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We found the biggest savings on AirPods, iPads, MacBooks, Apple Watches and AirTags

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There’s no denying Apple’s massive reputation in the tech world. And it appears it’s not just hype — our reviews put an Apple product at the top of our buying guides to , , and . But Apple devices aren’t cheap. That’s why it’s a good idea to wait for Apple deals. You won’t find pure discounts at Apple’s site, but retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target, Best Buy and more are happy to discount iPads, Apple Watches, MacBooks, and AirPods— and we’ve rounded up the best sales right here. Check out the Apple deals below.

Apple Black Friday deals: AirPods

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Billy Steele for Engadget

In our review of the new AirPods Pro 3, we said they were Apple’s “most comprehensive update” to its Pro line yet. They feature live translation and heart-rate sensing, as well as improved overall sound, better active noise cancellation and a longer battery life. This is the lowest price yet on the new buds. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and Target.

$220 at Amazon

AirPods 4 (with ANC) for $100 ($79 off) at Amazon: If you just need moderate noise cancellation and prefer an open-wear fit (where nothing goes in your ear canal), you may prefer the new AirPods 4. They don’t have heart rate sensing or the hearing features the Pro models have. But we found the sound quality to be pretty good and appreciated Pro-level features like live translation. Also at Walmart and $140 at Best Buy.

AirPods 4 (no ANC) for $80 ($50 off) at Amazon: You miss out on a few more features on the base-model AirPods 4: no live translation, no noise cancellation and no heart rate sensing, but you do get Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking, like on the pricer models. We gave the entry-level buds an 88 in our review. The previous low price was $89. Also available at Walmart and Target.

AirPods Max for $430 ($120 off) at Walmart: These cans have been around for quite some time now, only getting the slightest upgrade with a new USB-C port in 2024. The hardware is otherwise the same as it was when the over-ear headphones debuted in 2020. Still, they’re comfortable, have good sound quality and the on-board controls are unique but good. Also at Amazon.

EarPods for $13 ($6 off) at Amazon: For those who prefer a cord, here is the only Apple-branded wired earphone option. This is a dollar more than the all-time low. Also at Walmart.

Apple Black Friday deals: iPads

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Jeff Dunn for Engadget

The entry level iPad doesn’t support Apple Intelligence, but that didn’t bother us when we reviewed the new slate. We found the speed to be plenty for what most people need an iPad for: casual gaming, streaming, browsing, answering some emails. We wish the display was laminated and had some anti-glare coating. But this is the lowest-priced way to get your hands on a current-model iPad. Also at Walmart, Target and Best Buy.

$279 at Amazon

iPad Air (M3, 11-inch, 128GB) for $449 ($151 off) at Amazon: The Air is the Goldilocks Apple tablet. It strikes the perfect balance between price and performance, making it our overall pick for the best iPad you can buy. The build is lovely; it feels premium and the display is a big improvement over Apple’s base-model slate. The M3 chip is plenty fast for everyday use and can handle an average day of productivity no problem, particularly with its improved multi-tasking abilities. This matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also on sale at Target and Best Buy.

iPad Air (M3, 13-inch, 128GB) for $649 ($150 off) at Amazon: A larger screen will make watching shows and playing games more expansive. And if you use your iPad more like a personal computer, you’ll appreciate the extra real estate for spreading out your work. Like the 11-inch Air, this has a powerful M3 chip and an excellent screen, as well as support for the Apple Pencil Pro and Apple Intelligence. This matches the lowest price we’ve tracked. Also at Target, Best Buy and it’s $749 at B&H.

iPad mini (A17 Pro, 8-inch, 128GB) for $399 ($100 off) at Amazon: The smallest Apple iPad is really meant for those who put a priority on the portability and palm-ability of an 8-inch tablet. It uses the A17 chip, which enables support for Apple Intelligence, unlike the base model iPad. We gave it an 83 in our review, praising the fact that you get the full iPad experience, just in a more compact package. We found it particularly suited to messaging, reading, watching video and playing lots of Balatro. It went as low as $379 in October. Also at Best Buy.

iPad Pro (M5, 11-inch, 256GB) for $900 ($100 off) at Amazon: While we think this is an amazing piece of computing machinery, we admit that it’s overkill for most people. It’s got one of the best displays you’ll find on a tablet, the most recent M5 chip (the same that powers the base-level Apple MacBook Pro) and an almost impossibly thin and light build. We gave it an 85 in our review and had very few complaints — aside from the near-prohibitive price tag. Hopefully this Black Friday discount helps. This $100 discount is a new all-time low. It’s $927 at Walmart.

