In 2015, Microsoft decided that you shouldn't be in control of updating your PC anymore. At first, it seemed like a good idea to keep malware at bay - but soon, users discovered their computers were automatically shutting down and erasing work in the middle of the day. Then, Microsoft abused its power to install shovelware apps and force-feed us a new web browser.

Now, each new update might add unwanted Copilot AI buttons or prevent our PCs from properly booting. My colleague Tom Warren wrote about Microsoft's many buggy Windows updates in this story.

But today, as Microsoft commits to fix Windows 11, it's also signaling that our long Win …

Read the full story at The Verge.

Happy Saturday, folks! This week, Best Buy kicked off its so-called “Winter Sale,” introducing a whole host of price cuts that range from not-so-good to legitimately great, at least for this time of year. We’ll be publishing many of the highlights in a dedicated news post tomorrow, though, per usual, not all of this week’s best deals revolve around Best Buy. Apple’s M4 Mac Mini, for instance, is receiving a $100 discount at Amazon and B&H Photo, while LG’s 65-inch C5 OLED TV is on sale at eBay for a little over a grand. There are also steep savings to be had on 45W power banks, the Beats Fit Pro, and more, so let’s dive in.

Mac Mini with M4

Where to Buy:

• $599 $499 at Amazon (256GB)
• $599 $499 at B&H Photo (256GB)
• $799 $689 at Amazon (512GB)

If you want a Mac and your budget is less than $500, your only real option — aside from going the refurbished route or picking up a model that’s several generations old — is Apple’s latest Mac Mini. Thankfully, the desktop machine makes for a truly excellent daily driver, one that’s currently on sale at Amazon and B&H Photo with 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage starting at $499 ($100), which is just $20 shy of its Black Friday low and about $30 less than its best price to date.

For most people, the 2024 Mac Mini is a far better (and more economical) choice than the latest Mac Studio. The tiny, M4-powered machine is an excellent value, even at full price, with three Thunderbolt 4 (USB 4) ports, a gigabit ethernet jack, a 3.5mm audio input, and an HDMI port. Its 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU provide fast, consistent performance for a wide range of tasks; however, keep in mind that you’ll need to bring your own display, keyboard, and mouse.

Read our full Mac Mini (2024) review.

Iniu Carry P51L-E2 Power Bank 45W 20000mAh

Where to Buy:

• $36.99 $18.86 at Amazon (at checkout)

Last year, we saw a spate of power bank recalls, including those from both Anker and ESR. I replaced one of my aging Anker models during that time with Iniu’s excellent Carry P51L-E2, which is on sale at Amazon for a new low of $18.86 (about $21 off) at checkout.

The 20,000mAh power bank isn’t particularly fancy, though it does output up to 45W of power and features a built-in, braided USB-C cable that doubles as a lanyard. You also get an extra USB-C and USB-A port, allowing you to juice your phone, tablet, a pair of wireless earbuds, and other small electronics at the same time. Now, if only Iniu could have packed the extra battery capacity into a charger as compact and colorful as the like-minded Pocket Rocket P50. C’est la vie.

LG C5 OLED TV (65-inch)

Where to Buy:

• $2699.99 $1197.59 at eBay (with code FAVEFINDS20)

Arguably the best TV deal you can find this weekend would be on the 65-inch Bravia 8 II, which is still hovering around $2,398 (over $1,000 off) at multiple retailers, including Amazon. But not everyone has that kind of money to throw around on an OLED panel, which makes the current discount on LG’s C5 more appealing. Now through January 20th, you can pick up LG’s 65-inch OLED TV at eBay for $1,197.59 ($1,502 off) when you use code FAVEFINDS20 at checkout.

Like prior models in the C Series, the C5 is all about value. The 4K set delivers the deep black levels and contrast for which OLEDs are known, and it features LG’s AI Picture Pro, which analyzes what you’re watching and adjusts brightness, resolution, and other settings to improve clarity. It also features a bevy of gaming-friendly features, including a 120Hz refresh rate, support for AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync, and four HDMI 2.1 ports, allowing you to play current-gen titles in 4K at up to 120fps. It’s rounded out with HDR10 and Dolby Vision support, further enhancing color and contrast.

Beats Fit Pro

Where to Buy:

• $199.95 $89.99 at Woot

Having now used both the Beats Fit Pro and the new Powerbeats Fit as part of my weekly workout regimen, I can tell you with absolute certainty that there’s little difference between the two — well, other than the fact that the Powerbeats Fit retail for $199.95 and the last-gen Beats Fit Pro are on sale at Woot in select colors for $89.99 ($110 off) through January 31st. Beats’ latest workout earbuds also feature a smaller charging case and more flexible wing tips, I guess, but with the Fit Pro, you’re still getting solid noise cancellation, good sound, and all the Apple ecosystem tricks you’d expect for less than half the price.

Read our full Beats Fit Pro review.

More ways to save this weekend

• Elgato’s Stream Deck Plus is matching its all-time low at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo, where you can pick it up for $159.99 ($40 off) for a limited time. Like the standard Stream Deck, the Plus model comes with a slew of large, programmable LCD keys — eight, in this case — which you can use to automate a variety of tasks on your computer or control various smart home devices. The Plus comes with a few neat add-ons, though, specifically four knobs for making finer adjustments and a narrow touchscreen at the bottom for viewing tidbits of information at a glance. Read our review.
• If you’re a modern gamer with a soft spot for the Sega Genesis, 8BitDo’s M30 Bluetooth Controller is down to an all-time low of $20.98 ($4 off) at Amazon as part of an ongoing lightning deal. The inexpensive, retro-styled gamepad sports a similar layout to Sega’s iconic controller, only it comes with Bluetooth, 20 hours of battery life, and built-in buttons for quick access to the homescreen and snapping screenshots. It also works with a handful of platforms, including the Nintendo Switch, Windows, Mac, and Android.
• Speaking of gaming, Steam’s weeklong Detective Fest is set to wind down at 1PM ET on Monday, January 19th. That means that this weekend is one of your last chances to pick up a copy of The Case of the Golden Idol ($8.99), Disco Elysium ($9.99), The Séance of Blake Manor ($14.99), Strange Horticulture ($6.39), or 2025 GOTY contender, Blue Prince ($19.79), at a steep discount.