|
Mar 31, 2025
Tablets have become the all-purpose gap-fillers of the gadgets world. If you're on a plane and you want something portable but slightly bigger than your phone for reading comics or watching movies, there's nothing better. Alternatively, if you want a shared device for the living room to control smart home stuff, do a bit of shopping or doomscrolling (it's ok, we're not judging), having a slim little slate that lives on your coffee table is super convenient. And if you want something sleek to carry around for work or school, tablets can totally replace laptops now, too.
That said, one change we've made to this guide for 2025 is adjusting some of the categories, because let's be honest: If you're an Android person, no amount of browbeating is going to convince you to switch ecosystems and buy an iPad. The same goes for all the Apple people or Windows die-hards out there. And that's more than OK. So instead of crowning a best overall, we're simply recommending the most powerful and best tablets for each OS, alongside some additional picks for other use cases.
Table of contents
Best tablets for 2025
Important things to consider before buying a tablet
What size screen do I need?
How we test tablets
Other tablets we tested
Tablet FAQs
Tablet accessories
Best tablets for 2025
|
|
Mar 30, 2025
According to Mark Gurman in the Power On newsletter this weekend, we may see at least two devices with Apple's upcoming M5 chip before the end of the year. Gurman reports that the M5 iPad Pro has reached the late stages of testing, putting it "on track for production in the second half of this year." And the M5 MacBook Pro should be here sometime in the fall, in line with the timing of the past few years' releases.
This year's iPad Pro likely won't be the generation that adopts Apple's in-house modem, though. According to Gurman, that shift is expected to happen in 2027 with the arrival of the M6 models — which he reports that Apple has already begun "early" work on. Apple introduced its first in-house cellular modem, the C1, with the iPhone 16e in February this year, and so far it seems to be performing pretty well.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/apple-is-reportedly-on-track-to-launch-the-m5-ipad-pro-and-macbook-pro-later-this-year-211013731.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 30, 2025
An AI overhaul may be on the horizon for Apple's Health app. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that Apple is working on a much more comprehensive version of its Health app under the code name Project Mulberry, with plans to integrate an AI agent that would somewhat "replicate" a doctor and act as a personal health coach. In addition to making lifestyle recommendations based on users' health data, the app will reportedly include educational videos from real doctors about an array of health topics.
The Health app will also put a new emphasis on food tracking, and may even offer form correction tips for workouts using the device's camera, Gurman reports. The service, unofficially being referred to as Health , could arrive with iOS 19.4, which Gurman says is expected to be released next spring or summer. In the meantime, Apple reportedly has doctors on staff whose data is being used to train the AI agent, and it's planning to open a studio near Oakland, California where they can film content. Don't be surprised if Health arrives with a celebrity doctor on board, too — according to Gurman, Apple is on the hunt for a "major doctor personality" to be the face of the service.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/apple-is-said-to-be-developing-a-revamped-health-app-with-a-built-in-ai-doctor-170020277.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 30, 2025
Non-paying Gemini users can now play around with Google's newest model, the experimental version of Gemini 2.5 Pro. The company announced this weekend that it's making Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) free for everyone to use, albeit with tighter rate limits for non-subscribers. Google introduced Gemini 2.5 Pro just last week, touting it as its "most intelligent AI model" yet, and rolled it out to Gemini Advanced users first. It's available now in Google AI Studio and the Gemini app.
While free users can now try it out too, Google added that "Gemini Advanced users have expanded access and a significantly larger context window." Gemini 2.5 Pro (experimental) is the first of Google's Gemini 2.5 "thinking" models, which are said to deliver more accurate results through reasoning. In a blog post, the company explained that this "refers to its ability to analyze information, draw logical conclusions, incorporate context and nuance, and make informed decisions."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/googles-new-experimental-ai-model-gemini-25-pro-is-now-available-to-free-users-too-150005863.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Back at CES, Samsung teased some of its upcoming high-end appliances for 2025. But more recently, I got a chance to check out the entire lineup all in one place. It seemed like a perfect time to do a quick rundown of some of the most interesting new products and features coming to Samsung's Bespoke portfolio later this year.
The centerpiece of the Bespoke line remains Samsung's 4-door French-Door refrigerator, which is now available with two different-sized screens. There's a model with a smaller 9-inch screen that starts at $3,999 or one with a massive 32-inch panel called the Family Hub for $4,699. The former is ostensibly designed for people who want something a bit more discreet but still want access to Samsung's smart features, which includes widgets for your calendar, music, weather, various cooking apps and more. Meanwhile, the larger model is for families who aren't afraid of having a small TV in their face every time they open their fridge. You can even play videos from TikTok on it, if that's what you're into.
Samsung's massive 32-inch Family Hub display supports a number of widge
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
We're coming up on the 10-year anniversary of Undertale's release, and to mark the occasion, a 25-piece orchestra will perform the game's soundtrack for a one-night-only concert at London's Eventim Apollo this summer. The event, dubbed The Determination Symphony, will be held on June 22, and tickets are on sale now.
The Determination Symphony is described as "a musical journey from your initial fall at Mount Ebott, leading you through Froggit Village, the Snowdin Forest, Temmie Village and so much more." Attendees (who I'm deeply envious of) will be able to watch all of that on screen while the orchestra makes its way through arrangements of the soundtrack. It's hard to believe that Toby Fox's Undertale is already 10 years old, but its enduring pop
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
The Nintendo Direct livestream on Thursday brought some unexpected news for Tamagotchi fans: the Tamagotchi Connection: Corner Shop game series of the early 2000s is being resurrected with a new entry, Tamagotchi Plaza. But it seems the announcement trailer left out the best part. As spotted by Tama-Palace, Bandai Namco says on the game's official website that Tamagotchi Plaza will be compatible with the Tamagotchi Uni. Players will be able to link their Uni devices to the game to access special perks — kind of like how the beloved, defunct TamaTown worked. Tamagotchi Plaza comes out on June 27.
In Tamagotchi Plaza, players will act as shopkeepers and help get the town ready for the big Tamagotchi festival. Some shops will include the option for local two-player. As for connecting your Uni, Bandai says:
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Amazon's latest sales event is underway. The so-called Spring Sale runs through March 31, and while it mostly focuses on things like apparel and outdoor goods, it still includes a handful of discounts on electronics. Per usual with these big Amazon events, most of those aren't anything special.
But if you're on a budget and looking to grab a new gadget on the cheap, we've rounded up a few actually decent tech deals that are available now and priced below $50. Some of the discounts below have technically been live for a few days, but a good price is a good price, and the offers include several devices we recommend in our various buying guides. We'll update this guide with the latest discounts throughout the sale.
Best Amazon Spring Sale deals under $50
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Food is probably the third most-discussed topic in Engadget's Slack rooms. Having more than a few cuisine-obsessed folk on staff means when there's an opportunity to review a new bit of cooking tech, we jump at the chance. Right now, thanks to Amazon's Spring Sale, a long list of the kitchen tech we've covered is on sale. We're seeing discounts on brands like KitchenAid, Breville, Instant Pot and more. So if it's time to update your meal prep situation or invest in a time saver for weeknight dinners, check out the best deals on the kitchen tech we recommend.
The best Amazon Spring Sale deals on air fryers, Instant Pots and more
Breville Juice Fountain
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Amazon has kicked off another sitewide sales event this week. The Amazon Spring Sale, as this one is called, is aimed at apparel and outdoor goods more than electronics, but we've tried to cut through the noise and pull out a few actually decent tech deals anyway.
If you're specifically looking for grab a new Apple device, good news: A handful of AirPods, iPads, Apple Watches and Beats headphones are at or near their lowest prices to date. Many of these discounts aren't explicitly tied to the sale, but if you're just trying to save some cash, that shouldn't matter much. We've rounded up the best Spring Sale Apple deals we could find below. Amazon says the event will run through March 31, so we'll update this post if prices change and other deals pop up.
Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
One notable trend at CES earlier this year was the quirky robot vacuum. It seemed every third booth had a new model that could climb stairs, pick up socks, serve drinks and, oh yeah, suck up dirt from your floor. Now that Amazon's Spring Sale is here, we're seeing lots of discounts — not on those wacky prototypes, but on robo vacs that make keeping your floors clean easier and automated.
Engadget has two guides to these handy home gadgets, based on years of testing and reviewing products from brands like iRobot, Shark, Dyson, Eufy and more. Here are the best deals on robot vacuums and cordless stick vacs we could find for the Big Spring Sale.
The best Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
This year's Amazon Spring Sale is in full swing, and as promised, a ton of household, fashion and outdoor gear has dropped to record-low prices. Tech isn't a huge focus for this sale, but there are a decent number of devices on sale right now for some of the best prices we've seen all year. The selection may not be as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, but it still provides a good opportunity to save on things like headphones, robot vacuums, air purifiers and more.
We've collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals on tech gear here so you don't have to go searching for them. The Spring Sale runs through March 31, so check back here for all of the latest deals as they drop.
Best Amazon Spring Sale deals
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Back in 2022, Sony hired Garrett Fredley to join its then newly formed Preservation team, which has been working to find and save documentation of PlayStation's 30-year history since then. Now, Fredley spoke at Game Developers Conference to give an update about his team's efforts. In his Game File newsletter, Stephen Totilo has shared the details about Fredley's talk. Apparently, the team formed what it's calling the PlayStation Studios Vault to store everything it could find about Sony's game-making history.
The Vault now houses game builds, source code and source art, but it has all kinds of other files, as well. Fredley explained that it was created to preserve "everything that is ever related to a project you can possibly find: from documentation to audio assets, to prototype information, anything under the sun, even cultural artifacts." If it's adjacent to a PlayStation studio game, the team will store it in the Vault — even photos of developer teams that made the game. Currently, the oldest item in the team's collection has a 1994 timestamp and was from the tactical RPG Arc the Lad. The latest files include every customer-facing PS5 build of every PlayStation Studios game, as well as every debug, testing, alpha, beta and milestone releases. It has over 1,000 builds saved.
