How to spot the real deal and skip the duds

• What the labels mean: Open-Box = basically new return; Refurbished = used, fixed, tested; Renewed = store-run refurb program
• How to choose: Pick Open-Box for near-new; go Refurb/Renewed for bigger savings; pay attention to battery life on phones
• Retailer quick hits: Amazon: look for the Renewed Guarantee. Best Buy: choose Excellent when prices are close. Walmart: favor Walmart Restored and Sold & shipped by Walmart

If youve ever stared at a 40% off Renewed laptop and thought, Is this a steal or a science project? youre not alone. Heres the plain-English, no-nonsense guide I wish someone had handed me before I started bargain-hunting electronics.

First, what the labels actually mean

Open-Box: Someone bought it, opened it, changed their mind, then returned it. These often have little to no wear and tear on them. Youre mostly paying for a dinged box or missing twist ties. They are often still eligible for the original manufacturer warranty.

Refurbished: Used, had an issue, then got repaired, cleaned, and tested. The refurb process is typicallydone by the manufacturer or an authorized refurbisher. Typically comes with a refurb warranty thats separate from the original warranty.

Renewed: Renewed is the stores version of a refurbished product (like Amazon Renewed). The warranty comes from the stores program, not from the original manufacturer of the product.

Which one topick in real life

I like Open-Box items when I want something thats basically new without paying the full retail price. Works great on products like Dyson vacuums, KitchenAid mixers, gamingconsoles, and name-brand earbuds.

I tend to go the Refurb/Renewed route when I want the lowest price and dont mind a smallimperfection like a scratch, small wear mark, or ding. Products where this makes the most sense includes TVs, monitors, soundbars, and laptops.

When shopping in-store at a place like Best Buy, heres my five-minute does this thing work? check that I perform when considering open-box or refurbished products.

1. Power it on.
2. Plug something into every port.
3. Pair Bluetooth if applicable.
4. Join the stores Wi-Fi if applicable.
5. Check the screen closely for tiny dead spots or a faint shadow of something that used to be on the screen (like a menu bar or scoreboard) that still lingers.
6. Make sure the charger/remote/cables are in the box and look authentic.
7. If its a phone or laptop, check battery health in settings.

If anything feels off, dont be afraid to put it back on the shelf. Or if its an issue you can live with, use it as leverage to ask for an additional 10-15% discount.

Managers are eager to clear stuff out if it has issues, so dont be afraid to negotiate the price. Youll be surprised how often theyll accept your low offer.

Pro tip: For phones and laptops, battery health is a really big deal. If the seller cant tell methe minimum battery capacity or cycle count, I assume the worst and typically walk.

What's a fair discount?

Open-Box: I look for 1530% off the current new price.

Refurb/Renewed: I want 2545% off (more if its last years model).

Keep in mind that if the discount is tiny, its often smarter to just buy new and not take on any potential headaches.

Retailer playbooks (what actually works)

Heres a clear, practicalbreakdown of how to shop Amazon Renewed, Best Buy Open-Box, and Walmart Restored without getting burned.

Amazon

Look for Amazon Renewed products with the Renewed Guarantee listed right on the product page and try to pick items that are sold and shipped by Amazon. Thatll give you a 90-day return period if something goes wrong, three times the normal 30-day policy that comes with most 3^rd party Renewed sellers.

If you do select a Renewed 3^rd party seller, be sure they have a long track record and positive reviews. Also, look for recent reviews that mention renewed or refurb.

Here are the four current condition grades for Amazon Renewed:

Refurbished Premium This is the best options for risk-averse buyers. No scratches, no signs of cosmetic damage are visible when the product is held 12 away from your eyes. If the item has a battery, they guarantee 90% of the original battery life. Premium graded products come with a very solid 365-day refund or replacement policy along with free return shipping.

Refurbished Excellent By far the best value for most shoppers. Comes with the exact same condition requirements as Premium above. The only differences are 80% battery life and a 30-day return or replacement policy.

Refurbished Good Settle for this only if the discount is big enough (3545% off) and youre fine with light scuffs. No scratches on screens, but light scratches on the body of the product that are barely visible from 12. 80% battery life and a 30-day return or replacement policy.

