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Save $100 on the Sonos Play:5 on Cyber Monday

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On December 2nd, the Sonos One will be on sale for $50 off ($149). When the One speaker first came out we called it the best-sounding smart speaker you could buy and gave it a score of 90. It has excellent audio quality, works with just about every music streaming service and it has built-in Alexa, Google Assistant and Apple AirPlay 2.

The One SL speaker will be marked down $40 ($129). If you don’t want a voice assistant on your Sonos speaker, this might be the device for you. It’s nearly identical to the One, but it’s microphone-free.

You’ll also find the Play:5 on sale at a $100 discount ($399). The Play:5 notched a score of 89 when it made its debut in 2015, and it claims to have the most powerful, high-fidelity sound of any Sonos speaker. It’s easy to turn into a multi-room system with other, cheaper Sonos speakers, and while you’ll pay more for the quality here, the $100 savings might make that more appealing.

These deals will only be valid on Cyber Monday, which happens to be the last day for the home theater discounts that Sonos is also running.

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‘Project Cars’ developer bought by racing sim giant Codemasters

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Slightly Mad Studios is a British developer which worked on titles like Need for Speed: Shift and Test Drive: Ferrari Racing Legends before debuting the first Project Cars in 2015. The franchise had a second entry with Project Cars 2 in 2017, and a Project Cars 3 has been announced along with a mobile title, Project Cars Go, although neither has a release date yet.

The publisher that purchased the studio, Codemasters, is also a British outfit. The matchup makes sense given Codemasters’ focus on racing titles, with its portfolio including titles like the Colin McRae Rally series, the F1 series, the Micro Machines series and the Dizzy series. Though some fans have expressed concerns that the highly realistic simulation of the Project Cars games may be watered down to a more arcade style as seen in other Codemasters games like Grid.

The entire Slightly Mad staff of 150 will transition over to Codemasters in the deal. However, one open question remains: The fate of the “Mad Box,” an ambitious Slightly Mad program to build its own console. The plan to build “the most powerful console ever” was announced by CEO Ian Bell in January this year.

For now, the combined Codemasters and Slightly Mad forces will continue work on Project Cars 3, Project Cars Go and an as-yet-unnamed project which is rumored to be a tie-in to the Fast and Furious franchise.



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Fujifilm X-T3 camera update adds advanced gimbal controls

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Until now, all you could really do with the X-T3 when it was connected to gimbals via a USB-C cable was snap photos. Now, you’ll be able to start and stop video recording, obviously a key function for video shooters. On top of that, you can use the focus control knob on the Crane 2, Ronin S/SC and other gimbals to manually control focus on electronic lenses. Finally, you’ll gain control of exposure settings like shutter speed, ISO, aperture and exposure compensation.

The updates apply mostly to gimbals, but will also help on certain DJI drones, too. Along with the gimbal controls, the firmware update will also improve Fujifilm’s eye AF tracking, face-detection performance and autofocus in certain complex conditions. It will arrive starting in mid-December, Fujifilm said.

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Everything in our holiday gift guide that’s on sale for Black Friday

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The best way to shop on Black Friday is to know what you’re looking for. In our case, that means focusing on brands we know our readers love and scouting for deals on products we’ve recently given high review scores. And, of course, we look for deals on stuff we just recommended in our holiday gift guide, only weeks earlier.

So, we went back and revisited all 150-plus recommendations in the guide, to see if we could spot any price drops today, the biggest shopping day of the year. Turns out, we found a lot. Have a look and as always, keep in mind that while prices are accurate as of the time of publishing, they’re subject to change and things do sometimes sell out. Oh, and Black Friday doesn’t last forever, which means eventually all of these deal prices are bound to revert to the norm.

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Ableton Live 10 is 25 percent off through Cyber Monday

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As for which version to spring for, it depends on your needs. If all you want out of a digital audio workstation is the ability to record a podcast or band, then the Intro version will be more than enough. Aspiring beatmakers will want to consider the Standard package, as it doesn’t limit how many audio and MIDI tracks you can record. You also get access to Ableton’s audio-slicing feature, which will allow you to rework beats and samples. And if you’re serious about audio production, then Suite is the way to go. While it’s a lot of money upfront, it comes with 5,000 plus sounds, 15 instruments (three times as many as Standard) and 55 different audio effects. It also includes Ableton’s powerful Max feature, which allows you to create new instruments and effects.

