Month: July 2023
Netflix’s Jake Paul doc trailer hints at father’s role in his troubled teenhood
The third season of Netflix’s sports documentary series Untold will draw back the curtain on YouTube-turned-boxer Jake Paul.Aptly titled “Jake Paul the Problem Child,” the episode will track how the 26-year-old made the switch from making viral videos to selling out arena-sized showdowns. As you may recall, Paul rose to prominence as a troublemaking teen on Vine, then YouTube, before diverting that energy to boxing.The trailer promises interviews with the Paul brothers (big bro Logan is also a YouTube-turned-boxer) and Mike Tyson that will push back against skeptics like UFC president Dana White. The most compelling few seconds recount Paul’s upbringing and path to internet prominence, framing it as a reaction to their dad’s tight control. “My dad was so tough on us that my brother and [my] imagination began to flare up,” he says, referring to their online antics. Another surprising revelation? Paul considers himself a seashell collector. He contains multitudes.
The third season of Netflix‘s sports documentary series Untold will draw back the curtain on YouTube-turned-boxer Jake Paul.
Aptly titled “Jake Paul the Problem Child,” the episode will track how the 26-year-old made the switch from making viral videos to selling out arena-sized showdowns. As you may recall, Paul rose to prominence as a troublemaking teen on Vine, then YouTube, before diverting that energy to boxing.
The trailer promises interviews with the Paul brothers (big bro Logan is also a YouTube-turned-boxer) and Mike Tyson that will push back against skeptics like UFC president Dana White.
The most compelling few seconds recount Paul’s upbringing and path to internet prominence, framing it as a reaction to their dad’s tight control. “My dad was so tough on us that my brother and [my] imagination began to flare up,” he says, referring to their online antics.
Another surprising revelation? Paul considers himself a seashell collector. He contains multitudes.
Tesla Rigged ‘Rosy’ EV Ranges, Covered Up Complaints, Report Says – CNET
The range showing on Tesla dashboard screens was intentionally exaggerated by the company’s software, according to a Reuters investigative report.
The range showing on Tesla dashboard screens was intentionally exaggerated by the company’s software, according to a Reuters investigative report.
Devs aren’t allowed to let Apple’s Vision Pro dev kits out of their sight
Dev kits often have restrictive terms, but Vision Pro is above and beyond.
Enlarge (credit: Apple/Andrew Cunningham)
Apple is taking several steps to help developers prepare their apps for Apple’s new Vision Pro platform next year, above and beyond the Vision Pro simulator that comes with the Xcode development environment. One of those steps is actual pre-release hardware in the form of the Apple Vision Pro developer kit (DK).
This is pre-release Vision Pro hardware that Apple will loan to selected developers for the express purpose of developing and testing apps. Apple has offered these kinds of kits to some developers before, most notably during the Apple Silicon transition when it loaned out Developer Transition Kits that put the guts of an iPad Pro into a Mac mini-sized enclosure.
But some developers have drawn attention to the terms and conditions (PDF) for the Vision Pro DK, which are notably restrictive and specific. The most specific terms are in section four, under “care and storage of the DK,” which say that the DK is only to be used in a lockable windowless room, that your friends and family aren’t allowed to see it, that it must remain within your direct line of sight at all times, that it must be in its case and locked up when not in use, and that you need to consult with Apple if you’ll be on a long trip or vacation and are leaving the DK behind. The full paragraph:
Sequoia Capital Slashes Crypto Fund as It Downsizes Amid Startup Crunch
Sequoia Capital pared back the size of two major venture funds, including its cryptocurrency fund, as part of a dramatic downsizing the storied venture firm is undertaking amid a broad startup downturn. From a report: Sequoia cut the size of its cryptocurrency fund to $200 million from $585 million, according to people familiar with the matter. It also slashed the size of its so-called ecosystem fund, which invests in other venture funds, to $450 million from $900 million, the people said. Sequoia told fund investors in March it made the decision to reduce the funds to better reflect the changed market. The cryptocurrency fund, for example, will focus more on backing young startups after an industry crash wiped out opportunities to back larger companies.
By paring back the fund sizes, Sequoia is lowering the amount of committed capital required from investors, known as limited partners, who are already seeing lower returns from venture funds and are bracing for further markdowns. The changes show the difficult cuts venture firms are making during one of the roughest years in recent memory for the startup industry. They are trying to undo the breakneck expansion and liberal spending that characterized a historic startup boom, which no longer makes sense as deal-making slows and funds struggle to raise more cash.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
Sequoia Capital pared back the size of two major venture funds, including its cryptocurrency fund, as part of a dramatic downsizing the storied venture firm is undertaking amid a broad startup downturn. From a report: Sequoia cut the size of its cryptocurrency fund to $200 million from $585 million, according to people familiar with the matter. It also slashed the size of its so-called ecosystem fund, which invests in other venture funds, to $450 million from $900 million, the people said. Sequoia told fund investors in March it made the decision to reduce the funds to better reflect the changed market. The cryptocurrency fund, for example, will focus more on backing young startups after an industry crash wiped out opportunities to back larger companies.
