SAVE $24: As of April 15, get a digital download of TurboTax Deluxe (Federal + State) for $55.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79.99. That's a discount of 30%.

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TurboTax Deluxe (Federal + State)

$55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00

 

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Today is Tax Day for those of us in the United States, and a day of great frustration for anyone who hasn't navigated the often complicated world of taxes just yet. If you've waited until the last minute, however, don't fret. You've still got time to make sure your taxes are set and ready to go without having to file an extension if you act fast. You can do just that with this Tax Day sale on TurboTax Deluxe, which should help get you through the finish line before midnight, as long as you hurry.

As of April 15, get a digital download of TurboTax Deluxe (Federal + State) for $55.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $79.99. That's $24 off and a discount of 30%.

Once purchased, you can download your TurboTax Deluxe install and get started working on your tax return right away. This version comes with support for both federal and state taxes, so it should have you covered unless you have a much more complicated tax situation.

You get 5 federal e-files and 1 state with your download, though you'll need to pay for a state e-file separately. The software will take you step by step through all of your tax information, potential deductions, and other tidbits to help you get the maximum refund possible (or help cut down what you owe). You also get free U.S.-based tech support if you need it as well as optional live tax advice while you work on your return (for an additional fee).

While seeing a tax expert or an accountant may be your best bet if you can squeeze an appointment in at the last minute, this download can help you ensure you've completed a return by midnight if you act fast. That alone will help you to avoid penalties and fees or, worse, not filing at all. Don't do that. Grab this download and rest easy when the date flips over to April 16.

TL;DR: Live stream Arsenal vs. Sporting CP in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League quarter finals are hanging in the balance, with plenty of questions still to be answered this week. Arsenal hold a 1-0 advantage over Sporting CP as the second leg comes to London. Arsenal will be expected to advance to the next round, but doubt are starting to creep in after recent defeats in the FA Cup and Premier League.

The winner of this matchup will meet Atletico Madrid in the semi-final stage. Diego Simeone's side narrowly beat Barcelona to qualify for the final four. They'll be watching closely.

If you want to watch Arsenal vs. Sporting CP in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Arsenal vs. Sporting CP?

Arsenal vs. Sporting CP in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 15. This fixture takes place at the Emirates Stadium.

How to watch Arsenal vs. Sporting CP for free

Arsenal vs. Sporting CP is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Arsenal vs. Sporting CP for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Arsenal vs. Sporting CP for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Arsenal vs. Sporting CP without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Arsenal vs. Sporting CP in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Artificial intelligence was linked to an estimated 50,000 layoffs in 2025, and just this year, Amazon, Atlassian, Pinterest, Block, and Fiverr have announced layoffs linked to AI. Now, you can add Snap to the list.

In a memo to Snap employees posted on Wednesday, billionaire CEO Evan Spiegel said the company is laying off about 1,000 employees, or 16 percent of its workforce. As part of these cuts, 300 open roles have also been eliminated. Spiegel told North American employees to work from home on Wednesday, telling them they would find out if they were impacted imminently.

The memo to employees cited the importance of artificial intelligence, and Spiegel said the company would reduce its annual costs by $500 million by the end of the year.

Last fall, I described Snap as facing a crucible moment, requiring a new way of working that is faster and more efficient, while pivoting towards profitable growth....While these changes are necessary to realize Snap’s long-term potential, we believe that rapid advancements in artificial intelligence enable our teams to reduce repetitive work, increase velocity, and better support our community, partners, and advertisers. We have already witnessed small squads leveraging AI tools to drive meaningful progress across several important initiatives, including Snapchat+, enhanced ad platform performance, and efficiency improvements in our Snap Lite infrastructure.

The company has said that it uses AI to generate code and improve efficiency, but it's also worth noting that activist investor Irenic Capital Management (which holds 2.5 percent of the company) called on Snap to make cuts last week and better use AI, according to Reuters.

It's also important to mention that Snap's much-publicized $400 million partnership with AI firm Perplexity has also fallen through, according to tech reporter Alex Heath's Sources newsletter. If the deal had gone through, Perplexity would have given Snap a combination of cash and equity to integrate Perplexity's AI search into the Snapchat app.

If nothing else, AI eliminating human jobs is no longer a purely hypothetical threat, but a grim reality for workers in the tech sector.

Euphoria's still got it. And by "it," I mean the ability to stir up controversy like no other show on TV.

After Euphoria's Season 3 premiere, HBO released a "Weeks Ahead" trailer to tease what's coming next for Rue (Zendaya) and the rest of the show's ensemble. One scene in particular drew fans' attention: an image of Cassie (Sydney Sweeney) taking pictures for her OnlyFans account while dressed as a baby, wearing a pacifier, diaper, and a see-through pink hoodie.

Backlash was swift, with fans on social media criticizing Sweeney and Euphoria creator Sam Levinson, even calling the scene a "humiliation ritual."

Since then, ComingSoon reported that HBO deleted, then re-uploaded the Euphoria Season 3 "Weeks Ahead" trailer. The shot of Cassie dressed as a baby remains in the trailer. However, it has since been digitally altered to remove the visible nudity under Cassie's hoodie.

Euphoria's Season 3 premiere also earned criticism for its reintroduction of Cassie, who spends her first scene this season making suggestive online content while dressed as a dog.

Scenes like these highlight how Euphoria Season 3 is already actively seeking out more controversy than its prior two outings. Sweeney's Cassie still serves as Levinson's primary punching bag for humiliation, but the Season 3 premiere — which features a dog licking human excrement off Faye's (Chloe Cherry) legs — proves that there's plenty more outrage to go around.

New episodes of Euphoria Season 3 premiere Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Wouldn't it be nice if all of the shows and movies you loved were on the same streaming service? If you're a Prime member, it's possible to make that happen — and for less money than keeping them all separate. Amazon just added the Apple TV and Peacock Premium Plus streaming bundle to the already extensive lineup of Prime Video add-ons.

The Apple TV and Peacock bundle debuted back in October 2025, but this is the first time you can bundle the services through your Prime Video account. The ad-free subscription bundle costs just $19.99 per month, which is over 30% or $10 cheaper than paying for Apple TV and Peacock individually. Peacock Premium Plus typically costs $16.99 per month on its own, while Apple TV now costs $12.99 per month after its latest price hike.

"This bundle makes it easier for customers to seamlessly access even more entertainment options all in one place. By expanding the streaming services and bundles available on Prime Video, we’re continuing to deliver on our commitment to provide customers with greater choice and seamless access to the shows, movies and sports they love," Ryan Pirozzi, head of Prime Video Channels, U.S. says in a press release.

The benefit of subscribing to the Apple TV and Peacock bundle through your Prime Video account is that you can access all three streaming libraries in a single app. Not to mention, you won't have to manage multiple subscriptions or payment methods. Amazon Prime is essentially recreating cable one add-on at a time.

Here's just a taste of all you can watch through the Apple TV and Peacock bundle on Prime Video:

• Apple Originals like Pluribus, Severance, and The Studio

• Beloved NBC series like Law & Order and One Chicago

• Bravo hits like The Real Housewives of Atlanta and Summer House

• Peacock Originals like The Traitors and Ponies

• Premier League soccer, NFL Sunday Night Football, NBA, Major League Baseball, and more live on Peacock

• Friday Night Baseball on Apple TV

• Blockbuster Universal movies and fan-favorite franchises on Peacock

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Credit: Apple TV / Peacock

Apple TV and Peacock Premium Plus bundle (Prime Video add-on)

$19.99/month (save $9.99/month)

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PRE-ORDER NOW: As of April 15, pre-order the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD, Amazon's newest and slimmest ever streaming device, for $34.90 at Amazon now.

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Amazon Fire TV Stick HD

$34.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Streaming your favorite shows and movies just got a little easier, and a little more affordable. Hot on the heels of its newly-released 4K Fire TV Stick Select last year, Amazon has debuted its newest HD streaming peripheral: the Amazon Fire TV Stick HD. It's available to preorder today, and begins shipping at the end of this month for $34.99.

This new model is about 30% slimmer, according to Amazon, than its previous model. It comes with a USB-C cable and USB-A connector that you can use to connect to your TV in lieu of a wall adapter. That's its "Direct Power" consumption, according to Amazon, so you can fit it flush behind your TV without a bulky wall brick. If you don't have a dedicated USB port, you can always use a USB-C cable and adapter, however, so there's no issues there if you're working with a different setup.

In terms of performance, Amazon claims it's "more than 30% faster on average" in comparison to the older model, so it can spring open apps and bring you your favorite shows faster. It'll also feature Alexa+ supprt if you have a subscription or Prime membership.

Beyond that, you can look forward to a new Adaptive Display setting that will help make the onscreen menu and elements pop as well as improve accessibility for users, while scaling artwork and making text and menus larger.

If you're ready for a new Amazon Fire TV experience, this might be the next model you pick up. You can get your hands on a preorder slot right now and start watching by the beginning of May for all your summer indoor binge-watching.

For U.S. teens who use TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat, one of the apps stands out as more of a distraction than the others, according to a new survey from Pew Research Center.

More than a quarter of teens shared that they spend too much time on TikTok, while more than a third said the app negatively affects their sleep. Twenty-nine percent of respondents said TikTok hurts their productivity. Smaller shares of teens reported similar feelings about Instagram and Snapchat.

Still, eight in 10 teens said they turned to TikTok specifically for entertainment. While respondents also considered Instagram and Snapchat reliably entertaining, teens were more likely to use those apps to keep up with friends and family, compared to TikTok.

Despite acknowledging TikTok's negative impact on their sleep and productivity, 71 percent of teens said the app neither hurt or helped their mental health. Three-quarters of teens said the same of Instagram and Snapchat. Nineteen percent of respondents shared that TikTok actually improved their mental health.

In general, about seven in 10 teens said their experiences on TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat are mostly positive. Only three percent reported largely negative experiences. The remaining teens characterize their engagement on the platforms as a mix of both good and bad.

The findings are based on Pew Research Center's survey of 1,458 U.S. teens and their parents last fall.

Critics have argued that social media companies are facing a "Big Tobacco moment" following a landmark court case against Meta and YouTube, which alleged that both platforms were negligently designed in ways that harmed a young user's mental health. TikTok and Snapchat settled with the plaintiff prior to the jury trial. A separate trial against Meta found the company liable for misleading consumers about child safety.

The Pew Research Center survey, which was conducted well before the trials ended, suggests that teens may feel less negative about TikTok, Instagram, and Snapchat than expected.

Regardless, a quarter of parents surveyed by Pew Research Center said that social media hurt their teen's mental health while only eight percent of the teens said the same. Parents were also more likely to say their teen spent too much time on social media.

When it came to TikTok, only 28 percent of teens characterized their use in this way, but that figure increased to 44 percent when parents answered the same question.

The self-proclaimed "HBO of social media" is here.

Vylit, the web-based app from ex-OnlyFans CEO Amrapali (Ami) Gan, is publicly launching today following beta testing last year. While Vylit doesn't allow explicit content like OnlyFans, it does allow topless photos, like a version of Instagram that allows softcore. The app is built for both creators and fans, its founders told Mashable, with multiple ways for the former to monetize content (such as subscriptions or tiers like "premium" and "VIP"), and different ways the latter can access creators, like through chats.

"I spent years watching creators build audiences on one platform and monetize on another. That fragmentation doesn't work. Vylit brings both together," Gan said in a press release shared with Mashable. Gan was the CEO of OnlyFans between Dec. 2021 and July 2023.

Scrolling Vylit does feel a bit like scrolling Instagram, with a twist. In an interview with Mashable, Gan and her cofounder, Kailey Magder (also COO), said that they didn't want to change what users are used to, such as left-hand navigation, but they wanted to give the app a unique Vylit feel. There's a photo-based feed complete with "Glimpses," or its version of Stories, at the top, but Vylit also has distinct features neither Instagram nor OnlyFans has.

"We created Vylit because we were frustrated with how social media works today," said Magder in the press release.

One element that Magder and Gan were frustrated with on other platforms is search and discovery. Famously, OnlyFans has basically no search function, and creators need to market themselves on other platforms. But Gan and Madger want fans and creators to find each other easily on Vylit, so you can search by aesthetics you're into or shared interests with "Vybe Match."

"Platforms are cluttered with ads, political content, and algorithm-driven noise. We wanted to build something that focuses on people, content, and real communities — not engagement at all costs," Magder continued.

There are also AI elements (of course, it being 2026 and all). Creators can generate "AI twins" of themselves, and fans can chat with an AI version of creators. AI chats can be trained on someone's unique personality traits, and they can range from friendly to flirty to "frisky." AI images, meanwhile, can be made topless, but no further nudity.

Credit: Vylit

Credit: Vylit

For the sake of transparency, a sparkle-like icon is placed on all AI-generated images. Chats between a real-life creator and their AI persona are explicitly distinguished, too.

As Vylit allows for topless photos, it's an adults-only platform. All users, creators or otherwise, need to be verified. When Mashable tried out Vylit ahead of launch, this was done through the third-party service Verifymy with an email address. The Vylit launch comes at a time of increasing age-verification laws, which require age checks beyond clicking "yes or no." When Mashable interviewed Gan in Nov. 2025, she said, "To us, the future of social media is very much 18 and over."

Vylit won't be on the App Store, as it takes 30 percent of earnings, the founders told Mashable. But you can sign up for Vylit on its website, and use the web-based app on either your phone or desktop.

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League showcased some thrilling quarter-final first legs last week, but Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid was probably the best of the bunch. Bayern hold a 2-1 advantage coming into the second leg in Munich, but nothing is decided in this battle to advance to the next round.

Expect big performances from star names like Harry Kane, Michael Olise, and Kylian Mbappé. It's going to be a really spectacle at the Allianz Arena, so clear your schedule this evening.

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid?

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 15. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free

Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPn for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $9.01: As of April 15, the Apple MacBook Neo base model is on sale for $589.99 at Amazon. While that may not be a huge discount from its $599 list price, it's the best price we've seen since its March launch.

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Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD)

$589.99 at Amazon
$599 Save $9.01

 

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Apple's new budget laptop, which just launched last month, is already selling in droves. It's hard to pass up a MacBook that only costs $599, after all. If you haven't already secured one for yourself, you can now pick one up for even less.

It ain't much, but at just $589.99 at Amazon, the Apple MacBook Neo base model (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is officially down to its best price ever. We saw the budget-friendly MacBook drop to $595 during the Big Spring Sale, but this is the first time it's broken through the $590 threshold.

Mashable's tech editor tested the MacBook Neo and loved it. "If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots," he writes. It's not meant to be a hefty work laptop for professionals. Instead, it's designed for everyday tasks like streaming and web browsing — and for those tasks, it performs seamlessly (just as fast as an M4 MacBook Air). It has the same premium aluminum build as any other MacBook, but runs on an iPhone chip: the A18 Pro (same as the iPhone 16 Pro).

Other specs include a 13-inch Liquid Retina display with a 60Hz refresh rate and 500 nits of brightness, WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 6, 8GB of RAM, two USB-C ports, a MagSage charging port, and a headphone jack. And for those concerned about the 8GB of RAM, Mashable's reviewer notes that "it performed surprisingly well." For students or those looking for a second laptop for non-work, the Neo is hard to beat.

SAVE $165: The Shure MoveMic Two Kit is on sale at Amazon for $384, down from the normal price of $549. That's a 30% discount and a record-low price at Amazon.

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Credit: Shure

Shure MoveMic Two Kit

$384 at Amazon
$549 Save $165

 

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By now you've heard (and seen) the buzz around the DJI Mic Mini, which took over every social media feed last summer. But content creators have many other options when it comes to wireless mics. If you're interested in a premium model that removes the need to use a receiver, there's a great deal at Amazon today.

As of April 15, the Shure MoveMic Two Kit is on sale at Amazon for $384, marked down from the normal price of $549. That's a 30% discount that shaves $165 off the price. It's also the lowest price we've ever seen at Amazon.

The Shure MoveMic Two Kit is designed to be used with anything you'd possibly be recording with like an iPhone, Android device, or a DSLR. Each Shure kit includes a protective carrying case, two MoveMic wireless lavalier microphones, a charging case, and one MoveMic receiver. However, if you'd rather record directly to your phone, you can skip using the receiver with the Shure Motiv app pairing.

Shure designed the MoveMic Two Kit to be user-friendly with long battery life, an IXP4 rating that resists rain, and a 100-foot sight range for recording. Each mic weighs just 8.2 grams and gets eight hours of battery life. The included charging case holds an additional two charging cycles for a total of 24 hours of operation before you'll need to recharge.

Since this is the lowest price we've ever seen, upgrade your content creation sessions with the Shure MoveMic Two Kit. It's 30% off at Amazon which brings the price down to $384, but since this is listed as a limited-time deal, it might be smart to act quickly.

Today, the President of the European Commission (the executive body of the European Union), Ursula von der Leyen, announced an EU age-verification app.

Users download the app, which works on any device including phones and computers, input their passport or ID card, and can prove their age when accessing online services, von der Leyen said in a live statement, the transcript of which is available on the EC's website. She said it's "completely anonymous" and users can't be tracked. Apparently, only one's age credential will be stored.

Von der Leyen compared the creation of this app to that of the COVID app once vaccines became available. Users could scan their vaccine cards if they needed proof of vaccination to travel. "Seventy-eight countries across four continents were using this app, so it was a huge success. And now we have taken this success and applied it to the age verification app," she said. "It follows the same principles, the same model."

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Various countries are already planning to integrate the age-verification app into their digital wallets, including France, Denmark, Greece, Italy, Spain, Cyprus, and Ireland, von der Leyen said. Online platforms can also use the app or look at its code, as it's open source.

Von der Leyen said she's listened to concerns from both parents and member states of the EU, which is why she hosted the first meeting of a special panel on children's online safety a month ago. The second meeting will be tomorrow.

In recent years, countries across the Western world have enacted age verification laws with an outward objective to keep minors off of pornographic sites or viewing material deemed "restricted to adults" or "harmful to minors." Around half of the United States has these laws, while various EU states like France and Italy have established them as well. The UK also has age-verification with the Online Safety Act.

Two preliminary studies, however, have shown that age verification doesn't work for this purpose, as people (including minors) can use VPNs to pretend to be in a jurisdiction without these laws, or they can go to non-compliant sites. It remains to be seen how this new app in the EU will handle these cases, however.

Last week, Mashable reported that age-verification laws are hurting sex educators and sex workers, either by impacting their work or resulting in lower income.

The Trump Mobile T1 smartphone is the gift that keeps on giving, at least in terms of consistently generating headlines without actually releasing a product.

As spotted by The Verge (which has been consistently on top of this), Trump Mobile overhauled its website this week, refreshing it with new photos that look completely different from the device teased last year. The website now reflects the phone redesign that Trump Mobile executives showed to publisher back in February, which still includes a signature Trump gold finish, like the company always promised it would.

Of course, there is still no listed release date, despite the Trump Mobile T1 being promised for a 2025 release when it was first announced a year ago by the U.S. president's sons Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, and then delayed multiple times. A recent FCC listing indicates the device does actually exist in some form, but we have no idea when customers will actually have one in their hands.

There it is, allegedly. Credit: Trump Mobile

The new website, where the phones are available for preorder, also includes some updated specs. The device is purported to have a 6.78-inch AMOLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, a triple lens rear camera array that includes both 50MP wide and telephoto lenses, and a vague promise of a non-specific Qualcomm Snapdragon 7 chip. Some of these specs are very different from previous iterations of the phone; at one point, it was listed with a 6.25-inch display, but that has ballooned for no apparent reason in the past year.

As for the Trump Mobile T1's price, there's a time-limited promotional window where it costs $499 with a $100 pre-order deposit, but we don't know how much it will cost after that window closes. This device was also originally marketed as being "made in America," but that seems to no longer be the case.

You can do whatever you want with your money, but it might be prudent to wait a bit before plopping down $100 on this thing.

Since its debut at the Toronto International Film Festival, Obsession has been gathering buzz from critics and horror fans who fell hard for the movie's gnarly vision of bad romance. Now, ahead of this freaky thriller's theatrical release, you can get your hands on the menacing MacGuffin at its center: the One Wish Willow.

Written and directed by YouTuber Curry Barker, Obsession centers on Bear (Michael Johnson), a shy and shiftless young man who's crushing hard on the dynamic and beautiful Nikki (Inde Navarrette). But she only seems interested in him as a friend. That is until Bear uses a One Wish Willow, wishing for her to love him "more than anyone in the entire world." Like the saying goes, be careful what you wish for.

You can get in on the twisted fun of the One Wish Willow, as Focus has debuted a commercial for the curious product, promising it will make your wish come true. But hey, listen closely to that disclaimer section. And if you need any help, the One Wish Willow website offers a FAQ and a helpline: 1-323-747-7118

However, having called the number, I'm not sure how helpful you'll really find it.

Obsession opens only in theater May 15.

SAVE $227.95: As of April 15, get the Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones for $272 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $499.95. That's a discount of 46%.

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Credit: Amazon

Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones

$272 at Amazon
$499.95 Save $227.95

 

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Looking for a new pair of headphones? If you've tried the usual suspects, it might be time to go for a different company. May we suggest Sennheiser? One of the gurus of headphones and audio, the company has a pair of excellent wired headphones on offer right now at Amazon that can save you some significant cash if you're ready to make the move.

As of April 15, get the Sennheiser HD 600 wired headphones for $272 at Amazon, down from their usual price of $499.95. That's $227.95 off and a discount of 46%.

These audiophile-grade headphones were made for serious listeners, with an open-back design that has plush ear pads to make wearing them as comfortable as possible. They also feature neodymium ferrous magnets to bring you better audio and completely immerse you in the music.

Their metal mesh earpiece covers let air in to keep your ears from overheating, plus they come with a detachable Kevlar-reinforced cable to keep you from running into the same issue so many wired options fall victim to: one side of the headphones malfunctioning or breaking in and out.

Whether you're listening to your favorite album or joining a work call, these headphones offer comfort, style, and excellent audio for a low price today thanks to this Amazon discount. If you've tried all the other big, familiar brands, it might be time to take the plunge and see what else you've been missing in the wired headphone space.

SAVE $700: As of April 15, the LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $799.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's over 46% off the original list price of $1,499.99 and its lowest price on record.

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Credit: LG

LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV

$799.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $700

 

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Credit: LG

LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV

$799.99 at Best Buy
$1,499.99 Save $700

 

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If a new TV is on your wist list and you want an upgrade that makes a noticeable difference, an OLED model is your best bet. And when it comes to OLED TVs, LG is our favorite brand. The entry-level LG B5 model is a good place to start — especially since it's on sale for nearly half off.

As of April 15, you can get the LG 55-inch B5 OLED 4K TV for only $799.99 instead of $1,499.99 at either Amazon or Best Buy. Not only is that 46% in savings, but also its best price ever, which is reached just once before.

Whether you're upgrading to watch sports, new theatrical releases, or just the latest season of Euphoria or Malcolm in the Middle, you'll be impressed by the difference an OLED TV makes. OLEDs have the most advanced lighting system and are noticeably more vibrant and detailed than QLEDs, particularly while watching dim scenes or in dark rooms. The B5 model also features Dolby Vision, HDR10 Pro, Dolby Atmos, Filmmaker Mode, 120Hz gaming support, and NVIDIA G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium compatibility. There's also plenty of AI features if you're into that, like Concierge for content recommendations and the Personalized Picture and Sound Wizard to customize your viewing experience.

The B5 is LG's cheapest OLED from 2025, offering the best picture quality for the best price. And now that it's nearly half off its list price, it practically falls into budget TV territory.

SAVE $550: The DJI Power 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $749, down from the usual price of $1,299. That's a 42% discount.

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Credit: DJI

DJI Power 2000

$749 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $550

 

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Portable power stations are everywhere these days. Your friends are using them for camping, the neighbors have one to run a backyard projector for movie nights, and your parents have one to keep the refrigerator running during a power outage. But there are a few models that cater specifically to content creators, and one of them is on a major discount today.

As of April 15, the DJI Power 2000 portable power station is on sale at Amazon for $749, marked down from the usual price of $1,299. That's a 42% discount that takes a major $550 off the price.

DJI knows how to keep content creators happy. From the viral Mic Mini to the user-friendly Osmo Pocket 3, the brand is a go-to for creators. These days, DJI has several portable power stations to keep creators charged up while working. The largest of them is the DJI Power 2000, which offers 2,048Wh of capacity from a long-lasting LFP battery.

