dimanche 27 novembre 2022

The best early Cyber Monday deals you can get now

An illustration by The Noc Design made for The Verge. — The Noc Design / The Verge

You know how most streets in US towns look exactly the same, barring a few differences? That’s kind of how Cyber Monday is to Black Friday. Many of its deals should be familiar if you’ve been paying attention throughout the Thanksgiving weekend, even though it’s taking on another name. If you haven’t been tuned in, well, you’re in for a treat. There are so many best-ever deals on tech like noise-canceling headphones and earbuds, iPads, video games, budget-friendly gadgets, and a lot more (pour one out for the $569 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV at Best Buy, which is no longer available).

We’re serving you the best-of-the-best deals right up top, just below a handy table of contents that’ll help you zip around to your preferred product category.

The best early Cyber Monday deals

Here are the all-stars

You can buy Apple’s new second-gen AirPods Pro at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy for $199.99 instead of $249, which is about their all-time low. Apple’s newest premium earbuds boast better noise cancellation capabilities than their predecessor, as well as swipeable controls and four swappable earbuds. Read our review.

Google’s Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is our favorite streaming device, partially because it curates recommendations from your favorite streaming services. It also features support for 4K content and Dolby Vision HDR and is bundled with a remote compatible with Google Assistant. You can currently buy it for around $40 ($10 off) from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which matches its all-time low price. Read our review.
The SooPii USB-C cable with a built-in power meter can carry up to 100W of output to a phone or laptop and display a live wattage measurement on its small LCD so you know how fast your devices are charging. It’s currently $8.11 for a four-foot cable or $10.07 for a 6.6-foot at Amazon when you click the on-page coupon for 10 percent off. We can chuckle to ourselves at the brand name all we want, but these things are handy and make a nice little stocking stuffer for fellow nerds. Check out our hands-on with a similar cable.

New and returning subscribers can sign up for the ad-supported version of Hulu for just $1.99 a month for 12 months so long as they do so before November 28th at 11:59PM PT (or November 29th at 2:59AM ET). Existing Disney Plus and ESPN Plus standalone subscribers can also take advantage of this deal. The ad-supported plan grants members access to all of Hulu’s movies and TV shows, including originals like The Handmaid’s Tale and Prey.
On the cheaper Pixel front, it’s very hard to beat the Google Pixel 6A for just $299, marked down from an already reasonable $449. This deal is all over, including Target, Amazon, and Best Buy. Just promise you’ll get the sage color option. Read our review.
You can buy Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite with ads and 8GB of storage for $94.99 instead of $139.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. You can also buy the ad-free model at Amazon for $114.99 ($45 off). The waterproof e-reader comes with USB-C support and monthslong battery life along with a bigger display than the previous model. Read our review.

Sony’s DualSense Wireless Controller is on sale for around $49 ($21 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Dualsense offers support for haptic feedback and USB-C while boasting a maximum of 12 hours of battery life.
Our pick for the best auto-emptying robot vacuum, iRobot’s Roomba i3 Plus EVO, is on sale for around $349 ($201 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The i3 Plus EVO makes cleaning easier and faster thanks to advanced mapping features, so you can tell it to clean certain rooms either through the app or a via a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa.
Anker’s ultra-handy Powerline II 3-in-1 Charging Cable is down to just $9.99 ($12 off) at Amazon, which is a great price on a durable cable that can connect to Lightning, Micro USB, and USB-C devices in a pinch.
The Google Pixel Watch is about $299 ($50 off) at Amazon and Target for the Wi-Fi-only version. This watch has a gorgeous circular display, as well as native Fitbit integration. It also comes with three months of YouTube Music and six months of Fitbit Premium. The Pixel Watch is a first-gen device, however, so keep in mind that Google is still working out some kinks. Read our review.
You can buy a single AirTag for $24.98 (regularly $29) at Amazon and Walmart right now. The ultra wideband-capable Bluetooth trackers offer IP67 water and dust resistance as well as user-replaceable batteries. Read our review.

Amazon’s fifth-gen Echo Dot is on sale for $24.99 at Amazon instead of $49.99, while the model with a clock is discounted to $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The new smart speaker offers a temperature sensor and doubles as an Eero Wi-Fi system extender. You can also get the clock-free model with a free A19, 1,100-lumen Philips Hue smart bulb for $24.99 from Amazon. Read our review.
The Ultimate Ears’ waterproof Wonderboom 3 is on sale direct from UE for $69 ($31 off), which is easily one of the compact Bluetooth speaker’s lowest prices to date. The newer model isn’t radically different from its predecessor, but it does offer improved Blueooth range.
The incredibly handy and super-affordable Elephant Card is on sale for $7.99 at Amazon, dropping the price by $2. This little plastic card fits in your wallet and unfolds to be a Continuity Camera mount atop your MacBook, allowing a compatible iPhone to become your webcam for much better quality Zoom calls and video streaming. Read our review.

If you’re looking to smarten up an outlet in your home, Amazon’s apt-titled Smart Plug is currently on sale at Amazon for $12.99 instead of $24.99, matching its best price to date. The inexpensive gadget is a great way to schedule lights and add voice control to appliances that lack smart functionality.
Anker’s 622 Magnetic Battery, aka its MagGo charger, is on sale at Amazon for $44.99 ($15 off), matching its best price to date. The magnetic, wireless power bank isn’t the most robust in terms of battery size, but it can prop up and provide juice to newer MagSafe-equipped iPhone models, beginning with the iPhone 12.
Walmart, Target, and Best Buy are currently discounting a Nintendo Switch bundle that includes the standard Switch, a download code for Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a three-month individual subscription to Nintendo Switch Online.

The best early Cyber Monday deals on headphones and earbuds

You can buy Apple’s new second-gen AirPods Pro for $199.99 at Amazon and Best Buy instead of $249, which is about their all-time low. Apple’s newest premium earbuds boast better noise cancellation capabilities than their predecessor, as well as swipeable controls and four swappable earbuds. Read our review.
You can buy Sony’s WF-1000XM4, our favorite noise-canceling earbuds, for around $178 ($102 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The wireless earbuds sound fantastic and boast some of the best noise cancellation you can get in a pair of earbuds, not to mention more recent perks like multipoint functionality. Read our review.
Samsung’s latest premium noise-canceling earbuds, the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro, are on sale for $179.99 ($50 off) at Amazon in black or purple. If you use Samsung phones, these are one of your best options since they’re very lightweight and comfortable, with excellent sound quality that supports higher 24-bit audio (though only with Samsung phones). Read our review.

Apple’s first-gen AirPods Pro with a MagSafe charging case are on sale at Walmart for $159 ($90 off). Even though the second-gen offers better noise cancellation, these buds still tune out noise very well, offer customizable, swappable buds too (albeit only three) and sound terrific. Read our review.
Sony’s WH-1000XM5 are on sale at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for around $348 ($51.99 off). These comfortable headphones offer some of the best noise cancellation you can get in a pair of headphones, along with a sleeker build and improved sound over their predecessor. Read our review.
Google’s Pixel Buds Pro are on sale for $142.50 at Wellbots and $149.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. Google’s new wireless earbuds offer decent active noise cancellation capabilities, not to mention multipoint Bluetooth support. Read our review.

If you prefer a cheaper pair of earbuds, you can currently pick up the Beats Studio Buds at a fresh all-time low of $89.95 ($60 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. That’s an additional $10 off from deal prices we were already seeing. While they don’t offer particularly great noise cancellation, they still feature good sound quality and USB-C support. Read our review.
Normally $199.99, the Beats Fit Pro are currently discounted to $159.95 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. The comfortable noise-canceling earbuds offer excellent battery life, and while their lack of wireless charging is a bummer, they remain a great choice for Apple users thanks to features like dynamic head tracking for spatial audio and their ability to automatically switch between Apple devices. Read our review.