By paring back the fund sizes, Sequoia is lowering the amount of committed capital required from investors, known as limited partners, who are already seeing lower returns from venture funds and are bracing for further markdowns. The changes show the difficult cuts venture firms are making during one of the roughest years in recent memory for the startup industry. They are trying to undo the breakneck expansion and liberal spending that characterized a historic startup boom, which no longer makes sense as deal-making slows and funds struggle to raise more cash.
Read more of this story at Slashdot.
New Technique Restores Motion and Feeling to Paralyzed Man
submitted by /u/giuliomagnifico [link] [comments]
submitted by /u/giuliomagnifico
[link] [comments]
The AirPods Pro drop back to an all-time low, plus the rest of this week’s best tech deals
This week, the biggest event in tech took place in Seoul with Samsung’s Unpacked showcase. Among other announcements, the company officially unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It’s not even available yet, but Amazon is offering a $200 gift card if you pre-order from its site. This week also saw a bunch of continued video game sales from sites like Xbox, Playstation and Epic Games. Other site-wide sales include 20 percent off at Otterbox and a sale on music equipment at Reverb. Plenty of single items are seeing discounts as well, like the always popular Apple AirPods Pro and the Kids Kindle (which isn’t just for kids). Dell is offering a $50 discount on the Xbox Series X, though we don’t expect that deal to stick around long. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today. Apple AirPods ProThe latest generation AirPods Pro are back to their all-time low price of $199. That’s the same as they went for during Amazon’s Prime Day. The buds have one of the best transparency modes of all the buds we’ve tried, and we think they’re the best pick for people who use iPhones. They pair quickly with other Apple devices and make great use of Siri for hands-free commands. A good battery life and a wireless charging case are just two more points in the buds’ favor.Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5 Earlier this week, Samsung announced its latest flagship foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 during its Unpacked event. The folks at Amazon are hoping you’ll pre-order the handset from them — and are offering a $200 Amazon gift card plus a storage upgrade if you do so. The base configuration of the Z Fold 5 retails for $1,800, which comes with 256GB of storage. Amazon’s deal gets you the 512GB model plus a physical gift card shipped separately from the phone. Engadget’s Sam Rutherford spent some time with the new foldable recently. The most notable upgrade from last year’s model is Samsung’s new Flex Hinge, which eliminates most of the gap between the two screen halves when folded. A second-generation Snapdragon 8 chip and support for new gestures round out the new features. Samsung Galaxy Watch 6 Samsung also revealed two new wearables during Unpacked. If you pre-order the Galaxy Watch 6 from Amazon, the company will throw in a $50 Amazon gift card. The offer only applies to the Bluetooth models, not the LTE or Watch 6 Classic variants. To help you take advantage of Samsung’s new one-click mechanism, Amazon will also include a fabric band to swap out with the included strap.The watch starts at $300 for the 40mm case size and bumps to $330 for the 44mm size. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low had a chance to check out the watch during a hands on event and you can check out her thoughts here. This latest generation has a sharper and brighter display and has an updated processor and larger battery that offers a claimed eight hours of use after just eight minutes of charging. Kindle KidsThe Kindle Kids ereader is a top pick in our guide to educational toys for kids. Though, to be fair, this isn’t a toy. The internal tech is identical to a standard Kindle, with a 300 ppi screen, adjustable front light, 16GB of storage and weeks of battery life. But the kids version throws in a colorful case and includes a year of Amazon Kids+, a subscription that grants access to thousands of kid-appropriate books and hundreds of audiobooks. It usually goes for $120, which is $20 more than the standard Kindle, but the sale is knocking it down to just $80, making it a good buy for a kid or even a full-grown adult who enjoys saving money.Xbox Series XIt’s been tough to find the new Xbox console in stock, let alone at a discount, but right now the Xbox Series X is $50 off at Dell. It comes in a bundle with a copy of the open-world racing game Forza Horizon 5 for a total of $450. The game usually retails for $45 on its own. Dell did this discount before, but didn’t offer a game. Even if you don’t care about racing, this may be a good time to buy, considering the Xbox Series X console (or its cheaper, digital-only Series S sibling) will be a required purchase for the upcoming Bethesda game Starfield, unless you plan to play on a PC. This deal has already gone out of stock once, so you may want to jump now if you’re interested. Otterbox Back to School saleWe often recommend products from Otterbox in our guides and from now through July 29th, the site is running a site-wide, 20 percent off sale. One of their battery banks, the Fast Charge, is among our top picks in our portable battery guide. The 15,000mAh capacity model usually goes for $45, but is $36 after the discount. The bank packs enough charge to fill a late-model iPhone or a Galaxy S-series twice, with a little left over. It also recharges quickly and looks nice, something not all charging accessories manage to do. Apple Air Tags (4-pack)We recommend Apple’s AirTag Bluetooth trackers to iPhone users in our guide to those devices. Right now a four-pack is down to $85 at Amazon, which is the lowest price we’ve tracked. Of all the finding networks