ExpressVPN, one of the best VPNs, is launching two brand-new features that sound confusingly like things it already does. Users on Android, Mac and iOS (but apparently not Windows, Linux or smart TVs) can now use Fastest Location to automatically pick the VPN server with the fastest download speed and lowest latency. Mac users are also getting an overhauled ExpressVPN app designed to work natively with MacOS.
If you've used ExpressVPN before, your first reaction probably went something like "Wait, didn't it already have a Fastest Location button and a Mac app?" You're not wrong, but there's still a meaningful difference with these new features. In the past, ExpressVPN didn't technically pick the fastestย location, but the Smart Location, which picks the best available server using "metrics such as download speed, latency, and distance" (emphasis mine). Those are the same metrics as the new feature, but the such as makes me think there are, or were, other ingredients in the "smart location" algorithm.
My guess is that ExpressVPN is rebranding "smart" to "fastest" in response to customer complaints that "smart" was picking sub-optimal server locations. That's not a behavior I noticed when I last reviewed ExpressVPN โ the smart location was always plenty fast for me โ but I'm just one user. Only testing can show whether they actually changed the algorithm or just the name.
The new Mac app is a more straightforward upgrade. While ExpressVPN has always had a client for Mac, it's thus far been a port of an app originally developed for iPad. This makes its otherwise-excellent interface feel a bit like, well, a phone app you use on your desktop. In contrast, the new app was built using Project Catalyst, which lets Mac developers turn their iOS apps into desktop-native software. The new interface looks a lot richer, using the screen space a lot like Proton VPN does. And being more like Proton VPN is rarely a bad thing.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/vpn/expressvpn-adds-a-fastest-location-button-and-launches-a-new-native-mac-app-205837728.html?src=rss
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Once upon a time, a "board game" meant Monopoly or Risk. Then several brave souls dared to ask the question: "What if this was fun?" Thirty years later, we're blessed with tabletop games that challenge our minds, immerse us in other worlds and conjure good times with those we love โ sometimes all three at once. For your gift-buying needs, we've put together a list of new favorites and returning classics that run the gamuts of genre and weight. If you're ready to push beyond Pictionary, read on.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-board-games-to-gift-for-the-2025-holiday-season-125529024.html?src=rss
A VPN subscription can make for a good holiday gift. Everyone could do with having a VPN to help protect their online activity from prying eyes (and, perhaps, access more things to watch from their favorite streaming services). It's something useful that a gift recipient may have never realized they needed. Of course, you may be looking for a great deal on a VPN yourself, and the Cyber Monday discount for Proton VPN is nothing to sniff at. You can get two years of access to the VPN Plus tier of the service for $59.76, which works out to $2.49 per month.
That's a discount of 75 percent compared with the regular price of $10 per month. Overall, you'd save $180.
Proton VPN is our pick for the best VPN overall because it checks all of the boxes it needs to. There is a free plan with unlimited data, but with that you can only connect to servers in a few countries and the connection might not be fast enough for you to watch anything from your preferred streaming service's library in that locale. The VPN Plus tier unlocks a lot more options, such as the ability to connect to 15,000 servers across more than 120 countries and simultaneous protection for up to 15 devices.
The apps are well-designed โ Proton has clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android โ and it's easy to find a feature or setting you're looking for. In our testing, Proton VPN Plus had a relatively small impact on browsing speeds. Our download speeds dropped by 12 percent and uploads by 4 percent, while the global average ping remained below 300 ms (which is especially impressive if you're connecting to a server on the other side of the planet).
Perhaps, most importantly, though, it's Proton's commitment to privacy that helps make its VPN an easy recommendation. There's a no-logs policy, meaning it does not log user activity or any identifiable characteristics of devices that connect to the VPN. Proton's servers use full-disk encryption to bolster privacy as well.
Proton VPN is not the only service to offer a Cyber Monday VPN deal this year, of course. There are plenty of others available on services we like. Here are the best of the bunch if you're looking for an alternative to Proton VPN.
Surfshark One (24 months + 3 free months) for $59.13 (88 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features.
NordVPN Plus (24 months + 3 free months) for $105.03 (74 percent off): NordVPN has taken 74 percent off its Plus subscription for Cyber Monday. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information.
CyberGhost (24 months + 4 free months) for $56.94 (84 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers โ I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites.
Private Internet Access (36 months + 4 free months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Private Internet Access (PIA) is giving out the best available price right now on a VPN I'd recommend using. With this deal, you can get 40 months of PIA for just under $2 per month โ an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $74.85 (61 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It's not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-vpn-deals-get-75-percent-off-proton-vpn-two-year-plans-plus-save-on-nordvpn-expressvpn-and-more-070013207.html?src=rss
If you've ever wanted to hear the drummer coughing on your favorite songs or the actors chewing in your favorite shows, Cyber Monday is the time to upgrade your audio. Some of the best speakers our audiophiles have ever tested are down to as low as we've seen them all year, or ever, in the case of some older models.
The deals on this list range across brands, with offerings from Ultimate Ears, Bose, Beats and more, plus Sonos and Amazon Echo smart speakers and soundbars from Sony and JBL. We've been curating it all month and this is the final result โ and your last chance to get ahold of most of the best deals. Some of them may last through the week, but we can't always predict which ones, so don't sleep if there's a speaker you're eyeing.
Best Cyber Monday speaker deals under $50
Anker Soundcore 2 for $29 (35 percent off): It's incredibly rare to see a full-size Bluetooth speaker selling this cheaply in 2025, especially one we'd actually recommend using. The Soundcore 2 is Anker's latest audio effort, getting you 24 hours of battery and 12 watts of output, with bass ports designed to heavily boost the low ranges. It all works through a simple set of highly visible and tactile buttons on top of the speaker box.
JBL Go 3 for $30 (25 percent off): The Go 3 is JBL's most affordable bluetooth speaker, but it comes with the same IP67-rated ruggedness as the more expensive models. It's waterproof, dustproof, lasts for five hours and can easily clip onto a bag, bike or belt. It also sounds good and comes in lots of different colors. In short, no matter how long the adventure or where it's going, the Go 3 can probably get there with you.
JBL Go 4 for $40 (20 percent off): You might expect a speaker as small and portable as the Go 4 to sound tinny at the higher frequencies and weak at the lower ones, but JBL has worked its magic to make this model sound great at both ranges. Weighing less than half a pound, made partly from recycled materials and including a convenient carabiner hoop, this is one of our favorite speakers to take on treks.
Best Cyber Monday speaker deals for $50 to $100
Ultimate Ears Wonderbook 4 for $60 (40 percent off): The Wonderboom 4 is the little barrel that could, an adorable 1.2-pound portable bluetooth speaker that stays charged for 14 hours and keeps on playing after a five-foot drop. Outdoor Mode is a standout feature, amplifying the higher frequencies so you can hear from farther away. There's even a USB charger so your other devices can take advantage of that long battery life.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 for $53 (24 percent off): The StormBox Micro 2 gets you the two things you need out of a portable speaker โ it's light (weighing about a pound), and it's loud. Tribit hasn't changed the game on portable sound quality here, but with this on your bike or in your backyard, you'll be having so much fun you won't care. And the fact that you only spent 50 bucks will definitely help your mood.
