The 13 best bluetooth speaker deals we could find for Amazon Prime Day

We’ve now hit the last day of Amazon’s October Prime Day, but there’s still time to get some great speaker deals. Thanks to Prime Big Deal Days, we’re seeing deals on some of the smart and Bluetooth speakers we’ve tested and think are worth your money (particularly when they’re on sale). There are mini speakers that make great gifts, bigger portable speakers that are great for heading outside, and Echo smart speakers that can control your smart home devices, answer your questions and even tell you a joke. Here are the best Prime Day deals on speakers we could find.

Amazon Echo Dot

Amazon’s best-selling Echo speaker is the Echo Dot, which is down to $23 for October Prime. That’s a 54 percent discount over its usual $50 price tag and matches last Prime day and its lowest price ever. We think it’s the best smart speaker under $50 (and now you can get two for less than $50). The sound is loud and surprisingly clear, and it’s a convenient way to get Alexa’s help, which may soon get even better (or at least more conversational).

Echo Studio

If you want quality sound combined with Alexa’s smart assistance, you may want the nearly eight-inch Echo Studio. The list price is $200 but it’s back down to the same $155 low price it saw in July $200. We gave it an 88 in our review, impressed with the hi-res sound coming from three two-inch midrange speakers, a one-inch tweeter and a 5.25-inch downward-facing woofer.

Tribit StormBox Micro 2

The Tribit StormBox Micro 2 is a small speaker that puts out decent volume and right now it’s down to $48, which is within a dollar of its lowest price ever. There’s a strap in the back that works well on belts, backpacks — or even bike handlebars, so it’s easy to take with you. And on-the-go is where this speaker performs best, as it’s more about portable volume than pure fidelity.

Bose SoundLink Flex

Bose’s SoundLink Flex is down to $119 for Prime Day, which is $10 less than it went for last Prime day and matches its all-time low on Amazon, though it’s gone as low at $110 elsewhere. This is one of the portable speakers we recommend in the sub-$200 range. It puts out a good amount of bass for its size and is IP67 rated so it can handle the elements or a splash from your iced tea.

Anker Soundcore Motion X600

One of Anker’s newest speakers, the Soundcore Motion X600 is on sale for $150 instead of the $200 list price, though this deal is just for Prime members. That matches the low it’s hit a couple times before. We haven’t tested this one yet, but have been impressed with Anker’s Soundcore speakers in the past. It packs 50 watts of sound with five drivers in a just-over-five-pound package. It has an IPX7 waterproof build and an estimated 12-hour play time on a charge.

Anker Soundcore Motion +

Another entry in our speaker guide is Anker’s Soundcore Motion +, which gives out good sound for its price point. The $100 MSRP is discounted to $70, which is a 30 percent discount and an all-time low. It has a bright and bassy output and offers EQ customization in the app. Plus it’s water-resistant.

Amazon Echo (4th gen)

Amazon’s mainstay Echo smart speaker is surprisingly loud for its size and pumps out decent audio. It’s our favorite smart speaker under $100 and usually goes for $99.99, but now it’s hit a new low of $55 for Prime Day, which is 45 percent discount and the same as it sold for during July’s Prime Day — though about $5 more than it sold for during last year’s Black Friday.

Anker Soundcore 2

We haven’t tested the diminutive Soundcore 2 for our buying guides yet, but other Anker Soundcore speakers have made their way into a number of our gifting and buying guides. Plus it’s got over 100K positive ratings. Usually $40, October Prime makes it just $28 after a 30 percent discount. The IPX7 rating means it can handle an accidental dunk and the battery should give you 24 hours of play time, according to Anker. You can even pair up two for stereo sound.

JBL Flip 6

A number of JBL speakers are on sale for Prime Day, including the JBL Flip 6, which is listed at $130, and often goes for around $100. October’s Prime sale brings it back down to its lowest price at $90. This is one of our favorite bluetooth speakers under $200 because it’s drop-resistant, waterproof and lasts for 12 hours on a charge. It’ll even connect with other JBL Party-Boost speakers for stereo sound, and can play while standing upright or on its side.

JBL Charge 5

JBL’s Charge 5 is a little bigger than the Flip 6 and offers a good upgrade in sound quality. It’s currently seeing a $60 discount that makes it just $120. It has a separate tweeter and dual bass radiators for bigger sound and the water-resistance combined with a long 20-hour battery life make it great for tunes on the go. It can even recharge your phone via USB-C.

JBL Boombox 2

JBL’s Boombox 2 is the previous generation of one of the recommended speakers in our guide. While the Boombox 3 isn’t on sale for Prime day part deux, this one also packs big, loud sound that you can take just about anywhere. The list price is $400, but October Prime is knocking it down to $250, which matches a Prime member-only deal it hit a few weeks ago and makes this a new low price for the public at large. It has a waterproof design, can recharge your phone, and at 13 pounds, it’s big but still portable.

JBL Go 2

The tiny JBL Go 3 also made its way into our October Prime day roundup for deals under $50. While we didn’t test it for our Bluetooth speaker guide, we’ve used and recommended plenty of JBL speakers. The Go 3 is 50 percent off, or $25 right now. You can also get the Clip 4 portable speaker for $45 instead of $80. Both are waterproof and have either a loop or clip for hanging.

Sony SRS-XB13 EXTRA BASS

The four-inch tall SRS-XB13 is back to $35 for October Prime, just like it was for July’s sale. This is an older model, which Sony replaced with the SRS-XB100, which is on sale for $48. Both are rated for water and dust resistance and you can pair two for stereo sound.

