Hasta La Gadget!

This week’s best tech deals include a couple of all-time lows on older but still worthwhile Apple gadgets, with the 9th-gen iPad on sale for $250 and the M1-powered MacBook Air available for $750. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a solid value for those in need of a cheap media streamer at $30, while the Fitbit Inspire 3, our favorite budget fitness tracker, is back down to $80. We’re also seeing a bunch of video game deals, as Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store have all kicked off their respective summer sales. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Apple iPad (9th Gen)

The 10.2-inch Apple iPad is back down to $250 at Amazon, matching the all-time low we last saw during Prime Day. You should see the full discount at checkout. Normally, Apple sells this 9th-gen iPad for $329, though we’ve seen it retail closer to $275 on Amazon in recent months. 

The 9th-gen iPad is the budget pick in our iPad buying guide and earned a review score of 86 when it arrived in 2021. It’s showing its age these days, as it still has a Lightning port, Home button, non-laminated display and thicker bezels than Apple’s newer tablets. It doesn’t work with Apple’s latest Pencil stylus or iPad keyboards, either. That said, its aluminum frame doesn’t feel cheap, it still gets a solid 10 or so hours of battery life, and its A13 Bionic chip remains fast enough for the essentials. Most importantly, it gives access to iPadOS at a much lower price than the 10th-gen iPad or iPad Air. The biggest issue is that it only comes with 64GB of storage; if you need more, the 256GB model is available for $390.

Fitbit Inspire 3

The Fitbit Inspire 3 is available for $80 at several retailers, which is $10 more than the best deal we’ve tracked but still $20 below Fitbit’s list price. The Inspire 3 is our favorite fitness tracker for $100 or less thanks to its light and water-resistant design, color touchscreen, accurate health monitoring and up to 10 days of battery life. It lacks the integrated GPS of our top pick, the Fitbit Charge 5, but it still delivers essential features like automatic workout detection, smartphone alerts, heart rate monitoring, sleep tracking and blood oxygen monitoring.

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is down to $30, which is $5 more than its Prime Day price but $5 less than its typical sale price outside of events like that. This is the fastest streaming stick in the Fire TV lineup and the only one to support WiFi 6. It works with just about all of the major streaming apps and HDR standards, and its remote comes with Alexa baked in. 

Like all Fire TV Sticks, you’ll get the most out of it if you regularly use Amazon services like Alexa or Prime Video, as Fire OS tends to prioritize the company’s own apps and content. It also peppers the UI with ads. We recommend alternatives like the Roku Streaming Stick 4K and Google Chromecast in our guide to the best streaming sticks, but this is still a good value for those who just want a speedy 4K streamer on the cheap.

Apple Pencil (2nd Gen)

The second-gen Apple Pencil is on sale for $89. We’ve seen this deal for much of the last few months, and it’s $4 higher than the device’s all-time low, but it’s $40 cheaper than buying from Apple directly. Unsurprisingly, we consider the Pencil the best iPad stylus for digital artists and heavy note-takers, as it offers pressure sensitivity across iPadOS, consistently accurate tracking and easy magnetic charging. If you want to take the plunge, just make sure your iPad is compatible before you buy. 

Hisense U8H TV (65-inch)

The 65-inch Hisense U8H is available for $799, which is a new low and about $100 off the TV’s typical street price over the last few months. While we don’t review TVs at Engadget, otherreviewerswe trust have praised the U8H as a strong mid-range option, as its Mini LED backlight, quantum dots and full-array local dimming help it deliver impressive contrast and brightness for the money. It runs on the same Google TV platform as a Chromecast, and it has two HDMI 2.1 ports that can play 4K content at 120Hz, so it should work well with a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X. 

It’s still a step down from top-tier OLED TVs, to be clear, and its viewing angles are said to be on the narrower side. Hisense has also replaced this 2022 model with the newer U8K, which promises more local dimming zones and a faster 144Hz refresh rate. The 65-inch version of that TV costs $300 more, however, and reviews are relatively scarce as of this writing. 

