In today’s daily deals, we’re keeping the Mario Day party going into the weekend. Check out deals on some of Mario’s best Nintendo Switch games, including Super Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and more. Plus, deals on Mario-themed Switch consoles, Super Mario amiibo, and more.
Beyond Nintendo’s mascot, we’ve got deals on Hunter x Hunter and Dragon Ball for anime and manga fans, discounts on games like Marvel’s Midnight Suns and Red Dead Redemption 2, and a lot more. Check out these deals and more below.
Mario Day Deal: Buy a Nintendo Switch Console with Mario Red Controllers, Get Free Game of Your Choice
Mario Day Sale
Nintendo Switch Mario Choose One Bundle
Mario Day may have come and gone, but the deals are still here! With this bundle, not only do you get the Nintendo Switch console with the rare Mario Red Joy-Con controllers, you also get to choose one game among these three: Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Super Mario Odyssey, or Super Mario Bros U Deluxe. This is a more tempting deal than what we saw on Black Friday, which was a Switch with Neon controllers and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe for the same price.
Super Mario amiibo Reprints Are Still In Stock
The Mario Day celebrations just keep on rolling, this time with a restock of select figures from the Super Mario Bros. line of amiibo. Right now, you can grab Bowser, Mario, Peach, or Donkey Kong amiibo figures at Amazon. These originally released way back in 2015, and this reprint marks one of their only returns to shelves in the years since. Once they’re gone, there’s no guarantee they’ll ever be back at this price, so you’ll want to act now.
Mar10 (Mario) Day Sale Nintendo Switch Games
Several Nintendo Switch games have been discounted as part of the Mario Day Sale. Best Buy has discounted several AAA Nintendo games from $59.99 to $39.99. These include several must-have games like Super Mario 3D World + Bowser’s Fury, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Odyssey, and more. Best Buy offers free shipping on all of these video games.
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope Is 50% Off
Nintendo Switch
Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope
50% off $59.99
Mario + Rabbids: Sparks of Hope somehow seemed to fly under the radar last fall despite its strong critical reception. Fortunately, it’s not too late to grab the sequel to Nintendo and Ubisoft’s XCOM-style game, as Sparks of Hope is 50% off today. If you’re still feeling that hype from Mar10 Day, this is technically Mario’s most recent outing on Switch, making it a great time to jump on board.
Get Red Dead Redemption 2 for $21.99
What more is there to say about Red Dead Redemption 2? The game is a masterpiece, and if you somehow still haven’t checked it out in the last four years, you can grab a physical version on PS4 today for cheap. The game still looks amazing, and it feels great to explore the wild west as Arthur Morgan.
Nintendo Switch Sports Is 20% Off
The physical version of Nintendo Switch Sports is usually $10 more expensive than the digital version due to the included leg strap, but today, the prices are one and the same. You can grab the physical bundle for $39.99 and enjoy everything Nintendo Switch Sports has to offer, including golf, tennis, soccer, badminton, volleyball, swordplay, and of course, bowling.
Grab Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition for 43% Off on PS5
PlayStation 5
Marvel’s Midnight Suns Enhanced Edition
43% off $69.99
Marvel’s Midnight Suns is a solid XCOM-like game starring Marvel superheroes, and the PS5 version is on a big discount today. You can grab the PlayStation 5 enhanced edition for $39.99, a whopping $30 of the original price.
LEGO Icons Atari 2600 for 12% Off
LEGO has been making some great sets for gamers lately. From the Nintendo NES and TV set, to the Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck, there’s never been a better time to be a video game and LEGO fan. One set you shouldn’t overlook is the LEGO Icons Atari 2600, which recreates one of gaming’s most vintage consoles in LEGO form. In addition to the console and joystick, it comes with three replicas of classic Atari games, including Centipede, Asteroids, and Adventure.
Dragon Ball Complete Box Set for 41% Off
Dragon Ball
Dragon Ball Complete Box Set
41% off $139.99
It was an exciting week for Dragon Ball fans, as we learned that a new Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi game is in development. However, some fans really wanted a prequel to Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, telling the original story of Dragon Ball in video game form. It seems like we’re not getting that for the time being, so for now, you can relive young Goku’s original adventures with the complete Dragon Ball box set. Containing 16 volumes, this set shows Goku’s initial training, and introduces classic characters from the Dragon Ball Z anime at their earliest.
