JBL just announced a pair of portable speakers that take advantage of the company’s AI Sound Boost technology. This software analyzes the signal and maxes out the driver while minimizing distortion. The company says this creates a boost in sound quality.
The Flip 7 features an interchangeable strap and carabiner and an updated control placement when compared to the previous generation. The Flip 6 easily made our list of the best portable Bluetooth speakers, so any improvement is just icing on the cake. It also includes an upgraded woofer with more output power, which should further improve the sound.
The battery life is solid, at 14 hours of use per charge. There’s a Playtime Boost feature that dials back the bass to add another two hours of use. The Flip 7 offers the ability for multi-speaker output that’s powered by Auracast and it can play lossless audio over USB-C, just like the Beats Pill. Preorders are open right now, with shipments going out on April 6. This speaker costs $150.
JBL
The Charge 6 also includes a new design with an updated button layout and a detachable and reconfigurable strap. Just like the Flip 7, it includes a redesigned woofer for an audio upgrade. The battery life here is astounding, at 24 hours of use per charge. This is several hours more than the Charge 5. It also includes Playtime Boost, for even more juice, and a quick-charge feature.
This speaker can be used as part of a larger system via Auracast. Preorders are available right now and shipments go out on April 6. That extra battery life does tick the price up a bit, as the Charge 6 costs $200.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/speakers/jbl-just-announced-two-new-portable-speakers-that-support-ai-sound-boost-technology-120052295.html?src=rss
Not everyone needs a super-expensive, top-of-the-line laptop, and the good news is you don’t have to break the bank to get a solid machine. Whether you're a student, a casual user or just looking for an affordable device for everyday tasks, there are plenty of great options out there. The trick is finding the best cheap Windows laptop that balances performance, build quality and battery life without making too many compromises.
A good budget laptop computer should still be fast enough to handle web browsing, office work and streaming, which means looking for models with a decent processor, a solid state drive (SSD) for speedy boot times, and at least an FHD display so everything looks crisp. Some affordable options even come with a dedicated GPU, which can help with light gaming or creative work. Whether you need a lightweight notebook for school, a workhorse for productivity or an affordable FHD laptop for entertainment, there’s something for everyone. We’ve rounded up the best cheap Windows laptop choices available today, covering different price points and features to help you find the right fit for your needs.
You may be inclined to recommend a Chromebook or a tablet to anyone considering a budget Windows laptop computer. Those instincts aren’t wrong, but Chromebooks and tablets aren’t the best buy for everyone. Tablets have the most portability, but they will only work for the most mobile-competent users like kids who have been grabbing smartphones out of their parents’ hands since they’ve been dexterous enough to do so. Tablets can also be just as expensive as some of the cheapest Windows laptops, and that’s without a mouse or keyboard.
Chromebooks are a good alternative for those that basically live in a browser, the trade-off being you must give up the “traditional desktop.” And Chrome OS is a more limited operating system than Windows when it comes to the programs you can install and run.
What Windows laptops do well
What can you realistically accomplish on a cheap Windows laptop? Quite a bit, especially if you’re doing one thing (or a limited number of things) at a time. They’re great for everyday tasks like web browsing, checking email, video streaming and more. All of those things can be done on Chromebooks as well, but Windows laptops have a big advantage in Microsoft Office. While yes, there is a browser based version, the native, desktop apps are considered a must have for many and will run smoothly on even the most bare-bones budget laptop. The only caveat is that you may run into some slowdown on low-powered devices if you’re multitasking or working with large data sets in Excel or a lot of photos and graphics in Powerpoint.
When it comes to specs, a bright spot for Windows laptops is storage. Even the most affordable devices tend to have at least a 128GB solid state drive. That will come in handy if you prefer to keep your most important files saved locally on your laptop's hard drive. In contrast, cheaper Chromebooks often have less storage because they’re built on the assumption that you’ll save all of your documents in the cloud. Not only is that less convenient when you need to work offline, but it also limits the size of programs and files that you can download. So, Chromebooks aren't the best for hoarding Netflix shows before a long trip or for use as a gaming laptop.
