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Last chance: 8 Amazon gadgets hit their lowest prices ever for Prime Day

7 October 2026 at 11:17

October Prime Day ends today, which means this is your last opportunity to grab Amazon’s marked-down products, including Blink, Ring, Echo, Fire TV, and Eero devices. Not sure which ones are worth pulling the trigger on? I’ll guide you to the best discounts going on right now.

I didn’t just go through Amazon’s search results and pluck out what look like good deals. Every product on this list fits two criteria: it’s at a significant discount compared to its “street price,” and I would actually buy this product at this price over same-class items from other brands. If I wouldn’t seriously consider it for my own cart, it doesn’t qualify for this list.

Prime caveat: While some of these deals can be had without an active Prime subscription, others can’t. But don’t fret if you don’t have Prime. See our article on how to get Amazon Prime for free to score the following discounts—and others—without paying for a sub.

Deals at a glance

Blink Outdoor 4 Cam and Battery Doorbell 2K+ (Bundle)

Blink Outdoor 4 and Battery Doorbell 2K+ Bundle

Blink

Now $65.99 (lowest price ever — 75% off, was $259.98)

You could get the Blink Outdoor 4 for $65.99, which is already a solid discount off its usual $99.99… or you could get this Blink Outdoor 4 + Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ bundle for the exact same price. Do I need to spell it out for you? This bundle effectively gives you a free Battery Doorbell 2K+, allowing you to watch your doorstep and your backyard with these two outdoor cameras. Check in on your feeds via the Blink app on your phone and you’ll always have peace of mind—even while on vacation.

Get this Blink Bundle at Amazon

Ring Indoor Cam

Ring Indoor Cam

Ring

Now $24.99 (lowest price ever — 50% off, was $49.99)

The Ring Indoor Cam gives you vantage over any room in your house. Mount it on top of a table, or screw it higher up into a wall—its swivel design lets you point it at wherever you want it looking over. It’s pretty basic with 1080p resolution, but it has color night vision and a live feed that you can tune into via the Ring app on your phone. If all you need is straightforward interior surveillance at home, this one’s a solid pick at $24.99.

Get the Ring Indoor Cam at Amazon

Ember 4K Smart TV (55-Inch)

Amazon Ember 4K Smart TV model 4K55N402

Amazon

Now $279.99 (lowest price ever — 39% off, was $459.99)

Yup, Amazon makes its own line of big smart TVs. This Ember 4-Series has a 55-inch diagonal, perfect for living rooms and spacious bedrooms, and it comes with an Alexa Remote for convenient control. 4K resolution, HDR10+ support, and Dolby Audio for just $279.99 make it a strong budget-friendly pick if you’re mainly streaming shows and films in 4K. It also has something called Ambient Experience, which displays artwork or a smart interactive hub when in standby mode (and only when it detects people nearby).

Get the 55-inch Ember 4K TV at Amazon

Luna Wireless Gaming Controller

Luna Wireless Gaming Controller

Amazon

Now $39.99 (lowest price ever — 43% off, was $69.99)

Though it was designed for use with Amazon’s Luna cloud gaming platform, the Luna controller works with anything. Connect it via Bluetooth to your PC, gaming console, or even your phone. It also supports USB wired, but only with Windows and macOS devices. Neither budget nor premium, it’s a good middle-of-the-road option with a comfortable, standard layout (offset thumbsticks), bumpers, triggers, and a directional pad. At $39.99, it’s a step up from most other wireless controllers in this range.

Get the Luna Gaming Controller at Amazon

Fire TV Stick 4K Plus

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus

Amazon

Now $37.99 (46% off, was $69.99)

Amazon’s Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is great for two reasons. It plugs into any device that supports HDMI input (e.g., TVs, monitors, projectors) and lets you stream from dozens of services like Netflix, Hulu, and Prime Video. But your accounts are logged on the stick itself, so if you take it with you to a hotel, Airbnb, or friend’s house, you just plug in and resume your shows and movies from wherever you left off.

The 4K Plus is the balanced option in Amazon’s Fire TV Stick lineup. While the 4K Select is cheaper, it runs on a different OS that’s slower and doesn’t allow for sideloading apps. Meanwhile, the more expensive 4K Max is faster and has twice the storage. If you’re only going to be streaming shows and movies—meaning you won’t be downloading many apps, games, or files—then the 4K Plus is the way to go.

Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus at Amazon

Fire TV Cube

Fire TV Cube

Amazon

Now $89.99 (lowest price ever — 55% off, was $199.99)

Whereas the Fire TV Stick 4K Plus is more than fine for basic streaming, the Fire TV Cube is what you want if you have a decked-out home media setup. The Cube is much faster with its upgraded octa-core processor and extra RAM, so apps launch more quickly, navigation is more responsive, and gaming performance feels better. It has Super Resolution, which upscales HD content so it looks better on 4K displays. If you’re going to cloud-stream Xbox games or if on-screen lag really bothers you, get the Cube.

Get the Fire TV Cube at Amazon

Fire TV Soundbar

Fire TV Soundbar

Amazon

Now $79.99 (lowest price ever — 33% off, was $119.99)

No matter how much you spend on a TV, the built-in speakers are almost guaranteed to suck—and there’s no easier upgrade than to add in a soundbar. You don’t have to spend a lot either. At $79.99, Amazon’s Fire TV Soundbar is as good as it gets in this price range, punching up bass for a fuller experience while improving voice clarity so you can actually understand what characters are saying on screen.

Amazon also has a stepped-up model called the Fire TV Soundbar Plus. Whereas the regular Soundbar is 24 inches, the Soundbar Plus is 37 inches—a better acoustic and aesthetic fit for larger TVs (55-inch and bigger). It can also pair with a wireless subwoofer and satellite speakers for true surround sound. If that’s important to you, you’ll want the Soundbar Plus instead.

Get the Fire TV Soundbar at Amazon

Get the Fire TV Soundbar Plus at Amazon

Fire HD 10 Tablet

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon

Now $72.99 (lowest price ever — 53% off, was $154.99)

Amazon sells several tablet models, with the most popular ones being the Fire HD 10 and Fire HD 8. I have the Fire HD 8 and I regret it, mainly because it’s too sluggish for anything but extremely basic uses. The Fire HD 10 is what I now recommend for a budget tablet. It has a faster octa-core processor and extra RAM, resulting in better responsiveness that doesn’t slow you down. The larger 10.1-inch display is the cherry on top.

Get the Fire HD 10 Tablet at Amazon

Echo Show 11

Amazon Echo Show 11 smart display

Amazon

Now $149.99 (lowest price ever — 40% off, was $249.99)

If you’re going to get an Echo in 2026, ask yourself: How deep into the Alexa ecosystem are you willing to go? If you think you’ll ever add more Alexa-compatible gadgets to your home—like any of the other stuff on this list—then you’ll want the Echo Show 11.

At first glance, it just looks like a tablet-plus-speaker; it’s actually a smart home hub that makes it easy to control various smart home devices. Sure, you can play music and browse the web on it, but it shines as a central command for controlling your smart thermostat, viewing your camera feeds, changing your smart lights, locking your door, playing media on your TV, and more. Today’s the day to grab one now that it’s at its lowest price.

Get the Echo Show 11 at Amazon

Eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi System

Eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi System

Amazon

Now $214.99 (28% off, was $299.99)

If you live in a large home—I’m talking 2,000+ square feet—then you’ve probably run into spotty Wi-Fi. Maybe your connection drops while walking around, or certain rooms get terrible signal. If so, you’d benefit from a mesh Wi-Fi system. Unlike a traditional router, mesh Wi-Fi uses multiple “nodes” around the home to expand and strengthen coverage.

The Eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi System is what most households need. It supports up to 1Gbps internet plans, and it supports Wi-Fi 6 with wider 160MHz channels (faster and more reliable than standard 80MHz channels). You should only consider the newer Eero 7 system if you’re paying for a multi-gigabit internet plan, as it goes up to 2.5Gbps, or if you have 100+ smart devices congesting your network. If neither apply, you’re better off saving money with the Eero 6+ instead.

Get the Eero 6+ Mesh Wi-Fi System at Amazon

Get the Eero 7 Mesh Wi-Fi System at Amazon

Apple’s Verified Photography System

7 October 2026 at 07:07

Apple just released a system called “Reference Image.” It can verify the image is exactly as taken by an iPhone—new models only—without tying it to a specific iPhone or photographer. It can also verify that multiple images came from the same iPhone.

