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The best Lego Black Friday deals on Amazon are still live: Here are our favorite deals on Marvel, Star Wars and Mario sets

For those looking to finish a bit of holiday shopping ahead of time, some of the best Lego sets remain on sale ahead of Cyber Monday. There are a few to choose from, starting with the Iron Man Armory. This 496-piece kit is suitable for children seven years and older. Normally, it costs $90, but right now it’s more than half off at $41. The set comes with five minifigures — including an appropriately smug Tony Stark – and three battle suits. Plus, you get one of Stark’s sports cars, though it’s not an Audi R8 like the one seen in Endgame.

If your kid is more of a Guardians of the Galaxy fan, the Spectacular Spaceship is also on sale. After a 40 percent discount, this $100 set is down to $60. Being slightly more complex and made up of 1108 pieces, the New Guardians’ Ship is suitable for children aged 10 and older. It comes with five minifigures from the latest movie: Mantis, Drax, Star-Lord, Nebula and Adam Warlock. The cockpit of the ship is large enough to seat three of the characters. If you download the Lego Builder app, you can access additional instructions on how to put the set together.

For the Star Wars fan in your family, consider the Millennium Falcon Rise of Skywalker set. Thanks to a 20 percent discount, it will set you back $136, instead of $170 like normal. This impressive set is made up of 1,351 pieces and comes with six minifigures representing R2D2, CP3O, Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian, Finn and Boolio. It’s also not just a display piece, with the Falcon’s turrets able to rotate. You can even lift up the top of the starship to see inside.

Last but not least, there’s the Super Mario Adventures Starter Course. At the moment, it’s 20 percent off, making it $48 instead of $60. This set is suitable for kids as young as six years old, so it’s a great option for younger children. Compared to the Lego Marvel sets, what makes the Mario ones so great is that they encourage kids to be creative by thinking up their own course designs instead of simply follow an instruction manual.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-lego-black-friday-deals-on-amazon-are-still-live-here-are-our-favorite-deals-on-marvel-star-wars-and-mario-sets-184535080.html?src=rss

The best Black Friday TV deals still available: Get up to $750 off OLED sets from LG and Samsung

If you live in the US, Black Friday rivals only the weeks leading up to the Super Bowl when it comes to TV deals. If you've been thinking about upgrading from an aging set, or you have a new space that you want to fill with a massive 75-inch screen, you're in luck. Black Friday TV deals are still in full swing — we’ve rounded up the best Black Friday TV deals we could find from Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and others on all sizes of TVs. Though we don’t formally review TVs at Engadget, we’ve thoroughly researched user reviews and testing from other sites we trust to ensure our list only includes TVs you’ll be happy to own years down the road. Plus, we've included the best deals we could find for soundbars, streaming devices and other TV accessories below as well.

Samsung The Frame LED TV (LS03B) (55-inch)

The 55-inch version of Samsung’s The Frame TV is down to $978 at Amazon and B&H, which is nearly $400 off its average street price in recent months. It’s available for a couple bucks more at Samsung and Best Buy. If you want something smaller, the 50-inch model is a good buy at $898, too. This LED TV lacks contrast-boosting features like local dimming and mini-LED backlights, so its picture quality, while good, can’t match the best sets in its price range. Instead, you’d buy a Frame TV for its style. The whole thing is designed to look like a mountable piece of wall art, and when you aren’t watching something, you can use it to display artwork and photos. The TV comes with a few pieces by default, while others are available with an optional subscription.

Samsung S90C OLED TV (55-inch)

A 55-inch model of Samsung’s S90C OLED TV is available for $1,298 at Amazon, Walmart and B&H. Samsung itself has it for $2 more. This has been the S90C’s price for the last several weeks but, outside of a brief drop to $1,098 at B&H earlier this month, it matches the lowest rate we’ve tracked. The S90C has received near-universal praise for its QD-OLED panel, which uses a layer of quantum dots to boost its peak brightness and color saturation while retaining the high contrast and deep black tones of a typical OLED display. Put another way, it looks great, and it should hold up better than most OLED TVs in a bright room. It’s also an ideal gaming TV, as it has four HDMI 2.1 ports that support up to a 144Hz refresh rate in 4K (on PCs). The main downside is that, like all Samsung TVs, it doesn’t support the popular Dolby Vision HDR format.

LG C3 OLED TV (42-inch)

The LG C3 OLED TV is down to $897 for a 42-inch model at Amazon and B&H, which matches its all-time low. The C3 lacks the quantum-dot tech of the Samsung S90C, so it can’t get quite as bright or colorful. But it still offers most of the expected perks of a good OLED panel, including high contrast, wide viewing angles and smooth motion. It supports Dolby Vision HDR as well, plus it’s available in smaller sizes than the S90C — hence why we’re highlighting the 42-inch model here. Larger versions are also discounted, but they’re priced close enough to the S90C that most people should opt for the Samsung TV instead. If you want a premium TV for a smaller space — and can keep the set away from glare — this model should fit the bill.

