This year, our favorite gadget pick was a no-brainer. The currently $39.99 Echo Dot took an already revolutionary Echo speaker, released in 2014 for $199 and made it so much better and accessible for everyone, in every room.
Knowing how much this changes people’s lives for $40 makes this the no-brainer Christmas technology item.
The original Echo was pretty cool but had its quirks. Alexa, the speech recognition behind it was still learning. The ecosystem was non-existent and frankly the speaker wasn’t – and still isn’t – fantastic, especially for its $199 price tag (currently $139 but ships after Christmas).
But Amazon kept plugging away at its Alexa speech recognition/responses and with its retail might and influence was able to sign up partners from all over the smart home ecosystem and internet services. Example of how hardcore they’ve been: Even Alphabet’s Nest works well with the Echo Speaker and my Google domains calendar works with Echo but not with Google’s own $129 challenger the Google Home(!!).
In, fact, Google’s Home attempt and its mediocre debut, still in its early stages, proved to me how well Amazon had done over the past 2 years with feedback and differentiation, while Apple and Google let the smart speaker business pass it by. Next year might be different with Google Home learning a lot more tricks and Apple releasing a ‘Siri Home’ type of product, but it is clear, 2016 is Amazon’s Echo Dot’s year.
Incidentally, I think Google and Apple thought that having a smartphone on you at all times would obviate the need for a smart speaker – and initially I thought this as well – and that’s why they are late to the game. But truly being hands free has changed my thinking entirely.
Let’s drill down the hardware and software and see why this is our best product for 2016:
LumsingDirect via Amazon offers its Portable 10050mAh Premium External Power Bank for $9.99 shipped. That’s $10 off and the lowest we’ve seen it for at Amazon. This dual USB power bank can charge an iPhone 6 four times, a Galaxy S6 three times, and an iPad Air almost once. Rated 3.5/5 stars by over 300 Amazon shoppers.
We also have Caseology cases for iPhone 6/s/7/Plus from $4 shipped plus the iHome Dock and Speaker System for $65 shipped.
More accessory deals:
Mpow Bluetooth FM Transmitter with Hands-free Calling $18 (Reg. $30) | Amazon
Amazon continues to offer $25 off and free shipping when you buy at least $75 of select Holiday essentials. Eligible products span everything from everyday grocery buys like San Pellegrino, Larabar, Oreo and Red Bull to household staples like Glad garbage bags, Clorox Wipes, batteries and Mrs. Meyers Hand Soap. Honestly, you’re going to easily spend $75 on these items over your next few grocery store visits – especially if you’re throwing a Christmas party – so just buy it all at once and save $25.
AnkerDirect (100% positive feedback from 146,000+) via Amazon offers its LED 1300 Lumen IP67 Rechargeable Flashlight for $43.99 Prime shipped when promo code Q7U2U8HQ is applied during checkout. That’s a $16 savings off the regular going rate and the best offer currently available on this model.
Forget about batteries, Anker’s LED flash light has a built-in power supply that is recharged via an included microUSB cable. You can count on six hours of use on a single charge of the 5000mAh battery. It’s also IP67-rated against water for 30 minutes at up to three feet. Rated 4.4/5 stars.
Today’s Top Green Deals:
6-pack Dimmable BR30 Soft White LED Light Bulbs: $18 (Reg. $30) | eBay
Amazon is now offering the Withings Body Composition Wi-Fi Scale for $68.21 shippedwhen you clip the 25% off on-page coupon. That’s more than $5 under Black Friday pricing, the lowest Amazon has ever offered it for and the best price available. Amazon has it listed as “Arrives before Christmas”. Rated 4+ stars from over 150 customers. Features below.
Amazon offers the SanDisk 64GB iXpand Lightning USB 3.0 Flash Drive for $49.99 with free shipping. Also available via B&H. As a price comparison, it typically sells for around $60 and has never been priced lower on Amazon. If you’re struggling to get by on your iPhone or iPad’s internal storage, use this flash drive to gain a ton of room for photos, videos, music and more. It features automatic photo backup and supports a variety of video formats (WMV, AVI, MKV, MP4, and MOV). Rated 4 out of 5 stars from 434 Amazon reviewers.
