Amazon makes ‘Mass Effect Legendary Edition’ and over 30 other games free for Prime Day

Amazon’s free Prime Gaming downloads for Prime Day this year include some pretty well-known titles, though this round’s heavy hitter is BioWare’s Mass Effect Legendary Edition. The compilation bundles all the single-player base games of the original Mass Effect trilogy, remastered with improved graphics optimized for 4K Ultra HD and with adjusted gameplay. It also comes with over 40 items of downloadable content, such as promo weapons and armor. 

Free Amazon Prime Gaming titles for Prime Day 2022

BioWare tweaked the elements that made us not want to replay the original games, including their clunky gunplay and the Mako all-terrain vehicle that’s hard to navigate in certain terrains. As we noted in our review, the remastered games feature refined handling and aiming, as well as a less erratic cover mechanic. Levels and across-the-galaxy jumps also load more quickly than in the original games. 

In addition to Mass Effect Legendary Edition, the 30-plus free titles for Prime Day also include Grid Legends, the Grid franchise entry released in 2021. The racing game will give you access to more than 100 vehicles from the start and has over 250 events you can participate in. If you’re a racing game fan, you can also get Need for Speed Heat, which was released in 2019 and was the first EA title to offer cross-play between gaming systems. Finally, if you’re a shooting game fan, take note that the list also includes three Star Wars games, namely Jedi Knight — Jedi Academy,Jedi Knight II — Jedi Outcast and Republic Commando. You can download all the aforementioned games for free if you’re a Prime subscriber.

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The best laptops for college students

We’re all contending with a return to normalcy, and going back to school likely feels strange yet exciting. Whether you’re heading to a physical campus, taking classes online or a mix of both, a laptop is sure to be the control center for your studies….

Apple’s 11-inch iPad Pro drops to a record low of $699 at Amazon

If you’ve been waiting for a good deal on Apple’s latest iPad Pro, you’re in luck. Amazon dropped the price of the 11-inch space gray model to $699, which is $100 off its usual rate and the best price we’ve seen. That’s how much you’ll spend for the base, 128GB model, but you’ll find decent sales on those with higher storage capacities, too. The 512GB version is also $100 off and down to $999, while the 1TB model is $250 off and down to $1,250.

Buy 11-inch iPad Pro at Amazon – $699

Apple didn’t change too much about the iPad Pros’ designs when it upgraded the tablets last year. That’s because most of the improvements are internal — both the 11-inch and 12.9-inch models run on Apple’s M1 chipset, making them the most powerful iPads the company has made to date. Apple also added things like 5G support and a USB-C port that doubles as a Thunderbolt connector with USB 4.0 compatibility to make the slabs more capable as laptop alternatives. With the right accessories, these iPad Pros could replace your aging laptop if you want something a bit more lightweight that still powerful enough to be your daily driver.

Both sizes of iPad Pro also have the new Center Stage camera system, which will keep you in frame during FaceTime calls. Ultimately, the biggest difference between the 11-inch and the 12.9-inch, other than overall size, is that the 12.9-inch iPad Pros have Apple’s Liquid Retina XDR display. It’s certainly a nice perk if you will use the tablet to watch a lot of videos, or even edit some of your own, but that doesn’t mean you’re getting a lackluster screen on the 11-inch version. On the contrary, the 2,388 x 1668 resolution Liquid Retina panel with True Tone and ProMotion is one of the best screens you’ll find on a high-end tablet today.

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The Apple TV 4K falls to a new all-time low of $120

If you’ve been holding out for a Prime Day deal on the Apple TV 4K, there’s no need to wait — the 32GB model has just dropped to $120 or 33 percent ($59) off the regular price. That’s the cheapest we’ve seen yet on Apple’s streaming device that offers features like 4K HDR, gaming, the Siri Remote and more. 

Buy Apple TV 4K at Amazon – $120

The latest Apple TV 4K model garnered a 90 score in our Engadget review. It’s more refined that ever, thanks to the updated Siri Remote and a more powerful A12 Bionic chip that delivers HDR video at up to 60 fps, while also offering improved gaming performance. 

Though it’s not the cheapest streaming box out there, it’s the best premium device and a top choice for Apple users. Siri handles voice commands with aplomb, and it’s equally easy to operate the remote manually. You can use AirPlay to share video, photos and more from your other Apple devices to your TV. There’s the option to see a live feed of HomeKit-enabled cameras and to control smart home devices through Apple TV 4K, and, if you have the relevant subscription, an ever-growing library of games available through Apple Arcade.

Naturally, it also supports all manner of streaming content including Netflix, HBO Max, Amazon prime Video, Disney+, Hulu and more. As mentioned, the biggest drawback is the price, but the $59 discount makes it a very competitive option. 

