After a tease in Netflix’s One Piece season 2 announcement way back in September 2023, Tony Tony Chopper, the Straw Hats’ resident reindeer-doctor, has officially boarded the pirate ship. Netflix revealed the beloved sidekick’s “live-action” look during its 2025 Tudum stream. Netflix also announced that actor Mikaela Hoover (Guardians of the Galaxy, Vol. 3, July’s Superman) provided Chopper’s voice and motion-capture. One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda, who has previously gushed over his experience working on the Netflix show, calling it his “last chance” to bring the manga to the masses, previously announced Chopper’s inclusion in the season 2 cast. And what would One Piece be without the wily doc? Not only has Chopper been around for most of Monkey D. Luffy’s quest to be the greatest pirate on the high seas, but his transformations over the years have served as a foundation for Oda’s evolving vision for the long-running series. His look in the live-action series was a big question, answered with respectable levels of CG. In season 2, Hoover joins the original Straw Hats cast of Iñaki Godoy, Mackenyu, Emily Rudd, Jacob Romero and Taz Skyla. Season 2 will also see a slew of new actors and characters, many of whom will attempt to kill Luffy. Look at this list: Charithra Chandran as Miss Wednesday Joe Manganiello as Mr. 0 Katey Sagal as Dr. Kureha Lera Abova as Miss All Sunday Mark Harelik as Dr. Hiriluk Sophia Anne Caruso as Miss Goldenweek Yonda Thomas as Igaram Sendhil Ramamurthy as Nefertari Cobra Brendan Sean Murray as Brogy Callum Kerr as Smoker Camrus Johnson as Mr. 5 Clive Russell as Crocus Daniel Lasker as Mr. 9 David Dastmalchian as Mr. 3 Jazzara Jaslyn as Miss Valentine Julia Rehwald as Tashigi Rob Colletti as Wapol Ty Keogh as Dalton Werner Coetser as Dorry Rigo Sanchez as Dragon James Hiroyuki Liao as Ipponmatsu Mark Penwill as Chess Anton Jeftha as K.M. Meanwhile, Netflix has a separate One Piece adaptation in the works, a new and condensed anime from Wit Studios. So expect even more Chopper reveals in the not-so-distant future.

With summer just around the corner, the deals are hot this Memorial Day weekend. Just about every online retailer has dropped deep discounts on a range of products for the holiday. While the sales may not be as great as Black Friday and Prime Day, it’s still a great time to save on everything to prepare for the warm months ahead. Summer essentials aren’t the only discounted items either, with everything from TVs and mattresses to PCs and gaming essentials getting in on the action. TL;DR: Deals for TodayLowest Price EverApple iPad (A16) 128GBLG 65-Inch OLED evo C4Lowest Price EverSonos Move 2Blink Outdoor 4Tufons 4-Burner Propane Gas BBQAlienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 7 265F RTX 5080 Gaming PC (16GB/1TB)$2,349.99 at DellPersona 5 Royal Standard Edition for SwitchTraeger Grills Pro Series 34 Pellet Grill and SmokerThis might not be a deal, but if you missed out on the first Magic: The Gathering Final Fantasy pre-orders, you’re in luck, as you can still grab the bundle and starter kit. Individual cards are also up for pre-order, ensuring you can lock down your favorites before the drop in June. 2025 Apple iPad (A16)Lowest Price EverApple iPad (A16) 128GBThe new iPad is back down to its lowest price ever. Apple released the latest 11-inch iPad in March, and $50 has already been knocked off the price tag for the holiday weekend. The newest model got a few upgrades over its predecessor. Most notably, the tablet now runs on an A16 processor for a snappy experience performing everyday tasks, and base storage has been doubled to 128 GB. But even with these improvements, Apple didn’t increase the starting price from the 10th-generation iPad, making it just $349 to start. Apple iPad Air 13" (M3) 128GBApple iPad Mini (A17 Pro) 128GBApple iPad Air 11" (M3) 128GBSilverApple iPad (A16) 128GBPinkApple iPad (A16) 128GBYellowApple iPad (A16) 128GBWhile the classic iPad is the best iPad for most people, many of Apple’s other latest tablets have similar discounts for the holiday weekend. Our favorite iPad for students, the iPad Air (M3), which also came out in March, has up to $100 off, while the latest iPad mini has a similar deal, making it 20% off. Sonos Move 2Lowest Price EverSonos Move 2Sonos is synonymous with creating high-quality, great-sounding speakers, and one of its portable Bluetooth offerings, the Move 2, is at its lowest price ever. Enjoy over 25% savings on a speaker ready to pump out crystal clear vocals and deep booming bass. Trueplay tuning even allows the speaker to optimize sound to the environment for the best listening experience every time. With a 24-hour battery life and built-in handle, it’s also the perfect option to enjoy your favorite music just about anywhere. Lowest Price EverBeats PillSee it at WalmartJBL Go 4JBL Clip 5Sony ULT Field 5Sonos isn’t the only audio giant getting in on the Memorial Day sales. Plenty of other portable speakers are discounted, ensuring you can take your favorite songs on camping trips, picnics, and more. Grill DealsTufons 4-Burner Propane Gas BBQSummer means it’s grilling season, so if your old BBQ is rusted out or broken, now’s the time to buy a new one. Tufons has a high-quality 4-burner grill that is 27% off on Amazon. It will cost just $299.99 for a 457 sq. in cooking area with a total of 46,500 BTU cooking power on the 4 main burners and one side burner. The stainless steel body and cast iron grate are built to last, so this grill should be with you for the long haul. Traeger Grills Pro Series 34 Pellet Grill and SmokerSophia & William Propane Gas Grill and Griddle ComboChar-Broil Portable Convective 1-Burner Stainless Steel Propane Gas GrillFlash DealShinpt 44" Charcoal Smoker Grill Tufons isn’t the only grill discounted, as plenty of other BBQs are seeing deep discounts for Memorial Day. Everything from charcoal grills and pellet smokers to massive cooktops and portable BBQs are all on sale. Blink Outdoor 4Blink Outdoor 4Adding a few security cameras to your home is never a bad idea. Whether you want to keep porch pirates at bay or check on your pup at work, these gadgets can be super useful. Right now, Blink has a great deal on the Blink Outdoor 4 with a 3-pack of wireless cameras costing just 129.99 – the lowest price we’ve seen this year. These cameras are capable of capturing 1080p HD live view and have infrared night vision for 24/7 monitoring. Motion sensing can deliver alerts right to your smartphone, while the 2-year battery life means you’ll rarely need to worry about swapping the AA batteries.Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 7 265F RTX 5080Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 7 265F RTX 5080 Gaming PC (16GB/1TB)$2,349.99 at DellIf you're looking to grab a gaming rig with the latest RTX 5080 GPU, Dell has dropped a great deal on some PCs for Memorial Day. You get this ultra-powerful pre-built PC capable of epic 4K gaming at high frame rates for only $2,349.99. It’s an absolute steal, especially considering the going rate for an RTX 5080 when DIYing a PC is marked up exponentially right now. That’s not the only PC on sale. Below are some other great PCs and gaming laptops on sale for the holiday weekend: Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K RTX 5080 Gaming PC (32GB/2TB)New ReleaseAlienware Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K RTX 5090 Gaming PC (32GB/2TB)Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 7 265F RTX 5070 Gaming PC$1,849.99 at AlienwareAlienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 9 285KF RTX 5070 Gaming PC (32GB/2TB)New for 2025Alienware Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 7 265 RTX 5080 Gaming PC (32GB/1TB)Alienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K RTX 5080 Gaming PC (64GB/2TB)Dell XPS Intel Core i7-14700 RTX 4060 Ti Gaming PCAlienware Aurora R16 Intel Core Ultra 9 285K RTX 5080 Gaming PC (64GB/4TB)New Dell Tower Plus Intel Core Ultra 7 265 RTX 4070 Ti Super Gaming PC$1,649.99 at DellAlienware Aurora R16 i7-14700F RTX 4070 Super Gaming PC$1,899.99 at AlienwareNew ReleaseAlienware 18 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5080 Gaming Laptop (32GB/2TB)Alienware 18 Area-51 Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX RTX 5090 Gaming Laptop (64GB/2TB)Alienware x16 R2 16" Intel Core Ultra 7 155H RTX 4060 Gaming Laptop (16GB/1TB)Alienware x16 R2 16" Intel Core Ultra 9 185H RTX 4070 Gaming Laptop (32GB/1TB)LG 65-Inch OLED evo C4LG 65-Inch OLED evo C4The LG 65-Inch OLED evo C4 is at one of its best prices ever today. If you’re looking for an absolutely great gaming TV, this OLED display is impeccable. It offers a stunning 4K picture and up to a 144Hz refresh rate with VRR baked in for butter-smooth action. Right now, you can grab that stunning picture for $1,246.99. That’s over 50% off the list price of the TV when it came out in 2024. 50" Vizio V4K50M 4K Smart TV55" Insignia F30 4K Fire TV75" TCL Q7 4K QLED Google TV58" Hisense R6 4K Roku TVPlenty of other TVs are discounted for Memorial Day. Whether you’re after something a little more budget-friendly or want the latest and greatest option, there’s a TV deal to suit your needs. Persona 5 Royal Standard Edition for SwitchPersona 5 Royal Standard Edition for SwitchThe Persona 5 Royal Standard Edition has gotten a serious price cut. It’s down to $25 from $60. Talk about a steal for this epic RPG full of sick locations, captivating stories, and great gameplay mechanics. With the Royal edition comes a new semester at Shujin Academy for more story arcs and even some alternate endings. Be sure to grab this deal while it lasts. Other great Memorial Day game deals are happening right now, including dozens of games on sale for $15 at GameStop. $15 and $30 Game Sale at GameStopSee it at GameStopSuper Mario RPG (Switch)Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (PS5)Kingdom Come: Deliverance II (PS5, XSX)Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (PS5, XSX)Dragon Age: The Veilguard- Deluxe Edition (PS5, XSX)Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PS5, XSX, Switch)Silent Hill 2 (PS5)Sid Meier's Civilization VII (PS5, XSX, Switch)Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch)Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)Star Wars Jedi Survivor (PS5, XSX)Diablo IV (Xbox)Star Wars Outlaws - Limited Edition (XSX)Suikoden I & II HD Remastered (PS5, XSX, Switch)Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5, Switch)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (PS5)Mattress SalesUp to 35% off mattressesCasper Mattress SaleSee it at CasperSerta 10-in Medium King Hybrid Memory Foam/Coil Blend MattressUp to 50% of mattressesSleep Number Memorial Day SaleSee it at Sleep NumberSave 20% on mattressesTuft & Needle Memorial Day SaleSee it at Tuft & Needle$1,500 off and additional $100 off with a discount codePlushBeds Memorial Day SaleSee it at PlushBedsCasper The OneSleep Number i8Serta Perfect Sleeper Nurture Night 12-in Firm Queen Innerspring Mattress

