Techish

Shipping Deadlines For Holidays 2020

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We’ve reached the final few days before the holidays, and in the interest of getting gifts delivered on time — and not paying handsomely for shipping — you should be wrapping up your shopping as soon as you can. Thankfully, several retailers are making those shopping duties cheap and easy by offering free and fast shipping. It wouldn’t be the holidays without a little stress, but you can avoid at least some of it by finishing up your shopping before the window for on-time delivery comes to a close. We’ve also listed the delivery windows for FedEx, UPS, and the USPS in case you are shipping packages yourself. AMAZON As is always the case, you’ll get your gifts faster if you have an ... Read more

These Subscription Services Make Awesome Gifts!

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Arming up with a tote, comfy shoes, and going shopping was once a fun way to discover a new brand of soap, fall in love with a fashion trend, and stop somewhere for tea while connecting with friends. Those were more innocent times. As we head into the year 2021, that sort of activity is, in all likelihood, a historical artifact. The year of the pandemic has changed, according to a recent study, our habits around many aspects of life. And we are unlikely to return to our old ways. We shop online, discover online, and do our self-care online. The joy of discovery we once found at the mall has moved to subscription boxes, an industry that’s currently estimated to be worth $15 billion as ... Read more

Still need to get that gadget gift? Look at these great deals!

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Don't worry, you're not too late to score great gifts for everyone in your family, including yourself! Here are some more ideas:   Samsung's cordless Jet Stick Vacuum comes in three different models, and each one has a high-performance filtration system that captures dust and allergens that normally get kicked back into the air.  You can use it on all the different types of floors; hardwood, tile, rugs, or carpet. It has its own charging dock and is super easy to empty. Plus, it's lightweight and easy to navigate, to use on stairs, under furniture, clean high cabinets or window blinds. And you can vacuum for up to an hour straight before it needs a battery charge. ... Read more

JENN ON TV: More awesome last-minute holiday deals!

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Did you see Jennifer on TV or hear her on the radio recently? Here are more of the smoking hot holiday deals she's been talking about! The last-minute rush on holiday shopping is happening already because of major shipping delays and stricter pandemic orders going into effect. Here are some great go-to's:  1. Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds Everyone wants their own set of tune-out-the-world headphones this year, and Samsung’s Galaxy Buds Live wireless earbuds should be a top consideration. They come in these new vibrant colors — Mystic Red or Blue — so everyone knows they’re yours! What’s even better though is how comfortable they are, they sort of nestle down in ... Read more

THESE ARE THE BEST GADGETS OF 2020 – PERIOD

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The hardest part of curating this list every year is narrowing it down! These are all gadgets I've tried myself, bought, and recommend to my family and friends (that's you) as well. Let me know if I left any of your favorites off of this list! Also, if you click on a link below to buy an item, Techish might receive a (very) small affiliate commission. This is no way affects what we recommend. 1.) Lume Cube LED Light: $69.95     BUY IT HERE For Zoom calls, kick your ring light up a notch with this video conference lighting kit from Lume Cube. The kit includes a panel mini-LED light with both brightness and color temperature adjustability, as well as an additional softening diffuser ... Read more

HOW TO: Get a PlayStation 5 before 2021

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You want to get your hands on the latest Xbox or Playstation 5? Yep, you and the rest of the world! It's no surprise really, since the last time each company updates its consoles was several lifetimes ago in tech-years. (November 2013 was the launch of the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One – the predecessors to the newest consoles.) Every major retailer – and several you've never heard of – continue to update stock on their websites, and even send re-stock alerts through their apps. Still, within a matter of seconds, these hottest new consoles keep selling out. Here are some top tips to scoring one this year, but as you'll see, it's best not to get your hopes up unless you want to sell ... Read more

CYBER MONDAY BEST: Buy these gadgets now (right after I buy them of course).

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You've waited patiently, now's the time to hit that checkout button online. According to Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday remains the king of online shopping days and will become the largest online sales day in history with between $10.8B and $12.7B spent online, representing between 15% and 35% YoY growth.    Later today, Adobe predicts that the four “golden hours of retail” (7:00 pm – 11:00 pm Pacific) will bring in a massive 29% of the day’s revenue (at least $3.1B) as shoppers hit buy before deals run out; at least $13 million will be spent per minute during the peak hour (8:00 – 9:00 pm PT). ADDITIONAL INSIGHTS:  Cyber Monday discounts: Even with discounts starting much ... Read more

ONLINE SHOPPING? Watch out for these SCAMS!

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When you’re online shopping on Cyber Monday, it’s easy to get carried away in the excitement and potentially fall for a scam. EMAIL SCAMS Look out for links and attachments in emails or popups that could contain malware that steals your credit card information. For example, if you get an email that says it’s from a retailer with a promotion or "free offer" that looks skeptical or too good to be true, NEVER click on the link. Visit the retailer’s website directly by typing its name in your browser. Make sure the URL (web address) starts with "https" and that there are no other misspellings in the company name. Also, double-check that the company has a phone number to call if there are ... Read more

These are the hottest gadgets for the holidays according to science (and tech).

