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22.03.2024 19:00 Qualcomm is said to have new Arm-based laptops of its own in the pipeline, while consumer versions of the new Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 that run on the Snapdragon X Elite chipset are believed to be on the way. While that in the past would have meant the makers of x86- and x64-based Windows software needing to port their apps, Qualcomm sought to assure game developers that their titles will run just fine out of the box on any unannounced Snapdragon X Elite systems that just happen to be coming up. At the Game Developers Conference, Qualcomm engineer Issam Khalil told the audience that the computers will use emulation to run many x86 and x64 games at nearly full speed without the need to tweak the code or change any assets. According to The Verge, Khalil explained that games are typically bottlenecked by the graphics processing unit, and emulation doesn't impact GPU performance. As such , Qualcomm suggests many titles will perform just fine. There are some caveats. Certain games simply won't work through emulation, particularly those using kernel-level anti-cheat tech. However, Qualcomm has been testing its emulation with the top games on Steam and appears convinced that its tech should be able to handle most games. Otherwise, Khalil told developers that they have two other options for running their games on Snapdragon-based Windows machines. They can fully port their titles to native ARM64 for optimal CPU performance and power usage. Alternatively, Qualcomm will support hybrid ARM64EC apps, in which Windows libraries and Qualcomm’s drivers run natively, but the other parts of the software are emulated. This is said to deliver “near-native” performance. If Qualcomm can actually pull off this emulation trick as promised, it'll be an impressive move, and it could ultimately help Arm-based Windows laptops offer a blend of strong performance and better power efficiency than x86 Intel-based machines. However, the proof is in the pudding. Qualcomm hasn't had a terrific track record of x86/x64 emulation thus far. In fact, senior editor Devindra Hardawar criticized the Arm-based Surface Pro 9 for its poor Windows emulation. So far, Apple has arguably been the most successful company at emulating x86 software on its Arm-based M-series chips with the help of its Rosetta 2 translation layer. One key point to bear in mind here is that Apple has total control over the entire ecosystem, as PC Gamer notes, including the hardware and operating system. As such, Apple can perhaps better optimize the emulation process than other companies that provide fewer parts of the equation, such as Qualcomm with its GPUs and CPUs.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/qualcomm-says-most-windows-games-will-work-on-its-latest-arm-laptop-chipset-152540577.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 19:00 The Amazon Big Spring Sale is here, and it’s brought a ton of deals on seasonal favorites. Amongst the clothing, shoes, home goods and outdoor gear on discount right now, there are a decent number of tech deals to be had as well. Amazon made it pretty clear in its announcement of the Big Spring Sale that tech wasn’t going to be the main focus this time around . But we at Engadget have been able to comb through the sea of discounts and find some good deals on things like AirPods, Roomba robot vacuums, Anker charging gear and more. Check out the best tech deals you can get in the Amazon Spring Sale below, and don't miss some of the other best tech deals we found across the web at the end of the list. Best Spring Sale deals under $50 Best Spring Sale deals on Apple devices Best Spring Sale deals on Anker devices Best Spring Sale deals on headphones, earbuds and speakers Best Spring Sale deals on smartphones Best Spring Sale deals on gaming gear Best Spring Sale deals on smart home tech Best Spring Sale deals on Amazon devices Best Spring Sale deals on other tech Best tech deals available elsewhere on the web Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-tech-deals-we-found-in-the-amazon-big-spring-sale--save-on-earbuds-tablets-power-banks-and-more-150018303.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 19:00 Meditation is often touted as a mental cure-all, purported to help with stress, sleep, mood, focus and even certain medical conditions. I’ve been meditating most of my adult life. I’ve done silent retreats. I’ve been formally trained in various techniques. I’ve had someone in my contacts list who I referred to as a “guru.” So I feel I’m relatively qualified to give some bad news: Meditation won’t fix your life, despite what David Lynch says. However, there’s also some good news: Despite not actually being a cure-all for everything bad in the universe, meditation can certainly take the edge off.This is where meditation apps can come into play. Of course, practicing mindfulness doesn’t require an app; people have been doing it for thousands of years, with nary a smartphone in sight. But mindfulness