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I really wanted to love season two of HBO’s The Last of Us. For the most part, I did — but it was also impossible to ignore the online masses saying that showrunners Craig Mazin and Neil Druckmann had lost the thread in season two. Some of that comes from creative choices the pair made in adapting the first half of the PlayStation game The Last of Us Part II to TV; it’s a story with a sprawling plot that asks a lot of the player and, as it turns out, even more of a passive audience. The season two cliffhanger ending and tease of what’s to come in season three just didn’t land for a lot of people, and (spoiler alert) there are a lot of questions from viewers as to whether the show can survive the loss of Pedro Pascal’s Joel. It feels like fans of the games are mad at the changes the TV show has made, while people who haven’t played the game aren’t vibing with the story as presented in season two.

As such, I haven’t put up a full-throated defense of season two when, say, a colleague tells me it’s a bummer that the show is now “mid.” Even though there are plenty of toxic “fans” who trash the cast and seem to hate the show telling stories with gay characters, I can admit there are also legitimate issues with season two. But despite that admission making its way into my Last of Us-loving heart, I was still shocked at the news that Druckmann, co-creator of both the game and the show, was leaving the project for season three. Shortly after Druckmann’s announcement, Co-writer on The Last of Us Part II and season two of the show Halley Gross also said she was leaving, which means that the two most prominent people who worked on the games are now gone.

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Neil Druckmann (@druckmann)

How this will affect season three obviously will be the big question over the work leading up to season three, which will probably arrive sometime in early 2027. The simultaneous departure of both Druckmann and Gross reeks of HBO deciding that the tepid reception to season two meant a change was needed. In a statement that lacked all of the passion Druckmann has shown for the show thus far, he said he was transitioning his “complete focus” to Naughty Dog and future games, including Intergalactic: The Heretic Prophet.

We’ll probably never know if Druckmann left on his own or was forced out, but the part of me that loves Naughty Dog’s games is finding solace in that new focus even as HBO’s The Last of Us is thrown into turmoil. Druckmann will probably be far more useful to Sony as a whole working on new games than dabbling in the TV industry.

That’s in large part because yesterday also reminded us just how chaotic the game industry is. In the biggest news of the day, a series of wide-ranging layoffs at Microsoft impacted numerous Xbox studios, the latest bad news for an industry that has frankly been devastated by instability in recent years.

With that background in mind, Druckmann’s renewed focus on Naughty Dog makes a lot of sense. The TV industry is not hurting in the least for prestige content. Showrunner Craig Mazin already has the plot points he needs to cover in season three of The Last of Us, so Druckmann’s input will probably be missed less than it would have been when the project got started back in 2021. But PlayStation, on the other hand, needs a boost, and having a creative leader like Druckmann helping to make Intergalactic and whatever else Naughty Dog has up its sleeve is something the company could really use.

It’s no secret that the first-party PlayStation studios continue to make exceptional games — but the pace during the PS5 generation has slowed significantly. For the first few years of the PS5’s life, most big exclusives like God of War Ragnarök and Horizon Forbidden West came to both the PS4 and PS5. That slowly changed, with titles like Astro Bot and Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 being built exclusively for the PS5. But the cadence of these releases has slowed significantly; this year's releases include Death Stranding 2: On the Beach (likely a timed exclusive) and Ghost of Yotei but five years into this generation it's undoubtedly been a slow burn.

That trend is particularly acute for Naughty Dog. After releasing Uncharted 4: A Thief’s End in 2016 and following that quickly with the standalone expansion Uncharted: The Lost Legacy in 2017, Naughty Dog has released one (1) original game since: The Last of Us Part II. Other than that, we’ve gotten… remakes and remasters of both franchises, perhaps not coincidentally to draw in people who found The Last of Us via the HBO show.

Between his duties as Naughty Dog’s studio head and his TV work, it’s fair to wonder how much time Druckmann has spent on actual games in recent years. It's also entirely possible he's spread too thin now, even without co-running the TV show — it's probably past time for some new creative visionaries to take the lead at Naughty Dog given Druckmann's role as chief executive.

