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Lyft promises upfront hourly rates and traffic delay pay for its drivers
Contract employees of ride sharing apps and services aren’t known for having the steadiest or even sanest of pay rates. Lyft just announced some new earnings improvements for its drivers that will help cover their expenses when rides take longer than they should and show them how much they’ll earn before they pick up a fare.
Lyft announced the new driver earnings improvements on its official blog. The new earnings improvements aim to “tackle drivers’ biggest frustrations, and make it more rewarding” for Lyft drivers.
One of the biggest improvements affects how drivers are paid if they are stuck in traffic or go out of their way to help a rider. Lyft is implementing a new “5-minute-delay pay” structure that will increase a driver’s pay if any ride takes five minutes longer than expected. “Out-of-your-way pay” covers drivers who have to drive out of the normal coverage area only to turn around and drive all the way back without any fares.
Lyft is also implementing a new earnings dashboard on the mobile app for drivers. The new interface will also show drivers’ daily, weekly and yearly earnings and the estimated hourly rate for each ride “so drivers don’t have to make the mental calculation,” according to the post.
Drivers who drive electric vehicles for Lyft are also seeing some new benefits. EV drivers can choose only to receive rides that fall within their vehicle’s battery range and find nearby charging stations on the Lyft drivers app.
Of course, these new policies and changes won’t solve Lyft drivers’ problems overnight. It’ll take time to see if they make a dent (the good kind of dent).
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/lyft-promises-upfront-hourly-rates-and-traffic-delay-pay-for-its-drivers-220142458.html?src=rss
Prime Day vacuum deals include up to $400 off iRobot, Dyson, Shark and other robot vacuums
Robot vacuums are some of the pricier smart home gadgets you can get, which is why waiting until a sale like Amazon Prime Day is a smart shopping move. October Prime Day is a particularly good time to check out the deals because they’re typically the same (or close to) what we’ll see during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. For this year’s October Prime Day, robot vacuums, combo vacuum-and-mop machines and even standard, cordless stick vacuums have been discounted. We’re seeing some of the lowest prices of the year on many of our top picks for the best robot vacuums you can get today, including models from iRobot and Shark. Here are the best Prime Day vacuum deals, and a few cordless stick vacuums, that you can get.
Best Prime Day deals on robot vacuums
iRobot
The best robot vacuums take a chore than many of us would rather not do and automates it to the point where the most you have to do is set a cleaning schedule and empty a bin every once in a while. Of course, that level of smart home automation comes at a cost — which is why it’s a good idea to take the leap on that robo-vac you’ve been eyeing while it’s on sale for October Prime Day.
iRobot Roomba Vac robot vacuum for $190 ($60 off): This affordable Roomba gives you strong suction power in a sleek design, plus a companion app that makes it easy to set cleaning schedules.
iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ robot vacuum and mop for $699 ($401 off): This combo robo-vac and mop will drop its mopping pad down when it runs over hard flooring, and it comes with a self-emptying base.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $270 ($150 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Anker Eufy Boost 11S Max robot vacuum cleaner for $130 ($120 off): This is one of the best budget robot vacuums available now thanks to its good suction power, long battery life and slim design that lets it get underneath more furniture than other, taller machines.
Best Prime Day deals on cordless vacuums
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
There are some of us who actually enjoy vacuuming (guilty!), and for those folks, a cordless vacuum makes the most sense in 2024. They’re lighter and easier to maneuver than traditional, upright vacs, and some of them even come with self-emptying bases like their robot counterparts do. These are some of our favorites that have been discounted for Prime Day.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $570 ($180 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Shark PowerDetect Clean cordless vacuum cleaner for $400 ($100 off): The “multiflex” arm on this Shark cordless vacuum can help you clean better under furniture, and the included self-emptying base means you do not have to empty its dustbin yourself.
Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuum cleaner for $330 ($120 off): This relatively lightweight cordless vacuum does a good job cleaning carpeted and hard surfaces, and its charging dock includes a self-emptying base into which it’ll dump its contents after every job.
Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum cleaner for $200 ($100 off): Our top pick for the best budget cordless vacuum is even cheaper right now.
Tineco Pure One Station Furfree cordless vacuum cleaner for $500 ($300 off): This strong cordless vacuum has a heavy-duty self-emptying base, and it comes with accessories to help you groom your furry friends.
Expired Prime Day deals
iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop for $799 ($600 off): This higher-end robot vacuum and mop has a design that allows for better edge and corner cleaning, superior suction power and a self-emptying base that will automatically refill the mop cleaning solution when needed.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-vacuum-deals-include-up-to-400-off-irobot-dyson-shark-and-other-robot-vacuums-084931175.html?src=rss
Prime Day laptop deals for 2024: All of the best discounts from Apple, Acer, Lenovo during the Big Deal Days sale
Laptops can be hard to shop for if you don’t already have your heart set on a MacBook or the latest flagship from Dell or HP. It can also be one of the most expensive tech purchases you make — which is why saving any bit of money you can is a good deal. October Prime Day has brought some solid sales to the laptop department of Amazon, so it’s worthwhile for Prime members thinking about upgrading their daily driver to check out the discounts. We generally recommend going straight to the manufacturer if you want to really customize your next daily driver. However, if you’re ok getting a pre-configured model, you can find some good discounts on Amazon right now. These are the best Prime Day laptop deals we could find.
Prime Day deals on Apple MacBooks
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
MacBooks are not exempt from our general laptop buying advice: if you want to truly make your next MacBook your own, you should go directly to Apple to get the specs you want. However, you can often find solid deals on entry-level machines at Amazon, and even some configurations with extra storage.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M3 for $849 ($250 off): This is our top pick for the best MacBook you can buy right now thanks to its excellent performance, thin-and-light design, bright screen and comfortable keyboard and trackpad.
Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro M3 for $1,300 ($300 off): This Pro-level MacBook is best for creatives and those who regularly need the most power possible from their notebook.
Prime Day deals on Windows laptops
Amazon / LG
There are so many different flavors of Windows laptops out there that it can be hard to choose the best one for you. Whether you've had your eye on a premium gaming machine or an upgraded model that's just a little better than your current daily driver, Prime Day deals on laptops can help you save a bit of cash on your next purchase.
LG 15.6-inch Gram laptop for $1,425 ($575 off): This ultra-thin laptop has a Core Ultra 7, 32GB of RAM, and a 2TB SSD, plus a 15-inch FHD OLED screen with a superior contrast ratio and true-to-life colors.
Acer 16-inch Nitro gaming laptop for $800 ($200 off): In addition to a Ryzen 5 7640HS processor and a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, this gaming laptop has 8GB of RAM, 512GB of storage and a 16-inch WUXGA screen with a max refresh rate of 165Hz.
Acer 16-inch Predator Triton Neo gaming laptop for $1,500 ($400 off): Along with AI capabilities, you're getting an Intel Core Ultra 9 processor, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD on this 16-inch gaming laptop.
ASUS 16-inch ROG Strix G16 (2024) for $1,100 ($300 off): One of the latest gaming laptops from ASUS, this model runs on an Intel Core i7 processor and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 graphics, plus it comes with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
Prime Day deals on Chromebooks
Chromebooks remain affordable alternatives to traditional laptops if you spend most of your time in a browser. But unlike this space a few years ago, there are more high-powered Chromebooks available now than ever before. Prime Day presents a good opportunity to save on all types of Chromebooks, affordable to high-end alike.
Lenovo 14-inch IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook for $435 ($34 off): Our top pick for the best Chromebook available right now, this Lenovo laptop impressed us with its solid build quality, good display and solid performance for the price.
Acer 14-inch Chromebook Plus 514 for $325 ($55 off): If you're looking for a basic Chromebook that won't break the bank, this is a decent pick thanks to its Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Acer 14-inch Chromebook Spin 714 for $551 ($199 off): This is a big discount on a high-powered Chromebook that has a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and a 14-inch IPS touchscreen.
Expired Prime Day deals
Lenovo 15.6-inch IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook for $300 ($100 off): This is a more basic version of one of our favorite Chromebooks and it comes with a 15-inch FHD display, a Pentium N6000 processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-laptop-deals-for-2024-all-of-the-best-discounts-from-apple-acer-lenovo-during-the-big-deal-days-sale-091240166.html?src=rss
Prime Day kitchen deals on tech, gadgets, accessories and more during Big Deal Days
As it is in July, Amazon’s fall Prime Day sale is a good opportunity for Prime Members (and the general public) to save on products from every department — but this list is all about the best prime day kitchen deals. We have quite a few food-enthusiasts on staff at Engadget, and most of us have tried out our fair share of cooking gadgets — from the low-tech to the super smart.
Currently, lots of the kitchen accessories we recommend are on sale. The sale prices aren’t necessarily as low as Amazon’s summer sale and Black Friday will soon bring another round of (potentially steeper) discounts, but these October Prime Big Deal Days kitchen deals on Instant Pot, Breville, Anova and Ninja are still worthy discounts nonetheless.
The best Prime Day deals on air fryers and Instant Pots
Corsori
Of all the kitchen gadgets in my home, my favorite is my Instant Pot air fryer. Food I would otherwise microwave comes out crisp and far tastier in not much more time. In second place for cooking MVP has to be the classic Instant Pot, which I rely on to keep me in beans and curry. I picked up both after reading our buyer's guides (to air fryers and kitchen tech, respectively) — but I foolishly paid full price. Reader, don’t make my mistake.
