Month: November 2023

Enlarge / A promotional image for LG's larger OLED televisions. (credit: LG)

Whether you need a monitor for work or you want a larger living room screen for entertainment, our curated pre-Black Friday Dealmaster comes with plenty of savings on monitors, displays, and TVs. Complete the setup with upgraded audio, as we found some deals on soundbars, speakers, headphones, and more. In addition to home entertainment, there are savings on Lenovo laptops, Apple MacBooks and iPads, chargers and tech gear, and more. And for a luxurious and ergonomic upgrade, Herman Miller's popular office and gaming chairs, including the Aeron and Embody, are on sale at up to 25 percent off, making it a perfect self-care gift for yourself or your loved one for the holiday.

Featured deals

• Sony WF-1000XM5 The Best Truly Wireless Bluetooth Noise Canceling Earbuds for $248 (was $300) at Amazon
• Sony WH-1000XM5 for $330 (was $400) at Amazon
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for $199 (was $279) at Amazon
• Lenovo ThinkPad T16 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-1240P) for $876 (was $2,829) at Lenovo
• Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1) for $750 (was $1,000) at Best Buy
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C charging for $190 (was $249) at Amazon
• Apple AirTag 4-pack for $87 (was $99) at Amazon
• LG B3 55-inch Class OLED 4K UHD for $997 (was $1,297) at Amazon
• Apple 2023 MacBook Air Laptop M2 chip, 15-inch for $1,099 (was $1,299) at Amazon
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C charging for $190 (was $249) at Amazon
• Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark 4K UHD for $1,800 (was $2,700) at Samsung
• Sony HT-A5000 soundbar for $698 (was $998) at Crutchfield
• Lenovo LOQ (15-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX 4050) for $1,030 (was $1,400) at Lenovo
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle for $245 (was $265) at Amazon

Lenovo deals

• Lenovo ThinkPad T16 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-1240P) for $876 (was $2,829) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500HX and RTX 4050) for $1,070 (was $1,480) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Slim 5 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS and RTX 4050) for $950 (was $1,300) at Lenovo
• Lenovo LOQ (15-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX 4050) for $978 (was $1,400) at Lenovo
• Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and RTX 4050) for $911 (was $1,260) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Slim 7i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX) for $1,330 (was $1,770) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Pro 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500HX and RTX) for $1,070 (was $1,480) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1270P) for $1,260 (was $3,609) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Slim 5 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7640HS and RTX 4050) for $950 (was $1,300) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (14-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 5675U) for $599 (was $2,688) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Slim 5i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500H and RTX 4050) for $1,000 (was $1,350) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 3 (14-inch, Intel Core i5-1250P) for $914 (was $3,049) at Lenovo
• Lenovo LOQ (15-inch, Intel Core i5-13500H and RTX 3050) for $697 (was $1,020) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkBook 14 Gen 4 (14-inch, Intel Coire i5-1235U) for $632 (was $1,404) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700HX and RTX A1000) for $1,749 (was $3,899) at Lenovo
• Lenovo LOQ (16-inch, Intel Core i5-13500H and RTX 4050) $781 (was $1,200) at Lenovo
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 (15-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7530U) for $400 (was $700) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7645HX and RTX 4050) for $1,026 (was $1,430) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX and RTX 4070) for $1,330 (was $1,960) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7730U) for $894 (was $1,719) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad P1 Gen (16-inch, Intel Core i7-13700H and RTX A2000) for $1,979 (was $4,389) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad E15 Gen 5 (14-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 7530U) for $610 (was $1,219) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1365U) for $1,086 (was $2,859) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad E16 Gen 1 (16-inch, Intel Core i5-1355U) for $725 (was $1,449) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad P16s Gen 2 (16-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,629 (was $3,629) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1360P and RTX A500) for $1,529 (was $3,389) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad P14s Gen 4 (14-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U) for $1,099 (was $2,199) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Slim 7 Gen 8 (16-inch, AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS and RTX 4060) for $1,235 (was $1,680) at Lenovo
• Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1260P) for $1,203 (was $3,439) at Lenovo

