Technology

The best deals on the baby gear I recommend to my friends

Published

1 year ago

November 28, 2024

The best deals on the baby gear I recommend to my friends

This time last year, I was pregnant with my first child and extremely overwhelmed by the sheer volume of decisions to make. Should we buy a rocking chair or a glider? Which bassinet should we get? What how-to book, white noise machine, or magical schedule would make a newborn sleep? I spent a lot of time asking friends, searching Reddit, and reading blogs to try to figure out what things I would actually need — and then which specific products to buy.

I did not exhaustively test every product against the competition (having a baby is very all-consuming), but I can tell you what gear I frequently use and love with my son, who is now eight months old. A lot of these products get nice discounts on Black Friday and Cyber Monday, so it’s a great time to shop if you’re expecting.

Deals on bassinets and sleep accessories

Before we had our baby, I planned to be a chill parent with a chill baby who would sleep well without needing expensive gadgets. This went out the window very quickly when I got a baby who hated being still and wanted to walk or bounce 24/7. First, we bought this Norwegian gadget called the Sleepytroll to attach to our bassinet and DIY ourselves a cheaper Snoo. It soon rocked itself to death, its motion gradually weakening over time. After a particularly rough few nights, we broke down and bought a used Snoo on Facebook Marketplace. We would have saved money spent on our original bassinet, the Sleepytroll, and small sleep sacks if we had just bought a Snoo to begin with.

Picture of a Snoo bassinet on a white rug surrounded by baby toys.

A smart bassinet that soothes your infant with motion and white noise.

The Snoo is a smart bassinet that plays white noise and rocks your baby, ramping up the intensity if your baby keeps crying. I have heard from friends that it does not work for every baby, but when it works, it really works — and you have truly magical moments when it successfully puts your baby to sleep. You can control the intensity manually and get nice sleep logs in their proprietary app — though Snoo’s parent company, Happiest Baby, has come under fire this year for introducing a new subscription fee of $19.99 / month for the main app functionality after nine months. While infuriating, I was so desperate for sleep that I still would have bought a Snoo. Also, look out for return policies; some parents prefer to buy their Snoos from Amazon to avoid Happiest Baby’s steep $199 restocking fee.

A pack ‘n play that is easy to set up and can be used for older toddlers.

If you plan to travel a lot, you may also want to invest in a portable crib or pack ‘n play. We went with the Guava Lotus, which came recommended because the mattress sits on the floor and doesn’t have a weight limit — meaning you can use it longer. It’s very easy to set up and collapse, secures the crib sheet safely to the supports, and has a nice carrying bag with backpack straps.

$40

A nice little rechargeable white noise machine for your baby’s crib or stroller.

When your baby grows out of the Snoo, white noise is still an incredibly effective sleep aid. We set up an old Sonos One in our nursery, but as the “White Noise Baby Sleep” playlist has completely wrecked all of my Spotify recommendations, you may want a standalone white noise device instead of a Bluetooth speaker. We got this rechargeable little puck for traveling, and it works well and charges on a standard USB-C cable.

Baby carrier and stroller deals

An expensive but great lightweight car seat that transforms into a stroller, fantastic for city living and travel.

If you plan to travel a lot with your baby, have a small car, or live in a city where you’ll be frequently using mass transit, you should consider getting the Doona as your main infant car seat and stroller. It is an incredibly light all-in-one car seat with stroller wheels that fold into the seat itself, so you can easily transition between sidewalk, car, train, and plane without carrying a separate stroller that you need to gate check or shove in your trunk. It’s expensive, but the build quality feels great, it rides very smoothly, and once you get the hang of it, it’s very easy to transition between modes. My only complaint is that it’s easy to accidentally lock the wheels while walking. And because of its small wheel size and lack of hand brakes, it is best used on sidewalks and flatter terrain.

A solid choice for baby-wearing that distributes the weight to your hips.

