Articles by Adam Oram

Ring’s video doorbells have been super popular entry points for those wanting to sure up their home security, especially when they go on sale. Today only, you can add a Ring Video Doorbell 2 to your door from just $69.99. Woot is offering the smart home device in used condition at that price and that’s about half the cost of a refurb model. Each unit has been tested to ensure they are in full working order, though the used devices may exhibit some cosmetic blemishes. There’s also a 90-day Woot warranty included with your purchase in case of any issues.

With the Ring Video Doorbell 2, you can see, hear, and speak to visitors at your door by using an app on your phone, tablet, or computer. It’s equipped with a camera that records in 1080p HD with infrared night vision so you can see what’s going on outside your home no matter what time of day it is, and it’s all accessible from anywhere in the world. All you’d have to do is open the app on your preferred device. The doorbell has a rec…

If you’re spending a bunch more time at home and want a great smart security system to sure up your home’s safety, this one-day deal on the 4-camera Arlo Pro smart home camera system at Best Buy.

It’s down to $399.99 there which is a discount of around $100 off its regular price and a match for the low it set during Black Friday. Not only do you save on the camera kit, but you also get two Arlo smart security lights thrown in at no extra cost. Those will be added to your cart automatically. All told, you’re saving over $250 versus the regular street price for these items.

What you get with this package are four wireless cameras and the base station that unites all of them. The cameras are completely wire-free and don’t require you to plug them in, although you will need to plug them in for certain features. They record in 1080p HD resolutions and can be mounted just about anywhere.

Some of those features that require the camera to be plugged in include Activity Zones, where you ca…

Arlo is well-known for its array of smart home security cameras and late last year it entered the smart doorbell game with its first video doorbell. It retails at $150 though, today only, you can score one for just $109.99 at Woot. That’s a $40 savings and the lowest price we’ve seen for it to date. You can snag the same price at Newegg with code NEARLDB66.

Arlo’s Video Doorbell looks quite similar to some others on the market with a slender profile, camera at the top and button towards the bottom. Its camera is capable of capturing HD video up to 1536 x 1536, and the 1:1 aspect ratio is made possible thanks to the 180-degree field-of-view. This creates for a much narrower image compared to other video doorbells, making it a better fit to see people at your door.

You’ll find the usual array of smart video doorbell features being offered, including things like Alexa support, motion detection, night vision, two-way audio, a built-in siren, and HDR colors for video capture. When someo…

Facebook is running a limited-time promotion on its Portal smart screen devices right now that is taking $50 off the device of your choice through Mother’s Day. With people spending more time at home than ever, now is the perfect time to get your family set up with Portal devices and these savings make it even more affordable. Mother’s Day is May 10, so be sure to get your orders in before then to save.

The most affordable option in the sale is the Portal Mini at $79, down from its regular price of $129. The 8-inch device lets you easily video call other Portal users, as well as Messenger and WhatsApp users, with built-in apps. The Smart Camera tracks you and adjusts to follow you around the room, meaning you could, for instance, hang out with your pals while cooking dinner, or chat with your mom while she opens up their Mother’s Day presents. It’s got Alexa Built-in so you can control your smart home, check who’s at the front door, listen to your favorite music, and more hands-free…

Best Buy is discounting the Rachio 3e 8-zone smart sprinkler controller today only. It has fallen to $99.99 which is $50 off its regular price. This is part of Best Buy’s deals of the day, which is why the price is very temporary. Grab it while you can.

If you need more zones for a more complicated lawn, the third-generation 16-zone Rachio Smart Sprinkler Controller is down to $189.99 at Best Buy for today only as well. That’s almost $60 off its average price, $90 off its retail price, and the lowest we’ve ever seen it go in new condition.

Most of the previous deals we’ve seen on Rachio kits have been for refurbished or open-box units, so this is a rare opportunity to score yourself a brand new version at a steep discount ahead of the summer. The one-day deal is also being matched at Amazon.

