Hasta La Gadget!

Apple devices are some of the most sought after this time of year as Black Friday deals bring their prices down to some seriously enticing lows. At the moment, one such deal is on the Apple Watch Series 10: Apple’s newest wearable is on sale for $329, which is $70 off and a record low. That price is for the smaller 42mm model without LTE functionality, and the 46mm size is also $70 off and down to $359.

The Apple Watch Series 10 is our pick for the best smartwatch overall, but it’s probably best to look at other options if you’re an Android user. After all, you’ll need a compatible iPhone to set up the wearable and get the most out of it. For Apple users who are after something a little simpler than the flagship model, the Apple Watch SE has also dropped to a record low price ($169) for Black Friday. 

We gave the Apple Watch Series 10 a score of 90 in our review. Apple redesigned the smartwatch to offer a larger screen and thinner frame, both of which were plus points in our book. The wide-angle OLED panel offers better viewing angles. The wearable has in-depth fitness and health tracking too, with new functions including sleep apnea detection.

We found that there was a slight increase in battery life thanks to efficiency improvements, but some alternative smartwatches run for much longer on a single charge. Overall, this is a somewhat iterative update compared with the Series 9 and 8, but if you’re upgrading from an older Apple Watch (or buying one for the first time), you may find the features, performance and charging speed to be impressive.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-series-10-is-70-off-during-amazons-black-friday-sale-180028994.html?src=rss

Robot vacuums can help automate a chore you may loathe doing yourself. And even if you don’t mind vacuuming regularly, it’s undeniable that it takes time out of your day that you could be using for other things. The Black Friday and Cyber Monday time period is a great time to look for one of these smart home gadgets because you can often find them for hundreds of dollars off their usual prices — this year is no different. We’re seeing steep discounts on many of our favorite robot vacuum cleaners, as well as some cordless vacuums too. These are the best Black Friday vacuum deals you can get this year.

Black Friday robot vacuum deals

• iRobot Roomba Vac robot vacuum (Q0120) for $149 (40 percent off): This entry-level robot vacuum has strong suction power with three cleaning modes and smart navigation, and you can control it and set cleaning schedules from the iRobot mobile app.

• Eufy 11S Max robot vacuum for $130 ($120 off): One of our top picks for the best budget robot vacuums, the 11S Max has a slim design that lets it get under furniture better than other models, good suction power for its size and a long battery life. Just remember that this robovac doesn’t have Wi-Fi connectivity, but it comes with a handy remote that lets you control it, set cleaning schedules and more.

• Roborock Q5 Pro robot vacuum for $140 ($110 off): Roborock’s midrange vacuuming has 5500Pa of suction power, a 240-minute runtime and you can set no-go zones from within its companion app.

• iRobot Roomba Combo j9+ robot vacuum and mop with self-emptying base for $999 ($400 off): If you’re looking to splurge, this robo vac-and mop combo machine is one of our top picks for the best robot vacuums thanks to its excellent cleaning power, good mopping capabilities, solid battery life and well-designed self-emptying base.

• Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum with self-emptying base for $300 ($300 off): A version of one of our top picks, this Shark robot vacuum cleans both carpet and hard flooring well, has an easy-to-use app, a self-cleaning brushroll and a bagless self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris before you need to empty it.

• Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch robot vacuum and mop with self-emptying base for $550 ($350 off): This Shark combo machine automatically picks up and drops its mop pad when you program it to clean hard floors, plus its self-emptying base can hold up to 60 days of vacuumed debris and up to 30 days of cleaning liquid for mopping.

• Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro robot vacuum and mop with self-emptying base for $700 ($400 off): The PowerDetect NeverTouch Pro is the most premium robot vacuum and mop that Shark sells and it has suction and mopping capabilities to match. The self-emptying base takes care of most things for you for up to 30 days, including emptying the machine’s dustbin, emptying and refilling the mop reservoir and the pad-drop system that holds the mopping pad when not in use.

Black Friday cordless vacuum deals

• Dyson V15 Detect Absolute cordless vacuum for $550 ($200 off): This is our top pick for the best cordless vacuum you can get right now thanks to its excellent suction power, relatively light weight and good battery life. This model comes with a Fluffy Optic cleaning head that illuminates the ground in front of you so you can see where the most debris lies, and the pack-up includes three additional cleaning head attachments.

• Dyson Gen 5 Detect cordless vacuum for $700 ($250 off): The Gen 5 Detect is another excellent Dyson machine, very similar to the V15 Detect. We like that it has a single-button start and even stronger suction power, and it’s slightly newer than the V15 Detect as well.

• Dyson Gen 5 Outsize Absolute for $800 ($250 off): This Outsize model has 150 percent bigger bin capacity than the standard Gen 5 vacuum, making it better for those with larger homes or those who regularly have big messes to clean up. Its cleaner head is 25 percent wider as well, allowing it to cover a larger surface area in one go, and it comes with two batteries for a total of over two hours of runtime.

• Dyson Digital Slim cordless vacuum for $250 ($250 off): As its name suggests, this Dyson stick vacuum is 30 percent lighter than the V11, which should make it even easier to handle and maneuver while you clean. It also has a 40-minute runtime and an LCD display that shows the amount of battery life left.

• Tineco Pure One S11 cordless vacuum for $180 ($120 off with coupon): Our top budget pick in our best cordless vacuums guide, the One S11 provides good suction for the price and it includes Tineco’s iLoop smart sensor, which auto-adjusts suction power as you clean to account for messes big and small. 

