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SteelSeries’ comfy wireless gaming headset is nearly half off

18 August 2026 at 22:01
The Nova 3P in eye-catching cyan. | Image: SteelSeries

While many gaming headsets come with extra features, the tradeoff is that they’re often uncomfortable and heavy. A lightweight, affordable alternative that can connect to a bunch of platforms is available at Woot. The SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P in cyan is on sale for $59.99, a 45 percent discount from their usual $109.99 price.

SteelSeries Arctis Nova 3P

Where to Buy:

This headset, like most of SteelSeries’ models, feature a stretchy strap on the headband to offset its weight, plus a removable boom mic so you can take them on the go. While they sound good right out of the box, the SteelSeries app offers over 200 game-specific equalizer profiles that can enhance the sound experience, emphasizing the sound of footsteps in shooters, for example, or adding a richness to the music in cinematic games.

This version of the headset is compatible with Windows and macOS computers, PlayStation consoles, Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and Android and iOS mobile devices. They include both a Bluetooth connection for calls and mobile use, and a compact low latency USB-C dongle for listening over a 2.4GHz wireless connection. They’re advertised to last up to 40 hours on a single charge, and can fast charge for up to nine hours of gaming in just 15 minutes via USB-C.

Robin Williams’ Instagram account brought back to fight β€˜AI abuse’

18 August 2026 at 21:48
A photo of Robin Williams from 2013

Robin Williams' children are taking over their father's Instagram account after his daughter spoke out against the use of his AI likeness, as reported earlier by The Wrap. In a post on Tuesday, Zak, Zelda, and Cody Williams write that they want the late actor's Instagram profile to be a "safe, trusted place where the stories, photos, videos, and memories shared reflect his legacy with authenticity, warmth, and care."

A story posted to Zelda Williams' own Instagram account expands on the decision to bring back her father's profile, saying that it's meant to help combat "rampant AI abuse," according to The Wrap:

I'm sorry if anyone found Da …

Read the full story at The Verge.

OpenAI lays out new security changes after its AI hacked Hugging Face

18 August 2026 at 21:28

OpenAI is announcing security updates following the July news that its AI broke out of a sandboxed environment and accidentally hacked Hugging Face, including improvements to its research environments, monitoring, and alignment techniques. The company had already put the brakes on a new model, Astra, that it thinks could have "critical" cybersecurity capabilities, and the company says it instituted a two-week pause in reinforcement learning (RL) training on its "latest models intended for deployment" while it tightened up security. The company's "largest planned frontier RL run remains on hold."

For its frontier model research, OpenAI now r …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are almost half off today

18 August 2026 at 19:47
The Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro.

If you’re looking for a feature-packed pair of earbuds that won’t break your wallet, Best Buy has the Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro on sale for $139.99. That’s $40 lower than the current Amazon price, and a big discount from their original retail price of $249.99. These well-equipped earbuds feature excellent sound quality, crisp transparency mode, and a clear microphone for taking calls on the go.

Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro

The Galaxy Buds 3 Pro are Samsung’s best-sounding wireless earbuds yet. They have a stemmed design similar to the AirPods Pro, but even if their design is a little bland, the Buds 3 Pro make up for it with great call quality, useful voice commands, and more.
A hands-on photo of Samsung’s Galaxy Buds 3 Pro earbuds.

Where to Buy:

When we reviewed the Buds 3 Pro, Chris Welch was particularly impressed by the audio quality, which he described as β€œfull and detailed” with strong bass and treble. One standout feature are voice commands, which let you quickly adjust the volume or control media playback by simply speaking the command, no wake phrase required.Β They have excellent battery life for the category, and IP57 water and dust resistance.

Read our Samsung Galaxy Buds 3 Pro review.

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Other deals to consider

  • The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is discounted to $399 at Amazon, $100 off its usual price. This compact vlogging camera is mounted to a handheld gimbal, helping ensure steady shots and crisp video even while walking or moving around. It’s capable of shooting 4K video at 120 frames per second, and is surprisingly sharp for a small and budget-friendly camera. Read our hands-on.
  • Amazon is selling four packs of Philips Hue smart plugs for $77.48 total, where each unit would normally cost $37.99. These compact plugs add connectivity to almost anything you’d normally plug into a wall, with support for a direct Bluetooth connection, or smart home integration if you also have a Philips Hue Bridge.
  • You can grab the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless from Woot for $239.99 (usually $379.99) and save an additional $5 once per Woot account by using the code WOOTGAMING at checkout. This premium gaming headset features multi-system connectivity through the USB hub, active noise canceling, and swappable batteries for nearly endless gaming. Read our review.

PlayStation’s wireless gaming speakers launch in November

18 August 2026 at 19:18
Sony’s Pulse Elevate wireless speakers for PS5 and PC.

Sony's Pulse Elevate wireless gaming speakers are launching on November 12th and will cost $219.99, the company announced on Tuesday. Announced nearly a year ago, the speakers are compatible with a PS5, PlayStation Portal, PC, and Mac, and they include "studio-inspired planar magnetic drivers" that offer "lifelike sound across the entire audible spectrum," Sony says. They also include a built-in mic for voice chat, Sony's PlayStation Link low-latency tech, and charging docks for topping up the batteries.

