American subscribers to Google’s One cloud storage subscription service are getting a bonus this month. Select One subscribers are eligible to get a free Google Home Mini from the company in the next couple of weeks. Google will even cover the shipping to get its nimble smart speaker into your home.
But it’s not just anybody off the street who gets a free Google Home Mini. For some reason, the tech giant is only targeting subscribers to its One service with plans over 2TB, rewarding those cloud storage users who are paying $10 or more per month. The economics of the deal seem pretty good for Google, which is basically rewarding people who pay $120 annually for cloud storage with a smart speaker that currently retails for around $40 at the Google Store, and seems to be perpetually discounted at other retailers.
Aside from being a subscriber in a specific tier, there are a couple of other barriers to entry. First, the deal for a free Google Home Mini is only available to One subscribers in the United States so places like Asia or the European Union aren’t eligible.
Secondly, the deal for a free Google Home Mini is only available to One subscribers who bought a 2TB storage plan before March 4. So anyone who just thought to subscribe now is out of luck.
According to people who have parsed the legalese in the terms section, the offer looks to be valid until April 21 for U.S. users who activated their selected plan before March 4. Paid One members should already be getting emails from Google informing them of this month’s bonus prize for being good members of the club. However, if you happened not to get an email with a link to the freebie sign-up sheet, you can still head over to the Google One website and look for a card that says, “Claim Your Google Home Mini — on us.”
It’s not the first time a company has used a free smart speaker as a marketing device — services like eBay and Spotify have regularly used the Google Home Mini as a carrot to lure in new subscribers — but for Google, it looks to be a way to expand the reach of its smart speaker business and get into good graces with customers.
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.