Author: alex

Best Prime Day tech deals under $50 — Early picksPrime Day is almost here, but many great discounts are already live. Here’s a curated list of budget-friendly tech under $50 from our roundup — tested and recommended models, now at steep discounts.Amazon Echo Pop Kids — $33 — Search on AmazonAmazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $40 — Search on AmazonBlink Video Doorbell — $35 — Search on AmazonInstant Pot Vortex 2-QT Mini — $38 — Search on AmazonBelkin 4-Port Charger Block — $47 — Search on AmazonRing Battery Doorbell — $50 — Search on AmazonBlink Mini 2 (two-pack) — $35 — Search on AmazonAnker 622 5K magnetic power bank — $34 — Search on AmazonAmazon Smart Plug — $13 — Search on AmazonLevoit Mini Core-P — $40 —…

Fresh Complex Organics Detected in Enceladus Plumes — Implications for Habitability New analyses of data from Cassini plume flybys reveal increasingly complex organic molecules in freshly ejected ice grains from Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The findings, published in Nature Astronomy, strengthen the case that Enceladus’ subsurface ocean is chemically rich and potentially habitable. Key points: Researchers detected complex organic signatures directly in plume ice grains captured minutes after ejection, which reduces the likelihood that the organics are the result of space weathering. The plume material is believed to originate from a global subsurface saltwater ocean roughly 30 miles deep beneath Enceladus’ icy crust, with jets erupting from the South Pole. Fresh, unaltered grains imply compounds survived transit from the ocean to the plume, suggesting active chemical processes and increased habitability potential.…

Best October Prime Day Vacuum Deals Vacuums have come a long way — from dusty bags to sleek robots and powerful cordless models. For October Prime Day, several top vacuums are heavily discounted. Below are our top picks and short notes to help you decide. (Source: Engadget — summarized.) Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum — Self-emptying base lasts up to 60 days; LiDAR mapping; ~2 hours runtime. View on Amazon iRobot Roomba 104 — Entry-level Roomba with multi-surface brush and LiDAR navigation; app controls. View on Amazon Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 — Robot that mops and vacuums; self-cleaning and self-emptying for hands-off wet cleaning. View on Amazon Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe — Excellent for deep carpet cleaning; lift-away canister for easy emptying. View on Amazon Levoit LVAC-300 cordless vacuum —…

Xbox Game Pass: 50% price hike and 45+ games addedMicrosoft announced a surprise price increase: Game Pass Ultimate now costs $30/month (up from $20). The service has been reorganized into three tiers — Essential, Premium and Ultimate — and Microsoft added more than 45 titles to the Ultimate library, including Hogwarts Legacy and a large selection of Assassin’s Creed games via the new Ubisoft Classics+ catalogue.Key pointsPrice: Ultimate increased to $30/mo (50% hike).Tiers: Essential, Premium, Ultimate (some confusion over naming overlap with Sony).New additions: 45+ games to Ultimate; many of these trickle to Premium/Essential.Notable titles: Hogwarts Legacy, Assassin’s Creed II/III/Black Flag/Syndicate/Unity, Far Cry 3/Primal, Rayman Legends, Skull & Bones, many more.Want the full list and official details?Official announcement / coverage: Xbox (see Game Pass news). Full game list and release…

T-Mobile T‑Satellite Now Integrates With Popular Apps T-Mobile has expanded its T‑Satellite service (powered by Starlink) to integrate with a number of popular consumer and business apps. That means you can use apps such as AllTrails, AccuWeather, and WhatsApp — along with native apps like Google Messages, Apple Music and Samsung Weather — even when you’re outside cellular coverage. Business-focused tools like MultiLine and Dialpad are also included for certain plans. What this actually means T‑Satellite uses Starlink satellites to provide direct-to-device coverage in remote areas. Not all app features will be available over satellite — bandwidth and latency are limited, so experiences may be slower or restricted. Useful scenarios include viewing offline-capable maps on AllTrails while hiking or getting weather updates from AccuWeather in remote locations. WhatsApp support may…

