Donald Trump pardons Silk Road creator Ross Ulbricht
President Donald Trump has pardoned Ross Ulbricht, the founder of Silk Road who was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of money laundering, narcotics trafficking and computer hacking. I just called the mother of Ross William Ulbright [sic] to let her know that in honor of her and the Libertarian Movement, which supported me so strongly, it was my pleasure to have just signed a full and unconditional pardon of her son, Ross, Trump said in a post on Truth Social. Ulbricht has been serving a life sentence since 2015. Prosecutors alleged that the dark web marketplace Ulbricht created was used by thousands of drug dealers and other unlawful vendors to distribute hundreds of kilograms of illegal drugs and other unlawful goods and services to well over a hundred thousand buyers, and to launder hundreds of millions of dollars deriving from these unlawful transactions. Ulbricht was also accused of attempting to order assassinations of his perceived enemies, though prosecutors said there was no evidence that these murders were actually carried out. The reprieve for Ulbricht comes after he tried, and failed , to appeal his sentence in 2017. Crypto enthusiasts, many of whom supported Trump during the 2024 election, have long argued that his sentence was too harsh. Trump said during his campaign that he would commute Ulbrichts sentence on day one if he was reelected. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/donald-trump-pardons-silk-road-creator-ross-ulbricht-010206263.html?src=rss
Netflix plans now cost between $8 and $25 after yet another subscription price hike
Netflix has released its earnings figures for the fourth quarter of 2024. While a lot of the results seem like good news for the company's shareholders, like operating income of more than $10 billion and a 16 percent revenue increase, there's a sting in the tail for its viewers. Subscription prices are going up yet again, starting today. As we continue to invest in programming and deliver more value for our members, we will occasionally ask our members to pay a little more so that we can re-invest to further improve Netflix, the company said in its shareholder letter . To that end, we are adjusting prices today across most plans in the US, Canada, Portugal and Argentina. Netflix later confirmed the specifics of the latest price hikes. The Standard plan with ads is inching up from $7 to $8 a month, while the ad-free version of Standard will rise from $15 to $18 a month. The monthly rates for Premium, which offers 4K Ultra HD and HDR, will increase from $23 to $25. Adding an extra member from outside your household to a streaming plan is also getting more expensive, changing from $8 a month to $9 a month. In 2023, Netflix eliminated its Basic plan in major markets . That change preceded the most recent increase in subscription costs, less than two years ago. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflix-plans-now-cost-between-8-and-25-after-yet-another-subscription-price-hike-234344042.html?src=rss
Bambu Lab pushes a control system for 3D printers, and boy, did it not go well
Security measure? Boxing out third-party tools? Or something more complex?
Update your morning routines with Govees smart Wi-Fi electric gooseneck kettle at $64 (Reg. $80)
Govees official Amazon storefront is offering its Smart Wi-Fi Electric Gooseneck Kettle for $63.99 shipped. Normally going for $80, weve been seeing more frequent falls to this same rate as time rolls forward, with numerous short-term Lightning deals to $64 popping up since the last few months of 2024, especially during Black Friday and Christmas sales. Youre getting another shot at that third-lowest price once again here, albeit without the immediate time restraint, though theres no telling how long this 20% markdown will last. more
One of the best sound bars just hit an Amazon all-time low: Sonos Arc now at $650 (Reg. $899)
We are now tracking the lowest Amazon price ever on the Sonos Arc Soundbar at $649.99 shipped. Considered by many (us included) to be the among the best out there in the price range, despite some of the issues the brands app has dealt with, youre looking at a regularly $900 home theater solution that is now $249 off the going rate to land at a new Amazon all-time low. more
Coming at us through its official eufy Amazon storefront, Anker is bringing costs back down on its popular Omni C20 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo for $499.99 shipped. This unit often goes for $650 in full, with few discounts on the books since hitting the market in September. While we did see it drop to its $399 low back in November during Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales, its been keeping above $600 since mid-December, with costs coming back down thanks to the 23% markdown here that cuts $150 from the tag and gives you the third-lowest rate we have tracked. Youll also find it matching in price direct from eufys website at the moment too. more
Report: Meta could release its first true AR headset as soon as 2027
Mark Gurman at Bloomberg has released a report about Meta's next steps in hardware, crediting sources familiar with the company's work. According to these insiders, Meta is developing at least three new smart glasses models and has set a roadmap toward releasing its first true augmented reality glasses. The company is reportedly also continuing efforts to implement AI tools in a wrist wearable and in earbuds. Meta already sells smart glasses in partnership with Ray-Ban, a product line internally called Supernova. Gurman reports that this existing lineup will be introduced to new markets, although he didn't offer specifics about where. Meta's technologies also be applied to frames from other brands owned by its partner, Luxottica Group. This will allegedly lead to the launch of glasses codenamed Supernova 2 based on the Sphaera glasses from Oakley. This set would be intended for cyclists and other athletes, and its camera would be placed in the center of the frames. The third model is internally dubbed Hypernova. This product would be another step closer to a genuine AR experience, giving wearers the capability to run simple software apps, view notifications and display photos taken by the device. The more advanced feature set would reportedly come with a more advanced price tag; sources told Gurman this set is currently projected to cost $1,000. Insiders had already revealed last month that Meta was working on bringing a display to its Ray-Ban glasses models. Alongside these smart glasses, Meta has also been developing an AR product dubbed Orion . Gurman reports that the Orion set will not receive a commercial release. Instead, he said that Meta plans to launch a different iteration of the hardware as early as 2027. This product is codenamed Artemis, and sources told Gurman that these prototype glasses aren't as heavy as Orion and are more advanced than the predecessor. Another item of note in Gurman's report is that Meta is developing a wrist strap that could control its smart glasses. Most of the company's models have controls at the temple, but a wrist option would be similar to the one used for the Orion prototype. Finally, he confirms that Meta is still working on prototypes of camera-enabled earbuds that could be a rival to Apple's AirPods. The Information reported on this project in May 2024, and it seems that the concept has faced some development challenges. If these Camerabuds do reach the market, it likely won't be for years. We've reached out to Meta for comment on this report and will update with any statement we receive. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/report-meta-could-release-its-first-true-ar-headset-as-soon-as-2027-222502610.html?src=rss
Meta is trying to lure TikTok creators with a new bonus program
The TikTok ban may have lasted only a few hours (at least for now), but Meta is still trying to capitalize on its rivals tenuous future. Meta has rolled out a new breakthrough bonus program that offers up to $5,000 to creators who are new to the companys apps. According to Meta, the bonus program is open to US adults who have an existing presence on a third party social app that you can link or already have linked during the application process. Participants will also be required to create a professional account on Instagram and a page on Facebook. If accepted, creators will then be able to earn up to $5,000 over a 90-day period in exchange for sharing at least 20 reels on Facebook and 10 reels on Instagram posted natively within each app within each 30-day bonus period and sharing on at least 10 separate days within each 30-day bonus period. (Meta notes that creators individual payments will be calculated based on an evaluation of your social presence.) Creators will also be able to participate in its Facebook Content Monetization program that allows creators to earn money for text and photos posts in addition to video content. Though Meta doesnt name TikTok specifically, the timing of the rollout seems pretty clearly meant to target TikTok creators who arent active on Facebook and Instagram. Its also notable that the terms of the bonus program require creators to post twice as many Reels on Facebook as Instagram, suggesting Meta is looking to boost original content on Facebook specifically. The breakthrough bonuses are just one of the ways Meta is attempting to lure TikTok creators to its platforms. The company is also offering some creators, including those in the breakthrough program, a free one-year trial subscription to Meta Verified, which provides a blue check and extra perks like impersonation protection. The company also recently extended the length of Reels on Instagram, from 90 seconds to up to three minutes , and redesigned the Instagram grid. Meta is also reportedly striking bigger deals with specific, higher-profile creators. The Information recently reported that Meta has been offering some TikTok stars bonuses of up to $50,000 a month in exchange for posting their content on Reels first. A Meta spokesperson declined to comment on the specifics of those arrangements, but said the company recently expanded our investment in content deals to support more creators. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-is-trying-to-lure-tiktok-creators-with-a-new-bonus-program-220632949.html?src=rss
Amazon is offering the DEWALT 20V MAX Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit for $134 shipped. Normally fetching $229 at full price, but more recently keeping down near $149 through Black Friday and Christmas sales, todays deal comes in as a new all-time low just ten cents under the lowest pricing we saw during Black Friday. All-in-all, youre getting a 41% markdown off its full price, saving you $95 on this combo package, complete with two 2.0Ah batteries, a charger, and a tool bag. more
Govees Evangelion-inspired RGBIC Glide wall lights return to $140 low (Reg. $200), more from $70
Through its official Amazon storefront, Govee is offering significant savings and two all-time low prices on its three Evangelion-inspired smart lighting options. Leading the pack is the brands RGBIC Glide Wall Lights for $139.99 shipped. Usually carrying a $200 price tag most days, weve been seeing more frequent discounts to its $140 low since October when it first appeared. Youre getting another shot at it today with this 30% markdown that saves you $60 and brings in the first discount weve seen since Christmas sales. Youll also find them matching in price directly from Govee . more
Apples Find my tech has made its way into key organizers and passport wallets, wall chargers and wallet cards (among other things), and Im loving it. We also just happen to spot this relatively new FlashFinder Keychain Flashlight on Amazon with onboard Find My tech alongside a notable launch deal down at $23.79 clip the on-page coupon . Shipping is free for Prime members or in orders over $35. This unit landed on Amazon for the first time a few weeks ago at $28 and is now at the lowest price we have seen yet. more
Xbox Game Pass is getting 2 of Januarys biggest games
January will see quite a few new additions coming to Game Pass, including the hotly-anticipated sequel Citizen Sleeper 2.