Cosori 9-in-1 air frier for $85 ($35 off): This newer air fry from Cosori has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity that makes it just the right size to cook a good amount of food without taking up too much space on most countertops. It's the runner up in our guide.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro for $300 ($100 off): Our premium air fryer pick sold for the same $300 last Prime Day. This huge fryer-and-oven combo can accommodate a five-quart dutch oven, which almost makes it an auxiliary oven — could be a good buy to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.
Ninja DZ401 Foodi 10-quart air fryer for $200 ($30 off): Our recommendation for a good dual-zone air fryer is best for larger kitchens and big meals. It went as low as $150 for Black Friday last year, and may hit that price again this year, but if you don’t want to wait, the Foodi won’t disappoint.
Instant Vortex Plus 6QT Air Fryer for $100 ($70 off): This was the top recommendation in our guide for a long time — and the model I bought for myself. After a year, it still preheats quickly and keeps cooking odors to a minimum. I particularly like how easy it is to clean.
Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 pressure cooker for $100 ($70 off): These ubiquitous and highly versatile cookers can make just about anything you can dream up — from rice and beans to yogurt. This is the pro version of the Pot we recommend in our buyer's guide to kitchen tech.
Instant Pot Duo Plus 9-in-1 pressure cooker for $57 (56 percent off): The six-quart Duo is a slightly larger variation on the model we recommend in our Instant Pot guide. It can make thousands of recipes and takes out much of the guesswork allowing even the least chef-like among us to make great food.
The best Prime Day deals on sous vide machines
As Engadget’s Avery Ellis found out recently, sous vide machines can do far more than just cook a steak. To use her words, they are “Millennial crockpots,” whipping up low-effort meals as needed — and fancier fare when called for.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano for $105 ($45 off): This is the machine that grabbed our editor’s attention once she saw how highly versatile it is. It’s a smaller and less expensive version of the top pick in our buyer’s guide.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide 3.0 for $120 ($80 off): This is the best overall sous vide in our buyer’s guide and this price beats the one from July. We like the easy digital controls and the high flow rate that maintains water temperature better. Also the companion app is stuffed with recipes.
Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide Machine for $200 ($50 off): The premium pick in our guide has a powerful 1,100-watt heater that cuts down on cooking times and uses your phone as the controller (just don’t get it if you’re hoping for on-device buttons).
The best Prime Day deals on blenders and juicers
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
For soups, sauces, soothies and more, there’s not really a substitute for a good blender. Prime Day is a fine opportunity to upgrade an aging model — or snag one for a home cook you know that could use the extra muscle. A juicer can make it easier (or at least tastier) to get your vitamins. And the one we recommend isn’t a pain to clean.
Hamilton Beach 4-in-1 electric immersion hand blender for $26 ($13 off): The motor on our favorite budget immersion blender is rather powerful for its price — there’s a reason it’s been a favorite of price-conscious cooks for over a decade.
Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $112 ($68 off): This is the best price of the year on the juicer that impressed us with its extraction abilities. It’s relatively easy to clean if you do it right away and the motor inside is remarkably powerful, though it takes up space.
KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer for $319 ($161 off): This is the gold standard of mixers, beloved by home bakers for years and recommended in our kitchen tech guide. With its ton of available attachments, it’s no unitasker.
Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender for $320 ($60 off): We recommend this in our guide to kitchen gadgets thanks to the powerful motor that makes even the toughest ingredients smooth and creamy. This discount matches July’s sale, but the blender went as low as $290 just after Black Friday last year, and may do so again.
The best Prime Day deals on kitchen tech
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Here you’ll find all the harder-to-categorize gadgets that make home cooking simpler and more enjoyable. These are the smaller and more specialized devices we’ve tested that have proven their mettle in our own kitchens, or in the case of the pizza oven, the backyard.
Ooni Karu 16 outdoor pizza oven for $519 ($280 off): Ooni makes our favorite multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven out of all the oven’s we’ve tested. With its large capacity and built-in thermometer, it can handle full size pizzas — and even cast iron cookware — using wood, charcoal or propane fuel.
Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 ($40 off): This is close to the all-time low for the machine that earned a high score of 90 in our review. In short, it “makes your frozen dreams come true.”
Meater 2 Plus for $100 ($30 off): The Trager-owned company, Meater, updated its latest meat thermometer with additional sensors, increased heat resistance and overall durability. We liked what we saw in our official review.
Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $56 ($14 off): This matches July’s Prime Day price and a decent price on a kettle that earned a spot on one of our editors’ tiny countertop. It has different built-in temperature settings for different types of drinks and an elegant gooseneck pour.
Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker for $38 ($10 off): We recommend this coffee companion in our small gadget guide because it takes up less space than a drip machine while producing considerably better coffee.
Fellow Tally coffee scale for $148 ($37 off): Coffee snobs (a term we use with love) will enjoy the precision of the Tally, as we make clear in our guide to the best gifts for coffee lovers. $148 is the lowest price we've seen this year, just note that you’ll have to be a Prime member to get the deal.
SodaStream Art Bundle for $89 ($60 off): If you want to make soda at home, you may be interested in this Prime-member-only deal that's cheaper than ever. The set includes the sparkling water machine, two 60-liter CO2 cylinders, two dishwasher-safe bottles and two bottles of flavor drops.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice for October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-kitchen-deals-on-tech-gadgets-accessories-and-more-during-big-deal-days-085751708.html?src=rss
Mastodon's new notifications won't blow up your phone after a viral post anymore
Following 11 months of testing, Mastodon is releasing one of its biggest updates of the year. In a blog post attributed to CEO and founder Eugen Rochko, the non-profit detailed its 4.3 release on Tuesday, promising improvements for nearly every part of the social media experience.
Perhaps most significantly, Mastodon has overhauled how notifications work. To start, the platform will now group boosts and favorites together so that users aren’t bombarded with notifications when one of their posts goes viral. At the same time, Mastodon is introducing new filters to make it easier to ignore notifications from people you don’t follow, newly created accounts and those who send you unsolicited private mentions. With the new feature, you can choose to see those notifications, prevent them from ever reaching your phone or send them to a separate inbox for later viewing.
Separately, Mastodon is introducing a new set of notifications designed to inform users if a server moderator made a decision that affects their account. Specifically, if a mod takes direct action against your account, you receive an in-app message “you can’t miss.” The platform will also notify users when they lose followers due to moderator decisions and offer the option to export a list of affected accounts.
Alongside those changes, Mastodon has redesigned a few different parts of its app. Starting with the compose window, the company says the new interface makes it easier to rearrange media, as well as see content warnings and word filters.
Elsewhere, Mastodon has refreshed its web client, tweaking the software’s color palette, iconography and link previews. Utility emails, including those users receive following a password reset, have gotten a once-over, too. On the interface front, Mastodon has reworked confirmation dialogues to better describe how muting and blocking will affect the user. For example, if you’re about to block a server, the app will detail exactly how many followers you stand to lose from that decision.
On the subject of followers, Mastodon has added a new recommendation carousel that users will see after scrolling past the first post on their feed that’s older than four hours. At the same time, the company has tweaked recommendations to make them more relevant to people. Rounding things out, Mastodon has refreshed website embeds and made it easier to follow the author of a trending news article.
The enhancements come after X recently changed how its block button works, a move some have argued has made the platform even less desirable to use. Rochko doesn’t mention X specifically – or Meta and Bluesky, for that matter – but does point to a general desire to make Mastodon more attractive to everyday users.
“One of [our] ongoing efforts is to make Mastodon easy and delightful to use. We’ve invested a significant amount of money and time into working with professional designers and performing user testing over the last few years, but we really ramped up our efforts in 2023,” he wrote. “Mastodon is quite a large application, and our resources remain very constrained compared to our corporate competitors, but we’ve made significant progress on improving the look and feel of Mastodon across the board.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/mastodons-new-notifications-wont-blow-up-your-phone-after-a-viral-post-anymore-211215016.html?src=rss
Short sellers accuse Roblox of inflating user stats and enabling child exploitation
A research company published a damning report about Roblox on Tuesday, accusing the company of inflating its active user counts and enabling predatory behavior on the platform. Although Hindenburg Research has a somewhat notorious reputation, the report at least raises questions about the platform’s safety and viability.
First, Hindenburg Research is known for taking deep dives into public companies’ practices, finding sketchy behavior and publishing it. However, as noted by Simon Carless, a gaming industry veteran and author of the GameDiscoverCo newsletter, Hindenburg also tends to short-sell the companies’ downfalls, literally betting that its research will lead to their failures. Reuters notes that Hindenburg has previously sunk the share prices of Super Micro Computer and stocks owned by investor Carl Icahn, India’s Gautam Adani.
So, despite making some eyebrow-raising points in the report, you may want to take Hindenburg with more than a few grains of salt. On the other hand, some of its investigations have led to SEC investigations.
As for the specific claims, the researchers say Roblox’s stock price is partly based on misleading data. Hindenburg states that Roblox is inflating stats like user numbers and engagement, conflating daily active users with visitors. “Our research indicates that Roblox is lying to investors, regulators, and advertisers about the number of ‘people’ on its platform, inflating the key metric by 25-42%+,” Hindenburg Research wrote. “We also show how engagement hours, another key metric, is inflated by an estimated 100%+.”
