Most of usclose to 92%, in factown a car. This country is so car-centric you have to do a lot of planning and investigation if you want to (or have to) try living without one. The good news is that modern cars are pretty durable in generaltodays cars have an average lifespan of more than 16 years and close to 160,000 miles, based on the cars that wind up in junkyards around the country. The bad news is that getting that much out of a car requires regular maintenance and repairsthe average cost of car ownership is now over $1,000 per month.Even with that maintenance, no car lasts foreverand there are usually signs that your car is about to go to that great junkyard in the sky. Some car problems are long-term, grinding issues that will have you limping from repair to repair for years, but eventually your car will develop a problem that indicates its going to have a catastrophic problem and stop running altogether. If you see any of the following red flags when driving your car, its time to start making a plan for a new one, because your current ride is about to die.You hear "rod knock"If you hear a loud knocking or smacking sound when you turn the car on, and it gets louder when you hit the accelerator, you might be suffering from rod knock. This can be caused by insufficient oil (from a persistent leak or skipped oil changes) or worn belts, leading to worn-out rod bearings. Sure, your car is still moving, but rod knock is a sign that your engine is about to close up shoppossibly in dramatic fashion. Repairing the problem can cost up to $3,500, depending on what the specific cause is and how bad its gotten.The car shakes and vibratesHas your car started to shake and vibrate every time you drive it? If you feel like youre on a bucking bronco every time you drive to the grocery store and your steering wheel is jerking under your hands, you should drive directly to the mechanic, because your car may be about to die. Violent shaking is usually a sign of an engine misfire or transmission problems. Engine misfire occurs when a cylinder in your engine isnt igniting the gas properly, and can be a significant repair depending on the precise cause. Transmission-related shaking could be caused by something as simple as low fluid levels, but could also indicate mechanical issues with the transmission itselfwhich might run you $5,000 or more. Either way, if your car feels like its going to shake itself to pieces when you drive it, its about to stop moving altogether.It's stalling when it shouldn't beIf youre driving a car with an automatic transmission, it shouldnt stall when you take your foot off the gas. If it does, it might not be a major problembut its definitely a sign that your car is gearing up to quit on you. The causes could be your alternator, which generates the electricity your engine uses to function, clogged filters, a failing fuel pump, corroded spark plugs, or even just a faulty sensor. Even if your car runs well otherwise, dont wait to get stalling checked out. You never know when youre going to stall at a traffic light and be unable to start the car again.The engine doesn't stop runningThe opposite of stalling is an overeager engine that keeps running even after you turn off the ignition. A running-on engine happens when fuel in the cylinders combusts on its own due to hot spots. Even if the engine eventually shuts down, its a sign of worse things to come because something is seriously wrong with the engine: Either you have malfunctioning or incorrect spark plugs, a damaged fuel injector, timing issues, or serious carbon build up in the cylindersthe latter of which is a pretty big problem if left unchecked, as it can lead to severe engine damage.The car's frame is rustedYou might think that a little rust on your car is no big dealand thats largely true if the rust is superficial. Even if rust has eaten away at your cars roof and it leaks when it rains, the car will still be drivable.But structural rust is a much bigger concern. When your cars frame starts to rust, its only a matter of time before your car gives out. Unless youre regularly under your car, however, you might not notice a rusting frame until its too late, but there are some warning signs that will tell you that your car is about to fail critically because of rust:Bending or cracking in the body. If any of your cars panels are warped, it might indicate your cars frame is weakened by rust.Stiff doors. If your cars doors are hard to open and close but your car has never suffered body damage (from an accident, for example), it might be a clue that rust is eating your vehicle.Holes. Have you looked under rugs on the floor recently? If theres a hole in your floor, your car has a serious rust problem.There's visible (or smellable) smokeVisible smoke of any kind coming out of your car is never a good sign, but certain smoke scenarios imply an emergency situation:Blue smoke. Smoke with a bluish tinge to it usually means oil is leaking into your engine and being combusted with the fuel. This is a very bad thing to happen to your car, and you need to get it checked out right away if you dont want to experience Total Car Failure firsthand. It might be a blown head gasket allowing oil to get into the cylinders. Failing head gaskets also let pressure backflow into the rest of the engine, causing even more problems.Sweet smoke. Is white smoke with a "sweet" smell to it pouring out of your car? A failing head gasket might be leaking antifreeze into the engine, where it mixes with the fuel. If your engine is also running hot, thats probably whats happening.If you suspect youve blown a head gasket, get it fixed right away. A blown head gasket can run you $3,000 or more to repair.Gears "slip" from one to anotherIf your automatic transmission starts grinding gears (shaking and making a lot of noise as it struggles to shift into the next gear) or starts slipping from one gear to another while youre driving, it might be a sign that your transmission is about to go boom. The fix might not be majorthe problem might be as minor as low transmission fluid, or a single worn-out part thats easily replaced. But it might be a sign that your transmission is cooked, and the worst way to discover that fact is when your car suddenly stops moving on the freeway.The headlights dim unexpectedlyIf youre driving at night and notice that your headlights are suddenly dimand getting dimmerit might indicate a failing alternator. The alternator generates the power for the headlights and other lights in your car, and if its not generating enough power those lights will dim and even turn off completely, even though the car continues to run. If thats happening to you, its only a matter of time before the alternator fails to generate enough power to run the car and it dies.Excessive and mysterious leakingThis one should be pretty obvious: If you notice a pool of leaked fluids under your car everywhere you park, youre on the clock to engine failure. If youre at the point where you have oil, antifreeze, and transmission fluid in the trunk and every trip begins with a top-off, you might have loose or failing gaskets or loose drain plugsand if those plugs or gaskets fail totally while youre driving, the results could be catastrophic if the engine loses all lubrication and fluid pressure suddenly.Your car is always telling you somethingand if that something is that its about to die, you should listen.

