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Broadcom's mega $61 billion VMware acquisition has closed following considerable scrutiny by regulators, the company announced in a press release. With China recently granting approval for the acquisition with added restrictions, the network chip manufacturer had secured all the required approvals. 

"Broadcom has received legal merger clearance in Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, the European Union, Israel, Japan, South Africa, South Korea, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and foreign investment control clearance in all necessary jurisdictions," the company said. "We are excited to welcome VMware to Broadcom and bring together our engineering-first, innovation-centric teams."

The Broadcom/VMware deal lacked the glamour of tech's other mega acquisition involving Microsoft and Activision. However, San Jose-based Broadcom's products form the structure of much of the internet, as they're widely used for data centers, cloud providers and network infrastructure. VMware, meanwhile, makes virtualization and cloud computing software that allows corporations to safely link local networks with public cloud access. 

That made VMware a logical target for Broadcom, but it also placed the acquisition in the crosshairs of regulators in multiple regions. The European Commission, for one, was concerned that Broadcom could harm competition by limiting interoperability between rival hardware and VMware's server virtualization software. It also worried the company could either prevent or degrade access to VMware's software, or bundle VMware with its own hardware products.

Broadcom gained EU approval for the deal in the summer though, mainly by providing IP access and source code for key network fiber optic components to its main rival, Marvell. The EU also concluded that fears of VMware bundling were unfounded and that Broadcom would still face competition in the storage adapter and NIC markets. 

There were also concerns that tensions between China and the US could scuttle the deal, after the Biden administration announced new rules in October making it harder to export high-end chips to China. However, approval in that market was announced yesterday, with conditions imposed by China on how Broadcom sells products locally. Namely, it had to ensure that VMware's server software was interoperable with rival hardware, China's regulator said in a statement. 

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Google has updated the Bard AI chatbot so you can have deeper and more meaningful conversations with it when it comes to YouTube videos. In its most recent experiment update log, the company has announced that it has expanded the capabilities of Bard's YouTube extension so that when it's enabled, the generative AI can "understand some video content." For example, Google said you'd be able to ask Bard how many eggs were used in a video for an olive oil cake recipe. As Android Authority suggested, you'll also likely be able to ask it for the name of specific tools in DIY videos. For food reviews, Bard may be able to tell you where certain restaurants discussed in videos are located, or where a specific cuisine came from. 

Bard first gained the ability to pull data from YouTube in September after an update that integrates it with other Google products, including Docs, Maps, Lens, Flights and Hotels. It couldn't parse a video's contents, however, and couldn't answer detailed questions about it. Google said it rolled out this update because it "heard you want deeper engagement with YouTube videos." It also said that it has just taken the "first steps in Bard's ability to understand YouTube videos," which indicates that the technology could better analyze videos on the platform in the future. To be able to chat with Bard about YouTube videos, you'll have to enable the YouTube extension on the chatbot's web portal.  

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Japanese EV automaker HW Electro (HWE) says its delightfully boxy Puzzle will come to the US in 2025. More “kei van” than kei car, the electric vehicle has rooftop solar panels and equipment for commercial disaster relief (including a crowbar!). But it could be equally appealing for those wanting an EV with maxed-out charm and a minimal environmental footprint. It’s on track to be HWE’s first vehicle available in the US market.

HW Electro CEO Xiao Weicheng said that the Puzzle “embodies HWE’s core values of sustainability, connectivity and social contribution.” Its solar panels mean owners could perhaps drive it for much longer than typical EVs without plugging in. It also includes emergency features like power outlets, photovoltaic panels, built-in WiFi, USB ports, a first aid kit and a crowbar. Notably, these features are all on the vehicle’s exterior.

As reported by The Independent and Electrek, HWE unveiled the Puzzle micro-van at the 2023 Japan Mobility Show before teasing 2025 US availability this week in New York. “With Puzzle, a new world begins,” Weicheng predicted.

The EV, currently still in the concept stage, has a two-person cabin and looks strikingly smaller than the gargantuan EVs Americans are growing accustomed to. The Puzzle aligns with Japan’s regulatory definition of a kei car, ideal for tight or crowded roadways and cramped parking spots. The vehicle has 15-inch wheels, and it’s over six feet tall, nearly five feet wide and over 11 feet long. It has a cargo capacity of 770 lbs and sliding rear doors for easy cargo management. Its sole passenger seat folds down to boost its hauling capacity (and can double as a work surface when not in use).