LG A2 OLED TV (48-inch)

The 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV, meanwhile, is on sale for $550 at Best Buy. We’ve seen numerous deals for this set over the course of the year, but this one matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. The A2 is an entry-level model from 2022, so it's limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, lacks HDMI 2.1 ports and doesn't support other gaming-friendly features like VRR. It has noticeably lower peak brightness than higher-end OLEDs like the C3, too, so it won’t pop as much with HDR content. That said, it's still an OLED TV, so it still delivers deep contrast, bold colors, wide viewing angles and low input lag for the money. At this price, it should be a nice step-up option for smaller or secondary rooms.

Hisense U8K LED TV (55-inch)

The 55-inch Hisense U8K is available for $698, which is an all-time low and $50 less than its typical street price in recent months. Best Buy has it for $2 more. The 65-inch model is also at an all-time low of $897. Several reviews have praised the U8K as one of the year’s best values among midrange TVs, one that gets impressively bright and delivers strong contrast for an LED display. It comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports that play 4K video up to 144Hz, it supports all the major HDR formats and its Google TV platform is easier to use than most smart TV UIs. Its motion and color performance will still trail a good OLED TV, though, and reviews say it’ll wash out much more heavily when viewed from an angle. But if you want to stay under $1,000, it should be a good value.

TCL QM8 LED TV (65-inch)

The TCL QM8 is generally regarded as a close rival to the Hisense U8K in the same price bracket. Its 65-inch model is now down to $898 at Amazon and Walmart, which is the lowest price we’ve tracked. Like Hisense’s set, the QM8 uses quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and an expansive local dimming feature to deliver strong contrast for a non-OLED TV and enough brightness to overcome glare in any room. It, too, runs Google TV, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K/144Hz video.

The QM8 isn’t available in a size lower than 65 inches, so those who don’t have the space for a larger TV should get the U8K. But TCL’s TV does have one advantage for gamers: Its eARC port is separate from its HDMI 2.1 ports. That means those with a PS5, Xbox Series X and eARC-enabled soundbar can have all three hooked up at once and enjoy 4K/120Hz gaming on the two consoles without having to change inputs. One of the U8K’s HDMI 2.1 ports, on the other hand, doubles as the eARC port, so it might cause a little extra hassle. Otherwise, the two sets appear to offer similar performance.

Hisense U6K LED TV (55-inch)

The Hisense U6K is down to $350 for a 55-inch model and $498 for a 65-inch model, both of which represent all-time lows. The U6K is a well-reviewed option for those on a tighter budget, as it’s one of the few affordable sets to use quantum dots, mini-LED backlights and full-array local dimming. All of that helps it deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in this price range. It can’t get as bright as the U8K or TCL QM8, so it won’t exactly sparkle with HDR content, and its picture will degrade when viewed at an angle. Its 60Hz refresh rate and lack of HDMI 2.1 ports mean it’s not ideal for gaming, either. But trade-offs are to be expected for less than $500; if you don’t want to pay up for a higher-end model, this looks to be a solid compromise.

We’ll also note the Hisense U7K, which is down to lows of $480 for a 55-inch set and $700 for a 65-inch one. As its name suggests, this TV sits between the U8K and U6K in Hisense’s lineup: It doesn’t look as rich or bright as the former, but it’s a step up over the latter if you can afford to stretch your budget a little more.

TCL Q6 LED TV (65-inch)

The 65-inch TCL Q6 is available for $500 at Amazon, Walmart and Best Buy, which is $20 more than its all-time low but still $50 below its usual street price. The 75-inch set is down to a new low of $650, however. The Q6 is another budget-level TV released in 2023. Most reviews we trust say it lags well behind the Hisense U6K when it comes to contrast and HDR performance, but it’s worth highlighting because it supports a faster 120Hz refresh rate — so long as you play at a 1080p or 1440p resolution instead of 4K. If you’re a competitive-minded gamer who doesn’t want to spend a ton on a new TV, that extra smoothness might be worthwhile. Note that this set runs Amazon’s Fire TV platform, which’ll work best if you often use Amazon services like Prime Video.

Sony A95L OLED TV (55-inch)

If money is absolutely no object, the 55-inch Sony A95L is $300 off and down to a new “low” of $2,498 at Amazon and B&H. That’s far from cheap, but this ultra-premium QD-OLED TV has received wide praise for delivering perfect black levels, superb image processing, particularly punchy colors, and high brightness levels relative to other OLED sets. It’s another Google TV and, unlike the Samsung S90C, it supports Dolby Vision HDR. It can even play games at 4K/120Hz with Dolby Vision, and several reviews praise the quality of its built-in speakers. The main negative, apart from its eye-watering price, is that it only has two HDMI 2.1 ports. The S90C should be a better value for most, particularly gamers, but this deal makes the A95L at least a little cheaper than usual.

