Looking to upgrade to newer earbuds? The recently-released Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 earbuds are on sale via Wellbots for $189. Thats a discount of $40, which isnt bad for a product thats barely six months old. Just remember to pop in the code ENGAD40 at checkout. Thats right. This ones an exclusive. The Pixel Buds Pro 2 easily found a spot on our list of the best wireless earbuds. We appreciated the tiny, yet comfortable, design and the fantastic battery life. The earbuds get around eight hours of use per charge, but the included charging case allows for 30 hours of juice. We were complimentary to these earbuds in our official review, saying that the improved fit and sound quality alone are worth the upgrade. Speaking of sound quality, these buds produce booming bass, full mids and crisp highs. Your playlists are gonna sound great. The earbuds have also been built to work with Google Gemini, thanks to an integrated Tensor A1 chip. However, this integration works best when paired with a modern Google Pixel phone. Other techy features include active noise cancellation, multipoint Bluetooth, conversation detection and more. On the downside, the touch panel is extremely small, making it somewhat difficult to make adjustments on the fly. Luckily, theres an app for that kind of thing. The original price is on the higher side, but this sale alleviates a bit of that frustration. If $189 is still a bit too rich for your blood (no judgment), Wellbots is also selling a pair of the standard Google Pixel Buds for just $59. Just enter the code ENGAD30 at checkout. Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter and subscribe to the Engadget Deals newsletter for the latest tech deals and buying advice.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/googles-pixel-buds-pro-2-are-40-off-right-now-140100404.html?src=rss

OnePlus has been a bit up and down since it merged with Oppo back in 2021. It gained greater access to powerful components and partnerships with brands like Hasselblad, while its software and product lineup took a few steps back before finding its stride again. But now, three generations after the merger, OnePlus latest flagship phone the OnePlus 13 feels like a fantastic return to form. In some areas, the company is even pushing the limits of hardware and gadget design in ways that rivals from Samsung and Google arent. And with a starting price of $900, OnePlus has managed to undercut its closest competitor too, which makes this phone a great choice for anyone who cares more about getting hardware upgrades than fancy new AI tricks. Design and display: Peak brightness and style In a time when Apple, Google and Samsungs top phones all sport minor twists on practically the same formula, I love that OnePlus is doing its own thing. Instead of a completely boxy design, the OP13 has tapered edges that curve gently to meet its metal frame. You still get the companys signature Alert Slider which makes it a cinch to set your phones ringer to silent, vibrate or fully audible. But my favorite design feature is that if you opt for the Midnight Ocean or Artic Dawn colors, the phone comes with a micro-fiber vegan leather back. And in a world full of glass bricks, OnePlus organic upholstery is simply a joy to touch. This is the kind of handset Id feel sad to throw in a case. Sam Rutherford for Engadget Meanwhile, the OP13s 6.8-inch OLED panel dazzles thanks to bright, vivid colors and a silky 120Hz refresh rate. With a peak of up to 4,500 nits, it gets even brighter than other Android flagships including Samsungs new Galaxy S25 Ultra (2,600 nits). The one aesthetic choice Im still not sure about is the gigantic circular camera module on the back. Between its pearlescent finish and the four circles for its lenses and the flash/autofocus system, it almost looks like OnePlus smashed a chronograph watch into the rear of the phone. But maybe thats just me. Performance and software: So much memory The OnePlus 13 is powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chip along with 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. However, unlike the processors used in Samsungs Galaxy S25 family, the chip in the OP13 doesnt feature any additional customizations or overclocking. This leads to benchmark results that are about five percent lower (9,267 for the OP13 vs 9,828 for the Galaxy S25 Ultra in Geekbench 6 multi-core). In the real world, though, the phone still feels blisteringly fast. Id even argue that due to the OP13s greater amount of memory, its a better choice for multitaskers or anyone who likes keeping a bunch of apps open in the background. Furthermore, over the past few years, OnePlus has refined Oxygen OS so that it feels smoother and more responsive than it did when it became a fork of Oppos ColorOS back in 2022. Sam Rutherford for Engadget On the AI front, OnePlus is keeping things refreshingly lowkey. The phone supports Google Gemini and Circle to Search for all your summarizing and question-asking needs. Theres also an improved search feature inside the phone itself that makes it a bit easier to find specific files and a smarter