Our current favorite budget robot vacuum is $95 off its usual price at Amazon right now. iRobot's Roomba 694 usually retails for $274 but is seeing a 35 percent discount, putting it just $4 above its all-time low of $174, which the vac dipped to in advance of Black Friday. If you've been curious about automated floor cleaning, but were waiting for a good deal, now might be a great time to see whether a robot vac is for you. We've tested a number of these machines over the years and this model is our current "best overall" pick in our budget robot vacuum guide.
What really sets the Roomba 694 apart from other budget vacuums is the easy-to-use app. While the unit has three physical buttons that allow you to start, stop and dock the unit, you'll mostly be controlling it through the app via a WiFi connection and your smartphone. After following the setup instructions, you can set schedules so the vac runs regularly and keeps your floors clean with minimal input on your part.
The 694 can run for 90 minutes on hard floors, but we got about half that using the vac on a mixed landscape of carpet and tile. It automatically returns to the dock when the battery runs low, so it can handle larger homes with a pit stop to recharge. We found the Roomba 694 did a good job picking up dirt and debris, but it did get tripped up if charging cables were left on the floor. Getting those out of the way and emptying the unit when it's full are two of the times you'll need to physically interact with the unit. Keep in mind that this one doesn't come with extra brushes, you'll need to order them when the time comes.
If you want to interact with your robot vac even less frequently, you could opt for a self-emptying model, like the iRobot Roomba j7+. You also get better obstacle detection and customized room mapping options. Of course you'll pay more for these upgrades, but right now the j7+ is 25 percent off, bringing the $800 unit down to $600. The Roomba s9+ is also on sale. It's our current pick for a premium robot vacuum in our guide, and right now the $1,000 unit is down to $800, or 20 percent off.
Smartphones may mean never having to ask for directions, but it can still be tricky to relay exactly where you are at any given moment to friends and family trying to find you. iPhone users can share their current location using Messages, Apple Maps, Google Maps and Apple’s Find My app. While Apple makes it easiest to share locations with other iPhone users, there are a number of ways to send your position to someone who uses an Android device as well. We covered four different methods in the steps below, along with a way to share from your Mac and how to stop sharing your location when you need to.
How to share your location using Messages
This might be the easiest method, as you’re probably already texting the person with which you want to share your location. To text someone exactly where you are, follow these steps:
1. Open a conversation in Messages and tap the recipient’s name/image at the top of the screen.
2. Tap Send My Current Location.
3. A map thumbnail of your location will immediately appear in your conversation.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
If your recipient has an iPhone and they tap the map, an info screen will open with an option to get directions via Apple Maps. If your recipient does not have an iPhone, they will receive an Apple Maps link that will open in their browser.
If you want to share your location for a longer period of time:
1. Tap on your recipient’s name/image in your Messages conversation.
2. Tap on Share My Location.
3. Choose Share for One Hour, Share Until End of Day or Share Indefinitely (which remains active until you turn sharing off).
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
4. They will receive a notification that you are sharing your location with them and you will be added to their Find My app.
Just keep in mind that this only works with other iPhone users.
How to quickly share your home address in Messages
If you have your address saved under your own contact, you can send your home address via Messages by typing the words “my address is” Messages will auto-suggest your home address to fill in. This also sends your address as a link your recipient can tap on to open their default map app.
How to share your location using the Find My app
Find My lets you locate your Apple devices as well as other iPhone users. The app is a combination of two former Apple offerings, Find My iPhone and Find My Friends. As you may expect, this also only works with other iPhone users.
Tap on the Find My app from your home screen.
Tap on People on the bottom left.
Tap the + symbol at the top of the list of contacts.
Select Share My Location from the pop-up box.
Type the name of the person you want to share your location with. Note that only your contacts with iPhones or email addresses will appear.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
6. Tap the name of the contact and tap send. Select whether you want to share for an hour, the rest of the day or indefinitely until you turn location sharing off.
7. You’ll receive a pop up box that says you’ve started sharing your location and your recipient will receive a notification that you’ve shared your location with them and your information will appear in their Find My app.
A note about satellite location sharing
Currently, all iPhone 14 models have the ability to both message with emergency services and share your location when you are outside of cellular coverage areas. That means you can send your location via the Find My app even when you are off the grid. You can read more about the limitations and other factors in Apple’s press release.
How to Share your location using Family Sharing
Family Sharing is an Apple service that allows you to share things like subscriptions, media purchases and photo albums with up to five people in your family. This is also another way to let your family know where you are.
Go to Settings then tap your Apple ID, iCloud+, Media & Purchases button at the top.
Tap on Family Sharing.
Choose the friends or family members you want to use Family Sharing with from the list (note that Family sharing only works with other iPhones).
Tap the blue arrow to send. Your recipients will receive a text invitation to join Family Sharing.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
5. Once you are sharing with someone, you can enable Location Sharing at the bottom of the Family Sharing menu (Settings > Apple ID > Family Sharing).
6. Tap on Location Sharing at the bottom of the screen.
7. You’ll see an information panel about Family Sharing and your location. Tap Share Location.
8. The next time you tap Location Sharing from the Family Sharing menu, you’ll be directed to a screen that allows you to toggle location sharing on and off.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
9. People who are connected with you through Family Sharing (provided you have location sharing toggled on) will be able to see you in the Find My app and in your profile panel in Messages.
How to share your location using Google Maps
You can also share your whereabouts directly from the apps that many people use for navigation. To send a location via Google Maps, you’ll need to be logged in with your Google account within the Maps app. Once you’ve logged in, follow these steps to start location sharing:
Open the Google Maps app on your iPhone.
Tap on your account image in the upper right corner.
Tap Location sharing.
You’ll see a location sharing information panel. Tap the Share Location button.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
5. From here, you can choose to share with your contacts from within Google by selecting a duration and the icon of the person you want to share with. Your recipient will receive a Google Maps notification (provided they have Google Maps installed and notifications turned on for that app). They will also receive an email with a link to view your location on Google Maps.
6. Alternatively, you can tap More Options below your contacts to share your location with a link.
7. You’ll see a pop-up window asking if you want to share with a link. Tap Share.
8. Select from the suggested contacts (the small icon at the lower right of each contact’s image indicates which method will be used to send the link). Or select an app, such as Messages or Gmail to open those apps and enter your contact’s information.
