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LED lights on underside of surfboards may deter shark attacks!


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(Third column, 13th story, link)


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How convicted rapist Mike Tyson was allowed to forget his past for NETFLIX payday...


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Judge Blocks Louisiana Law Requiring Schools to Display Ten Commandments...


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Once-big Portland tech employer lays off dozens

A year after going private in a $6.5 billion private equity deal, software maker New Relic is into its second round of layoffs this year.




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Intel contractor switch results in 205 layoffs

Outgoing firm Principal Service Solutions says incoming staffing agency Manpower may bring the workers back.




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20 of the Most Adorable Animals To Help Make Anyone's Day

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Be Careful What You Say — Your Cat May Be Listening

Research suggests that cats can learn words, sometimes faster than a human baby.




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Voices: Who should replace Gary Lineker on Match of the Day? Join The Independent Debate

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Inside Gary Lineker’s Goalhanger podcast empire as host ends Match of the Day tenure

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Match of the Day and BBC will miss Gary Lineker’s urbane presence – the feeling is not mutual

Gary Lineker is leaving ‘MOTD’ at the end of this season, after a glittering 25-year tenure as the host of the BBC’s flagship football show. Nick Hilton looks back at the pundit’s highs and lows, from predatory striker to top broadcaster and media mogul




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BBC confirms exit of ‘world-class’ Gary Lineker from Match of the Day

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Frasier actor says they won’t return for reboot due to ‘gut feeling’

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Israeli strikes kill dozens in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, medics say

Israeli airstrikes killed at least 46 people in the Gaza Strip in the past day, medics said. In Lebanon, warplanes struck Beirut's southern suburbs and killed 33 people in the country on Tuesday.





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RFK Jr. wants to stop putting fluoride in drinking water. Here's what scientists say

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Hikers rescue baby goat stranded on Hawaii cliff for 4 days

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Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones are $100 off in this Black Friday deal

There is already a bunch of early Black Friday deals to check out, but if you're on the lookout for a great set of wireless headphones for yourself or a loved one, here's one that's absolutely worth your attention. Sony's WH-1000XM5 headphones have dropped to $298. That's a $102 discount.

This isn't quite the lowest price we've seen for the over-ear XM5s. They dropped to $280 at one point earlier this year. However, the headphones haven't gone back down to that point since, and this is still a great deal.

The XM5s are our pick for the best wireless headphones overall. We've long been recommending Sony's 1000X line and this is the best iteration to date. They earned a score of 95 in our review.

The redesigned headphones are much more comfortable to wear for extended periods than previous models. Sony has improved the active noise cancellation (ANC) feature as well, thanks to the addition of a new chip and four more microphones. We feel that the company's current flagship headphones do a better job of blocking out high frequencies and background noise (and even human voices) than the XM4s.

The XM5s can switch between noise modes depending on your location or activity, and they can pause audio automatically when you start speaking. They deliver better call quality than rival models and, in general, you'll get clear, crisp sound, including punchy bass. You won't need to charge the XM5s too often either, as they have a 30-hour battery life.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/sonys-wh-1000xm5-headphones-are-100-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-192016343.html?src=rss




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Nintendo will show off 'Donkey Kong Country' theme park expansion at live event today

Nintendo is set to show off the Donkey Kong Country expansion of its Super Nintendo World theme park today (Monday, November 11) at 5PM ET, the company revealed in a post on X. That means the new Universal Studios Japan area might finally open soon, after being delayed from the previously announced launch window of Spring 2024. 

The new park attraction featuring Mario's barrel-throwing nemesis was first revealed in 2021. The centerpiece is a ride called Mine Cart Madness, named after the best level in the 1994 SNES game Donkey Kong Country. After being blasted out of a barrel cannon, you'll take a mine cart ride through the jungle that includes a "leap across a collapsed track" as Nintendo showed in a render earlier this year.  

The direct livestream appears to be focused on Donkey Kong world alone, and Nintendo specifically pointed out that "no game information will be featured" — so don't expect any news on the next-gen Switch 2 console either. 

