Category: Technology

Twitter owner and CEO Elon Musk says a “general amnesty” for banned accounts will begin next week for those who “have not broken the law or engaged in egregious spam.” He polled users on whether Twitter should offer the amnesty, seemingly overlooking the fact that such polls can be easily gamed by bots. Over 72 percent of the 3.2 million votes approved of Musk’s amnesty proposal. 

Musk reinstated Donald Trump’s account last weekend after a similar poll. Trump has yet to tweet after getting his account back, though he has continued to post on his own app, Truth Social. Late last week, Musk restored the accounts of comedian Kathy Griffin (who had been needling Musk before her account was suspended), right-wing provocateur Jordan Peterson and conservative satire website Babylon Bee.

The latest twist in the Twitter saga comes a day after the company fired another 50 or so engineers without notice, according to reports. They were dismissed just after the company started a code review program, whereby engineers are asked to submit samples of their work on a weekly basis. Dozens of engineers were fired by email the night before Thanksgiving because their “code is not satisfactory,” according to The Verge‘s Alex Heath.

Others received a warning about their performance. “Note that not meeting expectations could result in your termination of employment…please use this opportunity to restore our confidence and demonstrate your contributions to the team and company,” that warning email read.

The fired engineers were reportedly offered four weeks of severance pay if they sign a separation agreement and waive any claims against Twitter. They had remained at the company after Musk laid off around half of the workforce. Last week, he asked the remaining employees to commit to working at his vision for an “extremely hardcore” Twitter 2.0. Those who opted out (around 1,200 of the 3,900 who were still at the company as of early last week) were let go with the promise of three months of severance pay.

The latest batch of firings occurred just two days after Musk is said to have told employees that layoffs were done and that Twitter is hiring, with a focus on “people who are great at writing software.” One of the engineers Twitter turfed out on Wednesday is Ikuhiro Ihara, who led the drive to double the tweet character limit to 280 back in 2017. Twitter also let go Ying Xiao, a senior staff machine learning research scientist who a colleague described to Platfomer‘s Zoë Schiffer as “the best ML modeler” around. It appears that some of the fired engineers were on H1B visas and now face a race to find a new job if they want to stay in the US.

Schiffer also reported that Twitter cut holiday pay for its remaining contractors right before a holiday weekend. That move came not even two weeks after the company culled thousands of its contractors. Musk is said to have slashed perks for employees this week too, including daycare allowances, home internet costs and training — effectively cutting workers’ compensation packages.

These measures are part of Musk’s intense push to slash costs at Twitter, which owes at least $1 billion in annual interest payments on the loans he took out to help buy the company. Earlier this week, it was reported that Twitter has been stiffing vendors and contractors on payments, with some owed millions of dollars in back pay. Twitter no longer has a communications department that can be reached for comment.

 

Robots that can whack a golf ball down a fairway aren’t exactly new, but building one that can play the nuanced short game is a more complex problem. Researchers at Paderborn University in Germany have done just that with Golfi, a machine that uses a neural network to figure out how to line up a putt and how hard to hit the ball to get it into the hole from anywhere on the green.

The robot takes a snapshot of the green with a Microsoft Kinect 3D camera and it simulates thousands of random shots taken from different positions. It takes factors like the turf’s rolling resistance, the ball’s weight and the starting velocity into account. Paderborn doctoral student Annika Junker told IEEE Research that training Golfi on simulated golf shots takes five minutes, compared with 30-40 hours were the team to feed data from real-life shots into the system.

Once Golfi has figured out the shot it should take, it rolls over to the ball and uses a belt-driven gear shaft with a putter attached to make the putt. The robot doesn’t get the ball in the hole every time, though. Junker said the robot nailed the shot around 60-70 percent of the time. That’s still a better accuracy rate than most amateur golfers and at least you won’t see Golfi fly off the handle like Happy Gilmore if it misses.

However, Golfi sometimes drove over the ball and moved it out of position. The researchers have only tested the robot in the lab, so real-world conditions, like greens with divots or steep slopes, may pose problems for a system that relies on a bird’s-eye view.

In any case, the researchers didn’t set out to build a robot capable of competing with PGA Tour pros. They hope that the techniques they used in Golfi could be used for other robotics applications. “You can also transfer that to other problems, where you have some knowledge about the system and could model parts of it to obtain some data, but you can’t model everything,” Niklas Fittkau, another Paderborn University doctoral student and co-lead author of a paper on Golfi, told IEEE Research.

Back in 2016, a different robot called LDRIC sank a hole-in-one at a PGA event (albeit on the fifth attempt). I wonder who footed the bill for a round of drinks at the clubhouse afterward.

 

Google has disclosed several security flaws for phones that have Mali GPUs, such as those with Exynos chipsets. The company’s Project Zero team says it flagged the problems to ARM (which produces the GPUs) back in the summer. ARM resolved the issues on its end in July and August. However, smartphone manufacturers including Samsung, Xiaomi, Oppo and Google itself hadn’t deployed patches to fix the vulnerabilities as of earlier this week, Project Zero said.

Researchers identified five new issues in June and July and promptly flagged them to ARM. “One of these issues led to kernel memory corruption, one led to physical memory addresses being disclosed to userspace and the remaining three led to a physical page use-after-free condition,” Project Zero’s Ian Beer wrote in a blog post. “These would enable an attacker to continue to read and write physical pages after they had been returned to the system.”

Beer noted that it would be possible for a hacker to gain full access to a system as they’d be able to bypass the permissions model on Android and gain “broad access” to a user’s data. The attacker could do so by forcing the kernel to reuse the afore-mentioned physical pages as page tables.

Project Zero found that, three months after ARM fixed these issues, all of the team’s test devices were still vulnerable to the flaws. As of Tuesday, the issues were not mentioned “in any downstream security bulletins” from Android manufacturers.

Engadget has contacted Google, Samsung, Oppo and Xiaomi to ask when they will deploy the fixes to their Android devices and why it has taken so long for them to do so. As SamMobile notes, Samsung’s Galaxy S22 series devices and the company’s Snapdragon-powered handsets aren’t affected by these vulnerabilities.

 

Critter & Guitari’s lineup of hackable music computers and video synths are undeniably unique. They do things that practically no other instrument can, plus they’re probably the most visually distinctive portable music devices out there. Its latest creation is the 201 Music Synthesizer, an arguably long overdue replacement for the company’s first product — the Pocket Piano. 

Like its flagship Organelle, the 201 is built on open source software, specifically Pure Data and Faust. But rather than trying to be all things to everyone, it’s more narrowly focused. It ships with six built-in synth engines covering chiptune-style bleeps, analog-esque sounds, drum samples, physical modeling (likely via Karplus Strong), and vocal synthesis. Rather than four knobs that vary in purpose depending on what patch you’ve loaded (which may or may not have particularly good documentation, depending on who created it), the 201 has three parameter knobs for envelope, tone and “surprise” — for when you just want a happy accident. 

One of the things that makes the 201 really standout though, is the pattern generator and sequencer. While you can simply play notes live and record them for later recall, the synth can also create patterns for you. A couple of presses on the unique maple keys and the 201 will start spitting out simple octave jumps, arpeggios or random polyphonic chaos. And if something strikes your fancy, you can save that as well. And you can save literally thousands of sequences to the included 8GB microSD card. 

