If Apple Music and the App Store aren't quite working as normal for you right now, you're not alone. Apple's status page notes that both services are dealing with issues that are impacting all users.
It states that Apple Music users may be experiencing some intermittent issues, which seemingly include song lyrics not being accessible. As for the App Store, Apple simply says users "may be experiencing a problem." The company hasn't provided more details, though Down Detector users started reporting App Store problems at around 9 AM ET.
The Apple Music and App Store problems follow an issue with Apple Pay on Sunday. For just over 40 minutes, Interac card holders were unable to make purchases with Apple Pay. Nor could they add, suspend or remove a card.
All the way back at BlizzCon 2018, Blizzard revealed Diablo: Immortal, which would fill in the gaps of the story between Diablo II and Diablo III. However, the fact it was announced as a mobile-only game didn’t exactly go over well with the publisher's hardcore fans (to put it mildly). Fast forward nearly three and a half years and not only does the game have a release date, but Blizzard announced it’ll be available on PC after all.
Diablo: Immortal will arrive on PC, iOS and Android in most parts of the world on June 2nd. Folks in some Asia-Pacific regions will need to wait a few extra weeks. It's a free-to-play title with some optional in-game purchases. The PC version will initially be in open beta, but will have all content and features. All progress and purchases will carry over too.
It will feature cross-play and cross-save support for all platforms, so you should be able to switch between PC and your mobile device with ease. The MMORPG allows players to take on challenges with eight-person parties and it has a faction-based PvP system.
In a blog post, Blizzard says it was of two minds about creating a PC version, which it calls "an experiment." Ultimately, because a large section of fans would likely try to play it through an emulator anyway, the development team decided to create a dedicated PC build.
Unusually for a Diablo game (which are usually point-and-click titles), Diablo: Immortal will have the option of directional keyboard controls. The mobile control system allows for simultaneous movement and attacks, which Blizzard says wouldn't be possible solely through mouse control alone. There's also controller support on PC.
Diablo: Immortal was originally supposed to be released last year. However, Blizzard delayed it to 2022 to add some extra polish, including, evidently, on a PC port.
Word of the Diablo: Immortal release date comes at a particularly busy time for Blizzard. Last week, it announced the next semi-annual expansion for World of Warcraft, while the first closed PvP beta test for Overwatch 2 starts tomorrow.
Parent company Activision Blizzard announced this morning that its Q1 revenue was down 22 percent from the previous year. The company, which is facing lawsuits and accusations alleging harassment and misconduct, is the subject of a pending takeover by Microsoft.
Apple may have begun more rigorously enforcing its policy against unused and dysfunctional apps. Back in 2016, the company vowed it would go out of its way to remove applications that had stopped working, not kept up with its latest guidelines or become outdated. After not drawing much attention over the last few years, that policy came back into the public consciousness this week. In a series of tweets spotted by The Verge, a handful of indie developers shared an email notice from Apple prompting them to update their games.
I feel sick. Apple just sent me an email saying they're removing my free game Motivoto because its more than 2 years old.
It's part of their App improvement system.
This is not cool. Console games from 2000 are still available for sale.
“This app has not been updated in a significant amount of time and is scheduled to be removed from sale in 30 days,” the company states in the email. “You can keep this app available for new users to discover and download from the App Store by submitting an update for review within 30 days.”
Apple notes developers can continue to earn revenue from microtransactions even if it removes their app or game from the store. Moreover, their programs will continue to work for those who have them downloaded to their devices. Some people who shared screenshots of the notice on Twitter expressed concern that the policy disproportionately affects smaller developers.
“This is an unfair barrier to indie devs,” Protopop Games developer Robert Kabwe said. “I’m sitting here on a Friday night, working myself to the bone after my day job, trying my best to scrape a living from my indie games, trying to keep up with Apple, Google, Unity, Xcode, macOS changes that happen so fast my head spins while performing worse on older devices.”
On a support page dedicated to its App Store Improvements initiative, the company states the policy is designed “to make it easier for customers to find great apps that fit their needs.” It also notes it wants to ensure all the software you found on the platform is “functional and up-to-date.”
