Posts with «personal finance - lifestyle» label

Apple Black Friday deal: Get a $15 Amazon credit when you buy a $100 Apple gift card

If you're planning to pick up some new Apple gear in the near future, a new Amazon Black Friday deal may be of interest. If you purchase an Apple gift card totaling $100 or more from the retailer, you can get $15 in Amazon store credit for no extra cost. Just use the code APPLET5USA at checkout to see the offer. The deal applies to the digital version of the card; as of this writing, you can apply the credit to physical Apple gift cards as well, but you'll have to avoid clipping the coupon listed on those cards' product page, as that will limit you to a $10 credit instead.

Amazon's fine print says you can only apply the credit once per account, and that you'll receive the credit alongside an email confirmation within 24 hours of your purchase. From there, you'll be able to use the credit until January 17, albeit only on products that are listed as shipped and sold by Amazon.com.

As a refresher, you can use an Apple gift card for App Store credit, subscription services like Apple Music or iCloud, and/or purchases made at a physical Apple store. If you often shop at Amazon anyway, this deal effectively gives you a bit of free money, which is always hard to beat around the holidays.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/apple-black-friday-deal-get-a-15-amazon-credit-when-you-buy-a-100-apple-gift-card-134526067.html?src=rss

The best Black Friday deals under $50 for 2023

Big-ticket tech devices can get crazy expensive, but there are plenty of gadgets and accessories that are surprisingly affordable — and happen to make great gifts and stocking stuffers. We gathered up the gear we’ve tested and reviewed to come up with a big stack of Black Friday deals under $50. Thanks to sales at retailers like Amazon, Walmart and Target, as well as deals directly from manufacturers, there’s a slew of gadgets and gifts we recommend that are $50 or less for Black Friday. Check them out and start crossing off your holiday list — or stock up on a few things for yourself — while hanging on to more of your money.

Biolite PD 40 power bank

Moft Sit-Stand Desk

Roku Streaming Stick 4K

Tile Mate

Echo Dot

Echo Dot Kids

Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023)

Anker Nano power bank (USB-C)

Blink Mini

Amazon Smart Plug

Kasa Smart Plug

Otterbox Fast Charge

Tribit Stormbox Micro 2

JBL Clip 4 Eco

Newvanga travel power adapter

HyperX Cloud Stinger 2

EarFun Free 2 wireless earbuds

Amazon Echo Buds

Thermacell E55 Mosquito Repeller

Google Chromecast with Google TV (4K)

Logitech Signature M650 mouse

Kasa Smart Light Bulbs

Sengled WiFi Color Changing Bulb

Anker Bio-Braided USB-C to C cable

Anker 100W 10ft USB-C cable

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/the-best-black-friday-deals-under-50-for-2023-100007942.html?src=rss

The 35 best Black Friday Amazon deals you can shop for right now

Like Amazon Prime Day before it, Black Friday is a good time to save on Amazon’s own devices. We’re seeing some deals that match — and a few that beat — the prices from July and October’s sales. If you’ve had your eye on a Fire TV Stick or a Ring doorbell, or if you want to give a Kindle or an Echo Show as a gift, Amazon’s Black Friday Sale is a good time to shop, with discounts going as high as 56 percent. Here are the best deals on Amazon devices we could find.

Amazon Kindle Black Friday deals

Kindle Scribe

A number of Amazon’s Kindle models are on sale for Black Friday, including a new all-time low on the read/write Kindle Scribe. The model with 16GB of storage and the "Basic Pen" stylus is down to $240. That’s $100 off its $340 list price and its lowest price yet. We reviewed it when it came out last year and named it the best ereader/E Ink tablet combo in our guide. The Scribe lets you draw, make to-do lists, create sticky notes and scribble in the margins of a limited selection of Kindle titles (mostly puzzle and journaling books).

