Connect with us

Tech

The Best Black Friday Deals We’re Actually Shopping Ourselves

Published

2 months ago

on

The Best Black Friday Deals We’re Actually Shopping Ourselves


Good morning and happy Thanksgiving—it’s a great day for food, family, and football (not necessarily in that order), and it means that Black Friday deals are already arriving. We’ve been tracking discounts on our favorite products all month, and we’re excited to see many of the products we love have gone on sale.

Featured Black Friday Deal

Updated: Nov 27 2025, 03:38 PM

Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 $ 250 $ 200

These are some of our favorite workout headphones, thanks to their clip-based design and good integration with iOS thanks to Apple’s Beats ownership.

Like the circulars that used to make the daily newspaper as thick as a phone book this time of year, the internet is slathered in red pixels and slashed-through dollar signs. Often, those roundups cover products the writer has never personally touched and feature prices that are not actual discounts. WIRED’s list of the absolute best Black Friday deals is different. Here you will only find products that a member of our Reviews team has tested and recommends. Also, we track prices, and any deal featured is actually cheaper compared to what you’d pay in April or October.

Updated November 27, 2025: How is that NFL pre-game show looking and sounding? If you’re watching TV today and thinking it’s time to upgrade your set for a clearer picture and crisper sound, we’ve just added a bunch of great AV deals on televisions and soundbars.

Best of the Best Black Friday Deals:

How does WIRED find the best deals?

We spend our entire working lives testing products and, in part, tracking how much they cost. That way, we can spot a good deal from one that’s just a markdown of an artificially inflated price (a practice far too common, sadly). We also use price-checking tools like Camelcamelcamel, but since we only cover items we’ve actually tested, it’s not that hard for us to keep track of prices and know what’s a good deal and what’s not.

What is the best time to shop?

In a word: now. The best Black Friday deals are happening right now, and we’ve rounded up our favorites in this guide.

In the olden days, Black Friday was just one day long. Shoppers would camp outside of stores, paper circulars in hand, eagerly awaiting the chance to bust down some doors and save a ton of cash. Fast-forward to the internet, and now Black Friday lasts more or less the entire month of November.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness

Computers

Best PC Laptop Deal: Dell 14 Plus for $500 ($100 off)

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

It finally happened. A $500 Windows laptop that isn’t just decent or mediocre. It’s actually good. The resolution is 2560 by 1600, with decent color accuracy and brightness. The battery life isn’t just adequate—it’s downright impressive. And the touchpad, which is an area where many budget laptops compromise, actually feels smooth and responsive. This is something no other Windows laptop can pull off. The only catch is that it’s a Doorbuster-style sale, meaning once they sell out at this price, this discount will disappear. —Luke Larsen

More PC Laptop Deals

Microsoft

Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)

The Surface Laptop is the MacBook of the Windows world, and the seventh edition has a brilliant, 3:2 aspect ratio display and great battery life. It’s normally priced at $1,000, but you can save 20 percent on Black Friday.

Asus

Vivobook 14 (X1407QA)

If the Dell 14 Plus is sold out, the Asus Vivobook 14 is your next best bet for a budget laptop on sale. The 16-inch model has an even deeper discount.

Best MacBook Deal: MacBook Air (M4) for $749 ($250 off)

Front view of an open Apple MacBook Air 13-inch 2025 laptop sitting on a couch with the screen showing the desktop

Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

Apple

MacBook Air (M4, 2025)

The M4 MacBook Air came out in early 2024, and it’s remained the best laptop you can buy. The price has slowly dropped, too. It’s now down to $749, and when you compare this directly with the quality of similarly priced laptops, you’ll see why it’s still at the top of my list. The display quality and resolution is top-notch, while the performance and battery life remain best in class. Now, you might be wondering if you should wait for the M5 MacBook Air instead of pulling the trigger on this deal. If the rumors are true, we’re still at least a few months out from the M5 MacBook Air, making this M4 still worthy of a purchase at this price. —Luke Larsen

More MacBook Deals

Apple

MacBook Pro (M5)

The new MacBook Pro is only a month old, and it’s already on sale. It may not have been a significant revamp, but it’s currently the only Mac to get the latest M5 chip.