There are lots of stylish baby carrier options out there, but we were sometimes walking our baby four-plus hours per day, and so we prioritized ergonomics over style. We have and love the Beco 8, which puts the weight on your hips like a backpacking backpack and has a shoulder strap. It has a newborn insert for very small babies that can be removed as your baby gets older and can face forward and a nice little sunshade that can snap onto the shoulder straps.

A soft and cozy baby wrap that’s especially nice for c-section recovery.

In the first few months, I also used a Solly Wrap as the Beco 8’s hip support was too close to my c-section scar. It’s pricey for what is essentially just a long, soft piece of fabric, but I found it very easy to use and great for getting things done around the house while my baby napped on me. Around three months, though, my baby got too heavy and squirmy and I preferred the additional support of the Beco 8.

A solid, very capacious diaper bag that clips to your stroller.

Any old backpack can become a diaper bag, so you don’t necessarily need to buy anything new. We got this Skip Hop backpack because its squat shape gives it more carrying capacity and makes it easier to find things. It has plenty of space for diapers, wipes, spare outfits, burp cloths, toys, and bottles; and has beverage holders on either side that can accommodate adult water bottles. I do wish it had a chest strap for hiking, but if you will mostly be using your diaper bag with a stroller, it can clip to the handlebar and is a solid pick.

Deals on bottle warmers and changing table accessories

A very nice, easy-to-use bottle warmer.

If you plan to pump or formula feed, it’s nice to have an easy way to warm bottles. Our baby will drink room temperature bottles, but he definitely prefers nicely warmed milk. (Who wouldn’t?) This warmer sits on our counter, looks reasonably nice, and works well.

A well-designed wipe dispenser for your changing table that lets you grab a wipe one-handed.

My favorite changing table accessory is the OXO wipe dispenser, which has a press-to-click open that enables you to grab a wipe with only one hand. This is critical when dealing with the dreaded blowout. I also remember to properly close it far more often than a regular wipe pack, so I don’t accidentally dry out the wipes.

A set of very useful spatulas that suction to your changing table and keep your hands from getting sticky when applying diaper cream.

The weirdest and best baby gift I received was a set of baby bum spatulas. I was initially skeptical, but these are amazing for applying Aquaphor or Desitin during diaper changes with a lot less mess.

Baby toy deals

Because this is The Verge, I’ll stick to toys with batteries. These have been my son’s favorites — music, in particular, is a big hit with him. Any musical toy may eventually drive you insane, but these cycle through enough tunes that I am still dancing along to them with our son.

A musical penguin toy that cycles through surprisingly boppy remixes. It flaps its wings with high-contrast black-and-white spots that will mesmerize your baby.

A cheap, great little teether and music maker that has amused my baby for hours. It is not technically on sale, but I am still including it because at less than $10, it is still a good deal.

Deals on other random baby stuff I loved

Hand holding Thermapen One thermometer into a grilled steak.

An instant-read thermometer that promises speed and accuracy.

As first-time parents, we were nervous about getting the exact right bath temperature. We happened to have the very nice Thermapen One in our kitchen for cooking and baking, and hijacked it for our first several months of baths with our newborn.

A cute, warm baby hat that actually stays on.

This is the only baby hat that has ever stayed on my son’s head for more than three minutes, and we now own it in every size. It’s cute, it’s warm, and something about the construction helps it actually stay on — especially compared to the stocking-style hats that seem to scrunch off immediately.

A baby bouncer that will captivate most babies, with a washable cover that extends its lifespan.

We were a little mystified about why the ubiquitous BabyBjorn bouncers are so expensive, especially the $60 toy bar accessory — but our son loved it. The cover is washable, so we just bought one on Facebook Marketplace for $100 that had the toy bar included. Especially in the first six months, our baby would spend at least an hour a day in his bouncer, contentedly watching the action and bouncing while we ate meals and caught up with friends.

A nice, easy-to-install baby gate with an adjustable cat door to let pets roam freely.

