What you need to know

• Amazon launched the Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse wearable AI products that listen in on your conversations for transcription, summary, and reminder creation.
• The Bee Eclipse magnetically attaches to the back of your phone and can listen in on your calls, while the Frontier is a wrist-bound wearable for conversations.
• Privacy is a huge topic for Bee, and the company said your conversations are encrypted on your phone and never leave unless you share them.
• The Bee Frontier starts at $74, while the Eclipse runs for $99.

Amazon unveiled the next generation of wearable AI with two new products from Bee. The idea is to turn what's been said throughout the day into "insights and reminders."

Today (Oct. 15), Amazon launched the Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse wearable AI products. For context, the post states, "Bee gathers context from your conversations and connected apps to provide insights and recommendations." Everything the devices capture can be accessed in the Bee mobile and desktop apps. The Bee Eclipse magnetically attaches to your phone and is no bigger than a credit card.

Essentially, the Bee Eclipse is dialed into your phone calls. Everything you're talking about is condensed into useful notes, summaries, or reminders for future use. Amazon states users will need permission from the person they're calling before the Bee Eclipse can record.

This device features a battery with over 21 days of power.

The Bee Eclipse is available for $99 in Silver, Midnight, Honey, and Blush.

An alternative (and truly a wearable) is the Bee Frontier. Consumers can clip the Frontier onto their wrist or clothes for comfort and all-day capture. Amazon states the more the user wears the Bee Frontier, the smarter it becomes. This is likely because, when activated, the Frontier is constantly listening to your conversations, saving important details, plans, or reminders for items you need to purchase.

The Bee Frontier features a seven-day battery, IP67 water resistance, and a USB-C charging port.

You can purchase the Bee Frontier for $74 in Onyx, Lavender, and Sage on Amazon, like the Bee Eclipse. While there's some use in these devices, privacy is a major concern. Amazon and Bee highlighted these concerns, while also expressing that users remain in control.

Could it be a problem?

Amazon states the Bee Frontier and Bee Eclipse feature the same privacy safeguards to ensure users remain in control and that no one can access their data. The first safeguard involves a button that users can press to turn the Frontier and Eclipse on or off. If on, the LED light will let you know.

On the other hand, Bee stresses that the audio these devices capture is "never stored." It explains that "Audio is processed into insights in real time and deleted after processing." These insights are sent directly to your phone. From there, Bee says your transcriptions are encrypted "using keys that only your device creates and controls." It adds that no one can access these unless you share them.

Users can also connect their Bee device to Alexa. The ability to delete transcriptions/summaries remains within your realm of control.

What you need to know

• Google's next TV Streamer will reportedly feature a slightly narrower design while retaining the current model's overall look.
• Built-in far-field microphones could let users interact with Gemini hands-free without needing to pick up the remote.
• The new streamer could also get a faster processor, more storage, and a redesigned remote with additional shortcut buttons.

A new Google TV Streamer is reportedly in the works, and it could bring some pretty interesting upgrades over the current generation.

The Google TV Streamer remains one of the best streaming devices out there. It's powered by capable hardware and runs a proper version of Google TV that doesn't feel lacking in terms of features. And even though Google recently increased the price of the Google TV Streamer by $50, that doesn't mean the company isn't working on its successor.

According to a new report from 9to5Google, a next-generation Google TV Streamer is already in development, and it could bring some major changes to how you interact with your TV. The report claims the new Google TV Streamer will retain a similar design to the current model, although it will reportedly be slightly narrower for a more compact footprint.

But the bigger upgrade this time around could be the addition of built-in microphones on the streaming device itself.

Currently, if you want to interact with Gemini on Google TV, you need to use the microphone on the remote. But with the upcoming Google TV Streamer, that may no longer be necessary. Thanks to the reportedly built-in far-field microphones, users could simply say "Hey Google" out loud to interact with the device without picking up the remote.

In addition to the microphones, the report claims Google is also working on a presence-sensing feature for the new streamer. We've already seen similar functionality on some TCL smart TVs, and it could allow the Google TV Streamer to automatically detect when someone enters the room. For example, the TV could wake up and display useful information like the time, weather, or a Google Photos screensaver when it detects someone nearby.

