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If the word “XtremeX” doesn’t come to mind when you think of an e-scooter, think again, people!!

Segway has unveiled a new souped-up electric scooter that can get up to 43.5 mph and accelerate to 30 mph in 4.2 seconds flat. For context, that’s really freaking fast: The maximum allowed e-scooter speed from rentals like Bird or Spin on the streets of Los Angeles is 15 mph. So this is nearly triple what you’re probably used to feeling on an e-scooter.

The gnarly new beast is Segway’s GT2, which the company debuted at an event in Southern California Wednesday that will retail for — gulp — $3,999 when it’s released this summer. It’s apparently so fast and rugged that you can even do a wheelie on it, or jump down a flight of stairs and land like a damn Charlie’s Angel. That is, at least, according to a promotional video. Extreme!

The essence of extreme sports.
Credit: Rachel Kraus / Mashable

Some serious power and heft are required to pull off those feats. It has a 1500-watt motor and the 11-inch wheels are supported by air shock absorption with front and rear spring suspension and adjustable damping. That makes the GT2 clock in at over 114 pounds. Most Bird and Lime e-scooters scattered on city sidewalks are only about 45 pounds — a difference I really felt when I tried to pick it up to turn the front around and, embarrassingly, couldn’t lift it. 

The GT2 was just one of a handful of new products Segway-Ninebot announced Wednesday. Others included the slightly less fast but still impressive GT1 (which has a maximum speed of 37.3 mph) and two new city-oriented e-scooters called the “P Series,” which are successors to Segway’s best-selling G30 series. There’s also a cute ‘n’ fast moped called the E110A, and a footboard attachment called the “Shredder Kit” which basically turns a Ninebot stand-up scooter into a (very large) electric skateboard.

Segway head Alex Huang Chen at Wednesday’s event described the GT2 as akin to the “Formula 1” car of the scooter world. The company’s overall mission is to “simplify the movement of people and objects,” and it focuses heavily on reducing a person’s environmental impact by making an array of electric transportation options. But the GT2 is more of a hook for people with a wild side.  

“GT is not for everyone,” Huang Chen said. “It’s for riders who want the speed, the wild[ness], the dopamine. But, of course, safety first!”

Kicking off on the GT2 required a lot of concentration.
Credit: Rachel Kraus / Mashable

Huang Chen means it when he says “safety first:” He momentarily stepped away from our interview to personally make sure a Segway rider playing with some of the products put on his helmet.

I got to try out the GT2, but sadly, only in its least speedy “eco-mode,” since the demo was in a relatively small parking lot. There are three other modes: city, country, and race. If you want to do tricks and reach maximum speeds, you’ll need to be in race mode. Even so, you need to kick off hard — like, really hard — to get the engine to kick into gear when you twist the throttle. 

But then, you can feel the power under you. I’m sure I’ll be popping wheelies in no time.

“Hey Spotify, why?”

After Spotify released its Car Thing streaming device for all Premium users last week, I’ve been testing it out in my 1995 Honda minivan. But I’m still confounded as to why Car Thing is even a thing.

It took a several cords and adaptors, but I was able to mount the lightweight touchscreen device to my car’s fan vent and listen to my Spotify Premium account. It even has voice control to keep it hands-free while driving, so I could command it “Hey Spotify, play next”, or more specific playlists or artists.

Tweet may have been deleted

But Car Thing is mostly redundant, since we all have ways to listen to music or Spotify in the car already.

What is Car Thing?

Car Thing is a small touchscreen that displays your playlists, song and podcast requests, and recent searches that you can navigate with your voice or a large side dial to move as a cursor and adjust the volume. There are four buttons along the top edge that you can map playlists to for easy access.

Car Thing connects to your Spotify account on your smartphone via Bluetooth. You power the device through the car’s power source, where you’ll need an adaptor. You then have to connect your phone to your car speakers. It’s a lot. Luckily it connects to your Spotify account easily enough, and setting up is a cinch.