Kindle

The standard Kindle is our favorite budget ereader and down to $80 which is 20 percent off though about $15 more than its members-only Prime Day price. It lacks a warm back light and isn’t waterproof, but it’s got a crisp, 300 ppi screen and 16GB of storage, which should take you many years to fill up. Plus it’s an affordable way to access the Kindle library and Kindle Exclusive titles.

Kindle Paperwhite

The standard Kindle Paperwhite is on sale, down to $120 after a 15 percent discount. That's a good deal more than the $95 it went for on Prime Day in October, but if you like the idea of a warm front light, a bigger screen and a waterproof build, this is a good upgrade from the standard Kindle. 

Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

We called the Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition “the best ereader. Period” in our review of the device when it came out. Right now it’s $50 off, making it $140. It doesn’t have lock screen ads, which come standard on most Kindles, plus it offers an auto-adjusting, warm front light, a waterproof build, wireless charging and an ample 32GB of storage. 

Kindle Kids

The Kindle Kids edition is pretty similar to the standard Kindle but adds a case, a two-year warranty, and a free year of Amazon Kids+, which auto renews at $5 per month. The subscriptions lets kids read a few thousand kid-appropriate titles and listen to hundreds of audiobooks. There's also a parent dashboard that lets you set time limits, add books and track your kid’s reading progress. It usually goes for $120, but now it’s $100 instead. That's $25 more than its lowest price ever during July's Prime Day.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids

The Kindle Paperwhite Kids is essentially the same hardware as the Kindle Paperwhite, but this version comes with a case, a two year guarantee and a free year of Kindle Kids+ content with access to thousands of kid-appropriate books. It’s now $35 off, which is a 21 percent discount that brings it to $135.

Kindle Unlimited

Amazon is also offering Prime members three months of Kindle Unlimited for 99 cents. It’s usually $12 per month and will auto-renew once the trial is over (so set a reminder if you don't want that to happen). A subscription lets you read as many ebooks as you want from a selection of around four million ebooks. Bigger new releases and some of the more popular bestsellers aren’t included. It also includes a few thousand audiobooks, which all models of Kindle support via Bluetooth and headphones.

Amazon Echo and Echo Show Black Friday deals

Echo Dot

Amazon’s most popular smart speaker is the baseball-sized Echo Dot. It’s now down to $23 which matches the all-time low it hit for the last two Prime Days. It’s one of our favorite smart speakers because it pumps out good sound and volume for its size and adds Alexa’s helpful AI assistance to your home. Use it to set timers, tell you the weather and remind you about stuff you need to do and when to do it. It’s also a convenient way to control your other smart home devices, from light bulbs in the ceiling to robot vacs on the floor.

Echo Pop

Amazon’s smallest smart speaker is the Echo Pop, which came out earlier this year. It’s currently down to $18, which matches its all-time low. The colorful half-sphere is perfect for stashing in a corner of a room where you don’t have much space. It’ll let you ask Alexa the time, weather news and more, while also directing the AI to remind you when it’s time to leave for an appointment or shut off the holiday lights. It can also play music, but the sound won’t be as good as it is with larger speakers.

Echo

The Echo is the original Amazon smart speaker and has been refreshed four times since its launch. The latest model updated the shape from a puck to a globe, which makes room for a three-inch woofer and two 0.8-inch tweeters. The result is quality audio with plenty of bass. The highs could be more crisp but overall it’s noticeably louder than its two closest competitors, the Nest Audio or HomePod mini and can fill a room with sound. The Echo is now down to $55, which is the same as it went for during both 2023 Prime sales, though it’s about $5 more than its all-time low. It’s currently our favorite smart speaker under $100 because it combines great sound with all that Alexa can do.

Echo Studio

Amazon’s biggest smart speaker, the Echo Studio, keeps the focus on the sound quality, with three two-inch midrange speakers, a single one-inch tweeter and a 5.25-inch downward-facing woofer packed into its eight-inch frame. The list price is $200 and right now it’s down to $155 which matches its all-time low. We gave the Studio an 88 in our review, impressed by the hi-res sound.

