A good pair of headphones makes everything better, from long commutes to gym sessions and even everyday chores. But not everything with two earcups is created equal. The Beats Solo 4 is one of our favorite on-ear headphones, and with Prime Day officially kicking off tomorrow, you can save a huge amount on these headphones.
Amazon is currently offering 50% off the Solo 4, bringing the price down to $100 from $200. And the discount is valid on just about every color, so you can pick the one that best matches your style. Hurry, Prime Day deals won’t last forever.
These headphones feature Bluetooth 5.3 wireless technology to prevent frequent connection drops and 40mm drivers that deliver a more balanced, clean sound. In his expert review, CNET’s audio expert, David Carnoy, noted that the audio quality and voice-calling performance in Solo 4 are significantly better than its predecessors. They don’t feature active noise cancellation, but you can get decent passive noise reduction with the earcups.
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The flex-grip headband and angled earcups in Solo 4 are designed for a more natural fit. Pair this with the soft UltraPlush cushions, and you’ll appreciate how comfortable they feel, especially during long sessions. Speaking of all-day use, the battery lasts up to 50 hours. You can pair these with both iOS and Android devices easily.
If you prefer keeping things wired, the Solo 4 also includes a 3.5mm audio cable. However, if this isn’t the best option for you, take a look at all the best Prime Day headphone deals.
Best Prime Day Headphones Deals
Prime Day means you don’t have to pay full price for a great pair of headphones. Whether you prefer earbuds, headphones or something in between we’ve got Prime Day headphone deals for you.
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HEADPHONE DEALS OF THE WEEK
Deals are selected by the CNET Group commerce team, and may be unrelated to this article.
Why this deal matters
Beats makes some of the best headphones out there, and this Prime Day, Amazon brought the price of the Solo 4 down to just $100, which is a rare find for a model like this. It might not stick around for long, so you’ll want to act fast. Since Prime Day kicks off tomorrow, there’s no telling how long this deal will last.
CNET is always covering a wide array of deals on tech products and much more. Start with the hottest sales and discounts on the CNET Deals page, and sign up for the CNET Deals Text to get daily deals sent straight to your phone. Add the free CNET Shopping extension to your browser for real-time price comparisons and cash-back offers. And peruse our gift guide, which includes a full range of ideas for birthdays, anniversaries and more.
The sequel to the Galaxy Z Fold 6 (seen here) could be an “Ultra” edition.
Lisa Eadiccico/CNET
Samsung’s next Galaxy Unpacked event is taking place on Wednesday, and it’s very likely that it will include a new wave of Galaxy Fold and Flip phones. Samsung itself has been teasing in blog posts that we’ll be seeing an “Ultra” edition of the Galaxy Fold, which might also be thinner and lighter than its previous foldable devices.
Samsung’s summer Unpacked events have also historically included updates to the Galaxy Watch line, which last year expanded to include an Ultra edition of the Galaxy Watch 7.
CNET will be reporting directly from Samsung Unpacked in New York on Wednesday, and in the leadup we’ll be using this live blog to cover all the last minute rumors and predictions ahead of the company’s next Galaxy event.
Google has released the MCP Toolbox for Databases, a new open-source module under its GenAI Toolbox aimed at simplifying the integration of SQL databases into AI agents. The release is part of Google’s broader strategy to advance the Model Context Protocol (MCP), a standardized approach that allows language models to interact with external systems—including tools, APIs, and databases—using structured, typed interfaces.
This toolbox addresses a growing need: enabling AI agents to interact with structured data repositories like PostgreSQL and MySQL in a secure, scalable, and efficient manner. Traditionally, building such integrations requires managing authentication, connection handling, schema alignment, and security controls—introducing friction and complexity. The MCP Toolbox removes much of this burden, making integration possible with less than 10 lines of Python and minimal configuration.
Why This Matters for AI Workflows
Databases are essential for storing and querying operational and analytical data. In enterprise and production contexts, AI agents need to access these data sources to perform tasks like reporting, customer support, monitoring, and decision automation. However, connecting large language models (LLMs) directly to SQL databases introduces operational and security concerns such as unsafe query generation, poor connection lifecycle management, and exposure of sensitive credentials.
