Apple's "Unleashed" event today focused on music and the Mac, with the company revealing updated products in each category. We finally got word of the next-generation AirPods, which have a new design and support for spatial audio plus MagSage wireless charging. The company also unveiled new colors for its HomePod mini smart speaker and two new MacBook Pros for the power users among us. The laptops run on the company's new M1 Pro and M1 Max chipsets and sport revamped designs with webcam notches, Liquid Retina XDR displays and extra ports (HDMI and an SD slot!). Here's how to pre-order everything Apple announced today.

AirPods

Apple

Apple kicked off the show by talking about music and revealing new AirPods. The third-generation AirPods bring a new design, wireless charging capabilities and spatial audio support. They're available for pre-order today from Apple's website and cost $179. They'll be available in stores on October 26th.

The third-gen AirPods have a contoured design that looks similar to the AirPods Pro, but they don't have the interchangeable ear tips of Apple's more advanced earbuds. Inside the buds is a new low-distortion driver that produces powerful bass along with crisp highs. These buds have a few features previously only available on AirPods Pro and AirPods Max, including spatial audio and Adaptive EQ, the latter of which automatically adjusts frequencies in real time based on what you're listening to.

The new AirPods have a sweat and water-resistant design and Apple improved the battery life, too. These should last up to six hours on a charge, and you'll get an hour of listening time after only five minutes of charging. The case is now MagSafe and wireless-charging capable and it holds four additional full charges, so you can enjoy around 30 hours of total listening time.

Apple is keeping the second-generation AirPods around, which will be good for anyone who doesn't want to shell out $179 for the new ones. The second-generation AirPods are now priced at $129, and the AirPods Pro are still listed $250 (although you can often find them for less) and they now come with a MagSafe charging case.

MacBook Pro

Apple

Apple's latest 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros come equipped with the company's new M1 Pro or M1 Max processors, and feature a brand new design with a webcam notch and some much-requested extra ports. Both models are available for pre-order today from Apple's website. The 14-inch MacBook Pro starts at $1,999 while the 16-inch version starts at $2,499. They'll be widely available on October 26th.

The new MacBook Pros have aluminum enclosures and an advanced thermal system that's built to handle the power that comes with Apple's latest, high-end chipsets. The laptop ushers in several significant design changes, including a new keyboard that's supposed to be more similar to the company's Magic Keyboard for iMac. Also, the TouchBar is gone; it's been replaced with physical Function keys, something that TouchBar skeptics will likely cheer.

These MacBook Pros are thicker than previous models because they actually have a healthy variety of ports. Both have a total of three Thunderbolt 4 ports along with an HDMI socket, an SD card slot, a headphone jack and a MagSafe connector for charging (although you can power up via the Thunderbolt ports as well). This will be a welcome change for power users who have been living the dongle life for years with previous-gen MacBook Pros.

Additionally, the new laptops have Liquid Retina XDR displays that reach almost to the end of the machines' lids, interrupted by a notch that holds the 1080p webcam. The 14-inch model has a 14.2-inch 3,024 x 1,964 resolution screen, to be precise, while the 16-inch model has a 16.2-inch 3,456 x 2,234 panel. Both support ProMotion with refresh rates up to 120Hz. Apple is promising up to 17 hours of video playback on the 14-inch model and up to 21 hours of video playback on the larger version. As for other specs, you can customize the laptops with up to 32GB of RAM and up to a whopping 8TB of storage.

HomePod mini

Apple

Lastly, Apple announced new colors of the HomePod mini: yellow, orange and blue. Those join the existing space gray and white color options and will be available to order from Apple's website in November for $99.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

The next version of macOS will be available to download beginning October 25th. Apple shared the release date alongside the new M1 Pro and M1 Max chips and a redesigned MacBook Pro.

The macOS Monterey update comes with notable improvements to FaceTime, including support for Spatial Audio, and the ability to use SharePlay to listen to music and watch videos with your friends. One of the biggest changes is the addition of Universal Control, which allows users to seamlessly move back and forth between an iPad and a Mac. The feature, which builds one earlier Continuity updates, allows users to drag and drop files between multiple devices and type on an iPad from a MacBook keyboard. 

