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If you're struggling to find your next binge-watch, you can't go wrong with anime. For the holidays, you can save on a Crunchyroll subscription, giving you access to its vast library of anime series to watch. Through December 29, you can sign up for an annual Fan subscription for $67, down from the usual $80, or a Mega Fan subscription for $100, down from $120. While both the Fan and Mega Fan plans are ad-free, you do get some different benefits depending on which you decide to pay for. Fan subs

Amazon just introduced a new feature for Alexa+ called Greetings . This lets Alexa+ answer the doorbell and converse with visitors, which certainly sounds futuristic in a gated community as dystopia kind of way. There are several caveats here. First of all, it only works with certain newer Ring video doorbell models. Customers also have to pony up for a Ring Premium Plan and have access to the Alexa+ early access build. It's available in the US and Canada and only in English. If you meet those c

No need to fret if you missed out on some of the best Black Friday deals this year some of them have returned already. Case in point: Apple's AirPods Pro 3 , which came out in September this year, are back down to $199. That's an all-time-low price and better than the price it was during Black Friday and Cyber Monday. With the new AirPods Pro, Apple made some big improvements, including better battery life and sound quality, and introduced useful new features, such as Live Translation. The AirP

The Ultrahuman Ring Air now has the capacity to track snoring and general respiratory health. This is thanks to proprietary technology called Respiratory Health PowerPlug, which is basically a suite of audio analysis tools along with some advanced biomarker tracking and AI tomfoolery. All of this results in one of the most comprehensive consumer tools ever built for understanding nighttime respiratory stability. It details snoring sessions, of course, but also delivers a holistic and actionable

The Federal Trade Commission has sent Instacart a civil investigative demand, seeking information about its AI-powered pricing tool, according to Reuters . This comes after a recently published pricing experiment study showed that the online grocery delivery app gave different users different prices for the same items from the same store location at the exact same time. Some of the testers saw prices up to 23 percent higher than what the other testers saw, though the average difference for the s

Earlier this year Sony sued Tencent for copyright infringement over its Light of Motiram game, calling it a slavish clone of Horizon Zero Dawn. Then, earlier this month, Tencent agreed to stop promoting and publicly testing the game. Now, the two companies have reached a confidential settlement and the case has been dismissed, according to court documents seen by The Verge . Light of Motiram has also disappeared from Steam and Epic's game stores. SIE and Tencent are pleased to have reached a con

Apples AirPods have become the default choice for many people, whether you want simple wireless earbuds that work without fuss or premium options with features like noise cancellation and spatial audio. The lineup has grown over the years, so there is now a model for almost every type of listener. Some pairs are built for all-day comfort, others focus on isolation and richer sound, and Apples over-ear option offers a more immersive experience for movies and music. If you spend most of your time

Whether youre a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it drops, everyones on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anym

Theres a good chance you own a couple of gadgets that support wireless charging now, be it your iPhone or Android phone, wireless earbuds or smartwatch. Multi-device wireless chargers can help power them all up in one place, without the need for a bunch of cords messing up your space. There are dozens of these accessories out there today, and weve tested a bunch of the most popular models. Youll find out top picks below for the best wireless charging pads, plus some advice on how to choose the r

LG is teaming up with Dolby for a new collection of speakers that the companies are unveiling ahead of CES 2026. The LG Sound Suite features a modular lineup the H7 soundbar, M7 and M5 wireless surround speakers and the W7 subwoofer. The speakers can be combined in more than two dozen different configurations, from a pair to a full 13.1.7 channel surround sound home theater setup. The main pitch of the LG Sound Suite is its application of Dolby Atmos FlexConnect. This is the audio brand's tech f

A report from Reuters claims that scientists in China have created a prototype of a machine that could eventually be used to produce semiconductor chips capable of powering artificial intelligence. Sources told the publication that a team in Shenzhen completed the prototype of an extreme ultraviolet lithography machine earlier this year and it is allegedly now undergoing testing. The EUV machine was reportedly made by former engineers from Dutch semiconductor supplier ASML. Reuters states that C

