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The week is nearing its end, which means it's time for another roundup of the week's best tech deals. Among the highlights, Amazon currently has Apple's still-powerful M1 MacBook Air down to an all-time low of $799, while the M1 iPad Air is available for the second-best price we've tracked, at $519. A couple of streaming services we like in Paramount+ and Peacock are running sizable discounts for new subscribers, plus Google's Pixel Buds Pro are down to a new low. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple MacBook Air M1

Devindra Hardawar/Engadget

Though it's a couple years old at this point, Apple's 2020 MacBook Air is still a dependable notebook for lighter workloads and casual use. Its chassis is still slim and sturdy, its keyboard and trackpad remain excellent, its battery can still genuinely last all day, and its M1 chip is still plenty quick for the essentials. We gave it a review score of 94 back in late 2020.

To be clear, the laptop is a harder sell these days at its standard $999 MSRP. And if you can afford to upgrade to Apple's newest Air with the faster M2 chip, you should: it will get you a bit more performance, an updated design with slimmer bezels (and a notch), a noticeably improved webcam and speaker system, and fast charging support. We gave that device a score of 96 earlier this year. It's also worth noting that this discounted SKU only includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, so it's really not ideal for more involved tasks like video editing. 

But at $799, it's a good value as an everyday laptop and a more affordable route into macOS. This deal matches the lowest price we've tracked and comes in about $120 off the typical street price we've seen in recent months.

Apple iPad Air

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The newly announced 10th-generation iPad will likely steal a bit of its thunder, but at this deal price of $519, we expect Apple's iPad Air to remain a worthwhile tablet for the right person. This discount matches the second-lowest price we've tracked, coming in at $80 off Apple's MSRP and about $40 off the device's usual street price online. 

While the new iPad features a near-identical design, a speedy A14 Bionic chip, and unique perks like a landscape-oriented webcam, it doesn't support Apple's second-gen Pencil stylus (hello, #donglelife), and it lacks the full lamination and wider color gamut of the Air's display. The Air's M1 chip is still a decent ways faster for more involved tasks, too. Overall, we gave the iPad Air a score of 90 upon its launch this past March.

The new iPad starts at $449, and its sacrifices may not be that big of a deal for many. We'll have to test the new device before giving any definitive recommendations, but for those willing to pay for the more futureproof M1 chip, laminated display, and better Pencil support, the fifth-gen Air should still represent a decent value when it's discounted to this extent. Just don't feel the need to upgrade if you already own a fourth-gen model.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

If you need new storage for your camera, GoPro, Nintendo Switch, Steam Deck, or whatever else, this deal matches the all-time lowest price for the 128GB model of Samsung's Pro Plus microSD card. This U3, V30-rated card isn't the absolute fastest option in a vacuum, but with rated read/write speeds of 160MB/s and 120MB/s, respectively—and real-world performance that should be close to that, based on reviews around the web—it'll be performant enough to handle 4K photos and video, continuous recording, and the like. It also comes with a 10-year limited warranty. This deal is about $4 below the usual street price we've tracked in recent months. If you don't need quite as much performance and you really want to save a buck, note that the 128GB version of Samsung's slightly-slower Evo Select card is available for $16.

Metroid Dread

Nintendo

This is the lowest price we've seen for the action-adventure game Metroid Dread, which we've named one of our favorite Switch exclusives. This is a tense and challenging experience by default, so it's not necessarily for everyone, but we also found it to be surprisingly welcoming to series newbies who aren't well-versed in the usual hallmarks of "Metroidvania" game design. The game doesn't reinvent that formula, but it plays the notes well, and it goes out of its way to keep players moving along, if that's what you value. There's also an easier "rookie" difficulty for those who want to enjoy the story and slick sci-fi aesthetic without feeling quite as stressed all the time.

Dread just had its first anniversary earlier this month and takes only 10-ish hours to beat, so it could stand to be cheaper, but larger discounts on first-party Nintendo games are still rare. Typically, the game has hovered between $50 and $60 online in recent months. This deal comes as part of a wider Switch game sale, though Dread is the clear highlight. Among the other notable video games we're seeing this week, the cyberpunk cat adventure Stray is down to a low of $24 at the PlayStation Store, while the "no-brainer" PS5 bundleUncharted: Legacy of Thieves Collection is back to a low of $30.

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Billy Steele/Engadget

Google's Pixel Buds Pro are an Android-friendly set of true wireless earbuds we recommend, and right now you can grab a pair for $50 off with the code ENGN50 at smart device retailer Wellbots. That's the lowest price we've seen to date and about $45 off the earbuds' average street price in recent months. We gave the Pixel Buds Pro a review score of 87 this past July. Their call quality is middling, and competitors like Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II or Apple's AirPods Pro will be better depending on your priorities, but Google's pair still provides a nice blend of effective active noise cancellation, good battery life (at 7-11 hours of continuous use, depending on how much ANC you use), a compact fit, and punchy, bass-forward sound. At this deal price, they're a fair bit cheaper than their closest rivals.