Xbox Ultimate Game Sale

We’re firmly in the middle of summer, and that means it’s once again time for a bunch of video game sales. The Steam Summer Sale has already come and gone, but this week Xbox, PlayStation and the Epic Games Store each kicked off their latest storewide promotions. Many of the discounts aren’t quite all-time lows, and several third-party games are available for the same price across each storefront, but the selections include a number of decent offers on games we like.

Starting with Xbox’s Ultimate Game Sale, the notables include Halo: The Master Chief Collection, a recommendation from our guide to the best couch co-op games, back at an all-time low of $10. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, one of the bigger releases of 2023, and Elden Ring, the consensus game of the year from 2022, are both $18 off at $52 and $42, respectively. Most of the Yakuza series is available for $6 a pop, the superb narrative RPG Pentiment is down to $13, while other recommended exclusives such as Gears 5, Ori and the Will of the Wisps and Rare Replay are each available for less than $10. Just note that many games in this sale are also available with an Xbox Game Pass subscription. 

PlayStation Summer Sale

The PlayStation Summer Sale, meanwhile, includes exclusives like Ratchet & Clank: Rift Apart and Horizon Forbidden West for $30 each (the latter applies to the PS4 copy but provides a free upgrade to the PS5 version). The PS5 remake of the original The Last of Us is on sale for $50, while the well-reviewed puzzler Humanity is available for $24. 

On the third-party side, the time-bending FPS Deathloop is down to $15, the sci-fi RPG Cyberpunk 2077 is available for $25 and the co-op platformer It Takes Two is down to $16. For some deeper cuts, Titanfall 2‘s wild campaign is well worth a look for $5, while fans of 2D platformers could do much worse than the surprisingly poignant Iconoclasts at $7.

Epic Games Store Summer Sale

If you play on PC, several deals from those Xbox and PlayStation sales are also available in Epic’s Summer Sale. Red Dead Redemption 2 is down to $20, for one, while the remasters Mass Effect Legendary Edition and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 1+2 are available for $15 and $16, respectively. Elsewhere, the action-game-meets-delivery-sim Death Stranding: Director’s Cut is on sale for $20, and Dead Island 2, the zombie action-RPG that was released in April, is available for $45. Epic is also giving away the base version of the popular MMO The Elder Scrolls Online for free through July 27.

Sega Genesis Mini 2

Moving over to retro games, the Sega Genesis Mini 2 is down to $72 with a $22.30 discount visible at checkout. That’s $28 off the mini console‘s MSRP, but it essentially amounts to a free shipping discount, as the device is only sold in the US through Amazon Japan and usually adds that same $22.30 in shipping fees. In total, expect to pay about $94 before taxes. 

Either way, the Genesis Mini 2 includes an impressive selection of 60 Genesis and Sega CD games, from Sonic CD and Streets of Rage 3 to Herzog Zwei and Phantasy Star II. The emulation from retrospecialists M2 is generally well-done, and the device uses a replica of the old six-button Genesis controller, not the more limiting three-button pad that came with the original Genesis Mini. (It only includes one controller in the box, however.) There’s certainly no shortage of ways to play older games these days, but if you have a soft spot for the 16-bit era and want a more authentic way of reliving Sega’s heyday, this adds up to the lowest price we’ve seen for the diminutive console. 

Apple MacBook Air M1

The entry-level configuration of Apple’s M1 MacBook Air is back on sale for $750, which matches its all-time low. For reference, Apple sells this model for $999, though it’s gone for $800 for most of the last few months. This is another Apple device that’s getting a bit long in the tooth, as it’s saddled with a middling 720p webcam and a more dated design than newer MacBooks. Still, the M1 chip is powerful enough for most common tasks, and the notebook’s comfortable keyboard, crisp display and excellent battery life keep it a strong value when it’s discounted to this extent. 

This config only includes 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage, though, so you won’t want to push it too hard. It’s also worth mentioning that, according to a recent Bloomberg report, Apple may launch a refreshed MacBook Air as soon as this October. If you don’t need a new laptop right away, it might be worth waiting. But if you’re looking to get a competent MacBook for as little as possible, there’s still plenty to like here. We gave the M1 MacBook Air a review score of 94 in 2020.

