Valentina Palladino

A bunch of Google Nest devices have been discounted ahead of Memorial Day weekend, making it a good opportunity to fill in some of the gaps in your smart home ecosystem. Wellbots has the Google Nest Hub Max for $179 when you use the code EGDT50 at checkout, so you’ll save $50 off its regular price. You can also get various discounts on Nest WiFi packs as well — the Nest WiFi router is down to $119 with the code EGDT50, the router with one access point is on sale for $189 with the code EDGT80 and the three-pack is down to $249 with the code EDGT100.

Buy Nest Hub Max at Wellbots – $179Buy Nest WiFi router at Wellbots – $119Buy Nest Wifi (2 pack) at Wellbots – $189Buy Nest WiFi (3 pack) at Wellbots – $249

The Nest Hub Max is the biggest of Google’s smart displays and it also has the best sound quality. Its 10-inch display is large enough to comfortably watch YouTube or Netflix videos, or even take a Zoom call. Inside are stereo speakers that help the Hub Max sound better than any other Nest smart display, making it a good option if you want an all-in-one device to stream videos, listen to music and control devices like smart lights, cameras, thermostats and more.

The Hub Max does include a video camera and, aside from enabling things like Zoom calls, it also works with Google’s Face Match feature. This helps the device recognize who’s using it so it can display relevant information to them like personal calendar events, messages and more. If you end up using the Hub Max in your kitchen or living room, this will come in handy as it will show each person in your household information that pertains to them.

As for the Nest WiFi packs, we gave the system a score of 84 when we first reviewed it. Both the router and the access points have minimalist designs and they’re easy to install. They also have a built-in smart speaker inside, so you can call upon the Google Assistant from wherever you have the access points in your home. The biggest issue we have with the Nest WiFi system now is that it doesn’t support WiFi 6, which may be a dealbreaker if you’re looking to upgrade your home WiFi to the most advanced protocol available right now.

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If you’re looking forward to the unofficial kickoff of summer on Memorial Day, you can prep your backyard ahead of time by picking up one of Solo Stove’s fire pits for less right now. The company’s sale to mark the holiday has begun and it knocks up to 46 percent off its fire pits, plus up to 35 percent off accessories and more. You’ll find the biggest savings on the Yukon, Solo Stove’s largest fire pit, which is more than $350 off and down to $400. That’s slightly cheaper than we saw in the company’s previous sale at the end of April. Also, the midrange Bonfire is down to $220 while the compact Ranger has been discounted to $200.

Buy Yukon at Solo Stove – $400Buy Bonfire at Solo Stove – $220Buy Ranger at Solo Stove – $200

You may think of using a fire pit like the ones from Solo Stove mostly in the fall, but it’s a great gadget to have all year round. And with Sol Stove’s models, you’re getting a fire pit that actively channels smoke away from you while you’re using it. They have a double-walled design that pulls through vent holes and back into the fire, keeping the flames hot while creating fine ashes and reducing smoke. We also appreciate that all of Solo Stove gadgets have one-piece, stainless steel designs, making them easy to set up and, depending on the model you choose, fairly simple to transport.

That said, if you plan on moving the fire pit around your yard or taking it with you on a long weekend away, the 15-pound Ranger or the 20-pound Bonfire are your best options. The Yukon weighs in at 38-pounds, so while you could move it, it’s probably better to find a permanent place for it. And if you want to keep the fire pit protected from the elements, you can pick up a “backyard bundle,” which includes a weather-resistant shelter bag and a shield that protects you from pops and embers.

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We don’t have to tell you how frustrating it can be when you forget your username or password at a critical moment. But investing in a password manager can help you avoid those scenarios all together. 1Password is one of our favorites and the company is running a rare sale right now that knocks 50 percent off Personal and Family plans. The Personal plan is built for one user and is down to $1.50 per month, or about $18 when billed annually. The Family plan that can support up to five users is on sale for $2.50 per month, which comes out to $30 per year.

Subscribe to 1Password starting at $1.50/month

If you’re unfamiliar with how password managers work, they securely hold all off your login information and you only have to remember one master password to get into your account. While signed in, 1Password will fill in the appropriate credentials as you visit online stores, social media sites and more. Arguably the easiest way 1Password does this is via its many browser extensions, which recognize the sites you’re visiting and automatically plug in the proper usernames and passwords when you’re prompted to log in. And you’ll be able to do the same thing across all of your devices thanks to 1Password’s Mac, iOS, Windows, Android, Linux and Chrome apps.

You’re also able to save more than just password credentials to your 1Password vault, including credit card information, documents and more. And when you’re signing up for a new site or service, 1Password can help you make stronger passwords from the get go, so you don’t end up using a slightly tweaked version of the same old phrase again. 1Password also has a handy feature called Watchtower, which can automatically alert if any of your credentials may have appeared in data breaches, or if you have duplicate passwords saved to your vault. 

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