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TikTok Closer to Potential U.S. Ban as House Passes Bill Requiring Sale

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The U.S. House of Representatives today approved legislation that would force TikTok owner ByteDance to sell the social media network or face a ban in the United States. The Protecting Americans From Foreign Adversary Controlled Applications Act will now go to the Senate, where its fate is unclear.

tiktok logo
U.S. lawmakers want TikTok to be sold to a company outside of China due to concerns that the Chinese government could force ByteDance to hand over data from users located in the United States. If China made the request, ByteDance would not be able to refuse. There have also been suggestions that China could use TikTok to spread political propaganda.

ByteDance has attempted to alleviate these fears by storing data from U.S. users on servers owned by Oracle, but the White House and lawmakers do not believe that is enough.

If passed, the bill would require ByteDance to sell TikTok within six months to a company approved by the U.S. government. Should ByteDance not sell the company, U.S. app stores would not be able to distribute the app without breaking the law, effectively leading to a ban. China would also need to approve the sale, and the Chinese government made it clear last year that it would “firmly oppose” a forced sale.

There are a limited number of companies with enough capital to be able to afford TikTok, and the obvious choices, such as Google or Meta, would likely be barred from acquiring it due to antitrust concerns.

Should the bill make it through the Senate, U.S. President Joe Biden confirmed that he would sign it into law. A number of senators have expressed worries about the wording of the act, and it does not have universal support at this time.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

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Quick! Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 are on sale for a record-low price at Amazon

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We’re in between big tech sales events, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t deals to be had, especially on Apple products. Case in point: right now, you can score the AirPods Pro 2 for $189 at Amazon. That’s the lowest price you can find for the excellent wireless earbuds, making this a great deal to snap up before they are gone. 

I’m a big fan of the AirPods Pro, which are my earbuds of choice when I’m out and about, especially when commuting with the active noise cancellation filtering out the roar of trains and the gabble of people who love taking in the morning. As you’ll see in our AirPods Pro 2 review, the second-generation Pro buds build upon the great sound of their predecessors and now come with USB-C charging, meaning there is no longer any need to fuss about finding a Lightning cable. 

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Entertainment

The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is on sale for $130 at Amazon

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There’s still time to make 2024 the year you upgrade your streaming capabilities. Doing so is currently more affordable with Elgato’s Stream Deck MK.2 down to $130 from $150. The 13 percent discount brings it to just $15 more than its record-low price — but we haven’t seen that deal since July Prime Day 2023.

Elgato

The Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 is one of our must-haves to game-stream like a pro this year. It comes with 15 customizable keys that can complete actions like muting a microphone, changing the lighting and controlling connected accessories. Plus, offers plugins for YouTube, Discord, Spotify, Twitch and more.

There’s also a sale on Elgato’s Stream Deck +, with an 11 percent discount dropping its price to $178 from $200 — just $8 off its all-time low. The Stream Deck + has eight customizable LCD buttons for everything from changing scenes to going live. It also has four knobs to control settings such as audio and video, along with a touch bar. Like the Stream Deck MK.2, it has plugins for Twitch, Spotify and more.

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



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Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are back on sale for $328

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Sony’s 1000XM-series headphones have topped our list of the best wireless headphones you can buy for a couple years running. The current top pick is held by the WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones and right now they’re $72 off at Amazon, making them $328 instead of their $400 list price. That’s not an all time low — we saw them dip to $250 just before the holidays last year and this year they’ve gone for $300 and $280 at different retailers. But if you don’t want to wait and see if those discounts come back, $72 represents a decent savings on a pair of highly recommended over-ear speakers. The sale comes as part of a larger sale on Sony audio at Amazon.

Sony

Our top recommended headphones are currently $72 off. 

$328 at Amazon

Even at full price, the WH-1000XM5 are a wise buy if you’re looking for superior audio, excellent noise cancellation and an enduringly comfortable fit. Our audio expert, Billy Steele, said these are in a league of their own in his review. The audio is an improvement over the previous generation — which was already great — but now the bass is punchier and the clarity is even more finely tuned. They pack a long, 30-hour battery life and the noise cancellation is adept at blocking human voices, TV sounds and various other environmental noises. There are plenty of easy-to-suss out onboard controls, letting you do things like skip tracks and answer calls. There’s even a feature that pauses what you’re listening to when you start talking.

