Former Apple Employee Charged With Theft of Trade Secrets Related to Autonomous Car Project

The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation this week charged former Apple employee Xiaolang Zhang with theft of trade secrets, according to documents filed with the Northern District Court of California.

Zhang was hired at Apple in December of 2015 to work on Project Titan, developing software and hardware for use in autonomous vehicles. Zhang specifically worked on Apple’s Compute Team, designing and testing circuit boards to analyze sensor data.

The intellectual property disclosure on one of the documents Zhang stole
He was provided with “broad access to secure and confidential internal databases” due to his position, which contained trade secrets and intellectual property for the autonomous driving project that he ultimately ended up stealing.

In April 2018, Zhang took family leave from Apple following the birth of his child, and during that time, he visited China. Shortly after, he told his supervisor at Apple he was leaving the company and moving to China to work for XMotors, a Chinese startup that also focuses on autonomous vehicle technology.

Zhang’s supervisor felt that he had “been evasive” during the meeting, which led Apple’s New Product Security Team to begin an investigation, looking into Zhang’s historical network activity and analyzing his Apple devices, which were seized when he resigned.

Apple found that just prior to Zhang’s departure, his network activity had “increased exponentially” compared to the prior two years he had worked at Apple. He accessed content that included prototypes and prototype requirements, which the court documents specify as power requirements, low voltage requirements, battery system, and drivetrain suspension mounts.

The majority of his activity consisted of both bulk searches and targeted downloading copious pages of information from various confidential database applications. The information contained within the downloading contained trade secret intellectual property, based on the level of Zhang’s access within Apple’s autonomous vehicle team.

A review of recorded footage at Apple indicated Zhang had visited the campus on the evening of Saturday, April 28, entering both Apple’s autonomous vehicle software and hardware labs, which coincided with data download times, and he left with a box of hardware.

In a second interview with Apple’s security team, Zhang admitted to taking both online data and hardware (a Linux server and circuit boards) from Apple during his paternity leave. He also admitted to AirDropping sensitive content from his own device to his wife’s laptop.

All of Apple’s evidence was relayed to the FBI after the company’s Digital Forensic Investigations team discovered that at least 60 percent of the data Zhang had downloaded and transferred to his wife’s computer was “highly problematic.” The FBI, in the court filing, describes the information as “largely technical in nature, including engineering schematics, technical reference manuals, and technical reports.”

Of interest, the filing also gives a glimpse into Apple’s security protocols. To access sensitive projects like Titan, an employee must be logged into Apple’s virtual private network and must be granted “disclosure,” a status that can only be granted when an employee is sponsored by another employee who already has access to the project, with an administrator reviewing all requests. Approximately 5,000 Apple employees have access to data on Apple’s autonomous driving efforts, with the databases Zhang accessed further restricted to approximately 2,700 “core employees.”

When hired, Zhang signed an Intellectual Property Agreement and attended a mandatory in-person secrecy training session, which he violated. Zhang was interviewed by the FBI in late June, where he admitted to stealing the information, and he was later arrested attempting to leave to China on July 7.

For stealing Apple’s trade secrets, Zhang is facing up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

It’s no surprise that Apple cracked down on Zhang. Shortly before Zhang’s theft was discovered, Apple sent out a lengthy cautionary memo to employees warning them against leaking data to the media. In the letter, Apple said that in 2017, it caught 29 leakers, with 12 of those individuals being arrested and charged.

USA v. Xiaolang Zhang by MacRumors on Scribd

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Google Phone app will feature direct-to-voicemail spam filtering

Google Pixel, Pixel 2, and Google Nexus users are about to receive a welcome software update. The tech giant released a beta version of the Google Phone app, the pre-installed dialer on Pixel and Nexus handsets, that automatically sends unwanted spam and scam callers to voicemail.

The new feature uses your Caller ID along with Google’s robust database to identify suspicious calls. When it finds a match, it automatically sends the call directly to voicemail, allowing you avoid unwanted calls altogether.