apps can be useful in a number of ways. They provide access to all kinds of guided meditations to suit different styles. Some even offer social connections, which can motivate you to keep up your practice via the magic of peer pressure. They are also particularly well-suited to beginners, with many of them offering a free trial. With all of this in mind, I downloaded some of the most popular meditation apps and set about sitting calmly on a comfortable chair to test them out. What follows is a comparison aimed at real people just looking to squeeze a bit more joy and relaxation out of daily life. How we tested meditation apps Every brain is different, so I did not rate these apps based on if they sync up with my preferred meditation style. First and foremost, I looked for apps that cater to various methods and those that offer guided meditations that go beyond what’s free on YouTube. All of the items on this list are available on both Android and iOS, so you won’t have to worry about something being only for iPhone owners. Of course, there’s lots of free stuff out there, from podcasts and videos on YouTube to audio tracks on streaming services. You can even find guided breathing sessions on an Apple Watch or Fitbit, as well as meditations in Fitness+, Samsung Health or any number of workout video providers. For this guide, I focused on apps that stood out in some way. I liked apps with huge libraries of guided meditations and those that offer additional mindfulness activities, like yoga routines. I also looked for easy-to-use apps with well-designed layouts. You don’t want to start your meditation journey with a clunky app that actually increases anxiety. The most important thing with meditation is to keep doing it, so I awarded points for clever gamification elements, simple social network integration and anything else that encourages repeat visits. Finally, I considered extra features that set an app apart from the glut of competitors out there. For example, some meditation apps offer novel ways to track your progress, access to yoga routines and a whole lot more. At the end of the day, each of these apps has its strengths. But if installing an app or using a device is not how you prefer to meditate, you can always turn off your phone and find a quiet room or environment. For those of us who need a little help from a digital guru, though, here are our favorite apps for meditation. Other meditation gear we tested Brain-tracking wearables have been around for years, but there are some newer devices that have been tailor-made for meditators. These gadgets track the brain during meditations and offer real-time feedback. It’s a real boon for the data-obsessed, but also a real bank account drainer, with some gadgets costing thousands of dollars. I took two of the more-popular options for a spin to see what they’d make of my brain. Sens.ai Neurofeedback System Sens.ai is a weird contraption that not only claims to track brainwaves, but gives real-time feedback to “teach” people how to meditate and enter a flow state. The device involves a giant headset that’s stuffed with brainwave sensors that detect beta, alpha, theta and gamma waves, in addition to heart-rate sensors. It also comes with a truly bizarre companion gadget that uses light stimulation to keep an eye on focus and attention levels. The whole thing is combined with an app that keeps track of dozens of data metrics and allows access to various guided meditations. I’m as surprised as you to say that this thing appears to work, with some caveats. It’s uncanny how well it monitors the brain during meditations. If I got lost in a thought spiral about lasagna at six minutes in, sure enough, there would be a dip in analytics at the six-minute mark. It’s also fairly easy to use, despite a process that involves wetting a number of electrodes. As magical as the accurate brain-tracking seems to be, however, I wasn’t as keen on the actual training portion, which often involves staring at a screen throughout the entirety of the practice. It’s also not for the financial faint of heart, as the Sens.ai device costs $1,500. NeoRhythm Omnipemf NeoRhythm’s Omnipemf is another wearable to help people get into that ever-elusive flow state. It doesn’t track your brain, but rather floods it with electromagnetic fields at specific frequencies to make it more susceptible to meditation and focus. This is supposed to prime your brain for the meditative state and, in theory, make it easier to capture that zen. However, I didn’t get much from it, other than a placebo-esque buzzing in my head. To use it, you simply pop on the wearable and go about your day. You aren’t tied to an app, so you can meditate in whatever way you like. There are multiple modes that go beyond meditation, as this thing is supposed to help with focus, pain relief and sleep. I’d wait for some peer-reviewed studies, however, before buying this.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-meditation-app-140047993.