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The best October Amazon Prime Day SSD deals for 2023

If you needed a new microSD card for your camera or Nintendo Switch, or you wanted to pick up an external drive for someone as a gift, Amazon Prime Day is a great time to do so. Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but Amazon has been using its October sale event to kick off the holiday shopping season since last year. The prices that Prime members can get now on microSD cards, external and internal SSD and more may come back around for everyone in a month's time — but if you want to make sure you're getting a good deal and getting exactly what you want, now's the time to shop. We've combed through the plethora of storage deals available for October Prime Day and highlighted out the best discounts we found below.

Samsung Evo Select microSD

The Samsung Evo Select microSD card is on sale for $10 for October Prime Day. It's not quite as good as our top pick in our microSD card guide, mostly due to its slower sequential write speeds, but it's argubly the best value microSD card you can get right now.

Lexar Professional 1066x microSD

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

Samsung T7 Shield

The Samsung T7 Shield has stayed at a low price of $80 October Prime Day. Samsung makes some of our favorite SSDs available right now, and the T7 Shield is the most durable of the company's offerings. This portable drive has an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance, and it can withstand drops from up to 10 feet high. On top of that, its 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds should be enough for most people's needs.

Crucial X8

Crucial X8 portable drive is on sale for $48 right now. It supports read speeds up to 1,050 MB/s and drop protection from up to 7.5 feet. It also comes with a USB-A adapter for its included USB-C cable, so you can use it with a variety of devices.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

The top pick in our best PS5 SSDs guide, the Corsair MP600 Pro LPX drive has stayed at a low price of $70 for October Prime Day. It checks all the boxes you'd want in a good drive for your console: it's fast, with read speeds of up to 7,100MB/s, it comes with a pre-installed heatsink and it's protected by a five-year warranty. Plus, it's not the most expensive drive to begin with, which makes it a great value — especially when on sale like this.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal drive is on sale for $46 right now. It's been a longtime favorite of ours for its sequential read speeds of 560MB/s and standard 2.5-inch design that should make it easy to swamp in for your desktop's or laptop's used-up drive.

Crucial P5 Plus

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

Samsung 980 Pro

The Samsung 980 Pro SSD has been discounted to $50 for Prime Day. It's a good option for the PS5, but keep in mind that it doesn't come with a heatsink by default — but you can buy a version of it with an included one, or spring for your own. The 980 Pro has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s and reliable thermal controls.

WD Black SN850X

WD Black's SN850X is on sale for $100 right now. It has the right read/write speeds to be a good option for the PS5, plus you can get it (or it's slightly slower counterpart, the SN850) with a heatsink included.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-october-amazon-prime-day-ssd-deals-120907343.html?src=rss

The Oversight Board will take on Meta’s manipulated media policy ahead of 2024 elections

The Oversight Board has shared the details surrounding a case involving an “altered” Facebook video of President Joe Biden, which could have significant implications for Meta’s “manipulated media” policy.

At the center of the case is a video of Biden from last fall, when he joined his granddaughter who was voting in-person for the first time. After voting, Biden placed an “I voted” sticker on her shirt. A Facebook user later shared an edited version of the encounter, making it appear as if he repeatedly touched her chest. The video caption called him a “sick pedophile,” and said those who voted for him were “mentally unwell.”

In a statement, the board also raised the issue of manipulated media and elections. “Although this case involves President Biden, it touches on the much broader issue of how manipulated media might impact elections in every corner of the world,” Thomas Hughes, director of the Oversight Board Administration, said in a statement. “It’s important that we look at what challenges and best practices Meta should adopt when it comes to authenticating video content at scale.”

According to the Oversight Board, a Facebook user reported the video, but Meta ultimately left the clip up saying it didn’t break its rules. As the board notes, the company’s manipulated media policy prohibits misleading video created with artificial intelligence, but doesn’t apply to deceptive edits made with more conventional techniques. “The Board selected this case to assess whether Meta’s policies adequately cover altered videos that could mislead people into believing politicians have taken actions, outside of speech, that they have not,” the Oversight Board said in a statement announcing the case.

