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Almost two years after Netflix tweeted (and deleted) about an animated Sonic the Hedgehog series that’s coming to the streaming service, the show has a release date. Season one of Sonic Prime will hit the platform on December 15th. The first season will have 24 episodes.

Alongside the release date announcement, Netflix unveiled character posters for Sonic, Amy Rose, Shadow, Knuckles, Rouge, Big the Cat and, of course, Eggman. The company will offer another look at the show during the weekly Geeked: Toon-In show, which will be broadcast at 8PM ET today on the company’s Twitch channel. The latest teaser will likely pop up on Netflix’s YouTube channel and elsewhere soon after.

The Sonic franchise has enjoyed a resurgence over the last few years, particularly in the wake of two well-received and successful movies. Back in June, Sega released a decent, remastered bundle of four classic Sonic games. On the horizon is Sonic Frontiers, an open-world 3D platformer that will arrive on November 8th.

 

One day before Elon Musk is expected to finalize his deal to buy Twitter, he’s attempting to reassure the platform’s advertisers that he won’t turn the platform into a “free-for-all hellscape.” In a message posted Thursday, Musk tried to explain why he wanted to buy the company, and that he doesn’t intend to blow up its advertising business.

“There had been much speculation about why I bought Twitter and what I think about advertising,” he wrote. “Most of it has been wrong. Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape, where anything can be said with no consequences!”

Musk has previously said that he would like to loosen Twitter’s content moderation rules, and do away with permanent bans in most cases. But that stance has upset many Twitter employees, and worried the company’s advertisers. The Wall Street Journalreported that some advertisers have even threatened to “pause all their ads” if the company gives Donald Trump his account back — something Musk has said he would likely do.

While Musk didn’t walk back those comments, he said he wanted Twitter to “be warm and welcoming to all.” He added that people should be able to “choose your desired experience according to your preferences, just as you can choose, for example, to see movies or play video games ranging from all ages to mature.”

Musk’s comments come just after he visited Twitter’s office and reportedly told employees that he won’t be axing 75 percent of its staff as earlier reports had suggested. He also apparently met with Twitter COO Sarah Personette, who tweeted that she had a “great discussion” with the Tesla CEO. “Our continued commitment to brand safety for advertisers remains unchanged,” she wrote.

Notably, Musk’s stance on advertising is very different from former CEO Jack Dorsey, who privately told Musk that Twitter “can’t have an advertising model” and suggested it should be a “foundation of sorts” like the messaging app Signal. But though Musk responded favorably to the idea at the time, his message to advertisers now sounds very different.

“I also very much believe that advertising, when done right, can delight, entertain and inform you,” Musk wrote. “For this to be true, it is essential to show Twitter users advertising that is as relevant as possible to their needs. Low relevancy ads are spam, but highly relevant ads are actually content.”

“Fundamentally, Twitter aspires to be the most respected advertising platform in the world that strengthens your brand and grows your enterprise.”

 

Can you believe it’s been 10 years since Microsoft first launched the Surface? That’s a decade of trying to make hybrid tablet PCs a thing, something I’m still not sure many people actually want. But, you know what, I’ll give Microsoft credit for trying to push laptop designs forward in an era when everyone was trying to copy Apple’s unibody MacBook Pro and ultra-thin MacBook Air. The Surface was a radical alternative.

The Surface Pro 9 with 5G makes it clear that Microsoft has learned some lessons since its first tablets: It’s impeccably designed, and it’s the first Surface to tap into speedy 5G networks. Unfortunately, it’s also a disappointing reminder that Microsoft can’t help but repeat many of its earlier mistakes. It’s yet another ARM-based Windows PC that we can’t possibly recommend.

That’s not exactly surprising, given our lukewarm reaction to the ARM-powered Surface Pro X line. But what’s more galling this year is that Microsoft is actually calling it the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, as if it’s directly comparable to the Surface Pro 9 powered by Intel’s 12th-gen chips. That’s more than hubris – it’s an outright lie, one that will undoubtedly confuse shoppers and IT workers for the next year.