As The Information pointed out, this is an attempt for Spotify to branch out into hardware and create its own product that doesn’t rely on Apple, Android, or even car infotainment systems. But if you already listen to Spotify through Android Auto or Apple CarPlay, Spotify’s separate screen mounted above the dashboard screen doesn’t make sense. You’ll have a screen next to your… other screens.

How it works

Car Thing only works as a Spotify player and that’s it. While driving with Car Thing plugged in, my boyfriend called and down went the music volume. Frustratingly, I had to switch over to my phone screen to answer the call. How nice it would have been to have a big button on the Car Thing touchscreen to pick up his call.

Since Car Thing isn’t a standalone device, it needs to prove itself valuable enough to warrant an extra electronic contraption to deal with alongside your phone.

It’s all there.
Credit: Spotify

For your $90 you get the box shipped for free and all accessories are included. There are two types of mounts: one for a dashboard or one for a vent. There’s a strong magnetic connection so the screen is secured. To power Car Thing there’s a USB adaptor that fits into the “cigarette lighter” socket. Easy. But for an old car like mine the stereo system needs an auxiliary cable to connect to the phone. I used a tape adaptor in the cassette player and an iPhone dongle, since my iPhone 8 no longer has a headphone jack connector.

Worth it?

Definitely not. Even in my older car that only has the radio for entertainment, Car Thing was a more convoluted way to listen to music.

If you’re already a Premium subscriber and you’re frustrated with the Spotify app interface on your phone or car, then sure, go for it. But please don’t switch to Premium just for the privilege to buy the $90 Car Thing. Yes, it works well and does what it’s supposed to do, but it’s an unnecessary extra device in the car.

I started this text with the idea of reviewing Xiaomi’s new Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G smartphone. But I quickly found that it’s impossible to review any of the four new Redmi variants without mentioning the other three – namely, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S.

Here’s why: All four phones are incredibly similar in terms of design. And there’s not even a clear flagship among them; for example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G (obviously) has 5G, but the Redmi Note 11 Pro has a more powerful camera system. Add to that a number of RAM/storage memory options, and you get a lot of versions to choose from.

This may sound confusing, but Xiaomi’s approach has its advantages. The most important among them is that this lineup of Redmi phones lets you fine-tune the value for money you get to a very high degree. In the context of mid-range phones, where every dollar counts but a strong set of features is still expected, this is great. If, for example, you have no use for 5G, but need a strong camera and display, chances are you’ll find exactly the phone you need in Xiaomi’s extensive Redmi lineup.

From left to right: Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

So here’s what I’ll do: I’ll talk primarily about the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, but I will mention the other phones in the lineup (all of which I’ve also received for review, sans the Redmi Note 11 Pro variant) when applicable. Call it an overview on top of a review.

Same battery, different chargers

Let’s start with the stuff that’s the same across all four devices. Here are those names once again, sorted by higher-to-lower price – Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro, Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S, and Xiaomi Redmi Note 11. All four have a 5,000mAh battery that easily lasts two days and supports fast charging (though only the Pro versions get the 67W charger in the box). They’re all water and dust resistant to IP53 specifications, and they all run Xiaomi’s MIUI 13 software over Android 11 (though all of them will eventually be updated to Android 13). Finally, all phones can be configured with 6/8GB of RAM and 64/128GB of storage, with the exception of Redmi Note 11, which can also be had with 4GB of RAM. All four phones have a microSD slot and a headphone jack.

All the Redmi Note 11 phones look similar, but the Pro 5G variant felt the best in my hand.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Design is startlingly similar across all four phones, even though they’re different in size. It’s an interesting combo of iPhone-like flat sides, flat display, and a hefty but tidy, rectangular camera bump on the back (which for some reason rises on not one but two levels on all except the Redmi 11). All three devices that Xiaomi sent me were black, and from afar, they’re almost the same.

Take the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G in your hand, and you’ll notice that it feels a lot more premium, with a nice, semi-glossy back compared to the regular variants’ fully matte, and slightly rounder back. It’s also quite a bit heavier – the Pro versions weigh 202g, while the regular variants weigh 179g.