We test a lot of smart home devices, most of which are meant to work indoors. But there are also plenty of great gadgets that work outside, whether it's to balance the pH content of your pool, mow your lawn, or keep an eye on your property when you're out of town.Here, we've gathered some of the best backyard-friendly gadgets we've tested. It's a diverse selection, from beach-friendly speakers to robotic pool cleaners. There's even a TV you can keep out in a thunderstorm. So, if you're looking to bring the technological comforts of home to the great outdoors, look no further. Best Floodlight Camera Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 4.5 Excellent Keep your driveway or yard fully illuminated and secure with the Eufy E340 floodlight camera. It isn't solar-powered like the S340 below it and so you'll have to wire it, but it has a 2,000-lumen floodlight and mechanical pan-and-tilt so you can cover every inch of your property in its range. Eufy Floodlight Camera E340 review Best Battery-Powered Projector Anker Nebula Mars 3 4.0 Excellent The Anker Nebula Mars 3 is a capable 1080p projector that's ideal for use in the backyard or at a vacation rental thanks to its water-resistant design and its battery that can last up to five hours (in Eco Mode, or two hours at full-blast). It features Android 11, so you can stream from plenty of services without plugging in another device. Plus, it has a useful handle so you can lug it anywhere. Anker Nebula Mars 3 review Best Budget Outdoor Security Camera TP-Link Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Home Security Wi-Fi Camera C120 4.5 Excellent If you want to monitor the outside of your home without spending much money, the TP-Link Tapo C120 Indoor/Outdoor is worth looking into. For just $40, it's loaded with features usually only found on more expensive models, including 2K resolution (2,560 by 1,440 pixels), color night vision, and local video storage. The camera records video when it detects motion and offers free intelligent alerts that differentiate between people, pets, vehicles, and other motion events, a feature many competitors charge extra for. It requires a nearby GFCI outlet for power but saves you a lot of money compared with wireless 2K alternatives. TP-Link Tapo Indoor/Outdoor Home Security Wi-Fi Camera C120 review Best Affordable Bluetooth Speaker Anker Soundcore Motion 300 4.0 Excellent The Anker Soundcore Motion 300 is a deceptively small, cheap outdoor speaker, considering the sound it can produce. It offers robust sound with high-res LDAC Bluetooth codec support and is also completely waterproof. Best of all, it's well under $100 and easy to slip into a bag. Anker Soundcore Motion 300 review Best Portable Speaker JBL Charge 5 4.0 Excellent JBL’s portable, outdoor-friendly Charge 5 Bluetooth speaker is an excellent choice for parties. It has a dust-tight build for the beach, with powerful drivers and dual passive radiators to deliver an impressive amount of sound for its size. You don't get a speakerphone function or an adjustable EQ in the companion app, but those are relatively minor drawbacks. For less than $200, you can't do much better. Best Robot Lawn Mower Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD 4.0 Excellent As with every robot lawn mower we've reviewed, the Husqvarna Automower 435X AWD doesn't come cheap, but it does an excellent job of mowing and trimming your lawn. It features both GPS and cellular radios, plus it connects to a slick companion app that enables remote controls, mowing schedules, and IFTTT integrations. Best of all (depending on your yard), it won't struggle to handle hilly terrain. Best Outdoor Smart Plug TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug EP40A 4.0 Excellent TP-Link’s dual-outlet Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug EP40A ($29.99) doesn't care what smart home system(s) you use: It works with all the major platforms, including Amazon Alexa, Apple HomeKit, Google Assistant, and Samsung SmartThings. That broad compatibility and an IP64 weatherproof rating make it a good choice for bringing smart features to your backyard appliances. TP-Link Kasa Smart Wi-Fi Outdoor Plug EP40A review Best Robot Pool Cleaner Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner 4.0 Excellent Polaris robotic pool cleaners have long been among our favorites because of their sturdy build and superb cleaning performance, and the cordless Freedom Plus continues the streak. It's battery-operated, which means it can clean the pool without a cable for power. It has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to activate it in its charging station and a light-based remote for controlling it underwater. Otherwise, you can simply let it roam around until it comes back up to charge and empty. Polaris Freedom Plus Cordless Robotic Pool Cleaner review Best Smart Sprinkler System Rachio 3 Smart Sprinkler Controller 4.5 Excellent If you love your lawn enough to install a sprinkler system, you need a good sprinkler controller. The Rachio 3 is one of the best: It supports up to eight separate sprinkler zones with automatic weather-based or custom app-controlled watering schedules. You can even control it with Alexa or Google Assistant voice commands and IFTTT applets. Best Smart Hose Timer Orbit B-Hyve Smart Hose Faucet Timer With Wi-Fi Hub 4.0 Excellent You don't need a full sprinkler system to automate watering your lawn. The Orbit B-Hyve Smart Hose Faucet Timer turns your ordinary garden hose into a smart watering system that you control from your phone, complete with programmed watering schedules and smart weather-based watering. It's a breeze to install and program, and it works with Amazon Alexa voice commands. Best Pool Water Monitor Crystal Water Monitor 4.0 Excellent The Crystal Water Monitor keeps track of your pool's health, with plenty of water analysis features beyond simple pH levels including oxidation reduction potential (ORP) and total alkalinity. It's a bit pricey and requires a subscription after the first year, but the subscription includes a continuous warranty and replacement sensors when needed. Crystal Water Monitor review Best Wireless Outdoor Security Camera Eufy SoloCam S340 4.0 Excellent The Eufy SoloCam S340 is one of the most feature-filled wireless outdoor security cameras available, starting with a built-in solar panel for keeping its battery charged. It also features dual lenses, 3K video, color night vision, mechanical pan and tilt, a built-in spotlight, and local video storage. That's a lot packed into a single camera, and it easily justifies its high price if you want to keep a close eye on your home. Eufy SoloCam S340 review Best Smart Lock Ultraloq Bolt Smart WiFi Deadbolt Fingerprint Edition 4.5 Excellent The Ultraloq Bolt Fingerprint is one of the most flexible smart locks we've seen for securing your front door. You can use an app, your fingerprint, a key, or a PIN code to unlock it. It also works with every major smart home standard except Matter. Ultraloq Bolt Smart WiFi Deadbolt Fingerprint Edition review Best Speaker for Outdoor Parties Sony ULT Field 7 4.0 Excellent If you really want to drive an outdoor party, the big and booming Sony ULT Field 7 is the speaker to get. It's a chunky, completely weatherproof cylinder with stereo woofer/tweeter pairs that can easily fill your backyard with music. It also has colored lighting effects and a mic input for karaoke. Sony ULT Field 7 review Best Smart Bird Feeder Bird Buddy Smart Feeder Pro 4.5 Excellent The Bird Buddy Smart Feeder Pro sends highly shareable snapshots and video postcards of the local bird population to your phone, while its companion app is smart enough to call out their species. Overall, the Bird Buddy is a charming piece of tech for naturalists and an Editors' Choice winner—if you're going to get a smart feeder, get this one. Bird Buddy Smart Feeder Pro review Best Video Doorbell Tapo D225 Video Doorbell 4.0 Excellent Besides a good front door lock, you probably want to be able to see who's knocking or who might be stealing your packages. The TP-Link Tapo D225 video doorbell offers sharp video, both local and cloud storage, and plenty of smart home integration options, and it's surprisingly affordable. Tapo D225 Video Doorbell review Best for Roku-Centric Households Roku Outdoor Smart Plug 4.0 Excellent Roku's Outdoor Smart Plug SE features an IP64 weatherproof build, and makes it easy to control appliances and other electronics with your phone or voice and conveniently tracks how much power they use. It's appealing if you also use Roku devices since you don't need to set up anything else to control the plug from your couch. It also works with Alexa and Google Assistant voice commands, but the TP-Link EP40A offers offers better third-party device support. Roku Outdoor Smart Plug review Best Outdoor TV SunBriteTV 55-Inch Veranda 3 Series (SB-V3-55-4KHDR-BL) 4.0 Excellent Most TVs aren’t built to survive the elements, let alone pouring rain, blowing snow, flying sand, or scorching heat, but SunBriteTV’s Veranda Series 3 is up to the task. It offers a few key advantages over previous Veranda models, including a brighter and much more colorful picture with support for Dolby Vision, as well as a full suite of Android TV features such as streaming media services, Google Assistant voice controls, and the ability to mirror your phone. Best Outdoor Party Lights Govee Lynx Dream Bluetooth & Wi-Fi Outdoor String Lights 4.0 Excellent Light strips are ideal for subtle effects, but if you want a more festive way to illuminate your patio, porch, or any other outdoor space, you're better off with smart string lights like the Govee Lynx Dream. Available in lengths of 48 or 96 feet, each string has dimmable multicolor LED bulbs that you can control with your voice or phone. They also support IFTTT applets, and you get a generous selection of preset lighting scenes and a fun Music Sync mode that's great for parties. Best Smart Door Feather River Doors Smart Glass 4.0 Excellent Smart locks and doorbell cameras might make your front door safe but don't add much to the