9. Your contact will receive a link via the method you chose. When they tap the link it will take them to the Google Maps app (if they have it installed) or to Google Maps within the browser.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
How to share your location using Apple Maps
If you prefer using Apple Maps for navigation, here’s how to use the app to send your location details:
Open Apple Maps
Tap the arrowhead icon to center the map on your current location.
Drag up on the panel at the lower half of the screen.
Scroll down to Share My Location and tap.
Choose the person you want to share your location with from the suggestions menu or choose an app, such as Messages or Mail. You can add a comment if you want, and press the blue send arrow.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
6. If you choose to send via Messages, your recipient will receive a map thumbnail of your location. If they tap that, it will open their Apple Maps app. If they don’t have Apple Maps, your location will open using Apple Maps in their browser.
How to share your location using a Mac
Click Launchpad from the Dock.
Open the Find My app.
Click on Share My Location in the lower left corner.
Type in the name of the person you want to share with. Similarly to the Find My app on an iPhone, the Find My app on a Mac can only share your location with other Apple devices.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
5. Your recipient will receive a notification that you’ve shared your location with them and your information will appear in their Find My app.
Troubleshooting location sharing
If you’re having trouble sharing your location, make sure Location Services is on for the app you want to use.
Go to Settings.
Tap on Privacy & Security.
Tap on Location Services.
Make sure Location Services is toggled on.
Ensure the app you want to use is set to While Using.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
How to stop sharing your location
If you’ve shared your location for a duration of time through Find My, Family Sharing or Google Maps, you can stop sharing at any point. If you’ve shared using a one time link to your location, via Messages, Apple Maps or the link option in Google Maps, you can’t undo that action, just as you can’t unsend a text or an email.
Via Find My: Open the Find My app and tap the name of the person you want to stop sharing with. Drag up on their info panel and tap Stop Sharing My Location.
Via Family Sharing: Open Family Sharing by opening Settings and tapping your Apple ID panel at the top of the Settings menu. Tap Family Sharing then Location Sharing and toggle off Automatically Share Location.
Via Google Maps: Open the Google Maps app and tap on your profile image at the top right. Tap Location sharing. You’ll see a list of people you’ve shared with. Tap the person you want to stop sharing with, then tap the Stop button at the bottom of the screen.
The Fitbit Charge 5 just dropped back down to its all-time-low price of $100. That's the same price we saw for Black Friday and a tidy $50 discount off its usual $150. We named the Charge 5 the best overall tracker in our 2023 guide and gave it an 82 in our review when the wearable debuted. Right now only the graphite case and black band combo is discounted to $100. Both the white and gold version and the blue band with the platinum case are 13 percent off, bringing those down to $130 each.
The GPS features on the Charge 5 are particularly impressive, giving you fast and accurate data on your runs and hikes. Since it's not a smartwatch, it's got a slimmer design and the battery lasts far longer, granting two and half days on a single charge in our tests — and that's with the always-on display enabled and daily GPS usage. The bright full-color AMOLED touchscreen display is a real improvement over the Charge 4, and while the Charge 5 isn't a smartwatch, you'll still get text and other notifications from your phone, plus contactless payment with Fitbit pay.
Where the Charge 5 really excels is as a health and fitness tracker. It will monitor your activity, sleep, stress levels and heart rate, giving you more in-depth data about all of it in the Fitbit companion app. The optional Fitbit Premium isn't necessarily required for the Charge 5, but it is the only way to access certain metrics like your daily "readiness score" as well as guided workouts and meditations. The subscription is currently $10 per month and a six month membership is included with your purchase of the tracker, so you can get a feel for whether the service is for you or not.
If you're looking to spend even less on a tracker, it's worth mentioning the Fitbit Inspire 3, which is our current favorite budget tracker, is on sale for $80. That's not the lowest price we've seen, but it's close. Probably the biggest feature missing from the Inspire 3 is built-in GPS, so you'll need to bring your phone along for GPS connectivity. But the tracker will still give you plenty of data about your daily activities and nightly sleep.
When we weren't distracted by all the cool stuff at CES, we found some pretty great deals on tech that you can buy right now. Amazon's just-released Kindle Scribe, with both reading and writing capabilities, saw its first-ever discount and Razer discounted many of their 2022 Blade 15 gaming laptops by $400. Not surprisingly for the new year, fitness tech saw some decent discounts, with both the Beats Fit Pro earbuds and the Fitbit Inspire 3 seeing 20 percent discounts. There were a few deals on storage cards, both from Samsung and a Switch Online subscription bundle with a SanDisk card, making this a good time to add some capacity to your cameras and handhelds. The Apple Watch Ultra also saw a $50 discount. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Amazon Kindle Scribe
Amazon's Kindle Scribe came out just over a month ago but is already seeing its first discount. This is Amazon's latest top-of-the-line e-reader that also allows you to take notes with an included stylus. Depending on the configuration, you can save between $45 and $60 on the list price right now. The base model with 16GB of storage and Amazon's "Basic Pen" is down to $295 from its usual $340. If you'd like that unit with the premium version of the stylus, which includes an on-board eraser function and a shortcut button, you'll pay $320, or $50 off the going rate.
If you think you'll need more storage than the 16GB provides, the 32GB model is $335 instead of $390 and the 64GB model is down to $360 from its usual $420. Both of the higher capacity models come with the Premium Pen. All models include the option of four months of Amazon's Kindle Unlimited service at not extra charge, which gives you access to the entire Kindle library of audio and e-books as long as you're paying for the service. Note that the subscription will auto-renew after four months (currently $10 per month) so be sure to cancel if you decide you don't want to pay for the service.
Beats Fit Pro earbuds
If getting in shape is on your list of to-dos for 2023, a new pair of activity-focused earbuds might be in order. Right now the Beats Fit Pro are down to $160, which is the same 20 percent discount the buds saw for Black Friday. We named them the best best earbuds for workouts in our earbuds guide and this deal matches the lowest price we've seen yet. They've got plenty of sweat resistance, along with a secure fit that stays put as you move. As an Apple product, they've been given many of the benefits of AirPods, like easy pairing, hands-free Siri and audio sharing. But they'll work well with Android phones too.
Nintendo Switches have been a popular holiday gift since their debut. If you got yours this year, you can add Nintendo's Switch Online service, plus some extra storage for a tidy 43% discount. Both Amazon and Best Buy have bundled a 12-month Switch Online family plan with a 256GB SanDisk microSDXC card for just $50. That's an officially licensed Switch microSD card and usually runs for $35 on its own. A year-long family membership to Nintendo's online service usually goes for $35 on its own, so this deal is really about the storage card. It also usually retails for $35, so with the bundle you're essentially getting a year of Switch Online plus a 256GB microSD card for just $15. Keep an eye on your subscription if you don't want to auto renew, it's set to do just that by default.
