Month: November 2023

Enlarge / A child getting a vaccination on February 19, 2021, in Bonn, Germany. (credit: Getty | Ute Grabowsky)

For the third consecutive year, kindergartners across the US have fallen short of reaching the protective threshold of 95 percent vaccination coverage, and vaccine exemptions have reached an all-time high of 3 percent, according to a new study led by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In the 10 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccination coverage among US kindergartners hovered around the target of 95 percent. But amid the health crises, vaccination rates slipped to 94 percent in the 2020–2021 school year, then to 93 percent in the 2021–2022 school year. For the 2022–2023 school year, overall coverage remained around 93 percent, but exemptions rose to 3 percent, up from 2.6 percent in the previous year. The current exemption rate is the highest ever recorded for the country.

The study, published in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, included reported data from 49 states and the District of Columbia. Montana did not report vaccination data to the CDC.

Enlarge / The first Amazon Echo speaker. (credit: Luke MacGregor/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

A Delaware federal court has ordered Amazon to pay $46.7 million for infringing on four patents belonging to VB Assets with Amazon's Echo smart speakers and Alexa virtual assistant. A lawsuit from Nuance Communications-owned VB Assets, previously known as VoiceBox Technologies, claimed to have already invented a circular speaker that could connect to the web and answer voice-dictated prompts with a female, robotic voice.

Wednesday's judgment [PDF], initially reported by Reuters, orders Amazon to pay the sum via running royalty rather than a lump sum. The ruling follows a jury verdict [PDF] finding that Amazon infringed upon four of VoiceBox's patents. The patents relate to providing network-coordinated conversational services, a conversational voice user interface, and tying advertisements to natural language processing of voice-based input. VB Assets originally accused Amazon of infringing on six of its patents.

Amazon still has time to appeal the judgment, and VoiceBox has time to seek reimbursement for related costs.

Enlarge / The Apple Watch Ultra using the Backtrack breadcrumb feature within the compass. (credit: Corey Gaskin)

Today's Dealmaster piles up some sweet headphone deals, more TV and soundbar sales as brands look to move last year's models, excellent Apple deals, the continuation of Herman Miller's close-out for gaming and office chairs, and much more.

Featured deals

• Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) 49mm Titanium Case with Midnight Ocean Band for $679 (was $799) at Best Buy
• Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $248 (was $300) at Amazon
• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Dolby Atmos and Voice Assistant for $600 (was $750) at Best Buy
• Samsung Q-series 11.1.4 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q990C for $1,400 (was $1,900) at Best Buy
• Sony 55-inch Class Bravia XR A95K 4K HDR OLED Google TV for $1,700 (was $2,800) at Best Buy
• iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum & Mop for $349 (was $500) at Amazon
• Netgear Nighthawk WiFi 6 Router for $250 (was $298) at Amazon
• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) for $200 (was $249) at Best Buy | Amazon
• Dell 32-inch 4K Monitor, UHD (3840×2160), 60Hz, Dual HDMI 2.0 for $250 (was $365) at Amazon
• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop, M2 chip,16GB Memory, 1TB SSD for $1,649 (was $1,899) at Best Buy

Apple gear

• Apple Watch SE (2nd Gen) [GPS 40mm] Smartwatch with Starlight Aluminum Case for $220 (was $249) at Amazon
• Apple Watch Ultra (GPS + Cellular) 49mm Titanium Case with Midnight Ocean Band for $679 (was $799) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop, M2 chip,16GB Memory, 1TB SSD for $1,649 (was $1,899) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Air 15-inch Laptop, M2 chip,16GB Memory, 512GB SSD for $1,499 (was $1,699) at Best Buy
• Apple MacBook Pro 13.3-inch Laptop, Apple M2 chip, 8GB Memory, 512GB SSD for $1,299 (was $1,499) at Best Buy
• Apple AirTag 4-pack for $87 (was $99) at Amazon
• Apple 2020 MacBook Air Laptop M1 chip, 13-inch for $950 (was $999) at Amazon
• Apple 2023 MacBook Air Laptop M2 chip, 15-inch for $1,049 (was $1,299) at Amazon
• 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 AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) with USB-C charging for $200 (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

