Loog is a company known for manufacturing fantastic starter instruments for kids, with the company’s diminutive electric guitar making our list of the best audio-related gifts back in 2019. Now it’s back with a digital piano that blurs the line between kid-friendly and appropriate for adults.

The Loog Piano is a gorgeous instrument that, while still tiny, brings some nifty features for both brand-new players and veteran key smashers. The obvious selling point here is the looks. The 3-octave keyboard is sandwiched between solid wood sides and the top’s covered in red “sonically transparent fabric” that really pops. 

The company touts the piano’s “musician-grade sound and design.” The design’s certainly on-point, but what about the sound? The built-in stereo speakers let you play without headphones and Loog says the keys allow for dynamics (piano to forte.) The company says this is likely the first keyboard at this size and price point that incorporates velocity-sensitive keys. Check out this demo video of the piano in action without any post effects.

Loog boasts that the instrument uses both sampled and modeled sounds, so attack, decay and the air between notes should all recall an actual piano. The combination of the built-in speakers and velocity engine also works to mimic the analog instrument, but this is still a digital piano, so moving to the real thing later will require a bit of an adjustment period.

The Loog Piano is battery-powered and fully portable, and gets around three hours of play time per charge via the built-in USB-C port. It weighs nearly five pounds, however, so keep that in mind if you plan on stuffing this thing in your kid’s backpack. Though the speakers are a main draw, you can of course plug in some headphones for private playing.

You may notice what this instrument doesn’t have. There aren’t hundreds of other sounds. There aren’t built-in effects. There’s a volume knob and that’s about it. This is by design, with Loog stating that the instrument’s “full muscle is devoted to the piano sound.”

Despite lacking 400 horrible brass sounds you’ll never use, this piano does have one significant tech-forward feature. Loog’s instrument integrates with a proprietary app that’s primarily for learning piano. This app is filled with “lessons and game-like exercises that make learning fun and easy,” though the piano integrates with other learning software. Additionally, it ships with a set of decidedly low-tech flash cards to help teach chords and scales.

Instead of going with a traditional retail launch, Loog took to Kickstarter to drum up support for its latest instrument. As of this writing, it’s already smashed through the initial goal by a factor of 30, so expect units to start shipping in April. Early adopters can currently snag the instrument for $250, which is 20 percent off its eventual retail price.

Amazon's second Prime-related event for 2023 is officially called Prime Big Deal Days and will happen October 10 and 11. This is the second year in a row for a fall-based, site-wide Amazon sale and we're already seeing discounts pop up. You'll need a Prime membership to access many of the deals, though a few are available to everyone. This week, there are early Prime Day deals on the AirPods Pro, Amazon's Echo Dot, Amazon Music Unlimited, Eero 6 mesh Wi-Fi systems, Ring Video Doorbells and security systems and Amazon Fire Omni smart TVs. Here are the best early October Prime Day deals you can get right now. 

Apple AirPods Pro

Amazon has the Lightning model of Apple's AirPods Pro on sale for $199, which is roughly $50 off Apple's list price. We consider the AirPods Pros the best wireless earphones for those who use an iPhone or lots of Apple devices. They still deliver excellent noise cancellation, a pleasingly warm sound profile and a variety of Apple-specific features such as hands-free Siri access, Find My device tracking and quick pairing and switching between iPhones, iPads and MacBooks. With a recent update, they've also gained a useful "Adaptive Audio" mode that blends the pair's ANC and transparency modes dynamically based on your surroundings.

Amazon Echo Dot + Kasa Smart Plug Mini

As part of a big Echo speaker sale, the Echo Dot is down to just $23, and you can get a bundle with the small smart speaker and a Kasa Smart Plug Mini for just $1 more. Considering the Echo Dot is one of our favorite smart speakers and the Kasa smart plug earned a spot on our list of best smart plugs, this is a great bundle for anyone who wants to smarten up their home while sticking to their budget. Also included in this sale are the Echo Pop for $18 and the full-sized Echo for $55.

