Turn your TV into a Smart TV with a Fire Stick. (Amazon)
Transform your TV into a smart TV with an Amazon Fire TV Stick. It organizes all your streaming services in one place, and all you need to do is plug it into an HDMI port on the back of your television. Press and ask Alexa when you want to search for shows or launch apps. Connect to other Alexa apps and ask it to lower the lights, stream music, check the weather and more.
Keep an eye on your pets and home with a Ring indoor camera. (Amazon)
With a Ring indoor camera, you can keep an eye on your pets and home day and night. The camera features Live View and Color Night Vision, so you can see every corner of your home. The flexible swivel mount means you can angle the camera however you need to get the perfect view. Set the camera so it only turns on when it detects motion, giving you privacy when you need it. Customize your alerts while you’re away so you only get notified when movement is detected. Alexa also connects to the Ring camera, so you can hear custom notifications and enjoy hands-free security.
Sleep better on a comfortable, cooling memory foam mattress topper. (Amazon)
Get the night of sleep you deserve by adding this two-inch gel memory foam mattress topper to your bed. It cradles your body’s pressure points to relieve pain and makes hard mattresses extra comfortable. Infused with gel, the topper helps regulate the bed’s temperature so you can sleep cooler. Delivered in a small box, it’s easy to maneuver this topper. Just make sure you give it a few hours to inflate after you unpack.
Every pet owner can use one of these OTOB washable couch covers. Made with stylish chenille fabric, the cover won’t compromise the coziness of your couch. It easily tucks into the sides of your couch and drapes over the armrests, making it secure, yet still easy to take on and off when you want to wash it. The cover features a non-slip bottom, so it won’t shift when you sit or when your pets jump up on the couch.
Replace all your old makeup brushes with this 20-piece brush set. You get brushes for eye shadow, concealer, blush, foundation and more. They’re professional-grade makeup brushes complete with a pure leather storage case. The synthetic, cruelty-free fibers used in the brushes ensure they’ll last for years.
Original price: $16.79
Keep your skin feeling soft by using these calming makeup remover wipes. (Amazon)
A two-pack of Neutrogena night calming makeup remover wipes keeps your skin soft and smooth. Made without parabens, soaps or alcohols, the hypoallergenic wipes are great for all skin types, including sensitive skin. The wipes have a triple emollient formula that gently cleans dirt and makeup from your face, leaving you feeling refreshed and ready for bed.
Your gums and teeth will feel better when you use this toothpaste. (Amazon)
Keep your teeth and gums clean and healthy with Crest Pro-Health gum detoxify toothpaste. You get three tubes of toothpaste that help neutralize plaque buildup for 24 hours (when used twice daily). The fluoride in the toothpaste helps strengthen your teeth and make them less sensitive. Clinically proven to heal gums, stop bleeding and whiten your teeth all at once, this toothpaste is a must for better oral hygiene.
Relieve nasal congestion with a box of Breathe Right strips. (Amazon)
Now that sick season is here, it’s a good idea to stock up on Breathe Right nasal strips. They provide instant relief by opening your nasal passages, helping to relieve nasal congestion. Even those with sensitive skin can use these strips since they’re made with non-porous, hypoallergenic materials.
Christopher Murray is a commerce writer for Fox News who specializes in topics like outdoor gear, DIY projects, grills, pet products and auto must-haves.
Gordon Ramsay’s latest cookbook features a wide array of delicious sandwiches.(Justin Mandel)
When you think of Gordon Ramsay, chances are you can hear his voice in your head, yelling about food that’s undercooked, overdone or just looks a mess. Chefs fear him, TV viewers love him and home cooks can’t get enough of his recipes. You can join the fan club, or add to your collection of Gordon Ramsay cookbooks with his newest release, “Idiot Sandwich”. Yes, you probably remember exactly where this iconic line is from, and if not, it’s worth a watch.
The collection of recipes comes straight from Ramsay himself, as well as FoodTok chefs and YouTube stars. There are more than 100 delicious, unique sandwich recipes, from the Grilled Eggplant Caponata to the Cinnamon Apple Grilled Cheese and a full English breakfast sandwich. Each recipe blends international flavors, giving you new, exciting dishes to try. You’ll also find a carefully crafted outline of pantry essentials, necessary equipment and everything else you need to make the best sandwiches of your life.
Must-have HexClad pots, pans and more
HexClad pans are Gordon Ramsay’s signature pans that are all made with a hybrid technology that combines stainless steel and nonstick pans. (Fox is an investor in HexClad) The effect? A stunning, highly durable surface that food won’t stick to. Plus, it’s easy to clean and makes for the perfect sear.
Original price: $999
Revamp your entire kitchen with a 12-piece pots and pans set.(HexClad)
If you want to completely overhaul your pot and pan setup, this 12-piece HexClad set is currently on sale. Every pot and pan has HexClad’s classic hybrid technology that gives you the perfect sear, whether you’re making a grilled cheese or cooking a steak. The set includes three different sized pots, three different sized pans and lids for all of them.
Replace your outdated pots and pans with this set. (HexClad)
Not ready to fully invest in everything HexClad? You can still get a good taste of what they offer with the six-piece hybrid fry pan set. This set includes three different sized fry pans (an eight, 10 and 12-inch) and their corresponding lids. They’re metal utensil- and dishwasher-safe, making cleanup a breeze, no matter what you’re cooking.
Avoid splatter with a high-side saute pan. (HexClad)
Whether you’re making a pasta sauce or cooking up the ingredients that go in one of the sandwiches in “Idiot Sandwich”, a saute pan is always good to have on hand. The HexClad 5.5-quart saute pan is a good all-around pan with high edges that help you avoid splatter. It has the same hybrid technology as all the other HexClad pans, and the handle stays cool, eliminating potential burns while cooking.
A HexClad saucepan is the right size for sauces, veggies and more. (HexClad)
HexClad’s hybrid saucepan and lid set is a great little pan to have on hand for crafting the perfect sauces. It heats up quickly but has a stay-cool handle for easy cooking. With the same hybrid tech HexClad offers, you can also deep-fry veggies and prepare soups.
Get a beautiful knife that’s easy to use. (HexClad)
As its name implies, the HexClad damascus steel utility knife does it all. The knife combines Japanese knife-making techniques with German engineering principles to make for an ultra-durable knife. It’s smaller than a classic chef’s knife, so it’s great for everyday prep, from cutting veggies to cutting sandwiches. The green Pakkawood handle is a real beauty and is infused with resin to increase its resistance to cracks.
For a more affordable alternative, you can get a Japanese-style chef’s knife on Amazon. The high-carbon stainless steel blade is sharp enough to cut through anything, and you get a brown Pakkawood handle that’s reminiscent of the HexClad utility knife.
This durable apron wicks water away and won’t hold on to cooking liquids. (HexClad)
Every chef needs an apron! For a truly luxurious option, the Eco Modern apron is a strong choice. Made from HexTwill recycled fabric, it’ll resist water and most cooking liquids. The top pocket snaps shut and fits a standard-sized phone. There are also extra-wide waist pockets that can fit a variety of cooking utensils, from a bench scraper to tasting spoons. You can choose from 15 different colors or unique patterns.
Recipes to try from “Idiot Sandwich”
To give you a taste of what’s in Gordon Ramsay’s new cookbook, here are some unique, delicious recipes straight from the book.
Full English breakfast sandwich
The English breakfast sandwich you love, hold the black pudding.(Idiot Sandwich)
As an ode to Ramsay himself, the full English breakfast sandwich is everything you love about the classic English breakfast between two slices of bread. Although it’s missing the black pudding, it has delicious baked beans, a roasted tomato smear, mushrooms and savory bangers topped with two eggs.
Italian beef
Take your classic Italian beef sandwich up a notch.(Idiot Sandwich)
Italian beef has been a staple in Chicago since the early 1900s and has since become a favorite all over the country. While there are quite a few variations, the sandwich generally includes thinly sliced beef on a hoagie roll with veggies, typically peppers. This version specifically calls for a red pepper pistou, which is a cold sauce made from roasted red bell peppers, oregano leaves, Parmesan cheese and olive oil.
PB&J stuffed toast
Imagine your typical peanut butter sandwich – but with peanut butter on the outside.(Idiot Sandwich)
Talk about taking a classic PB&J up a notch, this recipe makes it truly a decadent delight. The brioche bread is slathered in peanut butter and honey on the outside, then caramelized. Inside features strawberry jam (or any jam flavor of your choosing) and more peanut butter. Adventurous eaters could also add bananas or marshmallows!
Turkey breakfast club
This turkey club is re-imagined into a breakfast option. (Idiot Sandwich)
The Turkey breakfast club includes a chile fried egg on a croissant instead of boring old bread. Throw everything else you’d normally see on a club sandwich (turkey, bacon, tomatoes and lettuce), and you’ll have a delicious sandwich you want to eat over and over again.
Christopher Murray is a commerce writer for Fox News who specializes in topics like outdoor gear, DIY projects, grills, pet products and auto must-haves.
Shopping has gone digital, and with it comes a whole new language. From the way you pay to the platforms you browse, technology is rewriting the rules of retail. We’ll break down five essential terms that directly shape how you shop today, from affiliate links powering influencer recommendations to same-day delivery that gets products to your door in hours.
Stay tuned for more in this series as we decode the tech jargon behind the evolving world of e-commerce, answering the top questions we get from readers like you.
Sign up for my FREE CyberGuy Report Get my best tech tips, urgent security alerts, and exclusive deals delivered straight to your inbox. Plus, you’ll get instant access to my Ultimate Scam Survival Guide — free when you join my CyberGuy.com/Newsletter
Online shopping comes with its own set of terms native to the digital space.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
1) Digital wallet
Your phone, your wallet
A digital wallet is an app that securely stores your credit cards, debit cards, tickets and even IDs on your smartphone. Instead of swiping plastic, you can simply tap your phone or smartwatch to pay at checkout.
Where you’ve likely used it:
Apple Pay or Google Pay at a coffee shop.
Samsung Pay at a grocery store.
Storing boarding passes, concert tickets or loyalty cards.
Digital wallets use encryption and biometric security (like Face ID) to keep your payment data safe. They also cut down on physical clutter—no more fumbling with cards at the register.
You’ve probably seen “Pay in 4” or “Buy Now, Pay Later” (BNPL) at checkout. Some websites and services allow you to split purchases into smaller payments over time, typically with no interest if paid on schedule.
Why it matters:
Makes big-ticket items more accessible.
Helps you budget, but late fees can add up.
Retailers sell more by lowering the upfront cost.
If you want even more ways to manage expenses, take a look at my guide on saving big at the grocery store using simple, proven hacks. For even more ways to stretch your dollars, check out my guide on the best ways to save money on gas with apps and loyalty programs.
A digital wallet is an app that securely stores your credit cards, debit cards, tickets and other items like IDs on your smartphone.(Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
3) Same-day fulfillment
From warehouse to your doorstep in hours
The phrase same-day fulfillment describes when retailers use advanced logistics to process, pack, and ship your order so you get it within hours instead of days. Think Amazon Prime Now or Walmart’s express delivery.
How it works:
Local warehouses and stores act as mini shipping hubs.
Algorithms map the fastest routes for couriers.
Automation speeds up picking, packing, and delivery.
It’s convenience at its peak, and for urgent needs (like a birthday gift you forgot), same-day fulfillment is a lifesaver. Be sure to check out my list of the 5 best secrets to shopping smarter on Amazon to save time and money.
4) Social commerce
Shopping where you scroll
Social commerce is the blend of social media and online shopping. Instead of just seeing ads, you can now buy directly through platforms like TikTok Shop, Instagram Checkout or Pinterest.
What makes it unique:
Seamless shopping without leaving the app.
Real-time recommendations from influencers and creators.
Viral products can sell out within hours.
For consumers, it’s impulse buying made easier. For businesses, it’s a new way to reach audiences where they already spend time.
Want to avoid scams? Stick to verified shops and use buyer protection options when available. For more ways to stay safe while shopping online, check out my CyberGuy guide on how to tell if an online store is real or a scam.
Social commerce blends the experiences of online shopping and browsing social media.(Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)
5) Dropshipping
Selling without the stockroom
Dropshipping is a retail model where the seller doesn’t keep products in stock. Instead, when you place an order, it’s sent directly to a third-party supplier who ships it straight to your door.
How it works:
You buy from an online shop.
The shop forwards your order to a manufacturer or wholesaler.
That supplier handles storage, packing and shipping.
Why it’s popular:
Entrepreneurs can start online stores without investing in warehouses.
Stores can offer a wide variety of products without holding inventory.
The downside? Shipping times may be longer, product quality can vary and customer service sometimes suffers since the seller isn’t handling the goods directly. Still, dropshipping has become a cornerstone of e-commerce, powering countless online shops you scroll past every day. For some advice on how to start and grow an online store, visit CyberGuy’s guide on 10 easy ways to help launch a successful online shop.
Even as shopping gets more convenient, cyberthreats also grow. Fake stores, phishing scams, and shady links can put your data at risk. That’s why running a strong antivirus program is essential.
Why antivirus matters for e-commerce:
Scans links and downloads before they harm your device
Blocks malicious pop-ups on retail and social sites
Warns you about suspicious checkout pages
Using strong antivirus software gives you peace of mind while shopping online. It’s a small step that keeps your personal and financial information safe as e-commerce evolves.
Get my picks for the best 2025 antivirus protection winners for your Windows, Mac, Android & iOS devices at CyberGuy.com/LockUpYourTech
Kurt’s key takeaways:
E-commerce is moving faster than ever. By understanding these five terms, you shop with confidence and spot trends before they become mainstream. From digital wallets to dropshipping, each concept shapes how products reach your hands. Stay curious, keep learning, and watch how retail continues to evolve.
What changes in online shopping do you think will matter most in the next few years? Let us know by writing to us at CyberGuy.com/Contact
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Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com. All rights reserved.
Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.
Regarded as the first “energy soda” explicitly marketed to gamers, Bawls is a fun throwback to the heady days of StarCraft and LAN parties in the late ’90s. The profile of the unnamed flavor in the iconic blue bottle, which still lines the checkout labyrinth at Micro Center to this day, sits halfway between Sprite and cream soda. A blind taste test would not convince the consumer they’re drinking an energy drink, which may be a good thing if they’re burned out on the more extreme offerings in the gamer fuel space.
Notes: Guarana is the OG herbal coffee alternative of the modern age. It doesn’t hit quite the same as a shot of espresso, but the sugary kick offered by Bawls is a nice halfway point between a can of Coca-Cola and the cartoonish chemical bombs you’ll find at your local gas station.
16. Prime
Photograph: Amazon
Prime Energy Drink
Lemon Lime Flavor (24-Pack)
Pretty close to Red Bull, but with no sugar. Excellent carbonation. Much better than sugar-free Red Bull. Very strong lingering sweetener flavor, like getting a Jolly Rancher stuck in your teeth. The aftertaste was underwhelming, but not a deal-breaker.
Notes: Very mild energy boost that didn’t hit until about 90 minutes later, at which point I was tapping my foot and rapidly clicking a pen while on a Zoom call. I crashed a couple hours later and found myself zombified by 2 pm.
17. Wooooo!
Photograph: Wooooo Energy
Wooooo!