Other industry solutions require a photographer or institution to vouch for an image using their own credentials. We are concerned this puts some photographers, such as those operating in conflict zones, in a difficult position; it should not be necessary to forgo anonymity in order to prove image authenticity. We built Apple Reference Image to avoid using an explicit, public credential for photographers, and to avoid even implicit public association between different photos taken by the same sensor. The final reference image is instead signed by Apple’s signing service, after validation by PCC. That signature is backed by Apple’s strongest technical guarantees.

Our implementation also protects the confidentiality of the image itself, including from Apple. Merely capturing a reference image should never expose the actual pixels to Apple or anyone else. We achieve this through the exceptional privacy properties of PCC—the nodes themselves are architected so that not even Apple can access image data, just as Apple cannot see the information processed for Apple Intelligence in PCC. While the revocation service must maintain a private record of photo GUIDs and associated sensors to allow for revocation, it never has access to the image data, and does not allow for public access to this record. And as final revocation checks occur using on-device lists, a device never reveals to anyone which photo it’s looking at in order to find out whether it’s still valid.

The report makes for good reading; the details are interesting.

10 early October Prime Day tech deals worth buying right now

1 October 2026 at 11:54

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger.

Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th. But if you have cash to spend right now and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up.

Deals at a glance

Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack)

Ugreen 100W USB-C cable 2-pack deal

Ugreen

Now $8.99 (31% off)

Who is this for? These USB-C cables are built for anyone juggling multiple devices that charge via USB-C—so that’s pretty much everyone. Rated for up to 100W, these can fast-charge most non-gaming laptops, plus they’re handy for phones, tablets, and all your smaller gadgets.

Why is this deal good? At $8.99 for two cables, this is the best price we’ve seen in months, allowing you to stock up on cables and never worry again that you’ve grabbed an older, slower cable. What else costs you only $5 a pop and offers this much day-to-day utility?

Get the Ugreen USB-C cable 2-pack at Amazon

Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank

Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank

Baseus

Now $29.97 (25% off)

Who is this for? The compact Baseus 45W Travel Power Bank is the perfect portable charger for students, commuters, and anyone who goes on a lot of day trips. It measures 4.3 x 2.6 inches—slightly larger than a credit card—with a thickness of 1.2 inches, so you can easily slip it into a bag or pocket. With two built-in USB-C cables, you don’t have to carry any with you. It also has extra USB-C and USB-A ports, so you can charge up to 4 devices at once (though note the 45W power will get split between all used ports).

Why is this deal good? At $29.97, this Baseus power bank is back down to its lowest ever price. Between its 20,000mAh capacity, fast 45W charging, built-in cables, and compact size, you’re getting a ton of value at this price. The only things missing are wireless charging (rare) and laptop-capable charging speeds (much more expensive).

Get the Baseus 45W travel power bank at Amazon

Acemagic M5 Mini PC

AceMagic Mini M5 mini PC

AceMagic

Now $563.97 (37% off)

Who is this for? The Acemagic M5 mini PC is aimed at anyone who wants plenty of processing power in a tiny format. With an Intel Core 5 CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a sizeable 512GB SSD, this tiny machine can handle your daily workload easily—and it won’t choke on Windows 11. The RAM and storage are upgradeable too, meaning you can make it even more powerful in a few years (if hardware prices ever come down).

Why is this a good deal? Ahead of Prime Day, this $900 mini PC is a steal with the $250+ in discounts via promos that brings its price lower than you can see on the product page. The configuration is great and the fact that you can enjoy a triple display setup with such a tiny PC is amazing.

Get the Acemagic M5 at Amazon

AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor

AOC 16T20 Portable Monitor

AOC

Now $47.49 (32% off)

Who is this for? Literally anyone with a laptop or handheld gaming device. The AOC 16T20 is a 16-inch 1080p IPS display that can hook up via Mini HDMI or USB-C video. Use it to add a second screen to your laptop whether you’re working at a cafe or waiting out an airport layover, then watch Netflix on it or use it with your Steam Deck or Nintendo Switch to play on a bigger screen. It’s so versatile, it’s pretty much a must-have in 2026.