Amazon offers the LEGO Ideas Yellow Submarine (21306) for $49.99 with free shipping, which is $10 (17%) below its regular price and the lowest we’ve ever tracked. Also available via Target (discount taken during checkout). Released just over a month ago, this 550-piece LEGO kit includes minifigures of John, Paul, George, Ringo and Jeremy (from the film) and an intricately detailed Yellow Submarine replica. It would make a great holiday gift for any Beatles fan.
Patozon (99% positive feedback from shoppers) via Amazon offers the Mpow CD Slot Car Mount Universal Phone Holder for $12.99, but if you use the code AL3YEO7H the price drops to only $7.99 Prime shipped. That’s $5 off and a match for the lowest we’ve seen for it at Amazon.
“Just insert the cradle in the CD slot and it will stay firmly in place. The phone holder revolves 360 degrees and pivots to various angles for ease of use.” Rated 4.5/5 stars by over 1,800 Amazon shoppers.
The Tile Slim Tracker uses Bluetooth technology to monitor the location of your most important items, such as a MacBook, iPad or wallet. Additionally, it can be used to ping your smartphone with a press of a button. The free Tile app notes your item’s last known whereabouts, so if you leave it somewhere you’ll know where to look. These handy smartphone accessories make for a great Christmas gift. Rated 3.8/5 stars by over 200 Amazon customers.
This morning, Amazon has knocked each of its Echo speakers down to Black Friday pricing, matching some of the best prices we’ve seen this year on each model. Today’s deal may be your last chance to bring Alexa home at a discounted price before Christmas. Free shipping is available for Prime members or in orders of $49+. Here’s a look at the entire lineup:
Amazon’s Alexa Voice Service brings a number of unique features to the table, including the ability to “play music, control your smart home, get information, news, weather, and more using just your voice.” I picked up an Echo over Black Friday and have implemented into my smart home setup. Being able to adjust my thermostat or even control my home theater with my voice has made this a worthwhile investment. Learn more in our full review or hit up the official Alexa guide. This is the #1 best selling home automation product at Amazon with a 4.4/5 star rating from over 45,000 reviewers.
A couple things to note: It’s not compatible with Safari so if you’re a Mac user just fire up Chrome, it’s only available for new Amazon Assistant customers and the free credit is valid until 12/31. The install process is really simple. Just head to this promo page, sign in and proceed to install Amazon Assistant. Once it’s finished, click the new icon in the top bar of your browser, go through the introduction sequence and then redeem the promo. You’re all set when you receive an on-screen confirmation message. Now, just add at least $25 worth of items to your shopping cart and the $5 will be automatically deducted during checkout.
Amazon offers the iDevices iGrill Mini smart Bluetooth thermometer for $24.05. As a price comparison, today’s deal is just a bit lower than Black Friday and about $16 better than its typical going rate of $40. Amazon has never sold it for less. Free shipping is available for Prime members and on all orders of at least $49. It enables you to wirelessly monitor the status of any meats on your grill or smoker from your smartphone. That’s huge when you’re having a party or barbecue and would rather enjoy the fun instead of standing next to the grill all day. It’s an absolute killer gift idea for any of your friends or family who love to cook. Rated 3.8 out of 5 stars and currently the best selling grill thermometer on Amazon.
The iGrill 2 smart Bluetooth thermometer is also on sale at its lowest Amazon price: $59.99 (Reg. $100)
Amazon offers the QNAP 2-Bay NAS (model TS-231+) with a 1.4 GHz ARM Cortex A15 Dual-Core Processor and 1GB of RAM for $139 with free shipping. Today’s deal is $10 below Black Friday pricing and the lowest it’s ever been on Amazon. Use it to remotely manage and access important digital files, stream video via AirPlay/Chromecast/DLNA and so much more. QNAP’s entire NAS lineup receives favorable marks from Amazon reviewers.
