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With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping ahead of time, without paying more than you have to. To help you cut through the noise, we're rounding up the best early Black Friday deals we can find in one easy place. While most major tech retailers haven't started their early sales in earnest just yet, we've seen more than a few new discounts on gadgets we recommend pop up this week, bringing the iPad Air, Bose QuietComfort Headphones and Hisense 4K TVs, among others, down to their lowest prices to date. We'll continuously update this post as more Black Friday sales pop up, so if you've been eyeing something else, be sure to check back. Apple iPad Air (11-inch, M2) for $497 at Amazon ($102 off MSRP): This is a new low for the latest iPad Air, which we consider to be the best Apple tablet for most people. While it lacks the top-end performance and 120Hz OLED panel of the iPad Pro, it's much less expensive, and it still gets you a more futureproof M2 chip, a superior display and better accessory support than the base-model iPad. Also at Best Buy. Apple iPad Air (13-inch, M2) for $694 at Amazon ($104 off): If you'd prefer more screen space, the 13-inch iPad Air is also down to an all-time low at Amazon and Best Buy. This model can get slightly brighter than its smaller counterpart, but the two slates are virtually identical otherwise. Apple iPad mini (7th gen) for $400 at Amazon ($100 off): The latest iPad mini only just arrived this month, but it's already $100 off with an on-page coupon at Amazon. Only the purple colorway is on sale, but this is a giant discount for a new Apple release, so we wouldn't expect it to last long. We gave the new mini a review score of 83: It's a minor refresh, but it continues to provide most of the iPad Air's strengths in a form factor that's easier to tuck in a bag and hold with one hand. This deal is available in additional colors at Costco, but only to store members. The Apple iPad Air (M2).Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget Apple Pencil Pro for $93 at Amazon ($36 off): While this deal is a couple bucks higher than the lowest price we've ever seen for Apple's top-of-the-line iPad stylus, it's still a sizable drop compared to buying from Apple directly. Just be aware that Pencil Pro is only compatible with the most recent iPad Airs and iPad Pros. Also at Walmart. Apple AirTag (4-pack) for $74 at Amazon ($25 off): The AirTag is, unsurprisingly, the top pick for iPhone users in our guide to the best Bluetooth trackers, as it uses Apple's giant network of Apple devices and ultrawideband tech to locate items accurately. Its effectiveness has had deeply unfortunate side effects, but if you use it as intended, it can provide a little extra peace of mind. While not an all-time low, this deal is a welcome drop from the usual $80 street price we've seen for a four-pack in recent months. Also at Best Buy. Apple MacBook Air (13.6-inch, M2) for $700 at Amazon ($300 off): This matches the all-time low for Apple's last-gen MacBook Air, which remains a perfectly competent notebook for everyday use. The caveat is that this model only comes with 8GB of RAM, so it's really only meant for lower-power tasks. Apple (finally) made 16GB of memory the standard across its MacBook lineup earlier this week, so this might be an instance of Apple trying to clear out old inventory. Still, this is a great value if you only need a laptop for basic web browsing, emailing and word processing. Clip the on-page coupon to see the full discount. The Beats Solo 4.Billy Steele for Engadget Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $45 at Amazon ($35 off, Prime only): The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn't the best, and it won't auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we've seen it's only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker's online store with an on-page coupon. Beats Solo 4 for $100 at Amazon ($100 off): The Solo 4 is light on features and may be uncomfortable on larger heads, but its even-handed sound and 50+-hour battery life make it worth considering if you prefer a more compact on-ear design instead of traditional over-ears. We gave it a score of 79 in our review. This discount ties an all-time low and is also available at Walmart, Target and Best Buy. The full-size Beats Studio Pro is discounted as well, but that pair is a bit harder to recommend over the top picks in our wireless headphone buying guide. Bose QuietComfort Headphones for $199 at Amazon ($150 off): This ties the lowest price we've seen for Bose's mid-tier noise-canceling headphones. At this price, their effective ANC and light fit make them a worthy alternative to higher-end pairs like the Sony WH-1000XM5 (our favorite pair overall). That said, their bass-heavy sound won't be for everyone, and the XM5 has a more comprehensive feature set. Also at Bose.com, Target and Best Buy. The higher-end QuietComfort Ultra, meanwhile, are $100 off and put out even stronger ANC, though we still prefer the XM5 for around the same price. Anker Soundcore