Google Pixel 7 or Pixel 7 Pro + $100-200 gift card

There's always a chance we see bigger discounts on Google's new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones as we get nearer to Black Friday, but if you need a new Android phone today, note that the pre-order deals we highlighted a couple weeks back are still available after the devices' launch. That means Amazon, Target, and Best Buy are all still offering a $100 digital gift card with the $599 unlocked Pixel 7, or a $200giftcard with the $899 unlocked Pixel 7 Pro, at no extra cost. If you know you'll use any of those stores for holiday shopping anyway, that's a solid bonus to go with what our review called "the best bargain in flagship phones" as it is.

We gave the Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro scores of 90 and 92, respectively, for offering class-leading cameras, solid battery life (particularly with the smaller Pixel 7), vibrant OLED displays, and Google's typically clean take on Android. They aren't performance powerhouses, and Google is only promising three years of Android OS updates per phone, but the whole packages are still highly competitive for the money. These deals should heighten that.

Peacock Premium subscription (1 year)

Here's a quick PSA for those who've been thinking of checking out NBCUniversal's Peacock streaming service: up through November 19, new subscribers can get a year of the service's "Premium" tier for $20. Peacock has run a few sales like this in recent months, but if you missed those, this is still a $30 discount from the usual going rate of an annual plan. It also works out to $1.67 a month, which is a nice drop from the typical $5 cost of a monthly plan. Just enter the code FALL22 at checkout to see the discount.

Note that this deal is not applicable to current or returning subscribers, and that "Peacock Premium" is the service's ad-supported tier. (The $10-a-month or $100-a-year "Peacock Premium Plus" tier removes ads and lets you download shows for offline viewing, but that one is not currently discounted.) You can view the offer's full terms here, but keep in mind that your subscription will be set to auto-renew at the normal $50 annual rate by default until you cancel your service. Whether you need another streaming subscription in the first place is up to you, but if you're looking to watch Premier League games, re-runs of The Office, WWE live events, Bravo reality shows, or anything else in NBC's library, this deal brings a more affordable entry point.

Paramount+ subscription (1 year)

Like Peacock above, Paramount Global's Paramount+ service is also running a deep discount on annual subscriptions, with both its ad-supported "Essential" tier and (mostly) ad-free "Premium" tier available for 50 percent off. That drops the price down to $25 or $50, respectively, for a year of service. The discount should apply automatically if you use this promo page, but if you don't see the offer, use the code UEFA50 at checkout. (The promotion is based on the service's coverage of UEFA Champions League soccer.)

Paramount says this offer is available to both new and returning subscribers—but again, not existing ones—and that it'll throw in one of Amazon's 1080p Fire TV Stick Lite streaming sticks with the sign-up. The latter isn't nearly as robust as recommended 4K streamers like Google's Chromecast with Google TV or Roku's Streaming Stick 4K, but it's a perk nonetheless.

Again, if you're suffering from subscription fatigue, Paramount+ isn't essential, but we do recommend it in our guide to the best streaming services for the aforementioned soccer coverage, originals like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Star Trek: Lower Decks, kid-friendly Nickelodeon fare, and several other shows from the company formerly known as ViacomCBS. Note that with the Premium tier, you also get a stream of your local CBS station and the ability to download select shows for offline viewing. Paramount says this offer will be available until November 3, and again your subscription will be set to auto-renew at its standard price by default until you cancel your service.

This is a good deal for those looking to keep things simple, but we'd be remiss not to note that it's still technically possible to get repeated months Paramount+ for free if you're willing to jump through a few hoops. TechHive has a good breakdown of how this works, but in short, Paramount has been dishing out coupon codes that give a free month of service to new and returning subscribers, every month, for years. Over that time, it's been possible to continually use those codes to get free Paramount+ service—even the higher-priced Premium tier—so long as you let your "trial" membership expire and don't let the service recognize you as an active subscriber.

This means you can create an account, get a free month through a coupon code, cancel your subscription before you're actually charged (it's usually best to wait a day or so to avoid nullifying your free trial), then repeat for the next month with whatever new promo code Paramount+ has doled out. The website Doctor of Credit typically lists whatever promo code is active now; as of this writing, for instance, it's FINALFIGHT. This process might not be worth the hassle for many, and Paramount could close this loophole at any time. But if you're okay putting in a bit more work, free is free.

2021 Apple TV 4K

$100 is the best price we've seen for the 2021 edition of the Apple's 4K streaming box, beating the previous low by $10. Now, this is a very much an inventory-clearing situation for Apple, as the company just announced a refreshed model this week that includes a faster A15 Bionic SoC (the 2021 model here uses an A12 chip), double the base storage (from 32GB to 64GB), support for HDR10+ video, a slightly more compact design, and a Siri remote that charges over USB-C instead of the usual Lightning.

