World News
My Favorite Deals for Amazon Prime Day
![](https://i0.wp.com/lifehacker.com/imagery/articles/01J30SP315KJPR6E7JDB06GTWG/hero-image.fill.size_1200x675.png?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
Credit: Product image courtesy of Amazon.
It’s no secret that there are a lot of bad Amazon deals on Prime Day, so sometimes it helps to have a real-life human being weed out the junk. As a tech shopping writer, my job is to find good deals and to test products that will make your life easier. Below, you’ll find a list of Prime Day deals comprised of the many products I’ve tested over the years that have improved my life, and that might improve yours, too.
Brake Pad/Magnetic Stationary Bike with Exclusive App, Low Noise Indoor Cycling Bike
Merach Exercise Bike
$189.99
at Amazon
$299.99
Save $110.00
![MERACH Exercise Bike, Brake Pad/Magnetic Stationary Bike with Exclusive App, Low Noise Indoor Cycling Bike with 270lbs Weight Capacity, Dumbbell Rack and Free Fitness Courses](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/04fJzU2lxR2kPCmAoXf8l32/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231178.jpg)
$189.99
at Amazon
$299.99
Save $110.00
PoE Security Camera System, IP Outdoor Camera in 180 Degree Ultra-Wide Angle, Human/Vehicle/Pet Aler
Reolink 4K Floodlight Camera
$119.99
at Amazon
$189.99
Save $70.00
![REOLINK 4K Floodlight Camera for PoE Security Camera System, IP Outdoor Camera in 180 Degree Ultra-Wide Angle, Human/Vehicle/Pet Alerts, 1800 Lumen Floodlights, Two Way Talk](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/04bFWrwQLJkDH9l51ylffde/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231239.jpg)
$119.99
at Amazon
$189.99
Save $70.00
100% Wire-Free Security Cameras Wireless Outdoor for Home Surveillance with Fixed Solar Panel, 360°
Aosu Solar Camera Security Outdoor
$50.99
at Amazon
$79.99
Save $29.00
![AOSU Solar Camera Security Outdoor - 100% Wire-Free Security Cameras Wireless Outdoor for Home Surveillance with Fixed Solar Panel, 360° Panoramic View, Human Auto Tracking, 2K Color Night Vision](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/05jqGNqsmIK0zpqpELIEG8y/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231359.jpg)
$50.99
at Amazon
$79.99
Save $29.00
Wired 5MP Outdoor Video Doorbell, 5G&2.4G WiFi Security Camera System, Smart Detection Local Storage
Reolink Doorbell WiFi Camera
$69.99
at Amazon
$95.07
Save $25.08
![Reolink Video Doorbell](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/03aY8fBL2YDhZj0qbQYysSN/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1707275814.png)
$69.99
at Amazon
$95.07
Save $25.08
Comes with Keypad Touch, Fingerprint Keyless Entry Door Lock, Bluetooth Electronic Deadbolt.
SwitchBot WiFi Smart Lock Pro Bundle
$139.99
at Amazon
$199.99
Save $60.00
![SwitchBot WiFi Smart Lock Pro with Keypad Touch, Fingerprint Keyless Entry Door Lock, Bluetooth Electronic Deadbolt, IP65 Weatherproof, Fits Your Existing Deadbolt, Supports Matter, Alexa and Google](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/03kSGaPPbn2Fc400F35MukF/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231724.jpg)
$139.99
at Amazon
$199.99
Save $60.00
Alkaline Mineral pH+ Reverse Osmosis System, NSF/ANSI 58&372 Certified, 1200 GPD Fast Flow RO Water
Waterdrop X12 Reverse Osmosis Water Filter
$899.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $400.00
![Waterdrop X12 Alkaline Mineral pH+ Reverse Osmosis System, NSF/ANSI 58&372 Certified, 1200 GPD Fast Flow RO Water Filter, 11-Stage Filtration Tankless RO System, 3:1 Pure to Drain, UnderSink, BPA Free](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/05BuDowd9Bewl8FDpwJ7iJO/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231784.jpg)
$899.00
at Amazon
$1,299.00
Save $400.00
Wireless Portable Speaker: 10W Loud Deep Bass Sound, IP67 Waterproof Bike Speaker with Bluetooth 5.3
Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Portable Speaker
$47.99
at Amazon
$79.99
Save $32.00
![Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 Wireless Portable Speaker: 10W Loud Deep Bass Sound, IP67 Waterproof Bike Speaker with Bluetooth 5.3, 12Hrs Playtime Long Battery Powerbank for Camping Travel Hiking](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/060wH1kYMzHEdOg1SjHmOg5/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231966.jpg)