out there, Apple’s FindMy is by far the most comprehensive as it uses every iPhone in an area (unless the owner has opted out) to ping nearby AirTags and help find them when they’re lost. They’ll also ring when you tap a button in the app so you can find your lost keys. Apple PencilIf you have a recent model of an iPad Air, Mini or Pro and have been considering adding a stylus to your setup, you may want to consider grabbing the second-gen Apple Pencil while its on sale for $89. The 23 percent discount is the steepest discount so far, matching the Prime Day sale price. But now you can get it from Walmart or target as well as from Amazon. The Pencil makes drawing and hand-writing on your tablet easier and it even magnetically attaches and charges to the side of compatible devices. Just note that the current generation standard iPad curiously only pairs with the first-gen Apple Pencil. Xbox’s Ultimate Game SaleVideo game companies and retailers often celebrate the summer months with some sort of sale on popular titles — maybe because gaming indoors beats heat-fusing to the pavement outside. Right now Xbox is hosting an Ultimate Game Sale with deals up to 80 percent off. Not all of the discounts are best-ever prices, and the steepest savings are typically reserved for older titles, but a decent selection of games we like are on sale right now, such as Halo: The Master Chief Collection ($10 off), Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ($17 off) and Elden Ring ($18 off). Some of our recommended Xbox exclusives are going for less than $10, including Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Rare Replay. Of course, many sale items are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, so if you already subscribe, check that availability first. PlayStation Summer SalePlayStation’s Summer Sale is discounting exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart ($40 off) and Horizon Forbidden West ($30 off). The PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us is on sale for $50, while the well-reviewed puzzler Humanity is $24. Non-PS exclusives are also on sale, like the time-bending FPS Deathloop ($15), the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 ($25) and one of our favorite co-ops, It Takes Two ($16).Epic Games Store Summer SaleIf you don’t play on a console, you can still save on some good PC titles with the sale at Epic Games. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down to $20, for one, while the remasters Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 are available for $15 and $16, respectively. Elsewhere, the action-game-meets-delivery-sim Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is on sale for $20, and Dead Island 2, the zombie action-RPG that was released in April, is available for $45.Outside of Epic’s sale, two more of our favorite games from 2022 are discounted. Nintendo has the fast-paced first-person shooter (but with cards for weapons) Neon White for 30 percent off and the rollerblading, ’70s drenched shooter, Rollerdrome is half price at Steam.Reverb Summer of SavingsThe music equipment marketplace Reverb is also having a summer sale right now, with discounts on instruments and music production gadgets site-wide. A few deals worth calling out include the Novation Summit synth for $460 off of $2,300 and Universal Audio’s Volt 276 studio pack for $130 off of $429. That brings the studio pack down to $299, which is the usual price of the interface on its own, which means you’re getting the included Volt condenser mic and Volt headphones for free. The Volt 276 is one of our top picks in our audio interface guide and we gave it a 90 in our review. Engadget’s Terrance O’Brian appreciates its all-analog emulation of “one of the most iconic compressors of all time” and said most other interfaces at this price point can’t match the 276’s stylish and ergonomic design. Samsung PRO Plus microSDSamsung’s Pro Plus microSD card is what we recommend for most people, based on our tests. It offers nearly the best sequential write performance of the cards we tested and bested all cards for for random read/write speeds. Usually $19, the 128GB size is currently down to $12 at Amazon, which nearly matches its Prime Day low. If you’ve got a camera, tablet or gaming handheld that could use more space, this is a good time to grab some extra storage.Bose SoundLink FlexOne of our top Bluetooth speakers, the Bose SoundLink Flex, is down to $129 at Adoramam, Target and directly from Bose right now. That matches the price it hit during Amazon’s recent sale. The Flex is compact, but manages to give bright, dynamic sound and offers a surprising amount of bass for its size. It plays for 12 hours on a charge and can even pair with other Bose speakers for stereo sound.Kasa Matter Smart PlugA few different Kasa smart plugs are currently on sale at Amazon, including the Kasa KP125M, which is our pick for a Matter-enabled plug in our guide to smart plugs. Usually $40 for a two-pack, the sale drops it to $30 after a discount and a clickable coupon. Matter connectivity means it’ll work with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings and Google Home, so whichever voice assistant you prefer should be supported. In our tests it paired easily (though required a few extra steps for Apple’s system) and stayed reliably connected.The Kasa EP25 plug is our top pick overall and also connects to all four major smart home eco systems. It’s currently $38 for a four-pack after a 24 percent discount.Apple MacBook Air M1The lowest price on a MacBook in Apple’s current lineup is on the 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip, which is down to just $750 at both Amazon and at Best Buy for the 256GB base model. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen, including what it went for during Amazon’s Prime Day. It’s the budget pick in our MacBook buyer’s guide, and the one we recommend to students or anyone who needs a reliable machine for casual computing. It earned a high score of 94 in our review in part thanks to the performance of the M1 chip, which is responsive, launching and running apps effortlessly while conserving the battery life. Apple MacBook Air M2If you want the newer M2 chip in your MacBook Air, you can grab the base model of that machine from B&H Photo for $999. That matches the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 256GB base model and $100 savings. 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 tests. For ports, you get two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack and a MagSafe charging port. Samsung Smart Monitor M8Samsung’s 32-inch M8 Smart Monitor is part computer monitor and part smart TV, meaning it can do everything a monitor can do when hooked up to a PC, but you may never need to do that. All on its own, it can stream Netflix, Disney+, Peacock and other services just by connecting to your WiFi. The included Microsoft 365 programs means you can compose and edit docs, browse the web and build some Excel sheets with no additional computer required. It can also act as your smart home display to control your smart devices and keep tabs on your connected cams and doorbells.This is a refreshed version of the M8 that Samsung launched at CES in 2022 and right now it’s $100 off at Amazon, making it $600 instead of $700.Bose QuietComfort Earbuds IIWe think the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the best noise cancellation you can buy and recommend them in our guide. The buds are back down to $249 at both Amazon and directly from Bose. That’s a price they’ve hit many times before, but matches their all time low. Just remember that they don’t offer wireless charging and don’t have multipoint connectivity, meaning you can only pair with one device at a time. Powerbeats ProWe named the Powerbeats Pro the most comfortable option in our guide to workout headphones. The controls are intuitive, iOS integration is great and the comfortable, behind-the-ear hooks are easy to get in place and stay put (though they can interfere with sunglasses). We gave them an Engadget score of 86 when they came out in 2019. They’re a little older at this point and the over-ear design doesn’t block out any noise but they’re currently $90 off the MSRP, which is around $40 less than what they’ve been going for lately and matches their Prime Day sale price on Amazon.HeadspaceWe’ve recommended Headspace a few times in our guides because it’s an intuitive app that can actually help you relax. If you take a minute out of your day and cue up a breathing exercise or guided meditation you may very well find that your shoulders release back down from up around your ears. Right now a year-long subscription is 30 percent off, making it $49 instead of $70. There’s far more content than any typical person will get through and new sessions are added continuously.TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh SystemIf your WiFi connectivity could use a boost, it may be time to invest in an mesh router system. The top pick from our guide, TP-Link’s Deco XE75, is currently down to $330 for the three-pack instead of its usual $400. That’s not quite an all time low, as it went for $10 less during last year’s Black Friday deals and the most recent Prime Day sale, but is still a tidy discount. The set will cover up to 7,200 square feet but if you don’t need that much coverage, the single unit and two-unit packs are also on sale, though aren’t as steeply discounted. We like the Deco XE75 because the WiFi 6E routers support all three wireless bands (including the 6GHz band) and offers a great mix of power, user-friendliness and affordability — particularly when it’s discounted. You can read our full review here.iRobot Roomba s9+Our top pick for a premium robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba s9+, has returned to it’s record low of $600 at Amazon. That’s a 40 percent discount and matches the sale price from Prime Day. Engadget’s Valentina Palladino found it to be a powerful machine that was better than most at navigating around furniture and other objects and despite having excellent suction, it actually moves faster than its cheaper sibling, the j7. It also looks pretty premium, with its copper accents and sleek design. The self-emptying base means less involvement from you and the setup only takes a few minutes so it can quickly get to work making your floors cleaner. 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/the-airpods-pro-drop-back-to-an-all-time-low-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-183317049.html?src=rss
This week, the biggest event in tech took place in Seoul with Samsung’s Unpacked showcase. Among other announcements, the company officially unveiled its latest foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5. It’s not even available yet, but Amazon is offering a $200 gift card if you pre-order from its site. This week also saw a bunch of continued video game sales from sites like Xbox, Playstation and Epic Games. Other site-wide sales include 20 percent off at Otterbox and a sale on music equipment at Reverb. Plenty of single items are seeing discounts as well, like the always popular Apple AirPods Pro and the Kids Kindle (which isn’t just for kids). Dell is offering a $50 discount on the Xbox Series X, though we don’t expect that deal to stick around long. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Apple AirPods Pro
The latest generation AirPods Pro are back to their all-time low price of $199. That’s the same as they went for during Amazon’s Prime Day. The buds have one of the best transparency modes of all the buds we’ve tried, and we think they’re the best pick for people who use iPhones. They pair quickly with other Apple devices and make great use of Siri for hands-free commands. A good battery life and a wireless charging case are just two more points in the buds’ favor.
Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 5
Earlier this week, Samsung announced its latest flagship foldable smartphone, the Galaxy Z Fold 5 during its Unpacked event. The folks at Amazon are hoping you’ll pre-order the handset from them — and are offering a $200 Amazon gift card plus a storage upgrade if you do so. The base configuration of the Z Fold 5 retails for $1,800, which comes with 256GB of storage. Amazon’s deal gets you the 512GB model plus a physical gift card shipped separately from the phone.
Engadget’s Sam Rutherford spent some time with the new foldable recently. The most notable upgrade from last year’s model is Samsung’s new Flex Hinge, which eliminates most of the gap between the two screen halves when folded. A second-generation Snapdragon 8 chip and support for new gestures round out the new features.
Samsung Galaxy Watch 6
Samsung also revealed two new wearables during Unpacked. If you pre-order the Galaxy Watch 6 from Amazon, the company will throw in a $50 Amazon gift card. The offer only applies to the Bluetooth models, not the LTE or Watch 6 Classic variants. To help you take advantage of Samsung’s new one-click mechanism, Amazon will also include a fabric band to swap out with the included strap.
The watch starts at $300 for the 40mm case size and bumps to $330 for the 44mm size. Engadget’s Cherlynn Low had a chance to check out the watch during a hands on event and you can check out her thoughts here. This latest generation has a sharper and brighter display and has an updated processor and larger battery that offers a claimed eight hours of use after just eight minutes of charging.
Kindle Kids
The Kindle Kids ereader is a top pick in our guide to educational toys for kids. Though, to be fair, this isn’t a toy. The internal tech is identical to a standard Kindle, with a 300 ppi screen, adjustable front light, 16GB of storage and weeks of battery life. But the kids version throws in a colorful case and includes a year of Amazon Kids+, a subscription that grants access to thousands of kid-appropriate books and hundreds of audiobooks. It usually goes for $120, which is $20 more than the standard Kindle, but the sale is knocking it down to just $80, making it a good buy for a kid or even a full-grown adult who enjoys saving money.
Xbox Series X
It’s been tough to find the new Xbox console in stock, let alone at a discount, but right now the Xbox Series X is $50 off at Dell. It comes in a bundle with a copy of the open-world racing game Forza Horizon 5 for a total of $450. The game usually retails for $45 on its own. Dell did this discount before, but didn’t offer a game. Even if you don’t care about racing, this may be a good time to buy, considering the Xbox Series X console (or its cheaper, digital-only Series S sibling) will be a required purchase for the upcoming Bethesda game Starfield, unless you plan to play on a PC. This deal has already gone out of stock once, so you may want to jump now if you’re interested.
Otterbox Back to School sale
We often recommend products from Otterbox in our guides and from now through July 29th, the site is running a site-wide, 20 percent off sale. One of their battery banks, the Fast Charge, is among our top picks in our portable battery guide. The 15,000mAh capacity model usually goes for $45, but is $36 after the discount. The bank packs enough charge to fill a late-model iPhone or a Galaxy S-series twice, with a little left over. It also recharges quickly and looks nice, something not all charging accessories manage to do.
Apple Air Tags (4-pack)
We recommend Apple’s AirTag Bluetooth trackers to iPhone users in our guide to those devices. Right now a four-pack is down to $85 at Amazon, which is the lowest price we’ve tracked. Of all the finding networks out there, Apple’s FindMy is by far the most comprehensive as it uses every iPhone in an area (unless the owner has opted out) to ping nearby AirTags and help find them when they’re lost. They’ll also ring when you tap a button in the app so you can find your lost keys.
Apple Pencil
If you have a recent model of an iPad Air, Mini or Pro and have been considering adding a stylus to your setup, you may want to consider grabbing the second-gen Apple Pencil while its on sale for $89. The 23 percent discount is the steepest discount so far, matching the Prime Day sale price. But now you can get it from Walmart or target as well as from Amazon. The Pencil makes drawing and hand-writing on your tablet easier and it even magnetically attaches and charges to the side of compatible devices. Just note that the current generation standard iPad curiously only pairs with the first-gen Apple Pencil.
Xbox’s Ultimate Game Sale
Video game companies and retailers often celebrate the summer months with some sort of sale on popular titles — maybe because gaming indoors beats heat-fusing to the pavement outside. Right now Xbox is hosting an Ultimate Game Sale with deals up to 80 percent off. Not all of the discounts are best-ever prices, and the steepest savings are typically reserved for older titles, but a decent selection of games we like are on sale right now, such as Halo: The Master Chief Collection ($10 off), Star Wars Jedi: Survivor ($17 off) and Elden Ring ($18 off).
Some of our recommended Xbox exclusives are going for less than $10, including Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Rare Replay. Of course, many sale items are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription, so if you already subscribe, check that availability first.