It’s also worth mentioning that Ableton is discounting upgrades by 25 percent as well, so if you previously bought one of the more affordable tiers and feel like you’ve outgrown it, this is a good opportunity to move up.

Get Ableton Live 10 – $74+

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What to buy for your new 4K TV

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Soundbar

Vizio Soundbar

One of the easiest upgrades for your home theater experience is adding better audio. No matter how much you spent (or saved) on a new flat screen, it simply doesn’t have a lot of room inside to move air around and produce sound worthy of the Ultra HD display. In the space between settling for thin TV speaker audio and shelling out for $100-per-inch unicorn hair speaker wire, I have a few suggestions.

Opting for a soundbar can help you save space and money, and Vizio offers a slew of value-priced options that fit almost any living room or budget. The 2017-era SB3651-E6 setup that I have at home is on sale now for about $150, pairing a soundbar with a true center channel — important for clear dialogue — and a small wireless subwoofer that connects to a couple of surround speakers.

A slightly more expensive but easier-to-live-with option is the SB36312-G6. At $250, it uses software and upward-firing speakers for the effect of Dolby Atmos sound that surrounds you from behind and above. With just a soundbar and a slim wireless subwoofer, you won’t be able to see where the sounds are coming from — or have to keep an eye out for annoying wires running across the room — you’ll just hear them. If you don’t mind the inconvenience or spending a little more money, however, the best option might be Vizio’s SB36512-F6. It has the larger subwoofer, plus Dolby Atmos audio and some rear surround speakers to make sure everything is in the right place — better yet, it’s on sale for just $300.

Roku is a relative newcomer to the space, but its soundbar combines a streaming box and an audio upgrade all-in-one. Your new TV probably comes in apps, but if you’re still waiting to upgrade or just want something that’s easier to use, it adds everything you’re looking for in one $150 swoop. You can also add a wireless subwoofer later for another $150, or save $60 by purchasing both now.

Another option is Yamaha’s $299 YAS-209. It supports Spotify Connect, it’s ready to respond to your voice commands for Amazon Alexa (so you don’t need an Echo speaker in the living room) and it comes with a wireless subwoofer. Meanwhile, Samsung’s Harman Kardon HW-Q60R soundbar simulates 5.1 surround audio, and it ties in with Samsung TVs Game Mode to make sure your sound is synced up with the action. It’s currently on sale for $278.

Buy Vizio SB3651-E6 on Amazon – $150

Buy Vizio SB36312 on Amazon – $249.99

Buy Vizio SB36512-F6 on Best Buy – $299.99

Buy Roku Smart Soundbar on Best Buy – $150

Buy Samsung HW-Q60R on Best Buy – $278

Universal remote

Harmony Companion

Remote control technology hasn’t advanced quite as much as the rest of home theater tech over the years, despite the proliferation of HDMI-CEC and devices that you can operate via apps. Still, if you’re hoping for a one-wand-that-rules-them-all experience, Harmony’s Companion is your best bet.

It can tie-in with home automation setups to make adjusting for movie night a one-button affair, plus it supports Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant voice assistants. The Hub device that’s included blasts IR signals to TVs or set-top boxes even if you’re not in line-of-sight range to control them, and if the remote itself isn’t in your hand, there’s an app for iOS and Android that works no matter where you are. It’s $100 now, and it will make living in an increasingly-connected living room easier than you might expect.

Buy Harmony Companion on Amazon – $100

Streaming TV

CBS All Access - Star Trek Discovery

Internet TV is all the rage now, and if you’d like to save a few bucks on streaming, Black Friday / Cyber Monday is a good time to look for offers. Unfortunately, services like Netflix, HBO Now and Amazon Prime usually don’t offer special discounts for new subscribers. So far at least, the same goes for newcomers like Disney+ and Apple TV+. The cheapest way to get access to those is via bundling, like paying for a year of Disney+ up front at $70, or purchasing some new Apple hardware to get a free year of TV+ streaming.

One video deal available is for CBS All Access, which will give new users a free month — instead of the usual free week — if they sign up before December 2nd. That should be plenty of time to watch Star Trek: Discovery and figure out if it’s worth keeping. Also, Hulu is back with another Black Friday offer of $1.99 per month for its ad-supported streaming service, for a whole year. That’s not as good as last year’s 99-cents deal, but it’s still the cheapest one around.

