Talk of Quentin Tarantino heading to the Alpha Quadrant has swirled around for the past few years, largely focusing on how the iconic director’s take on Star Trek would’ve pushed the franchise into darker, more violent, and more curse-laden material. But new details about the cancelled film seem to suggest something…
An event in Pokemon GO delivers some next-level madness with the release of one long-awaited monster and a costume celebrating the game’s most wild character.
Icy and snowy weather across the Great Plains and Midwest caused a huge car pileup on Interstate 39 in Illinois yesterday. There were more than 100 cars and semi trucks strewn across several hundred yards of the highway.
Snapchat is adding a new location-sharing feature as it looks to build up its safety features. The app is introducing live location sharing, which allows users to share their exact whereabouts with select friends for short periods of time.
The Snap Map has had location sharing for years, but the current version of the feature only updates the location when the Snapchat app is opened. The new “live location” will allow select friends to see exactly where you are in real-time for a set period of time, much like Apple’s “Find My” app. Location details can be shared for 15 minutes, one hour or eight hours at a time.
Snap says the optional feature could make it easier to meet up with friends, or help people “stay safe” in situations when they may want the extra reassurance of knowing a friend or family member can see where they are. The company notes users will need to be friends, and mutually opt into the live location sharing in order to use it.
The update comes as Snap has tried to build up its safety features in recent months. The company recently announced it would limit friend recommendations for teens in an effort to deal with drug dealers targeting teenage users. The app is also expected to launch new parental control features later this year.
A number of new tech deals have popped up across the web ahead of the Presidents’ Day holiday. Apple’s iPad mini with extra storage is $50 off and down to a record low, while the AirPods Pro are on sale for $175. Both the 40mm and 45mm cellular Samsung Galaxy Watch 4s remain $80 off, plus you still have time to pre-order and save on the Galaxy S22 smartphones, which officially come out on February 25th. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.
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
The 256GB iPad mini is $50 off and on sale for $599. We gave the small tablet a score of 89 for its revamped design, solid performance, Center Stage cameras and good battery life.
Buy iPad mini (256GB) at Amazon – $599
Both Samsung and Amazon will knock up to $100 off Galaxy S22 smartphones when you pre-order them. This discount applies only to the higher-storage variants, so you can essentially get extra onboard space at no additional cost.
Pre-order Galaxy S22 smartphones at SamsungPre-order Galaxy S22 smartphones at Amazon
The Stream Deck MK.2 is $10 off right now and down to $140. For a gadget that rarely goes on sale, this is a good discount and one that shouldn’t be overlooked if you’ve had your eye on the controller for a while. It has 15 programmable hotkeys that let you easily do things like control audio and video feeds, launch apps, post to social media and more while you’re streaming.
Buy Stream Deck MK.2 at Amazon – $140
8BitDo’s Pro 2 controller is 10 percent off at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon, bringing the final price down to $45. That’s the best price we’ve seen on the controller, which is leaps and bounds more comfortable to use than Joy-Cons if you’re a Nintendo Switch fan. We like its ergonomic design, customization options and its compatibility with a bunch of platforms including PC, MacOS and Raspberry Pi.
Buy 8BitDo Pro 2 at Amazon – $45
Samsung’s cellular Galaxy Watch 4 models are on sale for record-low prices right now. The 40mm model is down to $220 while the 44mm version is down to $250. We consider the Galaxy Watch 4 to be the best Android smartwatch you can get and it earned a score of 85 for its bright screen, comprehensive health tracking and new Wear OS features, like downloading apps directly from the Play Store.
Buy Galaxy watch 4 (40mm) at Amazon – $220Buy Galaxy Watch 4 (44mm) at Amazon – $250
Samsung’s T7 portable SSD in 1TB is down to a record low of $110, or 35 percent off its usual rate. It’s one of our preferred drives if you need something compact, speedy and compatible with a bunch of devices. We also like its aluminum unibody and its Dynamic Thermal Guard that helps control heat levels.
Buy Samsung T7 (1TB) at Amazon – $110
Samsung’s 980 Pro internal drive in 2TB is 35 percent off and down to $280 — a great price for a powerful SSD that works with the PS5 (provided you have a heatsink). It has read speeds up to 7,000 MB/s, advanced thermal controls and works with Samsung’s Magician Software, which lets you check its health and optimize settings as you’d like.
Buy Samsung 980 Pro (2TB) at Amazon – $280
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 – $99
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
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
Fitbit’s Charge 5 is on sale for a record low of $120 right now. We gave the fitness tracker a score of 82 for its large, full-color display, built-in GPS, standard Fitbit Pay and long battery life. The Fitbit Sense smartwatch is also on sale for $100 less than usual, bringing the price down to $200.
