Electric vehicle sales had a pretty good 2023 in North America, with more than 1.1 million battery EVs and just under 300,000 plug-in hybrid EVs finding new homes. That's a 50 percent increase on 2022, yet the last few months have seen the trade and business presses report a string of negative stories about EV adoption. And it's not just news stories—major automakers are scaling back their EV ambitions, and together with auto dealerships, they're lobbying the White House to water down its plan to reduce transportation-related carbon emissions.
While US car buyers are still choosing EVs in greater numbers, the rate of increase is beginning to slow. According to a report from S&P Global, EV registrations grew by 23 percent in December, faster than the general increase in new light vehicle sales (15 percent year over year). But market leaders did not do so well. Tesla only grew sales by 11 percent; at Ford, they rose by 13 percent. Chevrolet saw EV sales drop by 26 percent as it finally exhausted its supply of the low-cost Bolt EV.
Similarly, a survey from Deloitte provides a little more pessimism when it comes to EV adoption. It has found that only 6 percent of buyers are now considering a battery EV, down from 7 percent in 2023. Demand for plug-in hybrids has also fallen, from 7 percent in 2023 to 5 percent in 2024. Instead, more buyers want gasoline- or diesel-powered vehicles, a full two-thirds in 2024 compared to 58 percent last year.
While the world awaits closing arguments later this year in the US government's antitrust case over Google's search dominance, a California judge has dismissed a lawsuit from 26 Google users who claimed that Google's default search agreement with Apple violates antitrust law and has ruined everyone's search results.
Users had argued that Google struck a deal making its search engine the default on Apple's Safari web browser specifically to keep Apple from competing in the general search market. These payments to Apple, users alleged, have "stunted innovation" and "deprived" users of "quality, service, and privacy that they otherwise would have enjoyed but for Google’s anticompetitive conduct." They also allege that it created a world where users have fewer choices, enabling Google to prefer its own advertisers, which users said caused an "annoying and damaging distortion" of search results.
In an order granting the tech companies' motion to dismiss, US District Judge Rita Lin said that users did not present enough evidence to support claims for relief. Lin dismissed some claims with prejudice but gave leave to amend others, allowing users another chance to keep their case—now twice-dismissed—at least partially alive.
Black Friday has come and gone, but that doesn't mean holiday deals are ending. Retailers are capitalizing on the days following Thanksgiving to entice shoppers to spend, and that's a win for consumers. With Cyber Monday and Cyber Week discounts on the top tech products, you can score some terrific deals on leading brands, like Apple, Lenovo, Microsoft, Sony, Dyson, Bose, and more. We'll update our curated Cyber Week 2023 Dealmaster regularly throughout the week, so check back here frequently for the best sales and discounts.
Also, check out our full coverage for Black Friday 2023 deals, buying guides, and gift guides:
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If Thanksgiving prep has taught me anything over the years, it's that I absolutely detest laboring over the clean up process—both before guests arrive for dinner and after they leave. While a good vacuum doesn't entirely obviate the chore, it does help make the job easier. Strong suction means that you don't have to go over the same area multiple times, and if you opt for a robot vacuum and mop combo, you can mostly automate the process except where deep cleaning or spot cleaning is required.
With the most advanced models from Dyson, Roborock, iRobot, and more this year on sale for Black Friday, you can hopefully spend less time fretting about the state of your home and more time enjoying the holidays. Here are some of the top ones that we've tried that are on sale.
The best headphone Black Friday deals have landed, and we've pulled all our favorite models, many of which are hitting the lowest price we've seen. From Apple's futuristic AirPods Max and beloved AirPods Pro to top offerings from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser, and more, you can't go wrong with the list below. So find your favorite deal of the season and get ready to rock out.
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Binance founder Changpeng Zhao has resigned as CEO of the world's largest cryptocurrency exchange after agreeing to plead guilty to money laundering violations, the US Department of Justice announced on Tuesday.
The DOJ's settlement concludes a three-year investigation into Binance that found "willful failures allowed money to flow to terrorists, cybercriminals, and child abusers through its platform," Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen wrote in a statement. According to the plea agreement, Zhao will pay a $50 million fine, and Binance—which also pled guilty to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money-transmitting business and violating sanctions against Iran, Cuba, and Syria—will pay a $4.3 billion fine.
"Today’s historic penalties and monitorship to ensure compliance with US law and regulations mark a milestone for the virtual currency industry," Yellen said. "Any institution, wherever located, that wants to reap the benefits of the US financial system must also play by the rules that keep us all safe from terrorists, foreign adversaries, and crime or face the consequences."