Windows also has thousands of apps that you can download from its app store. Chromebooks have some Chrome apps, numerous browser extensions and the ability to download Android apps, but quality control is… inconsistent. Android apps, in particular, often haven’t been optimized for Chrome OS, which makes for a wonky user experience. Windows may not have as many apps as Android, but at least the experience is fairly standard across the board.
Windows also gives you the ability to download and use programs from other sources, like direct from the developer. You can run things like Adobe Creative Suite, certain VPNs and programs like GIMP, Audacity and ClipMate on a Windows device, which just isn’t possible on Chrome OS. Chromebooks limit you to the apps and programs in The Play Store and the Chrome Extensions store, reducing any others to unusable, space-sucking icons in your Downloads folder.
What to look for in a budget-friendly Windows laptop
While you can do a lot even when spending little on a Windows laptop, you must set your expectations accordingly. The biggest downside when purchasing a budget laptop (of any kind, really) is limited power. Many Windows laptops under $500 run on Intel Celeron or Pentium processors, but you can find some with Core i3/i5 and AMD Ryzen 3/5 CPUs at the higher end of the price spectrum.
Specs to look for in a sub-$500 Windows laptop
Intel Core i or AMD Ryzen 3 processors
At least 8GB of RAM
An SSD with at least 128GB of space
1080p FHD display
Mostly metal designs
We recommend getting the most powerful CPU you can afford because it will dictate how fast the computer will feel overall. RAM is also important because, the more you have, the easier it will be for the laptop to manage things like a dozen browser tabs while you edit a Word document and stream music in the background. However, with sub-$500 laptops, you’re better off getting the best CPU you can afford rather than a laptop with a ton of RAM because the CPU will have enough power to handle most everyday tasks that cheap Windows laptops are designed for (If you’re editing RAW images or 4K video, you’ll want to invest in more RAM… and a laptop well above $500).
When it comes to storage, consider how much you want to save locally. If you primarily work in Google Docs or save most things in the cloud, you may not need a machine with a ton of onboard storage. Just remember that your digital space will also be taken up by apps, so it may be worth getting a little extra storage than you think you need if you know you’ll be downloading big programs. A final side note: solid state drives are ubiquitous at this point, not to mention faster and more efficient than HDDs, so we recommend getting a laptop with that type of storage.
You also don’t have to settle for an entirely plastic notebook either. There are options in the sub-$500 price range that are made, at least in part, with metals like aluminum. Those will not only be more attractive but also more durable. As for screens, there’s a healthy mix of HD and FHD options in this price range and we recommend springing for a notebook with a 1080p display if you can. Touchscreens aren’t as common in the under-$500 space as standard panels, but you’ll only really miss one if you get a 2-in-1 laptop.
It’s essential to prioritize what’s important to you. But at the lower end of the budget, a good laptop may not offer everything you need, whereas a great one might. Although most machines come with features like Bluetooth, built-in Wi-Fi and additional ports, you might find not all of them come with the specifics you require, like an SD card slot, webcam, charger, and so on. Be sure to check the spec list of any laptop you’re considering before you buy, especially if you need specific connectors and capabilities.
A final note before we get to our picks: The best cheap laptop models change all the time. Unlike more expensive, flagship machines, these notebooks can be updated a couple times each year. That can make it hard to track down a specific model at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart or any other retailer. Also, we’ve seen prices vary widely depending on the configuration and retailer you’re looking at. We’ve listed some of our current favorite models below, but if you can’t find any of them available near you, just keep in mind our list of specs to look for in a cheap laptop – they’ll guide you to the best laptops available at the moment.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/laptops/best-affordable-windows-laptops-123000512.html?src=rss
Death Stranding 2: On the Beach is coming to PlayStation 5 on June 26. At SXSW, Kojima Productions dropped a 10-minute trailer for the upcoming game, giving us our best look yet at the sequel to 2019’s Death Stranding. Pre-orders open on March 17 at 10AM local time, and those who buy the Digital Deluxe or Collector’s Edition will get early access two days before the game officially becomes available.