The Pulse Elevate speakers come in two colors, black and white, and preorders begin on September 1st at 10AM ET in the US or 10AM local t …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Drug dealer jailed after taking gun to probation meeting

18 August 2026 at 20:58
Images: Essex Police

A drug dealer took his gun to a meeting with his probation officer and thereby ended up back in jail. This being England, there are few circumstances under which firearms are legal to own in the first place, and none at all if you are a convict on probation carrying a blank revolver converted to shoot live rounds. β€” Read the rest

The post Drug dealer jailed after taking gun to probation meeting appeared first on Boing Boing.

How reusable heat packs work

18 August 2026 at 20:39
reusable heat pack β€” Sodium acetate crystallizing out of a supersaturated solution. Photo by Ivee / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

I took a home blood test today, and it included a reusable heat pack. These things have been around since the 1970s, but this was the first time I've used one. It's a plastic pouch with liquid inside and a small metal disc stamped with many dents. β€” Read the rest

The post How reusable heat packs work appeared first on Boing Boing.

Android ported to reMarkable's color tablet

18 August 2026 at 20:14
Screenshot: Chalid Raqami / YouTube

You'll need the high-end reMarkable Paper Pro model (previously at Boing Boing), but now that Android's been ported to it, the color e-ink device can run third-party apps and connect to external peripherals.

Chalid Raqami posted the feat to his YouTube channel, where he posts in-depth E-ink tablet reviews

This is Android 13 running on a reMarkable Paper Pro.

β€” Read the rest

The post Android ported to reMarkable's color tablet appeared first on Boing Boing.

White House furious after Jon Ossoff mentions Trump's fawning aide Natalie Harp

18 August 2026 at 19:09
Trump and Epstein party in 1992. Screenshot from video in the NBC News archives

Reputedly foul-smelling and held liable for sexually abusing E. Jean Carroll by a federal jury in New York, Donald Trump has maintained a string of oddly dedicated aides during both his terms as United States President. Natalie Harp has been described as someone who "will jump highest" when Trump commands it. β€” Read the rest

The post White House furious after Jon Ossoff mentions Trump's fawning aide Natalie Harp appeared first on Boing Boing.

Trump may be ready to claim he doesn't know Pete Hegseth

18 August 2026 at 18:41
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on 'Fox & Friends'

The undeclared war with Iran is dragging on as the United States is running out of munitions, and the Orange Menace may have found his scapegoat. Rumors are that Diaper Don is gonna toss Whiskey Pete under the bus.

Multiple unnamed sources have told the South China Morning Post that Hegseth's job is in danger. β€” Read the rest

The post Trump may be ready to claim he doesn't know Pete Hegseth appeared first on Boing Boing.

Mixed reviews for Instagram's new logo

18 August 2026 at 18:33

Instagram has rebranded with a new logo, and it's gone in the direction so widely-disliked it had supposedly went out of fashion years ago: geometric sans-serifs. Instragram boss Adam Mosseri explains.

The wordmark at the top of the app hasn't changed in 10 years, so it was time for a refresh.

β€” Read the rest

The post Mixed reviews for Instagram's new logo appeared first on Boing Boing.

Ring of Fire in the Sky

18 August 2026 at 21:48

Portuguese photographer Rui Santos captured this shot of the recent solar eclipse.

Stunning. Here’s what makes this shot look a little different from other eclipse photos; from APOD:

Usually the solar corona appears white, and to some observers the corona of last week’s total solar eclipse did appear this pearly color. But this time, totality observers in Spain saw a corona that appeared unusually golden. For one reason, from Spain, the totality occurred when the setting Sun was near the horizon. That low, sunlight travels through a large amount of air which scatters out blue light. An unusual amount of smoke in the air from nearby forest fires acted as a second filter, further scattering the remaining blue tones and deepening the already gold-dominated light.

Tags: 2026 solar eclipse Β· astronomy Β· eclipses Β· photography Β· Rui Santos Β· Sun

From The Annals of Polling, Part 1

18 August 2026 at 21:21

Today I’m going to discuss two tidbits from the world of polling. In a second post I’m going to discuss an interesting and, for Democrats, somewhat chastening look at the last four cycles of Senate polling compiled by GOP pollster/consultant Pat Ruffini. But first some stunning news today about an out-of-nowhere polling outfit called Median Strategies. They polled a number of races but their survey showing DSA-backed Wisconsin gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong with a 23-point lead got the most attention. Today the firm announced it is ceasing operations, says it withdrawing all its previous polls and says they should not be treated as β€œgenuine polling data.”

They then go on to make this almost unbelievable statement: β€œMedian Strategies was created as a short-term social experiment examining how purported polling information could enter and spread through the political information ecosystem wihtout independent verification.” They then follow with a β€œThank you for your understanding.”

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