The update comes two years after Google added spam call detection to the Phone app. That update warned users with a large red banner when a suspicious call came in and provided options to send the call to voicemail or block the number.

And while the latest Google phone app update will definitely reduce the number of unwanted calls you receive, it looks like Google may become even more aggressive with spammers in the coming months. An upcoming feature looks like it will finally offer great protection against spam calls as well as a way to avoid “call spoofing” from scammers.

XDA Developers is reporting Google may roll out a new feature called “Call Screening” in the coming months for Google Pixel and Google Nexus users. The feature, found while reviewing code in an APK teardown, will use real-time audio transcription to answer and screen unknown calls. You will then be able to send quick messages to the caller via SMS.

The upcoming “Call Screening” feature will reportedly work without a Wi-Fi or data connection, though you’ll need one to send an SMS message. The feature will also store all call audio and transcripts locally on the phone, meaning you it will not be accessible to Google or others who may attempt to access your data online.

Right now the Google Phone app is only available to users in the Android Beta Program. We anticipate seeing an official rollout in the coming weeks. If you use a Google Nexus or Pixel handset and want to get your hands on the latest version of the Google Phone app now, here’s the quickest way to sign up for the beta program.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Here’s how to block an unwanted number on any smartphone
• Google Lens is now available as a stand-alone app or inside Google Camera
• When is your phone getting Android 8.0 Oreo? We asked every major manufacturer
• Everything you need to know about the Google Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL
• OnePlus 6 vs. Google Pixel 2 XL: What difference does $300 make?

With manual controls, Moment’s new app makes a smartphone feel more like a DSLR

Moment

Moment, a company known for its high-quality smartphone lenses, launched its redeveloped Moment Pro Camera App. Just like its lenses, which brought a DSLR-like interchangeable lens system to smartphones, the app brings DSLR-like manual controls — the combination of lens and app makes a phone’s camera function even more like a DSLR. The app offers manual exposure, focus, and white balance controls, within what the company describes as a minimal user interface. It’s available as a free download for iOS and Android now, and costs $3 to unlock the “Pro” manual functions.

Several different smartphone apps promise DSLR-like controls using exposure adjustments, but Moment goes further with no only manual controls, but adds a dual-stage shutter (iPhones with 3D touch only, and requires Pro access). Using Apple’s 3D touch, shooting a photo feels a bit more like controlling a regular digital camera, with a half-press to focus and a full press will take a photo (3D Touch can differentiate between a firm touch and a softer touch, a feature Apple has included on models since the iPhone 6S).

Unfortunately for Android users, the half-press function won’t be available. But both iOS and Android versions include manual control over shutter speed, ISO, white balance, focus, and exposure compensation. The interface uses sliders to make those adjustments, while a double tap will revert that setting back to the default. Users can also overlay various grids, enable or disable flash, and set a timer. (In the free version, you get basic access, plus exposure compensation.)

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Moment

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Moment

Like most native camera apps, mobile photographers can also tap to focus, but unlike those built-in apps, Moment Pro can separate focus and exposure with a double tap. That allows photographers to focus on one area but measure the exposure off another area of the photo.

Moment says the app is also different because of the interface. Controls like RAW photos and adjusting video frame rates are all accessible without digging through a menu. Along with DNG or RAW photos, the app also supports HEIF, HEVC, TIFF, and JPG file formats. The interface also displays a histogram, a feature found in more advanced cameras that many photographers rely on.

For video, the app enables automatic video stabilization. But you can also adjust resolution (from 720p to 4K) and frame rate directly from the app. This is a huge convenience, particular with iOS, which requires you to make these changes via the settings app. There is a slight delay when cycling from one resolution or frame rate to another, however. While this function isn’t unique to the Moment app, it’s still nice to have.

