On one screen, an urban professional in Oslo taps through ultra-secure banking apps, relies on an AI-powered personal assistant, and streams media seamlessly over high-speed 5G using their iPhone. On the other screen, a farmer in Malawi scrolls through a modest Android phone -- likely costing less than a week's wages -- just to read the news, check tomorrow's weather, and send WhatsApp messages over a patchy mobile connection. These very different experiences highlight the divide between the Global North and the Global South. These terms refer not only to geographic locations but also to the world's wealthiest and most industrialized regions -- such as Europe, North America, and parts of East Asia -- and economically developing nations across much of Africa, Latin America, South Asia, and Oceania. Technology symbolizes innovation, convenience, and seamless connectivity in the Global North.

Qualcomm's 2024 debut of new Arm processors for Windows laptops was arguably the most important PC hardware announcement since the introduction of Intel's 486 processors in 1989. Just as that CPU line heralded an age of Intel-driven x86 dominance, Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chips have now taken us into a new era of competition. But 2024 was only the preview. Qualcomm's Snapdragon debut was limited, targeting a specific subset of premium, thin-and-light Windows laptops that don't require discrete graphics. I spoke with two expert analysts in the hardware space for insights on how Arm PCs will continue to grow going forward.

In 1988, we launched the Best of What's New Awards. The original list highlighted "the very things that make our lives more comfortable, more rewarding, more exciting, and more fun," to quote then-Publisher Grant A. Burnett. Now, in 2024, we continue our decades-old tradition of honoring big ideas. We even see hints of our original honorees in this year's list: Sea-Doo and Ford made both lists, 36 years apart. We're proud to bring you promising innovations--from things that make life at home easier to literal out-of-this-world explorations. This is the Best of What's New 2024. Had you asked me at the beginning of 2024 what our best gadgets list would look like, I'd have guessed it would be filled with quirky AI-driven devices like the rabbit R1 or the Humane Ai Pin. "Now with AI" is a phrase that has dominated consumer electronics in the 2020s. These devices promised unadulterated access to the power of neural networks in ways that would seamlessly integrate into our lives without relying on phones or smart fridges. Then, the devices came out. The software is slow and buggy, and the hardware is clunky. Maybe the stand-alone AI device will still have its year, and we'll look back and chuckle at these humble beginnings. In reality, 2024's big breakthrough came from Apple in the form of its long-rumored Vision Pro headset. The device has its own hurdles to clear, but after just a few minutes of using it, it was clear that it's something different, important, and honestly pretty amazing. The list also includes Sony's innovative pro-grade camera, the most accessible drone we've ever used, and a no-fun phone--no fun in a good way, of course. Credible rumors of Apple's VR bounced around the gadget blogs and tech sites for nearly a decade. It was consumer tech's sasquatch in that people claimed to have seen it, but no one knew if it even existed. Then, the Vision Pro emerged from the proverbial forest in February with a surprising design and a massive 3,500 price tag. It also came toting a new R-series chip and a dedicated OS meant for spatial computing.

The December feature drop for Pixel phones is here, and it brings some exciting additions to Google's mobile lineup. Naturally, many of these features are AI-powered. First, Pixel phones are getting some nice accessibility upgrades that provide more information and context to videos -- in the form of more descriptive captions and improved image descriptions. In addition, you'll soon see Gemini compatibility across more apps and Gemini is getting the ability to learn your personality and tailor its responses just for you. Here's what's new for Pixel phones, including some features that are also available on older models like the Pixel 6 and Pixel Fold, in December: AI-powered "expressive captions" capture the intensity of emotion of what someone is saying.

Although I've been reviewing streaming devices for about a decade now, Samsung TVs have always been a blind spot. I've never owned a Samsung TV until this past week, when I was bitten by the Black Friday OLED bug and installed one in my basement. And while I'd normally prefer an external streaming device over Samsung's built-in smart TV software, the HDMI inputs have already been claimed by my home theater gaming PC, an array of consoles, and a soundbar. Thus I find myself learning to live with Samsung's Tizen-based smart TV software and finding some ways to make the most of it. Here are the tips and tricks that I've found the most useful: Like most streaming platforms, Samsung's top app row is customizable.

Spotify Wrapped's animated yearly recap of your listening habits--at once beloved and reviled--is back again. But in 2024, the flashy visuals will be accompanied by a brand-new audio add-on crafted with artificial intelligence. Starting today, Spotify users will now get the chance to listen to their annual report as a personalized, AI-powered podcast, in which two synthetic hosts discuss the user's most-played tracks and favorite artists with enthusiasm. The new podcast recap is powered by Google's NotebookLM. If you've used Google's AI tool to generate an audio podcast about a topic you're researching, then the two AI-generated voices in the Wrapped podcast will sound familiar.

Amazon's Black Friday sale went live Nov. 21 (a full week before Thanksgiving), ushering in year-round low prices on robot vacuums, Apple products, and Fire TVs. Now that Cyber Monday has arrived (and is quickly approaching its final hours), the Mashable Shopping team is tracking all of the remaining discounts so you don't have to. We're refreshing our picks on a regular basis, so keep checking back as we add deals throughout the final hours of Cyber Monday 2024. Even if you're brand loyal to Amazon (and we don't blame you), definitely keep an eye on our coverage of the other big retailers -- Walmart, Best Buy, and Target are going hard, and Amazon doesn't always have the lowest prices. Another smart shopping strategy: Use the Amazon-friendly price tracker CamelCamelCamel to see if the latest deal is a good one, or add the item to your wishlist to get notified as soon as it goes on sale.

Black Friday may have come and gone, but the best deals live to see another day -- and that day is Cyber Monday. All of the top retailers have launched their official Cyber Monday sales, and you can find tons of new savings at Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon. Truly, the sheer volume of deals is dizzying. You're in luck though, as we've done the leg work for you. We've been tracking the best Black Friday deals for weeks, finding the lowest prices on all the big names: Apple, Bose, Sony, iRobot, Dyson, Samsung, and more.

Cyber Monday 2024 is nearly over, but there are plenty of tech deals to consider if you're looking for a few things for yourself or to give as gifts this year. As it has been for a few years now, Cyber Monday is basically just an extension of Black Friday: most of the best Black Friday deals have now become the best Cyber Monday deals (unless they've sold out), and there tend to be a few surprises thrown in as Cyber Monday exclusives. A number of our favorite gadgets continue to be on sale for Cyber Monday even as the day draws to a close, including earbuds, tablets, robot vacuums and much more. These are the best Cyber Monday deals you can still get right now. We expect most of these sales to expire tonight, so we recommend grabbing what you want before the end of today.

When Pat Gelsinger returned to Intel as CEO in 2021, it was heralded as the start of a redemption arc. After more than 30 years with the company, including his tenure as CTO during its golden age, Gelsinger seemed uniquely qualified to tackle Intel's mounting challenges. His mission: restore the company to its former glory as a leader in chipmaking and manufacturing. But less than four years later, that redemption story has ended. According to sources cited by Bloomberg, Gelsinger was forced out -- a stunning turn for one of the industry's most respected technical minds.