Roku Streambar SE for $75 (25 percent off): This is the least you'll pay for a worthwhile soundbar this Cyber Monday season. We had a great experience with the Roku Streambar in our hands-on review, finding it to be compact and affordable while blowing built-in TV speakers out of the water. If you're looking to make an upgrade, this is the best economy choice, especially if you're already a Roku user.
JBL Flip 5 for $80 (20 percent off): We've loved almost every entry in the JBL Flip line (you'll see the Flip 7 highlighted in the next section). While the Flip 5 is a bit dated at this point, it's still extremely solid. The battery lasts for 12 hours, it's IPX7 waterproof and it weighs about 1.2 pounds so you can take it anywhere. The sound quality is as consistently high as we've come to expect from JBL, though it does have the standard limitations of a portable unit.
Marshall Emberton II for $90 (50 percent off): We're huge fans of the Emberton II, Marshall's affordable new-age retro speaker. It looks great, but it's much more than a visual throwback, featuring 360-degree sound, IP67 proofing and 30 hours of battery life. Since the deal cuts the price in half, you can even by two and chain them together for a surround sound setup.
Bose SoundLink Micro for $99 (17 percent off): If the Home isn't small or cheap enough for you, Bose has gone even smaller and cheaper with the SoundLink Micro, a tiny, portable speaker in the vein of the JBL Clip. It's waterproof, dustproof and surprisingly good at taking hits, all while staying charged for around six hours. The sound quality isn't intense, but it's cleaner than it has any right to be.
Beats Pill for $100 (33 percent off): Beats jumping back into portable bluetooth was one of the happiest surprises of 2024. As we noted in our full review at the time, the Beats Pill isn't content to coast on its brand name or luxurious design. Its re-engineering speaker improves volume while reducing distortion, it can survive dropping into three feet of water and it even works extremely well as a speakerphone. We found that mid-to-high range music showcases its potential best, though the bass also hits hard.
Best Cyber Monday speaker deals for $100 to $200
Bose SoundLink Flex for $119 (20 percent off): Of all the Bose on this list, the SoundLink Flex may be the most balanced, much cheaper than the Home and a lot more powerful than the Micro. Other speakers may be louder, but few have such good range; we've yet to find a track that sounds muddy or tinny coming through the Flex's speakers. The design is also outdoor-friendly, with a light-but-tough exterior and 30-foot bluetooth range.
JBL Charge 6 for $130 (35 percent off): It's a little more expensive than the Flip line, but the extra cost of the Charge 6 pays off โ it boasts almost twice the battery life of the Flip 7, with the same convenient design, built-in USB-C charger and wide sound range. If you're looking for a speaker that balances sturdiness with portability and will last you a while, the Charge 6 is a very good investment. (Take note that only some colors are discounted.)
Bose SoundLink Home for $179 (18 percent off): The SoundLink Home is small for a high-quality speaker, but it packs everything it needs into two pounds and about 10 square inches. Nothing about the sound is diminished thanks to two passive radiators. Though we haven't gotten to test it directly, given Bose's record with other compact speakers like the Flex, we're confident it'll be loud enough to satisfy anyone.
Sony ULT Field 5 for $198 (43 percent off): Sony's recently rebranded ULT lineup has impressed us so far, especially their 90s-style bass boost buttons. The ULT Field 5 is a pretty traditional bluetooth speaker with a ton of options, including Party Connect to link multiple speakers together, a 10-band equalizer for finding the exact sound balance you want and even a shoulder strap that makes it way more portable.
Bose TV Speaker soundbar for $199 (29 percent off): Bose's entry into the world of soundbars does not disappoint. For a price lower than some Bluetooth speakers, you'll get a compact two-foot speaker bar that amplifies dialogue while conjuring a balanced, realistic soundscape from any movie or show. It's suitable for audio neophytes, too, with no complex adjustments necessary โ just plug in the HDMI and start watching.
Sonos Era 100 for $200 (9 percent off): Two years after launch, the Era 100 is still a smart speaker more than worth your time. It's sleek and simply designed, making it clear Sonos's engineers put their work into sound quality and features rather than just looking the part. Touch controls have never worked better, and setup takes five minutes, though you will have to use the Sonos app. Once you start playing music, the Era 100 can get as loud as you like, while never sacrificing audio quality.
Samsung HW-B650/ZA 3.1 Channel Soundbar for $200 (50 percent off): Samsung's mid-range soundbar is pretty simple, but it does what it needs to do: pump out Dolby 3.1 with enough volume and range to make you forget you aren't in a movie theater. It's versatile, improving both music and dialogue, and keeps everything balanced. The only real drawback is that it lacks wireless connection options other than bluetooth.
Best Cyber Monday speaker deals over $200
JBL Xtreme 4 for $280 (26 percent off): Xtreme is the largest and highest-end that JBL goes, and the Xtreme 4 is a luminary of the line. At 4.6 pounds, it's on the outside edge of portability, but that weight means it puts out appropriately heavy bass, along with clear treble. It's fully weatherproof and โ unless it's in a completely open space โ can get loud enough that all your party guests will enjoy the full effect.
Bose SoundLink Max for $279 (30 percent off): The SoundLink Max, Bose's biggest speaker that isn't a soundbar, is more affordable for Cyber Monday than we've seen for a while. Frankly, it's worth more than this, with two radiators and three transducers that make it sound larger than it is. Indoors or outdoors, it's great for anyone who wants to be able to pick out individual elements of their favorite music.
Marshall Acton III for $285 (5 percent off): The Acton III is one of the speakers Marshall redesigned and updated in 2022, and it still sounds great today (and looks it too). It's less portable at 6.3 pounds, but can hit high volumes with little or no distortion. The upgrade angled Acton III's tweeters outward so the soundscape is wider, making this one speaker very capable of filling a room with sound on its own.
Marshall Stanmore III for $299 (21 percent off): The Stanmore III is the top-tier Marshall discount of the year, giving you the best of Marshall's 2022 redesign. It's got the same widened soundscape as the Acton III, with an additional 5Hz on the low end and an RCA input alongside its 3.5mm aux input. This retro-designed speaker also features bluetooth, pair play and a construction with 70 percent recycled plastic.
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 for $798 (20 percent off): In our review of the Bravia 6 this year, we called out its full sound and special talent for enhancing dialogue, but were frustrated that it didn't support AirPlay or Spotify Connect. The Bravia 8 works with both services, making it a clear choice for your next premium soundbar. It's got a tight, low-footprint design that fits any aesthetic, and hits a maximum output power of 495 watts.
JBL Bar 1300XMK2 for $1,200 (29 percent off): If you're going to drop $1200 on a soundbar, you need to know it's going to deliver โ and the 1300XMK2 does. Its key design element is two detachable speakers that recharge when plugged into the main unit, but can spend up to 10 hours unplugged. The audioscape does an excellent job of separating and clarifying details, which really enhances the sense of a theatrical experience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-speaker-deals-for-2025-are-still-available-save-up-to-50-percent-on-bluetooth-speakers-smart-speakers-and-soundbars-213017218.html?src=rss
Engadget staffers love our hardware, from high-end gaming headsets to powerful heaters to the fabric shaver you never knew you needed. Cyber Monday has brought discounts to many of those things. I'm going a different route, though, since I'm a little too dreamy for most physical appliances. The deal I'm most interested in is on an app that ensures online peace of mind with little intervention โ so it's perfect for me.