Hideo Kojima was joined by Norman Reedus and Troy Baker on stage at SXSW 2025 to discuss the much anticipated new game. The trailer reveals Death Stranding 2 takes place 11 months after the creation of the United Cities of America. As previous glimpses have shown, Reedus is back as Sam, along with Léa Seydoux, who voices Fragile, and Baker as Higgs. There’s otherwise a lot to take in over the course of the video’s 10-minute run, including a slew of new faces joining the cast.
Death Stranding 2 was first announced back in 2022, and last year’s PlayStation State of Play brought a 9-minute look into the game. Come summertime, you'll finally be able to play it.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/death-stranding-2-just-got-its-release-date-and-a-10-minute-new-trailer-231240932.html?src=rss
A report from The Washington Post details allegations made by whistleblower Sarah Wynn-Williams about Facebook in a 78-page complaint filed last April with the SEC, including that the company built a censorship system in hopes to be allowed to operate in China and that it considered allowing the Chinese government to access users’ data in the country. Claims that Facebook developed a content suppression tool to appease China, where it has been blocked since 2009, were first reported as far back as 2016 by The New York Times. Wynn-Williams has a memoir about her time at Facebook, Careless People: A Story of Where I Used to Work, coming out this week.
Wynn-Williams — a former Facebook global policy director who was fired in 2017 — said in the complaint that the company formed a team in 2014 focused on creating a version of Facebook that would comply with China’s laws, under the code-name “Project Aldrin,” The Washington Post reports. In addition to building a censorship system, it was reportedly proposed during negotiations with Chinese officials that the company allow a Chinese private-equity firm to review content posted by users in China, and that Facebook hire hundreds of moderators dedicated to the effort of squashing restricted content.
In a statement to The Washington Post, spokesperson Andy Stone said the company's past interest in the Chinese market is “no secret,” and that CEO Mark Zuckerberg had announced a move away from these efforts in 2019.But Wynn-Williams’ complaint paints a fuller picture of how far Facebook (pre-Meta) was allegedly willing to go to gain a Chinese userbase. Read The Washington Post’s full report here.
Zuckerberg has since become vocal about “free expression” and made changes to how Meta’s platforms approach moderation. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg announced that Facebook and Instagram would end fact-checking and instead adopt X-style Community Notes.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/whistleblower-complaint-expands-on-claims-that-facebook-once-built-a-censorship-tool-to-win-over-china-215047102.html?src=rss
CHINA - 2023/07/15: In this photo illustration, the Facebook app logo is displayed in the Apple Store for iphones. (Photo Illustration by Sheldon Cooper/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
After months of Retroid Pocket Mini buyers reporting issues with the appearance of games when using shaders, Retroid has opened a new return window for people seeking a refund. But there are limitations. Per a screenshot shared by Retro Game Corps, the China-based company said in a Discord message that the return window will be open only from March 8 to March 14, only 200 overseas returns will be accepted and customers will have to pay for shipping. As consolation, the company is offering all owners “a $10 stackable coupon for the upcoming Retroid Flip2 and Retroid Classic.”
Retroid released a statement about the RP Mini screen issue:
- March 8-14 return window for those affected - Returns capped to 200 units to limit a flood of returns for unrelated reasons - Asking customer to pay return shipping - $10 stackable coupon for all RP Mini customers pic.twitter.com/UpLN9rPL3a
Retroid Pocket Mini owners have been trying to get to the bottom of the issue since shortly after the device’s release last fall. As RetroHandhelds explains, “The shader issue is mostly only noticeable when specific CRT shaders are applied to older games. Users can expect to see misplaced scanlines, uneven pixels, or a slightly distorted image” in such cases. After much back and forth, the company recently said the issue can’t be fixed, linking it to the screen driver, Discord screenshots shared by RetroHandhelds show.
Prior to the latest update from Retroid, some buyers said their return requests were denied. In the Discord message this weekend, the company said, “Please note that this is a large and costly endeavor for our team, and we expect a lot of return requests outside of screen-related issues.” Further down, it added, “For users who do not heavily rely on CRT shaders or pixel grid effects, we encourage you to reserve this opportunity for those who genuinely need it.”
