Sony's excellent WF-1000XM4 wireless ANC earphones came out just this summer, so we've only seen mild discounts so far — even during Black Friday. For Cyber Monday, however, Amazon has reduced them to just $218, for a savings of $62 or 22 percent — a great price for some of the highest-rated wireless earbuds available.

The WF-1000XM4s are a sequel to the much-lauded WF-1000XM3 model, and improve on them in nearly every way, as we detailed in our Engadget review. They deliver balanced sound quality across lows, mids and highs, with no heavy-handed bass or overly shrill treble. Active noise cancellation (ANC) is also improved, blocking more noise across all frequencies while using less power, to boot. 

As a result, battery life is up to eight hours with the ANC turned on, or 12 hours with it disabled — up about 25 percent over the previous model. Other nice features include Qi-certified wireless charging (with a quick-charge feature that gives you an hour of use in five minutes), customizable sound controls, Sony's "precise voice pickup" tech to improve call quality, and 360 and high-res audio support. 

The biggest downside is the comfort and fit, as Sony's foam (rather than silicone) tips might not work for all ears. That's a small complaint considering that the WF-1000XM4s top a lot of lists for the best wireless ANC earphones, including our own. You're not likely to find them at a better price anytime soon, so if you've been eyeing a pair, now's the time to act. 

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Just in time for Cyber Monday, you can pick up Williams Sonoma's Star Wars-branded Instant Pots at some of the steepest discounts we've seen. The 3-quart BB-8 themed version is matching its all-time low price of $60, a 25 percent discount off the regular $80 price. Other Star Wars-branded models are also on sale alongside regular Instant Pots, still discounted from Black Friday.

The other Star Wars-themed Instant Pots available are the 6-quart Baby Yoda (Grogu) model for $70, 6-quart Darth Vader version for $70, 6-quart R2D2 model for $70 and the 6-quart Stormtrooper pot, also at $70. All of those models are discounted $30, or 30 percent off the regular price.  

As before, you'll also find discounts on non-themed Instant Pots. The Instant Pot Crisp 9-in-1 (with air fryer lid) 6-quart model is available for $100 for a savings of $50 or 33 percent, to start with. You'll also find the Instant Pot Duo Crisp 11-in-1 8-quart model for $120 (a savings of 40 percent), the Instant Pot Pro 10-in-1 6-quart model at $80 or $50 off and the Instant Pot Pro Crisp 11-in-1 with Air Fryer Combo at $170, for a savings of 32 percent.

Instant Pots are some of the most popular cooking gadgets out there, as they can replace a rice cooker, yogurt maker, slow-cooker and pressure cooker. The latter function lets you cook at an accelerated rate for foods like pulled pork and chicken curry. At the same time, it's fully automated so you just need to add the ingredients, push a few buttons and walk away.

The Star Wars themed models are identical to the classic Instant Pot models, but add fun branding across Star Wars franchises. Suffice to say, they could make great gifts (including for yourself), but it's best to act quick, as Cyber Monday sales expire today. 

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Nissan will invest 2 trillion yen ($17.6 billion) over the next five years developing new EVs and battery technology as part of a grand plan it calls "Ambition 2030," the company announced. It aims to release 15 new EVs total by 2030, with electrified vehicles making up half its vehicle lineup at that point. 

The automaker said it will develop 23 electrified vehicles in total over the next eight years, with 20 of those coming in the next five years alone. It's shooting for a market mix of 75 percent electrified (EV and e-Power PHEV/hybrids) in Europe, 55 percent in Japan and 40 percent in the US and China by 2030. 

The other part of that mix, would presumably be internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles. It's worth noting that in early 2021, Nissan said that it planned to electrify every all-new car it launches by the early 2030s. Presumably, then, any ICE vehicles still available would be legacy models. 

Nissan will launch EVs with all-solid-state batteries (ASSB) by 2028 and ready a pilot plant in Yokohama as early as 2024, it said. That technology promises benefits like reduced charging times, but has yet to arrive to market as expected. The company also wants to bring the cost of battery packs down to $75 per kWh by 2028 with a reduction to $65 kWh further down the road. That would be about half of what EV batteries cost last year, according to Bloomberg. By 2030, Nissan hopes to be producing 130 GWh of batteries.