I'm talking about DeleteMe, which lets you reclaim some of your privacy while sharply reducing the amount of spam you receive on every channel. Through December 5, it's offering 30 percent off all subscriptions with the coupon code BFCM30OFF25.
Chances are you've seen at least one public-facing "people search" site. You know the ones: they usually have names like 411.info or Find.people, and scrape technically public info like your address, phone number and other contact information. If you search your own name, it's hard to avoid immediately running to the kitchen to make yourself a tinfoil hat.
The most annoying thing is that these "data broker" sites are legal to run and use, but that's also their biggest weakness. To operate in the open, brokers have to include an option to remove yourself from their database. Most of them make it as aggravating and time-consuming as possible, but the possibility is there.
That's where DeleteMe comes in. All you have to do is sign up and enter all the data you want removed from brokerage sites. DeleteMe handles the rest. It searches for your information on people database sites, automatically sends opt-out requests, bugs the broker if they don't comply quickly enough and gives you a weekly report on how it's doing. You do have to be OK with DeleteMe itself having your data, but I trust them way more than the randos over at violate.privacy.
It's so much faster than handling all the opt-out requests yourself, which โ if you've ever tried it โ rapidly becomes a full-time job. Since I've been using DeleteMe, I almost never get spam calls or texts anymore, except in short bursts before its crawlers catch my name on another site. And yes, it doesn't work on shady data brokers who don't follow the rules, but it's still a massive reduction of your online footprint.
The only problem is that it's pretty expensive, so I strongly recommend jumping on this Cyber Monday deal. A few months on DeleteMe should be long enough for you to see if it reduces spam for you โ and I'm betting it will.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/deleteme-is-30-percent-off-for-cyber-monday--and-its-the-most-effective-anti-spam-tool-ive-ever-used-203041958.html?src=rss
Were you a Lego set kid or a giant-bucket-of-Legos kid? I was a sets kid all the way โ I loved, and still love, the zen feeling of building something incredible a little bit at a time. Also, every time I tried to build something from the giant bucket, it fell apart immediately, but let's not dwell on that. We've just finished trawling the net for the best Cyber Monday deals on Lego sets. While the day is over, the Lego sales aren't; some sets are still up to 50% off. We've gathered them all on the list below, so act while you've still got time.
It's a good idea to use a price tracker to see if you're getting the best Lego Cyber Monday deals. You'll find Lego bargains this holiday season at retailers like Amazon and Walmart, but don't overlook Lego's own site. If you join the free Lego Insiders program, you'll get special discounts and exclusive member gifts with each purchase, plus points you can redeem for your next set or bucket.
You can now officially backorder the hottest Lego gift of the season, the Star Trek USS Enterprise set, which was just announced. With a titanic 3,600 pieces and mini-figures of the whole Next Generation crew, it's a must-have for any Star Trek fans. The set is now available for $400.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-lego-deals-you-can-still-shop-today-up-to-50-percent-off-star-wars-disney-harry-potter-and-more-toy-sets-193051994.html?src=rss
A lot of people think Cyber Monday subscriptions are just about streaming, but that's not true. Although there are some incredible discounts to be had on the likes of Stars (Outlander and Spartacus) and Paramount+ (Yellowjackets and Star Trek), there's more to the story. We've also found great deals on exciting learning platforms like MasterClass and Rosetta Stone, cord-cutting services like DirecTV and Fubo and useful privacy services like Proton VPN and ExpressVPN. Read on to see which deals are still active.
Best Cyber Monday streaming deals
Paramount+ (2 months) for $6 ($20 off): Paramount+ is doing its Cyber Monday deal a little differently. Instead of a reasonably cheap long-term plan, you get an incredibly cheap short-term deal โ two months for less than a Starbucks run costs these days. That's more than enough time to binge Yellowjackets, Dexter: Resurrection or Star Trek: Lower Decks, along with weeks of NFL games through CBS Sports.
Fubo Pro (first month) for $55 (35 percent off): Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.
DirectTV (first month) for $50 (44 percent off): If you're a cord-cutter with a more general taste in TV, DirectTV is the perfect way for you to keep enjoying live channels without cable. This deal only applies for your first month, but it's great for seeing if DirectTV will work for you long-term. Better yet, any DirectTV subscription also comes with free access to Disney+, Hulu and ESPN Unlimited.
Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn't started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it's more expensive on its own).
Best Cyber Monday subscription deals
Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible's enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It's only three months, after which you'll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobook lover can cram a lot of listening into the 90 days after Cyber Monday.
Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year because (true to its name) it's the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It's also cheap, especially with this Cyber Monday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.
Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it's still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.
Medium (one year) for $40 (20 percent off): Medium is a social site designed as the anti-Twitter, featuring deep thoughts and long-form essays from great writers. Not all its best work is locked behind a paywall, but a lot of it is โ and we've all had the feeling of being frustrated that we can't read the latest drop from a thinker we really respect. This deal isn't a very big cut, but it is a noticeable savings over the monthly plan, which will cost you a full $120 for the same length of time ($150 without the discount).
Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn't just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There's a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it's easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.
Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you've finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This subscription lets you relax amid a massive content library, from music and restful soundscapes to "sleep stories" with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you've ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Jonathan Bailey, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.
AdGuard personal (lifetime) for $44 (45 percent off): AdGuard was recently in the news for automatically blocking Microsoft's Recall AI surveillance app, which is a great indication of its mission โ it fights threats to your privacy, no matter where they come from. This lifetime subscription blocks all annoying third-party ads and trackers on any website while keeping its functionality otherwise unchanged, so everything loads faster and easier.
LastPass Premium (one year) for $18 (50 percent off): LastPass is another great password manager. We briefly stopped recommending it after a couple of data breaches early last year, but it's patched up its security and seems to be firing on all cylinders again. Whether it suits you better than 1Password will come down to personal preference, but LastPass's deal is slightly better this year.
Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $389 (50 percent off): Adobe Creative Cloud is half off for one year right now, coming out to $389 for one year when you pay upfront. (There's a discounted $35 monthly rate as well, working out to $420 for the year.) Creative Cloud is Adobe's most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It's a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.
The Wall Street Journal (one year) for $12 (90 percent off): Let's get really old-school for a moment. If you want to add some classic journalism to your diet (and you're OK with ignoring a right-leaning opinion page), one of America's "papers of record" is cutting annual subscription costs by 90 percent. That's enough to get you financial, US and world news all the way to the next Cyber Monday, when they'll probably do this again. Infinite money glitch!
Best VPN deals for Cyber Monday
ExpressVPN Basic (28 months) for $97.72 (73 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It's not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries. It also basically never drops the price this low, so if you're at all interested, now's the time to board the Express train.
Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it's able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.
NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it's one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.
CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.94 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap โ in fact, we named it the best budget VPN โ but it's never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.
Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren't wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can't deny it's a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/cyber-monday-subscription-and-streaming-deals-you-can-still-get-big-discounts-on-starz-masterclass-headspace-and-more-174507557.html?src=rss
If you've ever wanted to know what you're missing in your favorite songs and shows, now is the time to upgrade: Black Friday and Cyber Monday have some of the best speakers on the market down to their lowest prices of the year. We've dug up savings on everything from tiny portable speakers like the JBL Go 3 to behemoths like the UE Hyperboom, not to mention soundbars and smart speakers. Everything on the list is an investment you won't regret if you ever listen to anything digital โ those who can afford to hire a string quartet for their kitchen can keep scrolling.
