July 4th sales are typically a precursor to what we’d see during a mid-July Prime Day, but obviously things are flipped around this year. Last week’s big Prime Day sale is over, yet there are a number of familiar deals still poking around in the week leading up to the nation’s birthday. Best Buy is hosting its own 4th of July sale, for example. And, if you’re on the hunt for tech and gear for the outdoors, REI is hosting a sale on products that will last through the week. There are even some Apple deals you can get, some of which are selling at pre-price hike levels.
We’ll be logging the best July 4th sales we find this week below, keeping the list updated with notable discounts as we spot them.
Asus ROG Falcata
The Falcata is stuffed with features (wired / wireless connectivity, split ergo design, Hall effect customization), and it’s a bargain to get it all at Best Buy’s 4th of July pricing. Read our review.
The last-gen 11-inch iPad Air comes with Apple’s M3 chip and GPU upgrades. It’s available in dark gray, blue, purple, and a “starlight” cream shade. Read our review.
LG’s C5 features a 120Hz panel, along with four HDMI 2.1 ports and support for both AMD FreeSync Premium and Nvidia G-Sync. The gamer-friendly TV also packs all the hallmarks of a modern OLED, including deep black levels and sublime contrast.
Apple’s latest AirTag features an upgraded ultra-wideband chip for more precise location tracking, a noticeably louder speaker, and an expanded Bluetooth range. Read our review.
The MCON is one of the best mobile controllers for iPhones. While too big for most pockets, its slide-out design is satisfying, and its folding grips make it a bit more comfortable than Backbone’s controller. Watch Sean’s hands-on.
Backpacks make it easy to carry precious cargo, but for a relatively new dad’s most precious cargo — their tiny kiddo — Osprey’s Poco child carrier is a must-have backpacking accessory. It’s comfortable for the kid, and the built-in sunshade and rain protector can keep them relaxed and dry while dad does all the hard work.
The Nova Pro Wireless aims to be the one headset to rule them all. It features multiple ways to connect wirelessly, active noise cancellation, great sound quality, and swappable batteries. Read our review.
The Nintendo Switch 2 has 256GB of storage, but that won’t get you very far if you’ve built up a medium-sized digital game library. Samsung’s Nintendo-branded 256GB microSD express card doubles the console’s available storage.
Look, you could get something boring yet good like Google’s Pixel 10A. Or, for less, you can get a more versatile folding Android phone that has multiple screens.
Glocusent’s LED Neck Reading Light is a great personal book light that illuminates what you’re reading without bothering others. It even has adjustable brightness and warmth settings to dial it in to your liking.
The Nex Playground is a motion-controlled console that connects to your TV and uses a built-in camera and AI to track your movements as you play. Designed for ages five and up, it comes with games like Fruit Ninja and Whack-a-Mole Deluxe. You can download more games, including titles featuring popular characters like Elmo, with a paid Play Pass subscription.
The Insta360 X5 is a powerful 360-degree camera that offers a larger sensor and new image processing. It can capture 4K footage at up to 120fps or 8K footage at up to 30fps, producing sharp video with rich colors. It also features more durable lenses than prior models, which you can swap out if they get damaged. Read our review.
Keychron’s Hall effect keyboard allows for adjustable, per-key actuation points and rapid trigger support. You can also set dynamic keystrokes (the ability to trigger several different functions depending on how far you press or release a key).
The Uplighter is one of the most fascinating floor lamps you can get. It can supply normal light, or you can customize its top-mounted lights to display various colors and soothing patterns across your wall and ceiling. Read Sheena’s hands-on.
The Libra Colour is one of the first e-readers from Kobo with color. It packs physical-page turning buttons, stylus compatibility, and supports a broad range of file formats, while making it easy to borrow books from the Overdrive library system. Read our review.
Apple’s entry-level iPad is an excellent tablet for casual use, even if it is getting a little long in the tooth. Its high-res screen is great for watching video, and its A16 processor is still fast enough to handle light games and productivity apps. Read our review.
The Killswitch 2 is versatile, with better build quality than other similar models, snapping around the back and the edges of the console, with Joy-Con slip covers that add a bulkier, more ergonomically-friendly feel to the controllers.
The ES45 is a worthwhile purchase for streamers, or really anyone who wants to look their best on camera. You can position the light to shine directly on you, or aim it at your wall for some even bias lighting that creates a glow effect in your room that’s easier on the eyes.
For a limited time, you can snag one of Motorola’s capable Bluetooth trackers for $10 off the usual price. The Tag 2 features UWB for more accurate tracking, and a user-replaceable coin battery.
