Monday, November 28, 2022

Latest Tech News

Cyber Monday is all about saving money right now. Not later, when you've saved up again to splurge on holiday gifts. That's why I'm not a huge fan of Apple's penchant for offering Apple Gift Cards instead of discounts. More frustrating, still, Apple further muddies the waters by offering free engravings. If you ask me, that's not worth it, either.

To be clear, Apple's Cyber Monday Deals gift cards, which range from $50 / £50 to as much as $250 / £250 for a Macbook Pro, are nothing to sneeze at. Even so, friends and family have asked me the same question that's been nagging at me since Black Friday: "Why not a real discount?"

I explain that Apple is so hell-bent on you buying more Apple products that it likes to stack the odds in its favor by handing you a gift card that can only be used with Apple.

Today, though, someone pointed out that not only does Apple offer a $50 gift card off its excellent AirPods Pro 2, "but they throw in free engraving!"

I stared back at them with hard-set eyes and a frown. "And what good is that in the end, really?"

My point was, what is that engraving really worth? Yes, there's a moment of joy when someone looks down at their personalized Apple gift and sees letters gently etched just for them. Now, instead of just words, we can add emojis. Doesn't that sound like fun?

It does, but I don't think the engravings make it worth skipping one of the true $199 AirPods Pro 2 deals you can get at Amazon, Walmart, or Best Buy.

Wasted effort

Why don't engravings turn me on?

The very first iPad I gave my wife, almost a decade ago, was engraved to her with something silly, "Mom's iPad. No you touchy." I know, I am so funny 🤦‍♂

Where is that iPad today? I have no idea. She's since moved on to her second one and is probably due for another iPad upgrade shortly.

My kids' broken and long-ago discarded iPods also had their names engraved on them.

My point is, you're giving up cash discounts for personalization that, in the long run, won't matter much at all. AirPods Pro 2 will eventually stop accepting a charge or, a couple of years from now, you'll upgrade to AirPods Pro 3. Are you recycling the personalized AirPods case? When you buy a new one, do you repeat the engraving?

Overall, I think Apple doesn't quite get the spirit of Cyber Monday, Black Friday, and the whole Holiday Shopping experience. It's not just about getting and giving the gifts, it's about the gamesmanship of saving money. Who doesn't love to tell people about how much they saved on a PS5, an iPhone 14, Sonos Beam, or AirPods Pro 2? No one talks in gift cards and even fewer add, "But at least I got it engraved."

Check out the Cyber Monday deals below:

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation): was $249 now $199.99 at Amazon
 One of today's best Cyber Monday deals is Apple's best-selling AirPods Pro 2 on sale for $199.99 - a new record-low price. Apple's all-new earbuds include improved audio quality and noise cancellation and include a wireless charging case that provides more than 24 hours of battery life. Today's deal is better than we saw during Prime Day, and we don't predict it will stick around for long.View Deal

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation): was $249 now $199.99 at Walmart
 As we noted above, everyone else is offering $199.99 AirPods Pro 2 without asking you to accept a gift card as money or dangling engraving in front of you as if that's a deal-maker. While this is now the standard Cyber Monday deal, the clock is ticking and it may be back to $249.99 in a jiffy.View Deal

Apple AirPods Pro (1st Gen): $169.99 $159 at Walmart
This Black Friday Apple deal drops the first-generation AirPods Pro down to $139.99, which is the lowest price we've ever seen. The AirPods Pro include solid noise cancellation, adjustable silicone ear tips, and a handy charging case. The second-generation AirPods launched earlier this year with a number of upgrades, but they're almost $100 more expensive, so this is a more affordable way to get some of Apple's premium earbuds.View Deal

Apple AirPods (2nd Gen): was $159 now $79 at Amazon
This is the lowest price Apple's cheapest AirPods have ever been. They once hit the same price briefly in the past, but that's it – there's never been a better reduction otherwise. Even better, they've been discounted by 50% for Cyber Monday. They lack the Spatial Audio and improved sound quality of the AirPods 3rd Gen, and they don't have the active noise cancellation of the AirPods Pro. But you still get smart features, such as instant pairing, auto switching between devices, and Find My support.View Deal