Differences aside, if you like the look of one Redmi Note 11, you’ll like the look of all four variants.

One thing to note: All three units that I used sounded a little hollow when I tapped on their backs. It’s not a big deal, but it’s something you won’t notice on high-end phones; a reminder that you’re not paying twice or thrice the price for a top phone for nothing.

Little differences that add up

The Pro variants have a larger, 6.67-inch Super AMOLED display, with a 120Hz refresh rate. But the non-Pro versions have only a slightly smaller, 6.43-inch AMOLED display, with the same resolution (1,080 x 2,400 pixels) and a lower refresh rate at 90Hz. In practice, as much as I tried to find a difference between these displays, I couldn’t see one (besides the size, which isn’t that different either). Again, if you’re hunting for a bargain, you don’t need the larger display.

The processors aren’t the same, though, and it will matter for some users. The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 5G chip, and while it’s not as powerful as Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 series chips, it’s plenty quick for everyday use. The Redmi Note 11 is a step back with the Snapdragon 680 chip, which comes without 5G support. And the other two models have a Mediatek Helio G96 chip.

The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, on the right, has a slightly bigger “chin” beneath the display. The result: The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s display is 0.24 inches larger.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The differences between these chips aren’t huge, and they vary further depending on the amount of RAM the phone has, but they are there. For example, the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G with 8GB of RAM would display a nice little animation when I opened an app, while the animation was missing on the Redmi Note 11 with 4GB of RAM. It’s a minute difference, but these things do add up.

Bottom line, however, is that even the weakest of these configurations will handle most tasks well; you should look into the more powerful ones only if you’re into gaming.

Software is another thing that’s nearly the same across all four phones, aside from some of the settings which likely have to do with hardware differences. It’s Xiaomi’s MIUI Android skin, and I have no major issues with it, though I did on occasion struggle to find a particular setting. My biggest beef with the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G is that it came with a ton of crapware, including seven games I had zero interest in. For some reason the other two review units had a lot less unnecessary software, but it’s hard to say whether this will be the case with retail units.

Cameras – you get what you pay for

This is where things get complicated – on paper. The Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G has a 108-megapixel wide camera, an 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera, and a 2-megapixel macro camera, as well as a 16-megapixel selfie camera on the front. The Note 11 Pro and the Note 11S have the same camera system with the addition of a 2-megapixel depth sensor. Finally, the Redmi Note 11 has a 50-megapixel main camera, with the other sensors being the same as on the other models. On the front, it has a 13-megapixel camera.

In practice, however, the top three phones in the range take very similar photos, while the Redmi Note 11’s camera is a noticeable drop in quality.

Focusing on the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G’s camera, I was, unsurprisingly, able to get some pretty photos on a couple of beautiful, sunny days. There’s no zoom lens, but with plenty of lighting you’ll get a decent 2x digital zoom thanks to the 108-megapixel sensor. Don’t expect miracles from the camera’s HDR mode, though.

This scene isn’t easy for any camera to handle, but the Xiaomi botched it quite badly. Note how the color of the blue sky “spills” into the dark surface of the trees.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The 8-megapixel ultra-wide camera is, unsurprisingly, significantly worse than the main, 108-megapixel shooter. Use it only when necessary, and when the light is good.

Without a depth sensor, the portrait mode is just an artificially blurred background around the subject. Sometimes it works alright, as it did in this case. Sometimes you’ll get ugly artifacts around the subject’s edges.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

In low light, the main camera mode will take smudgy, blurry photos. The Night mode, curiously hidden behind the “More” menu, produces better results, especially when it comes to color accuracy, but a lot of what it does appears to be an artificial sharpening effect which doesn’t improve quality very much.

The color accuracy is alright here, but the details are almost completely lost in the darker parts of the picture, and there’s a lot of unnatural sharpening going on.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Selfies were decent, but turn off the beautifying effects, please. I’d also stay away from portrait mode (regardless of whether you’re shooting with the front or rear camera), as it adds a lot of unnatural artefacts along the edge of the subject. Finally, in anything less than perfect light, it might take a few tries before you get a sharp photo.

