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If you’ve been holding off on buying a Nintendo Switch 2, now might be the time to pull the trigger. Right now, Woot is offering a one-time sale on the new console, and first-time customers can knock an extra $15 off the price by using the promo code NEW15 at checkout through June 19, with a limit of one per customer.

The timing of this deal is even more noteworthy, given that Nintendo recently announced that the price of the Switch 2 would increase in September. If buying the console has been on your mind, even if you didn’t plan on purchasing right away, grabbing one before the price increase takes effect can save you money in the long run. While the Woot deal runs through June 19, 2026, at 11:58 p.m. CT, the deal could end sooner if inventory sells out, and as is typical with Woot promotions, availability is limited, so there’s no guarantee that stock will last until the official end date.   

Compared to its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch 2 has improved performance and graphics as well as faster load times and enhanced multiplayer features, as noted in this PCMag review. If you’re shopping for games alongside the console, Amazon currently offers several Switch 2 bundles and launch titles, including the Mario Kart World Bundle and other first-party Nintendo releases. Picking up a bundle can give you an overall better value than buying the console and game separately. You can also opt for a Choose Your Game bundle on Amazon, choosing from Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia digital game download.

For anyone planning to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 before the holidays (and the impending price hike), this Woot promotion may be the most affordable deal available before September’s price increase arrives. 

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Avatar: The Last Airbender made a huge impression during its initial animated run in 2005, placing Japanese anime style and Chinese cultural references into an American framework that made the series an instant classic—and one that lead to a best-forgotten M. Night Shyamalan movie. The current Netflix series does quite a bit better by airbender Aang, Prince Zuko, and the other characters who populate the show’s impressively realized world. If Avatar and these other shows teach us anything, it’s that only the kids can save us.

American Born Chinese (2023)

Based on the seminal, semi-autobiographical 2006 graphic novel from Gene Luen Yang, this adaptation introduces Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a nerdy and rather ordinary son of Taiwanese immigrants. He befriends confident, loud-and-proud exchange student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), who’s embarrassing and inspiring in equal measure. It’s soon revealed that Wei-Chen is no ordinary kid, but rather the son of the legendary Monkey King, and he’s on Earth looking for the ordinary teenager he believes can help him stop an uprising against Heaven. Ke Huy Quan co-stars as the former child star of a deeply stereotypical ’80s sitcom, and Michelle Yeoh appears as goddess of compassion Guanyin. It’s disappointing that this only lasted one season, but it tells a fairly complete story nonetheless. Though set in the modern world, the authentically Chinese cultural and mythological backdrop mirrors Avatar‘s Asian-inspired world. Stream American Born Chinese on Disney+.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians (2023 – )

Following a couple of just-OK movies, Rick Riordan’s beloved middle-grade+ fantasy series got a fun and faithful adaptation with Walker Scobell as the young demigod. Following some shenanigans at a museum, our hero learns that he’s been living a lie: His dad is Poseidon, and his mom has been trying to keep the family safe from godly machinations for years. With the cat now out of the bag, he’s off to Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for other demigods, where he makes new friends (and new enemies) as he reluctantly pursues his destiny. The third season, adapting the third of five original Percy books, is coming soon, so hopefully the series will manage to stick around long enough to cover the whole thing. Stream Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.

YuYu Hakusho (2023)

A live-action adaptation of an anime series that was, itself, based on a classic ’90s manga, YuYu Hakusho crammed a lot of story into its five episodes, which is really the only complaint. Otherwise it’s a solid blend of action and mysticism, starring Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi, a juvenile delinquent in junior high who dies in a demon-instigated car accident, but not before he performs the selfless act of saving another kid from bullies.He’s given the opportunity to come back as a kind of ghost detective, seeking out incursions from the demon plane, and joined by his former rival, Kazuma, who can see supernatural beings invisible to everyone else. It’s brisk and colorful, with some very cool demon-fighting action. Stream YuYu Hakusho on Netflix.