Creators and publishers have long worried about Meta's ability to throttle links to outside content. Now, the company is testing out a new scheme that effectively puts link-sharing behind a paywall for creators on Facebook. Under the test, a Meta Verified subscription will determine how many links a creator can share another profile per month. According to a screenshot shared by social meda consultant Matt Navarra, creators in the test recently received a notification from Meta informing them th

Space is full of unsolved mysteries, and a team using NASAs James Webb Space Telescope have recently turned up a doozy. I remember after we got the data down, our collective reaction was 'What the heck is this?' It's extremely different from what we expected, said Peter Gao of the Carnegie Earth and Planets Laboratory in Washington, a co-author on the study. The researchers found an exoplanet dubbed PSR J2322-2650b that orbits a small, dense star emitting electromagnetic radiation known as a pul

NASA has a leader again. On Wednesday, the US Senate confirmed Jared Isaacman as the agency's administrator, with a 67-30 vote. The billionaire entrepreneur (and Elon Musk ally) will have his hands full navigating political waters while managing a severely downsized workforce . You might recall that this wasn't Isaacman's first shot at the job. He was nominated to the post earlier this year. But days before he was scheduled for a confirmation vote, President Donald Trump withdrew his nomination

YouTube announced that it will no longer share data with Billboard for the creation of the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts because the video platform doesn't believe they're calculated fairly. The issue lies, per YouTube, with how Billboard weighs on-demand streams in its rankings: The publication weighs streams from paid music streaming services over ad-supported streams, and YouTube just so happens to run an ad-supported streaming service. Much like getting a book on The New York Times Best

With a good virtual private network (VPN) , you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart those online trackers that watch you sleep and show you weird personalized ads. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN , jumping on the first deal that comes along might get you stuck with a substandard app. Beyond that, even otherwise respectable VPNs sometimes frame their prices in misleading ways, with advertised deals not always as avail

Behringer is no stranger to remaking classic synthesizers and selling them at much cheaper price points . However, this latest release may just take the budget-friendly cake. The company just introduced the UB-1 Micro , previously called the Spirit, a portable analog synth inspired by the Oberheim Matrix line that costs just $49. Despite the price tag, this thing still manages to sound extremely beefy. It features a pair of digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs) based on the Oberheim Matrix 6 a

The big ticket tech gifts may get the lion's share of attention during the holidays, but it's surprising how much people appreciate small and thoughtful accessories and gadgets. We picked out a dozen such stocking stuffers for under $50 perfect for a little something extra for a loved one or a welcome gift for a coworker. Just be sure to check the shipping windows to make sure these handy gizmos will arrive in time. Here are some of our favorite techie gift ideas that come in at $50 or less. Be

The entertainment industrys most well-known awards show is heading to streaming. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) has announced that the Academy Awards, popularly known as the Oscars, will exclusively air on YouTube starting in 2029. The new deal means the awards show is abandoning its long-time partnership with ABC (owned by frequent Oscars heavyweight, The Walt Disney Company), though the Oscars will continue to air on the network through its 100th anniversary in 2028. T

For many folks, working from home is simply the new normal. If youre looking to treat someone who spends most of their time in the home office, this holiday season is as good a time as any to make their daily routine a little more convenient. As a collection of remote workers ourselves, we at Engadget have rounded up a few gift ideas that should add a bit more delight to the WFH life. Best gifts for remote workers Check out the rest of our gift ideas here. This article originally appeared on Eng

The creators of the Hitman series have honed their style of- open-ended and spectacle-driven sandboxes across several games, and now they're taking their signature immersive gameplay to the world of James Bond. With 0 07 First Light , developer IO Interactive is crafting an origin story for the globetrotting British spy, showing how he undertook daring missions at the start of his career to eventually become the world's most infamous agent. Before the reveal at The Game Awards of 007 First Light