The selfie turned out sharp and nice, but the background is badly burned.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

A ton of choices

If you’re interested in buying a Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 device – and you should be if you’re looking for a good, cheap phone – you can approach it with something like a flow chart based on your needs. All of these phones are good, but there’s really no need to overspend Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G unless you really need 5G. The Xiaomi Redmi Note 11 Pro has the same display, a slightly more advanced camera, and a slightly weaker processor, so you need to think about what’s more important for you.

Great value for your money.
Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

And if you don’t mind the slightly smaller display, and the lack of fast charger, you should go for the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11S, which is probably the best buy in this range. Finally, there’s the Xiaomi Redmi Note 11, which is the cheapest of the bunch, but its camera isn’t as good as on the other three phones.

The pricing for the Redmi Note 11 Pro 5G starts at $329. The Redmi Note 11 Pro starts at $299; the Redmi Note 11S starts at $249, and, finally, the Redmi Note 11 starts at $179.

Writer/director Mariama Diallo’s debut feature, Master, follows three women working to find their place at Ancaster University, an elite New England institution.

Regina Hall plays Professor Gail Bishop, the first Black woman to hold the title of residence hall Master. As she tries to breathe new life into the residence hall, she crosses paths with freshman Jasmine Moore (Zoe Renee), who lives in a room that is supposedly haunted. Things only get harder for Gail as Jasmine clashes with Professor Liv Beckman (Amber Gray), who is undergoing a racially charged tenure review. The more time Gail spends as Master, the more she unveils about Ancaster’s dark — and haunted — secrets.

The film garnered buzz at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, and soon you can see why.

Master will open in theaters and on streaming on Amazon Prime Video on March 18.

It’s been almost 6 months since Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen made headlines sharing internal company documents showing that its company Instagram was having a negative impact on young people’s mental health.

Now, a group of state attorneys general want to turn their attention to TikTok.

In a statement shared on Wednesday, Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey announced the launch of a “nationwide investigation” into TikTok in order to find out if the mobile video sharing company is “designing, operating, and promoting its social media platform to children, teens, and young adults in a manner that causes or exacerbates physical and mental health harms.”

As part of the investigation, state attorneys general around the country will look into whether TikTok violated consumer protections laws and “put the public at risk.” They will also investigate whether the company knew about any potential harms its platform was causing to young people.

TikTok provided Mashable with a response to the investigation announcement.

“We care deeply about building an experience that helps to protect and support the well-being of our community, and appreciate that the state attorneys general are focusing on the safety of younger users,” said a TikTok spokesperson. “We look forward to providing information on the many safety and privacy protections we have for teens.”

According to AG Healey’s press release, the investigation will focus on TikTok’s strategies and methods to boost engagement among its young user base. This includes techniques used to increase engagement and the amount of time users spend on the app.

When Facebook whistleblower Haugen went public last year, documents showed that the company, now known as Meta, knew about the mental health harm its platform could cause young people. Meta even scrapped plans of making a specific Instagram platform for kids as a result of these revelations.

Another result: TikTok found itself on Capitol Hill at its first Congressional hearing as members of Congress wanted to find out what was happening to young people on other platforms as well. Much like Instagram, TikTok’s user base trends young – if not even younger than Instagram’s. 

There have been concerns over mental health issues on TikTok, although those seem to have mainly concentrated on the content on the platform. For example, an ABC News report from last year found that some TikTok trends were causing young teenage users to believe that they had specific mental illnesses.

“As children and teens already grapple with issues of anxiety, social pressure, and depression, we cannot allow social media to further harm their physical health and mental wellbeing,” said AG Healey in a statement. “State attorneys general have an imperative to protect young people and seek more information about how companies like TikTok are influencing their daily lives.”

UPDATE: Mar. 2, 2022, 2:00 p.m. EST This story has been updated to reflect current sale prices and availability.