If he’s truly the main director and writer for Intergalactic as he said in his statement, it’s good news for the PlayStation brand that he’s back on that gig full-time. It’s just a bit over six months since Intergalactic was first announced, so we have no real idea where the game is in its development cycle. But it sounds like the game has been in development since 2020, and Naughty Dog has said it learned a lesson from announcing The Last of Us Part II so long before it actually launched. Hopefully we’re looking at a 2026 or 2027 release rather than much beyond that.

Meanwhile, Druckmann’s departure from HBO’s The Last of Us might be a bit of a canary in the coal mine for Sony’s broader PlayStation ambitions and a refocus on just making games. Games industry expert Joost Van Dreunen wrote in 2023 that the success of the show’s first season was “the culmination of Sony’s gradual transition to becoming a media company.” That’s something the company itself has talked up in the years since — the idea of becoming platform-less, with franchises existing on the PlayStation, on the movie screen and on the smaller TV screen in your home. Take its CES 2025 presentation, for example; Sony talked up multiple gaming adaptations besides The Last of Us like the Horizon franchise and Ghost of Tsushima.

"While [Sony] continues to sell hardware at scale, its strategic emphasis is shifting toward high-margin digital services and franchise expansion," Van Dreunen wrote last month. "Titles like The Last of Us have crossed into television with critical success, and Sony has invested heavily in anime distribution (via Crunchyroll) and film adaptations of its game IP. It positions PlayStation less as a closed hardware ecosystem and more as the foundation for a vertically integrated content engine. Rather than chasing distribution breadth like Microsoft, Sony is doubling down on cultural depth, using its exclusive IP to build multi-format engagement loops."

I don’t think a less-than-stellar second season of The Last of Us will cause Sony to abandon this strategy. (Sony is also too big of a ship to completely turn away from this plan very quickly.) But the repositioning of Druckmann as the lead of a successful and influential video game studio rather than a multi-medium creative visionary reinforces the fact that if they’re going to have hits on a variety of different platforms, new, ambitious and hopefully good games like Intergalactic are a necessity. At this point, HBO’s The Last of Us is going to keep on rolling, with or without Druckmann — there were a lot of loud complaints, but also still plenty of viewers and positive reviews. But Naughty Dog is past due for another big game that pushes the genre in a new direction. It’s the right time for Druckmann to come home.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/playstation/playstation-needs-neil-druckmann-more-than-hbo-does-154951145.html?src=rss

Surfshark research found 10 countries imposed internet blackouts in the first half of 2025A total of 24 internet restrictions were recorded in the first half of 2025, with India being the worst perpetratorIncreased internet censorship has seen demand for circumventing tools like VPNs soaredGovernment-imposed internet restrictions have risen in the first half of 2025, compared to the same period last year. New research from Surfshark identified 10 countries imposed 24 internet restrictions to date this year, up from 20 restrictions across nine countries that occurred in the same period in 2024.Specifically, statistics from Surfshark indicate that internet users in India faced more restrictions than any other country between January and June 2025. Authorities in India have used Section 5 (2) of the Telegraph Act, 1885, to cut internet access in the event of a public emergency. Five shutdowns occurred in India in the first half of 2025 amid country-wide protests.Surfshark, one of the best VPN providers on the market right now, has been charting internet shutdowns since 2015. Disruptions range from full internet blackouts to censorship of specific social media platforms like Facebook and X (formerly Twitter) to VoIP services such as Telegram and WhatsApp.Protests and political turmoil are common causes of restrictions(Image credit: Surfshark)"Over the years, governments have used internet shutdowns to control and silence journalists, activists, and the public," said Justas Pukys, VPN Product Manager at Surfshark.Statistics show that local network connection disruptions, which affect a city or region, are more common than national shutdowns. To date, Surfshark has recorded 558 local disruptions worldwide compared to 124 nationwide shutdowns, with protests and political turmoil being the most common causes, followed by elections.At the time of writing, 24 of 196 countries and territories analyzed by Surfshark are blocking social media platforms and VoIP services with Telegram being the most commonly blocked.In January 2025, Telegram was blocked in Venezuela for five days, with authorities even looking to block popular VPN providers as citizens attempted to bypass the disruption. More recently in May 2025, Vietnam blocked access to Telegram with authorities claiming the platform had failed to cooperate with them to halt crimes.During the first half of 2025, two countries imposed restrictions for the first time since Surfshark’s internet shutdown tracking began. Albania issued a one-year ban on short-form video platform TikTok, citing child safety concerns. Authorities in Panama announced a state of emergency due to civil unrest in Bocas del Toro, resulting in a regional internet shutdown.Rising censorship mirrors growing VPN usageSurfshark observes that Iran has had three internet restrictions to date this year.It’s no coincidence then that VPN usage in the country spiked more than 700% in June 2025 as citizens looked to access the internet as normal. This is despite concerted efforts from Iran’s government to block and even outlaw VPNs altogether.(Image credit: Google Trends)"Internet blackouts can be dangerous, especially during critical events such as elections, protests, or other political turmoil. Losing internet access makes it harder to stay in touch with family members, access critical news outlets, and share urgent information with the world about unfolding events," said Pukys.A virtual private network (VPN) takes your device’s internet traffic and routes it through a secure, encrypted tunnel. It also hides your real IP address, allowing you to spoof your location. This means that you can not only sidestep internet restrictions, but prevent snoopers from seeing what you’re doing on the internet.You might also likeIran is discouraging its people from using free VPNsIs the future of censorship-resistant VPNs, no VPNs?2024 was the worst year on record for internet freedoms – again

