Sunday, November 21, 2021

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NYC bill bans AI recruiting tools that fail bias checks

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 02:53 PM PST

New York City could soon reduce the chances of AI bias in the job market. The Associated Pressnotes the city's council has passed a bill barring AI hiring systems that don't pass yearly audits checking for race- or gender-based discrimination. Developers would also need greater transparency (including disclosures of automated systems), and provide alternatives like human reviews. Fines would reach up to $1,500 per incident.

The bill was passed November 10th. Departing Mayor Bill de Blasio has a month to sign it into law, but hasn't said whether or not he will. If the measure goes forward, it would take effect in 2023.

A signed law could reduce the chances that AI hiring technology skews candidate pools and the demographics of the resulting employees. Pro-business organizations like the Greater New York Chamber of Commerce are already in favor, suggesting the disclosures are vital for both employers and their talent.

However, there are already concerns an enacted law wouldn't help as much as promised. The Center for Democracy & Technology's Alexandra Givens told the AP the bill doesn't account for other biases, such as ableism or ageism. This also assumes the audits are effective — New York University's Julia Stoyanovich argued the requirements were "very easy to meet." There's a concern the legislation might inadvertently shield employers whose AI platforms have different or harder-to-detect biases.

Apple Podcasts app ratings flip after the company starts prompting users

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 01:58 PM PST

Apple's decision to allow ratings for its own apps is producing... mixed results. As developer Kosta Eleftheriou and The Verge have noticed, the official Podcasts app has flipped from an abysmal 1.8-star rating to over 4.8 in the space of just a few weeks thanks to a surge of reviews. As you might have guessed, though, this wasn't the results of a (non-existent) feature update during that period. Rather, the blame appears to rest on app prompts and more than a little confusion.

The iPhone maker told The Verge that iOS 15.1 started prompting users for ratings and reviews "just like most third-party apps." However, many people thought they were rating the show they were listening to, not the app — and that led to a flood of scores and reviews for podcasts.

This issue hasn't affected many other first-party apps, such as Apple Maps (2.8 stars as of this writing). Even iTunes Store ratings, while high (4.8 stars), include reviews that largely focus on the app rather than the content.

The prompts do bring functional consistency to Apple's apps — it's easy to trash them if you like. At the same time, though, the mixups are inflating Podcasts' value and rendering the scores useless for many people deciding on podcast clients. The shift also underscores the problem with trusting ratings and reviews regardless of platform. It's still relatively easy for misguided users, activists and fraudsters to skew that feedback.

The Google Play Store website might get a long-awaited redesign

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 11:22 AM PST

Google's Play Store on the web is dated, to put it mildly — the big sidebar and card-like listings wouldn't look out of place on a phone running Android Lollipop. The company appears ready to drag its portal into the modern era, though. Android Police and a tipster said they've discovered a redesigned Play Store that's much more in keeping with the current mobile app.

The rethink appear to scrap the large sidebar and cards in favor of a simple four-button navigation system and big, clean-looking listings with auto-playing trailers for games. You can filter apps by device type. If you need to access your library or redeem a gift card, options like those have moved to the account switcher common to Google web apps.

AP characterized the redesign as a "work-in-progress," and had to switch to the Korean Play Store (the Taiwanese version also worked) to see it. We've asked Google if it can comment on this possible test. If the site does hint at a larger overhaul, though, it could be welcome if you routinely shop for apps and media from your computer.

Apple reportedly tells workers they're allowed to discuss conditions and pay

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 10:27 AM PST

Apple might be eager to minimize future complaints about working conditions. NBC News said it obtained a newly released internal memo telling employees they're allowed to discuss conditions and pay outside the company. Staffers should be free to talk about issues in the way they "feel most comfortable," including with managers and the People (human resources) team.

We've asked Apple if it can confirm the memo and comment on the release. The statement would reinforce the rights private workers already have under the National Labor Relations Act, which lets workers both organize and discuss conditions, as well Apple's own conduct policy.

Provided the news is accurate, it could represent a bittersweet moment for critics of Apple's working culture. The memo supports their beliefs the company unfairly limited talk about labor issues by shutting down surveys and Slack channels. Employees like Ashley Gjøvik also accused Apple of punishing workers for speaking out for by putting them on leave or even firing them.

However, the statement is also coming too late to prevent significant damage. Apple now faces eight labor charges alleging issues like harassment and wrongful dismissal. Outspoken #AppleToo advocate Cher Scarlett (who settled with Apple) just left the company, too. While a memo like this might allow more discussion going forward, it can't change the past.

Early Pixel 6a leak suggests Google might ditch the headphone jack

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 09:07 AM PST

Google's Pixel 6 is barely weeks old, but that isn't stopping rumors about its budget counterpart. Well-known tipster OnLeaks and 91Mobiles have posted what they say are Pixel 6a design renders, and they might prove polarizing. The future mid-range phone would resemble the upscale Pixel 6, including the signature camera bar, in-screen fingerprint reader and centered hole-punch selfie camera. However, the headphone jack from the Pixel 5a and other "a" models appears to have vanished — you might have to rely on an adapter or wireless audio if the render

Little is known about the specs, although the Pixel 6a will reportedly be smaller than its counterparts with a 6.2-inch OLED screen. You'd get dual cameras, too. Processing power is a larger question. While Google is eager to tout the 6's custom Tensor chip, it's not certain if the company would either create a low-cost Tensor for the 6a or rely on third-party chips.

However accurate the leak might be, it's likely early. Google didn't release the Pixel 5a until August this year, and that was ultimately a tweaked 4a 5G. The 6a might be several months away, and there's a chance the design could change before then. A "lite" Pixel 6 would make sense, at least. Flaws aside, it's a return to form with an eye-catching design. A lower-cost counterpart might spur sales of more affordable Pixels, not to mention reinvigorate the "a" line's historically drab design.

ICYMI: It’s finally time to test SharePlay on iOS 15.1

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 09:00 AM PST

This week we've got a wide range of reviews on everything from mobile operating systems to craft cutting machines. First, Mat Smith checked out the new SharePlay feature on iOS 15.1 and determined it has potential. Next, Billy Steele listened to the Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones and found them to be just as comfortable as their predecessors, and with improved noise cancellation, too. Nathan Ingraham put the HP Chromebook X2 to the test and found the lightweight laptop has a stellar screen that's ideal for travel. Steve Dent turned the dial on ASUS's ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED laptop, which he says has an exceptionally color accurate screen and thoughtful features for creatives. Finally, Terrence O'Brien made a few stickers and decals with the Cricut Explore 3.

iOS 15.1 rolls out the new SharePlay feature

Apple iOS 15.1
Mat Smith/Engadget

Mat Smith calls iOS 15.1 a relatively minor update when compared to the more drastic changes brought by iOS 14. A good bulk of the additions here come from the release of SharePlay, which allows you to do things like stream TV shows with a friend over FaceTime. Mat said that the shows were lag free in testing, the fitness apps were motivating and the free games were more fun than he expected. However, SharePlay isn't available for all apps — for instance, YouTube and Netflix are not supported right now.

Mat also tested spatial audio, which gives callers directional sound, but he was more impressed by the new voice isolation and wide modes. He also played around with Focus modes, which help you track and limit your screen time via profiles and the ability to "lock" yourself out of your phone for set periods of time. Mat points out that these features, in addition to the machine learning improvements with Visual Look-up and Live Text, show that Apple is rededicating itself towards sharing.