Amazon Echo Show 5

A number of Amazon’s smart displays are on sale ahead of October Prime Day, and that includes the Echo Show 5 for $40. It’s the smallest smart display in the company’s lineup, which is part of what makes it a solid smart alarm clock. It has strong audio quality and a sunrise alarm feature, and this updated model has a faster processor and an additional mic for improved Alexa responsiveness. The Echo Show 8 (previous-gen) and the Echo Show 10 are also included in this sale, and there’s even a bundle that pairs the Echo Show 5 with a Philips Hue Smart Color Bulb for $42.

Amazon Fire HD 8

Amazon’s Fire HD 8 tablet has dropped to $60 as part of a larger tablet sale ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. That’s only $5 more than it was during Prime Day in July, and we recommend this slab for those who want a cheap tablet they can give to their kids, use as a couch device and the like. You can choose a model that has 32GB or 64GB of storage, and you can expand the amount of space on the tablet using a microSD card. It also has decent performance and a long, 13-hour battery life. If you prefer to get the best of what Amazon has to offer in the tablet space, pick up the Fire Max 11 tablet, which is on sale for a record low of $150 right now.

Blink security cameras

Blink 3rd- and 4th-gen security cameras have been discounted ahead of October Prime Day. These deals are particularly noteworthy for the 4th-gen Outdoor cameras since they were just announced at the end of August. A three-pack of those new cameras is half off and down to $135, and there are a bunch of bundles available as well: a two-pack with a Blink Mini for $100, a three-pack with a Video Doorbell for $165, a whole home bundle for $102 and many more. These security cameras are convenient because they are wireless and have two-year battery lives, plus they support motion and audio alerts, two-way talk and night vision.

Ring Video Doorbells

There’s a massive Ring sale going on now in the lead up to October Prime Day in which you can pick up one of the video doorbells for as low as $35. The Ring Video Doorbell Wired is 46 percent off and down to $35, and as the name suggests, you’ll have to hardwire it to your home during installation. There are a few Ring doorbells available at this point, so if you’d prefer one that runs on a rechargeable battery, consider the standard Ring Video Doorbell, which is down to $55 at the moment. This sale also includes Ring Stick Up cameras that can be placed inside the home, as well as various Ring Alarm bundles.

Kindle Paperwhite Kids Essentials Bundle

A few Kindle Essentials Bundles have been discounted for Prime members ahead of October Prime Day, including this Kids one that you can pick up for $143. It contains a Kindle Paperwhite Kids ereader along with a cover, a screen protector, a power adapter, a two-year warranty and a one-year subscription to Amazon Kids+. That’s basically everything a kid would need to dive into reading on a Kindle while also keeping their new gadget charged and protected at all times. The Kids+ subscription gives them access to age-appropriate ebooks and audiobooks, just remember that the membership will automatically renew after the first year at the full, $3-per-month price.

Amazon Music Unlimited

If you've never subscribed to Amazon Music Unlimited, you can now get three months of the music streaming service for free. If you're an Amazon Prime member who has never subscribed, that jumps to four months. Music Unlimited usually comes with a one-month free trial and goes for $11 a month — or $10 if you use Prime — so this deal saves you either $22 or $30. We highlight Music Unlimited in our guide to the best music streaming services: Its UI and music discovery features aren't as robust as Apple Music or Spotify, but it offers a large library in CD streaming quality and a wide podcast selection. Naturally, it also works well with Echo speakers and other Amazon devices. Note that your subscription will be set to auto-renew by default, so you'll have to manually cancel if you're just looking to snag a few months of music streaming at no cost.

Eero Pro 6E mesh Wi-Fi system

Amazon has discounted most of its Eero 6 Wi-Fi systems as an early Prime Day deal, including the most powerful of the bunch, the Eero Pro 6E. You can pick up one router for $180, or spring for a three-pack for $400, both of which are down to record-low prices. Devices with support for Wi-Fi 6E can connect directly to the Eero’s 6 GHz radio band, and if you get the three-pack, you’ll get up to 6,000 square feet of coverage — more than enough for most homes. These Eeros have a built-in smart home hub as well, so you don’t need to have an extra device if you want to build out an IoT ecosystem in your house.

