Roku has unveiled the new Roku LE streaming stick that will go on sale for $15 at Walmart exclusively — but only during Black Friday sales. Roku is discounting other devices (non-exclusively) as well, selling the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for $30 ($20 off), the Roku Premiere for $20 ($15 off) and the Roku Streaming Stick+ for $30 ($15 off). It's also offering the highly-rated Roku Streambar for $80, or $50 off the regular price.
The Roku LE is an IR-controlled 1080p HDMI-connected streaming player with an included HDMI cable, according to Roku. It's obviously a cheap way to get into streaming Netflix, Prime Video, Roku's own Channel and other services. It will be available at Walmart online starting on November 24th, and in-store on November 26th "while supplies last," the company said. There's no word yet on the price once sales are over.
The other deals, which are more interesting for serious streamers, will be available at various retailers between November 19th and December 4th (yes, Black Friday is more like Black Fortnight these days). If you're looking for cheap content, the company is also selling its Roku Channel with more than 20 premium channels for $0.99 for the first two months.
The new mobile game Rocket League Sideswipe has launched into pre-season starting in Oceania with a wider rollout coming soon, developer Psyonix has announced. The car soccer game for iOS and Android was revealed earlier in March as a mobile, 2D version of Rocket League that lets you play solo or team up with a friend for two vs. two matches.
Instead of the regular 3D Rocket League perspective, Sideswipe has a 2D side-on view, as the name suggests. It uses touch controls that are relatively easy to master, according to Psyonix, but will also offer advanced control mechanics for better players. As with the original, it will offer a ranking system for competitive modes with plenty of car customization options.
As the game trailer above shows, it looks to capture the spirit of the original game and actually crosses over in one way. As the developer detailed, logging in with your Epic Games account for online matches will let you earn extra XP across both Rocket League and Sideswipe.
"Every time you level up in Sideswipe, you'll earn a 'Bonus Win' in Rocket League. Then, once you win an Online Match in Rocket League, you'll get extra XP for that Bonus Win. Bonus Wins can also be earned for Sideswipe by playing Rocket League, so enjoy the extra XP in both games," Psyonix wrote.
Psyonix no doubt launched Rocket League Sideswipe in Oceania (Australia, Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia) to shake out any bugs, but confirmed that the game will launch globally before the end of the year. So far, however, it has yet to provide any details for a further rollout.
OnePlus is known for its special edition phones, and now it's creating another for its latest Nord 2 5G smartphone — but this time, it's moving from iconic cars to iconic video games. The company has unveiled the OnePlus Nord 2 x Pac-Man edition with custom covers, themed wallpapers and even a Lego-like smartphone holder.
The back of the phone has a film with a small Pac-Man logo, and it even glows in the dark to reveal a maze. There's also a translucent themed case featuring Pac-Man and his enemies Inky, Blinky, Pinky and Clyde. once its turned on, you get one of eight Pac-Man-themed wallpapers, along with a Pac-Man-themed charging animation, redesigned retro icons/notification sounds and more. The box is also Pac-Man themed.
OnePlus
If also comes with a Lego-like Pac-Man stand you build yourself, provided you order it directly from OnePlus. Finally, it includes a pre-installed version of the 2015 (free-to-play) game Pac-Man 256.
Otherwise, it's the same OnePlus Nord 2 we recently tried, complete with a 6.43-inch 1080 90Hz OLED display, MediaTek Dimensity 1200-AI processor and 4,500mAh, 65W fast-charging battery. On the back, you'll find a triple-camera setup with a 50-megapixel main camera, 8-megapixel ultrawide and a 2-megapixel monochrome camera. It goes on sale tomorrow for £499/€529/₹37,999 in the UK, Europe and India respectively, and as with the regular Nord 2, isn't available in the US.
Along with the release of its One UI 4.0 update, Samsung has revealed new Galaxy Watch software that brings features from its latest Watch 4 model to four older smartwatches, Sammobile has reported. Owners of the Galaxy Watch, Galaxy Watch Active, Galaxy Watch Active 2 and Galaxy Watch 3 are set to benefit from the new release.
With the Galaxy Watch 4, Samsung introduced Fall Detection with more levels of sensitivity and the ability to enable detection even if you're standing still. It will also send an SOS alert to approved contacts. That update is now available on the Galaxy Watch 3 and Galaxy Watch Active 2, though not the older Galaxy Watch/Watch Active models.
However, owners of all four watches will benefit from 10 new watch faces first launched with the Galaxy Watch 4, that offer extra customization options (text colors, backgrounds) or even different animated creatures on one. Other features include an updated group challenge in the Work Out with Friends feature and more accurate health monitoring. The update is arriving today in the USA and Korea and will follow in other regions later.