Apple MacBook Air M2

The newer, M2-based MacBook Air is also on sale, with the base 13-inch model available for $999 at B&H and Best Buy. A configuration with 16GB of RAM is down to $1,200 as well. We’ve seen these configs go for $50 less, but both deals represent a $100 drop from their respective list prices. 

We gave the M2 MacBook Air a review score of 96 last year, and it’s now the top pick in our guide to the best laptops. It remains a comprehensive upgrade over the older M1 model, with a thinner chassis, sharper 1080p webcam, MagSafe charging port, slightly larger and brighter display, more powerful speakers and that beefier M2 chip. Again, a new MacBook Air could arrive by the end of the year, and the base config with 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD isn’t especially well-suited to heavy work. Nevertheless, this is an excellent notebook for most day-to-day uses. 

If you need a more powerful MacBook for serious media editing, we’ll also note that a version of the 16.2-inch MacBook Pro with an M2 Pro chip is down to $2,249. That’s certainly not cheap, but it matches the all-time low for that config and comes in $250 below Apple’s MSRP.

Audible Premium Plus (3-month)

Amazon Prime members who are new to Audible Premium Plus can get three months of the audiobook service for free. Normally, a membership costs $14.95 a month after a 30-day free trial. This offer has been available since before Prime Day, but Amazon says it’ll end on July 31, so consider this a PSA. Premium Plus is Audible’s highest tier: On top of making a selection of audiobooks, podcasts and other audio content accessible on-demand, it includes a monthly credit that lets you buy any book in the Audible store permanently. Many people will be fine with the cheaper Audible Plus plan, but Premium Plus could be worthwhile if you tend to chew through audiobooks quickly.

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II

The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II are back down to $249. While that’s $20 more than the absolute lowest price we’ve seen, it’s a $50 drop from the pair’s usual going rate. We gave the QuietComfort Earbuds II a review score of 87 last year, and it’s currently the top noise-cancelling pick in our guide to the best wireless earbuds. As that distinction would suggest, its active noise cancellation is among the strongest and most comprehensive we’ve tested on any headphone, let alone a true wireless pair. Its bass-forward sound should please hip-hop and EDM fans, too, and while the earpieces are on the bulky side, they’re generally more comfortable in the ear than their size would suggest. There’s no multipoint connectivity or wireless charging support, however, which is disappointing for the price.    

$100 Apple gift card + $10 Best Buy gift card

Right now, if you grab a $100 Apple gift card at Best Buy, you’ll get a $10 Best Buy gift card thrown in for no extra cost. The offer also includes a few extended trials to Apple Music, Apple TV+ and Apple News+ for new and returning subscribers. We see this promotion pop up every few months, but if you plan to shop at Best Buy and make any sort of Apple-related purchase in the near future, it’s effectively a bit of free money. Note that the deal applies to both digital and physical gift cards.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apples-102-inch-ipad-drops-back-to-250-plus-the-rest-of-the-weeks-best-tech-deals-151552038.html?src=rss

TSMC won’t be making chips in Arizona on schedule. The Taiwan firm has delayed the start of 4-nanometer chip production at its first Phoenix, Arizona factory from 2024 to 2025. There aren’t enough skilled workers available to complete construction on time, according to Chairman Mark Liu. The company is considering loaning technicians from its home country to help complete the project.

The Arizona facility is a highlight of the CHIPS and Science Act President Biden signed into law last year. The measure is meant to boost domestic semiconductor manufacturing, and includes $52.7 billion in funding and tax credits for companies building factories stateside. TSMC seeks $15 billion in tax credits for its two Arizona plants, although it anticipates investing a total $40 billion in the state.

The federal government isn’t immediately concerned about the worker shortfall. In a statement, White House representative Olivia Dalton says provisions in the CHIPS and Science Act will get the “workforce we need.”

The delay still poses problems for tech companies dependent on TSMC’s manufacturing, most notably Apple. Future iPhones and Macs will use 4nm and 3nm chips made at the Phoenix plants. If the delay holds, Apple may have to either stall product launches or lean on alternative manufacturers. Intel is pouring $20 billion into two Arizona facilities due to start chip production in 2024, but those won’t necessarily be available for Apple’s needs.