Google Nest WiFi Pro router
Two big things have happened in smart home connectivity recently, the opening of the 6Hz wireless band and Matter support. But you'll need devices that are designed to work with those advancements, like Google's newest mesh WiFi routers. Right now Nest WiFi Pro routers are on sale for their lowest price ever, with a 20 percent discount off of all four colors. That brings a single router down to $160 instead of $200. Note that only the white colorway is available in a multi-pack, so if you need three units in, say, the Lemongrass color, you'll need to add three units to your cart instead of clicking on the three-pack bundle — you'll still get the 20 percent savings.
These Nest routers provide access to the potentially faster and less congested 6E WiFi band, which many newer smartphones and some smart home devices are set up to access. They'll also act as Matter hubs, allowing Matter-enabled devices to connect and work together harmoniously. Matter support has already rolled out to many of the newer Google, Amazon and Apple devices, with more brands coming on board soon.
Samsung Pro Plus MicroSD card
Here's a great deal on a useful item for your cameras, phones and gaming handhelds. Samsung's 256GB Pro Plus microSD card has hit an all-time-low price of just $22.50, down from its usual $38. As with many microSD cards, this includes an adapter so you can transfer data from devices with different sized SD slots. The 256GB size can hold up to 15 hours of 4K video or more than 100,000 4K still images. The larger 512GB card is also on sale, for an even steeper 55 percent discount. That brings the storage card down to $50, instead of its usual $110.
Fitbit Inspire 3
For some people, fitness trackers really do help them stick to goals and keep up their activity levels. (The reminder to take a break from standing or sitting all day is something I certainly rely on.) Here's a deal on our favorite budget option, the Fitbit Inspire 3. Right now at Amazon, the wearable is down to $80, which is just $10 above its Black Friday prices, and $20 off its usual $100 sticker price.
We included the Inspire 3 in our fitness tracker guide because it provides excellent activity tracking along with automatic workout detection and smartphone alerts. True, it won't give you GPS tracking for a run or hike, and there's no music control or on-board payment capabilities like more expensive devices offer, but for a tracker with Fitbit's robust activity monitoring and coaching, it's a good buy. It's also a great looking wearable, especially with its interchangeable bands.
Razer Blade 15
At CES, Razer unveiled their upcoming 16- and 18-inch Blade models. Those are expected in the first quarter of this year and will start at $2,700 for the base configurations. But if you don't necessarily need the latest release, you can save $400 on a few configurations of 2022 Razer Blade 15 laptops with 12th-gen Intel processors. We think these are some of the best premium gaming laptops out there and said so in our latest laptop guide.
The version of the Razer's Blade 15 that we recommend combines bleeding-edge performance and speedy graphics, all wrapped up in a sleek and sturdy aluminum chassis. Usually $3,000, both Amazon and Razer are offering it for $2,600, or 13 percent off the list price. You get a 240Hz QHD display with a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and an Intel i7-12800H processor under the hood. It comes with 16GB of dual-channel slotted (upgradable) memory and 1TB of SSD, with an open M.2 slot.
You can also save on a version with Razer's new 240Hz OLED laptop screen, RTX 3070 Ti graphics plus a slightly faster Intel i9 processor. It's on sale at both Amazon and Razer for $400 off, bringing the price down to $2,900. Or go for the fully loaded unit we tried out in our review. It's also $400 off at Razer's site, bringing the price down from $3,700 to a slightly more managable $3,300. It's got a 12th-gen Intel i7-12800H processor, a faster RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, and the quad-HD 240Hz display.
Apple Watch Ultra
Apple's most premium smartwatch doesn't see a ton of discounts, having only debuted last September but right now the Ultra is down to $749 at Amazon. The lowest price we've seen so far was $739, so this isn't an all-time low, but still a chance to save $50 on a high-end wearable. We gave it an 85 in our review, calling out its durable build, great battery life and suite of geo-locating features that help you to never get lost. While we did note that it's got a large build and weighs a bit more than a typical watch, it was surprisingly comfortable and didn't feel clunky.
The Ultra has tons of activity and tracking features for athletes and adventurers and a bright, always on display with built-in GPS guidance. There's also health and safety features like crash detection and heart monitoring. Since the watch comes with cellular connectivity, you can even make calls and texts, so you can leave your phone behind on the next adventure.
To be clear, I still own a car. While I might wish I were hardcore enough to live car-free, I’m not. But instead of owning two or more vehicles (like most American households do), my family now just has one. We bought the RadRunner Plus from Rad Power Bikes after we sold our second car, but I should note that two factors made that move feasible: My husband and I both started working from home, and we moved to a neighborhood that’s only a three-minute walk from our kid’s school. So if I feel a touch of pride in swapping a car for an e-bike, I realize I’m in a fortunate situation that doesn’t apply to everyone.
That said, this bike is rad. It’s fun to ride, it can carry a lot of cargo and takes on hills with seemingly zero effort. I feel like what keeps more people from adopting the bike as a routine form of transport are sweatiness and cargo space. No one wants to show up wherever they’re going looking like they just got out of a sauna, and most of us need to carry around more stuff than what fits in a small bag. The RadRunner solves both issues. If you don't want to pedal a single stroke, the throttle and 750-watt motor will oblige. If you need space for your kid, your coffee and a bag of groceries, you can configure the bike to handle them all at once (though the accessories are going to cost you).
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Rad Power offers three cargo bikes: the RadRunner 2, the RadRunner Plus and the RadWagon. They all have a 45-mile range, a 750-watt motor and an integrated rear rack. The Runner 2 and the Runner Plus are the same size, while the Wagon has an extended (and noticeable) rear rack. When I was first thinking about investing in an electric bike, I saw someone riding one around town with a huge orange rear rack that provided enough room for two school-age kids on the passenger seat. Turns out that was a RadWagon, and while I ultimately went for the smaller Plus model, I’m glad that my Wagon sighting led me to investigate the brand further.