We’ve compiled the best deals on robot vacuums from brands like iRobot, Shark, and Ecovacs. Here are the ones to grab as of March 2:

• BUDGET PICK: The Eufy 30C Max covers a lot of ground, gets up to 100 minutes of battery life, and comes with boundary strips— $195.49 $299.99 (save $104.50)

• BUDGET SELF-EMPTYING PICK: This Shark EZ vacuum cleans in methodical rows, then dumps its own dirt into a compact dock — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• BEST ROBOT VACUUM/MOP DEAL: The Ecovacs Deebot N8+ uses LiDAR to vacuum and mop, then empties the mess on its own — $429.99 $599.99 (save $170)

Only three things are certain in life: Death, taxes, and a few days each month when you need to vacuum but just don’t have time. Whether you detest the chore or get a little bummed when you can’t have that satisfying dance with your Dyson, a robot vacuum is a lifesaver. Shop models on sale below.

Robot vacuums under $200:

Why we like it

You won’t get smart mapping at this price point, but the Eufy 30C Max navigates better than the 15C Max thanks to its included boundary strips. It manages to squeeze out a robust floor cleaning in 100 minutes (or over an hour on Max mode), and has suction more than strong enough for hard floors and light carpet upkeep.

More robot vacuums under $200

• ILIFE V3s Pro — $119.99 $159.99 (save $40)

• Ecovacs Deebot 710 — $109.99 $137.99 (save $28)

• Eufy 15C Max — $179.99 $279.99 (save $100)

• ILIFE A9 — $194.99 $299.99 (save $105)

• Roborock E4 — $199.99 $299.99 (save $100)

• Shark ION RV761 — $199.99 $259.99 (save $60)

Robot vacuums under $500

Why we like it

Opting for a robot vacuum with LiDAR mapping is a smart move for floor plans more complicated than a one or two bedroom apartment. For barely over $300, the Roborock S4 Max solves bumbling navigation woes by remembering the layout of each floor of your home and steering clear of the virtual boundaries you set.

More robot vacuums under $500

• Yeedi Vac — $229.99 $299.99 (save $70)

• iRobot Roomba i3 — $299.99 $349.99 (save $50)

• Neato Robotics D8 — $349.99 $599.99 (save $250)

• Shark EZ RV912S —  $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Shark IQ XL — $415.98 $599.99 (save $184.01)

• Eufy RoboVac X8 — $499.99 $599.99 (save $100)

Robot vacuums under $800

Why we like it

The flagship of Neato’s iconic line of D-shaped models is the D10, which Neato asserts can tackle 2,700 square feet on one charge. It’s your best option for detailing corners if you don’t want to splurge on the Roomba s9+. Despite middling reviews at Best Buy itself, official reviews from a slew of publishers mention its deep cleaning power.

Robot vacuum and mop hybrids and dedicated robot mops

Why we like it:

The Deebot N8+ includes fundamental smart upgrades like LiDAR mapping and virtual boundaries for customizing its cleaning path down to specific rooms or areas. It also has sensors that avoid carpets while mopping.

More hybrids and robot mops on sale

• Roborock E4 — $239.99 $379.99 (save $140)

• Ecovacs Deebot Ozmo N7 — $299.99 $499.99 (save $200) 

• Neabot N2 with Self Empty — $449 $599.99 (save $150.01)

• Shark VacMop AV2001WD — $369.99 $479.99 (save $110)

• Roborock S6 Pure— $379.99 $599.99 (save $220)

• Dreametech L10 Pro — $372.70 $588.99 (save $216.29)

• Dreametech Z10 Pro with Self Empty — $509.98 $598.98 (save $90)

• Eufy RoboVac X8 Hybrid — $449.95 $649.95 (save $200)

Are robot vacuums worth it?

The control of an upright vacuum comes with its own type of satisfaction. But if you’re not one to classify cleaning as cathartic, a robot vacuum could erase that huge, agonizing task from of your chore list. (And did we mention the joy of having “first day clean” floors all the time?)

