Prime Day brings up to 30% on these popular STEM kids toys

Amazon has a bunch of STEM toys on sale for up to 30% off right now. From the Sphero Mini to wooden block sets there are a bunch of deals in here you’ll want to check out for your kids.

The sale has a number of items in it that would make great gifts, so you could get a jumpstart on your holiday shopping today and be one step ahead come this fall. Some of the discounts include:

• Thames & Kosmos TKx400i Dual-LED Microscope – $34.99 (Was $100)
• Kinetic Sand Folding Sand Box – $20.99 (Was $30)
• The Learning Journey Techno Gears – $13.99 (Was $20)
• ALEX Toys Future Coders Robot Races Coding Skills Kit – $13.27 (Was $20)

Be sure to check out the whole sale and see what else your kids may enjoy!

Best Prime Day Baby Deals: Wipes, Monitors, Formula, Swings & More

Babies grow quickly, and they need lots of clothes, toys, and things to stimulate their minds. All of that can add up super quickly, but if you’re an Amazon Prime member, you can easily reap the rewards of Prime Day and save big on tons of baby gear so that your little one can keep healthy and happy, and you don’t have to tear your hair out when you see your empty wallet.

Follow along with us all day as we bring your the best deals on everything baby-related as they go live.

See all the best Prime Day dealsPrime Day Live Chat

All Baby-related Deals

Prime Day has brought a ton of price drops to baby-related gear, and the Thrifter team has gone through each one to make sure that each one listed below is actually a good deal.

Graco Pack n Play Playard

$33.24


$49.48


Save $16

From a place to play to somewhere to sleep, playards are essential to just about every new parent.

Graco Baby Swing

$51.02


$99.99


Save $49

This thing is a life saver, take it from the parent of a 5-month old who would only nap in this.

Graco Baby Products Prime Day Deal

From strollers to car seats to feeding essentials, these deals are great if you have a little one (or a little bun).

These Graco baby products are discounted by 30% or more

Little prices for little ones.

Amazon is offering a selection of Graco baby items for at least 30% off. There’s a ton of variety going on in this sale, so it’s perfect if you’re a parent, expecting, or going to a baby shower any time soon. This Prime Day deal is only valid for Amazon Prime members, so grab a free 30-day trial if you are in need.

For example, the Graco Pack ‘n Play in Carnival is down to only $33.24. This parenting essential has stellar customer reviews and usually sells for around $45.

Check out the entire sale here.

See at Amazon

Nest Hello vs. Ring Pro: Say hello to the new best connected doorbell

Nest Hello, left, and Ring Pro.

And just like that, I have a new favorite video doorbell.

Ring has made quite the name for itself the past couple years thanks to its stable of video doorbells, DIY security cameras — and I’d say some damned good marketing. So good, in fact, that Amazon reportedly scooped up the company for something like $1 billion.

But Nest Hello is here. It’s the first doorbell from the company that brought you the world’s sexiest smart thermostat, with all the back-end power that a Google-owned organization can possibly throw at it.

The result? I now have a new favorite doorbell.

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Tale of the tape

Why Nest Hello wins

Installation is a wash. Nest Hello and Ring Pro install with nearly identical processes. You’ll need a low-voltage doorbell system already in place — because how else would you get power to the thing, right? And if you’re handy and basic home improvement wiring stuff, you can get either doorbell up and running in about 20 minutes or so. (Maybe a tad longer — I’ve installed a half-dozen of these things at this point and have gotten pretty quick about it.)

In terms of pure looks, Nest wins out. Both doorbells are the only ones I haven’t looked at with a sense of disgust — seriously, there are some bad video doorbells out there — but Nest is just a sexier piece of hardware, hands down.

But it’s in the operation where things really stand out.

Most important, it’s the camera. Nest Hello has some HDR processing, and it’s readily apparent. My covered front porch tends to be backlit a lot, and Nest Hello handles that much better than Ring Pro.