At the moment, the Vault has two main servers located in Las Vegas, Nevada and Liverpool, England, which store 650 terabytes of data, or around 200 million files. That's almost double the 350 terabytes of data Fredley said the team gathered during another one of his talks last year. He expects to quickly go over the 1 petabyte of cloud server storage data the team's current setup can handle, especially since more and more games are being
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
The reviews train rolls on at Engadget. We've had another busy couple of weeks, and more new devices are arriving for testing every day. For now, catch up on our in-depth analysis of the new base-model iPad, Nothing Phone 3a duo, some incredible sounding headphones and more.
iPad (2025) with A16
Apple has been busy updating several devices over the past few weeks, including the "regular" iPad. The company's entry-level tablet now has an A16 chip that offers plenty of power for most people. The iPad Air is still a better option if you can afford to spend more, according to buying advice senior reporter Jeff Dunn. "But for $250 less than the latest Air, the iPad (A16) does well to meet most iPad users where they live," he writes. "It's not the most delightful iPad, but it's good enough for the masses."
Nothing Phone 3a and 3a Pro
The Nothing Phone 3a is much more than an update to the 2a when you consider the company opted to debut a new Pro model alongside it. There are concerns about a limited warranty in the US, but the 3a is a great budget device and the Pro has better-than-midrange cameras. "It's really hard to criticize Nothing for any of the component choices, and if you're willing to take a risk on the company's limited US warranty and want something unique, th
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
The Disney Hulu Duo Basic plan usually costs $11 a month, but the companies are giving a big discount this spring. You can secure four months of the joint Disney and Hulu streaming subscription for just $3 a month. That comes out to just $12 in total and a savings of $32 for the whole offer period. The deal is for new and returning subscribers and is only for the basic tier, which includes advertisements on both Disney and Hulu content. The offer expires on March 30, so you have just a little while longer to grab it.
At a time when it feels like every streaming service, audio and video, is pushing their subscription costs ever-higher, it's a treat to get any amount of entertainment access for a discount. That's why we're big fans of the Disney Hulu Duo plans; even at the normal rate, it unites two of
|
|
Mar 29, 2025
Today's the day: A solar eclipse will darken the skies in the northeastern US and Canada in the early hours of Saturday. Unlike the "Great American Eclipse" of 2024, however, this will not be a total eclipse. Instead, this event will be a partial eclipse visible in parts of the northern hemisphere.
While this one will lack the dramatic "totality" of the 2024 event, a partial eclipse is still worth seeing. The sun will not be fully obscured, but with proper eye protection, you will be able to see the moon take a bite out of the sun. And there's a catch, but it's also an opportunity: This eclipse will occur at sunrise in North America, meaning the sun will just barely be above the horizon. But that timing offers viewers the chance to see the famed "devil horns" — a crescent of solar light emerging from behind the moon.
When can you watch this partial solar eclipse, and those devil horns? Let's talk about how to safely watch this eclipse.
What areas will experience the partial solar eclipse, and when?
The partial solar eclipse will be visible in areas of the northern hemisphere. It will be visible at sunrise in eastern North America and sunset in Siberia, Russia on Saturday, March 29. In Europe, it can be viewed around mid-morning. But the event's footprint will be limited: No eclipse will be visible west of Toronto, Canada, and Washington, DC in North America.
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Elon Musk's AI company, xAI, has purchased X, according to a post shared by Musk. Besides their similar names and owner, the companies are already connected through xAI's chatbot Grok, which is integrated into X.
X was acquired by xAI through an all-stock transaction. "The combination values xAI at $80 billion and X at $33 billion ($45B less $12B debt)," Musk writes. "xAI and X's futures are intertwined." The companies plan on combining "data, models, compute, distribution and talent," using X's reach as a social platform to spread "xAI's advanced AI capability." The post offers little detail beyond that, but the motivations could be as financial as they are practical.
Since its founding two years ago, xAI has rapidly become one of the leading AI labs in the world, building models and data centers at…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 28, 2025
X, then Twitter, was acquired by Musk in 2022 for $43 billion. xAI, like many leading AI companies, has been
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Lenovo has the honor of releasing the first SteamOS handhelds not made by Valve, and it looks like you won't have to wait long to get them. Legion Go S handhelds with SteamOS ship May 25, according to a new Best Buy listing spotted by The Verge, but go for at least $50 more than the original $499.99 price Lenovo promised.
The Legion Go S powered by SteamOS now starts at $549.99, which gets you an 8-inch, 120Hz OLED display, comfortable controls, a fingerprint reader / touchpad, 16GB of RAM and the AMD Ryzen Z2 Go chip. If you're willing to pay $749.99, you can get the same package, but with the AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme, which originally appeared on the Legion Go, and 32GB of RAM.
— Lenovo Legion (@LenovoLegion)
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
YouTube is testing turning off notifications from channels viewers don't engage with in attempt to tame the number of notifications they receive. The video platform says the test will specifically impact viewers who've chosen to receive "All" notifications from a channel.
During the experiment, notifications will still appear in the notification inbox, but "viewers who haven't recently engaged with a channel despite having been sent recent push notifications will not receive push notifications," YouTube says. The goal is to get viewers to not disable notifications entirely just because they've received too many.
Many YouTube creators specifically ask people to subscribe and enable notifications so they know when a new video has been uploaded. The problem is, when you agree to receive "All" notifications, you'll also get pestered about things that aren't new uploads. There are ways to manage your notifications, but YouTube claims it's common for people to disable them at the app-level once they get annoyed (impacting every channel they're subscribed to), rather than try and tweak things. For a creator who wants to maximize the number of people that watch their videos, not being able to rely on push notifications to grab subscribers' attention is a problem.
YouTube deciding that some viewers shouldn't receive notifications from a given channel seems like an extreme solution, though. The company describes this test as "small," but it certainly feels like there could be a more nuanced way to weed out the push notifications people don't need.
This article originally appeared on Enga
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
The latest image from NASA's James Webb Space Telescope, pictured above, also happens to be a stunning illustration of Einstein's theory of general relativity. So much so that the cosmic phenomenon is called an "Einstein ring."
Einstein rings happen when light from one distant object is bent around the mass of another, slightly closer and even larger object. The effect is normally too subtle to observe up close on a local level, "but it sometimes becomes clearly observable when dealing with curvatures of light on enormous, astronomical scales," NASA writes. In the case of this image, when the light from one distant galaxy is warped around the mass of another.
This "gravitational lensing," as it's technically called, is Einstein's general relativity in practice. Spacetime (the fusion of space and time that makes up the fabric of the universe) curving around an object's mass, with the curve itself being gravity. Objects like the ones pictured in the image — an elliptical galaxy wrapped in a spiral galaxy — are "the ideal laboratory in which to research galaxies too faint and distant to otherw
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Score another one for regulatory scrutiny. Following a 2022 Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) investigation, Google said on Friday that it's adding the UK to the list of countries where it supports user choice billing. This lets Android developers in the nation allow users to pay for in-app purchases using alternative billing systems.
Google says the UK will get user choice billing beginning on March 29. It will start with non-gaming apps, which aligns with how Google has handled these rollouts in other regions. Areas where alternate billing is already available include the US, Japan, Brazil, Australia, Indonesia, South Africa and European Economic Area (EEA) markets.
Developers who enroll in the program can only offer alternative payments in addition to — not in place of — Google Play billing. They'll receive a four percent discount from Google's service fees.
The move is closely tied to the nation's regulations. In 2023, the company floated user choice billing as a concession to help settle a UK CMA antitrust investigation that began the previous year.
Although Google acknowledged the CMA's influence on its decision in its announcement, the company framed the move in a blog post as giving the people (in this case, developers) may want. "While over 90% of our developers are 'satisfied'
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Mushroom fans rejoice. Adult Swim has ordered a second season of its animated hit Common Side Effects. This is happening just ahead of the finale of the first season, which airs this weekend.
For the uninitiated, Common Side Effects is something of an odd duck. It's a cartoon, but it's more of a thriller than a comedy. Mike Judge (Silicon Valley, King of the Hill) and Greg Daniels (The Office, Parks and Recreation) are onboard as executive producers, so there are some jokes. I guess it could be called a dramedy, but comedic thriller seems more apt.
The plot follows two former high school lab partners who discover a mystical mushroom that can cure just about every disease. This forces them to go on the run from the DEA, big pharma and shadowy business entities. The animation style is certainly unique, and may not be for everyone, but the show really comes into its own after a few episodes.
The voice cast includes Mike Judge, who played both Beavis and Butt-Head, and Martha Kelly, who starred in the animated Carol & the End of the World. She's also fantastic in Baskets and absolutely terrifying in the second season of Euphoria. The remaining cast includes Joseph Lee Anderson, Dave King and Emily Pendergast.
Along wi
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Google's Pixel 9a, a candidate to be the "midrange smartphone king," was announced last week but delayed at the last second due to a component problem. Today, we finally know when the handset will arrive: April 10 in North America.
In an update to a Pixel 9a support page (via 9to5Google) on Friday, Google wrote that the phone will arrive on April 10 in the US, Canada and the UK. On April 14, it will land in a long list of European countries: Germany, Spain, Italy, Ireland, France, Norway, Denmark, Sweden, Netherlands, Belgium, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Poland, Czechia, Romania, Hungary, Slovenia, Slovakia, Lithuania, Estonia, Latvia and Finland. Meanwhile, Australia, India, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia have to wait until April 16.
Sam Rutherford for Engadget
Pre-announcement
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Jennifer Salke is stepping down as the head of Amazon MGM Studios, according to reporting by Deadline. She's been at the post for over seven years, which is a ripe old age for a studio head. Before Amazon, Salke was president of NBC Entertainment.
She will not be replaced. Instead, the head of studio role will be eliminated as part of a new structure for the division. Prime Video honcho Mike Hopkins said in a memo that the company "decided to flatten our leadership structure a bit." The studio will split into two distinct arms, with one focusing on TV and the other handling films.
"We will be taking a couple of weeks to have thoughtful conversations with Jen's directs and others to finalize the ideal long-term structure for the Amazon MGM Studios organization as a whole, and we'll have more to share on that work soon," Hopkins said.