Like other portable power stations, the DJI has a collection of standard AC ports, USB-C, and USB-A options. But unlike other power stations, the DJI Power 2000 includes two SDC ports which have the ability to quick-charge DJI drone batteries. Two of the USB-C ports are capable of 140W output which will be ideal for recharging laptops.

Another benefit for creators is the quiet operation of the Power 2000. That'll be ideal if recording content in the same room as the Power 2000. There's also the 10 millisecond UPS switch time that'll keep devices running seamlessly during a power cut. Plus, the DJI power station can recharge to 80% in just 50 minutes with standard wall charging.

While it's sitting at a 42% discount, upgrade your content creation setup with the DJI Power 2000. It's great for content creators, camping, using during power outages, and for backyard movie nights this summer.

Tax Day is here. We know you've had this special date circled in your calendar for some time, but not for submitting your taxes. You've had this date in mind for an entirely different reason: scoring all the free food deals that drop on April 15.

The usual suspects have launched limited-time food offers to mark this occasion, including Burger King and Krispy Kreme. We've checked out everything on offer to bring you the only list you'll ever need. So submit your taxes and celebrate with any of these tasty promotions.

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse

On April 15, get $10 off any $40 takeout or delivery order.

Burger King

OK, so this isn't exactly a Tax Day deal, but customers can get a regular Whopper sandwich for $3.99 or a small Whopper combo meal for $6.99 on April 15. That's because Tax Day falls on a Wednesday, and Burger King offers this promotion on every Wednesday.

California Tortilla

On April 15, get a free small chips and queso when you make any online or in-app purchase and use promo code GOVCHEESE at checkout. To get your freebie in-store, mention “Government Cheese” at the checkout.

Del Taco

Get a free Snack Taco with a $5 purchase, a BOGO deal on Crispy Fish tacos, and a $1 Grilled Chicken Taco on Tax Day.

Krispy Kreme

On April 15, Krispy Kreme customers who purchase any dozen doughnuts at regular price can get a second Original Glazed dozen for free.

Olive Garden

Olive Garden is offering a Buy One, Take One promotion until May 3. Customers can order from a select menu of entrées and get a second, chilled entrée to-go starting at $14.99.

Qdoba

Qdoba Rewards members can get $5 off any full-sized entrée this tax season. Visit www.TaxDayGuacRelief.com to file for "guac relief." Complete a short survey and then the $5 off reward will be dropped in your Qdoba app rewards wallet on April 20.

Pizza Hut

On April 15, get a large three-topping pizza starting at just $10. This offer is available in-store, online, or via the Pizza Hut app.

Popeyes

On April 15, Popeyes is offering customers a 25% off Tax Day three-piece tenders combo. This offer is available on the Popeyes app or online, and includes a three-piece tenders, one regular side, one biscuit, and a drink.

Potbelly

On April 15, get a free Original size sandwich or wrap with the purchase of any Big or Original size sandwich or wrap.

Smoothie King

On April 15, get $3 off by joining the Healthy Rewards loyalty program through the Smoothie King app.

Subway

On April 15, get a free footlong sandwich with the purchase of another footlong. The BOGO offer is available through April 28 on the Subway app or website using promo ode FLBOGO.

Taco John's

On April 15, Taco John's Rewards members can score a free small order of Potato Olés with any $3 purchase. This offer is redeemable through the Taco John's app or online ordering.

Wendy's

On April 15, Wendy's is offering customers a free six-piece nuggets with a purchase of $5 via the Wendy's app.

Spotify is now a physical book store, y'all.

On Wednesday, the (primarily) music streaming company announced the launch of printed book sales in the U.S. and UK. In these two markets, Spotify users can now order physical books, though only on the Android version of the app, with iOS support starting next week.

Spotify, which announced the move in February, partnered with Bookshop.org for physical book sales. Bookshop.org is an online book marketplace that focuses on local, independent bookstores, selling both physical books and e-books.

Spotify launched audiobooks in Sept. 2022 in the U.S., and has since steadily expanded its catalog and availability in other markets, including the UK, Canada, Australia, and several European countries. The company currently offers audiobooks in 22 markets, and has a catalog of 700,000 titles.

As for why is Spotify, initially a purely digital platform, moving into physical books, hear it from Owen Smith, Spotify’s Global Head of Audiobooks. "We believe the future of reading or listening needs to be flexible and fit more seamlessly into people’s lives, he said in February when the feature was originally announced. "We’re extending Spotify’s discovery and engagement strengths across both audio and physical formats, so authors can build deeper connections with their audiences and books can follow readers wherever they go."

On Wednesday, Spotify also launched several other features. One is the expansion of Page Match, a feature that allows listeners to seamlessly move between ebooks, physical books, and audiobooks, to 30 additional languages. The company also expanded Audiobook Recaps on Android, launched Audiobook Charts in Germany, and introduced a dedicated Audiobook Chart for kids in the U.S. and the UK.

SAVE OVER $300: As of April 15, the Eufy E28 robot vacuum and mop is on sale for $649.99 at Amazon, a return to its lowest-ever price.

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Credit: Eufy

Eufy E28 Robot Vacuum and Mop

$649.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $350

 

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If you've been looking for a robot vacuum that can do more that just vacuum your floors, there are some great combo models available right now. The Eufy E28 is one option worth considering that can vacuum, mop, and even comes with a detachable carpet cleaner. It's quite a helpful pick-up for spring cleaning, and now is a great time to grab it as it's currently on sale at Amazon.

It's usually listed for $999.99, but the Eufy E28 has dropped to $649.99 at Amazon for a limited time. This deal marks a return to its lowest-ever price, which is certainly worth celebrating. If its all-in-one design has caught your eye, this is an excellent time to scoop it up for less.

There's a lot to take in with the Eufy E28. When vacuuming, the robot vacuum boasts 20,000Pa suction power for cleaning your floors and even features carpet detection, which adjusts suction automatically to match your flooring. It also has DuoSpiral anti-tangle brushes on the inside that helps to make sure hair doesn't get tangled up and slow it down. And when it comes to mopping, it has a HydroJet Deep Cleaning System that helps to remove stains on hard surface floors.

The Eufy E28 also comes with a detachable deep carpet cleaner, which is an extra special win for carpets or fabric furniture in your home. With this, you'll be able to tackle stains on these surfaces a little bit easier.

The Eufy E28 is an incredibly helpful all-in-one cleaner to have in your house this spring. Don't miss out on this great chance to save right now at Amazon.

Here is where things currently stand on my Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream island: I'm married to Dua Lipa, who I only added to the island because I wanted her to fall in love with my friend Nick, who has a thing for her. Nick, in a full cowboy getup, played guitar and sang at our wedding because he's a good guy who would never let jealousy end a friendship. Meanwhile, my friend Curt has a devastating crush on Sonic the Hedgehog, but so far it remains tragically unrequited. Stewie Griffin and Eric Cartman have also fallen in love with each other, but neither party has confessed as much yet. I wish them all the best.

This is largely how Tomodachi Life on the Nintendo Switch goes. You make a bunch of Miis (you know, the weird little dudes you played as in Wii Sports 20 years ago), perform a tiny amount of daily maintenance to keep them happy and unlock new stuff, and whatever happens next is up to them. While at times it barely feels like a game in the traditional sense, there's simply no denying how much fun it is.

As a long-awaited follow-up to Tomodachi Life on 3DS (released in 2014), Living the Dream has big shoes to fill. While not every great aspect of the 3DS game made the journey to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has expanded upon that game's vision in enough other cool ways to make this a sequel worth waiting more than a decade for.

I hope you like landscaping

Since Living the Dream is launching to a much larger audience than the 3DS game did 12 years ago, I imagine there are plenty of folks wondering what the heck it is. Let me explain it the best I can.

In Living the Dream, the player's main job is to cultivate and maintain an island full of Miis. You can base them on yourself, your friends, or your favorite fictional characters, celebs, or athletes. Each Mii has a distinct personality set by the player via a series of personality sliders ("Honest" and "Polite" are at opposite ends of one slider, for example), and this dictates how they behave and who they become friends with. Feeding them food they like, giving them stylish outfits, and otherwise fulfilling whatever mundane requests they make will fill up a happiness meter, which facilitates island expansion and other fun unlocks.

And that's pretty much it! The bones of Tomodachi Life haven't changed much since 2014, but a lot of things around the edges have been updated to make Living the Dream a more customizable experience than the last game. Perhaps the biggest change is that you can perform grid-based island customization now to make your island look exactly how you want. This also opens up another avenue for unlocking collectibles, as things like potted plants, trees, vending machines, and certain walking surfaces are now locked behind leveling up.

This is the life. Credit: Nintendo

I have to admit that this is not something I'm very keen on in any game. I just don't have a good eye for interior or exterior decoration. That said, Living the Dream makes this extremely simple to do and low-stakes enough that you can safely ignore it if you want. One of my favorite features is that, anytime it's time to place a new structure or item, you can press a "Mii's Choice" button to make the game put it wherever it makes the most sense. Or, sometimes, it'll put a vending machine on the beach. Either way, I don't have to think too hard about it.

Another cool new feature is the ability to create objects, clothing, and even physical features for Miis by simply drawing with a cursor (or, in handheld mode, a touchscreen). Again, I am not an artist, so this is something I didn't do a lot, but I know for certain it's going to unlock a new level of deranged nonsense once Living the Dream goes wide.

Even if it's not something I want to spend a lot of time on, making the Mii Island a more tangible and customizable place is a great move for Living the Dream. People are going to go nuts with it, and I can't wait to see dedicated players' Mii metropolises, even though they won't be able to easily share them online. More on that in a moment.

The voice synthesis is what makes Tomodachi Life great

Imagine this, but in the weirdest robot voice you've ever heard. Credit: Nintendo

The actual gameplay of Tomodachi Life, at least in my eyes, is not really the appeal here. That said, it is a fun and rewarding loop that can remain engaging for dozens of hours, while never really asking the player to spend more than 30 to 45 minutes playing at a time. One of the best aspects of Living the Dream is that you'll just kinda naturally run out of things to do before each session reaches an hour, unless you have an ungodly number of Miis on your island. They'll stop making requests and start operating on their own. You can stick around and watch, or you can come back later. It's got Animal Crossing-style real-time clock elements, so there are reasons to log on at certain times of day. But, thankfully, I never once felt obligated to structure my real-life schedule around Tomodachi Life, which is what turned me off of Animal Crossing.

In actuality, though, the secret sauce that makes Living the Dream work is the robotic text-to-speech voice synthesis that every Mii uses to speak. They'll often ask you questions that you can answer in a text field, and then they'll repeat the answer out loud in all sorts of different contexts. I told a Mii that I like Bruce Springsteen, and now all of the Miis on my island talk about The Boss a lot. Nintendo made the rather brilliant decision to not include a censorship filter of any kind in Living the Dream, so while I'll refrain from sharing specific examples, I can confirm that you can make them talk about literally anything you can fit in that text field.

I'm not joking when I say the reason to play this game is to just sit and listen to the Miis talk. Their voices sound distinctly unnatural in a way that's both funny and refreshingly honest in a world full of generative AI garbage. At no point are any of your Miis trying to actually imitate human speech, which is what makes it so charming. Of course, you have full control over their voice pitch, depth, and tone, so you can make them sound really weird, if you want.

This mostly manifests in the form of little comedy skits your Miis will ambiently perform for your amusement. Occasionally, a Mii will ask you to help them befriend another Mii by requesting a conversation topic. Type anything in, and they'll have a goofy little Mad Libs-style conversation about it. The voice synthesis in Tomodachi Life is not new for this entry in the series, but it is absolutely key to what makes Living the Dream so fun to check in on every day.

I just wish you could use the share button

You can draw whatever you want, but good luck sharing it on social media. Credit: Nintendo

In Living the Dream, Miis have never looked crisper and more high-definition. There are more cosmetic options for them here than the Wii had, so if you're creative enough, you can make a virtual facsimile of just about anyone. Nintendo has also made the admirable decision to make this a Switch 1 joint rather than locking it onto the more expensive Switch 2. Unfortunately, this means the game is locked to 30 frames per second and doesn't currently take advantage of any unique Switch 2 features, such as mouse control, which would have made drawing things and landscaping a lot easier. The frame rate thing doesn't really matter in a game like this, but no mouse support is a real bummer.

Nothing is a bigger bummer, though, than the lack of true share button support. In Living the Dream, you can press the Switch's share button to capture screenshots and video clips of hilarious moments, just like you would in any other Switch game. However, Nintendo has turned off the ability to upload captures directly to a mobile device. This means getting screenshots and videos off of a console and onto social media is borderline impossible for the average user.

There's a loophole that involves putting the captures on a SD card and uploading them to a computer that way, but most people simply aren't going to do that.

My friends and I do this on weekends. Credit: Nintendo

I think I understand Nintendo's thinking here. If the share button worked as normal in a game with no censorship filter, the internet would be flooded with horrible pictures and videos from misbehaving Miis, a bad look for the most family-friendly publisher in gaming. Unfortunately, there are so many funny screenshots I've taken that I can't even include in this review because I can't currently get them off my Switch.

Lastly, I'll also mention that I don't think you can write songs for your Miis to perform in this game, as you could in the 3DS version. It's possible I just haven't fulfilled some arcane unlocking mechanism to use that feature, but as far as I can tell, my favorite part of the 3DS version has been excised. Sad.

Even with those bothersome limitations, Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream is almost exactly what I wanted it to be in every other respect. It's a different, more lowkey kind of "cozy game" than Pokémon Pokopia. Rather than focusing on large-scale construction projects, you'll spend most of your time in Living the Dream making funny little talking dolls that look like your friends and pushing them together until they fall in love, or don't. Most importantly, I laugh literally every time I play it. Most video games can't claim that.

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Credit: Nintendo

Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream

$59.99 at Amazon

 

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Donald Trump's Truth Social post with an AI image of himself as Jesus is still all over our feeds, with vice president JD Vance attempting to play the post off as a "joke."

"He had to come out yesterday to defend President Trump from all the woke Christians who are trying to cancel him just because he might have said, 'I am Jesus'," joked The Daily Show's Ronny Chieng during Tuesday night's show. "Get over it, snowflakes. Where in the Trump Bible does it say you can't worship false idols?"

Vance told Fox News of Trump's now-deleted post, "I think the president was posting a joke and, of course, he took it down because he recognised that a lot of people weren't understanding his humour" — which Chieng jokingly lambasted the Daily Show audience for.

"Shut up! Shut up. It was a joke. What's the matter, you guys don't have jokes at Jesus Camp? Everyone knows Trump posted this picture to be funny, right?" Chieng said, cutting to footage of Trump himself telling reporters he though "it was me as a doctor" with no mention of it being a joke.

"OK, well, make up your mind," said Chieng. "Is it a doctor or is it a joke, or is it a doctor who is a joke, like a chiropractor?"

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No one said it better than Stephen Colbert: "Yesterday might have been the weirdest weird that ever weirded."

Yes, we're talking about the fact that the President of the United States, Donald Trump, took questions from reporters at the White House about the U.S.-Iran war and his Truth Social post involving an AI image of himself as Jesus, all after he DoorDashed McDonald's and attacked the Pope online.

"If you just woke up from a coma and that report was the first thing you saw, you'd ask the doctor to put you back in. I'm sorry, you'd ask the Jesus to put you back in," Colbert said, referring to Trump's U-turn on the now-deleted image of himself as Jesus, which the president claimed he thought "was me as a doctor."

"This recreational blasphemy got Trump so much heat that he pulled the post down from social media, and now people can only see it everywhere on the internet," said Colbert.

"Here's how offensive Trump's AI Jesus post was: The Knights Templar said they condemn it wholeheartedly and asked for a public apology. The Knights Templar. He's angered the Knights Templar," Colbert said. "Well, it's official: we're trapped in a Dan Brown movie. Quick! Somebody find Tom Hanks and give him a terrible haircut."

Colbert also noted how Trump's online vendetta against Pope Leo XIV might be unwise if he's worried about approval ratings.

"Why would you start a beef with the Pope? According to a recent NBC poll, Pope Leo leads everyone in America in approval ratings. It's got to piss Trump off to learn that the most popular guy on the planet lives in a palace dripping with gold and wears an insane hat and it's not him," said Colbert. "Fun fact: Do you know what American finished second in that NBC poll? It gives me no pleasure to say 'Colbert trailed only Pope Leo in favorability.' Forgive me, I lied. Actually found that quite pleasurable."

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SAVE $500: The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is on sale for $1,089 at Amazon. That's over $500 off the list price and the best-ever price at Amazon.

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Credit: DJI

DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo

$1,089 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $510

 

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The 2026 drone market is currently in a weird state of flux. Legislative pressure is mounting on DJI imports. We’ve moved past the phase of uncertainty into genuine panic buying before stock disappears for good.

Any sort of deal during this frantic period is very much welcome. Any sort of deal down to a record-low price cannot be ignored.

The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo is down to $1,089 at Amazon — its all-time low and over $500 off the list price for a limited time.

The Mini 5 Pro remains the champion of the lightweight category. For creators, the one-inch CMOS sensor is the star of the show, delivering 4K HDR at 60fps that looks like it belongs on a cinema screen. The 360-degree Nightscape sensing maps obstacles in low light while the specialized Nighttime Return-to-Home ensures your investment doesn't end up as a permanent resident of a neighbor's tree.

We’ve monitored this price point across several sale cycles, and this looks like the floor. If you’re a content creator looking to future-proof your kit with a drone that doesn't require a commercial pilot’s license, this is the deal to snipe before stock drops.

We're not encouraging panic buying, but we do believe in tactical shopping — and there's never been a better time to invest in this versatile drone.

Taskmaster Season 21 is off and running, with Alex Horne and Greg Davies presenting tricky challenges to celebrity contestants Amy Gledhill, Armando Iannucci, Joanna Page, Joel Dommett, and Kumail Nanjiani.

After the epic mayhem that American comedian Jason Mantzoukas brought to the show last season, Nanjiani's been representing the U.S. with a generally more chill, less "destroy, dismantle, engulf in flames" attitude toward the tasks. But if ever there was a moment to lose your cool, it might be this "skittles" challenge in episode 2.

For those who don't speak English, "skittles" means bowling pins. And in this preview clip exclusive to Mashable, Nanjiani and his costars must get the bowling ball in the bucket, without leaving the stage. Sounds easy enough. But if they touch a skittle, they get a time penalty. All skittles must be standing when the bowling ball is put in the bucket.

Nanjiani starts off strong, strategically taking two time penalties as a sacrifice for progress. But then, well, as he puts it, "This is the worst thing that's ever happened to me."

Taskmaster airs on Channel 4 in the UK. In the U.S., you can watch Taskmasker on the Taskmaster YouTube Channel.

SAVE OVER $400: As of April 15, the Anker Solix F3800 Plus portable power station is on sale for $2,299 at Amazon. This is $400.99 off its list price of $2,699.99.

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Credit: Anker

Anker Solix F3800 Plus Portable Power Station

$2,299 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $400.99

 

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Spring is a great time to look around for a portable power station, especially if you're planning some camping trip adventures or want a little back-up power on hand in case severe weather hits. Thankfully, there's some great deals available at the moment. If you want to go all-out with a hefty power station, the Anker Solix F3800 Plus portable power station is a great option on sale right now at Amazon.

As of April 15, Amazon has marked the Anker Solix F3800 Plus down to $2,299. Overall, this saves you $400.99 off its list price of $2,699.99, which is a pretty sweet deal to jump on. It's only live for a limited time, so now is the time to make a move on it if you're interested.

The Anker Solix F3800 Plus is quite a beefy machine. It has a huge 6,000W output and 3.84kWh of power that can help keep plenty of items going, no matter if you're dealing with outages at home caused by severe weather or powering up items in an RV for camping. It can even be controlled from the Anker app, which allows you to keep a close eye on charging times and battery status.

Plus, it comes with a suitcase-style handle and wheels that makes moving it around nice and easy. So no matter where you need the extra power, it can easily be moved to help.

Since it's a limited-time deal it may not be available for long. Be quick to save on the Anker Solix F3800 Plus portable power station at Amazon before the deal is gone for good.

In an absolute win for anyone who grew up with a Legolas poster on their bedroom wall (represent), we're getting more Lord of the Rings movie action. Give it to us raw and wriggling.

With new details announced at CinemaCon on Tuesday, The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum is set to hit cinemas in 2027, with some of the original cast from Peter Jackson's adaptation of J. R. R. Tolkien's books returning to their iconic roles. However, there are also new faces afoot playing beloved characters.

So what is The Hunt for Gollum about? And who's playing Aragorn, who isn't Viggo Mortensen? Here's everything we know about the film — we needs it.

What is The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum about?

Precious. Credit: New Line/Kobal/Shutterstock

TL;DR — The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum sits on the timeline between The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, closer to the beginning of The Fellowship of the Ring.

Andy Serkis, the actor who defined the tricksy, tragic character Gollum/Sméagol for the screen in Jackson's Oscar-winning Lord of the Rings trilogy, is reprising his role in The Hunt for Gollum, a film he's also directing.

In a win for fans, Peter Jackson, Fran Walsh, and Philippa Boyens, the tremendous trio responsible for the Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit trilogies, are producing — the band's back together. Boyens and Walsh are writing the screenplay with The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim's Phoebe Gittins and Arty Papageorgiou.

From Tolkien's books and Jackson's films, we know Sméagol was a hobbit whose obsession with the One Ring saw him murder his bestie Déagol for it, flee into the Misty Mountains, and transform into the creature Gollum, plagued by his ill-fated allegiance to "the precious." The Hunt for Gollum takes place around the start of events of The Fellowship of the Ring, so we're talking the Third Age, but it's not clear where things will pick up (leaks suggest "the shadowed time between Bilbo's birthday disappearance and the Fellowship's formation").

Unless you've read The Fellowship of the Ring and Tolkien's appendices, the only thing most of us know Gollum was doing around this time was being tortured in Mordor for information about where the One Ring was ("Shire, Baggins") but what happened between that, Frodo leaving the Shire, getting chased by Ringwraiths, meeting Aragorn, heading to Rivendell, and Gandalf realising Gollum was stalking the Fellowship in the Mines of Moria?

Ian McKellen (who's back as Gandalf, people!) told The Times, "The script is designed to appeal to people who like Lord of the Rings...It’s an adventure story, Aragorn trying to find Gollum with Gandalf directing operations from the sidelines." Meanwhile, Tolkien fan site TheOneRing.net (via Guardian) posted a leak suggesting, "we meet young Sméagol...long before The One Ring consumed him...With the ring lost and carried away by Bilbo Baggins, Gollum finds himself compelled to leave his cave in search of it. Gandalf the Grey calls upon Aragorn, still known as the ranger Strider, to track the elusive creature whose knowledge of the whereabouts of the ring could tip the balance toward the Dark Lord Sauron."

Who's in the cast for The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum?

They're baaaaack. Credit: New Line/WireImage

Announced by Warner Bros. and New Line at CinemaCon on Apr. 14, the cast for The Hunt for Gollum includes original trilogy favourites and newcomers to iconic roles.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Returning

• Andy Serkis — Gollum/Sméagol

• Sir Ian McKellen — Gandalf

• Elijah Wood — Frodo Baggins

• Lee Pace — Thranduil

Serkis will, of course, reprise his role as the titular Gollum/Sméagol, but he's not alone. Elijah Wood will step back into his hairy feet as Frodo Baggins, the hobbit who took the One Ring all the way to Mordor and (thanks to his gardener, Samwise Gamgee) destroyed it despite much emo and ennui. The illustrious Sir Ian McKellen will return as Gandalf, the ultimate wizard of Middle Earth (I said what I said).

From The Hobbit trilogy, Lee Pace will return as Thranduil, the Elvenking of Mirkwood, who, like Orlando Bloom, sold a fair few GHD straighteners in his time.

New

• Jamie Dornan — Aragorn/Strider

• Kate Winslet — Marigol

• Leo Woodall — Halvard

Aragorn aka Strider aka Chieftain of the Dúnedain, a role crystallised by Viggo Mortensen in the 2000s, will be played by Jamie Dornan. Joining him will be Leo Woodall as Halvard, a fellow Dúnedain and hunting companion to Aragorn. And her eminence Kate Winslet joins the cast as a yet-to-be-detailed character called Marigol.

