Samsung's Galaxy Watch 4 went on sale for $200 earlier this month, but it has become even more affordable ahead of Black Friday. The smartwatch is now listed for $180 on both Amazon and Best Buy, which is the lowest price we've seen for the device on those websites. That's $70 less than its original $250 retail price. While only the black 40mm Bluetooth-capable variant is being sold for $180, the other colors, 44mm versions and LTE-capable watches are also on sale for $50 less.
We gave the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 a score of 85 in our review. It's the first generation of Galaxy Watch to run Wear OS, giving it the capability to download apps straight from the Play Store. There's now even a section on the store showing all your current apps with smartwatch counterparts that makes the installation process even more painless. The device has gesture controls, as well, so you can simply flick your wrist or lift your arm to answer or decline calls.
We also praised the watch for having comprehensive health tracking capabilities. Samsung gave it a new 3-in-1 biometric sensor to enable body mass scans using bioelectrical impedance analysis. In addition, it has new sleep tracking features (like snore detection), faster heart rate monitoring and updated calorie count algorithms. Another upgraded element that deserves a mention is its sharper screen.
The only big difference between the Watch 4 and the Watch 4 Classic is the latter's spinning bezel and stainless steel case. If you like the latter's looks better, however, you can also get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for $300 on Amazon. That's an all-time low for the device and is $50 less than its original price.
Samsung has committed to build a chip-making factory in Texas, just as the US starts to push for the expansion in semiconductor production within the country. The Korean tech giant will be investing $17 billion into the new facility, which will manufacture high-end and advanced chips for smartphones, 5G and artificial intelligence, among other applications. According to The Wall Street Journal, construction for the factory is scheduled to begin next year, while production within the facility is expected to start in the second half of 2024.
The US government has been taking steps towards boosting semiconductor production in the US, following the global chip shortage caused by shuttered plants and the high demand for PCs and other devices during the pandemic. This issue continues to have a huge impact across industries — just this year, automakers like GM and Ford had to suspend or cut production in their US plants due to supply constraints.
Samsung scouted locations in Arizona, New York and Florida for the new project and also considered Austin, where it has an existing factory. It ultimately chose Taylor, Texas for this new facility due to the generous tax breaks and incentives it offered, as well as the city's capability to do rolling blackouts and providing electricity to certain facilities in the case of power outage.
Kim Ki-nam, chief executive of the Samsung Electronics Device Solutions Division, said in a statement:
"As we add a new facility in Taylor, Samsung is laying the groundwork for another important chapter in our future. With greater manufacturing capacity, we will able to better serve the needs of our customers and contribute to the stability of the global semiconductor supply chain. We are also proud to be bringing more jobs and supporting the training and talent development for local communities, as Samsung celebrates 25 years of semiconductor manufacturing in the US."
Epic Games has acquired Harmonix, the studio behind titles like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, Dance Central and more recently Fuser. Financial terms have not been disclosed. Epic’s vision for Harmonix involves the metaverse. In the immediate future, the two plan to create “musical journeys and gameplay for Fortnite.”
Turn your speakers UP! @Harmonix, the makers of interactive music experiences including @RockBand, are joining the Epic Games family! Together we will explore new ways for people to enjoy music across the digital world. 🎸🥁🔊 https://t.co/YLFBtYFKKn
Viewed through that lens, Epic’s interest in the studio makes a lot of sense. Outside of frequent brand collaborations, Fortnite is at this point best known for its virtual concerts. In the last two years, a handful of major artists like Ariana Grande and Travis Scott have drawn a lot of interest to the game. In the latter case, for example, more than 12.3 people watched Scott’s performance concurrently.
In the meantime, Harmonix says it will continue to support its existing slate of games. That means Rock Band players can continue to look forward to new DLC and Fuser players can expect the studio to continue hosting events. Additionally, any game that's currently available through Steam will continue to be sold through Valve's storefront.
The Game Boy Advance is useful in the modern era for more than watching Christopher Nolan blockbusters. Gizmodonotes that tinkerer Rodrigo Alfonso has Nintendo's 20-year-old handheld running PlayStation (and Genesis, and SNES) games without special modifications. The trick, as you might imagine revolves around a custom cartridge — you're technically running the game on a separate system.