Salke isn't leaving the studio entirely. She's transitioning to a first-look film and TV deal with the company. However, industry rumors suggest that it's more like a firing than a voluntary career change. She was largely absent from the deals that brought in Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the producers of the next James Bond film.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson sold creative control of 007 to Amazon for around $1 billion earlier this year. Insiders have suggested that Broccoli and Salke did
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Trevor Milton, the founder of electric truck company Nikola, has received a full and unconditional pardon from President Donald Trump. A jury found Milton guilty of one count of securities fraud and two counts of wire fraud in October 2022. In 2023, he was sentenced to four years in prison.
Milton announced the pardon in a press release and the White House confirmed it to CNBC. It came two weeks after prosecutors asked a judge to order Milton to pay $680 million in restitution to Nikola shareholders as well as $15.2 million to a wire fraud victim. However, due to the pardon, the judge is unable to order any restitution.
Prosecutors argued that Milton pumped up his company's stock by lying to investors about "nearly all aspects" of Nikola's business, such as having a fully functional electric truck. Nikola (which filed for bankruptcy last month) released a video in 2018 that appeared to show a
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Grab your popcorn. Nintendo just announced the official release date of the live-action Legend of Zelda movie. It hits theaters on March 26, 2027, which is just about two years from now. The film was first announced back in 2023.
The company dropped this bombshell on the official Nintendo Today! app that was surprise-released during a recent Direct livestream. The stream promised that the app would be a constant source of news and information. It looks like that promise was not hyperbole.
— Wario64 (@Wario64) March 28, 2025
Anyone who opened up the app this morning saw a short video of a Tri-Force floating alongside the iconic Zelda theme music. After that, text confirmed the release date for the movie. Now we'll all have to check that darned app every day for more news.
The release date, however, is pretty much all we know about the film. It's being directed by Wes Ball, who made Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes and the Maze Runner trilogy. There's no casting information yet, or a look at sets or anything like that. We don't even know who is writing it. Ball has said that
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Google is revamping its smart home lineup, ending production on two of its devices in favor of integrations with third-party manufacturers. First, it will sunset the Nest Protect smoke & CO alarms. Existing products will continue to function and receive security updates until their expiration dates. They will also remain available for purchase while supplies last. Second, it will end production for the Nest x Yale smart lock. As with the Nest Protect, the remaining inventory will still be available for purchase and the devices will continue receiving security updates.
Rather than manufacture its own smoke alarm, Google announced that it will take a partnership approach. The company is teaming up with First Alert for a new smart smoke and carbon monoxide alarm that will integrate with existing Nest Protect devices and can be controlled from the Google Home app. First Alert hasn't provided an exact release date, but says the new alarm coming soon to the US and Canada and will be priced at $130. It'll be available in both Google and First Alert's stores, and also sold through retail stores and "professional distribution partners."
And on the lock side, Google will again partner with Yale. The pair is developing the Yale Smart Lock with Matter, which is meant to work with the Google Home ecosystem just as well as the Nest-branded lock. As the name suggests, it'll play nice with all manner of devices using the Matter smart home protocol, and Yale says its battery will last for up to a year. It'll be available "later this summer" at $170 in a variety of finishes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Baby Steps is a video game about hiking. This is, of course, a ridiculous concept.
Before we get to the game's protagonist, an adult toddler in a thin onesie, or its unserious side characters and nonsensical narrative, we have to acknowledge the absurdity at its very core. Leisurely walking around in nature is perhaps the most organic, least technological activity a person can engage in, and the desire to digitize this experience, recreating it for consumption from the butt-shaped cushions of your couch, is silly. It's such a patently Game Developer™ impulse that, actually, I find it adorable. Much like the rest of Baby Steps.
Baby Steps is a walking simulator from a trio of veteran game developers: Dance Central creator Maxi Boch, Ape Out developer Gabe Cuzzillo, and Bennett Foddy of QWOP and Getting Over It fame. It's heading to PC and PlayStation 5 this year, and since its announcement video dropped in June 2023, it's been a hotly anticipated curio for fans of annoyingly precise traversal mechanics and offbeat indie shit. It's a larger audience than you might think.
I played about 45 minutes of Baby Steps at GDC 2025 while Boch, Cuzzillo and Foddy looked on and intermittently told me how good I was at walking. The game stars Nate, an unemployed adult dude who lives in his parents' basement, as he explores an arid mountain landscape one shaky, unsure
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Those who are enrolled in the Android Auto testing program can now check out new features as part of the 14.1 beta, including support for a few games. As things stand, four Android games are available on compatible vehicle displays — Candy Crush Soda Saga, Angry Birds 2, Farm Heroes Saga (another match-three game) and Beach Buggy Racing. They could help you pass the time when, say, you're waiting for your EV to charge or to pick up your kids from school.
According to 9to5Google, which tried out the feature, you need to have the games installed on your phone to play them on your car's screen. They'll also only be accessible while the vehicle is parked. The publication noted that, when you get ready to move the car, the game will close right away. Until you park again, you can't tap on a game to reopen it. In addition, 9to5Google was unable to actually play Angry Birds 2 — the app got stuck on an "internet required" screen — though Beach Buggy Racing appeared to run well enough.
Also part of this beta is a fullscreen mode for apps. To back out from that, you may need to swipe down from the top of the display. This gesture reveals an Exit button.
Google announced Android game support in the latest Android Auto beta as part of
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
This week, we learned that even government officials are addicted to their group chats — except with the Trump administration those chats include war plans and potentially classified information. In this episode, we dive into the sheer recklessness and stupidity of Signalgate. And speaking of reckless, we also discuss 23andMe's bankruptcy and the privacy concerns around selling off customer DNA data.
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 podcast, Engadget News!
Subscribe!
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
Instagram has rolled out an update for Reels that will let users go through more of them more quickly. As TechCrunch has reported, the app now allows users to play Reels at 2x the speed by long-pressing on the right or the left edge of the screen. They'd simply have to release it if they'd like to resume watching at normal speed. Some users have had access to the feature for a while now, while others used to have it until Instagram removed it from their accounts, likely because the app was only testing it out. Now, an Instagram rep has told CNET that it's rolling out to everyone. We previously didn't have the feature and can confirm that we've gained access to it within the past few hours.
The representative said that the option has been highly requested by the app's users. Being able to fast-forward Reels has become somewhat of a necessity for a lot of people today, seeing as Instagram's short-form videos are no longer limited to 15 seconds in length like they used to be. Reels can now be as long as three minutes, and there are signs indicating that the app could allow uploads as long
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
The US will append a 25 percent tariff on top of any existing tariffs on all cars produced outside its borders. Additional fees will be imposed on imported components too like engines, transmissions, powertrains and electrical components. There's a number of carve outs for US-based companies, as well as those sourcing gear from Mexico and Canada. But the move has been taken under the guise of "protecting" America's car industry from imports.
Of course, hefty tariffs are no guarantee consumers will flock to buy American if other brands are pricier. We've been here before: The '70s oil shock meant bulky and inefficient American cars were suddenly money pits. That made light and efficient Japanese cars far more attractive to buyers who didn't want to go broke at the gas pump. And that was despite a tariff regime that, as PBS reported in 2017, was equivalent to a 60 percent levy. Before 1980, Chrysler, GM and Ford were kings — now they muscle with Toyota, Honda and Hyundai for a slice of the pie.
Given the new administration's work to undermine the EV transition, it's likely we'll see a big pivot back to gas-powered vehicles. Especially as the one EV company likely to benefit from such a move has potentially diminished its reputation in the eyes of some buyers. The end result, however, may likely erode any sort of advantage the US auto industry has, allowing China the chance to race ahead in the rest of the world.
— Dan Cooper
Get this delivered direct to your inbox.
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
We think Apple makes the best smartwatch, tablet and laptop — and before you go thinking Engadget is a bunch of Apple fan-folk, we'll point out that many of our editors and reviewers are PC and Android devotees. When it comes to user-friendliness, attractive design and longevity, Apple products just keep edging ahead in our testing. However, devices designed in Cupertino don't come cheap. Thankfully, you can usually find a few deals on Apple gear in any given week — though not directly from Apple. Third-party retailers like Amazon
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
If your Wi-Fi signal is struggling to reach every corner of your home, a signal booster — also known as a Wi-Fi extender — might be the fix you need. Whether you're dealing with annoying dead zones, buffering video calls or laggy gaming sessions, the right Wi-Fi extender can help expand coverage and improve connectivity without forcing you to move your router.
There are different types of Wi-Fi extenders to choose from. Some models use external antennas to push the signal farther, while others, like mesh extenders, create a seamless, whole-home network. If you're simply looking to extend coverage into a specific room, a Wi-Fi repeater can do the job — but it may cut your bandwidth in half. More advanced extenders, however, can help maintain strong speeds and reliability throughout your home.
We've rounded up the best Wi-Fi extenders to suit different needs, whether you're looking for an affordable fix or a high-performance upgrade.
Table of contents
Best Wi-Fi extender for 2025
How do Wi-Fi extenders work?
What to look for in a Wi-Fi extender
Wi-Fi extender FAQs
Best Wi-Fi extender for 2025
|
|
Mar 28, 2025
If you just want a way to read ebooks, you already have what you need in your pocket with your smartphone. But if you want something that's less distracting and easier on your eyes, you may want to go with an ereader instead. As it stands, the market is currently dominated by two brands. Amazon's Kindle has captured the largest share by far, but Rakuten Kobo devices are a winning alternative — in fact, the Kobo Clara Colour is our current top pick. Smaller companies like Onyx Boox and PocketBook produce Android tablets with e-paper screens that can do more than just display books.
Other considerations, such as whether or not you need a color display or the ability to write on the screen for note-taking, will determine which ereader to buy. Factors like library size, compatibility with rights-managed content and more also come into play. Over the past two years, we've tested out more than a dozen devices to create a guide to help you pick the best ereader for you — and help you get the most out of your new gadget once you get i
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
This year's Amazon Spring Sale is in full swing, and as promised, a ton of household, fashion and outdoor gear has dropped to record-low prices. Tech isn't a huge focus for this sale, but there are a decent number of devices on sale right now for some of the best prices we've seen all year. The selection may not be as good as that of Amazon Prime Day in July, but it still provides a good opportunity to save on things like headphones, robot vacuums, air purifiers and more.
