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Spotify is bridging the gap between podcasters and their listeners by launching a comment section for podcasts, which will start showing up on episodes today. Listeners can find the service’s new comment section by scrolling past the play controls or navigating to the episode page once they’re done listening. At launch, all posts will be private by default, and creators will have full control over what comments will show up on their page. They have the power to publish and unpublish any response they want. If they have no time to do that, they can enable comments for specific episodes only or opt out of the feature altogether. 

The service is making it possible for all creators to oversee comments by giving them access to the updated Spotify for Podcasters app, whether or not they’re hosted by the company. Creators that aren’t hosted on the Spotify for Podcasters platform just have to claim their show through the app first. In addition to being able to control what responses get published on their page, creators will also receive notifications for new comments and for reaching show milestones. They’ll get access to analytics and insights on their audience, as well. 

Spotify says listeners who engage with its interactive features, such as its Q&As and polls, are (on average) four times more likely to return to a show within 30 days. Those users also spend twice as many hours per month listening to podcasts than those who don’t engage with Spotify’s interactive features. The company intends to make its platform even more interactive and has more plans for fall this year. It also vows to continue improving its comments experience based on the feedback it gets from both podcasters and listeners. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-is-launching-a-comment-section-for-podcasts-130034091.html?src=rss 

If you’re in the market for some new tech then Amazon’s early Prime Day deals have you covered. The latest deal worth shopping is a 32 percent discount on the second-generation Apple AirPods Pro. The Prime Day sale brings them down to $169 from $249 — a new all-time low price. These earbuds are our choice of best wireless earbuds for iPhone users. 

The second-gen AirPods Pro came out in 2022 and are still Apple’s newest in the series. We gave them an 88 in our review thanks to an H2 chip that produces solid noise cancellation and an excellent transparency mode. You can also swipe for volume control and access Personalized Spatial Audio. Plus, Apple shrunk the ear tip, added a built-in speaker to the case and switched out the lightning port for a USB-C one. 

If you’re looking for something a bit cheaper, check out the deal on Apple’s third-gen AirPods. They’ve dropped to a new all-time low of $129 from $169 — $11 cheaper than the sale we saw yesterday. For one-fourth off their sticker price, you get AirPods that are comfortable, offer excellent audio quality and are IPX4 sweat and water resistant. Plus, they have six hours of continual battery life and 30 hours total with the case. 

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-prime-day-deals-discount-the-airpods-pro-to-a-new-low-of-169-130559143.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day is right around the corner, as it officially starts on July 16. However, some of the best early Prime Day deals are already wafting in like a nice summer breeze. Case in point? You can now pick up a pair of Blink Mini 2 security cameras for $40, which is a discount of 43 percent. This is the latest version of the camera, which was originally released earlier this year. That’s a pretty quick turnaround for this kind of massive discount.

For the uninitiated, the Blink Mini 2 is a tiny security camera with a surprising amount of tech. The image quality has been massively improved over the original model and there’s a built-in LED spotlight that allows for color night vision. The smartphone app displays live 1080p footage with two-way audio and there’s a motion-detection algorithm that’ll send out alerts.

These cameras are great for use inside of the home, but they can handle outside use so long as you purchase the weather-resistant power adapter. You can also use the Mini 2 with other Blink products for a comprehensive home security system. For instance, these cameras can be used as a plug-in chime for the Blink Video Doorbell. Nearly every aspect of the camera can be controlled via Alexa because, you know, Amazon.

There are plenty more features available with these cameras, but that leads to the one downside. Many of them are paywalled behind a monthly subscription. You can stream live video for up to 90 minutes, get smart notifications, share clips and store clips for up to 30 days. All of these features require a Blink subscription plan, starting at $3 per month. You do get a 30-day trial with this purchase.

Also, for those with small homes who don’t actually need two security cameras, you can pick up a single unit for $20. All purchases include a mounting kit, a USB cable and a power adapter.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-prime-day-deals-include-a-pair-of-blink-mini-2-cameras-for-40-115051409.html?src=rss 

Logitech G has a new toy for gamers to try out. The brand — which is the gaming arm of Logitech — has released the G309 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse for $80 in black and white. The mouse is Powerplay compatible, meaning you can use it without an AA battery if you also own the Logitech G PowerPlay Wireless Charging System.

The new mouse also has Logitech’s Hero 25K sensor, which provides exceptional accuracy while being power-efficient. It offers 400 IPS with a sensitivity of up to 25,600 DPI. Plus, without a battery, it weighs just over one-tenth of a pound (68 grams) and just under two-tenths of a pound (86 grams) with one AA battery. 

Speaking of battery, the Logitech G309 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse lasts for 300 hours of ongoing gameplay at a 1ms report rate in LIGHTSPEED with just one AA alkaline battery. If you switch the mouse to Bluetooth, that amount doubles to 600 hours. 

“Our LIGHTSPEED technology, in conjunction with our Hero sensors, has advanced to the point where all gamers, from the world’s elite esports pros athletes to the first time gamer, know they can trust Logitech G mice to perform every time,” Ujesh Desai, vice president and general manager of Logitech Gaming, said in a statement.

The Logitech G309 LIGHTSPEED Wireless Gaming Mouse is available now and includes a LIGHTSPEED USB receiver, USB cable extender, grip stickers and an AA battery. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitech-g-launches-a-new-80-gaming-mouse-120004581.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day will officially arrive on July 16, but we’re already starting to see good deals pop up. Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is now just $35 as part of an early Prime Day 2024 deal. That’s the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the company’s premium streaming stick — it typically retails for $60 and has been previously discounted to $40.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is Amazon’s most capable portable streaming device. Just plug it into your TV’s HDMI port (or a TV while on vacation), and you’ll instantly have access to all of your favorite streaming apps, like Netflix, Hulu and Amazon’s own Prime Video. The Fire TV Stick 4K Max supports fast WiFi 6E connectivity, and in addition to its 4K resolution it offers Dolby Vision, HDR10+ and HLG to make your shows and films look their best.

With a 2GHz quad-core processor and 16GB of onboard storage (double what the cheaper Fire TV devices have), the Fire TV Stick 4K Max should be zippy and have enough space to your favorite apps and games. Its WiFi 6E support also makes it a great option for streaming games with Amazon Luna. The bundled Alexa Voice Remote Enhanced gives you instant access to Amazon’s virtual assistant, allowing you to search for shows or just ask about the weather.

If you don’t need all the bells and whistles of the Fire TV Stick 4K Max, there’s also the Fire TV Stick Lite on sale for $15, one of our favorite inexpensive streaming devices. And if you need Ethernet and hands-free Alexa support, Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is now just $100 as part of this early Prime Day Deal.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Amazon Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/early-prime-day-deals-include-the-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-for-a-record-low-of-35-123038908.html?src=rss