The decision to go for the smaller model was easy (I don’t have two kids or carry all that much stuff), but deciding between the RadRunner 2 and the RadRunner Plus was a little tougher. The former costs $1,500, which is expensive enough, and the Plus adds another $400 to the sticker price. The biggest difference is probably the drivetrain, with a single speed on the Runner 2 and seven speeds on the Plus. The Plus also comes with a cushioned back seat, fenders, an improved headlamp and a control panel with a display that includes an odometer, current speed, battery life and pedal assist levels (the control panel on the 2 doesn’t have a display). The Plus also comes in silver, and it’s very possible that color was the final deciding factor for me.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Before pushing the buy button, I did take a cursory glance at other brands, but no one else seemed to match the level of enthusiasm Rad Power owners put into their reviews. I also liked the large number of accessories they offer. (I’m a sucker for accessories.) Case in point, I bought the front basket, the center console and a basic milk crate and some bolts from Amazon for the back basket, since Rad Power seems to always be out of theirs. I haven’t installed the front basket yet (it requires some light brake rewiring and I just haven’t gotten around to it). The center console is cool, especially the cup holder part, but it negates the sideways step-in benefit of the moped-style frame, so I don’t use it often. So far, the rear milk crate is what I get the most use out of. For kid transport, I got the Thule kid’s seat which fits kids up to 40 pounds, and a grab bar to use with the padded passenger seat once he outgrows the Thule.
Assembly is straightforward with an easy video that walks you through installing the front tire, handlebars, headlight and seat. Rad Power recommends consulting a bike repair person to help, but that wasn’t necessary for me. I liked that the battery came charged enough to get a few rides in. After paying $1,800, it would have been a bummer to have to wait to play with my new toy.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Riding it takes a little adjustment if you’re accustomed to a manual road or gravel bike. First of all, your riding position changes. If you tend to adopt the aggressive, forward-leaning bike messenger position, it might feel a little odd to sit so upright. I’ll admit I felt a little “uncool” the first time I rode it. But that feeling disappeared once I started thinking of the Plus as a moped rather than a bike – more like Roman Holiday, less like Miss Gulch.
The motor kicks in after a half turn of the pedals and you can increase your pedal assist from the light push of a level one to a very zippy level four. There’s also the throttle, which pushes you along with zero pedaling on your part. I find that I use the throttle most after coming to a full stop, particularly at intersections. It engages immediately and quickly propels the bike forward, getting me across traffic safely, with none of the slow start up you have to muscle through on a regular bike. Once going, I mostly rely on pedal assist levels two and three to keep the pace. One thing I noticed is that this bike does not coast. That’s not surprising as it weighs over 75 pounds and has 3.3-inch wide tires, but pedaling more or less constantly made me modify my riding style.
Turns are a little different as well. Where you might feel like a cohesive unit on a road bike, leaning into the turns Tour de France-style, on the Plus, turns are a two-step process: you turn the wheel, then you go in that direction. I was a little wobbly at first but here, too, I got the hang of it. With all that power behind you, it’s nice to know the brakes are solid. There were times when I got going around 25 miles per hour, and the brakes brought me to a stop in a way I felt was safe. I should note that after you reach 20 miles per hour, you won’t get any sort of motor assist. That’s because Rad Power bikes are limited to comply with the legal limits for e-bikes in many states.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
In the end, the little differences are just things to get used to, and I got acclimated pretty quickly – especially when facing a 250-foot elevation gain over the course of a ride. I was a little disappointed when I realized the 300-pound weight limit means that my husband and I will never be able to ride the same bike together. Given that I don’t know many couples with a combined weight of under 300 pounds, I feel like this might be true for many adults over 30. Still, this bike has opened up an ideal alternate form of transportation, one in which I can carry lots of cargo plus a kid, while getting only minimally sweaty.
You can now save $400 on one of the best premium gaming laptop out there. The configuration of Razer's Blade 15 we recommend in our latest gaming laptop guide combines bleeding-edge performance and speedy graphics, all wrapped up in a sleek and sturdy aluminum chassis. Usually $3,000, both Amazon and Razer are offering our recommended unit for $2,600, or 13 percent off the list price. That's the lowest price this configuration has seen yet, and while it's still not a cheap laptop, we think you get what you pay for, in a laptop that can game with the best of them.
The quad-HD display is highly responsive with a 240Hz refresh rate, and NVIDIA's GeForce RTX 3070 Ti graphics card is fast enough to keep up. It runs on a 12th-gen Intel i7-12800H processor, a powerful chip that's focused on performance, and offers 16GB of dual-channel slotted (upgradable) memory. Storage is handled with 1TB of SSD, with an open M.2 slot should you want to add more. Windows 11 Home is loaded onto the unit and it has one of the best glass touchpads we've tried on a Windows laptop. The larger keys make the Blade 15 easier to use for both gaming and general productivity. Overall, this model of the Blade 15 not only excels at gaming, it makes for a worthy desktop replacement too.
Other configurations of the Intel 12th-gen Blade 15s are also on sale right now. Razer announced the option to pair up a Blade with the first 240Hz OLED laptop screen earlier last year. If you want that display (with the same RTX 3070 Ti graphics plus a slightly faster Intel i9 processor) it's on sale at both Amazon and Razer for $400 off, bringing the price down to $2,900.
The fully loaded unit we tried out in our hands-on review is also $400 off at Razer's site, bringing the $3,700 monster down to $3,300. It's got a 12th-gen Intel i7-12800H processor, a faster RTX 3080 Ti graphics card, and the quad-HD 240Hz display.
While none of these are budget options, if you're looking for a big, luxury laptop that's capable of holding its own while playing any of the latest gaming titles, now might be a good time to grab a Blade 15 — while you can keep $400 in your pocket.
Google launched support for the new Matter standard for Nest and Android devices on December 15th, and Google's Nest WiFi Pro routers were built to act as Matter controllers or hubs — in addition to providing access to the potentially faster and less congested 6E WiFi band. The routers have just hit their lowest price ever, with single routers and multi packs getting a 20 percent discount at Amazon. That makes one unit $160, down from $200, and the two- and three-packs down to $239 and $320, respectively. Note that the multi-unit packs are only available in white at the moment — if you want multiples of the other colors, you'll need to add single units to your cart.
Nest WiFi Pro routers offer tri-band connectivity, providing access to 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz frequency WiFi bands, which the majority of existing devices run on, along with the newly available 6 GHz band. Smartphones and other devices that are WiFi 6E-compatible can take advantage of connections up to twice as fast as standard WiFi. A single Nest WiFi Pro unit will cover WiFi connections for up to 2,200 square feet. With three routers, that coverage extends to 6,600 square feet, and will also give you a mesh connection, which is best for both larger homes and homes with physical interference such as thick walls or multiple floors.