Donkey Kong Country will expand the park size by up to 70 percent, Nintendo said when it was announced. Current attractions at the Japan park are the Mario Kart: Kuppa's Challenge rollercoaster and Yoshi Adventure. Nintendo recently announced that it would open a Super Nintendo World attraction at Universal Studios Orlando on May 22nd, 2025 with the same attractions as the park in Osaka. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/nintendo-will-show-off-donkey-kong-country-theme-park-expansion-at-live-event-today-130015655.html?src=rss




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An Overwatch: Classic event will take fans all the way back to the beginning

For the first time in over two years, Overwatch 2 players will be able to group up in teams of six. A three-week event featuring that format starts tomorrow, November 12. But there’s a twist: you won’t be able to select Kiriko or Sombra, or battle it out with an additional player on each side on Push maps just yet. That’s because in Overwatch 2’s first real taste of 6v6, Blizzard is taking us all the way back to the beginning with a limited-time mode called Overwatch: Classic.

You will be able to experience Overwatch almost exactly as it was upon its May 2016 debut. That means you can choose from the first 21 heroes, who all have their original kits and abilities. That means Hanzo loses his Lunge jump but regains his dreaded Scatter Arrow, Bastion and Torbjorn are vastly different than they are now and Cassidy's Flashbang once again stun locks enemies for a moment. 

Symmetra reverts to being a support who can teleport allies almost anywhere on the map from the spawn room, while Mercy can will once again bring five dead teammates back to life. Ultimate abilities will charge up faster too.

In addition, just like in Overwatch for a brief period at the very beginning, there are initially no limits on hero selection. So if you and your teammates want to run with a composition of four Winstons and two Lucios, have at it. However, this will only apply for the first few days, after which Blizzard will apply the single hero limit rule for the rest of the event. Games will take place under the Quick Play ruleset, rather than the Competitive format.

The original 12 maps will be available too — including the assault maps that Blizzard retired from the main modes during the transition to Overwatch 2. While assault maps are still available in the Arcade and custom games, you'll once again be dealing with the notorious choke points of the otherwise gorgeous Hanamura, Temple of Anubis and Volskaya Industries.

Blizzard Entertainment

Things won't be exactly as they were in May 2016, however. Original maps that have seen major reworks over the years — Dorado, Numbani, Route 66 and Watchpoint: Gibraltar — will appear as they are in the current game. You'll only be able to use the original default Overwatch skins and no, there are no loot boxes. The user interface remains the same too, which hopefully means the ping system will still be in place.

Blizzard doesn't plan for this to be a one-and-done deal. There will be other Overwatch: Classic events in the future, focusing on various moments in the game's history, like the infamous triple-tank, triple-support GOATS meta. This limited-time mode is also separate from the other 6v6 tests Blizzard plans to run in the coming months as it looks to measure players' interest in that format and garner feedback.

There's a good chance that this limited-time mode will bring some lapsed players back into the mix, even just for a sip of nostalgia. I first played Overwatch several months after its debut, so it'll be fun to see roughly how the game felt at the very beginning. I will be instalocking Mei every match so I can remember what it's like to freeze an opponent before giving them a cheeky wave and firing an icicle into their skull. Ah, memories...

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/an-overwatch-classic-event-will-take-fans-all-the-way-back-to-the-beginning-171538261.html?src=rss




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The Google Pixel 8a drops to $399 ahead of Black Friday

If you're looking for an excellent midrange smartphone for yourself or a loved one among all the early Black Friday deals, your search may be over. Google's Pixel 8a is on sale. It has dropped by $100 to $399.

That's not quite the lowest price we've seen for the handset. It fell to $380 at one point. But this is still a good deal if you're looking for a great phone that won't break the bank. This price is for a configuration with 128GB of storage, but 256GB models are also $100 off at $459.

The Pixel 8a is our pick for the best midrange smartphone overall. We gave it a score of 90 in our review.

Thanks to Google's inclusion of the Tensor G3 chip, the Pixel 8a supports many of the same AI features that you'll find on flagship Pixel devices. We feel that the cameras are excellent, while that 6.1-inch 120Hz OLED display sure looks pretty.

The Pixel 8a has great battery life too. It lasted for 20 hours and 29 minutes in our video rundown test, actually beating out the Pixel 8 by 13 minutes. On the downside, wireless charging is pretty slow as it maxes out at 7.5W.

The bezels are a little thicker than you might like too, but otherwise the design is fairly slick. Another plus point is that the Pixel 8a is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, so it should be somewhat durable.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-google-pixel-8a-drops-to-399-ahead-of-black-friday-180827185.html?src=rss




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A four-pack of Apple AirTags drops to a record low of $70 in this Black Friday deal

Black Friday is right around the corner and the deals are already coming in hot. You can pick up a four-pack of Apple AirTags for just $70, as an early Black Friday promotion. This is a discount of 30 percent and represents a record low price.