Headphones and hearing aids

• Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation, USB-C) for $200 (was $249) at Best Buy | Amazon
• Bose QuietComfort Earbuds II Noise Canceling Earbuds for $199 (was $279) at Amazon
• Bose Headphones 700 Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones for $259 (was $379) at Best Buy
• Sony WF-1000XM5 Truly Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $248 (was $300) at Amazon
• Sony WHCH720N Wireless Noise Canceling Headphones for $100 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Shokz OpenRun Pro Premium Bone Conduction Open-Ear Sport Headphones for $125 (was $180) at Best Buy
• Shure AONIC 40 Premium Wireless Headphones for $100 (was $200) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser Momentum 4 Wireless Adaptive Noise-Canceling Over-The-Ear Headphones for $300 (was $350) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser HD 458BT Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for $120 (was $200) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser Sport True Wireless Earbuds for $100 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser CX Plus True Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $130 (was $180) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser  IE 200 In-Ear Wired Headphones for $120 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Sennheiser HD 560S Wired Open Aire Over-the-Ear Audiophile Headphones for $180 (was $230) at Best Buy
• Jabra Elite 7 Active True Wireless Noise Canceling In-Ear Headphones for $115 (was $180) at Best Buy
• Jabra Elite 7 Pro True Wireless Noise Canceling In-Ear Headphones for $130 (was $200) at Best Buy
• Bowers & Wilkins Px8 Over-Ear Wireless Noise Cancelling Headphones for $571 (was $699) at Best Buy
• Marshall Major IV Bluetooth Headphone with wireless charging for $111 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Sony WF-C700N Truly Wireless Noise Canceling In-Ear Headphones for $90 (was $120) at Best Buy
• JBL Tune 660NC On-Ear Noise Cancelling Wireless Headphones for $50 (was $100) at Best Buy
• JLab Studio Pro ANC Over-Ear Headphones for $60 (was $100) at Best Buy
• Apple AirPods Max Wireless Over-Ear Headphones for $480 (was $549) at Amazon
• Beats Studio Buds Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds for $100 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Beats Studio Buds Wireless Noise Cancelling Earbuds for $100 (was $150) at Best Buy
• Beats Studio Pro Wireless Noise Cancelling Over-the-Ear Headphones for $300 (was $350) at Best Buy
• Beats Fit Pro True Wireless Noise Cancelling In-Ear Earbuds for $180 (was $200) at Best Buy
• Beats Solo 3 Wireless On-Ear Headphones for $130 (was $200) at Best Buy
• Soundpeats Air4 Wireless Earbuds with Snapdragon Sound AptX Adaptive Lossless Audio for $72 (was $90) from Amazon
• JBL Tune 760NC - Foldable Over-Ear Wireless Headphones with Active Noise Cancellation for $65 (was $100) at Amazon
• JBL Tune 510BT: Wireless On-Ear Headphones for $25 (was $50) at Amazon
• JBL Tune 230NC Wireless Noise Canceling Earbuds for $50 (was $60) at Amazon
• JBL Live 660NC Wireless Over-Ear Noise Canceling Headphones for $100 (was $200) at Amazon
• JBL Live 460NC - Wireless On-Ear Noise Cancelling Headphones for $65 (was $130) at Amazon
• JBL Live Free 2 True Wireless earbuds with adaptive noise canceling for $75 (was $150) at Amazon
• Poly - formerly Plantronics - Voyager 4320 for $158 (was $170) at Best Buy
• Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds for $20 (was $40) at Amazon
• Soundcore by Anker Life P3i Hybrid Active Noise Cancelling Earbuds for $50 (was $60) at Amazon
• Lexie Lumen self-fitting hearing aids for $649 (was $799) at Best Buy
• Lexie B2 Hearing Aids Powered by Bose for $899 (was $999) at Best Buy
• Lexie B1 Hearing Aids for $699 (was $849) at Best Buy

