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No matter how hard we try, it always feels like our storage quickly runs out. Thankfully, we live in a world where microSDs exist and, even better, our favorites go on sale. Right now, the 512GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD with an adapter is down to $30 from $84 a 64 percent discount. The record-low price is available on the model with a read speed of 180MB per second. Samsung's Pro Plus is our top choice for a microSD, and is the best option for most people. Along with that read speed, the microSD has a sequential write performance of 130MB per second and came in second for random read and write speeds of all the microSDs we tested. At these speeds, it should work great whether you use it on a camera or with a gaming handheld, but it cinched the top spot thanks to its overall affordability. This microSD can also store 4K UHD video and has the latest U3 and V30 speeds. Plus, with the addition of a USB reader, it should have no trouble reaching its maximum speeds. If you don't need a full 512GB, then check out the 256GB Samsung Pro Plus microSD. It's currently discounted by 58 percent, dropping to $20 from $48. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/early-prime-day-deals-include-our-favorite-microsd-card-for-64-percent-off-143509090.html?src=rss
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Apple's macOS updates have been so dull lately, the most interesting part of last year's macOS Sonoma ended up being widgets. Widgets! Thankfully, macOS Sequoia has a lot more going on or at least it will, once Apple Intelligence rolls out over the next few months. For now, though, Sequoia delivers a few helpful features like iPhone Mirroring, a full-fledged Passwords app and automatic transcription in the Notes app. At the very least, it's got a lot more going on than widgets. iPhone mirroring changes everything for Macs Heading into WWDC earlier this year, I was hoping that Apple would let Vision Pro users mirror their iPhones just as easily as they can mirror their Macs. Well, we didn't get that, but iPhone Mirroring on macOS Sequoia is close to what I'd want on the Vision Pro. Once you've got a Mac (with an Apple Silicon chip, or one of the last Intel models with a T2 security chip) running the new OS, as well as an iPhone running iOS 18, you can easily pair the two using the iPhone Mirroring app. Once that connection is made, you'll see a complete replication of your phone within the app. It took me a few minutes to get used to navigating iOS with a trackpad and keyboard (there are a few new hotkeys worth learning), but once I did, I had no trouble opening my usual iPhone apps and games. If you're spoiled by the 120Hz ProMotion screen from an iPhone Pro, you'll notice that the mirrored connection doesn't look nearly as smooth, but from my testing it held a steady 60fps throughout games and videos. I didn't notice any annoying audio or video lag either. Apple While it's nice to be able to launch my iPhone from my Mac, I was surprised at what ended up being the most useful aspect of this feature: Notifications. Once you've connected your phone, its alerts pop up in your Mac's Notification Center, and it takes just one click to launch the app it's tied to. That's useful for alerts from Instagram, DoorDash and other popular apps that have no real Mac options, aside from launching their websites in a browser. iPhone Mirroring is also a sneaky way to get in a few rounds of Vampire Survivors during interminably long meetings or classes. (Not that I would ever do such a thing.) While many mobile games have made their way over to the Mac App Store, there are still thousands that haven't, so it's nice to have a way to access them on a larger screen. Not every game works well on Macs it's just tough to replicate a handheld touchscreen experience with a large trackpad but mirroring is a decent option for slower-paced titles. I didn't encounter any strange framerate or lagging issues, and sound carried over flawlessly as well. I typically always have my phone within reach, even when I'm working at a desk. But picking it up would inevitably disrupt my workflow it's just far too easy to get a notification and find yourself scrolling TikTok or Instagram, with no memory of how you got there. With iPhone Mirroring, I can just keep on working on my Mac without missing any updates from my phone. It's also been useful when my iPhone is connected to a wireless charger and I desperately need more power before I run out the house. If you're the sort of person who leaves your phone around your home, I'd bet mirroring would also be helpful. The feature requires having both Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, and the connection range is around 50 feet, or what I'd expect from Bluetooth. Thick walls and other obstructions can also reduce that range significantly. In my testing, I could leave my iPhone in my backyard and still be able to mirror it in my living room 40 feet away. Naturally, the further you get, the choppier the experience. Sure, Apple isn't the first company to bring smartphone mirroring to PCs. Samsung and other Android phone makers have been offering it for years, and Microsoft also has the "Phone Link" app (formerly Your Phone) for mirroring and file syncing. But those implementations differ dramatically depending on the smartphone you're using, they don't seamlessly integrate notifications and simply put, they would often fail to connect. Once you set up iPhone Mirroring, getting into your phone takes just a few seconds. It just works. And after testing the feature for weeks, I haven't run into any major connection issues. