Posts with «hobbies & personal activities» label

Razer, MSI and Acer gaming laptops are up to 40 percent off right now

Amazon is running a sale on several Intel-powered gaming laptops, including some of our top picks across a variety of categories. Take, for instance, the Acer Nitro 5, which is one of the best budget gaming laptops you can get your hands on, even at its regular price of $800. During the sale, though, it's even more enticing. The price has dropped by 20 percent to $640, which is a record low.

It's good value, since you'll receive a laptop that should be able to run most games, but don't expect to play the most demanding titles smoothly at maximum settings. This Acer Nitro 5 configuration has an Intel Core i5-12500H CPU, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3050 graphics card and 8GB of DDR4 RAM. It features a 15.6-inch Full HD IPS display with a 144Hz refresh rate, WiFi 6 and 512GB of SSD storage. It's not bad at all if you're looking to dip your toes into PC gaming, or want to play some games (and maybe get a little work done) while you're traveling.

Those with a bigger budget to spend on a gaming laptop might be interested in the MSI Stealth 17 Studio. We included the 14-inch model in our best Windows laptops guide, but you'll of course get more screen real estate with this 17-inch version. This model has dropped by 14 percent from $2,800 to $2,400 — another record low.

For your money, you'll get a semi-portable (it weighs over 11 pounds) powerhouse that should be able to handle just about any current game at high settings. The MSI Stealth 17 Studio has a 13th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. It comes with 1TB of SSD storage and the 240Hz QHD display has an anti-glare coating.

Meanwhile, the Razer Blade 15 is one of the best gaming laptops you can buy, period. While the models included in this sale don't quite have the most up-to-date components, one is a whopping 40 percent off at $1,800.

One major factor that's worth considering here is that the Razer Blade 15 weighs just 4.4 pounds. So while it has a 12th-gen Intel Core i7 processor and a GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU rather than a 13th-gen CPU or a 40-series RTX graphics card, that portability is definitely a key selling point.

The Full HD 360Hz display is worth paying attention to as well. This Razer Blade 15 also includes 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. If you prefer a larger screen, you can pick up a 17-inch model with a QHD 240Hz display and otherwise similar specs for $2,000 (38 percent off). However, at ‎10.35 pounds, it weighs substantially more.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/razer-msi-and-acer-gaming-laptops-are-up-to-40-percent-off-right-now-145811298.html?src=rss

Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops to $250, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week's best tech deals include the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250, which ties the lowest price we've seen. While the 10.2-inch slate is showing its age design-wise, it's still a good bargain for those who just need a tablet for the basics and want the most affordable Apple tablet possible. Elsewhere, Sony is still running a rare $50 discount on PlayStation 5, while Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max is within $2 of its best price to date. We're also seeing all-time lows on the top picks in our gaming headset and microSD card buying guides, plus Apple's third-gen AirPods. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. 

Apple iPad (9th gen)

The 9th-gen Apple iPad is back down to $250 at Amazon, matching its all-time low. You should see the full discount at checkout. Apple sells the 10.2-inch tablet for $329, though we've regularly seen it retail closer to $275. 

The entry-level slate is certainly getting long in the tooth, as its non-laminated display, thick bezels and Lightning port give it an altogether more dated design than newer iPads. Its 64GB of storage is low, too. At this price, though, the 9th-gen iPad remains one of the better values in the tablet market, with a sturdy aluminum frame, 10 or so hours of battery life and fast-enough performance for casual media consumption. There's always a chance Apple will introduce new iPads later this year, but if you just want the cheapest route into iPadOS, this model should be enough.

Astro A40 TR

The Astro A40 TR is on sale for $100, which is $30 off its usual street price and ties the lowest price we've seen. The A40 TR is the top pick in our guide to the best gaming headsets, as its open-back design gives it a more spacious and enveloping sound that most competitors. It emphasizes the bass, but not to an overwhelming degree, and it's comfortable to wear to extended periods. That said, the built-in mic is just OK, and like any open-back headphone, the whole thing both leaks and lets in lots of outside noise, so it's not ideal if you usually play in a noisy room. In general, you can get better value from a pair of "normal" wired headphones than a dedicated gaming headset unless you need a mic. If you really want an all-in-one solution, though, the A40 TR is a worthwhile compromise. 

Samsung Pro Plus

The Samsung Pro Plus is the top pick in our microSD card buying guide, and right now its 128GB, 256GB and 512GB models are down to $12, $20 and $35, respectively. Each of those deals match an all-time low. The Pro Plus technically isn't the fastest microSD card you can buy, but at this price it's a fantastic value for a Nintendo Switch, GoPro or Android tablet, as it topped all the cards we tested in sequential write speeds and random read/write performance. It also comes with a 10-year limited warranty.

Sony PlayStation 5

The PlayStation 5 is still on sale for $449 at various retailers, which is a $50 discount. We highlighted this deal when Sony kicked off its latest summer sale a couple of weeks ago, but the company says that is scheduled to end on August 19. Discounts for the PS5 have been exceedingly rare since the console arrived in late 2020, so consider this a last-minute PSA. We gave the device a review score of 87 at launch, though it's become a much better value proposition over the last three years as it's built out its games library.

Sony PlayStation 5 DualSense Controller

In other PS5 deals, the DualSense wireless controller is still on sale for $49 in various colors. Depending on which model you pick, that's $20 or $25 off. This matches the lowest outright discount we've seen for the gamepad, which is also compatible with Steam. Elsewhere, console covers for the PS5 are down to $45 at the PlayStation Direct store. That's a $10 discount. 