Sure, they both have the same gorgeous and impressively thin aluminum case, 13-inch PixelSense display, and very usable keyboard covers (which are unfortunately still sold separately). Both models also have the same built-in kickstand, which lets you prop up the screen on a table, or if you’re feeling risky, on your leg for on-the-go computing. If you’ve seen a Surface tablet before, especially last year’s solid Pro 8, not much has changed.

A tale of two Surfaces

Here’s the rub: Microsoft now has one product line running on two very different chip designs, Intel’s x86 hardware and Microsoft’s custom SQ3 ARM system-on-a-chip (itself based on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8cx Gen 3). The Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 can run all of the legacy Windows apps you’d expect. The SQ3 model, on the other hand, can only run newer apps natively. Everything else is emulated, leading to significantly slower performance. On the plus side, Windows 11 supports x64 emulation now, so the Pro 9 with 5G can run plenty of apps that the Pro X couldn’t when it launched. But that doesn’t cover games, and it’s a compromise I don’t think anyone should be making at this point.

What’s even more frustrating is that Microsoft is making you pay a $300 premium above the $999 Surface Pro 9 for the privilege of owning an inherently slower computer. How much is built-in 5G worth to you, then?

A better Windows on Arm experience, but not by much

After using the Pro 9 with 5G for several days, I’m even more baffled by Microsoft’s reckless attempt at shoving its x86 and ARM product lines together. While a few of the company’s engineers assured me in a recent interview that the performance would be comparable between the SQ3 and Intel models, I knew that was inaccurate the minute I launched Chrome. As an emulated x86 app, it’s slower to launch and fairly laggy while browsing the web and juggling tabs. Microsoft Edge, on the other hand, is snappier all around because it’s a native ARM app.

I typically run multiple browsers at once, since it’s the easiest way to separate work and personal accounts. I can’t just move to Edge full time. So if I wanted to work the way I’m used to on the Surface Pro 9 with 5G, I’d just have to live with an experience that’s worse than a three-year-old Surface Laptop. Does that sound like progress to you? While it performed generally fine with native apps like Spotify and Evernote, multitasking between them and emulated apps still felt noticeably sluggish. In many ways, it felt like a step down from the Surface Pro 6 I reviewed four years ago, save for the silkier 120Hz refresh rate on the Pro 9’s larger screen.

Geekbench 5 CPU

3DMark Wildlife Extreme

Cinebench R23

Microsoft Surface Pro 9 5G (SQ3, Adreno 8cx Gen 3)

1,122/5,764

2,959

575/1,866

Microsoft Surface Pro 8 (Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe graphics)

1,289/5,217

N/A

620/4,619

Microsoft Surface Laptop Go 2 (Intel i5-1135G7, Iris Xe graphics)

1,349/3,764

2,799

1,127/3,115

ASUS Zenbook 17 Fold OLED (Intel i7-1280P, Iris Xe graphics)

1,596/6,491

3,012

1,504/5,384

All of the benchmarks I ran on the Surface Pro 9 also show that it’s slower than any premium laptop we’ve reviewed over the past few years. Sure, Geekbench 5 was running as a slower emulated app, but its score is also indicative of how other emulated programs will run. Even the weak Surface Go 2, with its low-power 11th-gen Intel chip, managed to outperform the Pro 9 5G in single-core performance. (At least the SQ3 faired better with multi-core speeds.) 3DMark’s Wildlife Extreme test, which is one of the best ways to compare cross-platform gaming, also returned a low score, as I expected. (The bigger surprise? It was on par with the ASUS ZenBook Fold 17, a foldable computer held back by a low-wattage Intel chip.)

While I don’t think many people would be buying the 5G Surface Pro 9 for its performance alone, it’s still worth reiterating that it’ll be a far slower computer than its Intel counterpart. I didn’t have that other Pro 9 model to test, but we did review the ASUS ZenBook Fold 17, which uses a similar Intel Core i7-1250U CPU. That’s a low-power chip but otherwise comparable to the i7-1255U on the Surface Pro 9. Compared to the SQ3 Pro 9, the ZenBook blew it away in Geekbench 5’s CPU test, as well as Cinebench R23.

