Nearly four months after Amazon released the third-generation Fire TV Cube, the company has dropped the price of the device for the first time. It's on sale for $125, or $15 off the regular price. While that isn't a massive drop, you could use the savings to stock up on batteries for the Alexa Voice Remote or pay for a month of your favorite streaming service.

The third-gen Fire TV Cube is more powerful than its predecessors, as it has a 2GHz octa-core processor. WiFi 6E support should help it to better handle 4K video streams (though you may need a WiFi 6E router for optimal results). If you connect your cable box to the Fire TV Cube, you'll be able to change the channels using Alexa voice commands. There's support for Dolby Vision, HDR and Dolby Atmos as well.

Elsewhere, Amazon has dropped the prices of its Fire TV Sticks. While the deals aren't quite as generous as the ones we saw during the Black Friday period, they're still solid. The entry-level Fire TV Stick Lite, which supports 1080p streaming, is $5 off at $25. For an extra $5 ($10 off the regular price), you can snag the Fire TV Stick, which has Dolby Atmos support.

Above that is the Fire TV Stick 4K, which usually costs $50, but is currently on sale for $35. Along with 4K video quality, this model supports Dolby Vision and picture-in-picture live view of Ring cameras. It also has 50 percent more memory than the previous two models with 1.5 GB. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max, meanwhile, has 2 GB of memory, along with WiFi 6 support and a slightly faster processor. That'll currently run you $40, or $15 off the usual price.

A court has blocked a rate hike that would have increased pay for New York City Uber and Lyft drivers. Uber sued the city's Taxi & Limousine Commission (TLC) in December, claiming it used a flawed methodology to determine the per-minute and per-mile rate increases. Manhattan state court Justice Arthur Engoron agreed. “It’s just not enough to say there’s inflation and 100 drivers said gas prices shot up,” Engoron, a former taxi driver in his college days, said, according to Bloomberg.

In November, the TLC unanimously approved the city's first metered fare increases in a decade, including for ridesharing trips. Per-minute rates were slated to go up by 7.4 percent and per-mile rates by 24 percent. Under those planned hikes, a trip of 7.5 miles that took 30 minutes would have earned a ridesharing driver at least $27.15, an increase of more than $2.50 compared with current rates.

Uber argued that the rate increases would result in higher fares for customers while harming its reputation. A judge granted a temporary restraining order to pause the rate hikes a few days after Uber filed suit and before they came into effect on December 19th.

“Drivers do critical work and deserve to be paid fairly, but rates should be calculated in a way that is transparent, consistent and predictable,” Uber spokesperson Josh Gold told Bloomberg. “Existing TLC rules continue to provide for an annual review tied to the rate of inflation, which will take place in March.”

The company said implementing the pay raise would cost it between $21 million and $23 million per month. For the July to September quarter, Uber reported a net loss of $1.2 billion.

"We call on the Taxi and Limousine Commission to immediately redo the rules so drivers do not have to wait one day longer for their raise. A few missing words in a Statement of Basis and Purpose does not justify denying a raise meant to help thousands of drivers pay their rent and put food on the table for their families," Bhairavi Desai, executive director of The New York Taxi Workers Alliance, told Engadget in a statement. "Shame on Uber for spending millions on this heartless lawsuit only to deny drivers an increase of $1.66 more on an average trip. Uber woke a sleeping giant. This raise belongs to the drivers and we will not rest until it's back in our hands."

Russian hackers have reportedly targeted three nuclear research laboratories in the US. A group called Cold River carried out a phishing campaign against scientists at the Brookhaven, Argonne and Lawrence Livermore national laboratories last summer in an attempt to obtain passwords, Reuters reports.

The efforts are believed to have taken place in August and September, around the time UN experts visited a nuclear power plant in Russia-controlled Ukrainian territory to help prevent a potential disaster following heavy shelling in the area. Meanwhile, President Vladimir Putin has alluded to a readiness to defend Russia-claimed territory with nuclear weapons.

It's not clear whether the phishing attempts were successful or why the hackers were trying to gain access to the labs' systems. However, Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence at cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, told Reuters that Cold River is "involved in directly supporting Kremlin information operations."

Last year, the group leaked emails from the former chief of MI6, the UK's foreign intelligence service. Cold River is also said to have targeted non-government organizations investigating war crimes. It reportedly conducted such a campaign around the time a UN commission said that Russian forces were responsible for war crimes and human rights violations in the early days of the country's invasion of Ukraine.

It's almost time for the 2023 edition of the week-long Awesome Games Done Quick (AGDQ) speedrunning marathon. This year's event takes place between January 8th and January 15th. As ever, AGDQ will showcase a bunch of skilled players racing to finish games as quickly as they can. Runners will go head-to-head in some games and we might see world records being broken too.