Tech essentials

• Netgear Nighthawk WiFi 6 Router for $250 (was $298) at Amazon
• Netgear Cable Modem WiFi Router Combo C6300 for $144 (was $200) at Amazon
• TP-Link Deco AX7800 Tri-Band Mesh WiFi 6 System (Deco X95) 2-pack for $350 (was $450) at Amazon
• TP-Link Deco AXE5400 Tri-Band WiFi 6E Mesh System(Deco XE75) 2-pack for $230 (was $300) at Amazon
• TP-Link WiFi Extender with Ethernet Port for $30 (was $50) at Amazon
• TP-Link Deco Mesh WiFi System (Deco S4) 3-pack for $110 (was $150) at Amazon
• TP-Link AC1900 WiFi Extender (RE550) for $70 (was $80) at Amazon
• Amazon eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi System 2-pack for $280 (was $400) at Amazon
• Amazon eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi router for $90 (was $140) at Amazon
• Echo Show 8 (2nd Gen, 2021 release) for $70 (was $130) at Amazon
• Seagate IronWolf 8Tb NAS Internal Hard Drive for $160 (was $170) at Amazon

Soundbars and home audio

• Bose Smart Soundbar 900 With Dolby Atmos and Voice Assistant for $600 (was $750) at Best Buy
• Samsung HW-S50B/ZA 3.0ch All-in-One Soundbar for $148 (was $248) at Amazon
• Klipsch Cinema 600 Sound Bar 3.1 Home Theater System for $380 (was $549) at Amazon
• LG 5.1.2 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer for $300 (was $449) at Best Buy
• JBL Cinema SB170 2.1 Channel Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer for $170 (was $250) at Best Buy
• LG Eclair 3.0 Channel Soundbar with Dolby Atmos for $300 (was $450) at Best Buy
• Yamaha SR-C20 2.1-Channel Soundbar with Built-in Subwoofer for $130 (was $180) at Best Buy
• LG 4.1 ch Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer and Rear Speakers for $200 (was $400) at Best Buy
• Sony HT-A7000 Dolby Atmos soundbar for $998 (was $1,398) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-S2000 soundbar for $348 (was $498) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-A3000 soundbar for $498 (was $698) at Crutchfield
• Sennheiser AMBEO Dolby Atmos Soundbar | Max for $2,000 (was $2,500) at Crutchfield
• Sony HT-A5000 Dolby Atmos soundbar for $698 (was $998) at Crutchfield
• Samsung - Q-series 3.1.2 ch Dolby Atmos Soundbar w/Q-Symphony Q600C for $330 (was $600) at Best Buy
• 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 $990 (was $1,400) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 9.1.2 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q910C for $990 (was $1,400) at Samsung
• Samsung Q-series 11.1.4 ch. Wireless Dolby Atmos Soundbar Q990C for $1,400 (was $1,900) at Best Buy