• Tineco Pure One Station 5 cordless vacuum with self-emptying base for $300 ($160 off with coupon): One of Tineco’s newest machines, the Station 5 stick vacuum cleans hard floors and carpets well, doesn’t choke when it meets pet hair and includes a self-cleaning HEPA filter to maintain strong, consistent suction power. Plus, the bagless, self-emptying base cleans the machine’s brush, tube, filter and dustbin after every time you use it. 

• Tineco Pure One Station Furfree cordless vacuum with self-emptying base for $400 ($300 off): This model has a massive 3L self-emptying base that can hold up to 60 days worth of debris, and it comes with cleaning attachments that can make grooming your pets easier.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-14-best-black-friday-deals-on-robot-vacuums-from-irobot-shark-dyson-and-others-161528012.html?src=rss

Threads is making more changes to address long-running complaints from users. This time, the company is testing out improvements to its search and trending topics feature in updates that Adam Mosseri described as “long-overdue improvements.”

On search, Threads is testing the ability to search for posts within specific date ranges and account-specific searches. The changes are similar to some of X’s advanced search capabilities and could make it easier for users to look for a specific post they want to revisit. The lack of advanced search on Threads has long been frustrating and up to now, the most reliable way to search for a specific Threads post was to use Google.

Threads is also experimenting with AI-powered summaries for its “trending now” topics, which shows US users a handful of popular topics on the platform. The app will also show an “expanded set” of up to 15 trends (currently, Threads only displays five trends at a time). The changes sound a little more like how X handles trends, which are sometimes summarized by its “Grok” AI feature. (Grok has somewhat of a mixed track record when it comes to accuracy, however.) It’s unclear how Meta plans to handle these summaries, though the company already uses Meta AI to summarize Facebook comments and discussions in groups.

The new tests are the latest in a flurry of updates from Threads. In the last week, Meta has also announced a test of custom feeds, which it made official just five days later, and improvements to users’ algorithmic feeds. Those changes also just happen to coincide with a huge surge in growth for Threads competitor Bluesky. The decentralized service has grown to more than 20 million users and has had several days where its growth has rivaled Threads daily sign-up numbers.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/threads-is-testing-out-advanced-search-features-and-ai-summaries-for-trending-topics-182250201.html?src=rss

The Smithsonian’s National Numismatic Collection (NNC) has acquired a MacBook Pro tied to a groundbreaking cryptocurrency case, illustrating the evolving understanding of digital currencies. This laptop, used by federal agent Chris Janczewski, was instrumental in tracing and seizing $3.6 billion in stolen Bitcoin. It highlights the shift from viewing Bitcoin as anonymous to recognizing its traceability.

The story originates from a 2016 hack of the Bitfinex cryptocurrency exchange, where Ilya Lichtenstein and his wife, Heather Morgan, stole 120,000 Bitcoins. The funds, valued at $70 million then, are now worth $8.6 billion. Janczewski, treating Bitcoin’s blockchain as a “digital crime scene,” identified the culprits and recovered the funds, marking the largest financial seizure in U.S. history. The case underscores how criminals using cryptocurrencies can now be identified and prosecuted.

Morgan, a self-styled rapper known as “Razzlekhan,” and Lichtenstein became infamous as “Bitcoin’s Bonnie and Clyde.” Their arrest and sentencing have inspired planned media adaptations, but the case’s significance extends beyond sensationalism. It challenges misconceptions about cryptocurrency’s anonymity and reshapes its role in the global financial landscape.

The Smithsonian’s inclusion of this laptop in “The Value of Money” gallery underscores its curatorial mission to document the changing nature of currency. While past collections featured ancient coins and colonial notes, the museum now confronts the challenge of representing intangible digital currencies. Artifacts like this laptop demonstrate how cryptocurrencies continue humanity’s age-old practice of redefining value in response to societal changes.

This acquisition not only captures a pivotal moment in cryptocurrency history but also invites reflection on its future impact. By juxtaposing digital money with traditional forms, the Smithsonian offers a nuanced perspective on the evolution of currency in the modern era.

Tracing Stolen Bitcoin: A Laptop’s Journey To The Smithsonian

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.

Vuzix Corporation has launched the Z100 Smart Glasses, priced at $499, offering advanced augmented reality (AR) features in a lightweight, wearable design. Weighing only 38 grams, the Z100 integrates cutting-edge waveguide technology to provide a transparent, monochrome heads-up display with up to 48 hours of battery life. It pairs with Android and iOS devices via the updated Vuzix Connect mobile app (version 1.7), delivering real-time notifications, messaging, and updates.

The Z100 caters to both everyday and enterprise users — For individuals, it enables hands-free access to smartphone functions like reading texts, navigating with Google Maps, and monitoring fitness metrics while running or cycling. Its transcription and translation features allow real-time captioning, even in different languages, without disengaging from conversations.

For enterprises, the Z100 enhances workflows by integrating with equipment such as scanners and sensors, displaying critical data in real time. Its lightweight design and safety certification make it ideal for frontline workers, providing seamless AI-driven task management and workflow optimization.

The Vuzix Connect app adds functionalities like a teleprompter and fitness tracking, offering a safer and more accessible alternative to checking smartphones or watches. The app also supports multilingual transcription, making it a powerful tool for global communications.

Paul Travers, Vuzix’s CEO, emphasized the Z100’s combination of cutting-edge AR technology and sleek, everyday wearability. Designed for wide consumer and enterprise use, the Z100 brings AI-driven efficiency to users in a stylish, cost-effective package.

Vuzix Launches Z100 Smart Glasses With Advanced AR Features

, original content from Ubergizmo. Read our Copyrights and terms of use.