Apple AirPods 3rd Gen with MagSafe Case: was $169.98 now $139.98 at Sam's Club
This is the cheapest we've ever seen the 3rd-gen AirPods. The latest non-Pro AirPods give you improved sound over the classic AirPods 2nd Gen, plus Spatial Audio, which is wonderful with movies especially. You don't get the in-ear fit or noise cancellations that you get from the Pros, but not everyone wants that anyway.View Deal

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation): was £249 now £229.99 at Amazon
 In the UK, the discount on the AirPods Pro 2 is not quite so impressive, but this is still the lowest price yet for Apple's latest and greatest wireless earbuds.View Deal

More US Cyber Monday deals

More UK Cyber Monday deals



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Sunday, November 27, 2022

Elon Musk Says Tesla Semi Finished First 500-mile Trip With Full Load - CNET

Tesla is expecting to deliver Semis next week.

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Cyber Monday Deal: This Awesome Stranger Things Mystery Toy Is 23% Off - CNET

This TV-show themed toy capsule is a fun to unbox and looks great on display.

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Cyber Monday gaming deals PS5, Xbox Series X, Nintendo Switch

(Image credit: Future)

The Cyber Monday gaming deals are here. You can find discounts on consoles like the PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox Series X|S. There are savings to be had on peripherals, such as gamepads and headsets. And some of the best games are being reduced, too.

We'll likely only see these Cyber Monday deals end at the close of the day on November 28, so if you see something you like, you shouldn't hesitate too long. The deal may end or go out of stock.

What we're going to be doing here is sharing all the best deals we discover as we find them, but if you have a particular platform in mind, you should check our Cyber Monday PS5 deals, Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch deals, and Cyber Monday Xbox Series X deals hubs. 

We also have pages for the best Cyber Monday Oculus Quest 2 deals and Cyber Monday gaming chairs deals pages. 

Keep this page open so as not to miss a great deal.

PS5

(Image credit: Future)

Let's kick things off with the best Cyber Monday PS5 deals we've seen so far. In the case of Sony's console, we aren't just flagging the (admittedly few) discounts available, but also giving shout-outs to which retailers have the hardware in stock.  After all, it's still surprisingly hard to lay your hands on one of the machines.

PS5 + God of War Ragnarok + DualSense controller: was $634.98 now $609.98 at AntOnline
Save $25 - While not much of a saving, this bundle comes with one of the best games on the PS5 and an extra controller. What you're really paying for here is the chance to skip the queues and the need for an invitation. If you've been waiting on a PS5, here's your chance to pick one up.View Deal

PS5 Digital Horizon Forbidden West Bundle: $449.99 at Amazon
Although this is less of a deal and more of a roll of the dice, this PS5 Digital Edition + Horizon Forbidden West bundle is excellent value for money at just under $450. While this is a by-invitation-only offer, we think it's worth throwing your hat in the ring to get the console and one of the generation's best games.View Deal

PS5 console: $499.99 at Amazon
 This is the current listing for the full-fat PS5 console, which is available by invitation only. While you're not guaranteed to get your hands on the system this way, you don't lose anything by signing up just in case you strike it lucky.View Deal

PS5 Horizon Forbidden West Bundle: $549.99 at Amazon
The invites for this bundle are happening right now so you should hear soon if you've been lucky and given the option to get a PS5 and Horizon Forbidden West for a competitive price.View Deal

Xbox Series X console with controller and colourful background

(Image credit: TechRadar)

Microsoft has done a much better job of keeping its Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S consoles available, not just over this Black Friday weekend, but throughout the year. While we've seen the full-fat Xbox Series X disappear from some shops, it's usually been available somewhere. 

The real MVP of this week has been the Xbox Series S, the digital-only sibling of the Xbox Series X. Microsoft has discounted the console by $50, and we've seen that deal picked up at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart all weekend.

Xbox Series S with two controllers: Was $359.99 now $289.99 at Walmart
Save $70 - There have been a lot of great discounts on the Xbox Series S so far. Despite this costing more than the cheapest option, it is still a better deal when you factor in the price of the extra controller. So if your household likes coop games, this is the deal for you.View Deal

Xbox Series S: was $299 now $249.99 at Best Buy
Save $50 - The Xbox Series S might be the less powerful of Microsoft's current-gen systems, but it's still no slouch. Its lightning-quick 512GB SSD means your games load remarkably fast. The console also supports high-end features like VRR for more stable and consistent performance, and pairs excellently with a 1440p monitor.View Deal

Xbox Series S: Was $299 now $239.99 at Walmart
Save $59 - The Xbox Series S is a great alternative for those who want to have fun on a budget. It's still lightning fast and able to provide you with top-notch quality. This deal is likely as good as it's going to get so be sure to grab one while you still can.View Deal

Two Nintendo Switch OLED consoles on a desktop

(Image credit: Future)

When it comes to console discounts, the Cyber Monday Nintendo Switch deals have been the standout this year. Yes, the console has been around longer than both the PS5 and Xbox Series X, but with near-constant demand for Nintendo's nifty hybrid home and handheld console, we could easily have seen stock shortages or only minor discounts.