PlayStation Summer Sale
PlayStation’s Summer Sale is discounting exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart ($40 off) and Horizon Forbidden West ($30 off). The PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us is on sale for $50, while the well-reviewed puzzler Humanity is $24. Non-PS exclusives are also on sale, like the time-bending FPS Deathloop ($15), the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 ($25) and one of our favorite co-ops, It Takes Two ($16).
Epic Games Store Summer Sale
If you don’t play on a console, you can still save on some good PC titles with the sale at Epic Games. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down to $20, for one, while the remasters Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 are available for $15 and $16, respectively. Elsewhere, the action-game-meets-delivery-sim Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is on sale for $20, and Dead Island 2, the zombie action-RPG that was released in April, is available for $45.
Outside of Epic’s sale, two more of our favorite games from 2022 are discounted. Nintendo has the fast-paced first-person shooter (but with cards for weapons) Neon White for 30 percent off and the rollerblading, ’70s drenched shooter, Rollerdrome is half price at Steam.
Reverb Summer of Savings
The music equipment marketplace Reverb is also having a summer sale right now, with discounts on instruments and music production gadgets site-wide. A few deals worth calling out include the Novation Summit synth for $460 off of $2,300 and Universal Audio’s Volt 276 studio pack for $130 off of $429. That brings the studio pack down to $299, which is the usual price of the interface on its own, which means you’re getting the included Volt condenser mic and Volt headphones for free.
The Volt 276 is one of our top picks in our audio interface guide and we gave it a 90 in our review. Engadget’s Terrance O’Brian appreciates its all-analog emulation of “one of the most iconic compressors of all time” and said most other interfaces at this price point can’t match the 276’s stylish and ergonomic design.
Samsung PRO Plus microSD
Samsung’s Pro Plus microSD card is what we recommend for most people, based on our tests. It offers nearly the best sequential write performance of the cards we tested and bested all cards for for random read/write speeds. Usually $19, the 128GB size is currently down to $12 at Amazon, which nearly matches its Prime Day low. If you’ve got a camera, tablet or gaming handheld that could use more space, this is a good time to grab some extra storage.
Bose SoundLink Flex
One of our top Bluetooth speakers, the Bose SoundLink Flex, is down to $129 at Adoramam, Target and directly from Bose right now. That matches the price it hit during Amazon’s recent sale. The Flex is compact, but manages to give bright, dynamic sound and offers a surprising amount of bass for its size. It plays for 12 hours on a charge and can even pair with other Bose speakers for stereo sound.
Kasa Matter Smart Plug
A few different Kasa smart plugs are currently on sale at Amazon, including the Kasa KP125M, which is our pick for a Matter-enabled plug in our guide to smart plugs. Usually $40 for a two-pack, the sale drops it to $30 after a discount and a clickable coupon. Matter connectivity means it’ll work with Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Samsung SmartThings and Google Home, so whichever voice assistant you prefer should be supported. In our tests it paired easily (though required a few extra steps for Apple’s system) and stayed reliably connected.
The Kasa EP25 plug is our top pick overall and also connects to all four major smart home eco systems. It’s currently $38 for a four-pack after a 24 percent discount.
Apple MacBook Air M1
The lowest price on a MacBook in Apple’s current lineup is on the 2020 MacBook Air with the M1 chip, which is down to just $750 at both Amazon and at Best Buy for the 256GB base model. That matches the lowest price we’ve seen, including what it went for during Amazon’s Prime Day. It’s the budget pick in our MacBook buyer’s guide, and the one we recommend to students or anyone who needs a reliable machine for casual computing. It earned a high score of 94 in our review in part thanks to the performance of the M1 chip, which is responsive, launching and running apps effortlessly while conserving the battery life.
Apple MacBook Air M2
If you want the newer M2 chip in your MacBook Air, you can grab the base model of that machine from B&H Photo for $999. That matches the lowest price we’ve tracked for the 256GB base model and $100 savings. 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 tests. For ports, you get two Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack and a MagSafe charging port.
Samsung Smart Monitor M8
Samsung’s 32-inch M8 Smart Monitor is part computer monitor and part smart TV, meaning it can do everything a monitor can do when hooked up to a PC, but you may never need to do that. All on its own, it can stream Netflix, Disney+, Peacock and other services just by connecting to your WiFi. The included Microsoft 365 programs means you can compose and edit docs, browse the web and build some Excel sheets with no additional computer required. It can also act as your smart home display to control your smart devices and keep tabs on your connected cams and doorbells.
This is a refreshed version of the M8 that Samsung launched at CES in 2022 and right now it’s $100 off at Amazon, making it $600 instead of $700.
Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II
We think the Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II offer the best noise cancellation you can buy and recommend them in our guide. The buds are back down to $249 at both Amazon and directly from Bose. That’s a price they’ve hit many times before, but matches their all time low. Just remember that they don’t offer wireless charging and don’t have multipoint connectivity, meaning you can only pair with one device at a time.
