TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection is on sale for $50.37 at Amazon, down from its $62.97 typical price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection

$50.37 at Amazon
$62.97 Save $12.60

 

Get Deal

The Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection has been no stranger to discounts since its July release, but Amazon's latest offer is putting the eight-pack Pokémon TCG box close to its best-ever price. It's a few dollars less than the last deal we covered in September.

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG Mega Greninja ex Premium Collection is available for $50.37 at Amazon, down from its $62.97 typical price. That's $12.60 saved in your pocket with 20% off, through third-party seller reVend.

This is not only $4.15 cheaper than the $54.52 Amazon price we spotted back on Sept. 9, but is also only 50 cents above its record-low price of $49.87 (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel) — which also happens to be its exact market price currently estimated on TCGplayer. 

With eight booster packs of trading cards included, you're now paying the equivalent of around $6.30 per pack before considering the other fun extras in the box. 

Those boosters consist of four Perfect Order packs, two Chaos Rising, and two Phantasmal Flames. There's also a playable foil Mega Greninja ex promo card, a larger lenticular version for collectors to display, and a reusable tech sticker.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is on sale for $79.95 at Walmart, down from its $94.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle

$79.95 at Walmart
$94.99 Save $15.04

 

Get Deal

Amazon had been making a string of 30th Celebration discounts with this week’s Pokémon Prime Day deals, but Walmart has just dropped one of the best offers for the expansion’s Booster Bundle. 

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Booster Bundle is available for $79.95 at Walmart, down $15.04 from its last $94.99 listing price. That is a 16% discount overall, with the order sold by third-party seller Realgoodeal and fulfilled by Walmart.

That’s undercutting Amazon once again, where the lowest offer currently sits at $92.40 through marketplace seller RareVoid — with this new Pokémon offer putting Walmart ahead by $12.45.

For anyone after more 30th Celebration trading cards, the six-pack Booster Bundle works out to roughly $13.33 per pack at Walmart's latest price. Each booster contains six holographic cards, including one of 30 different Pikachu rare variants, while the wider set also features Mewtwo ex, Mew ex, Umbreon ex, Salamence ex, and Greninja ex.

If you’re buying packs to hunt the expansion’s chase cards, you can buy almost any single 30th Celebration chase card right now at TCGplayer — including the $6k+ RGB Rare Mew, the $80+ SIR Mew ex, and the $70+ SIR Gengar ex. 

SAVE OVER $90: As of Oct. 9, select colors of the Ninja Luxe Café Premier are on sale for $499.95 at Amazon. That's $99.05 off their typical price of $599.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Ninja

Ninja Luxe Café Premier 3-in-1 Espresso Machine

$499.95 at Amazon
$599 Save $99.05

 

Get Deal

Even though the Prime Big Deal Days sale has come to an end, a few kitchen deals are still lingering around on Amazon. Among them is a price cut on one of our favorite Ninja appliances, the Ninja Luxe Café Premier.

As of Oct. 9, both the green and cyberspace colors of the Ninja Luxe Café Premier are roughly $100 off their list price at Amazon, marked down to $499.95 (the lowest-ever price for the former and very close for the latter). The stainless steel model is also on sale for a few cents extra at $499.99, so you have a few options to choose from if you're still shopping around.

Whether you want a straight cup of espresso or just a standard cup of drip coffee, the versatile Ninja Luxe Café Premier can handle it with its various brewing styles. For espresso, you can choose between a double shot or a quad shot, while your drip coffee options range from classic to rich to over ice. There are also two cold brew styles — cold-pressed espresso or cold brew coffee — so you don't have to settle for just one drink type during the day.

If you enjoy lattes or cappuccinos, it also features a Dual Froth System that combines steaming and whisking to deliver textured microfoam in your drinks. To make it easy to whip up, the machine also has four preset programs to get it done: steamed milk, thin froth, thick froth, and cold foam.

We consider it to be Ninja's best espresso and coffee machine, as it "strikes the perfect balance of user-friendly design with high-end settings." If it has caught your eye, don't miss out on this chance to save at Amazon.

"I always do what I say. If you look back, promises made, promises kept."

That's a comment made by Trump at a recent rally and, as you can probably imagine, Jimmy Kimmel has some feedback. In the clip above the late night host tests Trump's statement with some year-old footage of the president saying he thinks gasoline will be "below $2" at some point in the near future — accompanied with a huge red X and a buzzer sound.

"Ooh, sorry, that is incorrect, that average price of gasoline is $4 and 36 cents," says Kimmel. "You know a lot of people don't know, the word 'bullshit' has a 'b' in it."

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

SAVE $79.80: As of Oct. 9, the Shark Matrix Plus is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Shark

Shark Matrix Plus

$199.99 at Amazon
$279.79 Save $79.80

 

Get Deal

If you want to make it easier to keep your floors clean, a robot vacuum is a great upgrade. These handy gadgets take the hassle out of keeping your floors clean, with many models offering features such as self-emptying bins, smart mapping, and mopping capabilities. And as of Oct. 9, you can get a great deal on the Shark Matrix Plus at Amazon, which is now down to $199.99.

This is the best-ever price for this robot vacuum, so now's the time to buy.

This robot vacuum from Shark combines powerful suction with sonic mopping to tackle both dirt and tough stains across carpets and hard floors. Its Matrix Clean technology uses a precision grid pattern to make multiple passes over messes, and the CleanEdge Detect uses blasts of air and corner recognition to pull debris out from awkward edges and corners into its cleaning path.

And like some of the best models, it also has automatic dustbin emptying. The bagless base can hold up to 30 days' worth of dirt and debris. It also has a Recharge & Resume function. This lets the robot return to its base when the battery runs low, recharge, and then pick up where it left off.

Get this robot vacuum deal now.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $239.88 at Walmart. That's well below its $261.06 market price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box

$239.88 at Walmart

 

Pre-order Here

Only a day after the first Amazon preorders for the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign expansion dropped, Walmart has come along with an even better price on the expansion’s biggest booster box. With the new Mega Evolution collection arriving in less than a month, there's now a chance to secure 36 packs for considerably less than market value.

As of Oct. 9, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $239.88 at Walmart, sold and shipped by third-party seller RIPMART. 

That puts Walmart $30.06 below Amazon’s now-cheapest listing of $269.94, and undercuts TCGplayer's current market price of $261.06. Even the lowest available TCGplayer listing can’t compete, currently at $261.34.

There's a small catch with Walmart's cheaper preorder. While free shipping is included, delivery is currently estimated for Nov. 17. That's 11 days after Delta Reign's Nov. 6 release. As a silver lining, the preorder price guarantee means you won’t be charged until dispatch (unless paying with PayPal or a gift card), but in this case, all orders will be final and non-returnable. 

Delta Reign is a 135+ trading card expansion with the spotlight on Rayquaza and plenty of powerful ex Pokemon cards, including plenty of Mega Evolutions and high-value Special Illustration Rares and Mega Hyper Rares as chase cards. 

Delta Reign’s equivalent Japanese expansion, Storm Emerlada, came out earlier this year. The cards that come out in the Western release aren’t always the same as the Japanese version, but if you’re a Pokemon fan who just loves to collect the artwork, you can view and buy single Storm Emerlada Storm cards right now on TCGplayer.

SAVE $150.04: As of Oct. 8, the Beats Studio Pro are on sale for $149.95 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Studio Pro

$149.95 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $150.04

 

Get Deal

Beats Studio Pro are still on sale following Prime Day, so if you're hoping to snag a great audio deal, this is a great choice. It has risen slightly from its Prime Day low of $119, but they're still down to $149.95, which is 50% off the usual list price.

They are really impressive headphones, designed to give you clear audio in both directions, with voice-focused microphones that help filter out background noise during calls. They also support lossless audio via USB-C and offer three sound profiles: Beats Signature, Entertainment, and Conversation, letting you adjust the listening experience to suit your activity.

Noise cancellation is also incredibly strong, with modes including Adaptive Active Noise Canceling and Transparency, whether you want to block out distractions or hear more of your surroundings.

Another bonus is the battery life. According to Beats, you can expect up to 40 hours of listening on a full charge. Plus, a 10-minute Fast Fuel charge will give you up to four hours of playback, a great feature when you're running low and short on time.

Head to Amazon to grab this Beats deal now.

SAVE $20: As of Oct. 9, the CMF Watch 3 Pro is on sale for $59 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nothing

CMF Watch 3 Pro

$59 at Amazon
$79 Save $20

 

Get Deal

If you've been on the lookout for an affordable fitness tracker deal, consider your search over. The CMF Watch 3 Pro has dropped in price at Amazon, making an already budget-friendly watch even easier on the wallet.

Normally $79, it's dropped to its best-ever price, now just $59. This price applies to all colorways, so you can choose from ash gray, light green, orange, and dark gray.

Despite its low price, this watch has plenty to offer in the way of fitness tracking. There are more than 130 workout modes and GOMORE-powered insights into aerobic and anaerobic performance, training load, and recovery. The watch can also automatically detect seven types of movement, making it easier to log exercise even if you forget to start tracking manually. It also has built-in GPS to provide more accurate location tracking.

Health monitoring is impressive thanks to a four-channel heart rate sensor, round-the-clock heart rate monitoring, and SpO₂ measurements. It even has advanced sleep tracking that provides a breakdown of sleep stages, along with stress monitoring.

This deal is available at Amazon now, but only for a limited time.

Tropical Storm Rachel is threatening to drop several inches of rain on the Southwest this weekend into early next week.

The storm, which has weakened slightly as of Friday morning, is expected to make landfall as a tropical storm late Saturday or early Sunday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which offers online storm-tracking forecasts and graphics on the National Hurricane Center website.

Tropical Storm Rachel has 50-mph maximum sustained winds and is currently heading northeast at 3 mph. as of 5 a.m. ET Friday, according to the NHC forecast.

The storm is expected to pick up speed over the next couple of days as it approaches the Baja Peninsula, though little strengthening is expected, according to the National Hurricane Center's prediction cone.

The NHC forecasts up to five inches of rain as the storm moves inland this weekend. The latest forecasts, updated multiple times daily, can be tracked online on the National Hurricane Center website.

SAVE $170.99: As of Oct. 9, the Garmin Venu 3S is on sale for $279 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Garmin

Garmin Venu 3S

$279 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $170.99

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is well and truly over, but the discounts have in no way stopped.

We're still seeing record lows across a number of products, including this latest deal on the Garmin Venu 3S. As of Oct. 9, this Garmin fitness tracker is down from $449.99 to $279, saving you over $170. This is the lowest-ever price for this watch. The watch comes in five colors: French gray, sage gray, ivory, dust rose, and pebble gray, and all colorways are discounted to the same low price.

This Garmin is a great choice if you want a watch with plenty of health and fitness tools, but still want it to look nice on your wrist. Built-in tools include Body Battery, which uses data from sleep, naps, stress, and activity to estimate your energy levels. Its sleep-tracking features also provide a daily sleep score, HRV insights, and tailored coaching.

When it comes to exercise, you can record a wide range of activities, including running, swimming, Pilates, and hiking. There's also a feature called Workout Benefit. This breaks down how each session affects your body, along with recovery time estimates to help you gauge when you might be ready to train again.

This Garmin deal is available to buy at Amazon right now.

SAVE OVER $30: As of Oct. 9, the 100-quart Coleman Marine Cooler is on sale for $99.99 at Amazon. That's $35 off its full price of $134.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Coleman

Coleman Marine Cooler

$99.99 at Amazon
$134.99 Save $35.00

 

Get Deal

The next round of sales might be a little way away, but Amazon isn't holding off until then to drop more deals. Actually, if you're searching for discounts on outdoor items, there are plenty of deals still live after Prime Big Deal Days.

Coleman's 100-quart Marine Cooler is one of the best. It's still sitting at its Prime Day price, though probably for not much longer.

As of Oct. 9, this Coleman cooler is still on sale for $99.99 at Amazon post-Prime Day, a $35 price cut from its normal list price. It's not exclusive to Prime members, which is an exciting bonus. However, its "limited time deal" tag indicates the clock is ticking to save, so be quick to add it to your shopping cart.

This 100-quart Coleman cooler offers plenty of space to store your favorite drinks. It can hold up to 160 cans, so you can stock up for your next camping trip or gathering. It's also fully insulated, can keep ice for up to five days, and features a UV coating that helps protect it from the sun.

Moving it around won't feel like a hefty chore, as it's fitted with sturdy six-inch wheels and a handle to grab and wheel it around. But again, it may not be at this sale price for long, especially the further away we get from Prime Big Deal Days.

Be quick to save $35 on Coleman's 100-quart Marine Cooler while it's still on sale at Amazon.

Hurricane Isaias could reach Category 3 this morning as it approaches landfall on the Gulf Coast.

While the forecast calls for the storm to weaken slightly ahead of landfall, the storm is still expected to make landfall as a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which offers a suite of online storm-tracking forecasts and graphics on the National Hurricane Center website.

As of 5 a.m. ET Friday, Hurricane Isaias has 110-mph maximum sustained winds and is moving north-northeast at 15 mph. It's located about 200 miles away from the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the NHC forecast.

The National Hurricane Center's prediction cone shows the storm turning north today as it approaches the Gulf Coast.

Most of the spaghetti models predict the storm will make landfall between Mobile, Alabama and Pensacola, Florida, according to storm tracking site Cyclocane. It's important to remember that the impacted areas are far larger than the plotted points of a spaghetti model.

Hurricane warnings are in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to the Bay and Gulf County lines in Florida, with tropical storm warnings extending even further east and west of the storm's path. A storm surge warning is in effect from between the Mouth of the Mississippi River to the Suwannee River.

A spaghetti model is a collection of storm-tracking forecasts that plot their predictions of a storm's path, all overlaid on a map to provide an estimated visual track of the storm.

The latest forecasts, updated multiple times daily, can be tracked online on the National Hurricane Center website.

TL;DR: Iniu has launched its all-new Rugged 10,000mAh Power Bank for $54.99 on Amazon, with an exclusive $49.99 introductory price on the Forest Camo version at Target. It packs 45W fast charging, dual USB-C ports, IP67 waterproofing, and built-in emergency lighting into a trail-ready 6.9-ounce frame.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Iniu

Iniu Outdoor Rugged 10,000mAh Portable Charger

$54.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Portable chargers are great until you get caught in an unexpected downpour or find out the hard way that dust ruined your charging port.

Iniu has debuted its Rugged 10,000mAh Power Bank, built specifically for day hikes, cycling routes, and weekend camping trips. This trail battery cranks out 45W fast charging from a lightweight 6.9-ounce shell wrapped in thick silicone armor.

It carries an IP67 dustproof and waterproof rating to survive full submersion and muddy campsites, plus military-grade drop protection for falls up to 3.9 feet. A sealed rubber flap keeps grit out of the dual USB-C ports, which deliver enough juice to give an iPhone 17 roughly 1.7 charges.

What makes this power bank practical on a trail is how effortlessly you can mount it to your gear. It comes with a detachable carabiner so you can clip it onto your backpack straps for easy access on steep climbs. If you are on a bike, there is an integrated 1/4"-20 tripod thread built into the frame, letting you screw the battery straight onto handlebar mounts to feed continuous power to a GPS unit or bike light during long rides.

Credit: Iniu

Credit: Iniu

Iniu also tossed in an integrated emergency LED flashlight on the side with three distinct settings: a steady white beam for searching inside your tent, a steady red light to preserve your night vision, and a flashing red beacon for emergency signaling.

Snag the Iniu Rugged 10,000mAh power bank and upgrade your next hike with reliable, trail-tested power.

If you grew up in Spain or know your arts, you'll likely know Federico García Lorca. If not, be seated. The iconic, Granada-born 20th century poet and playwright — a friend of Salvador Dalí, and a gay man — lived during the Spanish Civil War, a time when political violence was rife and queerness was persecuted. 

Lorca began writing the play La Bola Negra in 1936, the first year of the war between Republicans and Franco's fascist Nationalists — and the same year he was murdered by right-wing Nationalists. And it's this piece of unfinished theatre that lies at the heart of Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi's extraordinary 2026 film, a magnificent epic that draws threads between Lorca's work and the Spanish gay men connected to it. 

It's a devastating film that will leave you heartbroken, for sure, but it's a vital, transcendent experience. With exemplary performances, transfixing cinematography, and a non-linear narrative fuelled by a family mystery, La Bola Negra brings lost pages of queer, literary, and political history to life. And we won't be forgetting that musical appearance from Penélope Cruz anytime soon, either.

La Bola Negra humanises history, drawing threads from the Spanish Civil War to the present.

A film of three contexts, La Bola Negra connects gay men across time within Spain: Carlos in 1932, Sebastián in 1937, and Alberto in 2017. Here, Calvo and Ambrossi, with fellow screenwriter Alberto Conejero, run parallel to Mascha Schilinski's Sound of Falling, with both films weaving a complex tapestry of characters across time. But here, thanks to editor Alberto Gutiérrez, these men's stories are directly connected, and it's the puzzle of the film to bring them together.

We first meet Sebastián (an exceptional debut from Álvaro Lafuente Calvo, aka musician Guitarricadelafuente), who is forced into the Nationalist army. We meet this gentle trumpet player in a shocking opening scene in which his northern Spanish village in Cantabria is destroyed by Italian forces. It's a sequence visually reminiscent of Pablo Picasso's 1937 masterpiece Guernica, the nearby site of similarly devastating Civil War violence (and painted in the same year as Sebastián's storyline). Horses run in terror, homes burn, children mourn slain mothers, and Nationalist soldiers surround the village, as Raül Refree's haunting choral score sounds.

Forced into the ranks of fascists, Sebastián is assigned to a Nationalist army hospital near key battleground Santander, where truckloads of wounded bodies arrive daily, very few alive. He's ordered to guard injured Republican lieutenant colonel Rafael Rodríguez Rapún (a wonderful Miguel Bernardeau), a prisoner of war peeled from the pile. No hate in his heart, Sebastián feels drawn to this beautiful stranger, supposedly the enemy. As for Rafael, he holds the key to the whole triptych, the heart of La Bola Negra itself.

Second, we meet the young Carlos (talented newcomer Milo Quifes) in pre-war Granada, rejected from an aristocratic casino because of his homosexuality. Third, with a rattling cut to modern smartphone technology, we meet Alberto (an excellent Carlos González) in the near-present, a historian and playwright whose casual Grindr dalliances are interrupted by an unexpected family inheritance. Such a mystery sends him on a quest into the past — and into uneasy conversations with his chaotic mother (a flawless Lola Dueñas). 

How these three storylines connect is the true magic of La Bola Negra, with each tale shedding light on the other, and building a powerful portrait of queer identity across decades.

La Bola Negra weaves queer desire through decades.

Like Glenn Close's historian character in the film (she's in it!), La Bola Negra is more concerned with the people between the historical events, especially those of the LGBTQ community, existing surrounded by violent heteronormativity and political chaos. Each storyline simmers in the Spanish heat, with all three mainly set in the height of summer in Granada, Santander, and Madrid.

A profound, steamy connection in the aftermath of violence, the forbidden love story between Sebastián and Rafael simmers with longing, melancholy, and inevitability, with director of photography Gris Jordana exquisitely crafting a glimmer of desire in a hopeless place. In the film's sparkling musical highlight, a dazzling Penélope Cruz plays Nené Romero, a cupletista who performs for the rowdy Nationalist troops and opens Sebastián's perspective to the queer experience. (This performance feels deeply linked to Marlene Dietrich's performance in Witness for the Prosecution as the military crowd grows more and more aggressive). 

In Granada, the socially rejected Carlos finds solace with fellow outcasts in sweaty tavernas with his friends, the openly queer Lorenzo (Mario Silva) and painfully tempting Enrique (Hugo Welzel). And in the 2010s, Alberto's queerness is inextricable from his everyday existence, living a full life in Madrid with his beloved Juan Pablo (a wonderful appearance from Problemista's Julio Torres), a historian hesitant to investigate his own story.

And while you're figuring out the connection between all three storylines, and surviving the tragedies within them, the film thrives from some of the most jaw-dropping production design you'll see onscreen.

La Bola Negra boasts exquisite historical (and surreal) production design.

Giving you a complicated glimpse into Spain during the Civil War, art director Roger Bellés and costume designer Ana López Cobos have crafted something truly staggering — particularly within the two storylines set in the 1930s. The bloody halls of wartime in Sebastián's narrative are set against cocktail-abundant Granadan casino parlors in Carlos' story, the spilt blood and festering wounds of the army hospital contrasting with pure pre-war decadence. The film also plays with surrealism through some stunning sequences, particularly in Carlos' storyline.

And beneath all of this, Lorca's poetry and prose burns, the inspiration for such an ambitious triptych. In La Bola Negra, Calvo and Ambrossi not only pay tribute to the Spanish icon, but examine common threads through queer history, ask important questions of inheritance and secrets, and craft a love story so real and devastating you'll be unlikely to forget it. It's probably best expressed by Lorca himself, who makes an appearance in the film courtesy of the magnetic Alberto Cortés. "This country has too many love stories buried in the fields," he says of Spain, but really, you could be anywhere. 

La Bola Negra was reviewed out of BFI London Film Festival. It will open in NYC and L.A. on Oct. 16.

Jordan Firstman has forged his reputation in comedy with a spiky and unapologetically queer sense of humor, as seen in his writing for Search Party, and his performances in Sebastián Silva's dark comedy Rotting in the Sun, and Rachel Sennott's chic satire I Love LA. Firstman stays strongly on brand with his directorial debut, Club Kid. But this New York City story is also a hopeful fairy tale about growing up and getting your shit together. 

Smartly cast and full of energy, Club Kid is a feel-good movie that doesn't fall into the trap of being overly sentimental. It's far less broad that Big Daddy, Mr. Mom, or Three Men and a Baby, and exponentially more queer. But reflective of the film itself, it's the throbbing heart at its core that suggests Firstman's perspective is growing as his hero is. 

Club Kid is a comedy for the fuck-ups.

Jordan Firstman and Reggie Absolom co-star in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

Imagine someone made a movie about your messiest friend. And if you are that friend, brace yourself to be seen. (We listen, and we do judge a little!) 

Written, helmed, and starring Firstman, Club Kid centers on Peter Green, a flailing party promoter who's spent the last decade or so doing hard drugs, staying out all night, and hooking up with untold men in Manhattan (and perhaps some of the cooler outer boroughs). 

Now in his thirties, this lifestyle isn't as cute as it used to be. Crashing on his couch is Nicky (Eldar Isgandarov), a surly twink who fancies himself a "low-key philosopher." Thrashing his business is his inability to resist the coke and ketamine that he's selling on the side of party planning. Showing up sloppy high to a sales meeting puts him on the outs with his ferocious business partner (Cara Delevingne), who feels smugly superior for being able to handle a bump before lunch. 