Strawberry Banana (12-Pack)
Ex-WWE star Ric Flair’s signature “dietary supplement” tastes exactly like it looks: bright and obnoxious, but in an uncommitted way. I can deal with a few calories if they’re put to good use, which is thankfully the case here. The can alleges an “herbal mushroom blend” and 1,500 milligrams of “Cognitive Cap Complex” do the heavy lifting. Like wrestling, that’s probably not real, but it’s still kinda fun and silly.
Notes: Flair’s snake oil never got me jacked up enough to engage in “Woo Girl” behavior, but I did get a nice little jolt of energy that mellowed out after an hour with no crash to speak of.
18. Accelerator
Photograph: Amazon
Accelerator
Peach Paradise (12-Pack)
Accelerator is an inoffensive and unassuming option for folks who don’t like brand names or flashy cans. The carbonation is adequate, and the peach flavor is juicy but not over the top. It should appeal to the three people left on the planet who still prefer generic gas station peach rings over the vastly superior Haribo option that’s hanging from the next rack.
Notes: The energy level offered by Accelerator is a tad underwhelming, but it didn’t hurt my brain or put me in a sugar coma, so I’ll chalk that up as a minor win.
19. Bang
Photograph: Amazon
The crack of the can shocks the senses with a strong whiff of vape juice and gaming. Pop Rocks up front, with a mild hint of Tums on the finish. Blue raspberry is an unholy flavor you’ll never find in nature, but this manages to mask the insane caffeine content with just enough flavor while barely plunging into the netherworld of fake sweeteners replicating flavors that aren’t even real.
Notes: The buzz provided by Bang is an aggressive wallop of caffeine that’s best microdosed unless you want your body to be on the verge of a heart attack one minute then slumped over in your gaming chair like a heap of dirty laundry the next.
Spoil your cat with a new cat tower, a self-cleaning litter box and a comfy bed. (iStock)
Amazon Cat Week is the perfect chance to shower your cat with a little extra love. With big savings on items like automatic litter boxes, plush beds and luxurious cat trees, you can find everything your cat will ever need (or want).
Original price: $599.99
Go up to 14 days without having to switch out your cat’s littler.(Amazon)
The Neakasa self-cleaning litter box is a spacious litter box that can support up to three cats. Use the Neakasa app to monitor your cats’ bathroom habits, track litter levels and switch operation modes. With a large litter capacity, you can go seven to 14 days (depending on how many cats use the box) without switching litter. The pull and wrap system helps you easily tie and remove the trash bag where the litter is recycled without ever having to see or smell the litter.
Multi-cat households can use this litter box for up to 10 days without changing the litter. (Amazon)
This more affordable self-cleaning litter box has a spacious, open-top litter chamber that’s easy to get in and out of. The infrared sensor automatically stops the litter box cleaning process as soon as a cat enters. There’s a pull-out trash bag design for easy disposal. You can go 10 days without switching out the litter thanks to the 10 liter box.
Original price: $42.99
Make sure the food and water are always fresh for your cats. (Amazon)
Never forget to feed or water your cats with this automatic feeder and water dispenser. The stainless-steel bowls stay cleaner longer and are large enough to feed and water multiple cats or two medium-sized dogs. This setup is meant for households where you keep food and water down all the time, since there’s no app or scheduling feature.
Original price: $169.99
This giant cat tree will provide hours of fun. (Amazon)
Transform your cat’s play area with this large cactus cat tower. Great for multi-cat households, this cat tree has three beds at the top, scratching posts throughout, three hammocks built in and multiple hiding spots. Not to mention it’s fun to look at!
Amazon has a large variety of cat trees on sale for Cat Week, including this unique and spooky gothic cat tower in red and black.
Three platforms give your cat comfortable places to relax. (Amazon)
For smaller homes, this ClevaHome blue cat tree is small enough to fit in any corner while still offering space for your cat to play and rest. There’s a large scratching post and three platforms for your cat to lounge on. It also has pom pom toys that you can remove as needed.
Original price: $24.96
Protect your furniture by giving your cats a scratcher instead. (Amazon)
Instead of your cat scratching your couch, give them this L-shaped cat scratcher instead. You can lean it up against a wall or couch so it’s out of the way. It has a double-sided design for a longer lifespan.
Original price: $39.99
This enclosure helps your cat spend some time outside safely. (Amazon)
Give your indoor cats some outdoor fun that’s still safe with this outdoor cat enclosure. The pop-up tent has two corridors for your cat to play in. You can also separate the two different pieces to keep your cat in a smaller space, or add additional tents for even more fun.
Original price: $30.41
This tunnel can be configured into three different shapes. (Amazon)
This cat tunnel is a bed and a cat toy all in one. Your cats will spend hours zooming around the tunnel and then can lounge in the center bed. The tunnel collapses and clasps together for easy storage if you don’t want it out all the time. Configure the tunnel into three different shapes, so your cats never get bored. Choose from an S-shape, a complete circle or a semicircle.
Your cat can relax in style with this bed. (Amazon)
Treat your cat to a cozy, luxurious bed from ClevaHome. The round bolster design is supportive and makes for a stylish-looking bed. There’s a no-slip bottom that keeps the bed in one place, even if your cat is playing on their bed. Ideal for pets less than 15 pounds, most cats will fit comfortably in the bed.
Turn this perch into an elevated bed when you put it on the ground. (Amazon)
This two-in-one window perch also acts as a hammock when it’s placed on the ground. As an elevated bed, it sits 10 inches off the ground, or it screws into your windowsill to become the perfect window perch. The perch can hold up to 50 pounds, so it’s strong enough to hold even the heaviest cats. Made from scratch-resistant fabric, you won’t have to worry about it getting torn up.
Christopher Murray is a commerce writer for Fox News who specializes in topics like outdoor gear, DIY projects, grills, pet products and auto must-haves.
Pair your office look with comfortable and stylish sneakers.(iStock)
Thanks to evolving dress codes, sneakers are now a common sight in the office. You can stay comfortable all day without looking out of place. The key is to choose sneakers that are sleek and professional.
Look for styles with a clean, minimalist design in neutral colors like black, white, gray or navy. These shoes, often made from leather or suede, have a low-profile silhouette that pairs perfectly with business-casual attire.
This slip-on shoe is designed for lightweight comfort and casual style.(Amazon)
The Hey Dude Karina is made with a breathable cotton canvas upper and a removable insole. This versatile shoe is known for its comfort and relaxed, easy-on style.
Original price: $110
The classic, low-profile design makes this sneaker ideal for the office.(Amazon)
Dr. Scholl’s Time Off sneaker is a stylish and comfortable lace-up shoe. It features a cushioned insole with BE FREE energy technology for extra support.
The Adidas Gazelle is a great option for a polished, comfortable and stylish office look. Pair them with tailored trousers, chinos or skirts, along with polished tops, to maintain a cohesive office look.
Original price: $104.99
The 327 has a sleek, streamlined silhouette.(Zappos)
Pair the New Balance 327 sneaker with both skirts and office wear. Its distinct retro-meets-modern design makes it a versatile sneaker that can easily be dressed up or down.
Original price: $140
The sleek profile of these shoes pairs well with suits.(Cole Haan)
The Cole Haan Women’s GrandPrø Tennis Sneaker is a prime example of a shoe you can confidently wear to the office. While many sneakers are designed for athletic performance or casual leisure, the GrandPrø is specifically crafted as a dress sneaker.
The Vionic Walk Max is a fantastic choice for comfort.(Vionic)
If you want to avoid achy feet, try wearing the Vionic Walk Max. This comfortable walking shoe is engineered with foam and vio-motion technology for superior arch support and cushioning.
Original price: $150
Try these sneakers for an on-trend option for a work-appropriate sneaker. (Zappos)
The Veja Esplar has a clean, simple and streamlined silhouette. It pairs effortlessly with a wide range of office-appropriate clothing, from tailored trousers and chinos to midi skirts and dresses.
This shoe is a solid choice for a modern, business-casual workplace.(Kizik)
The Kizik Athens 2 is a great option if you are on your feet all day. It is simple and understated. This means it won’t clash with your existing wardrobe and can easily transition from a commute to a day at the office.
For men
Original price: $105
The Catch Thrills sneaker is made with a canvas upper. (Amazon)
Dr. Scholl’s Catch Thrills sneaker blends a classic style with the comfort Dr. Scholl’s is known for. The shoe has a simple, low-profile silhouette with a clean lace-up design, making it a versatile option that won’t look out of place with chinos or casual trousers.
This sneaker is both stylish and easy to use.(Kizik)
The Kizik Vegas is a great choice for the office, thanks to its full-grain leather upper and clean, polished style. This slip-on sneaker shoe has a professional look that pairs well with work attire.
THE ROGER Spin is made with a breathable mesh upper,(On)
On THE ROGER Spin features a simple design and CloudTec cushioning that is a good choice for a business-casual office. This mesh sneaker provides all-day comfort and a sleek look that pairs well with professional attire.
Original price: $200
This shoe has a sleek, low-profile silhouette with a clean, classic tennis shoe-inspired design.(Cole Haan)
This shoe is a great option for a business-casual office.(TravisMathew)
TravisMathew’s The Daily 2 Woven shoe has a clean, lightweight design and offers all-day comfort, making it a stylish yet professional choice. The shoe has a clean, low-profile silhouette without any distracting logos or bulky features.
Nora Colomer is a writer reporting on beauty, style, home, kitchen, tech and fitness for Fox News.
Nordstrom’s end of summer sale has some key transitional pieces on sale just in time for fall.(iStock)
Don’t let the last days of summer slip away without a wardrobe refresh! Nordstrom’s Labor Day Sale offers incredible deals on the very pieces you need to seamlessly transition your style into fall. This is your chance to get ahead of the trends and snag some of the season’s most versatile staples, all at a discount. From chic white wide-leg jeans and classic boat shoes to Barbour jackets, these are just some of the top fashion picks available now for up to 55% off.
Nordstrom’s Labor Day Sale is also a prime opportunity for men to refresh their wardrobes. The sale features a wide selection of men’s fashion essentials, from timeless denim jackets perfect for cooler weather to sleek AllSaints wallets that add a touch of modern edge.
Shop women’s clothes and accessories
Original price: $89.99
This lightweight jacket is the perfect way to wear summer shorts into early fall.(Nordstrom)
The Reformation Lila linen jacket is lightweight and a stylish layer that is made from sustainable linen. It features a relaxed fit and a clean, button-front design.
Original price: $89.99
Grab these iconic sneakers at a steal.(Nordstrom)
These New Balance 574 sneakers are iconic and have a comfortable fit and classic, understated design. This shoe has a signature suede and mesh upper and has become a global wardrobe staple, celebrated for its ability to be effortlessly styled with nearly any outfit.
Original price: $138
This stylish tote is roomy and durable.(Nordstrom)
You’ll appreciate the timeless look of the Graf Lantz canvas tote bag, as well as its spacious interior. It is a durable carry-all, blending minimalist design with everyday functionality. The tote is made from industrial-weight cotton canvas and features leather handles.
The Barbour Millfire quilted jacket is a timeless and chic layer for cooler weather. It features a flattering, quilted design with a detachable hood and a waist drawstring so you can customize the fit.
Original price: $525
Snag this designer tweed jacket on sale to elevate your fall look.(Nordstrom)
The Maje tweed short jacket is a versatile addition to your fall wardrobe. It’s on trend, with tweed as a key fabric this season and cropped jackets a popular silhouette. It also reflects the lady jacket trend, blending a polished look with modern style.
Original price: $228
This fall is all about wide-leg jeans.(Nordstrom)
The white version of these wide-leg jeans are on sale during the Nordstrom event. Winter whites are a major trend for fall, and the wide-leg silhouette is the most popular denim style. These jeans are incredibly versatile and can be paired with chunky sweaters, blazers and boots for a chic, modern fall look.
Original price: $268
Add these straight-leg jeans to your fall line-up.(Nordstrom)
Straight-leg jeans are coming back and these jeans from Frame feature a classic, high-waist style that is both a timeless and versatile staple that can be easily dressed up or down.
Original price: $100
Topsiders are a versatile shoe perfect for transitioning weather.(Nordstrom)
These Sperry Topsiders are loved for their durable leather and iconic non-slip rubber sole. Boat shoes are a perfect piece for the changing temperatures of fall. They are more substantial than a sandal but lighter than a boot, making them ideal for layering with fall clothing.
Original price: $139.95
Wear these Mary Janes with anything.(Nordstrom)
Lands’ End Mary Jane flats feature a soft leather upper and a secure strap with a buckle for a classic look. With a focus on practicality and quality, these versatile flats are perfect for all-day wear.
Shop men’s clothes and accessories
Original price: $99
Chinos are a timeless style that fit well in any season.(Nordstrom)
Bonobos’ Chino 2.0 pants in rust are made with four-way-stretch fabric. They feature a signature curved waistband and wrinkle-resistant fabric for superior comfort and a perfect fit.
Give your look a retro feel with these classic sneakers.(Nordstrom)
The New Balance T500 features a minimalist design with premium leather and suede. Its low-profile silhouette makes it a versatile staple you can pair with any casual look.
Original price: $98
The Levi’s denim trucker jacket is an iconic and versatile piece for your fall wear. (Nordstrom)
The Levi’s denim trucker jacket is known for its classic button-front silhouette and durable denim. This iconic and versatile jacket is ideal for layering and pairs well with the trending denim-on-denim look.
Original price: $129
This versatile shoe is perfect for both casual and professional settings.(Nordstrom)
These jeans combine the brand’s signature style with a flexible, comfortable fit.(Nordstrom)
Rag & Bone’s stretch, athletic fit jeans offer a comfortable fit for men with a more athletic build, providing extra room in the hips and thighs. The straight-leg silhouette and the stretch athletic fit prioritize comfort and function.
Original price: $350
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Most people aren’t getting enough of this key nutrient
(Photo: Recipes: Ashia Aubourg; Design: Ayana Underwood)
Published August 16, 2025 06:17AM
When I began my career reporting on nutrition, nobody could’ve prepared me for how many high-protein stories I’d end up writing. It seemed like everywhere I turned, whether it was an influencer on TikTok or newly released scientific research, the health world’s biggest recommendation was to load up our plates with protein-dense foods. While we need protein, fiber should get just as much of the spotlight.
I interviewed nutrition experts to learn why fiber is essential for overall health—and get their thoughts on some high-fiber recipes.
Fiber Keeps Glucose Levels in Check and Supports Gut Health
Fiber is a carb, and there are two types: soluble and insoluble. Soluble fiber dissolves in water and, according to most studies, helps lower your glucose levels and cholesterol, says Rhyan Geiger, a registered dietitian based in Phoenix, Arizona. Insoluble fiber, on the other hand, is the “roughage” found in plant-based foods that supports healthy digestion and bowel movements, she explains.
“You’ll find soluble fiber in foods like oats, lentils, apples, berries, and flaxseeds,” says Kerri Louati, a registered dietitian based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “Insoluble fiber is especially abundant in foods like leafy greens, carrots, whole grains, nuts, and seeds.”
Why Aren’t People Eating Enough Fiber?
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, most people eat only about half the recommended amount daily. There are a few reasons for this. One is accessibility—many Americans have greater access to processed foods, which tend to be more affordable and widely available than whole foods like fruits and vegetables, Louati says.