His Dark Materials (2019 – 2022)

This rather dark fantasy, adapted from the classic novel series by Philip Pullman, is set in an alternate world (much like our own) in which human souls exist outside the body in the form of animal companions called daemons. Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) is an orphaned girl living at Jordan College, Oxford who finds herself involved in a murder plot that brings her into the orbit of the powerful Magisterium, the world’s overarching and oppressive religious authority. She’s caught between her mother (Ruth Wilson), a powerful figure in the Magisterium, and her extremist heretic father (James McAvoy), neither of whom is a particularly good guide on the heroic journey that Lyra will have to undertake. From her steampunk-ish world, Lyra and her daemon Pan travel across a multiverse that includes our very own Earth. Stream His Dark Materials on HBO Max.

Shadow and Bone (2021 – 2023)

Based on the fantasy books of Leigh Bardugo from her series of the same name, the series follows Alina Starkov, an orphan and cartographer who discovers and grows into her vaguely magical Grisha abilities, which involve the ability to summon light in a dark and war-torn land. It’s a beautiful and dense fantasy world—one that might be a little hard to grasp at first, but only because the series is content to drop you into its world without a lot of exposition. It’s worth the investment, even if a fan campaign to bring the show back for a third season didn’t succeed. Stream Shadow and Bone on Netflix.

Merlin (2008 – 2012)

Colin Morgan plays the title warlock, who arrives in Camelot to find that magic has been outlawed—which doesn’t stop a dragon with the voice of John Hurt from explaining to him that he needs to protect the king’s only son (Bradley James), a boy who will grow up to unite the land. (The obnoxious kid’s name is Arthur, in case that weren’t obvious.) Along the way, Merlin has to face down beasts, sorcerers, and court intrigue centered around Arthur’s dad, Uther Pendragon (the late, great Anthony Head). Stream Merlin on Prime Video.

Lockwood & Co. (2023)

In an alternate modern Britain, ghosts are an everyday occurrence, which is not to say they aren’t a nuisance—their touch is deadly. Technological progress has largely ground to a halt, while ghost-hunting agencies abound and, since adults lose the ability to sense ghosts directly, kids and teens are on the front lines. Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton) plays Lucy Carlyle, an extremely sensitive listener who was cast aside when she was unfairly blamed for several deaths at her first job. With nowhere else to go, she joins up with Lockwood & Co., a two-orphan operation working outside the law. It’s a solidly spooky teen drama with a fair bit of action and a beating heart in and among all of the dead people. The setting here is worlds away from that of Avatar, but they both conjure fun fantasy worlds on a streaming budget—even if Lockwood didn’t make it past one season. Stream Lockwood & Co. on Netflix.

The Dragon Prince (2018 – 2024)

Many of the creatives behind the original Avatar animated series came over to this spiritual follow-up involving two human princes, an elf, and a toad who attempt to forge a peace between warring kingdoms—while protecting the the infant Storm Dragon, Azymondias. The setting here is the continent of Xadia, a place full of magic derived from the Moon, Sky, Sun, Earth, Ocean, and the Stars (rather than Avatar’s more elemental magic). A sequel series is in development. Stream The Dragon Prince on Netflix.

Alchemy of Souls (2022 – 2023)

This popular two-season South Korean import trades in juicy drama and medieval-style action, while also introducing a clever magical system involving the migration of souls. It’s set in the fictional Daeho, a country reminiscent of Korea during the Joseon era. Lee Jae-wook stars as Jang Uk, a noble of questionable parentage who had his natural mage powers taken at birth. Nak-su (Jung So-min), meanwhile, is an assassin who is killed by a rival family. Fortunately, she’s able to survive (via alchemy) by transferring her soul into the body of a weak, blind woman. When Uk and Nak-su (in her new body) meet up and he discovers her real identity, they strike a deal: She’ll publicly act as his squire while also teaching him everything she knows about fighting and magic, provided he helps her get revenge. Stream Alchemy of Souls on Netflix.

One Piece (2023 – )

One Piece, the manga, has been running nearly 30 years, with the anime series just a couple of years shy of that. Rather shocking, truly, that a saga with that much baggage landed as a rather brisk and fun live-action series—even if the stretchiness of lead Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) lands better in animation than in this show’s occasionally janky CGI. Luffy is the boyish leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, pillaging the seven seas but mostly hunting for the legendary “One Piece” of the title that will make him the pirate king. He’s not exactly Aang out to save the world, but the live action adaptations of both shows lean into the colorful and offbeat world building of their source materials. Stream One Piece on Netflix.