We've collected the best Amazon Spring Sale deals on tech gear here so you don't have to go searching for them. The Spring Sale runs through March 31, so check back here for all of the latest deals as they drop.
Best Amazon Spring Sale deals
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Anker power banks and other charging gear have been discounted thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale. Noteworthy among the deals is this Anker 321 MagGo power bank that's going for only $20 for Prime members. The discount applies to all colorways, too, including white, black, pink, green and purple.
Anker devices are some of our favorites and a few of them have made it onto our list of the best power banks and portable chargers. This particular model on sale is MagSafe-compatible, so it will magnetically attach to the back of your iPhone wh
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
As the world turns, so do the console generations. The Nintendo Switch 2 will arrive in 2025, over eight years after its predecessor. Nintendo officially revealed the successor to its best-selling home console in a brief trailer on January 16.
The Switch 2 looks functionally very similar to the original system, albeit with a larger display, magnetic Joy-Cons and a sleeker design. The company also reaffirmed that the upcoming console will be backwards compatible with Switch games.
While the reveal did confirm some rumors and have a few interesting details for those who were paying close attention, Nintendo is still largely keeping its cards close to its chest. We'll have to wait until a special Nintendo Direct at 9AM ET on April 2 for all the juicy information. Before that, we'll just have to gaze at the sleeves on the Seattle Mariners' jerseys this year — Nintendo and the MLB team announced they'll have a Nintendo logo on the sleeve of the home jersey and a Switch 2 logo on the away jersey. If you can't trust a sports partnership to forecast a new console arriving soon, what can you trust?
The Nintendo Switch 2 was announced on January 16
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The Amazon Spring Sale has made me jealous — I'm envious of those who can now pick up Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones at a record-low price, as someone who paid full price for them long ago. Our top picks for the best wireless headphones you can buy are on sale for $318, which represents a 20 percent discount. The sale is available on the Silver and Smoky Pink models.
There are few tech products I would recommend to anyone, but Sony's XM5 headphones are one of them. I've raved so much about them that my parents and brother all bought a pair (while my partner uses mine about as often as I do). One of the biggest things for me, as someone who gets headaches easily, is that they're so comfortable. I've worn them on quite a few overnight flights now and can easily keep them on the whole time.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
There's a lot in the world to be angry about today. So, why not do like we did in the '90s and channel that aggression into beating the living hell out of bad guys in a delightfully loud and over-the-top arcade game? Marvel Cosmic Invasion takes characters like Spider-Man, Captain America and Wolverine and gives them a beat-'em-up that looks straight out of a grunge-era cabinet.
If this sounds like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder's Revenge, that's no coincidence. Marvel Cosmic Invasion is not only cut from the same cloth; it's from the same team (developer Tribute Games and publisher Dotemu). The idea is to recreate the look, sound and feel of side-scrolling '90s button-mashers like X-Men, The Simpsons and the original Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles with modern touches.
Tribute Games / Dotemu
Like Shredder's Revenge, it exploits the advantages of modern graphical engines without betraying its muses' old-school pixel art. Appropriately, the characters' visual style is inspired by 90s-era Marvel comics.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
In the final days of our pre-Switch 2 world, Nintendo is trying to rethink how sharing games works. The biggest announcement from the company's latest Direct was its upcoming Virtual Game Cards feature, a new approach to sharing digital games that improves on the company's current system, but still carries limitations that keep it from feeling truly modern.
Virtual Game Cards attempt to make digital games as easy to share as physical ones. That starts with the company visually representing games as "cards" and using the language of loading and ejecting them, and extends to how simple they are to share. Two Switch consoles logged into your Nintendo Account can share any digital game just by "ejecting" it from one and "loading" it on another. The only catch is that the consoles need to be connected over local wireless (as in, be physically near each other) when the trade happens, and be able to access the internet to download the game and run it for the first time.
You can similarly share a Virtual Game Card with anyone in the same Nintendo Account family group for two weeks, after which the game automatically returns. In both cases, saves for each game stay on the console where the game was played, making it s
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Shadow Labyrinth, an utterly bonkers riff on Pac-Man and sidescrolling Metroidvania games, will hit digital store shelves on July 18. It'll be available for Nintendo Switch, PC via Steam, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.
The game casts players as Swordsman No. 8 as he befriends a yellow orb called Puck. For the gaming historians out there, Puck-Man was the original name for Pac-Man. The gameplay involves switching from the classic sword-wielding hero to Puck, with the latter able to crawl on walls and (surprise) gobble up yellow dots. There's also a third form, a mecha construct called Gaia.
The gameplay looks frenetic and fairly violent, which seems like an odd choice for everyone's favorite perpetually hungry orb. Bandai Namco is making the game, however, and it made the very first Pac-Man all of those decades ago. I'm going to give them the benefit of the doubt here. In any event, it's not as if developers haven't experimented with Pac-Man in the past. The famished fiend has been featured in racing games, platformers, endless runners, puzzlers
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Ubisoft is continuing its efforts to course-correct after several challenging years. Today, the video game company announced that it will launch a subsidiary centered around three of its most familiar franchises: Assassin's Creed, Far Cry and Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six. The as-yet-unnamed subsidiary will fold in the teams working on those three series, including Ubisoft studios in Montréal, Quebec, Sherbrooke, Saguenay, Barcelona and Sofia.
This new business will receive an investment of €1.16 billion (roughly $1.25 billion) from its longstanding partner Tencent, granting the conglomerate a minority ownership stake. Following the transaction, Ubisoft will narrow focus to its other franchises, such as The Division and Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon.
"Today Ubisoft is opening a new chapter in its history," CEO and Co-Founder Yves Guillemot said. "As we accelerate the company's transformation, this is a foundational step in changing Ubisoft's operating model that will enable us to be both agile and ambitious."
Ubisoft has been cutting costs and jobs over the past several months after several of its new projects
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Meta has spent the last few years remaking Facebook's main feed into a "discovery engine" that primarily serves up recommended content from pages, groups and accounts users don't already follow. But while the company has said the change is necessary to compete with TikTok, it's also frustrated Facebook users who miss seeing posts from people they actually know.
Now, Meta is trying to remedy this with a revamped "Friends" section of the app that will only show posts and content related to your Facebook friends. The company says the update is the first of many meant to bring "OG" features back into the 21-year-old social network.
With the update, the "Friends" tab of the Facebook app that used to only be for friend requests will now be home to a feed exclusively made up of content related to your friends. This includes feed and Story posts, as well as Reels, birthdays, friend requests and "people you may know suggestions."
While Meta is spinning the change as a part of a larger push to make Facebook feel more "social," it's not the first time the company has offered dedicated feeds for "friend only" content. In fact, Mark Zuckerberg showed off dedicated "friends" feed in 2022 amid the company's push to bring more recommendations to users' "home" feeds. That feed, which surfaces posts from friends in reverse chronological order, is still available, though it's somewhat buried in the app.
It's not clear what else Meta has in store for other "OG" Facebook features that could play on nostalgia for the 21-year-old social network. (Facebook's once infamous "poke" feature already had a
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
More than a decade after debuting on the iPhone in 2014, the Monument Valley series is making its way to Switch consoles. On Thursday, Nintendo announced Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 would hit the eShop on April 15, with Monument Valley 3, the most recent entry in the series, arriving sometime this summer.
This isn't the first time Monument Valley and Monument Valley 2 have been available outside of mobile devices. In 2022, series creator Ustwo Games released the two games on PC. The work the studio did then likely made the job of porting the games to Switch a lot easier; there was likely no need to rework the art assets for the console's widescreen display. Both games will come with all the additional chapters, add-ons and DLC Ustwo released over the years.
For most people, this will probably be their first chance to play Monument Valley 3. Although the game has been available on mobile devices since the end of last year, it requires a Netflix su
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
It might be around that time of year when you're starting to figure out your summer vacation plans. Google has revealed some new features that can help with that, including a handy AI-powered one for Maps.
If you turn on the new screenshot list, Gemini can automatically recognize locations that are mentioned in screenshots you take in the app. You can then save the places you're interested in to a list. These saved spots will appear on the map, and you can share the list with your travel companions. This feature will be available on iOS in English in the US starting this week. It's coming to Android soon.
Google Maps turns your screenshots into a list of saved places so you can easily find them for later ??
rolling out this week in the U.S. in English on iOS and coming soon to… pic.twitter.com/z8RafkIWcS
— Google Maps (@googlemaps) March 27, 2025
Google has long offered flight price tracking features, and now the company is expanding that to hotel pricing via its dedicated search tool. If you have your eyes on a destination for particular dates, you can track prices for hotels and get alerts when they drop. Just tap or click the price tracker toggle underneath the search filters. If prices for
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
iRobot's Roomba Combo Essential machine, which is a robot vacuum and mop in one, is down to only $149 as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. Normally priced at $275, this is the best discount we've seen on the 2-in-1 robot, matching the sale price we saw during the holiday shopping season last year.
As you can see in our roundup of the best budget robot vacuums, we've consistently rated iRobot's machines highly for their reliability and ease of use. The Roomba Combo Essential is a simple, no-frills option that both vacuums and mops, making it a solid pick for small apartments, dorm rooms or anyone who wants a cleaner floor without spending a fortune.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Today's Nintendo Direct gave us our first real look at the forthcoming Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake, and it sure is easy on the eyes. It uses Square Enix's HD-2D engine, just like last year's Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake.
We knew this JRPG was coming, but now we have some actual in-game footage. As the name suggests, this title will include remakes of the first two Dragon Quest titles that were originally released all the way back in the 1980s. This is a very good thing, as the first game is pretty short.
Technically, Dragon Quest 3 is a prequel to the first two titles in the franchise, so this release schedule makes a certain sort of sense. Once this game comes out, the entire Erdrick trilogy will be available to modern players.