But both SharePlay and Universal Control, which wasn’t available in initial betas of macOS Monterey, will be arriving after the initial update "later this fall," according to Apple.

The release also comes with a major update to Safari that’s at times been controversial due to significant changes to the tab bar and other key features. (The most recent beta brought back the tab bar by default after earlier versions of the update removed it.)

Developing...

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Apple revealed an all-new set of AirPods today, but the current model isn't going away just yet. The company also announced that it's cutting the price on the 2019 model from $159 to $129. That price includes the wireless charging case that works with Qi-certified accessories. 

Either way, you can expect to pay less for the previous-gen version. That could still be a smart purchase if you can live without features like Spatial Audio and Adaptive EQ, among other things. The 2019 model does still offer hands-free Siri, which is quite handy in its own right. For comparison, the second-generation model is currently $119 on Amazon, or $160 with wireless charging case. 

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

It's been almost a year since Apple unveiled its first custom chip for Macs, the ARM-based M1. As we saw in our review of the latest MacBook Air, MacBook Pro and colorful iMac, the M1 was a marvel, proving to be both faster than Intel and AMD's x86 processors, while also drawing far less power. Now to follow up, Apple is taking a two-pronged approach with M1 Pro and M1 Max, two chips that'll power the company's new MacBook Pro models.

Both chips are 10-core processors, a combination of eight high performance cores and two high efficiency units. What separates them are their GPU capabilities: the M1 Pro has up to a 16-core GPU while the Max has tops out with 32 graphics cores. In comparison, last year's M1 was an eight-core chip that maxed out with eight GPU cores.

Based on these specs, power users will see a much bigger performance upgrade by going for a MacBook Pro. Last year's M1-equipped 13-inch MacBook Pro wasn't much faster than the M1 Air—the Pro basically added a fan for more sustained workloads, whereas the Air was miraculously fan-less. That was an odd situation for Apple; it was both a testament to the power of Apple Silicon, and a sign that the company needed to devote more time to its powerful machines. (Don't forget, the 16-inch MacBook Pro was practically forgotten over the past year.)

Developing...

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Apple thinks it has a simple way to boost Apple Music adoption: limit control in return for a lower fee. The company has introduced an Apple Music Voice Plan that offers access to the full catalog for just $5 per month, so long as you're willing to rely solely on voice assistant control. It's pitched as ideal for HomePod owners and others who are more likely to use Siri than tap their phone.

The new tier will be available later in the fall in 17 countries, including the US and Canada.

Developing...

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Apple's second event of the fall is about to begin, and like before you can tune in to see it unfold. The company will offer a live stream of its "Unleashed" event starting at 1PM Eastern. It's available below, but you can also watch through Apple's website, the Apple TV app or the company's YouTube channel. Engadget will also have an after-event stream on YouTube with insightful commentary and a dash of witty banter.

Many expect the event to have one main star: a redesigned MacBook Pro lineup with 14- and 16-inch mini-LED screens, new Apple Silicon and the return of favorite connectors like MagSafe, HDMI and an SD slot. You can expect to hear more about macOS Monterey's release date, too. There's also a chance Apple will introduce third-generation AirPods, other Mac upgrades (such as a high-spec Mac mini) and new or expanded services. No matter what, you'll probably get a surprise or two.

Follow all of the news from Apple’s Mac event right here.

Even more so than the Z Fold 3, Samsung's Galaxy Z Flip 3 5G is a foldable that could be your daily driver if you can deal with a few compromises. It's arguably the best and most practical version of a Samsung foldable yet, and now it's been discounted by $150 on Amazon as part of the deals-focused event dubbed Samsung Week. That brings the final price down to $850, which is a record low.

We gave the Z Flip 3 a score of 82 in part because Samsung fixed a few things about its predecessor with this smartphone. First off, it seems to be more durable than the last — it doesn't scratch as easily and now is IPX8 water resistant. The main 6.7-inch AMOLED display runs at a 2,640 x 1,080 resolution and supports 120Hz refresh rates. Yes, you will notice its crease, but it doesn't hinder readability — you'll notice is more so because you're probably not used to a screen that folds in this way. When closed, you can use the 1.9-inch external screen to get small bits of information like the weather and calendar events, as well as quickly access features like Samsung Pay and media controls.