Best Black Friday speaker deals under $50
Amazon Echo Pop for $22 (45 percent off): If you're excited about the more conversational and capable Alexa+ but have been holding off for budget reasons, breathe a sigh of relief. The latest Echo Pop is Amazon's smallest, cheapest smart speaker that still comes with Alexa+ early access. It may not fill a whole house, but it's great for listening to music or podcasts in a bedroom, office or small kitchen.
Anker Soundcore 2 for $28 (38 percent off): This is the absolute cheapest you'll probably see a full-size Bluetooth speaker go for in 2025 โ the Soundcore 2, the latest effort by Anker to expand from charging components into portable audio. This model gets you 24 hours of battery and 12 watts of output, with bass ports designed to heavily boost the low ranges. It all works through a simple set of highly visible and tactile buttons on top of the speaker box.
JBL Go 3 for $30 (25 percent off): The Go 3 is JBL's most affordable bluetooth speaker, but it comes with the same IP67-rated ruggedness as the more expensive models. It's waterproof, dustproof, lasts for five hours and can easily clip onto a bag, bike or belt. It also sounds good and comes in lots of different colors.
Amazon Echo Dot 5th Gen for $32 (36 percent off): The fifth-generation Echo Dot is cheaper than ever, and it was already the best smart speaker under $50. Its genius spherical design lets it pack a lot of audio into a compact space, and it can be controlled with both hands-free Alexa commands and on-device buttons. The latest release comes with early access to the Alexa+ AI upgrade.
JBL Go 4 for $40 (20 percent off): You might expect a speaker as small and portable as the Go 4 to sound tinny at the higher frequencies and weak at the lower ones, but JBL has worked its magic to make this model sound great at both ranges. Weighing less than half a pound, made partly from recycled materials and including a convenient carabiner hoop, this is one of our favorite speakers to take on treks.
Tribit StormBox Micro 2 for $50 (29 percent off): The StormBox Micro 2 gets you the two things you need out of a portable speaker โ it's light (weighing about a pound), and it's loud. Tribit hasn't changed the game on portable sound quality here, but with this on your bike or in your backyard, you'll be having so much fun you won't care. And the fact that you only spent 50 bucks will definitely help your mood.
Amazon Echo Spot for $50 (38 percent off): The Echo Spot looks like an Echo Dot sawed in half, which is a surprisingly effective design. It's designed to work best as a bedside alarm clock, but you can customize the screen to show things other than time, including a weather forecast, smart home controls or the current song on your playlist. It's Alexa-capable, and like the latest Echo Dot, will let you give Alexa+ AI a try.
Best Black Friday speaker deals for $50 to $100
Roku Streambar SE for $75 (25 percent off): This is the least you'll pay for a worthwhile soundbar this Black Friday season. We had a great experience with the Roku Streambar in our hands-on review, finding it to be compact and affordable while blowing built-in TV speakers out of the water. If you're looking to make an upgrade, this is the best economy choice, especially if you're already a Roku user.
JBL Flip 5 for $80 (20 percent off): We've loved almost every entry in the JBL Flip line (you'll see the Flip 7 highlighted in the next section). While the Flip 5 is a bit dated at this point, it's still extremely solid. The battery lasts for 12 hours, it's IPX7 waterproof and it weighs about 1.2 pounds so you can take it anywhere. The sound quality is as consistently high as we've come to expect from JBL, though it does have the standard limitations of a portable unit.
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar for $85 (29 percent off): Amazon's soundbar supports Dolby surround sound, works straightforwardly through a single HDMI cable and can be upgraded with an optional Alexa voice assistant. It works with more than just Amazon products, too, being compatible with all smart TVs. It's even capable of pulling double duty as a bluetooth speaker.
Marshall Emberton II for $90 (50 percent off): We're huge fans of the Emberton II, Marshall's affordable new-age retro speaker. It looks great, but it's much more than a visual throwback, featuring 360-degree sound, IP67 proofing and 30 hours of battery life. Since the deal cuts the price in half, you can even by two and chain them together for a surround sound setup.
Amazon Echo Dot Max for $90 (10 percent off): The Echo Dot Max just dropped this month, and our reaction was mixed, but there's no denying the leaps forward in this brand-new addition. Not only does it feature better sound than the vanilla Echo Dot, but Alexa+ makes is a much more equal conversation partner. The Echo Dot Max features a similar spherical design to the Dot, but with forward-facing physical buttons on the surface of the sphere.
Bose SoundLink Micro for $99 (17 percent off): If the Home isn't small or cheap enough for you, Bose has gone even smaller and cheaper with the SoundLink Micro, a tiny, portable speaker in the vein of the JBL Clip. It's waterproof, dustproof and surprisingly good at taking hits, all while staying charged for around six hours. The sound quality isn't intense, but it's cleaner than it has any right to be.
Beats Pill for $100 (33 percent off): Beats jumping back into portable bluetooth was one of the happiest surprises of 2024. As we noted in our full review at the time, the Beats Pill isn't content to coast on its brand name or luxurious design. Its re-engineering speaker improves volume while reducing distortion, it can survive dropping into three feet of water and it even works extremely well as a speakerphone. We found that mid-to-high range music showcases its potential best, though the bass also hits hard.
Best Black Friday speaker deals for $100 to $200
Bose SoundLink Flex for $119 (20 percent off): Of all the Bose on this list, the SoundLink Flex may be the most balanced, much cheaper than the Home and a lot more powerful than the Micro. Other speakers may be louder, but few have such good range; we've yet to find a track that sounds muddy or tinny coming through the Flex's speakers. The design is also outdoor-friendly, with a light-but-tough exterior and 30-foot bluetooth range.
JBL Charge 6 for $130 (35 percent off): It's a little more expensive than the Flip line, but the extra cost of the Charge 6 pays off โ it boasts almost twice the battery life of the Flip 7, with the same convenient design, built-in USB-C charger and wide sound range. If you're looking for a speaker that balances sturdiness with portability and will last you a while, the Charge 6 is a very good investment.
Ultimate Ears Megaboom 4 for $150 (25 percent off): The UE Megaboom line is venerable at this point, dropping first in 2015, but its fourth iteration still tops our audiophile lists. It puts out 360-degree sound with an emphasis on bass, can work up to 147 feet away from the music source, and literally floats in water (though you probably shouldn't leave it in the pool all night). It can even pair with any other UE speaker through PartyUp โ combining it with a couple of Wonderbooms pays off in spades.
Sonos Era 100 for $169 (15 percent off): Two years after launch, the Era 100 is still a smart speaker more than worth your time. It's sleek and simply designed, making it clear Sonos's engineers put their work into sound quality and features rather than just looking the part. Touch controls have never worked better, and setup takes five minutes, though you will have to use the Sonos app. Once you start playing music, the Era 100 can get as loud as you like, while never sacrificing audio quality.
Bose SoundLink Home for $179 (18 percent off): The SoundLink Home is small for a high-quality speaker, but it packs everything it needs into two pounds and about 10 square inches. Nothing about the sound is diminished thanks to two passive radiators. Though we haven't gotten to test it directly, given Bose's record with other compact speakers like the Flex, we're confident it'll be loud enough to satisfy anyone.
Marshall Acton III for $180 (40 percent off): The Acton III is one of the speakers Marshall redesigned and updated in 2022, and it still sounds great today (and looks it too). It's less portable at 6.3 pounds, but can hit high volumes with little or no distortion. The upgrade angled Acton III's tweeters outward so the soundscape is wider, making this one speaker very capable of filling a room with sound on its own.