Hindenburg quotes former Roblox employees in its report. One claims the company can track users with alt accounts, but its public user tracking doesn’t adjust for those. “If I have 10 alts [alternate accounts], because I’m farming Pet Simulator on 10 accounts and all of those are running a script on different virtual machines in my computer — they’re all still coming out of the same IP address,” Hindenburg quotes the former employee as saying. “I made all 10 of those accounts. Their names are similar. Their account creation times are similar…I’m still one player, not 10.”
“De-alting” Roblox’s numbers, which means adjusting for alt accounts to get a more accurate picture of player count, would allegedly lead to much lower numbers. One of the former Roblox employees reportedly told Hindenburg, “Let’s say if that number [DAUs] is not de-alted, I think the actual one would be like anywhere between 30 to 20% lower…”
A Roblox spokesperson provided Engadget with a published statement denying Hindenburg’s claims. The company noted that it regularly includes a note to investors explaining how its operating metrics are calculated — and has done so since its initial public filing.
“The financial claims made by Hindenburg are misleading,” Roblox wrote. “The authors are short sellers and have an agenda irrespective of the substance of Roblox’s business model and results.”
Carless also advises taking the researchers’ claims with grains of salt. “Our view on this is that there’s no systemic ‘bad behavior’ by Roblox here,” the former game developer and GDC co-runner wrote. “The game is giant and chaotic, so of course there are going to be bots and weird behavior all over the place.”
Speaking with Reuters, Wedbush Securities analyst Michael Pachter went even further, accusing Hindenburg of getting gaming metrics all wrong. “There are many interesting points in that report, but they seem to misunderstand a lot about how games work,” Pachter reportedly said. He said the research firm measured engagement based on a “session.” However, gamers typically log on multiple times daily, playing various games. “The Hindenburg test looks like it measured session length for a single game for each user,” Pachter said.
Hindenburg’s report also accuses Roblox of “compromising child safety in order to report growth to investors.” It even goes as far as accusing the platform of allowing pedophiles to flourish on the platform.
“For the second quarter of 2024, in a push toward profitability, Roblox reported a 2% year-over-year decline in its trust and safety expenses,” Hindenburg wrote, highlighting the company’s shift to AI moderation. “Core to the problem is that Roblox’s social media features allow pedophiles to efficiently target hundreds of children, with no up-front screening to prevent them from joining the platform.”
Roblox’s child safety problems have been reported before.
Hindenburg said it tried to set up an account under “Jeffrey Epstein,” only to find the username was taken, “along with 900+ variations.” One account, “JeffEpsteinSupporter,” reportedly had multiple badges for spending time in children’s games. Others had disturbing usernames alluding to grooming or raping minors. Even if those accounts were made by attention-starved teens or young adults using edgelord attempts at “humor,” those allegations, if true, represent a colossal moderation failure.
Roblox wrote that it takes user trust and child safety seriously. “Every day, tens of millions of users of all ages have safe and positive experiences on Roblox, abiding by the company’s Community Standards,” the company wrote in a statement. “Roblox takes any content or behavior on the platform that doesn’t abide by its standards extremely seriously, and Roblox has a robust set of proactive and preventative safety measures designed to catch and prevent malicious or harmful activity on the platform.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/short-sellers-accuse-roblox-of-inflating-user-stats-and-enabling-child-exploitation-205635537.html?src=rss
Prime Day Kindle deals include discounts on the Scribe, Paperwhite and Paperwhite Kids at up to 32 percent off
Ereaders make it easy to take thousands of books with you wherever you go. And with the Libby/Overdrive app, borrowing books from your library for free is dead simple. Some of the best Prime Day deals have alighted on Amazon’s category-dominating Kindle ereaders.
We named the base model Kindle the best budget model in our guide to ereaders. Unfortunately, that model has gone back to full price as of this writing. But the Kindle Scribe, which gets a shoutout in our E Ink tablet roundup, is still discounted. And the ereader that one Engadget editor named the best ereader ever — the Kindle Paperwhite Signature — is also still on sale.
True, a new Amazon-made ereader is likely coming soon, but nothing is yet confirmed. This is still a good opportunity to save on the tried-and-true current models — and Kindles don’t go on sale often. Here are the best October Prime Day Kindle deals we could find.
October Prime Day 2024 Kindle deals
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Amazon Kindles dominate the ereader market, and right now there are four models to choose from. Of course, a new Kindle is likely on the horizon — rumors suggest as much and the last entry in the lineup came over two years ago. But since ereaders aren't as tech-heavy as a tablet, the generational bump may not make as much difference. What you buy today should still serve its basic function —displaying crisp text — for years to come. Here are the best Prime Day Kindle deals.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($25 off): The Paperwhite is an upgraded Kindle, adding a larger display, an adjustable warm light and a waterproof build. The flush-front screen makes page turns easier and a faster processor makes that action speedier, too.
Amazon Kindle Scribe for $255 ($85 off): You can write as well as read with this tablet. It has a large 10.2-inch display, auto-adjusting warm front light and an auto-rotating display. It comes with the Basic pen so you can use the notebook feature that even converts handwriting to text.
October Prime Day 2024 Kindle Kids deals
Amazon
Kindles geared towards kids are basically the same thing as their “adult” counterparts, but these come with a cover, extended warranty and a free trial of Amazon Kids+ that lets youngsters access kid-friendly audiobooks, stories and more. Plus they don’t have ads on the lock screen (Amazon makes you pay $20 for that concession on the standard devices).
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $115 ($55 off): The kids edition of the upgraded Paperwhite ereader has a flush-front design, waterproof build and warm front lights for late-night reading. It comes with a cover, a two-year warranty and a year of the kids subscription.
Expired Prime Day deals
Amazon Kindle for $80 ($20 off): The base-model ereader is our pick for the best budget ereader you can buy. It’s got a clear, 300-ppi screen, long battery life and a display that’s easy to customize to your reading preferences.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-kindle-deals-include-discounts-on-the-scribe-paperwhite-and-paperwhite-kids-at-up-to-32-percent-off-080333245.html?src=rss
Save big on Anker chargers and power banks for October Prime Day 2024
Anker makes some of our favorite charging gear and mobile accessories, and it’s almost guaranteed that you’ll be able to find good discounts on the company’s products during an event like October Prime Day. Whether you’ve been on the hunt for a docking station for your laptop, want a new magnetic wireless charger for your next trip or just need another charging cable to replace the last one you misplaced, Prime Day deals on Anker devices should be able to help.
We’re seeing some of our favorite Anker accessories on sale for record-low (or close to them) prices. While there’s always the chance that these deals come back around in a month for Black Friday, we recommend grabbing what you want now while the deals are available. These are the best Prime Day deals on Anker gear that we found for October Prime Day.
Prime Day deals on Anker magnetic charging gear
Particularly if you have an iPhone with MagSafe support, magnetic accessories can make charging up your phone even easier. On sale this time around are wireless, magnetic power banks and charging stations that can support multiple devices at once.
Anker MagGo 10K power bank for $63 ($27 off): This is our current favorite power bank for iPhones in our guide to the best power banks thanks to its Qi2 fast charging, LED display that shows battery percentage and sturdy, built-in kickstand.
Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $84 ($26 off): This compact charging station doubles as a power bank for iPhones and can charge up an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at the same time.
Anker MagGo 3-in-1 charging stand for $72 ($28 off): This stand supports an iPhone, Apple Watch and AirPods simultaneously, and it comes with a 40W wall charger and a USB-C to C cable which which to connect all the necessary pieces together.
Anker MagGo 5K power bank for with built-in stand for $35 ($7 off): The built-in kickstand on this battery pack lets you more easily watch videos and otherwise use your phone while it's powering up.
Anker MagGo 5K power bank for $30 ($5 off): Attaching this power bank to the back of your iPhone won't add much bulk, but it will provide a good amount of power when your handset needs it the most.
Prime Day deals on Anker charging cables and adapters
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Prime Day, or any big sale event for that matter, is a good opportunity to pick up a few extra essentials like charging cables while you can get them at a discount. Anker's offerings right now include deals on USB-C and Lightning cables, along with charging adapters in various sizes and max wattages.
Anker 240W bio-branded USB-C to C cable for $14 ($11 off): Both of the six-foot cables included here can handle enough power to charge up laptops, tablets and smartphones alike.
Anker Nano 30W GaN USB-C charger for $13 ($10 off): Anyone can use an extra USB-C charger, and this one is super compact and includes foldable prongs for easier transport.
Anker GaN Prime 65W 5-in-1 charging station for $50 ($20 off): You get two USB-C ports, one USB-A connector an and extra AC plug in this versatile charging station that includes a wrap-around cable that makes it easier to travel with.
Anker 100W GaN II USB-C charging block for $40 ($35 off): With 100W of power, this chunky adapter can power almost anything, and it gives you two USB-C ports and one USB-A port.
Anker Prime 240W GaN USB-C charger for $100 ($60 off): A good option for your desk, this 240W brick provides an extra three USB-C ports and one USB-A port so you can power up multiple devices at once.
Anker Prime Power Bank 240W with 100W charging base for $164.49 ($70.51 off): This is the top premium pick in our best power banks guide thanks to its high capacity, sleek design, informative built-in display and the charging base that makes it convenient to store and easy to charge up.