Like the Organelle, you can actually hack together your own patches for the 201 using Pure Data or Faust, but that’s more of a nice bonus than the main selling point here. Under the hood of the 201 is a 900Mhz ARM processor with 512MB RAM, which should be plenty for most synth patches, but it’s not quite as powerful as the Organelle M. The 201 also has a built-in speaker, a 1/4-inch stereo out jack, 1/8-inch MIDI in and out, USB-A for connecting MIDI controllers, and USB-C for accessing the files on the microSD card.

Of course, to be a true replacement for the Pocket Piano, the 201 also needs to be portable. So, in addition to the AC adapter, it can be powered by three AA batteries. And at about one pound and a little over nine-inches long, it’s pretty easy to toss in a backpack. 

The Critter & Guitari 201 Music Synthesizer is currently crowd funding over at Kickstarter and has already surpassed its goal. If you’d like to secure one when they start shipping in April of 2023 you can back it before December 20th for $295. 

 

Black Friday may still be a few hours away, but we’re already seeing a bunch of great deals on our favorite tech. This comes after a slow trickle of deals popping up across the web ever since the start of November. While we don’t have the supply chain issues we did last year, it’s still a good idea to start your holiday shopping as early as possible — even if it’s just a few hours before the biggest sale day of the year. The sooner you check off items from your list, the sooner they’ll arrive and you’ll be ready to go for the holidays. To make things easier for you, we’ve collected the best early Black Friday tech deals here so you don’t have to go searching for them.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones are back on sale for $249 right now, or 32 percent off their usual price. These are some of our favorite over-ear cans thanks in part to their excellent active noise cancellation and clear, balanced audio. The design isn’t as slick as some of our other favorites, but they’re comfortable to boot, plus their 24-hour battery life means you’ll be able to wear them for long stretches of time without interruption.

Buy QuietComfort 45 at Amazon – $249

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

The latest AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 for Black Friday. That $50 discount is the most significant we’ve seen on these buds that just came out a couple of months ago. The new Pros earned a score of 88 from us for their improved sound quality, excellent Transparency Mode and solid active noise cancellation. We also appreciate the addition of the U1 chip inside the buds’ wireless charging case, which enables Precision Finding using the Find My app.

Buy AirPods Pro (2nd gen) at Amazon – $200

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

The 2021 iPad remains on sale for $270, which is the best price we’ve seen it. While Apple did just come out with an updated version, that latest model is much more expensive, coming in at $449. The 10.2-inch iPad is still a great option if you want iPadOS but only have so much to spend. We gave it a score of 86 for its solid performance, improved front cameras and excellent battery life.

Buy 10.2-inch iPad at Amazon – $270

AirTags (4 pack)

A four-pack of Apple’s AirTags is on sale for $80 right now, which is $20 off their usual price. That also brings the price per tracker down to $20, which is one of the lowest we’ve seen. These stocking-friendly gadgets make great gifts for iPhone users who want to digitally keep track of their things. They can use the Find My app to check the last known location of their keys, wallet and other belongings, and use their iPhones to be led directly to their stuff with on-screen directions if it’s nearby.

Buy AirTags (4 pack) at Amazon – $20

Sony WH-1000XM5

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to $348 right now, which is the best price we’ve seen since they came out earlier this year. These are our current favorite wireless headphones, and Sony essentially changed only a few things about the previous WH-1000XM4 to make these cans even better. They have improved noise cancellation and sound quality, plus a slick new design and a solid battery life. We also appreciate their Speak-to-Chat feature and multi-device connectivity.

Buy WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $348

Chromecast with Google TV

Both the 4K and HD Chromecasts with Google TV are on sale for Black Friday, coming in at $40 and $18, respectively. These two streamers are essentially the same, expect for the resolution that each support: the higher-end model with stream 4K content, while the other tops out at 1080p. They share a compact design and both come with a handy remote that makes navigating the Google TV interface much easier. Plus, you can speak to the Google Assistant through these dongles, calling about it to search for things to watch, answer questions and more.

Buy Chromecast with Google TV (4K) at Amazon – $40Buy Chromecast with Google TV (HD) at Amazon – $18

Sonos One

Sonos’ Black Friday deals include the Sonos One speaker for only $175, which is $44 off its normal price. Sonos gadgets rarely go on sale, much less direct on Sonos’ site, so the entire sale is one to consider this Black Friday. The One earned a score of 90 from us when it first came out for its attractive design, excellent audio quality and its support for Amazon’s Alexa, the Google Assistant and AirPlay 2. Also included in the sale is the Sonos Arc, one of our favorite soundbars, which is $180 off and down to $719.

Buy One at Sonos – $175Buy Arc at Sonos – $719Shop Sonos Black Friday deals

Google Pixel Buds Pro

Google’s best earbuds yet, the Pixel Buds Pro, have dropped to $150, which is $50 less than their usual price. these are the Android-maker’s answers to Apple’s AirPods Pro, and they are, without a doubt, one of the best pairs of wireless earbuds you can get if you don’t have an iPhone. We gave them a score of 87 for their deep, punchy bass, reliable touch controls and wireless charging case.

Buy Pixel Buds Pro at Amazon – $150

Elgato Stream Deck MK.2

Elgato’s Stream Deck MK.2 has dropped to $120 for Black Friday, which is a new record low. We’ve recommended various versions of the Stream Deck for a while now as an essential accessory for game streamers, but also a handy peripheral for power users to have, too. The MK.2 has 15 programmable buttons that let you trigger actions like launching an app, muting your mic and more, plus you can truly make it your own with a custom faceplate.

Buy Elgato Stream Deck MK.2 at Amazon – $120

Audio-Technica ATH-M20xBT

The excellent and already affordable ATH-M20xBT are on sale for $59 for Black Friday, which is a record low. These are our current favorite budget cans thanks to their good sound quality, comfortable design, Bluetooth multi-point connectivity and 60-hour battery life. They may not have as slick of a design as more expensive headphones, or advanced features like noise cancellation, but you can’t beat their value.

Buy ATH-M20xBT at Amazon – $59

Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 4

Samsung’s Galaxy Z Flip 4 is on sale for $770 right now. Each iteration of Samsung’s foldable phones is better than the last, and the Flip 4 is no different. It has a slick design that neatly folds in half, rendering it small enough to slip into your pocket. Not only do we appreciate its attractive and more durable design, but we also like its improved battery life and the increased number of hands-free applications it supports.

Buy Galaxy Z Flip 4 at Amazon – $800

Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4

Samsung’s latest flagship foldable, the Galaxy Z Fold 4, is $430 off and down to $1,370. It’s certainly the most polished Fold Samsung has created, and we gave it a score of 86 for its brighter main screen, upgraded main and telephoto cameras, sleeker hinge and noticeably better battery life.

