Category: Technology

Folks who are in the market for a good deal on a dedicated machine for playing Balatro tablet might be interested in taking a peek at Apple’s iPad mini 7. The company’s latest compact tablet has dropped to its lowest price to date at $399. That’s a cool $100 discount.

Apple refreshed the iPad mini last October with upgraded internals and support for the Apple Pencil Pro. This configuration has 128GB of storage and Apple’s A17 Pro chip. It also boasts 8GB of RAM, which is enough to support Apple Intelligence features

The iPad mini 7 is our pick for the best compact iPad — in part because it’s the only one. We gave it a score of 83 in our review.

The device has an 8.3-inch Liquid Retina display which is, sadly, limited to a 60Hz refresh rate. The lack of a Face ID sensor and one of the M-series chips that are present in Apple’s flagship iPads are our other major drawbacks with this one.

But it’s a solid tablet otherwise. The iPad mini 7 runs on the same chipset as the iPhone 15 Pro and Apple doubled the base storage from the previous generation. It weighs 0.65 pounds, so you may not have too much trouble holding it in one hand.

The Touch ID sensor is encased in the power button, and there are stereo speakers and decent cameras (12MP on each side). Like pretty much all of Apple’s other devices these days, the iPad mini 7 has a USB-C port rather than a Lightning one. Speaking of which, the tablet should run for up to 10 hours before you need to recharge it. And although there’s no cellular connectivity here, the iPad mini 7 supports Wi-Fi 6E.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/apples-ipad-mini-7-is-100-off-right-now-155549086.html?src=rss 

Sonos CEO Patrick Spence is stepping down from the company after eight years on the job, according to reporting by Bloomberg. This follows last year’s disastrous app launch, in which a redesign was missing core features and was broken in nearly every major way.

The company has tasked Tom Conrad to steer the ship as interim CEO. Conrad is a current member of the Sonos board, but was a co-founder of Pandora, VP at Snap and product chief at, wait for it, the short-lived video streaming platform Quibi. He also reportedly has a Sonos tattoo. The board has hired a firm to find a new long-term leader.

“I think we’ll all agree that this year we’ve let far too many‬ people down,” Conrad wrote employees in a letter. “Getting back to basics is necessary, but clearly not enough to‬‭ unlock the future we all envision for Sonos.” He also suggested that he wants the company to expand “well beyond” home speakers and related gear.

As for Spence, he’ll be just fine. His payout package includes $7,500 per month until June, a cash severance of $1.9 million and his unvested shares in Sonos will vest. He was with Sonos for more than a decade.

The decision to swap leadership comes after months of turmoil at the company. It rolled out a mobile app back in May that was absolutely rife with bugs and missing key features like alarms and sleep timers. Some customers even complained that entire speaker systems would no longer work after updating to the new app. It was a whole thing.

Sonos tried to win back customer trust by extending the manufacturer warranty for home speaker products and creating an advisory board that would provide the company with “feedback and insights from a customer perspective to help shape and improve our software and products before they are launched.”

That didn’t ease the financial burden faced by the company. The stock price has fallen by around 13 percent since the app launched. Sonos laid off over 100 people in August as it tried to fix the software and revenue fell 16 percent in the fiscal fourth quarter, which ended on September 28. Analysts project an additional 15 percent decline throughout the holiday period.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/sonos-ceo-patrick-spence-falls-on-his-sword-after-horrible-app-launch-160704330.html?src=rss 

Amid signs of a stagnating economy, the UK is going all-in on AI. On Monday, British Minister Keir Starmer announced a new AI Opportunities Action Plan. At the center of the initiative are “AI Growth Zones,” which the government plans to establish in de-industrialized areas throughout the country.

In these areas, the Labour government will fast-track planning approvals for data centers and offer better access to the national energy grid. Starmer said the UK’s first AI Growth Zone would be established in Culham, Oxfordshire, home to the country’s Atomic Energy Authority. More zones will be announced in the summer.

At the same time, Starmer’s government plans to increase state-owned compute capacity by a factor of 20, starting with the “immediate” construction of a new supercomputer with “enough AI power to play itself at chess half a million times a second.” As of November 2024, the UK has 14 supercomputers on the TOP500 list, putting it behind — by a significant margin — the US and China.