aesthetic appeal. If you want to give your front door a real high-tech makeover, the Feather River Doors Smart Glass is a unique, expensive option. It's a door with a smart glass window that lets you flip between frosted opaque and completely transparent with the push of a button, a voice command, or an app. Feather River Doors Smart Glass review Protect Your Packages Yale Smart Delivery Box 4.0 Excellent Packages get purloined from porches pretty often, so protect those parcels with the Yale Smart Delivery Box. It's a large drop box you can secure to your porch so delivery drivers can safely set anything that will fit inside. Share an access code in the delivery details section of your orders from Amazon and other services, the driver will enter it into a keypad, the box will open, you'll get a notification, and the lid will automatically lock. Yale Smart Delivery Box review Best Smart Padlock Igloohome Smart Padlock 2 and Bridge 4.0 Excellent Smart locks are good for homes, but what about sheds and backyards? The Igloohome Smart Padlock 2 has you covered. It's a solid, waterproof padlock you can control via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. It supports unlocking directly through the app, or you can control who can unlock it and at what times by issuing one-time or scheduled PINs and Bluetooth keys. Igloohome Smart Padlock 2 and Bridge review Best Smart Mosquito Repellent System Thermacell LIV Smart Mosquito Repellent System 4.0 Excellent Pesky mosquitoes can ruin an otherwise enjoyable evening in your backyard, but traditional bug sprays are usually unpleasant to use. The Thermacell LIV Smart Mosquito Repellent System is a high-tech alternative that relies on heat-activated repellent cartridges to create 20-foot barriers of protection. The system worked well in testing and we didn't see any vapors or smell any chemicals. You get three repellers in the basic kit, but keep in mind that the system specifically defends against mosquitoes, which means other types of bugs might continue to buzz about. Regardless, it supports both app and voice controls for maximum convenience. Best Wood-Fired Smart Grill Brisk It Origin 940 4.5 Excellent The Brisk It Origin 940 works like any other wood pellet grill, giving you the ability to roast, smoke, bake, and barbecue without having to deal with the mess of charcoal grilling or the taste of lighter fluid. Moreover, it uses generative AI to offer up countless recipes that you can send directly to the grill. In testing, its AI supplied foolproof recipes for pulled pork and whole bass and the grill delivered mouthwatering results. Brisk It Origin 940 review Best Smart Charcoal Grill and Smoker Kamado Joe Konnected Joe Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker 4.0 Excellent The Kamado Joe Konnected Joe Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker helps you cook charcoal-fired food to perfection every time. This tank-like kamado grill is simple to use and clean, offers precise temperature control, and works with lots of high-quality accessories. The app is intuitive and has hundreds of recipes you can follow. Kamado Joe Konnected Joe Digital Charcoal Grill and Smoker review Best Smart Gas Grill Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill 4.0 Excellent The Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill is built to last and has plenty of smart tech features to enhance the cooking experience. It features Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity, an illuminated cooking chamber, a user-friendly mobile app, and hundreds of programmable recipes. Moreover, there’s plenty of built-in storage for utensils, cooking racks, and cleaning accessories. Weber Genesis EPX-335 Smart Gas Grill review

May 23, 20255 min readThe Creepy Calculus of Measuring Death RiskMeet micromorts and microlives, statistical units that help mathematicians to calculate riskBy Manon Bischoff edited by Daisy Yuhas M-SUR/Alamy Stock PhotoPeople are generally bad at assessing probabilities. That’s why we have irrational fears and why we overestimate our odds of winning the lottery.Whenever I have to travel by plane, for example, my palms sweat, my heart races and my thoughts take a gloomy turn. I should be much more worried when I get on my bike in Darmstadt, Germany, where I live. Statistically, I’m in much greater danger on the road than in the air. Yet my bike commute doesn’t cause me any stress at all.Recently, a friend told me about a concept within decision theory that is supposed to help people get a better sense of hazards and risks. In 1980 electrical engineer Ronald Arthur Howard coined the micromort unit to quantify life-threatening danger.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.One micromort corresponds to a one-in-a-million chance of dying during a certain activity. Do you want to run a marathon? The risk is seven micromorts. Are you going under general anesthesia? That’s 10 micromorts. To arrive at these figures, you first need detailed statistics. How many people engaged in these activities and died in the process? And the results depend heavily on the group of people being studied (their age, gender, and so on), as well as the geographic location.Better Living through StatisticsSurprisingly, the history of statistics doesn’t go back very far. In the 17th century, British demographer John Graunt pioneered mortality statistics by analyzing records of deaths and baptisms. But it would take another 200 years for society to recognize the social benefits of these approaches.Today the utility of this mathematical subfield is undisputed. Insurance companies and banks use statistics to carry out risk assessments. Statistical surveys make it possible to investigate psychological and sociological phenomena. Physical research would be unthinkable without statistics.Thanks to Howard and the micromort, the risks in our everyday lives can also be estimated with the help of statistics. By examining the proportion of people who die while undertaking a particular activity, he was able to create a general mortality risk for those activities.But more recently, mathematician David Spiegelhalter noticed something missing in Howard’s analysis: the micromort unit merely indicates how likely it is that a very specific action will kill us. This may make sense for a one-off activity such as climbing a mountain. But for long-term habits, such as regularly eating fast food, the measure is of only limited use.For example, smoking a cigarette causes just 0.21 micromort and would therefore be significantly less risky than getting out of bed in the morning at the age of 45 (which results in six micromorts). Smoking, however, has long-lasting negative consequences for the body that getting up in the morning does not. The long-term risk is therefore not recorded.So Spiegelhalter introduced the “microlife” measure to take into account the long-term effects of different activities. This quantifies how much life you lose on average by carrying out an activity. Each microlife that is lost reduces your life expectancy by half an hour. Two hours of watching TV each day might cost one microlife, for instance.One of the most significant differences between micromorts and microlives is that one of the two types of units compounds over time, and the other does not. If I survive my morning bike ride to the Darmstadt train station, my micromort count for that ride drops back to zero. The next day I start the journey again with the same risk.It’s different with microlife data: if I smoke a cigarette and then a second one an hour later, the time I’ve lost adds up. And of course, the mere ticking of the clock also shortens my available years of life. Every day 48 microlives are lost.But unlike micromorts, I can regain microlives. For example, a 20-minute walk provides me with around two microlives—that is, an extra hour of life expectancy. And eating a healthy diet with fruits and vegetables could gain you four microlives daily.Reality CheckAll these facts and figures are entertaining to read about and can make for interesting conversation starters—“Hey, did you know that this beer shortens your life by about 15 minutes?”—at least with the right crowd. But how do you calculate the microlives you lose as a result of an action?First, you have to compare the life expectancy of different people. For example: How does the life expectancy of smokers and nonsmokers differ? By taking this difference and dividing it by the average number of cigarettes smoked, we can calculate the average amount of time that each cigarette robs us of.This result is clearly inexact. The difference in life expectancy will also depend on factors such as a person’s gender, place of residence and age. These data can still be captured, but when it comes to general lifestyle factors, things get complicated. For example, studies show that many smokers generally have an unhealthier lifestyle and exercise less.Such correlations cannot always be calculated and accounted for. When it comes to smoking, however, there have been long-term studies that followed many people, some of whom stopped smoking at some point in their life, over several decades.These data make it easier to isolate the effect that smoking has on a person’s life expectancy. Such research suggests that a single cigarette is likely to rob a person of slightly less than the originally calculated 15 minutes of life if they have the other lifestyle habits of a nonsmoker. So should we be consulting statistics at the start of every day to maximize our lifespan? Perhaps we should be studying these analyses to engage in activities with as few micromorts as possible and try to gain, rather than lose, microlives?Not exactly. Micromorts and microlives can help you better assess risks. But you shouldn’t attach too much importance to them. After all, our world is complex. You may gain back two microlives during a walk, but you could also get in an unlucky accident along the way and be hit by a car. Ultimately, micromorts and microlives are just too simple a tool to evaluate the full range of consequences associated with an action. Exercise can improve your state of mind, which has a positive effect not only on your quality of life but also on your lifespan.That said, it can still be a source of comfort to turn to statistics—particularly when we want to understand if our fear is rational or not. For my part, I will try to remind myself of how few micromorts are associated with flying. Maybe that will help.This article originally appeared in Spektrum der Wissenschaft and was reproduced with permission.