Notes app that uses machine learning to polish up, elaborate or condense quick thoughts. But thats about it aside from an AI-powered translation feature that arrived shortly after launch, which is generally competent but not especially novel or exciting. So while AI is definitely present, it isnt nearly as big of a focus as it is on the Galaxy S25 family, which isnt a bad thing. Cameras: Nearly top tier Sam Rutherford for Engadget The OnePlus 13 features a trio of 50-megapixel sensors for its main, ultra-wide and 3x telephoto lenses, plus a laser-detect autofocus system for increased sharpness. Altogether, its a solid package that can capture great-looking images at a variety of distances and viewing angles, with OnePlus adding things like its dual exposure Clear Burst tech to help make snapping fast-moving subjects a bit easier. In terms of image quality, the OP13 does a good job of splitting the difference between having rich, saturated colors and crisp details, but without exaggerating things like you often see on Samsung phones, which tend to oversharpen or push warm tones a bit too hard. OnePlus 3x optical zoom lens matches those on similarly priced rivals like the S25+, though it's still short of the 5x lenses found on the Pixel 9 Pro and S25 Ultra. One small issue is that in low light, the OP13s Night Mode sometimes struggled to keep up with the Pixel 9s Night Sight, resulting in photos that arent quite as sharp or detailed as youd like them to be. Its close, but to me, OnePlus cameras remain a half-tier below Samsung, Google and Apple when shooting pics in darker environments. Battery life and charging: Super fast, but its proprietary It feels like every high-end Android phone has been stuck with 5,000mAh batteries for the past half-decade. But for this go around, the OnePlus 13 has smashed past that barrier with a 6,000mAh cell, resulting in class-leading longevity. On our local video rundown test, it posted a time of 30 hours and 18 minutes, which is almost an hour longer than the Galaxy S25 Ultra (29:27) and nearly three hours better than a basic Pixel 9 (27:32). Sam Rutherford for Engadget Meanwhile when it comes to recharging, the OnePlus 13 leads the way too with wired speeds of up to 100 watts or an impressive 50 watts wirelessly. However, the major caveat is that because OnePlus relies on its proprietary SUPERVOOC tech, youll only get those blistering rates when using the companys first-party peripherals. Thankfully, an 80-watt charger comes in the box, though if you want to hit max power, youll need to upgrade to OnePlus 100W Dual Port adapter. Its a similar situation for wireless charging, which requires the companys 50W AIRVOOC puck. That said, the OP13 recharges more than twice as fast as a Galaxy S25 when using a cable and more than three times quicker wirelessly. Plus, you can still use universal power adapters in a pinch, youll just have to live with greatly reduced wattages. Another small wrinkle is that though OnePlus says the 13 supports Qi2 charging, it doesnt play nicely with magnetic third-party accessories without some help. In my testing, while the phone provides a weak magnetic connection, every Qi2 peripheral I tried slid off with the slightest movement. Like Samsung did with the Galaxy S25, OnePlus solution was to make a case with its own set of magnets that allows add-ons to attach with much greater security. Wrap-up Sam Rutherford for Engadget Throughout the years, OnePlus has used taglines like flagship killer and ultra in every way as a means of taking shots at its biggest rivals from Samsung, Google and more. But for the OnePlus 13, it feels like the company just went and made a really solid premium handset without a bunch of AI fluff. The phone has excellent performance, a massive battery and a gorgeous screen that can hang with the displays on any of its competitors. It also sports a unique design with some down-to-earth touches like its optional faux leather back. Granted, camera quality could be a touch better, especially in low light, and I really wish OnePlus had just included full magnetic Qi2 compatibility instead of forcing people to rely on a case. But hey, at least you get a superfast wired power adapter (which, unlike a lot of phones, comes in the box) and the option to use the companys blazing charging puck if you want to go cable-free. Sam Rutherford for Engadget But most importantly, for a starting price of $900, you get longer battery life, a brighter screen, more RAM, greater storage and the same 3x zoom as a base Galaxy S25+ all for $100 less. Theres no other way to put it, thats just a good deal, even if OnePlus software support only lasts for six years instead of the seven you get from Samsung and Google. The OnePlus 13 is an example of how to keep things simple in an increasingly complex and AI-obsessed world while delivering on all the essentials.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/mobile/smartphones/oneplus-13-review-a-focused-flagship-that-ignores-the-ai-hype-140013418.html?src=rss

US lawmakers want the DeepSeek app banned from government devices, saying it poses a threat to US national security.