Prime Day deals on Anker docking stations, hubs and more
Anker may be known for its charging gear, but the company makes other accessories like docking stations and webcams, too. Prime Day deals include deep discounts on hubs and stations that add a bunch of extra ports back into the mix, and one of our favorite webcams.
Anker 8-in-1 USB-C hub/foldable tablet stand for $80 ($20 off): This handy stand can make it much easier to turn your iPad or other tablet into a laptop replacement. It supports passthrough charging and has eight different connectors including a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and two USB-A ports.
Anker 14-in-1 USB-C docking station for $54 ($21 off): If you need a lot of connectivity on the go, this 14-in-1 hub could be a good option. Not only does it include an Ethernet port, but it also has two HDMI connectors and supports 80W passthrough charging.
Anker 13-in-1 USB-C docking station for $140 ($30 off): A docking station like this one make your work-from-home setup more efficient. Here, you get pretty much every connector you'd need, including Ethernet, Display and HDMI ports, multiple USB-A ports, an audio jack and more. Plus, the docking station supports 85W charging for your laptop while it's connected.
Anker 10-in-1 USB-C docking station for $150 ($40 off): This slim docking station provides three USB-A ports, two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort, along with an Ethernet jack and up to 100W of charging for your laptop.
Anker PowerConf C200 2K webcam for $48 ($12 off): One of our top picks for the best webcams, this accessory records 2K video and has dual stereo microphones plus an adjustable field of view.
Expired Prime Day deals
Anker Nano 47W USB-C charger for $25 ($5 off): This adapter has two USB-C ports and can push a maximum of 45W of power to one device, making it powerful enough to charge a MacBook Air.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/save-big-on-anker-chargers-and-power-banks-for-october-prime-day-2024-084224720.html?src=rss
Viewers don't trust candidates who use generative AI in political ads, study finds
Artificial intelligence is expected to have an impact on the upcoming US election in November. States have been trying to protect against misinformation by passing laws that require political advertisements to disclose when they have used generative AI. Twenty states now have rules on the books, and according to new research, voters have a negative reaction to seeing those disclaimers. That seems like a pretty fair response: If a politician uses generative AI to mislead voters, then voters don't appreciate that. The study was conducted by New York University’s Center on Technology Policy and first reported by The Washington Post.
The investigation had a thousand participants watch political ads from fictional candidates. Some of the ads were accompanied by a disclaimer that AI was used in the creation of the spot, while others had no disclaimer. The presence of a disclaimer was linked to viewers rating the promoted candidate as less trustworthy and less appealing. Respondents also said they would be more likely to flag or report the ads on social media when they contained disclaimers. In attack ads, participants were more likely to express negative opinions about the candidate who sponsored the spot rather than the candidate being attacked. The researchers also found that the presence of an AI disclaimer led to worse or unchanged opinions regardless of the fictional candidate's political party.
The researchers tested two different disclaimers inspired by two different state requirements for AI disclosure in political ads. The text tied to Michigan's law reads: "This video has been manipulated by technical means and depicts speech or conduct that did not occur." The other disclaimer is based on Florida's law, and says: "This video was created in whole or in part with the use of generative artificial intelligence." Although the approach of Michigan's requirements is more common among state laws, study participants said they preferred seeing the broader disclaimer for any type of AI use.
While these disclaimers can play a part in transparency about the presence of AI in an ad, they aren't a perfect failsafe. As many as 37 percent of the respondents said they didn't recall seeing any language about AI after viewing the ads.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/viewers-dont-trust-candidates-who-use-generative-ai-in-political-ads-study-finds-194532117.html?src=rss
Prime Day laptop deals include the M2 MacBook Air for a record low of $749 on Amazon
Amazon's October Prime Day sale kicked off today, bringing a wide range of discounts on gadgets and gear we recommend. We have a roundup with all of the offers worth your attention, but if you're specifically looking to grab a new laptop, one of the event's best Apple deals cuts the entry-level M2 MacBook Air down to $749. That's $50 below the notebook's usual street price in recent months, $250 less than buying from Apple directly and a record low for what we consider the best budget MacBook on the market.
In our initial M2 MacBook Air review, we were impressed by the laptop's thinner design, gorgeous 13.6-inch display, great quad-speaker setup and the M2 chip's excellent performance. It had been our top pick for the best MacBook, period, but the new M3 model has taken that top slot. However, the M2 Air doesn't skimp — those on a budget (or anyone simply looking to save some cash) will still get a lot of laptop and a lot of power choosing this machine.
One could argue, and our Daniel Cooper did, that the best thing about the M3 MacBook Air was the price drop given to the M2 Air after its launch. The M3 chip is pretty similar to the M2, and while there's no doubt that those who want the latest and greatest should get an M3 machine, an M2 laptop will be more than enough for most people using it as a daily driver. And, when you consider the M2 started at $1,200 when it first came out in 2022, it makes this discount even more compelling (it only received a price drop to $1,000 after the M3's debut).
There are other discounts on the MacBook lineup at Amazon at the moment, too. The M3 MacBook Air is $250 off and down to $849, which is only $50 more than its record-low price. The 15-inch MacBook with an M3 chip is $255 off and on sale for $1,044.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-laptop-deals-include-the-m2-macbook-air-for-a-record-low-of-749-on-amazon-121848050.html?src=rss
The entire Samsung Galaxy S24 smartphone lineup is on sale for October Prime Day
Samsung is offering something extra special this Amazon Prime Day for any shoppers in the market for a new smartphone. The company is discounting its entire line of Galaxy S24 phones. That means you can snag the Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra for $998, which is almost 23 percent off. If the premium path isn't your style, then the Samsung Galaxy S24+ is available for $750 and the Samsung Galaxy S24 is on sale for $600.
Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra
This is a particularly nice price cut for the Galaxy S24 Ultra, which usually retails for $1,300. That means you can keep an extra $300 in your pocket and walk away with one of our top Android phones of 2024. The Ultra impressed us with the upgraded titanium frame, improved display and camera options, and AI capabilities that offered function as well as flash. Its performance from a new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 SoC offered a 30 to 35 percent spike over the previous year's chip. One of the only downsides our review found was the price tag, so a sale like Prime Day is a great time to snap up something from the higher end of the Samsung line.
Samsung Galaxy S24+
This Prime Day deal can save you $250 on the Galaxy S24+, which normally costs $1,000. The S24+ was expected to be a minor iteration on the Samsung product line, but this mid-range option provided a solid experience for customers who aren't interested in shelling out for the bleeding-edge features on top-flight, premium end of phone models. This models had respectable performance speeds in our tests, boasted a Quad HD+ screen and offered notably long battery life. The specs may not blow your mind, but it still showcased the possibilities of Samsung's Galaxy AI suite.
Samsung Galaxy S24
Sometimes, you want to keep it simple. The introductory Galaxy S24 model is getting a $200 discount on its $800 baseline package for Prime Day. Like the S24+, this phone probably isn't going to be a conversation starter, but it's a solid choice for a workhorse device that gets daily use. And like its mid-range counterpart, the S24 packed solid battery performance into its 6.2-inch frame and it has a Full HD+ screen.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-entire-samsung-galaxy-s24-smartphone-lineup-is-on-sale-for-october-prime-day-101558845.html?src=rss
The Boring Company’s Vegas Loop is a comedy of trespassing errors
The Vegas Loop, underground tunnels built by Elon Musk’s Boring Company that snake underneath Sin City, hasn’t been the traffic or even technological game changer the company promised it would become. It was supposed to be a futuristic, autonomous people mover that looked like public transit from the Tron universe. Instead, Las Vegas just got a bunch of underground tunnels where people are transported by ordinary Tesla vehicles that didn’t really solve any of the city’s traffic problems.
Apparently, it’s not just Tesla vehicles in the tunnels either. Fortune filed a Freedom of Information Act request with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority on incidents involving the Tesla tunnels going back to 2022. The records revealed that the tunnels have seen at least 67 trespassing reports going back to 2022 and 22 instances of vehicles following Teslas into the tunnels and stations.
Boring’s monthly reports to the Legas Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority also showed several instances of “property damage, theft, technical issues, or injuries, near-misses and trespassing or intrusions,” according to Fortune.
The cars that wandered into the stations appear to mostly be just accidents in which drivers followed the Teslas into the unauthorized areas. The trespassing incidents are a bit more egregious and Fortune described them as “a headache for the Boring Company.”
Some of the more notable instances include a skateboarder who snuck into the tunnels through a passenger pickup station, two people who were spotted sleeping in one of the tunnel stations and a man who tried to remove a license plate reader at a station. In each case, Boring security escorted the trespassing out of the tunnels and stations but there are no records showing they were reported to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police.
Even the construction of the tunnels had more than a few sketchy moments but not nearly as amusing. Former Boring Company construction crew members spoke with Fortune back in February including one who said, “We have consistently flirted with death.” During a six month period last year, Boring reported 36 injuries to Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) officials including heat exhaustion, contusions and crushed hands and elbows. One tip sent to OSHA’s Nevada field office reported that 15 to 20 employees were burned with accelerant chemicals while working in the tunnels.
