Best Portable Bluetooth Speakers — Quick Guide Portable Bluetooth speakers give you big sound on the go: from pocket-sized travel models to larger units that fill a living room. We tested the best speakers across budgets and use cases—beach trips, camping, backyard parties or just moving your music around the house. Why buy one? Compact, quick pairing with phones Indoor and outdoor use with many models offering splash or drop resistance Options focused on bass, battery life, or ruggedness Key factors to consider Weather-proofing Look at IP ratings (e.g., IP67) for water and dust resistance. Higher numbers mean better protection—good for beach, pool, or rain. Battery life Expect ~12 hours as a baseline; louder listening and bass-heavy playback can cut that in half. Check whether the speaker uses USB-C or…

Apple Removes ICEBlock from App Store After DOJ Demand — Safety Concerns Cited Apple has removed ICEBlock and other apps that allowed users to mark or report recent ICE activity from the App Store. The takedowns followed demands from U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and the Department of Justice, which told Apple the apps posed safety risks to federal law enforcement after the gunman who attacked an ICE facility in Dallas reportedly used tracking apps to target agents. Apple told reporters it created the App Store to be "a safe and trusted place to discover apps" and that it acted "based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock." Attorney General Bondi said such apps were "designed to put ICE agents at risk just…

Keep Xbox Game Pass Ultimate at $20/month with prepaid codes Microsoft recently raised the price of Xbox Game Pass Ultimate from $19.99 to $29.99 per month for direct digital subscriptions. However, many retailers are still selling prepaid 3-month Game Pass Ultimate codes for $60 (the prior $20/month rate). That means you can buy 3-month cards, stack them, and postpone paying the new higher monthly price. What Ultimate includes now Access to a library of 200+ games on PC and Xbox and Xbox Cloud Gaming for streaming. Microsoft announced that Ultimate will now include Ubisoft+ Classics and, starting in November, Fortnite Crew, which add value but also coincide with the price rise. Where to buy prepaid codes Common retailers listing the 3-month digital codes at the older $60 price include Best…

Strava Sues Garmin Over Segments & Heatmaps — What It Means Strava has filed a lawsuit against Garmin alleging patent infringement for two core features—Segments and Heatmaps—and claiming a breach of a 2015 Master Cooperation Agreement. Strava is seeking a permanent injunction to stop Garmin from selling devices and services that include these features. Quick summary Strava alleges patents dating back to 2011 and 2014 cover Segments and Heatmap functionality. The company is asking courts to bar Garmin from selling devices or software that include those features, which could affect much of Garmin’s fitness lineup. Strava’s CPO Matt Salazar also pointed to new Garmin API guidelines (requiring a Garmin logo on activity posts/screens) as part of the dispute. Context & reaction The suit is surprising given a long history of…

Crashout Crew — Aggro Crab's Forklift Party Game (Demo Oct 13) Aggro Crab, the studio behind Peak and Another Crab's Treasure, has announced Crashout Crew, a chaotic 1–4 player (single-player option available) party game where players race to complete orders in hazard-filled warehouses using cute, color-coded forklifts. After pausing a sequel to Going Under due to funding and burnout, Aggro Crab focused on smaller, self-funded projects and collaborated with Landfall on Peak — which went on to sell an impressive 10 million copies in two months. Now the studio returns with this Overcooked-like warehouse mayhem. Gameplay highlights Work solo or with up to 3 friends to meet loading quotas by putting boxes into trucks. Drifting and tight handling let you race corners — but watch out for hazards: icy floors,…

Dutch court orders Meta to offer persistent non-profiled timelines on Facebook & Instagram A Dutch court has ordered Meta to change the timeline settings on Facebook and Instagram after finding that the platforms' algorithmic, profiled recommendation feeds violated the EU Digital Services Act (DSA). The ruling requires Meta to provide users with an easy, direct option to switch to non-profiled timelines (for example, chronological feeds) that remain in place even after closing and reopening the apps. Key points The court found users "are not sufficiently able to make free and autonomous choices about the use of profiled recommendation systems." Meta must give a clear way for users to select and keep a chronological or otherwise non-profiled timeline instead of reverting to algorithmic recommendations. The case was brought by Bits of…

Best Prime Day Vacuum Deals — Robots, Cordless, and Uprights This October Prime Day roundup collects the best Amazon discounts across traditional and robotic vacuums to help you choose the right machine — corded, cordless, or robotic. We’ll keep updating the list during the event as new deals appear. Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum — $449 (31% off): Self-empty base (up to 60 days), LiDAR mapping, ~2 hours runtime — great for large homes. Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch — $450 (55% off): Robot mop/vac combo that cleans its mop, refills water, and empties its dustbin for up to 30 days. Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 — $300 (57% off, Prime): Self-cleaning, self-emptying robot with integrated mop for hands-off wet cleaning. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe — $160 (27% off): Upright lift-away canister, strong…

Best Prime Day Vacuum Deals — Robots, Cordless, and Uprights This October Prime Day roundup collects the best Amazon discounts across traditional and robotic vacuums to help you choose the right machine — corded, cordless, or robotic. We’ll keep updating the list during the event as new deals appear. Shark AV2501AE AI Robot Vacuum — $449 (31% off): Self-empty base (up to 60 days), LiDAR mapping, ~2 hours runtime — great for large homes. Shark PowerDetect NeverTouch — $450 (55% off): Robot mop/vac combo that cleans its mop, refills water, and empties its dustbin for up to 30 days. Shark Matrix Plus 2-in-1 — $300 (57% off, Prime): Self-cleaning, self-emptying robot with integrated mop for hands-off wet cleaning. Shark Navigator Lift-Away Deluxe — $160 (27% off): Upright lift-away canister, strong…

iMessage activation: Duplicate SIM entry causes issues on iOS 26 Apple has confirmed a rare issue in iOS 26 where iMessage may fail to activate due to conflicts caused by duplicate SIM entries. The company has published guidance and users have shared troubleshooting steps on Apple Support Communities. What happens On some iPhones running iOS 26, iMessage activation can be blocked when the device shows duplicate or conflicting phone entries linked to the SIM. This prevents the activation handshake from completing. How to fix it (workarounds) Open Settings > Messages. Toggle iMessage off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back on. Go to Settings > Messages > Send & Receive and check for duplicate phone numbers or addresses. Remove duplicate phone entries if present. Try reactivating iMessage. If problems…

Black Friday usually has the best TV deals, but Amazon's October Prime Big Deal Days (Oct 7 start) already has good discounts on several well-regarded TVs and streaming sticks. Below is a roundup of standout early deals and quick notes on each model. Prices change quickly — links point to Amazon search pages (affiliate tag included) so you can check availability and exact listings. Top deals Hisense U8QG — 65-inch (listed $1,082) Mini‑LED with strong local dimming, very high brightness, quantum‑dot color and a 165Hz refresh rate. Good for bright rooms; not quite OLED blacks. Amazon search: Hisense U8QG on Amazon Samsung S90F — 55-inch QD‑OLED (listed $1,498) QD‑OLED panel for vivid colors, near‑perfect contrast and wide viewing angles. Four HDMI 2.1 ports and 144Hz refresh. Note: other sizes may…