We may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.There are certain limitations that I tolerate with apartment living. One of these that I begrudgingly accept is the lack of an outdoor grill set up. Apparently building owners don’t want flames spitting and embers glowing within 10 feet of their precious buildings—fine. But what if I could smoke meat with real wood pellets and also not set my apartment on fire? Well the Ninja Woodfire Outdoor Grill and Smoker is offering this opportunity. I’ve had my eye on it for a while now, and it’s finally on sale for Memorial Day.  Ninja Woodfire Outdoor 7-in-1 Grill & Smoker $249.99 at Amazon $369.99 Save $120.00 Get Deal Get Deal $249.99 at Amazon $369.99 Save $120.00 The Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker is an electric grill. I know, I know, many electric grills are basically glorified waffle irons, but the Ninja uses a combination of convection fan heating and an attached pellet smoke box to give you a lot more flavor than what a Foreman might. Unlike other air fryers masquerading as grills or smokers, the Woodfire Grill and Smoker is made to be used outdoors. It’s weather resistant, so you can build a permanent grill set-up with a stand and cover to keep it in tip-top shape. The regular Ninja Woodfire Grill and Smoker is on sale for $249.99, 32% off of its normal retail price of $369.99—this is the one I’ve been looking at because it has the smoke box, and that’s all I’ve coveted this whole time. However, the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect Premium XL is also on sale right now for $399.99, 20% off its usual retail price of $499.99. This one has two attached probe thermometers and Bluetooth connectivity so you can monitor your smoked duck from the living room with the Ninja Woodfire Pro Connect app. It’s a question of whether you’d like a few more inches of real estate and app monitoring. If you are cooking for a smaller household and you don’t mind checking the temperature yourself, go for the original. Bigger households or those hosting frequent backyard barbecue parties might get better usage out of the Pro Connect Premium XL model. Either choice is a great one for this weekend's festivities, not to mention the entire summer ahead. 

While other streaming services thrive on carefully selected and endlessly curated (meaning: limited) selections of movies, Tubi's a bit different: It feels like the Wild West, with everything from originals; to popular hits; to critically acclaimed favorites; to the lowest-brow, lowest-budget movies you'll find this side of an old Blockbuster. In that spirit, here's a sampling of some of the best stuff currently streaming on Tubi, and it's a wide variety—the streamer will not be pinned down. If you're unfamiliar, Tubi is a free, ad-based service, but generally I find the ads to be less obnoxious and less frequent than on other, similar streamers. Interstellar (2014) Christopher Nolan's mind-bending, but oddly plausible, sci-fi epic takes Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, and Jessica Chastain on a hunt through space and time to find a new home for humans in a near-future during which we've made Earth unlivable. You can stream Interstellar here.Color Out of Space (2019) Nicolas Cage is at his Nic Cage-iest in this H. P. Lovecraft adaptation about a family's descent into madness. A beautiful, horrifying, utterly unique sensory experience. You can stream Color Out of Space here.Friday (1995) An unquestioned classic of stoner comedy, Friday sees Ice Cube and Chris Tucker accidentally smoking weed that they were meant to sell. And who among us hasn't? The two slackers set out to borrow or make the money back during a misadventure-packed Friday. You can stream Friday here. Everything Everywhere All At Once (2022) Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan (alongside Stephanie Hsu and Jamie Lee Curtis) led Everything to Oscar glory a couple of years back, with Yeoh starring as Evelyn Quan Wang, a middle-aged immigrant running a laundromat with her husband. An IRS audit leads to a trip through a wildly outlandish, and ultimately emotional, journey through a multiverse of possibilities. You can stream Everything Everywhere here.Dune (1984) You've probably seen the recent Denis Villeneuve adaptation, but you might be less familiar with this messy and fascinating take from director David Lynch. Kyle MacLachlan leads an all-star cast in a movie that doesn't quite an achieve greatness, but nevertheless offers up a bevy of wild ideas, distinctive visuals, and Lynchian madness. You can stream Dune here. Some Like It Hot (1959) Tubi offers up a better assortment of classics than many of the other streamers, most of which have shifted to a newer-is-better focus. Hot stars Jack Lemmon and Tony Curtis as a couple of jazz-age musicians who run afoul of a mob boss, deciding to escape by posing as members of an all-female band (one that, memorably, includes Marilyn Monroe). Director Billy Wilder pitches the farce just right, at the intersection between smart and silly. You can stream Some Like It Hot here. Evil Bong (2006) No socially redeeming value here, just a goofy comedy horror movie about a bong that transports smokers to another planet, one where they're to be murdered by exotic dancers. Tommy Chong co-stars in this movie from Full Moon Features, purveyors of fine low-rent horror movies. You can stream Evil Bong here. Ghost World (2001) Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) face high school graduation, and a crush on Steve Buscemi, in Terry Zwigoff’s indie dark comedy. You can stream Ghost World here.Donnie Darko (2001) Jake Gyllenhaal stars in this memorable emo mind-bender about a troubled teenager who dodges disaster thanks to a bit of sleepwalking. An instant cult classic, it's the movie all the cool kids were talking about back in the day. You can stream Donnie Darko (director's cut) here, or the theatrical version here. Hollywood Shuffle (1987) Robert Townsend directs himself as Bobby Taylor, a satire about the perils of navigating the Hollywood system for an actor simultaneously too black and not black enough for the tastes of studio bosses. Through elaborate fantasy sequences and parodies of popular movies, Townsend creates a sharp and often extremely funny sendup that’s (sadly) still relevant. You can stream Hollywood Shuffle here.Barbarian (2022) One of the more divisive horror movies of the past few years (I love it), Barbarian stars Georgina Campbell as a woman who rents an Airbnb only to have a man (Bill Skarsgård) show up claiming that he also has rented the house. He seems nice enough, so she lets him in—enough of a premise for a horror movie right there, but Barbarian has twists that you'll never see coming. You can stream Barbarian here.Showgirls (1995) As with most of Paul Verhoeven's other films, it's possible to view his notoriously trashy film as either dark satire or unintended camp. It's tremendous fun either way and, though it quickly gained a reputation as garbage, it's far more watchable than many other better-reviewed films. You can stream Showgirls here.Rec (2007) This Spanish import is top-tier found footage, involving a group of firefighters on an emergency call who wind up trapped inside a building at the center of a creeping zombie infection. That limited, specific geography is key to the movie's brisk, efficient, and nerve-jangling effectiveness. You can stream Rec here.Planet of the Apes (1968) Astronaut Charlton Heston finds himself on an unknown (wink wink) planet in the distant future where he rather quickly finds himself in the power of the world's ape overlords. From a slightly goofy premise came this dark, disturbing, and timely fable. You can stream Planet of the Apes here. The Apartment (1960) Jack Lemmon and Shirley MacLaine star in this searing, bittersweet, but ultimately humane comedy. MacLaine's Fran Kubelik is an elevator operator having an affair with the big boss at an insurance company, while Lemmon's Bud Baxter gets ahead by loaning out his apartment to upper management for various extramarital assignations. The budding friendship between the two threatens both of their careers. You can stream The Apartment here. Whale Rider (2002) Pai is a 12-year-old Māori girl and the direct descendant of their tribe’s traditional notable ancestor, the Whale Rider—except that, traditionally, women can’t lead. Star Keisha Castle-Hughes became the youngest nominee for a Best Actress Oscar for her open, genuine performance. You can stream Whale Rider here. The Descent (2006) Getting lost in those caves is scary enough, even before we discover that we're not alone down there. The ultimate in spelunking horror. You can stream The Descent here.Menace II Society (1993) A searing, raw portrait of urban violence in the 1990s, the Hughes Brothers' film follows Caine Lawson (Tyrin Turner) and his friends as they struggle for a better life amid crime and poverty, but who find themselves drawn deeper into crime and cruelty. The performances here are all phenomenal. You can stream Menace II Society here. Beauty Shop (2005) This Barbershop spin-off follows widowed hairstylist Gina Norris starting over in Atlanta with her daughter, and opening her own shop when a job doesn't pan out. Queen Latifah is as delightful as ever, and is joined by a great cast including Alfre Woodard, Della Reese, Alicia Silverstone, Andie MacDowell, Kevin Bacon, and Djimon Hounsou. You can stream Beauty Shop here.Room 237 (2012) This fascinating documentary explores, without judgement, the many (and often truly wild) theories and interpretations around Stanley Kubrick's The Shining. Probably not what you're after if you want a bit of film analysis, but as an exploration of conspiratorial thinking? You could do a lot worse. You can stream Room 237 here. Terrifier (2016) Damien Leone's low-budget slasher series quietly build into a queasy empire, with the most recent film being a legit box office smash. Here, literal clown-from-hell Art stalks partygoer Tara Heyes and her sister Victoria (Scaffidi) on Halloween night. You can stream Terrifier here. Return of the Living Dead (1985) This horror comedy with punk style is both a knowing parody of zombie movies while also managing to be an impressively gory thriller in its own right that moves the whole genre forward. Plus, it’s got a great death-rock soundtrack. You can stream Return of the Living Dead here.Frankenhooker (1990) A disreputable and goofy but surprisingly effective horror comedy, Frankenhooker stars former Penthouse Pet Patty Mullen as the movie's take on Mary Shelley's monster, made in the image of a med student's dead fiancée and built from sex workers. The style and special effects here are pretty great. You can stream Frankenhooker here.Ghost in the Shell (1995) One of the best anime films of all time, at least when it comes to sci-fi and cyberpunk, Ghost in the Shell boasts impeccable style in addition to the thoughtfulness and complexity of its story. Major Motoko Kusanagi is a cyborg security agent hunting an enigmatic hacker known only as "the Puppet Master" in the rapidly approaching year 2029, a time when the rise of AI threatens even the idea of individual existence. You can stream Ghost in the Shell here. The Leather Boys (1964) A classic of British kitchen sink realism, a movement in the 1960s that saw hyperrealistic portraits of, often, angry teens and young people, The Leather Boys sees young couple Reggie and Dot becoming increasingly estranged when Reggie mostly wants to just hang out with his biker friends. Among those friends is Pete, who seems to be developing an attraction to Reggie that goes a bit beyond that of a typical biker bro. You can stream The Leather Boys here. North by Northwest (1959) One of Hitchcock's best (and that's saying quite a bit), North by Northwest is a nearly non-stop thrill ride, seeing Cary Grant's Roger Thornhill hunted across the country by criminals who've mistaken him for someone else. It's as funny as it is clever, and nearly impossible to stop watching once you've started. You can stream North by Northwest here.Lars and the Real Girl (2007) The sweetest, most charming movie about the romance between a man and his life-like love doll that you're likely to encounter. You can stream Lars and the Real Girl here.They Call Me Trinity (1970) A classic spaghetti western, Trinity (kicking off a trilogy, appropriately enough), stars Terence Hill and Bud Spencer as brothers Trinity and Bambino, who help defend a Mormon settlement from bandits and a land-grabbing Major (Farley Granger). It's a rare comedy to come out of Italy's obsession with westerns, and a lot of fun for it. You can stream They Call Me Trinity here. The Wiz (1978) Long before Wicked reinvented (or at least reinterpreted) L. Frank Baum, the Broadway musical on which this movie is based imagined Dorothy Gale as a Black teacher from Harlem. The joyous film version is nearly a who's who of Black talent in the 1970s: Diana Ross, Michael Jackson, Nipsey Russell, Ted Ross, Mabel King, Theresa Merritt, Thelma Carpenter, Lena Horne and Richard Pryor all play roles, while Quincy Jones, Luther Vandross, and Charlie Smalls all contributed to the music. You can stream The Wiz here. Cabaret (1972) Liza Minnelli and Joel Grey star in this essential musical about the good times and extravagant style of Weimar Germany giving way to the rising tide of fascism. You can stream Cabaret here.

