Posts with «handheld & connected devices» label

The Xbox Series X is discounted again, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

The holiday shopping season is reaching the home stretch, but we're here to help if you're looking for a good deal on a last-minute tech gift. The Xbox Series X, for one, is back on sale at several retailers. Walmart has the game console down to an all-time low of $349, but if stock runs dry there, you can still grab it for $399 at Microsoft, Amazon and other stores. Beyond that, a four-pack of Apple's AirTag trackers is $19 off, the latest AirPods Pro are $50 off and a number of Sonos devices are discounted as part of a big holiday sale. We're also seeing price drops on recommended gaming laptops, MacBooks, tablets, microSD cards and more. Here are the best deals from this week that you can still buy today. Just be aware that not everything may ship in time for Christmas.

The Xbox Series X is available for $349 at Walmart at the time of writing, though stock appears to be spotty. If that deal runs out for good, a bundle that pairs the beefy game console with the action-RPG Diablo IV is down to $399 at Microsoft. That's $160 less than the usual cost of buying each separately. Amazon, GameStop and others have the console alone for $399 as well. While the Series X remains a bit light on must-play exclusives, the Xbox library includes a diverse collection of games we like, from blockbusters like Forza Horizon 5 to quirkier hits like Hi-Fi Rush to smaller-scale gems like Pentiment. The hardware itself is powerful enough to play games at a steady 4K/60 fps, with some titles capable of reaching higher frame rates. Unlike the less powerful Xbox Series S — which is $60 off itself — it also includes a disc drive. There's at least some chance we see a Series X refresh in 2024, but the current machine is an easier sell when it's discounted to this extent.

A four-pack of Apple's AirTags is back down to $80 at Amazon, Walmart and other retailers. That's about $9 off its usual street price and $19 less than buying from Apple directly. The AirTag is the "best for iPhones" pick in our Bluetooth tracker buying guide, as its ultra-wideband wireless tech and ability to tap into Apple's Find My device network make it particularly convenient for locating lost items. Its battery is easily replaceable, too, plus it's water-resistant. It lacks any built-in adhesive or keyring hole, however, so you'll need to buy an extra accessory if you want to attach it to an item.

The USB-C version of Apple's AirPods Pro is once again on sale for $200 at Amazon and Best Buy. We saw these noise-canceling earphones fall $10 cheaper during Black Friday, but this is still $20 below their average street price and $49 below Apple's list price. The AirPods Pro continues to offer effective active noise cancellation, pleasingly warm sound and a host of Apple-device-specific conveniences, which is why they're the "best for iOS" pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. Note, however, that Apple started selling this model's USB-C charging case on its own earlier this week, so if you're sitting on a Lightning-based pair and want to make the conversion, you can now do so without having to buy a whole new set.

You can get a $10 Amazon.com credit for no extra cost when you buy a digital Apple gift card worth $100 or more. Just use the code HOLAPP at checkout. If you'd rather shop at Target, that retailer is offering a $10 Target gift card alongside the same purchase until December 16. As a refresher, you can put an Apple gift card toward services like Apple Music and iCloud, App Store credit and purchases at Apple.com or Apple retail stores. We see promos like this periodically, but any bit of bonus money should be welcome if you often shop at these stores anyway.

Sonos is running a holiday sale that brings many of its smart speakers, soundbars and home theater devices back to the prices we saw on Black Friday. The flagship Sonos Arc soundbar is $180 off at $719, for one, while the mid-range Sonos Beam and budget-level Sonos Ray are down to $399 and $223, respectively. All three are picks in our soundbar buying guide. Beyond that, the Sonos Era 100 is $50 off at $199 — with a two-pack discounted by $120 — while the larger Sonos Five is $110 off at $439. Both of those make our guide to the best smart speakers. Other devices like the Sonos Sub, Sub Mini and Roam are also cheaper than usual. 