Instagram blocked searches for #democrats and other political hashtags
Instagram blocked searches related to a number of political hashtags, including #democrats, #democrat, #jan6th, #republicans and a number of other terms Tuesday. Users who searched for these hashtags were instead greeted with a notice that weve hidden these results because they may contain sensitive content. Its not clear exactly how many search terms were affected but users on Reddit reported that dozens of tags were unsearchable. Meta spokesperson Andy Stone blamed an unspecified issue in a post on Threads and said the company was working on a fix. The timing, just days after Mark Zuckerberg took a front-row seat at President Donald Trumps inauguration, understandably prompted speculation that the issue was politically motivated. Zuckerberg recently moved to end Metas fact-checking programs , roll back content moderation standards that prohibited dehumanizing language and slurs targeting immigrants and LGBTQ people. The company also internally shuttered its corporate diversity programs . Stone, however, said the issue affected a number of different hashtags on Instagram - not just those on the left. Indeed, there seemed to be some inconsistency in what was blocked. #Democrat, #democrats and #republicans were reportedly affected, but #republican was viewable. Users reported that #constitution, #johnoliver and #queer were also unviewable. Meta now seems to have addressed most of the hashtags in question, though the company hasnt explained what caused the issue. This, notably, isn't the first time Instagram has inexplicably blocked searches for hashtags. Meta blocked hashtags related to LGBTQ content and labeled it as sensitive content for months . The company said earlier this year that was an error, noting that we do not consider LGBTQ+ terms to be sensitive under our policies. In 2020, Instagram briefly prevented users from sharing posts with the hashtag #blacklivesmatter. The company said it was a mistake and blamed its spam detection features. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-blocked-searches-for-democrats-and-other-political-hashtags-195612128.html?src=rss
EA's Origin app for PC gaming will shut down in April
EA's Origin PC client has officially reached the end of the line. The gaming company had previously announced its plans to rebrand the Origin app for desktop players back in 2020 and began rolling out the new EA app in 2022. However, Origin will be completely shuttered on April 17, 2025, as Microsoft ends support for 32-bit software. Anyone still using Origin will need to swap over to the EA app before that date. For those PC players who have not migrated over to the EA app, the company has an FAQ explaining the latest system requirements. The EA app runs on 64-bit architecture, and requires a machine using Windows 10 or Windows 11. (Although Microsoft would really prefer that everybody upgrade to Windows 11 as it sunsets the previous OS.) If you're simply downloading the EA app on a current machine, players won't need to re-download their games. And if you have cloud saves enabled, all of your data should transfer without any additional steps. However, it's always a good idea to have physical backups with this type of transition, especially since not all games support cloud saves, and those titles will need to have saved game data manually transferred. Mods also may not automatically make the switch, and EA recommends players check with mod creators about transferring to the EA app. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/eas-origin-app-for-pc-gaming-will-shut-down-in-april-191807523.html?src=rss
Polyend stuffed a fully programmable drum machine in a stompbox
This years NAMM trade show has opened up its doors, so that means there will be a wealth of new musical doodads to lust over. Case in point? Polyend just dropped a hybrid device that combines the functionality of a standard guitar pedal with a drum machine. The Polyend Step is a fully-featured, programmable drum machine in stompbox format. This should be an absolute boon for those who want some accompaniment while playing guitar, or any other instrument. That alone makes it the perfect practice tool, however it looks like it could also be a great resource for anyone doing the whole one person band thing. Drum stompboxes are nothing new, but the Step kicks things up several notches. It comes with over 200 drum kits to peruse, along with 350 preset rhythm patterns. These patterns consist of 16 steps, but can be combined to build full songs. To that end, the pedal can store more than 1,000 songs. Drum patterns can also be made from scratch via the built-in step sequencer, giving users four tracks to work with. Each track has a wide array of adjustable parameters, including swing, speed, step probability, velocity control and more. There are over 50 effects to choose from, and each song can handle 16. These effects include a number of delays and reverbs, and can be activated on the fly via footswitches. The connectivity here is on point. The Step includes MIDI I/O for syncing, guitar jacks, stereo input and output and a microSD card reader. Its available right now for $500. Polyend is primarily known for its sequencing devices, like the Polyend Tracker and the Tracker Mini . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/music/polyend-stuffed-a-fully-programmable-drum-machine-in-a-stompbox-190008034.html?src=rss
iPhone 17: Everything we know so far about the 2025 iPhone
Macworld It doesnt take long for iPhone rumors to circulate. Its one of the most iconic and influential tech gadgets of all time, and everyone wants to know whats coming next. That Apple is so secretive only heightens the appeal of iPhone rumors and leaks. So it should come as little surprise that iPhone 17 rumors, leaks, and info started to circulate months before the iPhone 16 was even formally announced. Heres everything we know so far, but dont take any of it as solid info: even when early rumors are accurate, plans can change, and nothing is ever certain until Apple announces it. Updated January 21: A new leaked image purportedly shows early case models of an iPhone 17 model, presumably the iPhone 17 Air, with the new camera bar design very prominent. iPhone 17: Release date Heres something we do know: The new iPhone lineup is almost always announced in Septemberusually on a Tuesday in the second week of September, to be specific. So we would expect the iPhone 17 line to be announced on or around September 9, 2025. Heres when the most recent models were released: iPhone 15: September 12, 2023 iPhone 14: Sepember 7, 2022 iPhone 13: Sepember 14, 2021 i Phone 12: October 13, 2020 (delayed due to Covid) Historically, preorders for the iPhone begin on the Friday after the announcement, and the phones ship a week later. On occasion, some specific models may ship a couple of weeks later than the others due to production issues. iPhone 17: Price We havent yet heard if the iPhone 17 line will cost the same as the iPhone 16 line. One rumor from a popular leaker on Weibo contends that the Plus model will be replaced by the new Slim model that costs more than the Pro Max, though it wont have the same processor and RAM and the Pro models. The supposed pricing would be: iPhone 17 : 6.27-inch LTPO display, A19/8GB ($799) iPhone 17 Pro : 6.27-inch LTPO display, A19 Pro/12GB ($1,099) iPhone 17 Pro Max : 6.86-inch LTPO display, A19 Pro/12GB ($1,199) iPhone 17 Slim : 6.65-inch LTPO display, A19/8GB ($1,299) This would mean a significant upward shift in overall iPhone pricing, with the Pro model jumping up $100 and a new model replacing the Plus with a price of $100 more than the Pro Max. iPhone 17: Colors We havent yet heard anything about what colors to expect from the iPhone 17 line. The iPhone 16 comes in five colors including Ultramarine, Teal, Pink, White and Black.While the iPhone 16 Pro comes in Desert Titanium, Natural Titanium, White Titanium and Black Titanium, which are reminiscent of the classic gold and space gray options. There were rumors that the iPhone 16 would also come in purple, so perhaps thats in the pipeline for 2025. iPhone 17: New slimmer iPhone 17 Air model The iPhone 17 is expected to have an ultra-thin model like the M4 iPad Pro. Petter Ahrnstedt Several analysts have reported that the existing Plus model will be replaced by a new Slim model with a larger screen size and a much thinner body. Analyst Jeff Pu was the first to report this change (in May 2024), and in the same month, The Information reported on the Slim model , stating that it would be a new even-higher-end model that sits above Pro Max in the lineup and would have a centered rear camera and a smaller Dynamic Island. A video by Jon Prosser in August 2024 surmises that the slim iPhone will be called the iPhone Air (we agree that makes sense) and will not be the most expensive in the lineup (its been rumored for years that Apple is planning to launch a new model with higher-end features above the Pro Max), but rather be a mid-priced model that prioritizes form and design over specs, much like the MacBook Air. Additionally, a report by Mark Gurman of Bloomberg in August 2024 claimed the new model will fit between the standard iPhone and the Pro: If you want something snazzier than a standard iPhonebut dont really need the performance, screen size, or cameras of a Pro modelyou can get something that looks much cooler while still having the specifications of a regular iPhone. A report from Jeff Pu in November 2024 claims that the iPhone 17 Air/Slim will be around 6mm thick . Thats thinner than any iPhone so far. The iPhone 16, for context, is 7.8mm thick. The thinnest new iPad Pro is 5.1mm thick. According to Koreas Sisa Journal in January 2025, the so-called iPhone 17 Air will be 6.25mm thick and cost in the same price range as the iPhone 16 Plus (starting at $899 U.S.). A medium post from analyst Ming-Chi Kuo stated that the thinnest part of the new ultra-slim iPhone is just 5.5mm thick , but its difficult to know what that means without more context. In October 2024 Pu said he expects the phone to have an A19 chip (not A19 Pro), 8GB of RAM, around a 6.6-inch display, an aluminum body, and a single 48MP rear camera. Another report (in July 2024) suggested that Apple wont use resin-coated copper components on the mainboard due to quality issues with the supplier. This was one of the ways Apple planned to reduce internal space requirements, so its unclear if it will have an impact on the iPhone 17 slim models overall thickness or not. A leaked image in January reportedly showed the case of the new iPhone 17 Air, with prominent camera bar design. Majin Bu/X iPhone 17: Rumored specs and features All iPhone 17 models have been rumored to feature a 24MP front-facing camera and the always-on display is supposed to finally be available on the non-Pro models . Some believe that ProMotion will come to the non-Pro models too, since the same LPTO technology that enables the always-on display is what makes ProMotion possible, in Apples iPhone implementation. If true, it would be the first time Apple has offered ProMotion on a non-Pro device. Some iPhone 17 models (maybe even all of them) will have a new camera bump , a wide rectangular raised area that stretches across the phone similar in style to Googles Pixel line. According to a leaked image of one iPhone 17 aluminum frame (we dont know from which model), it will be substantial in size. Apple is also said to be working with Corning on a new anti-glare and scratch-resistant glass for the iPhone 17 lineup. All iPhone 17 models are expected to have aluminum frames and bodies (with glass), rather than steel frames or titanium bodies in the Pro models today. A report from The Information in July 2024 claims that at least one model will feature a mechanical aperture , which would be new for iPhones but has been seen in a handful of Android phones so far. We dont know much about what chips will power the iPhone 17 line, but we expect the high-end models (Pro and possibly Slim) will get an A19 Pro , while the non-Pro models may get a standard or cut-back version of the A19, or perhaps a more souped up variant of the A18. Since Apple bumped every iPhone 16 model to 8GB of RAM due to the demands of Apple Intelligence, rumors have suggested Apple will increase the memory in the iPhone 17 Pro models to 12GB . An October 2024 research note from analyst Jeff Pu corroborated these claims, and added that the iPhone 17 Pro would feature a 48MP telephoto camera along with a new 24MP front camera . When it comes to wireless, the cellular modem is likely to still be supplied by Qualcomm; Apples own efforts to produce a top-tier 5G modem seem to be stalled and likely wont be ready in time for next years iPhone 17 line. Wi-Fi 7 support seems likely, too. iPhone history The iPhone 16 range and the iPhone SE 3 are the current-generation models available from Apple. In addition to this SE 4 model were also expecting iPhone 17 to launch in 2025. Below you can find links below to our reviews of all iPhone models, including the latest generation. Learn more about all the new Apple products coming this year and when is the next Apple event . You might also want to check out our advice on when is the best time to buy a new iPhone , our iPhone buying guide , and our comparison of every iPhone that is available to buy today . Original iPhone (2007) review iPhone 3G (2008) review iPhone 3GS (2009) review iPhone 4 (2010) review iPhone 4s (2011) review iPhone 5 (2012) review iPhone 5c (2013) review iPhone 5s (2013) review iPhone 6 (2014) review iPhone 6 Plus (2014) review iPhone 6s (2015) review iPhone 6s Plus (2015) review iPhone SE (1st generation; 2016) review iPhone 7 (2016) review iPhone 7 Plus (2016) review iPhone 8 (2017) review iPhone 8 Plus (2017) review iPhone X (2017) review iPhone XR (2018) review iPhone XS (2018) review iPhone XS Max (2018) review iPhone 11 (2019) review iPhone 11 Pro (2019) review iPhone 11 Pro Max (2019) review iPhone SE (2nd generation; 2020) review iPhone 12 (2020) review iPhone 12 Mini (2020) review iPhone 12 Pro (2020) review iPhone 12 Pro Max (2020) review iPhone 13 (2021) review iPhone 13 mini (2021) review iPhone 13 Pro (2021) review iPhone 13 Pro Max (2021) review iPhone SE (3rd generation; 2022) review iPhone 14 (2022) review iPhone 14 Plus (2022) review iPhone 14 Pro (2022) review iPhone 14 Pro Max (2022) review iPhone 15 (2023) review iPhone 15 Plus (2023) review iPhone 15 Pro (2023) review iPhone 15 Pro Max (2023) review iPhone 16 & 16 Plus review iPhone 16 Pro & Pro Max review
iPhone 17 Air leak shows off new camera bar design
Macworld Well-known leaker Majin Bu posted an image (above) on X of what he claims to be the casing for an iPhone 17 (in protective plastic wrap). if its realand its far too early to know for surethen the iPhone is about to go through some big changes. The image seems to show one large rear camera on the left side of a wide camera bar, with another round cutout on the right side for a flash, focus illuminator, LiDAR, or other sensor. This lines up with previous rumors for the new ultra-slim iPhone 17 model. Its rather early for a leak of this naturethe iPhone 17 Air (and all other iPhone 17 models) are expected to be released this September as usual, so volume production, and the supply chain and manufacturing leaks that come with it, wont begin until the summer. But Apple is known to shore up iPhone designs years in advance, so parts and prototypes are floating around. Its a big shift from the design of current iPhones, which bunch all the cameras and associated hardware together into a square in the upper-left corner. Apple has placed the camera in a square array since the iPhone 11, which was released in 2019. The camera bar design has been rumored for at least the iPhone 17 Air (the common name for a rumored ultra-slim model) and perhaps even for the entire iPhone 17 line. For more, check out our roundup of all the iPhone 17 leaks and rumors .
Samsungs new Galaxy phones are coming to show everyone how to really copy Apple
Macworld Thanks to Apples feast-or-famine approach to product announcements, January can be a tedious month for the Macworld crew. The last batch of new products came out in the fall, and the next ones probably wont be here until the spring; in between, we shiver and get bored. In their wintry desperation, keynote-starved Apple reporters have even been known to watch product unveilings by other companies. I dont know if Ill go that far this week when Samsung holds its next Galaxy Unpacked event. Not because Samsung phones are intrinsically inferior to iPhonesalthough coincidentally they arebut because I feel like Ive seen it all before. Samsung, you see, is the original. Not, sadly, in the sense that it does things first, but in the sense that it was xeroxing iPhone designs before it was cool. I know this because the long-running patent dispute between Apple and Samsung was my first beat topic as a Macworld reporter. The first lawsuits were filed back in 2011, and the saga dragged on until 2018. I got a bunch of articles out of that dispute, and an appearance on British TV news. (I can only assume it was a slow news day.) Samsung and Apple have a long history of borrowing features from each other year after year. Foundry The core of Apples original complaintwhich later got muddied by additional claims and counterclaimswas that Samsung had violated a number of patents covering the iPhones shape and software interface. It was suggested, not unreasonably, that the 1st-gen Galaxy S took a degree of inspiration from the iPhone 3GS that pushed the bounds of legal propriety. My own view was and remains that, once a device finds its optimal approximate design, it hinders competition if the company that came up with that design is able to prevent rivals from following suit in a general sense. But at the same time, its worth acknowledging that Samsung really was pushing its luck. Roughly 14 years on, Im feeling a little nostalgic about those simpler days when people could get angry about something as minor as product design. (Oh, hold on .) Funnily enough, given the lightning speed at which the tech industry is supposed to move, both Apple and Samsung are still releasing products from the same lines discussed in the 2011 lawsuit: well get a new iPhone in a couple of months, and at Galaxy Unpacked on January 22 we expect to see yet another Galaxy S phone. Which will presumably pay homage in its own way to the current range of Apple products. This isnt just a name or a general size and shape . Anything goes at Unpackedperhaps Samsung will announce a new charging standard called SafeMag. Or a camera cutout interface feature called the Energetic Islet. Im hoping to see a new button called the Controller For Cameras, with a Reaction Button on the opposite edge. Maybe Bixby Intelligence. And all of this of course will be announced by the new CEO, Tom Saute. At this point, of course, I am only indulging in facetious speculation. I dont know the details of Samsungs announcements, and even if I did, I wouldnt be allowed to tell you anything about them. But rumors suggest the new Galaxy phones will get rounder corners, a faster chip, and more AI. And a possible preview of an ultra-thin phone coming later this year. Ahem . Dont believe it? Youll just have to watch the event live and see for yourself. Then follow the ensuing seven-year legal battle right here on Macworld. Just kidding! I hope.
