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Best Buy’s Cyber Monday Sale Drops Prices on Some of Our Favorite Tech of the Year

Best Buy’s Cyber Monday Sale Drops Prices on Some of Our Favorite Tech of the Year

Cyber Monday is almost over. We’ve seen some of the best deals of the year make their appearance over this weekend, and it’s not too late. For Cyber Monday, Best Buy has had (or kept around) some really solid tech deals on some of our favorite products we’ve tested and reviewed, ranging from laptops and gaming mice to cordless vacuums. So, whether you’re shopping for the perfect gift for that tech lover in your life or if you’ve been waiting all year for prices to drop on something for yourself, there are a few great options below.

For more great discounts, check out our Best Cyber Monday Deals roundup and all of our deals coverage here.

Updated December 1: We’ve added the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro Creator Bundle and Roborock Saros Z70.

The Latest MacBook Pro

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Photograph: Luke Larsen

The M5 MacBook Pro (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is only a month old, and it’s already on sale. It’s the only Mac so far to receive the upgrade to the latest M5 chip, benefiting from improved performance across the board. In my testing, there was a significant step forward everywhere you looked, including the GPU, the CPU, and the Neural Engine for AI tasks. It’s the GPU that’s seen the biggest leap, though, which should speed up both gaming and creative applications. Other than that, this is the same MacBook Pro you probably already know and love, with its bright mini-LED screen, robust speakers, and extra ports (over the MacBook Air, at least).

This base 14-inch model doesn’t have the incredible value of the MacBook Air or the powerhouse performance of the M4 Pro and M4 Max MacBook Pro. Ultimately, when it comes to which MacBook you should buy, the answer is still the Air. But the M5 versions of these laptops aren’t coming until next year, so if you’re after the latest Apple Silicon in one of the best laptops you can buy, this deal on the M5 MacBook Pro is solid.

A Great Windows Laptop

  • Front view of a laptop sitting on a wooden desk with the image of an island on the screen

    Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

  • Front view of light blue laptop opened with abstract art on the screen

    Photograph: Best Buy

Microsoft

Surface Laptop (7th Edition, 2024)

Windows users should instead check out Microsoft’s Surface Laptop, which is steeply marked down for Cyber Monday. It’s well equipped, with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite providing both snappy performance and excellent battery life. It has a big, bright display with a smooth 120-hz refresh rate, a nice upgrade over other similarly-equipped Windows laptops. It’s not quite as sharp a first-party experience as Apple’s MacBook line, but it’s a great value at the lower, discounted price.

The Best Bluetooth Speaker

  • Front view of J.B.L. Flip 7 Bluetooth Speaker sitting on wooden edge of garden box.

    Photograph: Ryan Waniata

  • Image may contain: Marilyn Monroe, Karim Khan, Edgar Allan Poe, Albéric Schotte, Namdev, Person, and Electronics

    Photograph: Ryan Waniata

  • Image may contain: Electrical Device, Microphone, Electronics, Speaker, and Person

    Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The JBL Flip 7 (9/10, WIRED Recommends) is a Bluetooth speaker that has it all. As our A/V reviewer Ryan Waniata says, “JBL’s Flip strikes the perfect compromise between mobility and sound quality, offering clean detail with plenty of punch.” Waniata also praises the durability of the Flip 7, which is important in a Bluetooth speaker meant to be used outdoors. There are tons of different color options to match your vibe, and it gets up to 16 hours of battery life. The increased water resistance means it’ll bring the party wherever you need it. Put simply, it’s the best Bluetooth speaker you can buy, and it’s at a great price.

Our Favorite Dyson Vacuum

  • Image may contain: Indoors, Interior Design, Lamp, Device, Appliance, and Electrical Device

    Photograph: Nena Farrell

  • Image may contain: Indoors, Interior Design, Wood, Floor, Flooring, Hardwood, Cleaning, Person, and Computer Hardware

    Photograph: Nena Farrell

  • Dyson v15 vacuum with display shown

    Courtesy of Dyson

Everyone wants a cordless Dyson vacuum, but they tend to be exorbitantly expensive. It’s still not cheap, but at $300 off, this is as good a deal as we’ve seen on this vacuum. The V15 Detect is our vacuum expert’s favorite Dyson. In her testing, Nena Farrell says she was impressed by how much dust and dirt it sucked up from her carpet, as well as from hard floors. The V15 Detect also comes with an extra sensor that can actually count the number of dust particles. That’s overkill for most people, but if you have severe allergies (or have friends or family that do), the Dyson V15 Detect can actually verify what you’re picking up.

The Best AirPods Deal

Apple AirPods Pro 2, two white earbuds, in an open oval shaped case sitting on a wooden surface

Photograph: Christopher Null

Apple

AirPods Pro 2 (With USB-C)

This discount on the AirPods Pro 2 is sold out some other retailers, but it’s still available at Best Buy. These updated AirPods Pro 2 is the model to come out in 2023, introducing the USB-C charging port and water resistance to the already-great pair of noise-canceling earbuds. The price cut to $191 from the retail price of $250 is great, and it’s probably the pair that most people should buy this holiday season. However, I should mention that the newer AirPods Pro 3 launched recently in September, bringing a huge boost to noise canceling, bass, and battery life. It also has the new Live Translation feature. These newer earbuds are $30 off right now, but they cost an extra $30 over the AirPods Pro 2.

A Tiny Power Bank

  • Image may contain: Body Part, Finger, Hand, Person, Adapter, Electronics, Mobile Phone, and Phone

    Photograph: Simon Hill

  • Anker Nano Power Bank, black rectangular device with a USB port on the side and another port on the top, sitting near the bottom of a mobile phone.