Apple

MacBook Pro (M4 Pro/M4 Max, 2024)

While not a huge discount, the M4 Pro MacBook Pro remains a supremely powerful and premium laptop, still a meaningful step up in performance over the M5 MacBook Pro.

Best Wifi Router Deal: Asus RT-BE58U for $98 ($52 off)

Asus RT-BE58U, a black angular wi-fi router with 4 antennae sticking up from the back

Photograph: Simon Hill

This is the Wi-Fi 7 router I recommend for most people in our best Wi-Fi routers guide because it’s easy to set up and will cover homes and apartments up to around 2,000 square feet with fast and reliable connectivity. It’s only dual-band, so you do miss out on the 6-GHz band, but you get all the other advantages of Wi-Fi 7. It also has a generous array of ports and comes with free security software and parental controls. Support for VPN service, separate IoT or guest networks, and Ai Mesh rounds out an excellent device. —Simon Hill

More Wi-Fi Router Deals

Amazon

Eero Pro 6E

One of my favorite mesh systems, this Wi-Fi 6E mesh is ideal for smart homes, provides reliably speedy Wi-Fi, and is oh-so-easy to set up and use. You can nab the three-pack for 40 percent off.

TP-Link

Deco BE67

This high-performing, tri-band, Wi-Fi 7 mesh is the runner-up in my best mesh guide, and it’s a great value at this discounted price, which is $200 below standard.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness

TV & Audio

Best TV Deal: TCL QM6k for $498 ($252 off)

Image may contain: Electronics, Screen, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, TV, Person, Adult, Ball, Football, and Soccer

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

This is our favorite TV for most people, because it offers excellent color and great processing, and contains virtually every app you could want. Mini LED backlighting means that you’ll have excellent contrast and plenty of performance in bright rooms, and TCL’s anti-glare technology makes it nice even when sunlight hits it. Its price is the main appeal; you’ll pay hundreds of dollars more for a TV that looks any better. —Parker Hall

More TV Deals

LG

G5 OLED

The G5 is LG’s highest-end OLED, and it is perhaps the prettiest screen we saw all year. With the price dropping below $2,000, it’s a no-brainer for your home theater update.

Sony

Bravia 8 II QD-OLED

Sony TVs are high-priced for a reason: They have the best processing in the game, and they tend to look just a bit sharper than their competitors.

LG

C5

This is probably the best all-around OLED of the year. We’ve yet to get this specific model in for testing, but the C series models we have tested in the past offer a great mix of brightness and color, and good performance for gaming and sports.

TCL

QM8K QLED

This is a higher-end TCL that is great for bright rooms and sports, thanks to a super high peak brightness.

Best Streaming Device Deal: Roku Streaming Stick Plus for $19 ($21 off)

Image may contain: Electronics, Remote Control, Adapter, and Smoke Pipe

Photograph: Parker Hall

Roku

Streaming Stick Plus (2025)

The Roku Streaming Stick Plus is what I’d recommend for anyone who just wants to enable an older TV to stream modern apps. It looks fine, but I’d get a nicer stick if you have a newer TV. That said, you really cannot beat this $20 price. This is a device that can breathe new life into an older screen in your basement or garage, or which you can use to stream your shows in a hotel room without being too annoyed if you someday leave it behind. —Parker Hall

More Streaming Deals

Roku

Ultra

The highest-end Roku is the one we’d recommend if you want the highest possible streaming quality, thanks to its support for Dolby Vision.

Google

TV Streamer (4K)

If you like casting to your TV from your phone, the Google TV streaming is a favorite for Android users, thanks to tight Google integration. You can save 25 percent during this event.

Roku

Streaming Stick 4K

This is the best streaming stick for most people, thanks to its support for 4K resolution and HDR.

Amazon

Fire TV Stick 4K Max (2nd Generation)

This is a solid 4K streaming stick with an easy-to-use operating system that favors Amazon content.

