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Received yesterday — 13 February 2026

‘Something Big Is Happening’ + A.I. Rocks the Romance Novel Industry + One Good Thing

“I do think we are reaching an inflection point in people’s feelings and senses about A.I. and where it’s going.”

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Getty Images

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LG's new subscription program charges up to £277 per month to rent a TV 

27 January 2026 at 13:37

LG has launched a subscription program in the UK that allows people to make monthly payments in order to rent LG TVs, soundbars, monitors, and speakers.

LG Flex customers can sign up for one-, two-, or three-year subscriptions to get lower monthly payments.

“At the end of your subscription, you can apply for a free upgrade, keep paying monthly, or return your device,” the LG Flex website says. Subscribers will have to pay a £50 (about $69) fee for a “full removal service,” including dismounting and packaging, of rental TVs.

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Will ChatGPT Ads Change OpenAI? + Amanda Askell Explains Claude’s New Constitution

“The question is not are these first couple of ads that we’re seeing from OpenAI going to be good or not? It’s whether two or three years from now, ChatGPT is being steered toward ad-friendly topics.”

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Image: Getty Images

Jonathan Haidt Strikes Again + What You Vibecoded + An Update on the Forkiverse

“If we can’t win on social media, then we definitely can’t win on A.I.,” says Haidt.

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Guerin Blask for The New York Times

Grok’s Undressing Scandal + Claude Code Capers + Casey Busts a Reddit Hoax

“This is a story about how a tool can be used to try to affect politics and in particular to minimize women, denigrate them and push them out of the conversation.”

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Dado Ruvic/Reuters

Our 2026 Tech Resolutions + We Answer Your Questions

“When we came into the studio last year to record our resolutions, I had the best of intentions.”

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: Pakin Songmor

Why Roomba Died + Tech Predictions for 2026 + A Hard Forkin’ Xmas Song

“We were roadkill,” says Colin Angle, former chief executive of iRobot, maker of the robot vacuum.

© Photo illustration by The New York Times; Nick de la Torre/Houston Chronicle, via Getty

Australia Kicks Kids Off Social Media + Is the A.I. Water Issue Fake? + Hard Fork Wrapped

“I’m told that Australian teens, in preparation for this ban, have been exchanging phone numbers with each other.”

© Photo Illustration by The New York Times; Photo: David Gray/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Amazon’s clear-voice Fire TV Soundbar Plus falls to its best-ever price

6 October 2025 at 11:28

A great soundbar can significantly improve your TV experience, especially if voices are difficult to comprehend or if you feel like movies and series sound weak on your current speakers. That’s exactly where Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar Plus comes in, bringing a complete audio package into your living room with 3.1 sound, integrated bass, and support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X.

The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is currently on sale for just $149.99 (was $249.99) with this amazing 40% discount. That’s the absolute lowest price it’s ever been by a mile! With an average rating of 4.4 with close to a thousand reviews and over 3,000 units sold in the last month, this model is one of the most popular in this category.

Why the Fire TV Soundbar Plus is great

The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is an all-in-one solution. It does away with additional subwoofers and satellite speakers, instead integrating all channels in one convenient housing. The center channel is particularly noteworthy for how it more clearly reproduces speech. If you’ve ever found yourself struggling to hear dialogue in a movie or show, then this center channel will make all the difference in the world.

Another benefit is support for Dolby Atmos and DTS:X. These technologies create a 3D sound that better fills your room and conveys more depth than conventional stereo sound. There are four sound modes to choose from depending on the content, from film and music to night mode (which ensures clear voices at low volume).

It’s easy to use, too. You simply connect the soundbar via the TV’s HDMI eARC or ARC connection. The controls are also practical: with a Fire TV remote control, you can operate both TV and soundbar at the same time, even with individual audio settings on compatible models. The soundbar also offers Bluetooth support, so you can even play music or podcasts from your smartphone or tablet wirelessly.

Why this deal is worth it

The Fire TV Soundbar Plus is pretty good at full price, but it’s an incredible value with this 40% discount that puts it at its all-time lowest price of $149.99. (Before, its best-ever price was $174.99.)

Many users praise the soundbar for its room-filling sound, clear voice reproduction, and simple unobtrusive design. The ease of installation and value for money are also common regularly mentioned. There’s some criticism of clunky settings and connectivity issues, but users are overall satisfied. Grab it on sale while you still can!

Save 40% on Amazon's Fire TV Soundbar Plus, now at its lowest price evr

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