Rad Power returns its popular cargo-hauling RadWagon 4 e-bike to $1,499 (Save $300), more from $249
Rad Powers flash sale offers have ended, with the brand shifting its sale to now end January 29 and keeping a few previous offers just without the extra battery promotion attached. A notable continuation is the brands RadWagon 4 Cargo e-bike dropping to $1,499 shipped . Normally priced at $1,799 after falling from its original $1,999 price tag back in 2024, it usually spends sales at $1,599 or higher, we havent seen it fall lower since 2023 though, with its $1,399 rate last seen summer 2023 and its $1,299 pre-order low not seen since it first hit the market years before. As it currently stands, this is the best rate weve seen in over a year. more
What are the Nintendo Switch 2 launch games? We arent exactly sure just yet beyond what will likely be Mario Kart 9. But we did spot an official Nintendo retail listing pointing at a new 3D Mario game, Zelda remakes, and more. Scope out the details below. more
Take EcoFlows DELTA 2 portable LiFePO4 power station traveling with you at $449 (Reg. $999)
EcoFlows official Amazon storefront is beating out its direct New Year sale pricing on the DELTA 2 Portable Power Station that is being offered for $449 shipped . Costing $999 at full price, it spent most of 2024 keeping above $549, with gradual falls lower until Cyber Monday saw it land at the $399 low. It is currently priced at $499 in the brands direct New Year sale, and even with the two sitewide discount options, this deal here still comes in $15 to $25 lower at the second-lowest price we have tracked, saving you a total of $550. Its 220W solar bundle option is also beating out its New Year pricing at $699 , down from $1,299. more
Slide this versatile aluminum MacBook stand in your bag while its down to $28 (Reg. $35)
OMOTON Rotating Laptop Stand Buy for $28 (Reg. $35) What we love This affordable MacBook stand packs quite a punch for the price. While premium brands charge this much for a no-frills stand, OMOTON delivers a collapsible option that unfolds to deliver a large stand that rotates in just about every direction. It can uplift an up to 16-inch notebook by more than 10 inches. This will bring it closer to eye level, which will help curb aches and pains you may get from staring down at a screen for hours on end. more
Put that cup holder to use with this universal phone car mount at $17 Prime shipped (26% off)
LISEN Cup Holder Phone Holder Buy for $17 (Reg. $23) What we love If vent or dash-mounted solutions arent what youre after, this offering shakes things up by slotting into a cup holder. While it doesnt rely on MagSafe for connectivity, that could be a good thing if you want a universal solution that works for the whole family. more
Amazons Eddie Bauer Flash Sale offers up to 65% off best-selling styles, down coats, more from $48
Amazon is offering Eddie Bauers Flash Sale up to 65% off best-selling styles. Prices are as marked. During this sale you can score deals on outerwear, shirt jackets, t-shirts, and more. Shipping is free for Prime members or in orders of $35 or more. One of our top picks for men is the Cirrusite Down Jacket thats marked down from $60 and originally sold for $129. This down jacket was designed to help keep you warm in cool temperatures and its highly packable, which is great for traveling. Plus, you can choose from four fun color options. Score even more deals by heading below, or you can shop all of the scores here . more
Hiboy winter sale drops popular S2 Pro e-scooter with regenerative braking to $450 (Reg. $736), more
Hiboy has launched a winter sale that is giving e-riders up to 50% in continued savings on its lineup of EVs, with one of the best affordable commuters from under the flag, the S2 Pro Electric Scooter, down at $449.99 shipped . This model would normally cost you $736 outside of the discounts, with the biggest we saw in 2024 being a drop to the $380 low during Cyber Monday sales. Today, youre looking at a 39% markdown that slashes $286 off the going rate and lands it down among its lowest prices matching its Christmas and New Year pricing. Youll also find it matching in price over at Amazon right now too. more
The UKs digital drivers licence is coming later this year
The UK will release a digital drivers license later this year, along with a digital wallet issued by the government. This will allow folks to easily prove their age when buying age restricted items online and in person. Obviously, it will also prove a persons right to drive. This will be one of the first digital documents available via the GOV.UK digital wallet, which is also launching later this year. The wallet will also be home to documents like Veterans Cards, Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks and every other credential issued by the government. However, many of these digital versions wont be available until the end of 2027. The technology harnesses the security features of modern smartphones, for enhanced privacy. The documents wont open without a facial recognition check. The government says this will make digital documents more secure, even if a device is lost. Well have to see how that plays out. There will also be a way for users to hide certain info when displaying the digital license. Top Gear has reported that , for instance, the tech will allow folks to hide home addresses when paying for stuff. The best part? This is an opt-in technology. Traditional physical documents will still be available, just in case it skeeves you out to have official IDs hanging out on your phone. UK citizens can already apply for a license online using a stored digital photo and pay road fees. Its quick and easy to set up your Driver and vehicles account! Simply add your vehicles and youll have access to all your details at your fingertips Start here https://t.co/DXTn3olbi0 #DVLADigital pic.twitter.com/xcG0vapJF8 DVLA (@DVLAgovuk) January 17, 2025 Digital drivers licenses are nothing new. Many countries use them already, including Australia, Denmark, Iceland and Norway. Even some US states, like Ohio and New Mexico , have made use of the tech. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-uks-digital-drivers-licence-is-coming-later-this-year-165008815.html?src=rss
Acer Vero Essential 15.6-inch Notebook Backpack Buy for $15 (Reg. $27.50) What we love If youve got some gear to lug back and forth to work, school, or really anywhere, this affordable backpack from Acer can get the job done without breaking the bank. Youre looking at what I consider to be a clean and mostly neutral style thats ready to accomodate an up to 15.6-inch notebook. Youll also benefit from an exterior front pocket and organizers on the inside. more
Januarys Xbox Game Pass additions include Sniper Elite: Resistance and Tchia
Its January and for many of us in the northern hemisphere, that means staying inside to escape the cold. To help you while away the hours, Xbox is adding another dozen-plus titles to Game Pass over the next couple of weeks. Lets jam through them in chronological order of introduction to the service, starting with Lonely Mountain: Snow Riders (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S via Game Pass Ultimate and PC). This multiplayer skiing game is a day one addition to Game Pass. A whole heap of games are coming to the service on Wednesday. Flock (console via Game Pass Standard) is another multiplayer game but this ones a co-op adventure that sees you collecting adorable critters with your buds. Gigantic: Rampage Edition (cloud, console and PC via Game Pass Ultimate PC and Standard) is a MOBA that I enjoyed my time with. Its a revival of a game that was previously shut down but this time there are no microtransactions. One of last years more intriguing games, Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess , also joins the Game Pass Standard lineup on console on Wednesday, along with pixel art platformer Magical Delicacy . In addition, Game Pass Standard members will be able to check out the absolutely wonderful open-world adventure Tchia on Xbox Series X/S. That was my second-favorite game of 2023 . Eagle-eyed detectives out there may enjoy the acclaimed The Case of the Golden Idol , which will be on Game Pass Standard on console as of January 22. It wasnt for me , but it might be for you! Tomorrows final Game Pass addition is for the Ultimate and Standard tiers. The intergalactic sandbox Starbound will be available on cloud and console (it was already on PC Game Pass). January 28 sees the introduction of another couple of day one games. Theres been some buzz about action RPG Eternal Strands and you can find out what thats all about on cloud, console and PC via Game Pass Ultimate and PC Game Pass. Orcs Must Die! Deathtrap will debut on the same variants of Game Pass, but not Xbox One, just Series X/S. On January 29, puzzle platformer Shady Part Of Me will hit cloud, PC and console across all three Game Pass variants. The following day, Sniper Elite: Resistance will join the Ultimate and PC flavors of Game Pass as a day one newcomer. Theres yet another day one introduction to Game Pass this month in the form of Citizen Sleeper 2: Starward Vector (cloud, PC and Xbox Series X/S on Ultimate and PC Game Pass). This is a highly anticipated follow-up to a well-reviewed RPG from 2022. If you havent played the original yet and youre a multi-platform gamer, good news! Citizen Sleeper hits the PlayStation Plus Game Catalog for Extra and Premium subscribers today. Moving into February, Xbox has announced another Game Pass addition for that month. February 4 brings Far Cry New Dawn to cloud, console and PC by way of all three Game Pass offerings. Last but not least, Xbox has revealed which titles are leaving Game Pass on January 31 across cloud, console and PC. They are Anuchard, Broforce Forever, Darkest Dungeon, Deaths Door, Maquette and Serious Sam: Siberian Mayhem. On top of all of that, Xbox is hosting a Developer Direct showcase this Thursday with fresh looks at Doom: The Dark Ages, South of Midnight, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 and a mystery game. You never know, perhaps one of those will suddenly hit Game Pass as a surprise day one release this week too. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/xbox/januarys-xbox-game-pass-additions-include-sniper-elite-resistance-and-tchia-160856192.html?src=rss
Brand new unlocked iPhone 14 now $580 shipped for today only (Orig. $799)
The iPhone 14 might not be quite as exciting a device as it once was, but if youre not bothered with the latest features and the USB-C port, or perhaps looking for something for the kids, or something along those lines, for today only Best Buy is offering the entry-level unlocked iPhone 14 in brand new condition at $579.99 shipped . This model originally launched at $799 and is now $219 less you can land it for $529.99 at Best Buy today if you set it up with a carrier during checkout or at $516 in open-box condition . more
Drop The Game Boy Encyclopedia hardcover on your coffee table while its 41% off, now $27.50
The Game Boy Encyclopedia Book Buy for $27.50 (Reg. $43) What we love Having some coffee table books out not only gives guests something to leaf through, but can also be a great way to spark conversation and easily showcase something that you find interesting. The Game Boy Encyclopedia displays and details around 1,150 games, with screenshots and trivia factoids for each one. more
Carhartts New Year Sale offers 40% off over 200 items from just $8: Shoes, outerwear, more
Carhartts New Year Sale offers 40% off outerwear, sweatshirts, pants, shoes, and more . Prices are as marked. Carhartt Loyalty Members ( free to sign-up ) receive complimentary delivery. One of our top picks from this sale is the Loose Fit Midweight Logo Hoodie thats currently marked down to $33 and originally sold for $60. This sweatshirt is available in fifteen color options and has a contrasting logo on the arm sleeve thats stylish. The fleece lining helps to provide warmth and it has an attached hood as well. With nearly 4,000 positive reviews, this sweatshirt is rated 4.8/5 stars . Score even more deals by heading below, or you can shop the entire sale here . Also, be sure to check out the Macys Winter Clearance Event thats offering 40% off The North Face, Ralph Lauren, and more. more
Quickly hop between your computer and game console with UGREENs HDMI switch at $12 (Reg. $15)
UGREEN 2-In 1-Out HDMI Switch Buy for $12 (Reg. $15) Clip the on-page 20% off coupon. What we love Quickly hop from your computer to a game console with this HDMI switch from UGREEN. Im personally using one of these so I have a physical button that sends a signal from my gaming PC to the TV in my office so I can easily swtich over to the big screen. Im using a different one to let me jump from my PC to Nintendo Switch on one of my monitors. more
Apple Passwords Review: Free and simple password manager
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Free Simple to use Supports Passkeys and Verification codes Cons Apple-centric Very basic Doesnt store payment details or other ID Our Verdict A simple, if somewhat basic, first step into the world of passwords managers. Best of all, it costs you nothing to use it. Probably should be avoided if you use some non-Apple devices, but otherwise its a nice addition to Apples suite of bespoke apps. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Passwords Retailer Price Free View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket When Apple launched iOS 18 , the updated iteration of the software came with an entirely new password manager app called, simply, Passwords. So, how does it compare to the existing iCloud Keychain and does it have enough features to have Password Managers like Dashlane and 1Password looking over their shoulders? Software & Features Auto-fill passwords Supports Passkeys Can share passwords with family members It might seem like Apple is replacing iCloud Keychain with the new Passwords app, but the two will happily co-exist, with the latter being how your details sync across all your devices. The Passwords app itself is essentially a user interface for iCloud Keychain, and as such its clean and friendly to use. So, if youve yet to get to grips with an app of this kind then it could be an excellent first step. If you already have account details and passwords in your iCloud Keychain, then these should appear in the Passwords app once youve logged in and given permission. You can also import data from an existing password manager app , although that involves creating a .CSV file and then using the import feature to pull it in. Its not complicated and there are plenty of tutorials online to show you how to do it in only a few minutes. Martyn Casserly With the app up and running, youre able to have it auto-fill account login details, saving you the hassle when you want to quickly go to an online store and order something. The app supports biometrics, so Face ID and Touch ID can be used instead of having to type in a password for the app. Apples Passwords not only handles login details for online accounts, it also can become home for your Wi-Fi passwords, Passkeys and verification codes. Unlike most of the major password manager apps, Passwords doesnt hold your payments details or other forms of secure documentation such as drivers licence or passport information, plus there is no storage space for personal documents you want to keep safe.(Read about how to add your driving license or ID to the Wallet app ). You can set up a family sharing feature to securely allow other members of your family to receive and use passwords and passkeys from your accounts. This is helpful if youve been asked for the Netflix login by your children for the 17th time. If you want this feature outside the family, then Shared Groups offers the same capabilities, with you creating a list of trusted contacts, each of whom can share passwords and passkeys with others in the group. This could be useful for a trip with friends or if several of you are organising an event. Martyn Casserly The Passwords app is available on iOS, iPadOS, macOS and also works with Apple Vision Pro, so you can have your details to hand on all of your devices. Security & Encryption 256-bit AES end-to-end encryption Security warnings Automatic Verification codes As youd expect, the security on the Passwords apps is solid, with 256-bit AES encryption deployed end-to-end, so no hackers should be able to sneak a peek at your login details at any time. Theres also the standard security monitoring area in the app that warns you if any of your passwords have appeared in data leaks or are weak and could do with being replaced by stronger alternatives. Apples new app does have a password generator, which can instantly auto-generate strong ones for you to use, plus you have a few configuration options such as making ones with no special characters, but this only works on supported websites. Its simple to use, but a bit basic when compared to the likes of Dashlane and 1Password. Martyn Casserly The security section is also on the simple side, with none of the graphical representations youll find on other apps. This makes it more list-based, which is less interesting and engaging than with some of its rivals. One useful feature you can use in Passwords is to use it as an authenticator for one-time multi-factor authentication sites and accounts. With this set up, you can use your iPhone to generate the codes without needed SMS texts or other apps. Price & Availability As with iCloud Keychain, Passwords is a free service that comes with any iPhone running iOS 18, or devices on iPadOS 18 or macOS Sequoia. One thing to bear in mind is that this isnt a cross platform service, so if you have an Android phone or tablet, Linux PC, or Chromebook then you wont be able to use Passwords. There is compatibility via iCloud for Windows, but it isnt as clean and well designed as youd find with a standard password manager. Should you use Apple Passwords? If youre looking for a basic, easy to use password manager, and only really intend it to work with Apple devices, then Passwords is certainly worth a go. The lack of features does make it less appealing that the leading passwords managers, but its simplicity means it would be a great first step into using this kind of app. Security is decent, theres no cost in using it, plus its already on your device. To see what its up against, take a look at our roundup of the best password managers for Mac and iPhone .