The cartridge houses a Raspberry Pi 3 mini-computer running the RetroPie emulator and streaming both video and input through the GBA's multiplayer-oriented Link Port. Yes, that's constraining as you think it is — you can't transfer more than 1.6Mbps bi-directionally, and the Pi has to routinely give the "poor" GBA's processor a break for a few microseconds. Alfonso suggests lowering the stream resolution from the console's native 240 x 160 if a high frame rate is important.
Still, the results are mostly impressive. The special cart can handle classics like the Crash Bandicoot series and Spyro the Dragon at smooth frame rates, albeit with some video artifacts that reflect the limited bandwidth. You can overclock the GBA's processor to improve the frame rate and quality.
You'll have to build the cartridge and load code yourself, although Alfonso has helpfully provided both on GitHub. This probably won't replace a PSP if you want the most authentic PlayStation handheld experience you can get. It might, however, give you a reason to dig your GBA out of the closet.
A portable drive could make a good gift for any tech-obsessed person in your life. Sure, they're not the flashiest gadgets but they're some of the most useful, providing extra space for photos, documents, games and more in a travel-friendly package. One of our favorites, the Samsung T7 Touch, is already on sale for Black Friday — the 500GB model is down to $90, or 18 percent off its normal price and only a few dollars more than its all-time low. You can pick up the 1TB version for 21 percent off now that it's down to $150, or a 2TB model for $300.
The "Touch" portion of the drive's name comes from its built-in fingerprint reader that provides an additional defense against prying eyes. The T7 supports optional password protection, but on the Touch, you can choose to use your fingerprint to unlock the device and access saved files. The T7 is physically protected as well with its shock- and drop-resistant body, which is also small enough to fit into nearly any pocket of any bag or backpack.
We also appreciate the use of ePCM technology and Dynamic Thermal Guard to control heat levels, which means that the drive won't overheat even when you're pushing it to its limits. And you may do that a lot depending on how you use the drive. It comes with both a USB-C to C cable and a USB-C to A cable, so it can work with most gadgets — including some game consoles. Overall, the T7 Touch is a versatile SSD that's made better by its extra layer of security.
If you can forgo the fingerprint reader, the standard T7 drives have also been discounted to new record-low prices. At the time of writing this, the 2TB model is sold out and the best remaining deal of the bunch is on the 1TB version, which is $60 off and down to $110.
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.
The ups and downs of smartwear have continued for at least a decade — longer than I’ve written for Engadget. For all the progress, innovation and big-player involvement (Levi’s, Adidas, Ralph Lauren, Google and the rest), you rarely see a professional athlete — let alone a normal runner or gym-goer — in connected clothing.
Instead, we’ve all adopted smartwatches and fitness trackers, from cheap-and-cheerful step counters through to performance-level running watches and the Apple Watch Series. Is that ever going to change?
Engadget
I’ve been testing out a new generation of smart clothing from Prevayl, a UK-based company looking to strike the middle ground between luxe gymwear brands, like Jacques, Lululemon, Castore and the rest, and tech companies that have tried to insert their sensors and technology into less...style-conscious garments. Prevayl's tiny sensor, which slides into an almost invisible pouch in the tee, tank and crop-tops, has a “clinical-grade” ECG, monitors breathing frequency, motion, body temperature. There’s even a bioimpedance sensor.
You can check out my early impressions here. I’m still intrigued in the future of smartwear, but the pricing (and need for multiple items) remains the big challenge. I don’t need to wash my fitness tracker band after every workout session. That can’t be said for smartwear.
— Mat Smith
Nintendo's Zelda-themed Game & Watch is a love letter to Link's 8-bit origins
If you loved the oldest Zelda games, this tiny console is worth $50.
Engadget
For the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. last year, Nintendo released a special edition Game & Watch. Nintendo’s pulling the same trick this year with a 35th-anniversary Legend of Zelda-themed Game & Watch that just went on sale. And like last year’s model, it includes a color screen and full games, but the selection is more generous. It includes the original The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, both originally released on the NES. It also includes The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which came out on the Game Boy in 1993. It’s for die-hard Zelda fans, yes.
Just two months after its maiden flight, Rolls-Royce's Spirit of Innovation has hit a top speed of 387.4MPH, tentatively smashing the speed record for electric airplanes, Gizmodo has reported. It also claimed the top speed of 345.4MPH over a three-kilometer course and lowest time to a 3,000-meter altitude, doing so in just 202 seconds. The records have yet to be certified, but if the 345.5MPH speed stands, it would beat the current record of 213MPH.
