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Apple might be best known for its in-ear AirPods when it comes to sound, but headphone lovers also have the AirPods Max to consider. As part of Labor Day sales, these headphones are 27 percent off, dropping to $399 from $549. The $150 discount is only $4 more than their Prime Day all-time low and is available in every color. The AirPods Max provide a solid option for anyone who wants to stay in the Apple family without worrying about losing a tiny earbud. The biggest issue is that they are costly, but this Labor Day sale makes them a better buy.

The Apple AirPods Max came on the scene in 2020 as the company’s first foray into headphones and have remained the sole option since. We gave the headphones an 84 in our review thanks to a lot of features we did like and some things we were unimpressed by. We liked the AirPods Max’s active noise cancellation abilities and easy-to-use buttons — such as when switching from ANC to transparency mode. The headphones also provide a balanced sound and have 20 hours of charge when ANC and spatial audio are enabled.

As we said, the biggest issue with these headphones is arguably the price, but this sale helps quite a bit. Other aspects we were less than impressed with include their 385-gram weight — though the wider headband balances it out. Plus, the earphones just aren’t that comfortable, as the rings are noticeable after only a few minutes of wear. 

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/apples-airpods-max-are-on-sale-for-399-for-labor-day-131059800.html?src=rss

Hell has frozen over. The famously violent Yakuza series is coming to the Nintendo Switch. Yakuza Kiwami, a remake of the very first game in the franchise, releases for the console on October 24, as announced at today’s Nintendo Partner Showcase event.

This is notable because the Yakuza series is known for being mature and morally ambiguous, and Nintendo doesn’t always like that kind of thing. Masayoshi Yokoyama, the head of the development team behind the series, once told GameSpot that Yakuza games would likely never come to a Nintendo console.

“First of all, whether our games will run on the Switch is probably the first question,” he said. “And when it comes to the Switch, it’s kind of a system for a younger audience. So do we want to put a title, where we’re going and picking a fight with the world, and doing all this Yakuza stuff, on a Switch?”

It looks like the answer to that last question is a resounding “yes.” Yakuza Kiwami first released for the PS4 and Xbox One back in 2016, though there was a version that ran on the PS3. Given the Switch’s power, it should be able to handle a reworked PS3 port.

As for the console’s kid-friendly image, well, that hasn’t entirely changed in the intervening years, but the Switch has made serious inroads with older gamers. The console is home to all kinds of mature and violent fare, from 2016’s Doom to Red Dead Redemption and Mortal Kombat 1. 

The Yakuza franchise is on the upswing. Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth, a sequel to 2020’s Yakuza: Like a Dragon, was a bona-fide hit when it was released earlier this year. There’s also a franchise TV show coming to Amazon Prime Video on October 24. Wait a minute. That’s the same day that Yakuza Kiwami hits the Nintendo eShop. Gotta love that sweet, sweet corporate synergy.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/the-yakuza-series-is-finally-coming-to-nintendo-switch-164657508.html?src=rss

If you’re looking for an iPad that’s more affordable than cutting-edge, Amazon has the 2021 base model for only $199 as part of its Labor Day sale. Although that’s a generation behind the current version, this model is a solid option for kids, seniors or those wanting a HomeKit-based smart home hub to control things like smart light bulbs and other IoT gear.

The three-year-old model is still a capable tablet for anyone content with forgoing the latest and greatest hardware. The ninth-gen iPad has a 10.2-inch Retina display and Apple’s old home button-based Touch ID sensor. It runs on the A13 Bionic chip, which has a six-core processor, quad-core GPU and octal-core Neural Engine. This isn’t the model to get if you want screaming-fast speeds, the most eye-popping display or the upcoming Apple Intelligence, but it’s hard to nitpick too much about any of that when you look at the price.

Engadget’s 2021 review found this model to be “a modest update” over the previous version. Nathan Ingraham described it as “a fast, lightweight tablet with a nice display and tons of apps, without having to spend too much.” In our battery test, we found that it outperformed Apple’s 10-hour estimate, lasting about 14 hours of video streaming.