With an eye on appearance, Google gave these new routers a rounded design and glossy shell, which happens to be composed of 60 percent recycled materials. The look was "inspired by ceramics" and is meant to blend with a home's decor.
As a Matter hub, Nest WiFi Pro routers are enabled to connect all Matter-enabled devices so they work together harmoniously. A common frustration with smart home devices has been the inability of devices from different brands to work together. Created by the Connectivity Standards Alliance, a group that brought together Apple, Google, Amazon, Samsung and many other companies in the smart home market, Matter is a universal standard that aims to solve that frustration by letting devices work together more seamlessly. It'll also allow new smart home devices you bring home to be easier to connect in the first place. Not every device is Matter-enabled, but the new standard will likely apply to most smart home products going forward.
Of course, if you're only in the market for something that will act as a Matter hub, you may already have what you need. When Google flipped the switch on Matter back in December, automatic updates turned many existing Google Home speakers and hubs into controllers for Matter. The iOS 16.1 update gave Matter support to iPhones and HomePods, and Amazon enabled Matter control on many newer Alexa devices shortly after Google did so.
In addition to acting as a smart home hub, the Nest WiFi Pro routers also have built-in Thread network support, allowing connections to even more devices that run on that low-power wireless network. And if Google is your preferred smart home interface, you should be able to control everything through the Google Home app.
Now that Google's newest routers are cheaper than ever, this might be a good time to invest in the latest in WiFi connectivity that supports both Matter and Thread control.
Every year, many of us put things like “eat better,” “stress less” and “get in shape'' on our New Year’s resolutions lists. And sleep can play a big part in achieving all of those goals. Missing out on rest makes us eat junk and pumps up stress hormones to the detriment of pretty much every other way we try to better ourselves. Thankfully, technology can help; in addition to just reminding us to take enough time to sleep, as the bedtime modes on your iPhone or Android device do, there are other gadgets that can help make the sleep you do get deeper and more restful. For those who need a little extra help getting some shut-eye in 2023, here are a few gadgets to help you sleep that we've tried that could work for you, too.
Oura Ring
Oura’s smart ring tracks your activity during the day and your sleep at night (or whenever it is you go to bed), giving you an overall score from one to 100 each morning. Using temperature, movement, blood oxygen and pulse sensors, Oura gains insight into how long you stay in the various sleep stages and uses that data to offer suggestions on ways to get better quality rest. When we tested it out, we called it the “perfect wearable for people who don’t like wearables,” appreciating the data it provides while slipping seamlessly into everyday life. After a few days of wearing it, our reviewer quickly started to ignore its presence, which means you’re probably much more likely to wear it to bed than a fitness band.
Since it doesn’t have a screen, all of Oura’s information comes to you via the companion app. That lack of screen is also the reason you can squeeze up to seven days of battery life out of it, an important feature since no device can track your sleep if it has to spend its nights on a charger.
Fitbit Inspire 3
If you prefer a wearable with a screen, a fitness tracker is arguably better than a smartwatch when it comes to sleep tracking since they tend to be less obtrusive and have longer battery life. That means you’re more likely to wear it to bed many nights in a row, until it eventually has to be recharged. Far more affordable than the Oura, Fitbit’s Inspire 3 is our budget pick for the best fitness tracker right now, and it does a good job tracking your Zs.
It runs for around $100 and has similar sensors to the Oura, including heart rate, temp, movement and blood oxygen. The company has put a lot of effort into expanding their sleep metrics, and the app can offer you detailed insights into how long you’re spending in each stage of sleep. Even without the premium membership, you’ll get a sleep score each morning. With the $10-per-month membership, you get a more detailed breakdown of the score, so you can better track your sleeping trends over time. Along with that, the alarm on the Inspire 3 can wake you up when you’re in a lighter sleep stage so coming back online isn’t as jarring.
Eight Sleep Pod 3
If you don’t want a wearable at all, the Sleep Pod 3 from Eight Sleep will track your metrics and give you a sleep score. It also heats or cools your side of the bed and wakes you up with a subtle rumble beneath your chest. The mattress-and-cover combo goes for between $3,000 and $4,400, depending on the size and thickness of the mattress, which puts it well above any traditional wearable in terms of affordability. The bulk of the cost is in the cover, which conceals tubing through which warm or cool water flows from an external base, regulating the temp, while sensors in the cover monitor your sleep.
You can buy the cover alone and that will save you between $900 and $1,900 off the sticker price, but it’s still not cheap. You’ll also need a $19 per month subscription to access all the sleep tracking features. But in our review, with a score of 81, our reviewer (and new dad) Sam Rutherford said the Pod 3 has delivered some of the best sleep he’s ever had.
Hatch Restore
Part sunrise alarm clock, part audio machine, the Hatch Restore made the cut in our guide to smart lights for its ability to help out before, during and after sleep. To get you to dreamland, the Restore offers guided exercises and sleep stories, and to keep you asleep once you get there, you have your pick of white or pink noise sounds. To wake up, the gentle sunrise alarm slowly brightens, mimicking the sunrise and priming your brain for morning. The caveat here is that you’ll need a subscription to access the library of sleep meditations and guides, and that currently goes for $5 a month or $50 per year.
Headspace
Personally, the best thing I’ve done for my sleep is banishing my phone from the bedroom, so it may seem ironic to add a smartphone app to this list. Headspace, however, has the opposite effect on sleep that social media does. Like the Hatch Restore, this app has an extensive library of meditations and exercises to help you relax and fall asleep.
I prefer the shorter, wind-down segments that last a few minutes and help you do a full body scan to relax. Longer “Sleepcasts” run around 45 minutes and tell you stories in calm voices – there are even a few Star Wars-themed tales, but those just made me want to get up and watch more Andor. Sleep music and soundscapes combine ambient sounds with tones and melodies, lasting up to 500 minutes. And perhaps most critically, there’s a “Nighttime SOS” page, with guided exercises to help you get back to sleep if you wake up with bad dreams, work stress or something else.
A subscription goes for $70 a year or $13 a month. In addition to sleep content, you also get daytime meditations and sessions that help you breathe, focus and manage stress, which can also help with sleep. If you do decide to bring Headspace into the bedroom, make sure you have your phone’s sleep focus or bedtime mode turned on before you do, otherwise nighttime spam emails and Messenger alerts will undo all of the good work your sleep app just rendered.