While the app works with or without a Moment lens attached, several features are designed for pairing the app with a Moment lens or case. On dual-lens iPhones, the app lets you choose which lens to shoot from (wide-angle or telephoto). This is particularly useful: When you tap on the zoom button in the native iOS camera app, it doesn’t always use the telephoto lens; depending on lighting conditions, it may employ digital zoom rather than the optical telephoto lens. The Moment app, however, actually forces the camera to pick either the wide-angle or telephoto lens when you hit the 1x/2x icon (if you want to use digital zoom, just pinch in or out on the screen). Unfortunately, the function isn’t available on Android yet (mainly the Samsung S9 Plus), but Moment says it’s working on it. The Moment app is also compatible with the Moment Original Photo Case and Moment Battery Photo Case, including support for the physical shutter button on the case.

We’ve been using the app for the past few days and found it simple to use. We appreciate the clean and elegant interface, but still have easy access to the various camera parameters without having to drill through menus. It is much easier to understand than apps like Adobe Lightroom Mobile and Filmic Pro — both terrific, but have a bit of a learning curve than the Moment app, we feel. In fact, many iOS users might be surprised that their iPhones’ cameras are more powerful than they realize, with the ability to adjust shutter speed and ISO (manual controls are more apparent in Android phones). While it complements Moment lenses, the app works great without one, and is ideal for advanced users like YouTubers. Experienced photographers and videographers would feel at home with these manual options, but it’s a great way for casual users to learn how to exert control their photos, rather than relying on the camera’s auto function.

Looking for more great camera apps? Check out our favorites for iOS and Android, as well as the best camera apps for shooting RAW.

Editors’ Recommendations

• iOS photo app Camera+ is reimagined for the future of mobile photography
• How to photograph fireworks and capture the color of Independence Day
• The best RAW camera apps for Android and iOS
• Huawei P10 camera guide
• How to use Apple’s augmented reality Measure app in iOS 12

This A.I. goes against the grain, cleans noisy images with a single shot

Low-light images are often plagued by grain, small dots created by increasing the camera’s sensitivity or ISO that obscure the image’s finer details. But researchers from Nvidia, Aalto University, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology have trained a computer to eliminate the grain using nothing but the original photo and software. 

While earlier artificial intelligence programs can clean up a noisy image, these programs required two photos, one full of grain and one without. The new Nvidia research, published on Monday, July 9, only needs one grainy photo to create a cleaner image using A.I.

The researchers trained the program by feeding the computer 50,000 pairs of images. The pairs were almost identical images, except each image in the pair had a different randomized pattern of grain added with software. Earlier research used image pairs, but one image was a clean, low noise file. The research, the group wrote, proves that it’s possible to reduce grain in an image without using a low-noise image as a reference point.

To test the program, the group used both traditional images and even medical MRI scans, suggesting the technology could be used for more than just cleaning up low-light photos. The team used images with added noise in order to have a clean reference image to see how well the A.I. performed. The resulting images had less noise than the original and took only milliseconds to correct. In the samples the researchers shared, the A.I.-treated program was a bit softer than the original reference image, but the adjusted images no longer had distracting levels of grain.

The researchers point out that the program, of course, can’t find details that aren’t there or were too obscured by the noise, but the program allows images to be adjusted without a clean reference photo. “There are several real-world situations where obtaining clean training data is difficult: Low-light photography (e.g., astronomical imaging), physically based rendering, and magnetic resonance imaging,” the researchers wrote. “Our proof-of-concept demonstrations point the way to significant potential benefits in these applications by removing the need for potentially strenuous collection of clean data. Of course, there is no free lunch — we cannot learn to pick up features that are not there in the input data — but this applies equally to training with clean targets.”

The research will be presented at the International Conference on Machine Learning in Sweden later this week — but like most new research, there is no word yet on if and when the technology may be widely accessible.

Editors’ Recommendations

• Facebook wants to literally open your eyes with A.I. that fixes blinks in photos
• Shutterstock’s A.I. helps prevent you from committing copyright infringement
• Using this A.I.-based healing brush, repairing an image is no biggie
• Facebook utilizes Instagram photos and hashtags to create a smarter A.I.
• From DSLR to mirrorless and compact, here’s how to choose a camera

AMD’s second-gen Ryzen Threadripper CPUs could rip into stores in August

Bill Roberson/Digital Trends

AMD’s next-generation Ryzen Threadripper desktop processors for enthusiasts will supposedly launch on August 13, 2018. We already knew they were on the way given that AMD introduced the Ryzen Threadripper 2000 family during its Computex livestream in early June, but now unnamed sources close to AMD are providing an actual launch date.

