Category: Technology

It may still be October, but Black Friday deals have already started coming down the pike. Case in point? The Amazon Echo Show 5 smart display is available for just $50. This early Black Friday deal knocks 44 percent off the price, bringing it down to what we saw on Prime Day.

This sale is for the most recent version of the device, which was originally released last year. The 3rd Gen Echo Show 5 easily made our list of the best smart displays. We said that “it doubles as a stellar alarm clock.” There’s an ambient light sensor that automatically adjusts the brightness of the screen, a tap-to-snooze feature and a sunrise alarm.

While others may decry the diminutive 5.5-inch screen size, when compared to rivals, we actually found it to be useful. The small form factor allows the display to easily squeeze on a busy nightstand or a dresser.

The Show 5 does have a camera, which is great for video calls but not so great for privacy. After all, this thing was made to sit by your bedside. It does, however, ship with a physical camera cover for the privacy-conscious. The only other downside is that the sound quality here isn’t quite as robust as the larger models. Still, this is a whole lot of smart display for $50.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/early-black-friday-deals-from-amazon-include-the-echo-show-5-for-only-50-163548076.html?src=rss 

Elon Musk’s social media platform X is home to the Grok AI model, and it just received an update today to help it understand images. Musk showcased Grok explaining a joke in an X post and mentioned that the technology is still in the early stages. Other than that, neither Musk himself or the Grok account elaborated further.

Musk owns xAI, the company that powers Grok’s image understanding function. You can see Grok’s six-point explanation of a meme Musk chose for the demonstration here. Thankfully, a premium X subscription is not needed to read Grok’s explanation.

As things stand, Grok’s image understanding abilities are still subpar relative to ChatGPT, as the joke explanation reads somewhat off, but it’s true that Musk’s AI company is working hard to improve Grok’s capabilities. That still hasn’t prevented Grok from providing misleading information about the presidential election. For now, it’s best to approach Musk’s pet AI with a healthy dose of skepticism.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/grok-can-try-and-explain-elon-musks-terrible-jokes-144522210.html?src=rss 

The holidays are fast approaching and if you want to get gifts for the children in your life early (a true feat), then Amazon has a sale for you. Right now, a few of Amazon’s Fire Kids tablets are on sale, including our pick for best kids tablet: the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet. It’s currently down to $110 from $190 — a 42 percent discount. 

The Fire HD 10 Kids Pro tablet is available in the colors Mint, Nebula and Happy Days. It has a 10.1-inch screen with 1080p full display and 13 hours of battery life. It’s meant for kids aged six to 12 and comes with a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+, which offers books, games, apps and more. 

The Amazon Fire 10 Kids tablet has the same sale as its counterpart, dropping to $110 from $190. Then there’s the Fire 7 Kids tablet, which is offering the best discounts at the moment. You can grab the 16GB model for half off — $55, down from $110 — or the 32GB model for 54 percent off — $60, down from $130. Unlike the other two, this one is geared towards children aged three to seven, but does offer many of the same features as its counterparts. 

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

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/amazons-fire-kids-tablets-are-up-to-54-percent-off-right-now-150046661.html?src=rss 

Netflix is rolling out a new feature called Moments that lets you save, share and easily rewatch certain scenes from shows and movies. So if there’s a killer bit in a comedy special that you want a friend to see, or a shocking twist in Squid Game that you can’t get enough of, this might be useful.

The feature will be mobile-only for the time being. Moments is debuting worldwide on Netflix’s iOS app today. It’ll be available on Android in the coming weeks. 

When you see a scene you want to save or share, you just need to tap the Moments button at the top of the screen. It’ll be saved to the My Netflix tab. You’ll be able to jump back to Moments on your phone whenever you like. Netflix says that episodes and films will start playing from bookmarked scenes when you rewatch them. There’s also the option to share a moment on social media platforms or in messages as you create a moment. You can share scenes with friends from the My Netflix tab as well.

Netflix has long had social sharing options for episodes and films, but adding an easy way to help users revisit favorite scenes and share them with friends is a smart idea. It looks like the company’s take on the clips feature that Twitch and YouTube have offered for several years. There may be more to come from Netflix on this front though, as the company wrote in a blog post that “Moments will hopefully expand in the future, offering even more ways for members to use and enjoy the feature.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/netflixs-latest-feature-lets-you-easily-share-and-rewatch-your-favorite-scenes-151053954.html?src=rss 

Apple’s new iMac is here. The 2024 model hasn’t changed much on the outside (save for new colorways), but it’s now updated with the latest Apple silicon. The new model has the same display and colorful designs as previous models, though there’s a new nano-texture glass screen option that reduces glare and reflections. The M4 chip inside gives it a speed boost and a more powerful neural engine for the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia.

