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

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
Forget about floor cleaning by grabbing the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop while its $270 off at Amazon

SAVE $270: The Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $529.99, down from the standard price of $799.99. That works out to a 34% discount.
We all deserve a break these days. Even if your schedule is not packed with meetings and errands and other daily chores, having some relaxing time is essential. Instead of spending energy on cleaning the floors, offload the task to a robot. Sure, robots might not be ready to cook us dinner, but they've proven their worth as vacuums and mops. Check out this deal at Amazon today on a budget-friendly model.
As of April 21, the Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop is on sale at Amazon for $529.99, marked down from the usual price of $799.99. That works out to a 34% discount that shaves $270 off the price.
Mashable's resident expert on robot vacuum and mops, Leah Stodard, ranked the Eufy C28 as the best affordable robot vacuum and mop combo with a self-wash station. In her full review of the Eufy C28, she wrote, "The Eufy C28 is the most affordable mainstream roller mop robot vacuum we've seen so far," and that's even more true now that it's $270 off.
It's a compact model that does a great job at vacuuming and mopping floors given its price point. Stodart mention it doesn't earn a spot on the list of the best robot vacuums for pet hair on carpets, but it does a reliable job with keeping up on the daily.
While it's $270 off, snag the affordable Eufy C28 robot vacuum and mop. You'll be able to offload both vacuuming and mopping so you can take off on summer's best adventures or simply relax on the couch.
Tech
Dive into the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven expansion with this discounted booster box

SAVE $20.71: As of April 21, preorder the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven – Play Booster Box (30 Packs) for $143.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $164.70. That's a discount of 13%.
at Amazon
$164.70
Save $20.71
It's that time again: a new Magic: The Gathering expansion is on its way. Secrets of Strixhaven is officially landing on April 24. It'll bring hundreds of new cards to the game, and if you plan on competing or collecting, you'll want to get your hands on some of the latest and greatest cards. You can do that easily with this discounted set that's up for preorder right now.
As of April 21, preorder the Magic: The Gathering Secrets of Strixhaven – Play Booster Box (30 Packs) for $143.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $164.70. That's $20.71 off and a discount of 13%.
There are nearly 368 new cards that comprise Secrets of Strixhaven, with several magical colleges to explore in the world of Arcavios. This box comes with 30 Play Boosters, each containing 14 cards. That means 1-5 cards of Rare or higher rarity, 3-6 Uncommon, 5-8 Common, and 1 Land card. You'll also find surprises like Traditional Foils, Foil Borderless Mythics, and more in these packs.
This booster box is the best way to build your stores of cards that can be used to create new decks. You'll get a good spread of options for filling in holes or starting a brand new deck to see what the expansion has to offer.
If you're ready to dive into this new addition to the world of Magic, you'll want to lock in your booster box preorder while it's discounted. These things always sell out rather quickly.
Tech
Why Instagram was turning some users photos black and white

Have your Instagram posts been turning black and white without your consent? You're not alone.
According to Engadget, some users on Facebook and presumably elsewhere (though I wasn't able to find a lot of complaints on X) have complained that photos uploaded to the Instagram app in color were being automatically and unintentionally turned black and white at some point in the uploading process.
It was enough of a problem that Instagram confirmed its existence to Engadget, explained what the problem was, and claimed it had already been fixed.
"Earlier today, a technical issue caused some HDR photos to appear incorrectly as black-and-white for a subset of accounts,” Instagram told Engadget, before saying the problem was already being fixed.
According to the Instagram spokesperson, anyone still experiencing the problem should simply wait a few hours for the photos to automatically go back to their original, intended state.
In the meantime, if you want to avoid anything like this happening in the future, there's a way to turn off HDR photos on an iPhone. By default, your iPhone will turn on HDR automatically when it's called for, but if you go to Settings, then Camera, then turn off Auto HDR, you can avoid any HDR-related mishaps going forward.
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