The case also underscores the often glacial pace of the Oversight Board and its ability to effect change at Meta. The Biden clip at the center of the case was originally filmed last October, and edited versions have been spreading on social media since at least January (the version in this case was first posted in May). It will likely take several more weeks, if not months, for the board to make a decision on whether the Facebook video should be removed or left up. Meta will then have two months to respond to the board’s policy recommendations, though it could take many more weeks or months for the company to fully implement any suggestions it chooses to adopt. That means any meaningful policy change may fall much closer to the 2024 election than the 2022 midterm election that kickstarted the case in the first place.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-oversight-board-will-take-on-metas-manipulated-media-policy-ahead-of-2024-elections-120046787.html?src=rss

Apple's AirPods Pro with USB-C fall to a new low of $189 for October Prime Day

Apple upgraded the second-generation AirPods Pro in September by giving them a few improvements and by swapping out their charging case's Lightning port with USB-C. The refreshed model only became available for purchase on September 22, but you can now get it for 24 percent off retail. Apple is currently selling the second-generation AirPods Pro with a USB-C MagSafe charging case for $189, which is $60 cheaper than what you'd pay for them if you're buying them at full price. That is, of course, without AppleCare+ — if you want to get the earbuds with Apple's extended warranty, you'd have to pay $23 more. 

In addition to giving the AirPods Pro's charging case a USB-C connector, Apple has also upgraded the model's water resistance and added dust protection for both the earbuds and their casing. With iOS 17, the improved AirPods will be able to "dynamically blend" their active noise cancellation (ANC) and transparency mode capabilities based on your environment. Their Personalized Volume feature uses machine learnings to predict your desired listening level, depending on your activity. Plus, their Conversation Awareness feature can lower the volume when you start speaking, so you don't have to do anything if you do talk to someone. Finally, when the tech giant's Vision Pro mixed reality headset launches next year, you'll be able to enjoy low-latency lossless audio when you pair the earbuds with it. 

If you want a pair that's even more affordable, however, you can get the second-generation Apple AirPods for $89 instead. The model isn't quite as feature-rich as its Pro counterpart, and it doesn't come with silicone tips to create an acoustic seal. But it's still a great option if you use an iPhone or plan to pair it with Apple's other devices. 

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-airpods-pro-with-usb-c-fall-to-a-new-low-of-189-for-october-prime-day-115319976.html?src=rss

Samsung Galaxy S23 phones drop to record-low prices for October Prime Day

Amazon's October Prime Day event (aka Prime Big Deal Days) is upon us, bringing forth discounts aplenty on a wide range of products. Among the deals that may be of interest to you are hefty savings on Samsung's Galaxy S23 devices, which are some of the best smartphones around. In fact, several models have dipped to record-low prices. For one thing, the Galaxy S23 Ultra has dropped to $950 for a version with 256GB of storage. That's $250 off the regular price.

We gave the Galaxy S23 Ultra, Samsung's high-end smartphone, a score of 89 in our review back in February. The excellent display, strong performance, better cameras and long battery life were all major plus points. Having a built-in S Pen is great too. However, Samsung didn't quite innovate enough on the design front this time around, as the phone looks much the same as last year's model. The lack of S Pen upgrades was a disappointment as well. We dinged Samsung for the price too, but given the current sale, that's less of an issue.

Elsewhere, you can save on the Galaxy S23+ with 256GB of storage. That has dropped from $1,000 to $800, so you'll save $200. It's probably worth the upgrade if you've been clinging onto an older model for a few years or you're outside the US, where Samsung has finally started using Snapdragon processors in the Galaxy lineup (switching away from arguably less-efficient Exynos chips). 

This is a solid handset that checks most of the basic boxes in terms of the screen, performance and battery life. It's just more of an iterative update than anything that will blow an S22 user away.

Last but not least, the base S23 has dropped by $150 from $800 to $650. It obviously doesn't have as many bells and whistles as the S23+ or S23 Ultra, but if you're in the market for a newish phone that handles all the basics, this is a decent option.

