Black Friday is still weeks off, but prices are already sliding. Consumer Reports says it is seeing cuts on plenty of items ahead of the sale, and Mashable points to a gaming monitor sitting at a record low. Shoppers with a list do not have to wait for the Friday after Thanksgiving.
The monitor everyone is pointing at
As of October 20, the Asus ROG Strix 27-inch OLED gaming monitor is back at its lowest-ever price at Amazon: $549, down $100 from the $649 list price. Mashable describes a sharp QHD display (2560 x 1440) with a TrueBlack Glossy WOLED panel, a 280Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time. It works with NVIDIA G-SYNC and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro. A built-in proximity sensor blanks the screen once you step away, to guard against burn-in.
Gadgets under $50
Consumer Reports has put together a list of early deals at $50 or less that did well in its own tests and at-home evaluations. It is also tracking prices on everything it tests, with a deals hub for the rest. A few picks from the list:
The Chefman RJ38-2T air fryer, a CR Recommended model, is very easy to clean and quiet, with a dishwasher-safe basket. The Cosori Lite CAF-LI211 holds 1.7 quarts, fits a footprint of 9 by 11 inches and comes with a two-year warranty. The Hamilton Beach Gourmet 22996 two-slice toaster scored top marks for toasting, although testers warn its exterior and crumb tray can be tricky to clean. The Soundcore noise-canceling headphones fit well and cancel noise effectively, but the sound is only so-so, with bloated bass.
The Blink Mini 2 is the first outdoor version of Blink’s budget wired camera. It is on sale for 55 percent off its list price at several retailers, though the outdoor power adapter costs an extra $10.
Where the name comes from
In the United States, Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving. The label has nothing to do with retail profit, though. It first described the Fisk-Gould scandal of 1869, an American financial crisis. The phrase later attached itself to other bad days: the 1873 crash of the Vienna Stock Exchange, which set off the Panic of 1873, and the 1916 storm on Lake Erie that sank four ships.
Sources
- Black Friday
- Best Early Black Friday Deals Under $50 – Consumer Reports
- Best Asus deal: Save $100 on the Asus ROG Strix 27-Inch OLED gaming monitor
Photo: Silar (CC BY-SA 4.0)