When it came to baby-proofing our house, we had a bit of a conundrum: how to keep our baby in but let our elderly cat out to her litter box and food? We found this nice option with an adjustable cat door from Babelio, which seems to make some of the more popular baby gates on Amazon. We have three installed now. They were easy to install on both stairs and doorways, and they work very well. They open and close easily when you grip the two buttons on the top and bottom of the handle, and the door can be propped open at a 90-degree angle after our baby is in bed.

An expensive but very comfortable glider with an electronic reclining function and USB-A and USB-C charging ports for your phone.

A glider is really nice for nursing, soothing a fussy baby, and establishing bedtime routines. After testing a few, we really preferred the smooth motion of a glider to the tipping feeling of a classic rocking chair. We splurged on the Babyletto Kiwi, which has an electric recliner function, and it is awesome. We intend to use it in an office afterward, though, and it might not be worth the money just for a nursery. The performance fabric has held up well even after some epic spitups.

Technology

Meta’s AI glasses reportedly send sensitive footage to human reviewers in Kenya

Published

2 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Meta’s AI glasses reportedly send sensitive footage to human reviewers in Kenya

Meta’s AI-powered smart glasses could be sending sensitive footage to human reviewers in Nairobi, Kenya, according to an investigation by the Swedish outlets Svenska Dagbladet and Göteborgs-Posten. The report, which was published last week, claims Meta contractors in Kenya have seen videos captured with the smart glasses that show “bathroom visits, sex and other intimate moments.”

So far, at least one proposed class action lawsuit accusing Meta of violating false advertising and privacy laws has emerged in response to Svenska Dagbladet’s reporting, citing the company’s claim that its smart glasses are designed for privacy:

By affirmatively claiming that the Glasses were designed to protect privacy, Meta assumed a duty to disclose material facts that would inform a reasonable consumer’s decision to purchase the product. Instead, Meta hid the alarming reality: that use of the AI features results in a stranger halfway around the world watching the most private moments of a person’s life.

The Nairobi-based contractors interviewed by Svenska Dagbladet are AI annotators, meaning they label images, text, or audio, with the goal of helping AI systems make sense of the data they’re training on. “We see everything — from living rooms to naked bodies,” one worker says, according to Svenska Dagbladet. “Meta has that type of content in its databases.”

A former Meta employee reportedly tells Svenska Dagbladet that faces in annotation data are blurred automatically, though workers in Kenya say this “does not always work as intended,” and some faces are still visible. Another person reportedly tells the outlet that a wearer’s bank cards are sometimes seen in the footage they review as well.

Meta’s Ray-Ban and Oakley smart glasses come with a built-in AI assistant capable of answering questions about what a user can see. The glasses have soared in popularity in recent years, despite growing concerns over privacy and surveillance.

EssilorLuxottica, the eyewear giant that Meta works with to develop the camera-equipped glasses, sold over 7 million of the AI-powered glasses in 2025 — more than tripling its sales in 2023 and 2024 combined. Last year, Meta made some changes to its privacy policy that keep Meta AI with camera use enabled on your glasses “unless you turn off ‘Hey Meta.’” It also stopped allowing wearers to opt out of storing their voice recordings in the cloud.

As reported by Svenska Dagbladet, the Kenya-based AI reviewers work with transcriptions as well, ensuring Meta AI provides the correct answer to the questions users ask aloud. In a statement to The Verge, Meta spokesperson Tracy Clayton says media captured by its smart glasses “stays on the user’s device” unless they choose to share it with other people or Meta.

“When people share content with Meta AI, we sometimes use contractors to review this data for the purpose of improving people’s experience, as many other companies do,” Clayton says. “We take steps to filter this data to protect people’s privacy and to help prevent identifying information from being reviewed.”

Technology

Inside Microsoft’s AI content verification plan

Published

3 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Inside Microsoft’s AI content verification plan

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Scroll your social media feed for five minutes. You will likely see something that looks real but feels slightly off.

Maybe it is a viral protest image that turns out to be altered. Maybe it is a slick video pushing a political narrative. Or maybe it is an artificial intelligence voice clip that spreads before anyone stops to question it.

AI-enabled deception now permeates everyday life. And Microsoft says it has a technical blueprint to help verify where online content comes from and whether it has been altered.

