Moog’s holiday promos this year include a particularly nice perk: a freebie. The synthesizer pioneer has released a free new MF-109S Saturator add-on (shown above) for all Moogerfooger Effects Plugins users. As the name implies, the plugin gives you more control over the input drive circuit to produce anything from analog saturation through to smooth compression. It also replicates the noise generator circuit of the Minimoog Model D, with control through a switchable filter type.

You’ll need to own Moogerfooger Effects Plugins to get the MF-109S, but the pack is on sale for $149 (normally $249) as of this writing. It works with common plugin formats like AudioUnits, ProTools AAX and VST3 on Macs and Windows PCs.

And don’t worry if you’d rather buy full-fledged creative software — Moog has deals there, too. The company is once again offering 50 percent off its iOS and Mac software, including the Animoog Z wavetable synthesis app ($15 to unlock), Minimoog Model D ($15) and Model 15 (also $15). This isn’t the first time Moog has run a sale on its apps this year, but you might not mind if you’re hoping to add classic synth sounds to your musical repertoire.

It may be worth investing in the Moogerfooger effects set even if the bonus isn’t a draw. We were impressed with the plugins when we tried them in October. You can produce subtle results if you want, but they’re at their best when you venture to the stranger side — even a basic track can stand out with the right tweaks. They’re treats for musicians who revere analog synthesis but don’t have thousands of dollars to spend on vintage hardware.

 

Ticketmaster’s chaotic handling of Taylor Swift’s tour ticket sales has brought the company under increased scrutiny, including from lawmakers. Sens. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Mike Lee (R-UT), the chair and ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Competition Policy, Antitrust and Consumer Rights, have announced a hearing to gather evidence on competition in the ticketing industry. They have yet to confirm when the hearing will take place or the witnesses that the committee will call upon.

Swift’s fans overwhelmed Ticketmaster’s systems in the gold rush for tickets to her first tour in five years. Ticketmaster says presale codes went out to 1.5 million people, but 14 million (including “a staggering number” of bots) tried to buy tickets. The company said it was slammed with 3.5 billion total system requests, four times its previous peak. When fans were able to make it to the seat selection screen, many effectively had tickets snatched out of their hands as tried to put them in their carts.

There was supposed to be a general sale for the remaining tickets last Friday, but Ticketmaster canceled that, citing “extraordinarily high demands on ticketing systems and insufficient remaining ticket inventory to meet that demand.” Even though the level of interest in Swift’s stadium shows was evidently through the roof, Ticketmaster’s management of the process has raised a lot of questions. Swift said Ticketmaster assured her and her team that it could handle the demand. However, she said the mayhem “pissed me off.”

After the presale mess, Klobuchar (who wrote to Ticketmaster to ask if the company is taking appropriate measures to provide the best service it can) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal said they were concerned about “the state of competition in the ticketing industry.” Others, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez called for Ticketmaster’s parent, Live Nation, to be broken up.

Along with selling event tickets, the company owns and operates many venues and manages several major artists. Last week, it was reported that the Department of Justice (DOJ) has been conducting an antitrust investigation into Live Nation for several months.

“Last week, the competition problem in ticketing markets was made painfully obvious when Ticketmaster’s website failed hundreds of thousands of fans hoping to purchase concert tickets. The high fees, site disruptions and cancellations that customers experienced shows how Ticketmaster’s dominant market position means the company does not face any pressure to continually innovate and improve,” Klobuchar said in a statement. “That’s why we will hold a hearing on how consolidation in the live entertainment and ticketing industry harms customers and artists alike. When there is no competition to incentivize better services and fair prices, we all suffer the consequences.”

Ticketmaster has said it’s adhering to a 2010 consent decree it has with the DOJ that allowed its merger with Live Nation to go ahead. “Ticketmaster has a significant share of the primary ticketing services market because of the large gap that exists between the quality of the Ticketmaster system and the next best primary ticketing system,” it added in a statement to Deadline.