TCL S4 (50-inch)

The 50-inch TCL S4 is down to $230 at Amazon when you clip an $18 on-page coupon. That’s the lowest price we’ve seen and about $30 off this model’s usual street price. The 55-inch variant is also on sale for $260 at Best Buy. The S4 is a low-end 4K TV, so it doesn’t get super bright and isn’t ideal for gaming or watching HDR content. If you can step up to the Hisense U6K, you should. But we understand that, sometimes, you just need a cheap TV that does the job outside of the living room. The S4 should be serviceable for that, especially if you keep it in a room that isn’t heavily affected by glare. This model runs on the same Google TV interface as a few of our picks above, but versions that use Amazon's Fire TV OS are also discounted.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is down to $30 at Target, Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Roku’s online store and others. That’s $5 more than its all-time low but still $14 off the average street price we’ve seen in recent months. The Streaming Stick 4K is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices: It runs quickly, it works with all the major streaming services and HDR formats, and it has useful features like AirPlay support and a private listening mode. The Roku UI isn’t the sexiest piece of software design, but it’s a breeze to navigate and its search tool does well to find shows across disparate apps.

Roku Express 4K+

A couple other Roku streamers of note are also on sale. The Roku Express 4K+, for one, is within a dollar of its all-time low at $25. That dongle can’t plug directly into an HDMI port, lacks Dolby Vision support and has slightly slower Wi-Fi than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it offers the same general experience otherwise.

Roku Ultra

The Roku Ultra, meanwhile, is about $30 off at $69. This is the “best set-top box” pick in our media streamer guide. It’s pricier than the Streaming Stick 4K, but it adds an Ethernet jack and a microSD slot for expanded storage. It also comes with Roku’s Voice Remote Pro, which has a rechargeable battery, two programmable shortcut buttons, a remote finder function and a built-in headphone jack for private listening. You can buy the Voice Remote Pro separately and use it with most other Roku streamers, though.

Google Chromecast with Google TV

The Google Chromecast is on sale for $38 at Amazon, Walmart and Target. This is a deal we've seen several times before and doesn’t represent an all-time low, but it's still $12 off Google's list price. The Chromecast is the runner up in our guide to the best streaming devices: It was released way back in 2020 and doesn't support Wi-Fi 6, but it still performs competently and supports the major streaming apps. Its biggest selling point is its Google TV interface, which does well to proactively suggest shows you might like based on your viewing history and has a genuinely convenient voice search function. If the idea of a streamer that adjusts to your viewing habits sounds appealing to you, it might be worth grabbing over one of the Roku players above. If you're shopping for an older TV, the 1080p version of the Chromecast offers just about all of the same benefits and is on sale for $20.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazon's latest Fire TV Stick 4K and Fire TV Stick 4K Max have received their largest discounts since arriving in September. The former is 50 percent off at $25, while the latter is 33 percent off at $40. Between the two, the Max has a slightly faster processor clocked at 2.0GHz (instead of 1.7GHz), 16GB of internal storage (instead of 8GB) and support for Wi-Fi 6E (instead of just Wi-Fi 6). It also includes Amazon's "Ambient Experience" mode, which displays artwork and widgets when the streamer is idle. That said, both dongles should be quick to load content. Both support the requisite streaming apps, Dolby Atmos and all the major HDR formats as well.

On the higher end of the Fire TV lineup, the Fire TV Cube is also on sale for $110. That ties the all-time low for the streaming box/Alexa speaker hybrid. The main downside with Fire TV devices is the same as it’s been for years: The UI is saddled with ads and not at all shy about nudging you toward Amazon services like Prime Video and Freevee. For most, a Roku or Chromecast should be a bit less obnoxious. But if you often use Amazon apps (or Alexa) and just want a competent 4K streamer for cheap, this may be less of an issue.

Apple TV 4K

Deals for the Apple TV 4K have been extremely uncommon over the past year and, sadly, we aren’t seeing any new cash discounts on Black Friday. However, if you’re willing to pay the full $129 list price at Apple’s online store (or $149 for a 128GB model), you can get a $25 Apple Gift Card for no extra cost. That’s not much of a deal, but if you’ve had your eye on the set-top box and already planned on paying for Apple Music, iCloud or any other Apple service, it’s better than nothing.

We call the Apple TV 4K the “best premium” pick in our media streamer guide. It’s much pricier than a Roku or Chromecast, but it’s consistently fast, its Siri-based remote works well and it supports Dolby Atmos and Dolby Vision. It also integrates tightly with other Apple devices and services; you can quick-pair a set of AirPods, for instance, and beam content directly to the box via AirPlay. Apple’s tvOS interface is slick and easy to read too, though it tends to advertise Apple TV+ shows over those from other services.

NVIDIA Shield TV Pro

The NVIDIA Shield TV Pro is back down to $170 for Black Friday at Amazon and Best Buy, a $30 discount that ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. This is the “best for gamers” pick in our streaming devices guide. It’s a fairly niche option these days: It was released way back in 2019, it’s still not cheap and it uses the older Android TV platform instead of the generally more polished Google TV. But its still-speedy Tegra X1+ chip works well for game streaming and playing Android titles, and it may make sense you’re looking to run a Plex media server or emulate older games. The set-top box is loaded with ports, and its upscaling tech can make 1080p content look crisper on 4K TVs. For enthusiast types, this is a decent chance to save.