$47.99
at Amazon
$79.99
Save $32.00
IC Insert, LLM AI Generated Lighting, LightBeats Music Sync, AI Facial Recognition, Voice Control
Lepro N1 AI Smart RGB Rope Light
$35.99
at Amazon
$59.99
Save $24.00
![Lepro N1 AI Smart RGB Rope Lights with IC Insert, LLM AI Generated Lighting, LightBeats Music Sync, AI Facial Recognition, Voice Control Via App, 9.84ft Wi-Fi & Bluetooth LED Strip Lights for Bedroom](https://lifehacker.com/imagery/product/01deEZeci7sapVCNTxyPzjX/hero-image.fill.size_autoxauto.v1721231907.jpg)
$35.99
at Amazon
$59.99
Save $24.00
A great exercise bike for $150
I got the Merach Exercise Bike after having surgery for a torn ACL. My physical therapy required me to build muscle back on my leg by exercising multiple times a week, so I figured an exercise bike would help. I can’t attribute all of my improvements to this bike, but it definitely helped a lot. The bike is incredibly affordable for the quality it offers, coming in at just $149.99 (originally $299.99) after using the $30 on-page coupon. It is silent, smooth, and can be hooked up to an app.
A subscription-free floodlight camera for $120
I got the Reolink 4K Floodlight Camera after a break-in at my house to increase the security presence. I wanted a camera without a monthly subscription fee, and this camera did the job. The light is powerful and can illuminate my whole backyard (about 35 feet by 50 feet). It has a view of 180 degrees, two-way talk, and live view with playback as well (though that requires an SD card). My favorite part is that it is PoE (power over ethernet), meaning it just needs an ethernet cable to give it both power and an internet connection. Once you set it up, you’re good to go. Get it for $119.99 ($189.99).
A subscription-free video doorbell with a chime for $70
I also got Reolink’s video doorbell, available for $69.99 (originally $95.07), and it has been my favorite video doorbell so far for a couple of reasons. Firstly, it is affordable and has no subscription fee. It also includes a chime that I can plug in anywhere in the home. It was also easy to install and gave me the option to be wired or wire-free during setup. The 180-degree field of view is also impressive for a doorbell camera. The app is well-made and responsive. It doesn’t include a microSD card though (you’ll need it for storage, like the camera).
A wifi solar camera without a subscription fee for $51
Another camera I was impressed with was the Aosu Solar Camera, currently $50.99 (originally $79.99). This camera is one of the best I’ve tested. It’s also incredibly simple to install. The app is the smoothest and most responsive I’ve used. If you have a sunny spot where you could use a 360-degree camera that follows people around, I highly recommend this one. There is no subscription fee, but you’ll need an SD card for it.
The SwitchBot Wifi Smart Lock Pro bundle for $140
A smart lock has made my life much better. Out of all the ones I have tested, the SwitchBot Smart Lock Pro is my favorite. It has the best app experience, the easiest setup (it literally took about three minutes), and gave me the least problems once it was up and running. For $139.99 (originally $199.99), you’ll get everything you need to come in and out with a swipe of a finger and open/close it remotely.
A reverse osmosis water filter for $400 off
I’ve always wanted a reverse osmosis water filter, and according to the CDC, they also make your water taste better. Admittedly, though, they are not cheap. But if you care about your water quality, it is worth the price. The Waterdrop X12 for $899 (originally $1,299) was surprisingly easy to install and simple to use, something I can’t say about other RO systems I’ve tested.
My favorite portable speaker for $43
I took the Tribit Stormbox Micro 2 with me on my last trip abroad, and it became my favorite one before I even got back home. The battery is very resilient for its size, with about 12 hours of playtime. The sound that comes out of the small speaker is also impressive. It has a very powerful and balanced sound with a thumping bass. You can get it for $47.99 (originally $79.99) after using the $5 on-page coupon.