Following a beta launch in September, Samsung has released its One UI 4 software with new features from Android 12 like the Privacy Dashboard. As usual, owners of Samsung's flagship Galaxy S21 smartphone lineup, including the Galaxy S21, S21+ and S21 Ultra, will be first in line to receive it.
The biggest change with the new skin is how it looks. One UI 4 now allows a more customized experience with new color palettes and widgets, along with a wider range of emoji features, GIFs and stickers. That sounds very much like Android 12's Material You, except it's not auto- or AI-generated.
Engadget
The other difference from before is around security. Following the lead of Android 12, Samsung is introducing a Privacy Dashboard that brings all settings and controls into one place. For example, it will show when an app is attempting to access your camera, microphone or other sensor, and why it needed that data.
Other features include access to Samsung's extended ecosystem of devices and third-party apps. That will ensure a "seamless experience" when using non-Samsung apps like Google Duo, the company said. It's also promising a uniform look across devices like the Galaxy Fold, Galaxy Watch and Galaxy Tab.
Since the release of One UI, Samsung has been trying to get the latest versions of Android onto its high-end smartphones as quickly as possible. It's fair to say it's done that here, as Google released Android 12 less than a month ago onto its Pixel 3 devices. One UI 4 is available starting today for Galaxy S21 device, "and will soon arrive to previous Galaxy S and Note series as well as Galaxy A series, foldables and tablets," the company said.
Last year, California's supreme court ruled that Apple broke the law by failing to pay employees while they waited for mandatory bag and iPhone searches. Now, Apple has offered to pay $30 million to settle the suit and lawyers for the employees have urged them to accept it, Apple Insider has reported. "This is a significant, non-reversionary settlement reached after nearly eight years of hard-fought litigation," wrote plaintiff attorney Lee Shalov in the proposed settlement seen by Courthouse News.
Employees launched the suit way back in 2013, saying they weren't paid while being searched for stolen merchandise or trade secrets. The workers felt they were still under Apple's "control" during that five to 20 minute process and should therefore be compensated. Apple in turn argued that the employees could choose not to bring their bags or iPhones, thus avoiding a search in the first place.
Apple won an earlier battle in district court, but the case went to the California Supreme Court on appeal. There, the judges ruled that Apple workers were "clearly under Apple's control while awaiting, and during, the exit searches." The court dismissed Apple's argument that bringing a bag to work was an employee convenience, particularly that Apple felt employees didn't necessarily need to bring their iPhones to work.
"Its characterization of the iPhone as unnecessary for its own employees is directly at odds with its description of the iPhone as an 'integrated and integral' part of the lives of everyone else," the judges wrote. In that statement, the court referenced a 2017 Tim Cook interview where he stated that the iPhone was "so so integrated and integral to our lives, you wouldn't think about leaving home without it."
The settlement is still subject to approval by the plaintiffs. Nearly 12,000 current and former Apple Store employees in California involved in the lawsuit stand to receive a maximum payment of around $1,200.
If your favorite person has a love of video or photography, a camera may be the best gift they’ll ever get. Some may want to capture their adventures with an action camera, while others may desire a mirrorless camera for portraits, movies or artistic shots. The technology is better than ever as camera makers try to stay ahead of smartphones with faster shooting speeds, sharper video and incredible autofocus. We found the best models for budgets ranging from $400 to $2,500, along with top accessories to complement their existing gear.
GoPro Hero 10 Black
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
For the adventurer on your gift list, there’s no better action camera than the GoPro Hero 10 Black. It bests the previous Hero 9 Black model in a number of key ways, thanks mainly to the faster GP2 processor. That helps it deliver improved image quality, with higher resolution at up to 5.3K/30fps instead of 5K as before. It also offers improved noise reduction, smoother stabilization, more faithful color reproduction and better handling.
Sony’s A6100 is a great gift idea for budding photographers, as it offers the best features of its APS-C mirrorless camera series at the best price. Chief among those is the incredibly reliable autofocus system with eye-detection and other AI tricks. Even with fast-moving action, the A6100 will nail focus for video or photos most of the time thanks to the extremely rapid tracking system. It also offers accurate colors, good low-light performance and a flip-up display that allows for selfies and vlogging, with sharp video capture at up to 4K. It’s also one of the best mirrorless camera deals around at $748, or $848 with a 16-50mm kit lens.