Philips Hue Smart Lights
We think Philips Hue White + Color are the best smart light bulbs you can buy, and certain features can even help with sleep, such as programming them to change to a warmer color when it's getting close to bedtime. You not only get a subtle hint that it’s time to wind down, but also the warmer tones have lower levels of sunlight-mimicking blue light and can help your brain prepare for sleep. You also have the ability to control them using your voice, so instead of getting out of bed to shut off the lights, you can ask Alexa or the Google Assistant to do it for you.
Felix Gray blue light blocking glasses
Speaking of blue light, it’s not great for sleep. But the habit of staring at screens isn’t going anywhere, which is why blue light-blocking glasses exist. I’ll admit I first thought they were a gimmick, but have since come to rely on the pair I bought from Felix Gray. The science seems to check out and do I notice a difference with my sleep patterns when I wear them versus when I don’t. I initially only wore them in the evening hours, when I was working past 5PM or otherwise still using my computer. Now I wear them basically all day because I feel like they help my eyes feel far less tired. They come with or without your prescription and in enough styles to make them your own.
Bearaby weighted blanket
You’ve probably met someone who swears by their weighted blanket. Our colleague Nicole Lee is one of them. As someone plagued by insomnia, she finds she’s “nodding off faster and staying asleep longer” with the Bearaby weighted blanket and recommends it as one of our top self-care gifts. Unlike other weighted blankets that are filled with glass or plastic beads, Bearaby comforters are hand-knit from a heavyweight cotton, Tencel or eco-velvet, looking more like enormous scarves than a bland sleep aid.
Manta sleep mask
While blue light is bad before bed, any type of light hitting your eyelids can keep you from reaching those deeper levels of sleep. Along with blackout curtains and shutting off the nightlight, we recommend this sleep mask from Manta. There are a ton of sleep masks out there, but Engadget weekend editor Igor Bonifacic finds this one to be better than the rest and recommends it for travelers in our guide. It has removable, repositionable eye cups for a customized fit and they stand up to their claim of blocking out 100 percent of ambient light. You can also buy additional eye cups that you can microwave to provide a warming effect, or eye cups wrapped in silk that will be gentler on your skin and others.
When I started working from home five years ago, my chair was the floor and my desk was a stool. I was allowed to type with two hands when the baby on the floor next to me was napping or otherwise occupied. So really, any desk would have been an upgrade, but once I knew working from home was going to be my reality long-term, I went all in and bought a motorized standing desk.
After some research and lots of YouTubing, I settled on an Uplift V2, opting for the curved bamboo desk top in the 42-by-30-inch size with the standard (non-commercial) C-frame. I sprung for the advanced keypad, as Uplift recommends, and picked the storage grommet inserts, thinking I might want to put pens or a drink in there (I don’t).
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
I considered a few other companies including Autonomous, Vari and Fully when I was deciding which desk to get. Back when I ordered, the offerings from Uplift felt the most comprehensive, with a slew of size, color and desktop material customization options, and they had the most accessories.
That’s something you’ll notice as you configure your desk: there are a huge number of add-ons available. Probably the most unexpected is the under-desk hammock, but that’s only available for desks 72 inches wide and larger, so I didn't get one. Plus I own a couch. Mine came with two free accessories when I purchased it a couple years ago, but lucky buyers today get six freebies. I went for the free rocker board, which I don’t use, and now wish I’d grabbed the cushioned standing mat instead. I also picked the bamboo under-desk drawer, which I use daily, filled with a few of these metal storage bins.
If you browse through the image galleries on Uplift’s site you’ll notice idealized office setups, with a curious lack of cables on, under or snaking away from the desks, as if buying one will somehow make wireless energy transmission a reality. Turns out that’s not the case, but Uplift does offer a number of ways to route and hide those still-necessary cords. Every desk comes with a wire management tray that mounts at the rear underside of the desk, along with cable tie mounts to keep wires up and out of the way. I paid $35 extra for the magnetic cable channel which keeps the rather thick cable that powers the desk routed against the desk leg.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Once the desk arrived, it was fairly easy to assemble following the video instructions. What stood out to me most about my new office furniture was the weight. It’s heavy. Each leg contains three nesting sections of steel with a steel crossbar up top. I’m sure my bamboo desktop is among the lighter of Uplift’s options, but it’s still substantial. Considering how little anything wobbles as it raises and lowers, or when it’s 45 inches off the ground, I think the heft is a good thing.
After the desk was assembled, it took a little fussing to get the cables hidden in a way that somewhat resembled the minimalism you see in the Uplift gallery photos. It helps to lift the desk to its full height when you’re setting up so you can get under there to work with the plugs, power strips and cable ties – something I wish I’d realized before I spent an hour hunched under there while it was at normal-desk height.
Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Lifting and lowering the desk is a simple push-button operation. The standard (aka free) keypad only has up and down buttons, which you press and hold to adjust the desk’s height. Uplift “recommends” paying the extra $40 for an advanced keypad that lets you program four different height settings; I gave in to the upsell, but I’m glad I did. If you need to go from sitting to standing or the other way around, just push a numbered key and the desk adjusts all by itself. I only use two pre-programmed positions – a sit and a stand height – but it’s nice to have the option of more settings. For example, if I ever want to make use of that balance board, I might need a couple extra inches.
The operation is impressively smooth and almost silent. During working hours, my cat stations himself at the corner of my desk and doesn’t wake from a nap when I change heights. I adjust the desk four times a day, starting off standing, switching to sitting for lunch and staying seated for an hour or two after. When I start to feel that afternoon slump, I’ll raise the desk back up to standing, which (paired with a cup of tea) usually helps with focus. Then just before quitting time, I sit down for the last hour or so, pushing the standing button when I log off so it’s ready for tomorrow. I’ve been more or less following that pattern for two years and the motors are performing exactly as they did when I first got the desk. Aside from a little dulling in the desktop finish where I have my mouse, everything still feels and looks new.
You’ve probably heard it said that your healthiest working position is your next one, meaning you shouldn’t stay in any posture for long. Having an adjustable desk doesn’t necessarily solve the problem of bad ergonomics – standing still all day is nearly as bad as sitting – but I’ve found when I’m standing, I’m much more apt to step away and get in a stretch, or even pace a bit when I’m searching for my next word. The Uplift desk is worlds away from a stool on the floor, and I don’t think I could ever go back to just a regular desk again.
