Feb 11
The Corsair K70 RGB PRO has the lights and the keys necessary to enter a gaming tournament, to fool your opponents into thinking you’re all about the flash.
Feb 11
Koalas Are Officially Endangered
Posted in: Today's Chili
Koalas are in trouble. The Australian government said Friday that koalas are now an endangered species in two states, due in large part to devastating bushfires, drought, and heat waves that have hit the country in the past few years.
Feb 11
The Best Jurassic World: Dominion Lego Set Is a Throwback to the Original Jurassic Park
Posted in: Today's Chili
Yesterday we got a good look at the next entry in the Jurassic Park franchise with the first full trailer for Jurassic World: Dominion, and where there’s a blockbuster en route there are also new Lego sets. Our favorite of today’s reveals pays tribute to an iconic scene from the film that started it all.
Feb 11
New Black Adam, The Flash, and Aquaman 2 Footage Debuts in Heroic DC Trailer
Posted in: Today's Chili
The biggest movie trailer of the week drops Sunday night during a major sporting event. But that event isn’t the Super Bowl—and the trailer isn’t for one movie. It’s for four.
Feb 11
After Denis Villeneuve’s foray into the neo-noir future of Blade Runner seemingly petered out at the box office, the future of the franchise seemed dire. But now, the show must go on—and Blade Runner has found a new home, a new format, and a familiar talent behind the scenes.
Feb 11
Government Researchers Want to Create a Digital Fingerprint for Your Text Messages
Posted in: Today's Chili
If you’ve spent any time online you’re well aware the internet is infested with bots and shit stirrers of all stripes pretending to be people they aren’t. Though bot proliferation, in particular, is difficult to measure, a 2020 report from cyber security firm Imperva found over a quarter, (37.2%) of all internet…
Feb 11
Tech news season is in full swing as Samsung launched its Galaxy S22 flagship phones this week, along with new Tab S8 tablets. This week on the podcast, Cherlynn is joined by senior writer Sam Rutherford and special guest Chris Velazco from The Washington Post to discuss Samsung’s new gear. The trio also recap some of the best games announced at Nintendo Direct, followed by a look at the week’s biggest news including Peloton’s layoffs, Steam Deck previews and the Olympics.
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 podcasts, the Morning After and Engadget News!
Subscribe!
Topics
Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S22 Ultra and Tab S8 series – 1:30
Nintendo’s first Direct of 2022 – 27:02
Microsoft promises COD will stay multi-platform for now – 48:02
Valve’s Steam Deck: The early impressions are in! – 51:15
Is the Louis Vuitton smartwatch tacky or awesome? – 55:57
Grindr geofences the Olympic Village – 1:00:31
Working on – 1:04:56
Pop Culture picks – 1:07:15
Video livestream
Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Sam Rutherford
Guest: Chris Velazco
Producer: Ben Ellman
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos, Owen Davidoff, Luke Brooks
Graphics artists: Luke Brooks, Brian Oh
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Feb 11
Amazon's Kindle Paperwhite is up to $45 off, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals
Posted in: Today's ChiliMany of Amazon’s gadgets went on sale at the start of this week and continue to be discounted today. Key among them are both new Kindle Paperwhites — the standard version and the Signature Edition — along with the second-generation Echo Show 8 and the Fire TV Cube. On top of that, Apple’s AirPods Pro are on sale for $175 and the 2021 Apple TV 4K remains discounted to $160. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition
Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is on sale for $145, which is an all-time low. We called this the best e-reader available right now and it earned a score of 97 for its bigger, more responsive screen, USB-C charging, wireless charging support and automatic brightness and warm-light settings. The standard Kindle Paperwhite is also on sale for $110, or 21 percent off its normal price.
Buy Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition at Amazon – $145Buy Kindle Paperwhite at Amazon – $110
AirPods Pro
Billy Steele / Engadget
The AirPods Pro are down to $175 right now, or 30 percent off their normal price. We gave them a score of 87 for their solid sound quality, strong ANC and more comfortable fit.
Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon – $175
2021 Apple TV 4K
Devindra Hardawar/Engadget
The latest Apple TV 4K is on sale for $160, or $20 off its normal price. While the 2021 version isn’t drastically different from the previous model, its new Siri remote is a big selling point. We gave it a score of 90 for its speedy performance, HomeKit integration and the easy of use that comes with the improved Siri remote.
Buy 2021 Apple TV 4K at Amazon – $160
Google Nest Thermostat
Google
Google’s Nest Thermostat is down to $99 right now, and the device with a trim kit will set you back $114. This version has a mirrored display and a touch-sensitive edge, and it can be controlled with the Google Home app. It also has features like Savings Finder, which suggests ways you can tweak your home system to conserve energy.
Buy Nest Thermostat at Amazon – $99Buy Nest Thermostat + trim kit at Amazon – $114
3-for-2 video game sale
Minecraft
The latest 3-for-2 sale on Amazon includes a number of Nintendo Switch and PlayStation games, so now’s a good time to pick up a few while you can get one for free. Some of the best games of the bunch include Shin Megami Tensei V, Minecraft, Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle.
Nintendo Switch
Engadget
Prime members can get $20 off the Nintendo Switch at Woot right now. While the discount isn’t on the OLED model, it’s a good sale on a console that rarely sees sales like this. Just make sure to check out Woot’s return policy before buying.
