If you have a New Years resolution to enhance your smart home, buying a smart display isnt a bad way to kick things off. The Echo Show 5 is one of the most cost-effective ways to add a visual interface to control your devices, especially since its receiving a 50 percent discount that brings it down to $44.99 ($45 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target. Thats only $5 more than its all-time low. You can also get the larger Echo Show 8 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Target for $84.99 ($65 off), which is also $5 more than its lowest price to date.RelatedThe Show 5 makes for a meaningful upgrade if you already own a dedicated Echo speaker. Although it only has a 5.5-inch screen, the Alexa-enabled smart display can still function as your primary smart home hub. You can use it to monitor and manage smart home devices, play and control music, make video calls with its 2-megapixel camera (with integrated privacy shutter), and even stream shows and movies. The small size makes it ideal as a bedside alarm clock or smart photo frame if you later upgrade to a bigger device.Speaking of which, the Show 8 is what you want if you plan to make the display the centerpiece of your smart home. Not only does the bigger screen allow you to use up to four widgets concurrently, but it also supports Matter and Thread, and doubles as a Zigbee hub. These widely standardized protocols allow compatible smart home devices to work well with the smart display as if they were natively built to do so. Plus, the Show 8 has a more powerful speaker with a satisfying sound for impromptu jam sessions.Read our Amazon Echo Show 8 review.Amazon Echo Show 5 (third-gen) $45$9050% off$45$45$9050% offThe new Echo Show 5 is just as small as its predecessor but features updated mics and a speaker system that delivers double the bass and clearer sound quality.Amazon Echo Show 8 (third-gen)$85$15043% off$85$85$15043% offAmazons Echo Show 8 features spatial audio and room adaptation software for improved audio quality. It also displays a different homescreen on its 8-inch display based on whether youre standing near it or farther away.A few more deals to start the new yearYou dont need the holidays to justify a decorative lighting up. You can create fun scenes all year round with Govees LED Strip Light M1 Matter, which is on sale at Amazon in either a 6.56-foot strand for $35.99 ($24 off) or a 16.4-foot strand for $59.99 ($40 off), both with an on-page coupon. You can splice multiple of the smaller strips up to 16.4 feet, but the bigger strip offers greater versatility as you can cut it in segments of 6.56 feet or connect two for up to 32.8 feet of lighting. Once set up using your smart home platform of choice (Alexa, Google Home, etc.), you can create custom scenes and colors with 17 different effects, including one that responds to music playback.Today only, you can get Hotos 35-in-1 Rotary Tool Kit for $46.99 ($53 off) at Best Buy. It has a wide variety of attachments for carving, polishing, sanding, grinding, etching, and more. The small stature makes it suitable for small-scale building projects or creating and refining custom products and gifts. It can get up to 25,000 RPM across five selectable speeds, and theres a handy LED ring embedded in the head of the tool to help with visibility. Battery life lasts up to 50 minutes before it needs to be dropped on the included charging base.Ankers three-port 735 Charger (Nano II 65W) is available for its all-time low of $29.99 ($26 off) at Amazon and Anker (with promo code WS7DV21DBLJG). The two 65W USB-C Power Delivery ports on the travel-friendly charger can supply power for smartphones, laptops, tablets, and other devices at speeds that wont make you rage. It has a third USB-A port for gadgets that still use the older connector, too, though it maxes out at just 22.5W.

Samsung is bringing the Galaxy Fit 3 to the US. The budget-friendly fitness tracker will cost $59.99 when it launches on January 9th, 2025.Samsung first released the Galaxy Fit 3 in several countries outside the US last February. The device comes equipped with a 1.6-inch display surrounded by an aluminum body and lasts up to 13 days on a single charge.The Galaxy Fit 3 has some of the same fitness-tracking features as the pricier Galaxy Watch 7, including the ability to monitor your sleep patterns, detect snoring, check blood oxygen levels, and measure your heart rate. It can also track over 100 types of workouts, with a case coming in gray, silver, or pink gold.The Galaxy A16 5G has a 6.7-inch OLED display with an up to 90Hz refresh rate. Image: SamsungAlongside the Galaxy Fit 3, Samsung is releasing the more affordable Galaxy A16 5G phone in the US on January 9th for $199.99. The device comes with a 6.7-inch FHD Plus OLED display with an up to 90Hz refresh rate. It also has an Exynos 1330 processor with a 50MP main camera sensor, 5MP ultra-wide lens, and a 2MP macro lens. The Galaxy A16 5G is available in gray, silver, and pink gold colors.