Another major factor is awareness: some people just don’t know which foods are high in fiber or how much they’re supposed to eat, she says. So if high-fiber foods aren’t easily visible or available, they’re often left off the plate.
How Much Fiber Should You Eat in a Day?
Rather than focusing on one type over the other, the goal is to eat a balance of both. That’s why, when it comes to the recommended daily intake, both insoluble and soluble fiber are lumped together, Geiger says.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, adults should get between 22 and 34 grams of fiber per day.
4 Delicious High-Fiber Snack Recipes, Approved By Nutritionists
Geiger says that adding plant-based meals to your diet is a great way to meet your fiber intake goals. I kept that in mind while searching for recipes to try. After I made them and tried them for myself, I asked my experts if these recipes got the green light. Spoiler: they did.
Plus, these snacks are super easy to make and carry, so you’ll definitely want to bring them with you on your next outdoor adventure.
This recipe delivers a two-cup serving of smoothie and provides nearly 12 grams of fiber. (Follow along with me as I make this delectable smoothie in the video below.)
“Seeds are a fiber-rich food,” says Yvette Hill, a registered dietitian based in Boulder, Colorado. Chia seeds, hemp seeds, and even the tiny seeds in berries contribute a solid fiber boost, plus the addition of dates helps bump up your intake even more.
If you want an added fiber boost, Louati recommends using frozen raspberries as your berry base. Just one cup has over 11 grams of both soluble and insoluble fiber. So if you swapped out the mixed berries for raspberries, this recipe would deliver about 17 grams of fiber.
The Verdict: Filling, Creamy, and Naturally Sweet
This recipe doesn’t include any added sweeteners, so I was a little hesitant about the flavor at first. But after spending a few minutes blending it up and taking a sip, my doubts disappeared. The date and berries added a honey-like sweetness, and the texture came out creamy. I packed it in an insulated water bottle to keep it cold and sipped it as I powered through my hike.
2. No-Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Bites
I love any kind of sweet treat that comes in miniature form. So when I came across a TikTok recipe for fiber-rich no-bake chocolate peanut butter balls by @abyssiniawellness, I was all in. The video didn’t include exact measurements, but I got the gist of her recipe. (This recipe yields about ten bites.)
Snack-able balls made with oats, coconut flakes, ground flaxseed, dark chocolate chips, peanut butter, maple syrup, protein powder, and cocoa nibs. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
Scoop about ten portions of the mixture and roll each one into a ball.
“Oats are rich in soluble fiber,” says Louati. “Flaxseeds are another fiber powerhouse, offering nearly four grams of mostly soluble fiber per tablespoon.” While the small amounts of coconut flakes and cacao nibs aren’t particularly high in fiber, they still add about five grams in total to the whole recipe and bring great texture to these bites.
Each chocolate peanut butter ball offers about four grams of fiber, and snacking on a few throughout the day can satisfy your sweet tooth and help you get closer to your daily fiber goals.
The Verdict: Chewy and Irresistible
These no-bake chocolate peanut butter bites took less than ten minutes to mix and roll. From there, you can let them firm up in the fridge, or, if you’re impatient like me, dig right in. I loved the chewy texture and cocoa-nutty flavor. I packed a few in a container, and whenever I needed a quick snack during my hike, they were easy to grab and surprisingly filling.
3. Crudités to Go
Recently, while hosting family, I planned a mountain trail outing for all of us. To get everyone ready, I packed a variety of snacks, including crudités (which, in French, means raw vegetables).
I found the recipe in The New York Times, and what I appreciate about this crudités idea is that it’s more of a guide than a strict formula, letting you mix and match based on what you have. For a personal-sized version with nearly 16 grams of fiber, I recommend filling a container with a range of veggies and add-ins.
A container filled with raw carrots, sweet peppers, and cucumbers, steamed broccoli and green beans, plus sides of kimchi and hummus. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
Ingredients:
½ cup baby carrots
2 small sweet peppers (whole)
½ cup cucumbers (sliced)
½ cup steamed broccoli
½ cup green beans
¼ cup kimchi
½ cup hummus
Recipe:
Place all of the washed and steamed vegetables in a container.
Then, add the sides like kimchi and hummus to the same container.
“A crudités platter is a beautiful and practical way to load up on fiber-packed vegetables,” says Louati. “Not only does it offer a vibrant display of colorful, nutrient-rich foods, but staples like broccoli, carrots, and kimchi deliver a generous dose of fiber.”
The Verdict: Refreshing and Satisfying
Getting more than half of the recommended daily fiber from a snack is always a huge perk in my book. Beyond the 15 grams of fiber in this personal crudités plate, I appreciated its light and refreshing taste. During a break on my hike, munching on crisp cucumbers and dipping cold carrots into cool hummus made for the ideal recharge. I also loved being able to use up leftover veggies from my fridge before they went to waste.
Pastelitos, or empanadas, are one of my favorite ways to sneak in veggies or legumes. So when I found this recipe from Fab Everyday, which fills flaky dough with a Puerto Rican-style lentil mixture, I was sold before I even tried it.
To make these pastelitos, use pre-made empanada dough to save time—or make your own using this recipe, which I’ve tested and am a fan of.
Pastelitos filled with lentils and potatoes, seasoned with sofrito, spices, and tomato sauce. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
In a pot over medium heat, combine one 15-ounce can of lentils (drained and rinsed), one-fourth cup of sofrito, three minced garlic cloves, half a teaspoon of oregano, half a teaspoon of salt, and one-fourth teaspoon of black pepper.
Sauté everything for about four minutes. Then stir in one cup of parboiled diced potatoes, one cup of tomato sauce, and half a cup of sliced pimento-stuffed green olives. Cook the mixture for another five minutes, then remove it from the heat and let the filling cool.
Heat about two inches of avocado oil in a frying pan. While the oil heats, place the empanada dough discs on a clean, lightly floured surface. Spoon about half of a cup of the lentil mixture onto one half of each disc in a half-moon shape. Fold the dough over the filling, pinch the edges to seal, and crimp with a fork. Repeat with the remaining dough discs and filling.
Using a thermometer, once the oil reaches 350°F, add the empanadas in a single layer, being careful not to overlap them. Fry the pastelitos until they turn golden brown on both sides.
“Empanadas aren’t usually thought of as a fiber-rich meal, but adding lentils changes that completely,” says Louati. “Lentils and other legumes are excellent ways to boost fiber.” The amount of fiber in 16 of these pastelitos is approximately 83 grams, and each empanada contains about 5 grams of fiber. If you have two or three of these, you’ll get between 10 and 15 grams of fiber.
The Verdict: I’m Obsessed.
I fried up a batch of these empanadas, wrapped them in aluminum foil, and brought them along on one of my favorite trails. Since it was around lunchtime, I found a comfy picnic table before starting the hike, ate about two pastelitos, and then set off. These handhelds weren’t just flavorful—I loved the aromatic sofrito, the savoriness of the tender lentils, and the buttery, flaky dough—they were also surprisingly filling. I managed to complete a three-hour walk, sipping water the whole time, without any sudden hunger pangs creeping in.
After digging into a bunch of fiber-rich recipes (and testing them outdoors!), I’ve found that loading up on this carb can be simple, satisfying, and pretty delicious, especially when you let plant-based ingredients take center stage. If you’ve been stuck in a wellness rut and are looking for small ways to nourish yourself, these recipes pack in the flavor and will help cement fiber into your daily routine.
Ashia Aubourg is a freelance food writer. She has years of experience working in kitchens, non-profits, tech companies, and farms. Ashia’s writing appears in Eater, The Kitchn, Cuisine Noir, Food & Wine, America’s Test Kitchen, Food52, and more. Before becoming a journalist, she completed her Bachelor of Science in Food Studies and Policy Studies from Syracuse University. Her hands-on background and fascinations involve outdoor cooking, foraging, and stewarding gardens.
The white, clumpy curd was all the rage in the early 20th century, but it has recently made a comeback. Young people are putting it in everything from dips and pastries to ice cream. While once pushed as a meat alternative during the First World War, its current craze seems to be rooted in Zoomers’ quest to achieve #fitlife. So, what makes cottage cheese the protein-packed star of the moment?
(Photo: Left: Canadian-American actress Ann Rutherford (1917 – 2012) prepares herself a pineapple and cottage cheese salad sprinkled with paprika, circa 1939, Archive Photos/Getty Images; Right: Cottage cheeses: Trader Joe’s, Daisy Brand, Good Culture; Design: Ayana Underwood)
Published August 6, 2025 03:00AM
I have a confession: in the middle of my 75 Hard spiral—a social media-sanctioned self-optimization grind disguised as a fitness challenge—I made queso. Not just any queso. Cottage cheese queso. This is a sentence I never thought I’d write.
I started the challenge this past February—partly to beat the winter blues in the Northeast, and partly because I needed a reset after taste-testing one too many of Santa’s cookies. I was committed to said challenge. This meant: doing two 45-minute workouts (at least one of them outdoors), reading ten pages of a nonfiction book, and drinking a gallon of water . . . each day. Most intimidatingly, I was supposed to stick to a diet of my choosing. I went all in: HIIT training, 4.5-mile runs, Becoming Supernatural queued up on my e-reader, and a squeaky-clean keto plan that had me eating organic, grass-fed (and grass-finished) beef that I could barely afford. I tracked macros and considered electrolyte ratios. I had come to terms with the fact that I’d become someone who used the term “electrolyte ratios” in casual conversation.
And then I burned out.
Somewhere around Day 42, I traded mountain climbers for Yin Yoga. I prioritized taking long walks, watching white-tailed rabbits hopping alongside the estuary near my home in Boston, Massachusetts, over chasing yesterday’s personal best. The diet? That crumbled when I tried to justify the cost of avocados and eggs and failed. (Within the last year, the price of a single avocado rose by 75 percent, and the usual three bucks I’d spend on a carton of eggs turned into five.)
Still, I wanted to eat well(ish), which for me, means protein-heavy, low-effort, and ideally not financially ruinous. So, like any overstimulated elder millennial trying to avoid decision fatigue (and wear sunscreen, and hydrate, and remember to call mom), I turned to Instagram.
Welcome @KetoSnackz to the chat. With 3.5 million followers, Rick Wiggins shares quick, high-protein recipes meant to satisfy cravings while staying protein-powered. His creations looked suspiciously easy. His voice was refreshingly monotone. I was in.
As I scrolled, one ingredient kept popping up, an ingredient I found personally affronting: cottage cheese. It was white and lumpy. It was wet. It was everywhere. Rick blended it into pizza crusts, brownies, and pancakes. And it wasn’t just on Rick’s page. TikTok, too, had fully surrendered to the curd—which was confusing. Because for me, I never saw it in my Caribbean household growing up. My parents didn’t eat it. We didn’t cook with it. To borrow from Mariah Carey: I don’t know her.
So when I made queso out of it (blended with cheddar, cream, taco seasoning, and hot sauce) and served it to a friend while hanging out, I didn’t tell them what was in it. They liked it. Called it “fire.” Then I broke the news.
They looked at me like I’d confessed to putting mayonnaise in brownies: “Wait . . . like, real cottage cheese?”
“Yes. From a tub. Bought on purpose.”
I was surprised, too, because the queso was, in fact, fire. But I was also curious. Because how did goat cheese’s sad, curdled step-cousin become America’s newest protein-packed heartthrob?
I. TikTok, but Make It Clumpy
In April 2023, holistic nutritionist Lainie Kates—@lainiecooks on TikTok and one of the creatorscredited for the renewed interest in cottage cheese—posted a high-protein peanut butter cheesecake “ice cream” recipe. In it, she blended cottage cheese, peanut butter, chocolate chips, and maple syrup. Froze it. Ate it. Her video went viral. The internet was flooded with cheesecake bowls, ranch dips, and “protein donuts”—most of which starred cottage cheese. It didn’t matter that the texture was off-putting. It blended well. It hit macros. That was enough.
Then brands caught on. In 2024, Daisy, sour cream’s shepherd, partnered with The Bachelor’s Daisy Kent to promote the brand’s equally famous cottage cheese.
Just this month, Trader Joe’s dropped Ranch Cottage Cheese Dip. Good Culture, a brand started in 2015, was literally born out of the desire to bring a revamped, better-tasting, and healthier version of cottage cheese to the public. A few weeks ago, they put out a meme-laden statement on Instagram saying that they can’t keep up with the demand for their iconic cottage cheese, confirming the cheese’s renewed popularity.
“We’ve all been manifesting this partnership for a while, and I’m thrilled to officially announce it. Not only do we share a name, but Daisy is my go-to brand that I have been eating since I was a kid.”— Daisy Kent (Photo: Courtesy of Daisy Brand)
In the early 1900s, the U.S. had a problem: meat was scarce during World War I. To help conserve it, the U.S. Department of Agriculture promoted dairy as a substitute. Posters encouraged people to “Eat More Cottage Cheese.” It wasn’t just a suggestion; it was patriotism.
(Photo: Left: Government-issued wartime educational poster encouraging Americans to eat more cottage cheese in place of meat, 1917, USDA National Agricultural Library/Getty Images; Right: The USDA’s pamphlet of cottage cheese-based dishes, 1918. U.S. Department of Agriculture via The Food Historian. Design: Ayana Underwood)
By the 1950s, cottage cheese had migrated from the war effort to weight-loss plans. It was low in fat, high in protein, and flavorless enough to avoid overindulgence. You could measure it. You (probably) wouldn’t overeat it. Thus, it was ideal for calorie counting.
That’s right around the time when the “diet plate” made its way to America’s diner menus—usually a scoop of cottage cheese, a ring of canned peach or sliced tomato, maybe a wedge of iceberg lettuce. It wasn’t really a meal. It was more of a performance. A way to show you were being good. These plates lingered well into the seventies and eighties, eventually evolving into the “Lite” menu I remember seeing at Long Island diners during my childhood in the nineties. Same scoop, same canned fruit—just rebranded for the next generation of restraint.
By 1972, Americans were eating about five pounds of cottage cheese per person each year. Even Richard Nixon was known to pair his with ketchup. YUM. He had such a lust for lactose, in fact, that he reportedly requested cottage cheese at his 1969 inauguration dinner. And when he resigned from office in 1974? His final White House lunch was cottage cheese with pineapple and a glass of milk. A presidency bookended by curds.
Richard Nixon’s last White House lunch. (Photo: Robert Knudsen/Nixon Library)
III. Who Was It Really For?
Not everyone was eating it. Rather, not everyone was meant to be eating it. Mid-twentieth-century food campaigns primarily targeted white, middle-class women. Cottage cheese came with a message—eat this, stay thin, stay beautiful, stay in control.
Cottage cheese was sold as a democratic food: cheap, accessible, healthy. But it never belonged to everyone.
Even when it showed up in government campaigns and school lunches, it wasn’t a staple in every home. It simply didn’t catch on in many immigrant, Black, and working-class communities. Part of that was logistics. Cottage cheese requires refrigeration, fresh milk, and a cold distribution chain, not always available in rural or low-income areas.
Look at the ads. White women in full makeup, smiling at tubs of cottage cheese like they’d just invented it. One Eden Vale ad shows a nuclear family floating through a suburban utopia, landing at a table set with cottage cheese salads and a big tomato. A Knudsen ad features a flawless woman offering a tub of “VELVET creamed cottage cheese,” promising sweetness, lightness, and domestic perfection. Borden’s went all in: cartoon cows, crisp lettuce, and cottage cheese rings studded with peas and carrot sticks. No spice, no mess—just a carefully styled portrait of control, domestic order, and cultural exclusion.