HP's Chromebook X2 makes a great first impression

HP Chromebook X2
Nathan Ingraham/Engadget

Nathan Ingraham found the hardware on the HP Chromebook X2 to be well built, sturdy and simple in design. He called the bright 11-inch, 2,160 x 1,440 touchscreen a standout that made work feel less cramped thanks in part to its 3:2 aspect ratio. The keyboard was responsive with good travel, and he liked that the included stylus attached neatly and magnetically to the side. When it came to performance, he found the X2 to do well for watching videos, browsing the web and playing games.

However, he found the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c mobile processor struggled when it came time to push the machine with intensive tasks. Though he was able to run his usual programs, it wasn't the fastest experience and he said he avoided playing music from the device while running a lot of other apps because it would cause slowdowns. That being said, its stellar battery life, size and lightweight design make the Chromebook X2 a solid secondary or travel device.

The ASUS ProArt Studiobook 16 OLED is a laptop for creatives

ASUS ProArt StudioBook 16 OLED
Steve Dent/Engadget

Steve Dent says the ASUS ProArt Studiobook is clearly intended to woo artists and creatives with its fast performance, gorgeous 16-inch 4K OLED screen and the "ASUS dial" for video and photo editing. The screen is factory-calibrated to Pantone and Calman color accuracy, and has a 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio with inky blacks that make it good for content creation and streaming entertainment. It also features an "IceCool Pro" thermal solution to boost airflow while keeping noise levels minimal. Steve found this to hold true during testing, except for very GPU/CPU intensive tasks, which did bump up the noise levels.

He was also particularly impressed with the dial, which he says feels nice with a textured grip and smooth rotation. The location is convenient and the dial can be used to adjust volume or display brightness as well as to access menu options from four Adobe apps. Steve was also pleased with the number of ports on the machine, including a USB-C with DisplayPort support and an SD Express card slot. In testing, the laptop performed well during both gaming and editing tasks, thanks in part to a RTX 3070 GPU and AMD Ryzen 9 CPU. On top of that, Steve found it had a solid battery life, too, which lead him to declare the Studiobook 16 the best Windows 10 laptop for content creation.

Bose makes minor but appreciated updates with the QuietComfort 45 headphones

Bose QuietComfort 45
Billy Steele/Engadget

Billy Steele isn't disappointed that Bose didn't update the design of the QuietComfort 45 headphones. In fact, he was pleased that the company kept so much of what made the previous model popular, from the light weight to the physical buttons and cushiony pads. He reports that the new headphones keep the sound quality that Bose is known for, with crisp highs, robust mids and deep bass. The QC45 sounded good across multiple genres and the updated noise cancelling removed more background sounds than the last model.

New to the QC45 is an ambient sound or aware mode, which allows you to hear what's happening around you. Billy said it's serviceable but not the best he's experienced. While testing, he managed to get 22.5 hours worth of playback before he needed to recharge the headphones. However, he did find the multi-device connectivity a bit frustrating as it required him to reconnect after ending a call. Overall, he still feels that the newest QuietComfort cans offer a lot for folks who travel frequently and need a comfortable set of headphones with exceptional noise cancelling capabilities.

Cricut's Explore 3 cutting machine is for devoted crafters

Circuit Explore 3
Terrence O'Brien/Engadget

Terrence O'Brien admits he's not the core audience for a Circuit craft machine. Designed to cut hundreds of different types of materials, the Circuit line can make vinyl transfers for shirts, 3D cardboard masks, stickers, decals, iron-ons and more. However, his beginner crafting level didn't stop him from thoroughly enjoying the Cricut Explore 3, which he said felt like magic to use. In testing, he created a Spiderman emblem for a Halloween costume, several laptop stickers and (most of) a 3D cardboard fox.

Terrence said he found the companion app easy to use: it also offers access to over 1,000 free images and 250 projects. Even more are available via the $10 a month Cricut Access membership and you can upload your own designs. He appreciated the detailed instructions for the predesigned projects, but points out that projects often required a lot of additional add-ons like a scoring stylus or foil transfer tool. Overall, Terrence says whether or not the $300 Explore 3 (or $400 Maker 3) is worth it to you is going to depend a lot on how often you'll use it — and what other materials you already have on hand.

Hitting the Books: An ode to the joy of antibiotics

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 08:30 AM PST

The stress and uncertainty surrounding the COVID pandemic, along with misinformation about the life-saving vaccines developed in response have broken many a weak mind over the past two years, leading people to try everything from injecting themselves with bleach and inhaling nebulized hydrogen peroxide, to slugging down horse dewormer in misguided attempts to outwit modern medicine. Surprise, none of it actually works. What's worse is that this sort of behavior is nothing new. Quack homeopathic remedies have existed for centuries — curing the bubonic plague through blood letting, self-flagellation, or sitting in hot sewers to drive off the fever, for example — and supported by little more than anecdotal evidence.

In their latest book, Patient Zero: A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases, Dr. Lydia Kang and Nate Pedersen delve into the fascinating histories of some of humanity's deadliest diseases and the society-preserving works of the scientists who the developed cures, vaccines and treatments to counter them. In the excerpt below, we take a look at the deployment of antibiotics and antitoxins in the fight against diphtheria, anthrax, and other deadly diseases.  

Patient Zero
Workman Publishing

Excerpted from Patient Zero:A Curious History of the World's Worst Diseases by Lydia Kang, MD, and Nate Pedersen. Workman Publishing © 2021

Aside from putting barriers between us and plagues, the next primary approach to defeating them was to attack them directly, thanks to breakthroughs in science that created and discovered antibiotics and antitoxins. Some of these medicines aren't simply employed against microorganisms like bacteria, but act as antifungals, antivirals, and antiparasitics as well. Today, there are more than a hundred types of medicines in this group. The World Health Organization (WHO) maintains a list of medicines deemed essential for a country's healthcare system to best care for its citizenry, and a large chunk of those essential meds battle infectious diseases.

Some might assume that penicillin was the first definitive weapon discovered in our fight against pathogens, but there were several that preceded it and broke significant ground when they were discovered.

The Prussian-born Emil von Behring was a doctor and an assistant to the famed Robert Koch at the Institute for Hygiene in Berlin. In 1888, he developed a way to treat those suffering from diphtheria and tetanus. Not a disease familiar to many these days, diphtheria is prevented by a vaccine that is usually coupled with your routine tetanus shot. In the 1800s, diphtheria was a terrible killer that inflamed a victim's heart, inflicted paralysis, and caused a suffocating membrane to cover the throat. In Spain, the disease was so rampant in 1613 it was nicknamed El Año de los Garrotillos, or "The Year of Strangulations."

Much of the disease caused by diphtheria is driven by the toxin created by Corynebacterium diphtheriae. Von Behring infected rats, rabbits, and guinea pigs with weakened (attenuated) forms of it, then gathered their serum—the liquid fraction of their blood, minus the red and white blood cells. That light, honey-colored liquid, which contained antibodies to the diphtheria toxin, was then injected into another set of animals that were sickened with fully virulent diphtheria bacteria.

The newly infected animals given the serum didn't die because they gained a passive form of protection against the toxin with the donated serum. In 1891, a child's life was saved using this new method for the first time. The serum was produced in large quantities using animals like sheep and horses. At a time when 50,000 children died annually from diphtheria, it was a miraculous treatment.

