before its production. The developer told Bloomberg it decided to go this route as a way to “pay tribute to his wonderful performance,” and was given permission to do so by his family.

Instead of replacing Reczek outright, CD Projekt Red worked with Respeecher, the Ukraine-based voice tech company known for deaging Mark Hamill’s voice in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett to create a young Luke Skywalker. Another actor was hired to speak the new lines, and Respeecher’s software reworked them into Reczek’s voice, CD Projekt localization director Mikołaj Szwed told Bloomberg. Reczek, who Szwed described as “one of the best Polish voice talents,” had also voiced major roles in The Witcher series.

AI has become a contentious topic in the entertainment industry, and striking Hollywood actors are currently fighting for more protections around the use of their likenesses, among other things. In September, SAG-AFTRA voted in favor of a strike authorization for video game actors, too, whose jobs could be threatened by studios’ increasing reliance on AI. Zelda Williams — Robin Williams’ daughter — recently slammed the practice of emulating deceased actors using AI, saying that they cannot consent. In this case, CD Projekt Red says Reczek’s family was “very supportive.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cd-projekt-red-used-ai-to-include-a-deceased-actors-voice-in-cyberpunk-2077-dlc-161521634.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – CD Projekt Red used AI to include a deceased actor’s voice in Cyberpunk 2077 DLC

Amazon’s October Prime Day sale officially ended on Wednesday, but a few of the deals are still live as we head into the weekend. If you were hoping to check off a few more names from your holiday gift list or buy something for yourself at a discount, see what remains on sale below. We combed through our coverage over the past few days to find the best of what’s left. While Amazon has returned most of their own devices, like Echos and Kindles, back to their full prices, a handful of products from other brands like Google, Samsung and Anker, have maintained the lows they hit on Prime Day. Here are the best deals from Prime Big Deal Days that you can still get right now. 

Samsung Galaxy Watch 6

The new Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 went down to $269 for October Prime Day and it’s still on sale. That’s lowest price we’ve seen since it came out a few months ago. You can’t get a better smartwatch than this one if you have an Android phone (bonus points if you have a Samsung phone), and it’s smaller and lighter than previous versions. Samsung brought back the spinning bezel on the Classic version, which is which makes the software’s UI easier to navigate, plus it has improved performance and updated health and fitness tracking tools.

Apple MacBook Air M2 (15-inch)

The 15.3-inch version of Apple’s MacBook Air is still down to $1,049 for an entry-level model with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. That matches the best price we’ve seen and takes $250 off Apple’s list price. The MacBook Air is the top pick in our guide to the best laptops, and we gave the 15-inch model a review score of 96 earlier this year, as it covers just about all of the things we look for in a quality mainstream notebook. Compared to the 13.6-inch version, it also includes a more powerful speaker system and a slightly upgraded GPU. The SSD in this base configuration is technically slower than the one in higher-capacity SKUs, but that shouldn’t be a major problem unless you’re looking to do more complex work. In general, you wouldn’t buy the Air for things like high-res media editing, though its M2 chip is still plenty powerful for everyday tasks.

If you do need more storage space, the 512GB model with 8GB of RAM is on sale for a low of $1,249. Variants with double the RAM are up to $250 off as well. Meanwhile, the 13.6-inch MacBook Air isn’t discounted on Amazon, but it’s down to $899 at Best Buy. That’s $200 off the notebook’s list price.

Sony WF-1000XM5

Sony’s WF-1000XM5 wireless earbuds went down to $278 for Prime Day and are still going for that price today. That’s a $22 discount and their best price yet. We think these are the best wireless earbuds on the market right now. Sony improved upon it’s already remarkable buds with a more comfortable fit, better sound quality and features likes adaptive sound and Speak-to-Chat.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K

The previous generation of Fire TV Stick 4K dropped to $23 for the sale and is one of the few Amazon devices still on sale. It has the same processor, RAM and storage as the standard Fire TV Stick, but it can stream 4K HDR content in all its glory. It also supports Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos, while a picture-in-picture live view feature can show you feeds from compatible security cameras right on your TV screen.

