Technologies

Black Friday 2021: The best deals on TVs, headphones, kitchenware, and more

Here is our round up of the best early deals happening at major retailers like Amazon, Target, Best Buy and many more

This story is part of Holiday Gift Guide 2021, our list of ideas, by topic, by recipient and by price, to help you discover the perfect gift.

It seems as if Black Friday begins earlier and earlier every year. And this year is no exception. Both in store and online, companies like Walmart, Target, Amazon, Best Buy and pretty much every other major retailer are already getting a jump on the holiday savings. And some very solid deals are already available. In many cases the sales are labeled as Black Friday offers, so you won’t have to work too hard to find them. As the seasonal chaos grows, we’ll keep scouring the internet in search of the best Black Friday deals so you don’t have to. Expect this page to be updated frequently, as we’ll keep adding to it as more offers appear. This story was last updated Thursday, Nov. 11 with the latest deals.

Note: Today is also Veteran’s day and Singles Day, which often see additional discounts on top of the usual holiday sales. If you’ve got your eye on something, now is a great time to snag it as it may jump back up in price tomorrow.

Black Friday sales at Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Target and more

On the calendar, Black Friday is Friday, Nov. 26 — the day after Thanksgiving. But «Black Friday sales» are already alive and well. To help navigate the pandemonium, here is a handy guide of what you can expect on sale when and where:

Amazon: Sales are ongoing now.
Best Buy: The big-box retailer has an early Black Friday sale running now.
Walmart: The Black Friday Deals for Days sale has been running since Nov. 3, and another big wave of sales just dropped yesterday (Nov. 10), adding more great deals like $89 Airpods.
Target: The first wave of Target’s deals were pretty unimpressive, but the retailer opened a new wave of sales last Thursday, with more following every Sunday from here on out. Full details here.

Best Black Friday deals at Walmart

More great deals at Walmart:

Apple Airpods (2nd gen): $89 (save $40 vs. apple store)
Roku Ultra LT: $30 (save $39)
Toshiba 1TB portable HDD: $39 (save $13)
Tineco cordless vacuum: $125 (save $74)
Anker Eufy Robovac 25C: $99 (save $50)

Best Black Friday deals at Target

More great deals at Target:

JBL Tune wireless headphones: $30 (save $40)
Beats Solo 3 wireless headphones: $100 (save $100)
Motorola Moto G Fast: $170 (save $30)
Vizio V-Series compact sound bar: $50 (save $50)
Amazon Echo Dot (3rd gen): $25 (save $15)

Best Black Friday deals at Best Buy

More great deals at Best Buy:

Samsung 75-inch 7 Series TV: $850 (save $250)
Apple iMac — 21.5″: $1000 (save $500)
Acer Chromebook Spin 514: $299 (save $200)
Ninja Mega System blender: $160 (save $40)

Best Black Friday deals at Amazon

More great deals at Amazon:

Garmin Instinct outdoor watch: $170 (save $130)
Roku Streambar Pro: $150 (save $30)
Blue Yeti USB Mic: $100 (save $50)
Le Creuset enameled cast iron oven: $180 (save $120)

Best Black Friday headphone deals

You can always find headphones on sale during Black Friday events, but finding the right balance between a good deal and a good set of headphones can be a challenge. Here’s what we’ve found so far.

More great headphone deals:

Beats Studio3 wireless headphones: $180 (save $170)
AirPods Pro with MagSafe charging case: $190 (save $59 versus Apple Store)
JBL Live 660NC noise canceling headphones: $100 (save $100)
Beats Powerbeats Pro: $150 (save $100 in select colors)

Best Black Friday TV deals

Televisions frequently fill out Black Friday sale pages, but it’s not always easy to tell which sales are actually worthwhile. Here are some deals on good TVs worth adding to your shopping cart.

More great TV deals:

LG 43-inch Class 4K UHD Smart TV: $400 (save $80)
TCL 32-inch Class 3-Series Roku Smart TV: $160 (save $50)
LG 48-inch C1 OLED TV: $1,097 (save $200)
Insignia 32″ Fire Smart TV: $150 (save $50)
Samsung 32-inch The Frame wall-art TV: $528 (save $72)

Best Black Friday laptop deals

More great laptop deals:

Acer Aspire 5: $530 (save $100)
Samsung Chromebook 4+: $209 (save $110)
MSI Prestige 14: $699 (save $400 after rebate)
Lenovo Yoga 9i: $1,350 (save $400)
Lenovo IdeaPad S340: $729 (save $71)

Best Black Friday tablet deals

It’s never hard to find a cheap tablet, but it can occasionally be challenging to find a good tablet at a reasonable price. Here are all of the worthwhile tablet deals we’ve found for early Black Friday.

More great tablet deals:

Apple iPad Pro (2nd Generation): $750 (save $150)
Amazon Kindle Paperwhite: $90 (save $50 versus current Amazon price)
Apple iPad Mini (256GB): $600 (save $50 versus Apple store)
Hyundai HyTab 7LC1: $80 (save $20)

Best Black Friday kitchen deals

Kitchen tech can totally change the way you cook, and a great sale on kitchen tech makes that exploration even more enjoyable. Here are the best Black Friday kitchen deals we’ve found.

