N e w s C e n t r a l

ExpressVPN two-year subscriptions are on sale for 61 percent off

If you're looking for a VPN to use on your next trip, or even just at home while you're streaming or gaming, ExpressVPN is one of <a href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html">our favorites</a> and you can subscribe at a discount right now. ExpressVPN is offering a two-year plan plus an extra four free months for a total of $140. That's 61 percent off the typical price, and it comes out to $5 per month. Even though you have to pay the $140 upfront, it's a solid deal — especially considering having access to a good VPN service into late 2027 sounds pretty dang nice. ExpressVPN earned a top spot on our <a href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html">best VPN</a> list thanks to its speedy connections, Network Lock kill-switch feature and its support on a variety of devices including smart TVs and game consoles. It works on a variety of devices, so this isn’t just for the living room desktop. ExpressVPN integrates with mobile gadgets, smart TVs and game consoles, among other items. It’s really the best solution for gamers who travel a lot. It also comes with an in-house password manager, which would eliminate the need for a standalone subscription. Truly the only real downside of this service is the price. The regular cost is $13 per month, which is mighty steep. This sale alleviates this concern, at least for 28 months. Spending $5 per month for a VPN of this caliber is something of a no-brainer. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/expressvpn-two-year-subscriptions-are-on-sale-for-61-percent-off-150758779.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

YouTube is testing its own version of AI Overviews

If you’ve performed a Google search lately, you’ve undoubtedly come across an AI Overview in your search results. This tool, powered by Google’s Gemini, tries to save you some clicks by aggregating information from the links populated in your search results and succinctly delivering what it believes to be the information you’re looking for. The accuracy of these overviews, however, often leaves a lot to be desired, and the tool has been <a href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/you-can-trick-googles-ai-overviews-into-explaining-made-up-idioms-162816472.html">plagued with hallucinations</a> since its launch (with <a href="https://www.engadget.com/google-is-putting-more-restrictions-on-ai-overviews-after-it-told-people-to-put-glue-on-pizza-011316780.html">varying degrees of hilarity</a>). Now Google is bringing the tool to YouTube, testing a video version of AI overviews for a small number of YouTube Premium members in the US across limited English search queries. While Google search results show LLM-generated text summaries, YouTube’s AI overviews will function as something of a highlight reel for certain videos. <a href="https://support.google.com/youtube/thread/18138167?hl=en&msgid=340138072">In a post</a> on YouTube Community forums, Google said that, "This new feature will use AI to highlight clips from videos that will be most helpful for your search query…This is most likely to show when you search for more information about products you’re shopping for (such as 'best noise cancelling headphones'), or when you search for more information about locations or things to do in those locations (such as 'museums to visit in San Francisco')." This raises some questions about the revenue model for creators on YouTube and how AI-generated clip reels would affect their incomes. A major concern with AI overview in search is Google’s own summary absorbing traffic that would otherwise have gone to the publications shown in the search results. Bringing these tools to YouTube is likely to raise the same concerns for video content creators. Google will be collecting feedback on these overviews from Premium members, who can vote with a thumbs up or thumbs down on the AI-generated highlight clips. Google hasn’t said how long this pilot will run for, or whether Google intends to expand YouTube’s AI overview to anyone beyond Premium subscribers.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/youtube-is-testing-its-own-version-of-ai-overviews-145353147.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Intel confirms layoffs as it tries to 'make engineers more productive'

