Tag: favorite

VR’s prop hunt is superb but virtual yard work isn’t for me – my favorite Meta Quest 3 games and apps for May 2024

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date May 12, 2024
No Comments on VR’s prop hunt is superb but virtual yard work isn’t for me – my favorite Meta Quest 3 games and apps for May 2024

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Howdy folks, I’m back to run you through some of the best Meta Quest 3 games and apps I’ve been playing over the past month so you know which ones you might want to pick up and try in May.

Since my last roundup, I’ve completed a month-long VR fitness experiment – where I worked out exclusively in VR for 30 days. It was a great experience, and I’ve since kept up with the apps I relied on (I even talk about one of them down below). I also moved across the country to a new home. It meant I had a little less time to enjoy my Meta Quest 3 recently, but I still made time to give these three titles a whirl.

This roundup includes my thoughts on the prop hunt-like Mannequin, Supernatural’s limited-time Star Wars event, Humanity and Lawnmower Simulator. Let’s get into it.

Mannequin

Mannequin is a very new Meta Quest 3 game that just launched in early access on App Lab – a digital platform for VR games and apps that aren’t yet ready to be featured on the official Quest store. I had the chance to try it out ahead of its App Lab release and had an absolute blast.

Even in this slightly unpolished state, I’d highly recommend giving it a go if you love prop hunt-style gameplay.

Mannequin is a multiplayer title for up to five players. Three players will be Mannequins – strange aliens that can freeze themselves and others in time – and the remaining two will be Agents hunting down the extraterrestrial threat. Each of the four unique maps also features a drove of frozen First Responders, unmoving NPCs that Mannequins can hide amongst.

The prop hunt element comes in here with a special VR twist. Rather than simply mimicking the look of First Responders, Mannequins must also adopt their poses – the game lends a hand by letting you hit ‘A’ to freeze your Mannequin in place so you don’t have to stay perfectly still while being watched by Agents.

Agents are tasked with detecting and shooting Mannequins before the aliens can touch them. The winning side is decided by which team is the last left standing.

In my demo, I played the first three matches and found Mannequin fairly balanced. The alien team did win two matches as their powers are a little easier to understand for newcomers, but the Agents ran away with things in the match they won as the duo had mastered their toolkit and become Mannequin-hunting machines.

The best strategy for either side is to communicate, with the game giving you private team chats so you can discuss tactics from opposite points across the map without enemies listening in. You’ll also want to capture the Energy Extractors if you’re Mannequins – or protect them if you’re Agents – as they give you the ability to see your foes through walls, which is incredibly powerful.

If you’re considering checking Mannequin out, it’s on App Lab right now, with a full release scheduled for late 2024.

Lawnmower Simulator VR

All the way back in January 1998 ( a whole three months before I was born) The Simpsons featured Yard Work Simulator – a gag VR experience that had a line of children looking to experience all the joys of yard work despite hating the real-life chore. Now, 26 years later, developer Skyhook Games has made this joke a reality by bringing its Lawn Mower Simulator to VR on the Meta Quest 3.

Having given it a try I’ll admit I can see why Marge was so skeptical about how much fun Bart would have playing Yard Work Simulator. I can also understand why people would love the Lawnmower Simulator experience – finding relaxation or humor (or both) in the mundanity of it all. There is satisfaction to be found in a virtual job well done and a sort of calming ritual that comes with preparing your machinery between missions.

But it’s not for me.

My biggest issue is motion sickness. Thanks to years of experience, very few VR games and apps make me want to lose my lunch, especially if I use a slight vignette, but some activities, like VR driving, are ones I can’t get over.

I could barely ride around on my mower for five minutes before wanting to hurl, even with vignettes turned on to a fairly high level. This made it impossible to get into the groove and immerse myself.

Another issue I found was with the controls. Button placements made controlling machines a challenge at times, and handling some items could be awkward – the VR interactable elements need a bit of a fine-tune. I also wasn’t captured by the simulator elements, which made these finicky tasks feel tedious and less enjoyable.

If you can handle motion sickness, and like the vibe of these kinds of chore-based simulators from playing them on PC or console then I expect you’ll love Lawnmower Simulator VR. It’s just not an experience I can see myself trying much more of.

Humanity

If you’ve slept on Humanity because it isn’t a classically immersive VR experience you should think again. This brilliant puzzle title is one of the best I’ve played in a while and isn’t one to be missed by fans of the genre.

Humanity is a lot like Moss in that you watch the level from a vantage point up above while using the controllers to manipulate a character in the level – in this instance a Shiba Inu. That’s where the similarities to Moss end as Humanity is much more about puzzle-solving than action, though that’s not to suggest its levels aren’t exhilarating.

Using a mixture of barked commands you must guide an endless stream of people around the stage to their destination. Completing this base objective gets tougher as you progress, but the real challenge comes from capturing each level’s Goldies – large golden figures located in inconvenient spots – with the solutions always feeling rewarding.

Creating a proper challenge with simple pieces is the hallmark of a fantastic puzzle game, and Humanity achieves this with aplomb.