Additionally, the plan will see the government establish a National Data Library, which it says will make the country more attractive to investors by allowing private industry to “safely and securely unlock the value of public data.” Finally, a new AI Energy Council will work with energy companies to meet the power demands of the AI industry in a way that’s in line with the government’s clean energy strategy.

“Artificial Intelligence will drive incredible change in our country. From teachers personalising lessons, to supporting small businesses with their record-keeping, to speeding up planning applications, it has the potential to transform the lives of working people,” Starmer said. “But the AI industry needs a government that is on their side, one that won’t sit back and let opportunities slip through its fingers. And in a world of fierce competition, we cannot stand by.”

Over the next 10 years, Starmer’s government estimates that its strategy could generate as much as £47 billion ($57 billion) in annual economic growth. The announcement comes after the UK economy failed to grow in the third quarter of last year. From that perspective, making the country more attractive to outside investment isn’t the worst idea — especially with companies like Microsoft planning to spend $80 billion on new data centers this year.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/uk-to-fast-track-data-center-approvals-as-part-of-ai-action-plan-163753744.html?src=rss 

The Biden administration has unveiled its “AI diffusion rule,” which aims to restrict the export of GPUs that are most coveted for AI applications. Although it does not mention the nation by name, it’s broadly viewed as a means to prevent China from outpacing the US in AI development.

The rule proposes three licensing tiers. The first tier is unrestricted and includes the domestic market as well as 18 strategic allies. The majority of countries fall into a second tier, which will have caps on how much compute power they can import via top GPUs from the US. The third tier includes China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, and effectively bars US companies from selling their most powerful GPUs there.

US-based companies would also be prevented from sharing many details of their AI software models with countries outside that first tier, and would need to ask permission from the federal government before building large data centers in any tier two nation.

Many parties, including the Semiconductor Industry Association (SIA), issued statements condemning the decision, believing that the restrictions will do more to push nations towards working with China. “The new rule risks causing unintended and lasting damage to America’s economy and global competitiveness in semiconductors and AI by ceding strategic markets to our competitors,” SIA wrote.

NVIDIA also objected, with Ned Finkle, the company’s Vice President of Government Affairs, saying the Biden Administration “seeks to undermine America’s leadership with a 200+ page regulatory morass, drafted in secret and without proper legislative review.”

The rule has a 120 day comment period, so whether it survives the incoming Trump administration remains an open question.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/biden-proposes-new-export-controls-on-gpus-targeting-china-144022297.html?src=rss 

The Meta Quest 3S 256GB model is currently down to $349, its lowest price yet. This is our favorite cheap VR headsets, and at $51 off it’s even cheaper than ever.

If you purchase a Meta Quest 3S now, you also get a copy of Batman: Arkham Shadow and a three-month free trial of Meta Quest+. Both freebies have a combined value of $70. The Meta Quest+ subscription unlocks around 25 games, as well as multiplayer support for some titles. Additionally, you can redeem two free games a month. All redeemed apps belong to you, too, so they won’t disappear if your subscription ends.

The Meta Quest 3S doesn’t only do VR; its mixed reality capabilities are also excellent. You can adjust how much VR immersion you want and it supports multiple windows in your display for effortless multitasking. The headset itself has speakers, but if you want better sound, you’ll have to choose between USB-C earphones or slotting a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for your other earphones.

If you’re interested in a deeper dive into the Meta Quest 3S capabilities, take a look at our review.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-256gb-meta-quest-3s-is-down-to-its-lowest-price-yet-153735525.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s 32-inch Smart Monitor M8 (M80D, 2024 refresh) can act not only as a monitor with a webcam, but a smart TV as well thanks to the built-in speakers and support for cloud gaming and streaming platforms. It normally costs $700, but it’s back down near an all-time low of $400 at Amazon, netting you a savings of $300 or 43 percent.

The refreshed Smart Monitor M8 has the same features as past models, but can now do even more things with the need for a computer or console — including video calls via the detachable webcam and streaming content from providers like Netflix and Prime Video. There’s even a tool that lets you quickly send images and text from other Samsung devices, like Galaxy smartphones and Book laptops, to the monitor. It also integrates with Galaxy Buds to offer a “surround sound-like experience” with minimal latency.