Spotify's new deal with Warner Music Group should help "further paid subscription tiers".

Hundreds of creators have swarmed New Orleans for Super Bowl 59, getting paid big contracts to make content for brands like Microsoft, Verizon and Nike.

Apple has been ordered by the U.K. to provide officials access to users' encrypted accounts, the Washington Post reported Friday.

Pinterest shares (NYSE: PINS) are skyrocketing in premarket trading this morning after the company announced Q4 results for its fiscal 2024 yesterday. PINS stock is currently up over 22% to above $41 per share as of the time of this writing. It hasnt seen that price point seen since last July. Heres what you need to know about Pinterests latest results and its surging stock.Pinterests revenue and growing user base shine in Q4Almost any way you look at it, Pinterest had a great Q4, with two metrics really seeming to have made investors happy:Revenue: $1.15 billionGlobal Monthly Active Users (MAUs): 553 millionFor its fourth quarter, Pinterest generated revenue of $1.15 billion. Not only did that exceed analyst estimates of $1.14 billion for the quarter (per CNBC), but its the first time that Pinterest has generated over $1 billion in revenue in a single quarter. It also represents a growth of 18% versus the quarter a year earlier.Pinterests first billion-dollar quarter also helped lift the companys total revenue for its entire fiscal 2024. The company reported that it brought in total revenue of $3.6 billion during its 2024 financial yeargrowth of 19% over fiscal 2023.But it wasnt just revenue that has pleased investors. Pinterest also saw its global monthly active user base (MAU) grow by double digits in the quarter. The company ended Q4 2024 with 553 million monthly active users. Thats 11% more than the quarter a year earlier and an all-time high for the social media company.Pinterest, like other smaller social media networks, has faced ad pressures in recent years as advertisers wrestle with where to spend their moneywith most opting to do so on Metas and Googles platforms where engagement and user bases are larger. But not only has Pinterests Q4 results suggested the company is growing its ad revenues, its user base growth also bodes well for the company in attracting more advertisers in the future.Announcing the companys Q4 results, Pinterest CEO Bill Ready said, 2024 was a banner year for Pinterest, capped off by a milestone Q4achieving the companys first billion-dollar revenue quarter and a record 553 million monthly active users, as we continue to drive profitable growth and free cash flow.Looking ahead to 2025Pinterest is currently in its first quarter of fiscal 2025. On yesterdays earnings call, the company offered revenue guidance for the period, saying it expects revenue to come in between $837 million and $852 million, a year-over-year growth of between 13% and 15%. As MarketWatch noted, that is above the FactSet consensus, which was only $836 million.As of yesterdays close, before its Q4 results boost, PINS shares ended the day at $33.59. That equates to a year-to-date return of nearly 16%. However, over the past year, the stock price has fallen over 18%. Todays premarket boost, if it holds up once the markets open, can help erase much of those losses.Our strategy is paying off. People are coming to Pinterest more often, the platform has never been more actionable, and our lower funnel focus is driving results for users and advertisers, Ready said. Looking ahead, Im confident that our focus on being a positive platform is a competitive advantage in driving long-term success for the business and value for our advertisers and users.