Best of all, if you aren’t 100% convinced by me, you can download a 30-minute demo to try Humanity before you buy it.

Supernatural

I’ve been using Supernatural a lot recently. It’s the VR fitness app I fell in love with during my month-long VR fitness experiment, and I still use its boxing workouts regularly to stay active.

I took a little time off boxing recently and swapped my gloves for batons as I dueled my way through the Star Wars-themed workouts Supernatural added for Star Wars Day. When you’re reading this, unfortunately, the levels have been removed, but with or without John Williams’ inspiring score Supernatural is a blast of a fitness app.

Saying that, I’ve never felt more pumped than slashing through beats while Duel of the Fates blasts through my Meta Quest 3’s speakers. The track featured on the Dark Side playlist and with other bangers like the Imperial March I’ll admit I can see why Anakin Skywalker and others turned their back on the Jedi – those Sith folks have some killer anthems.

I was disappointed when the Star Wars playlists left, but with so many other workout playlists to try I know I’ll be sticking with Supernatural for months to come.

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Tags Apps, favorite, Games, hunt, isnt, Meta, prop, Quest, superb, Virtual, vRS, Work, Yard

Featured

I’ve been testing Sony Aibo for 25 years and it’s still my favorite robot

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date May 11, 2024
No Comments on I’ve been testing Sony Aibo for 25 years and it’s still my favorite robot

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Before we were obsessed with AI, the world was mesmerized by Aibo, a robotic dog whose name was short for “artificial intelligence robot” and also had the same pronunciation in Japanese as the word “friend”.

Aibo was doing AI before it was cool, and it was a sophisticated consumer robot dog long before SPOT was a gleam in Boston Dynamics’ eyes. My history with the pint-size bot goes way back.

Sony Aibo 25 years — The history of Aibos (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

I’ve tested or tried virtually every Sony Aibo robot since its introduction 25 years ago. Somehow, I never owned one, perhaps because much in the way I’m allergic to real dogs, I’m allergic to the price of this mechanical one. Ignoring the robot pup’s early and continuing innovation is impossible, even as Sony sometimes denied it.

On May 11, 1999, it wasn’t clear Sony had any intention of broad commercial availability. The company produced roughly 5,000 Sony Aibo robots, selling just 2,000 in the US for approximately $3,000 each. They were rare but also a bit of a status symbol, especially after one appeared in Janet Jackson’s 2000 hit It Doesn’t Really Matter.

Hello, little friend

Soon after that first run, though, Sony execs arrived in my office (I was then at PCMag) with the official First Generation Model, the ESR-111. Larger and dare I say cuter than the original Aibo, the ERS-111 was also more adept. Once again a trendsetter, Aibo rode a scooter across my conference room desk.

Sony often adamantly claimed that Aibo was not a robot dog, even though the ERS-111 had far more dog-like features: its snout was a bit more rounded, the ears stood up and it had replaced the almost antenna-like tail of the original with something that might look at home on a terrier.

Sony Aibo 25 years

Aibo ERS-111 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

The missteps

It wasn’t just Aibo’s looks. From its earliest iterations, Aibo’s sophisticated motors produced lifelike movement and the robot had enough autonomy to seem alive. There was a camera in the snout and some simple processing that let it do things like respond to voices, touch, and carry out canned routines like riding a scooter. I do recall Aibo scooting itself right off the table. A side panel popped off but it was otherwise fine.

Sony could never make Aibo more affordable because it stubbornly refused to skimp on the components or intelligence. The electronics giant tried to satisfy the more affordable Aibo urge with a pair of $800 and far less compelling bear-like bots, one was called Macaroon and the other Latte. They did not catch on.

Sony Aibo 25 years

Macaroon was cute and cheaper but uninspiring. (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

In 2001, Sony made a brief detour with Aibo. The ERS-220 turned it into a terrifying cross between the original pup and Robocop’s ED 209. Honestly, the less said about this misfire, the better.

Yes, it’s a dog robot

Sony returned to my offices in 2003 with a completely redesigned model, the ERS-7. Gone were most of the original Aibo’s sharp edges, as Sony finally embraced the “dog” label. It had floppy ears and a smooth Snoopy (circa 1970s) face. It could yap at you, follow you around, find its own charger, cuddle in your lap, and perform tricks based on the cards you showed it.

Sony Aibo 25 years

Sony Aibo ERS-7 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

Sony also designed the ERS-7 to be a sort of watchdog and mobile entertainment system. I took my review unit home, tried to play MP3 music through its tiny speakers, and let it take videos and photos (416- by 320-pixel resolution!) that it could email to me (when it worked) or store on its internal Sony Memory Stick that I could remove and look at later, assuming I had a Sony Vaio PC with a Memory Stick reader 🤦‍♂️. Its AI allowed it to learn and change over time. Don’t get me wrong, this was no ChatGPT puppy but the ERS-7 was still impressive for its time.