The MCP Toolbox for Databases solves these problems by providing:
Built-in support for credential-based authentication
Secure and scalable connection pooling
Schema-aware tool interfaces for structured querying
MCP-compliant input/output formats for compatibility with LLM orchestration frameworks
Key Technical Highlights
Minimal Configuration, Maximum Usability
The toolbox allows developers to integrate databases with AI agents using a configuration-driven setup. Instead of dealing with raw credentials or managing individual connections, developers can simply define their database type and environment, and the toolbox handles the rest. This abstraction reduces the boilerplate and risk associated with manual integration.
Native Support for MCP-Compliant Tooling
All tools generated through the toolbox conform to the Model Context Protocol, which defines structured input/output formats for tool interactions. This standardization improves interpretability and safety by constraining LLM interactions through schemas rather than free-form text. These tools can be used directly in agent orchestration frameworks such as LangChain or Google’s own agent infrastructure.
The structured nature of MCP-compliant tools also aids in prompt engineering, allowing LLMs to reason more effectively and safely when interacting with external systems.
Connection Pooling and Authentication
The database interface includes native support for connection pooling to handle concurrent queries efficiently—especially important in multi-agent or high-traffic systems. Authentication is handled securely through environment-based configurations, reducing the need to hard-code credentials or expose them during runtime.
This design minimizes risks such as leaking credentials or overwhelming a database with concurrent requests, making it suitable for production-grade deployment.
Schema-Aware Query Generation
One of the core advantages of this toolbox is its ability to introspect database schemas and make them available to LLMs or agents. This enables safe, schema-validated querying. By mapping out the structure of tables and their relationships, the agent gains situational awareness and can avoid generating invalid or unsafe queries.
This schema grounding also enhances the performance of natural language to SQL pipelines by improving query generation reliability and reducing hallucinations.
Use Cases
The MCP Toolbox for Databases supports a broad range of applications:
Customer service agents that retrieve user information from relational databases in real time
BI assistants that answer business metric questions by querying analytical databases
DevOps bots that monitor database status and report anomalies
Autonomous data agents for ETL, reporting, and compliance verification tasks
Because it’s built on open protocols and popular Python libraries, the toolbox is easily extensible and fits into existing LLM-agent workflows.
Fully Open Source
The module is part of the fully open-source GenAI Toolbox released under the Apache 2.0 license. It builds on established packages such as sqlalchemy to ensure compatibility with a wide range of databases and deployment environments. Developers can fork, customize, or contribute to the module as needed.
Conclusion
The MCP Toolbox for Databases represents an important step in operationalizing AI agents in data-rich environments. By removing integration overhead and embedding best practices for security and performance, Google is enabling developers to bring AI to the heart of enterprise data systems. The combination of structured interfaces, lightweight setup, and open-source flexibility makes this release a compelling foundation for building production-ready AI agents with reliable database access.
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Asif Razzaq is the CEO of Marktechpost Media Inc.. As a visionary entrepreneur and engineer, Asif is committed to harnessing the potential of Artificial Intelligence for social good. His most recent endeavor is the launch of an Artificial Intelligence Media Platform, Marktechpost, which stands out for its in-depth coverage of machine learning and deep learning news that is both technically sound and easily understandable by a wide audience. The platform boasts of over 2 million monthly views, illustrating its popularity among audiences.
In a new post shared to its Windows blog, Microsoft says that it has “reached a major milestone” when it comes to improving the speed of Edge’s user interface. It now takes Microsoft’s browser less than 300 milliseconds to start rendering the first parts of a website for users, whether it’s text, images, or parts of the user interface.
It’s a metric known as First Contentful Paint (FCP) that Google introduced in its Chrome browser in 2017, and according to Microsoft, “industry research shows that waiting longer than 300 to 400ms for the initial content can significantly impact user satisfaction.” However, while loading the first elements of a site in less than 300 milliseconds can help a browser feel fast and responsive, FCP is not an indication of how long it will take a site to load in its entirety.
The upgrades could persuade some users to switch to Edge, which currently has less than five percent of the worldwide browser market share compared to Chrome’s 68 percent. Microsoft may also soon be facing new competition from companies like OpenAI that are also considering introducing their own browsers to complement existing AI web search tools.