Also, in the cast announce above, the video features music by Howard Shore, super-composer for all the Lord of the Rings projects, so hopefully his involvement is a Shore thing.

When does The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum hit cinemas?

Call off the Great Eagle rideshare because you're going to have to wait.

The Lord of the Rings: The Hunt for Gollum will be showing in cinemas Dec. 17, 2027. It's giving the December dates we used to look forward to during the original trilogies.

We're always looking for new and inventive ways to hit you with big savings on popular items. We cover hundreds of deals every month. You can find these deals on site, on socials, and on our newsletter. We've also launched a Mashable Deals text group. The daily deals that we send to this group are researched and assessed by the team with the same level of care that we dedicate to the rest of our shopping content.

You can find a live hub for those deals right here.

I spend a lot of time trawling through the depths of the online world to find deals that are genuinely worth your time and money. And no, I'm not talking about those heavily discounted products that have actually been stuck at that "low price" for months. I'm talking about limited-time discounts on the products that I'd actually recommend to a friend.

That's the aim of the game for Mashable's team of shopping experts. We're constantly scanning leading retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy to bring you new opportunities to save your precious cash. But we're not satisfied with the current state of affairs. We don't want you to miss a thing, and that's why we landed on the Mashable Deals text group.

Become a subscriber of the Mashable Deals text group and I'll send you the very best deals directly to your phone. You don't need to pay anything to get access to these deals. Simply sign up above and you'll be the first to know about huge savings on MacBooks, limited-time discounts on AirPods, price cuts on items under $50, and all of those other deals that drop throughout the week.

I'll send a Deal of the Day most days. During major shopping events like Prime Day and Black Friday, we may bump this up to a couple of sends per day. But that's only if we come across multiple offers that are truly worth the send. If we track down a bunch of impressively low prices during a busy shopping event, we'll drop those in a single text.

We're not going to spam you. The daily deals that we send to the Mashable Deals text group will have been researched and assessed by the team with the same level of care that we dedicate to the rest of our shopping content.

Signing up for the Mashable Deals text group is quick, safe, and totally free. You can also opt out anytime you like. I hope you give it a try.

SAVE $40: As of April 15, the Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are on sale for $109.99 at Amazon. That's a 27% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Soundcore

Soundcore AeroClip

$109.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $40.00

 

Get Deal

Open earbuds are becoming increasingly popular, especially for runners and people who listen to music out in public. But what are they? Open earbuds utilize a special design that rests just outside the ear instead of sitting inside it, allowing you to listen to music while remaining aware of your surroundings.

And as of April 15, Soundcore AeroClip earbuds are on sale. For a limited time, you can save $40 on the list price, bringing the cost down to $109.99.

These earbuds also have a clip-on design, helping them stay secure for all-day wear. This makes them an ideal choice for workouts of all intensities.

The sound quality includes Hi-Res sound with enhanced bass, supported by a 12mm titanium-coated driver and virtual bass technology. It also benefits from directional sound delivery that helps to keep audio focused toward your ears while reducing sound leakage for more privacy. For calls and voice notes, the earbuds use a four-microphone system with AI noise reduction to keep voices clear in busy environments.

And they're robust too, featuring a water resistance rating of IP55. The listing notes that some early packaging may show an IPX4 rating, but the actual rating is IP55.

Find this earbuds deal at Amazon now.

Republicans are out in force defending Donald Trump again, this time for an AI image the president shared (and then deleted) that appeared to depict him as Jesus (Trump claimed he thought the post showed him as a "doctor") — a follow-up to an angry tirade he posted on Truth Social attacking the Pope.

In the clip above, Jimmy Kimmel breaks down some of the ways right-wing politicians and pundits have been defending the president's post, culminating in JD Vance arguing that it was only a joke.

"He was posting a joke, you understand? And like all the best jokes it had to be explained and then deleted. First he was Jesus, then he wasn't Jesus, he was a doctor, and now it was a joke. Why did I get kicked off the air again, I can't remember?" Kimmel says. "This White House cannot even keep their lies straight."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

One anxiety when you’re signing up for a dating site, especially one of the more spicy ones like AdultFriendFinder, is the paper trail or, in this day and age, the digital paper trail.

Maybe you’re married or in a relationship, or maybe you and your ex still haven’t separated your financial lives, or maybe you just don’t like the idea of your bank teller or financial advisor knowing about your online activities — whatever the reason, it’s perfectly natural to worry about what your dating app subscription will look like on your bank statement, especially if that subscription service contains the word “adult.”

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Credit: AdultFriendFinder

AdultFriendFinder

 

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Thankfully, AdultFriendFinder has already anticipated this concern. If you do decide to upgrade from a free membership to a paid one, whether you opt for their Gold or VIP subscription, your monthly billing statement will only show up as FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF, a relatively cryptic and innocuous line that won’t arouse undue suspicion or judgment. Do be aware, though, that AdultFriendFinder subscriptions default to “auto renew,” so if you purchase a membership and want to cancel, you’ll have to actively disable the auto-renew function. Otherwise you risk having the mysterious FFNHelp.com*FRIENDF statement showing up once again.

But what if even that isn’t good enough for you?

If you’re especially cautious — or especially paranoid — you can bypass the bank statements entirely by paying with a gift card or a cash, check, or money order (available only to users in the U.S.). You can even use an e-wallet option like AirTM. Residents of the UK can opt to pay by SMS.

If avoiding a digital paper trail is your top priority and privacy is paramount, you’re much better off using these payment options and never handing over your credit card details to begin with.

SAVE OVER $200: As of April 15, the LG 27-inch Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor is on sale for $749.99 at Amazon, marking its lowest-ever price.

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Credit: LG

LG 27-Inch Ultragear QHD OLED Gaming Monitor

$749.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $250

 

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2026 is a huge year for gaming, especially if you're counting down the days to Grand Theft Auto VI. If you're among the many who can't wait to play it later this year, it's time to prep your setup.

For PC players, that means having a high-quality monitor to see every little detail in what will surely be one of the most detailed open worlds ever created. If you're looking for something new, the LG 27-inch Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor is discounted right now at Amazon. As of April 15, this LG monitor has dropped to $749.99 at Amazon, a $250 discount from its list price of $999.99. What's even better is this deal marks its lowest-ever price.

This LG monitor's OLED display with QHD (3440 x 1440) resolution is sure to make the games you play really pop with vibrant colors, contrast, and clear details. It's a very responsive display as well, with a Dual Mode feature that lets you switch between QHD resolution at a 540Hz refresh rate or 1080p HD resolution at a 720Hz refresh rate by tapping a hotkey.

Add to that a 0.02ms response time and you'll be able to enjoy speedy, input lag-free performance in your favorite games. Plus, this LG monitor's display has five UL safety certifications for Anti-Glare, Flicker-Free, Low Blue Light, Reduced Blue Light, and Reduced Circadian Stimulating Blue Light, so it's nice and easy on the eyes.

Just be aware that the LG 27-inch Ultragear QHD OLED gaming monitor is currently marked as a limited time deal at Amazon. So if you're hoping to add it to your setup, act fast to take advantage of this great deal.

SAVE $600: As of April 15, the EcoVacs Deebot X11 robot vacuum is on sale for $899 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.

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Credit: EcoVacs

EcoVacs Deebot X11 Robot Vacuum

$899 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $600.99

 

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We can't ignore a great robot vacuum deal, especially one as good as this latest bargain on the EcoVacs Deebot X11. As of April 15, this model is down by $600, bringing the price down from $1,499.99 to $899. Not only is this a huge saving, but it's the best-ever price according to price tracker camelcamelcamel.

And this isn't just a robot vacuum, it's a mop too. But this doesn't mean more maintenance for you, quite the opposite. The mop system uses a high-density roller designed to improve scrubbing and reach closer to edges and corners. When it's done with cleaning, it returns to the dock where it handles mop cleaning with hot water, refilling the tank, and drying.

The same can be said for the vacuum. After combining its strong, 19,500Pa suction with an anti-tangle brush system to pick up dirt and pet hair, it can continue to store dirt in its bagless auto-emptying station.

It self navigates too, and uses a wheel system to move between rooms with small steps or thresholds. When on mixed surfaces, it can lift or adjust its mop and brushes automatically to avoid wetting carpets. Home mapping is handled through a combination of sensors and AI-based mapping, so you really have no work to do at all.

Pick up this robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $55: As of April 15, the Shokz OpenRun Pro headphones are on sale for $124.95 at Amazon. That's a 31% discount on the list price.

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Credit: SHOKZ

Shokz OpenRun Pro

$124.95 at Amazon
$179.95 Save $55.00

 

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If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your running headphones, now’s a good time to do it because the Shokz OpenRun Pro are $55 off at Amazon. This brings the price down from $179.95 to $124.95. You can choose between four colors: black, blue, pink, and beige.

Bone conduction headphones use a different approach to deliver sound while keeping you aware of what’s around you. Instead of playing audio through your ears, they send vibrations through your cheekbones straight to the inner ear. This means your ears stay open, so you can listen to music or podcasts and still hear what’s happening around you.

These are a comfortable set of open ear headphones, with a wraparound titanium frame that, despite being lightweight, is designed to stay secure during workouts. Sound is powered by Shokz’s bone conduction technology with enhanced bass and clarity, so you can expect great sound for all your playlists.

And the battery life is impressive too, promising to last up to 10 hours. S, for even your longest runs, you won't be left without sound.

You can find this Shokz deal at Amazon now. It's a limited-time deal, so don't miss out.

SAVE $20: As of April 15, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max is on sale for $39.99 at Amazon. That's 33% off the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Fire Stick 4K Max

$39.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $20

 

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If you’re looking for a powerful streaming device with extra space for downloads, the Amazon Fire Stick 4K Max is the product for you. It provides you with sharp 4K playback and comes with 16GB of storage, giving you room for more apps and games than usual. And as of April 15, it's on sale for $20 off at Amazon. Right now, you can take it home for just $39.99.

The Fire TV Stick 4K Max is a faster performing streaming stick, with a powerful processor for smooth navigation. It streams in 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio, so sound and image quality will seriously impress.

If you're a gamer, you'll be pleased to know it also supports cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass and Amazon Luna, allowing you to play games without a console when paired with a compatible controller. It also features Alexa voice control for searching content with voice commands.

Navigation of the device and your TV is controlled with the included remote. This has shortcut buttons for your favorite streaming platforms and controls for live TV.

Get this streaming deal online at Amazon now.

TL;DR: The Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones are down to $38 at Amazon and Walmart. That’s $31.99 off their $69.99 list price and the lowest price we’ve seen so far in 2026.

Where to buy Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones:

---

Best Amazon deal

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones

$38 at Amazon (save $31.99)

Shop Now

---

Best Walmart deal

Sony WH-CH520 Wireless Headphones

$38 at Walmart (save $31.99)

Shop Now

Sony's WH-CH520 headphones are among the best budget-friendly headphones you can buy, and both Amazon and Walmart are letting you save more than ever before in 2026.

As of April 15, you can grab the Sony WH-CH520 wireless headphones for $38 at Amazon and Walmart, down from $69.99. That knocks $31.99 off the usual price, which works out to a 46% discount — also the lowest price we’ve seen on Amazon this year via price tracker camelcamelcamel. Amazon currently has more colors to choose from, including cappuccino, black, blue, pink, white, and yellow, while Walmart appears to be limiting stock to the black model.

For the price, these headphones check off a lot of boxes that led to their high score in our Mashable review. You’re getting up to 50 hours of battery life, which is well beyond what you’d expect from a pair of sub-$40 headphones, plus a quick-charge feature that gives you up to 90 minutes of playback from just three minutes of charging. That makes them a particularly good pick for commuters, students, or anyone who regularly forgets to plug their tech in until the last second.

Sony also packs in a few extras that help these feel less bare-bones than the price would normally suggest There’s multipoint connectivity, so you can switch between two paired devices without a bunch of fiddling, as well as hands-free calling via the built-in microphone. If you like tweaking your audio, the Sony Headphones Connect app lets you customize the EQ to better suit whatever you’re listening to, and DSEE is onboard to help restore detail in compressed music files.

In the event you feel like really splashing out, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are available for only $248. As for other brands, you can also grab the Bose QuietComfort headphones for under $220.

TL;DR: Walmart has the Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box listed for $18.99, while Amazon sellers are starting at $23.66.

Where to buy the Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box:

---

Best Walmart deal

Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box

$18.99 at Walmart

Shop Now

---

Best TCGplayer deal

Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box

$23.34 at TCGplayer

Shop Now

---

Best Amazon deal

Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box

$23.66 at Amazon

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MTG’s Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion is one of the best ways to get into the trading card game, and now you can jump in for under $20.

As of April 15, Walmart has the Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Beginner Box listed for $18.99, down from $24.39. Over at Amazon, the lowest current third-party listing is $23.66. TCGplayer has listings as low as $23.34, with its market price also sitting at $23.34. That means Walmart is now nearly $5 under both Amazon’s lowest available price and TCGplayer’s market value. 

The Beginner Box is built as a perfect learn-to-play entry point to Magic: The Gathering, with two 20-card tutorial decks themed around Aang and Zuko, plus eight additional 20-card themed half-decks that can be mixed together into full 40-card decks. It also comes with two playmats or playboards, two Spindown life counters, two learn-to-play guides, five double-sided tokens, and a rules reference booklet. 

Crafted for two people in mind, you can use this to either have a friendly MTG player help show you the ropes (or vice versa), or learn together at the same time. 

You can still grab the Magic: The Gathering Avatar The Last Airbender Play Booster Box for around $120. Elsewhere, the Lorwyn Eclipsed Play Booster Box is available to buy for under $110. 

TL;DR: Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle listed for $59.95, while Amazon sellers are starting at $67.99.

Where to buy the Pokemon TCG Scarlet and Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle:

---

Best Amazon Deal

Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle

$67.99 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Best Walmart Deal

Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle

$59.95 at Walmart

Shop Now

---

Best TCGplayer deal

Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle

$69.48 at TCGplayer

Shop Now

Ascended Heroes has been taking off in price and Perfect Order has been dipping, but what about other Pokémon TCG expansions like Destined Rivals?

As of April 15, Walmart has the Pokémon TCG Scarlet and Violet Destined Rivals Booster Bundle marked down to $59.95, down from $69.94. Amazon's third-party listings are currently starting at $67.99 with free shipping, while TCGplayer shows a $67.11 market price for the bundle. The cheapest unopened booster bundle at TCGplayer is currently at $69.48.

Like with the recent price drop on the 36-pack Perfect Order Display Box, that leaves Walmart with the best price by a pretty comfortable margin.

At Walmart’s current listing, the six-pack bundle works out to about $9.99 per booster pack. Compare that with Amazon’s $67.99 starting price, which comes to roughly $11.33 per pack, and the savings start to look a lot more tempting.

For those who’ve been out of the trading card game scene for a while, Destined Rivals is themed around Team Rocket and various well-known Trainers throughout the franchise. The expansion features high-value chase cards like Cynthia’s Garchomp ex, Ethan’s Ho-Oh ex, Arven’s Mabosstiff ex, along with the coveted Team Rocket Mewtwo ex. Each of the six booster packs in the Destined Rivals Booster Bundle contains 10 cards and one Basic Energy.

Among other six-pack bundles you can buy right now, the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Booster Bundle is now available for under $40. The Perfect Perfect Order Build and Battle Box — containing four boosters, a promo card, and a pre-built 40-card deck — can be bought for as low as $35.80 at TCGplayer.

The Mini is a bite-sized version of The New York Times' revered daily crossword. While the crossword is a lengthier experience that requires both knowledge and patience to complete, The Mini is an entirely different vibe.

With only a handful of clues to answer, the daily puzzle doubles as a speed-running test for many who play it.

So, when a tricky clue disrupts a player's flow, it can be frustrating! If you find yourself stumped playing The Mini — much like with Wordle and Connections — we have you covered.

Here are the clues and answers to NYT's The Mini for Wednesday, April 15, 2026:

Across

Fabric used for casino tables

• The answer is Felt.

Pulling the ___ (outdated idiom for voting)

• The answer is Level.

Togetherness

• The answer is Unity.

Many emails with urgent, all-caps requests

• The answer is Scams.

Basic belief

• The answer is Tent.

Down

What you might be "on" when you're undecided

• The answer is Fence.

Bottled water brand

• The answer is Evian.

"Here, I can do it"

• The answer is Let me.

Romantic rendezvous

• The answer is Tryst.

What might lead to a romantic rendezvous

• The answer is Lust.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Mini Crossword.

To skip down to a certain product category in this recycling guide, use the table of contents dropdown at the top of this story.

When you really think about it, life is just a constant cycle of acquiring new stuff and figuring out what to do with the old stuff. And when there's little straightforward guidance on how to properly get rid of the old stuff, it quickly turns into clutter — or trash.

Most of us have been conditioned to recycle things like aluminum cans and cardboard boxes. But past those traditional curbside recyclables, other everyday items like batteries, beauty empties, toys, and even clothes can feel impossible to get rid of sustainably. Is throwing them away the only option?

All of those everyday items can actually be recycled. It just requires some research and an extra step or two. But I've already done the first part for you, and compiled everything into a straightforward "how to" recycling guide.

Why does it feel like nothing is recyclable?

Perhaps you've Googled "how to recycle insert item here" just to be given some vague instructions like "Check locally." If you did check locally, you probably learned that most municipal recycling programs max out at trash-like recyclables. This isn't because recycling everything else is impossible on a technical level — it often just costs more than most local authorities feel like covering.

But that doesn't mean the items not mentioned in your county's recycling PDF have to be thrown away or forced upon an overflowing thrift store. Straightforward recycling options do exist for famously tricky product categories, like skincare, cleaning supplies, electronics, and the other junk you've crammed under the bed or in that one drawer.

Most involve easy (and free) mail-in programs or quick drop-offs at chain stores — much more reliable methods than plopping junk in the recycling bin and hoping the recycling fairy whisks it away to the right place.

That's called wishcycling, but you're out of that phase of your life now. Because below, I'm breaking down how and where to recycle all of those famously hard-to-recycle items.

How to recycle electronics

As is the case with plastic pollution, a good chunk of e-waste (the umbrella term for improperly discarded electronic devices and the toxins they leak into the ground) comes from big tech corporations. But as a species that has treated our personal devices as extra limbs for almost two decades, it's also our individual responsibility to deal with our old gadgets in the most sustainable way possible.

To be fair, people aren't exactly given clear instructions on how or where to safely recycle old devices. A CNET survey found that over 30 percent of U.S. adults hold onto old phones, tablets, and chargers simply because they don't know what to do with them. So here's your crash course.

How to recycle cellphones, laptops, TVs, and more tech

You're probably aware of the trade-in promos that your smartphone carrier offers. Similar incentives exist for devices like iPads and tablets. But even if the device in question isn't exactly in trade-in or sell-on-Mercari condition, there are still super accessible ways to recycle the gadget without smashing it for parts.

Best Buy and Staples have robust in-store recycling programs for everyday e-waste. Both stores can recycle the following tech products and accessories for you:

• Laptops and monitors

• Keyboards and mice

• Cellphones and landline phones

• Chargers, cables, and dongles

• Headphones (wireless or wired) and speakers

• Hard drives

• Surge protectors

• Routers and modems

• Printers, plus ink and toner cartridges

• Gaming consoles and controllers

• Digital cameras and camcorders

• Car GPS devices and dash cameras

• Calculators

Stores may limit the number of items in a certain category that one household can recycle per day — don't just dump years' worth of junk drawer tech into a few cardboard boxes and drop them off.

Once received, recyclers disassemble the tech to pull out and properly get rid of ozone-depleting chemicals like PCBs, mercury, and insulation, then separate materials like plastic, glass, and metal to be repurposed when possible.

Samsung has its own e-cycling drop-off centers, often located at Best Buy and Staples, and sometimes even at your local solid waste authority. Apple offers its own recycling program for old Apple devices and chargers, and you can even get a prepaid shipping label.

Where Staples and Best Buy's lists differ

Tech products that are strictly recyclable at Staples include discs like CDs and DVDs and phone cases. Tech products that are strictly recyclable at Best Buy include TVs 50 inches or smaller, drones, and some small appliances like fans and heaters (scroll down for a deeper dive into that list). You can also pay Best Buy to come haul away larger items, like TVs over 50 inches, an old fridge, or a treadmill.

How to recycle batteries

Old batteries can be recycled for free at stores like The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Staples through a partnership with call2recycle. Head to the website and enter your zip code to find the closest drop-off location to you. Note that not all participating locations accept every type of battery, so be sure to check the box of the battery type you've been collecting (i.e., lithium vs. rechargeable).

If no collection boxes are popping up in a practical distance, call2recycle also has a mail-in battery recycling program — though at $80 for the smallest battery and cellphone recycling kit, it's not exactly the cheapest route.

How to recycle clothes and shoes

If you take one thing from this recycling guide, let it be this: Goodwill is not a bottomless pit, or a one-size-fits-all solution to get rid of clutter fast. Instead of forcing more stuff upon stores with no hangers to spare, there are more thoughtful ways to clean out your closet.

If the garments are in decent enough condition, consider trying to sell your stuff online. It requires a bit of extra time than dropping off a garbage bag, but it ensures each piece is going to someone who specifically searched for it. The secondhand apparel market is going to pop off in 2026 even more than it already did in 2025, according to ThredUp's latest sale report — so now is definitely a good time to get into resale apps.

You don't need a ton of followers or an inventory of vintage holy grails to get eyes on your items on Depop, Mercari, or Poshmark. Just take well-lit, clear photos of items that aren't covered in pet hair, write a detailed and honest description, and add a reasonable price.

If you don't feel like reselling, a mail-in donation option could be easy. Give Back Box is a non-profit that partners with a slew of small charities from which you can choose to send your items, depending on what they need (i.e., kids' shoes or gently used women's clothes). Once you find a good fit, Give Back Box will just ask for $20 to cover the pre-addressed shipping label and the weight of the box. Pack your items in any random box you were going to recycle anyway, and send it off.

Is your pile of doom riddled with clothes that are too worn to donate? Viral sustainable clothing brand Girlfriend Collective works with SuperCircle (a growing textile recycling platform) to facilitate ReGirlfriend: an amazingly easy mail-in garment recycling program. Shipping labels are free, and you can pack multiple pieces in each bag, regardless of brand. As a "thank you" for not contributing to the pile of textiles in landfills, Girlfriend offers credits to girlfriend.com. Trashie is another clothing recycling program where you fill a Take Back Bag and mail it back — you'll get rewards to shop at partnering brands.

How to recycle vacuums and other appliances

Your local Goodwill actually is not home to a fleet of magic-working repairpeople who know how to revive every busted gadget manufactured in the past few decades. Instead of trying to donate rusty, sticky, straight-up broken appliances, see if Best Buy's in-store recycling program can take them off your hands. Fans, robot vacuums, upright and canister vacuums, personal heaters, and pod-only coffee makers are a few of the appliances that Best Buy can recycle for free. There's a limit of three per household per day.

For a $199.99 haul-away fee, Best Buy can pick up larger appliances like refrigerators, air conditioners, microwaves, dishwashers, washing machines and dryers, ovens and ranges, and ice makers for recycling.

Black+Decker kitchen appliances and home cleaning products can be recycled for free through TerraCycle.

If you're not ditching the appliance for a functional reason, perhaps it'd be a good contender for Facebook Marketplace or resale apps. Gently used countertop appliances like air fryers and blenders are popular on Mercari. It's OK if it's old, too: Vintage collectors would be overjoyed to come across a listing for your grandma's vintage yellow hand mixer, as long as it's not dilapidated.

How to recycle cleaning supplies and more household junk or trash

Food wrappers, cleaning supplies, and other packaging

The concept of disposable plastic household items seemed like the most genius idea ever in the 1950s. Guess what? Virtually all of the plastic products thrown away since then are still decomposing in landfills today.

And we're adding to the problem every single day. Swiffer pads come to mind when I think about the dire disposables situation. They're super convenient, but they're not recyclable through the standard plastic or paper system. For all of those everyday household items that we mindlessly trash, more people need to know about TerraCycle's free mail-in recycling programs.

These give consumers a rare, yet easy way to recycle everyday "trash" items from big household brands — items that most local recycling authorities don't accept in the regular bins.

