The AirPods Pro are down to the bet price we've seen them since the start of the year. Apple's best sounding earbuds are 30 percent off right now and down to $175, which is $5 cheaper than their previous sale price. We likely won't see Black Friday's $159 deal return for quite some time, so this discount is worth considering if you need a new pair of earbuds or want to give them to someone special for Valentine's Day.

The AirPods Pro earned a score of 87 from us when they first came out, and while they didn't receive the slew of updates that the base AirPods did a few months ago, they do now come with a MagSafe charging case. That means you'll be able to use them with magnetic charging pads that also work with the latest iPhones.

These remain the AirPods to get if you care just as much about sound quality as you do convenience. Along with a built-in amplifier, they support Adaptive EQ, which automatically tunes frequencies to each user's ear. Their active noise cancellation is also solid, and you can flip in and out of Transparency mode whenever you need to join a conversation. They also provide arguably the best fit of any AirPods thanks to their interchangeable ear tips (although the improvements that Apple made in the fit of the third-gen AirPods shouldn't be overlooked).

You're also getting Apple's H1 chip inside the AirPods Pro, which enables things like hands-free Siri and quick pairing and switching between iOS and Mac devices. The latter feature becomes particularly handy if you use many Apple devices regularly, allowing you to switch from taking a call on your iPhone to listening to music from your Mac with ease. As far as battery life goes, you can expect about five hours of use before the Pros need a recharge, and with its case, you should get up to 24 hours of total listening time.

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Call of Duty fans who've been worried what Microsoft's pending $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard means for the future of that franchise on PlayStation can breathe easy. That series and other popular Activision Blizzard games won't be exclusive to Xbox — even after Sony's existing agreements with the publisher expire. 

"Microsoft will continue to make Call of Duty and other popular Activision Blizzard titles available on PlayStation through the term of any existing agreement with Activision," Microsoft president Brad Smith wrote in a blog post. "And we have committed to Sony that we will also make them available on PlayStation beyond the existing agreement and into the future so that Sony fans can continue to enjoy the games they love. We are also interested in taking similar steps to support Nintendo’s successful platform. We believe this is the right thing for the industry, for gamers and for our business."

According to Bloomberg, Sony struck a deal with Activision Blizzard before the blockbuster merger was announced to bring the next two mainline Call of Duty games and a sequel to Warzone to PlayStation. Until now, it was unclear whether subsequent Call of Duty games would be released on PlayStation or if Microsoft planned to keep them on Xbox and PC only.

Smith made the announcement while revealing a set of Open App Store Principles that Microsoft is establishing for Windows and future gaming marketplaces it's building for games. He wrote that the company is bringing in the policies as it seeks regulatory approval for the Activision Blizzard deal and as governments "move forward with new laws to promote competition in app markets and beyond. We want regulators and the public to know that as a company, Microsoft is committed to adapting to these new laws, and with these principles, we’re moving to do so."

Developing...

The operating system powering Apple's rumored virtual or augmented reality headset may be called realityOS, MacRumors has reported. The term was spotted by multiple sources in recent GitHub open source code and App Store upload logs. "What is Apple's realityOS doing in the App Store upload logs," tweeted iOS developer Rens Verhoeven. "This at least confirms [realityOS] 1) has its own OS & binaries and, 2) has a realityOS simulator," noted another well-known developer, Steve Troughton-Smith. 

The existence of such an OS was first reported by Bloomberg's Mark Gurman as rOS in 2017, and is reportedly known internally as "Oak" at Apple. The "OS" nomenclature would be logical, given the names of Apple's iOS, macOS, iPadOS, tvOS and watchOS operating systems. 

Apple's development of AR/VR headsets has been rumored for years. Apple purchased VR company VRvana in 2017, suggesting it was pursuing the technology. The Informationreported in 2019 that a mixed AR/VR headset would come in 2022, with AR glasses arriving by 2023. 

However, the most recent rumor from Bloomberg suggests that the headset will be delayed until 2023 due to development issues like overheating. They'll reportedly offer computing power on par with an M1 Mac and could be standalone without the need to tether, according to analyst Ming-chi Kuo.

If the references are real, they could suggest that developers are getting or will be getting access to the OS. As Troughton-Smith warned, however, they "could just be a remnant of somebody's pull request from a fake account," too — so take the leak with an appropriate dose of skepticism. 

Ever found yourself immersed in a web search, only to lose track after an interruption? Google thinks it can help. It's introducing a previously teased Journeys feature (shown above) in the latest release of Chrome for desktop that lets you resume searches based on topics. Type a related word or visit the Chrome History Journeys page and you'll see the option to resume your research, complete with associated links and search terms. Return to a vacation search, for instance, and you might see the tourism websites you didn't visit the first time around.

Journeys are rolling out now to all Chrome desktop browsers. They're initially limited to surfers using English, Dutch, French, German, Italian, Portugese, Spanish and Turkish.