PS5 and PS4 exclusive game sale

A number of PlayStation-exclusive games we recommend are discounted as well, including God of War Ragnarök for $49 and Marvel's Spider-Man: Miles Morales for $20. The thrilling roguelike Returnal and the charming action game Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart are both down to $29, while the open-world samurai game Ghost of Tsushima: Director's Cut is available for a buck more. Elsewhere, Death Stranding: Director's Cut is on sale for $19, while a PS4 copy of Horizon Forbidden West (which includes a free upgrade to the digital PS5 version) is down to $29. We've seen all of these deals before, but if you need something new to play, each matches or at least comes within a few dollars of the lowest price we've seen. 

Anker 622 Magnetic Battery

The Anker 622 Magnetic Battery is back on sale for $40, which isn't quite an all-time low but still comes in $10 below the device's typical street price. This portable wireless charger has a slim frame that snaps easily onto the back of a MagSafe-compatible iPhone. It also includes a built-in kickstand for propping your phone up. This deal applies to the "Upgraded Version" of the battery, with a USB-C port on the side; an older variant places that port on the bottom, which is a bit less convenient for pass-through charging. Just note that, like many wireless power packs, the 622 can't deliver a particularly fast charge (only 7.5W), nor does it have a high capacity (5,000mAh). It can get hot, too. Still, if you want a truly cable-free way to extend an iPhone's battery on the go, it's a decent value at this price.

Apple AirPods (3rd gen)

The third-gen Apple AirPods are back down to $140, tying its all-time low. Apple sells the wireless earbuds for $169, though we often see them go for $10 or $20 less elsewhere. This open-back pair has a more balanced sound than most unsealed earbuds, with more bass depth than usual (albeit not a ton). There’s no ANC, as expected, but you still get wireless charging, relatively intuitive touch controls and the usual Apple-friendly features like fast pairing and Find My tracking. Just note that the earpieces are a little large, so they may not fit well with certain ear shapes. This set is also pricey, and like any other open-back pair, it doesn't isolate much outside noise. Still, if you own an iPhone and hate the feeling of traditional in-ear headphones, it might work. We gave the AirPods a score of 88 in late 2021.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $27, which is $2 more than the lowest price we've seen but still roughly $20 below the 4K streamer's usual street price. This is Amazon's fastest streaming stick, with support for all the necessary apps and HDR standards, plus Alexa voice controls built into its remote. We generally prefer Roku's and Google's respective streaming platforms over Amazon's Fire OS, as the latter is more aggressive about displaying ads and promoting Amazon's own content across the UI. But if you just want an affordable device for casual 4K streaming, or if you regularly use Amazon services like Prime Video, this is a fine option. 

Amazon Echo Studio

The Amazon Echo Studio is on sale for $160, which is a $40 discount and within $5 of the smart speaker's all-time low. This is the largest and best-sounding option in Amazon's Echo lineup. Though we recommend the newer Sonos Era 100 to most people looking for an audio-focused smart speaker, the Echo Studio is still a strong alternative for those who want to save some cash or add a centerpiece to an existing set of Echo devices.

Logitech Litra Glow

The Logitech Litra Glow is back down to $50, which is a deal we've seen a few times before but still takes $10 off the device's usual going rate. The Litra Glow is a USB-powered video light we recommend in our guide to the best game-streaming gear, as we found it to deliver relatively soft and pleasant lighting without harsh edges or shadows. The hardware clips onto the top of a monitor and is easy to rotate or tilt, and you can customize the lighting's brightness and color temperature through built-in control buttons or Logitech's companion software. While Logitech markets the device toward content creators, it can also be useful for those who frequently have to take Zoom calls in a room with poor natural lighting. 

Instant Pot Duo (3-quart)

If you've been thinking about jumping on the Instant Pot bandwagon, the 3-quart Instant Pot Duo is now on sale for $60, or $20 below its typical street price. While that's not an all-time low, it does match the best price we've seen in 2023. We recommend this smaller variant to those who want an electric pressure cooker for individual use or smaller kitchens in our Instant Pot buying guide. It's one of the more basic options available, but it's still easy to operate, and it comes with modes for sautéing, slow cooking, steaming and making rice or yogurt, among others. 

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

The 256GB Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5 is down to $900 at Amazon with an on-page coupon, which is a $100 discount for a phone that only went on sale earlier this month. If you shop at Amazon regularly, you can also get the foldable phone with a $150 Amazon gift card, but you'll have to pay the standard $1,000 MSRP. We gave the Galaxy Z Flip 5 a review score of 88 earlier this month, and we currently list it as the "best foldable for selfies" in our guide to the best smartphones. The big upgrades are a larger 3.4-inch cover display that's more useful for quickly checking notifications or using apps and a redesigned hinge that lets the device fold flat. You still give up some battery life and camera performance compared to more traditional flagship phones around this price, and like any foldable device, you have to take extra care when handling it. But if the idea of a phone you can fold in half appeals to you, this is the new leader in that market. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-102-inch-ipad-drops-to-250-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-151827317.html?src=rss

Arturia’s summer sale is here with deep discounts on instruments and effects

Arturia has officially begun its annual summer sale, offering steep discounts on a vast array of digital instruments, effects and sound bank packs. The average discount is 50 percent, so you can pick up the well-regarded Pigments synthesizer for $100 instead of $200 or the infamous Dist Coldfire distortion effect plugin for $50 instead of $100.