Apple AirTags easily made our list of the best Bluetooth trackers, particularly for regular iPhone users. We love the vast finding network, which really helps when you misplace a tag. Just think of all of those AirTags, iPhones and other Apple devices out there helping to create this network.

Apple AirTags also offer the ability to tap into the ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless protocol. This creates a sort of game out of finding lost items, as long as the object is within 25 feet of the phone. The screen will display directional arrows and a distance meter so you can zero in on the lost item without having to ring the AirTag.

There are some caveats. These trackers only really work with iPhones, so Android users should buy something else. Also, the ringer only goes for seven seconds at a time, which isn’t always enough time to track something down. Finally, there’s no attachment point for connecting to a keychain or a related item. However, there are plenty of good AirTag accessories to solve that problem.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/a-four-pack-of-apple-airtags-drops-to-a-record-low-of-70-in-this-black-friday-deal-191040686.html?src=rss




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LG's new display stretches from 12 to 18 inches

Today's edition of things I suddenly really really need comes courtesy of LG Display. The company has developed what it claims to be the first display capable of stretching up to 50 percent. The screen is able to expand from 12 inches to 18 inches and can bend, twist and stretch — basically the Bop It of the tech world. LG Display unveiled another model in 2022, which stretched from 12 inches to 14 inches — about 20 percent longer.

 So, how did it go from 20 percent to 50 percent stretch capabilities? According to the company, "By applying a number of new technologies, such as improving the properties of a special silicon material substrate used in contact lenses and developing a new wiring design structure, LG Display improved the panel’s stretchability and flexibility, exceeding the original national project’s target of 20 percent elongation."

The free-form screen technology, as LG Display calls it, has full red, green and blue color with a resolution of 100ppi. The display also uses a micro-LED light source smaller than 40 micrometers, allowing the screen to be stretched over 10,000 times. The company claims it should still have high quality images even if it undergoes an external shock or is in more extreme temperatures than normal. 

Unfortunately for me (though certainly good for my wallet), the stretchable display is currently just a prototype. However, it could be used for flexible items like clothing, car panels and more in the future. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/lgs-new-display-stretches-from-12-to-18-inches-124504018.html?src=rss




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A Wicked 4DX ad is now playing in select theaters

As someone who gets motion sick easily and doesn't love unexpected things coming at me, 4DX has never been my cup of tea. However, as a long time fan of Wicked, that could change as Xfinity has released a new 4DX ad ahead of Wicked the movie's November 22 release date. 

The ad is a short film titled Stay Connected to Your Dreams and was directed by Alice Brooks, Wicked's director of photography. It centers on Wicked's leads Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, who play Elphaba and Glinda, respectively. The short film shows viewers Erivo and Grande's childhoods and their love of Wicked, Grande's decade and a half old tweet wishing she'd one day play Glinda and the calls when each actor learned they'd been cast in the movie. 

According to Xfinity, the 4DX film will allow the audience to "feel the magic of Oz" and includes synchronized motion seats, wind, lightning and, of course, bubbles (IYKYK). The company also claims it's the first 4DX spot to be played nationwide. While we've not always been fans of 4DX, Wicked lovers might enjoy the slightly more immersive experience. 

You can experience the short film in select 4DX Regal theaters before the movie premieres or sans-4DX here. The second part of Wicked should arrive next year, on November 21, 2025. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a-wicked-4dx-ad-is-now-playing-in-select-theaters-134004270.html?src=rss




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Headspace's Black Friday deals discounts subscriptions by 50 percent

The winter holidays are upon us and despite the festive feelings we might be hoping for, this time of year is often paired with increased stress, worry and anxiety. Fortunately, there are some great tools for helping to manage those negative emotions while promoting positive ones. One of those tools is the Headspace mental health app, which is running a three-week Black Friday deal. From November 12 through December 4, you can snag a Headspace annual plan for half off. This subscription normally costs $70 a year, but during this promotion, you can access the service for $35 billed annually. And what better time than the holiday chaos to gift someone (or heck, to gift yourself) a little bit of mindfulness?

Headspace's service has features to help users with meditation, sleep tools, mindfulness and general mental health. Its holistic approach made Headspace stand out as one of our top picks for meditation apps. Reviewer Lawrence Bonk appreciated how well Headspace created progression across its courses, as well as the chance to pick from different instructors so that any user can find the meditation guidance that will work best for their individual brains. This app is also getting the AI treatment. Headspace has introduced an AI companion named Ebb that can help users by recommending meditations and activities to best match their current challenges. 