The company said it plans to expand its ProPilot driver assistance technology to over 2.5 million Nissan and Infiniti vehicles by 2026. It will also incorporate next-generation LIDAR systems "on virtually every new model by fiscal year 2030."

Nissan

As part of Ambition 2030, Nissan also unveiled no less than four concept cars: the Chill-Out, Surf-Out, Hang-Out and Max-Out. Like most concepts, they're meant to give a taste of Nissan's future technology including self-driving, interior features and just far-out designs. However, Nissan has only shown images of the Chill-Out as a real vehicle, with renders of the other three vehicles.

The Chill-Out (top and above) is a smallish crossover that could be an early preview of the next-generation Leaf, which Nissan previously confirmed would move from a hatch to a crossover style body. It will use the Ariya's CMF-EV platform and e-4orce electric all-wheel drive system, and could arrive by 2025. 

Nissan

The Surf-Out, meanwhile, is a small electric single cab pickup with a decent-sized bed and removable canopy. It would come with a dual-motor AWD setup and a variety of power outputs, offering off-road performance, utility power and extended cargo space. 

Nissan

Then there's the Hang-Out, which is more like a small camper van/SUV designed to "provide a new way of spending time on the move." It has a completely flat floor and movable, theater-like seats, offering "the comfort of your living room in a mobile space" — something we've seen with other recent EV concepts. It also offers e-4orce and advanced ProPilot features. 

Nissan

Finally, the Max-Out is a concept convertible sports car that offers "superlative stability and comfort." Body roll is limited to deliver "dynamic cornering and steering response" to optimize handling and occupant comfort. It's supposedly lightweight with a very low center of gravity, and also offers advanced e-4orce. 

Nissan's new plan comes as the company has grappled with internal problems, including the arrest and subsequent flight of former CEO Carlos Ghosn. In the short term, the company plans to cut 300 billion yen ($2.65 billion) in fixed costs and reduce production capacity by 20 percent as part of its "Nissan Next" plan unveiled last year. 

Earlier this year, Anker unveiled its second-gen gallium-nitride (GaN) chargers that are smaller than ever, but offer up to 65W of power — enough to charge an M1 MacBook Pro at full speed. Now, you can pick up the Nano II 65W charger today only for just $31.50, a savings of 43 percent over the regular $55 price. It's also selling the Nano II 45W model for $28, or $12 off the regular price. On top of the Nano II products, Anker has all-time low deals on its external battery chargers, too.

Anker's next-gen GaN chargers are more efficient, smaller and better at regulating temperatures than the first generation of devices, thanks to a new design and chips. They come with a USB-C port and intelligently allocate the optimal wattage to whichever device is plugged in. If you don't need quite that much power, Anker is also selling the original Nano in a two-pack for $20.29, or 35 percent off the normal price. 

The company also has some stellar deals on its external batteries, for today only. The Anker Power Bank is a 10,000 mAh portabe USB-C charger with 20 watts of power delivery, letting you charge up your iOS or Android smartphone at a rapid rate. If the normal price of $35 gave you pause, you can now grab one in black for just $20. 

For more capacity and ports, Anker's PowerCore 268800 Portable Charger offers 26,800mAh with 20W charger, and three ports for iPhone, Android and other smart devices. It's now on sale for $40 instead of $66, for a savings of $26 or 39 percent. Again, the sale is on today only for Black Friday. 

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A number of Razer products are getting big discounts for Black Friday today, but the best deal might be on the Razer Blade 15 Advanced gaming laptop. It's on sale for just $1,400, or nearly half off (46 percent) the regular price. 

The Razer Blade 15 Advanced is a highly-rated gaming laptop thanks to the premium build quality, 300 Hz FHD display, and components like the Core i7-10875H 8-core CPU and GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q graphics. The sale model also comes with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and more. Other features include that distinctive jet-black unibody aluminum case, tiny bezels, an excellent touchpad and a webcam that's mounted up top, where it belongs. 