Obviously, there isn’t an easy answer to the situation. From the perspective of an iOS user, it’s not great when you buy a new Apple device and find apps that aren’t optimized to take advantage of the hardware. I encountered that situation when I bought my 2020 iPad Air and downloaded Klei’s tactical espionage RPG Invisible, Inc. Playing the game for the first time, I was disappointed when I found out the studio had not updated the game to support the iPad Air’s 2,360 by 1,640 resolution. In fact, Klei hasn’t updated the iOS version of Invisible, Inc. since 2016. That hasn’t stopped me from enjoying the game, but I wish I could play it without black bars letterboxing the interface.
A group of 21 quality assurance testers at Raven Software have received the blessing of the National Labor Relations Board to conduct a union vote, per a 27-page ruling from the agency released Friday. Raven's parent company — Activision Blizzard —did not respond in time to a request for voluntary recognition for the new union, the Game Workers Alliance, back in January.
Tensions within the company came to a head last December, when approximately a third of the group's QA testers were suddenly laid off — after several months of promises to improve compensation. Raven workers began organizing shortly thereafter, and engaged in a weeks-long strike.
Once they returned to work, however, they were informed their unit would be broken up. "Our QA colleagues will embed directly within various teams across the studio," was how Raven Studio head Brian Raffel put it at the time, a move the seemed intended to stymie unionization efforts.
Since then, Activision tried to convince the NLRB that the dispersed nature of the QA team should be grounds to dismiss the vote. But as per today's ruling, the agency didn't sign on to that view. According to Jennifer Hadsall, a regional director of the agency, there is “no evidence that Q.A. testers are being eliminated or that their role would fundamentally change with the embed process.” Activision also tried (and failed) to convince the NLRB that the entirety of Raven Studio's estimated 230 employees would need to be included in the vote.
"We are pleased that after reviewing the evidence, the National Labor Relations Board rejected Raven Software management’s attempts to undermine our efforts to form a union," a group of Game Workers Alliance organizers told Engadget over email. "It’s now time for Raven management to stop trying to prevent us from exercising our rights. We are looking forward to voting for - and winning - our union."
According to a statement from Activision, the company is “disappointed that a decision that could significantly impact the future of our entire studio will be made by fewer than 10 percent of our employees.” The company is also seeking avenues to appeal the NLRB's ruling.
Raven software was founded over 30 years ago and had a hand in producing some beloved games like Heretic and Hexen during the golden age of first-person shooters. Since its acquisition by Activision in 1997, it's role has largely been reduced to maintaining the Call of Duty franchise.
Tensions between Raven and its owners have mirrored those within Activision Blizzard at large, where sexual misconduct claims, allegedly covered up by the company's top brass have roiled rank-and-file workers. Employees staged a walkout last November in disgust, to voice dissent against the corporate culture in general and CEO Bobby Kotick in specific. Earlier this week it was reported that on two separate occasions, Meta COO Sheryl Sandberg used her influence to allegedly quash negative stories about Kotick, her then-boyfriend, that were in the works at British tabloid The Daily Mail.
The NLRB will begin mailing out ballots to eligible part-time and full-time QA workers, who will have until May 20 to cast; a vote count is presently schedule to take place on May 23.
Are you an Activision Blizzard worker with a tip to share? You can reach me confidentially on Signal messengered at 646 983 9846.
Does your lone WiFi router not quite cover your home? This might be a good time to upgrade. Amazon is running a sale on Eero mesh routers that includes particularly steep discounts for higher-end Eero Pro models. The Eero Pro 6 represents one of the better values, and is down to $319 (20 percent off) for a two-pack and $479 (also 20 percent off) for a three-pack. And if you're happy with WiFi 5, the earlier Eero Pro 6 is down to a record-low $336, or 25 percent off — it'll even dip to $314 if you have Amazon Prime.
The allure of Eero Pro routers is simple: they provide a compact, straightforward way to blanket your home in wireless networking with more coverage than you'd get from regular Eero models — a three-pack will cover an enormous 6,000 square feet. They're unsurprisingly well-suited to anyone steeped in Amazon's ecosystem, with streamlined setup (if you have an Amazon account), Alexa voice control and a Zigbee hub for compatible smart home devices.
