Tech

Mini Kindle Pods are trending on TikTok, but these devices arent what they seem

Published

6 days ago

April 1, 2026

Vicky

Two pictures of

Among passionate TikTok communities, BookTok, may be the most influential.

BookTok is where book lovers and e-reader obsessives to come together to discuss their favorite books and device hacks. For readers who use e-readers, Kindle, Kobo, and Boox lead the charge as the most popular devices, so it's notable when a new device goes viral. "Mini Kindles" appear to be the latest device to cause a stir on BookTok, with hundreds of videos showcasing the tiny e-readers.

On TikTok, searching for "mini Kindle" (or "mini Kindle pods") brings up dozens of user videos showing someone walking into a Barnes & Noble or Target and then cutting to an unboxing of a so-called "mini Kindle". As someone who tests e-readers for a living, this confused me.

I have no reason to believe these e-readers are actually being purchased at Barnes & Noble, nor do they have any apparent affiliation with Amazon Kindles.

In fact, the devices being hyped in these videos appear to be sold by the users who post them.

In a since-deleted video, user @aurealeaf directs viewers to the website NovaLeaf, where the "NovaLeaf Mini Kindle" is listed. (Editor's note: As of this writing, the @aurealeaf account is no longer available.) Another user, @hydro_scope, directs viewers to their website with a listing for a NOVA Mini Pink Kindle. Both devices claim to be pocket-sized e-readers under the Kindle name, despite no affiliation with Amazon.

We reached out to both @aurealeaf and @hydro_scope, and we'll update this post if we receive a response.

Are mini Kindle pods actually Kindles?

These mini Kindles do not seem to be actual Kindle e-readers or associated with Amazon at all, nor does Amazon sell any mini version of the Kindle e-readers. We reached out for comment from Amazon and have not heard back at the time of publication.

By performing reverse image searches on Nova and NovaLeaf websites, I found that the "mini Kindles" listed for sale there are visual matches for devices manufactured by a company called Oilsky. They appear to be 4-inch touchscreen MP3 and 1080p video players. With built-in access to the Google Play store, the Kindle app is available to download onto the device; however, that appears to be the only connection to Amazon.

The Oilsky MP3 player and copycat versions are currently listed on Amazon. These TikTok-based sellers have their mini Kindles listed for $79.99, about $10 more than the direct Oilsky listing on Amazon. Oilsky MP3 players are not listed for sale at Barnes & Noble or Target.

In short, the viral TikTok videos are using the word "Kindle" to refer to any e-reader-like device and may be at risk of legal action from Amazon.

As of this writing, the @aurealeaf TikTok account is no longer available.

Tech

Need a new smartwatch? The Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is on sale and selling fast

Published

3 seconds ago

April 7, 2026

Vicky

A close up of the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

SAVE 17%: As of April 6, you can get the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99, down from $349.99, at Amazon. That's a 17% discount or a $60 price cut.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 (40mm, Bluetooth, Graphite Band)

$289.99
at Amazon

$349.99
Save $60

If you prefer Android over iOS, Mashable's freelance tech reviewer, Adam Doud, says the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 is "worth the upgrade" — and right now, you can grab it on sale.

As of April 6, you can snag the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8 for $289.99 at Amazon, down from $349.99. That's a 17% discount or $60 savings.

When it comes to health metrics, the Galaxy Watch 8 can "track just about everything you do." It features a running coach, heart rate tracking, and an Advanced Sleep Coach that assigns you a "sleep animal" based on how you snooze (which is kind of fun, IMO). Plus, it's the very first smartwatch to run Google Gemini AI right on the watch face, and it features a unique "squircle" design (a round face on a rounded-square base) that sits thinner and flatter on your wrist.

"In theory, if you follow the advice of the watch without outright dismissing it, it can help you live a better life," writes Doud. "And you'll look good doing it."

Tech

How to watch the Artemis II moon flyby live

Published

9 seconds ago

April 7, 2026

Vicky

NASA's Orion spacecraft lifting off for Artemis II mission

It's moon flyby day, folks.

The Artemis II astronauts are expected to make history today as they reach distances no humans have ever traveled before on their journey around the moon.

The four-person crew — Christina Koch, Victor Glover, Reid Wiseman, and Jeremy Hansen — aboard the Orion spacecraft is scheduled to pass the distance record of 248,655 miles from Earth, set in 1970 by the Apollo 13, and continue on to 252,760 miles. In doing so, they'll be the first humans to see some parts of the far side of the moon in real time.

They won't be landing, but they will be gathering vital insights and data that will help NASA prepare for a future lunar landing in a couple of years' time. It's the most critical part of the 10-day mission, and you can tune into the historical event live.

Where to watch the Artemis II moon flyby livestream

NASA will provide live coverage of the historic lunar flyby on Monday, April 6, beginning at 1:00 p.m. ET. Fortunately, they won't gatekeep the livestream; you have plenty of options to tune in.

NASA+, the space agency's streaming service, will livestream the flyby, as well as the agency's YouTube channel and social media accounts. All of these options are completely free. Several streaming services are also hosting the NASA+ livestream on their platforms, if you prefer to watch there, including Netflix and Peacock.

Credit: NASA

While coverage starts at 1:00 p.m. ET, the flyby itself isn't expected until around 2:45 p.m. ET. NASA has outlined key lunar flyby times and milestones, but they are subject to change based on real-time operations. The crew will surpass the record for humans' farthest distance from Earth around 1:56 p.m. ET, and audio-only remarks from the astronauts will begin shortly after.

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Tech

The Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are $5 away from their lowest price ever

Published

13 seconds ago

April 7, 2026

Vicky

person sitting on couch wearing midnight blue sony headphones

Save $151.99: As of April 6, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are down to just $248 at Amazon. The 38% discount on their $399.99 list price puts them just $5 away from their record-low price of $243.

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000XM5

$248
at Amazon

$399.99
Save $151.99

Just because Amazon's Big Spring Sale ended last week doesn't mean you missed your opportunity to snag a great headphones deal ahead of Prime Day.

Prime example (no pun intended): the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale at Amazon for $248, putting them just $5 away from their Spring Sale price (and lowest price ever) of $243. This deal also slashes $151.99 off their $399.99 price tag — and makes them a whopping $210 cheaper than the $458 WH-1000XM6 headphones.

Of course, the XM6 headphones are priced higher because they're newer. That said, I tested the XM5 and XM6 headphones head to head, and found that unless folding ear cups are a non-negotiable for you or the XM6s had a stellar sale, the XM5s remained the better value headphones. The noise-cancellation felt about on par with the newer headphones, and while the XM6s have slightly better sound and a better design, I wouldn't say it's the difference of $210.

The Sony XM5s hold up — that's why we still consider them one of the best in Sony's lineup.