Participating brands include Swiffer, Tide and Downy, Pop-Sockets, Arm + Hammer, and Mr. Clean. You can recycle air fresheners or scented plug-in products from any brand for free via Febreze's TerraCycle program. Some food and snack brands are also on the list: Collect wrappers and bags from Babybel, Gatorade, Kroger brands, and Takis. Plastic drink pouches from any brand can be recycled for free through Honest Kids' program, and sauce packets from any brand can be recycled for free through Taco Bell's program.

It's not cheap, but you can recycle nearly anything with TerraCycle's All-In-One Zero Waste Box. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

All of these items can be recycled for free by mailing them to TerraCycle. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The idea is to collect enough from each brand's program to fill up a box that you can then mail back to TerraCycle. (Some programs have a weight minimum, but it could be as little as three pounds.) The cost of the shipping labels is covered by the brands themselves, who also fund the tricky sorting process required to recycle their products.

Coffee pods

Nespresso has a ton of drop-off points across the country to recycle pods. You can also request free pre-labeled recycling bags on Nespresso's website to fill and eventually mail back to Nespresso. (Each mailer can hold up to 200 Original Line pods or 100 Vertuo pods.)

Keurig has a similar setup, but it's not free — and Keurig only describes the program through the lens of office use (like "use the small box in offers that brew 24 K-Cups or less in day") with no mention of keeping a box at home in a Keurig-heavy household.

Water filters

Your collection of used Brita filters and old filter pitches themselves can be mailed to TerraCycle for free recycling.

ZeroWater filters can be properly discarded with a mail-back recycling program as well, but you'll have to cover shipping up front. Fill out the recycling form ahead of sending your used filters back to the address provided. You'll then receive a $20 coupon for your next round of replacement refills. It's a more convoluted process than Brita's, but if it's the difference between drinking microplastics, I'll do it Zerowater's way.

Old writing utensils

Drop off pens, markers, and mechanical pencils at Staples to be recycled for free.

How to recycle beauty empties and bathroom stuff

Makeup and skincare

The majority of beauty brands are way too comfortable using packaging that looks recyclable, while conveniently forgetting to tell consumers that it's not. Many skincare bottles that feel like glass aren't the same easy type of glass as a beer bottle or jelly jar, and many plastic containers and plastic pumps are actually a peculiar type of mixed plastic that doesn't fall under the number system used to sort at recycling plants.

For beauty empties with a non-accepted number or no number at all, beauty-centric take-back programs are the move. Both Ulta and Sephora have partnered with Pact Collective to offer recycling bins for your empties in a ton of stores across the country. Nordstrom has a partnership with TerraCycle, offering a similar in-store drop-off option for beauty packaging.

My bag of beauty empties was so full, I had to take this Pact bin's lid off. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Project Beauty Share is one great option for giving opened skincare products a new home, as long as they're not expired. Accepted gently-used beauty items include moisturizers and serums, cleansers, body lotions, shower gels, perfumes, and sunscreens. Squeeze tubes of foundation or primer and pressed eyeshadow, blush, and highlighter are accepted if they're open but only barely used.

Hair tools

Beauty brand Mane partners with Pact Collective to take your unwanted hot hair tools, whether they work or not. Hair tools in good working condition will be properly sanitized and shipped off to be distributed to young women through Project Glimmer, an organization dedicated to helping end gender and racial inequality for women and girls. Hair tools that don't work will be taken apart and processed for proper recycling. Labels are prepaid by Mane, as long as you use your own box.

Toothbrushes

National Geographic clocks around one billion plastic toothbrushes ending up in landfills annually, and toothpaste tubes are a similar story. If you use Colgate, Arm & Hammer, or Tom's of Maine products, there's a free mail-in TerraCycle program for that. Old toothbrushes, electric toothbrush replacement heads, mouthwash bottles, used flossers, and toothpaste tubes from Crest, Oral-B, or Fixodent can be recycled by mail via TerraCycle or Oral-B's direct recycling program.

Razors

Sure, most disposable razor handles are plastic, and razor blades are metal. Both materials are technically recyclable separately, but mixed materials like that bar disposable razors from being curbside recyclable. Luckily, TerraCycle has a free recycling program for common shaving brands like Gillette and Venus, from handles to blades to the bags the replacements come in. If people caught on to collecting their dull razors for eventual recycling, just think of the dent we'd put into the estimated two billion disposable razors thrown out each year.

How to recycle toys

Like everything else on this list, getting rid of toys isn't as easy as tossing them in the regular recycling bin — no matter how perfectly plastic they feel.

Hasbro, VTech and Leapfrog, and Spin Master all have free mail-in recycling programs through TerraCycle. TerraCycle's recyclers will ensure that toys and games are broken down and properly sorted for recycling of different parts and materials. If a toy's condition wouldn't be up to your gifting standards for a friend or family member's kid, it's better off being recycled than donated.

Lego bricks can be recycled for free via Lego Replay. Pack up Lego System Bricks, Duplo and Technic bricks, minifigures, baseplates, tires, rims, and axles, download a free shipping label, and send it off.

Yard sales aren't the only way to make a few bucks off of gently-used toys. Toys are consistently a top-selling category on Mercari — if you're not sure if a brand or model is in demand, just do a quick search to see what listings are out there (Pokémon, Barbies, and toys from the '90s are usually safe bets.) There's a surprisingly bumpin' market for spare game pieces sold by themselves, like replacement Monopoly tokens or Sorry! pawns.

Wired earbuds used to be a staple with a new phone. Apple stopped including wired earbuds with iPhones as of 2020, citing environmental benefits. That means you have to do your own research to find the best pair of wired earbuds. Things to consider include what input your phone has: Do you have USB-C, or are you stuck in the past with a Lightning or aux cable? And, do you take calls when wearing earbuds? If so, you'll need a mic.

Plus, the best wired earbuds brands might not be the same you'll find in our guides to the best headphones or best earbuds. We're looking to old-school favorites (hello, Skullcandy!) to find affordable, comfortable, and great-sounding earbuds. Luckily, we have great models for every budget. But don't fear — the wired earbuds on this list are all $60 or under.

These are the best wired earbuds of 2026.

Other wired earbuds we tested

In testing wired earbuds, I learned there are plenty of great options out there. The four earbuds on this list are our favorites, but we also tested other options. We tested another set of Skullcandy earbuds and options from JLab and Sony, too.

The Skullcandy Set are still a great pair of earbuds, but we prefer the Skullycandy Jib earbuds. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Sony IER-EX15C earbuds have high quality sound but unruly cords, which tangle easily. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

JLab's JBuds Pro are a decent option, especially if you need a lightning cable. Unfortunately, the fit was off, and if the cord moved at all while in use, the sound reverberated loudly in my ears. The Sony IER-EX15C were another great pair of USB-C earbuds, but the cord is too thin and long, which is a pain to wear and makes them tangle too easily. Skullcandy's Set earbuds nearly made the list as a mid-tier option, but they couldn't beat the Jib's great fit and overall value.

TL;DR: Be super productive from anywhere with this Lenovo ThinkPad, on sale now for just $299.99 (reg. $1,299.99).

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Credit: Lenovo

Lenovo ThinkPad 14-Inch 2022 (Certified Refurbished)

$299.99
$1,299.99 Save $1,000

 

Get Deal

Looking for a laptop that won’t weigh you down? While it sometimes feels like you have to sacrifice power for portability, the Lenovo ThinkPad 14″ marries both flawlessly. And while it would usually set you back $1,299.99, if you act fast, you can snag one for just $299.99.

When it comes to business, not all laptops are created equal. So if you’re looking for one that helps you get things done, the Lenovo ThinkPad fits the bill.

An Intel Core i7 processor delivers fast, reliable performance, while 16GB of RAM lets you run multiple apps at once. A 512GB SSD also lets you easily store important files right on the device.

Intel Iris Xe Graphics deliver clear, smooth visuals for work tasks and for when you want to take a break and catch up on your favorite shows. There’s an integrated webcam and microphone available when you need to hop on a Zoom call or video chat with friends and family.

You can tackle a full work day with the battery’s 10-hour life on a single charge. You can also easily connect via USB-C, USB 3.0, HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.0.

You’re saving $1,000 on this device thanks to its Grade A refurbished rating. That means it will arrive in near-mint condition, with minimal to zero scuffing, while you get a deep discount.

Grabbing this deal? Score a Microsoft Office 2021 license for free when you apply a code at checkout through 4/19: GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows). 

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Bring the party with you wherever you go with this ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector with Bluetooth, Speakers, and Microphone, now only $67.99 (reg. $84.99).

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Credit: ION Audio

ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector with Bluetooth, Speakers & Microphone

$67.99
$84.99 Save $17

 

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The weather is warming up, and if you’re looking for a fun way to pass the time outside, look no further than the ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector with Bluetooth, Speakers, and Microphone. This device lets you bring entertainment wherever you go, and right now it’s just $67.99.

Whether you’re planning on hosting movie nights in the backyard or you want to get a gaming marathon going in the basement, the ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector is ready to help you bring the fun. Its Plug-and-Play setup makes it easy to get going anytime.

This projector provides a portable 720p HD display with 1280 x 720 resolution on demand, so you’ll enjoy entertainment anywhere with clear visuals and powerful audio. Pretend you’re at the drive-in with 100 ANSI lumens of brightness and adjustable projection that goes up to 150 inches.

You don’t need to worry about bringing speakers, too — the ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector has a built-in 70W stereo sound system with Bluetooth, HDMI, USB, and AUX input options. Dual mic inputs also make it easy to fit in some karaoke, too.

A full charge on the rechargeable battery gives you up to two hours of video playback or 100 hours of music.

Liven up your days and nights with this ION Portable HD Outdoor Projector with Bluetooth, Speakers, and Microphone, now only $67.99 (reg. $84.99).

Grabbing this deal? Build your cart to $100+ and score a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2021 free with code GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows) through 4/19.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

YouTube is the go-to platform for vloggers, content creators, musicians, and anyone who loves to share their life through the art of video.

The most-followed channels on the platform have amassed huge subscriber counts, well into the millions, showing just how many of us enjoy sitting back and relaxing with a good YouTube video. From celebs to entertainment giants, influencers to creators, these channels dominate YouTube with viral videos and their dedicated fan bases.

But have you ever wondered who holds the acclaim of top spot for the most subscribed channel? Wonder no more, here are the 10 YouTube channels with the most subscribers, according to Social Blade.

1. Mr Beast - 477 million subscribers

MrBeast’s YouTube channel is known for its over-the-top challenges, massive cash giveaways, philanthropy, and jaw-dropping stunts, making it one of the platform’s biggest and most influential channels.

2. T-Series - 311 million subscribers

T-Series is India's largest Music Label & Movie Studio, and the YouTube channel features a vast collection of Bollywood music videos, movie trailers, and songs.

3. Cocomelon - Nursery Rhymes - 200 million subscribers

Cocomelon Nursery Rhymes' YouTube channel is a favorite among parents, featuring colorful, educational animations and catchy songs for young children. Engaging colors and fun storytelling aim to help toddlers learn letters, numbers, and life lessons.

4. YouTube Movies - 197 million subscribers

The YouTube Movies channel is the go-to spot for renting and streaming new movie releases, shorts and trailers. You can choose between renting, buying, or watching select titles for free with ads.

5. SET India - 189 million subscribers

SET India’s YouTube channel offers full episodes, clips, and promos from Sony Entertainment Television’s popular Indian shows. Featuring drama series, reality shows, crime thrillers, and comedy programs.

6. Vlad and Niki - 149 million subscribers

Vlad and Niki’s YouTube channel is a popular kids’ channel full of imaginative playtime adventures, toy reviews, and family-friendly challenges. The channel tells the stories of two brothers through educational content and exciting adventures.

7. Stokes Twins - 139 million subscribers

The Stokes Twins' YouTube channel features a mix of pranks, challenges, comedic skits, and vlogs. Run by Alex and Alan Stokes, the pair have become known for their stunts and antics.

8. Kids Diana Show - 138 million subscribers

Kids Diana Show’s YouTube channel features fun, colorful videos of young Diana playing imaginative games, reviewing toys, and other family-friendly adventures. This channel focuses on storytelling, games, and learning.

9. Like Nastya - 132 million subscribers

Like Nastya's YouTube channel is another family-friendly account that follows the exciting adventures of a young girl named Nastya. Videos include fun toy reviews, imaginative games, and educational content.

10. 김프로KIMPRO - 131 million subscribers

김프로KIMPRO is run by cousins Kim Dong‑joon and Yu Baek‑hap. Their channel features both videos and shorts. The content varies from cooking and mukbang videos to challenges and everyday scenarios.

TL;DR: Score a free iPhone 17e when signing up for a T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required. Alternatively, you can get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing up for an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible device.

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Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free

 

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In the mobile world, the word "free" is usually followed by a list of caveats that make you wish you never started looking for a deal. You usually need to sign up for the most expensive plan or trade-in a premium phone to get your hands on what you really want. But that's not the case with the latest T-Mobile offer.

T-Mobile is offering a rare deal on the newly-released Apple iPhone 17e. For a limited time, you can pick up this A19-powered device for free by simply opening a new line.

You’ll need to activate a new line on T-Mobile’s Experience Beyond or Experience More plans to get the iPhone 17e for free. The phone’s full retail price is covered via 24 monthly bill credits, and since you aren't trading in your old phone, you can keep it as a backup, give it to a kid, or sell it on a third-party site to actually make money on this deal.

If you need something a little more powerful, you can also pick up the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when signing on for 24 months of an Experience More plan and trading in an eligible phone. That gets you unthrottled 5G data, 4K streaming, and enough international roaming for even the most adventurous of travellers.

Mashable's Stan Shroeder got his hands on the iPhone 17e and said "The combination of having Apple's latest chip and a decent amount of storage means this phone will be relevant for at least four to five years." That's an impressive lifespan for a budget-friendly phone, particularly when it's free.

It's important to note that T-Mobile will charge taxes on these free deals and a $35 device connection fee. Is this really "free" when you need to sign up to something or pay an upfront fee? It's a gray area — we're doing our best, OK?

Score an iPhone 17 for free this week with T-Mobile.

FREE BOOKS: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on April 15-18. Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering books in a variety of genres for Kindle and Kobo.

A lot has been said about Kindle in the last week or so, and we've tried our best to make sense of the situation. We're not going to get into the weeds of why "BookTokers, Bookstagramers, and the most passionate Kindle users across the internet are fuming this week," because another Stuff Your Kindle Day is live right now.

Stuff Your E-Reader, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering participants the chance to download books from a variety of genres without spending anything. Everything that you download is yours to keep forever, and unlike a lot of these giveaways, Kindle and Kobo readers can stock up during this limited-time event.

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Stuff Your E-Reader takes place on April 15-18. A lot of these free giveaways only last 24 hours, so it's refreshing to have so much time to consider your options. You can relax and make a plan without stressing about missing the deadline.

Which ebooks are free?

Stuff Your E-Reader is an all-genre book blast for Kindle and Kobo readers. Stuff Your Kindle Days usually focus on a particular genre, which can exclude large portions of the reading world who might not be interested in downloading hundreds of romance titles. This event is truly for everyone.

The Indie Author Collective has launched a hub page for this event, with filters for promotions, genre, and representation. Check out everything on offer here.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal

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Credit: Amazon

Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months)

$109.99 at Amazon

 

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Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.

OpenAI has unveiled GPT-5.4-Cyber, a new AI model that may be willing to accept seemingly malicious prompts in the name of cybersecurity. Fortunately, the ChatGPT developer won't let just anyone play with its less restrictive, more freewheeling AI.

Announced via a blog post on Tuesday, GPT-5.4-Cyber is a variant of OpenAI's publicly available GPT-5.4 large language model. According to OpenAI, its frontier AI models such as GPT-5.4 have safeguards against clearly malicious use, making them refuse harmful user requests such as stealing credentials or finding vulnerabilities in code. In contrast, the company's new GPT-5.4-Cyber model is trained to be more lenient, and potentially accept these prompts instead. 

Describing GPT-5.4-Cyber as "cyber-permissive," OpenAI states that this change is to allow the AI to be used for defensive cybersecurity measures, such as helping researchers find vulnerabilities to be addressed.

"We want to empower defenders by giving broad access to frontier capabilities, including models which have been tailor-made for cybersecurity," wrote OpenAI. "This is a version of GPT‑5.4 which lowers the refusal boundary for legitimate cybersecurity work and enables new capabilities for advanced defensive workflows."

Given the potential danger posed by GPT-5.4-Cyber's lowered safeguards, not everyone will be able to immediately dive in to push the AI's arguably flexible ethical limits even further. OpenAI states that it is starting with "limited, iterative deployment to vetted security vendors, organizations, and researchers." As such, only members of its Trusted Access for Cyber⁠ (TAC) program will be given access to GPT-5.4-Cyber at present, and only those at its highest tiers. 

Introduced in February, TAC is a network of users who have been through OpenAI's automated identity verification process, including completing a government ID check. Once approved, users in OpenAI's TAC program are allowed access to versions of its AI models with fewer safeguards, such as GPT‑5.4‑Cyber. OpenAI states that this is intended to enable cybersecurity research, education, and programming. 

Not every TAC-approved user will immediately get their hands on GPT-5.4-Cyber, however. OpenAI states that users who aren't already part of TAC's higher tiers may request access to it, which will require going through further authentication to verify themselves as "legitimate cyber defenders." 

GPT-5.4-Cyber's reveal comes just one week after OpenAI competitor Anthropic announced Project Glasswing. Like TAC, Project Glasswing is an initiative that restricts Anthropic's cybersecurity-focused Claude Mythos Preview AI model to select approved organisations. Claiming that Claude Mythos Preview "has already found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities," Anthropic stated that Project Glasswing was an effort to ensure its AI model was used for solely defensive cybersecurity purposes.

"Given the rate of AI progress, it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who are committed to deploying them safely," Anthropic wrote.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

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If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Merry.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

JOLLY

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Cowardly.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

WIMPY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Sheared.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

SHORN

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To cut off.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

SEVER

Final Hurdle hint

To fasten.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

BELAY

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The New Moon is just around the corner, and over the next few nights the Moon will be almost invisible. For keen Moon gazers, this means less, if anything, to spot on its surface. Keep reading to see what's happening tonight.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Wednesday, April 15, the Moon phase is Waning Crescent. Tonight, 7% of the moon will be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Despite still some Moon on display, the percentage illuminated it too low to be able to spot any features on its surface.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon is predicted to take place on May 1, the first of two in May.

What are Moon phases?

NASA explains that the Moon takes around 29.5 days to complete a full orbit around Earth, moving through eight distinct phases in the process. Although we always see the same side of the Moon, the portion lit by the Sun changes as it travels, creating the familiar cycle of full, partial, and crescent shapes. These changing views are known as the lunar phases, and there are eight:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will test your knowledge of multiple sports. If you love both professional and amateur competitions, then you'll have an easier time of it.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Keeping score

• Green: Mascots

• Blue: Ball knowledge

• Purple: A winter sport

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: MLB Teams, on Scoreboards

• Green: Tigers

• Blue: Members of the Los Angeles Lakers

• Purple: Curling Terms

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #569 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• MLB Teams, on Scoreboards — CIN, MIL, PIT, STL

• Tigers — CLEMSON, DETROIT, LSU, MEMPHIS

• Members of the Los Angeles Lakers — DONCIC, JAMES, SMART, VANDERBILT

• Curling Terms — BONSPIEL, END, HOUSE, STONE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalogue.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

Easy difficulty hints, answers for April 15 Pips

Less Than (2): The domino half in this yellow space must have less than 2 pips. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally.

Equal (1): Every domino half in this purple space must have 1 pip. The answer is 1-1, placed horizontally; 1-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Every domino half in this red space must have 2 pips. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 2-3, placed vertically.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (4): Everything in this green space must add up to be more than 4. The answer is 0-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this dark blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 3-3, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for April 15 Pips

Equal (5): Every domino half in this red space must have 5 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): The domino half in this purple space must have less than 1 pip. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 4 pips. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): The domino half in this yellow space must have 3 pips. The answer is 5-3, placed vertically.

Number (3): The domino half in this dark blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 4-3, placed vertically.

Number (2): The domino half in this green space must have 2 pips. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Does Not Equal: Every domino half in this purple space must have a different number of pips. The answer is 2-3, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): The domino half in this red space must have more than 5 pips. The answer is 1-6, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for April 15 Pips

Equal (4): Every domino half in this purple space must have 4 pips. The answer is 4-4, placed vertically; 4-1, placed horizontally; 4-0, placed vertically; and 4-5, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this red space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-1, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed horizontally.

Number (23): Everything in this light blue space must add up to 23. The answer is 3-5, placed horizontally; 6-6, placed vertically; and 6-5, placed vertically.

Less Than (5): The domino half in this yellow space must have less than 5 pips. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this dark blue space must have 5 pips. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Every domino half in this green space must have 5 pips. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-1, placed vertically; and 6-5, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this purple space must add up to 4. The answer is 0-3, placed vertically; 1-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Every domino half in this light blue space must have 3 pips. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally; 3-2, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this red space must add up to 7. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 3-2, placed horizontally; and 2-2, placed vertically.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you love game nights.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

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Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Commencement accessories

• Green: A task

• Blue: Easy peasy

• Purple: Board game parts

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Graduation gear

• Green: Tedious undertaking

• Blue: Oversimplistic

• Purple: Shapes of chess pieces

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1039 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Graduation gear: CAP, DIPLOMA, GOWN, TASSEL

• Tedious undertaking: CHORE, GRIND, HASSLE, TRIAL

• Oversimplistic: FACILE, FLIP, SHALLOW, TRITE

• Shapes of chess pieces: CASTLE, CROWN, HORSE, MITER

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're a jewelry lover.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Gift of the month

The words are related to jewels.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe monthly gems.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Birthstone.

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NYT Strands word list for April 15

• Topaz

• Opal

• Turquoise

• Birthstone

• Diamond

• Garnet

• Perdiot

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you like to get ahead.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Started.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter B.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

BEGUN

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

The Dark Wizard starts with a dream about falling.

Dean Potter, once one of the most famous climbers in the world, sits talking to the camera about the same recurring dream he's had since he was a child.

"When I was a little boy my first memory was this dream of falling," Potter says. "I always wondered as I got older, you know if it was some premonition of me falling to my death. But I just feel it so strongly — needing to go towards that unknown and that fear."

The dream is mentioned again and again throughout Peter Mortimer and Nick Rosen's four-part HBO docuseries. It's both an inciting incident for Potter's obsession with pushing the envelope and part of the mystery surrounding his character.

The Dark Wizard does an engaging — and often highly stress-inducing — job of exploring this mystery, from Potter's childhood and rise in the climbing world to his persistent struggles with mental health, in unflinching detail.

What's The Dark Wizard about?

Credit: HBO

Over four episodes, the docuseries focuses on the life, achievements and complex personality of Dean Potter, a rock climber who branched out into — and often devised — a number of high-risk extreme sports. Roughly working through his life in chronological order, the series combines climbing footage, animated journal entries, and interviews with Potter's friends, contemporaries, rivals, and partner Jen Rapp, offering an insight into a man who seemed equal parts driven and haunted.

Potter's life, in short, revolved around risking it. We see him breaking the speed record for 3000-foot ascents of Yosemite's El Capitan, free soloing (climbing without a rope) various never-before-conquered routes in Yosemite, freeBASEing (a method pioneered by Potter in which he climbs ropeless while wearing a backup parachute) on the Eiger, walking barefoot across ropes strung between two high ledges, and proximity flying with a wingsuit (a form of BASE jumping which uses a modified suit to enable gliding through the air).

The documentary is filled with extreme sports, in other words, but to call it an extreme sports documentary would be doing it a disservice. As the title suggests, The Dark Wizard is really a portrait of the man at its centre — a humanising psychological study of a near mythic figure.

The Dark Wizard almost acts as a prequel to Free Solo

Given that free soloing in Yosemite was a big focus of Potter's, it's unsurprising that Alex Honnold — the climber famous for the first ever free solo ascent of El Capitan, who recently found additional fame soloing Tapei 101 live on Netflix — makes an appearance. What's more interesting is just how much of an impact the two clearly had on one another.

The rivalry between Potter and Honnold is unpacked in the documentary through Potter's friends and Honnold himself, who speaks with his familiar blunt honesty about how he systematically ticked off Potter's achievements in Yosemite before setting his sights on beating Potter's own personal lists of goals (his 2008 free solo of Half Dome being one of the most notable).

