If you're still looking for a last-minute Christmas gift — or a post-holiday one — for the kids in your life, Amazon has a bundle you may want to check out. The e-commerce giant is selling a Fire 7 Kids tablet and an Echo Kids speaker bundle for just $80, which is 50 percent off their original retail prices together. You can get the 7-inch tablet in purple, pink or blue, while the Echo Dot speaker that it comes with has a panda design. 

The Fire 7 Kids tablet alone normally costs $100, though Amazon has been selling it for $60 since the beginning of December. As for the fourth-gen Echo Dot for Kids, its original retail price is $60, but it's been listed for $35 since November. Even taking the discounted prices into account, you'll still save $15 if you get the bundle instead of getting each item on its own. 

Amazon's bundle comes with one year of access to Amazon Kids+, along with all of its apps, games, books, audiobooks and video. You (or the kid's parents or guardian) can give the recipient access to apps like Netflix or games like Minecraft via the Amazon Parent Dashboard. That's also where the child's guardian can set time limits for usage, filter out explicit songs and review activity for the Echo Dot. Of course, the bundle's recipient can also ask Alexa to play kid-friendly Audible books or interactive games from the Kids+ subscription service on their panda Echo Dot speaker.

The deal is a time-limited offer and only available for 19 more hours as of this writing. After that, the price for the bundle will likely go back to $95. 

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British mobile providers Three and EE are the first networks to reach an agreement regarding 4G and 5G coverage across the whole London Underground. The carriers have reached a deal with infrastructure provider BAI Communications, which is currently building out a network across the Tube as part of a 20-year concession with Transport for London. Three's and EE's deal will give customers access to mobile data within the stations and while on the Tube.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said in a statement:

"I'm delighted to see Three and EE sign up as the first operators to provide full high-speed 4G access across the tube network. This will make a huge difference to passengers, allowing them to make calls, read emails and check travel information while on the move. Investing in London’s connectivity and digital infrastructure is one important way we are helping to stimulate our city’s economy. It also represents a significant step towards ensuring the whole tube network has 5G-ready mobile coverage."

London's Underground network has offered WiFi connectivity for almost a decade, but it's only available to customers of certain carriers on certain platforms. Earlier this year, Transport for London chose BAI Communications to build out a mobile network spanning all stations and tunnels, allowing commuters to check emails, watch videos and do everything else online on 4G or 5G even while they're inside metal tubes underground. 

BAI has already started building the network at some of London's busiest stations, including Oxford Circus, Tottenham Court Road, Bank, Euston and Camden Town. They'll be the first to allow 4G and 5G connectivity by the end of 2022. City authorities expect the network to be completed and for the whole of London Underground to have mobile coverage by the end of 2024.

Tesla's big holiday update for the year has started making its way to the automaker's fleet of electric vehicles, and it adds quite a large list of improvements and new features. For those addicted to scrolling on TikTok, perhaps the biggest addition is the TikTok app on Tesla Theater. According to the update notes posted by Electrek, they'll now be able to scroll the platform's short-form videos — on repeat, if they want — right on their vehicle's screen, so long as their car is parked. 

In Toybox, owners will now also find the Light Show feature that Tesla introduced as an Easter Egg on the Model X back in 2015. For the Model X, a choreographed light show includes both flashing lights and opening falcon wing doors, but other models will have to make do with the former. Tesla has made its app launcher customizable, letting owners drag and drop their favorite apps onto the bottom menu bar. It's also simplifying navigation to make most the common primary controls, such as charging and windshield wipers, easier to access.

To automatically see a live camera view of their blind spot when they activate their turn signal, drivers can activate the new "Automatic Blind Spot Camera" option under Autopilot in Controls. Plus, drivers can now edit Waypoints to add stops or to initiate new navigation routes with updated arrival times. The holiday bundle has updates that fit the season, as well, including automatic seat heating that can regulate the front row seat temperatures based on the cabin environment, along with other cold weather improvements. 

In addition, drivers can now delete dashcam clips directly from the touchscreen and hide map details to remove distractions if they want. Finally, in the entertainment department, Tesla has added Sonic the Hedgehog and Sudoku to its Arcade — though we strongly suggest playing any Arcade game only while parked. Earlier this month, The New York Times reported that Tesla allowed drivers to play some games in moving cars, a concern that the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is discussing with the company. The agency told Engadget in a statement: "Distraction-affected crashes are a concern, particularly in vehicles equipped with an array of convenience technologies such as entertainment screens. We are aware of driver concerns and are discussing the feature with the manufacturer."

