Apple’s third-generation AirPods have fallen to their best of the year

Happy Saturday dear readers! In case you didn’t know, Mother’s Day is this coming weekend, which means you have about a week to pick up a gift if you intended to. We’ve collected a wide variety of choices in our Mother’s Day Gift Guide, but if you want a quick suggestion, Apple’s third-generation AirPods are again on sale at Amazon and Best Buy for $149.99, which is close to their best price yet.

In many ways, Apple’s latest earbuds are tailored for iPhone users. The third-generation earbuds feature automatic device switching, head-tracking spatial audio, and deeper Find My integration than the previous model, helping you pinpoint their location if you lose them. They also sound better than the second-gen model, offer IPX4 water resistance, and remain a great pair of earbuds for calling despite their shorter stems giving them a more subtle look, even though they’re still the most recognizable pair of earbuds in existence.

Read our AirPods (third generation) review.

If you own a PS5, you owe it to yourself to claim any games still offered through the PlayStation Plus Collection – a premium perk that Sony plans to eliminate on May 9. And if you’re not currently a PS Plus member, you can get it 12 months of the PS Plus Essential level for $48.49 (about $12 off) at Eneba when you use the offer code USplus before 7 a.m. ET on May 8.

The PS Plus Collection was Sony’s way of quickly bolstering the number of launch titles for the PS5 and demonstrating the console’s backward compatibility. It was also a small sampling of what was to come with the new PS Plus Extra and Premium tiers, allowing PS5 owners to play God of war (2018), Bloodborne, Resident Evil 7: Biohazard, and a bunch of PS4 hits without having to shell out any extra cash. Now Sony is taking away the first advantage, so it’s best to pick up all 19 games while you still can.

Fortunately, if you claim these games with the basic level Essential subscription, you’ll always have them registered to your account, even if your subscription ends and you resubscribe later. The biggest barrier to entry is that you have to claim them on a PS5 console, but you can play them on a PS4 afterwards.

Next week is Google I/O, and while we can’t guarantee Google won’t announce a new pair of wireless earbuds at its big developer event on Wednesday, we doubt it. That means now is a great time to pick up some of the Google Pixel Buds Prowhich are for sale at Woot for Forget readers for $149.99 ($50 off) with offer code PIXBUDSVERGE.

Google’s premium earbuds are to Pixel phones what the AirPods are to iPhones. They offer solid sound, multipoint Bluetooth support and up to seven hours of battery life with active noise canceling turned on, along with a comfortable fit and a few Pixel-specific features. These include easy access to controls via your phone’s settings window and head-tracking spatial audio, the latter of which enables a virtual surround sound experience regardless of your head orientation. Not every feature is a hit – the transparency mode, in particular, could use some work – but they remain the best pair of earbuds you can buy if you’re a Pixel owner.

Read our Pixel Buds Pro review.

There are a lot of iPads out there these days, but only one of them gives you that tablet experience in a portable size that’s perfect for reading. The iPadmini is that iPad, and the latest model currently matches its all-time low of $399.99 ($100 off) at Amazon and Target in the 64GB Wi-Fi configuration. If you need more space, Amazon is discounting the 256GB model for $539.99 ($110 off), a price you’ll see at checkout.

The tablet’s 8.9-inch screen and overall design mean it’s effectively a miniaturized iPad Air – which is fine. It is comfortable to keep on the sofa or at your desk for long periods of time, which makes it great for reading many articles, comics, manga, books, etc. Dedicated e-readers like Amazon’s Kindle may have a slight advantage because of their Glare-free screens, sure, but the Mini is also a tablet you can use to get other things done. Plus, pairing it with a second-generation Apple Pencil — which is also currently on sale for just $89 ($40 off) at Amazon — makes for a fun note-taking experience.

Read our iPad Mini (2021) review.

• Let’s face it: we all know how erratic Wi-Fi can be. Fortunately, if you’re looking for a relatively inexpensive way to wirelessly add an Ethernet connection to a room or boost your network connection over a small area, The RE315 Wi-Fi extender from TP-Link has dropped to $31.99 ($18 off) at Amazon, which is close to its best price yet.
• 8Bitdo’s ultimate C 2.4g wireless controller, which launches May 31, is now available for pre-order from Amazon for $29.99. It’s essentially a barebones version of the Ultimate 2.4G controller that isn’t customizable, but it still works with both Windows and Android – as well as the Steam Deck – and comes in some nice pastel colours.
• Case-Mate’s fuel charger still matches its lowest price yet at Amazon, where you can get it for $16.60 (about $13 off) in a matte white. The portable charger provides up to 30 watts of power over USB-C and has a foldable plug that’s easy to store, but it’s the old-fashioned transparent design that really seals the deal (no pun intended).
• Nomad offers a selection of iPhone 14 and iPhone 14 Plus cases at 20 percent off through June 1. Moreover, Forget subscribers can take advantage of an additional 20 percent discount when they enter the promo code VERGE14 at checkout, which means you can now pick up one of Nomad’s luxury modern leather cases starting at just $32.
• Siloa brilliant adaptation of Hugh Howey’s novels of the same name, has officially landed on Apple TV Plus. Fortunately, if you’re not already a subscriber to Apple’s premium streaming service, Best Buy offers both new and returning subscribers a three-month free subscription. All you need to do is follow the included instructions after making your purchase. Read our Silo judgement.