Instead, there have been some excellent bundles that have paired the console with some of the best Nintendo Switch games.

Nintendo Switch (Neon) + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 Months Switch Online: $299.99 at Best Buy
 A very familiar Nintendo Switch bundle returned again for this year's Black Friday and it's running all the way through to the end of Cyber Monday. It includes the Switch console, a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and a 3-month Switch Online membership.View Deal

Nintendo Switch (Neon) + Mario Kart 8 Deluxe + 3 Months Switch Online: was $399.99 now $299 at Walmart
Save $101 - There aren't many good Switch bundles at the moment so when you find one on discount be sure to get it quickly before it sells out. View Deal

A man holding an Xbox Wireless Controller

(Image credit: Shutterstock / Chikena)

If you're in the market for a new Xbox Wireless Controller, which you'll be able to use with an Xbox Series X|S, and your PC, then there's currently a great deal on at Lenovo.

The store has reduced the gamepad from $59.99 to $39.99. Better yet you can get an extra $5 if you apply the coupon code 'GAMERSAVER', bringing it down to $34.99

Xbox Wireless Controller (Robot White): Was $59.99 now $34.99 at Lenovo
Save $25 - The Robot White pad, bearing the Xbox Series S's color scheme, is down to the lowest price we've seen it. This is a fantastic deal for anyone looking to pick up a spare Xbox controller for the holidays, or if you're looking for a replacement. Just make sure you apply the code 'GAMERSAVER' at checkout.View Deal

Xbox Wireless Controller (Carbon Black): Was $59.99 now $34.99 at Lenovo
Save $25 - The Carbon Black controller will look great alongside an Xbox Series X (or an off-black cat, for that matter). This is a fantastic deal for anyone looking to pick up a spare Xbox controller for the holidays, or if you're looking for a replacement. Just make sure you apply the code 'GAMERSAVER' at checkout.View Deal

Xbox Wireless Controller (Pulse Red): Was $59.99 now $34.99 at Lenovo
Save $25 - The Pulse Red pad, is for people who want a controller they can lose among a bag of tomatoes. This is a fantastic deal for a great gamepad . Just make sure you apply the code 'GAMERSAVER' at checkout.View Deal



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One of the Best Black Friday and Cyber Monday Deals is $150 Off the Pixel 6A - CNET

Get your hands on Google's budget-friendly Pixel 6A for just $299 thanks to this early Cyber Monday offer.

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The battle of PS5 DualSense vs Xbox Series X controller has never been more fierce. Maybe you're platform-dependent or interested in having one on PC. Here's all you need to know. 

Nearly two years since launching, the battle between the PS5 and Xbox Series X is now well underway. While things like exclusive games, high-value services, and console specs get a lot of attention when deciding which console to pick. But it's important not to underestimate the significance of each console's controller.

As peripherals, both the DualSense and the Xbox Wireless Controller are currently enjoying discounts in the Cyber Monday 2022 period. The winter sales event has seen some excellent prices on both gamepad families from PlayStation and Microsoft respectively. Interested in more from both manufacturers, you'll want to keep an eye on the Cyber Monday Xbox deals and Cyber Monday PS5 deals. 

A controller can have a significant effect on your gaming experience, so it's worth paying attention to whether or not your chosen console has one that suits you. Interestingly, both Microsoft and Sony have tackled the controller problem differently with their new-gen consoles. 

While Microsoft has opted for a refinement of its existing design, Sony went a little further by dropping the DualShock name for DualSense, which introducing new and exciting immersive features, like haptic feedback and adaptive triggers. Either way, it all helps towards creating the best PS5 games and best Xbox Series X games.