While these are an improvement over the prior model, Sony’s WH-100XM4 headphones, those are still a compelling option with great sound and a comfortable fit. They’re on sale for a much lower $248. That’s $100 off the list price and about $20 more than the all-time low they hit for Black Friday last year.

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



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Plufl’s Human Dog Bed Is on Sale for Sleep Week

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We trip over the phrase “human dog bed.” Is it a human bed for dogs or a dog bed for humans? The Plufl Human Dog Bed (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is definitely made for people, which is why WIRED reviewer Medea Giordiano tested it instead of a furry friend. She loved lounging, reading, and even napping in it, thanks to the plush sides and memory foam base.

If you, too, like to rest while curled into a little ball instead of stretched out on a mattress like a normal person, now’s your chance: The Plufl is nearly half off. The company is running a Sleep Week deal from now until Saturday, March 16. You won’t want to miss your chance to get a Plufl for such a good price—or the chance to get a discounted additional cover, if you’re already a Plufl owner.

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Plufl Deals

Photograph: Plufl

This is made for anyone who loves to lounge. Giordano says the bolster sides and memory foam base cradled her perfectly for activities like reading, watching TV, scrolling TikTok, and even taking a nap. You can also adjust how thick your bolster pieces are by removing some of the stuffing, but Giordano found the standard stuffing was comfortable enough to support her head and easy to lie down in. She recommends adding a stiff pillow to sit up.

The Plufl also has certifications we usually find in organic mattresses. The base is CertiPUR (no chemicals like formaldehyde, lead, or flame retardants), and the cover is Oeko-Tex certified (independently verified to be free of harmful substances). It’s a nice combo and makes the investment a little more worth it.

Photograph: Plufl

If you’re already a Plufl owner, or are having trouble deciding which color to get, you can get a spare cover right now for a little cheaper than usual. The Oeko-Tex certified cover is made of plush polyester faux fur, and it’s machine washable. Only the beige and gray colors are available as extra covers.

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Entertainment

A bundle with the PS5 and Spider-Man 2 is on sale for $400 right now

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Update 3/11/24: The PS5 bundle deal that we originally found at GameStop is now available at Amazon, Target and Walmart as well.

If you’ve been on the fence about snagging a PS5 and have been intrigued by Marvel’s Spider-Man 2, now’s a good time to considering picking up the console. You can get a bundle with either the digital or standard edition of the PS5 with the game for $50 off. That brings the bundle with the digital version of the console down to $400, while the standard-edition pairing will run you $450.

Sony Interactive Entertainment

You can snag a bundle of a PS5 and one of its best exclusive games for $50 off at the minute.

$400 at Amazon

Spider-Man 2 is an excellent way to get your PS5 games collection started, particularly for new PS5 owners. It’s one of our favorite games of last year and we felt it was both bigger and better than the first game in the series. If you’d prefer to play Marvel’s Spider-Man and Marvel’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales before diving into the latest entry (both are great games too), you can check them out through the PlayStation Plus subscription service on the Extra and Premium tiers. However, some folks may now be joining the PlayStation club after already playing those two games on PC — I wouldn’t want to wait too long for Spider-Man 2 to arrive on PC after first playing the previous entries there either.

When it comes to a modern gaming system, you can’t go far wrong with the PS5. It’s our pick for the best high-end gaming console, alongside the Xbox Series X/S. It has a terrific library of exclusive games at this point and it can run pretty much any PS4 game too. Along with strong performance and excellent visuals, the PS5 has one killer feature that helps it stand out from the Xbox Series X/S: the DualSense controller. The haptic feedback and adaptive triggers (i.e. varying tension levels in the L2 and R2 buttons as you pull the string on a virtual bow or drag an object) help create a feeling of immersion Xbox consoles can’t quite match yet.