After a two-year delay, Siri AI is finally here—at least, for beta testers. Immediately following the WWDC keynote on Monday, Apple rolled out the first developer betas for iOS 27, iPadOS 27, and macOS 27 Golden Gate, and with them, the company’s new AI-powered Siri. If you’re brave enough to trial Apple’s unfinished updates, you have a chance to try out Siri AI for yourself—assuming you make it off of the waitlist.

Like many in-demand AI tools, Siri AI is locked behind a waitlist at the beta’s launch. After installing the beta, you can sign up for the waitlist, but there’s no guarantee how long you’ll actually have to wait to get Siri AI. Some users report gaining access rather quickly, while others have had a lengthy hold. Based on what I’ve seen, there’s really no rhyme or reason as to why some users’ wait times are shorter than others; it just seems to be the luck of the draw.

However, if you happen to be rocking the macOS 27 beta, it appears there’s no reason to wait around at all. In fact, taking matters into your own hands, you can bypass the wait entirely and try out Siri AI as soon as you’re ready.

How to bypass the Siri AI waitlist on macOS 27

According to MacRumors, all it takes to skip the line is a simple Terminal command. The Terminal app, for anyone unfamiliar, lets you communicate with macOS directly, offering you a greater level of control over the OS. Using it can seem intimidating to neophytes, but it’s easy enough to copy and paste commands for singular use cases.

That said, some disclaimers: If you’re running the macOS 27 beta, you’re probably comfortable with a certain degree of risk already, but it bears repeating that trying Siri AI before it’s done baking means dealing with unfinished software and programs. The beta alone can cause instability and data loss, and messing with the intended design of the beta could put you at greater risk. Before proceeding, I’d recommend making secure backups of any data you don’t want to lose, and understand that this isn’t how Apple intends for you to experience the beta.

That caveat out of the way, here’s how the workaround works, per MacRumors: First, install the macOS 27 beta. Once it’s installed, open Terminal on your Mac. Next, paste the following command into the window:

sudo defaults write "/Library/Preferences/FeatureFlags/Domain/GenerativeModels.plist" "EnhancedSiriWaitlist" -dict-add Enabled -bool NO

Once that’s pasted, hit Enter. Finally, restart your Mac. Once it boots back up, you will be able to access Siri AI immediately—you should see the Siri app, and have the ability to access Siri AI from Spotlight. Happy beta testing!

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Finding a pair of noise-canceling headphones that balance performance and affordability can be difficult, especially if you have a premium brand like Sony in mind. The Sony WH-CH720N headphones, however, seem to largely fit the bill. Right now, they’re at their lowest price ever ahead of Prime Day, down 51% to $87.95 (originally $179.99). These headphones were already a great buy at their MSRP, but now, they’re even better.

At 6.7 ounces, the WH-CH720N are Sony’s lightest and slimmest wireless noise-canceling headphones. The ANC is reliable at reducing high-frequency noise, but doesn’t perform as well blocking low-frequency sound, though that’s to be expected at this price point. “Adjustable Ambient Sound” and “Adaptive Sound” modes let you further customize your listening experience. Battery life lasts up to 35 hours with ANC on, and 50 hours with ANC off, and a three-minute quick charge via a USB-C cable gives you around an hour of playback.

For hands-free calls, Sony says “beamforming” microphones and AI noise reduction pick up voices and block outside noise, but they won’t perform as well as Sony’s pricier models in very noisy or windy environments. They also support Multipoint Bluetooth for connecting to two devices at once. It’s worth noting that these headphones don’t fold or come with a case, and some might find the bass a little heavy out of the box. Fortunately, the latter can be adjusted via Sony’s EQ settings, which let you adjust the overall sound profile to your liking.

While there are plenty of headphones on the market that might come with additional features or offer improved sound, reviews indicate that these Sony headphones are excellent, given the price. If you want long-lasting noise-canceling headphones for everyday use, these Sony WH-CH720N headphones deliver solid performance. And now that these headphones are at an all-time low price, now is a fantastic time to buy.