After reviewing nearly every major device out there, our current favorite laptop, smartwatch, tablet and smartphone are all made by Apple. The only problem is, Apple gear isn’t cheap. But now that Amazon's Prime Day sale is just around the corner (it officially starts on Tuesday) some current model Apple gear is already on sale. Of course, prices could go lower and, if history is any indicator, more products will go on sale as we get closer to the event. So check back as we'll update this guide throughout Prime Day. As of now, these are the best early Prime Day Apple Deals, with links to our reviews so you can make informed purchases.

Editor's note: Apple Watches aren't currently on this list. Current sale prices on the wearables are higher than they've been over the past few weeks, so we're waiting to list them here until the discounts improve. We'll update this guide once the savings are the same or higher than in the recent past.

Best Prime Day iPad deals

Apple iPad Pro (11-inch, M4) for $899 ($100 off): We named the iPad Pro the best tablet money can buy. The screen is one of the best we’ve seen and Apple somehow managed to make the Pro model lighter than Air models. If you plan on handling heavy productivity — video rendering and editing, machine learning apps and the like, this is the way to go.

Apple iPad Pro (13-inch, M4) for $1,099 ($200 off): The larger iPad pro is the ultimate laptop replacer. The M4 chip is faster than many computers out there but the thin and light design makes it super portable. The battery life will last through a whole day of work and more (we clocked over 10 hours of use in our review) and the screen is brilliant. Our only real complaint is the price, and this Prime Day helps at least a little.

Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) for $399 ($100 off): Apple’s smallest iPad earned an 83 review score from us when it came out late last year. Despite its compact size, it’s still a fully-featured iPad, with support for accessories and a laminated, anti-reflective screen. It’s not a laptop-replacer, but rather the perfect couch companion, handling games, video, web browsing and email triage.

Best Prime Day MacBook deals

MacBook Air (M4, 15-inch) for $1,049 ($150 off): If you want a little more screen real estate, go for the 15-inch Air. Devindra found the screen more immersive than the smaller model, and only slightly less portable. The slightly larger battery gave it a few more minutes of life. Whichever size you go for, the MacBook Air will be able to handle all but the most demanding rendering tasks without breaking a sweat.

MacBook Air (15-inch, M3, 24GB RAM) for $1,249 ($450 off): This higher-specced version of the M3 MacBook Air from last year has a 15-inch screen and a little extra internal memory. We gave the 15-inch model a score of 90 in our review when it came out in early 2024. Outside of its older M3 chip (which is still plenty fast for everyday use), marginally improved camera and inability to power two external displays with the lid open, this MacBook is virtually identical to the M4 version.