Other updates are useful even if you've cleared out your search backlog. Chrome Actions should be more useful — you can perform additional browser tasks just by typing them in the address bar, such as "manage settings" and "view your Chrome history." Android users, meanwhile, will see a significantly expanded repertoire of home screen widgets (below) that help you start text, voice and Lens searches. You can even launch Incognito tabs or the offline Dino game. While Android is already well-equipped for search widgets, this should still prove helpful if you routinely use Chrome's special features.

Google

The Mac Mini was already the most cost-effective way to get an M1 machine, but Amazon's latest sale makes it even more affordable. The 256GB desktop is back down to a record low of $570 right now thanks to a $649 sale price and an automatically applied coupon that knocks another $79 off. If you know you'll need more onboard storage, the 512GB version is down to $750 thanks to another sale-plus-coupon combo.

In case you need a refresh, the Mac Mini M1 came out in 2020 with Apple's first round of M1 devices. You can expect performance similar to the MacBook Air M1, which impressed us with its blazing fast speeds, near-instantaneous wake time and ability to run iOS apps. In addition to M1 power, the Mac Mini has an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU, a 16-core Neural Engine and these discounted models have 8GB of RAM.

With all of the updates being on the inside, the latest Mac Mini looks much as the same as previous models. It's compact size makes it a good option for cramped work-from-home setups, so long as you have your own monitor, keyboard and mouse to use with it. The desktop has a healthy number of ports as well, including two Thunderbolt ports, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector, an Ethernet port and a 3.5mm headphone jack. While you could wait for the next iteration of the Mac Mini, there's no telling when Apple will debut that. The company may have a hardware event in March, but current rumors suggest it will focus on new iPads and an affordable 5G iPhone. If you're in need of an updated desktop now, the Mac Mini M1 is a great option made even better by this sale price.

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With crazy fast M1 Pro and Max chips and numerous small improvements, the new MacBook Pros were among the best laptops we saw in 2021. The downside to that is that deals have been hard to find, but luckily, the 14-inch model just fell to a new all-time low at Amazon. You can pick up the base 512GB M1 Pro 16-core version in Space Gray for $1,750 (via a $200 instant rebate) or $250 off the original $1,999 price tag. 

The 2021 MacBook Pros received an Engadget review score of 92, among our highest review scores of the year. That's due in a big way to the incredible performance via the M1 Pro CPU with 16 cores that can keep up with the best Intel or AMD CPUs while delivering 12 hours of battery life. It offers decent graphics performance for media chores or light gaming, too. 

Apple also addressed many of the issues we didn't like about past models. It now comes with the ports that creators need, including three Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, MagSafe power, a headphone jack and an SD card slot. The 14-inch Liquid Retina XDR display comes with 3,024 x 1,964 resolution, up to 1,600 nits of brightness and a 120Hz refresh rate. It's also got a great keyboard (unlike the awful past butterfly models) and a 1080p Facetime webcam.

The downsides are few, but include the lack of ability to upgrade memory or storage, along with a notch that may annoy some folks. It's also pricier than the competition, but Amazon's deal helps make it competitive with any laptop, especially considering the performance.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

Later this week, Samsung’s big smartphone showcase will likely reveal the next iteration of its flagship Galaxy S line, almost definitely called the Galaxy S22. Shocking, I know. Judging from the leaks and rumors, what’s notable is this could mark the year Samsung’s Galaxy Note and S phone lines become one big happy family. Ahead of the event announcement, company president TM Roh teased it would feature “the most noteworthy S series device we’ve ever created.” See what they did there?

Evan Blass

Samsung skipped the Note line in 2021, but in all but name, the Galaxy S22 Ultra will be the Note 20 successor fans have been waiting to see for nearly two years.

We’ve pulled together everything we’re expecting to see right here, but we’ll also be covering the event on Wednesday, February 9th at 10 AM ET (7 AM PT). We’ll have our own livestream covering all the phones and any surprises along the way. Come watch along with us!

— Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

• US carriers ask the FCC for $5.6 billion to replace Huawei and ZTE equipment

• Hitting the Books: 'Miracle Rice' fed China's revolution but endangered its crop diversity

• Google made a more accessible icon for Chrome

• Traders are selling themselves their own NFTs to drive up price

Samsung’s upcoming Galaxy devices will be made partly of recycled fishing nets

Spoiler alert.

When Samsung does unfurl its 2022 Galaxy S lineup, those phones will be partly made of a new, more sustainable plastic. The company says it has started using discarded fishing nets to create a more environmentally friendly plastic. It’ll first be put to use in these latest devices, but Samsung says it’ll also begin incorporating the material in its entire device lineup.

Continue reading.

Apple’s new entry-level MacBook Pro may not include a ProMotion display

The company will reportedly release four M2-powered Macs in 2022.