It's into all this chaos that Arlo (Reggie Absolom) is dropped. Kirby Howell-Baptiste, in an explosion of British party girl charisma and comedic outrageousness, turns up as Edison, who drops a bomb with a smile. Ten-year-old Arlo is Peter's son, spawned from a forgotten threesome a decade ago. His mom, a Brit he knew as "Innit babes," went back to London, had the kid, got abused by her boyfriend, and ultimately died by suicide. So, Edison reasons, Arlo belongs to his bio dad now. 

Peter is so bad at adulting he can't even begin to make sense of this. But he does give the kid a place to stay and begins to grow attached. They bond over music. And being raised by a mom addicted to the party scene, Arlo is familiar with Peter's world in some vague way, and so quickly wins over a clutch of overgrown club kids, including a beguiling trans DJ called Saffron (Saturn Risin9). 

Meanwhile, Peter sees himself in a new light through Arlo's eyes. Could he be more than a dealer and an aging addict? Could he be a responsible dad? Could he abstain from casual sex and hard partying and settle into a loving relationship with Arlo's therapist (Diego Calva)? Club Kid paves a path where this could be possible, but not without some logical bumps along the way. 

Club Kid shows Firstman has a distinctive vision as a director. 

Jordan Firstman directs "Club Kid." Credit: A24

As you might expect of a New York City-set movie premiering at NYFF, Club Kid depicts the city with an authentic intimacy. For starters, the film begins inside an Uber, where the stoic driver (Jamil Zraikat) speaks gently on the phone in a foreign language, before his car is overrun with tweaking club kids who crank up house music and sing along, while their bodies shimmy in feathers, sequins, sweat, and glitter.  

Cinematographer Adam Newport-Berra follows Peter from the cab into a club, where the lights are a bleeding purple neon, and the music blares so loud the theatrical audience might be tempted to cover their ears. Yet, it's clear from Firstman's onscreen thrall that Peter feels at home in this cacophony. Later, after Arlo becomes part of his life, the lights are red, blurring more features, and the handheld camera that once expressed enthusiasm turns panicked. A strobe light that bursts white in a relentless pulse throws the audience into a desperate search to make out what's on screen, reflecting Peter's panic as he seeks a missing Arlo. 

In calmer moments, the static camera captures everyday New York events with awe, like flipping through the bins of a vintage record shop, chatting on a park bench with a friend, or moving a gifted piano up an unwelcoming staircase. The use of 35mm enhances the romance of the city, imbuing each frame with the familiar grain distortion many generations still associate with cinema. Firstman and Newport-Berra create a terrific balance of the beauty and unpredictability of New York. So, when Arlo speaks simply of his affection for the city, there's a flush of comfort in knowing he gets it. 

Club Kid is brilliantly cast. 

Jordan Firstman writes, directs, and stars in "Club Kid." Credit: A24

First up, Firstman wrote a role for himself that's strategic and well-suited. He gets to deliver the kind of snarky jokes his fans might expect. But then, the plot probes deeper, giving him the chance to earnestly portray vulnerability, worry, adoration, and desperation. This is not a vanity project, as Peter is a bit of a clown. 

Beyond him, casting director Carmen Cuba has selected a superb array of supporting players to build out Peter's chosen family. Delevingne, who has her own reputation as an eccentric socialite, strides smoothly into the role of a party monster. Howell-Baptiste is a one-woman show as the human tornado that is Edison, beaming and enchanting while delivering darkly hilarious dialogue. Risin9 is a standout in the party posse, radiant, warm, and mischievous, like that cool cousin we all aspired to be. Isgandarov is terrific as Nicky, swiftly capturing a familiar queer archetype, then plunging in with jubilant spontaneity. He's perfectly paired with Colleen Camp (Clue), who plays Peter's downstairs neighbor Evelyn, a kind of chosen godmother who has money, scads of style, and a big heart exploding with tough love. 

And then there's Arlo. Absolom, who some might recognize from The Other Bennet Sister, is simply terrific. He offers a open stare that comes off not as naive but knowing. And in that, there's a bit of tragedy. But this child is fueled by hope, hope that tomorrow will be better than the yesterday he's seen. He hopes Peter can be his real dad. He hopes he can weave himself into the club scene, in part because he has a true love of it from his mom's influence, and in part — it seems — so he can ingratiate himself to his newly revealed father. In moments of tension, you see this façade of maturity crack as Absolom and Firstman make sure the audience sees past the precociousness to the simple truth: He's just a kid. He needs a security that he's never known. And the film grows slower and more meditative as Peter grapples with what that means. 

In the end, Club Kid gives an ending that is happy and earned. Firstman doesn't abandon the path in favor of a Hollywood ending that will have audiences cheering. Instead, he delivers something more realistic, but still hopeful and aspirational. It's a happy ending the way New York City understand them, and that's a hard-won gift. 

Club Kid was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. It opens in theaters on Nov. 6. 

TL;DR: 1min.AI Advanced Business is just $69.97 for life through Oct. 11 during this Deal Days sale.

Opens in a new window

Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$69.97
$540 Save $470.03

 

Get Deal

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but it’s manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option. 1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription during this Prime Day alternative (reg. $540).

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects. There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations.

For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

• GPT-5.5 Pro

• Claude 4.1 Opus and Claude 4.5 Sonnet

• Gemini 3.1 Pro

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month.

The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

Lifetime 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan access is just $69.97 (reg. $540) through Oct. 11 for deal Days.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Give your PC a fresh set of tools with this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $249.99) through Oct. 11.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows: Lifetime License

$49.97
$249.99 Save $200.02

 

Get Deal

You probably don’t need an introduction to Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, because you’ve been using them all for years… but you might need a fresh license for your PC. Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows equips your PC with six tools to tackle personal and professional tasks.

Right now, you can secure this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for just $49.97 through Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

Whether you’ve been living without Microsoft Office for a while or you’re simply sick of paying to use the apps monthly, this Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus license comes in clutch. It works on your PC as a non-binding key, which means it links to your device and not your Microsoft account. This makes it more affordable, allowing you to pay once and enjoy it for life.

This Microsoft Office license comes with six productivity apps, some you’ve known for decades and others that may be new to you. It gives your PC permanent access to Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, and Access.

You’ll enjoy upgraded features such as advanced data analysis and database management, plus a dark mode option when you need it. Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows also offers enhanced security and compliance capabilities to keep you safer.

Score this lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for just $49.97 now through Oct. 11

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Some films hold your face right up to the world’s worst horrors and refuse to let you go for hours, days, even weeks after you’ve viewed them. Such is the case with NAZA, the latest documentary from Israeli filmmakers Yuval Abraham and Rachel Szor. The pair previously co-directed 2024’s Oscar–winning No Other Land, alongside Palestinian filmmakers Basel Adra and Hamdan Ballal.

The film is made up almost entirely of interviews with 24 anonymous Israeli military and intelligence officers, conducted by Abraham at night on the rooftops of Tel Aviv. As the skyline twinkles behind them and the nighttime hum of the city occasionally filters through their conversations, they tell Abraham how the Israeli military employs AI and high-tech surveillance systems to target and kill Palestinians. Following NAZA’s premiere at the Venice International Film Festival, where it received the Special Jury Prize, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to strip Abraham and Szor of their citizenship. 

Each section of NAZA breaks down a specific system Israel uses to bomb Palestinians. “Lavender” is an AI program that creates a kill list of potential targets with links to Hamas. According to reporting from +972 Magazine, Local Call, and NAZA producer The Guardian, upon which the film is based, that list targeted up to 37,000 people based on their phone activity, be that regularly changing a cell phone or operating in proximity to known militants. The AI is imprecise: At one point, an interviewee recalls using Lavender to target a bakery owner who served militants, yet who wasn’t one himself. Another system discussed is “Where’s Daddy?” which monitors the texts of militants’ family members to learn when they will be home. When the texts indicate that the target has arrived at home, Israeli forces know they can bomb the home, killing their target as well as everyone who lives with him.

The Israeli military has come up with a term for the number of additional lives lost when carrying out a strike: NAZA, an acronym for the Hebrew phrase nezek agavi, meaning collateral damage. If they know that 15 people will die in an operation, they do not say that 15 lives will be lost. They say “15 NAZA.” The term is a chilling example of the Israeli military’s dehumanization of Palestinians. With each utterance of “NAZA,” you hear disregard for human life. As interviewees sketch out diagrams of how these systems work, you see how clinical the approach to these operations is.

Abraham and Szor do not show any footage of the horrors these systems wreak in Gaza until the film’s devastating final moments. The effect is not one of concealment, but of accountability: It forces all the attention onto the interviewees, each of whom lays out the facts of their work clearly and precisely. There is no hiding from their words or their broader implications about the large-scale killing taking place mere miles from the interview sites. There is also no hiding from the tactics they use to justify their work. Some interviewees think using a machine to find targets is better than leaving the decision to humans, as it removes the emotion from the killing. One of the architects of Lavender does not see himself as having blood on his hands. Other interviewees reiterate they were just following orders, one saying they’re just a “small cog” in a larger machine.

While the interviewees do occasionally show remorse, witnessing them alienate themselves from the horrors time and again is staggering. Their compartmentalization, as well as Abraham and Szor’s insistence on keeping viewers removed from Gaza, recalls the complicity on display in 2023’s The Zone of Interest, about the day-to-day lives of a German commandant and his family living in the shadow of Auschwitz. (The Zone of Interest director Jonathan Glazer and producer James Wilson serve as producers on NAZA.) That film is both an indictment of one of the greatest atrocities in human history and a warning cry to not let something this evil happen again. 

NAZA is living proof that it is.

NAZA was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. It is now playing in select New York theaters and expands across the U.S. Oct. 9.

2026 is full of scary times. But if you like your horror confined to the screen, we've got you covered with a selection of the best that this year has had to offer so far.

Mashable's entertainment team has an insatiable thirst for all things horror. As such, we've not only seen the big flashy releases like Lee Cronin's The Mummy, Kevin Williamson's Scream 7, Nia Dacosta's 28 Year Later: Bone Temple, Maggie Gyllenhaal's The Bride!, and Sam Raimi's Send Help, but also indie offerings like Backrooms, Obsession, Iron Lung, and Hokum.

Whether you like to shiver for zombies, cackle for horror comedy, gleefully gag over gross-out scares, get goosebumps over serial-killer thrillers, or dream of surreal twists that'll ensure nightmares, we've got you covered.

Here are the best horror movies of 2026 so far.

15. Iron Lung

Horror has a rich tradition of trapping characters in claustrophobic spaces and making them suffer, and Iron Lung cranks that premise up to 11. The film follows Simon (Mark Fischbach, aka YouTuber Markiplier), a convict in a post-apocalyptic future forced to trade prison for an exploratory mission down to the bottom of a blood ocean on an alien moon. The stuff of nightmares? Yes! And Markiplier (who also directs) amps up the tension with juddering submarine noises and occasional creepy X-ray photos taken by the submarine of its unpleasant surroundings.

This movie isn't perfect — at over two hours, it feels longer than it needs to be, and the characters aren't particularly fleshed out — but it's worth watching for one sequence near the end alone, which is cosmic horror at its most terrifying and blood-spattered. — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Mark Fischbach, Caroline Kaplan, Troy Baker, Elsie Lovelock, Elle LaMont, Mick Lauer, Seán McLoughlin, and Isaac McKee

How to watch: Iron Lung is available to rent or buy on YouTube.

14. Cold Storage

Fungal horror gets the chills in Cold Storage, an infectious film that knows its lineage. Directed by Jonny Campbell (Am I Being Unreasonable?), and written by Jurassic Park co-scribe David Koepp based on his 2019 novel, Cold Storage takes a real event (NASA's Skylab falling out of orbit in 1979) and makes it the catalyst for gruesome events within a U.S. storage facility. Stranger Things' Joe Keery and Barbarian's Georgina Campbell as chatty employees investigating strange noises are a delight. And thanks to the genius of special makeup effects designers Lou and Dave Elsey (the team who brought you the corpiscle of True Detective: Night Country), Cold Storage is full of grisly, festering gore. As I wrote in my review, "Unlike its hazardous fungus (or Koepp's original book), Cold Storage isn't that deep. Instead, the film is a fun body horror comedy that grows on you — or might result in projectile vomiting?" — S.C.

Starring: Georgina Campbell, Joe Keery, Sosie Bacon, Vanessa Redgrave, Lesley Manville, and Liam Neeson

How to watch: Cold Storage is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

13. Primate

From Johannes Roberts, helmer of the uniquely scary shark thriller 47 Meters Down, comes a creature feature that should have you thinking twice about treating a wild animal as a pet.

Set in a remote mansion in Hawaii, Primate begins with college student Lucy Pinborough (Johnny Sequoyah) coming home to her younger sister (Gia Hunter), her hard-of-hearing dad (Troy Kotsur), and their pet chimpanzee, Ben. For added fun (and a higher body count), Roberts and co-writer Ernest Riera loop in some college friends and a couple of hot guys looking to party. What could have been a night of booze and sex becomes one of blood and death because Ben has contracted rabies, and so goes from pet to predator.

It's not deep or remotely sophisticated. But if you seeking something gnarly, Primate has got bite. — K.P.

Starring: Johnny Sequoyah, Jessica Alexander, Gia Hunter, and Troy Kotsur

How to watch: Primate is now available on demand.

12. Obsession

Audiences went feral for writer/director Curry Barker's ultra-creepy Obsession. The film turns rom-com expectations on its head by presenting a lovelorn protagonist named Bear (Michael Johnston), who might seem like a nice guy but is actually the movie's villain.

Obsessed with his friend Nikki (a riveting Inde Navarrette), he makes a wish that she'll not only notice him, but will love him more than anyone else. In the way of the mythic monkey's paw, this wish goes horribly wrong, transforming Bear's dream girl into a nightmare. Obsession is thoroughly chilling, especially thanks to Navarrette's harrowing performance. But Barker's exploration of sexual politics ultimately feels juvenile because of a flubbed final act. As I explained more in-depth in my review, "This makes the finale of Obsession unnerving — not so much for what it shows, but for the empathy it ultimately lacks." — K.P.

Starring: Michael Johnston, Inde Navarrette, Cooper Tomlinson, Megan Lawless, and Andy Richter

How to watch: Obsession is now streaming on Peacock.

11. Undertone

This slow-burn horror story is about the things that go bump in the night. Written and directed by Ian Tuason, Undertone centers on an isolated podcaster named Evy (Nina Kiri), who becomes fixated on a series of mysterious audio clips. As she goes down the metaphorical rabbit's hole on what they could mean, the world around her seems to shift, forcing her to face a horrid reality.*

Trapping audiences in a deteriorating house where Evy is caring for her dying mother, Undertone offers a claustrophobic atmosphere that is enhanced by a spooky soundscape of strange noises and stranger children's songs. It's a terrific concept, and Tuason puts a lot of care into each detail. However, as spooky as this one gets, it never had me full-on scared. — K.P.

Starring: Nina Kiri and Adam DiMarco

How to watch: Undertone is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

10. Thrash

I don't want to hear it. Nope. Not a bad word will be said here about Thrash, one of the most rudely welcomed movies on Netflix. Writer/director Tommy Wirkola (Violent Night, Dead Snow) delivers a proper nail-biter of a shark survival movie here, the 24-hour tale of a hurricane that becomes a tsunami that becomes a bona fide shark invasion of a South Carolina small town. It's glorious! We've got nightmarish cinematography; increasingly flooded sets; strong performances from Djimon Hounsou, Whitney Peak, and Phoebe Dynevor; and one wildly foreshadowed shark-infested water birth. The simple task of getting from A to B in this film? Good luck.

The Thrash production team, led by production designer David Ingram, built an entire town and utterly destroyed it with flash flooding, savage marine predators, and director of photography Matthew Weston's unrelentingly stressful camera work, and that's not enough for you? Did you see that bull shark kitchen scene? Well, you have your right to an opinion. This is mine: "If you like shark movies, Thrash is a solid survival thriller with a talented cast and visuals that had me locked in. Wirkola's ability to balance horror, action, and comedy remains a praise-worthy feat. Dive into it." — S.C.

Starring: Phoebe Dynevor, Whitney Peak, and Djimon Hounsou

How to watch: Thrash is now streaming on Netflix.

9. The Bride!

As writer and director, Maggie Gyllenhaal took a big swing with The Bride!, a dizzying reimagining of the Universal monster from Bride of Frankenstein. Critics were mixed on it, and despite starring Academy Award winners Jessie Buckley and Christian Bale as the Bride and her monster mate, this epic horror offering tanked at the box office.

But the world is wrong. Set in 1936 Chicago, The Bride! offers up a gangster's moll (Buckley) who is fatefully possessed by Frankenstein author Mary Shelley, who's long dead but still has things to say. So begins a Bonnie-and-Clyde-style crime spree with a besotted creature who loves movie musicals. The result is fitful, deranged, and uniquely beautiful.

Apparently, The Bride! is not for everyone. But to me, it was sensational. As I wrote in my review, "Gyllenhaal and her cast don't just dust off a classic tale for a safe money grab. (Looking at you, Disney live-action remakes!) They tear various Frankenstein iterations to bits, then create an exquisite corpse of the pieces, festooning it with elements from other films about violence, revolt, and violation. The result is a film that is utterly electrifying, sure to spark something in hearts young and old." — K.P.

Starring: Jessie Buckley, Christian Bale, Peter Sarsgaard, Annette Bening, Jake Gyllenhaal, and Penélope Cruz

How to watch: The Bride! is now streaming on HBO Max.

8. Backrooms

The concept of the Backrooms began with a 4chan post, which then-teenager Kane Parsons masterfully expanded into a series of extremely viral short horror films. Backrooms is his full-length feature adaptation, and it's about a bitter furniture shop owner (Chiwetel Ejiofor) who discovers the doorway to another world in the basement of his store. So, does Parsons manage to land the jump to feature? For the most part, yes. Backrooms uses uncanny spaces and an ominous soundscape to chilling effect, dragging us into a world that's as unsettling as it is endless. The movie's only real issue is its third act, which loses some tension after we see the face of the thing that's been chasing the characters through this hellish labyrinth.

"Despite this, Backrooms is still well worth a watch. The ending isn't enough to spoil what came before," I wrote in my Mashable review. "If anything, Parsons has managed to prove himself as an incredibly talented emerging filmmaker while also establishing the first chapter in what will surely end up becoming a brand-new horror franchise." — S.H.

Starring: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Renate Reinsve, Mark Duplass, Finn Bennett, and Lukita Maxwell

How to watch: Backrooms is now streaming on HBO Max.

7. Exit 8

Months after escaping from Exit 8, I remain ensnared in it. Genki Kawamura's haunting adaptation is more than an ode to Kotake Create's acclaimed 2023 game; it's an impeccable thriller that will have you actively participating in its labyrinthine puzzle. You'll genuinely root for Kazunari Ninomiya as a frantic man trapped in a nightmarish looping subway hallway beneath Tokyo, his only chance of escape being his ability to identify "anomalies" within this wretched corridor. A rare triumph among video game adaptations, Exit 8 is a masterpiece of production, from the meticulous sets to the dynamic cinematography and nerve-racking sound design.

As I wrote in my review, "While video game adaptations come in a range of sublime to mediocre, Exit 8 is a triumphant realisation and expansion of the original concept. Kawamura's punctilious direction and his incredibly talented cast and crew amplify this contained hallway in satisfying, chilling ways. You'll remain in this hallway long after you've left the cinema — we're all still staring blankly at that Exit 0 sign." — S.C.

Starring: Kazunari Ninomiya, Yamato Kochi, Naru Asanuma, Kotone Hanase, and Nana Komatsu

How to watch: Exit 8 is available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

6. Scream 7

Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, and Scream screenwriter Kevin Williamson reunited for Scream 7, marking the highest-grossing sequel this franchise has seen.

With Williamson at the helm and co-writing with Guy Busick (Scream V & VI), this sequel dove into nostalgia. Ghostface is back in action, killing at Stu Macher's house and chasing Sidney around a charming suburb. For good measure, he's also threatening to kill Sidney's eldest kid, who was named after her high school best friend, Tatum!

Critics largely panned this one. But we found it fun. In my review, I cheered, "As someone who has long counted Scream as the best of the batch, I yearned for a sequel that recaptured that feeling of discovery but also shared in my affection for the first film. Scream 7 does that, paying homage without being beholden to audience expectation or constrictive lore. Incredibly, Williams gives us a hearty dose of nostalgia and Easter eggs while providing new ideas, weird reveals, and fresh chills." — K.P.

Starring: Neve Campbell, Courteney Cox, Matthew Lillard, Isabel May, Jasmin Savoy Brown, Mason Gooding, Anna Camp, Joel McHale, Mckenna Grace, Michelle Randolph, Asa Germann, Celeste O'Connor, Sam Rechner, Ethan Embry, Timothy Simons, and Mark Consuelos

How to watch: Scream 7 is now available for rent or purchase on Prime Video.

5. Ready or Not 2: Here I Come

Samara Weaving reteams with Ready or Not filmmakers Radio Silence for a star-studded sequel to their 2019 hit.

Recently widowed by some devilish intervention, newlywed Grace (Weaving) wants nothing more than to light a cigarette and walk away from the bloody mess of the late Le Domas family. But it's time to level up her hide-and-seek skills, as a cabal of the evil and affluent join forces to hunt her down for round two. This time, however, she'll have her estranged sister (Kathryn Newton) at her side, for better or worse.

Ready or Not 2 had a tough act to follow, but Radio Silence satisfies by offering comically quirky caricatures of privilege, eye-popping slaughter scenes, and a pair of vicious twins played by '90s icons Sarah Michelle Gellar and Shawn Hatosy. As I wrote in my review, "Not all of these gambles pay off. Yet Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is a winner when it comes to being a totally batshit good time." — K.P.

Starring: Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Shawn Hatosy, Néstor Carbonell, Kevin Durand, Olivia Cheng, David Cronenberg, and Elijah Wood

How to watch: Ready or Not 2: Here I Come is streaming on Hulu.

4. Send Help

Some movies are just so weird that it feels like a miracle they exist at all. Send Help is such a wonder, as it pairs A-list actress Rachel McAdams with much, much, much, much glop.

Directed by Sam Raimi, Send Help is a genre mash-up that combines tropes from adventure and romance, horror comedies, and survival thrillers with an eat-the-rich edge. McAdams stars as a mousy office worker whose hotshot boss (Dylan O'Brien) treats like a pimple that needs to be popped. But when they end up stranded on a desert island, the power dynamics are dramatically flipped. There will be blood. And vomit, and muck, and more blood. And it will be hilarious.