Here’s what we know about these processors so far:

The new Threadripper chips will be based on AMD’s refreshed Zen architecture manufactured with the 12nm process. They’ll include the latest Precision Boost and XFR clocking technologies for higher, more stable out-of-the-box boost speeds and better overclocking. And like the first-generation Threadripper chips, these processors will require motherboards with the large TR4 seat/socket.

According to AMD, you can swap out your current Threadripper chip for one of the newer models without any issues. But you may not see the full performance level and overclocking benefits of the second-generation chip if it’s installed in the older motherboards compared to the second-generation motherboards that were designed to support all the second-generation Threadripper benefits. Even more, the 250-watt power draw may (or may not) be an issue with some first-generation Threadripper motherboards.

AMD released three Threadripper processors in 2017, with the 1950X serving as the company’s flagship processor for enthusiasts. Pulling a lower 180 watts of power, it includes 16 cores and 32 threads with a base clock speed of 3.4GHz and a maximum speed of 4.0GHz. The upcoming 2990X doubles the core count, keeps the base speed, and increases the maximum speed by 200MHz. The drawbacks are a higher power requirement and a higher price tag.

Meanwhile, the 2950X seemingly serves as a replacement of the current 1920X. The older chip packs 12 cores and 24 threads with a base speed of 3.5GHz, a maximum speed of 4.0GHz, and a power draw of 180 watts. The 2950X doubles the core and thread count, but currently we don’t know anything about the newer chip’s base and boost speeds. It will supposedly have a larger power draw and a higher price tag, too.

As a sign of the impending second-generation Threadripper release, the current chips are marked down if you want a high-end AMD processor without having to sell your organs on the black market. The 16-core Threadripper 1950X can be purchased for $779, which is $220 off the chip’s original price. The 12-core Threadripper 1920X can be purchased for $620 – $179 off the original price – while the 8-core Threadripper 1900X remains at a steady $429.

While $1,500 for the Threadripper 2990X may look highly expensive next to the now-discounted Threadripper 1950X, Intel’s 28-core monster showcased during Computex will supposedly cost around $10,000. The chip ran overclocked at 5GHz thanks to a Hailea HC Series water chiller mounted within the demo desktop. Given that setup, don’t expect the out-of-the-box speeds to be quite that high.

Editors’ Recommendations

• AMD’s second-generation Ryzen desktop CPUs hit the market starting at $199
• AMD combats upgrade woes with ‘crates’ featuring discounted hardware bundles
• AMD’s next batch of Ryzen desktop CPUs may focus on better power efficiency
• Intel “forgot” to mention its 28-core CPU demo was bogus
• AMD vs. Intel

How to use YouTube’s Incognito Mode

Here’s how you can watch videos on YouTube without leaving any trace of them.

YouTube, one of the most popular services in Google’s lineup, now has a new tool called “Incognito Mode.” Just like the Google Chrome feature of the same name, Incognito Mode on YouTube allows you to watch videos in the app without leaving any trace of them in your watch or search history.

Google’s been testing this feature with users for some time, but as of July 2018, it’s widely rolling out to everyone.

Here’s how to enable it!

Open the YouTube app.
Tap your account icon at the top right.
Tap Turn on Incognito.

If it’s your first time using Incognito, tap Got it on the pop-up.

Once you’re in Incognito Mode, you’ll see that your profile icon is changed to Chrome’s Incognito symbol and a black bar at the bottom of the YouTube app reads “You’re incognito.”

If you want to disable Incognito Mode:

Tap your account icon at the top right (now showing the Incognito icon).

Tap Turn off Incognito at the bottom of your screen.

Be aware of what Incognito does and doesn’t do

Incognito Mode is a great addition to the YouTube app, but it’s important to be aware of its limitations.