Gaming

Xbox One X

While it’s a little early to recommend Stadia’s “4K” cloud streaming, getting 4K gaming via console is easier (and cheaper) than it’s ever been. Holiday sales have reduced prices on the Ultra HD-ready PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox One X to new lows. The PS4 Pro is on sale for $299 in a bundle with Call of Duty: Modern Warfare, while the Xbox One X bundle features Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order for $349, with the added bonus of being able to play Ultra HD Blu-ray discs.

Buy PS4 Pro Modern Warfare Bundle on Best Buy – $299.99

Buy Xbox One X Jedi: Fallen Order Bundle on Best Buy – $349.99

Streaming TV box

Roku Streaming Stick+

If gaming isn’t a primary concern or you’re already covered there, you still might need to add a streaming box. While pretty much every smart TV comes with many apps and options built in, they might be a little delayed on adding new ones like Apple TV+, Disney+ or others that have yet to launch, like HBO Max or NBC Universal’s Peacock.

One of the cheapest ways to get the most new services right away is Roku’s Streaming Stick+. It’s on sale this week for $29, adding 4K and HDR capabilities, plus the apps for Disney+ and Apple TV+ right out of the box along with all of the usual suspects: Netflix, Amazon Prime, YouTube, Vudu. You name it, it’s there.

Otherwise, your best options come from some of the biggest names. The Apple TV 4K integrates perfectly with your iPhone and Mac, offers all of the big name apps and presents an interesting option for gaming with the new Arcade package, all for $149. Google’s Chromecast Ultra will need a software update before it’s Stadia-ready, but it’s very capable and 4K-ready at $69. Last but not least, Amazon is offering some Black Friday deals on its Fire TV hardware, with the 4K Stick half-off at $25, and the Fire TV Cube that comes with Alexa built-in is on sale for $90.

Buy Roku Streaming Stick+ on Walmart – $29

Buy Apple TV 32GB on Amazon – $149

Buy Google Chromecast Ultra on Amazon – $69

Buy Fire TV Stick 4K on Amazon – $24.99

Antenna

Mohu

Surprise: not everything is easy or cheap to watch on streaming, yet. Plus, with prices changing on live TV internet services every day, sticking up an antenna is the cheapest and safest way to make sure you can watch some sports or episodes of a new show without recalibrating your budget first.

They’ll plug directly into your TV and pull in more local TV channels than you might think, although what’s available varies by area. The FCC has maps that can show what you expect where you live. Still, at these prices they’re worth a shot over adding yet another subscription package. Mohu’s Leaf 30 is a standard-bearer for flat antennas, and it’s on sale for about $21, while 1byone’s indoor antenna slides in at just under $20.

Buy Mohu Leaf 30 on Amazon – $21

Buy 1byone Digital Antenna on Amazon – $20

Networking

TP-Link

Believe it or not, there are some places Wi-Fi won’t reach. If you have bandwidth requirements that wireless won’t live up to, or just face too much congestion from neighboring networks, then going hardwired is one way to make things work. Of course, not everyone is in a position to run Ethernet throughout their house, which is why you might want to try a Powerline adapter that sends network signals over your existing electric wiring.

While results will ultimately vary depending on the wiring in your walls, newer setups like the TP-Link AV2000 promise Gigabit-speed internet with just a couple of new adapters. I use it at home, with consistent connections of over 500Mbps across multiple rooms and floors. A pair of adapters costs less than $80 to get you plugged in, while an extender like the AV1300 will broadcast Wi-Fi in a new area for $120.

Buy TP-Link AV2000 Powerline Adapter on Amazon – $78

Buy TP-Link AV1300 Powerline Wi-Fi Extender on Amazon – $120

Calibration

Spears & Munsil

Now that you got that new set home, it’s important to make sure that you’re actually getting the most out of it. One of the best ways to do that is via calibration. Right out of the box, we already have some advice on what settings you should adjust first, and that advice especially comes in handy for built-in streaming services.

However, if you have an Ultra HD Blu-ray player there’s a better option. The $40 Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark disk will help you find out what your setup is capable of, and tweak each setting to make it as accurate as possible in your environment.