The best deals available on streaming devices and services

Google’s Chromecast with Google TV (4K) is our favorite streaming device, partially because it curates recommendations from your favorite streaming services. It also features support for 4K content and Dolby Vision HDR and is bundled with a remote compatible with Google Assistant. You can currently buy it for around $40 ($10 off) from Amazon, Target, and Best Buy, which matches its all-time low price. Read our review.
You can also currently purchase Google’s new, entry-level Chromecast with Google TV (HD) for $19.99 at Best Buy. While it lacks 4K streaming capabilities and is limited to 1080p resolution, it can play HDR videos and comes with a Google Assistant-compatible remote. Read our review.

New and returning subscribers can sign up for the ad-supported version of Hulu for just $1.99 a month for 12 months so long as they do so before November 28th at 11:59PM PT (or November 29th at 2:59AM ET). Existing Disney Plus and ESPN Plus standalone subscribers can also take advantage of this deal. The ad-supported plan grants members access to all of Hulu’s movies and TV shows, including originals like The Handmaid’s Tale and Prey.
You can buy the Roku Streaming Stick 4K for around $24.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target, which is a 50 percent discount. This is a good option if you’re looking for a streaming device that’s simple to use but that also supports Dolby Vision and works with Siri, Amazon Alexa, and Google Assistant. Read our review.
New and returning subscribers can get 50 percent off of their first year of Paramount Plus if they subscribe before November 28th. With the discount, you’ll be able to subscribe to the ad-supported Essential plan for $24.99 instead of $49.99 or the ad-free Premium plan for $49.99 instead of $99.99. No matter which of the plans you opt for, you’ll be able to stream a wide range of movies and shows, including Star Trek: Strange New Worlds and Yellowstone spinoff 1883.
Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is best suited for those embedded in Amazon’s ecosystem. In addition to offering support for Wi-Fi 6, it also works quite nicely with Alexa, so you can easily use the remote for voice commands. You can buy it for $34.99 instead of $54.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy.
Until November 28th, you can sign up to stream Peacock Premium for $0.99 a month for a year when you use the promo code “SAVEBIG.” The ad-supported service usually costs $4.99 a month, so this will save you $48 over the course of 12 months. New and existing users who subscribe to Peacock’s freemium tier are eligible for the deal; however, current Peacock Premium and Premium Plus subscribers aren’t.

The best early Cyber Monday deals on 4K TVs

You can buy LG’s C2 OLED discounted in various configurations. The 55-inch configuration, for example, is available for around $1,297 (about $300 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The 4K TV boasts a 120Hz refresh rate like its predecessor but comes with a brighter “Evo” panel and the ability to log into different user profiles.
Samsung’s new Frame TV is on sale in the 55-inch configuration for around $998 ($500 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The 4K TV displays artwork when not in use and features a new anti-glare, low-reflection coating. When turned on, however, the excellent QLED offers a fast 120Hz refresh rate and support for a number of streaming apps.
Amazon’s new Fire TV Omni QLED Omni lineup is also on sale. You can buy, for instance, the 65-inch model for $549.99 from Best Buy instead of $799.99. The new TV is capable of displaying similar artwork when not in use and supports Dolby Vision IQ and HDR10 Plus Adaptive alongside two-way video calling.
~~You can buy~~ ~~LG’s 48-inch A2 OLED TV~~ ~~for $569.99 ($730 off) at~~ ~~Best Buy. The 4K TV works with Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa; however, it only offers a 60Hz refresh rate, so it may not be the best choice for gamers.~~

The best early Cyber Monday deals on tablets and e-readers

You can buy Amazon’s latest Kindle Paperwhite with ads and 8GB of storage for $94.99 instead of $139.99 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. You can also buy the ad-free model at Amazon for $114.99 ($45 off). The waterproof e-reader comes with USB-C support and monthslong battery life along with a bigger display than the previous model. Read our review.
If you want an e-reader with physical page-turning buttons, you can buy the older Kindle Oasis from Amazon with ads and 8GB of storage for $164.99 at Amazon ($85 off). The ad-free model is also on sale at Amazon for $184.99 ($85 off). Read our review.

You can buy the latest version of Apple’s Wi-Fi-enabled iPad Mini with 64GB of storage for $399.99 ($100 off) at Target. The redesigned Apple iPad Mini offers USB-C support, and though it isn’t powered by Apple’s M2 or M1 chips, it offers an A15 Bionic processor that’s still powerful. Read our review.
Apple’s latest iPad Air is down to $549 from Amazon when you add it to your cart for an additional $49.01 off. That makes it an overall discount of about $100 for a great mid-range tablet with a 10.9-inch display. ~~If you need more than the base 64GB of storage,~~ ~~the 256GB is also on sale for $649.99~~ ~~($100 off) when added to your cart.~~ Read our review.

Amazon is also currently discounting its lineup of Fire HD tablets. Right now, for instance, you can buy the ad-free, 32GB Fire HD 10 — which offers a nice, 1080p display and good performance — for $74.99 ($75 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. You can also purchase it without ads at Amazon with delayed shipping for $89.99 ($75 off). If you’re looking for support for wireless charging and more RAM, the ad-supported, 32GB Fire HD 10 Plus is also on sale for $104.99 ($75 off) at Amazon, as is the ad-free version for $119.99 ($75 off). Read our review.
The cheaper, ad-supported Fire HD 8 with 32GB of storage is also on sale for $44.99 ($45 off) at Target and Best Buy. Alternatively, you can pick up the ad-supported Fire HD 8 Plus with wireless charging for $54.99 ($55 off) at Amazon. The ad-free model is also available at Amazon for $69.99 ($55 off ). Read our Fire HD 8 Plus review.
At Best Buy, you can buy a Microsoft Surface Pro 8 with 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, and an 11th-Gen Intel Core i5 processor — as well as a Type Cover — for just $899.99 ($450 off). While the Pro 8 can’t exactly compete with the newer Surface Pro 9, it’s still a good-looking laptop with a fast 120Hz refresh rate screen and quick performance. Read our review.

The best early Cyber Monday deals on smart and portable speakers

Amazon’s fifth-gen Echo Dot is on sale for $24.99 at Amazon instead of $49.99, while the model with a clock is discounted to $39.99 ($20 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The new smart speaker offers a temperature sensor and doubles as an Eero Wi-Fi system extender. You can also get the clock-free model with a free A19, 1,100-lumen Philips Hue smart bulb for $24.99 from Amazon. Read our review.
Amazon is also discounting older Echo speakers in the run-up to Cyber Monday. Right now, for example, the fourth-gen Echo is on sale with a color-changing Philips Hue bulb for $49.99. Read our review.

Google’s lozenge-shaped Nest Mini is a pint-sized speaker that supports Google Assistant and is on sale for around $18 ($31 off) at Walmart and Target. It’s a good way to add smarts to any room despite its age, however, keep in mind that it sounds best when it’s mounted to your wall. Read our review.
The third-gen Echo Dot is also on sale at Amazon with six months of Amazon Music Unlimited for $14.99 ($85 off). While it doesn’t sound as good as newer models, it still sounds good for the price and offers plenty of Alexa functionality. You can also buy it with a 1,100-lumen Philips Hue smart bulb for $17.98 ($38 off). Read our review.

The Sonos Roam SL is discounted to $127.99 at Best Buy from its usual $159 and Sonos. Just like the Sonos One SL, the SL model of the Sonos Roam lacks microphones and Amazon Alexa integration but is still one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers thanks to its waterproof design and excellent sound. The Roam SL can operate for up to 10 hours on a single charge and can be paired with other Roam speakers using the Sonos app or Apple AirPlay 2, whether you’re at home or away. Read our Sonos Roam review.
You can buy Ultimate Ears’ waterproof Boom 3 for around $100 instead of $149.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Boom 3 is one of our favorite Bluetooth speakers, with good sound quality and terrific battery life that should provide up to 15 hours of playback.