Samsung Pro Plus

If you need more storage for your Nintendo Switch, GoPro or anything else that accepts microSD cards, the 256GB version of the Samsung Pro Plus with Samsung's USB reader is on sale for $22. We've seen the card alone fall as low as $20, but this matches the all-time low for the bundle with the reader, which helps the card get closer to its advertised read and write speeds — up to 180 MB/s and 130 MB/s for reading and writing, respectively — on devices that allow them. Normally, this SKU retails for $25. The Pro Plus is the top recommendation in our guide to the best microSD cards, as it delivered the fastest sequential write speeds and random performance of any card we tested and comes with a 10-year warranty.

Crucial X6 portable SSD

Amazon has knocked up to 55 percent off Crucial external and internal SSDs, including the 2TB Crucial X6 portable SSD for $90. That’s 55 percent off and only $10 more than it was during Prime Day in July. This drive has read speeds up to 800 MB/s and works with a variety of devices including Mac and Windows laptops, iPads and even some game consoles. It’s also quite small, so it will fit into nearly any bag when you need to take it on the go.

Apple Watch Ultra (1st gen)

The first-gen Apple Watch Ultra has been discounted by $100 on Amazon, bringing it to $699 instead of $799. The discount only applies to the watch with the orange Alpine Loop in small. The medium and large bands are about a dollar more, and watches with different colored bands aren't discounted. We gave the first Apple Watch Ultra an 85 in our review, praising its long battery life, bright display and useful fitness and health features. It doesn't have the Ultra 2's double-tap navigation system and S9 SiP (system-in-package) processor for on-board Siri requests, but if all you need is a rugged watch with lots of hiking, running and other activity features, now's your chance to save. The second-gen Apple Watch Ultra is available now, and it currently has a small discount that brings it down to $774.

Amazon Fire Omni QLED TVs

All sizes of Amazon’s Fire TV Omni QLED Series are on sale ahead of October's sale. The 43-, 50-, 55- and 65-inch models are down to $380, $400, $440 and $600, respectively. Those match or beat the prices we saw for July's Prime Day. The Fire TV Omni QLED sets are best for people who like Amazon’s Fire interface, which is easy enough to figure out, though the OS tends to push you towards Amazon's own content. Beyond that Fire TVs do a good job of integrating Alexa's helpfulness with a useful voice remote, and hands-free smart home support. And if you don't feel like having Alexa listening in, you can turn off the mics with a built-in switch.

Your Fall Prime Day Shopping Guide: See all of our Prime Day coverage. Shop the best Prime Day deals on Yahoo Life. Follow Engadget for Prime Day tech deals. Learn about Prime Day trends on In The Know. Hear from Autoblog’s car experts on must-shop auto-related Prime Day deals and find Prime Day sales to shop on AOL, handpicked just for you.

You may know NordVPN from its popular ambassador program, taking social media by storm as influencers sign up to make money advertising the virtual private network. But despite its popularity, it didn’t make the list of the nine top providers we published in June. After vigorous testing, I concluded it was a bit overhyped for the price, lacking features considered standard in lower cost options.

Geoblocking, streaming and gaming are the three main VPN use cases. So, to test out NordVPN and its competitors, I used them to watch Canadian Netflix from my US-based home, played an online game from a UK-based server and streamed a news channel on YouTube via a Hong Kong-based VPN.

NordVPN was easy to sign up for, offering options like opting in to automatic updates to keep the service running at the latest version. Depending on the tier you pick, you can also get access to NordPass, the company’s password manager, or NordLocker, a file encryption software. The “complete” package runs at $5.79 per month.

