On Thursday night, Rochelle Walensky, head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, gave the green light to boosters for those who took the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson covid-19 vaccines. She also made clear that people who are on the recommended list for a booster can take a different brand of vaccine than…
The wealthy real estate heir was charged with second-degree murder in the decades-old disappearance.
“Oh I get it, you think you’re better than me cuz your kid has both shoes on.”
“Why is walking to the bathroom in a restaurant so embarrassing”
In the five years since it was released, Stardew Valley has become an indie sensation. Now, Stardew Valley‘s creator, Eric “ConcernedApe” Barone, has revealed his next game: ConcernedApe’s Haunted Chocolatier. The first trailer for Haunted Chocolatier is here, and it shows off some early gameplay from the new title. It’s safe to say that Stardew Valley fans will probably find … Continue reading
Apple’s 2022 MacBook Air refresh will borrow liberally from the new MacBook Pro, fresh leaks have suggested, with plenty – though not everything – on the wishlist of current users for the ultraportable said to be answered next year. The current MacBook Air was among the first models in Apple’s computing range to make the switch to Apple Silicon, helping … Continue reading
This week brought our first official early Black Friday sale, courtesy of Best Buy. While we expect to see even more of these events before we hit Black Friday proper, there are a bunch of gadgets at record-low prices right now that are worth considering. Both Amazon and Best Buy knocked $150 off the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip foldable smartphone, and both retailers have some of our favorite Sony headphones and earbuds for less. Plus, the new Galaxy Watch 4 wearables are down to all-time-low prices thanks to a Samsung deals event on Amazon. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Sony’s excellent WH-1000XM4 headphones remain on sale for $248, which is a record low. These are our current favorite pair of ANC headphones and they earned a score of 94 from us for their solid sound quality, powerful ANC and multi-device connectivity.
Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon – $248Buy WH-1000XM4 at Best Buy – $248
The 256GB 12.9-inch iPad Pro is $200 off, bringing it down to $999. That’s the same price as the 128GB version right now, so you’re essentially getting double the storage at no extra cost. We gave the tablet a score of 87 for its gorgeous display, impressive performance and handy Center Stage camera.
Buy 12.9-inch iPad Pro (256GB) at Amazon – $999
The previous-gen Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds are down to $128, more than $70 off their normal price. We gave these buds a score of 89 for their excellent sound, great battery life and comprehensive companion app.
Buy WF-1000XM3 at Amazon – $128Buy WF-1000XM3 at Best Buy – $128
The Galaxy Z Flip 3 foldable smartphone is still on sale for $850, or $150 off. This is the most practical version of a Samsung foldable yet, and we gave it a score of 82 for its more durable design, attractive build and new water resistance.
Buy Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Amazon – $850Buy Galaxy Z Flip 3 at Best Buy – $850
Both the Galaxy Watch 4 and Watch 4 Classic are down to record-low prices, $220 and $300, respectively. These remain the best smartwatches for Android users and we gave the Watch 4 a score of 85 for its comprehensive health tracking abilities, lovely screen and better support for third-party apps.
Buy Galaxy Watch 4 at Amazon – $220Buy Galaxy Watch 4 Classic at Amazon – $300
The Roku Streambar is on sale for $99 right now, or $30 off its normal price. We gave the compact soundbar a score of 86 for its good sound quality, Dolby Audio support, built-in 4K HDR streaming tech and its ability to work as a Bluetooth speaker. Also, the more advanced (and larger) Streambar Pro is down to a record low of $150.
Buy Roku Streambar at Amazon – $99Buy Roku Streambar at Best Buy – $99Buy Streambar Pro at Amazon – $150
Roku’s most powerful streaming device, the Ultra, is on sale for only $69 at the moment. That’s $30 off its normal price and a great deal if you want 4K HDR10+ and Dolby Vision content, along with speedy WiFi and the option to hardware the set-top box into your setup via its Ethernet port.
Buy Roku Ultra at Best Buy – $69
Jabra’s Elite 75t earbuds are cheaper than ever at $80, which is nearly half off their normal price. These are some of our favorite true wireless earbuds thanks to their compact, comfortable design, long battery life and new ANC capabilities.
Buy Elite 75t at Amazon – $80Buy Elite 75t at Best Buy – $80
The new Galaxy Buds 2 are down to $130 right now, or $20 off their normal price. It may be $5 more than their record low, but this is still a good deal to consider if you’ve been eyeing a pair of the company’s true wireless earbuds. We gave the Buds 2 a score of 84 for their comfortable design, improved sound quality and adjustable ambient sound mode.
Buy Galaxy Buds 2 at Amazon – $130
The latest Apple TV 4K is on sale for $130 at Verizon right now. This is the best price we’ve seen it, and you’ll get the model with the latest processor, support for Dolby Vision and Atmos and the much improved new Siri remote.
Buy Apple TV 4K at Verizon – $130
The 2TB Crucial MX500 internal SSD is down to an all-time low of $170. This is a good option if you need extra storage in your desktop or laptop, and we like that it has AES 256-bit hardware based encryption and integrated power loss immunity.
