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Whether youre a true cord-cutter or you just want to watch the next season of Stranger Things when it (eventually? maybe?) drops, everyones on the lookout for streaming deals nowadays. Plenty have chosen VOD and live TV streaming services over traditional cable in recent years, but the savings that choice got you just a few years ago have somewhat evaporated now. Companies like Netflix, Disney, Max and others have been consistently raising prices to the point where you may question if streaming is even worth it anymore. We at Engadget still think so, for many reasons, but you can (and should) be smart with your money at the same time. Streaming deals are an option, even if they dont come around with the same regularity as discounts on AirPods do. If youre looking to save money and still stream all of the content you want, Engadget can help by laying out the best streaming deals you can get right now, how you can save with bundles and everything you should know before paying for yet another streaming service. Best streaming deals True streaming deals can be hard to come by. Most often, theyll pop up during the Black Friday shopping period. On occasion, well see them sparingly throughout the year and they usually take the form of a discounted monthly or annual rate for a limited period of time. Also, true streaming deals are typically on the ad-supported versions of a service, but once in a while youll find a unicorn of a deal on a tier that has ad-free viewing. If youre able to wait for a deal before subscribing to a streaming service, we recommend doing so. Youll save money upfront and in the long run, and you also have the option to cancel your subscription before the price goes back up to the normal rate. Maybe you find you like the service so much that youre fine paying full price for it thats the ideal situation. But if youre not compelled to keep that app on rotation in your smart TV, most streaming services make it easy for you to cancel at any time. With that said, these are the best streaming deals you can snag right now. Sling Orange for $23/month for the first month (50 percent off): New customers can get Sling Orange or Sling Blue for half off the usual price for the first month, bringing the final prices to $23/month and $25.50/month, respectively. Orange is likely best for sports fans, with eight exclusive sports and family channels, while Blue includes 19 exclusive news and entertainment channels. You can get both Orange and Blue access also for half off for one month, or $33 total. Fubo Essential for $60/month for the first month ($25 off): Fubo has introductory discounts on most of its packages, but Essential may be the best for most people. It offers access to 215 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 simultaneous streams. Note that regional sports content is not included here; youll have to go up to Pro or Elite plans for that. YouTube TV for $70/month for the first six months ($78 off): New subscribers can save a total of $78 when they sign up for YouTube TVs base plan, which includes access to over 100 channels, unlimited DVR space and six household accounts with the ability to stream on three devices at once. Spotify student discount - Premium + Hulu with ads for $6/month (72 percent off): Spotifys student offer continues to be one of the best around, giving you access to the Premium tier of the music streamer and Hulus ad-supported plan for only $6 monthly. Purchased separately, youd pay $22 per month for both of the services. Plus, the first month is free when you sign up. Hulu student discount - subscribe for $2/month (75 percent off): Those with a valid student ID can get Hulus ad-supported tier for 75 percent off the typical rate. Theyll keep the same sale price for as long as theyre a student as well. Max student discount - subscribe for $5/month (50 percent off): Max offers their ad-supported tier to students for half off the usual rate. Youll just have to verify that youre a student through Unidays, and make note that this offer is only good for up to 12 months of service. Streaming bundle discounts Theres more consolidation happening now than ever before in the streaming space, and that means there are more streaming bundle options. These bundles offer you access to more content with one subscription price, but those prices are typically higher than paying for a single service by itself (obviously). It may be tempting to just get the bundle, but if only one of those services in the bundle speaks to you, youll spend less overall by just paying for the single service. Speaking of a deep love for a single streaming service: if all of your favorite shows are on Peacock or the latest releases on Max consistently bring you joy, consider paying for one year upfront. Subscribing with an annual plan usually saves you money in the long term over paying on a monthly basis. Unfortunately, not all streaming services (looking at you, Netflix) have an annual subscription option. Here are some of the best streaming bundles you can get right now. Disney+ and Hulu Duo Premium for $20/month: This bundle removes the ads from both Disney+ and Hulu (with the exception of select live and linear content) and allows you to download content for offline viewing. Youll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for both ad-free tiers individually. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Trio Basic for $17/month: You get full access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ content with this package, albeit with ads across the board. This bundle price is 47 percent off the total price of all three separate subscriptions. Disney+, Hulu, ESPN+ Trio Premium for $27/month: Similarly to the Duo bundles, the Premium version of the Trio removes ads from most content in Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+, and you can download content for offline viewing. This price represents a 43-percent savings when compared to paying for all three ad-free tiers separately. Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle with ads for $17/month: Max may not technically be under the Disney mega-umbrella, but you get full, ad-supported access to its content here along with Disney+ and Hulu. Youll save 43 percent with this bundle, as opposed to paying for all three services individually. Disney+, Hulu, Max bundle no ads for $30/month: The major difference between this bundle and the previous is the lack of ads across most content in all three services. Download support for offline watching is included, too. Compared to the $52/month youd pay for these tiers separately, youll save 42 percent with this combination. Hulu + Live TV with Disney+ and ESPN+ for $96/month: This streaming bundle amalgamation is a bit confusing but it does offer a lot: you get live TV streaming via Hulus service plus access to the following VOD services: Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+. Out of those three, only ESPN+ will have ads. Paramount+ with Showtime for $13/month or $120/year: This includes everything in Paramount+s Essential plan, except the ads, and also provides access to Showtime content, live CBS streams and download features. Read more streaming coverage The best live TV streaming services to cut cable The best streaming services: Netflix, Hulu, Max and more The best streaming devices 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/deals/best-streaming-service-deals-133028980.html?src=rss
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OM System has unveiled the OM-3 Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera, combining an old-school Olympus-style body with the latest stacked sensor technology. The new model offers buyers many of the capabilities of the company's flagship $2,300 OM-1 Mark II, including fast shooting speeds and 4K 60p video, at a slightly lower price point. The OM-3 is a brand new product line for OM System, falling between the OM-1 II and OM-5. It's quite a bit prettier than either model, though, evoking the older, coveted Olympus PEN-F camera. Like that model, it lacks a raised grip so users must rely on the leatherette texture and thumb rest to keep hold of it. For travelers, the OM-3 is relatively light at just 17.5 ounces (496 grams) without a lens, a bit less than Fujifilm's X100 VI. OM System The body is replete with dials and switches, including a pair of shooting dials, a mode dial and another to change between shooting photos, video and S&Q. One unusual feature is a "creative dial" at the front (borrowed from the Pen-F) that lets you switch between five modes (standard, mono, color, art and color creator). Those open up screen menus that allow further customization. Inside, though, the OM-3 is effectively a mini OM-1 II. Like that model, it comes with a 20.37-megapixel stacked BSI sensor that delivers very fast 50fps shooting speeds with continuous autofocus. It also offers the same 1,053-point on-chip phase-detect autofocus system along with pre-capture shooting of up to 70 frames. And despite the small size, it comes with five-axis in-body stabilization, albeit with lower performance (6.5 stops instead of 8) compared to the OM-1 II. OM System The other major downgrade is the lower-resolution 2.36-million-dot EVF that's a bit disappointing given the price (the OM-1 II has a nice 5.76-million-dot EVF). It also comes with just a single UHS-II memory card slot. However, the OM-3 has the same 3.0-inch vari-angle display as the OM-1 II, which is nice for content creators, while also offering identical IP53 weather sealing and the same BLX-1 battery with 590 shots max in standard mode. On the video side, the OM-3 can shoot 4K video at up to 60p using the full sensor width with 10-bit log recording (though it can't shoot 10-bit video in standard mode like Panasonic's latest cameras). It also offers 1080p slow-mo at up to 240fps, albeit with a crop. If you're willing to use an external recorder, it can capture 4K RAW video at up to 60fps. Like the OM-1 II, the OM-3 has minimal rolling shutter in all video modes, so it should be great for capturing action. The OM-3 is now on pre-order for $2,000 (body only), or $2,300 in a kit with the M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-45mm f/4 Pro lens. Shipping is expected to begin in late February. Olympus also announced an updated, more rugged version of its 100-400mm zoom, the $1,500 M.Zuiko Digital ED 100-400mm F5.0-6.3 IS II, along with new weather resistant primes, the M.Zuiko Digital 17mm F2.8 II ($550) and M.Zuiko Digital 25mm F1.8 II ($500). This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cameras/om-systems-om-3-camera-marries-vintage-style-with-a-high-tech-stacked-sensor-130020762.html?src=rss
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The Zenfone 12 Ultra, announced today, is ASUS's latest flagship smartphone, and much like its competitors, it leans hard into AI. Thanks to a Snapdragon 8 Elite, the Zenfone 12 Ultra can perform AI tasks offline and online through the cloud, including transcribing audio, summarizing articles and documents and providing real-time interpretation on calls for supported languages. It can also use Circle to Search much like other Android phones. The onboard AI is powered by Metas Llama 3 8B language model, which works without an internet connection. The Zenfone 12 Ultras FHD+ AMOLED display measures 6.78 inches and has a standard refresh rate of up to 120Hz under normal operation, and up to 144Hz while gaming. A rear tri-camera system handles photo and video and consists of a 50-megapixel Sony Lytia 700 sensor with a six-axis gimbal stabilizer, a 32MP telephoto lens and a 12MP ultrawide lens with a field of view of 120 degrees. Theres also a 32MP RGBW front camera for selfies. AI software enhancements can ensure people or pets stay at the center of videos, and can apply bokeh effects to portraits and enhance voice clarity while recording videos. A standout with this new Zenfone is its 5,500mAh battery, which promises more than 26 hours of use. It's also Qi 1.3 compatible. Additionally, the smartphone supports eSIMs, making connecting to the internet effortless. WiFi 7 support will let users take advantage of high-speed networks if available. The Zenfone 12 Ultra retails for 1,099.99, and there's a limited-time launch offer of 999.99 in Europe from February 6 to 28. It comes in three colorways: Sage Green, Ebony Black and Sakura White. US and UK launch dates havent been announced yet.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/asuss-zenfone-12-ultra-leans-heavily-into-ai-063040420.html?src=rss
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