The best early Cyber Monday deals on smart displays

Amazon’s second-gen Echo Show 8, our favorite smart display, is on sale for $69.99 ($60 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. Unlike the second-gen Echo Show 5, the Alexa-enabled smart display offers the ability to video call loved ones via Zoom. Read our review.
The second-gen Nest Hub is on sale for around $50 from Best Buy, Walmart, Google, and Target, which is a $50 discount. Its bigger brother, the Nest Hub Max, is also on sale for around $164 ($66 off) from Best Buy, Google, Target, and Walmart. Both of these devices will be Matter controllers and Thread border routers. Read our Nest Hub and Nest Hub Max reviews.
The smaller, 5.5-inch Echo Show 5 from last year is also on sale for $34.99 ($50 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The tiny display makes for a great bedside companion, especially since you can snooze it with just a tap. Read our review.
Amazon is discounting some of its more unique smart displays as well. That includes the wall-mounted Echo Show 15, which features a 15.6-inch touch display that can easily double as a shared bulletin board or even a kitchen TV. Right now, it’s on sale for $169.99 instead of $249.99. Read our review.
You can also buy the Echo Show 10, which sits on a rotating base that can follow you around during video calls, for $169.99 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Read our review.

The best early Cyber Monday deals on smartwatches and fitness trackers

Best Buy is selling the new Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro in the 45mm, Bluetooth-enabled configuration for $399.99 ($50 off), as is Amazon. The Watch 5 Pro, like the Watch 5, is one of the best Android smartwatches you can buy, with a large screen and good battery life. Read our review.
If you prefer the physical bezel controls on Samsung smartwatches, you can get the Galaxy Watch 4 Classic for just $149 ($200 off) at Walmart. This may not be as new as the Galaxy Watch 5, but it’s still current in the lineup and not all that different from its other Wear OS 3 counterparts — except for that awesome bezel, of course. Read our review.

You can buy the new Apple Watch Series 8 in the 41mm, GPS-enabled configuration for $349.99 ($50 off) at Target and Amazon. Apple’s newest wearable sports new features like a temperature sensor and crash detection, though, it’s not a huge step up from the like-minded Series 7. Read our review.
The new Apple Watch Ultra is $739 ($60 off) at Amazon and Best Buy. The 49mm watch has everything the Series 8 does, along with a titanium case, cellular, multiband GPS, an emergency siren, the Action Button, and the ability to double as a dive computer. It’s also the first Apple Watch with multi-day battery life. This is the one to get for athletes and anyone who likes the best of the best — so long as they don’t mind the big 49mm case.

Fitbit’s new Versa 4 sports physical buttons — unlike its predecessor — but shares many of the same features, including built-in GPS, voice assistance, and heart rate monitoring. You can buy it for $149.95 ($80 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy.
The brand-new Fitbit Sense 2 is on sale for $199.95 instead of $299.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. While not as good as the Google Pixel Watch, the wearable is capable of tracking levels and also comes with built-in GPS. Read our review.
The Fitbit Charge 5 is $99.95 (33 percent off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart. If you want a fitness band with more oomph than the Inspire 3, the Charge 5 is a great choice. It’s got built-in GPS, EKG compatibility, a bright OLED screen, NFC payments, and long battery life.
If you don’t mind buying an older fitness tracker, the Fitbit Versa 2 is on sale for around $99 instead of $149.99 at Target, Walmart, and Best Buy. The wearable tracks all the metrics you’d expect, including your distance and sleeping habits, while offering support for Fitbit Pay and Amazon Alexa.
The Amazfit GTS 4 Mini is a mere $89.99 ($30 off) on Amazon and Best Buy. Amazfit may not be a household name, but they pack a ton of features you normally find at a much higher price point. That includes stress tracking, SpO2 monitoring, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an additional offline digital assistant. It also uses the more holistic PAI method for gauging your health. We reviewed the Amazfit GTR 4, which is the circular version and shares many of the same features.

The best early Cyber Monday gaming deals

You can currently buy Microsoft’s Xbox Wireless Controller for $39.99 ($20 off) at Best Buy, and Target. The controller comes with Bluetooth support so you can use it with PCs and mobile devices in addition to your Xbox console.
Sony’s DualSense Wireless Controller is on sale for around $49 ($20.99 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. The Dualsense offers support for haptic feedback and USB-C while boasting a maximum of 12 hours of battery life.
You can buy Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse for $87.99 instead of $129.99 at Amazon. The mouse comes with removable left and right-side buttons and a high 25K DPI sensor.
The newer version of that mouse, the Logitech G Pro X Superlight is on sale in black at Amazon for $99.99 ($60 off) at checkout. It no longer has the buttons on the right, but it like the prior model, but it weighs even less (63 grams compared to 80). Its only big downside is that for a newer mouse it sadly has Micro USB instead of USB-C.
If that’s out of your price range and you don’t mind a wired mouse, Logitech’s G502 Hero is on sale for $34.99 at Amazon instead of $49.99. The G502 offers more buttons than Logitech’s G Pro Wireless gaming mouse, as well as 11 programmable inputs.
The Backbone One PlayStation Edition is $63.69 (regularly $99.99) at Amazon. This mobile controller for iPhones is one of the best options you can buy for mobile game streaming, whether it’s from the cloud or in-home remote play from your own console.

You can buy a 27-inch HP Omen gaming monitor for $249.99 instead of $399.99 at Best Buy right now. The monitor boasts a 1440p IPS display with a speedy 165Hz refresh rate as well as support for both AMD FreeSync and Nvidia G-Sync technologies.
~~Woot has some solid game console deals, including the~~ ~~Xbox Series S~~ ~~for $219.99~~ ~~($80 off). Keep in mind, however, that Microsoft’s compact console only comes with a 90-day warranty via Woot.~~ ~~Read our review~~.
The new Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X is $55 ($15 off) at Walmart.
The going rate for a 128GB Meta Quest 2 these days is $399.99, but you can currently get the VR headset packaged with two of its best games (Beat Saber and Resident Evil 4) for $349.99 at Best Buy and Amazon.

Logitech’s new G Cloud gaming handheld has a regular retail price of $349.99 but is discounted to $299.99 at Amazon, and Best Buy. For an even better deal, enter the code BF22USD at Logitech’s site to get it for $249.99. While it can’t play games locally very well, the G Cloud is still a great option for streaming from cloud gaming services like Xbox Cloud Gaming, Steam Link, and Nvidia GeForce Now. Read our review.

The best early Cyber Monday deals available on robot vacuums

You can buy the iRobot Roomba j7 Plus alongside a docking bin that automatically empties itself for $599 ($200 off) at Amazon and Target. The robot vacuum is capable of learning the layout of your home and works with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. Read our review.
Roborock’s S7 is our top pick for a robot vacuum that can also mop, and it’s 37 percent off, down to $409.99 at Amazon. That’s a very good price for this reliable robot. It doesn’t have obstacle avoidance, but it does an excellent job of mopping and vacuuming your floors. Read our review.
Our pick for the best auto-emptying robot vacuum, iRobot’s Roomba i3 Plus EVO, is on sale for around $349 ($201 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. The i3 Plus EVO makes cleaning easier and faster thanks to advanced mapping features, so you can tell it to clean certain rooms either through the app or a via a voice assistant like Amazon Alexa.
The S7’s AI-powered sibling, the S7 MaxV, is selling for $639.99 at Amazon and is worth considering if you really don’t like having to pick up clutter before you run your robot, as it’s smart enough to avoid socks, cables, and shoes. Both models can also be bought with an auto-empty dock on sale, too.
Also, the Ecovacs Deebot X1 OMNI and its massive cleaning station are $550 off at Amazon. It’s still expensive at $999.99, but much more acceptable if you want a bot that can handle most things on its own.

