Category: Technology

If you’re a creator in the market for a good-quality wireless microphone, DJI has the best deal we’ve ever seen on one of its most popular products. This Mic Mini bundle, which includes two mics, a receiver and two charging docks (plus two windscreens and other accessories), is already a good deal at the regular $119 price. For Black Friday, however, it’s marked down to just $66 for a savings of 45 percent. If you only need a single wireless mic, you can also grab a Mic Mini with a mic, receiver, charging dock and accessories for $45, or 49 percent off the regular price. 

DJI’s Mic Mini deal includes two mic transmitters and a receiver that can be connected to a camera or phone. The bundle also includes a pair of charging docks, two windscreens, a splitter USB-C cable for charging, a 3.5mm camera audio cable, two magnetic clips, a smartphone adapter, a charging cable and a compact carrying case. Note that the charging case is not included in this deal. And if you want a simpler setup with just a single mic and receiver, plus all the other accessories, that’s also on sale for $45, or 53 percent off.

The wireless mics weigh just a third of an ounce and attach easily to subjects via magnets or clips. Everything pairs automatically and they offer high quality 24-bit, 20Hz to 20K Hz recording. They also connect easily to smartphones over Bluetooth and other DJI devices like the Action 5 Pro and Osmo Pocket 3 cams using DJI’s OsmoAudio direct connection. With a range of 1300 feet and 48 hours of battery life with the charger case, they’re an excellent addition to a creator’s bag of tricks.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/djis-mic-mini-bundle-drops-to-just-66-for-black-friday-102735161.html?src=rss 

DJI’s hyper-popular vlogging camera, the Osmo Pocket 3, is on sale at a near-record low at Amazon. You can pick one up now for $520 and save 35 percent ($279) off the regular price. This is likely the best deal you’re going to see for the Pocket 3 any time soon, given US tariffs that recently forced DJI to jack up the price.

When DJI’s Osmo Pocket 3 came out I said was “maybe the only vlogging camera you need.” To start with, it has a big one-inch sensor that boosts image quality considerably, particularly in low light. You also get a large swiveling touchscreen that makes it easier to switch between horizontal and vertical video. What really makes it great for vlogging, though, are the follow modes combined with face tracking. When working solo, you can simply set it up and it’ll rotate and tilt to follow you around — so you don’t have to worry about focus or even pointing the camera at yourself. 

While there’s very little not to like about the Osmo Pocket 3, it’s not ideal for photos and is also quite expensive. But with the Black Friday deal and DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4 rumored to be arriving in December, it’s a great time to buy one — just act quickly as stocks are bound to run out.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/djis-popular-osmo-pocket-3-vlogging-camera-gets-a-hefty-black-friday-discount-092339471.html?src=rss 

Social media is an overwhelming part of our lives these days, but the Pew Research Center provided an in-depth look at just how much we rely on these platforms. In a 2025 report that looks at social media usage with American adults, the data-driven think tank revealed some nitty-gritty details like year-to-year changes, age gaps and most importantly, frequency of use.

At the number one spot, YouTube holds a dominant position, with 84 percent of the 5,022 adults surveyed saying they use Alphabet’s video-sharing platform. Meta earns silver and bronze medals since 71 percent of adults said they use Facebook, while 50 percent responded positively when it comes to Instagram use. However, not all of Meta’s social media outlets are doing well. Threads may have hit 400 million monthly active users this summer, but only eight percent of adults surveyed said they use it. Rounding out the bottom of the list, only 21 percent of adults surveyed said they use X, while four percent of adults said they’re on Bluesky and three percent are on Truth Social.

Besides popularity, the Pew Research Center also explored the frequency with which American adults use their preferred social media platforms. In a separate survey with 5,123 adults, the report uncovered that 52 percent of adults go on Facebook daily, with 37 percent of them logging on several times a day. Nearly as frequently, 48 percent of adults use YouTube daily, including 33 percent of that demographic watching videos on the platform several times a day. When looking at frequency through the lens of age gaps, the starkest difference is found with 47 percent of adults between 18 and 29 using TikTok at least once a day, while only five percent of those aged 65 or older use the ByteDance-owned app every day.

When looking at annual trends, YouTube and Facebook have largely maintained stable usage — and even some growth — since 2021. Even though it may feel like Facebook has begun to stagnate, the report shows that it has a loyal user base that’s still growing at a consistent rate. On top of that, Meta is still continuing to update the social media platform, including recently revamping Facebook Marketplace. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/the-most-popular-social-media-platform-among-us-adults-isnt-instagram-or-tiktok-195823871.html?src=rss 

Valve shook up the gaming world with the announcement of the Steam Machine, but we’re all still curious about the million-dollar question of pricing. While there’s plenty of speculation, we finally have some sort of indication from Valve directly. In an interview with Skill Up’s Friends Per Second podcast, Valve’s Pierre-Loup Griffais revealed that the Steam Machine will not be subsidized but will still have competitive pricing.