Tetanus serum was created soon after, becoming a workable treatment by 1915. Today, antitoxins are used to treat botulism, diphtheria, and anthrax. The same principles of antitoxin treatment are utilized for antivenom therapy to remedy poisonous animal bites, including those from black widow spiders, scorpions, box jellyfish, and cobras. A treatment called passive antibody therapy, in which the serum of patients recovered from an infection is given to other sick patients (also called convalescent plasma therapy), may have been helpful during the COVID-19 pandemic, though data is still forthcoming. Antibodies against infections can not only treat diseases like toxic shock syndrome, but prevent infections during exposures, such as those for hepatitis A and B and botulism. But the antibodies themselves have been employed to treat more than just bites, stings, and infections. Intravenous immunoglobulins from pooled donors treat a variety of disorders, such as ITP (immune thrombocytopenia) and severe immune deficiency diseases.

Another antibody therapy—monoclonal antibodies—has been a game-changer in treatments over the last decade or so, the first one approved by the FDA in 1986. These specially designed antibodies are used to treat several types of cancers (melanoma, breast, and stomach, among many others) and autoimmune diseases (including Crohn's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and psoriasis). The antibodies themselves are Y-shaped proteins that bind to a specific protein. In doing so, they can elicit a whole range of effects: switching on or off immune system cascades, destroying cells, blocking or engaging cell activities. The antibodies only bind to a single antigen, hence "mono," and are produced by clones of cells that churn out the antibodies in large amounts. Sometimes they can also be bound to radioactive particles, delivering radioactivity directly to a cancer cell. Others can be bound to a chemotherapy agent. Often, they work alone.

In the realm of cancer therapy, most of us have some understanding of chemotherapy. But the origin of the term chemotherapy itself actually came from the fight to treat infections, not cancer. At the turn of the twentieth century, antibiotics had yet to establish themselves as a cure for infections. That changed with a physician and scientist named Paul Ehrlich. He was born in 1854 in East Prussia (now Poland) where his father ran a lottery office. During his career, he took advantage of the burgeoning German dye industry to experiment on how cells looked stained with different chemicals. His love of color led to some notable idiosyncrasies, like carrying colored pencil stubs in his pockets. But Ehrlich's work led to what would become the famous Ziehl-Neelsen acid-fast stain for tuberculosis. (Unfortunately, he also stained his very own TB bacteria from his sputum, though luckily survived the illness.) Later he collaborated with the aforementioned Emil von Behring, a Nobel Prize–winning physiologist, on serum therapy for tetanus and diphtheria.

But perhaps Ehrlich's most notable discovery happened by accident as he sought a chemical cure to treat a specific disease—a "chemotherapy." Specifically, he hoped to cure sleeping sickness, a disease caused by a microscopic parasite called Trypanosoma brucei. He had been working with a chemical called atoxyl (meaning "nontoxic"), ironically an arsenic compound. Ehrlich coined the term "magic bullet" related to his hope of finding that perfect chemical that would hopefully kill a very specific pathogen, the Trypanosoma parasite, and not the patient. He ended up testing nine hundred variations of the arsenic compounds on mice. None were particularly effective, but he revisited #606 because it seemed to have an effect on a newly discovered bacterium believed to cause syphilis. In 1910, the medicine called Salvarsan (sometimes simply called "606") was proven to be effective—it killed the syphilis spirochete and left the guinea pigs, rabbits, and mice alive.

In the next few decades, new research would be applied to battle not just the pandemics of old, but daily infections that could upend people's lives. A scratch or bite could kill if those Staphylococcus or Streptococcus infections spiraled out of control. A German scientist named Gerhard Domagk began working with a group of chemicals called azo dyes that had a characteristic double nitrogen bond. Azo dyes can color textiles, leather, and foods various shades of brilliant orange, red, and yellow. When an azo compound had a sulfonamide group attached (a nitrogen and sulfur link with two oxygen atoms double-bonded to the sulfur, should you need to impress friends at a party), they knew they'd found something special. The sulfonamide group inhibits a bacteria's ability to make folate, a necessary B vitamin. Humans, on the other hand, can obtain folate through their diet. And so another magic bullet was born. The new compound seemed to work in mice infected with Streptococcus, otherwise known as strep.

Domagk used the new medicine, called KL 730 and later patented as Prontosil, on his own daughter Hildegard. Suffering from a severe strep infection, she received a shot of Prontosil and recovered, though the drug left a telltale dyed, reddish discoloration at the injection site.

"Sulfa" drugs would go on to be used in a variety of medicines, including antibiotics (trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole, aka Bactrim), diabetes medicines (glyburide, a sulfonylurea), diuretics (furosemide, or Lasix), pain meds (celecoxib, or Celebrex), and are also used today to treat pneumonia, skin and soft tissue infections, and urinary tract infections, among others.

Domagk's work won him the Nobel Prize in 1935. However, the Nazis, who disapproved of how the Nobel committee tried to help German pacifist Carl von Ossietzky, had their Gestapo arrest Domagk for accepting the prize and forced him to give it back. He was able to receive it later in 1947.

Launch startup Astra reaches orbit for the first time

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 07:56 AM PST

The ranks of orbit-capable spaceflight companies just grew ever so slightly. TechCrunchreports Astra has reached orbit for the first time when its Rocket 3 booster launched shortly after 1AM Eastern today (November 20th). The startup put a mass simulator into a 310-mile-high orbit as part of a demonstration for the US Air Force's Rapid Agile Launch Initiative, which shows how private outfits could quickly and flexibly deliver Space Force payloads.

This success has been a long time in coming. Astra failed to reach orbit three times before, including a second attempt where the rocket reached space but didn't have enough velocity for an orbital insertion. 

Company chief Chris Kemp stressed on Twitter that Astra was "just getting started" despite the success. It's a significant moment all the same. Companies and researchers wanting access to space currently don't have many choices — they either have to hitch a ride on one of SpaceX's not-so-common rideshare missions or turn to a handful of options like Rocket Lab. Astra hopes to produce its relatively modest rockets quickly enough that it delivers many small payloads in a timely fashion. That, in turn, might lower prices and make space more viable.

Apple's latest AirPods drop to $170 at Woot for today only

Posted: 20 Nov 2021 06:58 AM PST

Have you been eying Apple's third-generation AirPods, but wishing the price wasn't quite so close to the AirPods Pro? Now might be a good time to buy. Woot is running a one-day-only sale that drops the price of the newest AirPods to $170, or $10 below the official sticker. You'll get an additional $5 off if you're an Amazon Prime member, too. Remember that Woot's return policy is stricter than Amazon's, although you'll thankfully have until January 31st, 2022 to return items bought during the holidays.

Buy AirPods (2021) on Woot - $169

The newest AirPods represent a big stride forward for Apple's "default" wireless earbuds. The design is not only more comfortable for many people, but much better-sounding — you should hear crisper highs and improved, consistent bass. The longer battery life, water resistance, spatial audio and MagSafe wireless charging support also help. These are easy picks if you live in the Apple ecosystem (though they technically support other platforms) and just want a pair of solid, easy-to-use earbuds for excursions or video calls.