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 14:30 Microsoft finally announced the Surface Pro 10 and Laptop 6 this week, but you won’t find them in any retail stores. You can only buy them on Microsoft’s website and through enterprise resellers. This week, Cherlynn and Devindra discuss why Microsoft is positioning these computers for businesses, and what it could mean for the future of the Surface lineup. The company is hinting that it’ll have consumer devices soon – likely the Pro 10 and Laptop 6 without as much corporate baggage. But there may also be room for an entirely new form of Surface. Perhaps it’s time for a true Surface foldable? Listen below or subscribe on your podcast app of choice. If you've got suggestions or topics you'd like covered on the show, be sure to email us or drop a note in the comments! And be sure to check out our other podcast, Engadget News! Topics Microsoft announces Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, but you won’t find them in stores – 0:34 U.S. Justice Department files antitrust suit aimed at Apple’s “walled garden” ecosystem – 14:13 Report: Apple may tap Google for Gemini AI on iPhones – 25:01 NVIDIA claims its new Blackwell chip will power through AI workloads 30x faster using 25x less power – 33:07 Microsoft hires Deepmind cofounder Mustafa Suleyman to lead AI division – 38:00 YouTube reveals new rules for realistic AI video – 43:16 Check your Glassdoor account – real names accidentally tied to some anonymous company reviews – 44:31 Cherlynn finds the tech angle on the Kate Middleton photo debacle. Look at the metadata! – 47:03 Around Engadget – 56:05 Pop culture picks – 59:52 Subscribe! iTunes Spotify Pocket Casts Stitcher Google Podcasts Credits Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar Producer: Ben Ellman Music: Dale North and Terrence O'BrienThis article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-us-tiktok-ban-123025619.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 14:30 Fans of Dear Esther, Amnesia: A Machine for Pigs and Everybody's Gone to the Rapture, make sure to mark June 18 on your calendar. On that day, you'll be able to buy a copy of Still Wakes the Deep for the PC , the Xbox Series X|S and the PS5, though you can also play it with Game Pass for Xbox and PC. It's the latest first-person narrative horror game from The Chinese Room, the developer behind the aforementioned titles in the same genre. Just a warning if the title itself isn't clear enough: Still Wakes the Deep probably isn't for you if you have thalassophobia. It's set in 1975 and puts you in the shoes of an offshore oil rig worker stationed in North Sea waters. A "terrifying, unrelenting foe" has come onboard, and you'll have to fight for your life while helping what remains of your crew survive in the midst of storms and freezing temperatures. "All lines of communication have been severed. All exits are gone," the game's description says, because horror stories are no fun if you can easily call for help. You'll have no access to weapons, as well — you'll have to use your wits and what you find from your environment to face the "unknowable horror" and escape the rig altogether. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/still-wakes-the-deep-will-pit-you-against-unknown-nautical-horrors-starting-on-june-18-121529077.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 14:30 The UK's Competition and Markets Authority is concerned that the merger Three and Vodafone announced last year could lead to "substantial lessening of competition" and might conduct an in-depth investigation into the deal. Three years after Virgin Media's merger with O2, Three and Vodafone revealed their intention to enter a joint venture agreement that would knock off a standalone mobile network from consumers' choices in the region. go Apparently, CMA regulators launched a preliminary investigation into their proposed deal back in January and had identified potential issues that could come with combining two of the four remaining mobile network operators in the UK. Those issues include the possibility of the merger leading to higher prices and lower quality of service, since competition typically helps keep prices low and compels operators to make investments meant to improve their network quality. In addition, the CMA is worried that having fewer networks could affect mobile virtual network operators' ability to negotiate for the best deals possible for their customers. When the two companies announced the merger in 2023, they said that together, they will "have the scale needed to deliver a best-in-class 5G network" and open up "new opportunities for businesses across the length and breadth of the UK." But CMA regulators say their claims "need more detailed assessment." They've now given the companies five working days to respond to their concerns with "meaningful solutions," otherwise they'll proceed towards conducting a more in-depth investigation. In 2015, Three also made an attempt to purchase O2 for £10.25 billion , but the CMA and the European Commission blocked the purchase after concluding that it would reduce competition and lead to higher prices. The CMA approved the joint agreement between O2 and Virgin Media, a landline, cable and broadband operator, however, after it found those very same concerns to be unfounded. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/uk-regulators-want-to-investigate-three-and-vodafones-blockbuster-merger-120058606.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 14:30 The Department of Justice and more than a dozen states have filed a lawsuit against Apple in the US federal court, accusing the company of violating antitrust laws. It says Apple’s hardware and software products are largely inaccessible to competitors, making it difficult for rivals to compete and for customers to switch to other companies’ products. The lawsuit comes after the European Commission fined Apple €1.8 billion for stopping music-streaming developers from “informing iOS users about alternative and cheaper music subscription services available” outside the App Store. And all this while US lawmakers chase another tech company, TikTok, with a lot of enthusiasm. The DOJ suggests Apple used its control over iOS to block innovative apps and cloud streaming services from the public. . The suit also suggests Apple has obstructed rival payment platforms, made it harder for Android messages to appear on iPhones and restricted how competing smartphones integrated with iOS devices. You could compare Apple’s antitrust suit to Microsoft’s antitrust suit brought against Windows in the late ’90s — even Attorney General Merrick Garland noted those in the suit. But Microsoft truly dominated PC software back then, with over 90 percent of all PCs running some flavor of Windows. The DOJ says Apple claims 70 percent of all smartphones, which is already less. Step outside the US, which is a bit academic here, and Apple has the same market share as Samsung, with many other phone makers jostling for a percentage point or two. It’s not quite the same grip as Microsoft had on PCs. — Mat Smith The biggest stories you might have missed Our hilariously timed piece on how the iPhone changed tech overnight The case against the TikTok ban bill Samsung’s Music Frame speaker is now available for pre-order for $400 ​​You can get these reports delivered daily direct to your inbox. Subscribe right here! Microsoft’s Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6 are not for you They’re for serious business people and professionals. Microsoft Two devices conspicuously missing from Microsoft’s Surface and AI event last fall are finally here — and they’re what we expected and a bit surprising. Today, Microsoft unveiled the Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 6, sporting the same designs as the previous models but now with the AI smarts of Intel’s new Core Ultra CPU. Alas, both have the foreboding words “for business” attached to their names, so you’ll only be able to buy them from Microsoft’s website or commercial resellers. But why? We don’t really know. Continue reading. DoorDash is testing a drone delivery feature in Virginia It’s in partnership with Alphabet’s Wing. DoorDash just announced the launch of a new drone delivery pilot program in Christiansburg, Virginia, with an approximate population of 22,000. The company says orders should arrive in 30 minutes or less, making high-flying drones about as fast as a standard pizza delivery. However, it’s limited to only “eligible items.” And, alas, only items from fast-food chain Wendy’s. Wendy’s? Wendy’s. Continue reading. Reddit is now a publicly traded company The social media stalwart wants to raise around $631 million in its IPO. Nearly two decades after its debut, Reddit is now a publicly traded company. It was listed on the New York Stock Exchange as RDDT on Thursday, with mascot Snoo on hand to ring the opening bell. One interesting aspect of Reddit going public is it offered shares at the IPO pricing to long-term users of good standing over the last few weeks. It’s not all good news for Reddit, though. It recently signed a deal with Google, reportedly worth $60 million a year, to train the latter’s AI models on user-generated content. The Federal Trade Commission is looking into that arrangement. Continue reading.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-morning-after-justice-department-files-antitrust-lawsuit-against-apple-111507688.html?src=rss

