Technology - Google News

Apple AirPods on sale during Cyber Week 2021 - NBC News
Android Auto is finally gaining dual-SIM support - Android Police
Xbox Cloud Gaming Is About to Look Clearer on Browser... But Only on Microsoft Edge - IGN - IGN

Apple AirPods on sale during Cyber Week 2021 - NBC News

Posted: 30 Nov 2021 09:43 AM PST

Cyber Monday has come to a close but there are still a variety of ongoing Apple and tech deals worth considering during Cyber Week. We previously reported that the AirPods Pro were available on Amazon for their lowest price ever, and while they're back close to their average historical price at $197 (Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals can be fleeting), we found solid deals on relative AirPods to give you savings on tangential products: On Amazon, the AirPods 2 and AirPods 3 are currently available for their lowest prices compared to other retailers like Target and Best Buy. To evaluate the quality of these deals, and all other deals we recommend, we're using price comparison tools like Honey and CamelCamelCamel to ensure shoppers are getting solid value.

Lowest price across competitors, according to Honey
4.3-star rating from 766 reviews on Amazon
Apple's newest AirPods, the AirPods 3 are water and sweat resistant and come with over 30 hours of listening time with the MagSafe charging case, according to Apple. They also come with Adaptive EQ, which, according to Apple, "automatically tunes music to your ears."

The AirPods 3 dropped to as low as $155 during Black Friday sales, but the current $170 price is still one of the best prices we've seen in months, according to CamelCamelCamel.

Lowest price across competitors, according to Honey
4.8-star average rating from over 430,000 reviews on Amazon
Apple's 2nd-generation AirPods, with the familiar longer stems, come with more than 24 hours of listening time with their charging case, the brand says. They aren't water- or sweat-proof, but they contain the same H1 chip and similar basic functionality of the newer and more premium AirPods.

Though the second-generation AirPods previously dropped to $89 during early Black Friday sales, the current $109 price tag is still one of the best prices this year, according to CamelCamelCamel.

Lowest price across competitors, according to CamelCamelCamel
4.7-star average rating from nearly 1,400 reviews on Amazon
The AirPods Pro are waterproof and sweat-proof and come with both active noise canceling and transparency mode so you can hear your surroundings, according to Apple. The MagSafe charging case provides over 24 hours of listening time on a full charge, according to Apple. AirPods Pro also come with three sizes of silicone tips.

The AirPods Pro deal has ebbed and flowed, dropping as low as $159 and rising back to $189 throughout Black Friday and into Cyber Monday — they're back up to their average price now.

CORRECTION (Nov. 30, 2021, 12:45 p.m. ET): A previous version of this article misstated the launch date of the latest AirPods Pro. They were launched in 2019, not 2021.

Catch up on Select's in-depth coverage of personal finance, tech and tools, wellness and more, and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to stay up to date.

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Android Auto is finally gaining dual-SIM support - Android Police

Posted: 30 Nov 2021 02:34 AM PST

Google added dual-SIM support on its Pixel phones way back in 2019 with the release of Android 10. However, it took the company two years to get around to announcing multiple SIM card support in Android Auto. A couple of months later, the feature finally seems to be rolling out to Android Auto users.

If you have dual SIM cards on your phone, you will get an option to select the SIM card from which the call should be made when using Android Auto. This was not the case previously, as Android Auto defaulted to the primary SIM for making calls. The rollout seems to be a staged one from Google, with a Reddit user who first spotted the feature getting it on app version 7.1.614554 as a part of the beta program.

Image via u/abhi060291

For some users, the same version is showing up as the release build of Android Auto on the Play Store. Whatever the case might be, it should only be a matter of time before Android Auto gains dual-SIM support on your device. You can also check for and install any updates to the Android Auto app to see whether it adds the functionality or not.

Almost all major Android smartphones sold nowadays feature either two physical SIM card slots or have eSIM support for dual-SIM functionality. Given how popular Android Auto has become in recent years, it was about time Google added this capability.

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About The Author

Rajesh Pandey (84 Articles Published)

Rajesh Pandey started following the tech field right around the time Android devices were going mainstream. He closely follows the latest development in the world of smartphones and what the tech giants are up to. He loves to tinker around with the latest gadgets to see what they are capable of.

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Xbox Cloud Gaming Is About to Look Clearer on Browser... But Only on Microsoft Edge - IGN - IGN

Posted: 30 Nov 2021 06:08 AM PST

Xbox Cloud Gaming is getting an upgrade as it rolls out a new feature to improve the sharpness when used in Microsoft's Edge browser.

The new feature, called Clarity Boost by Xbox, lets players sharpen the image output when streaming a game. The idea is to make browser streaming clearer and sharper as a result.

"This feature uses a set of client-side scaling improvements to improve the visual quality of the video stream," said Xbox Program Manager, Milena Gonzalez in an official statement. The goal is "providing the optimal look and feel while playing Xbox games from the cloud."

Microsoft Edge's Clarity Boost before and after. (Image credit: Xbox)

These new "client-side scaling improvements" mean that Microsoft Edge has a bit more to do – handling extra processing on your end to improve the quality of the stream.

However, this new feature is only available for those using Microsoft Edge Canary – an experimental version of the popular browser which allows users to try out new features before they're bundled into the main Edge releases.

Obviously, this means not all Microsoft Edge users will get access to Clarity Boost. At least, not straight away. But Microsoft assures users that Clarity Boost will roll out to all Microsoft Edge versions by 2022. "Clarity Boost will be available to all Microsoft Edge users by next year," said Gonzalez.

If you want to try out this new feature, it couldn't be simpler. First, make sure you're using Microsoft Edge Canary and make sure you're up to date, using version 96.0.1033.0 or later.

Then, simply head to the Xbox Game Pass website and start a game you want to play. Open up the more actions (…) menu, then enable Clarity Boost. You should see a difference in the way Xbox Cloud Gaming streams the game, with examples showing a much sharper picture.

It's certainly one way to make Microsoft Edge more relevant – especially since Microsoft announced that Internet Explorer for Windows 10 will be discontinued next year. Microsoft also revealed that it plans to move Xbox beyond consoles by making its games playable on nearly any device.

Xbox Cloud Gaming for consoles recently launched in beta, allowing Xbox Series X|S and Xbox One players to stream a selection of top titles – as long as you have Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.

Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.

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