Somehow, none of these incidents have stopped the city and Clark County’s desperate hope for the transit system that the Boring Company promised but never delivered. County commissioners approved a plan last May to expand the underground Tesla vehicle tunnels to 65 miles and add 69 passenger stations.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/the-boring-companys-vegas-loop-is-a-comedy-of-trespassing-errors-191025432.html?src=rss
Prime Day gaming deals for 2024: Save big on the PS5, headsets, mice and more
The latest Amazon Prime Day sale began on Tuesday, and it's brought a handful of decent discounts on gaming gear along with it. If you can't hold out until Black Friday, we've sorted through the savings and picked out the deals that are actually worth your attention below. Among the highlights are a $50 discount on the PlayStation 5 and lower-than-usual prices on various mice, headsets, keyboards and controllers we recommend. Just remember that the Prime Big Deal Days sale, as it’s officially called, runs through October 9 and keeps some deals exclusive to Prime members.
Best Prime Day gaming deals
The Astro A40 TR gaming headset.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
PlayStation 5 (slim) for $449 ($51 off MSRP): While this isn’t the best PS5 deal we’ve ever seen, steeper discounts for Sony’s console have been infrequent, so this isn’t the worst time to hop aboard. If nothing else, it’s a better value for most than the PS5 Pro.
PlayStation 5 Digital Edition (slim) for $400 ($50 off): If you’re 100 percent sure you’ll only buy games digitally, the version of the PS5 without a disc drive is also on sale for $50 less. Annoyingly, this was the standard going rate for the original PS5 Digital Edition, but Sony hiked the console’s MSRP by $50 when it introduced these “slim” models last year.
Xbox Series X (1TB) + $25 Best Buy gift card for $450 ($75 off): This is neither an Amazon deal nor an all-time low, but those who'd prefer an Xbox can also take $50 off a new console at Best Buy. The retailer will throw in a $25 digital gift card with your purchase.
Astro A40 TR gaming headset for $90 ($40 off): It’s several years old, but the open-back Astro A40 TR remains a top wired gaming headset thanks to its spacious sound and comfy design. The built-in microphone is pretty mediocre, however. This deal checks in $10 below the usual discount price we’ve seen over the course of this year.
Corsair Virtuoso Pro gaming headset for $140 ($60 off): The Virtuoso Pro is another wired open-back pair we recommend in our gaming headset guide. It’s not quite as good of a value as the Astro A40 TR, but it has a clearer mic, and we found its sound profile to work better with some (but not all) games. This deal matches the lowest price we’ve tracked.
Sennheiser HD 560S headphones for $130 ($100 off): If you don't need a built-in mic, the HD 560S is a quality pair of open-back headphones with the kind of wide, detailed sound that can help you feel immersed in most games. It's another pick from our gaming headset guide. This discount matches the lowest price we've seen in well over a year.
The 8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Razer Basilisk V3 wired gaming mouse for $40 ($30 off): We recommend the Basilisk V3 in our guide to the best gaming mice for those who prefer a more ergonomic, right-handed shape and don't mind connecting over a cable. This deal matches the device's all-time low. It's worth noting that Razer announced an updated version of this mouse with an improved sensor just last week — we plan to test that model soon, but the upgrades appear to be fairly minor in practice.
Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro wireless gaming mouse for $110 ($40 off): If you'd rather go wireless, the DeathAdder V3 Pro is another favorite from our gaming mouse guide, blending a superlight, gently contoured shape with top-shelf performance. This is only a $10 drop from the mouse's recent street price, but it still represents an all-time low.
Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless MMO gaming mouse for $90 ($40 off): The Scimitar Elite is the wireless version of the top MMO pick in our buying guide. It offers 12 customizable side buttons that make it easier to pull of complex commands in MOBAs or MMOs like Final Fantasy XIV. This is the second-largest discount we’ve seen.
8BitDo Ultimate Bluetooth Controller for $50 ($20 off): While not an all-time low, this discount takes $10 off the usual street price for 8BitDo's wireless Switch/PC gamepad, which we've raved about before. It's a bit on the smaller side, but it's comfortable, with durable Hall effect joysticks that should avoid the "drift" sensation that's plagued Nintendo's Joy-Cons. If you don't need Bluetooth support, another model that only connects over a USB dongle is on sale for $10 less. That variant also uses Xbox-style face buttons instead of Switch ones.
Backbone One (USB-C, 2nd gen) for $70 ($30 off): The Backbone One is an easy-to-use mobile game controller that we’ve recommended before. This 30 percent discount ties the lowest price we’ve seen for the second-gen model. A PlayStation-branded model — which supports Sony’s official Remote Play app on Android and iOS, instead of just the latter — is available for the same price, as are the versions that connect over Lightning.
The ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless gaming keyboard.
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless gaming keyboard for $142 ($38 off): This honorable mention from our guide to the best gaming keyboards offers a stellar typing experience, with a sturdy case, layers of sound-dampening foam and crisp PBT keycaps. The stock switches in this configuration are great, but they're also hot-swappable if you ever want to change things up. This deal is only about $15 off the keyboard's usual going rate, but it's still the second-best price we've tracked.
8BitDo Retro Mechanical Keyboard (Fami Edition) for $76 ($24 off): This wireless keyboard should appeal to anyone looking for a "vintage tech" aesthetic, as its keycaps and color accents are inspired by Nintendo's old Famicom console. It feels great for typing, too, though the default switches are somewhat noisy, so you may not want to use it in an office setting. This discount isn't an all-time low, but we normally see the device retail between $90 and $100.
Keychron C3 Pro mechanical keyboard for $25 ($12 off): If you just want to pay as little as possible for a mechanical keyboard that still feels great, we recommend the C3 Pro. This iteration uses cheaper ABS keycaps and lacks hot-swappable switches, but it feels and sounds remarkably pleasant for something so cheap. This deal marks another all-time low. A hot-swappable version is also on sale for $13 more.
WD Black C50 Xbox Expansion Card (1TB) for $121 ($37 off): It’s a pain in the neck, but the only way to fully expand the storage of an Xbox Series X/S is to use a proprietary expansion card such as the C50. This deal isn’t an all-time low, but it’s $10 to $20 cheaper than the typical street prices we’ve seen over the last several months. Seagate’s Xbox cards are technically on sale as well, but those “discounts” aren’t anything significant.
Seagate Xbox Storage Expansion Card (2TB) for $199 ($50 off): If you want to add 2TB to your Xbox, meanwhile, this is the best price to date for Seagate's expansion card. There's little performance difference between this and the C50, so which one is best simply comes down to how much space you need.
Alienware M18 R2 gaming laptop for $2,300 ($500 off): The M18 R2 is the latest version of the top 18-inch pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops. It’s an absolute hoss of a notebook, but it’s built well, and this model with an RTX 4080 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a Core i9-14900HX chip is powerful enough to play modern games in 1080p or 1440p at high-ish settings. While not cheap, this matches the config’s best price to date.
The WD Black C50 Storage Expansion Card for Xbox consoles.
WD
Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown for $20 ($30 off): Its story isn’t much, and it doesn’t veer too far outside the usual Metroidvania lines, but The Lost Crown should be a safe bet for most people looking for a tight-playing action-platformer. This discount marks a new low for the PlayStation 5 and Nintendo Switch versions of the game.
Assassin’s Creed Mirage for $23 ($27 off): Mirage is a something of a throwback to older Assassin’s Creed games, one that’s smaller in scope than the more recent open-world entries. We called it a “warm, bloody hug from an old friend” in our review — in video game land, that’s a good thing. These days we usually see the game retail around $30.
Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol. 1 for $19 ($21 off): This collection includes (lightly) remastered versions of the first three Metal Gear Solid games, which remain more subversive and self-assured than most games that have hit in the decades since. A few of the series’ classic 8-bit entries are here, too, and Konami has done well to rectify most of the set’s technical issues since launch. We’ve seen this price before, but it ties an all-time low.
Madden NFL 25 for $43 ($27 off): Madden is in pretty dire need of a creative reset, but at the end of the day, it’s Madden, and it works fine enough if you just want to scratch the pro football game itch. This is the second-best price we’ve seen for the latest entry.
EA Sports College Football 25 for $43 ($27 off): If you’re more of a college sports fan, EA brought back the series formerly known as NCAA Football back from an 11-year hiatus this past summer, and it generally received higher marks than its pro counterpart. This discount is the largest we’ve seen since launch.
WWE 2K24 for $28 ($32 off): If you prefer powerbombs and Hell in a Cell matches to touchdowns and bowl games, the latest WWE 2K game is also down to the best price we’ve seen (for a console copy, that is). It’s a 2K game, so there’ll be some bugs, but it received solid reviews at launch — something we cannot say for Cody Rhodes’ neck tattoo. Keep in mind that this game is available for free with a PlayStation Plus subscription during October, so there’s no need to buy if you plan on keeping that service for a while.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-gaming-deals-for-2024-save-big-on-the-ps5-headsets-mice-and-more-075455643.html?src=rss
Amazon devices are up to 68 percent off for October Prime Day including Echo speakers, Fire TV Sticks and Blink cameras
While you can often find discounts on Echo speakers, Fire tablets, Kindles and other Amazon devices throughout the year, October Prime Day is one of the best times of the year to buy them. Amazon usually discounts most of its gadgets for members-only, Prime Day sale events, and those sale prices are typically only rivaled by Black Friday deals. For this year’s October Prime Day, you’ll find most of Amazon’s devices on sale for record-low prices (or close to them). These are the best October Prime Day deals you can get on Kindles, Fire TVs, Echos and more.