“I think that if you build a PC from parts and get to basically the same level of performance, that’s the general price window that we aim to be at,” Griffais said on the podcast. “Obviously, our goal is for it to be a good deal at that level of performance, and then you have features that are actually really hard to build if you’re making your own gaming PC from parts.”

Griffais didn’t offer a concrete price range since Valve was still early in the process, adding that “right now is just a hard time to have a really good idea of what the price is going to be because there’s a lot of different things that are fluctuating.” When asked if the Steam Machine would be subsidized like how other companies often sell new consoles at a loss or slim profit margin to generate early momentum, Griffais said no and that it would be “more in line with what you might expect from the current PC market.”

However, Griffais also revealed that Valve is potentially interested in doing a Steam Machine Pro, but that the company is currently focused on this mid-range level as a “good trade off between affordability and the level of power we get.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/valve-says-that-the-steam-machines-price-will-be-more-in-line-with-current-pc-market-182213173.html?src=rss 

Building on Google’s recent announcement that Android’s Quick Share will work with iOS’ AirDrop for Pixel 10 smartphones, Qualcomm revealed in a post on X that the cross-platform file-sharing feature will be available on devices powered by its Snapdragon chips. In the post, Qualcomm said that it “can’t wait for people to use this once enabled on Snapdragon in the near future.”

It’s not a complete surprise since Google mentioned in its announcement that Quick Share to AirDrop would come to more Android devices. However, the Snapdragon confirmation acknowledged that this new compatibility wouldn’t be limited to Pixel smartphones or devices running Google Tensor chips. Soon, we could have the ability to share files with iPhone users, even if it’s with a Samsung Galaxy smartphone, a OnePlus device or even Nothing phones.

Qualcomm didn’t specify exactly when or which smartphones will get this Quick Share to AirDrop feature, but we might see it come to more devices than just smartphones, like tablets or laptops. Along with this latest file-sharing feature, Apple’s announcement of iOS 18 getting RCS compatibility has reduced the longstanding friction between smartphone operating systems.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/snapdragon-devices-will-soon-be-able-to-transfer-files-to-iphones-via-quick-share-164835065.html?src=rss 

Ice cream might not be the first dessert that springs to mind in late fall, but there’s no bad season for frozen treats, and our favorite ice cream maker is down to $180 for Black Friday. This kitchen gadget, which scored 90 in our review, is guaranteed to make you popular with guests during the holiday season, and at $50 off its regular price of $250 — the lowest price we’ve seen this year for this particular model — now is a great time to buy.

While you’ll definitely need a bit of space to accommodate it, the Creami is a more compact ice cream machine than some of its rivals. It works similarly to a food processor, only here you’ll be using strictly frozen liquid ice cream as a base. Once you have that (you’ll need to give the base around 24 hours in the freezer for the desired consistency) you use Ninja’s machine to blend in your chosen flavors. And if you make a mess (and let’s face it, you probably will), rest assured that most of the components are dishwasher-safe.

It’s admittedly a fairly loud machine during use, but as long as you’re willing to put up with the noise, you can choose between seven one-touch programs, including milkshake if you’re in the mood for a cold drink. And if you’re hosting people with allergies, they can be reassured that you have total control about what’s going into and coming out of the machine, which is much harder to guarantee when you’re buying dessert in a restaurant. This model also includes two pint containers with lids.

If you want the latest and greatest, though, the Ninja Swirl is the ice-cream maker to get. It can make regular and soft-serve ice cream, plus a number of other frozen treats. Right now, QVC has it for the best price we’ve seen, from $350 to $280.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-ice-cream-makers-is-down-to-180-for-black-friday-133009181.html?src=rss 

Google made its final arguments in a longstanding case against the US Department of Justice on whether it has to split up its ad tech practices. However, the judge presiding over the case may be looking to wrap up the case before Google has a chance to appeal, according to a report from Reuters. 

On Friday, both sides made their closing statements in the lawsuit where the Justice Department accused the tech giant of illegally monopolizing the ad tech market. While the US District Court Judge Leonie Brinkema ruled in April that Google held a monopoly in the online adtech space, the judge recently asked the Justice Department how quickly an anticompetitive measure could go into effect, adding that “time is of the essence.”

Google’s attorney, Karen Dunn, argued that forcing Google to sell its advertising tech subsidiary would be extreme and hurt customers in the process, according to the report. Google is also reportedly planning to appeal the latest decision. According to Reuters, Brinkema noted that any sort of remedy “most likely would not be as easily enforceable while an appeal is pending,” meaning that Google could delay the forced sale until the appeal is concluded. At the same time, Google is facing a $3.5 billion fine for violating the European Union’s antitrust laws within the adtech industry.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/a-decision-about-breaking-up-googles-adtech-monopoly-is-on-the-horizon-184409011.html?src=rss