Echo Pop and free Sengled smart bulb

The Echo Pop is a great candidate for a voice-operated smart home controller, which is probably why Amazon is bundling it with a Sengled Smart Bulb. The set costs $38, which is 36 percent off their full prices. The Sengled bulb earned an honorable mention in our guide to smart bulbs for its easy, if slightly unpolished app, and the fact that it outputs millions of colors on any schedule you’d like.

Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 is Amazon’s smallest smart display and was completely refreshed back in May of this year. The processor and audio quality were improved, but the device is largely the same, acting as a screen-enabled bedside alarm clock or a handy kitchen display for recipe videos and the like. It’s currently down to $40 which is $50 off and a discount it has hit twice in the past couple months.

Echo Show 8

The mid-sized Amazon smart display, the Echo Show 8 is on sale for $105 instead of $150 and represents its first discount. We did a hands-on with the new Echo Show 8 during Amazon’s devices event this September and were impressed by the new Adaptive Content feature. Depending on how far away from the display you are, the information changes, with simple time and weather info when you’re across the room and more detailed and personalized info, like a playlist or news articles when you’re closer.

Echo Show 10

Do you want a smart display that can track you as you move around the room? The Echo Show 10 with a pivoting base can do just that. The ability should keep you in frame for video calls and make sure you can always see your recipe as you move around the kitchen. The 10-inch screen will keep tabs on your connected cameras and doorbells and the large base housing two one-inch tweeters and a three-inch subwoofer, will deliver quality sound.

Echo Show 15 

The Echo Show 15 is a smart display that verges on smart TV territory and it's one of our recommended gifts for tech folk. It can display your video doorbell feeds, control your smart home devices, act as a widget-driven bulletin board, offer Alexa’s help, and play your shows on streaming apps. The 15-inch screen can be wall-mounted in portrait or landscape and can be operated with the remote, via touchscreen or with your voice. 

Echo Dot Kids

The Echo Dot for kids has the same general design as the regular Dot, but has a cute owl or dragon exterior. It also comes with a free year of Amazon Kids+, which lets young folk access age-appropriate audio books, morning routines and Alexa’s educational skills. The speaker is currently 53 percent off and down to $28. That matches the low it hit for both Amazon Prime sales this year.

Echo Pop Kids

Amazon announced the new kids version of the Echo Pop during its hardware event this fall and it’s already seeing a 54 percent discount, bringing it to $23 and an all-time low. You can get it with Marvel characters or Disney Princesses on the front. It also comes with Amazon Kids+ free for a year. There’s also a bundle that includes a kids Pop and an Echo Glow, a smart night light that lets you set schedules and program its lighting. The Echo Pop Kids with an Echo Glow bundle is 43 percent off.

Ring Video Doorbell and Echo Show 5

The Ring Video Doorbell and an Echo Show 5 make a great smart home starter kit The bundle is now $65, instead of the $190 you'd pay at full price. Currently, both devices are on sale on their own — buying the bundle saves you an extra $10 off their sale prices. The Ring Video Doorbell can run either on your existing doorbell wires or on battery. It shoots motion-triggered 1080p video, and sends it to the Ring app on your phone or directly to your Echo Show 5.

Amazon Fire TV deals

Fire TV Stick 4K Max

The new Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for $40, which is a 33 percent discount and its lowest price since its debut in September. This new model has a faster processor than the previous 4K Max dongle, and is the first stick to support Amazon’s Ambient Experience, which was previously limited to the Fire TV sets. When you’re not watching, the screen can display art, along with widgets for weather, calendar and smart home devices. The Alexa remote lets you search for and play shows and movies just by talking, and also supports Wi-Fi 6E, letting those who’ve upgraded to take advantage of that tri-band connection.