Battery life was never great on the Aibo and I vividly remember returning home one day to find it sprawled out and lifeless on the kitchen floor. Aibo had once again failed to find its charge base. I also recall us all being visibly upset at the discovery. We’d become attached to the little robot and couldn’t bear to see it in distress.

Sony Aibo 25 years

The desktop-control interface for the ERS-7 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

Return of the dog king

The ERS-7 still listed for almost $2,000 and so it failed to catch on in the US. By 2006, Sony had discontinued Aibo.

More than a decade later Sony revived Aibo as a redesigned and unmistakable puppy. With the adorability, features, and technology (new actuators, WiFI, SLAM, a mobile app) cranked to 11, ERS-1000 cost almost $3,000. Still, when I finally brought a test unit home, it felt like it was worth every dime.

The new Aibo could learn 100 different faces and, like a real dog, remember its interactions with individuals. Its movements were nothing but cute and I still remember how my wife – who initially expressed disinterest in the new Aibo – ended up many evenings sitting with it in her lap, as she absentmindedly stroked its plastic back and head.

Sony Aibo 25 years

The author and Sony Aibo ERS-1000 (Image credit: Lance Ulanoff)

25 years on, is Sony Aibo still a thing? Hard to say. Aside from this year’s Limited Edition Espresso Aibo, which added different colored eyes and three years of AI cloud updates, there hasn’t been a major update or redesign since 2018. Worse yet, Sony appears to be treating the robot dog as a sort of clearance sale, reminding buyers, ” Aibo is sold as FINAL SALE – NO RETURN”.

The most recent firmware update was a few months ago, but the release notes make no mention of richer AI or even dipping a paw into Large Language Models (LLMs) and Generative AI. Still, I like to imagine how access to ChatGPT, Gemini, and other LLMs might transform Aibo. Such a move could reduce Sony’s development costs and open the door to an updated and cheaper model. They could call it Aibo AI if it weren’t redundant.

Regardless, my affection for Aibo in virtually all of its iterations remains strong and I may someday save up to buy this iconic robot pup – assuming it’s still around.

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Tags Aibo, favorite, Ive, robot, Sony, testing, years

Featured

Peak Design’s Slide is now my favorite camera strap – here are four reasons why

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date May 11, 2024
No Comments on Peak Design’s Slide is now my favorite camera strap – here are four reasons why

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Camera straps aren’t exactly sexy, but they’re an essential accessory for photographers who regularly lug camera gear around.

The trouble is, most ‘proper’ cameras, including the best mirrorless cameras, only come with a basic strap that threads through the camera’s eyelets and is fixed in position, making any adjustments a slow and awkward process; and that’s not to mention the modest quality of the straps themselves.

The new(ish) Peak Design Slide is an altogether different proposition.

Peak Design Slide price and availability

The Peak Design Slide is available now and costs $69.95 / £59.99 / AU$109.95 while the thinner Slide Lite, which better suits enthusiast and beginner-level cameras, costs $59.95 /£49.99 / AU$94.95.

It’s available in several colors: Black, Ash, Midnight and Sage, plus the latest edition recently sent to me by Peak Design and pictured in this feature, Coyote.

I’ve been using the Slide strap for several months as my primary camera strap for multiple cameras, including a mirrorless camera, and more recently when I dusted off my DSLR to use it for the first time in years; and it has transformed the way I carry gear.

From quick adjustments and changing configurations to switching between multiple cameras, plus the strap quality, here’s why I rate the Slide so highly – and why you should seriously consider making it the next accessory you buy.

1. The modular Anchor Link system

Image 1 of 3

Peak Design Slide strap in 'Coyote' color — (Image credit: Future)

The Slide – there’s also a Slide Lite for smaller cameras – doesn’t attach directly to your camera, but rather to ‘Anchor Links’ that remain fixed to the camera’s eyelets, or the supplied ‘Anchor Mount’. You then slide the strap’s buckle into the Anchor Link and it clicks securely into place, and it can be quickly removed by pressing in the Anchor Link to release.

Both Slide straps are supplied with an additional pair of Anchor Links, so you can have two cameras ready to go with a single Slide strap – in my case a Nikon Z6 II and a loaned Nikon Z fc (pictured) – plus you can buy additional Anchor Links if you need them ($24.95 / £24.99 / AU$39.95) or if you love the system but prefer an alternative strap to the Slide.

You also get a tiny ‘Anchor Mount’ base plate (see below) in the box that attaches to the camera’s tripod thread, and can accept the Anchor Links for a different Slide configuration depending on how you want to carry your camera: using a sling, neck or shoulder strap. The speed and ease of attaching, adapting, and removing the strap is super-handy, though the Anchor Links can knock against the side of your camera when a strap isn’t in play.

Peak Design Slide strap in 'Coyote' color

(Image credit: Future)

2. Easy use with a tripod

Because the cord of Peak Design’s Anchor Links has such a low profile, you can place it between your camera and a tripod plate and securely fix it in place. With the Anchor Link beside a tripod plate on the underside of your camera (the above picture is the Anchor Mount and not a tripod plate), you can quickly switch between carrying your gear with the Slide strap and mounting your camera to a tripod – you simply unclip the strap.