— DRAGON QUEST (@DragonQuest) December 6, 2024
We still don't have a release date, other than later this year. We do know that it's coming out for the Switch, PC, PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. These are the same platforms that Dragon Quest 3 HD-2D Remake released for, which ended up being a surprise hit for the company. Square Enix said
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The highly customizable Vivaldi web browser now has built-in ProtonVPN integration. CEO Jon von Tetzchner described the collaboration as part of a broader shift toward "privacy over profiling, sovereignty over surveillance, independence over inertia," noting Vivaldi and Proton's headquarters are in Europe (a region with significantly better privacy regulations than the US). "We don't believe your personal data should be a bargaining chip."
Built-in ProtonVPN is only available on Vivaldi's desktop app, which is available for Windows, macOS and Linux. You can use Proton integration by clicking a new "VPN" icon at the top right of the toolbar. Doing so will prompt you to sign in with your Vivaldi account.
It connects with ProtonVPN's free plan by default, which offers solid speeds but only automatic server locations from (via The Verge) five randomly selected countries. Or, you can log into a paid Proton account for the fastest speeds and manual server selection. (Proton's service is Engadget's pick for the best VPN app.)
In a
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
While computers are great and all, there is something so satisfying about physically writing something down. Digital notebooks kind of provide the best of both worlds, allowing you to handwrite as much as you want on just one device.
One of the newest options on the market is Amazon's 2024 Kindle Scribe with a redesigned display and uniform borders. Right now, the 16GB version is on sale for $325, down from $399 — a 19 percent discount. Our pick for best e-reader E Ink tablet is marked down as part of Amazon's Spring Sale, a site-wide event.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Amazon's week-long Big Spring Sale is still rolling on, and while the event is mostly focused on things like apparel and outdoor goods, it does include a few noteworthy deals on electronics. We're highlighting the best of those across Engadget, but if you're on a tighter budget, we've also dug up a few decent discounts on gadgets and services we like that are available for less than $50. As a reminder, the event runs through March 31, and you don't need to be an Amazon Prime subscriber to see most of the price drops.
Best Amazon Spring Sale deals under $50
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Figuring out the best iPad for you can be tricky. Apple's lineup now includes three 11-inch tablets and two 13-inch ones, each with key differences in pricing, specs and accessory support. The iPad mini is still hanging around, too. If you're looking to upgrade, we've tested each current iPad and broken down which ones best fit different needs, whether you want a laptop replacement or just a big screen for streaming.
Table of contents
The best iPads for 2025
iPad FAQs
Recent updates
The best iPads for 2025
iPad FAQs
How long do iPads typically last?
If history is any indication, expect Apple to update your iPad to the latest version of iPadOS for at least five years, if not longer. The
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
If you're looking to upgrade your kitchen with a versatile countertop oven, the Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer is currently on sale for $280 thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale — down from its usual $350. That's a $70 discount on one of the most well-regarded air fryer toaster ovens out there, and it's close to the lowest price we've ever seen.
Breville's Smart Oven Air Fryer combines convection baking and air frying into a single, compact appliance. It features Element iQ system technology, which intelligently adjusts heat distribution to ensure precise and even cooking. Whether you're roasting a chicken, crisping up fries or baking cookies, this oven is designed to handle it all. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer has 11 cooking functions, including toast, bake, roast, broil, air fry, and pizza, making it a versatile tool for any kitchen. While throwing dow
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Electronic Arts (EA) has signed a multi-year deal with Amazon Luna, the tech company's cloud gaming service. Now Luna subscribers can access EA games such as Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and Dead Space.
The games will be available on any device with Luna, including Amazon's Fire TV and tablets, PC, Mac, smartphone and some LG and Samsung smart TVs. More of EA's titles, including some of its EA Sports games, will also come to Luna in the coming months. Luna has previously expanded its offerings through a partnership with gaming storefront, GOG.
"Our teams are focused on building experiences that entertain and engage EA's massive online communities, and we're excited to partner with Amazon to make those games available to even more people," said David Tinson, EA's chief experiences officer and EVP, in a release. "We look forward to a selection of EA games joining Amazon Luna, offering new ways for players and fans to come together across a variety of devices they already own, wherever they are."
Luna is available for $10 a month, which includes all the games in its library. That option has a seven-day free trial or Amazon Prime members can play a select few games each month for free with Luna.
The cloud gaming service first launched in 2022 and has
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The original AirFly Pro is a fantastic little device that lets you stream wireless audio from any standard 3.5mm headphone jack. This made it a great tool for inflight entertainment systems, treadmills, CD players and any other old-school gadgets that lack Bluetooth. Manufacturer Twelve South just announced a follow-up, the AirFly Pro 2, that brings even more features to the table.
The AirFly Pro 2 doesn't reinvent the wheel. It's still a dongle that connects to headphone jacks to provide wireless audio via Bluetooth. This new release offers improved sound quality, thanks to the Qualcomm QCC3056 audio processor. The company says this upgraded processor "optimizes sound quality and latency, making movies, music and games sound even better." It also helps reduce background noise.
There's a dedicated volume control button right on the dongle, which is a nice touch. This device offers multipoint connectivity, so two people can stream audio simultaneously. Twelve South says that the AirFly Pro 2 should also connect to headphones faster than previous models.
It's available to purchase right now for $60. This is a small bump from the first AirFly Pro, which cost $55.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/the-airfly-pro-2-wireless-headphone-dongle-offers-improved-sound-and-volume-control-155811522.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Levoit's Core 400S air purifier is down to $190 from its usual $220 price, thanks to the Amazon Spring Sale. While it's not the lowest price we've seen — the air purifier briefly hit $177 last year — it's still a solid discount on one of the most convenient air purifiers for large spaces. Just clip the $30 on-page coupon to get the discount.
We've featured Levoit in our list of the best air purifiers for its strong performance and smart features. The Core 400S can cover rooms up to 1,980 square feet using a three-stage filtration system to capture allergens, dust, pet dander and smoke. It also includes a smart sensor that adjusts fan speed based on air quality, so you're not running it at full blast when you don't need to.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
You can save on some of our top picks for the best security cameras as part of a sale on Blink gear thanks to the Amazon Spring sale. For instance, the Blink Mini 2 is
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
It's been a while since Engadget has highlighted a Humble Bundle, but the latest one is just too good to ignore. The Dice and Destiny collection brings together six incredible RPGs in support of CARE, an NGO that fights hunger and poverty globally. For about $15, you get Broken Roads, Citizen Sleeper, Disco Elysium, Pillars of Eternity, Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire, Roadwarden and a coupon for 15 percent off of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector.
Having played most of the games in this bundle, I can safely say they're all well-worth your time, but a few stand out. Disco Elysium needs no introduction. It was one of the most critically acclaimed games of 2019, and if you haven't played it yet, this is great way to get Disco Elysium for cheap. But it's not my favorite game in the collection. That distinction is shared by Citizen Sleeper and Roadwarden.
In tone, they're very different games. Citizen Sleeper is set in a dystopian far future, while Roadwarden is a dark fantasy RPG that fans of The Witcher series will love. However, both featu
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Amazon's latest Big Spring Sale is into day three, and while the week-long event still isn't as big on tech as Black Friday or Prime Day, we've still found a few genuinely decent discounts on Apple devices. If you're looking for a new iPad, Apple Watch or set of AirPods, we've rounded up the best Apple deals going on right now below. In truth, most of these offers aren't explicitly tied to the Spring Sale, but they still drop a number of Apple (and Beats) gadgets we recommend to lower prices than usual. As a reminder, Amazon says the sale will run through March 31, and the deals below are not exclusive to Prime members.
Best Amazon Spring Sale Apple deals
Apple AirPods 4 with ANC for $149 ($30 off MSRP)
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
We've now hit the third day in Amazon's Big Spring Sale and, like last year, it seems to focus less on tech deals and more on home, cleaning and fashion discounts. But luckily, tech and home cleaning neatly intersect in the category of robot vacuums. We've tested dozens of these handy automatic floor cleaners and put the results in a couple of our buying guides. Most of the deals that debuted when the sale kicked off are still live. Well, really, many of these deals went live before the sale's official start date this Tuesday. But they may not stick around long after the sale is done on Monday, March 31. As it stands now, a number of our recommended robot and cordless vacuums are on sale and we've rounded up the best deals we could find, right here.
The best Amazon Spring Sale robot vacuum deals
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
If you've ever seen Dyson's Hot Cool Jet Focus in a store and wished the ultra-sleek appliance was more affordable, today's your lucky day. Amazon has the product, which usually costs $470, on sale for $300. That's nearly a record low.
As its name suggests, the Dyson Hot Cool AM09 Jet Focus can heat your room in the winter and cool it off in the summer. Its fan mode includes Air Multiplier tech, which creates a smooth and uninterrupted airstream thanks to its lack of traditional fan blades. When you need some warmth, its ceramic plates heat up quickly.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Anker makes some of the best power banks on the market and debuted a few great options earlier this year. That included Anker's Laptop Power Bank, a 25,000mAh portable charger with triple 100W USB-C ports and one USB port. Well, currently, that charger is on sale for $88, down from $110 — a 20 percent discount — as part of Amazon's Spring Sale.
The new power bank, available in Black and Silver, comes with two USB-C cables and can charge
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
If you're on the market for a new smartwatch, Amazon has a great sale on the latest Apple Watch. You can pick up the Apple Watch Series 10 for only $299 right now, which is $100 off its usual price. This flagship model came out in September 2024 alongside the iPhone 16 series, and it has all of the latest features you'd expect in a high-end wearable. If you'd rather spend less, the
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Robinhood might have broken into the zeitgeist as a platform for trading meme stocks and cryptocurrencies, but now it's following through on long-held ambitions in the hope of becoming a one-stop shop for all your finance needs. Starting this fall, it will offer banking services.
Those with a Gold subscription will have access to Robinhood Banking, billed as a private banking offering with individual and joint checking and savings accounts as well as luxury benefits on offer. There will be the option to send money to others in more than 100 countries and, handily for those who are tired of traipsing to an ATM, you can have cash delivered to your door the same day you request it (depending on your location).
Features include access to estate planning and tax advisors, round-the-clock support, instant transfers between Robinhood accounts and up to $2.5 million in FDIC insurance through partner institutions. From the jump, there will be accounts for kids with spending controls and allowance options. You can have a debit Mastercard for your spending needs. Robinhood already offers a credit card. There will be the ability to link external bank accounts so you can better track your total net worth too.