The best early Cyber Monday deals available on smartphones

Google’s new Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro smartphones are also available at record-low prices. You can buy the Pixel 7 Pro for $749 ($150 off) at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy in the unlocked, 128GB configuration. We consider it to be one of the best phones on the market thanks to its triple-camera setup and Google’s speedy Tensor G2 chip, not to mention its 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display. Read our review.

Alternatively, you can buy the 6.3-inch Pixel 7 for $499 ($100 off) at Best Buy, Target, Amazon, and Google. Although it does feature the same Google-designed Tensor G2 chip, it only offers a 90Hz refresh rate and two cameras as opposed to three. Read our review.
On the cheaper Pixel front, it’s very hard to beat the Google Pixel 6A for just $299, marked down from an already reasonable $449. This deal is all over, including Target, Amazon, and Best Buy. Just promise you’ll get the sage color option. Read our review.
The Samsung Galaxy S22 is on sale for $598.49 (usually $799) in phantom black and the Galaxy S22 Plus is $749.99 ~~$719.99~~ (normally $999) in ~~phantom black~~ multiple colors on Amazon. They’ll presumably be replaced soon by the S23 series later this winter, but they’re fantastic devices that should keep on going for the next several years. Read our review.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is down to $1,469.99 from $1,799 directly from Samsung — no trade-in required. It’s an impressive melding of a tablet and phone experience into a single device. Read our full review.
If you can forgo 5G connectivity (and many of us probably can since 5G is still pretty lackluster), the LTE-only Motorola G Stylus (2022) is a heck of a deal at $179.99, down from $299, available from Target and Amazon. Read our review.

The best early Cyber Monday deals available on laptops

An exceptional high-end laptop option, the 16-inch MacBook Pro, is currently discounted to $1,999 at Amazon and Best Buy, from its usual $2,499. Not only is this M1 Pro device incredibly powerful, but it has the longest battery life we’ve ever seen from a laptop. ~~A few~~ ~~MacBook Pro 14~~ ~~models are on sale at Best Buy too, including~~ t h ~~is one~~ ~~that’s currently $1,599 (down from $1,999). The MacBook Pro 14 is one of the most powerful laptops on the market, now with absurdly long battery life as well.~~ Read our review.
The 13-inch MacBook Air is also discounted to $799.99 in its 8GB / 256GB configuration at Best Buy and Amazon. While this is now an older pick, we think the M1 processor should still serve many users’ needs just fine. In fact, we think it makes a better-value buy than the newer M2 model for many people due to its excellent performance and more affordable price. Read our review.

The Razer Blade 14 is one of the lightest and most compact gaming laptops you can buy, outfitted with Razer’s signature style and classy RGB. Normally $2,799.99, it’s currently discounted to $1,999.99 at Newegg and Razer. This model comes with a QHD 165Hz screen to make your games look terrific. Read our review.
Speaking of lightweight laptops, if you’re looking for the lightest 17-inch laptop in town, the 2.98-pound LG Gram 17 is on sale for $1,699.99 ($400 off) at ~~Best Buy~~, LG, and Adorama. Every year, we’re blown away by just how light this device is, especially for a 17-inch laptop. It also sports great battery life and a nice high-resolution screen. Read our review.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook, usually $429.99, is on sale for $320 ~~$329.99~~ on Amazon. This Chromebook delivers some of the best build quality you’ll find in laptops under $300, with a sturdy hinge and a comfortable keyboard.

Other great deals happening now

Fujifilm’s Instax Mini 11 instant camera is our favorite mostly because it’s fun, easy to use, and takes great photos for the price. It makes for a good present for all ages and is on sale for $59.99 at Target and Best Buy.
The myQ Chamberlain Smart Garage Control with a wireless garage hub and sensor is down to $16.99 ($10 off) at Amazon. It’s a few dollars away from the all-time low for this garage opener that ensures you know you closed it, regardless of where you are in the world.
If you’ve got a beefy laptop like that MacBook Pro and want a quality charger, the Anker 736 Nano II 100W USB-C charger is selling for $54.99 ($25 off) at Amazon when you click the on-page coupon for $5 off. That’s the lowest price yet on this GaN charger that can juice up a power-hungry laptop or a smaller laptop and two other devices simultaneously.
The Zendure 26,800mAh Super Tank Pro portable battery pack is normally $229.99, but it’s on sale at Wellbots for $135.69. It can charge gadgets (or be charged) at up to 100W with one of its four USB-C charging ports. Read our review.

A self-heating Ember Mug 2 smart coffee mug makes a great gift for any coffee or tea lover in your life. You can get the 10-ounce version for around $100 ($30 off) at Best Buy, Target, or Amazon in black or white, or you can step up to the 14-ounce version for around $120 (also $30 off) at Best Buy, Target, or Amazon in those same monochromatic colors. ~~Though the best deal may be for those of you with Costco memberships, where you can get the~~ ~~14-ounce Ember in gray for $99.99~~.

You can buy a single AirTag for $24.98 (regularly $29) at Amazon and Walmart right now. The ultra wideband-capable Bluetooth trackers offer IP67 water and dust resistance as well as user-replaceable batteries. Read our review.
The giant 49-inch Samsung Odyssey G9 ultrawide PC monitor is $899.99 ($600 off) at Amazon and Samsung. It may not have HDMI 2.1 and VRR like the top-of-the-line Neo G9 version, but if you want some excellent bang for your buck in a massive monitor to surround your face with beautiful pixels, it’s hard to look away from this deal. Read our review.

Best Buy and Target are selling the GoPro Hero 8 for $229.99 ($70 off). While an older model and not as rugged as some, the 2019 action cam still offers some nice features, including good image stabilization, a number of handy time-lapse modes, and the ability to capture 4K content at up to 60 frames per second. Read our review.

samedi 26 novembre 2022

Don’t like Musk? Work for us! Tech firms woo ex-Twitter staff

Tech companies aim to pick up experienced engineering talent by appealing to dislike of Tesla chief executive’s methods

Put off by Elon Musk’s muscular management style? Move to us! That’s the pitch being used by talent-starved technology firms trying to lure thousands of former Twitter employees laid off by the social media company under its new owner.

Twitter has fired top executives and enforced steep job cuts with little warning following Musk’s tumultuous takeover of the social media platform. About half of the workforce – around 3,700 employees – has been laid off.

A Twitter executive got a court injunction to prevent Elon Musk from firing her

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Sinead McSweeney, Twitter’s Ireland-based global vice president of public policy, secured a temporary injunction from the High Court of Dublin to prevent her from getting fired, according to a report from The Irish Times. McSweeney claims she was locked out of her work accounts and Twitter’s Dublin office after not responding to the email Elon Musk sent to employees, which asked workers to reply “yes” to commit to Twitter’s “extremely hardcore” culture, or otherwise leave.

Musk sent out the email shortly after his Twitter takeover on November 16th, and gave employees a little over a day to confirm whether they wanted to stay at the company. If an employee didn’t click “yes” on the form included in the email, Twitter said it would “treat that as a resignation,” and then provide two months’ worth of payroll with benefits, along with one month of severance pay.

But McSweeney says she didn’t hit “yes.” According to The Times, McSweeney never replied to the email because it didn’t outline Musk’s expectations for employees who decided to stay, and the severance package didn’t meet her “contractual entitlements.” McSweeney later received an email confirming her “voluntary resignation” on November 18th.