HWE hasn’t yet revealed the Puzzle’s price or max speed. Auto Evolution reports that its lithium iron phosphate battery will offer a 125-mile range.

It’s hard to predict what America’s EV market will look like by the time the Puzzle arrives in 2025. Although sales are growing, consumer demand has fallen behind auto industry projections, leaving room for uncertainty as the world tries to avoid climate change’s most catastrophic scenarios.

A subscription to the streaming service Peacock is discounted this Black Friday to only $2 per month, down from the regular price of $6 per month. Peacock Premium gives subscribers access to over 80,000 hours of content and it will also include live sporting events and access to 50 always-on channels. To get the monthly discount, you have to enter the code BIGDEAL at checkout.

If you're not interested in being tied to a monthly payment, you can instead pay $20 upfront for access to one year of the streaming service. Traditionally, to get Peacock Premium, you would have to pay $60 annually. To get the discounted yearly rate, you have to enter the code YEARLONG at checkout.

The codes are only valid between November 22 and the 27th. Since launching, Peacock has accumulated over 20 million subscribers and for good reason. It offers a variety of classics, from Dreamworks’ Shrek films, to hit reality TV shows like Love Island. The streaming service has been expanding its titles, with a new season of Dr. Death arriving in December and a prequel series to the Ted films from Seth MacFarlane set to premiere in the new year. Peacock has been trying to set itself apart from the competition with offerings like next-day streaming of Bravo shows. A subscription could be a holiday treat for yourself or a loved one — the flash monthly sale is hard to beat, especially with streaming prices rising as much as they have been recently.

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

Hulu is offering an enormous discount on its ad-supported plan for Black Friday. The streaming service will give you a year of Hulu (With Ads) for a mere $12. The plan typically costs $80 annually, giving you 85 percent off. Hulu’s Black Friday sale is live now and runs through the end of the day on November 28.

Hulu offers films, current-season episodes of popular broadcast television series and older TV. In addition, the Disney-owned service has original programming, like The Bear, Only Murders in the Building and The Handmaid’s Tale. Remember that the $12 Black Friday sale only applies to the version with advertisements, which doesn’t allow downloaded content for offline viewing.

New subscribers and former members who canceled their plan at least a month ago can take advantage of the Black Friday deal. Everyone who redeems it will pay directly to the streamer (rather than through an app storefront) and convert to a full-priced ($8 monthly) ad-supported plan at the end of 12 months. Hulu also offers an optional Starz add-on for $1 monthly for all new and existing subscribers.

If you're more interested in other streaming services, plenty of competitors are offering Black Friday deals at the moment. Max has dropped the monthly price of its ad-supported plan to $3 for the first six months, while Black Friday deals from Paramount+ start at $2 per month for the Essential tier. Peacock, meanwhile, is offering new subscribers access starting at $2 per month for the first year, or you can pay for one year upfront and only be charged $20.

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

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for just $40 as part of a larger Black Friday event. That’s 40 percent off and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the streaming stick. This deal is for the latest and greatest model, with support for Wi-Fi 6E and enough juice to stream live TV without cable.

What else is new with Amazon’s latest streaming stick? The Fire TV Stick 4K Max boasts twice the storage of the previous version, 16GB compared to 8GB, for holding onto downloaded content. It also accesses free live TV streams, which is nice, and includes a fairly powerful 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, which should make for snappy controls.

The streaming stick was first unveiled at Amazon’s September hardware event, and it offers support for HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and more. It goes without saying that this thing also streams in 4K, as it’s right there in the name. You also get access to the company’s new Fire TV Ambient Experience, which displays useful information like family calendars, reminders, local weather forecasts and more.

It’s the week of Black Friday, so this isn’t the only streaming stick Amazon’s selling at a discount. You can snag the standard Fire TV Stick for just $20, a savings of 50 percent. Despite being a relatively bare-bones product when compared to the Max, it still offers FHD streaming and ships with an Alexa voice remote.