Ideally, you don’t want a strap attached to your camera when you’re using a tripod – it can get in the way and even compromise the stability of your setup on windy days. And there are many photo and video creatives like me who regularly switch between handheld and tripod use, so speeding up the process is supremely helpful.

3. Quick and easy adjustments

Image 1 of 5

It’s called the Slide for a reason. One side of the strap’s surface is smooth and glides, which prevents the strap from sticking to your clothes when bringing the camera to your eye. There’s also a grippy side for when you want the strap secure on your shoulder.

What’s even handier is the clip lock over the strap-length adjuster. When sitting flush against the strap, the strap length is secure, but pull up the clip lock and it provides a firm grip to adjust the length of the strap, which is now unlocked.

Being able to quickly adjust strap length is again really useful. For example, if you’re moving about or out biking you really don’t want the camera swinging around on a long strap. With the Slide, you can quickly shorten its length to bring the camera tight to your body.

4. Superb quality

Image 1 of 3

I’ve been using the Slide heavily for a few months now, and it hasn’t worn one bit. The quality of the strap and the Anchor Links is top-drawer, and they can withstand heavy use without becoming damaged. Also, the tiny cord of the Anchor Links is strong enough to securely carry particularly heavy gear.

It’s also a comfortable strap, despite the lack of shoulder padding, thanks in large part to the fact that you can easily modify the strap to a length and carrying style that suits you. Put simply, the Peak Design Slide should provide years of dependable use, offering a quick and easy way to carry gear across multiple scenarios.

I’d recommend the Slide Lite for most of today’s mirrorless cameras, including the best travel cameras, while the thicker Slide fits better with heavier models, such as the best professional cameras.

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Tags camera, Designs, favorite, Peak, Reasons, SLIDE, strap

Entertainment

Some of our favorite Bose headphones and earbuds are back to all-time low prices

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 26, 2024
No Comments on Some of our favorite Bose headphones and earbuds are back to all-time low prices

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Amazon has some of the highest-rated Bose headphones on sale for record-low prices. That includes the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, which have best-in-class active noise cancellation (ANC). Usually $429, the wireless cans are now only $379, matching an all-time low.

Bose

Get industry-leading noise cancellation and spatial audio for $50 off.

$379 at Amazon

Engadget’s Billy Steele praised the headphones’ sound, ANC and comfort in our review, but he also found them a bit expensive at their standard retail price, so this sale could be the right time to snag a pair. The headphones are comfortable for long listening sessions — with enough battery life to keep up. Although their “Immersive Audio” spatial listening mode is a bit hit-or-miss (and not for everyone), the feature pairs incredibly well with some tracks and genres. The headphones are our runner-up picks in Engadget’s noise-canceling headphones guide.

Battery life is impressive, and our review unit surpassed Bose’s claims of 24 hours with ANC turned on or 18 hours with ANC and Immersive Audio activated. In Engadget’s testing for the latter mode, the headphones still had 30 percent remaining after 20 hours of listening. They have a streamlined design with fewer physical navigation buttons than the standard QuietComfort variant, giving them sleeker aesthetics. That includes metal in their headband and hinge (with no visible screws).

Amazon also has several other Bose products on sale. The highly rated QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, which have similar features in a compact in-ear form factor, are available for $50 off ($249). They also include a spatial audio mode and have impressive ANC to block out your environment when working or commuting. They’re our pick for the best noise cancellation in Engadget’s wireless earbuds buying guide.

If spatial audio algorithms aren’t your cup of tea, you can save $100 on the standard Bose QuietComfort headphones. They also have leading noise-blocking and high-quality audio, lacking only the illusion of sitting in an acoustic “Immersive Audio” sweet spot. They offer 24-hour battery life and multipoint connectivity to switch between several source devices easily.

Bose also has the same sale on its website, a good option if you don’t have Amazon Prime. You can hit up the complete sale for details.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Tags AllTime, Bose, Earbuds, favorite, headphones, Prices

Entertainment

Our favorite budget webcam is 20 percent off right now

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 25, 2024
No Comments on Our favorite budget webcam is 20 percent off right now

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The Anker PowerConf C200 webcam is 20 percent off right now via Amazon or directly from the company. This brings the price down to $48. The $12 dollar discount isn’t the lowest price ever for the webcam, but its dang close. In other words, this is still a fantastic deal.

Anker

This is a 20 percent discount for the well-regarded camera.

$48 at Amazon

The C200 is one of our favorite webcams, easily sliding into second place on our list of the best available models. We loved the easy setup, as all you have to do is plug it into your computer or docking station and start recording. It also integrates with the company’s AnkerWork software for editing and for making quick adjustments to brightness, sharpness and contrast ratio.

The default resolution is 2K, but you can adjust to 1080p, 720p or even 360p as the content requires. The field of view is similarly adjustable, so you can offer watchers an ultra-wide view of an extremely messy bedroom. It boasts dual stereo mics with omnidirectional vocal pickup and ships with a built-in lens cover.