Sony ULT Field 5 for $195 (44 percent off): Sony's recently rebranded ULT lineup has impressed us so far, especially their 90s-style bass boost buttons. The ULT Field 5 is a pretty traditional bluetooth speaker with a ton of options, including Party Connect to link multiple speakers together, a 10-band equalizer for finding the exact sound balance you want and even a shoulder strap that makes it way more portable.
Bose TV Speaker soundbar for $199 (29 percent off): Bose's entry into the world of soundbars does not disappoint. For a price lower than some Bluetooth speakers, you'll get a compact two-foot speaker bar that amplifies dialogue while conjuring a balanced, realistic soundscape from any movie or show. It's suitable for audio neophytes, too, with no complex adjustments necessary โ just plug in the HDMI and start watching.
Ultimate Ears Everboom for $200 (26 percent off): We gave the Everboom a full review when it first dropped last year, and found it stuck to the general Ultimate Ears plan โ nothing earth-shattering in the audio quality, but rugged reliability and fantastic extra features. Everboom users can connect it to the UE Boom app, which lets you control the volume remotely, use the speaker as a megaphone to make announcements, import your playlists and pair Everbooms through the PartyUp chaining feature.
Best Black Friday speaker deals over $200
JBL Xtreme 4 for $280 (26 percent off): Xtreme is the largest and highest-end that JBL goes, and the Xtreme 4 is a luminary of the line. At 4.6 pounds, it's on the outside edge of portability, but that weight means it puts out appropriately heavy bass, along with clear treble. It's fully weatherproof and โ unless it's in a completely open space โ can get loud enough that all your party guests will enjoy the full effect.
Bose SoundLink Max for $299 (25 percent off): The SoundLink Max, Bose's biggest speaker that isn't a soundbar, is more affordable for Black Friday than we've seen for a while. Frankly, it's worth more than this, with two radiators and three transducers that make it sound larger than it is. Indoors or outdoors, it's great for anyone who wants to be able to pick out individual elements of their favorite music.
Sonos Era 300 for $378 (21 percent off): The Era 300 is Sonos's big (and largely successful) swing at a truly space-filling smart speaker, combining spatial audio with support for both Alexa and its own assistant. The Trueplay feature detects the environment around the speaker and adjusts its setup to reach every corner. Spatial audio can be hit-or-miss on older tracks, but it's transcendent with modern ones.
Sonos Move 2 for $399 (20 percent off): Move is Sonos's high-end portable smart speaker, with more heft, power and features than the smaller Roam line. With the Move 2, Sonos improved the Move's sound quality, boosted its battery life to well over 24 hours, jacked up the volume and redesigned the outer hardware for greater durability. It also works with both Alexa and the Sonos assistant, but it's more portable than the Era 300.
Sony Bravia Theater Bar 8 for $798 (20 percent off): In our review of the Bravia 6 this year, we called out its full sound and special talent for enhancing dialogue, but were frustrated that it didn't support AirPlay or Spotify Connect. The Bravia 8 works with both services, making it a clear choice for your next premium soundbar. It's got a tight, low-footprint design that fits any aesthetic, and hits a maximum output power of 495 watts.
Sonos Arc Ultra for $879 (20 percent off): The Sonos Arc Ultra is the best premium soundbar, bar none (pun intended). As we cover in our full review, it delivers full-throated bass without needing an extra sub, and has added more mid-range drivers and tweeters to make dialogue pop. Its software features are also solid, with Trueplay sound tuning, Speech Enhancement and a new Night Sound mode to tone down the boom for your roommates' sake.
JBL Bar 1300XMK2 for $1,200 (29 percent off): If you're going to drop $1200 on a soundbar, you need to know it's going to deliver โ and the 1300XMK2 does. Its key design element is two detachable speakers that recharge when plugged into the main unit, but can spend up to 10 hours unplugged. The audioscape does an excellent job of separating and clarifying details, which really enhances the sense of a theatrical experience.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-speaker-deals-for-2025-are-still-live-save-up-to-50-percent-on-bluetooth-speakers-smart-speakers-and-soundbars-091904782.html?src=rss
With a good virtual private network (VPN), you can stream TV shows and events from all over the world, protect your information from hackers and thwart those online trackers that watch you sleep and show you weird personalized ads. Although we strongly recommend using a VPN, you shouldn't jump on just any deal โ a bit of comparison shopping goes a long way in this market. The pricing you see on VPN websites is often not an accurate portrayal of what you'll actually pay.
Even so, there are some great bargains on the table. Most VPNs now have their Black Friday deals live, and you can save anywhere from 67 to 88 percent on annual subscriptions to the best VPNs. Most of these discounts only apply if you sign up for a year or more, but committing is not a bad idea โ while you pay more at the start, if you divide the cost by the months of service, it's significantly cheaper over time.
Most of the deals we highlight below follow that pattern, so make sure you're comfortable with a longer commitment before you take the plunge. If you've been thinking about subscribing to a VPN service, read on for the best VPN deals we could find right now.
Best VPN deals
ExpressVPN Basic โ $68.40 for a two-year subscription with four months free (81 percent off): This is one of the best VPNs, especially for new users, who will find its apps and website headache-free on all platforms. In tests for my ExpressVPN review, it dropped my download speeds by less than 7 percent and successfully changed my virtual location 14 out of 15 times. In short, it's an all-around excellent service that only suffers from being a little overpriced โ which is why I'm so excited whenever I find it offering a decent deal. This Cyber Monday deal, which gets you 28 months of ExpressVPN service, represents an 81 percent savings. Be aware, though, that it'll renew at the $99.95 per year price.
ExpressVPN Advanced โ $88 for a two-year subscription with four months free (77 percent off): ExpressVPN recently split its pricing into multiple tiers, but they all still come with similar discounts for going long. In addition to top-tier VPN service, advanced users get two additional simultaneous connections (for a total of 12), the ExpressVPN Keys password manager, advanced ad and tracker blocking, ID protection features and a 50 percent discount on an AirCove router. It's rare to see ExpressVPN doing anything for Cyber Monday, so give this deal some serious thought. As above, note that it renews at $119.95 annually.
NordVPN Basic โ $80.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (74 percent off): NordVPN gets the most important parts of a VPN right. It's fast, it doesn't leak any of your data and it's great at changing your virtual location. I noted in my NordVPN review that it always connects quickly and includes a support page that makes it easy to get live help. NordVPN includes a lot of cool features, like servers that instantly connect you to Tor. This early Black Friday deal gives you 74 percent off the two-year plan, which also comes with three extra months.
NordVPN Plus โ $105.03 for a two-year subscription with three months free (74 percent off): In another early Black Friday discount, NordVPN has also taken 74 percent off its Plus subscription. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information.
Surfshark Starter โ $53.73 for a two-year subscription with three months free (87 percent off): This is the "basic" level of Surfshark, but it includes the entire VPN; everything on Surfshark One is an extra perk. With this subscription, you'll get some of the most envelope-pushing features in the VPN world right now. Surfshark can rotate your IP constantly to help you evade detection โ it even lets you choose your own entry and exit nodes for a double-hop connection. That all comes with a near-invisible impact on download speeds. With this year-round deal, you can save 87 percent on 27 months of Surfshark.