Videos you watch while Incognito is enabled won’t show up in your search or watch history, but your activity is still tracked by Google. Also, as noted in the YouTube app when turning Incognito on for the first time, your activity can still be viewed by your internet provider, employer, or school.

Lastly, if you subscribe to YouTube Premium, all the benefits that come with it are disabled while using Incognito.

YouTube Music review: A mixtape full of promise

Here’s how to use Amazon’s Camera Search to save $30 on Prime Day

What’s better than scoring some free money on Prime Day?!

Aside from the obvious sale prices and coupons, there are other ways for the truly savvy shopper to save even more on Prime Day. Tucked deep within Amazon’s Prime Day lead-up content is a promo centered around the camera features of the Amazon iOS/Android app. If you do the proper legwork and have a solid day of game-plan, you’ll be able to save an additional $30 on Prime Day by leveraging this one promo.

Here’s how it works: Amazon will be offering an extra $5 off select deals throughout the duration of Prime Day for shoppers who utilize specific Camera Features within the Amazon app.

There will be six deal periods spanning 6-hours each and you’re able to participate in as many as you’d like. Assuming you take advantage of all six periods, you’ll secure an extra $30 in Prime Day savings. At this point we have no idea which products or how many deals will be eligible for the additional savings; you’ll need to check back at the start of each deal period for full details:

• Period 1: July 16, 2018, 12:00 p.m. (PT) – 5:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 2: July 16, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (PT) – 11:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 3: July 17, 2018, 12:00 a.m. (PT) – 5:59 a.m. (PT)
• Period 4: July 17, 2018, 6:00 a.m. (PT) – 11:59 a.m. (PT)
• Period 5: July 17, 2018, 12:00 p.m. (PT) – 5:59 p.m. (PT)
• Period 6: July 17, 2018, 6:00 p.m. (PT) – 11:59 a.m. (PT)

While there are 4 different camera features that’ll activate the savings, you can use the same one each time. These features are pretty niche and the process isn’t intuitive so we created a step-by-step guide to outline exactly what you’ll need to do when each period goes live.

To begin, you’ll first need to download the Amazon app on your iOS or Android device. Once installed, open it and tap the Camera icon at the end of the search bar. You’ll then be prompted to allow Amazon to access your phone’s camera. Once that’s completed, you can start the tasks.

How to use Product Search:

Product Search is the default setting when tapping on the Camera icon. You can switch to Product Search after tapping the Camera icon by clicking See More at the bottom of the screen and selecting ‘Product Search‘.
Once you’re in Product Search mode, point your phone’s camera at an item near you that you would like to search on Amazon.
Blue dots should appear on and around the item for a few seconds; if Amazon can identify the item, it will pop up its search results allowing you to view product information and buy the item your camera just viewed. It may also show similar items which relate to the item that was identified.
Once the camera identifies an item, you should notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. You must click on this notification and then tap ‘Get Coupon’ on the following page to add the $5 discount to your account for later use. If you click the X on the pop-up, there doesn’t seem to be a way to redeem the offer later, so make sure to not close out of that early.
The item you’ve scanned must be sold by Amazon for you to complete this offer.

How to use Barcode Scanner:

To find the Barcode Scanner, tap the See More button at the bottom after clicking on the Camera icon. Then tap ‘Barcode Scanner‘.
Find an item that you’d like to search on Amazon and put its barcode in front of your device’s camera.
If Amazon can find the item, it will pop up the item’s product page along with a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. As with the previous AR View feature, you must tap on the pop-up and click ‘Get Coupon’ to add the offer to your account for use.
The item you scan must be sold by Amazon for you to complete this offer.

How to use Package X-Ray:

After tapping on the Camera icon, click the See More button at the bottom of the screen and then select ‘Package X-Ray‘.
Grab a recent Amazon shipment of yours and scan its shipping label with your phone.
A pop-up should show the items in your order and allow you to visit your order’s info page so you can re-order, contact customer service about an issue, and more.
You should also notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. Make sure to click the pop-up and then tap ‘Get Coupon’ to add it to your account.

