Sunday, July 17, 2022

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‘Her Story’ creator Sam Barlow delays ‘Immortality’ to August 30th

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 02:32 PM PDT

Immortality, the next game from Her Story and Telling Lies creator Sam Barlow, has been delayed. Previously scheduled to arrive on PC, Xbox and mobile on July 26th, the game will now launch on August 30th. Barlow announced the delay on Twitter.

"Today we're pushing back the release date for Immortality to August 30th, 2022," he said this week. "It has taken decades for Marissa Marcel's work to find the light of day, so we're happy to spend a month more to ensure the experience is as polished as possible."

Like Barlow's past projects, Immortality is a full-motion video game. You'll need to find out what happened to actor Marissa Marcel by watching lost footage from three films she stared in before her disappearance. Barlow hired Allan Scott and Amelia Gray – best known for work on Queen's Gambit and Mr. Robot, respectively – to help with the project. Barlow previously hinted Immortality would make its way to other platforms after its initial release.

Dbrand’s ‘Something’ skins make your phone look like a Nothing Phone 1

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 01:04 PM PDT

Most reviews agree: the Nothing Phone 1 is a striking device. But thanks to limited availability, good lucking buying one – especially if you live in the US or Canada. Enter Dbrand. The accessory maker has announced a new "Something" line of skins that promise to transform your iPhone 13 Pro Max, Pixel 6 Pro or Galaxy S22 Ultra.

You might think Dbrand is playing with fire here, and you're probably right. "Some might accuse us of theft. Here's our counter: we stole nothing," the company says on its website. "That's not theft - it's plagiarism, which is definitely not a crime. We checked," Dbrand adds after noting it spent "a lot of time" taking apart electronics, an investment the company says makes it "uniquely qualified to rip off an industrial design and 'creatively reinterpret' it for other devices." 

Dbrand is no stranger to these kinds of marketing stunts. At the end of last year, the company made headlines when it stopped selling custom PlayStation 5 faceplates following a cease-and-desist letter from Sony. Days later, the company announced a new version of its "Darkplates" it claimed Sony would not have a legal case against. We wouldn't rule out the possibility that Nothing founder Carl Pei is involved. Pei is widely credited for the guerilla marketing strategy that put OnePlus on the map.  

Something skins are available to buy through Dbrand's website. You can get one for $24.95. 

Elon Musk asks court to delay Twitter trial start to February 2023

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 10:40 AM PDT

Elon Musk's lawyers allege Twitter is pushing for an unreasonably fast trial over allegations the Tesla and SpaceX CEO improperly ended his $44 billion bid to buy the social media platform, reports Bloomberg. "Twitter's sudden request for warp speed after two months of foot-dragging and obfuscation is its latest tactic to shroud the truth about spam accounts long enough to railroad defendants into closing," Musk's legal team wrote in a complaint filed Friday in response to Twitter's July 12th lawsuit.

The two sides are pushing for the case to be considered on dramatically different timelines. Noting the deal has an October 24th "drop-dead date," Twitter asked for a four-day trial that would conclude before the end of September. Meanwhile, Musk's team says the case should go to trial no sooner than February 13th, 2023. 

"The core dispute over false and spam accounts is fundamental to Twitter's value," Musk's lawyers wrote, reiterating the billionaire's claim that Twitter falsely represented the volume of bots on its platform. "It is also extremely fact and expert intensive, requiring substantial time, requiring substantial time for discovery."

Thankfully, neither side will have to wait long to find out when proceedings start. On Friday, Delaware Chancery Court Judge Kathaleen McCormick scheduled a 90-minute hearing for July 19th. The session will see McCormick hear arguments for a September trial.

FCC needs additional $3 billion to help US carriers replace Huawei and ZTE equipment

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 08:59 AM PDT

Removing Chinese equipment from American wireless networks will cost more than anticipated. On Friday, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel told Congress the agency needs an additional $3 billion to reimburse carriers that "rip and replace" their Huawei and ZTE infrastructure, reports Reuters.

In 2020, former President Donald Trump signed the Secure and Trusted Communications Networks Act, mandating that US telecoms replace any "suspect foreign network equipment" from their networks. The bill also required the FCC to create a program for compensating affected carriers. That same year, the agency estimated it would cost telecoms more than $1.8 billion to comply with the order, though it eventually set aside $1.9 billion for reimbursements.

After receiving 181 applications at the start of 2022, the FCC said US carriers had collectively asked for $5.6 billion to replace all their Huawei and ZTE equipment. On Friday, Rosenworcel said that funding "all reasonable and supported cost estimates" would cost a total of $4.98 billion, indicating the FCC found merit in the majority of claims it received at the start of the year.

"Absent an additional appropriation, the Commission will apply the prioritization scheme Congress specified," Rosenworcel said in a letter to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation. She added the FCC would begin processing reimbursements "as allocations are issued in the coming days." Without additional funding from Congress, the FCC only has enough to reimburse companies about 40 percent of their costs.

US and Russia agree to swap seats on space station flights

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 08:22 AM PDT

The US may have imposed economic sanctions against Russia over the war in Ukraine, but in space, the two countries are finding ways to continue working together. NASA and Roscosmos have signed a long-awaited agreement to swap seats on flights to the International Space Station. After the space shuttle program shut down, NASA relied on Russian Soyuz flights for years to ferry its astronauts to the orbiting lab. That is, until SpaceX succeeded in getting the Crew Dragon certified for human spaceflights. Now, the agency will again be securing seats on the Soyuz, while Russian cosmonauts will be flying aboard SpaceX Crew Dragon flights. 

NASA said in a statement provided to The New York Times:

"Flying integrated crews ensures there are appropriately trained crew members on board the station for essential maintenance and spacewalks. It also protects against contingencies such as a problem with any crew spacecraft, serious crew medical issues or an emergency aboard the station that requires a crew and the vehicle they are assigned to return to Earth sooner than planned."

In other words, the agreement will ensure that both the US- and the Russian-operated segments of the station will never be unmanned in case of canceled flights or other emergencies. The agency also said that the first integrated flights will take place in September, with Anna Kikina being the first Russian cosmonaut to fly on a Crew Dragon. She will be joined by NASA's Nicole Mann and Josh Cassada, as well as Japan's Koichi Wakata. Meanwhile, NASA astronaut Frank Rubio will be heading to the ISS aboard a Soyuz flight. In the spring of 2023, Russia's Andrei Fedyaev and NASA's Loral O'Hara will also be swapping seats. No money will change hands under the agreement, unlike in the past when NASA paid Roscosmos around $56 million a seat.

The announcement comes at the same time as Dmitry Rogozin's dismissal as the head of Roscosmos. Rogozin had made controversial statements and decisions for years, but especially in recent months following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. After the European Space Agency formally backed out of the ExoMars joint mission with Russia, for instance, Rogozin said he ordered the Roscosmos crew to stop working with the European-made robotic arm on the ISS. Roscosmos, under his leadership, also distributed images of cosmonauts holding the flags of pro-Russian separatists in Ukraine. NASA issued a statement afterward, saying it "strongly rebukes using the International Space Station for political purposes to support [the] war against Ukraine."

The Times said Kremlin's spokesperson clarified that Rogozin's dismissal has nothing to do with his performance. According to Space, Latvia-based news outlet Meduza reported that Rogozin would be assigned as Putin's chief of staff or as an administrator overseeing the Ukraine territories Russia had occupied, but neither rumor has been confirmed just yet. 

Recommended Reading: Apple's self-driving struggles

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 07:00 AM PDT

Inside Apple's eight-year struggle to build a self-driving car

Wayne Ma, The Information

By now, you've likely heard at least some of the rumors about Apple's secretive automotive ambitions. The Information spoke to nearly two dozen people about the self-driving car project to chronicle all of the development, demos, prototypes and staff departures along the way. 

