iRobot’s Roomba 694 drops to $180, plus the rest of the week’s best tech deals

Mother’s Day is quickly approaching and if you’re looking to get mom a piece of new tech, you can do so right now while saving some money in the process. Apple’s latest AirPods remain on sale for $150 and you can pick up the Apple Watch Series 7 for as low as $330, depending on the color you choose. A few robot vacuums have been discounted, including the already affordable Roomba 694, plus Ninja’s 10-in-1 multicooker is still $70 off and down to $130. Here are the best tech deals from this week that you can still get today.

Roomba 694

iRobot Roomba 694
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

iRobot’s affordable Roomba 694 is still on sale for $180 right now, which is a record low. This is one of our favorite budget-friendly robot vacuums thanks to its easy to use mobile app, good cleaning power and sleek design.

Buy Roomba 694 at Amazon – $180

AirPods (3rd gen)

Apple’s newest earbuds are close to their record-low price right now. You can grab the third-gen AirPods for $150, or $30 off their normal rate. We gave them a score of 88 for their improved design, much better audio quality and longer battery life.

Buy AirPods (3rd gen) at Amazon – $150

AirPods Pro

Apple’s AirPods Pro are back on sale for $174, which is 30 percent off their normal price. We gave them a score of 87 for their improved fit, good audio quality and solid ANC.

Buy AirPods Pro at Amazon – $174

Apple Watch Series 7

Many color options of the 41mm Apple Watch Series 7 are down to $330, or $70 off their normal price. We gave the wearable a score of 90 for its bigger screen, faster charging and handy watchOS 8 features.

Buy Apple Watch Series 7 at Amazon – $330

10.2-inch iPad

Both Amazon and Walmart have the entry-level iPad for $309 right now, or $20 off its normal price. We gave the slab a score of 86 for its improved performance, excellent battery life and Center Stage-capable front cameras.

Buy 10.2-inch iPad at Amazon – $309Buy 10.2-inch iPad at Walmart – $309

AirPods Max

Apple AirPods Max
Engadget

A couple of colors of the AirPods Max are $100 off and down to $450. We gave the premium headphones a score of 84 for their excellent sound quality, solid ANC and reliable onboard controls.

Buy AirPods Max at Amazon – $450

Roomba j7+

iRobot Roomba j7+
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The Roomba j7+ robo-vac and the Roomba s9+ are both $200 off right now and down to $599 and $799, respectively. These are both advanced machines from iRobot, with the j7+ sporting a pet poop detection feature, while the s9+ has the strongest suction power of all of the company’s robot vacuums. Both also come with clean bases, so you won’t have to empty their dustbins manually after each cleaning job.

Buy Roomba j7+ at Amazon – $599Buy Roomba s9+ at Amazon – $799

Eero 6 routers

Eero 6 WiFi router
eero LLC

A bunch of Eero 6 router packs are on sale right now, including a three-pack of the Eero 6 Pro, which is $120 off and down to $479. You save spend a bit less money and opt for the two-pack, which is $80 off and down to $319. These are the latest WiFi 6 systems from the Amazon-owned brand, and many of the come with built-in Zigbee smart home hubs.

Shop Eero 6 sale at Amazon

Fitbit Charge 5

Fitbit Charge 5 fitness tracker
Valentina Palladino / Engadget

The Fitbit Charge 5 tracker is down to $130, which is only $10 more than its record-low price. We gave the device a score of 82 for its accurate onboard GPS, slim design, standard Fitbit Pay and long battery life.

Buy Fitbit Charge 5 at Amazon – $130

Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 multicooker

Ninja Foodi 10-in-1 pressure cooker and air fryer
Ninja

Ninja’s 10-in-1 multicooker is $70 off and down to $130, which is close to its all-time-low price. This is a solid alternative to an Instant Pot as it has a bunch of cooking modes including pressure cook, slow cook, steam, yogurt and even air fry.

Buy Ninja 10-in-1 multicooker at Amazon – $130

Google Nest Video Doorbell Battery

Battery-powered Google Nest Cam and Doorbell
Google

A handful of Google smart home devices are on sale right now, including the Nest Video Doorbell Battery, which is $30 off and down to $150. This gadget will let you keep an eye on what’s going on outside your door from your phone, and there are no wires to fuss with when you install it. You can also pick up the Nest Cam Indoor and Outdoor for less, coming in at $80 and $150, respectively.

