August’s WiFi smart lock drops to new low of $150 for Prime Day

There are tons of smart locks on the market now, but one of our favorites remains August’s 4th-gen WiFi smart lock. Normally priced at $230, the IoT gadget is on sale for $150 for Prime Day. That’s $80 off and the best price we’ve seen it. There’s also a bundle with the lock and its keypad on sale for 30 percent off, for a total of $189.

Buy August WiFi smart lock at Amazon – $150Buy August smart lock + keypad at Amazon – $189

The smart lock earned a score of 80 from us when we reviewed it in 2020. August improved upon the previous version by making this model slimmer and WiFi-connected, which means you don’t need a bridge to use it in your home. Setup is pretty easy as the lock fits over most existing deadbolts, but be sure to check out the company’s support page to make sure it’ll work with your lock. We also like that the setup process forces you to turn on two-factor authentication, adding a much-needed extra layer of security. This version of the smart lock also supports Bluetooth encryption along with AES 128-bit and TLS encryption.

The whole point of a smart lock is to be able to control entry into your home when you’re not around. August’s device lets you remotely lock or unlock your door using the companion smartphone app, allowing you to let friends and family members into your home even when you’re not around. You can also send them limited-time entry keys so they can get in on their own. We appreciate the device’s Auto-Lock feature, too, which automatically secures the door when the device detects that it’s been shut. And you don’t have to worry if you’re not ready to part with your old-school, physical keys — they’ll still work even with the August smart lock installed, so you always have another way to get into your home.

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NVIDIA’s Shield Pro streamer falls to a new low for Prime Day

In addition to e-readers, cameras and smartwatches, you can also get streaming devices at a huge discount this Prime Day. NVIDIA’s Shield streamers, for instance, are currently listed for the lowest prices we’ve seen for them on the website. You can get the base NVIDIA Shield TV streaming media player for $125, or $25 less than its original retail price. Meanwhile, the NVIDIA Shield TV Pro will now only set you back $170, which gives it a discount of $30 and is $9 lower than its previous all-time low. 

Buy NVIDIA Shield Android TV Pro Streaming Media Player at Amazon – $170

Both devices are powered by Android TV and come with built-in Google Assistant, allowing you to control them with voice commands through a Google Home speaker. That said, they’re also compatible with Alexa and work with Amazon’s Echo speakers. In addition, they’re bundled with remote controls that enable voice search and have motion-activated, backlit buttons. The NVIDIA Tegra X1+ devices also support 4K HDR Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos audio and Chromecast streaming, making it easy to cast videos and other content from your mobile device to your TV. If you have a GeForce Now account, you can turn the Shield TVs into gaming rigs to stream games from the cloud service, as well. 

Buy NVIDIA Shield Android TV Streaming Media Player at Amazon – $125

At the moment, the latest Apple TV 4K is also being sold at an all-time low of $109 for Prime Day, which could make it a more enticing option than these two. However, the Shield TV Pro has something to offer that the Apple TV doesn’t have: You can set it up as a Plex server, so you can create your own home streaming service for your personal video, movie, show and photo collection. 

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Amazon’s Echo Dot is on sale for only $20 for Prime Day

While Prime Day deals have discounted most of Amazon’s gadgets, one of the most affordable you can get is the Echo Dot. The company has knocked 60 percent off the small smart speaker, bringing it down to a new record low of $20. The Echo Dot with Clock is also cheaper than ever right now at only $33, while the full-sized Echo speaker has dropped to $60.

Buy Echo Dot at Amazon – $20Buy Echo Dot with Clock at Amazon – $33Buy Echo at Amazon – $60Shop Echo deals at Amazon

We’ve recommended the Echo Dot in many gift guides because it combines Alexa chops with decent audio quality in an attractive, compact package. The fabric-covered orb is small enough to fit on a nightstand easily and we like that you can control it via Alexa commands or the few touch options on the device itself. In addition to supporting numerous music streaming services like Spotify, Apple Music and others, the Dot works as a Bluetooth speaker, too, if you prefer to connect to it that way. Its 1.6-inch front-firing speaker sounds pretty good considering the device’s overall size, and it pumps out sound with decent bass and clarity.

The Dot can also work as an alarm clock, and you can snooze your alarm with just a tap to the top of the device. If you spring for the Clock version, you’ll be able to glance at the device’s LED display to see the time. And if you ask Alexa to tell you about the weather, the display will briefly show you the current temperature.