Surfshark One โ $61.83 for a two-year subscription with three months free (88 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features. If you bump up to Surfshark One+, you'll also get data removal through Incogni, but the price jumps enough that it's not quite worthwhile in my eyes.
CyberGhost โ $56.94 for a two-year subscription with two months free (83 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers โ I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites. Currently, you can get 26 months of CyberGhost for 83 percent off the usual price.
hide.me โ $69.95 for a two-year subscription with four months free (75 percent off): Hide.me is an excellent free VPN โ in fact, it's my favorite on the market, even with EventVPN and the free version of Proton VPN as competition. If you do want to upgrade to its paid plan, though, the two-year subscription offers great savings. Hide.me works well as a no-frills beginner VPN, with apps and a server network it should frankly be charging more for.
Practically every VPN heavily discounts its long-term subscriptions year-round, with even sharper discounts around occasions like Black Friday/Cyber Monday. The only noteworthy exception is Mullvad, the Costco hot dog of VPNs (that's a compliment, to be clear). When there's constantly a huge discount going on, it can be hard to tell when you're actually getting a good deal. The best way to squeeze out more savings is to look for seasonal deals, student discounts or exclusive sales like Proton VPN's coupon for Engadget readers.
One trick VPNs often use is to add extra months onto an introductory deal, pushing the average monthly price even lower. When it comes time to renew, you usually can't get these extra months again. You often can't even renew for the same basic period of time โ for example, you may only be able to renew a two-year subscription for one year. If you're planning to hold onto a VPN indefinitely, check the fine print to see how much it will cost per month after the first renewal, and ensure that fits into your budget.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/the-best-vpn-deals-up-to-88-percent-off-protonvpn-surfshark-expressvpn-nordvpn-and-more-120056445.html?src=rss
Streaming deals come and go throughout the year, but they are most abundant around Black Friday. Itโs been a testy year for streaming services to say the least, and one big manifestation of that has been continuously rising prices. Disney+ and HBO Max were just a couple of the streaming services that bumped up prices, which means itโs more important than ever to subscribe if and when you can get a discount. These are the best Black Friday streaming deals you can get this year; just note, though, that most require you to be either a new subscriber to get the deal, or a returning subscriber who hasnโt been a paid customer in a hot minute.
Best Black Friday streaming deals
Apple TV+ โ 6 months for $36: Apple TV+ is offering six months of access for only $36 for Black Friday, which comes out to a discounted price of $6 per month for the six-month period. The deal is live now for new and eligible returning subscribers and runs through December 1, giving you a chance to stream shows like Silo, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less. The biggest caveat to the deal is that you must subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.
HBO Max โ one year for $36: HBO Max's Black Friday deal gives subscribers one year streaming for $36 through December 1. This Black Friday streaming deal is on the ad-supported option, which normally goes for $11 per month. With this discount, you're getting it for $3 per month for one year. You can sign up via HBO Max's website or, if you're a Prime Video subscriber already, via that service as an add-on.
Sling TV Orange โ day pass for only $1: Sling TV launched Day Passes earlier this year, giving users one-day access to a variety of its packages. This deal cuts $4 off the normal price of a day pass for Sling Orange. With that, you get unlimited access for 24 hours to Orange's more than 30 channels that includes ESPN, CNN, TBS and others.
Paramount+ โ two months of Essential or Premium for $6: This Black Friday deal brings the monthly price of either Paramount+ tier down to just $6 for two months, or $3 per month. The obvious better deal is on the Premium plan, which typically costs $13 per month.
Audible โ three months for $3 + $20 Audible credit: For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible's enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It's only three months, after which you'll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into 90 days.
Starz โ one year for $12: Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library with offline viewing and no ads.
MasterClass โ up to 50 percent off annual subscriptions: The MasterClass Black Friday deal discounts most subscription tiers by 50 percent when you pay for one year upfront. The Premium tier, the most expensive option, usually costs $20 per month but now only sets you back $10 per month for one year. That gives you access to the entire MasterClass content library, offline viewing and up to six simultaneous streams.
Plex โ lifetime pass for $150: Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection โ imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It's also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now's your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.
Fubo TV โ up to $30 off your first month: Fubo is arguably the best live TV streaming service for sports, and now new subscribers can save up to $30 on their first month. You'll get that discount if you subscribe to the Elite plan, which normally costs $95 per month and provides access to 325 channels including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, and it includes ESPN Unlimited as well. If you're looking for a more affordable plan, the News + Sports tier has a $10 discount for new subscribers.
DirecTV โ starting at $50/month for one month: All of DirecTV's signature packages are up to $45 off right now for your first month when you sign up. If you opt for the base "Entertainment" package, you'll spend $50 for the first month and get access to over 90 channels, including many local stations as well as ESPN, ESPN 2 and Fox Sports 1. You'll also be able to watch on the go with the DirecTV mobile app.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/best-black-friday-streaming-deals-for-2025-disney-hulu-bundle-is-only-60-for-one-year-plus-major-savings-on-apple-tv-hbo-max-and-others-094257749.html?src=rss
We like our hardware here at Engadget, from high-end gaming headsets to powerful heaters to the fabric shaver you never knew you needed. For Black Friday, we've found great deals on all of it. However, since I ascended to the software plane years ago and now swim in the digital aetherium, my favorite product of the year is an app โ and not even one you use yourself.
DeleteMe will boost your quality of life, no matter where you are or what you're doing, by sharply reducing the amount of spam you receive on every channel. From now until December 5, it's offering 30 percent off all subscriptions with the coupon code BFCM30OFF25.
Chances are you've seen at least one public-facing "people search" site. You know the ones: they usually have names like 411.info or Find.people, and you can type in a person's name and find all the info the site has been able to scrape on them. If you search your own name, it's hard to avoid immediately running to the kitchen to make yourself a tinfoil hat. The most annoying thing is that these "data broker" sites are perfectly legal to run and use.
However, that's also their Achilles' heel. If they want to operate in the open, brokers legally have to include a way for you to remove yourself from their database. Most of them make it as aggravating and time-consuming as possible, but the option is there.
That's where DeleteMe comes in. All you have to do is sign up and enter all the data you want removed from brokerage sites. DeleteMe handles the rest. It searches for your information on people database sites, automatically sends opt-out requests, bugs the broker if they don't comply quickly enough and gives you a weekly report on how it's doing. You do have to be OK with DeleteMe itself having your data, but I trust them way more than the randos over at violate.privacy.
It's so much faster than handling all the opt-out requests yourself, which โ if you've ever tried it โ rapidly becomes a full-time job. Since I've been using DeleteMe, I almost never get spam calls or texts anymore, except in short bursts before its crawlers catch my name on another site. And yes, it doesn't work on shady data brokers who don't follow the rules, but it's still a massive reduction of your online footprint.
The only problem is that it's pretty expensive, so I strongly recommend jumping on this Black Friday deal. A few months on DeleteMe should be long enough for you to see if it reduces spam for you โ and I'm betting it will.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/deleteme-is-30-percent-off-for-black-friday--and-its-the-most-effective-anti-spam-tool-ive-ever-used-190526056.html?src=rss
These days, Black Friday is the longest day of the year. We're only halfway through November, but amazing deals are already popping up for some of our favorite subscription services. This is a great time to lock in a long-term deal on a streaming platform, but there's even more to explore beyond that, from a big discount on Quicken (which you can use to chart all the money you're saving) and one of the best offers I've ever seen for DeleteMe (which cleans your personal data off the internet while you kick back with your new Amazon Prime Video subscription). We'll update this list for the rest of the month as new deals go live.