Back in May, the CNET Group websites (Lifehacker, Mashable, CNET, ZDNET, and PCMag) all launched the first round of the “Big Guessing Game,” a friendly competition testing our audiences’ abilitity to guess what new products and services Apple would announce this year. Round 1 was all about WWDC 2026, which kicked off on Monday. Now that we have the facts about Apple’s biggest software reveals, we can take a look at the results from the first round of questions to see how Lifehacker readers fared.

Question 1: What will Apple call its Siri chatbot?

The biggest rumors for WWDC this year were all about Siri, so it likely came as no surprise to anyone following the latest leaks when Apple reintroduced its AI-powered assistant this year, or revealed it would launch a standalone chatbot app, à la ChatGPT. But one thing was certainly up in the air: What would Apple actually call its new Siri?

Nearly half of our readers (44.19%) thought that Apple would simply stick with Siri. Another significant fraction (41.86%) answered with various names of their own. 9.3% thought that Apple would go with “Siri Chat,” but a much smaller percentage (4.65%) got the name right: “Siri AI.”

Question 2: Which iPhones will lose support for iOS 27?

Our readers had a range of answers for this one, which is understandable, considering it was pretty open-ended. Some said Apple would drop the iPhone 11 series (plus the second-gen SE), while others thought the iPhone 12 and earlier would get the axe. But the correct answer for this question was surprisingly straightforward: none. Apple didn’t drop support for any iPhones this year: If it can run iOS 26, it can run iOS 27.

That said, not all iPhones will get Apple’s latest features. If you want to try any Apple Intelligence features, including Siri AI, you’ll need an iPhone 15 Pro or newer—though that’s been the case since Apple rolled out its AI features with iOS 18. For Apple’s best-performing models, you’ll need the best iPhones—the iPhone 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, and iPhone Air. (The iPhone fared better than the Mac and Apple Watch this year, both of which lost a bunch of devices in these updates.)

Question 3: Which codename will Apple use for macOS 27?

Apple mostly unified its naming schemes for its OSes last year, choosing to forgo the different number systems it had been running with for years. Instead of iOS 19 and macOS 15, it was iOS 26 and macOS 26. This year is no different: All of the updates are “27,” though macOS is a bit special, as Apple has for decades added a “codename” to the end of its unified name. In recent years, Apple has stuck with California-themed names, and that held true in 2026 as well.

Our readers had a huge number of guesses on this one, so the percentages are more skewed than the other questions. The top answers were “Fizz” (9.3%), “Redwood” (6.98%), “Honeycrisp” (6.98%), and Skyline (4.65%), but many other names were considered. Surprisingly, only one reader guessed this year’s name correctly: Golden Gate.

Question 4: Will macOS 27 have touch-based controls?

One of the big rumors for the Mac this year is that Apple is finally working on a touchscreen laptop. As such, the company would need to ensure that macOS 27 Golden Gate is optimized for touch, hence Question 4: We wondered if this new version of macOS would get touch-based controls, and the readers overwhelmingly thought “Yes” (73.81%).

Unfortunately, this one’s a bit tricky. Apple didn’t announce any touch-based controls at WWDC, so you might think the “No’s” have this one. But it’s possible the company is simply keeping a lid on the news until it announces its touchscreen MacBook (perhaps in the fall, closer to or even after the full launch of macOS 27). If so, the “Yeses” could still have this one. We’re going to keep Question 4 as “TBD” until future rounds, so we can see how things shake out.

Question 5: Will Apple drop support for Intel Macs with macOS 27?

As I alluded to earlier, Macs did not get the iOS 27 treatment as, far from keeping support for all the devices that ran macOS 26, Apple has now officially dropped support for all of its Intel Macs. Only Apple silicon machines will receive the new feature updates. This one might have been a bit obvious to our readers, as a whopping 93.02% answered correctly. (If you have an Intel Mac and are interested in trying Siri AI on your laptop or desktop, consider one of these Macs for your upgrade.)