Do note, though, that this is the previous model of the streaming stick. The newly refreshed Fire TV Stick 4K isn’t sale but has a faster processor and supports Wi-Fi 6.

Anker Soundcore Motion +

One of the top Bluetooth options in our speaker guide is Anker’s Soundcore Motion +, which gives out good sound for its price point. The $100 MSRP is discounted to $70 if you clip the on-page copuon. That’s a 30 percent discount and an all-time low. It has a bright and bassy output and offers EQ customization in the app. Plus it’s water-resistant, so you can take it to the park or on a hike and share your good taste in music with whoever is nearby.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

The top budget pick in our gaming headphones buying guide, the HyperX Cloud Stinger 2, is on sale for $36. That’s a dollar more than it went for on Prime Day and only a modest $4 discount over its street price recently, but it’s still close to lowest price we’ve seen. The Cloud Stinger 2 doesn’t have the most balanced or detailed sound, but its V-shaped signature gives action scenes a nice level of impact, and its mic quality belies the dirt-cheap price. The design is comfortable too, though it’s made from cheap-feeling plastic.

Shokz OpenRun Pro

The Shokz OpenRun Pro is down to $125 for Prime Big Deal Days, which is $25 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked but still $55 below its usual going rate. This is a recommended pair of bone conduction headphones, which means it hugs the side of your head and delivers sound by passing vibrations through your skull. (It’s not as uncomfortable as it sounds.) The main benefit is that this leaves your ear canals completely open, so you can enjoy a playlist or podcast without being shut out from the outside world. The downside, usually, is that you don’t get as full a sound as you would with a traditional pair. That’ll still be the case here, but we’ve found the OpenRun Pro to deliver more low-end depth than most of its peers. They’re fairly comfy and get up to 10 hours of battery life beyond that.

Logitech G535

If you’re looking for a wireless headset, the Logitech G535 is back down to $80, which is about $25 below its average street price. This is an honorable mention in our gaming headsets guide, as we like its lightweight design, Bluetooth support and agreeable, relatively well-balanced sound. It forces you to crank the volume to reach a listenable level though, and its mic makes voices sound a little too thin. It also doesn’t work with Xbox consoles. But if you really want a wireless gaming headset for less than $100, it’s well worth a look.

Samsung Smart Monitor M8

The Samsung Smart Monitor M8 is down to just $500, which is $200 off its starting price (though it regularly sells for $600) and the lowest price we’ve seen thus far. This 32-inch display has built-in apps and allows you to access streaming services, just like you would on a smart TV. It can also act as a smart home hub, showing you your smart camera feeds and more. This discounted model is the updated 2023 version of the monitor that launched at CES 2022.

Google Indoor Nest Security Cam

A slew of Google Nest home security devices are still on sale the day after Prime, including the battery-powered Nest Cam that can go inside or outside your home. Typically priced at $180, the security cam dipped down to $120 for Amazon’s October Prime Day event. The Nest Cam works with smart speakers and displays enabled with Alexa or the Google Assistant and can last up to seven months depending on how much activity it picks up. Its weather-resistant build and magnetic mount should make it easy to install on most surfaces. It sends live alerts to your phone and will even allow for on-demand check-ins without a subscription, though it only stores the last three hours for free. For six months of stored footage, you’ll need a Nest Aware membership.

Google Nest Thermostat

In other Google deals, the Nest Thermostat is on sale for just $90, which is only about $10 more than the lowest price we’ve tracked and $40 off Google’s MSRP. This is Google’s entry-level smart thermostat, but it still lets you control your heating and cooling from anywhere, suggests tweaks to help you save money, and in some cases, can entitle you to rebates from your utility provider. It’s all relatively easy to program, and it works with Google’s Nest Hub and other smart displays like the Echo Show.