You can get AdGuard's VPN and ad blocker on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $439.39) with this early Black Friday sale. It includes five years of AdGuard VPN, a top-rated and user-friendly way to encrypt your browsing with servers in over 60 locations worldwide. You can connect up to ten devices simultaneously, and AdGuard has a zero-logging policy, meaning they don't save or collect your data. Youll also get lifetime access to AdGuards ad blocker, which blocks pop-ups, banners, and video ads from nine of your devices. It also hides your data from trackers and includes optional parental controls. Both tools work on iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows.You can get AdGuard's VPN and ad blocker on sale for $34.97 right now (reg. $439.39), though prices can change at any time.

With each passing year, Black Friday seems to turn more and more into "Black November," with many retailers starting their holiday sales weeks before the day itself. But while the bombardment of promos can be annoying, it also presents a good chance to beat the rush and finish holiday shopping ahead of time, without paying more than you have to.To help you cut through the noise, we're rounding up the best early Black Friday deals we can find in one easy place. While most major tech retailers haven't started their early sales in earnest just yet, we've seen more than a few new discounts on gadgets we recommend pop up. We'll continuously update this post as more Black Friday tech deals pop up, so if you've been eyeing something else, be sure to check back.Engadget's top picksApple Watch Series 10 for $349 ($50 off): The latest Apple Watch is our top pick for the best smartwatch you can get thanks to its slightly thinner and lighter design, wide-angle OLED panel for better viewing angles, watchOS 11 features and slightly improved battery life. We gave it a score of 90 in our Apple Watch Series 10 review.Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max for $33 ($27 off): Amazon's most powerful dongle supports 4K streaming with Dolby Vision, Wi-Fi 6E and live picture-in-picture mode so you can see security camera feeds directly on your TV as you're watching a show or movie. In addition to being a solid streamer, it also makes a good retro gaming device.DJI Osmo Mobile 6 gimbal for $89 ($40 off): The latest version of DJI's smartphone gimbal includes improved tracking and a new Quick Launch feature for iPhones that automatically launches the companion app in camera view so you can get to filming.Anker MagGo 3-in-1 foldable charging station for $82.50 (25 percent off with coupon): This Qi2 charging station supports up to 15W of power output and can charge an iPhone, Apple Watch and a pair of AirPods all at once. It also comes with a 40W USB-C charger and connecting cable, so you get everything you need to use it in the box.Anker Prime Power Bank 200W with charging base for $110 ($75 off): This high-capacity power bank is one of our favorites thanks to its speedy charging performance, onboard display which shows how much juice is flowing to each connected device and the included charging station that provides a neat space for the brick to live when you're not using it.LG 65-inch B3 OLED smart TV for $998 ($301 off): This OLED TV has a 120Hz refresh rate, LG's a7 AI processor Gen 6, and support for NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium and VRR for an even better gaming experience. A 65-inch OLED set under $1,000 is a great deal, as it's more common to see 55-inch TVs drop below that threshold during sale events.The best early Black Friday tech dealsApple Black Friday dealsNathan Ingraham / EngadgetApple iPad (9th gen) for $200 ($129 off): Apple discontinued this model with the release of the new iPad Pro and Air models earlier this year. In what's likely an effort to get rid of current stock, the price is down to a new record low of $200. The 9th generation iPad is the former budget pick in our guide to the best Apple tablets and will serve well as a casual browsing, streaming and game playing machine.Apple MacBook Air (M3, 13-inch) fore $899 ($200 off): The latest MacBook Air is our top pick for the best laptop for most people, and this model has 16GB of RAM built in double the previous base amount. If you're ok with getting an M2 processor, that 13-inch MacBook Air with 16GB of RAM is also on sale for $749.Apple 2024 M4 iMac desktop computer for $1,150 ($148 off with coupon): Apple just released the refreshed iMac last month, and now the silver model is already on sale. It has the latest Apple silicon, the M4 system on a chip that gives it a speed boost and enables the new Apple Intelligence features in macOS Sequoia.Anker Black Friday dealsAnker 10K MagGo power bank for $70 ($20 off, Prime exclusive): This is one of our top picks for the best power banks you can buy today thanks to its versatile capacity, speedy Qi2 charging capabilities, clear screen that shows remaining battery power and its built-in kickstand.Anker 3-in-1 10K portable charger for $36 ($9 off, Prime exclusive): A top pick in our best power banks guide, this 10K brick has a built-in USB-C cable