Best Black Friday subscription deals
Audible (three months) for $3 (80 percent off): For literally $1 per month, you can get access to Audible's enormous library of published audiobooks, podcasts and Audible Originals (which can be anything from never-before-heard books to live performances). It's only three months, after which you'll have to cancel or renew at the regular price, but an audiobibliophile can cram a lot of listening into the 90 days after Black Friday.
Monarch Money (one year) for $50 (50 percent off with code MONARCHVIP): Monarch Money, our other favorite budgeting app, is giving new users half off for Black Friday. It's a little more complex than Quicken Simplifi, but it also gives you finer-grained control, including detailed reporting, balance sheets and instant graphs. The standout goals feature lets you establish savings and wealth baselines that feel amazing when you hit them.
Quicken Simplifi (one year) for $36 (50 percent off): We named Quicken Simplifi the best budgeting app this year largely because it lives up to its name. This is the cleanest budgeting app on the market, with an interface designed to welcome newcomers and no key information more than a scroll away. It's also cheap, especially with this Black Friday deal, and very good at detecting and categorizing your important transactions.
Rosetta Stone Lifetime Unlimited subscription for $149 (60 percent off): Rosetta Stone was pioneering visual language courses back when software still came in boxes, and it's still one of the best language learning apps. Today, its method works as well as ever, with patient learning based on pictures, terms and recordings. This deal gets you a full lifetime subscription with access to all 25 languages in the library.
Medium (one year) for $40 (20 percent off): Medium is a social site designed as the anti-Twitter, featuring deep thoughts and long-form essays from great writers. Not all its best work is locked behind a paywall, but a lot of it is โ and we've all had the feeling of being frustrated that we can't read the latest drop from a thinker we really respect. This deal isn't a very big cut, but it is a noticeable savings over the monthly plan, which will cost you a full $120 for the same length of time ($150 without the discount).
Headspace (one year) for $35 (50 percent off): Out of all the meditation apps available, Headspace is our favorite. It doesn't just help you relax and de-stress, but also teaches you to practice meditation as a skill, with sessions building on each other in organized courses. There's a massive library of standalone guided meditations with all kinds of instructors, and it's easy to search for the ones that work best for you. This deal gives you half off a full year.
Calm Premium (one year) for $40 (50 percent off): Once you've finished your Headspace meditation, head over to Calm for every other stress-relieving activity you can think of. This subscription lets you relax amid a massive content library, from music and restful soundscapes to "sleep stories" with celebrity narrators telling bedtime stories for children and adults alike. If you've ever wanted to be lulled to sleep by Jonathan Bailey, Matthew McConaughey or Idris Elba, this app is for you.
AdGuard personal (lifetime) for $44 (45 percent off): AdGuard was recently in the news for automatically blocking Microsoft's Recall AI surveillance app, which is a great indication of its mission โ it fights threats to your privacy, no matter where they come from. This lifetime subscription blocks all annoying third-party ads and trackers on any website while keeping its functionality otherwise unchanged, so everything loads faster and easier.
LastPass Premium (one year) for $18 (50 percent off): LastPass is another great password manager. We briefly stopped recommending it after a couple of data breaches early last year, but it's patched up its security and seems to be firing on all cylinders again. Whether it suits you better than 1Password will come down to personal preference, but LastPass's deal is slightly better this year.
DeleteMe (all services) for 30 percent off with code BFCM30OFF25: DeleteMe scrubs your information from people search sites and other public-facing data brokers, dramatically reducing your online presence. It's a time-saving and user-friendly automation of a process that can be a real hassle without it. Since using it monthly, we've noticed a sharp decrease in the amount of spam emails, texts and calls to our personal addresses.
Adobe Creative Cloud (one year) for $389 (50 percent off): Adobe Creative Cloud is half off for one year right now, coming out to $389 for one year when you pay upfront. (There's a discounted $35 monthly rate as well, working out to $420 for the year.) Creative Cloud is Adobe's most comprehensive design package, including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Premiere and over 20 other apps. Whip up a website with Dreamweaver, paint on a digital canvas with Fresco or edit photos in Lightroom. It's a pretty steep cost for an individual, but puts a one-year subscription well within reach of a creative business.
Best Black Friday streaming deals
Disney+ and Hulu bundle with ads (one year) for $60 (61 percent off): Disney took its time announcing its Black Friday deal on the newly merging Disney+ and Hulu, but the wait was worth it. This steep discount saves you more than 60 percent over the regular monthly price. Just in time for family gatherings, you'll have free access to Encanto and Moana 2 for the kids, The Bear and Only Murders in the Building for the adults, and Marvel and Star Wars adventures for everybody.
Apple TV+ (6 months) for $36 ($42 off): Apple TV+ has another of the best Black Friday streaming deals this year, offering a six months of access for only $36, which comes out to only $6 per month. The deal is live now for new and returning subscribers. Through December 1, you've got a great chance to stream shows like Severance, Ted Lasso, The Morning Show and For All Mankind for less โ just remember the deal only applies if you subscribe directly through Apple and not through a third-party service.
Starz (one year) for $12 ($58 off): Pay upfront for one year and you can get more than $50 off a Stars annual subscription. There's a month-to-month option too, which costs $3 per month for the first three months if you don't want to commit to the full year. Either option gives you access to the entire Starz TV and movie library, including Outlander and Spartacus, with offline viewing and no ads.
Paramount+ (2 months) for $6 ($20 off): Paramount+ is doing its Black Friday deal a little differently. Instead of a reasonably cheap long-term plan, you get an incredibly cheap short-term deal โ two months for less than a Starbucks run costs these days. That's more than enough time to binge Yellowjackets, Dexter: Resurrection or Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, along with weeks of NFL games through CBS Sports.ย
Fubo Pro (first month) for $55 (35 percent off): Fubo is the live TV service that helps sports lovers cut the cord. When you sign up, it asks you your favorite teams, then automatically records every game they play. Fubo Pro includes 249 channels, covering everything from your local NFL and NBA networks to real ESPN8 (The Ocho) content like PowerSports World. There are even plenty of non-sports channels, and with 10 allowed screens per subscription, your whole family can enjoy the selection at once.
Plex (lifetime pass) for $150 (40 percent off): Plex offers personal media servers you can use to organize your digital collection โ imagine your own curated Netflix homepage that nothing ever vanishes from. It's also a streaming platform in its own right, with movies and TV from all genres and eras. Plex did just raise its prices, so now's your chance to get a lifetime pass for close to what it used to cost.
Walmart+ (one year) for $49 (50 percent off): No, Walmart hasn't started its own streaming platform, but it would probably have some pretty great drama. What you do get with Walmart+ is free shipping on carts over $35, exclusive deals, drone delivery in some cities and more. And if you did come here for streaming, Walmart+ also comes with your choice of Peacock Premium of Paramount+ Essential (we recommend Peacock Premium because it's more expensive on its own).
Fox One (six months) for $20 (50 percent off): Fox One is the newest streaming service on this list, launching just this August. It provides access to everything in the Fox catalog, including its sports and entertainment TV. Six months for $20 isn't quite as good a deal as Paramount+ is giving out, but it may still be a bargain if you're worried about losing Fox channels from your YouTube TV subscription.