(Photo: Left: Eden Vale Cottage Cheese Ad, A stylized print ad emphasizing Eden Vale as a fresh, healthy household staple. Source: Alamy – Stock Photography Database; Middle: Knudsen Cottage Cheese Ad (Mid-20th Century) features a smiling white homemaker presenting cottage cheese in a pristine kitchen. Source: Pinterest – Vintage Recipes Archive; Right: Borden’s Cottage Cheese Ad (1951) Features “Elsie the Cow” and showcases salad-topped cottage cheese with the tagline: “Lift the Lid…” Source: Alamy Stock Photo Archive; Design: Marisa McMillan)
These images weren’t neutral. They reinforced the message: this is who eats this, and this is how you serve it. In her 2011 book, Food Is Love: Food Advertising and Gender Roles in Modern America, historian Katherine J. Parkin argues that mid-20th-century food advertising reinforced narrow ideals of femininity, pressuring women to equate thinness, domestic perfection, and family nourishment with personal value.
But the bigger issue was taste. Cottage cheese didn’t reflect the ingredients or textures of most non-white food cultures.
My Caribbean family’s fridge, for example, held sorrel, pepper sauce, and mango chutney, not clumps of dairy. So, when I brought home a container of Good Culture to recreate my (self-proclaimed) famous queso, they looked at it suspiciously. Then they asked what I planned to do with it. When I said “queso,” they raised their eyebrows and sucked their teeth. They weren’t offended. Just confused. It’s understandable because the marketing never spoke to them. And it wasn’t designed to.
IV. Cottage Cheese Loses Its Steam
Even among the people it was supposedly for, cottage cheese couldn’t hold on.
By the 1980s, its popularity started to slide—quietly edged out by a new dairy star with smoother texture, stronger marketing, and fewer identity issues: yogurt. High in protein, rich in backstory, and aggressively rebranded as a probiotic superfood, yogurt didn’t just enter the chat—it took over the conversation.
Cottage cheese didn’t know how to compete. There were no new formats, no updated flavors, no attempt to win over younger shoppers. It stayed in its big old tub, parked on the fridge shelf. Meanwhile, yogurt was out living its best life—popping up as Go-Gurt in school lunchboxes, and with glass jars with foil lids in meal-preps. One became a lifestyle product; the other stayed a buffet-line staple at your grandmother’s favorite salad bar.
The texture didn’t help. In a 2012 study published in the Journal of Dairy Science, researchers found that texture was the biggest barrier to cottage cheese acceptance, especially among younger consumers. The graininess, visual lumpiness, and curdy mouthfeel turned people off, even when the fat and protein content hit all the right numbers. Even versions labeled “low-fat” or “high-protein” couldn’t overcome the basic sensory mismatch. People didn’t hate what it stood for. They just didn’t want to eat it and feel it on their tongues.
At the same time, yogurt brands were investing in stories. Chobani was founded by an immigrant entrepreneur who turned a struggling factory into a billion-dollar company. Dannon built a whole campaign around Georgian centenarians and the secret to long life. Yogurt had a point of view. Cottage cheese didn’t even have a spokesperson.
By the 2010s, yogurt was outselling cottage cheese nearly eight to one. And cottage cheese wasn’t just fading in market share—it was fading in memory. It stopped being an expectation. For most people, it stopped being an option.
So when it started trending again—sneaking into dips, desserts, and TikTok reels—it felt less like a comeback and more like a glitch. Cottage cheese didn’t evolve. It was just repurposed. And maybe that’s the clearest sign of its legacy: it survives not by being loved but by being useful.
V. Diet Culture, Rebranded
Today’s cottage cheese wave still centers on the same values: control, efficiency, and self-regulation. The language changed, but the pressure stayed. It’s no longer “stay thin for your husband,” it’s “optimize your macros.”
The look changed, too. It’s not a scoop on a peach slice. It’s whipped, blended, hidden in dips, ice creams, and sauces. It’s in a glass bowl, drizzled with chili crisp and tagged #highprotein on an influencer’s “What I Eat in a Day” reel. But the performance is the same: eat this to prove you’re doing the work.
We used to count calories (some people still do). Now we count macros. We used to tally Weight Watchers points. Now we use apps and fitness watches to track calories burned. We used to aim for thin. Now we say lean.
Blending until smooth is a requirement. The texture is still a problem, it’s just one we’re now expected to fix. And the brands know that.
Modern cottage cheese branding sells function first: gut health, low carb, high protein. The packaging often mirrors wellness trends—clean lines, block fonts, neutral palettes—the same aesthetic you’d find in a Scandinavian furniture showroom. Some lean into compliance culture, highlighting Whole30- or keto-friendly ingredients. Others soften the message by adding flavor cues, but even then, pleasure is usually positioned as a bonus, not the point.
Take Trader Joe’s ranch cottage cheese dip: “a fantastically flavorful dip,” yes—but only after mentioning its protein content, versatility, and use in pancakes, pasta, and frittatas. The indulgence comes with an asterisk. It’s not just tasty—it’s functional.
I’ve tried the Good Culture stuff. It’s fine. It blends well. But cottage cheese itself still needed a rebrand—not because it was forgotten, but because it was never truly loved. It has to justify itself because it can’t rely on flavor or nostalgia.
Maybe that’s why it fits so well into modern wellness culture. We’ve replaced calorie charts with meal-prep hacks. But the goal remains: Build a better body. Be a better person. Stay in control.
Cottage cheese still fits that mold. Just like it always has.
VI. Reflection: The Cheese That Refused to Quit
I didn’t expect to end up here—with a half-used container of cottage cheese in my fridge and a short list of recipes I’m not embarrassed to share. I still don’t love it. I don’t crave it. But I’ve learned to respect it.
That respect came from looking back. Cottage cheese didn’t trend because a TikToker froze it into a dessert. It’s been around for over a century, always showing up when we decide food should prove something. War, weight loss, wellness—cottage cheese shows up to work. (FYI: I explain some even more extraordinary uses for cottage cheese in the video below.)
Once it was about thrift. Then self-denial. Now it’s optimization. But the message doesn’t change: If you eat this, you’re trying. You’re disciplined. You’re doing it right.
And that’s why it still makes people uncomfortable.
You don’t have to explain why you like donuts. But cottage cheese? You need a reason. High protein. Gut-friendly. You don’t just eat it, you earn it.
Whether I’ve earned it or not, I’ve blended it into queso. Stirred it into pancakes. Eaten it—very reluctantly—by the spoonful. Once. I’m not a fan.
But I’m not against it anymore, either.
Marisa McMillan is a first-generation Caribbean-American writer, podcast host, and relationship management professional with a passion for storytelling, social justice, and asking the questions that often go unspoken. With a background in eCommerce strategy, client partnerships, and digital communication, she brings curiosity, humor, and heart to every conversation. She hosts a podcast that explores women’s health through honest dialogue, generational storytelling, and the kinds of questions rarely asked out loud. Rooted in a love of nature, movement, and meaningful connection, Marisa sees storytelling as a bridge—elevating overlooked narratives and creating space for empathy, growth, and impact. She holds a B.A. in English and Political Science from Boston University.
With long weekends and warm weather rolling in, you’ll find me outdoors every chance I get. Honestly, I prefer glamping, but even that takes a little grit and planning. As the go-to foodie, I’m constantly tasked with prepping something hearty to energize myself and those I’m with through any planned outdoor activity. Over the years, I’ve become a massive fan of skewer recipes. They check all the boxes: protein, fats, carbs, and are easy to grill or cook over a campfire.
Beyond their nutritional value, skewers win on simplicity. You can literally put anything on a stick and create endless flavor combinations.
Why High-Protein Skewers Are an Outdoor Adventure Must-Have
Hiking, swimming, kayaking, and camping are exhilarating but exhausting. Increasing your protein intake has several benefits.
Immune Support
As great as being outdoors is, Mother Nature can expose you to some not-so-great things, such as tick-borne illnesses, disease-carrying mosquitoes, or rabid animals. “Protein can support the immune system (amino acids are essential for building immune proteins like cytokines and antibodies), helping protect you from whatever you may be exposed to outdoors,” says Parker Lane, a registered dietitian nutritionist based in Richmond, Virginia.
Faster Recovery
Even if you do everything possible to avoid injuries, being out in nature can be unpredictable. If you trip, twist an ankle, or get scraped up, eating high-protein skewers can help support your body’s recovery. “Physical activities such as hiking and camping exert stress on muscles,” says Jessica McAllister, a registered dietitian based in Honolulu, Hawaii. “Protein facilitates muscle repair and recovery, which is crucial for anyone engaging in these [physically] demanding activities.”
Lots of Energy
Eating meals high in protein provides a steady release of energy, says McAllister. “This helps maintain stamina during prolonged periods of exertion,” she says. You’ll benefit from having a high-protein skewer before kicking off your camping adventures—or even at dinner to help you recharge for the next day, she says.
4 Hearty, Protein-Dense Skewer Recipes
It’s easy to toss random fridge scraps on a stick and call it a skewer. But with a little intention, you can build flavorful combos that keep you full and fueled for every step of your adventure.
I’ve put together four skewer recipes that, aside from being utterly delicious, will help you meet your protein needs. I also checked in with nutrition pros to back up how these handhelds can help power you through your journeys outdoors.
The best part? You can prep them ahead of time. Just pack them in a cooler until you’re ready to cook them at your campsite or outdoor gathering.
Whisk together all the ingredients (except the chicken, butternut squash, zucchini, and red onion) in a small bowl until well combined.
Place the chicken, butternut squash, zucchini, and red onion in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once marinated, thread the chicken, squash, and red onion onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating between the ingredients.
Grill the kebabs over medium-high heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, until thoroughly cooked and slightly charred—about 10 minutes on each side.
A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Protein-Rich and Full of Fiber
You’ll get around 23 grams of protein by filling your skewers with at least three ounces of chicken breast, says Mackenzie Burgess, registered dietitian nutritionist based in Denver, Colorado. And if you want to bump that protein intake up even further, you can pair it with a Greek yogurt dipping sauce, says Lane.
The veggies add even more nutritional perks, too, says Burgess. “The butternut squash adds fiber to support digestion and vitamin A to promote healthy vision and immune function, plus a hint of natural sweetness to round it all out.”
2. Citrus-Honey Glazed Halloumi, Tomato, and Zucchini Skewers
Halloumi, tomato, and zucchini skewers marinated in a citrus vinaigrette, cooking over a grill fire. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
Servings: 6 skewers
Duration: 15 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)
Ingredients
16 ounces Halloumi cheese (cut into 1-inch cubes)
2 medium zucchinis (sliced into ½-inch-thick rounds)
1 1/2 cups cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup orange juice
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
1/4 cup whole grain mustard
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup olive oil
Recipe
In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, salt, mustard, and honey until everything is well blended.
Slowly drizzle in the olive oil while whisking constantly, until the vinaigrette is smooth and fully combined.
Place the Halloumi, zucchini, and tomatoes in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the vinaigrette, reserving the rest for later.
Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once marinated, thread the Halloumi (handle it gently so it doesn’t fall apart), zucchini, and tomatoes onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the reserved vinaigrette. Cook for about five minutes per side, or until grill/char marks appear and the zucchini is tender.
A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Protein Powerhouse and Great for Immunity
Just one ounce of Halloumi provides seven grams of protein, says Burgess. Lane recommends adding three to four one-ounce pieces of Halloumi per skewer, which provides about 21 to 28 grams of protein per stick. “Halloumi provides protein for muscle repair and energy, along with calcium for bone and muscle health, which helps support physical activities like hiking and carrying gear,” says McAllister.
The vegetables also play a helpful role. Zucchini’s fiber supports digestion, says McAllister, while tomatoes contribute vitamin C and K to boost the immune system, she says.
(Click the video above to follow along as the writer makes the Halloumi, tomato, and zucchini skewers. Video by Ashia Aubourg)
3. Spicy Garlic Shrimp and Creamy Avocado Skewers
Sweet and spicy glazed shrimp and avocado skewers sizzling on the grill. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
Servings: 6 skewers
Duration: 15 min (plus 30 minutes of marinating)
Ingredients
1 pound shrimp (peeled and deveined)
3 avocados (cut into large chunks)
1 red onion (cut into large chunks)
2 limes (juiced)
3/4 cup avocado oil
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Recipe
Mix all the ingredients together (except the shrimp, avocado, and red onion) in a small bowl to create a marinade.
Place the shrimp, avocado, and red onion in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once marinated, place the shrimp, avocado, and red onion onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, until the shrimp is cooked and slightly charred—three minutes on each side.
A Nutritionist’s Verdict: Heaps of Protein and Loaded with Healthy Fats
Three ounces of shrimp pack nearly 20 grams of protein, says Burgess. “It’s a high-protein seafood that cooks fast,” says McAllister, perfect when you want quick, fire-ready ingredients.
Avocado brings even more to the table, says McAllister, offering healthy fats for lasting energy, fiber for digestion, and vitamin E to support immune health. Together, this skewer delivers big on flavor, nutrition, and fuel.
4. Sticky Maple Ginger Tofu and Pineapple Skewers
Grilled tofu and pineapple skewers with a sweet maple-ginger glaze. (Photo: Ashia Aubourg)
Mix all the ingredients together (except the tofu and pineapple) in a small bowl.
Place the tofu and pineapple in a gallon-sized storage bag or sealable container. Pour in half of the marinade, reserving the rest for later.
Let everything marinate for at least 30 minutes in the fridge.
Once marinated, place the tofu and pineapple onto pre-soaked wooden or metal skewers, alternating the ingredients.
Grease the grill with oil to prevent sticking. Grill the kebabs over medium heat, turning occasionally and brushing with the remaining marinade, about seven minutes on each side.
A Nutritionist’s Verdict: An Excellent Source of Vegan Protein and Fiber
Hikers who follow plant-based diets should definitely try this recipe, says McAllister. “Tofu provides vegan protein (nearly 6 grams per ounce), calcium, and healthy fats, which support muscle and bone health,” she says. “Pineapple offers vitamin C for immunity and fiber for digestion.”
Ginger brings an added bonus, says McAllister, thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties, which may help reduce pain and swelling from physical activity. Lane recommends packing a container of cooked quinoa for an extra protein boost—one cup has about 8 grams—to serve on the side.
To help spread your protein intake throughout the day, nutritionists typically recommend aiming for 20 to 30 grams per meal, says Lane. On average, if you’re adding at least two ounces of meat or seafood per skewer, two skewers will get you into that range. He says you’ll usually need about three skewers per serving to hit that target for plant-based protein sources like tofu.
“Of course, everyone’s protein needs and hunger levels vary,” says Lane, “so feel free to adjust the protein-to-veggie ratio based on your preferences.”
There’s a great deal on Apple’s over at Amazon right now. The earbuds are currently 28 percent off, bringing them down to $179. That’s just $10 more than the all-time-low price we saw during October Prime Day, and will save you $70. The AirPods Pro 2 got an update earlier this year that , most notably a suite of hearing health tools and the capability to be used as hearing aids. On top of that, they now offer new gesture-based Siri Interactions and Voice Isolation to reduce background noise when you’re on a call.