The catch isn't so much that ecosystem bias as... well, other sales. The AirPods Pro have frequently been discounted (they're $190 as of this writing), and we wouldn't rule out better bargains in the future. That's not much more to pay for active noise cancellation and silicone eartips that can improve stability. We also wouldn't rule out the ANC-equipped and potentially comfier Beats Fit Pro, at least if you can find them at a lower price. With that in mind, these buds last much longer on battery than the AirPods Pro and might be preferable if you like a more open feeling than their isolating counterparts.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

Tesla app outage locked some owners out of their cars

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 06:50 PM PST

Tesla's app server went down a few hours ago, leading to a worldwide app outage that left owners unable to connect to their cars. For those who've been mostly dependent on their phones instead of their keycards, that means being locked out of their vehicles. Electrek first reported the issue after receiving complaints from Tesla owners on Friday night, and for a while it seemed like the problem only affected drivers in North America. But then, an owner from Seoul, South Korea tweeted at Elon Musk about getting a server error on their app, to which the Tesla CEO replied that he's "checking" it out.

Other tweets show owners calling for roadside assistance and delaying their plans for the night. The outage came shortly after the automaker rolled out an update to its application, which Electrek said includes a feature that Tesla had issues implementing. It's unclear if that was connected to the outage, since Musk has yet to follow up on his initial response. Regardless, it looks like the outage is starting to get resolved. Downdetector received as many as 543 reports a few hours ago, but now they're down to less than a hundred. 

Being locked out of vehicles could be an ongoing problem as automakers move to cloud services and increase reliance on smartphone apps. As this situation showed, however, it's still wise to carry around a keycard/keyfob as backup just in case.

SpaceX and NASA plan to crash a satellite into an asteroid next week

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 02:38 PM PST

Since 2017, NASA has been in the process of testing to see whether crashing a satellite into an asteroid can change its course, enlisting the help of SpaceX on this endeavor in 2019. Today, the rocket company shared that it has completed a static fire test and is targeting November 23rd as the launch date of the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART). 

At 10:21pm PT that day, NASA will "intentionally crash the DART spacecraft into an asteroid to see if that is an effective way to change its course, should an Earth-threatening asteroid be discovered in the future," SpaceX said in a tweet.

A static fire test is one of several steps in getting a launch vehicle ready to deploy, and it checks engine startup performance, measuring things like pressure and temperature. With this stage complete, SpaceX and NASA look set to go ahead next week.

DART is targeting a binary asteroid with two bodies called Didymos (the Greek word for "twin"). Didymos B is 160 meters (about 174 yards) large, and orbits the larger Didymos A, which is 780 meters in size. The binary asteroid would have passed Earth safely in 2022 and again in 2024 — they weren't on track to make contact with our planet. 

But NASA has already identified at least 23 objects that could potentially collide with us over the next 100 years. Coming up with a defense strategy is key to protecting humanity should Armageddon ever be on the horizon. 

Update 11/20/21 1AM ET: We corrected the post to clarify that the target launch date is November 23rd. We apologize for the error.

Ford and Rivian cancel plan to jointly develop an EV

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 01:43 PM PST

Ford and Rivian have abandoned a plan they had to jointly develop an EV together. In an interview with Automotive News, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the automaker will go it alone as it aims to produce 600,000 vehicles per year by the end of 2023.

When the company invested $500 million in Rivian in 2019, the two said they would work together to produce a Ford-branded EV featuring the startup's "skateboard" powertrain. In early 2020, the two, citing the pandemic, canceled a Lincoln-branded EV. At the time, they said they still planned to go forward with an "alternative vehicle" based on Rivian's technology. Now, that project won't go forward either.

"Right now, we have growing confidence in our ability to win in the electric space," Farley told Automotive News. "When you compare today with when we originally made that investment, so much has changed: about our ability, about the brand's direction in both cases, and now it's more certain to us what we have to do."

According to Farley, part of the reason Ford and Rivian decided not to move forward with the project is the complexities of marrying their hardware and software together. The companies say the decision has not affected their relationship.

"As Ford has scaled its own EV strategy and demand for Rivian vehicles has grown, we've mutually decided to focus on our own projects and deliveries," a spokesperson for Rivian told Engadget. "Our relationship with Ford is an important part of our journey, and Ford remains an investor and ally on our shared path to an electrified future."

'Call of Duty: Warzone' Pacific update delayed to December 8th

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:51 PM PST

Activision has delayed the release of Call of Duty Vanguard's season one update and Warzone Pacific by about a week. The publisher now plans to make both available on December 8th, instead of December 2nd and December 3rd as previously planned. Activision did not provide a reason for the delay. However, it has been mired in controversy this week following an explosive report from The Wall Street Journal on CEO Bobby Kotick and the role he may have played in creating the toxic "frat boy" culture that has seen the company in the news frequently in recent months.

According to a tweet from the official Call of Duty Twitter account, Vanguard's first seasonal update includes new maps and modes, an update to the game's Zombies mode and the addition of new gear and weapons for players to earn. Warzone Pacific, meanwhile, adds a map called Caldera to Activision's popular battle royale. If you own a copy of Vanguard, you'll get the chance to play the new battleground 24 hours before everyone else.

Hulu's live TV plans will soon be $5 more per month

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 12:20 PM PST

If you're a Hulu + Live TV customer, Disney plans to add Disney+ and ESPN+ to your subscription, and you have no choice in the matter. On Friday, the company sent an email to current subscribers informing them of the impending change. Starting on December 21st, all Hulu + Live subscriptions will include access to Disney's two other streaming platforms. Previously, you could get Hulu + Live TV on its own.

And with the change, the price of Hulu + Live TV plans is increasing by $5 per month for both current and new customers. Come the 21st, the ad-supported tier will cost $69.99 per month, while the "no ads" package will cost $75.99 every 30 days. If you're a Hulu + Live TV customer with an existing Disney+ and or ESPN+ subscription, those will roll into the new plan.

Disney previously increased the price of its live TV packages in 2020 when they went up by $10 per month. People never like paying more for a service, but the way in which the company is handling this latest price hike may irk some customers. Disney's latest earnings report may provide some insight into the company's motivations. In Q4, the company added 2.1 million Disney+ subscribers, far fewer than the 9.4 million Wall Street had expected it to attract. It's possible Disney anticipates whatever Hulu subscribers it loses will be worth an increase to its Disney+ customer base.

Rockstar apologizes for broken GTA remasters and pledges to fix bugs

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 11:51 AM PST

Rockstar Games has apologized for the shoddy quality of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy - Definitive Edition. It plans to fix "the unexpected technical issues" and improve the three games in the collection.

"We want to sincerely apologize to everyone who has encountered issues playing these games," the publisher said. "The updated versions of these classic games did not launch in a state that meets our own standards of quality, or the standards our fans have come to expect." The first update is scheduled to arrive in the coming days and it will "address a number of issues."

It didn't take long for players to start sharing clips of bugs and glitches on social media after the remastered collection of GTA III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas arrived last week. Digital Foundry took a deep dive into GTA III and found there were "issues that are so blatant and jarring and ridiculous, it's hard to understand how the game made its way through quality control."

What's more, Rockstar pulled the PC version of the bundle soon after launch to "remove some data files that were unintentionally included in the new versions of these games" (those are believed to include files related to the infamous San Andreas "Hot Coffee" mod). The collection was available to buy again a few days later. Rockstar Launcher services were unavailable for over a day too, making the collection and the PC versions of Grand Theft Auto Online and Red Dead Online unplayable during that time.