Best VPN deals for Black Friday
ExpressVPN Basic (28 months) for $68.40 (81 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It's not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries. It also basically never drops the price this low, so if you're at all interested, now's the time to board the Express train.
Surfshark Starter (27 months) for $53.73 (87 percent off): According to the tests we ran for our latest review, Surfshark is the fastest VPN right now, with its download speeds, upload speeds and latencies all beating out competitors. It has more to offer beyond speed, too, as it's able to constantly rotate your IP address and generate double VPN paths between any two servers you choose.
NordVPN Basic (27 months) for $80.73 (74 percent off): NordVPN got very positive marks in our last review, where we called out its fast internet speeds, wide network of server locations and selection of exclusive features. It comes with a range of dedicated servers for obfuscation, onion routing, torrenting and more. Plus, it's one of the first VPNs getting a jump on post-quantum encryption.
CyberGhost VPN (28 months) for $56.84 (84 percent off): CyberGhost is always cheap โ in fact, we named it the best budget VPN โ but it's never behaved like an economy option. Its Smart Rules automation controls are the deepest in the industry, and its server network reaches 100 countries. Speeds are also quite good, though connections occasionally take a moment to establish.
hide.me VPN (26 months) for $99.95 (61 percent off): hide.me is currently our favorite free VPN, but its paid upgrade is just as competitive. The best thing about this deal is that you're guaranteed to get renewed at the same price and duration, which isn't always certain, even with otherwise reliable VPNs. hide.me gives you servers in 91 locations, all of them rated for up to a gigabyte of traffic per second.
Private Internet Access VPN (40 months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Although we weren't wholly positive about Private Internet Access (PIA VPN) in our recent review, we can't deny it's a worthwhile choice for an affordable VPN. Although speeds can fluctuate, it comes with lots of desirable features on all platforms, like port forwarding (which makes torrents more stable) and two kinds of split tunneling.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-subscription-and-streaming-deals-you-can-still-get-today-discounts-on-apple-tv-hbo-max-disney-proton-vpn-and-more-180000005.html?src=rss
Were you a Lego set kid or a giant-bucket-of-Legos kid? I was a sets kid all the way โ I loved, and still love, the zen feeling of building something incredible a little bit at a time. Also, every time I tried to build something from the giant bucket, it fell apart immediately, but let's not dwell on that. For this year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday, we're trawling the net for the best deals on Lego sets, from family-friendly tie-ins to architectural behemoths. If you've had your eye on a set but demurred due to the price, this list is for you.
It's a good idea to use a price tracker to see if you're getting the best Lego Black Friday deals. You'll find Lego bargains this holiday season at retailers like Amazon and Walmart, but don't overlook Lego's own site. If you join the free Lego Insiders program, you'll get special discounts and exclusive member gifts with each purchase, plus points you can redeem for your next set or bucket.
You can now officially backorder the hottest Lego gift of the season, the Star Trek USS Enterprise set, which was just announced. With a titanic 3,600 pieces and mini-figures of the whole Next Generation crew, it's a must-have for any Star Trek fans. The set is available for $400 starting today.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/lego-black-friday-deals-are-still-live-up-to-50-percent-off-on-star-wars-disney-harry-potter-and-more-toy-sets-for-the-biggest-holiday-sale-155007472.html?src=rss
A VPN subscription can make for a good holiday gift. Everyone could do with having a VPN to help protect their online activity from prying eyes (and, perhaps, access more things to watch from their favorite streaming services). It's something useful that a gift recipient may have never realized they needed. Of course, you may be looking for a great deal on a VPN yourself, and the Black Friday discount for Proton VPN is nothing to sniff at. You can get two years of access to the VPN Plus tier of the service for $59.76, which works out to $2.49 per month.
That's a discount of 75 percent compared with the regular price of $10 per month. Overall, you'd save $180.
Proton VPN is our pick for the best VPN overall because it checks all of the boxes it needs to. There is a free plan with unlimited data, but with that you can only connect to servers in a few countries and the connection might not be fast enough for you to watch anything from your preferred streaming service's library in that locale. The VPN Plus tier unlocks a lot more options, such as the ability to connect to 15,000 servers across more than 120 countries and simultaneous protection for up to 15 devices.
The apps are well-designed โ Proton has clients for Windows, Mac, iOS and Android โ and it's easy to find a feature or setting you're looking for. In our testing, Proton VPN Plus had a relatively small impact on browsing speeds. Our download speeds dropped by 12 percent and uploads by 4 percent, while the global average ping remained below 300 ms (which is especially impressive if you're connecting to a server on the other side of the planet).
Perhaps, most importantly, though, it's Proton's commitment to privacy that helps make its VPN an easy recommendation. There's a no-logs policy, meaning it does not log user activity or any identifiable characteristics of devices that connect to the VPN. Proton's servers use full-disk encryption to bolster privacy as well.
Proton VPN is not the only service to offer a Black Friday VPN deal this year, of course. There are plenty of others available on services we like. Here are the best of the bunch if you're looking for an alternative to Proton VPN.
Surfshark One (24 months + 3 free months) for $59.13 (88 percent off): A VPN is great, but it's not enough to protect your data all on its own. Surfshark One adds several apps that boost your security beyond just VPN service, including Surfshark Antivirus (scans devices and downloads for malware) and Surfshark Alert (alerts you whenever your sensitive information shows up in a data breach), plus Surfshark Search and Alternative ID from the tier below. This extra-low deal gives you 88 percent off all those features.
NordVPN Plus (24 months + 3 free months) for $105.03 (74 percent off): NordVPN has taken 74 percent off its Plus subscription for Black Friday. For only a little more, you get a powerful ad and tracker blocker that can also catch malware downloads, plus access to the NordPass password manager. A Plus plan also adds a data breach scanner that checks the dark web for your sensitive information.
CyberGhost (24 months + 4 free months) for $56.94 (84 percent off): CyberGhost has some of the best automation you'll see on any VPN. With its Smart Rules system, you can determine how its apps respond to different types of Wi-Fi networks, with exceptions for specific networks you know by name. Typically, you can set it to auto-connect, disconnect or send you a message asking what to do. CyberGhost's other best feature is its streaming servers โ I've found both better video quality and more consistent unblocking when I use them on streaming sites.
Private Internet Access (36 months + 4 free months) for $79.20 (83 percent off): Private Internet Access (PIA) is giving out the best available price right now on a VPN I'd recommend using. With this deal, you can get 40 months of PIA for just under $2 per month โ an 83 percent discount on its monthly price. Despite being so cheap, PIA has plenty of features, coming with its own DNS servers, a built-in ad blocker and automation powers to rival CyberGhost. However, internet speeds can fluctuate while you're connected.
ExpressVPN Basic (15 months) for $74.85 (61 percent off): ExpressVPN may be the most user-friendly VPN for sale right now, with fast download speeds (only 7 percent losses in our last test), quick connections and apps designed to stay out of your way. It's not the most feature-rich, but it excels at any bread-and-butter VPN task, staying leak-free and unblocking Netflix everywhere. You also get access to server locations in 105 countries.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/deals/black-friday-vpn-deals-are-still-live-get-75-percent-off-proton-vpn-two-year-plans-plus-deals-on-nordvpn-expressvpn-and-more-153737335.html?src=rss
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