Buy Nest Cam Indoor at Adorama – $80Buy Nest Cam Outdoor at Adorama – $150Buy Nest Cam Outdoor at B&H – $150Buy Nest Video Doorbell Battery at Adorama – $150Buy Nest Video Doorbell Battery at B&H – $150

Amazon smart thermostat

Amazon’s smart thermostat is back on sale for $48, which is 20 percent off its regular price. The Energy Star-certified device uses Honeywell’s Home Thermostat tech to help you save on energy costs — and, like other Amazon devices, it works with Alexa so you can use voice commands to control the temperature in your home.

Buy smart thermostat at Amazon – $48

Google Nest thermostats

Both Google’s standard Nest Thermostat and the more advanced Learning model remain discounted right now. You can pick up the regular version for $100, while the Learning Thermostat is still on sale for $200. They share most of the same features, but you’ll get a slicker design, a higher-res display and the ability to connect with Nest Temperature Sensors with the Learning model.

Buy Nest Thermostat at Amazon – $100Buy Nest Learning Thermostat at Amazon – $200

New tech deals

NordVPN

NordVPN’s latest deal lets you save 51 percent off the price of a two-year subscription, so you’ll pay only $96 for that time period. After the first two years, the price goes up to $99 per year. NordVPN is one of our favorites thanks to its speed, its no-logs policy, the thousands of servers it has to choose from and that one account supports up to six connected devices

Subscribe to NordVPN (2 years) – $96

JBL Xtreme 3

This midrange Bluetooth speaker is $80 off and down to $300, which is the cheapest we’ve seen it. It earned a spot in our portable Bluetooth speaker guide for its dynamic yet balanced sound quality, IP67-rated design and relatively compact size.

Buy JBL Xtreme 3 at Amazon – $300

83-inch Sony A90J Bravia XR OLED smart TV

This massive OLED TV from Sony is $500 less than usual, bringing it down to $5,500. It’s the 2021 model and it supports XR Motion Clarity, the Google TV interface, voice commands with Alexa, HDMI 2.1 and more.

Buy 83-inch Sony A90J OLED at Amazon – $5,500

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Google is banning third-party call recording apps from the Play Store

Google is introducing a new Play Store policy that will effectively block third-party call recording apps from the Play Store by May 11th, according to a Reddit post seen by 9to5Google. Such apps currently use the Accessibility API (designed for people with disabilities) to gain access to the audio functions on Android devices. 

“Apps with a core functionality intended to directly support people with disabilities are eligible to use the IsAccessibilityTool,” the policy states. “Apps not eligible for IsAccessibilityTool may not use the flag and must meet prominent disclosure and consent requirements. The Accessibility API is not designed and cannot be requested for remote call audio recording. ” 

Google has gradually been trying to eliminate call recording on Android, mainly due to privacy concerns. It was largely blocked on Android 6, and the use of the microphone for call recording was eliminated in Android 10. The last resort for call recording apps was to use the Accessibility API. 

Google addressed the issue in a webinar video, saying that “remote in this context refers to call audio recording where the person on the other end is unaware of the recording is taking place.” It added that dialer apps like Google Phone and Mi Dialer with native call recording functionality will be unaffected by the change.

 “If the app is the default dialer on the phone and also pre-loaded, accessibility capability is not required to get access to the incoming audio stream,” said Google content global operations lead Moun Choi. “Hence would not be in violation. Since this is a clarification to an existing policy, the new language will apply to all apps starting on May 11th.” It’s not clear if the new policy means existing call recorder apps will be pulled from the Play Store.

Sony is looking into ad-supported games now, too

Microsoft might not be the only console maker hoping to place more ads in games. Insidersources (sub. required) say Sony is testing an initiative that would sell and place ads in free-to-play PlayStation games through a private marketplace. This would include billboards and other environmental ads, but also character skins and similar collectible items.

Some details are reportedly in flux. Sony isn’t certain if it will take a slice of any ad revenue, the tipsters claimed, and it might instead ask studios to pay for data. The PS5 creator is apparently “strict” about screening the ad tech companies it works with, however, and won’t allow the collection of personal information like email addresses.

If accurate, the leak has Sony launching the PlayStation ad program by the end of 2022. We’ve asked the company for comment.

The rumor comes just a week after Microsoft was said to be planning a very similar strategy. The objective would be simple: the easier it is for developers to place in-game ads, the more likely they are to release free-to-play games. While that could irritate gamers who’d rather not see obvious product plugs, it could also help companies release free-to-play games that don’t rely quite as much on paid skins, season passes and other gated content.