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Microsoft’s proposal would attach digital fingerprints and metadata to help trace where online content originated. (YorVen/Getty Images)

Why AI-generated content feels more convincing today

AI tools can now generate hyperrealistic images, clone voices and create interactive deepfakes that respond in real time. What once required a studio or intelligence agency now requires a browser window. That shift changes the stakes.

It is no longer about spotting obvious fakes. It is about navigating a digital world where manipulated content blends into your daily scroll. Even when viewers know something is AI-generated, they often engage with it anyway. Labels alone do not automatically stop belief or sharing. So Microsoft is proposing something more structured.

How Microsoft’s AI content verification system works

To understand Microsoft’s approach, picture the process of authenticating a famous painting. An owner would carefully document its history and record every change in possession. Experts might add a watermark that machines can detect, but viewers cannot see. They could also generate a mathematical signature based on the brush strokes.

Now Microsoft wants to bring that same discipline to digital content. The company’s research team evaluated 60 different tool combinations, including metadata tracking, invisible watermarks and cryptographic signatures. Researchers also stress-tested those systems against real-world scenarios such as stripped metadata, subtle pixel changes or deliberate tampering.

Rather than deciding what is true, the system focuses on origin and alteration. It is designed to show where the content started and whether someone changed it along the way.

What AI content verification can and cannot prove

Before relying on these tools, you need to understand their limits. Verification systems can flag whether someone altered content, but they cannot judge accuracy or interpret context. They also cannot determine meaning. For example, a label may indicate that a video contains AI-generated elements. It will not explain whether the broader narrative is misleading.

Even so, experts believe widespread adoption could reduce deception at scale. Highly skilled actors and some governments may still find ways around safeguards. However, consistent verification standards could reduce a significant share of manipulated posts. Over time, that shift could reshape the online environment in measurable ways.

Why AI labels create a business dilemma for social platforms

Here is where the tension becomes real. Platforms depend on engagement. Engagement often feeds on outrage or shock. And AI-generated content can drive both. If clear AI labels reduce clicks, shares or watch time, companies face a difficult choice. Transparency can clash with business incentives.

FAKE ERROR POPUPS ARE SPREADING MALWARE FAST

Invisible watermarks and cryptographic signatures could signal when images or videos have been altered. (Chona Kasinger/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Audits of major platforms already show inconsistent labeling of AI-generated posts. Some receive tags. Many slip through without disclosure.

Now, U.S. regulations are stepping in. California’s AI Transparency Act is set to require clearer disclosure of AI-generated material, and other states are considering similar rules. Lawmakers want stronger safeguards.

Still, implementation matters. If companies rush verification tools or apply them inconsistently, public trust could erode even faster.

The risk of incorrect AI labels and false flags

Researchers also warn about sociotechnical attacks. Imagine someone takes a real photo of a tense political event and modifies only a small portion of it. A weak detection system flags the entire image as AI-manipulated.

Now, a genuine image is treated as suspect. Bad actors could exploit imperfect systems to discredit real evidence. That is why Microsoft’s research stresses combining provenance tracking with watermarking and cryptographic signatures. Precision matters. Overreach could undermine the entire effort.

How to protect yourself from AI-generated misinformation

While industry standards evolve, you still need personal safeguards.

1) Slow down before sharing

If a post triggers a strong emotional reaction, pause. Emotional manipulation is often intentional.

2) Check the original source

Look beyond reposts and screenshots. Find the first publication or account.

3) Cross-check major claims

Search for coverage from reputable outlets before accepting dramatic narratives.

4) Verify suspicious images and videos

Use reverse image search tools to see where a photo first appeared. If the earliest version looks different, someone may have altered it.

5) Be skeptical of shocking voice recordings

AI tools can clone voices using short samples. If a recording makes explosive claims, wait for confirmation from trusted outlets.

6) Avoid relying on a single feed

Algorithms show you more of what you already engage with. Broader sources reduce the risk of getting trapped in manipulated narratives.