All Sonos speakers generally provide the same perks: clean sound quality relative to other devices in their price range, easy pairing with other Sonos speakers, uncomplicated setups, AirPlay support and access to various streaming services through the Sonos app. They aren't cheap, and their connectivity can be limited, but they should suit most people looking to build a multi-room audio system. Just note that new Arc, Roam and other devices could arrive in 2024, according to a recent Bloomberg report.  

The Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet is back on sale for $60, which is $5 more than its all-time low but $40 off Amazon's list price. That price applies to the model with 32GB of storage; if you want more space (and don't have a microSD card), the 64GB model is available for a low of $70. The Fire HD 8 is far from an iPad in terms of performance and app support, but it may be the cheapest competent tablet for most people. It's light, it lasts 10 or so hours on a charge and it's quick enough for basic web browsing and video streaming. Amazon's Fire OS still includes lock screen ads and heavily pushes the company's own services, but it's hard to do better at this price.

The 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 is also $50 off and down to $90, which is a $10 more than its Black Friday price. That one has the same software issues, but it's faster than the Fire HD 8 and features a sharper 1080p display.

If you'd prefer a more premium Android slate, the Google Pixel Tablet is discounted to $399 at Amazon, Best Buy and others. We've seen this deal pop up a few times over the last month, but it matches the lowest price we've tracked. The Pixel Tablet earned a score of 85 in our review earlier this year. It's a perfectly solid 11-inch tablet in its own right, but what sets it apart is its included charging speaker dock. Pop the tablet onto that and it'll function like a pseudo-smart display. It's not the exact same as a Nest Hub Max, but you can use it to control smart home devices, stream music, display photos and the like. This discounted model includes 128GB of storage, but the 256GB version is also $100 off and available for $499.

A 6.56-foot strip of the Govee LED Strip Light M1 is on sale for $40, which matches the lowest price we've seen. Normally, it retails around $60. We recommend the Strip Light M1 in our smart lights buying guide. It's simple to set up and delivers impressively bright colors to any area of the house where you'd like to add ambient lighting. You can apply different effects to separate parts of the strip through Govee's app, plus it's compatible with the Matter smart home standard. It can be an eyesore when it's not lit up, however, so you may not want to stick it out in the open. 

The 256GB version of Samsung's Evo Select microSD card is still on sale for $15, which is within 60 cents of the lowest price we've seen. Normally, it retails around $18. The Evo Select is the "best value" recommendation in our microSD card buying guide: It's not as fast as our top picks, but it's quick enough for most tasks — expanding a Nintendo Switch's storage, for instance — and it provides a better cost-per-gigabyte ratio than most cards.

If you're looking to stock up on a few new PC games, the Epic Games Store has kicked off its latest Holiday Sale. The key here is the Epic Coupon, which takes 33 percent off most games in the store as long as your cart totals $14.99 or more. The coupon will renew after each use, and you can apply it to games that are already discounted as part of the sale. This brings several new-ish titles down to the lowest prices we've tracked: The acclaimed survival horror game Alan Wake 2 is down to $27 with the coupon, for instance, while the shooter Remnant II and the action game Star Wars Jedi: Survivor can be had for lows of $20 and $23, respectively. Others like The Last of Us Part I, Red Dead Redemption 2 and Mortal Kombat 1 are also down to all-time lows. Epic says the sale will run until January 10.

A version of the Apple Watch Ultra 2 with a small Olive Alpine Loop is available for $699 at Amazon with a clippable coupon. That ties the lowest price we've tracked and takes $100 off Apple's MSRP. The Apple Watch Ultra 2 puts all the software benefits of the Series 9 in a more rugged design with a bigger and brighter display, twice the rated battery life and a customizable "Action Button" that you can use to quickly start a task. It also offers better waterproofing, more accurate GPS, a depth sensor and a loud siren for emergency SOS purposes. It is entirely too much smartwatch for most people, but this price makes it a little more appealing for endurance athletes with money to burn.

