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Why compromise when refurbished tech is the smartest upgrade available?

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In today’s fast-moving digital world, where shiny new tech seems to hit shelves every other week, there’s a growing savvy shift towards refurbished electronics. Far from being hand-me-downs, some bargains, like eBay’s Refurbished devices, can provide pristine looks and brilliant performance, minus the premium price tag.

No matter what turns your head, be it a snappier processor, a crisper display, or a longer-lasting battery, today we can find you some sweet secondhand gear without breaking your bank. Let’s dive into it.

The value of performance

Imagine getting the latest smartphone, laptop, or tablet without paying full retail. Refurbished devices are typically tested and restored to meet manufacturer-like standards, so performance and aesthetics often rival brand-new counterparts. For many, the allure lies in that sweet spot between quality and cost.

If you’re after a high-performing laptop but don’t want to shell out thousands, a refurbished model can deliver the same speed, storage, and visuals you crave (just at a fraction of the cost). To make that search easier, eBay’s Refurb program has a few grading conditions from Certified, Excellent, Very Good and Good which basically act as a pricing scale. So you can shop easily by condition on a budget that works for you.

And because demand for tech keeps climbing, prices on new gear can skyrocket overnight. Refurbs let you sidestep that cost inflation, securing top-tier specs without the sticker shock.

How eBay’s refurbished program ensures trust

Not all refurbished offerings are created equal, though. That’s where eBay’s Refurbished platform stands out. Every eBay seller is held accountable through rigorous performance standards: if a device arrives in less-than-promised condition, you’re protected. In fact, eBay’s Money Back Guarantee* provides a safety net—so if your refurbished purchase doesn’t match its description, you can get a refund. By combining seller oversight with a buyer-first guarantee, eBay helps customers shop refurbished with real confidence.

Added perks: Shipping, returns, and warranty

Beyond finance-conscious perks, eBay’s Refurbished program often includes extras like free shipping and 30-day returns***, plus a 1-year warranty**, all of which underscore the platform’s commitment to quality. Imagine this: you find a refurbished monitor that checks every box with a vibrant display, slim bezels, and energy-efficient panels but costs hundreds less than a brand-new model.

And while technology evolves fast, the underlying components (i.e.: processors, RAM, and storage) can often stay relevant for years. That means your refurbished device can stay capable and responsive, handling everyday tasks, streaming videos, or even tackling light creative work.

A refurbished range for every need

Speaking of selections, eBay’s categories span across nearly every tech niche. Are you in search of a refurbished laptop that's perfect for your work or studies? The Refurbished Laptops page offers everything from ultraportable solutions for on-the-go work to beefier notebooks with considerable graphical grunt.

Perhaps you’re setting up a home office on a budget. Time to browse Refurbished Monitors to find crisp resolutions and wide colour gamuts that rival brand-new displays.

On the go? Refurbished Tablets & E-Book Readers blend convenience with performance, helping you read, stream, or sketch without breaking the bank. Because eBay aggregates offerings from multiple trusted refurbishers, you get access to a vast inventory that’s continually updated.

Future-proofing your tech investments

But aside from cost savings, there’s another reason why refurbished tech is increasingly seen as future-proof. In a world where new releases are par for the course, owning a device that’s just a generation or two old doesn’t necessarily feel outdated.

In many cases, software updates and general usage demands remain well within the capabilities of these devices for years. Plus, with a budget freed up by choosing refurbished, you might even afford higher-end specs than you would if buying new. Say goodbye to cringe-worthy compromises on screen resolution or build quality; now you can opt for a refurbished model that checks all the boxes.

For those who like to swap devices regularly, refurbished gear also removes the “cost trap” of rapid upgrades. Instead of losing a big chunk of value trading in a brand-new device after only a few months, you can buy refurbished, enjoy peak performance, and then sell or trade it later without severe depreciation anxiety.

Who benefits most from refurbished tech?

Educational buyers, freelancers, and entrepreneurs often find this approach especially appealing. Students might have tight budgets but still crave robust laptops. Freelancers can reinvest savings into software or tools that enhance their workflow. Small-business owners can equip staff with reliable devices without sacrificing quality. Across the board, adopting refurbished tech just makes financial sense.

Of course, lingering doubts around refurbished goods often centres on trust: Will a “used” device really hold up? That’s why eBay’s Refurbished program is built on transparency. Every product listing clearly states its condition, and seller ratings provide real-world feedback. Should any issue arise, you have recourse through eBay’s return policies and purchase protections. The bottom line: these safeguards aren’t just marketing fluff; they’re real commitments to ensure you’re satisfied.

Your next steps

In a world brimming with tech temptations, why pay full price when you can invest in intelligent upgrades? Embrace refurbished electronics and discover a future-proof way to stay equipped without paying a premium. There’s never been a better time to take a smarter path to digital innovation.