While Twitter’s lawyers reportedly acknowledged that McSweeney wants to stay at the company and said they would restore access to her accounts, The Times reports that McSweeney’s still locked out and unable to work. Justice Brian O’Moore granted McSweeney the injunction on Friday, which prevents Twitter from firing her but doesn’t reinstate her employment. The court will revisit her case next week.

McSweeney isn’t the only Twitter executive to face uncertainty about their employment. After Robin Wheeler, Twitter’s former head of ad sales resigned earlier this month, Musk convinced her to stay, but then ended up firing her anyway. McSweeney similarly says she’s been getting “mixed messages” from Musk and that he’s been firing and rehiring employees “with no apparent logic.”

Musk laid off about half of Twitter’s workforce earlier this month before he started asking some employees to come back. Earlier this week, The Verge’s Alex Heath reported that Musk says he’s done with layoffs and that Twitter’s going to start hiring to replace the workers who were fired or quit.

‘Abhorrent trolls’ who encourage self-harm online face criminal prosecution, says minister

Culture secretary Michelle Donelan to amend bill that, after Molly Russell case, will place duty of care on social media firms

People who use social media posts to encourage self-harm face criminal prosecution under government changes to the revived online safety bill.

Culture secretary Michelle Donelan will update the bill to criminalise encouraging self-harm when the legislation returns to parliament next month.

Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder: ‘There are quite a few areas where physics blurs into religion’

To answer life’s biggest questions, says the German theoretical physicist and YouTuber, we need to abandon unscientific ideas such as the multiverse

Sabine Hossenfelder is a German theoretical physicist who writes books and runs a YouTube channel (with 618,000 subscribers at time of writing) called Science Without the Gobbledygook. Born in Frankfurt, she studied mathematics at the Goethe Universität and went on to focus on particle physics – her PhD explored the possibility that the Large Hadron Collider would produce microscopic black holes. She is now a research fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies, where she leads a group studying quantum gravity. Her second book, Existential Physics: A Scientist’s Guide to Life’s Biggest Questions, came out in August.

The first question you ask the physicists you interview in the book is: “Are you religious?” How about you?
I tried to be religious when I was a teenager. I was not Christianised because my parents were both atheists, but all of my friends were Christian, so I went to church with them. And I kind of liked it – the singing, the social events. I considered joining, but I just couldn’t get myself to believe that God exists.

The Galaxy Z Fold 4 is the most versatile gadget you can buy

*The size of the Fold 4’s inner display changes how you think about what a smartphone can do.* | Photo by Allison Johnson / The Verge

It’s easy to see the appeal of folding phones — they are big screen devices that get smaller to fit in your pocket. It’s also easy to see the drawbacks; as much as Samsung tries to hide it with trade-in promotions, there’s no denying the Galaxy Z Fold 4’s $1,800 price tag is too steep for the vast majority of people. The question of durability is also hard to ignore — it doesn’t take much searching to find tales of randomly cracked Fold screens.

But until you commit and start using a device like the Fold 4 for some time, it’s hard to see the value that a folding phone can bring. I’ve owned a Fold model since 2020’s Fold 2 (and owned the Fold 3 for a year before upgrading to the Fold 4 thanks to Samsung’s aggressive, if fiscally irresponsible trade-in offers) and it still took three months of time with the Fold 4 to really appreciate all it could do.

The fact is, the Fold 4 is the most versatile gadget you can buy. It may not be the best at every task, but it can morph between form factors better than anything else out there. It’s truly the one gadget to rule them all.

*Look, you can tweet from the Fold 4 just like any other phone.*

It’s a phone

The first use case for a Fold 4 is the most obvious one — it is a full-fledged high-end smartphone. It makes calls, it sends messages, it takes pictures, it runs apps, it plays games, it connects to high-speed cellular networks — basically, anything you use a smartphone for, the Fold 4 does it.

The Fold 4 keeps up with other high-end smartphones in terms of performance and features (you don’t have to give up conveniences like wireless charging, for example), and while you can buy phones with better cameras, the Fold 4’s camera system is very capable on its own. Perhaps the biggest drawback to using the Fold 4 as a phone is its narrower front screen, which takes a bit of getting used to when thumb typing. It’s also about twice as thick as a standard phone, though that thickness enables the Fold 4’s versatility.

The Fold 4 is a good phone, if not an amazing one, but the point here is the Fold 4 story is just beginning to unfold.

It’s a tablet

Here’s where the Fold 4 starts to walk away from the rest of the smartphone field: you can open it up and you have a nearly eight-inch diagonal, almost square tablet screen to work with. Compared to Samsung’s other big phone, the 6.8-inch S22 Ultra, the Fold 4’s inner screen covers 28.42 square inches of area, versus the Ultra’s 17.98 square inches.

It’s hard to quantify how much more room that gives you in practical terms, but it’s a big enough canvas to make a wide variety of tasks easier and more comfortable than on a standard slab smartphone. Compared to the cramped split-screen you get on a slab phone, two apps can be displayed side-by-side at the same time on the Fold 4 without having to constantly switch between them for multitasking. Instead of limiting yourself to short video clips on TikTok, you can comfortably watch long-form video content either on YouTube or the streaming service of your choice, aided by the Fold 4’s best-in-smartphone-class speakers.

*The Fold 4’s inner screen effectively replaces small tablets entirely.*

Using Google Maps on a screen this large is a completely different experience than the tunnel vision you get on a standard smartphone’s display. Typing out long emails is more comfortable when you have such a large area for your thumbs to roam.

Reading long-form articles or navigating large PDFs is much easier on the Fold 4 than other smartphones because of how much wider it is. Ditto for reading e-books — a folding phone has completely replaced a Kindle for me. As a portable, always-connected reading machine, the Fold 4 is unparalleled.

Basically, anything you might want to use an iPad mini for can be accomplished on the Fold 4, with the added benefit of it can then be folded in half and shoved in your pocket when you’re done.

It’s a notepad

Thanks to that large inner display and support for Samsung’s S Pen stylus, the Fold 4 is an excellent device for taking hand-written notes, which are then synced to the cloud and searchable. You can also mark up screen shots or just doodle and make artwork than you can then easily send anywhere. It’s incredibly convenient to have a digital note-taking system in your pocket.

There’s certainly room for improvement here — there’s currently no way to store the S Pen on the Fold 4 without a bulky and annoying case, and the pen doesn’t work on the outside display at all. But compared to any other smartphone, the Fold 4 is a better device for notes and drawings.

It’s a desktop computer

Perhaps the most surprising thing about the Fold 4 is that it can replace a computer for a lot of tasks. And I don’t mean you just do those things on the Fold’s screen, I mean you plug it into a desktop monitor and pair a wireless keyboard to it and use it like an actual PC. (You can also use Dex wirelessly with some supported Samsung displays, but if you’re going to be using it for any extended period of time, you’ll want it plugged in for power and the lowest latency.)

Samsung’s had the Dex feature that enables this on its phones for years, but it’s now gotten to the point where it’s far more usable. You can run multiple apps, have control over window sizes and placements, and access an extremely capable web browser that can handle many tabs with ease. And since the Fold 4 is a cellular-connected phone, you can use its built-in internet connection without having to rely on Wi-Fi or other available networks.

*Multitasking in Dex is predictable and highly customizable — you can put windows in any size or position you want.*

Google’s work to improve tablet support in Android has made Dex much better than it used to be. (The Fold 4 launched with Android 12L, but has since received an update to Android 13.) Many apps now support larger layouts and more and more are adding things like keyboard shortcut support. Dex itself also offers a growing list of keyboard shortcuts for app control and window management. While there are still a few holdouts that can be improved — Slack’s interface on a large screen leaves a lot to be desired — there are fewer and fewer areas where Dex doesn’t just do what you expect it to and let you get work done.