Your October Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Fall Prime Day deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-prime-day-speaker-deals-we-could-find-for-october-2023-110006653.html?src=rss

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Polar's Vantage V3 fitness watch is a big upgrade that costs $600

It’s taken three years, but Polar is finally ready with a new iteration of the Vantage watch: the Polar Vantage 3. The V3 can track more than 150 sports. That includes tools that cater to more serious athletes, and not just the run of the mill consumer, like triathlon training.

There are also unique metrics like Training Load Pro, which tells you how much strain you place on both your cardiovascular and musculoskeletal system during your workouts. There is also Wrist-Based Running Power, which calculates how much “power” you need to fight gravity and friction during a run. Lastly, Energy Sources tells you how the food you eat, from fats to carbohydrates, are being utilized during each workout session. Which kind of sounds like a glorified calorie tracker.

The company has also focused on improving the specs sheet for the one-size fitness multisport watch. CPU speed is now at 275 MHz, up from the V2’s 120 MHz. The manufacturer claims it will have 129% faster speeds when compared to its predecessor. Plus, it has 37 MB of RAM, which is dramatically up from the V2 and has roughly 32 GB of storage, squashing the V2’s 32 MB cap.

The case is still aluminum and the top Gorilla Glass, but the screen is bigger now at 1.39 inches. The AMOLED display has a resolution of 454 × 454, nearly double the V2’s MIP display, which had a 240 × 240 resolution. Oddly enough, the waterproof ranking was downgraded to WR50, the V2 had a WR100 mark on the other hand. Other changes to the watch’s overall function include: Bluetooth 5.1 and USB-C connectivity and a 488 mAh battery that will supposedly deliver up to 140 hours of training time.

The Vantage 3 also features new biosensors that are worth mentioning. There’s now a skin temperature sensor and Polar says the sensors are better at measuring blood oxygen levels. Plus there’s ECG function, along with what the company claims is the “most advanced optical heart rate” in its wearables to date.

The tracker that can be pre-ordered in sky blue, night black or sunrise apricot for $600. You can also buy the watch in a bundle set with the Polar H10 heart rate strap monitor for $50 more. Deliveries will begin on October 25.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/polars-vantage-v3-fitness-watch-is-a-big-upgrade-that-costs-600-212824347.html?src=rss

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The program will also expand geographically. Creators in Brazil, Australia, Canada, Finland, Indonesia, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Netherlands, Philippines, Poland, United Arab Emirates and Vietnam are now eligible. While this is a step towards more inclusivity, there’s no indication of when the program may become open globally.

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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-is-changing-how-it-pays-filter-creators-200028299.html?src=rss

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EU official gives Mark Zuckerberg 24 hours to respond to Israel misinformation concerns

Elon Musk isn’t the only billionaire CEO receiving stern letters this week from Thierry Breton, the European Union’s regulatory commissioner. Following a similar one to Elon Musk, Breton posted a single-page correspondence (via CNBC) he penned to Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg today, giving the Facebook founder 24 hours to respond. The letter acknowledges areas where Meta’s content moderation has improved but raises concerns about misinformation (including deepfakes) on the company’s social platforms as the bloody Israel-Hamas war continues.

“In light of a number of serious recent developments, let me recall the precise obligations regarding content moderation under the EU Digital Services Act,” Breton wrote in the letter. “Firstly, following the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas against Israel, we are seeing a surge of illegal content and disinformation being disseminated in the EU via certain platforms,” Breton wrote.

“I would ask you to be very vigilant to ensure strict compliance with the DSA rules on terms of service, on the requirement of timely, diligent and objective action following notices of illegal content in the EU, and on the need for proportionate and effective mitigation measures,” the commissioner wrote. “I urgently invite you to ensure that your systems are effective.”

EU Commissioner for Internal Market Thierry Breton looks on during a news conference after a visit in an ammunition factory in Nowa Deba, Poland, March 27, 2023. Patryk Ogorzalek/Agencja Wyborcza.pl via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. POLAND OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN POLAND.
Thierry Breton
Agencja Wyborcza.pl / reuters

The EU’s Digital Services Act (DSA) requires social companies like Meta to moderate and remove illegal and harmful content. The law, passed in 2022, mandates that platforms operating in the EU be more proactive in policing malicious material. It can levy fines of up to six percent of infringing companies’ total revenue, enough to effectively serve as a “stick” against the deep-pocketed social behemoths.

Breton acknowledged the company’s improvements in certain areas. “We have noted steps taken by Meta to increase mitigation measures in the run-up to the recent elections in Slovakia — such as increased cooperation with independent authorities, improvements in response times, and increased fact-checking,” the letter reads.

However, it raises concerns about deepfakes and other digitally altered content with potential real-world ramifications. “We have also been made aware of reports of a significant number of deep fakes and manipulated content which circulated on your platforms and a few still appear online,” Breton wrote. “I remind you that the DSA requires that the risk of amplification of fake and manipulated images and facts generated with the intention to influence elections is taken extremely seriously in the context of mitigation measures.”

Breton asked Zuckerberg to communicate with the commissioner’s team “without delay” on the details of measures the company has taken to mitigate deepfakes and counter election-related misinformation.

“My team will follow up shortly with a specific request on a number of other issues of DSA compliance that deserve immediate attention,” the letter closed. “The DSA is here to protect free speech against arbitrary decisions, and at the same time protect our citizens and democracies.”

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/eu-official-gives-mark-zuckerberg-24-hours-to-respond-to-israel-misinformation-concerns-202919590.html?src=rss