How Elon Musk damaged Twitter and left it worse off

Kate Conger and Mike Isaac, The New York Times

Elon Musk's bid to buy Twitter not only hasn't resulted in an acquisition, but it put a spotlight on some of the social platform's biggest issues. 

Burning down the House: How 'Game of Thrones' enters a new age with 'House of the Dragon'

Nick Romano, Entertainment Weekly

If you're eagerly awaiting the debut of HBO's Game of Thrones prequel series next month, EW has a preview of what to expect with commentary from the show's cast and creators. 

Putin signs law prohibiting crypto payments in Russia

Posted: 16 Jul 2022 05:50 AM PDT

People in Russia will soon no longer be allowed to use digital assets as a form of payment. Russian president Vladimir Putin has signed a bill into law prohibiting the use of digital assets, such as cryptocurrency and NFTs, to pay for goods and services. In addition, as Protocol notes, the new law also requires crypto exchanges and providers to refuse transactions in which digital transfers can be interpreted as a form of payment. The new law states:

"It is prohibited to transfer or accept digital financial assets as a consideration for transferred goods, performed works, rendered services, as well as in any other way that allows one to assume payment for goods (works, services) by a digital financial asset, except as otherwise provided by federal laws."

As a New York Times report said earlier this year, US authorities believe that some Russian companies affected by sanctions imposed against their country after its invasion of Ukraine could be using cryptocurrency to circumvent those limitations. The value of Bitcoin even surged for a few days after the invasion started in February.

That said, Russian authorities aren't quite keen on digital assets: The Central Bank of Russia called for an outright ban on cryptocurrency. That most likely didn't happen, because Russia's Finance Ministry was opposed to the idea and believed it was necessary to allow crypto technology to develop. In 10 days' time, the law will take effect and will make paying with crypto illegal in the country. According to Decrypt, though, Russians can still invest in cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin and presumably continue mining them as well. 

Exclusive: Amazon instructs New York workers 'don't sign' union cards

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 05:42 PM PDT

Amazon, the second-largest employer in the United States, has made plain its desire to keep its workforce from unionizing. In one of its warehouses, ALB1 in upstate New York, that message has become crystal clear: "Don't sign a card." 

Photos of the new digital signage were sent to Engadget by an employee at the facility. Their presence was confirmed by a second employee, David, who claims to have been at the fulfillment center approximately since its opening in 2020. According to David (whose full name is being withheld for fear of retribution by his employer), the carousel of anti-union posters went up today and cycles between approximately seven different slides, each actively discouraging workers from signing a union card. "It's on a constant loop while people punch in and punch out of their shifts," he said, "[when] they go on their breaks, or they go on their lunch. Any time that we're going to be up towards the front." 

Amazon has been known to post signage meant to discourage unionization at other facilities. As Vicereported in March, workers at JFK8 in Staten Island, New York were treated to an array of posters with circumspect slogans like "Is union life for me?" and "Will the [Amazon Labor Union]'s voice replace mine?" The signage at ALB1 appears to represent the most forceful tack the company has taken in expressing its disdain for an organized workforce. The company also has a track record of breaking labor laws and frustrating organizing efforts: firing or otherwise retaliating against workers, preventing workers from handing out pamphlets, and interfering with a union election. Behind closed doors, the company also planned a smear campaign against a prominent organizer. 

We've asked both Amazon and the National Labor Relations Board for comment on the legality of this signage and will update our story if receive a response. 

Workers at ALB1 have been pushing to form a union since at least May. It's not yet clear if the organizing efforts are pointed toward joining Amazon Labor Union, the grassroots group that successfully voted to unionize one of the Staten Island facilities in April. That said, based on the new signage, management at this fulfillment center appears to consider the group its primary threat. Nearly all of the signs specifically reference ALU, which the company calls "untested and unproven." Another even suggests joining ALU would involve giving up some measure of personal privacy, though it's not clear in what way. We've asked ALU for comment as well and will update this story if we hear back from the group. 

'World of Warcraft: Dragonflight' won't use gendered language in its character generator

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 03:25 PM PDT

World of Warcraft: Dragonflight is joining the ranks of games with more inclusive character generators. Both Wowhead and Polygon note the expansion's new alpha release has dropped gendered language from its character creator. Instead of the male and female options you frequently see in these tools, they're now divided into respective "Body 1" and "Body 2" sections. While they effectively offer the same characteristics as before, you can now build a gender non-conforming adventurer without any awkward wording.

Wowhead also found code suggesting that you may get to choose he/him, she/her and they/them pronouns in a future release, which could help other players address your character accordingly. Game director Ion Hazzikostas also suggested in an interview that there might be a way to choose your character's voice at some point, although the most recent alpha version pulled references to that potential feature.

The changes might not be as substantial as you'd like. You can't have facial hair and breasts on the same character in the alpha, for instance. Still, this could make World of Warcraft more appealing if you're non-binary, transgender or otherwise don't fit neatly into conventional gender representations.

'The Sims 4' will let players change their characters' sexual orientation

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 02:09 PM PDT

EA will release the 12th expansion pack for The Sims 4 on July 28th. Starting on the same day, all players (including those who don't buy the High School Years DLC) will be able to change their Sims' sexual orientation, as part of the developers' efforts to bolster LGBTQIA+ representation in the game.

"Between this update and the recent pronouns update, we're taking several strides forward into being a game that respects and celebrates the nuance and color of everyday life," a Sims 4 lead designer known as SimGuruJessica wrote in the announcement. Developer Maxis worked with GLAAD and the It Gets Better Project "to ensure that we've captured the widest possible range of viewpoints on how to approach this feature in a manner that respects and elevates the community."

There are several attraction settings for each Sim, which you can adjust via the ellipsis menu under the gender selection option on the Create A Sim screen. You can determine whether your Sim is attracted to men or women (or neither), if your Sim's orientation can change during gameplay and which genders they can "WooHoo" (i.e. have sex) with. Players can alter these settings at any time.

You can have an asexual Sim who's romantically interested in other Sims and an aromantic Sim who is happy to WooHoo other characters but won't enter into a relationship with them. Casual sex is a new feature in The Sims 4, since WooHoo has always been locked behind the romance mechanic. Young adult and older Sims will be able to ask close friends to hop in the sack as WooHoo partners. A rejected invitation could lead to an awkward interaction, though.

"I want to again acknowledge that these topics are complex and full of nuance," SimGuruJessica wrote. "We consider this a version 1.0, and are absolutely looking forward to seeing what further tools we might add to allow players to tell a broader range of stories."

While players can change their Sims' pronouns, the romance and WooHoo options are gender binary for now due to how the game was created. "Mechanically, non-binary Sims don't yet exist in [The Sims 4]," SimGuruJessica noted. "While we made great progress in representing non-binary Sims with the pronouns update, we acknowledge that pronouns are not the same thing as gender identities. We recognize that we still have a ways to go in this regard." Adding the systems needed to properly support non-binary Sims will take a little more time, but Maxis is working on it.

Same-sex relationships have been present in the series since the very first game (an E3 demo in 1999 famously depicted two women kissing). Still, these new settings will enable players to have more control over the stories they want to tell. Maxis has been working to improve representation in The Sims 4 on other fronts. In 2020, the team added more than 100 skin tones and sliders to customize them.

