Amazon recently launched a new version of its Fire TV Stick — and the popular streaming device has already got a huge 50% discount, dropping it to a record-low price. That means you can now get the updated Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K on Amazon for $29.99 (was $59.99).

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Whether you want to upgrade an old TV with smart streaming features, or prefer the Amazon interface over your current TV's app setup, the Fire TV Stick is regularly one of the cheapest and most convenient options.

As for why it's worth upgrading to this newest model, you get access to all of the biggest and most popular streaming apps with high-end 4K resolution support, speedy performance that makes navigating these apps a lot smoother, direct power from the TV so a separate AC adapter is no longer required, and an improved remote with built-in voice controls.

Overall, for $30, it's a very affordable streaming stick that comes with all of the essential features you need.

New Fire TV Stick — record-low price

Fire TV Stick 4K: was $59.99 now $29.99
Amazon's newest 4K streaming stick is already down to its lowest-ever price — only two months after launch. Considering it's only slightly more expensive than the basic HD version, you might as well pay for the upgrade to get a fancy new remote and access to higher-resolution streaming — as long as you have a 4K TV. It lacks a few premium features found in the more expensive Plus and Max models, such as improved Wi-Fi and Dolby Atmos, but this is more than enough to cover general everyday use.View Deal

When Amazon originally announced the new Fire TV Stick 4K, it promised speed increases when loading apps of up to 40% compared to other streaming sticks, as well as a slick and slimmer new design.

An new version of the Fire TV remote comes in this package, too, which is more ergonomic and smartly designed so that you can identify and reach key buttons in an instant.

Apple added a US titanium supplier for the iPhone Duo, committing up to $100 million to Pennsylvania-based Perryman Company while expanding domestic production of camera technology for the iPhone 18 Pro.

As part of its American Manufacturing Program (AMP), Apple said today (20 October) the deal with Perryman is over the next three years for titanium used in its products, including the iPhone Duo, which starts at $1,999.

The announcement follows reports of tight supply for Apple’s first foldable. The phone is due in stores on 23 October, but online delivery estimates slipped to January 2027 within minutes of preorders opening on 16 October.

Apple stated Perryman will melt, forge, and roll grade 5 titanium, which it said will contain at least 80% recycled material. Titanium is used for the Duo’s enclosure, providing durability, according to the iPhone maker.

It is also expanding its partnership with Qnity Electronics, headquartered in the US state of Delaware, to produce technology for the new variable aperture in the iPhone 18 Pro camera system.

Apple said nearly 100 components used in the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro, from wireless chips to the silicon which powers key functions across the devices, are produced by US companies across more than a dozen states.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company’s (TSMC) Arizona plant will produce more than 100 million chips for Apple in 2026, while ​Corning’s Kentucky facility ​will make ⁠all cover glass for iPhones and Apple Watches sold worldwide by year end.

Apple also highlighted investments with other AMP partners, including Broadcom for US-made chips and Amkor Technology, which is building a semiconductor packaging and testing facility in Peoria, Arizona.

“We’re thrilled to expand our work with companies producing advanced materials and components for our newest iPhone lineup right here in America,” stated Apple COO Sabih Khan.

The post Apple pledges $100M to US titanium supplier for iPhone Duo appeared first on Mobile World Live.

When it comes to hardware, Amazon’s strategy has historically been to throw spaghetti at the wall and pray it sticks.

There was the Amazon Fire Phone in 2014, a $170 million flop with a gimmicky 3D camera system. Then came the Amazon Tap, a clunky, Echo-style home assistant device that did away with voice-activation, instead requiring users to press a physical button. And of course, who could forget those silly Amazon Dash Buttons?

They all build context for Amazon’s latest gadget: an always-on wearable microphone that constantly listens in to your conservations.

Called the “Bee,” Amazon’s new hardware platform spans two devices, which are basically just a large language model (LLM) packed onto a watch-sized microphone, as Gizmodo reported. Customers can currently buy the “Bee Frontier” wearable version, which comes with a watch strap, for $75. Or Amazon aficionados can hold out for the “Bee Eclipse,” a $100 plastic puck that fits onto the back of your phone.