Why is this a good deal? A 16-inch 1080p portable monitor used to set you back nearly $100, and you can still pay way over that amount with a brand like Asus. Even now, you’d normally expect to pay around $60 on sale. AOC is a budget brand but not a trash brand, and snagging a decent portable monitor for under $50 is a downright steal. It even comes with a smart cover that doubles as a stand. The only downside? Only a USB-C charging cable is included, no Mini HDMI or USB-C video cables.

Get the AOC 16T20 at Amazon

Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station

Anker Prime 14-Port Docking Station deal

Anker

Now $169.99 (37% off)

Who is this for? This Anker 14-in-1 dock is built for anyone who needs a single hub to manage multiple monitors, charge several devices at once, and move data fast. It looks sleek on any desk while providing an easy way to plug all your gear into your laptop even if you’re stuck with a single USB-C port. This dock features four USB-C ports, five USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack.

Why is this deal good? At $169.99, down from $269.99, you’re saving $100 on a premium dock that’ll transform your laptop workstation. The 160W total output across four simultaneous charging ports is a game-changer if you’re always juggling multiple wireless devices.

Get the Anker 14-in-1 docking station at Amazon

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot

Now $139.99 (56% off)

Who is this for? The iRobot Roomba 115X is a strong fit for anyone who wants a little bit of extra help keeping the floors in tip-top shape even when they’re busy. It has 15,000 Pa suction and a microfiber mop pad that tackles both dry debris and light floor smudges in one pass. Mop pads aren’t the best robotic mopping option out there, but better options would cost you about 10 times more.

Why is this deal good? This $180 discount slashes the price of this Roomba by more than half—an excellent budget-friendly price to pay for a vacuum and mop 2-in-1 helper. With four suction levels plus app and voice control, this early Prime Day deal is a smart buy.

Get the iRobot Roomba 115X at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Amazon

Now $17.99 (64% off)

Who is this for? The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great pick for anyone who wants to upgrade a basic TV with streaming capabilities at a dirt-cheap price. It’s the cheapest 4K streaming stick in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, granting access to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in glorious 4K. All you need is an HDMI port.

Why is this deal good? You’re getting all that for just $18! Given that Amazon recently bumped up the prices of all its Fire TV devices (citing the global RAM and storage shortage that’s impacting all consumer electronics), this is an immense deal.

Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at Amazon

Amazon Echo Show 11

Amazon Echo Show 11 smart display

Amazon

Now $149.99 (40% off)

Who is this for? The Echo Show 11 is a smart display that doubles as a smart home assistant. It plays music, streams video, browses the web, and serves as a digital photo frame when not in use. But it can also be a control panel for other Alexa-compatible devices, useful for tapping into security camera feeds, controlling thermostats, toggling lights, and more. Anyone with an inkling of smart home interest will find it helpful.

Why is this deal good? It’s pretty expensive at full price, but now that it’s $100 off, the Echo Show 11 is much closer to what it should be. At $149.99, it matches its previous lowest price (which came during June’s Prime Day), and that’s not a bad price at all for a music-playing, video-streaming, thermostat-controlling, photo-displaying hub of activity.

Get the Echo Show 11 at Amazon

Ring Battery Doorbell 2K

Ring Battery Doorbell 2K

Ring

Now $39.99 (60% off)

Who is this for? The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is the latest in Ring’s line-up of battery-powered video doorbells, now offering crisp Retinal 2K video and up to 6x Enhanced Zoom. It’s ideal for renters and home owners who don’t want to faff around with wires—it mounts with screws, connects via Wi-Fi, and recharges via USB-C. Just pop it off every 1 to 3 months, charge for a few hours, then pop it back on.

Why is this deal good? The 60% discount is hard to pass up. It was hard to recommend at its original $99.99 price, but now that it’s only $39.99, it’s sitting at a brand-new all-time low price ahead of October Prime Day. Note that the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K Plus is also on sale, and that one has a detachable battery so you can recharge it without unmounting the entire doorbell, but it’ll also cost you more than double.

If you don’t mind spending a little more, you can even get this Ring Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam bundle for just $49.99, down from $149.99. One caveat here is that the Battery Doorbell comes in Speckled Gray while the Indoor Cam comes in Black for this bundle.