Round 2 is coming soon

That’s a wrap on Round 1! Thank you to all readers who participated. Remember: Each correct answer counts as one entry in our grand-prize drawing for a new Apple Watch. Round 2 starts July 7, and is focused on Apple’s devices, so check back in next month to test your luck again!

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Amazon’s Summer Prime Day sale is nearly upon us once again—a month earlier than last year. Along the way, we’ll keep you updated on all the best deals we can find throughout the sale. But before you purchase anything, it’s a good idea to set your own price alerts, so you don’t overspend.

If you’re an impulse buyer, I needn’t tell you that shopping events like Prime Day can be bad news. Even though we know retailers are using all kinds of manipulation techniques to get us to buy things we don’t really need, it’s still easy to give in and buy too much. So this year, try setting your own prices in advance, and only hitting “checkout” for the things you already want to buy.

How to “set your own prices” on Amazon

No, you can’t make Amazon lower its prices at your whim. But you can set up an alert system to let you know if anything you want to buy dips in price enough to fit into your budget. Below is a step-by-step guide to setting your own personal maximum price for any item sold by Amazon:

• Identify the items you’d like to purchase, and throw them onto your Amazon wishlist. Make sure your wishlist is set to “public.”

• Visit the Amazon price-tracking website CamelCamelCamel and make a free account. There are other price-tracking apps and websites that do the same thing, more or less—Slick Deals, Honey, Keepa, etc.—so check out this overview of the best price-tracking tools if you want to compare them. Spoiler alert, though: For Amazon specifically, CamelCamelCamel is my top choice.

• Click “import wishlist.” (You’ll have to copy and paste the URL from your Amazon wishlist.)

• Once you’ve done that, CamelCamelCamel lets you add specific maximum prices (or percentage drops) for everything in your wishlist. Enter the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for each item, and then you can tell the price tracker to send you an email when an item’s price drops to your set spending limit.

• Ignore all the hype and “Lightning Deals” and limited-time offer hype and wait for the email alert letting you know that your chosen items have become cheap enough for you to buy.

• Spend Prime Day feeling smug, asecure in the knowledge that you actually are the smartest person alive. Seriously, don’t even look at Amazon’s website. Well, maybe just for a second, if only to prove to yourself that you have the willpower to avoid buying another chocolate fountain or a self-stirring mug with “SELF STIRRING MUG” written on the side.

How to set price alerts at non-Amazon retailers

CamelaCamelCamel is an Amazon-only tracker, but other price-tracking services can be used with other retailers. Honey, for instance, is PayPal’s retail service, and it lists 30,000 supported retailers. If you install the Honey browser extension, you can add an item you want to buy from a retailer to your droplist and it will notify you when the price drops to the level you set. You can also compare the price of the same item across multiple websites, which is helpful if you want to double-check that a Prime Day deal is really a deal. Here’s how to set your own price on Honey:

• Create an account with Honey.

• Install the Honey browser extension.

• Find the item you want to buy on Honey’s website.

• Click the “Add to Droplist” button that appears on the product page.

• Set the discount percentage you want to see.

• Click “Add to Droplist” to confirm your preferences.

Honey will then monitor the item and send you an email or push notification once the price drops to the amount you specified at any retailer.

More ideas for imposing limits on your spending

If you want to take tech-based shopping guardrails beyond the basic “time to buy” alert system described above, here are some ideas.

• Block ads: If you’re the type of person who responds to online ads, you can block a ton of them with a simple tool or app. Here’s our overview of the best ad-blocking software.

• Track your expenses: Whether you do it with pencil and paper or with an app, seeing how much you’re spending can be a powerful motivation to be more thrifty. Budgeting over time can even give you a bit of a surplus, so you can splurge when Prime Day rolls around if you want to.

• Save up for something: Saving up for something in the future—a vacation, an electric bike, whatever—can make it easier to resist spending now.

• Hit your internal pause button: If you can make a habit of waiting a day or two between thinking “I want those sunglasses” and entering your credit card numbers, you may decide your old sunglasses are just fine.