Of course, the upgrades reportedly won't be limited to software and smart home features. The next-generation Google TV Streamer is also expected to get a faster processor alongside more storage than the 32GB currently available on the existing model. Google is also reportedly redesigning the remote, adding two more shortcut buttons for YouTube and Netflix. The streamer itself could also feature a dedicated Find My Remote button.

The report doesn't reveal when Google plans to launch the next-generation TV Streamer. However, with Apple reportedly preparing to unveil a new Apple TV 4K next week, it wouldn't be too surprising to see Google announce its own upgraded streaming device sometime this fall.

For now, though, there's no confirmed launch date or pricing information. We'll update this article as more details about the next Google TV Streamer become available.

Get those holiday shopping lists ready: Amazon has announced that its Big Deal Days sale (otherwise known as 'October Prime Day') will be held on October 6th and 7th. That means we're just weeks away from shopping Amazon's Black Friday deals early, and all you'll need is a Prime membership.

That said, if you're not a Prime member or you simply don't want to wait, you'll be pleased to learn that Amazon has dropped a ton of tech deals ahead of the sale, giving you a chance to save big on everything from smartphones and laptops to noise-cancelling headphones.

The retailer is already carving $75 off the unlocked Google Pixel 10a, for instance, or you can score a whopping 36% off the popular Garmin Venu 3S smartwatch if you place your order today.

The best part is that most of the deals below don't require a Prime membership, although if you were interested in shopping Prime Day deals when Big Deal Days kicks off next month, it's worth mentioning that Amazon is offering a 30-day free trial. This will let you enjoy all of the exclusive deals (in addition to regular subscription benefits) without paying a cent.

• Big Deal Days returns October 6-7: see the full list of early deals

Phones

Wearables

Tablets and Chromebooks

Headphones

Smart TVs and streaming

What you need to know

• Amazon has announced that Big Deal Days will be held on October 6th and 7th, 2026.
• This 'October Prime Day' event will showcase deals on Android phones, smartwatches, laptops, and more.
• The vast majority of deals during Big Deal Days will be exclusive to Prime members.

It's official: Amazon has confirmed that its 2026 Big Deal Days sale event will be held on October 6th and 7th this year, which means we're just a few weeks away from seeing some of the best deals of the year.

While it's not as big as the official Prime Day in July, Amazon's Big Deal Days event is generally seen as the beginning of fall sale season, giving shoppers an early look at what to expect when the Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales go live in November.

Whether you're trying to get your holiday shopping done early or simply pick up a new Android phone, Big Deal Days is a great way to beat the Black Friday crowds and score discounts on every type of product imaginable.

• See the top 20+ best early Prime Day deals available now

Prime members can expect to find great deals on everything from smart TVs and tablets to groceries and kitchen appliances. Considering the growing prices on tech this year, you can also expect a lot of interest in the latest Android phones, storage devices, and laptops.

The newest foldable phones from Samsung, Apple, and Motorola might see some hefty discounts as part of the sale, for instance, while I also expect the Google Pixel 11 series to score a serious price drop for the very first time.

It's also worth mentioning that retailers like Best Buy and Walmart are sure to launch rival sales at the same time as Amazon Big Deal Days, so don't forget to shop around before you commit to one deal. Naturally, we'll be covering all of the best deals on Android devices so you don't have to go looking.

Android Central's take

If you're a Prime member, Amazon's Prime Day events are always worth checking out. This is especially true if you're on the hunt for a new smartphone, as nearly every major release we've seen this year has come with some sort of price increase. Now's your chance to offset that price hike and beat the Black Friday crowds.

Just make sure you're a Prime member (or willing to join) if you're not already. The retailer offers a convenient 30-day free trial that lets you enjoy the full benefits of the sale, so consider signing up for that if you don't want to deal with yet another subscription.

What you need to know

• LG denies its smart TVs secretly record or transmit your conversations, calling recent coverage misleading.
• The firestorm started with a lengthy Gamers Nexus video alleging LG TVs capture audio while idle or offline, plus device, IP, location, and nearby Wi-Fi data.
• LG's defense rests on one distinction: listening for a wake word isn't the same as recording you. Audio without the wake word gets discarded locally, never sent to LG servers.

