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WIRED
10-07-2025
- Business
- WIRED
Prime Day Live in 25: We're Tracking the Deals + Trends
Amazon Prime Day rolls on for another day. We're spotting deals and sharing advice, observations, and, of course, deals. Amazon Prime Day is in the home stretch. We've spent about 50 hours keeping tabs on Amazon's annual summer sale, sharing sage shopping advice, spotting trends and, yes, getting excited about incoming deals on gear we've tested and approved. We maintain a list of the best Amazon Prime Day deals of 2025, which currently numbers 255. This is not that, rather it's where our team of 15, mostly hardened Prime Day veterans, including a handful of staffers who have covered every single Prime Day, riffs a bit on the event and the state of the nation and/or world. Quick reminder that you do need a Prime membership to get most of the deals, but there are plenty of perks beyond free shipping, it's free for the first 30 days, and can be canceled. Top Deals You know what's super-annoying about having a fully-stocked home office? It's how everyone you know in a 10-block radius is always texting to see if you can print out 'just this one thing' (that always turns out to be like 30 flyers for a block party or show) (I apologize if someone I know is reading this! I want to be invited) (I will print out as many of whatever you want, I swear). Thank God for reviewer Brad Bourque's roundup of the Best Printers and thank goodness that at least two of these are on sale. I need the one with a scanner ($249, $50 off), since I have to send so many signed documents back and forth. It would be nice to not have to jump through all the hoops it takes to get scanned PDFs from my iPhone to my MacBook through Notes. Courtesy of Furbo I started testing this mini pet camera from Furbo earlier this week, and I'm already liking it a lot. The camera can be mounted for even more views (and sturdiness), and has two-way audio, smart alerts, and makes video recaps of the day. This simple camera also uses Furbo Nanny—an AI-powered system that watches over your pet with real-time alerts and smart insights, notifying when there's unusual activity or potential emergencies. At a ridiculously cheap $25, this is the lowest price I've ever seen for this smart pet cam. Gossamer Gear's packing cube set ($83, $28 off) is not on Amazon (there are plenty of tested, tried-and-true packing cube sets on Amazon in our roundup of the Best Packing Cubes) but it is my favorite. Instead of just offering cubes in different sizes, it also offers many different kinds of cubes—a wet/dry cube, a shoe cube, and my favorite, which is a little clear packing cube that I use as my family's little travel emergency medical kit. It works so well! There's no travel scenario in which this set does not work. I also use the wet/dry cube for storing bathing suits. Photograph: Molly Higgins I've been testing a bunch of sleep aid supplements, and after a year, this is still my favorite sleep aid drink—both in flavor and effectiveness. This powdered drink mixture comes in cherry and berry, and both flavors are super tasty, similar to something like a less flavorful Gatorade, or maybe more like a Vitaminwater. The mixture is made with five sleep-aiding ingredients: vitamin B6, magnesium, L-theanine, GABA, and 3 milligrams of melatonin. It takes about an hour to feel the effects, but it works to help get me asleep and stay asleep—and best of all, I don't feel any grogginess the next morning. I keep going back to this before-bed drink. Prime Day Deal By Luke Larsen Read More I like Luke's writing on deals because he brings a philosophical attitude to laptop questions. Which is warranted! If you're a white-collar worker like myself, you're on your laptop almost every day, so you should be thinking about it! Is a 5-year-old laptop worth it, even at this unprecedentedly low price point? Luke notes that, 'as a general laptop for students or basic work, you'll be surprised how well the M1 chip holds up.' To back this point up, I am actually writing this blog post on one of these very same 2020 M1 MacBook laptops right now . It's totally fine! This is the lowest price that new MacBooks have ever been been! If yours is really outdated (like, even more outdated than this) it's worth considering. (Although I guess I should also say that I personally don't consider shelling out an extra $250 for the 2025 model to be that big a leap.) Amazon FurryTail Automatic Litter Box Pro $400 $300 (25% off) Amazon This automatic litter box was an immediate hit with my cats, who've tested nearly a dozen at this point and haven't taken to them all as quickly. Similar to many other automatic litter box models, the circular orb rotates, sifting dirty litter into a waste bag, which on this model is on top of the machine rather than below. The box has both a manual display and buttons on the machine, as well as an app that's connected to your phone to adjust settings and monitor usage remotely. As a bonus, this litter box comes with a year's supply of waste bag liners, an additional grate attachment, and a mat to reduce litter tracking. I thought this power bank was a bit overkill. I bought it last year to take to conferences, but I thought only people who had to sit down in hallways to write articles would ever need a power bank with this much capacity. However, now that I have it, I use it. All. The. Time. You'd be surprised how often you find that plug-in outlets don't work. I recently took two 15-hour flights with my kids who brought