Fire TV Stick Lite

We found Amazon's Fire TV Stick Lite to be the best budget streaming device you can buy — which goes double now that it has dropped to $16. The deal represents a 46 percent discount off the $30 list price (though it often sells for $20). It’s also just a dollar more than its all-time low. The Fire TV Stick Lite doesn't stream content in 4K and can't control a TV's volume or on/off functions, but lets you use all the streaming platforms you subscribe to, presenting them in an interface that’s easy enough to navigate, but we do wish that it didn’t favor and promote Amazon content quite as much as it does.

Fire TV Stick

The standard Fire TV Stick is down to $20, which is 50 percent off the $40 list price (though it's often on sale for $25). The standard stick offers HD content and, unlike the Lite, has the ability to control your TV’s volume and power.

Fire TV 40-inch 2-Series

Many of Amazon’s Fire TVs are discounted, including models from Toshiba and Insignia, but the arguably better sets are the “Amazon-built” ones the company manufactures. The Fire TV 65" Omni QLED Series 4K TV is now 26 percent off and down to $590, the same price it hit in October for Prime Day. It supports 4K content with Dolby Vision, adaptive brightness and includes hands-free Alexa both through built-in speakers on the TV itself, no remote required (though it does come with one).

Amazon Fire tablet deals

Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet

The Fire HD 8 is probably the cheapest way to get a tablet that will actually perform. Right now the latest generation, which came out in 2022, is down to just $60, which is $5 more than it’s all time low, but still $40 off the MSRP. It’s not as fast as the larger Fire HD 10 and doesn’t have the clearest screen at 1,280 x 800 resolution, but it should serve well as a casual streaming device and web browser. Plus it gets 10 hours on a charge and has a lightweight build.

Fire HD 8 Kids

The Fire HD 8 Kids is down to $75, which matches its lowest price. It’s usually $150, but often drops to $100. The kids version has the same hardware as the Fire HD 8, but comes with a kickstand case, a two-year guarantee and a free year of access to Amazon Kids+ which includes age-appropriate games, books, videos and shows. The UI is also simplified for kids and connects to a parental dashboard to help you keep tabs on your kids tablet activities.

Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon’s revamped Fire HD 10 tablet came out in late September and is already down to $80 for the model with 32GB of storage. That’s 42 percent off and the first discount this generation has seen. This new model is speedier and lighter than before and upgrades the front camera to a 5MP for better video calls. It makes a good couch companion, handling casual streaming and browsing, as well as simpler games. It’s not meant for serious productivity, particularly since it relies on Amazon’s more limited Fire tablet apps library, but for less than $100, it’s hard to beat the price.

Fire HD 10 Kids tablet

Like the Fire HD 10, the Fire HD 10 Kids tablet is a newly refreshed model with a quicker processor and a slightly lighter build. The kids version adds in a protective case with a kickstand, plus access to Amazon Kids+ for a slew of kid-friendly content. It’s currently $65 off making it the cheapest it’s ever been. Amazon makes the Fire HD 10 Kids Pro for older kids. It comes with a slightly less bulky case and allows more access to the web via a filtered browser.

Fire Max 11

Amazon calls the Fire Max 11 their best tablet yet and in our hands-on we were impressed by how much Amazon is offering for the money. It has an 11-inch LCD display, an aluminum frame, an octa-core processor and 4GB of RAM. Like all Fire tablets, you’re limited to the apps within the Fire Tablet App store, so it’s not going to become a laptop-replacing workhorse. But now that it's on sale for $150, matching its all-time low, it’s a good buy for a casual use tablet.

Ring and Blink Black Friday deals

Ring Battery Doorbell Plus

The Ring Battery Doorbell Plus was refreshed this year and is currently seeing a 33 percent discount making it just $120 instead of $180. It captures head-to-toe, 1536p video and in-color night vision and send it to your phone or smart display. The Package Alert feature lets you know when your Amazon (or other) delivery arrives and the two-way audio allows you to communicate with whoever is at the door. It operates on a rechargeable battery pack or you can hardwire it to your doorbell wires for continual power.