    Photograph: Simon Hill

Need just a little extra boost to get your devices through those busy afternoons? The Anker Nano Power Bank plugs right into the bottom of your phone, providing an extra 5,000 mAh of juice, which should be enough for most phones to go from full to empty once. Even though there are options with more power and plugs, for just under $20 you could easily toss this in your bag and save it for a rainy day.

The Best TV Deal Right Now

Image may contain: Electronics, Screen, Computer Hardware, Hardware, Monitor, TV, Person, Adult, Ball, Football, and Soccer

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

OLED TVs might be the best TVs you can buy, but if you’re shopping for a TV under $1,000 like most people are, the TCL QM6K QLED (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is what you should be eyeing. It’s a 4K mini-LED screen, and our TV reviewers call it “a versatile display that does just about everything well, from naturalistic colors to rich black levels and impressive clarity.” It’s not the brightest TV in the world, but it does come with a 144-Hz refresh rate for gaming and a smart Google TV interface for your streaming needs. There are screen options ranging from 55 inches up to 98 inches, with the happy-medium 65-inch model starting at $500.

Your New Vlogging Friend

Insta360

Flow 2 Pro Creator Bundle

This is our favorite smartphone gimbal. The Insta360 has tons of useful extras, including infinite pan tracking and better tracking module that WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu says works well across lots of apps, who tested it out. Julian says it also has “more flexibility when it comes to rotating the gimbal around.” So, if you’re an aspiring vlogger or even just want something fun to try out for an upcoming vacation, the Insta360 Flow 2 Pro Creator Bundle will help you get the most of your phone’s camera.

A Fancy Espresso Maker (That You’ll Love)

Image may contain: Cup, Beverage, Coffee, Coffee Cup, and Espresso

Breville

Barista Express Espresso Machine

Don’t let price hold you back from your home barista dreams. $200 off the beloved espresso machine that WIRED editor Julian Chokkattu has been using for seven years without issues. He cites the excellent steam wand, consistent pressure for espresso, and easy cleaning as the top reasons to buy it. But the long-term reliability is its biggest strength. When you drop half a grand on a piece of kitchen tech, you need to know that it won’t need to be replaced in just a few years.

The Best Headphones

Image may contain: Electronics, Headphones, Dining Table, Furniture, and Table

Photograph: Ryan Waniata

The best noise-canceling headphones from Sony are also the best wireless headphones you can buy right now. Bags of processing power can silence even the loudest sounds around you, and the included microphones are excellent for Zoom calls. Sound quality is top-notch, with custom-made drivers delivering Sony’s sleek and flat sound.

Stylish Beats Headphones

Image may contain: Electronics, and Headphones

Courtesy of Beats

If you’re a fan of bass-forward headphones in eye-catching colors, the Beats Studio Pro are marked way down for Cyber Monday at Best Buy. Like most Beats headphones, they lack a custom equalizer, instead opting for a tried and true sound profile that features punchy bass and bold mid-range. They still have great features, like easy pairing with both Apple and Android devices, and head-tracking for spatial audio.

A Brilliant USB-C Hub

Image may contain: Adapter, Electronics, Computer, Laptop, Pc, Computer Hardware, Hardware, and Computer Keyboard

Photograph: Eric Ravenscraft

One of the biggest upgrades you can make to your remote work setup is a solid USB hub or laptop docking station. Most laptops don’t have enough ports, especially not if you’re trying to connect multiple, high-resolution monitors. The plug-and-play nature of this is super helpful, too, as you can have all of your peripherals and accessories connected via USB-C.

While you could just go out and buy any old USB hub, the Satechi Dual Dock Stand has some secrets up its sleeve. First off, it’s designed to prop up your laptop slightly with its wedge shape. My favorite feature, though, is the built-in storage slot. It doesn’t come with an SSD included, but any M.2 SSD will work. It’s a handy feature to have. The best part is the price, which is down to $105, a new low at Best Buy for Cyber Monday.

A Cheaper, Better iPad

  • Image may contain: Computer, Electronics, Tablet Computer, Cup, Person, and Surface Computer

    Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

  • Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, Iphone, Computer, Laptop, and Pc

    Photograph: Brenda Stolyar

This is a great price for the base iPad. But a cheaper iPad is only so good if it’s limited by its software. But with the iPadOS 26 update, you’re also getting a better iPad than ever before. With a more accurate cursor and resizable windows, the iPad is now more like a MacBook than ever before. Multitasking on an iPad has always been a nightmare, but now that you can pull up multiple windows side by side and resize them to your heart’s content. Connect it up with a wireless mouse and keyboard, and you’ve got something that could replace a laptop in a pinch.

The Perfect Travel Partner

Sony WF-1000XM5 Earbuds

Courtesy of Sony

These earbuds came out a couple of years ago, but they remain some of the best you can buy. When they came out, Sony’s fifth-generation of high-end wireless earbuds were trimmed down to around 25 percent smaller and 20 percent lighter than the previous generation. You also get two extra full charges from the case, for a total of up to 36 hours of listening. That all makes it the best pair of earbuds for traveling in particular. There’s no compromise in noise canceling either. In fact, our A/V experts say the XM5 has “some of the most advanced functionality in terms of EQ, touch controls, and adaptive noise canceling available on the market.” This is the best discount we’ve ever seen on them.

The Smartest Android Phone

  • Image may contain: Body Part, Finger, Hand, Person, Electronics, Phone, Mobile Phone, and Adult

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, and Person

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, and Phone

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, Baby, and Person

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

You can’t go wrong with Google’s brand-new Pixel 10. The smartest of the best Android phones, it boasts genuinely useful AI features, like Call Screen and Now Playing. There’s also an excellent, versatile, triple-camera system that includes a 5X optical zoom for capturing action from afar. There’s Qi2 support for magnetic wireless charging and magnetic accessories. It’s unusual to see a deep discount on this year’s Google flagship, so it’s worth biting.

