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Amazon has revealed an all-new Echo Spot ahead of Prime Day. It’s very much like the original Echo Spot that came out in 2017 and was discontinued two years later except the front face is now split between a hemispherical display and speaker.

Amazon says the new model comes with better sound and a sharper display. Time will tell if the reboot suffers from the same screen flicker issues as its predecessor. Otherwise, the conceit is more or less identical: it’s a bare-bones smart alarm clock that, via Alexa integration, can manage a few simple tasks like providing the weather forecast or showing song titles when playing music from your streaming app of choice.

Arguably, the best part about the new Echo Spot is that it doesn’t have a camera. The original model had one baked in, which was useful for video chats, but not everyone was enthused about having a camera sitting on their bedside.

The Echo Spot’s outer shell comes in Black, Glacier White and Ocean Blue, and the display can be customized with six hues: magenta, violet, orange, lime, teal or blue, which can be mixed- and-matched with various clock faces. The Echo Spot will be available for $80, which is $50 cheaper than the original model. If you’re a Prime member, you can get it for $45 through Prime Day.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-unearths-the-echo-spot-from-the-dustbin-of-its-product-line-160304130.html?src=rss 

It has finally happened. Microsoft’s text editor Notepad just got a spellcheck feature, more than 40 years after the software launched in 1983. For the history buffs, Ronald Reagan was still president in 1983 and Ghostbusters, then called Ghost Smashers, was an unmade script set to star Eddie Murphy. It was a long time ago.

Microsoft just rolled out the new spellcheck tool to the Notepad app in Windows 11 and it works how one would expect. It automatically checks spelling errors. The company began testing the feature, to whatever extent it required testing, back in March and now it has been quietly updating the software these last few days, as reported by The Verge.

Specifically, the feature works nearly the same as it does in Word or Edge. Misspelled words are highlighted via a red underline. When you right-click on the misspelled word a couple of times, you get a list of correct spelling options to change to. Microsoft has also added autocorrect to the mix, which automatically fixes errors. You get the gist. It’s 2024.

One interesting aspect, however, is that you can disable spellcheck on the basis of file type in Notepad via the settings menu. In other words, you can toggle the feature off for file types like .md or .srt. It’s automatically disabled with file types associated with coding, like log files. Also, it takes an extra click on Notepad to replace a spelling error when compared to Word. As for Word, it first got a spellcheck in 1985. Ronald Reagan was still president and Ghostbusters had just proven itself to be a massive hit.

Microsoft is about to remove the WordPad app from Windows 11 later this year, so it’s beefing up Notepad to pick up the slack. Notepad has recently gotten a dark mode, actual tabs, a character count and, well, a virtual fidget spinner. It’s also been stuffed to the gills with AI, in the form of Copilot integration.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/microsoft-notepad-just-got-spellcheck-in-the-year-2024-154043158.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day is on the horizon but there’s plenty of sales you can already explore. One of the best early Prime Day deals currently running is a 17 percent discount on Apple’s third-generation AirPods. The earbuds are back down to their record-low price of $140, from $169. However, this deal doesn’t include AppleCare+ — you’ll have to pay another $29 for that. 

Apple’s third-gen AirPods came out in 2021 as a massive improvement to their predecessor. We gave them an 88 in our review thanks to features like a more comfortable design and way better audio quality. A lot of this comes down to their shorter, more contoured shape — the improved design also allows sound to more directly enter your ear. 

The AirPods and their case have IPX4 sweat and water resistance so you can more comfortably use them while doing activities like exercise. Plus, they offer always-on Siri and six hours of battery life (30 hours total with the case). 

If you’re just looking for relatively cheap, solid earbuds then check out the 38 percent discount on Apple’s second-generation AirPods. They’re currently down to $80 from $120 when not opting for AppleCare+. They offer five hours of continual battery or 24 hours 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-bring-the-third-gen-airpods-back-down-to-140-135052490.html?src=rss 

Samsung’s summer event is nearly here. Unpacked 2024 will stream live on Wednesday, July 10, at 9AM ET. You can watch it on Samsung’s YouTube channel, Newsroom website and homepage.

The company is holding the shindig in Paris ahead of the Olympics, kicking off there later this month. Perhaps it wants to set the tone for a fashion tie-in with its Galaxy Ring launch. Samsung has already shown what it looks like, and the company wrote in a court filing that it plans to start shipping the ring “in or around August.”

Foldables are expected to be a marquee attraction, with the Galaxy Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 rumored to feature heavily at the event. Their updates could be minor, as alleged leaks suggest the Z Flip 6 will have a boosted battery, RAM option and a new Snapdragon chip. Similar iterative update rumors have floated around for the flagship Galaxy Z Fold 6.

The Galaxy Watch 7 is also rumored to be on tap, with better performance and power efficiency. The Galaxy Watch Ultra could be a beefy wearable with a dial. Meanwhile, the Galaxy Buds 3 and Galaxy Buds 3 Pro could make an appearance with richer audio, longer battery life and adaptive noise control in the high-end model.

The tech world’s current trajectory makes new AI features practically inevitable at the showcase. Samsung launched new AI tools with its Galaxy S24 series in January, and it sounds like a safe bet to expect more on Wednesday.

For more on the event, you can check out Engadget’s Samsung Unpacked 2024 in-depth rumor roundup.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/samsung-unpacked-2024-how-to-watch-samsung-unveil-the-galaxy-ring-galaxy-z-fold-and-more-141053068.html?src=rss