The 4K Chromecast with Google TV streaming stick is down to $40 on Amazon as part of a Black Friday sale. That’s a savings of 20 percent, or ten bucks for the math wizards out there.
We called the 1080p version of this device “a great little streaming dongle” and that certainly holds true for the newer 4K model. It supports HDR and is compatible with just about any TV with an HDMI port. Once plugged in, it streams via Wi-Fi.

The model also allows users to view live TV in 4K. This works with a bunch of different live TV providers, like YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV and Philo. It ships with a voice remote embedded with Google Assistant, allowing people to bark orders regarding what stuff they want to watch.
As with most streaming sticks, users can cast stuff from their phones or tablets. There’s also the option to build a kid-friendly profile, complete with family-friendly content and robust parental controls.
However, there is one caveat here. This model is likely on the way out. The company looks to be prioritizing the recently-released Google TV Streamer, which drops the dongle design in favor of a wedge. This one boasts more storage and a faster CPU than the aforementioned dongle. The company also shoehorned some AI in the new device because that’s what everyone must do now. However, the Google TV Streamer costs $100. I’d go for the $40 Chromecast myself.
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-the-4k-chromecast-with-google-tv-for-40-194854930.html?src=rss

The 4K Chromecast with Google TV streaming stick is down to $40 on Amazon as part of a Black Friday sale. That’s a savings of 20 percent, or ten bucks for the math wizards out there.

We called the 1080p version of this device “a great little streaming dongle” and that certainly holds true for the newer 4K model. It supports HDR and is compatible with just about any TV with an HDMI port. Once plugged in, it streams via Wi-Fi.

The model also allows users to view live TV in 4K. This works with a bunch of different live TV providers, like YouTube TV, Pluto TV, Sling TV and Philo. It ships with a voice remote embedded with Google Assistant, allowing people to bark orders regarding what stuff they want to watch.

As with most streaming sticks, users can cast stuff from their phones or tablets. There’s also the option to build a kid-friendly profile, complete with family-friendly content and robust parental controls.

However, there is one caveat here. This model is likely on the way out. The company looks to be prioritizing the recently-released Google TV Streamer, which drops the dongle design in favor of a wedge. This one boasts more storage and a faster CPU than the aforementioned dongle. The company also shoehorned some AI in the new device because that’s what everyone must do now. However, the Google TV Streamer costs $100. I’d go for the $40 Chromecast myself.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-deals-include-the-4k-chromecast-with-google-tv-for-40-194854930.html?src=rss

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As people leave or deactivate their X accounts, there’s been meaningful growth for alternative platforms like Meta’s Threads and underdog Bluesky. Despite the huge gap in both user numbers and funding between the two, Threads seems to be borrowing from Bluesky’s feature set to prevent it from becoming competitive.
The Verge reported that Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced that Threads’ algorithm is getting a “rebalancing” to “prioritize content from people you follow” and “less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow.” Which… is pretty much how Bluesky does things.

@mosseri/Threads
Threads also started offering users a custom feeds tool as a way to stay way ahead of Bluesky’s sudden growth. (Custom feeds are a feature Bluesky has offered its users since May of 2023.) The feature lets users pin topics to their home feeds. It’s not known if the new algorithm change will affect the “For Your” custom feed.
Bluesky passed the 20 million user milestone on Tuesday. That number may still pale in comparison toThreads’ 275 million users but Mosseri’s announcement indicates Meta wants to remain the more enticing option for the estimated 550 million users still on X, should they eventually seek greener pastures.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-prioritize-accounts-you-follow-instead-of-randos-191529420.html?src=rss

As people leave or deactivate their X accounts, there’s been meaningful growth for alternative platforms like Meta’s Threads and underdog Bluesky. Despite the huge gap in both user numbers and funding between the two, Threads seems to be borrowing from Bluesky’s feature set to prevent it from becoming competitive.

The Verge reported that Adam Mosseri, the head of Instagram, announced that Threads’ algorithm is getting a “rebalancing” to “prioritize content from people you follow” and “less recommended content from accounts you don’t follow.” Which… is pretty much how Bluesky does things.

Threads also started offering users a custom feeds tool as a way to stay way ahead of Bluesky’s sudden growth. (Custom feeds are a feature Bluesky has offered its users since May of 2023.) The feature lets users pin topics to their home feeds. It’s not known if the new algorithm change will affect the “For Your” custom feed.

Bluesky passed the 20 million user milestone on Tuesday. That number may still pale in comparison toThreads’ 275 million users but Mosseri’s announcement indicates Meta wants to remain the more enticing option for the estimated 550 million users still on X, should they eventually seek greener pastures.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-will-prioritize-accounts-you-follow-instead-of-randos-191529420.html?src=rss

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