An Affordable Android Phone

  • Image may contain: Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, and Iphone

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Google Pixel 9a Electronics, Mobile Phone

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Google Pixel 9a Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone camera

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

  • Google Pixel 9a Electronics, Mobile Phone, Phone, in use

    Photograph: Julian Chokkattu

If you don’t need something particularly fancy, the Google Pixel 9a is an impressive budget-friendly offering, particularly when you can save $100 off the list price for Cyber Monday. It comes in a variety of delightful colors, has excellent performance for daily tasks, and a great dual-camera system that makes taking perfect photos a snap. It still has impressive battery life, and features you’d see on phones twice the price, like wireless charging and IP68 dust and water resistance.

A Fantastic Robot Vacuum

  • Image may contain: Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, Computer, Pc, Machine, Indoors, and Interior Design

    Photograph: Adrienne So

  • Image may contain: Furniture, Table, and Tabletop

    Photograph: Adrienne So

  • Image may contain: Hardwood, Wood, Indoors, and Interior Design

    Photograph: Adrienne So

This is no ordinary robot vacuum. It has a built-in extendable arm, which can supposedly pick up objects in the way like socks and trash. You can even designate a shoe zone for the vacuum to move stray shoes to. It’s an incredible idea. In our testing, though, it’s fairly limited in what it can pick up. It can handle tissues, shoes, socks, or light items under 300 grams. But anything else, it struggles with. Fortunately, it’s also a very capable robot vacuum on its own, and at this reduced price, it’s much more appealing.

An Incredible OLED Gaming Monitor

Black desktop monitor with silver screen as screen shows a scene from a game

Courtesy of Samsung

Samsung

Odyssey G6 OLED Gaming Monitor

Samsung makes some of the prettiest gaming monitors, especially in the past couple of years. Within its Odyssey lineup, there’s now just about every size and form factor of monitor you can imagine. The Odyssey G6 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) is a 27-inch OLED with a resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a 360-Hz refresh rate, which should be great no matter what game you’re playing. Want extreme frame rates for competitive shooters? You can drop the resolution to 1080p and explore the higher echelon of the 360-Hz refresh rate. For slower-paced single-player games, the 1440p resolution is crisp, and the OLED panel gets you gorgeous HDR in games. It’s $250 off the full price, down now to $650.

One Ring to Rule Them All

  • Image may contain: Accessories, Jewelry, Ring, Silver, Platinum, and Tape

    Photograph: Simon Hill

  • Image may contain: Body Part, Finger, Hand, Person, Accessories, Jewelry, Ring, Baby, and Silver

    Photograph: Simon Hill

The smart ring space has been quiet this year, perhaps partially because of how fantastic the Oura Ring 4 is. It’s smaller and lighter, feeling more like a proper piece of jewelry than ever before. With new features like fertility tracking, an improved health app, and over three days of battery life, our reviewer Adrienne So was consistently impressed by the upgrade over the previous Oura Ring 3. At $100 off the full price, the Oura Ring 4 is continuing to feel like the only smart ring anyone should buy.

A Gaming Mouse

Image may contain: Computer Hardware, Electronics, Hardware, and Mouse

Photograph: Henri Robbins

Corsair

Scimitar Elite Wireless SE

If you play MMOs, you know how useful it is to map various actions to buttons on your keyboard or mouse. Well, this gaming mouse from Corsair gives you a ton of options to customize your gameplay. There are 12 reprogrammable side buttons, but the mouse also has a high 33,000-dpi optical sensor and 1,000-Hz polling for low input lag and high responsiveness. It can connect via a 2.4-GHz dongle instead of Bluetooth, too.

A Wallet-Friendly Chromebook

  • Image may contain: Computer, Electronics, Laptop, Pc, Computer Hardware, Computer Keyboard, and Hardware

    Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Image may contain: Computer, Electronics, Laptop, Pc, Computer Hardware, Computer Keyboard, and Hardware

    Photograph: Luke Larsen

  • Image may contain: Computer, Electronics, Laptop, and Pc

    Photograph: Luke Larsen

While there are a ton of different Chromebooks for less than $300, the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 stands out with its expansive touchpad, solid performance, and battery life that’s great for students or occasional cafe work. You’ll make some other compromises, mostly around the screen, which is slightly low density for the 16-inch size, but it’s hard to argue with a Chromebook at such a low price point.

A Mesh Wi-Fi System

  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  • Photograph: Simon Hill

  • Photograph: Simon Hill

Everyone could use faster and more reliable Wi-Fi, right? This high-performing, tri-band, Wi-Fi 7 mesh is the runner-up in our Best Mesh guide. You’ll get lightning-fast speeds on the 6-GHz band at close range. Each unit has plenty of ports (one 10 Gbps Ethernet port, one 2.5 Gbps port, a Gigabit port, and a USB 3.0 port), and the Deco app is very easy to use. The possibility of a TP-Link ban in the US might put you off, or it might encourage you to pull the trigger now.


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Congressman Al Green, the incumbent representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, lost to fellow House Representative Christian Menefee in a runoff election in the Democratic primary for a seat in Congress on Tuesday, and one crypto-focused political action committee (PAC) announced that the loss should be taken as a warning shot to future candidates. Fairshake and other crypto-related PACs dumped millions of dollars into the primary election to oust Green, who has held a seat in Congress for twenty years.

