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4 Jul 2025

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The Echo Spot hits its best price ahead of Prime Day, now 44% off
Prime Day is just days away and we’re already reveling in the early deals we’re spotting. Here’s one such deal: the gorgeous Amazon Echo Spot has been slashed down to just $45. That’s 44% off its $80 MSRP and matches the best price it’s ever been. The 2024 version of the Echo Spot has a sleek redesign that sets it apart from previous models. Instead of the big speaker we normally associate with the Echo line, this one is more of a proper digital display with the speaker as more of a supplement. This change in design makes it easy to spot the time, weather, or media playback at a glance. While you won’t need to ask Alexa about the time anymore since it’s all there on the display, the voice assistant is still easy to access. Voice commands are all you need to trigger Alexa and you’ll quickly get answers to all your questions. Controlling music playback, turning lights on and off, setting up reminders, and so on, are all on the “menu.” If you’ve been wanting an Echo but waiting for the right time to get one, this isn’t a bad time to jump in. Get the Amazon Echo Spot for $45 before this early Prime Day deal expires. You’ll need Prime, but you can get started with a 30-day Prime free trial if you aren’t a member yet. And be sure to check out our Prime Day deals coverage for all the best sales and discounts worth jumping on next week! Get the elegant Echo Spot with a 44% discount while you canBuy now at Amazon

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Samsung’s 34-inch ultrawide 1440p monitor just dropped to its best price
There are times when I think my workstation monitors are more than OK… and then I see discounts like this one for the 34-inch Samsung ViewFinity S50GC. It makes me reconsider. Now available for $220 on Amazon, this monitor that was once $330 has dropped to its all-time best price. This is an LCD monitor with a 34-inch diagonal, an ultrawide 3440×1440 resolution, and a pretty good 100Hz refresh rate, which makes it suitable both for office work and some light gaming. It’s not a gaming monitor, to be clear, but it’s more than enough for casual fare between the refresh rate and the not-fast-not-slow 5ms response time. This monitor is pretty versatile, too, featuring two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort. You can easily connect it to two or three devices and switch inputs between them without fiddling with cables, which is great when you’re moving from your laptop to your mini PC, for example. Even better, this monitor supports both Picture by Picture and Picture in Picture modes, so you can use two sources together. A 34-inch ultrawide 1440p monitor for just $220? That’s an excellent deal, especially from a top-tier brand like Samsung. Get it before this limited-time deal ends! Meanwhile, if you’re curious about other monitors, check out our best early Prime Day monitor deals and our ultimate roundup of the best monitors worth your money. Samsung's 34-inch ultrawide 1440p monitor has never been cheaperBuy now at Amazon

This ethical hacker’s one tip changed how I think about digital scams
Scams existed before the internet, but being online makes them so much worse. A grifter can steal money faster by flooding the world with so many different tactics, like fake text messages, deceptive emails, malicious websites, and bad search engine results. Trying not to get tripped up is complicated. It’s something I’m always aware of when sharing best practices with others. But when I recently spoke with ethical hacker Mike Danseglio, I got a surprise tip that makes avoiding scams so much easier. Be suspicious. Most people start from a place of trust first. But constantly scanning for ill intent is more work for our brains—especially now as scammers get more sophisticated and persistent. Instead, if you default to thinking it could be a trick, you’ll naturally screen more carefully. At least, I know I do. I ask myself more detailed questions, like who exactly is contacting me and if they have a good reason to. As for what to do next, Danseglio believes in an equally simple approach. Don’t ignore all messages—some will be legitimate. Just follow up directly, instead of using the links or phone numbers given to you. Use contact information from your bank cards or the bank’s official site.Pixabay (Ex: Get a text from your bank about fraudulent activity? Find the phone number for customer service on your credit card or the company’s website, then initiate the call yourself. Or if a website instructs you to change a password after an account breach, open a separate tab and sign in independently. And if your friend calls and says they’re in jail for causing a car accident? First try calling your saved number for them.) This overall recipe for avoiding scams (wariness + direct contact) is very simple to remember. And more importantly, follow. It’s a heck of a lot easier than trying to memorize every piece of advice on how to avoid specific scams—which is still helpful to read when journalists and experts share those details (hi) for basic familiarity with what’s out there. (Threats keep changing, and much faster than even five years ago, too.) But realistically, it’s easier to go back and search for specific tips when you need them. Of course, online dangers are more than just scams—attackers can steal money, accounts, and other valuable information through other methods. Keeping antivirus software up to date, using a password manager to create and manage unique strong passwords, and minimizing how much personal info you share online are vital, too. You can hear myself and other PCWorld staff members discuss this with Danseglio in our chat with him on The Full Nerd, our weekly show. Our chat includes a whole segment on Windows 10 security, a looming issue with its end of life coming this October.