If you need a break from the hustle and cheer of the holidays, there’s nothing better than the ultimate escapist genre: sci-fi. This year has been a good one for those who like their entertainment off-planet or otherwise removed from our reality. We finally got a Predator sequel that isn’t silly; the author of Station Eleven released her highly anticipated new book; Star Wars proved it’s ready to grow up; and the production company A24 brought us one of the most exhilarating movies in years. There are even a number of sci-fi podcasts that can keep you company while you wrap presents or decorate your home with tinsel and lights. Here are some of the best sci-fi movies, books and shows as of late that you can binge over the holidays.
TV
Resident Alien
Syfy
If you still miss Northern Exposure 27 years after its finale aired and thought Wash was the best part of Firefly, you’ll find something to appreciate in Syfy’s Resident Alien. Now in its second season on the Syfy app and Peacock, the show follows a doctor, new to a small, snowy town, who’s actually an alien that came to Earth to exterminate humanity – except he’s misplaced his world-killer device. The extraterrestrial, played with gusto by Alan Tudyk, pretends to be Harry the human while getting into plenty of sitcom-style hijinks with a roster of quirky characters.
Two subplots expand the fish-out-of-water story: one about the recent murder of the former town physician, the other involving a secret government organization that’s hunting down the alien and his ship. It’s spit-your-drink-out funny and expertly plays with the small-town TV tropes we know and love. It’s also occasionally touching, particularly in moments between Harry and Max, a 10-year-old boy who happens to be the only person who can see past Harry’s human disguise.
Severance
Apple
In my personal accounting, Apple TV+ wins the streaming war this year, and Severance is among the best of their offerings. That’s saying a lot, considering Slow Horses, Afterparty, Pachinko and Black Bird all debuted on the streaming service in 2022. Not to mention the intelligent and pitch-dark time traveling serial killer thriller, Shining Girls. Where that show was awash in visceral, back-alley terror, Severance occupies a cleaner, tech-washed version of reality, but one that’s no less nightmarish.
Weaponizing the ideals of modern working life against us – the minimalist, high-design office, a strict work-life balance – Severance tells the story of employees at Lumon. While we’re not sure what they do, we do know they’ve all undergone a surgical procedure to separate their work brains from their personal brains, effectively creating two different people. The delight lies in figuring out who these people really are (and what that even means), and sussing out what’s actually going on at Lumon. Gorgeous in a sterile, Apple Store kind of way, Severance is anchored by exacting performances from Adam Scott, Patricia Arquette, Christopher Walken and John Turturro. And yes, to keep us from rioting in the streets after season one’s cliffhanger, there will be a season two.
The Peripheral
Prime Video
With a William Gibson novel as source material and Westworld creators as producers, The Peripheral has a strong sci-fi pedigree. The assured performance by Chloë Grace Moretz and a particularly lush set design make Amazon Studios’ new production a treat for the eyes and ears – it gives your brain something to chew on, too.
Set both 10 years in the future in North Carolina and 77 years in the future in a post-apocalyptic, hologram-clad London, the show centers on Moretz’s Flynne, a woman trying to make enough money to care for her ailing mother by working her job at the local 3D print shop and by helping rich folks level up in VR games. When her brother lands a gig to try out a new headset, Flynne, being the better player, heads into the sim. Turns out, it’s not a sim, but a quantum tunnel into the future in which she controls perfectly rendered robots – the first one modeled after her brother, then one based on herself. Of course, putting on the headset ignites a world of troubles, some of which show up on Flynne’s doorstep.
There’s plenty of Gibson’s characteristic techno-cool terminology, and metaphysical and temporal intricacies that you’ll have to watch closely to figure out – you’ll get little hand-holding here – but the head-scratching opaqueness that obscured Westworld’s later seasons don’t really apply. Look for answers and you’ll find them, plus you’ll have a lot of cyberpunk-fueled fun along the way.
Andor
Lucasfilm/Disney
The scads of people who are calling Andor the best product in the Star Wars franchise aren’t wrong. Turning the camera away from the galaxy’s royal Skywalker family, the new Disney+ series follows Cassian Andor, who you may remember from Rogue One as the relative nobody in a band of nobodies who made sure the Death Star plans got into the hands of the Rebel Alliance so Luke could do his thing.
The series takes place five years before the events of Rogue One and replaces the melodrama of the saga and grandiosity of the Force with a human story on a human scale. It’s about a man who makes his own journey towards rebellion, instead of that rebellion being a predestined fact. Faced with an Empire that’s disturbingly bureaucratic in its repression, Cassian assists with a heist that prods the Empire to bring down its fist across the galaxy. Watching it gives you a detailed sense of the universe where Star Wars takes place, with fully realized worlds, mature storylines, and characters that don’t feel far, far away.
Movies
Prey
HULU
The 1987 sci-fi action classic Predator pits a band of heavily armed and macho soldiers against an extraterrestrial who likes to occasionally drop by Earth to hunt humans. Peak-form Arnold Schwarzenegger is the last man standing, and honestly looks pretty ragged in that final chopper ride out of the jungle. So how would a young Comanche woman in the early 1700s fare against a similar alien encounter? Pretty damn well, as it turns out.
Easily the best sequel in the Predator franchise, Hulu's Prey takes place on the Great Plains where Naru, played with steel by Amber Midthunder, dreams of proving herself as a hunter and warrior. With her dog by her side and a throwing axe in hand, Naru gets a chance to do just that as she faces off against predators of the animal kind (bears and mountain lions), the human variety (French fur trappers) and ultimately, one from another planet. Special attention was paid to historical fidelity with on-set Indiginous advisors and a largely Indigenous cast playing the Comanche tribe members, proving that when Hollywood makes an effort to get things right, everything only gets better.
Everything Everywhere All at Once
A24
We need films like Everything Everywhere All at Once to remind us of the pure joy movies can make us feel. Picture a mashup of multiverse tropes, Kung Fu action, family drama and absurdist comedy, and you’ll get a sense of what to expect from EEAAO. Michelle Yeoh plays Evelyn, a Chinese-American immigrant living in Simi Valley with her husband and daughter. The laundromat they run is being audited by an IRS examiner played by an uncharacteristically dowdy Jamie Lee Curtis. But before Evelyn makes it to her IRS appointment, she’s told she’s an important player in an inter-dimensional battle against a chaos-loving force known as Jobu Tupaki. Eveyln flits through parallel universes, gaining skills and perspectives as she does, ultimately braiding threads together to figure out what existence “means.”
