Time to ignore Amazon? "prime day" is about here

@sammydog01

: )

I already have all the Amazon Tech I want: a couple of Kindle fires

Maybe someday I’ll get around to the project for which I bought them

@f00l What’s the project?

@sammydog01

I’m on the road a lot and mostly use my phones for everything.

I want to do some organizing and and budgeting and so forth using full screen access to spreadsheets and whatnot.
Cloud spreadsheets. Since I need to be have constant access.

I thought I’d try the tablets for that. I got them used/cheap and they’re good for videos so no worries re money spent on them last year.

If the tablets won’t work, then I have a handy chromebook with a 12 volt power cord to try.

(Data via phone hotpot)

But these projects are still stuck in the “some day” category.

@raccoon81

There are just too many things on “sale” to parse through

This. It’s nearly impossible to find the real deals through all the noise. It’s exhausting.

@raccoon81 @ruouttaurmind

I think Amazon is relying mostly on the insta click impulse and the volume of deals and people who fanatically scroll for deals as a way of justifying the event

The only way I know of to cut through all the noise and either put stuff you want on a wish list or in your cart and see if a notification comes

Or to check out one of the Amazon prime day deals review pages at sites such as CNET or wirecutter and see if anything one actually needs looks like it’s at a really good price

It took me a long long time (far too long) to figure out that I should not buy attractive stuff at a great price if I don’t actually need it.
Meeee stoooopid.

no one has time to try out or use all the cool stuff that’s offered at a great price.
Not to mention what that might do to an otherwise reasonable budget

@djslack

I don’t even know what that it. A gaming system? A stealth helicopter bot? A digital brain enhancement?

Whatever. : )

If you want one, I hope you get one. And tell us about it. : )

@f00l I don’t want to drone on and on about it, but it’s a quadcopter. It’s small and light enough to not require any hassling with the feds, but with a very good camera system on it.

Here’s the link if you’re interested.

@djslack

Thx! But I surely don’t need another toy i don’t have time to play with.

So I wonder how soon I’ll purchase one!

@djslack A DJI Drone is up next over on that other site in their quick deal. Not sure what it is though.

@djslack @f00l I’ve been hovering over buying this model or not.

@djslack It is $344, no idea if that is better without some of your other discounts.

@zinimusprime if that’s more than just a pun, I recommend it. I flew a friend’s and decided that I would get one. Even though it’s small it’s very stable and produces excellent video and photos, and the prime deal is like getting the extra batteries and accessories for free. Sales on this model are not common yet.

@raccoon81 I missed it or got lost trying to find it. That’s a better price discounting the $100 gc which I might have been able to use too, though. But I stayed up last night to buy since I didn’t know how limited stock might be and the deal was widely promoted ahead of time.

@djslack unfortunately, it’s just a pun. I’d love to get one, just don’t have the cash. Very sad.

@djslack @zinimusprime Dammit, I want one. I just know I wouldn’t get the use out of it I think I would.

@JT954 $10 credit with $40+ in GC purchases.

(I bought a $15 and a $25 with birthday packaging. Even basic birthday cards cost money too, y’know.)

@JT954 The $10 off $40 is confirmed. There is a special “apply coupon” page and the $10 credit is applied 2 days after the purchase.

The coupon code is “GC20PRIME”, but I dont think the GC purchase flow allows entry of a discount code, hence the special landing page.

@mike808

That’s a pretty good discount

I can say for my own experience at the current Kindle Paperwhite and the current Kindle Oasis are both quite nice, and they’re both waterproof and they both have lovely backlighting

Unfortunately, you don’t really need two of them, and we just upgraded last year to the paperwhite.

@mike808

If anyone is shopping for a Kindle e-reader on sale, they’re here

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=kindle+e-reader&rh=n%3A13887280011&ref=nb_sb_noss

The best deal listed IMHO is the $79 Kindle Paperwhite.