The best VPNs stay out of your way and you'll barely even notice they’re running. That was pretty much the case with NordVPN. It passed our basic privacy tests, like successfully masking the IP address, and the DNS and WebRTC leak tests.It was also easy to access geo-blocked content, stream on YouTube and game using NordVPN, with little-to-no buffering. We ran a ping test, which measures internet latency. It took 75 milliseconds with NordVPN on, which isn't a lot slower than 62 ms with it off.

NordVPN supports up to six devices at once, which means I could conduct all tests simultaneously and still had no slowdown. That’s great for sharing it with a family, or folks that like to game, watch TV and scroll on their phone at the same time. Those connectivity options come with a caveat: the devices have to run on different VPN protocols if they’re connected to the same server. NordVPN has more than 5,000 servers in 60 countries, and offers a variety of device support from gaming systems to Raspberry Pi devices to streaming services.

Still, NordVPN’s security history is less than ideal. NordVPN is based in Panama, a country with limited data sharing laws. It uses industry-standard AES 256-bit encryption and a modification on the WireGuard protocol to avoid temporarily collecting IP addresses. It does third-party security audits and has a vulnerability disclosure program, two indicators of taking privacy basics seriously. But it’s not open source, and when it comes to data privacy, it falls short because of its patterns of collecting and storing unnecessary user information. Notably, NordVPN also failed to disclose a 2018 data breach in a timely manner. It wasn’t until a security researcher discussed it publicly, over a year after the incident, that NordVPN owned up to it.

NordVPN’s history of loaded terms and deceptive advertising also just didn’t sit well with me. The UK-based Advertising Standards Authority ruled a 2019 NordVPN ad as misleading, by exaggerating the risk from data theft. It makes sweeping claims about what’s possible with its VPN that are impossible to prove.

For an option so highly talked about, the experience using NordVPN was just… fine. It didn’t stand out, unlike ProtonVPN that offered a more comprehensive suite of products alongside the VPN and higher security measures. That’s why Nord didn’t make the cut as one of the top choices I’d recommend.

It has only been a few months since Apple's Beats division unveiled the Beats Studio Pro, a long-overdue new set of noise-canceling headphones. While it took several years for Beats to update its over-ear headphones, consumers haven't had to wait nearly as long for a discount on the latest cans. The Beats Studio Pro has dropped from $349 to $250 at Woot. That's a 29 percent discount, and it matches the lowest price we've previously seen.

While Amazon owns Woot, it's worth bearing in mind that the latter has a different returns policy. So, be aware of that if you were considering picking up the Beats Studio Pro just to try them out.

The Beats Studio Pro is a solid option for a set of over-ear wireless headphones. We gave the device a score of 81 in our review. A big improvement to the sound quality from previous models is a major plus point, with a second-gen version of Beats' audio chip powering upgraded active noise cancellation, spatial audio and dynamic head tracking. We felt that the headphones delivered above average voice performance, while the addition of a transparency mode and USB-C wired audio for higher-resolution audio are certainly welcome.

On the downside, some may find the lack of an automatic pausing function irksome, while the headphones perhaps don't offer the most comfortable fit out there. Most egregiously, there's no support for iOS multipoint connectivity, even though this is a device from an Apple brand. That means you can't connect to more than one Apple device at once for seamless switching. Here's hoping Beats enables that at some point.

Overall, the Beats Studio Pro is a solid choice for a set of over-ear headphones, especially at this price. If you're a Beats fan looking to upgrade, now seems like a good time to do so. Alternatively, there are many other great sets of wireless headphones worth considering.

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Sales on Amazon products continue to roll out ahead of the official start of October Prime Day on everything from Blink cameras to Kindle Scribes. The 16GB Kindle Scribe is back on sale for 22 percent off, dropping to $265 from $340. It mirrors a recent sale on the Kindle Scribe, but this one isn't exclusive to Prime members, as was the case for the September one.