The Echo Dot is best for those that don’t have a ton of space to work with but want a capable Alexa gadget in their homes. But if you have a bit more space and are willing to spend more, the regular Echo speaker is a good upgrade. We gave it a score of 89 when it first came out thanks to its solid Alexa capabilities, great sound quality and the ability to pair two of them together for stereo audio. We also appreciate that the larger Echo has a similar orb-like design, plus light indicators on the bottom to show things like volume adjustments.

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The best Amazon Prime Day 2022 deals still available

Update 7/13/2022: We’ve refreshed our list with the best deals you can get for day two of Amazon Prime Day.Amazon Prime Day is officially here and a number of our favorite gadgets are on sale. If you’re a Prime member, you can save hundreds on devices …

Samsung’s Galaxy S22 lineup is cheaper than ever for Prime Day

Samsung’s latest smartphones are some of the best Android devices you can get, and they’ve been made even better thanks to Prime Day deals. The entire Galaxy S22 lineup has never been cheaper — right now, you can get the Galaxy S22 Ultra for $840, or 30 percent off its normal price. Also, the Galaxy S22+ and the standard S22 are down to $700 and $600, respectively. Those are all the starting prices for the models with the base amount of storage, but you’ll find discounts on all versions, including those with higher amounts of storage.

Buy Galaxy S22 Ultra at Amazon – $840Buy Galaxy S22+ at Amazon – $700Buy Galaxy S22 at Amazon – $600

The Galaxy S22 Ultra has dropped below $1,000 before, but this is the best price we’ve seen on the flagship. If you want all of the latest features a Samsung phone has to offer, this is the handset to get. The S22 Ultra runs on Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 8 Gen 1 processor, 12GB of RAM and at least 128GB of storage. Its rear camera setup includes a 108-megapixel main sensor, a 12MP ultrawide shooter and two 10MP telephoto lenses, which work together to take excellent shots. The phone’s overall performance is top-notch, and we appreciated Samsung’s new photography features like Adaptive Pixel, better auto-framing and improved video stabilization.

Samsung married its S- and Note-families to create the Galaxy S22 Ultra. It has a 6.8-inch Super AMOLED touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 1,750 nits, plus a built-in S Pen. The display is big and bold and we like the fact that Note lovers have not been forgotten. You can use the S Pen to take notes and doodle on the screen with more precision and less latency than ever before.

The Galaxy S22 Ultra is arguably the best phone Samsung makes at the moment, and there isn’t much we found to complain about. It has a slightly lackluster battery life, but it’s not so short as to take away from all of the other great things about the handset. But if you’re looking to spend a bit less without sacrificing too much when it comes to quality, the S22+ or the S22 are both great choices. Each of them earned a score of 87 from us for their slick designs, lovely displays and solid performance. With the S22+, you’ll get a few extra perks not found on the standard S22, namely a longer battery life, UWB and WiFi 6E support, plus fast WiFi speeds overall.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

The latest Apple TV 4K is at another all-time low of $109 for Prime Day

The Apple TV 4K has seen its second price drop in as many days and the 32GB model is now available on Amazon Prime Day for $109, the lowest price we’ve seen yet. That’s a steal for Apple’s premium streaming device that offers features like 4K Dolby Vision movies, 120Hz gaming, the Siri Remote and more. And if you need more storage, the 64GB model is also on sale $129, a generous discount of $70. 

Buy Apple TV 4K 32GB at Amazon – $109Buy Apple TV 4K 64GB at Amazon – $129

As I just said (checks calendar) yesterday, the latest Apple TV 4K model garnered a 90 score in our Engadget review. That’s thanks to the extra refinement, 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.

It’s certainly true that you could do much the same with, say, a $40 Roku stick with the Apple TV app. However, Apple’s own device has a nicer interface, better remote and superior experience for folks in the Apple ecosystem. Siri in particular handles voice commands very well, and the remote feels nice in hand.

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 of course, Apple TV+. The biggest drawback is the price, but a $70 discount on both the 32GB and 64GB models is a perfect balm for that pain point. As usual with Amazon Prime deals, it’s best to act soon as deals like this get snapped up right quick. 