Sonos soundbar sale

Sonos is running a Black Friday sale that includes a range of discounts on soundbars and home theater gear. The deals include the flagship Sonos Arc soundbar for $719, which is a $180 discount. The mid-range Sonos Beam (Gen 2) and the more basic Sonos Ray are also on sale for $399 and $223, respectively; that's a $100 drop for the former and a $56 drop for the latter. All three devices are recommendations in our guide to the best soundbars. Elsewhere, the Sonos Sub (Gen 3) subwoofer is $160 off at $639, while the more compact Sonos Sub Mini is $86 off at $343.

We gave the Arc, Beam and Ray review scores of 85, 88 and 82, respectively. The Arc and Beam both technically support Dolby Atmos, but the former’s larger frame and upward-firing drivers help it sound more spacious. The Ray is a smaller and more basic model that doesn’t sound as dynamic, but it still performs well for its size and price. Each device gets you the core perks of a Sonos speaker: easy pairing with other Sonos devices, a simple setup process, a straightforward app with access to a variety of streaming services, AirPlay support, a stylish design and so on. Discounts on Sonos devices are fairly rare, though it’s worth noting that a recent Bloomberg report said the company is working on an updated Arc and other home theater equipment for sometime next year.

Roku Streambar

The Roku Streambar is back down to $100 at B&H, Target, Best Buy and other retailers. That isn't an all-time low, but the deal takes about $15 off the device’s average street price as of late. This is a 14-inch soundbar that also works as a 4K Roku streamer. It doesn’t sound particularly rich or expansive, but it’s an upgrade over most built-in TV speakers. It also supports Apple AirPlay, though it doesn’t work with Dolby Vision or HDR10+. Still, if you’re looking to add streaming support and improved audio quality to an older TV, the Streambar is worth considering. We gave it a score of 86 in our review back in 2020.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-tv-deals-still-available-get-up-to-750-off-oled-sets-from-lg-and-samsung-181020692.html?src=rss

The Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro is still on sale for Black Friday, with discounts up to $120 off

If you’re fed up with spotty Wi-Fi connection in some parts of your home, now’s a great time to pick up a pack of Google Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E mesh routers while they’re steeply discounted on Amazon for Black Friday. You can get a three-pack for just $280 — a record low, shaving $120 off the usual price of $400 for the bundle. Amazon is also running a deal on two-packs of the Nest Wi-Fi Pro, bringing the price down to just $200. Mesh Wi-Fi networks create multiple points of connectivity so the signal can be distributed more reliably all throughout the home.

Google’s Nest Wi-Fi Pro 6E is made for the latest generation of Wi-Fi, and touts faster internet speeds, shorter loading times and consistent connection. Each device provides coverage for areas up to 2,200 square feet, so a three-pack can cover up to 6,600 square feet together. The Nest Wi-Fi Pro is one of the best Wi-Fi routers available, especially for anyone looking for easy setup. It’s controlled through the Google Home app, where you’ll be able to see every device that’s connected to it.

The Nest Pro 6E offers tri-band connectivity, supporting the 2.4 GHz, 5 GHz and 6 GHz bands. You’ll be able to make the most out of newer devices that support the latest Wi-Fi standard, freeing up some of the congestion on the other bands, which will support your older devices. However, Google Nest Pro 6E isn’t compatible with older Google Nest Wi-Fi devices, so if you’re intending on using it to upgrade an existing system, be prepared for a full overhaul.

The device itself is sleek and unobtrusive, coming in a white color dubbed Snow for the deal on the two- and three-packs. But, it doesn’t have a built-in speaker, unlike other Nest Wi-Fi models. In our review, we found it achieved stable connection throughout the home, even managing decent connection in areas previously considered to be dead zones. We gave it a review score of 87. There aren’t many frills, but if what you’re after is a straightforward mesh Wi-Fi network that you can rely on not to crap out on you for streaming, internet browsing and video calls, the Google Nest Pro 6E is a great option.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-google-nest-wi-fi-pro-is-still-on-sale-for-black-friday-with-discounts-up-to-120-off-174506958.html?src=rss

Blink cameras are still on sale for Black Friday for up to 60 percent off

Black Friday might have come and gone, but if you’re looking to protect your home, Blink security cameras remain on sale, with some of the company’s products as much as 60 percent off ahead of Cyber Monday. The highlight of this weekend’s promotion is the Blink Mini, which is discounted to a modest $20. Although that price doesn’t represent a new all-time low for Blink’s diminutive security camera, it’s still a good deal at 43 percent off its $35 MSRP and only about $3 more expensive than Engadget has seen it fall to during some past sales.

The Blink Mini is best suited for monitoring areas inside your home. It offers 1080p video capture and two-way audio, allowing you to communicate with other people and pets using the Blink mobile app. The camera can also send real-time alerts to your phone whenever it detects motion. Like other Blink devices, the Mini comes with a free 30-day trial to Blink’s subscription plan. The service allows users to save clips to the cloud and stream up to 90 minutes of live footage in one sitting. Also included in the box are a mounting kit, USB cable and power adapter.

