As old horror franchises have gotten new leases on life in recent years, more and more people have just wanted to know why Friday the 13th can’t get the same treatment. While the series was kept semi-alive with a video game not too long ago, there hasn’t been a new movie since the 2009 reboot. It sounds like even with…
In between beach visits and grilling sessions this holiday weekend, it’s worthwhile to turn to the internet to save a little bit on tech you may have had on your wishlist. The Memorial Day sales we’ve seen this year include some of the best prices we’ve seen all year on some of our favorite tech, including tablets, wireless earbuds, power banks and more. We’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the fact that Amazon Prime Day is just around the corner in July (although the exact dates are to be determined), so there’s a good chance we’ll see even steeper discounts during that shopping event. But for now, if you’ve been meaning to pick up a few new gadgets to upgrade your kit, Memorial Day sales have you covered. These are the best Memorial Day tech deals we could find.
Our top picks
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This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-memorial-day-sale-tech-deals-we-could-find—save-big-on-apple-anker-and-ooni-gear-115046991.html?src=rss
As old horror franchises have gotten new leases on life in recent years, more and more people have just wanted to know why Friday the 13th can’t get the same treatment. While the series was kept semi-alive with a video game not too long ago, there hasn’t been a new movie since the 2009 reboot. It sounds like even with…
Ah, Flappy Bird. It’s been a long time since I last gave any thought to the game-turned-cultural-phenomenon that briefly had us all in a chokehold a decade ago. At least, that was the case until this morning, when I stumbled upon a Reddit post announcing a Flappy Bird tribute for the Playdate and, without a moment’s hesitation, sideloaded it onto my device. Now here I am, absolutely hooked on this maddening little game once again. And, using the crank to control that silly looking bird, it’s even harder this time around. FlappyBird by Chibisuke is free and available to download for Playdate on itch.io. You’re welcome… or, I’m sorry.
FlappyBird is just like the OG game, but in grayscale. You can play using the up button on the D-pad, the ‘A’ button or the crank to guide the bird between the pipes, but I’ve been going with the latter for the extra challenge it adds. It also just feels like a perfect use of the crank, and I like making the most of the Playdate’s funky design whenever I can. There are other games inspired by Flappy Bird that you can get for the Playdate, like Cranky Bird and Flappybalt, but Chibisuke’s FlappyBird is a direct clone of Dong Nguyen’s infamous side-scroller.
It’s definitely one way to get your heart rate up on a Sunday afternoon. Just, please do not ask me about my high score, I… don’t want to talk about it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/someone-made-a-flappy-bird-tribute-for-the-playdate-that-lets-you-use-the-crank-to-fly-160647496.html?src=rss
As old horror franchises have gotten new leases on life in recent years, more and more people have just wanted to know why Friday the 13th can’t get the same treatment. While the series was kept semi-alive with a video game not too long ago, there hasn’t been a new movie since the 2009 reboot. It sounds like even with…
iOS 18 may inject a little more fun into the iPhone experience. In the Power On newsletter this week, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman reports that AI-generated emoji will be among the new features Apple shows off at WWDC next month. As if the current emoji library weren’t overwhelming enough, Gurman writes that the company “is developing software that can create custom emojis on the fly, based on what users are texting.” I, for one, cannot wait to see the cursed creations that are sure to come out of that one.
Apple is also reportedly making it so iPhone users will have more customization options for their apps and home screen, like the ability to change the color of app icons and arrange things more freely, rather than being locked into the grid layout. The latter especially would be a pretty big change for Apple, but surely a welcome one for any users who have been itching to get more creative with their home screen designs. Of course, these are still rumors, so don’t take any of it as set in stone.
There’s been a ton of talk about Apple’s AI plans in the leadup to its annual developers conference, which kicks off on June 10, but rather than debut anything too flashy at this stage, Gurman suggests Apple will stick to practical applications for the technology. Apple is expected to announce a partnership with OpenAI and, according to Gurman, may give an AI boost to things like Safari searches, Siri, photo retouching and voice memo transcriptions. The company may also introduce smart recaps for notifications, web pages and more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/iphone-users-may-get-ai-generated-emoji-and-more-app-customization-than-ever-with-ios-18-181215663.html?src=rss
As old horror franchises have gotten new leases on life in recent years, more and more people have just wanted to know why Friday the 13th can’t get the same treatment. While the series was kept semi-alive with a video game not too long ago, there hasn’t been a new movie since the 2009 reboot. It sounds like even with…
It’s officially ice cream season, and if you’ve been wanting to try your hand at making the dessert yourself, Walmart has a deal you might be interested in. The Ninja Creami ice cream maker is $50 off right now, bringing the price down to $149 — the best price we’ve seen for it all year. The Creami is designed for ease of use and gives you control over the texture of the finished product, so you can make ice cream, sorbet, milkshakes and other kinds of frozen treats.
