Price alert: $0 for Audible, free $200 Samsung credit
Plus news recap + my Pro Tips on how to save even more money (scroll down). MacBook Air review later this week!
Two canโt-miss deals below!
Hello, from your friendly Neighborhood Swider-Man ๐ธ๏ธ,
Iโm on patrol for canโt-miss deals again, and I have two that are good enough to highlight with an email ๐จ alert to everyone.
๐ฆ Amazon deals
๐ Walmart deals
๐ท๏ธ Best Buy deals
๐ Tonight: $0 for 3 months of Audible
Amazon is offering $0 for Audible (3 months), a hangover deal from Amazon Prime Day. Itโs exclusive to new Audible subscribers who have a Prime membership or the Amazon Prime free trial.
Normally, new members get 1 month for free.
Honesty & disclosure: Iโve been an Audible subscriber since 2013, so while The Shortcut (and I) may make a small fee off deals, Iโll never recommend something I donโt believe in (and probably wouldnโt buy myself).
Hereโs proof:
Pro tip 1 to save $: I share both an Audible and Kindle account (using the same Amazon account) with my dad (we like some of the same books). I highly suggest banking audiobooks and digital books on one account with someone you trust. This way it wonโt take up your one (and only one) โFamilyโ Library Sharing slot.
Pro tip 2 to save $: Audible Premium Plus costs $14.95 for 1 credit a month. But a few Audiobooks cost as little as $7.95. Be careful not to spend your one credit on something that costs less than your $15 monthly credit โ sometimes the price is $7.95 for an audiobook when paired with the Kindle version. Watch out!
๐ฑ Sign up to get a free $200 Samsung credit
Sign up before August 9: Samsung is offering a $200 credit to its official Samsung Store if you โreserveโ its next phone, smartwatch and earburds. By โreserve,โ I mean you simply sign up and Samsung will remind you to buy these things with your $200 discount.
Thereโs no money down and youโre not actually required to pre-order these devices (rumored to be the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 4, Z Flip 4, Galaxy Watch 5 and Buds). You do have to purchase something to get any credit, but youโre not on the hook to actually make the transaction if you change your mind.
Why Iโm keen on this deal: It costs nothing to sign up and the $200 credit will vanish on August 9. Iโll have some people asking me โI forgot to sign up? Can I still get the $200 off?โ as soon as the phone and watch are announced on August 10 ๐.
Pro tip 1: This is likely to be a perk on top of a perk. For the Galaxy S22 Ultra (and other S22 phones), Samsung offered to bump everyone up from 128GB to 256GB and a competitive trade-in discount, so check back with me on August 10.
I like this deal for another reason (besides the savings): I unabashedly buy tech on day one โ mostly for review purposes. The problem is, usually, prices drop a few months after I purchase any new device. This is a nice discount for us early adopters who donโt want to wait.
Finally, a deal for the crazy patient ones!
๐ฐ News you may have missed
These Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle Pixel 6a skins are totally radical
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ข You can make your Google Pixel 6a look like a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle
๐ฅท Choose from skins that resemble Raphael, Leonardo, Michelangelo, and Donatello
๐ฐ TMNT Pixels skins are available for $24.95 and ship in August
๐ค Who is your favorite TMNT?
๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ฑRaphael
๐ข๐ฆ๐งโโ๏ธโ๏ธLeonardo
๐ข๐ง๐คช๐ฅขMichelangelo
๐ข๐ช๐ค๐ฆฏDonatello
Wild card: ๐๐ฃ๐ญ๐ฅSplinter
Netflix just lost 1.3 million subscribers. It's ready to woo you back with... ads
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ฌ Netflix lost 1.3m subscribers in the US & Canada in Q2 2022
๐ Good-ish news: thatโs fewer than the initially forecasted 2m canceled subs
๐ Better yet: Netflix anticipates 1m new subscribers in Q3; its stock is up 13%
๐ Coming in 2023: a cheaper ad-supported tier to bring more people back
New Netflix password-sharing crackdown method demoed
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ Netflix lost $50 billion in a single day in April 2022 after its stock fell sharply
๐ It says 100 million password sharers โundermine our long-term ability to invest in and improve our serviceโ and itโs testing ways to crack down
๐ Test markets in Latin America will see an โadditional householdโ fee
๐ฑ It wonโt lock out Netflix mobile users using phones, tablets and laptops
This LEGO Atari 2600 set is old-school cool, and marks the gaming companyโs 50th anniversary
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ The new LEGO Atari 2600 set launches on August 1
๐ฐ It costs $239.99 and includes 2,532 pieces
๐น๏ธ The front panel mimics the console with functioning switches
๐ You can build 3D vignettes of three classic Atari games
Samsung's new foldable phones launch August 10
Galaxy Z Fold rumors point to a lighter foldable phone, better cameras, and maybe a cheaper starting price, although nothing will be confirmed until August 10. For me, any change that gets a foldable phoneโs cameras closer to the top-notch Samsung Galaxy S22 Ultra (or any traditional flagship phone) would be welcomed.
Minecraft NFTs aren't meant for this virtual world
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ โโ๏ธ Minecraft bans NFTs and blockhain from its popular sandbox video game
๐ Why? NFTs create โscarcity and exclusionโ against the spirit of Minecraft
๐ซ No NFTs permitted anywhere: the client, servers and in-game content
๐คฎ Gamers have taken a hard stance against NFT integration
Discord voice chat is coming to Xbox consoles as PlayStation gamers wait
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ฃ๏ธ Discord voice chat is coming to Xbox consoles
๐ Youโll be able to chat to anyone on Discord via voice channels or group calls
๐ฑ Connect with friends across mobile, Xbox, and PC
๐ The update is rolling out to Xbox Insiders today
๐ข PlayStation gamers await Sonyโs promised Discord partnership to bear fruit
Amazon Prime Video is finally getting a redesign โ and it looks rather familiar
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐ Amazon Prime Video is getting a brand-new design
๐ The new look is similar to Netflixโs UI
๐ Itโs been in development for 18 months
๐ The redesign is rolling out now
Last of Us Part 1 trailer shows gameplay improvements after โhurtfulโ leaks
โก๏ธ The Shortcut Skinny
๐บ A new trailer for The Last of Us Part 1 shows off the gameโs improvements
๐คฉ The game can render at a native 4K at 30fps, or dynamic 4K targeting 60fps
๐ช Utilizes all of the PS5โs features, like 3D audio and the DualSense controller
๐ Includes new modes, costumes, and 60-plus accessibility options
๐ The trailer was released shortly after โhurtfulโ leaks appeared online