These might not be the best choices if you're more interested in Apple or Google's smart home frameworks. However, future-proofing is another concern. Amazon recently introduced the Eero Pro 6E with (you guessed it) 1.3Gbps WiFi 6E support. If you use internet service beyond a gigabit (or expect to upgrade soon), you might want the newer router to make the most of that connection. However, the Pro 6E is also much more expensive at $499 for a two-pack. The 'old' Pro 6 offers the same long range and most of the performance for a lot less.
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The Syntakt has been one of the worst kept secrets in the music world. But it wasn't until today that the world finally got to see what Elektron's latest groovebox is capable of. It combines the company's legendary sequencer with four analog four analog synth tracks and 10 digital tracks. While the Syntakt is focused primarily on percussion, it's capable of handling bass and melody as well. And, if you're not happy with the internal synth sounds, you can control external gear by switching any of the 12 tracks to be MIDI. Those MIDI tracks by the way are four-note polyphonic
The Syntakt takes an everything and the kitchen sink approach, and borrows a bit of its sound design workflow from previous Elektron instruments like the Machinedrum and Model:Cycles. It starts by selecting a "machine," of which there are 37 spread across the three different core types of synthesis. There are 10 digital synths, 15 analog drum, and 12 analog cymbal machines. Each one is designed to do a specific thing, just like on the Cycles, but the level of control offered here is far greater.
Each engine also has a specific set of effects and parameters associated with it. The digital tracks each have a digital overdrive, a digital multimode filter and a digital base width filter, in addition to a pair of LFOs. While the analog tracks each have an analog overdrive, an analog multimode filter and a pair of LFOs. There's also an FX track where you can automate an analog overdrive, an analog multimode filter, as well as digital reverb and delay.
In addition to controlling external gear with the Syntakt's MIDI channels, you can also feed external audio through its master effects, allowing you to treat it as both a master sequencer and a mixer — it can be the brains of an entire performance setup.
The entire thing lives inside the same chassis Elektron uses for its Digitakt and Digitone instruments, which means it's small and portable(ish), but also quite rugged. It weighs just 3.6lbs, but is housed in steel casing.
Of course, all that power and roadworthiness doesn't come cheap. The Syntakt is available now in limited quantities from Elektron and to preorder from select retailers for $999.
That tiny webcam on your laptop has probably gotten more use in the last few years than it ever has before. Even if you’re back to taking some of your meetings in the office, chances are that back-to-back Zoom calls are now a permanent part of your professional life. Once an afterthought, your computer’s webcam has become one of its most important components — and the fact remains that most built-in cameras are not able to provide consistent, high-quality video chat experiences.
This is where external webcams come in. They can do wonders for those with lackluster built-in webcams, people who spend most of their working hours on video conferences, and those who picked up a new hobby of streaming on Twitch or YouTube over the past couple of years. But as with most PC accessories, it can be tough to sort through the sea of options out there. We tested out a bunch of the latest webcams to see which are worth your money and which you can safely skip.
What to look for in a webcam
Resolution and field of view
While some newer machines have 1080p webcams, most built-in cameras have a resolution of 720p, so you’ll want to look for an external one that’s better than that. FHD webcams will give you a noticeable bump in video quality; ideally, you’re looking for something that can handle 1080p at 60fps or 30fps. If you’re considering a cheap 720p webcam, make sure to get one that supports at least 30fps (most will) or, even better, 60fps. However, if your primary concern is looking better during video calls, 1080p is the way to go.
Some webcams can shoot in 4K, but that’s overkill for most people. Not to mention most video conferencing services like Zoom, Google Meet and Skype don’t even support 4K video. When it comes to streaming, Twitch maxes out at 1080p video, but YouTube added 4K live streaming back in 2016. Ultimately, with 4K webcam shots having such limited use, most people can get by with a solid 1080p camera.