Beleaguered chipmaker Intel has confirmed plans to restructure in a shift that will involve an unspecified number of layoffs. It was reported this week that the company could <a href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-may-be-preparing-to-lay-off-20-percent-of-its-staff-161557058.html">lay off around 20 percent of staff</a> (it had 108,900 employees at the end of last year). In a memo, <a href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-names-lip-bu-tan-its-new-ceo-211216526.html">new CEO Lip-Bu Tan</a> declined to detail the extent of the downsizing, which is largely aimed at reducing "unnecessary bureaucracy" and layers of middle management. "I’m a big believer in the philosophy that the best leaders get the most done with the fewest people. We will embrace this mindset across the company, which will include empowering our top talent to make decisions and take greater ownership of key priorities," <a href="https://newsroom.intel.com/corporate/lip-bu-tan-our-path-forward">Tan wrote.</a> "There is no way around the fact that these critical changes will reduce the size of our workforce. As I said when I joined, we need to make some very hard decisions to put our company on a solid footing for the future. This will begin in Q2 and we will move as quickly as possible over the next several months." Intel has been <a href="https://www.engadget.com/intel-lay-offs-pc-sales-slow-103514281.html">downsizing significantly</a> over the last few years. Just last August, the company said it would <a href="https://www.engadget.com/intel-will-cut-over-15000-jobs-in-a-sweeping-cost-cutting-effort-220951016.html">cut more than 15,000 jobs</a> to reduce costs. Intel has been struggling with slowing sales — it didn't act quickly enough to keep up with the industry's shift toward artificial intelligence. Unsurprisingly, AI will be a focus for Intel going forward. "My focus will be ensuring that our team builds products that are highly competitive and meet the needs of our customer as we enter a new era of computing, defined by AI agents and reasoning models," Tan <a class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://seekingalpha.com/article/4777999-intel-corporation-intc-q1-2025-earnings-call-transcript">said</a> in a call with investors on Thursday. "To achieve this, we are taking a holistic approach to redefine our portfolio to optimize our products for new and emerging AI workloads. We are making necessary adjustments to our product roadmap, so that we are positioned to make the best-in-class products while staying laser focused on execution and ensuring on time delivery." Tan is aiming to speed things up by turning Intel into a company that's focused on engineering. "Many of the changes we will be driving are designed to make engineers more productive by removing burdensome workflows and processes that slow down the pace of innovation," he wrote. The company is planning to reduce costs elsewhere in order to "make necessary investments in our engineering talent and technology roadmaps." It's hoping to <a class="no-affiliate-link" href="https://www.tomshardware.com/pc-components/cpus/intel-ceo-announces-layoffs-restructuring-expanded-return-to-office-mandate">lower its operating expenses</a> by $1.5 billion over the next two years. Efficiencies are the name of the game here. Tan wants managers to get rid of unnecessary meetings and reduce the number of people who attend meetings as "too much valuable time is being wasted." Intel is also expanding its return-to-office mandate by requiring workers to be on site four days a week (up from three) starting in September. Tan certainly has lofty goals as he looks to turn around Intel's fortunes. "I’m talking about the opportunity to fundamentally reinvent an industry icon. To pull off a comeback that will be studied in business schools for generations to come. To create new technologies and deploy them at scale to change the world for the better," he wrote. "Intel was once widely seen as the world’s most innovative company. There’s no reason we can’t get back there, so long as we drive the changes needed to improve."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/intel-confirms-layoffs-as-it-tries-to-make-engineers-more-productive-143825752.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Get two years of ProtonVPN for 64 percent off

A VPN (virtual private network) can come in handy on a regular basis to keep you safe online, and you can save on one of our favorites right now. Our top pick for the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html">best VPN</a>, <a class="rapid-with-clickid" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=06a20697-4135-4e83-a421-f326eee937ed&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=8e75f860-9029-4a20-b8dd-e0ef72bfe4d1&featureId=text-link&merchantName=ProtonVPN&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Byb3RvbnZwbi5jb20vbC9zcGVjaWFsLXBhcnRuZXItb2ZmZXIjcHJpY2luZyIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiOGU3NWY4NjAtOTAyOS00YTIwLWI4ZGQtZTBlZjcyYmZlNGQxIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3Byb3RvbnZwbi5jb20vbC9zcGVjaWFsLXBhcnRuZXItb2ZmZXIjcHJpY2luZyJ9&signature=AQAAAdZyk0TK2PXCxYWc5v3NAHHUw5SVsQBMxikODP7BA7eR&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fprotonvpn.com%2Fl%2Fspecial-partner-offer%23pricing">ProtonVPN</a>, is on sale for just $86.16 for two years of access. That's a 64-percent discount, and it comes out to about $3.59 per month for the whole, two-year period. This deal gives you access to ProtonVPN Plus, which lets you connect up to 10 devices simultaneously — that should cover your smartphone, tablet, laptop, smart TV and anything else you'd want to protect with VPN coverage. Proton also has more than 8,600 servers to choose from across 110 countries, so you shouldn't have any problem finding one that best suits your preferences. ProtonVPN is our pick for the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/best-vpn-130004396.html">best VPN overall</a> due to a blend of its security, usability and privacy. ProtonVPN has a no-logs policy. That means it doesn't keep any records of information that passes through its network. In other words, it doesn't track your internet activity while you're using it, helping to protect you and your anonymity. Other features of ProtonVPN Plus include ad-, malware- and tracker-blocking, as well as fast performance. In our testing, ProtonVPN had a minimal impact on connection speeds in our geoblock, streaming and gaming tests. ProtonVPN is also open source, meaning that anyone with enough knowhow can take a look under the hood and validate Proton's technical claims. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/get-two-years-of-protonvpn-for-64-percent-off-152355179.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Nintendo charges $20 for 'Mario Party Jamboree' and 'Kirby' Switch 2 upgrades