 

Cryptocurrency mining companies hoping to set up shop in New York State may bump into some limits. Governor Kathy Hochul has signed legislation restricting crypto mining in the country, making it the first state to clamp down on the practice. The environment-focused law establishes a two-year freeze on new and renewed air permits for fossil fuel power plants used for mining that uses demanding “proof-of-work” authentication. The Department of Environmental Conservation will also have to study if and how crypto mining hurts the government’s climate change mitigation efforts.

The bill passed the state legislature in June, but didn’t reach Hochul’s desk until this Tuesday. It wasn’t guaranteed to become law. The Hillnotes that the governor didn’t commit to signing the measure during an October election debate. Her main opponent, Lee Zeldin, said he wouldn’t sign the bill if he were in a position to do so.

Politicians and environmental groups have worried that crypto mining, particularly that involving proof-of-work, consumes too much energy. The computationally intensive process adds to the load on the electrical grid, and has even prompted some mining outfits in New York to build natural gas-based power plants to sustain their operations. The cryptocurrency world has sometimes tried to minimize the impact. Ethereum, for instance, recently completed a merge to a less energy-hungry “proof-of-stake” system that revolves around validation from certain users.

It’s not certain if other states will follow suit. Democratic Senators have pressured Texas to take action on crypto mining energy demands, but that state’s government hasn’t budged so far. Not surprisingly, crypto proponents have also balked at laws limiting their activity. The Chamber of Digital Commerce claimed New York’s law sets a “dangerous precedent,” and that proof-of-work mining played a role in economic growth. There’s also the question of effectiveness — New York’s law might drive some miners to states with looser policies.

 

The San Francisco Police Department is currently petitioning the city’s Board of Supervisors for permission to deploy robots to kill suspects that law enforcement deems a sufficient threat that the “risk of loss of life to members of the public or officers is imminent and outweighs any other force option available to SFPD.” The draft policy, which was written by the SFPD itself, also seeks to exclude “hundreds of assault rifles from its inventory of military-style weapons and for not include personnel costs in the price of its weapons,” according to a report from Mission Local.  

As Mission Local notes, this proposal has already seen significant opposition from both within and without the Board. Supervisor Aaron Peskin, initially pushed back against the use of force requirements, inserting “Robots shall not be used as a Use of Force against any person,” into the policy language. The SFPD removed that wording in a subsequent draft, which I as a lifelong San Francisco resident did not know was something that they could just do. The three-member Rules Committee, which Peskin chairs, then unanimously approved that draft and advanced it to the full Board of Supervisors for a vote on November 29th. Peskin excused his decision by claiming that “there could be scenarios where deployment of lethal force was the only option.”

The police force currently maintains a dozen fully-functional remote-controlled robots, which are typically used for area inspections and bomb disposal. However, as the Dallas PD showed in 2016, they make excellent bomb delivery platforms as well. Bomb disposal units are often equipped with blank shotgun shells used to forcibly disrupt an explosive device’s internal workings, though there is nothing stopping police from using live rounds if they needed, as Oakland police recently acknowledged to that city’s civilian oversight board. 

While San Francisco has never explicitly allowed for robots to take human lives, lethal autonomous weapons (LAWs), are increasingly common in modern warfare. Anti-personnel mines, one of the earliest iterations of automated weaponry, have been banned since 1997 (but tell that to the mines already in the ground) and fully automated defenses like shipboard Phalanx systems have been in use since the 1970s. Autonomous offensive systems, such as UAVs and combat drones, have been used for years but have always required a “human in the loop” to bear the responsibility of actually firing the weapons. Now, the SFPD — the same department that regularly costs the city six-figure settlements for its excessive use of force and obstructs investigations into its affinity for baton-based beatings — wants to wield that same life-and-death power over San Francisco’s civilians.

 

Hulu has jumped into the Black Friday action with steep discounts on its Hulu with Ads plan. You can grab a year of the service for $2 per month ($23.88 for the year), savings yourself a hefty $6 per month or 75 percent off the regular $8 per month rate.