Field of view controls how much can fit in the frame when you’re recording. Most webcams I tested had a default field of view of around 78 degrees, which was enough to capture me and enough of my background to show that I really need to organize my home office. On cheaper webcams you’ll usually see narrower fields of view (around 60 degrees), and those aren’t necessarily bad. They won’t show as much of your background, but that also means you won’t be able to squeeze as many friends or family members into frame when you’re having Zoom birthday parties. On the flip side, more expensive webcams may let you adjust the field of view to be even wider than average.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Autofocus and other “auto” features
Webcams with autofocus will keep you looking sharp without much work on your part. You should be able to move around, step back and forth, and remain in focus the whole time. Some models let you manually adjust focus, too, if you have specific needs. Devices with fixed focus are less convenient, but they tend to be more affordable.
In the same vein is auto framing, a feature that some high-end webcams now offer. Similarly to Apple’s Center Stage feature, the camera automatically adjusts to keep you in the center of the frame even as you move around. But you’ll pay a premium for it: The only two webcams I tested that had auto framing were the $200 Dell UltraSharp webcam and the $220 Anker Video Bar, and while that helped those models stand out from the pack, neither were great enough to earn a spot in our best picks list.
You’ll also see other “auto” features listed in webcam specs, most notably auto light correction. This will adjust the camera’s settings to make up for a dimly lit room. If you don’t have a well-lit setup for your video calls, or often take calls in different places where you can’t control the lighting, this feature will be valuable.
Microphones
Most webcams have built-in microphones that, depending on your setup, might end up being closer to you than your computer’s own mics. Check to see if the model you’re considering has mono or stereo mics, as the latter is better. Some even use noise-reduction technology to keep your voice loud and clear. While audiophiles and streamers will want to invest in a standalone microphone, most others can get by using a webcam’s built-in mic.
Design
There aren’t a ton of fascinating breakthroughs when it comes to webcam design. Most are round or rectangular devices that clip onto a monitor or your laptop screen. Some have the ability to screw onto a tripod stand and others can simply sit on your desk beside your computer. But unless you really like having people stare up your nose, the latter isn’t ideal. We recommend clipping your webcam to your monitor and ensuring that it’s at or slightly above eye level.
A few webcams go above and beyond by adding hardware extras like built-in lights and lens covers, too. The former can help you stand out in a dark room, while the latter makes it so hackers can’t view you through your webcam without your knowledge.
Price
Most external webcams that are just good enough to be a step up from your computer’s built-in camera cost between $60 and $150. If the webcam has the same resolution as the internal one on your laptop, you should look out for other specs like auto light correction, a wider field of view or an extra-long connecting cable that can provide a step-up in quality or ease of use.
Spending $150 or more means you might get advanced features like 4K resolution, vertical and horizontal recording options, stereo mics, customizable video settings and more. But unless you’re spending hours on video calls each day or streaming multiple times each week, you can safely skip most of those high-end options.
Engadget picks
Best overall: Logitech C920s Pro HD
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
The Logitech C920s Pro HD webcam seems like a great value on paper, and it proves that to be true, too, once you take it out of the box. For around $60, you’re getting an FHD webcam that can shoot in up to 1080p/30fps, has a 78-degree field-of-view, dual microphones and auto light correction. It’s a fairly average-looking webcam measuring 3.7 inches at its widest point, with the lens in the middle and its two microphones on either side.
The adjustable base is quite sturdy and, while I kept it hooked to my external monitor most of the time, you could easily attach it to your laptop’s screen or sit it on your desk and angle the camera upward. There’s also a hole on the underside if you wish to connect it to a tripod. There’s an optional lens cover in the box that provides protection when you transport the webcam, but also gives you extra privacy.
I immediately saw an improvement in video quality when I took conference calls using the C920s Pro HD. I’m lucky enough to have one lamp and one large window in my small home office, so I’m usually not fighting for good light. But even on cloudy days, the camera’s 1080p video was sharp and produced fairly accurate colors. While cheaper cameras struggled on rainy days with the lamp off, the C920s Pro HD illuminated my whole face and had minimal shadows.
All Logitech webcams can use the company’s Camera Settings app to adjust things like field of view, brightness, color intensity and autofocus, but I kept the default settings on this one. The C920s Pro HD does have autofocus and it was so good that I barely noticed it. I was always in focus during my video chats and I never saw the camera struggling to regain focus even if I moved around.