Get the Ring Battery Doorbell 2K at Amazon

Get the Battery Doorbell + Indoor Cam bundle at Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 10 Tablet

Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet

Amazon

Now $72.99 (53% off)

Who is this for? The Amazon Fire HD 10 is the best budget-friendly tablet that won’t feel like a hunk of crap in your hands. The 10.1-inch screen is spacious with a crisp 1080p resolution, and between the octa-core CPU and 4GB of RAM, it actually feels responsive enough for basic use. Don’t get it if you’ll be doing heavy multitasking, playing intensive games, or taking lots of photos. It’s an entry-level tablet, so expect it to perform like one.

Why is this deal good? A good entry-level tablet like the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ or Lenovo Idea Tab 11 would cost you around $150. That’s about the base price of the Fire HD 10, but with this October Prime Day discount, you can grab it for nearly half that. At $72.99, it’s a no-brainer—and it’s even cheaper than the slower Fire HD 8’s current sale price of $79.99.

Get the Fire HD 10 tablet at Amazon

This $150 Ring doorbell + camera bundle is now $50 ahead of Prime Day

1 October 2026 at 11:46

NOW $100 OFF

Ring Battery Doorbell 2K + Indoor Cam

Original value $149.98. Get this bundle for just $49.99.

The Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is on sale for $39.99, down from $99.99. And the Ring Indoor Cam is on sale for $24.99, down from $49.99. But if you’re interested in both, you’re in luck—Amazon has bundled the two together and priced the package at just $49.99. That’s a $150 value with a massive $100 discount, or an extra $15 off buying them separately. That’s a huge deal ahead of October Prime Day next week.

That Ring Battery Doorbell 2K is great for first-timers, with its no-wire setup and battery-operated design. You’re getting 2K resolution with up to 6x Enhanced Zoom, plus Two-Way Talk so you can give instructions to couriers and scare away intruders. The battery should last 1–3 months on a charge, and recharging is done via USB-C (just pop it off the mount first).

And the Ring Indoor Cam offers 1080p coverage with night vision and a live feed that you can check into at any time. Mount it on a table, a shelf, or a wall, but note that this one’s wired so you’ll need it to be within the vicinity of a power outlet. It also swivels so you can point it exactly where you want, and it also has Two-Way Talk so you can chat with family while away.

With this bundle, you can cover both inside and outside for just $49.99—you’d normally pay more than that for a single video doorbell. If you want to score more deals like this, check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best early October Prime Day tech deals.

10 early October Prime Day deals worth buying right now

29 September 2026 at 13:01

October Prime Day (officially known as “Prime Big Deal Days”) is coming next week! If you missed out on June’s Prime Day, this is your chance to snag a bunch of stuff on sale—hopefully stuff that’s already in your cart, waiting for you to pull the trigger.

Prime Big Deal Days runs Tuesday, October 6th to Wednesday, October 7th. But if you have cash to spend right now and you want to score some early deals ahead of the big event, here are some of the coolest tech deals I’ve spotted in the days leading up.

Deals at a glance

Ugreen 100W USB-C Cable (2-pack)

Ugreen 100W USB-C cable 2-pack deal

Ugreen

Now $8.99 (31% off)

Who is this for? These USB-C cables are built for anyone juggling multiple devices that charge via USB-C—so that’s pretty much everyone. Rated for up to 100W, these can fast-charge most non-gaming laptops, plus they’re handy for phones, tablets, and all your smaller gadgets.

Why is this deal good? At $8.99 for two cables, this is the best price we’ve seen in months, allowing you to stock up on cables and never worry again that you’ve grabbed an older, slower cable. What else costs you only $5 a pop and offers this much day-to-day utility?

Get the Ugreen USB-C cable 2-pack at Amazon

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 in Grau

Samsung/Amazon

Now $245 (18% off)

Who is this for? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is a strong fit for health-conscious Android users who want more than a basic fitness tracker. If you’re someone who takes sleep seriously (or wants to), has a running routine, or needs help monitoring blood pressure regularly, this watch delivers on all fronts and then some.

Why is this deal good? At $245, down from $300, you’re saving $55 on a watch that typically sticks closer to its MSRP. This pre-Prime Day discount is a fantastic opportunity to save big on a feature-packed smartwatch.