Since this is a year-long subscription, it's a gift that keeps on giving for whoever you choose to buy this plan for. Having a happier brain is a present anyone can appreciate.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/headspaces-black-friday-deals-discounts-subscriptions-by-50-percent-140026483.html?src=rss




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NVIDIA's new all-in-one PC app launches out of beta today

NVIDIA has been testing a single app that merges the GeForce Experience and Control Panel over the past year. After rolling out several betas to make sure it works as intended, the company has officially launched the NVIDIA application, which is now available to download for users with its GPUs in their PCs and laptops. 

The company says the app is meant to make it easy to keep their NVIDIA Studio and GeForce Game Ready drivers updated and to give users quick access to its latest programs. In its home screen, users will find a prominently displayed section that will lead them to the latest driver downloads, as well as sections that will take them to other NVIDIA applications. At the bottom, they'll find a Library section showing their most recently opened games and programs that they can launch from there. 

Since it's supposed to provide a unified experience, users will be able to fine-tune the settings for their games and programs from within the app. Users will be able to access Optimal Playable Settings with relevant Control Panel options, and they'll be able to configure their displays, enable G-SYNC, enhance videos with AI and fine-tune their GPU's performance from within its interface. 

NVIDIA explains that it designed the unified application to be 50 percent more responsive than the GeForce Experience. It also installs in half the time. It's also worth noting that app will introduce a redesigned in-game overlay that simplifies access to gameplay recording tools capable of capturing video in 4K at 120 FPS, as well as AI-powered filters for those with RTX GPUs. They'll then be able to view their screenshots and new videos in the app's Gallery. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/nvidias-new-all-in-one-pc-app-launches-out-of-beta-today-140040945.html?src=rss




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Black Friday 2024 deals: The best early sales we could find from Amazon, Best Buy, Apple, Anker and others

Black Friday may technically just be one day, but it’s evolved to consume the entire month of November in the US at this point. For the past few years, retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target have ushered in the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier, and this year is no different.

Early Black Friday deals are already here, bringing discounts to some of our favorite tech we’ve tested this year. While it’s still advisable to wait until the week before Thanksgiving to ensure you’re getting the best of the best deals, you have plenty of opportunities to save right now if you’re eager to get a jump on your gift list this year. These are the best early Black Friday deals we could find; we’ll be updating this post regularly throughout November, so check back for the latest discounts.

Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Cherlynn Low for Engadget
  • Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $1 ($29 off): Those who don't currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service's Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible's upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn't call it essential, but if you've been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it'd work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel.

  • Headspace annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best meditation app has tons of courses that address specific anxieties and worries, a good in-app search engine that makes it easy to find the right meditation you need and additional yoga routines, podcasts and music sessions to try out.

  • ExpressVPN two-year plan plus six extra months for $150 (82 percent off): Our top pick for best VPN for travelers provides access to tons of servers and had some of the fastest connections of any VPN service we tested. In addition to a VPN, this subscription tier gives you access to an ad blocker and password manager.

  • LG 65-inch B3 OLED smart TV for $998 ($301 off): This OLED TV has a 120Hz refresh rate, LG's a7 AI processor Gen 6, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR for an even better gaming experience.

  • Xbox Series X (1TB) with extra controller for $490 ($110 off): This bundle includes a total of two Xbox wireless controllers with the Series X console, and the built-in 1TB SSD is a good starting point for most gamers.

  • Blink Outdoor 4 (6-pack) for $180 ($300 off): The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent (if not class-leading) 1080p video, it's relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it's a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We've seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it's still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on sale for $250, another low.

  • Amazon Fire HD 10 for $75 ($65 off): No Fire HD tablet comes close to matching the performance, build quality and app support of an iPad, but they're significantly more affordable, and they still work well enough if all you need is something for casual streaming, e-reading and web browsing. At this price, the 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 is likely a better value than the smaller Fire HD 8, as it has a sharper display, it's a tick faster and it can last slightly longer on a charge. Just be ready to deal with a bunch of ads for Amazon's own apps and services. This discount ties an all-time low, and it's also available at Best Buy and Target.

  • Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Full Article



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The M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM is on sale for $899 ahead of Black Friday

It's rare that you'll find discounts on Apple products through the company's own retail channels, but other storefronts are often happy to slash prices on such wares. You can find early Black Friday deals on a bunch of Apple products, including MacBooks. The M3 MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM has dropped to its lowest price to date at Amazon. The laptop will run you $899, which is $200 off the list price.

This is a 13-inch MacBook Air with 256GB of storage. Other configurations with more storage space are on sale too. One with 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD is $300 off at $999, though we'd recommend having at least 16GB of memory. It's not possible to upgrade the RAM in an Apple Silicon MacBook, but you can always add external storage if need be.

To that end, you can snag a 13-inch M3 MBA with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of built-in storage for $1,099. If a model with 24GB and the same SSD is what you're looking for, you can snap one up for $1,299. Both are $200 off.

Apple just released its first M4-powered Macs, but it has yet to slot the latest chip into the MacBook Air. To that end, we reckon the 13-inch M3 MacBook Air is the best laptop for most people. It's our pick for the best laptop for college students too.

The 13-inch MBA's blend of power and portability makes it a potent choice and we gave it a score of 90 in our review. It delivers fast performance and has a killer display. The design is sleek and sturdy and it sounds great thanks to a quad-speaker array. We like the trackpad and keyboard as well, while the upgrade to Wi-Fi 6E connectivity is a definite plus. Our main quibble is that the USB-C ports are on the same side of the unit as the one for the charger — having even one USB-C on the right side would be handy. But that's a minor complaint about an otherwise excellent laptop.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-m3-macbook-air-with-16gb-of-ram-is-on-sale-for-899-ahead-of-black-friday-154922025.html?src=rss




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One of our favorite Anker power banks is 41 percent off for Black Friday

I'm a big fan of Anker's chargers, especially its portable ones, as they tend to be sleek, fast and small enough to shove in my pocket (the last bit is a requirement for me). While the company's products run the gambit price-wise, there's a big sale on one of Anker's more expensive options: the 200W Prime Power Bank. Right now, you can get this power bank and its 100W charging base for just $110, down from $185 — a 41 percent discount.

Anker's 200W portable charger is our choice for best premium power bank thanks to features like charging an iPhone in an average of one hour and 48 minutes. One of the best parts of the power bank is its sleek screen, which shows the power coming in or out and how much battery the accessory is holding. This feature is much more exact than the four dots on my cheaper (but still loved) Anker Nano Power Bank

The power bank and charging base both offer one USB port and two USB-C ports so there's plenty of ways to charge your devices. The base also uses magnets to secure its pins to the power bank and charge it upright. Our biggest quip with the power bank was its high price, but with this sale it's definitely worth looking into. 

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/one-of-our-favorite-anker-power-banks-is-41-percent-off-for-black-friday-161543537.html?src=rss




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Waymo's driverless cars in LA County are now available to everyone

Waymo has announced expanded availability of its driverless rideshare service throughout Los Angeles. That’s right. Waymo One is now available to all customers anywhere in LA county, which is 80 square miles. The company has dropped the waitlist for area residents. Now LA residents will get to experience sitting in endless traffic with a series of cameras and navigational algos leading the way instead of a person.

This expanded service starts today and it offers “fully autonomous rides” at any time of the day or night. Let’s hear it for some drunken late night bonding with an algorithm. Waymo also says it’ll further expand the service area in the future. After all, Los Angeles comprises five counties. 

It’s been offering driverless rides to LA customers for a while now, but with a mandatory waitlist. Waymo One also started small in San Francisco and Phoenix before announcing similar expansions. The service will be coming to Austin and Atlanta in the near future.

All told, the company says over 300,000 Los Angeles residents have joined the waitlist for the service and Waymo One has completed “hundreds of thousands of paid trips across the city.” Waymo says these driverless rides are also highly rated, with an average rating of 4.7 stars out of five. A recent survey indicated that 98 percent of customers are satisfied with the service.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/transportation/waymos-driverless-cars-in-la-county-are-now-available-to-everyone-173237519.html?src=rss




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This budget Roomba robot vacuum is nearly half off ahead of Black Friday

The blackest of Fridays is nearly upon us and companies have already begun rolling out the deals to separate consumers from their bank accounts. Here’s one for a well-regarded and budget-friendly robovac. The iRobot Roomba Essential Vac is on sale for just $140, which is a discount of 44 percent. The regular price is $250.