How to use AR View:

As with the other settings, hit the Camera icon and then click See More at the bottom. There you’ll find the ‘AR View‘ mode to select. Not all devices are compatible with this mode so it may not be available for you at this time.
This mode allows you to see how various best-selling products would look in your home. From here, select an item in the bottom window that you’re interested in and then go to a location in your home where you might place that item.
The app will ask where you’re planning on placing the item, whether that’s on the ground, on a table, or on a wall. Selecting the right option will help the next step work properly.
The item should appear before you as if it’s actually there in real life. You can drag it around, make it bigger, or turn it around with your fingers. You can also walk around the item to get a look at it from other angles.
Upon closing out of that view, you should notice a pop-up stating “You’ve unlocked $5 off Prime Day Deals”. Click on that banner and then press ‘Get Coupon’ to add the offer to your account.

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Spigen Rugged Armor for Pixel 2 XL review: Protection without the bulk

One of Spigen’s most common cases is a great choice for your phone.

Spigen has been making phone cases since dinosaurs walked the Earth, and they’re usually one of the first companies to offer cases and screen protectors on new devices. They have a few different styles for different tastes and levels of protection, but my favorite for a few years has been the Rugged Armor series. There are plenty of great cases for the Pixel 2 XL, but Spigen’s Rugged Armor should be on your short list of options.

Spigen Rugged Armor for Google Pixel 2 XL

Price: $11.99

Bottom line: This case protects your phone without being too bulky, and doesn’t cost much while doing it.

The Good

• Inexpensive
• Neutral design
• Doesn’t add much bulk
• Great protection

The Bad

• Only one color option

See at Amazon

I — Tom Westrick — have been using the Rugged Armor case for my Pixel 2 XL since I bought that phone in November 2017. I purchased the case with my own money.

Thin but protective

Spigen Rugged Armor What I like

My favorite thing about this case is how much it protects the device. Spigen’s Rugged Armor series have been my go-to cases for a couple years now, because it covers the entire device — minus the screen — without being too bulky. I’ll admit I don’t typically use cases 24/7, only an hour or so a day in the gym or when I’m running. But I’ll put a case on my phone if I’m traveling anywhere, and I had no issues with the bulk of the Rugged Armor cases.

The design is plain, but it works. It’s just a solid piece of rubber, and it does a great job at keeping the device protected. My phone was dropped countless times in airports, gyms, and on street corners with this case on, and the phone and case are no worse for wear.

The case has a generous cutout for the USB-C port, and I had no issues using it with any of my charging cables. The buttons are replicated on the case, which I love because it means I don’t need to dig my fingers in to try and change volume. There’s a cutout for the camera and flash, with no changes to the images or videos I take. Finally, I haven’t had to re-record my fingerprint with this case on.

You can have any color, as long as it’s black

Spigen Rugged Armor What I don’t like

The only downside to the Rugged Armor series is there’s only one color option: black. I don’t personally mind this since I’d buy a black case anyway, but it’d be nice to see blue, red or other colors available for those that want them.

A tried and true choice

Spigen Rugged Armor for Pixel 2 XL

For $11, this case is as good as you can get. It protects your device well without being too bulky, and it’s easy to put on and take off if you’re an intermittent case user like I am. This is great for anyone worried about drops, or just want something with a bit more grip than their phone has.

4.5
out of 5

I do wish there were more color options, but that won’t stop me from recommending this case to anyone.

See at Amazon

NVIDIA moving Shield TV to its GeForce Now service for some serious game streaming

GeForce Now allows you to play desktop games on the Android TV-based streaming console box.

NVIDIA today announced that its Shield TV will be switching over to the GeForce NOW service — basically a cloud service for gaming — that’s currently available on Macs and Windows machines, bringing desktop games to the Shield platform. It’ll let Shield owner play their personal library of games, or purchase new ones from digital stores like Steam and Uplay.