Monitors and displays

• Samsung 34-inch ViewFinity S65VC Ultra-WQHD for $600 (was $700) at Samsung
• Samsung 27-inch ViewFinity S80PB 4K UHD for $450 (was $580) at Samsung
• Samsung 34-inch ViewFinity S50GC Ultra-WQHD for $280 (was $380) at Samsung
• Samsung 34-inch ViewFinity S65UA Ultra-WQHD for $500 (was $600) at Samsung
• Samsung 27-inch Viewfinity S80TB 4K UHD for $500 (was $580) at Samsung
• Samsung 55-inch Odyssey Ark 4K UHD for $1,800 (was $2,700) at Samsung
• Samsung 49-inch Odyssey G9 DQHD for $1,000 (was $1,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 28-inch Odyssey G70B 4K UHD for $600 (was $800) at Samsung
• Samsung 49-inch Odyssey OLED G95SC DQHD for $1,400 (was $1,800) at Samsung
• Samsung 43-inch Odyssey Neo G7 4K UHD for $800 (was $1,000) at Samsung
• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey Neo G8 4K UHD for $1,000 (was $1,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 32-inch M70C Smart Monitor 4K UHD for $430 (was $600) at Samsung
• LG 27-inch Ultra Gear QHD for $400 (was $500) at LG
• LG 34-inch 34WN80C-B UltraWide WQHD IPS for $400 (was $550) at LG
• LG 34-inch Curved UltraWide QHD for $400 (was $600) at LG
• LG 27-inch UltraFine 4K OLED pro for $1,800 (was $1,900) at LG
• LG 43-inch 4K UHD IPS Smart Monitor for $500 (was $600) at LG
• LG 22-inch Class Full HD IPS for $80 (was $120) at LG
• LG 27-inch FHD IPS 3-Side Borderless for $130 (was $180) at LG

TVs, headphones, soundbars, audio, and home entertainment gear

• Samsung 65-inch Class OLED S90C for $1,600 (was $2,600) at Samsung
• Samsung 83-inch Class OLED S90C for $3,500 (was $5,400) at Samsung
• Samsung 55-inch Class OLED S95C for $1,900 (was $2,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 77-inch Class OLED S95C for $3,600 (was $4,500) at Samsung
• Sony WF-1000XM5 The Best Truly Wireless Bluetooth Noise Canceling Earbuds for $248 (was $300) at Amazon
• Sony WH-1000XM5 for $330 (was $400) at Amazon
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II for $199 (was $279) at Amazon
• Lexie Hearing - Lexie Lumen self-fitting OTC hearing aids for $649 (was $799) at Best Buy
• Lexie Hearing - Lexie B2 OTC Hearing Aids Powered by Bose for $899 (was $999) at Best Buy
• Lexie Hearing - Lexie B1 for $699 (was $849) at Best Buy
• Poly - formerly Plantronics - Voyager 4320 for $158 (was $170) at Best Buy
• Samsung 55-inch Class TU690T Crystal UHD 4K for $350 (was $380) at Samsung
• Samsung 65-inch Class QLED 4K QN90C for $1,700 (was $2,800) at Samsung
• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds for $30 (was $40) at Amazon
• Soundcore by Anker Life P3i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds for $50 (was $60) at Amazon
• Samsung 98-inch Class QLED 4K Q80C for $5,000 (was $8,000) at Samsung
• Samsung 65-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN800C for $2,600 (was $3,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 75-inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B for $2,600 (was $3,000) at Samsung
• Samsung S-series 3.0 ch. Soundbar S50B for $150 (was $250) at Samsung
• Samsung Sound Tower Party Audio ST40B for $230 (was $500) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 3.1.2 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q700C for $400 (was $700) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 5.1.2 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q800C for $690 (was $1,000) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 7.1.2 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q900C for $989 (was $1,400) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 9.1.2 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q910C for $989 (was $1,400) at Samsung
• LG 65-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD for $2,300 (was $3,000) at Best Buy
• LG 77-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD for $3,500 (was $4,300) at Best Buy
• LG 83-inch Class G3 Series OLED 4K UHD TV for $5,000 (was $6,000) at Best Buy
• Sony HT-A7000 soundbar for $998 (was $1,398) at Crutchfield
• Sennheiser AMBEO Soundbar | Max for $2,000 (was $2,500) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-A5000 soundbar for $698 (was $998) at Crutchfield
• Yamaha SR-B20A soundbar for $150 (was $200) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-S2000 soundbar for $348 (was $498) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-A3000 soundbar for $498 (was $698) at Crutchfield
• Amazon Fire TV Stick for $20 (was $40) at Amazon
• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $45 (was $60) at Amazon
• Samsung 120-inch Class The Premiere LSP7T 4K Smart Laser Projector for $3,000 (was $3,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 70-inch Class QLED 4K QE1C for $940 (was $1,800) at Samsung
• Samsung 75-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN900C for $4,500 (was $6,300) at Samsung
• Samsung 65-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 8K QN800C for $2,600 (was $3,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 43-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN90C for $1,000 (was $1,200) at Samsung
• Samsung 55-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN85C for $1,000 (was $1,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 55-inch Class QLED 4K Q70C for $850 (was $1,000) at Samsung
• Samsung 86-inch Class Crystal UHD TU9010 (2021) for $1,600 (was $1,700) at Samsung
• Samsung 85-inch Class Crystal UHD CU7000 for $900 (was $1,100) at Samsung
• Samsung 50-inch Class QLED 4K Q80B (2022) for $900 (was $1,000) at Samsung