Want to know how the two controllers stack up against one another? We’re putting the PS5 DualSense controller and Xbox Wireless Controller head-to-head, providing an in-depth comparison of the two latest-generation gamepads. If you're curious to know how the consoles specifically stack up against each other, check out our PS5 vs Xbox Series X guide.

PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: price

Xbox Series X controller button close-up

(Image credit: Microsoft)

While pricing for the Xbox Series X and PS5 consoles is pretty much a match, the controllers do differ slightly. The DualSense controller for PS5 costs $69.99 / £59.99 / AU$95.85, while the Xbox Wireless Controller's standalone price is $59.99 / £54.99 / AU$74.99.

It's worth nothing, though, that you can use all your existing Xbox One accessories on Xbox Series X/S, including older controllers. The same can't be said about the PS5, which only lets you use a DualShock 4 if you're playing a PS4 game via backwards compatibility, while the DualSense cannot be used with a PS4 console at all.

PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: design

DualSense PS5 controller front-facing

(Image credit: Sony)

Both companies took different approaches to controller designs with this generation. Sony did away with the traditional DualShock design but Microsoft doubled down, improving its current design in subtle but important ways.

The immediate change you’ll notice with the PS5 DualSense controller is in its white color scheme – which was restricted to limited edition PlayStation controllers in the past – while the central aspect of the controller remains black. While the analog sticks are in the same place, face buttons are now transparent, giving the controller a more premium look.

Otherwise, the touchpad returns, and the light strip embedded within it since the Dualshock 4’s mid-cycle revision is now positioned around the touchpad itself. The ‘Share’ button has been replaced with the ‘Create’ button, which Sony claims they're using to “pioneer new ways for players to create epic gameplay content to share with the world”. 

The controller is also now charged via USB-C connection, as opposed to the previous micro-USB. USB-C is becoming the new standard, meaning you’ll be able to charge your controller via the same cable you use for many Android phones, recent iPad Pros, MacBooks, or your Nintendo Switch.

That USB-C port can also be found on the Xbox Series X controller, although Microsoft’s changes are much more conservative. For one, a new ‘Share’ button has been added to the center of the controller, hopefully meaning we’ll no longer be digging through menus in the heat of battle to grab a clip.

The D-pad has also been switched out for a hybrid dish-style input that draws inspiration from the Xbox Elite Wireless Controller. That allows more control over complex inputs that you might find in a fighting game. There's also new textured grips on the triggers, helping prevent players from slipping in those tense battle royale encounters. The general outline of the controller has been minimized too, helping smaller hands feel more comfortable when holding it.

PS5 DualSense controller vs Xbox Series X controller: features

Xbox Series X controller

(Image credit: Microsoft)

The Xbox Series X controller has a nifty feature under the hood. It involves sending information from the controller to the console (and the TV through HDMI) more frequently, allowing your actions to match up with frames on the screen. That shaves milliseconds off of response times and is part of what the company calls Dynamic Latency Input. 

The controller works on the same Xbox Wireless Radio infrastructure of the Xbox One, continuing to offer Bluetooth compatibility using Bluetooth Low Energy pairing to make switching devices instantaneous. That's likely to be very helpful if you’re planning on streaming via Xbox Cloud Gaming to other devices you own.

Sony’s DualSense offers much more player-facing technology. The DualSense has its own built-in microphone, so you can use this to talk with your friends online without the use of a headset. In addition, it also offers Bluetooth connectivity, the headline addition is haptic feedback and the adaptive triggers.

This technology, built into the game’s triggers and body, allows players to feel in-game actions, like pulling back the string of a bow or driving through thick mud. It's extremely impressive, and can create some truly amazing sensations that help make games feel more immersive. It's down to developers to implement the tech of course, but expect Sony first-party studios to adopt it regularly.

One drawback to the DualSense that we've noticed is that while it has a bunch of great features, there's also a fairly mediocre battery life. It isn't quite able to rival that of the Xbox Series X controller, which can use AA batteries or a 'play and charge' pack.



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Saturday, November 26, 2022

You Could Save Up to $75 on Your Home Internet With This Federal Benefit - CNET

The Affordable Connectivity Program could net you free broadband for your household. Read more to find out if you're eligible.

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My Favorite 4K Blu-ray Player Is $100 Off for Cyber Monday - CNET

Amazon has the Panasonic UB820 4K Blu-ray player for $100 off for Cyber Monday.