As well as being a tense insight into competition between two athletes at the top of their game, these sections of the docuseries serve to illustrate a key aspect of Potter's personality: the struggle between doing something for the love of it and his own ego.

The Dark Wizard is an extremely stressful watch

Credit: HBO

The Dark Wizard does an impressive job of showing Potter's internal conflicts. He wants to do things for the art and spirituality, but his competitiveness leads to him taking bigger and bigger risks; he wants to live a free life without anyone controlling him, but he's also being offered sponsorship and large financial deals.

One particularly stress-inducing episode sees Potter travelling to China to complete a highline walk — balancing on a thin rope between two peaks — live on state media TV, for a payment of $200,000. The buildup is almost as hard to watch as the act itself. Potter argues with the people involved through his translator, demands that they don't use a safety net, and then repeatedly falls from the rope in practise runs leading up to the live broadcast. He crashes out at those closest to him and withdraws into himself completely. On the big day, when he somehow manages to make it across the line while millions of people watch, he breaks down on the far side.

This pattern — a tense buildup to a high-risk act that Potter feels pressured to complete — taps into the theme at the heart of The Dark Wizard: mental health.

The documentary is a powerful exploration of mental illness

It's clear from the series that Potter suffered with serious depression.

"It was always a struggle with his mind," Potter's friend Brad Lynch, who documented some of his most famous climbs, says early on in the first episode. "Even when I first met him he would get in his head. Like, really down. And there would be times that we'd sit together and have more than a few beers or whatever...we would literally just sit there and just cry. Like fucking weep. Both of us were just like, what is it that's stirring this shit in my head?"

As Lynch is talking, we see Potter's journal entries come to life. "I need to quiet my mind," reads one. "Find clarity through emptiness."

Later, in one of the most important lines in the documentary, Lynch sums up what he believes Potter is doing whenever he takes extreme risks: "I started to realise his only therapy was the death consequence."

Risking his life, the documentary suggests, is a kind of coping mechanism for Potter.

"When I'm leashless, out on the line or on the rock, free solo, I need total concentration or I'll die," we hear him say in an old interview. "Somehow, when my life's on the line, it brings my senses to a heightened state of calmness and clarity. It's the most powerful feeling I've ever experienced."

This level of depth is what makes The Dark Wizard such a powerful series. Yes, there's breath-taking footage of the many awe-inspiring acts that made Potter famous. But rather than purely mythologising him, the filmmakers have gone to great lengths to give insight into his personal struggles and motivations. The end result is nerve-wracking, enthralling, and — in the documentary's final moments — almost unbearably sad.

The Dark Wizard premieres on HBO on April 14 at 9 p.m. ET, with new episodes airing weekly.

Anthropic put the entire tech world on notice last week with an unprecedented announcement: it made an AI model so advanced that it was too dangerous to release to the public. Anthropic said the new frontier language model, Claude Mythos Preview, would "reshape cybersecurity."

Anthropic also announced the formation of Project Glasswing, an invite-only group of organizations — including some of Anthropic's biggest competitors — to test Claude Mythos Preview and secure their infrastructure.

Anthropic said that Claude Mythos Preview "found thousands of high-severity vulnerabilities, including some in every major operating system and web browser." (Emphasis in original.) The company said Project Glasswing was necessary "to help secure the world’s most critical software."

By Friday, CNBC reported that Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had summoned the high priests of finance (aka banking CEOs) for an emergency meeting about the new model. New York Times writer Thomas Friedman fretted over a "terrifying" future in which any teenager armed with Claude could hack the local power grid.

The reaction to Claude Mythos Preview quickly split along predictable lines. AI boosters hailed the new model as proof that artificial general intelligence (AGI) was nigh, praising Anthropic for rolling it out so responsibly.

Critics and AI skeptics called Project Glasswing a big publicity stunt.

So, which is it?

To find out, Mashable has been reviewing Anthropic's claims and talking to AI and cybersecurity experts.

What is Claude Mythos Preview?

Claude Mythos is a new large-language model that Anthropic says performs significantly better than Claude Opus 4.6 — widely considered one of the best AI models in the world — especially in cybersecurity.

"In our testing, Claude Mythos Preview demonstrated a striking leap in cyber capabilities relative to prior models, including the ability to autonomously discover and exploit zero-day vulnerabilities in major operating systems and web browsers," reads the Claude Mythos system card.

Is Claude Mythos a sign of AGI?

Artificial general intelligence refers to superintelligent AI that can perform better than humans across a wide range of tasks. It's not an exaggeration to say that our entire economy has been organized around the quest for AGI, as Anthropic, Google, Meta, xAI, and OpenAI pour hundreds of billions of dollars into a new arms race.

If Claude Mythos is as capable as Anthropic says, would it be an example of AGI? The model card addresses this question, and Anthropic does seem to think it's close to AGI.

In a section about Claude Mythos safety risks, Antropic writes: "Current risks remain low. But we see warning signs that keeping them low could be a major challenge if capabilities continue advancing rapidly (e.g., to the point of strongly superhuman AI systems)." Of course, Anthropic has a strong financial incentive to promote this belief.

This chart shows how Mythos compares to previous Anthropic models on the Epoch Capabilities Index (ECI), which combines multiple benchmark scores into one. Credit: Anthropic

Ultimately, the model card for Claude Mythos is more conservative than the reaction online would suggest.

For example, while the Claude Mythos model card does show that this model performs above the trend line for previous Anthropic models, Anthropic says it does not show evidence of self-improvement or recursive growth. ("Importantly, though we’re observing a slope change with Claude Mythos Preview, we do not know if this trend will continue with future models...The gains we can identify are confidently attributable to human research, not AI assistance.")

Reasons to think Project Glasswing is a publicity stunt

Don't make me tap my sign: "[When] an AI salesman tells you that AI is an unstoppable world-changing technology on the order of the agricultural revolution...you should take this prediction for what it is: a sales pitch."

I wrote those words of caution in response to an essay by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, which warned about the potentially cataclysmic dangers of AI. Anthropic also has a history of issuing dire warnings about its AI models.

You may remember the story of the Anthropic model that tried to "blackmail" a company CEO to prevent it from being turned off. In reality, Anthropic designed a test environment where blackmail was a potential outcome. This may be more akin to digital entrapment than genuine model misbehavior.

So, is Claude Mythos the latest example of the industry's Chicken Little problem?

On X, AI safety engineer Heidy Khlaaf listed a number of open questions that cast doubt on Anthropic's claims.

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Anthropic said the Claude Mythos preview found thousands of zero-day vulnerabilities. But Khlaaf says Anthropic left out key facts needed to assess this claim — the rate of false positives, how Claude Mythos compares to existing cybersecurity tools, and exactly how much manual human review was required.

"Releasing a marketing post with purposely vague language that clearly obscures evidence needed to substantiate Anthropic's claims brings into question if they are trying to garner further investment," Khlaaf told Mashable. "It also serves their 'safety first' image as they're able to frame the lack of public release, even a limited one for independent evaluation, as a public service when it simply obscures even experts' abilities to validate their claims."

We reached out to Anthropic repeatedly about these concerns, but the company did not respond. We will update this article if they do. In the Claude Mythos system card, Anthropic wrote that more data will be released in the coming weeks as the bugs Mythos found are patched and fixed.

Gary Marcus, an AI expert, scientist, author, and noted critic of the LLM hype machine, initially told Mashable that it was too soon to know whether Claude Mythos represented a new type of threat.

But Marcus has grown more skeptical since we spoke to him, and he recently wrote on X that Mythos was "nowhere near as scary" as it first seemed. "Folks, you can relax. Mythos is not some off-trend exponential gain," he wrote.

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Cybersecurity experts told Mashable it's also very unlikely Claude Mythos could be used to "turn off the lights" or bring down critical infrastructure.

"Claims about catastrophic uses of Mythos also significantly misunderstand threat models, cybersecurity risks, and the ability to propagate said risks in a way that could actually lead to safety-critical incidents," Khlaaf told us. "It's not as simple as asking a model 'hack this system,' with Anthropic's own technical blog post demonstrating a requisite of expertise that Anthropic downplays in their marketing posts."

Other experts expressed skepticism, while also acknowledging that Mythos does represent a genuine risk, which Marcus has also said.

"You could argue it didn’t need a public announcement," said Div Garg, a Stanford AI researcher and founder of AGI, Inc. "However, ultimately, the decision to limit access to only those who develop and maintain critical software is precisely what you want a business to do in such a scenario…It’s easy to criticize the limited access, but worse outcomes would arise if they released it unchecked."

Tal Kollender, Founder and CEO of cybersecurity firm Remedio, told Mashable that tools like Claude Mythos are dangerous because they can automate exploit discovery.

"It's brilliant corporate theater," Kolender said. "Labeling a model 'too dangerous to release to the public' is certainly a marketing flex because it immediately creates mystique and signals immense power to investors. But beneath the PR stunt, there is a very real, very mundane truth...The cybersecurity industry doesn't actually have a 'finding' problem. We are already drowning in tools that detect vulnerabilities. What Mythos does is automate that discovery process at an unprecedented scale."

TL;DR: A week after revealing Claude Mythos Preview, some of Anthropic's biggest claims about the model look a lot sketchier, experts say. However, they also acknowledge that Claude Mythos poses a real risk.

Still, there are plenty of very valid reasons to be nervous about the new frontier model.

Reasons to think Claude Mythos Preview is a genuine threat to global cybersecurity

In the New York Times, author Thomas Friedman conjures a scenario straight out of War Games, where a teenager hacks the local power grid after school.

That scenario seems even more far-fetched a week later. But here's a much more likely scenario: A sophisticated group of hackers uses a tool like Claude Mythos to find zero-day vulnerabilities in our digital infrastructure, launching attacks faster than organizations can respond.

And that scenario should worry you.

If Claude Mythos isn't the tool that can do it, most experts agree such a tool isn't far off.

And some of the world's leading cybersecurity experts certainly seem worried.

"I've found more bugs in the last couple of weeks [with Claude Mythos] than in the rest of my entire life combined," said Nicholas Carlini, a research scientist affiliated with Anthropic and Google DeepMind, in a video on the Project Glasswing website.

"On Linux, we found a number of vulnerabilities where, as a user with no permissions, I can elevate myself to the administrator by just running some binary on my machine," Carlini said.

This week, the AI Security Institute published its findings on Claude Mythos's capabilities, and it provides some independent verification that it does represent a genuine leap forward.

The AISI is research organization within the UK government's science and technology department. Credit: AISI

Claude Mythos passed AISI cybersecurity tests that no other model had ever completed, scoring higher than any other frontier model on virtually every test.

"Our testing shows that Mythos Preview can exploit systems with weak security posture, and it is likely that more models with these capabilities will be developed," AISI concluded.

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AISI also identified some limitations with Claude Mythos, which would impair its effectiveness in real-world scenarios.

So, was Anthropic’s rollout of Mythos responsible AI stewardship or self-serving marketing? Experts I talked to said these options aren’t mutually exclusive.

"I'd say it's both, and that's not a criticism," said Howie Xu, Gen's Chief AI & Innovation Officer. "Any major platform rollout in this era is going to look different to different audiences depending on their fluency and their fear tolerance. What I care about is whether the intent is real, and the evidence I've seen from Anthropic suggests it mostly is."

As is often the case with fear-inducing AI headlines, the reality turned out to be more complicated.

"Personally, I don't go to bed worrying about a kid with Mythos hacking the power grid, but that doesn't mean the concern is fictional," said Xu. "We're at an inflection point where the creative and collaborative upside of these tools is massive, and the security infrastructure hasn't caught up. That gap is exactly what keeps me busy. Even a fractional probability of a serious incident is too much, which is why building a trust and security layer into the agentic era is my extreme focus."

Finally, as Anthropic stresses in the Claude Mythos model card, tools like this will likely benefit cybersecurity defenders more than hackers in the long-term. And in the short-term, a more cautious approach — like the approach being modeled with Project Glasswing — may be warranted.

TL;DR: Claude Mythos has formidable cybersecurity coding abilities, and it does represent a genuine threat. However, if hackers have access to AI tools like Claude Mythos, so will the organizations defending against such attacks.

UPDATE: Apr. 14, 2026, 9:40 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with additional information about some of the cited experts.

TL;DR: Learn to code and score the right tools to help with this Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 and The Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle, on sale now for $59.99 (reg. $1,999.99).

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Visual Studio Professional 2026 + The Premium Learn to Code Certification Bundle

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Grabbing this deal? Score a Microsoft Office 2021 license for free when you apply a code at checkout through 4/19: GWP4MAC (for Mac) or GWP4WIND (for Windows). 

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TL;DR: Fully upgrade a computer with this Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business and Windows 11 Pro Bundle, now only $104.99 (reg. $448.99).

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business + Windows 11 Pro Bundle

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When you have to make a big purchase for your computer, it can be tough on the wallet. That’s what this bundle sets out to change — offering two pricey items, a Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business license for PC or Mac and a Windows 11 Pro license bundled for one low price.

Though these two items would regularly set you back $448.99, you can get them together in this bundle for just $104.99.

You don’t need to shell out for a brand new computer. This Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business and Windows 11 Pro Bundle gives you everything you need to make an old device feel refreshed with a suite of helpful apps and a brand-new operating system.

First up in this bundle? A Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business license that works on both Mac and PC devices. Give your computer classic staples like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, then upgrade your note-taking with the newer favorite OneNote.

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Once you have your new apps installed, change up your operating system with Windows 11 Pro. This OS was designed with modern professionals in mind, so you can rest easy knowing you’ll enjoy an improved workflow. It also gives you access to Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant, available on the taskbar and via pressing the Windows logo key + C.

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If you thought Motorola was only making one foldable phone in 2026, you're about to feel real silly.

Motorola's book-style foldable, the Razr Fold, made its grand debut at CES in January, and it's still on track for release this year. However, the next phone in Motorola's regular flip-style Razr lineup may have just leaked, courtesy of some renders shared by Evan Blass on X.

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No specs or features were shared, but the renders Blass posted had four distinct colors with some interesting texture work going on. No surprise, but they look a lot like Motorola's recent Razr phones from 2025. Take a peek for yourselves.

On the other end of the Motorola foldable spectrum, Notebook Check previously reported that the Razr Fold would launch in Europe in April. As of this writing, it's now available for pre-order in the UK, meaning it's now a real device that people can purchase, and not just something that we tried out at CES.

The Motorola Fold is the company's first book-style foldable. Credit: Motorola

The device is priced at €1,999 in Europe and £1,799.99 in the UK, so it'll probably cost a pretty penny in U.S. dollars, too. Unfortunately, we still don't know when it's coming to the U.S. or other markets, but we'll keep an eye out for that information. In the meantime, U.S. shoppers can register to buy the device.

Foldable handsets have become a real and viable market segment in recent years. Samsung has a thriving foldable lineup that's set to expand this year with the introduction of a new "Wide Fold" phone alongside the Galaxy Z Flip 8 and Z Fold 8.

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

Apple, on the other hand, has been rumored to be working on a foldable iPhone for years, and most expect the long-awaited iPhone Fold to launch before the end of the year. That'll be exciting.

While it might seem embarrassing that Motorola has beaten Apple to the punch in the foldable space, remember that Apple often lets other brands take the lead before eventually dominating the market, as it did with the iPhone and iPod.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The cover of the Future Issue of The New Yorker, dated April 13, 2026, depicts terrifying days ahead.

Created by artist Christoph Niemann, "New Horizon" features a red sky and giant AI bots menacing a clueless human; the bots' eyes pointedly match the bloody-hued background. New Yorker covers can certainly get dark, but "New Horizon" looks like a horror-movie poster, symbolizing the prevailing view among creators about the advent of artificial intelligence.

We asked Niemann, a celebrated artist and recurring New Yorker illustrator, about the impetus of the cover and his feelings on technology. Niemann is no Luddite — he created the New Yorker's first Augmented Reality Cover back in 2016 — but he clearly has reservations about AI's growing role in art and media.

Credit: Image by Christoph Niemann, courtesy "The New Yorker"

Hi, Christoph. Did you receive much direction for creating this cover image?

Niemann: As usual, I come up with the topic and the concept, but then I discuss everything with Françoise Mouly (the art editor for the covers). As a teacher of mine once said: It takes a day to come up with a good idea, and then 10 days to make it look like it was done in an hour.

When creating the image, were you thinking more of AI as a menacing figure/figures, or rather technology in general?

For this one, I was clearly thinking about AI.

Tell us about the title of "New Horizons" and why you chose it.

I love the title, but it actually came from the editors. I think it’s rather self-explanatory, given the image with the double pun of the metaphorical and literal horizon.

The human user in "New Horizons" seems happy and, possibly, naïve. What message did you want to send about how people are handling technology's ascendance?

Even when using AI professionally, it always feels benign to me. The simple, clean design of the chatbot sites I’m familiar with. The obedient, relaxed tone of the conversation. It’s designed to feel harmless and fun.

How is it operating as an artist in 2026 when technology and AI have become, to many, a threat? Is there any reason for optimism on the future of human-derived art and media?

I’m not so sure. The economic impact on the art community is huge. Photography fundamentally disrupted the world of painting. But photography was not built to plagiarize painting for profit.

My biggest hope is that people will still care about human-made art. I wouldn’t go to a concert to see a robot play the piano, even if he manages to do so at five times the speed and accuracy of a human.

Parents have long turned to social media to unload about the tiny indignities of raising teenagers. The difference now is that they can feed those texts into AI and turn them into pop-punk songs that sound like they were ripped from a 2007 Warped Tour compilation.

Across TikTok and Instagram, parents are using AI music tools like Suno to transform everyday texts from their kids into emo anthems. (Whether all of these creators are actually parents of teenagers is another question.) One moment, it's a daughter demanding Starbucks after school. The next is a full-blown post-hardcore song about forgetting gym shorts, insisting they are literally starving, or begging for a ride home.

The more you watch these videos, the more small details start to come into focus: the sheer amount of Starbucks American teens seem to consume, the way every minor inconvenience becomes a five-alarm emergency, or the casual use of "bro" and "bruh" when talking to parents. In song form, those habits become even funnier, turning ordinary teenage shorthand into lyrics that sound weirdly revealing about the way kids talk now.

There is also something very millennial about the trend. Many of the parents making these videos grew up on emo, pop-punk, and Warped Tour bands, which makes the songs feel a little less like random AI creations and more like affectionate parodies of the music they loved as teenagers.

Of course, as with anything involving AI, it's important you know the risks before partaking in the trend. Feeding private family texts into AI tools means handing over personal conversations — sometimes involving minors — to third-party platforms that may store that data, use it to improve their models, or keep copies of the generated songs.

Privacy experts have repeatedly warned that people often treat AI prompts as more private than they actually are, even though many companies reserve broad rights over what users upload. You may not think it matters much when the text is "pick me up from soccer practice," but it is worth thinking about before turning the family group chat into content.

And like so many AI trends right now, the actual technology almost feels secondary to the joke. What people are really sharing is not the amazement that AI can make music. It is the strangely universal realization that "Can we get Starbucks?” already sounds like the kind of lyric that would have shown up in a song about suburban teenage angst.

Google has made some controversial decisions related to its flagship search engine in recent years, but this one will probably be pretty popular.

The company announced in a developer note (via 9to5google) that it will start punishing websites that hijack users' back buttons in their web browsers.

In case you're not familiar with this phenomenon, sometimes you'll click a link on Google and realize it's not what you wanted. When you click the back button, instead of being taken back to Google, you'll be taken to some other part of the website, or an ad, or something else you didn't want to see. This practice is also known as "history manipulation," according to our colleagues at Lifehacker.

"We believe that the user experience comes first. Back button hijacking interferes with the browser's functionality, breaks the expected user journey, and results in user frustration," Google wrote in an update to its spam policy explaining the decision.

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I have definitely encountered this phenomenon over the years, and clearly so have others, given that Google is doing something about it.

Anyway, as it is wont to do, Google will penalize sites that engage in this practice by limiting their visibility in search rankings beginning on June 15. It is now officially categorized as a "malicious practice" by the company.

"Pages that are engaging in back button hijacking may be subject to manual spam actions or automated demotions, which can impact the site's performance in Google Search results. To give site owners time to make any needed changes, we're publishing this policy two months in advance of enforcement on June 15, 2026," Google wrote.

A malicious practice is something that "[creates] a mismatch between user expectations and the actual outcome, leading to a negative and deceptive user experience, or compromised user security or privacy." As someone who has experienced back button hijacking, I would say it definitely fits the bill.

Google also had some blunt advice for sites and developers that use this practice: "You are expected to remove or disable it."

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TL;DR: Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League quarter finals were electric last week, but places in the semi-final stage are not yet decided. Atletico Madrid are 2-0 up against Barcelona and will be confident of getting a result in front of their fans at the Metropolitano Stadium, but Barcelona possess the talent to overturn that deficit.

If Barcelona are going to produce something special, they'll need the likes of Lamine Yamal and Marcus Rashford to deliver strong performances in front of goal.

If you want to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona?

Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 14. This fixture takes place at the Metropolitano Stadium.

How to watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona for free

Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world

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ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Atletico Madrid vs. Barcelona in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Sony expanded its Inzone gaming lineup on Tuesday with a new headset, an OLED gaming monitor, and other new releases, but the new H6 Air headset is by far the most interesting of the bunch.

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Credit: Sony

Sony Inzone H6 Air Wired Open-Back Gaming Headset

$199.99 at Amazon

 

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Most new headphones prioritize wireless connectivity and active noise-cancellation, but Sony is offering an alternative to ANC headphones that might really appeal to some gamers.

Open-back headphones do have some big advantages, as I learned while testing the Inzone H6 Air ahead of its official release today.

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This headset sounds more expensive than it is. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I'm still in the process of testing the new headset, but read on for my first impressions, as well as my thoughts on why gamers should consider open headsets in the first place.

Why would gamers want open-back headsets?

Open-back headphones have several benefits, but the most important is a more natural soundscape. Because the drivers aren't targeting soundwaves directly at your ear, they can create a wider, more natural soundscape that lets you hear spatial audio much more clearly. So, for gamers who like 360-degree sounds — and esports players who need to be able to pinpoint footsteps and other sound effects — open-back headsets have some big perks.

Combine that with the wired connection, and the H6 Air open-back gaming headset offers fidelity you won't get in most other headsets — or even noise-cancelling earbuds or headphones.

The open design lets you hear spatial audio more clearly. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I've wondered before if headphone technology is plateauing. New releases from Bose, Sony, and Apple make only very marginal improvements over headphones released three or four years ago.

Instead, audio brands seem to be segmenting the audience, offering niche products for every type of consumer. It's the breakfast cerealization of the audio category. You can now choose from wired earbuds, noise-cancelling headphones, bone conduction products, open earbuds, sleep earbuds, and now, open-back headphones.

Open headphones have been around for decades, primarily in HiFi studio monitors. And the Sony Inzone H6 Air are based on Sony studio monitors. The H6 Air features a custom version of the drivers in the Sony MDR-MV1 open-back monitors, which cost $419.99.

Thanks to those studio monitor drivers, this lightweight gaming headset sounds like a pair of $400 headphones — but without the ANC.

First impressions: The H6 Air headset put a smile on my face

The H6 Air feature a detachable 3.5mm cable and microphone. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

My favorite headphones in 2026, the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2, are heavy, and weighing in at just 199 grams (without the microphone), the H6 Air is noticeably lighter. And because of the open-back design, they also have an airy feel (you can literally see the drivers through the back of the headset.

The Inzone H6 Air features the same spring-based adjustable headband as the Sony Inzone H9 II headset, which Sony launched in 2025. This system feels a bit flimsy, but it's a fine tradeoff for a lighter weight. They fit comfortably on my head, even with big hair and glasses.

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Sony H6 Air: How do they sound?

As much as I love a slick design, audio is always the most important factor when testing headphones. And the Sony H6 Air sounds much better than I expected.

That's likely because of the wired connection and the MDR-MV1 drivers inside the headset. Sony packed its new gaming headset with drivers from $420 studio monitors, and you can really tell.

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Whether playing Cyberpunk: 2077 or listening to Radiohead's "National Anthem," the sound was excellent. And, as promised, the sound felt bigger than usual. I did notice some odd audio distortions. When making phone calls in Cyberpunk, V's voice sounded strange and faraway.

So far, I've also been impressed with the microphone quality, though I don't have much else to say about it yet. The lack of noise cancellation could definitely be an issue with the microphone.

