The best wireless headphones for 2022

Over-ear noise-canceling headphones typically offer the most comprehensive set of features we want for our listening pleasure. The best of these wireless options combine stellar audio with powerful active noise cancellation (ANC) and other handy tools …

Amazon’s Blink security cameras and bundles are up to 54 percent off

Amazon is running a sale on Blink security cameras, and many of the devices and bundles are available for a steal at up to 54 percent off. Several have dropped to their lowest price to date, including the Blink Outdoor. That camera is currently $60, which is $40 off the regular price of $100.

Buy Blink Outdoor at Amazon – $60

Blink Outdoor is a wireless device and Amazon says it will run for up to two years on two lithium AA batteries. As long as you have the right mount, you should be able to position Blink Outdoor just about anywhere around your home. The weather-resistant camera records footage at up to 1080p resolution and it has infrared night vision.

You’ll receive a notification when the Blink Outdoor detects motion, and there’s two-way audio support, so you’ll be able to speak with someone who’s in front of the camera. Naturally, since it’s an Amazon device, Blink Outdoor works with Alexa, so you can use voice commands to stream live video to compatible devices and to arm or disarm the camera.

Next up, a two-pack of the Blink Mini can be all yours for $30. The bundle has returned to the lowest price we’ve seen for it to date. These are wired cameras, so they’ll need to stay inside and close to an outlet. Still, they have many of the same features as other Blink devices, including 1080p video capture, infrared night vision, motion sensors, Alexa support and two-way audio — which could be useful if you don’t feel like yelling from the other side of the house to speak to someone.

Buy Blink Mini (2-pack) at Amazon – $30

Also worth noting is the Whole Home Bundle. This includes the Video Doorbell, Blink Outdoor, Blink Mini and the Sync Module 2, which can store recordings locally. The bundle has dropped by $70 to $140, which is a 33 percent discount. Again, this is an all-time-low price.

Buy Blink Whole Home Bundle at Amazon – $140

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Someone made an operating system for the NES

You probably never saw the NES as a productivity machine, but some clever developers beg to differ. Hackaday and Ars Technica note Inkbox Software has released a graphical operating system, NESOS, for Nintendo’s console. The mid-’80s technology restricts the OS to two apps (a word processor and settings) and eight 832-byte files, but you have an honest-to-goodness pointer, movable icons and customizable interface colors.

Inkbox primarily had to overcome the NES’ very limited memory and storage. NESOS fits into just 48K, and the files have to sit inside the 2K of NVRAM that retains data when the console turns off. Graphics memory was a particularly large hurdle. Nintendo’s system only has two sprite memory grids (one each for the foreground and background), and it can only display 64 sprites at any time — that’s why many NES games flicker at busy moments. The creator had to combine sprites into larger shapes.

The project is available in a ROM that you’ll likely use through an emulator (unless you make your own cartridge). You won’t be writing a novel in NESOS. The memory prevents any kind of substantial content creation, and typing with the NES controller involves very slowly cycling through characters. This is more about defying expectations, and it’s significant that Inkbox didn’t have to modify the console to achieve its feat.

iRobot’s Roomba 694 is on sale for $199 right now

Those who have a robot vacuum on their gift list this year can pick up a few iRobot machines for less right now. Arguably the best for most people is the Roomba 694, which is 27 percent off at Amazon (which now owns iRobot) and down to only $199. While this model has dropped to $179 in the past, this is the best deal we’ve seen on it since June. Also discounted are the higher-end Roomba j7+ and Roomba s9+, which are going for $599 and $799, respectively.

Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon – $199Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon – $599Buy Roomba S9+ at Amazon – $799

The Roomba 694 topped our list of best budget robot vacuums because it combines all of the essential features you’d expect in one of these machines with a relatively slick design and an easy-to-use mobile app. It cleans both hard and carpeted floors well, and it’ll run for about 90 minutes (depending on floor surfaces) before it automatically returns to its dock to recharge. Its three-stage cleaning system did a pretty good job sucking up dirt, debris and even pet hair, and it navigates around furniture well, too.

You can control the device using the physical buttons on it, but the iRobot app is where you’ll have more customization options. In it, you can check on the status of the robot’s current job, plus set cleaning schedules, manually send the robot home and more. And when you don’t even want to lift a finger, you can use Alexa or the Google Assistant to control the machine. While the Roomba 694 doesn’t have the bells and whistles of the brand’s more expensive devices, it has all the necessities and will be easy for first-time users to figure out.

If you’re looking to invest in something more powerful, or just know you’ll need stronger suction power, either the Roomba j7+ or the s9+ would be great picks. The j7+ is the newer of the two, debuting last year, and it has advanced obstacle avoidance that should help it navigate around a robo-vac’s worst enemy — pet poop. It also has 10x the suction power of a standard Roomba and smart mapping abilities, plus it comes with a clean base into which it automatically empties its bin after every job. The Roomba s9+ takes it even further with 40x the suction power, a more corner-friendly design, obstacle detection, smart mapping and an included clean base.

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Apple Watch Ultra review: A big smartwatch with some little quirks

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The Disney+ app for PS5 finally supports 4K and HDR

The latest Disney+ app for the PlayStation 5 finally streams in 4K HDR, Disney announced. After installing it, you’ll be able to watch supported Disney content, including Marvel and Star Wars movies and TV shows, in UltraHD and HDR10. Until now, the app was a simple port from the PS4 that was limited to 1080p resolution.

“A key part of our global expansion strategy is to meet consumers wherever they are,” said Disney’s EVP of product for streaming. “The ability to support 4K HDR video streaming on the platform will also improve the viewing experience for fans.” 

That’s certainly true, but it took Disney long enough — its main streaming rivals Netflix, HBO Max and Prime Video have offered 4K playback on the PS5 for a good while now. 

While 4K HDR10 is nice, PS5 doesn’t support the far superior Dolby Vision format and can’t handle Dolby Atmos audio either (except for Blu-rays). But more importantly, using the PS5 (or Xbox Series X) for streaming is a waste of electricity — it consumes about 70 watts, while the latest Google Chromecast, Roku or Apple TV devices use just 3-6 watts. In any case, you can now download the new PS5 Disney+ app from the media tab on the PS5’s home screen.