Ankers latest Apple Health-ready smart scale returns to $35 Prime shipped (Reg. $50)
Anker eufy C20 Smart Scale Buy for $35 (Reg. $50) What we love After the holidays I hopped on the scale and was quite shocked at the result. Its incredibly easy to put on some extra weight this time of year not only because of all the great snacks, but also since its a more sedintary time of year for folks that live in a winter climate. With Ankers latest scale that debuted five months ago, youll be ready to keep tabs on changes throughout the year. Just download the eufy app, pair via Bluetooth, and itll capture 16 measurements and then sync those to Apple Health or Google Fit platforms if you opt in. more
LISEN Foldable 3-in-1 MagSafe Charging Station Buy for $24.50 (Reg. $40) Clip the on-page $5 off coupon. Prime-exclusive discount. What we love For years now, its been an ongoing personal challenge of mine to get my collection of travel gear as small as possible. If youd like to do the same, this affordable and collapsible charger is certainly worth a look. Once opened up, it can top off your iPhone via MagSafe, an Apple Watch, and pair of AirPods using Qi. Perhaps one of the more notable features here is that metal is used for the casing instead of plastic. more
Todays best iOS app deals and freebies: Card Hog, Almost Gone, Otakus Adventure, more
Your Tuesday morning collection of iOS game and app deals is now at the ready after the jump. This mornings App Store offers are now sitting alongside this deal on the most affordable 11-inch M4 iPad Pro is now up to $232 off as well as a return low on Apples latest Tan Alpine Loop , the 16GB M4 MacBook Pro with a 1TB SSD at $200 off , and everything else in our curated Apple deal hub . As for the apps, highlights include titles like Card Hog, The Almost Gone, Otakus Adventure, and more. Head below for a closer look. more
Meta lets users add WhatsApp to their main Accounts Center
Accounts Center is a single space allowing users to manage their Facebook, Instagram and (even) Meta Quest log-ins. Today, Meta has announced that WhatsApp is joining the list of supported apps, enabling you to reshare statuses and posts across all of your platforms . In addition, you can use single sign-on to log back into your WhatsApp account. Meta has announced the change today, but it will take time before WhatsApp support is added to everyones Accounts Center, so patience may be required. In addition, Meta has pledged to add more features that can be shared across multiple platforms, like AI stickers, avatars and its AI-crafted selfie creations. Those worried about whether this may affect WhatsApps end-to-end encryption may rest easy, as Meta has said none of these changes will impact your messages privacy and security. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/meta-lets-users-add-whatsapp-to-their-main-accounts-center-150023247.html?src=rss
Coming to us through its Deals of the Day, Best Buy is offering the Greenworks 80V 22-inch Cordless Electric Snow Blower with a 4.0Ah battery for $399.99 shipped through the end of the day. Normally youd be shelling out $800 for this package at full price, with 2024 mostly seeing drops between $450 and $570, though we did spy it hitting the $330 low in a similar one-day early Christmas sale. This limited-time deal comes in to cut a massive 50% off the going rate, giving you the second-lowest price we have tracked. more
Masterbuilt adds another smart charcoal grill to its Gravity Series lineup
Masterbuilt has offered backyard grill masters smart options that burn charcoal instead of pellets since 2020 . Last year, the company debuted two models ahead of CES, and in early 2025, it's adding one more. The new Gravity Series 1150 is a larger sibling to the Gravity Series 600 in Masterbuilt's lineup. With 1,150 square inches of cooking space, this bigger model has nearly double the food capacity and a longer burn time of up to 15 hours. To achieve this, the hopper on the 1150 can hold up to 12 pounds of lump charcoal or up to 18 pounds of briquettes. The grill gets its name from the gravity-fed hopper that allows charcoal to naturally fall and ignite during use. A digital fan automatically maintains temperature that can be adjusted with on-board controls or with the Masterbuilt app. Like last year's Gravity Series XT, the company relocated the control panel on the 1150 from the shelf on the left side to the front of the hopper on the right. However, the controller itself looks like what's on the 600 instead of the upgraded version that's on the pricier XT. Besides the increased capacity, the 1150 offers another key upgrade from the 600. Instead of a cart-style stand, you get an enclosed cabinet for additional storage. You can expect a temperature range of 225-700 degrees Fahrenheit, which means you can do low-and-slow smoking, high-heat searing and everything in between. All of the crucial grill stats can be monitored from your phone via the aforementioned app from anywhere. Lastly, Masterbuilt offers add-ons to expand the grill's capabilities, including a pizza oven, rotisserie and griddle insert. The Gravity Series 1150 is available now from Home Depot for $999. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/kitchen-tech/masterbuilt-adds-another-smart-charcoal-grill-to-its-gravity-series-lineup-144924232.html?src=rss
The 65-inch LG C3 OLED TV is cheaper than ever right now
The Super Bowl is just around the corner, and theres no better way to enjoy the game at home than watching them on a large TV particularly an OLED, thanks to its color accuracy. The 65-inch LG C3 OLED TV is again at the lowest price that we saw during last years holiday season. Its currently 20 percent off and down to $1,197. While this is the older C3 model from 2023, the newer C4 model costs more, and it remains a good choice if getting the absolute latest model isnt a priority. The LG C3 OLED TV supports Dolby Vision and HDR10, perfect for streaming shows and movies. The 4K panel also has a 120Hz refresh rate, which is great for console gaming, especially with a PS5 or Xbox Series X/S. To make the gaming experience smoother, theres NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR to prevent screen tearing. Theres a reason we selected it as one of the best gaming TVs , and it still holds true even with newer models on the horizon. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-65-inch-lg-c3-oled-tv-is-cheaper-than-ever-right-now-143040370.html?src=rss
Amazon will ship this FlexiSpot ergonomic chair to your door for $85 (Reg. $200)
FlexiSpot OC1 Ergonomic Office Chair Buy for $85 (Reg. $200) What we love If youve got aches and pains after a day at your desk, it may be time to rethink your ergonomics. Many of us here at 9to5Toys have stepped up our own setups with FlexiSpot gear and have come away impressed. At only $85, youre able to score an ergonomic chair at a very affordable price, and best of all, Amazon will drop it off at your door. more
Score a copy of Super Mario RPG at $30 to play before Switch 2 launches (50% off), more
If you havent picked up a copy of Super Mario RPG yet, Target has it on sale for $30 with free shipping for Target 360 members or in orders over $35 (you can also opt for free in-store pickup where available). This is a regularly $60 title seeing a solid 50% price drop to deliver the lowest we can find it is currently up at full price via Best Buy and is no longer available at the $33 we were tracking in the ongoing Woot sale over the last few months. While at this point everyone is really just waiting for Switch 2 to land and what will likely be the official reveal of the new Mario Kart 9 , youre going to need some games to tide you over until the April Direct, pre-order phase following that, and the likely release come sometime this summer (heres the latest on how much the Switch 2 might cost ) the Super Mario RPG remake is a great way to do just that, especially at 50% off. more
OnePlus Pad 2 now $50 off with a FREE $150 magnetic keyboard case thrown in
While the early launch deals on the new OnePlus 13 are still live, you wont get the freebie smartwatch at this point. The OnePlus Pad 2 offer with the FREE $150 keyboard case at $499.99 shipped , however, is back. Using code WELCOME25 at checkout directly on the official site will knock $50 off the asking price on the tablet and it also comes with the official keyboard case for FREE thats a $50 discount plus the $150 value of the keyboard for $200 in savings. Details below. more
NYT Crossword: answers for Tuesday, January 21
The New York Times crossword puzzle can be tough! If you're stuck, we're here to help with a list of today's clues and answers.
NYT Mini Crossword today: puzzle answers for Tuesday, January 21
The NYT Mini crossword might be a lot smaller than a normal crossword, but it isn't easy. If you're stuck with today's crossword, we've got answers for you here.
NYT Strands today: hints, spangram and answers for Tuesday, January 21
Strands is a tricky take on the classic word search from NYT Games. If you're stuck and cannot solve today's puzzle, we've got help for you here.
H&R Block 2024 Federal/State Tax software + $20 gift card: Uber, Lowes DoorDash, Starbucks, more
Tax season is quickly approaching and Newegg is giving folks looking to save some cash a chance at scoring a nice deal on the H&R Block 2024 Deluxe Federal/State Tax software (PC and Mac digital download). As of right now, you can score the software bundle for $39.99 with a FREE $20 gift card to a wide range of stores and retailers thrown in for FREE Home Depot, Starbucks, DoorDash, Lowes, adidas, Uber, Xbox, Chipotle, and more. This same software with a 2% Amazon gift card bonus is selling for $50 at Amazon, just for comparisons sake. Head below a closer look at your gift card options. more
Most affordable 11-inch M4 iPad Pro is now up to $232 off (Open-box, full Apple warranty)
While we have seen major price drops on the more expensive, high-end configurations, we have yet to see the most affordable M4 iPad Pro model the 11-inch 256GB variant go for any less than the $150 discounts we spotted for Black Friday last year. However, Best Buy open-box listings are now delivering up to $232 in savings on this model and with a 1-year Apple warranty in tow as well. more
The Morning After: TikTok lives to scroll another day (or 75)
Almost immediately after taking office, President Donald Trump signed a swathe of executive orders including a reprieve for TikTok in the US. With the executive order, Trumps Justice Department will not enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act for 75 days , extending the time the company has to reach a deal. TikTok (and other ByteDance apps) went offline late Saturday, but the TikTok outage only lasted a matter of hours. Trump affirmed there would be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order. Trump also proposed a joint venture that would see US interests take a 50 percent stake in TikTok. Earlier on Monday, China (where ByteDance is based) signaled it was at least a little open to an arrangement with the US. TikToks rescue wasnt the only change President Trump announced. Read on, everyone. Coming up, weve got Samsungs big Unpacked event tomorrow, where we expect to see at least three new phones , a bunch of AI tricks and features of varying utility and who knows, maybe another wearable? Mat Smith The other big stories President Trump withdraws the US from the Paris climate agreement (again) So were just going to ignore what just happened in LA. and signs an executive order to rescind Bidens AI framework As big techs oligarchs and leaders applaud from the sidelines. Instagram is rushing out a new video editing app that sure sounds a lot like CapCut This weeks edition of social media rivals copying TikTok. X adds a dedicated video tab to fill the TikTok void This weeks edition of social media rivals copying TikTok. Part 2. Get this delivered direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! The Nintendo Switch 2 is official Everything we know so far Nintendo Trump is president, and Nintendo has a new console. Its 2017 all over again. The company is keeping the technical details under wraps, but the teaser shows a bigger console, bigger Joy-Cons and possibly a smoother gaming experience, judging by the Mario Kart renders. Expect the full details during the Nintendo Direct on April 2, with the company planning a worldwide roadshow to let gamers go hands-on with the console. These events start in New York and Paris on April 3 to 6, with more taking place in the following months. Continue reading. What to expect at Samsungs Galaxy S25 Unpacked event The S25 series is on the way. A little update ahead of the big Unpacked show tomorrow: Leakers have posted numerous renders this past week comparing the different size options. A post from Ice Universe puts the S25 Slim at 6.4mm. However, the FCC certifications made public so far only appear to cover the familiar trio of flagships. So if a slim iteration does exist, it may not arrive until much later in the year. Continue reading. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-121543030.html?src=rss
Samsungs official Galaxy SmartTag 2 item tracker just dropped down to $21 at Amazon (30% off)
While new Google Find My Device trackers have hit the scene from brands like Pebblebee and Chipolo (still on sale down at $22 ), Samsung users will find the official Galaxy SmartTag 2 selling down at $20.72 via Amazon. Shipping is free for Prime members or in orders over $35. Regularly $30 and still fetching as much directly from Samsung , this is over 30% off and the lowest price we can find. more
Microsoft word for Mac review: Whats new in Word 2024?