If anyone wants a Kindle Fire Tablet, they’re here:

The most attractive deal IMHO is the 10" Fire tablet at $79.

https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=kindle+firevtablet&rh=n%3A13887280011&ref=nb_sb_noss

Note: these tablet may seem a little 0 slow and underpowered compared to the latest fast-chipped tablets from Apple and the top tablets from Samsung LG etc. For serious use, these are not ideal.

If the intended use is mostly media viewing, etc, and some light browsing, they’re fine. (If the Amazonon-everythong operating system is not going to bother you.)

I don’t think it’s difficult to put the Google Play app store onto them, and thereby get access to a larger and better selection of apps? Or has Amazon locked to help down again?

Here are the non-referral links, since people are going all Karen over people who use the Meh forums for self-promotion, as f00l did in their links above.

Kindle deals
https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=kindle+e-reader

Kindle Fire Tablet deals
https://smile.amazon.com/s?k=kindle+fire+tablet

@cinoclav @mike808

Self promotion? How so?

More like laziness.

I simply used the URL of the page I landed on at amazon.

I must have come to amazon from Slickdeals after looking at some Slickdeals ref or something.

Since meh doesn’t have its own referral thing going, afaik, I never worry about that.

@cinoclav @f00l You say that it is safe and doesn’t track me but if that were true, it wouldn’t need to be there.

However, you are just some random person in the internet posting a link that clearly has some “extra stuff” in it that doesn’t belong or need to be there, and only you are saying we should trust you and that it doesn’t benefit you.

Which is exactly what someone trying to slip in their affiliate code would say when caught red-handed posting links with affiliate tags. You say it’s Slickdeals. Maybe its funding terrorists and criminals. Or just you personally, spamming us all to line your pockets. Who knows.

That’s why I posted referral-free links, as a service to protect the Meh community to from rubes too lazy to know what they’re posting and scammers by pointing out the risks from your links with unknown referral codes embedded in them. Maybe you’re not a scammer, but on the other hand, maybe you are, or you wouldn’t be so defensive about it.

@cinoclav @mike808
Re referral links

To be clear:
I don’t have, and have never had, any referral link thing setup ever.
Nor have ever ever thought of doing that for myself.

I’m pretty sure that link benefits Slickdeals, since I was going back and forth between the sites last nite.

But whatever. It simply doesn’t benefit me.

I’m having huge fights w my phone kb at the moment (gboard on this phone), and am not bothering to clean stuff up v much.

I do appreciate that you gave a clean link.

@cinoclav @mike808

/Rant on.

Ok. You’ve got a point. And I’ve been lazy about not removing that crap.

In however many decades in the net, you are the first person I’ve seen make a fuss about a Slickdeals ref code.

But you’re right in that we should eliminate that crap I suppose.

The thing that makes me tend toward laziness:. amazon’s site is so damned complex. I’ve removed referral links for own reasons in the past while on amazon, and would up with a completely diff page view as a result.

If the first page view shows the products laid out in the way I wanted, and the cleaned-up-i-hope page view doesn’t, or the second view clips info or filter options from the page, or shows extra gunk, this is so annoying.

How do I get the page view I want clear of the referral link? Who has time to even figure this crap out?

Or I try to clear links sometimes and I’m fighting w phone kb at the time and it all goes to hell. (Currently using gboard on a samsung s9, which will be my last samsung phone. They don’t like each other much but I use speech to text frequently and Google and Apple already have my voice. [And Amazon, a little, and other companies I didn’t authorize, no doubt, etc])

I don’t wanna also give my voice to someone else so I use gboard.

So I give in. I quit fighting the URL Often enough.

Damn … Privacy. Even tho of us who try a little here and there (me, maybe); of those who do and understand more (you, it seems)
We’ve all already lost.

It’s setup that way deliberately. Big bucks on big data for every large organization. They want to make it impossible for us to stop the monitoring. And, using ten million tricks or more, they do.

If someone doesn’t use wifi at home.
Doesn’t use a tablet.
Uses one smartphone, locks it down, installs zero apps.
Uses a Unix based os (tho I don’t know about the various mac os version)

Well, that person has a little more privacy that the rest of us fools.

Public links to so-called Privacy policies?
These are still non-specific, unreadable except to the legal speciality that creates them, and impenetrable and unchallengeable, by design.

