Amazon’s next Prime Day event is right around the corner, and the deals have already started trickling in. Google’s earbuds have dropped down to just $64 from their normal price of $99. The A-Series, released in 2021, was Google’s more budget-friendly version of its 2020 Pixel Buds. They lack more advanced features like wireless charging and active noise cancellation, but the sound quality and battery life are decent for the price. If you’re an Android user looking for a good pair of earbuds that won’t break the bank, you might want to check these out.

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Get the 2021 Google Pixel Buds A-Series at nearly a record-low price.

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$64 at Amazon

The Pixel Buds A-Series may be a few years old now, but it’s still a nice pair of earbuds. We gave the a score of 84 in our review when the model was first released, and were especially impressed with the sound quality, Google Assistant integration and comfort. The A-Series buds have a small “stabilizer arc” appendage to help them sit securely in the ears. There are some on-board controls, including play/pause, answer call and skip tracks, but they don’t have physical volume controls — for that, you’d need to use Google Assistant or adjust the volume on your device.

Google says the Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds get about five hours of listening time on a charge, or 2.5 hours of talk time. With the charging case, listening time goes up to about 24 hours. With the current deal, you can get the Pixel Buds A-Series earbuds in Clearly White or Dark Olive for $35 off the usual price. For a dollar more, you can grab them in Charcoal. (The pale blue Sea color option unfortunately isn’t covered in the discount). At $64, the Pixel Buds A-Series is almost at a record low, and cheaper even than during in July.

Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice in the lead up to October Prime Day 2024.

As the startup landscape evolves, so do hiring strategies. With Big Tech downsizing and the labor market tightening, founders must navigate a conservative job market to attract and retain top talent. 

The hiring landscape in 2025 will offer challenges and opportunities for those who can adapt. Founders now hold increased leverage, but respect for staff and retention of key players remain vital. How can entrepreneurs strike this balance? 

Join us at TechCrunch Disrupt 2024 at Moscone West in San Francisco from October 28-30, for a conversation with Heather Doshay, partner, People & Talent of SignalFire; Lauren Illovsky, talent partner of CapitalG; and Roger Lee, CEO of Comprehensive.io to explore innovative hiring strategies that align with changing market conditions.

Meet the speakers 

Heather Doshay, Partner, People & Talent, SignalFire

Heather Doshay brings nearly two decades of experience guiding startups toward success through strategic talent management. At SignalFire, a venture firm designed to meet founders’ needs with cutting-edge technology, Heather leverages her expertise to help companies capitalize on the talent flooding the market. Before joining SignalFire, Heather held executive roles at Webflow and Rainforest QA, and led the Candidate Marketplace at Hired. Her deep understanding of recruitment in the tech sector makes her a key voice on the current shift in hiring dynamics and how startups can recruit top performers in a post-pandemic world.

Lauren Illovsky, Talent Partner, CapitalG

Lauren Illovsky leads talent strategy across CapitalG’s portfolio, working closely with founders to refine executive recruiting and organizational development. Having previously worked at Accel and Andreessen Horowitz, Lauren’s experience spans various aspects of talent management, from helping CEOs transition out of their roles to identifying board members who can drive long-term success. Her deep insights into startup leadership make her an invaluable resource for founders who are navigating complex hiring challenges, particularly in the competitive startup ecosystem.

Roger Lee, CEO, Comprehensive.io

Roger Lee has revolutionized the way companies manage compensation with Comprehensive.io, which automates complex compensation processes. His company is dedicated to streamlining compensation management and increasing pay transparency, key factors in both recruiting and retaining talent in today’s competitive market. As the creator of Layoffs.fyi, a website tracking tech industry layoffs, Roger is uniquely attuned to the shifts in employment trends and compensation strategies in the tech world. Roger can offer practical solutions to founders grappling with compensation complexities in a tight labor market.

Gain invaluable insight at Disrupt 2024

Join these distinguished leaders speaking on the Builders Stage to gain invaluable insights into hiring and retaining top talent in 2025. This panel is a must-attend for founders looking to gain a competitive edge in the evolving startup landscape. Get your tickets now to save up to $600 during Reboot Week, and be a part of the conversation shaping the future of talent acquisition. 

Now, X’s lawyers said the company had done exactly what Mr. Musk vowed not to: take down accounts that a Brazilian justice ordered removed because the judge said they threatened Brazil’s democracy. X also complied with the justice’s other demands, including paying fines and naming a new formal representative in the country, the lawyers said.

Strands is the NYT’s latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it’s great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.

Want more word-based fun? Then check out my Wordle today, NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games.