Buy Galaxy Z Fold 4 at Amazon – $1,370

OnePlus 10 Pro

You can pick up the OnePlus 10 Pro smartphone for only $549 right now, which is the lowest we’ve seen it. The standout feature of this handset is its remarkably fast charging technology: you can get a full charge in just over a half hour using 80W SUPERVOOC charging. However, US users are capped at 65W SUPERVOOC, but that’s still the speediest charging standard available stateside. Otherwise, we also appreciated the 10 Pro’s lovely 120Hz display and its fast face-unlock feature.

Buy OnePlus 10 Pro at Amazon – $549

iRobot Roomba j7

iRobot’s Roomba j7 is on sale for $349 right now, which is the cheapest we’ve seen it, and you can get the j7+ for $599. This is one of iRobot’s latest robo-vacs and it has enhanced obstacle avoidance which lets it navigate around a robot vacuum’s arch nemesis: pet poop. It also has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba, plus support for smart mapping and Alexa and Google Assistant voice control. With the j7+ model, you’re also getting a clean base into which the robo-vac will empty its bin after every job.

Buy Roomba j7 at Amazon – $349Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon – $599

Shark AV2511AE AI Robot Vacuum

The latest version of Shark’s AI Robot Vaccum has dropped to $299 for Black Friday. This is one of our favorite robo-vacs thanks to its strong suction power, smart mapping feature and the included clean base into which it empties its bin after every job. We also appreciate that the clean base is bagless, so you don’t have to regularly buy proprietary bags for it.

Buy Shark AI Robot Vacuum at Amazon – $299

August WiFi smart lock

August’s WiFi smart lock is cheaper than ever at $159 for Black Friday. That’s more than $70 off its usual price and a great deal if you’re looking for a smart lock that’s easy to install over most deadbolts and equally as easy to use. After you put ti on your door, you can use the companion mobile app to remote lock or unlock your home, and you can send limited-time keys to loved ones you who want to have access.

Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon – $159

Crucial MX500 (1TB)

Crucial’s MX500 internal drive is down to a new low of $68 for the 1TB version, and you can find discounts on the other configurations, too. We’ve long recommended this drive for its standard form factor, its sequential reads/write speeds of up to 560/510 MB/s and its AES 256-bit hardware encryption. It also has integrated power loss immunity, which saves all of your work even when there’s a power outage.

Buy Crucial MX500 (1TB) at Amazon – $68

Jabra Elite 3

Jabra’s Elite 3 wireless earbuds are on sale for $50, which is the best price we’ve seen. Considering these buds start out at less than $100, you won’t find some advanced features on them like noise cancellation or wireless charging. However, they pack impressive sound quality for the price, along with a comfortable design, reliable onboard controls and good battery life.

Buy Jabra Elite 3 at Amazon – $50

Amazon Echo Show 5

Amazon’s Echo Show 5 is back on sale for $35 for Black Friday. This has been one of our favorite smart displays for quite some time, primarily because it acts as a great smart alarm clock. It has a 5-inch display that shows the date, time, weather conditions and more, plus it has a handy tap-to-snooze feature. And if you want it to wake you up visually, too, its sunrise alarm will slowly adjust the screen’s brightness to wake you up more naturally.

Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon – $35

Amazon Echo Dot

The latest Echo Dot has dropped to $25, and that’s the first real discount we’ve seen since the device came out a few months ago. Amazon added a bigger speaker inside this Echo Dot for improved sound, and it has a new built-in temperature sensor as well. That will come in handy if you have other smart home devices you control with Alexa because, if the temperature sensor reaches a certain level, you can program a routine to, say, start a fan to keep your environment precisely how you like it. The new Dot can also pair with an Eero WiFi system to add up to 1,000 extra square feet of coverage.

Buy Echo Dot at Amazon – $25

Kindle Paperwhite

Amazon’s Kindle Paperwhite has been discounted to $95 for Black Friday. While we consider the Signature Edition to be the best e-reader, period, the standard Paperwhite comes in at a close second. It has a 6.8-inch display with 17 front LEDs for better illumination, plus a water-resistant design, Audible support and a battery that can last weeks on a single charge.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon – $95

Amazon Fire TV Stick Lite

Amazon’s most affordable streaming stick is on sale for only $15 right now, which is half off its usual price. This is a good option if you want to upgrade an old, “dumb” TV in your home into a smart one. The Fire TV Stick Lite provides access to Amazon’s Fire TV OS, through which you can access services like Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+ and others. The TV Stick Lite supports FHD content, and you can use the included Voice Remote Lite to ask Alexa to show you the content you want to watch. If you want to upgrade a bit to Dolby Atmos, you can get the standard Fire TV Stick for only $5 more.

Buy Fire TV Stick Lite at Amazon – $15

Blink Mini

Amazon has brought back the two for $30 Blink Mini deal for Black Friday. This compact, wired security camera is only meant for indoor use and you’ll have to keep it close to an outlet, but it shares all of the basic features with the larger Blink Indoor and Outdoor cameras. It record 1080p video and supports two-way audio, plus it’ll send motion alerts to your phone and you can control it via Alexa voice commands.

Buy Blink Mini (2 pack) at Amazon – $30

Peloton Bike

The original Peloton Bike is $300 off and down to $1,145 for Black Friday. If you’re somehow unfamiliar, this is the company’s first exercise bike that comes with a built-in screen for taking cycling classes as well as other strength, yoga and bootcamp routines. Also, one of the company’s latest gadgets, the Peloton Guide, is on sale for $245, too.

Buy Peloton Bike at Amazon – $1,145

Your Cyber Week Shopping Guide: Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter. Also, shop the top Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals on Yahoo Life. Learn about Black Friday trends on In the Know, and our car experts at Autoblog are covering must-shop Black Friday and Cyber Monday auto deals.

 

The Russo brothers are creating a series for Amazon based on the story of how FTX, which was once one of the most well-known crypto exchanges, met such a swift and scandalous end. According to Variety, Amazon has approved a limited series adaptation with eight episodes and is looking to start production by spring next year. David Weil, who previously worked with the Russo brothers in their Prime Video series Citadel, will write and executive produce the pilot episode. Meanwhile, Anthony and Joe Russo, known for directing four Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, are reportedly in talks of directing on top of serving as the show’s executive producers. 

FTX filed for bankruptcy last week after a series of events ultimately led to its collapse in a short amount of time. The exchange’s FTT tokens had plummeted in value earlier this month after rival exchange Binance announced that it was going to sell its remaining FTTs due to “recent revelations.” A few days before Binance decided to liquidate all its FTTs, CoinDesk had reported that Alameda Research, the trading firm that was founded by then-FTX CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, was mostly backed by FTT tokens. “The situation adds to evidence that the ties between FTX and Alameda are unusually close,” CoinDesk wrote. Alameda had reportedly been having financial issues and was allegedly using FTX customers’ deposits to pay debts.

Smaller investors and ordinary customers also sought to get out upon smelling trouble in the air and submitted requests for withdrawals, which caused a liquidity issue. Binance initially agreed to bail out FTX by buying it but ultimately backed out of the deal. After that, FTX filed for bankruptcy, and Bankman-Fried resigned as CEO. There’s a lot more to the story, including the mystery of where billions of dollars of missing or stolen funds had gone, that the Russo brothers could include in their show. 