This model runs iPadOS 17 and will support iPadOS 18 when it launches this fall. It isn’t known how many annual updates it will be eligible for after that, but the upcoming 2024 software will still run on two hardware generations behind this model, hinting that it may not be approaching the end of the line just yet.

It’s also well-suited for video chat, and its 12MP ultrawide front-facing camera supports Center Stage. Apple’s machine learning-based feature tracks your and anyone else’s faces in the shot, adjusting the call’s framing accordingly through automatic pans and zooms.

If you want to add accessories for a more laptop-like experience, the ninth-gen iPad is compatible with the first-generation Apple Pencil and Apple Smart Keyboard.

It’s worth keeping in mind that this model uses a Lightning connector rather than the USB-C that Apple has shifted its product lineup toward. It includes a charger in the box, but you may want to consider that if you’ve already chucked all your old Lightning cables. On the other hand, some may consider it a bonus that it still includes Apple’s now-defunct headphone jack.

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/this-early-labor-day-sale-discounts-apples-9th-gen-ipad-to-an-all-time-low-of-199-191018429.html?src=rss

Due to a “challenging external environment,” Sony will increase the PS5’s price in Japan by 19 percent. The new price of the standard PS5 model will be ¥79,980 (about $554) and will come into effect by September 2, 2024. Prices for the console in other countries are not affected.

It’s important to note that Sony raised PS5 prices around the world two years ago, with the exception of the US. Similar to the Japanese price hike, Sony also remarked that “challenging economic decisions” led to this difficult decision. Without getting into specifics, the console isn’t the only product about to cost more, as accessories like the DualSense controller and PlayStation VR2 are also experiencing price hikes.

A price hike this late into the console’s life and by this much is rather unusual, and Sony is expecting fewer PS5 sales for the fiscal 2025 year. But despite that slowdown, the PS5 reached 50 million sales last year and is outselling the Xbox Series X/S by a wide margin.

There are also rumors that a PS5 Pro will come out this fall. While it’s not likely why the PS5’s price in Japan is increasing, it’s still a potential factor in how Sony considers pricing the current model. Nevertheless, the PS5 Pro is still unconfirmed.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/sony-hikes-the-playstation-5-price-in-japan-by-19-percent-160557944.html?src=rss

Instagram has introduced new text tools meant to help you design a grid that’s more reflective of your personality. To start with, you can now layer your photos and add text to them, as stickers, to achieve the look you want. You can start the whole process by selecting an image and then tapping the text button to write a text overlay for it in the font that you prefer. If you’d rather layer several images for one post, tap on the gallery button in the top right corner of the screen instead. You can then change the shape of the sticker, which again can contain either a text or another image, into a square, a circle, a heart or a star by tapping on it. 

Speaking of text you can add to your photos, Instagram is adding new fonts you can use in the app. You can combine those fonts with the new animations and effects the app is adding, as well, to jazz up your Reels and Stories. Earlier this month, Instagram doubled the number of photos and videos you can share in a carousel post. From 10 files, the app now allows you to upload up to 20, giving you an easy way to add photo dumps to your account. These new features will let you personalize your photo dumps and to potentially use them as an outlet for your creativity… sort of like how Myspace users could customize their profiles back in the day. In fact, Instagram also recently announced a feature that lets you attach a song to your profile, which Myspace was known for in the early days of social media. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/social-media/instagram-lets-you-add-texts-on-photos-and-layer-images-for-grid-posts-160030041.html?src=rss

The likes of Microsoft, Amazon and Google are looking to repurpose old power stations to meet data center demand.

The beloved platformer Pizza Tower is finally playable on Nintendo Switch, as revealed at the company’s Indie World event. As a matter of fact, it’s one of those surprise drops, so the game’s available right now.

It’s about time the title is on a Nintendo console as, well, it feels like a Nintendo game. Pizza Tower is a frantic 2D sidescroller that cribs a whole lot from the Wario Land franchise and, to a lesser extent, Mario and Sonic games.