Sennheiser says its new Sport earbuds can reduce noise from your own body

Sennheiser has revealed a set of true wireless earbuds geared toward fitness enthusiasts. It says the Sport True Wireless buds include an Aware EQ passthrough setting that can reduce distracting noises from your own body, such as your heartbeat or footsteps, while helping you stay aware of your surroundings. That could be a handy option for runners.

There’s an intriguing system called Adaptable Acoustic that allows you to choose between open and closed ear adapters and tweak equalizer settings to find your ideal sound for workouts. The Focus EQ setting, combined with the closed ear adapter, is designed to block out external audio. 

You’ll be able to adjust how much external sound you hear and create custom EQ presets in the Sennheiser Smart Control app. There are three sizes of ear adapters and four fins to help you find the ideal fit.

Sennheiser says the earbuds have a 7mm dynamic driver that offers “full bass and superior clarity without distortion.” They have touch controls and voice assistant support. The buds are compatible with Bluetooth 5.2 and audio codecs such as SBC, AAC and aptX, which will help users connect them to a wide range of devices.

The earbuds have an IP54 rating, meaning they’re resistant to dust, splashes and sweat. Sennheiser says the battery will run for up to nine hours. The charging case will add up to 18 hours of listening time.

Pre-orders for Sennheiser’s Sport True Wireless earbuds open today. The buds cost $130 and will ship on May 3rd.

Sennheiser Sport True Wireless earbuds
Sennheiser

Razer’s new soundbar makes your desk a home theater

Razer has increasingly gone from a specialized gaming accessory maker to more of a lifestyle brand. In addition to keyboards, mice, headsets and controllers, you can buy chairs, backpacks and even a wearable air purifier. But with this recent expansion…

Apple’s AirPods Max are $99 off at Amazon

Apple’s AirPods Max over-ear headphones are once again on sale. The price has dropped by $99 at Amazon, where they’re currently $450. One important thing to note is that you’ll only get the full discount with two of the color options. The silver and space gray versions have a $29 voucher that’s applied at checkout. The other colorways are $479 for the time being.

Buy Apple Airpods Max at Amazon – $450

While this isn’t the lowest price we’ve seen for AirPods Max to date, it’s a good deal on a solid set of premium headphones. The price was one of our biggest sticking points when we reviewed the cans in December 2020 and gave them a score of 84. They deliver excellent audio quality and have good Active Noise Cancellation. We found the battery life to be solid, while features like deep iOS integration are useful.

As with other AirPods, these headphones don’t support Apple Music Lossless due to Bluetooth codec compression. They do, however, support Dolby Atmos spatial audio.

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A bunch of Google Nest devices are on sale for as low as $80

If you’re looking for new devices to add to your smart home setup, you can get a few Nest gadgets for less right now. Amazon, Adorama and B&H Photo have discounted a handful of Google smart home gadgets, including the Nest Cam Indoor, which is $20 off and down to $80. The Nest Cam Outdoor and the Video Doorbell Battery are both $30 off and down to $150, too.

Buy Nest Cam Outdoor at Amazon – $150Buy Nest Cam Outdoor at Adorama – $150Buy Nest Cam Outdoor at B&H – $150Buy Nest Cam Indoor at Amazon – $80Buy Nest Cam Indoor at Adorama – $80Buy nest Video Doorbell Battery at Amazon – $150Buy Nest Video Doorbell Battery at Adorama – $150Buy Nest Video Doorbell Battery at B&H – $150

The Nest Cams on sale are quite similar, but the Nest Cam Outdoor has a weatherproof design so you can place it anywhere outside your home, plus expanded Night Vision and an internal battery. The latter means you don’t have to place the camera near an outlet, instead, you can snap it into place on its base and leave it be. Google estimates you’ll get up to seven months of battery life, depending on how much activity the camera records regularly, before you’ll need to recharge it.

Both the Indoor and Outdoor cams record at 1080p and they’ll send alerts to your phone when motion is detected in their line of site. Both also have built in speakers and microphones, so you can hear what’s going on and speak to people on the other end of the camera.

As for the Video Doorbell, it lets you keep an eye on what’s going on outside any door. Since the model on sale runs on a rechargeable battery, installation is pretty easy and you can use it with any door — not just your front door. As with the security cameras, the Nest Video Doorbell will send you alerts when you have a visitor and you can chat with them through your phone and the device’s built-in speaker and microphone. Google’s “intelligent alerts” can also differentiate between a visitor, a package being delivered, an animal sighting and more, so you’ll always know what’s happening and if it requires your immediate attention.

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