Dell’s latest XPS 13 laptop gets a hefty discount for Prime Day

Any time that there are tons of deals, like on Prime Day or Black Friday, that tends to be an opportunity for laptop vendors to clear out old stock. Indeed, you’re going to see lots of laptops with 10th-gen Intel or AMD Ryzen 4000 processors on sale today. But with the Dell XPS 13, you can get a 20% discount on the latest model, which includes 11th-generation Intel chips.

The model that’s discounted includes an Intel Core i7-1185G7, 16GB LPDDR4x RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 13.4-inch 16:10 FHD+ touchscreen. For the most part, it’s pretty specced out, offering everything that you need. It’s going to cost you $1,299, a $330.99 discount from the normal price of $1,629.99.

The Del XPS 13 9310 tops our list of best laptops as our best overall pick. It weighs in at 2.8 pounds, and with the immersive InfinityEdge display, it comes in a compact footprint. Last year, it was redesigned with a 16:10 display, so it’s taller with more surface area.

This latest generation includes Intel’s 11th-generation processors, and that brings with it a ton of improvements. Graphics power is boosted in a big way by the new Iris Xe integrated graphics, which should be good for FHD gaming. It also comes with faster memory, and the dual USB Type-C ports are Thunderbolt 4. That means that if the Iris Xe graphics aren’t enough for you, you can give them a boost with an external GPU. Or, you can connect it to dual 4K monitors on a single port.

The Dell XPS 13 9310 is the best Dell laptop, at least in the 13-inch form factor, for a reason. It’s stylish, it’s immersive, and with Intel’s Tiger Lake processors, it can do things that never seemed possible before in a laptop with such a small footprint. Today’s discount on the Dell XPS 13 9310 is probably the best that you’re going to find.

Dell XPS 13 9310

Dell's XPS 13 9310 is one of the best laptops around. It has top-end performance, a 16:10 display, and it comes in a compact footprint.

See at Amazon

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Save your back and your money with these two Smart Vacuum deals from Anker and Shark for Prime Day 2021

Smart Vacuums are increasingly gaining popularity as part of people’s smart home setups, and for good reason. These smart machines involve a one-time setup, but after that, they largely run without needing constant effort or supervision. If you have been looking to get yourself a smart robot vacuum cleaner, both Anker and Shark have some great discounts on their products as part of Prime Day 2021.

Anker Eufy RoboVac G30 (T2250)

Eufy is a subbrand within Anker that markets robot vacuum cleaners, and the RoboVac G30 is a good product under the lineup. This robot vacuum cleaner is an app-based cleaner that is Wi-Fi compatible and supports both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It has 2000Pa of maximum suction power, that works across hardwood, tile, laminate floors, and medium-pile carpets. However, keep in mind that this cleaner is not suitable for high-pile carpet and very dark-colored carpets.

Anker Eufy RoboVac G30

The Anker Eufy RoboVac G30 is a good starting point for smart robot vacuum cleaners, giving you a good mix of cleaning, features and affordability.

View at Amazon

Like many other cleaners, this vacuum cleaner self-manages its battery and charging, meaning that it returns to its base station when the battery is low and resumes its duty from the last spot once it reaches sufficient battery charge. The robot vacuum is also capable of climbing over steps of up to 0.63 inches, which comes in handy if your home has a mix of carpeted and non-carpeted areas.

This robot vacuum cleaner is usually available for a price of $320. But for Prime Day 2021, it has received a discount of $120, bringing its price down to $200.

Shark AV1010AE Robot Vacuum Cleaner with Self Emptying Base

You know what’s better than a vacuum cleaner that does your cleaning for you? A vacuum cleaner that also regularly empties itself, so you don’t need to do it everyday. The Shark AV1010AE is a robot vacuum cleaner with a self emptying base station, meaning that the robot has a far greater dust holding capacity compared to regular robot cleaners. With this particular robot vacuum, you are promised up to 45 days of dirt and debris collection, meaning you would need to empty the station practically less than once a month.

Shark AV1010AE Robot Vacuum Cleaner

The Shark AV1010AE Robot Vacuum Cleaner comes with a sel-emptying base station, allowing the cleaner to work through a very large period of time without needing manual intervention. You can get up to 45 days of dust collection without needing to empty the cleaner or the station. Of course, you also get all the features expected out of a smart robot vacuum cleaner.

View at Amazon

In addition to the self-emptying features, you also get the advantages expected out of a robot vacuum cleaner, including Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support, self-management of charging, multi surface cleaning and more. This particular model usually goes for $600 on Amazon, but is now discounted down to $320 for Prime Day 2021, giving us a whopping $280 in good deals saving.

