Justin is the Editor-in-Chief at 9to5Toys. For well-over a decade he has covered everything from video games and smart home devices to iPhone and MagSafe accessories, EDC gear, and just about everything in between. A professional audio engineer/producer, he also specializes in home recording, microphones, digital audio, and streaming gear. See something cool out there? Developing the next viral Apple gear accessory? Or just want to talk deals? Contact him directly at justin@9to5mac.com for tips, pitches, and more.
Amazon is offering an extra 20% off Vicks humidifiers right now, all of which with free shipping for Prime members or in orders over $49. One standout from the bunch is the Vicks Mini Filter-free Cool Mist Humidifier (Vul520w) for $27.99 after the coupon is applied. The final price will only be shown in your cart during checkout. That’s more than 20% below the regular listing, within $1 of the Amazon all-time low and the lowest price we can find. Rated 3.8/5 stars from nearly 450 Amazon customers.
Microsoft is introducing a pair of new bundles today. Gamers who have yet to make the jump up to the company’s 4K/HDR-ready Xbox One S machine will be able to do so with a new Halo Wars 2 bundle and a pair of Forza options:
The Halo Wars 2 Ultimate Edition Bundle will pack in a 1TB Xbox One S, the ultimate Edition of the game ($80 value, $64 for Prime) which includes “four days of early access”, the Season Pass and the Definitive Edition version of the original Halo Wars. As usual with these bundles, a wireless Xbox One controller and a 14-day Xbox Live Gold trial is also included.
It has been a busy NAMM 2017 this year from new Pocket Operators and the REV2 Poly synth to a complete Logic Pro X update and more. After seeing the new iRig Pro I/O interface for Mac/iOS from IK, it’s time to take a look at the new PreSonus Studio 26 and 68 boxes. PreSonus is well known in the audio production world and has made its mark in the home recording space with great sounding and affordable products like the PreSonus Ceres Powered Monitors with Bluetooth. The Studio 26 and 28 audio/MIDI interfaces continue that trend with loads of connectivity for podcasters, singer/songwriters, DJs and small home studios.
Walmart has the 2-Pack of ChromaCast Universal Folding Guitar Stands with Secure Lock for $6.20with free store pickup. Otherwise it ships free in orders over $49 or with a free ShippingPass trial. Now there is some debate whether or not this is actually a 2-pack or just one stand. But either way, $6 is a great price here. A single stand goes for around $9.50 on Amazon with a pair of them running up to $20. This would be matching the lowest we have seen a single stand go for, if that is the case. Rated 4.6/5 stars from over 1,100 Amazon customers.
With Zelda Breath of the Wild and the new Nintendo Switch only a month and half out at this point, excitement for the next generation of Nintendo is at all-time high. For the most part, the Switch and its accessories including the Carrying Case + Screen Protector bundle, Joy-Con Charging Grip, extra Joy-Con controllers and more have been largely sold out across all major retailers. And now, the official third-party options are up for pre-order. Most of which come in at a much more affordable price point and get the job done just as well.
Down below you’ll find our top picks for the best third-party Nintendo Switch accessories including everything from stands and cases to screen protectors, controller chargers and more. All of the items listed below are currently in-stock and slated for a March 3rd release date alongside Nintendo Switch: Expand Expanding Close
NAMM 2017 is officially in full swing this week, which means product unveilings galore for the latest and greatest in music and audio production gear. We’ve been covering some of the bigger announcements on 9to5Toys (and over on 9to5Mac), but below we’ve rounded up the best of the best so you don’t miss anything. Check back for more NAMM product announcements as the show continues over the weekend.
Dave Smith is one of the world’s best known and well respected synth designers ever to grace the soldering iron. He has been making world-class instruments since the early 70’s and is referred to as the “Father of MIDI” after having developed the technology we still use to this day. Fast forward more than 30-years, Smith’s company DSI is still releasing some of the most sought after hardware synths on the market and has now given us our first taste of the brand new REV2 poly synth at NAMM 2017. Head below for all the details:
And we still have the Dyson refurbished Ball Allergy Upright Vacuum w/ attachments & 6-month warranty for $190 shipped (Orig. $500) and Bissell’s AirRam Cordless Vacuum at its Amazon all-time low: $160 shipped (Reg. $200)
Amazon has the 100-Pack of AmazonBasics Ballpoint Pens for just $5.49 as an add-on item. That means you’ll need to include it an order of at least $25. It ships free for Prime members or in orders over $49. This is the lowest Amazon has ever offered this pack for and a great way to stock up on pens without having to worry about it for a really long time again. Rated 3.8/5 stars from 29 Amazon customers. Details below.
(Update 1/19 4:00pm): Apple has now named Angry Birds Space the App Store’s new Free App of the Week.
Everyone’s favorite slingshot birds are going on sale today. Angry Birds Space for iPhone and iPad is now available for free. After sitting at $1 and $3 for the last year and a half respectively, the more than 300 levels spread across 10 different planets can now be yours for nothing. The two versions combine for a 4 star rating from over 130,000 happy bird flingers. More details below.