so you don't need to remember to bring one with you, plus it has an extra USB-C port for charging other devices.Anker Soundcore Space A40 for $44.25 ($35.75 off): The Space A40 is the longtime top pick in our guide to the best budget earbuds, as it delivers the kind of robust feature set we expect from pairs that cost three times as much. Call quality isn't the best, and it won't auto-pause when you take out an earbud, but its warm sound, powerful ANC, eight-ish hours of battery life and comfy design all impress for the money. This deal ties the lowest price we've seen it's only available to Prime subscribers at Amazon, but you can also grab it at Anker's online store with an on-page coupon.Black Friday gaming dealsXbox Series X (1TB) with extra controller for $490 ($110 off): This bundle includes a total of two Xbox wireless controllers with the Series X console, and the built-in 1TB SSD is a good starting point for most gamers.Xbox Black Friday deals get up to 55 percent off games: With titles starting at $5, this is a good time to pad your digital-only Xbox console if you're eager to try some new games. A number of our top picks for the best Xbox games are included in the sale, like Halo: The Master Chief Collection for $10.Seagate Storage Expansion Card 2TB for $200 ($160 off): Seagate's expansion card is one of the best options for expanding your Xbox Series X/S storage. A 2TB version has dropped to $200, its lowest price to date. It's one of our picks for the best Xbox Series X/S accessories. Also available at Seagate.Black Friday Lego dealsLegoLego Friends Advent Calendar 42637 for $21.19 (36 percent off)Lego Disney Advent Calendar 43253 for $35 (23 percent off)Lego Classic Medium Creative Brick Box 10696 for $22.50 (36 percent off)Lego Technic Planet Earth and Moon in Orbit Building Set 42179 for $60 (20 percent off)Lego Ideas The Insect Collection 21342 for $64 (20 percent off)Lego Star Wars: A New Hope Boarding The Tantive IV Fantasy Toy 75387 for $44 (20 percent off)Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars Captain Rex Y-Wing Microfighter Building Set 75391 for $10 (23 percent off)Lego Star Wars: The Phantom Menace Mos ESPA Podrace Diorama 75380 for $60 (25 percent off)Lego Super Mario King Boo's Haunted Mansion 71436 for $60 (20 percent off)Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant 71426 for $48 (20 percent off)Lego Super Mario Nabbit at Toads Shop Expansion Set 71429 for $12 (40 percent off)Lego Harry Potter Expecto Patronum Collectible 2-in-1 Building Set 76414 for $56 (20 percent off)Black Friday subscription dealsAudible Premium Plus (3-month) for $1 ($29 off): Those who don't currently subscribe to Audible can get three months of the audiobook service's Premium Plus plan for $1. Normally, the service costs $15 per month after a 30-day free trial. As a refresher, Premium Plus is Audible's upper tier: In addition to giving access the full Audible Plus library, it lets you keep one title from a curated selection of audiobooks each month. We wouldn't call it essential, but if you've been on the fence, this is a good way to see if it'd work for you. Just note that the plan will auto-renew until you cancel.Amazon Kindle Unlimited for $0 for one month ($12 off): Amazon's ebook subscription service gives you access to a catalog of thousands titles for unlimited reading, select Audible audiobooks to listen to and included magazines to read. Prime members can get a different deal: two months for only $5.Headspace annual plan for $35 ($35 off): Our top pick for the best meditation app has tons of courses that address specific anxieties and worries, a good in-app search engine that makes it easy to find the right meditation you need and additional yoga routines, podcasts and music sessions to try out.MasterClass Premium for $10/month ($10 off): Premium subscriptions, which include access for up to six devices and offline mode, are half off for the holidays. MasterClass' other subscription tiers are also discounted. Those who love learning and want to pick up a new hobby (or refine an existing one) can take courses with some of the best in their respective fields.ProtonVPN Plus two-year plan for $72 ($168 off): Our top pick for the best VPN is based on open-source framework and has a no-logs policy. Its easy-to-use apps are available on most platforms including iOS, Android, macOS, Windows and more, and some of them even include a kill-switch feature.ExpressVPN two-year plan plus six extra months for $150 (82 percent off): Our top pick for best VPN for travelers provides access to tons of servers and had some of the fastest connections of any VPN service we tested. In addition to a VPN, this subscription tier gives you access to an ad blocker and password manager.Black Friday tech dealsCherlynn Low for EngadgetGoogle Pixel Watch 3 for $280 ($70 off): Google's latest smartwatch is down to an all time low price. This is the model we recommend for anyone with an Android phone in our guide to the best smartwatches and it earned an 84 in our review. It detects workouts quickly, has an extra long battery life and is one of the more attractive smartwatches on the