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Google’s Pixel 6 Pro is $200 off in early Prime Day deal

Amazon Prime Day is tomorrow, but we’re already seeing outstanding deals on a couple of desirable smartphones. Google’s Pixel 6 Pro is on sale starting at $699 for the 128GB model and $799 for the 256GB version, or $200 off those models. On top of that, you can grab a Pixel 6 starting at $499 ($100) off, or just $50 more than the upcoming Pixel 6a. 

Buy Pixel 6 Pro 128GB at Amazon – $699Buy Pixel 6 Pro 256GB at Amazon – $799

The Pixel 7 is set to arrive in the fall, but the discounts make the Pixel 6 a great value if you need a smartphone right now. First off, the Pixel 6 Pro earned a 91 Engadget score, one of the highest for an Android phone of late. It comes with a unique two-toned design with a horizontal camera bar, along with a 6.7-inch 120Hz OLED display. It runs on Google’s Tensor Processing Unit that provides excellent performance, and at the same time, it delivers over 17 hours of battery use.

The Pixel lineup is best known for its strong cameras, though. The Pixel 6 Pro is the most advanced yet, with a 50-megapixel main sensor, a 12-megapixel (MP) wide-angle lens and a 48MP telephoto shooter with a 4X optical zoom, along with an 11MP, 4K front camera. Those offer excellent video and photo capabilities on part with the iPhone 13 Pro, while bringing handy computational photography features like Magic Eraser, Face Unblur, Long Exposure and more.

Buy Pixel 6 128GB at Amazon – $499Buy Pixel 6 256GB at Amazon – $600

The Pixel 6 has a smaller 6.4-inch, 1080p 90Hz OLED screen that may suit you better if you don’t like big phones. Its camera array is similar to the Pixel 6 Pro, but it lacks the 48MP telephoto lens and has an 8-megapixel 1080p selfie camera. Otherwise, it offers similar performance and can go even longer (20 hours) on a charge. 

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Amazon’s Echo Show 8 hits new record low of $75 for Prime Day

Aside from Black Friday, Amazon Prime Day is the best time of year to pick up an Echo device since most of them are deeply discounted. Amazon didn’t disappoint this year — all of its Echo Show smart displays are on sale for Prime Day, key among them being the Echo Show 8 for $75. That’s $55 off its usual price and a new record low, and we’re calling it out at the top because it’s one of the better choices for most people. Also on sale are the Echo Show 5 for only $35, the swiveling Echo Show 10 for $180 and the Echo Show 15 for $180 as well.

Buy Echo Show 8 at Amazon – $75Buy Echo Show 5 at Amazon – $35Buy Echo Show 10 at Amazon – $180Buy Echo Show 15 at Amazon – $180Shop Echo deals at Amazon

It’s the second-generation Show 8 that you can get for $75, and we gave it a score of 87 when it came out last year. We like its 8-inch, 1,280 x 800-resolution touchscreen, minimalist design and solid sound quality. Since it’s larger than the Echo Show 5, you’ll get strong sound overall with surprisingly powerful bass and volume. This version of the Echo Show 8 only differs from the first-generation device in a couple of ways, with the most important being its updated video camera. The 13-megapixel camera digitally pans and zooms to keep you in frame when you’re video chatting with apps like Zoom. It’s a relatively small feature (which is why you could safely go for the first-gen Echo Show 8 to save some money), but it’ll be useful for those who constantly use their smart display as a stationary video-chatting device.

While the Show 8 could make a good kitchen or office device, the Echo Show 5 is one of the best “smart alarm clocks” you can get right now. We like its compact size, tap-to-snooze feature and its decent sound quality. Despite being the latest generation Show 5, this one doesn’t have the advanced video chatting features that the Echo Show 8 has, but you’ll still be able to use it for basic video calls.

If you prefer big screens, the Echo Show 10 or the Show 15 will be good options. The former automatically swivels to follow you when you’re on video calls, so you’re always in frame and you can also always see the screen. It also has the auto-framing features that the Echo Show 8 has, making it one of the best options for those who video chat often. We also like that the Show 10 has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, letting you connect things like smart lights, locks and more directly to the display without needing an extra hub to make everything work.

The Echo Show 15 is the most niche of the bunch, by far. It’s a wall-mountable, Alexa-enabled touchscreen, allowing you to use it almost like a digital cork board of sorts. You can customize it to have notes, to-do lists and more on widgets on the display, or use it to watch recipe videos or even shows and movies on Netflix, Prime Video and more. It also uses a “visual and voice ID” feature to recognize who’s looking at the screen or who’s giving an Alexa command, so it can then display the most relevant information to that person on the screen.

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President Biden will reveal the first James Webb Space Telescope image today at 5PM ET

NASA has decided to reveal the first James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) image today rather than waiting until tomorrow as planned, it announced in a tweet. President Joe Biden will do the honor at 5PM ET, with a live stream of the event available on NASA TV and images available simultaneously on NASA’s website. 