However, it's worth bearing in mind that Samsung is set to release the Galaxy S23 FE (Fan Edition) later this month. It has a larger display and battery than the standard S23, and it's also cheaper at $600.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-galaxy-s23-phones-drop-to-record-low-prices-for-october-prime-day-114029559.html?src=rss

The best October Amazon Prime Day 2023 TV deals we could find

While Black Friday is generally the best time to grab a good TV for the lowest price possible, Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale — which kicked off today and runs through Wednesday — has brought a few worthwhile discounts for those who want a new set today. We’ve sorted out the best TV deals of the “October Prime Day” event below, which include solid prices on LG OLED TVs, Samsung’s The Frame TV and well-reviewed budget models from Hisense and TCL. If you want to spruce up your TV with a new media streamer, we’ve included a handful of deals on those devices as well.

LG C2

The 55-inch LG C2 is down to $1,097, which is $100 more than the lowest price we’ve seen for the OLED TV but still $100 less than its usual sale price these days. The C2 is a 2022 model, but various reviews suggest that LG’s new C3 TV is only a marginal upgrade. The older set still provides the kind of high contrast, wide viewing angles, rich colors and smooth motion you’d expect from a good OLED panel, plus it has four HDMI 2.1 ports capable of playing 4K video at 120Hz. A QD-OLED set like the Samsung S90C will deliver better brightness and color saturation, but the C2 should satisfy if you keep it out of a brightly-lit room. LG’s OLED TVs also support Dolby Vision HDR, while Samsung TVs do not.

LG B2

The LG B2, meanwhile, is down to $847 for a 55-inch model. That’s a new low and roughly $150 off its average street price in recent months. The B2 is the step-down model from the C2, as it’s not as bright or color-rich with HDR content, it runs on a slower processor and it has two fewer HDMI 2.1 ports. That said, its contrast, colors and motion performance will still be a significant upgrade if you’re upgrading from a more basic LED TV. LG’s new B3 TV promises a cleaner webOS interface, but it’s priced a good way higher as of this writing. If you want an OLED TV for less than $1,000, the B2 should be a better value.

Hisense U8K

The 65-inch Hisense U8K is available for $998, which ties the lowest price we’ve seen and comes in about $100 below its usual going rate. The 55-inch model is available for $200 less. This is one of Hisense’s new TVs for 2023, and various reviews say it’s one of the better values in the mid-priced bracket, with impressive brightness and good contrast for an LED panel. It runs the easy-to-use Google TV interface and comes with two HDMI 2.1 ports that support 4K at 144Hz. It has other gaming-friendly features like VRR and ALLM too, plus it supports all the major HDR formats. It still won’t look as rich or fluid in motion as a good OLED set, and its viewing angles are worse, but the relatively low price should help make up for that.

Hisense U6K

The Hisense U6K is also on sale, with the 55- and 65-inch models down to $400 and $548, respectively. We’ve seen these deals before, but each matches an all-time low. The U6K is another new Hisense TV that’s received generally positive reviews. It’s one of the few budget-level sets with quantum dots, full-array local dimming and a mini-LED backlight, so it should deliver better contrast and color volume than most TVs in its price range. It’s not ideal for gaming though, as it’s limited to a 60Hz refresh rate and lacks HDMI 2.1 ports. In general, it can’t match the brightness or viewing angles of a more expensive set, but it looks to be a good buy if you’re on a tighter budget.

Hisense’s U7K TV is also on sale, with prices ranging at $550 for a 55-inch model to $1,500 for an 85-inch model. As the name suggests, this set’s performance sits between the U6K and U8K, so it should suffice if it aligns more closely with your budget.

Samsung The Frame TV (LS03B)

Samsung’s The Frame TV is down to $998 for a 55-inch set with an included bezel cover. That’s around $350 less than this bundle’s average street price. Several other sizes are discounted, from the 32-inch model for $548 to the 85-inch set for $3,498. The Frame TVs lack local dimming and mini-LED backlighting, so their picture quality, while decent, isn’t as high-end as the price tag might suggest. Instead, as we’ve noted before, you’d buy this QLED TV for the aesthetics. It’s designed to look like a piece of art you can mount against a wall, and when you aren’t watching something, you can use it to display artwork and photos. A few pieces come included, while others are sold with an optional subscription.