Where to buy the Sony Inzone H6 Air gaming headset

You can buy Sony's new open-back gaming headset at the Sony online store and Amazon. The headset is priced at $199.99

Where to buy Sony H6 Air headset

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AMAZON

Sony H6 Air Wired Open-Back Gaming Headset

$199.99

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SONY

Sony H6 Air Wired Open-Back Gaming Headset

$199.99

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Sony Inzone H6 Air headset: By the numbers

Unboxing the Sony Inzone H6 Air. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Here's the official specs list for the new Sony Inzone gaming headset:

• Style: Open-back wired gaming headset

• Weight: 199 grams (without microphone)

• Drivers: Precision-tuned drivers based on Sony MDR-MV1 studio monitors

• Software support: Access to PC Inzone Hub with USB-C Audio Box

• Audio: 7.1 channel surround sound with 360-degree spatial audio

• Micrphone: Detachable microphone

• Connectivity: 3.5mm headphone jack and USB-C adapter

RESTOCK ALERT: As of April 14, the Lego Star Wars Gingerbread AT-AT Walker building set is back in stock at Lego's website for $59.99. This coveted set sold out and shifted to 60 day backorder twice in late 2025, so grab it now before May the 4th shoppers come.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Gingerbread AT-AT Walker (#40806)

$59.99 at Lego

 

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Sorry, but Halloween (Home Depot's Halfway to Halloween sale, actually) isn't the only holiday you're going to hear about this April. We're just doing our due diligence and letting you know that the Lego Star Wars Gingerbread AT-AT Walker is in stock for $59.99 as of April 14.

The popular set includes a gingerbread-house-style AT-AT draped in Christmas lights and a gingerbread-house-style Darth Vader minifigure holding a candy cane as a lightsaber. The sides of the AT-AT open up to reveal a fireplace scene complete with stockings, a drink and a cookie, and gifts.

Generally speaking, a spring restock of a holiday Lego may not be a huge deal. But anyone who tried to secure the Gingerbread AT-AT Lego in late 2025 knows the drama behind this set — and probably knows that $60 is around what online resellers want for the gingerbread Darth Vader minifig alone.

Lego's website will be flooded with Star Wars fans as May the 4th hype builds, starting with a Star Wars Day livestream preview on April 15. Before everyone else sees, it'd be wise to click "add to cart" before the button inevitably turns to "backorder." Plus, spending $40 or more on any Lego Star Wars purchase through April 19 unlocks a free exclusive Mini-Build of Vader's TIE Advanced starfighter from A New Hope.

As a refresher, Lego dropped the Gingerbread AT-AT Walker in Oct. 2025. The set sold out immediately, and then sold out again after a big restock in Dec. 2025. For quite some time, there was a 60-day backorder window. So while many folks were waiting two months for their festive AT-AT walker to arrive, yours should ship the very next day.

TL;DR: Live stream Liverpool vs. PSG in the Champions League for free on Prime Video. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League semi finals are calling. Well, they're calling for PSG after they raced into a 2-0 lead against Liverpool last week. In truth, the scoreline could have been much worse for Liverpool. They'll still believe that they can turn things around at Anfield, but they'll need to produce something truly special to stop PSG from scoring.

PSG have won their last four away games, keeping clean sheets in the last three. That bodes well for their trip to Anfield.

If you want to watch Liverpool vs. PSG in the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Liverpool vs. PSG?

Liverpool vs. PSG in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on April 14. This fixture takes place at Anfield.

How to watch Liverpool vs. PSG for free

Liverpool vs. PSG is available to live stream for free on Prime Video (30-day free trial).

This free stream is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in another location, meaning you can unblock Prime Video to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Liverpool vs. PSG for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in the UK

4. Visit Prime Video

5. Watch Liverpool vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Liverpool vs. PSG without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select Champions League fixtures before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Prime Video?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Liverpool vs. PSG in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE UP TO 20%: As of April 14, save up to 20% off the Shark CryoGlow Cooling + LED Face Mask at Sephora with promo code SPRINGSALE. Discounts vary based on Sephora Beauty Insider member tier.

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Credit: Sephora

Shark CryoGlow Cooling + LED Face Mask

$279.23 at Sephora
$349 Save $69.77

Promo Code: SPRINGSALE

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Ready to get serious about your skincare? A face mask is always a good idea. But while disposable masks are a one and done situation, products like Shark's CryoGlow Cooling + LED Face Mask can help you look and feel your best in the long run over and over again. And thanks to Sephora Savings Event going on right now, you can score a rare discount on this Shark mask as a member of Sephora's Beauty Insiders program.

As of April 14, save up to 20% off the Shark CryoGlow Cooling + LED Face Mask at Sephora with promo code SPRINGSALE. Discounts vary based on Sephora Beauty Insider member tier. To receive this discount, you must be logged into your Sephora account and a part of the Beauty Insider program. Beauty Insiders receive 10% off, while VIB members receive 15% off. Rouge members receive the highest discount of 20%, which will apply to your order and the mask discounted automatically at checkout.

Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodard took this mask for a spin for 10 months, and confidently labeled it the "best LED mask" she's tried. It's more than a red light mask, however, as it can emit red, blue, and infrared light to help treat everything from fine lines to acne. These addiitons help the mask to stand out from the competition, with the added benefits of its other colored light components.

It also offers special cooling techniques which, aside from giving you a comfortable, airy freeze all over your face, can help to tighten your undereye area and surrounding zones. It has three adjustable chill levels for your comfort, as well as four special treatments optimized by dermatologists you can rely on for each session.

If you've been on the fence about trying this mask out, now's the time to go ahead and give it a try, especially as the mask rarely goes on sale on its own. Take advantage of the discounted percentages for Beauty Insiders and try it out for yourself now.

Justin Bieber wants you to take a chill pill, but this time he's not asking screaming fans to calm down at his show.

We're talking Bieber's SKYLRK fashion brand, the clothing label follow-up to his now-defunct Drew House project from 2018. Home to a variety of hoodies, tees, sunglasses, and a selection of "Bieberchella" merch right now, SKYLRK is the pop star's latest venture aiming to outfit fans with his name and his brand. It also saw one of its first collabs in 2026: the Shark ChillPill Personal Fan SKYLRK-Exclusive.

This limited edition personal fan, which Shark debuted earlier last month, is marketed as a "personal cooling system": a 3-in-1- fan, mist, and InstaChill device that offers "high-speed airflow up to 25 ft/sec", dry-touch misting, and Shark's special cooling plate that the company claims to drop skin temperature by up to 16 degrees on contact.

With 11 hours of battery life (on its lowest speed setting), you should be able to shake off some of the high heat we're expecting across the summer, or at the very least soothe you back to sleep if you wake up overheated and the other side of the pillow doesn't help.

How to buy the Shark ChillPill Personal Fan SKYLRK-Exclusive

While the fan comes in a variety of fun colors (bright teal Glacier, magenta Dragon Fruit, lavender Haze), it's Bieber's SKYLRK version that'll be catching eyes this summer as it comes in a shocking red-orange shell dubbed "Heat". While most of the ChillPill colorways are available to buy on both Amazon and Shark's online storefront, the SKYLRK Heat colorway is only available via SKYLRK and the Shark storefront.

Right now, it looks like SKYLRK no longer features a listing for the ChillPill, so if you want to get your hands on the SKYLRK Exclusive Heat version of the Shark ChillPill, head over to the Shark online storefront, where the Heat colorway is still in stock. It's the same price as the rest of the ChillPill options, so you can still snap up a fashionable color for the second weekend of Coachella or to cool off any time the blazing summer heat starts getting to you.

With Bieber's SKYLRK and Coachella performances going viral ahead of Weekend 2, now's the time to go ahead and lock yours in. We can't imagine the ChillPill will be around much longer.

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Credit: Shark

Shark ChillPill Personal Fan SKYLRK-Exclusive

$150.02 at Shark

 

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When people watched NASA's Artemis II mission return to Earth, they saw helicopter views of little orange-clad figures exiting the spacecraft onto a raft. 

But the U.S. space agency has since released a short closeup video of the Navy recovery team as it opened the hatch on Friday, April 10. The trained divers and medical officers entered the tiny 330 cubic-foot Orion capsule, greeted the four astronauts. 

From video cameras mounted on the recovery team's helmets, shown in the X post below, it's as if you're right there with them. The team cheers and claps, with shouts of "let's go!" followed by "four green" (a callout that the crew was OK). 

"Welcome home," the recovery team said to the Artemis II crew, Commander Reid Wiseman, Victor Glover, Christina Koch, and Jeremy Hansen, the first humans to fly around the moon since 1972. 

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Up close, the spacecraft, dubbed Integrity by the crew, appeared battered and singed as it bobbed in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of San Diego, California. The capsule had just plummeted through Earth's atmosphere, a fiery descent that put the crew through a 25,000 mph ride. 

During that intense and dangerous phase, the astronauts experienced nearly 4Gs, a pressure pushing against them equal to four times their bodyweight. Without proper training, those conditions, coupled with adrenaline overload, could cause a person to blackout. 

But as the recovery team soon discovered, not only was the returning crew healthy, they were in high spirits, smiling as they waited through the procedures to leave the spacecraft. At the end of the video, one of the recovery officials, referred to as "Vlad," said he had something for Wiseman. The clip ends before that "something" is revealed. 

"Jesse, Steve, Laddy, and Vlad….such an incredible feeling to welcome you aboard Integrity after a nearly 700,000 mile journey," Wiseman said in a post on X. "Forever thankful for your service to our crew and the nation."

What is clear is that the people who welcomed Artemis II back to Earth seemed just as exhilarated as the astronauts themselves. Before climbing inside the crew's living quarters for the 10-day journey, the team almost forgot to place the seal cover over the bottom edge of the hatch in their haste to see their friends. 

Artemis II, which launched April 1, marked NASA's triumphant return of human-led space exploration. It planned the voyage as the critical shakeout cruise for the spacecraft before the agency attempts to land on the moon. During the flight, the Artemis II crew put Orion through its paces, testing everything from propulsion and communications to how well humans can live, work, and make scientific observations far from home.

The day after Artemis II's splashdown, Commander Reid Wiseman visits the Orion spacecraft in the well deck of USS John P. Murtha. Credit: NASA / Bill Ingalls

Packed with cameras, sensors, and experiments, the mission turned the crew into both test pilots and test subjects, gathering data to shape future Artemis voyages. A successful journey vets the hardware and flight controllers for a moonwalk planned for 2028. 

NASA isn't just motivated to get back to the moon for the moon's sake but to practice keeping humans alive in another world for extended periods. That's crucial before sending astronauts on a months-long spaceflight to Mars, perhaps possible in the late 2030s. 

A new space race also sets the timeline for the Artemis campaign. The United States wants to land on the moon again before China, which is extremely close to achieving its first human moon landing. 

If you thought the splashdown meant Wiseman, Glover, Koch, and Hansen could finally relax, you'd be wrong. Just hours after landing, NASA tested the crew's mettle again with an obstacle course. 

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Generally, when the word "immersive" is used in headphones marketing, it means the headphones will have some form of spatial audio, and even more likely, active noise cancellation.

Sony is flipping the script on that idea with the release of the Sony Inzone H6 Air, a wired, open-back gaming headset that, by design, comes without any noise cancellation. The new headset is a part of a larger expansion of the Sony Inzone gaming lineup, announced Tuesday.

The headphones are available now for $199.99. Along with the H6 Air, Sony announced a new OLED gaming monitor optimized for first-person shooters, the Inzone M10S II. The monitor will be available for purchase later this year at a price of $1,099.99.

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In addition, Sony also announced cosmetic updates to existing Inzone products. We've got all the details you need, plus a first look at the new products.

Sony Inzone H6 Air headset: Price, release date, specs

The Sony Inzone H6 Air open-back headphones are available starting April 14 at Sony, Amazon, and Best Buy, with a price of $199.99. Because of the open design, they're Sony's lightest gaming headset, and they have the same spring-hinge headband design found on the Inzone H9 II headset.

As an overview, here's what to expect, spec-wise:

• Style: Open-back wired gaming headset

• Weight: 199 grams (without microphone)

• Drivers: 40mm drivers based on Sony's MDR-MV1 studio headphones

• Software support: Access to PC Inzone Hub with USB-C Audio Box

• Audio: 7.1 channel surround sound with 360-degree spatial audio

• Micrphone: Detachable cardioid microphone

The new Sony Inzone H6 Air headphones. Credit: Sony

Sony has never before offered open-back headphones in their gaming line. However, the company has made premium open-back studio headphones — namely the aforementioned MDR-MV1, which at $419.99, are over double the price of H6 Air headphones.

Open-back headphones are not to be confused with open earbuds. The latter is designed to let sound from the environment in while balancing the streamed audio, essentially functioning as a transparency mode. Open-back headphones, on the other hand, are less about providing situational awareness and more about providing the most realistic spatial soundscape possible.

With an open back, the headphones' acoustics allow for the sound to have more physical space, allowing for a more natural spatial soundstage. (Anyone who's experienced subpar spatial audio features on noise-cancelling headphones knows how huge this feature is). The idea, as Sony explains in their press release, is to both accurately reproduce the sounds of a game, and make it sound as if it's coming from all around the player.

One of our testers recently described the elite audio experience of open-back headphones while reviewing the Sennheiser HD 599. While open headphones are popular among audiophiles, open-back gaming headsets aren't particularly common in the gaming community, as evidenced by the limited offerings at Micro Center, a PC gaming and electronics store. Sony's pricing seems relatively competitive to the competition — Audio Technica's open-back gaming headphones go for $139.99, while ASUS ROG's go for $299.99.

Further bolstering the sound of these headphones is the equalizer settings, which can be accessed through the Sony Inzone hub. For these headphones, a new setting has been added specifically for role-playing and adventure games.

Mashable's tech editor has been testing the new H6 Air headset ahead of their launch, and so far, he's been impressed with the sound. The headphones are also noticeably lighter than most headphones, with a comfortable fit and a strong microphone.

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Credit: Sony

Sony Inzone H6 Air

$199.99 at Amazon

 

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Sony Inzone M10S II monitor: Price and specs

The Sony Inzone M10S II monitor comes with a dual mode refresh rate of QHD 540Hz and HD 720Hz. Credit: Sony

The Sony Inzone M10S II is the latest gaming monitor from the brand, though it won't be available to purchase until later this year. At this time, Sony puts the suggested retail price at $1,099.99 ($100 cheaper than the last generation Inzone M10S monitor). Here's what you'll get with the monitor:

• Display: OLED

• Size: 27-inch full display mode and 24.5-inch tournament mode display mode

• Refresh rate: Dual mode refresh rate with 540Hz QHD with rapid 0.02ms response time and 720Hz HD

• Tilt: Wide tilt range of -5 to 35 degrees

• Special features: Advanced motion blur reduction, Super Anti-Glare Film

• Warranty: Three-year warranty

This OLED gaming monitor was specifically designed for FPS gamers. It features a FPS Pro mode and FPS Pro+ mode, which optimize gameplay for the OLED experience

Sony collaborated with the esports organization Fnatic to help create a monitor optimized for competitive gamers. The refresh rates and price point certainly point to those players as the target audience — if you main farming sims, this isn't the monitor for you. Comparable dual-mode monitors include the ASUS ROG Swift, also priced at $1,099.99, and this LG UltraGear monitor, which clocks in at $999.99.

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Credit: Sony

Sony Inzone M10S II

$1,099.99 at Sony

 

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More updates to Sony's Inzone line

Esports org Fnatic collabed with Sony on the Mouse-A and gaming mats. Credit: Sony

Sony's Fnatic collab extended into their existing product line, with exclusive Fnatic editions of the Inzone Mouse-A ($169.99), Inzone Mat-F ($74.99), and Inzone Mat-D ($44.99). These products run about $10 to $20 more than the base item without an exclusive design.

Translucent purple joins the Sony Inzone buds lineup. Credit: Sony

Outside of the collaboration with Fnatic, Sony also added a third colorway to their Inzone Buds line: a transparent glass purple joins the existing black and white earbuds. Sony's gaming earbuds come with spatial audio, a 2.4GHz connection, and 12 hours of battery on a single charge. The translucent purple earbuds are available immediately at Sony, Amazon, and Best Buy, retailing for the same price as the black and white colorways — $239.99.

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Credit: Sony

Sony Inzone Buds

$239.99 at Amazon

 

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SAVE $14: As of April 14, the 8BitDo Arcade Stick for Nintendo Switch and Windows PC is on sale at Amazon for just $75.99 instead of its usual $89.99. That's 16% in savings and its lowest price in months.

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Credit: 8BitDo

8BitDo Arcade Stick

$75.99 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $14

 

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If you're seeking a beginner-friendly fight stick to accompany your Nintendo Switch or PC gaming, the 8BitDo Arcade Stick is calling your name. Not only is it an eye-catching NES-like nostalgic comfort, but it's fully customizable for just about any preference you may have. Plus, more importantly, it's on sale for its lowest price in months.

As of April 14, the 8BitDo Arcade Stick is down to just $75.99 at Amazon instead of its usual $89.99. That's 16% in savings and the lowest price we've seen since January.

Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) dubbed the Arcade Stick an Editors' Choice for budget joysticks. They called it a "capable wireless controller that’s ideal for playing classic arcade games on the PC or Switch," adding that it's a great entry-level fight stick that offers room to grow.

While the Arcade Stick doesn't actually pack high-grade arcade parts, the build quality is solid, the controls are responsive, and the joystick is "satisfyingly clicky." Plus, it's designed with modding in mind, so you can pop open the hood and replace the base parts with whatever you wish.

It can wirelessly connect to a Nintendo Switch or Windows PC through Bluetooth or a 2.4GHz USB receiver and offers between 30 and 40 hours of battery life depending on which you choose. Of course, you can also keep a wired connection if you want to minimize any input lag. Unfortunately, it's not compatible with Android or any other gaming consoles. Still, for a more arcade-like experience from the comfort of your own home, check out the 8BitDo Arcade Stick while it's on sale.

TL;DR: On April 14, visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a free cup or cone of your favorite Ben & Jerry's flavor.

It's that special time of year when free ice cream becomes the norm. Hot on the heels of Dairy Queen announcing the date of its Free Cone Day, Ben & Jerry's has done the same.

Ben & Jerry's celebrates Free Cone Day around the globe every year, sharing the love with free cups and cones of your favorite flavors. There's no catch. Simply visit your nearest Scoop Shop and grab a scoop for free.

When is Ben & Jerry's Free Cone Day?

Ben & Jerry's is giving away free ice cream at a host of locations between 12-8 p.m. on April 14. You can check participating locations here.

Ben & Jerry's is aiming to spread more joy than ever before. They served up 1 million scoops in 2023, but they're targeting more in 2026. And you can help out with that ambitious target, because unlike a lot of these free giveaways, there's no limit on the number of times you can score a free cone. Can't decide what flavor to order? Don't worry — try them all.

Mark your calendars. This is a date you don't want to forget.

The free Lego deals for mid-April

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Restaurants of the World: Mexico (40907)

free at Lego with $180 purchase

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Lego Star Wars TIE Advanced Mini-Build

free at Lego with $40 Lego Star Wars purchase

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Aaand we're back with the latest free Lego deals for this month. The warmer weather must have Lego in a good mood, because two free options are up for grabs in mid-April: Spending $180 or more unlocks the Restaurants of the World: Mexico set (a $19.99 value) for Lego Insiders, while spending $40 on Lego Star Wars items gets anyone the TIE Advanced Mini-Build (an exclusive $4.99 value).

Lego Insiders is free to join and gives members multiple ways to score even more Lego deals: Earn redeemable loyalty points on each purchase, enjoy member-only discounts, limited time gifts, and early access to new drops. Through May 8, Insiders can enter a member-only sweepstakes to win eight Lego Star Wars Smart Play sets (zero loyalty points required to enter).

Free Lego with highest value

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Credit: Lego

Restaurants of the World: Mexico (40907)

$0
$19.99 Save $19.99

 

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Part of the collectible Restaurants of the World series, this taqueria building set features a colorful taco station (complete with an oversized taco on the roof), a cactus, and a minifigure wearing an apron.

As always, you don't need to track down a singular $180+ Lego set to meet the $180 minimum. You can get your cart to $180 through multiple purchases, including new arrivals like the Nike Air Max 95 x Lego set or Lego Pokémon Eevee, plus any preorders. The only model excluded from the promo is the Lego Jurassic World: Jurassic Park Jeep Wrangler.

A cute May the 4th gift

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars TIE Advanced Mini-Build

$0
$4.99 Save $4.99

 

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May the 4th is less than a month away, and The Mandalorian and Grogu hits theaters less than a month after that. If Star Wars excitement is in the air for you, why not grab one of the newest Star Wars sets? You'll get a mini version of Darth Vader's TIE Advanced starfighter from A New Hope out of it. Lego Star Wars sets to grab include the Imperial Star Destroyer, Venator-Class Attack Cruiser, or Lego Smart Play sets, plus preorders for Grogu (Mandalorian Apprentice) or The Razor Crest. BTW, we saw the hallowed Gingerbread AT-AT Walker back in stock.

The gay dating app Sniffies has been relatively quiet since the App Store catastrophe (In case you missed it: The company launched an official iOS app that forced users into a censored "Vanilla Mode" to appease Apple's strict guidelines, only for the app to get pulled anyway — and there's still no word on whether it will return). But this month, the company is launching multiple new features designed to make connecting "faster and more intentional." Which is a super-smart move, IMO. Grindr is getting all kinds of heat right now for pushing paid features and gatekeeping basic functionality in the hopes that users will cough up some cash.

"Sniffies is built for immediacy," Eli Martin, Chief Marketing Officer at Sniffies, said in a press release. "We're not trying to keep people scrolling or upsell basic functionality. We're focused on helping people connect quickly and clearly. That means building tools that make connection easier without putting it behind a paywall."

Here's a quick breakdown of the new features:

Cruiser Cards

"Cruiser Cards" make it way easier to see who's available without having to hunt them down. Instead of dragging your finger across the map, the site pulls nearby active cruisers and highlights them in a scrollable carousel, sorted by the exact time they were last active. It basically turns the map into a live feed of guys who are ready to meet up right now.

Credit: Sniffies

Into Filter and Position Icons

If you're sick of clicking into a profile only to realize you're completely sexually incompatible, you'll love the new "Into Filter." It's a ridiculously easy way to distill the map down to guys who are looking for the exact same thing you are.

To make things even more obvious, the new "Position Icons" display a cruiser's preferences directly on their map avatar. You'll know right away whether they're a top (🍆), bottom (🍑), vers (↕️), or side (↔️). The emojis stack based on their profile (a vers top will show up as 🍆↕️, for example).

Credit: Sniffies

Share a Spot and Share a Group

Coordinating a meetup is easier now, too. With "Share a Spot," you can drop a temporary map pin right into the chat to suggest a neutral meeting place. The location automatically expires for both of you after 60 minutes, so you don't have to stress about oversharing your exact whereabouts.

Meanwhile, "Share a Group" lets you send live group event details (like the time, activity, and attendee list) directly into a chat.

SAVE $202: As of April 14, the Hisense 55-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV is on sale at Amazon for an all-time low $297.99. That's 40% or over $200 off its current list price.

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Credit: Hisense

Hisense 55-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV

$297.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $202

 

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It's currently one of the best times of year to buy a new TV. Not only are the NHL Stanley Cup playoffs about to kick off, but it's also prime season to score a 2025 TV model for a steal.

As of April 14, you can get the Hisense 55-inch QD7 Mini LED QLED 4K TV for only $297.99 at Amazon (or just $2 more at Best Buy). That's 40% or over $200 off its current list price of $499.99 — its cheapest price ever.

If a TV upgrade is in order, but you don't want to spend a ton of money, the Hisense QD7 is an excellent value. Our pals at CNET (also owned by Ziff Davis) dubbed the QD7 model the best budget TV, thanks to its full array local dimming (typically only found in more expensive TVs), enhanced contrast levels, and surprisingly high brightness. "The QD7 has the best price-to-performance ratio of any model I have ever reviewed. It is heartily recommended," writes TV expert Ty Pendlebury.

The QD7 also packs features like an AI upscaler, Filmmaker Mode, and a native 144Hz panel with Motion Rate 480, Game Mode Pro, and AMD FreeSync Premium. Whether you're gaming or streaming, you'll enjoy a smooth, lag-free experience. As a Fire TV, it has Alexa built in. That means you can press a button on the remote and ask for everything from content recommendations and sports scores to smart home lighting adjustments and a peek at who's at the front door.