Buy Fitbit Charge 5 at Amazon – $120Buy Fitbit Sense at Amazon – $200
Best Buy’s President’s Day sale is in full effect, and you can find things like TVs, smart displays, laptops and more on sale. Some of the highlights include the Beats Studio Buds for $120, Google’s Nest Hub for $65 and up to 40 percent off Corsair gaming accessories.
Shop President’s Day sale at Best Buy
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
Woot knocked 34 percent off LG’s 65-inch C1 OLED smart TV, bringing it down to $1,650. You’re getting the deepest blacks and high contrast that are signature of OLED sets, plus LG’s α9 Gen 4 AI processor 4K, Game Optimizer with Auto Low-Latency Mode and HGiG, and the Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa built in. Just make sure to check Woot’s return policy before buying.
Buy 65-inch LG C1 OLED at Woot – $1,650
GameStop has two Star Wars wireless charging pads that are up to 50 percent off right now. If you or someone you love is a super fan, either the Millennium Falcon or The Mandalorian accessories will spice up their charging setup.
Buy Star Wars wireless chargers at GameStop – $25
It’s not on sale, but Dyson’s AirWrap Complete in Nickel/Fuchia is available to order once again after being out of stock for along time. The high-tech hair gadget has become quite popular since its launch in 2018 for its versatility. Depending the attachment you choose, the device can curl, straighten or dry hair. It also uses continuously flowing air around the barrel that guides your hair around it, so you don’t have to put your fingers near the hottest parts of the gadget.
Buy AirWrap Complete at Dyson – $550
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.
NordVPN’s latest sale knocks the price of a two-year subscription down to just under $96, plus you’ll get a free gift on top of it. The prize isn’t anything physical, but rather additional subscription time on top of the two-year plan you paid for. Prizes are chosen at random, but after you make your purchase, you’ll get either an extra month, and extra year or an extra two years added on to your subscription.
Subscribe to NordVPN (2 years) – $96
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
One of the reasons I’ve yet to leap head-first into the AirTag world is the design of the bloody things. Obviously, as gorgeous as the little white-and-silver discs are, they’re hardly practical unless you’re splashing out on a fancy keyfob. The dodgier corners of Amazon, meanwhile, are full of awkward AirTag wallets, with an awkward bulge on one side. So designed to hold the pill shaped AirTag close to your credit cards and only your credit cards, since tech bros never, ever, need to carry around loose change.
It’s also the reason that I was very excited to try Chipolo’s Card Spot, which offers the benefits of an AirTag in a much more sensible package. Announced back at CES, it’s Chipolo’s second device that can pair with Apple’s Find My Network. That means it’ll give you the same reach, pinging every iPhone in the vicinity with its location, without the quirkiness of Apple’s design. It’s as if the team at Apple decided to just design something for normal people to use normally for once.
Measuring the thickness of about two credit cards stacked on top of one another, and only a little shorter than one, it’s not going to make your wallet bulge too much when inserted. The speaker is pretty loud, too, although I don’t have a meter to hand to check if it hit the promised 105dB. The tune is pretty good, which was a surprise, given that normally shrill beeps are the order of the day for device-finders.
To say this thing is easy to set up is almost a comical understatement, it took me longer to get it out of the box than to pair it. You just have to open up Find My on your iOS device, add a new item, and press the dimple on the Card Spot. The longest job was choosing the emoji I wanted to use to denote my wallet on the app’s map screen. (I went for the back of a gold credit card, not because I’m gauche but because it seemed silly, as a Brit, to use a stack of dollar bills.)
Much like the OneSpot that preceded it, Chipolo gets some, but not all, of the perks that come with hitching its wagon to Apple’s tractor. There’s no U1 chip for precise location finding and you can’t use it independently of the (Apple-exclusive) Find My network. Android users and folks looking for more local tracking will need to pick one of Chipolo’s standard finders instead.
Chipolo says that the battery inside the Card Spot will last for two years, after which point it’ll stop working entirely. But, buyers can get a replacement device for 50 percent off, and can send in the old, non-functional unit with a pre-paid envelope. There’s even a little card in the packaging which reminds you to register, ensuring you’ll get a reminder to swap when your device is ready to expire.
Fundamentally, the Chipolo Card Spot feels very much like the sort of no-brainer gadget that solves more problems than it causes. And while $35 makes it a little pricier than your standard AirTag, for twice as much battery life and a sensible form factor, I’m not nitpicking.
The former Minnesota police officer was found guilty of manslaughter after she fatally shot Wright, an unarmed Black man, in April 2021.
Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen and Whistleblower Aid are keeping the pressure on Meta even as the company tries to reassure investors it’s turning the page from its tumultuous past.
Another Nintendo 64 game has been added to the official Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack subscription – is it time to take the plunge?
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