As for those perks, Robinhood says it will offer the likes of "tickets to exclusive events like the Met Gala, Oscars, F1 Monaco Grand Prix, The Masters and more, as well as private jet travel, global private chauffeurs, luxury helicopter rides and members-only vacation clubs." Some of those seem like lofty promises. The
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Nintendo is cutting out the middle man (us). In Thursday's Nintendo Direct presentation, the company announced its new smartphone app, Nintendo Today!, that will provide daily updates on games, characters and events. These tidbits might show up as videos, comic strips or quick break downs.
The app also has an animated calendar that is customizable to themes from some of Nintendo's biggest titles, like The Legend of Zelda, Super Mario and Animal Crossing. Plus, it will include a schedule of events based on categories you choose or your favorite games. Similarly, you can add a widget to your home screen and then add art from one of Nintendo's game series.
These news blasts will soon include more information on the Nintendo Switch 2. The company is holding a separate Nintendo Direct on April 2 just for the new system and will subsequently share updates on it and its games on the app.
Anyone with a Nintendo account can access Nintendo Today! app on an iOS or Android device. It should be available to download today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-today-app-will-provide-updates-on-games-events-and-the-switch-2-150808151.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Today's Nintendo Direct provided a surprising bit of software news. The company just announced something called Virtual Game Card, which is a way to make playing and sharing downloaded titles more convenient.
As the name suggests, this system creates a digital simulacrum of a physical game card. This means that multi-Switch households will easily be able to start a game on one console and transfer to another without any real hassle. Nintendo says they want to make digital games as easy to use as physical game cards.
Sure, starting something on a regular Switch before moving over to the OLED model is a nice feature, but that's not the only hook. Nintendo, a company that famously loves money, is going to let us lend out digital games. This is pretty darned cool.
There are some caveats. You can only loan games to up to eight people on the same Nintendo Family Account, so it's really for families and tight-knit groups of friends. Also, the systems have to be able to connect locally via the same wireless network. So you can't loan out a game to someone on the other side of the country.
You can only lend one game out at a time and it lasts for two weeks. This functionality will be available at the end of April. Don't worry. It's also
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The weather might be getting nicer, but that doesn't reduce the need to sometimes stay home and have cozy nights in front of the TV. That's all the more desirable thanks to the great discounts available for Amazon's Spring Sale. For instance, the newest Amazon Fire TV Stick HD is currently down to $20 from $35.
Amazon released the Fire TV Stick HD last October in a move that can best be defined as a rebrand. The company cut its price by $5 (pre-sale) while keeping pretty much all the features of its previous basic streamer. It's also our pick for best budget streaming stick.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Light, the company behind a pair of minimalist handsets, just released the Light Phone III. This is the perfect device for those who are tired of modern smartphones, with their easy access to doomscrolling and their abundance of wonky AI tools.
The Light Phone III features a sleek black-and-white OLED display, which is a new design element. The previous models included e-paper screens. The big draw, however, is not what this phone has but what it doesn't have. There are no third-party apps. There's no access to social media, the internet or even email. It's intended to be, first and foremost, a phone.
It's not completely bare. This model includes an embedded NFC chip for making payments, a bare-bones music player, a podcast player, a messaging app, a flashlight, voice notes, a calendar, a timer and an alarm. It also includes a simple camera system that was inspired by point-and-shoot models. There's a two-step shutter button with center focus and a fixed focal length. The company calls it "genuinely fun."
The Light Phone III has a navigation app, which is likely the most useful part of modern smartphones, but with a twist. The company paid for private access to navigational information, so Here (th
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The Amazon Big Spring Sale is in it's third day now and most of the deals look to be sticking around. To be fair, many of the deals started before the sale's official kick-off, but we'd be surprised if they remained after the sale's last day this coming Monday. Like last year, the discounts appear to be more focused on kitchen, fashion, cleaning and home decor. Those last few categories don't really apply to what we cover here at Engadget. Kitchen gear, however, is getting more and more tech-reliant. And the intersection of food and tech is a place we feel very comfortable. We've reviewed Instant Pots, air fryers, coffee gear, sous vide machines and more. Lots of what we recommend is now on sale for Amazon's latest sale. Read on for the best deals on cooking tech we could find.
The best Amazon Spring Sale deals on air fryers, Instant Pots and more
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
On Saturday, March 29, a solar eclipse will darken the skies. Unlike the "Great American Eclipse" of 2024, though, this will not be a total eclipse; instead, a partial eclipse will be visible in the early morning hours in parts of the northern hemisphere.
A partial eclipse isn't as dramatic as a total eclipse, but it's still worth seeing. While the sun will not be fully obscured, with proper eye protection, you will be able to see the moon take a bite out of the sun. Because the eclipse will occur in many places during sunrise, viewers may get the chance to see the famed "devil horns" — the crescent of solar light emerging from behind the moon.
When can you watch this partial solar eclipse, and those devil horns? Let's talk about how to safely watch this eclipse.
What areas will experience the partial solar eclipse, and when?
The partial solar eclipse will be visible in areas of the northern hemisphere. It will be visible at sunrise in eastern North America and sunset in Siberia, Russia on Saturday, March 29. In Europe, it can be viewed around mid-morning. But the event's footprint will be limited: No eclipse will be visible west of Toronto, Canada, and Washington, DC in North America.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
A pair of cult classics from Sony's PlayStation Portable library are heading to the Switch. On Thursday, Nintendo announced Patapon 1 2 Replay, a package that brings together brand new remasters of 2007's Patapon and 2008's Patapon 2. Originally developed by Pyramid and Sony Japan Studio, which shuttered in 2021, the two games combine elements from strategy and rhythm games.
As the player, you must guide a tribe of anthropomorphic eyeballs to victory over their foes through a combination of drum beats. Patapon and Patapon 2 were well-received on release and went on to define the PSP's library of quirky but fun games. In addition to HD graphics, Patapon 1 2 Replay includes quality of life changes that should hopefully make this the best way to play these two gems.
No word yet if the remaster is also making its way to PlayStation consoles. We'll update this article once we know more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/patapon-1--2-replay-brings-two-psp-classics-to-nintendo-switch-on-july-11-143627695.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
After years of delays and at least one complete reboot, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is coming in the near future. During a Nintendo Direct presentation on Thursday, Nintendo offered a closer look at gameplay.
The trailer shows Samus exploring a jungle planet called Viewros that "she was unexpectedly transported to." She'll battle malevolent alien creatures and scan relics to learn information that may help her escape. Not only that, Samus will receive new psychic abilities she can use to open doors and manipulate mechanisms, as well as control the direction of beams that she fires. There's a bit of a mystery as to why she receives these powers, but we'll probably learn that through the course of the story.
There's still no specific release date as yet. However, Nintendo reaffirmed that the game is coming to the Switch in 2025. It will presumably run on the Switch 2 as well thanks to that system's backwards compatibility.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/metroid-prime-4-beyond-gameplay-trailer-shows-off-samus-new-psychic-abilities-143326681.html?src=rss
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Many Shark robot vacuums and related products have been deeply discounted as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. This includes the well-regarded
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Amazon's Spring Sale is bringing a lot of tempting deals on everything from robot vacuums to AirPods. The latest discount is also an Apple markdown, with the new 128GB iPad Air with M3 chip dropping to $549 from $599.
Apple only released the 11-inch iPad Air M3 at the beginning of this month and it's already our pick for best iPad for most people in 2025. We gave it an 89 in our recent review thanks, in part, to the M3 chip's power. Geekbench 6 scores showed the iPad Air M3's single- and multi-core scores as about 16 percent more powerful than its predecessor. We also didn't notice any dip in battery life in exchange for the boost.
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
The Backbone One is a fantastic accessory that brings a controller-like experience to mobile devices. There have been multiple iterations throughout the years, but now the company has announced a nifty-looking Xbox Edition. This could be the perfect way to finally work through that ever-burgeoning Game Pass library.
First of all, this model is transparent Xbox green, which is a nice touch. It also includes a dedicated Xbox button, just like an actual gamepad. This button has multiple uses. When playing a game or in the official Xbox app, a single press opens up the Xbox Guide. Otherwise, it'll bring up the Backbone app and show all available Xbox games. A double press starts or stops screen recording, though this is configurable to take screenshots. Holding it down while playing a game will trigger the secondary button press.
Backbone
Of course, it has a full suite of buttons that align with a typical Xbox controller. This allows gamers to "tap into their favorite games like Halo Infinite, Forza, and Indiana Jones" with the "precision, comfort, and reliability that Backbone is known to deliver."
The Back
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
MEMS solid-state drivers have provided a big sound boost to wireless earbuds recently, offering the ability for companies to pack in a hybrid setup for a wider, more immersive soundstage. xMEMS' silicon-based micro speakers have been a popular choice for this purpose, with the company's Cowell and Muir drivers already appearing in products from Creative Labs and others. Now, xMEMS has developed what it calls the first amplifier-less silicon tweeter for wireless earbuds in a bid to take improved sound and efficiency even further.
Officially dubbed Lassen, the tweeter is a lower-cost option for companies. Since it doesn't require a separate piezo amplifier chip like Cowell and Muir, it's more cost effective to integrate with savings of up to 25 percent compared to the other MEMS drivers. Ditching the amp also increases power efficiency without sacrificing performance. xMEMS says that Lassen can provide up to a 115dB boost in the 6kHz to 20kHz frequency range, which it claims surpasses the output of existing tweeter tech. Plus, xMEMS promises the "same superior sound quality and soundstage" as its previous solid-state micro speakers.
Like Cowell, Lassen will be used in a dual-driver or hybrid setup in wireless earbuds. When paired with a dynamic driver, for example, the MEMS tweeter boosts the high-frequency details and clarity while the dynamic driver provides the necessary low-end thump. Based on
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Yes, you can save on Apple devices during the Amazon Spring Sale. One of the best Apple deals at the moment is on the latest Mac mini: the M4 desktop with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of internal storage is on sale for $499, or $100 off its usual price. You'll find the same $100 discount on other configurations as well: the 16GB/512GB model is currently going for $699 and the machine with 24GB of RAM and 512GB of internal storage sitting at $899.