Blade Runner director Ridley Scott has confirmed a TV show based on the sci-fi classic is in the works. The filmmaker also mentioned in an interview on BBC Radio 4's Today that work is progressing on the Alien series. Scott didn't provide any insight about who's involved with the Blade Runner series — or how it ties into his movie or the sequel.
Uber Eats is moving into the cannabis market. Starting today, users in Ontario can place an order at retailer Tokyo Smoke through the app. Don't expect an Uber driver to drop off joints, though — it's pickup-only for the time being.
Users will need to confirm they're of legal age before they can make their purchase, and orders will be ready for pickup within an hour. At the store, buyers will need to present their ID to Tokyo Smoke staff to prove they're aged 19 or older.
Dodge is phasing out its gas-powered Charger and Challenger muscle cars by 2024 in favor of electric muscle cars, Motor Trend has reported. The company plans to introduce its first concept EV by 2022, followed by a plug-in hybrid and a third type of unknown vehicle. That follows Dodge's announcement in July that it would introduce its first "eMuscle" car by 2024, promising it will "tear up the streets, not the planet."
At the time, the company and its parent Stellantis didn't say what would happen to its internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, but it has now clarified that. "These cars that you know today will go out of production by the time we get to 2024," Dodge Brand CEO Tim Kuniskis told Motor Trend in an interview.
I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge.
The new electric vehicles may use the '60s triangular Fratzog name and logo to differentiate them. The first concept arriving in 2022 will be an electric muscle car, revealed in the next four or five months as a high-performance, drivable vehicle. The next model, a plug-in hybrid, will be a new car but not a Durango as some expected, according to Kuniskis. The third vehicle is unknown, but will be a "very, very, very, significant car at the end of the year," he added.
Diehard muscle car fans might not take the news well, though they can't deny the superior performance of EVs. Dodge previously advertised the Challenger in "Demon" trim as the quickest 0-100MPH production car in the world, with the rather large caveat that it "excludes non-mass production vehicles [supercars] and hybrids/electric."
Kuniskis acknowledged that the announcement could create friction. "I'm juggling knives because I've gotta keep two different huge factions happy because at some point those two factions will converge," he said. "The problem is no one knows when they will converge. My job is to provide confidence, over the next 24 months, that we're gonna do this."
GameStop's Black Friday sale is underway, and it includes some killer deals on Nintendo Switch games. Several have dropped from $60 to $27, which is the lowest price we've seen for them to date. The most notable title here is probably The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, which is widely considered one of the best games ever. If you haven't yet checked out the open-world adventure, now's a great time to do so ahead of the sequel's arrival in 2022.
The physical and digital editions of each game are on sale. If you're buying one as a gift, a physical copy might be the nicer option, but it's worth noting that GameStop's free shipping doesn't kick in until you spend at least $35. So, you might want to treat yourself too.
You can also find deals on PlayStation and Xbox games and services. Among them are a third off a year of PlayStation Plus and savings on games including Deathloop, Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, Far Cry 6 and FIFA 22.
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.
For the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. last year, Nintendo released a special edition Game & Watch. (If you don’t know, Game & Watch were a line of handheld LCD devices from the ‘80s that could each play one very simple game.) Rather than featuring a single title, the Super Mario anniversary device had a full version of the original adventure as well as its Japan-only sequel, known in the West as Super Mario Bros.: The Lost Levels.
Nintendo’s pulling the same trick this year with a 35th-anniversary Legend of Zelda-themed Game & Watch that just went on sale. And like last year’s model, it includes a color screen and full games, but the selection is more generous. It includes the original The Legend of Zelda and Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, both originally released on the NES. It also includes The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, which came out on the Game Boy in 1993, making this essentially a collection of Zelda’s early 8-bit adventures.
I actually have never really played the first two Zelda games, though I do love Link’s Awakening. I played the Switch remaster a few years ago, but I haven’t touched the original game since my childhood — so when we got a chance to check this tiny device out, I was pretty thrilled to give that game a go.
The Game & Watch itself is elegantly designed, but also feels rather cheap. It’s a tiny, palm-sized device with an eye-catching gold front, while the rest of the device is clad in green plastic. The front has a 2.36-inch color LCD screen that is very small but also looks great — and when playing Link’s Awakening, the upgrade from the Game Boy’s screen, which had no backlight, is dramatic. The D-Pad and buttons are nothing to write home about, but they’re good enough.