Surprisingly, both the ZenBook Fold 17 and 5G Pro 9 scored similarly in the Wildlife Extreme benchmark, but the Intel chip has the advantage of being able to run games natively. The Pro 9 5G couldn’t even successfully emulate older titles like Quake on Steam. (For the truly desperate, you can always stream Xbox Game Pass titles over the cloud, and a handful of low-power native games like Minecraft run fine.)

What good is built-in cellular?

The Surface Pro 9’s built-in 5G connectivity gives it one major leg up over the Intel model, but I didn’t find it very compelling during my testing. During cellular setup, Windows directed me to Ubigi and Gigsky as two potential providers that would connect to the Surface’s eSIM. I went with Ubigi, and after 20 minutes of account setup, I was able to hop onto their LTE network. Unfortunately, I didn’t see any 5G speeds in my Atlanta suburb, but the network still delivered a respectable 33.6 Mbps down and (far less impressive) 2 Mbps up over LTE.

If you already have a working SIM card, you can open up the Pro 9’s expansion area under the kickstand and slide it in there. My Verizon SIM was recognized in 30 seconds, and it delivered 50 Mbps down and 4 Mbps up over LTE. You can also easily swap out the notebook’s SSD in that expansion area too, something we could never do before. In exchange, though, Microsoft removed the SD card slot. I wouldn’t consider that a dealbreaker — being able to upgrade to a larger SSD down the line is incredibly useful — but it’s something to keep in mind if you rely on SD cards to store your music or photos.

Having the ability to hop on cellular everywhere, especially for international providers like Ubigi, is certainly impressive. Personally, though, I’d trade that in for the increased speed and app compatibility from the Intel Surface Pro 9. Is it really that tough to tether your phone? And true road warriors are likely better off with a mobile hotspot, which can connect to multiple devices easily.

Same Surface issues, 10 years later

Perhaps I’m just grumpy from the whole forced ARM transition, but I also couldn’t help but be frustrated by the other annoyances from the Surface Pro 9. Microsoft has been pumping these things out for a decade now, and they’re still annoying to use on your lap. Unlike a traditional laptop, which has a flat base connected to a screen, you have to juggle the Surface’s keyboard cover and kickstand on your leg to keep it propped up. It’s functional enough — I was able to type this whole review with the Surface on my lap — but not exactly comfortable.

I’ve been able to bear it for years, but by this point, it’d be nice to see Microsoft try something to improve the experience. Maybe add a secondary hinge to stabilize things, or offer a case that can completely unify the keyboard and tablet (like HP’s leather-clad Spectre Folio). With ultraportables like the MacBook Air and Dell XPS 13 getting lighter and thinner every year, Microsoft can’t just assume consumers will live with subpar ergonomics. Perhaps the tradeoff would be worth it if the Surface was usable as a tablet on its own, but I still find it too large and unwieldy compared to the iPad Pro. (And it’s not like Windows is any better on tablets, either.)

There are still some nice design ideas around the Surface — I love the way the Slim Pen 2 hides away in the $180 Signature Pro keyboard, and it remains one of the best stylii on the market when it comes to drawing and jotting down notes. Still, it feels like the Surface is turning into a computer that’s more performative than it is functional. Look at its kickstand! Don’t worry about how impractical it is. It’s got 5G! But ignore the fact that it has a slow mobile processor. Even its two USB-C ports are compromised; they’re limited to USB 3.2, whereas the Intel model’s ports all support the faster Thunderbolt 4 standard.

AI-assisted video chats

Oddly enough, there’s one thing the 5G Surface Pro 9 excels at: video calls. It sports a sharp 1080p front-facing camera, but crucially, it’s assisted by the SQ3’s Neural Processing Unit. That powers features like automatic framing, background blurring and sustained eye contact during video calls. And in my experience, it’s almost magical. The portrait blurring effects are close to what I’d expect from a larger DSLR camera, and the automatic framing was silky smooth. Those features also work across any video chat app, so you don’t have to worry about looking different across Zoom or Teams.