The webcam’s autofocus is quite fast, even when compared to pricier models, and its larger f/2.0 aperture helps the image stay illuminated even in dark environments. The overall image quality isn’t quite on par with our favorite webcam, the Logitech Brio 500, but it’s also less than half the price.

We do have some complaints about the C200. It’s a bit cumbersome to adjust the angle when perched on a screen, due to the design. There’s no short neck that connects the camera to the base. It’s just one chunky piece of plastic, requiring both hands to make adjustments. Also, the provided USB-C cable is on the shorter side, so you might want to have a longer one ready to go, particularly if you use a standing desk.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Tags Budget, favorite, percent, Webcam

Entertainment

Some of our favorite Anker power banks are up to 30 percent off, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 19, 2024
No Comments on Some of our favorite Anker power banks are up to 30 percent off, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals

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Before you head into the weekend to hike, pull weeds, play games or go to work, you may feel a hankering to snap up a few tech gadgets. If that’s the case, here’s a roundup of all the deals we found this week on gear we’ve tested, reviewed and just generally recommend. To get cleaner floors without much work, check out the discount codes below from Wellbots on three different iRobot robot vacs. We found discounts on streaming dongles including Google’s Chromecast HD and Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max, as well as new sales on security cameras from the same companies (Google Nest and Blink). There are also savings to be had from Anker, 8BitDo and Sonos. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Anker

A number of Anker power banks and chargers are on sale right now at Amazon. The sale includes 25 percent off the price of the 10,000mAh Qi2 MagGo Power Bank, which brings it down to $67.50 from $90. Just note that the deal only apples to the white model.

We named the portable charger the best MagSafe-enabled banks in our guide. It’s Qi2-certified and brought an iPhone 15 from four percent to half full in around 45 minutes in our tests. It delivered a full charge plus an additional 70 percent before needing a refill. I also appreciated the display that shows the amount of charge the bank has left and the kickstand so you can watch something while you refuel.

The 552 USB-C Hub is also part of the sale and down to $30 after a big 57 percent discount. You can also save on Anker’s Prime 27,650mAh Power Bank with the 100W Charging Base included. It’s down to $164.50 from $235 and is another top pick in our buyer’s guide to power banks.

$67 at Amazon

Amazon

Amy Skorheim for Engadget

Our favorite smart plug is currently on sale at Amazon. A four-pack of the Kasa EP25 smart plug is down to $32.58 instead of $50 after a 25 percent discount and an on-page $5 coupon.

The Kasa EP25 works with Alexa, Google Home, HomeKit and Samsung SmartThings. I found the connection to be stable and the initial setup was quick to do through the companion app. Once initialized, it’s easy to add the plug to whichever smart home eco system you rely on.

Amazon’s Smart Plug is also on sale for $20 instead of $25. Our guide calls it the best smart plug for Alexa-enabled homes, so if you already have a few Amazon Echo speakers at home, the plug will make a good addition. The only real advantage is has over the Kasa plug is its near-instant pairing with Alexa.

$33 at Amazon

Sonos

Sonos not only makes quality speakers, they also have a respectable refurbished program which can save you some cash on the otherwise pricey audio equipment. Right now, a refurbished Sonos Arc SL soundbar is down to $509, which is $170 off the renewed price and $240 off the speaker’s full $749 price tag when it was new. A decent selection of similarly like-new soundbars and speakers are also on sale, with up to 25 percent off the refurb prices. That includes our pick for a midrange soundbar, the second-generation Beam soundbar. It’s down to $299 after a $100 discount off the refurbished rate.

We named the Sonos Arc the runner-up premium soundbar in our buying guide, praising its stellar sound quality and ability to calibrate its sound to match the room its in. Compared to the standard Arc, the Arc SL lacks a microphone, so you won’t be able to use voice assistants directly from the soundbar.

Sonos refurbished gear comes with the same, one-year warranty, all necessary cables and manuals plus all-new packaging. They also donate one percent of refurbished sales to environmental non-profits as part of 1% for the Planet.

$509 at Sonos

iRobot

Right now a code at Wellbots will get you iRobot’s flagship Roomba Combo J9+ for $400 off. The vacuum-mop hybrid robot, which only arrived last fall, automatically empties itself and refills the device’s mopping liquid. That convenience doesn’t come cheap, though. The unit usually sells for $1,399 but enter the coupon code ENGA400 at Wellbots and get it for $999 instead.

Engadget’s Devindra Hardawar gave the Combo J9+ an 85 review score when it first came out, calling it a godsend for tired parents. It’s also our pick for the best combo vacuuming-mopping robot. It has an upgraded motor and four-stage cleaning system that takes multiple pass-throughs across your carpets and floors.

The base that empties the debris and refills the mop solution also doubles as a storage unit that looks more like living room furniture. Setup is as simple as adding water and cleaning solution to a reservoir and attaching a mop pad. Upkeep is limited to swapping mop pads and leaning the vacuum’s bristles and dust bin.