With over 900 million users worldwide, LinkedIn often feels like the ultimate goldmine for professional networking and career growth. But figuring out the right blend of authentic expertise, personal flair, and audience engagement can feel more daunting than its worth. Yes, its crucial to know how to boost engagement, but its just as important to understand which kinds of posts can hurt your reputation and sabotage your efforts to be seen as an expert. Here are three types of posts youre better off avoiding.Algorithm-chasing postsLinkedIns algorithm is constantly changing, influencing the likes, views, and social interactions your posts receive from potential clients, employers, and your network. Unlike platforms like Instagram and TikTokwhich thrive on trendy, high-engagement contentLinkedIn actually pushes back on posts that seem to be gaming the system. Instead, the best way to stand out is to focus on credibility, expertise, and meaningful conversations within your industry, all while keeping your clients needs in mind. When you chase a moving algorithm, you risk posting controversial or hot take content that aims for quick reactions rather than thoughtful engagement.To avoid the trap of chasing engagement, create a checklist of relevant and engaging topics you gather from client and colleague conversations. This allows you a check and balance to make sure you remain relevant and professional-brand appropriate in any content you share. In fact, many senior leaders use LinkedIn to post and build engagement around their businesses and brands. Staying consistent with your professional identity and goals is a much better use of the exposure and investment in LinkedIn than hoping that big engagement numbers will drive others to be curious about what you stand for and what your work is all about.Wondering how to create engagement without constantly chasing the algorithms latest quirks? The simple answer is to stay authentic to yourself and your clients. Focus on meaningful, conversation-sparking content that resonates with the people you want to reach. That way, youll naturally attract the right audiencethose who are genuinely interested in you and what you do.The AI-wrote-me postIn a world intrigued by the capabilities of AI tools, the impulse to allow AI to draft your LinkedIn content is appealing especially in the face of competing interests for your time and focus. Yet, that simple choice can often lead to more complications than it is worth.With much of LinkedIns content being posted by individual professionals, rather than company profiles, the content is reflective of your unique expertise. When posting on LinkedIn, the individuals engaging on the platform want to get to know other professionals and build relationships that can lead to client work, collaborations, and referrals. Behind each of these goals is the desire to connect with other humans who can relate to clients and build trusting work relationships. And nothing hurts this trust than inauthentic content or turning your cheek to the judgment calls needed to ensure your content remains appropriate and consistent with not only your voice, but that of your company.While ever-evolving AI tools might help generate ideas, the start of a post, or content outlines, individual involvement in drafting and creating the proper viewpoints for sharing on the platform cannot be outsourced to the smart-tools. AI lacks the judgment needed to understand how content lands with users and to predict the engagement and conversations that might develop from content on a social media platform. When posting without this vision and understanding of the topic, the comments on any particular post might veer from where you were hoping to drive engagement. This change in the discussion may diminish your goals and influence how others view your expertise and whether it is content that youre wanting to be known for when trying to build a professional relationship.What do you do if AI cant be your ghostwriter? Ask AI for a list of sub-topics from your initial post idea, ask for assistance in writing a complicated sentence, or talk to a colleague or client for their input, because they do have the judgment missing from AIs capabilities.The kitchen sink postEver seen a post that tries to cram in everything but the kitchen sink? Usually, its a rant against some enemy of the momentmaybe big corporations, certain work styles, or generational quirksand its stuffed with random, not-so-relevant points. The problem with this throw it all in approach is that big, bold statements lacking facts or expert insight can easily backfire. You might not see it right away, but that harsh commentary could cost you a client or lead to getting passed over for a dream job.So, what should you post instead? Pick one angle on a hot topicsay, work-life balanceand share a thoughtful perspective that sparks genuine conversation. Instead of demanding rigid us vs. them boundaries, talk about practical ways to create a healthier work environment.Remember, the real goal on LinkedIn isnt to rack up millions of views; its to build an engaged community that values your unique voice and insights. Thats what counts in the long run.

