Amazon Prime Day 2025: The deals that the Engadget team spent our hard-earned money on
(Ed. note: Igor Bonifacic saved a whopping $2 on this guitar tuner, but it was worth it to him. I'll let him explain.)
In Canada, the D'Addario tuner I ended up buying is normally a little more expensive at $20 CAD, but I figured there was a chance it would go on sale for Prime Day. So I set up a Camelcamelcamel alert, and on the morning of July 8 I got an email from the website saying it was… $2 off. Not the greatest discount, but hey, in such an expensive hobby, every dollar counts, right?
This past spring, I picked up the guitar for the first time in about 15 years. How it happened doesn't matter. What does matter is that now I play everyday, and I've been asking myself why did I ever stop in the first place. I feel more creative, my eyes feel healthier from less screen time and I'm better now than I ever was as a teenager.
As I've gotten back into the hobby, I've slowly been buying all the little accessories that can make it easier to maintain your guitar. With Prime Day around the corner, I set my sights on a headstock tuner. These little gadgets weren't around when I first started learning the instrument, but let me tell you they're great.
Like the name suggests, you attach one to the headstock of your guitar. It then allows you to tune the instrument by measuring the vibrations produced by the strings. While you could just as easily use an app like GuitarTuna to do the same, clip-on tuners aren't affected by ambient noise, making the entire tuning process fast and easy. Best of all, they're cheap. In the US, you can spend as little as $15 to buy the model I purchased for Prime Day. — Igor Bonifacic, senior reporter
Without even trying, I've become a devotee of Apple's Continuity Camera over the last few years. I think with my laptop and monitor setup, it's just always made more sense to use my iPhone as a camera rather than buying some kind of USB-C docking station or giving up another port on my computer. Unfortunately, I also find having my phone within arm's reach while I'm writing to be pretty distracting. Taking advantage of a Prime Day deal on a dedicated webcam this year is my solution.
I purchased an off-white Logitech Brio 500, which normally costs $130, but is $50 off for Prime Day through Amazon or Logitech. It's a kind of a long, tube-shaped 1080p webcam, so not the sleekest or best option out there, but it has the basics I need, like a manual shutter and auto-framing, and critically, it matches my Logitech mouse. If, like me, you can't stand the idea of paying over $100 for a webcam, I think it's a pretty appealing option at $80. — Ian Carlos Campbell, contributing writer
I recently discovered that as all my gear transitioned to USB-C, I no longer had any compatible thumb drives. Rather than buy an adapter dongle that I would inevitably lose, I figured it would be smart to have a new thumb drive that could handle both USB-C and USB-3. The discount on the SanDisk drive I bought wasn't huge, but Prime Day seemed like a good time to save a few bucks on a practical purchase. — Anna Washenko, contributing reporter
I made a very short, focused list of three things to buy on Prime Day — a Nori Press, a walking pad and the Ms. Rachel Tonie toy for the kids in my life. But when I was looking through our roundup of the best deals this week, the discounted entry-level iPad caught my eye.
My dad had been asking me repeatedly for weeks about an iPad for watching videos and movies while him and my mom were traveling, and I wasn't able to give them an answer as I was weighing a lot of concerns. What is the best operating system for them? Do they need something released recently, or could they save some money on an older model?
Seeing this current-generation iPad on sale prompted me to just buy it for them. It simplifies things as my dad uses an iPhone and is familiar with iPadOS, and apps like YouTube and Netflix would satisfy their desires to download videos to watch offline. Saving $70 on what is a very solid device felt like a great deal, but more importantly it earned me points with my family. — Cherlynn Low, managing editor
As Prime Day goes on till the end of the week, many on the Engadget team are still weighing their decisions. Executive editor John Falcone, for example, hasn't bought Anker's UFO 3-device charger, but says he wishes he did. I'll update this post if he does, because he will save almost 30 percent on it.
Not all our purchases have been through Amazon, either. Editor-in-chief Aaron Souppouris is thinking about buying "a weird camera for too much money not on Amazon." It's a full-spectrum conversion camera, and if and when he does make that purchase, we will be sure to shame him here.