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Do you use a robot vacuum cleaner? Let us know in the comments below!

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Many Texans just found out they gave energy companies remote control of their thermostats

In case news sites haven’t made it painfully clear by now, today is Amazon Prime Day (sorry, we have to pay the bills somehow). As always, there are a ton of deals on tech, including a lot of smart home tech. But be careful about buying a new smart thermostat: If you blindly opt into an energy savings program, you’re giving your energy company permission to remotely control the temperature during periods of peak energy use, as many residents of Texas just found out over the weekend.

With an extreme heat wave hitting many parts of the southwest U.S., families are scrambling to keep themselves cool by any means necessary. When everyone does that, energy usage spikes, and that’s causing issues for the Texas power grid. Last week, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas (ERCOT) asked Texans to voluntarily reduce their energy usage to prevent another blackout like the one that happened back in February. ERCOT specifically asked residents to set their thermostats to 78 degrees (or higher) to conserve energy. Some Texans are now finding out that they’ve already volunteered to do just that…they just weren’t aware of it.

Over on the /r/Houston subreddit, many Texans noticed (via KHOU) that their smart thermostats had automatically raised their home’s temperature. Smart thermostats from brands like Nest or Ecobee were among those that were affected, though it should be noted that affected users were likely part of energy savings programs like Nest’s Rush Hour Rewards or Ecobee’s Community Energy Savings. While these programs are usually opt-in, many people — especially those who get a smart thermostat on a discount or for free from their energy provider — often don’t realize what they’re consenting to when they enlist their thermostat into the program or add their utility company during setup.

I live near Houston, bought my Google Nest Thermostat last year at full price, and didn’t opt into Rush Hour Rewards, and I was not part of the group that had their smart thermostat automatically raise the temperature. If that happened to you and you want to keep cool during the sweltering Texas summer, then you should opt out of the energy savings program (at least temporarily). Hopefully, the Texas energy grid will be able to survive this summer, because I doubt many are prepared for a summer with no AC. (I sure as hell am not!)

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Google Phone update makes it even easier to message businesses

Google Phone used to be a pretty basic dialer app when it came out, but it has greatly enhanced its capabilities and feature set over the past couple of years. It now offers call recording, spam and fraud caller detection, Automatic Call Screen, and much more. In its most recent updates, it gained a basic Caller ID feature as well as the ability to always record calls from unknown numbers. Now it’s preparing to add another useful feature. In the latest version, Google is testing a new Chat button that will seamlessly allow users to text businesses.

As spotted by Android Police’s Artem Russakovskii, the latest beta of the Google Phone app is adding a new Chat button that appears alongside the Call button when you dial a business number.

Just saw this “Chat” button for the first time in the Google Phone app, with a first-time callout pointing out this feature.

I know business messaging has been a thing for a while, but is it new in the Phone app?

Anyone else seen this before? pic.twitter.com/CSyifnNkbX

— Artem Russakovskii (@ArtemR) June 19, 2021

The chat button will only appear when contacting a verified business. When you click on it, it will open up a chat window and connect you to a live agent. To be clear, the ability to message businesses itself is not new. Android users have long been able to chat with businesses directly from Google Maps and Search results. However, this integration of business messaging within the Google Phone app is definitely new.

As mentioned earlier, the Chat button comes as part of the latest beta of the Google Phone app. It’s not live in the stable app just yet. To try it out, you will need to join the Google Phone beta program on the Google Play Store.

Phone by Google (Free, Google Play) →

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Google silently installed Massachusetts’ contact tracing app onto users’ phones

Google appears to have force installed the Massachusetts contact tracing app onto users’ smartphones, without there being an easy way to uninstall it. The “MassNotify” app has been automatically installed and has no application or publicly accessible Play Store listing. While a theory emerged that it was installed automatically on devices that had turned on Android Exposure Notifications, a number of users have reported that they did not enable that feature and the app was still force-installed onto their smartphone.

MassNotify’s Help Desk was contacted by a YCombinator’s Hacker News reader (via Bleeping Computer), and they told the person that the installation of the app does not mean that the app is active or running in the background.

“The appearance of MassNotify in the app list does not mean that MassNotify is enabled on your phone. The presence of the app merely means that MassNotify has been made available as an option in your phone’s settings if you wish to enable it. For more information about this, please see this help center article from Google: https://support.google.com/android/answer/10775533. You can see whether MassNotify is active by going to Settings -> Google -> COVID-19 Exposure Notifications. The “Use Exposure Notifications” toggle at the top of the page will show you whether MassNotify is active or not. From this screen, you can also enable or disable MassNotify at any time.”