Apple Black Friday deals: Apple Watch

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Cherlynn Low for Engadget

Apple still makes the best smartwatch money can buy. The flagship Apple Watch Series 11 is not just a stalwart companion for an iPhone, it also offers comprehensive health monitoring and fitness tracking. There wasn’t a huge change from the Series 10 to this one — both have the same thin and light design, but now the glass is tougher and the battery lasts longer. This $50 discount is the steepest we’ve seen yet. Also at Walmart and Target.

$350 at Amazon

Apple Watch SE 3 (40mm, GPS only) for $200 ($49 off) at Amazon: After a couple years, Apple finally updated its budget-model smart watch. And we were pretty happy with the results, awarding the new wearable a review score of 90. It’s got a smaller screen and thicker bezels than the Series 11 and lacks a few of the more advanced health monitoring features. It’s also made from slightly less-robust materials. But it has nearly everything that makes Apple Watches great for a lot less — particularly now. This is the lowest price we’ve seen since the watch came out in September. Also at Walmart and Target.

Apple Black Friday deals: MacBooks and Macs

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Apple

As far as we’re concerned, Apple makes the best laptop overall with the M4 MacBook Air. It’s light and portable yet powerful enough to handle all but the most demanding media rendering. The keyboard and touchpad are excellent and the battery will get you through a full day of work and then some. It earned a 92 in our review. Also at Best Buy and it’s $100 off at B&H.

$749 at Amazon

Apple MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch, 256GB) for $949 ($250 off) at Amazon: The M4 chip is quite powerful, to take advantage of all the productivity it enables, you might want a little more room on your screen. When Apple first made a 15-inch option for the MacBook Air a couple generations ago, we were surprised at the difference it made. Also at Best Buy and it’s $100 off at B&H.

Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 14-inch, 512GB) for $1,441 ($157 off) at Amazon: Apple’s most recent M-series chip is the M5, and only comes equipped on the 14-inch MacBook Pro and the iPad Pro. When the M5 MacBook Pro M5 came out last month, we promptly reviewed it and awarded it a 92. That new chip gives the laptop an impressive graphics upgrade that helps make it more suited to gaming — an area where Apple still lags behind PCs. Other than the chip upgrade, it’s mostly the same, which is a good thing. It’s sturdy, powerful and has an impressively long battery life — we clocked 34 hours in a video run-down test. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and B&H.

Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 14-inch, 512GB) for $1,749 ($250 off) at Amazon: The M5 chip isn’t yet available in the Pro and Max variants. If Apple follows the same six-month gap that separated the M4 from the M4 Pro and Max chips, we may see the M5 Pro/Max in spring of next year. For now, however, those higher-specced chips can only be found in the M4-series lineup. The MacBook Pro with the M4 Pro chip is on sale and it’s our recommendation for creative professionals who need an obscene amount of processing power. Also at Walmart, Best Buy and B&H.

Apple MacBook Pro (M4 Pro, 16-inch, 256GB) for $2,189 ($310 off) at Amazon: You sacrifice a little portability for the larger 16-inch screen, as it adds about a pound and a quarter to the weight. But you might appreciate the extra space for your work on the display. Also at Walmart and B&H.

Apple 2024 iMac (M4, 24-inch) for $1,149 ($150 off) at Amazon: Apple just has one model of an all-in-one desktop computer and it has the M4 chip inside. We called the iMac more cost effective than ever, now that it comes with a minimum of 16GB of RAM. The M4 chip makes it capable for content creation, productivity and gaming.