Refurbished Acceptable Skip this unless its a steal (>45% off) and you dont care about cosmetics. Items come with small (they call them shallow) scratches on the screen. Clearly visible scratches on the body of the item from 12 away. 80% battery life and a 30-day return or replacement policy.

Best Buy

When shopping Open-Box electronics at Best Buy, grades matter a lot. When shopping their website, youll see the condition grade right below the price.

They break it down into the following 3 categories:

Excellent - This grade will get you 5-15% off the retail price, I like to shoot for at least 10% savings. Looks near-new, no obvious flaws; usually includes all original parts and accessories (manual/box may vary).

Good - Expect 15-25% savings. Items will haven minorcosmetic wear andbe fully functional.Accessories are usually included (any exceptions are noted on the page).

Fair - Expect 25-40% off the retail price. Noticeable wear or missing minor accessories (disclosed on listing). Item has still been tested and is working.

Pro tip: When open-box prices at Best Buy are close (within about $20 or

Also, keep in mind that Best Buy only gives you 15 days to return the item if you get it home and decide its not for you. For this reason, open and test immediately. Dont let the return window expire on your kitchen counter.

When shopping in-store, theyll have the same condition ratings on the item. Always ask to inspect the item before paying. Open the box, run the five-minute test described above, and confirm the return window (it can be shorter on open-box).

Walmart

Walmart recently revamped their renewed electronics section of their website in an effort to compete with Amazon.

The selection of renewed products is quite impressive and includes brands like Apple, Samsung, Sony, Bose, Dyson, Shark, Vitamix, and KitchenAid to name a few.

They also introduced a new condition rating system that breaks down like this:

Restored Premium Best for Walmart shoppers who want brand-new vibes but love a 10-25% discount. Items look virtually new (no visible cosmetic damage at arms length). Refurbished by the maker or an authorized partner and batteries (when applicable) are at the 90% life cycle. Products come with a 1-year warranty and 90-day free returns.

Like New Expect a 20-30% discount from the retail price. Best for most Walmart buys where you still want it to look great on Day 1. Very light signs of use, hard to spot from 812 inches; fully working with battery at 80% life cycle. Accessories are typically included (check listing carefully). 90-day free returns.

Good Perfect for shoppers wholl happily except minor scuffs or small scratches for a 30-40% discount. Products are fully working and all essentials are included unless the page says otherwise. 80% battery life cycle. 90-day free returns.

Fair Expect a 40-55% discount. Noticeable wear and/or missing minor accessories (disclosed on the listing); tested and working. 80% battery life cycle. 90-day free returns.

Stick to listings Sold & shipped by Walmart when possible (or top-rated Restored sellers) and always compare the restored price to todays new price on the exact model to see what the savings is.

When it arrives, test it right away and use the 90-day free return if anythings off.

Going direct (Apple, Samsung, Dyson, etc.)

While Im not opposed to buying refurbished products directly from the manufacturer, be aware that they often cost more than the above options.

But the extra costs will often get you a new battery and even new product shells (Apple does this often). Youre also guaranteed official parts, and the brands standard warranty.

Its really your call. Spend a bit more for the sure thing, or pocket the savings and roll with some minor trade-offs.

Why your mindset may matter more than the ache in keeping you moving

• The amount of physical activity someone with chronic pain does depends far more on how well they cope with pain (their resilience) than how much pain theyre actually in.

• A study of 172 adults with long-term musculoskeletal pain found that higher pain resilience predicted more activity while fear of movement (kinesiophobia) mattered much less when resilience was taken into account.

• The findings suggest that for managing chronic pain, building resilience (attitudes, coping) may be as important or more so than simply reducing pain intensity.

When youre dealing with persistent pain, its easy (and logical) to assume the more it hurts, the less youll move.

But fresh research out of the University of Portsmouth suggests that your mindset might play a much bigger role. Their work reveals that it isn't strictly how much it hurts, but how you deal with it your resilience that makes the biggest difference in staying active.

