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The August premiere date of the highly-anticipated Disney+ Star Wars: Ahsoka series is rapidly approaching and there’s an action-packed new trailer that’s sure to delight fans of the animated Star Wars: Rebels series. It’s filled to the brim with live-action appearances from beloved Rebels characters like Hera Syndula, Sabine Wren, Chopper, Ezra Bridger and even series antagonist Grand Admiral Thrawn.

The show takes place in the same timeline of The Mandalorian, but stars Ahsoka Tano, former apprentice of sand-hating Anakin Skywalker. Tano (Rosario Dawson) never appeared in the prequel films but was a mainstay in the Star Wars: Clone Wars cartoon before moving onto Star Wars: Rebels and, finally, season two of The Mandalorian.

Fans have long-surmised that Ahsoka would follow-up the cliffhanger ending (no spoilers) from Rebels, and they’re definitely getting their wish. The trailer’s packed with call-backs to the cartoon, even lingering on an animated still that appeared in the series finale back in 2018. For long-time franchise fans, the trailer boasts the very first live action appearance of Grand Admiral Thrawn, played by Lars Mikkelsen.

Thrawn was the primary villain in Timothy Zahn’s Heir to the Empire book trilogy that followed the adventures of Luke Skywalker and the gang after the events of Return of the Jedi. Those books aren’t canon, because Luke went on to become a blue milk-loving hermit or whatever, but Ahsoka looks to be incorporating certain elements from the novels, as have recent seasons of The Mandalorian. Many fans speculate that the juiciest parts of Zahn’s books will make up the basic plot of the forthcoming ‘Filoni-verse’ movie, a crossover event featuring all of the newer TV characters.

Ahsoka premieres on August 23rd, with two episodes dropping at the same time before heading to weekly installments. In addition to Dawson and Mikkelsen, the series stars Natasha Liu Borzizzo, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Eman Esfandi and recently-deceased character actor Ray Stevenson.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-star-wars-ahsoka-trailer-teases-a-full-on-star-wars-rebels-reunion-172056371.html?src=rss 

Intel is bowing out of making its own mini PCs. The chip designer has confirmed to Engadget that it’s ending its “direct investment” in its Next Unit of Compute (NUC) business. Instead, the company will rethink its approach to help partners foster the NUC PC market. The firm will honor its existing commitments, including support for NUC systems already in customers’ hands.

The company doesn’t explain why it’s ending production of first-party NUC machines. However, there’s little doubt the company is reeling from a bleak computer market prompted by both a rough economy and the early pandemic surge in sales. Intel’s revenue has plunged by more than a third in the past two quarters, and its PC-oriented Client Computing Group has been one of the worst-hit divisions. As ServeTheHomenotes, a move like this lets Intel offload a non-essential business and focus on making chips. The company sold its server business to MiTAC earlier this year.

Intel launched the first NUC in 2013 as a tiny, barebones PC kit meant to showcase both the latest processors as well as the possibilities for compact desktops. Over time, they evolved into more complete systems with robust performance and, in some later incarnations, dedicated GPUs. You could use them at home, but they also had a following in business — they were useful for compute clusters and other situations where size and simplicity mattered.

The NUC faced a number of challenges, however. While some models were better-suited to gaming and other demanding tasks, it became a challenge to stuff increasingly power-hungry CPUs and GPUs into compact cases. Intel also faced increasingly stiff competition. In the home market, the Mac mini is arguably the best-known mini computer. At work, brands like Dell and Lenovo offer more flexible configurations and stronger support for the corporate crowd. Simply put, there’s not as much reason for the NUC to exist as there was a decade ago.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/intel-will-stop-making-its-own-nuc-mini-pcs-154527920.html?src=rss 

Just five months after Anthropic debuted its open-source ChatGPT rival, Claude, the company is back with an updated version that promises longer answers, more detailed reasonings, fewer hallucinations and generally better performance. It also now scores in the 90th percentile of graduate school applicants on the GRE reading and writing exams.

The updated version, Claude 2, is available today for users in the US and the UK. It can now handle as many as 100,000 tokens — that’s around 75,000 words, or a few hundred pages of documents users can have Claude digest and analyze — up significantly from the previous version’s 9,000 token limit. In AI, tokens are the bits and pieces that your input prompt gets broken down into so that the model can more readily process them — hence Claude’s ability to “digest” user data.

This increased capacity will also translate into longer, more nuanced responses. Claude 2 will even be able to generate short stories “up to a few thousand tokens,” the company announced. Its coding capabilities have also improved, rising to a score of 71.2 percent on the Codex HumanEval benchmark, up from 56 percent.