Users report that the app cannot be easily uninstalled and that the only way to uninstall it is to use the package name to navigate to the Google Play Store page to then uninstall the app. The reviews for the app are filled with users saying that the app had installed on their smartphones without their consent and that the app could not be easily uninstalled.

MassNotify is the official state of Massachusetts’ app that uses the Exposure Notifications API to detect when you are considered a “close contact” of another person. The API works cross-platform between Android and iOS and has been deployed and used successfully in some countries worldwide. However, an app should still not be installed without the consent of the device owner, particularly not one that collects device data. It sets a bad precedent for Google to force the installation of apps on devices, even if there is no malintent and the data is anonymous.

Bleeping Computer reached out to Google to ask a number of questions about MassNotify, and received the following response:

“We have been working with the Massachusetts Department of Public Health to allow users to activate the Exposure Notifications System directly from their Android phone settings. This functionality is built into the device settings and is automatically distributed by the Google Play Store, so users don’t have to download a separate app.”

“COVID-19 Exposure Notifications are enabled only if a user proactively turns it on. Users decide whether to enable this functionality and whether to share information through the system to help warn others of possible exposure.“

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The Bose NC Headphones 700 are great at noise cancelling, and they’re now at their cheapest

Bose is a well-known audio brand from America, and its name frequently comes up when one talks about great headphones, earphones, speakers, and soundbars. The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 is one of their flagship products for consumers, and it’s getting a nice $100 discount on Prime Day 2021, bringing the price down to $229 from the usual $329.

Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphons 700 are a pair of great headphones with active noise cancellation. They offer 11 ANC levels and up to 20 hours of playback with ANC on a single charge. These headphones are now available for their lowest price ever!

View at Amazon

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 are arguably one of the best noise-cancelling headphones around. The arguments come up only because the competing products are also great and offer stiff competition. What everyone can unanimously agree upon is that the Bose NC Headphones 700 are great at what they do — they offer great noise cancellation, excellent voice call performance, and the signature Bose sound signature that does not disappoint. The NC Headphones 700 also have a great design that is comfortable to wear, and also subjectively looks better than competitors like the Sony WH-1000XM4 and WH-1000XM3 that have a more corporate look to them. On the other hand, the Bose NC Headphones 700 look like something that makes a bit of a fashion statement, all the while delivering a great audio experience.

The Bose Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 have a listed price of $399 on Amazon, though you do get them closer to $329 on most days. For Black Friday 2020, the headphones were down to $299, marking them as a great deal in the last sale season. For Prime Day 2021, these are down to $229, giving them their all-time-lowest price.

If you’re looking for a great pair of noise-cancelling headphones and have a favourable impression of the Bose brand and the Bose sound signature, the Noise Cancelling Headphones 700 make for a good choice. These headphones offer Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant support for hands-free usage. Other highlights include up to 20 hours of music playback with ANC on, and 11 levels of noise cancellation to let you choose just the right level for the scenario you are in. These headphones charge over USB-C and can be connected over AUX too.

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Acer Prime Day deals include nearly $600 off the Predator Triton 500

Amazon Prime Day is here, which means it’s time for some big savings on a wide range of products. Acer is one of the many companies participating in the Prime Day deals, and several of its laptops are available at big discounts. That includes business laptops, more mainstream devices, and perhaps most notably, the Predator Triton 500, a powerful gaming laptop that’s 33% off its usual price. That means it’s now $1,209.99 instead of $1,799.99 while supplies last.

Most of the deals are on laptops, but there are also a couple of desktops and even gaming monitors towards the end of the list. You’re likely to find something that appeals to you.

Acer Predator Triton 500, now just $1,209!

Fast and smooth gaming

With an Intel Core i7-10750H and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 2070 Super, the Predator Triton 500 is a beast of a laptop, and the 300Hz refresh rate display can take full advantage of that. It also has 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, an RGB backlit keyboard, and more.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Swift 5, now just $949.05

Powerful ultrabook

If you want something light and powerful you can take anywhere, the Acer Swift 5 has an 11th-generation Intel Core i7 processor, 16GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage. The 14-inch Full HD display covers 100% of sRGB, so it'll look great too. It's $350 off, so it's a great deal.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Swift 3, now just $669.99

Affordable but powerful

If you don't need quite the same amount of power, the Acer Swift 3 comes with just 8GB of RAM and 256GB of SSD storage, but it has the same powerful Intel processor as the Swift 5. The display is similar, too, and you still get a fingerprint reader for security. At this price, it's a great deal.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Swift 3 (AMD), $150 off

