Happy Saturday, folks! Ever since they arrived on the scene in mid-2022, we’ve considered Google’s noise-canceling Pixel Buds Pro to be the wireless earbuds for Pixel phone owners — partly because of their great feature set and partly because they addressed the connectivity issues that plagued earlier models. The best part, however, is they’re often on sale for far less than the MSRP. Right now, for instance, you can pick them up at Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy for around $139 ($60 off), which matches their second-best price to date.
In terms of features, Google’s latest Pixel Buds are designed to compete with the best from Apple, Sony, and others. Their noise cancellation can’t quite match the latest AirPods Pro or what Bose has achieved with the QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds, though it’s still very good, particularly if all you're trying to do is drown out the sound of a coffee shop or office. They also include multipoint support and, thanks to a welcome firmware update that dropped in the fall, new conversation tech that will automatically engage their transparency mode and pause whatever audio you’re listening to when you begin to speak. Couple that with a long-lasting battery capacity and a handful of Pixel-exclusive features — including native controls and head tracking spatial audio — and it’s easy to understand why they remain our No. 1 pick if you’re already tapped into the Google ecosystem.
Truth be told, I’ve never been a huge fan of most key lights, many of which opt for a circular or square-ish design that’s a bit of an eyesore when placed above your monitor. Logitech’s Litra Beam takes a more subtle approach to illumination, however, relying on a low-profile form factor that should sit neatly atop your monitor or the included stand. What’s more, it’s currently available from Amazon, Best Buy, and Logitech for $89.99 ($10 off), nearly matching its all-time low.
As you might imagine, Logitech’s full-spectrum LED key light is purpose-built for streaming, podcasting, or taking video calls from home. It’s sleeker than similar offerings like Razer’s Key Light Chroma and Elgato’s new Key Light MK.2, which allows it to align squarely with the top of your monitor or easily be adjusted to act as a traditional desk lamp when you’re not streaming. It sports adjustable brightness and color temperature, too, the latter of which you can tune between a relatively warm 2700K and a super cool 6500K using either the onboard hardware controls or Logitech’s G Hub desktop app. As for compatibility, it works with macOS and Windows via USB and Bluetooth, though you will need to plug the USB cable in for power regardless of which connection method you choose.
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More ways to save this weekend
- Lutron’s Aurora Smart Bulb Dimmer Switch is on sale at Walmart right now for $27.73 (about $20 off), which is the first discount we’ve seen on the dimmer in nearly two years. The battery-powered dial is easy to mount and serves as an incredibly helpful accessory if you use Philips Hue lights, as it allows you to control your lighting setup without fiddling with an app or shouting at your smart speaker from across the room. I should know — I own two.
- My colleague Jennifer Pattison Tuohy just published a substantial overhaul of our guide to the best robot vacuums earlier this week, and while the Ecovacs Deetbot X1 Omni is no longer featured on our list, it remains a great option that’s currently matching its all-time low of $799.99 ($750 off) at Amazon. It’s not as capable as the latest models, however, it’s a terrific robot vacuum/mop hybrid that packs AI obstacle avoidance, an effective self-cleaning function, and the ability to double as a security camera. Read our review.
- If you looking for a cheaper alternative to the Apple Pencil, Woot is selling the entry-level Logitech Crayon in refurbished condition with a 90-day warranty for $26.99 ($43 off) when you use promo code 3OFFLOGITECH. This is the last-gen model, mind you, which means it lacks pressure sensitivity and relies on a female Lightning port in the cap for charging (as opposed to USB-C). Nonetheless, it still features tilt sensitivity, up to seven hours of battery life, and support for palm rejection. It’s also compatible with any iPad that launched after 2018, though, I’d probably only recommend it for the ninth-gen iPad given the aforementioned charging limitations.
- Timmy and Tommy’s Aloha Edition of the Nintendo Switch Lite, which features Animal Crossing’s signature leaf design printed on the back and a copy of New Horizons, is on sale at Walmart for $179 ($20 off). It’s the cheapest way to experience Tears of the Kingdom, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, and other first-party titles, though we’d be remiss if we didn’t point out that the highly anticipated Switch 2 is reportedly coming next year. I can’t imagine Nintendo’s aging handheld has a tooooon of life left in it at this point, even if it is going out with the proverbial bang. Read our review.