Apple has rolled out the macOS 12.2 beta update to public testers in its beta program, just a day after it became available to developers. As 9to5Mac notes, the OS comes with a new Music app that Apple had rebuilt as a full native application. Apple introduced macOS' dedicated Music app back in 2019, but it kept some iTunes elements for some parts of it, which means it still displays web content within the app.

Based on what 9to5Mac has seen, macOS 12.2 beta uses AppKit, the framework needed to give applications a native interface. There won't be a big difference in looks, but the new app will apparently work faster. Searching for songs within Music, for instance, will appear more quickly because the results will be displayed on a native interface, while scrolling will feel smoother and trackpad gestures will feel more responsive. 

In addition to a brand new Music app, macOS 12.2 will also make scrolling in Safari smoother for the 14-and-16-inch MacBook Pro models that support refresh rates of up to 120Hz. To test out macOS 12.2, you'll have to download and install the macOS Developer Beta Access Utility. You'll then be able to access the latest beta update in the Software Update section of System Preferences.

Google has failed to strike a deal that would allow it to continue offering YouTube TV subscribers access to Disney's channels. The tech giant warned customers a few days ago that Disney channels, including ABC, ESPN and FX, might disappear before midnight of December 17th if they can't come to terms with carriage fees. Back then, it was optimistic that it could get the outcome it wanted. But now, Google has told customers that the companies were unable to reach an agreement before their existing one expired despite holding negotiations for several months.

The company said negotiations fell through despite its best efforts but that it "will continue conversations with Disney to advocate on [viewers'] behalf." Disney, however, told The Streamable in a statement that YouTube TV has "declined to reach a fair deal with [the company] based on market terms and conditions." 

The company added: "As a result, their subscribers have lost access to our unrivaled portfolio of networks including live sports and news plus kids, family and general entertainment programming from ABC, the ESPN networks, the Disney channels, Freeform, the FX networks and the National Geographic channels. We stand ready to reach an equitable agreement with Google as quickly as possible in order to minimize the inconvenience to YouTube TV viewers by restoring our networks. We hope Google will join us in that effort."

Here's the list of Disney-owned channels no longer available on YouTube TV:

• Your local ABC channel

• ABC News Live

• Disney Channel

• Disney Junior

• Disney XD

• Freeform

• FX

• FXX

• FXM

• National Geographic

• National Geographic Wild

• ESPN

• ESPN2

• ESPN3 (by authentication to the ESPN app)

• ESPNU

• ESPNEWS

• SEC Network

• ACC Network

Google has lowered YouTube TV's price by $15 a month (from $65 to $50 for Basic tier) while Disney channels aren't available on the platform. For now, it's advising viewers to sign up for The Disney Bundle at $14 a month if they want continued access to the channels that were removed from YouTube TV.  

Meta, formerly Facebook, is firmly in the FTC's crosshairs over its various acquisitions that the agency believes may have been made to dominate the space and eliminate competition. According to The Information, one of the purchases the Federal Trade Commission is looking into is its $400 million deal to acquire Within, the developer of popular virtual reality workout app Supernatural for the Oculus platform. 

The agency reportedly opened a probe into the purchase after Thanksgiving, almost a month after the companies announced the acquisition back in October. If the report is true — neither the FTC nor the companies confirmed the regulatory review to the publication — then Within and Meta wouldn't be able to finalize the deal for another year. It could take even longer than that if the agency challenges it in court.

Within wasn't the only VR app developer that Meta had acquired, but the others were apparently too small to be investigated. VR fitness apps, like at-home workout equipment, soared in popularity during the lockdown, and Supernatural quickly became popular after its launch in April 2020. As The Information notes, one of the FTC's possible lines of inquiry is whether Meta was planning to develop a VR workout app of its own. It will take Meta less time to snap up an existing product than make one of its own, after all.

Meta boss Mark Zuckerberg famously said in the past that "it's better to buy than to compete," with regards to Facebook's Instagram acquisition. The FTC recently filed new antitrust charges against the company, accusing it of using its Instagram and WhatsApp acquisitions in 2012 and 2014 to secure its position in the market. Meta is still also facing an investigation over its reported $400 million Giphy purchase in 2020.

A number of school districts in the US has canceled classes for today, December 17th, due to shooting and bomb threats supposedly circulating on TikTok and other social media channels. According to Bloomberg and The Verge, they include districts in Michigan, Washington, California, Texas, Minnesota and Missouri. The threats reportedly don't mention specific schools, but school authorities across the country are on alert and have opted to work with law enforcement and ensure students' safety. 

New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy tweeted that while "there are no known specific threats against New Jersey schools," authorities "will work closely with law enforcement to monitor the situation and remain prepared." In most cases, law enforcement agencies announced that they haven't found evidence that the threats are real and credible. A county sheriff in Missouri said that they don't think their schools are going to be attacked, but they want to be prepared just in case. 