With a new year just around the corner, now is the perfect time to take stock of your finances. A budgeting app can help with that, and right now you can get 50 percent off your first year of a Monarch Money plan. All you need to do is enter the code MONARCHVIP at checkout and youll pay $50 for the initial 12 months instead of the regular price of $100. Note that the offer only applies to new users. Monarch Money was the runner-up in our guide to the best budgeting apps in 2025, and it was defin

Uber and DoorDash are challenging a forthcoming NYC law that encourages tipping on food-delivery apps, as reported by The New York Times . The two entities have filed a joint federal lawsuit just ahead of the ruling going into effect next month. Back in 2023, many food delivery apps in the city moved the tip suggestion box to after purchases had been completed. This is sort of how rideshare apps work. It followed NYC mandating a minimum pay rate for food delivery workers , the first in the count

Almost exactly a month after the debut of Gemini 3 Pro in November, Google has begun rolling out the more efficient Flash version of its latest AI model. According to the company, the new system offers similar pro-grade reasoning performance as its flagship model at a fraction of the cost, making it ideal for everyday use. In benchmarks, the new system performed significantly better than Google's previous generation models, including Gemini 2.5 Pro. More notably, in Googles testing it managed to

I know what you're thinking, didn't OnePlus release a new phone just last month? It did. A little over five weeks after the announcement of the OP15 , the company is back with the OnePlus 15R, a more affordable version of its new flagship that starts at $700 (or $200 less than its sibling). Off the top, this will be a shorter review because most of what I said about the OnePlus 15 also applies to the OP15R. It's a great phone that asks you to make one pretty significant compromise. Design and di

The best VPNs can make your online life more private with software that's convenient and cheap sometimes even free . While keeping your IP address invisible, you can use your VPN to explore streaming content from all over the world or (virtually) sneak into a sports event that's not available in your area. However, while VPNs are widely available, there's a strange dearth of information on what they actually do behind the scenes. You may know that a VPN masks your device with a proxy server to

Last year at CES, Samsung debuted its first mainstream Micro RGB TV, a 115-inch model that surprised us with its rich, vivid colors and $30,000 price tag. Now, the company has announced that it will be showing off an entire lineup of Micro RGB TVs at CES 2026 ranging from 55- to 115-inch models, promising to set a new standard for premium home viewing. As a reminder, Micro RGB is a unique new technology similar to Mini LED displays. Unlike the white backlights used on Mini LEDs, though, it uses

The Nintendo Switch 2 was the console launch of the year, and if you got your hands on one at launch, you may now be thinking about expanding its storage. There weren't a ton of microSD Express cards on the market with the Switch 2 first came out, and while they are still not ubiquitous today, you have more options than you did earlier this year. One of the latest to come out is Samsung's P9 Express card, and it's on sale right now. Currently, you can pick up the 256GB Samsung P9 Express microSD

Sure, we've seen millions poured into lobbying and other means of influence during every presidency, but the last two years set a whole new bar. Business leaders, including those from almost every Big Tech company, stepped over themselves to prove fealty to Donald Trump's second administration. It's easy to see why: Their kowtowing was meant to secure regulatory favors, gain tax and tariff advantages and avoid Trump's ire. Ultimately, it was all in the service of appeasing their shareholders. Wh

If you want to learn a new skill in the new year or brush up on some skills you already have, MasterClass could be a good option for you. It's even more accessible now that the company is running a holiday promotion that knocks 50 percent off subscriptions. For the top-tier Premium plan, which includes offline mode and use on up to six devices, you'll pay $120 for the year instead of the usual $240. The entry-level plan, which supports just one device and doesn't offer offline viewing, is marked