Best Prime Day AirPod deals

Apple AirPods Pro 2 (USB-C) for $199 ($50 off): In Engadget’s guide to earbuds, Billy Steele names the AirPods Pro the best option for iOS users. They pair easily with iPhones and are an ideal conduit to hands-free Siri. Plus you get a transparency mode that’s second to none as well as solid active noise cancellation (ANC). The sound is rich and clear, too. Note, these have sold for as low as $169 in past weeks.

AirPods Max (USB-C) for $480 ($69 off): Apple’s only over-ear headphones are due for an update. The company outfitted the AirPods Max with a USB-C port late last year, but the internals haven’t had an overhaul since 2020. Still, we named them the best (and only) over-earn AirPods. They are comfortable and relatively lightweight, have a balanced sound and the noise cancellation is solid.

Best Prime Day deals on Apple accessories

Apple AirTags (4-pack) for $75 ($42 off): AirTags are famous for their ability to keep track of anything you attach them to. We named them the best Bluetooth trackers for iPhone users in our guide thanks to the AirTags’ almost spooky ability to locate items in the world at large. If you just need a single tag, that’s on sale too.

Apple Pencil Pro for $99 ($30 off): Apple announced the Pro version of its pencil at the same time as the iPad Pro with the M4 chip. It adds haptic feedback, squeeze gestures and roll capabilities to the usual stylus tricks. It works with the newest iPad Pro, Air and Mini models.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-early-prime-day-apple-deals-on-macbooks-airpods-ipads-and-more-150005125.html?src=rss

AI isn't too good at generating URLs – many don't exist, and some could be phishing sitesAttackers are now optimizing sites for LLMs rather than for GoogleDevelopers are even inadvertently using dodgy URLsNew research has revealed AI often gives incorrect URLs, which could be putting users at risk of attacks including phishing attempts and malware.A report from Netcraft claims one in three (34%) login links provided by LLMs, including GPT-4.1, were not owned by the brands they were asked about, with 29% pointing to unregistered, inactive or parked domains and 5% pointing to unrelated but legitimate domains, leaving just 66% linking to the correct brand-associated domain.Alarmingly, simple prompts like 'tell me the login website for [brand]' led to unsafe results, meaning that no adversarial input was needed.Be careful about the links AI generates for youNetcraft notes this shortcoming could ultimately lead to widespread phishing risks, with users easily misled to phishing sites just by asking a chatbot a legitimate question.Attackers aware of the vulnerability could go ahead and register unclaimed domains suggested by AI to use them for attacks, and one real-world case has already demonstrated Perplexity AI recommending a fake Wells Fargo site.According to the report, smaller brands are more vulnerable because they're underrepresented in LLM training data, therefore increasing the likelihood of hallucinated URLs.Attackers have also been observed optimizing their sites for LLMs, rather than traditional SEO for the likes of Google. An estimated 17,000 GitBook phishing pages targeting crypto users have already been created this way, with attackers mimicking technical support pages, documentation and login pages.Even more worrying is that Netcraft observed developers using AI-generated URLs in code: "We found at least five victims who copied this malicious code into their own public projects—some of which show signs of being built using AI coding tools, including Cursor," the team wrote.As such, users are being urged to verify any AI-generated content involving web addresses before clicking on links. It's the same sort of advice we're given for any type of attack, with cybercriminals using a variety of attack vectors, including fake ads, to get people to click on their malicious links.One of the most effective ways of verifying the authenticity of a site is to type the URL directly into the search bar, rather than trusting links that could be dangerous.You might also likeProtect your online footprint with the best VPNsDownloaded something dodgy? It might be time to check out the best malware removalAvast launches another free scam protection tool, but this one is powered by AI - here's what it offers