Kindle Unlimited is the ultimate reading service for any bookworm. It offers bottomless access to more than 1 million titles, current magazines and thousands of audiobooks on your Kindle e-Reader, iPad, iPhone and Android device. Amazon typically discounts it a few times a year, but it doesn’t usually budge from the standard $9.99 monthly rate. As we inch closer to the holidays, Amazon has discounted the 12-month Kindle Unlimited option down to $88.99 ($7.41/month). That’s 25% off and only $8.67 more than last month’s big Cyber Monday sale. You have the option of purchasing it at the sale price for yourself or as a gift (sent on any day you’d like).
Even though Kindle Unlimited works on a multitude of devices, you should stick with a Kindle e-Reader if you’re serious about books. Their beautiful e-Ink displays and tight integration with Amazon’s services make them the gold standard for e-Books.
For casual readers, Amazon’s Prime Reading benefit for Prime members offers a decent amount of content at no extra cost.
That’s an all time low for this 4.5/5 star rated portable hard drive that connects and is powered via USB3. While most people will use this kind of thing for backups or sneaker-netting huge files around, there are some better uses for this type of device.
Throw all of your music on it and plug it into your car’s powered USB for listening to tons of music on the go
Plug it into your Router’s USB port and make it a NAS for storing/sharing movies and Time Machine backups
Pop it into your XBOX USB port for tons of cheap storage.
Drop those old flood lights and switch to energy efficient LED bulbs. This six pack replaces a typical 65W bulb. It is rated for 18-years of use at three hours per day with the potential to save upwards of 50% over traditional alternatives. Rated 4.7/5 stars.
This lightweight power bank has PowerIQ and VoltageBoost combined to deliver the fastest possible charge for any device. It can refuel the iPhone 6s almost three-and-a-half times and it also has an LED indicator with micro USB connection. Rated 4.7/5 stars by over 2,000 Amazon shoppers.
More accessory deals:
AUKEY Travel Adapter with 4-Port & International Plugs$15 (Reg. $20) | Amazon
with code AUKEYAD4
AUKEY QC 2.0 18W USB Car Charger $4 (Reg. $8) | Amazon
Stimulates dogs minds by challenging them to learn something new
Comes with three 1.5-inch mini-tennis balls these are not full size tennis balls
Interactive on demand ball launcher that lets small dogs play fetch to their hearts’ content
Strengthens the bond between dogs and their humans
This is the small iFetch. The iFetch Too is the bigger version that launches standard size tennis balls.
It’s playtime. Whether you’re at work, at home or on vacation, the iFetch makes everyone happy by bringing a fun, new twist to the familiar game of fetch. Perfect for indoor and outdoor play, the award-winning iFetch launches miniature tennis balls 10, 20, or 30 feet, saving the day (and your arm) when you’re too tired (or too busy) to keep playing. Invented by the Hamill family in Austin, Texas, the idea for the iFetch was born when their toy poodle, Prancer, turned out to be a fetching fanatic. After a few prototypes and an incredibly successful Kickstarter campaign, the iFetch is now a global phenomenon, giving dogs around the world the opportunity to play fetch to their hearts’ content. With the iFetch by your side, your fetch-loving dog will never be bored again.
Amazon’s editorial team shared its favorite books of 2016 last month and now the online retail giant has revealed the best selling titles (print and Kindle) during that time. If you’re on the fence about what to buy the bookworm on your holiday shopping list, today’s announcement is a great place to start.
It should come as no surprise that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child took the crown as the number 1 best-selling book of the year. Even more impressive, it’s also the Most Wished For and Most Gifted Book on Amazon. The remainder of the list is pretty diverse, ranging across several different book genres.
Remember, you can gift Kindle e-Books if you’re looking for a last-minute Christmas present. And you can still save $5 on your next print book order.
Head below for a full look at Amazon’s 20 best-selling books for 2016…
Vanskytek (100% positive in the last 12 months from 2,410 ratings) via Amazon is once again offering a pair of its mood lighting strips down at Black Friday pricing. Both models are at the lowest prices we can find and matching our previous mention. They have 4+ star ratings from as many as 300 Amazon customers. Everything ships free for Prime members or in orders over $49.
They certainly aren’t as feature-rich as the pricey Philips options, but at under $13 shipped they can certainly add some nice mood lighting to your work space or living room.