This all gets a little confusing because the previous thing on NVIDIA Shield was, erm, also called GeForce Now and was $8 a month. But now it’s the PC/Mac version of GeForce Now. Not the Shield version of GeForce Now. But the new one is also on Shield. The old one, and its monthly fee, is going away. From Shield. Now.

GeForce NOW is in a free public beta. NVIDIA says the Shield switchover should happen in the next week or so. You can see the full list of supported games here.

Best Amazon Prime Day Deals 2018

The celebrations have already begun!

Amazon Prime Day doesn’t officially begin until July 16 at 3pm ET, but that hasn’t stopped the company from beginning the deals a little bit early. Alongside the announcement, Amazon stated that a few deals would be available instantly for Prime members, and there are a few that you definitely won’t want to miss. In the coming days, we expect to see more deals leak, and our continuously updated tracker will highlight all the best Amazon Prime Day deals.

Be sure to check back often, as this page will be constantly adding fresh new deals. If you’re looking for deals on Amazon’s Echo hardware, Kindle Unlimited, Prime Pantry and more, we’ve got you covered.

Prime Exclusive Deals of the Day

In the lead-up to Prime Day, Amazon has switched over its Gold Box deals of the day to be all Prime member exclusive deals. Unlike some of the offers below, these prices expire at the end of the day, so you won’t have much time to think about them.

Today’s deals include:

• Amazon Dash Buttons – $0.99 (Was $5)
• TP-Link Wi-Fi Smart switch – $27.99 (Was $51)
• Samsung wireless charging stand (2018) – $39.99 (Was $70)
• Marshall Stanmore Bluetooth speaker – $169.99 (Was $349)
• Pelican cases and luggage – Various Prices
• MegaWheels Classic Hoverboards – Various Prices
• Men’s Shirts – Up to 40% off
• Vincero Luxury Watches – Up to 30% off

Echo Hardware

To kick things off, the company slashed $100 on the price of the Echo Show, dropping it down to just $129.99. This is the lowest we’ve ever seen it go and makes it the same price as the smaller screened Echo Spot. We’ve seen Amazon offer Voice Shopping exclusive deals in the past during Prime Day, so if you don’t have an Alexa device, or want another, this is a no-brainer purchase.

The Echo Dot is also down to $34.99, which is the lowest we’ve seen it hit this year.

Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited

If you’ve yet to try out Amazon’s Music Unlimited service, you can get a four-month membership for just $0.99. That’s right, all four months of unlimited access to all the music in the company’s library (which is rather extensive) for just one dollar. Prefer to read books instead of listening to music? No worries, Amazon has three months of Kindle Unlimited available for $0.99 as well. This gets you access to over a million book titles, and you can read as many of them as your heart desires during that time frame.

You can also go all-in on a Kindle Unlimited subscription and save 40% when you checkout with the coupon code PDKU18. This drops the one-year subscription down to $80.32 and the two-year subscription to $143.86. If you want to just buy a few books, you can get $10 towards any Kindle, print, or Audible book purchase when you buy any Kindle book for $5 or more before July 15.

Amazon’s In-house brands

Amazon has a bunch of its own brands, and right now it’s offering 20% off home, kitchen, and other AmazonBasics gear, 30% off Amazon Elements multivitamins, and up to 25% off Stone & Beam furniture. There are a bunch of other Amazon brands from AmazonFresh to Mama Bear and Goodthreads that will also have discounted items available.

Twitch Prime Games and Gear

Finally, Amazon is offering a free PC game each day through July 18 via Twitch Prime. There are popular titles like Pillars of Eternity, Q.U.B.E, Hue, and more. You’ll also get exclusive in-game look for Warframe and PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds, and if you’re looking to load up on Twitch apparel, the merch is 50% off right now.

Of course, to take advantage of any of these offers you need to be an Amazon Prime member. If you aren’t already, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial so you can access all these deals and save during the big event.

The Thrifter team is going to be covering ALL things Prime Day, and you won’t want to miss out. Sign up now to have tips, tricks, deals, and more delivered right to your inbox.