Soon after Rockstar announced the release date for the trilogy in October, it removed the original versions the games from digital storefronts. Now, the classic versions of GTA III, Vice City and San Andreas are returning to PC as a bundle on the Rockstar Store. Players who buy the remastered trilogy on PC by June 30th will receive the originals at no extra cost.

Meanwhile, Rockstar has asked everyone to refrain from attacking developers on social media. "We would kindly ask our community to please maintain a respectful and civil discourse around this release as we work through these issues," it said. Grove Street Games, which is behind ports of several other Rockstar titles, worked on these remasters.

Tesla factory employee alleges 'rampant sexual harassment' in lawsuit

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 10:59 AM PST

Female employees at Tesla's Fremont factory in California face "rampant sexual harassment," according to a lawsuit filed on Thursday. In a complaint with the state's Superior Court in Alameda County, Jessica Barraza, a production associate with Tesla, said she was subjected to "nightmarish" working conditions over the past three years. Barraza's lawsuit describes a factory floor that looks more like "a crude, archaic construction site or frat house" than the site of advanced EV production.

Barraza's allegations against Tesla are numerous. In one incident, the suit alleges a male co-worker stuck his leg between her thighs when she went to punch in after a lunch break. Amid the harassment, Barraza says her complaints fell on deaf ears. In one instance, she says a supervisor did nothing when she complained of a co-worker staring at her breasts. "Maybe you shouldn't wear shirts that draw attention to your chest," her supervisor told her, according to the suit. Barraza told the man she was "wearing a work shirt provided by Tesla."

"After almost three years of experiencing all the harassment, it robs your sense of security — it almost dehumanizes you," Barraza said in an interview with The Washington Post, which was the first outlet to report on the suit. We've reached out to Tesla for comment. The company does not typically respond to media requests. 

The suit comes one month after Tesla was ordered by a federal court to pay $137 million to a Black employee who said they were subjected to daily racist abuse at its Fremont factory. "We continue to grow and improve in how we address employee concerns," the company said at the time. "Occasionally, we'll get it wrong, and when that happens we should be held accountable." Tesla is appealing the award.

Tesla also isn't the only EV-maker accused of fostering a toxic workplace for women. Just days before its IPO, Rivian was sued by Laura Schwab, one of its former executives. In her lawsuit, Schwab alleges the automaker fired her after she complained of a "toxic 'bro culture'" that saw her excluded from meetings and more. "The culture at Rivian was actually the worst I've experienced in over 20 years in the automotive industry," Schwab said at the time.

Halo Infinite's campaign co-op and Forge modes have been delayed again

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 10:37 AM PST

The first previews for the Halo Infinite campaign have arrived and it's looking like an exciting step forward for the series. Unfortunately, players will have to wait even longer than expected to play the mode with their friends.

Developer 343 Industries announced in August that Halo Infinite won't have campaign co-op (a stalwart mode in the Halo series) or Forge custom games when it arrives on December 8th. It plans to add campaign co-op when season two starts, which was initially supposed to happen three months after launch, with Forge to follow in season three.

However, 343 Industries revealed this week that season one will run until May. The studio's head of creative, Joseph Staten, confirmed to Eurogamer that means campaign co-op won't arrive until May at the earliest, and Forge will arrive even later.

That'll likely come as a disappointment to fans, but 343 Industries' decision to focus on the campaign and multiplayer might have been the right one. It already delayed Halo Infinite by a year, so getting the two core modes right was critical.

Fortunately, the free-to-play multiplayer component, which 343 Industries surprise launched three weeks early on Monday, is a blast. It's evidently a hit already, too. The mode quickly hit 272,000 concurrent players on Steam, and that's before you include those playing on console, through the PC Xbox app and on cloud gaming. 

Amazon opens pre-orders for its Halo View fitness band

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 09:44 AM PST

Amazon announced a new version of its Halo fitness band at its September hardware event, and now you can lock in a pre-order. Halo View, Amazon's first wearable with a display, is $50 during the pre-order period. It'll typically cost $80.

Pre-order Halo View at Amazon - $50

The device, which will ship sometime in December, comes with a year-long Halo membership. The plan includes workouts and nutrition guidance, and it typically costs $4 per month.

Halo View has a similar design to Fitbit's Charge bands. The AMOLED color screen displays details about your live workouts, activity history, blood oxygen and sleep scores, among other things (some of those features are exclusive to the Halo subscription). You can view text notifications too.

The swim-proof device contains a skin temperature sensor, heart rate monitor and an accelerometer. Amazon claims the battery runs for up to seven days on a single charge, and that it will fully recharge in two hours.

Although Halo View doesn't have a built-in microphone, there is integration with Alexa. If you connect to the voice assistant through the Halo app settings, you can ask an Alexa-enabled device to tell you about your health summary, sleep quality and other information.

Amazon says privacy was a key consideration in how it designed Halo. "There are multiple layers of protections in place to keep data safe and in your control," the company claims. It also pledged not to sell health data that's linked directly to you. You'll have the option to download your health data or delete it from the Halo app at any time too.

Why Apple changed its mind on Right to Repair

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 09:30 AM PST

Apple does not have a good track record in terms of letting customers repair their hardware. The last decade-plus has seen Apple's computers become essentially impossible for users to service or upgrade, and the iPhone has always been a locked box. Adventurous owners might follow guides from iFixit to try and do repairs themselves, but it's a dangerous proposition. Remember, it was just earlier this year, when we discovered that replacing the display on an iPhone 13 would disable Face ID. (Apple later backpedaled on this.)

So Apple's announcement earlier this week that it would start selling parts and tools directly to consumers and offer repair guides was a huge surprise, and a move immediately hailed as a victory by right-to-repair activists. "One of the most visible opponents to repair access is reversing course," said Nathan Proctor, a senior Right to Repair campaign director at Public Interest Research Groups (PIRG). "Apple's move shows that what repair advocates have been asking for was always possible." iFixit was similarly pleased, saying that the move is "exactly the right thing for Apple to be doing."

Both groups caveated their statements by noting a few catches. PIRG says that Apple's plans weren't as comprehensive as the right-to-repair legislation being discussed in more than two dozen states, while iFixit wants to "analyze the legal terms and test the program" before it can say just how much credit Apple deserves. But regardless, it's still a major about-face. So what led Apple to this move?

Proctor told Engadget in an email exchange that he thinks "combined pressure from consumers, regulators and shareholders has shifted Apple's thinking." But he was also quick to point out that there was pressure coming from inside Apple itself. "We saw from some leaked emails from 2019 that many inside Apple never wanted to be hostile to repair in the ways that Apple has been at times," he said. You probably saw that [Apple co-founder Steve] Wozniak called [out] the practices, but leaked emails show internal concern they were doing the wrong thing."

Apple has made some other movies recently that show that potential government scrutiny and oversight could be driving change at the company. In 2020, Apple finally let users set different browser and email apps as default on the iPhone and iPad, and Siri has gotten smarter about learning your preferences for different music apps when you ask it to play tunes.