Another deal worth considering is the Blink Outdoor system with solar panel charging mounts. This package bundles together three third-generation Blink Outdoor cameras. Normally the entire kit costs about $425, but after a 60 percent discount, it’s down to $169.96. The included solar panel charging mounts greatly simplify installation since you don’t need to worry about wiring or batteries like with some other outdoor camera systems. Additionally, the third-generation model is water-resistant and rated to work in environments as cold as -4 degrees fahrenheit. The built-in 1080p camera features a 110-degree field of view. Although Amazon offers a newer outdoor model, the three-pack kit is still a compelling package, particularly when it’s nearly $255 off.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blink-cameras-are-still-on-sale-for-black-friday-for-up-to-60-percent-off-164255049.html?src=rss

Dyson Black Friday deals are still here: Get up to $200 off cordless vacuums

Dyson is taking $200 off the V15 Detect Absolute stick vacuum. The device won’t only clean your floors; it will show you how much dirt it’s sucking up, thanks to a built-in laser light and dust particle counter. The Black Friday vacuum deal brings the powerful stick vac’s price down to $550 from its standard $750.

Engadget tried the V15 Detect Absolute when it launched in 2021 and found it an elite cleaning machine for those willing to pay a premium. “It feels weird to consider a high-end vacuum as a luxury, or even a treat,” Mat Smith wrote. “But honestly, that’s how it felt when I was using it: reliable, powerful, and habit-forming.” He described the vacuum as a “total beast at extracting ingrained dust and dirt in carpets and rugs.”

In addition to its dirt-sucking prowess, the V15 Detect Absolute stands out with its laser-powered optic cleaner head. It illuminates dust particles you wouldn’t usually see, helping you better understand how dirty your floor is before tackling it. It also includes a piezo sensor, which sizes and counts dust particles, displaying them on the handle’s LCD. In addition to particle count, the screen shows your remaining runtime and maintenance alerts.

The stick vac has sensors that monitor brush bar resistance 360 times a second, adapting the device’s power usage across different floor types. It has an estimated hour of battery life and includes Auto, Eco and Boost cleaning modes to pace its energy use. Like all Dyson stick vacuums, you can convert it to a stubby handheld for getting those hard-to-reach spots.

If you’re looking for a cheaper model without the V15’s bells and whistles, Dyson also has a discount on the V8 Absolute. On sale for $280 compared to its usual price of $520, this vacuum has a less powerful motor than the V15 but is still plenty capable. It’s also lighter in hand and on the wallet. The stick vac ships with two cleaner heads (one specializing in carpets and another in hard floors) and lasts up to 40 minutes.

In talking Dyson Black Friday deals, we'd be remiss if we didn't call out the Dyson Airwrap, the company's coveted hair styling tool. It's on sale for $480 right now, which is $120 off and the best price we've seen it. Using the Coanda effect, the Airwrap employs constantly moving air to style hair in a less-damaging way than other tools that rely on extreme heat. This set comes with quite a few accessories, too, including two different barrels, a smoothing brush, a round brush, a protective case and more.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/dyson-black-friday-deals-are-still-here-get-up-to-200-off-cordless-vacuums-162519055.html?src=rss

The Meta Quest 2 VR headset is still on sale in an Amazon Black Friday deal

Good things come to those who wait, and if you decided to hold off on buying the Meta Quest 2 when it was discounted by $50 as part of Amazon’s early Black Friday sale, your patience is about to be rewarded. Now that Black Friday has come and gone, not only is the headset still on sale for $249, but Amazon is also throwing in a $50 credit toward future purchases. To claim the credit, tap the “Redeem” button below the product price. Once you go to pay for the Quest 2, a message will appear explaining that the coupon will arrive in your email inbox within 24 hours of Amazon shipping the headset to you.

Although the Quest 2 is a few years old now, it’s still one of the best VR headsets on the market, and for good reason. Although its successor, the Quest 3, arrived earlier this fall, the new model starts at $500. In fact, most other VR solutions cost about that much. What’s more, the Quest 2 remains capable, thanks to its 6GB of RAM and Snapdragon XR2 processor. And although it could offer a wider field of view, the Quest 2 still features a decent display, with the headset’s two LCD screens producing a resolution of 1,832 x 1,920 per eye and refreshing at a smooth 90Hz. Best of all, the Quest 2 is one of the comfortable VR headsets on account of it being completely cordless.

As for games and experiences, the Quest Store has one of the strongest libraries in the business, and it’s even possible to connect the Quest 2 to a PC to play medium-defining titles like Half-Life: Alyx. Add the headset's excellent motion controls, and at $249, the Quest 2 is the best value in VR. An extra $50 gift only sweetens the deal.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-meta-quest-2-vr-headset-is-still-on-sale-in-an-amazon-black-friday-deal-154752345.html?src=rss

Anker Black Friday deals 2023: Portable charges, cables and surge protectors are still on sale for up to 60 percent off

The holiday shopping period is a great time to stock up on things you might need for yourself in addition to gifts for other people. Charging cables, adapters and other handy accessories are good items grab while they're on sale, and Anker's got a lot of deals for you to choose from for this Black Friday shopping season. A ton of charging gear has been heavily discounted, including this USB-C to HDMI Adapter, which is a whopping 60 percent off. Anker Black Friday deals cover portable chargers, cords, wall plugs, surge protectors and basically every item needed to keep your devices functioning. Here are the best Black Friday deals on Anker devices that you can still get today.