It’s still unclear what source material the Russos are planning to use, but Variety says the show could be based on “insider reporting” by journalists who’ve been investigating the FTX scandal. They’re also reportedly in talks with multiple Marvel actors to play key roles in the series. Before Amazon confirmed that it was working on a show based on FTX, Deadline reported that Apple was close to signing a seven-figure deal for the rights on a book about Bankman-Fried and the crypto exchange that’s being written by Michael Lewis. That’s the same author behind Moneyball, The Big Short and The Blind Side. Unlike Amazon, Apple is reportedly planning to turn Lewis’ book into a feature film. 

 

Amazon’s latest entry-level Kindle has received its first discount in time for Black Friday. The company is selling the 2022 ad-supported Kindle for $85, or $15 below the official price. That makes it tempting if you’re planning a gift for the bookworm in your life, or have just been waiting for a deal to treat yourself to Amazon’s most affordable e-reader.

The refreshed starter Kindle is a major upgrade. The centerpiece is a 6-inch 300 pixels-per-inch display that’s much sharper than the 167PPI screen of its predecessor, making text that much easier on the eyes. A longer six-week battery life, USB-C charging and doubled storage (16GB) also make it decidedly more practical than the previous model. You might not need more than this to have your dream e-reader, although you may want to pay extra to avoid lockscreen ads.

If you do need more, though, Amazon’s ongoing Black Friday sale gives you options. Most notably, the Kindle Paperwhite is still available for $95. You won’t have as much storage for that money (you’ll need to spend $100), but you will get a larger 6.8-inch display, bath-friendly water resistance and an adjustable warm light. If you don’t need those perks or just want the smallest reader in the lineup, though, the base Kindle is still easy to justify.

Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon – $95

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

 

If you want smart temperature controls without breaking the bank, you may want to look at the Amazon Smart Thermostat, on sale right now for $42. That’s 30 percent off its retail price of $60, matching an all-time low. Considering the thermostat is much cheaper than its big-name competitors even when it isn’t on sale, this Black Friday deal provides an unparalleled bang for your buck.

Amazon’s thermostat lacks some bells and whistles. For example, it doesn’t have a built-in microphone and speaker, or support remote sensors. It also doesn’t work with Google Assistant or Apple HomeKit. But if Alexa is already your smart home platform of choice, Amazon’s thermostat is a dirt-cheap option that works with most existing 24V HVACs (the most common for residential systems).

For an entry-level offering, it offers a surprisingly sleek and modern design. Its rounded-rectangle shape is similar to ecobee’s offerings, while its color scheme mirrors Google Nest products.

Amazon partnered with Honeywell Home for the thermostat, which lets you create routines, set temperatures manually (including remotely), or lets Alexa handle it for you. Additionally, it’s Energy Star-certified, and Amazon claims it can save you around $50 on your power bills each year. After signing up, Amazon will even send you an email with details about available rebates from local energy providers.

Installation should be easy, but Amazon includes a “check compatibility” tutorial on the product page that guides you through various details to ensure it will work. One crucial point to check is whether your existing thermostat setup has a C-Wire. If not, you’ll want to choose the bundle that includes an adapter.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

It’s easy to drop hundreds on a good pair of headphones, especially now when most of them are at least cheaper than they usually are. But it’s not necessary to spend so much on a good pair of cans. Earlier this year, Audio-Technica introduced the $79 ATH-M20xBT, a wireless version of the original M20x, and they quickly became our favorite pair of budget-friendly wireless headphones. For Black Friday, these cans are cheaper than ever at just $59, giving you an opportunity to grab them at the lowest price we’ve seen.

The ATH-M20xBT may not have advanced features like active noise cancellation, but they have a lot going for them regardless. We like their comfortable design, even if it isn’t as refined as that of the higher-end M50x. Their audio quality is good, and they also come with 40mm drivers for improved low-frequency performance. We also like their onboard, physical-button controls, which let you control calls, volume and music playback more easily.

Arguably the biggest feature of these headphones is their Bluetooth connectivity, which lets you use them wirelessly. But Audio-Technica also added multi-point pairing, so you can use them with more than one device at once. This is becoming a standard feature among the best headphones out there, so it’s reassuring to see it come to a budget-friendly pair like this. The ATH-M20xBT also have a killer, 60-hour battery life, and they support fast-charge via USB-C, providing three hours of listening time after only 10 minutes of being plugged in. So while they might not be as slick as some of our other favorite wireless headphones, these cans offer a ton of value for the price — and even more when they’re on sale like this.

Get the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

 

It’s dangerously easy to go over budget during the holidays when, especially when your gift list seemingly gets longer with each passing year. It’s even easier to do so when you have a bunch of gearheads in your life. We don’t have to tell you that gadgets are expensive (hello, $1,000-plus smartphones), but not every piece of tech will put a huge dent in your bank account. To make things easier for our budget-minded readers, we’ve collected everything in our gift guide that you can buy for $100 or less here.

You’ll find the full list below, but you can also check out a number of stories in our gift guide this year that include almost all budget-friendly things. Our board games, tech toys for kids and gifts for travel lovers roundups are just a few that are filled with inexpensive yet super fun ideas, plus our annual tech stocking stuffers guide focuses on gifts you can grab for under $50. What we’re trying to say is, you don’t have to go broke to get solid tech for your friends and family; you just have to know which affordable items are actually worth your money.

Audio-Technica M20xBT

Audio-Technica’s affordable wireless headphones have consistently offered solid performance that would make a great gift, even with the lack of noise cancellation. The company’s latest are the M20xBT, a Bluetooth version of the A-T’s popular M20x wired cans. A comfy fit and up to 60 hours of battery life will cost you just $79. Connect to multiple devices at once with Bluetooth multipoint connectivity and reliably control tunes with physical buttons. The design isn’t as refined as the company’s pricer models like the M50xBT2, but you get the bulk of what makes Audio-Technica’s cheaper options so good. — Billy Steele, Senior News Editor

Buy M20xBT at Amazon – $79

JLab Go Air Pop

Thanks to JLab, you can give a decent set of true wireless earbuds as a stocking stuffer. For $20, the Go Air Pop covers most of the basics. Eight-hour battery life, on-board controls, EQ presets, IPX4 moisture protection and the ability to use just one earbud at a time are all on the features list. The Go Air Pop is smaller than its predecessor, the Go Air, and this model comes with a case that completely closes. What’s more, the company kept the integrated USB on the charging case, so you don’t have to worry about looking for a cable when you’re out of power. — B.S.

Buy JLab Go Air Pop at Amazon – $25

UE Wonderboom 3

If you’re shopping for a Bluetooth speaker this year, the UE Wonderboom 3 is an affordable, tiny option that still packs a punch. It’s adventure-proof thanks to an IP67 rating, audio quality is bright and an outdoor mode boosts treble and bass so sound can be heard over a greater distance. You can also easily pair two Wonderboom 3 units for stereo sound, which won’t cost you a fortune thanks to the low price. And with up to 14 hours of battery life, you should be able to keep the tunes going for a while. — B.S.