Get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 at Amazon

Acemagic M5 Mini PC

AceMagic Mini M5 mini PC

AceMagic

Now $563.97 (37% off)

Who is this for? The Acemagic M5 mini PC is aimed at anyone who wants plenty of processing power in a tiny format. With an Intel Core 5 CPU, 24GB of RAM, and a sizeable 512GB SSD, this tiny machine can handle your daily workload easily—and it won’t choke on Windows 11. The RAM and storage are upgradeable too, meaning you can make it even more powerful in a few years (if hardware prices ever come down).

Why is this a good deal? Ahead of Prime Day, this $900 mini PC is a steal with the $250+ in discounts via promos that brings its price lower than you can see on the product page. The configuration is great and the fact that you can enjoy a triple display setup with such a tiny PC is amazing.

Get the Acemagic M5 at Amazon

Anker 14-in-1 Docking Station

Anker Prime 14-Port Docking Station deal

Anker

Now $169.99 (37% off)

Who is this for? This Anker 14-in-1 dock is built for anyone who needs a single hub to manage multiple monitors, charge several devices at once, and move data fast. It looks sleek on any desk while providing an easy way to plug all your gear into your laptop even if you’re stuck with a single USB-C port. This dock features four USB-C ports, five USB-A ports, two HDMI 2.0 ports, an Ethernet port, and an audio jack.

Why is this deal good? At $169.99, down from $269.99, you’re saving $100 on a premium dock that’ll transform your laptop workstation. The 160W total output across four simultaneous charging ports is a game-changer if you’re always juggling multiple wireless devices.

Get the Anker 14-in-1 docking station at Amazon

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot Roomba 115X

iRobot

Now $139.99 (56% off)

Who is this for? The iRobot Roomba 115X is a strong fit for anyone who wants a little bit of extra help keeping the floors in tip-top shape even when they’re busy. It has 15,000 Pa suction and a microfiber mop pad that tackles both dry debris and light floor smudges in one pass. Mop pads aren’t the best robotic mopping option out there, but better options would cost you about 10 times more.

Why is this deal good? This $180 discount slashes the price of this Roomba by more than half—an excellent budget-friendly price to pay for a vacuum and mop 2-in-1 helper. With four suction levels plus app and voice control, this early Prime Day deal is a smart buy.

Get the iRobot Roomba 115X at Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Fire TV Stick 4K Select

Amazon

Now $17.99 (64% off)

Who is this for? The Fire TV Stick 4K Select is a great pick for anyone who wants to upgrade a basic TV with streaming capabilities at a dirt-cheap price. It’s the cheapest 4K streaming stick in Amazon’s Fire TV lineup, granting access to the likes of Netflix, Prime Video, and Disney+ in glorious 4K. All you need is an HDMI port.

Why is this deal good? You’re getting all that for just $18! Given that Amazon recently bumped up the prices of all its Fire TV devices (citing the global RAM and storage shortage that’s impacting all consumer electronics), this is an immense deal.

Get the Fire TV Stick 4K Select at Amazon

Baseus Picogo MagSafe Power Bank

Baseus Picogo AM41

Baseus

Now $34.16 (51% off)

Who is this for? This ultra-slim Baseus Picogo Magsafe power bank is the perfect choice for iPhone users or Android users with MagSafe cases. This power bank is just 0.5 inches thin, so it’s easy to slip into a bag or pocket, making it ideal for commuters, travelers, and anyone else who’s worried about phone battery life throughout the day.

Why is this deal good? The Baseus Picogo already features a 46% discount on page, but there’s an extra price cut you can redeem at checkout, bringing the price down further. Considering the 10,000mAh capacity, 15W wireless charging, razor-thin profile, and fast recharge with USB-C cable, that’s a steal of a deal.

Get the Baseus Picogo MagSafe power bank at Amazon

Anker 3-in-1 Wireless Charging Station

Anker Prime 3 in 1 Wireless Charging Station front

Simon Jary

Now $139.98 (39% off)

Who is this for? This 3-in-1 wireless charging station from Anker is the absolute perfect purchase for any Apple user who wants to wirelessly charge their iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods at once. No risk of cable tangles, and it sits nicely on your desk and keeps all your gear organized in one place. The charging station also comes with temperature control to protect the health of your batteries in the long run.