Then there are the notifications. Ring is pretty aggressive with them, though it does have an excellent (new) snooze functionality. But Nest Hello wins out with facial recognition. It sees a face, you give it a name, and then you get smart notifications, telling you who’s at the door.

Ring Pro is pretty darn good. Nest Hello is better.

Ring has optional chimes, so you can hear notifications throughout a home. Nest Hello can use any of the three Google Home speakers. That means a $29 Google Home Mini can do that much more. And if someone the doorbell recognizes rings the bell, it’ll announce them by name. Which is ridiculously cool.

Then there’s the connection. I don’t know if it’s the difference between Ring Pro being an 802.11n device and Nest Hello being 802.11ac-compatible, or if it’s some other server magic from a Google-owned company, but Nest Hello hasn’t suffered from anywhere near the lag or outright disconnections that Ring Pro has.

Ring wins out in terms of subscription service, at least as far as price is concerned. Just $3 a month (or $30 a year) stores recorded events (motion, rings, and live viewing) for 60 days. Nest Aware starts $5 a month (or $50 a year) and gives you five days of recording. That’s five days of continuous recording, though. Not just events.

The bottom line

I’ve used every doorbell Ring has produced. At the time of this writing, I’ve had Nest Hello for a week. And while I still say ecosystem wins out — if you have a bunch of Ring equipment already, stay with a Ring doorbell — Nest Hello wins the head to head competition.

See at Nest

Best Amazon Prime Day Deals

Samsung SmartThings Home Monitoring Kit

$99.99


$199.99


Save $100

This kit comes with the essential SmartThings Hub, along with two Multipurpose sensors, a motion sensor and an outlet at its lowest price ever.

Harry Potter 8-film Collection 4K UHD

$79.99


$155.74


Save $76

Prepare for Fantastic Beasts 2 with over $50 off this Harry Potter set which comprises the original eight films of the series.

Asus FX503VD 15.6-inch powerful gaming laptop

$729.00


$925.00


Save $196

We’ve never seen this laptop drop this low even during last year’s Black Friday.

LifeStraw Personal Water Filter

$9.99


$16.89


Save $7

This product can filter 4,000 liters with proper use and maintenance, with the ability to remove 99.999999% of waterborne bacteria.

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• Unlocked Smartphones
• Kitchen
• Audio & Headphones
• Gaming
• Home Improvement / DIY
• Everyday Essentials
• Kids & Toys
• Entertainment
• Fashion

Check out more Amazon Prime Day deals!

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Microsoft Recommends All Customers Upgrade to Skype 8 With Skype 7 Set to Be Sunset in September

Microsoft today highlighted Skype 8 and recommended that customers upgrade to the new software as the company plans to retire Skype 7, aka Skype classic, later this year.

Skype 8 includes free HD video and screensharing calls with up to 24 people, reaction options for messages in conversations and @mentions to get someone’s attention in a group chat, a chat media gallery for viewing photos and links, customizable themes, a notification panel, and options to share photos, videos, and files over Skype that are up to 300MB in size.

In the future, Microsoft plans to add additional features that include read receipts, private conversations with end-to-end encryption, call recording, profile invites, and group links for initiating a call with multiple people. Skype 8 features are also rolling out on the iPad starting today.

Microsoft is encouraging all Skype users to update to the new 8.0 version of the software as earlier versions of Skype will stop working on September 1, 2018. Microsoft says it is discontinuing older versions of Skype in order to provide the best possible Skype experience with no quality or reliability issues.

Note: A previous version of this post listed the 8.0 update as new, due to the fact that Microsoft published a blog post announcing it as new this morning. Our readers have pointed out that Skype 8 has been available for some time, with 8.25 listed as the current version of the software.

Tags: Skype, Microsoft
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Review: Belkin’s Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand and Pad Feature 7.5W Speeds and Quality Designs, but Price is High

Belkin was one of the first companies to come out with a faster 7.5W wireless charger for the iPhone X, iPhone 8, and iPhone 8 Plus after wireless charging launched, and the company has now had time to create a second round of wireless chargers with a more refined design.

