Roku adds more premium features to its own line of midrange TVs
The latest Roku Plus Series TV gets Smart Picture Max, a feature that automatically adjusts your TV's picture settings on a scene-by-scene basis and was exclusive to the company's Pro Series TVs. To make the Plus Series an even better deal, Roku added mini-LED backlighting for better picture quality, a remote finder button on the back of the TV and an integrated cable management system, which are all features also pulled from Roku's Pro models. To round out the Plus Series, Roku added a built-in subwoofer and a new processor for faster navigation throughout the interface.
To ensure the Pro Series TVs still feel pro, Roku upgraded them with the next generation of its Smart Picture Max. The latest software improves motion clarity, corrects compression artifacts, and automatically selects the best picture mode based on what you're watching. Roku is also claiming a 75 percent increase in dynamic contrast thanks to its re-engineered mini-LED backlighting for its most expensive models. Roku is introducing hands-free voice controls without a remote with the Pro Series TVs, but they also come with the updated and rechargeable Roku Voice Remote Pro that has backlit buttons and customizable shortcuts. The most affordable models, Roku's Select Series, are mostly getting software upgrades that are available across the lineup, but now have size options going up to 85 inches. However, all of Roku's refreshed TVs can support its Bluetooth Headphone Mode and Dolby Audio.
Roku's expanded Select Series offerings are available in sizes ranging between 24 and 85 inches, starting at $130, while the Plus and Pro Series still only have the 55-, 65- and 75-inch options. The upgraded Roku TVs are out now at retail partners including Best Buy, Walmart, Target and Amazon.
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Tom's Guide
2 hours ago
- Tom's Guide
Best Buy Tech Fest sale is live from $8 — 17 deals I recommend buying now on TVs, Lego, Nintendo Switch games and more
Best Buy Tech Fest is here! This is an awesome chance to score savings on anything you haven't already picked up in this year's summer sales. Whether you want some of the best headphones to accompany you on your travels or a new TV to catch up on your favorite shows, Best Buy is the place to go. For starters, you can currently get the Sony WH-1000XM4 on sale for $199 at Best Buy ($150 off.) The XM4s may be an older model, but they're still a fantastic buy to this day thanks to their incredible sound quality, active noise canceling and comfortable fit. With this discount, they're some of the best value headphones on the market. (Note that Amazon also sells them for $198.) Meanwhile, you can currently get up to $600 off select OLED TVs at Best Buy. And if you want to upgrade your entertainment experience without spending a bunch, you can shop Roku streaming stick deals from $19 at Best Buy. Keep scrolling to see all my favorite Best Buy Tech Fest deals. For more savings, see our Best Buy promo codes and the Skechers deals I'd shop from $13 at Amazon. Lego: deals from $8 @ Best BuyBest Buy has some epic deals on Lego sets up for grabs. There are deals on everything from Star Wars to Architecture sets. Grills and accessories sale: deals from $9 @ Best BuyBest Buy is currently offering deals on grills and outdoor cooking accessories starting from $9. The sale includes big brands like Traeger, Weber and Pit Boss as well as others. Roku sale: deals from $19 @ Best BuyMove over, Fire TV Sticks! Right now you can shop deals on Roku streaming devices starting from just $19. Some of these models even made our list of the best streaming devices you can buy. Switch games: deals from $19 @ Best BuyFrom Luigi's Mansion 3 to EA FC24, Best Buy is taking from $10 to $20 off a small selection of games. (Most games are $20 off). The sale also includes Zelda, Assassin's Creed and more. Appliance sale: deals from $59 @ Best BuyBest Buy is taking up to 40% off select small and large appliances. After discount, prices start as low as $59. The sale includes brands such as Ninja, Instant Pot, Samsung, LG and more. TV sale: deals from $59 @ Best BuyBest Buy has smart TVs on sale for as low as $59. Keep in mind, the cheap TVs tend to be smaller, 1080p models (which are more suitable for a children's room or guest room). However, the sale also includes larger sets. These are among the cheapest TVs we've seen from Best Buy. By comparison, Amazon is offering a similar sale with prices from $ check: from $79 @ Amazon | from $88 @ Walmart PC Gaming sale: up to $400 off @ Best BuyBest Buy is taking up to $400 off a range of gaming laptops, PCs, monitors and more. It's a perfect chance to upgrade! E-Scooters and E-Bikes: up to $500 off @ Best BuyRight now you can nab yourself an e-scooter or e-bike for as much as $500 off at Best Buy. Some of our favorite brands are included in the sale, like Segway and HiBoy. This 55-inch Insignia TV offers impressive image quality no matter what you're watching. Thanks to its built-in Fire TV features, you can also stream all your favorite shows and movies and control them with your voice thanks to full Alexa support. It's not the brightest TV with the most amount of features, but in our TCL Q6 review, we made note of how impressed we were with its accurate out-of-the-box picture. That, combined with its built-in Google TV functionality, make it a great pick for folks who just want to set up a TV and never think about it again. Right now you can get the huge 98-inch version for $1,500 off. The B5 is LG's most affordable OLED of 2025, but don't let that fool you