Apple gear

• Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip, 13-inch for $750 (was $999) at Amazon
• Apple 2023 MacBook Air Laptop M2 chip, 15-inch for $1,050 (was $1,299) at Amazon
• Apple MacBook Air (15-inch, M2) for $1,099 (was $1,299) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Air (13-inch, M1) for $750 (was $1,000) at Best Buy
• Apple iPad Mini (6th Generation) for $400 (was $499) at Amazon
• Apple iPad (9th Generation) for $249 (was $329) at Amazon
• Apple iPad (10th Generation) for $399 (was $449) at Amazon
• Apple iPad Air (5th Generation) for $500 after coupon (was $599) at Amazon
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C charging for $190 (was $249) at Amazon
• Apple AirPods (3rd Generation) for $150 (was $169) at Amazon
• Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $480 (was $549) at Amazon
• Apple AirTag 4-pack for $87 (was $99) at Amazon
• Apple iPad Pro 12.9-inch (6th Generation) 128GB for $990 (was $1,099) at Amazon

Herman Miller and Tempur-pedic office and gaming chairs

• Herman Miller Aeron Chair for $1,353 (was $1,805) at DWR
• Herman Miller Embody Chair for $1,703 (was $2,270) at DWR
• Herman Miller Sayl Chair for $588 (was $735) at DWR
• Herman Miller Sayl Chair, Special Gaming Edition for $816 (was $1,020) at DWR
• Herman Miller Cosm Chair, Low Back for $1,048 (was $1,310) at DWR
• Herman Miller Cosm Chair, Mid Back for $1,256 (was $1,570) at DWR
• Herman Miller Cosm Chair, High Back for $1,680 (was $2,100) at DWR
• Herman Miller x Logitech G Vantum Gaming Chair for $636 (was $795) at DWR
• Herman Miller x Logitech G Embody Gaming Chair for $1,384 (was $1,845) at DWR
• Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Chair, Executive for $2,040 (was $2,550) at DWR
• Herman Miller Eames Aluminum Group Chair, Management for $2,296 (was $2,870) at DWR
• Herman Miller Eames Soft Pad Chair, Executive Height for $3,516 (was $4,395) at DWR
• Herman Miller Mirra 2 Chair for $1,128 (was $1,410) at DWR
• Herman Miller Setu Chair, With Arms for $668 (was $835) at DWR
• Herman Miller Aeron Chair, Special Gaming Edition for $1,354 (was $1,805) at DWR
• Herman Miller Aeron Stool for $1,391 (was $1,855) at DWR
• Herman Miller Lino Chair for $684 (was $855) at DWR
• Herman Miller Verus Task Chair for $564 (was $705) at DWR
• TEMPUR-Lumbar Support Office Chair for $299 (was $352) at Tempur-pedic

Tech essentials

• Western Digital 10TB WD Red Pro NAS Internal Hard Drive for $250 (was $350) at Amazon
• Seagate IronWolf 12TB NAS Internal Hard Drive for $200 (was $260) at Amazon
• UGREEN 100 W 2-Pack USB C to USB C Cable for $14 (was $20) at Amazon
• Uni USB C to USB C Cable 10-foot, 100 W USB C Cable for $8 (was $20) at Amazon
• UGREEN USB C Charger Cable 2-Pack 60 W USB C Cable for $6 (was $12) at Amazon
• UGREEN 100 W 2-Pack USB C to USB C Cable for $10 (was $16) at Amazon
• UGREEN 100 W USB C Charger, Nexode 4-Port GaN Foldable Compact Wall Charger Power for $45 (was $75) at Amazon
• Anker 120 W USB C Charger, Anker 737 GaNPrime for $60 (was $89) at Amazon

Tablets and e-readers

• Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet for $150 (was $230) at Amazon
• Google Pixel Tablet with Charging Speaker Dock for $399 (was $499) at Amazon
• Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle for $245 (was $265) at Amazon

Games

• Super Mario Bros. Wonder - Nintendo Switch (European version) for $53 (was $60) at Amazon
• The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom - Nintendo Switch (US version) for $58 (was $70) at Amazon
• The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - Nintendo Switch (US version) for $45 (was $60) at Amazon

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Enlarge / Dr. Charles H. Townes, inventor of the maser, a key component of atomic clocks, illustrates the differences between it and a standard clock. (credit: Getty Images)

One of the leading thinkers on how humans track time has a big, if simple, proposal for dealing with leap seconds: Don't worry about them. Do leap minutes instead, maybe one every half-century or so.