Beats Studio Pro

The Beats Studio Pro headphones are on sale for $180 right now. which is a dollar more than they sold for on Prime Day and still a sizable $170 discount. We reviewed these back in July when they came out and gave them a decent review score of 81. Unfortunately they didn’t push any of the top picks from our our best headphones list off their pedestals. They aren’t bad, however, offering pleasant, even-handed sound and good noise cancellation. Though Beats is now owned by Apple, these headphones still play nice with Android. There’s no wear detection and the mostly plastic design isn’t super premium, but at this price, you may not care.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is another small speaker we like that puts out decent volume for its size, and for Prime day it went down to $48, which is $12 off its usual going rate. Right now it’s on sale for $60, but an on-page 15 percent coupon brings it back to that Prime Day low. This device has a strap on its back that works well on belts, backpacks, or even bike handlebars, so it’s easy to take on the road. And “on the go” is where the StormBox Micro 2 performs best, as it’s more about portable volume than pure fidelity.

Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E

The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is holding strong at $300 right now for a pack of three routers. That’s within a dollar of the lowest price it’s sold for on Amazon. It’s one of the best Wi-Fi 6 router systems you can get at the moment thanks to its easy setup process, convenient Google Assistant integrations and Matter and Thread support. If you’re looking for a not-too expensive way to upgrade your home Wi-Fi system, and one that will take little time to set up, Google’s is the one to get.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Our favorite streaming stick, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K, remains at $37 after the sale. It packs a ton of features into an affordable package, including 4K HDR streaming capabilities, Dolby Vision, AirPlay 2 and private listening when you have a pair of headphones. And since it’s so small, it makes for a great travel entertainment device too.

Hisense U6K

The Hisense U6K is one of the more affordable TVs. And the 55- and 65-inch models are still down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is has received generally positive reviews around the web, as it’s one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight. All of that should help it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.

For a well-reviewed midrange model, the Hisense U8K provides much better contrast and peak brightness, plus more gaming-friendly features like ability to play 4K content at up to a 144Hz refresh rate. That one is down to $748 for a 55-inch model and $998 for a 65-inch set.

iRobot Roomba 694

iRobot’s Roomba 694 dropped to $199 for Prime Day and stayed there. While that’s still $20 more than the lowest we’ve seen it go, it’s still a good deal on our favorite cheap robot vacuum. It’s got strong suction power, an attractive design and easy to use app. It’ll be a good option for robo-vac novices, or anyone that doesn’t want to fuss too much with an automatic dirt sucker. It clears hard and carpeted floors well, and it automatically returns to its base once a cleaning job is finished so it can recharge.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD

The Samsung Pro Plus microSD card is on sale for $20 right now. It’s our top pick in our best microSD card guide because it was the most consistent of the ones we tested, with some of the best overall speeds and all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It’ll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It’s been an Engadget favorite for a while thanks to its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swap in for your desktop’s or laptop’s used-up drive.

Other great deals for after Prime Day

Anker 511 Charger

New Apple Watches don’t come with power adapters, so if you’re looking for one that can deliver a quick charge, we recommend Anker’s 511 (Nano 3) charging brick. It’s down to $20 which is a mild, $4 discount, but still a welcome price for a worthwhile smartwatch accessory.

OtterBox Fast Charge Power Bank

The OtterBox Fast Charge Power Bank is currently just $36 for the 15,000mAh capacity model, which is the version we tested and recommend in our portable battery guide. This pack looks sharp and delivers a fast and reliable charge via USB-C or USB-A.

SanDisk 128GB microSDXC Card for Nintendo Switch

If you need more room on your Switch, SanDisk’s officially licensed microSDXC card is a good pick, particularly when it’s on sale. Right now a 128GB model is within a dollar of its all-time low at just $18.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

Our favorite microSD card for most people is the Samsung Pro Plus. It had the fastest sequential write speeds and random performance of any card we tested, and the USB reader that comes with included with this listing helps it reach higher speeds on compatible devices. It’s listed at $38 for the set (though it often goes for $25), and now Prime Day in October brings it to $23.