While the source of the threats remain unclear, California's Gilroy Police Department determined that the post thought to involve Gilroy High School actually originated from outside of LA. Similarly, the Baltimore County Public Schools Twitter account posted that law enforcement agencies had discovered that the threats originated from Arizona and aren't credible.

In response to the situation, TikTok issued a statement stating that it's "working with law enforcement" to investigate the rumored threats. However, it denied any knowledge of the threats and said that it found no evidence that they originated or are spreading on the platform.

LG has given us a glimpse of the audio products it's showcasing at next year's CES, specifically the lineup's crown jewel: A premium soundbar, which the company claims has the "world's first center up-firing speaker." The LG S95QR soundbar has an 810W output and 9.1.5 channels of surround sound. That's five up-firing channels, three of which are on the soundbar itself and two in the separate rear speakers. 

The company says the up-firing channels provide realistic sounds, made even more immersive by the center up-firing speaker that enables clearer dialogue delivery. LG's premium soundbar supports Dolby Atmos, DTS:X codec and IMAX Enhanced titles for three-dimensional audio. The wireless rear speakers it comes with also have six channels instead of four like previous models do, with their four front/side drivers and two up-firing ones.

In addition, the model has a more sensitive receiver that allows greater distance between the soundbar and its accompanying rear speakers and subwoofer. It was designed with a more stable wireless connection to eliminate drops and lags in audio output, as well. In its announcement, LG is presenting the model as an option for gamers, due to its variable refresh rate (VRR) and auto low latency mode (ALLM) features that can adjust its output and ensure that it's in sync with gaming consoles and PCs.

The S95QR soundbar uses LG's AI Room Calibration, the company's automatic sound tuning technology, to analyze the space it's in to tailor its output. It also works with Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and other AI assistants for voice control. Aside from its audio lineup, LG is showcasing a couple of lifestyle TV models at CES. One of them is design-focused 65-inch OLED Evo TV with a motorized cover, while the other is a smaller battery-powered TV on wheels.

You now have another chance to grab Apple's third-gen AirPods for $140 on Amazon if you missed the sale last week. That's the lowest price we've seen for the wireless earbuds, which originally retailed for $179 and which Apple has been selling for $150 over the past few days. While the model is currently in stock, make sure to check your estimated delivery dates before you decide to buy it as a Christmas gift, because it may arrive after the holidays even if you purchase it right now.

If you don't mind the possibility that your order might arrive after the holidays and have been looking to buy a pair of AirPods in the first place, the third-gen model is a great buy. While it still doesn't come with the Pro's silicone buds, it represents a complete redesign for the product line. In our review, where we gave it a score of 88, we found it more comfortable than its predecessors due to its new "contoured design." It's shorter than previous models and can direct sounds better into your ear, leading to massive improvements to its audio quality. 

Apple also paired a custom driver with a high-dynamic-range amplifier to produce "rich consistent bass" and "crisp, clean" sounds that improve audio quality even further, making it more immersive than before. And, thanks to the H1 chip, the third-gen AirPods feature Adaptive EQ, spatial audio, one-touch fast pairing and always-on Siri. Finally, we praised the model for its battery life: The earbuds themselves can last for six hours, and the case can extend your listening time for up to 30 hours total. 

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Square Enix is suspending the sales and delivery of Final Fantasy XIV Starter Edition and Complete Edition, because it's doing too well and the company can't keep up. The decision applies to both physical and digital versions of the game and will be enforced in the coming weeks. It's a gradual process that will take some time and will require coordination with retail partners — at the moment, both versions are still available in digital game stores — but the company says it will be coordinating with those partners "as swiftly as possible." 

FFXIV players have been struggling with lengthy queues ever since the Endwalker expansion came out in late November. They still have to wait hours to get into a server and be able to play the game. In its announcement, Square Enix explained it has to suspend FFXIV sales because the "dense concentration of play hours... far exceed [its] server capacity, especially during the peak times." The developer previously said that it's unable to add more Worlds or servers prior to Endwalker's release to ensure that it can accommodate all players due to the global semiconductor shortage.

FFXIV director and producer Naoki Yoshida issued an apology in early December for the ongoing issue and granted seven days of free game time to all players who own the full version of the game and have an active subscription. In his newest post, he said Square Enix is now giving those players an additional 14 days. 

In addition to halting FFXIV sales, the company will prioritize the logins of people with an active subscription going forward. It will no longer accept free trial subscriptions, and current free trial players won't be able to log in outside of late night and early morning hours anymore.