A gimbal is a great gift idea for video shooters, helping them boost production value with smooth tracking, panning and other shots. If your loved one has a mirrorless camera, the best option is DJI’s Ronin-SC model. It weighs just 2.4 pounds, 41 percent lighter than DJI’s original Ronin-S — making it easier to use for longer periods. It can stabilize just about any type of video as well, thanks to the ActiveTrack 3.0 mode and AI that can lock onto and track human or other subjects.
If your gift recipient is into making YouTube videos, the Panasonic GH5 has been the vlogging camera of choice since it first came out . The 20-megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor delivers pin-sharp 4K video downsampled from the full sensor at up to 60fps, with a 10-bit high-color option that makes editing easier afterwards. It also includes other necessities for vlogging like a flip-out display, in-body stabilization and dual high-speed card slots. With the arrival of the $1,700 GH5 II, the original GH5 is cheaper than it’s ever been at $1,300, giving your loved one a lot of camera for the money.
If your giftee is starting to get serious about video, the Magnus VT 4000 is the best budget tripod option out there. It’s lightweight at 8 pounds, but the anodized aluminum construction is strong enough to handle a mirrorless camera and accessories weighing up to 8.8 pounds. The lack of heft makes it practical for travel, while the fluid head allows for smooth tilts and pans. Other features include a middle spreader to keep things steady and legs that extend up to 64 inches so you can match the eyeline of your subjects.
For a serious camera gift that’s around $2,500, Canon’s 20-megapixel EOS R6 is the best hybrid model out there. It delivers up to 20 fps burst shooting speeds while the Dual Pixel AF nails focus on nearly every shot, whether in bright sunlight or dim lighting. It’s also a solid pick for video, letting you shoot 4K supersampled video at 60 fps with 10-bit log and HDR options for maximum editing flexibility — again, with Canon’s Dual Pixel AF system that’s second to none. The caveat to that is overheating, which limits use for things like weddings and journalism.
Some of the most useful gifts out there for vloggers are Joby’s famous mini-tripods, and the best one for the money is the GorillaPod 3K. Attaching your camera using the secure clip-in mounting plate is dead simple, and you can ensure that everything is even with the built-in level. The flexible legs let you set your camera anywhere to shoot or even wrap it around a tree or other object. The most common usage is as a vlogging handle, as vloggers can bend the legs forward to fit themselves into the video and steady out their shooting.
Your favorite camera nerd can never have enough memory cards, but they can be a pretty pricey gift. SanDisk’s ExtremePro UHS-I SD cards are cheaper than UHS-II cards, but the 90 MB/s read/write speeds are fast enough for most types of photography and video. If your loved one needs that extra UHS-II speed, Lexar’s UHS-II SD 1667X (250MB/s) and 2000X (300MB/s) SD cards are solid picks.
If the vlogger in your life doesn’t already have one, Rode’s wireless and shotgun microphones are solid, affordable gifts. The VideoMic Go is ideal for interviews and run-and-gun shooting, thanks to the crisp directional audio and relative ease of use. It comes with a shock mount to eliminate bumps or vibrations that could interfere with sound and doesn’t require a battery, unlike past Rode models. Meanwhile, Rode’s Wireless Go is one of the most popular wireless lavalier mics out there, functioning as both a microphone and wireless transceiver. It offers a reliable connection and good audio quality, or you can maximize clarity by connecting an external 3.5mm microphone like Rode’s $40 SmartLav+, the Sennheiser Pro Audio ME2 or others.
A good light is an awesome tool in your favorite photographer or videographer’s arsenal, and a relatively affordable gift to boot. One of the best all-around models is the Nanlite LitoLite 5C RGBWW Mini LED Panel. It weighs just 4.8 ounces, but offers dimmable lighting across a range of colors, with adjustments either on the fixture or via a smartphone app. It mounts on any wall or light stand via a magnet or quarter-inch threads, has cordless operation and a battery that runs for 1.5 hours at full power (charged via USB). The most interesting feature is special effects that range from a cop car’s flashing lights, flames, candlelights, a lightning storm and more.
Backpacks are life for photographers and video shooters, so they make great gifts — if you get the right one. Peak Design’s Everyday Backpack 20L is a good choice, thanks to the stylish weatherproof design, internal dividers for laptops, cameras, lenses and more, a wrap-around zipper and a protected laptop sleeve. It offers excellent build quality and Peak Design backs that up with a lifetime warranty.
As someone who used to use Adobe’s Premiere Pro CC exclusively, I never thought I’d switch to another app. I did, though, and can’t recommend Blackmagic Design’s DaVinci Resolve 17.2 enough (either the free or $295 studio version). You get a lifetime of updates, so it’s far cheaper than Adobe’s subscription program that runs $630 per year. Resolve is slightly trickier to learn, but far more powerful than Premiere for key tasks like color grading and effects. Most importantly, I’ve found Resolve to be far, far more reliable than Premiere on a wide range of computers, which is easily the most important “feature” on an editing app.