22.03.2024 14:30 WhatsApp has just made it easier to take note of more important messages from within a conversation. Meta chief Mark Zuckerberg and WhatsApp head Will Cathcart have both announced on their respective WhatsApp channels that you'll now be able to pin up to three messages to the top of a chat, allowing you quick access to any information you want. As TechCrunch notes, you could only pin one message from the time the feature launched in December up until now. But with this update, you may no longer have to save, say, addresses or recipes you get from friends in separate note files. The Meta-owned messaging app has also updated its Help Center to reflect the new three-message rule. You can pin not just text messages, but also images and polls, and they'll stay at the top of the chat for 24 hours, 7 days or a whole month. If you pin just one message, it'll show up as the chat banner. But if you pin more, the banner shows how many messages are pinned, with the most recent one appearing first when you tap on it. To pin a message, you only have to press on it, select "pin" and choose the duration you want. You can unpin messages the same way if you don't want to see it at the top of your chat anymore before the deadline you set comes up. Back in December WhatsApp also introduced voice messages that self-destruct for those that want an extra layer of security and privacy. And if an unconfirmed report that went out earlier this year is true, then we could expect the service to launch an AirDrop-like file sharing capability in the future. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/you-can-now-pin-up-to-three-important-messages-in-whatsapp-chats-085430104.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 23:40 The Mozilla Foundation and dozens of other research and advocacy groups are pushing back on Meta’s decisions to shut down its research tool, CrowdTangle, later this year. In an open letter, the group calls on Meta to keep CrowdTangle online until after 2024 elections, saying that it will harm their ability to track election misinformation in a year where “approximately half the world’s population” are slated to vote. The letter, published by the Mozilla Foundation and signed by 90 groups as well as the former CEO of CrowdTangle, comes one week after Meta confirmed it would shut down the tool in August 2024. “Meta’s decision will effectively prohibit the outside world, including election integrity experts, from seeing what’s happening on Facebook and Instagram — during the biggest election year on record,” the letter writers say. “This means almost all outside efforts to identify and prevent political disinformation, incitements to violence, and online harassment of women and minorities will be silenced. It’s a direct threat to our ability to safeguard the integrity of elections.” The group asks Meta to keep CrowdTangle online until January 2025, and to “rapidly onboard” election researchers onto its latest tools. CrowdTangle has long been a source of frustration for Meta. It allows researchers, journalists and other groups to track how content is spreading across Facebook and Instagram. It’s also often cited by journalists in unflattering stories about Facebook and Instagram. For example, Engadget relied on CrowdTangle in an investigation into why Facebook Gaming was overrun with spam and pirated content in 2022. CrowdTangle was also the source for “Facebook’s Top 10,” a Twitter bot that posted daily updates on the most-interacted withFacebook posts containing links. The project, created by a New York Times reporter, regularly showed far-right and conservative pages over-performing, leading Facebook executives to argue the data wasn't an accurate representation of what was actually popular on the platform. With CrowdTangle set to shut down, Meta is instead highlighting a new program called the Meta Content Library, which provides researchers with new tools to access publicly-accessible data in a streamlined way. The company has said it’s more powerful than what CrowdTangle enabled, but it’s also much more strictly controlled. Researchers from nonprofits and academic institutions must apply, and be approved, in order to access it. And since the vast majority of newsrooms are for-profit entities, most journalists will be automatically ineligible for access The other issue, according to Brandon Silverman, CrowdTangle’s former CEO who left Meta in 2021 is that the Meta Content Library isn’t currently powerful enough to be a full CrowdTangle replacement. “There are some areas where the MCL has way more data than CrowdTangle ever had, including reach and comments in particular,” Brandon Silverman, CrowdTangle’s former CEO who left Meta in 2021 wrote in a post on Substack last week. “But there are also some huge gaps in the tool, both for academics and civil society, and simply arguing that it has more data isn’t a claim that regulators or the press should take seriously.” In a statement on X, Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said that “academic and nonprofit institutions pursuing scientific or public interest research can apply for access” to the Meta Content Library, including nonprofit election experts. “The Meta Content Library is designed to contain more comprehensive data than CrowdTangle.”This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/researchers-ask-meta-to-keep-crowdtangle-online-until-after-2024-elections-211527731.