TCL Q6

The 55-inch TCL Q6 is available for $370, which is about $130 off its usual street price and matches the lowest price we’ve seen. The 65- and 75-inch models are also on sale for $480 and $680, respectively, though neither of those are all-time lows. This budget-level set lacks the local dimming and mini-LED backlight of the Hisense U6K, and recent reviews suggest that it performs worse as a result. The main reason we list it here is because it supports a 120Hz refresh rate — albeit only in 1080p or 1440p, not 4K. But if you can live with the lower resolution, this is a relatively affordable way to get a more fluid image with game consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X. This model uses Amazon’s Fire TV OS, so you’ll get the most out of it if you use Amazon services like Prime Video with some regularity.

TCL S4

The TCL S4, meanwhile, is down to $250 for a 55-inch set and $380 for a 65-inch set. Those discounts represent an all-time lows. The S4 is an entry-level 4K TV, so it doesn’t offer much in the way of contrast, brightness, gaming features or HDR performance. Most people are better off paying a little bit more for the Hisense U6K. That said, maybe you just want a secondary TV for dirt cheap. In that case, the S4 should at least be serviceable. As with the TCL deal above, this version of the S4 runs on Amazon’s Fire TV interface.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is available for $38, which isn’t an amazing deal — we’ve seen it drop as low as $25 in the past — but still takes about $7 off the device’s usual street price. This is the top pick in our guide to the best media streamers, as it’s quick to load apps, it supports all the major streaming platforms and HDR standards, and it works with Apple AirPlay. Roku’s UI is blander than competing options from Google, Apple and Amazon, but it remains dead simple to navigate, and its search function does well to find shows across different apps. We also like the Roku app’s private-listening feature, which lets you listen to shows through a mobile device. Just note that we may see a better deal on Black Friday.

Roku also sells the $70 Streaming Stick 4K+, which adds an improved voice remote with a rechargeable battery, a lost remote finder, two custom shortcut buttons, and a headphone jack for private listening without the app. That model isn’t on sale as of this writing, however.

Roku Express 4K+

The Roku Express 4K+ provides the same general experience as the Streaming Stick 4K, but it can’t plug directly into your TV’s HDMI port. It also has slightly slower Wi-Fi and lacks support for Dolby Vision HDR. But it’s cheaper, and right now it’s on sale for $29. That’s a few dollars more than its all-time low but roughly $8 below its average street price. If you have a solid internet connection at home and just want to save a few bucks, it could work. For older or secondary TVs, the 1080p Roku Express is also on sale for $22.

Roku Streambar

The Roku Streambar is down to $100, which is a deal we’ve seen several times before but still falls about $15 below the device’s average street price. This is a 14-inch soundbar that doubles as a 4K media streamer. It’s a compact, 2.0-channel model, so it doesn’t sound especially clear or powerful, but it’s still an obvious upgrade over the speakers built into most TVs. If you’re on a tight budget and want to upgrade a smaller TV outside the living room, it’s worth a look. Just note that it doesn’t support Dolby Vision and HDR10+, though it does work with AirPlay 2. We gave the Streambar a review score of 86 back in 2020.

Amazon Fire TV Cube

Another hybrid-style device, the Amazon Fire TV Cube blends a 4K media streamer with a hands-free Alexa speaker. It’s back down to $110, which is $30 off and ties an all-time low. The Cube is Amazon’s most powerful Fire TV streamer, and its HDMI pass-through lets you connect a cable box or game console and integrate it with an Alexa overlay. The device also supports Wi-Fi 6E. Fire OS’ frequent ads and nudging toward Amazon services may be hard to accept on a pricier device, though. The HDMI input is also limited to 60Hz video.

Amazon Fire TV Stick

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick and Fire TV Stick Lite are on sale for $20 and $18, respectively. Neither deal is an all-time low, but both are a few bucks less than their common sale prices. You’d buy one of these dongles if you wanted to add streaming content to an older 1080p TV and frequently use Amazon services like Prime Video. They aren’t especially quick, and neither supports Dolby Vision, but they get the job done. Between the two, the standard Fire TV Stick’s remote includes app shortcuts and TV controls for volume and power, while the Lite’s remote does not. Both provide easy access to Alexa though.

The Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale too — but only the previous-generation model, not one of the refreshed 4K or 4K Max sticks Amazon unveiled in September, so we’d hold off.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-prime-day-tv-deals-october-113237547.html?src=rss

The best deals on AirPods, iPads and other Apple devices for October Prime Day

Amazon’s Prime Day in July brought many current-generation Apple devices down to all-time lows. October’s Prime sale is matching many of those deals, with discounts on iPads, AirPods, MacBooks and Apple Watches. You won’t find new, unlocked iPhones as Amazon doesn’t directly sell those, but if you’re looking for a Apple gadgets as gifts for the holidays — or just as a present to yourself — here are the best October Prime Day deals on Apple products we could find. 

AirPods Pro (2nd gen, USB-C)

Last month, Apple followed the announcement of the new USB-C-capable iPhones with the introduction of AirPods Pro that recharge with the same cable. The USB-C AirPods Pro aren’t a total redesign, so they have the same design and much improved audio as the second-generation buds — though now they're slightly more waterproof. Amazon’s sale brings them down to $189 instead of $249, which is $10 less than they went for in July. Of course for those who prefer the Lightning version, that one is also down to $189 from $249.

iPad Air

The iPad Air is now in its 5th generation and it’s currently down to $500 after a $99 discount off its $599 price tag, thanks to Amazon’s latest Prime sale. In our guide to iPads, we named the 2022 Air the best pick for most people as it gives you the speed and processing power of Apple’s own silicon, in this case the M1 chip, plus a top-notch build quality and design. The 10.9-inch display is sharp and the battery life is admirable, getting about 12 hours in our tests. It earned a review score of 90 from Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham.

iPad (9th gen)

The 9th-generation iPad is still part of Apple’s official tablet lineup and is now down to $249, which is $80 of the $329 MSRP, though Amazon regularly sells it at a discount and dropped down to $250 for July’s Prime day. We named it the best budget pick in our guide to the best iPads as it’s the most affordable way to snag one of Apple's tablets. It might not make sense as a productivity machine, as the accessory support isn’t as vast as it is for newer iPads, but for couch browsing, playing games and watching shows, it’s a great pick.

iPad mini

The iPad mini gives you a bit more on-screen room than your phone does, but is easier to carry around than a full-sized tablet. For Amazon's latest Prime sale, the diminutive slate is down to $400 instead of its usual $489. Engadget’s Valentina Palladino gave the mini an 89 in her review because of its new redesign and solid performance. It also pairs nicely with the second generation Apple Pencil, turning the mini into a portable digital notebook. We also named it the best iPad for one-handed use

Magic Keyboard

One of our favorite iPad accessories is Apple’s own Magic Keyboard. The version that fits newer iPad Airs and the 11-inch iPad Pro is now just $269 which is $31 off its $300 list price. It acts as both a keyboard and cover, wrapping around the tablet and magnetically attaching to the back. In use, it “floats” the screen above the keyboard. As we noted in our iPad Pro review, we noted the Magic Keyboard “provides the best typing experience” for Apple’s tablets. 

Apple Watch Series 9

When the new Apple Watch 9 came out last month, it promptly replaced the Apple Watch Series 8 as our favorite overall smartwatch. Amazon’s sale drops the price on the new wearable from $399 to $390 for the 41mm case. The new processor inside allows for on-board (read, faster) Siri responses and will support a new feature rolling out at the end of this month called Double Tap. We awarded the Series 9 a solid review score of 92, praising the comprehensive health and fitness tracking and carbon-neutral manufacturing.

Apple Watch Ultra 2

Apple released the Apple Watch Ultra 2 alongside the Apple Watch 9 last month. The $799 list price is the same as for the original Apple watch, but Amazon’s sale brings it down to $749, which is a new low. The new S9 SiP (system-in-package) is the same as the Series 9, so you get that on-board processing of Siri requests and support for the Double Tap once that launches. GPS and cellular connectivity come standard with the Ultra 2 (though you’ll need to pay for a separate cell plan) and the large 49mm case accommodates lots of information. The Modular Ultra watch face was a particular favorite in our hands-on.

Apple Watch SE

Apple’s budget smartwatch didn’t get a refresh like its other watches this year, so the second-generation Apple Watch SE is still the most recent. It starts at $250 but October’s Prime day knocks $50 off that price. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low called it “the best smartwatch $250 can buy” in her review and awarded it a respectable score of 89. It doesn’t have an always-on display, nor can it track your blood oxygen levels, temperature or give EKG readings.But it still extends the utility of your iPhone while gathering useful health and fitness data.