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/the-23-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-you-can-still-shop-for-today-160104086.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Prime Day is over, but these are the 23 best tech deals that are still available

Proton sells a suite of privacy products, from email to document storage, so when I used Proton VPN I was already familiar with the company. We tested nine of the best VPN services available for our overall guide, including ExpressVPN, NordVPN, Surfshark and Tunnelbear. Proton promises “privacy by default,” but that left me wondering if the company meant rigorous security testing — and if a focus on privacy would take away from ease of use. Because it balanced all of the above, Proton VPN landed at the top of our list.

VPNs can be used for general web browsing, but I tested each one by streaming, gaming and evading geoblocking on the servers. I measured streaming speeds by watching Canadian Netflix from my home in the US, playing an online game from a UK-based VPN server and watching a live news channel on YouTube from a Hong Kong-based VPN.

How much does Proton VPN cost?

Proton offers a free, but limited, version of its VPN. It can be used on one device with access to servers in the Netherlands, United States and Japan. For $5.99 per month, Proton VPN’s paid subscription includes access to more than 3,000 servers in over 65 countries, use on up to 10 devices and an included ad-blocker and malware protection. Or for $9.99 per month, Proton sells an “unlimited” package with access to all of its mail, calendar, drive, VPN and password manager products.

Privacy and security

When I tried out VPNs, I looked for options that kept my information secure without impacting my ability to easily browse the web. Proton VPN has a no-logs policy, meaning it doesn’t collect data that passes through its network. It’s passed external audits, is based on an open-source framework and it runs a vulnerability disclosure program. Proton VPN has a policy not to comply with law enforcement requests and has no forced logging requirements because it’s based in Switzerland, according to the company.

Speed and availability

There was little to no lag when I used Proton VPN for its streaming, geoblocking and gaming capabilities. I also did a ping test to measure internet latency. Without a VPN, it took 43 milliseconds, but connected to Proton VPN, it took 49 milliseconds, which is not a big difference at all.

For paid users, Proton VPN is available on more than 1,800 servers in 64 countries. It’s available across iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux, streaming services and more. Because it supports up to 10 devices at once, it’s also easy to use across an entire household of tech.

Proton VPN pros and cons

Even our top choice isn’t perfect. The free version can be a bit finicky, and struggles to stay connected at times. According to Consumer Reports, it doesn’t meet password complexity requirements and didn’t offer clear protections against unauthorized access. Like many of its competitors, Proton VPN also tends to use misleading marketing language. Proton VPN makes lofty claims — like bypassing censorship, keeping you safe from hackers and surfing the web without surveillance — that can’t always be factually backed up.

The VPNs I tested were consistently good. They made it easy to browse the web securely. Proton VPN took the top spot because of its overall security and ease of use.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/proton-vpn-review-2023-why-its-our-top-choice-vpn-153046020.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Proton VPN review 2023: Why it’s our top-choice VPN

Did you know AMC makes video games? The television network responsible for Mad Men, Breaking Bad and The Walking Dead has a full-blown publishing label for video games, and it’s shepherded four titles to market since 2020. Its first was a real-time flight simulator from the NYU Game Center Incubator called Airplane Mode, which trapped players in the window seat of a commercial airliner for six literal hours, complete with the small luxuries and major annoyances of actually flying coach. AMC’s IFC channel even produced the in-flight safety video for that game.

So, yeah, AMC publishes video games. Its latest project is a collaboration with Shudder, the network’s horror-focused streaming service, and it’s developed by Fictiorama Studios, the team behind 2018’s Do Not Feed the Monkeys. Their new title is called The Fabulous Fear Machine and it’s a cheeky real-time strategy game about using terror to gain ultimate power. It’s a heady topic presented in a pulp art style, with a magical fortune-telling automaton, exaggerated stakes and dramatic noir dialogue softening the narrative’s serious edge. Think Tales from the Crypt, but with propaganda and disinformation as the target subject. It’s kitsch, it’s camp, and at times it makes you pause and say, huh. Put simply, I adore it.