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

Amazon has a hefty price cut on the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad Pro / Air. The Black Friday sale drops the (typically $299) accessory’s price to $199. That’s the lowest we’ve seen on the accessory that transforms the tablet into a pseudo-laptop with keys and a trackpad.

Initially launched in 2020, the Apple Magic Keyboard for iPad provides an easy and seamless way to jump between tablet and laptop(-ish) modes. Attach your iPad magnetically to the accessory’s back (it appears to “float”), and Apple’s software immediately recognizes it for typing and cursor control — no Bluetooth pairing or cables required. Engadget recommended it as one of the best iPad accessories.

Its (scissor mechanism) keys feel similar to those of recent Mac keyboards, and its trackpad, although smaller than those on MacBooks, gives you desktop-like cursor control and swipe-based multitasking gestures in iPadOS. The accessory supports USB-C passthrough charging, so you can juice up your iPad while plugging an external drive or monitor into the tablet’s port. The accessory is available in black and white.

This model is only compatible with recent iPad Pro and iPad Air models. Specifically, it supports the 11-inch iPad Pro (1st generation through the current 4th-gen model) and iPad Air (4th and 5th generations). If you have the 12.9-inch iPad Pro, there’s a separate Magic Keyboard model for it that’s also on sale: You can grab that one for $299 (it’s usually $349).

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

Teenage Engineering is a company that follows its own path. It’ll release a $250 toy car one day and a full-featured groovebox/sampler for $300 on the very next day. That’s what happened this week. Teenage Engineering just surprise-launched the EP-133 K.O. II, a portable sampler/groovebox that's feature-rich, looks absolutely stunning and costs just $300. You read that cost right. 

The only musical instruments in TE’s lineup that approach this price point is its catalog of Pocket Operator portable synthesizers, so it’s no surprise that this is a direct followup to the best one, the PO-33 KO sampler. The original Pocket Operators were marketed as something of a toy, despite being surprisingly robust, but the EP-133 K.O. II is being advertised as a workstation. This is a fairly large, but still portable, device that more closely resembles an Akai standalone machine. It won’t fit in your pocket, but will fit in your bag.

Let’s go over some specs. The K.O. II boasts 64MB of memory, which isn’t a lot, but TE products typically come with some tradeoff. It’ll be enough for a bunch of samples and a few projects, though, which the company says was intentional. Teenage Engineering co-founder and hardware lead David Eriksson told The Verge that if the sampler had too much storage it would “give the user the option to finish later” instead of completing a song in one-go. Will nobody think of the poor musicians out there who love starting things and hate finishing things? Asking for a friend.

Teenage Engineering

There are 999 slots for samples, as a matter of fact, and an internal microphone for making your own. Though this is, first and foremost, a sampler, it ships pre-filled with drum hits, synths and other sounds so you can get straight to work. It connects via USB-C for loading samples from a computer or MIDI devices. The K.O. II is also portable, running off of four AAA batteries. In other words, there’s no internal rechargeable battery, but that $300 price tag had to come about somehow.

The unit features a traditional 3.5mm headphone jack and the most important buttons and knobs are orange, to help musicians find them during live sets in dark, smoky clubs. That’s a nice touch. The device itself is gorgeous, with a handsome panel of buttons, knobs and connectors. The keys are clicky and, more importantly, velocity sensitive. There’s a rectangular LED screen up top that boasts similar design language to the OP-1 and OP-1 Field portable synthesizers.

Teenage Engineering hopes this product will attract newbies to the world of music-making, so the workflow is designed for simplicity, a trait shared with its forebear. Despite that caveat, this is a powerful instrument that should lure in professionals and amateurs alike. It features 12 mono and 6 stereo voice polyphony, stereo/mono sampling at 46.875 kHz/16-bit, 12 pressure-sensitive pads, 6 built-in FX sends with a punch-in mode, a master compressor and both manual and automatic sample slicing tools. It also looks really cool, like an accounting calculator from the future.

The EP-133 K.O. II is available today and, again, costs $300. The day before Thanksgiving is an odd time to release a new piece of hardware, but Teenage Engineering is based in Sweden, so what does it care? It’s worth noting that this is the first dedicated music-making machine the company has released since last year's OP-1 Field.