their iPads (don't be judgy about screen time for kids, there are no rules on a flight that long) and the plug-in seat outlets didn't work. It has a 25,000-mAh capacity and can deliver up to 165 watts to two devices—for over 15 hours, it kept two iPads and two iPhones topped up enough to get us through the flight and through immigration at the flight's conclusion. It's sleek, relatively tiny considering its capacity, and the display is easy to read and shows just how much battery is left and how fast it's recharging. I paid full price for it, but you don't have to. Don't forget the rest of our Best Prime Day Tech Deals here! Too Faced Better Than Sex Volumizing Mascara Ah yes, the age-old question plaguing every young woman: would I rather have great sex or great lashes? Just kidding—I just had to poke fun at this name. But in all seriousness, this mascara has been my daily go-to for the better part of a decade, and it never disappoints. I'm always getting compliments on my lashes (humble brag). The shape of the brush and the thick bristles completely coat every lash, and the formula feels silky smooth with peptides that aim to condition. Normally at $30, this mascara is a pricey (but worth it) upgrade made a little more reasonable with the $10 discount. Money comes and goes but beautiful lashes are forever, baby! I have a fluffy, beautiful (but dumb) cat named Clover who I've long suspected has some Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest cat in her. Turns out, according to Basepaws' at-home DNA testing kit, she's about 12% Maine Coon and 12% Ragdoll. Ahh yes, that's why she's such a diva. She is part Fancy Breed, unlike my other cat Basil who is basically 100% domesticated short hair—the catch-all mutts of the cat world. What did I expect? I found him in a literal gutter at the Lake of the Ozarks in Missourah. Testing was easy—all you have to do is register your kit online, swab the cat's mouth, seal it back up, send it back, and wait 5 or so weeks for results. They digitally send you reports, including genetic health markers, dental conditions, and DNA analysis. This kit is super discounted right now, and is way cheaper (and less traumatic) than a trip to the vet. I found that my cats' oral health is kind of bad and they could be at risk for oral disease; so I'm going have to start brushing their teeth. Wish me luck. To even begin to fall asleep I literally need sleep aids, blackout curtains, a sound machine, and a sleep mask, and when all else fails, a tranquilizer. I recently moved and my new bedroom has a giant Eastern-facing window that somehow always lets light in. I recently bought a few different sleep masks, including this one that my colleague Louryn recommended (and is so beautifully modeling above). Wearing a sleep mask to block out ambient light and that bright early morning light has helped me sleep so much deeper. I like this small, thin, and silky-smooth mask (that comes in a bunch of cute colors to boot!), and have basically been buying them for everyone I know who struggles with sleeping soundly. I seriously doubted my ability to write a how to on flying with just a personal item because my advice is not really applicable to everyone. Just pile up everything that you think you need, assume that you are probably not going to use it, and then don't pack it. (This is how I ended up going on a two-week vacation with each of my children only having four pairs of underwear.) However, I cannot deny that I do travel very, very light! I went to WWDC with only this tiny suitcase under the seat in front of me on Alaska Airlines. The wheels even pop off so it can fit if you're in doubt, although I didn't have a problem. Because they pop off, they're a bit rattly, especially if you're used to exceptionally smooth high-end Hinamoto wheels like some of our other picks. But it's tiny and adorable! It works! This Spanish-made Henckels chef's knife has a classic German-style blade made from German stainless steel. When testing (aka cutting SO many vegetables) this knife just feels heavy-duty. Although only 0.28 pounds, the knife feels heavier—the finely honed blade transitions to an ergonomic triple-rivet handle which is bulky and allows for more control while cutting. Usually a knife this solidly-made can be pricey, but at over half off right now, it's is an inexpensive asset for the kitchen. I will be the first to admit: Bike people are crazy, even crazier than the normal, crazy nerd people. And not even all crazy bike people like bike computers, which take you out of the whole 'enjoying nature, listening to your body' thing by continuously pinging you with all their data on your heart rate, cadence, etc. However! If you're traveling for long distances in remote areas under your own power, it is pretty helpful to have a GPS-enabled companion that can help you not get lost, and call for emergencies if you need it. As reviewer Steph Pearson says, it's a little frightening what this little device can do, and it's down to $585 from $750, which is the lowest price we've ever seen it. 70 hours of power! Tons of storage! It can show you the upcoming forks in the road! If this is a little too much for you, you can also check out our guide to the Best Garmins for more versatile Garmins. The Bellissima Italia Diffon is the best diffuser for curly hair. I reach for it all the time, even over the more-expensive options that I'm testing. It has an hourglass shape that makes it really easy to hold and maneuver around, which is very handy considering how much I contort my body