A variant of the 15.3-inch MacBook Air with an Apple M2 chip, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is available for $1,449 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's $250 off Apple's list price and the best price we've seen outside of a couple of special offers for My Best Buy Plus members. We gave the 15-inch Air a review score of 96 in June and currently recommend it in our laptop buying guide. The M2 chip remains plenty fast for everyday tasks, and the chassis is still supremely well-built, with a crisp display, comfortable keyboard, reliable touchpad, long-lasting battery and lively speakers. 

We recommend starting with 16GB of memory, but if you really need to save cash, configs of the 13- and 15-inch Air with less RAM and storage are also $200 to $250 off. You should only buy this if you need a new laptop right now, though; according to a report from reliable Bloomberg reporter Mark Gurman, Apple plans to roll out updated MacBook Airs with its new M3 chip in a few months, potentially in March.

Best Buy has a configuration of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 with an AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD and an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060 GPU on sale for $1,100. That's the lowest price we've tracked and $100 less than the deal we saw on Black Friday. This model also includes a 14-inch display with a 1440p resolution and a 165Hz refresh rate. The ROG Zephyrus G14 is the top pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops: This config is plenty capable for playing modern AAA games but, at 3.6 pounds, it's not a complete anchor to carry around. A solid keyboard and trackpad help, too, though the 720p webcam could be sharper and there's a good bit of bloatware installed by default. The 512GB SSD isn't especially large either, though you can upgrade the storage if needed.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-xbox-series-x-is-discounted-again-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-172230913.html?src=rss

OnePlus 12 with Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 will be available globally January 23

The OnePlus 12 has officially launched in China and now the company’s most powerful phone is coming to the rest of the world. OnePlus has announced global availability for January 23, including the US. All told, the company ways the phone will be available in 50 markets worldwide. If you’ve been intrigued by the company’s latest flagship smartphone, you won’t have long to wait until getting your hands on one.

This phone certainly has mouth-watering specs. You can soup it up with up to 24GB of RAM, which is more than I have in my work laptop and the same amount as my music and video-making desktop. The base model ships with 12GB of RAM, which is still plenty. As a comparison, the iPhone 15 boasts just 6GB of RAM.

These phones also offer up to 1TB of storage and come outfitted with the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Gen 3 mobile chipset. Charging speeds are also great on paper, offering support for 100W wired fast charging and 50W wireless charging. Incidentally, the OnePlus 11 didn’t have wireless charging at all.

There’s a new Sony LYT-808 sensor for the 50-megapixel main camera and a 64-megapixel periscopic telephoto camera. The 6.82-inch 120Hz AMOLED display is a 2K panel manufactured by China’s BOE Technology Group.

The aesthetics resemble its predecessor, but the camera island’s color now matches the body. In addition to glossy white and classic matte black colorways, you can also purchase a OnePlus 12 in green. There’s no pricing yet, but in China this thing costs the equivalent of $610 for the base model and $820 for the high-end version with 24GB of RAM and 1TGB of storage.

The OnePlus 12 is being released as part of the company’s 10th anniversary. This isn’t the only big news to come out of that celebration. OnePlus has also announced it’ll be selling the OnePlus 12R smartphone in other parts of the world beyond China and India, a first for the “R” series. However, OnePlus hasn’t announced any specs or information about the 12R. The OnePlus 11R was a slightly underpowered and budget-friendly version of the flagship phone, so maybe the 12R will follow suit.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/oneplus-12-with-snapdragon-8-gen-3-will-be-available-globally-january-23-162610102.html?src=rss

Apple's 9th-gen iPad is back on sale for $249

Apple’s 9th-gen iPad is back on sale via Amazon for $249, which is a 24 percent savings from the MSRP of $329. This isn’t the lowest price ever for the standard 10.2-inch tablet, but it’s darn close. This is the entry-level model with 64GB of storage, but that's still plenty to load up the tablet with all kinds of streaming apps and games.

The 9th-gen iPad is widely considered to be the best Apple tablet for the budget-conscious, which is made more evident by this sale. It scored an 86 in our initial review and we praised it for the improved camera for video calls, the excellent battery life and, of course, that consumer-friendly price.