If you’re building a PC, Newegg has a bundle that includes a free 1,000W Rosewill modular power supply with purchase of AsRock’s variant of the 9070 XT.
<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/vice-president-kamala-harris-and-president-joe-biden-walking-in-the-white-house-right-a-group-of-high-school-students-includ.png?id=52963531&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=0%2C0%2C192%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>With just days to go until voters in the United States elect a new president, all eyes are on Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. </p><p>Although <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/yes-kamala-harris-has-a-montreal-connection-but-what-about-donald-trump">both candidates have ties</a> to Montreal, there's a pretty big <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/vice-president-kamala-harris-is-taking-a-piece-of-montreal-with-her-to-the-white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">connection between the city</a> and the woman who could become the first female president of the United States, not to mention first Asian American president and first Black woman president.</p><p>Here's everything you need to know about Harris' ties to Montreal.</p><h3>She moved to Montreal because of her mom's (extremely impressive) job</h3><br/><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTDShgjbIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=77700809-4148-485e-bcc3-0ce2fa29f8b1" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CHTDShgjbIQ/?utm_source=ig_embed&ig_rid=77700809-4148-485e-bcc3-0ce2fa29f8b1" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top" rel="noopener">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p>Harris spent some of her most formative adolescent years living in Montreal. </p><p>According to a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/world/canada/kamala-harris-montreal.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Times profile piece</a>, she moved to Montreal from California when she was 12 with her sister and mother, Dr. Gopalan Harris, who was pursuing a career as a breast cancer researcher at the Jewish General Hospital and and McGill University Faculty of Medicine. </p><p>Harris' mom actually "developed a method for assessing cancerous breast tissue that became a standard procedure nationwide" during her 16 years working in Montreal, The New York Times reported.</p><h3>She went to three different local schools</h3><br/><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325115829869047808">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/westmounthigh/status/1325115829869047808"></a>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>After attending Notre-Dame-des-Neiges Elementary School for some time, Harris <a href="https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/dunlevy-before-westmount-high-kamala-harris-went-to-face" target="_blank" rel="noopener">switched to F.A.C.E.</a> School. She then went on to study at Westmount High where she was a student from 1978 until <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/kamala-harris-montreal-high-school-posted-her-yearbook-photos-from-1981" target="_blank" rel="noopener">graduating in 1981</a>.<br/></p><p>She would have had very different experiences at each of these three schools since Notre-Dame-des-Neiges is a Francophone primary school, F.A.C.E is known for its arts program and Westmount was among the most diverse high schools in the area, despite being located in one of the city's wealthiest enclaves. </p><h3>She loved dancing and Little Burgundy</h3><br><blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cytqyzaxi4p/?img_index=2" data-instgrm-version="4" style="background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);">
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Cytqyzaxi4p/?img_index=2" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_top" rel="noopener">See on Instagram</a>
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</blockquote><script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><p><a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/kamala-harris-montreal-high-school-posted-her-yearbook-photos-from-1981" target="_self" rel="noopener">Yearbook excerpts</a>, posted to Instagram by the English Montreal School Board, list Harris' favourite pastime as dancing with troupes Super Six and Midnight Magic, which the <a href="https://nationalpost.com/news/canadian-ties-of-kamala-harris" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">National Post</a> said she founded with her friend Wanda Kagan. The duo would perform at Montreal community centres and fundraisers.</p><p>Harris' favourite expression at the time was, "Naw, I'm just playing!" as per the yearbook entry, where she made sure to give her mom a special thanks.</p><p>Kagan reportedly told the New York Times that, in those days, Harris was drawn to the "Little Burgundy kids" — the area was then known as 'Harlem of the North' due to its reputation as a thriving epicentre of Black culture. Apparently, Kagan and Harris "attended Black community dance parties and griped about having to be home by 11 p.m."</p><h3>She struggled to adjust to life in Montreal</h3><br/><div class="rm-shortcode" data-rm-shortcode-id="3110d8b51c799b201acb3e0dfcefd903"><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=944206243901333&id=100049358985436&set=a.593688088953152&locale=en_GB"></div></div><p>In her 2019 memoir <em>The Truths We Hold: An American Journey</em>, <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/heres-what-kamala-harris-had-to-say-about-living-in-montreal-in-her-memoir" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harris spoke about her time in Montreal</a>, describing the transition period as a challenge.