When the Kindle Scribe launched in November, it was — how shall I say this — lacking. Amazon’s first note-taking e-reader was big and sharp, but it was missing note-taking features found on rivals like the Kobo Elipsa 2E. Fast forward to today, and Amazon’s 10.2-inch slate is far more attractive, having recently received a series of welcome updates. And right now, it’s on sale at Amazon and Target with the button-free Basic Pen starting at just $279.99 ($60 off), nearly matching its all-time low.

At its core, the Scribe is a simple big-screen e-reader with a few note-taking abilities. It boasts some of the best battery life you can get for an e-reader of its size, along with a handy stylus that lets you take digital notes and doodle to your heart’s content. It still can’t sync notes across devices — one of our biggest pet peeves — but newer updates let you convert handwriting into typed text and write on pages, at least in a limited capacity.

Admittedly, Amazon still has a ways to go if it wants to catch up to its note-taking rivals. But given the updates and the price it’s currently at, the Scribe is looking far more appealing than it was last year.

Read our Kindle Scribe review.

The Beats Fit Pro are great and all, but there are cheaper alternatives when it comes to workout earbuds, many of which don’t require you to spend north of $150. Take, for instance, Anker’s Soundcore Sport X10, which are going for just $55.99 ($24 off) in all three colors at Amazon and Walmart. They’re also currently on sale direct from Anker for the same price when you enter promo code WS7DONUJGP at checkout.

As the name implies, the Soundcore Sport X10 are aimed at the sportier aspects of your life, from running and biking to working out at the gym. They last up to eight hours on a single charge and feature flexible wraparound hooks, which help ensure they remain comfy (and in place) during even the most rigorous workout sessions. They also feature bass-forward sound, IPX7 water resistance, and a useful transparency mode — the latter of which is a welcome feature for anyone who finds that ANC cancels out, well, too much noise.

A few more deals and discounts

• Amazon is running discounts on a host of Echo speakers, including the Echo Studio, which is available at Amazon, Best Buy, and B&H Photo for $159.99 ($40 off). The beefy Alexa-enabled smart speaker isn’t going to compete with a higher-end option like Sonos’ Era 100, but it’s easily the best-sounding speaker in Amazon’s current Echo lineup — and that was before Amazon introduced its new frequency range extension tech for better performance. Read our review.
• Lego’s 608-piece Orchid can be had for as little as $40 ($10 off) at Amazon, Best Buy, and Walmart right now, matching its best price to date. The orchid and its fluted vase make for a handsome piece of decor, one I guarantee is easier to maintain than an actual moth orchid given the recent temps plaguing many parts of the US.
• While not as impressive as Sony’s WH-1000XM5 headphones, the WH-CH720N are on sale for $98 at Amazon ($52 off) and $99.99 at Best Buy and direct from Sony ($50 off) — a price we haven’t seen since Amazon Prime Day. The step-down headphones shed some higher-end features, yes, but they still offer active noise cancellation, a great fit, and a commendable 35 hours of battery life for under $100.
• The original AeroPress, a mainstay found in many of our gift guides, is down to $31.95 ($8 off) at Amazon, Target, and Williams Sonoma. That’s not the best deal we’ve seen, but it’s still a terrific price on a portable coffee maker that’s great for camping and travel.
• Apple’s ninth-gen iPad is on sale at Amazon with Wi-Fi and 64GB of storage for $249.99 ($79 off) at checkout, matching its all-time low. The entry-level 10.2-inch slate remains our go-to rec for kids and anyone looking for a budget model despite the arrival of the 2022 iPad, namely because it offers a headphone jack and a speedy A13 Bionic chip that should still be more than enough power for most people’s needs. Read our iPad buying guide.