Buy one year of Hulu with Ads for $2 per month

This basic plan includes access to the entire Hulu library of shows and movies that can be streamed on up to two devices at once, with six user profiles, max. Content includes popular films and series like The Handmaid’s Tale, Dopesick, Atlanta and Prey. The main thing missing from this plan compared to Hulu’s $11.99 monthly no-ads plan is you can download things for offline viewing with the more expensive option (and no ads, as the name obviously implies). The deal is in effect until November 28th, so it’s best to act soon if you’re interested. 

Disney is also having a sale on its primary Disney+ premium plan that includes Disney, Pixar, Marvel, Star Wars and National Geographic content. Until December 7th, you can get 12 months of the plan for $80, saving $16 over the current $96 price. However, Disney+ is set to go up to $11 per month on December 8th, so jumping in now will save you 39 percent over subscribing later. The plan will automatically renew on an annual basis, so if you don’t want to pay the higher price later, be sure to set a reminder to cancel in your calendar. 

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

 

If you’re looking for something to help you get in shape or assist someone else on their health journey, a fitness tracker can be a worthwhile purchase. With Black Friday around the corner, Amazon has discounted a selection of Fitbit’s most popular devices. To start, the entry-level Inspire 3 is currently 30 percent off, putting it just under $70. That’s a new all-time low for the wearable. What’s more, the Inspire 3 is a great option if you’re looking for a no-thrills fitness tracker that nails the essentials. It includes Fitbit’s handy automatic workout detection feature and the usual activity tracking capabilities. Best of all, you can expect to get about 10 days of battery life from the Inspire 3.

Buy Inspire 3 at Amazon – $70

For those looking for a more robust offering, the Charge 5 is also on sale. After a 33 percent discount, one of the best fitness trackers you can buy is $99.95, down from $149.95. Think of the Charge 5 as a more capable Inspire 3. It features a full-color AMOLED display and built-in GPS support for more accurate tracking when running and cycling. Fitbit also integrated EDA sensors into the Charge 5, giving the wearable the ability to measure your stress levels. Engadget awarded the Charge 5 a score of 82, praising the wearable for its comfortable design and multi-day battery life.

Buy Charge 5 at Amazon – $100

Lastly, the sale includes Fitbit’s smartwatches. The more affordable Versa 4 is $149.95 after an $80 price cut, while the top-tier Sense 2 is $199.95, down from $299.95. Both offer continuous heart rate monitoring paired with activity, stress and sleep tracking. They also include Google Maps integration for turn-by-turn navigation on your wrist and support for Google Wallet. By paying for the more expensive Sense 2, you get a device that can also take skin temperature readings and track your stress levels.

Buy Versa 4 at Amazon – $150Buy Sense 2 at Amazon – $200

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

 

Every Pokémon generation brings a new region to discover. But with the open-world design of Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, instead of simply getting an updated map with a linear path from start to finish, it feels like there’s a vast countryside to explore. Then you add a deeper story with three branching paths, along with a bunch of quality-of-life improvements and tweaks to the traditional Pokémon format, and you have a game that’s a blast to get lost in — even with the title’s unfortunate performance issues.

Welcome to Paldea

As always, the goal in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet is to become the very best. However, the twist for this generation is that you’re also a student at a nearby academy (Naranja in scarlet, Uva in Violet), which is where you’ll meet the other important characters in your story, or in this case stories. Nemona is a big-sister type who serves as both your rival and your guide as you try to become a Pokémon League champion. She’s a helluva lot more likable than Hop from Sword and Shield, and she helps teach you some of the basics of battling, which is helpful because you don’t actually spend a lot of time in classes.

Then there’s Team Star, which is sort of this generation’s Team Rocket equivalent, except that this time the gang is more like an afterschool club with a bad reputation and way too much funding. Finally there’s Arven, the son of the new professors (Professor Turo or Professor Sada depending on your version of the game), who is on a hunt to find the fabled Herba Mystica — magical plants that are unique to Paldea.