The deal applies to the Ninja Creami model with 5 one-touch progams: Ice Cream, Sorbet, Milkshake, Lite Ice Cream and Mix-in (which lets you toss in embellishments like chocolate chips or nuts). It also comes with two 16oz pints to make and store your ice cream in. The Creami is one of our favorite kitchen gadgets and earned a review score of 90, requiring minimal work on your part to make ice cream with the ingredients of your choice. All you need to do is prep the mixture that will be your base, toss it in the freezer overnight, then pop it in the Creami for processing.
The Ninja Creami won’t take up too much counter space, and most of the parts can go in the dishwasher for an easy cleanup after using it. It operates a bit like a food processor, but uses what the company refers to as a Creamerizer Paddle that has two different types of blades to get a uniform texture. There’s one for shaving the frozen base and another for smoothing it all out. It also has dual drive motors that allow for both a spinning motion and downward pressure to make for a good churn.
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/the-ninja-creami-ice-cream-maker-is-down-to-149-for-memorial-day-201104207.html?src=rss
Over the past few years, I’ve developed a peaceful little routine to make up for time spent cooped up inside working on sunny days: after I’ve closed my laptop for the day, I throw my sneakers on, open Pikmin Bloom on my phone, and go for a long walk to clear my head and plant virtual flowers with the ‘min.
Pikmin Bloom was released for Android and iOS in 2021 by Pokémon Go developer Niantic and Nintendo as another “go outside and touch grass” app, and I’ve been playing it pretty regularly since then. Only recently, when the app announced some special events for its 2.5-year anniversary, did it occur to me how long I’ve actually stuck with it. There isn’t all that much to Pikmin Bloom, but that’s part of the charm — it’s more of a walking buddy than a full-on game. You accumulate Pikmin, feed them nectar so they’ll grow flowers from their heads, then pick the petals and use those to “plant flowers” when you go on walks (don’t think too hard about the science of that, it’s Pikmin).
Unlike Pokémon Go, Pikmin Bloom doesn’t require a lot of your attention while you’re walking around, which really appealed to me as someone who likes to stay fully aware of their surroundings while out and about. That, and the promise of being accompanied wherever I go by a horde of quietly singing Pikmin; I just love those weird little guys.
I typically get everything set up before I leave for a walk, making sure I have plenty of petals ready to plant. Then I hit the ‘Start’ button and mostly leave the app alone until I take a break or am done with my walk, checking in only here and there to see if I’ve passed anything of interest. You can send your Pikmin on expeditions to pick up fruit or destroy mushrooms that’ll pop up on your map, but you don’t need to be actively walking to do this, as they’ll be recorded on a list you can revisit later. Once I’m back home, I love seeing how many flowers I planted versus how many steps I took (I still haven’t figured out the ratio), and delegating different missions for my Pikmin to tackle.
There are frequent events that serve as motivation for reaching certain step count goals or planting a particular number of flowers, including some with community involvement. And, there’s the prospect of collecting themed Pikmin who wear special decor outfits. Pikmin Bloom is currently teasing some upcoming Cheese Decor Pikmin for next month, and I’m going to work extra hard to try and get them. While the app does have the potential to lure players into in-app purchases, they’re by no means necessary to get the full experience. I’ve managed to make it this far without spending any money at all.
Pikmin Bloom has an AR component similar to Pokémon Go’s, so you can photograph your Pikmin in the real world, but this feature can be pretty glitchy. What’s better than that, in my opinion, are the postcards your Pikmin will sometimes bring back from their travels — they’ve been known to photobomb landmarks in these pictures on occasion. If you have friends in the app, you can send postcards to them too. Pikmin Bloom also has a built-in lifelog, where you can choose a picture from your walk and jot down any notes and feelings from your day. It’s a nice thing to look back on once you’ve racked up a lot of adventures.
I’ve tried out plenty of apps over the years that attempt to gamify physical activity, but I almost always lose interest in them pretty quickly. For all its simplicity, Pikmin Bloom adds just the right amount of reward to a walk without distracting from the actual activity. Plus, there are Pikmin.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/pikmin-bloom-has-been-helping-me-meet-my-outdoor-walking-goals-for-years-000025214.html?src=rss
As old horror franchises have gotten new leases on life in recent years, more and more people have just wanted to know why Friday the 13th can’t get the same treatment. While the series was kept semi-alive with a video game not too long ago, there hasn’t been a new movie since the 2009 reboot. It sounds like even with…
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