Prime Day deals on Echo speakers and displays
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
If you’re keen on making your home a bit smarter, an Echo speaker or smart display can help by giving you an easy way to interact with Alexa. The voice assistant is compatible with so many smart home devices at this point, including smart light bulbs and robot vacuum cleaners, and it’s convenient that there’s an Echo device for nearly every budget now.
Echo Dot for $23 ($27 off): This is one of the best smart speakers you can get right now thanks to its compact design, physical button controls that compliment voice commands and its solid sound quality for its size.
Echo Pop for $18 ($22 off): One of Amazon’s newest smart devices, the Pop sports a 1.95-inch front-facing speaker, a physical mic mute switch for extra privacy and eero compatibility.
Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off): This recently revived smart display is billed as a smart alarm clock, and it features a customizable screen, big sound for its size and all the perks for Alexa voice commands. You can also grab it bundled with a free TP-Link smart light bulb.
Echo for $55 ($45 off): We consider this to be the best smart speaker for $100 or less at the moment thanks to its loud audio with good bass quality, the ability to pair two together for stereo sound and Alexa’s utility.
Echo Show 5 for $50 ($40 off): This is one of our favorite smart displays thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature, all of which make it an excellent smart alarm clock. Amazon improved the speaker quality on this latest model, which gives sound deeper bass and clearer vocals.
Echo Show 8 for $85 ($65 off): This is our current top pick for the best smart display with Amazon’s Alexa thanks in part to its 8-inch touchscreen, 13MP camera that supports auto-framing for better video chats and its built-in Zigbee smart home hub.
Echo Buds for $25 ($25 off): These are one of our top picks for the best budget wireless earbuds you can get right now thanks to their comfortable design, pocket-friendly case, automatic wear detection, multi-device connectivity and, of course, built-in Alexa voice controls.
Echo Dot Kids for $28 ($32 off): The kids version of the Echo Dot uses the same basic hardware, but comes with a cute dragon or owl cover, plus parental controls and a year’s subscription to Amazon Kids+ that can play kid-friendly audiobooks and more.
Prime Day deals on Kindle ereaders
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
The three best times of the year to buy a new Kindle ereader are Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Prime Day. Typically the latter is the best of the three, and we’re seeing solid sale prices across the entire Kindle lineup right now.
Kindle Paperwhite for $125 ($25 off): The latest version of the Paperwhite has thinner bezels, an adjustable warm light, speedier page turns and a battery that can last up to 10 weeks on a single charge. This model is also IPX8 waterproof and has built-in Audible integration.
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids for $115 ($55 off): This kids bundle includes the standard Kindle Paperwhite with 16GB of RAM, a kid-friendly cover, a two-year warranty and one free year of access to Amazon Kids+.
Kindle Scribe for $255 ($85 off): The Scribe is one of the best E-Ink tablets you can buy at the moment, and certainly the top pick if you want a writable table that also excels as an ereader. It provides a great reading and writing experience, thanks in part to its ability to access the entire Kindle ebook library, and it has handy Google Drive, Microsoft OneDrive and Dropbox integration.
Prime Day deals on Fire tablets
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Amazon’s Fire tablets make great couch devices, or first tablets for kids who have no business touching their parents’ fancy iPads and Galaxy tabs. While they go on sale semi-frequently throughout the year, Prime Day is the time where you’re likely to get the greatest discounts.
Fire HD 8 tablet for $55 ($45 off): Amazon just released this new version of the HD 8 tablet, which includes more RAM, a better camera and new AI features not found on the previous model.
Fire HD 10 tablet for $75 ($65 off): This slab has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, improved camera for video calls, 13 hours of battery life and it works with a stylus (although you have to buy that separately). If you’re looking for a cheap tablet that doesn’t compromise too many of the basics, this is a good option.
Fire Max 11 tablet for $140 ($90 off): Amazon’s most powerful tablet sports an 11-inch 2,000 x 1,200 touchscreen, an octa-core processor, up to 128GB of storage and 14 hours of battery life. It also works with a number of optional accessories, including a stylus and keyboard case.
Fire HD 10 Kids tablet for $110 ($80 off): Designed for kids aged three to seven, this tablet comes with full parental controls plus one year of Amazon Kids+ for free with the tablet purchase. It also has a 10-inch FHD touchscreen, an octa-core processor and 13 hours of battery life, plus it comes with a two-year warranty and a protective case.
Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet for $110 ($80 off): This model is designed for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a slimmer protective case, a two-year warranty and one year of access to Amazon Kids+. Otherwise, you get a very similar experience here that you would with the non-Pro version, including parental controls, a 10-inch touchscreen, solid performance and a 13-hour battery life.
Prime Day deals on Fire TV devices
Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget
Fire TV devices can help turn an old TV into a smart one, or give you respite from a smart TV interface that you despise (as long as you can deal with Fire TV OS pushing Prime Video content in your face). But arguably the best thing about these devices is that there’s an option for every budget, and the barrier to entry lowers even further with Prime Day deals.
Fire TV Stick Lite streamer for $18 ($12 off): This is already the most affordable Fire TV streaming stick, but it’s a steal at this sale price. It supports 1080p content and comes with a “lite” version of the Alexa Voice Remote.
Fire TV Stick streamer for $20 ($20 off): This dongle ups the ante on the TV Stick Lite by adding support for Dolby Atmos audio, plus it comes with the regular version of the Alexa Voice Remote. It also supports Wi-Fi 5 and comes with 8GB of internal storage.
Fire TV Stick 4K streamer for $25 ($25 off): This mode is the cheapest Fire TV Stick you can get to stream 4K content, plus it has support for Wi-Fi 6 and Dolby Vision and Atmos. With its live picture-in-picture feature, you can view security camera feeds right on your TV while you’re watching your favorite show or movie.
Fire TV Stick 4K Max streamer for $35 ($25 off): In addition to 4K HDR streaming with Dolby Vision and Atmos support, the 4K Max dongle includes Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, 16GB of built-in storage and live picture-in-picture capabilities.
Fire TV Cube set-top box for $100 ($40 off): This model will provide the best performance of any Fire TV streaming device, and it supports 4K HDR content, Dolby Vision and Atmos and an enhanced version of the Alexa Voice Remote. Along with live picture-in-picture view and the Fire TV ambient experience, you can also hardware other devices to the Fire TV Cube including a cable box or a game console.
Prime Day deals on Ring, Blink and smart home devices
Ring
You may not immediately think of them when you think about Amazon's own tech, but the shopping giant also owns Ring and Blink. Gadgets from these companies make up most of Amazon's home security offerings, and you can usually find steep discounts during Prime Day on security cameras, alarm systems and other bundles.
Ring pan and tilt security camera for $50 ($30 off): This security camera joined the Ring lineup only a few months ago, and this is the best price we've seen on it. It's part of a larger Ring sale that discounts home security gear by up to 50 percent.
Ring Video Doorbell for $60 ($40 off): This entry-level security doorbell records 1080p video, supports motion detection and privacy zones and has a built-in, rechargable battery and can be hardwired to your doorbell wiring.
Blink Outdoor 4 + Blink Mini 2 bundle for $50 ($90 off): It's almost a guarantee that Blink security systems will be on sale for Prime Day(s) and this time is no different. This bundle is 64 percent off, and there are a bunch of other bundles on sale that include cameras, video doorbells and more.
Blink Outdoor 4 + Echo Show 5 bundle for $60 ($130 off): This bundle gives you a one-camera Blink system that can be used indoors or outdoors along with an Echo Show 5, which you can use to see camera feeds just by using Alexa voice commands.
Amazon Smart Thermostat for $56 ($24 off): Prime deals bring this down to about $5 more than the all time low. But it could save you more than that in the long run with by automatically adjusting your heating and cooling levels to save engergy.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-devices-are-up-to-68-percent-off-for-october-prime-day-including-echo-speakers-fire-tv-sticks-and-blink-cameras-083236330.html?src=rss
OpenAI partners with Cosmopolitan and Elle publisher Hearst
Hearst has become the latest major US publisher to sign an agreement to license its content to ChatGPT creator OpenAI. As part of a partnership announced on Tuesday, content from more than 60 Hearst-owned publications will appear in ChatGPT and other OpenAI products. Some of the publisher’s more notable properties include Esquire, Cosmopolitan and Elle. It also owns newspapers like the San Francisco Chronicle. When Hearst content appears in ChatGPT, the software will provide citations and direct links.
The organizations did not disclose the financial terms of the agreement. Unlike the partnership OpenAI signed with Dotdash Meredith in May, its deal with Hearst doesn’t appear to include a plan for the two firms to collaborate on ad tech.
“As generative AI matures, it’s critical that journalism created by professional journalists be at the heart of all AI products,” said Jeff Johnson, president of Hearst’s Newspapers unit. “This agreement allows the trustworthy and curated content created by Hearst Newspapers’ award-winning journalists to be part of OpenAI’s products like ChatGPT — creating more timely and relevant results.”