The Essential Vac features a similar design to the iRobot Roomba 694, which topped our list of the best budget robot vacuums. This one includes a three-stage cleaning system that works on both carpet and hard floors. It features the same smart navigation system as other iRoomba vacuums, so it’ll avoid stairs and work its way around items of furniture.

Despite being a budget-friendly robovac, there are some modern flourishes. The vacuum will automatically return to the charging station when the battery runs low, which is always nice. It also integrates with the Roomba app for setting cleaning schedules and for building a custom map of the home.

The battery life sits at around two hours, which is a decent metric for the price. That should be more than enough time to thoroughly clean a medium-sized home. The major caveat here is that this is a budget robovac, so it doesn’t mop and it doesn’t ship with a large debris canister. Still, the price is right for those curious about eliminating sweeping from that to-do list.

Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/this-budget-roomba-robot-vacuum-is-nearly-half-off-ahead-of-black-friday-184426408.html?src=rss




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23andMe is laying off 40 percent of its staff

More than 200 employees of 23andMe are being laid off as part of the company’s ongoing cost-cutting measures. The layoffs will impact 40 percent of the genetic testing company’s workforce.

23andMe CEO and co-founder Anne Wojcicki said in a statement released on Monday that the staff reduction would save the beleaguered company more than $35 million. She called the layoffs “difficult but necessary actions as we restructure 23andMe and focus on the long-term success of our core consumer business and research partnerships.”

The company also announced it will start to shut down its therapeutics clinical programs that used its genetic database to research and develop new drugs. The therapeutics division housed two “immuno-oncology programs” that investigated therapeutic antibodies “designed to restore the ability of the body’s immune cells to kill cancer cells,” according to the division’s website.

The San Francisco-based company has not had an easy year. Hackers hit the genetics giant in April of last year and leaked information of 6.9 million customers. The data breach went unnoticed for a year and a half, leading to a $30 million settlement of a class action lawsuit and resignations from the company’s entire board.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/23andme-is-laying-off-40-percent-of-its-staff-221207302.html?src=rss




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Elon Musk will lead a new ‘Department of Government Efficiency,’ Donald Trump says

President-elect Donald Trump has named Elon Musk as the leader of a new “Department of Government Efficiency," that will “dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.” The Tesla CEO and owner of X will spearhead the effort along with former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, Trump announced in a statement on Truth Social.

The scope of the role isn’t exactly clear. Trump’s press release said that “the Department of Government Efficiency will provide advice and guidance from outside of Government, and will partner with the White House and Office of Management & Budget to drive large scale structural reform, and create an entrepreneurial approach to Government never seen before.” It also stated that “their work will conclude no later than July 4, 2026.”

Musk shared the news on X, but didn’t indicate how the role might impact his obligations at his various other companies. Musk, who poured millions of dollars into Super Pac boosting Trump’s campaign, has previously talked about his desire to work with Trump to cut government spending. He did, however, joke about potential "merch" for the operation. "Republican politicians have dreamed about the objectives of 'DOGE' for a very long time," Trump's statement said. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/elon-musk-will-lead-a-new-department-of-government-efficiency-donald-trump-says-015521217.html?src=rss




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Fruit thieves av it away with brekky

FIRST came the smash, now comes the grab. It’s the crime wave that will send terror into the heart of every cafe owner worried that their stock standard breakfast basic is under threat of extinction.




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Drinking water outage hits half of France's Mayotte

Mamoudzou (AFP) Nov 12, 2024
Around half the people in the French Indian Ocean territory of Mayotte were without potable water Tuesday after a "technical incident" at a treatment plant, a local authority said in a statement. The "event of electrical origin" at the Ouroveni plant overnight from Monday to Tuesday "is leading to water cuts mostly located in the centre and south" of Mayotte's main island Grande Terre, the p




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Feeling anxious about the U.S. election results? Elmo says, 'Stop scrolling, take a deep breath'

Canadians are watching the U.S. election results with trepidation, knowing they have no control over the outcome that will still affect them. Polling shows Vice-President Kamala Harris and former president Donald Trump are neck-and-neck. 




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3 charged in One Direction singer Liam Payne's death

Three people have been charged in relation to One Direction singer Liam Payne's death  in a fall from his Buenos Aires hotel balcony last month, Argentine authorities said on Thursday.




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Safety experts outline what Toronto Taylor Swift fans should know

As Toronto readies for Taylor Swift's arrival this week, some crowd management and planning experts say additional safety precautions should be taken when tens of thousands of fans fill the city's downtown core on show nights.



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