Released this spring, the $60 Belkin Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad and the $70 Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand are Belkin’s newest wireless chargers designed for the iPhone, offering up the same 7.5W charging capability in a better package.

Both of these chargers are 7.5W, which means they’re able to charge an iPhone with Qi wireless charging capabilities at a faster speed than traditional 5W chargers. I tested Belkin’s two new chargers with an iPhone drained to 1 percent, and both charged up to right around 40 percent after an hour, which is in line with other summertime 7.5W charging speeds that I’ve seen.

Belkin advertises these chargers as 10W, but 7.5W is the maximum charging speed for iPhones. So if you have a Samsung device or something else that also charges via Qi and can charge at a faster speed, Belkin’s charging pad and stand can charge those electronics at their maximum charging speed too.

Wireless charging speeds can vary quite a bit depending on factors like temperature, so you’re not always going to see a lot of difference between 5W and 7.5W chargers as explained in our wireless charging guide.

For example, the original Belkin charger I have can charge my iPhone to about 46-48 percent in an hour during the wintertime (when it’s ~65 degrees), but those speeds drop when the ambient temperature is higher in my apartment in the summer and I see a smaller difference between 5W and 7.5W.

In general, I’ve found it’s better to use a 7.5W charger to eke out every bit of speed that you can, but on the whole, there’s not going to be a huge difference between 5W charging speeds and 7.5W charging speeds, and bells and whistles like fans and power management options (Belkin claims optimized performance via “premium shielding” and “precision resistors”) don’t seem to make a noticeable difference.

With performance not drastically different between wireless chargers – and to be clear, Belkin’s are charging at 7.5W – choosing a charger comes down to factors like price point and design. Belkin’s not going to win in the former category, but when it comes to design, these are well thought out.

Belkin’s Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad

The Belkin Boost Up Bold Wireless Charging Pad is similar to the original Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad sold at Apple retail stores in that it offers the same simple, round shape, but it’s smaller, which makes it easier to use.

I’ve used an original Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad on my nightstand for months, and it’s been a frustrating experience just because it’s so large. Finding the sweet spot on the charger to get my iPhone X to charge is one of my absolute least favorite late night activities, and with a smaller area for the Bold Charging Pad, I am able to get my iPhone X situated in the dark much more quickly.

New charging pad on left, old charging pad on right
Belkin sells the Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad in pink, black, or white, and each is made from plastic and rubber. At the base, there’s a rubber bottom to keep the Charging Pad in place on a desk or a nightstand, and there’s a matching rubber ring at the top to prevent the iPhone from slipping when it’s placed on the charger.

The rest of the top of the charger is a soft, smooth material that has a subtle Belkin logo, and all in all, it’s a clean, attractive charger with no obvious branding.

The side of the Charging Pad is made from a shinier plastic that goes well with the matte top, and an unobtrusive LED at the side comes on when the iPhone is in the right spot, which lets you confirm that it’s being charged. I like the soft light that’s included on the charger – it’s not overly bright while providing me with charging status at a glance.

This same LED will light up if a foreign object like keys or coins are placed on the charger that could potentially affect wireless charging speeds.

At the back of the Charging Pad, there’s a single hole for the power source. All 7.5W chargers need ~18W+ power adapters to charge at maximum speeds, so Belkin has included its own 22.5W adapter. The adapter has a rather large power brick for a wireless charger, which may be of concern if you have limited plug space. It otherwise has a long 1.5m cord that can reach a power strip underneath a desk.

Belkin’s Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand

Belkin’s Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand, available in black or white, is the first stand-style wireless charging device that Belkin has designed for the iPhone. Rather than laying flat, the iPhone sits upright in Belkin’s Charging Stand in either portrait or landscape orientation.