Blink Mini with Echo Show 5

The Echo Show 5 is the perfect size for keeping an eye on your Alexa-enabled smart cameras and doorbells, so this Blink Mini bundle makes sense. For $45, you get the 5-inch Echo Show and the wired indoor security cam from Blink. Separately and at full price, you’d pay $80. Right now, the Show 5 alone is down to $40 and the Blink Mini is $20, so you’re still saving $15 on the set.

Ring Video Doorbell

The Ring Video Doorbell is down to $55 after a 45 percent discount. It takes 1080p video triggered by better motion detection, compared to the previous model and offers two-way audio. It also allows for privacy zones and can shoot with night vision, operating on either rechargeable (built-in) batteries or through your existing doorbell hard wires. It connects via Wi-Fi and the Ring app, but if you also connect with an Alexa device, you can enable preset announcements triggered by different actions, like a doorbell press. It's also available as a bundle with an Echo Show 5 smart display for $65, or about $10 less than their individual sale prices. 

Blink Video Doorbell

Both Blink and Ring are owned by Amazon, and both use their individual apps for setup, but also work with the Alexa app and other Amazon smart home devices. Blink just makes one doorbell, the Blink Video Doorbell and it’s less expensive than all Ring models, with a list price of $60. Now it’s half price and down to just $30, which makes it one of the more affordable ways to keep tabs on your porch and packages. Keep in mind that it’s battery-powered only and to see a live view on-demand (as in, not triggered by motion), you’ll need an additional device, the $35 Sync Module 2.

Blink Mini

The indoor, wired Blink Mini security camera is 43 percent off for Black Friday, going for $20 and about $2 more than its all-time low and about $5 less than it often sells for. The camera offers HD video and two-way audio so you can hear and talk to people in the room (or tell the dog to hop off the couch). If you also have a Blink Video Doorbell, the Blink Mini can act as a chime

Blink Outdoor 4

The Blink Outdoor 4 is our preferred outdoor security camera in our smart home guide. Right now it’s half price for a set of two, down to $99 for the set. This latest generation came out in August and supports better motion detection, a wider field of view and infrared night vision. An optional subscription unlocks person detection and allows clips to be stored in the cloud. The mounting kit attaches to a variety of surfaces and thanks to the two-year battery life, you can stick it just about anywhere you want.

Eero deals

Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router

If you want to take advantage of that 6 GHz Wi-Fi band, you’ll need a router (and devices) that support it. Amazon’s Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi router is $400 for a set of three, which covers up to 6,000 square feet. In our tests, the routers performed well enough; they’re easy to set up and use, with an app that has a clean UI and step-by-step instructions. Unfortunately, many of the management features are paywalled, whereas systems from Google offer many of those tools for free.

If you’re not worried about accessing that 6GHz band, a three-pack of the Eero Pro 6 mesh Wi-Fi 6 router may serve you better. It’s currently 40 percent off and down to $240. The set will also cover 6,000 square feet, and can deliver gigabit speeds from ISP plans that offer it. This is technically also a tri-band router, with two antennas for the 5GHz band along with a single 2.4GHz receiver.

A single unit of the Eero 6+ mesh Wi-Fi router is currently $90 after a 36 percent discount. It’s a dual-band, gigabit router with up to 1,500 square feet of coverage.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-black-friday-amazon-deals-you-can-shop-for-right-now-050157493.html?src=rss

Amazon Black Friday deals include the new Fire TV Stick 4K Max for its lowest price yet

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Max is on sale for just $40 as part of a larger Black Friday event. That’s 40 percent off and the lowest price we’ve ever seen for the streaming stick. This deal is for the latest and greatest model, with support for Wi-Fi 6E and enough juice to stream live TV without cable.

What else is new with Amazon’s latest streaming stick? The Fire TV Stick 4K Max boasts twice the storage of the previous version, 16GB compared to 8GB, for holding onto downloaded content. It also accesses free live TV streams, which is nice, and includes a fairly powerful 2.0 GHz quad-core processor, which should make for snappy controls.