As I declared in my review, "It's also a rip-roaring, no-fucks-to-give good time." — K.P.

Starring: Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien

How to watch: Send Help is now on Hulu.

3. Apex

Kayaking solo in the Australian outback already sounds scary enough, but when you throw a sociopathic serial killer into the mix, it reaches a different level entirely. This is the situation that rock climber Sasha (Charlize Theron) finds herself in in Baltasar Kormákur's Apex when she encounters an initially quite charming ranger named Ben (Taron Egerton). The result is a cat-and-mouse survival thriller that's equal parts violent and tense.

"Apex is a relentless, exciting, and nerve-rattlingly scary thriller, wherein Theron and Egerton bring their very best to a brutal face-off," wrote Mashable's Kristy Puchko in her review. "It'll be a fun watch at home, hooking audiences on its gnarly twists and gore. But I pity those who won't get to see the vistas and violence Kormákur has captured on a big screen, where their wonders and horrors can truly overwhelm you." — S.H.

Starring: Charlize Theron, Taron Egerton, and Eric Bana

How to watch: Apex is now streaming on Netflix.

2. Hokum

To date, the scariest movie of the year is Hokum. The latest from Irish filmmaker Damian McCarthy (Caveat and Oddity) stars Adam Scott as a misanthropic American novelist who falls down a rabbit hole of folklore and horror.

You see, Ohm Bauman (Scott) has traveled to a remote hotel in Ireland for some grim business, including scattering the ashes of his deceased parents. But when a bartender who was kind to him goes missing, Ohm can't resist the urge to find her, even if he thinks the talk of a witch plaguing the hotel's honeymoon suite is "hokum."

In my review, I called Hokum "a seriously scary masterpiece," explaining, "It's a nerve-shredding, bone-rattling, scream-pulling good time, and an absolute blast to see in a theater." And in case you're on the fence, know this: This movie made me scream myself hoarse while watching it. — K.P.

Starring: Adam Scott, Peter Coonan, David Wilmot, Florence Ordesh, Michael Patric, Will O'Connell, Brendan Conroy, and Austin Amelio

How to watch: Hokum is now streaming on Hulu.

1. 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple

One of the great crimes against cinema of 2026 is that 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple flopped at the box office.

Critics went wild for Hedda director Nia DaCosta's bold and brilliant sequel to Danny Boyle's resurrected zombie thriller. But audiences didn't turn out in the droves this heady blend of horror, heart, and heavy metal deserved.

Picking up the story of runaway Spike (Alfie Williams), The Bone Temple plunged us deep into the cult of Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell), whose bizarre introduction at the end of the last film had fans freaking out with theories. A self-styled Satanist with a fixation on torture, Jimmy Savile, and the Teletubbies, Jimmy was an instant icon in horror. But even he was awed by the uncanny stage presence of Dr. Ian Kelson (Ralph Fiennes). The gentle doctor spent most of the movie getting stoned with the Alpha undead Samson (Chi Lewis-Parry), in sequences that were tender and funny. But the climax of this movie had theaters cheering, as Kelson embraced his inner demons with a fiery performance of Iron Maiden's "The Number of the Beast." And it was one of the most riveting and surprising things I've seen in a movie, ever. It was magical, chaotic, and unforgettable.

As I cheered in my review, "This horror offering — like its prequel and also like 2025's other smash horror hit, Sinners — transcends the grimier aspects of the genre to unearth something gnarly and sublime." — K.P.

Starring: Alfie Williams, Ralph Fiennes, Jack O'Connell, Alfie Williams, Erin Kellyman, and Chi Lewis-Parry

How to watch: 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple is now streaming on Netflix.

UPDATE: Oct. 7, 2026, 4:34 p.m. This feature was first published on June 5, 2026. It has been updated to reflect streaming availability.

Apple just announced its "Welcome home," October 13 event, where it's likely to launch its smart home hub, as well as a new HomePod mini. But the company is reportedly planning a second even in late October, with plans to launch its first-ever touchscreen MacBook, as well as a new iPad mini.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, the launch is scheduled for "on or around" Tuesday, October 27. And just like the HomePad (potential name for the smart hub) launch, it will be an actual event, with an online video stream to tune into.

In terms of products, we're getting quite a few new ones. First, there's the first-ever touchscreen MacBook. Potentially called the MacBook Ultra, it will come in two sizes – 14 and 16 inches – and have a touchscreen OLED display with a Dynamic Island.

The laptops will be powered by Apple's new M6 chips, and so is the new iMac, which will also be unveiled at the event.

Gurman claims the new products will be geared toward "creative professionals who work in video production, photo editing and music production."

If accurate, this would be a second big update to the MacBook family following the MacBook Neo launch in March, and the first major update to the high-end MacBook lineup in five years, ever since the company introduced the new 14 and 16-inch MacBook Pro models in 2021.

Then there's the new iPad mini. We've heard quite a bit about it already; rumors say it'll be powered with Apples' A20 Pro chip, a landscape camera, a new speaker system and, possibly, a slightly larger OLED display.

There’s a lot of tech on the movie slate this fall, and the founders are getting almost as much attention as their inventions. With new films about Mark Zuckerberg, Elon Musk, and Elizabeth Holmes arriving in theaters, it’s also a good time to revisit some oldies but goodies for context.

Whether you follow every development in Silicon Valley or just want to know more about the people and technologies behind your daily scrolling, here are nine movies and documentaries to add to your fall watchlist.

The Social Reckoning (2026)

Facebook has changed quite a bit since The Social Network, and writer-director Aaron Sorkin is returning to the story with some questions about what it became. As Sorkin told the Associated Press, "'The Social Network' was about the invention of Facebook, 'The Social Reckoning' is about what it’s become and, in particular, Facebook’s role in the rise of extremism and divisiveness."

Jeremy Strong plays Meta co-founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg, while Mikey Madison portrays former Facebook employee and whistleblower Frances Haugen. Jeremy Allen White plays Wall Street Journal reporter Jeff Horwitz, whose reporting helped bring the company’s internal research into public view through the newspaper’s "Facebook Files" investigation.

The film follows the disclosures behind that investigation, shifting the focus from Facebook’s creation to the consequences of its growth. If you’re interested in what social platforms know about their effects on users, and what happens when employees speak up, this belongs on your list.

How to watch: In theaters Oct. 9.

The Social Network (2010)

Naturally, we have to go back to The Social Network. Director David Fincher and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin’s take on Facebook’s founding stars Jesse Eisenberg as Zuckerberg, Andrew Garfield as co-founder Eduardo Saverin, and Justin Timberlake as Napster co-founder Sean Parker.

If it’s been a while, consider a rewatch before The Social Reckoning. There’s something strange about revisiting Facebook’s college-campus beginnings when you know how big it would become. But the fights over friendship, credit, and money still make for real good drama.

How to watch: Rent or buy on Prime Video.

Musk (2026)

You’ve probably seen plenty of headlines about Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk. Filmmaker Alex Gibney’s documentary Musk takes a longer look at his business empire and political influence, following a story that stretches across electric vehicles, space exploration, social media, and government.

Gibney, whose films include Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room and Going Clear, sought to interview Musk for the film, but Musk declined. Musk has nevertheless made his opinion clear, calling it "a hit piece that misses, and makes the fatal sin of being boring for 4 hours" on X.

So, don’t expect an authorized portrait. If you’re curious about how Musk built his influence and how those different parts of his life connect, this is one to make time for. Whether you agree with his assessment of the runtime is up to you.

How to watch: In New York and Los Angeles theaters Oct. 9, expanding nationwide Oct. 16.

The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)

Depending on whom you ask, AI will solve some of humanity’s biggest problems or create problems we’re completely unprepared for. (I cover both sides of the spectrum.) If you’re struggling to make sense of those competing predictions, that uncertainty is the starting point for The AI Doc.

Co-directors Daniel Roher and Charlie Tyrell follow Roher as he prepares to become a father and tries to understand the world his child will inherit. He speaks with people developing AI and people warning about its risks, exploring the promises and fears surrounding the technology.

For Roher, these questions hit closer to home because he’s about to become a dad. He wants to know what kind of world his child will grow up in, and what all these promises and warnings about AI could actually mean for their lives.

How to watch: Stream on Netflix or Peacock.

The Altruists (2026)

The tech drama extends to TV this fall, with Netflix’s The Altruists taking on the rise and collapse of cryptocurrency exchange FTX. Anthony Boyle plays FTX co-founder and former CEO Sam Bankman-Fried, while Julia Garner portrays former Alameda Research CEO Caroline Ellison. Inspired by New York Magazine reporting, the eight-episode limited series follows their ambitions, relationship, and involvement in the financial scandal that brought down the business.

For anyone who remembers the FTX headlines but struggled to keep track of the people involved, the series puts those relationships at the center. Expect a dramatized account of the empire’s collapse, rather than a step-by-step lesson in cryptocurrency (thank gosh).

How to watch: All eight episodes arrive on Netflix Nov. 19.

You Can See Everything (2026)

If you watched The Dropout, you’re already familiar with the promises that helped Theranos founder and former CEO Elizabeth Holmes sell her blood-testing startup. You Can See Everything picks up after those promises unraveled.

Directors Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim document Holmes’ life in the 34 days before she reported to prison for defrauding investors. Fielder joins her at home, bringing together two people with very different relationships to carefully constructed public personas.

Anyone familiar with Nathan for You or The Rehearsal knows that Fielder can make an ordinary conversation deeply uncomfortable. Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko called You Can See Everything "a masterwork of interrogation, not only of the whole Holmes situation but of documentary as a form itself." And if that sounds a little academic for you, her reaction gives you a better idea of what to expect. "Personally, I gasped, shouted, laughed, and even gagged."

What will Holmes reveal, and how much of what we see is the version of herself she wants to present? You'll have to see it to believe it.

How to watch: In theaters Oct. 16.

The Social Dilemma (2020)

After watching the founders build their empires, The Social Dilemma brings the story back to the phone in your hand. You open an app to check a message, stick around for a video, and keep scrolling. Director Jeff Orlowski’s documentary explores the decisions that help turn a quick check-in into a much longer visit, and why that extra time is valuable to a company.

Former Google design ethicist Tristan Harris and former Twitter product executive Jeff Seibert are among the insiders explaining how that business works. Their interviews sit alongside fictional scenes following a family’s social media use, connecting the industry’s priorities to what happens at home. It’s worth watching if you want to understand how familiar features can shape your habits and relationships. You may know you spend longer on these apps than you intended; the film gives you a clearer sense of what keeps you there.

How to watch: Netflix.

Steve Jobs (2015) and Jobs (2013)

You have two options if you want to revisit Apple co-founder Steve Jobs’ story, depending on how much ground you want to cover.

Directed by Danny Boyle and written by Aaron Sorkin (of The Social Network/Reckoning), Steve Jobs stars Michael Fassbender and unfolds backstage before three product launches, from the Macintosh in 1984 to the iMac in 1998. Before each launch, Jobs faces conflicts with colleagues and family, which get as much screentime as the products he’s preparing to unveil.

For a broader account of his career, director Joshua Michael Stern’s Jobs stars Ashton Kutcher and follows Jobs from his college years through Apple’s growth and his eventual return to the company. Both films dramatize his life, but they take different approaches. Choose Fassbender for Sorkin’s incredibly tense conversations, or Kutcher for a more traditional origin story.

How to watch: Rent or buy Steve Jobs through the Apple TV Store. Search your preferred digital rental service for Jobs.

Artificial (2026)

Andrew Garfield is back in a Silicon Valley power struggle. After playing Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin in The Social Network, he’s taking on OpenAI co-founder and CEO Sam Altman in director Luca Guadagnino’s Artificial.

Written by Simon Rich, the film dramatizes Altman’s 2023 firing and return to OpenAI just days later. That boardroom fight raises a question that matters well beyond the company’s employees — who gets to make decisions about technology that could change how everyone else works and lives?

Watch this if you use ChatGPT but know little about the people behind it...or if you know too much and need to see Garfield take on Altman's mannerisms. It arrives a little after fall, so you can carry this watchlist into December. Happy holidays!

How to watch: In theaters Dec. 25.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

HBO is making a Crazy Rich Asians series, reuniting the original cast and creative team from the hit 2018 romantic comedy. Officially announced on Thursday, the co-production between HBO and Warner Bros. Television will see Constance Wu, Henry Goulding, and Ronny Chieng all reprise their film roles as series regulars, with Michelle Yeoh recurring.

"Bringing everyone back together feels like coming home," the film's director Jon M. Chu wrote in a statement on his Instagram stories. He will now serve as an executive producer on the series. "Finally, I get to answer the question I've been asked almost every day for eight years: 'When are we getting the sequel?' Well… bok bok bitch. We're back."

Based on Kevin Kwan's 2013 novel, Crazy Rich Asians follows Chinese American professor Rachel (Wu) as she travels to Singapore with her boyfriend (Goulding) to attend his friend's wedding. Upon arriving, she soon discovers that Nick's family are incredibly wealthy, and that his mother (Yeoh) has strong opinions on whether she belongs.

The new HBO series will also be based upon Kwan's book series, which includes 2015's China Rich Girlfriend and 2017's Rich People Problems. It will consist of eight hour-long episodes, with production scheduled to start next year.

"We finally get to make the sequel the world [has] been clamoring for, but instead of one more movie, we'll have EIGHT EPISODES OF CRAZY RICH MAGIC," the film's co-writer Adele Lim posted on Instagram. Lim is also an executive producer, as well as the new series' showrunner.

Notably absent from the returning cast announcement are Gemma Chan and Harry Shum Jr., who respectively played Nick's cousin Astrid and her romantic interest Charlie. While Shum only appeared briefly during Crazy Rich Asians' mid-credits scene, a sequel film was initially planned which focused on the couple's love story.

Well, this is all getting a little bit confusing, isn't it?

Inter-dimensional travel that spawns multiple versions of the same person is all very well and good, but it doesn't half make things a bit hard to follow. As we get towards the end of Dark Matter Season 2, most of the main characters are now split up and entangled with other versions of themselves. As usual, episode 7 left us with a lot of questions. We've done our best to unpack the bigger ones below.

Who does Charlie see in Laurel's house?

At the end of episode 6, Charlie (Oakes Fegley) makes the ill-advised decision to go into the box in an attempt to track down his twin brother Max, who died in his own world when he was just four years old. After experiencing the usual mixture of first-solo-box-voyage terror, he closes his eyes and asks for help, before ending up inside the home of a woman named Laurel (Margo Martindale).

Laurel seems friendly enough — she even has a little welcome sign — and she shares her advice with Charlie about how he might be able to find Max. Then, right at the end, a door into the room clicks open. We see Charlie turn and look at someone off-screen, then stand up with an uncertain expression on his face. "It's okay," Laurel says. We don't see who Charlie sees. Next thing we know he's back in the corridor, on his way to find Max. So, who is it that enters the room?

Well, the short answer is we don't know. But it's clearly someone Charlie recognises; we can tell that much from his expression. Some other version of his mom or dad, perhaps? Given how strong his reaction is, this seems the most likely possibility. But we'll have to wait until next week's episode to know for certain.

Laurel helps Charlie on his journey to find Max. But who else is in her house? Credit: Apple TV

Is Amanda dead?

Elsewhere, Amanda (Alice Braga) and Ryan (Jimmi Simpson) stage an escape from the plague-infected world where they were captured in episode 6, with some help from Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi). It's all going well until the last minute, when Amanda catches an arrow in the stomach just as they're running back into the box. The episode ends with Ryan injecting her with the serum so they can travel to a new world, but it's unclear whether she's alive or not. So, will she survive?

Well, a good rule of thumb in TV shows is that a character usually isn't dead unless we actually see them die. The death of a major character like Amanda would probably get a more drawn out, heartfelt moment, so our best guess is that Ryan will likely get her to another world and save her just in the nick of time...

Dark Matter Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

2026 has been the year of Avatar: The Last Airbender, boasting both the continuation of Netflix's live-action adaptation and the first film from Avatar Studios, Avatar Aang: The Last Airbender. While it's almost always a treat to return to a world of intricate bending and epic adventure, both these projects trod familiar ground. Netflix's series is nothing more than a drab retelling of the original. Avatar Aang boasted eye-popping action, exciting new lore, and a nostalgic return to our Gaang faves, but it also rehashed an airbender resurrection storyline that viewers had already seen before (and done better) in Avatar: The Legend of Korra.

That's why it's such a relief that Avatar: Seven Havens, the next TV series in the Avatar cycle, blows everything up.

If The Legend of Korra brought the world of Avatar into a more modern, industrialized era, then Seven Havens sends it screaming into a hazardous, post-apocalyptic future unlike anything we've seen before, headed up by an Avatar unlike any other. It's the boldest move the series could make, and it winds up being just what the franchise needs to move forward.

Avatar: Seven Havens ends the world, then rebuilds it spectacularly.

Seven Havens throws us headfirst into what feels like an alien landscape, by Avatar standards. Shimmering aurorae, once limited to the Northern and Southern Water Tribes, now fill the skies over a vast desert. Crystal clusters and tree-like rock formations burst from the sand. A more synth-heavy score from Avatar composer Jeremy Zuckerman emphasizes the strangeness of this environment, while vivid colors from new Avatar animation studio La Chouette Compagnie prove an eye-popping contrast from the prior two series. From these opening moments, one thing's for sure: We're not in the Four Kingdoms anymore.

That's because they no longer exist.

The world of Avatar as we know it was destroyed in an apocalyptic event known simply as "the cataclysm," which led humanity to hole itself up in secure cities known as Havens. Among these Havens is Ellora, a vast metropolis tucked away in a series of canyons. With its massive walls and aqueducts, and a crystalline fortress at its center, it gives Ba Sing Se a run for its money.

Lurking on the fringes of Elloran society is Pavi (voiced by Saheli Khan), a 9-year-old girl who lives alone with her cat monkey, Geet (voiced by Dee Bradley Baker). Pavi is a resourceful survivor: She's fashioned her own prosthetic leg, and she's built herself and Geet a comfortable home in what's basically a hole in the ground. She's also hiding a deadly secret: She's the Avatar.

In prior Avatar series, that would have been cause for celebration. Not in Seven Havens. According to Elloran history, Avatar Korra brought the cataclysm on the world. Now, she and any Avatar who may follow in her footsteps are despised. How can Pavi bring balance to a world that doesn't even want her?

Like everything else about the world of Seven Havens, the choice to have Korra be the reason for the apocalypse is a striking one. It feels like original series creator Michael Dante DiMartino and Bryan Konietzko, working with executive producers Ethan Spaulding and Sehaj Sethi, are blowing up The Legend of Korra's legacy entirely. Yet Seven Havens also hints that there may be more to the story than the institutions of Ellora would have you believe.

Thanks to the mystery shrouding the cataclysm, Seven Havens becomes more of an overt puzzle box than its predecessors. But even more puzzling than the question of "What broke the world?" is that of "Who is Pavi, really?" She has no memories of her life beyond the past three years, and she knows nothing about her family. That all changes when a chance encounter brings Pavi face to face with her surprise twin, Nisha (voiced by Aishu Devan), and the pair set out to unravel their mysterious past together.

You will fall in love with Avatar: Seven Havens' Pavi and Nisha.

Credit: Paramount+

Pavi and Nisha are the irresistible pairing at Seven Havens' heart. Both have spent their whole lives — at least, what they can remember of them — thinking that they're alone. Finding out they have a sister unlocks a new chapter in their lives, and a new chapter for the show to explore.

As 9-year-olds, Pavi and Nisha are balls of energy who greet their newfound sister status with gleeful screams and a readiness for troublemaking that puts fear in the hearts of Nisha's guardian, Commander Karthik (voiced by Akshay Khanna), and the pair's airbending soldier friend, Jae (voiced by Major Curda). Their youthful joy contrasts with Karthik and Jae's serious concerns about keeping Pavi's Avatar status hidden while still protecting Ellora. As the haven weathers severe storms and attacks from bandits known as the Faceless, the last thing Karthik and Jae need is to worry about Nisha and Pavi getting trampled underfoot.

Just because Pavi is the youngest Avatar we've met yet doesn't mean Seven Havens loses sight of the gravity (and occasional darkness) that set both The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra apart. The threats facing Ellora are genuinely frightening, and Seven Havens makes no secret of the destruction that awaits it should its defenses fail. As resources dwindle and bender birth rates decrease, the situation within Ellora feels more and more helpless. Seven Havens artfully stokes the city's desperation, spinning up paranoia and conspiracies that recall The Last Airbender's claustrophobic Ba Sing Se arc.

Yet throughout the first six episodes sent to critics, Pavi and Nisha maintain their childlike joy, even if the weight of the world is on their shoulders. The pair make compelling foils. While Pavi follows Korra in the Avatar cycle, she feels more like a spiritual successor to Aang: an animal-loving goofball with a pacifist streak who treats reuniting a bug with its family just as seriously as saving a human's life. Nisha, on the other hand, takes after early Korra. She's a hot-headed, battle-ready warrior who wants nothing more than to break free of her sheltered upbringing.

The resulting dynamic is irresistible, as is the rest of Seven Havens. The series captures the original magic of The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, from powerful bending action to adorable animal companions. (I would die for Geet.) But it also fashions an incredible new take on the world we've come to know and love, one that's part-Mad Max, part-Jean "Mœbius" Giraud. It's an incredible sandbox for Seven Havens' tale of finding connection in a dire time, and a reminder that change is truly the Avatar franchise's greatest superpower.

The first three episodes of Avatar: Seven Havens are now streaming on Paramount+. New episodes premiere every Friday through Oct. 30.

The U.S. government is planning to livestream the Fort Hood shooter's execution by firing squad. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth revealed the plan on Thursday, which would revive public executions in the U.S. for the first time in 90 years.

U.S. Army major Nidal Hasan was convicted of murder after he shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood, a military post in Texas, in 2009. Due to be carried out by a firing squad, Hasan's execution will now be made available for the public to watch via livestream.

"We'll make sure that people are able to watch it, that it's public, because people need to understand that there's serious consequences for these types of things," Hegseth said in an interview on Thursday.

Hasan's execution by firing squad is scheduled for Dec. 3, 1 p.m. CT / 2 p.m. ET / 11 a.m. PT at Fort Hood. If the livestream goes ahead, he will be the first person to be publicly executed in the U.S. since 1937. It will also be the first military execution since 1961.

Hasan was initially to be executed by lethal injection. However, in an X post on Monday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell revealed that Hegseth had recommended Hasan be killed by firing squad instead, and that President Donald Trump had approved it. Hegseth stated on Thursday that this method of execution was a "no brainer" to him, and that it was "as it should be."