Mac mini (M4) for $479 ($120 off) at Amazon: Apple’s compact desktop computer got a rave review from us. We called it “shockingly small [and] incredibly powerful.” It also benefits from a bump to a minimum of 16GB of internal memory. It can play modern games at reasonable resolutions and handle most productivity tasks you throw at it.

Apple TV Black Friday deal

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Apple

You can get six months of access to the Apple TV streaming service for only $36. That means you can catch Pluribus, the new show from Vince Gilligan (Better Call Saul) and other very good originals like Severance, Ted Lasso and Slow Horses. The offer is live through December 1 and is open to new and qualified returning subscribers but you have to subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

$36 at Apple

Apple Black Friday deals: Accessories

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Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off) at Amazon: The Apple Pencil situation is a little messy, so you’ll want to double check which model is compatible with your particular iPad. The Pencil Pro is the most fully featured in the lineup with haptic feedback, barrel roll and squeeze capabilities, and a hover preview feature. It’ll work with the two most recent models of the Air and Pro iPads, as well as the latest iPad mini. Also at Walmart and Best Buy.

Apple Pencil USB-C for $69 ($10 off) at Amazon: If you have the new base-model iPad with the A16 chip, this is the pencil that will work for you. It’ll also work with current as well as slightly older models of the Air and Pro iPads.

Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $65 ($34 off) at Amazon: Even though they haven’t been updated in a few years, Apple’s AirTags are still the gold standard of Bluetooth trackers, and what most people think of when they think of trackers. We may get a new version soon, but they aren’t likely to be this cheap. Also at Walmart. A single AirTag is on sale too.

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Google throws a mini ‘Love Actually’ reunion in its latest Pixel 10 ad

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Just a few weeks after launching its first AI-generated ad, Google has returned with something a little more realistic, but just as timely. Ahead of the holidays, the company is throwing a Love Actually reunion in its latest Pixel ad, even if the star might not be as famous as he thinks he is.

In Google’s new video — appropriately titled, “It’s Pixel, Actually,” — actor Thomas Brodie-Sangster revisits a handful of shooting locations and moments from the movie, only to find he’s not actually the focus of those seemingly taking photos of him. Brodie-Sangster played Sam in the film, the precocious son of Liam Neeson’s character who learns how to play the drums in order to impress his crush at school. Here, Brodie-Sangster seems just as excited to be noticed throughout various shooting locations ahead of Christmas, only for those around him to snap Pixel 10 Pro-produced 100x zoom photos of other subjects instead.

Among those other subjects, by the way, include Martine McCutcheon, the actress who played Hugh Grant’s love interest Natalie in the film, cementing this ad as an unofficial Love Actually reunion. We also watch as strangers ignore Brodie-Sangster for a kid dressed up as a lobster, a stranger dancing in the background, and, of course, a Pixel billboard at the end of the video.

It’s entirely possible I’ve missed other references in this video; Love Actually isn’t my go-to Christmas film, even if some of its more infamous moments do remain iconic. But I’d be remiss if I didn’t link to this classic deleted scene of Brodie-Sangster’s character doing gymnastics through the airport during the climax of the movie, something that is, unfortunately, not recreated in this ad. Maybe next year, Google.

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1 killed after fight at rooming house in New Bedford

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A fight at a rooming house led to a man’s death Saturday night in New Bedford, officials said.

Arirto Santiago, 38, was arrested and charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon in connection with the incident, according to the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office.

Police were called to the rooming house at about 11:32 p.m. on Saturday at 162 Sawyer Street for a reported altercation between neighbors.

Curtis Pina, 56, was found on the third-floor landing with heavy bleeding from a forehead injury, officials said.

He was brought to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later, officials said.

An investigation into the incident led to Santiago’s arrest.

New Bedford District Court records show that Santiago faces a second charge of assault with a dangerous weapon.

A plea of not guilty was entered on Santiago’s behalf and a judge ordered him held pending a dangerousness hearing scheduled for Dec. 19.



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X’s new About This Account feature is going great

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X recently began rolling out a new feature that seemingly revealed many right-wing “America First” accounts are actually based outside the United States. Except the data might not be reliable.