Learn & shop more:

  • Browse Refurbished Electronics on eBay

  • Discover Refurbished Monitors

  • Explore Refurbished Laptops

Disclaimers:
For full eligibility criteria and all terms and conditions, read eBay’s Money Back Guarantee Policy.

eBay money-back guarantee = "Refurbished Program T&Cs apply"

1 year warranty = "Refurbished Program T&Cs apply"

30 day returns = "Refurbished Program T&Cs apply"

eBay is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the brands mentioned

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You can no longer go live on Instagram unless you have 1,000 followers

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It’s hard enough getting into the content creator space without the platform you’re on putting up restrictions. However, Instagram is now the latest social media app to institute such a restriction — forcing people to have at least 1,000 followers before they go live on the site. Previously, Instagram let anyone go live, regardless of account status.

The news first started circulating after smaller creators posted the notice on other social media channels.

The notice reads, "Your account is no longer eligible for Live. We changed the requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos."

A notice that reads "our account is no longer eligible for Live. We changed the requirements to use this feature. Only public accounts with 1,000 followers or more will be able to create live videos


Credit: Chance Townsend / Instagram screenshot

TechCrunch followed up with Instagram and confirmed that the social network giant made this change intentionally. As expected, small creators aren’t fans of the change, and it’s been mostly maligned across all of social media. Creators with private accounts won’t be able to go live at all, even if the account has over 1,000 followers. Instagram says the change was made to “improve the overall Live consumption experience.”

There are pros and cons to the decision, as TechCrunch notes. On the one hand, small creators will have an even harder time breaking out into the segment than they already do, as accumulating followers without buying them can be a long and painstaking process. By contrast, Instagram likely removed a lot of low-quality streams this way that only have a couple of viewers each, which makes it easier to find better live content while also saving Meta money.

This change brings Instagram more in line with TikTok’s live streaming rules. However, the number of followers you need on TikTok can vary, with plenty of people getting access long before they reach 1,000 subscribers. As of this writing, Facebook’s Help Center says that going live on Facebook only requires a 60-day-old account and at least 100 followers. YouTube still allows users to go live after just 50 followers, while Twitch remains the easiest to get started with a 0 follower limit.

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Lovense has finally fixed its account takeover problem

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Lovense is well-known for its selection of remote-controlled vibrators. It’s slightly less known for a massive security issue that exposed user emails and allowed accounts to be wholly taken over by a hacker without even needing a password. Fortunately, both issues have been fixed, but it didn’t happen without some drama.

As the story goes, security researcher BobDaHacker (with some help) accidentally found out that you could uncover a user’s email address pretty easily by muting someone in the app. From there, they were able to figure out that you could do this with any user account, effectively exposing every Lovense user’s email without much effort.

With the email in hand, it was then possible to generate a valid gtoken without a password, giving a hacker total access to a person’s Lovense account with no password necessary. The researchers told Lovense of the issue in late March and were told that fixes were incoming.

In June 2025, Lovense told the researchers that the fix would take 14 months to implement because it did not want to force legacy users to upgrade the app. Partial fixes were implemented over time, only partially fixing the problems. On July 28, the researchers posted an update showing that Lovense was still leaking emails and had exposed over 11 million user accounts.

"We could have easily harvested emails from any public username list," BobDaHacker said in a blog post. "This is especially bad for cam models who share their usernames publicly but obviously don't want their personal emails exposed."

It was around then that the news started making its way around the news cycle. Other researchers began reaching out to show that the exploit had actually been known as far back as 2022, and Lovense had closed the issue without issuing a fix. After two more days in the news cycle, the sex toy company finally rolled out fixes for both exploits on July 30.

It’s not Lovense’s first roll in the mud. In 2017, the company was caught with its proverbial pants down after its app was shown to be recording users while they were using the app and toy. Lovense fixed that issue as well, stating that the audio data was never sent to their servers.

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Tom Holland teases the new suit for Spider-Man: Brand New Day

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White man in spider-man costume

Sony and Marvel have revealed a fresh look for Tom Holland’s Spider-Man, and it’s a return to basics. In a very short 22-second teaser, fans got a decent look at Spidey’s new suit, which leans heavily into the classic comic design.

Gone is the ultra-slick Stark Suit, the high-tech armor gifted by Tony Stark, which Holland’s Peter Parker wore in three solo films and multiple Avengers crossovers.

Spoilers for 2021’s No Way Home:

By the film’s end, Peter’s high-tech suit is wrecked — and so is everything else. It's a brutal reset that leaves Peter truly alone and stripped of all the Stark tech that powered his previous adventures. This mirrors the more grounded, scrappy origins many fans felt had been missing from the MCU’s version of the character.

The closing shot in No Way Home is of a homemade suit — vibrant, hand-sewn, and all Peter — and signaled a fresh start. Now, with Brand New Day on the horizon, we’re finally seeing that suit in action. And yeah — it looks great. Here’s hoping the movie lives up to it.

Spider-Man: Brand New Day swings into theaters July 31, 2026, with Shang-Chi director Destin Daniel Cretton at the helm.

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