Design wise, the Charging Stand looks similar to the Boost Up Bold Charging Pad, but with a plastic frame to hold it upright. The charging surface of the stand is just a bit larger than the pad’s surface, but the overall footprint is larger because of the design of the frame.

The frame extends several inches behind the charger and about an inch in front of it to provide stability. Each portion of the stand that makes contact with a desk or a nightstand is covered in a grippy rubber material to keep it in place, while the front of the stand and the charging portion are both covered in a soft, smooth silicone-style material.

An iPhone can either rest on the bottom of the stand’s frame while in Portrait orientation, or lay across the top of the frame while in landscape orientation. While the iPhone isn’t going to go anywhere on its own, it’s not as stable as a flat design just because the iPhone is in an upright position. That said, though, the design of the frame means that it’s not going to move from slight bumps.

There are two LEDs on the Charging Stand’s surface, one visible when the iPhone is in portrait orientation and one visible when it’s in landscape orientation. These use the same soft light as the Charging Pad, providing a way for you to tell if your device is charging without a glaringly bright LED drawing your eye at night.

The Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand ships with the same 22.5W adapter and power cord that comes with the Charging Pad.

Though the Charging Stand has a larger footprint than the Wireless Charging Pad and other similar flat wireless charging options, I liked that it was impossible to place my iPhone in the wrong spot. That made it perfect for nightstand use, because I can just drop my iPhone in place without needing to worry that it’s not getting power overnight.

I was also able to glance over and unlock it with Face ID in some situations without even picking up the iPhone, just because of its upright position.

It would be nice if Belkin had made the stand adjustable in some way to let people change the angle of the iPhone if desired, but by default, it’s in an ideal position for movie watching in landscape mode if you also want your Charging Stand to double as a regular stand.

Bottom Line

At $60 for the Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad and $70 for the Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand, Belkin is charging a lot more than some other companies. At this point, you can get a 7.5W charger for $20 to $40 from Amazon. Not all of those are Apple certified, of course, which is worth noting.

Belkin does have Apple approval for its wireless chargers, and both the pad and the stand come with the Belkin Connected Equipment Warranty. Belkin says if your device is damaged by an electrical charge while properly connected to the charger, it will repair or replace it up to a value of $2,500. I don’t know of anyone who has had an iPhone damaged by a wireless charger, but I guess it could happen.

Clear Apple certification is one benefit of the Wireless Charging Pad and the Wireless Charging Stand, but design is another. Most of the cheap chargers on Amazon all look and function the same. Belkin’s Wireless Charging Stand, though, offers a unique, hassle-free design that looks nice on a desk and provides the convenience of not having to fuss with positioning.

The Wireless Charging Pad isn’t quite as unique looking, but it features a solid build with grippiness in all the right places, along with a size that isn’t overwhelming to also make for easier positioning.

These chargers aren’t going to be for everyone because there are much cheaper options on the market, but for customers who want the peace of mind of Apple certification or more thoughtful design elements, the Belkin Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad and the Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand may be worth paying a premium for.

How to Buy

You can buy the Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad ($60) and the Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand ($70) from the Belkin website.

Note: Belkin provided MacRumors with a Boost Up Wireless Charging Pad and a Boost Up Wireless Charging Stand for the purpose of this review. No other compensation was received.

Tags: Belkin, wireless charging
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Apple Seeds Fourth Beta of macOS 10.14 Mojave to Developers

Apple today seeded the fourth beta of an upcoming macOS Mojave update to developers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the third beta and more than a month after introducing the software at the Worldwide Developers Conference.

macOS Mojave introduces a new method of installing software updates, so after you’ve installed the appropriate profile from the Apple Developer Center, additional betas can be downloaded clicking on the Apple in the menu bar, choosing “About This Mac” and clicking “Software Update.” Alternatively, open System Preferences and choose the “Software Update” icon.

Today’s beta is available for the 2018 MacBook Pro, so those who have purchased one of Apple’s machines can now try it with macOS Mojave.