into thinking that it's not a terrific TV for folks looking to save money on an OLED. In addition to supporting 4K gaming at 120Hz, the B5 also supports Dolby Vision HDR and costs significantly less than its higher-end counterparts. Beats' iconic rounded, oblong speaker has a new low price. This is a solid little Bluetooth speaker, and in our Beats Pill hands-on review, we enjoyed its top-tier sound and excellent battery life. The Sony WH-1000XM4 might not be the newest headphones on the block, but they've got it where it counts. They earned a 4.5 star rating when we tested them in our Sony WH-1000XM4 review, thanks to the game-changing active noise canceling and very good sound quality. Their case is better than both the newer options in the family, and they're potentially more comfortable as check: $198 @ Amazon The AirPods Max are a luxurious pair of headphones. They're made out of solid aluminum shells, have a futuristic stretchy mess headband, and connect seamlessly with all your Apple devices. We loved their excellent Spatial Audio presentation and solid sound quality in our AirPods Max review, and that remained unchanged with their USB-C update. This monster of an ultraportable packs plenty of performance and power efficiency, thanks to that Core Ultra 5 chipset — all inside a slim and sleek aluminum chassis with a gorgeous 14-inch 2K display. Trust me when I say if you're in the market for a Windows laptop, this is an amazing one to buy. You also get 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. It's not the latest and greatest MacBook Air, but if you're looking for a lower-cost option, this model still delivers. The M2 chip powering the laptop supports Apple Intelligence features, and this MacBook Air turned in impressive results in our battery test. There's even a 1080p camera to keep you looking sharp for any video meetings. The M3 Pro MacBook Pro features a blisteringly fast M3 Pro chip, which has an 11-core CPU and 14-core GPU to help it monster even the most demanding tasks. This model also features 18GB of RAM, as well as a beautiful 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display.
2 hours ago
Delivery drones are coming to more US neighborhoods after getting off to a slow start
Delivery drones are so fast they can zip a pint of ice cream to a customer's driveway before it melts. Yet the long-promised technology has been slow to take off in the United States. More than six years after the Federal Aviation Administration approved commercial home deliveries with drones, the service mostly has been confined to a few suburbs and rural areas. That could soon change. The FAA proposed a new rule last week that would make it easier for companies to fly drones outside of an operator's line of sight and therefore over longer distances. A handful of companies do that now, but they had to obtain waivers and certification as an air carrier to deliver packages. While the rule is intended to streamline the process, authorized retailers and drone companies that have tested fulfilling orders from the sky say they plan to make drone-based deliveries available to millions more U.S. households. Walmart and Wing, a drone company owned by Google parent Alphabet, currently provide deliveries from 18 Walmart stores in the Dallas area. By next summer, they expect to expand to 100 Walmart stores in Atlanta; Charlotte, North Carolina; Houston; and Orlando and Tampa, Florida. After launching its Prime Air delivery service in College Station, Texas, in late 2022, Amazon received FAA permission last year to operate autonomous drones that fly beyond a pilot's line of sight. The e-commerce company has since expand its drone delivery program to suburban Phoenix and has plans to offer the service in Dallas, San Antonio, Texas, and Kansas City. The concept of drone delivery has been around for well over a decade. Drone maker Zipline, which works with Walmart in Arkansas and the Dallas-Fort Worth area, began making deliveries to hospitals in Rwanda in 2016. Israel-based Flytrex, one of the drone companies DoorDash works with to carry out orders, launched drone delivery to households in Iceland in 2017. But Wing CEO Adam Woodworth said drone delivery has been in 'treading water mode' in the U.S. for years, with service providers afraid to scale up because the regulatory framework wasn't in place. 'You want to be at the right moment where there's an overlap between the customer demand, the partner demand, the technical readiness and the regulatory readiness,' Woodworth said. 'I think that we're reaching that planetary alignment right now.' DoorDash, which works with both Wing and Flytrex, tested drone drop-offs in rural Virginia and greater Dallas before announcing an expansion into Charlotte. Getting takeout food this way may sound futuristic, but it's starting to feel normal in suburban Brisbane, Australia, where DoorDash has employed delivery drones for several years, said Harrison Shih, who leads the company's drone program. 