TVs continue to be a Dealmaster mainstay this time of year as retailers load up big sales on 2023 models and closeout picks from last year. Monitors are on the same track, with a slew of high-end gaming options and budget buys alike, alongside plenty of other tech deals to help you spruce up everything from your home office to your home theater. So dig in now and get ahead of the shopping madness.
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On Tuesday, Google ended two and a half weeks of defending its search business against the Department of Justice's monopoly claims, reportedly with a whimper.
During the DOJ's cross-examination of Google's final witness, Kevin Murphy, the economist got "upset" when the DOJ introduced a 2011 email from an ex-Google executive, Chris Barton, which suggested that Google's default search agreements with wireless carriers, mobile device manufacturers, and browser partners had to be "exclusive," Big Tech on Trial reported, or else they were worthless.
"Without the exclusivity, we are not getting anything," Barton's email said. "Without an exclusive search deal, a large carrier can and will ship alternatives to Google."
Whether you have family in town or leisurely plans on the year's biggest shopping day, there's no need to fret, as we've boxed up early Black Friday sales for you in our latest Dealmasters. Today's list includes a hearty selection of sweet deals, from HP printers to Lenovo laptops, 4K monitors, Apple iPads, and plenty of big-screen TVs, just to name a few. So get your early Black Friday savings now.
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Google's default search deal with Apple is worth so much to the search giant that Google pays 36 percent of its search advertising revenue from Safari to keep its search engine set as the default in Apple's browser, Bloomberg reported.
Google and Apple objected to making this key detail public from their long-running default search deal. But their closely held secret came out on Monday during testimony from Google's main economics expert, Kevin Murphy, during the Department of Justice's monopoly trial examining Google's search business.
"Probably the biggest slip of the entire trial," Big Tech on Trial, an account dedicated to providing updates from the Google trial, posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Today's Dealmaster piles up some sweet headphone deals, more TV and soundbar sales as brands look to move last year's models, excellent Apple deals, the continuation of Herman Miller's close-out for gaming and office chairs, and much more.
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That sound you hear in the distance is the slow approach of Black Friday, steadily making its way into your holiday shopping, for better or worse. The deals have already begun, and we've got some doozies in today's Dealmaster, including 4K TVs, headphones and audio gear, tons of tools, and Herman Miller office and gaming chairs.
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It's never too early to get a jump-start on holiday shopping. Even though Black Friday isn't here yet, there are still plenty of great deals on tech gear and essentials, ranging from laptops and TVs to chargers and monitors. We even have a rare sale on Herman Miller office and gaming chairs that include popular models like the Aeron and Embody. Soundbars, headphones, and AirTags round out our curated Dealmaster.
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Whether you need a monitor for work or you want a larger living room screen for entertainment, our curated pre-Black Friday Dealmaster comes with plenty of savings on monitors, displays, and TVs. Complete the setup with upgraded audio, as we found some deals on soundbars, speakers, headphones, and more. In addition to home entertainment, there are savings on Lenovo laptops, Apple MacBooks and iPads, chargers and tech gear, and more. And for a luxurious and ergonomic upgrade, Herman Miller's popular office and gaming chairs, including the Aeron and Embody, are on sale at up to 25 percent off, making it a perfect self-care gift for yourself or your loved one for the holiday.
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Black Friday sales are starting earlier and earlier with each passing year, and the savings can be big if you catch them. For today's Dealmaster, we've grabbed new lows on top TVs, discounts on displays, big savings on laptops across the web, Apple sales, and plenty of other deals on various gear.
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Even though Black Friday is technically over, sales are continuing through the weekend. If you missed out on the post-Thanksgiving Day shopping festivities, you still have some time left to snag some terrific deals on some of our favorite tech products this year. From Apple and Lenovo to Dyson and Theragun, there are plenty of discounts on some of the top products. We'll be refreshing this list frequently, so check back often for the latest deals and discounts on laptops, massage guns, monitors, PC components, and more.
Also, check out our full coverage for Black Friday 2023 deals, buying guides, and gift guides:
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As November approaches, we find ourselves hurtling into TV season, which equates to a ton of deals on TVs as manufacturers sell off their old stock and prepare for next year's models. Those are just some of the bargains you'll find on today's Dealmaster, stacking up next to everything from noise-canceling headphones to ergonomic office chairs, Apple gear, and Dolby Atmos soundbars to pair with your new TV. So dig in below and grab a deal or two!