When Apple refreshed its MacBook Pro line last fall, it left the entry-level model alone. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman says that’s about to change. He expects a new entry-level model will also drop the much-maligned Touch Bar, but it’s unlikely to include the ProMotion display technology found on the 2021 MacBook Pro, meaning it won’t support a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. Mini-LED backlighting is apparently off the table as well, so don’t expect the base model’s display to get as bright as the screens on its counterparts.

Continue reading.

Spotify deletes over 100 'Joe Rogan Experience' episodes

But the controversial episode with Dr. Robert Malone is still there.

Spotify has been removing episodes of the Joe Rogan Experience since Friday, and at writing, the service has pulled a total of 113. Around 70 episodes have recently disappeared from the platform. Those were apparently removed on February 4th, in addition to the 40 podcast episodes deleted some time ago. However, the newly deleted episodes don't seem to be connected with the COVID-19 controversy surrounding the show and the service right now.

Continue reading.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is $45 off right now

Amazon's best e-reader to date is on sale for the first time.

Engadget

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is possibly the best e-reader on the market right now, and if you've been considering picking one up, now seems like a good time. Amazon is putting the device on sale for the first time for $145, which is $45 less than the regular price of $190. Our only issue when we reviewed the Signature Edition was the price — problem solved.

Continue reading.

Apple will reportedly hold its next hardware event in early March

The company could release iOS 15.4 next month as well.

Engadget

Apple just can’t let its biggest phone rival have the spotlight for a week. Apple will host its next hardware event sometime on or around March 8th, according to Bloomberg. At the event, the company will reportedly announce the third-generation iPhone SE, a refresh of the 2020 iPad Air and a new Mac computer that will feature an Apple Silicon chip.

Continue reading.

When Apple refreshed its MacBook Pro line last fall, it left the entry-level model alone. Since then, there have been rumors the company has been working on a new version of the computer that will feature its forthcoming M2 chip. Thanks to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, we now have a better idea of what to expect from the company.

In the latest edition of his Power On newsletter, Gurman says he expects the entry-level model will follow its siblings in dropping the much-maligned Touch Bar. He notes the computer is unlikely to include the ProMotion display technology found on the 2021 MacBook Pro, meaning it won’t support a variable refresh rate up to 120Hz for smoother scrolling. Mini-LED backlighting is apparently off the table as well, so don’t expect the base model’s display to get as bright as the screens on its counterparts. Internal storage is another area where you may have to compromise if you decide to buy the new model.

According to Gurman, Apple plans to release at least four M2-powered Macs in 2022. Outside of the aforementioned MacBook Pro, the company is reportedly preparing to refresh the MacBook Air, 24-inch iMac and entry-level Mac Mini to include the latest version of its in-house silicon. There are also reports the company is working on a 27-inch iMac Pro that will feature its M1 Pro and Max chips.

Gurman didn’t say when Apple fans should expect the company to release the new MacBook Pro model. We likely won’t see the computer at the company's next hardware event. In a separate report he published earlier this week, Gurman said Apple plans to host an event sometime on or around March 8th. The company will reportedly announce a new iPhone SE and iPad Air then.

How to deal with rocket boosters and other giant space garbage

Ramin Skibba, Wired

Since a second-stage booster from one of SpaceX's Falcon 9s could crash into the moon, now is a good time to examine how we can deal with all the huge pieces of "free-flying space junk." 

How Facebook is morphing into Meta

Sheera Frenkel, Mike Isaac and Ryan Mac; The New York Times

Facebook's transition includes urging current employees to apply for new jobs focused on augmented and virtual reality hardware and software. But is the company pivoting without addressing its current problems like extremism and misinformation?

Meet the NSA spies shaping the future

Patrick Howell O'Neill, MIT Technology Review

An interview with Gil Herrera, head of the NSA's Research Directorate. Herrera discusses the future of security and spying, including cybersecurity and quantum computing. 

Apple will host its next hardware event sometime on or around March 8th, according to Bloomberg. At the event, the company will reportedly announce the third-generation iPhone SE, a refresh of the 2020 iPad Air and a new Mac computer that will feature an Apple Silicon chip. The date aligns with the March to April timeframe Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman previously said Apple had set for the SE’s debut but warned potential production delays could force the company to change its plans.

As before, the new phone will reportedly feature a 5G modem, a first for the SE line. It’s also expected to include a faster processor and a better camera. However, it will retain the iPhone 8-era design of the current model. As for the new iPad Air, it too will get a processor refresh and the addition of 5G connectivity. Bloomberg didn’t say much about the new Mac that Apple may announce at the same event, but most recent reports point to the company unveiling a new 27-inch iMac Pro model.

If the idea of a new iPhone SE isn’t too exciting for you, the good news is Bloomberg reports Apple also plans to release iOS 15.4 sometime in the first half of March. Among other enhancements, the update is expected to add a feature that will allow you to unlock your iPhone with Face ID even while wearing a mask.