Month: May 2024
Sonos smart speakers and soundbars are up to 25 percent off for Father’s Day
The Sonos Move 2 comes in an olive color as well as the standard white and black. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sonos hype may be high right now thanks to the impending launch of the Ace headphones, but its tried-and-true speakers and soundbars are where the deals are at. Now through June 16th, you can save up to 25 percent off select Sonos soundbars and speakers — including some of the latest and greatest models in its Era and Move lines.
First up, the best deal is arguably on the Sonos Move 2, which launched in September and is now selling for a new low of $336 ($113 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The beefy portable speaker offers up to 24 hours of stereo playback from its user-replaceable cell, which can also be used to charge external devices via USB-C. At 6.61 pounds, it may not be something you take with you everywhere, but the room-filling sound of the Move 2 makes it a great speaker to use around the house or for backyard parties. In addition to Sonos’ Wi-Fi-based multiroom ecosystem, you can connect to the Move 2 via Bluetooth for those times you don’t mind lugging it out of the house to somewhere like the park or beach.
If you prefer your portable speakers to be more, well, portable, the Sonos Roam SL is selling for $127 ($32 off) at Best Buy and Sonos. That’s a nice low price for the tiny combination Wi-Fi / Bluetooth speaker, which doesn’t have any microphones for those who don’t care for voice assistants. But the newer and seemingly much-improved Roam 2 now exists at $179 and our resident Sonos sleuth, Chris Welch, is working on his review, so I feel you should wait until that drops before buying the last-gen model (nice price or not).
Alternatively, if you want some home speakers that don’t need to travel, the Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Era 100 are on sale for $359 ($90 off at Amazon / Best Buy / Sonos) and $199 ($50 off at Amazon / Best Buy / Sonos), respectively. The Era 100 is the smaller model that fits in tighter spaces around the house but has impressive sound for its size. The Era 300 carries a more unique design that’s geared toward its support of spatial audio, making it an intriguing (though very premium) combination with the Arc soundbar. Both Era speakers also support line-in audio with Sonos’ optional USB-C adapter, meaning you can get a speaker that doubles as an amp for channeling your turntable into a whole-home wireless audio system; pretty nifty if that fits your needs.
If you’re looking for a soundbar instead of a standalone speaker, you can buy a Sonos soundbar on sale starting at $399 ($100 off at Sonos / Amazon / Best Buy) for the midrange second-gen Sonos Beam. If you don’t mind splurging, Sonos’ flagship soundbar — the Sonos Arc — is also on sale for $719 ($180 off at Sonos / Amazon / Best Buy). Both models put out some very good sound that’s much better than those tiny, tinny speakers on your TV, allowing you to better hear spoken dialogue and bringing a touch of rumble to climactic movie moments (especially in the big boy Arc). Plus, for any Ace early adopters, Sonos soundbars will support its slick handoff feature — allowing you to seamlessly switch audio from the bar to the headphones with one button. (The Arc will have this feature out of the gate, with the Beam and lower-end Ray supporting it later via software updates.)
The Beam is likely the right fit for most people, with HDMI eARC connectivity and Dolby Atmos support. The pricey Arc is for those who want the most features and the flexibility to pair it with more Sonos speakers for a surround sound experience.
The Sonos Move 2 comes in an olive color as well as the standard white and black. | Photo by Chris Welch / The Verge
Sonos hype may be high right now thanks to the impending launch of the Ace headphones, but its tried-and-true speakers and soundbars are where the deals are at. Now through June 16th, you can save up to 25 percent off select Sonos soundbars and speakers — including some of the latest and greatest models in its Era and Move lines.
First up, the best deal is arguably on the Sonos Move 2, which launched in September and is now selling for a new low of $336 ($113 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Sonos. The beefy portable speaker offers up to 24 hours of stereo playback from its user-replaceable cell, which can also be used to charge external devices via USB-C. At 6.61 pounds, it may not be something you take with you everywhere, but the room-filling sound of the Move 2 makes it a great speaker to use around the house or for backyard parties. In addition to Sonos’ Wi-Fi-based multiroom ecosystem, you can connect to the Move 2 via Bluetooth for those times you don’t mind lugging it out of the house to somewhere like the park or beach.