While it's likely that Apple is thinking about government pressure, this change might also simply be part of the company listening to its users and correcting some mistakes it made over the last five years or so. Take the new MacBook Pro, perhaps the biggest "mea culpa" Apple has ever offered: The company reversed its trend of pursuing thin and light design at all costs and instead actually made the both the 14- and 16-inch MacBook Pros thicker and heavier than their predecessors. The company also added back ports it had previously removed, killed the unpopular Touch Bar, and generally made a laptop that made it seem like they were listening to consumer feedback. The same could be said for its new home repair program.

A worker refurbishes an Apple Iphone cell phone at a workshop of the Oxflo company, specialised in refurbishment of broken European smartphones which will be resold and provided with a warranty as part of an eco-responsible approach, in Lusignac, France, June 20, 2019. REUTERS/ Regis Duvignau
Regis Duvignau / Reuters

Apple's move this week can also be seen as an extension of a program the company launched last year, when it started providing parts and training to third-party repair shops that met Apple's qualifications. Obviously, this isn't the same as making it easy for anyone to do repairs, but opening up access means the repair landscape for Apple products has changed significantly in the last few years.

However big of a change this new plan is, though, Proctor and PIRG see this as a first step, something Apple will need to keep up and expand to really deliver what right-to-repair activists think consumers deserve. "I think Right to Repair knows what it wants, and it will be really hard to convince us to settle for anything less than an open market for repair," Proctor said. "If they had done this step years ago, maybe we would have to settle, but we have the momentum, and we are going to empower repair as much as we can. I think most legislators agree: This is just one company and a limited program. The floor got raised, but we aren't near the ceiling yet."

iFixit has a similar view on the situation. "[Apple] pioneered glued-in batteries and proprietary screws, and now they are taking the first steps on a path back to long-lasting, repairable products. iFixit believes that a sustainable, repairable world of technology is possible, and hope that Apple follows up on this commitment to improve their repairability."

As for what's to come, it sounds like Apple is committed to making this just a first step. The company said that repair options would initially focus on commonly-repaired modules in the iPhone 12 and 13, like the screen, battery and cameras, but it says that more options will come in the following year. We don't know if Apple will ever give right-to-repair activists everything they want. It seems unlikely that Apple will make an iPhone where you can just pop it open and drop a new battery in, like the phones of old.

Apple can often be a bellwether for the rest of the industry — just look how quickly other phone-makers dropped their headphone jacks. So, it's possible we'll see some other big consumer electronics companies make similar moves. "I think other companies will follow," Proctor said. He also noted that Google had just released software that lets a replacement display on the Pixel 6 be properly calibrated to work with the in-screen fingerprint sensor." We see a lot of changes in the works, and we are hopeful we can set a new baseline [for] access to repair." If that happens, we'll likely remember Apple's about-face as a catalyst for these changes — assuming the company follows through with its new stance and makes it easier for owners to repair a wider variety of its products.

The OnePlus 9 Pro is $270 off right now

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 09:17 AM PST

If you're looking for an alternative smartphone to an iPhone, Samsung handset or Pixel, you can't go far wrong with the OnePlus 9 Pro. It has many of the bells and whistles you'd expect from a premium smartphone. Just before Black Friday, you can pick up the OnePlus 9 Pro from the OnePlus website, Amazon or Best Buy for $799, $270 less than the regular price.

Buy OnePlus 9 Pro at OnePlus - $799Buy OnePlus 9 Pro at Amazon - $799Buy OnePlus 9 Pro at Best Buy - $799

We gave the OnePlus Pro 9 a score of 88 in our review, calling it the best OnePlus phone to date. The IP68-rated device has a 6.7-inch, 3,216 x 1,440 screen with brightness of up to 1,300 nits and a 120Hz maximum refresh rate. It includes dual speakers, a microSIM slot and a USB-C port that's compatible with the OnePlus Warp Charge adaptor.

The OnePlus 9 Pro features Hasselblad lenses on the rear, including a 48MP main camera, 50MP ultra-wide camera and 8MP telephoto camera. The array can shoot 8K video at 30fps, but we had reservations about the telephoto lens, which sometimes overexposed images in scenarios with a lot of light.

The device is powered by a Snapdragon 888 processor, which is plenty capable. It comes with 12GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. The dual 4,500mAh battery cells should get you a full day of use on a single charge.

The standard OnePlus 9 is on sale too. You can pick it up for $599 at Amazon and Best Buy — $130 off the regular price. It has a slightly smaller 6.5-inch, Full HD display and also runs on a Snapdragon 888 with the same RAM and storage as its larger sibling. Although it too has Hasselblad cameras, the OnePlus 9 has an older 48-megapixel sensor to reduce the cost.

Buy OnePlus 9 at Amazon - $599Buy OnePlus 9 at Best Buy - $599

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Miami votes to end electric scooter pilot program

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 09:02 AM PST

Once home to most electric scooters in the US, Miami is turning its back on the micromobility vehicles. Per the Miami Herald, city commissioners voted on Thursday to end a multi-year pilot that had allowed companies like Bird and Lime to operate shared scooter rentals within the city's core. Those companies now have until 5PM on Friday, November 19th, to collect their electric scooters. If they don't comply in time, the city will impound the vehicles.

"We're shutting it down," Commissioner Alex Díaz de la Portilla told the outlet. "That's it." Like in many other cities across the US and other parts of the world, electric scooters were a source of controversy in Miami. Supporters claimed they were an effective solution for last-mile travel, while detractors said they made city sidewalks unsafe. It's that latter point of view that swayed the commission's vote.

"On Biscayne Boulevard, at whatever hour of the day, you see kids on these scooters," said Commissioner Díaz de la Portilla. "This is an accident waiting to happen." Ken Russell, the lone commissioner who voted against ending the program, pointed out it had been a revenue generator for the city. Miami had earned approximately $2.4 million through the pilot program, and it had used that money to fund new bike lanes.

The vote caught the scooter companies off guard. "We're extremely disappointed in the Commission's hasty and short-sighted action to end the scooter program, taking away a safe and popular transportation option used by thousands of Miami residents daily and putting dozens of workers out of a job the week before Thanksgiving," said Caroline Samponaro, vice president of transit, bike and scooter policy at Lyft, in a statement shared with Engadget.

As the Miami Herald points out, there is a chance scooters could return to Miami. City staff are drafting rules that would allow rental companies to bid for a contract to operate in the city as part of a permanent program. But based on the fact the Miami City Commission would need to vote to authorize such a program, it's not clear if there's enough support.

Bose's QuietComfort 45 headphones drop to $279, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 08:45 AM PST

We're officially one week out from Black Friday and it seems most retailers have launched at least a portion of their deals and sales already. You can find the exhaustive list on our deals homepage, but we've gathered the highlights here. Bose's new QuietComfort 45 headphones remain on sale for $279, while the Mac Mini M1 is still $100 off. A bunch of Amazon and Google devices have been discounted, and you can still get the second-generation Apple Pencil for $100. Here are the best early Black Friday tech deals that you can still get today.

Bose QuietComfort 45

With the latest installment in its popular QuietComfort lineup, Bose revisits some of its best headphones ever with timely upgrades.
Billy Steele/Engadget

Bose's new QuietComfort 45 headphones are on sale for $279 right now, or $50 off their normal price. We gave them a score of 86 for their clear, balanced audio, improved ANC and long battery life.