Macworld At a glance Expert's Rating Pros Packed into compelling Office package Full of options Focus mode is fantastic Cons So many tools it may overwhelm some Our Verdict Microsoft Word remains king of the word processors, and while it definitely has some stylistic choices that may push some away, its combination of affordability and flexibility make it tough to beat. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Price When Reviewed Lifetime license, one device: $179.99; Microsoft 265 Personal, one device: $99.99 a year ($9.99 a month) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Microsoft (one device, one year) $99.99 View Deal Microsoft (lifetime license) $179.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket If youre of a certain age, Microsoft Word is likely to have been a cornerstone of your early computing life. Before Google Docs and the like, many of us used Word, helping Microsofts word processor become a household name whether you enjoyed using it or not. While it still has its quirks, Word is now better than it has ever been, and is rolled into an already compelling Office 365 suite that takes away the pain of expensive one-off licenses from yesteryear. First Impressions Whatever platform you use Word on, theres a pleasing familiarity to it. I used it throughout all levels of education, and as a result, found it easy to get started but others may be more than a little overwhelmed by the sheer volume of toolbars and icons (more on that a little later). Still, once youre in, Word can open just about document you throw at it with the exception of Pages files which remain openable in, well, Pages. (Want to share a Pages document with a Word user ? You will need to save your Pages file in the doc. file format. To do so, press click on File and you will see an option to Export to. choose Word. Now click on Word and Save. If you are trying to open a Pages document in Word you will need to convert it using Pages, if you dont have Pages to hand you can use Pages in iCloud .) Template Gallery: All of these templates are a click away. Foundry As soon as you opt to pick a new document to open youre presented with a whole host of templates that range from Calendars to notepads, journals and resumes, and you can open from Microsofts OneDrive cloud storage, too. That brings us nicely to the integration with Office365. The rise of Google Docs and other cloud-based options means that buying a full word processor isnt a pressing concern for many of us. File Locations: Word can pull from a variety of file locations. Foundry Thankfully, the combined apps and services on offer with Microsoft Office 365 make it so youll probably find the value from somewhere, if not specifically Word. For one user its $99.99/84.99 a year ($9.99/8.49 a month) for Microsoft 265 Personal. Or for $129.99/104.99 a year (or $12.99/10.49 per month) you can get the Microsoft 365 Family edition with up to six licenses including Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook and more. However, if you only want to buy Word you can do that too. Microsoft sells a lifetime license of Word for $179.99 / 159.99 (one device). Word is also available for free with 5GB of cloud storage and a series of basic templates, too. See: How to get Word for free. Microsoft Word features As you might expect from Microsoft, Word has a fairly business-like appearance, with easy to read labels and tooltips on the huge variety of buttons it offers. Id still rather look at the more minimalist Pages interface, but Word on Mac does a good job of putting things in places your muscle memory knows to drift to. You can share documents in real-time, too, with comment and highlighting functionality included, and as you can imagine its very easy to share via OneDrive or Outlook. New in recent years is, as you may expect, AI integration. On the web comes in the form of Copilot which works a little like Apples own Apple Intelligence Writing tools, letting you write or rewrite with simple prompts, but in the Mac app its seemingly restricted to the Editor tool. AI Editor: The Editor is included on the Mac version of Word, but Copilot isnt. Foundry Its fine, and feels like the way the world is moving, but it really just operates as a quick checklist of potential grammar mistakes and a rudimentary plagiarism check. My favourite feature is the Focus mode that helps you zoom in with minimal distractions. I tend to work on articles in Draft for its simpler view, but this is definitely something I can see myself coming back to for longer pieces. Focus Mode: Focus Mode is a great way to minimise distractions and get work done. Foundry Microsoft Word annoyances Toolbars: Word packs a lot of items onto its toolbars. Foundry Microsoft Words only real negative is just how chock-full of options it is. Just look at the toolbar in the screenshot above, for example there are buttons everywhere, and then theres the menu bar, too. If youre used to it, or you genuinely do find yourself using a lot of those features, youll have no issues here. But, as Microsoft shoehorns more AI features into its Office apps, it could end up getting more and more complex. Should you buy Word for Mac? Interface issues aside, Microsoft Word is a full-featured word processor that runs well on Mac, has an excellent ecosystem of sibling apps, and can be used for free. If youve not tried it for a while, it might just surprise you.
Latest 16GB M4 MacBook Pro with 1TB SSD now back down at $1,599 all-time low ($200 off)
Update: This deal is now live once again. Details below in the original post. Amazon has now dropped the price on Apples new M4 MacBook Pro with the 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD back down to its best price ever. We are indeed still tracking some notable price drops on the M4 Pro machines as well as this wild deal on an M3 Pro configuration at up to $1,000 off , but you can now indeed land the 16GB/1TB M4 MacBook Pro down at $1,599 shipped in Space Black right now. more
Apples latest Tan Alpine Loop with black titanium finish returns to all-time low today
Alongside some of the notable hangover deals we have from last week on Apple Watch band upgrades for your Ultra wearable, Amazon has just dropped the official Apple Watch Alpine Loop in Tan with the black titanium finish down to $85.99 shipped. Regularly $99, this is nearly 15% off and the same price drop we have tracked on a number of different configurations, colors, and sizes of the latest 2024 batch of official offerings from Apple. more
New leak changes everything we know about the iPhone SE 4
Macworld With about two months to go until the launch of the new iPhone SE, we thought we had learned everything about the upcoming budget phone. But a new leak claims it will be a lot different than we thought. According to longtime leaker Evan Blass on X , the iPhone SE 4 will have a Dynamic Island instead of a notch. That contradicts basically every other rumor weve heard about the iPhone SE display, which has long been expected to have a notch. Apple first dropped the notch with the iPhone 14 Pro followed by the iPhone 15 a year later. Rumors have long claimed the iPhone SE 4 will be based on the iPhone 14, the last iPhone to have a notch. Foundry Granted, the rest of what weve heard about the iPhone SE 4 matches up with the iPhone 15, including a 48MP camera and USB-C. But if the iPhone SE 4 has a Dynamic Island, it changes everything we thought we knew about the phone. For one, Apple still sells the iPhone 15. If the iPhone SE 4 has the same design and display with a better chip, the only benefit of the iPhone 15 will be a secondary camera, which is a hard sell for a year-old phone that will likely cost $200 more and have a slower chip. And who would buy an iPhone 14 with a notch and a Lightning port when the brand-new iPhone SE 4 is cheaper? If Blass is correct, it likely means that Apple will change its iPhone strategy and distill the lineup down to just five models: the iPhone 16, 16 Plus, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, and iPhone SE 4. Or maybe 16E , though Blass also reports that the iPhone SE name will stick around. Apple is expected to unveil the iPhone SE 4 in March or April, possibly at a spring event alongside the 11th-gen iPad .
Team up with Apple at your own risk
Macworld Thinking about forging a multi-million or even billion-dollar deal with Apple? Hey, weve all been there. Youre sitting around on a Tuesday afternoon, watching old episodes of Columbo in your underwear while eating string cheese thats past its best-by date and you think, I should do a big-time deal with Apple! Well, hold on, Fabio (can the Macalope call you Fabio?). Before you ink that deal, you might want to take a look at how some of the other partners Apples taken on over the years have faired. Because its not always great for the other guy. HP In 2004, HP started selling special branded iPods. No, really, this happened. You can look it up . HP agreed not to make a rival digital music player through August of 2006 and Apple agreed to not laugh so hard that milk came of its nose. Apple was so into this deal that these iPods had to be repaired by HP, even though they were just standard iPods with an HP logo on them. HPs CEO was soon forced out and the deal was terminated before anyone could figure out what the heck it was all about. Grade : Incomplete, no credit This photo was not created using AI. Its real. Wikipedia/keegan Motorola In 2005, Apple partnered with Motorola on the Rokr , a device that literally everyone agreed was garbage. Limited to 100 songs that could only be transferred to the phone by low-speed USB, the Rokr was eclipsed by the iPod Nano, which was unveiled on the same day. The following year, Motorola unveiled an update that worked with RealPlayer (remember RealPlayer?) instead of iTunes. You can imagine what a hit that was. Apple, meanwhile, was working on the smartphone that would essentially drive Motorola and dozens of other cell phone manufacturers out of business. Only Goldman Sachs could make this deal look slightly better in comparison by losing a metric butt-ton of cash. Grade : D Cingular/AT&T Apple eased its way into the cellular business without a lot of pain and Cingular got exclusive rights to sell the iPhone in the U.S. for four years. Cingular clearly gave up a lot of control, but it also got something extraordinarily valuable in return. Somewhere Stan Sigman is still monotonously reading from cue cards about this deal, even though he died four years ago. Grade : B Intel Usually, if Apple is buying something from you, its a relatively good relationship (as long as you dont mess anything up). Foxconn has done alright. So has Samsung. Intel did fine for years, but it really missed the memo on processors for mobile devices. Most of this is the fault of Intel itself, but Apple was also quietly improving its iPhone processors so they could be used in Macs to run fast with very low power consumption. Intel was sailing along as if nothing had changed since 1997. Grade : C- Google Google has largely done fine in its relationship with Apple, you know, other than getting into an argument about Maps and having to deal with lawsuits about Android. Its lucrative search deal has drawn the attention of the U.S. Department of Justice, but its likely that some well-time donations to the incoming administrations inauguration will snuff that out. Definitely a passing grade, if not terribly high. Grade : B- Goldman Sachs Goldman Sachs partnered with Apple on the Apple Card and, boy, does it wish it had not done that. How do you lose $859 million in a year ? Who does that? Probably a company thats used to having the taxpayers bail it out , thats who. Goldmans mistake here seems to have been rushing so fast to get into the consumer business that it didnt A) ask itself it was capable of getting into the consumer business and B) read the fine print on its deal with Apple. Something something ground war in Asia, something something going in against a Sicilian when death is on the line. Grade : F Nike Apple has been selling Nike-themed Watches and bands for years now and this relationship largely works because Apple and Nike are in completely different lines of business (same with Herms). You might think, hey, so are Apple and Goldman Sachs! But, no, not according to the U.S. government . Grade : A- The Macalope isnt saying you cant win by partnering with Apple. Clearly you can do fine and there are, of course, many non-monetary benefits to partnering with an 800-lb gorilla. But, you should expect that the gorilla is going to get more of the bananas than you are. If you go into the relationship thinking, hey, lotta bananas to be had by partnering with this gorilla because people keep throwing it bananas, think again. There are a lot of bananas that will be thrown, yes, but youll mostly get left with the peels and maybe those little stringy bits no one likes. By the way, there are no flaws in this gorilla analogy. None.
The best smart home gadgets for 2025
If it feels like every piece of home tech is now smart, youre not far off. The smart home space has grown exponentially in the past few years to include speakers, cameras, locks, lights and even kitchen appliances. There are also different voice assistants and IoT standards to consider, all of which can make it confusing (to say the least) to build your smart home ecosystem from the ground up. Allow us at Engadget to help with that. Weve tested dozens of smart home gadgets over the years and continue to test the latest offerings to see which work well and are worth your money. We recommend, before you even dive in, to resist the urge to outfit your whole home in one go. Not only can this be quite expensive, but also we think its generally best to buy just one or two items first to see if you like them. You should also pick a preferred voice assistant and stick with it. If youre at the point where youre ready to invest in a few new IoT gadgets, below are the best smart home gadgets you can get right now, plus some advice on how to choose the right voice assistant for your needs. Best smart home gadgets: Smart speakers Best smart home gadgets: Smart displays Best smart home gadgets: Smart lights Best smart home gadgets: Security cameras Best smart home gadgets: IoT gear How to pick the right voice assistant before you buy While plenty of the best smart home devices are platform agnostic, there are some smart speakers and smart displays in particular that require you to choose your voice assistant. Currently, that means deciding if youll use the Google Assistant or Amazons Alexa on a regular basis (Ill address Siri in a moment.) Theyre both compatible with various smart home products from light bulbs to robot vacuums, but there are certain devices that work best with either Google or Amazon. Nest products, for example, are more compatible and have more functionality with Google-powered speakers and displays. They can still work with Amazon devices , but certain features might be disabled. The same holds true with Amazon products: They work better if theyre in the same ecosystem. Amazon Alexa So how do you choose between Alexa and Google Assistant? It really depends on your personal preferences. Do you listen to Audible, watch Prime Video and tend to do a lot of shopping on Amazon? Then you might lean toward an Alexa-powered smart home device. Google Assistant If you want a voice assistant thats great at answering questions, Google Assistant tends to be better than Alexa. Amazons helper, on the other hand, currently supports more smart home products. The companys smart speakers and displays also support the Zigbee smart home protocol, and some devices even have built-in smart home hubs. Both Google and Amazon devices can sync with your calendar, though Googles tend to work better with Google services. Plus, if you already have an Android phone, you might be more comfortable with Google Assistant anyway. Siri But what about Siri ? Apples assistant supports voice commands as well, but it doesn't have as many compatible devices as Google or Amazon. The HomePod mini and the full-sized HomePod are the only Siri-compatible speakers on the market at the moment, too. That said, its not too hard to find Apple HomeKit-compatible gear as more third-party companies add support for it, but you currently have a smaller pool of devices to choose from. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/best-smart-home-devices-154557162.html?src=rss
Its time to drop kick Dropbox and get cloud storage without the recurring fees
Macworld Were of the opinion that a new year means a new you, and the new you shouldnt be paying subscription fees for cloud storage. Instead of giving Dropbox a chunk of change every month, why not own 10TB of cloud storage after just one payment? Yup, lifetime access to Internxt cloud storage is now only$244.99 (reg. $2,999) with coupon codeSTORAGE30. Its a big figure upfront, but consider thisa similar Dropbox plan takes $15 away from you monthly. If you do the math, this Internxt offer pays for itself after 18 months. Just like Dropbox, Internxt comes in a mobile and desktop app format for easy access. Its simple to use, too. Just open the app, select the files you want to transfer, and ditch your old cloud subscription forever! For reference, 10TB could store 2.5 million photos, 2,000 hours of HD video, and 20 million documents. It sounds like a lot, but keep in mind that this plan could last you forever, or at least in the near future. And dont worry, everything you upload on Internxt is protected with complete end-to-end encryption so no one but yourself or an intended recipient can view it. Make 2025 the year you kick your cloud subscription to the curb. Grab lifetime access to 10TB of Internxt cloud storage for$244.99 with code STORAGE30. This offer expires February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT, and supplies are limited! Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 10TB Plan Only $244.99 at Macworld StackSocial prices subject to change.