• Set up a one-in-one-out system: For everything you buy or acquire, get rid of a similar item (or more!) to make room for it. Knowing something has to go if you hit “buy now” can stop you from making an impulse buy, and following this rule keeps your home less cluttered. Bonus points if you resell an item before getting a similar one.

• Consider professional help: It’s normal and common to sometimes have a little difficulty controlling spending, but researchers say about 6% of Americans suffer from compulsive buying disorder, which may be part of a larger psychological problem. So if your spending is driving you deep into debt, you’re suffering real-world consequences based on your buying habits, or you simply feel like shopping might be a problem for you, talk to a professional.

Amazon Prime Day 2026 will take place from Tuesday, June 23, through Friday, June 26—a month earlier than usual. As you’re adding item after item to your cart during the sale, you might be tempted by Amazon’s “affordable monthly payment system.” Also known as “buy now, pay later” (BNPL), its pitch is alluring: Buy what you need now, and pay later, “on your own timeline.” But as convenient as it sounds, you should think twice before using buy now, pay later options, whether during Prime Day or at any other time.

While BNPL plans can allow you to pay for purchases in installments without interest, they come with a cost that can easily outweigh any big discounts. Let’s take a look at the hidden costs of BNPL, and why you’re better off paying upfront for all your Prime Day purchases.

How do Amazon’s buy now, pay later options work?

Amazon doesn’t actually have its own buy now, pay later program. Instead, they’ve partnered up with major BNPL provider Affirm. When you’re checking out on Amazon, you can select Affirm as a payment. The process is straightforward: you choose your items, select Affirm at checkout, complete a quick application, and receive an instant decision on your loan terms. Individual transactions initiated through Affirm are limited to $25,000, with a daily maximum of $100,000 across multiple purchases—but of course, your Prime Day splurge will be nowhere near that big, right? (Right?!)

Rather than offer a line of credit, the main draw of these programs is the ability to “pay at your own pace.” If you are required to pay a down payment, that is due at the time of the transaction. From there, your first monthly payment is usually due one month after your purchase is processed. Each following payment will be due one month later, on the same day of the month.

You can choose your own timeline, usually spanning 3, 6, 12, or 24 months, depending on the purchase amount and your creditworthiness. Unlike traditional credit cards, Affirm shows you the exact payment amount and total cost upfront, and claims no hidden fees or compound interest. (More on that below.)

You need a separate Affirm account in addition to your Amazon Prime membership. The application process requires basic information, including your name, mobile phone number, date of birth, and the last four digits of your Social Security number. Affirm performs a soft credit check initially, which doesn’t impact your credit score, though they may conduct a hard inquiry for some loans.

BNPL plans are helpful if you really need to finance something big, but whenever possible, it’s best to avoid taking on debt for everyday expenses. Let’s take a look at four major risks to consider before you hit that BNPL button:

It makes impulse spending easier

The ease of this sort of financing can make expensive purchases feel more affordable than they actually are. When you can buy a $1,000 tablet for “just $67 per month,” it’s easy to lose sight of the total cost, as well as your overall financial picture. In turn, this makes it all too easy to overspend on items you might not have purchased otherwise. You’re better off taking a breath, stepping away from your shopping cart, and setting alerts to be notified when a product hits a price you can stomach, at a time you can afford it.

You may be hit with unexpected interest charges

The biggest danger with BNPL is missing one of the recurring payments. Sure, the plans are marketed as interest-free financing. However, in many cases, that 0% interest offer only applies if you pay off the full balance by a specific due date. So buyer beware—it’s easy to inadvertently get hit with large interest charges if you’re not vigilant about paying off the balance before the promotional period ends. Soon, that discounted Black Friday deal won’t look so affordable.

It can impact your credit score

Despite what you may have heard in the past, BNPL purchases can now affect your credit score. For Amazon specifically, all Affirm payments (including on-time, late, and missed payments) are now reported to the credit bureau Experian. So if you miss payments or default on the installment plan, it will cause damage to your credit score—making it even harder to get approved for mortgages, auto loans, credit cards, and other financing down the road.