You play as a balding chef named, and this is real, Peppino Spaghetti. The game tasks you with scaling the titular tower to fight a sentient pizza that is kind of like the Bowser of Italian food. The game was largely designed by someone named McPig and the soundtrack was created by a high school student. It’s an indie game miracle!

However, forget all of that. Gameplay is where Pizza Tower shines. The movement feels perfect so the platforming is, simply put, S-tier. It’s been polished to a Nintendo-like sheen, which is quite a feat for a high schooler and someone who goes by the moniker McPig. There are tons of fully-realized abilities and a dedication to speed pulled straight from Sonic. Also, Peppino can’t die, allowing for insane platforming experiments.

In other words, this is one heck of a game and now it’s on a Nintendo console. That’s gotta be quite a thrill for the development team.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/nintendo/pizza-tower-has-surprise-dropped-for-nintendo-switch-152859625.html?src=rss

With Google’s Pixel 9 event in the rear view mirror, it’s time to look ahead to the industry’s next big showcase. Apple’s iPhone 16 event, arguably the biggest date on the tech world’s fall calendar, will take place on September 9 at 1PM ET. And as always, rumors about the iPhone 16 lineup have been flying around in the run up to the event.

Apple is using the tagline “It’s Glowtime” on an invite it sent to the media. As usual, the event will take place at the Steve Jobs Theater at the company’s headquarters, Apple Park, in Cupertino, California.

This year is likely to be a more muted one in terms of hardware changes, with Apple perhaps placing more onus on the software side and AI-powered Apple Intelligence features. 

Apple

New iPhone 16 features

Apple will certainly upgrade the chipset that the iPhone runs on, in large part because it will want to make sure all of its current smartphones support Apple Intelligence. As things stand, only the iPhone 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max have enough oomph to do so. Plus, a new chipset is a bare minimum upgrade.

Apple may slightly increase screen sizes this year. The camera array could get a new look on the base iPhone 16, with Apple ditching the square and switching to a vertical orientation. Apple is likely to upgrade the cameras on several models too.

There may be a more significant change on the camera front as Apple is expected to add a capture button that includes zoom gesture controls. The idea is to make it easier to take photos and shoot videos in landscape mode. It’s unclear whether the button will be available on the entire lineup or just the Pro models. However, the iPhone 16 and 16 Plus are expected to lose the mute switch in favor of the action button that debuted on the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max. 

Apple Watch Series 10

Meanwhile, Apple typically debuts new Apple Watch models at its iPhone events. The Apple Watch Series 10 (or Series X, perhaps) is expected to have a new chip that will either make the device more powerful or power efficient. The screen could be much bigger, with reports suggesting that Apple plans to ditch the 41mm variant and introduce a 49mm one. Rumors also suggest Apple is redesigning the band system with new connectors. This could, unfortunately, prevent you from using your existing bands on the Series X.

Everything else

It’s all but certain that iOS 18, iPadOS 18, macOS Sequoia, watchOS 11 and Apple’s other major operating system updates will go live very soon after the event. However, the much-hyped Apple Intelligence features won’t be available right away. Since those are in the iOS 18.1 beta, most people will have to wait for the public rollout of that version (and equivalent OS versions on other compatible devices) to try out Apple Intelligence. It’s expected that Apple will release iOS 18.1 in October.

Word on the street also suggests that we’ll get some updated AirPods at the event. We may see both entry-level and mid-tier versions of the AirPods 4 in a couple of weeks, with only the latter supporting wireless charging for the case.

You’ll be able to watch the iPhone 16 event live on YouTube, Apple’s website and the Apple TV app. As ever, we’ll have full coverage of all the big news right here on Engadget.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/the-apple-iphone-16-event-is-officially-set-for-september-9-apple-watch-airpods-and-more-160432294.html?src=rss

Companies charging you for AI access to content created by others is all wrong.

Amazon Prime Gaming members can now claim three Lord of the Rings games free of charge.