Sometimes, it pays to practically live on Amazon, constantly scouring the sites for pop-up deals. After all, folks who were meandering their way around the online retail giant on Friday, August 18 received a delightful little surprise – a “free” Amazon Echo Dot. Alas, my friends, the deal for this $50 smart speaker has since expired (and really, it doesn’t look like it was ever a real deal anyway — just a fluke). But the next time someone tells you to stop wasting time shopping online, simply point to this and say, “It might result in free stuff.”
Apparently, customers who bought an Echo Dot yesterday on Amazon found that they could input an “Audible” discount for a 100-percent coupon code. The discount worked for both black and white models. Sadly, once the alleged deal became slightly more widely publicized, Amazon wised up to the likely mistake, and when additional customers attempted to enter the same discount code, they were met with a message notifying them that the Dot was no longer in stock.
Even more sadly still, it would now appear that Amazon has canceled the orders for the Dot, which seems to fly in the face of the notion, “The customer is always right.” Come on, Amazon — could you really not afford to give away a few Dots? Regardless, the company said that a “technical error” was to blame for the Audible 100 percent discount. But to slightly lessen the blow, Amazon is offering would-be new owners of the smart speaker a $5 promotional credit, which means you can get the Echo Dot for $45 instead of $50. Really, that doesn’t seem to be adequate recompense.
The Buy Now , is the smaller version of Amazon’s full-sized Echo speaker. The entire lineup now also includes the Amazon Echo Show, the touchscreen version of the smart speaker, and all three products utilized Amazon’s perennially popular Alexa smart assistant. All these speakers are capable of helping users with a range of tasks, from informing them of the weather and traffic to helping them control aspects of their smart homes.
Indeed, Alexa has been growing in popularity as of late, as a recent survey revealed that an increasing number of Americans are turning to Amazon’s artificially intelligent assistant, even as fewer make use of Apple’s Siri. So even if you can’t score an Amazon Echo Dot for free, it may be worth checking one out for the full $50 price (or just wait for one of Amazon’s many sales).
Update: Amazon has canceled the “free” orders of the Amazon Dot.
Few things ruin a quiet evening faster than a robot vacuum roaring through the living room. Most of us end up pausing the cleaning run, which defeats the whole purpose of owning one. Matic thinks it has the answer with its new Serene robot vacuum, and the big selling point is how little noise it makes.
The Matic Serene runs at 52 decibels even when cleaning at full power. To put that in perspective, Matic compares it to the hum of your refrigerator. It is available now for $1,695, which is $200 more than the original Matic’s current price.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.