Over the holidays Passive Star released the Godot Minimal Theme 2.0. I have used the Godot Minimal Theme since it was released back in April 2024 and I still believe that it makes Godot look about as good as possible (obviously this is a matter of opinion). The 2.0 release brings several new features to the fold:Several weeks agoYuri Sizovreached out to me and suggested using a built-in script on the theme resource itself to combine the regular and HiDPI theme resources into one. Originally he suggested to embed two (or more) theme chunks into a single resource and merge them together usingTheme.merge_with()depending on selected editor settings.After some discussion we decided that instead of merging two resources it makes more sense to just generate the whole thing entirely from code just like its done in the built-in theme. This gives the most control with the least amount of lines.This made the theme shrink by1.3K LOC (~150%), even though it does much more now:This is due to the fact that the high dpi file is not needed anymore because the theme can read editor scale from editor settings to calculate the correct margins.BtwYurialso wrote an in-depth article about this idea, you cancheck it out here!The idea is simple whatever goes into the_init()method of the resource script gets executed when the theme is loaded, so we can make calls toset_constant(),set_stylebox(),set_color(), etc to generate the theme from the theme itself. Of course since its GDScript we can also read editor settings from it just like from any other tool script.And it gets better the_init()runs every time any of the theme-related settings are changed in the editor settings. So when you change the base color or the spacing values godot will regenerate the custom theme automatically using those values.It took several hours to convert the theme from a resource to a script. But it took much longer than that to eliminate all of redundancy, make sure all of the relevant editor settings are supported and test everything.Key LinksGodot Minimal Theme 2.0 GithubPassiveStar Blog about the themeYuris Article on Dynamic Themes in GodotYou can learn more about the Godot Minimal Theme 2.0, see several versions of Godot going back to 1.1 and see the new theme in action in the video below.

Ubisofts PC woes have continued into 2025, with the generally much-loved Assassins Creed Origins suffering a review-bomb campaign on Steam after a Windows PC update rendered it unplayable for some.In November, Microsoft confirmed that Windows 11 version 24H2 accidentally killed Ubisoft games such as Star Wars Outlaws, Assassin's Creed Valhalla, and more. The issue was so bad that Microsoft updated its support website to reveal it has placed a temporary block on Windows 11 for users with those games installed."After installing Windows 11, version 24H2, you might encounter issues with some Ubisoft games," Microsoft said at the time. "These games might become unresponsive while starting, loading or during active gameplay."In some cases, users might receive a black screen. The affected games are Assassin's Creed Valhalla, Assassin's Creed Origins, Assassin's Creed Odyssey, Star Wars Outlaws, and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora."To safeguard your Windows update experience, we have applied a compatibility hold on devices with these games installed. These devices will not be offered to install Windows 11, version 24H2 via the Windows Update release channel."Ubisoft released an update to fix the problem in Star Wars Outlaws and Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora, but Microsoft and Ubisoft are both still working to sort out the Assassin's Creed games, and frustration has finally spilled over into Steam user reviews.Negative reviews for Assassins Creed Origins ramped up mid-December before hitting a peak as we crossed into 2025, with the games recent user review rating dropping to Mixed. Overall reviews for the game remain Very Positive.Pretty much all the recent negative reviews complain about the Windows update making Assassins Creed Origins unplayable. Until a resolution is found, Ubisoft told customers not to manually update to version 24H2 using the Windows 11 Installation Assistant or the media creation tool. If the game stops responding, youll need to use Task Manager to close the application.Ubisofts Windows problems have hit the company at a particularly troubling time. The company is reportedly in buyout talks with Chinese megacorp Tencent after a torrid 2024 in which it closed studios, shut down games, and made mass layoffs. The companys next big game, Assassins Creed Shadows, was delayed into 2025 and Star Wars Outlaws failed to meet sales expectations.Ubisofts shares fell to their lowest level in the last decade in September after it made a series of dramatic announcements around the performance of its games. As well as delaying Assassins Creed Shadows, Ubisoft announced a return to Steam after a period of PC launch exclusivity on the Epic Games Store, with Star Wars Outlaws recently releasing on Valves platform.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