Apple
Siri Interactions allow for hands- and voice-free Siri controls; you can respond to Siri’s questions simply by nodding or shaking your head. The second-generation AirPods Pro are users, with better sound quality than their predecessors and seamless integration with the other devices in the Apple ecosystem. The AirPods Pro 2 offer active noise cancellation and transparency mode, which allows for more natural conversations while they’re in your ear. They also support spatial audio and Dolby Atmos for certain media.
The buds come with four pairs of silicone tips in different sizes and are IP54 rated for protection against dust and sweat. They get up to 6 hours of listening time (though this will be less with certain features, like ANC, enabled) and up to 30 hours with a little help from the USB-C MagSafe Charging Case.
Black Friday used to fall on just one day of the year. Shoppers would camp outside of stores, eagerly awaiting the chance to bust down some doors and save a ton of cash. Over time, the sales event has grown. Now, the entire month of November is a hydra where the heads are “slashed prices” and the sword-wielding hero is an overwhelmed customer.
Stores are offering more deals than ever online, meaning you don’t need to leave the couch to participate. But it can all get confusing. How can you tell if a deal is worth your time and money? When do sales start and end? Do you need that gadget? We’re here to help.
When Is Black Friday?
In 2024, Black Friday falls on November 29. It’s followed by Cyber Monday on December 2, 2024. Most of the official sales start late on Thanksgiving, though some of the best deals start on Friday, sometime in the early hours. (A handful of stores provide exact start times.)
I have been Black Friday shopping for over two decades. My advice, if you’re on the hunt for killer deals, is to stay up late the day before Thanksgiving to check for online sales starting around midnight Eastern time on Wednesday, November 27. WIRED will also cover major sales later in the day on Thanksgiving. Early Black Friday deals will kick off during the first couple of weeks of November, and retailers like Best Buy usually have a price-matching guarantee in place if an item gets cheaper on Black Friday.
Can You Get Black Friday Deals Online?
You can—and should. We exclusively cover online deals here at WIRED because the majority of Black Friday deals are available on the web. The best deals don’t stick around for too long, so it’s a good idea to pay attention to your favorite store’s sale pages (and our coverage).
Make a list of what you want to buy ahead of time—this can help you keep a clear head when it’s time to start shopping. You shouldn’t buy things just to buy them. Everyone’s on a tighter budget these days; sales will happen again. Take a deep breath and don’t get sucked into the frenzy.
Which Retailers Will Have Black Friday Deals?
Nearly all of them. There are obvious stores, like Amazon, Target, Walmart, and Best Buy, but chances are every retailer and brand will have some sort of sale, spanning deals on clothing, shoes, books, electric scooters, tech, health and beauty items, or fitness specialty goods to name just a few categories. There might even be promotions going on at your favorite coffee shop or restaurant. When in doubt, visit a retailer’s website. Usually, Black Friday sales are highlighted proudly on the homepage.
Here are a few Black Friday sales pages from major retailers:
Is Black Friday Worth It?
TL;DR: usually. Long answer: Most of the time, Black Friday deals are the best we see all year, and they set the precedent for what dictates a good price in the months that follow.
However, some Black Friday deals aren’t all that great or are repetitive from year to year. For instance, you’ll predictably see low prices on some smart-home tech, like the Amazon Echo Dot or Google Nest Mini. In previous years, those speakers have sold for around $20 or so, every single November. This year, they’ll probably dip to the same price. Even if a price is technically a historic low, consider whether you truly need another cheap little speaker before you place your order—especially considering that these deals tend to pop up repeatedly throughout the year.
Some discounts aren’t jaw-dropping because the products tend to go on sale every few months, and the fact that stores repeat deals so frequently says a lot about the nature of discounts these days. Still, the deals are worth it if you are in the market for a specific item and want to save some cash. Just keep in mind that price research is important, and if you miss out on a deal, don’t fret; there’s a strong chance it will come around again at some point in the future.
How Much Money Can I Save on Black Friday?
That depends on what you’re shopping for. There are so many deals up for grabs in so many categories that it’s impossible to list them all here.
For example, TVs are usually a great purchase to make around Black Friday, if you can find the right model. They are at their cheapest this time of year and through the holidays. In the same vein, you’ll be able to save on clothes, toys, and home goods, but those deals may not be as enticing when you look at specific dollar amounts. They’re certainly less expensive than usual, though.
You basically have three options for watching live TV at home: Hook up a digital antenna, pay for a cable subscription or sign up for a live TV streaming service. The content you get through a digital antenna is free, but limited to your local broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and PBS). Cable has historically been more expensive than live streaming services, though the gap is narrowing as nearlyeverystreamer has raised its rates in the past year. But unlike cable, you don’t have to enter into a contract when you sign up for Fubo, Philo, Hulu + Live TV or any of the streaming services we cover — plus, you don’t need a cable box, just a smart TV and an internet connection.
Watching live sports is probably the biggest reason people opt for a live TV streaming service, but those who want lots of options for live news and enjoy flipping through a linear stream of shows and movies will also appreciate what these subscriptions offer. Of course, which one is best for you depends on what you want to watch. I tried out all of the major players — including a few free options — to come up with the best live TV streaming services for every type of cord-cutter out there to help you choose.
Table of contents
Best live TV streaming services for 2024
YouTube TV
Monthly price: $73/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (with an add-on) | Total channels: 100+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 9 mo. expiration | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 3 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: Yes (select programming) | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (length varies)
Google’s option makes a strong case for delivering the best streaming service for live TV. Compared to our top pick for sports, YouTube TV covers major and minor teams, regional games and national matchups almost as well. It gives you clear navigation, a great search function, unlimited DVR and broad network coverage. It’s not quite as affordable as it once was, as YouTube recently raised the price to $73 per month – and it’s even more financially precarious if you’re not great at resisting temptation.
Upon signup, you’re presented with nearly 50 different add-ons, including 4K resolution, premium channels and themed packages. Even if you fight the urge to roll Max, Shudder and AcornTV into the mix at signup, the enticement remains as it’s dangerously easy to add more to your subscription. … when I searched for a program on a network I didn’t have, I was prompted to add it. And of course, you can also rent or buy movies that aren’t currently showing on any channels, just like you can via YouTube. While it’s convenient to be able to order up anything I might want on a whim, I could easily see this pushing one’s bill far above Google’s listed $73 per month.
Still, it’s nice to have all your entertainment in one place. And if you only want the add-ons, you can actually subscribe to most of the standalone networks without paying for the base plan. Either way, you get a familiar user experience, with navigation you’ll recognize if you’ve spent any time on regular ol’ YouTube. Unsurprisingly, Google’s search function was the best of the bunch, finding the shows and games I searched for quickly and giving me clear choices for how to watch and record.
At signup, you’ll also pick the shows, networks and teams you like, which are added to your library. YouTube TV then automatically records them. You get unlimited cloud DVR space (though recordings expire after nine months) and it’s dead simple to add programming to your library. Like a real cable experience, YouTube TV autoplays your last-watched program upon startup by default, but it was the only service that allowed me to turn that feature off by heading to the settings.
Searching for and recording an upcoming game was easy. Once the game was recorded, I had to hunt a little to find it in my library (turns out single games are listed under the Events heading, not Sports). But after that, playback was simple and included a fascinating extra feature: You can either play a recorded game from the beginning or hit Watch Key Plays. The latter gives you between 12 and 20 highlight snippets, each about 10 seconds long. It focuses on the most impressive shots in an NBA bout and includes every goal in an MLS matchup. The feature was available for NCAA basketball and in-season major American leagues (hockey, soccer and basketball at the time of testing). Foreign and more minor games didn’t have the feature.
Sports fans will also appreciate the new multiview feature that YouTube TV added last year that lets you pick up to four sports, news and weather channels from a select list and view them all at the same time on your screen. If you find yourself constantly flipping back and forth between games, this could save you some hassle.
YouTube TV also gives you the most in-app settings. You can add parental controls to a profile or pull up a stats menu that shows your buffer health and connection speeds. You can lower playback resolution for slow connections and even send feedback to YouTube. It was also the best at integrating VOD and live programming. For example, when I searched for a show that happened to be playing live, a red badge in the corner of the show’s image let me know it was on right then. I know it makes no difference whether I watch an on-demand recording or a live show, but I like the imagined sense of community knowing someone else might be watching this episode of Portlandia too.
Pros
Intuitive and smooth interface
Accurate search functions
Cool multiview feature
Good coverage of sports, news and linear programming networks
Monthly price: $80/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (mid- and high-tier plans) | Total channels: 204 (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 10 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: Yes (select programming, Apple TV) | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (7 days)
If you want to stream live sports, you should probably opt for Fubo. When you first sign up, it asks which teams you follow across all kinds of associations. Pick teams from in-season leagues and you’ll quickly have DVR content to watch. That’s because Fubo records every game your chosen teams play as long as it’s aired on a supported channel – and its sports coverage is vast.
I tested out the top-tier, $110-per-month Deluxe package and the guide said there were 118 sports networks to choose from. (The Elite plan, which is $10 less per month, lacks the MGM+ and International Sports add-ons.) In addition to the usual suspects from ESPN, Fox, NBC and CBS, you can watch motorsports, international leagues, adventure sports and even poker. Add-ons give you NBA TV, NHL Network, NFL Red Zone and MLB Network. And if you need access to all one thousand games the NBA plays in a season, you can add the NBA League Pass to your lineup for $17 per month. Fubo even has its own sports channels.
Yes, the coverage is comprehensive, but Fubo also made finding and recording specific games very easy. Searching for an upcoming game was simple, as was sifting through the ample amount of recorded games I ended up with. I particularly liked FanView for live games, which inserts the video into a smaller window and surrounds that window with continually updating stats plus a clickable list of other games currently airing. But, unfortunately, the feature isn’t currently available. Hopefully Fubo will bring it back, as it was a differentiating perk for the service.
Fubo has made an obvious effort to win at sports, but recently it’s tried to deliver on the live TV experience as well. Based on what I’ve seen so far, it’s certainly made strides. The guide was impressive in the number of ways it let you organize live TV, yet everything felt clean and uncluttered. The Home, Sports, Shows and Movies pages were filled with recommendations and many iterations of categories, with almost all suggestions being live TV.
Where Fubo falls short is in VOD access and DVR playback. It wasn’t the best at finding the shows I searched for, and navigating available VOD content wasn’t as breezy as browsing through live programming. The lack of a pop-up preview window as you fast forward or rewind through recordings makes it tough to gauge where you are in a show. As for price, Fubo ties with DirecTV Stream for the most expensive base package at $80. But if you need all the sports – and want some nicely organized live TV during the few moments when there’s not a game on – this is the way to go.
Pros
Best coverage of sports networks
Automatically records your favorite teams
Informative FanView feature
Uncluttered live TV interface
Cons
DVR and VOD experience is inferior to the live component
Monthly price: $77/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 95+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited (9 mo. expiration) | Profiles per account: 6 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 2 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (3 days)
After YouTube TV went up to $73 per month, Hulu + Live TV shot to $77. But if you already or plan to subscribe to the regular Hulu app and/or Disney+, Hulu’s live component still makes better financial sense. It gives you live TV streaming, plus all the content from Hulu, ESPN+ and Disney+, much of which you can’t get elsewhere. Note that $77 gets you the content with ads — for ad-free Disney+ and Hulu components, it’s $90 monthly.
Hulu + Live TV carries your local affiliates and most of the top cable channels. For sports, you get all available ESPN iterations plus FS1, FS2, TBS, USA, NBC Golf, the NFL Network and TNT (Turner Network Television). You can also add on premium VOD channels like Max and Showtime, and it’s the only provider that includes Disney+ at no extra cost.
Navigation isn’t as smooth as most of the other options — as I used Hulu + Live TV, it felt like the live component had been shoehorned into the standard Hulu app. But for viewers who are already comfortable with (and paying for) Hulu and Disney+, this might be the best pick for your live TV subscription.
Monthly price: $80/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes | Sports coverage: National, local, international | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (three channels) | Total channels: 90+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited (9-month expiration, maximum of 30 episodes per series) | Profiles per account: 1 | Simultaneous at-home streams: Unlimited | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (5 days)
DirecTV Stream gives you the most cable-like experience — unsurprising considering the AT&T-owned company also does straight cable subscriptions. But instead of a contract that’s unreasonably hard to cancel, DirecTV Stream lets you cancel whenever you want. The service also brings back the serendipity of flipping from one channel to the “next” (yes, DirecTV Stream numbers its channels) with your remote just like the good old days.
I counted nearly all of the most popular cable networks and you can add multiple packages and premiums like Showtime, Starz, AMC+ and Discovery+. You can also include Max, just like on YouTube TV and Hulu + Live TV, but DirecTV is the only one I tried that also lets you get Peacock. Of course, you can just add those apps separately to your smart TV, but for anyone who wants to approximate the all-in-one convenience of cable, it’s a nice perk.
When I fired up DirecTV Stream, whichever network I’d watched last automatically started playing. It continued when I switched over to the guide or other menu pages. I’m used to the quieter experience of traditional streaming apps (after turning off autoplay), so I found that crazy making, but it might not bother everyone.
The navigation didn’t feel intuitive, partly because the menu options overlay the currently playing show and because there are so many ways to browse, access and control live, recorded and on-demand content. The search function found the shows and movies I searched for and accurately presented the upcoming games I wanted just from typing in one of the teams.
You can’t add new channels or packages through the app, which might be a relief to anyone worried about succumbing to subscription overload. Everyone else may just find it annoying.
Monthly price: $40/mo. and up | Local channels: Yes (ABC, FOX, NBC in 20 markets) | Sports coverage: National, local | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: Yes (in 16 markets) | Total channels: 34 or 44 (base plans) | DVR limits: 50 hrs, no expiration | Profiles per account: 4 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 1 (Orange), 3 (Blue) | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: No
To me, the idea of spending time fine-tuning channel choices sounds exhausting. But if you’re the type who wants to get exactly what you want without paying for too much of what you don’t, Sling TV may be your best bet. It breaks its base plan into two packages, Blue and Orange, with different channels on each. Blue, which costs $45 a month, carries a larger number of networks, while Orange seems to have spent its lineup dollars on ESPN and ESPN 2. But at $40 monthly, Sling Orange is the cheapest way to get those two sports outlets.
After picking a plan, you can choose from a stable of add-on packages, with monthly prices ranging from $6 to $11. These include blocks of sports or lifestyle channels, kid-friendly fare, the Discovery+ bundle and a news package. There are 41 individual premium offerings, including Showtime, Starz, MGM+, Shudder and Acorn, which go for between $2 and $10 per month. Sling has pay-per-view movies, too.
As far as local coverage, Sling Blue grants access to ABC, Fox and NBC local affiliates in about 20 of the larger US markets including Los Angeles, Seattle, Dallas, NYC, Miami and DC. ABC coverage began in March 2023. That raised the price of Sling Blue in supported markets from $40 to $45. For people not in those areas (or who opt for Orange) Sling is currently running a promotion for a free HD antenna to catch local stations.
In about 16 markets, Sling now offers select sports in 4K. You’ll need a Roku or Amazon Fire TV device that supports 4K (and a compatible TV) but for no extra charge, you’ll get to watch events like the Paris Olympics, some college and pro football on FS1 and ESPN, and more.