Buy Wonderboom 3 at Amazon – $100

Roku Ultra

If you’re not a fan of the Apple TV, the Roku Ultra is the only other set-top box worth considering. It’s fast enough to stream 4K video with Dolby Vision, and it supports just about every streaming app you’d want. It also has a solid remote with voice-search capabilities, and you can still access all of Apple’s streaming video via the Apple TV app. And while Roku’s interface isn’t pretty, it’s fast and gets the job done. — Devindra Hardawar, Senior Editor

Buy Roku Ultra at Amazon – $90

Joby Gorillapod 3K Flexible Mini-Tripod

One of the most useful accessories out there for vlogger on your Santa list are Joby’s famous mini-tripods, and the best one for the money is the GorillaPod 3K. Attaching your camera couldn’t be easier thanks to the secure clip-in mounting plate with a built-in level. And the flexible legs let you set your camera anywhere to shoot, or even wrap it around a tree or other object. And of course, you can bend them out for the ideal vlogging angle and steady out your shooting, to boot. Best of all, you can now pick one up at Amazon for just $45, a bargain for such a versatile tool. — Steve Dent, Associate Editor

Buy Joby GorillaPod 3K at Amazon – $46

Nanlite LitoLite 5C RGBWW Mini LED Panel

A good light is an awesome tool in your favorite photographer or videographer’s arsenal, and a relatively affordable gift to boot. One of the best all-around models is the Nanlite LitoLite 5C RGBWW Mini LED Panel. It weighs just 4.8 ounces, but offers dimmable lighting across a range of colors, with adjustments either on the fixture or via a smartphone app. It mounts on any wall or light stand via a magnet or quarter-inch threads, has cordless operation and a battery that runs for 1.5 hours at full power (charged via USB). The most interesting feature is special effects that range from a cop car’s flashing lights, flames, candlelights, a lightning storm and more. — S.D.

Buy Nanlite LitoLite 5C at Amazon – $75

Lexar Professional 1667x 64GB SDXS UHS II card

There’s no point in buying your favorite photographer UHS-I cards anymore when faster UHS-II models can be found at nearly the same price. That’s the case with Lexar’s 64GB or 128GB 1667x V60 UHS-II cards, available at just $33 and $50, respectively. While not as fast as a top-of-the-line 2000x card, you still get faster read and write speeds (250 MB/s and 120MB/s) than any UHS-I card for a fraction of the price. If speed is of the essence, then SanDisk’s top-end V90 cards with 300MB/s read and 260MB/s write speeds can be found for $80 and $150, respectively. — S.D.

Buy Lexar Professional 1667x at Amazon starting at $33

AeroPress Go

The AeroPress is a fun way to make a single cup of coffee at home with an apparatus that doesn’t take up much space in the cabinet. It’s a versatile brewer that allows you to experiment with different infusion times and strengths as you go. I like to use it to brew a double-strength cup directly over ice whenever I forget to make cold brew. For the coffee nerd on your list that has a regular setup already, the AeroPress makes a great gift. And the AeroPress Go is even more compact. It tucks neatly inside a cup that you can brew directly into and is perfect for camping and travel. — B.S.

Buy AeroPress Go at Amazon – $40

Cuisinart DBM-8

You don’t have to splurge for an Encore in order to get a reliable grinder for the coffee nerd on your list. Before I upgraded, I had a Cuisinart DBM-8 that served me well for years, and it was still doing so when I put it out to pasture. It’s a burr grinder so it provides a consistent grind size with 18 different options to choose from – spanning coarse to fine. The hopper holds eight ounces of beans while the canister can accommodate enough ground coffee for 32 cups. Since you probably won’t need that much often (if ever), there’s a selector that will automatically grind between four and 18 cups worth at the press of a button. — B.S.

Buy Cuisinart DBM-8 at Amazon – $58

Cosori Gooseneck Electric Kettle

A good kettle is essential if you want to up your home-brewing game, and it can help make a bunch of other things too like tea, ramen and more. Cosori’s Gooseneck Electric Kettle packs most crucial features into a relatively compact kettle that’s also priced right at $70. Goosenecks can be intimidating but they give you much more control when pouring over a Chemex, and we think Cosori’s, with its matte black finish, also looks pretty nice on most countertops. It has a stainless steel interior and five presets so you can easily get the perfect temperature for things like green tea, black coffee and more. Plus, the “hold temp” option lets you set and forget the water for a bit; you can turn it on before you start your morning routine and come back to perfectly heated water, ready for whatever’s picking you up that morning. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Buy Cosori electric kettle at Amazon – $70

BruMate NAV mini

When it comes to travel mugs for coffee and tea, any item worth considering needs to check a few boxes – especially if you’re giving one as a gift. Being able to keep liquids hot for a few hours and fit in a cup holder are essential. BruMate’s NAV mini does both, and at 12 ounces, it’s the perfect size for on-the-go joe. Plus, it’s 100 percent leak proof thanks to the company’s robust lid. It can also keep cold drinks chilled for over 24 hours when that certain someone on your list needs cold brew next summer. — B.S.

Buy NAV mini at BruMate – $25

Stanley Classic Neverleak travel mug

If you know someone that needs to keep coffee hot for much longer than a typical travel mug, Stanley’s Classic Neverleak option is the perfect gift. I’ve been using one of these for well over a year and it does an incredible job at keeping liquids at temperature for a long time. The company says your drink will still be warm for up to nine hours, plus the entire thing is dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. The three-position lid also locks closed to prevent accidental spills even if the mug gets jostled around. — B.S.

Buy Stanly Neverleak mug at Amazon – $28

Miir cold brew filter + Wide Mouth bottle

There are a million ways to make cold brew, but it doesn’t get much easier than adding a stainless steel filter to your insulated travel bottle. Miir’s cold brew filter works with some of its drinkware canisters to provide a cold brew setup with “micro perforations” to reduce sediment after steeping. The filter fits Miir’s 32- and 42-ounce Wide Mouth Bottles (and 33oz Tomo) for plenty of smooth, cold coffee for adventures or taking to work. Plus, those Bottles have a leak-proof lid and can keep drinks hot or cold for hours. — B.S.

Buy cold brew filter at Miir – $15

Fellow Prismo AeroPress attachment

The AeroPress is a versatile brewing device and that’s why we keep it on your coffee gift guide list. But with the help of Fellow’s $30 attachment, you can take the humble method up a notch. The Prismo houses a pressure-actuated valve designed to mimic the process of making espresso so you can “pull a shot” without a machine. This creates the “crema” that you don’t typically get just by brewing stronger coffee with the AeroPress alone. The Prismo also comes with a reusable filter so you’re not burning through the paper ones an AeroPress usually requires. — B.S.

Buy AeoPress attachment at Fellow – $30

Hiware Borosilicate glass pitcher

After the handle on my previous pitcher developed a crack, I went on a search for a simple but durable container that could support my iced tea addiction and after a year and a half, this thing has not disappointed. Its heat-resistant borosilicate glass means you can pour boiling water directly into the pitcher without worrying about it shattering and its huge 68-ounce capacity holds enough to keep an entire family hydrated. Meanwhile, the stainless steel lid prevents leaves or stuff like fruit pulp from escaping. And at $20, this pitcher is just great value. — Sam Rutherford, Senior Reporter

Buy Hiware glass pitcher at Amazon – $27

Hario Cold Brew Bottle

If you know someone who always brings their “famous” iced tea to parties or picnics check out Hario’s Cold Brew bottle. It holds up to 750ml of liquid and comes with a removable strainer to keep tea leaves from spilling out. There’s even a grippy silicone top for easy handling and a removable stopper that acts like a cork. And if you’re worried it’s a little pedestrian looking to make a lasting impact, Hario makes a champagne bottle version too. — S.R.

