Why I'm super-excited about Eufy's new $20 AirTags-killer

This could be the tracker deal to beat. Plus: Smart-screen steals, an exclusive $99 LG monitor deal (save $101), and my cool new book club! (No, really.)

Happy Wednesday, deal-seekers! For those of you who don’t know me, I’m Rick Broida, formerly of CNET, currently of Yahoo, always of cheapness. I like pickleball, technology, TV, escape rooms, and, as you’ll learn below, books!

Let’s dive in with some quick hits:

💾 It’s a rerun, but I can’t not mention this again: The Microsoft Office Professional 2021 Lifetime License (1 PC) is down to $29.99, the lowest I’ve ever seen it. Available for Windows or Mac, it includes the full suite of apps. What you don’t get is OneDrive cloud storage, which may or may not be important to you. Oft-asked question: Can the license be transferred from an old PC to a new one? I’m not sure. It should be possible, and I’m trying to get confirmation, but I just don’t know at the moment.

🧩 Looking for a gift for a Star Wars fan? This 550-piece Mandalorian jigsaw puzzle is just $5.50 at Amazon. It normally sells for $11.

🤑 There’s a weirdly good bundle on smart screens right now: The 2nd-gen Echo Show 8 and 2nd-gen Echo Show 5 Kids for just $70. The Show 8 by itself lists for $130 and is currently on sale for $70; the Show 5 Kids (reg. $95) is a straight-up freebie additon.

A seriously good pair for just $50.

🤑 Don’t like Alexa? There’s another weirdly good smart-screen bundle: The 2nd-gen Google Nest Hub and Wiz Wi-Fi Smart Bulb for just $50. The Google Assistant-powered Hub has a 7-inch screen and comes in Chalk or Charcoal color. Great deal on its own at $50; the smart bulb is icing on the smart-cake.

DISCLAIMER: Some of the links included herein are affiliate links (usually those in bold type), meaning if you make a purchase via one of them, I may get a small commission. I promise you, now and forever, that I won’t choose deals based on whether there’s an affiliate option available.

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Deal Secrets exclusive: Get LG’s top-rated 24-inch desktop monitor for just $99 (save $101)

I see more and more desk workers using multiple monitors, and with good reason: It’s incredibly handy to have, say, your browser and word processor visible at the same time. Or your browser and spreadsheet. Browser and other browser? You get the idea.

Sure, you can shoehorn them into windows on a single monitor, but that makes for a crowded, ill-fitting workspace. Real productivity gains come from additional screens.

Thankfully, additional screens can be cheap: For a limited time, and while supplies last, BuyDig has the LG FreeSync 24-inch IPS LED monitor for $99 with promo code DEALSECRETS. Regular price: $200 (currently discounted to $120). That code is good until Dec. 11. Supplies are limited, but I’m told more are on the way.

This is a fairly basic desktop monitor, running at 1,920 x 1,080 native resolution with a 5ms response time. The latter is sufficient for gaming, especially when coupled with LG’s FreeSync tech, which promises to eliminate the “screen tearing and stuttering” that can impact fast-moving images. (Who knew?)

My favorite feature: An onscreen control panel you can actually navigate with your mouse, instead of laboring to use a handful of impossible menu buttons on the monitor itself.

The LG scored a 4.6-star average rating from over 120 buyers. At this price, it’s pretty tough to beat.

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Find lost stuff with Eufy’s new $20 tracker (which might be better than AirTags or Tile!)

Eufy Security SmartTrack Link: Terrible name, great tracker?

You know I love me some Tile trackers, a must-have for every keychain. Some folks also love Apple AirTags, but I don’t because they’re one-way: You can use your phone to locate an AirTag, but you can’t use an AirTag to locate your phone. Tiles can do that.

So can Eufy Security’s new SmartTrack Link trackers, and they have a couple other cool tricks up their sleeve as well:

• They’re just $20 each. AirTags are $29; Tile Mates and Tile Pros, $25 and $35, respectively.

• They work with Apple’s Find My network, meaning you have a much better chance of locating something lost or stolen than with Tile’s comparatively small network. (According to Eufy, Android users can leverage this as well. UPDATE 12/1/22: The company just changed the FAQ information on this; it no longer indicates Android support for Find My. 🤔)

• They match Tile’s find-my-phone feature: Just double-press the Link and your phone will ring, even if it’s set to silent. This is incredibly useful; just ask Mrs. Deal Secrets.

• Each Link has an imprinted QR code that a person can scan to help reunite you with your lost item. AirTags don’t. Tiles don’t. Genius feature.

In other words, on paper these are just about the best trackers to date, with a price that’s hard to beat.

The bad news: They’re super-backordered, not expected to ship until February. I’m hoping to get my hands on one before that so I can see if the reality matches the hype, but no luck just yet.

If you’re feeling optimistic, get your order in now, otherwise the wait could be even longer.

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A book club for guys who don’t read books

Think you don’t like fiction? I defy you to read this and not like it. DEFY.

Loneliness is an epidemic in this country (listen to the excellent Hidden Brain podcast episode Relationships 2.0: An Antidote to Loneliness to learn more); I suffer from it myself sometimes because I work at home, alone, all day every day.

Meanwhile, any adult man will tell you how difficult it is to make new friends. I’m lucky that my very best bud just bought a house on my street, but he’s only one guy. I want more friends.

A Book, A Beer, A Brotherhood is my attempt to create a little community, to help my fellow dudes feel a little less lonely and, hopefully, make some new pals. I love books, but I know a lot of guys don’t read for pleasure, which I think is a shame. (I get it, though — many of you are still scarred by high-school English. Dickens and Shakespeare can have that effect. But trust me, there are relentlessly entertaining books out there.)

So we’re kicking things off with City of Thieves, by David Benioff. I first read this years ago and immediately thought: If I ever start a book club, this will be first. It’s the perfect choice for guys who don’t like to read: two unlikely heroes; desolate, war-torn Russian setting; an impossible mission; a gut-wrenching finale -- it has everything! Dang funny, too. (Oh, and does the author sound familiar? He went on to co-write a little TV show called Game of Thrones.)

I’d originally planned to host this using Amazon’s new book-club site, but it’s far too limited. Instead, it will live on the aptly named Bookclubs.com. (If you already signed up for the Amazon version, please disregard that and register at the new place.) The initial plan is one book every two months, followed by a Zoom meeting for folks to meet, discuss, share a (virtual) beer, and so on.

By the way, women are absolutely welcome to join! Just understand that my goal here is to encourage my fellow menfolk to not only pick up a book once in a while, but also find a peer group. They need that, and so do I.

(Related: If you’re a new mom and dealing with loneliness/isolation issues of your own, check out The Mom Walk Collective. I just learned about this on TikTok; it sounds terrific. Kinda wish there was a “50s-Guy Walk” version… ooooh, light bulb!)

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Thanks for reading Deal Secrets! Questions? Comments? Hit me up on Twitter or Facebook, or shoot me an e-mail. I’ll do my best to respond to all inquiries! Want to show your support? Buy me a coffee!