Whether you're looking for a new screen to catch the postseason hockey action, every MLB game, or the new season of Euphoria, the Hisense QD7 is a solid choice at the best price you'll find.

We have bad news for Windows laptop shoppers.

Microsoft has become the latest company to raise prices because of the global memory shortage, announcing wide-ranging price increases for Microsoft Surface laptops.

As reported by Windows Central, Microsoft has increased prices up to $500, specifically citing "recent increases in memory and component costs" in a statement to the site. The new prices are live now at the online Microsoft Store, and retailers will likely update prices soon, too. Every laptop in the Surface lineup has increased in price by at least $100 compared to its 2025 pricetag, and some of these laptops have gone up by as much as $500 since 2024.

For example, the 13-inch Surface Pro was $999 in 2024. A year later, it started at $1,199, with some better specs. Now, in 2026, the same device is $1,499. In just two years, that one laptop has seen a $500 price hike, and it's not alone. Every laptop in the Surface lineup now starts for over $1,000, which wasn't true two years ago. As Windows Central pointed out, it only gets worse the more bells and whistles you attach to each laptop, as the highest-end Surface Laptop 15 is now $3,649.

These Surface laptops are the latest in a long and growing list of tech products experiencing price increases due to the global memory shortage. The hardware demands of AI data centers have led to shortages and higher prices for RAM memory components. Combined with the tariff-related price increases seen in 2025, the end result is another year of higher prices for shoppers.

In just the last couple of months, we've seen Sony suspend SD card sales and raise the price of the PS5 game console, and it's become increasingly difficult to buy a Steam Deck at any price due to stock shortages. One has to wonder how much longer the Nintendo Switch 2 will be available for $450.

In the laptop market specifically, Apple recently raised prices on its MacBook devices as well; however, the company also introduced a new budget laptop, the MacBook Neo, which has put even more pressure on the Windows laptop market.

SAVE $504: As of April 14, get the Samsung 40-inch Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor for $696.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,199.99. That's a discount of 42%.

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Samsung 40-inch Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor

$696.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $503

 

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When it comes to gaming, a great monitor is an absolute must. Samsung has a range of excellent premium gaming monitors, and the latest deal we scouted on one of its biggest options is well worth stopping and paying attention to.

As of April 14, get the Samsung 40-inch Odyssey G7 curved gaming monitor for $696.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,199.99. That's $504 off and a discount of 42%.

This large and in charge display boasts a 21:9 WUHD panel with a 1,000R curve that makes you feel like you're right in the middle of your favorite game. It has a 180Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time to give you that much-needed lag-free leg up on the competition as well, so you can enjoy racing games, shooters, and other adventures without your monitor dragging you down.

No matter whether you're gaming or watching shows and movies on this display, you'll get ultra crisp colors, shadows, and contrast as well thanks to VESA DisplayHDR 600. There are also plenty of opportunities for multitasking given the monitor's ultrawide resolution as well, so it's not just optimal for gaming.

If you're ready for a considerable upgrade when it comes to your gaming setup, this monitor is one to pick up. At the very least, it's a great monitor pick in general, even if you have no interest in games but just want a competent ultrawide option to upgrade.

Trevor Noah addresses the elephant in the room in his latest Netflix special, Joy in the Trenches.

Filmed at the Warner Theatre in Washington, D.C., the former Daily Show host's comedy set hit the streaming service on Tuesday. Noah covers myriad topics about the state of the world, U.S. politics, and social media, including the time Donald Trump threatened to sue him over his Epstein joke at Grammys.

"It hits different when you're in the crosshairs," he says. "I'm not gonna lie, it's pretty crazy."

At the start of the set, Noah speaks about hosting The Daily Show for seven years, where he covered Trump and his administration every week, and essentially assumed the president would come after him at one point, which he didn't. "Then I left The Daily Show, and I relaxed like an idiot in a horror movie," says Noah.

In February, when hosting the 68th Annual Grammy Awards, Noah announced Song of the Year winner Billie Eilish, then delivered the joke that irked the president: "That is a Grammy that every artist wants almost as much as Trump wants Greenland, which makes sense because Epstein's island is gone, he needs a new one to hang out with Bill Clinton." (Trump and former U.S. President Bill Clinton are known to have associated with the convicted child sex offender Jeffrey Epstein; both have denied they visited Epstein’s private island, Little St. James, a central location for his crimes).

Opening Joy in the Trenches, Noah takes the audience through what happened after the Grammys, when he flew back to Boston, getting thumbs ups from fellow passengers, and received an avalanche of messages — all while his phone was off.

"I turned on my phone and honestly, I thought the thing was malfunctioning, because it started vibrating before the icons popped up," he says. "Every app was going crazy: iMessage, WhatsApp, Twitter, Instagram, even Uber Eats was like, 'Yo, you got some hot shit coming in, man.' I went to my messages, and everyone I've ever known in my life had texted me. Everyone. From kindergarten teachers onwards."

Noah explains, of course, he finally saw the post from Trump on his own platform, Truth Social, which the president posted just after the Grammys aired. Here, onstage, Noah reads the entire Truth Social post to the audience "because I don't want to misquote anything." Yelling every time Trump uses capitals (which is often), Noah runs through every quote from "The Grammy Awards are the WORST, virtually unwatchable!" to Trump's denial that he's "never been to Epstein Island, nor anywhere close."

Watching Noah's response to each of these lines is worth watching the special alone, including Trump's statement: "The host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be, is almost as bad as Jimmy Kimmel at the Low Ratings Academy Awards."

"You can't say 'the host, Trevor Noah, whoever he may be,' because that is exactly who I may be," Noah says. "I understand he was trying to dismiss me, but you said my full name and my job title on the night. You can't be dismissive and be vague and specific at the same time. That's not how that works. 'Whoever he may be' — I be nobody else. There is no may in this equation. That is exactly who I be."

Of course, Noah addresses the fact that Trump threatened that "it looks like I’ll be sending my lawyers" to sue the comedian for defamation, then concluded, "Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you!" — a line Noah seizes upon for its undeniably creepiness.

"That last line is something: Get ready Noah, I’m going to have some fun with you! You know, if you're not trying to sound like a sexual deviant, you this is not the line I would recommend."

Noah gets real at one point, not sure how to react to the whole thing, and not knowing whether he'll actually be sued by Trump or not (depends on the week with the president, really). Trump has not filed a formal lawsuit in federal or state court.

"I'll be honest with you, I don't know how to feel, because I don't know how this will play out," Noah says. "With him, there is no knowing."

Trevor Noah: Joy in the Trenches is now streaming on Netflix.

TL;DR: Amazon third-party sellers have the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box listed from $239.82 with free shipping, but Walmart has now dropped it even lower to $188.

Where to buy the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box:

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Best Amazon Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box

$239.82 at Amazon

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Best Walmart Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box

$188 at Walmart

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Best TCGplayer deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box

$205 at TCGplayer

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Compared to the expensive Ascended Heroes, Perfect Order is one of the Pokémon TCG’s most affordable expansions right now. And you can now jump right in with this Booster Box that works out to just $5.22 per pack.

As of April 14, Amazon sellers have the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Display Box listed from $239.82 with free shipping, down from the usual $279.99 list price. Walmart has now pushed the box all the way down to $188, which makes it the clear front-runner for anyone trying to rip a full booster display without paying close to $300.

Over at TCGplayer, the current market price for the Perfect Order Booster Box sits at $208.63, while the listed median is $223.97. The lowest comparable unopened English listing shown comes out to $205 after shipping, so Walmart is still comfortably ahead there.

At $188 for 36 packs, you’re landing at about $5.22 per booster pack before tax. With 10 random trading cards per pack, the Perfect Order contains 120 cards focusing on Pokémon and characters from the Pokémon Legends: Z-A video game — including valuable SIR chase cards of Mega Zygarde ex, Mega Clefable ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Meowth ex. 

For even more booster packs at a great price, you can grab the Pokémon TCG’s Perfect Order Booster Bundle for as low as $39.49. What’s more, the Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is at a new low price — now available for under $70 at Walmart.

SAVE $4: As of April 14, the Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Standard Kit has been marked down to $15.99 at Amazon. That's $4 off its list price of $19.99.

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Credit: Lego

Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Standard Kit

$15.99 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $4.00

 

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If you've recently watched The Super Mario Galaxy Movie and are looking for more from Nintendo's beloved plumber, it's worth checking out some of the Mario-themed Lego sets that are available to build. At the moment, some are even on sale, including the delightful Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Standard Kit at Amazon.

As of April 14, this Lego Mario Kart Standard Kit is on sale for $15.99 at Amazon. Usually it's listed for $19.99, so this offer saves you a few extra dollars. Not to mention, it's also just cents away from its lowest-ever price of $15.95, so why not pick it up now?

This Lego Mario Kart Standard Kit set is a smaller build, coming with just 174 pieces. These create the Standard Kart from Mario Kart, a little workstation, and it even comes with a fun Toad pit crew figure. That's not all, though: The car itself has some awesome extras, including a detachable super glider, rotating wheels for moving it around, and a launch function for firing off shells.

Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth found a lot of enjoyment in the shell-firing mechanic of these Mario Kart sets. In our Pocketworthy series, he wrote that these kits are, "small and simple enough that you can build them quickly with young kids, who will appreciate the turtle shell-firing mechanism as much as I did."

If you're hoping to pick up this Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Standard Kit, don't miss out on this great deal at Amazon.

GoPro has announced its new Mission 1 Series, 8K cameras aimed at prosumers, professionals, and content creators. Widely known for its action cameras, GoPro is now turning its attention to videographers who are after a compact and durable device capable of delivering cinematic results.

The reveal of a new GoPro camera series will come as a surprise to many who were anticipating a Hero 14 Black announcement instead. Targeted at capturing action and adventure activities, GoPro's previously annual Hero Black releases took an unexpected break last year. As such, the most recent camera in the series remains the GoPro Hero 13 Black introduced in 2024. 

Though GoPro's senior director of hardware product management Clark Weber told Mashable that the company remains "strong believers in the action product category," they aren't giving any hints as to when the next Hero Black camera might arrive. Instead, the company is focusing on broadening its appeal to less predominantly action-oriented content creators, such as filmmakers, vloggers, and video podcasters.

"If your video podcast is crappy you're going to lose an audience really fast. There's a demand for higher quality," Weber told Mashable. "To stand out you're going to want footage that is a little more cinematic."

Enter: the GoPro Mission 1 Series.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: The flagship 8K cinematic camera

Credit: GoPro

The main attraction among GoPro's new camera series is its flagship Mission 1 Pro. This camera features a 50MP one-inch sensor, the largest sensor in any GoPro camera thus far, allowing for improved low-light performance and 14 stops of dynamic range. 

The Mission 1 Pro further benefits from GoPro's new GP3 processor, which was unveiled in March. The five-nanometre system-on-a-chip includes an AI Neural Processor Unit (NPU), which GoPro claims helps the GP3 double the GP2's pixel processing power.

GoPro's Mission 1 Pro is capable of filming 4:3 Open Gate video at 8K 30fps and 4K 120fps, as well as 16:9 video at up to 8K 60fps, 4k 240fps, and 1080p 960fps (enabling a maximum 32X slo-mo). This is a notable resolution upgrade compared to the GoPro Hero 13 Black, which reaches a maximum of 5.3K 30fps at 8:7, or 60fps at 16:9. The Mission 1 Pro is further able to take 50MP RAW photos, with burst capture up to 60 per second, while the Hero 13 Black maxes out at 27.13MP RAW.

Credit: GoPro

Assuming good airflow, GoPro states that its Mission 1 cameras will be able to record for around three hours at 4K 30fps on one fast-charging 2150mAh Enduro 2 Battery, or five hours at 1080p 30fps in Endurance Mode (one of 13 capture modes). It also has features such as subject tracking, which will use its 8K image sensor to deliver a 4K shot following a selected object. The Mission 1 Pro lens' native field of view (FOV) is 159-degrees, three degrees wider than the Hero 13 Black.

Though less targeted at action users, the Mission 1 Pro retains GoPro's signature durability. The camera's waterproofing allows it to be submerged up to 20 meters (66 feet) in water without any casing, twice as deep as the Hero 13 Black. Its body has raised buttons for ease of use when wearing gloves, as well as a removable lens hood to reduce glare and lens flare. GoPro further states that its large rear OLED display is 14 percent larger than its previous flagship cameras. 

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: A mirrorless camera for professionals

Credit: GoPro

For professionals who want the ability to swap out their camera lens, GoPro also unveiled its new Mission 1 Pro ILS. Largely identical to the Mission 1, the Pro ILS distinguishes itself by being mirrorless and not shipping with the GoPro Mission 1 lens. Instead, the Pro ILS has an interchangeable lens mount in its place, allowing the camera to be used with Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses and adapters.

If you typically default to GoPro's preset modes, you're better off sticking with the Mission 1. However, if you're more seriously into filmography and use various lenses, the Mission 1 Pro ILS offers that flexibility.

Importantly, the Mission 1 Pro ILS is weatherproof, not waterproof, so shouldn't be dunked in the ocean for some cool underwater shots. It's still durable even so, with GoPro claiming that it's "the world’s smallest, most rugged and versatile high-speed cinema camera."

GoPro Mission 1: An entry-level cinematic camera

The last camera in GoPro's Mission 1 lineup is the entry-level Mission 1. This camera is mostly the same as the Mission 1 Pro and PROL ILS, however its video resolution options are more limited than its siblings. The Mission 1 is capable of 4K 120fps Open Gate 4:3 video recording, as well as filming 16:9 videos at 8K 30fps, 4K 120fps, and 1080p 240fps. Like the Mission 1 Pro, it's waterproof up to 20 meters (66 feet).

GoPro Wireless Mic System: A DJI Mic competitor

Credit: GoPro

GoPro has also unveiled several accessories to accompany its new cameras, including a redesigned Mission 1 Media Mod, a Point-and-Shoot Grip, an ND Filter 4-pack, and Protective Housing that can waterproof the Mission 1 or 1 PRO for up to 60 meters (196 feet). 

Most interestingly, GoPro has made a big move into audio with its new Wireless Mic System, a competitor to DJI's creator-loved lapel mics. Considering the challenges DJI is facing to its U.S. business, creators in the country may appreciate an alternative that's easier to get their hands on.

More comparable to DJI's Mic 2 than the newer Mic 3, the GoPro Wireless Mic System can record 48kHz 24-bit audio as well as a -6dB backup track to help mitigate clipping, and has both noise reduction and adjustable gain — all features found on the DJI Mic 2. It lacks the 32-bit float and automatic adaptive gain of the DJI Mic 3, but does use a similar magnet and clip system to attach the transmitter to your clothes.

The transmission range of the Wireless Mic System sits at 150 meters (492 feet), which is considerably shorter than the DJI Mic 2's 250 meters (820 feet), and less than half of the Mic 3's 400 meters (1312 feet). Even so, most users likely won't need to record so far away from their subjects. GoPro states that its Wireless Mic System offers 6.5 hours of runtime per mic, which is comparable to the Mic 2's six hours but shorter than the Mic 3's eight. Its charging case also holds two more full charges, so you can top up your transmitters on the go. 

Though the GoPro Wireless Mic System doesn't seem to offer anything new, its similarities to the DJI Mic 2 still stand it in good stead considering how beloved the latter remains. Whether the Wireless Mic System is a tempting alternative to DJI's popular offerings may come down to its price.

GoPro Mission 1 Series: Price and availability

GoPro hasn't yet announced pricing for its new Mission 1 camera series or accessories. However, Weber told Mashable that the cameras are aimed at prosumer or professional users, offering cinematic picture quality at a comparatively affordable price point.

Pre-orders for the GoPro Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 will begin May 21, with availability starting May 28, while the Mission 1 Pro ILS will be available from the start of Q3 2026. The new Mission 1 accessories will roll out starting this May through Q3.

Last week, GoPro announced plans to lay off approximately 145 employees this year, or around 23 percent of its workforce. The company reported a $9 million loss in Q4 2025, capping off a rough few years as it faces increasingly tough competition from rivals such as Insta360 and DJI. GoPro's new Mission 1 Series suggests the company is now aiming to improve its prospects by broadening its audience appeal.

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: Dating, at any age, can be a nightmare, especially if you're looking for love in all the wrong places (or, sometimes, even if you're looking in the right places!). But brand-new data from eharmony has given me some hope for dating in my elder years.

Today, eharmony released its "Redefining Love After 40" report (which makes sense, since that's the site's main demo according to research firm SSRS), and the stats are promising, to say the least. Pop culture loves to make dating after 40 look tragic and desperate (e.g., The 40-Year-Old Virgin, The Golden Bachelor, Hitch, and so on) but as it turns out, hitting your 40s, 50s, or 60s might be the best thing that could happen to your love life (though considering the rising STI rates in these demographics, it's clear older daters are having a lot of fun — just remember to use protection!).

Eharmony's data (compiled from a survey of 3,016 U.S. singles in Feb. 2026) shows that singles in these age brackets aren't settling. Instead, they're stepping into a "chapter of possibility" with nothing holding them back, according to 23 percent of respondents. In fact, more than half (56 percent) said that turning 40 finally gave them more time to focus on themselves, and 21 percent see it as a chance to completely reinvent themselves. I do love this era of reinvention — like how divorce is giving women a way to become themselves again — but that's a topic for another time.

Here's exactly why dating after 40 isn't the horror story everyone makes it out to be.

Most people in their 40s know how to communicate.

I won't pretend there aren't emotionally immature people out there who are 40+ (please see one of my favorite tweets of all time), but eharmony's data does suggest that by this time, daters are emotionally ready for something more.

Sixty percent of daters between 40 and 49 said they're emotionally ready for a new long-term relationship. They're also cognizant of their mistakes: 44 percent of that same age group (and 46 percent of 60- to 69-year-olds) say the biggest lesson they took from past relationships is the importance of communication.

Daters in this age group are also more honest about what they want, even if it doesn't fit the traditional mold. While 15 percent of 40-somethings want companionship without the labels, that number jumps to 21 percent once you hit the 60- to 69-year-old demographic.

The sex is just better.

Nearly half (48 percent) of 40-somethings, and 61 percent of 50-somethings, say they feel more confident expressing exactly what they want in bed now than ever before. And, I think the best part of those stats is that most daters say they want an emotional connection before things get physical — specifically, 37 percent of daters in their 40s and 53 percent in their 60s.

Plus, 36 percent of the 40-49 crowd say they enjoy sex way more simply because they care less about what their partners think of their bodies. What a relief that must be! I'm not saying we all need to go full Danny from HBO's Neighbors and start strutting around a Florida nudist resort in a yellow thong (if you haven't seen it, I recommend doing so immediately), but I'll take that level of over-the-top confidence over being 22 and insecure any day.

Peace and prosperity are #goals.

By the time you hit your 40s and 50s, you've likely spent years building a life, a career, and maybe a family, so you're naturally less likely to let someone come in and wreck it. According to the report, daters in this demographic are actively rewriting the rules to protect their sanity. In fact, about 32 percent of 40- to 49-year-olds would consider maintaining completely separate households even in a long-term relationship to reduce blending stress and preserve their own routines.

Messy financials are also a major deal-breaker. For singles in their 60s, irresponsible spending (55 percent), living beyond their means (57 percent), and excessive debt (57 percent) are all reasons to immediately end a relationship.

They're not waiting around for a meet-cute.

While the meet-cute is the #dream, daters in their 40s have realized that if you're not on the apps, you're basically guaranteed a dry spell; 31 percent of singles who refuse to use them have been single for over a decade. (I know those stats hurt a little.)

Currently, 36 percent of 40-something singles are dating, and that number drops to 20 percent for singles in their fifties. Nineteen percent of 40-somethings, meanwhile, are actively swiping to find a relationship. So while they know the ropes, they might be taking a break. It might not be as romantic as a rom-com, but at least the people you're meeting know how to communicate (which is half the battle, right?).

Alienware is making OLED more accessible in the AW2726DM, its new 27-inch gaming monitor. Announced Tuesday, April 14, the display offers a vivid QHD (2,560 x 1,440) QD-OLED screen at the surprisingly reasonable price of $349.99. It's available now on Dell's website.

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Credit: Alienware

Alienware 27-inch 240Hz QD-OLED Gaming Monitor (AW2726DM)

$349.99 at Dell.com

 

Shop Now

OLED is a premium display technology that produces high contrast and deep black levels. Panels with upgraded QD-OLED (quantum dot OLED) tech are even brighter and more colorful than regular OLED panels, and thus usually more expensive. Mashable's Leah Stodart, who covers OLED TVs, tells me that the AW2726DM should be especially good for gaming in well-lit rooms.

OLED and QD-OLED gaming monitors from big-name brands like Asus, Dell, LG, MSI, and Samsung normally retail for at least $500 unless they're on sale, according to Best Buy's listings. Up until now, Alienware's QD-OLED monitors have started at $549.99 with the 27-inch AW2725D from mid-2025.

Alienware AW2726DM gaming monitor specs

The AW2726DM monitor features 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles. Credit: Alienware

The stand is tiltable, swivelable, and height-adjustable. Credit: Alienware

The AW2726DM boasts a 0.03ms response time and buttery 240Hz refresh rate, two other premium gaming features. Its tiltable, swivelable, and height-adjustable stand can be used horizontally or vertically. Here's a look at the rest of its spec sheet:

• 16:9 aspect ratio

• 178-degree horizontal and vertical viewing angles

• 111ppi pixel density

• DCI-P3 99 percent color gamut

• AMD FreeSync Premium support and VESA AdaptiveSync certification for smooth performance

• Two HDMI ports (with support for up to 120Hz refresh rates), one DisplayPort (with support for up to 240Hz), a security lock slot, and a headphone jack

• Three-year OLED burn-in warranty

Last year's AW2725D had an even better 280Hz refresh rate, a brighter screen, two extra USB ports, and support for up to 280Hz over its HDMI ports and DisplayPort — hence its higher price.

The AW2725D also supported Nvidia's G-Sync technology, which allowed it to match its refresh rate to Nvidia GeForce GPUs' framerates to minimize stuttering and screen tearing. The newer, cheaper AW2726DM monitor can only do this with AMD Radeon GPUs via AMD FreeSync Premium.

Fancy gaming monitors aren't the only Alienware hardware that's getting more accessible in 2026. The company, which has a reputation for making futuristic yet costly gaming gear, previewed a new entry-level gaming laptop at the Consumer Electronics Show back in January. It will arrive sometime later this year at "our most accessible price point yet," per a blog post.

TL;DR: Amazon sellers have the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Build and Battle Box listed from $47.95, Walmart has dropped it further to $38.95, and TCGplayer listings now start at $35.80 shipped.

Where to buy the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Build and Battle Box:

---

Best Amazon Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Build and Battle Box

$47.95 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Best TCGplayer deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Build and Battle Box

$35.80 at TCGplayer

Shop Now

---

Best Walmart Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Build and Battle Box

$38.95 at Walmart

Shop Now

The Perfect Order expansion has continued to see price fluctuations in the Pokémon TCG space. Now, you can even get the Build and Battle Box for just under $36. 

As of April 14, Amazon sellers have the Build and Battle Box listed from $47.95, down from its typical $58.95 range. Walmart has already moved lower to $38.95. Over on TCGplayer, unopened listings are now starting at $35.80 with shipping included. That puts it just $3.48 above the current $32.32 market price, and significantly below both major retailers.

At this point, the gap between listing price and market price is small enough that you’re effectively buying at market value — something that rarely happens this quickly with sealed Pokémon TCG products.

Like other Build and Battle Boxes, Perfect Order includes a 40-card ready-to-play deck, four booster packs, a code card for Pokémon TCG Live, and one of four possible foil promo cards.

For lovers of the card game who love both collecting chase cards and playing with the latest sets, boxes like these are the best way to experiment with the base 40-card deck and see if you can include any new strategies with the bonus cards you get in the boosters. 

Among other trading card deals in the Pokémon retail market right now, you can also grab the Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box for just under $70 at Walmart. For anyone hunting the much more expensive ETB for Ascended Heroes, you can find the Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box for under market price at Amazon and Walmart.