The improvements follow similar performance gains Microsoft has highlighted in previous blog posts made possible by the company’s continued efforts to migrate Edge’s user interface to a faster WebUI 2.0 architecture that “minimizes the size of our code bundles, and the amount of JavaScript code that runs during the initialization of the UI.”
Last February, Microsoft said that Edge’s downloads, history, and creating new private browsing tabs were on average, about 40 percent faster. The company says it has since delivered similar performance improvements for 13 additional browser features, including settings that are more responsive, split screen that now provides “near-instant navigation and less loading delays,” and smoother playback for its AI-powered and accessibility-focused Read aloud feature.
In the coming months, Microsoft plans to introduce additional performance improvements to Edge for features like Print Preview and Extensions.
HP is clearing out its remaining inventory of GeForce RTX 4090 GPUs by offering it as an upgrade for one of its prebuilt computers. As part of the Black Friday in July sale event ahead of Prime Day, HP is offering its flagship HP Omen 45L gaming PC configured with a GeForce RTX 4090 GPU for just $2,463.99 after you apply a 20% off coupon code “LEVELUP20“. Although the RTX 4090 is a discontinued, previous generation model, it is still the second most powerful graphic card currently available. It’s considerably more powerful than the new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 and the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT.
HP Omen 45L RTX 4090 Gaming PC for $2,463.99
Select RTX 4090 Upgrade for +$1,050
OMEN 45L Intel Core i9-13900K RTX 4090 Gaming PC
3
Follow these directions to get this price:
Click Here
Upgrade the graphics card to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 for $1,050
Proceed to shopping cart and apply 20% off code “LEVELUP20“
Price should drop to $2,463.99 with free shipping (taxes extra)
The OMEN 45L is HP’s roomiest chassis with plenty of cooling in the form of four 120mm fans for system airflow and an additional 240mm all-in-one liquid cooling solution for the CPU. It’s also equipped with a massive 1,000-watt 80Plus Gold power supply with ATX 3.1 specification, Intel Core Ultra 7 265K Arrow Lake-S processor, 16GB of Kingston FURY XMP-certified DDR5 RGB memory modules, and a 1TB WD Black M.2 NVme SSD. The chassis itself looks great with its blend of steel and smoked tempered glass and RGB lighting and certainly exudes a very premium feel.
The RTX 4090 is still the second most powerful GPU currently available. In his RTX 4090 review, Chris Coke wrote that “The RTX 4090 may be huge and expensive, but holy smokes if it doesn’t blow the competition out of the water… Until the rest of the pack can catch up, between its impressive hardware specs and its DLSS 3 AI wizardry, even the $1,599 price doesn’t seem unreasonable for the unrivaled frame rates that this card can crank out.” You’ll be able to run any game in 4K with ultra settings and ray tracing enabled and still pump out high framerates, even the newest, most demanding titles like Stellar Blade, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, or Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2. The 4090 is also the consumer card of choice for AI thanks to its 24GB of GDDR6X VRAM. Of course the new RTX 5090 is a better GPU, but you’ll have to pay at least $1,000 more to equip your system with one of those. For most people, it’s complete overkill.
Eric Song is the IGN commerce manager in charge of finding the best gaming and tech deals every day. When Eric isn’t hunting for deals for other people at work, he’s hunting for deals for himself during his free time.
Upgrading your living room or home theater with a big-screen TV doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune to get all the smart features you want. Right now ahead of Amazon’s Prime Day sale, you can grab the 85-inch Toshiba C350 for 50% off, bringing the price to just $600. And just because this TV is well under $1,000, that doesn’t mean it skimps out on cool features.
Also: The best Amazon Prime Day 2025 TV deals live now
The Toshiba C350 uses the Amazon Fire TV platform to give you access to the entire Prime Video library of shows and movies as well as support for thousands of other apps to turn your new TV into the ultimate entertainment hub in your home. With support for Dolby Vision HDR, you’ll get cleaner detailing and sharper contrast while Dolby Atmos gives you virtual surround sound for a more immersive experience while watching your favorite shows and movies or streaming music.