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/retroid-says-it-will-accept-limited-pocket-mini-returns-due-to-screen-scaling-issue-183143391.html?src=rss
It may be a while still before we see the smart home hub Apple is rumored to be working on. According to Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, the company has postponed the announcement of the upcoming product due to the issues it’s run into developing its “smarter” Siri. Gurman reported last month that the release of Apple’s upgraded Siri may be delayed, and Apple confirmed as much in a statement to Daring Fireball last week, saying it expects to roll out Siri’s more personalized features “in the coming year.” The smart home hub, according to Gurman, “to an extent, relies on the delayed Siri capabilities.”
Gurman previously reported that the first version of the smart home display could be revealed as soon as March. It would be a competitor to Amazon’s Echo line of devices and Google’s Nest Hub. While a March release is looking unlikely, Gurman reports that Apple is now allowing some employees to test it at home.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/home/smart-home/apples-rumored-smart-home-hub-has-reportedly-been-delayed-151515192.html?src=rss
Mario Day, otherwise called Mar10 Day or just March 10, is nearly here. This is a yearly celebration to commemorate Nintendo’s iconic plumber. It’s not his birthday or anything, but rather a totally random day that sort of looks like his name when spelled a specific way. It’s just like how Star Wars Day falls on May 4.
The main feature of Mar10 Day is deals, on both Nintendo consoles and Mario-themed games. Walmart is selling a Nintendo Switch OLED bundle for $349 that comes with a digital download code for the fantastic Super Mario Bros. Wonder and a three-month subscription to Nintendo Switch Online. That’s a savings of nearly $70.
There’s one last little goodie here for Nintendo fans. The company’s famous (or infamous) alarm clock, Alarmo, is now available for purchase from both Walmart and Target, in addition to pre-existing availability on the Nintendo online store.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/mario-day-deals-include-a-switch-oled-that-comes-with-super-mario-bros-wonder-for-349-130030476.html?src=rss
Nintendo added an absolute gem to its Switch Online library of classic titles this week: the 1994 Game Boy game, Donkey Kong. The beloved game arrives alongside the 1995 puzzle game, Mario’s Picross. Both are available now for Nintendo Switch Online subscribers, right in time for Mario Day (March 10).
Donkey Kong built upon the arcade game that came before it, and features roughly 100 stages. The story should feel pretty familiar even to those who don’t have a nostalgic connection to it — Donkey Kong has kidnapped a beautiful woman (Pauline) and Mario is in hot pursuit to rescue her. While the Super Game Boy brought some enhancements for the original game, those haven’t been carried over for Nintendo Switch. But it should still be a treat to revisit as is. Mario’s Picross offers a totally different experience, presenting the player with a couple hundred puzzles to solve by chiseling away at boxes and uncovering the secret image below.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/you-can-now-play-donkey-kong-94-through-nintendo-switch-online-225857703.html?src=rss
Employees of the General Services Administration, which manages government real estate and certain IT efforts, have been given a custom chatbot from Elon Musk’s DOGE to help automate tasks, according to a new report from Wired, with an internal memo telling workers it can be used to “draft emails, create talking points, summarize text, write code.” The chatbot, GSAi, gives users a choice of three models — Claude Haiku 3.5 (the default), Claude Sonnet 3.5 v2 and Meta Llama 3.2 — and is ultimately meant to be used to “analyze contract and procurement data,” Wired reports.
The GSA is one of the many agencies that have been affected by the federal government’s mass job cuts, and has so far let go upwards of 1,000 workers, sources told NPR in a report published this week. That includes roughly 90 people from its tech branch, according to Wired. In memos about the new chatbot seen by Wired, workers were told not to input “federal nonpublic information,” personally identifiable information or “controlled unclassified information.” It was reportedly tested among a smaller group last month before rolling out to the roughly 1,500 workers who now have access, with plans to expand down the line.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/doge-has-reportedly-started-rolling-out-a-custom-chatbot-to-automate-some-government-tasks-211616079.html?src=rss
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 29: A sign marks the location of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA) headquarters building on January 29, 2025, in Washington, DC. (Photo by J. David Ake/Getty Images)
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix has tapped Fast & Furious director Justin Lin to direct its upcoming movie adaptation of BRZRKR, the popular comic by Keanu Reeves and Matt Kindt about an immortal warrior. Netflix first announced plans to create both a live-action movie and an anime based on BRZRKR back in 2021, with Reeves starring in the former and returning to voice his character in the animated show. But, we’ve heard little about the projects since. In the meantime, Reeves and author China Miéville dove back into the BRZRKR lore with The Book of Elsewhere, which was released last year.