Finally, senior reporter Billy Steele has made arguably the best shopping decision all week, on or off Amazon. He bought "three Happy Meals trying to get the cool toys. I got three of the same toy. :("
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
21 minutes ago
- Yahoo
JPMorgan drops 3-word verdict on Amazon stock post-earnings
JPMorgan drops 3-word verdict on Amazon stock post-earnings originally appeared on TheStreet. Amazon () posted a superb Q2 on paper, but the market was mostly unfazed. Shares pulled back sharply, with investors fixating on Amazon Web Services (AWS) relatively lagging in growth. However, in that cloud of concern (no pun intended), JPMorgan sees an opening, not noise. 💵💰💰💵 Veteran Analyst Doug Anmuth's call effectively cuts through the volatility, while putting fresh focus on how Wall Street's top desks are interpreting Amazon's long-term AI and infrastructure story. Amazon's big AI bet tests investor patience Amazon's Q2 results showed a clear contrast in booming top-line expansion, massive investment on one side, and investor unease on the other. Overall sales jumped a superb 13% amounting to $167.7 billion, beating estimates by an eye-popping $5.60 net income surged, with a $1.68 EPS, blowing past estimates by 36 cents. However, all eyes were on AWS sales, which were relatively uninspiring. AWS sales grew 17.5% to $30.9 billion, but remarkably lagged the headline-grabbing growth at competitors. Putting things in perspective, Microsoft Azure posted a 39% jump, while Google Cloud surged 32%, reinforcing fears that AWS may be losing ground in the AI cloud race. Margins told a similar story. AWS operating margin fell sharply to 32.9%, down from 39.5% the prior quarter. Management attributed the squeeze to its aggressive GenAI investments and infrastructure hiccups, particularly with power, chip supply, and server yields. What turned heads, though, was the spending. Amazon's capital expenditures came in at a record $31.4 billion, up close to 90% year-over-year. That's a remarkably high number, especially with management calling it 'reasonably representative' of what's to come in the back half of the year. However, the goal at this point is clear, and it involves scaling AWS's infrastructure quick enough to support AI ambitions and relieve capacity strain. Wall Street wasn't sold, with concerns centering around AWS's slower growth, thinner margins, and unclear near-term return on the hefty capex. Still, CEO Andy Jassy defended the strategy. He emphasized that Amazon is still in the early innings of its powerful multi-year AI journey and that capacity constraints will ease as new infrastructure comes online. JPMorgan's three-word response on Amazon stock: Buy the pullback As previously mentioned, Amazon may have delivered on paper, but the market didn't see it that way. Amazon stock tanked over 8% on Aug. 1, but it clawed back some of those losses pre-market Aug. 4. Still, the initial drop raises some major questions. Nevertheless, one top voice on the Street isn't analyst Doug Anmuth at JPMorgan feels the dip is exactly when investors should move in. He feels investors should 'Buy the pullback,' backing up his Buy rating on Amazon stock, while boosting his price target from $255 to $265, implying a superb upside of 23% from current levels. So what triggered the drop? According to Anmuth, the culprit was AWS. While AWS revenue jumped 17.5% year-over-year to $30.9 billion, it underwhelmed investors who expected more, especially considering the backdrop of AI-fueled cloud expansion. That's not all. Amazon also reported a record $31.4 billion in capex, which only made matters worse in compounding the pressure on AWS to deliver even bigger growth numbers. Still, the Street isn't backing off. Analysts at Citi also bumped their price target on the stock to $270, noting Amazon's higher spending reflects healthy demand and efforts to fix infrastructure constraints in the cloud. However, it's important to consider that growth lagged peers, and management didn't exactly calm concerns around the AI opportunity. Despite that, the Wall Street punditry believes the selloff doesn't match the broader story. And for JPMorgan, this is the kind of dip worth loading up on. AWS: Amazon's profit engine and AI powerhouse AWS is far from purely a segment; it's arguably the profit core and strategic anchor for the entire business. It's responsible for close to 60% of Amazon's operating income, with AWS running at an annualized sales pace above $123 billion. That scale gives it the profile of a standalone cloud giant, one that underpins the bulk of Amazon's enterprise Andy Jassy has reiterated AWS's incredible competitive moat, noting it's still 'meaningfully larger' than its next-closest rival. Recent data supports that lead. Per the most recent reports, AWS commands roughly 31% to 32% of the global cloud infrastructure market, followed closely by Microsoft Azure with roughly 22.5% to 24%, and Google Cloud at 10% to 12%. Other estimates tend to vary based on methodology, but generally confirm AWS's position at the top, with competitors trailing by a hefty margin. AI is rapidly deepening that role. AWS is investing a ton of money in generative and agentic AI, in serving external clients through the Generative AI Innovation Center. Another key differentiator for AWS is that it effectively originates from Amazon's internal infrastructure needs before commercialization. It comes with embedded efficiency and noteworthy cash-flow sustainability, making it more than a cost center, powering internal tools like Amazon Personalize. That synergy creates a robust loop where AI sharpens retail engagement and fuels more demand for compute. More News: Amazon's quiet pricing twist on tariffs stuns shoppersBank of America flags 3 breakout stocks to watch ahead of earnings Margins may have compressed recently on the back of AWS building its custom infrastructure, including Trainium chips, but those bets are about long-term dominance. JPMorgan drops 3-word verdict on Amazon stock post-earnings first appeared on TheStreet on Aug 4, 2025 This story was originally reported by TheStreet on Aug 4, 2025, where it first appeared.