Architecture studioPopulous has revealed its plans to renovate Lake Como's Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium and regenerate the surrounding lakeside urban landscape.The stadium, which originally opened in 1927 and is home to top tier football club Como 1907, will be upgraded into a multifunctional venue for sports and other events.Collaborating with the Municipality of Como, Populous hopes to revitalise the wider lakeside area of Como with the renovation.Stadium revamp the "missing piece" of Lake Como regeneration"The redevelopment of the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium should be seen as the missing piece in the complete revitalisation of the lakeside area of the city of Como," Populous Italia senior principal Silvia Prandelli told Dezeen."The project aims to be a powerful driver of renewal for all the surrounding open spaces," she continued."The stadium will become a more modern, multifunctional, efficient facility capable of hosting large, internationally significant events."Populous is set to revamp the 1920s Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium at Lake ComoAlthough the design has not been finalised, renders unveiled at the press conference show a stadium with four regular stands sheltered by roofs. The lakeside stand features a stepped roof overlooking Lake Como.Populous aims to better connect the stadium to Como city centre while celebrating its location on the edge of Lake Como, surrounded by historic buildings.The studio plans to improve pedestrian and cycling routes around the Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium and transform it into a venue that can be used by the local community year-round.Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium to be "a new strategic hub for Como""Its unique panoramic location by the lake, nestled between the gardens of the Tempio Voltiano and near historic buildings, is significant," said Prandelli. "It represents a great example of the integration between sports architecture and the urban context.""However, the stadium is currently perceived as somewhat isolated and peripheral in relation to the city centre," she added."The redevelopment project, which is effectively an urban regeneration project, will reconnect the stadium to the city's fabric, turning the area into a new strategic hub for Como while respecting its social, environmental and landscape characteristics."Read: Populous unveils Wrexham AFC stand that will "emerge organically from the ground"According to Prandelli, sustainable design will play a key part in the stadium renovation."Como 1907, the promoter of the project, aims to create a modern and efficient sports facility designed to meet the highest environmental and energy sustainability standards," Prandelli said."The work will use eco-friendly materials and incorporate the best innovative solutions into the existing structure."Populous is currently working on numerous sporting venues around the world, includinga92,000-seat stadium in Riyadhanda 47,000-seat stadium in Al Khobarthat are set to host games during the2034 FIFA World Cup, an event that hasrecently been criticised for human rights violations.The images are courtesy of Populous.The post Populous set to revamp Giuseppe Sinigaglia Stadium at Lake Como appeared first on Dezeen.

Late film director David Lynch adored design and architecture and mastered the art of wielding it to evocative effect, writes Anthony Paletta.Any director of consequence will pay close attention to set design in their films, but few design interiors in the real world. Many directors are attentive to the furniture that appears in their work; few are sawing it in their own carpentry workshops.David Lynch was different. Since his death there has been a torrent of heartfelt tributes to his legacy in all sorts of spheres. Let's not forget his deeply informed enthusiasm for architecture and design.With architecture and design his replies tended to be unusually precise and unusually goodLynch was not a man who explained himself much on most topics. That doesn't just apply to interviewers trying to unlock some simple meaning from his surreal films; he painted prolifically but discussed it rarely. But with architecture and design his replies tended to be unusually precise and unusually good.Asked about his favourite architects by the German design magazine Form in 1997, he replied, "From Bauhaus, all the students of the Bauhaus School, and Pierre Chareau he did the House of Glass in Paris Ludwig Mies van de Rohe, all the Wright family, Rudolph Michael Schindler and Richard Neutra. I like really beautifully designed, minimal things."In the same interview he recalled a lunch with Charles Eames: "He was one of the most intelligent, down to earth, greatest persons I ever met. He was just a pure, kind of happy person, somehow childlike, enjoying life." He went on to cite Vladimir Kagan and Charlotte Perriand as other favourites.Read: Charles and Ray Eames changed the landscape of design with "just a few chairs and a house"Lynch bought Lloyd Wright's Beverly Johnson House in 1986. Lloyd, the son of Frank, was a highly impressive architect overshadowed by the father with whom he shared most of his name.I obtained a quote from Lynch for a story about Lloyd's work last year. "I personally like Lloyd Wright more than Frank Lloyd Wright because Lloyd Wright is more minimal, more pure. But just as beautiful."Lynch kept hiring from the family, employing Lloyd's son, Eric Lloyd Wright, to design a pool house for the