The contest played out across multiple stages following Republican-led redistricting that effectively merged elements of two Houston-area congressional districts into one. The redraw consolidated portions of both incumbents’ districts into a newly drawn 18th, forcing the two Democratic incumbents to compete against each other. In the March primary, both Menefee and Green advanced as the top two finishers but fell short of a majority, forcing the runoff, which Menefee won with nearly 70% of the vote. The victory in the safely Democratic district means Menefee is heavily favored in the November general election.

Fairshake and its affiliated group Protect Progress poured millions into backing Menefee, with The Texas Tribune reporting more than $4 million in outside spending from one crypto super PAC alone, the Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress. According to The Block, Green earned an F rating from the industry-aligned Stand with Crypto group after voting against both the GENIUS stablecoin legislation and the Clarity Act. Green had also publicly warned that digital assets could undermine the dollar’s global dominance and pose risks to national security. In contrast, Menefee received an A rating from the same group and has spoken positively about blockchain’s potential to improve trust, transparency, and efficiency in finance and supply chains.

Once the results became clear, Fairshake released a confrontational statement: “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

The crypto lobby has been credited with giving a massive boost to Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election following a speech he gave at the 2024 Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he made several positive statements regarding bitcoin and crypto, including a stated desire to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. Industry-backed super PACs, including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, spent more than $133 million across federal races that cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Major donors included Coinbase, Ripple, Jump Crypto, and Andreessen Horowitz.

A recent New York Times report has pointed to similar concerns around the money involved in the CFTC’s strong stance regarding federal authority over the emerging prediction markets and crypto industries. Among the claims, the report alleges that senior CFTC officials under then-acting chair Caroline Pham helped clear regulatory hurdles for several firms tied to Trump family business interests.

The Trump family’s involvement in the crypto industry more generally has also been heavily criticized for “unprecedented corruption.” Duke University lecturing fellow Lee Reiners recently indicated that the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial stands to benefit tremendously from the Clarity Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate. Reiners, a former bank examiner, analyzed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token and concluded it functions as an unregistered security under the Howey test due to its structure, profit expectations, and centralized control. If passed as written, the legislation would likely reclassify those tokens as network commodities, moving them outside much of the securities-law framework for disclosures and antifraud enforcement. Critics say that would benefit the Trump family’s crypto interests and deepen concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest during the president’s second term.

The Clarity Act is intended to clarify how the crypto industry will be regulated in the United States. The specifics of the legislation are still being worked out after intense debate between crypto and banking interests in the U.S. Notably, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong threw his weight around back in March by indicating a previous draft of the bill would be worse than having no bill at all. He cited provisions that would amount to a de facto ban on tokenized equities and impose overly broad restrictions on decentralized finance. Coinbase is a massive contributor to the aforementioned crypto PACs, having given more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliates during the 2024 cycle and committing an additional $25 million for the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC.

Although the crypto industry has spent massively on political campaigns over the past few years and they were successful in this most recent runoff election in Texas, the Clarity Act is still not a slam dunk, as Democrats (and some Republicans) are pushing for ethics language to prevent the sort of corrupt profiteering by lawmakers that Trump has been alleged to have conducted. 

#Cryptos #Powerful #PAC #Sends #Warning #Politicians #Resistance #FutileBitcoin,CLARITY Act,Donald Trump,Fairshake,Marc Andreessen">Crypto’s Most Powerful PAC Sends a Warning to Politicians: Resistance Is Futile
                Congressman Al Green, the incumbent representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, lost to fellow House Representative Christian Menefee in a runoff election in the Democratic primary for a seat in Congress on Tuesday, and one crypto-focused political action committee (PAC) announced that the loss should be taken as a warning shot to future candidates. Fairshake and other crypto-related PACs dumped millions of dollars into the primary election to oust Green, who has held a seat in Congress for twenty years. The contest played out across multiple stages following Republican-led redistricting that effectively merged elements of two Houston-area congressional districts into one. The redraw consolidated portions of both incumbents’ districts into a newly drawn 18th, forcing the two Democratic incumbents to compete against each other. In the March primary, both Menefee and Green advanced as the top two finishers but fell short of a majority, forcing the runoff, which Menefee won with nearly 70% of the vote. The victory in the safely Democratic district means Menefee is heavily favored in the November general election. Fairshake and its affiliated group Protect Progress poured millions into backing Menefee, with The Texas Tribune reporting more than  million in outside spending from one crypto super PAC alone, the Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress. According to The Block, Green earned an F rating from the industry-aligned Stand with Crypto group after voting against both the GENIUS stablecoin legislation and the Clarity Act. Green had also publicly warned that digital assets could undermine the dollar’s global dominance and pose risks to national security. In contrast, Menefee received an A rating from the same group and has spoken positively about blockchain’s potential to improve trust, transparency, and efficiency in finance and supply chains.

 Once the results became clear, Fairshake released a confrontational statement: “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

 The crypto lobby has been credited with giving a massive boost to Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election following a speech he gave at the 2024 Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he made several positive statements regarding bitcoin and crypto, including a stated desire to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. Industry-backed super PACs, including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, spent more than 3 million across federal races that cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Major donors included Coinbase, Ripple, Jump Crypto, and Andreessen Horowitz. A recent New York Times report has pointed to similar concerns around the money involved in the CFTC’s strong stance regarding federal authority over the emerging prediction markets and crypto industries. Among the claims, the report alleges that senior CFTC officials under then-acting chair Caroline Pham helped clear regulatory hurdles for several firms tied to Trump family business interests.