The new model will start at $129, while a 128GB model that also adds an Ethernet port and Thread mesh networking support will be available for $149. If you can afford to get either of those, it's generally always better to buy the latest model you can. But if you're looking to save a few bucks, the 2021 model's A12 chip is still far from slow for everyday streaming, the 32GB storage should be enough if you aren't playing Apple Arcade games, and the overall UI will be the same. If you're looking for a more affordable 4K streamer, meanwhile, consider one of the picks from our recently updated guide to the best streaming devices.

65-inch LG C2 OLED TV

LG

LG's C Series of high-end OLED TVs has long been commended for offering near-perfect contrast ratios with deep and uniform black tones, notably vibrant colors, wide viewing angles, and low input lag. This year's C2 model is widely said to continue the trend, and it's fitted with gaming-friendly features like full-bandwidth HDMI 2.1 ports and the ability to play in 4K at up to a 120Hz refresh rate. 

This deal from Amazon-owned retailer Woot brings the 65-inch C2 within $50 of the best price we've tracked. The full discount should apply at checkout. Black Friday historically brings the lowest prices on TVs each year, but at $1,597 (pre-tax), this is a particularly sizable $200 off this model's usual street price online over the past month. 

While we don't usually review TVs at Engadget, it's worth mentioning that other reviewers we trust have listed Samsung's new S95B TV as having a superior "QD-OLED" panel that can get brighter and provide more vivid colors than the C2's more traditional OLED display can offer. This makes it better-suited to well-lit rooms in particular. That TV lacks support for Dolby Vision HDR, however, and as of this writing, its 65-inch model costs $400 extra.

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Akai's MPK Mini mk3 is a solid and affordable way to get into MIDI keyboard controllers, but there's still a chance you want more flexibility for your music-making sessions. Thankfully, the company now has a more powerful option that still keeps costs in check. The just-launched MPK Mini Plus offers more range by expanding from 25 to 37 keys, and introduces more advanced elements like a two-track step/live sequencer, chord and scale modes, DAW-friendly transport controls and wheels for pitch bending and modulation. You'll also find full five-pin MIDI ports (you previously needed USB) as well as CV/Gate connectors for attaching synths and similar modular equipment.

The main draws of the mk3 remain intact. The MPK Mini Plus still has eight RGB-lit MPC drum pads, an X/Y joystick (now fully assignable) and features like an arpeggiator, sustain pedal input and octave shifting. The hardware is USB-powered, includes a small OLED screen and comes with Akai's MPCBeats software to help get your productions started.

The MPK Mini Plus is available through Amazon and other shops for $169. That's significantly more than the $119 for the mk3, but it's clear where the money went. As it stands, you'll likely have a hard time finding other MIDI controllers with this feature set below $200. This may be your best bet if you're on a budget but still want a device that can grow along with your musical talents.

Despite being the wealthiest nation on the face of the planet, the United States chronically runs short of transplantable organs. Kidneys are far and away the most sought-after organ for transplantation, followed by livers. While the liver is the only human organ known capable of regenerating itself, if you damage yours badly enough for long enough — as some 30 million Americans have — then the only treatment is a transplant. Assuming you can even acquire one for doctors to stick in you. Every year demand for replacement livers outstrips supply by a scope of tens of thousands.

“Only one-third of those on the liver transplant waiting list will be transplanted, and the demand for livers is projected to increase 23 percent in the next 20 years,” a multidisciplinary team of researchers observed in 2016’s Liver-Regenerative Transplantation: Regrow and Reset. “Exacerbating the organ shortage problem, the donor pool is expected to shrink further because of the obesity epidemic. Liver steatosis [aka fatty liver disease] is increasingly common in donors and is a significant risk factor in liver transplantation.”

To address this critical shortage, the study authors note that doctors have explored a variety of cutting-edge regimens, from cell repopulation and tissue engineering, nanoparticles to genomics, mechanical aids to porcine-derived xenotransplantation, all with varying degrees of success. Cellular repopulation has been used for years, a process that injects healthy liver cells into the patient’s damaged organ through a portal vein where they adhere themselves to the existing cellular scaffolding and grow into new, functional liver tissue.

Fabian Bimmer / reuters

“Creating an immediately available and inexhaustible supply of functioning liver cells from autologous tissue would allow early intervention in patients with hepatic failure and would allow liver cells to be infused over a longer period of time,” the 2016 study’s authors note. “Combined with recent advances in genome-editing technology, such liver cells could be used widely to treat devastating liver-based inborn errors of metabolism and to eliminate the need for a life-long regimen of immunosuppressive drugs and their complications.” The downside to this technique is the pace at which the donor cells proliferate, making it a poor tool against acute liver failure.

Extracellular Vesicle-based therapies, on the other hand, leverage the body’s intracellular communications pathways to deliver drugs with, “high bioavailability, exceptional biocompatibility, and low immunogenicity,” according to 2020’s Extracellular Vesicle-Based Therapeutics: Preclinical and Clinical Investigations. “They provide a means for intercellular communication and the transmission of bioactive compounds to targeted tissues, cells, and organs” including “fibroblasts, neuronal cells, macrophages, and even cancer cells.”