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



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Samsung’s Spring Sale Expands With Big Discounts on Galaxy Smartphones, Watches, Tablets, and Laptops

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This weekend, we’re tracking a new sale at Samsung with savings on the company’s best smartphones, smartwatches, tablets, and laptops. These discounts are part of Samsung’s larger Discover Samsung Spring Sale, which we started covering last week with deals on monitors, storage, audio, and more.

samsung hero blueNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with some of these vendors. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

The best monitor deal from our original post is still live today: you can get the ViewFinity S9 5K Smart Monitor for $899.99, down from $1,599.99. At $700 off this a very solid second-best price on the 2023 display, which has a matte display, modular 4K SlimFit camera, and support for Thunderbolt 4.

Additionally, when you sign up to learn more about Samsung’s upcoming TV and audio product lineup, you can get $100 off your purchase. The new slate of Samsung TVs and audio equipment is set to be unveiled on March 21, and this $100 discount offer will be available through that date.

Smartphones

samsung galaxy s24
Samsung’s newest smartphones launched back in January and you can get some pretty big discounts on the devices right now. Most of these offers do require you to trade in an existing smartphone and will be applied as credits on your bill, and Samsung covers discounts from carriers including AT&T, Verizon, T-Mobile, and US Cellular.

Smartwatches

samsung galaxy watch
In terms of smartwatches, Samsung has the Galaxy Watch6 and the Watch5 on sale, with up to $400 in savings. You can get these smartwatches with a straight cash discount, or opt for a cellular plan and gain access to more savings with an eligible trade-in.

Tablets

samsung galaxy tab
Similar to the Galaxy smartphones, Samsung is offering discounts on both cellular and Wi-Fi models of the Galaxy Tab line. If you go with the Wi-Fi models, you can get about $100 off the base price of Galaxy Tab S9 Series, depending on the model.

If you opt for the cellular devices from participating carriers, you can get more in savings in the form of bill credits after eligible trade-ins.

Laptops

samsung galaxy book 360
Samsung has a few laptop deals with solid discounts shared below, but it’s worth again noting that if you have a device to trade in you can get even bigger markdowns on these computers. For the Galaxy Book 4, Samsung is also offering a free 2TB portable SSD ($219.99 value) with purchase of select models.

Head to our full Deals Roundup to get caught up with all of the latest deals and discounts that we’ve been tracking over the past week.

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Entertainment

iRobot’s Roomba 694 is back on sale for $180

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The iRobot Roomba 694 is back on sale for $180 via Amazon, which is a savings of 35 percent or $95. This isn’t the lowest price ever for the well-regarded robovac, but it’s darned close. There likely won’t be a price drop this stark until Prime Day or the holidays.

iRobot

The Roomba 694 isn’t one of the company’s flagship models, but it’s still a highly efficient design that excels with standard cleaning tasks. As a matter of fact, this robovac topped our list of the best budget robot vacuums. We loved the handy mobile app that helps people plan routes, schedule cleanings and perform basic maintenance tasks. We also enjoyed the powerful suction, which makes short work of pet hair, dust and debris.

The 694 will return to the charging base on its own, which is always nice, and it runs anywhere from 45 to 90 minutes on a single charge, depending on the flooring. This is a no-frills vacuum, however, so there isn’t a mopping feature or a large debris tank. It’s also somewhat larger than many of its siblings, so it could struggle to get underneath certain items of furniture.

This is part of a larger Amazon sale on iRobot devices, with discounts on just about every model the company makes. For instance, the high-end iRobot Roomba Combo j5+ is on sale for $500, a discount of $300. This machine can both vacuum and mop, and it’ll even self-empty debris into the included container.

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



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The 6 best deals in the massive Dell TechFest sale – laptops from $279.99

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Dell has launched a massive month-long sale featuring terrific deals across a variety of laptops, PCs, monitors and other computing hardware. Given we rate Dell devices such as the Inspiron and XPS lineup as some of the best laptops you can buy, I’ve focused on those here and picked out six of the best laptop deals available in the Dell TechFest sale.