Anker Magnetic Power Bank

Anker's 20W Magnetic Power Bank provides up to 22 hours of extra battery life for the iPhone 12, 13, 14 and 15. It's compatible with MagSafe and has a 10N magnetic force, stronger than the initial MagSafe charger. Its grip makes it super easy to use your iPhone as usual while still giving it a boost. Get the magnetic power bank in Black, White, Purple or Pink — all for the same price.

Anker Prime 100W USB-C Charger

This 100W Anker Prime USB-C Charger is great to have near your desk or bedside table when you want to juice up multiple devices. It comes with one USB-A port and two USB-C ports, with 100W of power evenly distributed when you use two of them (though using all three will still produce a fast charge). It's compatible with every iPhone since the iPhone 12, along with recent MacBooks, Galaxy Tabs, the HP Chromebook 14 and more. 

Anker 563 10-in-1 USB-C Hub

MacBooks are great, but their lack of an HDMI port can sometimes be frustrating. Anker's 563 10-in-1 USB-C Hub solves that problem (and with a 4K display) while giving you plenty of extra ports along with it. The device has two HDMI ports, a USB-C port to connect your laptop, a USB-C data port, two USB-A data ports, an Ethernet port, a 100W max PD-IN port, an SD card slot and a microSD card slot.  

Anker iPhone Fast Charging Cable 2-pack

One charging cable is enough in theory, but it always leads to instant regret the moment you realize it's still at work or even all the way downstairs. Anker's iPhone Fast Charging Cable 2-pack is nearly half off, making it an easy decision to spring for the extra. The 10-foot-long braided cables can charge an iPhone 14 Pro to 50 percent in 30 minutes (if you have a compatible plug, of course). Either way, their length and overall high-speed charges make them a good option to pick up.

Anker Prime Power Bank 200W

Anker's 200W Prime Power Bank is the one to buy if you want super fast charging in a compact device. It comes with one USB-A 200W port and two USB-C 100W ports. The included 100W charging base brings the power bank back up to full charge in just an hour and 15 minutes. 

Surge Protector Power Strip

The last thing you want for your nice gaming desktop or console (besides getting very wet) is for it to face a power surge. For $22, Anker's 12-outlet Surge Protector Power Strip gives you peace of mind that all your devices and game progress are protected. 

Anker SOLIX F1200 Portable Power Station

Are you already dreaming about warmer weather and beautiful camping excursions? If you need a new portable power station for that adventure, now is the time to get it. Anker's SOLIX F1200 Portable Power Station is half off, bringing it from $1,400 to $700. It's still quite a chunk of change, but it's a steal in comparison. It can recharge to 80 percent in just one hour, checks its temperature up to 100 times every second and has a five-year warranty. Plus, it comes with car, AC and solar charging cables. 

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-black-friday-deals-2023-portable-charges-cables-and-surge-protectors-are-still-on-sale-for-up-to-60-percent-off-151931824.html?src=rss

iRobot's Roomba Combo j7+ is $305 off for Black Friday

Sometimes Black Friday is about picking up a fun new gadget and other times it's about getting a really good deal on that practical item you need. The majorly discounted iRobot's Roomba Combo j7+ falls deeply into that latter category, but the $305 savings is enough to get anyone excited. You can access the deal at Wellbots with Engadget's exclusive coupon ENGBF305 — and get free shipping. 

The iRobot Roomba Combo j7+ is a 2-in-1 vacuum and mop for cleaning all types of floors. It can do both tasks in the same go (without you needing to interfere) due to its retractable mop pad. The Roomba reportedly has a 96.4 percent debris removal rate, using iRobot's Edge-Sweeping Brush, Dual Multi-Surface Rubber Brushes and Power-Lifting Suction. The combo device also includes advances obstacle avoidance, home mapping and self emptying. Plus, you can control it through an app or with voice control services like Alexa or Google. 

We found the Roomba Combo j7+ took a little adjusting to during our test, but grew to appreciate features like its awareness of high-traffic zones. In fact, we recently named it the best robot vacuum and mop 2-in-1 on the market — with the standard j7+ as the runner up for best standard midrange. 

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/irobots-roomba-combo-j7-is-305-off-for-black-friday-150050432.html?src=rss

Steam Deck LCD review (2023): Still one of the best handheld PCs

I legitimately feel bad for anyone who bought a Steam Deck right before Valve’s surprise reveal of the new and improved OLED model. The announcement came out of nowhere and the Steam Deck OLED is a better version of the LCD original, at roughly the same price point. So, I understand why the r/SteamDeck forum was immediately flooded with new owners lamenting their life choices. To these people, and to anyone with the debut hardware, I want to make it perfectly clear: The Steam Deck LCD is one of the best handheld PCs on the market.