7) Treat labels as signals, not verdicts

An AI-generated tag offers context. It does not automatically make content harmful or false.

8) Keep devices and software updated

Malicious AI content sometimes links to phishing sites or malware. Updated systems reduce exposure.

Strengthen account security

Use strong, unique passwords and a reputable password manager to generate and store complex logins for you. Check out the best expert-reviewed password managers of 2026 at Cyberguy.com. Also, enable multi-factor authentication where available. No system is perfect. But layered awareness makes you a harder target.

Experts say stronger AI labeling standards may reduce deception, but they cannot determine what is true. (iStock)

Take my quiz: How safe is your online security?

Think your devices and data are truly protected? Take this quick quiz to see where your digital habits stand. From passwords to Wi-Fi settings, you’ll get a personalized breakdown of what you’re doing right and what needs improvement. Take my Quiz here: Cyberguy.com.

Kurt’s key takeaways

Microsoft’s AI content verification plan signals that the industry understands the urgency. The internet is shifting from a place where we question sources to a place where we question reality itself. Technical standards could reduce manipulation at scale. But they cannot fix human psychology. People often believe what aligns with their worldview, even when labels suggest caution. Verification may help restore some trust online. Yet trust is not built by code alone.

So here is the question. If every post in your feed came with a digital fingerprint and an AI label, would that actually change what you believe? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

Technology

Did Live Nation punish a venue by taking Billie Eilish away?

Published

14 hours ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

Did Live Nation punish a venue by taking Billie Eilish away?

John Abbamondi had orders to let the CEO of Ticketmaster down easy.

In April 2021, Abbamondi was the CEO of BSE Global, the company that ran Brooklyn arena the Barclays Center. BSE Global’s existing Ticketmaster contract would expire at the end of September, and Abbamondi and his team had evaluated proposals from SeatGeek, AXS, and Ticketmaster. The economics of Ticketmaster offer, according to Abbamondi, “was nowhere near as good as the other two.” SeatGeek’s technology was “superior” to Ticketmaster’s on balance, on top of better financial terms including an equity stake in the company, the arena decided. It clinched their decision to go with a newer, smaller player in the field.

When Abbamondi called to break the news to Michael Rapino, the Live Nation Entertainment CEO, the meeting became tense — and a recording of it came back to haunt Rapino in this month’s Live Nation-Ticketmaster monopoly trial. Abbamondi was one of two witnesses who took the stand Wednesday, alongside Mitch Helgerson, the chief revenue officer for the Minnesota Wild hockey team. Both men said that when they considered switching their venues’ ticketing platform from Ticketmaster, executives there threatened them with the loss of vital Live Nation-promoted concerts. It’s the behavior, the Justice Department and 40 state and district attorneys general say, of a monopolist — a charge Live Nation-Ticketmaster denies.

Abbamondi, identifying the voices on the 2021 call to a Manhattan jury Wednesday, said that “the nervous guy was me and the angry guy was Michael.” The few minutes played in court captures an exchange that went “sideways,” as Abbamondi put it, when he tried to thread a delicate needle: rejecting Ticketmaster’s services while trying to hold its parent company Live Nation to a separate contract promising to fill Barclays Center with concerts. At one point, Rapino dropped an F-bomb while discussing his frustration over a contractual dispute. He told Abbamondi he believed they were never planning to renew with Ticketmaster in the first place.

Rapino reminded Abbamondi about the new UBS Arena in Queens, which could draw more Live Nation-promoted shows away from Barclays. Though Ticketmaster theoretically operates separately from Live Nation, Abbamondi took this as a “not-so-veiled” threat — cut off the left arm, and the right arm would swing back. Abbamondi hung up feeling like he’d failed to “do my job there, which was to land the plane smoothly.”