market. The deal applies to the 41mm size with GPS only but the larger and cellular-enabled models are on sale too. Also at Best Buy and Target.Google Nest Indoor security camera (wired) for $70 ($30 off): Google's security camera can tell the difference between people, animals and vehicles while it's monitoring your home, and it supports 1080p video, night vision and two-way audio.Ninja Creami ice cream maker for $180 ($50 off): One of our favorite kitchen gadgets, this ice cream maker is super easy to use and makes an infinite amount of frozen treats; you're really only limited by your imagination.Dyson V11 cordless vacuum cleaner for $400 ($170 off): Dyson machines are some of the best cordless vacuums you can buy, and this model has three power modes, a motorbar cleaner head that works well on all types of flooring and up to 60 minutes of runtime. Also available at Dyson.Blink Outdoor 4 (6-pack) for $180 ($300 off): The Outdoor 4 is a wireless, IP65-rated outdoor security camera we highlight in our guide to the best smart home gadgets. It captures decent (if not class-leading) 1080p video, it's relatively painless to install and it supports features like night vision, motion alerts, local storage and two-way talking. The catch is that it locks things like person detection and cloud storage behind a subscription plan. Still, it's a solid value on balance, and this deal furthers that. We've seen this price on a six-camera bundle for a few weeks, but it's still an all-time low. An eight-camera pack is also on sale for $250, another low.Hisense U8N 4K TV (55-inch) for $728 ($371 off): The U8N is the next step up from the U7N in Hisense's TV lineup, so it should provide better colors, contrast and brightness across the board. If you don't mind buying a smaller panel for around the same price, this is another new low. Also at Best Buy.Samsung Music Frame for $248 ($150 off): This unique smart speaker can show art or your own photos while it plays music, and it can sync with your Samsung TV speakers. Also available at Samsung.Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $170 ($50 off): Our top pick for the best budget Android tablet sports an 11-inch 90Hz display, a microSD card slot for extra storage and a hefty battery.Samsung T9 portable SSD (4TB) for $293 ($257 off): The latest model in the T-series of Samsung's portable drives supports read and write speeds of up to 2,000MB/s, and it has dynamic thermal guard to keep it cool even when you're pushing it to its limits. Also available at Samsung.Levoit Core 400S air purifier for $178 ($42 off): The top pick in our best air purifiers guide reliably improved air quality in our testing, plus it has easy to use onboard controls and takes inexpensive replacement filters.Segway Ninebot Max G2 electric scooter for $775 ($225 off): The latest electric scooter from Segway can reach a maximum speed of up to 25mph, and it can run for up to 43 miles in Eco mode.Solo Stove Bonfire Backyard Bundle for $400 ($180 off): Solo Stove Black Friday deals include up to 30 percent off fit pit bundles that give you all of the necessary accessories to make the most out of your new fire pit. Alternatively, you can pick up the Bonfire fire pit with its stand over at Amazon for only $196.Black Friday FAQsWhen is Black Friday 2024?Black Friday 2024 lands on November 29 this year.When do Black Friday deals start?We expect some Black Friday tech deals to start as early as November 1. Over the past few years, retailers have been kicking off the holiday shopping season earlier and earlier. This trend will continue in 2024, and youll likely find early Black Friday deals available online and in stores in the weeks before the actual shopping event.When do Black Friday deals end?Some Black Friday tech deals will end immediately on Saturday, November 30. But those will likely be few and far between. Along with starting deals earlier and earlier, retailers have also extended Black Friday deals past the day for a while now, too. In the tech space, weve seen many Black Friday deals in the past run through Cyber Monday.Where are the best Black Friday deals?There is no one place to buy all of the best Black Friday deals, but you can expect the big retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target to have many of the same Black Friday deals available both in the lead up and on the day itself. We also recommend checking direct-to-consumer sites like Apple, Samsung, Sonos and others to make sure youre getting the best deal before you cross things off your list.Does Apple have Black Friday deals?You typically will not find cash discounts on Apples website for Black Friday, though it has offered various gift card bundles during Black Friday in recent years. You may be able to find local Apple store discounts on accessories, but Apple isnt a retailer known for slashing prices on its products. However, you can find more traditional Apple Black Friday tech deals at other retailers like Amazon, Walmart, Target and Best Buy.Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-45-best-black-friday-deals-to-shop-from-amazon-walmart-apple-anker-and-others-163039367.html?src=rss