Samsung’s Internet browser is particularly good — it’s fast, it supports extensions, loads desktop versions of apps, and offers multiple ways to manage tabs. I can use it to write, edit, and publish articles in our CMS (yup, I produced this entire article in it), or browse sites like Twitter and Feedly, which don’t have great Android app experiences on large screens.

You can pair a wireless mouse to the Fold 4 for cursor control, but it’s easier to just use the Fold’s inner display as a trackpad, complete with multifinger gestures for navigating open apps and windows. There are even configurable gestures to go back with a three-finger tap or use four fingers to pull up the app launcher.

Unlike Apple and its adventures with Stage Manager on the iPad, Samsung isn’t trying to reinvent the wheel when it comes to a windowed app environment. Apps and windows can be placed and layered however you want them, you can resize them however you’d like, and you can even use keyboard shortcuts to snap windows to the left or right side.

*Dex now offers a surprisingly long list of supported keyboard shortcuts to make navigating it feel even more like a traditional desktop OS.*

Dex running on the Fold 4 isn’t going to replace a gaming PC and I’d be loathe to use it for heavier tasks like photo and video editing. If you really push the system with lots of running apps and tabs you will hit its performance limits and you’ll certainly see browser tabs reloading more often than on a full desktop OS.

Nor is it as convenient as a laptop that you can just open up and get working on, since it requires accessories like an external display, keyboard, and likely a USB-C hub. But for web browsing, communications, and other “basic” PC tasks with the right set up, it’s surprisingly capable. The best comparison is to ChromeOS — you might use a dedicated app or two while in Dex, but you’ll spend most of your time in the browser doing web-based activities.

And then when I’m done I can simply unplug my phone, fold it closed, shove it in my pocket, and walk away.

None of these various capabilities are particularly new to the Fold 4 — Samsung is now four generations into this folding phone design and even the very first one could technically perform many of the same tasks.

But the Fold 4 is able to do all of this better than its predecessors because Samsung has iterated on all of these experiences over the years. Samsung’s typical order of operations is to bring an idea to market that’s good in concept, but lacking in execution, and then relentlessly iterate on it until all the rough edges are sanded away and what’s left is a genuinely good experience.

Samsung still has work to do, though, including finding ways to make the price more accessible and addressing the concerns of reliability and durability. (I reserve the right to recant any praise for the Fold 4 if the inner screen on mine randomly cracks in the future.) There’s not a lot of competition out there for devices like this, especially in the US, but the few other folding phones that have hit the global market recently have sleeker and thinner designs that Samsung could learn from.

The first Fold felt very much like a proof of concept, but four generations in, the Fold 4 now provides a very good experience that you just can’t get from a standard smartphone. It’s not that the Fold 4 is the best at any particular task, but it is good at all of them and having all of those options in a device that fits in your pocket can’t be understated. Future iterations (and hopefully some competition from other phone makers) will likely improve it further and perhaps one day we’ll all be carrying such versatile devices in our pockets. But if you want that future today, the Fold 4 is the way to get it.

The best smartphones to help older people beat the tech divide

Simplified home screens and customisable interfaces aid those who struggle with touchscreens

These days many daily tasks require a smartphone because of new online payment security checks and the widespread use of parking apps. This is a potential nightmare for those who struggle with touchscreens, apps and texting but there are some easier-to-use models to help conquer the technology divide.

Manufacturers continually modify their smartphones to make them more straightforward to use but, unfortunately, when it comes to apps, whether it is your bank or WhatsApp, you will still be at the mercy of their interface as this cannot be changed. So while there is no truly simple smartphone that can do every task, here are some of the best options.

vendredi 25 novembre 2022

Sony’s noise-canceling WF-1000XM4 earbuds are on sale for $100 off

*Sony’s WF-1000XM4 are still on sale for $178 instead of $279.99, which is an all-time low.* | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge

Whether you’re on the hunt for an excellent pair of noise-canceling earbuds to tune out fellow passengers while traveling or simply a good gift, you can’t go wrong with Sony’s WF-1000XM4 earbuds. The XM4s remain our favorite pair of noise-canceling wireless earbuds — even when pitted against standouts like Bose’s excellent QuietComfort Earbuds II — and are a particularly good buy today given they’re currently on sale for around $178 instead of $279.99 at Amazon, Target, and Best Buy. This Black Friday price isn’t unheard of, however, it does bring the wireless earbuds back down to their lowest price to date.

In terms of specs, the XM4s balance superb noise cancellation capabilities with excellent sound quality and long battery life. In fact, you can listen to them for eight hours with noise cancellation turned on before you’ll need to recharge them, making them perfect for long flights or road trips. They also carry an IPX4 rating for sweat and water resistance, so you don’t have to worry about them if they get a little wet.

Their drawbacks are few and far between. Their mic performance leaves something to be desired and they currently lack multipoint connectivity; however, they are set to receive the latter feature at some point this fall, meaning you’ll soon be able to pair them with two Bluetooth devices at the same time. And if you can live without all the bells and whistles found on Apple-centric earbuds like the AirPods Pro, well, it’s hard to go wrong with the XM4s at this price. Read our review.

iRobot’s terrific Roomba i3 Plus EVO is on sale for $200 off for Black Friday

The iRobot Roomba i3 Plus EVO robot vacuum lying on a wooden floor. — *The iRobot Roomba i3 Plus EVO is on sale for just $349 right now.* | Photo by Jennifer Pattison Tuohy / The Verge

Cleaning is probably one of the most tedious tasks for many people, which is why the right robot vacuum can make for a fantastic gift (and cat Uber, of course). And while there are plenty of heavily-discounted robovacs available right now for Black Friday — including the top-of-the-line Roborock S7 MaxV Ultra and Roomba j7 Plus — the iRobot Roomba i3 Plus EVO offers great bang for your buck, especially since it’s currently available at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target promotion for around $350 ($201 off), matching its best price to date.

In addition to doing a terrific job of cleaning your house, the i3 Plus Evo comes with a few perks that just make life easier. Its advanced mapping features, for instance, mean you can program it to clean up select rooms at certain times. Meanwhile, its support for virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant means you can control it with just your voice (or using the accompanying app, if you prefer). This particular model even features the same suction level and similar battery life as the Roomba j7, though, it’s still prone to getting stuck on cables, toys, and other items strewn about your home.

Best of all, it comes with iRobot’s Clean Base auto-empty dock, helping cement it as our favorite auto-emptying robot vacuum. True, it doesn’t have the AI obstacle avoidance or keep-out zones our favorite robot vacuum, the j7, offers. Yet if you don’t need those features, the i3 Plus Evo is still an excellent robot vacuum that’s significantly cheaper today.

Amazon warehouse workers stage Black Friday strikes and protests around world

On one of firm’s biggest shopping days of year, employees demand better wages and conditions

Amazon warehouse workers in the UK and 40 other countries are to strike and stage protests timed to coincide with the Black Friday sales, one of the company’s biggest shopping days of the year.

Employees in dozens of countries, from Japan and Australia to India, the US and across Europe, are taking part in strikes and protests demanding better wages and conditions in a campaign dubbed “Make Amazon Pay”.

UK’s digital services tax reaps almost £360m from US tech giants in first year

Figure raised exceeds what most of the digital businesses have been paying in UK corporation tax

The digital services tax has reaped almost £360m from US tech giants including Amazon, Google and Apple in its first year, raising more from most of the digital businesses than they have been paying in UK corporation tax.

A National Audit Office (NAO) report has found the UK’s digital services tax, which was introduced in April 2020 and imposes a 2% charge on the gross revenues made by digital titans running search engines, social media services and online marketplaces, hauled in 30% more than the government had forecast in 2021.