MacBook Air (15-inch)

The 15-inch MacBook Air came out in June and is Apple’s latest laptop to date. It’s on sale for $1,049 for the 256GB model, instead of the usual $1,299. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham gave it a high score of 96 in his review noting that the larger screen really makes a difference and lets you get the most out of the M2 processor. He calls it a great choice for getting work done and casual entertainment. Though we should note that the M3 chip, along with a few refreshed MacBooks, may arrive later this year or early 2024.

AirPods Max

Apple’s AirPods Max headphones didn’t make the cut in our best headphones guide, but these premium headphones combine the best features of AirPods — like excellent noise cancelation and transparent audio — with over-ear comfort and reliable controls. They’re just too expensive to recommend. But now that Amazon has cut the price down to $480 instead of $549 for October’s Prime Day, they make a little more sense.

Apple Studio Display

Apple’s Studio Display is pretty pricey at $1,600, but for October’s Prime Day sale, Apple’s only monitor is down to $1,399 with help from a $100 voucher. We think the display is ideal only for the Apple faithful, everyone else would be better served by another monitor. That said, the A13 Bionic chip inside lends some smarts to drive its webcam and mics and the build is solid, the speakers are good, and the screen is bright and accurate.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-apple-prime-day-deals-112058603.html?src=rss

The Morning After: Our verdict on the Meta Quest 3

The $500 Meta Quest 3 won’t tempt over as many VR newcomers as the Quest 2, but it’s still a solid step forward for Meta. It has all the upgrades you’d expect (sharper screens and lenses, faster performance), and it also has full-color mixed-reality cameras, so you can use VR apps alongside a view of the real world. Squint a bit, and you can almost see what Apple is aiming for with the Vision Pro.

Engadget

While there isn’t any face or eye tracking (found on the pricier VRs), Meta ditched the annoying rings from the Quest 2 gamepads. After testing the Quest 3 for a week, Engadget’s Devindra noted it’s the first headset that doesn’t make him feel trapped while using it. Since the real world is easily accessible, it’s simpler to integrate a movie into your life while still acknowledging/ checking in on your real-world environment. Check out our full review.

— Mat Smith

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Shop the best early deals for October Prime Day 2023

Apple iPhone 15 review

The most substantial update in years.

Engadget

Not everyone needs the most expensive high-specced iPhone. This year’s update to the vanilla Apple smartphone brings a lot of bang for your buck. That includes a substantially upgraded camera sensor (12-megapixel up to 48-megapixel), four new pastel-hued colors (even if our reviewer wasn’t a fan, I think they’re gorgeous) and USB-C. With the iPhone 15, Apple offers enough to make this year’s device a worthwhile upgrade — that’s not always the case.

Continue reading.

​​How hackers are using Bluetooth to track police activity

Devices are ‘constantly shouting’ about what cops are up to, hackers said.

Law enforcement uses all sorts of tech to track individuals, but some people are using technology to listen back. Bluetooth devices have a unique 64-bit identifier called a MAC address, and those signals reveal where police are – and even when they activate devices like body cams or Tasers. Modern police kits are overflowing with Bluetooth-enabled tech — even the gun holsters supplied to some cops send a Bluetooth ping when a sidearm is unholstered. Hackers, aware of these signals, can now monitor what local police are up to.

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Unity CEO John Riccitiello stepping down, effective immediately

It comes during a backlash over changes to the company’s pricing model.

Unity game developer said John Riccitiello will step down as president and CEO of the company after nine years in leadership, effective immediately. Just a month ago, Unity rolled out some significant concessions to its developer pricing model after widespread backlash over its plan to charge developers for game installations. The upheaval came simultaneously as a series of massive layoffs at the company. Unity expects third-quarter revenue to fall somewhere between $540 million to $550 million — up 67 to 70 percent from last year.

Continue reading.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-our-verdict-on-the-meta-quest-3-111611006.html?src=rss

Anker chargers and accessories get deep discounts for October Prime Day

Thanks to October Prime Day deals on many of Anker's best accessories, you can get a premium charge for a lot less money right now. The sale includes chargers for every need, such as the three-port Nano II 65W USB-C charger with space to juice up your phone, computer and headphones all at once. The small charger is available for 39 percent off, dropping from $56 to $34. Similarly, the slightly larger Prime 67W USB-C Charger with two USB-C ports and one USB-A is 37 percent off, bringing its price from $60 to $38.