TVs

• Sony 55-inch Class Bravia XR A95K 4K HDR OLED Google TV for $1,700 (was $2,800) at Best Buy
• Sony 55 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV X90K Series: BRAVIA XR Full Array LED Smart Google TV for $899 (was $1,300) at Amazon
• Sony 65 Inch Mini LED 4K Ultra HD TV X93L Series: BRAVIA XR Smart Google TV for $1,598 (was $1,798) at Amazon
• Amazon Fire TV 65-inch Omni Series 4K UHD smart TV with Dolby Vision for $600 (was $760) at Amazon
• Sony 65 Inch 4K Ultra HD TV X80K Series: LED Smart Google TV for $698 (was $900) at Amazon
• Hisense 65-inch Class U8 Series Mini-LED ULED 4K UHD TV for $1,048 (was $1,400) at Amazon
• TCL 55-inch Q7 QLED 4K Smart TV with Google TV for $498 (was $750) at Amazon
• TCL 55-inch Q6 QLED 4K Smart TV with Google TV for $348 (was $500) at Amazon
• Samsung 75-inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B for $2,000 (was $3,000) at Samsung
• Samsung 85-inch Class The Frame QLED 4K LS03B for $3,300 (was $4,300) at Samsung
• Sony 65-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K smart Google TV for $1,700 (was $2,600) at Best Buy
• Sony 55-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K smart Google TV for $1,400 (was $1,900) at Best Buy
• Sony 83-inch Class Bravia XR A80L OLED 4K UHD Smart Google TV for $4,500 (was $5,300) at Best Buy
• Samsung 55-inch Class OLED S90C for $1,300 (was $1,900) at Samsung
• 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 65-inch Class OLED S95C for $2,400 (was $3,300) 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
• Samsung 55-inch Class TU690T Crystal UHD 4K for $300 (was $380) at Samsung
• Samsung 65-inch Class QLED 4K QN90C for $1,700 (was $2,800) at Samsung
• 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
• 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
• LG 77-inch Class B3 series OLED 4K UHD for $2,019 (was $3,300) at LG
• Samsung 120-inch Class The Premiere LSP7T 4K Smart Laser Projector for $3,000 (was $3,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 120-inch Class The Premiere LSP7T 4K Smart Laser Projector for $6,000 (was $6,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 70-inch Class QLED 4K QE1C for $880 (was $1,800) at Samsung
• Samsung 70-inch Class QLED 4K QE1C for $1,500 (was $2,800) 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 85-inch Class Samsung Neo QLED 4K QN90C for $2,800 (was $4,800) 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

Robo vacuums

• iRobot Roomba Combo i5+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum & Mop for $349 (was $500) at Amazon
• Ecovacs Deebot T20 Omni Robot Vacuum and Mop for $840 (was $1,100) at Amazon
• iRobot Roomba j9+ Self-Emptying Robot Vacuum for $599 (was $899) at Amazon
• Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo, 2 in 1 Mopping Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Schedule for $180 (was $730) at Amazon
• Lefant Robot Vacuum Cleaner with 2200Pa Powerful Suction, Tangle-Free, Wi-Fi/App/Alexa for $100 (was $200) at Amazon
• roborock Q7 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop with Auto-Empty Dock Pure for $500 (was $870) with coupon at Amazon
• roborock Q8 Max+ Robot Vacuum and Mop, Self-Emptying for $698 (was $820) with coupon at Amazon

Herman Miller office and gaming chairs

• Herman Miller Aeron Chair for $1,354 (was $1,805) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Embody Chair for $1,703 (was $2,270) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Embody Gaming Chair for $1,384 (was $1,845) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Sayl Chair for $588 (was $735) at Herman Miller
• 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 Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Cosm Chair, Mid Back for $1,256 (was $1,570) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Cosm Chair, High Back for $1,680 (was $2,100) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller x Logitech G Vantum Gaming Chair for $636 (was $795) at Herman Miller
• 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 Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Setu Chair, With Arms for $668 (was $835) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Aeron Chair, Special Gaming Edition for $1,354 (was $1,805) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Aeron Stool for $1,391 (was $1,855) at Herman Miller
• Herman Miller Lino Chair for $684 (was $855) at Herman Miller

Lenovo deals

• Lenovo Yoga 7i (14-inch, Intel Core i5-1335U) for $836 (was $1,100) at Lenovo
• Lenovo Legion Pro 7i Gen 8 (16-inch, Intel Core i9-13900HX and RTX 4090) for $2,385 (was $2,850) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 11 (14-inch, Intel Core i5-1335U) for $1,319 (was $2,399) 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 Legion 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 $1,030 (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
• ThinkPhone by Motorola for $450 (was $700) at Lenovo
• Lenovo ThinkPad L14 Gen 3 (14-inch, AMD Ryzen 5 Pro 5675U) for $629 (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 $945 (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 $475 (was $700) at Lenovo
• Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus (14-inch, Intel Core i3-N305) for $495 (was $550) 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 $1,400 (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 $1,143 (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 $1,300 (was $1,680) at Lenovo
• Lenovo X1 Carbon Gen 10 (14-inch, Intel Core i7-1260P) for $1,238 (was $3,439) at Lenovo