Hunter x Hunter: The Complete Series for 28% Off
Hunter x Hunter: The Complete Series
28% off $141.11
Hunter x Hunter is a classic anime, and you can own the entire series for yourself for 29% off today. Hunter x Hunter: The Complete Series includes all 148 episodes in one box set across 24 Blu-ray discs. The set includes English and Japanese audio, so you’ve covered whether you like the sub or dub. There are also a handful of special features, like cast interviews, art galleries, and more.
Get Hyrule Historia and Other Zelda Books for Cheap
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Creating a Champion
Breath of the Wild: Creating a Champion is an amazing book with concept art, development details, and a lot more about Nintendo’s open world masterpiece. It’s an absolute steal at under $30, and something any Zelda fan should have. And that’s not the only Zelda hardback book on sale today. You can also get great prices on Art and Artifacts, the Zelda Encyclopedia, and Hyrule Historia, which contains the much-debated Zelda timeline.
More Deals from This Week
10% Off PS5 God of War: Ragnarok Console Bundle
Use code: “ZIPPIDY10” and Zip Checkout
Use code: ZIPPIDY10
PlayStation 5 Disc Edition God of War Bundle
Must use ZIP Checkout
Use promo code “ZIPPIDY10”
10% off $559.99
So far we haven’t seen any discount on the PlayStation 5 console from an authorized reseller. That means any discount is worth mentioning, even if it requires a little bit extra legwork. Today, Newegg is offering 10% off the PS5 Disc Edition God of War: Ragnarok console bundle, or $503.99, after applying code: ZIPPIDY10 and checking out with Zip.
10% Off Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 Console Bundle
Use code: “ZIPPIDY10” and Zip Checkout
Use code: ZIPPIDY10
Xbox Series X Forza Horizon 5 Bundle
Must use ZIP Checkout
Use promo code “ZIPPIDY10”
10% off $559.99
Newegg is offering a similar deal on an Xbox Series X bundle. Again, you’ll need to use Zip Checkout to take advantage of this deal. With the coupon code applied, you’re essentially getting Forza Horizon 5 and the Hot Wheels expansion pack for free.
LEGO Horizon Forbidden West Tallneck for $75.99
LEGO Horizon Forbidden West: Tallneck 76989 1,222 Piece Building Kit
16% off $89.99
The LEGO Tallneck is a really fun build because unlike some of the other newer LEGO sets, this model consists of a good variety of bricks in shape, size, and color. It’s also impressively sized at 15″ height. The 1,222 brick count means this build won’t take a huge chunk out of your time. At this price you’re only paying 6 cents a brick, which is an excellent deal as far as LEGO themed sets go. This discount doesn’t come around very often (it’s the first time in 2023) so don’t hesitate. We built this model ourselves and loved it.
This is definitely the best price we’ve seen for a PS5-compatible 1TB SSD. A PS5 “compatible” SSD is a PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 solid state drive with a rated 5,500MB/s read speed to match the PS5’s internal drive. That means, for better or for worse, picking a top-shelf SSD. Note that Sony recommends a heatsink attached to your SSD. The Acer Predator has a thick graphene thermal pad attached on top. You could probably use it as is but if you want a beefier solution, you can peel off the thermal pad and install your own heatsink (we recommend this one for $10).
2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ 64GB for $269
Today Amazon has the 2021 Apple iPad 10.2″ Wi-Fi 64GB tablet for only $269.00, and 18% price drop from its $329 MSRP. Among all the iPad models, the 10.2″ iPad is the lowest priced. Even at MSRP, it’s $170 cheaper than the iPad Mini, $270 cheaper than the iPad Air, and $470 cheaper than the iPad Pro. Despite its low price tag, this is a capable and fully featured tablet. The Apple A13 Bionic chip offers very good CPU and GPU performance and the large 10.2-inch Retina display is bright and crisp. It’s a great option for school, work, or simply relaxing with your favorite movie, book, or streaming service. iPad also features both a front-facing camera for voice chat, and rear camera for taking photos and videos.