The macOS Mojave update brings a long-awaited systemwide Dark Mode, with Mojave users able to choose between a light theme or the new dark theme, which changes the color of the dock, menu bar, apps, and other elements. Dark Mode is accompanied by Dynamic Desktops, aka wallpapers that subtly change throughout the day.

Stacks, a new desktop organization system, keeps all of your desktop files neat and organized, while Finder has been enhanced with a Gallery View, a Sidebar, a revamped Quick Look option and Quick Actions, so you can do more in the Finder window than ever before.

Screenshots can now be edited using Markup tools and a new management options that also allow for easy screen recording, while Continuity camera, a new feature, allows you to import photos and document scans directly from an iPhone or iPad to the Mac.

The Apple News, Stocks, Home, and Voice Memos apps have been ported from iOS to macOS as part of a multiyear project Apple is working on to make it easier to bring iOS apps to Macs, and Apple has introduced several new privacy protections to keep your data safer than ever.

Apple is also making it harder for websites to track you with a range of new Safari tools, and it’s also easier to make and store secure, hard-to-guess passwords for each and every website.

Apple has added an entirely revamped Mac App Store to macOS Mojave that makes it easier to discover apps with a featured section and specific categories for games, creative apps, productivity apps, apps for developers, and more.

macOS Mojave is available to developers and public beta testers to work out bugs and other issues ahead of an upcoming fall public release.

Related Roundup: macOS Mojave
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2018 13-Inch MacBook Pro Teardown Finds Larger Battery, Redesigned Power Adapter, Tweaked Top Case and More

iFixit on Friday started a teardown on the new 2018 MacBook Pro, discovering a new silicone membrane underneath the keyboard keys, which the site believes is an ingress-proofing measure to prevent the keys from seizing up when exposed to small particulates.

That was by far the most interesting bit of information about the new MacBook Pro models, but iFixit has now finished a teardown of the 13-inch MacBook Pro and has a few other tidbits to share.

Both the new 13 and 15-inch MacBook Pro models are using higher capacity batteries, with iFixit discovering a larger 58wh, 232.7 gram 6-cell battery in the 13-inch model, up from the 5 cell 196.7 gram battery in the 2017 model. Though the battery is heavier, the MacBook Pro has not changed in weight, nor has battery life changed.

It’s not entirely clear where Apple made up for the extra weight, but iFixit says Apple “shaved some mass” from the top case of the device.

The speakers in the new machine are longer and narrower, bumping right up against the logic board, and an internal connector used for diagnostics has been removed.

Apple added a new T2 chip in the 2018 MacBook Pro, which is the same chip first used in the iMac Pro. It houses the Secure Enclave and allows for on-the-fly encryption in addition to consolidating several controllers including the system management controller, image signal processor, audio controller, and SSD controller.

It also enables “Hey Siri” functionality, a feature that wasn’t even added to the iMac Pro. While the T2 chip is a new addition, the design of the heat sink system has not changed.

Apple shipped the 13-inch MacBook Pro with a new A1947 power adapter, which iFixit says offers more shielding and impact-resistant foam rubber inside, but with a plastic USB-C port rather than a metal one.

As with prior MacBook Pro models, the RAM, processor, and SSD are soldered down, and the keyboard, battery, and speakers are all one unit, which means none of these components are user replaceable and repairs are difficult. For that reason, iFixit gave the 2018 MacBook Pro a repairability score of 1 out of 10, the same score earned by the 2017 model.

For further details on all of the components in the new 13-inch MacBook Pro, make sure to check out iFixit’s full teardown. For additional info on Apple’s new 2018 MacBook Pro models, visit our MacBook Pro roundup.