Police can access a trove of data from smart speakers found at crime scenes that could be invaluable in solving murders or burglaries, say researchers. Data on recently recognised faces, internet searches and any voice commands received could be extracted even without the owner’s permission or assistance from the manufacturer.

Jona Crasselt and Gaston Pugliese at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg in Germany decided to explore how much information can be pulled from these devices after seeing news coverage of Amazon refusing to…

These days, when it comes to streaming services, you have your pick of options. Plenty of these come with a hefty price tag, and the major streamers regularly announce price hikes. However, consumers are feeling stretched thin and looking for ways to watch TV without breaking their budget in the process. That’s where advertising video on demand (AVOD) and free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services come in. Options like Tubi, Pluto, the Roku Channel, and, more recently, Google TV are there to fill in the gap.

Tubi is one of the big players in this space, as an AVOD/FAST (we’ll refer to it as just free streaming going forward) service with more than 200,000 movies and TV shows and over 200 live TV channels — for free.

But just because it’s free doesn’t mean you should jump ship from all of your other streaming services. After all, can this Fox-owned free streaming platform really compete with the likes of Netflix, Hulu, and others? Here’s everything you need to know about Tubi.

What is Tubi?

Tubi is a streaming service with a twist: it’s free. The fast-growing company offers up a combination of on-demand movies and TV shows, originals (this would be the AVOD part), and live TV streaming channels (the FAST part) without you having to shell out for a monthly subscription. Think of it as a sort of commercialized version of Netflix without the subscription fees.

Since Tubi is free, you’re going to have to make some compromises, though. First and foremost, there are ads. They aren’t overwhelming, but they’re there. Second, the on-demand content is mostly older movies and shows rerun on cable and other broadcast services. However, while Tubi has yet to produce any of its own original content, the streamer has a ton of it made for the service that can be found in its Tubi Originals section. More on that below.

Tubi was bought by Fox in 2020 for $440 million, and recently reported more than 81 million monthly active users as of September 2024.

What can you watch on Tubi?

Don’t be fooled: There’s plenty to watch on Tubi — it boasts the largest catalog of film and TV titles of any AVOD service at 200,000, and offers more than 200 live TV channels for local news and sports. The free streamer also has more than 100 original titles with more on the way this year, spanning several genres including thriller, sci-fi, horror, romance, adult animation, and Black cinema titles. It’s also bringing in some original content from its siblings TMZ, MarVista Entertainment, and animated specialist Bento Box Entertainment.

In the meantime, sift through Tubi and you’ll find several diamonds in the rough. A quick five-minute search unearthed several decent selections, including Lovecraft Country, Boondock Saints, Ready or Not, The Witches of Eastwick, Independence Day, Vice, and the docuseries How It’s Made. Tubi also offers live TV channels across entertainment, news, sports, and more, including ABC News, NBC News Now, Fox, TMZ, People TV, the NFL Channel, Fox Sports, and MLB. There’s also a fairly impressive offering of shows and movies on Tubi Kids, including The Secret Life of Pets, The Dark Crystal, The Magic Schoolbus, Transformers: Prime, Strawberry Shortcake, and more.

The catalog isn’t available in 4K Ultra HD resolution and tops out at Full HD, depending on the age of the material. There’s no option to upgrade for a better viewing experience, either. Tubi is free, so if you aren’t happy with the experience as is, you will need to seek out an alternative. Fortunately, there’s no shortage of them.

Supported devices

Chances are that if you own a (modern) device that can connect to the internet, it supports Tubi. The streaming service is accessible via your web browser and as a mobile app for both Android and iOS. It’s also available on streaming devices and systems such as Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Fire TV, Google Chromecast, Android TV, TiVo, and as we mentioned above, it was recently added to Google TV. There are even dedicated apps for the PlayStation 4 and Playstation 5, as well as Xbox One, Series X, and Series S.

If you don’t own a set-top box or streaming stick, you may be able to install it on your television itself. If you’re a Comcast Xfinity X1 or Cox Contour cable customer, you can add it to your plan. Plus, owners of Samsung, Sony, Vizio, Hisense, or LG smart TVs can find the Tubi application available in their respective app store. If you’re outside the U.S., however, the list of supported devices varies from country to country.

Features

Given the nonexistent price, there isn’t a whole lot to Tubi when it comes to features. If you want to watch something aimed at mature audiences, you’ll need to register for an account — and that’s where the tools come in. Doing so will allow you to continue watching where you left off (on any device), create a queue, and receive recommendations based on your viewing habits.

The bottom line