More great kitchen and home deals:

KitchenAid Food Chopper: $40 (save $15)
Bella 1.7L Electric Kettle: $20 (save $20)
Mr. Coffee Iced Coffee Maker: $25 (save $10)
Ninja Foodi 6-in-1 Indoor Grill: $250 (save $50)
Ninja Mega Kitchen blender system: $160 (save $40)

Best Black Friday fitness deals

With New Year’s Day inching ever closer, those fitness resolutions can start to feel daunting. But not if you’ve got the right equipment. Here are the best Black Friday fitness deals we’ve found.

More great fitness deals:

Fitbit Luxe: $100 (save $50)
Airex Fitline Non Slip Floor Mat: $61 (save $31)
Total Gym APEX Versatile Indoor Home Workout: $399 (save $136)
Sunny Health & Fitness Air Bike: $238 (save $52)

Best Black Friday deals under $50

Roku Streaming Stick 4K: $29 (save $21)
Google Nest Mini (2nd generation): $25 (save $24)
TP-Link Wi-Fi Extender: $30 (save $20)
Lenovo Smart Clock: $30 (save $20)

More great Black Friday deals

Marshall Kilburn II portable Bluetooth speaker: $250 (save $50)
Sony UBP-X700M 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray player: $178 (save $72)
Samsung HW-A650 soundbar with wireless subwoofer: $208 (save $192)
WD EasyStore 14TB external hard drive: $260 (save $160)

Technologies

iOS 17 Cheat Sheet: Your Questions on the iPhone Update Answered

Here’s what you need to know about new features and upcoming updates for your iPhone.

Apple’s iOS 17 was released in September, shortly after the company held its Wonderlust event, where the tech giant announced the new iPhone 15 lineup, the Apple Watch Series 9 and the Apple Watch Ultra 2. We put together this cheat sheet to help you learn about and use the new features in iOS 17. It’ll also help you keep track of the subsequent iOS 17 updates.

iOS 17 updates

Using iOS 17

Getting started with iOS 17

Make sure to check back periodically for more iOS 17 tips and how to use new features as Apple releases more updates.

17 Hidden iOS 17 Features You Should Definitely Know About

+15 More

See all photos

Technologies

Get Ready for a Striking Aurora That Could Also Disrupt Radio Communications

Don’t expect the storm to cause a lingering problem, though.

A geomagnetic storm is threatening radio communications Monday night, but that doesn’t mean you should be concerned. In fact, it may be an opportunity to see a colorful aurora in the night sky.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued a geomagnetic storm watch after witnessing a coronal mass ejection from the sun on Saturday. The watch, which was issued over the weekend and will expire after Monday, said the onset of the storm passing over Earth on Sunday night represented a «moderate» threat to communications. As the storm continues to pass through, it could deliver a «strong» threat on Monday night that could cause radio communications to be temporarily disrupted during the worst of it.

Even so, NOAA said, «the general public should not be concerned.»

A coronal mass ejection occurs when magnetic field and plasma mass are violently expelled from the sun’s corona, or the outermost portion of the sun’s atmosphere. In the vast majority of cases, the ejection occurs with no real threat to Earth. However, in the event the ejection happens in the planet’s direction, a geomagnetic storm occurs, and the Earth’s magnetic field is temporarily affected.

In most cases, geomagnetic storms cause little to no disruption on Earth, with radio communications and satellites affected most often. In extreme cases, a geomagnetic storm can cause significant and potentially life-threatening power outages — a prospect that, luckily, the planet hasn’t faced.

Switching poles

Every 11 years, the sun’s magnetic poles switch, with the north pole and south pole swapping positions. During those cycles, the sun’s activity ramps up as it gets closer to pole-switching time. The height of its activity is called solar maximum, and scientists believe we either may be entering the solar maximum or may be already in it.

During periods of heightened solar activity, sunspots increase on the sun and there’s an increase in coronal mass ejections, among other phenomena. According to NOAA, solar maximum could extend into October of this year before the sun’s activity calms and it works towards its less-active phase, solar minimum.

Even when geomagnetic storms hit Earth and disrupt communications, the effects are usually short-lived. Those most affected, including power grid operators and pilots and air traffic controllers communicating over long distances, have fail-safe technologies and backup communications to ensure operational continuity.

But geomagnetic storms aren’t only about radios. In most cases, they also present unique opportunities to see auroras in the night sky. When the storms hit, the plasma they carry creates a jaw-dropping aurora, illuminating the night sky with brilliant colors. Those auroras can be especially pronounced during the most intense phases of the storm, making for nice stargazing.

If you’re interested in seeing the aurora, you’ll need to be ready. The NOAA said the «brunt of the storm has passed» and even if it lingers into Tuesday, there won’t be much to see after Monday night.

Technologies

Last Total Solar Eclipse for 20 Years Is Coming: How to See and Photograph It

It’s your last chance until 2044.