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 23:40 Fediverse support in Meta Threads is up and running in beta. Mark Zuckerberg wrote on Thursday that adult Threads users in eligible countries can now turn on sharing to the fediverse — including Mastodon and other ActivityPub services. Before today’s wider beta rollout, Meta had been testing the cross-platform compatibility with a handful of accounts since late last year. The fediverse is a collection of decentralized online communities that speak the common “language” of ActivityPub. This lets each hub maintain its own rules and members while still allowing posts, likes and other content to appear on others. Meta promised to support the fediverse when Threads launched last year. In a post from December, Zuckerberg framed the integration as a way to let the young platform’s content reach more eyeballs. “Making Threads interoperable will give people more choice over how they interact and it will help content reach more people,” he wrote. “I’m pretty optimistic about this.” The feature is opt-in. If you toggle fediverse sharing on, people on other ActivityPub servers can search for and follow your profile, see and interact with your posts and share them with users in their compatible fediverse community. Their interactions will be shared with Threads. There are some limitations while the cross-platform compatibility is in beta. Although likes from different platforms will appear on Threads, replies and follows from those communities won’t. In addition, polls and posts with reply controls can’t be shared with non-Threads communities. So, for now, the integration is doing little more than pushing Threads posts to Mastodon and other fediverse communities, along with a few extras. You can activate the feature in the Threads app. Head to Account Settings > Fediverse sharing and follow the instructions to opt in and check it out. Meta says the test is only available in the US, Canada and Japan to start.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-threads-beta-lets-you-share-to-mastodon-and-other-fediverse-services-194732036.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 23:40 Roborock robot vacuums are up to 49 percent off as part of the Amazon spring sale. All told, dozens of items are available for a discounted price, from standard robot vacuums to manual cleaners. The most enticing offer here is likely the company’s flagship S8+ robot vacuum, which is 30 percent off. That drops the price down to $700, a record low for the device. This is a vacuum/mop hybrid that automatically deposits debris into an affiliated dock. Roborock says the dock is large enough, at 2.5 liters, to store up to seven weeks of dirt and dust before requiring a trip to the trash can. It’s also powerful enough to clean hardwood, tiles, carpets and even thick rugs. It boasts the same kind of light and infrared imaging technology as rival robovacs, so it’ll automatically avoid floor-based hazards. The affiliated app gives access to a 3D map of the space, allowing people to adjust cleaning routes as they see fit. We have consistently enjoyed Roborock vacuums, though have found the app to be a bit on the wonky side. The company’s Q5 robot vacuum is also on sale for $220, which is a 49 percent price drop. This is an entry-level product that lacks many of the premium features found with the S8+, but it’s still a great choice for simple cleaning tasks. The Q5 can easily handle pet hair, dust, dirt and all manner of debris, though there’s no mop feature. The battery does last for three hours before requiring a charge, which is a decent metric. It also integrates with voice assistants. Other deals include the Roborock Q8 Max, which features a mop but lacks a self-emptying dock, for $400, and the Dyad Pro combo wet/dry manual vacuum. This cordless vac is $460 throughout the sale period, which is a discount of 30 percent. 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/get-up-to-49-percent-off-roborock-robot-vacuums-during-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-173716617.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 23:40 Amazon's Big Spring Sale is still rolling on. While the offers aren't as extensive as what we typically see during Black Friday or Prime Day, there's still more than a few discounts worth calling out. And if you're specifically looking to make an upgrade without spending too much, a few of the sale's best deals apply to budget tech we've recommended in our various buying guides. To help you cut through the noise, we've picked out the best Amazon Spring sale deals under $50 below. The highlights include our favorite affordable earbuds, a handful of good Bluetooth trackers and Amazon's own Fire TV Stick streaming players and Echo smart speakers. As a refresher, Amazon says the sale will run through March 25. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-deals-under-50-from-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-earbuds-chargers-streaming-sticks-and-more-160014238.