For the third year in a row, AGDQ will take place entirely online. The event was scheduled to take place in Florida with a live audience, but organizers decided against that plan due to the state's "continued disregard for COVID-19’s dangers (including anti-mandate vaccination policies) and an increased aggression towards LGBTQ+ individuals." They said that "we do not believe it is a safe place for our community at this time," but relocating to a "safer location" wasn't financially feasible. That means speedrunners won't have an in-person crowd to cheer them on.

As always, the schedule is full of some intriguing runs. Stray, Cult of the Lamb and Neon White (a game that's all about speedrunning) are among the recent titles making their first appearances at AGDQ. A bunch of fan-favorite games are in the mix too, including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Cuphead and Portal.

I'm looking forward to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge run, as well as watching a crew of six players cleaning a bunch of vehicles in PowerWash Simulator as quickly as possible. I'm also curious about a run for a game called I'm going to die if I don't eat sushi!, which I simply had to buy after seeing it on the schedule. Unless it's added as a bonus game, though, there's no Elden Ring this time around.

AGDQ is once again raising funds for Prevent Cancer Foundation. The 2022 edition brought in a record $3.4 million for that cause. AGDQ and its sibling event, Summer Games Done Quick, have raised more than $41 million for charity since 2010.

The latest marathon will commence at noon ET on Sunday with an any-percent run of Splatoon 3 (meaning the player can take advantage of glitches). You'll be able to watch the entire event on Twitch via the Games Done Quick channel. The stream is embedded below too. If you miss a run or can't watch AGDQ live, you'll be able to catch up on the GDQ YouTube channel.

TikTok users in the US and the UK can now tag movies and TV shows in their videos. Each tag (up to five can be included per video) will point to an in-app page that includes details from the film or series, as well as some related videos.

This is all powered by a new partnership with IMDb, which is providing info including cast members, directors, genres, release dates, runtimes and user ratings for each movie and show. TikTok users can add films and TV series to the favorites tab of their profile too.

You can tag a show or movie when you tap the "add link" option right before you post a video. If you select "movie and TV," you'll be able to search the more than 12 million titles that are on IMDb and add the one you're looking for.

This should come in useful for users who share a lot of movie and TV-related posts, as well as those looking for content about their favorite titles. So, if you share a clip from The Menu, a meme from The White Lotus or a Glass Onion explainer, you may not need to reply to people who drop a "what is this from 💀" in the comments. They can just tap the tag for more details (and then maybe watch The Menu, because it's a blast).

Razer has shown off its first slate of products for 2023 at CES. Along with new gaming laptops, the company revealed the Razer Leviathan V2 Pro beamforming PC soundbar. The company says it has an infra-red camera that can detect where the user is. Razer claims the soundbar can adjust the 3D audio beams in real-time based on your position to make sure optimal audio is reaching your ears.

There are two modes for the 3D audio: THX Spatial Audio Virtual Headset and THX Spatial Audio Virtual Speakers. Razer promises to deliver "crisp, clear treble and deep, punchy bass" with the help of multiple drivers and an included subwoofer. There's Razer Chroma RGB support too. You'll be able to pick up a Leviathan V2 Pro for $400 later this month.

Next up is the Kiyo Pro Ultra. Razer claims it has the biggest sensor ever used in a webcam. It has a Sony 1/1.2″ STARVIS 2 sensor with a 2.9 μm pixel size. According to Razer, that helps the USB 3.0 plug-and-play webcam to offer DSLR-level detail. It should perform well in low light too. There's an F/1.7 aperture lens that Razer says can capture nearly four times more light than other webcams.

Razer

In addition, the company claims the Kiyo Pro Ultra offers face tracking, auto-focus and background blur features without the need for additional hardware or software. However, you'll be able to adjust the settings to your liking in Razer Synapse. The webcam, which arrives almost two years after the Kiyo Pro, is available starting today for $300.

By the end of March, Meta Quest 2 users in the US will be able to get their hands on Razer-made peripherals. The company designed the Adjustable Head Strap System and Razer Facial Interface to make it more comfortable to use the headset. Razer says the latter has medical-grade hypoallergenic materials to help reduce skin irritation. It's said to offer ventilation while blocking out external light.

Razer also revealed Project Carol, a head cushion with near-field 7.1 surround sound and HyperSense haptic feedback. Razer says the cushion can fit on any gaming chair and convert game audio into haptic feedback in real-time. It's a concept design for now, but if and when Project Carol comes to market, it could offer a deeper level of immersion when you're playing games.