Buy Crucial MX500 (2TB) at Amazon – $170
This Bluetooth-connected Rubik’s cube is $10 off thanks to a coupon you can apply on the product page, bringing the toy down to roughly $50. Rather than going nuts trying to solve the puzzle on your own, this one has a companion app that actually teaches you how to do so. You can then complete challenges, better your skills and try to get atop the global leaderboard.
Buy Rubik’s Connected at Amazon – $50
NordVPN, one of our favorite VPNs, is running a sale on a two-year subscription. You can sign up and pay $99 for two years, plus you’ll get an extra three months free. We like NordVPN for its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices.
Another one of our top VPN services, Tunnelbear, is offering a two-year subscription for $100. You’ll save 58 percent if you sign up with this deal, and we think Tunnelbear is one of the easiest VPNs to use, especially for those that don’t want to go crazy configuring their connections.
Buy Tunnelbear (2 years) – $100
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Stardew Valley creator Eric Barone, aka “ConcernedApe,” has made a surprise unveiling of his next game, Haunted Chocolatier. It has the same pixelated SNES look as Stardew, with characters, set-pieces and themes that are similarly cute and quirky.
“In this game, you will play as a chocolatier living in a haunted castle. In order to thrive in your new role, you will have to gather rare ingredients, make delicious chocolates, and sell them in a chocolate shop,” according to Barone’s blog on the new website. The video shows characters heading out into into a town, the castle, a mountain and other scenarios to seek ingredients and fend off creatures.
It’s Barone’s first game since Stardew Valley launched in 2016, but so far it’s not a lot more than a demo. Barone has yet to finalize the gameplay systems, and said he doesn’t even want to be “tied down to any particular concept of what the game is” ahead of launch.
Haunted Chocolatier does sound and look a lot like Stardew at first take. However, in a FAQ, Barone said there will be some substantial differences, particularly when it comes to gameplay.
Like Stardew Valley, Haunted Chocolatier is another “town game,” where you move to a new town and try your hand at a new way of living. You’ll get to know the townspeople, achieve your goals and make progress in many ways. All of that is similar to Stardew Valley. However, the core gameplay and theming are quite a bit different. Haunted Chocolatier is more of an action-RPG compared to Stardew Valley. And instead of a farm being the focal point of your endeavors, it’s a chocolate shop.
Barone wouldn’t reveal other details, like whether the new title is set in the same world as Stardew, nor a release date or even a general timeframe. He did say that it would be single-player only, with no plans for multiplayer. The game will “100 percent” come to PC, though he has “every intention of bringing it to the other major platforms as well.”
Today is the 20th anniversary of the groundbreaking Grand Theft Auto III. Although Rockstar Games didn’t mark the occasion with a sudden surprise release of Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy — The Definitive Edition, it revealed when you’ll be able to get your hands on the upgraded versions of GTA III, GTA: Vice City and GTA: San Andreas.
The bundle arrives digitally on November 11th (the former release date for the PS5 and Xbox Series X versions of GTA V) on PC, PlayStation 4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S and Nintendo Switch. Physical editions will be available for consoles on December 7th.
Rockstar is charging $60 for the trilogy, which might be hard to swallow for some given that the original versions were often available for a few bucks each before the publisher pulled them from digital storefronts this month. It’s worth noting that the remastered GTA: San Andreas hits Xbox Game Pass on November 11th and the upgraded GTA III will arrive on PlayStation Now on December 7th.
The most obvious changes to the games are upgraded, richer visuals. Rockstar has added higher resolution textures, enhanced the weather effects, improved character and vehicle models, overhauled the lighting system and increased draw distances — all while trying to hang onto each game’s original aesthetic. Vice City, for one thing, looks far more vibrant than the original, but it’s clearly still Vice City.
There are some platform-specific enhancements. PS5 and Xbox Series X players will be able to run the games in 4K at up to 60 frames per second. On PC, there’s support for NVIDIA’s Deep Learning Super Sampling (DLSS) upscaling tech. Switch players, meanwhile, will have gyro controls and can use the touchscreen to to navigate menus and to zoom and pan the camera.
Rockstar has tweaked the gameplay in other ways. The controller layout now matches that of GTA V, and there are changes to gunplay and targeting, the weapon and radio station selection wheels and minimaps (such as the ability to set waypoints). You’ll also be able to immediately restart a mission after failing too, which is a great quality of life update.
Sony has announced when its next State of Play stream will take place. You can watch it on October 27th at 5PM ET on Twitch or YouTube.
It’ll be a short broadcast, clocking in at 20 minutes or so, but as we saw with Sony’s blockbuster showcase in September, it can pack a lot into these events. The company didn’t say what games will be featured nor did it rule anything out. However, the focus will be on third-party titles for PS4 and PS5.
Along with reveals from some of its partners, Sony is promising more info about previously announced games. Here’s hoping for a firm release date for Bethesda and Tango Gameworks’ delayed Ghostwire: Tokyo, which is scheduled for next spring. Square Enix’s Forspoken is also penciled in for that timeframe, so perhaps Sony will reveal exactly when that game’s coming too. And maybe, just maybe, we’ll learn more about the PS5 version of Grand Theft Auto V, which is due to arrive in March.
This is site is run by Sascha Endlicher, M.A., during ungodly late night hours. Wanna know more about him? Connect via Social Media by jumping to about.me/sascha.endlicher.