As a matter of fact, this tablet made our list of the best Apple iPads, though that’s something of a no-brainer. The screen is sharp and the 12MP camera is fine for most applications. This iPad also has a legitimate old-school headphone jack, which actually comes in quite handy when you can’t find that teensy-tiny Lightning adapter.

Of course, this tablet isn’t perfect, particularly when compared to some of its pricier siblings. The hardware is basically a step down from the Air and Pro in several ways. The design itself is a bit antiquated, recalling older models, and it's powered by the same chipset found with the iPhone 11. That’s four iPhones ago, which is a lifetime in the world of tech.

If your eyes roll into the back of your head when you look at the price of the iPad Air or Pro, however, this is the tablet for you. We called it the “most wallet-friendly way into iPadOS” and that was before this steep discount.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-9th-gen-ipad-is-back-on-sale-for-249-160524744.html?src=rss

Apple is now selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately

Apple is slowly but surely getting rid of the Lightning cable as it transitions to having a USB-C charging port in more of its devices and accessories. On the same day it announced iPhone 15 devices (which have USB-C ports), Apple revealed that it changed the physical charging jack on the second-generation AirPods Pro. But to get a USB-C case for the earbuds, you'd need to buy a fresh set of AirPods Pro too.

That's no longer the situation as Apple has started selling the USB-C AirPods Pro case separately. The case by itself costs $99, which is much less than the $249 you'd have had to shell out before. 

It might be worth picking up a case if you don't want to have to deal with Lightning cables at all (and you perhaps aren't a fan of wireless or MagSafe charging). Of course, if you've lost your previous case and need to replace it, you may as well switch to a USB-C version at this point. Of note, Apple says the case is only compatible with the second-gen AirPods Pro.

Apple's transition away from Lightning and toward USB-C isn't exactly voluntary. The European Union has mandated that most rechargeable devices sold in the region will need to have a USB-C charging port by the end of 2024. Apple was already moving to USB-C in iPads but making the switch on iPhone marked a significant sea change.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-is-now-selling-the-usb-c-airpods-pro-case-separately-182655258.html?src=rss

iOS 17.3’s Stolen Device Protection will make life harder for iPhone thieves

Apple is adding a new iPhone feature called Stolen Device Protection that limits what thieves can do with a stolen phone and passcode. Created following a report earlier this year by the Wall Street Journal’s Joanna Stern, the opt-in feature is included in the iOS 17.3 beta, now available for developers. It works using a combination of location, biometric scans, and time delays, allowing victims to lock out the perpetrator and safeguard their data.

Stolen Device Protection aims to snuff out a common practice among iPhone thieves in public places, who watch users enter their passcode before snatching the device and bolting. In such cases, the perpetrator could reset the owner’s Apple ID password, turn off Find My, add a recovery key and factory reset the phone for resale before the victim can do anything about it.

For example, without Stolen Device Protection turned on, an iPhone thief with your passcode can use that to change your Apple ID password, locking you out of your device. This allows the pickpocket to turn off Find My, crucial to wiping the device for a new user. The thief can then sell the device at full used value, rather than trying to pass off an iCloud-locked brick for much less.

Photo by David Imel for Engadget

But with the feature turned on, the phone will ask for a Face ID or Touch ID scan if the user is away from a familiar location like home or work. It will also require a one-hour delay before changing the Apple ID password on the device. After the hour, it will still ask for a Face ID or Touch ID Scan before changing the Apple ID password from the iPhone. This makes life much harder for the thief and gives the owner time to report the iPhone as stolen, locking out the perp.

Stolen Device Protection works similarly with Apple security settings. Adding recovery keys or updating the account’s trusted phone number is another way iPhone thieves lock out the original owner. Like in other areas, with the new feature activated, the phone will ask for two biometric scans an hour apart if away from trusted locations.

Similarly, iCloud Keychain passwords, Apple’s built-in password manager, will require a Face ID or Touch ID scan. The passcode won’t serve as a backup for failed biometric scans when the Stolen Device Protection is turned on.