While the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-switch-2-pre-orders-sold-out-at-most-retailers-including-gamestop-walmart-target-best-buy-and-others-140931201.html">Switch 2</a> has backwards compatibility, Nintendo is releasing upgraded versions of its old games with enhanced framerates and resolution, as well as extra content. It's also selling upgrades cheaper than full games, which you can get for titles you already own. The upgrades for<a href="https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-70-switch-2-version-of-breath-of-the-wild-wont-even-come-with-dlc-140032303.html"> The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild</a> and Tears of the Kingdom will set you back $10. Now, the company has started <a href="https://www.ign.com/articles/nintendo-quietly-confirms-cost-of-switch-2-upgrades-for-kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-and-super-mario-party-jamboree-and-theyre-not-cheap">revealing</a> more upgrade prices for old games, and it looks like the ones for <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/kirby-and-the-forgotten-land-nintendo-switch-2-edition-plus-star-crossed-world-upgrade-pack-switch-2/">Kirby and the Forgotten Land</a> and <a href="https://www.nintendo.com/us/store/products/super-mario-party-jamboree-nintendo-switch-2-edition-plus-jamboree-tv-upgrade-pack-switch-2/">Super Mario Party Jamboree</a> will cost you twice as much at $20.  <a href="https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2025/04/nintendo-confirms-upgrade-pack-price-for-more-switch-2-edition-titles">NintendoLife</a> first posted about the upgrades' potential prices based on their eShop listings for Europe. The company has updated its US eShop since then to show that they're also being sold for $20 in the country. If you buy the upgrade for Kirby and the Forgotten Land, you're getting access to a new part of the game called Star-Crossed World, wherein you have to uncover the mystery surrounding the meteor that struck the world. Meanwhile Super Mario Party Jamboree comes with Jamboree TV, a game show hosted by Toad. The Switch 2 version of the title uses the console's Joy-Con 2 and microphone, and if you use its camera, you can also put your face into the action during mini-games.  Super Mario Party Jamboree for the Switch 2 will be available on July 24, while Kirby's Switch 2 edition will be available on August 28. Both games will set you back $80 if you buy the full Switch 2 version instead of upgrading an old copy. Nintendo has yet to release the prices for the Switch 2 editions of Pokémon Legends: Z-A and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which will be available later this year. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-charges-20-for-mario-party-jamboree-and-kirby-switch-2-upgrades-140031152.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Apple may shift all US-bound iPhone production from China to India