Buy QuietComfort 45 at Amazon - $279

Mac Mini M1

Apple Mac mini
Engadget

Apple's Mac Mini M1 is on sale for $600 thanks to an automatically applied coupon at Amazon. It was already the most affordable M1 machine you could get, but these deal makes it even cheaper. It's the best option if you need a compact desktop that runs macOS and has a newer, more powerful processor.

Buy Mac Mini M1 at Amazon - $600

HomePod Mini

Apple HomePod Mini
Apple

The new colors of the HomePod mini are $5 cheaper right now at B&H Photo, bringing them down to $95 each. It's not a huge discount, but we rarely see these smart speakers drop below $85 - $90 a piece. We gave the HomePod mini a score of 84 for its solid audio quality, cute and compact design and improved Siri smarts.

Buy HomePod mini at B&H - $95

Apple Pencil (2nd-gen)

Apple Pencil 2nd generation
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The second-generation Apple Pencil is on sale for $100 right now, which is an all-time-low price. It works with all iPads except for the latest 10.2-inch entry-level model, which still supports the first-gen stylus. It's a must-have if you plan on taking notes or creating artwork with your iPad.

Buy Apple Pencil (2nd gen) at Amazon - $100

Samsung foldables

The Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 half folded and set up on a table.
David Imel for Engadget

Samsung's latest foldables are on sale for Black Friday, and you can get a free pair of Galaxy Buds 2 when you buy. The Z Flip 3 is down to $850 while the Z Fold 3 is on sale for $1,500 — if you buy through Amazon, you just have to apply the free-earbuds promotional offer on the product page before checking out.

Buy Z Flip 3 at Amazon - $850Buy Z Flip 3 at Samsung - $900Buy Z Fold 3 at Amazon - $1,500Buy Z Fold 3 at Samsung - $1,500

Google deals

Google Nest Audio smart speaker sitting on a wooden tablet next to a green plant, against a blue wall.
Engadget

A number of Google gadgets have been discounted ahead of Black Friday. Key among them are the Pixel 6 smartphone for up to $100 off, the Nest Hub for half off and the Nest Audio for only $60.

Buy Pixel 6 at Best Buy - $499Buy Nest Hub at Best Buy - $50Buy Nest Audio at Best Buy - $60

Sony WH-1000XM4

Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones
Billy Steele / Engadget

Sony's WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for $248, which is a record-low price. These are our current favorite ANC cans and we gave them a score of 94 for their excellent sound quality, good ANC and multi-device connectivity.

Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248

Sony WF-1000XM4

Sony totally overhauled its true wireless earbuds with a new design, more powerful noise cancellation, improved battery life and more. However, the choice to change to foam tips leads to an awkward fit that could be an issue for some people. The M4 is also more expensive than its predecessor, which wouldn’t be a big deal if fit wasn’t a concern.
Billy Steele/Engadget

Sony's excellent WF-1000XM4 earbuds are still down to $248. We gave them a score of 86 for their great sound quality, powerful ANC and improved battery life.

Buy WF-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248

Jabra Elite 75t

Jabra Elite 75t wireless earbuds
Billy Steele / Engadget

Jabra's Elite 75 earbuds are on sale for $80, which is $70 off and a record low. While not the latest earbuds from Jabra, they remain some of our favorites thanks to their solid audio quality, comfortable design and new ANC abilities that came through a recent software update.

Buy Elite 75t at Amazon - $80

August WiFi smart lock

August WiFi smart lock
Engadget

The 4th-generation August WiFi smart lock is on sale for $179 right now. We gave the smart home gadget a score of 80 for its minimalist design, easy installation process and mandatory two-factor authentication.

Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon - $179Buy August WiFi smart lock at Wellbots - $179

Samsung T7 SSD

Samsung T7 SSD
Samsung

Samsung's T7 portable SSD in 1TB has dropped to a record low of $130. You can also grab the 2TB model on sale for $250 right now, too. We like these compact drives for their durable yet sleek design, speedy performance and optional password protection.

Buy Samsung T7 (1TB) at Amazon - $130Buy Samsung T7 (2TB) at Amazon - $250

Roku Streambar

Roku Streambar soundbar on a white table.
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

Roku's Streambar is on sale for $80 right now, or $50 off its normal price. That's the best price we've seen on the compact soundbar. It earned a score of 86 from us for its solid audio quality, Dolby Atmos support and built-in 4K streaming technology.

Buy Streambar at Amazon - $80Buy Streambar at Roku - $80

Amazon Echo devices

Amazon Echo 2020
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

Amazon's slashed the prices of most of its Echo devices ahead of Black Friday. Of note are the Echo smart speaker for $60 and the latest Echo Show 5 for $45. The sale includes other items like the Echo Buds and the Echo Frames, and we recommend grabbing Echo devices now while they're at all-time-low prices and before shipping times get too long.

Buy Echo at Amazon - $60Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon - $45

Amazon Fire tablets

Amazon Fire HD 8 (2020)
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

A number of regular and kids edition Fire tablets have been discounted ahead of Black Friday. Notably, the Fire HD 8 and HD 10 are half off, while all Fire Kids Pro devices are at record-low prices. 

Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon - $45Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon - $75

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max
Amazon

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $35, or $20 off its normal price. It has all of the same features as the standard 4K streaming stick that Amazon sells, but it also supports WiFi 6 and picture-in-picture live view.

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K Max at Amazon - $35

Kindle

Amazon Kindle
Engadget

The basic Kindle is on sale for $50, which is a record-low price. While it doesn't have all the bells and whistles of the Paperwhite, it remains a solid e-reader thanks to its front-lit display, sleek design and improved contrast display.

Buy Kindle at Amazon - $50

Blink cameras

Blink security cameras
Amazon / Blink

Most Blink security cameras have been discounted ahead of Black Friday: a one-pack of the Outdoor cam is on sale for $60, the same configuration for the Indoor camera is down to $50 and the tiny, wired Blink Mini is on sale for $20.

Buy Blink Outdoor at Amazon - $60Buy Blink Indoor at Amazon - $50Buy Blink Mini at Amazon - $20

Solo Stove

Solo Stove
Engadget

Solo Stove's early Black Friday sale knocks up to $200 off its fire pits. The midrange Bonfire is on sale for $225, which is $125 off its normal price. These stainless steel fire pits have made it into some of our outdoor-focused guides, and we like them for their attractive designs and their ability to create a cozy fire that doesn't emit tons of smoke.

Shop Solo Stove Black Friday sale

Adobe All Apps plan

Over the Shoulder: Creative Young Woman Digital Editor Works in Photo Editing Software on Her Personal Computer with Big Display. In the Background Loft Office with Diverse Team of Young Professionals
gorodenkoff via Getty Images

New Adobe subscribers can get the All Apps plan for only $30 per month, which is 40 percent off its normal price. That gets you Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Premiere Pro and Acrobat, which are most of Adobe's most popular programs. Students can save even more: the discount is $16 per month for them, or 70 percent off the normal rate.

Buy All Apps plan at Adobe - $30/month

Arturia sale

Arturia FX Collection 2 synth plugins
Arturia

Arturia's early Black Friday sale knocks 50 percent off software through December 8th. That includes the FX Collection 2 vintage plugin set, which is now $199, the V Collection 8 synth keyboard pack for $299 and the Pigments soft synth with the Spectrum sound pack for $99.