The Claude “Constitutional AI” system is already guided by 10 secret “foundational” principals of fairness and autonomy. Extensive red-team testing since the release of the first version has tempered Claude 2 into a more emotionally stable and harder to fool AI. Compared to its predecessor Claude 2 is reportedly, “2x better at giving harmless responses compared to Claude 1.3,” the company’s announcement claimed. If you’re already subscribed to the Claude 1.3 API, great news, you’ll be automatically rolled over to Claude 2 at no extra charge.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/anthropic-releases-claude-2-a-more-capable-less-gullible-ai-chatbot-160053168.html?src=rss 

For any number of reasons, some people might not want to shop at Amazon, regardless of how low Prime Day discounts go. So it’s good news that the sale prompts other retailers, including Walmart, Target and B&H Photo to also offering some pretty strong deals of their own — some of which match or beat those at Amazon. We’re also seeing sales on devices the super e-retailer doesn’t typically carry, like the Google Nest Hub and the Apple HomePod. Here are the best anti-Prime Day sales from outlets that aren’t Amazon.

Sony WH-1000XM5

Our current favorite wireless headphones are Sony’s WH-1000XM5 and Amazon has them for $328, which is an all-time low and a $70 discount. B&H Photo has matched that price. These cans are the total package, combining excellent audio quality with good ANC and a comfortable fit, even if you wear them all day — which you can thanks to their 30-hour battery life.

Apple AirPods Pro

Apple’s second-generation AirPods Pro are going for $199 during Amazon’s sale, but both Walmart and Verizon have matched that price. This generation is a big improvement over the previous buds, with better sound quality, improved active noise cancellation and the best transparency mode of the buds we’ve tried. Engadget named them the best earbuds for iPhone users because they have a good battery life, a case with wireless charging and solid integration with Siri.

Google Nest Hub (2nd gen)

As Amazon tends to favor its Echo smart displays on its site, you typically can’t get Google’s Nest Hub on the site. It’s the top pick in Engadget’s guide to smart displays and right now you can get it from Walmart for $55. It’s also on sale for the same price at Target and directly from Google. It has a seven-inch screen housed within an unobtrusive exterior that will fit in with most people’s home decor. It provides all the smart display perks like watching YouTube, accessing the Google Assistant and controlling your smart home devices. It works particularly well as a monitor for your smart cams and doorbells too. Keep in mind that it lacks a camera, which is good for privacy, but makes video calls impossible.

MacBook Air (M2, 13-inch)

B&H Photo has the base model of Apple’s 13-inch MacBook Air on sale for $949 which is a $150 discount and cheaper than we’ve ever seen it on Amazon. That applies to all four colorways with 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage. We gave the ultraportable an impressive 96 in our review, calling it a “near-perfect Mac.” It has a Liquid Retina display, a quad speaker array and a battery that lasted over 16 hours in our video rundown tests.

iRobot Roomba 694

Walmart is selling the iRobot Roomba 694 for $199, which is the same as Amazon’s price. You can also get the robovac directly from iRobot for $200. Of all the models we’ve tried, this is our favorite budget option because it combines strong suction with an easy-to-understand companion app. We also like its minimalist yet attractive design which is nice for something that will be roaming around your home regularly.

Apple Watch Series 8

The 41mm, GPS model of the Apple Watch Series 8 usually sells for $399 and Amazon is selling it for $280 for Prime Members right now. Walmart brought the price down to $329, which isn’t as good of a discount, but you don’t need to be a member of anything to get it. This smartwatch is our overall top pick in our guide because it combines health and fitness tracking with excellent iPhone integration. This latest generation packs a slew of new sensors that can detect your temperature, give ECG and blood oxygen readings and give improved sleep metrics. The upcoming WatchOS 10 will take advantage of many of those sensors to give you even more insight into your everyday health.

Apple 10.2-inch iPad

Apple’s 9th-generation iPad is down to $250 at Amazon which is a record low. Walmart is selling it for $279. This is the previous generation of the standard iPad and the budget pick in our guide to the best iPads. It’s a great couch companion for casual browsing, binge streaming and light gaming. 

The latest (10th) generation iPad in the 64GB size is down to $380 at Amazon for Prime Members only, but Best Buy is offering it for $399. This latest generation slate has a slightly larger screen and a newer chip (though not Apple’s own M-series silicon). It also does away with the home button but, unfortunately, Apple also decided to remove the headphone jack.

Apple HomePod

You can’t usually buy Apple’s HomePod smart speakers on Amazon, so they’re not part of Prime Day discounts. However, you can get the new HomePod from B&H Photo right now for $289. We reviewed the new generation of the speaker upon its debut early this year and liked the design, good sound quality and quick Siri responses. It’s also adept at integrating compatible smart home controls. They also have the smaller HomePod mini for $95.