EVs are the postal letters that cells send one another. They come in a variety of sizes from 30 to 1000 nm and have exterior membranes studded with multiple adhesive proteins that grant them entry into any number of different types of cells. Exploiting the biological equivalent to a janitor’s key ring, researchers have begun tucking therapeutic nanoparticles into EVs and using them to discreetly inject treatments into the targeted cells. However, these treatments are still in the experimental stages and are most effective against acute liver failure and inborn metabolic diseases rather than end-stage liver failure.

Mayo Clinic

Mechanical aids, the hepatocytic equivalent to a dialysis machine, like the Mayo Spheroid Reservoir Bioartificial Liver (SRBAL, above) are ideal for treating cases of acute liver failure, able to take over the entirety of the patient’s liver function externally and immediately. However, such procedures are both expensive and temporary. The SRBAL can only support a patient for up to two weeks, making it more suitable for keeping someone alive until a donor can be located rather than as a permanent, pacemaker-like solution.

The bioprinting and implantation of replacement livers has also shown promise, though they too are still in early development and largely not near ready for widespread adoption. Interspecies transplantation using genetically-engineered pig organs are a bit closer to clinical use, with surgeons successfully transplanting a porcine heart into a human patient for the first time this past January (though he died of complications two months later). Pig kidneys and livers have similarly been transplanted into human recipients, often with less drastic side effects than death.

No matter where the transplanted organ comes from, getting it into the patient is invariably going to involve a significant surgical procedure. However, the Lygenesis company recently unveiled its non-invasive solution: tricking the patient’s body into growing a series of miniature, ectopic liver “organoids” in its own lymphatic system like a crop of blood-scrubbing potatoes.

For those of you who dozed through high school bio, a quick recap of terms. The lymphatic system is a part of the immune system that serves to circulate some 20 liters of lymph throughout your body, absorb excess interstitial fluids back into the bloodstream, and incubate critical lymphocytes like T-cells. Organoids, on the other hand, are biological masses artificially grown from stem cells that perform the same functions as natural organs, but do so ectopically, in that they function in a different part of the body as a regular liver. Blood-scrubbing potatoes are self-explanatory.

“Fundamentally, Lygenesis uses the lymph node, your body's natural bio reactors typically used for T-cells,” company CEO and co-founder Michael Hufford, told Engadget. “We hijacked that same biology, we engraft our therapies into the lymph nodes to grow functioning ectopic organs.”

“We use an outpatient endoscopic ultrasound procedure where we're going down through the mouth of the patient using standard endoscopic equipment,” Hufford continued. “We engraft ourselves there in minutes under light sedation, so it's very low medical risk and also is really quite inexpensive.” He notes that the average cost for a proper, in-hospital liver transplant will set you back around a million dollars. Lygenesis’ outpatient procedure “is billed at a couple of thousand or so,” he said.

More importantly, the Lygenesis technique doesn’t require a full donated liver, or even a large fraction of one. In fact, each donated organ can be split among several dozen recipients. “Using our technology a single donated liver can reach 75 or more patients,” Hofford said. The process of converting a single donated liver into all those engraftable samples takes a team of three technicians more than six hours and 70 steps to complete. The process does not involve any gene manipulation, such as CRISPR editing.

This process is quite necessary as patients cannot donate culturable liver cells to themselves. “Once you have end-stage liver disease, you typically have a very fibrotic liver,” Hofford noted. “It will bleed at the slightest sort of intervention.” Even the simple act of collecting cellular samples can quickly turn deadly if the wrong bit of organ is bisected.

And it’s not only the transplant recipients themselves who are unable to donate. Hofford estimates between 30 and 40 percent of donated livers are too worn to be successfully transplanted. “One of the benefits of our technology is we're using organs that have been donated but will otherwise be discarded,” he said.

Once engrafted into a lymph node, the liver organoid will grow and vascularize over the course of two to three months, until it is large enough to begin supporting the existing liver. Hufford points out that even with end-stage disease, a liver can retain up to 30 percent of its original functionality, so these organoids are designed to augment and support the existing organ rather than replace it outright.

Lygenesis is currently in Phase 2A of the FDA approval process, meaning that a small group of four patients have each received a single engraftment in a lymph node located in their central body cavity near the liver itself (the body has more than 500 lymph nodes and apparently this treatment can technically target any of them). Should this initial test prove successful subsequent study groups will receive increasing numbers of engraftment, up to a half dozen, to help the company and federal regulators figure out the optimal number of organoids to treat the disease.

While the liver’s inherent regenerative capabilities make it an ideal candidate for this procedure, the company is also developing similar treatments for the kidneys, pancreas and thymus gland as well as inborn metabolic liver ailments like maple syrup urine disease. These efforts are all at much earlier points in development than the company’s end stage liver work. “Within the next five years, we would love to see our liver program submitted to the FDA as a new biologic therapy and be commercially available,” Hufford said. “I think that'd be a realistic timeframe.”