On the right side of the device is an exceedingly modern USB-C port for charging its battery (which is pretty meager, so you’re going to need to do that a lot) and a power button; the speaker is on the left side. Finally, there’s a great Easter egg on the back: When the screen is on, the Triforce glows subtly through the green plastic. It’s a great little detail.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
The Game & Watch has a few different modes: clock, timer and game. Pressing the “game” button lets you switch between the three Zelda titles, a Link-themed version of Vermin (from a 1980 Game & Watch), and the timer. The clock and timer are fairly self-explanatory, but their use of Zelda action as backgrounds is expertly done.
On the clock, you’ll see the original Legend of Zelda, and the CPU-controlled Link essentially battles his way through the game over the course of the next 12 hours, defeating Ganon and rescuing Zelda at 11:59. If you’re so inclined, you can pick up the console and control the action from the clock screen at any time. Likewise, the timer features a handful of different scenes from Zelda II: The Adventure of Link that you can either watch or play yourself. The device’s packaging even converts into a little stand so you can use the Game & Watch as a desk clock.
If you’re interested in this Game & Watch, though, you’re not in it for playing the clock: you want to relive Link’s earliest adventures on the smallest portable device you can find. Sure, you can play the NES Zelda collection on the Switch (or many other old Nintendo devices), but the Game & Watch’s miniature screen and old-school controls feel just right for these adventures. That’s doubly true with Link’s Awakening, since it was originally designed for portable systems.
The games themselves are exactly as you remember them, with no quality of life enhancements or graphics updates; Link’s Awakening is in black and white, rather than the later “DX” version released for the Game Boy color. I’m not complaining, though, as these original versions seem right for the Game & Watch as a celebration of the series’ 8-bit origins.
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
How you feel about these games will depend on your history with the series. Like I said, I’ve never played the original NES Zelda adventures; I got on board with A Link to the Past in 1992. As such, I don’t have a lot of nostalgic love for the original pair, and playing the first game was an exercise in frustration. There’s barely a map, Link is slow while enemies are fast, and aiming is imprecise at best. I definitely died more than my fair share of times, which was rather humbling for this self-described Zelda expert. But hey, I shouldn’t have expected anything different from a 1986 game, and I started to get the hang of it soon enough.
Link’s Awakening, on the other hand, was like visiting an old friend. Muscle and brain memory combined to have me slashing my way through it in no time at all, and it controlled just like I remembered. The A and B buttons may have felt rather squishy, but the D-pad was close enough to the one on my old Game Boy that I felt right at home. I don’t know if I’ll finish the NES Zelda games, but I’ll definitely play through Link’s Awakening.
So who exactly is this $50 device for? The Super Mario Bros. Game & Watch was really only meant for people who loved that first Mario game, not necessarily people who love the Mario franchise in general. Likewise, The Legend of Zelda Game & Watch is best for someone who loved these original games growing up. It doesn’t even have to be all three, though — if one of them was a formative gaming experience, you’ll delight in getting a chance to play it on a cute little handheld. But someone raised on Twilight Princess or Breath of the Wild probably will find these a lot less essential.
If you're looking for an affordable robot vacuum to gift this year, one of iRobot's latest may do the trick. The Roomba 694, which came out earlier this year as a replacement for the Roomba 675, has dropped back down to an all-time low of $179. Normally $275, this model was already fairly inexpensive — especially for an iRobot device — but this Black Friday sale puts it in line with budget models from the likes of Anker and others.
iRobot carried over most of the features from the Roomba 675 to the new 694, but the latest robo-vac has a sleeker design that features three physical buttons on its top. You can manually control the device using those buttons, or you can turn to the mobile app for that. When we tested the Roomba 694 for our budget robot vacuum guide, we found it to be good at cleaning both hard and carpeted floors, thanks in part to iRobot's three-stage cleaning system, and we liked its ability to focus on particularly dirty spots until they were completely clean. One of the on-device buttons even lets you activate a spot-cleaning mode if and when you want the device to clean only a targeted spot.
The companion app is one of the Roomba 694's selling points. It's pretty easy to navigate, even for those who have never used a robot vacuum before. With the iRobot app and the device connected to WiFi, you can set cleaning schedule and remotely turn the device on and off. You can even use Alexa or Google Assistant commands to tell the robo-vac to start a cleaning job — and when it's finished, it'll automatically return to its base for a recharge. It should last roughly 90 minutes on a single charge, which should be enough time for it to clean one floor of your home (depending on how big it is) or the entirety of a small apartment.
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.