YouTube, Twitch, X, TikTok: Who will livestream Hasan's execution?

Details on exactly how Hasan's execution will be livestreamed have not yet been released. Streaming platforms often have policies prohibiting graphic violence, which on the face of it would appear to include a firing squad execution. 

Twitch's community guidelines specifically ban users from showing "use of weapons to physically… kill others," and warns that any accounts which do so will be suspended indefinitely. YouTube generally doesn't allow shocking violence and gore either, including "corpses with massive injuries," while TikTok typically prohibits content showing "the moment of someone's death, or the shooting of an individual."

However, YouTube states that such violent content may still be allowed if it "is in the public's interest." Similarly, TikTok carves out exemptions for "graphic footage of events that would otherwise violate our rules but are in the public interest to view," though such videos are age-restricted and excluded from the For You feed.

Elon Musk's X is an outlier in that it allows graphic content provided it is properly labelled, not "excessively gory," and doesn't threaten, incite, or glorify violence. It's unclear whether a U.S. government execution would be considered glorifying violence. X only prohibits footage of the moment a person dies if a representative of their family requests that it be taken down.

Mashable has reached out to Twitch, YouTube, TikTok, X, and the U.S. Department of War for comment.

Trump is famously a prolific and longtime user of X, many of his officials also having adopted the platform. The Trump administration is no stranger to other streaming platforms either. Last month, the U.S. government launched the 24/7 YouTube livestream "Trump TV" after it banned journalists from the White House. Earlier this year, multiple government departments launched official TikTok accounts, joining preexisting accounts belonging to the White House and Trump himself. The U.S. Army previously livestreamed esports on Twitch as well, though retreated from the platform in 2020 following criticism for its ostensible gaming giveaways that actually directed people to recruitment forms.

It might not look like it, but there's actually still a small crescent of Moon visible in tonight's sky. It's the night before the New Moon, so don't expect to spot anything on its surface, but keep reading to find out what tonight's Moon means.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Friday, Oct. 9, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase, with 2% of its surface visible.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

Channel meaning

A passage, route or medium through which something flows, travels or is transmitted.

Input meaning

Any resource, data, energy or signal put into a system or machine.

Power meaning

The capacity, ability or authority to act, influence, or direct people, events and physical systems.

Volume meaning

The degree of intensity, fullness or audibility of a tone or sound from an audio device.

Blowout meaning

An easy, one-sided victory or defeat where one team or candidate wins by a very large margin.

Romp meaning

To achieve a quick, effortless victory in a game, race or competition.

Rout meaning

A complete and crushing defeat of an opponent in a battle, sports game or election.

Sweep meaning

To clean a surface using a broom or brush.

Highlights meaning

The best, most interesting or most important parts of an event.

Recap meaning

To give a brief summary or review of the main points from a previous story, discussion, meeting or event.

Scores meaning

The total number of points, goals, or runs earned in a game, match or test

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Stats meaning

Short for statistics, meaning numerical data or facts.

Conditioner meaning

A moisturizing hair care product applied after shampooing to improve the texture, softness and manageability of hair.

Guitar meaning

A stringed instrument with six strings.

Kiss meaning

An act of affection by touching one's lips to another person.

Quotes meaning

A repetition of exact words.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a sports fan.

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.

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

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.

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

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 categories

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

• Yellow: Big win

• Green: Tech settings

• Blue: ESPN clips

• Purple: Atmosphere

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Decisive victory

• Green: Controlled by a TV remote

• Blue: Features of a sports show

• Purple: Air ___

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 #1215 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Decisive victory: BLOWOUT, ROMP, ROUT, SWEEP

• Controlled by a TV remote: CHANNEL, INPUT, POWER, VOLUME

• Features of a sports show: HIGHLIGHTS, RECAP, SCORES, STATS

• Air ___: CONDITIONER, GUITAR, KISS, QUOTES

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

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

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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 will be easy if you're hard to convince.

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: That can't be right

The words are related to absurdity.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe ridiculousness.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Unbelievable.

NYT Strands word list for October 9

• Hooey

• Nonsense

• Drivel

• Unbelievable

• Rubbish

• Bladerdash

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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're a big deal.

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:

It's huge.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter M.

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...

MAJOR

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.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

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.

One of the most anticipated panels at New York Comic Con 2026 was Marvel's "Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation" panel, and for good reason. Marvel announced new series, teased upcoming seasons of popular shows, and even surprised attendees with the entire first episode of VisionQuest.

Brad Winderbaum, head of Marvel Television and Marvel Animation, took the stage with moderator Brandon Davis to unleash a whole host of announcements, including projects stretching until 2029. From more Daredevil: Born Again to a sneak peek of X-Men '97 Season 3, here's everything Marvel Television and Marvel Animation announced at NYCC 2026.

Zodiac

Credit: Marvel Television

Winderbaum revealed the logo for a new live-action spy thriller, Zodiac, set for a 2028 release. Winderbaum was tight-lipped about the show's plot and casting, but revealed that Zodiac would begin shooting in London this spring. He did urge fans to pay attention to the logo, saying: "If you're a fan of the comics, there is a lot hidden in that logo."

How to watch: Zodiac hits Disney+ in 2028.

Marvel Zombies

If you want more of Marvel's gory animated series Marvel Zombies, you're in luck. Winderbaum revealed that audiences are in for three new two-part specials of Marvel Zombies over the next three years, each premiering on Halloween. 2027's installment is titled Marvel Zombies: The Winter Soldier, all about Bucky Barnes. 2028's installment is Marvel Zombies: The Fist of Khonshu, hinting at a Moon Knight connection. Finally, 2029's installment is Marvel Zombies: The Last Guardian.

"I won't tell you who the Last Guardian is, but it's very, very exciting," Winderbaum said.

How to watch: Marvel Zombies is now streaming on Disney+, with new installments slated for Halloween of 2027, 2028, and 2029.

X-Men '97

Marvel's animated TV party continued with a teaser for X-Men '97 Season 3, which revealed that anti-mutant sentiments are at an all-time high.

In the teaser, a young mutant tries to cross a heavily guarded border, but she's denied entry due to not having papers. As she tries to find an alternate route, Sentinels attack her. Thankfully, she's saved by a group of mutants, but they're not the X-Men.

"We're the Brotherhood," they tell her.

The clip also showed Professor X and Storm driving to Rogue and Gambit's lavish Central Park wedding. On the way there, they talk about how President Graydon Creed has taken drastic anti-mutant measures that they'll have to fight tooth and nail against.

However, the atmosphere is much lighter at the wedding party, which featured cameos from Deadpool, She-Hulk, Daredevil, and many more.

How to watch: The first two seasons of X-Men '97 are now streaming on Disney+. Season 3 premieres in 2027.

Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2

Marvel couldn't make a New York appearance without talking about Queens' own Spider-Man, right? Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man showrunner Jeff Trammell took the stage to tease Season 2, saying that if Season 1 was about "setting the board," then Season 2 is about "playing the game."

Trammell revealed a poster as well as an extended clip, which introduced a fancy gala attended by Harry Osborne. First, he encounters gossip reporter Eddie Brock, aka Venom. Then, he's taken hostage by Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doc Ock. Spider-Man shows up soon after and the two engage in a quippy fight that takes them out of the gala and into the New York skyline. After the clip, attendees watched a trailer for the upcoming season, which included appearances from Gwen Stacy and Daredevil, as well as a look at Peter Parker getting taken over by the alien symbiote.

How to watch: Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man Season 2 hits Disney+ Jan. 13.

Daredevil: Born Again Season 3

Another New York Marvel hero got his moment on the NYCC stage this year, as Charlie Cox arrived to promote the third and final season of Daredevil: Born Again.

Cox didn't arrive alone, as the panel also acted as a reunion for Marvel's The Defenders. Krysten Ritter, who plays Jessica Jones, and Finn Jones, who plays Danny Rand, aka the Iron Fist, joined Cox onstage to hype up their roles in Season 3. Mike Colter, who plays Luke Cage, was unable to attend NYCC, but he will also appear in the season.

Cox, Ritter, and Jones also unveiled the trailer for the upcoming season, which offered an action-packed look at Matt Murdock's (Cox) time in prison. At one point, he tears up his prison jumpsuit to make a new mask, then proceeds to beat down every other prisoner in his vicinity in what looks to be another standout Daredevil set piece.

When asked about what he hoped fans would take away from these final episodes, Cox emphasized that he didn't think this would be the end. "All I'll say is that I imagine the Save Daredevil campaign will be gearing up for round 2," he said.

How to watch: Daredevil: Born Again Seasons 1 and 2 are now streaming on Disney+. Season 3 is set for release in 2027.

VisionQuest

Marvel closed out its panel with a look at its next high-profile series, VisionQuest. The show concludes the WandaVision trilogy that kicked off with WandaVision and continued with Agatha All Along.

Showrunner Terry Matalas and series stars Paul Bettany, James Spader, Emily Hampshire, and Ruaridh Mollica took to the stage to discuss the mind-bending series, which sees synthezoid Vision (Bettany) undergoing a serious identity crisis. It also sees the return of Avengers: Age of Ultron villain Ultron (Spader), now appearing in a human avatar.

When asked about his experience returning to the MCU, Spader summed it up succinctly: "Fun."

Mollica also discussed his role as Vision and Wanda Maximoff's son, Tommy.

"Tommy Maximoff finally reunites with his father — and his grandfather!" he added, ribbing Spader.

As for what WandaVision questions fans could hope to see answered in VisionQuest? "Pretty much all of them," Matalas said.

The group showed off a trailer for the series, but that was small potatoes compared to what came next: a surprise screening of the whole first episode. For more specifics on that, you can read our reaction here.

How to watch: VisionQuest premieres Oct. 14 on Disney+.

There are several reasons why the fast-food chain In-N-Out Burger is a cult favorite, including immaculate restaurants, an affordable menu, secret items, and made-to-order burgers.

The insistence on serving fresh double-doubles, fries, and shakes is the reason In-N-Out doesn’t participate in online food delivery services like DoorDash or GrubHub. But, as reported by L.A. Material, a thriving Black Market exists for delivered In-N-Out, courtesy of Facebook Marketplace. The website found numerous drivers across Southern California who were willing to bring In-N-Out to one's doorstep, usually for an additional fee ranging from $20 to $50.

Some drivers demanded cash up front, which is far from ideal when purchasing goods on Facebook Marketplace.

When L.A. Material placed an In-N-Out order with someone named (or claiming to be named) Adrian Vazquez of Glendora, California, a far-flung suburb of Los Angeles, the purported driver demanded $50, with half of that upfront. The reporter sent the $25 via Zelle — and then was ghosted by the "driver."

In-N-Out — a private company primarily on the West Coast, and with a growing presence in the South — never responded to L.A. Material's request for comment on the Black Market burgers.

In-N-Out owner and CEO Lynsi Snyder recently reiterated her opposition to online ordering: "Part of what makes In-N-Out and the experience so special is the interaction and customer service we're able to give. And so the mobile ordering will definitely take a piece of that away."

Marvel screened the first episode of VisionQuest at New York Comic Con today, surprising attendees of its packed "Up Next From Marvel Television and Marvel Animation" panel.

The energy was electric as audiences got an early look at the MCU's latest show, which marks the end of the loosely connected WandaVision trilogy that began with WandaVision and Agatha All Along. VisionQuest reunites viewers with synthezoid Vision (Paul Bettany) — or at least, a version of him. The Vision at the heart of VisionQuest is not technically the same Vision who was introduced in Avengers: Age of Ultron, then killed in Avengers: Infinity War, then resurrected by wife Wanda Maximoff (Elizabeth Olsen) in WandaVision. That iteration of Vision disappeared when Wanda released her hex on the town of Westview.

Instead, VisionQuest's lead is the rebuilt version of Vision. He was originally created by S.W.O.R.D. to use as a weapon. However, when he encountered Wanda's facsimile of Vision in the WandaVision finale, he gained all of Vision's memories — both those of the dead Vision, and the recreated one — and went rogue.

If that all sounds complicated and heady, I don't blame you! But based on the first episode screened at NYCC, VisionQuest manages to move past all that dense lore and jump into something far more fascinating: a deep dive into Vision's identity crisis. Mashable was on the ground at Marvel's NYCC panel, so we've got you covered on what to expect from VisionQuest — and what we're most excited about.

VisionQuest's AI squad is an absolute delight.

Orla Brady, James D'Arcy, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Lewis in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel Studios

VisionQuest picks up several years after the end of WandaVision. Vision lives in disguised human form, working at a pub in Edinburgh that he and Wanda used to visit when they lived there. (Or really, Wanda and a past version of Vision.) He's trying to gain a better understanding of humanity, as well as his own inherited memories of living among them.

When he's not making awkward small talk with pub patrons, Vision retreats into his simulated mind palace: a vast mansion staffed by other AI from across the MCU, now appearing in human avatars. He's downloaded them and set them up in his own quantum processor, which basically means they live in his head rent-free. In return, they carry out jobs of their own. Iron Man's J.A.R.V.I.S. (James D'Arcy) is basically Vision's butler and security. Avengers: Age of Ultron's F.R.I.D.A.Y. (Orla Brady) gives him tips on how to socialize. Spider-Man: Far From Home's E.D.I.T.H. (Emily Hampshire) is in charge of educating Vision on how humans have fun. (It apparently involves a lot of daredevil stunts.)

The resulting dynamic is downright charming, with Vision and his AI buddies coming across as friendly, if occasionally beleaguered, housemates. And what a house it is, full of eye-popping colors and a barrage of visual puns. (Vision stocks the house with simulated food, including bags of Microchips and jars of Visimite.) Thanks to its retro stylings, the house echoes the hyper-specific visual storytelling of WandaVision.

Ultron's return to the MCU is triumphant (and sassy).

James Spader and Paul Bettany in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel Studios

One of the biggest headlines around VisionQuest is the return of Avengers villain Ultron (James Spader). Based on the first episode alone, that return does not disappoint.

Right from the jump, VisionQuest's Ultron is a sullen scene-stealer. He lives in the attic of Vision's house, blasting loud music to annoy everyone below, just like a moody teen. He hurls insults at simulated food delivery drivers, and when that's not enough, he hurls grenades. He's a fount of withering one-liners, at one point calling the house's decor "the psilocybin collection from IKEA," and he's also decided that his human avatar might be a "hat guy." That means Spader spends a good chunk of the first episode rocking a jaunty top hat, the perfect accessory to Ultron's malicious whimsy. With Ultron in human form, Spader gets free rein to chew VisionQuest's scenery, and the show is better for it.

Ultron also pushes Vision to consider the more contemplative themes of the show: questions of free will, of the links between the old Visions' memories and this current Vision's identity, of Vision's complicated relationship with humanity. That's something Ultron himself still appears to be reckoning with. If he, like Vision, had a corporeal form and could walk among humans, he jokes that it would be a coin flip between whether he would visit the great museums of the world or launch all of humanity's missiles. It's a dark joke, but in the age of ever-accelerating AI, it certainly hits different.

VisionQuest reunites Vision with his son, Tommy.

Ruaridh Mollica in "VisionQuest." Credit: Marvel Studios

Vision isn't the only WandaVision character struggling with the fallout from his time in Westview. So is one of his and Wanda's twin sons, speedster Tommy (Ruaridh Mollica).

In a storyline running parallel to Vision's quest for enlightenment, VisionQuest introduces Tommy as a roguish grifter who's able to slip into a new identity or total invisibility at a moment's notice. But when the world gets wind that Vision is still at large, he begins to experience strange flashes of a family he barely remembers, as well as glimpses of the Battle of Westview.

The fragments frighten Tommy and send him into a panic attack, marking a clear departure from how Vision processes his older selves' memories. (He watches them calmly in a home theater, although he can't bear to watch any from Westview.) Despite the contrast between how the pair reacts to their pasts, Tommy and Vision share the common experience of having strange memories that radically shift their perception of self. Based on the first episode, it will be a treat to see how VisionQuest brings these two back into one another's orbits.

VisionQuest proves Diane Morgan should be in everything.

Aside from Ultron, VisionQuest introduces another villain or two who deserve a quick shoutout. Mercenary Paladin (Todd Stashwick) makes an instant impression as a brash bounty hunter, but it's his remote handler (Diane Morgan of Philomena Cunk fame) who takes the cake. Her deadpan delivery rivals Spader's many meaty one-liners, especially when she has to say "Thanos" and "scrotum" in the same sentence, with a straight face. Forget Avengers: Doomsday; when are we getting her solo movie?

VisionQuest premieres Oct. 14 on Disney+.

TL;DR: During Deal Days, you can get an AcePDF Lifetime License for just $23.97. Sale ends Oct. 11.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Acethinker

AcePDF Converter & Editor: Lifetime License

$23.97
$99.99 Save $76.02

 

Get Deal

Most PDF editors ask you to pay a monthly fee. It’s a hefty investment just to use one of the most popular file formats in the world, but there are other options. AcePDF is a popular new PDF editor that doesn’t require a monthly fee, but it usually costs $99.99 for a lifetime license.

Deal Days is a new alternative to Prime Day, and that’s how you can get an AcePDF Lifetime License on sale for just $23.97. No coupon needed.

Scanned documents are the hardest case for most PDF editors. A scanner saves each page as an image, so, to your computer, the words on it are just pixels. AcePDF uses OCR to read the shapes of those letters and turn them back into text you can select, search, and edit. Your original layout and graphics stay in place, and OCR reads text in multiple languages.

From there, you can turn a PDF into a Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, text, JPG, or PNG file without breaking the layout, images, or hyperlinks. Going the other direction, you can combine Word files, spreadsheets, slides, and images into one PDF in a few clicks. For a big stack of files, batch conversion processes them together instead of one at a time.

You can also edit a PDF without converting it first. AcePDF lets you change text, add or remove images, fill in existing forms, and create new ones with text fields, checkboxes, and shapes. For reviewing drafts, you can add comments, stamps, watermarks, and arrows right on the page.

You can even reorganize existing PDFs, with tools to merge, split, rotate, and compress files. One click extracts every JPG and PNG from a document, and you can add a password to a file before sharing it or remove one you know.

PDFs can be easy. Through Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT, it’s only $23.97 to get an AcePDF Lifetime License.

Check out the rest of the Deal Days Collection before it ends.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: ChatPlayground AI Unlimited is $59.97 for life through Oct. 11, bringing 20+ AI models into one interface for side-by-side comparisons, unlimited messages, file chats, and AI image generation.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ChatPlayground AI

ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)

$59.97
$619 Save $559.03

 

Get Deal

If you’ve ever copied the same prompt into three different AI tools just to see which one gives the best answer, you’re not alone. Different models excel at different things — but juggling tabs and subscriptions gets old fast. ChatPlayground AI puts the top AI models in one place, so you can compare responses side by side without the back-and-forth.

Through Oct. 11, a lifetime subscription is on sale for $59.97 (reg. $619) during this Deal Days sale, an alternative to Prime Day.

GPT-4o, Claude Sonnet, Gemini, DeepSeek, Llama, Perplexity, and more — all in one clean interface. It’s built for people who iterate fast, test variations, and actually care about optimizing results.

Beyond comparisons, ChatPlayground AI includes prompt engineering tools to refine outputs, image and PDF chat for context-aware responses, saved chat history for ongoing projects, and AI image generation powered by leading models. There’s even a Chrome extension to integrate it directly into your browsing workflow.

The Unlimited Plan means unlimited messages per month, making it ideal for startups, product teams, marketers, and prompt engineers who run experiments nonstop. You also get priority support and early access to new features and future models.

If you’re already paying for multiple AI tools — or constantly switching between them — this consolidates everything into one streamlined platform.

Grab lifetime access to ChatPlayground AI Unlimited for $59.97 through Oct. 11 for Deal Days and stop juggling models for good.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Girl meets boy. Girl falls for boy's impeccable taste in music. Boy turns out to be a girl. That's the irresistible premise of The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All, the fan-favorite yuri manga making its anime debut in 2027.

At New York Comic Con on Thursday, Crunchyroll unveiled the adaptation's world premiere trailer, giving fans their first look at Aya and Mitsuki's budding romance.

Based on the manga by Sumiko Arai, The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All — affectionately called Green Yuri by its fans because of its neon color palette — follows Aya Osawa (voiced by Akari Kitō), a popular high schooler who develops a crush on the mysterious, effortlessly cool employee at her local CD shop. With his dark clothes, piercings, and encyclopedic knowledge of rock music, he's basically her dream guy. There's just one problem: He's not a guy at all.

The employee is actually Mitsuki Koga (voiced by Mariya Ise), Aya's quiet, unassuming classmate, whom she barely notices at school. Outside the classroom, however, Mitsuki has an entirely different look. And while Aya remains blissfully unaware of her crush's true identity, the two begin to bond over their shared love of music.

What starts as a case of mistaken identity gradually blossoms into something much sweeter, as Aya and Mitsuki navigate friendship, attraction, and the complicated business of figuring out their feelings.

The manga has become a favorite among romance fans, thanks in part to Arai's striking black-and-green artwork and its deep affection for rock music. Music isn't merely background noise in this story. It's the language through which Aya and Mitsuki first connect, with their shared tastes providing the foundation for a relationship neither quite knows how to define.

And fittingly for a love story built around a shared obsession with rock music, the anime has some serious grunge credentials. Nirvana's 1991 track "Breed" will serve as the opening theme, a collaboration that even has Dave Grohl's stamp of approval. In a special interview with Arai, the former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighters frontman said he believed Kurt Cobain would have loved the series, citing its message, aesthetic, and overall vibe. After all, Cobain was never one for rigid gender norms.

Now, the question is how that distinctive visual and musical identity will translate to animation. For fans who have spent years imagining what Aya and Mitsuki's world might look and sound like in motion, the first trailer offers an exciting glimpse.

The Guy She Was Interested in Wasn't a Guy at All is slated to premiere on January 8, 2027.

Just when you thought Apple was done with big events for the year after the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo announcement last month, the company has announced another special fête for later this month.

Apple Senior VP of Worldwide Marketing Greg Joswiak posted a video on his X account on Thursday which teased an upcoming Oct. 13 event. The video shows two women cross-stitching a rainbow Apple logo with the words "Welcome home" and the event date below it.

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

What products could Apple possibly be teasing for the event next week? It seems fairly clear that "welcome home" is referring to its Home products line. 

Some long-rumored products that will likely be unveiled at the event include the HomePad, which is an entirely new product from Apple. HomePad isn't the official name for the product, so Apple could change it. However, the product is largely called that when referring to Apple's upcoming smart display device. It's meant to act as a smart home hub, like the HomePod, but with a display. Siri AI will be a major feature on the device as well.