TikTok's global security chief is stepping down amid US user data controversy

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 12:27 PM PDT

TikTok's global chief security officer (CSO) will step down from that position and shift into a strategic advisory role. Roland Cloutier's change in duties follows concerns about how the company is handling US user data. TikTok recently admitted that employees outside of the country were able to access that information, although "robust cybersecurity controls and authorization" from its US security team were required.

Cloutier will be an adviser on the business impact of TikTok's security and trust programs. TikTok's head of security risk, vendor and client assurance, Kim Albarella, will take over as the chief of the company's worldwide security teams on an interim basis.

"Part of our evolving approach has been to minimize concerns about the security of user data in the US, including the creation of a new department to manage US user data for TikTok," CEO Shou Zi Chew wrote in a memo to TikTok staff. "This is an important investment in our data protection practices, and it also changes the scope of the global chief security officer role. With this in mind, Roland has decided to step back from his day-to-day operations as global CSO, effective September 2nd."

A TikTok spokesperson told The Wall Street Journal Cloutier wasn't overseeing the new team that manages US user data. That department reports to Chew directly. Cloutier's departure wasn't related to lawmakers' concerns over US data security, the spokesperson said, and the shift had been in the works for a couple of months.

Last month, BuzzFeed News reported that China-based engineers at TikTok's parent company ByteDance accessed non-public data on US TikTok users on multiple occasions between at least last September and January. TikTok said it's now storing all US users' data on Oracle cloud servers located in the country and that it was working to remove such private data from its own servers. In a letter to a group of Republican senators this month, Chew wrote that the company is focused on removing "any doubt about the security of US user data."

Sony completes $3.6 billion deal to buy Bungie

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 12:06 PM PDT

The developer behind Destiny is now a part of the Sony universe. Sony Interactive Entertainment officially closed on a $3.6 billion deal today to buy the independent game studio and publisher Bungie, according to tweets from both Bungie and PlayStation Studios. Under the terms of the acquisition, Bungie will still maintain creative control over its operations and independently develop its games. As leaders from bothcompanies have noted since the deal was announced in January, Bungie will be considered an independent subsidiary of Sony and won't be required to make either current or future games exclusive to PlayStation consoles.

As TechCrunch noted, Sony is hoping Bungie's expertise with games like Destiny will help it expand its own live service game offerings. The company plans to spend 55 percent of PlayStation's budget on live service games by 2025, revealed Sony CEO Jim Ryan at a May investor presentation. PlayStation plans on releasing 10 live service games before March 2026, and Sony believes Bungie's assistance will be crucial in this effort.

Sony this week also closed on a deal to acquire Montreal-based Haven Studios, which is working on a multiplayer title for PlayStation. And Sony is far from finished. The company plans to acquire even more studios over the next few years in a bid to grow its live service and PC offerings, as Ryan has noted in several interviews. And on the Xbox side, Microsoft's $68.7 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard is expected to close next summer.

FCC chair proposes raising broadband standard to 100Mbps

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 11:16 AM PDT

The FCC's 25Mbps broadband standard seemed fast in 2015, but that was seven years ago — and the agency's current leadership believes it's time to raise that baseline. Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has proposed raising the minimum definition of broadband to 100Mbps for downloads and 20Mbps for uploads. The previous 25/3 benchmark is both outdated and hides just how many low-income and rural internet users are being "left behind and left offline," Rosenworcel said.

The chair said multiple pieces of evidence supported the hike, including requirements for new network construction stemming from the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The FCC had already proposed upgrades to rural speeds through a special program, but this would affect the definition of broadband regardless of where users live in the country.

Rosenworcel also wanted the minimum speed to evolve over time. She proposed setting a much higher standard of 1Gbps down and 500Mbps up for some point in the future. The leader further suggested more criteria for determining the "reasonable and timely" rollout of broadband, including adoption rates, affordability, availability and equitable access.

It's unclear if the standards change will move forward. Ars Technicanotes any proposed upgrade would require a vote, and the current commission is deadlocked with two Democrats and two Republics. As the Senate has done little to advance commissioner nominee Gigi Sohn, there's no guarantee Rosenworcel (a Democrat) will get her way. Telecoms might not be thrilled, either. Comcast only last year raised the speed of its $10 Essentials tier to 50Mbps downstream — it and other carriers might have to invest in better networks to reach the 100Mbps minimum in some areas, let alone a possible 1Gbps threshold.

ESPN+ is raising the price of a monthly plan by $3 to $10

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:27 AM PDT

Disney is set to increase the price of ESPN+ plans once again. As of August 23rd, a monthly subscription will go up by $3 to $10 (a jump of 43 percent), while the annual option will be $100, up from $70, as first reported by Variety.

That's a significant price increase at a time when the prices of many goods and services are rising sharply. It's a far bigger jump than the previous ESPN+ monthly plan increases of $1 in August 2020 and again last year. ESPN+ cost just $5 per month when it debuted in 2019 and, at least at the time, it was a killer deal.

"While it is a significant change to the price, it's reflective of the increased scope, scale and value of ESPN+ as we continue to add significantly to both live sports and original programs and series, and it is part of an established plan to ensure ESPN+ is a profitable and strong long-term business," an ESPN spokesperson told The Wrap. "I think you'll also find, if you look across the sports streaming landscape, ESPN+ clearly remains the best value — in virtually all other sports streaming, you pay this price or more, and get less." 

For what it's worth, rival sports streaming services DAZN and Bally Sports+ each cost $20 per month. ESPN+ includes PGA Tour Live, which cost $10 per month when it was a standalone service, and NHL's Center Ice, which previously cost $25 per month. The platform also offers games from several major soccerleagues (though it's losing MLS to Apple next year), the NFL, college football and other sports. It's also home to ESPN original shows and docuseries, as well as various specials. As Bloomberg notes, in the first quarter of 2022, ESPN programming and production costs increased by 48 percent to $454 million.

At least for now, Disney does not plan to increase the price of the Disney Bundle. Along with ESPN+, that provides access to Disney+ and the ad-supported version of Hulu. The bundle costs $14 per month. Subscribing to all three services individually would add up to a monthly bill of $25 after the ESPN+ increase. In addition, there aren't plans to increase the price of UFC pay-per-view events on ESPN+ at the minute either.

Twitter and Elon Musk have their first court hearing on July 19th

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 10:09 AM PDT

Twitter won't have to wait long to take Elon Musk to court, in a limited fashion. Reutersreports that Delaware Court of Chancery chancellor Kathaleen McCormick has scheduled the first hearing for Twitter's lawsuits on July 19th at 11AM Eastern. The 90-minute session will have a judge hear arguments relating to Twitter's request for a September trial.

The social network sued Musk earlier this week, days after the Tesla chief filed to kill the $44 billion deal. The executive claimed that Twitter falsely represented the volume of bots and other fake accounts on its platform, withholding details to make sure the acquisition goes through. Twitter has denied the allegations. It maintained that it shared the full data pipeline, and that Musk broke the terms of the agreement by backing out with "unreasonable requests" and insults to the company.

There's still no word of a countersuit from Musk as of this writing. Even if it doesn't materialize, though, the outcome of Twitter's lawsuit will have far-reaching implications. If the court sides with Twitter, it could force Musk to either complete the purchase or pay the breakup costs associated with the agreement.

Amazon's Prime Air drones will soon make deliveries in Texas

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 09:16 AM PDT

Amazon has revealed the second city where it plans to start making drone deliveries later this year. The company says it will start contacting customers in College Station, Texas, to gauge their interest in receiving orders via Prime Air.

Amazon says it was impressed by many elements of the city, including the research being conducted by Texas A&M University, such as work on drone technology. The US Census Bureau estimates the population of College Station was 120,000 as of last July, so while it isn't the biggest city around, it seems like a decent size for the initially rollout of Prime Air.

