It’s a good week for Apple aficionados looking to score some good deals on Apple’s newest computers. Not only is the 15-inch MacBook Air on sale for $100 off at Amazon and B&H Photo, but we’re also seeing the first notable discount on Apple’s latest Mac Studio. Right now, Expercom – an Apple-authorized retailer – is selling the new M2 Max-powered desktop machine starting at $1,899.05 ($100 off) with 32GB of RAM, 512GB of storage, a 12-core CPU, and a 30-core GPU. If you’re looking for even more power, you can buy the M2 Ultra version starting at $3,799.05 ($200 off) with 64GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, a 24-core CPU, and a 60-core GPU.

The new Mac Studio is a powerhouse of a desktop, one that’s ideal for professionals who need a blazingly fast compact machine. It can handle demanding creative work in apps like Adobe After Effects and Premiere Pro with no problem, offering even better performance than its predecessor. The desktop also now comes with Wi-Fi 6E connectivity for faster download speeds along with a wide range of ports, a few of which are conveniently located on the front. That includes an SD card as well as two USB-C ports if you buy the M2 Max model, or two Thunderbolt 4 ports if you opt for the M2 Ultra configuration.

Read our 2023 Mac Studio review.

Amazon Prime Day doesn’t officially kick off until Tuesday, but Amazon is already offering some seriously good deals on a number of its own devices. We’ve listed all of the best deals you can get here, and have singled out a few in our roundups, including notable discounts on the Kindle Paperwhite Kids and the new Echo Pop. However, if you’re looking for a cute smart display rather than an e-reader or speaker, Amazon’s latest Echo Show 5 is on sale exclusively for Prime members for just $44.99 ($44.99 off).

Amazon’s compact smart display features an improved mic array and an updated speaker system that should allow for better sound quality – a claim we’ve yet to test. Otherwise, though, it’s similar to its predecessor, allowing it to serve as a terrific smart alarm clock that’ll fit any nightstand. The display can also be used for a wide range of Alexa-enabled tasks, letting you easily set reminders, get news and weather reports, and control other smart home devices with nothing more than your voice.

Now for a deal that’s out of this world (ha, ha). For those of you planning on gaming this weekend, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is still on sale for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $54.99 ($15 off), which is one of the best prices we’ve seen on the single-player game since it made its debut at the end of April.

If you’ve ever dreamt of becoming a Jedi, playing Jedi: Survivor might feel like a dream come true. As my colleague Andrew Webster wrote in his review, the game, after all, offers the closest experience you’ll get to feeling like one. The action-adventure title is just as well-made and riveting to play as its predecessor, Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order; however, it comes with some small gameplay tweaks, including new baddies, a host of additional lightsaber techniques, and even more movement abilities.

Read our Star Wars Jedi: Survivor review.

A few more ways to save this Saturday

• Dell is throwing in a $100 Dell gift card when you buy the disc version of the PlayStation 5 Call of Duty Modern Warfare II bundle for $539.99. In addition to the console, the bundle includes a DualSense wireless controller as well as a digital copy of the game. Read our review.
• You can currently buy the Anker 622 Magnetic Battery (MagGo) for $49.99 ($20 off) at Amazon. The superb charger delivers 7.5 watts of power to MagSafe-compatible phones and comes with a useful folding kickstand.
• The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 is still on sale starting at $199 ($80 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and direct from Samsung in the 40mm, Bluetooth configuration. The Android smartwatch offers better battery life than its predecessor and a handful of new features, including body composition analysis and the ability to measure skin temperature. Read our review.

We’re heading into the weekend with all of today’s best deals courtesy of 9to5Toys. Ahead of Prime Day, the savings now kick off with an all-time low on Apple’s latest 10.9-inch iPad at $399. It’s joined by some of the best prices ever on Apple’s latest Magic Keyboards with Touch ID in tow from $127. Then go check out the first price cut on the just-released Aqara Door and Window Sensor with Matter and Thread at $25. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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Twitter users have been facing a lot of issues over the past few months, but things got even worse last weekend after the company decided to limit the number of tweets users can see per day. To take advantage of this, Meta now seems to have confirmed that Threads – its new app to compete with Twitter – will be released later this week.

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The great Apple Store knowledge base app Facades is out with a nice update just in time for the holiday weekend in the US. Version 1.2 introduces a range of enhancements, including new ways to browse locations and discover information.

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Whether you celebrate the “Fourth” or not, Independence Day weekend is oft considered one of the best times of the year to save on everything from TVs and laptops to the humble Toyota Camry. That’s still the case, however, with Amazon Prime Day kicking off in a little over a week, we expect many of this weekend’s best discounts to hang around just a bit longer than they might have otherwise.

Take our first deal of the day, as an example. Right now, you can pick up Nanoleaf’s Shapes Ultra Black Triangles at Amazon and Best Buy for $199.99 ($20 off), which matches the lowest price we’ve seen on the nine-panel kit since it made its debut last year. The modular light panels are nearly identical to the originals aside from the fact they appear all-black when dormant, meaning they can still display 16 million colors and work with Amazon Alexa, Apple Home, and Google Assistant. Plus, they’re outfitted with Wi-Fi and Thread radios, meaning they can also act as a Thread Border Router — a vital component of the new Matter smart home standard.