Motion+ for $69 at Amazon ($31 off): We recommend the Soundcore Motion+ in our guide to the best portable Bluetooth speakers. While it isn't especially light or compact, it pumps out a more spacious sound than most speakers in its price range, it's waterproof and it lasts a decent 12 to 15 hours per charge. We've seen this discount a few times before, but it comes within a few bucks of the lowest price we've tracked. Also at Anker's online store with an on-page coupon. The Anker Soundcore Motion+.Photo by Jon Turi / Engadget Amazon Fire HD 10 for $75 at Amazon ($65 off): No Fire HD tablet comes close to matching the performance, build quality and app support of an iPad, but they're significantly more affordable, and they still work well enough if all you need is something for casual streaming, e-reading and web browsing. At this price, the 10.1-inch Fire HD 10 is likely a better value than the smaller Fire HD 8, as it has a sharper display, it's a tick faster and it can last slightly longer on a charge. Just be ready to deal with a bunch of ads for Amazon's own apps and services. This discount ties an all-time low, and it's also available at Best Buy and Target. Amazon Echo Show 5 for $50 at Amazon ($40 off): We highlight the Echo Show 5 in our guide to the best smart displays. While the Echo Show 8 which isn't majorly discounted yet has a roomier display, louder speakers and sharper cameras, this 5.5-inch model provides most of the same functionality in a design that's easier to fit on a nightstand. If you're already onboard the Alexa train, it'll work nicely as a smart alarm clock. This deal is $10 more than the all-time low we saw last Black Friday, so it may drop further in the weeks ahead, but for now it matches the best price we've seen in 2024. Also at Target, Kohl's and Best Buy. Blink Outdoor 4 (6-pack) for $180 at Amazon ($300 off): The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent (if not class-leading) 1080p video, it's relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it's a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We've seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it's still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on sale for $250, another low. Audible Premium Plus (3-month) for $1 at Amazon ($29 off): Those who don't currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service's Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible's upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn't call it essential, but if you've been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it'd work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel. The Amazon Echo Show 5.Amazon Hisense U7N 4K TV (65-inch) for $700 at Amazon ($300 off): Various reviews around the web suggest that the U7N is one of the year's better TV values, with impressive brightness and contrast for the money. It supports up to a fast 144Hz refresh rate in 4K, which is great for gaming, and it runs on the easy-to-grok Google TV platform. Its image can wash out when viewed at an angle, though, and it's limited to two HDMI 2.1 ports. This discount is a new low for the 65-inch model. Also at Best Buy. Hisense U8N 4K TV (55-inch) for $728 at Amazon ($371 off): The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense's TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don't mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy. Backbone One (PlayStation Edition) for $60 at PlayStation Direct: The Backbone One is an comfy gamepad that snaps around your phone and lets you play mobile or cloud-based games without having to rely on touch controls. We've recommended it before. This deal on the PlayStation-themed version isn't an all-time low, but it's $10 to $20 less than the usual discounts we've seen over the past year. Sony's listing doesn't specify whether this is the first- or second-gen model the latter can fit a wider range of phones and cases but that shouldn't be a major hindrance if you use an older iPhone or Android device. Both the USB-C and Lightning variants are on sale. Black Friday FAQs When is Black Friday 2024? Black Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year. When do Black Friday deals start? We expect some Black Friday deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and youll likely find early Black Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event. When do Black Friday deals end? Some Black Friday deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended Black Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, weve seen many Black Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday. Where are the best Black Friday deals? There is no one place to buy all of the best Black Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same Black Friday deals available both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure youre getting the best deal before you cross things off your list. Does Apple have Black Friday deals? You typically will not find cash discounts on Apples website for Black Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during Black Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isnt a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple Black Friday deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-early-black-friday-2024-deals-we-could-find-from-amazon-best-buy-and-more-163039545.