A touch of color

Want a thin and light laptop with a little more personality? This Acer Swift 3 is powered by an AMD Ryzen 7 4700U, along with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, making it quite powerful, even if it's not the newest hardware available. You're still getting a ton of power for this mid-range price, plus it comes in a striking color the Intel variant doesn't have.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Spin 5, $220 off

Spin it around

If you believe laptops aren't the same unless they can also be tablets, the Acer Spin 5 is a great choice. It's packing a 10th-generation Intel Core i7, but with 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage, you won't be hungry for power. The 13.5-inch display comes in a 3:2 aspect ratio and 2K resolution, making this great for media viewing and editing, which the included pen can also help with.

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Acer Aspire 5 A517-52-713G, just $749.99

Big screen, big power

Big screens are great for everything from productivity to gaming, and the Acer Aspire 5 has a large 17.3-inch display to help with that. It's packing the latest Intel Core i7, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB of RAM, so any work you need to do on it, it should be able to handle.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Aspire 5 A515-55-35SE, just $319.99

Entry-level laptop

We don't all need the latest and greatest in tech, and this Acer Aspire 5 is a good starting point if you're buying your first laptop or only use it occasionally. It has an Intel Core i3-1005G1 and 4GB of RAM, which is good enough for basic tasks. The 15.6-inch Full HD display is also sharp enough for basic work.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Aspire 5 A515-46-R14K, just $299.99

Cheap AMD laptop

Similar to the previous laptop, this Aspire 5 has an entry-level CPU, but this time from AMD. The Ryzen 5 3350U is far from the newest thing around, but it's still a capable chip for basic tasks, and paired with 4GB of RAM, it should be good enough for basic school work.

Buy at Amazon

Acer TravelMate P6, $350 off

For the business user

It's not the most cutting-edge laptop, but with an Intel Core i5-10310U vPro, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD, this is a solid business laptop. It has a fingerprint reader, facial recognition, military-grade durability, and a Full HD 14-inch display, making it a great travel companion.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Aspire TC-895-UR12, now just $769.99

Powerful office desktop

For the professional desktop user, this Acer Aspire desktop has a powerful Intel Core i7-10700 processor along with 16GB of RAM to handle almost any task you could want it to handle. Plus, the 512GB SSD and 1TB HDD give you plenty of storage for documents and whatever else you need to store on it. It comes with Windows 10 Pro and includes a mouse and keyboard, too.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Aspire C27-962-UA91 AIO, now just $679.99

All you need

All-in-one PCs give you everything you need to get up and running right away, and the Acer Aspire C27 has an Intel Core i7-1035G1, an Nvidia GeForce MX130 GPU, 12GB of RAM, and 512GB of storage to get you started. The 27-inch display is Full HD, it has built-in speakers, and it includes a mouse and keyboard. With Acer's Prime Day deal, you can get it for $120 off.

Buy at Amazon

Acer Predator XB273K, $100 off

The ultimate gaming monitor

Gaming monitors don't get much better than 4K resolution at 120Hz, with overclocking up to 144Hz. With this resolution and refresh rate, games will look incredibly crisp and smooth, assuming you have a PC to handle that kind of performance. It has two DisplayPort and two HDMI 2.0 inputs so you can choose your preferred connection type.

Buy at Amazon

Acer ED323QUR Gaming Monitor, now $299.99

All-round gaming monitor

Not everyone has the hardware to back up a 4K 120Hz monitor, so the Acer ED323QUR is much more reasonable for most people. It has QHD resolution in a 31/5-inch curved display for better visibility and immersion. It has a super-smooth 144Hz refresh rate and AMD FreeSync support, too.

Buy at Amazon

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With these many deals to choose from, there’s very likely to be something that suits your fancy. From gaming to work to the more mainstream user, Acer has Prime Day deals for everyone, and some deals are truly great. The Predator Triton 500 is especially appealing at its new $1209.99 price tag, but many of the other laptops are great deals. And if you’re looking for a high refresh rate display, the Acer ED323QUR is at a great price for what it offers. Ultimately, it’s up to you what makes sense to buy, but these deals certainly make the devices much more enticing.

Acer also says it has the ConceptD 3 Ezel, a convertible tablet for creators, available at a massive $600 discount from its usual price tag of $1,499, but that price isn’t live at the moment. You may want to keep checking back in case the price goes live so you can nab this very powerful laptop at a very appealing price.

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