"We all need to relax a little bit," said Judah Levine, leader of the Network Synchronization Project in the Time and Frequency Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), to The New York Times. Leap seconds—when coordinated, near-impeccable atomic time is halted for one second to synchronize with the Earth's comparatively erratic movements—are a big headache, especially to computer technology.

The International Bureau of Weights and Measures (IBWM) has already voted to eliminate leap seconds entirely by 2035, or at least how they are currently implemented. Levine plans to submit a paper outlining a "leap minute," timed to the next World Radiocommunications Conference held by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). Starting November 20 in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, the world's radio and communications policymakers will debate various measures and standards. The Times suggests Levine's paper may be published after the conference, but awareness of it—including the Times story itself—should make it a point of contention.

If, like us, you miss the darker, more adult-oriented Netflix Defenders series (Jessica Jones, Daredevil, Luke Cage, Punisher), you'll be intrigued by the official trailer for Echo, which seems to be channeling some of the same gritty energy. In fact, it's the first Marvel project to earn a TV-MA rating and the first to feature a deaf protagonist. In other firsts, Marvel will drop all five episodes at once on both Disney and Hulu.

(Spoilers for Hawkeye below.)

We've already met Maya Lopez (Alaqua Cox), aka Echo, in Hawkeye. She was the deaf commander of the Tracksuit Mafia, capable of perfectly copying another person's movements. And she was on a quest to discover the true identity of Ronin, the assassin who had killed her father. That put her on a collision course with Clint Barton/Hawkeye, who had hung up his Ronin gear for good.

• 

  Matic should be able to suck up that spill. [credit: Matic ]

Remember when a Roomba recorded a lady on the toilet, and images from the video ended up on Facebook? It's the type of horror story that rarely happens, yet once is enough to make you second-guess the smart home products you bring into your personal spaces forever.

That's why I was so intrigued by Thursday's announcement of Matic. It's an upcoming robot vacuum and mop that has been in development for six years by ex-Google Nest engineers Mehul Nariyawala and Navneet Dalal. It stands out from other consumer options because of the privacy it offers. The device doesn't require a connection to the Internet or cloud and performs all processing on-device.

Cloud-free cleaning

All of the mapping Matic does occurs on the device's hardware, which Dalal told TechCrunch has computing power comparable to that of an iPhone 6. Other robot vacuums can work without the cloud, but then their mapping features won't work.

Enlarge / An image OpenAI created using DALL-E 3. (credit: OpenAI)

Artists have spent the past year fighting companies that have been training AI image generators—including popular tools like the impressively photorealistic Midjourney or the ultra-sophisticated DALL-E 3—on their original works without consent or compensation. Now, the United States has promised to finally get serious about addressing their copyright concerns raised by AI, President Joe Biden said in his much-anticipated executive order on AI, which was signed this week.

The US Copyright Office had already been seeking public input on AI concerns over the past few months through a comment period ending on November 15. Biden's executive order has clarified that following this comment period, the Copyright Office will publish the results of its study. And then, within 180 days of that publication—or within 270 days of Biden's order, "whichever comes later"—the Copyright Office's director will consult with Biden to "issue recommendations to the President on potential executive actions relating to copyright and AI."

"The recommendations shall address any copyright and related issues discussed in the United States Copyright Office’s study, including the scope of protection for works produced using AI and the treatment of copyrighted works in AI training," Biden's order said.

Enlarge / Elon Musk at an AI event with Britain Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in London on Thursday, Nov. 2, 2023. (credit: Getty Images | WPA Pool )

Elon Musk's attempt to avoid testifying in a Twitter stock-purchase investigation continued yesterday with Musk asking a court to block a subpoena issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Musk's filing in US District Court for the Northern District of California claimed the SEC is "harassing" him, exceeding its authority to investigate, and making "overly burdensome" demands for "irrelevant evidence." The filing comes about a month after the SEC sued Musk to force him to testify. Musk provided testimony twice in July 2022 but is resisting the SEC's attempt to question him a third time.

The SEC is investigating the purchases of Twitter's stock that Musk made in the months before he bought the company outright. The agency began its investigation in April 2022 after Musk acquired a 9 percent stake in Twitter and failed to disclose it within 10 days as required under US law.