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Shop these Boxing Day sales across tech, fashion and home – CNN

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(CNN) —  

Boxing Day has arrived here in Canada and offers a great chance to pick up any gifts you didn’t grab before Christmas (for loved ones or yourself). There are plenty of savings to be had at Amazon, which is wasting no time with discounts. Currently, devices like Echos, Kindles and Fire TV Sticks are discounted along with jewelry, TVs and household items.

We’ve done the work digging through the sale, as we do here at CNN Underscored, so scroll ahead to see what we’ve highlighted as the best Amazon Boxing Day deals.

4th Gen Echo ($89.99, originally $129.99; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
Amazon

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Amazon’s newest spherical Echo is seeing a sharp discount for Boxing Day. Better yet you’re scoring savings on our top pick for a smart speaker. The 4th Gen Echo gives you instant access to Alexa, room-filling sound and a unique design. You get your pick of four colors: charcoal, twilight blue, glacier white and (PRODUCT) RED.

LeCalla Sterling Silver Set of 3 Balinese Hoop Earring ($29.99, originally $39.99; amazon.ca)

What’s better than a deal on a single pair of earrings? What about three pairs all crafted from sterling silver with modern designs. This three-pack of LeCalla Balinese hoop earrings make a great gift and feature an anti-tarnish coating.

Sony WH-1000XM4 Headphones ($348, originally $498; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
Amazon

These Sony headphones are our top pick for over-ear and noise-canceling headphones. With over 30 hours of battery life, class-leading active noise cancellation, a wide soundstage and a comfortable build they seriously impress.

Philips Hue White & Color Three Pack ($129.99, originally $140.28; amazon.ca)

Looking to expand your smart lighting collection? This three-pack of Philips Hue A19 Bulbs can help accomplish just that. While these need a Hue Hub to work, each of these bulbs can light your space with some inspiring colors and integrates with your smart home ecosystem of choice.

Fire 7 Tablet ($59.99, originally $69.99; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
Amazon

For just CDN $59.99 the Fire 7 provides the basic for entertainment and light productivity. With FireOS in tow you can stream movies and TV shows, rock out to your favorite songs and even play games.

Fujifilm Instax Mini 11 Camera ($69.99, originally $89.99; amazon.ca)

With a compact build and the ability to print photos on the fly, the Instax Mini 11 Camera is a great way to capture memories. It even features a built-in selfie mirror.

75-inch TCL 5-Series 4K TV ($1,399.99, originally $1,499.99; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
TCL

TCL updated the 5-Series in 2020 with a quantum dot panel and a slimmer design. The result is thin bezels and an immersive viewing experience. QLED delivers vibrant colors and images really pop.

Blink Mini ($29.99, originally $44.99; amazon.ca)

This compact indoor security camera works within the Alexa ecosystem. It has a 1080pHD lens with the ability for two-way talk and night vision.

iRobot Roomba 675 ($299.99, originally $369.99; amazon.ca)

iRobot Roomba 960 Robotic Vacuum
iRobot Roomba 960 Robotic Vacuum
PHOTO:
Amazon

This iRobot smart vacuum can handle hardwood and carpet floors alike while also being able to talk pet hair on the ground. It even integrates with Alexa and can easily be emptied.

Galaxy Buds Live ($149.99, originally $204.99; amazon.ca)

Samsung’s latest earbuds might look like beans, but in our testing, they proved to be incredibly comfortable. At the same time, these deliver noise cancellation and a strong sound profile with clear lows, mids and highs.

Fitbit Charge 4 ($149.95, originally $199.95; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
Best Buy

The Charge 4 from Fitbit can track steps, calories and even miles walked. It can sync up with Spotify for easy control and even monitor your heart rate with a sensor on the back.

Fire TV Stick Lite ($39.99, originally $49.99; amazon.ca)

The entry-level Fire TV Stick still plugs right into the HDMI port on the back of your TV and gives you access to thousands of streaming services. It delivers content in 1080pHD.

4th Gen Echo Dot with Clock ($49.99, originally $79.99; amazon.ca)

Echo Dot with clock
Echo Dot with clock
PHOTO:
Amazon

This small spherical Echo delivers modest sound and instant access to Alexa. The big feature is an LED display on the front that tells time.

Select Ray-Ban & Oakley Polarized Sunglasses ($30 off; amazon.ca)

These might be the two most iconic sunglasses brands out there, and they all come with polarized lenses out of the box.