Best Soundbar Deal: Yamaha Audio SR-C30A for $220 ($60 off)

Image may contain: Electronics, Speaker, and Home Theater

Courtesy of Yamaha

This is our favorite soundbar system for most people, thanks to its great wireless subwoofer, solid audio processing, and compact footprint below most screens. If you have been struggling to hear the voices on screen, or you’re just looking for a more cinematic experience, I recommend the SR-C30A. —Parker Hall

More Soundbar Deals

Sony

Bravia Theater System 6

If you don’t want to see speakers all around your room, the System 6 is a classy and good-looking wireless system from Sony that will fill your room with sound without physically standing out.

Yamaha

True X Bar 50A

This is essentially Yamaha’s Dolby Atmos-enabled version of the SR-C30A above, and it is worth the upgrade if you’re looking for even more immersion.

Yamaha

SR-C20A

This is the subwoofer-less version of our favorite soundbar for most people. If you have a smaller space and don’t need deep bass, it’s a great deal from this legendary Japanese brand.

JBL

Bar 500MK2

This slim and narrow soundbar comes with a large wireless subwoofer that adds a real rumble of bass.

Best Headphone Deal: Sony WH-1000XM6 for $398 ($62 off)

Image may contain: Electronics, Headphones, Dining Table, Furniture, and Table

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

These are the best noise-canceling headphones from Sony, and among the best wireless headphones you can buy. They have insane processing power that can easily silence even the loudest sounds around you, and the included microphones are also awesome for Zoom calls. Sound quality is excellent, with custom-made drivers delivering Sony’s sleek and flat sound. —Parker Hall

More Headphone Deals

Apple

AirPods Pro 2 (With USB-C)

AirPods Pro—even last-gen models like these—are absolutely still worth buying for iPhone owners. They have great noise canceling, decent (albeit somewhat bassy) sound, and they pair instantly with any iOS device. You can save 30 percent during this sale.

Beats

Powerbeats Pro 2

These are some of our favorite workout headphones, thanks to their clip-based design and good integration with iOS, thanks to Apple’s Beats ownership.

Sony

WH-1000XM5

Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones remain some of the finest you can buy, despite being older than the latest WH-1000XM6.

Nothing

Headphone (1)

I like these see-through over-ears, which have one of the best volume knobs I have used on a pair of headphones, and which feature audio designed by acclaimed hi-fi brand KEF.

Soundcore by Anker

Aeroclip

Open buds are a great way to listen to podcasts or music while also hearing the world. These are some of our favorites.

JLab Audio

Go Air Pop

If you just need a dirt cheap pair of earbuds for your gym bag, these are on sale.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness

Mobile Devices & Charging

Best Smartphone Deal: Google Pixel 10 for $599 ($200 off)

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

Google’s brand-new Pixel 10 is one of the best Android phones on the market right now—it’s rare to find a phone at this price, especially on sale, with a triple-camera system that includes a 5X optical zoom sensor. 5X! That means you won’t have trouble capturing sharp photos of birds up in the tree, your kid earning their diploma, or your favorite artist onstage. Not to mention this is one of the first flagship Android phones with Qi2 magnets, meaning, like Apple’s iPhones, you can magnetically attach the phone to wireless chargers and docks for speedy charging (and attach various fun magnetic accessories). Best of all is Google’s smart software; yes, there’s a lot of generative AI creep that isn’t super useful, but tools like Call Screen can filter out spam calls, and Now Playing automatically tells you what song is playing at the coffee shop without you having to lift a finger. Read our Best Pixel Phones guide for more details. —Julian Chokkattu

More Smartphone Deals

Motorola

Razr Ultra (2025)

This is the hottest flip-style folding phone of the year. The Razr Ultra comes in snazzy designs, has a surprisingly strong camera, and a very useful external display for when you don’t want to open the whole thing up.

Motorola

Moto G Stylus 2025

Want to spend as little as possible but still want a good smartphone? This Moto G Stylus (make sure it’s the 2025 model) is the best bang for your buck, with wireless charging, good performance, a headphone jack, a microSD card slot, and, naturally, a built-in stylus.

Best Tablet Deal: Apple iPad A16 (2025) for $274 ($75 off)

  • Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

  • Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

The current model of iPad (A16) has dropped below the $300 price we typically see on sales. This is a basic tablet that functions as a second screen for everything from watching movies on a flight to checking the news in bed without your reading glasses.