The sale applies to nearly every standalone digital instrument and effect, so check the site to find something up your alley. The sale also includes sound banks, which are basically packs of presets available in a number of musical genres. You can pick up a pack of 32 presets for just $5 or a more extensive pack of 150 presets for $15.

However, this sale is only for individual instruments and effects, so it doesn’t include combo packs like the V Collection 9. Each synthesizer within the collection, like the Solina V and Vox Continental V, is on sale, but buying the whole pack at full price is still the better deal, as each synth is $100 and the pack is $600. The same goes for effects bundles.

The sale also doesn’t include hardware instruments, like the PolyBrute or the MatrixBrute. Those are still full price via Arturia, though you could find deals at retail outlets. Arturia’s summer sale lasts until August 15th, so make haste if you want to catch some discounts. The company does regularly offer similar site-wide sales if you miss out. The next one will likely be for the holidays.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/arturias-summer-sale-is-here-with-deep-discounts-on-instruments-and-effects-161851712.html?src=rss

Reverb’s summer sale brings deals from Korg, UAD and more

Reverb is hosting a summer sale from now until August 7th, allowing you to nab great music gear at a discount. The Summer of Savings sale boasts products from hundreds of well-regarded manufacturers, including Universal Audio, Novation, Gibson, Warm Audio and plenty more.

So what are the best deals? This depends on what you’re into and whether you are more of a practicing musician or a bedroom studio producer. For budding engineers, nab the Universal Audio Volt 276 Studio Pack for $300 instead of $430, which features the well-reviewed Volt 256 audio interface, a condenser microphone and a pair of headphones. You also get a month of access to Universal Audio’s Spark subscription plug-in service.

For synth-heads, there’s the ultra-premium Novation Summit polyphonic synthesizer, which you can pick up for $430 off the regular price of $2,300. Novation makes plenty of well-regarded pieces of gear, but the Summit is the company’s flagship keyboard, with 61 keys, 16 simultaneous voices, a semi-weighted keybed and the ability to combine two patches to create unique multitimbral sounds.

You can also pick up entry-level Fender Squier electric guitars for $100 off and more Korg synthesizers and workstations than you can shake an oscillating stick at. There are also deals on pedals, midi controllers, bass guitars, audio interfaces and, well, just about everything else. Peruse the full list at your leisure.

Just like Cinderella and her punk rock pumpkin, these deals have an expiration date. The sale ends on August 7th. In other words, make haste if you plan on beating the heat by fiddling with musical instruments behind air conditioned doors.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/reverbs-summer-sale-brings-deals-from-korg-uad-and-more-180322955.html?src=rss

iRobot's Roomba s9+ robot vacuum is back down to a record low price

If you've wanted a top-tier robot vacuum but were put off by the sometimes outlandish prices, now's your time to act. Amazon is once more selling iRobot's Roomba s9+ at a record low of $600, or 40 percent off. That's the best we've seen since Prime Day, and puts it at the same price as a mid-range model like the Roomba j7 or Shark's AI Ultra.

The Roomba s9+ is still our pick for the best premium robot vacuum. It's powerful, good at navigating floors (both carpet and hardwood), tackles corners well and empties itself relatively quietly. The slick design also makes it look right at home in an upscale abode. You shouldn't have to worry about it getting stuck or missing an important mess.

It's not flawless. The Roomba s9+ isn't specifically geared to avoid pet poop, so you may need to look elsewhere if your cat or dog routinely leaves unwanted surprises. It's also louder than newer (if less effective) options like the j7. At this price, though, it's an easy choice — you'll get efficient cleaning that frees you for more important tasks.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-s9-robot-vacuum-is-back-down-to-a-record-low-price-152658325.html?src=rss

Apple's 10.2-inch iPad drops back to $250, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

This week's best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at $30, while the Fitbit Inspire 3, our favorite budget fitness tracker, is back down to $80. We're also seeing a bunch of video game deals, as Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store have all kicked off their respective summer sales. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple iPad (9th Gen)

The 10.2-inch Apple iPad is back down to $250 at Amazon, matching the all-time low we last saw during Prime Day. You should see the full discount at checkout. Normally, Apple sells this 9th-gen iPad for $329, though we've seen it retail closer to $275 on Amazon in recent months. 

The 9th-gen iPad is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide and earned a review score of 86 when it arrived in 2021. It's showing its age these days, as it still has a Lightning port, Home button, non-laminated display and thicker bezels than Apple's newer tablets. It doesn't work with Apple's latest Pencil stylus or iPad keyboards, either. That said, its aluminum frame doesn't feel cheap, it still gets a solid 10 or so hours of battery life, and its A13 Bionic chip remains fast enough for the essentials. Most importantly, it gives access to iPadOS at a much lower price than the 10th-gen iPad or iPad Air. The biggest issue is that it only comes with 64GB of storage; if you need more, the 256GB model is available for $390.

Fitbit Inspire 3

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is available for $80 at several retailers, which is $10 more than the best deal we've tracked but still $20 below Fitbit's list price. The Inspire 3 is our favorite fitness tracker for $100 or less thanks to its light and water-resistant design, color touchscreen, accurate health monitoring and up to 10 days of battery life. It lacks the integrated GPS of our top pick, the Fitbit Charge 5, but it still delivers essential features like automatic workout detection, smartphone alerts, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and blood oxygen monitoring.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $30, which is $5 more than its Prime Day price but $5 less than its typical sale price outside of events like that. This is the fastest streaming stick in the Fire TV lineup and the only one to support WiFi 6. It works with just about all of the major streaming apps and HDR standards, and its remote comes with Alexa baked in. 