Shop Arturia Black Friday sale

New early Black Friday tech deals

Jabra 85h

Jabra's 85h wireless headphones are back down to their lowest price yet, only $150. We gave them a score of 84 when they first came out in 2019 for their custom EQ and ANC modes, solid onboard controls and insane battery life.

Buy Jabra 85h at Amazon - $150

NordVPN

NordVPN has a promotion going on right now that gets you two years of the service for $89. That's 68 percent off its normal price. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.

Buy NordVPN (2 years) - $89

Segway Kickscooter Max

Wellbots has the Segway Kickscooter Max for $150 off, bringing it down to $799 when you use the code ENGADGET150 at checkout. This model has the longest driving range of all Ninebot scooters, pneumatic inflatable tires, 6-hour fast charging and more.

Buy Kickscooter Max at Wellbots - $799

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Early Black Friday gaming deals include one year of PS Plus for $40

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 07:42 AM PST

Just ahead of Black Friday, some solid gaming deals are popping up. A 12-month subscription to PlayStation Plus is currently $40 on Amazon. It typically costs $60 and it's a digital code, so you won't have to wait for delivery. If you're already a PS Plus member, it's still worth checking out this deal, since you can stack additional subscriptions.

Buy PS Plus (1 year) at Amazon - $40

You'll need a PS Plus membership to play most multiplayer games on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5. There are exceptions for some free-to-play games, including Fortnite. In addition, members often get discounts on digital purchases through the PlayStation Store, as well as cloud storage and backups for game save files.

One of the major value adds of PS Plus is that players receive a mystery bag of a few games each month across PS4 and PS5. There are three extra PS VR games this month to mark the headset's fifth anniversary. You'll retain access to claimed PS Plus games as long as you maintain your subscription.

PS5 owners can take advantage of the PS Plus Collection too. It's a selection of first-party and third-party PS4 games, some of which have been patched for better performance on PS5. The lineup includes God of War, Monster Hunter: World, Final Fantasy XV, Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Ratchet & Clank, Days Gone, Battlefield 1, Batman: Arkham Knight, The Last Guardian, The Last of Us Remastered, Persona 5 and Resident Evil 7. The same rule applies: if your PS Plus subscription lapses, you won't be able to play games you claimed through the collection.

Of course, given that this is the biggest shopping season of the year, there are discounts on games as well, and many of the better deals are for physical editions. You can find savings on PlayStation console exclusives like Deathloop ($25 at GameStop if you click 'New' and $30 at Amazon, usually $60), the director's cut of Ghost of Tsushima on PS5 (down from $70 to $50), Demon's Souls (also reduced by $30 to $40) and, in one of the bigger discounts, Returnal, which has dropped from $70 to $30.

There are good deals on multi-platform titles too, such as Eidos-Montreal's surprisingly wonderful Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy, which is half off at $30 on all platforms. Hitman 3 and Resident Evil: Village are both less than half price at the minute at $20. Hades, which is widely regarded as one of the best games of 2020, is also $20 on all platforms.

Far Cry 6 is a third off at $40, and you can save on FIFA 22 as well. The latest edition of EA's famed soccer series is $40 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S (it's a digital code for the latter consoles), and $28 on PS4 and Xbox One.

The PS5 digital edition and Xbox Series S don't have disc drives, so deals on physical games won't mean much to owners of those consoles. However, it's worth checking out the PlayStation and Xbox digital stores for Black Friday deals there too.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Sony's excellent WH-1000XM4 headphones are back down to $248

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 07:11 AM PST

Sony made the best even better with this year's WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones and they're back on sale ahead of Black Friday. You can grab the cans for $248 right now, or more than $100 off their normal price. If you prefer earbuds, the WF-1000XM4 have been discounted for a bit and remain down to $248 as well.

Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon - $248Buy WH-1000XM4 at Best Buy - $248Buy WF-1000XM4 earbuds at Amazon - $248Buy WF-1000XM4 earbuds at Best Buy - $248

All of the key (and stellar) features of the previous WH-1000XM3 are in the latest headphones, but the new model has a few upgrades, too. The design is slightly sleeker and more comfortable, and you'll get about 30 hours on a single charge so you can wear them for long stretches of time. Sound quality is great with punchy bass, and Sony's 360 Reality Audio provides an immersive experience similar to that of Dolby Atmos. Active noise cancellation is also solid and, with Adaptive Sound Control enabled, the headphones will automatically adjust the level of noise cancellation based on your environment.

We also appreciate the addition of two new features: multi-device connectivity and Speak to Chat. The former allows you to connect the XM4 to a couple of devices at once, switching between them at will. The latter will automatically pause audio coming from the headphones when it detects you speaking. Most people will likely use the former feature more on a regular basis, but the latter is nice to have, too.

For those who prefer earbuds, you'll get many similar features in the WF-1000XM4. These earned a score of 86 from us for their excellent sound quality and ANC, improved battery life and wireless charging case. They also have the same Speak-to-Chat feature that the headphones have, even if it can be a bit finicky sometimes. The ANC on these buds is noticeably better than that of their predecessors, and they also support 360 Reality Audio.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by visiting our deals homepage and following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter.

All products recommended by Engadget are selected by our editorial team, independent of our parent company. Some of our stories include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Samsung’s Black Friday sale knocks up to $300 off foldables and includes free earbuds

Posted: 19 Nov 2021 05:55 AM PST

Samsung's latest family of foldables is its best yet, but also its most expensive. Their high price tags can make it hard to be an early adopter without emptying your bank account. But Black Friday sales have come in clutch for the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Galaxy Z Fold 3 — both are on sale for record-low prices at Amazon right now. The Z Flip 3 is $150 off and down to $850 while the Z Fold 3 is $300 off and down to $1,500. Both also come with a free pair of Galaxy Buds 2 if you apply the promotional offer on the product page before checking out. If you'd rather order directly from Samsung, you can get the same deal on the Z Fold 3 there, but the Z Flip 3 costs an extra $50.

Buy Z Flip 3 at Amazon - $850Buy Z Flip 3 at Samsung - $900Buy Z Fold 3 at Amazon - $1,500Buy Z Fold 3 at Samsung - $1,500

Out of the two, the Z Flip 3 impressed us more, in part because Samsung fixed many of the problems found in its predecessor. While you'll still notice a crease in its 6.7-inch AMOLED display, it's not as noticeable as before, and the screen and the device overall seems more durable this time around. The handset doesn't scratch as easily anymore and it's IPX8 water resistant, too.

The main screen runs at 2,640 x 1,080 resolution and is lovely to use, and it supports up to 120Hz refresh rates. When folded, the 1.9-inch external screen displays short bits of information like the weather and calendar events, and it can be used to quickly access certain features like Samsung Pay. We also appreciate the new software features that Samsung built in that are foldable specific such as Flex Mode, which will show things like a a YouTube video on the top half of the display when the device is partially folded and the comments section on the bottom.

While the Z Flip 3 is both impressive and fairly practical, we found the Z Fold 3 to be remarkable but much less useful. It's larger and heavier for one, and when closed, it's narrower than most smartphones, which makes it a bit awkward. Its 7.6-inch AMOLED interior display provides an immersive experience and is more flexible than previous iterations, and we appreciate the S Pen support. But overall, it's not the best smartphone nor the best small tablet. However, that might not matter to those who are super excited about owning a foldable — and these Black Friday sales make that reality a bit more accessible.

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