The Fabulous Fear Machine is a dense game that responds to your decisions moment-to-moment and then collects your story in the pages of an old-school comic book. The fortune teller, encased in glass and lights, uses this comic to fuel its own supernatural whims, but all of that is secondary to your personal quests for control, wealth and power. The game features multiple Masters of the Machine, each with a unique goal, and it kicks off with a brilliant, sociopathic scientist who wants to conquer the corporate world through a pharmaceutical company. As a Mistress of the Machine, she first sows seeds of panic and paranoia across the United Kingdom and Scotland.

Gameplay takes place on a bright world map, zoomed in to the appropriate locations. After planting a seed of terror in one spot, players help it spread by dispatching agents to major cities, collecting information, and then dropping Legends cards there, cultivating dark myths and conspiracy theories based on local beliefs. Players set a goal for each region; for the pharmaceutical baron, this could be implanting the dogma that natural medicines are harmful, or that generic drugs don’t work.

There are four psychic centers that the Masters of the Machine can target: The Power, The Form, The Passions and The Occult. There are two sub-categories for each psychic center. Terror of Conspiracy and Terror of the Future fall under The Power, Decrepitude and Pain are part of The Form, Violence and Death are in The Passions, and the Irrational and the Unknown are subsets of The Occult. Specific cards are tied to these sub-categories, and the stories on these cards evolve as they’re played on the map and upgraded.

Cards include scenarios like The Ultimate Virus, The Toaster is Listening, The Climate Machine, The Boogeyman and The Homicidal Nurse — conspiracies, myths and anxieties that can be exacerbated with the proper messaging. Spreading these terrors is a game of asset management and intuition, feeding the appropriate fears in the right regions.

Things get complicated quickly, though. With the help of agents on the ground, players have to mine resources, generate and maintain fuel for propagating their fear campaigns, and also fend off counter-attacks from activists and rival companies. Upgrading cards progresses the amount of unrest they invoke and involves selecting related terms from a word cloud. The cards tell their own little stories as they’re upgraded, and these evolve from whisper campaigns, to regional talk-radio topics, to headlines on major news programs. Rival companies and peace organizations pop up along the way, attempting to thwart your efforts, and they have to be infiltrated and dispatched by any means necessary.

Every action requires the appropriate element, which players can mine from cities they’ve discovered. Mining takes time, as does infiltration, intelligence-gathering and fuel cultivation, and deciding what to focus on at any moment drives the game’s tension. Be warned: It gets very difficult.

The Fabulous Fear Machine is available on Steam for $18, just in time for the spookiest season. Input-wise, it would make for a fantastic mobile game, but the amount of fine detail and on-screen writing might explain why it’s only on PC, at least for now.

Turns out, taking over the world with terror alone is complex, strangely funny and filled with dead ends. At least in The Fabulous Fear Machine, it’s also entirely fictional — and supremely stylish.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-fabulous-fear-machine-review-delicious-pulp-game-about-the-horrors-of-propaganda-141529423.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – The Fabulous Fear Machine is a delicious pulp game about the horrors of propaganda

The biggest acquisition in gaming history and one of the largest in the tech industry is in the books. Twenty-one months after the deal was announced, Microsoft has bought Activision Blizzard for $68.7 billion, the largest acquisition in the company’s history. CEO of Microsoft Gaming Phil Spencer has asked Activision CEO Bobby Kotick to stay on until the end of 2023, at which point he’ll be leaving the company. It’s been a long road filled with plenty of twists and turns to get to this point.

The UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) initially blocked the deal in April, though it and the companies agreed to pause Microsoft’s appeal to try and resolve the regulator’s reservations over the merger’s impact on the cloud gaming industry. An appeal tribunal approved a request to delay the proceedings. 

In an attempt to win over the UK regulator, Microsoft agreed to sell the cloud gaming rights for Activision Blizzard titles to Ubisoft. That means that not only should Activision Blizzard’s games be on Xbox Game Pass, but they’ll land on Ubisoft+ and any other game-streaming service Ubisoft decides to work with. Concerns about competition in the cloud gaming market was the CMA’s reasoning for initially blocking Microsoft’s takeover of Activision, but the watchdog said in September that the Ubisoft concession “opens the door to the deal being cleared.” A few weeks later, the CMA has rubberstamped the merger.

Microsoft also signed 10-year agreements with Nintendo and several cloud-gaming companies to offer its titles on their platforms. Those moves led to the European Union giving the merger the green light. The bloc’s competition officials reportedly didn’t see anything in the amended merger agreement (with the Ubisoft plan factored in) that would prompt a fresh antitrust investigation. 

The Federal Trade Commission’s attempts to stop the deal over competition concerns haven’t panned out. The agency sued to block it in December and an evidentiary hearing in that case was slated to take place on August 2nd. The FTC tried to temporarily block the merger with a preliminary injunction ahead of its administrative trial, but a judge denied that effort. 

The FTC still plans to challenge the merger. If that effort is successful, Microsoft could be forced to divest some or all of Activision Blizzard.

But for now, the deal is done. It means, among other things, that Activision Blizzard titles will be available on cloud gaming platforms for the first time since the publisher pulled its titles from GeForce Now in early 2020. Its games will surely join Game Pass in the coming months, including on Xbox Cloud Gaming, and they’ll pop up on Ubisoft+ and other platforms Ubisoft works with.

Those waiting for Activision Blizzard’s two biggest games of 2023 to hit Game Pass will certainly need to remain patient, though. The publisher has said Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III and Diablo IV won’t hit the service until next year.

Meanwhile, Blizzard games are already coming to Steam rather than being siloed on the Battle.net launcher. We’ll probably see them appearing on Xbox’s PC app too. For what it’s worth, in court filings, Microsoft called Activision’s strategy of releasing PC versions of Call of Duty titles exclusively on Battle.net in a bid to grow the platform a “resounding failure.“

One of the key reasons Microsoft gave for pursuing the deal was to accelerate its aim of becoming a major player in the mobile gaming market. With Activision Blizzard pulling in $1.9 billion in mobile revenue in the first six months of 2023 alone, it will achieve that goal practically overnight. 

King, which is behind the hugely successful Candy Crush franchise, generated more revenue ($1.49 billion) than Activision ($1.15 billion) in the first half of this year. Thanks largely to the massive success of Diablo IV, Blizzard brought in the most of the three units during that period with a hair over $1.5 billion. Still, King had 238 million monthly active users as of June 30th, just over twice as many as Activision and Blizzard combined. It recently emerged that Candy Crush Saga has generated over $20 billion in lifetime revenue.

Blizzard has also been making a push into mobile gaming with the likes of Diablo Immortal. Activision, meanwhile, has Call of Duty Mobile in its portfolio and Call of Duty: Warzone Mobile is on the way. The company said in its most recent earnings report Call of Duty has around 90 million monthly players, “with over half of all engagement on the mobile platform.”

As for exclusivity of future projects, Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer has promised to “do whatever it takes” to keep shipping Call of Duty games on PlayStation. After months of refusing to do so, Sony eventually signed a 10-year pact just before the initial merger deadline of July 18th to keep that particular franchise on PlayStation, conceding defeat in its efforts to halt the acquisition. However, Microsoft will likely opt to keep other Activision Blizzard games off of PlayStation platforms, as it has done with ZeniMax/Bethesda titles Redfall and Starfield, as well as MachineGames’ upcoming Indiana Jones project.