 The Trump family’s involvement in the crypto industry more generally has also been heavily criticized for “unprecedented corruption.” Duke University lecturing fellow Lee Reiners recently indicated that the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial stands to benefit tremendously from the Clarity Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate. Reiners, a former bank examiner, analyzed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token and concluded it functions as an unregistered security under the Howey test due to its structure, profit expectations, and centralized control. If passed as written, the legislation would likely reclassify those tokens as network commodities, moving them outside much of the securities-law framework for disclosures and antifraud enforcement. Critics say that would benefit the Trump family’s crypto interests and deepen concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest during the president’s second term. The Clarity Act is intended to clarify how the crypto industry will be regulated in the United States. The specifics of the legislation are still being worked out after intense debate between crypto and banking interests in the U.S. Notably, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong threw his weight around back in March by indicating a previous draft of the bill would be worse than having no bill at all. He cited provisions that would amount to a de facto ban on tokenized equities and impose overly broad restrictions on decentralized finance. Coinbase is a massive contributor to the aforementioned crypto PACs, having given more than  million to Fairshake and its affiliates during the 2024 cycle and committing an additional  million for the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC. Although the crypto industry has spent massively on political campaigns over the past few years and they were successful in this most recent runoff election in Texas, the Clarity Act is still not a slam dunk, as Democrats (and some Republicans) are pushing for ethics language to prevent the sort of corrupt profiteering by lawmakers that Trump has been alleged to have conducted.       #Cryptos #Powerful #PAC #Sends #Warning #Politicians #Resistance #FutileBitcoin,CLARITY Act,Donald Trump,Fairshake,Marc Andreessen

with nearly 70% of the vote. The victory in the safely Democratic district means Menefee is heavily favored in the November general election.

Fairshake and its affiliated group Protect Progress poured millions into backing Menefee, with The Texas Tribune reporting more than $4 million in outside spending from one crypto super PAC alone, the Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress. According to The Block, Green earned an F rating from the industry-aligned Stand with Crypto group after voting against both the GENIUS stablecoin legislation and the Clarity Act. Green had also publicly warned that digital assets could undermine the dollar’s global dominance and pose risks to national security. In contrast, Menefee received an A rating from the same group and has spoken positively about blockchain’s potential to improve trust, transparency, and efficiency in finance and supply chains.

Once the results became clear, Fairshake released a confrontational statement: “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

The crypto lobby has been credited with giving a massive boost to Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election following a speech he gave at the 2024 Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he made several positive statements regarding bitcoin and crypto, including a stated desire to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. Industry-backed super PACs, including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, spent more than $133 million across federal races that cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Major donors included Coinbase, Ripple, Jump Crypto, and Andreessen Horowitz.

A recent New York Times report has pointed to similar concerns around the money involved in the CFTC’s strong stance regarding federal authority over the emerging prediction markets and crypto industries. Among the claims, the report alleges that senior CFTC officials under then-acting chair Caroline Pham helped clear regulatory hurdles for several firms tied to Trump family business interests.

The Trump family’s involvement in the crypto industry more generally has also been heavily criticized for “unprecedented corruption.” Duke University lecturing fellow Lee Reiners recently indicated that the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial stands to benefit tremendously from the Clarity Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate. Reiners, a former bank examiner, analyzed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token and concluded it functions as an unregistered security under the Howey test due to its structure, profit expectations, and centralized control. If passed as written, the legislation would likely reclassify those tokens as network commodities, moving them outside much of the securities-law framework for disclosures and antifraud enforcement. Critics say that would benefit the Trump family’s crypto interests and deepen concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest during the president’s second term.

The Clarity Act is intended to clarify how the crypto industry will be regulated in the United States. The specifics of the legislation are still being worked out after intense debate between crypto and banking interests in the U.S. Notably, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong threw his weight around back in March by indicating a previous draft of the bill would be worse than having no bill at all. He cited provisions that would amount to a de facto ban on tokenized equities and impose overly broad restrictions on decentralized finance. Coinbase is a massive contributor to the aforementioned crypto PACs, having given more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliates during the 2024 cycle and committing an additional $25 million for the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC.

Although the crypto industry has spent massively on political campaigns over the past few years and they were successful in this most recent runoff election in Texas, the Clarity Act is still not a slam dunk, as Democrats (and some Republicans) are pushing for ethics language to prevent the sort of corrupt profiteering by lawmakers that Trump has been alleged to have conducted. 

#Cryptos #Powerful #PAC #Sends #Warning #Politicians #Resistance #FutileBitcoin,CLARITY Act,Donald Trump,Fairshake,Marc Andreessen">Crypto’s Most Powerful PAC Sends a Warning to Politicians: Resistance Is FutileCrypto’s Most Powerful PAC Sends a Warning to Politicians: Resistance Is Futile
                Congressman Al Green, the incumbent representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, lost to fellow House Representative Christian Menefee in a runoff election in the Democratic primary for a seat in Congress on Tuesday, and one crypto-focused political action committee (PAC) announced that the loss should be taken as a warning shot to future candidates. Fairshake and other crypto-related PACs dumped millions of dollars into the primary election to oust Green, who has held a seat in Congress for twenty years. The contest played out across multiple stages following Republican-led redistricting that effectively merged elements of two Houston-area congressional districts into one. The redraw consolidated portions of both incumbents’ districts into a newly drawn 18th, forcing the two Democratic incumbents to compete against each other. In the March primary, both Menefee and Green advanced as the top two finishers but fell short of a majority, forcing the runoff, which Menefee won with nearly 70% of the vote. The victory in the safely Democratic district means Menefee is heavily favored in the November general election. Fairshake and its affiliated group Protect Progress poured millions into backing Menefee, with The Texas Tribune reporting more than $4 million in outside spending from one crypto super PAC alone, the Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress. According to The Block, Green earned an F rating from the industry-aligned Stand with Crypto group after voting against both the GENIUS stablecoin legislation and the Clarity Act. Green had also publicly warned that digital assets could undermine the dollar’s global dominance and pose risks to national security. In contrast, Menefee received an A rating from the same group and has spoken positively about blockchain’s potential to improve trust, transparency, and efficiency in finance and supply chains.