It's not the latest model, of course, but it delivers plenty of gaming kick at a price that's hard to match. It's no slouch in terms of battery life, either, with an excellent 8:50 time in our rundown tests. The only major drawback is that it's not quite as light as some gaming laptops, though it's still relatively slim at 0.7 inches. In any case, if you've been looking at the Blade 15 Advanced for gaming or content creation — but waiting for the best sale — this is it. 

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Like other automakers, Renault has been known to play the nostalgia card with iconic models like the 5 reimagined as a modern EV. However, the company is taking that to a whole 'nother level with the Air4, a literal flying car version of the cult Renault 4 hatchback.

Renault teamed up with Miami design firm TheArsenale to create a human-sized drone with an updated version of the 4 sitting on top. The concept marks the 60th anniversary of the Renault 4 and aims to show where the brand might be 60 years down the road. "AIR4 is a symbol of independence and freedom, born out of the realization that traffic is compounding, lives are grinding to a halt, and the world above us is unhampered," Renault wrote.

The body is built entirely out of carbon fiber and carries a 22,000 mAh battery (with no voltage given) that puts out 90,000 mAh of total power. Thrust is given as 95 kg, or 209 pounds per propeller, for a total lifting capacity of around 840 pounds. 

Renault

The driver enters by lifting the entire body from the front to enter an interior Renault describes as "utilitarian." It can take off at 31 MPH (currently limited to 9 MPH) and fly around at speeds of up to 58 MPH. It did briefly fly (above), but is now slated to go on display at the Atelier Renault museum in Paris and elsewhere around the world (Miami, New York and Macau) in 2022. 

Renault once called the 4 (also known as the 4L or "quatrelle") a "blue jeans" car, and it launched in 1961 with a 603cc engine as a fun, cheap-to-operate vehicle. It sold more than 8 million models over 30 years across 100 countries, with the last version produced in 1992. Renault announced plans to revive that model as the Renault 4ever EV in 2025, so the Air4 might give some clues to its final design.... or not. 

Renault

The UK has introduced the Product Security and Telecommunications Infrastructure (PSTI) Bill, a suite of new regulations designed to improve security on smart home devices, the government announced. The rules will ban easy-to-guess default passwords, require disclosure of security update release dates and more — under penalty of hefty fines. 

The new rules were originally proposed last year, following a long period of consultation, and are largely unchanged. The first one is a ban on easy-to-guess default passwords, including classics like "password" and "admin." All passwords that come with new devices will "need to be unique and not resettable to any universal factory setting," the law states.

"Most of us assume if a product is for sale, it’s safe and secure. Yet many are not, putting too many of us at risk of fraud and theft," said UK Minister Julia Lopez. "Our Bill will put a firewall around everyday tech from phones and thermostats to dishwashers, baby monitors and doorbells, and see huge fines for those who fall foul of tough new security standards."

Next, manufacturers must tell customers at the point of sale and keep them updated about the minimum time requirement for security patches and updates. If the product doesn't come with them, that fact must be disclosed. Finally, manufacturers must provide a public point of contact for security researchers to they can easily disclose flaws and bugs.

The government is hoping to curtail attacks on household devices, citing 1.5 billion attempted compromises of Internet of Things (IoT) devices in the first half of 2020 alone. As examples, it cited a 2017 attack in which hackers stole data from a casino by attacking an internet-connected fish tank. It added that "in extreme cases, hostile groups have taken advantage of poor security features to access people's webcams." 

The rules will be overseen by a regulator that will be appointed once the bill comes into law. Fines could hit up to £10 million ($13.3 million) or 4 percent of a company's gross revenue — with up to £20,000 a day levied for ongoing infractions. The law applies not only to manufacturers, but also businesses that import tech products into the UK. Products include smartphones, routers, security cameras, games consoles and home speakers, along with internet-enabled appliances and toys. 

HTC's Vive Cosmos is one of the best VR headsets out there, but if we're being real, it's always been a bit too expensive. Now, you can buy that model from Amazon during Black Friday sales for $399 instead of $549, the biggest discount we've seen yet. Amazon also has deals on other HTC headsets and bundles, so it's a good time to jump in if you've been waiting for a sale.