Apple may shift all of its US iPhone production from China to India in an effort to avoid Trump's tariffs, according to a report from <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/c2be45b8-cfad-4cbb-9a1a-bfd0626be372">The Financial Times</a>. The goal is to manufacture all 60 million iPhone devices sold to American customers in India by 2026, doubling current production numbers in the nation. That would be a stark shift, as Apple has manufactured the majority of its iPhone products in China since they debuted in 2007.  Apple first started building iPhones in India <a href="https://www.engadget.com/2017-05-17-apple-begins-building-iphones-in-india.html">back in 2017</a> and late in 2023, <a href="https://www.engadget.com/apple-plans-to-build-more-than-50-million-phones-in-india-within-three-years-101756528.html">pledged to build</a> up to 50 million iPhones in the nation within three years with suppliers Foxconn and Tata. With that in mind, it would only have to boost that number by 10 million to achieve the new 60 million unit goal.  Those tariffs of up to 145 percent announced earlier this month have thrown electronic manufacturing into <a href="https://www.engadget.com/general/the-morning-after-engadget-newsletter-111618899.html">turmoil</a>, despite announced <a href="https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/smartphones-computers-and-other-electronics-are-exempt-from-trumps-reciprocal-tariffs-for-now-153139830.html?src=rss">exemptions</a> for smartphones and computers. India, by contrast, has only been subject to a 10 percent US tariff. However, the nation could still be subject to a 26 percent tariff once a 90-day grace period is lifted, particularly as Trump has called India a “tariff abuser” and “tariff king.” Apple <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-airlifted-iphones-worth-record-2-billion-india-march-trump-tariffs-loomed-2025-04-15/">reportedly</a> airlifted $2 billion worth of iPhones to the US from India in March to bypass impending China levies. Trump's stated goal with tariffs has been to shift more manufacturing to the US. However, many experts have said that would be virtually impossible, <a href="https://www.technewsworld.com/story/the-herculean-task-of-reshoring-electronics-manufacturing-to-the-us-179697.html">particularly</a> in the electronics industry. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/apple-may-shift-all-us-bound-iphone-production-from-china-to-india-133049630.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 are $50 off right now

The Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 are on sale right now for $179, which is a discount of $50. Just <a class="rapid-with-clickid" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f14f6b23-c078-4e53-8011-5b872f886d6b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=aec5b1f2-22eb-463a-9d1c-28c2fcfcf428&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Wellbots&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53ZWxsYm90cy5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvZ29vZ2xlLXBpeGVsLWJ1ZHMtcHJvLTIiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFlYzViMWYyLTIyZWItNDYzYS05ZDFjLTI4YzJmY2ZjZjQyOCIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2VsbGJvdHMuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL2dvb2dsZS1waXhlbC1idWRzLXByby0yIn0&signature=AQAAASyeheYG9KWTCm1SsBlpbf34tKO1SNeTjIX31ttfAP4j&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellbots.com%2Fproducts%2Fgoogle-pixel-buds-pro-2">head on over to Wellbots</a> and pop in the code ENGAD50 to score the deal. This is Google’s <a href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/pixel-buds-pro-2-review-tiny-earbuds-with-big-sound-and-a-direct-line-to-gemini-170016328.html">latest and greatest audio product</a> and easily made our list of the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/best-wireless-earbuds-120058222.html">best wireless earbuds</a>. They are smaller and more comfortable than the previous version, which is great. Despite the product shrinkage, the sound has also been improved. The bass is punchy and the highs are crisp. The battery life is also slightly improved when compared to the original earbuds. You can expect eight hours of use with ANC on, but this increases to 30 hours when you consider the included charging case. These are the company’s first earbuds with a Tensor chip, which allows for ultra-low latency audio processing and multi-path signal handling. Other perks include conversation detection, multipoint Bluetooth and the ability to customize what long-pressing the button does. These earbuds can also automatically switch between devices linked to a Google account, which is great for Android users but doesn’t do much for Apple fans. For those on a serious budget, the Google Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds are also <a class="rapid-with-clickid" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=f14f6b23-c078-4e53-8011-5b872f886d6b&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=aec5b1f2-22eb-463a-9d1c-28c2fcfcf428&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Wellbots&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy53ZWxsYm90cy5jb20vcHJvZHVjdHMvZ29vZ2xlLXBpeGVsLWJ1ZHMiLCJjb250ZW50VXVpZCI6ImFlYzViMWYyLTIyZWItNDYzYS05ZDFjLTI4YzJmY2ZjZjQyOCIsIm9yaWdpbmFsVXJsIjoiaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cud2VsbGJvdHMuY29tL3Byb2R1Y3RzL2dvb2dsZS1waXhlbC1idWRzIn0&signature=AQAAAeZsMUXWrRV9nsr03u3E5dnTfEIHF1wgOklwgVaawk5H&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.wellbots.com%2Fproducts%2Fgoogle-pixel-buds">$50 off via Wellbots</a>. Enter the same ENGAD50 code to bring the price down to just $49. Follow <a href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest <a href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/">tech deals</a> and <a href="https://www.engadget.com/best-tech/">buying advice</a>.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-are-50-off-right-now-130054223.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Audio-Technica ATH-CKS50TW2 review: Long battery life and satisfying sound for $150