The film comes from A24, a production and distribution company with an uncanny knack for fostering wholly original movies in a world awash in reboots and franchises. EEAAO is already racking up awards and nominations to match its overwhelming public acclaim. If you haven’t done so already, watch it and never see hot dogs, rocks or Ratatouille in the same way again.
Nope
Universal Pictures/Monkeypaw Productions
After the psychological terror of Get Out and grisly horror of Us, director Jordan Peele made Nope to prove he’s not out of ideas. Daniel Kaluuya plays the lead, as he did in Get Out, this time as a laconic cowboy in a trucker hat. Kaluuya’s OJ and Keke Palmer’s Emerald are a brother and sister team running a struggling ranch outside of Hollywood where they train horses for the movies. When nickels and house keys fall from the sky and the horses start running off, they see there’s something parked above the ranch, hiding in an immovable cloud – something that’s not from here, and definitely not friendly.
Like everything Peele makes, Nope has plenty of humor to shoot through the tension, and there’s a dose of abounding weirdness – particularly in a side plot about a sitcom chimpanzee. You also sense a clear love of movies coloring the film, with nods to classics like Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Alien. In fact, the idea of movie making itself drives the team that comes together against the UFO. The need to get the shot, to document the alien, is just as, if not more, important than self-preservation.
Books
Sea of Tranquility
Alfred A. Knopf
If you caught the dreamy, post-apocalyptic miniseries Station Eleven on HBO last December and wondered if there were any more ideas where that came from, check out Emily St. John Mandel’s latest novel, Sea of Tranquility. St. John Mandel wrote the book upon which the HBO series was based, and this time around, she’s exploring what life on a colonized moon would look like while also considering the effects of a space-time anomaly that links together a British Columbian forest, an airship terminal in Oklahoma City and four points in time running from 1912 to 2195. A time traveling agent is sent back from 2401 to investigate, tying together the narrative threads.
As in Station Eleven, St. John Mandel pairs wondrous speculation about our future with deeply human stories. Even minor characters are layered and complex, and her philosophical explorations feel important without coming across as dry academic exercises. Also, her sentences are beautiful. Read it now and you’ll be ahead of the game when the adaptation, which is currently in development at HBO Max, comes out.
The Candy House
Simon & Schuster
Jennifer Egan won a Pulitzer Prize for her essentially perfect 2010 work, A Visit from the Goon Squad and this year’s The Candy House is the sequel. Like Goon Squad, this is a novel told in stories and shifting perspectives. But where the first book focused on music and Gen X aimlessness, this time we’re looking at the technology we willingly give all parts of ourselves to. It’s not hard science fiction, but it does what the genre does best: speculating on a probable future and seeing how we humans react.
In the near future, a tech giant named Bix (a fleetingly minor character in Goon Squad) creates the next big thing in social media, called the cube, into which you can upload your unconsciousness and share it. Needless to say, there are repercussions. But the effects of the cube aren’t the focus. Instead, technology slips into the lives of the characters, just like all the previously impossible-seeming tech we live with today. Egan is one of the most assured writers I’ve ever read, and the prose is top-form literary stuff. It's never ever boring, and, like the teeming memories of the cube, impossible to look away from.
Dead Silence
Tor Nightfire
Pulitzer Prize-level literature is great. But sometimes you just want a gripping sci-fi story with a missing luxury cruise-liner spaceship in which all the people inside have violently died. Written by S.A. Barnes, who previously wrote under a pen name in the YA space, Dead Silence is part shipwreck hunter, part Event Horizon horror, and part Newt from Aliens’ epilogue.
Taking us to the year 2149, the novel centers on Claire, the team lead on a repair crew responsible for maintaining communication beacons at the edge of the solar system. The team gets a faint distress signal from a Titanic-esque spaceship that disappeared decades ago, halfway into its maiden voyage. Naturally they investigate, and things get disturbing when they discover bodies upon bodies inside the ship. Claire also happens to be the sole survivor of a viral outbreak on a Mars outpost when she was eleven, an experience that has left her with PTSD and more than a little unreliability in the narration department. The book is creepy and scary and mind-trippy and reminds me of the twitchy gratification of reading Stephen King as a teenager (with the lights on).
Podcasts
Celeritas
Magnesium Film
The creators of Celeritas (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others) bill it as a “cinematic podcast,” which doesn’t mean it’s about movies, but rather that listening to it feels as immersive as experiencing something with both sound and picture. And that description is correct. The narrative centers on an astronaut who pilots the first light-speed space flight, and ends up deep in the future after things go awry.
From episode one, Celeritas expands the possibilities of the aural medium, which you first notice in the thrilling and densely layered sound design. Then there’s the storytelling, which ditches the audiobook “once upon a time” formula for an approach that takes full advantage of radio-play dynamics. Instead of an astronaut on a space walk delivering exposition or narration to us, we instead hear him intersperse his communication with mission control with a message he records for his daughter as he takes care of mundane EVA procedures. The eighth of 12 planned episodes dropped in late November, and new episodes are released roughly every two months.
Flash Forward
Flash Forward
Initially called Meanwhile in the Future when it was launched back in 2015, Flash Forward (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and others) isn’t usually a sci-fi podcast but rather, one that takes a speculative notion – say, what if all the world’s volcanoes erupted at the same time? – and then talks with experts to try and answer the question.
It’s a fascinating show in its own right, but then in October of this year, 27 three- to six-minute episodes dropped all at once. They tell the story of Vanguard Estates, an AI-automated retirement home where “you” are deciding whether or not to leave your father. It’s a choose your own adventure podcast that cleverly brings up the increasingly entwined issues of aging, healthcare and robots. Afterwards, creator Rose Eveleth explores those issues in the usual Flash Forward style.
Escape Pod
Escape Artists
Throw a dart at any one of the 865 (and counting) episodes of Escape Pod (available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, their website and more) and you’ll be transported elsewhere. Each weekly episode tells a new short sci-fi story, written by a roster of different writers and narrated by talented voice actors. The episodes range from around 20 minutes to an hour long and cover every sci-fi angle possible: cyberpunk, space exploration, time travel, post-apocalypse, AI and far more. It has amassed numerous awards for podcasting and short fiction and, while I wish each episode included a brief description to make it a little easier to pick and choose, grabbing an episode at random will rarely let you down.