In plain terms: two people might have similar pain levels but the one who thinks, I can still keep going, is far more likely to stay physically active than the one whose pain bursts their motivation.

What we found is that it's not how much pain you're in that determines whether you stay physically active it's how you think about and respond to that pain, indicating that how individuals respond to and think about pain matters more than their actual pain sensitivity, researcher Dr. Nils Niederstrasser said in a news release.

We suspected resilience plays a major role, and this study helped confirm that.

The study

The study enrolled 172 adults who had experienced musculoskeletal pain for more than three months. Participants completed validated questionnaires that measured:

• Their average and worst pain over the past week using a visual analogue scale.
  

• Their level of pain resilience (how well they maintain emotional and physical functioning despite pain) via the Pain Resilience Scale.
  

• Their degree of kinesiophobia (fear of movement because it might cause pain or injury) with the Tampa Scale.
  

• Their physical activity levels by using the Recent Physical Activity Questionnaire, converting responses into energy expenditure (kJ/kg/day).
  

Statistical models probed how pain related to activity, and whether resilience or fear of movement served as bridges in that relationship.

The results: Resilience in the drivers seat

The headline finding: while pain was negatively associated with activity (i.e., more pain less movement), a large portion of that link ran through resilience. Specifically:

• Approximately 42.8 % of the association between pain and lower activity was explained by lower pain resilience.
  

• When both resilience and fear-of-movement were included, only resilience remained a significant indirect pathway. Fear alone explained just about 6.4 % of the link.
  

• In a regression model including pain intensity, number of painful areas, pain duration, frailty and the psychological measures, only higher pain resilience (and being male, in this sample) significantly predicted greater activity. Fear of movement dropped out.
  

People with greater resilience can maintain a positive attitude and push through discomfort, and this psychological factor is a better predictor of physical activity than pain intensity itself," Dr.Niederstrasser said.

This is a significant shift from historically focusing on negative factors like fear of movement, to understanding the power of positive psychological resilience in managing chronic pain."

Consumer takeaway

If youre managing chronic pain, this study suggests a shift in focus might help.

Rather than only asking How much does it hurt, you might also ask How do I respond when it hurts?

Building resilience the mindset of I can still move, even though Im in pain could be a game-changer in staying active and improving wellbeing. Of course, the study was cross-sectional (a snapshot in time), so it doesnt prove resilience causes more activity. But it strongly points to the idea that how you think about pain matters.

Real-world data reveals fewer food allergies after guideline changes

• Researchers at the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) found a significant decline in diagnoses of IgE-mediated food allergies after guidelines encouraged early peanut exposure.

• The study used electronic health records from children aged 0-3 and compared periods before and after the 2015/2017 early-food-introduction recommendations.

• After guideline rollout, peanut allergy diagnoses dropped from about 0.79% to 0.45% and any IgE-mediated food allergy dropped from about 1.46% to 0.93%.

Food allergies in children can be scary and complex hives, swelling, breathing troubles all triggered when the immune system reacts to a food.

Thats the case with IgE-mediated food allergies, the kind the body treats like a threat when really its just eating something ordinary (like peanuts or eggs).

But theres been a shift in thinking lately: instead of avoiding allergenic foods, some pediatric experts now suggest introducing them early and in some cases earlier than we used to to help the immune system learn tolerance rather than fear.

A recent study conducted by researchers at CHOP showed that these guideline-driven changes may already be having a real impact.

Everyone has been wondering whether these landmark public health interventions have had an impact on reducing rates of IgE-mediated food allergies in the United States, researcher Stanislaw Gabryszewski, MD, PhD, said in a news release.

We now have data that suggest that the effect of this landmark public health intervention is occurring.

The study

The CHOP team looked at electronic health records from a multi-state pediatric primary-care network (the American Academy of Pediatrics Comparative Effectiveness Research through Collaborative Electronic Reporting (CER) database) to see how often IgE-mediated food allergies were diagnosed among children aged 0-3.

They divided the data into cohorts by time periods: one before the introduction of early-allergen guidelines (roughly 2012-2014), one after the initial 2015 guideline, and one after the 2017 addendum guideline.
They compared the number of new peanut allergy diagnoses with any IgE-mediated food allergy, tracked trends over time, and adjusted for certain risk factors like atopic dermatitis.