Runner Up: Anker PowerConf C200
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Anker’s cube-like PowerConf C200 webcam has a lot of the same perks as Logitech’s C920s Pro HD, along with a few extras and a price tag that’s $10 more. Setup is equally as easy as with the Logitech cam – just plug it into your computer or docking station and start using it. You can download the AnkerWork software to edit things like brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio and, as with Logitech’s, I kept all of those settings at their defaults.
But you’re also able to control the camera’s resolution and field of view with this software, too. The C200 webcam defaults to a 2K resolution, but you can bring it down to 1080p, 720p or even 360p if you wish. Same goes for field of view: The default is 95 degrees, but I bumped mine down to 78 degrees to spare my colleagues a wider view of my messy home office.
I was immediately impressed with the C200’s video quality: 2K is likely more than most people need (1080p should do just fine), but the extra sharpness and clarity is a nice touch. The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, and its larger f/2.0 aperture captures more light so you stay illuminated even in darker settings.
In addition to a built-in lens cover that you can slide closed for privacy, the C200 has dual stereo mics that actually do a good job of capturing your voice loud and clear. You can also choose directional or omnidirectional vocal pickup in the AnkerWork settings, with the latter being better if you have multiple people speaking on your end.
My biggest complaints about the C200 webcam are that it’s a bit cumbersome to adjust its angle when it’s perched on your monitor or screen. Unlike most other webcams, Anker’s doesn’t have a short neck of sorts that connects the camera to its adjustable base – it’s just one, chunky piece of plastic that I had to use both hands to adjust when necessary. Also, the C200 comes with a USB cable that’s much shorter than others. This won’t be a problem if you’re connecting the webcam directly to your laptop, but it’s not as flexible if you have a standing desk converter or a more complicated setup that requires long cables.
Best for streaming: Logitech Streamcam
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Of all the webcams I tested, I had the most fun using Logitech’s Streamcam. While it’s a bit weird to say I “had fun” with such an innocuous piece of tech, I found the Streamcam to be remarkable in many ways. First and foremost, the video quality is excellent: It shoots in 1080p/60fps and its video is slightly sharper than that of the Logitech C920s Pro HD. Details in my clothing came through much better and, whether I liked it or not, so did some of the texture on my skin. The Streamcam was also one of the best devices when it came to color reproduction.
All of those perks remain the same even when you’re shooting in low-light conditions. The Streamcam’s auto-exposure feature made up for the darkness in my office on gloomy days. And it has the best kind of autofocus — the kind that you never notice in action.
The dual omnidirectional mics inside the Streamcam delivered my voice loud and clear during video calls. If you stream often and find yourself without an external mic, it’s nice to know that you could get by with the Streamcam’s built-in ones in a pinch. The microphones also have noise reduction to keep your voice font and center.
As far as design goes, the Streamcam is a bit larger than most. It’s a chunky almost-square that can easily be positioned on a monitor or on a tripod, and a unique feature of its design is its ability to shoot either vertically or horizontally. I kept mine in the standard 16:9 format, but some streamers who post to social media often will like the 9:16 format that’s best for Instagram and TikTok. Logitech also made sure the Streamcam was optimized for Open Broadcaster Software (OBS), XSplit and Streamlabs, so you can use it directly out of the box for your next live session.
The Streamcam is the best all-purpose webcam on our list; if you want one device that can do it all, from video conferences to Twitch streams to family video chats, the Streamcam is the best option. However, not everyone will want to drop the $170 on one. Its higher price keeps it from our top spot because those who just want to look better on Zoom calls don’t need to drop $170 to do that.
Best premium: Logitech Brio
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
If you’re willing to spare no expense on a webcam, Logitech’s $200 Brio is the one to get. It has a lot of things going for it, but the best and most important feature is its 4K recording. It’s capable of shooting in 4K/30fps in addition to 1080p and 720p in either 60fps or 30fps. I kept it set at 4K and I never looked better on a video call. My feed was sharp and clear, and the only negative thing about it was the slightly inaccurate colors (they came off more saturated than normal).