Buy Hario Cold Brew Bottle at Amazon – $24

Breville IQ Electric Kettle

For those on your list that prefer function over form, you really ought to consider Breville’s IQ Electric Kettle. In addition to having nearly double the capacity (57 ounces vs 30 ounces) of the Stagg, it has dedicated temperature settings for a lot of major types of tea (green, white, oolong and black). It’s also a bit more powerful with an output of up to 1,500 watts, so there’s less waiting around for the water to heat up. — S.R.

Buy Breville IQ electric kettle at Amazon – $80

OXO Tea Infuser Basket

One of the easiest ways to brew better tea is by moving away from single-serving bags and switching to loose-leaf teas. That’s because typically tea bags feature lower quality leaves that often sit on shelves for months (or years) with the whole process favoring convenience over flavor. On top of that, the cloth or (more often) paper used to make tea bags can also impart unwanted flavors.

If you know someone looking to get into loose-leaf teas, they’re going to need an infuser, and OXO’s is one of the best. Its stainless steel basket won’t mess with the taste and its included lid traps heat in when steeping while also doubling as a saucer to prevent dripping once the tea is ready to drink. The basket is also a perfect size so it fits in practically any mug (and even many iced tea pitchers), and at just $15, it’s cheap enough to buy two or more so there will always be a clean one ready to go. — S.R.

Buy OXO tea infuser basket at Amazon – $15

Fellow Atmos Vacuum Canister

While Fellow’s Atmos Canister was originally intended to store coffee, it’s equally great at keeping tea tasting fresh and flavorful, even after long periods. That’s because simply twisting its lid removes oxygen from the canister, slowing down potential oxidation which can cause tea to taste dull and lifeless. It’s available in three sizes (0.4, 0.7 and 1.2 liters) and in a range of materials, though you’ll probably want to stay away from the glass version, as light is another source of potential oxidation. (Leave the clear one for cookies or something.) And while it’s a bit on the pricey side, in my opinion there’s no better way of keeping even the fanciest leaves tasting great over time. — S.R.

Buy Fellow Atmos canister at Amazon – $35

Golde Superwhisk

For matcha lovers who don’t want to deal with the hassle of a traditional bamboo whisk or anyone seeking a way to quickly froth up some milk, Golde’s Superwhisk is a great pick. It has two different speed settings and a battery that can be recharged via USB. It even comes with an included travel case, so your giftee can take it camping or anywhere they want to enjoy some tea (or a latte). — S.R.

Buy Superwhisk at Golde – $24

Pure’Tea Portable Tea Infuser

For people who want to bring their brew on the go, this charming portable tea infuser bottle looks great and makes the whole process super easy. Tea goes in the top section and water goes in the bottom. Right before drinking they flip the whole infuser upside down to brew instead of letting the leaves become oversteeped after sitting in water all day. The portable infuser also features borosilicate glass with a double-walled construction, so it can handle high temperatures without burning hands. Admittedly, there are similar bottles for less, but between its innovative design and premium materials, I can’t think of a better way to drink tea on-the-go. — S.R.

Buy portable tea infuser at Perlure – $65

Breakaway Matcha Flight Kit

Getting into matcha can be intimidating for even long-time tea drinkers. Not only can matcha be expensive but, since it’s very finely ground green tea instead leaves steeped in water, it has a very different flavor profile and texture. So instead of buying someone a single type of matcha, give this matcha flight kit a try. It includes four different blends which range from bright grassy varieties to deeper savory mixes. There’s also a handcrafted bamboo scoop, a sieve, tea towel and most importantly, a motorized whisk for properly whipping up the perfect cup. — S.R.

Buy Flight Kit at Breakaway Matcha – $56

Adagio Tea Samplers

For complete newbies to tea, Adagio’s loose teas sampler sets offer a huge range of types and flavors to choose from. You can select specific types like green teas from China for the Sinophile on your list, or opt for more general mixes like seasonal blends or even herbal selections. Prices also start as low as $12 a box for four different types, which makes this one of the most flexible and affordable ways of gifting a wide range of teas without doing a ton of research. — S.R.

Shop Adagio tea samplers

Butterfly Pea Tea

The first time I had butterfly pea flower tea was on my honeymoon in Thailand and it was love at first sip. It has a sweet flora aroma with some subtle earthy notes. But its signature highlight is its color. When brewed alone, you get a deep blue hue with hints of green, but when you add acid suddenly the tea becomes bright purple or pink. And because butterfly pea flower doesn’t contain caffeine, between its color and taste, it’s a great way to introduce kids to tea. Steep it, chill it, add the juice from a couple lemons or limes and a splash of sugar (I preferred agave), and in no time you’ll have the perfect summertime iced tea. — S.R.

Buy butterfly pea tea at Amazon – $22

Astro A10 Gen 2

Astro’s A10 Gen 2 will get the job done and look cute while doing so, no matter what your personal style is. The Gen 2 comes in a variety of colors and patterns, from deep black with neon details to pastel purple or teal, meaning there’s something for every kind of live streaming vibe. It has a flip-to-mute boom mic, an incredibly flexible body, and replaceable ear pads and headband cushion. This headset is compatible with PC, Mac, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, so have at it, no matter how you play. — Jessica Conditt, Senior Reporter

Buy Astro A10 Gen 2 at Amazon – $60

8bitdo Pro 2 Bluetooth controller

8bitdo knows its way around a wireless gamepad, and the Pro 2 Bluetooth controller is no exception. Whether in the transparent-body special edition or the classic black, white or gray, the Pro 2 delivers precise inputs, support for up to three custom profiles, and two extra back buttons. The Pro 2 looks like an old-school controller but it has advanced, modern capabilities, and it works with PC, Mac, Android and Switch. — J.C.

Buy 8BitDo Pro 2 at Amazon – $50

Logitech Litra Glow

The best thing you can do for your live-streaming setup is to get some good lighting, and Logitech’s Litra Glow has you covered. This is a small, mountable LED square that delivers a diffuse, soft glow without any harsh shadows or defined edges, and it’s designed to make its subjects look their best. It comes with an extendable three-way monitor mount and is USB-powered. — J.C.

Buy Litra Glow at Amazon – $60

Wanxing neon signs

Nanoleaf may be the premier brand when it comes to live-stream lighting, but there are plenty of other, cheaper options in the realm of on-screen glow. Wanxing, for instance, has a line of neon signs that’ll make any streaming space pop, at prices that won’t bust your budget. There are plenty of designs to choose from, including skulls, hearts, ghosts, game controllers and cute text, each available for less than $40. — J.C.