Romero Games has announced that funding for its next, unannounced game has been pulled by its publisherMultiple employees have now taken to social media to say that they have been laid off from Romero Games due to Microsoft's latest cutsOne former staffer says that the "whole studio" has been laid offRomero Games has announced that funding for its next game has been pulled, as multiple staffers claim the entire studio has been affected by Microsoft's latest cuts.In a social media post, Romero Games co-founder Brenda Romero shared a statement saying the team learned last night that its publisher has canceled funding for its next project, "along with several other unannounced projects at other studios"."This was a strategic decision made at a high level within the publisher, well above our visibility or control," Romero said. "We deeply wish there had been something, anything, we could have done to prevent this outcome."This absolutely isn’t a reflection of our team’s work, performance, or the quality of the project itself. We hit every milestone on time, every time, consistently received high praise, and easily passed all our internal gates."We’re currently evaluating next steps and working quickly to support our team. Many of us have worked together for more than a decade, some for more than 20 years. It’s an extremely difficult day, and we’re heartbroken it’s come to this."🖤[image or embed]@romerogames.bsky.socialRomero doesn't explicitly say that the funding loss was due to Microsoft job cuts, but after the statement was posted, Christoph Redl, a former hard surface artist at the studio, said in a social media post that "due to the recent Xbox layoffs, I’ve lost my position at Romero Games" and is now looking for work.Another former staffer has also taken to LinkedIn and claimed that the "whole studio is being let go because of the layoffs at Microsoft."As of writing, more than a dozen Romero Games employees have publicly stated that they are looking for work due to the layoffs (via IGN)."Today I found out our whole studio is being let go because of the layoffs at Microsoft," another former employee said."A very sad day," wrote another. "It breaks my heart to say that Romero Games fell victim to the 9,100 Microsoft layoffs today. The best team I've ever worked with and my dream job gone just like that. It really was a great project and it's hard to process that it's over. It's nothing less than tragic."Microsoft announced that it would be making changes across its studios yesterday, which has so far resulted in massive job cuts that have seen at least 9,000 staff members affected.Multiple games have also been canceled, including Perfect Dark, Everwild, and an unannounced MMO from The Elder Scrolls Online studio. Developer The Initiative has also been shuttered.You might also like...Best PS5 games 2025 - the top 26 PlayStation 5 titles to play right nowThe Nintendo Switch 2 is the company’s least ambitious console to date, but its improvements are astronomical70 hours later, and I'm convinced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a true system seller

Helldivers 2 is officially coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S on August 26This makes Helldivers 2 the first PlayStation-published game to get an Xbox releasePre-orders are now openArrowhead Game Studios has announced that the Sony-published Helldivers 2 is officially coming to Xbox Series X and Xbox Series S next month.The surprise news comes from the developer's special announcement stream today, where it was revealed that the 2024 PS5-exclusive hit will be coming to Xbox consoles on August 26, 2025.The Xbox version of the third-person shooter will have full crossplay between PC and PS5 and is now available to pre-order. The standard edition will cost $39.99 / £34.99 while the Super Citizen Edition will cost $59.99 / £51.99.This makes Helldivers 2 the first PlayStation-published game to get an Xbox release, which could be a turning point for the company when it comes to console exclusivity.Together Helldivers, we’ll even the odds and show the bugs, bots, and squids the true meaning of democracy.See you on the frontlines – HELLDIVERS 2 is coming to Xbox Series X|S on August 26, 2025! Get ready to give ’em hell.https://t.co/vcBK3yE5HI pic.twitter.com/wcTi2U1z1SJuly 3, 2025"We know gamers have been asking for this for some time and we are so excited to bring more Helldivers into our game," said game director Mikael Eriksson in an Xbox Wire post."We have so much more in store for the future months and years – and the more players we have the more stories we can tell! The fight for Super Earth has only just begun."Helldivers 2 launched in February 2024 and was a massive success, selling 12 million copies in its first 12 weeks on sale. The game was so popular at release that Arrowhead was forced to increase its concurrent player cap to 700,000 after it breezed past 450,000.You might also like...Best PS5 games 2025 - the top 26 PlayStation 5 titles to play right nowThe Nintendo Switch 2 is the company’s least ambitious console to date, but its improvements are astronomical70 hours later, and I'm convinced The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a true system seller

Amazon’s July Prime Day sale doesn't officially start until Tuesday, July 8. But we're already seeing discounts on some of the tech we recommend — with a wide range of devices going for under $50. Chargers, smart speakers, streaming sticks, Bluetooth trackers and more are on this list — and these aren't just any old gadgets, but products and brands Engadget recommends based on our testing and reviews. Of course, we expect to see many more deals once the sale is live and we'll update this guide often with new discounts. Read on for the best Prime Day deals we could find on tech that costs less than $50.