Apple has just launched a new Apple TV 4K that's powered by an A15 chip, but it won't start shipping until November 4th. If you absolutely must get Apple's digital player right now, though, you may want to check out Amazon. The 32GB version of the 2021 model is currently on sale for $100, which is the lowest we've seen it go for on the website. That's 44 percent or $79 less than its original price. The 2021 Apple TV 4K is powered by the tech giant's A12 Bionic chip and supports Dolby Vision HDR imaging technology. 

It also comes with a Siri Remote that has a touch-enabled clickpad, so you can issue voice commands while watching, such as "Pause this" or "Turn on closed captioning." The device can pair with up to two sets of AirPods for private listening, and it can display photos and videos from your other Apple devices via AirPlay. Plus, it can show you a live view of your HomeKit-enabled cameras, as well as let you control your smart home accessories. If you need a bigger storage space, the 64GB version is also on sale for 40 percent off at $120. 

However, that's just a bit lower than the 2022 Apple TV 4K, which you can pre-order right now. The 64GB WiFi-only version will set you back $130, while the 128GB version with WiFi and an Ethernet port will cost you $150.

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Over the course of Pokémon’s first eight generations, the number of catchable monsters is nearing 1,000. And yet in that same time, the basic formula for the series’ gameplay has largely stayed the same (aside from some small tweaks or offshoots like Legends: Arceus). But after getting the chance to preview Pokémon Scarlet ahead of its official release in November, it feels like GameFreak has remixed a ton of longstanding tropes in a way that brings a new spark to its next release.

Starting off with the Paldea region (which draws inspiration from the real-world Iberian peninsula), Pokémon Scarlet and Violet expands on previous games (most notably Legends Arceus and the Wild Area in Sword and Shield) by offering a fully open-world design. This means there’s no set path when it comes to taking down gyms, which gives you much more freedom to choose where you want to go and in what order. On top of that, to help traverse the world, you get access to the game’s legendary Pokémon (either Koraidon or Miraidon, depending on which version of the game you choose) very early on, instead of having to wait until endgame to catch them like in previous titles.

Nintendo

Even the gyms themselves have gotten an update, with the trials that you need to pass in order to battle Brassius (the leader of the Artazon gym) taking place around town instead in a single room or building. The impact of this is that the world of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet just feels more vibrant and lived in, which adds a new dimension to how you experience the game.

Of course, there’s much more to Pokémon than just gym battles, as riding your legendary Pokémon lets you literally run, jump and fly across the landscape. As you explore Paldea, you’ll encounter wild monsters roaming the region, which you can choose to battle or avoid as you see fit, though you’ll run into some random battles as well. There are even rare Titan Pokémon that you need to battle multiple times to best as you try to complete your Path of Legends, which is a separate story branch from your gym battles and run-ins with Team Star. And while you’re out exploring the world, if you don’t feel like directing combat yourself, you can bring out your lead Pokémon to find items or auto-battle other nearby monsters (with the fight taking place off-screen).

Nintendo

Scarlet and Violet’s open-world design also means there are more places to run into Team Star (this generation’s Team Rocket equivalent). During one event, I had to break my way into a barricaded compound while using the new auto-battle system to take down 30 different monsters before my team ran out of HP. After that, I had to battle one of Team Star’s leaders while she rode a huge vehicle, which had a massive health bar to match. Meanwhile, standard combat still consists of turn-based battles with each monster having access to four different moves. And when it comes to catching wild Pokémon, your best bet is still to whittle down their health with attacks and status ailments before tossing a Pokéball at them. There’s no need to aim your throw like in Legends: Arceus.

Nintendo

But for Scarlet and Violet Gamefreak has added a new twist called Terastallizing, which allows a Pokémon to change their normal type to its hidden Tera Type. Take for example Tyranitar, which is normally a rock/dark type but changes to ghost type when Terastallized. This unlocks new ways to punish your enemy’s weaknesses while also giving you access to the new Tera Blast TM so you can take full advantage of your Pokémon’s more powerful altered state.

Alternatively, for people who like more cooperative fights, there are four-player Tera raid battles that allow you to team up with friends to catch Pokémon with rare Tera types. And unlike traditional combat, there’s no turn order to follow. You can spam moves to your heart’s content and if you get knocked out, you can cheer on your fellow trainers while you wait to be automatically revived. As someone who has long thought Pokémon’s core combat system has needed an update, raid battles are a lot of fun as a break from the main story, even if they do feel a little button mashy.