 Once the results became clear, Fairshake released a confrontational statement: “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

 The crypto lobby has been credited with giving a massive boost to Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election following a speech he gave at the 2024 Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he made several positive statements regarding bitcoin and crypto, including a stated desire to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. Industry-backed super PACs, including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, spent more than $133 million across federal races that cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Major donors included Coinbase, Ripple, Jump Crypto, and Andreessen Horowitz. A recent New York Times report has pointed to similar concerns around the money involved in the CFTC’s strong stance regarding federal authority over the emerging prediction markets and crypto industries. Among the claims, the report alleges that senior CFTC officials under then-acting chair Caroline Pham helped clear regulatory hurdles for several firms tied to Trump family business interests.

 The Trump family’s involvement in the crypto industry more generally has also been heavily criticized for “unprecedented corruption.” Duke University lecturing fellow Lee Reiners recently indicated that the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial stands to benefit tremendously from the Clarity Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate. Reiners, a former bank examiner, analyzed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token and concluded it functions as an unregistered security under the Howey test due to its structure, profit expectations, and centralized control. If passed as written, the legislation would likely reclassify those tokens as network commodities, moving them outside much of the securities-law framework for disclosures and antifraud enforcement. Critics say that would benefit the Trump family’s crypto interests and deepen concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest during the president’s second term. The Clarity Act is intended to clarify how the crypto industry will be regulated in the United States. The specifics of the legislation are still being worked out after intense debate between crypto and banking interests in the U.S. Notably, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong threw his weight around back in March by indicating a previous draft of the bill would be worse than having no bill at all. He cited provisions that would amount to a de facto ban on tokenized equities and impose overly broad restrictions on decentralized finance. Coinbase is a massive contributor to the aforementioned crypto PACs, having given more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliates during the 2024 cycle and committing an additional $25 million for the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC. Although the crypto industry has spent massively on political campaigns over the past few years and they were successful in this most recent runoff election in Texas, the Clarity Act is still not a slam dunk, as Democrats (and some Republicans) are pushing for ethics language to prevent the sort of corrupt profiteering by lawmakers that Trump has been alleged to have conducted.       #Cryptos #Powerful #PAC #Sends #Warning #Politicians #Resistance #FutileBitcoin,CLARITY Act,Donald Trump,Fairshake,Marc Andreessen

Congressman Al Green, the incumbent representative for the 18th Congressional District in Texas, lost to fellow House Representative Christian Menefee in a runoff election in the Democratic primary for a seat in Congress on Tuesday, and one crypto-focused political action committee (PAC) announced that the loss should be taken as a warning shot to future candidates. Fairshake and other crypto-related PACs dumped millions of dollars into the primary election to oust Green, who has held a seat in Congress for twenty years.

The contest played out across multiple stages following Republican-led redistricting that effectively merged elements of two Houston-area congressional districts into one. The redraw consolidated portions of both incumbents’ districts into a newly drawn 18th, forcing the two Democratic incumbents to compete against each other. In the March primary, both Menefee and Green advanced as the top two finishers but fell short of a majority, forcing the runoff, which Menefee won with nearly 70% of the vote. The victory in the safely Democratic district means Menefee is heavily favored in the November general election.

Fairshake and its affiliated group Protect Progress poured millions into backing Menefee, with The Texas Tribune reporting more than $4 million in outside spending from one crypto super PAC alone, the Fairshake-affiliated Protect Progress. According to The Block, Green earned an F rating from the industry-aligned Stand with Crypto group after voting against both the GENIUS stablecoin legislation and the Clarity Act. Green had also publicly warned that digital assets could undermine the dollar’s global dominance and pose risks to national security. In contrast, Menefee received an A rating from the same group and has spoken positively about blockchain’s potential to improve trust, transparency, and efficiency in finance and supply chains.

Once the results became clear, Fairshake released a confrontational statement: “Rep. Green’s defeat proves that anti-crypto hostility carries real electoral consequences, making him the first Democratic incumbent this cycle to lose his seat. Fairshake was the difference-maker in this race, and we will continue to aggressively back leaders like Rep. Menefee across the country.”

The crypto lobby has been credited with giving a massive boost to Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential election following a speech he gave at the 2024 Bitcoin conference in Nashville, Tennessee, where he made several positive statements regarding bitcoin and crypto, including a stated desire to establish a strategic bitcoin reserve. Industry-backed super PACs, including Fairshake, Protect Progress, and Defend American Jobs, spent more than $133 million across federal races that cycle, according to OpenSecrets. Major donors included Coinbase, Ripple, Jump Crypto, and Andreessen Horowitz.

A recent New York Times report has pointed to similar concerns around the money involved in the CFTC’s strong stance regarding federal authority over the emerging prediction markets and crypto industries. Among the claims, the report alleges that senior CFTC officials under then-acting chair Caroline Pham helped clear regulatory hurdles for several firms tied to Trump family business interests.

The Trump family’s involvement in the crypto industry more generally has also been heavily criticized for “unprecedented corruption.” Duke University lecturing fellow Lee Reiners recently indicated that the Trump-linked World Liberty Financial stands to benefit tremendously from the Clarity Act, which is currently making its way through the Senate. Reiners, a former bank examiner, analyzed World Liberty Financial’s WLFI token and concluded it functions as an unregistered security under the Howey test due to its structure, profit expectations, and centralized control. If passed as written, the legislation would likely reclassify those tokens as network commodities, moving them outside much of the securities-law framework for disclosures and antifraud enforcement. Critics say that would benefit the Trump family’s crypto interests and deepen concerns about self-dealing and conflicts of interest during the president’s second term.