Importantly: this is observational data (not a controlled experiment), so the study shows associations, not definitive cause-and-effect.

The results

Among children seen in the pre-guideline period, the diagnosis rate for peanut IgE-mediated allergy was about 0.79%; in the post-addendum period, it dropped to 0.45% a roughly 43% relative reduction.

For any IgE-mediated food allergy (not just peanuts), the rate went from about 1.46% down to 0.93% about a 37% reduction.

Also noteworthy: peanuts went from being the most common food allergen diagnosis to the second most common (with eggs ahead) in this cohort post-guideline.

The authors estimate that for about every 200 infants introduced to allergenic foods early, one child might be prevented from developing a food allergy.

Still, the reduction in the real-world setting is less dramatic than the 2015 landmark LEAP trial (which showed about an 80% reduction in a tightly controlled setting). The authors emphasize the need for improved implementation, awareness, and further study.

Our findings have relevance from those of us who treat patients to those caring for infants, and more awareness, education, and advocacy could further increase the positive results we observed in this study, senior study author David Hill, MD, PhD, said in the news release.

Future studies could potentially explore specific feeding practices that help us better understand the timing, frequency and dose of foods that optimize protection against food allergies.

Google's Gemini AI will provide heightened interactivity, GM says

• "Eyes-off" driving coming to some models in the next few years
• No more Apple Carplay or Android Auto - replaced by Google Gemini AI
• GM claims its system is superior to competitors

General Motors says its future models will be a step ahead of Tesla and other supposedly self-driving cars, claiming that added onboard intelligence will addtrue "eyes-off" driving and "conversational AI,"cars that not only drive themselves but understand and adapt to their drivers.

In 2028, GM said, it plans to debut its first eyes-off driving capability on the Cadillac Escalade IQ, starting with highway driving. When the feature is active, turquoise lighting across the dashboard and exterior mirrors will indicate that its safe for the driver to relax even to read or message while the vehicle takes control.

Unlike systems that rely solely on cameras, GMs design incorporates lidar, radar, and cameras in a redundant setup known as sensor fusion, the company said. The combination builds a detailed perception layer, while real-world driving data and simulation testing ensure the system performs reliably even in rare or hazardous conditions.

GM said thenext-generation system builds on thefoundation of Super Cruise, GMs existing hands-free technology, which it said has logged more than 700 million miles without a crash attributed to the system since its 2017 launch. The automaker is also integrating Cruise, its autonomous-vehicle subsidiary, whose AI models are trained on five million driverless miles and backed by a robust simulation framework.

Conversational AI hits the road

Starting next year, GM vehicles will incorporate Googles Gemini AI, enabling natural, voice-driven interactions inside the cabin. Drivers will be able to compose messages, plan routes, or locate a charging stop near a favorite caf all through seamless conversation.

In the future, GM plans to introduce its own custom-built AI assistant, integrated with the cars intelligence and the drivers personal preferences. Linked through OnStar, the system will deliver tailored insights, from maintenance alerts and route optimization to preconditioning the vehicle before a morning commute.

With driver permission, the AI can even explain features, detect issues early, or suggest dinner spots based on prior trips bringing a personal touch to connected mobility.

But no more Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

GM has confirmed that its future vehicles willnotsupport Apple CarPlay (and similarly Android Auto) as smartphone-projection platforms.

Here are the details & implications:

What this means for you

How GMs eyes-off driving compares with other systems

Summary takeaway: GMs system differentiates by placing a strong emphasis on built-in redundancy (lidar + radar + cameras), clear driver-status cues (turquoise lights), and a phased introduction (highways first) leveraging its Super Cruise base. Many competitors are further along in certain domains (city/autonomous) but may rely less on sensor redundancy or have less defined eyes-off cues at scale.

• Eyes-off driving coming to Cadillac Escalade IQ in 2028
• Conversational AI powered by Google Gemini arrives next year
• No more Apple CarPlay or Android Auto

  • GM says it began phasing out CarPlay/Android Auto in its electric-vehicle (EV) lineup in 2023.