Vansky Bias USB LED Multi-Colored Light Strip $12 (Reg. $22)
These models use 3M adhesive to attach to just about anything and are powered via the USB port on your TV, computer monitor and more. Alternatively you can use a USB power supply unit that goes into the wall.
They feature a lightweight and secure wrap-around fit for workouts and you can rotate the ear tips to a comfortable position. They connect quickly to your phone and you can manage playback and calls with built-in volume controls, multifunction button, and microphone. Rated 3.8/5 stars by over 180 Amazon shoppers.
Amazon has the 20-Ounce Brita Sport Water Bottle in dark turquoise for $5.21 as an add-on item. You’ll need to include it in an order of at least $25 to redeem the special pricing. It ships free for Prime members or in orders over $49. That’s almost 50% below some listings, the lowest we have seen it go for and the best we can find. Rated 3.7/5 stars from over 500 Amazon customers. Features below.
Oak Leaf (100% positive feedback from 20,400+) via Amazon offers a four-pack of Lumin E26 120W Dimmable LED Light Bulbs for $29.99 Prime shipped when promo code I63GNLR5 is applied during checkout. That’s good for $9 off the regular going rate, down $7 from the current sales price and the lowest that Amazon has ever offered this bundle for.
This four-pack of LED light bulbs is rated for 25,000 hours of use with potential for big-time savings along the way. Each bulb is set to 2700k for a warm white light. It is also fully dimmable and has received a 4.6/5 star rating from over 240 Amazon customers.
Update (12/6 10:55am): The UE Roll has already sold out! We’ll let you know if it comes back in-stock.
Aukey via Amazon offers its SoundTank Bluetooth 4.1 Speaker for $39.99, but if you use the code AUKSKM22 the price drops to only $33.99 Prime shipped. That’s $6 off and the lowest we can currently find for it. This water resistant speaker has dual 5W drivers that produce “deep lows, textured mids, and clear highs.” It also has up to 30-hour playtime and you can easily take calls with the built-in microphone. Rated 4.5/5 stars by over 100 Amazon shoppers.
UE Roll Wireless Bluetooth Speaker: $35 (Reg. $50+) | Verizon Wireless
This best selling sci-fi novel was based in part on the author’s experiences in Vietnam. The Forever War is “regarded as one of the greatest military science fiction novels ever written, capturing the alienation that servicemen and women experience even now upon returning home from battle”. Rated 4.3/5 stars by over 1,800 Amazon shoppers.
Amazon will give you $20 to use on your next order when you purchase a pair of select Ray-Ban sunglasses. The sale includes many of Ray-Ban’s classic mens, women and unisex styles like Wayfarers and Aviators. During checkout you should see a message that says “Congratulations, your purchase qualifies you for a $20 credit on your next purchase on Amazon.com.” As long as you see that message, you’ve activated today’s promo. It’s difficult to snag sizable discounts on Ray-Ban so take advantage while you can.
Amazon is offering the Schlage Plymouth Keypad Deadbolt in a number of different colors (BE365VPLY626) for $79.99 shipped. That’s around $40 below the original listing and the best price we can find. This is the lowest price we have tracked on the Antique Pewter and Antique Brass models. For the Bright Brass, Satin Chrome and Aged Bronze options, today’s deal is within $7 or so of the Amazon all-time low. Rated 4+ stars from nearly 3,500 Amazon customers.
Amazon Prints is now taking 60% off custom cards, calendars and books when you apply coupon code HOLIDAY at checkout. Parents and grandparents love receiving photos of the kids as gifts, this deal lets you get them what they want and save some serious cash while you’re at it! For example, we customized a 12-month Wall Calendar (8.5 x 11-inches) and it cost just $6 once we applied today’s promo. Prime members qualify for free shipping and free expedited shipping on orders of at least $15. The image uploading process couldn’t be simpler. Head to this landing page to get started now.
This convenient travel adapter has 4 international plug adapters that cover more than 150 countries with US/EU/UK/AU plugs. A built-in LED charge indicator signifies when the charger is ready to be used. Rated 3.8/5 stars by 30 Amazon shoppers.