If you don’t need a mop you can save some cash by going with the standard Roomba J9+ $599, which is $300 with the code ENGA300. It includes all the vacuum-related features from the more expensive Combo variant, including a three-stage cleaning system, multi-surface rubber brushes and stronger suction.

The previous-generation Roomba Combo j7+ vacuum-mop cleaning robot is $200 off with coupon code ENGA200.

Save $400 with code

$999 at (Combo J9+) Wellbots

Blink

The Blink Mini 2 home security camera was only announced a month ago and it’s already on sale for 25 percent off, making it just $30 instead of $40. It can be used indoors or outdoors, though it needs a weather-resistant power adapter for use outside. A bundle with the adapter is on sale as well. The camera shoots HD footage day or night and has an LED spotlight.

Amazon-owned Blink announced the Mini 2 camera in March, touting improvements to image quality and the option for HD night view in color thanks to the spotlight. The camera also has motion detection and two-way audio. The camera can detect motion, and alert you when it does, but if you want person detection and the ability to live-stream continuously (up to 90 minutes), you’ll need a Blink subscription. The Mini 2 comes with a 30-day free trial of the Blink Subscription Plan, too. After that, it’s $3 per month per device or $10 monthly for unlimited coverage.

$30 at Amazon

Google

If you’d prefer security cameras made by a different tech company, you can get Google’s wired Nest security camera for $70, which is 30 percent off and its lowest price to date. The deal is available at Amazon, Walmart and directly from Google.

The Nest Cam uses AI to discern between people, animals and vehicles and sends alerts via the Google Home app, and, unlike Blink cams, you don’t need a subscription for that. The Nest Aware plan does let you save 60 days of video history, however, otherwise you get three free hours of history. It also has two-way audio function and the ability to view live video feeds on mobile devices and compatible smart displays.

For keeping an eye on your outdoors, you can grab the Outdoor Nest Cam with Floodlight which is 29 percent off and down to $200.

$70 at Amazon

Photo by Sam Rutherford / Engadget

Quicken

Annual subscriptions to the budgeting app Quicken Simplifi are half off through April 21. It has dropped from $4 monthly to $2 per month, billed annually at $24.

Quicken Simplify topped both our list of the best budgeting apps and our collection of the best apps to replace Mint. We like the user-friendly interface and instantaneous access to various metrics, like top-line balances, net worth, recent spending, upcoming recurring payments and more.

It also lets you set up customized savings goals and the clean UI keeps things interesting with playful animations. .You can also invite a spouse or a financial manager to co-manage the account.

$2 per month at Quicken

Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget

The 10th-gen Apple iPad is on sale for $349 at Amazon and Best Buy, which matches the lowest price we’ve seen from major retailers. The deal applies to the base model with 64GB of storage. The 256GB model is also $100 off the list price and down to $499.

Keep in mind that Apple reportedly plans to release new iPad Airs and iPad Pros in early May, so you may want to wait to see what is announced — and whether today’s models drop even further. The standard iPad may not be refreshed until later this year.

We gave the 10th-gen iPad a review score of 85 in late 2022. Its aluminum design feels premium, it gets a solid 10-plus hours of battery life and its A14 Bionic chip is still plenty fast for media consumption — though its the only remaining iPad without an M-series chip and it only works with the older generation Apple Pencil and requires an adapter.

$349 at Amazon

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

8BitDo’s Ultimate Bluetooth Controller is $60 right now on Amazon. Last week it dropped to $59.49, but only for Amazon Prime members. Neither deal is an all-time low, but still around $10 off the list price.

Engadget’s Jeff Dunn is a fan of the wireless Switch and PC gamepad and its Hall effect joysticks, which use magnets to read inputs, making them less susceptible to “drift” over time. While it may be a touch small for those with especially large hands, it has a sturdy design, customizable buttons and comes with a charging dock.

$60 at Amazon

Google

If you’re looking for a smart TV streaming dongle and don’t need 4K video, check out this sale on the Chromecast with Google TV (HD). It’s dwon to $20, which is $10 off the list price and close to the all-time low. You can get the same deal from Amazon, Target or directly from Google.

This is the HD version of our top choice for streaming devices. We were impressed by the user interface which does a good job of integrating all the various services you subscribe to in one place. There’s a universal search function and the setup is relatively easy: Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port and give it power with the included USB cable and power adapter. Then use the Google Home app to get things going.

Of course, if you’ve got a 4K TV and want to see that higher def content, you’ll want the more expensive model, though that one isn’t on sale.

$20 at Amazon

Photo by Jeff Dunn / Engadget

The newest Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is still sale for $40, which ties the lowest price we’ve tracked. The 4K Max is Amazon’s fastest and most featured streaming stick and supports HDR formats, Dolby Atmos audio and WiFi 6E. The user interface isn’t as streamlined as other streaming devices and the homepage and search heavily promote Amazon’s own content. But the sticks recommended in our buying guide — from Roku and Google — aren’t on sale right now.

The standard Fire TV Stick 4K is also back on sale for $30. That’s not an all-time low, but the only time it’s been cheaper was during Black Friday.