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Thousands of people took to the streets in Dublin to attend a Halloween parade that never came, according to reporting by The Independent. Why did they do such a thing? It was all due to an AI-generated ad that promoted the fake event. The My Spirit Halloween website advertised the completely fabricated Macnas Halloween Parade, which was supposed to take place from 7PM to 9PM on the streets of Dublin. News of the parade quickly spread online, and it even received a news ranking on Google. People waiting for a halloween parade. #DublinNo Gardai around, no official announcement, people waiting on the wrong side of the road...Someone did pull a big #hoax #Prank pic.twitter.com/zTQUShZrya Artur Martins (@arturmartins) October 31, 2024 So, yeah, thousands of people put on their Halloween costumes and stood on the street for a couple of hours, waiting for an event that would never happen. They even left room in the street for the parade to pass by. Thats thoughtful, but also a bit sad. The situation forced Irelands police force to put out a message to urge would-be parade-goers to disperse safely. A spokesperson for the organization said that contrary to information being circulated online, no Halloween parade is scheduled to take place in Dublin city center this evening or tonight. Please be advised that contrary to information being circulated online, no Halloween parade is scheduled to take place in Dublin City Centre this evening or tonight.All those gathered on OConnell Street in expectation of such a parade are asked to disperse safely.Thank you. pic.twitter.com/KmVPFKEZbP An Garda Síochána (@GardaTraffic) October 31, 2024 Local city councilor Janice Boylan expressed disappointment over the whole situation.Everyone is trying to have a fun and safe Halloween. Having a parade to go to sounded really good, she said. I know an awful lot of people turned up. Its a terrible pity. The My Spirit Halloween listing has been taken down, but there remains the question as to why it turned up in the first place. Its worth noting that this is a different entity from the popular seasonal retailer Spirit Halloween. The My Spirit Halloween website looks to come from Pakistan and posts all kinds of AI-generated content like the ad that caused all of this trouble, according to Yahoo News. This particular post happened to get picked up by TikTok and Google, causing the rapid dissemination of the, literal, fake news. Its pretty wild, right? An AI-generated post likely created in Pakistan caused thousands of actual people to take to the streets halfway across the globe. What is that curse again? Oh yeah. May you live in interesting times.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/an-ai-generated-ad-left-thousands-of-dubliners-waiting-for-a-halloween-parade-that-never-came-162550781.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
Black Friday may be 28 days away, but with the shopping holiday unofficially ballooning to the entire month of November, you can already save big on one of our favorite smart home gadgets. Amazon (Blinks owner) has a bundle of eight Blink Outdoor 4 cameras on sale for $380 off. The security camera usually costs $99 for one, and the bundle typically costs $630. You can get eight today for a mere $250 or six for $180. The Blink Outdoor 4 is only a little over a year old. Compared to its predecessor, the fourth-gen camera has a wider field of view (143 degrees, up from 110), sharper day and night image quality and improved motion detection. Despite its name, you can use it indoors, too. If you pay for a Blink subscription, you also get person detection. It lets you set it up to only get notifications when an intruder is in your yard, not a squirrel or neighborhood cat. The plans cost $3 monthly or $30 annually for one device. If you get the higher Plus tier, which supports unlimited cameras, youll pay $10 monthly or $100 for a year. You can try the plan for 30 days before paying. But remember, the subscription is optional and only required for person detection and storing recorded videos in the cloud. The Blink Outdoor 4 supports 1080p live view, infrared night vision and two-way audio. You can also control it with your voice if you have Alexa devices in your home. Blink estimates the camera will last for up to two years with its included AA lithium batteries. Blink If eight cameras are more than you need, you can also save on a bundle of six Blink Outdoor 4 cameras. Typically costing $480, the early Black Friday deal shaves off $300, leaving you only to pay $180. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/blink-multi-camera-systems-are-up-to-380-off-ahead-of-black-friday-161047669.html?src=rss
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Marketing and Advertising
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