budget tech

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I gave my living room a $60 upgrade and my husband actually looked up from his phone

Ten minutes between bedtime and collapsing on the sofa is all the review time I get. A $60 LED strip and a camera-matched TV backlight made my living room feel like a different house — here's the honest case for smart lighting, including when the pricier Philips Hue ecosystem actually earns its cost.

Sofia Marchetti · Aug 28 · 6 min

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I bought and returned way too many Bluetooth speakers — here are the only 3 worth your money

The tiny cheap one, the just-buy-this do-it-all, and the party monster. A first-person, honest take on the Bluetooth speakers actually worth buying in 2026 — including the returns.

Maya Chen · Aug 28 · 7 min

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Three cheap MagSafe accessories that feel illegal for the price (one betrayed me on a pothole)

First apartment, tiny budget, and a phone covered in $10-30 magnetic things I now can't live without. The MOFT wallet stand, a $10 ring grip, and the car charger you should NOT cheap out on — honest, first-person, including what I returned.

Maya Chen · Aug 28 · 6 min

Deals

I gave up on cheap earbuds — then a $60 pair quietly ruined AirPods for me

I spent years buying bad budget earbuds. The Soundcore Liberty 4 NC fixed a part of my day I'd given up on — for a quarter of an AirPods price. Here's the honest case for buying cheap.

Maya Chen · Aug 28 · 6 min