The venue “saw a dramatic decline in Live Nation shows that were booked at the arena”

Abbamondi still signed the deal with SeatGeek, which began in October 2021. Then, he testified, the venue “saw a dramatic decline in Live Nation shows that were booked at the arena.” Artists were just beginning to fill stadiums again after the start of the covid pandemic, including Billie Eilish, who’d had to cancel shows in New York venues including Barclays in 2020. Normally, Abbamondi would have expected Live Nation to rebook her show there next time she was on tour. But when she began touring again in 2021, she booked at the new venue Rapino had warned about — the UBS Arena. When Barclays asked about it, they were told it was the “artist’s decision.” Other promoters, he said, hadn’t reduced their bookings at Barclays by nearly as much.

In 2022, mere months into the SeatGeek contract, Abbamondi was fired. Less than a year later, Barclays announced it was going back to Ticketmaster.

Ticketmaster, in the witnesses’ telling, wasn’t the best option for a ticketing vendor, but Live Nation’s power as a concert promoter forced their hand. In the case of the Minnesota Wild, which played at the then-Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, Helgerson said the fear of losing Live Nation shows was a large driver behind its decision to stick with Ticketmaster — even though it found it would make $1 million a year more switching to SeatGeek.

The arena was already engaged in tight competition for concerts with the Target Center across the river in Minneapolis, a similarly-sized venue. So when the Wild kicked off negotiations over renewing its contract with Ticketmaster in 2018, the ticketing service knew how to hit them where it would hurt. When the Wild staff mentioned they were planning to consider a proposal from SeatGeek too, a Ticketmaster executive told them that Live Nation could move all of their shows to the Target Center if they switched ticketing vendors, Helgerson testified. “We took it as a credible threat,” he said. “Losing those shows would be almost catastrophic to our organization.”

“We took it as a credible threat”

To ease the risk, SeatGeek offered what it called “Live Nation retaliation insurance” — a promise to compensate the arena for concerts booked at the Target Center on dates Xcel had open. SeatGeek offered the arena a higher upfront bonus and fee share that overall would make the venue an additional $1 million a year compared to Ticketmaster’s offer. But even retaliation insurance couldn’t make up for the loss of the “vibrance of the venue” and the impact on its own employees should Live Nation pull its shows. Ticketmaster’s alleged threat created an “insurmountable challenge.” The venue signed another contract with Ticketmaster.

There were complicating factors in both these cases, which Live Nation pointed out on cross-examination. It was both risky and a lot of work to move to a new ticketing platform. Like switching any enterprise software, it would take a while for staff to get up to speed, and Abbamondi admitted that while SeatGeek’s technology gave them more options over things like how to price individual seats, it was less user-friendly. An executive whom Helgerson worked with worried that SeatGeek’s lack of an interface for concert promoters at the time would be an obstacle to getting them to bring shows to the arena. Abbamondi also said he’s personal friends with SeatGeek’s co-founder, and he testified he wasn’t fired because of the SeatGeek deal — he was given two other reasons.

SeatGeek offered what it called “Live Nation retaliation insurance”

There was also a separate legal dispute between the Barclays Center and Ticketmaster, which appeared to be at least part of the reason that the call between Abbamondi and Rapino broke down. Barclays believed their contract with Ticketmaster would expire at the end of September 2021, as originally stated. But Ticketmaster believed that because the Covid pandemic shortened the regular NBA season, a clause in the contract had been triggered to extend that contract another year. On top of that, in an earlier, unrecorded call between Abbamondi and Rapino, the Ticketmaster CEO suggested that they should be given the chance to counter any offer Barclays received. Abbamondi said he tried his best to respond in a “noncommittal” way, but the implication was that Rapino might have seen it differently.

The jury will have to decide whether the threats Abbamondi and Helgerson described were really as menacing as they believe, one of many factors that will determine whether Live Nation-Ticketmaster should face penalties — including the possibility of a breakup.

In one text exchange, Live Nation executive Patti Kim, a friend of Abbamondi’s, wrote that he should “think about the bigger relationship” with Live Nation, not just who’s writing the bigger check. She added a winky face. “That was my friend saying, ‘you know what I mean,’” Abbamondi said. This week, the jury is expected to get the chance to hear from the rival allegedly offering those bigger checks: SeatGeek CEO Jack Groetzinger.

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