Elon Musk says Twitter will begin manually authenticating Blue, Grey, and Gold accounts as soon as next week

Elon’s answer to Twitter verification hell is to go back to manually authenticating accounts. Oh, and making the tick a different color. | Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Elon Musk says that Twitter’s check mark program could return on Friday, December 2nd, with a new procedure to verify individual identities in order to resolve impersonation issues. Musk described the new manual authentication process as “painful, but necessary.” Verified checkmarks will also be expanded with additional colors — gold for companies, grey for the government, and the original blue for individual accounts.

As it turns out, offering so-called verified check marks for an $8 monthly subscription without actually verifying identities wasn’t a brilliant idea. After Musk ignored warnings from Twitter’s own trust and safety staff, the platform’s paid Twitter Blue subscriptions rolled out and quickly resulted in some ‘verified’ accounts impersonating notable public figures and brands, driving away advertisers from the “high-risk” platform. Musk has since said that the company wouldn’t relaunch Twitter Blue until “we’re confident about significant impersonations not happening.”

Sorry for the delay, we’re tentatively launching Verified on Friday next week.

Gold check for companies, grey check for government, blue for individuals (celebrity or not) and all verified accounts will be manually authenticated before check activates.

Painful, but necessary.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 25, 2022

Musk had previously said that Twitter “will probably use different color check for organizations than individuals,” though this is the first time he’s offered details. “All verified individual humans will have same blue check, as boundary of what constitutes ‘notable’ is otherwise too subjective,” Musk said in a tweet. “Individuals can have [a] secondary tiny logo showing they belong to an org if verified as such by that org.”

The Twitter CEO says he’ll offer a longer explanation about how everything will work at some point next week.

Don’t like Musk? Work for us! Tech firms woo ex-Twitter staff

Tech companies aim to pick up experienced engineering talent by appealing to dislike of Tesla chief executive’s methods

Velcro, bullet trains and robotic arms: how nature is the mother of invention

Many of the world’s most inspiring solutions have been created by scientists who stole their ideas from the natural world

Over millions of years of evolution, nature has worked out solutions to many problems. Humans have arrived late in the day and pinched them. For example, Velcro was invented after a Swiss engineer marvelled at the burdock burrs that got stuck to his dog’s fur; the idea for robotic arms came from the motion and gripping ability of elephant trunks, and the front of Japan’s bullet trains were redesigned to mimic a kingfisher’s streamlined beak, reducing the sonic boom they made exiting tunnels.

There are different types of mimicry, the most straightforward is the simple idea of copying something that exists in nature. Buildings are an obvious example, as outlined by research published in Nature. The Beijing national stadium is inspired by a bird’s nest, the Lotus Temple in India is shaped, unsurprisingly, like a lotus and the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai is shaped like a palm tree.

jeudi 24 novembre 2022

What are dabloons?: Tiktok’s new imaginary economy explained

The ‘dabloon revolution’ is all over the social media platform. Here’s everything you need to know

A “dabloon revolution” is taking over TikTok – but what is it and how did we get here?

mercredi 23 novembre 2022

Tracking Amazon: the New Yorkers monitoring pollution from delivery hubs

Brooklyn residents are using air quality and traffic sensors to see how new warehouses affect their community

For the past year, a pair of plain-looking buildings has been at the center of a simmering conflict in a close-knit waterfront community in New York City. They look like warehouses, with tall concrete walls, loading bays and few windows. They sound like warehouses, emitting the rev of diesel engines and the chirps of reversing trucks. But by all accounts, they’re something very different.

The two newcomers to Brooklyn’s Red Hook neighborhood are hubs for Amazon’s growing last-mile delivery network. Unlike traditional warehouses, they’re bustling with around-the-clock activity, attracting convoys of cars, delivery vans, and semi-trucks to a neighborhood of narrow two-lane streets. Every day, shipments jostle through Red Hook’s crowded truck routes and make their way across New York, fulfilling Amazon’s promise of blistering-fast delivery.

The FTC could challenge Microsoft’s Activision purchase by December

The Federal Trade Commission is preparing a potential legal challenge to Microsoft’s plan to buy Activision for $68.7 billion, and it could file the lawsuit by next month, according to Politico. The outlet’s sources say both CEOs — Satya Nadella and Bobby Kotick — have already been deposed, and yet the FTC remains skeptical.

The report notes that there are still a few steps to go before the regulator is ready to act, including a vote from its commissioners. If it does end up happening, it’d mean the deal would face antitrust challenges in the US, UK and the EU. This is despite Microsoft’s repeated attempts to assure regulators that its purchase of Activision — the company in charge of Candy Crush, Call of Duty, and all of Blizzard — wouldn’t hurt competition in the gaming space.

The company has basically been in an all-out PR battle with its competitor, Sony (which may be getting nervous now that major game makers like Obsidian, Mojang, and Bethesda are all now Xbox Game Studios). A major sticking point for the PlayStation company has been that the deal would give Microsoft power over Call of Duty, though Xbox head Phil Spencer has now told The Verge that Microsoft will keep making the games for Sony’s consoles as long as the company is selling them. However, it’s possible the decision was the result of pressure from the public and Sony, after PlayStation boss Jim Ryan said that Microsoft only offered to extend Sony’s existing contract by three years, which could have resulted in 2028’s installment being an Xbox-exclusive.

The fight between the two companies has gotten ugly at times. Microsoft accused Sony of paying developers to keep their content off of its Game Pass service, and just this week Sony argued that Microsoft’s master plan was getting everybody to move over to Xbox before jacking up prices. Both companies will likely reiterate these arguments — and more — to whichever regulators come knocking. And at the moment, it feels like that list is only getting bigger.

San Francisco police consider letting robots use ‘deadly force’

An image showing a remote-controlled robot used to disarm bombs — *A remote-controlled robot used to disarm bombs.* | ARNO BURGI/DPA/AFP via Getty Images

The San Francisco Police Department is proposing a new policy that would give robots the license to kill, as reported earlier by Mission Local (via Engadget). The draft policy, which outlines how the SFPD can use military-style weapons, states robots can be “used as a deadly force option when risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option.”

As reported by Mission Local, members of the city’s Board of Supervisors Rules Committee have been reviewing the new equipment policy for several weeks. The original version of the draft didn’t include any language surrounding robots’ use of deadly force until Aaron Peskin, the Dean of the city’s Board of Supervisors, initially added that “robots shall not be used as a Use of Force against any person.”

However, the SFPD returned the draft with a red line crossing out Peskin’s addition, replacing it with the line that gives robots the authority to kill suspects. According to Mission Local, Peskin eventually decided to accept the change because “there could be scenarios where deployment of lethal force was the only option.” San Francisco’s rules committee unanimously approved a version of the draft last week, which will face the Board of Supervisors on November 29th.

*A machine gun mounted to the same type of Talon robot owned by the SFPD.*

As outlined in the equipment policy, the SFPD currently has 17 remotely piloted robots, but only 12 are functioning. In addition to granting robots the ability to use deadly force, the proposal also authorizes them for use in “training and simulations, criminal apprehensions, critical incidents, exigent circumstances, executing a warrant or during suspicious device assessments.”

While most of the robots listed in the SFPD’s inventory are primarily used for defusing bombs or dealing with hazardous materials, newer Remotec models have an optional weapons system, and the department’s existing F5A has a tool called the PAN disruptor that can load 12-gauge shotgun shells. It’s typically used to detonate bombs from a distance. The department’s QinetiQ Talon can also be modified to hold various weapons — a weaponized version of the robot is currently used by the US Army and can equip grenade launchers, machine guns, or even a .50-caliber anti-materiel rifle.