More Tablet Deals

OnePlus

Pad 3

OnePlus may have just announced a cheaper tablet—the OnePlus Pad Go 2—but the OnePlus Pad 3 is still a fantastic high-end tablet that has a large 13.2-inch screen without a crazy price. It has excellent multitasking features and great performance.

Samsung

Galaxy Tab S11 and Tab S11 Ultra

I haven’t tested the Galaxy Tab S11 yet, but I did test its larger sibling, the Tab S11 Ultra. They share many of the same specs, though the Ultra has extra features like Wi-Fi 7 support, an extra ultrawide camera, and more storage, which are overkill. That means the smaller Tab S11 is a much better buy, especially at this price.

Best Power Bank Deal: Nimble Champ for $20 ($5 off)

Small rounded rectangular bright blue device beside a black rectangular device, both with strap handles.

Photograph: Simon Hill

The Nimble Champ has topped our best power banks guide for a few years, largely because we appreciate the 90 percent certified recycled plastic construction and fully biodegradable packaging. It’s smaller than a pack of cards, with an eye-catching speckled design and a handy carry loop. This 5,200 mAh capacity portable charger has USB-A and USB-C ports and can charge at up to 15 watts. If you need more power, there are deeper discounts on the larger capacity models. You get a 3.3-foot USB-C to USB-C cable in the box. —Simon Hill

More Power Bank Deals

Anker

Nano Power Bank

Despite the tiny form factor, this power bank will fully recharge most phones. It’s also easy to slide into place, and you can continue to use your phone while it charges.

Anker

622 MagGo Portable Charger (A1614)

This slim MagSafe power bank is one of my favorites, and comes with a clever folding stand. It will wirelessly add between 50 and 80 percent to your iPhone battery. This deal is 40 percent below the normal price.

Best Kindle Deal: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (12th generation) for $125 ($35 Off)

  • Photograph: Nena Farrell

  • Photograph: Nena Farrell

  • Courtesy of Amazon

Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite (2024, 12th Generation)

Amazon’s family of Kindle e-readers is popular for a reason, and our all-around favorite is the Kindle Paperwhite (12th generation). The latest generation came out last fall, and it’s got just about everything we want in an e-reader: an auto-adjusting warm light, a three-month battery life, snappy performance, integration with Overdrive so you can get your library books, and the ability to “speak” several languages. It doesn’t have a color screen, but it does have a proper dark mode, which Kindle’s color e-reader doesn’t have. The Signature version is also on sale. —Nena Farrell

More Amazon Device Deals

Amazon

Kindle Scribe (2024)

The Kindle Scribe is a great combo e-reader and digital notebook. There are a few new models coming this winter, but we still think this one is worth buying, especially since it’s on sale for $120 off.

Amazon

Echo Dot (5th Gen)

If you’re looking for a great smart speaker on a budget, the older Echo Dot still has an upgraded bass quality compared to any other smart speaker this size (and certainly for this price).

Amazon

Kindle Colorsoft and Colorsoft Signature Edition

The Kindle Colorsoft takes everything we love about Kindle’s e-readers and (finally!) adds a color screen. You’ll get most of the benefits of a Kindle Paperwhite with the bonus of color.

Amazon

Kindle (2024, 11th Generation)

Amazon’s cheapest Kindle is still a powerful, snappy device, and comes in fun colors like matcha green.

Best Digital Notebook Deal: reMarkable 2 Bundle for $408 ($70 Off)

  • Photograph: Nena Farrell

One of the best digital notebooks you can get is the reMarkable 2. It’s my favorite budget option, which might seem weird since it’s not necessarily the cheapest option (it’s the same price as the Kindle Scribe) it’s the best for the features and the available accessories like a keyboard folio at the price point, and it is a lower price point than you’ll find for the rest of reMarkable’s lineup or competitors like Supernote. You can get bundles (you’ll need to choose both a marker and folio) of the reMarkable 2 for $70 right now, letting you add on your favorite folio or upgrade the marker without paying as much as you usually would. The digital notebooks from reMarkable are rarely on sale, so don’t miss this one. —Nena Farrell

More Digital Notebook Deals

Amazon

Kindle Scribe (2024)

The Kindle Scribe is a great combo e-reader and digital notebook. There are a few new models coming this winter, but we still think this one is worth buying, especially since it’s on sale.

