This Week The Trend (Issue 63)

FYI: Amazon Prime Days start on Tuesday—October 6-7. If you don't have Prime yet, you can sign up for a free trial.

How I’d spend $500: Kindle (2026)

Gadgets should be more fun. That's one reason I like that the new Kindle e-reader comes in this Alpine Sky color—or green. The new 6-inch model is said to be faster to interact with, while also being lighter and thinner. Interestingly, this higher-end model is also made of aluminum.

The new Kindle comes with 32GB of storage, which will hold hundreds of books, if not more. But if you do want a lower-cost 16GB model or a black color, you can get that for $150.

Value Score: Poor

You can find cheaper e-readers, including older or refurbished Kindles. But Amazon's Kindle is certainly the easiest way to buy and read books.

How I’d spend $150: Ember Mug 3 (14oz)

The brand-new Ember Mug 3 keeps the same formula of past mugs intact, with temperature control from 125°F to 145°F for up to three hours with the included lid. But now it's dishwasher-safe and has manual temperature adjustment, without needing to use the mobile app.

There's a 10-ounce model available too, but if you want more color choices than black and white, you'll need to get the 14-ounce model.

Value Score: Fair

Spending $150 (or $130 for the 10-ounce model) is not cheap. But I've also used a temperature-controlled Ember Mug nearly every day for six-plus years. If you could benefit from keeping your hot drink at a steady temperature for more than an hour, then this investment will be money well spent.

How I’d spend $50: Twelve South AirFly Drive

If you have CarPlay in your vehicle that you need to plug in, Twelve South's new AirFly Drive can turn that into wireless CarPlay. So, as soon as you get into your car, it can activate and start showing your iPhone's info on the screen.

The AirFly Drive can work with USB-A or USB-C ports with the included adapter. It also comes in black or white if you'd like to try to match the interior.

Value Score: Fair

Just to be clear, your vehicle already needs to have CarPlay. This won't add it to a Tesla, for example. But this is a relatively cheap way to convert wired CarPlay into wireless CarPlay. It might also be handy to travel with if you rent a lot of cars.

The winning pick: Ember Mug 3

Coffee and tea drinkers who have not seriously looked at an Ember Mug yet should give this new Mug 3 a real consideration. This is the best version of the product yet.

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

An expensive pick: Breville Spiral Luxe Auto-Pour-Over

Breville's new coffee maker takes all the guesswork out of making a cup, or pot, of coffee. It includes a built-in bean grinder, water reservoir, and swivel pour head for an authentic pour-over experience. A touchscreen on top includes all the controls to fully dial in how you want to brew your coffee—up to 20 ounces.

Media pick: Ebenezer

Is it too early to check out Christmas movies? Johnny Depp gives this holiday classic his own take as he plays Ebenezer Scrooge in what looks like a grittier take. The movie also stars Ian McKellen and Rupert Grint. It will be in theaters November 13.

This week's other interesting deals and product news

• A new M5 MacBook Air with a 1TB hard drive is $150 off right now.
• The Moft Tripod Stand might be the best portable iPhone stand, and it's $12 off right now, down to $28.
• SwitchBot's 13-inch E Ink frame is 20% off, down to $280.
• The AcuRite Optimus weather station is 34% off right. It includes a solar charging panel.
• The 3.97-inch Boox Picco e-reader is now available to pre-order for $99.
• Elevation Lab has a new $10 product that will silence AirTags from making noise.

This week's published stories

• 12 cool things about the Lucid Gravity [PCMag]
• AirPods 5 review [Business Insider]
• Nothing Headphone (1) Pro review [Yahoo]
• Technics A1000 review [Yahoo]
• Ember Mug 3 review [Yahoo]

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