The M4 Mac mini earned a review score of 90 in our review this past fall, impressing us with how much power it packs into its tiny frame. Engadget's Devindra Hardawar wrote at the time, "The Mac mini was the fastest computer I've reviewed this year, at least when it comes to CPU benchmarks." That it starts at 16GB of RAM (as is now standard for new Macs) is a big plus, and in addition to the connections on the back, it has some useful front ports: two USB-C ports and a headphone jack.
The M4 Mac mini's diminutive size means you won't have to sacrifice much desk space for it, but it'll still be powerful enough for tasks like light video editing and some gaming. Devindra wrote that "the Mac mini impressed me by running Lies of P in 1,440p with maxed out graph
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Just a few days ahead of Nintendo's big Switch 2 deep dive on April 2, the company is switching gears with an earlier surprise Direct presentation today, March 27, at 10AM ET. You can watch the stream above as it happens.
The video will run for around 30 minutes and focus on upcoming games for the original Switch console. There won't be any Switch 2 info, but pretty much every game you see here will run on the new console anyway, thanks to backwards compatibility.
Since this isn't billed as an Indie World Direct (those focus on indie games), it's not really clear what we can expect from this one. Nintendo's developers will largely be focused on making Switch 2 games at this point. Still, the Switch has a massive install base — the company has sold more than 150 million of those consoles — so Nintendo probably won't want to leave all those players behind any time soon.
To that end, we can expect a stream of games for the original Switch to keep coming for the foreseeable future. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond,
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Free ChatGPT users will have to wait a while longer to be able to use its built-in image generation capability. OpenAI has just launched a feature that will allow users to generate images directly inside of ChatGPT, and it was supposed to roll out to all Plus, Pro, Team and Free users. But according to company CEO Sam Altman, it has been way more popular than OpenAI had expected even though they already had high expectations to begin with. As such, its rollout to the free tier is "unfortunately going to be delayed for a while."
rollout to our free tier is unfortunately going to be delayed for awhile.
— Sam Altman (@sama) March 26, 2025
People have been posting ChatGPT's output all over social media. One popular trend that emerged from the launch is turning existing photos into Studio Ghibli-style illustrations. Even Altman poked fun at it and used a Ghibli-fied photo of himself as his profile picture on X/Twitter. Users have been creating Ghibli versions of everything from personal images to photos of political figures and memes. As VentureBeat has noted, Ghibli creator Hayao Miyazaki likely
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
We still think getting a live TV streaming service is a better deal than paying for cable — but the gulf between the two options is narrowing. Now that many of the major providers go for more than $80 per month, it's not the amazing deal it once was. Still, live TV streaming plans have no contract, offer relatively simpler pricing and need no special equipment beyond a smart TV and an internet connection. There are a handful of major players and, after testing them all, we found YouTube TV to be the most well-rounded. But other services have their advantages, too, depending on what you want to watch. Here are the best live TV streaming services according to our tests.
Editor's Note: The 2025 NCAA Tournaments, aka March Madness, is currently ongoing, but since different broadcasters own the rights to each tournament, viewers won't be able to watch every game on a single channel. The rights to men's matchups are split between Warner Bros. Discovery and CBS. The women's bracket is carried by ESPN. A Live TV streaming service such as YouTube TV, Hulu Live TV, Fubo and Sling should cover the games as they all carry the necessary channels. However, sports fans who only need access to a selection of games have cheaper alternatives available to them. Engadget's streaming guide to March Madness details every available viewing option.
Table of contents
Best live TV streaming services for 2025
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
President Donald Trump has signed a proclamation imposing 25 percent tariffs on "all cars that are not made in the United States" on top of taxes that are already in place. The tariffs will apply to all imported sedans, SUVs, crossovers, minivans, cargo vans and light trucks. They will also apply to key automotive components not made in the US, including engines, transmissions, powertrain parts and electrical components, and they could expand to cover additional parts if necessary. The new tariffs will take effect on April 2, and the US government expects to start collecting on April 3.
According to CNBC, the president assured automakers that there will be "absolutely no tariff" for cars made in the US. The administration is also giving automotive companies importing goods under the US-Mexico-Canada agreement time to get their US-made parts certified so that the additional taxes will only apply to the value of their non-US-made components. Trump first announced that his administration was going to impose 25 percent tariffs on automobile imports back in February. He also said at the time that the government intends to collect an additional 25 percent in taxes, or higher, on semiconductor imports.
Trump White House aide Will Scharf said that the new automobile tariffs will earn the US "over $100 billion of new annual revenue." European Commission's president, Ursula von der Leyen, criticized the US
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Uber has new shuttle routes for NYC travelers. Less than six months after launching bus rides between LaGuardia Airport and Manhattan, the company is adding four routes between John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Manhattan.
Beginning on Thursday, you can book up to four seats for one of the new routes. You can reserve them as early as seven days in advance or as late as two minutes before you hop on. Each bus has a 14-passenger limit at launch. Much like your flight, you can bring one piece of luggage weighing up to 50 lbs and a personal item that fits in your lap or under your seat. When you get onboard, the driver will verify your identity with a QR code and PIN.
The four new routes include stops at either Port Authority Terminal and Grand Central Terminal or Chinatown and Atlantic Terminal. Each of those two Manhattan courses is split into two additional routes — one to JFK's Terminal 4 and another to Terminal 5. They run every 30 minutes, from 5AM to 10:45PM, all week.
The JFK shuttles will typically cost "up to $25" for one way, but Uber is launching the new rides with introductory one-way pricing of $10 through April 30.
Uber says it's booked hundreds of thousands of shuttle seats since it launched its LaGuardia routes last fall. Although it can be a handy way to get around (and cheaper than hailing a cab), there's a free public transit shuttle running between the airport and the subway. As Redditor u/Kufat opined about Uber's shuttles in October, "This is for tourists who think they'll get stabbed the moment they enter the subway."
This article originally appeared on Engadget at
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Few things are more panic-inducing than a phone's battery hitting five percent when you're nowhere near a charger. That's what power banks are for. Keep a full one in your bag and you'll never have to worry about a dead phone (or tablet or even laptop) again. For over two years, I've tested dozens of portable chargers, ranging from small MagSafe-compatible packs to massive 27,500-milliamp-hour bricks. Not every battery out there is a winner, and the tech seems to be steadily improving — what I'm testing in 2025 definitely outshines what I was trying out in 2022. So this guide is here to help you pick the best power bank for any situation, along with our advice on what to consider when picking out a portable charger.
Table of contents
Best power banks for 2025
How we test best power banks
What to look for in a portable battery pack
Other power banks we tested
Best power banks for 2025
|
|
Mar 27, 2025
Not everyone needs to spend a fortune to get a mobile phone that does everything they want. The best budget Android phones prove you can snag a new phone with great performance, solid build quality and all the key features you actually care about — without the hefty price tag. You might not get a flagship device with every bell and whistle, but for most people, that's probably just fine.
Maybe you're not chasing the latest camera system or trying to capture the perfect selfie, and instead, you just want a decent camera, a smooth AMOLED display and a battery that lasts all day. These budget-friendly phones are designed to deliver exactly that, focusing on practicality and value while still offering impressive camera quality and features that hit the right price point. If you're ready to upgrade without breaking the bank, these are the best Android phones you can get on a budget.
Table of contents
Best budget Android phones for 2025
How cheap should you go for an Android?
What to look for in a cheap phone
Android phone FAQs
Best budget Android phones for 2025
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
YouTube Shorts has introduced a change that brings analytics for its bite-sized video option into closer parity with rival services TikTok and Instagram. The video platform will remove the minimum play time requirement it previously had for a user watching a clip to count as a view.
Beginning March 31, a "view" will be added any time a YouTube Short is played or replayed. This will likely mean that creators will see higher view counts after the change takes place. YouTube will continue to track "engaged views," which measure the number of times a clip was played "for a certain number of seconds." YouTube clarified that the shift would not impact Creator earnings or their eligibility for the YouTube Partner Program; both will continue to be assessed by the engaged view metric.
Both Instagram and TikTok have defined a "view" as the number of times a video starts playing, although those platforms also offer metrics for tracking time spent watching a piece of content. Considering YouTube Shorts, Instagram and TikTok have each claimed upwards of a billion monthly users, it makes sense that they count views similarly so t
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Utah Governor Spencer Cox has signed the App Store Accountability Act into law, making it the first state to require that app store makers verify their users' ages. Under this law, people in Utah will need to be over age 18 to make a new account with an app store; underage users will either need to link their account to a parent's so that the adult can give permission for the child to use certain apps.
The legislation is intended to protect children and teens, according to bill sponsor Todd Weiler, a Republican state senator. However, it has also raised questions about privacy and where the burden of responsibility falls to ensure that underage users don't see inappropriate content. Earlier this month, Meta, Snap and X issued a joint statement in favor of Utah's new law, while Google, which runs the Google Play Store, called on the governor to veto the measure. We've reached out to Apple and Google for comment now that the bill has been signed.
As it stands, the App Store Accountability Act is slated to take effect on May 7, but it seems likely that it will face legal challenges. Digital privacy groups have opposed the law and others like it. Other laws requiring online services to confirm users' ag
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Codemasters' Formula 1 franchise is back for another lap. Publisher EA says the tracks in F1 2025 have a more realistic look and feel, thanks to LiDAR scanning. The new installment arrives on May 30.
Although EA didn't offer much detail about LiDAR's use, we can safely assume it involved high-resolution 3D scans of real-world tracks to make them as close to a 1:1 representation as possible. (After all, it's the same tech autonomous vehicles use for real-time 3D mapping and object detection.) Regardless, we reached out to EA to try to get more info. We'll update this story if we hear back.
EA / Codemasters
In other areas, F1 25 overhauls My Team, with players now able to serve as the squad's owner and driver. And in the Braking Point story mode, Konnersport has moved up in the world and is now a highly competitive team battling for championships. But wait, "a dramatic event throws the team into chaos," so rest assured the writing team still understands the importance of using obstacles in storytelling.