Fitbit's most capable fitness and health tracker, the Charge 5, is thinner, lighter and less bulky than the Charge 4, but it's also $30 more. However, Amazon is now making it more palatable by offering its first discount, selling it for $130 in Black/Graphite for a discount of 28 percent, or $50 off the regular price.
The Charge 5 earned a solid Engadget review score of 82, thanks to features like a built-in GPS, on-board health sensors for stress monitoring, a full-color touchscreen, Fitbit Pay and multi-day battery life. With rounded edges, a soft-touch band and 10 percent thinner design, we also found it to be more comfortable than before. The main drawbacks are a lack of music playback from the screen, limited on-device apps and no compatibility with Apple Health or Google Fit.
Engadget
If you need something simpler, cheaper and a bit more stylish, Amazon also has the Fitbit Luxe on sale. It's now available for $100 rather than $150 in Lunar White/Soft Gold or Black/Graphite, for a savings of $50 or 33 percent.
The Fitbit Luxe also received an 82 in our Engadget review, offering benefits like a slim and comfortable design, capable health tracking and good battery life. It's also ideal for folks with small wrists thanks to the dainty size, narrow width and shape that's "inspired by the human body," as Fitbit describes it. The drawback is a tiny touchscreen that can be hard to read and manipulate. Still, considering it offers many features only available in its smartwatches, it offers a good balance between size and functionality.
After being on hold while Microsoft launched the Xbox Series X and S consoles, Xbox Design Lab returned this summer. Unfortunately, rubberized grips and other options that were available before were nowhere to be found. Now, Xbox Design Lab has announced that rubberized grips and metallic color finishes are back, along with some all new additions.
Black rubberized grips are now available for the side grips and back case, and you can choose from 19 metallic finish colors. Those include three types of silver (sterling, pewter and gunmetal) along with more exotic shades like Deep Pink, Oxide Red, Zest Orange, Gold, Electric Volt, Velocity Green and Glacier Blue.
Xbox Design Lab also introduced three new regular colors on top of the 18 already available: Dragonfly Blue, Nocturnal Green and Velocity Green. The latter two were updated from Nocturnal Green and Velocity Green, which are no longer on option. It also launched "inspired by" controller designers from Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Battlefield 2042, Forza Horizon 5, and Riders Republic.
The new options bring Design Lab back to where it was before, with literally millions of combinations possible. As before, you'll see a nice 3D rendering of the product each time you add an option, to help make sure your final product doesn't look like hot garbage. The controllers start at $70 and up, though "pricing may vary for additional options" like the rubberized grips, Microsoft points out. You can custom design your controller here.
US President Joe Biden has signed into law the Secure Equipment Act that blocks companies like Huawei and ZTE from receiving network licenses. The new rules mean the FCC (Federal Communications Commission) can no longer consider any applications for network equipment that may pose a national security threat, Reuters has reported.
With the measure, the FCC can no longer issue or review licenses to companies on the FCC's "Covered Equipment or Services List." It was passed by a 420-4 House vote and approved unanimously by the US Senate last month. "We have already determined that this gear poses an unacceptable risk to our national security, so closing what I have called the ‘Huawei loophole’ is an appropriate action for us to take," said FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr.
We have already determined that this gear poses an unacceptable risk to our national security, so closing what I have called the ‘Huawei loophole’ is an appropriate action for us to take.
The FCC formally designated ZTE and Huawei as national security threats last year, finding that the companies had close ties to Chinese Communist Party. However, they were still able to apply for licenses as long as no federal funds were involved. To that end, Carr has been pushing legislators to pass the Secure Equipment Act.
"Once we have determined that Huawei or other gear poses an unacceptable national security risk, it makes no sense to allow that exact same equipment to be purchased and inserted into our communications networks as long as federal dollars are not involved. The presence of these insecure devices in our networks is the threat, not the source of funding used to purchase them," Carr said back in March.
Earlier this year, the FCC launched a $1.9 billion "rip and replace" program to help US telecoms replace Huawei and ZTE equipment they may be using. House member Steve Scalise last last week that "Huawei and ZTE "are probably the two most prominent companies that still have a lot of equipment out there where Americans’ data runs across those networks."
Huawei has yet to comment on the legislation, but last summer called the FCC's proposed revision "misguided and unnecessarily punitive." Joe Biden is expected to speak with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in in a "virtual summit" tentatively set for next Monday.