Amazon's 16GB Kindle Scribe has a 10.2-inch, 300 ppi glare-free display with an adjustable warm light and auto-adjustable front light that changes depending on the time of day. It also includes an option to increase the font size anytime for easier reading. Thanks to the pages available for writing or sketching, you can use the Kindle Scribe as a personal notebook or journal. Plus, you can write on PDFs, Microsoft Word docs or across millions of books available from the Kindle Store using the Basic Pen included with your purchase. Getting the Premium Pen instead will cost you another $25, with a 22 percent sale dropping the pair's price to $290 from $370. The 32GB and 64GB Kindle Scribes are also on sale, available for $305 and $330, respectively.

Your Kindle Scribe shouldn't require too much charging as Amazon claims the battery will last 12 weeks if you read an average of a half hour each day and three weeks if you write an average of a half hour a day. Of course, factors like brightness and wireless connection can kill the charge quicker, but it has a longer battery life than its predecessors.

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Google’s pitch for Chromebooks has been pretty straightforward for a while now. They’re laptops that don’t require a lot of fuss, with easy set-up, fast boot times and a simple software update process. They’re also secure from things like viruses and malware, and Google recently committed to 10 years of automatic software updates.

The hardware side of things isn’t quite as simple. Chromebooks started as cheap computers meant mostly for web browsing, but both Chrome OS and the laptops themselves have gotten a lot more advanced since then. There are still plenty of budget models out there, many with questionable build quality or specs; there are also lots of “premium” Chromebooks with powerful internals, high-end screens and great industrial design.

Then there’s a middle ground: utilitarian but well-designed laptops with powerful enough hardware for most users that don’t break the bank. In the last few years, I’ve had a hard time finding that sweet spot, but today Google is announcing the Chromebook Plus initiative to make that easier.

Essentially, Chromebook Plus devices have a guaranteed set of specs to ensure a consistent and quality experience. That means every Chromebook Plus has an Intel Core or AMD Ryzen (7000 series) processor, at least 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. A full 1080p IPS display and 1080p webcam also come standard.

Google

Google and four OEM partners are announcing a total of eight Chromebook Plus models today: two each from HP, Acer, ASUS and Lenovo. With the exception of two 15.6-inch models from Acer and HP, all of these devices will feature 14-inch screens, making them solid all-around options for most people. And while the “Plus” name might imply that we’re strictly talking about premium hardware, like HP’s $999 Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, these devices start at $399. That’s not the absolute cheapest price we’ve seen for a Chromebook, but quality can be hit or miss below that price – but with the Plus initiative, buyers will hopefully be a lot more secure in what they’re purchasing.

Chromebook Plus devices will also get access to a handful of software tricks, including a Material You design, dynamic wallpapers and the Magic Eraser tool in Google Photos. Some of the AI-powered tricks Google uses to improve calls in Meet will also work on other video call platforms, as well. Specifically, you’ll be able to use the auto “improve lighting” and “noise cancellation” features on Meet as well as Zoom and Microsoft Teams.

Google

There’s also a new File Sync feature that’ll automatically keep files from Google Drive locally available for when you’re offline. Google says that’s thanks in part to the minimum 128GB of storage available on Chromebook Plus models, but it’s not clear how the system will decide what to download or how much space to use up. But expanding offline utilities for Chromebooks should nonetheless be handy. Google says that all the software improvements it announced as part of Chromebook Plus will be coming to all Chromebooks that meet these minimum specifications soon, as well.

Google

Google is also smartly partnering with Adobe, who just announced Photoshop for the web last week. While the company acknowledges that it’s a “streamlined” app for the web, it still represents the first time that Chromebook users will get a taste of the Photoshp experience. (It’s worth noting that existing Photoshop customers get access to Photoshop on the web as part of their subscription.)

Adobe and Google are giving Chromebook Plus buyers a three-month trial of Photoshop on the web, along with access to the Adobe Express creation tool that lets you quickly build things like animations, logos, flyers and so forth. Express users Adobe’s Firefly generative AI models, and Chromebook Plus owners will get to try that out too.