For earbuds in the $150 range, there’s usually not a lot to get excited about. Sure, those models typically offer the basics with decent sound quality, but very few have a stand-out feature that leaves a lasting impression. For its <a class="rapid-with-clickid" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=e62dc41d-820b-4b63-ad26-efa4552868b2&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0F1ZGlvLVRlY2huaWNhLUFUSC1DS1M1MFRXMi1XaXJlbGVzcy1oZWFkcGhvbmVzL2RwL0IwREpDWFcxSDM_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiZTYyZGM0MWQtODIwYi00YjYzLWFkMjYtZWZhNDU1Mjg2OGIyIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL0F1ZGlvLVRlY2huaWNhLUFUSC1DS1M1MFRXMi1XaXJlbGVzcy1oZWFkcGhvbmVzL2RwL0IwREpDWFcxSDMiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAX8I87Q8GpgndL847WD53L79roc3q7g2REdc8DX-s8UY&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FAudio-Technica-ATH-CKS50TW2-Wireless-headphones%2Fdp%2FB0DJCXW1H3">ATH-CKS50TW2 ($149)</a>, Audio-Technica sought to do this with <a href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/audio-technica-debuts-earbuds-with-a-whopping-25-hours-of-battery-life-at-ces-2025-175430830.html">extremely long battery life</a> and a neat trick that will help you make the most of it. There’s a lot more to like on this set, including a list of tools that rival more expensive alternatives, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is far from a complete package. The satisfying audio performance and ability to use them for over 20 hours on a charge might be enough to entice you to overlook those shortcomings. <h2 id="jump-link-the-good-battery-life-magnets-and-sound-quality">The good: battery life, magnets and sound quality</h2> When Audio-Technica announced the ATH-CKS50TW2 at CES, the first item on the spec sheet that struck me was the battery life. The company says you can expect up to 25 hours on a full charge without active noise cancellation (ANC) and up to 40 more hours from the charging case. With ANC enabled, you’ll still get a whopping 15 hours of listening time, which is about double what a lot of the competition offers these days. Importantly, those claims actually held true during my tests. To maximize those numbers, the company equipped the ATH-CKS50TW2 with so-called Magnetic Switch technology. Specifically, the earbuds snap together with magnets to turn off before you put them in the case. Much of the competition doesn’t power down until the earbuds are inside of the case, but with the ATH-CKS50TW2, you don’t need to worry about that extra step. Simply take them off and snap them together, then you’ll know you’re no longer wasting precious battery power while the buds are resting on your desk. This also means the ATH-CKS50TW2 won’t always be charging in the case when you’re not using them, which should help extend battery longevity. I’m also happy to report that Audio-Technica brought its trademark warm, inviting sound profile to the ATH-CKS50TW2. More specifically, the stock audio isn’t overly tuned, so bass remains pleasantly thumpy when needed and dialed down when it’s not. The bassline of Kendrick Lamar’s “tv off” booms while the hi-hats, claps and vocals cut through clear. When you switch over to something more mellow with less low-end bombast like Turnpike Troubadours’ “Be Here,” you get the full gamut of the acoustic instruments and light drums without bass overpowering the mix. It doesn’t deliver the enhanced clarity and pristine detail that more expensive, flagship-level earbuds do, but the ATH-CKS50TW2 is plenty good for $150. In fact, this may be the best option in terms of sound quality in this price range. On Jason Isbell’s Foxes in the Snow, for example, the acoustic guitar — the lone instrument on the album — doesn’t have the