The Amazon Memorial Day sale kicked off last Friday, but all of the other retailers have since come out with their own competing Memorial Day sales. Amazon has remained the most popular sale, however, so I decided to do some digging into what discounts are actually worth shopping right now and what you can probably hold off on buying. With Prime Day on the horizon, I've been on the hunt for only the absolutely best prices possible and have handpicked some deals I think are worth a look.The full Amazon Memorial Day sale includes a lot of discounts, but not everything that is currently discounted is that good of a deal. If you're trying to save as much money as possible, I'd recommend looking at the price history of that item on Amazon to make sure it is actually a good value. I've gone ahead and done that already for all of the deals listed below to save you some time.Amazon Memorial Day Sale - The Best Deals TodayLowest Ever Price65" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TVLowest Ever PriceThe New Apple iPad 11-inchLowest Ever PriceRing Battery DoorbellLowest Ever PriceThrone of Glass Hardcover Box SetLowest Ever PriceLEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian HelmetLowest Ever PriceKingdom Come: Deliverance IILowest Ever PriceSamsung 49" Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) Series Curved Smart Gaming MonitorSee it at AmazonLowest Price EverChar-Broil 3-Burner Cabinet Style Gas GrillLowest Ever PriceTraeger Grills Woodridge Pro Electric Wood Pellet Grill and SmokerLowest Ever PriceColeman Pro 45qt Ultra-Light Premium Hard CoolerLike I mentioned above, all of the deals I've listed here are at the lowest prices we've ever seen on Amazon. I took advantage of the CamelCamelCamel website to check the current prices against historical pricing on Amazon to make sure I'm only recommending actually good deals. The first major sale I recommend here is the 65-inch LG C4 OLED TV that's on sale. This is one of the overall best TVs you can buy right now and it very recently dropped to this new low price for the sale. The latest iPad model is also down to its lowest-ever price again after getting temporarily marked up. It's only been out for a few months, so any discount at all is noteworthy.Outside of the more expensive tech purchases, there are also some pretty decent Memorial Day video game deals within this sale. The one I've highlighted here is Kingdom Come: Deliverance II which only just came out this year and is already in the running for best game of 2025. A $20 discount may not seem like much, but it's a great price for a relatively new game that has already sold pretty well at full price. For more physical media, we've also found a few decent 4K movie deals not featured here as well as a new low on the Throne of Glass books.Finally, there are some noteworthy grill deals I couldn't help but include. Memorial Day sales are one of the best times of the year to save money on a grill and I've been looking to buy a new one myself. There's the standard Charbroil grill that comes in at a relatively reasonable price point that I'd recommend for anyone just looking for a decent backyard grill. Then there's the more impressive Traeger electric smoker grill that is great if you're looking to really get into cooking meats this summer. Both grills are currently at their lowest-ever prices on Amazon today.Should You Wait for Amazon Prime Day to Shop?The Biggest SaleAmazon Memorial Day SaleSee it at AmazonThe Amazon Memorial Day sale is tempting for anyone looking to save money right now, but it definitely isn't the biggest Amazon sale of the year. The retailer just recently confirmed that Prime Day will be taking place in July once again this year, and we expect that there will be much better discounts for that sale than there are now. So the question is: Should you shop now or wait for Prime Day 2025 or any of the other biggest upcoming sales?Unfortunately, it's hard to have an accurate read on what prices will be like even two months from now. The CEO of Amazon admitted last month that some prices may rise due to tariffs, but only on some products. It's unclear if that will still be the case in July and for what products specifically, but it's definitely something to consider right now if you're looking to save as much money as possible in 2025.It's also worth noting that Amazon Prime Day is really only available to Amazon Prime members, whereas the Memorial Day sales are open to all. If you don't plan on having a Prime Membership in July, now is still a good time to find deals.More Memorial Day Sales Live NowIf you're planning on doing some shopping outside of Amazon, there are plenty of other sales to choose from. I'd recommend checking out the Best Buy sale if you're looking for tech deals specifically, but they also have some great savings on appliances. There's also the Wayfair Memorial Day sale going on now that has an overwhelming amount of furniture discounts. Here are some of the biggest sales to check out right now:Tech and AppliancesBest Buy Memorial Day SaleSee it at Best BuyFurnitureWayfair Memorial Day saleSee it at WayfairRetailer SaleWalmart Memorial Day SaleSee it at WalmartPC and LaptopsHP Memorial Day SaleSee it at HPAppliances and FurnitureHome Depot Memorial Day SaleSee it at Home DepotClothing and Outdoor GearREI Anniversary SaleSee it at REIRetailer SaleTarget Memorial Day SaleSee it at TargetSelect DealseBay Memorial Day SaleSee it at eBayRetailer SaleCostco Memorial Day SaleSee it at CostcoShoes and SportswearAdidas Memorial Day SaleSee it at Adidas

Memorial Day weekend is still more than half a work week away, but the most of the sales have already arrived at some of the biggest online retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Costco, Home Depot, and Walmart. While prices may not be quite as good as Prime Day or the Black Friday season, these discounts are still a great opportunity to save money. To help you sort through what's live and what isn't, I've put together a quick list of all of the biggest Memorial Day sales already happening ahead of the weekend. I'll be updating this page with all of the new sales as they go live ahead of the weekend.The Best Memorial Day Sales Live NowThe Biggest SaleAmazon Memorial Day SaleSee it at AmazonTech and AppliancesBest Buy Memorial Day SaleSee it at Best BuyRetailer SaleWalmart Memorial Day SaleSee it at WalmartFurnitureWayfair Memorial Day saleSee it at WayfairPC and LaptopsHP Memorial Day SaleSee it at HPAppliances and FurnitureHome Depot Memorial Day SaleSee it at Home DepotClothing and Outdoor GearREI Anniversary SaleSee it at REIRetailer SaleTarget Memorial Day SaleSee it at TargetAppliances and FurnitureLowes Memorial Day SaleSee it at LowesSelect DealseBay Memorial Day SaleSee it at eBayRetailer SaleCostco Memorial Day SaleSee it at CostcoMattressesCasper Memorial Day SaleSee it at CasperMattressesDreamCloud Mattress SaleSee it at DreamCloudPC and LaptopsDell Memorial Day SaleSee it at DellPC and LaptopsLenovo Memorial Day SaleSee it at LenovoGaming chairs and desksSecretlab Memorial Day SaleSee it at SecretlabShoes and SportswearAdidas Memorial Day SaleSee it at AdidasFurniture and KitchenwareCrate&Barrel Memorial Day SaleSee it at Crate&BarrelKitchenwareWilliams Sonoma Memorial Day SaleSee it at Williams SonomaMattressesSleep Number Memorial Day SaleSee it at Sleep NumberAppliancesLG Memorial Day SaleSee it at LGClothingMacy's Memorial Day SaleSee it at Macy'sSportswear and Outdoor GearDick's Sporting Goods Memorial Day SaleSee it at Dick'sOffice FurnitureFlexiSpot Memorial Day SaleSee it at FlexiSpotGaming ChairsAndaSeat Memorial Day SaleSee it at AndaSeatTuft & Needle Memorial Day SaleSee it at Tuft & NeedleI've been covering and shopping Memorial Day sales for years and, honestly, I'm not that impressed with a lot of the discounts we've seen so far from these retailers. That being said, it is still fairly early in the week and I expect to see prices drop a bit more before the weekend. Memorial Day isn't until May 26 this year, and many smaller retailers will likely launch their sales closer to the actual holiday weekend.Should you shop Memorial Day sales or wait for better discounts?The biggest question around Memorial Day sales in general is whether you should shop now or wait for better deals later in the year. In the past, we could usually count on upcoming sales events like Prime Day and Black Friday to have the lowest prices of the year on just about everything. Unfortunately, there has been a lot of confusion around tariffs and price increases in 2025 and it seems almost certain that baseline prices on many goods in the U.S. are probably going to go up before the end of the year.If you're hoping to save as much money as possible in 2025, Memorial Day sales are definitely worth considering. Tariffs on most Chinese imports are likely to affect prices later in the year, so if you find a really good price on something you need right now, don't hesitate to pick it up before the price can go up.What Should You Buy During Memorial Day Sales?While there are certainly exceptions, I have generally found that the best Memorial Day sales tend to be for the same few categories every year. Unlike bigger shopping events like Black Friday, discounts tend to be more focused around home goods, consumer electronics, and clothing. Here's a quick breakdown of what is absolutely worth buying during Memorial Day weekend.Top Deals TodayAfter combing through all of the Memorial Day promotions that are already live, I've found that the Amazon sale has the best overall discounts. This includes things like a Star Wars LEGO set deal and discounted iPads that are at their best prices of the year. Below