Gizmodo
an hour ago
- Gizmodo
Samsung's 27-Inch Curved Gaming Monitor Is Cheaper on Amazon Than on Samsung's Own Site
If you've spent all of your money on a fantastic gaming PC and have just realized you also need to get a monitor as well, then you might have the fear setting in. Don't let it in though, because you can find some really good gaming monitors out there which are actually reasonably priced, and better yet, on sale. Right now, Amazon has an excellent deal on that means you can pick up this Samsung 27-inch S39C Curved Gaming Monitor for just $140. That's 39% off the normal price of $230, and that's a very solid amount of money off. This deal won't last forever though, so if you do decide you want it, make sure you buy it quickly to avoid missing out. See at Amazon Gaming monitors excel in a few different ways. The main thing a lot of them have going for them isn't actually about the quality of the visuals, but the speed of them. It's really important that you can see more frames to succeed when it comes to competitive gaming, which is why a good refresh rate is so important, but it's also important that the latency isn't too high, or you'll feel input lag all the time. This gaming monitor has a sizeable 27-inch screen with full HD visuals to help you stay properly immersed. The 75Hz refresh rate means that you'll be able to see up to 75 frames per second has well, which is enough for all but the most hardcore gamers out there. It has a fairly low response rate of four milliseconds too, so you'll get a really good feeling of responsiveness from your games. Along with that, it has a bunch of features which really help it perform well here. Along with AMD FreeSync to make sure your monitor can figure out the right settings, it also has Game Mode for boosted performance, a frameless design to reduce the overall clunkiness of the monitor, and built-in speakers. That last one can be a huge win, especially given how many of us usually end up just turning up some headphones and hoping for the best. This monitor is a solid pickup at $230, but at $140, this is a great purchase for those looking for a solid monitor that's not going to cost them an arm and a leg. It's got enough power for just about anything you could want from it, so make the most of this deal quickly. See at Amazon
CNN
an hour ago
- CNN
You should be using AirTags for school bags and more. Here's why
Tons of us here at CNN Underscored have been using Apple AirTags to track our luggage, valuables and even pets for years, but did you know there are also plenty of handy ways to use AirTags for school? Apple's mega-popular item trackers are a great pickup for anyone getting ready to hit the books this upcoming semester, whether you're prone to misplacing your backpack or just don't want to worry about losing your keys while juggling all the other stress that comes with a new school year. Here's why we love Apple's AirTags for keeping your school supplies safe, and everything you need to know about making the most of them so that you can focus more on studying and less on worrying where your stuff is right before a big final. And if you're not in the Apple world, we've also got plenty of recs for the latest Bluetooth trackers that'll work with any device. Apple AirTag This tiny and popular Bluetooth item tracker can be slipped into your backpack, luggage or any other valuable, allowing you to easily keep tabs on your stuff at any time via Apple's Find My our review Apple AirTags, 4-Pack The best AirTag value out there, this bundle is cheaper than the price of buying multiple AirTags separately — especially when it goes on sale, which is often. For the uninitiated, Apple's AirTags first dropped back in 2021 and quickly became a staple among, well, pretty much everyone who uses an iPhone. It's easy to see why they're so popular: Stick one of these tiny aluminum circles in your backpack, wallet or luggage, and you can easily keep track of said item via the Find My app on your iPhone, iPad or Mac. They're so easy to set up that even your younger or tech-averse loved ones can figure them out, and they can emit a nice loud beep for when you inevitably lose one of them between the cushions of your couch. We also love how folks with an iPhone 11 or newer can take advantage of Precision Tracking, which provides detailed step-by-step directions to wherever you misplaced your stuff (big surprise, you left your backpack in the chemistry lab again). In the event you can't find your AirTag, you can put it into Lost mode, which locks the device from being used by other people while also giving other iPhone users your contact information for returning it (if you choose to provide it, that is). You