If you prefer your portable speakers to be more, well, portable, the Sonos Roam SL is selling for $127 ($32 off) at Best Buy and Sonos. That’s a nice low price for the tiny combination Wi-Fi / Bluetooth speaker, which doesn’t have any microphones for those who don’t care for voice assistants. But the newer and seemingly much-improved Roam 2 now exists at $179 and our resident Sonos sleuth, Chris Welch, is working on his review, so I feel you should wait until that drops before buying the last-gen model (nice price or not).
Alternatively, if you want some home speakers that don’t need to travel, the Sonos Era 300 and Sonos Era 100 are on sale for $359 ($90 off at Amazon / Best Buy / Sonos) and $199 ($50 off at Amazon / Best Buy / Sonos), respectively. The Era 100 is the smaller model that fits in tighter spaces around the house but has impressive sound for its size. The Era 300 carries a more unique design that’s geared toward its support of spatial audio, making it an intriguing (though very premium) combination with the Arc soundbar. Both Era speakers also support line-in audio with Sonos’ optional USB-C adapter, meaning you can get a speaker that doubles as an amp for channeling your turntable into a whole-home wireless audio system; pretty nifty if that fits your needs.
If you’re looking for a soundbar instead of a standalone speaker, you can buy a Sonos soundbar on sale starting at $399 ($100 off at Sonos / Amazon / Best Buy) for the midrange second-gen Sonos Beam. If you don’t mind splurging, Sonos’ flagship soundbar — the Sonos Arc — is also on sale for $719 ($180 off at Sonos / Amazon / Best Buy). Both models put out some very good sound that’s much better than those tiny, tinny speakers on your TV, allowing you to better hear spoken dialogue and bringing a touch of rumble to climactic movie moments (especially in the big boy Arc). Plus, for any Ace early adopters, Sonos soundbars will support its slick handoff feature — allowing you to seamlessly switch audio from the bar to the headphones with one button. (The Arc will have this feature out of the gate, with the Beam and lower-end Ray supporting it later via software updates.)
The Beam is likely the right fit for most people, with HDMI eARC connectivity and Dolby Atmos support. The pricey Arc is for those who want the most features and the flexibility to pair it with more Sonos speakers for a surround sound experience.
Amazon’s Prime Air delivery drones can fly even farther after FAA approval
Image: Amazon
Amazon is getting FAA approval to fly its Prime Air drones farther than ever before. The agency has granted Amazon permission to operate package delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), which is farther than a human can see. It’s a milestone that could be a huge boon to the company’s long-running ambition to deliver products to customers in 30 minutes.
With the regulatory hurdle out of the way, Amazon is set to “immediately” scale its operations in College Station, Texas, so it can fly more drones and make deliveries in more densely populated areas that are farther out. The location’s expansion will make use of the company’s current MK27 drone, which can carry packages up to five pounds and is outfitted with onboard detect-and-avoid capabilities that the FAA has now blessed. Amazon is also working on a new lighter MK30 drone that can fly faster and through rain.
Amazon’s new FAA approval comes after it shut down its testing operations site in Lockeford, California, after a long approval process to get customer deliveries running. Amazon is now in the process of opening a new Prime Air location in Tolleson, Arizona. Amazon was granted BVLOS after other drone delivery operators had already received clearance, including UPS, Wing, FedEx, and Zipline.
Image: Amazon
Amazon is getting FAA approval to fly its Prime Air drones farther than ever before. The agency has granted Amazon permission to operate package delivery drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS), which is farther than a human can see. It’s a milestone that could be a huge boon to the company’s long-running ambition to deliver products to customers in 30 minutes.
With the regulatory hurdle out of the way, Amazon is set to “immediately” scale its operations in College Station, Texas, so it can fly more drones and make deliveries in more densely populated areas that are farther out. The location’s expansion will make use of the company’s current MK27 drone, which can carry packages up to five pounds and is outfitted with onboard detect-and-avoid capabilities that the FAA has now blessed. Amazon is also working on a new lighter MK30 drone that can fly faster and through rain.
