Apple's new Mac Mini has only been out in the world for only a few weeks but its already on sale. Right now, you can get the Mac Mini with Apple's M4 chip for $549, down from $574, thanks to a $25 coupon. You can click the coupon right on the product page and it should apply your discount at checkout. This $25 sale is available on the Mac Mini with 16GB of unified memory and 256GB of SSD storage.
The 2024 Mac Mini is available with an M4 or M4 Pro chip, both of which give the desktop computer a real boost from its previous version. We gave the upgrade a 90 in our review, in part due to the Pro's perks (which we'll get into later), but also general features like the base level being 16GB of RAM. This generation also offers front USB-C and headphone ports, as well as a design that's less than half the size of its predecessor.
The Mac Mini with M4 chip should be plenty of power for all your basic tasks. But, if you need a bigger boost, then check out Mac Mini with an M4 Pro chip. It's currently on sale for $1,270, down from $1,370, due to a $100 coupon available on the product page. This deal is available on the model with 24GB of unified memory and 512GB of SSD storage. It's remarkably fast and offers Thunderbolt 5 support, rather than the M4's Thunderbolt 4. Thunderbolt 5 can triple data transfer speeds to 120GB/s, up from 40GB/s.
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/apples-m4-mac-mini-drops-to-a-record-low-of-549-for-black-friday-144307916.html?src=rss
Though I do love walking through a supermarket and picking out my own foods, I will admit that, come winter, I often turn to delivery apps to get my products. DoorDash, one of the many delivery apps on the market, has launched a new feature that could make this process even more seamless, allowing iOS users import their grocery list from Reminders into the app.
To take advantage of this, you can go to Reminders and copy your list or import it directly in the DoorDash app. An option should appear while you're shopping inside a store that says "Got a grocery list?" in a box on the page. From there you can click import and choose which list you want to sync based on the titles and a preview of the items. DoorDash will then show you options based on your list. So, for example, if you wrote onions, then it will let you scroll through different onions for sale and below it will have your next item with other options.
DoorDash is also unveiling other changes, such as letting you add items from multiple stores to an order before placing it. The company has offered DoubleDash since 2021 but that only allowed you to include items from close stores after placing the original order. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apps/doordash-can-import-grocery-lists-from-ios-reminders-app-140020164.html?src=rss
Once upon a time, in the year 2016 Apple completely disrupted our lives by removing the headphone jack. Starting with the iPhone 7, there was no port for your wired headphones, just a lightning charger. But, they did include one thing with the phone to soften the blow: a lightning to 3.5mm headphone jack adapter that allowed up to use our wired headphones in peace. Well, as all good things come to an end so, it seems, is the adapter, MacRumors reports.
Right now, the $9 adapter is listed as sold out in the US and most other countries, with it for sale only a few places in Europe. The same pattern occurred earlier this year to the SuperDrive, with it selling out around the world before being discontinued.
It's not a big shock if the adapter is no more, with wireless headphones and earbuds becoming such mainstays over the last decade (remember 2016 is also when Apple released its first generation of AirPods). Plus, you can't even use this adapter on the iPhone 15 or 16 series thanks to their USB-C port. Notably, the USB-C to headphone jack adapter is still available, also for $9. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/it-might-be-time-to-say-goodbye-to-apples-lightning-to-35mm-jack-adapter-133014701.html?src=rss
Back in January at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), LG unveiled a 27-inch 480Hz OLED panel with some incredible specs, but didn't say when or even if it would build a monitor around it. Now, the company has announced the UltraGear GX7 (27GX790A), a 27-inch QHD (2,560 x 1,440) OLED gaming monitor with a 480Hz refresh rate and a .03-millisecond response time the fastest of any QHD OLED monitor, LG claims.
The new display supports both NVIDIA's G-Sync and AMD's FreeSync technology to reduce screen tearing and flickering. It received VESA's DisplayHDR True Black 400 certification, meaning it's decently bright, supports a wide color gamut (DCI-P3 98.5 percent) and produces deep blacks. It also comes with an anti-glare and low reflection coating.