Apple is also expected to launch a new HomePod mini 2, its smart speaker with AI assistant features, as well as a new Apple TV 4K. There hasn't been a new HomePod device since 2023. The Apple TV streaming device line was last refreshed in 2022. So, obviously, both lines are in need of an update.

There's also a good chance that Apple will also unveil the smart home product line it has partnered with LG on.

One interesting aspect about the video Joswiak posted is the design choice for the Apple logo. The rainbow Apple logo certainly looks like a call back to the old Macintosh era. Are we looking into this too much? Or does Apple have something retro up its sleeve that it's planning to unveil too?

We'll find out on Tuesday, Oct. 13.

The best October Prime Day tech deals still live:

---

Best AirPods deal

Apple AirPods 4

$79 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best laptop deal

Apple MacBook Air (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,099 (save $200)

Get Deal

---

Best 65-inch TV deal

Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series TV

$579.99 (save $320)

Get Deal

---

Best Deal Under $25

Apple AirTag (2nd Gen)

$24 (save $5)

Get Deal

---

Best Gaming Monitor Deal

LG UltraGear 45-inch Curved Gaming Monitor

$884.99 (save $815)

Get Deal

---

Best coffee machine deal

Ninja Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine

$499.95 (save $100.05)

Get Deal

---

Best Fitness Tracker Deal

Garmin Epix Pro Smartwatch

$529.99 (save $470)

Get Deal

Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale is officially over, but not all of the deals are. If you missed out, there's still time to find some great savings. Particularly with tech, because some of the best tech deals are still clinging on to those low prices, just waiting to be snagged by last-minute bargain-hunters.

Mashable’s reporters and editors test tech year-round. For Prime Big Deal Days, we paired those hands-on findings with price-history checks to help you decide what’s worth buying, which upgrades are worth paying for, and where a cheaper model will do the job. We’ve been looking for discounts on devices we’d actually recommend: earbuds that stay comfortable during a commute, e-readers with responsive page turns, and creator cameras that help you stand out from the crowd. And below is the best of what's left on offer.

Our top picks include $79 AirPods, a MacBook that's $200 cheaper than usual, and $80 off Bose’s second-generation QuietComfort Headphones. With the sale now over, there's no time to lose — now's the moment to get those last-chance deals.

How do we pick deals? A low price doesn’t automatically make a good deal. We prioritize products recommended in Mashable’s reviews and buying guides, then use price-tracking tools such as camelcamelcamel to check whether the discount is unusually good. We also compare other retailers’ listings rather than assuming Amazon has the lowest price.

When we’ve tested a product, we explain what stood out in actual use. We also flag Prime membership requirements, third-party sellers, and other conditions that could change the value of an offer. With all this in mind, let's break down the top tech deals still available after the official close of Prime Day.

The best AirPods deals

The best AirPods deal is actually available at Walmart, not Amazon, as part of Walmart's competing deals. This for the AirPods 4, a budget pick for iPhone users who prefer earbuds without ANC.

Just to reiterate, this deal is for the version that doesn't have active noise cancellation. In our AirPods 4 review, we tested the ANC model, but the buds have the same design. We found they stayed secure through flights and a treadmill run, although our reviewer experienced some discomfort after roughly eight hours of wear. The AirPods 4 reached $69 last Black Friday, so $79 isn’t their all-time low. But it is the lowest price so far in 2026 — and a reasonable buy.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods 4

$79.99
$129 Save $49.01

 

Get Deal

Save on Apple's newest MacBooks

We've been waiting for good deals on Apple MacBooks, and Amazon has finally delivered over October Prime Day, with both the MacBook Air and Pro marked down.

If you're a professional creative, developer, or AI enthusiast who needs a compact new laptop for work, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than the 14-inch, M5 Max-powered MacBook Pro. The "base" configuration with 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage got a $500 price increase back in June, which bumped it from $3,599 to $4,099. But right now, Amazon has it on sale for just $3,499 — a $600 savings.

If you don't need the powerful MacBook Pro's features or the price tag, you can go with the M5 MacBook Air while it's on sale for $1,099, or $200 off the normal price. Not only is it highly portable, but it also uses the M5 chip, and it stays in a moderate lane without going wild with features not everyone needs. It's a great buy for students or professionals.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,099 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $200

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$3,499 at Amazon
$4,099 Save $600

 

Get Deal

A tasty deal on a top-end espresso machine

Ninja is now well established as one of the most desirable brands in kitchen appliances. While you probably associate them with air fryers, this espresso machine is just as slick — a 3-in-1 coffee maker that serves up espresso, cold brew, and drip coffee, plus lots of variations in between (lattes, macchiatos, cappuccinos, and more).

It comes with a built-in frother for turning milk into creamy microfoam, as well as a conical grinder and smart technology that guides you through the coffee-making process.

At $499.95, it's just 95 cents from its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: SharkNinja

Ninja Luxe Café Premier Espresso Machine

$499.95
$599.99 Save $100.04

 

Get Deal

Google Pixel 11 Pro on sale

Apple customers were out of luck with October Prime Day smartphone deals, but Android users have enjoyed plenty of options. If you're looking for the best deal on an Android smartphone, then it's an easy choice — the new Google Pixel 11 Pro is still marked down for Prime members, now at $849.

This sale marked the first time the new Google flagship phone had ever dropped below $1,000. In our recent Pixel 11 Pro review, we noted that this phone has an incredible set of cameras, which is no surprise. For creators — or anyone who loves documenting family memories — this is the best Android phone for photography right now.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Google

Google Pixel 11 Pro, Unlocked (256GB)

$849.57 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $249.43

 

Get Deal

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo is the more practical upgrade for creators who want steadier footage and better audio without building a full camera rig. The bundle includes a DJI Mic 2 transmitter, battery handle, and mini tripod — not just the camera.

The Pocket 3 combines a one-inch CMOS sensor with a three-axis mechanical gimbal, which stabilizes footage as you move. Its rotating two-inch touchscreen makes switching shooting orientation straightforward, while ActiveTrack 6.0 can keep you centered during a solo, talk-to-camera recording.

For creators who edit beyond basic cuts, support for 10-bit color and D-Log M provides more flexibility for color grading. That’s the reason to consider this older camera: the useful features are still here, even if a newer model exists. Read our review of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4.

Opens in a new window

Credit: DJI

DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo

$495 at Amazon
$629 Save $134

 

Get Deal

A high-spec smartwatch at almost half price

Garmin is the king of high-quality smartwatches with rugged outdoor features and fitness tracking. If you move fast, you can pick up a premium model with a discount of 47%.

It offers advanced health and training monitoring and in-depth metrics, along with 16 days of battery, a built-in flashlight, and trainer-like guidance.

We've seen it go as low as $499.99 before, but even with an extra $30 on top, the current sale price of $529.99 is much like the athletes who use this smartwatch: seriously competitive.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Garmin

Garmin Epix Pro SmartWatch

$529.99
$999.99 Save $470

 

Get Deal

Best deal under $25: Apple AirTags

Apple released a new generation of AirTag trackers this year, the AirTag 2. The popular Apple tracker has fallen to an all-time low price, and we don't expect it to get any cheaper today. You can also grab the 4-pack on sale for $89.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirTag (2nd Gen)

$24 at Amazon
$29 Save $5

 

Get Deal

Gaming gear with over $800 off

Gamers know that sale events — even the aftermath — are the time to pick up new hardware. And for those on the hunt for a new monitor, this LG UltraGear OLED monitor has a massive 47% off its list price right now, savings of $815. At 45 inches, it boasts WQHD resolution and a curved display for a more immersive gaming experience. With a refresh rate of 240Hz and a lightning response time of just 0.03ms, it's built for high-speed gaming and winning performance.

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

LG UltraGear 45-inch Curved Gaming Monitor

$884.99
$1,699.99 Save $815

 

Get Deal

Best Amazon subscription deal

This exclusive deal is for Prime members only, and it's a good one. For a limited time, Prime members can sign up for four months of Audible for just $0.99. You'll also get a $20 Audible credit to spend as you like.

Our advice? Take advantage of this deal and set a calendar reminder three months and 29 days in the future.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Audible

Audible

$0.99 for 4 months + $20 Audible credit

Get Deal

Cheap wireless earbuds for under $25

If you're prone to losing earbuds and just need something simple for everyday use, the popular Anker Soundcore P30i Earbuds are sitting at $24.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Anker

Anker Soundcore P30i Noise-Cancelling Earbuds

$24.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $25.00

 

Get Deal

The best iPad deals

Prime Big Deal Days cut $100 from the newest iPad Air, which is powered by the powerful M4 chip. It's our favorite tablet overall and won a Mashable Choice award earlier this year. (Read our full review if you're on the fence.)

If you want to upgrade to the M5 chip and a breathtaking OLED touchscreen, then you can also save $100 on the iPad Pro. Its display is incredibly bright, even in direct sunlight, and it has enough processing power to run video-editing software and handle 4K video files.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB)

$649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB)

$1,099.99 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $99.01

 

Get Deal

Bose QuietComfort headphones on sale

The Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen) are $80 off, and their appeal is more specific than “premium sound”: Mashable’s testing highlights their comfort, adjustable active noise cancellation, and all-day battery life even with ANC enabled.

The second generation increases rated battery life from 24 to 30 hours and adds USB-C wired playback, which can charge the headphones while you listen. There’s also passive playback through an auxiliary cable. Those are useful upgrades if you wear headphones through a workday or want a wired option when the battery runs out.

Prefer earbuds? The Bose QuietComfort Earbuds are under $130 after a 28% discount. According to our reviewer, "you'll be hard pressed to find earbuds with better sound quality and battery life than these."

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (2nd Gen)

$369 at Amazon
$449 Save $80

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Earbuds

$129 at Amazon
$179 Save $50

 

Get Deal

A 65-inch TV for under $600

It wouldn't be a major sale event without at least checking out the prices of massive smart TVs, would it? This is our top pick of what's still discounted, a huge Hisense TV with all the bells and whistles in glorious 4K. The E7 Cinema Series runs on Fire TV and more than lives up to its name. It's built for home cinema setups, boasting a stack of features — including Dolby Vision IQ, AI-enhanced visuals, motion smoothing, and Filmmaker Mode — to immerse you in your movies and shows. Throw in gaming features, and it really is the full package. And it's now just $32 off its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series TV

$579.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $420

 

Get Deal

A super-affordable Android smartwatch

If you're looking for a tracker and smartwatch hybrid that's super affordable, then we have to point you to the Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro. We called this an almost-perfect smartwatch in our review, and we named it a Mashable Choice product.

Grab this budget Android tracker, which boasts weeks of battery life, for just $59.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nothing

Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro

$59 at Amazon
$79 Save $20

 

Get Deal

The best October Prime Day deals still live:

---

Best Outdoor deal

Coleman 100-Quart Marine Cooler with UV Guard

$99.99 (save $35)

Get Deal

---

Best home and kitchen deal

Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ Deluxe Coffee Machine

$133.99 (save $60.03)

Get Deal

---

Best headphone deal

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (1st Gen)

$169 (save $190)

Get Deal

---

Best Apple deal

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best Beauty Deal

Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask

$299.99 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best TV deal

Toshiba 43-inch M450 Series QLED 4K Smart Fire TV

$199.99 (save $130)

Get Deal

---

Best Deal Under $25

Apple AirTag (2nd Gen)

$24 (save $5)

Get Deal

Another huge Amazon sale for Prime members has officially come to a close. This year, Prime Big Deal Days (aka "October Prime Day") ran Oct. 6 and 7, and while the 48-hour event is officially over, a handful of lingering discounts are still up for grabs.

The best October Prime Day deals provided some much-needed relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry. Amazon recently increased prices on nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers because of rising component costs. Seasonal sales like Prime Big Deal Days (and later Black Friday) help cancel out some of those markups.

While the official event has wrapped up, we're keeping an eye out for any leftover post-Prime Day savings that haven't expired yet. You can also check out our guides to the best October Prime Day tech deals, kitchen deals, and outdoor deals to see what remaining discounts you can still score.

How we choose Prime Day deals

Mashable shopping reporters and editors regularly review the latest products from brands like Apple, Bose, Kindle, Ninja, Nintendo, Sony, and Samsung. We've also been covering major shopping events like Prime Big Deal Days for almost a decade.

Before recommending a deal, we use price-tracking tools like CamelCamelCamel to check its price history, and we prioritize record-low discounts. We also check prices at other retailers (big-box stores like Target, Walmart, and Best Buy are also hosting fall sales right now), so we can point you to the lowest price at any given moment, even if it's not at Amazon.

Deals marked with a ✅ are Mashable award winners and editor favorites. Deals marked with a strikethrough are no longer available.

Best audio deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (1st Gen) ✅

$169 at Amazon
$359 Save $190

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

For October Prime Day, you can save 53% on the first-generation Bose QuietComfort Noise-Cancelling Headphones. Now, to be clear, these are not the newest version of these popular headphones, but it's really hard to argue with a discount like this. These headphones are incredibly comfy even after hours of use, and they offer true active noise-cancellation.

We also have to call out the first-ever deal on the new version of these headphones, the Bose QuietComfort (2nd Gen). Mashable's audio expert Bethany Allard says they offer the best possible combination of comfort, noise cancellation, sound quality, and value in the entire headphones category, full stop. Currently, they're $319, down from $359 — a $40 saving that makes them an even better value. Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen).

More headphone deals

• JBL Tune 730BT headphones — $59.95 $89.95 (save $30)

• Sony WH-CH720N — $88 $179.99 (save $91.99)

• Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones — $99.95 $199.95 (save $100)

• Nothing Headphone (a) — $129 $199 (save $70)

• Sony WH-CH730N ANC headphones — $148 $179.99 (save $31.99) ✅

• Beats Studio Pro — $149.95 $299.99 (save $150.04)

• Sony WH-1000XM5 ANC headphones — $198 $248 (save $50) ✅

• Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) — $319 $359 (save $40) ✅

• Sony WH-1000XM6 ANC headphones — $378 $459.99 (save $81.99) ✅

More wireless earbuds deals

• Anker Soundcore P30i noise-cancelling earbuds — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25) ✅

• Anker Soundcore AeroClip Open Earbuds — $105.99 $169.99 (save $64)

• Nothing Ear (3) — $99 $149 (save $50)

• Beats Fit Pro (1st Gen) sports earbuds — $124.95 $199.95 (save $75)

• Soundcore Sleep A30 Special — $168.99 $199.99 (save $31)

• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $179 $229 (save $50) ✅

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $179.95 $249.95 (save $70)

• SHOKZ OpenFit Pro Open Earbuds with Noise Reduction — $199.45 $249.95 (save $50.50) ✅

• Technics EAH-AZ100 — $234.99 $299.99 (save $65) ✅

• Sony WF-1000XM6 ANC Earbuds — $258 $329.99 (save $71.99) ✅

Bluetooth speaker deals

• Anker Soundcore 2 Bluetooth Speaker — $33.99 $45.99 (save $12)

• JBL Go 4 Bluetooth Speaker — $34.95 $49.95 (save $15)

• Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Portable Waterproof Speaker — $54.14 $99.99 (save $45.85) ✅

• Anker Soundcore Boom 2 Bluetooth Speaker — $91.99 $129.99 (save $38)

• Bose Soundlink Flex — $99 $159 (save $60)

• Bose SoundLink Plus Portable Bluetooth Speaker — $179 $269 (save $90) ✅

Best Apple deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3 ✅

$199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

We found 21 Apple products at record-low prices for Prime Day, which is more than we expected to be frank! But our top pick was a Prime Day classic. The basic AirPods just got an upgrade with the new AirPods 5, but last year's Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale. During the sale, the AirPods Pro 3 dropped to $179 — $70 off their $249 list price. Now that the sale is over, the price has risen to $199, now only $50 off the MSRP.

These famous Apple earbuds have ANC, a more comfortable fit, and support for live translation with a compatible iPhone. They're a good pick for commuters and even measure your heart rate during workouts.

Read our full review of the Apple AirPods Pro 3.

More Prime Day Apple deals

AirPods deals

• Apple AirPods 4 — $79 $129.99 (save $50.99)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $429 $549 (save $120)

Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) — $219 $249 (save $30) ✅

• Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) — $349.99 $399.99 (save $50) ✅

• Apple Watch Ultra 3 (GPS + Cellular, 46mm) — $699.97 $899 (save $199.03)

iPad deals

• Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi) — $399 $449 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air (M4, 128GB, WiFi) — $649 $749 (save $100) ✅

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,299 $1,499 (save $200) ✅

• Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) — $1,899 $2,099 (save $200)

MacBook deals

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200) ✅

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,399 $1,599 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,839 $1,999 (save $160) ✅

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $3,499 $4,099 (save $600) ✅

Mac deals

• Apple 2026 Mac mini Desktop (M6, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $779.99 $899 (save $119.01)

• Apple 2026 Mac mini Desktop (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $949.99 $1,099 (save $149.01)

• Apple 2026 Mac mini Desktop (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,549.99 $1,699 (save $149.01)

• Apple 2026 Mac Studio Desktop (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $2,299.99 $2,499 (save $199.01)

Deals on Apple accessories

• Apple MagSafe Charger — $39.99 $49 (save $9.01) ✅

• Apple Pencil USB-C — $69 $79 (save $10)

• Apple AirTag 2 (4-pack) — $89 $99 (save $10)

Best TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Toshiba

Toshiba 43-inch M450 Series QLED 4K Smart Fire TV ✅

$199.99 at Amazon
$329.99 Save $130

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Prime Big Deal Days is a 48-hour sale, and Amazon is dropping new deals throughout the event. And the latest “Today’s Big Deals” drop from Amazon includes one of the best Prime Day TV deals we've seen yet. If you're looking for a budget set, this Toshbia Fire TV has a 43-inch QLED display, and it's never been priced this low before.

As everything else gets more expensive, somehow flat-screen TVs keep getting cheaper. So, for those of us who can't afford to drop $1,500 on a premium OLED TV, we don't have to settle too much. This 4K TV features an HDR10+ display and supports Dolby Vision, which is pretty good for a TV under $200.

More TV deals

40 to 55-inch TV deals

• Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70) ✅

• Roku 43-inch Select Series 4K TV — $179.99 $249.99 (save $70)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch 4-Series Fire TV — $279.99 $459.99 (save $180) ✅

• Samsung 55-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $299.99 $347.99 (save $48)

• Amazon Ember 55-inch Artline QLED 4K TV — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400) ✅

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $649.99 $1,299.99 (save $650)

• Samsung The Frame 55-inch LS03F 4K QLED Art TV — $797.99 $1,097.99 (save $300) ✅

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $699.99 $1,299.99 (save $600)

• Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $998 $1,299.99 (save $301)

65-inch TV deals

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $429.99 $649.99 (save $220)

• Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $579.99 $999.99 (save $420)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,100)

• TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,077.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,422) ✅

• LG C6 Series OLED 4K TV — $1,499.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,200) ✅

• Samsung 65-Inch S90H Series OLED 4K Smart TV — $1,497.99 $1,897.99 (save $400) ✅

• Samsung 65-Inch S95F Series OLED 4K Smart TV — $2,319 $2,499.99 (save $180.99) ✅

75 inches and above TV deals

• Samsung 75-inch M70H Mini-LED 4K TV — $547.99 $729.99 (save $182)

• Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,797.99 $3,999.99 (save $2,202)

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,697.99 $2,999.99 (save $1,302)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,147.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,852)

Best home and kitchen deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nespresso

Nespresso Vertuo Pop+ Deluxe Coffee Machine

$133.99 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $65.96

 

Get Deal

If your morning routine centers around iced lattes or a quick espresso shot, this bundle gives you a legit cafe-level setup without taking over your entire countertop. The Vertuo Pop+ Deluxe packs Nespresso's single-touch brewing into an ultra-compact footprint, spinning pods at high speeds to pull rich, crema-topped espresso or full-sized coffee mugs in seconds. Plus, the Deluxe version adds a bigger side water tank, so you're not constantly running to the sink between brews.

The real star here is the included Aeroccino3 milk frother. Instead of buying a frother separately to make lattes, this bundle gives you one-touch hot- or cold-foam for cappuccinos and iced drinks right out of the box. Grabbing the machine-and-frother combo in Matte Black Gold is an absolute steal for upgrading your morning coffee with zero hassle before this Prime deal vanishes.

More Prime Day home and kitchen deals

• Staub Ceramic 0.75-quart Petite Pumpkin Dish — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30)

• Caraway Non-Stick Ceramic Large Baking Sheet Duo — $110 $130 (save $20)

• Ninja PossibleCooker PRO Plus 9-in-1 slow cooker — $139.99 $179.99 (save $40)

• Vitamix 5-Speed Immersion Blender bundle — $174.95 $199.95 (save $25) ✅

• Viking PureGlide Pro 3-Ply Nonstick Frying Pans (9.5-inch and 11-inch) — $159.95 $239.99 (save $80)

• Levoit Sprout Smart Air Purifier — $170.98 $279.99 (save $109.01) ✅

• Ninja Crispi Pro Glass Air Fryer, 6 quarts — $249.90 $299.99 (save $50.09) ✅

• GE Profile Opal Mini Nugget Ice Maker — $269 $299 (save $30) ✅

• Vitamix Propel Series 510 Professional Blender — $389 $499.95 (save $110.95) ✅

Best outdoor deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Coleman

Coleman 100-Quart Marine Cooler with UV Guard

$99.99 at Amazon
$134.99 Save $35.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Whether you're gearing up for tailgate season, a weekend fishing trip, or just need to keep a mountain of drinks icy for a backyard party, this massive Coleman cooler is a total workhorse. Its 100-quart capacity holds up to 160 cans, while the fully insulated body keeps ice frozen for up to five days. Plus, the outer shell has a built-in UV coating so it won't crack in the sun.

Built for rough outdoor use, it packs rust-resistant hardware, rugged 6-inch wheels for dragging across sand or dirt, and a leakproof drain plug. The reinforced lid even doubles as a seat that supports up to 250 pounds and comes with built-in cup holders. Getting this much heavy-duty cooler space for under $100 is an absolute steal before the discount vanishes.