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Like it or not, holiday shopping season isn't that far off, and we're already seeing deals rev up for tech products. Today's Dealmaster serves up a bounty of options, from Samsung OLED TVs to Lenovo laptops and some killer Dolby Atmos soundbars. Take a gander below to find some bargains on the web right now.
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Today's Dealmaster ranges from Lenovo laptops to Lego toys. As we head into the holiday shopping season, our list of deals includes popular tech favorites like Anker chargers, Apple AirTag trackers, LG OLED TVs, and Lenovo mobile workstations. Or, for a fun and whimsical gift, check out Lego's Advent calendar to unwrap a small surprise each day.
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Whether you're shopping for a new laptop or you're looking to build your own PC, we found some great savings for you with some post-Prime Day sales. Many of the items on our list, from Vitamix blenders to Dyson vacuums, from headphones to USB-C chargers, from Tempur-Pedic office chairs to tools and games, have been popular with Amazon shoppers and Ars readers. There's plenty to choose from in our curated selection of deals.
The soft-touch back of the Pixel 8 Pro looks and feels great. (credit: Ron Amadeo)
DeWalt drill kit with carrying bag. (credit: DEWALT)
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Amazon's Prime Day may be over this year, but not all the deals are gone. Whether you're looking for Sony's latest WF-1000XM5 headphones to Apple's AirPods Pro with a USB-C charging case, AirTags to Peblebee trackers, or home gear like Dyson, Vitamix, and Theragun, there's plenty to choose from if you missed Amazon's shopping event earlier this week.
The 14-inch and 13-inch models will have FHD displays with touch and non-touch options, as well as FreeSync technology. (credit: Valentina Palladino)
DeWalt drill kit with carrying bag. (credit: DEWALT)
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If you're building a new PC, there's no time like Amazon's big Prime Day sale to grab a deal on PC parts. Components like fans, motherboards, CPUs, and GPUs are all on sale. Whether you're starting from scratch on building your own powerful gaming rig or workstation, or you're upgrading an existing build, we have some options.
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Apple gear can be a great option, but it's not often you can find a real deal. We share small Apple deals when we find them, but Amazon's Prime Day sales are among the few times when we see significant discounts on some of Apple's hottest tech. If you've been waiting to pull the trigger on an iPad, a shiny new pair of AirPods, or even a new MacBook, now is your moment. Here are all the best deals we've found on Apple's best gear during Amazon's Big Deal Days sales event.
And if you're not an Amazon shopper, we also found a few notable deals on Apple gear at other retailers.
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While there are plenty of deals on tech and gadgets for Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days shopping event, getting some simple, non-tech toys can help keep you entertained this holiday season. Whether you're picking up a discounted Lego set to help stimulate your child's mind, collecting Star Wars memorabilia, or adding to your arsenal of board and card games for game night, there's something here for everyone. Picking up a new board game may be just the ticket ahead of all the family holiday gatherings!
The New York City set from Lego's Architecture series. (credit: Jeff Dunn)
Luke Skywalker 40th Anniversary Legacy Lightsaber (credit: Shop Disney)
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event has finally landed, bringing with it a watershed of savings that includes some of the best gaming deals of the season. Whether you're eyeing a creative game like Mario Maker 2, an epic adventure like Elden Ring, or even a new headset or controller, our list below has the gaming gear you need to prepare for the long, cold months ahead.
Team Nintendo! (credit: Nintendo)
Team Microsoft! (credit: Microsoft)
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Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sales event is in full effect, and with it comes a slew of excellent headphone deals across a wide range of options. Whether you've been looking for the best noise-canceling earbuds on the market in the Bose QuietComfort II, a pair of the indomitable AirPods Pro (gen 2), or even some great gaming cans from JBL, our list below has all the best headphone deals available during Amazon's sale.
Bose's QuietComfort 45 noise-canceling headphones. (credit: Jeff Dunn)
If you'd like to see how Pixel Buds Pro look as part of professionally staged promotional photos, Google has your back. Here's "charcoal." (credit: Google)
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If you're in the market for a new laptop or mobile workstation, Amazon Prime Big Deal Days are packed with terrific PC deals. However, depending on what you're looking for, Amazon may not be the destination for the best savings. In addition to Amazon, manufacturers like HP, Dell, and Lenovo are running their own sales, and Best Buy has some big discounts on Microsoft Surface products. We've rounded up some of the best laptop deals in this Dealmaster. And if you prefer to use your Prime membership for the free two-day shipping, we also have you covered.
Ars Technica may earn compensation for sales from links on this post through affiliate programs.
