The Buying Game (Issue 8)

This week's picks include an e-reader, Game Boy, camera app, backpack, and more.

Tyler H

25 Jul 2025 — 5 min read

TL;DR: The Buying Game consists of me selecting three products worth buying at different price points. Each product is given a Value Score—based on price and function—and then one is crowned the winner at the end.

How I’d spend $500: Kindle Colorsoft

Amazon debuted the Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition in late 2024. Now, the company is releasing a slightly cheaper version of the device. There's less storage and a few missing features from the SE, but the new model still features the same speed and display. While a color e-reader isn't completely necessary, it does make the whole experience of browsing and using the device much nicer.

Price: $249 (link)
Value Score: Fair

The three areas the new Colorsoft differs from the SE:

16GB, instead of 32GB, of storage
No light sensor for automatic adjustment
No wireless charging

The lack of a light sensor is a little unfortunate, but otherwise, the $30 savings make up for the missing features. Most people shouldn't need more than 16GB of storage. If you have an old Kindle you can trade it in and get 20% off which is the way to go.

How I’d spend $150: Lego Nintendo Game Boy

Lego just announced a buildable Game Boy coming in October. (Available for pre-order now.) The set is a near 1:1 replica that comes with a stand and two game pieces. It comes with three lenticular image screens to show off—two from games and one Nintendo loading screen. Even the buttons are pressable.

Price: $59.99 (link)
Value Score: Good

The best part of this set is how (relatively) affordable it is. Lego has partnered with Nintendo in the past for an amazing, NES set with moving parts, but that one retails for $330. All things considered, this is kind of a steal.

How I’d spend $50: Insta360 Throwpod

Tripods are usually bulky and cumbersome. The Insta360 Throwpod, however, is relatively compact and super quick to open and adjust. It pops open with a press of the bottom button and extends up to 3.6 feet tall.

Price: $49.99 (link)
Value Score: Fair

This tripod prioritizes size and travel and doesn't have much flexibility for tilting and other adjustments. A lot of times, I just need a tall stand, which this is, so if you need more, then this isn't the best value.

The winning pick: Insta360 Throwpod

The Lego Game Boy is the funnest pick here, but less useful in a day-to-day capacity. The Insta360 Throwpod, on the other hand, is inconspicuous enough to bring to a baseball game, ballet recital, or other photo shoot. Outfit it with whatever kind of mount you want, and you can steady your phone or an action cam.

Are you looking for even more picks this week? Here are a few things worth considering.

An expensive pick: Topo Designs Global Travel Backpack

The Topo Designs Global Travel Backpack is a perfect option for people looking to travel light or supplement their carry-on luggage with a little more space. It's 25 liters but can expand to 27L with a hidden zipper. I like its carry-on-like interior, which makes it convenient to fully open and place clothes inside. I also like its grab-handles on each of the four sides. This bag isn't overly expensive, considering the landscape, but it's not cheap either.

An app pick: Adobe Project Indigo

The Project Indigo camera app from Adobe is the first of its kind that I consider worthy of trying. The company breaks down how it's infusing some of its imagery tricks if you're curious, but ultimately, the end result is often more natural-looking photos from your phone's camera. The app can also do things like de-noise and process zoomed-in images better.

There have been two kinds of third-party camera apps previously. Those for professionals, which expose manual controls and allow the technically minded to dial in the image settings they want, while shooting RAW. The other camera apps use the iPhone's image processing and simply overlay a filter or some kind of other basic tweak. This one is different from those two scenarios, although it does expose manual controls too.

Indigo is free to use, so it's worth a shot. It makes my phone hot to use it, but it also captures some nice images.

This week's other interesting deals and product news

There's no info on pricing yet, but the Krono is a phone-sized e-reader (note taker and music player) that looks rad. It's coming in August.
The new faster wireless charging spec will officially be called Qi2 25W—instead of Qi2.2. New certified accessories are coming soon.
Google has now purposefully shown off its new Pixel 10 phone that's set to be announced next month.
Dyson's $500 OnTrac headphones now have new color accessory options.
Google is raising the price of its doorbell and video camera subscriptions. Nest Aware is going from $80 to $100 per year, and Nest Aware Plus is going from $150 to $200 per year.
Do you subscribe to Apple News+? There's a new emoji puzzle game available that you can play. I don't like it, but you may.
AppleCare One is a new warranty plan that covers any three devices that Apple sells. Here's a breakdown looking at whether it's a good deal.