The new Flex Mode kicks in when you half-fold the device, and it'll split the screen in half when in certain apps. When watching a YouTube video, for example, the video player will be on the top half of the screen while the video's details and comments section will be on the bottom. It's a clever way to ensure that the entirety of the main screen is useful even when the device is partially folded, although we'd like to see a greater variety of apps support Flex Mode sooner rather than later.

The Z Flip 3 runs on a Snapdragon 888 processor and 8GB of RAM, and it has a dual camera setup on the back along with a 10-megapixel selfie camera. The two 12MP rear cameras took colorful, detailed shots, and even nighttime photos looks very similar to those taken by competing phones from Apple and Google.

The biggest sacrifices you'll have to make with the Z Flip 3 are in durability and battery life. The former is a bit of a toss up — we only used the Z Flip 3 for a short period of time when we reviewed it, so it's unclear how well its foldable screen will hold up after months and years of use. As for battery life, it will depend on how much you use the external display. The Z Flip 3 lasted more than a day in our testing, but that figure dropped to around 11.5 hours when the external display was in always-on mode. If those sound like acceptable trade-offs to you, Amazon's sale on the Z Flip 3 is the best way we've seen so far to get the foldable at a more affordable price.

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

If you're on the market for a new TV, it's not too early to check out the sales already available online ahead of Black Friday next month. We'll only see more pop up as the day gets closer, but those who want to jump on an opportunity now need look no further than Amazon's one-day Sony sale. The online retailer has discounted a bunch of Sony tech today — including some of our favorite headphones — and a couple of Sony 4K smart TVs are on sale, too. Key among them are the 65-inch Sony A9G Master Series Bravia OLED smart TV, which is 43 percent off and down to a record low of $1,700. Sony's X950H LED 4K smart TVs are also up to 25 percent off, so you can get one for as low as $950.

While the Bravia set is from 2019, it remains a solid OLED TV with a lot of high-end perks. First and foremost, you're getting all of the benefits of OLED, which means better colors, great contrast and deep blacks. It plays 4K HDR content, supports Dolby Vision and it includes the company's Acoustic Surface Audio+ speaker built-in, giving you more immersive sound quality. The set runs on Android TV, which means you can call upon the Google Assistant to play content and otherwise control the system — but it also supports Alexa voice commands too, if you prefer to use that. On top of all that, it has a dedicated Game Mode for smoother gaming sessions and it supports AirPlay 2 and HomeKit.

Those not set on OLED for their next TV should consider the 2020 Sony X950H sets on sale — the 55-inch model is down to $950 while the 65-inch set is on sale for $1,200. While the picture quality won't be the same as the OLED set, these TVs do have local dimming LED backlighting as well as many of the advanced features present in the A9G. You'll get the Android TV operating system, Google Assistant and Alexa support, Game Mode, plus AirPlay 2 and HomeKit compatibility.

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

Apple’s second fall product event kicks off later today at 1 PM ET. We’ve laid out what to expect, but it’s not the only big tech event week. Spare a thought for some of our staff, who will go straight from Apple reportage into Google.

Yep, Tuesday October 19th is Google’s Pixel 6 event. While we know what the phone will look like — and some of its specifications — expect to see some software surprises. We’ve pulled together everything we know into an event preview story right here.

The biggest question remains: How much will the new Pixel 6 cost? Will it be a humbly priced (and specced) device, like the Pixel 5, or something to challenge iPhones and Galaxy devices?

— Mat Smith

Russian crew returns from shooting the first feature film on the ISS

You'll have to wait a while for the movie.

Shooting for the first feature-length movie in space has wrapped. Russian actress Yulia Pereslid, producer Klim Shipenko and cosmonaut Oleg Novitskiy have returned to Earth after the first two spent 12 days filming their movie The Challenge aboard the International Space Station.

NASA astronaut Mark Vande Hei and Russian cosmonaut Pyotr Dubrov were originally slated to return aboard the Soyuz capsule, but they’ve both had their stays extended by six months to accommodate the film producers. Vande Hei will set a record for the longest spaceflight by a US astronaut as a result, spending exactly one year in orbit. 

