And the winners are.... Here are my picks for the best Presidents' Day tech sales
Presidents' Day weekend is here and it's a great time to shop, at least judging by the sales currently running at Amazon, Walmart and elsewhere. If you're in the market for some new tech, you'll want to check out the deals available right now. Below I've rounded up my top picks, all of them discounted and in stock as of right now. That can change on a moment's notice, though, so if you see something of interest, I recommend grabbing it.
One quick note: Some Amazon deals require an Amazon Prime subscription. Not yet a member? No problem. You can sign up for your free 30-day Prime trial here. (And by the way, those without Prime still get free shipping on orders of $25 or more.)
A straight-up AirPods Pro rival, the Air Pro 2 offers active noise cancelling (ANC), transparency mode, in-ear detection, touch controls and a case that supports both USB-C and wireless Qi charging. I found the fit to be snug and comfortable, thanks in no small part to the six pairs of silicone tips included in the box. At $80, these would be easy to recommend; at $55 (with the on-page coupon), they're a steal.
Priced within a few dollars of its best-ever Black Friday deal, the Echo Show 8 is hard to pass up. The Alexa-powered smart screen can serve up all manner of video, from cooking recipes on YouTube to your favorite shows on Netflix. It's also great for music, weather reports, home automation and the like. Cooler still, the 13-megapixel front camera will automatically keep you centered during video calls. $75, people!
Walmart's house-brand TV is a no-brainer buy at $98, as it comes stocked with my favorite streaming interface: Roku. This 32-inch model might be perfect for a den, bedroom or office, where you don't necessarily want something huge and don't need a fancy 4K display.
Want a second monitor for your workstation or a bigger screen for your laptop? Look no further than this top-rated 24-inch Acer, a steal at $99. Suitable for everyday work but especially good for gaming (thanks to AMD FreeSync technology, which adjusts frame rates to suit the game), this monitor is especially noteworthy for its 3-year warranty.
Sure, you snap a ton of photos, but do you ever actually get to enjoy those photos? That's why you need a digital picture frame, to put your favorites in a constant slideshow rotation. Aura makes some of the best frames out there; the Carver Mat is one of the easiest to set up and use, especially if you're gifting it to someone else. Adding new photos is as simple as emailing or using the Aura app. This thing can play videos, too.
Last year's iPad is this year's deal. This 9th-generation model is an extremely capable tablet, with support for accessories like the Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard. It has a gorgeous screen, great built-in cameras (front and rear) and a battery that's good for up to 10 hours.
The bestselling Omni Series TV is notable for a number of reasons, not the least of which is Amazon's baked-in Fire TV interface. This affords access to not only every major streaming service but also a nifty selection of games and apps. One especially notable one: Zoom. Add an inexpensive webcam and you can enjoy super-big-screen video calls. Note that you must be an Amazon Prime subscriber to get this discounted price.
Australian allrounder Chris Green has starred for the Trent Rockets in a 47-run win over the Northern Superchargers in the men's Hundred at Headingley.
Cathy Freeman's former rival played a key role as rain tumbled and Paris's 2024 Olympic Games was officially opened, 100 years after it first played host.
There are reports a younger man arrested alongside a Mexican drug cartel kingpin lured him to the US where both were arrested, as part of a plea bargain.
Australian veteran Matt Ebden is laughing off the prospect of taking on Novak Djokovic in his first tour-level singles match for two years at the Olympics.