$40 at Amazon

Photo by Billy Steele / Engadget

The USB-C AirPods Pro are back down to $189, which is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last month but $10 less than their usual street price on Amazon and $60 less than buying from Apple direct. Best Buy has the pair for a dollar more. Engadget’s Billy Steele gave the second-gen AirPods Pro a score of 88 back in 2022 and they’re our top pick for iOS devices. Note that new AirPods are likely on the horizon, but new AirPods Pro reportedly aren’t coming until 2025.

$189 at Amazon

Hisense

The 55-inch Hisense U6K TV is down to an all-time low of $350 at Best Buy, which is roughly $50 below the average street price we’ve seen over the last few months. The U6K is a budget-level TV from 2023 that’s received almost universally high marks from reviewers we trust. It’s one of the only TVs in its price range with quantum-dot color, a mini-LED backlight and full-array local dimming, so it should provide better contrast and color volume than most cheap sets. It’s still not ideal for gaming, as it lacks HDMI 2.1 features and is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. Its brightness levels won’t blow anyone away, either. But at this price, it looks to be a great value.

It’s worth noting that this TV’s successor, the U6N, recently went on sale and promises even better brightness and contrast. However, that one currently costs $600 for a 55-inch set. For now, the older model should remain the better value for most people. — Jeff Dunn, Senior Commerce Writer

$350 at Best Buy

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Entertainment

Our favorite Sony wireless earbuds are on sale for a record-low price

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 13, 2024
No Comments on Our favorite Sony wireless earbuds are on sale for a record-low price

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If you’ve been eyeing earbuds but were put off by the steep price tag, now would be the perfect time to pick up a set. The premium earbuds, normally $300, are down to a record low price of $230 on Amazon, for a savings of $70. This deal only applies to the earbuds in black. The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds were released in summer 2023 and brought major upgrades over the previous model. They boast the best noise cancellation and call quality of Sony’s earbuds lineup, and have built-in Alexa support.

Sony

The Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are our top pick for for this year. They’re more comfortable than the WF-1000XM4s, being 25 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter for a much better fit. The charging case, too, is more compact than its predecessor. In terms of sound quality, they further improve upon the already impressive capabilities of the 1000X line. The speakers are slightly larger than the previous model’s, and their Dynamic Driver X drivers make for rich, clear sound and bassier bass. Sony WF-1000XM5 scored an 87 in last year.

The earbuds offer Adaptive Sound Control, which will automatically adjust your noise cancellation settings to work best for the environment you’re in or activity you’re doing. You may want active noise cancellation on when you’re working from home, but switch to transparency mode when you’re going out for a run. You’ll need to enable location services for this feature using Sony’s Headphones Connect app.

The app allows for other types of customization as well, like changing the controls assigned to the touch sensors on the earbuds. Sony’s WF-1000XM5 earbuds also support multipoint Bluetooth connections, which means you can pair them with two devices at the same time. There’s a Speak-to-Chat mode that pauses audio when it senses you’ve started a conversation, and an equalizer in the app where you can adjust your sound settings.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Tags Earbuds, favorite, price, recordlow, Sale, Sony, wireless

Entertainment

Pick up one of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs for only $40

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 11, 2024
No Comments on Pick up one of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs for only $40

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One of our favorite Anker USB-C hubs is on sale for $40 via Amazon. The Anker 555 is typically $50, so this is a discount of 20 percent. This is one of the best hubs money can buy, even at its original price. It made our list of the best MacBook accessories, but it’s a mighty fine addition to any PC.

Anker

This is a discount of 20 percent for the well-reviewed hub.

$40 at Amazon

The Anker 555 USB-C hub gives you eight ports to connect just about anything under the sun. There’s two USB-A ports, one HDMI port, SD and microSD card slots, one Ethernet jack and two USB-C ports. One of the USB-C ports provides 85W of power to charge various devices, including laptop computers.

It can handle up to 10 Gbps file transfers and can connect to a 4K/60Hz monitor via the HDMI slot. It’s also extremely portable, making it easy to just throw in a bag until you need it. To that end, it ships with a nice little travel pouch. We wrote that the Anker 555 “has enough power and versatility to be the only laptop hub you need.”

The sale extends to other Anker hubs, if the 555 doesn’t do it for you. The simply-named Anker USB C Hub also costs $40, which is a discount of 15 percent. It comes with 10 ports, including 4K HDMI, 1080p VGA, USB-C, USB-A, Ethernet and a 100W USB-C charging port. There’s also a slot for SD cards. The transfer speed is a bit slower here, however, at 5 Gbps.