can also take advantage of the recently added Share Item Location to let trusted friends or family members view your item's location via the Find My app. You can even use Siri to help you find your stuff by simply calling out whatever you named your AirTag. Just grab your phone and say 'Siri, find my keys/backpack/entire bicycle that I somehow lost.' It's important to note that these trackers don't use GPS and instead ping other nearby Apple devices to send a signal of their location every few moments. So, while you shouldn't expect by-the-second location updates on your belongings, you should be able to get an accurate estimate of where they are considering how common Apple products are in just about every part of the world. Our editors have been buying and using AirTags ever since they first came out. Many of us never travel without them (they're one of our best luggage tracker picks for a reason) and keep one in each of our bags when hopping on a flight, something that's come in handy during at least one unfortunate luggage mixup. Some folks even keep one in their car (you never know), and I personally have one affixed to my dog's harness for some extra peace of mind. And if you're a student who's constantly lugging around lots of valuable tech and books in an almost certainly overstuffed backpack from class to class, you'll want to slap one in there too. Tracking your backpack (and finding an AirTag-friendly bag) The most obvious way to use AirTags for school is to affix one to your backpack, though there are a few ways to go about this. You could simply just throw one in one of your bag's zippered pockets, which conceals the fact that your bag is packing an item tracker to would-be thieves. But AirTags are pretty tiny, so having one bounce around loosely in your bag could run the risk of it accidentally falling out when you're sifting through your textbooks and folders. Realistically, you'll want a dedicated AirTag holder or keychain that'll make it easy to securely attach one of Apple's trackers right to one of your backpack zippers. While some may prefer to hide their AirTag, having one visible in plain sight might make someone think twice before snatching your bag since it's obviously being tracked. Belkin Apple AirTag Secure Holder With Key Ring This popular AirTag holder features raised edges designed to keep your tracker safe from scratches and a handy key ring loop for bags and keychains. Elevation Lab TagVault AirTag Strap Mount This Strap Mount allows you to securely and discreetly affix your AirTag right to you backpack's strap. Bellroy Transit Workpack One of our favorite laptop backpacks, the Transit Workpack has a dedicated AirTag pocket so that you can securely hide one of Apple's trackers our review There are a ton of good AirTag key ring options for those who want to go this route. Apple makes its own AirTag loop, but you can get other good key rings for cheaper — and in bigger quantities. Belkin, one of our favorite accessory brands, makes this very popular $13 AirTag case with a scratch-proof design. I personally use this cheap keychain case I got as part of a $5 four-pack on Amazon Haul, and it's held up well for months. You can also consider a strap mount (such as this popular TagVault option), which allows you to protect and affix your AirTag directly to your backpack strap. Your choice really comes down to your personal style, as well as how many items you're looking to attach AirTags to. If you're in the market for a new backpack, know that there are a handful of modern bags that sport dedicated, discreet AirTag pockets so that you can hide your tracker inside without worrying about it bouncing around. Bags such as the Troubador Apex 3.0 and Bellroy Transit Workpack 26L (one of our picks for the best laptop backpack) offer this feature, and while they don't come cheap, they also save you from having to pick up a dedicated holder for your AirTag. AirTags for college commuters If you commute to and from school (or just ride around campus a lot), AirTags can also be useful for keeping tabs on your vehicle. For those who have a car on campus, putting an AirTag somewhere secure and discreet within your ride can make it easy to find where you parked in a big lot. Our very own product testing editor Suzanne Kattau has used AirTags for this exact purpose and plans on getting one for her son who's currently in college so he can do the same. For the student cyclists out there, you can find tons of AirTag bike mounts all over the web too. As our colleagues at CNN Business reported a few years back, a cyclist was able to track down and eventually recover his bike that got lost during an overseas trip. As such, Apple's tracker