Amazon’s new FAA approval comes after it shut down its testing operations site in Lockeford, California, after a long approval process to get customer deliveries running. Amazon is now in the process of opening a new Prime Air location in Tolleson, Arizona. Amazon was granted BVLOS after other drone delivery operators had already received clearance, including UPS, Wing, FedEx, and Zipline.
How to watch ‘Challengers’ at home: When and where is it streaming?
Here are the best ways to watch ‘Challengers’ for free when the Zendaya film hits Prime Video.
Prime Video
Rent on Prime Video
(save $2.25)
Challengers has set the internet aflame with its sexy love triangle drama. As Mashable Tech Reporter Elena Cavender noted, “It’s got everything you want in a movie: a steamy love triangle between incredibly good-looking people (West Side Story‘s Mike Faist, La Chimera‘s Josh O’Connor, and Dune‘s Zendaya), thrilling tennis sequences, and an electrifying score from Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross.” What’s not to love?
The film hit theaters at the end of April and it’s still making headlines — and we can only expect more to come as it is now available to watch at home. See what director Luca Guadagnino is serving up in Challengers and discover whether you’re Team Art, Team Patrick, or Team Tashi. Here’s everything you need to know about how to watch Challengers at home.
What is Challengers about?
Zendaya stars as a teenage tennis star on the rise, Tashi Duncan, who has what it takes to turn pro until an injury pitches her to the sidelines. Best friends and tennis players Art Donaldson (Mike Faist) and Patrick Zweig (Josh O’Connor) are both in love with Tashi. She dates one, then marries the other, but who she’ll end up with remains an ongoing question throughout the film. The love triangle plays out in and around the tennis court, with the audience getting smacked back and forth like a ball across a net.
Here’s the official trailer:
Is Challengers worth watching?
“While it may be too much for some audiences to handle, there’s no doubt Challengers is hands down one of the best and sexiest movies of the year,” declares Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko. And she’s not alone, as the film currently holds an 89% critic rating at Rotten Tomatoes.
It earned 15 million at the box office on its opening weekend and has gone on to earn about $47 million domestically, meaning it’s still going strong a month later.
While many of the film’s WTF moments are certainly a hit on social media, the film is more than just a collection of memes. As Puchko noted, “Challengers is not just a sexy love story or a suspenseful sports movie. Imbued with adrenaline in every frame, note, and beat, it is a breathtaking cinematic experience that thrusts you into the center of this love triangle, bounces you about like a ball that lives for the racket’s smack, and leaves you breathless with a finale that is indulgent yet deeply satisfying.”
Read our full review of Challengers.
How to watch Challengers at home
Just a month after its theatrical debut, Challengers is officially available to watch at home via video-on-demand sites like Prime Video and Fandango at Home (Vudu). You can rent it from any of the retailers below for 30 days. Just remember: once you start watching a rental, you’ll only have 48 hours to finish before you lose access. You’ll be able to purchase the film from the same retailers at a later date.
As of May 17, you can rent the film at the following retailers:
Prime Video — rent for $12.74
Apple TV — rent for $14.99
Fandango at Home (Vudu) — rent for $14.99
YouTube — rent for $14.99
Is Challengers streaming?
If you’d rather wait for Challengers to start streaming, you can prepare by signing up for a Prime membership or Prime Video subscription. While it hasn’t officially been announced yet, Challengers is an Amazon MGM Studios film. So, the film will most likely make its streaming debut on Prime Video. There’s no official streaming date yet at the time of writing, but we’ll keep you updated when the date is announced. Until then, check out the Prime Video streaming deals below. A Prime membership starts at $14.99 per month, but there are other ways you can save and watch Challengers and more on Prime Video.
Can I get Prime Video for free?
If you’re new to the Prime realm or coming back after some time away (a year or more), Amazon offers new and returning members a free 30-day trial of its Prime membership. That gives you unlimited access to Prime Video library, where you’ll eventually be able to stream Challengers.
Just be sure to cancel your Prime membership before the free trial ends if you want to avoid paying the $14.99 membership fee per month.
Opens in a new window
The best Prime Video deals
There aren’t too many Prime Video deals floating around compared to other streaming services, but we’ve rounded up the few options you have to save a bit of money.