The Clarity Act is intended to clarify how the crypto industry will be regulated in the United States. The specifics of the legislation are still being worked out after intense debate between crypto and banking interests in the U.S. Notably, Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong threw his weight around back in March by indicating a previous draft of the bill would be worse than having no bill at all. He cited provisions that would amount to a de facto ban on tokenized equities and impose overly broad restrictions on decentralized finance. Coinbase is a massive contributor to the aforementioned crypto PACs, having given more than $75 million to Fairshake and its affiliates during the 2024 cycle and committing an additional $25 million for the 2026 midterms, according to CNBC.

Although the crypto industry has spent massively on political campaigns over the past few years and they were successful in this most recent runoff election in Texas, the Clarity Act is still not a slam dunk, as Democrats (and some Republicans) are pushing for ethics language to prevent the sort of corrupt profiteering by lawmakers that Trump has been alleged to have conducted. 

#Cryptos #Powerful #PAC #Sends #Warning #Politicians #Resistance #FutileBitcoin,CLARITY Act,Donald Trump,Fairshake,Marc Andreessen

Vertu is a company known for making extraordinarily gaudy smartphones with outdated technology, luxe materials, and eye-watering prices. Now the brand is here to meet the AI moment with its first-ever book-like folding phone, complete with an AI agent on board.

The company announced the AlphaFold smartphone on Thursday—targeting business executives—which comes outfitted with the Hermes Agent. This agent can purportedly handle schedules and tasks on a user’s behalf and “connect to enterprise systems.” Agents are big in the smartphone world right now, with companies like Google and Samsung offering ways for Gemini on Android smartphones to perform tasks such as booking an Uber or ordering DoorDash. Vertu is cashing in on that trend.

But the company has a checkered past. Originally, Vertu was a Nokia subsidiary that made handcrafted luxury Nokia phones (in the UK!) in the early 2000s. Each phone came with access to a live concierge service. The company faced headwinds with the smartphone revolution and fell behind the times. Vertu then changed hands over several years, with various acquisitions, eventually shuttering its UK factory and laying off staff.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Accessories Baby and Person

Courtesy of Vertu

In the last few years, the company has been churning out luxury Android smartphones again—it debuted a folding flip phone last year that starts at $4,300 (with a calfskin backplate, naturally). In late 2025, it unveiled the Agent Q, which it calls the “world’s first AI agent phone for entrepreneurs.”

While the company still claims a British heritage, its phones are no longer made in the UK, and according to its website, its head office is in Hong Kong. Vertu spokesperson Viki You tells WIRED that the phones are “still handcrafted,” but they’re assembled in China. “We have different factories,” You says, noting that the company sources its high-end materials from other countries, like the full-grain calfskin from Italy.

The AlphaFold has all the markings of a high-end Android smartphone. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from 2025 and is 11.8 millimeters thick when folded, 5.4 mm when unfolded. Not quite as svelte as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, but not far off from competitors like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Vertu says the hinge and screen architecture were tested to withstand 650,000 folds, which is more than Samsung’s claim of 500,000 folds.

Inside is a 6,500-mAh silicon-anode battery, an up-and-coming battery technology that’s been making waves in Chinese smartphones and has only recently made its way into Western smartphones from the likes of Motorola. There’s 65-watt fast charging, a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for the inner 8.05-inch screen, and a 6.53-inch outer screen. There’s a triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel telephoto.

#Vertu #Folding #Phone #Powered #bySurprisean #Agentphones,smartphones,android,shopping,luxury,design">Vertu Is Back With a Folding Phone Powered by—Surprise—an AI AgentVertu is a company known for making extraordinarily gaudy smartphones with outdated technology, luxe materials, and eye-watering prices. Now the brand is here to meet the AI moment with its first-ever book-like folding phone, complete with an AI agent on board.The company announced the AlphaFold smartphone on Thursday—targeting business executives—which comes outfitted with the Hermes Agent. This agent can purportedly handle schedules and tasks on a user’s behalf and “connect to enterprise systems.” Agents are big in the smartphone world right now, with companies like Google and Samsung offering ways for Gemini on Android smartphones to perform tasks such as booking an Uber or ordering DoorDash. Vertu is cashing in on that trend.But the company has a checkered past. Originally, Vertu was a Nokia subsidiary that made handcrafted luxury Nokia phones (in the UK!) in the early 2000s. Each phone came with access to a live concierge service. The company faced headwinds with the smartphone revolution and fell behind the times. Vertu then changed hands over several years, with various acquisitions, eventually shuttering its UK factory and laying off staff.Courtesy of VertuIn the last few years, the company has been churning out luxury Android smartphones again—it debuted a folding flip phone last year that starts at ,300 (with a calfskin backplate, naturally). In late 2025, it unveiled the Agent Q, which it calls the “world’s first AI agent phone for entrepreneurs.”While the company still claims a British heritage, its phones are no longer made in the UK, and according to its website, its head office is in Hong Kong. Vertu spokesperson Viki You tells WIRED that the phones are “still handcrafted,” but they’re assembled in China. “We have different factories,” You says, noting that the company sources its high-end materials from other countries, like the full-grain calfskin from Italy.The AlphaFold has all the markings of a high-end Android smartphone. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from 2025 and is 11.8 millimeters thick when folded, 5.4 mm when unfolded. Not quite as svelte as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, but not far off from competitors like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Vertu says the hinge and screen architecture were tested to withstand 650,000 folds, which is more than Samsung’s claim of 500,000 folds.Inside is a 6,500-mAh silicon-anode battery, an up-and-coming battery technology that’s been making waves in Chinese smartphones and has only recently made its way into Western smartphones from the likes of Motorola. There’s 65-watt fast charging, a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for the inner 8.05-inch screen, and a 6.53-inch outer screen. There’s a triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel telephoto.#Vertu #Folding #Phone #Powered #bySurprisean #Agentphones,smartphones,android,shopping,luxury,design

gaudy smartphones with outdated technology, luxe materials, and eye-watering prices. Now the brand is here to meet the AI moment with its first-ever book-like folding phone, complete with an AI agent on board.