James Gunn has discussed the DC Universes take on Batman after the superheros heavily silhouetted cameo during a recent episode of animated series Creature Commandos.Warning! Spoilers for Episode 6 of Creature Commandos follow.Episode 6 of DCU kickstarter Creature Commandos shows Batman standing on a rooftop looking down at crime boss Doctor Phosphorus. The image shows a mega-stacked Caped Crusader in his iconic costume, but theres little else that can be discerned about Gunns take on the superhero.Based on comments Gunn issued to Rotten Tomatoes TV following the release of Episode 6, its easy to see why this brief look at Batman is so generic. Gunn said he asked for "more silhouette" after the original Batman on show was more detailed than he was ready to commit to at this stage.When they first gave it to me we saw a lot more Batman and I was saying, I am not ready to commit to that, I'm not ready to commit to that, I'm not ready to commit to that! " Gunn said. "So I was just like, More silhouette! More silhouette! More silhouette! Batman in Creature Commandos. Image credit: Max.What this look at Batman does provide fans with, Gunn explained, is a clear indication that Batman not only already exists within the DCU during the events were seeing in Creature Commandos and this years Superman movie, but that he is well-known within the universe. I think it's a great way to show that Batman does exist, Gunn said. He already exists in this universe just like when we come to the Superman movie we see that Superman already exists. He's already known by the people in Metropolis. We don't need to hear the origin story again.So yeah, that's just a way to introduce that Batman is a part of this universe, he's an important part of this universe, and he has an impact on it, including defeating pretty dangerous, scary, people like Phosphorus, who's pretty tough.Gunn then made an interesting comment that suggests the DCU Batman will team up with Superman at some point.This is the DCU Batman, he said. Listen I gotta tell you, I just love Batman. I love him. I've loved him since I was a little kid. He's one of my favorite characters. I've gone on the record in the past when I was at Marvel saying my favorite character is Batman. I love him and we're going to do great things with him. He's the most popular superhero in the world and I can't wait for people to see more of him, along with Superman, and together.Confirmed DCU ProjectsThe question is, at what point will we see the DCU Batman properly revealed? Will fans have to wait for the Batman: The Brave and the Bold movie, which doesnt have a release window, or could Batman make a surprise appearance in another project before then? It could be some time before we find out, given the DCUs Batman still remains uncast.Its worth noting that the DCU Batman is not the same Batman we see in Matt Reeves' 2022 The Batman, played by Robert Pattinson. Sequel The Batman 2 was recently delayed by a year and will now release in theaters on October 1, 2027 as part of the separate Batman Epic Crime Saga.Wesley is the UK News Editor for IGN. Find him on Twitter at @wyp100. You can reach Wesley at wesley_yinpoole@ign.com or confidentially at wyp100@proton.me.