property. He used another adjoining house he owns as Bill Pullman and Patricia Arquette's home in Lost Highway, actually modifying its facade for the film. What do you see in that house? Bertoia's Diamond Chair and the Eames' Elliptical table, as well as furniture of his own design.Drapes were the design tool that Lynch used to greatest effectFrank Lloyd Wright's Ennis House was the set for Twin Peaks' internal soap opera Invitation to Love. Lynch directed an Yves St Laurent commercial set in Chareau's Maison de Verre in Paris, and he made use of all sorts of notable properties otherwise."Assessed as a whole, Lynch's career constitutes an idiosyncratic history of architecture and design," Richard Martin wrote in his book The Architecture of David Lynch. "Perhaps, then, we might consider his films as forming an imaginative and unconventional architectural project in their own right."Drapes that rather overlooked soft lining of glassy modernism, employed repeatedly by Mies, Loos and Neutra were the design tool that Lynch used to greatest effect. They are there in Pullman and Arquette's bedroom in Lost Highway, and they define his most iconic space: the Red Room in Twin Peaks.Read: Crosby Studios looks to the "signature red" of David Lynch for Silencio New YorkThe associations with theatre are inescapable, and red curtains appear again on a stage in Mulholland Drive's Club Silencio, a space that (sort of) became real in Lynch's Silencio nightclub in Paris, which features chairs of his design. These sorts of directorial forays have become more common; Wes Anderson designed a bar in Milan, and Luca Guadagnino a hotel in Rome, but Lynch was there first.He is the rare director who can actually build his own furniture, having started in art school, and he adored the stuff. In an interview with LA Weekly, he once said: "Every word has, you know, its spread of power. You could care a little bit or you could care a lot. But if you put this word caring at the maximum-level intensity, it wouldn't begin to be enough to say how much I love furniture."Lynch was largely building for himself, designing his own bed and much else, but did step slightly into the market. He had an exhibit of his work at Salone del Mobile in 1997. Now-defunct Swiss furniture company Casanostra produced a limited run of several of his designs subsequently.The minimalism he favoured at home would be deliberately eschewed to evocative purposeSome of these pieces border on absurdism, but a number were designed for an almost-hilarious specificity of use: there is an espresso table and a whiskey and cigar table. The most obvious inspiration seems to be Chareau's discordant-but-perfect meldings of the hand-hewn natural and industrial materials.He was also a prolific lamp designer, veering between driftwood dadaism and Bauhaus rectilinearity. There's a short film of him working on his lamps, proof that he wasn't just handing off sketches to someone else.What are we to make of this all? Among all the glorious traits that might define the Lynchian style is its hallucinogenic attention to the atmosphere of given locations. It's cinematic lingering that flows naturally from someone who was acutely attuned to the vibe of spaces he's in all of the time. As he wrote in his semi-autobiography, tellingly titled Room to Dream, "the more pure the room, the more the people and the furniture can come forth."Read: "As architectural drama The Brutalist does not wholly convince"The average person might bump into a table if it's too large but likely wouldn't say it was deranging their thoughts. Lynch did. In that Form interview, he said: "To my mind, most tables are too big and they're too high. They shrink the size of the room and eat into space and cause unpleasant mental activity."And he made viscerally clear to his audience just what this sort of sensitivity constitutes. The minimalism he favoured at home would be deliberately eschewed to evocative purpose in his work.His was not an uniform cinematic aesthetic in the manner of directors whose film sets look rather the same, but conveyed concentrated attention to the essence of a variety of spaces, whether art deco theatres or Googie diners or various Hollywood fantasyland locations.He knew precisely how to use design and spaces to make us feel a certain wayIn other words, Lynch was a superb director of architecture. He knew precisely how to use design and spaces to make us feel a certain way, and keep on feeling it long after Twin Peaks, or Mulholland Drive, or Lost Highway are over. These are media that explore the power of space a good deal better than most films ostensibly about architecture.Lynch's last foray into design was at the 2024 edition of Salone del Mobile, where he designed A Thinking Room. What was in it? Deep blue walls, a golden ceiling, and a throne with seven "chimneys" connected to the ceiling, for ideas to vent in or out. In some ways, he needn't have bothered; every space he created had us thinking.Anthony Paletta is an architecture journalist based in New York City. His writing has appeared inThe Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, Bloomberg CityLab, The Architect's Newspaper and Metropolis, among others.Dezeen In DepthIf you enjoy reading Dezeen's interviews, opinions and features,subscribe to Dezeen In Depth. Sent on the last Friday of each month, this newsletter provides a single place to read about the design and architecture stories behind the headlines.The post "David Lynch was a superb director of architecture" appeared first on Dezeen.