'It comes so fast and it's something flying into your neighborhood, but it really does seem like part of everyday life,' Shih said. Even though delivery drones are still considered novel, the cargo they carry can be pretty mundane. Walmart said the top items from the more than 150,000 drone deliveries the nation's largest retailer has completed since 2021 include ice cream, eggs and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Unlike traditional delivery, where one driver may have a truck full of packages, drones generally deliver one small order at a time. Wing's drones can carry packages weighing up to 2.5 pounds. They can travel up to 12 miles round trip. One pilot can oversee up to 32 drones. Zipline has a drone that can carry up to 4 pounds and fly 120 miles round trip. Some drones, like Amazon's, can carry heavier packages. Once an order is placed, it's packaged for flight and attached to a drone at a launch site. The drone automatically finds a route that avoids obstacles. A pilot observes as the aircraft flies to its destinations and lowers its cargo to the ground with retractable cords. Shakiba Enayati, an assistant professor of supply chain and analytics at the University of Missouri, St. Louis, researches ways that drones could speed the delivery of critical health supplies like donated organs and blood samples. The unmanned aircraft offer some advantages as a transport method, such as reduced emissions and improved access to goods for rural residents, Enayati said. But she also sees plenty of obstacles. Right now, it costs around $13.50 per delivery to carry a package by drone versus $2 for a traditional vehicle, Enayati said. Drones need well-trained employees to oversee them and can have a hard time in certain weather. Drones also can have mid-air collisions or tumble from the sky. But people have accepted the risk of road accidents because they know the advantages of driving, Enayati said. She thinks the same thing could happen with drones, especially as improved technology reduces the chance for errors. Woodworth added that U.S. airspace is tightly controlled, and companies need to demonstrate to the FAA that their drones are safe and reliable before they are cleared to fly. Even under the proposed new rules, the FAA would set detailed requirements for drone operators. 'That's why it takes so long to build a business in the space. But I think it leads to everybody fundamentally building higher quality things,' Woodworth said. Others worry that drones may potentially replace human delivery drivers. Shih thinks that's unlikely. One of DoorDash's most popular items is 24-packs of water, Shih said, which aren't realistic for existing drones to ferry. 'I believe that drone delivery can be fairly ubiquitous and can cover a lot of things. We just don't think its probable today that it'll carry a 40-pound bag of dog food to you," Shih said. DoorDash said that in the areas where it offers drone deliveries, orders requiring the services of human delivery drivers also increase. That's been the experience of John Kim, the owner of PurePoke restaurant in Frisco, Texas. Kim signed on to offer drone deliveries through DoorDash last year. He doesn't know what percentage of his DoorDash customers are choosing the service instead of regular delivery, but his overall DoorDash orders are up 15% this year. Kim said he's heard no complaints from drone delivery customers. 'It's very stable, maybe even better than some of the drivers that toss it in the back with all the other orders,' Kim said. For some, drones can simply be a nuisance. When the FAA asked for public comments on Amazon's request to expand deliveries in College Station, numerous residents expressed concern that drones with cameras violated their privacy. Amazon says its drones use cameras and sensors to navigate and avoid obstacles but may record overhead videos of people while completing a delivery. Other residents complained about noise. 'It sounds like a giant nagging mosquito,' one respondent wrote. Amazon has since released a quieter drone. But others love the service. Janet Toth of Frisco, Texas, said she saw drone deliveries in Korea years ago and wondered why the U.S. didn't have them. So she was thrilled when DoorDash began providing drone delivery in her neighborhood. Toth now orders drone delivery a few times a month. Her 9-year-old daughter Julep said friends often come over to watch the drone. 'I love to go outside, wave at the drone, say 'Thank you' and get the food,' Julep Toth said.
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
Smithfield Foods raises annual profit forecast on strong meat demand
(Reuters) -Smithfield Foods raised its annual operating profit forecast and posted a rise in quarterly sales and earnings on Tuesday, helped by resilient demand for packaged meats, including bacon, and fresh pork products. Consumers grappling with rising costs of living and tariff volatilities have increasingly opted to cook meals at home over dining out, aiding the business of meat packers such as Smithfield and Tyson Foods. The Virginia-based company sells its pork, ham and sausages under brands, including Smithfield, priced between $5 and $17 at Walmart. It also sells products under brands Eckrich and Nathan's Famous. Sales in the packaged meat segment, a major revenue generator for the company, rose 6.9% during the second quarter, while fresh pork business sales increased 5%. Smithfield Foods, an indirect, majority-owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-based WH Group, also benefited from its cost-savings efforts, including workforce reduction and trimming down the number of hogs it owns and shifting to buying more hogs from other producers. The U.S. pork processor expects 2025 adjusted operating profit to be between $1.15 billion and $1.35 billion, compared with its prior range of $1.10 billion to $1.30 billion. Smithfield Foods, which went public in January, sells a sizeable portion of packaged meat as private-label products to retail and foodservice customers in the U.S., which has helped it gain more market share. Its sales rose 11% to $3.79 billion during the quarter ended June 29. It posted adjusted profit of 55 cents per share, compared with 51 cents a year ago. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
