This Week The Trend (Issue 48)

It might be the week before Amazon's Prime Days, but companies are already itching to discount their products. Not only are there some fantastic deals on gadgets, but lots of streaming services are cheaper right now.

How I’d spend $500: Switchbot K11+

Robot vacuums have gained a lot of functionality over the last few years, but they've also ballooned in size. The robots and their base stations are big. Switchbot claims the K11+ is the world's smallest robot vacuum, and it's not hard to believe. Still, the tiny robot has LiDAR navigation and mapping, making it able to roam around without bumping into too many objects. It also has side brushes for a wider reach under cabinets.

I wouldn't recommend this vacuum for the main living space of a big home, but for small apartments, primary bedrooms, or unique areas, it works great.

Price: $240 [$228 with Amazon coupon] (link)
Value Score: Great

The Switchbot K11+ retails for $399, so the $240 sale makes it a much better value as a secondary vacuum for small spaces.

How I’d spend $150: Nothing Ear (a)

The Nothing Ear (a) are some of the most stylish wireless earbuds on the market. They come in white, black, or yellow and feature a transparent design. They have hybrid ANC and offer around 40 hours of listening time with the charging case. These are the entry-level wireless earbuds from Nothing, but they still sound fantastic. They're a good way to get cool earbuds without overextending your budget.

Price: $53 (link)
Value Score: Good

The Nothing Ear (a) normally retail for $79, so they're 33% off right now. If you do want a little better ANC and audio performance, the Nothing Ear (3) are down to $128, from $179.

How I’d spend $50: Sharge Magsafe Charger Stand

The Sharge Magsafe Charger Stand is a jack of all trades. Primarily, it's a 15,000mAh power bank. It has enough capacity to charge an iPad fully or an iPhone more than once. But it also has a tilting Qi2 charger on top, making it perfect for use at a desk. It can output as much as 115W, meaning it can charge pretty much any device, including a laptop, while powering a phone. It has multiple ports and a screen to view how much power it's using.

Price: $23 (link)
Value Score: Great

This might be the best deal I've seen in a while. This Sharge Charger Stand normally retails for $80, so its 71% discount is hard to beat.

The winning pick: Sharge Magsafe Charger Stand

All of the picks are winners this week. Each of them is on sale for a significant amount. But the Sharge Magsafe Charger Stand is so cheap, and provides so much utility, that it's hard not to pick it. Because it's so versatile, it might be a true value, even if it's an impulse buy to have an extra battery on hand.

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

An expensive pick: GE Profile Smart Indoor Pellet Smoker

Yes, you can smoke meat indoors. And yes, it still tastes amazing. Although an outdoor smoker is better for a lot of reasons, not everyone has the outdoor space to keep a big smoker grill. In that case, the GE Profile Smart Indoor Pellet Smoker is a great option. I've used one for several years with great results. Meat has a smoky flavor and juicy taste.

The only downside I've encountered is the interior room. You can cook a meal for a family of four to six, but probably not beyond that. Racks of ribs will need to be cut and spread across multiple shelves.

Price: $599 (link)

The Indoor Pellet Smoker is $100 off right now. This smoker isn't the best value, compared to an entry-level Traeger. But it does have great performance and should be worth the cost for anyone without room for an outdoor grill.

Media pick: HBO Max

Instead of recommending a movie, show, or song, this is a recommendation for HBO Max, the streaming service, because it's on sale right now.

You can get a year of HBO Max for as low as $79—about $6.50 per month. But I think the best value is the Standard plan for $133, which gets rid of ads and has live sports. This current deal saves you $52.

Why get HBO Max? It has The Pitt, The Gilded Age, Rooster, The Last of Us, Hacks, and more.

This week's other interesting deals and product news

• The Apple TV streaming service is on sale for $5.99 per month for two months. (Plenty of time to watch Widow's Bay)
• Get one year of Walmart+ for $49—half off.
• Get two months of Paramount+ for $0.99 each.
• Turtlebox has a new portable outdoor speaker, The Cub.
• The Kindle Colorsoft is down to $183, which is 45% off.
• Best Buy's Tech Fest Sale will run from June 22 to 28—includes $179 AirPods Pro 3.
• The tiny Xteink X4 e-reader is on sale for $55. The smaller, newer X3 is down to $63.

This week's published stories

• Shokz OpenDots 2 review [Business Insider]
• Polaroid Go Gen 3 review [Yahoo]
• Hands-on with the Rivian R2 [Yahoo]
• 30 days with Google's Fitbit Air [Yahoo]
• Why Tracksmith Eliot Runner shoes are perfect for travel [Yahoo]

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