"Amazon's new facility presents a tremendous opportunity for College Station to be at the forefront of the development of drone delivery technology," Karl Mooney, the mayor of College Station, said. "We look forward to partnering with Amazon and Texas A&M and are confident that Amazon will be a productive, conscientious, and accountable participant in our community."

Amazon last month announced it will start making drone deliveries in Lockeford, California later this year. It plans to drop packages in customers' backyards and thousands of products will be eligible for the program. Amazon will start the Prime Air service nine years (and more than two dozen prototypes) after it first revealed plans for drone deliveries.

Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K drops to $30, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:45 AM PDT

Amazon Prime Day brought a flurry of deals earlier this week, but just because the shopping event has come and gone doesn't mean all of those savings have disappeared. In fact, there are a number of good tech deals still lingering today, so you still have the chance to save some money if you missed out a few days ago. Amazon's own Fire TV Stick 4K is down to $30 at the moment, only $5 more than it was on Prime Day proper, and the Echo Show 5 Kids is also on sale for $50. Apple's AirPods Pro are still at their Prime Day price of $170, and things like Samsung's T7 Shield SSD, the Beats Studio Buds and Roku's Streambar remain discounted, too.

AirPods Pro

The AirPods Pro with the MagSafe case have been discounted to $170. These remain Apple's best sounding earbuds, and we liked them for their solid sound, powerful ANC and hands-free Siri capabilities.

Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon - $170

iPad

The 10.2-inch iPad is down to $299. We gave it a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life, better front-facing camera and increased base storage.

Buy iPad at Amazon - $299

AirPods Max

The AirPods Max are on sale for $449 right now. These headphones earned a score of 84 from us for their excellent, balanced sound, solid ANC and good battery life.

Buy AirPods Max at Amazon - $449

iPad Pro

The latest 11-inch iPad Pro has dropped to $699. We gave it and the 12.9-inch model a score of 87 for their powerful performance thanks to the M1 chipset, lovely displays and Center Stage cameras.

Buy 11-inch iPad Pro at Amazon - $699

16-inch MacBook Pro

The 16-inch MacBook Pro is down to $2,249, or $250 off its usual price. We gave it a score of 92 for its powerful performance, lovely Liquid Retina XDR displays and new bevy of ports.

Buy 16-inch MacBook Pro at Amazon - $2,249

Fire TV Stick 4K

The Fire TV Stick 4K is on sale for $30 right now, which is only $5 more than it was on Prime Day earlier this week. This one supports 4K streaming with Dolby Vision along with Dolby Atmos audio and Amazon's Fire TV OS.

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K at Amazon - $30

Echo Dot

The Echo Dot is on sale for $40 while the Echo Dot with Clock is down to $50. We like these tiny smart speakers for their good audio quality, compact design and tap-to-snooze feature.

Buy Echo Dot at Amazon - $40Buy Echo Dot with Clock at Amazon - $50

Echo Show 5 Kids

Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids
Amazon

Amazon's Echo Show 5 Kids remains nearly half off and down to $50 right now. This is the same Echo Show 5 that we gave a score of 85, but it has a more colorful design and it comes with one year of amazon Kids+.

Buy Echo Show 5 Kids at Amazon - $50

Amazon Omni Series 4K TVs

You can pick up any of a number of Amazon Fire TVs for less at the moment, but we recommend springing for one of the newer Omni Series sets. All of them stream in 4K and support HDR10, HLG and Dolby Digital Plus. The real perks come in if you're already a heavy Alexa user as these TVs have built-in microphones to allow hands-free Alexa access, so you can basically treat the TV as you would an Echo smart speaker. Currently, the 43-inch Omni Series set is $90 off and down to $320.

Buy Amazon Omni Series Fire TVs starting at $320

Chromecast with Google TV

The Chromecast with Google TV is down to $40 right now. We gave it a score of 86 for its handy remote control, good Google Assistant integration and 4K streaming chops with Dolby Vision and Atmos support.

Buy Chromecast with Google TV at Amazon - $40

65-inch LG B1 OLED smart TV (2021)

LG's 65-inch B1 OLED TV remains 30 percent off and down to $1,500. This 2021 version runs on LG's a7 Gen 4 AI Processor 4K, works with G-Sync and FreeSync technologies and has Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa support built in.

Buy 65-inch LG B1 OLED TV at Amazon - $1,500

Samsung monitors

A variety of Samsung monitors remain on sale today, and they include the company's M5 smart monitor. Both the 27-inch and 32-inch versions of the M5 have been discounted, and these displays double as smart TVs. You can use either as a regular external monitor, but built-in technology gives you access to streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and others.

Shop Samsung monitor deals at Amazon

Crucial MX500 SSD

Crucial's MX500 in 1TB is on sale for $85, or 15 percent off its usual price. It's a good option if you need a standard 2.5-inch drive that works with both laptops and desktops. It also has AES-256 bit hardware encryption and integrated power loss immunity to protect your data.

Buy Crucial MX500 (1TB) at Amazon - $85

Samsung T7 Shield

Samsung's new T7 Shield portable SSDs are still on sale for the best prices we've seen. You can pick up the 1TB model for $100 or the 2TB model for $200 — both new all-time-low prices. Samsung just came out with these drives back in April, and they're designed to be more durable versions of the standard T7 series with extra drop protection and an IP65-rated design.

Buy T7 Shield (1TB) at Amazon - $100Buy T7 Shield (2TB) at Amazon - $200

Beats Studio Buds

The Beats Studio Buds are on sale for $100 right now, or $50 off their usual rate. We gave them a score of 84 for their balanced sound, hands-free Siri controls and quick pairing with both iOS and Android.

Buy Beats Studio Buds at Amazon - $100

Beats Fit Pro

The Beats Fit Pro are 20 percent off and down to $160. We gave them a score of 87 for their comfortable, water-resistant design, good sound quality and ANC and long battery life.

Buy Beats Fit Pro at Amazon - $160

Jabra Elite 85t

Jabra's Elite 85t earbuds are on sale for $120, or a whopping 53 percent off their normal price. We like these true wireless earbuds for their strong ANC, comfortable size and wireless charging case.

Buy Jabra Elite 85t at Amazon - $120

Jabra Elite 3

Jabra's excellent Elite 3 earbuds have dropped to $50, or $30 off their normal rate. These already affordable buds earned a score of 88 from us for their impressive sound quality, good battery life, reliable touch controls and comfortable fit.

Buy Elite 3 at Amazon - $50

Roku Streambar

The Roku Streambar is down to $90 right now. It's a compact soundbar that will upgrade any living room relying on an old TV with weak audio. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid audio quality, Dolby Audio support and built-in 4K streaming technology. The more advanced Streambar Pro is on sale for $150, too.

Buy Roku Streambar at Amazon - $90Buy Sterambar Pro at Amazon - $150

Roku Express

Roku's Express streaming dongle has dropped to $18. The Express doesn't have a ton of fancy features, but it does support HD content and it comes with a high-speed HDMI cable. The Express 4K+ streamer is also on sale for $25.

Buy Roku Express at Amazon - $18Buy Roku Express 4K+ at Amazon - $25

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

The latest Roku Streaming Stick 4K is on sale for $30. It builds upon the technology in the Streaming Stick+, supporting 4K HDR10+ content, Dolby Vision, long-range WiFi, voice search and TV controls with the included remote.

Buy Roku Streaming Stick 4K at Amazon - $30

hyperX Cloud Alpha

The HyperX Cloud Alpha headset is down to a record low of $60. It works with most game consoles, including the PS5 and the Nintendo Switch, plus it has a study aluminum frame, a detachable braided cable and a removable noise cancellation microphone.