Marvel Snap comes back online in the US
Marvel Snap is back online in the US after it shut down alongside TikTok , Second Dinner has announced. The game's developer also said on X that it's partnering with a new publisher and working to bring more services in-house to make sure this never happens again. This weekend, Marvel Snap went offline along with the other apps developed by or affiliated with ByteDance, including video editing tool CapCut, social media app Lemon8 and, of course, TikTok. The collectible card game was published by Nuverse, which is a subsidiary of ByteDance, for Android, iOS and Windows. We still couldn't find the app for download when we looked it up, but Second Dinner said in a response on X that it's still working on restoring the game on Google Play and the App Store. It may take some time, the developer added. It also said that it's still working on resolving the in-app purchasing errors that fans who already have the game installed are getting. For now, players can purchase credits, boosters, passes and packages from the Marvel Snap web shop as Second Dinner works on fixing the issue. TikTok was the first ByteDance app that went back online. It was down for less than a full day in the US before announcing that it was restoring its service in the country in agreement with [its] service providers. CapCut and Lemon8 are still not available as of this writing. Shortly after taking office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order putting a 75-day pause on the law that banned TikTok in the country. Trump, who also sought to ban TikTok in the US during his term, said that the enforcement's timing interferes with [his] ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Act's prohibitions before they take effect. MARVEL SNAP is back online in the U.S. But to make sure this NEVER happens again, were working to bring more services in-house and partner with a new publisher. This is the start of a new era for MARVEL SNAP. We know this probably leaves you with even more questions than Second Dinner (@seconddinner) January 21, 2025 This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/marvel-snap-comes-back-online-in-the-us-064635041.html?src=rss
Trump delays TikTok ban for at least 75 days via executive order
That didnt take long. Soon after taking office, President Donald Trump signed a swathe of executive orders. Among them was a temporary pause on the law that banned TikTok in the US . With the executive order, Trump's Justice Department will not enforce the Protecting Americans from Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act for 75 days, effectively extending the amount of time the company has to reach a deal. In a statement, Trump said that the unfortunate timing of the law, which went into effect during President Joe Biden's last hours in office, interferes with my ability to assess the national security and foreign policy implications of the Acts prohibitions before they take effect. He wrote that he would review sensitive intelligence related to the national security concerns raised by the app's critics and evaluate the sufficiency of mitigation measures TikTok has taken to date. The company previously undertook a years-long effort, known as Project Texas , to move US user data to servers hosted by Oracle. The arrangement was made after years of negotiating with the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), but those talks halted last year. TikTok (and other ByteDance apps ) went offline late Saturday ahead of the law taking effect on Sunday. The TikTok outage only lasted a matter of hours, however. Service was gradually restored after Trump pledged to sign an executive order to suspend the law after he was sworn in on Monday. He affirmed that there would be o liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order. Trump also proposed a joint venture that would see US interests take a 50 percent stake in TikTok. Earlier on Monday, China (where ByteDance is based) signaled an openness to striking a deal with the US that would allow TikTok to remain active there for the long run, despite previously saying it would block a forced sale of the app. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. If it involves Chinese companies, Chinas laws and regulations should be observed. During his first administration, Trump sought to ban TikTok in the US . He signed executive orders to that effect, which included an attempt to force ByteDance to sell its US business. That didn't come to pass at the time. But pressure on TikTok mounted during the Biden Administration, with the former president signing a bill last year that called for ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban in the US. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-delays-tiktok-ban-for-at-least-75-days-via-executive-order-014523110.html?src=rss
President Trump withdraws the US from the Paris climate agreement (again)
When President Biden took office back in 2021, he issued several executive orders to address climate change . Now, the reverse is happening. President Trump is in charge now and he is signing EOs at a fevered pace. Many of these actions seek to limit or reverse any changes made by the Biden administration, taking the oft-used head in the sand approach to climate policy. Trump's first step was to withdraw the US from the Paris climate agreement... again. Trump began the executive order deluge by rescinding 78 of the Biden administration's EOs, including one on AI guidelines , before implementing a federal hiring freeze and mandating no new regulations . Keep in mind that an EO cannot change a law or regulation, but that wont stop Trump from trying. In other words, some of this stuff will end up mired in lengthy legal battles. Trump withdrew the US from the Paris climate agreement during his first term and then Biden reinstated it . Now, history repeats itself. The president has once again taken the US off the agreement roster. This puts the US as one of the few nations that arent part of the 2015 accord, joining Iran, Libya, South Sudan, Eritrea and Yemen. This also means that the US is likely dropping any pledges it made under the pact, including a promise of climate aid for developing nations and a commitment to cut emissions up to 66 percent by 2035. The Trump administration has to notify the United Nations in writing of its intention to withdraw from the accord, which will take a year to become official. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/president-trump-withdraws-the-us-from-the-paris-climate-agreement-again-002803951.html?src=rss
Ankers Nano 3-in-1 10,000mAh 30W power bank with built-in cable and foldable wall plugs hits $35
Coming in direct from Ankers official Amazon storefront, we spotted the brands Nano 3-in-1 10,000mAh Portable Power Bank in multiple colorways dropping down to $34.99 shipped . Normally fetching $45 at full price, we saw a few discounts take things a bit lower in 2024, with the last discounts coming from Black Friday and Christmas sales and taking costs down to the $30 low. Youll be getting a solid $10 shaved off the tag here today, though, which is landing it down among its lowest prices just $5 above the all-time low. more
Samsungs Freestyle smart projector with Xbox Game Pass falls to new $550 low (Reg. $798)
With the new year comes new chances at lower prices and Amazon is giving us just that on the Samsung Freestyle 2nd-Gen Smart Portable Projector that has dropped to $549.99 shipped . Usually priced at $798 in full, it saw a bunch of repeating discounts over 2024, the biggest of them dropping costs to $598, even during recent Black Friday/Cyber Monday sales. Its coming in today lower than ever, with the $248 markdown here landing it at a new all-time low beating the previous low by $48. more
By way of UGREENs official Amazon storefront, were seeing the first chance to save on the brands new Nexode Qi2 20000mAh 145W 72Wh Power Bank for $129.99 shipped. Priced at $180 since hitting the market at the tail-end of November, you can take advantage of these first-time savings today to secure yourself a reliable means to top off your devices. The 28% markdown hitting it here takes a solid $50 off the price tag and sets the stage for future discounts down the road. more
Levels Smart Lock+ with Apple Home Key is now down at $162.50 (Up to $166 off the sticker price)
Amazon is now offering a big-time price drop on the Level Lock+ Smart Lock with Apple Home Keys down at $162.50 shipped in the Satin Nickel colorway. This model fetches $329 at Best Buy where it is currently on sale for $315. It mostly fetched between $213 and the full $329 at Amazon for almost all of last year before starting to dip down into the $170+ range at the very tail end of 2024 it is now $166.50 under the regular price at Best Buy. more
Ankers Spaceview E110 security baby monitor and camera falls to $118 (Reg. $160), more
Ankers official eufy Amazon storefront is offering its Spaceview E110 Security Baby Monitor and Camera for $117.59 shipped. Usually going for $160 at full price, weve only seen it go lower a few other times earlier in 2024, with the lowest being a lone drop to $95 in October. You can grab one for your home at a 27% markdown, saving you $22 at the fourth-lowest price we have tracked, which beats out our previous mention from Christmas sales by $2 and positions it $22 above Octobers low. more
The Trump Administration is no longer letting asylum seekers make appointments with the CBP One app
As part of sweeping plans to change immigration in the United States, the Trump Administration has removed functionality from the CBP One app, a US Customs and Border Protection app used by asylum seekers to pursue legal admission into the US along the southwest border. As of January 20, 2025 the app can longer be used to schedule an appointment for admission, and any existing appointments have been cancelled, according to the CBP website . The CBP One app was introduced in 2020, and was expanded into a tool for asylum seekers in 2023, quickly becoming the only way migrants could preschedule appointments for processing and maintain guaranteed asylum eligibility, according to the American Immigration Council . The app allowed 1,450 migrants a day to schedule an appointment for admission, The New York Times writes , and has helped more than 900,000 people to enter the country since it was launched in 2023 through the end of 2024. No warning was given to asylum seekers that the program was ending on January 20, and the Trump Administration hasn't outlined what could replace it. Engadget has contacted US Citizenship and Immigration Services and US Customs and Border Protection for more information and will update this article if we learn more. CBP One was revealed to be an issue for the new administration during the Vice Presidential debate , when now Vice President JD Vance claimed that there was an app that let illegal immigrants schedule an appointment and be granted legal status in the US. That's not how CBP One works, and in fact the Biden Administration's use of the app has been criticized for how dramatically it's slowed down and complicated the process, leading some asylum seekers to wait up to six months for an appointment . This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/the-trump-administration-is-no-longer-letting-asylum-seekers-make-appointments-with-the-cbp-one-app-204004060.html?src=rss
Samsungs 512GB Galaxy Tab S10+ just the best Amazon price ever at $265 off
Update: The Platinum Silver 512GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ has now dropped to $854.49 shipped this is a new all-time low at over $265 off. Additional details below in the original post. Amazon is now serving up a new all-time low on the latest 512GB Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ at $898.98 shipped. This is a regularly $1,120 configuration that has now dropped significantly to deliver a solid $221 in savings. Todays deals is $1 under the brief deal we spotted on the Moonstone Gray model a couple weeks ago to deliver a new Amazon all-time low and undercut the direct from Samsung listing . more
While we did feature some notable clearance pricing on the 2023 B3 series models recently, Best Buy is now offering a deep deal on the LG 48-inch Class B4 Series OLED 4K UHD Smart TV down at $599.99 shipped . This model debuted in mid-2024 at closer to $1,500 and is now $900 under the price it launched at. It now carries a regular price at $800 with todays offer landing among the lowest we have tracked outside of the gift card holiday add-ons. more
Project Mini Rack wants to make your non-closet-sized rack server a reality
Wiki-style guide compiles all the pieces and potential of a rack you can carry.
Todays Android app deals and freebies: Door Kickers, Endurance, To the Moon, more
This afternoons lineup of Android game and app deals is now ready and waiting for you down below. Joining the now live Google Play deals, we are also still tracking the first deal on the all-new Amazon Kindle Colorsoft alongside SanDisks 150MB/s 1TB Ultra microSD card , the CMF Buds at just $27 , and these 44mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 7 bespoke configs . As for the apps, highlights include Door Kickers, Endurance, To the Moon, Rotaeno, Star Walk 2, and more. Head below for a closer look. more
Macys Winter Clearance takes 40-70% off Ralph Lauren, The North Face, Tommy Hilfiger, more
Macys Winter Clearance takes 40-70% off top brands including Ralph Lauren, The North Face, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein, and more. Prices are as marked. Customers receive free delivery on orders of $50 or more. One of our top picks from this sale is the mens Ralph Lauren Classic-Fit Gingham Stretch Poplin Shirt is currently marked down to $70 and originally sold for $125. This shirt is perfect for dressing up and a great option for Easter. You can choose thirteen color options and this shirt features a breathable cotton with extra stretch for added comfort. Rated 4.4/5 stars from Macys customers. Score even more deals by heading below, and be sure to check out our fashion guide for additional sales today. more
Most difficult secret endings in video games to get
Plenty of games reward players with a secret ending for putting in some extra work, but these games take things to the extreme if you want to unlock the ending.
How much will Nintendo Switch 2 cost? Insiders suggest the new console will start at $449
How much will Nintendo Switch 2 cost? What will the price be on the launch bundle? Lets dive in. The new Nintendo console is officially inbound and likely this summer, but what will the new Switch 2 price be? While we do know a fair amount about the new console backwards compatibility, likely Mario Kart 9 launch title, magnetic Joy-Con, larger display/form-factor, and more there are also a ton of questions remaining. Can the Joy-Con also be used like a mouse? What is the actual Switch 2 release date? and, perhaps most importantly, what is the Nintendo Switch 2 price going to be? more
UGREEN 6-in-1 Gaming Handheld Docking Station Buy for $30 (Reg. $50) What we love While PC gaming handhelds dont offer as much power as a full-blown desktop, theres still enough there to not only play some games, but also get some work done. Thats where a docking station like this can come in handy. making it a cinch to get it connected to an external display, peripherals, and more. Port options include dual USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, and Ethernet. more
Save $1,050 on Ankers SOLIX F3800 3,840Wh LiFePO4 power station at $2,449 (Reg. $3,499+, Today only)
By way of its Deals of the Day , Best Buy is offering the Anker SOLIX F3800 Portable Power Station for $2,449 shipped until midnight tonight (January 20). Todays deal is benefitting from a 30% markdown off its $3,499 rate here (with a higher $3,999 rate direct from Anker). Weve seen it go lower twice before with Cyber Monday seeing it $50 lower while an exclusive Black Friday deal at Wellbots saw it fall to the $2,099 low. Youll be saving $1,050 today ($1,550 when considering its direct rate), giving you the means to power anything at the third-lowest price we have tracked. Its even beating out Ankers own site right now that has it discounted to $2,699. more
Slip a Steam Deck, ROG Ally, other gaming handheld in CRKDs Pro Carry Bag for $28 (Reg. $40)
CRKD Pro Gaming Gear Carry Bag Buy for $28 (Reg. $40) Clip the on-page $10 off coupon. What we love Even since Steam Deck hit the scene, PC gaming handhelds have become increasingly popular. If youve jumped on the bandwagon, you can now give your beloved device some protection while on the go with CRKDs Pro case. Its spacious enough to hold most handhelds and a bunch of accessories and features a water-resistant outer shell. more
Second chance at $700 savings on Velotrics Go 1 Utility e-bike with Apple Find My at $999 low
Velotric has ongoing New Year savings happening across its e-bike lineup, with the brands Go 1 Utility e-bike even seeing a drop to $999 shipped . More recently fetching $1,699 in full after falling from its original $1,799 MSRP earlier in 2024, this model has been regularly dropping to $1,299 during sales, with things only hitting $999 once last month for a three-day flash sale. Its coming back again here with $700 struck from its going rate for a second chance at the lowest price we have tracked. more
Add USB-C to an old laptop with UGREENs 5-in-1 hub at $18 Prime shipped (40% off)
UGREEN 5-in-1 USB-A to USB-C Hub Buy for $18 (Reg. $30) Clip the on-page $2 off coupon. What we love It doesnt matter if your laptop has zero USB-C ports or simply less than youd like, this USB-A hub is ready to remedy that. It delivers two Type-C outputs, two USB-A outputs, as well as gigabit Ethernet. Since USB-A ports can be limited in the amount of power they offer, a third USB-C port allows you to supply more energy to the hub. more
Canons new livestreaming app doesnt support Canon cameras
Canon has just launched Live Switcher Mobile , a new iOS livestreaming app that supports up to three camera views you can swap between with just a few taps. The app currently only works with Apple devices, and it strangely doesnt support Canons own cameras. Live Switcher Mobile can let users specify how many seconds a viewpoint stays on a camera before automatically changing to another one. The app also supports on-screen captions, along with real-time comments. However, the latter feature only works if you stream to YouTube and Twitch, as The Verge notes, the app can also stream to other RTMP-supported platforms like Facebook, X, Instagram and even LinkedIn, among others. While Live Switcher Mobile is free, the unpaid version only supports resolutions up to 720p. There will also be ads and watermarks on-screen. A paid subscription costs $18 monthly and unlocks image overlay and picture-in-picture zooming and movement functions. Of course, it will bump the maximum resolution up to 1080p and remove the ads and watermarks. Live Switcher Mobile, compared to free apps like OBS Studio and Streamlabs, has fewer functions, which means Canon has a lot of work ahead to make the paid plan worth spending on. Fortunately, Canon camera support is coming soon. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/canons-new-livestreaming-app-doesnt-support-canon-cameras-161930211.html?src=rss
2-pack of ESR Samsung Galaxy S24 Ultra Screen Protectors Buy for $3.50 (Reg. $7) What we love At well under $2 per screen protector, nows a great time to give your Galaxy S24 Ultra a fresh layer of coverage. Doing this always gives my a devices a like-new feeling without breaking the bank. So if youre planning to skip the S25 series , you might as well spend a few bucks to make your current phone last a bit longer. more
Best video game controllers of all-time, ranked
It doesn't matter how great a console's games are if it has a terrible controller. These are the best controllers we've laid our hands on of all-time, ranked.