Best October Prime Day SSD deals Prime Day has brought significant discounts on internal SSDs, portable SSDs and microSD/thumb-style drives. Below are the best deals highlighted for October Prime Day, with quick specs and affiliate Amazon search links (use these to check current prices): Crucial T500 1TB — $89 (38% off)Read speeds up to ~7,300 MB/s. Great internal NVMe for PS5 and high-performance PCs. Shop on Amazon Crucial X10 4TB Portable SSD — $240 (39% off)USB 3.2 portable drive, ~2,100 MB/s reads, pocket-sized. Shop on Amazon Samsung 990 Evo Plus 1TB — $70 (33% off)Top-tier NVMe performance, ~7,250 MB/s reads (no heatsink; nickel plating on controller). Shop on Amazon Samsung Fit Plus 256GB — $23 (30% off)Ultra-compact high-speed thumb-style drive, ~400 MB/s reads, rugged build. Shop on Amazon Kingston SX1000…

Microsoft raises Game Pass Ultimate to $30 — tiers rebranded, Ubisoft+ added, cloud gaming out of beta Microsoft has overhauled Xbox Game Pass as of October 1, 2025. The service is being rebranded into three tiers — Essential, Premium, and Ultimate — and brings both new content and higher prices. Key changes Game Pass Ultimate: now $30/month (up from $20 — a 50% increase). Includes Ubisoft+ and 45+ games added immediately. PC Game Pass: price increases to $16.50/month. Tier rename: Standard -> Premium ($15/mo); Core -> Essential ($10/mo). Premium and Essential now include PC games. Fortnite Crew: included for Ultimate members starting Nov 18 (adds Battle Pass + monthly V-Bucks). Xbox Cloud Gaming: officially out of beta; Ultimate gets highest-quality streaming option and lower wait times. Rewards: Ultimate members can…

AirPods Pro (3rd Gen) teardown — iFixit finds 0/10 repairability iFixit's teardown of the AirPods Pro (3rd generation) shows that Apple’s latest in-ear headphones are essentially impossible to repair at home. The team gave the earbuds a 0/10 repairability score after finding sealed, glued components and batteries that require destructive disassembly. Key findings Repairability score: 0/10 — earbuds and case are glued and require destructive opening. Batteries: Single glued-in cells in each earbud; the case battery is also glued in, making replacements impractical. Disassembly: Requires heat and prying tools that damage plastic housings; internal components aren’t modular. Design notes: Internal layout changes (fewer rare-earth magnets, foam-infused tips) but no meaningful improvement for repairability. Battery life: Reported reduction in case capacity vs previous generation (user reports and teardown details). Sources and…

Best streaming deals right now — save on Spotify, Fubo, YouTube TV, bundles & student offers If you’re feeling sticker shock from rising streaming prices, you’re not alone. There are still worthwhile discounts available — from free trials and first-month promos to student rates and bundle savings. Below are the top deals and tips to save when subscribing. Top current deals Spotify Premium (1 month free) — New users can try Premium for one month at no cost. Details: Spotify. (Remember it auto-renews; cancel before the trial ends if you don’t want the paid plan.) Fubo Pro — $55 for the first month (intro discount). Includes 224 channels, unlimited cloud DVR and up to 10 streams. YouTube TV — 3 months for $219 for new subscribers (about $73/mo effectively $73/mo…

Record-low deals on Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) & Series 10 — Prime Big Deal Days Quick summary: The second-generation Apple Watch SE (40mm, LTE) has dropped to a record-low price of $189 on select Amazon listings, and several Apple Watch Series 10 models can be found as low as $329. These are deals on prior-generation models — the SE 2 is from 2022 and Series 10 is last year's model — but they remain solid value for fitness tracking and notifications. Highlights Apple Watch SE (2nd gen) — 40mm, LTE: reported as low as $189 (record low). Note: previous-gen model released in 2022; SE 3 (2023) starts at higher prices. Apple Watch Series 10 — discounts available; some listings ~ $329. Who should consider these? If you want accurate…