Your home is one of the biggest investments youll ever make, so its smart to ensure you can repair or rebuild it after a disaster. But do you really know whats covered under your home insurance policy? While most basic homeowner's policies provide coverage for the dwelling, contents, and other structures on your property, they dont routinely cover every type of loss. Many homeowners are not aware that they dont have some types of coverage until after a disaster, says Andrew N. Mais, commissioner of the Connecticut Insurance Department and president of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. For example, homeowners policies do not cover flood damage, which many people are not aware of until its too late.In fact, many types of losses that you probably assume are covered are not unless youve specifically added coverage and paid an additional premium. Many types of coverage require a rider or endorsement added to your basic homeowners policy, says Mais. Every policy is different, but these riders also may have a separate deductible and limits that apply. Costs for adding coverage vary depending on the type, but they range from a flat fee to a percentage of an item's value. For example, a sewage backup endorsement may run $30 to $160 per year, while jewelry insurance typically costs one to two percent of the value of the jewelry. Heres what to do to ensure you have the appropriate coverage to protect your home, family, and valuable assets.Related StoriesRead Your PolicyWhile it's not exactly thrilling to read, its essential to know your specific coverage and limits. Reading an insurance policy is boring but necessary, says Mais. Its much better to do it now than when its too late. Ask questions so you understand exactly what is covered or not. Do an Annual Review Just like your annual physical, its a good idea to review your insurance regularly. With the increasing costs of homes, you should be checking your coverage every year, says Mais. Its not only about what is covered, but do you have enough coverage? In fact, according to United Policyholders, a nonprofit consumer insurance resource, more than half of homeowners are underinsured, meaning they dont have adequate coverage to replace or rebuild their homes after a loss. Your agent can help you navigate your coverage choices.Keep Thorough RecordsImages By Tang Ming Tung//Getty ImagesIf you experience a total loss during a fire or natural disaster, chances are you wont remember every single thing you own. Make a home inventory, going through each room and writing down items, or use a free app to keep track, says Mais. Take photos and videos, too, and keep receipts for big-ticket items. Store the inventory online or in a safe deposit box. This record-keeping will make filing a claim, if need be, more efficient. Related StoryUnderstand the Different Types of Riders and Endorsements The following types of coverage typically are not included as part of a basic homeowners policy and require separate riders or policies, says Mais.Full Replacement CoverageYou can insure your home and its contents at full replacement cost or actual cash value. Full replacement coverage is more expensive but does what it implies: It covers the cost to rebuild your home or repair damages completely. Actual cost value takes into account depreciation and thus only pays based on the age and wear and tear of your homemeaning it generally wont pay enough to fully repair damage or replace your home. Flood CoverageHomeowners policies do not cover flood damage; depending on where you live, you may qualify for flood insurance through the National Flood Insurance Program. If your home is in a flood plain, your mortgage lender may require you to buy flood insurance. But even if your bank doesnt require it, you may wish to explore your options, says Mais. Earthquake CoverageDamage caused by earthquakes is not covered under a basic policy. Many insurance companies sell it as a separate policy or endorsement for your policy. Windstorm and Hail CoveragePolicies in coastal areas often exclude this coverage, so youll need to buy a separate policy.Related StorySump Pump Overflow or Sewer Backup CoverageMany homeowners dont realize if a sump pump overflows or sewage backs up, its not covered. Its a low-frequency event, but damages can be high, says Mais. Jewelry CoverageA scheduled personal property endorsement (or personal articles floater) covers jewelry, such as an engagement ring, and other items, such as fine art, which have a value greater than the normal limits in your homeowner's policy. With this coverage, scheduled items generally also are covered if lost or stolen, says Mais.Electronics CoverageElectronics, such as your computer and TV, may not fall under your homeowners policy. A separate rider may allow you to increase policy limits if you have a lot of electronics. Additional Coverages for High-Value ItemsIf you have other items of high value, such as collectibles, antiques, or musical instruments, read your policy or talk to your agent about whether or not it is covered and how to add coverage. Everyones situation is different and not all policies are the same. But its worth understanding your risk and coverages in order to protect your home and family, says Mais. Follow House Beautiful on Instagram and TikTok.

Benjamin and Chance kick off the new year with a catch-up on Apple missing its deadline for next-gen CarPlay to be released in an actual vehicle, and assess the response to picking the Vision Pro as 9to5Macs Product of the Year. Theres also rumors of an Apple-branded smart doorbell to discuss, and TV+ tries a new marketing gimmick with a free weekend promotion.And in Happy Hour Plus, the duo make some fun predictions about Apple-related news headlines that could happen sometime this year.Sponsored by HelloFresh: Americas #1 meal kit! Get up to 10 FREE meals and a free high protein item for life at HelloFresh.com/happyhour10fm. HostsChance Miller Benjamin MayoSubscribe, Rate, and Review9to5Mac Happy Hour PlusSubscribe to 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus! Support Benjamin and Chance directly with Happy Hour Plus! 9to5Mac Happy Hour Plus includes:Ad-free versions of every episodePre- and post-show contentBonus episodesJoin for $5 per month or $50 a year at9to5mac.com/join.Feedback Submit #Ask9to5Mac questions on Twitter, Mastodon, or ThreadsEmail us feedback and questions to happyhour@9to5mac.com LinksAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