You’ll have limited purchase protections

When you use a credit card, you get valuable purchase protections like extended warranty coverage, price protection, and the ability to dispute fraudulent charges. BNPL plans generally don’t come with these safeguards. This means you’re on the hook if something goes wrong with your Prime Day purchase and the retailer doesn’t make things right. The smarter move is to only buy what you can afford during a sale, no matter how tempting those deals may seem.

Although installment plans are helpful if you really need to finance something major, it’s best to avoid taking on debt for everyday expenses. Better to wait for a good price for something you truly need and can afford to pay for right now.

The bottom line

If there’s a big-ticket item on sale for Amazon Prime Day but it’s still out of your budget, consider these two questions before you turn to BNPL through Affirm:

• Is this really an essential purchase? BNPL should really only be used on completely necessary purchases that you can’t afford right now, but can afford in six weeks. On that note…

• Will I be able to pay this off within six weeks? When a bigger payment gets broken down into smaller installments, you might find yourself overspending in the long run, because it “feels” like you can afford it. Stay on top of how much you’re actually spending—especially if you’re considering multiple BNPL purchases—and how it will impact your overall budget going forward.

For more information about deals and discounts, keep an eye on all of Lifehacker’s Amazon Prime Day coverage.

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The latest AirPods Pro are a big step up. The third iteration of Apple’s iconic earbuds comes with a number of quality-of-life and software improvements that make them worth the typical premium over the AirPods Pro 2—and right now, the AirPods Pro 3 are even cheaper than the previous generation. They’re $179 on Amazon as an early Prime Day deal, down from $249 and matching their lowest price ever, according to price tracking tools.

The AirPods Pro 3 improve on already great earbuds with new features like a heart rate sensor, better automatic noise canceling (ANC), longer battery life for the buds (though the case’s battery life is a bit worse), and an improved “Find My” experience. You’ll get Personalized Spatial Audio (so you can hear sounds seemingly coming from different directions as you move your head) and the ability to use head gestures to tell Siri “yes” or “no” (this also works for answering or denying calls). Apple added a live translation feature to both the second- and third-generation AirPods Pro when iOS 26 rolled out earlier this year, and with iOS 27 later this fall, it will add custom equalizer controls. The AirPods Pro have their own adaptive EQ, but you haven’t been able to set the EQ yourself.

Since these earbuds have rubber tips, they sealed your ear canal (as supposed to regular earbuds like the AirPods 4); consequently, the ANC is much better—but the ANC technology itself has also improved, as has the overall audio quality, thanks to the new H3 chip In its “exemplary” review, PCMag called them the best earbuds for your money—and now, you can spend 28% less of it.

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Best Buy has joined the battle against Amazon’s Prime Day sale with Best Buy’s Tech Fest Sale. Below, I’ve rounded up all the key details you need to know so you can prepare for the big tech sale.

How long is Best Buy’s Tech Fest sale?

Best Buy’s Tech Fest sale is a week-long sale that runs from June 22 to June 28, which, unsurprisingly, is the same week when Prime Day will take place, June 23 to June 26.

Do you need to be a member to shop for Best Buy’s Tech Fest Sale?

While you don’t need a Best Buy membership to shop Tech Fest deals, members can get better savings. It is free to sign up for a My Best Buy membership, which will give you free shipping, but if you join one of its paid subscriptions (My Best Buy Plus for $49.99 per year or My Best Buy Total for $179.99 per year), you’ll get faster free shipping, exclusive prices and deals, an extended 60-day return window on most products, and access to select sales. Paid members will also earn extra rewards. Regardless of which membership you choose, you’ll have access to “exclusive offers” on select products and can earn an extra $25 in rewards with any purchase of $600 or more during Tech Fest. 

What deals can I expect during Best Buy’s Tech Fest sale?

Best Buy says you can expect up to 50% off on laptops, TVs, gaming, headphones, small appliances, and more. There will be a Deal of the Day throughout the sale—they have this during non-sale times, too, but the deals will be a bit better than usual that week.

What other retailers are competing with Tech Fest?

The main sale is Amazon’s Prime Day, which will run from June 23 to June 26. Target’s Circle Deal Days will also run from June 23 to June 26. Walmart Summer Deals sale will start at 12 a.m. EST on June 23 and run through June 28, with early access for Walmart+ members.