The streaming stick was first unveiled at Amazon’s September hardware event, and it offers support for HDR, HDR10+, Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and more. It goes without saying that this thing also streams in 4K, as it’s right there in the name. You also get access to the company’s new Fire TV Ambient Experience, which displays useful information like family calendars, reminders, local weather forecasts and more.

It’s the week of Black Friday, so this isn’t the only streaming stick Amazon’s selling at a discount. You can snag the standard Fire TV Stick for just $20, a savings of 50 percent. Despite being a relatively bare-bones product when compared to the Max, it still offers FHD streaming and ships with an Alexa voice remote.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/amazon-black-friday-deals-include-the-new-fire-tv-stick-4k-max-for-its-lowest-price-yet-174515131.html?src=rss

The best outdoor gifts for 2023

The great outdoors can be enjoyed all year round, so we’ve compiled a list of the best gifts for the backyard lounger, patio napper or woodland hiker on your list this holiday season. We even offer help with items to improve your tailgate or next beach trip. With everything from grilling gadgets to drinkware and hammocks to splash-proof speakers, there’s something for everyone – no matter how long or how often they venture outside. What’s more, you don’t have to break the bank.

BrüMate Hopsulator Trio

Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 3

Stanley IceFlow Straw Tumbler

Thermacell EL55

Solo Stove Ranger 2.0

Meater+ thermometer

ThermoWorks Thermapen One

MiiR Aero Flask

Wise Owl Outfitters Hammock

RTIC Soft Pack Cooler

Solo Stove Pi Prime

Traeger Flat Top Grill Essentials

Shibumi Shade

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-outdoor-gifts-140004525.html?src=rss

A $50 Xbox gift card is $5 off in this Black Friday deal

These days, it's perhaps more difficult than ever to buy someone a video game as a gift. Not only are there thousands of options, your intended recipient may already have access to a given game on another platform or it may already be included in a subscription service they pay for. A gift card is likely a safer bet. To that end, you can save 10 percent on Xbox and PlayStation gift cards for Black Friday. At both Amazon and Target, you can snap up a $50 Xbox gift card for $45.

That's almost enough to cover three months of access to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, which now costs $17 per month. Alternatively, that's enough to pay for four months of Xbox Game Pass access (at $11 per month) or five months of PC Game Pass ($10 per month). Should your recipient choose to pay for Game Pass with their gift card, they'll have access to a library of hundreds of games. They could always just buy games outright, of course.

PlayStation Plus gift cards are also 10 percent off at Amazon. A $70 gift card is down to $63, while a $30 option is on sale for $27. The former will cover five months of PlayStation Plus Extra access. Similar to Game Pass, that tier of Sony's subscription service includes access to hundreds of PS4 and PS5 games. PS Plus Extra costs $15 per month, $40 per quarter or $135 per year.

Last but not least, a 12-month Nintendo Switch Online Family membership is available for $32 (usually $35) at Amazon. This is a solid gift for a household that has at least two Nintendo Switches — a family membership lets up to eight people use Nintendo Switch Online. The service includes access to online multiplayer, as well as a library of NES and SNES classics and a few battle royale-type exclusives from Nintendo, such as Tetris 99 and F-Zero 99.

Your Black Friday Shopping Guide: See all of Yahoo’s Black Friday coverage, here. Follow Engadget for Black Friday tech deals. Learn about Black Friday trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s experts on the best Black Friday deals for your car, garage, and home, and find Black Friday sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-50-xbox-gift-card-is-5-off-in-this-black-friday-deal-164130270.html?src=rss

The best tech gifts and gadgets of 2023

If you couldn’t tell, we’re unabashedly nerdy about tech here at Engadget. While our jobs revolve around testing and reviewing gadgets and reporting on technological breakthroughs and social media controversies, our staff is composed of people who genuinely love tech and everything that goes into making cool gadgets. If you have someone in your life who shares the same passion, it might be difficult to find a piece of tech that you think they’d appreciate (and one they don’t already own). Here, we’ve gathered some of our favorite gear that we've tested and used and think would make great gifts for the tech nerd in your life — and no, they all don’t cost a fortune.