While I’d like to think most students aren’t thinking about going back to school quite yet — the school year only just ended in many parts of the country, after all — I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out that Dell’s XPS 13 is seeing one of its steepest discounts to date. Right now, the school-ready laptop is on sale at Dell for $849 ($250 off) with 16GB of RAM, a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-1250U processor, 512GB of storage, and a USB-C to 3.5mm adapter for those times when a shoddy pair of wireless headphones just won’t cut it.

As one of our top suggestions for both high school and college students, the XPS 13 has a lot going for it. The ultraportable Windows laptop remains one of the best alternatives to Apple’s MacBook Air thanks to its price-to-performance ratio, not to mention its gorgeous chassis, its 16:10 display, and the kind of lightweight build that makes it a dream to tote around from class to class. All the aforementioned specs also render it a great daily driver, even if you’re not someone who is planning on taking a freshman composition class come the fall.

Read our Dell XPS 13 (2023) review.

Mosquitos are a seasonal fact of life, whether you live in the South or you’re a Northwest city dweller like me. Thankfully, Thermacell’s E90 Mosquito Repeller is nearly matching its best price to date at Amazon, where you can currently pick it up for $39.96 ($10 off).

The straightforward, rechargeable device is a welcome alternative to the Deet- and- butane-heavy products of yesteryear, and should allow you to thwart pesky bugs within a 20-foot radius for up to nine hours at a time thanks to its built-in battery. Keep in mind that the repeller comes with a single, nine-hour repellent cartridge, though there is a 40-hour cartridge available if you really need to keep ‘em at bay for longer.

A few more cool, summer savings

• The Ember Mug 2 continues to be one of our guilty pleasures, one that’s on sale at Woot right now starting at $97.99 ($52 off). The app-controlled smart mug doesn’t do anything other than keep your drink warm, but there’s a small comfort in knowing your coffee is going to be the exact temperature you set it to any time you reach for it in the morning.
• iOttie’s wireless car charger — one of our favorite car gadgets — is currently on sale at Amazon for $34.99 ($15 off), which is just $1 shy of its all-time low. Not only is the handy, Qi-equipped mount wide enough to accommodate pretty much any iPhone or Android phone on the market, but it also features a one-touch design that lets you easily snap your phone in place. It’s a steal of a price if you’re okay with basic charging speeds, especially since the few Apple-approved MagSafe mounts still cost north of $100. Ouch.
• Anker’s Soundcore Liberty 4 NC are currently seeing their first discount, dropping them to just $79.99 ($20 off) at Amazon when you clip the on-page coupon or to the same price at Anker with offer code WSCPXLFXWN. Although we haven’t tested them yet, Anker’s newest earbuds look to be an excellent value thanks to features like adaptive noise cancellation and ear detection, the latter of which automatically pauses what’s playing when you take them out. We were big fans of the Liberty 3 Pro, and while I imagine the new earbuds might not be on par with the Pro model when it comes to sound, they still off a few features that are rare at this price point.
• Apple’s ninth-gen iPad is on sale at Amazon at checkout for $249.99 ($79.01 off) in the 64GB base configuration, matching its lowest price to date. The entry-level model remains a great kid-friendly pick if you’re looking for something less expensive than the latest iPad Air or Pro models, especially since it still packs a 10.2-inch screen, a robust selection of apps, and an A13 Bionic chip that’s still plenty fast enough for most people’s needs. Read our iPad buying guide.

It’s the Friday before the Fourth of July weekend, which means a couple of things: fly-by-night fireworks sellers are probably popping up in mall parking lots around you, and there are deals to be had (ones that don’t risk you any bodily harm).

As for today’s deals, one of the best is the $700 discount Best Buy is currently offering on the 48-inch LG A2 OLED TV. That knocks the price of the entry-level OLED down to $599.99 — an all-time low we’ve seen once or twice before. While the A2 may be considered entry-level compared to LG’s other OLED models, it’s still an excellent panel. The A2 has the rich color contrast expected of OLEDs, and though it may not stack up to the brightness and features of newer, higher-end models like the C2 or C3, it’s a great TV for a much more affordable price. It tops out at 6,0Hz and none of its three HDMI ports is 2.1 spec, so it isn’t up to snuff when it comes to gaming on Xbox Series X or PlayStation 5, but it’s a mighty fine value and a quality display for movies and TV shows.

GameStop is offering a buy two, get one free promo on pre-owned games through July Fourth. I know, I know, GameStop used game deals are usually more miss than hit, but this one actually seems good if you want to save on some recent triple-A titles.