Lenovo's new ThinkPad laptops with AMD processors. (credit: Valentina Palladino)
Amazon's second big sale-a-thon of the year is coming this week, but you don't have to wait for the savings to drop during the retailer's Prime Big Deal Days. There are plenty of bargains to be found from Amazon rivals, including laptops from Lenovo, tech gear and gadgets from Best Buy, and vacuums from Target. Whether you need a new ThinkPad laptop or an Apple MacBook, this list has you covered. Of course, Amazon is inescapable, so we've also included a few pre-Prime Day deals as well.
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The Amazon Prime Big Deal Days event is creeping ever closer. For early shoppers, there are plenty of excellent tech deals available today from Amazon and competing retailers. Our curated Dealmaster comes with savings on Sony's wildly popular WF-1000XM4 noise-canceling earbuds, serious sales on Apple gear (including the AirPods Pro and the still-excellent Apple Watch Series 8), as well as deals on a bevy of home and office gear.
Whatever you're into, you'll likely find a great deal or three below. So, why wait for the big sale when it's already here?
Next up: a quick look at the Series 8. (credit: Samuel Axon)
Apple introduced AirTags alongside several different kinds of accessories to enhance their flair and attach-ability. (credit: Apple)
DEWALT drill kit with carrying bag. (credit: DEWALT)
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Since joining the Raspberry Pi Foundation as a Code Club Community Manager for Scotland earlier this year, I have seen first-hand the passion, dedication, and commitment of the Scottish community to support the digital, personal, and social skills of young people.
Code Club launched in schools in 2012 to give opportunities to children to share and develop their love of coding through free after-school clubs. Now we have clubs across the world connecting learners in having fun with digital technologies.
One of my first visits was to St. Mark’s Primary School in East Renfrewshire, where I met an amazing Code Club leader called Ashley Guy. Ashley only got involved in Code Club this year, but has already launched three clubs at her school!
I went to visit her Primary 2 and 3’s club, where the children were working on creating animations in Scratch to celebrate Code Club’s tenth birthday. It was a real joy to see the young children so engaged with our projects. The young coders worked both independently and together to create their own animations.
One of the girls I spoke to made a small error while coding her project, but she smiled and said, “I made a mistake, but that’s okay because that’s how we learn!” She showed just the kind of positive, problem-solving mindset that Code Club helps to cultivate.
Another school doing something incredible at their Code Club, led by Primary 7 teacher Fiona Lindsay, is Hillside School in Aberdeenshire. I love seeing the fun things they get up to, including celebrating Code Club’s 10th birthday in style with an impressive Code Club cake.
Fiona and her club are using the Code Club projects and resources to create their own exciting and challenging games. They’ve taken part in several of our online codealongs, and they also held an event at the school to showcase their great work — which even got the children’s parents coding!
Some of the young people who attend Code Club at Hillside School sent us videos about their experiences, why they come to Code Club, and what it means to them. Young coder Abisola describes Code Club in one word:
Young coder Crystal said, “We can experiment with what we know and make actual projects… At Code Club we learn about new blocks in Scratch and what blocks and patterns go together to make something.” Here is Crystal sharing her favourite part of Code Club:
Obuma also attends the Code Club at Hillside School. She shared what she gains from attending the sessions and why she thinks other young people should join a Code Club too:
“At Code Club we improve our teamwork skills, because there’s a lot of people in Code Club and most of the time you work together to create different things… Join [Code Club] 100%. It is so fun. It might not be something everyone would want to try, but if you did try it, then you would enjoy it.”
Obuma, young coder at Hillside School’s Code Club
One of the things I’ve enjoyed most as part of the Code Club team has been running an UK-wide online codealong to celebrate STEM Clubs Week. The theme was outer space, so our ‘Lost in space’ project in Scratch was the ideal fit.
During this practical coding session, classes across Scotland, England, and Wales had great fun coding the project together to animate rockets that move around space. We were thrilled by the feedback from teachers.
“The children really enjoyed the session. They are very proud of their animations and some children went on to extend their programs. All [the] children said they would love to do more codealongs!”
Teacher who took part in an online Code Club codealong
Thank you to everyone who got involved in the codealong. See you again at the next one.
To help you start your Code Club year with ease and fun, we will be launching new free resources for you and your club members. There’ll be a special pack filled with step-by-step instructions and engaging activities to kickstart your first session back, and a fun sticker chart to help young coders mark their progress.