I've curated some of the top deals from that sale into a neat little catalog for you to browse.Lowest Ever Price65" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TVLowest Ever PriceThe New Apple iPad 11-inchLowest Ever PriceRing Battery DoorbellLowest Ever PriceThrone of Glass Hardcover Box SetLowest Ever PriceLEGO Star Wars The Mandalorian HelmetLowest Ever PriceKingdom Come: Deliverance IILowest Ever PriceSamsung 49" Odyssey OLED G9 (G95SC) Series Curved Smart Gaming MonitorSee it at AmazonLowest Price EverChar-Broil 3-Burner Cabinet Style Gas GrillLowest Ever PriceTraeger Grills Woodridge Pro Electric Wood Pellet Grill and SmokerLowest Ever PriceColeman Pro 45qt Ultra-Light Premium Hard CoolerFurniturePerhaps the overall best thing to buy during Memorial Day sales is furniture. Unless you're getting a really cheap nightstand from Ikea, furniture is generally expensive. Memorial Day deals are an excellent time to save a ton of money on pretty much every type of furniture, including desks, gaming chairs, and outdoor patio options. While you can find these deals at most major retailers like Amazon, Target, and Walmart, I'd recommend starting with the Wayfair Memorial Day sale. Though if you're on the hunt for a gaming chair specifically, the Secretlab sale and AndaSeat sales are the way to go. There are also some pretty good discounts at FlexiSpot on various types of office furniture, including popular standing desks.FurnitureWayfair Memorial Day saleSee it at WayfairGaming chairs and desksSecretlab Memorial Day SaleSee it at SecretlabFurniture and KitchenwareCrate&Barrel Memorial Day SaleSee it at Crate&BarrelOffice FurnitureFlexiSpot Memorial Day SaleSee it at FlexiSpotGaming ChairsAndaSeat Memorial Day SaleSee it at AndaSeatMajor AppliancesPurchasing a major appliance for your home is going to be expensive no matter when you do it, but Memorial Day sales can help mitigate that cost a fraction. Major appliances like refrigerators, washing machines, and ovens are all on sale right now across quite a number of retailers. You can find these deals at Costco, Best Buy, Home Depot, and Lowes currently. Some of the sales are straight discounts while others are a buy one, get one free situation. Below are the sales I'd recommend shopping if you're on the hunt for new appliances. Best Buy is a great option for most brands, but you can also get a free refrigerator from LG direct if you're only looking for the best fridge deal.Tech and AppliancesBest Buy Memorial Day SaleSee it at Best BuyAppliancesLG Memorial Day SaleSee it at LGAppliances and FurnitureHome Depot Memorial Day SaleSee it at Home DepotRetailer SaleCostco Memorial Day SaleSee it at CostcoAppliances and FurnitureLowes Memorial Day SaleSee it at LowesTVsThere are actually a lot of good times to buy a new TV throughout the year, but Memorial Day weekend is consistently one of the best times to find discounts on newer TVs. This likely has something to do with the TV release cycle as we are now about halfway through the year and the latest TVs have finally started to drop in price. If you're looking to buy a great new television for a good price, I'd recommend picking up the LG C4 that just dropped to its lowest price ever. However, there are already plenty of other TV deals to choose from.Lowest Price Ever65" LG Evo C4 4K OLED Smart TVLowest Price EverSAMSUNG 55-Inch Class QLED 4K QN85D Series Mini LEDLowest Price EverLG 55-Inch Class UT75 Series LED Smart TV 4K2024 ModelSony - 65" Class BRAVIA 8 OLED 4K UHD Smart Google TVMattressesAlthough mattresses technically count as furniture, I've broken them out into their own category because of the sheer number of Memorial Day mattress sales. Memorial Day weekend is far and away one of the best times to buy a mattress every year – you likely won't find lower prices even on Black Friday. Most major retailers have mattress promotions right now and you can find deals at Amazon, Walmart, and even Costco. However, I'd recommend shopping direct from the manufacturer to save the most money. The DreamCloud mattress sale will get you up to 60% off a new mattress right now.MattressesDreamCloud Mattress SaleSee it at DreamCloudTuft & Needle Memorial Day SaleSee it at Tuft & NeedleMattressesSleep Number Memorial Day SaleSee it at Sleep NumberMattressesCasper Memorial Day SaleSee it at CasperClothingHoliday weekends are almost always a good time to find discounts on clothes. This is largely thanks to their proximity to a change in seasons. In the case of a Memorial Day weekend, you should be able to find some of the best prices of the year on both summer and winter clothes. Winter clothes are most likely to be part of clearance sales during this time and you should be able to find good deals on things like jackets, sweaters, and other outdoor gear. Meanwhile, every major retailer will have a sale on some sort of summer-related clothing as we head into warmer weather. I'd personally recommend checking out the REI Anniversary sale happening right now as it is its biggest sale of the year. There's also an adidas sale that is pretty good if you're looking for some athleisure deals.Clothing and Outdoor GearREI Anniversary SaleSee it at REIShoes and SportswearAdidas Memorial Day SaleSee it at AdidasClothingMacy's Memorial Day SaleSee it at Macy'sSportswear and Outdoor GearDick's Sporting Goods Memorial Day SaleSee it at Dick'sLaptops and PCsIf you're looking to buy a new laptop or PC this year, I'd recommend making a purchase sooner rather than later. This is especially true if you're trying to find the best time to buy a gaming PC this year, because GPU prices are already on the rise. The best Memorial Day sales tend to be directly from the manufacturers, so that's usually where you'll want to look. Dell, HP, and Lenovo all have at least part of their Memorial Day sales live right now. You can also check out Best Buy and Amazon if you're looking for brands like Acer and LG at a discount, however.PC and LaptopsHP Memorial Day SaleSee it at HPPC and LaptopsDell Memorial Day SaleSee it at DellPC and LaptopsLenovo Memorial Day SaleSee it at LenovoTech and AppliancesBest Buy Memorial Day SaleSee it at Best BuyKitchenwareMany of the same stores that have furniture sales are likely to have discounts on kitchenware as well during Memorial Day weekend. There is a clear crossover between furniture and the kitchen, which means now is a good time to find discounts on things like dining tables and small appliances all at once. Major online retailers like Amazon and Target have discounts on these types of things, but if you're looking for only kitchenware deals, I'd suggest taking a look at the Williams Sonoma sale. It is a lot of higher-end stuff, so discounts like these are worth checking out whenever they come around.KitchenwareWilliams Sonoma Memorial Day SaleSee it at Williams SonomaGrillsIf you're hoping to pick up a new barbecue before the summer season, Memorial Day sales are arguably the best time to do so. Pretty much every major retailer that has outdoor furniture on sale is going to have grills discounted right now as well. Amazon, Walmart, Costco, Home Depot, and Lowes all of discounts on popular grill brands ahead of the weekend. I'm personally planning on shopping the Home Depot sale to get a new grill this year, so that's my suggestion for anyone else. If you happen to miss this sale, you can also find deals just as good or better near the end of the summer during Labor Day sales.The Biggest SaleAmazon Memorial Day SaleSee it at AmazonRetailer SaleWalmart Memorial Day SaleSee it at WalmartAppliances and FurnitureHome Depot Memorial Day SaleSee it at Home DepotRetailer SaleCostco Memorial Day SaleSee it at CostcoAppliances and FurnitureLowes Memorial Day SaleSee it at LowesVideo GamesMemorial Day sales aren't exactly the very best time to buy video games, but that doesn't stop there from being Memorial Day video game deals. Most of the discounts are from across a variety of retailers, but Amazon and Woot have the most prominent price cuts right now. Some of the most popular video games of the last year are on sale right now, including Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2 and Kingdom Come Deliverance II. GameStop is also having a surprisingly good sale with popular games as low as $15 right now.$15 and $30 Game Sale at GameStopSee it at GameStopKingdom Come: Deliverance II (PS5, XSX)Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2 (PS5, XSX)Dragon Quest III HD-2D Remake (PS5, XSX, Switch)Silent Hill 2 (PS5)Sid Meier's Civilization VII (PS5, XSX, Switch)Xenoblade Chronicles X: Definitive Edition (Switch)Star Wars Jedi Survivor (PS5, XSX)Star Wars Outlaws - Limited Edition (XSX)Suikoden I & II HD Remastered (PS5, XSX, Switch)Metal Gear Solid: Master Collection Vol.1 (PS5, Switch)Dragon Age: The Veilguard- Deluxe Edition (PS5, XSX)Final Fantasy XVI (PS5)Diablo IV (Xbox)Final Fantasy VII Remake Intergrade (PS5)Super Mario RPG (Switch)Call of Duty: Modern Warfare III (PS5)When Do Memorial Day Sales End?Quite a few Memorial Day sales still haven't gone live yet, so there is still plenty of time to shop before the deals are gone. Most Memorial Day sales will be ending at the end of actual Memorial Day – which is Monday, May 26 this year.Jacob Kienlen is a Senior SEO Strategist and Writer for IGN. Born and raised in Portland, Oregon, he has considered the Northwest his home for his entire life. With a bachelor's degree in communication and over 8 years of professional writing experience, his expertise ranges from books and games to technology and food. He has spent a good chunk of his career writing about deals and sales to help consumers find the best discounts on whatever they may be looking to buy.