For example, you can get pre-owned physical copies of The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom (pre-owned for $64.99) and Diablo IV (pre-owned for $64.9) and get Star Wars Jedi: Survivor for free. A combo like those three used games will cost you $129.98 instead of $194.97. That’s one way to min-max the savings on some recent titles, but other qualifying games that save a little less include Street Fighter 6 (pre-owned for $54.99), Final Fantasy 7 Remake: Intergrade (pre-owned for $59.99), and Resident Evil 4 (pre-owned for $54.99).

Eneba is selling digital Apple gift cards, offering $50, $100, $150, and $200 for 16 to 18 percent off when you use code WkndApples at checkout until July 3rd at 7AM ET. Here’s the breakdown after fees are calculated at checkout:

• The $50 gift card is discounted to $41.99 (about 16 percent off)
• The $100 gift card is $83.49 (about 17 percent off)
• The $150 gift card is $123.49 (about 18 percent off)
• The $200 gift card is $164.49 (about 18 percent off)

These gift cards can be used on Apple’s services or devices, so you can use them to get a little savings on a subscription to Apple TV Plus or even an iPhone.

Let’s fry up some more Frideals:

• Speaking of gift cards, you can get $5 off a $50 Nintendo eShop digital gift card at Newegg with code SSCT3Z27 at checkout. If you’re a Nintendo Switch Online subscriber, you can maximize your savings by getting two of these (for $90) and buying Nintendo’s $100 eShop vouchers (which can be redeemed for two qualifying games). Using the voucher is a nifty way to save on a digital version of Tears of the Kingdom and even preorders for upcoming games like Super Mario Bros. Wonder and Pikmin 4.
• You can get the last-gen DJI OM4 three-axis smartphone stabilizing gimbal on an open-box closeout at BuyDig for $59.99 ($40 off). While it’s not in new condition, it comes with a full one-year warranty through a third party. The newer DJI OM5 may also double as a selfie stick, but it costs a much higher $159. The OM4 deal is a solid value if you want to try a gimbal for stabilizing your smartphone videos but are on a tight budget or fear you may not use it a ton.
• The 2023 Dell XPS 13 thin and light laptop with expanded 16GB of RAM, 12th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU, and 512GB SSD is $849 ($250 off) direct from Dell. The XPS’s 13.4-inch display may only have a resolution of 1920 x 1200, but that also means it’s got that excellent 16:10 aspect ratio — which is great for productivity. Read our review.
• The 1,100-lumen Wyze Bulb Color is on sale for $10.68 (around $5 off) at Amazon. The color-changing smart bulb is a cheap and effective way to get started with smart home accessories, and it’s quite bright for its price.
• Razer’s Kishi V2 smartphone game controller for iPhones is $78.50 (about $21 off) and $83.99 ($16 off) for Android phones. We may not have liked it as much in our review as the Backbone One, but shaving a bit off the price helps compensate a little for downsides like mushy face buttons.
• Grid Studio is running a summer sale through July 15th on its unique wall art pieces — which are exploded and labeled tech devices in frames. The sale includes cool ones for gaming and tech fans, like the original Google Pixel for $119 ($140 off) or the PlayStation Vita for $199 ($150 off). Remember, Vita is life, and now a PS Vita can live on your walls for life.

Friday is wrapping up the week with a collection of fresh Apple deals as we head into July 4th weekend, all of which are headlined by a chance to save $299 on the 27-inch Studio Display. It’s joined by some popular Twelve South Apple accessories getting in on the July 4th savings at the best prices of the year. And speaking of holiday weekend discounts, the Independence Day discounts carry over to AirPods Max at $99 off. Hit the jump for all that and more in the latest 9to5Toys Lunch Break.

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A part of the trail collapsed underneath her, breaking her leg. She had no cellular service, nor did the people who were with her, but she did have an ‌iPhone 14‌. “Thankfully, my phone has that SOS satellite feature I was able to connect to… I’m assuming satellites,” she said.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department Air Operations Section was able to get to Reyes after receiving a satellite call. She was successfully air lifted to safety using a helicopter.

According to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, three iPhone rescues have been conducted over the course of the year, one of which was in the same general area. Last December, a vehicle went over the side of a mountain on the Angeles Forest Highway in the Angeles National Forest, with Crash Detection and Emergency SOS via Satellite used to contact rescuers.

Emergency Satellite via SOS is available to all ‌‌‌iPhone 14‌‌‌ users, and it can be activated when an emergency situation occurs and there is no WiFi or cellular connection available. Emergency SOS via Satellite works in the United States, Canada, France, Germany, Ireland, and the UK.

This article, "iPhone 14's Emergency SOS via Satellite Feature Saves California Hiker" first appeared on MacRumors.com

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The airline 5G mess – where some planes with older radio altimeters could be confused by strong 5G signals when making their final approach to US airports – still isn’t over.

Airlines were given until July 1 to update their fleets, but some won’t meet this weekend’s deadline for three reasons, and their flights will be subject to delay as a result …

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Apple’s new Crash Detection feature on the iPhone 14 and Apple Watch is being blamed for an influx of 911 calls from the Bonnaroo music festival in Tennessee last weekend. According to first responders, there were approximately five times the number of false 911 calls this year compared to previous years of the festival.

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