Low-light performance was stellar as well. The Brio’s light correcting technology with HDR made up for the cave-like environment in which I was sometimes forced to record. As far as sound goes, the dual microphones inside the Brio were some of the loudest and clearest of any webcam I tested. They also use noise-canceling technology to capture audio from up to one meter away while blocking out background noise.
The Brio also had the most customizable settings of the Logitech cameras I tried. In addition to brightness, contrast, color intensity, white balance and autofocus, you’re able to adjust HDR, field of view and image ratio in the Camera Settings app. While I kept most of the default settings, I changed my field of view from 65 degrees to 78 degrees (the third option of 90 degrees was too wide for my taste), and it captured just enough of my background but still kept me as the focal point.
I also opted to turn off autofocus because I found it to be finicky. Issues with the Brio’s autofocus have been documented online and I’ve reached out to Logitech for troubleshooting tips. An Engadget colleague who uses the Brio as his daily webcam hasn’t experienced the autofocus issues, so there just might not be enough contrast between myself and the background. Since I take most video calls from my home office desk, adjusting the focus manually to fit that environment worked well for me.
It’s hard to get excited about webcam design, but Logitech tried to make the Brio as sleek looking as possible. Instead of a mere rectangle, the Brio is an elongated oval with rounded edges and a standard base that clips securely onto a screen. The front is a glossy black, punctuated only by the camera lens, two tiny slits for the microphones and the IR sensors. The latter makes the Brio compatible with Windows Hello, so you can unlock your system using facial recognition. And when you want more privacy, you can use the included lens shade to cover the camera.
The 2021 MacBook Pros were some of the best laptops we came across last year, but as to be expected, they come with high price tags. Right now, you can pick up the 14-inch MacBook Pro for $250 cheaper than usual at Amazon. The price has already been discounted by $50, but an addition $200 automatically applied coupon brings the machine down to a record low of $1,749.
This particular model comes with Apple's M1 Pro chip, which features an 8‑core CPU and 14‑core GPU, plus 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The performance gains provided by specs like this was one reason why both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros earned a score of 92 from us when we reviewed them last year. Not only will they be able to handle anything you throw at them, but they also have the stamina to last most of the day. We clocked a 12.5-hour battery life for the 14-inch model in our testing and a 16.5-hour battery life on the 16-inch laptop.
While the MacBook Pro looks fairly similar to previous models, Apple fixed a few long-standing issues — namely, the lack of ports. The new machines have three Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI connector, a headphone jack, an SD card slot and a MagSafe power port. You're also getting a 1080p FaceTime webcam and a Liquid Retina XDR display with a 3,024 x 1,964 resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. The biggest downsides to the MacBook Pro are its non-upgradeable memory and storage, plus its high price tag. This discount addresses one of those issues, and overall, it's a solid laptop that will be best for power users.
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You might not be thrilled with in-game advertising, but you might soon see more of it. Insidersources (sub. required) claim Microsoft is developing a program to help marketers place ads in free-to-play Xbox games. Companies could buy from an ad inventory to secure space on virtual billboards. It's not clear if this would extend to character skins or video rolls, but Microsoft is apparently crafting a "private marketplace" to limit ads to brands that won't disrupt gameplay.
Microsoft is reportedly still pinpointing ad technology firms that would build the catalog and cooperate on placement. The debut might not take long, though, as the program could launch by the third quarter (that is, summer).
The company declined to confirm or deny the plans. In a statement to Insider, a spokesperson said Microsoft was constantly striving to "improve the experience" for developers and players but didn't have "anything further to share."
The program could rankle gamers worried about ads for real-world products finding their way into fictional universes. However, the focus on free-to-play titles might prove crucial. This could help developers make money from free games without leaning too heavily on paid content like skins and season passes. That, in turn, might persuade creators to make Xbox-centric games rather than building for the PlayStation or Switch.