Sure, the journey to collect eight gym badges and defeat the Elite 4 is as straightforward as ever (well, as much as it can be in an open-world game). But learning the motivation behind Arven’s search for Titan Pokémon nearly brought a tear to my eye. And by introducing special super-sized Pokémon, the game has the freedom to add a new type of combat beyond your battles with trainers and wild monsters.

Meanwhile, for the Starfall Street storyline, Scarlet and Violet use this twist to introduce yet another twist on Pokémon battling. Instead of battling a handful of underlings one-by-one, you use your top three Pokémon to take down waves of enemy monsters off-screen sort of like a Pokémon-theme auto-battler, which plays out more like an endurance test than the game’s traditional turn-based combat. And at the end, you battle the boss of each crew before learning about what made them join Team in the first place which eventually leads to a surprisingly wholesome redemption arc.

The big impact of this is that by having three storylines instead of one, Scarlet and Violet is able to tell a bigger tale from multiple perspectives unlike so many previous entries. And I think this approach really pays off because the paths that don’t have anything to do with becoming the number one trainer deliver some of the most heartwarming moments the series has ever produced.

So much room for activities

After nine generations, I finally caught my first shiny during a normal playthrough. Note: The Salamence line is only available in Violet. Scarlet gets the Tyranitar line instead.

Aside from the multiple storylines, the move to an open-world game design is a big change for the franchise. We got a taste of this with the Wild Area in Sword and Shield (and Legends: Arceus as well), but for generation nine, Scarlet and Violet have really leaned into this fresh approach.

Right away, the world feels big — I nearly got lost just 10 minutes into the game before I even made it to the academy. From there, things get even better, because you quickly get the ability to use your box-art legendary as a vehicle, allowing you to cruise to one point or another in style. Meanwhile, the landscape is littered with Pokémon in a way that feels downright bucolic. I stumbled on Magikarp splashing happily away in lakes and rivers, while in other areas I found a circle of Teddiursa gathered around an Ursaring, as if daddy was telling his kids a story while camping. The downside, though, is that because the world is so big and opposing trainers are often spread quite thin, sometimes it feels a bit lonely, as if there’s more space than the developers know what to do with.

Don’t talk to me or my sons ever again.

Outside of the big towns, there aren’t a lot of other settlements, and aside from the academy and the main Pokémon gyms, you can’t even really go inside buildings. On top of that, because enemy trainers don’t engage you on sight anymore, sometimes it feels like you’re on a hunt for people instead of Pokémon. Don’t get me wrong, there are also a ton of items and hidden treasures littered across the map (on top of a full post-game zone and four bonus legendaries), but sometimes I felt like I just wanted more of everything. More enemy trainers, more towns and more events that aren’t tried to the three main stories.

I also need to point out that using the main map makes me feel crazy. While you can’t pin locations for revisiting later like in BotW, it’s easy to set destination markers to highlight your next gym or story event. The issue is that when you hit Y to open the primary world map, every time North is orientated in a seemingly random direction, which makes figuring out where you are and where you want to go more annoying than it should be.

Some tera types looks cooler than others…

Other major changes include Terastallizing, which allows a Pokémon to power up and potentially change its default type, which can act as a surprise during battles when your opponent is expecting something else. It’s a neat twist on the Gigantamax and Max Evolution mechanics we’ve seen in previous games, though the effect can look a bit silly for certain Pokémon, particularly flying types which are represented by three giant crystalline balloons that pop out of their heads.

But to me, some of my favorite tweaks are the smaller quality-of-life changes added in Scarlet and Violet. The new auto-heal feature lets you restore HP to wounded monsters simply by highlighting them and pressing the – button. TMs are now also craftable, so you can more easily teach your monsters the moves you really want. And instead of move tutors, you can relearn forgotten attacks right from a Pokémon’s summary instead of having to find a specific person/location in the game.