There are still no details on when the Netflix adaptations will air, but we can safely expect both to bring violence and plenty of action. BRZRKR follows a half-mortal, half-god man known as “B” who has fought his way through 80,000 years of life. By the time he accepts a job killing for the US government, he’s very much over his immortality and looking for a way out. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Terminator Zero showrunner Mattson Tomlin is writing the script for the movie and the anime.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/the-netflix-film-adaptation-of-keanu-reeves-brzrkr-now-has-its-director-184902694.html?src=rss
These are the new releases that belong on your reading list. This week, we've got a haunting novel from Charlotte McConaghy that blends mystery with environmental thriller, and a comic mini-series about the legendary Jersey Devil.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/what-to-read-fiction-wild-dark-shore-mystery-dark-horse-comics-let-this-one-be-a-devil-171026492.html?src=rss
Google will have to break up its business, the Justice Department said in a filing, upholding the previous administration's proposal after a federal judge ruled last year that the company illegally abused a monopoly over the search industry. As The Washington Post and The New York Times have reported, the Justice Department reiterated in a new filing that Google will have to sell the Chrome browser. When the DOJ argued for its sale last year, it said that selling Chrome "will permanently stop Google’s control of this critical search access point and allow rival search engines the ability to access the browser that for many users is a gateway to the internet."
The Justice Department also kept a Biden-era proposal that seeks to ban Google from paying companies like Apple, other smartphone manufacturers and Mozilla to make its search engine the default on their phones and browsers. It did remove a previous proposal that would compel Google to sell its stakes in AI startups, however, after Anthropic told the government that it needs the company's money to continue operating. Instead of banning AI investments altogether, the government wants to require the company to notify federal and state officials before making investments in artificial intelligence. Earlier this year, the Financial Times reported that Google was investing another billion dollars in Anthropic.
Google is expected to file its own proposal for its final set of alternative remedies. In the earlier one it filed in December, the company said that the Justice Department's original remedies went "overboard" and that they reflected an "interventionist agenda" that "goes far beyond what the Court's decision is actually about — [its] agreements with partners to distribute search." Google suggested allowing it continue paying partners like Apple and Mozilla to offer Google Search, but also to allow them to form agreements with other partners across different platforms. Apple could, for instance, offer different default search engines for iPhones and iPads. Meanwhile, browser companies could change default search engines every 12 months.
As The Post notes, the Justice Department's filing could be an indicator of how the Trump administration will handle antitrust cases involving tech companies. It could be strict on big tech like the Biden administration was despite tech leaders supporting the new President and his policies. Google donated to the Trump campaign when he ran last year and just recently halted efforts to hire employees from diverse backgrounds. It said that it was "no longer set hiring targets to improve representation in its workforce." The House also recently subpoenaed Alphabet and its CEO Sundar Pichai for communications between the company and the Biden administration regarding COVID-19.
Judge Amit Mehta, the original judge who ruled that Google was a monopolist and had "acted as one to maintain its monopoly," will hear both the government's and the company's remedies and will decide on the final solutions for the case in April.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/google-will-still-have-to-break-up-its-business-the-justice-department-said-150000739.html?src=rss
WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Google CEO Sundar Pichai arrives for the inauguration of President Donald Trump at the U.S. Capitol Rotunda on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Julia Demaree Nikhinson - Pool/Getty Images)
Games Done Quick's next weeklong charity speedrunning shindig kicks off this weekend. Frost Fatales, one of GDQ's two events celebrating women and femmes, runs from March 9 to 16, raising money for the nonprofit National Women's Law Center.
Frost Fatales is the winter installment of the pair of events organized by GDQ's Frame Fatales speedrunning community. (Its summer counterpart is Flame Fatales.) Last year's Frost Fatales raised $155,000 for the same nonprofit, which fights for gender justice in issues central to the lives of women and girls. Since the first Frame Fatales event in 2019, the biannual speedruns have raised over $1 million for charity.