Buy Spears & Munsil UHD HDR Benchmark on Amazon – $40

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Save over $200 on B&O’s H9i headphones, but only for a few hours

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At $269, the current Amazon deal is a $230 discount off the original price and $131 off what the online retailer typically lists the silver/brown color option ($400). The all-black option is usually available for $364, but today’s price is still over $100 off of that too. What’s more, B&O still lists the H9i for $500. According to price tracker Camelcamelcamel, this is the lowest price ever on Amazon. Before today, that figure was $350.

If you’re interested, you’ll want to act fast. This is a Black Friday Lightning Deal that’s only available for a few hours — it’s set to expire at 11:05PM ET tonight. Available colors include silver/brown, black, pine (green) and clay (tan).

Buy B&O H9i on Amazon – $269

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Apple Black Friday deals include a $250 iPad and MacBook Pro discounts

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The deals are larger still if you’re itching for a new MacBook Pro. The 13-inch, 1.4GHz MacBook Pro with 256GB of storage is $1,300 at Amazon, or $200 off. And yes, there are already deals for the 16-inch MacBook Pro. B&H is lopping $200 off the price, with the starting model dropping to $2,199.

You’re also covered if you prefer Apple’s wearables. The 40mm Apple Watch Series 5 is listed at Amazon as starting at $379, or $20 off, but it drops to $355 ($385 for the 44m model) in checkout. It’s not certain when that deal ends, so you’ll want to move fast. Want AirPods? Target is carrying the AirPods with wireless charging case for $165 ($35 off) through November 30th.

There are more deals to be found, including a Best Buy sale discounting the HomePod to $200. And of course, Apple’s own promo offer gift cards ranging from $25 to $200 for many of its devices through the weekend — though it notably excludes its very latest iPhones, the 16-inch MacBook Pro and Apple Watch Series 5. If you want sales on newer products, you’ll have to go elsewhere.

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Elektron’s Model:Samples groovebox is $100 off for the holidays

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Buy Model:Samples on Sweetwater – $299

The Model:Sample has six monophonic tracks for playing back samples of drums, synths, or anything your heart desires. While its limited on-board sample editing features are a bit of a bummer, its rich and complex sequencer makes sure that things never get boring or robotic. Plus, since it’s largely one-knob per function, its actually quite useable for live performances. We really liked the Model:Samples when we reviewed it back in March. We made it clear that there were tradeoffs compared to other Elektron gear. But it kept the most important feature — the sequencer — and brought the price within reach of more casual hobbyists.

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Garmin’s Forerunner 645 (a staff favorite) is 50 percent off at Amazon

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As you may have heard, Team Engadget is spending some time this week perusing Black Friday deals. I was sifting through some sales today, and it turns out my favorite running watch is on sale. In fact, I’m wearing it on my wrist as I type this. At full price ($400) I might not have recommended the Garmin Forerunner 645/645 Music to everyone; I probably would have suggested most people step down to the mid-range 245. But with a price cut today to $200, the higher-end model suddenly becomes much easier to recommend widely than it was when we first reviewed it.

Like any Garmin (or GPS watch from any brand, for that matter), it’ll track your distance, pace and elapsed time. Here, you also get built-in music storage allowing you to stream through wireless headphones, without the need to bring a phone. (Or, in my case, clip on an iPod shuffle on its last legs.) There’s also a heart rate sensor built in (no need for one of those uncomfortable chest straps) and features that monitor your training in a more long-term sort of way, including V02 Max ratings, workout loads and a so-called performance rating. This is a good way to confirm what I often already know: that I’m over- or under-training.

As for battery life, I’ve completed five-hour-plus marathons with plenty of juice to spare. The design has been durable enough for many a run in the rain. The distance tracking is also more accurate than the last several generations of Apple Watches. (Apple Watches tend to say I ran longer than I did, which means my calculated pace is also faster than what I probably achieved.) The Forerunner has admittedly been slow at times to find a GPS signal before I start my run, though a recent firmware update seems to have improved things.

There are some more smartwatch-like features on board, but that’s not why I recommend this. I never use Garmin Pay, the contactless payment system. And the smartphone notifications are crude and unhelpful. If you want a smartwatch experience (not to mention, something that looks a little more stylish that Garmin’s rubbery watches), get an Apple Watch Series 5. (Yes, that’s on sale today too.)

Buy Garmin Forerunner 645 on Amazon – $200

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