Hasta La Gadget!

This is a good time to get an Apple Pencil if you plan to use your iPad for art or note-taking. Amazon is once more selling the second-generation Pencil for a record-low $89, or $40 off. That makes it an easy choice if you have a compatible tablet (more on that in a moment) and want a high-end stylus, even if you’re considering potentially cheaper third-party alternatives.

The second-gen Pencil offers the most creative flexibility you’ll find in an iPad pen, with low lag, double-tap tool controls and low lag. And importantly, it’s one of the most convenient options. You’ll need a relatively recent iPad Air, iPad mini or iPad Pro, but the magnetic charger on the side of those tablets gives you an easy way to stow your stylus while powering it. You don’t have to think about cables, or buy a case with a pen slot.

Don’t worry if you have the latest base iPad or an earlier model that doesn’t support the second-gen Apple Pencil. Amazon is also selling the first-gen Pencil at an all-time low of $79, or $20 off. It’s not as easy to charge (a USB-C adapter is included for the new iPad) and doesn’t offer tap control, but it’s still one of the best options for drawing and handwriting on supported tablets.

Buy Apple Pencil (1st Gen) at Amazon – $79

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-second-generation-pencil-is-cheaper-than-ever-142252568.html?src=rss

This week, our hosts are joined by UK Bureau Chief Mat Smith to dive into the most interesting devices that were announced at Mobile World Congress, which has been happening this week in Barcelona. Are foldables getting more interesting, or are they going to become as stale as regular smartphones have become? Also, just how fast is too fast when it comes to charging? Then, we go over Cherlynn’s review of the Galaxy S23+ and why Microsoft bringing Bing AI to the Windows 11 taskbar isn’t what it seems.

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!

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Topics

• What’s cool at Mobile World Congress with UK bureau chief Mat Smith – 1:22

• Hands on with the Oppo Find N2 Flip – 6:44

• Motorola’s Rizr is a concept phone with a rolling screen – 21:09

• Samsung Galaxy S23+ review: solid, but not outstanding – 31:17

• Microsoft brings Bing AI to the Windows 11 taskbar…sort of – 32:43

• Meta says it plans to release AR glasses in 2027 – 34:51

• US House panel gives Biden the power to ban TikTok – 38:00

• Working on – 41:17

• Pop culture picks – 42:57

Livestream

Credits
Hosts: Cherlynn Low and Devindra Hardawar
Guest: Mat Smith
Producer: Ben Ellman
Music: Dale North and Terrence O’Brien
Livestream producers: Julio Barrientos
Graphic artists: Luke Brooks and Brian Oh

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/engadget-podcast-mwc-2023-most-interesting-phones-foldables-rollables-fast-charging-133021266.html?src=rss

If you’re looking to buy a small tablet you can carry with you everywhere, the 64GB Apple iPad Mini is back to its all-time low price of $400 at Amazon. That’s $99, or 20 percent, less than what you’d pay if you buy directly from Apple and $69 lower than its list price at Amazon over the past few days. The pink, purple and space gray variants are all discounted at the moment, so you have quite a few options to choose from. And if you need more storage, you can also get the 256GB iPad Mini for $550. While that’s not quite the lowest price we’ve seen for the model on the website, that’s still $99 less than its retail price. 

Buy Apple iPad Mini at Amazon – $99 off

In our review, we said the tablet was really more of an iPad Air Mini, because Apple gave it an “all-screen” Liquid Retina design, a TouchID-capable top button, a USB-C port for charging and support for the second-generation Apple Pencil. It was a significant redesign for the tablet, which stayed mostly the same its previous iterations. The fact that it has USB-C for charging and that it works with the second-gen Apple Pencil also means you can use your accessories with it if you have already another iPad that supports them. 

In addition, we praised the iPad Mini for having a 12-megapixel ultra wide front camera with Center Stage. That allows the camera to automatically zoom and pan to follow you around during video calls, so the person on the other end can still see you while you’re moving. Overall, we found the device’s performance to be solid and even called it the best small tablet available when it was released in 2021. It’s been a while since then, but the device remains a great option even if it’s not as powerful as the iPad Air and the iPad Pro.

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/apples-ipad-mini-99-off-amazon-124519353.html?src=rss

To latch onto the release of The Mandalorian season 3 (despite not particularly having anything to do with the franchise), Xbox has teamed up with Lucasfilm to give away some custom Mandalorian and Grogu-themed Series S and X consoles, as well as a Grogu controller, complete with hoodie. To enter, you just have to retweet Xbox’s official Twitter announcement from March 1 – May 15th. The contest is open to entry worldwide, but NOT to galaxies far, far away (presumably because shipping there would be astronomical).

For gamers in the US, there’s an additional contest for a Pram XL, a human-sized version of Grogu’s hover pram that, instead of hovering, is a fully decked-out gaming and entertainment center, “featuring massaging cushions, cupholders, LED lights, and holders for your controllers and headphones.” I must have it. To enter that contest, US participants must go through Microsoft Rewards (with a no-purchase necessary option) and promise to sell it to me for cheap in the event they do win.

[via TechEBlog]

Following on its CES 2023 innovation frenzy, TCL unveiled another tablet at MWC, featuring its enhanced NXTPAPER technology. The new NXTPAPER 11 is the sibling of the NXTPAPER 12 Pro which launched at CES 2023 and comes with a smaller 11-inch display with a 2K resolution. 

The NXTPAPER technology is not new to TCL as it launched a few years back, but the Chinese manufacturer claims that the new version is 100% brighter than the previous generation, for an outdoor viewing experience in direct sunlight. 

TCL has added special layers to a regular display to filter blue light by up to 61% and to deliver a paper-like experience, similar to the kindle. According to the manufacturer, NXTPAPER enables the screen to “keep eyes healthy while retaining sharp images, vibrant colors, deep contrast, and the natural motion users expect from a TCL display”.

At $249, the NXTPAPER 11 is cheaper than the $499 NXTPAPER 12 Pro and its $549 5G version. On the processor side, it is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Helio P60T SoC with 4GB RAM. It includes an 8000 mAh battery.

On the productivity side, the tablet includes an 8-megapixel front-facing wide-angle camera as well as quad speakers and dual microphones for video calls. The low-latency T-pen stylus and nano-chemical material display coating provide a paper experience when taking notes or drawing.

TCL NXTPAPER 11 Tablet With Paper-like Screen Experience

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