But whether robot vacuums are worth it or not comes with a caveat: It can’t be just any robot vacuum. A cheap robovac that doesn’t do the job right — scattering dust, bumping into walls, getting stuck on area rugs — might actually create more work for you.

What to consider when buying a robot vacuum

• Suction power: A vacuum is the one purchase that you hope sucks a lot. Suction power is typically measured in Pascals (Pa), ranging between 600 Pa to 2,500 Pa. Stronger sucking will be needed to pick up heavier pieces of debris (be sure to set up a barrier around Legos) and to pull matted-down pet hair from rugs.

• Floor type: Carpeting and high pile rugs will probably require stronger suction than hard floors, as well as special features like an extra-wide or self-cleaning brush roll to prevent hair from wrapping and clogging. Folks in homes with multiple floor types might consider a bigger, sturdier robot vacuum that can hurl itself and its wheels over mats, rugs, and transitions from carpet to hard floors.

• Home layout: Every robot vacuum is equipped with sensors and drop detection. But if your home has lots of rooms, lots of turns, or lots of close-together furniture, you’ll have fewer navigation issues with an advanced model that uses intelligent mapping to remember exactly how your home is laid out, including labeling of specific rooms, mental notes of staircases, and ability to deploy zone cleaning.

• Low-profile furniture: No one should have to be scared about what’s accumulated under their couch over the past year. A robot vacuum measuring three inches or less in height should be able to scoot under most low-hanging couches and beds.

• Battery life and square footage: One of the main complaints people have about their robot vacuum is that it craps out in the middle of the floor. Larger spaces require more time to clean, and it all depends on how annoyed you’ll be if it only finishes a few rooms at a time. Average run times for the list below range between 90 and 150 minutes, which translate to about 500 and 2,600 square feet covered on one charge.

• App control: WiFi-enabled robot vacuums can be synced with a smartphone app to control scheduling, manual start, cleaning settings, as well as telling your vac to make its rounds when you’re not home. Low-end models that don’t connect to WiFi will usually come with a separate remote. If you’re used to asking Alexa or Google to turn off the lights or tell you the weather, a model with voice integration will blend in nicely.

Explore related content:

• The best robot vacuums for every budget

• Samsung’s Jet Bot AI+ robot vacuum is a must-have for pet owners

• The ILIFE V3s Pro is a cheap robot vacuum for hands-off spot cleaning

UPDATE: Mar. 2, 2022, 2:30 p.m. EST This story has been updated with the latest 4K TV deals, including a slew of high-end Sony TVs between $600 and $800 off.

• The Samsung 65-inch Q900A 8K TV is your chance to upgrade from 4K to 8K for less than $3,000 — $2,999.99 $3,799.99 (save $800)

• The Amazon 65-inch Omni Series 4K Fire TV is at its lowest price ever and offers big-screen Dolby Vision– $499.99 $829.99 (save $330)

• The Sony 65-inch A8H OLED TV is one of Sony’s most well-rounded TVs, splashing vibrant OLED colors and shadows at every angle — $1,899.99 $2,499.99 (save $600)

Large 4K TVs no longer have to cost an exorbitant amount of money. Rather, these high-quality TVs featuring punchy colors, decipherable shadows, and smooth transitions are actually affordable for regular consumers. And to make them even more budget-friendly, we’ve gathered up the best deals on 4K and QLED TVs from top brands like Samsung, LG, Sony, and more.

Samsung TV deals

Why we love it

You know when you’re in the movie theater and the audio sounds like it’s coming from the direction of the action on screen? The Samsung Neo QLED TV does that, too. On top of Object Tracking Sound, the QN800 has 8K resolution (double the pixels of 4K) and super thin bezels to seal in that immersive theater feel.