F1 25 launches on PS5,
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Samsung just released a spate of new QLED TVs, after teasing the lineup at CES. The Neo QLED line is the first to feature the company's Vision AI platform. This allows for new personalization and optimization features. You can pick one up right now, but you might want to open up a line of credit first. The most budget-friendly model is the 55-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN80F, which comes in at $1,300.
As for 4K models, prices balloon all the way up to $15,000 for the top-of-the-line 98-inch Class Neo QLED 4K QN90F. Samsung also just released some 8K smart TVs with Vision AI. The pricing here starts at $3,300 for a 65-inch model and goes up to $5,300 for the 85-inch version.
If you need a high-end soundbar to go with that brand new TV, Samsung has got you covered. The company just announced availability for two new soundbar systems. The flagship HW-Q990F costs $1,800 and the HW-Q800F clocks in at $1,000. Both come with the company's redesigned subwoofer, but the Q990F also includes a pair of rear speakers.
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Amazon has updated Kindles with a new way to navigate books. While nothing will recapture the tactile pleasure of physical page turn buttons, anyone with a Kindle running Version 5.18.1 of Amazon's software will now be able to double-tap the side or back of their e-reader to turn pages.
"Double Tap to Page Turn" can be turned on in the Settings menu under Device Options. Amazon says it works for more than just turning pages. You can also use double taps to scroll through your Home and Library pages, too. Interestingly, the option doesn't use the touchscreen at all. Good E-Reader speculates Amazon is relying on the accelerometer inside Kindles to detect taps.
Along with the update, Amazon is also adding a feature it calls "Recaps for Books in Series." These are short summaries "for thousands of bestselling English language Kindle books in series you have purchased or borrowed." The company already does things like automatically group books from the same series to make them easier to find, but this should save you the trouble of looking up a summary of A Dance with Dragons before diving into The Winds of Winter — assuming it's ever released.
The 5.18.1 update is rolling out now newer Kindles, like the Kindle Colorsoft, and devices as old as the 10th generation Kindle and Kindle Paperwhite. It will also be available on the last of Amazon's e-readers to have physical but
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
The navigation app Waze is dropping Google Assistant support for iPhones, citing "ongoing difficulties" with integrating the service. The company says it plans on replacing it with an "enhanced voice integration solution" at some point in the future. Google Assistant will still work for Android users.
This is happening a full year after iPhone users began reporting issues related to Google Assistant, with many people noting that voice commands were totally broken. Waze says that it has "not been working as intended for over a year" and that it would rather "phase out Google Assistant on iOS" instead of "patching a feature that has faced ongoing difficulties."
As previously stated, Google Assistant for Waze will continue to work on Android phones. However, there's a valid question to be asked about how long Android users will continue to be able to issue voice commands in the app via the digital assistant. Google has pledged to transition users away from Google Assistant to Gemini.
As a matter of fact, the company said that "the classic Google Assistant will no longer be accessible on most mobile devices" as the year winds on. It'll also no longer be available for downloads on app stores starting later this year. Waze has already begun testing Gemini within the platform, which allows users to use natural language to report traffic incidents.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/waze-is-officially-stopping-support-for-google-assistant-on-iphones-173545610.html
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Canon is expanding its vlogging lineup in a big way with two new models, the R50 V mirrorless and PowerShot V1 compact, both designed to take on cameras in Sony's vlogging lineup. The PowerShot V1 has an interesting new 1.4-inch sensor that's considerably larger than the ones on most compact cameras. The R50 V, meanwhile, matches features from Sony's ZV-E10 II but at a considerably lower price.
PowerShot V1 compact camera
The PowerShot V1 was already announced and released in Japan, but it's now set to come to North America. It effectively competes with Sony's ZV-1 II 1-inch sensor compact but has a much larger 1.4-inch 22.3MP sensor that's roughly the same size as Micro Four Thirds, but with a horizontal aspect ratio better suited for video. That larger size, along with the 17-52mm (3.1x zoom) f/2.8-4.5 lens, should make it superior to its rival in low light while also offering shallower depth of field.
I've only had the PowerShot V1 for a day, but it's heavy for a compact camera at 426 grams (15 ounces) and fairly thick. There aren't many manual controls other than the top mode dial, a rear setting dial for burst, exposure compensation and other functions, a lens dial for aperture, a camera/video switch and a zoom dial, along with several buttons. It has a 3-inch, one-million-dot fully articulating rear display but no electronic viewfinder, just like the ZV-1 II.
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
The Kindle Colorsoft e-reader is on sale for $225 as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. That's a discount of 20 percent, as the typical price hovers at $280. This deal also comes with three months of Kindle Unlimited, which is a good way to rack up some quick reads.
We loved the Colorsoft in our official review, calling it the "missing link in Amazon's e-reader lineup." The reason is right in the name. This is the only Kindle with a color screen. The company l
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Indie publishers and developers are once again teaming up to show off the fruits of their labor in a gaming showcase from The Triple-i Initiative. The second edition will take place on April 10 (the same date as last year's show) at noon ET.
The first showcase included the announcements of The Rogue Prince of Persia and Slay the Spire 2, along with expansion reveals for Brotato and Vampire Survivors. Major updates for Palworld, Risk of Rain 2 and V Rising were unveiled as well.
This time around, you can expect 45 minutes of world premieres, gameplay reveals, release dates, demo drops and more from 30-plus games. V Rising will be on show again this year, alongside the likes of Enshrouded and Deep Rock Galactic. The showcase trailer includes a peek at Sifu developer Sloclap's intriguing 5v5 arcade soccer game, Rematch, so it looks like we'll get an update on that one. Vampire Survivors studio Poncle is also among the list of developers with something to reveal.
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
The Levoit LVAC-200 cordless vacuum has been discounted to $150 as part of the Amazon Spring Sale. That's 25 percent off and close to a record-low price. The sale only applies to the standard white model and not the blue one.
The LVAC-200 made our list of the best cordless vacuums. We loved the lightweight design. It only weighs three pounds and it can easily be disassembled for storage. Just pop the cleaning head from the extension arm and the arm from the motor base. It also features a locking mechanism, so it can stand upright between cleaning sessions.
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
GeoGuessr, the geography game that tasks players with guessing a location in the world based on a random Google Street View image, is coming to Steam. It's slated to hit early access on the platform sometime in April. That should hopefully make the game much easier to access on Steam Deck without having to fiddle with browser settings on desktop mode.
The developers are taking the early access approach on Steam so they can "refine the gameplay, introduce new features and ensure the best possible experience with direct feedback from players" with the aim of making "the ultimate competitive and casual geography game." The early access version on Steam will at the very least have a competitive solo mode and casual Team Duels, though there are plans to add more modes and competitive features in the coming months.
GeoGuessr has a fairly thriving competitive scene — this year's world championship has a $100,000 prize pool — so you could stand to cash in if you become great at the game. But be warned: if you think pro GeoGuessr might be your calling, you'll be up against some incredibly skilled players. They can pinpoint parts of the world based on
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
It turns out Nintendo Directs are like buses. You wait ages for one then get two in quick succession. Days before Nintendo fully spills the beans on the Switch 2 during a dedicated showcase on April 2, the company is hosting a surprise Direct on March 27 at 10AM ET. You can watch it above.
The stream will run for around 30 minutes and focus on upcoming Switch games. There won't be any Switch 2 info, but pretty much every game you see here will run on the new console anyway, thanks to backwards compatibility.
Since this isn't billed as an Indie World Direct (those focus on indie games), it's not really clear what we can expect from this one. Nintendo's developers will largely be focused on making Switch 2 games at this point. Still, the Switch has a massive install base — the company has sold more than 150 million of those consoles — so Nintendo probably won't want to leave all those players behind any time soon.
To that end, we
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
The Amazon Spring Sale has given us a few great deals so far, but anyone looking for affordable earbuds is going to really appreciate this one. Right now, the Anker Soundcore Space A40 earbuds are down to $45 from $80 — a 44 percent discount. That's an incredible price for earbuds with active noise cancellation.
The $45 deal on our favorite budget wireless earbuds is available for the Black and Blue models, while the White, Green and Purple options are slightly more expensive at $50. However, the latter two typically
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
As someone who paid full price for Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones, I am jealous to report that they are 20 percent off right now as part of Amazon's Spring Sale. Yes, our choice for 2025's best wireless headphones have dropped to $318 from $400 — a 20 percent discount. They briefly dropped to $250 earlier in the sale, but have since jumped back up a bit. Nevertheless, this is a good sale price overall; you can grab them on discount in either the silver of smoky pink colors.
There are few tech products I would recommend to anyone, but Sony's XM5 headphones are one of them. I've raved so much about them that my parents and brother all bought a pair (while my partner uses mine about as often as I do). On
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
Microsoft has launched two new "reasoning agents" for Copilot that were designed to analyze vast amounts of work data, including emails, meetings, chats and documents. The first tool called "Researcher" is based on OpenAI's deep research model combined with Copilot's advanced orchestration and deep search capabilities. Researcher was made for "complex, multi-step research" at work. It can take a user's internal work data along with additional information from the web, such as competitive data, emerging trends and the latest market analysis, to create market strategies and comprehensive quarterly reports, among other potential uses. Plus, it c
|
|
Mar 26, 2025
I don't review a lot of $650 headphones. That's because most audio companies sell their top-of-the-line gear around $300-$400. Noble Audio isn't like most companies. The FoKus Rex5 earbuds, for example, cram in five separate drivers where much of the competition uses two at the most. Noble was also among the first to employ xMEMS drivers in wireless earbuds in a bid to improve bass performance.
Enter the FoKus Apollo, a $649 pair of active noise canceling (ANC) headphones with a detachable boom mic and up to 80 hours of battery life. The real star of the show is the driver setup, which Noble says is the first time this configuration appears in wireless headphones. The company is once again on a quest for the absolute best sound quality, but it may sacrifice a little too much along the way.
Sound quality is the main attraction
Noble Audio's proposition is simple: the "world's first" headphones that offer a hybrid speaker pairing of a 40mm dynamic driver with a 14.5mm planar magnetic driver. A dynamic driver is nothing new for a set o
|
|