Get your eclipse glasses ready, Skygazers: the Great American Eclipse is on its way. On April 8, there’ll be a total eclipse over North America, the last one until 2044.

A total solar eclipse happens when the moon passes between the Earth and the sun, blocking the sun and turning an otherwise sunny day to darkness for a short period of time. Depending on the angle at which you’re viewing the eclipse, you may see the sun completely shrouded by the moon (called totality) or some variation of it. The more off-angle you are and the further you are from the path of the eclipse, the less likely you’ll be to see the totality.

The 2024 total solar eclipse will happen on Monday, April 8. The Great American Eclipse will reach the Mexican Pacific coast at 11:07 a.m. PT (2:07 p.m. ET), and then traverse the US in a northeasterly direction from Texas to Maine, and on into easternmost Canada. If you want a good look at it, but don’t live in the path of totality, you shouldn’t wait much longer to book accommodation and travel to a spot on the path.

Or how about booking a seat in the sky? Delta Airlines made headlines for offering a flight that allows you to see the entire path of totality. Its first eclipse flight, from Austin, Texas, to Detroit sold out quickly. But as of Monday, Delta has added a second flight from Dallas to Detroit, which also covers the path of totality. The airline also has five flights that will offer prime eclipse viewing.

Not everyone can get on one of those elusive eclipse-viewing flights. Here’s a look at other options to nab a chance to see this rare sight and what to know about it.

Total solar eclipse path

The eclipse will cross over the Pacific coast of Mexico and head northeast over mainland Mexico. The eclipse will then make its way over San Antonio at approximately 2:30 p.m. ET on April 8 and move through Texas, over the southeastern part of Oklahoma and northern Arkansas by 2:50 p.m. ET.

By 3 p.m. ET, the eclipse will be over southern Illinois, and just 5 minutes later, will be traveling over Indianapolis. Folks in northwestern Ohio will be treated to the eclipse by 3:15 p.m. ET, and it will then travel over Lake Erie and Buffalo, New York, by 3:20 p.m. ET. Over the next 10 minutes, the eclipse will be seen over northern New York state, then over Vermont. By 3:35 p.m. ET, the eclipse will work its way into Canada and off the Eastern coast of North America.

Best places to watch the Great American Eclipse

When evaluating the best places to watch this year’s total eclipse, you’ll first want to determine where you’ll have the best angle to see the totality. The farther off-angle you are — in other words, the farther north or south of the eclipse’s path — the less of an impact you can expect.

Therefore, if you want to have the best chance of experiencing the eclipse, you’ll want to be in its path. As of this writing, most of the cities in the eclipse’s path have some hotel availability, but recent reports have suggested that rooms are booking up. And as more rooms are booked, prices are going up.

So if you want to be in the eclipse’s path, and need a hotel to do it, move fast. And Delta’s eclipse-viewing flight from Dallas to Detroit has just four seats left at the time of publication.

Eclipse eye safety and photography

As with any solar eclipse, it’s critical you keep eye safety in mind.

During the eclipse, and especially during the periods before and after totality, don’t look directly at the sun without special eye protection. Also, be sure not to look at the sun through a camera (including the camera on your phone), binoculars, a telescope or any other viewing device. This could cause serious eye injury. Sunglasses aren’t enough to protect your eyes from damage.

If you want to view the eclipse, you’ll instead need solar viewing glasses that comply with the ISO 12312-2 safety standard. Anything that doesn’t meet that standard or greater won’t be dark enough to protect your eyes. Want to get them for free? If you’ve got a Warby Parker eyeglasses store nearby, the company is giving away free, ISO-certified solar eclipse glasses at all of its stores from April 1 until the eclipse, while supplies last.

If you don’t have eclipse viewing glasses handy, you can instead use indirect methods for viewing the eclipse, like a pinhole projector.

Read more: A Photographer’s Adventure With the Eclipse

In the event you want to take pictures of the eclipse, attach a certified solar filter to your camera. Doing so will protect your eyes and allow you to take photos while you view the eclipse through your lens.

There’s also a new app to help you both protect your eyes and take better photos of the eclipse on your phone. Solar Snap, designed by a former Hubble Space Telescope astronomer, comes with a Solar Snap camera filter that attaches to the back of an iPhone or Android phone, along with solar eclipse glasses for protecting your eyesight during the event. After you attach the filter to your phone, you can use the free Solar Snap Eclipse app to zoom in on the eclipse, adjust exposure and other camera settings, and ultimately take better shots of the eclipse.

2024 eclipse compared to 2017

The last total solar eclipse occurred in 2017, and many Americans had a great view. Although there are plenty of similarities between the 2017 total solar eclipse and the one coming April 8, there are a handful of differences. Mainly, the 2024 eclipse is going to cover more land and last longer.

The 2017 eclipse started over the northwest US and moved southeast. Additionally, that eclipse’s path was up to 71 miles wide, compared with a maximum width of 122 miles for this year’s eclipse. Perhaps most importantly, the moon completely covered the sun for just 2 minutes, 40 seconds in 2017. This year, maximum totality will last for nearly four-and-a-half minutes.