Valve still thinks it’s pretty good, too. The company is continuing to sell the 256GB LCD version of the Steam Deck at a reduced price of $399, with two OLED models above it. This is the review for people eyeing Valve’s entry-level handheld, and for any original Steam Deck owners who could use a little reassurance these days. (It’s OK, buddy.)

My review of the Steam Deck in February 2022 started with a delirious metaphor: “The Steam Deck is what happens when the Vita and the Wii U get drunk on Linux and make a big baby together.” Nearly two years later, I stand by this sentiment completely. The Steam Deck is portable and it supports multiple input methods, much like the Vita, but it’s so bulky that it never leaves my house, just like ye olde Wii U. It also natively runs Steam, which is a massive boon for players who value ease-of-use.

The 256GB Steam Deck is powerful enough to run most Steam games, even AAA titles like Elden Ring, Armored Core VI and Cyberpunk 2077. It has a custom 7nm AMD APU, 16GB of fast RAM, a 40Whr battery, and a 7-inch, 800p LCD with a max refresh rate of 60Hz. The handheld offers a peak brightness of 400 nits, which is about the same as the Switch OLED.

The Steam Deck LCD performs like a champ. Visually striking games like The Cosmic Wheel Sisterhood, Dave the Diver and Rollerdrome look and play beautifully on the display. It has its limitations: blacks aren’t quite as black as they could be, and dark backgrounds stand out from the bezels with a gray tinge. The Steam Deck LCD’s constrained color gamut is perceptible, but it isn’t tragic, and it's not even a consideration in the heat of a good game.

Alongside standard dual-analog inputs, the 256GB Steam Deck has a touchscreen, two haptic pads on either side of the display and four back-panel buttons that have a nice, bassy click. I tend to play indie games, generally ranging in size from 200MB to 80GB, and I currently have 22 titles installed on my Deck, with 9GB of room to breathe. Storage space hasn’t been a major issue.

Heat, on the other hand, has been an issue. The Steam Deck LCD generates enough heat to make my palms clammy after about 30 minutes, and it feels like a lot of warmth collects in the grips. The whole thing gets slightly toasty while running games, but it’s never become unbearably hot or overheated on me. The fan persistently blows warm air from the top of the machine, but not in an obnoxious way.

Battery life on the Steam Deck LCD isn’t stellar, but this also isn’t a huge issue for a device that stays in my home. Valve says the Steam Deck LCD can last up to eight hours on a single charge but, in practice, the longest run I’ve achieved is four and a half hours. Lowering brightness and refresh rate can of course help, but honestly, I’ve never had a battery emergency with the Steam Deck LCD — it’s always at home, close to a charging cable, safe and warm (probably thanks to the thermals).

The Steam Deck LCD (on the right) can't match the vibrancy or brightness of the OLED model.
Engadget

I’ve used various adjectives to describe the Steam Deck, including monstrous, massive, hefty, beefy and beastly. All of these words remain accurate, and I may even introduce some new ones today. The Steam Deck LCD is 11.7 inches long, 4.6 inches tall, 1.9 inches thick, and it weighs 1.5 pounds. For comparison, the Switch Lite and Vita each weigh about half a pound, and the Wii U gamepad weighs slightly more than 1 pound. My hands are smaller than average (but I’m not, like, toddler-sized), and the Steam Deck looks and feels freakish when I hold it. My palms get crampy after just 10 minutes of play, and even mid-game I find myself regularly searching for more comfortable ways to hold it. This is also true for the OLED model, which uses the same chassis and is essentially the same weight.

To counteract the Steam Deck’s heft, I’ve developed a strange habit. I have an assortment of stuffed animals (I like claw machines, sue me), and a few of them are perfect props for the Steam Deck, allowing me to rest the device on my lap without straining my neck. The stuffed roast chicken is particularly useful in this regard, and it’s rarely far from the Steam Deck.

There’s another, non-stuffed solution for Steam Deck neck and sweaty, crampy palms — the Docking Station. Put simply, it’s brilliant and I love it. With the Docking Station and recent software updates, Valve is leaning into the at-home nature of the Steam Deck, allowing players to connect the device to external displays, like gaming monitors and TVs. On external screens, the Steam Deck LCD supports HDR and VRR, even though the device’s display can’t sustain these features. I’ve mainly used the Docking Station in the living room, turning my Deck into a revamped Steam Machine, and every game I’ve booted up looks lovely on the larger screen. In docked mode, there’s no difference between the OLED and LCD Steam Decks — they have the same performance targets and they can both handle external HDR and VRR.

Bluetooth is hit-or-miss on the Steam Deck LCD. In my recent testing, I was able to easily pair an 8bitdo Ultimate Controller and my old Galaxy Buds Plus with the handheld, but I still haven’t been able to get my new Galaxy Buds2 Pro to connect. This has been an issue with the Steam Deck LCD since day one, so while it’s not surprising any longer, it’s still frustrating at times.