Samsung Care+ now offers $0 screen repair, but it will cost you
I am the first to admit that I am quite clumsy, so I always buy extra care protection for my devices. However, I'm still always shocked by the price of fixing whatever inevitable water damage or cracked screen I bring in. So, it's nice to see that Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss has updated its plan to include $0 same day repairs for cracked screens and back glass. Samsung's most expensive protection plan also includes unlimited repairs at authorized locations , so you don't have to worry if it breaks again. Previously, same day repairs cost $29 a pop. Care+ plan customers (the next tier down) have to pay $29 for cracked screen repairs and $99 for back glass repairs. However, even with the update, these free repairs don't come cheap. The price of all Samsung Care+ plans vary based on the specific device, with each product broken into tiers. For example, a Galaxy S23 or S24 Ultra is currently in Tier 4 and would cost $18 per month or $349 for two years of Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss. Whereas, a Galaxy A15 is in Tier 1 and would cost $8 per month or $129 for two years of the same plan. Samsung Care+ with Theft and Loss is only available for phones, tablets and watches though watches will still cost $29 per repair or replacement. It also includes same day replacement and set up, Knox Guard Security and a max of three lost, stolen, and/or unrecoverable claims during a consecutive 12 months. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/samsung-care-now-offers-0-screen-repair-but-it-will-cost-you-160016109.html?src=rss
Best cloud storage for Mac: online storage for Macs and other Apple devices
Macworld These days cloud storage is all the rage, offering the convenience of access to your digital files without having to clog up your mobile devices storage. Its also particularly useful now that so may of us work from home and need to be able to access our data outside the office. Provided youve got internet access, everything is hunky-dory. A good cloud storage solution backs up your important documents, photos, and videos, but it also helps keep all your devices in sync. Its a great way to make sure your desktop, laptop, phone, and tablet all have instant access to all your digital content. It should also allow you to access and edit documents from a web browser and easily share files and folders with others. Another reason to use a cloud service or any service that offers offsite back up for your Mac is that it protects your data if something happens at the location where your Mac and backup are located. PROMOTION Secure Cloud Storage for Growing Businesses Get ample space for all your files with Google Workspace. Enjoy up to 5 TB of secure cloud storage, plus business versions of Gmail, Calendar, Meet, and more. Now with Gemini for Workspace to boost productivity with AI. Try free for 14 days Owners of Macs, iPads and iPhones will naturally tend to favour iCloud, Apples own cloud service, because its so well integrated with those devices operating systems. Heres our full guide to using iCloud and here is iClouds current pricing structure . However, iCloud only really syncs your data and it isnt a way to back up your Mac. If you want to back up your Mac to the cloud you need to look at options like Backblaze, Carbonite and Acronis included below and in our guide to the Best Mac backup software . You may only be looking for a way to store a few items so you can access them anywhere, or so you can share them with others, in which case iCloud and other options like Google Drive and Microsoft One Drive could meet your needs. In this article, we round up all the best iCloud alternatives: the cloud storage services for Mac, iPhone and iPad that offer the most appealing combination of price, features, security and reliability. If you use Apple products, we think these are the best cloud storage solutions to which you should subscribe. We are starting with iCloud because Apples service is simple to use and mostly intuitive. Its available on all Apple products and syncs all your data as long as you have enough iCloud storage. It doesnt act as a backup for your Mac, but you can access a backup of your iPhone or iPad via iCloud. Read: Time Machine vs iCloud: Do you need to use both and can one back up to the other? Read on to find out what the alternatives offer. Apple iCloud Drive Best for Apple fans Price When Reviewed: Free (5GB), 99c (50GB), $2.99 (200GB), $9.99 (2TB), $29.99 (6TB), $59.99 (12TB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Apple (Monthly) $0.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $0.99 at Apple (Monthly) View Apple iCloud here As an Apple user, youll have heard of iCloud, but we dont blame you if you find it confusing. Its Apples own cloud-based storage system, and if you own an iPhone or iPad and have an Apple ID , youll already have 5GB free storage. Its the easiest way for those bought into the Apple ecosystem (users of iPhone, iPad and Mac) to sync contacts, notes, files, photos and more across devices and access them on all their devices. For example, you can use the Files folder on an iPhone or iPad to view all your files stored in the cloud. Because it integrates so seamlessly with all of Apples products and services, iCloud really is the best cloud storage solution for someone who is all-in with Apple. And I do mean all-in : All your computers are Macs, your mobile devices are iPhone or iPads, you work in Apples productivity software (Pages, Numbers, Notes), and so on. Frustratingly, Apple only provides a paltry 5GB of free iCloud storage, which isnt so bad if all you want to do is store some Pages and Numbers documents, but is grossly inadequate for photos and videos. Apple is years overdue for increasing this limit (Google offers 15GB free), but at the very least, it should stop counting iOS backups against it. Since the fall of 2021, Apple has offered to loan you as much iCloud storage space as you need to backup and restore your data onto a new device, for up to two weeks. Its a good feature for those buying a new Apple device, but it wont help you protect your data if your iPhone gets lost/stolen/damaged. From there, its $0.99/0.99 per month for 50GB, $2.99/2.99 for 200GB, $9.99/8.99 for 2TB, $29.99/26.99 for 6TB and $59.99/54.99 for 20GB. See: iCloud storage plans . You can enable family sharing on the 200GB and above plansif you do, it doesnt mean your family members can see all your cloud stuff. It just means your whole familys iCloud usage will count against the same storage limit. These paid tiers are branded iCloud+ and include several benefits. Theres iCloud Private Relay , free storage for HomeKit enabled security cameras, a Hide My Email feature, custom domain names for iCloud email accounts, and additional contact options for recovering your account. These are all excellent features that help solidify our view that iCloud is by far the best choice for those who are all-in on Apple devices. The main benefit of paying for more iCloud storage is that nearly all of Apples apps can seamlessly sync through it. Photos, productivity apps, Mail, Calendar, and anything you drop into your iCloud Drive folder in Finder on a Mac are immediately available across all your Apple devices. A significant number of iOS apps optionally back up and sync through iCloud, too. If you use non-Mac computers or non-iOS mobile devices from time to time, Apple provides a full suite of web apps at iCloud.com , but theyre sort of mediocre. Apple also provides an iCloud Windows app that syncs data and integrates your iCloud mail with common Windows apps like Outlook, but there are no native productivity apps for Windows or Android: If you want to edit a Pages document, you have to use the web interface. We like using iCloud, but we also pay for it. Most decent cloud services require you to pay a small fee. If youre a heavy Apple user, you might consider the Apple One service bundle . Its much more than a cloud storage solution, and thus beyond the scope of this article, but the value offered may tip the scales in iClouds favor for you. Read our full Apple iCloud review Google Drive King of Cloud Price When Reviewed: Free (15GB), $1.99 (100GB), $2.99 (200GB), $9.99 (2TB) a month. If you don't see the 200GB deal select 100GB and upgrade from that. Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Google (monthly) $1.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1.99 at Google (monthly) View Google Drive here While the idea of using Googles tools on Apple hardware may make some squirm, its deep integration with Google Docs, Sheets, and other popular Google tools means its never been easier to share a document with a colleague, collect feedback, and make amendments. Googles system, alongside Dropbox and OneDrive, is arguably one of the most common file-sharing options. Its much more prevalent than, say, iCloud Drive, making it much more useful across multiple platforms. If your workflows and job require any degree of rapid sharing of files back and forth, its a perfect fit. Outside of work, Google Photos may also appeal as a nice backup option to have, but itll start to eat into your storage pretty quickly. That said, Google Drive does comes with a whopping 15GB of free storage thats triple what Apple offers for free oniCloud Drive. 15GB is plenty generous, but you can enjoy 100GB for just $1.99/1.59 a month, 200GB for $2.99/2.49, and 2TB for $9.99/7.99 per month. Theres even a massive 30TB for $150 a month. You can use Google Drive on Mac through a dedicated app, or via the web interface. Whether youre on Mac, iPhone, iPad, or just about any other platform, Google Drive remains the best option around. Read our full Google Drive review Box Best for businesses Price When Reviewed: Free (10GB, limited to 250MB files), $14 (100GB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Box (monthly) $14 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $14 at Box (monthly) View Box here One of the best cloud storage options for businesses, Box, has a whole host of excellent tools and is probably the most slick and well-supported cloud-based storage service weve tested, but it might go beyond a general consumers needs. Boxs incorporates a host of security options, API calls, and over 1,500 integrations across office mainstays like Slack, Google Workspace, Microsoft Office apps and Zoom, so its an easy pick for anyone looking for a plug-and-play solution for file-sharing across larger teams. Its essentially a menu bar app that can pop out into a handy search bar to trawl through anything inside your Box folder, which will also appear in your Finder sidebar. A keyboard shortcut brings up the search bar, so Box is always just a keypress away. Theres a note section that syncs across devices and a document signing tool thats very handy if youre exchanging a lot of contracts. Its secure, too, with encryption standard across all plans and end-to-end encryption offered via Box KeySafe so users can issue their own encryption keys. The web app is fast and stable (unlike some rivals) making shifting files between folders when away from the Mac much simpler. Box offers a very generous free plan offering 10GB of storage and a 250MB file upload limit, but the next tier up is $14/11 monthly for individuals ($10/8 per month if you pay annually), which is a steep increase compared to the likes of Google Drive. Box nails just about anything you could want from a cloud storage service in 2025. Its fast, secure, and gets out of the way when you need it to, making it an easy pick for businesses. Read our full Box (Cloud Storage) review pCloud Budget-friendly cloud storage Price When Reviewed: Annual: $59.88 (currently $49.99) for 500GB for a year; $119.88 (currently $99.99) for 2TB; Lifetime: $299 (currently $199) for 500GB; or $599 (currently $399) for 2TB; $1,890 (currently $1,190) 10TB Best Prices Today: Retailer Price pCloud (annually) $59.88 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $59.88 at pCloud (annually) View pCloud here pCloud will let you upload and sync files on your Mac, so you can point it at a specific location and know itll keep things up to date. Its a nice, hands-free backup option to have switched on just in case you need it. Youll get access to 4GB of free storage, which is less than were used to, but can be raised to can be raised to 10GB if you invite friends. There are varied annual prices, ranging from $49.99 a year for 500GB, and lifetime options from $299. pClouds web app is clean and easy-to-navigate. You can store and share all types of files, and set a directory or a local folder on your Mac to keep backed up. Media plays well within pCloud. Saved a video? Youll be able to watch it via the in-window player, and the same can be said for audio and images, too. pCloud is pretty fantastic as an alternative to some of the usual suspects. If youre looking for lifetime cloud storage, pCloud is well worth a look. Its also easy to use and has some great extra features that could make it a dream for big libraries of home movies and pictures. Read our full pCloud review IDrive Online backup Price When Reviewed: Basic: Free; IDrive Mini: $2.95 (100GB) | $9.95 (500GB) a year; IDrive Personal: $69.65 (5TB) a year Best Prices Today: Retailer Price iDrive (Annually) $2.95 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $2.95 at iDrive (Annually) View IDrive here. lDrive is an online backup service like Backblaze and Carbonite, although it differs from them in a number of ways. Firstly, it has a free tier you can back up 5GB without paying anything. After that, though, its more expensive than either its competitors. Currently, the annual charge for the Personal tier is $59.62 (approx 46) for the first year and $79.50/year (approx 61) after that, but that only allows you to backup 5TB of data, while Backblaze and Carbonite allow unlimited data. However, that 5TB can be spread across multiple computers, whereas Backblaze and Carbonite limit you to one computer. Also, if you prefer to restore by having data physically shipped to you, lDrive provides that for free for the first restore each year though if youre outside the US youll have to pay for the shipping. Like Backblaze, lDrive also allows you to back up external hard drives. Even with external drives backing up, its unlikely most people will breach the 5TB limit bearing in mind that youre not backing up applications or system files. Features like Rewind and Snapshots allow you to restore from earlier versions of files or snapshots of the complete data set. And all data is encrypted, with the option to set your own private encryption key. lDrives user interface makes using it very straightforward. Your Desktop, Documents, Music and Pictures folders are automatically selected for backup, along with the contents of ~/Library/Mail. To add other folders, click Change at the bottom of the window thats not exactly intuitive. You can add videos to the backup, but locating them in lDrives interface takes a great deal of doing. Both scheduling and restoring are straightforward, however. As is choosing a local drive as the destination for a backup in place of lDrives servers. lDrives free tier and the ability to spread your data allocation in the paid tiers across multiple computers makes it attractive. Overall, though, its expensive for a single machine. Read our full IDrive review Backblaze A good solution for offsite backup Price When Reviewed: $99 a year, $9 a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Backblaze (yearly) $99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $99 at Backblaze (yearly) View Backblaze here . Offerings like OneDrive, Google Drive, and even Apples own iCloud Drive offer a cloud-based storage area that can also be used to share files between users, usually with a link to a specific spot. Others, like Backblaze (and IDrive and Carbonite) are storage services in the strictest term. Backblaze takes your data, ferries it off-site, and backs up your Mac to its servers. Its not for quickly sharing a document or collaborating on a piece of work, its for recovering data you may lose if something happens to your local machine. While you could share a file with Backblaze, doing so requires using Backblazes separate B2 Cloud Storage service which, admittedly, comes with flexible, pay-as-you-go options. Backblaze backs up the contents of your Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music folders, but excludes your Applications folder. You can view and share backed up files on an iPhone or iPad with the Backblaze mobile app. Backups are incremental so only files that have changed since it last ran are copied. Backups are encrypted and kept for 30 days. When it comes to restoring your data you can restore via Backblazes web interface or you can have files sent to you on a USB stick or hard drive for an additional (refundable) fee. A Find My-like Locate your Computer service tracks your Macs location to help you find it if its stolen. The Mac can tell you its current IP address and show you recently backed-up data. If you need an offsite back up of your Mac, Backblazes simplicity and price give it the edge over Carbonite and IDrive. Read our full Backblaze review Microsoft OneDrive Cloud storage home workers Price When Reviewed: Free (5GB), $1.99 (100GB), $6.99 (1TB) a month Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Microsoft (monthly) $1.