The Lepro N1 Smart Light for $26
Okay, this light strip didn’t change my life, but it did make it look nicer. There are many light brands out there that do what the Lepro N1 Smart Rope light does (change colors and make an area of your home look very nice), but Lepro is one of the most affordable ones I’ve seen, making it more financially viable for larger home projects. This nine-and-some-change feet light strip is $25.99 (originally $59.99) and can dance with your music or change to whatever colors you tell it with your voice in the app.
World News
Missing California mother found dead near hiking trail after partner threatened 3-year-old daughter: police
![](https://i1.wp.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/missing-mother-found-dead-trail-thumb.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
A missing mother in Northern California was found dead near a hiking trail in the mountains on Sunday, hours after authorities say the woman’s partner threatened their 3-year-old daughter with a knife and charged at a police officer.
The body of Lizbeth Arceo Sedano, 25, was found around 9:40 a.m. near Eureka Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains, the Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies responded to the call and investigators determined the body belonged to the 25-year-old mother, who had been reported missing in Watsonville a day earlier.
Sedano’s family reported her missing after the mother’s partner, Joshua Gonzalez, called the Watsonville Police Department from outside the police station at around 9:20 p.m. Saturday and threatened to harm their 3-year-old daughter, the department said.
IDAHO 5-YEAR-OLD FOUND DEAD AFTER WANDERING AWAY FROM HIS BIRTHDAY PARTY: POLICE
![hiking trail where Sedano's body was found](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/body-found-santa-cruz-hiking-trail.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Sedano’s body was found around 9:40 a.m. Sunday near Eureka Canyon Road and Grizzly Flat Road in the Santa Cruz Mountains. (Santa Cruz County Sheriff’s Office)
A responding officer exited his patrol car and ordered Gonzalez to drop the knife. Gonzalez ignored the officer’s command, according to police, and instead charged toward the officer.
![Lizbeth Arceo Sedano](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/Lizbeth-Arceo-Sedano.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
The death of 25-year-old Lizbeth Arceo Sedano is being investigated as suspicious, the sheriff’s office said. (Watsonville Police Department)
The officer then opened fire on Gonzalez, who was injured and taken to an out-of-county trauma center, where he is in stable condition, police said.
![Joshua Gonzalez](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2024/08/1200/675/Joshua-Gonzalez.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Sedano’s partner, Joshua Gonzalez, was taken into custody after threatening to harm their 3-year-old daughter with a knife and charging at a police officer, mere hours before Sedano’s body was found, authorities said. (Watsonville Police Department)
The three-year-old child was unharmed and was under the care of family members.
TEXAS FAMILY MISSING ON ALASKA VACATION AFTER BOAT CAPSIZES OFF COAST
The sheriff’s office said Sedano’s death “is being investigated as suspicious.”
“Cause and manner will be determined by our Forensic Pathologist and detectives will continue to investigate this case,” the sheriff’s office said.
World News
Government concerned by immigration lawyer ‘hitlist’
![](https://i1.wp.com/ichef.bbci.co.uk/news/1024/branded_news/b7bb/live/250e9a00-549c-11ef-817d-8d7d33a17453.jpg?w=1200&resize=1200,0&ssl=1)
The government says social media platforms “clearly need to do far more” after it emerged a list purporting to contain the names and addresses of immigration lawyers was being spread online.
Initially shared on the Telegram messaging app – along with the phrase “no more immigration” – it has now begun appearing on other platforms.
Lawyers have told the BBC they have been advised by police to work from home, board up office windows and install fireproof letterboxes.
Jim McMahon, minister for Housing, Communities and Local Government, told the Today programme, on BBC Radio 4, that he was “concerned”.
The Law Society of England and Wales said it was treating the list as a “very credible threat” to its members.
“This week has been a stark reminder that the anti-lawyer rhetoric has very real-world consequences for solicitors working tirelessly for their clients, access to justice and the rule of law,” said its president Nick Emmerson.
“We don’t know if they will transpire to be protests like we’ve seen in other places or whether it’s a list that’s intended just to cause alarm and distress or even to provoke,” Mr McMahon said.