Related Roundup: MacBook ProTag: iFixitBuyer’s Guide: MacBook Pro (Buy Now)
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The BlackFly by Opener is a flying car that could turn us all into pilots

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Forget self-driving cars. The race to build the first flying car is now very much on. This week, California-based startup Opener officially threw its hat in the flying car ring with the debut of BlackFly, heralded as “the world’s first ultralight all-electric fixed-wing vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.” The single-seat aircraft (or car, depending on how you slice it), does not require its driver to have a pilot’s license, nor does it require any “special skills,” the company says. However, BlackFly operators will be required to complete the FAA Private Pilot written exam, as well as company-mandated vehicle familiarization and operator training, CEO Marcus Leng says.

The BlackFly should be able to travel distances of up to 25 miles, and reach a top speed of 62 miles per hour. The vehicle will also boast a Super Charging option, which means that it will take less than half an hour to re-power its battery. It also promises a low noise signature. Owners will be able to geofence their BlackFlys, ensuring that they stay within a predetermined area. And if all else fails, there will be an automatic return-to-home button and ballistic parachute option available.

“Opener is re-energizing the art of flight with a safe and affordable flying vehicle that can free its operators from the everyday restrictions of ground transportation,” said Leng. “We will offer competitive pricing in an endeavor to democratize three-dimensional personal transportation. Safety has been our primary driving goal in the development of this new technology. Opener will be introducing this innovation in a controlled and responsible manner.”

For the last nine years, Opener has remained in stealth mode as it developed its zero-emission flying car. Eventually, the BlackFly will cost the same amount as a sports utility vehicle, though early adopters will likely have to pay more. Moving forward, Opener hopes to bring its “highly efficient” vehicles into commuting networks, which would be powered by renewable energy and require a small percent of the power currently needed to move individuals from Point A to Point B.

Opener

“The future of aviation begins today,” said Alan Eustace, Director at Opener and former senior vice president of knowledge at Google. “The dream of flight, which was so difficult and expensive to obtain, will soon be within the reach of millions. Opener is putting the fun back into flying and opening up a new world of possibilities.”

Editors’ Recommendations

• Kitty Hawk’s personal flying vehicle takes to the skies
• Yuneec Breeze review
• U.K. drone company sets flying record that could be a big boost for autonomy
• Drones are no longer crash-test dummies thanks to MIT’s new VR training platform
• Germany plans to put Airbus and Audi’s cool flying taxi concept into the sky

Cloud-based call recording is coming to Skype, but will you use it?

Before the month is out, Microsoft’s Skype video and voice chat client will have the ability to record calls without the need for any third-party applications. Stored in the cloud, the recordings will be available on any supporting devices, including those on Windows, MacOS, iOS, Android, and Linux operating systems. The question is, with so many strong, existing options for call recording, will Skype callers actually use the new feature?

Recording calls in Skype is something that a large body of users have wanted for some time and for many it’s been a puzzle why it’s a feature that has only been available to Skype Business users. To get around that lack of functionality, a number of third-party options have sprung up. We certainly have our favorite ways of recording Skype calls, but with a built-in recording function, they become less of a necessity.

When implemented, the call recording function will be triggered by a single button press and all parties within the call — whether video or voice-only — will be notified that it is being recorded. As The Verge highlights, all video and voice streams will be incorporated into the same recording, so if the person recording wants the video streams to be separate, they may need to do that themselves in later editing.

The Skype recording feature is set to be rolled out to users all over the world by the end of July and is part of several major updates Microsoft is making to the service. Read receipts for instant messages was the most recent addition and a recent Insider build showed off the new look and customization features that the VOIP client will soon have. In a plan to compete with the growth of livestreaming platforms like YouTube and Twitch, Microsoft is also adding a “Content Creator” mode, which will make it possible to integrate video from tools like Xsplit, Wirecast, and Vmix into Skype.

But even with all of these features, Skype is far from the only VOIP service in town. There are a number of great alternatives you can pick from — these are our current favorites.

Editors’ Recommendations

• How to record a Skype call
• How to record calls on your iPhone
• Skype introduces read receipts, but don’t worry, you can disable them
• Here’s how to block an unwanted number on any smartphone
• D-Link’s new smart home security cams match affordability with Alexa and Assistant