That “clean” person mentioned above is still doing biz with all sorts of companies and utilities that collect the data, aggregate it, either sell it or broker it.

Want privacy?
Live in a cave w no tech. Don’t do any banking. No medical care except homebrew. Food? Bow and arrow, traps, etc, or donated food or donated firearm stuff.
And don’t go where a drone or satellite or infrared detector or game cam might spot you.
Etc etc etc.

/Rant off

Sorry about that. Guess it’s that sort of day.

@f00l Also make sure it’s compatible with your phone. I looked at a Fitbit for my husband, but it only listed as iPhone compatible. Many of the comments said it wouldn’t work with their newer Samsung phones. So he won’t be getting that Fitbit for Christmas. It was never an issue with the older ones we bought. So IDK what Fitbit is doing.

@remo28

If Fitbit is going in that direction, that’s really odd.

Didn’t google just purchase fitbit?

@remo28

The current fitbit gens aren’t on sale today.

Look for great pricing on the Versa 3 (fitness watch) and the Charge 4 (fitness band) over Black Friday weekend

I would bet that these are android compatible, off the top of my head, without checking. (So you know what my guess is worth.) : )

If you wanna know what great black friday fitness sales are coming in advance of that weekend, check out the DCRainmaker blog. He’s kinda a huge consumer guru on fitness tech, he usually gets wind in advance of who is offering deals on what and does a few articles on all the upcoming holiday specials, etc. I think it’s

Https://DCRainmaker.com

And … He accept no freebies from the companies except for pre-releases for testing. Then that one gets returned. And he purchases his own version for further testing and use.

He does support himself off the blog. He tells people upfront exactly how:
Referral links, if you use them
Advertising
Some sort of consumer membership or donation system I think?

Also sites like CNET and Thewirecutter (at the NYT) usually have some advance knowledge of who will have what on big discount for Black Friday.

@f00l I was looking at the Versa 2. And it only lists compatible with iPhone 6plus. People say it doesn’t work with the note 10, and that’s what my husband is looking at replacing his current phone with. I just found it odd that it only shows iPhone, when the previous Fitbit he has is pretty old and still works with his current galaxy 6. Anything would be an update to what he has, a Blaze that he’s had since 2016. Being 1 gen behind would still be an improvement. I know he likes the brand and the style. So I’ll keep watching for deals that will work with Android.

@f00l got a pair. Thank you!

@CaptAmehrican

Sounds ultra practical. : )

@CaptAmehrican ok just bought the nesting bowl set I have been considering. Price dropped significantly

@CaptAmehrican For someone who said I’m not buying anything on Prime Day I’m racking up the purchases.

@f00l I can add prime day items to my list. I can see it on the app and on a browser. But I didn’t see it for the ‘lightening’ deal, while on the app, but it’s still there on the browser. Tested on 2 different items.

$2 for 2 months binge watching Showtime, Sundance, PBS Masterpiece, Epix, etc.

There’s also some good movies on the new “IMDB” channel, since Amazon owns IMDB. I think it is their response to the Roku channel on Roku devices, for their FireTV devices.

@f00l Just added Showtime & Starz. Would love to hear what are the best original programming on them.

@fjp999 Showtime has Homeland and Shameless and Billions.

@mike808 Thanks. Will take a look at those.

@sammydog01 I’ve looked at that multiple times today. I just don’t see the need. I seem to have devices that time things all over (watch, phone, alexas) and I bought a ring that comes with the show 5, so I’ll have another device floating around the house.
What else does it do besides tell time and set timers?

@remo28 It gives you a visual of the time left so I can glance up and see my timers. I use my show to watch crappy tv shows while I cook. So yeah, that’s it. Oh wait it flashes a yellow light when I have a notification. If that’s your thing.

Plus I’m used to a wall clock and it sets itself to DST.

@sammydog01 Well, you just cost me $35.

@blaineg Thirty-five dollars of Mickey Mouse! Totally worth it.

@f00l What kindle books? Any good ones?