We would love to see you at our practical and interactive online workshop ‘Ten reasons why coding is fun for everyone’ on Thursday 15 September at 16:00–17:00 BST, which will get you ready for National Coding Week (19–23 September). Come along to the workshop to get useful guidance and tips on how to engage everyone with coding.
We will also be holding lots of other exciting activities and sessions throughout the upcoming school term, including for World Space Week (4–10 October), the Moonhack coding challenge in October, and World Hello Day in November. So keep an eye on our Twitter @CodeClubUK for live updates.
Whether you’re interested in learning more about Code Club in Scotland, you have a specific question, or you just want to say hi, I’d love to hear from you. You can contact me at scotland@codeclub.org, or @CodeClubSco on Twitter. I’ll also be attending the Scottish Education Expo on 21 and 22 September along with other Code Club team members, so come along and say hello.
With the new school term approaching, now is a great time to register and start a Code Club at your school. You can find out more on our website, codeclub.org, or contact us directly at support@codeclub.org
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Since the inception of Code Club in 2012, teachers in Wales have been part of the Code Club community, running extracurricular Code Club sessions for learners in their schools. As of late 2021, there are 84 active clubs in Wales. With our new Code Club Community Coordinator for Wales, Sarah Eve Roberts, on board, we are thrilled to be able to offer more dedicated support to the community in Wales.
Sarah introduced herself to the Welsh education community by running a Code Club training workshop for teachers. Educators from 32 Welsh schools joined her to learn how to start their own Code Club and then tried one of the free coding projects we provide for club sessions for themselves.
The Welsh Code Club network had a chance to meet Sarah at a country-wide online codealong on 11 March, just in time to kick off British Science Week 2022. In this one-hour codealong event, we took beginner coders through the first project of our new ‘Introduction to Scratch’ pathway, Space Talk. Space Talk is a fantastic project for Code Clubs: it provides beginners with a simple introduction to coding in Scratch, and also gives plenty of opportunity for more experienced learners to get creative and make the project their own.
The codealong was fantastically popular, with 90 teachers and 2900 learners from 59 schools participating. Several of the schools shared their excitement with us on Twitter, posting pictures and videos of their Space Talk projects.
Tamasin Greenough Graham, Head of Code Club, says: “It was wonderful to see so many children and teachers from Wales coding with us. I really loved the creativity they showed in all their projects!”
Although the codealong took place in English, Space Talk and the whole ‘Introduction to Scratch’ pathway are available in the Welsh language. The pathway includes a total of six projects, bringing the total number of Welsh-language coding projects we offer to 37. It’s really important to us to offer our learning materials in Welsh, especially because we know it helps young people engage with our free coding activities.
The translation of learning materials is a collaborative effort at the Raspberry Pi Foundation: we work with a team of 1465 volunteer translators, who translate our materials into 33 languages, making them accessible for more children and educators around the world.
Two of these translators, Marcus and Julia Davage, are based in Wales. They help to make our projects accessible to Welsh-speaking learners. Marcus and Julia have been part of the community for 6 years, volunteering at Code Club and running their own club:
“I started volunteering for Code Club in 2016 when my daughter was in a Welsh-medium primary school and her teacher had started a Code Club. This lasted until 2019. Last year I started my own Code Club at the Welsh-medium primary school at which my wife Julia teaches. Since helping out, she has taught Scratch in her own lessons!”
– Marcus Davage, Code Club volunteer & Welsh translation volunteer
Marcus and Julia have translated numerous learning resources and communications for our Welsh community. Marcus describes the experience of translating:
“I noticed that several of the projects hadn’t been completely translated into Welsh, so when my company, BMC Software, promoted a Volunteering Day for all of its staff, I jumped at the opportunity to spend the whole day finishing off many of the missing translations! I must admit, I did laugh at a few terms, like ’emoji’ (which has no official translation), ’emoticon’ (‘gwenoglun’ or ‘smiley face’), and ‘wearable tech’ (‘technoleg gwisgadwy’).”
– Marcus Davage, Code Club volunteer & Welsh translation volunteer
We’re thankful to Marcus and Julia and to all the teachers and volunteers in Wales who bring coding skills to the young people in their schools.
Keen readers may have noticed that this year marks the tenth anniversary of Code Club! We have lots of celebrations planned for the worldwide community of volunteers and learners, in long-running clubs as well as in brand-new ones.
So now is an especially great time to get involved by starting a Code Club at your school, or by signing up to volunteer at an up-and-running club. Find out more at codeclub.org.
And if you’re interested in learning more about Code Club in Wales, email us at support@codeclub.org so Sarah can get in touch.
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