Like all Fire TV Sticks, you'll get the most out of it if you regularly use Amazon services like Alexa or Prime Video, as Fire OS tends to prioritize the company's own apps and content. It also peppers the UI with ads. We recommend alternatives like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Google Chromecast in our guide to the best streaming sticks, but this is still a good value for those who just want a speedy 4K streamer on the cheap.

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)

The second-gen Apple Pencil is on sale for $89. We've seen this deal for much of the last few months, and it's $4 higher than the device's all-time low, but it's $40 cheaper than buying from Apple directly. Unsurprisingly, we consider the Pencil the best iPad stylus for digital artists and heavy note-takers, as it offers pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, consistently accurate tracking and easy magnetic charging. If you want to take the plunge, just make sure your iPad is compatible before you buy. 

Hisense U8H TV (65-inch)

The 65-inch Hisense U8H is available for $799, which is a new low and about $100 off the TV's typical street price over the last few months. While we don't review TVs at Engadget, otherreviewerswe trust have praised the U8H as a strong mid-range option, as its Mini LED backlight, quantum dots and full-array local dimming help it deliver impressive contrast and brightness for the money. It runs on the same Google TV platform as a Chromecast, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that can play 4K content at 120Hz, so it should work well with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. 

It's still a step down from top-tier OLED TVs, to be clear, and its viewing angles are said to be on the narrower side. Hisense has also replaced this 2022 model with the newer U8K, which promises more local dimming zones and a faster 144Hz refresh rate. The 65-inch version of that TV costs $300 more, however, and reviews are relatively scarce as of this writing. 

Xbox Ultimate Game Sale

We're firmly in the middle of summer, and that means it's once again time for a bunch of video game sales. The Steam Summer Sale has already come and gone, but this week Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store each kicked off their latest storewide promotions. Many of the discounts aren't quite all-time lows, and several third-party games are available for the same price across each storefront, but the selections include a number of decent offers on games we like.

Starting with Xbox's Ultimate Game Sale, the notables include Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a recommendation from our guide to the best couch co-op games, back at an all-time low of $10. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, one of the bigger releases of 2023, and Elden Ring, the consensus game of the year from 2022, are both $18 off at $52 and $42, respectively. Most of the Yakuza series is available for $6 a pop, the superb narrative RPG Pentiment is down to $13, while other recommended exclusives such as Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Rare Replay are each available for less than $10. Just note that many games in this sale are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. 

PlayStation Summer Sale

The PlayStation Summer Sale, meanwhile, includes exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West for $30 each (the latter applies to the PS4 copy but provides a free upgrade to the PS5 version). The PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us is on sale for $50, while the well-reviewed puzzler Humanity is available for $24. 

On the third-party side, the time-bending FPS Deathloop is down to $15, the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is available for $25 and the co-op platformer It Takes Two is down to $16. For some deeper cuts, Titanfall 2's wild campaign is well worth a look for $5, while fans of 2D platformers could do much worse than the surprisingly poignant Iconoclasts at $7.

Epic Games Store Summer Sale

If you play on PC, several deals from those Xbox and PlayStation sales are also available in Epic's Summer Sale. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down to $20, for one, while the remasters Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 1+2 are available for $15 and $16, respectively. Elsewhere, the action-game-meets-delivery-sim Death Stranding: Director's Cut is on sale for $20, and Dead Island 2, the zombie action-RPG that was released in April, is available for $45. Epic is also giving away the base version of the popular MMO The Elder Scrolls Online for free through July 27.

Sega Genesis Mini 2

Moving over to retro games, the Sega Genesis Mini 2 is down to $72 with a $22.30 discount visible at checkout. That's $28 off the mini console's MSRP, but it essentially amounts to a free shipping discount, as the device is only sold in the US through Amazon Japan and usually adds that same $22.30 in shipping fees. In total, expect to pay about $94 before taxes. 

Either way, the Genesis Mini 2 includes an impressive selection of 60 Genesis and Sega CD games, from Sonic CD and Streets of Rage 3 to Herzog Zwei and Phantasy Star II. The emulation from retrospecialists M2 is generally well-done, and the device uses a replica of the old six-button Genesis controller, not the more limiting three-button pad that came with the original Genesis Mini. (It only includes one controller in the box, however.) There's certainly no shortage of ways to play older games these days, but if you have a soft spot for the 16-bit era and want a more authentic way of reliving Sega's heyday, this adds up to the lowest price we've seen for the diminutive console. 

Apple MacBook Air M1

The entry-level configuration of Apple's M1 MacBook Air is back on sale for $750, which matches its all-time low. For reference, Apple sells this model for $999, though it's gone for $800 for most of the last few months. This is another Apple device that's getting a bit long in the tooth, as it's saddled with a middling 720p webcam and a more dated design than newer MacBooks. Still, the M1 chip is powerful enough for most common tasks, and the notebook's comfortable keyboard, crisp display and excellent battery life keep it a strong value when it's discounted to this extent. 

This config only includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, though, so you won't want to push it too hard. It's also worth mentioning that, according to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple may launch a refreshed MacBook Air as soon as this October. If you don't need a new laptop right away, it might be worth waiting. But if you're looking to get a competent MacBook for as little as possible, there's still plenty to like here. We gave the M1 MacBook Air a review score of 94 in 2020.

Apple MacBook Air M2

The newer, M2-based MacBook Air is also on sale, with the base 13-inch model available for $999 at B&H and Best Buy. A configuration with 16GB of RAM is down to $1,200 as well. We've seen these configs go for $50 less, but both deals represent a $100 drop from their respective list prices. 