Buy Cloud Alpha at Amazon - $60

Razer Kiyo Pro

Razer's Kiyo Pro webcam is just about half off right now and down to $102. This webcam records at 1080p 60fps and has an adaptive light sensor that allows it to automatically adjust your image depending on the lighting conditions.

Buy Kiyo Pro at Amazon - $102

Samsung 980 Pro SSD

Samsung's 980 Pro is one of the best internal SSDs you can get right now and it's 43 percent off and down to $120 right now. It has sequential read speeds up to 7,000MB/s and it'll work with the PS5 as long as you have a heatsink attached.

Buy Samsung 980 Pro (1TB) at Amazon - $120

Patriot Viper VP4300 SSD

The Patriot Viper VP4300 SSD in 1TB is on sale for $105. It's our current top pick on our list of best drives for your PS5 thanks to its speedy 7,400 MB/s sequential read speeds and its pre-installed heatsink.

Buy Patriot Viper VP4300 (1TB) at Amazon - $105

PNY XLR8 CS3040 SSD

Another one of our favorite PS5 SSDs, the PNY XLR8 CS3040, has dropped to $105. It's an already affordable drive made even better by this sale, and we like its 5,600 MB/s read speeds and its five-year warranty.

Buy PNY XLR8 CS3040 (1TB) at Amazon - $105

Crucial P2 SSD

The 500GB Crucial P2 SSD is down to $43 right now, or 23 percent cheaper than usual. This model has read speeds up to 2,400 MB/s and comes with SSD management software that will help you optimize performance and install firmware updates.

Buy P2 SSD (500GB) at Amazon - $43

Crucial X6 SSD

Crucial's compact X6 portable drive in 1TB has been discounted to $80. It supports 800 MB/s read speeds, plus it works with all kinds of machines include Windows, Mac, Android and iPad devices, and even game consoles if you have the right connecting cable.

Buy X6 SSD (1TB) at Amazon - $80

Sony SRS-XB13

Sony's compact SRS-XB13 Bluetooth speaker is down to just $48, which is 20 percent off its regular price. Not only does it come in a bunch of fun colors, but this tiny speaker also has a waterproof IP67 rated design, punchy bass and a 16-hour battery life.

Buy SRS-XB13 speaker at Amazon - $48

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Apple Music counters Spotify with live sessions in spatial audio

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:15 AM PDT

Apple is no stranger to exclusive tunes, but now it's using them to more directly challenge its rivals. The company has launched an Apple Music Sessions series that, much like Spotify Sessions, revolves around live performances from big-name artists at in-house venues. Not surprisingly, Apple is wielding its technical clout to reel you in — every song is available in spatial audio, and videos of the performances are available if listening isn't enough.

The initial sessions cater to country fans, with Carrie Underwood and Tenille Townes playing favorites and covers in Apple's Nashville studio. Upcoming releases will feature the likes of Ingrid Andress and Ronnie Dunn. There will be releases for other genres, so don't worry if you prefer live music without a twang.

There's no mystery to the strategy here. As with Apple's other exclusives, ranging from early iTunes Originals through to recent spatial audio offerings, this is all about giving you a reason to either switch to the service or stay hooked. The company just isn't shy about its main competition this time — it's hoping to draw in some Spotify converts, or at least keep Apple Music fans from jumping ship.

What we bought: Engadget’s favorite backpacks

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 08:00 AM PDT

Most of us at Engadget haven't been in school for some time, but we still appreciate a good backpack when we find one. We may have ditched textbooks a while back, but we still have a lot of gear to carry around. At minimum, most of us have to lug our laptops to and from meetings, while some of us have additional camera and video gear to schlep around town. So while our current backpacks don't carry the same school gear that you might have, we're confident that they can handle everything you need to bring with you to ace your classes.

Timbuk2 Lane Commuter bag

Timbuk2 Lane Commuter bag
Andrew Tarantola / Engadget

What's green and portable and, oh hey wow, has a secret pouch in the bottom that holds a waterproof sleeve which I just right now discovered while writing this? Yeah, it's this here Timbuk2 Lane Commuter bag that I've owned, but apparently never truly known, for the past 4 years. I bought it because it's lightweight, comfortable to wear, could be expanded to accommodate oversized items, had a pair of exterior water bottle holders — one for soup, the other for more soup — and offered a generous number of pockets.

The Timbuk company has a well-earned reputation for quality construction. I still regularly carry their messenger bag a decade-plus after I bought it and this laptop bag is of parallel durability. Even after the rigors of a few CESes, the Timbuk has shown remarkably little evidence of wear and tear. The color hasn't noticeably faded and the straps are still unfrayed. Nor is my laptop any worse for wear despite the bag's rough-and-tumble travel. And while my bag was pretty well water resistant before, the discovery of this sheath is a handy additional layer of protection — not to mention a teaching moment about the importance of paying attention when unboxing new gear. – Andrew Tarantola, Senior Reporter

Baggallini Soho Backpack

Baggallini Soho Backpack
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

I had gone through a number of backpacks before receiving this Baggallini bag as a gift, and I can say that most of my previous daily carries can't hold a candle to this one. It's hard to find backpacks that are both durable and have some style that's not strictly utilitarian. The Soho Backpacks fits the bill nicely with its water-resistant nylon fabric and taller doctor-bag profile. I can hold up to a 13-inch laptop in the interior padded sleeve and I like the healthy number of pockets the bag has. I most often use the front two pockets for quick-access things like my phone and keys, and pretty much every time I go out, both side pockets are filled with a water bottle and an umbrella. I also appreciate its luggage handle sleeve, which lets me rest my back a little bit while traveling.

While I'm glad I have this bag now to support me through all kinds of trips, I often think back on my college years and how useful it would have been to have then. I carried a lot of inadequate bags back then, and I'm pretty sure some of my back problems are a direct result of that. At least now I can prevent further injury by carrying this practical yet somewhat stylish backpack whenever necessary. – Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack

Peak Design 45L Travel Backpack
Sam Rutherford, Engadget

I'm kind of a sucker when it comes to bags. I've enjoyed using Peak Design's original Everyday Messenger for the past six years, but its size often felt a bit restrictive during longer trips. So last year I bought Peak Design's 45L Travel Backpack, and it's probably the best backpack I've ever owned. Just like the company's other gear, you can tell a lot of thought went into making it. There's a seemingly endless number of zippers, pockets, handles and loops smartly strewn across the bag, which makes it really easy to organize your gear or tie down bulkier equipment like a tripod. You can even transform it into a duffel by hiding its shoulder straps and hip belts behind cleverly placed flaps, while built-in compression snaps help slim it down for carry-on duty. And of course there are separate padded sleeves for tablets and up to a 16-inch laptop.

The only real downside is that it's a bit large and sometimes wearing it makes me feel like a turtle. It's a great backpack for hauling a bunch of gear and clothes around during a long weekend. Unfortunately, not long after I bought this thing, Peak came out with a less bulky 30L version, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd probably go for the smaller one. – Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

Dagne Dover Dakota Backpack

Dagne Dover Dakota backpack
Nicole Lee, Engadget

There are many reasons I love my Dagne Dover Dakota backpack, but the main one is that it has pockets. A lot of pockets. One big pocket on the front, three more on the other side of the front flap, two internal side pockets, two external side pockets, and two more pockets on the back. Oh, and there's also a large padded laptop compartment that's big enough to fit my 13-inch MacBook Pro (According to the company, it should fit most 13-inch laptops).

All of these pockets give me enough room to store a multitude of cables, external batteries, accessories, a water bottle and so much more. I especially love the two back ones as I can reach them easily while I'm wearing the backpack, making them ideal for essentials like my wallet, phone and travel documents.