Studio MDHR
This year's festivities dive right into the deep end with a run of the charmingly punishing Cuphead at 1PM ET on Sunday, followed by Super Mario Odyssey a mere hour later. Anyone who can beat Cuphead in that time deserves a Medal of Honor.
You can check out GDQ's schedule for the full lineup of games. The weeklong event streams exclusively on the GDQ Twitch channel (also embedded below), starting with that must-see Cuphead run at 1PM ET on Sunday.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/how-to-watch-games-done-quicks-frost-fatales-speedrunning-event-from-march-9-220017343.html?src=rss
You can stream the first episode of Win or Lose, Pixar's first original TV series, for free on YouTube. It follows a co-ed middle school softball team (the Pickles), with each episode focusing on a different character's perspective — including animated personifications of their insecurities and defense mechanisms.
The first episode hones in on the "coach's kid," Laurie, the Pickles' right fielder. She's rubbish at softball, thanks in no small part to her insecurities, illustrated as a sentient perspiration blob (the aptly named Sweaty).
If Win or Lose floats your boat, you'll need to hop over to Disney+ — subscription in tow — to watch the remaining seven episodes (the last two of which premiere on March 12). Should you go that route, you can currently save some money on the ad-supported tier of a Disney+ and Hulu bundle.
Pre-release controversy
Disney+
Win or Lose stood at the center of a controversy months before its February 19 debut. The show was initially slated to include an openly transgender character, Kai. While the part, played by trans actress Chanel Stewart, is still included in the series, Disney cut several lines of dialog referencing her gender identity.
A pair of overshadowing circumstances compounded the online backlash over the decision: The news came on the heels of Donald Trump's election victory, and the show has an openly Christian character (Laurie) who prays aloud to "Heavenly Father" before heading to the plate. The combination led many to assume the moves were an appeasement to the president-elect, right as business leaders were routinely seen visiting Mar-a-Lago and currying favor by cutting DEI programs and trans-inclusive features.
However, Disney framed its decision as being about parental freedom regarding LGBTQ+ storylines. "When it comes to animated content for a younger audience, we recognize that many parents would prefer to discuss certain subjects with their children on their own terms and timeline," a company spokesperson toldThe Hollywood Reporter in December. An off-record source "close to" the project told the publication that the studio chose to cut the lines several months before, which (if true) would have placed it at a point when political forecasters saw the election's outcome as either a coin flip or slightly favoring former Vice President Kamala Harris.
Regardless, you can check out the first episode below if it sounds like your cup of tea.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/you-can-stream-the-first-episode-of-pixars-win-or-lose-on-youtube-211938945.html?src=rss
AMD has announced that it's releasing its newest Ryzen X3D processors on March 12. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 9900X3D were both introduced back at CES 2025, and are currently the most powerful gaming-focused processors the company sells.
The 9950X3D has 16 Zen 5 CPU cores, a max boost speed of 5.7GHz and second-generation 3D V-Cache tech for more efficient performance. In contrast, the 9900X3D comes with a more modest 12 CPU cores and a max boost speed of 5.5GHz. AMD's 3D V-Cache tech is still the standout feature on these chips. The company introduced 3D V-Cache as a method of packaging cache modules on top of each other to provided less RAM-intensive performance. The tech was added to desktop processors first, before coming to laptop processors in 2023.
The 9950X3D's 3D V-Cache packaging allows it to be 20 percent faster than Intel's Core i9 285K across 40 different games, according to stats AMD shared when it announced the chip. It's also supposed to be at least 10 percent faster across certain content creation apps, too. When you take into account AMD's recently released Radeon 9070 GPUs, the company has the pieces you need to make a pretty compelling gaming PC.
The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D and Ryzen 9 900X3D will be available to order on March 12. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D will start at $699 and the Ryzen 9 9900X3D starts at $599.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/amd-is-releasing-its-latest-ryzen-x3d-processors-on-march-12-195656335.html?src=rss
This means that the WiFi in the Switch 2 should be much speedier when compared to the OG model, as that console only supported WiFi 5. The filings do indicate that the Switch 2 won’t offer support for WiFi 6E. Additionally, the FCC only mentioned tests for 2.4GHz and 5GHz networks, and not the faster 6GHz band.