The UltraGear GX7 is equipped with a headphone jack and both HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 2.1 inputs. It should be noted that neither of those display technologies natively support 480Hz refresh rates at 1440p resolutions, so LG's new display will likely use DSC (display stream compression) technology that allows such a high refresh rate in conjunction with modern NVIDIA and AMD GPUs. Finally, it's perched on sleek, height-adjustable stand with 15 degrees of tilt and 30 degrees of swivel.
LG's new display isn't cheap at $1,000, but it does undercut rival Sony's InZone M10S (also a 1440p 480Hz OLED display) by $100. However, Sony's monitor has a few extra pro gaming features, including one that draws an outline around enemies and another that simulates older LCD monitors for players who prefer that. The UltraGear GX7 is live on LG's site, but there's no pre-order button or shipping date yet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/lg-unveils-its-own-480hz-oled-gaming-monitor-131924601.html?src=rss
President-elect Donald Trump has named Brendan Carr as the new chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, The New York Times reported. Carr has previously argued in favor of punishing TV networks for political bias and regulating big tech firms like Google and Apple. The appointment doesn't require the usual senate approval, since Carr has sat on the commission since 2017.
Under a Trump administration, the FCC will have two Democrat and three Republican commissioners. Carr will take over from current FCC chair Jessica Rosenworcel.
Carr wrote the FCC section on the infamous Project 2025 document, proposing new social media restrictions that could benefit conservative viewpoints. He also wants to limit the Section 230 legal shield that allows social media and other platforms to host and moderate comments and other user-generated content.
"The censorship cartel must be dismantled," Carr wrote last week on X. He added that the FCC under his leadership will also go after TV networks. " Broadcast media have had the privilege of using a scarce and valuable public resource our airwaves. When the transition is complete, the FCC will enforce this public interest obligation."
However, Carr won't have full powers to enact new rules. Since companies like Google and Meta aren't considered communications services, the FCC would have limited power to regulate them. That means an expansion of its powers would require new legislation. Brendan Carr has proposed to do a lot of things he has no jurisdiction to do and in other cases hes blatantly misreading the rules, Free Press co-chief executive Jessica Gonzalez told the NYT.
That's not to say that Carr can't affect the way the internet operates. In 2017, he voted to repeal net neutrality rules, and in 2021, voted against restoring them. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trump-names-commission-member-brendan-carr-as-fcc-chairman-130041732.html?src=rss
Roblox is adding new restrictions to younger kids accounts and revamping its parental control features as part of a push to beef up the safety features on its platform. The changes come after damaging reports about the companys safety practices and amid a broader industry reckoning over online platforms effect on kids.
Now, Roblox is drastically limiting the ability of its youngest users to interact with others on its service. The company plans over the next few months to bar all kids under 13 from exchanging private messages with other users outside of specific games or experiences. The company will continue to allow younger kids to see messages publicly broadcast within games and experiences, but they wont be able to message other users without parental permission.
The added restrictions follow a previous update in which the company barred kids under 13 from accessing certain types of experiences. This included unrated experiences, as well as Social Hangouts and Free-form User Creation experiences.
Roblox is also making it easier for parents to set up and tweak their parental control preferences. With the changes, some of which were previously detailed by Bloomberg, parents will be able to monitor their childrens Roblox usage and settings from their own devices. Previously, Robloxs parental control features required parents to make adjustments on their childs device. Now, parents are able to get push notification when their kids want approval for specific actions like joining an experience with a higher maturity rating. Parents will also be able to keep tabs on their kids screen time stats and set daily limits, after which the app will be inaccessible.
The changes are Robloxs latest effort to address safety concerns about its service. A report in Bloomberg Businessweek earlier this year detailed what it described as Robloxs pedophile problem, noting that since 2018, police in the US have arrested at least two dozen people accused of abducting or abusing victims theyd met or groomed using Roblox. Hindenburg Research, a firm known for short-selling, also recently published a report in which it accused Roblox of failing to protect children from being targeted by predators.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/roblox-restricts-dms-for-kids-under-13-and-beefs-up-parental-controls-in-safety-push-120031833.html?src=rss
The iFixit teardown of the PS5 Pro is here, and while there isnt all that much different going on from what weve seen with the PS5 and PS5 Slim in terms of repairability, Sony has made one notable change: in the Pro, its pretty easy to get to the CMOS battery. Whereas accessing this battery to replace it in the two previous PS5 models required a fair amount of work due to its placement beneath the main board, iFixit found that its right under the faceplates in the PS5 Pro and nestled behind a hatch that has just one screw.