The internal cavity is roomy as well. I've managed to fit in a large DSLR camera along with a giant telephoto lens. It's great as a gym bag, too, as I can fit in an extra change of clothes and a pair of shoes. I love it for travel too. It holds so much stuff but it's still compact enough to fit underneath the seat in front of me. In fact, the latest version of the Dakota even has a sleeve that fits perfectly over your luggage handle.

Plus, this thing is durable. It's made of neoprene, a soft lightweight material that dries quickly if it gets wet. It's also insulating and shock absorbent. I bought it back in 2017 and five years later, it's still holding up. It doesn't look quite as pristine as it did back then, but it's just as functional. Sure, it's rather pricey at $185, but for a bag that has lasted this long, it's worth it. – Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Waterfield Staad Attaché bag

Waterfield Staad Attaché
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

I've been buying gear from Waterfield in San Francisco for almost 20 years, a rather startling amount of time. But their bags, laptop sleeves, gaming cases and everything else I've tried has been exceptionally well-made and smartly designed. I've picked up a number of their bags over the years, but the one that I keep coming back to is the Staad Attaché, a waxed canvas (or ballistic nylon) messenger bag with a full-grain leather flap.

The thing that I like the most about it is that it can carry a lot of gear but it's still fairly compact. It has two built-in sleeves for carrying a laptop and tablet, two deep hand pockets, a key fob, and a main compartment that's big enough to carry headphones, books, a camera, or whatever else you deem most essential. There are also two external zippered pockets for anything you might need to get your hands on quickly. This bag is big enough for me to carry everything I need for a day or two, but small enough that I don't overpack.

The Staad Attaché looks classy and understated on the outside, but the interior is a bright yellow. That might seem an unusual choice, but it makes it easier to see what's inside than a dark liner. It's a good example of the smart design decisions Waterfield makes. And, perhaps most importantly, this bag can take a beating. Waterfield products are expensive; the Staad Attaché starts at $289. But they're the kind of product you buy once and can use for a lifetime. I've taken this bag on tons of work and personal trips and is still in perfect shape. The waxed canvas and leather have aged well over the years, and I expect I'll be lugging this bag around for another decade, easy — unless I get tempted by another Waterfield option before then. – Nathan Ingraham, Deputy Editor

Feline adventure game 'Stray' is getting a limited-edition cat backpack

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 07:30 AM PDT

The history of video games is littered with odd tie-in merchandise, from Resident Evil perfume and Xbox body wash to a Call of Duty-themed Jeep and the Xbox Mini Fridge. Annapurna Interactive is adding to that storied legacy with a branded cat carrier for new adventure game Stray.

The publisher teamed up with pet accessories brand Travel Cat for the limited-edition carrier, which it announced just a few days before the game hits PlayStation and PC on Tuesday. "We've hinted at it. It's true. We're happy to share that limited-edition Stray x Travel Cat merch for your feline companions is up for pre-order!" Annapurna wrote in a tweet spotted by Eurogamer.

It's a version of a Travel Cat backpack called The Fat Cat with neon and charcoal colors inspired by the cyberpunk setting of Stray. The pet accessory company says the $185 carrier is sturdy and breathable, while there's space for more than one cat. There's a bubble attachment so your curious furry friends can look at the outside world, as well as a leash clip (a Stray leash and harness are also available)

You don't have to limit the contents to cats either. "You could also use the harness and backpack for small/mediumish dogs if you really wanted to," Annapurna said. "And you can use the backpack for carrying stuff in general too." Travel Cat will ship the carrier in two batches, one on August 31st and another on September 21st.

There's been a sizable buzz around puzzle platformer Stray since it first emerged a couple of years ago. You'll play as a stray cat that has been separated from its family. You'll make your way home through a dystopian cybercity with the help of a companion drone, all the while knocking over as many things as you can. PlayStation Plus subscribers on the Extra and Premium tiers can play the game at no extra cost.

Casio's new G-Shock watch is inspired by NASA's eye-catching orange spacesuits

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 06:45 AM PDT

Casio has launched a new G-Shock model with a bold color that would look instantly familiar to space fans. It takes its eye-catching hue from the iconic orange suits astronauts wear for the ascent and entry portions of their flight so that they could be easily spotted by rescue teams in case their spacecraft has to bail out into the ocean. On the watch's official product page, G-Shock wrote that the black dial of the watch represents the black visor on the helmets astronauts wear with the suit, while the thin blue line on the dial mimics the suits' blue accents. 

In addition, the watch's band loop is adorned by an American flag and the back of its casing features the engraving of an astronaut. Even its packaging is on-theme: The watch comes in a tin can and a box that also feature elements of NASA's "pumpkin suits."

As collectSPACE notes, NASA introduced the vivid spacesuits following the Challenger tragedy in the 80's, and they had gone through several iterations since then. The latest version is the Orion Crew Survival System, which had been optimized for comfort, comes in more than one size and was designed to be easier to connect to the communications system. 

That Casio would release a new G-Shock watch based on a NASA spacesuit doesn't come as a surprise. It has a long history with the agency, with G-Shock being one of the few timepieces NASA has approved for use on the space shuttle and aboard the ISS. In fact, this is the third NASA-branded G-Shock model it has released, following an all-white and a black-and-white watch adorned with the red NASA logo known as "the worm."

This orange watch, however, is more expensive than its predecessors and will set buyers back $170. It's only available for a limited time and can be purchased from Casio's website.

The best student discounts we found for 2022

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 06:05 AM PDT

Your college years can be some of the best of your life, but we know it can be tough to enjoy them when you're scrounging every dollar for textbooks, food and (if you're lucky) the occasional outing with friends. Money is tight when you're a student, and that financial stress can be compounded by the reality of having to stay on top of your studies.

If there's a silver lining, it's student discounts. Many companies offer their products and apps for less to those struggling through lectures, writing term papers and studying for finals. We've compiled a list of the best deals you can get on useful services, along with some things you'll enjoy in your down time. Just keep in mind that most of these offers require you to prove your status as a student either by signing up with your .edu email address or providing some form of student identification.

Shopping

Amazon Prime Student
Engadget

Amazon Prime Student

If you're not piggybacking off of your parents' Amazon Prime account, you can have the subscription for less while you're in school. College students can get Prime Student for free for six months, then it costs only $7.49 per month after that. That comes out to about $90 per year, and the membership includes the same perks as regular Prime does, including free two-day shipping, free same-day delivery in select areas, and access to the entire Prime Video library.

Buy Prime Student at Amazon - $90 a year

Best Buy

While it doesn't offer a specific student discount, Best Buy has Student Deals that you can sign up to receive. Aside from proving your student status, the only requirement is for you to be a My Best Buy member; that program is free to enroll in. We actually recommend that most people sign up for My Best Buy because some items, especially during site-wide sales, will be even cheaper for members. All student deals will appear in the Member Offers page in your account.

Sign up for Student Deals at Best Buy

Apple

Apple offers some deals to students and educators in the form of knocking down the prices of its most popular laptops and tablets. There isn't a flat percentage rate across all products; the discounts vary by device. For example, right now students can get a MacBook Air M1 starting at $899, which is $100 less than the normal starting price, and the iPad Pros start at $749, which represents a $50 discount. These are decent savings if you must have a brand new Apple product, but those with tighter budgets should also consider Apple's refurb program. Also for 2022, students can get up to a $150 gift card and 20 percent off AppleCare when they purchase a qualifying Mac or iPad.