WiFi 6 isn’t the latest wireless standard. That’d be WiFi 7. Nintendo very rarely adopts the newest technologies in its products. However, this matches the standard PS5, though the PS5 Pro supports WiFi 7. The Xbox Series X/S consoles only support WiFi 5.
More FCC data for the Nintendo Switch 2. Given that BEE-014 is the Right Joy-Con, it looks like it has NFC (Amiibo) support. pic.twitter.com/nnkoSIoPFF
NFC support likely means one thing and one thing only. Nintendo’s upcoming console will probably continue integration with those cute lil Amiibo figurines. The filings even specify that the RFID feature will be located in the right Joy-Con, just like the first Switch. That’s great news for people with plenty of shelf space. For the uninitiated, these figures wirelessly unlock content in games.
The FCC filings indicate one final juicy nugget. It looks like players will be able to charge the Switch 2 via either the bottom USB-C port or the brand-new top USB-C port. This is the first real confirmation that charging would be available on both ports.
We don’t know when the Switch 2 will be released, other than sometime this year, or what the launch lineup will look like. The reveal trailer showed off something that could be a new Mario Kart game, but we’ll have to wait until April's Nintendo Direct to learn more.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-nintendo-switch-2-will-feature-wifi-6-and-offer-nfc-support-per-the-fcc-192242046.html?src=rss
The Apple Watch SE got a discount too. The device typically retails for $249, but you can snap it up for $169.
The Apple Watch Series 10 is our pick for the best smartwatch overall. That may not necessarily apply if you're an Android user, since you need an iPhone to actually use an Apple Watch.
In any case, we gave the Apple Watch Series 10 a score of 90 in our review. Apple's current flagship smartwatch has a bigger screen, making it easier to see your notifications and health data (it's a pretty dang great device for wellness and fitness tracking). The thinner frame makes it more aesthetically pleasing too. On the downside, losing the blood oxygen feature from previous models is a bummer, but that issue was out of Apple's hands to a certain extent.
It's perhaps not quite worth an upgrade if you have a Series 8 or 9 already. Apple isn't exactly reinventing the wheel here. Plus the sleep apnea detection feature that debuted alongside the Series 10 is also available on the Series 9 and Ultra 2. Still, if you're an Apple Watch newcomer or upgrading from an even older model, the Series 10 is likely your best option, especially for the sake of future proofing.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-apple-watch-series-10-falls-to-a-record-low-price-184918237.html?src=rss
With US stocks unstable, consumer confidence in the economy plunging and whispers of a potential recession growing less muted, the economy under President Donald Trump's second term has been about as stable as a recovering addict's first week back on blow. With that turbulence as a backdrop, the cryptocurrency industry hoped Thursday's executive order establishing a federal Bitcoin reserve would at least spur a surge in the blockchain ecosystem. Instead, Bitcoin's value has dropped sharply, and one crypto-focused hedge fund founder called Trump's order "the most underwhelming and disappointing outcome we could have expected for this week."
After Trump posted in January that he would sign an executive order to establish a crypto stockpile, the market responded enthusiastically and prices rose accordingly. Bitcoin spiked to an all-time high of over $109,000 in January (after surpassing the $100,000 mark for the first time in early December).
On Friday, at its lowest point following Trump's executive order, Bitcoin fell by around five percent to $85,000. It had recovered a bit at the time of publication but was still only hovering at around $88,000, a nearly 20 percent nosedive from its January high (and down over 2.2 percent on the day).
'Just a fancy title for Bitcoin holdings that already existed'
Much of the underwhelming reaction stems from the reserve's use of shares already owned by the government through seizures or civil asset forfeitures. Although the order leaves the door open to possible government Bitcoin purchases in the future, White House crypto czar David Sacks clarified that the executive branch was only "authorized to develop budget-neutral strategies for acquiring additional Bitcoin, provided that those strategies impose no incremental costs on American taxpayers."
