The iPhone 17 models are Apple’s latest and greatest phones. A naked iPhone looks beautiful, but getting a case to protect it is probably a smart idea, especially with the phone’s price tag ranging from $799 to $1,199. Although there are tons of cases available, if you want one from Apple, you’re in luck. 

Apple’s iPhone 17 cases are marked with a discount of almost 50% at Amazon for a limited time. This current discount applies to a wide range of colors for the iPhone 17 andprice down to $25. We don’t expect this to last too long, so hurry if you’re interested. If you know someone who just got the iPhone 17, this makes for a great holiday gift. 

Apple’s discounted cases typically sell for $49, so this record-low price of $25 is a steal. There are several colors to pick from, including midnight, neon yellow, black and more. But many colors are already selling out fast for both the iPhone 17 and iPhone 17 Pro. 

This sleek case is made from recycled silicone, yet it is surprisingly durable. It’s got raised edges that help protect the phone from scratches and drops. The case features a sapphire crystal coupled to a conductive layer, allowing for finger movements to control the camera. And my favorite part is that it’s MagSafe-compatible.

Haven’t gotten your hands on the iPhone 17 yet? Take a look at the top iPhone 17 deals you can take advantage of right now. 

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Why this deal matters

The iPhone 17 series is Apple’s latest. Like other Apple devices, these phones don’t come cheap, so it’s a good idea to make sure they’re protected against drops, mishaps and potential scratches. These Apple cases are MagSafe compatible and come in a variety of colors and styles. With Amazon’s limited-time 49% discount, now is an excellent time to shop if you want to keep your phone case within the Apple ecosystem. 

In October, Kohler launched Dekoda, a camera that attaches to a toilet and uses AI to examine your poop. Some say you can’t put a price on good gut health, but the Dekoda costs $599 for the device, plus a subscription fee that ranges from $70 to $156 per year.

But after a blog post published this week raised questions about Kohler’s data practices for its new toilet gadget, the company was forced to explained what it means by «encrypted» data for customers, and what its policy is for training its algorithms on their… uh… waste information. And it’s not as straightforward as it initially appeared to be.

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On its website, Kohler says Dekoda «analyzes gut health and hydration and detects the presence of blood in the toilet bowl, providing data for building healthy habits.»

On the same webpage, Kohler touts privacy features for the gadget. It says that the camera only ever points down into the toilet bowl, that it offers fingerprint authentication optionally via the Dekoda remote and that, «our technology is designed to keep your personal data personal. It is end-to-end encrypted.»

The blog post published by security researcher Simon Fondrie-Teitler raised questions about what that encryption entails and pointed out that Kohler would likely have access to the data and images collected by Dekoda. 

«Responses from the company make it clear that — contrary to common understanding of the term — Kohler is able to access data collected by the device and associated application,» he wrote.

Kohler responds to privacy concerns

Kohler itself appeared to confirm this notion in a statement it shared with CNET. It wrote: «The term end-to-end encryption is often used in the context of products that enable a user (sender) to communicate with another user (recipient), such as a messaging application. Kohler Health is not a messaging application. In this case, we used the term with respect to the encryption of data between our users (sender) and Kohler Health (recipient).»

The company went on to say: «We encrypt data end-to-end in transit, as it travels between users’ devices and our systems, where it is decrypted and processed to provide and improve our service. We also encrypt sensitive user data at rest, when it’s stored on a user’s mobile phone, toilet attachment and on our systems.»

In other words, the data Dekoda collects is encrypted in transit, but can be decrypted by the company on its end.

In regards to how the company uses the data for AI systems learning, Kohler said in the same statement: «If a user consents (which is optional), Kohler Health may de-identify the data and use the de-identified data to train the AI that drives our product. This consent check-box is displayed in the Kohler Health app, is optional and is not pre-checked.»

Based on Kohler’s statement, it will remove information that pairs a user’s identity with the data before it’s used for optional AI model training.

The meaning of ‘encrypted’

This may cause confusion for people who are familiar with the kind of end-to-end encryption offered by services such as Signal or even Apple. Here, the expectation that companies wouldn’t have access, or even a technological way, to decrypt data that people are transmitting through their services.

What Kohler is doing sounds different from that expectation, as Fondrie-Teitler points out in his post: «What Kohler is referring to as E2EE here is simply HTTPS encryption between the app and the server, something that has been basic security practice for two decades now, plus encryption at rest.»

Kohler did not respond directly to questions about Fondrie-Teitler’s post to CNET beyond the statement it shared.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is one of the most popular handheld gaming consoles and it continues to sell out rapidly after its launch this year. Bundles are a great way to get a game included at no extra cost and this one is a standout.

Right now, Walmart is selling the Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World bundle for $449 — a $50 discount from the regular $499 price. If you prefer Amazon, the retailer is price-matching. Note that you’ll only see the lower price once you add the bundle to your cart on both platforms. That’s a $50 savings on the standard cost, making it one of the better Switch 2 deals I’ve seen after Black Friday.

This bundle includes the Switch 2 console along with a full game download of Mario Kart World, the newest entry in Nintendo’s long-running and wildly popular kart racing series. With the Switch 2’s improvements, Mario Kart World takes advantage of higher resolution, smoother frame rates and more detailed tracks than we’ve seen in past games.

CNET’s Scott Stein reviewed the Switch 2 and gave it 8.5 out of 10, praising its design, display and notably better graphics than rivals like the Steam Deck. The Switch 2 is an excellent overall upgrade and earned an Editors’ Choice award from our team. It is worth noting, however, that, in his tests, the battery lasted a mere 2 hours before dying. He points out that storage will need upgrades as well, given that newer games are larger in size.

While you’re buying the Switch 2, browse our roundup of Switch 2 accessories to deck it out and truly make it your own. And if you’re Team Blue, check our list of the best PlayStation deals too.

Why this deal matters

A $50 discount on a new console bundle is rare, especially this early in the Switch 2’s life cycle. Because Mario Kart World is a $70 title on its own, getting both the game and console for $449 is excellent value. If you’ve been waiting for a meaningful price break on the Switch 2, this is one of the best opportunities so far.