This is Rachio’s newest smart controller. It works with smart home platforms like Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. It has dual-band Wi-Fi and a long-distance Flex radio. The installation is …

Smart home assistants don’t just come in the form of a speaker. Plenty of options are available with a screen, which adds even more functionality. One example is the Lenovo Smart Display 7 on sale for $99 shipped at B&H. That’s $30 off the regular price for this Blizzard White model and a match for the lowest we’ve seen it go. You’ll also get a Lenovo smart plug worth $30 thrown in at no extra cost. You can get the smart speaker alone at Lenovo for $100, though there’s no freebie there.

Lenovo has been selling its 8- and 10-inch Smart Displays for a while now, and last year came out with a smaller bedside version with the Lenovo Smart Clock. Now, the company als ohas a Smart Display 7 that, you guessed it, has a 7-inch display and all of the Google Assistant features you’d expect which is especially handy if you’re already in the Google Home ecosystem. In many ways, it’s better than a smart speaker if you’re looking for the most functionality possible.

The Smart Display 7 has a…

If you think about it for a second, you’ll probably realize that you spend a ton of your time online these days. In our increasingly internet-connected world, you should have security and privacy at the front of your mind and a VPN is a great way to ensure you’re staying safe. There are many VPNs to choose from, but most are expensive or require a long-term commitment in order to make any savings. However, PureVPN is currently offering you the opportunity to try out its VPN service for a whole week for just $0.99. Considering it usually costs as much as $11 for a month of access, this is a great deal worth jumping on if you’re wanting to try out a VPN without committing a bunch of cash upfront.

Risk-free

PureVPN

Security and privacy are important, but that doesn’t mean you can’t make a saving! This deal lets you try out PureVPN in its fullest form for a week and then save 47% on an annual plan thereafter. It includes a money-back guarantee, too.

$0.99 at PureVPN

PureVPN is a hig…

Surfshark is one of the best VPN providers out there, and it’s also one of the most affordable which is kind of wild. With a solid feature set, great customer service, and reliable performance, you’d normally expect the price to be pretty high but you can actually grab a Surfshark VPN subscription for under $2 per month.

The service offers over 1,000 servers across 60+ different countries and your subscription can be used on an unlimited number of devices at once. That’s something that most VPN providers don’t allow you to do, so there’s a lot to like with Surfshark.

Today’s best Surfshark VPN deals, pricing, and discounts

Plan Length
Discount
Monthly Cost
Total Price

1 Month
0%
$11.95
$11.95 at Surshark

1 Year
50%
$5.99
$71.88 at Surfshark

2 Years
83%
$1.99
$47.76 at Surfshark

3 Years
84%
$1.94
$69.99 at Surfshark

When looking at VPNs, security should always be your first concern and Surshark has you covered with AES-256-GCM …

With social distancing guidelines in place for the near-term, it’s time to start thinking of how you’ll spend the next several weeks while staying inside and staying safe. One smart way to prepare yourself for the end of this madness is to learn a new language. Maybe you have travel plans later this year or you want to set something up for when travel bans are lifted. Now’s the best time to start getting familiar with the local language wherever you’re heading, and thanks to a one-day sale at Amazon, it’s even easier with Rosetta Stone’s Unlimited Languages subscription.

While the actual Rosetta Stone pack you’re ordering with this deal is for the Spanish program, it also give you access to all of Rosetta Stone’s 20+ other languages at no extra cost including any future updates. You can even switch back and forth between languages and focus on the ones you actually want to learn. The package usually costs $180 for one year and often goes for nearer $300 for the lifetime subscription…

Best Buy is running a promotion on Facebook Portal devices right now that is taking $50 off the device of you choice. With more people taking part in video calls thanks to social distancing, now is the perfect time to get your family set up with Portal devices and the savings make it even more affordable.

The most affordable option in the sale is the Portal Mini at $79.99, a price that is also being matched at Amazon. The 8-inch device lets you easily video call other Portal users, or even just Messenger or WhatsApp users, with built-in apps. The Smart Camera tracks you and adjusts to follow you around, meaning you could, for instance, chat with your sister while cooking dinner, or hang out with long-distance relatives while they open up their birthday presents. It’s got Alexa Built-in so you can control your smart home, check who’s at the front door, listen to your favorite music, and more hands-free. When not in use, it can also be used as a digital photo frame showing you your be…