Of course, the move to an open-world design isn’t without its flaws, with the main one being that there isn’t any level scaling for enemies. So while technically you can go anywhere you want and tackle gyms in any order, that isn’t really true in practice. This means you need to follow a somewhat pre-determined progression because if you try to jump straight from the starter zones into areas with a bunch of high-level monsters, you’re going to get clobbered. Same goes for tackling trainers that have fully evolved squads, while you’re still rocking a level 15 Fidough. There are also a couple areas that are walled up until you complete specific story events, and while it’s possible to climb or jump over some barricades, it’s generally not a good idea. Thankfully, if you ever lose your way or forget what to do next, you can always ask Nurse Joy (or one of her countless sisters) at a Pokémon center, who will suggest the best place for you to go next.

Performance woes

When you need to call attention to a game’s performance it’s usually for one of two reasons: it’s either a graphical tour de force or it runs as smooth as the skin of a Qwilfish. And sadly for Pokémon Scarlet and Violet, it’s the latter. The game just kind of chugs. Even doing simple stuff like panning the camera around can result in choppy framerates, with slowdown getting worse in more congested areas like cities and towns. NPCs in the background can also look like slideshows, as they slowly stutter step across the screen. And when you look at things up close, textures often look flat while shadows are big and blotchy, not to mention all the jaggies you see from diagonal lines (a little anti-aliasing would go a long way). Don’t get me wrong, it’s not an ugly game, but I feel like that biggest game franchise in the world can do better.

The performance issues in certain areas of the game sometimes make graphics in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet look a bit rough.

It’s almost like Gamefreak’s engine for Pokémon puts a massive strain on the Switch’s hardware, which is pretty mind-boggling from a game that looks similar to Breath of the Wild, except that it’s not nearly as pretty, it’s lot less dense and it’s way way smaller in size. I even suffered three crashes over my 35 hours of game time along with countless other minor bugs and visual glitches (I got stuck inside terrain twice, once of which required me to restart the game).

Thankfully, Scarlet and Violet’s autosave system is pretty reliable, so even when the game crashed, I never lost more than a couple minutes of progress. Regardless, while no software is bug-free, the latest Pokémon runs a lot worse than your typical video game, and as a whole, the game succeeds in spite of its performance, which is kind of depressing.

Which version should you get?

Without giving too much away, aside from a handful of Pokémon that are only available in one version or the other, the main differences between Scarlet and Violet come down to their respective legendaries and how that plays into the final endgame area. So if you prefer more historical-looking monsters like Koraidon (korai means ancient in Japanese), pick Scarlet. And if you like sleeker, more sci-fi looking Pokémon like Miraidon (mirai means future in Japanese) go for Violet.

Wrap-up

For a series that I started playing in middle school, all the changes in Pokémon Scarlet and Violet result in a game that feels fresh but still familiar. The world is bigger than ever, and now you have the freedom to explore it how you like (mostly). The addition of extra storylines also allows the game to tell a deeper and more engaging narrative than any Pokémon game in recent history. Unfortunately the game’s performance issues put a damper on the overall experience. So while I’d love to see updates to the core turn-based combat in the future, Scarlet and Violet feel more alive than any game Pokémon that came before — especially since the franchise’s move to the Switch.

 

It’s the year 2022 and going to the office for work is no longer the norm for a lot of people. You probably know at least one person in your life who’s remote either part-time or full-time. Working from home has its perks – not having a commute being chief among them – but it’s not without challenges. Household disturbances are big ones, as well as poor lighting or simply the lack of professional-level equipment that they might have access to only in-office. That’s why we recommend giving them a gift or two that will help with those shortcomings. From noise-canceling headphones to an ergonomic footrest, here’s a list of things that’s sure to make their WFH life a lot easier.

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. — Nicole Lee, Commerce Writer

Buy Mooas timer at Amazon – $19

Belkin BoostCharge Pro 3-in-1 MagSafe charging station

Apple devotees will appreciate Belkin’s BoostCharge Pro, which will charge an iPhone, an Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods simultaneously. Not only will this save your loved one quite a bit of desk space, it also reduces cord clutter as it only requires a single power cable. Additionally, though the charging pad has 15W MagSafe for the iPhone 12 and up, it’s actually compatible with any phone with wireless charging; it just won’t be quite as fast. That means it’ll work with iPhones 8 and up as well as compatible Android devices. — N.L.

