Deal season · The Monday after Black Friday

Cyber Monday

Originally an online-only follow-up to Black Friday; today mostly a continuation of the same season.

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Read before you buy

Published Meridians reporting, guides and reviews to shortlist with ahead of the sale.

TravelTravel guide

Europe's new border systems: what ETIAS and the EES mean for your next trip

Two separate changes are often confused. One registers your crossing biometrically; the other is a pre-travel authorisation for visa-exempt visitors.

Meridians Travel Desk · 30 July 2026 · 8 min read

AIExplainer

The EU AI Act, decoded: what actually changes, and when

Europe's artificial intelligence law lands in stages rather than all at once. Here is the structure of the rules, the phased dates, and who each obligation falls on.

Meridians Tech Desk · 29 July 2026 · 9 min read

TravelHow to

Travel insurance: what the fine print actually covers

The cover you assume is automatic is often the cover that is excluded. Three sections decide whether a policy is worth buying.

Meridians Travel Desk · 20 July 2026 · 6 min read

Buying GuidesBuying guide

How to choose a password manager without getting locked in

The right password manager is the one you will actually use everywhere. The hard questions are recovery and exit, not features.

Meridians Reviews Desk · 16 July 2026 · 7 min read

TechExplainer

Passkeys, explained: what replaces the password, and what it doesn't

Passkeys are now offered by most major platforms. They are a genuine security upgrade — but the recovery story is where people get stuck.

Meridians Tech Desk · 12 July 2026 · 8 min read

AutomotiveExplainer

EV charging speeds: why '150 kW' rarely means 150 kW at your car

A charger's advertised power is a ceiling, not a promise. What your car actually draws depends on several things at once.

Meridians Travel Desk · 11 July 2026 · 6 min read

What we check before calling something a deal

01Price history first: a discount is measured against what the product actually sold for, not against a recommended price nobody paid.
02Product quality second: a bad product at a good price is still a bad purchase.
03Stock and terms: delivery cost, returns window and warranty are part of the price.
04Regional accuracy: we say which market a price applies to, because a deal in one country is often not one in another.

Shortlists to read before the sale

The best defence against a bad discount is knowing what you wanted beforehand.

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Other deal seasons

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