Kobo

Libra Colour

This is our favorite digital notebook for readers, and it’s a great affordable color option. It’s only $30 off the typical price, but that’s still some savings on our favorite e-reader.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness

Home & Kitchen

Best Home Office Deal: Branch Ergonomic Chair Pro for $424 ($75 off)

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Courtesy of Branch

Branch

Ergonomic Chair Pro

This is our top office chair recommendation for most people. Branch’s Ergonomic Chair Pro offers a ton of adjustments, from seat pan to lumbar support, all while looking pretty. It’s hard to find affordable, good office chairs, especially under $500, but Branch is one of the few companies delivering in this price bracket. We’ve rounded up more deals on Branch products here. —Julian Chokkattu

More Home Office Deals

Secretlab

Magnus Pro

Secretlab might be a gamer-focused brand, but anyone should be able to appreciate its metal, magnetic Magnus Pro standing desk. The cable organization it allows is off the charts, largely thanks to the trench at the back and built-in power in one of the legs. Pick up magnetic accessories for more tidying up.

Herman Miller

Aeron

Herman Miller’s Aeron is an iconic office chair. Yes, it’s expensive, but this is a chair you won’t have to think about for more than a decade. It’s supportive, can be tailored to your body size, and has an excellent 12-year warranty. We’ve rounded up more Herman Miller deals here.

Best Vacuum Deal: Dyson V15s Detect Submarine for $699 ($351 Off)

  • Photograph: Adrienne So

  • Courtesy of Dyson

Dyson

V15s Detect Submarine

This is the lowest price we’ve seen all year for this fantastic Dyson vacuum. It’s our favorite vacuum cleaner for both wet and dry cleaning, since it takes the technology we love from the V15 and adds a wet mop head attachment. You sadly can’t buy the attachment and use it with an existing V15, but if you’re already in the market for a new stick vac and want one that can do both, WIRED reviewer Adrienne So says this vacuum is one of the best things that has ever happened to her. —Nena Farrell

More Vacuum Deals

Dyson

Gen5 Detect

Save $300 on Dyson’s most powerful vacuum, and our favorite for vacuuming up pet hair. It’s often on sale for around $850, but it’s great to get this for a little cheaper.

Best Air Purifier Deal: Dyson HushJet Purifier Compact for $300 ($50 off)

Image may contain: Tin, Bottle, and Shaker

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Dyson

HushJet Purifier Compact

The debut of Dyson’s first tabletop-sized air purifier was just announced in September; it’s finally here, and we’ve tried it. Its claim to fame is that it uses electrostatic filtration, which incorporates electrically charged plates to attract dust, pollen, dander, and other allergens. In our guide to the Best Air Purifiers, WIRED contributor Lisa Wood Shapiro notes this means the filter can last up to five years, as opposed to six to 12 months like a typical HEPA. She thought it was a little loud, measuring twice the advertised decibels on its highest setting, but is otherwise a great option for smaller areas like bedrooms. —Kat Merck

More Air Purifier Deals

Blueair

Mini Restful Air Purifier Sunrise Clock

It’s an air purifier! It’s a sunrise alarm clock! It’s an air purifier inside of a sunrise alarm clock! And it’s 25 percent off its normal price of $200 this Black Friday.

Coway

Airmega Mighty

WIRED’s air quality expert, contributor Lisa Wood Shapiro, considers this Coway to be the best bang for your buck when it comes to air purifiers. That bang is even better at almost 40 percent off the normal price of $230.