More outdoor deals

Cooler deals

• Igloo Trailmate Cooler (50 quart) — $99.99 $119.99 (save $20)

• Igloo Maxcold Glide (110 quart) — $169.99 $179.99 (save $10)

• Ninja FrostVault (Spanish moss, 50 quart) — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

Camping deals

• LifeStraw Peak Series Personal Water Filter Straw — $23.50 $24.95 (save $1.45) ✅

• Breeo 40-inch Steel Fire Pit Poker — $55.20 $69 (save $13.80) ✅

• Coleman Sundome 4-Person Camping Tent — $81.68 $117.91 (save $38.31) ✅

• Coleman Triton 2-Burner Propane Stove — $89.99 $129.99 (save $40)

• Kelty Trash Pak — $90.93 $129.95 (save $39.02)

• Sea to Summit Frontier Ultralight One Pot Cook Set — $99.95 $114.95 (save $15)

• Jackery SolarSaga 40W Air — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Renogy 100W Portable Solar Panel — $109.99 $124.99 (save $15)

• Coleman 4-Person Instant Cabin — $149.99 $218.49 (save $68.50) ✅

• Therm-a-Rest NeoAir Xlite NXT Ultralight Camping Pad — $199.95 $239.95 (save $40)

• Coleman RoadTrip 225 portable propane grill — $259.99 $364.99 (save $105)

• Breeo Smokeless Fire Pit X Series 19 — $322.05 $399.99 (save $77.94) ✅

Best power station deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bluetti

Bluetti Elite 100 mini Portable Power Station ✅

$429.99 at Amazon
$699 Save $269.01

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

"Bluetti is bringing out some of my favorite portable power stations lately. For starters, the Bluetti FridgePower can keep your refrigerator cooling for up to 20 hours during an outage. But I'm especially excited about the new Bluetti Elite 100 mini.

I love the single handle built into the side of this model. I find it much easier to carry compared to the pop-up handle that goes down the middle of many power stations. Plus, Bluetti's built-in LED light on the warm setting is perfect for evening illumination." — Lauren Allain, Mashable Contributor

More power station deals

• Jackery Explorer 300 — $239 $289 (save $50) ✅

• Anker SOLIX C800X Portable Power Station and 100W Solar Panel — $429.99 $509.99 (save $90)

• Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $469.99 $599 (save $129.01) ✅

• Jackery HomePower 1000 v2 — $499 $649 (save $150) ✅

• Bluetti Elite 100 V2 with 200W Solar Panel — $699 $999 (save $300)

• Ecoflow Delta 3 Classic with 220W Solar Panel — $699 $1,099 (save $400) ✅

• Jackery Solar Generator 1000 v2 and 200W Solar Panel — $664 $879 (save $215)

• Anker Solix S2000 — $649.98 $1,199 (save $549.02)

• Bluetti FridgePower — $949 $1,499 (save $550) ✅

• Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 — $864 $999 (save $135) ✅

• Bluetti Elite 200 V2 — $899 $1,199 (save $300) ✅

• Ecoflow Delta 2 Max — $1,029 $1,399 (save $370)

• Bluetti Elite 300 — $1,199.99 $1,499 (save $299)

• Jackery HomePower 3000 — $1,384 $1,499 (save $115)

• Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus — $1,538.04 $1,899 (save $390.06)

Best vacuum deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Shark

Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum

$149.99 at SharkNinja
$299.99 Save $150

 

Get Deal

Note: This product is sold out at Amazon, but you can still find it for 50% off at the SharkNinja website.

Why we like it

"Year after year, this Shark stick vacuum is one of the best Prime Day deals on vacuums, and I'm glad to see it back on sale for Prime Big Deal Days. One of our former reporters swore by this vacuum, calling it a literal 'game-changer' for his dog-hair-filled New York City apartment. It has a brush head that's designed to make pet hair disappear, and you can't go wrong with a 50% discount, can you?" Timothy Werth, Mashable Tech Editor

More Prime Day vacuum deals

• Shark Pet Cordless Stick Vacuum (2026 model) — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120) ✅

• Shark AI Ultra Robot Vacuum — $434.54 $599.99 (save $165.45) ✅

• Shark PowerDetect Robot Vacuum & Mop Combo — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Roborock 2026 New Qrevo S Pro Robot Vacuum and Mop — $399.99 $699.99 (save $300)

• Dyson V10 Konical Cordless Vacuum — $399.99 $499.99 (save $100)

• eufy C28 Robot Vacuum Cleaner and Mop Combo — $499.99 $799.99 (save $300) ✅

• Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop — $569.98 $749.99 (save $180.01)

• Dyson V15 Detect Origin Cordless Vacuum — $589.99 $839.99 (save $250) ✅

Best memory and SSD deals

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD ✅

$249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2

$153.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $46

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

"SanDisk is a favorite of mine when buying memory products, and I use their Extreme portable SSDs to back up my own photo and video collection. (As a tech editor, I take a lot of photos and videos.) Thanks to RAMageddon, you have to take any opportunity you can find to save on portable SSDs, flash drives, microSD cards, and hard drives. Already, some of SanDisk's most popular memory products are on sale, like their microSD Express card for the Switch 2 and the new version of their popular Extreme drive." — Timothy Werth, Mashable Tech Editor

More SSD and hard drive deals

• SanDisk 64GB High Endurance Video microSDXC Card — $26.99 $44.99 (save $18)

• SanDisk 500GB Portable SSD — $109.99 $128.99 (save $19)

• Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive — $119.99 $149.99 (save $30)

• Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.90 $274.99 (save $45.09)

• Samsung SSD 990 PRO 2TB, PCIe 4.0 M.2 2280 — $389.99 $639.99 (save $250) ✅

• Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $979.99 $1,144.99 (save $165)

Best fitness deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hpygn

Hpygn Resistance Bands with Handles

$19.79 at Amazon
$21.99 Save $2.20

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

If you don't have the space (or cash) for a full set of dumbbells, this stackable Hpygn resistance band set gives you a portable home gym setup for under $20. It packs five latex bands ranging from 10 to 50 pounds each, allowing you to combine them with the heavy-duty steel buckles for up to 150 pounds of total resistance. The bundle comes fully loaded with cushioned non-slip handles, ankle straps, a door anchor, and a compact travel pouch so you can squeeze in a quick workout anywhere.

More fitness deals

• Bala Bangles Wrist & Ankle Weights — $44 $55 (save $11)

• CAP Neoprene Hex Dumbbell 100-Pound Set (10 weights) — $9.14 $9.99 (save $0.85)

• Hyperice Hypervolt Go 3 Percussion Massage Gun — $119 $149 (save $30)

• Theragun Therabody 3-Speed Massage Gun — $119.99 $159.99 (save $40)

• Renpho Thermacool 2-in-1 Foot Massager — $159.99 $199.99 (save $40)

More smartwatch deals

• Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro — $59 $79 (save $20) ✅

• Garmin Vivoactive 5 — $191.99 $299.99 (save $108) ✅

• Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm) — $429.99 $499.99 (save $70)

• Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire — $529.99 $999.99 (save $370)

Best Lego deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Millennium Falcon

$79.95 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $20.04

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Building the iconic Millennium Falcon is already a rite of passage for any Star Wars fan, but this 885-piece set upgrades the classic build with Lego's interactive Smart Play system. On its own, it’s a detailed, screen-accurate model featuring fold-out top panels for interior play, stud shooters, and four minifigures — Han Solo, Chewbacca, Luke Skywalker, and C-3PO.

What makes this release special are the built-in Smart Tags. When paired with a Lego Smart Brick (from an All-In-One set), the ship instantly responds with authentic sound effects and dynamic lights as kids play—bringing lightsaber duels and hyperdrive jumps to life.

More Lego deals

• Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart — Interactive Mario & Standard Kart — $29.39 $54.99 (save $25.60)

• Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar 2026 — $31.49 $44.99 (save $12.50)

• Lego Botanicals Succulents — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

• Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026 — $35 $44.99 (save $9.99)

• Lego Marvel Advent Calendar 2026 — $35.99 $44.99 (save $9)

• Lego Star Wars Darth Vader Bust — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Yoda’s Hut and Jedi Training — $47.49 $69.99 (save $22.5)

• Lego Botanicals Hibiscus Flower — $55.95 $69.99 (save $14.04)

• Lego Star Wars SMART Play: Mos Eisley Cantina — $63.95 $79.99 (save $16.04)

• Lego Super Mario: Mario Kart Baby Peach & Grand Prix Set Home Circuit — $62.12 $79.99 (save $17.87)

• Lego Star Wars: Andor K-2SO Security Droid — $71.99 $89.99 (save $18)

Best streaming and subscription deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Audible

$0.99/month for four months + free $20 credit

Get Deal

Why we like it

Right now, eligible Prime members can get four months of Audible Standard for $0.99 per month — $3.96 total. On top of that, you get a free $20 credit to spend on the title(s) of your choice.

Your membership lets you download one audiobook per month. including classics, new releases, and BookTok faves like the ACOTAR series. And if 99 cents feels a little high, you can also sign up for a 30-day free trial.

More Amazon subscription deals

• Kindle Unlimited — 3 months free

• Amazon Music Unlimited — 4 months free with Prime

• Grubhub+ — Free with Prime. Enjoy unlimited $0 food delivery fees on eligible orders. Terms & additional fees apply.

• Buy or lease a new car, get a $1,500 gift card for free with Prime

Best beauty tech deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Shark

Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask ✅

$299 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $50.99

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Shark's red light face mask not only costs half as much as the competition, but it also offers cooling therapy and blue light therapy for good measure. We spent 10 months testing this face mask to make sure it lived up to the hype, and in the end, we named it a Mashable Choice product.

During Prime Big Deal Days, you can get this Shark beauty mask at its lowest-ever price. Read our full review of the Shark CryoGlow LED Face Mask.

More beauty tech deals

• Revlon One-Step Volumizer — $40.49 $65.99 (save $25.50) ✅

• L'Ange Hair Le Volume Dryer Brush — $46.50 $69 (save $22.50)

• Revlon 3-in-1 Multi-Styler — $76.49 $89.99 (save $13.50)

• Laifen SE Lite Ionic Hair Dryer — $95.99 $119.99 (save $24) ✅

• Solawave 4-in-1 Red Light Therapy — $94.99 $169 (save $74.01) ✅

• L'Ange Hair Axia HaloRing Hair Dryer — $99 $129 (save $30)

• Shark SpeedStyle Hair Dryer — $129 $229.99 (save $100.99) ✅

• Therabody TheraFace Depuffing Wand — $134.99 $169.99 (save $35)

• Shark FlexFusion Ceramic Air Styler — $299.99 $399.99 (save $100) ✅

• T3 Aire 360 Multi-Styler — $284.99 $349.99 (save $65)

• TheraFace Therabody Mask Glo — $299.99 $379.99 (save $80) ✅

Best gaming deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Samsung

Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5

$219.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $130

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

"Finding a 32-inch, 1,440p panel from a top-tier brand for around 37% off is nothing to scoff at. You're getting a 180Hz refresh rate and a 1ms response time, plus G-Sync and FreeSync support to keep fast-paced action smooth and free of screen tearing. It also comes with a height-adjustable ergonomic stand right out of the box, so you can pivot, tilt, and swivel to your setup's needs — a practical feature most budget displays cut to trim costs." — Ben Williams, Mashable contributor

More gaming deals

• Save 40% on Switch 2 games at Amazon

• Red Dead Redemption — $24.99 $29.99 (save $5)

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25)

• The Last of Us Part II Remastered — $37.49 $49.99 (save $12.50)

• The Last of Us Part 1 — $37.99 $69.99 (save $32)

• Marvel’s Spider-Man 2 — $44.75 $69.99 (save $25.24)

• SteelSeries Apex 3 RGB Gaming Keyboard — $49.99 $54.99 (save $5)

• The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time — $59.88 $69.99 (save $10.11) ✅

• Razer BlackWidow V4 X Mechanical Gaming Keyboard — $84.99 $129.99 (save $45)

• Samsung 27-inch Odyssey (G50F) QHD Gaming Monitor — $169.99 $279.99 (save $110) ✅

• Nintendo Switch with Neon Blue and Red Joy-Con (Renewed) — $199 $339 (save $140)

• Alienware 24.5-inch (AW2525HM) Full HD Gaming Monitor — $189.99 $249.99 (save $60)

• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey (G55C) Curved Gaming Monitor — $189.99 $329.99 (save $140) ✅

• LG 27-inch UltraGear OLED Gaming Monitor (27GS93QE-B) — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400) ✅

Best Anker deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Anker

Anker Laptop Power Bank 25,000mAh

$119.98 at Amazon
$134.99 Save $15.01

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Forget carrying a tangled mess of cords — this Anker power bank solves travel cable management by building two USB-C cables directly into the body, including a 2.3-foot retractable option.

It hits right under the airline 100Wh restriction, making it completely flight-approved despite packing a massive 25,000mAh capacity and a 165W total output. With three separate USB-C ports capable of up to 100W each, it can fast-charge a MacBook Pro and an iPhone simultaneously. It's an absolute essential for digital nomads, commuters, and heavy tech users looking for serious portable power on sale.

More mobile accessory deals

• Anker Nano Smart Display Charger — $29.99 $39.99 (save $10)

• Twelve South HiRise 2 Deluxe 2-in-1 Wireless Charging Station — $38.99 $79.99 (save $41)

• Anker MagGo Power Bank, 10,000mAh — $63.99 $79.99 (save $16)

Best board game deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Days of Wonder

Ticket to Ride

$29.99
$39.99 Save $10.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Amazon is loaded with board game deals during October Prime Day, and if you have plans for a board-game Thanksgiving gathering, now's a great time to stock up.

"If you haven't yet dabbled in the joy of Ticket to Ride, I recommend this game for any group. I've played with friends, family, and even people I don't really like, but the game has made the gathering enjoyable. It's easy to learn gameplay, has a few fun twists, and it's a great geography lesson, too." — Lauren Allain, Mashable Contributor

More Prime Day board game deals

• Sushi Go! — $11.99 $14.15 (save $2.16)

• Bananagrams — $11.95 $15.99 (save $4.04)

• Blueberry Cat D&D Dice Set — $12.99 $19.99 (save $7)

• Dungeons & Dragons Young Adventurer's Collection Box Set — $13.32 $34.99 (save $21.67)

• Azul — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)

• Splendor — $31.99 $39.99 (save $8)

• Dixit — $37.43 $44.99 (save $7.56)

• Trekking The National Parks — $34.99 $49.95 (save $15.96)

• Catan Board Game — $39.99 $49.99 (save $10)

• Dungeons & Dragons Strategy Board — $29.99 $34.99 (save $5)

• Cascadia Board Game — $37.40 $39.99 (save $2.55)

• Dungeons & Dragons Starter Set: Heroes of the Borderlands — $39.95 $49.99 (save $10.04)

Time is running out for Prime members to shop Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days sale. Sign up for a Prime 30-day free trial if you want to save some cash, and follow Mashable’s guide to the best October Prime Day deals and live blog for the latest updates.

Since August, someone (or perhaps a group of people) called Cyberleek has been very busy sharing various gameplay clips of Grand Theft Auto 6. On Aug. 20, Take-Two Interactive, the parent company of GTA-maker Rockstar Games, filed subpoenas against Microsoft and Discord to try to unmask the leaker, followed soon after by subpoenas against Google and X Corp. Those filings specifically cited "stolen content," seemingly confirming that at least some of the Cyberleek videos are legitimate.

Prior to the August "Extended Look" on Netflix, the GTA 6 leaks represented the first real glimpse of gameplay from the hotly anticipated title. After the Netflix trailer, Cyberleek stopped for more than a month, before suddenly reappearing in October with a 24-minute gameplay video. We're not going to embed or link to any of these clips; however, they're easy enough to find on X or Reddit if you look hard enough.

Every GTA 6 leak from Cyberleek so far

At the time of publication, more than a dozen gameplay clips and map screenshots have been posted by Cyberleek that show different aspects of GTA 6, including glimpses of cutscenes. The leaker did post some minor story spoilers in the most recent release, so be careful if you want to avoid them.

Here are the GTA 6 leaks Cyberleek has shared so far:

• Map sneak peek 1: A small, cropped portion of the in-game world map, showing a location called Dalton Island.

• Map sneak peek 2: Another cropped portion of the map showing locations called Tequesta Retreat, Gloriana Key, and Catalan Key.

• Basketball video: A clip of protagonist Jason Duval throwing a basketball into a hoop in a mini-game.

• Full map: An alleged view of the entire in-game map.

• Random video 1: A clip of Jason driving around for a little bit before beating up a truck driver.

• Taser video: A clip of Jason driving at night, stealing a security guard's taser, and using it on him. Jason then repeatedly kicks the guard while he is on the ground.

• Junkies video: A clip that appears to show a healing drug called Zombix. A tooltip indicates that Zombix's effects will weaken over time if the player uses it too much.

• Plane video: A clip of Jason flying a plane over Vice City, with much of the game world visible below. At the end, whoever is playing the game in the clip shoots the word "LEEK" into a wall with bullets, suggesting the leaker has a playable build of the game.

• Hypercar part 1: A clip of Jason driving a high-end sports car around Vice City.

• Hypercar part 2: A clip of Jason driving the sports car some more, before committing armed robbery.

• Strip club: Jason wanders around a strip club, then a short clip of an in-game cutscene is shown.

• Gas station: Jason causes trouble at a gas station, steals a truck with a bed full of gasoline, and crashes and dies; more of the previous cutscene is shown.

• Plane video 2: Jason flies a plane over Vice City at night.

• Nudist colony: Jason explores a nudist hangout spot (where the NPCs are, obviously, nude) and attacks NPCs.

• Nightclub: A pretty uneventful video of Jason walking around the interior of a nightclub.

• Beach cycling: Jason riding a bicycle on a beach full of NPCs.

• Video game store: Jason walking around a video game store with shelves full of fake video game boxes.

• How does Cyberleek drive?: Jason steals a hotrod and evades the police; the clip ends with a cutscene showing Lucia Caminos, the game's second playable character, for the first time. Caminos talks about someone who "drives like a bitch."

• Lucia prologue: A four-and-a-half-minute video of a prologue introducing Caminos; the clip includes minor story spoilers.

• 24-minute extended leak: A long video featuring multiple vehicular races, car customization, first-person gameplay, and both protagonists rendered in the nude.

What could Cyberleek release next?

The latest Cyberleek video ended with an allusion to some sort of long-term "project," the likes of which we know nothing about. It's not clear if more leaks are coming or not, but given the October dump, it's possible we'll see more from Cyberleek before the game launches in November.

You can see the game officially now

Speaking of the Netflix trailer, it's now on YouTube in all of its 26-minute glory. There were plenty of little details that Cyberleek never showed, such as gameplay footage of Lucia, among many other things. If you want a real idea of how GTA 6 works, you're probably better off watching the Netflix video than anything Cyberleek posted at this point.

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

Updated on Friday, Aug. 28 at 1:30 p.m. ET — We've updated this story with additional details.

Updated on Wednesday, Aug. 26 at 3:20 p.m. ET — We've updated this story with details on Rockstar's statement and additional GTA 6 leaks.

Updated on Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 11:40 a.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek videos.

Updated on Monday, Aug. 24 at 1:30 p.m. ET — We've updated this story to reflect the latest Cyberleek leaks.

Updated on Friday, Aug. 21 at 3:00 p.m. ET — Take-Two Interactive Software Inc., the parent company of Grand Theft Auto-maker Rockstar Games, has filed two subpoenas naming Microsoft and Discord as it hunts the leaker known as Cyberleek. The legal filings specifically cite "stolen content," seemingly confirming that the leaks are legitimate. Take-Two is also requesting the removal of leaked material that violates its copyrights, as well as information that could unmask the leakers. Read more about the Microsoft and Discord subpoenas.

Updated on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 2:15 p.m. ET — We've updated the story to reflect the latest Cyberleek leaks.

Save 50%: As of Oct. 8, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $198 at Amazon, knocking $201.99 off their $399.99 list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000XM5

$198 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $201.99

 

Get Deal

Just one month ago, Sony launched a pair of mid-tier headphones targeted toward the more budget conscious consumer who didn't want to sacrifice quality. Who knew that 30 days later, Sony would be offering a deal on its former flagship headphones that offered an even better value?

As of Oct. 8, the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones are on sale for $198, bringing them down to their lowest price ever, and slashing $201.99 off their total price of $399.99. At first glance, this already looks like a pretty great deal. The context behind it, however, makes it even better.

Let's start with how these headphones compare to the current flagship model, the WH-1000XM6 headphones. While the XM6s come with some minor upgrades, including improvements in sound and folding ear cups, in my head-to-head comparison, I didn't find any wild discrepancies between the two headphones. They're visually very similar and have the same exact battery life. While the XM6's eke out as a slightly better pair overall, they also retail for $459.99 at full price (and are currently on sale for $378). In other words, even on sale they're $180 more — expensive enough that you could nearly buy the XM5s on sale twice over.

That's not all. The new WH-1000XM4C from Sony were designed for people who didn't need the best of the best, but still wanted a solid-performing pair of headphones that could stand the test of time. Being a newer pair, they didn't go on sale for October Prime Day and are currently available for their list price of $299.99. Considering they're still over $100 more expensive than the XM5s, the choice seems a no-brainer, unless you're really committed to the look of the XM4Cs or having folding ear cups (which the XM5s do not).

Amazon's flagged the pink XM5s as a "deal selling fast," and the only other color available, on sale, and still in stock is the midnight blue, so if you're interested, you'll want to act sooner rather than later.

When I read on NPR this week that people are turning to ChatGPT to tell them how to vote, I shook my head. Here we go again, I thought: another search for the easy way out. Voting is too serious of a right to turn over the thought process to AI.

Then I ran the experiment myself, and while I still stand by my old-world views of doing the homework yourself, I must admit that, barring just voting blindly, AI might be better than doing nothing at all.

Politics has been my obsession for as long as I can remember. In college, one of my top goals was to become a press secretary on Capitol Hill. I got there at 23, the youngest press secretary on the Hill at the time, and spent seven years there before moving into a career in public relations.

Now, in a bit of a full-circle moment, I'm an opinion columnist writing about politics for several sites. That’s why I have always taken the right to vote very seriously, and for most of my life, I prided myself on voting for the best person, not the party.

That self-imposed rule came undone in recent years. I won't pretend otherwise.

But my politics are beside the point here. Because of who I am, and my encyclopedic knowledge of politics, my friends, neighbors and family from all over the country reach out to ask who they should vote for in their districts and states.

Until a few years ago, I never would have offered a name or a party. I'd tell them to pick the issues they care about most, go to each candidate's website, see where they stand, and decide who has the best point of view or gets the most done. I tried to be impartial.

So, to see if they, too, could be impartial, I asked ChatGPT and Claude, "Who should I vote for?"

Both gave me essentially the answer I give my friends. Neither gave recommendations. Both pointed me toward finding my ballot, choosing my issues and checking the candidates' records. When I listed the issues, both laid out a side-by-side comparison of where the candidates stand.

That is a shortcut, but it's a shortcut to the research, not around it. So, before I proceed, I won’t be using AI to help me cast my ballot, but if all else fails for you, then maybe it’s not such a bad idea.