The company announced the AlphaFold smartphone on Thursday—targeting business executives—which comes outfitted with the Hermes Agent. This agent can purportedly handle schedules and tasks on a user’s behalf and “connect to enterprise systems.” Agents are big in the smartphone world right now, with companies like Google and Samsung offering ways for Gemini on Android smartphones to perform tasks such as booking an Uber or ordering DoorDash. Vertu is cashing in on that trend.

But the company has a checkered past. Originally, Vertu was a Nokia subsidiary that made handcrafted luxury Nokia phones (in the UK!) in the early 2000s. Each phone came with access to a live concierge service. The company faced headwinds with the smartphone revolution and fell behind the times. Vertu then changed hands over several years, with various acquisitions, eventually shuttering its UK factory and laying off staff.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Accessories Baby and Person

Courtesy of Vertu

In the last few years, the company has been churning out luxury Android smartphones again—it debuted a folding flip phone last year that starts at $4,300 (with a calfskin backplate, naturally). In late 2025, it unveiled the Agent Q, which it calls the “world’s first AI agent phone for entrepreneurs.”

While the company still claims a British heritage, its phones are no longer made in the UK, and according to its website, its head office is in Hong Kong. Vertu spokesperson Viki You tells WIRED that the phones are “still handcrafted,” but they’re assembled in China. “We have different factories,” You says, noting that the company sources its high-end materials from other countries, like the full-grain calfskin from Italy.

The AlphaFold has all the markings of a high-end Android smartphone. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from 2025 and is 11.8 millimeters thick when folded, 5.4 mm when unfolded. Not quite as svelte as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, but not far off from competitors like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Vertu says the hinge and screen architecture were tested to withstand 650,000 folds, which is more than Samsung’s claim of 500,000 folds.

Inside is a 6,500-mAh silicon-anode battery, an up-and-coming battery technology that’s been making waves in Chinese smartphones and has only recently made its way into Western smartphones from the likes of Motorola. There’s 65-watt fast charging, a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for the inner 8.05-inch screen, and a 6.53-inch outer screen. There’s a triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel telephoto.

#Vertu #Folding #Phone #Powered #bySurprisean #Agentphones,smartphones,android,shopping,luxury,design">Vertu Is Back With a Folding Phone Powered by—Surprise—an AI Agent

Vertu is a company known for making extraordinarily gaudy smartphones with outdated technology, luxe materials, and eye-watering prices. Now the brand is here to meet the AI moment with its first-ever book-like folding phone, complete with an AI agent on board.

The company announced the AlphaFold smartphone on Thursday—targeting business executives—which comes outfitted with the Hermes Agent. This agent can purportedly handle schedules and tasks on a user’s behalf and “connect to enterprise systems.” Agents are big in the smartphone world right now, with companies like Google and Samsung offering ways for Gemini on Android smartphones to perform tasks such as booking an Uber or ordering DoorDash. Vertu is cashing in on that trend.

But the company has a checkered past. Originally, Vertu was a Nokia subsidiary that made handcrafted luxury Nokia phones (in the UK!) in the early 2000s. Each phone came with access to a live concierge service. The company faced headwinds with the smartphone revolution and fell behind the times. Vertu then changed hands over several years, with various acquisitions, eventually shuttering its UK factory and laying off staff.

Image may contain Electronics Mobile Phone Phone Accessories Baby and Person

Courtesy of Vertu

In the last few years, the company has been churning out luxury Android smartphones again—it debuted a folding flip phone last year that starts at $4,300 (with a calfskin backplate, naturally). In late 2025, it unveiled the Agent Q, which it calls the “world’s first AI agent phone for entrepreneurs.”

While the company still claims a British heritage, its phones are no longer made in the UK, and according to its website, its head office is in Hong Kong. Vertu spokesperson Viki You tells WIRED that the phones are “still handcrafted,” but they’re assembled in China. “We have different factories,” You says, noting that the company sources its high-end materials from other countries, like the full-grain calfskin from Italy.

The AlphaFold has all the markings of a high-end Android smartphone. It’s powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset from 2025 and is 11.8 millimeters thick when folded, 5.4 mm when unfolded. Not quite as svelte as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold7, but not far off from competitors like the Google Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Vertu says the hinge and screen architecture were tested to withstand 650,000 folds, which is more than Samsung’s claim of 500,000 folds.

Inside is a 6,500-mAh silicon-anode battery, an up-and-coming battery technology that’s been making waves in Chinese smartphones and has only recently made its way into Western smartphones from the likes of Motorola. There’s 65-watt fast charging, a 120-Hz screen refresh rate for the inner 8.05-inch screen, and a 6.53-inch outer screen. There’s a triple-camera system with a 50-megapixel main camera, a 50-megapixel ultrawide, and a 5-megapixel telephoto.

#Vertu #Folding #Phone #Powered #bySurprisean #Agentphones,smartphones,android,shopping,luxury,design

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