Marshall Emberton II

Amazon Echo Show 15

Sonos Ray

DJI Mini 3

Audeze Maxwell

Anker Prime 20,000mAh Power Bank

Peak Design Tech Pouch

Logitech G PowerPlay Wireless Charging Mouse Pad

Govee M1 RGBIC LED Light Strips

Tidbyt

Boox Page

LEGO Nintendo Entertainment System

ASUS ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless Gaming Keyboard

XGIMI MoGo 2 Pro 1080P

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-tech-gifts-and-cool-gadgets-140052910.html?src=rss

The best home theater gifts of 2023

The living room is where most people spend a good chunk of their time when they want to relax, but most people’s home theater setup could use a little TLC. While you can drop serious money fast in this space, that doesn’t have to be the case. If you’ve got a movie-lover on your gift list, or someone who’s particularly hard to shop for, getting them something to upgrade their TV-watching experience is usually a set bet. Here are some of the best home theater gifts for this year, and no, not all of them cost a fortune.

Apple TV 4K

Monoprice Monolith THX Atmos home theater speakers

Roku Ultra

Sonos Ray

Govee LED Strip Light M1

Samsung 55-Inch S90C OLED 4K Smart TV

Hisense U8K Mini-LED Smart TV

Sony PlayStation 5

Beyerdynamic DT 900 Pro X

Audio-Technica AT-LP120XUSB Direct-Drive Turntable

BenQ HT2060 Home Theater Projector

LG Cinebeam smart portable projector

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-home-theater-gifts-140037740.html?src=rss

The best gifts for cyclists in 2023

Other than a bike, helmet and a few emergency maintenance essentials, there aren’t many things a person needs to enjoy a bike ride outside. But having the right accessories can go a long way towards making the experience more fun, more safe and, ultimately, more rewarding. The list of recommendations below cover the gamut of things you can give to the cyclist in your life, from must-have safety accessories like bike lights, to more techie gadgets like bike computers. However, each represents an item the staff here at Engadget have personally tested or swear by, and would make for a great holiday gift.

Crankbrothers M19 Multi-Tool

Knog Rear Blinder or Rear Plus Lights

Garmin Varia Radar

Knog Oi Luxe Bike Bell

Kryptonite New York U-Lock

PS Bagworks Rider Strap

Patagonia Houdini Jacket

Planet Bike Waterproof Bike Seat Cover

Park Tool Cyclone Chain Scrubber

Wahoo Elemnt Bolt V2

Ortlieb Back-Roller Plus Panniers

Outdoor Research ActiveIce Sun Sleeves

Steadyrack Vertical Bike Rack

Burley Kazoo Trailercycle

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-gifts-for-cyclists-140100878.html?src=rss

The 10 best tech toys for kids in 2023

"Tech toys" doesn’t have to mean video games –not that there’s anything wrong with some time curled up with excellent titles like Tears of the Kingdom and Spider-Man 2. But when it’s time to step away from the TV and engage with the real world, there are still ways to play that involve gadgets and science and all the other STEM goodness that we love here at Engadget. We’ve got playtime covered for kids and adults, as well as interests ranging from cuddly to competitive.

Fisher Price Laugh & Learn Game Controller

Bumpas Cute Cuddle Pal

Leapfrog Chat and Count Emoji Phone

Yoto Mini

LEGO The Insect Collection

Tamagotchi Uni

Make It Real: Mini Pottery Studio

Spin Master Bitzee

Vital Hero Batman

Hot Wheels Rift Rally

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/best-tech-toys-for-kids-140038520.html?src=rss