Why is this a good deal? At $139.98, down from $230, this is the best price we’ve seen for this model outside of official sales events. You get 25W charging, active cooling, a live HD touchscreen, and a 65W USB-C adapter included in the bundle.

Get the Anker Prime 3-in-1 Charging Station at Amazon

EufyCam C37 Security Camera

EufyCam C37

Eufy

Now $99.99 (23% off)

Who is this for? The EufyCam C37 is the outdoor security camera for anyone who needs their first home surveillance device and doesn’t want to worry about wiring. The detachable solar panel keeps this camera running without direct power, while the 360-degree pan and tilt with AI auto-tracking lets you keep an eye on your entire yard easily.

Why is this deal good? The $99.99 price tag we’re seeing ahead of October Prime Day is the best price this camera has had so far, making this an easy buy. For the price, you’re getting 4K color night vision, solar power, and zero monthly fees. What more could you want?

Get the EufyCam C37 at Amazon

Beats Studio Pro Headphones

Beats Studio Pro wireless noise canceling headphones

Beats

Now $169.95 (43% off)

Who is this for? The Beats Studio Pro is for anyone who wants to be able to block out the world with active noise cancellation, but it’s especially perfect for commuters, remote workers, and frequent travelers. These headphones have one-touch pairing with both Apple and Android devices, and it has a transparency mode that disables noise cancellation and lets you hear what’s going on around you on demand.

Why is this deal good? At just $169.95, the Beats Studio Pro have the best discount we’ve seen in months. You’re getting 40 hours of battery life, fast charging, and personalized Spatial Audio. If you’ve been looking for a pair of premium headphones at a great price, well, you found it.

Get the Beats Studio Pro at Amazon

Reverse-Engineering Flock Cameras

21 September 2026 at 10:37

Hackers captured a Flock camera and got a look (alternate link) at the software:

While much of the automatic license plate reader’s (ALPR) most sensitive storage remained encrypted and inaccessible, the joint analysis of the recovered data shows that software running on the device explicitly detects people as well as vehicles, license plates, and bicycles. The camera can produce dozens of images of a single passing vehicle and, according to several weeks of recovered logs, generated more than a million images. Its computer-vision software also sometimes isolated bumper stickers and other graphics, including, in one case, an American flag patch on a motorcyclist’s saddlebag.

If you’re wondering how the hackers got by disk encryption, one of the unencrypted partitions contained the key for an encrypted partition. That’s pretty bad security engineering.

ICE Bars Its Workers From Wearing Meta’s Smart Glasses on the Job

18 August 2026 at 17:53
The agency joins a growing number of workplaces and groups to ban Meta’s devices, which have spurred privacy concerns.

© Lucia Vazquez for The New York Times

Meta glasses are seen exhibited at the Meta Lab pop-up store on Fifth Avenue in New York.

3 Ex-Georgia Deputies Used Flock Cameras to Stalk People, Sheriff Says

12 August 2026 at 16:27
The former Bibb County deputies were arrested this week amid a growing national debate over Flock cameras, which can be found on roads in every state but Alaska.

© Cheney Orr/Reuters

About 7,000 law enforcement agencies, or 40 percent of all departments in the United States, have contracts with Flock.

MIT to Become Hotbed of AI Video Surveillance

21 July 2026 at 07:07

It’s a lot:

According to information obtained by The Tech, MIT is spending over $3 million on more than 500 AI surveillance cameras in academic buildings, residence halls, and outdoor areas along Memorial Drive. Installation of the new cameras, along with the wiring and infrastructure that will support them, began November 2025 and will likely continue until September 2026.

Technical specifications for the cameras suggest that they will be capable of collecting real-time face and object classification data, including detection of motion, loitering, crowds, face masks, and camera tampering. Individuals can also be automatically classified on the basis of clothing color, gender, and age, up to a distance of 35 feet (11 meters) from the camera. According to a statement from MIT spokesperson Kimberly Allen, any collected data is “retained up to 30 days,” unless an exception is granted.