Read more: The best 85-inch TVs you can buy: Expert picks from Samsung, Sony, and more
Console gamers can take advantage of the dedicated gaming mode, which offers lower latency for faster reaction times, VRR support to prevent screen stuttering and tearing, and eARC connectivity for better audio and video syncing. Not a gamer? The C350 also offers a dedicated picture mode for sports fans that utilizes the TV’s VRR capabilities for smoother motion.
If you’ve cut the cord with your cable or satellite provider, the Toshiba C350 comes with a suite of popular streaming apps like Netflix, Disney+, and HBO Max preloaded so you can get started watching your favorite shows and movies right out of the box. The Fire TV platform also gives you access to integrated Alexa voice controls for hands-free use of your new TV to search for media, launch apps, and control connected smart devices.
Looking for the next best product? Get expert reviews and editor favorites with ZDNET Recommends.
How I rated this deal
The Toshiba C350 is a great entry-level smart TV as well as an affordable big-screen option for anyone looking to upgrade their home theater. And with a 50% discount bringing the final price well under $1,000, you’ll get an excellent value on a smart TV that still offers plenty of cool features. That’s why I gave this deal a 5/5 Editor’s rating.
Amazon’s annual Prime Day sale event starts on Tuesday, July 8 and will run through Friday, July 11. However, with such a steep discount, there may be limited stock available at this price.
Deals are subject to sell out or expire at any time, though ZDNET remains committed to finding, sharing, and updating the best product deals for you to score the best savings. Considering this offer is for a refurbished product, inventory is even more important than timing, so keep an eye out for the stock of the model that interests you the most.
Our team of experts regularly checks in on the deals we share to ensure they are still live and obtainable. We’re sorry if you’ve missed out on this deal, but don’t fret — we’re constantly finding new chances to save and sharing them with you at ZDNET.com.
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In 2025, we refined our approach to deals, developing a measurable system for sharing savings with readers like you. Our editor’s deal rating badges are affixed to most of our deal content, making it easy to interpret our expertise to help you make the best purchase decision.
At the core of this approach is a percentage-off-based system to classify savings offered on top-tech products, combined with a sliding-scale system based on our team members’ expertise and several factors like frequency, brand or product recognition, and more. The result? Hand-crafted deals chosen specifically for ZDNET readers like you, fully backed by our experts.
Despite reports Romero Games has shut down, resulting in over a hundred job losses, the studio has issued a new statement saying reports about closure are inaccurate.
Initially, the Ireland-based Romero Games announced the cancellation of its upcoming first-person shooter due to its publisher canceling funding for the game, but an anonymous source since told The Journal that “everyone is out of a job.”
Now, however, Romero Games has disputed these reports and denies claims the studio has closed.
“The funding for our project was pulled, and our game was canceled,” the statement began. “Due to confidentality agreements, we cannot disclose the publisher’s identity, though some may infer it from public information.
“As as result, we now have to reassess the entire staffing of our studio. Romero Games is not closed, and we are going everything in our power to ensure that it does not come to that. Any suggestion otherwise is factually incorrect.”
The statement closes on revealing that the studio has already been contacted by several publishers interested in “helping us bring the game across the finish line, and we’re currently evaluating those opportunities.”
As the statement attests, Romero Games is not able to confirm its publisher, but it is widely thought to have been working with Microsoft, which began making layoffs across its gaming division last week, just days after multiple rumours and reports started to swirl. As a result of the layoffs, which affected around 9,000 employees, Xbox closed The Initiative, cancelled Perfect Dark, Everwild, and Zenimax Online Studios’ MMO, codenamed Blackbird.
Earlier today, we reported that Forza Motorsport developer Turn 10 has reportedly been “shuttered,” and “the team is no more.”
Well-known global portable charging brand INIU has officially launched the all-new, upgraded Pocket Rocket P50 Power Bank on July 7, 2025. Touted as “the world’s smallest 10,000mAh 45W fast-charging power bank,” the P50 redefines portability and performance.
Measuring just 3.3×2.0×1.0in/ 8.3×5.2×2.6cm and weighing only 5.6oz / 160±10g—roughly the size of two stacked macarons—the Pocket Rocket P50 slips easily into a pocket, handbag, or suitcase corner while delivering powerful output.With 45W fast charging, it powers your phone from low battery to 73% in just 25 minutes.The device also fully recharges in just two hours and can power up to three devices simultaneously, meeting modern demand for fast, multi-device charging on the go.