The one downside of the Intel-powered Surface Pro 9 is that it can’t take advantage of any of those features. While Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs are plenty powerful, they don’t have an NPU built-in. Microsoft reps say any future chips that add AI processing will be able to use these features, but that doesn’t help people buying Intel Pro 9 models this year. At the very least, they’ll have a good front-facing camera (as well as a very capable 10-megapixel rear camera).

Wrap-up

If you’re still interested in the 5G Surface Pro 9, having read my complaints and frustrations, be prepared to pay dearly. It starts at $1,300 with a relatively modest 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, while the Intel model goes for $1,000 with those same specs. And if you want a keyboard, add another $120 for the Pro Type Cover (though we’d recommend the $140 Pro Keyboard instead). Jumping up to 16GB of RAM with the 5G Pro 9 (like our review unit) will cost you $1,600 with 256GB of storage. As you go up the price range, the Intel and SQ3 models end up costing the same — but who wants to pay nearly $2,000 for an ARM-based Windows PC?

Perhaps one day, Microsoft’s dream of an ultra-thin, ARM-powered Surface will come true. But the company has failed at every attempt to make that happen (my condolences to anyone who bought the Surface RT). The 5G Pro 9 is an improvement, but its beauty belies its many practical issues. If you’re at all interested in a new Surface, buy the Intel model and get a hotspot on the side. You’ll be far happier.

 

The Tesla Cyberquad for Kids is being recalled by Radio Flyer (which built the product) after the Consumer Product Safety Commission found that it violates all-terrain vehicle (ATV) federal safety standards for youths. The agency determined that, among other issues, the mechanical suspension and maximum tire pressure weren’t adequate. Moreover, it said the Cyberquad for Kids lacked an approved ATV action plan, which lays out safety requirements and is needed to build, import, sell or distribute ATVs in the US.

In the recall notice, which was spotted by The Verge, the CPSC said that around 5,000 units of the Cyberquad for Kids had been sold. Tesla was offering the product through its website. Radio Flyer said folks who bought one should immediately return the motor controller (the removal of which will permanently disable the Cyberquad) for a full $1,900 refund. The company will reimburse at least some costs involved in returning the motor controller and disposing of the other parts. It’s not clear whether new Cyberquad for Kids models will be sold at a later time.

The electric Cyberquad for Kids has up to 15 miles of range and a top speed of 10 mph. It has a steel frame, cushioned seat and LED light bars. While there haven’t been any reports of serious injuries, Radio Flyer said it learned of one case where the Cyberquad for Kids — which is designed for a single rider — tipped over while being driven by a child and a woman, with the adult sustaining a bruised shoulder.

Radio Flyer noted that Tesla’s main involvement with the Cyberquad for Kids, other than selling it, was consulting on the ATV’s appearance. It’s designed to look like the standard Cyberquad, which Tesla announced alongside the Cybertruck. Radio Flyer has also sold rideable toy versions of Tesla cars for kids. 

Meanwhile, there’s a Tesla recall of another sort. As noted by Electrek, the company is recalling just over 24,000 Model 3 vehicles built since 2017 due to a possible seat belt issue.

 

YouTube is attempting to make it easier for folks to find reliable and high-quality health information on the platform. It’s opening up its health product features to certain healthcare professionals and information providers in the US. It started offering those features last year to educational institutions, public health departments, hospitals and government bodies. “This new step will allow us to expand to include high quality information from a wider group of healthcare channels,” Dr. Garth Graham, the global head of YouTube Health, wrote in a blog post.

The features include labels under videos that clearly state the information is coming from a healthcare professional or accredited organization. When a user searches for a term such as “bipolar” or “breast cancer,” they may see a carousel of videos under the label “From health sources” near the top of the search results.

YouTube says healthcare professionals can apply for the program starting today. They’ll need to submit proof of their medical license and for their YouTube account to be in good standing. They’ll also need to follow the Council of Medical Specialty Societies, the National Academy of Medicine and the World Health Organization best practices for sharing health information. YouTube plans to expand the program to more markets and other types of medical specialties.