Anticipation has been building for the first images, to say the least. NASA stoked that on Friday by announcing the targets to be shown, including the Carina and Southern Ring Nebulae, the gas exoplanet WASP-96b and a deep field view of the SMACS 0723 galaxy clusters. Only a select group of scientists and administrators have viewed the images so far. “What I have seen moved me, as a scientist, as an engineer, and as a human being,” said NASA deputy administrator Pam Melroy.

It appears that just a single image will be revealed today, but NASA didn’t say which one. The rest are still slated to arrive tomorrow, starting at 9:45 with remarks by NASA and Webb leadership. That’ll be followed by live coverage of the image release slated for 10:30 AM ET on NASA TV, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Twitch and Daily Motion. 

Uber co-founder Travis Kalanick reportedly saw violence against drivers as a tool for growth

A new trove of leaked documents has shed an unfavorable light on the early days of Uber. Dubbed the Uber Files, the leak consists of approximately 124,000 internal company documents, including more than 83,000 emails and text messages exchanged between former CEO Travis Kalanick and other executives, that date to a period between 2013 and 2017. The latter marks the year Kalanick stepped down as CEO of Uber amid mounting controversy.

Working with the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ), The Guardian shared the trove with 180 journalists at 40 outlets across 29 countries. The documents show a company willing to do things many of its own executives thought were “f***ing illegal.” 

In 2016, for instance, Kalanick reportedly ordered French employees to encourage local Uber drivers to counter-protest the taxi strikes that were underway in Paris at the time. When one executive warned Kalanick that “extreme right thugs” were part of the protest, the former CEO pushed back. “I think it’s worth it,” he said. “Violence guarantee[s] success. And these guys must be resisted, no?”

One former senior executive told The Guardian that Kalanick’s response was consistent with a strategy of “weaponizing” drivers and a playbook the company returned to in other countries.

Another selection of documents details the lengths the company went to escape regulatory scrutiny. In at least 12 instances, Uber ordered staff at local offices in six countries, including France, the Netherlands and India, to employ the “kill switch,” an internal tool the company developed to protect its data.

“Please hit the kill switch ASAP,” Kalanick wrote in one email shared by The Washington Post. “Access must be shut down in AMS,” he added, referring to the company’s Amsterdam office. In two cases involving Uber’s Montreal office, authorities entered the building only to see all the computers and tablets before them resetting at the same time. The company told The Post “such software should never have been used to thwart legitimate regulatory actions,” and that it stopped using the system in 2017.

“We have not and will not make excuses for past behavior that is clearly not in line with our present values,” said Jill Hazelbaker, Uber’s senior vice president of marketing and public affairs, in a statement the company issued after The Guardian published its findings on the Uber Files. “Instead, we ask the public to judge us by what we’ve done over the last five years and what we will do in the years to come.”

In a statement published by the ICIJ, Travis Kalanick’s spokesperson said any suggestion the former executive “directed, engaged in, or was involved” in “illegal or improper conduct” is “completely false.”

“The reality was that Uber’s expansion initiatives were led by over a hundred leaders in dozens of countries around the world and at all times under the direct oversight and with the full approval of Uber’s robust legal, policy, and compliance groups,” they added.

Asteroid NASA’s OSIRIS-REx mission landed on had a surface like a ‘pit of plastic balls’

Nearly two years ago, NASA made history when its OSIRIS-REx spacecraft briefly “tagged” 101955 Bennu to collect a regolith sample from the surface of the asteroid. While the mission won’t return to Earth until late next year, NASA shared new information about the celestial body. In an update published this week (via Mashable), the agency revealed OSIRIS-REx would have sunk into Bennu had the spacecraft not immediately fired its thrusters after touching the asteroid’s surface.

“It turns out that the particles making up Bennu’s exterior are so loosely packed and lightly bound to each other that if a person were to step onto Bennu they would feel very little resistance, as if stepping into a pit of plastic balls that are popular play areas for kids,” NASA said.

That’s not what scientists thought they would find on Bennu. Observing the asteroid from Earth, the expectation was that its surface would be covered in smooth, sandy beach-like material. Bennu’s reaction to OSIRIS-REx’s touchdown also had scientists puzzled. After briefly interacting with the asteroid, the spacecraft left a 26-foot (8-meter) wide crater. In lab testing, the pickup procedure “barely made a divot.” 

After analyzing data from the spacecraft, they found it encountered the same amount of resistance a person on Earth would feel while squeezing the plunger on a French press coffee carafe. “By the time we fired our thrusters to leave the surface, we were still plunging into the asteroid,” said Ron Ballouz, a scientist with the OSIRIS-REx team.

According to NASA, its findings on Bennu could help scientists better interpret remote observations of other asteroids. In turn, that could help the agency design future asteroid missions. “I think we’re still at the beginning of understanding what these bodies are, because they behave in very counterintuitive ways,” said OSIRIS-REx team member Patrick Michel.