Bose Sport Earbuds ($215, originally $235; amazon.ca)

PHOTO:
Amazon

The basic true wireless earbuds from Bose deliver big value with comfortable ear tips, balanced sound and an ample five hours of battery life. And to ensure a proper fit, Bose includes three ear tips in the box.

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Take-Two Buys Gearbox And Its New ‘Borderlands’ Game From Embracer – Forbes

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If you’re a game developer owned by Embracer Group at this point, you are nervous about layoffs, shutdowns or game cancellations after the last few years. But now, there is a somewhat happy ending for one of them, Gearbox.

It’s just been announced that Take-Two, which owns GTA developer Rockstar, will purchase Gearbox for $460 million. This also includes the properties Gearbox owns, the Borderlands and Tiny Tina’s Wonderlands franchises, Homeworld, Risk of Rain, Brothers in Arms and Duke Nukem. The report says Gearbox has six games in development, five sequels, including a new Borderlands game, the not-announced-but-definitely-happening Borderlands 4. Here’s Strauss Zelnick:

“Our acquisition of Gearbox is an exciting moment for Take-Two and will strengthen our industry-leading creative talent and portfolio of owned intellectual property, including the iconic Borderlands franchise,” said Zelnick, Chairman and CEO of Take-Two. “This combination enhances the financial profile of our existing projects with Gearbox and unlocks the opportunity for us to drive increased long-term growth by leveraging the full resources of Take-Two across all of Gearbox’s exciting initiatives.”

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Gearbox has been working with 2K and Take-Two for decades, so it was a logical place for them to land. This is, of course, not a great look for Embracer, who only purchased Gearbox three years ago. The price tag back then was “worth up to $1.3 billion” but there were a lot of strings attached to that where it’s not necessarily the case that selling for $$460 million netted them a ~$900 million loss.

As for what this means for gamers, it would seem something like the Borderlands franchise is now on more stable ground, as it was hard to believe any project at Embracer is fully safe these days. Last year, Embracer quietly cancelled 29 different unannounced games and shut down seven studios in a six month period including Volition and Free Radical Design. That came with around 1,400 layoffs. More recently, Embracer laid off 97 people at Eidos in Janaury and cancelled a Deus Ex game.

Sufficed to say, those at Gearbox probably feel pretty good about this. And as for Take-Two, Borderlands is still a valuable IP, and Tiny Tina’s Wonderland was a surprise hit. There’s a new Homeworld game coming as well. In an era for multi-billion dollar acquisition, Gearbox for $460 million doesn’t seem that bad. That’s probably a third of what GTA 6 will sell on day one next year.

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What's Brewing in the iPhone 16 Rumor Mill? AI, Action Buttons and More – CNET

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As the iPhone 15 settles into the market, the tech community is buzzing with anticipation for Apple’s next-generation handset, which is expected to be named “iPhone 16.” 

We’ve heard whispers about the iPhone 16’s features, which are said to span from a new power-efficient display to larger screens, better zoom lenses, an action button and, perhaps not surprisingly, a suite of new gen-AI powered features.

Read more: Best iPhone of 2024

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However, the iPhone 16 is still presumably six months away and nothing will be confirmed until Apple’s iPhone event in the fall. Still, these rumors could give us an idea of what to expect from the next iPhone.

Here are the most credible rumors for the iPhone 16.

Will the iPhone 16 fold?

Probably not. The newest rumors suggest Apple has been working on iPhone Flip models in two different sizes, though there have been difficulties in making the devices to Apple’s standards. The company may also be working on a folding tablet with a screen around the size of an iPad Mini. Even though virtually every major phone-maker — from Google to Oppo to OnePlus and Samsung — have launched their own bendable handsets, Apple has been characteristically quiet about whether there will ever be an iPhone Flip or an iPhone Fold.

Prior rumors said Apple may not launch its own flexible screen device until 2025. Samsung hasn’t let phone fans forget it — by releasing an app that will let Apple phone owners experience a Z Fold-esque experience by placing two iPhones side-by-side.

iPhone 16 Pro models to get bigger screens?

Apple has maintained the two screen sizes for iPhone Pro models since 2020 when it launched the 6.1-inch iPhone 12 Pro and the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max. However, that’s rumored to change with the iPhone 16 Pro models, which might get bigger screens.

Display analyst Ross Young suggested earlier this year that the iPhone 16 Pro models will have larger screens, putting the sizes at 6.3 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro and 6.9 inches for the iPhone 16 Pro Max. That rumor was later corroborated by Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman, who said the iPhone 16 Pro models could grow by “a couple tenths of an inch diagonally.”

The iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Plus models are believed to be sticking with the current 6.1-inch and 6.7-inch sizes. If the size increase is accurate, it would be yet another move from Apple to distinguish its Pro iPhone models from its regular ones.

iPhone 15 screen sizes

  • iPhone 15: 6.1 inches.
  • iPhone 15 Plus: 6.7 inches.
  • iPhone 15 Pro: 6.1 inches.
  • iPhone 15 Pro Max: 6.7 inches.

Rumored iPhone 16 screen sizes

  • iPhone 16: 6.1 inches.
  • iPhone 16 Plus: 6.7 inches.
  • iPhone 16 Pro: 6.3 inches.
  • iPhone 16 Pro Max: 6.9 inches.

iPhone 16 gets more AI tricks

One of the most salient selling points of Samsung’s Galaxy S24 series and Google’s Pixel 8 lineup were each of their souped-up AI tips and tricks, and it wouldn’t be a major shock if Apple went in the same direction. Apple CEO Tim Cook has gone on the record this year confirming Apple sees “a huge opportunity for Apple with gen AI and AI.”

According to Gurman’s Power On newsletter, iOS 18 will feature generative AI technology that “should improve how both Siri and the Messages app can field questions and auto-complete sentences.”

A September report from the Information says Apple plans to use large language models, a crucial part of generative AI, to make Siri smarter. The report said this feature is expected to be released with an iPhone software update next year. 

Read More: iPhone iOS 18: A Possible Big Leap In AI

iPhone 16 design: New action button?

In March, AppleInsider published a collection of photographs purportedly displaying 3D-printed dummy models of the rumored iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro. The images revealed that the iPhone 16 may have a vertical camera stack as opposed to a diagonal one and an action button, similar the one on last year’s iPhone 15 Pro.

iPhone 16 gets more power-efficient display?

Another change that could make its way to iPhone 16 displays is greater power efficiency. Samsung Display is apparently developing a new material set, dubbed M14, specifically for Apple, according to a TheElec report, which says the new technology should arrive on iPhones launching next year. M14 will replace the blue fluorescent technology that’s used now with blue phosphorescence technology, creating an even more power-efficient screen than the current LTPO ones used on Pro models, the report says.

Andrew Lanxon/CNET

iPhone 16 gets better zoom?

Both the iPhone 16 Pro and the iPhone 16 Pro Max could both have 5x telephoto lenses next year. According to Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo, a tetraprism lens will make its way to both Pro models next year, as opposed to just the Pro Max model. Apple equipped the iPhone 15 Pro with a 12-megapixel 3x optical zoom, while the iPhone 15 Pro Max has a 12-megapixel 5x optical zoom camera, which is the equivalent of 120mm lens on a full-frame camera.

If this rumor is true, it could mark a breakthrough in design. When Apple launched the 15 Pro Max with its 5x telephoto lens, it cited the phone’s bigger body as to why the Pro Max had it, but the Pro didn’t.

iPhone 16 processors: A18 chip for all models?

In a break with the past two years, all four iPhone 16 models will apparently get a next-generation Apple chipset, which will all receive A18 branding. According to a MacRumors report citing Jeff Pu, an executive analyst for Haitong International Securities, all four models will have an A18 series chip with Pro iPhone models getting an A18 Bionic Pro and base models getting a regular A18.

The iPhone 15 and 15 Plus currently have an A16 Bionic, which debuted on the 2022 iPhone 14 Pro and 14 Pro Max, while the 15 Pro and 15 Pro Max run on the A17 Pro processor. Pu says the A18 chip will be manufactured with TSMC’s cutting-edge 3 nanometer process.

Read more: Apple iPhone SE 4 Rumors: iPhone 14 Design, Face ID and More



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Apple announces Worldwide Developers Conference dates, in-person event – CityNews Toronto

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Apple has announced their annual developers conference will take place June 10 through June 14.

The big summer event will be live-streamed, but some select developers have been invited to attend in-person events at Apple’s campus in Cupertino, California, on June 10.

The company typically showcases their latest software and product updates — including the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, AppleTV and Vision Pro headset — during a keynote address on the first day.

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Contributing to a drop in Apple’s stock price this year is concern it lags behind Microsoft and Google in the push to develop products powered by artificial intelligence technology. While Apple tends to keep its product development close to the vest, CEO Tim Cook signaled at the company’s annual shareholder meeting in February that it has been making big investments in generative AI and plans to disclose more later this year.

The week-long conference will have opportunities for developers to connect with Apple designers and engineers to gain insight into new tools, frameworks and features, according to the company’s announcement.

The Associated Press

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