Prime Video deal for students: Save 50% through Prime Student
Opens in a new window
Students can nab a free six-month trial to Prime through Prime Student, so long as you have a verifiable student email address. This gives you access to all the Prime perks (plus more!), including Prime Video. That means you can stream Challengers for free as many times as you want over a six-month period. After your trial ends, you’ll have to pay half the price of a regular Prime membership — just $69 per year or $7.49 per month.
Note: You’ll have to be able to prove you’re actually a student through SheerID, so don’t try using your decade-old student email address.
Best for everyone else: Prime Video only
Opens in a new window
If you’re not eligible for the free trial or discounted Prime Student membership, you likely won’t be able to watch Challengers for free. However, you can save some money by opting to subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service, rather than paying for a full Prime account. While a full Prime membership will run you $14.99 per month (or $139 per year, which breaks down to $11.58 per month), Prime Video as a standalone service will only cost you $8.99 per month. Sure, that’s not as good as getting it for free, but it’s certainly better than paying the full Prime pricing just for the streaming aspect.
Obviously, Amazon wants you to become a Prime member. Thus, signing up for Prime Video only is unnecessarily tricky. Basically, when you go to sign up for a subscription, be sure to select the option to “see more plans” or “change plan” and navigate to the Prime Video only option. Like Prime, you can cancel whenever you please with no strings.
Best long-term value: Amazon Prime annual membership
Opens in a new window
If you do want all the Prime membership perks, you could choose an annual membership rather than monthly. It’ll cost you $139 per year, which breaks down to just $11.58 per month instead of the usual $14.99 per month — that’s about 22% in savings. You’ll get access to Prime Video to watch Challengers, as well as all the other Prime perks, like fast and free shipping, free Grubhub+, access to Amazon Music, and exclusive deals and savings for an entire year. If you’re currently on the monthly plan, navigate to your Prime membership under your account details to change plans.
The aging PS4 still has as many active users as the PS5
But PS5 users spend more money and gameplay time on their consoles.
Enlarge / After nearly four years of the PS5, a lot of people are still using their old PS4s. (credit: Sony)
If you’re still getting use out of your aging PS4 after nearly four full years of PS5 availability, new data from Sony shows you are far from alone. The Japanese electronics giant says that both the PS4 and PS5 currently have about 49 million monthly active users, suggesting a significant number of PlayStation players have yet to spend $400 or more to upgrade to the newer console.
The new data comes from an extensive Game & Network Services report presented as part of Sony’s most recent Business Segment Meeting. Those numbers suggest that about 42 percent of the 117 million PS4 units ever sold are still in active use, compared to 86 percent of the 56 million PS5 units sold thus far.
Despite the parity in active consoles, Sony also points out that the PS5 is responsible for significantly more gameplay hours than the PS4: 2.4 billion for the new system compared to 1.4 billion for its predecessor (it’s unclear what time period this comparison covers). Sony’s monthly user numbers also include any console “used to play games or [access] services on the PlayStation Network,” so an old PS4 that serves as a convenient Netflix box in the spare bedroom would still inflate the older system’s numbers here.
A year of Peacock Premium can be yours for just $20
The prices of streaming services have been rising across the board over the last few years. One way to keep the costs down is by opting for a bundle. But there are other deals to be found, such as one that can save you $40 on an annual Peacock Premium plan ahead of a planned price hike. A year of the ad-supported tier can be yours for just $20 when you sign up using the code STREAMTHEDEAL. This deal is only available to folks in the US who aren’t already Peacock Premium subscribers. You have until June 30 to take advantage of it.
While it might not get the same attention as the likes of Netflix or Disney+, Peacock is a solid streaming service with some notable original shows, such as Poker Face, Mrs. Davis, Ted and We Are Lady Parts. Fans of back-stabbing reality shows should enjoy The Traitors too.
What makes Peacock one of the best streaming services for many though is its sports offerings. Premier League soccer has been a staple of the platform since its debut and now many games stream there exclusively. If you take up this deal, your year of access will cover the entire 2024-25 season. Peacock is also home to major WWE events, US Open tennis and some NFL games as well.