Best Smart Bird Feeder Deal: Netvue by Birdfy Smart Bird Feeder (No Solar/AI) for $100 ($100 off)

  • Courtesy of Birdfy

  • Photograph: Medea Giordano

Netvue

Birdfy Plastic Smart Bird Feeder

This is the best price you’ll find all year for our all-around favorite smart bird feeder. It may not be the fanciest model, but it’s user-friendly and reliable. You can enjoy it without a subscription (though for the AI identification and image/video storage, you’ll want to spring for the extra $5 a month), and the app makes it easy to save and share great captures of birds. Note that Birdfy only works with 2.4 GHz Wi-Fi, and the base model comes without a solar panel. I don’t mind this, as Birdfy’s panel has to be mounted separately and it’s hard to do this when the feeder is installed on a pole, which is what I recommend. —Kat Merck

More Smart Bird Feeder Deals

Bird Buddy

Pro Smart Solar Hummingbird Feeder

Our favorite smart hummingbird feeder is easy to clean and has a fun app.

Camojojo

Hibird DIY

Make your existing bird feeder smart with this mountable camera that works on both 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz Wi-Fi.

Best Indoor Garden Deal: Gardyn Studio 2 for $412 ($137 off)

  • Photograph: Kat Merck

  • Photograph: Kat Merck

  • Courtesy of Gardyn

Gardyn

Indoor Hydroponic Garden

I test indoor hydroponic garden systems all year round, and Gardyn has been my consistent favorite. I have two of them—the Home 4, with 30 plants, and the brand-new Studio 2, with 16 plants—and they both look like living works of art, overflowing with everything from peas and peppers to nasturtiums and even canna lilies. The systems do take a fair amount of maintenance, but as a busy, full-time working parent, it’s nothing I haven’t been able to handle. If you’ve been curious about these, all Gardyn systems are now 20 percent off for Black Friday, netting you $180 off a Home or $111 off a Studio. If you don’t mind the older, original studio, that’s on even deeper discount for just $337. They also come with a free 30-day trial of Kelby, the AI growing assistant that plans your watering and maintenance schedules for you. —Kat Merck

More Indoor Garden Deals

Auk

Mini

A Scandinavian garden we love, which is simple to maintain and lets you plant your own seeds.

North Spore

Boomr Bin Automated Mushroom Monotub

Grow any mushrooms you want from scratch with this DIY system.

Best Kitchen Deal: Breville Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro for $300 ($100 Off)

Image may contain: Device, Appliance, Electrical Device, Microwave, Oven, Burger, Food, Cooking, and Roasting

Photograph: Lisa Wood Shapiro

Breville

Smart Oven Air Fryer Pro

This is Breville’s top-line piece of kitchen hardware, an air fryer and oven with better precision than any other oven of its kind I’ve tested. It toasts evenly across the oven and can air fry chicken wings to admirable crispness, dehydrate fruit, and also roast a 14-pound turkey. The Breville Joule—the same oven, but with a handy autopilot feature— is on almost the same sale, and it’s $400. Both are the cheapest they’ve been this year. But this $300 price, for an oven I know to serve well for years, is hard to pass up. —Matthew Korfhage

More Kitchen Deals

Field Company

No. 8 Cast Iron Skillet

Field Company’s cast iron skillets are something between a functional necessity and an actual work of art. They’re rarely on sale. But here they are for 20 percent off.

Philips

2000 Series 4.4-quart Air Fryer

This 4.4-quart Philips is already my favorite budget air fryer: precise, reliable, as good as it gets for crispy fries at its price range. Now, it’s even $20 cheaper.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness

Beauty & Wellness

Best Smartwatch/Fitness Tracker Deal: Apple Watch Series 10 for $310 ($120 off)

  • Photograph: Adrienne So

  • Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Photograph: Adrienne So

If you already own an Apple Watch, I generally do not advocate getting the latest and greatest because they’re all pretty iterative. I do think that this year’s Series 11 is worth getting because for the first time ever, it really does have a full 24 hours of battery life. But last year’s Series 10 (Apple’s 10th anniversary watch) has the same S10 chip as the latest watches. It also has the same slim case, large screen, and is compatible with watchOS 26 (with an Apple Intelligence-enabled iPhone), so you can still enjoy the Liquid Glass design, Workout Buddy, and flick away Smart Stack with your wrist. —Adrienne So

More Smartwatch/Tracker deals

Samsung

Galaxy Watch8 and Watch8 Classic

The first Samsung smartwatches to use Google Wear OS 6, these also have the distinctive “squircle” cushion design.