It offers UHD (3,840 x 2,160) resolution at up to 60Hz, along with HDR10+. With a VA panel, it’s decently bright at 400 nits, offers a 4-millisecond response time and displays up to a billion colors, with 99 percent sRGB coverage. Input-wise, you get USB-C and Micro HDMI 2.0 inputs, along with a USB-C charging interface. Finally, it has a a detachable SlimFit Cam for video calls, making it a solid choice for work or light content creation.

That’s just the half of it, though. It’s a WiFi-capable smart TV that supports Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+ and Apple TV, as well as cloud gaming platforms. It comes with built-in dual 5W speakers and a home hub that allows you to use it to control SmartThings-compatible IoT devices like lights and thermostats. It even has built-in support for Microsoft 365, so you can edit documents or browse the web without having to connect it to a computer.

Other features include the ability to change the angle and position with the high-adjustable stand, along with a game bar that makes it easy to switch between cloud services. Normally it sells for $700, making the $400 sale price a particularly good deal — so it’s best to act fast while it’s in stock.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/samsungs-2024-smart-m8-monitor-is-on-sale-for-just-399-130009470.html?src=rss 

The weeklong speedrunning marathon Awesome Games Done Quick 2025 wrapped up in the wee hours of Sunday morning, and organizers say it managed to pull in a total of $2,556,305 for Prevent Cancer Foundation. 

As could be expected, the event in Pittsburgh brought a good mix of skill and silliness: there was a Crazy Taxi speedrun featuring a live band; FunkopotamusWes played the piano during his run of New Super Mario Bros. Wii, using his head and feet to control the game via motion controls; and Dr. Doot did an Elden Ring bosses speedrun using an electric saxophone. Yes, the saxophone did make little doot doot sounds the entire time.

The marathon ran continuously from January 5-12, so there are many, many more great moments besides these to catch up on if you missed it. Everything can be found on the Games Done Quick YouTube channel.

AGDQ is one of several charity-focused events held by Games Done Quick every year, and the next one, Back to Black is coming up in February. Highlighting Black hosts and speedrunners, that event (Feb 6-9) will raise money for the racial justice nonprofit, Race Forward. Over the years, Games Done Quick has raised more than $54 million for various charities including Prevent Cancer Foundation and Doctors Without Borders. AGDQ raised about $2.5 million during its marathon last year, too. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/awesome-games-done-quick-raises-another-25-million-for-a-cancer-nonprofit-202228938.html?src=rss 

It’s looking more and more like the rumored ultra-thin iPhone we’ve been hearing about for the last few months will get Apple’s “Air” branding. In the Power On newsletter, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman says the iPhone 17 lineup will feature a new model that could be called the iPhone 17 Air, and it’ll be roughly 2 millimeters thinner than any other model we’ve seen yet. “It will have a base-level A19 chip and a single-lens camera system,” Gurman notes, and will serve “as a testing ground for future technologies, including ones that could allow for foldable devices.” That and the upcoming new iPhone SE will use Apple’s first in-house modem, according to Gurman.

We’re also likely to see upgrades to the entry-level iPad that will make it compatible with Apple Intelligence. Gurman reports that the next generation of iPad will get the A17 Pro chip and 8 GB of memory. That news should come in the spring along with the iPhone SE and new iPad Air models, according to Gurman.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/this-year-could-bring-the-iphone-air-and-an-entry-level-ipad-with-apple-intelligence-175059162.html?src=rss 

Amazon is shutting down its Try Before You Buy Prime program at the end of January. The move, first reported by The Information, was announced with a notice at the top of the Prime Try Before You Buy page, which puts its last day in effect as January 31. The service has been available to members since 2018, when it was first launched as Prime Wardrobe. With it, you could choose up to six items to try on, and send back whatever you didn’t want within a week for free. You’d only be charged for the items you decided to keep, and you could pick from select clothes, shoes, jewelry and accessories.

In a statement to CNBC, an Amazon spokesperson said, “Given the combination of Try Before You Buy only scaling to a limited number of items and customers increasingly using our new AI-powered features like virtual try-on, personalized size recommendations, review highlights, and improved size charts to make sure they find the right fit, we’re phasing out the Try Before You Buy option, effective January 31, 2025.” If you’re someone who still makes use of this service, better get those last orders in quick.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/amazon-prime-will-no-longer-let-clothes-shoppers-try-before-you-buy-after-this-month-223158560.html?src=rss