Nintendo

And these are just some of the bigger changes. Gamefreak has tweaked a lot of other mechanics in a way that makes the whole franchise feel fresh again. So let me list a bunch here rapid-fire style. Instead of the standard eight gym badges to collect, now there are 18. Character customization is way deeper and can be changed at any time from the standard menu screen. Also, other trainers won’t initiate a battle on sight as they have in the past, you actually have to walk up and engage them on purpose. There’s even a new auto-heal feature that uses potions from your inventory to recover HP after battle, which saves you time sifting through menus over and over again. And what could have the biggest impact on Pokémon battles in Scarlet and Violet is that now you can now craft your own TMs.

Nintendo

So while I only had a little more than an hour to play Pokémon Scarlet during my preview, I’m really happy to see Gamefreak mess around with its traditional format. The world is big and beautiful, there are now three main storylines that you can complete as you choose and there are a lot of other remixes and quality-of-life changes that make the series feel like it’s gotten a reno and a fresh coat of paint. And we haven’t even talked about all the new Pokémon yet.

I normally always go with the plant-type starter, but this time around I already know I’m choosing Fuecoco. There’s something about his goofy toothy grin I just can’t ignore. Then there’s Lechonk, which is a masterful play on words, and one of your rival’s main Pokémon Pawni is so cute and fluffy that I almost can’t handle it.

Nintendo

Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I was this excited for a new mainline Pokémon game. My only small concern is that I did notice a bit of frame-rate choppiness in some areas, which could indicate that Scarlet and Violet’s new open-world design is really taxing the Switch’s horsepower. However, since my time with the game was in a development build created for this preview and not a full retail version, it’s difficult to say if we should expect similar performance upon release. Regardless, I can’t wait to play more when Pokémon Scarlet and Violet officially go on sale for the Nintendo Switch on November 18th.

Google's Pixel Buds Pro remain one of our preferred sets of true wireless earbuds, having earned a review score of 87 earlier this year for offering effective active noise cancellation (ANC), responsive on-ear controls, a solid seven-ish hours of continuous playback time with ANC on (and up to 11 or so hours with it off), and a powerful bass-forward sound that works especially well with hip-hop and modern pop tracks. A recent firmware update also added a more robust EQ tool. That said, in an increasingly crowded market, they're a tougher sell at their typical going rate of $200. 

Today, though, Wellbots has a deal that brings the earbuds down to $150 when you use the code ENGN50 at checkout. We've seen a few deals on the Pixel Buds Pro in recent months, but this deal marks the lowest price we've tracked for them to date, beating the previous low we saw during Amazon's Prime Early Access sale earlier this month by $2.

We're fans of the Pixel Buds Pro on the whole, but the earbuds do have some caveats worth noting. Call quality is just okay, for instance, and we found the included transparency mode to sound overly muffled. Its IPX4 water-resistance rating is basic, there's no aptX support, and we had a few more issues with pairing than we'd have liked in testing.

Plus, again, it's a crowded market: Bose's QuietComfort Earbuds II are a better choice if you prioritize ANC, while Apple's second-gen AirPods Pro play much nicer with iPhones. Sennheiser's Momentum True Wireless 3 offer altogether superior sound, and pairs like Samsung's Galaxy Buds 2 Pro and Sony's WF-1000XM4 have their share of unique perks as well. 

All of those cost a fair bit more than the Pixel Buds Pro as of this writing, though. Upcoming Black Friday sales could always bring lower prices, but for Android users in particular who want a well-rounded pair of wireless earbuds in the $150 range today, this deal should provide good value.

Beyond the Pixel Buds Pro, Wellbots has a few discounts on additional Google devices we like. The Nest Audio smart home speaker, which we gave a score of 87 upon its launch in late 2020, is down to $50 with the code ENGN50. That matches the lowest price we've tracked. On the smart display side, the 10-inch Nest Hub Max is down to $164 with the code ENGN70, while the seven-inch Nest Hub is available for $50 with the code ENGN50. Those display earned scores of 86 and 89, respectively, and both offers come in about $5-15 lower than the typical deal prices we've seen in recent months. Finally, the diminutive Nest Mini speaker is down to $20 with the code ENGN29—not the lowest price we've tracked, but still a decent price for those looking to hop on the smart speaker bandwagon.

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Apple just dropped several new devices on us this week, seemingly out of nowhere. In this episode, Cherlynn and Devindra break down Apple’s new base iPad and iPad Pro with M2. They chat about why the iPad lineup is now more confusing than ever, and what that means going forward. (At least the new Apple TV 4K seems likely a genuinely solid upgrade.)

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

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• Apple announces updated base iPad, iPad Pro and Apple TV 4K – 1:36

• Microsoft lays off hundreds of workers – 20:22

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Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

On the one hand, Ultra Short Throw (UST) projectors offer a top-notch home theater experience at a fraction the cost of a comparably sized TV. On the other, features like Dolby Vision that you expect on a good 4K TV are nowhere to be found on any projectors, UST or otherwise.

That just changed with the launch of the Formovie Theater home projector. At a street price of $3,000, you get up to a 150-inch picture, a triple-laser 4K DLP projector with Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, speakers tuned by Bowers & Wilkins and Android TV. With Formovie’s color management system, it also promises color accuracy we’ve only seen on $5,000+ models like Samsung’s Premiere.