Apple says the M4 inside the new iMac makes the computer 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and up to 2.1 faster for more demanding tasks (i.e. gaming and photo editing) than the M1-powered model. The latest iMac now starts with 16GB of RAM — up from the 8GB of base RAM in earlier iMacs. This can be expanded up to 24GB. The storage options also stand pat: The base model has 256GB, with 512GB or 1TB options available.

The M4 iMac has the same aluminum unibody design and 24-inch 4.5K Retina display found in every iMac from the past three years. However, there are fun new colors to choose from. The new iMac is available in green, yellow, orange, pink, purple and blue, as well as silver. The colors are bolder on the rear, but more muted on the front so they’re less distracting. 

Apple has brought in a new 12MP Center Stage camera that includes support for Apple’s Desk View feature. All four of the system’s USB-C ports are Thunderbolt 4-compatible this time around, while there’s once again Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 support. On the sustainability front, the iMac’s packaging is entirely fiber-based as part of Apple’s roadmap to eliminate plastic form its packaging by next year.

Alongside the new iMac, Apple finally updated its desktop accessories to ditch the old Lightning standard. With the new Magic Keyboard, Magic Trackpad and Magic Mouse the company has switched over to USB-C. These are available in colors that match the iMac looks.

The M4 iMac will be available on November 8, starting at the same $1,299 as its predecessor. The base model has an eight-core CPU, an eight-core GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. It comes with a Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse or Magic Trackpad. More expensive configurations include a Magic Keyboard with Touch ID. Pre-orders start today.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/the-imac-gets-an-m4-refresh-for-faster-apple-intelligence-151251449.html?src=rss 

The wait is finally over. Apple Intelligence is making its proper debut with the public releases of iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1. Typically, point-one versions of Apple operating systems add minor features and fix bugs, but the Apple Intelligence features weren’t quite ready in time for the rollout of iOS 18 et al. 

You’ll know you can use Apple Intelligence when you get a notification from the company. The initial generative AI features you can check out include writing tools like proofreading and rewriting, as well as text summaries.

There are live transcriptions available for phone calls and audio in the Notes app. Apple can helpfully generate summaries of these transcriptions. In addition, Apple can reorganize your photos and videos around memorable events such as trips and special events in the overhauled Photos app. You can create your own Memories in the app as well.

The beginnings of a Siri overhaul are here too. You can now type requests and questions to the previously voice-only assistant. If you still prefer speaking to it, Siri should be able to understand requests if you stutter or interrupt yourself. The Siri UI has been tweaked, as you’ll see a glowing border around the screen when you activate it. However, you’ll need to wait a bit longer for other Siri-driven features, such as the assistant’s ability to have a better understanding of your personal context.

Apple Intelligence is currently available on iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max and the iPhone 16 lineup. M-series iPads and Macs also support Apple Intelligence, as does the new A17 Pro-powered iPad mini.

Bear in mind that access is currently limited to those who set their device and Siri language set to US English. Apple Intelligence will start to become available in more countries and languages in December. Apple doesn’t plan to broadly offer the AI tools in the European Union or Chinese mainland right away due to regulatory issues, though as of September it was in talks with officials in both markets to make Apple Intelligence available there.

In addition to Apple Intelligence, iOS 18.1 adds support for other new features, such as a hearing test and the ability to use AirPods Pro as over-the-counter hearing aids. It should be easier to change the mail email address that’s linked to your Apple Account as well.

You’ll need to wait a bit longer for other promised Apple Intelligence features. The company released the iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2 and macOS Sequoia 15.2 developer betas last week. Along with additional writing tools, the betas include Genmoji (a custom emoji generator), Image Playground (animated- and illustrated-style image generation), the Google Lens-like Visual Intelligence and ChatGPT integration.

As for those who want to use Apple Intelligence in other countries and languages, Apple says that it is adding support for localized English in Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and the UK in December. A bigger update in April will expand language support beyond English — Chinese, English (India), English (Singapore), French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish and Vietnamese are among the new languages that’ll be supported. Apple also says that unspecified “other languages” will be added, as well. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/apple-intelligence-starts-rolling-out-with-ios-181-and-macos-151-151023619.html?src=rss 

Last week, the Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) released a statement expressing its regret that the US Copyright Office’s refused to grant an exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) to help preserve rare video games. However, the VGHF continued by saying it won’t back down and will continue advocating for improved video game preservation.