Recent reports that LG smart TVs can secretly record people in their homes have put the company's privacy practices under a microscope. LG is now pushing back hard, stating its TVs do not continuously record or transmit users’ conversations and that some of the recent coverage has misrepresented how its privacy features really work.

The dispute follows a lengthy Gamers Nexus video on YouTube that raised concerns about LG TVs capturing audio while idle or disconnected from the internet, as well as collecting information about networked devices, IP addresses, locations, and nearby Wi-Fi networks.

LG’s explanation hinges on the distinction between listening for a wake word and recording conversations. On supported TVs with hands-free voice control enabled, the microphone can supposedly listen locally for a wake word even when the TV is in standby. LG says audio that does not include the recognized wake word is discarded immediately and not sent to its servers. Real speech-to-text processing only starts when voice recognition is enabled.

There is also Automatic Content Recognition, or ACR, that identifies what is playing so that LG can offer services related to viewing and audience analysis. ACR uses audio fingerprinting rather than screenshots or video recordings, is optional, and requires user consent, LG says. It can also be turned off in the settings of the TV.

Does LG's wording leave wiggle room? Perhaps. Saying TVs don't "continuously" record isn't the same as saying they never do. The company’s documentation is unusually explicit, however, about things like session limits, local processing, and what happens when you decline optional agreements. You can still use streaming apps, live TV, and HDMI devices without turning on any data-driven services.

This controversy comes after a separate dispute over LG monitors, where some models were found to be installing the LG Monitor App Installer on Windows PCs and displaying pop-ups for promotional content, including McAfee ads. Microsoft intervened, and LG agreed to disable the McAfee promotion.

The latest controversy highlights the fine line between helpful smart features and invasive data harvesting. LG claims its hardware isn’t part of some hidden surveillance network, but it’s unlikely privacy advocates and hardware reviewers won’t be monitoring future webOS updates.

I'll be honest, I don't cover smart TV deals very often, but occasionally an OLED TV discount comes along that's simply too good not to mention. Case in point: Amazon's Labor Day sale is currently carving 44% off the 65-inch C6 Series OLED TV by LG, which is widely considered to be one of the best OLED TVs on the market today.

That's a record-smashing discount on a smart TV that our sister site TechRadar called 'the best TV for most people' in 2026. In fact, the only issue that I've had with the LG C6 is its price, so this Labor Day deal is a welcome sight. Amazon will even deliver and unpack the set in the room of your choice at no additional cost. And you don't even need to be a Prime member to enjoy the savings.

• See my TOP 20+ deals from Amazon's Labor Day sale

The C6 is powered by LG's very own Alpha a11 Gen 3 AI processor, which means all of your favorite content is intelligently upscaled in real time. The smart TV boasts truly spectacular picture beyond optimization, as well, utilizing over 8 million pixels to deliver deeply immersive colors with rich blacks and lifelike details.

You also get features like Filmmaker mode, Dolby Vision, and Dolby Atmos, while gamers will appreciate optimized specs like NVIDIA G-Sync, a 165Hz refresh rate, and an impressive 0.1ms response time. You even get four HDMI 2.1 ports for all of your consoles and streaming devices!

Is the 65-inch model too big or too small for your space? Amazon is also dropping discounts on the entire C6 TV lineup, so you can take your pick. That being said, going with the 65-inch C6 OLED (or larger) will get you the best value. If you're looking for something smaller, I'd probably wait until Amazon's big October Prime Day sale, which will likely occur sometime in October.

• 42 inches: $1,399.99 $1,099.99 at Amazon ❌ Wait for a better deal
• 48 inches: $1,299.99 $1,199.99 at Amazon ❌ Wait for a better deal
• 55 inches: $1,499.99 $1,299.99 at Amazon ❌ Wait for a better deal
• 77 inches: $3,699.99 $2,499.99 at Amazon ✅ Buy it now!
• 83 inches: $5,299.99 $3,999.99 at Amazon ✅ Buy it now!