While X’s new “About This Account” feature includes information about when a user joined and how they downloaded the app, geographic location is getting the most attention by far.

Posting a gallery of MAGA accounts that are apparently based in Japan, New Zealand, Pakistan, and Thailand, left-wing influencer Micah Erfan wrote, “This is total armageddon for the online right.”

Many of the accounts raising eyebrows, like the apparently Pakistan-based @American, are relatively small, though others have hundreds of thousands of followers.

X’s director of product Nikita Bier said Saturday that the feature is being rolled out globally, describing this as “an important first step to securing the integrity of the global town square.” However, some users have complained that their listed location is wildly inaccurate. Bier acknowledged that the “data was not 100% for old accounts” and suggested that “a few rough edges … will be resolved by Tuesday.”

The Verge noted that while there are definitely rage-bait accounts and troll farms located outside the U.S., many of the listed locations seem highly questionable, with the confusion likely due to travel, global teams, VPNs, or old IP addresses.



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MasterClass subscriptions are up to 50 percent off

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MasterClass is running a limited-time offer that cuts 50 percent off all annual subscriptions for Black Friday. The deal gives you access to hundreds of lessons taught by experts and well-known names across nearly every field, from cooking and business to film and design.

MasterClass has built a reputation as one of the best streaming platforms for learning new skills and creative hobbies. The service features courses led by industry leaders who share practical insights drawn from their own careers. Whether you want to cook with Gordon Ramsay, explore storytelling with Neil Gaiman or study filmmaking with Martin Scorsese, the range of topics is broad enough to appeal to almost any interest.

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MasterClass

Classes are organized into short, easy-to-follow video lessons, making it simple to fit learning into a busy schedule. Each one comes with supplemental materials like downloadable workbooks, assignments or behind-the-scenes notes that add extra depth. New classes are added regularly, so subscribers have a steady flow of fresh content throughout the year.

Subscriptions are structured around annual plans that unlock the full catalog. You can watch classes on most devices, including smartphones, tablets and smart TVs, and your progress syncs across platforms. Offline viewing is supported too, so you can download lessons to study during travel or commutes.

Beyond creative skills, MasterClass has expanded into professional growth and wellness topics, with courses covering leadership, communication and mindfulness. It’s not just about inspiration; the platform’s focus on actionable advice makes it a practical choice for anyone who wants to pick up new skills or refresh existing ones.

Normally, annual plans cost anywhere from $120 to $240 per year, so up to a 50-percent discount represents significant savings for new or returning subscribers. If you’ve been thinking about joining or gifting a membership, this promotion is one of the best times to do it.



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Pixel Studio adding image animations and GIFs, coming to Pixel 8 

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After the Journal app came to older devices this month, Google looks to be bringing Pixel Studio to the Pixel 8 series with a new ability to animate images and share them as GIFs.

The Pixel Studio support article was recently updated to say that the image generation and editing app is “available on the Pixel 8 and later.” This line previously said “Pixel 9 and later,” with no changes to regional availability. 

However, this expanded support is not yet live and opening the Google Play listing today does not let you install the app. Outside of image generation, Pixel 8 users will get a new screenshot and general-purpose editor that replaces Markup. It was introduced with the Pixel 10 series and then came to the Pixel 9 with version 2.0 of the app in August.

Meanwhile, the updated support page also details a new “Animate image” capability. 

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  1. Tap Animate image.
  2. Enter a prompt or select a suggested prompt above the text box.
  3. Once the animation is ready, you can add stickers or captions when you tap Add sticker or caption.

Of note is how you can share it as a GIF afterwards, with a WebP file also available. This is presumably powered by Veo. 

This feature was also mentioned in the Pixel Drop leak earlier this month. What likely happened is that the Pixel Studio update was pulled at the last second, but the support page was updated anyways. 

All of this is presumably slated for the next Feature Drop, which is probably coming with the launch of Android 16 QPR2. However, the fact we had a big November update does make it less of a sure-fire development.

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Marjorie Taylor Greene rules out run for president after shocking resignation

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U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia says she is not planning to run for president, days after she announced her plan to resign from Congress amid a falling out with President Trump.