Meanwhile, many observers hope that Microsoft will help stamp out the alleged toxic workplace culture at Activision Blizzard. Earlier this year, Activision Blizzard paid $35 million to settle SEC charges related to how it handled employees’ workplace misconduct complaints.

In 2021, the California Civil Rights Department (formerly the Department of Fair Employment and Housing) sued the company and accused it of fostering a “frat boy” culture in which female employees were harassed and discriminated against. Activision Blizzard countersued the CRD in December. The case hasn’t been resolved. In fact, the CRD’s lawsuit (which, along with other events, sent Activision’s stock tumbling) set the ball rolling on Microsoft’s acquisition of the company in the first place.

Spencer hinted at efforts to improve the publisher’s workplace culture. “Today is a good day to play. We officially welcome Activision Blizzard King to Team Xbox,” he wrote on X. “Together, we’ll create stories and experiences that bring players together, in a culture empowering everyone to do their best work and celebrate diverse perspectives.” Spencer added that “whether you play on Xbox, PlayStation, Nintendo, PC or mobile, you’re always welcome here — even if Xbox isn’t where you play your favorite franchise. Because when everyone plays, we all win.”

Now that the acquisition has closed, a labor neutrality agreement between Microsoft and the Communications Workers of America will go into effect for Activision Blizzard workers in 60 days. That should make it easier for more of the publisher’s employees to unionize. Some of Activision Blizzard’s quality assurance (QA) workers have already formed unions. Earlier this year, hundreds of QA workers at ZeniMax Studios, a Microsoft subsidiary, voted to unionize with the CWA.

Update, October 10, 2023, 9:34AM ET: This story has been updated to include comments from Phil Spencer, and to add context about the labor neutrality agreement and unionization efforts at Activision Blizzard and Microsoft.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/activision-blizzard-now-officially-belongs-to-microsoft-125053787.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Microsoft officially owns Activision Blizzard, ending a 21-month battle with regulators

The Meta Quest 3 is here, and it’s the best standalone VR headset we’ve ever seen. But is that enough to make people care about virtual reality? In this episode, Devindra and Senior Writer Sam Rutherford chat with Tested’s Norm Chan about the Quest 3 and Meta’s mixed reality future. While the company’s vision of the metaverse is pretty sterile, it’s still nice to see Meta learning from the mistakes of the Quest Pro. (Be sure to check out Norm’s hour-long review of the Quest 3 as well!)

Sam also dives into his Pixel 8 and Pixel 8 Pro reviews, as well as his thoughts about the Pixel Watch 2. We also dive into Wired’s retraction of an op-ed claiming that Google manipulated your search queries, as well as Twitter/X’s complete inability to deliver accurate news during the Hamas and Israel conflict.

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!

The fight to keep DVD sales going is taking another big hit. Best Buy is allegedly ending all physical media sales — that means Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Ultra HD — in-store and online, The Digital Bits reported. Multiple sources claim the move will occur in early 2024, possibly as soon as the first quarter. The news of Best Buy’s decision comes only a few weeks after Netflix ended its 25-year DVD delivery service, sending out its final copies on September 29.

Best Buy’s exit from the DVD and Blu-ray market leaves limited options in the United States. Walmart (which has a 45 percent share of the market) and Target still offer the discs at their physical stores, while Redbox is holding on to 29,000 rental kiosks. Amazon stands as a major player online, with Paramount recently releasing their Blu-ray and 4K Steelbook exclusive titles on the site versus Best Buy.

Disc purchases have been dropping since streaming came on the scene. According to the Digital Entertainment Group, the first six months of 2023 saw a 28 percent drop in physical products sold compared to the same period in 2022. Scondhand stores may be the best place to find DVDs for the time being, unless they come back in fashion like vinyls. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-buy-may-end-dvd-and-blu-ray-sales-early-next-year-121318167.html?src=rss

Source: Engadget – Best Buy may end DVD and Blu-ray sales early next year