“SFPD has always had the ability to use lethal force when the risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers are imminent and outweigh any other force option available,” says SFPD Officer Eve Laokwansathitaya, in a statement to The Verge. “SFPD does not have any sort of specific plan in place as the unusually dangerous or spontaneous operations where SFPD’s need to deliver deadly force via robot would be a rare and exceptional circumstance.”

The Dallas Police Department used a robot to carry out deadly force for the first time in 2016. It used a bomb-disposal robot — the same Remotec F5A model owned by the SFPD — armed with an explosive device to kill a suspect who shot and killed five police officers and wounded several others. At the time, Dallas police chief David Brown said the department “saw no other option but to use our bomb robot and place a device on its extension for it to detonate where the suspect was.”

Last month, a report from The Intercept revealed that California’s Oakland Police Department was also considering letting shotgun-equipped Remotec F5A robots use deadly force. Shortly after the report came out, the Oakland PD announced on Facebook it decided against adding “armed remote vehicles to the department.” Meanwhile, a group of robot makers, including Boston Dynamics, signed a pledge not to weaponize their robots earlier this year.

Google Messages has started letting some users react with any emoji

Two screenshots, one showing the extra emoji button in the reactions pop-up, and the other showing the emoji picker that appears when you tap that button. — *And just like that, Messages are now way more fun.*

Google has started letting some users of its Messages app react to text messages with any emoji, instead of limiting them to the standard set of seven that have been available in the app for a while now (via 9to5Google). The feature’s similar to what other messaging platforms like Slack, WhatsApp, and paid versions of Telegram have — pressing and holding on a message gives you the standard emoji reactions, but you can then access the picker to react with whatever you want.

The expanded emoji reactions appear to be a limited test at this point — 9to5Google says it’s heard two reports of it being rolled out, and while one person on The Verge’s staff has access to it, two other people who checked do not. Google didn’t immediately respond to The Verge’s request for comment on the feature.

As with any features that are added to messaging services, the extra reactions can be a bit messy depending on who you’re texting, and what communications standards their phone supports. They seem to work fine if both parties are using RCS, the SMS replacement that Google’s been pushing for. My phone doesn’t have access to the extended picker yet, but my colleague’s reactions showed up correctly when I was using Google’s Messages app.

Screenshot of a text saying “Can you react to this message?” A face screaming in fear emoji is added to the message bubble. — *I can’t react with this emoji, but I was able to see when someone reacted to my message with it.*

Other configurations can get messy, though. On the same phone, which obviously supports RCS, Samsung’s Messages app shows the reaction as a separate text message, saying “ to ‘Can you react to this message?’” The same’s true when my colleague reacts to a text from an iPhone user, as those are SMS only (much to Google’s chagrin).

Screenshot of a text message conversation. One message says “Hi,” and a reply says “face with wide open eyes emoji to ‘Hi.’” — *So we’re back to this...*

That the reactions don’t translate to iPhones isn’t a surprise. For one, Apple’s Tapback system only lets you use a specific set of symbols, so it’s unlikely the company’s Messages app has the ability to add an arbitrary emoji to a message. Even if it did, who knows if it would; after years of Apple users’ reactions showing up as separate text messages for Android users, it appeared as if the two companies had worked out a solution, with iMessage’s and Google Message’s reactions translating between the two platforms. And yet, when I tested it today with the standard reactions, I was back to the same old system of getting separate “[emoji] to [message]” texts instead of beautifully-displayed reactions when messaging between an Android phone and iPhone.

Regardless of whatever Apple and Google have going on, I am happy to see Google bringing this feature to its texting platform, even if it’s really only elegant when you’re doing RCS chats. It’s a feature I’ve always wanted everywhere, and it seems like Google’s working on making that the case, at least for the people using its app.

Power-hungry robots, space colonization, cyborgs: inside the bizarre world of ‘longtermism’

Sam Bankman-Fried said his billions would save the world – but his philanthropic ideas ranged from the worthy to the severely outlandish

Most of us don’t think of power-hungry killer robots as an imminent threat to humanity, especially when poverty and the climate crisis are already ravaging the Earth.

This wasn’t the case for Sam Bankman-Fried and his followers, powerful actors who have embraced a school of thought within the effective altruism movement called “longtermism”.

Frederick P. Brooks Jr., Computer Design Innovator, Dies at 91

Frederick P. Brooks Jr., Computer Design Innovator, Dies at 91 He was a lead designer of the computers that cemented IBM’s dominance for decades. He later wrote a book on software engineering that became a quirky classic.

mardi 22 novembre 2022

Polyamory, penthouses and plenty of loans: inside the crazy world of FTX

After the crypto firm collapsed, the executive who handled the Enron debacle was brought in – and said he’d never seen anything like it

• ‘I don’t have this kind of money to lose’ – investors’ stories

Casual observers could be forgiven for thinking the collapse of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX is another typical tale of financial mismanagement. That’s how its founder, Sam Bankman-Fried, terms it: a liquidity crisis that tipped over into a solvency one.

FTX had deposits and loans and when depositors tried to get their money back, FTX didn’t have it to hand. Sure, the loans were in fancy digital money, rather than stale dollars, but at first glance, it appears like just another big company failure.

Embracer is ripping a beloved mobile game away from people who paid for it

Did you ever buy Deus Ex Go, the excellent mobile puzzler from Square Enix Montreal that still ranks among the top 150 puzzle games on the App Store despite charging actual money to download? Then you’ll probably be frustrated to hear: Embracer Group, the massive conglomerate that’s gobbling up rights to franchises like Deus Ex and Tomb Raider and The Lord of the Rings and more, has decided you can’t play it anymore.

Three weeks after shutting down the studio that produced it (which had incidentally just finished going through an expensive rebrand), Embracer has decided not only to remove their games from mobile app stores, it’s apparently taking the extra step of making them inaccessible even if you’ve already downloaded them — or in the case of Deus Ex, even if you’ve paid $5 or $6 to do so.

“Current players will not be able to access the games past January 4th,” reads part of a tweet from the defunct Studio Onoma, which is also seeing three free-to-play games (Arena Battle Champions, Hitman Sniper: The Shadows and Space Invaders: Hidden Heroes) shut down. “We encourage prior in-game purchases to be used before January 4th, as they will not be refunded.”

the tweet explains there will be no refunds for players and games will be shut down on January 4th — *No refunds.*

Usually when a downloadable game is removed from a digital marketplace, you can at least download a copy first — in many cases, you can even re-download purchased games indefinitely. (I can still get my Steam copies of Mass Effect 2 and Indigo Prophecy even though they were yanked from the Steam store many years ago.)

But apparently that won’t be the case here. Like Kotaku’s Luke Plunkett says, it’s a games preservation tragedy. It’s also ready-made ammunition for critics of digital purchases, and of Embracer Group itself, which is already under scrutiny from gamers both for buying up franchises and for taking a billion dollars from Saudi Arabia.

And it’s not clear why this is happening with Deus Ex in particular. There shouldn’t be a rights issue, right? Embracer explicitly purchased the rights to Deus Ex alongside the mobile games studio that developed the title. All we know, via games journalist Jason Schreier, is that Embracer apparently decided it wasn’t interested in mobile games anymore.

Onoma was part of the acquisition that saw Embracer take control of Eidos and the Tomb Raider, Deus Ex, and Legacy of Kain franchises. The company informed staff at a 2pm ET meeting today that Onoma is shutting down as the company pivots to focus only on PC and console
— Jason Schreier (@jasonschreier) November 1, 2022

The Embracer Group didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

UK’s digital services tax reaps almost £360m from US tech giants in first year

Figure raised exceeds what most of the digital businesses have been paying in UK corporation tax