That wasn't what the crypto bros were hoping for. "This is the most underwhelming and disappointing outcome we could have expected for this week," Charles Edwards, founder of the crypto-focused hedge fund Capriole Investments, posted on X (viaReuters). "No active buying means this is just a fancy title for Bitcoin holdings that already existed with the Govt. This is a pig in lipstick."
In addition, the executive order also calls for a "US Digital Asset Stockpile" for other crypto tokens, which Trump has said will include Ether, XRP, Solana and Cardano.
Potential conflicts of interest
Crypto industry executives are holding a summit at the White House on Friday to, among other topics, get a better lay of the land regarding future regulatory enforcement. Among the attendees is Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong, whose company was one of several that recently had enforcement cases dropped by Trump's SEC. (Convenient!) Reutersreports that analysts believe the market needs a reason to become bullish again, like a clearer pro-crypto regulatory policy or signs that the US Federal Reserve plans to cut interest rates.
Trump successfully courted the industry in his 2024 campaign. In addition to pledging to create a federal crypto reserve, he promised to make America "the crypto capital of the planet" and fire SEC Chair Gary Gensler on day one. (In November, he announced he would resign the moment Trump took office on January 20.)
The 47th US President also has a stake in crypto, which has set off alarms (if not blaring sirens) of potential conflicts of interest. First, he and First Lady Melania Trump have memecoins, currently down 80 and 90 percent, respectively, from their all-time highs right before his inauguration. Trump also has a stake in the crypto platform World Liberty Financial, which reportedly bought over $20 million worth of cryptocurrencies — including over $10 million in Ether, $9.9 million in Bitcoin derivative WBTC and $1.68 million in MOVE — ahead of Friday's White House summit.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/trumps-federal-bitcoin-reserve-order-leaves-the-crypto-market-unenthused-184135436.html?src=rss
ANKARA, TURKIYE - MARCH 07: In this photo illustration, a 'Bitcoin' coin is displayed on mobile phone screen in front of the US President Donald J. Trump's photo in Ankara, Turkiye on March 07, 2025. (Photo by Harun Ozalp/Anadolu via Getty Images)
The company didn't offer a date as to when the upgrades to Siri will actually launch beyond that they're "rolling them out in the coming year." Here's the full statement reproduced below:
Siri helps our users find what they need and get things done quickly, and in just the past six months, we’ve made Siri more conversational, introduced new features like type to Siri and product knowledge, and added an integration with ChatGPT. We’ve also been working on a more personalized Siri, giving it more awareness of your personal context, as well as the ability to take action for you within and across your apps. It’s going to take us longer than we thought to deliver on these features and we anticipate rolling them out in the coming year.
A revamped, more powerful Siri was a core part of Apple's original pitch for Apple Intelligence. Way back when the company first detailed its plans, it claimed that Siri would not only understand what's happening on your phone, but also be able to take action in apps for you. So far, the main pieces of that new Siri Apple has shipped are the ability to type requests rather than speak them out loud, the ability to understand and explain Apple product features, a new animation for when Siri is activated and integration with ChatGPT.
Apple’s AirPods Pro 2 earbuds are on sale for just $170 via Amazon. This essentially ties a previous record-low price for 2025, which was $169. This purchase comes with the earbuds, four pairs of silicone tips in different sizes, a charging case, a lanyard loop and a USB-C cable.
We heaped a fair amount of praise on these earbuds in our official review, calling them "a worthwhile update." The sound is better-than-ever, thanks to new drivers, amplifiers, transducers and audio algorithms. The transparency mode is absolutely stellar, largely helped by the company’s proprietary H2 chip.
The ANC is solid, particularly for earbuds. This is also thanks to that H2 chip, which allows the AirPods Pro to cancel twice as much noise as the first-gen model. These earbuds are made for Apple devices, so there’s seamless switching between, say, iPhones, iPads and Macs.
The touch gesture controls are neat, but there's a learning curve. Give it a few days before throwing in the towel. The battery life is just average, but the charging case helps keep the music going. The primary downside here is age. The AirPods 2 Pro earbuds came out in 2022, so a refresh is likely on the horizon.
Check out our coverage of the best Apple deals for more discounts, and follow @EngadgetDeals on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.
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