should work just fine for helping you find yours when it's just on the other side of campus. You'll need an iPhone to use AirTags, but that doesn't mean that those outside the Apple ecosystem are out of luck when it comes to tracking their stuff. Many of the best Bluetooth trackers we've tested work on both iOS and Android, allowing you to stow them in your bag and keep tabs of them in most of the same ways we've outlined above. Our favorite option for Android users is the Tile Pro, which offers robust, reliable tracking via the Tile app, regardless of what kind of phone you have. We found it to be louder and offer a wider Bluetooth range than Apple's AirTag, making it worth considering even if you're an iPhone user. It even has a built-in key ring loop, meaning you can chain it to your backpack right out of the box instead of having to buy a dedicated key ring holder. That said, we found Apple's Find My network to be a bit more reliable, as there are simply more Apple devices out in the wild for your AirTag to ping. Other good non-Apple trackers we've tried include the Pebblebee Clip Universal and Eufy SmartTrack Link. Apple's AirTags are great for tracking just about anything, and your valuable school supplies are no exception. Heck, even if your studying days are behind you, anyone who regularly carries around a backpack for their day-to-day work should consider tossing a tracker in there for some extra peace of mind. You may even want to consider one for your vehicle. And don't forget that plenty of good AirTag alternatives exist for the non-Apple bookworms among us. Are you allowed to use AirTags at school? Are you allowed to use AirTags at school? Unless your school specifically says otherwise, there are generally no policies against using AirTags for their intended purpose (like tracking your own backpack) in school buildings. Former CNN Business senior writer Samantha Murphy Kelly even put Apple's trackers to the test when sending her son off to school, clipping one to his backpack to see how well it would work at keeping her aware of his location. That said, as Rossen Law Firm points out, certain states do have laws in place to prevent misuse of AirTags. The firm notes that placing a tracker on someone's vehicle without consent can be considered stalking; the same goes for simply tracking someone else's movements without them knowing you're using this kind of device. Apple does have its own safeguards to combat AirTag stalking (you'll get a notification if your iPhone detects an AirTag that isn't your own), but we still recommend staying vigilant and regularly checking your own bag (or that of the young student in your life) for anything suspicious. But if you're just throwing an AirTag in your bag or sending Junior off to school with them (with their knowledge), you're in the clear. Do you have to have an iPhone to use an AirTag for school? Do you have to have an iPhone to use an AirTag for school? You don't technically need an iPhone to use AirTags, though you will need a compatible Apple device. According to Apple's support page, the trackers are compatible with iPhone and iPod touch models running iOS 14.5 or later as well as iPads running iPadOS 14.5 or later. However, these trackers are most practical for folks with an iPhone, as you'll probably want to see where your stuff is from the device you always have in your pocket (and one that always has a cellular connection). What are the best school items to use an AirTag with? What are the best school items to use an AirTag with? The most obvious place to use your AirTags for school would be your backpack, whether you choose to stick your tracker inside your bag or use a dedicated key ring or mount strap to affix it to the outside. Aside from that, consider any other bags you typically bring to school every day, whether it be a lunch cooler or a gym bag. If you commute to school and are prone to forgetting where you parked, you can even throw an AirTag in your car. CNN Underscored has a team of skilled writers and editors who have many years of experience testing, researching and recommending products, and we ensure each article is carefully edited and products are properly vetted. We talk to top experts when applicable to make certain we are testing each product accurately, recommending only the best products and considering the pros and cons of each item. Senior tech editor Mike Andronico has been covering consumer technology for more than a decade, and has tested nearly every major Apple gadget that's come out in this time. For this guide, he pulled from his own experience owning and using AirTags, while also surveying the many CNN Underscored staffers that rely on Apple's trackers.
