The best alternative to Apple Watch 4 cheap: the Amazfit Beep for $ 80

Today, it is more of a public service announcement than an outright transaction, even if it is certainly a bargain. As you may know, Apple should remove the veil on Apple Watch Series 4 in few hours. The specs are still a mystery, but the price is not the same: if it follows the model of series 3, it would start at $ 329 (for the smaller model, not LTE) and would increase considerably from there. Ouch. Although Apple offers a cheaper alternative in the range, as it currently does with Series 1, the selling price is still close to $ 149. Better, but still a bit rich for my blood.

Fortunately, there is an affordable alternative – one that I have been defending for a good part of the year 2018. It's the Amazpt Beep. sells for only $ 80 of Amazfit proper. You can also get it from Amazon for the same price, and sometimes even closer to $ 70.

See on Amazon

As you can see, the Beep looks a lot like the Apple Watch, although a little thinner and with a different screen. The latter is smaller and weaker, with a much lower resolution that translates into text and larger faces. It is also superior to the outside and is always on – you do not have to lift your wrist to "wake up" it.

The Beep does everything a good smartwatch should do. It delivers phone notifications (alarms, text messages, caller ID, callbacks, etc.) to your wrist. It follows your steps and your heart rate. It has built-in GPS to catalog your shopping, without a phone.

The most remarkable feature, however: the battery life. Unlike the vast majority of smartwatches, who must return to their chargers every night, the Beep can last for weeks. The number of weeks depends on a few factors, including the number of notification options you have enabled and the use of GPS.

I've also discovered, anecdotally, that if you choose a dial that has a second active hand, the battery life can drop significantly. Meanwhile, Amazfit again has not solved the problem with most digital faces available, which can only display 24 hours.

From here I will deliver to The thorough examination of Scott Stein, which echoes my own feelings: why can not smartwatches look like this?

This is not perfect, but it does a lot of things, and the price is impossible to beat.

(I will update this story once Apple has confirmed the pricing and details of the new model expected later in the day.)

bonus: Well, it finally happened: LED bulbs are now as cheap as their incandescent ancestors.

Here's the proof: for a limited time, Home Depot has the Set of 4 EcoSmart 60-Watt LED Light Bulbs for only $ 3.33. This equates to 83 cents per bulb. In your face, tungsten!

View at Home Depot

Surprisingly, there is no shipping cost, although you have to pay the sales tax, of course.

These soft white A19 bulbs produce a light equivalent to a 60-watt incandescent bulb and should last up to 10 years. The only complaint: they are not dimmable. But that did not stop 456 Home Depot customers from being collectively rated 4.4 out of 5 stars.

Bonus deal # 2: I have a little dipped in yoga, but I find that I am embarrassed when I go to class. I always have the impression that I do everything wrong because I do not really know the basics.

Learning book to the rescue! For a limited time, the Kindle edition of The Yoga Bible For Beginners is available for free. The printed version would cost you $ 9.

See on Amazon

This 171-page guide explains the history of yoga and its potential health benefits. Better yet, it includes 30 pictorial poses so you can see what a down dog looks like.

There are similar guides and do not miss useful YouTube videos, but it's free, so why not grab them while you can?

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