• Browse the full Dell TechFest sale

For a cheap and excellent value-for-money option, don’t pass up on this Dell Inspiron 15 for $279.99. It’s a relatively basic 15-inch laptop but it’s built with light use and general everyday tasks in mind such as web browsing, sending emails, video calls, word processing, and video streaming. We’re impressed that it comes with 8GB of RAM for a decent performance boost and a chunky 512GB SSD. Large speedy storage options like this are rarely seen on laptops this cheap.

If you’ve got a larger budget and need a laptop with a bit more juice or for more advanced tasks, then consider this Dell XPS 13 Plus for $999.99. This is a fantastic record-low price for a powerful, portable, and stylish machine that can comfortably handle all of your computing needs.

You can see both of these deals and more of the best offers from the Dell TechFest sale below. Remember, you can also check out all the latest Dell coupon codes for ways to save even more money at the manufacturer.

6 best laptop deals in the Dell TechFest sale

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Best Buy’s Weekend Sale Includes Rare iPad Pro Deals and All-Time Low MacBook Discounts

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Best Buy this weekend has a big sale on Apple MacBooks and iPads, including some of the first notable M2 iPad Pro discounts in months, alongside the best prices we’ve ever seen on MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, iPad Air, and more. Some of these deals require a My Best Buy Plus or My Best Buy Total membership, which start at $49.99/year. In addition to exclusive access to select discounts, you’ll get free 2-day shipping, an extended 60-day return window, and more.

new best buy blueNote: MacRumors is an affiliate partner with Best Buy. When you click a link and make a purchase, we may receive a small payment, which helps us keep the site running.

iPad

new ipad blue
Starting with the cheapest iPad in this sale, you can get the 64GB Wi-Fi 9th generation iPad at $249.99, down from $329.00. For a more recent model, Best Buy has the 64GB Wi-Fi 10th generation iPad at $349.00, which is an all-time low price at $100 off. You’ll find every model of the 10th generation iPad on sale at a record low price during this sale. This includes all Wi-Fi and cellular tablets, in all colors.

iPad Air

ipad air blue new
Best Buy has every model of the 5th generation iPad Air on sale at an all-time low price right now, starting at $449.99 for the 64GB Wi-Fi tablet, down from $599.00. These are $150 off across the board, and also include best-ever prices on both cellular models.

iPad Mini

new ipad mini blue
Best Buy has the 64GB Wi-Fi iPad mini 6 for $399.99 this weekend, down from $499.00, and the 256GB Wi-Fi iPad mini is available for $549.99, down from $649.00. Both of these are solid second-best prices on the iPad mini 6.

M2 iPad Pro

ipad pro new blue
Best Buy has some of the first major discounts on the M2 11-inch and 12.9-inch iPad Pro that we’ve tracked in months, starting as low as $699.00 for the 128GB Wi-Fi 11-inch tablet. You will need a My Best Buy Plus/Total membership to see these low prices, but even if you don’t have one you can still find a few solid second-best prices in this sale.

11-Inch

12.9-Inch

MacBook Air

new macbook air blue
The cheapest MacBook Air deal you’ll find this weekend at Best Buy is on the now-discontinued 256GB 13-inch M1 MacBook Air for $749.99, down from $999.00. If you want a model with a larger display, the 256GB M2 15-inch MacBook Air is priced at $999.00, down from $1,299.00. You can also get the 512GB M2 model on sale at $1,199.00, down from $1,499.00. Across the board these are the best prices we’ve ever seen on the M1 and M2 MacBook Air.

MacBook Pro

m3 macbook pro new blue
Unlike the MacBook Air deals, Best Buy’s MacBook Pro sales all require a My Best Buy Plus or Total membership in order to see the all-time low prices. If you don’t have one, you can still get solid second-best prices on these computers at Best Buy this weekend.

These deals are focused on the 14-inch models of the MacBook Pro, but you can also find a few 16-inch M3 MacBook Pro deals.

Note: My Best Buy Plus/Total membership required to see final deal price.

Our full Deals Roundup has more information on the latest Apple-related sales and bargains.

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