Shop Wanxing neon signs

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)

Google’s Nest Hub smart display is a great device to have around the home — especially if your gift recipient already uses the Google Assistant. It works as a digital photo frame and they can use it to watch YouTube and Netflix. It can also make calls via Google Duo and offers recipe videos along with step-by-step cooking instructions. If the user so chooses, they can track their sleeping patterns if they place the device next to their bed. Additionally, if they already have a Nest Doorbell camera, they can easily use the display to see who’s at the front door. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Buy Nest Hub at B&H – $100

Blink Indoor camera

Blink’s indoor camera offers the gift of peace of mind in a compact and affordable package. Your loved one will appreciate the fact that Blink is wireless and battery-powered; since they don’t have to place it near an electrical outlet, it can sit almost anywhere. They also won’t have to worry about recharging the camera since it can last up to two years on its two included AA batteries. Aside from just letting them monitor their home, it also features customizable motion alerts so they’ll only get alerted when they want to. There’s also two-way audio so they can hear and speak to the person (or pet) on the other end. — N.L.

Buy Blink Indoor at Amazon – $80

TP-Link Kasa smart plug

With a smart plug, any appliance can be part of a connected home for not a lot of money. TP-Link’s Kasa smart plug is a particularly good one because it is both affordable and incredibly compact (and if you’re really short on space, there’s a mini version that’s even smaller). Together with its companion app, they can schedule a timer to turn on and off anything from Christmas lights to a coffee maker. It’s also compatible with both Alexa and Google Assistant, which lets them add voice control to any outlet. — N.L.

Buy Kasa smart plugs at Amazon – $30

Eero 6 WiFi Mesh router

With most of us having so many gadgets and smart home devices, perhaps the best thing you can give your loved one is the gift of better WiFi to keep things running smoothly. Amazon’s Eero routers will deliver just that. The latest models support WiFi 6, the latest and fastest WiFi standard, and will support 75-plus devices simultaneously. It also covers up to 1,500 square feet with WiFi speeds up to 900 Mbps, so it’s unlikely they’ll ever have to deal with dead spots or buffering again. The Eero 6 also comes with a built-in Zigbee smart home hub that lets them connect compatible devices without having to purchase a separate device. — N.L.

Buy Eero 6 at Amazon – $89

Startorialist JWST Cosmic Cliffs High Top Sneakers

JWST has been fully operational since June 2022, and it’s already sent us stunning images of our universe. One is a star-forming region in the Carina Nebula called the Cosmic Cliffs (fun fact, the tallest peaks are 7 light years high!) and you can get this amazing image on a classy pair of high-top sneakers from Startorialist, a STEM fashion brand. Keep in mind these are a custom order, so they may take a few weeks to ship. — Swapna Krishna, Freelance Writer

Buy Cosmic Cliffs sneakers at Startorialist – $89

Banllis Decorative Astronaut and Moon Bookends

Want to spruce up someone’s book shelves? These adorable astronaut moon bookends will delight any space lover. They come in two colors, gold and gray – depending on whether you want them to pop or blend in. They aren’t the heaviest bookends, so you probably don’t want to hold up a huge stack of hardcovers with these, but they look good from both far away and close up – the detailing on the moons is an especially nice touch. — S.K.

Buy bookends at Amazon – $47

The Milky Way: An Autobiography of Our Galaxy

Moiya McTier tells the story of the Milky Way in a unique way: from the point of view of the galaxy. It’s a funny and smart look at our galaxy (and humans’ place within it), and presents scientific information in an approachable and often hilarious way. Whether you’ve read every space book out there and are looking for something new or don’t know where to start, this is a unique perspective for sure. — S.K.

Buy The Milky Way at Amazon – $14

Four Point Puzzles Moon Puzzle

This 1,000 piece puzzle features an exquisite NASA image of the Moon’s surface. The rich detail here, and the intricate lunar features, will provide a challenge to even experienced puzzle aficionados. — S.K.

Buy moon puzzle at Four Points – $28

Svaha USA JWST Deep Field Custom Hoodie

Svaha USA is another great brand that’s got some fantastic STEM merch. They’ve even got JWST’s Deep Field image of galaxy cluster SMACS 0723 on a hoodie! If a pullover hoodie isn’t your thing, you can also find the image on tote bags, dresses, and more. These are custom printed upon ordering, so don’t wait until the last minute or you may not receive yours by the holidays.

Buy at custom hoodie at Svaha – $60

Astronomy Activity Book For Kids

If you have five to seven year old kid on your holiday gift list who’s fascinated by galaxies far away, this activity book is a great choice. Written by a former NASA scientist and beautifully illustrated, it contains games and projects about space, information on how to find constellations and big astronomical events such as meteor showers, and more.

Buy Astronomy Activity Book at Amazon – $9

Super Cool Space Facts

If the kid on your list is more into cool facts and less into hands-on projects, this book is exactly what you think it is from the title: full of hundreds of space facts, along with full-color photos. It’s a great choice for any younger space nerd – but honestly, it’s a good read for the adults in your life who want to know more about space but don’t know where to start.

Buy Super Cool Space Facts at Amazon – $8

Sony MDR-7506

Every music lover and music maker needs a good pair of headphones. There are so many amazing sets out there to choose from, but I remain a dedicated fan of Sony’s affordable workhorse the MDR-7506. They’ve been a studio mainstay for decades for good reason. They’re natural sounding, light and comfortable enough to wear for hours, and reasonably priced. The MDR-7506s are equally at home monitoring a podcast, mixing a club banger or just listening to some vinyl. In short, they’re a great practical gift even if you’re operating under a tight budget. — Terrence O’Brien, Managing Editor

Buy Sony MDR-7506 at Amazon – $100

Oblique Strategies

Anyone who practices some sort of creative art – be it music, painting or writing – hits a block at some point. There’s tons of advice out there on how to overcome these hurdles, but one of the most famous is easily the Oblique Strategies deck. Developed by Peter Schmidt and Brian Eno in 1975, each card contains an action or a way of thinking designed to shake up your approach to a thorny creative problem. “Use an unacceptable colour,” “Make a sudden, destructive unpredictable action; incorporate” and “Emphasize the flaws,” are the sorts of vague instructions you can expect. And how someone interprets the prompts will produce different results for each person. If you’re shopping for anyone with a creative streak, they’ll find a use for this deck. — T.O.

Buy Oblique Strategies at Eno Shop – $60

Dilla Time

If you’re gift shopping for a music producer I can almost guarantee you they’re fans of J Dilla. He was a singular force in hip-hop, and has even had his MPC displayed at the Smithsonian. Dilla Time by Dan Charnas chronicles not just the life of Dilla (James DeWitt Yancey), but his legacy and the history of rhythm in America. In addition, there are graphics that help illustrate the concepts behind Dilla’s unique beats and what made him so special. It’s part biography, part history lesson and part practical music production guide. — T.O.

Buy Dilla Time at Amazon – $22

How to Write One Song

If there’s an aspiring songwriter on your list, consider picking them up a copy of How to Write One Song. Written by Jeff Tweedy of Wilco, this tome breaks down the process from beginning to end and encourages readers to start small; don’t try to become a “songwriter” just try to write a song. But this isn’t a rote how-to book, that sort of thing is only so helpful when it comes to mastering an artistic craft. It’s about building creativity into your everyday life. And just like any other skill, being creative requires practice. — T.O.