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $1.99 at Microsoft (monthly) View Microsoft OneDrive here If you need a cloud plan for a family or small team, and youre already leaning on Microsofts Office apps, then OneDrive is a great option. One of the best parts of OneDrive is that it opens up the Office ecosystem, both for Mac and iPhone or iPad. With access to Microsoft mainstays like Word, Excel, and with those apps using OneDrive to sync across platforms, its got potential for the workplace or for families with kids working on school projects. If youre not keen on Google Docs or Sheets, or Apples Pages and Numbers, having Word and Excel documents spread across your devices could be a huge boon. The 5GB base storage is painfully low for free users (although still better thanDropboxs2GB). Microsoft clearly wants to nudge you to one of its paid plans. You can spend$99.99/79.99per year to get access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook and more, with 1TB storage per person for up to six people (6TB total). Alternatively, the Microsoft 365 Personal version with 1TB storage costs $69.99/59.99 a year, and Microsoft 365 Basic is $19.99/19.99 a year for 100GB cloud storage. Whichever option you go for, OneDrive is a model citizen when it comes to macOS. The app is lightweight and sits in Finder for you to drag and drop as you see fit. While its not as intuitive as Google Drive, if youre using Microsoft Office to any degree youll find a lot to like. Read our full OneDrive review Dropbox the original cloud syncing service Price When Reviewed: Free (2GB), $9.99 a month for a year (2TB, $119.88 paid up front), $11.99 a month (2TB, paid monthly) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Dropbox (monthly) $9.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.99 at Dropbox (monthly) View Dropbox here No discussion of cloud storage solutions would be complete without discussing the company that popularized consumer cloud syncing: Dropbox . Dropbox is the app that kickstarted the cloud storage arms race , but in recent years it has been usurped somewhat. A stalwart for many modern workflows, Dropbox remains a reliable way to sync data and files to the cloud, but it gets harder to recommend if you are looking to share files with others, as a backup solution, or as a means to access your content from wherever you are. It just doesnt offer any must-have features and rivals have much more generous free tiers. The paltry 2GB starting offering is way behind Googles 15GB. The next their up is 2TB for $11.99/9.99 per month (billed monthly), or $9.99/7.99 a month if you pay for a year upfront. Its a big leap with no options in between. There is some good. Dropbox offer a sizeable drop-down window so you can see more information about recently uploaded and updated files, compared to the basic menu bar apps of the competition. Features like PDF signing are useful additions. Unfortunately, Dropbox just doesnt feel as straightforward to use as many other cloud storage services. Read our full Dropbox review Acronis Cyber Protect Home Office Price When Reviewed: From $49.99 a year 1 Mac, no cloud storage; Advanced: $57.99 a year, 1 Mac 50GB cloud storage; Premium: $124.99 a year, 1 Mac, 1TB cloud storage Best Prices Today: Retailer Price $9.56 View Deal Acronis $39.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $9.56 at Amazon $39.99 at Acronis View Acronis here . Acronis True Image for Mac, functions as both a customizable backup utility as well as an antiviral/anti-malware app. It starts at $49.99/42.99 per year for one computer with local backup and anti-ransomware. The software installed easily and was configured for full disk access without hassle. It is centered around Backup, Protection, Disk Cloning, and Archive modules. the Backup module allows you to designate source and destination volumes as well as choose which files are backed up and to where. Its easy to create exclusion lists as to which files can by bypassed when it comes to backing up, and the scheduling feature worked well. The Backup module also leads to True Images Acronis Survival Kit, which allows for a bootable backup drive to be created that your Mac can boot and install a new operating system from. Disk Cloning module works well, and makes quick copies of volumes as needed. the Archive module allows you to offload local data to Acronis cloud structure, which is handy for freeing up local space The Protection module offered a good degree of antiviral protection, catching no less than 23 potential threats from a sample archive off the bat. During our testing there were bugs that couldnt be avoided and user interface elements that were either inconvenient or needed a complete overall. Carbonite Safe Price When Reviewed: $71.99 per year (Basic) Best Prices Today: Retailer Price Carbonite $71.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket $71.99 at Carbonite View Carbonite here . Carbonite is very similar to Backblaze in that it allows you to back up your Mac to remote servers and recover files when you need to. Like Backblaze, you sign up for an account and download a Mac application, and it automatically selects files to download. Also like Backblaze, Carbonite doesnt back up applications or system files. One key difference is that Carbonites basic plan doesnt automatically back up the contents of your Movies folder either although you can select videos manually to be backed up. Neither does Carbonite back up the contents of external drives. Files are protected with 128-bit encryption, but theres no option to add your own password. Restoring data is done online, using the Carbonite application the option to ship media containing your data is only available within the US. And you can restore from any backup run within the last 30 days, allowing you to roll back to earlier versions of files. The Carbonite mobile app allows you to view and download files to an iPhone or iPad. Carbonite is very simple to use. In fact, it almost feels too simple. Download the app, install it and launch it, and Carbonite starts backing up your Documents and Pictures folders straight away. In the left-hand sidebar, theres a list of volumes and the main user folders (Desktop, Documents, Pictures, Movies and Music). By clicking on those you can select files to be backed up or excluded. Restoring files is just as easy. If you want to restore a complete backup, click the Restore option in the sidebar and choose whether to download files to a folder or put them back where they were originally. To restore individual files and folders, navigate to them using the folders in the sidebar and choose the download option. Carbonite, at the time of writing starts at $71.99 (approx 55) per year for a single computer. If you want to back up external drives and back up videos automatically, that jumps to $111.99 (approx 86). That makes it expensive compared to its nearest competitors. Cloud storage for Mac: Prices compared The cloud storage option you should choose depends largely on how much youre willing to pay. If you want free space, Google crushes the competition with 15GBMicrosoft and Apple both need to up their game. The 100GB for $1.99 level is a good deal for most people and equals the capacity Microsoft gives you with OneDrive. Apples iCloud gives you 200GB for $2.99, which is the minimum youre going to have to spend if you plan to back up iOS devices to the cloud along with photos and videos. Google matches Apples price and storage at this level. Theres a $0.99 tier below that, but even 50GB will fill up fast when youre backing up your iPhone and all its photos and videos. If you want to spend ten bucks a month, youll get 2TB from either Google or Apple, but Microsoft will give you six accounts with 1TB each, plus Office apps. Thats a sweet deal. Dropboxs 2GB is the worst free tier, and its cheapest paid tier is $11.99 a month and doesnt even include all of Dropboxs features. Tier iCloud Google One Drive Microsoft One Drive Box pCloud DropBox Free 5GB 15GB 5GB 10GB 10GB 2GB 50GB 99c / 99p 100GB $1.99 / 1.59 $1.99 / 1,99 $4.50 / 5.50 200GB $2.99 / 2.99 $2.99 / 2.49 500GB $4.99 / 4.99 1TB $6.99 / 5.99 2TB $9.99 / 8.99 $9.99 / 7.99 $9.99 / 9.99 $9.99 / 7.99 For more advice about the best storage for your Mac take a look at the following: Best SSD for Mac Best hard drive for Mac Best NAS drive for Mac
Backcountry Flash Sale takes up to 60% off hundreds of styles: The North Face, Patagonia, more!
Backcountrys Flash Sale is offering up to 60% off hundreds of styles with deals on The North Face, Patagonia, Mountain Hardwear, and more. Prices are as marked. Customers receive free delivery on orders of $50 or more. One of our top picks from this sale is the mens Patagonia Reclaimed Fleece Jacket thats currently marked down to $119 and originally sold for $199. This jacket is available in four color options and has three zippered pockets to store essentials. The fleece material will help to keep you warm and it can easily be layered during cool weather. Its also stretch-infused and has an attached hood as well. Score even more deals by heading below, or you can shop the entire sale here . more
LISEN 45W Wall Charger with Retractable USB-C Cable Buy for $21.50 (Reg. $40) What we love One of the best iPhone 16 features is blazing fast 45W charging, if you ask me. Well, with this charger you can take full advantage. It offers an all-in-one design that packs an adapter and cable into one package. The cable extends more than two feet, and theres a secondary USB-C port in case you need to power up two devices at once. Its worth noting that the max 45W speeds are also enough to top off an iPad, MacBook Air, and more. more
Jackery is running a four-day sale through January 24 that is offering up to 47% off on some of the brands best power stations for home backup needs, DIY work, and outdoor enjoyment. One of the latest releases, Jackerys Explorer 2000 v2 Portable Power Station , is dropping down to $999 shipped . Todays deal is following Black Friday trends with a 33% markdown off its usual $1,499 full price, with $1,099 being the more average discounted rate weve seen. With todays deal, youll be getting the maximum savings weve seen at $500 off, which returns costs to the all-time lowest price we have tracked. Youll also find this model matches the price from Amazon. more
This new-release desk pad wields MagSafe and Qi charging at $35 (Reg. $50)
Miroddi RGB Desk Pad with MagSafe and Qi Charging Buy for $35 (Reg. $50) Clip the on-page 30% off coupon. What we love It doesnt matter if youve been on the fence about getting an oversized desk pad or already have one and wouldnt mind an upgrade. This new release will not only give you 31.5 by 15.75 inches of coverage, but it also delivers MagSafe-compatible charging for an iPhone and a secondary wireless charging pad that can be used for AirPods, or really anything that will fit that supports Qi. Thats also an RGB light strip around the entire thing, allowing you to give your space some subtle or vibrant illumination. more
China suggests its open to a US deal for TikTok after all
China has provided the strongest indication yet that its willing to secure a deal that will keep TikTok up and running in the US. The country previously claimed it would block any forced sale of the app but said something different after President-elect Donald Trump indicated hed be open to 50-50 joint ownership of TikTok between US and Chinese interests. When it comes to actions such as the operation and acquisition of businesses, we believe they should be independently decided by companies in accordance with market principles, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said at a press conference . If it involves Chinese companies, Chinas laws and regulations should be observed. Mao noted that TikTok has played a positive role in boosting US employment and consumption and expressed the ministrys hope that the US will earnestly listen to the voice of reason and provide an open, fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries. On Sunday, a law came into effect that banned TikTok in the US. The video-sharing app went offline late Saturday . Users were unable to download it from app stores and even overseas folks with a US-based TikTok account couldn't access it. Service was restored hours later after Trump pledged to sign an executive order on Monday, following his inauguration, to extend the period of time before the laws prohibitions take effect, so that we can make a deal to protect our national security. The order will also confirm that there will be no liability for any company that helped keep TikTok from going dark before my order. According to The Wall Street Journal, TikTok and ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming has a key contact that could pave the way for at least partial US ownership of TikTok in Elon Musk. He reportedly spoke with the Trump confidant in late 2024 after it looked more likely that the law would take effect. Zhang is said to have majority control over TikToks parent company through voting rights but he does not currently hold an executive position at ByteDance. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/china-suggests-its-open-to-a-us-deal-for-tiktok-after-all-151757376.html?src=rss
Feeling disheveled? Tidy things up with two under-sink organizers for $20 (Reg. $30)
2-pack of Delamu Under-Sink Organizers Buy for $20 (Reg. $30) Clip the on-page 40% off coupon. What we love While throwing stuff in a cabinet can make your space look tidier in a pinch, its no fun to sift through a mess of stuff when you need to find something specific. With these organizers, youll be able to keep everything in order so your space looks great, even when the cabinets are open. Each organizer measures roughly 16 by 11 by 11 inches. more
SanDisks 150MB/s 1TB Ultra microSD card now down at $70, or score this 200MB/s PNY variant for $72
Over at Amazon we spotted one of the best deals to date on the SanDisk 1TB Ultra microSDXC memory card at $69.99 shipped. If youre looking for something to significantly upgrade your portable storage, be it for a gaming console, Android device, drone setup, or otherwise, this model has regularly fetched between $80 and as much as $90 over the last year. Todays deal is on par with the Lightning offers we spotted in early 2024 to land at the best we can find. Head below for additional deals on 1TB microSD deals. more