The Wall Street Journal reports that Apple plans to prompt users to turn on the feature in iOS 17.3. Since Apple only launched the update’s first beta today, the general public may need to wait at least several weeks before trying it out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ios-173s-stolen-device-protection-will-make-life-harder-for-iphone-thieves-201633214.html?src=rss

How to use Apple's new Journal app with the iOS 17.2 update

Apple’s AI-powered Journal app is finally here. The new diary entry writing tool was first teased for iOS 17 back in June, but it only became available on Monday with the new iPhone update — nearly three months after iOS 17 itself came out. After Apple released iOS 17.2, iPhone users can now access to the Journal app, which allows users to jot down their thoughts in a digital diary. Journaling is a practice that can improve mental wellbeing and it can also be used to fuel creative projects.

You can create traditional text entries, add voice recordings to your notes, or include recent videos or pictures. If you need inspiration, AI-derived text prompts can offer suggestions for what to write or create an entry for next. The app also predicts and proposes times for you to create a new entry based on your recent iPhone activity, which can include newer photos and videos, location history, recently listened-to playlists, and workout habits. This guide will walk you through how to get started with the Journal app and personalize your experience.

How to create a new entry in the Journal app on iPhone

Malak Saleh

When you open the Journal app, tap the + button at the bottom of the page to create a new entry. If you want to start with a blank slate, when you tap ‘New Entry’ an empty page will appear and from there you can start typing text. You can add in recent photos from your library when you tap the photos icon below the text space, take a photo in the moment and add it to your entry or include a recorded voice memo when you tap the voice icon. You can also add locations to your entry when you tap the arrow icon at the bottom right of an entry page. This feature might be helpful for travel bloggers looking back at their trips abroad. You can edit the date of an entry at the top of the page.

Alternatively, you can create a post based on recent or recommended activities that your phone compiled — say, pictures, locations from events you attended, or contacts you recently interacted with. The recent tab will show you, in chronological order, people, photos and addresses that can inspire entries based on recent activities. The recommended tab pulls from highlighted images automatically selected from your photo memories. For example, a selection of portraits from 2022 can appear as a recommendation to inspire your next written entry. Some suggestions underneath the recommendation tab may appear within the app with ‘Writing prompts.’ For example, a block of text may appear with a question like, “What was the highlight of your trip?”

Malak Saleh

Scheduling, bookmarking and filtering

If you're not free to write when a suggestion is made, you can also save specific moments you want to journal about and write at a later time. Using the journaling schedule feature, you can set a specific time to be notified to create an entry, which will help a user make journaling a consistent practice. Go to the Settings app on your iPhone and search for the Journal app. Turn on the ‘Journaling schedule’ feature and personalize the days and times you would like to be reminded to write entries. As a side note, in Settings, you can also opt to lock your journal using your device passcode or Face ID.

Malak Saleh

You can also organize your entries within the app using the bookmarking feature, so you can filter and find them at your own convenience. After creating an entry, tap the three dots at the bottom of your page and scroll down to tap the bookmark tab. This is the same place where you can delete or edit a journal entry.

Later on, if you want to revisit a bookmarked entry, tap the three-line icon at the corner of the main journal page to select the filter you would like applied to your entries. You can select to only view bookmarked entries, entries with photos, entries with recorded audio and see entries with places or locations. This might be helpful when your journal starts to fill up with recordings.

Adding music, workouts and other off-platform entries into your journal app

Using your streaming app of choice, (Apple Music, Spotify or Amazon Music), you can integrate specific tracks or podcast episodes into your entries by tapping three buttons at the bottom of your screen that opens up the option to ‘share your music.’ The option to share a track to the Journal app should appear and it will sit at the top of a blank entry when you open the app.

You can use the same method with other applications, like Apple’s Fitness app. You can share and export a logged workout into your journal and start writing about that experience.