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Better window tiling, finally! It's 2024 and Apple has finally made it easier to position Mac windows around your monitor. Now you can drag apps to the sides or corners of your screen, and they'll automatically adjust themselves. It's allowed me to quickly place a browser I'm using for research alongside an Evernote window or Google Doc. Similar to Stage Manager in macOS Ventura, the tiling shortcuts are a significant shift for Mac window management. And, of course, they're also clearly similar to Windows 10 and 11's snapping feature. Given that much of Apple's UI focus is on iOS, iPadOS and VisionOS these days, it's easy to feel like the Mac has been left behind a bit. I don't blame Apple for cribbing Microsoft's UI innovations, especially when it makes life easier for Mac users. Photo by Devindra Hardawar/Engadget Slick video conferencing background replacement Apple has offered lighting adjustments and portrait background blurring in video chats for years, and now it's using that same machine learning technology to completely replace your backgrounds. Admittedly, this isn't a very new or exciting feature. But it's worth highlighting becaue it works across every video chat app on your Mac, and since it's relying on Apple's Neural Engine, it looks much better than software-based background replacements. Apple's technology does a better job of keeping your hair and clothes within focus, but still separated from artificial backgrounds. And best of all, it doesn't look like a cheap green screen effect. You can choose from a few color gradients, shots of Apple Park or your own pictures or videos. Other highlights of macOS Sequoia Here are a few other upgrades I appreciated: The Passwords app does a decent job of collecting your stored passwords, but it's clearly just a first attempt. It's not nearly as smart about plugging in my passwords into browser fields as apps like 1Password and LastPass. The Notes app now lets you record voice notes and automatically transcribes them. You can also continue to jot down text during a voice recording, making it a useful way to keep track of interviews and lectures. I'm hoping future updates add features like multi-speaker detection. Being able to jot down math equations in Notes is cool, but it's not something I rely on daily. I'm sure it'll be very useful to high school and college kids taking advanced math courses, though. Messages finally gets rich text formatting and a send later option. Huzzah! Finally, a macOS update worth getting excited about Youd be forgiven for completely ignoring the last batch of macOS updates, especially if you havent been excited about Stage Manager or, sigh, widgets. But if youre a Mac and iPhone owner, Sequoia is worth an immediate upgrade. Being able to mirror your iPhone and its notifications is genuinely useful, and its stuffed with other helpful features. And of course, if you want to get some Apple Intelligence action next month, youll have no choice but to upgrade. (Well have further impressions on all of Apples AI features as they launch.) Sure, its a bit ironic that Apples aging desktop OS is getting a shot of life via its mobile platform, but honestly, the best recent Mac features have been directly lifted from iOS and iPadOS. Its clear that Apple is prioritizing the devices that get updated far more frequently than laptops and desktops. I cant blame the company for being realistic for now, Im just glad its thoughtfully trying to make its devices play nice together. (And seriously, just bring iPhone mirroring to the Vision Pro already.)This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/computing/macos-sequoia-review-iphone-mirroring-is-more-useful-than-you-think-140008463.html?src=rss
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Last month the Google TV Streamer was announced as a replacement for the Chromecast line and it's arriving in stores today for $100. As part of that, Google is bringing TV Streamer features like the the smart home panel and AI to Google TVs from Hisense and others. A key feature is the previously announced home panel that's now coming to Google TVs as well. You can see and control all compatible smart home devices (lights, thermostats, cameras, etc.) directly on your TV either with your voice or the Google Assistant. New doorbell notifications also show you who's at the front door without pausing your program. Google also announced a few new features we haven't seen yet. If you want to use your TV as a picture frame, the Ambient screensaver displays Google photos and even lets you create AI-generated designs through a series of prompts. The latter is a pretty novel feature, if you don't mind looking at soulless machine-created art. Google Speaking of AI, Google is adding "enhanced" Gemini-created AI overviews (above) for popular movies and series on streaming services like HBO. "These overviews include full summaries, audience reviews and season-by-season breakdowns" to help you choose a show, Google said. Other new features include a new sports page in the For You tab that puts games, YouTube highlights, commentary and more in one place. Google also added a guide for its live TV Freeplay service (previously soft-launched) so you can better keep track of its 150 or so free channels. The new features are set to roll out today on the Google TV Streamer and smart Google TVs from Hisense and TCL, or projectors from Epson and XGIMI. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/entertainment/streaming/google-tv-streamer-goes-on-sale-today-with-home-panel-sports-page-and-more-140005554.html?src=rss
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