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Cyber Monday Sale Drops the Backbone Mobile Game Controllers to $65. That's a Steal - CNET

The Backbone One game controllers are among the best I've ever used, especially for iPhones.

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Get Peacock Premium for $12 a Year in This Cyber Monday Sale (Save $48) - CNET

Watch every game of the 2022 FIFA World Cup live in Spanish, plus Sunday night NFL football games, as well as classics like The Office.

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Get My Favorite Vitamix Blender is Almost Half Off for Black Friday. Get it Before it's Sold Out - CNET

The Vitamix 5200 blender is almost never at this low of a price. Get it before it's gone.

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Friday, November 25, 2022

This $50 Off Oura Ring Black Friday Deal Ends Soon - CNET

The Gen 3 Oura Ring looks like a normal ring, but provides various health tracking features.

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Over a thousand container images hosted on the popular database repository Docker Hub are malicious, putting users at risk of cyberattack, experts have warned.

According to a report from Sysdig, the images contained nefarious assets such as cryptominers, backdoors, and DNS hijackers. 

Container images are essentially templates for creating applications quickly and easily, without having to start from scratch when reusing certain features. Docker Hub allows users to upload and download these images to and from its public library.

Types of malware

The Docker Library Project reviews images and verifies those it deems to be trustworthy, but there are plenty that remain unverified. Sysdig automatically scanned a quarter of a million unverified Linux images, and found 1,652 to be hiding harmful elements. 

Cryptomining was the most common kind of malicious implant, present in 608 of its scanned images. Next were embedded secrets, such as AWS credentials, SSH keys, GitHub and NPM tokens. These were found in 208 of the images.

Sysdig commented that these embedded keys mean that, “the attacker can gain access once the container is deployed… uploading a public key to a remote server allows the owners of the corresponding private key to open a shell and run commands via SSH, similar to implanting a backdoor.”

Read more

> These are the best malware removal services around

> Nasty new botnet exploits Docker containers to mine cryptocurrency


> High-severity Microsoft bug opened door to container cluster hijacking

Typosquatting was a popular and successful tactic used by threat actors in the compromised images - slightly misspelt versions of popular and trusted images in the hopes that potential victims will not notice and download their fraudulent version instead. 

Indeed, it worked at least 17,000 times, as this was the combined number of downloads of two typosquatted Linux images.

Sysdig claims that there has been a 15% rise this year in the amount of images pulled from the public library, so it looks as if the problem isn’t going away anytime soon.  



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Echo, Kindle, Fire TV and More Are Heavily Discounted for Black Friday at Amazon - CNET

Take advantage of the lowest prices of the year and save up to 70% off Amazon devices right now.

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A post on a “well-known hacking community forum” claims almost half a billion WhatsApp records have been breached and are up for sale.

The post, which multiple sources have confirmed is likely to be true, claims to be selling an up-to-date, 2022 database of 487 million mobile numbers used on WhatsApp, which contains data from 84 countries.

This means that almost one-quarter of all WhatsApp's estimated two billion monthly active users are possible at risk.

WhatsApp data breach

More than 32 million of the leaked records are said to be from users in the US, with 11 million from UK users. Other affected nations include Egypt (45 million), Italy (35 million), Saudi Arabia (29 million), France (20 million), Turkey (20 million), and Russia (10 million). 

It seems that individual countries’ data is up for grabs, with the US dataset up for $7,000, and British numbers up for a similar per-capita figure of $2,500.

Most alarmingly, it doesn’t seem to be an empty promise designed to threaten the Meta-owned company, with almost 2,000 numbers shared with Cybernews in a sample request verified to be WhatsApp users.

Read more

> These are the best antivirus software options around

> This WhatsApp Android knock-off is hijacking user accounts

> Some older versions of WhatsApp have a critical security vulnerability, so patch now

Leaked phone numbers could be used for any number of reasons, including marketing and phishing, highlighting the importance of a good ID theft protection tool.

This isn’t the first time that WhatsApp has hit the headlines for data security, and while it may not be alone, its history is one that has been plagued with vulnerabilities and scams.

TechRadar Pro has reached out to Meta to verify the authenticity of this seller’s claims and for further comment, which will be posted here if and when received. 

Via Cybernews



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WWDC 2025 is in the rear-view mirror, and it’d be fair to say there was plenty to get excited about, even with Apple (wisely) sidestepping...