Teenage Engineering is responsible for some of the most unique and creatively thought-provoking synthesizers on the market. Its quirky OP-1 – which saw a much appreciated update well into its life cycle recently – is one my favorite hardware instruments, and it doesn’t get much more fun than the Pocket Operators. The tiny calculator-sized synths offer up loads of functionality and even more character. After expanding the line even further las year, Teenage Engineering is back at it again with the new PO-32 Tonic. Head below for all the details:
Supplement/protein powder company MyProtein is offering a fantastic deal on its popular Impact Whey Protein today. You can grab an 11-lb bag for just $49.49 using code IWP49 in the cart. That drops $40.50 off the regular price and is easily one of the best deals we have seen in a while on the larger quantities. You can ship the whole bag for $4 or receive free shipping on orders over $70.
This can be a great time to stock up and we are seeing a number of different flavors eligible for the deal including Natural Vanilla. More details below.
In other health and supplement deals, Amazon is currently offering an extra 20% off on a wide selection of Vega protein products including bars, performance powders and more. Everything ships free for Prime members or in orders over $49. Speaking of keeping in shape, we also still have this very highly-rated Black Mountain Resistance Band Set w/ Door Anchor at its Amazon all-time low: $20 Prime shipped.
Remember NBA Jam? Of course you do. It was one of the pivotal sports franchises of most our childhoods and a defining moment in gaming. This isn’t your typical old school sports sim either, it was arcade madness at its absolute best, and we loved every second of it. And now one fan has taken it upon himself to re-create the classic for a new generation.
IK Multimedia is well known for its lineup of great sounding and yet, affordable recoding interfaces for iOS, Android, Mac and PC. Whether its the iRig HD 2 for guitar players or the iRig Pro Duo for producers and songwriters, the company has just about every kind of musician, podcaster and music maker covered at a reasonable price point. And now, straight out of NAMM 2017, IK is announcing the brand new all-in-one iRig Pro I/O for iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC and Android devices. As its name suggests, just about every type of connectivity option your typical musician would need at home or on the road is present here.
As usual, this will get shipped free to your door every month, with no sales tax, and will never get auto renewed on you. It can also be sent as a gift with a personalized gift note.
Amazon has the 12-Pack of Sharpie Pro King Size Permanent Markers (Chisel Tip, Black) for $8 with free shipping for Prime members or in orders over $49. This packs sells for between $12 and $20 at trusted retailers and this is matching the Amazon all-time low. These are the King-sized big boys that work great for outdoor and more heavy duty applications. We have some fine point options and more details on this set below. Rated near perfect from over 700 Amazon customers.
Sunvalleytek (100% positive in the last 12 months from 88,980 ratings) via Amazon is offering the TaoTronics Handheld Portable Fabric Steamer for $14.99 with free shipping for Prime members or in orders over $49. That’s as much as $5 under the regular price and the best we can find. This is within $1 of the Black Friday/holiday season price.
After delaying its new earbuds over the holiday season, Bragi has now announced that The Headphone is now available for purchase through its online store.
While normally a quieter month in the gaming world, with the announcement of the Nintendo Switch price and release date, January has been quite busy. We now know The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild will be releasing on day one with the new Nintendo hybrid console, and we couldn’t be happier about it. However, in the meantime we still have a few months to kill before the March 3rd release date and there are some big titles hitting store shelves this month.
PS4 gamers are in for a treat this month with the release of RE7: Biohazard which might be the most drastic (and welcomed) departure for the series yet. We are also getting the sequel to Gravity Rush which has already reviewed quite well, some Yakuza action and more Kingdom hearts to tie us over until KH3. Head below the fold for all the details and some pre-order discounts: Expand Expanding Close
Nintendo unveiled a host of new details about its upcoming hybrid console at the Switch 2017 Presentation in Tokyo tonight. We now have an official release date, pricing, pre-order information and more details on which games we will be playing on Nintendo Switch in just a few months time: Expand Expanding Close
Apple has now handpicked the fun child learning and development app Busy Shapes as the App Store’s new Free App of the Week. Regularly listed at $3, this is the very first time we have seen the children’s game go free on the App Store. It features a host of puzzles and games to sharpen the mind’s of youngsters along with some handy “guided access” features and helpful parental monitoring/controls. Video below.
Along with a 4 hour battery life and Anker’s 18-month warranty, the SoundCore nano ships with a hand-strap, micro USB charging cable and a micro USB to aux cord. Features below.
Yesterday Sony unveiled its new Glacier White PS4 Slim, and now we have some new hardware from Microsoft. Gamers are getting new colorways for the Xbox One wireless controller: two-tone red and military green/orange.
Ahead of this week’s Switch event, Nintendo has just put about 120+ digital games on sale via the e-Shop. We are getting a pretty even split of discounted titles across Wii U and Nintendo 3DS starting from under $1. Down below we have listed out some of our top picks from the sale. While not all-time lows across the board, each of these titles are at the lowest price we can find and can be downloaded from home.