Helping people obtain credible health information from a verified professional is inherently a positive move. YouTube will still have to tread carefully with this program, given the COVID-19 and vaccine misinformation that has been rife on the platform over the last few years. Meanwhile, YouTube points out that people shouldn’t consider health-related information they learn from verified professionals as medical advice (and nor will the videos apply to everyone). You’d still be best served to get in touch with a healthcare provider if you have a medical concern and to contact emergency services if the need arises.

 

The Federal Communications Commission is well aware of the potential damage from fake emergency alerts, and it’s hoping to minimize the threat with policy changes. The agency has proposed rules that would require stricter security for the Emergency Alert System (EAS) and Wireless Emergency Alerts. Participants and telecoms would have to not only report EAS breaches within 72 hours, but provide yearly certifications that they both have “sufficient” safeguards and a risk management plan.

The proposed rules would also require phone carriers to send authentication data ensuring that only legitimate emergency alerts reach customer devices. The FCC is similarly looking for comments on the effectiveness of the current requirements for transmitting EAS notices, and suggestions for “alternative approaches” with improvements.

The proposal comes three years after University of Colorado researchers warned that it was easy to spoof FEMA’s presidential alerts, with no way to verify the authenticity of the broadcasts. And while the 2018 Hawaii missile alert was the result of an error rather than a hack, it underscored the risks associated with false warnings. Even at small scales, a fake alert could reach tens of thousands of people, possibly leading to panic and reduced trust in real messages.

It’s not certain if the proposals are enough. The 72-hour window may help prevent some false alerts, but not all of them — that’s plenty of time for a hacker to both breach an emergency system and send fake messages. It’s likewise unclear if the FCC would update its security requirements to keep up with evolving threats. Even so, this shows that the Commission is at least aware of the dangers.

 

The United Nations has issued another stark warning that, under current policies, the planet is falling far short of the Paris Agreement goal of keeping the rise in global temperatures below 1.5 degrees Celsius. That’s the threshold scientists say we have to remain under in order to mitigate extreme, life-threatening weather events, such as heatwaves, droughts and tropical storms. Under current policies, the UN suggests we’re nowhere close to meeting that climate change target and that there’s “no credible pathway to 1.5C in place.”

The UN laid out the dire state of affairs in a report it released just a week before the start of the COP27 climate conference in Egypt. It said that pledges made by national policy makers since COP26, which was held in Glasgow last year, “make a negligible difference to predicted 2030 emissions” and that progress over the last 12 months has been “highly inadequate.” In fact, the report suggests that current active policies will lead to a 2.8C rise in global temperatures by the end of the 21st century and that implementing pledges that have been made will only limit the rise to between 2.4C and 2.6C. Even that would require perfect implementation of plans, with wealthier countries helping poorer ones to enact them.

“In the best case scenario, full implementation of conditional NDCs [nationally determined contributions], plus additional net zero commitments, point to a 1.8C rise,” Inger Andersen, executive director of the United Nations Environment Programme, said. “However, this scenario is currently not credible.”

The 13th edition of the Emissions Gap Report argues that major societal and infrastructure changes are required. It lays out the necessary actions for sectors including electricity supply, industry, transport and buildings, along with the food and financial systems. The report notes that, in order to get on course to meet the 1.5C goal, we’d need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by a further 45 percent by 2030, compared with projections based on current policies. To limit the rise in temperatures to under 2C, an extra 30 percent reduction in emissions is required.

“Is it a tall order to transform our systems in just eight years? Yes. Can we reduce greenhouse gas emissions by so much in that timeframe? Perhaps not. But we must try,” Andersen wrote. “Every fraction of a degree matters: to vulnerable communities, to species and ecosystems, and to every one of us.”

 

It’s been a long road, getting from Lower Decks’ slightly rough-around-the-edges first episode to here. But it hasn’t taken that much time, since Star Trek’s first animated sitcom very quickly found its feet to become my favorite Trek of the streaming era. The second season showed a growing confidence in its own execution, and as the third season concludes, we find it proud to show the world what it’s now capable of.