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Cue Michael Scott, because it's happening. The Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, that is. The massive sales are no longer confined to one day each. Now we're seeing week-long, or even month-long, deals. An insane amount of data from Adobe Analytics show people spent nearly $60 billion shopping online from November 1-23. That's 32% more than the same time last year. Adobe also found expedited shipping, standard shipping, and curbside/in-store pickup are all up — big time. Here's what everyone's buying: So what are the hot products leading into the holidays? When it comes to toys, the big sellers are Lego sets, hoverboards, Baby Alive, and Star Wars products. The top video games ... Read more

Simple tech tools to make your holidays feel “almost” normal!

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Everything really is different heading into this Holiday Season. But that doesn't mean it has to suck. Here are 11 simple tech tools to make your holidays feel “almost” normal. 1. FILL YOUR HOME WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC Piping music into every room of your home used to cost thousands of dollars, but not anymore! The GED LED+ Speaker bulb (on sale for around $25 on Amazon right now) is a bright light with an onboard Bluetooth speaker built-in. Just screw the bulb into any lamp or light fixture, pair it with Bluetooth on your mobile device, and just like that, you get all your favorite tunes in any room you want. You can pair up to ten bulbs and don’t need any extra apps, wires, or ... Read more

Black Friday/Cyber Monday 2020: Insider Tips & Tricks

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Nothing is normal this year, but Holiday shopping is like upside-down-dramatically different. Black Friday sales started in October and most “doorbuster” deals are happening online already too.  Here are some insider tips to save time, money, and stress — while finding the very best deals on the year’s top gadgets. #1. SHOP EARLY AND SHOP ONLINE! Shop early and shop online — that’s the big mantra for true savings this year — as retailers big and small are posting huge deals already.  Amazon kicked off its Black Friday Deals Week TODAY (Friday, November 20)! Target's "Deal Days" span the entire month of November and BestBuy’s rolling out a bunch of deep discounts available online ... Read more

Mood-boosting gadgets to help you survive until 2021

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It has been a long, long year. The doom scrolling, the isolation, the election madness, and the fear have been brutal. But the end of 2020 is in sight. Maybe next year won’t be such an apocalypse? Maybe 2021 will be all kittens, hope scrolling, and sunshine? We can only hope. What we can do is try every possible mood booster available to order online. And, while you’re at it, load the holiday gift basket with gear that will help your friends and family go into 2021 in a good mood? I rounded up some fun, functional, mood boosters you can order on Amazon. Nothing here will break the bank. But it will improve the mood. Prices on these gadgets are subject to change, this is what they were at ... Read more

7 ways to keep bored kids from turning into screen zombies

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How’s your pandemic going? If you are anything like the 2,000 parents of school-aged children recently surveyed by Fat Brain Toys, your kids have announced, “I’m bored” an average of six times a day, had five temper tantrums a day, and created six "career-best" messes in the past few months. The result, for many households, is that the kids have turned into “screen zombies.” Because what else are you supposed to do? This hardly seems like the best the time to limit screen time. Also, it’s gotten hard to know anymore how much screen time is too much. School, reading, research, entertainment, and socializing all comes in via screen. This doesn’t change the reality that too much screen time, ... Read more

HOW TO: Use high tech/low stress ways to score amazing Amazon Prime Deals

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After the year we've had, who doesn't need a crazy-awesome online shopping sale right about now?! Here are answers to your top questions -- and amazing insider tips to get everything you want -- minus the stress. BUY NOW OR WAIT?  Buy early this year. The pandemic is still disrupting supply chains — which slows down new shipments of the most sought-after products. Online sales are through the roof, adding strain on delivery networks… and shopping analysts predict more supply shortages in high-demand items like electronics and work-from-home gear come November.  Also — the minute Amazon announced the dates of Prime Day, Walmart, Target, Overstock — and many others — announced sales, ... Read more

Here are all the Amazon Prime Day Deals you need to know about:

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Shhhh, don't tell anyone ... A little birdie over at Amazon sent us a list of Prime Day Deals ahead of time. Check out what to expect, and read Christina's story about how to snag these amazing deals before anyone else! When it comes to incredible deals on amazing products, Prime Day 2020 is expected to deliver in a big way. Retail analysts predict Prime Day will generate a record-breaking $10 billion in ales this year. (That's around 3-billion more than last year's Prime Day.) Watch for deals on Nintendo Switch Titles, Barbie & Hot Wheels toys, iRobot Roomba vacuums, Panasonic Cameras and Premium Beauty brands this Prime Day. These offers could sell out quickly, so it's best to be ... Read more

AS SEEN ON HLN: Tips for scoring all the gadgets you need for school or work from home

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Laptops are the new T.P. shortage, everyone’s stocking up as supply chain issues and trade tariffs add to months-long delays in meeting meteoric demand due to the pandemic.  My mantra here is GO CHROME AT HOME. You can still find some fabulous Chromebooks that can do everything most students — especially K-8 need —  for a fraction of the cost.  But not all lower-priced Chromebook models are the same — and there’s some buyer-beware advice especially this Holiday weekend.  There are very few in-stock at most big box stores — and the ones you'll see discounted at prices less than $200 — might not last through the end of this year, let alone through the school year.  Go for names you ... Read more