expressive nuance as it does on <a href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/technics-az100-review-supreme-sound-quality-and-a-unique-bluetooth-tool-150038587.html">Technics’ AZ100</a> or <a href="https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/bowers--wilkins-pi8-review-excellent-sound-comes-at-a-high-price-160032718.html">Bowers and Wilkins’ Pi8</a>. But I’ll admit the ATH-CKS50TW2 holds its own against similarly priced competition. That, and the extended battery life alone make these earbuds a compelling package. <h2 id="jump-link-the-not-so-good-design-controls-and-a-missing-feature">The not so good: design, controls and a missing feature</h2> By 2025 standards, the ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds are big and bulky. They also feel unbalanced, with much of the weight sitting well outside the curves of your ears. This means they’re not as comfortable as smaller models and feel unsteady. I never had issues with them falling out, but they feel like they could, which isn’t great. Perhaps Audio-Technica needed the extra space for bigger batteries, which I’m guessing will be an acceptable trade-off for users searching for longer listening times between charges. Audio-Technica gave the ATH-CKS50TW2 physical controls, which is usually a good thing. Like some of the company’s previous models, the buttons are small, positioned along the top edge of the earbuds. Due to the design of the ATH-CKS50TW2 though, you have to hold the earbuds in place while pressing those buttons. It’s cumbersome, mostly due to the size and weight of each bud. The bulky, unbalanced construction has trickle-down effects on other aspects of the listening experience. <figure> <img alt="Simply snap the two ATH-CKS50TW2 earbuds together and they'll turn off outside of the charging case. " src="https://s.yimg.com/os/creatr-uploaded-images/2025-04/4c29b8d1-2148-11f0-8ff7-547e578f402f" style="height: 1707px; width: 2560px;" /> <figcaption></figcaption> <div class="photo-credit"> Billy Steele for Engadget </div> </figure> The ATH-CKS50TW2 is missing a crucial feature — wear detection. But the company has done well to include ANC, Hear-Through (ambient sound) mode, a five-band EQ, soundscapes, media controls and battery updates in its app. There’s also a “private timer” and low latency mode for games and video. You can even adjust how many steps volume adjustments will jump and test your microphone to see if optional noise reduction is needed during calls. Additionally, a quick-attention, Talk-Through mode that reduces volume and activates ambient sound for brief chats too. But you won’t find the simple, and handy, automatic pausing when you remove the earbuds from your ears. <h2 id="jump-link-the-final-verdict-on-the-ath-cks50tw2">The final verdict on the ATH-CKS50TW2</h2> My initial assumption was correct: the main reason to buy the ATH-CKS50TW2 is the extremely long battery life. I don’t think the Magnetic Switch feature is necessary to hit the promised runtime, but it’s nice to know the earbuds are off without having to put them in the case where they’ll recharge even when you don’t need them to. Audio-Technica’s sonic prowess is on display here as well, albeit to a lesser degree than some of the company’s other earbuds and headphones. The design isn’t the most comfortable and the controls are awkward to use, but the full list of the ATH-CKS50TW2’s features is quite long. Despite a few flaws, there’s plenty to like here, including the two most important things for a lot of users: sound and battery life. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/audio/headphones/audio-technica-ath-cks50tw2-review-long-battery-life-and-satisfying-sound-for-150-130042531.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