Buy Belkin BoostCharge Pro at Amazon – $140

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. — Valentina Palladino, Senior Commerce Editor

Buy Logitech Lift Vertical at Amazon – $70

Lume Cube Video Conferencing Lighting Kit

If your loved ones already have a camera they like, then getting them a lighting rig is a great next step for improving how they look on videos, live streams and more. While a typical desk lamp might cast a shadow or make them look washed out, a proper lighting kit will illuminate their face and show off their best side.

We like Lume Cube’s Video Conferencing Lighting Kit because it’s small and lightweight enough to fit on tablets, laptops or desktop monitors. The built-in frosted lens and additional white diffuser softens the light so it’s easier on the eyes while also adding a glow to your appearance. The brightness and color is adjustable to fit whichever lighting environment you happen to be in. The Kit has a built-in extended battery so you can use it on the go, but you can also just plug it directly into your computer’s USB port to run indefinitely.

If they also need their video-lighting rig to be a desk lamp, we would recommend Lume Cube’s Edge Desk light instead. It also has adjustable brightness and color temperatures, which will help make them look great in front of the camera, but it can also swivel around to be used as a regular desk lamp when they’re not on a call. It attaches securely to most desks via a clamp which won’t take up much real estate at all. Bonus: It has built-in USB-C and USB-A charging ports which can be used as additional power sources. — N.L.

Buy Lume Cube lighting kit at Amazon – $70Buy Lume Cube Edge desk light at Amazon – $130

Flexispot standing desk converter

By now we all know the benefits of a standing desk, but that doesn’t change the fact that most of them are super expensive. Instead of spending a ton on one, you can work with what you already have – and that might be the better option if you or someone you love already invested in a nice regular desk. A standing desk converter like this one from Flexispot lets you turn your existing desk into one that you can either stand or sit at. This model also comes with a dedicated keyboard tray, so you can separate your workspace a bit and keep things as ergonomic as possible. But the best part is that it costs a fraction of what an actual standing desk would. — V.P.

Buy standing desk converter at FlexiSpot – $210

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

Sony WH-1000XM5

It can be hard to control the environment you’re working in when you work from home. You may have kids yelling around you, pets barking, meowing or otherwise making noise and maybe even your partner taking a Zoom call in the room next door. A pair of noise-canceling headphones will become your best friend when you need to block out the world and get things done, and there’s none better than Sony’s WH-1000XM5 right now. They have a refined design and an even more comfortable fit when compared to the (still excellent) XM4 that came before them, and Sony managed to improve upon their already stellar sound quality and ANC.

Thanks to double the number of processors and microphones and a separate V1 chip, the WH-1000XM5 is even better at blocking out human voices and other higher frequencies than its predecessors. And what might be even better is their 30-hour battery life; you’ll be able to use them for hours each day for multiple days before they need a recharge. — V.P.

Buy WH-1000XM5 at Amazon – $398

Ember Mug 2

If you know someone who has a tendency to let their cup of coffee or tea get cold, consider giving them the Ember Mug 2. It’s a self-heating smart mug that keeps beverages at just the right temperature – either for up to 1.5 hours or all day long if the mug is kept on its charging coaster. They can dial in their desired temperatures anywhere from 120 to 145 degrees Fahrenheit. The companion app also lets them save preset temps for their favorite drinks. — N.L.

Buy Ember Mug 2 at Amazon – $130

BenQ Screenbar

While a desk lamp is useful for working in lowlight, it can sometimes obstruct the monitor or worse, shine glare into it. A monitor light like BenQ’s ScreenBar is a fantastic alternative, as it reduces that glare while illuminating your desk at the same time. It has a built-in ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the ScreenBar’s brightness according to its surroundings. You can also change the temperature of the light from warmer to cooler hues. Since the ScreenBar attaches to the monitor, it won’t take up valuable space on your desk too. — N.L.