And when we say these gadgets are always listening, we mean it. Don’t take our word for it — in its press release announcing the new devices, Amazon explained that the Bee Frontier has a seven-day battery life, allowing it to “stay with you through a full week without interruption.”

This being an Amazon device, e-commerce is an essential selling point: “whether it’s remembering the details of important meetings, taking note of the coffee plans you made in passing, or simply ensuring you purchase the dish soap you said you’d buy, Bee Frontier will remember the details for you,” the release enthused.

As you might expect by this point in 2026, you’re not getting away with a one-time purchase. In order to use some core features like “unlimited recent conversation summaries” and access to an Alexa-style “personal chat assistant,” Bee owners will need to subscribe to Bee Pro, which costs $12 a month. (New customers get a month of Bee Pro on the house.)

The device follows a growing trend among hardware brands to eschew physical interactivity in favor of AI-integrated monitoring devices. Meta has its AI Glasses, which have been found recording users even when they’re in sleep mode, while OpenAI is developing a screen-less smart speaker engineered by famed Apple designer Jony Ive.

Whether any of these devices catch on with consumers remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely. A YouGov poll from earlier this year found that some 61 percent of Americans feel it’s very important to limit who has access to their data — which isn’t a great sign for anybody selling what amounts to an AI-powered ankle monitor.

More on hardware: Anthropic Warns “AI Worms” Will Infect Your Smart Home Devices and Use Them to Self-Replicate Beyond Control

The post Amazon Launches Ominous Wearable Ankle Monitor-Style Gadget That Records You Constantly appeared first on Futurism.

As if Meta’s AI-smart glasses didn’t have enough privacy issues, a growing number of owners report the devices are spying on them without their consent.

According to reporting by Android Authority, several owners of the Meta glasses have reported their devices capturing conversations without ever being activated. In theory, a user has to say “Hey Meta” to “wake” the device from sleep mode, similar to other smart systems like Amazon’s Alexa or Apple’s Siri. But some owners say the Meta glasses are waking up and recording without that phrase ever being uttered — effectively monitoring their surroundings without express permission.

“I have observed the same behavior on THREE different pairs of Ray-Ban Meta glasses, including 2nd- and 3rd-generation models,” one user explained in a thread on Reddit.

“I believe this deserves a serious technical investigation,” the poster continued. “Customers should not have to wonder whether their private conversations are being captured when they have not intentionally activated their glasses’ AI assistant.”

Invasive as it is, the irony is hard to miss. Meta glasses have emerged as a preferred tool of sex creeps, bullies, and skeevy influencers the world over for their ability to record video discreetly — a feature which quickly earned them the nickname “pervert glasses.”

“Woah a company that makes money by invading your privacy is invading your privacy!” one Redditor joked in a separate thread about the issue. “Can’t trust anyone these days.”

In a vague response to the report, a Meta spokesperson told Android Authority that the issue “has been resolved.”

“People can manage, review and delete voice logs of their interactions with Meta AI via settings at any time,” the statement concluded.

Whether that boilerplate statement is enough to assuage Meta glasses users remains to be seen. If nothing else, maybe users will gain a new appreciation for what it feels like to be recorded without consent.

More on smart glasses: NYC’s Buzziest Nightclub Announces Stance On Smart Glasses: Even Try To Bring Them In, You’re Banned Forever

The post Meta Glasses Said to Be Recording Even When They’re in Sleep Mode appeared first on Futurism.

With the new iPhone Duo available on the 22nd and the iPhone 18 Pro / Pro Max midway last month, it breaks from the pattern of recent iPhone events where the entire year’s lineup is announced all at once. The iPhone Air and 17 are awaiting a refresh, rumored to arrive sometime in Spring 2027 […]

The post iPhone Air 1 year later: Why I’m waiting for iPhone Air 2 appeared first on Low End Mac.