Sling’s navigation is speedy and the interface is nicely organized, putting an emphasis on what you like to watch, with recommendations that are pretty accurate. The UI also makes the add-ons you’ve chosen easy to find. In my tests, though, the app froze a number of times as I navigated. While most services froze once or twice, it happened enough times with Sling to frustrate me. I had to force quit or back out of the app and start over five or six times during the three weeks of testing. Compared to others, Sling’s DVR allowance is on the stingy side, only giving you 50 hours of recordings, though they won’t expire. You can pay for more DVR storage, but that will increase your overall costs.
I tried not to wander too far off-path during testing, but I feel it’s my duty to inform you that Sling has an Elvis channel, a Bob Ross channel and ALF TV (yes, an entire station devoted to the ‘80s sitcom starring a puppet). There’s also a Dog TV network intended to be played for your dogs when you leave the house, which you can add to Sling or get as a standalone app.
Monthly price: $28/mo. and up | Local channels: No | Sports coverage: No | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 70+ (base plan) | DVR limits: Unlimited, 1 yr. expiration | Profiles per account: 10 | Simultaneous at-home streams: 3 | Picture-in-picture: Yes (mobile and computer) | Multiview: No | Contract: No | Free trial: Yes (7 days)
Philo held out at $25 monthly for a few years but recently increased to $28 — though they did add AMC+ to the channel lineup to lessen the blow (and it has some goodshows!). Despite the bump, it’s still one of the cheapest ways to get a cordless live TV experience. Philo’s free offerings recently increased as well, bumping up to . The biggest caveat is that you won’t find any local stations or sports programming on it. If that’s not an issue, Philo is great, with a clean, streamlined interface and generous DVR limits.
I’m a fan of minimalist design, so I appreciated the way Philo presented its menus and guide. There are just four top navigation headings: Home, Guide, Saved and Search. And instead of the usual guide layout that stretches out or shortens a show’s listing to represent its air time, Philo’s guide features monospaced squares in chronological order with the duration of the program inside the square. Another nice touch is when you navigate to a square, it fills with a live video of the show or movie.
Philo doesn’t limit the amount of programming you can DVR and lets you keep recordings for a full year, which is more than the nine months other providers allow. Like all live TV streamers, Philo won’t let you fast forward VOD programming. If skipping commercials is important to you, I recommend taking advantage of that unlimited DVR policy and hitting “Save” on any show or movie you think you may want to watch, then fast forwarding it on playback (you can do this with all the services we tried).
As far as channels, Philo covers many of the top cable networks, with notable exceptions including Fox News, CNN, ESPN and MSNBC. Anyone looking for great news coverage should look elsewhere anyway, but the lack of a few must-have entertainment outlets like Bravo and Freeform was a little disappointing.
Many standard streaming apps have added live components to their lineups. You’re paying for the service, so it’s not technically “free,” but you can get a dose of live TV without spending more than necessary. Peacock includes some regional NBC stations, which also includes access to the Olympic Games. Paramount+ subscribers can watch on-air CBS programming. The standard Hulu app has a live ABC news channel and Max now includes a live CNN outlet with its service.
The smart TV operating system (OS) you use likely provides free live content too: Amazon’s Fire TV interface has a live tab and Roku’s built-in Roku Channel includes hundreds of live channels at no extra cost. The same goes for Samsung TV Plus, which recently added a trove of K-dramas to its free live and on-demand lineup. The PBS app offers local live streams of its channels — even NASA has a free streaming service with live coverage.
But if you want a full suite of live TV networks, and don’t want to sign up for any paid service, there are a number of free ad-supported TV services that have live TV. Here’s the best of what we tried:
Tubi
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 260 | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
You don’t need to give Tubi any of your information to start watching live content. In many areas, it’ll grant access to your local ABC and Fox station and also includes the news-stream channels that other similar services carry, like NBC News Now, Fox Live Now and ABC News Live. Fox is Tubi’s parent company so you get picks like Fox Sports, Fox Soul and over a dozen regional Fox networks.
The live TV component lives within the Home menu and, from there, the stations are organized by category, making it easy to browse the more than 200 live channels. Navigation is speedy and, along with a good library of on-demand movies, shows and kids’ stuff, Tubi has a few regional news stations plus at least five regional Fox News stations.
Despite being billed as a live TV service, TUBI has a wide range of VOD movies and series. Whenever I flipped on the app, there were at least a few movies I was interested in. If you like the idea of fine-tuned browsing, you’ll probably appreciate Tubi’s Categories tab, which includes such hyper-specific topics as “shonen anime,” “vampire romance,” “black independent cinema” and “heist films.” In fact, I prefer Tubi’s on-demand experience over its live TV competency — the live TV guide only stays open for 10 seconds if you’re not actively clicking around and, like PlutoTV, your current show keeps playing as you browse the guide.
Local channels: No | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 800+ | Profiles per account: 15 (with a free Plex Home acct) | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
I test lots of gadgets and services but only a few make their way into my off-hours life. Plex feels likely to be one of those rarities. The FAST service has around 800 live TV channels that are organized fairly granularly and you can have up to 15 profiles. You can also rent a good selection of new-release and popular older movies directly from the app and there’s even an integration with notable music streaming service Tidal.
But the reason I’ll keep using Plex is the search function. It not only lets you hunt for shows and movies on its own platform, it also tells you which other services are currently carrying a particular title. I searched for Glass Onion, Get Out, Buckaroo Banzai and Billy Eichner’s Bros and found out I could watch those movies with my subscriptions to Netflix, Hulu, Prime Video and Starz, respectively.
Searching by an actor’s name, like Jamie Lee Curtis or Donald Glover, will give you a list of movies and shows they’ve been in. You can then find out that Halloween 1978 is available for free on Plex and Atlanta is included with a Hulu subscription. Recently, Plex culled from other Plex users and professional critics — users can even share their reviews with friends on the service, creating a -like social media element.
It’s also quite easy to add any title to your Watchlist — together with the search feature, that could be a unifying way to organize your streaming aspirations. I checked every service Plex indicated for the titles I searched for and, so far, it’s been correct every time. My only real complaint is how painfully slow the search can be at times, but the results are spot-on.
So, yes, you can watch a linear stream of old episodes like the BBC’s The Office or NCIS:New Orleans for free, but you can also find out which streamer is currently playing Uncut Gems (it’s Max).
Pros
Good selection of free live channels
Helpful and accurate search for any title
Detailed organization that’s not overly complicated
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 400+ | Profiles per account: 4 (with sign-up) | Picture-in-picture: Yes | Multiview: No | Contract: No
When I first tried out Freestream, it was tough to find out where the free content was. It uses the same app as the paid Sling service, and I only found the prompt to watch for free when I was about to close the app. It has since become far easier to find the gratis option and, once you do, you get access to over 400 channels of free stuff, including a good deal of national and global news networks, such as BBC News, CBS News 24/7, USA Today, ABC News Live and Bloomberg. Yes, many of these are already available for free at their respective websites, but it’s nice to have a one-stop location to browse them all.
Since the last time I tried Sling’s free service, the navigation has improved greatly. Where once there were just a few organizational options, now you’ll find categories for sports, movies, comedies, true crime, kids, documentaries, science and nature, classic TV and more. When you flip back to the guide, what you’re watching pops into a picture-in-picture window — but if you don’t like that, it’s easy to close it so you can browse in peace.
Pros
Good national news network selection
Nicely organized interface
Your current show becomes a pop-out as you browse and is easily closed
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 400+ | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
It was first called IMDbTV, but Amazon changed the name of its free streaming option to Freevee to better hint at its price. What’s available is pretty similar to the Live TV menu option you’ll find within the Prime Video app — in fact, the interface on that app is actually better organized, with listings by category. Freevee’s live TV menu is just a long, single list of channels. Prime’s version is speedier, too.
However, Freevee is, true to its name, completely free. You don’t even have to sign in, though you’ll be prompted to do so when you first open the app (just select “Watch as a guest” in the lower corner to bypass that). There are currently around 400 channels with news networks like ABC News Live, Fox Live Now and NBC News Now. Sports showcases include the MLB Channel, NBC Sports and Fubo Sports. Tons of reality, true crime and current and classic TV avenues round out the offerings.
For original content that you can’t watch elsewhere, you not only get Freevee’s own shows like Jury Duty, but you can also watch select episodes of Prime shows like Fallout and Outer Range. Plus there are plenty of live channels arranged around specific classic shows including Saved by the Bell, Sailor Moon, The Addams Family and Murder, She Wrote.
It’s possible Freevee has the most regional news channels of any other FAST service too, but it’s almost impossible to find them without scrolling endlessly through the guide. You can’t search for them and there’s no way to organize the channels by category as you can with the live TV section in the Prime Video app (which almost gives you the impression Amazon would rather you just pay for the membership). But while flipping through the guide, I saw NBC Chicago, Philadelphia and New York affiliates, Fox in Milwaukee, LA and Tampa Bay, and the Bay Area’s ABC station.
Local channels: A few | Sports coverage: Replays and shows about sports | On-demand: Yes | 4K live streams: No | Total channels: 250+ | Profiles per account: 1 | Picture-in-picture: No | Multiview: No | Contract: No
Pluto TV is granularly organized, separating out nearly two dozen categories for its live content — including local news, kids, sports, daytime TV along with more specific topics like anime, competition reality, and history/science. The service also has a slew of its own stations such as Pluto Sports, Pluto News, Pluto True Crime and Pluto Star Trek.
Actually, much of Pluto’s service is made up of content owned by its parent company, Paramount, who owns, in addition to Star Trek properties, CBS, Nickelodeon and MTV brands. Thanks to that affiliation, you’ll get access to a bunch of original content here. Regional news options are, however, limited to about a dozen CBS stations, but the live news-stream selection is pretty good and includes NBC News Live, BBC Headlines, Bloomberg Television, Cheddar News and others.
As for sports, you get CBS Sports HQ, a version of Fox Sports and league-specific sports shows from the NFL, MLB, and Golf Channels. Though, as with any free live TV streaming service, you won’t find much in the way of live games.
One thing I have to point out is that whatever you’re watching keeps playing when you browse the guide, and after searching the settings in the app and forums online, I could find no way to turn this off. If, like me, hearing your currently playing show natter on as you look for something else to watch drives you insane, you’ll have to hit mute.
Streaming live TV is a lot like using Netflix. You get access through apps on your phone, tablet, smart TV or streaming device and the signal arrives over the internet. A faster and more stable connection tends to give you a better experience. Most live TV apps require you to sign up and pay via a web browser. After that, you can activate the app on all of your devices.
Monthly Price
When I started testing these cord-cutting alternatives, I was struck by the price difference between live TV and a standard video streaming app. Where the latter cost between $5 and $20 per month, most live TV services hit the $80 mark and can go higher than $200 with additional perks, channel packages and premium extras. The higher starting price is mostly due to the cost of providing multiple networks — particularly sports and local stations. And, in the past year or so, every service except Sling has raised base plan prices.
Local channels
Only two of the services I tried don’t include full local channel coverage for subscribers and one of those makes no effort to carry sports at all. That would be Philo and, as you might guess, it’s the cheapest. The next most affordable option, Sling, only carries three local stations — and only in larger markets — but it still manages to include some of the top sports channels.
When you sign up with any provider that handles local TV, you’ll enter your zip code, ensuring you get your area’s broadcast affiliates for ABC, CBS, FOX and NBC. Of course, you can also get those stations for free. Nearly all modern television sets support a radio frequency (RF) connection, also known as the coaxial port, which means if you buy an HD antenna, you’ll receive locally broadcast stations like ABC, CBS, PBS, FOX and NBC. And since the signal is digital, reception is much improved over the staticky rabbit-ears era.
Live sports coverage
One reality that spun my head was the sheer number and iterations of sports networks in existence. Trying to figure out which network will carry the match-up you want to see can be tricky. I found that Google makes it a little easier for sports fans by listing out upcoming games (just swap in NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL and so on in the search bar). When you click an event, the “TV & streaming” button will tell you which network is covering it.
That just leaves figuring out if your chosen service carries the RSNs (regional sports networks) you want. Unfortunately, even with add-ons and extra packages, some providers simply don’t have certain channels in their lineups. It would take a lawyer to understand the ins and outs of streaming rights negotiations, and networks leave and return to live TV carriers all the time. That said, most major sporting events in the US are covered by ESPN, Fox Sports, TNT, USA and local affiliates.
I should also point out that traditional streaming services have started adding live sports to their lineups. Peacock carries live Premier League matches, Sunday Night Football games and aired the Olympic Games from Paris this summer. Thursday Night Football is on Amazon Prime and Christmas Day Football is coming to Netflix. Max (formerly HBO Max) now airs select, regular season games from the NHL, MLB, NCAA and NBA with a $10-per-month add-on. You can watch MLS games with an add-on through the Apple TV app, and Apple TV+ includes some MLB games. If you subscribe to Paramount Plus, you can see many of the matches you’d see on CBS Sports, including live NFL games.
Roku just added a free sports channel to its lineup. And a new upcoming sports streaming service called Venu is a joint venture between ESPN, Fox and Warner Bros. Discovery and will cost $43 per month. Even taken all together, these options may not cover as much ground as live TV streamers, but they could scratch a small sports itch without too much added cost.
Traditional cable networks
Dozens of linear programming networks were once only available with cable TV, like Bravo, BET, Food Network, HGTV, CNN, Lifetime, SYFY and MTV. If you only subscribe to, say, Netflix or Apple TV+, you won’t have access to those. But as with sports, standard streamers are starting to incorporate this content into their offerings. After the Warner Bros. merger, Max incorporated some content from HGTV, Discovery and TLC. Peacock has Bravo and Hallmark shows, and Paramount+ has material from Nickelodeon, MTV and Comedy Central.
Other channels like AMC+ have stand-alone apps. The Discovery+ app gives you 15 channels add-free for $9 per month (or with ads for $5 monthly). And a service called Frndly TV starts at a mere $7 per month and streams A&E, Lifetime, Game Show Network, Outdoor Channel and about 35 others. Of course, most live TV streaming options will deliver more sizable lists of cable networks, but just note that you may already be paying for some of them — and if all you need is a certain channel, you could get it cheaper by subscribing directly.
On-demand streaming
Most live TV subscriptions include access to a selection of video-on-demand (VOD) content, like you would get with a traditional streaming service. Much of this content is made up of the movies and TV series that have recently aired on your subscribed networks. This typically doesn’t cover live events and news programming, but I was able to watch specific episodes of ongoing shows like Top Chef or BET’s Diarra from Detroit. Just search the on-demand library for the program, pick an episode and hit play.
Partnerships, like Hulu’s relationship with Disney, and add-ons, such as bundling Max with your YouTube TV subscription or Starz with your Sling plan, will let you watch even larger libraries of on-demand content. But again, if VOD is all you’re after, paying for those networks directly instead of through a live TV plan will be far cheaper.
Digital video recordings (DVR) limits
Every option I tried offers some cloud DVR storage without needing a separate physical device. You’ll either get unlimited storage for recordings that expires after nine months or a year, or you’ll get a set number of hours (between 50 and 1,000) that you can keep indefinitely. Typically, all you need to do is designate what ongoing TV series you want to record and the DVR component will do all the hard work of saving subsequent episodes for you to watch later. You can do the same thing with sports events.
