Amazon’s big 8-day Black Friday 2019 blowout officially kicks off this coming Friday, but everyone knows that there are already plenty of killer deals to be found. On Wednesday, there’s one sale in particular that you definitely need to check out. More than 30 different smartphone accessories have gotten deep discounts today on Amazon, with prices starting at just $11.94 for iOttie’s wildly popular car mounts. You’ll also find fantastic deals on best-selling Belkin wireless chargers, Mophie portable power banks, Lightning cables, and more.
Shop the entire sale right here:
And here are some of our favorite deals:
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Blizzard only just announced Diablo IV a couple of weeks ago, but it's already provided some key updates on the game's development. In an attempt to repair a fractured relationship with the community that dates back further than the last few months of controversy -- remember the Diablo Immortal reveal last year? -- a recent update is exposing some of the developer's thoughts on system design. That's crucial for a loot-focused experience like Diablo so players feel both challenged and rewarded for their efforts, so explaining ahead of time how skill trees, items and progressions will work and getting some feedback is a good idea.
One interesting aspect is that Lead Systems Designer David Kim says the team is considering the choice between an infinite or finite leveling and experience system. One version he discussed has a level cap that gives way to a second experience system for players who want to go further into the game, acknowledging that while some people want a feeling of completion, others could go on indefinitely in pursuit of higher ranks.
A demo at BlizzCon 2019 featured locked "skill slots" in its UI, but apparently skill selection will remain open in the final game. Also, they're "revisiting" the inclusion of ancient items after feedback from players.
Whatever the team decides, fans of the series can expect to hear more in February. While the game doesn't have a release date yet, the plan is to provide quarterly behind-the-scenes updates on its development, and that's when we'll get the first one.
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To play games on Stadia, you need to have previously purchased a Stadia Founder's Edition, or you can currently purchase the Stadia Premiere Edition for $129 on the Google Store. The free Base version of Stadia that would allow gamers to purchase and stream content at 1080p without a recurring subscription isn't expected to launch until sometime in 2020.
It’s time. Time to unthink the things you think are things. Stadia starts arriving today! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/T6syknqk36
We were lucky enough to get our paws on Stadia just a little bit early. In our official review, we were impressed by its performance and platform potential, though we were miffed by the paltry launch game lineup, missing features, and Google's inescapable penchant for killing off projects before they've fully matured. Still, if you're thinking about picking up a Stadia Premiere package, you might want to wait for this Black Friday deal on a Stadia Premiere + Nest Wi-Fi bundle. Stadia is currently available to gamers in 14 different territories, including the US, UK, and Canada.
Some Founders codes have not been sent out in the correct order
Google's Stadia rollout has been anything but smooth sailing, and now it's come to light that access codes haven't been sent out to some players in time for the arrival of their Founder's Edition hardware. Early adopters were promised they'd receive their codes on a first come first served basis so they could shotgun a Stadia username, but Google has had to admit that it messed up — a company representative took to Reddit to respond to disgruntled customers...
We're sorry for the delayed responses. We've identified an issue where a small fraction of Stadia access codes were sent out of order. That has been addressed. We've continued to roll out codes in the sequence in which we received your pre-order. We look forward to seeing you on Stadia.
With plenty of bad publicity so far, Google will hope that its servers can handle the load as more users gain access to the service. My Founder's Edition kit is apparently due to arrive today, although I didn't order it until September 18, so I hope for the sake of those who ordered before me and haven't yet got theirs that it's incorrect.
It could soon be all too easy to cave into peer pressure if you're an Xbox One owner. Microsoft is trotting out a Guide update that not only lets you obtain more info about the games your friends are playing, but buy them, install them or play them. It can even take you to the game's official club if you're interested more than just purchasing. You just have to select a friend's profile to glean more details.
The company's Larry Hryb (aka Major Nelson) would only say that the feature will reach your system "soon," so don't be shocked if it isn't there right away. Yes, this is clearly a bid to spur more game purchases -- it's banking on that fear of missing out when your friends are playing that hot new shooter. It could be genuinely practical if you've been invited to join a game, though, and it might also come in handy if you're unsure of what to play.
We are starting to roll out a new feature for Xbox One: Directly from the Guide you will be able to quickly get more information on a game your friend is playing - with a link to play it (if installed), install (if you own it) or buy it + a link to the official club pic.twitter.com/VpVGqPzI6u
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Stadia is supposed to represent the future of gaming, or at least one possible future that revolves around streaming. You buy, not rent, a game to play, run it on Google’s massive data centers, and have it streamed to almost any device, with some AI and machine learning magic to help cut back on natural latency from this back and forth process. In reality, however, the launch of Google first formal foray into the gaming market under its own name is turning out to be quite the mess and the harshest words are coming from the platform’s earliest believers who now feel they have been deceived by the company’s sugary words and promises.