The delay illustrates one of the key challenges of bringing more tech manufacturing to the US. While there’s no shortage of money or desire, fewer workers are trained for the jobs as there are in Taiwan and other major production hubs. Apple contractor Foxconn may have an easy time finding factory workers in China, for example but they’re not nearly as common in the US. Plants like the Mac Pro factory in Austin tend to focus on niche products that don’t require large numbers of employees.

There’s nonetheless pressure to get the TSMC factories up and running. Moves like this are not only expected to boost the US economy, but to diversify manufacturing away from China. The effort could address issues with labor conditions and limit problems if US-China relations deteriorate. They won’t solve every issue (many components and raw materials also come from China), but they may reduce the fallout from political drama.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-supplier-tsmc-delays-arizona-chip-production-to-2025-153028238.html?src=rss

When OpenAI released a ChatGPT app for the iPhone in May, it promised that Android users will get theirs soon. Now, the company has announced that ChatGPT for Android is rolling out to users sometime next week. Moreover, its Google Play listing is already up, and users can pre-register to get it as soon as it becomes available. 

It’s unclear if the app will initially only be available in the US like the iPhone app, but I was able to pre-order it from Asia. OpenAI expanded the iOS app’s reach to more regions just a few days after it was released, so the Android app will most likely be accessible in other countries soon even if it does launch only in the US. 

People can already access ChatGPT on Android through a browser, but the interface, while not exactly difficult to navigate, isn’t ideal for mobile devices. A dedicated app means an interface optimized for mobile, as well as features tailored for users on the platform. iOS users, for instance, got support for Siri and Shortcuts in June. They can create a ChatGPT prompt in Shortcuts and save it as a link to send to friends, and they can ask Siri to fire up the app or create those Shortcuts, among other things. 

OpenAI has recently started testing a new opt-in feature for ChatGPT Plus subscribers that gives the AI chatbot a continuous memory. With the feature switched on, the chatbot remembers who the user is across conversations, which the company says can streamline queries. The feature was designed to work across the platform, meaning paying Android users who opt in will likely see continuous memory in their app when it comes out. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/chatgpts-android-app-arrives-in-the-last-week-of-july-075639727.html?src=rss

Amazon’s Starlink rival, Project Kuiper, is moving closer to liftoff. The company announced today that a new $120 million satellite-processing facility for the initiative is under construction at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Amazon plans to launch its first satellites “in the coming months,” followed by the first customer pilots next year.

Like Elon Musk’s Starlink, Project Kuiper aims to provide fast and affordable satellite broadband to areas “unserved or underserved by traditional internet and communications options.” (It’s an Amazon initiative but should enjoy a cozy relationship with Blue Origin, owned by Amazon founder Jeff Bezos.) Project Kuiper kickstarted in 2018, receiving FCC satellite licensing two years later. The company plans to create a constellation of 3,236 satellites to provide seamless broadband coverage for rural users. Amazon hasn’t yet announced consumer pricing, but it hints at budget-friendly plans, saying, “affordability is a key principle of Project Kuiper.” The company also intends to offer multiple speed / pricing tiers.

Kuiper’s satellites will be assembled at a new “state-of-the-art manufacturing facility” in Kirkland, Washington, by the end of 2023. The new Florida installation will receive the satellite shipments, perform final preparations ahead of their commercial deployment. Amazon says it’s secured launches from Blue Origin, Arianespace and United Launch Alliance (ULA). Most units will deploy from Florida’s Cape Canaveral Space Force Station, near the new processing facility.

Amazon touted Project Kuiper’s anticipated job creation. It says over 1,400 people are already working on it, and the company expects the initiative to eventually support thousands of suppliers and highly skilled jobs — especially in Alabama, Florida and Colorado.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-builds-new-florida-satellite-facility-for-its-starlink-rival-173537256.html?src=rss

San Diego Comic-Con 2023 is officially open and, as usual, it’s filled with all sorts of goodies. The main convention floor is over 2 million square feet and no matter where you look there’s something to catch your eye. io9 hit the floor on preview night and snapped just a handful of the stuff that caught our eyes,…

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