Bose QuietComfort 45

The Bose QuietComfort 45 headphones have dropped to a new low of $199 for Prime Members during Amazon’s sale. If you don’t feel like joining Amazon’s club, you can get them for $229 from Walmart or directly from Bose. That’s still a decent $100 off their usual price. These cans earned a spot in our best wireless headphone guide thanks to their comfortable, if a little dated, design, excellent ANC and balanced audio.

Google Pixel 7a

The Google Pixel 7a is on sale for $449 for Amazon’s sale. That’s $50 off its usual rate and an all-time low. If you’d rather get it directly from Google, it’s going for the same price at their store. This is the best midrange phone you can get right now thanks to its speedy Tensor G2 chip, smooth 90Hz display and support for wireless charging. The 7a also has solid cameras and an IP67 water-resistant design.

Google Nest Hub Max

The Google Nest Hub Max is going for $190 at Walmart instead of the usual $229. The smart display is the runner up pick in our guide to those devices. It’s got a larger screen than the standard Nest Hub, adds a camera for video calls and offers a nifty gestures function that lets you control media with hand movements.

Samsung Pro Plus microSD

The top pick in our best microSD cards guide is Samsung’s Pro Plus 256GB, which is on sale for $20 at Amazon, and B&H Photo is selling it for the exact same price. It had some of the best sequential write speeds of any of the microSD cards we tested, and the best random read/write speeds. It’s rated U3, V30 and A2, aka, the faster ratings most people are looking for, and will work great to add space to your tablet, Nintendo Switch or a smartphone. It even comes with an adapter to fit SD slots.

Samsung T7 Shield

The 1TB version of Samsung’s T7 Shield SSD is down to $75 for Prime Day and Samsung has matched that price on its own storefront. You can snag the same deal from B&H Photo as well. The T7 series is among our favorite SSDs and the Shield model wraps the drive in a tough casing with an IP65 rating for water and dust resistance and the ability to withstand drops from up to 10 feet high. The 1,050/1,000 MB/s read/write speeds should be enough for most of your external storage needs.

Crucial MX500

The Crucial MX500 internal SSD in the 500GB size is down to $35 at Amazon, but the same price can be had from B&H Photo, or directly from Crucial. Other capacity models are on sale too. The sequential read speeds hit 560MB/s and the standard 2.5-inch design should make it easy to add in to your desktop or laptop’s slot.

Instant Vortex Plus

The Instant Vortex Plus is the top pick in our air fryer guide and you can get it for $100 right now at Walmart and directly from Instant Brands, which matches Amazon’s price. It’s great for crisping up a lot of different foods and the “ClearCook” window lets you see your food while it’s cooking. The OdorEase technology does a decent job keeping food smells from getting overpowering and reduces overall smokiness.

Google Chromecast 4K

The Google Chromecast 4K dongle is the runner up in our Engadget guide to streaming devices and earned an 86 in our review, in which we praised the Google Assistant integration and the excellent remote. It’s on sale for $40 at Target, Walmart and directly from Google, which is $10 off.

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Amazon is selling Roku’s Streaming Stick 4K for $35 this Prime Day but you can get the same discount directly from Roku. Or you can save a dollar extra at Walmart, which has it for $34. We named it our favorite streaming device in our streamers guide because it can stream in 4K, supports HDR content with Dolby Vision along with AirPlay 2 and Roku makes one of the easiest smart TV interfaces.

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX

Corsair MP600 Pro LPX drive is the top pick in our guide to the best PS5 SSDs. Amazon is selling the 1TB model for $68 and Walmart has matched that price. Or you can get it directly from Corsair. We think it’s a good drive for your console because it has fast read speeds of up to 7,100MB/s, it comes with a pre-installed heatsink and it’s protected by a five-year warranty. Plus, it’s typically affordable, especially when it’s down to this price.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

We think the QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the best active noise cancellation of the buds we tested for our guide. Amazon is selling them for $249 — but only for Prime members. You can grab them from Walmart or directly from Bose for the same price, no membership required. If you want to fully block out the world as you listen to music or podcasts, these buds with their comfortable fit and good sound quality are the way to go.

Google Pixel 7 Pro

We named the Google Pixel 7 Pro the smartphone with the best camera on the market in our guide. Prime Day has it for $649 for Prime members, which is a massive $250 discount. Unlocked 128GB models from Target or from Google’s store are just $100 off, down to $799. Still a decent savings if you don’t want to shop from Amazon. In our review, we also praised the bright screen that pumps out deep blacks and lively colors, and the software that makes phone calls less of a hassle.