This very vocal group is made up of “Founders”, the term given to early adopters who put their money where their mouths are by pre-ordering the game or, in this case, a subscription. Google made it clear that not only would these Founders get dibs on Stadia when it launches, they will also be treated to a “first come, first served” queue. That applies not only to getting access codes before anyone else but also to registering their unique names on the service.
That has apparently not happened in the most ideal situation that Google planned. Many Founders still don’t have their access codes while others do, breaking that processing order that Google promised. That, in turn, has resulted in these early adopters being unable to reserve the name they would have wanted, even if, by pre-order sequence, they should have been first.
To its credit, Google did respond but it is as much as you would expect from a PR response. An issue was discovered and has been addressed and that’s pretty much it. No course of action or compensation has been mentioned.
This is, sadly, just the latest in a growing list of issues with Google Stadia that started with a paltry list of launch titles and has also included performance concerns. Google did mention that Stadia would be growing and improving over time as the platform matures but that’s never an excuse not to put your best foot forward. Especially when you’re asking “Founders” to believe in that promise and invest in your business.
If you need a refresher, the iPhone 6s has a 4.7-inch Retina HD display, FaceTime HD camera, Touch ID and still fits in the back pocket of your jeans comfortably (which can’t be said for some of the larger, more recent iPhone models).
It makes a great gift for older parents or grandparents who want a fuss-free way to FaceTime, or as a present for tweens and older kids who are ready for their first “real” phones.
Maybe you want something a little more advanced?
We’ve spotted several noteworthy deals on newer iPhone models, like up to $450 in eGift cards on the iPhone XS, $400 in eGift cards on the iPhone XS Max or iPhone XR and $300 in eGift cards on the iPhone 11, iPhone 11 Pro and iPhone 11 Pro Max.
All of the deals above are live at Walmart right now.
Walmart also has the best pre-Black Friday deal on Apple AirPods we’ve seen so far. These AirPods (with the charging case) were previously on sale for $144, but were just marked down an additional $5 and are currently down to just $139 at Walmart.
Want more deals? Check out these other major savings at Walmart going on right now:
Normally $450 this LG 55-inch Class 4K Ultra HD Smart LED HDR TV is on sale for $367
These Frida Kahlo and Rosa Parks Barbie Dolls from the “Inspiring Women” collection normally retails for $60 but you can get both of them for just $30
Save on this $35 ScentSationals five-piece oil diffuser gift set and get it for $20 today
Give the gift of comfort with this Fruit of the Loom sleep set. Originally $17 get it on sale for $15
See more early holiday deals from Walmart on Yahoo Shopping!
This article was paid for by Walmart and created by HuffPost’s commerce team. The HuffPost editorial staff did not participate in the creation of this content. Prices and product availability are subject to change.
Nintendo has confirmed that it’ll start selling its official, previously Japan-only Switch Lite Flip Cover in the US next month, with a release date set for January 9th. This is good news, because it’s a great product, and I’d recommend picking one up when it’s out if you’re using the newer, smaller Switch. It does what I want a case to do, which is to protect the screen while adding as little bulk as possible.
The Flip Cover is a lightweight case that the Switch clips into, with a fabric finish and a lid that attaches magnetically. It also comes with a plastic screen protector. I’ve been using the case for a few weeks now, as it came out in Japan at the beginning of the month alongside the Pokémon Sword and Shield limited edition Switch Lite, which I decided to wait for because, well, look at those pink and blue buttons.
The Switch Lite is meant to be a more portable version of the Switch, but it isn’t that much smaller than the regular model. The Lite is still a console that you’ll almost always need to carry in a bag. That’s for the best — I don’t think I could play Fire Emblem: Three Houses if the font size shrunk much further. But the overall size of the Switch-plus-case combination gets reduced so dramatically with the Flip Cover that it makes a huge difference to the system’s portability.
In particular, Nintendo has managed to make the case much thinner by covering the analog sticks with two slightly raised bumps rather than allowing them to balloon the dimensions of the entire case. Here’s how it compares to the official Nintendo case I got with my original Switch at launch in March 2017:
The result is that the Switch Lite is now something I can just toss into a tote bag without a second thought, rather than a bulky gadget I’d only want to bring along with me if I were sure I was really going to use it.
It’s thankfully easy to take the Switch Lite in and out of the case, but you can still play the system with the cover attached and open if that proves to be more convenient. It doesn’t fold all the way back — it just dangles down at a 90-degree angle without getting in the way. There’s also a cut-out for the USB-C port so you don’t have to remove the case to charge the Switch.
I don’t know why Nintendo didn’t have the Flip Cover ready for the Switch Lite’s launch and available in more regions, because it feels like an integral part of the product to me, like the Smart Cover was when Apple first introduced it for the iPad. My one complaint, actually, it doesn’t magnetically lock and unlock the Switch itself like an iPad Smart Cover, which would have been nice.
Still, at $39.99, I would recommend this to pretty much anyone. The point of the Switch Lite is portability, so you’re probably going to want a case, and this is the best one I can imagine.
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