Pick up Apple's newest iPad while it's on sale for a record-low price

Those looking to upgrade from an aging tablet to a new iPad should consider the new <a class="rapid-with-clickid" href="https://shopping.yahoo.com/rdlw?merchantId=66ea567a-c987-4c2e-a2ff-02904efde6ea&siteId=us-engadget&pageId=1p-autolink&contentUuid=258a4f8d-ada9-40f1-9229-d3e44c34662b&featureId=text-link&merchantName=Amazon&custData=eyJzb3VyY2VOYW1lIjoiV2ViLURlc2t0b3AtVmVyaXpvbiIsImxhbmRpbmdVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFo3NVRONUY_dGFnPWdkZ3QwYy0yMCIsImNvbnRlbnRVdWlkIjoiMjU4YTRmOGQtYWRhOS00MGYxLTkyMjktZDNlNDRjMzQ2NjJiIiwib3JpZ2luYWxVcmwiOiJodHRwczovL3d3dy5hbWF6b24uY29tL2RwL0IwRFo3NVRONUYiLCJkeW5hbWljQ2VudHJhbFRyYWNraW5nSWQiOnRydWUsInNpdGVJZCI6InVzLWVuZ2FkZ2V0IiwicGFnZUlkIjoiMXAtYXV0b2xpbmsiLCJmZWF0dXJlSWQiOiJ0ZXh0LWxpbmsifQ&signature=AQAAAcJ9WiaGT_0jqKsM0wLrH09M9AxUVtqHh1tgDVlTwbFY&gcReferrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fdp%2FB0DZ75TN5F">iPad A16</a>. Not only do we consider it the best budget iPad, but it's also on sale for even less right now. A few colorways of the iPad A16 are down to $320, which is $29 off their normal price and a record low. The deal is for the entry-level configuration with 128GB of storage, 6GB of RAM and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. The A16 iPad, which Apple released earlier this year, is our pick for <a href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/best-ipads-how-to-pick-the-best-apple-tablet-for-you-150054066.html">the best budget iPad</a>. It's not as sleek or powerful as the iPad Air, but as things stand it'll run you $234 less than that tablet. It's a good device in its own right, as we gave it <a href="https://www.engadget.com/mobile/tablets/ipad-2025-with-a16-review-no-apple-intelligence-no-problem-132641539.html">a score of 84 in our review</a>. Apple didn't increase the price of the latest base iPad compared with the previous model, but it added 2GB of RAM, doubled the storage and slotted in a more powerful chipset that's fast enough for most common tasks, including casual gaming and light photo editing. However, the iPad doesn't support Apple Intelligence — which is either a positive or negative, depending on your perspective or feelings about generative AI. The build quality is still solid, while the 11-inch tablet runs for around 10 hours on a single charge, depending on the tasks you carry out with it. On the downside, the accessory situation isn't ideal. The Apple Pencil doesn't charge wirelessly when you attach it magnetically to the iPad — you'll need a USB-C cable and a USB-C to Lightning adapter to juice up the original Pencil's battery from the tablet. The Magic Keyboard support isn't great either, as the model that works with the base iPad is tough to stabilize on your lap. Still, if the accessory fussiness doesn't bother you, this might be the right iPad for your needs. Sure, the iPad Air and Pro lineups have models with more powerful chipsets, but if all you're looking for is an iPad to watch some movies on while you're flying or to read the news on without breaking the bank, this could be the way to go. Check out our coverage of the <a href="https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-apple-deals-150020110.html">best Apple deals</a> for more discounts, and follow <a href="https://twitter.com/EngadgetDeals">@EngadgetDeals</a> on X for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/pick-up-apples-newest-ipad-while-its-on-sale-for-a-record-low-price-143619185.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

OpenAI's Deep Research tool is coming to free accounts

<a href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpts-deep-research-tool-can-create-reports-from-hundreds-of-online-sources-022223298.html">OpenAI</a> is <a href="https://x.com/OpenAI/status/1915505961500070245">giving</a> free ChatGPT users limited access to its Deep Research tool without the need to pay for it. In addition, the company has expanded the tool's limits for all users by rolling out a lightweight version of it powered by its o4-mini model. It says the o4-mini Deep Research feature produces slightly shorter responses, but is "nearly as smart, more cost-efficient and delivers similarly high-quality results" as the original version. OpenAI <a href="https://www.engadget.com/ai/openai-expands-deep-research-to-all-paying-chatgpt-users-200045108.html">previously released</a> the tool for use by paying Pro, Plus, Team, Edu and Enterprise subscribers. But even they have a limited number of Deep Research queries per month.  <div id="5d1d7990d6ba4dd58b66c0bff87c8b83"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet">The lightweight version of deep research is powered by a version of OpenAI o4-mini and is nearly as intelligent as the deep research people already know and love, while being significantly cheaper to serve. Responses will typically be shorter while maintaining the depth and… <a href="https://t.co/H2UD5GThVj">pic.twitter.com/H2UD5GThVj</a>— OpenAI (@OpenAI) <a href="https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1915505961500070245?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 24, 2025</a></blockquote> </div> Plus users, for instance, only had access to 10 inquiries, whereas Pro subscribers paying $200 monthly had a limit of 125. Now, when users hit their limit on the original version, ChatGPT will switch over to the lightweight one. Plus and Team subscribers are now getting an extra 15 Deep Research inquiries a month on top of their 10, while Pro users are getting an additional 125 tasks powered by the lightweight version of the tool on top of their 125. Enterprise and Edu users are getting access to the lightweight tool next week and will get 15 more inquiries every month. As for free users, they can use the tool powered by o4-mini to get up to five answers monthly.  Deep Research has the capacity to analyze websites and various sources to create thorough reports with citations. The company says the tool is "fine-tuned on the OpenAI o3 reasoning model," but the lightweight version is "significantly cheaper to serve."This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/openais-deep-research-tool-is-coming-to-free-accounts-123031773.html?src=rss

Source: www.engadget.com

Reception: Positive

« Previous 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Next »