and flip my hair while I'm diffusing. It doesn't get as hot or have as much airspeed as others, which means it won't cut your drying time in half but it will help prevent frizz and damage. It's a dedicated diffuser—if you don't diffuse, check out our Hair Dryer Buying Guide for more picks. Make sure to clip the on-page coupon to get the deal price. This automatic litter box, the Petkit Purobot Ultra (8/10, WIRED Recommends) from pet tech leader Petkit (I love their expansive line of cat fountains) asks the question: have we gone too far as a pet-obsessed society? This automatic litter box is unlike any I've seen from other brands. It uses a camera and AI technology to monitor litter box usage, showing your cat's stool so you can monitor their health. The litter box cycles every time your cat uses it, so there's no need to manually scoop. The attached camera motion senses and engages when a cat uses it, and the app logs and monitors usage. It uses AI to identify which cat used the box, and you can review the footage to see if anythings amiss. Although this is one of the priciest automatic litter boxes on the market, it's a great tool to be able to closely monitor your cats and more quickly identify any potential health issues. And now at $750, this is one of the lowest prices we'll see all year. Comfort Colors Heavyweight T-Shirt 1717 I happened upon a Comfort Colors t-shirt at a chintzy souvenir store in Maine about a year ago—I'm wearing that very shirt today—and have subsequently replaced most of my closet with them. They're garment-dyed to take on a pleasant broken-in appearance, come in a variety of colors, and have a soft feel while remaining sturdy. They're a steal at $15 each when not on sale, and right now they're $6. I advise you to buy nine or ten of them. It is perhaps also worth noting that I discovered these shirts and, as far as the physical evidence that I've been presented with up to this point shows, am the only person on the WIRED Reviews team who likes them or wears them. My Comfort Colors shirts are better because they have cats and lobsters on them!!!! There has been a lot of talk about who discovered Comfort Colors first and who has been quietly wearing Comfort Colors shirts with lobsters on them for a decade without writing 9000 words about them but, again, I have been provided with no clear physical evidence to support any of these claims. I would ask readers to consider if a professional reviewer from our team HAD been wearing them for a decade before I learned about them, why they were not the one to write 9000 words about how great they are? As I understand it, this person admits to GATEKEEPING the shirts, but should be trusted? Took a break from Computer Jail. A Comfort Colors shirt that is 17 years old at this very moment! It takes that long for the stitches to disintegrate.
WIRED
01-05-2025
- WIRED
Lenovo's Legion Go S Portable Gaming Console Needs a Better OS
Since the graphical settings here are basically turned all the way down already, if you want to play the latest games, you'll have to compromise by dropping the resolution. I didn't find the medium option of 1,600x1,000 that compelling, and a few games didn't support it at all. At 1,280x800, I was hanging out more comfortably in the 45+ range, which felt playable, but none of the modern 3D games I tested were able to break 60 FPS to really take advantage of the high-refresh panel. One other callout I want to make, which I believe is related to CPU performance, is the 'Shaders Compiling' process that runs when you launch some new games takes an extremely long time on the Go S. I noticed it when I first launched Marvel Rivals, and used a well-timed update to time it. It took over 14 minutes to complete, long enough that my friends would already be playing without me by the time I got to the main menu. Photograph: Brad Bourque The fans on the Legion Go S are also surprisingly loud, particularly in performance mode, enough that the person sitting next to you on the bus will probably keep looking over to wonder whether you're cooking something. They're a bit quieter on the balanced setting, but that causes the GPU and CPU temps to quickly hit 80 degrees under load. Battery life isn't too bad compared to similar systems. I got two hours and change of runtime playing Marvel Rivals at full resolution and refresh, on Balanced power, with the screen brightness at 35%. I got well over three hours just jamming games of Balatro with the same settings. That's about the same as I get playing similar games on my Steam Deck, but with a higher resolution and refresh screen, so I'd call that a solid victory for the Legion Go S. A Real Windows Handheld? I can see some of you licking your chops about a proper Windows handheld, and I don't blame you. If you're willing to put in some effort, the Legion Go S could be the centerpiece of a very slick portable desktop setup. I can totally imagine having a setup for home with an external GPU and high-end monitor, playing some games on the way to the office, then plugging in at my desk with more productivity-focused peripherals. The biggest barrier here is definitely Windows, and the distinct lack of support for this kind of device, which may make the SteamOS version more appealing to casual gamers. Lenovo put some effort into making tools that help make the experience work better, but even those need some polish for usability and responsiveness. Still, the screen is a distinct upgrade from the Steam Deck, even if you won't get to really use it except while playing Terraria .