Aside from being able to watch whenever it’s most convenient, you can also fast-forward through commercials in recorded content. In contrast, you can’t skip them on live TV or VOD.
Simultaneous streams and profiles per account
Each plan gives you a certain number of simultaneous streams, aka how many screens can play content at the same time. And while most providers will let you travel with your subscription, there are usually location restrictions that require you to sign in from your home IP address periodically. Stream allowances range from one at a time to unlimited screens (or as many as your ISP’s bandwidth can handle). Some plans require add-ons to get more screens.
Most services also let you set up a few profiles so I was able to give different people in my family the ability to build their own watch histories and libraries, set their favorite channels and get individual recommendations.
Picture-in-picture mode and multiview
Picture-in-picture (PiP) usually refers to shrinking a video window on a mobile device or computer browser so you can watch it while using other apps. Sling, YouTube TV, FuboTV, Philo, DirecTV Stream and Hulu + Live TV all have PiP modes on computers and mobile devices. Another feature, multiview, lets you view multiple live sports games at once on your TV screen. YouTube TV and FuboTV are the only live TV streamers that let you do this. With YouTube TV, you can select up to four views from a few preset selection of streams. FuboTV offers the same feature, but only if you’re using an Apple TV set top device.
4K live streams
Right now, just FuboTV, YouTube TV and DirecTV Stream offer 4K live streams — but with caveats. YouTube TV requires a $20-per-month add-on, after which you’ll only be able to watch certain live content in 4K. DirecTV Stream has three channels that show live 4K content — one with shows and original series, and two with occasional sporting events. You don’t have to pay extra for these but you do need to have either DirecTV’s Gemini receiver or a Roku device. FuboTV shows certain live events in 4K but access is limited to the Elite and Premier packages, not the base-level Pro plan. Of course, watching any 4K content requires equipment that can handle it: a 4K smart TV or 4K streaming device paired with a cable and screen that can handle 4K resolution.
Tiers, packages and add-ons
Comparing price-to-offering ratios is a task for a spreadsheet. I… made three. The base plans range from $28 to $80 per month. From there, you can add packages, which are usually groups of live TV channels bundled by themes like news, sports, entertainment or international content. Premium VOD extras like Max, AMC+ and Starz are also available. Add-ons cost an extra $5 to $20 each per month and simply show up in the guide where you find the rest of your live TV. This is where streaming can quickly get expensive, pushing an $80 subscription to $200 monthly, depending on what you choose.
How to stream live TV for free
I also downloaded and tried out a few apps that offer free ad-supported TV (FAST) including Freevee, Tubi, PlutoTV and Sling Freestream. These let you drop in and watch a more limited selection of live networks at zero cost. Most don’t even require an email address, let alone a credit card. And if you have a Roku device, an Amazon Fire TV or Stick, a Samsung TV, a Chromecast device or a Google TV, you already have access to hundreds of live channels via the Roku Channel, the live tab in Fire TV, through the Samsung TV Plus app or through Google TV.
When I begin testing for a guide, I research the most popular and well-reviewed players in the category and narrow down which are worth trying. For the paid plans, just six services dominate so I tried them all. There are considerably more free live TV contenders so I tested the four most popular. After getting accounts set up using my laptop, I downloaded the apps on a Samsung smart TV running the latest version of Tizen OS. I counted the local stations and regional sports coverage, and noted how many of last year’s top cable networks were available. I then weighed the prices, base packages and available add-ons.
I then looked at how the programming was organized in each app’s UI and judged how easy everything was to navigate, from the top navigation to the settings. To test the search function, I searched for the same few TV shows on BET, Food Network, HGTV and Comedy Central, since all six providers carry those channels. I noted how helpful the searches were and how quickly they got me to season 6, episode 13 of Home Town.
I used DVR to record entire series and single movies and watched VOD shows, making sure to test the pause and scan functions. On each service with sports, I searched for the same four upcoming NHL, NBA, MLS and NCAA basketball matches and used the record option to save the games and play them back a day or two later. Finally, I noted any extra perks or irritating quirks.
Streaming simply refers to video content that is delivered to your screen over the internet. Live streaming can be split into two categories: linear programming and simultaneous transmission. That first one is similar to what you get with cable or broadcast TV, with channels that play a constant flow of movies and shows (sort of what TV looked like before Netflix). Simultaneous streaming lets you watch live events (like a basketball game) or a program (like the evening news) as they happen.
What is the difference between streaming and live streaming?
Standard streaming, the most popular example being Netflix, lets you pick what you want to watch from a menu of choices. It’s also referred to as “video on demand.” Live streaming refers to sports and news events that you can stream as they happen in real time. It also refers to channels that show a continuous, linear flow of programming.
What streaming service is best for live TV?
FuboTV does the best job of letting you organize live channels to help you find just what you want to watch. The interface is uncluttered and when you search for something, the UI clearly tells you whether something is live now or on-demand. YouTube TV also does a good job making that info clear. Both have just over 100 live channels on offer.
What is the most cost effective TV streaming service?
Free TV streaming services like PlutoTV, Plex, Tubi and FreeVee show plenty of ad-supported TV shows and movies without charging you anything. Of course, they won’t have the same channels or content that more premium subscriptions have. Ultimately it depends on what you want to watch and finding the service that can supply that to you in the most streamlined form so you’re not paying for stuff you don’t need.
Is it cheaper to have cable or streaming?
A basic cable package used to be more expensive than the base-level live TV streaming service. But now that nearly all major providers have raised their prices to over $75 per month, that’s no longer the case. And with add-ons and other premiums, you can easily pay over $200 a month for either cable or a live TV streaming service.
What streaming service has all the TV channels?
No service that we tested had every available channel. Hulu + Live TV and DirecTV Stream carry the highest number of the top rated channels, according to Neilsen. Hulu’s service will also get you Disney+ fare, which you can’t get elsewhere. FuboTV has the most sports channels and YouTube TV gives you the widest selection of add-ons.
What is the most popular live TV streaming platform?
YouTube TV has the most paying customers. According to this year’s letter from the company’s CEO, the service has over eight million subscribers. Disney’s 2023 fourth quarter earnings put the Hulu + Live TV viewer count at 4.6 million. Sling reported two million patrons and FuboTV claimed 1.1 million, both in respective year-end reports.
How safe are free streaming services and websites?
You may have heard certain sites that provide free content can be dangerous, leading to stolen info and/or exposing you to malware. That’s likely in reference to certain peer-to-peer (P2P) networks and file-sharing sites that let people download free movies and series — which can come bundled with malicious code.
But if you’re talking about the free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) services listed here, from providers like PlutoTV, Tubi and Freevee, they are just as safe as any other streaming service. Since you sometimes don’t even have to provide your email address or credit card info, they can even be more anonymous than apps that require login credentials.
August 6, 2024: Updated with the addition of Plex as a free live TV streaming recommendation and mentioned the additional free channels Philo is now including with the free version of its service. Added pricing information for ESPN’s new sports-only streaming service, Venu.
June 12, 2024: Updated with more information about 4K live streaming, picture-in-picture and multiview modes, as well as video on-demand options. We expanded our recommendations around free live TV streaming services and added a FAQ query about the safety of free streaming services and clarified the difference between standard and live streaming. More traditional streaming services have added live and sports components, so we revised that section accordingly.
Finding the perfect laptop without breaking the bank isn’t as hard as you might think. These days, the best cheap laptops still pack a lot of punch, offering great features without a premium price tag. Whether you need a laptop for work, school, streaming or just staying connected, there are plenty of affordable options that can handle your everyday needs. You don’t have to settle for outdated tech, either — many budget laptops now come with decent processors, long battery life and even sleek designs that won’t cramp your style.
Of course, not all budget laptops are created equal. That’s why we’ve rounded up the top picks to help you get the most value for your money. From student-friendly Chromebooks to Windows laptops for light productivity, there’s something for everyone.
What to look for in a budget laptop
First, we at Engadget consider anything under $1,000 to be “budget” in the laptop space. The reason for this is twofold: even the most affordable flagship laptops typically start at $1,000 or more, and if you go dramatically lower than that (say, $500 or less), that’s where you’ll really start to see compromises in performance. You’ll typically find the best cheap laptops striking a good balance between power and price in the $500 to $1,000 range. But in this guide, we’ll cover top picks at a wide range of prices — there are a number of excellent options on the low and high end of the budget spectrum.
Arguably the biggest thing to look for in a cheap laptop is build quality and a decent spec sheet. You might be able to find configuration options with the latest generation CPU chipsets, or you may have to go for one that has a slightly older processor. We recommend looking for models with solid state drive (SSD) storage instead of a traditional hard drive, as SSDs provide faster performance. And if you can find a PC with the latest internals, it’s worth the investment. However, going with a CPU that’s just one generation behind likely won’t make a noticeable difference in performance.
Along with processors, you should also consider the amount of memory and storage you need in a daily driver. For the former, we recommend laptops with at least 8GB of RAM; anything with less than that will have a hard time multitasking and managing all those web browsing tabs. The latter is a bit more personal: how much onboard storage you need really depends on how many apps, files, photos, documents and more you will save locally. As a general rule of thumb, try to go for a laptop that has at least a 256GB SSD (this only goes for macOS and Windows machines, as Chromebooks are a bit different). That should give you enough space for programs and files, plus room for future operating system updates. And if you need a machine for light productivity or Android emulation, some laptops even support Android apps natively, which can add extra versatility.
After determining the best performance you can get while sticking to your budget, it’s also worth examining a few different design aspects. We recommend a laptop with an IPS display for better viewing angles and color accuracy, though premium models with OLED displays are becoming more common and can offer deeper blacks and vibrant colors. Pay attention to port selection, too — many budget models offer plenty of ports, while higher-end ones tend to prioritize minimalism with fewer connections. If connectivity matters to you, look for options with USB-C, USB-A, HDMI and an audio jack.
And speaking of practical features, keep an eye on GPU performance if you’re shopping for a budget-friendly gaming laptop. While integrated graphics are fine for casual users, a dedicated GPU will improve gaming and creative workloads. We also recommend checking the refresh rate of the screen, as a higher rate will make a noticeable difference in both games and scrolling-heavy apps.
A note about refurbished laptops
Refurbished laptops are another option to consider if you need a new machine and don’t want to spend a ton of money. Buying refurbished tech can be tricky if you’re unfamiliar with a brand’s or merchant’s policies surrounding what they classify as “refurbished.” But it’s not impossible — for laptops, we recommend going directly to the manufacturer for refurbished devices. Apple, Dell and Microsoft all have official refurbishment processes that their devices go through before they’re put back on the market that verifies the machines work properly and are in good condition. Third-party retailers like Amazon and Walmart also have their own refurbishment programs for laptops and other gadgets as well.
The best cheap laptops of 2024
Photo by Devindra Hardawar / Engadget
Screen size: 13.6-inch | Touchscreen: No | CPU: Apple M2 | GPU: 8-core GPU | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 256GB | Weight: 2.7 pounds | Battery life: Up to 17 hours | Available ports: MagSafe 3 charging, 3.5mm headphone jack, 2x Thunderbolt 4
The launch of the M3 MacBook Air saw the retirement of the first Air with an M-series chipset. Apple’s no longer officially selling the M1 MacBook Air (although you can still find it at other retailers right now), but it knocked down the starting price of the M2 Air to $999. The M3 MacBook Air is the best Windows alternative for those in search of a thin and light laptop, but the M2 is an unmatched value for those on a budget. In our battery test, the M2 performed remarkably well, delivering good battery life comparable to that of the newer M3 model. The biggest differences between them are that the M3 models support Wi-Fi 6E and driving to up to two external displays when the lid is closed.
So when it comes to buying a new laptop and spending only $1,000 or less, the MacBook Air M2 is the notebook we’d recommend to most people. Not only do you get the updated Air design that’s thinner and more squared-off than before, but you also get a gorgeous 13.6-inch display, a solid quad-speaker array and, most importantly, stellar performance thanks to the M2 chip. For tasks personal and professional, this MacBook Air should have more than enough power and speed for most people (we’d even recommend it over the 13-inch MacBook Pro for many). For under $1,000, the MacBook Air M2 offers excellent value with a sleek design, plenty of ports, and the powerful M2 chip. The fact that it’s now $200 less than before simply because it’s changed places in Apple’s lineup presents a great opportunity for those in need of a new daily driver to get our previous top pick for best laptop at its new low price.
If you like the general aesthetics of machines like Dell’s XPS 13 but don’t want to pay $1,000 or more, the HP Pavilion Aero is your best bet. We gave it a score of 87 in our review and compared it to Dell’s flagship laptop. It’s certainly not as sleek as that machine, but it comes pretty close with its angled profile, 2.2-pound weight and its anti-glare 13.3-inch display. Despite its keyboard being a little cramped, it’s a solid typing machine and we appreciate its port selection: one USB-C port, two USB-A ports, an HDMI connector and a headphone jack. You can currently pick an Aero 13 up for as low as $900, but they have gone on sale for even less. All of the prebuilt base models available from HP directly come with Ryzen 5 processors, and you can customize the laptop to have up to a Ryzen 7 CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD.
Display: 14 inches FHD | CPU: 13th-generation Intel Core i3 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: Up to 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Weight: 3.52 lb (1.6 kg) | Available ports: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C, USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A, 3.5mm headphone jack
Our favorite Chromebook is Lenovo’s Flex 5 Chromebook, which nails the essentials with build quality that feels more premium than its price suggests. Engadget’s Nathan Ingraham praised the Flex 5 for offering tremendous value. The 14-inch touchscreen and backlit keyboard are great additions for those who multitask or use Android apps. The latest model has an upgraded 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, which when paired with the Core i3 CPU, make for a speedy, capable machine. It’s also nice to see one USB-A and two USB-C ports, six hours of battery life and a 360-degree hinge that makes it easy to use the Flex 5 as a tablet. This could be the ideal laptop for Chrome OS fans who spend a lot of time web browsing, and it’ll hit the sweet spot for a lot of other buyers out there, providing a level of quality and performance that’s pretty rare to find at this price point.
Screen size: 15-inch | Touchscreen: No | CPU: 11th-gen Intel Core i3 | GPU: Intel UHD Graphics | RAM: 8GB | Storage: 128GB | Weight: 3.64 pounds | Battery life: Up to 10 hours | Available ports: USB, USB Type C, Ethernet, HDMI, USB 2.0
Acer’s Aspire 5 family is a solid Windows option if you have less than $500 to spend on a new laptop, offering solid everyday performance and plenty of ports. The most recent models hit a good middle ground for most people, running on Intel 11th-gen CPUs and supporting up to 16GB of RAM and up to 512GB of storage. Of course, the higher specs you get, the more expensive the machine will be — not all Aspire 5 laptops come in at under $500. The Aspire 5 comes with a 15.6-inch 1080p IPS display, which delivers clear visuals for streaming or web browsing. The number pad is a handy addition for productivity, and the port selection includes USB-A, USB-C, and Ethernet ports, making it a practical choice for those who need to connect multiple devices. Acer’s latest models also feature Wi-Fi 6 for faster connectivity, and our battery test confirmed up to 10 hours of good battery life—more than enough for a day’s work or entertainment.