The biggest difference between the Steam Deck at launch and today is Steam itself. There are four labels for games signifying how well they’ll perform on the handheld: Verified, Playable, Unsupported and Unknown. When the device first landed, only about 10 percent of my Steam library was Verified to run on Deck, and it was hard to tell what that meant, anyway. Nowadays, 30 percent of my library is Verified, and 74 percent of it is Verified or Playable. Verified titles work seamlessly on the Steam Deck, and Playable games aren’t far off — they often have small optimization requirements that don’t interrupt the actual gameplay, like needing to use the on-screen keyboard. According to a quick Steam search, there are currently 11,229 Verified or Playable Steam Deck games. That’s a larger library than any console that’s been released to date.

Some of the recent Deck Verified titles on Steam.
Valve

Today, most mainstream games are Verified or Playable on Steam Deck at launch (RIP Starfield and Star Wars Jedi: Survivor). Generally, if a new game supports gamepad input, it tends to translate well to the handheld. Having a robust, built-in game store is huge for people who just want to pick up a portable PC and start playing, and it’s an edge that the Steam Deck specifically has over the rest of the handheld market.

The handheld PC segment has exploded over the past two years and there’s now a constant stream of new devices rolling out from the likes of Ayaneo, Lenovo, Ayn and ASUS. The Steam Deck has traditionally been cheaper than the others, with the $399 model offering unbeatable value. In the Steam Deck’s initial rollout, Valve offered just 64GB of storage at that price point, making the current deal even sweeter. While competitors are closer than ever on price — and at the high-end, ahead on performance — a handheld like the Steam Deck LCD still typically costs around $600.

Its clearest contender is, of course, the Steam Deck OLED. I’m not trying to undo all the work I’ve done here, but if you have the extra cash, go ahead and grab the OLED version. The Steam Deck OLED comes in two flavors: 512GB for $549 and 1TB for $649. These are fantastic price points, especially considering the new model features a 7.4-inch OLED display with native HDR, faster frame rates, pure blacks and a peak brightness of 1,000 nits. The new model has improved Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, better thermals and weight distribution, a longer battery life, and cute orange accents. The OLED version is the same size as the LCD edition, and it doesn’t offer upgrades in terms of actual processing power, but it is simply better inside and out. Just remember: This does not mean the LCD model is trash.

Compared with the wider handheld sector, the Steam Deck LCD offers a fantastic return on investment. It’s easy to use out of the box, it offers a variety of input methods and it’s cheaper than anything comparable in its category. The main drawbacks are its size and battery life — but if it’s not too big for you, and if you plan to play at home most often, it’s an excellent bit of hardware.

Two years on, and I’m still using my Steam Deck LCD in the same way, as an in-home portable device. My Steam Deck travels from the living room, to the office, to the bedroom, and back again throughout the week, just like it did when I first got my tiny hands on it. The main differences are that, nowadays, its library is much larger and I always have a suitably sized stuffed animal in tow.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/steam-deck-lcd-review-2023-still-one-of-the-best-handheld-pcs-140044516.html?src=rss

Elon Musk's X could lose $75 million in ad revenue following antisemitic content backlash

X, the social network formerly known as Twitter, typically earns the most money in the last months of the year, as brands ramp up their advertising campaigns for the holiday shopping season. According to The New York Times, though, the company's earnings report for this quarter might look different than usual. Based on internal documents The Times has seen, over 100 brands and even other types of advertisers, such as political candidates, have fully paused their ads on the website, while dozens more are considering pulling their campaigns. If advertisers don't come back, X could lose up to $75 million in ad revenue earnings this year. 

The documents reportedly track how X would be affected by brands leaving the website, including the first ones that paused their ads shortly after Elon Musk's controversial tweet, wherein he agreed with an antisemitic conspiracy theory. Shortly after he posted his tweet, media watchdog Media Matters published a report showing ads on the website right next to antisemitic content. In response, X filed a lawsuit against the organization, accusing it of "knowingly and maliciously [manufacturing] side-by-side images depicting advertisers' posts on X Corp.'s social media platform beside Neo-Nazi and white national fringe content."

X said in its complaint that Media Matters deliberately created an environment to show ads from some of the platform's biggest advertisers next to "extreme, fringe content." Linda Yaccarino, the company's CEO, defended X in a post and said that only two users saw Apple's ad next to unpalatable content on the platform. One of them was Media Matters, she added. The organization called X's lawsuit "frivolous" in a statement to Engadget and said it looks forward to winning in court. 

IBM, Apple and Disney were among the brands that quickly pulled their ads from X after the incidents. Lionsgate specifically cited Musk's tweet as its reason for suspending its advertising campaigns, while Ubisoft was one of the first video game companies to withdraw its ads from X. According to The Times' report, Airbnb has halted over $1 million worth of advertising on X, and Netflix has pulled $3 million in ads. X could also lose $4 million in ad revenue due to Microsoft's subsidiaries pausing their campaigns. Uber and Coca-Cola are two other well-known brands that have chosen to put their advertising on X on hold. 

In a statement to the publication, the company said the figures it viewed were either outdated or "represented an internal exercise to evaluate total risk." It also said that the revenue at risk was only around $11 million and that the exact amount keeps fluctuating as some advertisers return or increase their ad spending. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/elon-musks-x-could-lose-75-million-in-ad-revenue-following-antisemitic-content-backlash-075316116.html?src=rss