Advisorator Free: Roll your own deal alerts
The latest from PCWorld: Roll your own deal alerts
While I do my best to keep you informed on great tech deals in this newsletter, sometimes that’s just not enough. We can’t possibly anticipate everything you might want to buy online, especially when the products are too niche or when they fall outside the realm of tech entirely.
That’s why rolling your own deal alerts is an invaluable skill for saving money online. By setting up alerts and reminders for just the products you actually care about, you’ll stand less chance of missing out when prices fall, and you’ll avoid getting duped by “sales” on products with inflated list prices.
With Amazon Prime Day approaching, I’ve compiled some ways to track prices and find discounts online. It’s based on a couple of features I’ve previously written for paid Advisorator subscribers, and you can read it on PCWorld right now.
Last chance for Advisorator discounts!
Speaking of deals, I’m still offering discounted subscriptions on Advisorator memberships. Sign up by Monday, June 21, to get your first three months for $9 or your first year for $40. That’s a savings of $6 for quarterly subscriptions or $10 for annual subscriptions.
Here’s what you get as a paid subscriber:
- Weekly newsletter with in-depth features, more deals, and extra tips (here’s a recent sample)
- Additional deal alert emails when the best products are worth buying
- Personalized tech advice from me via email or live chat room
- The satisfaction of supporting an independent, ad-free, sponsorship-free publication
You’ll still get a 28-day free trial when you sign up, and cancellation is super easy if it’s not right for you. Thanks for your support!
Tip of the moment
5G networks compared: Wireless carriers love to boast about the strength and speed of their shiny new 5G networks, but knowing what to expect in your area is a challenge if you rely solely on their laughably broad coverage maps. That’s where OpenSignal’s iPhone and Android apps come in. Using speed tests from actual users, the apps can estimate average cellular download and upload speeds for any location in the United States, and they now let you filter the results to show only 5G coverage.
Thanks to OpenSignal’s app, I’ve learned that while AT&T advertises 5G in my neck of Cincinnati, no one’s managed to test speeds faster than the carrier’s 4G network anywhere near my neighborhood. It’s a welcome reality check after years of non-stop hype about 5G’s magical effects.
Spend wisely
Amazon continues to layer on more of its own device deals devices ahead of Prime Day (which actually spans two days) on June 21 and 22. Most notably, you can grab Amazon’s second-gen Echo Buds earbuds for $80, or for $100 with a wireless charging case. Either way, it’s $40 off the regular price for earbuds that received solid reviews and support hands-free Alexa voice controls.
Other highlights include the Echo Auto car adapter for $15, a two-pack of Echo speakers for $120, and the first-gen Echo Show 5 for $45. The full list of Amazon device deals is here. (Just be aware that the smart TVs’ list prices are marked up well beyond what they typically cost.)
Thanks for reading!
While I’d normally wait two weeks between free issues of Advisorator, I wanted to make sure you had some deal-finding tips in hand before Prime Day next week. And of course, I wanted to offer one more chance to grab a discount on an Advisorator membership. Subscribe now to get in-depth features every week, along with more tips, extra deals, and personalized advice when you need it.
Until next time,
Jared