The clue, really, was in the swift resolution to the Pakled cliffhanger which ended the second year. On one hand, a sitcom like Lower Decks doesn’t need to turn into The Wire to keep you hooked. But it’s also aware that it can sow the seeds of a running plot thread – the story of Rutherford’s implant – into the fabric of so many episodes. And that the payoff was far more interested in the impact on the character than the cliffhanger.

And these strands certainly paid off in “Reflections,” which revealed that a person, or persons unknown, were behind Rutherford’s implant. But even that paid off in a way that you weren’t necessarily expecting it to come back here in the two-ish part finale. And who was the big bad of the season, really? Nothing more than the bete noire of so many Golden Era Trek episodes, the Evil Admiral™. I loved the show’s attempted justification for why Starfleet churns out so many of them – the lack of career development pushes people to extremes – too.

If there was a sore spot, it was that the penultimate episode, “Trusted Sources” wheeled out the hacky Journalist Makes Everyone Look Awful plot. It’s about as hackneyed as the one where a sitcom character has their boss over for dinner yet accidentally forgets to tell their partner. It’s only really a crowbar to get Mariner pushed out of Starfleet in preparation for the finale, and it never looked like it was going to stick given her obvious love of the Cerritos.

Naturally, the season ends with a punch-the-air victory for not just the Cerritos, but the whole California Class. I’ve always loved Lower Decks’ celebration of the painstaking, cautious and fundamentally boring, yet fundamental, work that serving in Starfleet often requires. Its regular rejection of the, uh, more Kurtzmanesque tendencies of the series makes me love it all the more. Because, like science, the best work is often slow, incremental and dull until it marks a fundamental shift in how we understand the universe. And you can’t really do that if you’re spending your whole episode running from an explosion or proving how tough you are.

Another sign of the show’s confidence is in its second crew-lite episode (I’m always a fan of a show that’ll take you elsewhere for an episode or two). This time, it was centered on the fate of the evil Exocomp Peanut Hamper, last seen making a run for it in the first season finale. “A Mathematically Perfect Resolution” allowed the show to both flesh out a previously one-note character, and explore a new corner of the Star Trek world.

Even better, the sparse opening act offered a lengthy showcase for Chris Westlake’s gorgeous score. Star Trek has always been about its music as much as its narrative, and the show is lucky to have both Westlake and Nami Melumad producing virtuoso work on a weekly basis. I can’t wait for a season three soundtrack album, especially since we once again hear the James Horner-parodying Lower Decks Action Theme several times this year.

If I have a concern, it’s that Lower Decks often feels like it’s designed with lasers to milk my nostalgia glands. I’ll often spend a chunk of each episode clapping like a mad seal at the latest Trek deep cut Mike McMahon and Co. throw at viewers each week. The only thing that prevents it from becoming gratuitous fanservice is that these feel mostly earned. And it has been an orgy of references, including an extended visit to Deep Space Nine.

My heart can do nothing but swell when Nana Visitor (Kira), Armin Shimmerman (Quark), JG Hertzler (Martok), Susan Gibney (Leah Brahmas) and George Takei (Captain Sulu!). And the show has the appropriate respect for Trek MVP Jeffrey Combs to bring him back for a quick visit to Agimus, still trapped in Starfleet’s filing cabinet for self-aware, megalomaniacal computers. I didn’t even mention the extended First Contact riff, complete with an appearance by James Cromwell, or the riff on classic TNG episode “Symbiosis” with quite possibly the darkest joke ever seen in a Trek series.

I’m running out of room to heap the usual praise on the cast, all of whom do sterling work on a regular basis. And that’s before we discuss the glorious, last-minute reveal that T’Lyn, the so-called “emotional” Vulcan from last year’s “wej Duj” has transferred to the Cerritos. (Do I want her to join Beta Shift? I have no idea, but I’m looking forward to seeing how she interacts with the gang now she’s here.)