Warner Bros. Discovery's board has formally rejected the $108 billion takeover bid from Paramount Skydance, the company announced . WBD said it remains committed to its $82.7 billion deal with Netflix, which would close some time next year, pending regulatory approval. [The board] has unanimously determined that the tender offer launched by Paramount Skydance on December 8, 2025 is not in the best interests of WBD and its shareholders and does not meet the criteria of a Superior Proposal under t

There are way too many online services and subscriptions to keep track of these days, but the flip side is theres a tool for just about everything. Time is just about up to get a physical gift shipped in time for the holidays, so below weve pulled together some of our favorite digital gifts and subscriptions, including time-tested video, music and gaming services as well as tools to clear your mental space and learn new skills. There are also a few subscriptions that provide ongoing, IRL deliver

When Amazons latest Echo speakers arrived in October, a feature the company spent time hyping during its fall devices event was missing. Alexa Home Theater arrived in late November , allowing owners of a recent Fire TV device and either of the new Echo speakers the ability to use up to five units and an Echo Sub as a surround sound setup. The main selling point is that the underlying tech allows you to put the speakers wherever you want and Alexa Home Theater will handle the rest. A robust array

Amazon is in discussions with OpenAI to invest $10 billion in the company while supplying more of its AI chips and cloud computing services, according to The Financial Times . The deal would push OpenAI's valuation over $500 billion but is likely to raise more questions about the company's circular investment agreements involving chips and data centers. The two companies are also in talks about the possibility of OpenAI helping Amazon with its online marketplace, similar to deals it has made wit

Chromebooks have quietly become some of the most useful laptops for everyday tasks. They boot fast, stay secure with automatic updates and often cost far less than traditional Windows or Mac machines. Modern Chromebooks also look and feel better than ever, with brighter screens, stronger processors and designs that range from simple clamshells to flexible 2-in-1s. Whether you need a laptop for school, streaming or a portable option for travel, there is likely a Chromebook that fits your routine.

Teslas sales in California should be suspended for 30 days because its marketing around Autopilot and Full Self-Driving misled consumers, a California administrative law judge has ruled . Back in 2022, the California DMV accused the automaker of using deceptive language to advertise those products and making it seem like its vehicles are capable of level 5 autonomous driving. Tesla has since added the word Supervised to the name of its Full Self-Driving assistance technology. As Bloomberg notes,

Despite changing its name and using decidedly bird-free branding, X is trying to hold on to its original Twitter trademarks, TechCrunch reports . The xAI-owned social media platform has updated its terms of service to include references to Twitter after previously only mentioning X, and seemingly attempted to counter a startup's petition to cancel the company's Twitter trademarks with a petition of its own. The startup X appears to be responding to is Operation Bluebird, a company cofounded by f

Tis the season for gift-giving, family feasts and companies turning their harvested user data into lighthearted recaps. Valve's take on the year-end rewind, Steam Replay , is now available. It follows similar offerings from Spotify , Apple Music , PlayStation and, increasingly, just about every service you use. Hell, even Uber and The New York Times somehow justified getting in on the action this year. This is the fourth edition of Valves wrap-up, which looks back on the titles you spent the mos

As part of its last Xbox-focused software update of the year, Microsoft is improving the Bluetooth performance of the Xbox Wireless Headset to make it work even better with Windows 11. Microsoft released the latest Wireless Headset as an accessory for Xbox Series X/S and PC, but as of this update, Xbox Wireless Headset owners on Windows will now have a leg up on their console counterparts thanks to support for Bluetooth Low Energy (LE) Audio. Microsoft says that supporting Bluetooth LE Audio wil

The New York Times is getting in on the year-end roundup bandwagon. The publication's new Year in Games wraps up stats about which of its daily puzzles and brain-teasers readers played over the course of 2025. People can get their own personalized reports, or just look over the community stats for the Wordle, Connections, Spelling Bee and Strands games. The Year in Games reviews are available on the iOS and Android apps for The New York Times , as well as on a dedicated mobile web page. Annual a