Powerbeats Pro
We named the Powerbeats Pro the most comfortable option in our guide to workout headphones. The controls are intuitive, iOS integration is great and the comfortable, behind-the-ear hooks are easy to get in place and stay put (though they can interfere with sunglasses). We gave them an Engadget score of 86 when they came out in 2019. They’re a little older at this point and the over-ear design doesn’t block out any noise but they’re currently $90 off the MSRP, which is around $40 less than what they’ve been going for lately and matches their Prime Day sale price on Amazon.
Headspace
We’ve recommended Headspace a few times in our guides because it’s an intuitive app that can actually help you relax. If you take a minute out of your day and cue up a breathing exercise or guided meditation you may very well find that your shoulders release back down from up around your ears. Right now a year-long subscription is 30 percent off, making it $49 instead of $70. There’s far more content than any typical person will get through and new sessions are added continuously.
TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System
If your WiFi connectivity could use a boost, it may be time to invest in an mesh router system. The top pick from our guide, TP-Link’s Deco XE75, is currently down to $330 for the three-pack instead of its usual $400. That’s not quite an all time low, as it went for $10 less during last year’s Black Friday deals and the most recent Prime Day sale, but is still a tidy discount. The set will cover up to 7,200 square feet but if you don’t need that much coverage, the single unit and two-unit packs are also on sale, though aren’t as steeply discounted. We like the Deco XE75 because the WiFi 6E routers support all three wireless bands (including the 6GHz band) and offers a great mix of power, user-friendliness and affordability — particularly when it’s discounted. You can read our full review here.
iRobot Roomba s9+
Our top pick for a premium robot vacuum, the iRobot Roomba s9+, has returned to it’s record low of $600 at Amazon. That’s a 40 percent discount and matches the sale price from Prime Day. Engadget’s Valentina Palladino found it to be a powerful machine that was better than most at navigating around furniture and other objects and despite having excellent suction, it actually moves faster than its cheaper sibling, the j7. It also looks pretty premium, with its copper accents and sleek design. The self-emptying base means less involvement from you and the setup only takes a few minutes so it can quickly get to work making your floors cleaner.
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-airpods-pro-drop-back-to-an-all-time-low-plus-the-rest-of-this-weeks-best-tech-deals-183317049.html?src=rss
NASA’s Ambitious Plan for Nuclear-Powered Rockets
NASA is launching a bold mission to send humans to Mars using nuclear-powered rocket engines. With this innovative technology, we
The post NASA’s Ambitious Plan for Nuclear-Powered Rockets appeared first on ReadWrite.
NASA is launching a bold mission to send humans to Mars using nuclear-powered rocket engines. With this innovative technology, we may finally be able to get to Mars in a reasonable amount of time. NASA hopes to reduce the dangers of long-duration spaceflights by working with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) to create a rocket that uses nuclear propulsion. This article will discuss the potential of nuclear-powered rockets for the future of space travel, as well as the problems they solve.
It takes about seven or eight months for a conventional spacecraft powered by burning liquid fuel to reach Mars. Nuclear rocket engines, however, have the potential to cut that time by at least a third, making the trip more efficient and safer for astronauts. Since the trip takes so much less time, mission planners have more leeway in deciding how long astronauts should spend exploring Mars before returning home. They wouldn’t have to be gone for years if they could finish their mission in a matter of weeks or months. This would help mitigate the mental toll of being separated from loved ones.
Exposure to cosmic radiation is a major concern for astronauts on long-term space missions. Humans can get the radiation exposure that would normally take an entire year on Earth in just one day in space because they are not shielded by the Earth’s atmosphere and magnetic field. According to the European Space Agency, astronauts may be subjected to radiation levels 700 times higher than on Earth during Mars missions, where the journey may take several months. The health risks associated with prolonged exposure to cosmic radiation would be reduced if the duration of space travel could be cut in half using nuclear-powered rockets.
The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is taking the lead in creating a rocket that uses nuclear thermal propulsion. DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations) is a program that plans to use the high heat produced by a fission reactor to convert liquid propellant into a gas. The gas is then directed through a nozzle to provide the spaceship with the necessary thrust. Nuclear thermal propulsion is at least three times as efficient and has greater thrust than conventional chemical rockets, allowing for quicker and more efficient space travel.
There are a number of benefits to using nuclear propulsion for space travel. To begin, nuclear-powered rockets have a smaller fuel footprint because of their increased efficiency. This efficiency boost opens up new avenues for scientific exploration and research by allowing more cargo, equipment, and experiments to be brought aboard. Second, nuclear propulsion permits more rapid travel, decreasing time in space and consequently minimizing risks and difficulties. Additionally, the use of low-enriched uranium as opposed to highly enriched uranium guarantees the continued security of the technology and eliminates any potential for nuclear proliferation.