“I’m not running for President and never said I wanted to and have only laughed about it when anyone would mention it,” Greene said in a post on X. 

On Friday, Greene made the stunning announcement that she would depart Congress after weeks of clashing with Trump.

Trump responded in an interview with NBC News about the possibility of Greene one day resuming her political career at some point.

“It’s not going to be easy for her” to revive her career in politics, though he added, “I’d love to see that.”

Trump said that Green, in the meantime, “she’s got to take a little rest.”

Greene joined Congress as one of Trump’s staunchest allies, being sworn into office days before the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. She strongly supported the president and often echoed his contention that the 2020 election was “stolen” — even when members of his own party had disavowed him.

She leaves Congress being branded a “traitor” by Trump in recent weeks.

The two Republicans had a public falling out over several issues, including Trump’s decisions to launch airstrikes on Iran, his support for Israel during the Gaza War and a lack of regulation of big tech companies earlier this year, according to the BBC.

Then, there was the deep divide over the handling of the investigative materials related to Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender, and Trump’s unwillingness to order the U.S. Department of Justice to release the Epstein files fully.

The president last week called Greene a “ranting lunatic” and disavowed her in response to the break over the Epstein files.

Friday’s statement by Greene announcing her resignation shocked colleagues in Congress and constituents in Georgia. She said she would step down in January.

“I refuse to be a ‘battered wife’ hoping it all goes away and gets better,” she said in her resignation statement.

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Roblox CEO interview gets heated over child safety

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Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki joined The New York Times’ Hard Fork podcast to discuss the gaming platform’s new age verification feature — but he seemed to get frustrated at the number of questions focused on child safety.

The interview began with Baszucki describing the feature, which will require all users who want to submit a face scan if they want to access Roblox’s messaging features. But by the time he was asked about a report claiming the company had prioritized growth over safety, Baszucki seemed to tire of the topic, responding, “Fun. Let’s keep going down this.”

And when co-host Kevin Roose agreed that one of the best ways for Roblox to improve child safety is to improve its AI models, Baszucki insisted, “Good, so you’re aligning with what we did. High-five.”

“And I want to highlight, I came here because I love your podcast and came to talk about everything,” he added. “So if our PR people said, ‘Let’s talk about age-gating for an hour,’ I’m up for it, but I love your pod. I thought I came here to talk about everything.”



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Early sales on Apple TV+, MasterClass, Fubo, Rosetta Stone and more

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I love locking in a cheap subscription deal during a discount period like Black Friday or Cyber Monday. It always feels like I’ve gotten away with something — for the rest of the year, I can relax in my Scrooge McDuck money pit while all the other losers are paying full price. On this list, I’ve gathered the top subscriptions of all sorts you can enjoy this Black Friday, from VPNs that keep you anonymous online to MasterClass deals that continue your education with thrilling celebrity-led courses. Grab your favorites and join me in the money pit (actual swimming not advised).

Best Black Friday subscription deals

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MasterClass

MasterClass is one of our favorite gift subscriptions. If you often find yourself on the internet without knowing why, MasterClass has hundreds of celebrity-led courses to help you put that time to good use. Each one is split into bite-size videos so you can control how much you study at a time. Highlights right now include creative writing classes from Margaret Atwood, home cooking lessons from Alice Waters and a crash course in battlefield tactics from General Stanley McChrystal.

$90 (50 percent off) at MasterClass

Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It’s also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.

Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It’s a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.

Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it’s still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.

Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible’s enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It’s only three months, after which you’ll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.

Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn’t just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There’s a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it’s easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.

Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you’ve finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This packed subscription gives you a huge library of relaxing content, from music and restful soundscapes to its popular “sleep stories” with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you’ve ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Harry Styles, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.

1Password (one year) for $24 (50 percent off): Using a password manager is one of the most important cybersecurity steps you can take right now. 1Password generates strong, unique passwords for every account, then saves them to autofill when you need them. We named it the best password manager in honor of its well-designed user interface and cross-platform compatibility.

DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It’s a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a Since using it monthly, we’ve noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.

Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $420 (50 percent off): Creative Cloud is Adobe’s most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It’s a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.