More Samsung TVs on sale

• Samsung 43-inch The Sero Rotating QLED TV — $1,499.99 $1,999.99 (save $500)

• Samsung 50-inch 7 Series 4K TV — $399.99 $479.99 (save $80)

• Samsung 55-inch Q60A Series QLED TV — $699.99 $849.99 (save $150)

• Samsung 55-inch Q70A Series QLED TV — $849.99 $1,099.99 (save $250)

• Samsung 65-inch TU8300 Curved 4K TV — $649.99 $799.99 (save $150)

• Samsung 65-inch The Frame QLED TV — $1,799.99 $1,999.99 (save $200)

• Samsung 75-inch Q70A Series QLED TV — $1,599.99 $2,299.99 (save $700)

• Samsung 85-inch Q70A Series QLED TV —  $2,299.99 $2,699.99 (save $400)

• Samsung 85-inch QN8000 Neo QLED 8K TV — $3,999.99 $4,999.99 (save $1,000)

LG TV deals

Why we love it

In 2021, LG dropped a mid-range line of 4K TVs features its NanoCell tech: a method of amping up color depth through an extra light filter. In 2022, we’re seeing that line become even more affordable. The 70-inch version of the NanoCell 75 Series is actually officially cheaper than the 70-inch version of a non-NanoCell 4K TV from LG.

More LG TVs on sale

• LG 50-inch UP8000 Series 4K TV — $429.99 $479.99 (save $50)

• LG 55-inch NanoCell 80 4K TV — $676.99 $799.99 (save $123)

• LG 65-inch B1 Series OLED TV — $1,596.99 $1,796.99 (save $200)

• LG 65-inch A1 Series OLED TV — $1,399.99 $1,599.99 (save $200)

• LG 65-inch C1 Series OLED 4K TV — $1,769.99 $2,499.99 (save $703)

• LG 70-inch UP8070 4K TV — $799.99 $899.99 (save $100)

Sony TV deals

Why we love it

The A8H is one of Sony’s most well-rounded TVs to date, nailing crucial OLED marks like smooth motion and boosted blacks. The screen itself houses a stereo system that pushes sound out from whichever side of the screen the subject is on (like headphones sometimes do).

More Sony TVs on sale

• Sony 43-inch X80J 4K TV — $449.99 $599.99 (save $150)

• Sony 50-inch X85J 4K TV — $649.99 $799.99 (save $150)

• Sony 65-inch A9 OLED TV — $2,999.99 $3,799.99 (save $800)

• Sony 75-inch X80J 4K TV — $949.99 $1,099.99 (save $150)

• Sony 75-inch X95J QLED TV — $2,199.99 $2,999.99 (save $800)

• Sony 85-inch X91J QLED TV — $1,999.99 $2,799.99 (save $800)

Other TV deals from TCL, Vizio, and more

Why we love it

Gamers and movie watchers who spend a lot of screen time in the daylight should consider Hisense’s U7G over the slightly cheaper U6G.

More TVs from TCL, Vizio, and more

• Amazon 50-inch 4-Series 4K Fire TV — $319.99 $469.99 (save $150)

• TCL 50-inch 5-Series QLED TV — $499.99 $599.99 (save $100)

• Vizio 50-inch M7 Quantum Series 4K TV — $499.99 $699.99 (save $200)

• TCL 55-inch 4-Series 4K TV — $349.99 $499.99 (save $150)

• Amazon 55-inch 4 Series 4K Fire TV — $349.99 $519.99 (save $170)

• TCL 55-inch 6-Series Mini LED QLED TV — $749.99 $949.99 (save $200)

• Vizio 58-inch V-Series 4K TV — $399.99 $529.99 (save $130)

• TCL 65-inch 4-Series 4K TV — $499.99 $699.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch A6G 4K TV — $479.99 $599.99 (save $120)

• Amazon 65-inch Omni Series 4K Fire TV – $499.99 $829.99 (save $330)

• Hisense 65-inch U8G ULED TV — $999.99 $1,249.99 (save $250)

• Vizio 75-inch M6 Series 4K TV — $849 $999.99 (save $150.99)

• Hisense 75-inch U7G ULED TV — $1,299.99 $1,499.99 (save $200)

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Apple teased its next big event on Wednesday and finally announced the day it’ll take place: March 8. For the calendar-challenged, that’s next Tuesday.