More accessory deals:
AUKEY Bluetooth Headphones with Built-In Remote & Microphone $18 w/ codeAUKEYBT7 (Reg. $28) | Amazon
AUKEY Bluetooth Receiver with 3-Port USB Car Charger$15 (Reg. $20) | Amazon
with code JMUUSJPL
AUKEY EP-B37 Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds$18 (Reg. $28) | Amazon
This is a deal that not only saves money when you purchase but also saves cash every hour that is being used. Amazon offers the Philips 459602 65 Watt Equivalent Dimmable Daylight BR30 LED Light Bulb, 4 Pack for $14.99 Prime shipped, an all time low. Daylight and Soft White are both available. By replacing your 65W bulbs with 9W LED replacements, you use almost 1/8th the energy. These pay for themselves after a year of heavy use and they are expected to last 10. Expand Expanding Close
One of the things that almost everyone needs nowadays is more outlets. Another thing that people need is fast USB charging in their outlets. And if we’re making up some magical device here that has everything we need, we might as well give it great surge protection and let’s, for giggles, make it cost only $9.88 Prime shipped.
I’ve only recently been introduced to Growlers, those 64-oz bottles that you can take your favorite yummy beer home in. But it turns out that you can also buy really well made, insulated versions of these bottles for the price of a night out drinking.
Update: We’re back baby with a new, improved Coupon code reflected below
I’m used to getting a bunch of dollar store garbage in my stocking (mostly coal tbh) and while it is fun to gaze at, I’d love to actually get something useful in there. Enter today’s AUKEY Daily Deal – Bluetooth Speaker for $13.85 Prime shipped after $4.14 Coupon Code: AUK3SKM7. While this certainly isn’t the best Bluetooth speaker out there, for $14 shipped, you can throw one of these in a stocking and give someone what they actually want. Or, buy 10 for everyone at the office.
Again, this isn’t one of those garbage $10 speakers that sounds worse than your phone’s speaker. This is easily a $40-type of product with 12 hour battery, mic for speakerphone calls and it comes with AUX cable, microUSB charging cable, carabiner and 2 year warranty
Just off the heels of a similar Black Friday promotion, Amazon is now offering $5 off book purchases over $15 when promo code GIFTBOOK is applied during checkout from now until December 5th. The previous promotion offered $10 off $25 but today’s deal brings an even wider range of potentially discounted titles. Kindle eBooks and audiobooks are excluded from this sale. Of course, free shipping is available for Prime members or in orders of $49+. Note: this code is only eligible for a single use per account. Full terms and conditions below.
Because this promotion works on any physical book that Amazon sells, there’s not a shortage of options out there for stocking stuffers and holiday gifts. Here are a few ideas to help you get started:
Amazon’s private-label AmazonBasics line is more expansive than ever. It now covers nearly every popular product category, including tech, travel and fitness accessories, plus home essentials like cookware, pet supplies and furniture. All of which are listed at budget-friendly prices and generally receive high marks from reviewers. The only downside? They hardly ever go on sale. However, we’ve tracked a significant amount of price drops on AmazonBasics tech accessories. The discounts may not be huge numbers, but they are still noteworthy since it’s difficult to ever snag an AmazonBasics product below list price.
Free shipping is available for Prime members and on all orders of at least $49. Here are the best deals we could find:
Today only, as a part of its Gold Box Deals of the Day, Amazon is offering a number of discounted SoundPEATS Bluetooth Earbuds starting at $16.99. Free shipping is available for Prime members or in orders of $49+. You’ll find a variety of styles and colors in today’s sale. These Bluetooth earbuds are perfect for the gym or as an affordable stocking stuffer this holiday season.
Our top pick is the Magnetic Stereo Earbuds with Mic for $19.99 (Reg. $27). Features include up to six hours of use on a full charge, aptX capabilities, and a magnetic design that keep them snapped together when not in use. Rated 4.3/5 stars by over 420 Amazon customers. Check out our in-depth review for more on SoundPEATS’ Bluetooth earbuds.
$100 off/$200