The announcement comes less than a week after news broke that OpenAI had recently raised a record-breaking $6.6 billion in new venture capital funding. Since the start of 2024, OpenAI has signed licensing agreements with The Financial Times and Condé Nast, the owner of publications like Vogue, The New Yorker and Wired. At the same time, not every publisher has been so keen to work with the AI giant. At the end of last year, The New York Times sued OpenAI, with Alden Capital Group, the owner of publications like The Chicago Tribune and New York Daily News, later launching a suit of its own.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-partners-with-cosmopolitan-and-elle-publisher-hearst-180517248.html?src=rss
The Roli Airwave is a high-tech keyboard teaching tool inspired by the theremin
Roli is no stranger to quirky musical instruments. After all, it pioneered the idea of a “squishy” MIDI controller. The company’s latest tool, however, could be its weirdest. The Roli Airwave is an AI-infused piano teaching gadget that also doubles as a digital theremin. Yes, the same high-pitched theremin that has appeared on hit records like The Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations” and Erykah Badu’s “Incense.”
The Airwave is basically a tall stand with a camera on top. This camera points downward to track the player’s finger movements on a connected MIDI keyboard. Movements are tracked in real time and beamed to a tablet, which then displays visuals to teach users how to correctly play a song and fix any mistakes they are making. It'll even try to fix bad playing posture.
The Airwave uses machine intelligence and computer vision to track the player’s hands and to offer its advice on where those hands should be placed. There’s some machine learning baked into this system when analyzing live footage to come up with accurate teaching methods.
The affiliated app also integrates with ChatGPT, allowing for natural language queries. For instance, users can ask relevant questions about the song being learned or general-use queries about music theory. Being as how a player’s hands would be occupied when in the midst of a piano tutorial, these questions can be asked by voice instead of by typing into a virtual keyboard. This won’t beat interacting with a real piano tutor, but it’ll likely be easier than hunting for a needle in the YouTube video haystack.
“Basically, 100 percent of your time when you practice, you're going to practice correctly now,” Roli’s CEO, Roland Lamb, told Wired. “So you'll be developing good habits over time.”
The Airwave isn’t just for students. The device is also being marketed as an outlet for experimental music-making. There are five inputs that adjust various parameters via hand movements. This means that players can use one to radically change the sound of the instrument being played.
“With the simple raise of their hands, creators can transform a piano into a full orchestra, just as a conductor would, or morph mellow synth pads into searing leads with a tilt of a wrist,” Roli wrote in a press release.
Now onto the caveats, and there are a few. This is nifty tech, of that there’s no doubt. However, there’s a significant barrier of entry. First of all, the Airwave itself will cost $300 when it releases in February. The device cannot be used on its own. It requires a pre-existing Roli keyboard, like the $1,400 Seaboard Rise 2 or the much cheaper Lumi (now called the Piano M.) Also, to access the teaching tools, users will need to bring in their own tablet. There are apps for both Android and Apple devices, but only newer iPad and Samsung Galaxy Tab models will be supported.
Finally, budding piano players will also have to fork out $15 a month to access the Roli Learn music education subscription service. If money’s no object, this looks like a fairly novel way to learn the piano.
Roli says the Airwave is just the first release in what it’s calling its Music Intelligence (MI) platform. The company writes that the “Roli MI platform will be the foundation of a roadmap of future intelligent products, starting with Airwave.” Preorders for the Airwave are available right now.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/the-roli-airwave-is-a-high-tech-keyboard-teaching-tool-inspired-by-the-theremin-172342147.html?src=rss
The best Prime Day bluetooth speaker deals we could find during Amazon's Big Deal Days sale
If you’re ready to upgrade from your phone’s tiny speakers, or if you’re done struggling to pick out the dialogue in TV shows, now is probably a good time to scoop up a Bluetooth speaker or a soundbar. We’ve reviewed dozens of models and brands over the years and have made our recommendations in our buying guides. We also recommend more than a few smart speakers, which you can check out if you're ready to bring an AI assistant to your countertop.
Now that Prime Day is here, many of the speakers from our lists are on sale, making it a great time to get a deal. Check out below for the best Prime Day speaker deals we could find.
Best October Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deals
Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget
There’s a portable speaker for just about every situation in our guide to Bluetooth speakers. Whether you just want some tunes as you horbgorble around at home or need to entertain some coworkers at a music dance experience, there’s something for you here — and best of all, these are on sale.
Soundcore Motion 300 for $60 ($20 off): This sub-two-pound sound-maker delivers a bright, punchy output from 30-watt speakers. We found it to have a crisp high end and fairly thumpy bass when it has walls to bounce the sound off of. Plus it’s waterproof and goes for 13 hours on a charge. This Prime-members-only price matches its all-time low.
Anker Soundcore Motion+ for $69 ($31 off): This little guy comes in at just over two pounds and has a bright and bassy output. It can play songs for around 12 hours on a charge and we particularly appreciate the solid build with its metal grille. This Prime-exclusive deal matches the lowest price yet.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 for $48 ($32 off): This is the smallest music box on our list, and we like it because it packs serious sound for its size. The audio isn’t the highest fidelity, but the rubbery strap is perfect for strapping onto a pack, bike handlebar or elsewhere.
JBL Flip 6 for $80 ($50 off): After reading our guide, this is the speaker I bought, and I can confirm this crowler-sized device has great sound quality, is durable as heck and I love that it sounds great on its side or stood on end.
Marshall Emberton II for $100 ($70 off): This clutchable model has two 10-watt drivers and passive radiators for 360-degree sound. While it’s not super loud, we found the output to be nicely balanced. You’ll get up to 30 hours of play on a charge and it has a IP67 water- and dust-resistance rating.
Marshall Middleton for $250 ($50 off): This is the flagship in Marshall’s waterproof/portable line. We like the top-notch sound quality and impressive output from the dual woofers, tweeters for the front and back, and passive radiators along each side.
Ultimate Ears Hyperboom for $320 ($130 off): At 13 pounds, this UE speaker pushes the boundaries of portable, verging into shelf speaker territory. It made the cut in our guide thanks to its good looks, loud output and ample port options. It’ll play for 24 hours on a charge, too.
Best October Prime Day smart speaker deals
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
I never thought I’d own a smart speaker, but now I ask Alexa for everything — turn on the smart lights, set a noodle timer, remind me about Saturday’s group FaceTime and, most importantly, tell me the weather today. It’s always a good idea to get these devices on sale, so take advantage of these Prime Day prices while you can.
Sonos Era 100 for $199 ($50 off): The Sonos Era 100 is our pick for the best midrange smart speaker. The sound quality is excellent, it pairs well with other Sonos devices and there are plenty of useful features — which should only improve once Sonos resolves all of its app issues.
Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) for $23 ($27 off): The Dot is the most popular model in Amazon’s smart speaker family. Though it’s small, it puts out decent volume and music sounds pretty good from its speakers. But where it really shines is acting as your daily smart home assistant.
Amazon Echo (4th Gen) for $50 ($50 off):The full-sized model is probably a better option if you plan to use your Echo as a music source regularly — not surprisingly, its bigger size makes for bigger sound, plus you can pair two together. It’s our recommendation for a smart speaker under $100.
Amazon Echo Spot (2nd gen) for $45 ($35 off): The half-a-softball Spot with its tiny display went away for a time, but came back with a new look and a half-moon screen that can display the time, weather and the song that’s playing.
Amazon Echo Pop for $18 ($22 off): The tiniest Echo device is best suited to a small space where it would be helpful to have Alexa’s assistance. It’s not built for high fidelity music playing, but will bop out a song as you get ready or make some dinner.
Best October Prime Day soundbar deals
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
It’s not just you. The dialogue in TV shows is getting tougher to suss out. In my house, a soundbar has made a world of difference. Of course, these long speakers and sets also make movies more immersive. Engadget’s Billy Steele tested out a bunch, putting his favorites in our soundbar guide and, in good news for anyone ready to turn off the subtitles, Prime Day deals extend to a few winning models.
Sonos Beam for $399 ($100 off): The Sonos Beam is our favorite midrange soundbar. It has solid sound quality, support for Dolby Atmos and is easy to set up. Just note that it only has one HDMI port, so you can’t hook up a console directly to the speaker.
Sonos Ray for $169 ($110 off): This is the lowest price we've seen yet for this recommended soundbar, at over $100 off. We like the Sonos Ray because it's an affordable option that puts out excellent sound in a compact bar with easy setup.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-bluetooth-speaker-deals-we-could-find-during-amazons-big-deal-days-sale-073606169.html?src=rss
Prime Day vacuum deals include up to $400 off iRobot, Dyson, Shark and other robot vacuums
While robot vacuums are expensive, they’re a great way to automate a chore that needs to get done regularly. If you’re looking to make your home a bit smarter, or you simply hate vacuuming, October Prime Day (and sale events like it) can make it easier to jump into the world of robo-vacs by discounting top models by hundreds of dollars. October Prime Day has brought some of the lowest prices we’ve seen to many of our top picks for the best robot vacuums available today, including models from iRobot and Shark. There are even some solid cordless stick vacuums on sale as well as part of the Prime Day deals. We collected all of the best Prime Day robot vacuum deals here so you don’t have to go searching for them.
Prime Day deals on robot vacuums
iRobot
The best robot vacuums take a chore than many of us would rather not do and automates it to the point where the most you have to do is set a cleaning schedule and empty a bin every once in a while. Of course, that level of smart home automation comes at a cost — which is why it’s a good idea to take the leap on that robo-vac you’ve been eyeing while it’s on sale for October Prime Day.
iRobot Roomba Vac robot vacuum for $190 ($60 off): This affordable Roomba gives you strong suction power in a sleek design, plus a companion app that makes it easy to set cleaning schedules.
iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ robot vacuum and mop for $699 ($401 off): This combo robo-vac and mop will drop its mopping pad down when it runs over hard flooring, and it comes with a self-emptying base.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $275 ($145 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Anker Eufy Boost 11S Max robot vacuum cleaner for $130 ($120 off): This is one of the best budget robot vacuums available now thanks to its good suction power, long battery life and slim design that lets it get underneath more furniture than other, taller machines.