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2021 Security Outcomes Study for Small Businesses

McDonald's will trial its plant-based burger in the US on November 3rd

It's a small test run for the McPlant.

McDonald's

You may soon be able to try McDonald's plant-based burgers. The fast-food chain will offer the McPlant at eight restaurants across the US, starting on November 3rd. It's a limited-time trial run for the burger, and it's supposed to help the company figure out how offering the item will impact kitchen operations. It’s worth noting that because it’s cooked on the same grill as meat and egg products, it's not classified as vegan.

McDonald's didn't mention the exact store locations of the stores trialing the McPlant, but it said they’re in Irving and Carrollton, Texas; Cedar Falls, Iowa; Jennings and Lake Charles, Louisiana and El Segundo and Manhattan Beach, California.

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Analogue Pocket still isn’t here, but it might be the 'definitive' platform for retro games

The company is sharing details about its OS.

Analogue's Pocket handheld won't arrive until late this year, but the company has detailed AnalogueOS, the platform both Pocket and future Analogue devices will run on, pitching as the "definitive" OS for retro games.

Rather than simply play cartridge games, the Pocket and future hardware will tap a library of all the useful data surrounding a game, ranging from box art and publisher data to guides.

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UK schools will use facial recognition to speed up lunch payments

Trading privacy for faster lunch service?

The Financial Times reports nine schools in the UK will start taking payments for school lunches by scanning students' faces. The technology should help minimize touch during the pandemic but is mainly meant to speed up transaction times.

CRB Cunningham, the company behind the tech, as well as the schools, argue the systems would address privacy and security concerns. The company said its hardware wasn't using live facial recognition (actively scanning crowds) and was checking against encrypted faceprint templates — though I’m not sure that addresses the concerns.

The schools were already using fingerprint readers, too, so this was more of a shift in biometric technology than a brand new layer of security.

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Apple's new MacBook Pro chips may be called the M1 Pro and M1 Max

Not long until we find out.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman believes the chips for the widely expected 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pro models have surfaced in developer app logs under the names "M1 Pro" and "M1 Max." It's not certain Apple will use these names for its high-end silicon, but they suggest Apple won't go with M1X. Earlier rumors hinted at two processors destined for the new MacBook Pros. For everything we’re expecting from Apple’s big event, check out our preview story.

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You can actually pre-order the Xbox Series X Mini Fridge

The $100 appliance will ship in December.

Microsoft

Microsoft will start shipping its Xbox Series X Mini Fridge in time for the holidays. The company said the fridge costs $100 and pre-orders start on October 19th. It will ship in December.

The mini-fridge has its roots in an image Xbox tweeted to show the scale of the Xbox Series X versus a full-sized fridge. Microsoft actually made a six-foot fridge last year to promote the launch of the console, but this one’s a little more manageable.

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Sony's WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones received one of Engadget's highest review scores ever thanks to the immersive sound quality, powerful ANC and other features. If the $350 price has given you pause, however, Amazon is now offering them for $248 ($102 off) in black, blue and silver — matching the best price we've seen yet on that model.  

The WH-1000XM4s deliver great sound quality with punchy bass, along with ANC that blocks out more noise than rivals across the entire frequency curve. They also offer multi-device connectivity and Speak-to-Chat, which automatically pauses audio when you talk. An update earlier this year brought support for Sony's 360 Reality Audio that offers a similar surround-sound experience to Dolby Atmos. You'll get around 30 hours on a charge and you can eke another five hours from a quick 10-minute charge.

If $248 is still a bit much, Amazon has an even better deal on Sony's budget WH-CH710N model. They're now available for $78 in black or blue (57 percent off the regular $180 price), again tying the best deal we've seen on Amazon. 

These models don't offer the same sound quality and level of noise cancellation as the WH-1000XM4s, of course. However, they made our 2021 top headphone list under the "best budget" category thanks to decent audio range and good clarity. Thanks to the dual noise sensor technology, they also offer enough sound-blocking power to reduce distractions. Other features include an ambient-sound option so you can keep tabs on what's going on around you, plus 35 hours of battery life, a quick charge feature and onboard controls.