WIRED
30-04-2025
- WIRED
Corsair's Void Wireless v2 Is a Great-Sounding Headset for Big Heads
If I'm going to use a headset regularly, it needs a visible way to indicate that I'm muted. A light is preferable, but the Corsair's microphone clicks upward and gives an audible voiceover that lets you know the mic is muted or unmuted. There's a mix of voice prompts and beeps, and I generally prefer beeps to spoken voice prompts. Language issues aside, a voice prompt will always interrupt whatever is happening onscreen or in a chat, but eventually you'll always learn what a certain beeping means. You can turn off the voice prompts in iCUE, but that doesn't replace them with beeping, it just makes them not play at all. I'm glad we've reached a point where most gaming headsets can run for way longer than you could reasonably game in one sitting. Of course, I'm terrible at remembering to charge my devices, but charging them twice a week was enough for regular gaming without ever seeing a low battery warning. Corsair quotes them at 70 hours on 2.4 GHz, and with the lights on and regular gaming and video watching, I'd put them comfortably above 45 hours. The Software Photograph: Brad Bourque You can use the Void Wireless v2 on PC without an app, but if you want to use all of the features you really need to download iCUE. I already had Corsair's peripheral management software on my machine for my AIO cooler and some of my components, and it picked up the headset right away without an update. iCUE is stuffed to the brim with features and app connections, as well as the ability to change settings in a very granular way, but the interface can be a little awkward to use, especially for making more basic changes. There are two physical buttons on the side of the headphones, one of which has a power symbol on it. You can hold that button to turn the headphones on or off, or press it once to switch between Bluetooth and 2.4 GHz. It still works that way if you haven't set up a Bluetooth device, so if you press that button the audio will just mute until you press it again. The button beneath it is locked to media controls, which is great for quickly pausing your music, but I doubt anyone will take these to the gym, so I'd rather see that button be user-controlled.
WIRED
17-04-2025
- WIRED
The GameSir G7 SE Is a Great Cheap Controller
GameSir may not be a household name in tech, but when I was working on an update for our favorite Xbox accessories, I kept seeing it pop up. People seemed eager to recommend a budget-friendly controller from a relatively unknown brand. The appeal isn't hard to see. It offers Hall Effect sensors, a 1,000-Hz polling rate, and two rear bumpers, all for less than a first-party controller. The catch? It's only available in a wired version. I think that's a tradeoff most PC gamers will be happy to live with, but it may be less appealing if you intend to sit in front of a TV. If that isn't a deal-breaker, you may find the G7 SE is just the ticket for occasional controller gaming, with extensive customization options, the latest tech, and a very wallet-friendly price point. If you're looking for a new controller and are on budget, this might be the one. Photograph: Brad Bourque Sticks and Buttons Hall Effect sticks are all the rage lately, and they have been slowly replacing classic membrane joysticks over the last few years. While those can wear out with time, creating dreaded stick drift, magnetic Hall Effect sensors should have a much longer lifetime, more precise readings, and customizable options. We have a great article explaining their benefits if you want to learn more. The trade-off is typically that they cost more, but not in the G7 SE's case! Hall Effect sticks feel mostly like normal joysticks; they have a snappy centering action with a light recoil, and glide very smoothly, especially around the outside edge. They require a slightly heavy press for the button effect, but that at least will prevent accidentally bumping them. Photograph: Brad Bourque
WIRED
16-04-2025
- WIRED
The PNY GeForce RTX 5060 Ti OC Is Great If You Pay Retail
Not everyone wants to spend $1,000 or more on a graphics card for their PC. I personally know way more people gaming on modest, midrange cards than I do people with the latest and greatest. The newly announced RTX 5060 Ti, with a sub-$500 MSRP, could be the card you've been waiting for to replace an aging RTX 20 or 30 Series card. Unfortunately, that could also mean these cards are hard to come by. The higher-end 50 Series GPUs still require active effort to get a hold of, although they do seem to be trickling out to retailers. A lower price, plus weeks of low stock, might create a feeding frenzy. If you're updating an older system that's tied to a 1080p screen at 120 Hz or less, you'll be very pleased with the performance and ease of use. If you're building a new system in 2025, you should at least be targeting 1440p, and I think there are other cards that will have a longer life at that resolution. Photograph: Brad Bourque Form Factor and Power While the more expensive 50-Series GPUs have a new 12V-2x6 connector, the PNY card I have just takes a classic 8-pin connector, which should help with compatibility in older systems. One minor nitpick is that the power connector itself is way over by the bracket at the back of the case. It's technically closer to the power supply, but it may cause some awkwardness in modern gaming cases, or force you to re-run the cable. Physically, it's extremely compact, which you'd expect from a card that's trying to squeeze into random leftover cases. The two fans might get the job done, but it certainly sounds louder than three, although these fans are quieter than my case fans during regular use. It has a silent mode as well, and I found the fans didn't run all the time, especially at 1080p, so I don't imagine this will be a bother. Photograph: Brad Bourque Performance I turn the settings all the way up for these games, which is what most folks will do when they get a new graphics card. Photograph: Brad Bourque