There’s also the small matter of the Olympic Games. Peacock will stream all of this summer’s Olympic action live from Paris, including the opening and closing ceremonies and every medal event. Some events will be exclusive to Peacock. The platform is also introducing some new multiview features this time around to help you stay on top of things as much as possible.
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/a-year-of-peacock-premium-can-be-yours-for-just-20-143706555.html?src=rss
The prices of streaming services have been rising across the board over the last few years. One way to keep the costs down is by opting for a bundle. But there are other deals to be found, such as one that can save you $40 on an annual Peacock Premium plan ahead of a planned price hike. A year of the ad-supported tier can be yours for just $20 when you sign up using the code STREAMTHEDEAL. This deal is only available to folks in the US who aren’t already Peacock Premium subscribers. You have until June 30 to take advantage of it.
While it might not get the same attention as the likes of Netflix or Disney+, Peacock is a solid streaming service with some notable original shows, such as Poker Face, Mrs. Davis, Ted and We Are Lady Parts. Fans of back-stabbing reality shows should enjoy The Traitors too.
What makes Peacock one of the best streaming services for many though is its sports offerings. Premier League soccer has been a staple of the platform since its debut and now many games stream there exclusively. If you take up this deal, your year of access will cover the entire 2024-25 season. Peacock is also home to major WWE events, US Open tennis and some NFL games as well.
There’s also the small matter of the Olympic Games. Peacock will stream all of this summer’s Olympic action live from Paris, including the opening and closing ceremonies and every medal event. Some events will be exclusive to Peacock. The platform is also introducing some new multiview features this time around to help you stay on top of things as much as possible.
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/a-year-of-peacock-premium-can-be-yours-for-just-20-143706555.html?src=rss
Cooler Master hit by mega data breach — PC equipment maker sees customer info stolen
Hacker claims to have stolen 103GB of sensitive data from Cooler Master, including payment information.
A hacker claims to have breached the servers of Cooler Master and stolen gigabytes of sensitive corporate and customer information, including payment data.
A threat actor calling themselves “Ghostr” reached out to TechRadar Pro, saying they breached the computer hardware maker, providing a small sample of the stolen data as confirmation.
Cooler Master is a well-known technology company specializing in the manufacturing of computer hardware and peripherals. It was founded in 1992 in Taipei, Taiwan, and has made a name for itself building computer cases, power suppliers, and most notably – different types of coolers.
No word from Cooler Master yet
In the email, Ghostr says the hack took place on May 18 2024, and that they stole more than 103GB of company databases.
“This data breach included Cooler Master corporate, vendor, sales, warranty, inventory and HR data as well as over 500,000 of their Fanzone members personal information, including name, address, date of birth, phone, email + plain unencrypted credit card information containing name, credit card number, expiry, and 3 digits CC code,” the hackers said.
Fanzone is a dedicated website where users can register their gear’s warranty, submit return merchandise authorization requests, reach out to customer support, and more.
So far, Cooler Master has not responded to the claims. The company’s website and social media channels made no mention of the claims, and we have reached out via email asking for additional information. We will update the article should we hear from the company any time soon.
Whether or not Ghostr’s claims are legitimate remains to be seen. BleepingComputer has analyzed a sample of the leaked data and confirmed its authenticity. However, there is no evidence that any payment information was stolen, so when it comes to the legitimacy of Ghostr’s claims, the jury is still out.
More from TechRadar Pro
Ticketmaster breached — data of over 500 million users allegedly put up for sale onlineHere’s a list of the best firewalls todayThese are the best endpoint protection tools right now
Former teen model co-created app Frich to help Gen Z be more realistic about finances
As a teen model, Katrin Kaurov became financially independent at a young age. Aleksandra Medina, whom she met at NYU Abu Dhabi, also learned to manage money early on. The pair bonded as students over what they viewed as a lack of a space for open conversations for people their age to have around financial
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.
As a teen model, Katrin Kaurov became financially independent at a young age. Aleksandra Medina, whom she met at NYU Abu Dhabi, also learned to manage money early on. The pair bonded as students over what they viewed as a lack of a space for open conversations for people their age to have around financial […]
© 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only.