Best Black Friday streaming deals

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Fubo

Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.

$55 (35 percent off) at Fubo.tv

Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.

Sling TV Orange Day Pass for $1 (80 percent off): Sling TV is one of the best live streaming services, and has one of streaming TV’s most unique deals: a commitment-free day pass that lets you stream whatever you want for 24 hours, including cable channels and exclusive sports. Normally, a day pass costs $5, but this Black Friday deal knocks that all the way down to $1.

Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection — imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It’s also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now’s your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.

Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn’t started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it’s more expensive on its own).

Best VPN deals for Black Friday

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Proton

is our pick for the — a secure, trustworthy app that doesn’t sacrifice features, speed or usability. Although its free plan does come with unlimited data, we recommend upgrading to get the full set of servers and features. With this deal, you’ll get servers in 117 countries; better yet, every one of those we’ve tested so far can unblock Netflix.

$59.76 (75 percent off) at Proton

ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $52.39 (73 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It’s not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.

Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it’s able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.

NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it’s one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.

CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap — in fact, we named it the best budget VPN — but it’s never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.

Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren’t wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can’t deny it’s a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.



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Google keeps poking holes in Apple’s walled garden

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Apple has had iPhone owners trapped within its walled garden for years, with many genuinely not knowing what lies beyond that ecosystem. But Google has been working over the past few years to poke some holes in that wall, and its latest move in bringing AirDrop compatibility to Android Quick Share is just another reminder of how things are getting better. But… is anyone actually switching?

For a long, long time, doing anything between an Android phone and an iPhone was a pain, especially when it came to sharing any sort of file. Pictures and videos were constantly crushed by SMS between the two devices, and matters were made worse with group chats. That’s why RCS was such a huge deal. When Apple finally adopted the standard, it immediately made chatting between Android and iPhone markedly better. Even though Apple still chooses to use that dreaded “green bubble” for RCS, the experience has improved dramatically, both in terms of media quality and group chats. Looking at the core chat experience, there’s really no major benefit to using iMessage over RCS, at least not one that most people really care about.

Yet, there remain plenty of headaches between Android and iPhone.

One of those has been AirDrop. While Android has had its own version of this in “Quick Share” for a while, Apple’s AirDrop is a staple of the experience of using an iPhone. Just how “Google” is used as a verb for a web search, “AirDrop” is used for sharing something locally between iPhone owners, and that means Android owners are often left with the slightly awkward “well can you just text it to me” interaction.

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That’s done.

Google unexpectedly announced this week that Quick Share for Android, at least on Pixel 10, now supports sending files to iPhone via AirDrop. Unlike some other Android brands that have tried to implement something like this, Google’s solution quite literally just works with AirDrop. All the iPhone owner needs to do is enable the “Everyone” privacy mode. It’s pretty wild to see.

We’ll probably have to wait a bit to see this expand to the rest of the Android ecosystem, but it’s huge step in the right direction. It was also really surprising to see that Google pulled a Beeper here and didn’t involve Apple at all, instead just finding their own way to make this work. Hopefully this won’t suffer the same fate, but, it is Apple after all.

This is also just a reminder of how committed Google seems to be to improving the experience between Android and iPhone users. The timing here is also pretty great, as it’s right in time for the holidays when people might want to share photos, videos, links, etc via AirDrop.

But there’s also an obvious question – why is Google doing this?

The goal is almost certainly to make it easier to switch to Android – a Pixel in particular – from iPhone by taking out the main reasons many have held out from switching. It’s clear that Google is making headway with Pixel in the US market, but Apple isn’t exactly struggling to keep its tight hold on the market.

But even if no one actually switches from iPhone to a Pixel as a result of Google’s work, I don’t think that means that this work is in vain.

All of this effort makes life a little easier for everyone.

If you’re the singular Android user in your friend group, RCS made messaging better for everyone. Now, the ability to use AirDrop with Quick Share has taken away another huge roadblock. What do you think? Do you know anyone who’s made the switch from iPhone to Android as of late thanks to Google’s efforts? Do you know anyone who’s more open to it?


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