The best Memorial Day appliance sales are some of the steepest deals you’ll find outside of Black Friday, so it’s a great time to shop the big-ticket items you’ve been eyeing all year long. From Bissell to Dyson, our favorite appliance brands at AD Shopping are getting in on the action right now with early sales of up to 40% off on gadgets big and small for your space. We spotted deals on everything from smart refrigerators to a top-load washer to streamline your daily routine—whether you’re springing for an upgrade or padding out a new home. And since summer is just around the corner, you’ll also find seasonal discounts on entertaining must-haves like a wine fridge, grill, or air fryer.Here, a range of appliance deals that are worth shopping in advance so you can actually spend the long weekend doing absolutely nothing.Our Top Picks for the Best Memorial Day Appliance Sales:Best Large Appliance Deal: Samsung Bespoke French Door Refrigerator with AI Family Hub + AI Vision, $4,699 $3,199Best Small Appliance Deal: Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream Maker, $199 $169Best Dyson Deal: Dyson Gen5detect Absolute Vacuum, $950 $800Best Grilling Deal: Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker, $549 $389Best Cooling Deal: Whynter ARC-14S Portable Air Conditioner, $599 $515Browse by RetailerFrigidaireFrigidiaire’s site is stacked with early Memorial Day weekend deals that let you score up to 35% off appliances, filters, and accessories. Its catalog of kitchen appliances, especially the wall ovens and electric ranges, is what makes it stand out to us at AD, and you can now get a versatile electric wall oven for over $1,000 off—including a matching over-the-range microwave with premium touch controls and fan convection functionality.Frigidaire Electric Wall Oven and Microwave CombinationFrigidaire Gallery Electric Wall Oven and MicrowaveAmazonAt the online mega mall that is Amazon, devices are their specialty. Deep in its Memorial Day deals section, you’ll find savings on everything from AD-approved air purifiers to a TikTok-famous Bissell cleaner. We’ve tested the Bissell Little Green Mini ourselves and given it high marks for its suction power and tiny footprint, but the full-size is just as good for a bigger home—and it’s up to 20% off now.Dyson Hot+Cool HP07 Air Purifier, Heater, and FanPhoto: Nashia BakerBissell Little Green Portable Spot and Stain CleanerDysonAD editors have gone deep on testing the best Dyson products, from vacuums to air purifiers. Right now, you can get up to $200 off our tried-and-true favorites, including the Gen5Detect cordless vacuum. It’s one of our top picks for cleaning hardwood floors, since it has the longest battery life out of all of Dyson’s catalog. Contributor Terri Williams says one of her favorite features is its optic cleaner head that cleans and polishes her hard floors. Plus it comes with several helpful accessories. “I find myself using the built-in dusting and crevice tool, which fits in tight spaces to pick up debris, and the combination tool that has a wide nozzle and brush for cleaning vents and other areas,” Williams shares.Photo: Terri WilliamsDyson 360 Vis Nav Robot VacuumDyson Gen5detect Absolute VacuumThe Home DepotMemorial Day is usually the unofficial start to grilling season, so if your outdoor setup could use a refresh, now’s the time to do it. The Home Depot is chock-full of deals up to 30% off in this category. The Traeger makes some of our favorite stylish grills, and this one has precise temperature controls and enough versatility to do everything from smoke ribs to bake a peach cobbler.If any other home appliances are on your wishlist, you can also take up to 40% off other appliances big and small like air conditioners, mini fridges, and more ahead of summer.Traeger Grills Pro Series 22 Electric Wood Pellet Grill and SmokerWhynter ARC-14S Portable Air ConditionerKitchenAidKitchenAid makes some of the most coveted, registry-worthy kitchen appliances out there, from cooktops to freestanding ranges, though their stand mixers are their signature. The brand is offering small appliance packages this week for over 30% off, including an artisan tilt-head stand mixer with a white mermaid lace bowl and pastry beater.KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer Value BundleKitchenAid Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer with Shave Ice AttachmentWalmartGet ready for summer with Walmart’s early Memorial Day weekend sales. Here, you’ll find deals on an ice maker that will be the life of the BBQ, plus an ice cream maker, the Ninja Creami, that’s worth buying while it’s marked down. “This popular appliance has been on my radar for a while since you can custom make seven different treats with the touch of a button: ice cream, sorbet, gelato, milkshake, smoothie bowl, lite ice cream, and mix-in,” says senior commerce editor Nashia Baker.Ninja CREAMi Ice Cream MakerFrigidaire Ice MakerSamsungWe recommend Samsung for major appliances that combine smart technology with sleek aesthetics. Take this side-by-side refrigerator, for example. With Wi-Fi compatibility, Aaron Nichols, a virtual appliance expert at Frontdoor, says this is one of the most “feature-rich smart fridges out there.” For starters, it has a 32-inch AI Family Hub+ touchscreen that can display family calendars as well as stream media. Plus it has AI vision to keep tabs on everything that needs a restock on your next grocery haul. Even better, you can get it for $1,500 off, along with other appliances.Samsung Bespoke AI Laundry All-in-One Washer & DryerSamsung Bespoke French Door Refrigerator with AI Family Hub + AI VisionLowe’sAnother old faithful for appliance deals is your neighborhood Lowe’s, which is cooking up several tasty deals to savor over the long weekend: Up to 40% off major appliances and 30% off grills and lawn equipment. To keep your kitchen spick and span, consider the GE built-in dishwasher with several wash cycles and noise levels at just 55 dBA (no louder than a regular conversation).Midea Fingerprint Resistant Top-Freezer RefrigeratorGE Dry Boost Top Control Built-in Dishwasher

We may earn a commission from links on this page.The only thing I didn’t love about the Mammotion Luba robot lawn mower I tested last summer was its size. It’s a hulking four-wheel-drive robot and I live in the city, where we don’t have huge lawns. Enter the Luba Mini, a halved version of the Luba meant for smaller lawns (and tighter budgets). In fact, if you paid attention this spring, miniaturized versions of some of my favorite technology were everywhere. These mini-me versions seem to be driven, according to the companies themselves, by two market needs. While smart home tech is incredible in terms of functionality and independence, it often comes at a steep cost. But it’s not just price driving the shrinking of our tech; many companies realized was that many folks wanted the automation even when they didn’t have an acre of lawn to mow or a wall of windows to clean. Here’s how a few of my favorite pieces of technology have shrunk themselves to become more accessible and affordable.Mini lawn mowers Yuka full size on the left and mini on the right Credit: Amanda Blum Mammotion released mini models of both the Luba (AWD) and Yuka (2WD) robot mowers, and I’ve been testing them for the last month. In terms of size, they’re perfect for most suburban and urban lawns under ¼ acre and have almost the same functionality as the larger models. That's the point, according to Senior Product Manager David Cheng, who told me, "We weren’t just shrinking our existing models—we were filling a real gap in the market for homeowners seeking smart, perimeter wire-free lawn care that fits smaller outdoor spaces."Mammotion’s mowers require an RTK tower, which is a highly accurate GPS method that allows for triangulation between the mower, the tower and satellites. Using your phone as a remote control, you walk the robot around the perimeter of your lawn to set up zones, and create pathways between zones so the robot can navigate on its own. The minis have a new benefit, which is the ability for them to map spaces on their own, without you walking them around. If your yard has clear borders, I found it worked as well as mapping the area on your own.   The larger Yuka comes with a hopper for grass clippings, which you can teach to dump the clippings anywhere you like—the mini doesn’t have that option. Still, I didn’t find the hopper very usable on the large version, so no loss there.  I did find the minis had trouble, regardless of which version of mapping you used, getting to some edges of the yard. If there were overhanging shrubs casting a long shadow, the AI would interpret that as a no-go zone, avoiding it altogether. Still, that was the only degradation of features I found between the models. The mini has another benefit: It’s a lot less conspicuous parked at the dock, given the size. While you can install a 4g chip in your robot and set up notifications in case someone grabs it and goes, you just know where someone has absconded with it to.  