Google

Google also teased a slew of AI-powered software improvements coming to Chromebook Plus laptops next year. One is a text composer that understands the context of the tool you’re using, whether it’s something like YouTube video descriptions or short-form comments on social media. There’s also going to be a generative image AI that’ll let you make custom wallpapers for your Chromebook with text prompts. Similarly, you’ll also be able to generate image backgrounds for when you’re on video calls.

The initial eight Chromebook Plus models will be released on October 8. Lenovo will offer two Intel-powered 14-inch models, the IdeaPad Slim 3i and the IdeaPad Flex 5i for $550 and $500, respectively. Acer has a 14-inch Chromebook Plus 514 with a Ryzen 3 or Ryzen 5 processor and the 15.6-inch Chromebook Plus 515, with an Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 processor. Both models are priced at $400.

Google

HP also has a 15.6-inch model with an Intel Core i3 processor for $600 and the Chromebook Plus x360 14 inch with a 360-degree hinge and up to a Core i5 processor for $750. Finally, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX3402 includes up to an Intel Core i5 processor and a 14-inch screen, while the Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip has a 360-degree hinge and a more rugged design. (ASUS didn’t provide pricing for these models as of publish time.) Obviously there are a lot of smaller details that differentiate all these devices, and we’ll be looking forward to getting our hands on them soon so we can see what this all translates to in terms of the end user experience. But if Google can standardize solid specs across a wider range of price points, it’ll be a lot easier for people who want to give Chromebooks a shot.

October's Prime Day doesn't start until the tenth, but the sales are already coming along strong. For instance, many of Amazon's Blink products, including the third and fourth-generation outdoor cameras, are on sale. Right now, you can get a three-pack of Blink Outdoor 4 cameras for $135 — half off its usual sticker price of $270. A trio of third-generation Blink Outdoor cameras are available for 60 percent off, dropping to $100 from $250.

Amazon recently released its Blink Outdoor 4 camera, which increased visibility to 143 degrees from 110 degrees. It also offers enhanced motion detection and sharper image quality for easier monitoring, whether while in the comfort of your home or away on vacation. For $35 less, the Blink Outdoor 3 has the same two-year battery guarantee, motion-activated alerts and two-way audio.

If you want to test the waters with Amazon's security device, the Blink Mini is on sale for $20 from $35, a 43 percent discount. The indoor 1080p HD camera monitors movement during the day and night and connects to the Blink Video doorbell — providing alerts to your smartphone in both cases. It also lets you hear and speak through the device in real-time. Speaking of seeing who's at your house, the Blink Video Doorbell with two Outdoor 4 smart security cameras is 50 percent off, dropping to $130 from $260.

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In case you missed the hype, Humane is a startup founded by ex-Apple executives that's working on a device called the "Ai Pin" that uses projectors, cameras and AI tech to act as a sort of wearable AI assistant. Now, the company has unveiled the Ai Pin in full at a Paris fashion show (Humane x Coperni) as a way to show off the device's new form factor. "Supermodel Naomi Campbell is the first person outside of the company to wear the device in public, ahead of its full unveiling on November 9," Humane wrote.

The company describes the device as a "screenless, standalone device and software platform built from the ground up for AI." It's powered by an "advanced" Qualcomm Snapdragon platform and equipped with a mini-projector that takes the place of a smartphone screen, along with a camera and speaker. It can perform functions like AI-powered optical recognition, but is also supposedly "privacy-first" thanks to qualities like no wake word and thus no "always on" listening."

Humane first flaunted the capabilities of the Ai Pin at a Ted Talk back in May led by co-founder Imran Chaudhri, who previously worked on the iPhone user interface. Though the device itself was mostly hidden, he showed off a variety of sci-fi like features, including the ability to take a call while projecting details on his hand. He also flaunted its ability to translate English to French using AI translation, in Chaudhri's own voice. Another trick was "catch me up," a summary of news and information you may have missed. 