We gave the M2 MacBook Air a review score of 96 last year, and it's now the top pick in our guide to the best laptops. It remains a comprehensive upgrade over the older M1 model, with a thinner chassis, sharper 1080p webcam, MagSafe charging port, slightly larger and brighter display, more powerful speakers and that beefier M2 chip. Again, a new MacBook Air could arrive by the end of the year, and the base config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD isn't especially well-suited to heavy work. Nevertheless, this is an excellent notebook for most day-to-day uses. 

If you need a more powerful MacBook for serious media editing, we'll also note that a version of the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip is down to $2,249. That's certainly not cheap, but it matches the all-time low for that config and comes in $250 below Apple's MSRP.

Audible Premium Plus (3-month)

Amazon Prime members who are new to Audible Premium Plus can get three months of the audiobook service for free. Normally, a membership costs $14.95 a month after a 30-day free trial. This offer has been available since before Prime Day, but Amazon says it'll end on July 31, so consider this a PSA. Premium Plus is Audible's highest tier: On top of making a selection of audiobooks, podcasts and other audio content accessible on-demand, it includes a monthly credit that lets you buy any book in the Audible store permanently. Many people will be fine with the cheaper Audible Plus plan, but Premium Plus could be worthwhile if you tend to chew through audiobooks quickly.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are back down to $249. While that's $20 more than the absolute lowest price we've seen, it's a $50 drop from the pair's usual going rate. We gave the QuietComfort Earbuds II a review score of 87 last year, and it's currently the top noise-cancelling pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. As that distinction would suggest, its active noise cancellation is among the strongest and most comprehensive we've tested on any headphone, let alone a true wireless pair. Its bass-forward sound should please hip-hop and EDM fans, too, and while the earpieces are on the bulky side, they're generally more comfortable in the ear than their size would suggest. There's no multipoint connectivity or wireless charging support, however, which is disappointing for the price.    

$100 Apple gift card + $10 Best Buy gift card

Right now, if you grab a $100 Apple gift card at Best Buy, you'll get a $10 Best Buy gift card thrown in for no extra cost. The offer also includes a few extended trials to Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple News+ for new and returning subscribers. We see this promotion pop up every few months, but if you plan to shop at Best Buy and make any sort of Apple-related purchase in the near future, it's effectively a bit of free money. Note that the deal applies to both digital and physical gift cards.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-102-inch-ipad-drops-back-to-250-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-151552038.html?src=rss

Artiphon’s Chorda ‘band in a box’ allows you to produce beats just about anywhere

Niche music gadget manufacturer Artiphon is back with a new instrument called the Chorda. This unique bit of gear is a combo meal of sorts, bundling together the form factor of the Instrument 1 with the standalone functionality and looper of the Orba 2. The Chorda builds upon the multi-instrument technology of the Instrument 1, with access to a diverse array of instruments, from guitar to drums and piano.

However, the Instrument 1 was tied to a phone or tablet, whereas the Chorda is fully standalone, making it an attractive entry in the burgeoning field of DAWless recording gadgets. There are “hundreds” of built-in sounds and corresponding control methods that actually resemble playing the analog version of the instrument. The device plays via micro-gestures that incorporate an array of control parameters. There are 12 pads that each respond to control methods like tapping, tilting, strumming, vibrato and more, via capacitive sensing technology and Midi Polyphonic Expression (MPE).

There’s also a new bridge section that allows non-musicians to automatically play chords, thus letting folks play along with their favorite songs. This bridge integrates with the built-in arpeggiator for changing the tempo and the key. The integrated looper lets you layer tracks as you see fit. Though there’s not much by way of sound design on the device itself, you can access an affiliated app to access the inner workings of the sound engine.

As for connectivity, the Chorda can control any MIDI-based software and hardware instruments via USB-C or Bluetooth. The device also automatically integrates with most DAWs, including GarageBand, Ableton, Logic, Pro Tools, Cubase and FL Studio. It also supports any standard MIDI and MPE-compatible mobile app or hardware. The battery life isn't winning any awards, however, at four hours of use per charge. 

The Artiphon Chorda is available for preorder via Kickstarter and is available in three colors: black, white and blue. The early bird pricing is locked in at around $200, but as the tiers sell out, the cost goes up. The instruments ship in November.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/artiphons-chorda-band-in-a-box-allows-you-to-produce-beats-just-about-anywhere-173851795.html?src=rss

The best gaming deals for Amazon Prime Day 2023

Amazon Prime Day has brought several discounts on gaming gear we like, from mice and keyboards to laptops and headsets. If you've been looking to build out your gaming rig, now's a great time to pick up a few much-needed accessories, or even a bigger investment like a gaming laptop from the models that are on sale. We’ve compiled the best Prime Day gaming deals we can find below, including accessories from Razer, Logitech, SteelSeries, HyperX and more.

Logitech G Pro X Superlight

The Logitech G Pro X Superlight is back down to an all-time low of $105, which is about $35 off its average going rate. This is a high-end wireless mouse whose praises we’ve sung in the past. It’s sturdily built and wonderfully light at roughly 63g, and its mostly ambidextrous shape should be suitable for most hand sizes. Performance is exceptional across the board, and while it lacks RGB lighting, it won’t look gaudy in an office setting. To be clear, the Razer DeathAdder V3 Pro – which isn't notably discounted for Prime Day – remains our favorite premium model, as it lasts longer on a charge and uses USB-C instead of the microUSB port found here. Still, the G Pro X Superlight is a fine choice for enthusiasts.