I’m naturally very excited for Lower Decks’ Season 4 but, by my calculations, the next time we’ll see Mariner and Boimler appear in Strange New Worlds. Given that we already know that Tawny Newsome and Jack Quaid look like their characters, I can’t wait to see them appear on the Enterprise bridge and stare lovingly at Pike’s Peak. My favorite nü-Trek series merging with my second-favorite? Be still my beating heart.

 

Fast Company isn’t the only news outlet to suffer a recent, high-profile security breach. As CNBCreports, The New York Post has confirmed it was the victim of a hack. The perpetrators briefly defaced both the newspaper’s website and Twitter account with racist and sexist headlines, including ones targeting New York City Mayor Eric Adams and House Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. 

In a statement, the The Post said only that it was “investigating the cause.” No one has taken credit for the hack as of this writing, and it’s not clear if the intruders took any sensitive data.

This isn’t the first breach targeting The Post this year. In February, News Corp revealed that hackers compromised email accounts and documents for The Post and Wall Street Journal employees, including some journalists. Mandiant, a security firm working for the media giant, believed China was conducting an intelligence gathering operation. It’s not certain if there’s any relation between the cyberattacks.

The attack comes just weeks after Fast Company fell victim to hacks that let the culprit send racist notifications to Apple News users. The publication went so far as to shut down its entire website while it addressed the incident. The hacker claimed to have exploited weak password security in WordPress that let them steal employee login info, password hashes and draft articles.

There’s no known link between the hacks at present. However, they illustrate the potential dangers of site violations like this. On top of the risks to data, they provide easy ways for hackers to spread toxic and partisan messages. It won’t be surprising if there are similar campaigns in the near future, especially with the US midterm elections just weeks away.

 

The market for wireless earbuds is loaded with quality options, but in the sub-$100 range, the selection is generally a bit spottier. We’ve found Jabra’s Elite 3 to be a standout for those on a budget, though, and as of this writing the earbuds are down to $50 at Amazon, Best Buy, Target, and Jabra’s online store. We’ve seen the Elite 3 hit this price a few times this year, but the discount is still about $15 off the device’s average street price in recent months and $30 off Jabra’s MSRP.

Buy Jabra Elite 3 at Amazon – $50

The earbuds briefly dropped to $47.49 earlier this month, but this matches the lowest price we’ve seen outside of that. It’s also worth noting that Best Buy is marketing this as the Elite 3’s “Black Friday price” as part of a wider early Black Friday promotion, so this is likely to be the earbuds’ going rate during any upcoming holiday sales.

Our audio expert Billy Steele gave the Elite 3 a score of 88 last year, deeming it “the new standard for affordable wireless earbuds” in the process. We were particularly impressed in the sound department: it’s not purely neutral, and it can’t match pricier models like Apple’s AirPods Pro or Sennheiser’s Momentum True Wireless 3, but the overall clarity is greater than what you typically get for less than $100, let alone $50, and the bass-forward profile lends tracks a nice amount of body. 

We found the Elite 3’s compact design to be light and comfortable in the ear, with reliable physical control buttons on each earpiece. The buds also an IP55 dust and water resistance rating, which is enough to survive most workouts. Battery life comes in at roughly seven hours of continuous use, which is good, with another 20-ish hours available through the included charging case. A recent firmware update also added the ability to create a custom EQ profile, addressing one of the issues we had in our initial review.

To be clear, these are still Jabra’s “budget” earbuds, so their overall feature set is limited compared to more expensive alternatives. There’s no active noise cancellation, no wireless charging support, no ability to connect to more than one device simultaneously, and no automatic pausing when you remove an earpiece. Call quality is just average, and while there is a “HearThrough” ambient sound mode, it generally sounds more muffled than the equivalent on higher-end pairs. Anker’s Soundcore Space A40 is a good budget-friendly alternative for those who want ANC and other advanced features, though it’s pricier at $100. 

Nevertheless, the Elite 3’s overall package is still a strong value when it’s discounted to this extent, so consider this a PSA if you’re been looking for a new set of no-frills wireless earbuds without spending a ton.

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