@sammydog01

they were all from the Kindle daily deal so I don’t know if they have the same list of today or if they have a new list I haven’t looked yet.

I know I bought one from Scott turow and one from Preston and Child

I don’t remember what else I bought
Sort of have a sense as to whether or not I’d like something and I let myself get them up to a point

So I own books I’ve always owned too many books
when I had way way way too many physical books periodically I had to take them to used seller or give them to friends or something

With ebooks especially given that you can get so many of them for $0.99 or free and if you’re patient you might see writers who you like at that price I just own lots and lots

@f00l @sammydog01 There were no good kindle books (no offense).

@f00l @mossygreen The daily deals used to have older best sellers but now they seem to all be from Kindle unlimited.

@mossygreen @sammydog01

On the first and second days I saw a few things so I wanted but it was a little lackluster

In the Kindle daily deals they always include a bunch of Kindle unlimited books

I suppose those are possibly useful purchases for somebody who likes the book and doesn’t want to do Kindle unlimited

And they always have a few non Kindle unlimited book

Have found the daily deals to be a good way to get the whole 15 or 20 books list of some mystery writer’s series. Or similar.

@mossygreen @sammydog01

Mentioned how daily to have some older bestsellers

the best daily deal offerings are on shopping holidays and on Sundays those tend to be a significantly more exhaust set of books than the regular everyday offerings

@f00l @sammydog01 I have noticed more and more Kindle Unlimited books in the daily deals that I remember seeing and thinking looked stupid in Kindle First Reads. But yes, the best selection seems to usually be on Sunday, and I have been steeling myself against buying every mystery by Charlotte McLeod, who I remember reading and enjoying approximately 30 years ago. Because there are a bunch of them, and it will add up at $1.99 a pop. And I still haven’t finished all the Gladys Mitchell books I bought.

@f00l @mossygreen It looks like Gladys Mitchell books alone would be worth the unimited membership.

@f00l @sammydog01 You would think so, but I’ve already bought most of them! But yes, I should have done one of those intro free and/or cheap dealies instead. Or spent months tracking them down through interlibrary loan. Or read whatever was on archive.org. But no! Not me!

@f00l @sammydog01 Oh no, I finally checked today’s offerings and there are two Charlotte MacLeod mysteries. Amazon is upping the stakes, but I remain unmoved.

@blaineg Yes, but I don’t think anyone should bring up bitter apricot seeds without explaining that they ARE FULL OF CYANIDE. And that B17 is the thing that KILLED STEVE MCQUEEN. Although, in the interests of fairness and accuracy I have stopped saying the latter and confine myself to it being THE THING THAT FAILED TO KEEP STEVE MCQUEEN ALIVE. Because, technically, it’s the cancer that killed Steve McQueen.

I just think it’s funny that the same type of people who stopped drinking apple juice because of the cyanide in the seeds think that the cyanide in apricot seeds is A-OK. Also, that’s not even that good a deal on bitter apricot seeds, if you’re looking to slowly poison yourself.

@blaineg @mossygreen I remember an episode of Emergency where these hippies were eating peach pits in the park and got poisoned. Say that three times fast.

@blaineg @sammydog01 Oh god, that sounds amazing. Damn hippies.

@blaineg @mossygreen @sammydog01

Those fucking hippies.

/giphy hippies

@f00l

https://smile.amazon.com/gp/video/storefront/ref=atv_hm_hom_1_c_Gr35me_9wNyyG_1_1?contentType=merch&contentId=deals&merchId=deals

@duodec I saw the NAS as well. However, I’m not convinced I need one for my use case of a survivable or offsite backup.

@duodec

I’m sure there will be plenty of Black Friday temptations

Those things can be a pain to maintain and keep upgraded though can’t they? I have a friend who has a really extensive personal RAID setup that he started messing with 15 years ago and he screams at the costwhen he buys new drives for it so that he can try to keep sort of currenr

@blaineg

There are a few deals

Overall I agree it’s just marketing genius with little or no substance behind it

@blaineg @f00l It’s great for Kindles and Echo stuff, especially with trade-ins. The rest, I don’t know.