The testing and development of nuclear rocket engines places a premium on security. Bill Nelson, NASA’s administrator, has stressed the importance of conducting the nuclear rocket engine’s safety tests in space rather than on Earth. The DRACO program is expected to debut its first demonstration as soon as 2027. This landmark will be a huge achievement for space travel and open the door for future manned missions to Mars.
The psychological toll that long-duration spaceflights take on astronauts is also addressed by nuclear propulsion. Isolation and boredom, among other mental effects, can set in after months spent cooped up in a cramped spacecraft. Nuclear-powered rockets help to mitigate these difficulties by cutting down on the time needed to travel to Mars, meaning that astronauts will spend less time cooped up inside their spacecraft and suffering from the psychological effects of isolation.
Nuclear-powered rockets are not a novel idea; the earliest designs for such engines date back to the 1960s. However, progress in nuclear propulsion halted due to public concerns following incidents like the 1979 Three Mile Island accident and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. There is a newfound enthusiasm and political will to investigate and develop renewable energy sources and technologies. Right now is a great time to develop nuclear propulsion to its full potential and break new ground in space travel.
In summary, the development of nuclear-powered rockets through a joint effort between NASA and DARPA is a major step forward in the quest for human missions to Mars. Using nuclear thermal propulsion could drastically improve space travel by shortening journey times and reducing exposure to harmful cosmic rays. While improvements in psychological considerations help alleviate the difficulties of extended space missions, the use of low-enriched uranium helps guarantee the safety of the technology. Thanks to advances in nuclear propulsion technology, the prospects for future space exploration are brighter than ever.
First reported on NBC News
Frequently Asked Questions
What is NASA’s bold mission to Mars using nuclear-powered rocket engines?
NASA is working on a project to send humans to Mars using nuclear-powered rocket engines. These engines, developed in collaboration with DARPA, have the potential to significantly reduce the travel time to Mars and make the journey more efficient and safer for astronauts.
How do nuclear-powered rockets improve the efficiency of the Mars mission?
Nuclear rocket engines can cut the travel time to Mars by at least a third compared to conventional spacecraft powered by burning liquid fuel. This allows mission planners to consider shorter exploration durations on Mars, reducing the psychological toll of being separated from loved ones for extended periods.
What are the benefits of nuclear propulsion for space travel?
Nuclear-powered rockets offer several advantages. They are more efficient, allowing for more cargo, equipment, and experiments to be carried on board. The quicker travel time reduces risks and difficulties associated with long-term space missions. Moreover, the use of low-enriched uranium ensures technology security and eliminates nuclear proliferation concerns.
How does nuclear propulsion help with exposure to cosmic radiation?
Long-term space missions expose astronauts to significant cosmic radiation, which poses health risks. Nuclear-powered rockets’ reduced travel time can cut astronauts’ exposure to cosmic radiation in half, minimizing the associated health hazards.
What is the role of DARPA in the development of nuclear thermal propulsion?
DARPA is leading the development of a rocket named DRACO (Demonstration Rocket for Agile Cislunar Operations), which uses nuclear thermal propulsion. DRACO utilizes a fission reactor to convert liquid propellant into gas, providing the necessary thrust for space travel. This propulsion system is significantly more efficient and powerful than conventional chemical rockets.
When will the first demonstration of nuclear thermal propulsion take place?
The first demonstration of nuclear thermal propulsion, as part of the DRACO program, is expected to occur as soon as 2027. This demonstration will be a crucial milestone in advancing space travel capabilities and paving the way for future manned missions to Mars.
Why was progress in nuclear propulsion halted in the past?
Progress in nuclear propulsion was hindered in the past due to public concerns surrounding nuclear incidents like the 1979 Three Mile Island accident and the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. However, the current focus on renewable energy sources and technologies has renewed enthusiasm for exploring and developing nuclear propulsion for space travel.
What psychological benefits do nuclear-powered rockets offer for astronauts?
Long-duration spaceflights can have adverse psychological effects on astronauts, including isolation and boredom. Nuclear-powered rockets’ ability to shorten travel time to Mars helps mitigate these difficulties, as astronauts spend less time confined in cramped spacecraft.
What are the potential implications of successful nuclear propulsion development for space exploration?
The successful development of nuclear-powered rockets can significantly advance space exploration capabilities. It could lead to more efficient and rapid missions, making distant space destinations more accessible and facilitating ambitious human missions to places like Mars.
How is the joint effort between NASA and DARPA contributing to space exploration?
The collaboration between NASA and DARPA in developing nuclear-powered rocket technology represents a major step forward in the pursuit of human missions to Mars. By combining expertise and resources, the joint effort is accelerating progress in space travel and opening up new possibilities for future exploration beyond Earth.
Featured Image Credit: Unsplash
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