I say this with a hint of reservation, and with consideration for how most voters get their information, and that’s through the impartiality of political ads. They begin running ad nauseam the Tuesday after Labor Day and repeat over and over and over again until Election Day.

When you mouth the words coming out of the candidate’s mouth as their ad runs, you know you’ve seen it one too many times.

That’s intentional. Drumming messaging into the heads of voters is a time-honored tradition. And those ads have an implicit call to action. They are built to make you angry or to make you cheer, to vow to vote with or against someone. They can also be misleading and downright mean-spirited.

For many Americans juggling jobs, kids, extracurriculars and managing budgets, those 30-second spots are the only contact they might have with the people asking for their vote. Relying on those ads is not the best way to determine who to vote for, but sometimes it’s the only option available.

Compared with that, an AI assistant that helps you map out a strategy and gives you a quick, organized take on where candidates stand looks like a step up.

I'm not suggesting this replaces the real work. It's still best to read the candidates' own platforms, do your own research and dig into the records. And sure, reach out to friends or acquaintances who might know a little more than you. 

I may be old-fashioned, but I still believe in carefully weighing every candidate. However, for those short on time, getting a little help from an AI tool is far better than being swayed by attack ads, guessing blindly, or closing your eyes and picking a name at random.

There is one condition, and it matters more than anything else. If you take the time to ask the question and figure out where the candidates stand, you must take the time to act on it. Vote. Whether you drop your ballot in the mail or step into a booth, nothing beats the pride of knowing you did your civic duty, and that you took the time to prepare and do it right.

Someday, as AI spreads into every corner of our lives, you may be able to tell an assistant who you want to vote for and it will handle the rest. Don’t laugh, because snail-mail ballots might be the last vestige of doing things the old-fashioned way.

Stranger things have happened. But if it ever comes to that, I'll do it the tried and true way, just as I prefer to research my candidates on my own.

This article represents the opinions of its writer.

John Casey is a columnist at Raw Story, the Advocate, Daily Beast, and Outsports. He's also the author of Love: The Heroic Stories of Marriage Equality.

If you haven't been able to get your hands on Nintendo's special-edition Legend of Zelda Switch 2 console yet, plan on camping out at your local Best Buy next month.

In a press release Thursday, the electronics chain confirmed that some of its stores will have the Zelda 40th Anniversary Switch 2 available in limited quantities on Nov. 5, at its late-night launch events for The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The system's matching Pro Controller will also be up for grabs while supplies last.

These launch events will kick off at 12 a.m. ET on Nov. 5 or the local equivalent. Best Buy stores in the Central Time Zone will open at 11 p.m., West Coast stores will open at 9 p.m., and so on. You can find participating stores near you using Best Buy's store locator tool.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch 2 "The Legend of Zelda" 40th Anniversary Edition

$519.99 at Best Buy

 

Learn More

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch 2 Pro Controller "The Legend of Zelda" 40th Anniversary Edition

$99.99 at Best Buy

 

Learn More

Gamers who preorder a physical copy of Ocarina of Time from Best Buy will be able to pick it up in person during the festivities. If you already opted to have a preorder delivered, you can change it to store pickup on the Purchase History page of your My Best Buy account.

Featuring gold Triforce accents and green Joy-Con 2 controllers, the Zelda Switch 2 system has been extremely difficult to buy since it first went up for preorder on Sept. 8. (It's set for release on Oct. 29.) GameSpot reported that it sold out "immediately" and spotted reseller listings on eBay with 50% markups. Nintendo has randomly dropped restocks over the past few weeks, but they go fast. At the time of writing, it was out of stock everywhere.

The Zelda Switch 2 costs $519.99, or $30 more than the standard version of the console (which got a $50 price hike this fall amid "RAMageddon"). Of note, it does not include a copy of Nintendo's Ocarina of Time remake — you have to buy the game separately. The Zelda 40th Anniversary Pro Controller costs $99.99, and it's also sold out everywhere.

A physical copy of Ocarina of Time will set you back $69.99, though preorders have been discounted for the last few weeks at Amazon and Walmart (which both promise free release-day delivery). The digital version of the game costs $59.99 and can be pre-loaded on your Switch 2 console so you can play it as soon as it's out.

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2)

$59.88 at Walmart

 

Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy

"The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2 digital code)

$59.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Nintendo

Save 53%: As of Oct. 8, the Bose QuietComfort headphones are still down at their record-low Prime Big Deal Days price of $169 at Amazon. At full price, these headphones cost $359, saving you $190.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort headphones (1st gen)

$169 at Amazon
$359 Save $190

 

Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days may be over, but one of the best deals of the sale is very much still live.

The first-generation Bose QuietComfort headphones may not be the latest from the brand, but they dropped to an impressive record low of of $169 during the sale, slashing 53% off their $359 list price. As of Oct. 8, the deal is still available in six different colorways. In addition to Amazon, you can also find it live at Bose's website and Best Buy.

My colleague and fellow audio tester, Samantha Mangino, wrote earlier this year about how these headphones are her go-tos: they're comfortable enough to easily wear all day (with earrings and glasses on), sound great, offer excellent active noise cancellation, and have intuitive tactile controls on the ear cups. The battery life is OK at 24 hours, and the multipoint pairing can be less than consistent at times (a common problem with Bose), but for the most part, these headphones punch far above what I'd expect from a $170 price point.

Though I'm a big fan of the recently released second-generation QuietComfort headphones, which come with a slightly different design and immersive audio, on sale those headphones are still $319. For getting the most bang for your buck, the original QuietComforts are still the way to go. And they have removable ear cushions, which helps for future-proofing. All in all, at this price point, these headphones offer an excellent value.

It doesn't always feel like Microsoft and Apple are heated rivals in the laptop space these days, but now and then, we get a glimpse of what used to be.

In this case, Microsoft just debuted its own take on Apple's MagSafe mechanism for charging laptops. It's a magnetic USB-C port on the newly announced Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, and it works exactly as it sounds: once you get the connector close enough, it snaps right on with the power of magnets.

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

Microsoft is calling it "Magnetic Connect" and is touting it as the first built-in magnetic USB-C port on a laptop. There are similar options from third-party vendors, but they aren't built in. Meanwhile, Apple's MagSafe mechanism uses magnets, but it's not USB-C, so it seems like Microsoft's claim holds some water here.

Probably the most important detail here is that you can still plug any old USB-C connector into the port, which gives it a leg up over MagSafe. Apple's version of this uses a proprietary connector that isn't really useful for anything other than its intended use.

The biggest problem is that the Surface Laptop Ultra starts at a staggering $2,599. Maybe you can live without a magnetic USB-C connector, in that case.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

SAVE $1,302: The 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hisense

100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV

$1,697.99
$2,999.99 Save $1,302.00

 

Get Deal

October Prime Day is over according to the official dates, but that doesn't mean the deals are dry. If you forgot about the sale or got stuck in a purchase indecision loop, no sweat, because there's a TV deal in store at Amazon that is well worth some attention.

As of Oct. 8, the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount that shaves a major $1,302 off the price and marks the best price we've ever spotted at Amazon.

A 100-inch TV is a real treat. Unless you want an art TV, going with a giant model is a great way to turn streaming sessions into an optimal experience. The 100-inch Hisense will be awesome for watching fall's best sporting events and streaming shows.

In addition to the QLED display, the TV hits a native refresh rate of 144Hz, which means you'll be able to game all winter on this model. Hisense also used AI Smooth Motion with this model, so your action movies will look better than ever.

Before this lingering Prime Day deal expires, snag the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV while saving over $1,300.

Preorder the new Amazon Alexa Tablets

---

Preorder now

Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro

$499.99

Pre-Order Here

---

Preorder now

Amazon Alexa Tablet 11

$329.99

Pre-Order Here

---

Preorder now

Amazon Alexa Tablet 8

$229.99

Pre-Order Here

---

Preorder now

Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen

$89.99

Pre-Order Here

---

Preorder now

Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard

$149.99

Pre-Order Here

In the aftermath of Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon quietly dropped a new line of tablets now powered by Android with access to the Google Play Store. The lineup includes three new tablets, all with an aluminum unibody construction, similar to the design of the new Kindles.

As you might guess from the name, Alexa Tablets are built to run on Alexa+, Amazon's most advanced voice assistant. This also marks the retailer's transition away from Fire Tablets, likely to be phased out in favor of the new Alexa Tablets.

Here's what we know about the new Amazon Alexa tablets.

Meet the new Amazon Alexa Tablets

The new Amazon Alexa tablets are available in three sizes: 12 inches, 11 inches, and 8.7 inches. The 12-inch unit, the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, is Amazon's most advanced tablet yet while the 11 and 8, offer mid- and budget-range options.

All of the new tablets run on Android, an upgrade from the Fire Tablets, which ran on Amazon's native system. This means that the tablets finally have the Google Play Store, making millions of apps now available on Amazon's tablets.

Plus, Amazon has made the Alexa Tablets more functional for the tasks you do the most. Now, they have a built-in Kindle sanctuary on the devices. When you open the Kindle app, the tablet goes distraction-free by silencing notifications, reducing blue light, and stretching battery life.

Here's a breakdown of the tablet models and prices:

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (available in standard or Nanomatte) — $499.99 to $679.99

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 (64GB or 128GB) — $329.99 to $379.99

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 (64GB or 128GB) — $229.99 to $279.99

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro: Amazon's most advanced tablet

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is built to rival the iPad Pro. Credit: Amazon

As Apple's iPad Pro features two different screen types, Amazon did something similar with the design of the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The new premium tablet comes in a standard display or Nanomatte, a new precision-etched anti-glare technology. Amazon partnered with Corning to craft the process that makes the nearly undetectable textured glass. It allows you to read in any angle or light without glare.

Designed for the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro are two new accessories, the Alexa Tablet Pro Pen and Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard. Both turn the tablet into a full work setup for a laptop-like experience.

It starts at $499.99 and is available for preorder now, shipping as soon as Oct. 14.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro

$499.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen

$89.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard

$149.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Meet the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8

Amazon is offering two Alexa Tablets at more affordable price points, the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8. Credit: Amazon / Mashable Photo Composite

In addition to the 12 Pro, Amazon has released the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8.

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 is an 11-inch tablet with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It comes with 8GB of RAM and dual Dolby Atmos speakers. Its new aluminum casing comes in matcha, amethyst, and graphite. It starts at $329.99.

For a more budget-friendly option, there's the Amazon Alexa Tablet 8. It's the best size for readers who want to log hours on the Kindle app. It weighs just 329g and is 7.95mm thin. It has 4GB of RAM and an 8-core processor. It comes in graphite, rosette, and teal. It starts at $229.99.

Both tablets are available for preorder now, to be released Oct. 14.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Alexa Tablet 11

$329.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Alexa Tablet 8

$229.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

You can't scroll through TikTok without seeing someone using a pocket mic in their videos. These little gadgets have become a staple for content creators, and the UGC mic market continues to expand.

Our favorite brands are DJI and Rode, but a hot new bombshell has entered the scene. On Oct. 8, Sony introduced the ECM-AX10 spatial audio microphone.

Sony ECM-AX10 price and specs

Sony's new spatial audio microphone retails for $249.99 and is available for preorder now.

The ECM-AX10 comes with a wind screen to cut down outdoor noises. Credit: Sony

This is the first Eclipsa Audio-certified microphone for smartphones, and it features the following:

• Four omnidirectional microphone capsules

• USB-C connection

• Three recording modes: Ambisonics, binaural, stereo

• Weight: 24 grams

• Selfie mode for front and rear alignment

• 3.5mm headphone output

• Noise cut filter

• Included accessories: Wind screen, extension USB-C cable, cold-shoe microphone holder

Sony ECM-AX10 Spatial Audio Microphone

$249.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Sony Pre-order Here at B&H Photo Video

What makes the Sony ECM-AX10 different

Unlike most pocket mics, the Sony ECM-AX10 attaches directly to your phone — there aren't separate receivers or microphones. So, you don't have to hold anything or clip anything to your clothes.

It's designed to capture spatial audio, not just voice pickup. It's ideal for recording live concerts and shows, sporting events, travel, and city walks — any type of content where the background noise is part of the ambiance.

Capture the full sonic scene of a live music session with the ECM-AX10 mic. Credit: Sony

The ECM-AX10 houses four omnidirectional microphone capsules and has three recording formats. Ambisonics recording uses four mic capsules to capture spatial audio for immersive and Eclipsa Audio production, binaural recording captures audio best for two-channel headphone listening, and stereo recording is your standard two-channel audio for broad speaker compatibility. Sony has a dedicated Spatial Audio Video Tool app where you can edit the footage and sound that you capture.

The microphone has a built-in accelerometer that automatically detects the mic's tilt angle, so your audio is aligned with your video, no matter your phone's orientation. On the mic itself, you'll find a peak-level meter, a spatial/stereo mode switch, an ATT switch (loud-sound protection), a Noise Cut filter, a selfie mode switch, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

If you mostly make talking head content in your home, you're probably better off with a cheaper DJI Mic Mini or Rode Micro. But the Sony ECM-AX10 would be an awesome investment for creators whose content focuses on immersive, atmospheric, or spatial experiences, or those who just want rich, full sound in their videos.

Your iPad already has your inbox, shopping tabs, and unfinished to-do list. Now Meta wants to put an AI agent in charge of making some progress on them.

Meta’s Muse is now available on iPad, as announced in an Oct. 7 Threads post, following its Sept. 8 mobile debut. The free app’s latest update adds iPad support alongside more connections to the services people use for work and everyday tasks.

If you’ve missed Muse’s arrival, the pitch is an agentic AI assistant that can help you complete a variety of everyday tasks, such as booking reservations, ordering groceries, managing appointments, and making purchases. Users choose which accounts to connect, giving the agent access to particular parts of their digital lives.

There’s already considerable interest. Muse has surpassed an estimated 6.6 million installs.

An AI assistant with business ambitions

The update also makes Meta’s small-business ambitions pretty clear. Its App Store release notes list connectors for Asana, Canva, Dropbox, Figma, QuickBooks, GitHub, Klaviyo, Zoom, and Meta ad accounts, plus Granola and Notion.

Meta says users can give Muse a business goal and have it plan marketing content, build client pitches, and create product pages, with their approval. The company announced its small-business push on Sept. 29. That’s a fairly ambitious job description for an app that’s barely a month old.

Shopping is another part of the push. Meta announced more retail partners at Connect, including Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Walmart, and Wayfair, expanding the places Muse can shop on users' behalf.

There’s a catch, though: Websites can mistake an AI assistant for an unwanted bot and block it. Meta says it’s working with industry partners on an open standard that would let personal agents identify themselves to businesses, but Amazon has already taken steps to block Muse altogether.

Handing an AI agent the keys to your digital life has already raised concerns.

As Mashable reported, one user said Muse shared his home address and arranged a Facebook Marketplace pickup without checking with him first. Separately, columnist Jason Aten alleged Muse accessed private messages he hadn’t authorized it to read. And on Oct. 3 Wired reportedly found instructions for Muse to compile profiles of users' friends, family, and colleagues. As Muse expands to more devices and services, Meta will have to make its boundaries as clear as its ambitions.

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

With just over a month until Grand Theft Auto VI launches and America experiences an unprecedented flood of PTO requests, Rockstar has given us another taste of the game's musical identity.

The GTA VI developer posted an entry on its official website detailing several of the game's in-game radio stations, giving us an idea of what to expect both in terms of music and their interstitial talking bits. The six stations detailed in the blog post are as follows:

• Cocoteo FM: A Latin radio station for all your reggaeton and merengue needs.

• Back Country Radio: A country radio station with hosts including Morgan Wallen, Lana Del Rey, and Jeremy Dufrene.

• AfroBank FM: A station devoted to African music from across the decades, up until now.

• The Chamber 106.6: The requisite '80s-and-beyond metal station, with hosts Tom Araya and Kerry King of Slayer.

• Flash FM: A pop station that seems to be the only holdover from GTA: Vice City so far, hosted by Robyn and model Alex Consani.

• Dirty South Classics: A Southern rap station, naturally, hosted by Trick Daddy and Trina.

Interestingly, you can sample each of these stations on a separate page on Rockstar's website. People on social media have also already started compiling every song that's been confirmed on the radio so far. That's on top of what we've heard on the official soundtrack album and what we heard in the Netflix trailer that aired in August.

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

Rockstar's blog post did not go into much detail about this, but there are apparently also on-demand in-game podcasts for Jason and Lucia to listen to. Both podcasts and radio stations can be listened to either while driving or walking around, the latter being justified by earbuds that connect to the protagonists' smartphones.

Only about five weeks left to wait, folks.

We thought we were done with notorious Grand Theft Auto VI leaker known only as Cyberleek, but we were proven wrong on Thursday with a fresh GTA 6 leak.

The still-anonymous leaker (or group of leakers) posted their first update since late August, in the form of a nearly 25-minute-long video that's easy enough to find on social media. It's our most detailed look yet at the hotly anticipated game from Rockstar, at least outside of the official "Extended Look" that aired on Netflix in August.

If you manage to find the video, be warned: Major portions of it are strictly not safe for work. It includes a lot of footage of Jason, the male protagonist, walking around completely nude, and everything is modeled in full detail. It's unclear if this is something you can actually do in the final game, or if Cyberleek used some kind of developer tools to pull it off. There are a couple of bits of evidence pointing to the latter; NPCs do not react at all to Jason's nudity, and at one point, the person playing the leaked build spawns a tank out of thin air, suggesting capabilities beyond what normal players will be able to do.

There is also a very brief clip of Lucia, the game's other protagonist, who is seen mostly nude at the very end of the video. There was some speculation earlier in the week that nudity would be part of the game, and it seems like it's at least partially confirmed now.

Beyond the NSFW bits, nothing in the video is all that surprising. We see a couple of different vehicular races, both of which are pre-empted by cutscenes introducing the characters in charge of racing in the countryside and on city streets. These cutscenes aren't especially spoiler-heavy, but if you're really precious about not seeing them ahead of release, you should probably avoid Cyberleek's latest GTA 6 leaks.

We also get a brief look at vehicle customization, which includes the ability to upgrade the engine, transmission, and other aspects of cars. There's also some footage of the game being played in first-person, both while driving and walking around. This was a popular feature Rockstar added to GTA 5 years after release (and incorporated into Red Dead Redemption II), but it hasn't been shown in GTA 6 yet.

As a reminder, GTA 6 is out on Nov. 19 and is available for preorder now for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.

SAVE $215: As of Oct. 8, the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch Glossy OLED monitor (XG27AQDMGR) is on sale for just $384 at Amazon instead of its usual $599. That's 36% in post-Prime Day savings.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ASUS

ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch OLED Monitor (XG27AQDMGR)

$384 at Amazon
$599 Save $215

 

Get Deal

If you have the post-Prime Day blues, this gaming monitor deal might cheer you up. For those looking to switch to an OLED setup, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is now the cheapest it's ever been.

As of Oct. 8, the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch Glossy OLED monitor is down to just $384 at Amazon. It's usually $599 and recently dropped to $399 during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event. Miraculously, after the sale concluded, it dropped to its lowest price ever. That's 36% in total savings.

The XG27AQDMGR packs a 27-inch 1440p TrueBlack Glossy WOLED panel with a buttery smooth 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and peak brightness of 1,300 nits. Other features include AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black compliance, and a 99% DCI-P3 gamut. If all the tech mumbo jumbo is foreign to you, that essentially means its colors are vibrant, it's plenty bright for most setups, and it's designed for efficient gaming and beyond.

If the risk of burn-in is what's keeping you from upgrading to an OLED monitor, ASUS monitors have a built-in Neo Proximity Sensor that detects when you step away and switches your screen to black to protect it. ASUS OLED Care Pro also provides a full suite of customizable settings to protect your panel and ensure its longevity. It's not foolproof, but it's certainly nice to have.

Who cares if you missed October Prime Day? At over $200 off its list price, this is the perfect excuse to grab a big-ticket OLED monitor for less.

SAVE $150: Amazon still has the brand-new Apple Mac mini on sale following its Prime Big Deal Days event. Some of the M6 and M5 Pro variants are down to all-time low prices.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$949.99 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $149.01

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD)

$1,549 at Amazon
$1,699 Save $150

 

Get Deal

ICYMI, Mashable's shopping team spotted over 20 Apple devices and accessories that were on sale for record-low prices during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's "October Prime Day" sale on Oct. 6 and 7. Surprisingly, most of those deals are still live even though the sale is over — even a $150 discount on the brand-new Mac mini.

Right now, three variants of Apple's latest mini PC with the M6 and M5 Pro chips are still up for grabs at their lowest prices yet, starting from just $949.99. That translates to up to 14% in savings, which is a pretty decent discount for a fresh Apple product that's less than a month old. Plus, you don't have to be a Prime member in order to be eligible for the deals.

Remember: The new Mac minis launched at much higher prices than their predecessors due to the ongoing memory shortage, so buying them on sale is a great call. Take your pick from the following configurations:

• Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $949.99 $1,099.99 (save $149.01)

• Apple Mac mini (M6, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,299.99 (save $149.01)

• Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,549 $1,699 (save $150)

The base Mac mini with an M6 chip, 16GB of memory, and 256GB of storage is currently on sale, too, but at $779.99 (normally $899), it's $10 away from its all-time low.

The Mac mini is Apple's most compact desktop computer. Credit: Apple

The Mac mini is a popular choice for AI enthusiasts, and Apple says its new chips offer up four times faster AI performance (plus up to twice as fast graphics and storage). They also have the latest wireless connectivity options, WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, and can drive up to three displays at once. The M6 model has two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, which the M5 Pro one swaps for faster Thunderbolt 5 ports.

After testing the M6 Mac mini, our sister site, PCMag, named it an Editor's Choice winner and deemed it "a good-value powerhouse for most everything you’ll want to do on a Mac." The version with an M5 Pro chip is much more powerful in demanding multi-core workloads and better-suited for professional creatives and AI developers.

Now, the question is: Should you buy a Mac mini now or wait to see if they get even cheaper in a couple weeks on Black Friday? According to our previous coverage, the base model of the older M4 Mac mini was $120 off over the holidays last year, while an upgraded M4 Pro model was $200 off. You might score some additional savings down the road, though you also run the risk of certain configurations selling out.

TL;DR: Krispy Kreme launched a limited-edition Halloween lineup featuring Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Taz, Tweety, and Sylvester. You can grab four brand-new flavored doughnuts in custom specialty dozens, or score a free Original Glazed doughnut just by wearing a costume on Oct. 30-31.

Halloween season just got a whole lot more exciting. Krispy Kreme is officially teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery to drop a nostalgia-heavy Looney Tunes Halloween Collection, bringing classic Saturday-morning cartoon icons straight into the doughnut case.