The Vive Cosmos must be tethered to a PC, but there's no need to install sensors thanks to the inside-out tracking system that works well, according to our Engadget review. It's strongest feature is the bright and sharp screens with very high 2,880 x 1,700 pixel resolution across both eyes, along with decent 90 Hz refresh rates. The biggest downside is the price, as it's far more expensive than Oculus headsets — but the sale brings it on par with rivals. Note that the controllers aren't included.

On top of the standalone headset, you can get a good deal on the HTC Cosmos Elite bundle designed for gamers. Rather than using the inside-out-tracking, the Elite's headset comes preinstalled with an External Tracking Faceplate that can be paired with base stations for higher precision. It includes two base stations and a pair of Vive controllers, along with the Vive Cosmos headset — and now costs $649 instead of $899 for a savings of $250 (28 percent). 

HTC's Vive Pro headset and bundles are also on sale at Amazon at the best prices we've seen. The HTC Vive Pro offers features like 1,440 x 1,600 pixel resolution per eye on the OLED screens, great ergonomics and built-in headphones. They're not for everyone because of the price, as we noted in our review, but you can now pick up the HTC Vive Pro system, including the headset, base stations and controllers 2.0 for $899 instead of $1,199. 

HTC's Vive Pro Eye improves on that with the addition of eye-tracking that uses Tobii's technology. It can follow users' eyeballs in real time, letting developers gather data on where they're looking and when, allowing for new and more immersive experiences. It also allows for foveated rendering, increasing resolution based on where a user is looking. You can now pick up the HTC Vive Pro Eye headset only for $599 instead of $799, and grab the HTC Vive Pro Eye VR system for $1,099, down from the regular $1,399 price. 

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Spotify is testing a new feature called Discover that lets users scroll through a feed of vertical videos and skip or like them, much as you do on TikTok, TechCrunch has reported. The feature was spotted in the latest version of Spotify's beta iOS TestFlight build by Chris Messina, who tweeted that it appeared as a fourth icon in Spotify's iOS toolbar. 

Discover looks to be a way for users to find new music in an intuitive, rapid way, by swiping up and down to move through the feed. You can tap on a heart to like the song, or hit the three-dot menu to bring up Spotify's standard information card about the song. 

The format may use Spotify's Canvas format, Messina notes. That allows artists to create videos to go along with songs, rather than just static images, and appears on certain songs instead of the standard album art when you play a video. They can be in the form of standard video and mixed media, along with 2D and 3D graphics. In pitching the feature, Spotify tells artists that Canvas boosts key engagement metrics like sharing, adding to playlists and visiting profile pages. 

Spotify confirmed to TechCrunch that it's testing the feature, but declined to share further details like how it would curate feeds. "At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience," a spokesperson said. "Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We don’t have any further news to share at this time."

Spotify is far from the first platform to flatter TikTok through imitation. Instagram's Reels and YouTube Shorts are virtual clones of TikTok, and even Netflix recently introduced a TikTok-like comedy feed called Fast Laughs. It's not clear yet if Spotify's discovery feature will make it out of beta, but it looks like a useful way to find new music.

If you're looking for budget wireless noise-cancelling earbuds in the Apple family, don't forget about the Beats Studio Buds. They're already a good deal at $150, but now you can pick them up during Black Friday at Amazon for just $100, the lowest price we've seen yet. 

The Studio Buds scored a solid 84 score in our Engadget review and also made our list of best wireless earbuds for 2021. The small, comfortable design and IPX4 water resistance makes them great for workouts and, more importantly, they deliver good sound quality with Beats' famous punchy base. Active noise cancellation is solid as well, and they can adjust the volume based on your environment via the active gain feature. 

Since the Studio Buds are Apple products, they use the company's H1 chip. That means they support Apple's Spatial Audio feature and let you easily switch between Apple devices — just as you can with a pair of AirPods. However, they're also device agnostic, so you can use the Fast Pair option to quickly set them up with your Android device. They also work with Find My Device on Android, so you can see their last known location. 

The main drawbacks are a lack of wireless charging and onboard controls, but most budget wireless buds lack those features. With the deal right now, you won't find many rivals that can match its features at that $100 price point. 

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.