“But to be clear we are absolutely prepared in terms of our policing response, in terms of our prosecutor response, and also in terms of our court response.”
The BBC has approached Telegram for comment on the spreading of the list – it is yet to respond.
However, in a previous statement about the unrest it said its moderators were “actively monitoring the situation and are removing channels and posts containing calls to violence.”
It said such “calls to violence” were explicitly forbidden in its terms of service.
Mr McMahon warned people could “expect the full force of the law” if they “cross the line”, whether it is “on the street or online”.
The Telegram group was created just hours after the killing of three children at a holiday club in Southport, on Merseyside, on 29 July.
That triggered waves of unrest in England and Northern Ireland, partly fuelled by far-right activists and online misinformation.
One immigration lawyer on the list told the BBC she had been repeatedly threatened, and received messages on Monday telling her she was “on a hitlist”.
Mr McMahon would not be drawn on whether Telegram could be told to remove channels where the list is being spread, or whether the messaging app could be blocked altogether.
He said it was important that police and prosecutors were able to do their jobs “without any political interference”.
Mark Webster, the chief constable of Cleveland Police, told Today people should be “very careful” about “naming individual premises or saying what we’re doing individually in forces”.
“You will see an awful lot of resource today and over the following days to make sure we can manage responses to all of the intelligence that comes in,” he said.
He urged people to focus on official communications online, and not to “react to things on social media from sources you can’t verify”.
World News
California earthquake: Magnitude 5.2 quake rattles SoCal
![](https://ca-times.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/99cdd9a/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1622x852+0+148/resize/1200x630!/quality/75/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcalifornia-times-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2F28%2F8e%2Ff695d126453da1062362a18ec750%2Fla-mwe-earthquake-usgs.jpg)
A magnitude 5.2 earthquake, centered about 18 miles southwest of Bakersfield, was felt across a wide swath of Southern California on Tuesday night.
The earthquake, originally estimated at magnitude 5.3, struck at 9:09 p.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was followed by dozens of aftershocks of magnitude 2.5 and up, including a magnitude 4.5 earthquake that occurred less than a minute after the first, and a magnitude 4.1 temblor at 9:17 p.m.
The epicenter was in sparsely populated farmland, about 14 miles northwest of the unincorporated community of Grapevine in Kern County, 60 miles northwest of Santa Clarita, and about 88 miles northwest of downtown Los Angeles.
Two minutes after the earthquake hit, a large boulder — the size of an SUV — was reported blocking multiple southbound lanes of Interstate 5, about a mile south of Grapevine Road, the California Highway Patrol said. The boulder was still blocking lanes of traffic at least an hour after the earthquake.
The area closest to the epicenter felt “very strong” shaking as defined by the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale; that zone includes a section of the California Aqueduct, which transports water from Northern California to Southern California.
By the time shaking was felt in more populated areas, including Bakersfield, Santa Clarita and Ventura, the USGS calculated that only “weak” shaking was felt, which can rock standing cars and cause vibrations in a building similar to the passing of a truck.
Some residents affected by the quake reported an extended period of shaking. One person in Los Feliz felt 45 seconds of movement, with at least three different waves — one weak, followed by a strong one, then again a weak one. In South Pasadena and Whittier, people felt about 20 seconds of shaking, contained in two distinctive waves.
In Pasadena, seismologist Lucy Jones said she felt about three seconds of shaking.
There were no immediate reports of damage. And not everyone felt the earthquake. L.A. County Sheriff’s Deputy Jose Gomez said he didn’t feel the shaking during his drive into work at the sheriff’s Santa Clarita station. No damage was reported there.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said no significant damage was reported within city limits.
The USGS said the quake was felt across the Los Angeles Basin and inland valleys and in Santa Maria, Bakersfield and Fresno.
Many Southern California residents described getting alerts from the USGS’ earthquake early warning system, such as through the MyShake app or on their Android phones. (The earthquake early warning system is automatically installed on Android phones, but people with Apple iOS phones need to install the MyShake app to get the most timely alerts.)
One person described getting 30 to 45 seconds of warning before feeling the shaking arrive. Another person, in east Anaheim, reported 30 seconds of warning before shaking arrived.