The models use the same app, and the minis mowed as well as the original models. At a dramatically lower price point, this gives you an excuse to invest in a robot mower if the thing holding you back was how large or expensive they are. Mammotion Luba full size robot mower at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now at Amazon Mammotion Luba Mini robot lawn mower $1,999.00 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $1,999.00 at Amazon Mammotion Yuka mini robot lawn mower $999.00 at Amazon $1,098.00 Save $99.00 Shop Now Shop Now $999.00 at Amazon $1,098.00 Save $99.00 Mammotion Yuka 2000 robot lawn mower $2,448.00 at Amazon Get Deal Get Deal $2,448.00 at Amazon SEE 1 MORE   Smaller smart grills The original Brisk It Origin Credit: Amanda Blum Last summer I tested all the smart grills on the market, and my favorite was the Brisk It Origin. Through the fall, winter, and this spring, I have used it extensively because it turns smoking (a merciless task that involves a lot of overnight grill babysitting) into a flawless, hands-off experience. You tell the grill what you want to make, and AI kicks in to tell the grill how to make it, and it will notify you when it's time to flip things over or add a baste; when it's done, the grill turns itself off.You can, of course, edit the smoking program, create one on the fly, or just use the smoker manually as a grill. I went from someone who never rarely smoked on the grill to someone who does so once a week. On my recommendation, a BBQ devotee up the block added a Brisk It to their three-smoker lineup and revealed to me that it has become their favorite. Still, the original Brisk It clocks in just under $600 so I was excited to test the Zelos, a smaller, less expensive Brisk It with all the functionality of the Origin, albeit with less real estate. My experience isn't that unique, according to Christopher Huang, CEO at Brisk It. "Over 70% of U.S. adults say they want to cook more at home, but cite time and effort as their biggest barriers...and while more than half of home cooks express interest in smart kitchen tech, only 15% actually use it regularly." the mini has about 80% of the space of the original, seen here. I fit a whole rack of ribs plus a tray of chicken, but couldn't fit two racks of ribs. Credit: Amanda Blum Even as a highly enthusiastic home cook willing to put in the time, I cannot deny how much utility I get out of smart home automation in the kitchen. A smart grill is out of this world, since the notifications and temperature reporting of the grill and food means I don't have to stand over the grill. Brisk It even helps control the stall that barbecued meats often experience. Last month, I set up the Zelos (a thirty-minute affair) and invited neighbors over. I was worried about the smaller grill space (the Origin has 580 inches of grill space to the Zelos' 450 inches). While I could fit more racks of ribs on the Origin, the Zelos accommodated a full rack, plus a whole tray of chicken thighs, and I used the upper rack to smoke an array of vegetables. It didn't escape my attention that because the smaller grill uses less fuel (both are powered by pellets, although the control unit requires electricity), I'd be more likely to use it more often. Again, the app experience is the same on both models, and is highly functional and, dare I say, pretty fun. The AI the program uses is great for finding new recipes, a function I find underwhelming in practice on other products. At a reduced price, the Zelos makes an awfully appealing Father's Day gift, since it will also free up Dad from watching the grill all day. Brisk It Origin 940 Smart Smoker and Grill $849.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $849.99 at Amazon Brisk It Origin 580 Smart Smoker and Grill $549.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $50.00 Shop Now Shop Now $549.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $50.00 Brisk It Zelos Smart Smoker and Grill $449.99 at Amazon Shop Now Shop Now $449.99 at Amazon SEE 0 MORE A smaller window-washing robot In full disclosure, the only reason I haven't tested a Winbot, the window washing robot, is that I simply don't have the window real estate. The Winbot is about 13 inches square, and works by suctioning itself to your window and then putting it through a four-step wash process. I know people with Winbots, and if you have large square or rectangular windows, particularly those where some portion of the window is out of reach, it seems worthwhile. If you've got arched windows, though, the Winbot struggles with shapes that don't match the design of the robot itself, which has 90-degree angles. The Winbot also isn't for curved glass. These may seem like a lot of limitations, but I spent the winter in Arizona looking at a lot of glass patio doors, patio rooms, and walls of dusty windows and thought, "Ah...this is what the Winbot is for." Except now, there's a Winbot Mini, with an 8.5-inch square footprint. At that size, almost all my windows are fair game, so I'm excited to try it out. That was the point, according to Michelle Jones, U.S. spokesperson for ECOVACS, who said, "We saw an opportunity to bring the power of our larger window-cleaning robots to homeowners in the U.S. who have smaller or segmented window panes and don’t need a fixed cleaning station."But Ecovacs also points to a more specific problem that a lot of smart tech products suffer from, in my opinion: By the time the company has worked out the tech, the solution is often overly complicated. Ecovacs recognized that, as well, and simplified the offering in the Winbot Mini. The Mini ditches the rubber bumpers of the larger model, but that means better edge-to-edge cleaning. The mini also gains more portability by not having a heavy station like the full size model. What the mini lost seems like a worthwhile tradeoff for the price: The large Winbot has twice as many cleaning programs and more safety features (12 to the Mini's 9), but in both cases, what the Mini has seems sufficient. Priced around $250, the WinBot Mini feels like a luxurious piece of tech within reach for most folks. [add to list https://www.amazon.com/ECOVACS-WINBOT-Window-Cleaning-Robot/dp/B0DR8W696Y] Ecovacs Winbot W2 Pro Omni $499.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $100.00 Shop Now Shop Now $499.99 at Amazon $599.99 Save $100.00 Ecovacs Winbot Mini $199.99 at Amazon Learn More Learn More $199.99 at Amazon SEE -1 MORE The Shelfy Lite the original Shelfy Credit: Amanda Blum For the last six months, I've had a Shelfy installed in my fridge. A small, charegable device, the Shelfy uses a catalyst on a ceramic filter, activated by LED lights in the device to mimic chlorophyll photosynthesis. To simplify, it purifies the air in your fridge to remove ethylene gas that ripens vegetables, and it removes odors and prevents cross contamination.I can confirm that it works to make your fridge smell better, and while I can't confirm the additional twelve days of freshness in vegetables that Shelfy claims, it has definitely added some shelf life to my fruits and vegetables.In particular, I notice the change in fruit. I buy strawberries and blueberries with some regularity year round, so I know traditionally how long they'd last before starting to form mold (two to four days). As long as I have Shelfy charged, I can get a full week out of strawberries and ten days out of blueberries. That's a huge difference that creates savings in my food budget. The CEO of Shelfy, Paolo Ganis, put a number to the savings, explaining that "the average family throws away approximately $1,996 worth of food each year—money that could easily be saved with better food preservation." Vitesy Smart Refrigerator Device | Extends Food Freshness $149.99 at Walmart Learn More Learn More $149.99 at Walmart Shelfy isn't large or particularly expensive (it's just under $150) but Vitesy has just introduced a Kickstarter for the Shelfy Lite, which will only be $66 (the project is already funded). "Through a number of user surveys, we consistently heard that people loved the idea behind Shelfy but wanted a version that was more accessible: smaller, more affordable," Ganis said.The Lite adds multiple modes to the device, one for the general fridge, one for the crisper drawer and a power mode for when someone buys a particularly stinky cheese. The Lite improves on the battery charging and performance over the original model, and comes in some additional accent colors, if you care about that sort of thing. The Lite is only marginally smaller than the original Shelfy, but at less than half the price, that seems immaterial.What I've enjoyed about the Shelfy is that there are no filters to replace; you simply wash and wet the ceramic filter when you recharge the device every few weeks. If you don't recharge it, there are no annoying beeps or notifications—it's been a quiet helper.A smart home hub for lessSometimes even I forget there are smart home hubs outside of Samsung, Amazon, Apple, and Google. But Homey, a hub that keeps all your connections local, has gained traction over the last few years since its introduction. Homey has a specific focus on automation through its "Flow" platform, which is a version of routines or automatons in any other platform. Homey fans claim Flow has far more flexibility, and although I've never found Alexa or Google Home difficult, Homey is noted for its appeal to beginner smart home fans. Still, at just under $400, the Homey Pro hub was an expensive way to dive into smart home tech, compared to other platforms. Jasper Foppele, head of marketing at Homey, was transparent about their strategy, explaining that their usage data and feedback made clear they had to rethink their offering. Instead of trying to offer everything (the Homey Pro supports 60 apps), the Homey product team chose the core technology they saw being used in the U.S. market (Matter, Thread, Zigbee) and winnowed the app coverage to the most common 25. "This approach allowed us to significantly reduce cost and complexity," Foppele said, "a privacy-first, locally running smart home hub priced at $199."The Homey Pro Mini still prioritizes local first connection, including backups, but it has an option for cloud backup. The Mini is on pre-order and will ship sometime this month.