[…]

Most of the new cameras, which are part of Hanwha’s Wisenet AI line, are marketed for their ability to identify and classify multiple objects with deep learning algorithms. They support resolutions ranging from 2MP to 4K while also recognizing faces, license plates, vehicles, and other objects in real time.

Nearly all cameras will accommodate a wide range of pan, tilt, rotate, and zoom motion and will be monitored continually with Ai-RGUS, an AI camera software.

Yikes.

On Flock License Plate Tracking Cameras

20 July 2026 at 07:03

A recent story of a writer who was mistakenly identified, tracked, and arrested using data from Flock cameras has gone viral.

The New Jersey plates that were allegedly stolen from the LA dealer were 34 03 DTM, not 34 10 DTM. But when the police report was created and the plate was entered into Flock’s system, it was just recorded as 34 DTM. Just the five large characters, no little number in the middle. And Flock’s AI tech wasn’t registering that non-standard little number when it began picking up the Range Rover around town. It just saw 34 DTM in large type and started alerting the local police.

As we all stood there shaking our heads, including my wife, who was finally allowed to join me, I connected the final dot. A lot of vehicles in JLR’s media fleet have a New Jersey manufacturer plate with the same alphanumeric structure­34 ## DTM­and Officer Ganshyn observed that meant it was now a nationwide issue. Anywhere a police department has a partnership with Flock, any other JLR-owned car with the same plate structure is going to get flagged as stolen. In fact, four other 34 ## DTM cars were being tracked around Minnesota that week, according to Officer Ganshyn. I was just the first one to get nabbed. The only way to stop it would be for the LAPD to correct their initial report and update Flock’s system, which Jaguar Land Rover was now racing to make happen following the phone call.

Flock has responded to the bad press. First, they affirmed that their systems were working correctly, and blamed the police:

The obvious question was that Flock cameras were looking for 34 DTM, and the plate on the car I was driving was 34 10 DTM. Why was that flagged as a match?

“The way that the ML [machine learning] works is it correctly read what it was supposed to read. It was fed those characters that you said, 34 DTM, and it spit back out [a result] with the characters, 34 DTM,” Thomas said. “It was asked, can you find this? And it did find that. It just didn’t say if there’s more here, then don’t do it. It just simply said, is it there? And the answer was yes.”

He explained that even if the 10 was normal size, Flock would still have flagged it as a match, because that’s how they’ve set it up according to law enforcement’s requests. Sometimes partial plates are all they have to go on at first.

“The way that law enforcement likes to use these tools is, if any of the characters that they have put into these hot lists get read, they want to get those alerts,” he said. “Now, what we try to train officers to do is to do what you said, which is to verify that 34 DTM is what I’m looking for, and what I’m seeing is 34 10 DTM.”

Second, Flock’s CEO has apologized for calling privacy advocates terrorists:

The CEO of Flock Safety, the company that runs an enormous network of cameras used by police departments across the U.S., hasn’t been shy about taking on Flock’s critics. Last year, he even called one group that tracks the location of Flock cameras “terrorists.” But he’s had a change of heart. Or, at the very least, a change in PR strategy.

Meanwhile, the police are using (alternate source) the Flock camera network to track people in addition to cars:

Police departments around the country have used Flock cameras at least hundreds of times to search for specific people, not cars, using searches such as “heavy-set male with a black and white hat,” “person on skateboard,” and “person wearing orange vest and construction hat,” according to data reviewed by 404 Media. Sometimes searches reference a target’s race or signs of their political affiliation.

And, like all police surveillance technologies, there are abuses.

A Video Screen That Is Also a Camera

15 July 2026 at 07:04

Amazing:

Researchers from ETH Zurich in Switzerland, however, managed to create a new type of pixel that can simultaneously do both. This hypercharged pixel, called a Fourier pixel, can generate and sense arbitrary light fields and tap into a pixel’s full potential for carrying information by manipulating light’s intensity, oscillation phases, and polarization. The team reported its findings in a paper published yesterday in Nature.

We are one step closer to 1984 technology:

The telescreen received and transmitted simultaneously. Any sound that Winston made, above the level of a very low whisper, would be picked up by it; moreover, so long as he remained within the field of vision which the metal plaque commanded, he could be seen as well as heard. There was of course no way of knowing whether you were being watched at any given moment.

Paper.

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