Best Beauty Deal: GHD Curve Soft Curl Iron for $167 ($72 off)

Hand holding the GHD Curve Hair Curling Iron in black with a small illuminated circular button under the extension that opens and closes the barrel

Photograph: Alanna Kilkeary

One of our favorite curling irons because it heats up fast—in just 25 seconds, to be exact—and features an ergonomic design that’s intuitive for beginners who need help keeping their hair in place. It’s 30 percent off, priced at $167, which could cover the cost of one to three salon visits, depending on the shop. —Boutayna Chokrane

More Beauty Deals

Oral-B

Pro 1000

Our favorite oscillating toothbrush because of its powerful motor, round brush head that effectively reaches molars, and built-in timer. Most Pro models are a solid choice (and on sale right now), but the Pro 1000 offers the best value and is ideal for individuals with smaller mouths.

LYMA

The Lyma Laser

Lyma has released a Pro version of this laser, but the older model is still a great option. If you want the original, now is the time to buy it on sale for 25 percent off.

Jump to section: Computers, TV & Audio, Mobile Devices & Charging, Home & Kitchen, Beauty & Wellness



Source link

Related Topics:
Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Tech

These Sub-$300 Hearing Aids From Lizn Have a Painful Fit

Published

29 minutes ago

on

January 15, 2026

By

These Sub-0 Hearing Aids From Lizn Have a Painful Fit


Don’t call them hearing aids. They’re hearpieces, intended as a blurring of the lines between hearing aid and earbuds—or “earpieces” in the parlance of Lizn, a Danish operation.

The company was founded in 2015, and it haltingly developed its launch product through the 2010s, only to scrap it in 2020 when, according to Lizn’s history page, the hearing aid/earbud combo idea didn’t work out. But the company is seemingly nothing if not persistent, and four years later, a new Lizn was born. The revamped Hearpieces finally made it to US shores in the last couple of weeks.

Half Domes

Photograph: Chris Null

Lizn Hearpieces are the company’s only product, and their inspiration from the pro audio world is instantly palpable. Out of the box, these look nothing like any other hearing aids on the market, with a bulbous design that, while self-contained within the ear, is far from unobtrusive—particularly if you opt for the graphite or ruby red color scheme. (I received the relatively innocuous sand-hued devices.)

At 4.58 grams per bud, they’re as heavy as they look; within the in-the-ear space, few other models are more weighty, including the Kingwell Melodia and Apple AirPods Pro 3. The units come with four sets of ear tips in different sizes; the default mediums worked well for me.

The bigger issue isn’t how the tip of the device fits into your ear, though; it’s how the rest of the unit does. Lizn Hearpieces need to be delicately twisted into the ear canal so that one edge of the unit fits snugly behind the tragus, filling the concha. My ears may be tighter than others, but I found this no easy feat, as the device is so large that I really had to work at it to wedge it into place. As you might have guessed, over time, this became rather painful, especially because the unit has no hardware controls. All functions are performed by various combinations of taps on the outside of either of the Hearpieces, and the more I smacked the side of my head, the more uncomfortable things got.



Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Two Thinking Machines Lab Cofounders Are Leaving to Rejoin OpenAI

Published

10 hours ago

on

January 15, 2026

By

Two Thinking Machines Lab Cofounders Are Leaving to Rejoin OpenAI


Thinking Machines cofounders Barret Zoph and Luke Metz are leaving the fledgling AI lab and rejoining OpenAI, the ChatGPT-maker announced on Thursday. OpenAI’s CEO of applications, Fidji Simo, shared the news in a memo to staff Thursday afternoon.

The news was first reported on X by technology reporter Kylie Robison, who wrote that Zoph was fired for “unethical conduct.”

A source close to Thinking Machines said that Zoph had shared confidential company information with competitors. WIRED was unable to verify this information with Zoph, who did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.

Zoph told Thinking Machines CEO Mira Murati on Monday he was considering leaving, then was fired today, according to the memo from Simo. She goes on to write that OpenAI doesn’t share the same concerns about Zoph as Murati.