I’ve had a chance to test the Formovie Theater in a variety of scenarios, including Netflix, Prime, Disney+ and other streaming services along with a Blu-ray UltraHD player. Cutting to the chase, it was very impressive, apart from one or two issues.

Design and features

Steve Dent/Engadget

Though you may have never heard the name Formovie, it’s a joint venture between two better-known entities, Xiaomi and Appotronics. The latter makes the ALPD laser engines used in a number of projectors, including Barco commercial movie theater models. The Formovie Theater is based on the Fengmi T1 sold in China, but adds Dolby Vision and a color management system (CMS).

It has a nice-looking, discreet design that would fit into most living rooms. The rectangular dark-gray-and-black body is relatively small, with a pair of fabric-covered main speakers on the front and two tweeters on the side. As usual on UST projectors, the triple-laser light source and lens element are located in a trough at the top, with a sensor designed to shut off the powerful light should you poke your head in front of it (which I did, multiple times). It’s cooled by a fan that can be mildly distracting during very quiet passages.

It uses a 0.47-inch Texas Instruments XP DLP chip with a 1080p native resolution and 4X pixel shifting that effectively delivers a true 4K image. With 2,800 lumens of light power, it’s in the mid-to-upper-range of UST brightness levels. The triple laser allows it to cover 113 percent of the Rec 709 and 107 percent of the HDR BT.2020 color gamuts, while delivering an excellent 3,000:1 contrast ratio.

It also eliminates the rainbow effect that happens with single lasers and a color wheel. The $3,300 Hisense PX1-Pro and $3,500 Vava Chroma are some of the few other models in this price range with a triple laser engine – others (LG’s CineBeam HU915QB, the Samsung LSP9T and AWOL Vision LTV-3500) are $5,000 and up.

Steve Dent/Engadget

The Formovie Theater is also the only model for sale in the US with official Dolby Vision certification. As you probably know, Dolby Vision is an advanced form of HDR (high dynamic range) that uses dynamic metadata programmed by content creators on a frame-by-frame basis. To that end, brightness, color and contrast levels are generally superior to the HDR10 found on most projectors.

Keep in mind that projectors, even the latest UST models, generally aren’t as bright as 4K TVs – so you lose some impact of Dolby Vision. However, the Formovie can display more colors than any TV and even most monitors out there, so you do get the HDR benefit of a wide gamut and billions of colors. Other models like Samsung’s Premiere support HDR10+, which is similar to Dolby Vision but much less widely supported.

Another key feature is Android TV 11.0 support. Unlike with some other projectors, it supports 4K and Dolby Vision HDR streaming, so you can get the most out of Disney+, Apple TV+ and other supported services. It also comes with YouTube and numerous other apps, along with Google Assistant voice control. And you get a decent remote to access all that content, adjust picture settings and more.

You’ll notice that I didn’t mention Netflix there. As it stands, the Netflix app isn’t supported by Formovie’s Android TV implementation. “At this time we are negotiating with the Netflix team, however, we can't commit that Netflix will work on our device in the near future,” a spokesperson told me. Sure, you can use a $30-50 4K streaming stick, which I did, but it’s unfortunate that the world’s most popular streaming service isn’t available natively.

Steve Dent/Engadget

Other than that, however, the Android TV experience is good, with every other streaming app (Disney+, Prime Video, YouTube, etc.) working well. It has Chromecast built-in so you can cast from your phone, tablet or PC. The remote is basic but functional, with dedicated buttons for YouTube and Google Assistant. The latter can be activated by the usual “Hey, Google” command that’s picked up by the projector’s far-field microphone.

In any case, Formovie is still ahead of some rivals in terms of its smart TV implementation. Optoma’s latest UST projector, the CinemaX D2, only offers smart TV features through an external dongle, for which they charge a cool $200.

It comes with three HDMI inputs at the back, including one with eARC enhanced audio capabilities. It also offers SPDIF digital output, a 3.5mm line out, two USB-A ports and an ethernet input. The 42-millisecond lag time (according to Projector Central), is sufficient for light gaming, but not anything beyond that.

Finally, the Formovie Theater has a fairly impressive audio implementation. The built-in speakers are tuned by HiFi company Bower & Wilkins, and it supports Dolby Atmos surround sound if you have a compatible soundbar or 5.1 system.

Image and sound quality

Steve Dent/engadget

Setting up the Formovie Projector was fairly straightforward on my 100-inch ALR screen. At that size, the bottom of the screen sits 14.6 inches from the bottom of the projector at a distance of just nine inches away. Once the projector is roughly in place, you use the thumbwheel controls on the feet to level it front to back and side to side. It’s best to avoid keystone correction as it can distort the picture, but it’s there if needed. Some focus adjustment may be required the first time you use it, but it’s best to wait until the projector has warmed up.