A MasterClass subscription is perhaps one of the best gifts you can get for yourself if you love learning new things or honing your skills, and it will now cost you up to 50 percent off. The website is holding a pre-Black Friday sale, so this is your chance to sign up at a discount if you find its regular rates a bit steep. MasterClass' Standard subscription, which allows you to access its content on one device, will cost you $7 a month instead of $10. If you want to watch classes offline, though, your cheapest option is the Plus tier that will now set you back $9 per month instead of $15. It will also allow you to access the service's videos on two devices. But the best option available right now is the Premium tier, which you can get for $10 a month instead of $20. You'll be able to access classes on six devices if you get it, and it also comes with offline viewing. A subscription will let you view more than 200 classes across 11 categories no matter what option you choose. MasterClass offers lessons from some of the best and most well-known people in their field, such as Gordon Ramsay (cooking), Martin Scorsese (filmmaking), Margaret Atwood (creative writing), Mariah Carey (using voice as an instrument), Stephen Curry (basketball), Steve Martin (comedy), Shonda Rhimes (writing for TV), John Legend (songwriting), Garry Kasparov (chess), Jane Goodall (conservation), Simone Biles (gymnastics) and Samuel L. Jackson (acting). Take note that you'll have to pay for the whole year to be able to enjoy the discounted rates, which are only available for a limited time. Check out all of the latest Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals here.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/masterclass-subscriptions-are-up-to-50-percent-off-for-black-friday-150047035.html?src=rss

Free tool: get the Blender Studio's Brushstroke Tools for Blender. The open-source extension makes it possible to apply painterly brushstrokes to the surface of 3D models to create stylized looks for illustration, animation or motion graphics, and edit the strokes procedurally.https://www.cgchannel.com/2024/11/get-the-blender-studios-free-brushstroke-tools-for-blender/

Google reveals most common scam techniques used against victims.

Arcane's creators "aren't troubling" themselves with how season 2 revises some major League of Legends lore.

Oura CEO Tom Hale spoke to CNBC about the smart ring product category and the impact of Samsung's entrance into the space.

Tesla is voluntarily recalling 2,431 Cybertrucks to replace defective drive inverters, according to a filing with the National Highway Traffic Administration.

Help writer's old characters find their endings in Burden Street Station, a bizarre narrative game set in a liminal train station.Wishlist: https://80.lv/articles/in-this-bizarre-narrative-game-you-will-help-write-endings-for-unusual-creatures/