Buy How to Write One Song at Amazon – $19

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels

Blood, Sweat, and Pixels is a must-read for anyone with even a passing interest in video games. Across 268 captivating pages, Bloomberg journalist Jason Schreier shares how some of the most influential games of the past decade were made. Featuring interviews with the people who were there – including The Last of Us director Neil Druckmann and Eric Barone, the creator of Stardew Valley – the stories that populate Blood, Sweat, and Pixels shed a light on just how fraught the process of creating a game can be during even the best of times. It’s riveting reading for anyone who wants a more informed perspective on the craft. — Igor Bonifacic, Weekend Editor

Buy Blood, Sweat and Pixels at Amazon – $14

Logitech G305

Don’t let the Logitech G305’s affordable $40 price fool you, it’s a gaming mouse almost any gamer would happily add to their collection. At 99 grams, it’s one of the lighter mice in Logitech’s stable, and you can program all six buttons to your liking. It also includes the company’s fast and responsive Hero optical sensor and Lightspeed wireless technology for “wired-like” performance. A single AA battery provides the G305 with up to 250 hours of life, and you can get as much as nine months of use with some tweaking. Best of all, the G305 is available in a few different colors, including a handful of cheerful pastels. There’s even a K/DA version for fans of Riot’s virtual K-pop group. That versatility makes a perfect gift for a PC gamer. — I.B.

Buy Logitech G305 at Amazon – $50

Backbone One

If you’re buying a gift for someone who primarily plays games on their phone, consider treating them to the best mobile gamepad on the market. At $100, the Backbone One is pricey, but it easily surpasses competitors like the Razer Kishi in build quality. It also comes with a surprisingly robust companion app that makes capturing screenshots and clips from your play sessions a breeze. Each new Backbone One controller also comes with complimentary access to services like Xbox GamePass, giving owners a few different ways to add to their game library. — I.B.

Buy Backbone One at Amazon – $100

Hades soundtrack

As Supergiant’s staff composer, Darren Korb has written some of the most memorable video game soundtracks in recent memory, but his work on Hades may be his best yet. From start to finish, the Hades Original Soundtrack is filled with tunes like ”Out of Tartarus” and “The Unseen Ones” that will make you stand up and shred an air guitar. It’s the perfect gift for fans of Hades (and there are many of those), but you can also give it to someone who hasn’t experienced the game yet. It might just convince them to play one of the best indies of the last few years. — I.B.

Buy Hades soundtrack at Bandcamp – $10

Hollow Knight

Okay, I lied. We do have one straightforward recommendation: Hollow Knight. Team Cherry’s debut title is one of the best games made in the past five years. It combines the exploration of a 2D Metroid-like title with a challenging combat system that is reminiscent of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series. Add to that a beautiful soundtrack, art style and story, and it’s easy to see why so many people are eagerly waiting for Hollow Knight’s upcoming sequel, Silksong. While we’re here, go the extra mile and gift your friend or loved one a physical copy of the game. It comes with a beautiful map of Hollow Knight’s world. — I.B.

Buy Hollow Knight at Amazon – $35

Laudate Luna

This gift will only appeal to fans of FromSoftware’s Dark Souls series, but let me tell you, if the person you’re buying for falls in that group, they will love you for it. Laudate Luna is a beautiful 12- by 36-inch print of Lordran, the setting where the first game takes place. Anyone who has fond memories of Dark Souls will be able to retrace their journey to Anor Lando and find all the places where they died repeatedly trying to conquer the game’s punishing combat. — I.B.

Buy Laudate Luna print at Fangamer – $36

SanDisk microSD card

If buying a gift for someone who enjoys gaming on their Nintendo Switch, there’s a good chance they’ll appreciate it if you get them more storage. The beauty of microSD cards is that they’re affordable. A company like SanDisk offers 512GB models for less than $100. That’s enough to install about 20 to 30 games. SanDisk sells Switch-specific models, but any UHS-1 compatible microSD card that offers transfer speeds of at least 60 MB/s will do. — I.B.

Buy SanDisk microSD card (128GB) at Amazon – $35

Mooas Multi-Cube Timer

One of the most difficult obstacles with working from home is all the distractions. You’re constantly sidetracked by temptations like TV, the internet or just easy access to the kitchen. A potential solution to that is to use one of these multi-cube timers from Mooas as a productivity tool. Each side corresponds to different lengths of time; to start the timer, you’ll flip the cube so your desired time faces upwards. Flipping the LCD display upwards again will pause it, while turning the display downwards will stop the timer.

There are a number of ways to use them, but I like using the Pomodoro Technique with these. I’ll enable the 30 minute timer which then encourages me to focus just on my work for the allotted time period. Once time is up, I give myself a five minute rest, and then I start it over again. You can also use them as a reminder to stand up and stretch every so often. These timers come in a variety of colors, each with different time pre-sets, so be sure to pick the one with the time lengths you think your loved one will want. — N.L.

Buy Mooas timer at Amazon – $19

Logitech Lift Vertical mouse

If someone you love spends all of their time on a laptop for work, getting them a wireless mouse can improve the ergonomics of their setup immensely. Not only are they generally more comfortable to use than trackpads, but they can also help improve posture and prevent hand cramping – especially if you get a vertical mouse. Logitech’s Lift is one of its latest vertical mice and it’s ideal for small- to medium-sized hands (those with large hands should check out the MX Vertical instead). The 57-degree angle in its design places their hand in the natural handshake position, which will put less pressure on their wrist than a standard mouse would. It also has a comfortable, soft-touch finish with four customizable buttons that are easy to reach. They’ll be able to connect it to their laptop via a USB receiver or Bluetooth and, regardless of which method they choose, the Lift will last two years before needing replacement AA batteries. — V.P.

Buy Logitech Lift Vertical at Amazon – $70

Logitech C920S Pro Full HD webcam

Remote workers might not have to see their co-workers anymore, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have meetings. Any WFH employee will tell you that their days are often inundated with Zoom calls and Google Meet video conferences. That’s why an external webcam is essential, at least if you care about looking good. Our favorite is the Logitech C920S Pro HD webcam, which offers 1080p video quality, autofocus capabilities and white balance adjustment. One big benefit over regular built-in webcams is that they’ll be able to position it however they like, which makes it that much easier to put unsightly household messes out of view. It has a large 78-degree field of view plus a lens cover that will protect your loved ones’ privacy when not in use. — N.L.

Buy Logitech C920S Pro Full HD at Amazon – $85

Ergofoam Ergonomic Adjustable Foot Rest

Those who sit at their desks all day will appreciate a more ergonomic setup for less back and neck pain. One way to achieve that is with the Ergofoam Ergonomic Adjustable Footrest, which helps provide fim support for your feet and ensure your sitting position is upright. The footrest is made out of memory foam and is covered in a plush velvet, making it super comfortable as well. This particular model is adjustable to two different heights, which is great for those who need a slightly taller footrest. Additionally, the footrest can be flipped upside down and used as a rocker to keep your feet moving, improving your circulation. — N.L.

Buy Ergofoam foot rest at Amazon – $50