Google Nest WiFi Pro 6E

In Engadget’s recent review of Google’s Nest WiFi Pro 6E, we called the mesh WiFi system more approachable than its competitors because it’s easy to use, simple to set up using your phone, and doesn’t cost as much as other systems. Prime Day dropped it to $300 for a three-pack which is $100 off the list price but you can get it from the Google Store for the same price.

TP-Link Deco XE75 WiFi 6E mesh system

A two-pack of TP-Link’s XE75 WiFi 6E mesh router system is on sale for $210 for Prime Day instead of $300 or you can snag it for the same price from Tp-Link. It’s our current favorite mesh WiFi setup because it’s a reliable system that balances power with user-friendliness.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-walmart-prime-day-deals-you-can-get-161136179.html?src=rss 

Amazon Prime Day is usually a boon for monitor deals. You can typically find a bunch of monitors on sale at all-time-low prices, or close to them, making it one of the best times to grab a display for your desk setup. This year is no different, with monitors from Samsung, LG, Dell and others discounted for Amazon’s two-day shopping event. First, you should consider the size you need — you may want a big, ultra-wide monitor, but there might not be enough space for it on your desk. Then, you should consider if you need a display with specific features like high color accuracy, fast frame rates and the like. You’ll also want to be realistic about your budget; while you can pick up an external monitor for quite cheap on Prime Day, there are tempting options at higher price ranges. Here are the best monitor deals we could find for Amazon Prime Day 2023.

Samsung monitor deals

A huge selection of Samsung monitors are on sale for Prime Day, including the Smart Monitor M80B for $380. That isn’t a record-low price, but it’s pretty close to it. This 32-inch display pulls triple duty as a monitor, smart TV and smart home hub. You can connect it to your computer just like any other external display, but it comes with Samsung’s smart TV interface and a remote. It also has a built-in SmartThings hub so you can build out your IoT network from there with smart light bulbs and other compatible devices. You’ll find Samsung monitors of all sizes (and at all price points) on sale for Prime Day, including some higher-end Odyssey gaming monitors — including the massive 49-inch Odyssey G9 curved gaming monitor for $400 off.

LG monitor deals

LG has discounted a number of its UltraFine and UltraGear monitors for Prime Day. Included among the sales is this 34-inch curved UltraWide monitor for $330, or 30 percent off its usual price. It supports 99 percent coverage of the sRGB spectrum and it has a Reader Mode that provides blue light reduction and helps eliminate on-screen flickers. You can easily find a budget-friendly monitor among LG’s discounts, but there are more premium models on sale, too, like this 27-inch OLED monitor that’s 15 percent off and down to $850.

ASUS monitor deals

Prime Day has brought steep discounts to ASUS, Acer, MSI, Sceptre and other gaming monitors. A standout is this 27-inch ASUS TUF gaming monitor for $154, which is 23 percent off and down to a record low. It’s an FHD display that supports a 165Hz refresh rate, low motion blur and FreeSync Premium. These are the monitor discounts to check out on Prime Day if you’re in the market for a gaming monitor in particular and also have a tight budget to stick to; most of the displays on sale here come in at $300 or less.

Dell monitor deals

If you’re just looking for an external display to use in your home office, there are a bunch of good sales on monitors from Dell, Acer, BenQ and others that fit the bill. A budget-friendly option is this 24-inch Dell FHD monitor that comes in at $120, or 20 percent off its usual rate. In addition to a 75Hz refresh rate, this display has an anti-glare coating and a relatively small footprint, so it will fit into most desk setups easily. If you’re a creative professional, consider ASUS’s 31.5-inch ProArt Display, which is $100 off for Prime Day and down to only $299.

Your Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for the best Amazon Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In the Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-amazon-prime-day-monitor-deals-164410754.html?src=rss 

Discord is announcing Family Center, a new tool that will help keep parents and guardians in the loop on what their teens are doing on the platform. The company says the main goal of the tool is to help both teens and parents build better internet habits.

The new Family Center utility comes in two parts: an activity dashboard and a weekly email summary. The dashboard will give parents an insight into how many people their kids have messaged or called, along with data on how many friends they’ve added and how many servers they’re connected to at any time. The weekly summary is all of that, but in an email sent every week.

Family Center will join all of the existing parental control tools already found on Discord, giving both teens and guardians more options to customize their experience on the platform. Tools such as direct message and explicit image filtering, friend request settings and user blocking have helped teens stay safe on Discord.

While Discord’s new Family Center tool is a step in the right direction, the company has a lot of work to do to make its platform a safe space not only for teenagers but adults as well. Last month, it was reported that Discord was in hot water over an astonishing amount of cases regarding child safety on the platform. Hopefully, Family Center can help reduce these incidents on Discord.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/new-family-center-tool-gives-parents-better-insight-into-their-teens-discord-usage-150014579.html?src=rss