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 18:20 Spotify has added a long-requested Miniplayer to its desktop app, giving you quick playback access while freeing you to focus on other things. The resizable floating window lets you control the audio, including changing tracks, picking playlists and tweaking the volume. The company says the feature has already started rolling out to Premium subscribers. Once it becomes available in your app, you can launch the Spotify Desktop Miniplayer by clicking on a square on the far lower right side of the app, to the right of the standard playback controls. After clicking that, a floating window appears next to the full application. The resizable Miniplayer can function in a square aspect ratio, ideal for videos; as a thinner bar, it's minimally intrusive and offers play / pause and skip track controls next to the current track’s info and album art. The feature potentially voids the need for third-party apps to fill what some users saw as a big oversight from the streaming service. Apple Music has had an equivalent MiniPlayer for macOS and Windows for ages. As it sometimes does, Spotify took its sweet time. Spotify described the Miniplayer as rolling out to Premium subscribers first, which suggests it could eventually reach users on the free plan. If you’re a Premium subscriber, look for the little square toggle appearing to the lower right of the desktop app before long.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/spotify-finally-launches-miniplayer-for-desktop-users-171507109.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 18:20 As Amazon's spring sale rolls on, we're seeing deals on some of the Logitech gear we recommend, including the Logitech Brio 500 webcam. It's down to $96 after a 26 percent discount off its $130 list price. That's not an all-time low — just this January, it dipped about $13 lower, but this is still a decent savings on the webcam we named the best for most people. If the camera included with your laptop isn't making your video appear as bright or clear as you'd like on video calls, this can help. The Logitech Brio 500 shoots in 1080p at 30fps and has a wider field of view than the previous model. We were most impressed with the light correction that made a dark office look bright. It also works with Logitech's customizing software for adjusting field of view, autofocus, contrast, brightness and more. The cam also features ShowMode which lets you present items on your physical desktop, and RightSight that keeps you in frame even when you move around. Even at $96, the Brio 500 may be too much for some to spend. We suggest the smaller Brio 300 in our same buyer's guide. It's a pared down version without HDR or an adjustable field of view. It also can't do ShowMode. But it does shoot in 1080p resolution, supports auto light correction and has a noise-reducing mic. Right now, that one is on sale for the lowest price yet. A 33 percent discount brings it to $40, instead of the $60 list price. Another notable deal is a combo set that bundles the latest model of one of our favorite mice for productivity with the next generation of one of our recommended keyboards. The Pebble 2 Combo keyboard and mouse is now $50, which is $10 off and matches its all time low — a price we've seen it hit a few times this year. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/logitech-webcams-keyboards-and-mice-are-up-to-33-percent-off-in-amazons-big-spring-sale-170049764.html?src=rss

21.03.2024 18:20 The Amazon Spring Sale will continue through Monday, and right now it's bringing a $30 discount to the company's upgraded e-reader, the Kindle Paperwhite Signature — but unlike most of the savings we're seeing this week, this Kindle deal is only for Prime members. The sale makes the E-Ink slab just $160 instead of its $190 list price. While we've seen it go lower, dropping to $125 for last July's Prime Day, this is still a rare chance to save on a device that doesn't go on sale often. Engadget's Nathan Ingraham called the Paperwhite Signature the "best e-reader. Period." when he reviewed it upon its debut a couple years ago. The Paperwhite Signature Edition is an upgrade over the standard Kindle: It has a larger, 6.8-inch screen, 32GB of storage, auto-adjusting warm front lights and wireless charging capabilities. It also comes standard without lockscreen ads — it costs $20 to disable those on other Kindles. In his review, Nathan particularly appreciated the premium feel of the device. The flush-front touchscreen is responsive, quickly recognizing taps and swipes with little lag when typing on the on-screen keyboard. The bottom bezel is a good size for keeping a grip on the reader, but the thin bezels on the sides give plenty of room for the 300 pixel-per-inch content. The warm front lights adjust in response to the light in the room and can also be programmed to shift to a more amber hue at night. Your Spring Sales Shopping Guide: Spring sales are in the air, headlined by Amazon’s Big Spring sale event. Our expert editors are curating all the best spring sales right here. Follow Engadget to shop the best tech deals from Amazon’s Big Spring Sale, hear from Autoblog’s car experts on the best spring auto deals on Amazon, and find spring sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/prime-members-can-get-30-off-the-kindle-paperwhite-signature-in-the-amazon-big-spring-sale-163029426.html?src=rss