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Sony’s WH-1000XM4 headphones are on sale for $228 right now

Sony’s WH-1000XM4 wireless headphones have been some of our favorites since they first came out in 2020. While the company has since moved on to the XM5, which build upon the solid foundation of the XM4, the 2020 version remains a great options for those who prefer over-ear headphones and want strong ANC in a comfortable package. Thanks to Amazon Prime Day deals, you can pick up the WH-1000XM4 for only $228, which is a new record-low price and $120 off their usual rate. Those who like wireless earbuds more can also snag the WF-1000XM4 buds for only $198 right now, too.

Buy WH-1000XM4 at Amazon – $228Buy WF-1000XM4 at Amazon – $198

We gave the WH-1000XM4 a score of 94 when they first came out. We liked their comfortable design with padded earcups and headband, and the new matte finish they have. You’ll be able to wear them for hours on end, and their battery life will support that, too. The XM4 should last up to 30 hours on a single charge, so you could wear them a few hours a day for more than a week before they’ll need more juice.

These headphones also excel when it comes to sound quality and ANC. Audio is immersive with excellent clarity and detail, plus these cans support Sony’s 360 Reality Audio as well. ANC is strong and adjustable via the companion app, and you can even turn on a feature that will automatically change the ANC levels depending on your location.

Sony added a few new features when it debuted the XM4, namely multi-device connectivity and Speak to Chat. The former lets you connect to two devices at once, switching between them as needed. This feature works quite well as you can seamlessly go from listening to music on your laptop to taking a call on your smartphone. Speak to Chat, when enabled in the mobile app, will automatically pause audio when the headphones’ mics sense that you’re speaking.

We should note that Sony’s new XM5 did dethrone the XM4 as our current favorite pair of wireless headphones. The $398 cans have all of the same features as the XM4, but they have a more refined design, additional mics and even better sound quality and ANC. But those upgrades do come at a hefty price, so if you’re willing to skip them, you can get an excellent pair of cans for much less right now.

As for the WF-1000XM4, they are the true wireless earbud equivalents to Sony’s over-ear headphones. You’ll get a lot of the same features on these buds too, including 360 Reality Audio support, solid ANC, great sound quality and a formidable battery life.

Get the latest Amazon Prime Day offers by following @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribing to the Engadget Deals newsletter.

The best Amazon Prime Day 2022 deals in the UK we could find

Amazon Prime Day is officially here and a number of our favorite gadgets are on sale. If you’re a Prime member, you can save hundreds on devices from Sony, Razer, Apple and others over the next 48-hours, plus Amazon has discounted most of its own devic…

Meta reportedly tells managers to identify people for layoffs

Some Meta employees could lose their jobs as the company prepares for leaner times ahead. According to The Information, Maher Saba, Meta’s VP for Remote Presence, has instructed managers to identify people on their team who “need support” by end of day on Monday. He also told the managers to “move to exit” poor performers “who are unable to get on track.” Based on that wording, employees who get singled out will get the chance to redeem themselves, but since the company didn’t respond to the publication’s request for comment, it’s not entirely clear what that means.

A person familiar with the matter told The Washington Post that workers are concerned that this will be used to create “performance improvement plans” that end up resulting in mass layoffs. Saba also reportedly wrote in his note: “If a direct report is coasting or is a low performer, they are not who we need; they are failing this company. As a manager, you cannot allow someone to be net neutral or negative for Meta.”

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg warned employees during a Q&A session earlier this month that the company is experiencing “one of the worst downturns [it has seen] in recent history.” It previously said that it’s slowing hiring this year, but it was at that session when Meta revealed that it’s slashing its target number for new engineers hires by about 30 percent. Zuckerberg also announced at the time that Meta is going to raise expectations on its employees and giving them more aggressive goals. “I think some of you might decide that this place isn’t for you, and that self-selection is okay with me. Realistically, there are probably a bunch of people at the company who shouldn’t be here,” he said.

The social network/metaverse company started preparing to cut costs due to weak revenue forecasts a few months ago, even going as far as to axe some of its metaverse initiatives. Facebook lost daily active users in the last quarter of 2021, and while it bounced back a bit in the first quarter of this year, Meta expects a revenue drop in part because of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The company also expects to lose $10 billion in revenue due to the changes in Apple’s privacy settings on iOS, which limits advertisers’ access to the unique code that enables them to show users targeted ads.