Finally, there’s the Anker 565. This hub costs $59 as part of this sale, which is a massive discount of 41 percent. It kicks things up a notch, with 11 available ports. These include a 10 Gbps USB-C data port, a 10 Gbps USB-A data port, a 4K HDMI port, a 4K DisplayPort, a 100W USB-C input port for charging devices, two 480 Mbps USB-A data ports, an Ethernet port, an AUX port and microSD card slots. It also allows for multi-monitor setups, thanks to the aforementioned DisplayPort and HDMI port options.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Tags Anker, favorite, Hubs, Pick, USBC

Entertainment

One of our favorite affordable robot vacuums is on sale for $140

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 10, 2024
No Comments on One of our favorite affordable robot vacuums is on sale for $140

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If you’re just looking for a cheap way to keep your floors cleaner and don’t need all the top-end features, you may want to check out this deal. Anker brand Eufy’s BoostIQ RoboVac S11 is now down to $140 after a 44 percent discount. The sale comes as part of a larger sale on Eufy vacs, including ones with a few more bells and whistles. The S11 Max is our current pick for an ultra budget option in our buyer’s guide to robo vacs because it’s super affordable (especially after the discount), has good suction power and a long battery life. Probably the biggest caveat is that it’s not Wi-Fi enabled.

eufy

Our pick for an ultra budget robot vacuum is down to just $140 after a 44 percent discount.

$140 at Amazon

Instead of controlling the unit through your home’s wireless network, the 11S Max comes with a remote that handles scheduling and other smart features like cleaning mode selection. It also has a manual button up top to start a session. It has three power modes — Standard, BoostIQ and Max — and BoostIQ provides a good balance of adequate suction and noise level. In our tests, a BoostIQ session lasted about an hour and 15 minutes. The obstacle avoidance is impressive at sidestepping random objects, though it occasionally bumped into walls. The vac is also about an inch an a half thinner than many other robot vacs we tested, which lets it get beneath low-slung furniture for more complete cleaning.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

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Featured

I switched over from Windows to Mac, and these are my three favorite macOS features

Post author By lisa nichols
Post date April 8, 2024
No Comments on I switched over from Windows to Mac, and these are my three favorite macOS features

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I’ve been a Windows user for a very long time, since my very first IT class way back in primary school. It’s the system I’ve used the most, so I was excited – though a little intimidated – when I switched over to using a Mac mini as my regular computer a year ago.

It may have taken a while to get used to, but the amazing features packed into macOS have converted me into a superfan – so here are my three favorite features that’ll keep me on macOS forever.

Universal Control

This is perhaps the most useful feature on macOS for people like me who have more than one Apple device. Universal Control allows a single mouse and keyboard to work across your iPhone, iPad, or another Mac, without having to individually set up your peripherals for each device. Alongside the Mac mini I use for work, I often have my iPad set up on my desk to play music or listen to podcasts while I work, and whenever I want to change a song, skip an episode, or just quickly Google something I can just swipe my mouse over to the left side and use my tablet as a second display.

Should I want to do something quickly without having to boot up my entire system and log into all my accounts, I can set the iPad back on my desk and use the keyboard to write quick notes, brainstorm story ideas, or just respond to a particularly lengthy email. I love being able to use all my devices with the same two peripherals.

If you’d like to give it a go, make sure your two devices are linked to the same iCloud account, and then head over to the menu bar on your Mac and click the Control Center option. You should then see an option to ‘Link keyboard and mouse to [device]’. With that enabled, you should be able to move your pointer over to the edge of your Mac screen until it appears on your iPad or MacBook.

Airplay to Mac

A hand holding an iPhone in front of a TV

(Image credit: Future)

Airplay is a feature that allows you to share content from your iPhone or iPad to your Mac, or from Mac to Mac if you have say an iMac and a MacBook. Not unlike Universal Control, you can effortlessly extend or mirror your display and use your other screen as an external display.

I love this feature because I could be watching a video or a movie on my iPad or my iPhone and just throw it over to my iMac if I want a bigger screen, which has been super helpful for me as I haven’t had a TV for years. So, if I’m snuggled up in bed and want to throw my comfort show up on the big screen on my bedroom desk, I can do it straight from bed as long as my iMac is on.

You can turn on Airplay by making sure your AirDrop and Handoff setting is enabled, and you’ll be prompted to select which devices to allow Airplay content to stream to. Keep in mind that you’ll again need to be signed into the same iCloud account on your devices.

AirDrop

(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Possibly one of the most helpful features across all Apple devices, Airdrop is a timesaver and incredibly useful in almost every situation. With Airdrop you can wirelessly and painlessly send photos, videos, documents, and more to other nearby devices and Mac computers. So, if I want to send over a file on my phone to my Mac to email to someone I can quickly select the file on my phone and Airdrop it to my Mac with a few taps on the screen.

I’ve used AirDrop almost every day since I got my Mac mini, and I don’t know what I’d do without it. It’s not just helpful for sending myself files, but quickly AirDropping something to a friend from my computer to their phone works the same way with AirDrop, so you’ll be able to use the feature with other people’s Apple devices as well. It’s such a good feature that I’m amazed it took Android so long to receive it.

You can turn on AirDrop on any of your Apple devices straight from the control center, so on your iPhone or iPad you just need to swipe down from the top of your screen and enable AirDrop, and the same with your Mac device. You’ll find the setting on the top right of your Mac screen, and you can decide whether to enable the feature for your contacts only or for anyone.