The announcement was understated, with precious few hints as to what’s coming.

“Peek performance,” it read, with what we can only assume is a purposeful misuse of “peek” … “Please join us for a special Apple Event broadcasting from Apple Park.”

The only image in the announcement was a wavy, stylized Apple logo with neon blues, purples, and reds. This could, of course, be a hint at what colors might become available for new devices.

Tweet may have been deleted

It’s never 100-percent known what will be announced at the Apple events, but Mashable’s Stan Schroeder took a look at what we might see. He reported that Apple will most likely announce a new version of its most affordable iPhone, the iPhone SE. Schroeder also wrote that rumors suggest the company could announce a new iPad Air, a new Mac, and/or new software — one or all of them.

There isn’t much definite about the event, but at least now we can be sure it’ll take place on March 8 at 1 p.m. ET.

In HBO’s upcoming limited series The Baby, motherhood is a horror show.

Natasha (Michelle De Swarte) is annoyed that all her closest friends are having babies. When a baby comes to her in the most unexpected way, her life takes a terrifying new turn. Natasha does her best to get rid of her surprise killer baby, but it clearly doesn’t want to leave her just yet.

Beyond the maternal terror in this teaser, there’s also a hint of comedy in the mix. We’re pregnant with anticipation.

The Baby premieres on HBO on Apr. 24 at 10:30 p.m. ET and will be available to stream on HBO Max.

SAVE $366.99: Forget Apple watches; the Garmin Fenix 5x, a smartwatch designed to weather all terrain with you, does it all and more. As of March 2, it’s now on sale for just $433, instead of the $799 it normally costs. That’s savings of 46%.

An oft-overlooked part of working out is what you wear. Sure, a cute gym set from Lululemon might make you more motivated to work out, but is it contributing to your workout in any meaningful way? The hype around smartwatches and fitness trackers (see: Fitbit, Apple watches) reflects a growing focus on understanding exercise habits and health data to optimize our progress towards our fitness goals.

The Garmin Fenix 5x exemplifies this. Designed to be the ultimate multipurpose sporting watch, its winning feature is the pre-loaded full-color TOPO mapping it uses to identify the best trails and routes to go biking, hiking, or jogging. Trendline popularity routing data uses data to constantly update the most used, locally known paths. The map display is optimized for at-a-glance comprehension, so you don’t have to squint at your bobbing wrist while you run.

The watch also features top-notch location tracking, with multinetwork satellite reception that doesn’t just rely on GPS and an altimeter, barometer, and compass. The safety features tie into this location tracking, as your real-time location can be sent to a preset emergency contact either if you indicate distress by holding the light button down, or the watch’s incident detection is triggered (e.g. by extremely elevated heart rate, sudden cessation of movement, etc.)

In addition to helping you map out your workout, the Garmin Fenix 5x also analyzes it to provide feedback that enhances your next workout. Its physiological metrics and running dynamics track your progress over time, measuring your exercise volume from the past week and comparing it to “the optimal range for your fitness and recent training history.” Other data sets and tracking options for specific sports such as swimming, running, biking, hiking, skiing, rowing, paddle boarding and more are also available.

Its less explicitly exercise-focused features also come in handy — contactless payment makes it so you don’t have to lug your wallet around everywhere with you, while compatibility with music streaming apps (basically a requirement in this day and age for smartwatches) and the option of saving up to 1,000 songs in the watch itself saves you having to bring even your phone on runs. The Garmin Fenix 5x is all you need, which makes exercising so much easier.

Have we mentioned it’s scratch-resistant and has a domed sapphire lens and PVD-coated stainless steel bezel? That means you can put it through its paces on the toughest of workouts and it’ll emerge without a scratch (or water damage, since it’s waterproof). The Garmin Fenix 5x is on sale now at Amazon for $433 (12 color options available for different prices).

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