I had high expectations for the Formovie Theater’s image quality, and I wasn’t disappointed. I started by testing it in an environment with daylight coming in to see how it would function as a TV substitute.

With just “Movie” mode selected in SDR (standard dynamic range) mode, I saw a vibrant 4K image with natural-looking colors and accurate skin tones. Sharpness was good, though not quite up to what I’ve seen with Samsung’s much more expensive Premiere models. It’s likely that the lens (a critical piece of gear on a UST projector) isn’t quite as good, though something obviously has to give on a projector costing less than half as much.

Color accuracy is lower “Sport” or “Vivid” modes, but they offer the most brightness and highest contrast levels, well over 3,000:1 – the best of any UST projector. So these are good settings for watching regular cable TV, sports and so on, even with a fair amount of ambient light coming in. Other settings include “Standard,” “Game” and “Child,” designed to work well for kids’ shows and cartoons.

Steve Dent/Engadget

Next, I switched over to Dolby Vision mode, with the projector displaying the Dolby Vision logo when it detects a source. I found it best to use this mode with the room as dark as possible.

I watched desaturated scenes of Netflix’s Queen’s Gambit, detailed segments in Prime Video’s LOTR: Rings of Power and the bright and punchy F1: Drive to Survive from Netflix. I also watched MIB International, Thor: Ragnarok, Loki, and other movies and series, along with Aquaman and Earth on Blu-ray UltraHD.

Right out of the box, colors in Dolby Vision HDR mode looked accurate through a variety of sources, with much better detail in the shadows and bright sections than in SDR mode. Colorful scenes in MIB International and Earth showed off the wide range of colors and gamut available. Skin tones were pleasing and colors generally looked accurate. However, contrast was slightly reduced compared to the SDR. Another very small issue is that very bright scenes lacked detail, possibly because the projector isn’t tone-mapping them correctly.

I also looked at HDR10 content from Prime Video (which mostly supports HDR10 and HDR10+, and offers just a few Dolby Vision shows), including Bosch and The Boys, along with some 4K HDR10 YouTube content from Mystery Box. Again, Everything looked very punchy and bright, with colors that seemed to pop out of the screen.

Steve Dent/Engadget

The Formovie Theater has a slight blue bias out of the box, but it has a wide array of controls to correct that (white balance, grayscale and a Color Management System). Using an Xrite i1 Display Pro, I was able to get a nearly perfect white level, but frankly, it was a tiny adjustment – something hard to see by eye. However, you should definitely turn on the “Color Space” mode (it’s off by default) or it won’t read the correct gamut from your source.

As for audio quality, the Formovie’s sound was crisp and free of any distortion, matching some soundbars I’ve heard. Dialogue was clear, whether from deep or high voices, so I never missed any key moments. It even offers good soundstage that projects out to fill out the large screen.

It lacked bass as you’d expect, but overall, sound was surprisingly good for built-in speakers. I’d imagine that most people springing for a product like this would also invest in a 5.1 home theater setup to get the best out of the projector’s Dolby Atmos support – but the Formovie’s speakers do the job very well if you don’t.

Wrap-up

Steve Dent/Engadget

The $3,000 Formovie Theater offers features and image quality not found in any other UST projector even remotely in this price range. With a triple-laser engine and Dolby Vision, it delivers a bright picture, high contrast and accurate colors. And if you’re not quite satisfied with the picture right out of the box, there are a wide range of controls to adjust and calibrate it.

When you’re not in movie purist mode, it’s also a great projector to use with some daylight streaming in for sports and regular TV. And the audio capabilities are a strong bonus, giving you a very minimalist setup if you don’t feel like splurging on a 5.1 surround sound system. The main disadvantages are the lack of Netflix support and a slightly noisy fan.

Best of all, the pricing is on the low end for a UST projector, and spending an extra couple of thousand dollars doesn’t give you a lot more. In fact, if you really want Dolby Vision, the Formovie Theater is the only UST projector option available.

On November 2nd, the original Mario Party game and its sequel will be available on Nintendo's Switch Online service. The games were first released in the late 90's for the N64 and feature board games with various themes that you can play together with up to four friends. Like with every board game, you roll a dice to advance. At the end of each turn, you play a mini-game — some of them are are solo games, but others make you cooperate with or play against friends. Or CPU-powered bots... in case you don't have anybody to play with. The first Mario Party has 56 different mini-games you can play, while the second one has 65, including duel mini-games that weren't available in the debut title. 

Although these two will be available on the service within a couple of weeks, Nintendo has lined up several more N64 games for addition. In 2023, the gaming giant will add Mario Party 3 to Switch Online's selection, along with Pokémon Stadium and Pokémon Stadium 2, which are strategy games that don't have storylines. Since all the titles we've mentioned so far were originally released for N64, that means you'll need a Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription to be able to access them. The tier will set you back $50 for an individual membership. That's just a bit more than $4 a month, which is also what the basic subscription costs, except you'll have to pay for a year-long membership at once. 

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