Monitors and displays

• Dell 32-inch 4K Monitor, UHD (3840 x 2160), 60Hz, Dual HDMI 2.0 for $250 (was $365) at Amazon
• Dell S2421HS Full HD 1920 x 1080, 24-Inch 1080p LED for $140 (was $180) at Amazon
• Acer 23.8-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 IPS Zero Frame Home Office Computer Monitor for $100 (was $150) at Amazon
• Acer KB272 EBI 27-inch IPS Full HD (1920 x 1080) Zero-Frame Gaming Office Monitor for $110 (was $160) at Amazon
• Samsung 22-inch T350 Series FHD 1080p Computer Monitor for $110 (was $150) at Amazon
• Samsung 34-inch G85SB OLED Ultra WQHD for $900 (was $1,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 34-inch ViewFinity S50GC Ultra-WQHD for $280 (was $380) 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 $1,200 (was $1,500) at Samsung
• Samsung 49-inch Odyssey CRG9 DQHD for $950 (was $1,200) at Samsung
• Samsung 28-inch Odyssey G70B 4K UHD for $600 (was $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 Odyssey G32A FHD for $220 (was $330) at Samsung
• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G50A QHD for $400 (was $450) at Samsung
• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G70B 4K UHD IPS for $650 (was $1,000) at Samsung
• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G65B QHD for $550 (was $800) at Samsung
• LG 34-inch 34WN80C-B UltraWide WQHD IPS for $400 (was $550) 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

Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.

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  The Humane AI Pin. It has a magnetic back, so it sticks to your clothing like a name tag. [credit: Humane ]

Not since Magic Leap has a "next-generation" hardware company been so hyped while showing so little. Everyone in the tech world has been freaking out about this new pocket protector thing that wants to "replace your smartphone." It's called the "Humane AI Pin." As far as we can tell, it's a $700 screenless voice assistant box and, like all smartphone-ish devices released in the last 10 years, it has some AI in it. It's as if Google Glass had a baby with a pager from the 1990s.

It's a voice assistant box, so that means it has a microphone and speaker. There's no hot word, and it's not always listening, so you'll be pressing a button to speak to it, and you'll get a response back. There's also a camera, and because you're expected to mount this on your clothing at chest level via a magnetic back piece, you'll be creepily pointing a camera at everyone the whole time you're using it. It claims to be "screenless," but it has a pretty cool 720p laser projection system that seems to function as a fine monochrome screen that projects a smartwatch-like UI onto your hand. It shows some super basic UI elements, like a circular media player or a scrolling wall of text. A few hand gestures, like tapping your fingers together, will let you interact with it.

Despite claiming to be able to replace a smartphone, the Humane AI Pin is going back to the Dark Ages and not supporting any apps. We've seen so many devices live and die by their app ecosystems, and the matter-of-fact quote from the presentation was, "We don't do apps." You'll be locked into whatever features and services Humane has built into the Android-based "Cosmos" OS. So if you want to play music, it needs to be from Tidal, a service with 0–2 percent market share, because that's who the Humane people have partnered with. It's unclear if there is any other third-party functionality other than that. Humane's "Cosmos" page shows logos for Slack and then logos from Microsoft and Google, which could mean anything.

Enlarge / Apple Store at Garden State Plaza mall on November 4, 2023, in Paramus, New Jersey. (credit: Getty Images | Gary Hershorn )

Apple illegally discriminated against US citizens and other US residents in its hiring and recruitment practices for certain types of positions that went to foreign workers, the US Department of Justice said yesterday. Apple agreed to pay up to $25 million in back pay and civil penalties to settle the DOJ allegations.

Apple discriminated "against US citizens and certain non-US citizens whose permission to live in and work in the United States does not expire," the agency said. The $25 million payment was called the largest ever collected by the Justice Department under the anti-discrimination provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Apple is required to pay $6.75 million in civil penalties and create an $18.25 million fund to provide back pay to those harmed by its hiring practices. Apple did not admit guilt in the settlement. But the company acknowledged in a statement that it had "unintentionally not been following the DOJ standard," according to Reuters.