Black Friday 2025: Best tech deals to shop now Black Friday is here and retailers are offering steep discounts across headphones, tablets, consoles, TVs, smart‑home gear and accessories. Many deals started earlier in November and some will run through Cyber Monday — if a price matches your wishlist, now’s the time to act. Below are the standout picks, quick buying advice and where to look for the best prices. Headline deals Apple AirPods Pro 3 — around $220: improved ANC and handy features for iPhone users. iPad (A16) — about $274: solid entry tablet for media and everyday tasks. PlayStation 5 — roughly $100 off (Digital ≈ $399, Disc ≈ $449, PS5 Pro ≈ $649): notable console discounts at major retailers. Nintendo Switch 2 bundles — best route to savings…

Audible Black Friday deal: 3 months for $3 (plus a $20 credit) Amazon is offering a Black Friday Audible promotion: three months of Audible for just $3 total, and the deal comes with a $20 Audible credit on top. That works out to $1 per month for the first 90 days — an excellent short‑term value for audiobook fans and anyone who wants to stock up listening material for the winter. The promotion is time‑limited and expires on December 16. After the initial three months the subscription will auto‑renew at the standard rate (about $15/month), so set a reminder if you only want the discounted trial period. What you get with Audible One free premium audiobook to keep each month (for most plans). Access to the Audible Plus catalog —…

Warner Music reaches licensing deals with AI music apps Suno and Udio Warner Music has moved from threats of legal action to partnership: the major label has agreed to licensing arrangements with AI music services including Suno and Udio. The deals aim to ensure AI models used to generate music are fully licensed and to give artists more influence over how their work is used by AI tools. Industry tensions around AI music have been rising as generative tools can mimic artists’ styles using training data drawn from existing catalogs. Warner’s agreements mark a shift toward negotiated, licensed models rather than adversarial litigation alone. Key points Licensed models: The services will use fully licensed datasets or models, reducing legal exposure and ensuring rights holders are compensated. Artist control: Agreements include…

Curve Mini arrives in Germany: Twelve South’s portable tablet stand for ergonomic video calls Twelve South has expanded its German lineup with the Curve Mini, a foldable, portable tablet and e‑reader stand designed to improve ergonomics in a variety of settings. The stand lifts devices up to about 14 cm, creating a more upright viewing angle that’s useful for video conferences, long reading sessions and hands‑free browsing. The Curve Mini is intended for people who move between workspaces — from the home office to a café or a coworking spot — and need a compact stand that packs away easily. Its foldable design makes it simple to stow in a bag, and the elevated angle helps reduce neck strain during extended use. Key features Foldable and portable — easy to carry…

Plex ends free remote streaming of private media servers — Roku first, others follow Plex is rolling out a significant change: free remote streaming from personal media servers will no longer be available. Users who want to access their Plex libraries outside their home network will now need to pay for that capability. The switch begins with the Roku app this week, and Plex says other platforms — including Apple TV, Fire TV and Android TV — will follow in early 2026. The decision affects anyone who hosts a Plex Media Server and streams movies, shows or music to devices while away from their home network. Previously, Plex allowed remote access for free, relying on the convenience of connecting a server to Plex’s infrastructure. Now, that capability is being gated…

iCloudBridge: Open‑source macOS tool to sync iCloud with Nextcloud, Bitwarden and more A new open‑source macOS project called iCloudBridge aims to let users mirror and sync content from Apple iCloud to third‑party services. The app reportedly supports Notes, Reminders, Photos and Passwords, targeting users who want to integrate iCloud data with platforms like Nextcloud or self‑hosted password managers such as Bitwarden and Vaultwarden. iCloudBridge is designed for users who prefer self‑hosting or need cross‑platform access to their Apple data. Instead of manual exports, the tool can automate syncs so content remains available on both Apple devices and alternative services. Supported data types (reported) Notes & Reminders: Sync textual notes and task lists to compatible services. Photos: Mirror or copy photo libraries to other cloud stores. Passwords: Export or sync Keychain…

Ooni Karu 2 Black Friday: 12-inch multi-fuel pizza oven discounted to $359 Ooni’s Black Friday sale includes the Karu 2 pizza oven at $359 — a 20% discount off the usual $449 price. The Karu 2 is a compact 12-inch multi-fuel oven that runs on wood or gas, reaches temperatures up to ~950°F, and can cook Neapolitan‑style pizzas in roughly one minute. Key features: 12-inch cooking surface; portable at ~33 lbs Multi-fuel: wood and gas compatible High max temperature (~950°F) for quick cooking Outdoor use; optional cover and accessories available Note: Ooni’s indoor Volt 2 oven isn’t discounted as part of this sale. Black Friday offers run through December 2; check retailer pages for stock and shipping timelines to ensure delivery before holiday gatherings. Where to buy: Find deals on…

Proton VPN Black Friday: 2 years of VPN Plus for $59.76 (about $2.49/month) and other top VPN deals Proton VPN is running a strong Black Friday promotion: two years of the Proton VPN Plus tier for $59.76 (about $2.49/month), a roughly 75% discount versus the normal monthly price. The Plus tier unlocks the full server network, streaming/unblocking features and simultaneous protection for multiple devices. Key Proton VPN Plus highlights: Price: 24 months for $59.76 (75% off). Servers & coverage: Access to ~15,000 servers across 120+ countries. Device support: Protect up to 15 devices simultaneously. Privacy: No‑logs policy and full‑disk encryption on servers. Performance: Small impact in our tests (~12% download drop, ~4% upload drop on average). Other notable Black Friday VPN deals Surfshark One — 24 months + 3 free…

Netflix outage briefly disrupts viewers during Stranger Things Season 5 premiere Thousands of Netflix users reported playback problems minutes after the first four episodes of Stranger Things Season 5 went live. Downdetector saw a spike in outage reports just before the scheduled 8:00 PM ET release, with many viewers encountering account‑connection errors that prevented streaming. The most commonly reported fault was the NSEZ‑403 error — an account‑connection issue — along with generic “Something went wrong” or “we're having trouble with your request” messages. Netflix told Engadget that some members briefly experienced trouble streaming on TVs, but the issue was restored for all affected accounts within about five minutes. What happened and when Timing: Reports surged shortly before and around the 8:00 PM ET drop of Stranger Things S5 episodes 1–4.…

22 Best Gifts for Remote Workers — Practical ideas to upgrade any home office Engadget has gathered 22 gift ideas tailored for remote workers — items that boost comfort, productivity and enjoyment during the workday. Whether you’re shopping for a freelancer, hybrid employee or someone who’s fully remote, these picks cover a range of budgets and use cases. Below are curated categories and representative recommendations to help you choose the right present quickly. Ergonomics & furniture Ergonomic office chair or lumbar support cushion — helps long work sessions feel less tiring. Adjustable standing desk or desktop converter — allows sit/stand flexibility for better posture. Footrest or monitor riser — small upgrades that improve comfort and screen alignment. Audio & video Noise‑cancelling headphones or quality earbuds — ideal for focus and…