Shop Apple's back-to-school promos

Samsung

Much like Apple, Samsung doesn't offer a blanket discount across all of its products for students. But you can save depending on what you're looking to buy. For example, you can save hundreds on the latest Galaxy S22 smartphones, and the discount will be deeper if you have a handset to trade in. On the laptop-and-tablet side of things, you can get a Galaxy Chromebook 2 for as low as $350 or a Galaxy Tab S8+ for. as low as $200.

Shop Samsung's back-to-school promos

Microsoft

Microsoft also provides students and educators with up to 10 percent off its gadgets, including the already affordable Surface Go 2 and the Surface Headphones 2. And Microsoft's online store doesn't only sell Surface devices: You can also find Windows PCs from Lenovo, HP, Acer and others there at discounted prices.

Shop Microsoft's back-to-school promos

Streaming

Spotify
Engadget

Spotify

Spotify Premium's student plan gives you a lot for only $5 per month. Besides access to millions of songs, it also includes Hulu's ad-supported tier and Showtime's ad-free service. You'd spend roughly $27 a month if you paid for all three separately at their full prices, making this student offer one of the best you can get.

Buy Spotify Premium Student - $5 a month

Pandora

Pandora also offers students its Premium membership for $5 per month. Pandora's offering doesn't include any additional services, but you do get an ad-free experience, personalized music, unlimited skips and unlimited offline play. Plus, you'll get 60 days of free use before your payments kick in.

Buy Pandora Premium Student - $5 a month

Apple Music

Apple also slashes 50 percent off its Apple Music subscription for students, bringing it down to $5 per month. The offer is available for up to 48 months so you can enjoy the rate for the entirety of your college experience. What's more, the company bundles Apple TV+ in this student offer, so you can watch Apple originals like Ted Lasso and Severance.

Buy Apple Music Student membership - $5 a month

Paramount+

Paramount+'s student discount knocks 25 percent off the Essentials monthly plan, so you'll end up paying around $3.75 per month for access to the service's content with limited commercials. With this subscription, you can watch shows like Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, South Park, RuPaul's Drag Race and more, but just keep in mind that this particular plan doesn't include access to your local CBS station.

Buy Paramount+ Student - $3.75/month

Discovery+

Discovery+ knocks 40 percent off monthly plans for students, so you can get access for only $3 per month. You'll pay for the Ad-Lite plan, so there will still be commercials to sit through, but you can get that discounted rate for as long as you are an enrolled student.

Buy Discovery+ Student - $3/month

Tidal

Tidal provides student discounts on both of its streaming services: Premium and Hi-Fi. Premium drops to $5 per month, down from $10, while Hi-Fi costs $10 per month, down from $20. Tidal is still often overshadowed by Spotify and Apple Music, but these discounts are a good way to give it a try without spending too much money.

Buy Tidal Student starting at $5 a month

Hulu

College students can sign up for Hulu's ad-supported plan for only $2 per month. That's $4 less than the normal price and a great deal considering all of the content that Hulu has to offer (think: The Handmaid's Tale, Grey's Anatomy, Rick & Morty and more). Yes, you have to deal with commercials, but it's a small price to pay to binge-watch shows like Brooklyn Nine Nine, which can provide a much-needed laugh when you're drowning in coursework.

Buy Hulu (ad-supported) - $2 a month

YouTube

If you're already spending a lot of time watching YouTube, you may have a better experience with YouTube Premium. The Student plan cuts nearly 50 percent off the price so you'll pay $7 per month for ad-free video viewing, background play, video downloads and access to YouTube Premium Music. The latter is YouTube's attempt at a Spotify/Apple Music competitor, but it has a long way to go before it can really hold a candle to those services. However, if you listen to most of your music via YouTube already, Premium could be your one-stop-shop for music and video streaming.

Buy YouTube Premium Student - $7 a month

Headspace

Being a student is stressful even in the best of times, but now it's even more difficult to concentrate and find peace. Headspace is just one of many meditation and mindfulness apps available that can help with that, but it stands apart with an excellent student discount: $10 for the entire year, or $60 less than a normal annual membership. In addition to a large library of meditation lessons and routines to follow, Headspace recently added SleepCasts, a collection of soothing voices reading bedtime stories to help you fall asleep, as well as "mindful" workout routines.

Buy Headspace Student plan - $10 a year

Tools

Adobe Creative Cloud
Engadget

Adobe Creative Cloud

You're probably using Adobe products if you're studying anything related to digital art or design. Adobe Creative Cloud is the industry standard in this space but the entire suite of programs is quite expensive at $53 per month. Thankfully, Adobe has education pricing for students that drops the entire creative suite to $20 per month for the first year. That includes the big programs like Photoshop CC and Illustrator CC along with Lightroom CC, Premiere Pro CC, Adobe XD and more.

After your first year, the monthly cost increases to $30 per month. While not ideal, it's still more affordable for students than it is for industry professionals. If you're not tied to Adobe programs, you might also consider Affinity Photo, Designer and Publisher apps from Serif ($50 each for the Mac or Windows versions), which compete with Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign, respectively.

Buy Adobe CC - $20 a month

Ableton Live

Regardless of whether you're studying music production, students can get 40 percent off Ableton Live Standard or Suite for as long as they are enrolled full-time. That brings Live 11 Standard down to $269 and Suite down to $449 — great discounts on some of the best music software available right now.

Buy Ableton Live starting at $269

Microsoft 365

Many students have to use Microsoft 365 tools on the regular. If your college or university doesn't provide you with an account, you can still get Microsoft 365 for free by taking advantage of the company's student and educator discount. This gives you access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OneNote and even Microsoft Teams free of charge, which is a solid deal considering an annual subscription costs $100.

Get Microsoft 365

Ulysses

Spending all day and night writing papers is even more frustrating when you don't have all your writing organized in one place. Ulysses is a popular writing app for mac/iOS that can be used for note taking as well as thesis writing, with features like auto-save and auto-backup, word-count writing goals, markup, plain text support and DropBox integration. Normally, Ulysses costs $40 per year but students can get it for only $12 every six months, or $24 per year. There isn't a direct alternative for Windows users, but you do have options including Scrivener (a one-time student price of $41.65), IA Writer (a $20 one-time price) and FocusWriter (free and open-source).

Buy Ulysses - $24 a year

Evernote

Evernote can be an indispensable tool if you like to keep all of your thoughts in one place — everything from class notes to web clippings to to-do lists. Students can get half off one year of Evernote Premium, which brings the price down to $4 per month or $48 for the year. Premium is the way to go if you're investing in Evernote because it syncs your notes across unlimited devices, gives you offline access, lets you annotate PDFs and search saved documents.

Buy Evernote Premium (1 year) - $4 a month

Notion Personal Pro plan

Notion provides students and educators its Personal Pro plan for free just by signing up with a valid .edu email address. While the free version of the service has a ton of features, the Pro plan adds unlimited pages and blocks, file uploads and version history. That means you won't be restricted if you want to collect your entire academic life in Notion, along with your personal to-do lists, agendas, notes and more.

Get Notion Personal Pro plan

Github Student Developer Pack

Aspiring developers can sign up for Github's Student Developer Pack, which includes discounts and resources that developers can use to learn, create projects and more. Github partnered with a bunch of companies including Educative, Canva, Namecheap, Bootstrap Studio and others to offer students access to many of the services they'll need as the expand their skills.

Get Github Student Developer Pack

Squarespace Student plan

Whether you're itching to get a jump-start on your portfolio or just want an online space to show off your work, Squarespace is a good option as it gives students a 50 percent discount on any of its annual plans. The most affordable option will cost $72 for the year, which is half the normal yearly price of $144. Squarespace is one of many website builders out there, but it's particularly popular with creative professionals. Its customizable templates make it easy to build a website and make it look exactly how you want it. Plus, you can upgrade down the line to add things like website analytics, custom JavaScript and CSS and e-commerce.