Thats a nice improvement over the other PS5s, where youve got to take apart almost the whole thing to change [the CMOS battery] out, iFixit notes. Other than that, things look pretty familiar. Thats not to say the PS5 Pro itself doesnt have excitement to offer as our reviewers found, the PS5 Pro is an absolute beast of a console when it comes to performance. Less exciting though is its $700 price tag.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/ifixits-ps5-pro-teardown-reveals-an-easily-replaceable-cmos-battery-204423402.html?src=rss
Its been a few years since Apple first introduced the AirTag, and while the tracker has undoubtedly become a useful everyday tool for a lot of buyers, there have also been concerns and a class-action lawsuit over misuses of the device as reports of AirTag stalking have come to light. With all of this in mind, Apple is reportedly building some privacy improvements into its next AirTag. Namely, itll be more tamper-proof, Mark Gurman reports in this weeks Power On newsletter.
The second-generation AirTag, which Gurman reports is expected to be released mid-next year, will be made so its more difficult to remove the speaker, he writes. Apple has implemented features to curb unwanted tracking, including sound alerts that will let a person know theres an unknown AirTag in their vicinity, but its still relatively easy to remove the speaker, which would make it less noticeable. On top of the privacy tweaks, the new AirTag will also bring upgrades to range and the onboard wireless chip, according to Gurman. But looks-wise, it shouldnt be much different from the AirTag were used to.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/apples-next-airtag-is-coming-in-2025-with-privacy-improvements-173028439.html?src=rss
Amazon has a Black Friday deal on a pair of Blink Mini 2 cameras. The security cam, which just arrived earlier this year, has a built-in spotlight and supports person detection. Typically, it costs $40 apiece or $70 for a pair, but you can get two Blink Mini 2 cameras today for $35. Thats a record low and cheap enough to qualify as a stocking stuffer.
The compact security camera has color night vision capabilities thanks to its built-in LED spotlight. It supports person detection, although youll need a Blink Subscription for that. They start at $3 monthly or $30 annually for one device. (And you get a 30-day trial to see if its worth it.)
The camera supports 1080p HD live view and has a wider field of view than its predecessor (143 degrees diagonally vs. 110 in the original). It also has a low-light image sensor. The Blink Mini 2 works with Alexa and supports two-way audio.
The plug-in camera works indoors and out, but youll need a $10 weather-resistant power adapter to use it outside. However, it does include mounting screws in the box, along with a 13-ft indoor power adapter and a stand for each camera. You can order the camera in black or white.
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-two-pack-of-blink-mini-2-cameras-is-only-35-in-this-black-friday-deal-140009852.html?src=rss
One of our favorite air fryer toaster ovens is on sale for a record low. The Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer, which has 11 cooking functions and takes up less counter space than the pricier Pro model, is available for $80 off. The appliance will usually set you back $350, but this Black Friday deal brings the brushed stainless steel mode down to $270. Most other colorways are down to $280.
Brevilles Smart Oven Air Fryer has a long list of cooking functions: toast, bagel, broil, bake, roast, warm, pizza, air fry, reheat, cookies and slow cook. The oven uses five quartz heating elements known for quick and consistent heating. It uses algorithms to direct heat to where its needed most for each mode.
The oven uses super convection tech to reduce cooking time by up to 30 percent. It speeds up cooking by raising hotter air and sinking the cooler, less dense air. It supports a wide temperature range of 120 to 450 degrees Fahrenheit.
The appliance requires a decent amount of counter space: 18.9-inch wide x 15.9-inch deep x 10.9-inch high. But in return, you can squeeze in six slices of pizza or toast, a whole chicken or nine muffins. Brevilles oven has a smooth-looking brushed stainless steel texture, including snazzy-looking knobs and buttons and an interior light that automatically turns on at the cooking cycles end. (You can also flip it on manually.)
Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-breville-smart-oven-air-fryer-drops-to-a-record-low-price-for-black-friday-150032299.html?src=rss