Elsewhere, Razer confirmed the release date for its cloud gaming device, the Razer Edge. We had the chance to try out the new, high-performance Blade 16 and Blade 18 gaming laptops too. Take a gander at our hands-on coverage for more details.

Razer has revealed the release date for its handheld cloud gaming system, the Razer Edge. The device, which runs on the Snapdragon G3x Gen 1 Gaming Platform, will be available on January 26th. The WiFi version costs $400. As for the 5G model, that will be exclusively available from Verizon for $600, but you can snag it for $360 if you add a new line from the provider. Buy a new 5G smartphone at the same time, and you can get the Razer Edge 5G for $180.

The Razer Edge is essentially an Android 12 tablet stuffed inside the Razer Kishi V2 Pro controller. The device has a 6.8-inch AMOLED display with a 144Hz refresh rate and a resolution of 2,400 x 1,080. The Razer Edge has 8GB of memory, 128GB of storage (it can run Android games and apps locally), a 5,000mAh battery, HyperSense haptic feedback, a pair of digital mics, a 3.5mm headphone jack and two-way speakers with Verizon Adaptive Sound.

On the connectivity front, there's support for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2, as well as Verizon 5G Ultra Wideband if you want to stream games on the go. Launchers for Epic Games, Xbox Cloud Gaming and NVIDIA GeForce Now will be preinstalled. Stadia will be dead by the time the Razer Edge arrives, unfortunately.

Meanwhile, Razer has revealed new gaming laptops. You can check out our hands on coverage for more details on the high-end Blade 16 and Blade 18.

Apple TV+ has offered a sneak peek at the second season of Foundation and revealed when the sci-fi series will return. More episodes of the show, which is based on Isaac Asimov's series of books of the same name, will premiere this summer and will introduce the second crisis.

The clip opens with one of the main characters, Gaal Dornick (Lou Llobell), waking up in a stasis chamber that just happens to be in space. It's a compelling start to a teaser that's packed with eye-catching imagery. A terrifying creature pops up at the end, so be mindful of that if you're jumpy.

The first season of Foundation arrived in the fall of 2021, so fans have had to wait quite a while for it to come back. Jared Harris and Lee Pace are among the stars who are returning for season two.

Google is working on ways to make it easier for folks to switch audio playback to another device when they listen to music or podcasts via Android. The company says it's collaborating with Spotify to let you swiftly move what you're listening to from one Spotify Connect-supported device to another, all from the Android media player.

Android 13 features a redesigned media player with a notification section that enables YouTube and YouTube Music users to quickly change which compatible Bluetooth or Chromecast built-in devices they're playing audio or video on. Spotify integration could make things a bit more straightforward for folks who move audio playback from one speaker or TV to another when they go to a different room, for instance, or if you want to change from single-speaker playback to blasting music throughout your home.

In addition, Google says it's working on a related audio handoff feature. When you move from one place to another, you'll see media notifications asking if you'd like to shift the audio to a nearby device. So, when you leave home, your Android phone might ask if you want to transfer your music or podcast from a speaker to your headphones, and then to Android Auto once you're in your car. Google is working with Spotify and YouTube Music teams to add integration for those services. Spotify started testing a similar feature in its own app in 2019.

At CES, Audio-Technica unveiled new StreamSet wired headsets that it designed with content creators in mind. Based on the popular M50x headphones, the M50xSTS comes in two flavors. One model has 3.5mm aux and XLR connectivity. The other has a USB cable that enables some extra features, but the two versions are otherwise very similar.

You'll get the same 45mm large-aperture drivers with rare earth magnets and copper-clad aluminum wire voice coils that are present in the M50x, along with swappable earpads. The M50x earpads are focused on audio quality and sound isolation, while the mesh and leatherette earpads are all about breathability and comfort.

As for the microphone, Audio-Technica adopted a cardioid condenser from its 20 Series models. The mic, which is said to offer studio-level audio quality without background noise, is on a boom arm. Handily, when you flip the boom up, the headset will mute the mic. One advantage that the M50xSTS-USB has over the 3.5mm model is that, thanks to the sidetone circuitry, you'll be able to hear your voice through the headset if you wish. You can adjust that volume with an earcup dial.

The M50xSTS has a two-meter cable with a 3.5mm headphone input and, for the mic, an XLR output that you can connect to an audio interface or mixer. The M50xSTS-USB version has a two-meter cable as well, but with a USB-A connector (you'll get a USB-C adapter too). The latter model also has an analog-to-digital converter with a sampling rate up to 24 bits or 96 kHz. The M50xSTS costs $199, while the M50xSTS-USB will run you $229.