A number of gadgets remain on sale as we head into the holiday weekend. Apple's latest AirPods remain $30 off and down to $150, and you can pick up the AirPods Pro for $175. Certain colors of the Apple Watch Series 7 are on sale for as low as $313, plus you can save on a bunch of Surface devices in Microsoft's spring sale. Finally, Amazon has discounted its regular Kindle to $55 while also slashes prices of its Fire tablets. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
AirPods (3rd gen)
Billy Steele/Engadget
Apple's newest earbuds are close to their record-low price right now. You can grab the third-gen AirPods for $150, or $30 off their normal rate. We gave them a score of 88 for their improved design, much better audio quality and longer battery life.
Apple's AirPods Pro are back on sale for $175, which is 30 percent off their normal price. We gave them a score of 87 for their improved fit, good audio quality and solid ANC.
Both Amazon and Walmart have the entry-level iPad for $309 right now, or $20 off its normal price. We gave the slab a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life and Center Stage-capable front cameras.
Many color options of the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $330, or $70 off their normal price. The green model is even cheaper, coming in at $313. We gave the wearable a score of 90 for its bigger screen, faster charging and handy watchOS 8 features.
You can pick up the Mac Mini M1 desktop for $570, which is an all-time-low price, thanks to a $99 coupon that's automatically applied at checkout. It runs on an eight-core CPU, eight-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. It's a good option if you want a relatively new desktop that won't take up too much space on your desk.
Through April 21st, you can save hundreds on Surface devices, Xbox games and more in Microsoft's spring sale. The Surface Laptop Go is up to $200 off, so you can grab the model with a Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage for $700.
Amazon's regular Kindle is down to $55, which is $35 cheaper than usual. You can also pick up the Kids Edition for $65 instead of the usual $110. While the latest Paperwhites have a lot of bells and whistles, the standard Kindle remains a good option for those on a budget.
A number of Fire tablets are on sale right now, including the Fire HD 8, which is down to $50. The larger Fire HD 10 has also been discounted to $100, which is $50 off its normal rate. These slabs are good options for those that want a basic, lightweight device for travel or doing things like online shopping and checking email from your couch.
iRobot's Roomba j7+ and s9+ are $200 off at Wellbots right now when you use the code ENGMOM200 at checkout. These are some of the company's most powerful robo-vacs: the j7+ has a convenient "poop-detection" feature while the s9+ has the strongest suction power of any Roomba. Both also come with clean bases, which allow the robots to automatically empty their bins after each cleaning job.
Amazon's smart thermostat is back on sale for $48, which is 20 percent off its regular price. The Energy Star-certified device uses Honeywell's Home Thermostat tech to help you save on energy costs — and, like other Amazon devices, it works with Alexa so you can use voice commands to control the temperature in your home.
Both Google's standard Nest Thermostat and the more advanced Learning model remain discounted right now. You can pick up the regular version for $119, while the Learning Thermostat is still on sale for $200. They share most of the same features, but you'll get a slicker design, a higher-res display and the ability to connect with Nest Temperature Sensors with the Learning model.
The latest Chromecast with Google TV is $10 off at Walmart and Best Buy, bringing it down to $40. We gave the compact streaming device a score of 86 for its solid remote control, good Google Assistant integration and support for 4K content with Dolby Vision and Atmos.
You can get a $5 promotional credit when you buy a $50 Apple gift card at Amazon when you use either the code APPLEDEAL or APPLEAPRIL at checkout. The promotional credit can be used on future Amazon purchases, and while it's not a huge credit, it's more than what we usually see attached to Apple gift cards.
The Elite 7 Active earbuds are 17 percent off and down to $150 right now. These are some of Jabra's newest buds and they have a special "ShakeGrip coating" that helps keep the buds in place during sweaty workouts. Plus, the elite 7 Active support adjustable ANC, HearThrough technology and four microphones for better call quality.
Through April 17th, you can get 15 percent off at Satechi when using the code EASTER15, and for orders of $100 or more, they'll up it to 20 percent with the code EASTER20. Now's a good time to pick up a new keyboard, mouse, USB-C hub or other accessory while you can get it for less.
NordVPN's latest deal lets you save 51 percent off the price of a two-year subscription, so you'll pay only $96 for that time period. After the first two years, the price goes up to $99 per year. NordVPN is one of our favorites thanks to its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