Buy Squarespace starting at $72 a year

News

The Atlantic
Engadget

You shouldn't rely on Twitter to be your sole source of news. With foreign wars, new viruses, Supreme Court decisions and upcoming elections making headlines daily, it's important to get your news from reliable sources. Yes, it's daunting to get into the news on a regular basis, but it's crucial to know what's going on in the country and the world as a whole. Here are some reputable news organizations that offer student discounts on their monthly or annual subscription plans.

The Atlantic: Starts at $35 per year for digital-only access.

The New York Times: $6 every four weeks for a base subscription.

The Washington Post: $1 every four weeks for digital-only access.

The Wall Street Journal: Starting at $4 per month for the Student Digital Pack.

Engadget Podcast: MacBook Air M2 review, Apple betas and NASA’s space pics

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 05:30 AM PDT

This week on the show, Cherlynn and Devindra dive into Apple's new MacBook Air M2 and its recent batch of OS betas. It turns out a redesign and a whole new chip makes the MacBook Air even more compelling than before (at least more than the 13-inch MacBook Pro). Also, we chat with Lisa Grossman, Astronomy Writer at Science News, about the astounding new photos and data from the James Webb Space Telescope. It's a clear upgrade from Hubble, and NASA is just getting started!

Listen below, or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!


Subscribe!


Topics

  • Apple's M2 MacBook Air is very good – 1:21

  • There's lots of fun stuff to explore in the iOS 16 beta – 7:39

  • Stage Manager in MacOS Ventura is a step forward for window organization – 18:11

  • What's new in the watchOS 9 beta – 24:11

  • New pictures confirm the James Webb Space Telescope will revolutionize astronomy – 30:44

  • Elon Musk is trying to back out of his Twitter deal after three whole months – 53:14

  • Our Nothing Phone 1 hands-on – 54:49

  • Listener Mail: A phishing test for employees at Lowe's – 1:02:45

  • Working on – 1:05:58

  • Pop culture picks – 1:06:50

Video Stream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Lisa Grossman
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O'Brien

Intel price hikes could make PCs more expensive

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 04:45 AM PDT

Intel has told customers that it will raises prices on most of its processors and other chips by up to 10-20 percent later this year, Nikkei has reported. That could mean price increases on computers products ranging from laptops to servers, at the same time that demand is weakening and sales are dropping. 

Intel effectively confirmed the news, referring back to its Q1 earnings call. "Intel indicated it would increase pricing in certain segments of its business due to inflationary pressures. The company has begun to inform customers of these changes," it told Nikkei.

With the COVID-19 keeping folks working at home, PC sales increased dramatically in 2020-21. That bubble has since burst, however, and key Intel buyers like Acer, ASUS and others have warned of slowing sales ahead. Acer Chairman Jason Chen even noted that his company is no longer seeing a shortage of chips. "Some of the chip suppliers' CEOs even called me recently to buy more chips from them. The situation has changed," he told reporters on Wednesday.

Rival chipmaker TSMC previously said that it would race prices by a "single-digit" percentage starting next year. Since that company manufactures AMD's chips, consumers aren't likely to find as much price relief by switching brands, either. 

Some device makers are starting to build up inventories, which could mean deals in the short term. However, the outlook longer term is less clear. Samsung, for one, reportedly told suppliers to stop shipping parts used to manufacture its PCs, TVs and other devices. 

The Morning After: Apple’s best MacBook is the MacBook Air M2

Posted: 15 Jul 2022 04:15 AM PDT

Remember when Steve Jobs pulled the original MacBook Air out of a Manila envelope? That was 2008. The Air series of laptops kickstarted the era of ultraportables, but Apple's slimmest PCs were often underpowered compared to the Windows competition that appeared. Now, with Apple's very own, very powerful silicon, the M2 chip, the 2022 MacBook Air has almost too much power, a new design, (a few) more ports and just… more.

That includes the price. The revamped MacBook Air starts at $1,199, $200 more than the M1 model. Check out Devindra Hardawar's full review right here.

– Mat Smith

The biggest stories you might have missed

Google's tool to turn old laptops into Chromebooks is now widely available

It's squashed hundreds of bugs in the early release of ChromeOS Flex.

Earlier this year, Google announced ChromeOS Flex, a tool that lets anyone take an old Windows or Mac laptop and give it new life by installing Chrome OS. After launching ChromeOS Flex in "early access," Google now says that Flex is ready to "scale broadly" to more Macs and PCs.

The basics remain the same. You can visit the ChromeOS Flex website to make a bootable Chrome OS installation on a USB drive to ensure that your system works properly, and you can then fully replace your old computer's OS with Chrome OS if everything checks out.

Continue reading.

Nothing Phone 1 review

A remarkable-looking midrange Android phone.

TMA
Engadget

Nothing's first smartphone certainly looks different. While that will help it stand out, it's backed up by a solid array of features and clever touches. Sadly, it's not coming to the US, though.

This is a midrange smartphone with style, so we expected some compromises on performance and cameras. Fortunately, the Phone 1 nails most of the fundamentals, with a surprisingly capable camera setup. Nothing is walking a fine line between gimmick and innovation, but as a new company, it gets to do that. Read our full review on the site, or check out our video right here.

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A Chinese Wikipedia editor spent years writing fake Russian medieval history

She pulled off one of the largest hoaxes ever seen on the platform.

Chinese Wikipedia had a robust collection of detailed and authoritative articles on medieval Russia, thanks to one user. Zhemao wrote 206 articles for the website since 2019, the longest of which rivals The Great Gatsby for length. It detailed Tartar uprisings in 17th century Russia and was supported by a map of the country during that era. Except it was all faked.

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Introducing our 2022 back-to-school gift guide

Start the new semester off right with these tools and gadgets.

TMA
Engadget

It may be too early for you to think about the upcoming school year, but it can't hurt to get a jump-start on planning. Once again this year, we've curated the best gadgets for studying more efficiently. As always, there are plenty of laptop recommendations for all kinds of students, but also our favorite streaming hardware, dorm room essentials and even free services that will come in clutch for those headed to college.

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Instagram creators can now lock photos and Reels behind a paywall

They can offer subscribers exclusive group chats, Stories and livestreams too.

Instagram has been building out its creator subscription program this year and it's got some major additions this week. Creators can now share subscriber-only feed posts. Those Reels and photos will have a purple badge with a crown symbol to make them stand out. Instagram head Adam Mosseri said this was the feature he's had the most requests about from creators in the program.

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Wordle is becoming a board game

Hasbro and New York Times Games are planning a physical release for the game's anniversary.

TMA
Hasbro

Still playing Wordle? Well now you can go for a "hyper-realistic" version, because the New York Times is teaming up with Hasbro to launch Wordle: The Party Game, in time for the one-year anniversary of the hit word guessing game. It's multiplayer, too. The "Wordle Host" will write down a secret word and the rest of the players will be given six tries to guess it, much like the online version. Players who take fewer attempts to guess the secret word will earn fewer points, and the player with the least points at the end of the game wins. The board game will cost $19.99, and is available to pre-order today at Amazon.

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Meta's first human rights report defends the company's misinformation strategy

Facebook's parent company also tried to avoid blame for violence in India.

Meta has released its first yearly human rights report, and you might not be shocked by the angle the company is taking. As CNBC notes, the 83-page document outlines the Facebook parent's handling of human rights issues during 2020 and 2021, with a strong focus on justifying the company's strategies for combating misinformation and harassment. We're all aware how those have fared.

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