Buy Nintendo Switch at Woot – $280
Echo Show 8 (2nd gen)
Nicole Lee / Engadget
The latest Echo Show 8 is on sale for $90, which is 31 percent off and an all-time-low price. We gave the mid-sized smart display a score of 87 for its lovely screen, solid sound quality and minimalist design.
Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon – $90
Fire tablets
Valentina Palladino / Engadget
Most of Amazon’s Fire tablets are up to 50 percent off right now, making it a good time to pick one up for yourself or your kids. The Fire HD 8 is half off and down to $45, or you can spring for the larger, more powerful Fire HD 10 and spend $110. All of the Fire Kids Pro bundles have been discounted too, so you can get one for as low as $50.
Buy Fire HD 8 at Amazon – $45Buy Fire HD 10 at Amazon – $110Buy Fire 7 Kids Pro at Amazon – $50
Blink cameras
Amazon
Blink home security cameras are up to 30 percent off, meaning you can get a one-camera Blink Outdoor kit for $70. In addition to being weatherproof, these cams are wireless and support 1080p video, night vision two-way audio and motion alerts. The wired Blink Mini is also on sale and down to only $25.
Buy Blink Outdoor at Amazon – $70Buy Blink Mini at Amazon – $25
Fire TV Cube
Nicole Lee / Engadget
Amazon’s Fire TV Cube is down to a new record low of $70, which is 42 percent off its normal price. Despite being a few years old, it remains the most powerful streaming device in Amazon’s lineup. We gave it a score of 84 for its speedy performance, ease of handling voice commands and support for HDR+ and Dolby Vision content.
Buy Fire TV Cube at Amazon – $70
Amazon smart thermostat
Amazon
Amazon’s smart thermostat has returned to $48, an all-time-low price that we last saw during the holiday shopping season. It’s a budget-friendly alternative to devices like the Nest Thermostat and it supports voice commands with Alexa (provided you have an Alexa-enabled device in your home, or use the Alexa app) and lets you set schedules and control your home’s temperature from anywhere.
Buy smart thermostat at Amazon – $48
Chromecast with Google TV
Google
Google’s Chromecast with Google TV is $10 off right now, bringing it down to $40. We gave the streaming device a score of 86 for its support for 4K, Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos content, handy remote control and good execution of Google Assistant commands.
Buy Chromecast with Google TV at Best Buy – $40
New tech deals
Beats Studio Buds
The Beats Studio Buds are $30 off and down to $120 — not a record low, but a decent sale for this time of year. We gave them a score of 84 for their balanced sound, comfortable fit and quick-pairing with both iOS and Android devices.
Buy Beats Studio Buds at Amazon – $120
Apple MagSafe battery pack
Apple’s magnetic battery pack for iPhones is down to $88, which is 11 percent off its normal price. We have seen it cheaper in the past, but this is the best price we’ve seen since December. The accessory attaches magnetically to the back of the latest iPhones and provides up to 15W of wireless charging.
Buy MagSafe battery pack at Amazon – $88
21.5-inch Lenovo Smart Digital Picture Frame
This large smart picture frame from Lenovo is half off and down to $200. In addition to showcasing your favorite photos, the frame uses AI to make collages of your images and the built-in ambient light sensor adjusts the screen’s brightness according to the light in the room.
Buy 21.5-inch Lenovo Smart Frame at Amazon – $200
Alo Moves
The on-demand fitness service Alo Moves has an offer few new members that knocks 50 percent off the price of a one-year membership, bringing it down to $99. The platform has dozens of yoga, pilates, barre and strength training classes, along with guided meditations and series that help you master specific skills over the course of longer periods of time.
Subscribe to Alo Moves (1 year) – $99
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
Feb 11
The James Webb Space Telescope has finally captured its first image of a star — or rather, images. NASA has shared a mosaic of pictures (shown above) of a star taken using the primary mirror’s 18 segments. It looks like a seemingly random collection of blurry dots, but that’s precisely what the mission team was expecting. The imagery will help scientists finish the lengthy mirror alignment process using the telescope’s Near Infrared Camera, or NIRCam. The first phase is nearly complete as of this writing.
The visuals came from a 25-hour effort that pointed the James Webb Space Telescope to 156 different positions and produced 1,560 images with the NIRCam’s sensors. The team created the mosaic using the signature of each mirror segment in a single frame. Visual artifacts come from using the infrared camera at temperatures well above the frigid conditions the telescope will need for scientific observation. And what you see here isn’t the entirety of the mosaic — the full-resolution snapshot is over two gigapixels.
NASA
NASA also provided a rare real-world glimpse at the JWST in action. The agency provided a “selfie” of the primary mirror (middle) created by a pupil imaging lens from the NIRCam. This too is blurry, but it offers a valuable look at the fully deployed mirror and helps explain the importance of alignment. Notice how just one segment is brightly lit by a star? It’s the only one aligned with that celestial body — it will take a while before all segments are operating in concert.
Researchers expect the first scientifically useful images from JWST in the summer. It’s reasonable to presume those pictures will be considerably more exciting, especially as they start providing glimpses of the early universe. Still, what you see here demonstrates the telescope’s health and suggests there won’t be much trouble in the months ahead.
Feb 11
On “Take Out with Lisa Ling,” food is a vehicle for unlocking Asian American stories that have gone untold or been erased.
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