The personnel shake-up is a major win for OpenAI, which recently lost its VP of research, Jerry Tworek.

Another Thinking Machines Lab staffer, Sam Schoenholz, is also rejoining OpenAI, the source said.

Zoph and Metz left OpenAI in late 2024 to start Thinking Machines with Murati, who had been the ChatGPT-maker’s chief technology officer.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.



Source link

Continue Reading

Tech

Tech Workers Are Condemning ICE Even as Their CEOs Stay Quiet

Published

12 hours ago

on

January 14, 2026

By

Tech Workers Are Condemning ICE Even as Their CEOs Stay Quiet


Since Donald Trump returned to the White House last January, the biggest names in tech have mostly fallen in line with the new regime, attending dinners with officials, heaping praise upon the administration, presenting the president with lavish gifts, and pleading for Trump’s permission to sell their products to China. It’s been mostly business as usual for Silicon Valley over the past year, even as the administration ignored a wide range of constitutional norms and attempted to slap arbitrary fees on everything from chip exports to worker visas for high-skilled immigrants employed by tech firms.

But after an ICE agent shot and killed an unarmed US citizen, Renee Nicole Good, in broad daylight in Minneapolis last week, a number of tech leaders have begun publicly speaking out about the Trump administration’s tactics. This includes prominent researchers at Google and Anthropic, who have denounced the killing as calloused and immoral. The most wealthy and powerful tech CEOs are still staying silent as ICE floods America’s streets, but now some researchers and engineers working for them have chosen to break rank.

More than 150 tech workers have so far signed a petition asking for their company CEOs to call the White House, demand that ICE leave US cities, and speak out publicly against the agency’s recent violence. Anne Diemer, a human resources consultant and former Stripe employee who organized the petition, says that workers at Meta, Google, Amazon, OpenAI, TikTok, Spotify, Salesforce, Linkedin, and Rippling are among those who have signed. The group plans to make the list public once they reach 200 signatories.

“I think so many tech folks have felt like they can’t speak up,” Diemer told WIRED. “I want tech leaders to call the country’s leaders and condemn ICE’s actions, but even if this helps people find their people and take a small part in fighting fascism, then that’s cool, too.”

Nikhil Thorat, an engineer at Anthropic, said in a lengthy post on X that Good’s killing had “stirred something” in him. “A mother was gunned down in the street by ICE, and the government doesn’t even have the decency to perform a scripted condolence,” he wrote. Thorat added that the moral foundation of modern society is “infected, and is festering,” and the country is living through a “cosplay” of Nazi Germany, a time when people also stayed silent out of fear.

Jonathan Frankle, chief AI scientist at Databricks, added a “+1” to Thorat’s post. Shrisha Radhakrishna, chief technology and chief product officer of real estate platform Opendoor, replied that what happened to Good is “not normal. It’s immoral. The speed at which the administration is moving to dehumanize a mother is terrifying.” Other users who identified themselves as employees at OpenAI and Anthropic also responded in support of Thorat.

Shortly after Good was shot, Jeff Dean, an early Google employee and University of Minnesota graduate who is now the chief scientist at Google DeepMind and Google Research, began re-sharing posts with his 400,000 X followers criticizing the Trump administration’s immigration tactics, including one outlining circumstances in which deadly force isn’t justified for police officers interacting with moving vehicles.

He then weighed in himself. “This is completely not okay, and we can’t become numb to repeated instances of illegal and unconstitutional action by government agencies,” Dean wrote in an X post on January 10. “The recent days have been horrific.” He linked to a video of a teenager—identified as a US citizen—being violently arrested at a Target in Richfield, Minnesota.

In response to US Vice President JD Vance’s assertion on X that Good was trying to run over the ICE agent with her vehicle, Aaron Levie, the CEO of the cloud storage company Box, replied, “Why is he shooting after he’s fully out of harm’s way (2nd and 3rd shot)? Why doesn’t he just move away from the vehicle instead of standing in front of it?” He added a screenshot of a Justice Department webpage outlining best practices for law enforcement officers interacting with suspects in moving vehicles.





Source link

Continue Reading

Trending