Prime Day deals on cordless vacuums
Photo by Valentina Palladino / Engadget
There are some of us who actually enjoy vacuuming (guilty!), and for those folks, a cordless vacuum makes the most sense in 2024. They’re lighter and easier to maneuver than traditional, upright vacs, and some of them even come with self-emptying bases like their robot counterparts do. These are some of our favorites that have been discounted for Prime Day.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $700 ($50 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Shark PowerDetect Clean cordless vacuum cleaner for $400 ($100 off): The “multiflex” arm on this Shark cordless vacuum can help you clean better under furniture, and the included self-emptying base means you do not have to empty its dustbin yourself.
Shark Detect Pro cordless vacuum cleaner for $330 ($120 off): This relatively lightweight cordless vacuum does a good job cleaning carpeted and hard surfaces, and its charging dock includes a self-emptying base into which it’ll dump its contents after every job.
Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum cleaner for $200 ($100 off): Our top pick for the best budget cordless vacuum is even cheaper right now.
Tineco Pure One Station Furfree cordless vacuum cleaner for $500 ($300 off): This strong cordless vacuum has a heavy-duty self-emptying base, and it comes with accessories to help you groom your furry friends.
Expired Prime Day deals
iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop for $799 ($600 off): This higher-end robot vacuum and mop has a design that allows for better edge and corner cleaning, superior suction power and a self-emptying base that will automatically refill the mop cleaning solution when needed.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-vacuum-deals-include-up-to-400-off-irobot-dyson-shark-and-other-robot-vacuums-084931175.html?src=rss
Prime Day kitchen deals on tech, gadgets, accessories and more during Big Deal Days
If you’re cooking for the holidays or want to get a good gift for a friend who has somehow not yet experienced the delight of an air fryer, Amazon’s fall Prime Day sale has some pretty decent deals on cooking gadgets and kitchen tech.
We’ve got quite a few food lovers on staff at Engadget and many of us have reviewed, tested and even bought for ourselves some of the gear that’s currently on sale. Here’s our list of the best October Prime Big Deal days discounts from brands like Vitamix, Breville, Instant Pot and more.
The best October Prime Day deals on air fryers and Instant Pots
Corsori
Of all the kitchen gadgets in my home, my favorite is my Instant Pot air fryer. Food I would otherwise microwave comes out crisp and far tastier in not much more time. In second place for cooking MVP has to be the classic Instant Pot, which I rely on to keep me in beans and curry. I picked up both after reading our buyer's guides (to air fryers and kitchen tech, respectively) — but I foolishly paid full price. Reader, don’t make my mistake.
Cosori 9-in-1 air frier for $85 ($35 off): This newer air fry from Cosori has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity that makes it just the right size to cook a good amount of food without taking up too much space on most countertops. It's the runner up in our guide.
Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro for $300 ($100 off): Our premium air fryer pick sold for the same $300 last Prime Day. This huge fryer-and-oven combo can accommodate a five-quart dutch oven, which almost makes it an auxiliary oven — could be a good buy to prepare for Thanksgiving dinner.
Ninja DZ401 Foodi 10-quart air fryer for $200 ($30 off): Our recommendation for a good dual-zone air fryer is best for larger kitchens and big meals. It went as low as $150 for Black Friday last year, and may hit that price again this year, but if you don’t want to wait, the Foodi won’t disappoint.
Instant Vortex Plus 6QT Air Fryer for $100 ($70 off): This was the top recommendation in our guide for a long time — and the model I bought for myself. After a year, it still preheats quickly and keeps cooking odors to a minimum. I particularly like how easy it is to clean.
Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 pressure cooker for $100 ($70 off): These ubiquitous and highly versatile cookers can make just about anything you can dream up — from rice and beans to yogurt. This is the pro version of the Pot we recommend in our buyer's guide to kitchen tech.
The best October Prime Day deals on sous vide machines
As Engadget’s Avery Ellis found out recently, sous vide machines can do far more than just cook a steak. To use her words, they are “Millennial crockpots,” whipping up low-effort meals as needed — and fancier fare when called for.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide Precision Cooker Nano for $105 ($45 off): This is the machine that grabbed our editor’s attention once she saw how highly versatile it is. It’s a smaller and less expensive version of the top pick in our buyer’s guide.
Anova Culinary Sous Vide 3.0 for $120 ($80 off): This is the best overall sous vide in our buyer’s guide and this price beats the one from July. We like the easy digital controls and the high flow rate that maintains water temperature better. Also the companion app is stuffed with recipes.
Breville Joule Turbo Sous Vide Machine for $200 ($50 off): The premium pick in our guide has a powerful 1,100-watt heater that cuts down on cooking times and uses your phone as the controller (just don’t get it if you’re hoping for on-device buttons).
The best October Prime Day deals on blenders and juicers
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
For soups, sauces, soothies and more, there’s not really a substitute for a good blender. Prime Day is a fine opportunity to upgrade an aging model — or snag one for a home cook you know that could use the extra muscle. A juicer can make it easier (or at least tastier) to get your vitamins. And the one we recommend isn’t a pain to clean.
Hamilton Beach 4-in-1 electric immersion hand blender for $26 ($13 off): The motor on our favorite budget immersion blender is rather powerful for its price — there’s a reason it’s been a favorite of price-conscious cooks for over a decade.
Breville Juice Fountain Plus for $112 ($68 off): This is the best price of the year on the juicer that impressed us with its extraction abilities. It’s relatively easy to clean if you do it right away and the motor inside is remarkably powerful, though it takes up space.
KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer for $319 ($161 off): This is the gold standard of mixers, beloved by home bakers for years and recommended in our kitchen tech guide. With its ton of available attachments, it’s no unitasker.
Vitamix E310 Explorian Blender for $320 ($60 off): We recommend this in our guide to kitchen gadgets thanks to the powerful motor that makes even the toughest ingredients smooth and creamy. This discount matches July’s sale, but the blender went as low as $290 just after Black Friday last year, and may do so again.
The best October Prime Day deals on kitchen tech
Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget
Here you’ll find all the harder-to-categorize gadgets that make home cooking simpler and more enjoyable. These are the smaller and more specialized devices we’ve tested that have proven their mettle in our own kitchens, or in the case of the pizza oven, the backyard.
Ooni Karu 16 outdoor pizza oven for $519 ($280 off): Ooni makes our favorite multi-fuel outdoor pizza oven out of all the oven’s we’ve tested. With its large capacity and built-in thermometer, it can handle full size pizzas — and even cast iron cookware — using wood, charcoal or propane fuel.
Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $160 ($40 off): This is close to the all-time low for the machine that earned a high score of 90 in our review. In short, it “makes your frozen dreams come true.”
Cosori Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $56 ($14 off): This matches July’s Prime Day price and a decent price on a kettle that earned a spot on one of our editors’ tiny countertop. It has different built-in temperature settings for different types of drinks and an elegant gooseneck pour.
Chemex Pour-Over Glass Coffeemaker for $38 ($10 off): We recommend this coffee companion in our small gadget guide because it takes up less space than a drip machine while producing considerably better coffee.
SodaStream Art Bundle for $89 ($60 off): If you want to make soda at home, you may be interested in this Prime-member-only deal that's cheaper than ever. The set includes the sparkling water machine, two 60-liter CO2 cylinders, two dishwasher-safe bottles and two bottles of flavor drops.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice for October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-day-kitchen-deals-on-tech-gadgets-accessories-and-more-during-big-deal-days-085751708.html?src=rss
Ooni pizza ovens are up to $280 off for Amazon Prime Day
Amazon Prime Day is here, flooding the internet with all kinds of wild deals. Even Ooni pizza ovens are available at remarkable discounts. For instance, the Karu 16 is now $519, which is $281 off the usual price. That’s quite a sale. The Karu 16 topped our list of the best pizza ovens, and with good reason. This is a fantastic appliance that could turn the most hesitant home chef into a true-blue pizzaiola.
This is the company’s largest multi-fuel model, meaning you can choose between wood, charcoal and gas. There’s a hinged glass door for peeping in on your pies and a digital thermometer for zeroing in on the absolute correct temperature. To that end, the oven can reach a crust-charring 950 F.
The “16” in the name refers to the size of the interior, which translates to larger pizza pies when compared to rival ovens. This also means that the oven can accommodate pans and large cast iron cookware, so it can whip up stuff other than pizza. However, pizza rules and other types of food drool.
The major downside here is regarding the price. The typical cost is $800, which is a massive splurge for a pizza oven. This sale alleviates much of that frustration. However, the Karu 16 requires a gas burner for that type of cook, and these burners are sold separately.
Today’s discounts aren't just for the Karu 16. The company’s Volt 12 electric pizza oven is also on sale for $720, which is a discount of $180. As the name suggests, this is an indoor appliance that runs on good ole electricity. It can actually reach a maximum temperature of 850 F, which is a fantastic metric for an indoor oven.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ooni-pizza-ovens-are-up-to-280-off-for-amazon-prime-day-114521277.html?src=rss