SAVE $300: As of April 14, the Samsung 55-Inch The Frame LS03F 4K QLED Smart TV has returned to its lowest-ever price of $797.99 at Amazon.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung 55-Inch Class The Frame LS03F 4K QLED TV (2025)

$797.99 at Amazon
$1,097.99 Save $300

 

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If you're looking for a TV that won't stand out as just a big ol' screen in your home, it's worth checking out Samsung's line of Frame TVs. These sleek screens double as art displays, so you can show off stylish artwork when you're not watching something.

If you've been keeping an eye out for a good deal, we have good news: Amazon's dropped the price of the Samsung 55-Inch The Frame LS03F 4K QLED Smart TV for a limited time. As of April 14, the Samsung 55-Inch The Frame LS03F 4K QLED Smart TV has dropped from $1,097.99 to $797.99 at Amazon, allowing you to save $300. This deal marks a return to the TV's lowest price point at the retailer, so what better time to grab it?

At 55 inches, this particular model of Samsung's The Frame is a nice mid-size screen. Plus, its slim design mounts nicely to a wall. It offers excellent picture quality for when you're watching your favorite shows and films thanks to 4K resolution and a QLED display that brings brilliant colors, contrast, and clarity to your screen.

For those moments when you want to display artwork, the glare-free screen features a matte texture that helps make pieces look like real art prints hanging on your wall.

Keep in mind this offer on the Samsung 55-Inch The Frame LS03F 4K QLED Smart TV is currently marked as a limited-time deal. So, if you're hoping to grab it, now is the time to make a move before the deal disappears.

After attacking the Pope over the weekend on his own Truth Social, Donald Trump doubled down in the strangest way: by sharing an AI image (now deleted) that appeared to show the president as Jesus — Trump claimed he thought "it was me as a doctor and had to do with Red Cross."

"He posted this AI image depicting himself as Jesus, presumably trying to heal Jon Stewart," says Stephen Colbert in the Late Show clip above, making the same observation that Jon Stewart made himself on The Daily Show.

"It's worth taking a moment to break down what's going on here," Colbert continues. "Above him is a heavenly host heralding the savior in chief's arrival: You've got a bunch of cloud soldiers, an astronaut with a shiv, and that middle guy is a winged man-beast with spikes where his head should be, looking like a bootleg Transformers action figure your grandma got you at the dollar store."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

TL;DR: Live stream Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers in the NBA Play-In Tournament for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA is getting serious this week. The regular season is done and dusted, and before we fully dive into the playoffs, the Play-In Tournament is here to deliver some win-or-bust action.

The Phoenix Suns face the Portland Trailblazers at the PHX Arena. The winner of this matchup will play the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs in the First Round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

If you want to watch Suns vs. Trailblazers in the NBA Play-In Tournament for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Suns vs. Trailblazers?

Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers in the NBA Play-In Tournament starts at 10 p.m. ET on April 14. This game takes place at the PHX Arena.

How to watch Suns vs. Trailblazers for free

Phoenix Suns vs. Portland Trailblazers in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S., but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

"We have a fight between the president and the Pope. The world has become a real life episode of South Park."

This is Jimmy Kimmel's summary of Donald Trump's latest outburst on Truth Social, which saw him attacking Pope Leo XIV over the weekend and calling him "WEAK on Crime", following the Pope's recent calls for peace.

"What does the Pope have to do with crime?" asks Kimmel. "He's not Batman, he's the Pope. This is what happens when you sell bibles instead of reading them."

Kimmel goes on to discuss the already infamous AI image Trump shared (and then deleted) which appeared to show him as Jesus, healing a man in a sick bed.

"Maybe the weirdest detail?" says Kimmel. "The man Donald Jesus Trump is healing looks a whole lot like Jeffrey Epstein. Even AI can't keep him from his BF, Jeff."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

TL;DR: Live stream Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The NBA is ramping up. The playoffs are fast approaching, but first we've got the small matter of the Play-In Tournament.

Charlotte Hornets face off against Miami Heat in the first matchup from this stage. Charlotte Hornets have already impressed this season, but can their young team takes some serious scalps when it matters most? The Miami Heat have been here before, so that experience might cause problems for the home team.

If you want to watch Hornets vs. Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Hornets vs. Heat?

Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat in the NBA Play-In Tournament starts at 7:30 p.m. ET on April 14. This game takes place at the Spectrum Center.

How to watch Hornets vs. Heat for free

Charlotte Hornets vs. Miami Heat in the NBA is available to live stream for free with a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime.

This free live stream is geo-restricted to the U.S., but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can access free live streams of the NBA from anywhere in the world.

Stream the NBA for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a 30-day trial of Amazon Prime (if you're not already a member)

2. Subscribe to a VPN (like ExpressVPN)

3. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

4. Open up the app and connect to a server in the U.S.

5. Watch the NBA from anywhere in the world on Prime Video

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Learn More

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer money-back guarantees or free trials. By leveraging these offers, you can watch NBA live streams without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can watch select games from the NBA before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NBA?

ExpressVPN is the best service for accessing free live streams on platforms like Prime Video, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the NBA for free with ExpressVPN.

SAVE OVER $6,000: As of April 14, the LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Smart TV is on sale for $17,999.96 at Amazon. That's $6,997.03 off its list price of $24,996.99.

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Credit: LG

LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Series Smart TV

$17,999.96 at Amazon
$24,996.99 Save $6,997.03

 

Get Deal

Have you ever dreamed of turning your living room into an at-home movie theater? The LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Smart TV is a gargantuan screen that'll push you in the right direction. The downside is it's one incredibly pricey TV, but that doesn't mean discounts don't pop up from time to time. If it's caught your eye and you've got the funds to drop on it, Amazon has knocked a whopping $6,997.03 off for a limited time.

As of April 14, Amazon has dropped the price of the LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Smart TV from $24,996.99 to $17,999.96. Again, this is unquestionably an expensive TV, but it now comes with a discount to match. If you're interested, this is a great chance to save a massive sum.

This LG TV's massive 97-inch screen is sure to impress friends and family for your next movie night, but that's not all. The OLED display, paired with 4K resolution, will make what's on screen pop with stunning colors, contrast, and clarity. Images are further boosted with the help of Dolby Vision. And as for sound? Dolby Atmos makes sure your ears catch every little noise with pin-point accuracy.

There's plenty for gamers to enjoy as well. This LG TV boasts a 0.1ms response time and up to 120Hz refresh rate, which makes sure everything runs smoothly without any screen tearing as you play, and NVIDIA G-Sync, AMD FreeSync Premium, and VRR all offer further improvements for your gaming experience.

If you're hoping to upgrade to this gigantic TV, this is a great time to save on the LG 97-Inch Class OLED evo AI 4K G5 Smart TV at Amazon.

Donald Trump is lashing out on social media again, and this time Pope Leo XIV is the target. Over the weekend, following the Pope making a call for peace, the U.S. president took to his own Truth Social to post that he was "WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy."

During his Daily Show monologue on Monday, Jon Stewart had thoughts.

"I am really starting to sour on this president. What is going through Trump's mind? What did the Pope say? He wants what? Dialogue? Peace? He wants to choose the noblest aspirations of mankind to show humanity at its greatest articulation? F**k that loser!" Stewart says. "And look, president Trump, I know the Vatican's been critical of your policies, but you got to remember that at the end of the day, you and the Catholic church both historically care deeply about the same thing: covering up sex scandals."

Stewart goes on to talk about the AI image Trump shared of himself healing a man lying in a bed — a man who, on closer inspection, does bear a striking resemblance to Stewart himself.

"Am I OK?" the host says after a long stare at the image. "What the f***?"

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

TL;DR: Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $42.98, but TCGplayer has now dropped it even lower to $39.49 with shipping included.

Where to buy the Pokémon TCG Perfect Order Booster Bundle:

---

Best Amazon Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle

$42.98 at Amazon (save $4.01)

Shop Now

---

Best TCGplayer Deal

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle

$39.49 at TCGplayer

Shop Now

---

Best Walmart deal

Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle

$42.95 at Walmart

Shop Now

In the Pokémon TCG market, products in the Perfect Order expansion keep sliding in price, and now the six-pack box has finally dipped under the $40 mark at one of the major trading card retailers.

As of April 14, Amazon has the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle listed for $42.98, while TCGplayer has unopened listings starting at $39.49 with shipping included. Walmart is still sitting at $42.95 online, so TCGplayer now has the clear lead among the three main places collectors are likely to check first.

That leaves TCGplayer $3.49 cheaper than Amazon and $3.46 lower than Walmart. It also comes in $0.72 below TCGplayer’s current $40.21 market price, while landing comfortably under the current $42.14 listed median.

At Amazon’s current price, you’re paying about $7.16 per booster pack. TCGplayer drops that to roughly $6.58 per pack for the same six booster packs, which is the better value by a pretty decent margin. Walmart comes out almost identical to Amazon on a per-pack basis, so this is one of those rare moments where the dedicated card marketplace is also the simplest answer. 

The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Perfect Order Booster Bundle includes six booster packs from the expansion, with each pack containing 10 trading cards, one Basic Energy, and one Pokémon TCG Live code card. It’s also a straightforward starting point for collecting the set’s lineup of more than 120 cards, including valuable chase cards including special illustration rares for Pokémon like Mega Zygarde ex, Mega Clefable ex, Mega Starmie ex, and Meowth ex. 

For even more reasonable prices from the new Pokémon TCG expansion, the Perfect Order Elite Trainer Box is now available for under $70. If it’s the rarer Ascended Heroes range you’re interested in buying, Amazon and Walmart are selling the Ascended Heroes Elite Trainer Box for under market price. 

SAVE OVER $150: As of April 14, the Sony XM5 headphones are on sale for $248 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on list price.

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Credit: Sony

Sony XM5 Headphones

$248 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $151.99

 

Get Deal

Looking for a new pair of headphones? You're in luck, because the Sony XM5 headphones are back on sale at Amazon, and this time you can save over $150. As of April 14, the price has dropped from $399.99 to $248, giving you a 38% discount.

If you're an audiophile, these headphones will seriously impress. They benefit from noise cancellation that uses dual processors and eight microphones to reduce background noise, with an Auto NC Optimizer that adjusts the sound based on things like your environment and the fit of the headphones.

They'll last you all day and then some, with battery life promising to run up to 30 hours. They also have a quick charge feature that gives you three hours of listening from just a three-minute charge. The design is comfortable too, thanks to the soft-fit materials.

Other features include touch controls for playback, volume, calls, and voice assistants, and Speak-to-Chat that pauses audio when you start talking.

Find this deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $20: As of April 14, the Fire Stick 4K Plus is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire Stick 4K Plus

$29.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $20.00

 

Get Deal

Looking to spruce up your streaming setup? You don't need a brand new TV or lots of expensive add-ons, because as of April 14, you can get the Fire Stick 4K Plus for just $29.99. Yep, the beloved Amazon device is back on sale, and this time with $20 off the list price.

The 4K Plus is the new name for the 4K streaming stick we already know and love, giving you the same high-quality viewing experience.

This Fire TV Stick is designed to upgrade 4K TVs with improved performance for a much smoother streaming experience. It supports WiFi 6 and delivers up to 4K Ultra HD with Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio. And to get going, all you need to do is plug it into an HDMI port on your TV and connect it to a wall outlet. It really is that simple.

When you turn it on, you'll have access to major streaming platforms like Netflix and Prime Video. It also supports cloud gaming through Xbox Game Pass, so you can stream games without a console. And like you'd expect from an Amazon device, it has Alexa voice control built in, so you can search for content by using voice commands.

You can find this deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $600: As of April 14, the Dreame L50 Ultra is on sale for $799.99 at Amazon. That's a 43% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Dreame

Dreame L50 Ultra

$799.99 at Amazon
$1,399.99 Save $600

 

Get Deal

Smart home gadgets are getting more useful all the time, whether it’s lighting that runs on a schedule or voice-activated TVs. But there's no question that one of the most practical upgrades is still the humble robot vacuum. And if you've been thinking of purchasing one, there's a great deal at Amazon right now on the Dreame L50 Ultra.

As of April 14, this vacuum is down to $799.99 from $1,399.99. That's a $600 discount, and its best-ever price. There's even two colors to choose from (black and white), so you can pick the one that will look best in your home.

It truly is a great option for just about everyone, with cleaning performance powered by a 19,500Pa Vormax suction system and supported by a TurboForce motor. It also has a HyperStream brush system that's built to reduce hair tangles on both hard floors and carpets. For edges and hard to reach spaces, it uses an extendable side and mop arms to catch dirt.

This model also comes with an all-in-one docking station. Here it handles everything from dust emptying to refilling and cleaning the mop. This means you'll get up to 100 days of maintenance before you need to assist.

This robot vacuum deal is available at Amazon now, so don't miss out.

SAVE $250: As of April 14, the Roborock Qrevo Series is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Roborock

Roborock Qrevo Series

$399.99 at Amazon
$649.99 Save $250

 

Get Deal

Robot vacuums are quickly becoming the top smart home device money can buy. And with most offering mopping alongside vacuuming, it’s easy to see why they’re so popular.

If you've been thinking of making the jump to robot, right now Amazon has a great deal on a top model that'll make the switch even easier. Meet the Roborock Qrevo Series. As of April 14, this impressive option is down to just $399.99 from $649.99. Not only are you saving $250, but that's the lowest it has been priced all year.

This robot vacuum has a 8,000Pa suction to remove dirt and debris from all floor types. It comes with an all-in-one docking station that automatically empties dust into a 2.7 liter bag, refills the water tank, and washes and dries the mopping pads, so there's really nothing for you to do.

It even has obstacle avoidance technology to help it navigate around furniture and avoid areas like stairs, without any assistance from you. The LiDAR-based navigation also allows it to map out your home accurately. And to make things even easier, the Roborock app allows you to manage the vacuum from your phone or tablet. Here you can do things like schedule cleaning or set routes for it to clean.

Sold? Head to Amazon to find this great deal.

How to choose the best Airwrap dupe

In 2026, there are more Airwrap models on the market than ever, but the price points are higher. There's the $549.99 Airwrap Origin, the $649.99 Airwrap i.d., and the $749.99 Co-anda 2x. There are some differences in performance abilities between the three models, but for the purposes of this guide, I'll be focusing on dupes that can achieve similar styling results first and foremost, and ideally use similar tech (including multiple attachments, auto-wrap curling barrels, and the airflow "grabbing" the hair known as the Coanda effect) to get to those results. You can learn more about the specific differences between the Dyson models in the FAQ below.

As for which dupes are the best, I recommend reading more about each product below, but here's the rapid-fire rundown:

If you want the most one-to-one Airwrap experience, the Shark FlexStyle is your best bet (and value). Are long-lasting curls your top priority? The T3 Aire 360's ceramic barrels outperform the FlexStyle and the Airwrap. (Frequent international travelers will also appreciate the dual-voltage of the updated Aire 360). Simply want the best blowout possible? The Amika Blowout Babe thermal brush provides your fastest, easiest, and longest-lasting results. And finally, if affordability is the name of the game, well, there's a reason everyone and their mother jumped on the Revlon One-Step train back in 2020.

Testing queue

Up next, I'll be testing DryBar's All-Inclusive Air and Active Heat multi-styler.

In 2025, content creator Gigi Bello (@okaycoolgigi) took her audience on a journey. She was determined to fix the “landlord special” — a peephole on the door of her New York City apartment that had long been painted shut. The video (and its subsequent follow-ups) went viral, landing the 28-year-old CPA a feature in People and a slew of new followers.

“Content creation kind of happened by accident after a few videos went viral, but I fell in love with it,” Bello says.

Bello's account has otherwise been dedicated to her adventures in sourdough breadmaking and her beloved starter, Eloise. But Bello says the peephole video made her realize that "no matter what I post, if I actually care about it, other people will too."

Bello adds, "Sometimes I feel like I don't want to be stuck making sourdough all the time (so sorry Eloise, I love you), but it made me feel better about posting other things I’m interested in and trusting that people will still care."

When it comes to capturing content, Bello uses a relatively low-tech setup in her apartment kitchen. We caught up with the creator about her favorite gear, her love of sourdough, and what it took to remove all those layers of paint.

Credit: Zooey Liao / Mashable / Gigi Bello / Getty Images / Google Images

What are your content creation essentials?

iPhone 17 Pro

Bello uses her iPhone to capture both video and audio. "I need something convenient, since it's basically a one-woman show and I'm filming everything myself in my kitchen, so my phone just does it all," she says.

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Credit: Apple / AT&T

iPhone 17 Pro

$1,099.99 at AT&T

 

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TikTok 

This is Bello's platform of choice and her editing software all rolled up into one. Bello says she uses TikTok for both the recording and editing of her videos.

"I find that editing in TikTok is just super convenient for me. It makes my life easier than having a bunch of random small clips in my camera roll, because I get to pause and resume recording in the same clip," she says. "And editing in TikTok is so user-friendly that I don't feel the need to use anything else if I don't have to."

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Credit: TikTok

TikTok

 

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CapCut 

For the times that she needs an editing program with a little more oomph, she turns to CapCut.

"I mainly use CapCut when I have to edit a video for a brand, since it makes me feel 'safer' that my video won't randomly be deleted. (Yes, TikTok has done this to me before)."

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Credit: CapCut

CapCut

 

Learn More

LED portable selfie light

"Sometimes (especially in the winter months) my kitchen doesn't have the greatest lighting, so the portable lights help a ton," Bello says. "I find that having the LED lights directly on me looks a little unnatural, so bouncing it feels more real."

LED portable selfie light

$13.89 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $11.10

 

Shop Now at Amazon

iPad 

Bello says she uses her iPad for doing research and taking notes.

"I'll use my iPad to search for inspiration for recipes or just go down random rabbit holes when I'm trying to think of ideas," she says.

Apple iPad

$299 at Best Buy
$349 Save $50

 

Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Walmart

What was the magic goop that got all the paint off the peephole?

Bello: CitriStrip! It's a paint and varnish stripping gel that I noticed a lot of restoration people using when trying to scrape old paint off door frames. I probably should've used a mask though; I had a headache for days after using it and accidentally breathing it in.

CitriStrip

$16.85 at Amazon
$23.99 Save $7.14

 

Shop Now at Amazon

Safe to say you're in your sourdough era?

Mashable: Talk to us about the journey there and any tools someone might need.

Bello: Honestly, the whole "in my sourdough era" thing makes me cringe (I'm sorry!!!). I've just always been someone who loves carbs. In 2024, I was scrolling and saw a lot of people talking about how hard it was to make sourdough bread; they also mentioned how much better it was for you. I decided [that] if I can successfully make sourdough, then I must be a genius. It was honestly just a test [of] my own capabilities and a way for me to have a hobby at home.

I don't think you need much to get started with making sourdough, and you probably already have the ingredients at home. Maybe the biggest thing you'd need to get started is patience.

What is your favorite loaf pan? 

Bello: My current favorite loaf pan is made by Nordic Ware. It’s super light, unlike a Dutch oven, and my recent loaves have been made using it, and they’ve come out really good.

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What do you love about what you do? 

Bello: I love that I'm able to do whatever passion project I want at the moment (Eloise being a big part of that) and share my experience with it, whether it fails or succeeds. My favorite thing is creating something from an idea, even if it seems kind of silly, and being able to make something and show it off is really gratifying.

I feel like I have a bit of a double life — my day job is more analytical and composed, but my natural personality comes out in my videos, where I get to be more creative.

Who is your ideal audience? 

Bello: My ideal audience is people who are just normal about things in the best way. Like, kind, a little nosy, and actually invested. People who enjoy the process, not just the final result, and who are okay with things not being perfect. Also, people who get my humor and aren't taking everything too seriously. I like when it feels more like we're all just hanging out versus me "posting content."

Any noteworthy achievements over the past year?

Bello: Being in People magazine for my peephole was definitely up there and something I never expected. Also, Eloise's second birthday — I can't believe I've been making sourdough for two years; it really puts it into perspective. And going to FoodiCon was something I feel really grateful for. I got to meet so many people I interact with online, and hearing that people went there to see me felt really wholesome, unreal, and a little crazy. I usually film by myself in my kitchen convincing myself none of this is real, so seeing it in real life was really fulfilling.

Does Eloise have anything she'd like to add? 

Eloise: I confess, I shoved Ophelia in the junk drawer.

When 10-year-old Kaela Polkinghorn asked NASA to make Pluto a planet again, she never expected the agency's top official to respond. 

The fourth grader from Tampa, Florida, fell for Pluto during a field trip last week to the Museum of Science & Innovation, known as MOSI. In its giant dome theater, she watched a film that showed eight planets huddled cozily around the sun. But Pluto was not included in the group hug, crying from way in the back. 

"It's very small, and it's so cute," Kaela told Mashable, "like a little baby." 

That image tugged at her heartstrings. Later, Kaela sat down with some of her Plato Academy Tampa classmates and wrote a letter asking NASA to give Pluto its planet status back. Kaela's mother, Brandy Polkinghorn, found the note.

Pluto's place in the solar system has stirred strong feelings ever since 2006, when the International Astronomical Union — the global body that sets the nomenclature for planetary objects — voted to reclassify it as a "dwarf planet." Under the organization's rules, a planet must be round and also "clear its neighborhood," meaning it dominates its orbit. Because Pluto did not meet that last criteria, the change cut the official list of planets from nine to eight, turning Pluto into a symbol of scientific debate.

Why Pluto has been such a touchy subject speaks to both nostalgia and national pride. Many people fondly remember learning acrostics, like My Very Educated Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas, for the nine planets of the solar system. In 1930, Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto from the Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, a historic moment for the grandparents of millennials and Generation X. Arizona's attachment to Pluto even led Gov. Katie Hobbs to declare the icy world the official state planet in 2024. 

At first, Kaela's letter was only meant for NASA's mailbox. Brandy and her husband, David Polkinghorn, both space and science fans, talked about where to send it. Then they showed it to a family friend, Mike Boylan, a Tampa-based weather personality with a large online following.

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"He had a hunch that maybe something would happen from it," Polkinghorn said.

Once Boylan posted it publicly, things moved fast. Within hours, the NASA administrator replied to a photo of the letter on X. 

"Kaela — " Jared Isaacman wrote on April 9, just as the Artemis II moon mission was on its way back to Earth, "We are looking into this." 

NASA cannot overturn the International Astronomical Union's decision on its own. But what the agency chooses to say about Pluto still matters, said Philip Metzger, a planetary physicist at the University of Central Florida, who has published two papers on the debate. Some scientists argue that Pluto counts as a planet because of its complex surface and active geology, even if it shares its region of space with many other icy bodies. If it's scientifically useful for researchers to call it a planet, then they should, he says.

"NASA can help contribute to consensus that the IAU definition was inappropriate," Metzger told Mashable in an email, "so it actually could be quite helpful for the administrator to take this on."

Kaela Polkinghorn felt inspired to write a letter to NASA about Pluto following a field trip to the Museum of Science & Innovation in Tampa, Florida. Credit: Brandy Polkinghorn

The IAU has not heard from NASA or administrator Isaacman about Pluto, a spokesperson confirmed, while adding that the organization understands how emotional that 2006 decision remains. 

"Scientific classifications are determined through international consensus and evidence-based processes," the organization said in a statement to Mashable. "While they are not subject to unilateral change, they can be amended if the supporting evidence changes."

But Isaacman's comments weren't a joke. NASA press secretary Bethany Stevens pointed to a Daily Mail article in March, in which the administrator said he fully supports restoring Pluto's previous status as a planet. 

For Kaela, the arguments take a simple form. She loves that Pluto is small and that photos from NASA's New Horizons spacecraft show a bright heart-shaped region on its surface. 

Science has long been part of Kaela's upbringing. Before she was born, one of her parents' first dates was at MOSI in 2004. The family can sometimes watch space launches from their neighborhood; they even saw the recent Artemis II launch light up the sky. Kaela's younger brother, Austin Polkinghorn, is a big Elon Musk fan. And Kaela is daydreaming about her future career.

Kaela Polkinghorn, left, and her friend Zoey Mead want Pluto to be a planet again. Credit: Brandy Polkinghorn

"I want to fly in a rocket," she said. 

Where does she want to go? Why, Pluto, of course.

Underneath her planetary plea is a desire for fairness. That core principle runs deep, evident in her request to include in this story the name of her friend, Zoey Mead, whom she credits as "the person who helped me most" with the letter. 

Whatever happens next with Pluto's label, one handwritten note from a 10-year-old has already accomplished something remarkable: It pushed a scientific debate from an elementary school field trip all the way to NASA's top brass.