Apples AirTag has come with its fair share of safety concerns, most of which have to do with problems like stalking. But now, the companys adding new warning labels after being hit with a violation related to its battery.New AirTag warning labels aim to protect childrenThe US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issued a press release today where it outlines Apples AirTag violation, and the fix that Apple has reportedly already implemented (via macReports).The CPSC notified Apple that AirTag was in violation of warning label requirements related to Reeses Law.Essentially the law requires products with button cell or coin batteries to include warning labels to protect children from life threatening ingestion.Here are the details:Apples AirTag, a popular tracking device, met the performance requirements for securing the AirTags lithium coin cell battery; however, the units imported after the March 19, 2024, effective date of Reeses Law did not have the required on-product and on-box warnings concerning the severe risk of injury from battery ingestion if these small batteries are not kept out of reach of children.Apple has now included a warning symbol inside the battery compartment and changed its box to include required warning statements and symbols. Because a number of violative units have been sold to consumers, and to assist consumers in the future, Apple has updated the instructions that appear in the Find My app each time a user is prompted to change the AirTag battery to now include a warning about the hazards of button and coin cell batteries.It is unclear exactly when the changes were made to AirTag hardware, but presumably there are AirTags available for purchase now that include the new warning labels on the box and inside the unit.Adding warnings inside the Find My app is a nice fix for everyone who has older AirTag devices, too. Perhaps they arrived alongside AirTags new iOS 18.2 feature.Have you seen the new warning labels on your AirTag, or in the Find My app? Let us know in the comments.Best AirTag deals and accessoriesAdd 9to5Mac to your Google News feed. FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More.Youre reading 9to5Mac experts who break news about Apple and its surrounding ecosystem, day after day. Be sure to check out our homepage for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to stay in the loop. Dont know where to start? Check out our exclusive stories, reviews, how-tos, and subscribe to our YouTube channel

A new year is here and we have afresh batch of deals to scope out too. Alongside ongoing price drops across the Apple Watch Series 10 lineup, we are also now tracking up to as well as even lower pricing on Amazon premium renewed iPhone 15 Pro units at up to $470 off the original price tag. Those offers join the OG Apple Watch Ultra at $380 under the original new price and the return of all-time low pricing on the wonderful Twelve South PlugBug USB-C Wall Charger with Find My. Everything awaits down below. more

The machines are fighting.Friendly FireA video shared on social media appears to depict the prelude to an inter-robot-species conflict. The belligerents? A Waymo robotaxi and a Serve Robotics delivery robot, according to TechCrunch.The footage, taken in Los Angeles from a dashcam, shows the Serve robot puttering along a crosswalk at night before stopping in front of a curb on the opposite side of the street, taking a moment to adjust itself so it can roll up the small ramp to get onto the sidewalk.Then a Waymo cab comes careening around the corner, T-boning the delivery bot right as it was making its final push. The fates, it seems, were feeling cruel that day.Curb StompOr were they? As it turns out, the impact wasn't too severe. The Waymo cab, to its credit, hit the brakes immediately and avoided knocking the poor little thing over. And moments later, while the robotaxi is still in a daze, the Serve robot drives away like nothing happened.Maybe it was fleeing guiltily. According to the person who shot the video, the Serve robot had run a red light moments before getting hit by the robotaxi.Still, you'd expect the Waymo cab to be on the lookout for such cases. Pedestrians will often cross the street regardless of what the light indicates, as any urban drivers know.The problem, apparently, was that the Serve robot wasn't a pedestrian. Waymo told TechCrunch that its driver system had seen the delivery bot and correctly identified it as an inanimate object and such is the disdain the autonomous vehicle harbors towards its Fellow Robot so it didn't exercise the level of caution it would around human beings as it's programmed to do.When the delivery bot unexpectedly stopped before the curb as the Waymo cab was rounding the intersection, it was too late to avoid a collision entirely. But Waymo says the driver system was able to apply hard braking before impact, so it only hit the Serve robot at four miles per hour.Crisis AvertedSince both parties came out relatively unscathed, there probably won't be a lot of complications from the incident. But it could have easily resulted in a much thornier situation, and is a preview of difficult questions surrounding the liability for machine employees as more robots, fully autonomous or otherwise, hit the streets.What if serious damage had occurred? Which robot, and which company, would be to blame? And if humans were in the loop, what share of the blame would they hold?In this case, Serve told TechCrunch that the robot was under remote human supervision at the time. The Waymo was driving autonomously with no passengers on board, but it's unclear if remote teleoperators were alerted to the accident or took over following the collision.More on robotaxis: Hilarious Video Shows Waymo Self-Driving Taxi Stuck in RoundaboutShare This Article