Another October Prime Day is in the books, but all of the deals haven’t disappeared from Amazon’s site just yet. This year’s Fall Prime Day brought a bunch of discounts on smartphones, speakers, wearables, robot vacuums and more tech, and you can still grab some of the sale prices right now even after the event has officially ended. While it’s possible we see some of these deals come back in a month during Black Friday, it’s a good idea to pick up your top items now if you’re keen on getting some of your holiday shopping done early. Here are the best Prime Day deals you can still get today.
Best Prime Day deals you can still get: Engadget’s top picks
Best Prime Day Apple deals
Photo by Nathan Ingraham / Engadget
Apple deals can be hit or miss during Amazon Prime Day, but we saw a number of good ones this time and many of them are still available. Whether you’ve been on the hunt for a new Apple device for yourself or you know you want to pick one up as a gift, you can save a bit of cash if you do so now.
Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299 ($50 off): The new, baseline iPad updates a familiar device with a fresh design, improved performance, USB-C charging and a better battery life.
Apple 9th-gen iPad for $199 ($130 off): This model is on its way out, but $200 for an iPad is a solid sale price. This slab has a 10.2-inch display, an A13 Bionic chip and 64GB of storage — plus the antiquated physical Home button.
Apple AirPods Max for $395 ($154 off): These expensive cans are a much better buy when on sale, and they boast excellent sound quality, good ANC, a luxe design and a solid battery life. They’re available in Lightning or USB-C.
Apple AirPods 4 for $119 ($10 off): This modest discount has been available for a few weeks now, but it’s still worth highlighting given that Apple only launched its new wireless earbuds last month. We gave the pair a review score of 88, praising its improved fit, comfort and overall sound quality. This model doesn’t include active noise cancellation or wireless charging, however.
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen, GPS) for $189 ($60 off): The entry-level Apple Watch remains a fine choice for first-time smartwatch buyers, so long as you can live without the larger always-on display and more advanced health features of the pricier Series 10. It’s not as low as the 40mm model dropped on Prime Day, but it’s still less than you’d pay at the Apple Store.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.
Beats Studio Pro headphones for $170 ($180 off): Beats didn’t totally reinvent the wheel here, but these are much improved over their predecessor with better sound quality, good Transparency Mode and improved voice performance on calls. Or, if you’d like to check out what else Beats has to offer, nearly all Beats products are still at or below their Prime Day pricing.
Best Prime Day Lego deals
A number of Lego sets are still on sale post October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you’ll find savings up to 41 percent on those.
Best Prime Day deals on tech
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but it would be unwise to sleep on these Prime Day tech deals that you can still get today. We’re seeing steep discounts on headphones, TVs, streaming devices, gaming gear and more, making it a good time to pick up something for yourself or cross a few items off your holiday shopping list early.
Sonos Era 100 for $199 ($50 off): This is one of our favorite smart speakers thanks to its excellent sound quality, Trueplay tuning and Bluetooth support. Plus, if you have two of them, you can pair them for a stellar stereo sound experience.
Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 ($21 off): The brand new Ultra is 30 percent faster than the previous model, and it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6.
LG 55-inch C4 evo OLED smart TV for $1,297 ($700 off): LG’s midrange OLED sets, the C4 family includes upgraded Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip, improved brightness and a 144Hz max refresh rate. Most sizes are discounted at the moment.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $300 ($119 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD (1TB) for $85 ($10 off): The X9 Pro is the top pick in our guide to the best portable SSDs, combining dependable performance with a rugged compact design. We’ve seen this 1TB model go for much less in previously sales, but it’s sat in the $90 to $100 range for almost all of the past year. This discount marks the lowest price we’ve seen since January.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
October Prime Day has come and gone but, as to be expected, there are still a few deals floating around on the internet. This year’s fall Prime Day brought a slew of deals across all categories, including tech, and some of those deals haven’t expired just yet. There’s a chance we see some of these sale prices return in a month when Black Friday comes around, but if you’re keen on getting some of your holiday shopping done now, you still have a bit more time. Here are the best Prime Day deals you can still get today.
Best Prime Day Apple deals
Billy Steele / Engadget
Apple deals can be hit or miss during Amazon Prime Day, but we saw a number of good ones this time and many of them are still available. Whether you’ve been on the hunt for a new Apple device for yourself or you know you want to pick one up as a gift, you can save a bit of cash if you do so now.
Apple AirPods Pro for $169 ($80 off): Apple’s most powerful wireless earbuds have excellent ANC, a good sound profile and decent battery life, and thanks to a software update, they just got new features like voice isolation and Siri interactions (hearing aid features are coming soon).
Apple AirPods Max for $395 ($154 off): These expensive cans are a much better buy when on sale, and they boast excellent sound quality, good ANC, a luxe design and a solid battery life. They’re available in Lightning or USB-C.
Apple Watch SE (2nd gen, GPS) for $170 ($79 off): The entry-level Apple Watch remains a fine choice for first-time smartwatch buyers, so long as you can live without the larger always-on display and more advanced health features of the pricier Series 10. This is another one of the lowest prices we’ve tracked for the 40mm model; the larger 44mm variant is similarly discounted at $200.
Apple 10th-gen iPad for $299 ($50 off): The new, baseline iPad updates a familiar device with a fresh design, improved performance, USB-C charging and a better battery life.
Apple 9th-gen iPad for $199 ($130 off): This model is on its way out, but $200 for an iPad is a solid sale price. This slab has a 10.2-inch display, an A13 Bionic chip and 64GB of storage — plus the antiquated physical Home button.
Apple 13-inch MacBook Air M2 for $749 ($250 off): Despite having a slightly older chipset, the M2 MacBook Air remains a great budget option for most anyone, save those who regularly push their daily driver to the limit with activities like video editing.
One can never have too many charging accessories, be they cables, wireless charging pads or power banks. Anker makes some of our favorites across all those categories, and you’ll find deep discounts on Anker gear even now after Prime Day has ended.
Best Prime Day Lego deals
A number of Lego sets are still on sale post October Prime Day. Some of our favorites come from the Star Wars, Super Mario and Harry Potter lineups, and you’ll find savings up to 41 percent on those.
Best Prime Day deals on tech
Will Lipman Photography for Engadget
Yes, Black Friday is right around the corner, but it would be unwise to sleep on these Prime Day tech deals that you can still get today. We’re seeing steep discounts on headphones, TVs, streaming devices, gaming gear and more, making it a good time to pick up something for yourself or cross a few items off your holiday shopping list early.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $570 ($180 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
Dyson Airwrap for $500 ($100 off): Dyson’s immensely popular hair styling tool uses the Coanda effect to help create waves and curls without excess heat.
LG 55-inch C4 evo OLED smart TV for $1,297 ($700 off): LG’s midrange OLED sets, the C4 family includes upgraded Alpha 9 Gen 7 chip, improved brightness and a 144Hz max refresh rate. Most sizes are discounted at the moment.
Shark AI Ultra robot vacuum cleaner for $280 ($139 off): Shark’s robo-vac can clean both carpet and hard floors well and maps your home while it cleans so you can more easily send it to specific rooms and areas when you want. Its self-emptying base can also hold up to 60 days worth of debris.
Dyson V15 Detect Plus cordless vacuum cleaner for $570 ($180 off): This version of our top pick in our best cordless vacuum cleaner guide has superior suction power and can handle pet hair without breaking a sweat, plus it has 60 minutes of run time and comes with a number of cleaner-head accessories.
SanDisk Ultra microSD card (1.5TB) for $89 ($61 off): If you don’t care about performance so much and just want a big chunk of space for as little cash as possible, this deal should work. You’ll have to deal with slower transfer speeds, but the discount takes roughly $20 off this 1.5TB card’s typical going rate in recent months.
Crucial X9 Pro portable SSD (1TB) for $85 ($10 off): The X9 Pro is the top pick in our guide to the best portable SSDs, combining dependable performance with a rugged compact design. We’ve seen this 1TB model go for much less in previously sales, but it’s sat in the $90 to $100 range for almost all of the past year. This discount marks the lowest price we’ve seen since January.
Sonos Era 100 for $199 ($50 off): This is one of our favorite smart speakers thanks to its excellent sound quality, Trueplay tuning and Bluetooth support. Plus, if you have two of them, you can pair them for a stellar stereo sound experience.
Roku Ultra (2024) for $79 ($21 off): The brand new Ultra is 30 percent faster than the previous model, and it supports Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision and Wi-Fi 6.
Elgato Stream Deck+ for $170 ($30 off): This upgraded version of the popular streaming controller includes eight programmable buttons, four dials and a touch strip, all of which work together to let you build the ultimate controller for your gaming or productivity setup.
Ninja DualZone air fryer for $168 ($32 off): This 8-quart model of one of our favorite air fryers can cook two totally different foods at the same time, and you can set it up for both foods to be done cooking at the same time. The larger, 10-quart model is $50 off and down to $200.
Cosori 9-in-1 air fryer for $85.49 ($33.51 off): This newer air fryer from Cosori has nine preset cooking modes and a six-quart capacity that makes it just the right size to cook a good amount of food without taking up too much space on most countertops.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
Anyone could use an extra charging cable or a power bank to help them when they’re having a long, busy day and their smartphone is about to die. Sale events like October Prime Day typically bring some of the best prices of the year to Anker charging gear, and this year is no different. We’re seeing some of our favorite Anker accessories on sale for record-low (or close to them) prices, including magnetic power banks, charging adapters, docking stations and more. While there’s always the chance that these deals come back around in a month for Black Friday, we recommend grabbing what you want now while the deals are available. These are the best Prime Day deals on Anker gear that we found for October Prime Day.
Prime Day deals on Anker magnetic charging gear
Particularly if you have an iPhone with MagSafe support, magnetic accessories can make charging up your phone even easier. On sale this time around are wireless, magnetic power banks and charging stations that can support multiple devices at once.
Prime Day deals on Anker charging cables and adapters
Photo by Amy Skorheim / Engadget
Prime Day, or any big sale event for that matter, is a good opportunity to pick up a few extra essentials like charging cables while you can get them at a discount. Anker’s offerings right now include deals on USB-C and Lightning cables, along with charging adapters in various sizes and max wattages.
Prime Day deals on Anker docking stations, hubs and more
Anker may be known for its charging gear, but the company makes other accessories like docking stations and webcams, too. Prime Day deals include deep discounts on hubs and stations that add a bunch of extra ports back into the mix, and one of our favorite webcams.
Anker 8-in-1 USB-C hub/foldable tablet stand for $80 ($20 off): This handy stand can make it much easier to turn your iPad or other tablet into a laptop replacement. It supports passthrough charging and has eight different connectors including a microSD card slot, a 3.5mm audio jack and two USB-A ports.
Anker 14-in-1 USB-C docking station for $54 ($21 off): If you need a lot of connectivity on the go, this 14-in-1 hub could be a good option. Not only does it include an Ethernet port, but it also has two HDMI connectors and supports 80W passthrough charging.
Anker 13-in-1 USB-C docking station for $140 ($30 off): A docking station like this one make your work-from-home setup more efficient. Here, you get pretty much every connector you’d need, including Ethernet, Display and HDMI ports, multiple USB-A ports, an audio jack and more. Plus, the docking station supports 85W charging for your laptop while it’s connected.
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
October Prime Day has brought a bunch of sales to Amazon’s own tech, including its Echo smart displays. Among these deals is an all-time-low price on one of our top picks for the best smart displays, the Echo Show 8. You can pick up this midrange, mid-sized model for $85, which is $65 off its regular price. We’d say any time you can get the Show 8 for less than $100, it’s a good deal, but this but this is the best price we’ve seen and it hasn’t been this cheap since Prime Day in July.
We consider this to be the best smart display with Alexa compatibility due to the fact that it combines a lot of handy features and is almost a goldilocks size. The Show 8 has an eight-inch 1,280 x 800 touchscreen, which is just big enough to clearly see recipes and watch videos comfortably without being too large that it would take up too much space on a countertop or side table.
Amazon
The mid-sized smart display is 43 percent off for October Prime Day.
The Show 8 has an improved 13-megapixel camera with auto-framing, which will make for better video calls with friends and family. The camera can also double as a security device, allow you to check in on your home when you’re away. And when you’re not using it, or if you just prefer extra privacy, there’s a physical shutter that will cover the camera entirely.
Of course, devices like the Show 8 are designed to showcase Alexa’s talents. You can use the voice assistant through the smart display to check weather forecasts, refer to your calendar to know when your next appointment is, bring up the show you were binge-watching on Netflix and more. This model also has a built-in Zigbee smart home hub, which means you can directly connect smart home gear like smart light bulbs and plugs without the need for an extra hub. And if those IoT devices have Alexa smarts, you can use voice commands to control them as well.
If you’re looking for something a bit more nightstand-friendly, there are other Alexa smart displays on sale right now, too. The Echo Show 5 is down to $50, while the recently revived Echo Spot has dropped to $45. The former is also one of our favorites thanks to its compact design, ambient light sensor and sunrise alarm feature. The Echo Spot just came back into the lineup a few months ago, and Amazon’s billing it as a true smart alarm clock. It has a cute, circular design with a bold, half-moon shaped screen that can show the time, weather, alarms, currently playing music and more.
Amazon Echo Show 5 (3rd Gen, 2023 release)
Follow @EngadgetDeals on Twitter for the latest tech deals and buying advice, and stay tuned to Engadget.com for all of the best tech deals coming out of October Prime Day 2024.
Nintendo’s new Switch bundles are here. As the seven-year-old console takes its victory lap ahead of the Switch 2, the standard Switch and the OLED model are now available in the new bundles announced in September. The systems are each packaged with redemption codes for a 12-month Switch Online membership and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe. The standard bundle costs $300, and the OLED variant costs $350.
Nintendo
Get a digital copy of Mario Kart 8 Deluxe and a 12-month Switch Online membership with this bundle.
The baseline bundle includes the standard Switch with a 6.2-inch LCD and red and blue Joy-Cons. Meanwhile, the OLED console has a 7-inch OLED display and white Joy-Cons. For only $50 extra, the latter gives you extra screen real estate along with the richer colors and deeper blacks of OLED. Although the standard model still looks good, comparing them side-by-side makes the $50 more expensive OLED one hard to turn down.
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe has been one of the console’s flagship titles since its arrival shortly after the console itself in 2017. Initially released for the Wii U, the Switch revamp of the racing classic adapts its controls well to the portable system. The game’s optional smart steering feature helps make it more fun for those who frequently drive off-course and spend the next 30 seconds trying to get back on as their competitors lap them. (Raises hand.) The game looks terrific on the Switch’s screen — especially the OLED — and it runs in an enhanced 1080p mode when docked.
Nintendo
Meanwhile, Switch Online enables online play on Mario Kart 8 and many other titles, along with cloud-based saves. You also get access to hundreds of old-school games from the NES, SNES, Game Boy and Game Boy Advance, N64 and Sega Genesis (Mega Drive) eras. You’ll find Nintendo’s own Mario, Zelda and Metroid classics there, along with plenty of third-party fare to keep you entertained.
The biggest caveat to this bundle is that the Switch 2 (or whatever Nintendo calls its successor) is on the horizon. Although Nintendo hasn’t announced the successor yet, the company is rumored to reveal it anytime. The sequel is expected to have a more powerful processor, more RAM and storage and support for NVIDIA’s DLSS upscaling tech. But even if Nintendo unveils the console soon, it isn’t expected to arrive until sometime in 2025, so it won’t be an option for this holiday season either way.