Jones, a research associate at Caltech, said the duration of shaking can vary so much in the L.A. area because the length of time the earth moves at any given spot can depend on the soil and rocks beneath the location, whether a person is sitting still or moving around, and even whether an individual is on the ground floor or on top of a skyscraper — those on higher floors feel the shaking more strongly.
The reason some people may have felt more than one wave of shaking is that the first aftershock occurred so soon — less than a minute — after the main shock, Jones said.
Geophysics professor Allen Husker, head of the Southern California Seismic Network at Caltech, said it wasn’t surprising that so many people in the L.A. area felt significant shaking from a magnitude 5.2 earthquake north of the Grapevine. The temblor occurred at night, when people are resting and more likely to feel shaking from a distant quake than if they were out and about during the day and active.
Another reason many people felt substantial movement is due to the way shaking is amplified in the Los Angeles Basin. The basin is a 6-mile-deep, bathtub-shaped hole in the underlying bedrock filled with weak sand and gravel eroded from the mountains and forming the flat land where millions of people live. It stretches from Beverly Hills through southeast L.A. County and into northern Orange County.
“The basin effect … increases the shaking that you would otherwise normally have,” Husker said.
The effect happens when waves from the shaking arrive and hit the walls of the basin, then bounce back at the walls of the basin, Jones said, resulting in an “extended duration.”
A major earthquake on the San Andreas fault would result in perhaps 50 seconds of strong shaking in downtown L.A. “This earthquake was much, much smaller, of course,” Jones said, “but it was large enough to set up some of these basin effects and get things bouncing around.”
As with all earthquakes, there was a 1 in 20 chance that Tuesday’s temblor was a foreshock to a larger earthquake. The risk that a follow-up quake will be larger diminishes over time.
In the last 10 days, there had been no earthquakes of magnitude 3.0 or greater centered nearby.
An average of five earthquakes with magnitudes of 5.0 to 6.0 occur per year in California and Nevada, according to a recent three-year data sample.
Tuesday’s earthquake occurred about 12 miles northwest of the epicenter of the magnitude 7.5 Kern County earthquake that struck on July 21, 1952. That earthquake resulted in 12 deaths, and, according to the USGS, old and poorly built masonry buildings suffered damage. Some of those structures collapsed in communities including Tehachapi, Bakersfield and Arvin; heavy damage was reported at Kern County General Hospital.
Shaking from the 1952 earthquake was felt as far away as San Francisco and Las Vegas, and caused nonstructural but extensive damage to tall buildings in the Los Angeles area and damage to at least one building in San Diego, according to the USGS.
The 1952 earthquake occurred on the White Wolf fault. Tuesday’s earthquake wasn’t associated with any previously mapped faults.
The earthquake occurred at a depth of 5.6 miles. Did you feel this earthquake? Consider reporting what you felt to the USGS.
Find out what to do before, and during, an earthquake near you by signing up for our Unshaken newsletter, which breaks down emergency preparedness into bite-sized steps over six weeks. Learn more about earthquake kits, which apps you need, Lucy Jones’ most important advice and more at latimes.com/Unshaken.
The first version of this story was automatically generated by Quakebot, a computer application that monitors the latest earthquakes detected by the USGS. A Times editor reviewed the post before it was published. If you’re interested in learning more about the system, visit our list of frequently asked questions.
Times staff writers Jon Healey, Ian James, Jason Neubert, Sandra McDonald and Raul Roa contributed to this report.
-
African History5 years ago
A Closer Look: Afro-Mexicans 🇲🇽
-
African History7 months ago
Black History Facts I had to Learn on My Own pt.6 📜
-
African History5 years ago
A Closer Look: Afro-Mexicans 🇲🇽
-
African History1 year ago
Major African Tribes taken away during the Atlantic Slave Trade🌍 #slavetrade #africanamericanhistory
-
African History1 year ago
Cameroon 🇨🇲 World Cup History (1962-2022) #football #realmadrid #shorts
-
African History1 year ago
What did Columbus Find in 1493? 🤯🔥🔥 #history #civilization #mesoamerica #africa #kemet
-
African History7 months ago
Black History Inventors: Mary Kenner 🩸
-
African History1 year ago
Origin Of ‘Cameroon’ 🇨🇲😳#africa