For some context, the VGHF had been a longtime supporter of the Software Preservation Network’s (SPN) petition to receive a DMCA exemption for the sake of preserving video games, especially for researchers who need access to them and can’t do so due to unavailability. As the only currently legal way is to get a legitimate hard or soft copy of the game and play it on its corresponding console, researchers are encountering difficulties in progressing in their studies. Piracy would be illegal, of course, which is why the SPN is fighting for an exemption. However, there are those who don’t see things this way.

Despite not convincing the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) and the US Copyright Office, the VGHF doesn’t regret supporting the SPN’s petition for a DMCA exemption. Its goal, and that of several like-minded organizations (as mentioned by Rock Paper Shotgun), is to help preserve out-of-print and obscure video games for future generations to enjoy. The petition sought to allow researchers to access these games remotely from libraries and archives.

The ESA pushed hard against the petition, refusing to allow any remote game access whatsoever. ESA members have even ignored calls for comment on the situation, IGN reports. As the VGHF says, researchers are now forced to use “extra-legal methods to access the vast majority of out-of-print video games that are otherwise unavailable.”

Three years of fighting for a cause and not giving up shows that the VGHF remains committed to video game preservation. The organization ended its statement by calling game industry members to support its cause.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/the-video-game-history-foundations-fight-for-game-preservation-isnt-over-135817436.html?src=rss 

I only hopped on the headphone trend earlier this year after being a forever earbud devotee, and they’re truly life changing. They’re so expensive, though, so a sale — especially a big one — can make all the difference. Right now, the Beats Studio Pro are just $169, down from $350 — a 51 percent discount. This all-time low price is available in Black, Sandstone, Deep Brown and Navy, though every other colorway but one is close at 46 percent off. 

We gave the Beats Studio Pro an 81 when they came out last year, thanks to improved sound quality and spatial audio with dynamic head tracking. It offers “near-zero” distortion, even at the highest volumes, which provides it with an 80 percent improvement from the Studio 3. That heavy bass that Beats was once known for is long gone here, only appearing when a track actually calls for it. The headphones also have transparency mode and new USB-C EQ modes: Signature, Conversation and Entertainment. Plus, they have up to 40 hours of battery life. 

There are some drawbacks worth mentioning when discussing the Beats Studio Pro. They are not the most comfortable headphones on the market, so you might not want to wear them for extended periods of time. They also have no automatic pausing or multipoint connectivity for iOS. 

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-beats-studio-pro-headphones-are-back-on-sale-for-51-percent-off-131525350.html?src=rss 

The iPhone 16 lineup, Apple Watch Series 10 and other devices Apple announced this fall are banned from sale in Indonesia. That’s because Apple has failed to meet its local investment commitments by around $15 million.

It’s said to have invested 1.48 trillion ($94 million) of the 1.71 trillion rupiah ($109 million) it pledged to plow into local sourcing and/or infrastructure to meet Indonesia’s requirements. Due to Apple not meeting the investment threshold, the Ministry of Industry has not issued the certifications that are required for Apple’s latest products to be sold there. The ban doesn’t impact older Apple devices, which the company can still sell in the country.

Under Indonesia’s local content rules, certain devices sold there have to contain at least 40 percent “domestic content.” This can be reached by, for instance, using materials sourced in the country, having manufacturing plants or employing local workers. Apple has established four developer academies in Indonesia and, as of earlier this year, it was looking at setting up a manufacturing facility there. Samsung and Xiaomi are among the smartphone makers that now have factories in the nation.

By not investing the remaining $15 million needed to meet the threshold, Apple can’t sell its latest products in Southeast Asia’s largest economy, which may prove to be shortsighted. While it’s hardly the most popular smartphone brand in Indonesia (it’s not in the top six, Bloomberg notes), Apple has room to grow there. Indonesia is said to have a $1 trillion economy and a youthful population that’s becoming increasingly tech-savvy. The government has also reported that there are 350 million active mobile phones in the country, which has a population of 270 million.

According to officials, there are around 9,000 iPhone 16 units in Indonesia. These have been mailed to the country or brought in by crew and passengers by hand. Bloomberg reports that personal use of the phones is permitted, but they can’t be resold. Since 2020, any mobile phones that are bought overseas and brought in are subject to a tax and have to be registered with the Indonesian government.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-iphone-16-is-banned-from-sale-in-indonesia-after-apple-fails-to-invest-enough-locally-133907141.html?src=rss