Buy BenQ Screenbar at Amazon – $109

Anker 577 Thunderbolt docking station

It’s easy to get carried away building your perfect work-from-home desk setup, only to realize that it’s not as efficient as it could be. Wires cluttering your space, extra connectors and peripherals you don’t use, all of those things can make your desk a place you dread sitting down at each morning. But Anker’s 577 Thunderbolt docking station, and others like it, can remedy that by giving you one multi-purpose, powerful brick into which you can plug all of your necessities.

This model has 13 ports, so there’s a good chance you’ll be covered at every turn, plus it supports 85W laptop charging, so you’ll always have plenty of power fueling your machine as you use it. In addition to supporting 1-Gbps USB-C data transfer, Gigabit Ethernet and 4K HDMI, it also lets you connect to two 5K external displays at once, just in case you’re going for that space-commander look. — V.P.

Buy Anker 577 docking station at Amazon – $330

 

If you’re looking for a new pair of AirPods to gift to a loved one this year, you’re certainly not alone. These popular wireless earbuds have been high on many wish lists since they first debuted in 2016. We’re now on the third-generation of Apple’s standard earbuds, and the second full revamp of the higher-end AirPods Pro. And those who want all of the conveniences of AirPods in a classic, over-ear design can still turn to Apple’s AirPods Max. Regardless of which model you’re looking to gift (or buy for yourself), there are discounts to be had for Black Friday. Here are the best deals on AirPods we found for Black Friday 2022.

AirPods Pro (2nd gen)

The latest AirPods Pro are on sale for $200 for Black Friday. While that’s not a huge discount, it’s significant for a pair of Apple earbuds that just came out a couple of months ago. These buds 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.

AirPods (3rd gen)

Apple’s third-generation AirPods have dropped to $140, which is $30 off their usual price. The company totally revamped the design of the standard AirPods with this iteration, and they earned a score of 88 from us for their comfortable fit, noticeably better audio quality and longer battery life. Just keep in mind that these buds don’t have ANC — you’ll have to spring for the AirPods Pro to get that feature.

AirPods (2nd gen)

The second-generation AirPods are on sale for $79 for Black Friday, although we have seen them go in and out of stock since they dropped that low. They’re a bit outdated at this point, but if you’re looking for a basic pair of wireless earbuds that work well within the Apple ecosystem, they’ll be a good option. This model earned a score of 84 from us when it came out in 2019 for its improved wireless performance and solid battery life.

AirPods Max

The over-ear AirPods Max have dropped to $449, or $100 off their usual price. The most premium of Apple’s audio gadgets, the AirPods Max have excellent, balanced sound, solid ANC, reliable touch controls and a good battery life. There are better headphones out there when it comes to overall sound quality and ANC, but these are the ones to get if you want them to work seamlessly with all of your other Apple devices.

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Netflix’s new in-house game teams may be particularly ambitious. The company has posted a job listing for a director in Los Angeles who would lead work on a “brand-new AAA PC game” — this is not just another mobile title. While many details remain unknown, the new hire will ideally have experience with first- and third-person shooters, constantly evolving “live service” games (think Destiny 2) and quickly prototyping in Unreal Engine. The perfect candidate would also be comfortable with both cooperative and competitive multiplayer, and create a game world “worthy” of a Netflix show.

The streaming service emphasizes that the game director won’t be held back by the “design constraints” of monetization. As with Netflix’s existing games, in-app purchases, ads and other rude surprises shouldn’t exist in this project. A listing for a lead engineer also alludes to a “3rd person action RPG.”

Expectations are already high. Netflix games VP Mike Verdu revealed last month that former Overwatch director Chacko Sonny is leading the LA studio after leaving Blizzard in 2021, and the new director may be similarly notable when they’re expected to have “at least” 10 years of design experience. Netflix has also set up shop in Helsinki and has bought multiple developers, including Oxenfree creator Night School Studio.

There’s a strong incentive to foster game development at Netflix. Less than one percent of the firm’s subscribers are taking advantage of the mobile games that come with membership. Blockbuster games for other platforms could not only reach new audiences, but help Netflix build its reputation in the industry.