Behold: Ken Paxton will now demonstrate that broken clocks are indeed right twice a day. The Texas Attorney General is notorious for, well, a very long list of reasons . But in this case, he at least appears to be doing consumers a solid: He sued five television companies for using ad-targeting spyware on their TVs. Texas sued Sony, Samsung, LG, Hisense and TCL for allegedly recording what viewers watch without their consent. The predatory technology, Automated Content Recognition (ACR), identif

Google's at it again, once more insisting that AI is something people need or want more of in their lives. The latest move comes from YouTube Gaming, which announced an open beta for a project called Playables Builder. This allows select YouTube Creators to use a prototype web app built using Gemini 3 to make bite-sized games, no coding required. YouTube is launching a closed Beta test for Playables Builder, a prototype web app built using Gemini 3 where users create games with short text, video

If you're looking for something to watch during a holiday break from work or school, you can't go wrong with anime, and right now you can sign-up for a year of Crunchyroll for as low as $65. Holiday discounts running through December 29 bring the anime streaming service's year-long Fan subscription from $80 down to $67 and its Mega Fan subscription from $120 down to $100. That's either $13 or $20 off access to one of the largest libraries of anime series and movies out there. While both the Fan

Netflix has inked a deal with iHeartMedia to begin showing video podcasts , so the content will never, ever run out . The partnership covers new episodes from more than 15 popular podcasts, including The Breakfast Club , Dear Chelsea , My Favorite Murder and others. Customers will have access to video podcast episodes in early 2026. In addition to new footage, the partnership includes a select library of archival episodes from each show. It's worth noting that YouTube already platforms video ver

Back in September during Meta Connect, the company previewed a new ability for its smart glasses lineup called Conversation Focus. The feature, which is able to amplify the voices of people around you, is now starting to roll out in the company's latest batch of software updates. When enabled, the feature is meant to make it easier to hear the people you're speaking with in a crowded or otherwise noisy environment. Youll hear the amplified voice sound slightly brighter, which will help you disti

CES doesn't start until January, but whispers of the products and announcements that could be in store for tech's biggest annual conference have already started to take shape. The CES 2026 show floor is officially open from January 6 through 9, although the show kicks off with events on Sunday January 4 and a host of press conferences on Monday. As always, product demos, announcements and networking will be happening at the Las Vegas Convention Center and surrounding hotels all over the city. As

Following the release of GPT-5.2 last week , OpenAI has begun rolling out a new image generation model . The company says the updated ChatGPT Images is four times faster than its predecessor. If you're a frequent ChatGPT user, you'll know it can sometimes take a while for OpenAI's servers to create images, particularly during peak times and if you're not paying for ChatGPT Plus. In that respect, any improvement in speed is welcome. The new version is also better at following instructions, includ

The long-awaited Rainbow Six Mobile comes out on February 23 for iOS and Android devices. This is a global release and follows years of testing and some significant delays . This is basically a smartphone version of the popular tactical shooter Rainbow Six Siege . It was developed exclusively for mobile devices and features a trio of 5v5 multiplayer modes. There's a team deathmatch, of course, and a pair of bomb-defusing games that are riffs on a pre-existing mode from Siege. Rainbow Six Mobile

The company which popularized robot vacuum cleaners around the world has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy . iRobot, makers of the Roomba, has been synonymous with the category since its inception, but its star had dulled in recent years. The company plans to sell its assets to its primary supplier, Chinas Picea Robotics, in the hope of maintaining its business. Everyones got a strident opinion as to why iRobot fell from grace. The rugged individualists blame limp regulators on both sides of the p

The zombie-decapitating sim Dead Island 3 is still being developed, according to financial documents from Dambuster Studios that were published on X and reported on by Video Games Chronicle . These documents suggest a 2028 release date, so that's something to look forward to. Dambuster Studios' financial statements are out (as of March 2025) The company employed 194 employees Dead Island 3 is in development The current predicted release window for the project is Q1/2 2028 pic.twitter.com/FOHOitH