Happy Saturday, readers! It feels like just yesterday that Amazon was unleashing what felt like a never-ending deluge of discounts and deals as part of its annual Prime Day event. And although the two-day affair is certainly over, some retailers are already bringing back Prime Day pricing on a host of items. Take Best Buy and Target as an example, both of which are selling Amazon’s ad-supported Kindle for just $64.99 ($35 off), its lowest price to date.
Amazon’s newest entry-level Kindle is, in many ways, a budget version of the most recent Kindle Paperwhite from 2021. The e-reader packs a 6-inch display with crisp 300ppi resolution, as well as easier access to ePub files and a USB-C port for relatively fast charging (finally). The biggest difference between the two models is that the base Kindle lacks waterproofing, though, if all you need are the essentials and an easy way to burn through some of our favorite tech books of all time, it’s an easy omission to overlook.
There’s a lot of great tech to be had for under $25 — we should know, having put together a guide to a whole host of budget-friendly gadgets. The Chromecast with Google TV (HD) wouldn’t normally fall within that price bracket, but right now it’s on sale at Best Buy, Target, and the Google Store for $19.99 ($10 off), matching its all-time low.
As is the case with Walmart’s like-minded Onn box, Google’s HD streaming device remains a great bang-for-your-buck option, especially if you want to outfit a secondary TV or an older model with new smarts. The inexpensive streaming device is limited to 1080p resolution, yet it still provides access to all your favorite streaming apps and benefits from the same simple controls. It also provides the same modern, content-first presentation as the 4K model, which is great when you consider the device costs less than a single 70mm screening of Oppenheimer.
T-Swift tickets aren’t the only thing that seems to be all the rage these days. Within the last year or so, we’ve seen a significant rise in the number of see-through gadgets available, with standouts like the Beats Studio Buds Plus taking center stage. Nothing’s Ear Stick earbuds are yet another example of this welcome resurgence in transparent tech, one you can currently grab via Nothing for $79 ($20 off).
Like the Nothing Ear 2 earbuds, the Ear Stick rely as much on style as they do substance. The open-style earbuds are an improvement over Nothing’s first-gen model, with better battery life, improved press controls, and a more balanced sound profile that sounds less muddy than the Ear 1. They’re also made of transparent plastic that is unmistakably Nothing, and come with a tube-like charging case that’s far more stylish than anything you’re going to get from Apple, Google, or pretty much anyone else.