Malak Saleh

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/how-to-use-apples-new-journal-app-with-the-ios-172-update-164518403.html?src=rss

Apple may lift NFC restrictions in Europe to escape antitrust fines

Apple is attempting to avoid a fine and ongoing legal battle with the European Union. The company is allegedly offering its rivals access to its Near-Field Communication (NFC) technology, used for tap-and-go payments, Reuters reports. The update follows the European Commission's May 2022 charge and ongoing probe into Apple's potential antitrust Apple Pay practices.

The Commission has been investigating Apple since 2020, with Executive Vice-President Margrethe Vestager previously stating there were "indications that Apple restricted third-party access to key technology necessary to develop rival mobile wallet solutions on Apple's devices." 

While Apple's current proposal could get it out of a hefty fine and settle the case against it, it's not guaranteed to move forward. The Commission will likely confer with Apple's rivals and customers in the next month or so to determine if it should accept the offer. More than 2,500 banks across Europe use Apple Pay. 

Apple also faces a lawsuit in the United States, brought in July 2022 by Iowa's Affinity Credit Union. Similarly, it accuses Apple of engaging in anti-competitive behavior by illegally restricting iOS users to Apple Pay for any contactless payments.

In September 2023, a US District Court Judge Jeffrey S. White of California ruled that the case would move forward, stating: "Plaintiffs have plausibly alleged that Apple Pay charges arbitrary and inflated fees to issuers, and that competition in the tap-and-pay iOS mobile wallet market would spur innovation and lead to lower prices." In his decision, White also explained that the plaintiffs properly demonstrated Apple's alleged and attempted monopolization.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-may-lift-nfc-restrictions-in-europe-to-escape-antitrust-fines-131004981.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Apple launches its long-awaited Journal app

Apple is now rolling out iOS 17.2 to all compatible devices, as well as iPadOS 17.2 and macOS 14.2 Sonoma. The biggest addition in all those is the introduction, finally, of the long-teased Journal app.

Journal differs from third-party apps like Day One by offering journaling suggestions based on your iPhone activity. That can range from photos taken through to locations reached on maps or even what you’re listening to. Your device might also suggest creating a journal entry after things like workouts or a finished podcast episode. Apple’s hope with the app is to help “iPhone users reflect and practice gratitude through journaling.” So, thank you, Apple, for the iOS update.

— Mat Smith

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The best iPad for you

How to pick the best from a confusing lineup.

Engadget

Just in time for that OS update. Between the 10th-generation iPad, the iPad Air and the M2 iPad Pro, Apple sells three tablets with roughly 11-inch screens and broadly similar designs, but there are key differences in internal components and accessory support. We can, though, pick a certain iPad that’s best for most of you.

One warning: Apple will likely introduce new iPads early next year. The company did not release any new tablets in 2023, but Bloomberg reports Apple plans to update its entire lineup throughout 2024.

Continue reading.

The ultra-customizable Arc browser is now available on Windows in beta

Invites have already started going out to Windows users from the waitlist.

Arc, a formerly Mac-only internet browser from The Browser Company, is coming to Windows. In a post on X, the company today announced its first Windows beta invites are already hitting inboxes. Its unique features include the ability to customize (or vandalize) any website. There’s also a sidebar for your bookmarks and tabs. It’s still a work in progress: We know features like Peek (which lets you preview a link before opening it in its own tab) and Little Arc (a lightweight browser window meant for quickly viewing something) are currently being ported across.

Continue reading.

How to get a refund for The Day Before, the game canned in just four days

The studio’s sudden closure remains suspicious.