Best Prime Day tech deals under $25

Amazon Fire TV Stick HD for $18 ($17 off with Prime): We name this the best budget streaming stick on our list of the best streaming devices. It's easy to set up and so you can access all of the major streaming platforms. Just note that it only streams content at 1080p, not 4K and the UI is more ad-heavy than competing streamers.

Apple AirTag for $23 ($6 off): Here’s our pick for a Bluetooth tracker for iPhone users. These little discs have the most accurate finding ability of any fob we tested, thanks to Apple’s vast Find My network that taps into all nearby iPhones to track down your missing stuff. They could be louder and hole would be nice, but nothing beats its accuracy.

Samsung Fit Plus 56GB flash drive for $23 ($12 off): We named this the best thumbstick drive in our guide to the best SSDs. It has a sleek design, five-year warranty and has a USB 3.1 connection. There’s even a small attachment point for a keychain so you can take your extra storage drive with you when you go.

Thermacell E55 Rechargeable Repeller for $25 ($10 off): The mosquitos aren’t going anywhere. Even places that didn’t used to have these evil bloodsuckers are now overrun. If you would like some reprieve from the bites, this is the repeller we recommend in our guide to outdoor tech.

TP-Link AC1200 WiFi extender for $20 ($10 off): If you’ve got some dead spots in your home’s internet coverage and aren’t quite ready for a mesh setup, a Wi-Fi extender can help. This is our favorite budget option in our guide to these plug-in devices thanks to its easy setup and user-friendly app.

Amazon Echo Pop for $22 ($18 off with Prime): The smallest (and cheapest) Echo speaker is ideal for small apartments or rooms. The half-sphere design comes in purple and teal in addition to the standard black and white colorways. It's gone as low as $18 in past Prime Day sales.

Anker Nano USB-C charger block for $16 ($4 off): Remember when tiny bricks like this all maxed out at a dinky five-watts? This tiny but mighty cube is the best cheap fast charger in our guide to fast chargers and it outputs a generous 30 watts, plus the prongs fold down to make it even more teensy.

Soundcore Select 4 Go Bluetooth speaker for $22 ($13 off with Prime): One of the newest additions to our guide to the best Bluetooth speakers is this ‘lil guy from Soundcore (Anker). We found it had decent sound quality and was loud enough to fill a standard-sized living room. It's gone as low at $20 in the past.

Amazon Smart Plug for $13 ($12 off with Prime): This plug and an Alexa Echo device makes a perfect smart home starter kit (and a number of Echos are on sale for Prime Day, too). Snap this into your outlet and Alexa should automatically detect it (if not, a few taps in the Alexa app should get things connected). Then you can use it to control any lamp, fan or other simple device you plug into it — just by asking the assistant.

Blink Mini 2 security camera for $20 ($20 off with Prime): Our pick for the best budget security camera is now even more budget friendly. We appreciated this diminutive camera’s ease of setup and excellent integration with Alexa devices, like Echo speakers and displays. It requires a subscription for person detection and cloud storage, and the image quality wasn’t the best of the bunch.

Best Prime Day tech deals under $35

Amazon Echo Dot for $32 ($18 off with Prime): Amazon seems to wait for Prime Day sales to give its smart speakers hefty discounts. We see minor sales throughout the year, but not quite this steep (though it's gone as low as $23 in past sales). So if you want to bring Alexa’s peppy helpfulness into your home, this is a good time to do so. The Dot is our favorite smart speaker under $50.

Amazon Echo Dot Kids with Alexa for $32 ($28 off with Prime): The kids version of Amazon's smart speaker is the same hardware but with a kid-themed cover (owl or dragon) and it comes with a free year-long subscription to Amazon Kids+ with audiobooks, games and educational Alexa skills.