Logitech G305 Lightspeed

The Logitech G305 Lightspeed is a budget wireless gaming mouse we highlight in our buying guide, and it’s down to $30 for Prime Day. While that’s a few bucks more than the lowest price we’ve seen, it’s about $10 less than the mouse’s usual going rate. The G305 is on the smaller side, but its symmetrical design doesn’t feel particularly cheap and should accommodate most claw and fingertip grippers. For the money, its sensor performance is great. It does require a single AA battery for power, so it isn’t the lightest option at roughly 100g, but Logitech says it can last up to 250 hours before needing a change.

Samsung Evo Select

The 512GB Samsung Evo Select is available for $30, which is a new all-time low. Typically, we’ve seen this microSD card go for $10 or $15 more in recent months. The Evo Select is the “best value” pick in our guide to the best microSD cards: It’s certainly not the fastest card we’ve tested, but it’s a great buy for expanding the storage of a Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch. Both of thosesystems are limited to official UHS-I bus speeds, so game launch and load times are virtually identical across microSD cards so long as your card meets a certain threshold (which the Evo Select does). What you mainly want is lots of storage space for a little amount of money. At this price, the Evo Select provides that.

If you need more space, the 1TB SanDisk Ultra is also worth a shout at $80, which is an all-time low. This card is slower than the Evo Select, which is already a budget model, so it may be a little too sluggish to install games for comfort. But $80 for 1TB is a fantastic value.

The top pick in our microSD card guide, Samsung’s Pro Plus, is a bit pricier but still down to all-time lows of $20 for 256GB and $40 for 512GB. While this won’t be any faster to launch Switch or Steam Deck games than the Evo Select, its superior random and sequential write speeds should make it a little quicker for installing games or copying files to the card.

Samsung 980 Pro

The 1TB Samsung 980 Pro SSD is down to $50, which is its lowest price ever and about $25 off its average street price as of late. This isn’t Samsung’s fastest SSD – that’d be the 990 Pro – but we highlight it here because it meets Sony’s requirements for expanding the PS5’s storage. You’ll want to grab a heatsink to go with it, but you can do that and still pay less than what it’d cost to buy the variant that comes with a heatsink pre-installed.

Logitech G535

The Logitech G535 is on sale for $80, which is the second-best price we’ve tracked outside of a very brief dip below $50 last month. Normally, it costs around $100. The G535 is an honorable mention in our guide to the best gaming headsets: It’s light and airy at 236g, and while it can make mid-range details sound thin, it has an agreeable and relatively well-balanced sound overall. The included boom mic is just OK, however, and the closed-back design doesn’t block much outside noise. Still, finding a good wireless gaming headset for less than $100 is difficult, and the G535 gets close enough.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro is another honorable mention in our gaming headset guide, and it’s down to $199 for Prime Day. This is an all-time low for both the Xbox and PlayStation/PC models; each typically goes for about $40 more on average. This is a premium, well-padded headset that’s comfy to wear over long sessions. Its retractable mic is great, and it comes with a DAC that lets you adjust the headset’s EQ and game/chat audio mix on the fly. It does well to reproduce bass and mid-range sounds, too, though it can be harsh in the treble, and it doesn’t sound as spacious as an open-back pair like the Astro A40, our top pick, which isn’t any cheaper than usual for Prime Day. Still, if you have money to burn on a gaming headset and prioritize comfort and mic quality, this isn’t a bad choice.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7X, meanwhile, is available for $150, which is the lowest price we’ve seen and about $25 below its usual street price. We note the Arctis Nova 7X in our gaming headset guide as a worthy wireless option for Xbox owners. Its mic quality is solid, albeit worse than the pricier Nova Pro, and it’s comfy to wear over time, with cloth earpads that don’t clamp down too hard. It has a bass-forward sound profile, so explosions and other effects carry a real sense of oomph, though a dip in the treble can make in-game dialogue sound underemphasized. The pair can connect over Bluetooth or a 3.5mm cable in addition to its wireless dongle, though, plus it can last more than 30 hours on a charge.

Razer Huntsman Mini

The compact Razer Huntsman Mini is down to $70 for a model with either Clicky Purple or Linear Red opto-mechanical switches. Neither deal is quite an all-time low, but the two models have usually retailed in the $80 to $100 range over the last few months. The Huntsman Mini is the top pick in our guide to the best 60 percent keyboards, as its keys are pleasant and consistently responsive for gaming. The whole thing feels well-built, with quality PBT keycaps and RGB lighting on a per-key basis. Each key can be programmed through macros as well. The switches here aren’t ideal for those who like a springy and more tactile, though, and the ultracompact design won’t be for everyone.

HyperX Alloy Origins 60

The HyperX Alloy Origins 60 is the runner up in our 60 percent keyboard guide, and it’s on sale for $60. That’s about $20 off the usual price for this model with HyperX’s Aqua switches. The Aqua resembles a Cherry MX Brown (albeit slightly faster), so this deal should appeal to those who want a small gaming keyboard with a more tactile feel than the Huntsman Mini. The board itself has a sturdy aluminum chassis that should hold up well to rough keystrokes over time, plus it puts its secondary arrow keys in a natural spot at the bottom right of the deck. It offers PBT keycaps, per-key RGB lighting and macro-programmable keys as well, though the use of metal does make it relatively heavy.

SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL

The SteelSeries Apex Pro TKL is on sale for $132, which is a new low and $58 off the tenkeyless gaming keyboard’s list price. While we haven’t reviewed the Apex Pro TKL ourselves, it has received consistentlyhighmarkselsewhere for its robust build quality, PBT keycaps, per-key backlighting and deeply adjustable OmniPoint 2.0 switches. The latter allows you to customize the actuation point of each individual key in increments of 0.1mm, within a range of 0.2mm-3.8mm. You can make each keystroke super fast for gaming or raise the travel distance and make everything less sensitive when you want to type. This is also one of the few tenkeyless keyboards that comes with a wrist rest.

A few other variants of the Apex Pro are discounted, too, including the wireless TKL model for $174, the full-size Apex Pro for $134 and the 60 percent Apex Pro Mini for $176. The first two of those are down to all-time lows, but note that the full-size model uses cheaper ABS keycaps. These are pricey and relatively niche keyboards either way, but if you think you’d benefit from the customization, they’re at least a little more affordable now.

The Asus ROG Azoth is another highlyratedcompactkeyboard with enthusiast-level features like a gasket-mounted design for softer typing and a hot-swappable PCB. It’s available for $195 with a $15 coupon, which is a serious chunk of change for a wireless keyboard but $50 less than usual.

Logitech G915 TKL

The Logitech G915 TKL is down to $150 for a model with tactile switches, which matches the keyboard's lowest price and comes in about $45 below its usual price. If you want a numpad, the full-size G915 Lightspeed with linear switches is roughly $60 off at $170. The G915 is worth considering if you specifically want a wireless keyboard with low-profile typing experience. While its flatter keys may not feel as smooth as the best full-height keyboards, they’re fast, and the metal frame is noticeably slim. The cheaper ABS keycaps and limited macro functionality are disappointing at this price, but you do get dedicated media controls, per-key RGB lighting and 30 hours of battery life with the backlight at max brightness. You can read our 2020 write-up for more details.

Razer Blade laptops

A configuration of the Razer Blade 15 with a Core i7-12800H processor, GeForce RTX 3070 Ti GPU, 240Hz QHD display, 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSD is down to $1,923 for Prime Day. That’s about $375 off its usual street price in recent months. We gave the Blade 15 a review score of 86 last year, and we currently recommend it as a premium pick in our guide to the best gaming laptops. This config is a 2022 model – the latest version is largely a spec bump – but it’ll still be powerful enough to play most modern games at high settings and frame rates, particularly with DLSS. The main reason to pay the premium for any Blade laptop, though, is because it packs that power in a slim and premium-feeling aluminum design. Just note that it can run hot, and that its battery life is fairly short.

If you want a larger 17-inch display, a version of the Blade 17 with similar specs is available for $2,000. The smaller Blade 14, meanwhile, is more modestly discounted at $2,300 for a 2022 config with a Ryzen 9 6900HX, RTX 3080 Ti and 165Hz display.

Acer Nitro 5

The Acer Nitro 5 is the runner up pick in our guide to the best budget gaming laptops, and right now a configuration with a Core i5-12500H, GeForce RTX 3050 Ti, 144Hz 1080p display, 16GB of RAM and 512GB is available for $780. That’s a new low and roughly $120 off this model’s typical street price. This is a chunky plastic machine, and you’ll need to ratchet down the settings in certain games to hit a decent frame rate. But getting a 144Hz display and enough power to keep up with modern games is a plus at this price. As an affordable yet competent entry point to PC gaming, it’s a fine value.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-prime-day-gaming-deals-132537938.html?src=rss

The best Amazon Prime Day SSD and storage deals for 2023

Amazon Prime Day is typically a boon for storage deals. Aside from the holiday shopping season, it's one of the best times of the year to pick up a new microSD card for your Nintendo Switch, an SSD for your PS5 or a portable drive to take with you on your next excursion. This year's Prime Day is no exception as many of our favorite SSDs, microSD cards and portable drives have been deeply discounted for the shopping event. We culled the deals to find the best ones on our favorite storage gear — in other words, the best Prime Day SSD, microSD card and portable drive deals you can get.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD card

The top pick in our best microSD cards guide, Samsung's Pro Plus in 256GB is on sale for $20 right now. It had some of the best overall speeds of any of the microSD cards we tested, and it has all of the important ratings that a good card should have: U3, V30 and A2. It'll be a great pick for your tablet, smartphone or Nintendo Switch, and it comes with a full-sized adapter in case you need to use it with a camera or connect it to your computer.

Kingston Canvas Go Plus microSD

Kingston's Canvas Go Plus microSD card has dropped to $23 for Prime Day. It's the runner-up pick in our guide thanks to its solid speeds, U3, V30 and A2 ratings and lifetime warranty.

Samsung Evo Select microSD

Samsung's Evo Select microSD card has dropped to $10 for Prime Day. It's a step behind the top pick in our microSD card guide, mostly due to its slower sequential write speeds, but it's arguably the best value microSD card you can get right now.

SanDisk Nintendo Switch microSD

SanDisk's officially licensed Nintendo Switch microSD card is on sale for $23 for Prime Day. While you don't have to use a licensed card like this in your Nintendo Switch, it's nice to have for die-hard fans and it's an easier buy when discounted like this. We found this card to have fast read/write speeds and we appreciate its lifetime warranty.

Lexar Professional 1066x microSD

The Lexar Professional 1066 microSD card has dropped to $14 for Prime Day. It's a good alternative to our top pick in our microSD card guide, even if its overall speeds are a bit slower.