</p><p> "Moving away from sunny California [...] to a French-speaking foreign city covered in twelve feet of snow was distressing, to say the least," she wrote. </p><p>"I used to joke that I felt like a duck because all day long at our new school I'd be saying 'Quoi? Quoi? Quoi?'"</p><h3>A pivotal experience with her high school best friend motivated her to become a prosecutor</h3><br/><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1308779071204192256">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/KamalaHarris/status/1308779071204192256"></a>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Harris' memoir also revealed that she got her start as a politics- and justice-minded activist during her time in Montreal.</p><p>In fact, at age 13, she protested in front of her apartment building after the owner banned children from playing soccer on the lawn.</p><p>But that wasn't the only Montreal experience that shaped her future career choices.</p><p>In September 2020, Harris <a href="https://x.com/KamalaHarris/status/1308779071204192256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted a video to X (then Twitter)</a> in which she explained how her high school best friend's sexual assault motivated her to become a lawyer. </p><p><span></span>"In high school, I found out my best friend was being molested by her father. One of the reasons I wanted to be a prosecutor was to protect people like her," Harris said in the video.</p><p>The New York Times confirmed that it was Kagan who was being abused by her stepfather, leading her to move in with Harris' family.</p><p><span></span>Despite eventually adjusting to life in <em>la belle province</em>, Harris said in her memoir that her "constant sense of yearning to be back home" persisted, and "there was no question" that she would attend university in the U.S. She graduated from Washington, D.C.'s Howard University with a Bachelor of Arts in 1986 before earning her Doctor of Law at the University of California.</p><h3>She inspired Quebecers to swell with pride when she was elected vice-president</h3><br/><blockquote class="rm-embed twitter-tweet" data-partner="rebelmouse" data-twitter-tweet-id="1325128832404348928">
<div style="margin:1em 0"></div> — (@) <a href="https://twitter.com/francoislegault/status/1325128832404348928"></a>
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<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><p>Upon Harris' election to the position of vice-president of the United States in 2020, local <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/quebec-premier-legault-says-former-resident-kamala-harris-will-always-be-welcome-back" target="_blank" rel="noopener">politicians and public figures took to social media</a> to share their pride. </p><p>Quebec Premier François Legault offered his congratulations to Harris on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "I also congratulate the Vice-President-elect, Ms. Kamala Harris, who spent part of her youth in Montreal. [...] We hope to see you soon. You will always be welcome in Quebec."</p><p>Meanwhile, Mayor Valérie Plante <a href="https://twitter.com/Val_Plante/status/1325125163701084161" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">posted to X</a> to say, "The wait was worth it. Congratulations to @JoeBiden ! @KamalaHarris , you made history today by breaking another glass ceiling.</p><p>Taking a different angle, Montreal author Heather O'Neill posted that she was "glad that Kamala Harris went to a public Montreal high school" because it "proves private schools are strictly for obnoxious segregation purposes."</p><p><span></span>However, famous people weren't the only ones using the 2020 Biden-Harris victory as an opportunity to claim Harris as one of our very own.</p><p>Her <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/kamala-harris-quebec-high-school-congratulated-her-on-her-projected-win" target="_self" rel="noopener">alma mater, Westmount High School (WHS), expressed excitement over the victory</a>, posting that the school "couldn't be more proud" to have a "WHS Knight in the White House," referring to the name of its sports teams.</p><p>On the day of Harris' inauguration, WHS students, staff and teachers uploaded a <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/students-at-kamala-harris-high-school-shared-a-touching-message-for-the-new-vp-video" target="_self" rel="noopener">five-minute YouTube video</a> sending her well-wishes and other touching messages to convey what it means to them to see an alumna ascend to the second-highest office in the United States. </p><p>"To see you, a woman, in your position of power — and a woman of colour at that — is truly inspiring," one student said in the video.</p><p>Westmount High guidance counsellor Karen Allen added, "I'm so proud to have this role model be our alumni — that our students can look back at this moment and know that they will read about her in their history books."</p><p>The event was just as monumental for members of Montreal's general public who also <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/montreal/kamala-harris-canadian-supporters-are-tweeting-with-pride-about-her-projected-win" target="_self" rel="noopener">articulated their feelings online.</a></p><p>"My late father would be chuffed!!!" wrote Dr. Alan Drummond on X (then Twitter), captioning a set of yearbook photos which convey that his father was a teacher at Westmount High at the same time that Harris was a student. </p><p>"Was not expecting to fall to my knees and scream but here we are!!!!!!!!" wrote Montrealer Gillian Leigh Sonin on X. "An amazing moment to remember that Kamala went to Montreal PUBLIC SCHOOL!" </p></br><p class="">Election Day 2024 is set to take place in the United States on Tuesday, November 5.<br/></p><p><em>This article has been updated since it was originally published in July 2024.</em></p><p><em>This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.</em></p>
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