  • In October 2025, GM stated that it will remove support for CarPlay/Android Auto from future gas-powered vehicles as well effectively across its portfolio.

  • In the U.S., GM currently keeps CarPlay/Android Auto in existing gas models for the foreseeable future but signals that new models (especially starting around the new centralized computing platform rollout) will not include it.

  • GM says the reason: moving toward a deeply integrated infotainment system (based on Android/Google or GM-built), to improve safety, system stability, and control over data/experience.

  • If youre buying a future GM vehicle (especially EV or major new model around 2028-era), expectnoCarPlay/Android Auto support youll instead get GMs native infotainment system plus the new conversational AI and eyes-off driving features.

  • If you already own a GM vehicle with CarPlay/Android Auto, that feature remains supported for now (in gas models), but may not be extended to upgraded/new vehicles under GMs new architecture.

  • If CarPlay is a must-have for you (iPhone integration, familiar interface), this may affect your buying decision for future GM models.

Grab credits now, glide through December

• Through November 1, paid Circle 360 members can earn extra Target Circle credits with simple actions (like $10 in rewards for a 10-item wish list )
• Circle 360 now comes with no-markup same-day delivery, early access, freebies, and longer returnshandy for early holiday shopping
• Grab the easy no-spend wish list bonus, bundle two small deliveries youd do anyway, and watch prices to make sure delivery matches in-store

Target just sweetened its paid membership, Circle 360, with a limited-time rewards event that lets members earn up to $100 in Target Circle rewards by hitting simple milestones before November 1.

The rewards include the following:

• Complete two Starbucks at Target orders, earn $10 in rewards
• Create a holiday wish list and add 10 items, earn $10 in rewards
• Complete two Same-Day Delivery orders, earn $10 in rewards
• Spend $50 on Up & Up items, earn $15 in rewards
• Spend $50 on All in Motion items, earn $15 in rewards
• Spend $75 on Good & Gather items, earn $25 in rewards
• Spend $50 on Threshold items, earn $15 in rewards

If you planned on shopping in any of these categories between now and November 1^st , its a smart way to recoup a chunk of your $99 annual fee. Heck, the create a wish list task doesnt even require you to make a purchase to collect your $10.

Why is this newsworthy?

Its newsworthy for two reasons.

First, Circle 360s perks have quietly become more competitive in 2025. Members now get unlimited same-day delivery on $35+ without price markups. Getting in-store pricing delivered to your front door is a big deal in the grocery delivery game, especially when you start pricing comparing groceries, paper goods, and seasonal dcor with other retailers.

Second, Target is encouraging you to start shopping early and steering you towards their private-labels (Up & Up, Good & Gather, All in Motion). All in an attempt to engage shoppers a month before the Black Friday madness begins.

This shows that retailers want your early dollars locked in, and shoppers who stack loyalty bonuses now are more likely to keep buying from them through December.

What you actually get with Circle 360

Beyond the no-markup same-day delivery from Target, members also get monthly freebies, early access to select drops, and free two-day shipping on eligible items.

Youll also get an extended return windows (extra 30 days) on most purchases which is handy if youre gift-buying in October.

A few ways to maximize savingsthis week:

Treat the tasks like a shopping list. If youre already grabbing coffee during a Target run, plan two Starbucks at Target pickups to trigger the $10. Then schedule two modest Same-Day Delivery orders (household restock, pantry staples) to bank another $10. I wouldnt wait until October 31 as delivery slots will probably tighten.

Consider Target private-label spending. Up & Up for paper goods and cleaning, Good & Gather for pantry and grocery items, All in Motion for basics.

Compare delivered vs. in-store prices. Check that the price on your phone matches the price on the shelf. With Circle 360, delivery is supposed to use the same in-store prices, so if you see a higher price in the app, skip it or buy that item in person.

Dont ignore free Circle. If youre not ready to pay, the free Target Circle still auto-applies deals, includes a 5% birthday reward, and stacks with promos. I recommend using it as your baseline and upgrade only if delivery volume makes the math work.