Black Friday tech ideas

Two big shopping days are rapidly approaching – Black Friday on November 26th, followed by Cyber Monday on November 29th, but many Canadians aren’t waiting because of global supply chain issues that could make it more difficult to get gifts in time.

For a look at a few deals on gadgets and gear, we were joined by tech expert Marc Saltzman.

Saltzman says economists are cautioning people not to wait to do Black Friday shopping because of supply chain issues. He says people will still have to wait until Nov. 26 for some of the items he recommends, but some are available at a discounted price now. 

Acer Spin 713

Saltzman says it is a versatile chromebook that converts in several different ways. It can be a laptop, a tablet with an optional stylus, or tent mode.

“This is usually $999 but it will be as low as $599 depending on the processor that you go with,” said Saltzman. “It does operate on the Chrome OS, it is a lean operating system, it’s fast and secure with up to 10 hours of battery life.”

Saltzman says this product has ample storage. He says the issue with older Chromebooks is that you don’t get a lot of local storage.  

The Acer Spin 713 is also the first Intel Evo certified Chromebook. That means it is certified to meet a certain number of specifications including a fast processor, instant boot-up time, long battery life, fast wifi 6 connectivity and more. 

Razer Home Run PC Gaming Bundle

“PC gaming is so hot right now,” said Saltzman. “It’s usually $349 for [the bundle] discounted to $199.”

The bundle comes with the Kraken  V3X headset microphone, Deathadder V2 gaming mouse, Ornata V2 RGB keyboard and Gigantus V2 mouse mat. 

Kobo Sage

“I love their E-readers,” said Saltzman. “The Sage just debuted…this is a super versatile E-reader.”

He says the Sage not only lets you read in the orientation that you prefer, but now you can annotate. With an optional Kobo Stylus pen, you can make notes in a PDF or E-book reader. 

The Kobo Sage is also the first audio-book supported by Kobo. A bluetooth speaker or headphones can be connected to the Sage to play audio-books. 

This E-reader is $299 brand new, and Kobo has a $50 off sale for their Clara HD. 

 Philips HUE Gradient lightstrip 80 inch

“I love smart lights because of the energy efficiency, but also for setting the mood,” said Saltzman. 

The HUE Bridge option unlocks a full suite of smart light features that can add around 50 smart lights. 

This product is $199, but some Philips HUE products are up to 30 per cent off for Black Friday. 

Saltzman says if you have old tech, there is a place to recycle them. 

RecycleMyElectronics.ca allows you to type in your address or postal code and shows you the nearest drop off location. There is no charge and any data left on the devices will be destroyed.