Blink Video Doorbell for $30 ($30 off with Prime): If you already use Alexa in your home and want a compatible video doorbell, you may want to check out this deal. Note that you’ll need a Blink subscription and a Blink Sync Module to store clips and to access other features. You can wire it to your existing doorbell wires or use it wirelessly with two AA batteries that can last up to two years.

Best Prime Day tech deals under $50

Blink Outdoor 4 for $45 ($55 off): We named this outdoor camera the best for Alexa homes in our security cameras guide. It can go just about anywhere you want as the wireless design runs on AA batteries and can last for two years before needing to be replaced. The motion alerts are accurate, but keep in mind you’ll need a subscription to enable person detection and cloud storage.

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 gaming headset for $36 ($14 off): In our guide to gaming headsets, we ultimately recommend getting an external mic along with a good pair of wired headphones for chatting. But if you really want a two-in-one, the Cloud Stinger 2 is our pick for a budget gaming headset.

Razer Basilisk V3 gaming mouse for $40 ($30 off): Some prefer a wired connection when playing games. Razer’s Basilisk V3 is our top budget pick for a wired mouse in our gaming mouse guide. It’s comfortable, well-built, accurate and a good value — particularly with a Prime Day discount.

Amazon Echo Spot for $45 ($35 off with Prime): The Spot speaker was resurrected last year with a slightly different design than it first had. Now the display is a half-circle on the round face of the clock and it can show you the weather, time and song title. The speaker itself brings you all Alexa can do, like setting timers, adding stuff to your grocery lists and answering questions about the weather.

Amazon Echo Buds with Active Noise Cancellation for $45 ($95 off with Prime): These buds are a bit old at this point, as they came out in 2021, but the 68 percent discount could be compelling. In our review, we said the buds were much improved over the last generation. They're more comfortable and have a better sound quality. Plus the Alexa integration makes them a decent pick for those who've gone all-in on Amazon's ecosystem.

Ring Pan-Tilt Indoor Cam for $40 ($40 off with Prime): This indoor security camera can spin 360 degrees and has a tilt range of 169 degrees so you can keep tabs on pets and other happenings at home. It'll let you drop in for a live view from your phone, and supports two-way talk for telling your pup to get off the couch.

UGreen Revodok Pro 109 USB-C Hub for $39 ($16 off): The top pick in our guide to the best USB-C hubs has a good array of ports, including an HDMI 2.0 connection that supports 4K monitors at 60Hz, plus three USB-A ports, Ethernet and one USB-C (plus another for delivering 90W of power to your device. The hub has gone as low as $30 in prior sales. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-amazon-prime-day-deals-under-50-we-could-find-includes-gear-from-blink-anker-amazon-echo-and-more-160028478.html?src=rss

Android TV users have spotted new discovery tabs in Play NextIt's a server-side update, not a firmware updateAndroid TV has been replace by Google TV in retail productsAndroid TV is getting an update that brings it much closer in appearance to Google TV.The update, which is rolling out to select Android TV users at the moment and which has been photographed by users of the r/AndroidTV subreddit, introduces new tabs at the top of the Play Next section: Top Selling Movies, Popular Movies and Shows, and Trending on Google.If you're a Google TV user this will look very familiar, as those tabs are part of the Google TV homescreen.Android TV's Play Next bar at the home screen updated with new tabs! from r/AndroidTVWill your Android TV get an interface upgrade?So far there's no official word on which TVs are getting the update, but the Android TV in the photograph is running Android 9.0 so this appears to be an update at Google's end rather than a software download. That means it should be universal.Although Google has been phasing out Android TV since 2020, when it announced that Google TV would be the front end for its TV operating system going forward, Google has continued to make occasional updates to its older interface. For example, it gave the homescreen a bit of a makeover in late 2024.It's worth noting that when we talk about Android TV, we don't mean the underlying operating system: that's Android TV OS, and both Android TV and Google TV sit on top of it. This year's version of the operating system will be based on Android 16 and Google TV will be getting a visual refresh, Eclipsa audio support, in-app calibration for streaming apps and more of Google's Gemini AI.You might also likeBest Android box of 2025: Our top picks for TV, gaming and moreGoogle TV devices will get 4 great free upgrades this yearThe best TV, chosen by our reviewers for all budgets