The Day Before

The Day Before was a much-hyped (much-delayed) zombie shooter game that launched on Steam on December 7, only to be widely criticized for failing to deliver an MMO (massively multiplayer online) experience as advertised — not to mention the bugs and severe lack of originality. Four days later, Fntastic, the studio behind this controversial title, abruptly announced its closure as the $40 game “has failed financially,” despite having apparently sold over 200,000 copies before refunds. Fortunately, Steam offers a two-week refund window, so long as the game has only been played for less than two hours. Give that a try.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-apple-launches-its-long-awaited-journal-app-121550393.html?src=rss

Jury sides with Epic Games in its antitrust lawsuit against Google

Epic Games' lawsuit against Google has had a much different turnout from its courtroom battle with Apple. A federal jury has sided with the video game developer and has found Google to be in violation of US antitrust laws when it comes to how it runs the Play Store. According to The Verge, the jury has unanimously agreed that Google held an illegal monopoly on app distribution and in-app billing services for Android devices. Further, it found the company's distribution agreements with other video gaming companies, as well as its deals with device manufacturers to pre-install its apps on Android devices, to be anticompetitive. 

In its complaint, Epic said that Google had silently paid game developers hundreds of millions of dollars to make their titles downloadable from the Play Store in an initiative that was originally known as "Project Hug." It alleged that the company had paid Activision Blizzard $360 million to abandon its plans of creating a competing app store, which the game developer subsequently denied. Google, which Epic said came up with the incentive program after it released Fortnite outside of the Play Store, also reportedly inked deals with Nintendo, Ubisoft and Riot Games. 

The jury has come to the conclusion that Epic Games has been negatively affected by Google's actions, but we've yet to know how its victory will change the latter's practices. In a statement posted on X, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney said the court will start "work[ing] on remedies" in January. Judge James Donato, who's overseeing the case, will be making the decision whether to order Google to give developers the freedom to introduce their own app stores and billing systems for Android devices. In the case of Epic's lawsuit against Apple, the court ruled that the iPhone-maker didn't violate US antitrust laws, but it ordered the company to allow App Store developers to direct customers through third-party payment systems. 

Victory over Google! After 4 weeks of detailed court testimony, the California jury found against the Google Play monopoly on all counts. The Court’s work on remedies will start in January. Thanks for everyone’s support and faith! Free Fortnite! https://t.co/ITm4YBHCus

— Tim Sweeney (@TimSweeneyEpic) December 12, 2023

Google, however, doesn't intend to go down without a fight. Wilson White, Google VP for Government Affairs and Public Policy, told Engadget that the company plans to challenge the verdict. "Android and Google Play provide more choice and openness than any other major mobile platform," White said. "The trial made clear that we compete fiercely with Apple and its App Store, as well as app stores on Android devices and gaming consoles. We will continue to defend the Android business model and remain deeply committed to our users, partners, and the broader Android ecosystem."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/jury-sides-with-epic-games-in-its-antitrust-lawsuit-against-google-032341810.html?src=rss

Apple tvOS 17.2 has a redesigned TV experience and no iTunes Movies or TV Shows apps

Alongside iOS, iPadOS and watchOS updates, Apple has rolled out the latest version of tvOS. The main change this time around is a redesign of the core Apple TV app.

You'll now see a sidebar that blends content from Apple's own services (such as Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass and a Store where users can buy and rent popular movies) with access to third-party channels and apps such as Disney+ and Max. It seems that Apple is aiming to improve navigation and discoverability without straying too far from the industry standard tile browsing format on the homepage.

On living room devices (i.e. Apple TV hardware and the eponymous app on smart TVs and other devices), the sidebar will include profiles. Apple says this will allow you to swiftly switch between users for more personalized recommendations across the app and in the Up Next section. Meanwhile, Watch Now has been rebranded as Home.

Apple

The Apple TV app's Store tab is where you'll want to go to buy or rent movies and TV shows. Starting today, the iTunes Movies and TV Shows apps on Apple TV 4K and HD devices will redirect users to the Apple TV app's Store tab to find and manage their purchases. The same goes for the iTunes Store app on iPhone and iPad.

Meanwhile, you'll now be able to answer FaceTime calls directly on Apple TV 4K devices. Apple has added support for FaceTime audio calls as well.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-tvos-172-has-a-redesigned-tv-experience-and-no-itunes-movies-or-tv-shows-apps-211732163.html?src=rss