Dell G16 16″ Intel Core i9-12900H Alder Lake RTX 3070 Gaming Laptop for $1399.99
Dell is offering a Dell G16 16″ gaming laptop equipped with a 12th generation Intel Core i9 Alder Lake CPU and GeForce RTX 3070 GPU for only $1399.99 after $400 in instant savings. Dell’s G-series gaming laptops offer specs similar to Alienware laptops but without the higher Alienware price point.
HP OMEN 17″ RTX 4080 Gaming Laptop for $2399
HP OMEN 17″ 2560×1440 Intel Core i9-13900HX RTX 4080 Laptop with 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
8% off $2,599.99
$2,399.99
HP is offering an HP ENVY 17″ gaming laptop equipped with an RTX 4080 GPU for only $2399.99. If you’re looking for an absolute monster of a gaming laptop, then the RTX 4080 or 4090 is the way to go. HP’s price is among the lowest you’ll find for an RTX 4080 laptop. RTX 4090 laptops are currenty selling for over $4000.
The RTX 4080 mobile GPU performs about 20%-35% faster than the RTX 3080 Ti mobile. Compared to desktop variants, the mobile RTX 4080 approaches a performance level similar to the desktop RTX 3070 Ti. It’s definitely more than enough power to run games on the native 1440p display at near maximum settings depending on the title.
HP ENVY RTX 3070 Gaming PC for $1229.99
HP ENVY Intel Core i9-12900 RTX 3070 Gaming PC with 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD
28% off $1,699.99
$1,229.99
Here’s a pretty nice deal on an excellent gaming PC for around $1200. This HP ENVY PC features a 12th gen Intel Core i9-12900 16-core Alder Lake CPU, GeForce RTX 3070 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. The Intel Core i9-12900 is one of the best CPUs available… you’d need to get an Intel Raptor Lake or AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPU to get anything as good or better. The RTX 3070 is a very solid video card for this price level; it will easily get you 60fps+ at up to 1440p gaming.
New Release: Gigabyte G5 15″ Intel Core i5-12500H RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop for $1099
The new generation of laptops is here! The Gigabyte G5 gaming laptop equipped with the new GeForce RTX 4060 GPU starts at an unbeatable price of $1099. That’s about the same price you’ll find an RTX 3060 equipped laptop, and this one is way faster. The RTX 4060 laptops are so new that there aren’t many reviews yet, but the first leaks show it performing better than a mobile RTX 3070, plus there’s the benefit of DLSS 3.0. This GPU should be able to run most games at 144fps on the native 1080p display. Note that there’s only 8GB of RAM included, which might be enough for you. If it isn’t, the RAM is user upgradeable.
The GeForce RTX 4090 GPU Is Finally Down to MSRP
ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4090 Video Card
$1,949.99
MSI GeForce RTX 4090 Gaming Trio Video Card Now at Stock 4090 MSRP
The GeForce RTX 4090 GPU is still a difficult card to find without a price markup. There’s a good reason for it, though. Despite the considerably higher price tag, the RTX 4090 is a beast of a card that dominates every other GPU out there, including the 4080. Amazon has steadily lowered the price of certain 4090 models over the past month and today, finally, there’s an RTX 4080 as the base stock price of $1599.99.
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion for $24.49
Gloomhaven: Jaws of The Lion Board Game
51% off $49.99
Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion is Celopahir Games’ followup release to the hugely successful Gloomhaven board game. It offers a similar gameplay experience to the original and far more daunting Gloomhaven but it’s been condensed to make the game more accessible to casual players; that means a simpler rule set, a more developed tutorial, and fewer overall pieces on the board. You’re still playing a cooperative campaign that emphasizes tactical combat and RPG-stye character building.
Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PS5 SSD for PS5 for $131.99
Constantly going in and out of stock
Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD (up to 6600Mbps)
59% off $319.99
Crucial P5 Plus 2TB PCIe Gen4 x4 M.2 SSD (up to 6600Mbps) with Heatsink
57% off $339.99
Crucial’s newest M.2 SSD meets all the requirements for your PS5 SSD upgrade. It supports transfer speeds of up to 6,660MB/s which is well above the 5,500MB/s minimum threshold. Yes there are faster SSDs out there, but if your intention is to put this in your PS5, then that extra speed is worthless because you’re bottlenecked by the original PS5 SSD. If you’re worried about opening up your PS5 case, don’t worry it’s very easy. Crucial has an official YouTube PS5 SSD install guide to see you through the process.
The federal government is ordering the dissolution of TikTok’s Canadian business after a national security review of the Chinese company behind the social media platform, but stopped short of ordering people to stay off the app.
Industry Minister François-Philippe Champagne announced the government’s “wind up” demand Wednesday, saying it is meant to address “risks” related to ByteDance Ltd.’s establishment of TikTok Technology Canada Inc.
“The decision was based on the information and evidence collected over the course of the review and on the advice of Canada’s security and intelligence community and other government partners,” he said in a statement.
The announcement added that the government is not blocking Canadians’ access to the TikTok application or their ability to create content.
However, it urged people to “adopt good cybersecurity practices and assess the possible risks of using social media platforms and applications, including how their information is likely to be protected, managed, used and shared by foreign actors, as well as to be aware of which country’s laws apply.”
Champagne’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment seeking details about what evidence led to the government’s dissolution demand, how long ByteDance has to comply and why the app is not being banned.
A TikTok spokesperson said in a statement that the shutdown of its Canadian offices will mean the loss of hundreds of well-paying local jobs.
“We will challenge this order in court,” the spokesperson said.
“The TikTok platform will remain available for creators to find an audience, explore new interests and for businesses to thrive.”
The federal Liberals ordered a national security review of TikTok in September 2023, but it was not public knowledge until The Canadian Press reported in March that it was investigating the company.
At the time, it said the review was based on the expansion of a business, which it said constituted the establishment of a new Canadian entity. It declined to provide any further details about what expansion it was reviewing.
A government database showed a notification of new business from TikTok in June 2023. It said Network Sense Ventures Ltd. in Toronto and Vancouver would engage in “marketing, advertising, and content/creator development activities in relation to the use of the TikTok app in Canada.”
Even before the review, ByteDance and TikTok were lightning rod for privacy and safety concerns because Chinese national security laws compel organizations in the country to assist with intelligence gathering.
Such concerns led the U.S. House of Representatives to pass a bill in March designed to ban TikTok unless its China-based owner sells its stake in the business.
Champagne’s office has maintained Canada’s review was not related to the U.S. bill, which has yet to pass.
Canada’s review was carried out through the Investment Canada Act, which allows the government to investigate any foreign investment with potential to might harm national security.
While cabinet can make investors sell parts of the business or shares, Champagne has said the act doesn’t allow him to disclose details of the review.
Wednesday’s dissolution order was made in accordance with the act.
The federal government banned TikTok from its mobile devices in February 2023 following the launch of an investigation into the company by federal and provincial privacy commissioners.
— With files from Anja Karadeglija in Ottawa
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
LONDON (AP) — Most people have accumulated a pile of data — selfies, emails, videos and more — on their social media and digital accounts over their lifetimes. What happens to it when we die?
It’s wise to draft a will spelling out who inherits your physical assets after you’re gone, but don’t forget to take care of your digital estate too. Friends and family might treasure files and posts you’ve left behind, but they could get lost in digital purgatory after you pass away unless you take some simple steps.
Here’s how you can prepare your digital life for your survivors:
Apple
The iPhone maker lets you nominate a “ legacy contact ” who can access your Apple account’s data after you die. The company says it’s a secure way to give trusted people access to photos, files and messages. To set it up you’ll need an Apple device with a fairly recent operating system — iPhones and iPads need iOS or iPadOS 15.2 and MacBooks needs macOS Monterey 12.1.
For iPhones, go to settings, tap Sign-in & Security and then Legacy Contact. You can name one or more people, and they don’t need an Apple ID or device.