Other information is less clear, like how the device connects to the internet, as it doesn't pair with a smartphone. And other than the fact that it frees you from carrying one, it's hard to see the benefit over a typical smartphone. It's also not stated exactly how the features worked, and you'd be right to be skeptical about any fancy tech demo. 

Humane

By presenting it a Paris Fashion Week, Humane seems eager to flaunt the device's stylish nature (it seems to be available in both black and white), though that's up for debate. It's hard to compare to anything else, as there are few wearables out there that attach to clothing. The company will also have to reckon with the stigma (à la Google Glass) of wearing a camera, though the mini-projector is actually pretty cool. In any case, we'll learn more when it's fully unveiled next month on November 9. 

Apple has acknowledged what many buyers have noticed over the past week — the iPhone 15 and 15 Pro can get uncomfortably hot. The company said that background activity, an iOS 17 bug and third-party apps are causing the problem, Forbes reported. It added that a software update and fixes from developers are coming soon.

"We have identified a few conditions which can cause iPhone to run warmer than expected. The device may feel warmer during the first few days after setting up or restoring [it] because of increased background activity," a spokesperson said in a statement. "We have also found a bug in iOS 17 that is impacting some users and will be addressed in a software update. Another issue involves some recent updates to third-party apps that are causing them to overload the system. We’re working with these app developers on fixes that are in the process of rolling out."

The apps in question include Uber, Instagram and Asphalt 9. Meta has already released a fix for Instagram, so it's worth checking that you have the latest version. The overheating issue may be confined to certain situations and combinations of apps, as not every user has seen it (Engadget didn't in its review). 

One thing definitely not causing the problem is the titanium frame, as Apple told MacRumors that the design actually provides better heat dissipation than previous models with stainless steel frames. The company also said that the issue was not directly related to its A17 Pro chip, and that the upcoming fix will not degrade performance in any way. Finally, it's also unrelated to high-power chargers, as the iPhone 15 is fully compliant with USB-C PD and has built-in protection to prevent damage from overheating. So if you've experienced the issue, stay patient as a fix should be arriving soon. 

Amazon's Echo Show smart displays with Alexa voice control are already a good value next to the competition, but a big smart display sale is making them even cheaper. The Show 5 is the least expensive, on sale right now for just $40, or 53 percent off the regular price — a great deal for Alexa capability with a display. And if you need a larger screen, the Echo Show 8 is priced at just $60 (54 percent off) and the Echo Show 10 is $160, for a savings of 36 percent. 

The Echo Show 5 scored a very solid 85 score in our Engadget review, as it's small size is ideal if don't have a ton of space on your desk, nightstand or countertop. It has a 5.5-inch, 960 x 480 resolution display that shows things like weather forecasts, calendar events, photos and more. The 2MP camera can be used to video chat with friends and family, but it can also be used as a makeshift security camera of sorts. And if you prefer you're concerned about privacy, the Show 5 has a built-in camera shutter and mic mute button. It's on sale by itself for $40 in several colors (Charcoal, Cloud Blue and Glacier White). However, you can also grab it with a Blink Mini camera for $45 (64 percent off) and the best deal is with a Philips Hue Smart Color Bulb ($42, or 71 percent off).  

If you need a larger screen, the second-generation Show 8 is available for just $60. It earned an Engadget score of 87, thanks to its 8-inch 1,280 x 800 touchscreen, minimalist design and stellar sound quality. It differs from the first-generation device in several ways, particularly with the updated 13-megapixel camera that digitally pans and zooms to keep you in frame when you're doing video chats on apps like Zoom. It's a particularly nice feature if you frequently use your smart display as a stationary video-chatting device. It also works great as a photo frame, and Amazon's updated home screen lets you see multiple items at once like the weather and sports.

Finally, the Echo Show 10 is available for $160 (36 percent off). It earned an Engadget score of 83 back in 2021, thanks to features like the unusual rotating screen that makes it easy to see information at a glance and participate in video calls while completing other tasks. It also sounds and looks great, and can double as a security camera. Those are just a few of the many deals available at Amazon's smart display sale, for the rest, check here.