Packed with cutting-edge tech, the P50 features an upgraded TinyCell Pro battery and the industry’s first multi-tab cell for better heat control and faster, more efficient charging. A high-performance NVIDIA-grade inductor boosts battery life and shrinks overall size—making the power bank lighter and more compact. The ultra-thin 0.5mm Genius display keeps users informed with real-time power. With 18 layers of safety protection, it safeguards your device from overheating, overcharging, and other common risks.
In addition to performance, the P50 excels in energy efficiency and sustainability. Its Tinycell Pro and precision components minimize energy waste and extend lifespan, reducing replacements and electronic waste. The detachable fast-charging cable passed over 11,000 bend tests, and its integrated E-Marker chip ensures stability, wide compatibility, and support for Samsung Super Fast Charge 2.0—ready to use anytime.
Since its founding in 2014, INIU has focused on delivering high-quality portable power solutions and has served over 40 million users across 174 countries and regions. The company has received international accolades such as the iF Design Award, Red Dot Award, and CES Innovation Award. The new P50 is a technological breakthrough and a further step in INIU’s mission to provide reliable energy for users and families worldwide.
As mobile device usage grows, users demand more from their charging gear in terms of performance, portability, and safety. The debut of the Pocket Rocket P50 directly responds to this trend and is set to spark a new global wave in the fast-charging portable power revolution.
Since its launch, the Nintendo Switch 2 has been notoriously difficult to buy, with many retailers selling out of their allotted stock within minutes. Luckily, there’s good news: starting at 7PM Eastern today, Walmart Plus members will be able to purchase Nintendo’s latest handheld console — either the standalone Switch 2 and the Mario Kart World bundle — through its website. The restock is happening just before its Walmart Deals event begins on July 8th, which lasts through July 13th.
The standalone Switch 2 will go for $449 from Walmart. If you plan on picking up the excellent Mario KartWorld, then you might as well opt for the Mario Kart World bundle, which will also be available at Walmart for $499. The bundle includes everything that comes with the Nintendo Switch 2 — a dock, a pair of Joy-Con 2 controllers, etc. — as well as a download code for a digital copy of the new Mario Kart game (valued at $79.99). It will be available as a limited-time purchase through fall (or while supplies last).
In case you haven’t had a chance to read our review, know that the Switch 2 arrives with a number of welcome upgrades over its predecessor, with the most notable being its larger 7.9-inch LCD display. It also features an improved U-shaped kickstand, 256GB of internal storage, and a pair of magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers, which offer mouse-like functionality in select games and a new “C” button that provides quick access to Nintendo’s in-game voice and text chat feature, GameChat. The redesigned dock, meanwhile, features a built-in ethernet port and two USB-A ports.
Fortnite maker Epic Games has settled its antitrust case against Samsung, according to a court filing. The case, filed last September, accused Samsung of working with Google to block rival app stores by default on Samsung phones.
“We’re dismissing our court case against Samsung following the parties’ discussions,” Epic CEO Tim Sweeney said in a post on X. He added, “We are grateful that Samsung will address Epic’s concerns.”
An Epic spokesperson declined further comment, pointing to Sweeney’s post. Samsung and Google did not respond to TechCrunch’s request for comment.
Epic had alleged in the lawsuit that Samsung’s “Auto Blocker” feature, which blocked downloads outside of the Google Play Store and Samsung Galaxy Store, was a coordinated effort to block competition in app distribution.
At the time, Google called Epic’s legal action “meritless,” saying, “Android device makers are free to take their own steps to keep their users safe and secure.” Samsung said it planned to “vigorously contest Epic Game’s baseless claims.”
The settlement comes almost a year after Epic launched its own mobile app store to distribute both its own games and third-party titles.
Before suing Samsung, Epic won a separate antitrust case against Google in 2023 over claims that Google’s app store practices constituted an illegal monopoly. A judge ordered Google to open its app store to rivals, though a decision on Google’s appeal is still pending.