Samsung T7 Shield

The Samsung T7 Shield SSD has been discounted to $75 for Prime Day. The T7 series as a whole includes some of our favorite SSDs, and the Shield is the most durable of the bunch. The portable drive has an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, and it can withstand drops from up to 10 feet high. On top of that, its 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds should be enough for most people's needs.

Samsung T7

The Samsung T7 drive has dropped to $70 for Prime Day. If you don't need the extra protection that the Shield has, the standard T7 is a good option. It has the same read/write speeds as the Shield, and it comes with both a USB-C and USB-A cable in the box, so you'll be able to use it with nearly any gadget you have.

Crucial X8

The Crucial X8 portable drive is on sale for $70 right now. It supports read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and drop protection from up to 7.5 feet. It also comes with a USB-A adapter for its included USB-C cable, so you can use it with a variety of devices.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

The top pick in our best PS5 SSDs guide, the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX drive is on sale for $68 right now. It checks all the boxes you'd want in a good drive for your console: it's fast, with read speeds of up to 7,100MB/s, it comes with a pre-installed heatsink and it's protected by a five-year warranty. Plus, it's not the most expensive drive to begin with, which makes it a great value — especially when on sale like this.

Crucial MX500

Crucial's MX500 internal drive has been discounted to $48 for Prime Day. It has sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and a standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swamp in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.

Crucial P5 Plus

The Crucial P5 Plus SSD is on sale for $54 for Prime Day. It's already our favorite affordable SSD for the PS5, so it's an even better buy when you can get it at a discount. It has read speeds of up to 6,600MB/s and the main downside to it is that you'll need to provide and install your own heatsink to get it to work with Sony's console.

Samsung 980 Pro

Samsung's 980 Pro SSD has dropped to $50 for Prime Day. It's another good option for the PS5, especially since you can spring for a model with an included heatsink if you want. The 980 Pro has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and reliable thermal controls.

PNY XLR8

PNY's XLR8 SSD is down to $80 for Prime Day. This model was designed with the PS5 in mind, so it's ready to install with its included heatsink. It supports up to 7,500 MB/s sequential read speeds and it's available in up to 4TB sizes.

WD Black SN850X

WD Black's SN850X is on sale for $128 right now. It has the right read/write speeds to be a good option for the PS5, plus you can get it (or it's slightly slower counterpart, the SN850) with a heatsink included.

Crucial P2

The Crucial P2 SSD has dropped to $62 for Prime Day. It's a solid, affordable option if you're looking for an internal SSD, thanks to its sequential read speeds of up to 2,400 MB/s.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-prime-day-ssd-and-storage-deals-130006692.html?src=rss

The best Prime Day robot vacuum deals you can get for 2023

It's always a good idea to look for discounts on big-ticket items on Prime Day, and robot vacuums are no exception. These machines can be some of the most expensive gadgets you buy for your home, with high-end models costing close to (or more than) $1,000 normally. Thankfully, Prime Day is a good time to pick up a robo-vac for much less than that since premium models tend to be hundreds of dollars off, and even those that already have budget-friendly prices are also often discounted. Here are the best robot vacuum Prime Day deals we could find on all of our favorite machines.

iRobot Roomba 694

The iRobot Roomba 694 has dropped to $199 for Prime Day. It's normally our favorite budget robot vacuum, so this discount makes it an even better buy. We like its minimalist yet attractive design, strong suction power and easy-to-use companion app.

iRobot Roomba s9+

The premium Roomba s9+ is on sale for $600 for Prime Day. This is the most expensive robot vacuum that iRobot makes, and it's currently one of our favorite high-end models. It might be overkill for most people, but it's a robo-vac that does an excellent job of cleaning both hard and carpeted floors, and doesn't choke up at the first sign of pet hair. We also like that it comes with a clean base into which it will empty its dustbin after every job.

iRobot Roomba j7+

The iRobot Roomba j7+ has been discounted to $649 for Prime Day. This is one of the company's newest robot vacuums and we like that it has strong suction power and comes with a clean base. The j7+'s claim to fame, though, is its advanced obstacle avoidance, which helps it steer clear of furniture and other objects while it's cleaning. This includes a robo-vac's arch nemesis — pet poop.

Shark AI Ultra 2-in-1 robot vacuum

Shark's vacuum-and-mop machine has dropped to $380 for Prime Day. It's one of the best robot vacuums you can get right now because of its versatility and decent starting price, so if you can pick it up while it's on sale, that's even better. It comes with a water reservoir with a cloth attached to it that lets you mop hard floors when you need to. The standard dustbin will hold all debris during vacuuming, and the machine is smart enough to empty its clean base automatically after every vacuuming job (you'll have to empty the water reservoir on your own).

Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum

A top pick in our robot vacuum guide, Shark's AI Ultra robo-vac is on sale for $419 for Prime Day. It's just as easy to use and effective as a similar Roomba, but you can often find it at a notably cheaper price point. We found that it cleaned carpet and hard floors well, and its included clean base is bagless, which means you won't have to spend more money over time buying proprietary garbage bags for it.

Anker Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid

Another vac-and-mop combo, the Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid has dropped to $300 for Prime Day. Like a lot of other Anker/Eufy devices, the RoboVac X8 Hybrid already starts out much cheaper than its competition but it works nearly just as well. It can vacuum and mop, thanks to its included water reservoir, and we were impressed by its easy set-up process, four cleaning modes, smart home mapping and handy "tap-and go" feature.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-prime-day-robot-vacuum-deals-you-can-get-112537510.html?src=rss