You’ll have to share an access key with your contact. It can be a digital version sent electronically, or you can print a copy or save it as a screenshot or PDF.
Take note that there are some types of files you won’t be able to pass on — including digital rights-protected music, movies and passwords stored in Apple’s password manager. Legacy contacts can only access a deceased user’s account for three years before Apple deletes the account.
Google
Google takes a different approach with its Inactive Account Manager, which allows you to share your data with someone if it notices that you’ve stopped using your account.
When setting it up, you need to decide how long Google should wait — from three to 18 months — before considering your account inactive. Once that time is up, Google can notify up to 10 people.
You can write a message informing them you’ve stopped using the account, and, optionally, include a link to download your data. You can choose what types of data they can access — including emails, photos, calendar entries and YouTube videos.
There’s also an option to automatically delete your account after three months of inactivity, so your contacts will have to download any data before that deadline.
Facebook and Instagram
Some social media platforms can preserve accounts for people who have died so that friends and family can honor their memories.
When users of Facebook or Instagram die, parent company Meta says it can memorialize the account if it gets a “valid request” from a friend or family member. Requests can be submitted through an online form.
The social media company strongly recommends Facebook users add a legacy contact to look after their memorial accounts. Legacy contacts can do things like respond to new friend requests and update pinned posts, but they can’t read private messages or remove or alter previous posts. You can only choose one person, who also has to have a Facebook account.
You can also ask Facebook or Instagram to delete a deceased user’s account if you’re a close family member or an executor. You’ll need to send in documents like a death certificate.
TikTok
The video-sharing platform says that if a user has died, people can submit a request to memorialize the account through the settings menu. Go to the Report a Problem section, then Account and profile, then Manage account, where you can report a deceased user.
Once an account has been memorialized, it will be labeled “Remembering.” No one will be able to log into the account, which prevents anyone from editing the profile or using the account to post new content or send messages.
X
It’s not possible to nominate a legacy contact on Elon Musk’s social media site. But family members or an authorized person can submit a request to deactivate a deceased user’s account.
Passwords
Besides the major online services, you’ll probably have dozens if not hundreds of other digital accounts that your survivors might need to access. You could just write all your login credentials down in a notebook and put it somewhere safe. But making a physical copy presents its own vulnerabilities. What if you lose track of it? What if someone finds it?
Instead, consider a password manager that has an emergency access feature. Password managers are digital vaults that you can use to store all your credentials. Some, like Keeper,Bitwarden and NordPass, allow users to nominate one or more trusted contacts who can access their keys in case of an emergency such as a death.
But there are a few catches: Those contacts also need to use the same password manager and you might have to pay for the service.
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Is there a tech challenge you need help figuring out? Write to us at onetechtip@ap.org with your questions.
LONDON (AP) — Britain’s competition watchdog said Thursday it’s opening a formal investigation into Google’s partnership with artificial intelligence startup Anthropic.
The Competition and Markets Authority said it has “sufficient information” to launch an initial probe after it sought input earlier this year on whether the deal would stifle competition.
The CMA has until Dec. 19 to decide whether to approve the deal or escalate its investigation.
“Google is committed to building the most open and innovative AI ecosystem in the world,” the company said. “Anthropic is free to use multiple cloud providers and does, and we don’t demand exclusive tech rights.”
San Francisco-based Anthropic was founded in 2021 by siblings Dario and Daniela Amodei, who previously worked at ChatGPT maker OpenAI. The company has focused on increasing the safety and reliability of AI models. Google reportedly agreed last year to make a multibillion-dollar investment in Anthropic, which has a popular chatbot named Claude.
Anthropic said it’s cooperating with the regulator and will provide “the complete picture about Google’s investment and our commercial collaboration.”
“We are an independent company and none of our strategic partnerships or investor relationships diminish the independence of our corporate governance or our freedom to partner with others,” it said in a statement.
The U.K. regulator has been scrutinizing a raft of AI deals as investment money floods into the industry to capitalize on the artificial intelligence boom. Last month it cleared Anthropic’s $4 billion deal with Amazon and it has also signed off on Microsoft’s deals with two other AI startups, Inflection and Mistral.
