Tag: technews

From a great Ryan Gosling film to an underrated Andrew Garfield drama, these Peacock movies are perfect to watch in the winter.

The Samsung Galaxy S24 series is packed with new features, such as the introduction of Galaxy AI. But are these phones as durable as last year’s models?

Are you unsure about the state of Skull and Bones and would rather test the waters before fully investing? Here is how to join the open beta and give it a try.

He may be the former Man of Steel, but Henry Cavill has more than just superhero cred. These are the 3 underrated Henry Cavill movies that you should watch.

Trying to solve the Wordle today? If you’re stuck, we’ve got a few hints that will help you keep your Wordle streak alive.

Connections is the new puzzle game from the New York Times, and it can be quite difficult. If you need a hand with solving today’s puzzle, we’re here to help.

Arc Search tones down the clutter your average browser, but serves a breathtaking formula for looking up information on the web that will easily win you over.

A new Legend Upgrade system and some ranked play reworks are some of the big changes to Apex Legends around its 5th anniversary.

The Google Chromecast with Google TV is the top pick in our guide to the best streaming devices, as it provides an attractive, detailed interface for navigating apps at an affordable price. If you find the smart platform built into your TV slow or unwieldy and are looking to make a switch, Google has kicked off a new sale that brings the 4K streamer back down to $40. 

Google has run this discount several times in the past: It’s a few bucks more than the lowest price we’ve ever seen, but it’s still $10 off the device’s typical going rate. It’s also the first major discount the Chromecast has received in the new year. The offer is available at several retailers, including Amazon, Best Buy, B&H and the Google Store. According to Google’s listing, it’ll last through February 11.

The 4K Chromecast was released way back in 2020 and doesn’t support Wi-Fi 6 (or 6E), so we wouldn’t be surprised to see a refresh at some point. That said, the existing model is still snappy enough to navigate apps and load up content. It supports all the major streaming services and the most-used HDR formats (Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+), as well as Dolby Atmos audio via HDMI passthrough. The dongle itself plugs directly to a TV’s HDMI port, and it comes with a simple remote that can also control volume and power for your TV (though it lacks a dedicated play/pause button).

But you’d mainly buy the Chromecast for its UI. Instead of presenting a grid of apps like a Roku device, Google TV takes a more content-centric approach, proactively recommending shows and movies you may like based on your viewing history. This works well: Recommendations are pulled from a wide range of services, and series you’ve been watching recently are usually placed toward the top, so it’s easy to jump into the next episode. It can also integrate with certain live TV services like YouTube TV and Sling TV to show what’s on right from the menu. You can create separate personalized profiles for different people, and contextual searches through the Google Assistant typically work great. You’ll still see sponsored content, as with most streamers, but the advertising here generally isn’t egregious as it is on, say, Amazon’s Fire TV Sticks.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K is another affordable option that we recommend in our buying guide; it’s currently available for $39 as well, though that deal has been around for most of the last two months. Its app-based interface is more basic than Google TV, and it’s generally not as precise as the Chromecast when searching for content. But if you want a streamer that just shows you apps and gets out of the way, it might be a better fit. Roku’s streamer also supports Apple AirPlay, so you can beam content to it right from an iPhone. If you’ve got much more cash to burn, meanwhile, the $129 Apple TV 4K is faster and less ad-filled than either device, but that one isn’t significantly discounted right now.

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/the-4k-google-chromecast-is-back-on-sale-for-40-162511339.html?src=rss

Snap, the parent company of Snapchat, is laying off 10 percent of its workforce, according to an SEC filing and confirmed by a company spokesperson. The company reported a total number of 5,367 employees at the end of 2023’s third quarter, so the layoffs should impact around 540 people.

Snap discussed the decision in the SEC filing, saying the layoffs would “best position our business to execute our highest priorities” and ensure it has “the capacity to invest incrementally” over time. The company told us the layoffs were necessary to “reduce hierarchy and promote in-person collaboration.” None of those sentences really mean anything, so let’s just go with “corporate restructuring.” 

Snap said in the filing that it would be issuing severance packages to the impacted employees, but there’s no specific information regarding package details. A Snap spokesperson confirmed to Engadget that it’s “focused on supporting our departing team members.”

These layoffs are happening just one day before Snap is scheduled to report fourth-quarter earnings for 2023. The company actually did pretty well in Q3, beating out Wall Street expectations by about five percent, according to Variety.

If tomorrow’s earnings report is bad, it’ll show why these layoffs are necessary. On the other hand, if it’s better than expected, Snap may be announcing these layoffs now to avoid doing so after a quarter of financial gains. Nobody likes to see a big company massively reduce its headcount after bragging about earnings. Snap told us the company’s in a “quiet period” until tomorrow’s Q4 financial report drops.

This follows another round of layoffs in November, in which Snap let go of 20 product managers. However, both of these news items pale in comparison to Snap’s massive culling in 2022, which eliminated over 1,300 employees.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/snap-is-laying-off-10-percent-of-its-workforce-161146546.html?src=rss