The best deal comes courtesy of Anker's fast charging 765 USB-C to USB-C cable, which is down from $35 to $15 — a 57 percent discount. It's compatible with the new iPhone 15 models, along with the MacBook Pro 2021, iPad Pro, iPad Air 4th and Samsung's Galaxy S23+ and Ultra. If you're still loyal to a USB charger but your cords are breaking at the seams, pick up Anker's lightning cable three-pack for 20 percent off, dropping from $25 to $20.

Then there's Anker's portable chargers currently on sale for every time you stay out later than expected or drain your battery playing games. The Prime 20K Power Bank is down to $22.40 from $28 and can juice up an iPhone 12 halfway in 30 minutes using USB and USB-C chargers. For $30 (down from $60), you can pick up Anker's Magnetic Portable Charger 5K for wireless charging. Plus, the Prime Power Bank with 200W Output and a smart display has fallen from $130 to $90 for Prime Day — giving you high-speed charging with enough money left over to buy quality cables.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anker-chargers-and-accessories-get-deep-discounts-for-october-prime-day-110527447.html?src=rss

October Prime Day 2023: The Best Prime Day Lightning Deals and Updates

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is finally here and a number of our favorite gadgets are included in the sales. For the second year in a row, Amazon has given its Prime members another exclusive deal event in the fall, complementing its standard Prime Day that typically happens in July. It provides Prime members the opportunity to shop members-only deals and sales across pretty much everything available on Amazon — clothing, household goods and, of course, tech. The latter is most important to us at Engadget and there are good deals to be had as part of this year's October Prime Day.

Our live blog below will surface all of the best Prime Day deals you can get during Prime Big Deal Days, with a particular focus on gadgets including laptops, TVs, headphones, wearables, gaming gear and more. Follow along to make sure you don't miss any discounted items that may be on your holiday shopping list.

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/october-prime-day-2023-the-best-prime-day-lightning-deals-and-updates-110052712.html?src=rss

Google's AI stoplight program is now calming traffic in a dozen cities worldwide

It's been two years since Google first debuted Project Green Light, a novel means of addressing the street-level pollution caused by vehicles idling at stop lights. At its Sustainability ‘23 event on Tuesday, the company discussed some of the early findings from that program and announced another wave of expansions for it.

Green Light uses machine learning systems to comb through Maps data to calculate the amount of traffic congestion present at a given light, as well as the average wait times of vehicles stopped there. That information is then used to train AI models that can autonomously optimize the traffic timing at that intersection, reducing idle times as well as the amount of braking and accelerating vehicles have to do there. It's all part of Google's goal to help its partners collectively reduce their carbon emissions by a gigaton by 2030.

Google

When the program was first announced in 2021, it had only been pilot tested in four intersections in Israel in partnership with the Israel National Roads Company but Google had reportedly observed a "10 to 20 percent reduction in fuel and intersection delay time" during those tests. The pilot program has grown since then, spreading to a dozen partner cities around the world, including Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Manchester, England and Jakarta, Indonesia.

“Today we're happy to share that… we plan to scale to more cities in 2024,” Yael Maguire, Google VP of Geo Sustainability, told reporters during a pre-brief event last week. “Early numbers indicate a potential for us to see a 30 percent reduction in stops. We believe green light is unique because it is more scalable and cost effective for cities than alternative options.” Ideally, cities would deploy the models across grids of neighborhood blocks to create “waves” of propagating green lights.

Google

“Our AI recommendations work with existing infrastructure and traffic systems,” Maguire continued. “City engineers are able to monitor the impact and see results within weeks.” Maguire also noted that the Manchester test reportedly saw improvements to emission levels and air quality rise by as much as 18 percent. The company also touted the efficacy of its Maps routing in reducing emissions, with Maguire pointing out at it had "helped prevent more than 2.4 million metric tons of carbon emissions — the equivalent of taking about 500,000 fuel-based cars off the road for an entire year."

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/google-ai-stoplight-program-project-green-light-sustainability-traffic-110015328.html?src=rss