The new limited-time lineup features four custom treats starring Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Taz, and the ultimate chaos duo, Tweety and Sylvester — each decked out in their own spooky costume.

The drop comes right on the heels of the new Looney Tunes movie Coyote vs. Acme, finally hitting theaters, so the timing couldn't be better for a cartoon throwback. Here's what you're actually eating in this four-doughnut lineup:

• Bugs Bunny Doughnut — An unglazed shell packed with chocolate dulce Kreme filling, dipped in glossy red dulce icing, and finished off with chocolate drizzles, black bat-shaped sprinkles, and a sugar piece of Bugs dressed as a vampire.

• Taz Doughnut — Made for total cookie lovers, this unglazed shell is stuffed with Oreo Cookies & Kreme, dipped in chocolate icing, rolled in crushed Oreo pieces, and wrapped up with neon green icing drizzles and a Taz Mummy sugar piece.

• Lola Bunny Doughnut — Built for original glazed purists, this one takes Krispy Kreme's signature ring base and dresses it up with a purple buttercreme-flavored swirl, sparkling gold star sprinkles, and a Lola Bunny Witch sugar piece.

• Tweety & Sylvester Doughnut — Leaning into classic Halloween vibes, an Original Glazed ring gets dipped in candy corn-flavored icing, covered in yellow, white, and orange confetti sprinkles, and topped with a sugar piece showing Sylvester poking out of a jack-o'-lantern with Tweety sitting right on his head.

Where to grab them (and how to get free doughnuts)

You can pick up the Looney Tunes lineup individually, as part of a custom Looney Tunes Halloween Specialty Dozen, or bundled up with a second box of Original Glazed rings for party catering. If you don't live near an official shop, Krispy Kreme is also shipping fresh 6-packs directly to select grocery chains and retailers like Publix and Kroger throughout the month.

Krispy Kreme is also running its annual Halloween freebie promo along with the drop. If you walk into any participating location wearing a full Halloween costume on Friday, Oct. 30, or Saturday, Oct. 31, you get a free Original Glazed or classic ring doughnut with zero purchase required.

Head over to your nearest shop or check the app to order a dozen before the limited run wraps up after Halloween night.

SAVE $1,000: Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days wrapped up last night, but as of Oct. 8, the LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $999.99, thanks to an on-page coupon. That's $1,000 off its list price. Not to mention, you'll get a free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar with your purchase (a $220 value).

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV

$999.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $1,000

+ get free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar

Get Deal

Just because Amazon's massive October Prime Day sale concluded last night doesn't mean the deals immediately dissolved. In fact, one of the best TV deals popped up in the final hours of the sale and is still going strong in the aftermath.

As of Oct. 8, the LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $999.99, thanks to an on-page coupon. The original list price for this TV is $1,999.99, which brings the savings to a full $1,000. That's the cheapest we've ever seen this TV and the first time it's dropped below $1,000. As if that's not incentive enough to snag it, Amazon is also throwing in a free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar (a $220 value) with your purchase.

You don't even need to be a Prime member in order to claim this outrageous deal. You do, however, need to make sure the "Save $300 at checkout" box is checked and to click on "Claim free item" below the price details to secure your free soundbar. Add both the TV and soundbar to your cart to see the full discount.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

The B6 is a great choice for anyone who wants to upgrade to an OLED without breaking the bank. While it's LG's entry-level model, it's nearly as good as our favorite OLED for most people. It features a 0.1ms response time, 4K 120Hz refresh rate, four HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision Gaming, Dolby Atmos sound, the webOS 26 smart TV platform, and a bold picture that's better than its predecessor. Paired with the free soundbar, you're in for a truly immersive viewing experience, all for under $1,000.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 8, the Apple 2026 MacBook Air M5 is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That's a $200 discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple 2026 MacBook Air M5

$1,099 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $200

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is officially in the rearview mirror, but Amazon clearly forgot to flip the price switch back on Apple's latest ultraportable.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip is currently sitting at $1,099, taking $200 off its standard $1,299 retail cost. After Apple bumped the base price up following global component crunches, catching this machine back down at its launch price right after a major shopping event is a solid second chance to grab top-tier Apple hardware on a deal.

The M5 chip delivers so much speed that Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth noted it might actually be "too powerful for its own good" for the average laptop buyer. In benchmark testing, its single-core snappiness makes daily multitasking effortless, while its multi-core performance comes remarkably close to matching last year's MacBook Pro.

You get 16GB of unified memory and a generous 512GB SSD right out of the box, giving you twice the base storage and memory capacity to handle intense workloads, creative editing, and on-device Apple Intelligence tasks without stuttering.

Despite packing near-Pro power into an ultra-thin 0.44-inch aluminum frame that weighs just 2.7 pounds, it still delivers true all-day battery life. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display reaches 500 nits for razor-sharp visuals, complemented by a punchy four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support. Apple also upgraded the webcam to a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, keeping you automatically centered on video calls.

Connectivity gets a future-proof boost as well, thanks to Apple's N1 wireless chip, which delivers full WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 compatibility. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a dedicated MagSafe charging connector, support for dual external monitors, and seamless integration with your iPhone.

Head over to Amazon to score the M5 MacBook Air for $1,099 while stocks last.

SAVE $40: As of Oct. 8, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are on sale at Amazon for $319, down from their $359 list price. That's an 11% discount and $40 off their retail price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen)

$319 at Amazon
$359 Save $40

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is officially over, but Amazon still hasn't flipped the price tag back up on Bose's latest over-ear heavyweights.

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are currently sitting at $319, shaving $40 off their standard $359 retail price. If you missed out on picking up a pair of elite noise-canceling cans during the main event, this is a second chance to grab top-tier audio gear without hunting for a promo code.

The big reason to jump on this second-gen refresh comes down to physical comfort and updated acoustics. Bose revamped the design with sleeker pill-shaped earcups and a wider headband wrapped in plush synthetic leather, dialing in just the right amount of clamping force so they sit feather-light on your head for hours on end. Sound-wise, Bose TrueSpatial Technology creates a more natural soundstage, and they also added support for high-fidelity lossless audio over a direct USB-C connection.

Bose's active noise cancellation gets a real upgrade here, too. With updated ActiveSense Tech, the headphones automatically smooth out harsh, sudden blasts of ambient noise when you're hanging out in Aware Mode. You also get brand-new preset profiles like Cinema Mode — which boosts dialogue clarity and spatial depth for movies — plus a full "ANR off" toggle if you want to turn off active noise reduction completely and just rock passive isolation.

The battery specs match up perfectly for heavy daily wear, delivering a full 24 hours of playback with noise cancellation enabled (or up to 18 hours with TrueSpatial Immersive Audio enabled). If you ever get caught on low power, plugging in via USB-C for just 15 minutes gives you 2.5 hours of juice.

Grab the new Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen before the price goes back up to $359.

For a generation of American anime fans, discovering a new series once meant staying up late to watch Toonami, Cartoon Network's seminal anime programming block, or tracking down low-quality, fan-subtitled episodes online. (Or on VHS.) Today, your introduction to anime might be a 30-second TikTok edit, an Olympic figure skater referencing her favorite character on TV, or an artist casually dropping a track inspired by Jujutsu Kaisen.

The path into anime fandom has changed dramatically, and social media has helped make what was once considered a niche, nerdy interest an increasingly visible part of mainstream pop culture.

That shift was the subject of a conversation at Crunchyroll's Anime Future Forum in New York City, where rapper Big Sean, Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, and content creator Jordan Howlett gathered for a panel titled "The Influencers Shaping Anime Fandom." The three come from different corners of entertainment, but they're united by a shared love of Japanese animation and an understanding of how the internet has helped bring that fandom into the mainstream.

Big Sean's anime fandom predates social media entirely. "I'm a Toonami kid," the Detroit rapper told the audience, recalling his early exposure to Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Wing, and YuYu Hakusho — the latter of which he recently rewatched. He also spoke about how anime resonated with him and his friends in Detroit, particularly its stories about overcoming adversity and pushing past seemingly impossible odds.

That enthusiasm never went away. Sean has continued to draw inspiration from anime throughout his music career, and he recalled the surreal experience of having Sean Schemmel, the English-language voice of Goku, visit his home while he was working on an album.

For longtime fans like Sean, discovering anime was often a matter of finding the right show at the right time. Today, anime has a way of finding you, whether you're looking for it or not.

From Toonami to TikTok

Anime has been finding American audiences since Astro Boy debuted on U.S. television in 1963. Its fan communities grew through VHS trading and conventions in the decades that followed, before Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Cartoon Network's Toonami helped introduce Japanese animation to a new generation in the late '90s.

Today, anime's growth in the U.S. has been fueled by several overlapping developments, including the expansion of streaming services like Crunchyroll, which recently broadened its reach with a dedicated digital manga platform featuring over 250 localized English titles. Meanwhile, anime has become a major force at the box office. Last year's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle grossed nearly $794 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing anime film of all time.

But beyond streaming subscriptions and blockbuster theatrical releases, social media has introduced another pathway into fandom, one that doesn't necessarily begin with someone deciding to watch anime at all. Sometimes, it begins with a clip.

Howlett, known for his viral storytelling videos, recalled becoming curious about Solo Leveling after seeing clips and fan edits on social media. The first caught his attention. By the second, he was hooked. "I'm like, 'This is the greatest thing I've ever seen,'" he recalled. He was so intrigued that he wrote down the name of the series on his phone so he wouldn't forget to watch it. Now, he's slowly making his way through the dungeons.

It's a familiar experience for anyone whose algorithm has ever served them a particularly compelling anime edit. These fan-made videos can condense an emotional turning point, character arc, or spectacular fight sequence into a few seconds of delicious tension and occasional yearning, often accompanied by music and dramatic transitions. Even without knowing the context, viewers can find themselves invested enough to seek out the original story.

Glenn understands the appeal. The figure skater described watching anime edits that stirred emotions she wanted to translate into her own performances. "There are edits of anime that make me feel more than like an entire movie could," she said.

For Glenn, who said she can't wait to catch up on The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 after her Dancing With the Stars run, these clips aren't simply advertisements for the shows themselves. They're creative works that inspire other forms of expression. She's an avid cosplayer who's dressed as Qifrey from Witch Hat Atelier and Yor and Loid Forger from Spy x Family. During her Olympic run, she shared her love for Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen, bringing her anime enthusiasm to an audience more accustomed to triple axels than cursed energy. She also pointed to One Piece on Ice, the Japanese ice show inspired by the long-running anime, as an example of the overlap between anime and her sport.

And that's part of what makes this moment in anime fandom so interesting: You don't have to be looking for anime to find yourself surrounded by it, at least not anymore.

Social media has fundamentally changed how people find anime. Where viewers once relied on television schedules, physical media, or recommendations from fellow fans, they can now stumble upon new characters and stories through the content those fans create and share. On TikTok alone, there are nearly 178 million videos tagged #anime, while Threads has an anime community with more than 531,000 members.

And you don't necessarily have to be an anime fan to encounter any of it. Sometimes, that's all it takes to turn a casual viewer into a fan.

Howlett described anime's mainstream growth as a combination of longstanding fan communities and the willingness of celebrities, musicians, athletes, and other public figures to openly embrace their interests. Social media, he suggested, has helped bridge the gap between those existing communities and audiences who might never have encountered anime otherwise.

And fans themselves are helping drive that discovery. According to Crunchyroll's 2026 Global State of Anime Fandom study, conducted by National Research Group and unveiled at the Anime Future Forum, 77 percent of surveyed anime viewers said they've recommended anime to someone who hadn't watched it before. The research also found that two-thirds of international anime fans reported watching more anime than they did three years ago.

Younger audiences are helping fuel that momentum. According to Hub Entertainment Research, 39 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds regularly watch anime, compared with 21 percent of the average general population.

With more than 21 million paid subscribers worldwide as of March 2026, Crunchyroll is a testament to anime's growing reach. But while streaming services have made anime easier to watch, social media has made it easier to discover. And that accidental discovery is all it takes.

Being an anime fan is part of your identity

Yet discovery is only part of the story. Social media has also changed how comfortable people feel expressing their interests publicly.

Glenn suggested that online platforms have created more opportunities for people to share their enthusiasm for anime, whether through cosplay, makeup, fan art, or simply talking about their favorite shows. As a result, fandom has become a part of people's identities, including those whose careers have little to do with anime.

Her own relationship with anime began with Yuri!!! on Ice, the beloved 2016 figure-skating series. She recalled meeting members of its creative team during pre-production for the sequel, which was later canceled in 2024. Still, discussing her skating experience with them helped cement her enthusiasm for anime, which eventually became a recognizable part of her public persona.

For years, though, she was simply a figure skater with a nerdy side. As her athletic career progressed and more people became interested in her life beyond the ice, her anime fandom attracted greater attention. She recalled receiving an enormous amount of anime swag after the Olympics and introducing other people to series they might not otherwise have watched.

Howlett experienced something similar when an offhand mention of his favorite Dragon Ball Z video game and his affection for Vegeta on the red carpet prompted an unexpectedly enthusiastic online response. Fans flooded his inbox with their own opinions and lengthy debates about the character. What had seemed like a casual answer became an invitation into a much larger conversation.

That's part of what makes anime fandom particularly suited to social media. Fans don't just consume the slice-of-life stories and heroes' journeys. They debate characters, defend their favorites by virtue and/or attractiveness, create art and cosplay, and reinterpret scenes. Platforms built around sharing and responding to content give those conversations a potentially enormous audience.

And those online connections extend into the real world. Conventions like Anime NYC bring fans together to showcase their cosplay, meet artists, attend panels, and celebrate their favorite series with others who share their enthusiasm. The convention reported 172,000 visits across its four-day event in 2026, up from 148,000 in 2025. For many fans, the conversations that start online don't stay there. They turn into friendships, convention meetups, and entire communities built around a shared obsession.

Of course, anime fandom isn't immune to gatekeeping, and greater visibility doesn't necessarily mean every corner of the community has become more welcoming. Even Megan Thee Stallion has had to deal with sexist gatekeeping over her love of anime. But social media has created more opportunities for people to find others who share their enthusiasm, even when they don't consider themselves part of a traditional anime community.

Anime's influence goes beyond your feed

Anime has become a fixture of mainstream pop culture, and nowhere is that more apparent than in sports. Glenn pointed to the growing number of athletes incorporating anime references into their performances. Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles has celebrated victories with Dragon Ball Z's signature Kamehameha pose and flashed Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before races, while tennis star Naomi Osaka brought magical-girl anime aesthetics onto the court with her elaborate outfits at the 2024 U.S. Open. In the NBA, Cooper Flagg said that Crunchyroll is his most-used app and has professed his love for One Piece. Meanwhile, Knicks star Jalen Brunson declared in a team TikTok that "Dragon Ball Z fighters are stronger than the Omni-Man people" was a hill he was willing to die on.

That influence also extends into Hollywood. Michael B. Jordan, an outspoken anime fan, drew inspiration from Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Hajime no Ippo for his 2023 directorial debut, Creed III, incorporating anime's heightened action and emotional storytelling into the film's boxing sequences. But the connection runs deeper than visual references. At the heart of many of these stories is a familiar story: an underdog who faces seemingly insurmountable odds, pushes past their limitations, and refuses to give up.

It's a theme that resonated with all three panelists. Big Sean described anime as a source of motivation throughout his life, particularly its stories about unearthing your potential and overcoming the limits others place on you. Howlett, meanwhile, recalled finding inspiration in Naruto as a child who struggled with bullying. “I was bullied a lot, and when I got home, I didn't really have friends," he shared. "When I was introduced to Naruto for the first time, the story inspired me... I felt so connected to these characters. It was my first introduction to really understanding a story and feeling like I was part of it."

For both, anime and its characters offered a way to imagine what they themselves might become. And that might help explain why so many fans are eager to share these stories with others. Whether it's an athlete replicating Satoru Gojo's Unlimited Void hand symbol, a filmmaker borrowing from Goku vs. Vegeta's visual language, or a creator posting about their favorite character, these expressions of fandom can get people curious about anime — even if they never thought it was for them.

Toward the end of the panel, Howlett had a simple message for anime fans: Don't be afraid to share what you love. In a way, that sums up how anime fandom has changed. The internet didn't make people passionate about anime; it just made that passion easier to share — and for someone else to discover it for themselves.

And now, it's almost impossible to miss.

The best October Prime Day Kindle deals at a glance:

---

Best Kindle Deal

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024)

$169.99 (save $80)

Get Deal

---

Best color Kindle deal

Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (2024)

$189.99 (save $100)

Get Deal

---

Best Scribe deal

Amazon Kindle Scribe (32GB)

$379.99 (save $120)

Get Deal

---

Best Kindle Kids Deal

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2024)

$169.99 (Save $60)

Get Deal

---

Budget pick

Amazon Kindle (2024)

$103.99 (save $46)

Get Deal

---

Also Consider

All-new Amazon Kindle (32GB, aluminum)

$189.99

Get Deal

I test e-readers and Kindles for Mashable, and after a year of painful price hikes, I am dying for a sale on e-readers (as are the rest of my friends on BookTok). Prime Big Deal Days delivered, discounting all 2024 Kindle models. Even though Amazon's October ended on Oct. 7, Kindle deals are still live as of Oct. 8.

RAMaggedon wreaked havoc on tech prices this year, and that includes Kindles. In August, we saw huge price increases on Amazon's e-readers, with prices on Kindles going up about $50. So, what does this mean for this year's October Prime Day Kindle deals?

Let's start with the good news: The latest deals roll back the recent price hikes. The bad news: Because of those price increases, few of Amazon's e-readers are at all-time low prices.

Finally, we have to remind you that Amazon just dropped an all-new collection of Kindles, and none of the 2026 models are on sale, nor do we expect them to be. So if you don't mind buying the 2024 Kindle models (which we loved and still recommend), there are plenty of Prime Day deals on Kindles to shop. There's also plenty of Kindle book and physical book deals live too, which you can find more at our full deals breakdown.

We're not sure how long these deals will last, so if you see a Kindle you like, add it to your cart ASAP.

Best Kindle deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition

$169.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $80

 

Get Deal

Why I like it

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is my top pick for October Prime Day shoppers. In August 2026, the e-reader's MSRP rose to $249.99 from its previous list price of $199.99. Now, the Paperwhite Signature Edition has dropped back down to $169.99. That's 32% off its new list price, saving you $80 on the e-reader. I'd typically advise you to buy the standard Paperwhite, but right now, it's more expensive than the Signature Edition.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is my favorite e-reader, the one I use every day. With 32GB of storage, it has space for thousands of books. It also has an auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging capabilities. It's exceptionally fast, too, as it never stutters when opening books or turning pages.

If you want to save $20, you could go for the standard Paperwhite, but right now, the Signature Edition is the better savings.

Plus, when you buy a new Kindle, make sure to include three months of Kindle Unlimited in your purchase because it's totally free (a $35.97 value).

Budget pick: Kindle (2024)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Kindle

Amazon Kindle (2024)

$103.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $46.00

 

Get Deal

Why I like it

There's still a lot to love about Amazon's basic Kindle e-reader. It's a great starter e-reader if you're new to the category, and it has the same famous E Ink display that makes Kindles so popular. It may not have as much storage as the Paperwhite or Paperwhite Signature Edition (it also lacks waterproofing), but you can still hold a whole library's worth of books.

The 6-inch screen is still large enough to enjoy your favorite reads, and it's a lightweight and thin e-reader that's easy to take on the go.

More Kindle deals

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids — $169.99 $229.99 (save $60)

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) — $189.99 $289.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Kindle Scribe (32GB) — $379.99 $499.99 (save $120)

• Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (32GB) — $479.99 $629.99 (save $150)

Kindle e-reader price history

During Black Friday 2025, the 2024 Kindles dropped to their lowest prices ever. That brought the Kindle to $79.99 and the Kindle Paperwhite to $124.99. But this was before Amazon raised prices on Kindles in August 2026.

The current Kindle Prime Day prices fall somewhere in between previous all-time lows and the device's current prices. However, two Kindles are notably not on sale. The 2024 Kindle Paperwhite is finally on sale for $149.99, which is just $10 lower than its pre-price hike list price.

The basic Kindle is $103.99, which makes it cheaper than its previous list price ($109.99) but $24 more than its all-time low of $79.99. Kindle Scribe e-readers, however, are on sale for their lowest prices ever, with the Scribe dipping back down to $379.99 and the Scribe Colorsoft dropping to $479.99.

Pop-up ads, slowdowns, crashes — that's what most people picture when they hear "Mac virus." It hasn't been the real risk for years. 

The threats that matter now are built not to be noticed: malware that copies saved passwords and wallet files in the background, and scams that talk a user into running the command themselves. Neither leaves the kind of trace Apple's built-in tools were designed to find, so a Mac can be compromised and still feel completely normal.

Moonlock Lab's 2025 macOS Threat Report, published in December 2025, found the era of the malware-free Mac is over: new backdoor variants are up 67% in a year, and criminals are starting to treat macOS the same way they treat Windows. The same report found 66% of Mac users encountered at least one cyberthreat in the past year.

The same team builds Moonlock, MacPaw's Mac security app, made to catch threats that don't announce themselves and don't look like malware. It pairs a malware scanner with always-on protection and a scam checker for anything that looks off.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Moonlock

Moonlock

The comprehensive security solution you need to protect your Mac

Learn More

The annoying stuff isn't the expensive stuff

In Moonlock's mid-2026 macOS Threat Report, released in July 2026, adware accounts for roughly 65% of the company's own detections, with unwanted apps at 25%, so most of what ends up on users' Macs is considered low-severity.

However, even though stealers, backdoors, and trojans make up the rest, users should still run an ad blocker. The mid-2026 report also cites VirusTotal submission data showing unique malicious macOS samples rose roughly 40% year over year, with infostealers becoming a more dominant presence.

While there may be a high volume of annoying adware out there, it’s the smaller cut of the pie that’s more dangerous and worth paying attention to.

Apple's protection is real, and it has a scope

Apple’s default defense apps, like Gatekeeper and XProtect, are good at flagging known patterns (malicious downloads, an unsigned app), but they’re not designed to handle threats that don’t look like malware. 

Take ClickFix, a tactic in which a Mac user sees a fake CAPTCHA or a "fix your audio glitch" prompt and is encouraged to paste a command into Terminal with no file to scan, nothing unsigned to flag. Apple responded to this type of threat by adding a warning dialog in macOS Tahoe 26.4. 

A week later, Jamf Threat Labs reported campaigns that skipped Terminal entirely, opening Script Editor via a browser link so that the warning never fired. That rerouting is why third-party protection is needed. Also worth noting: macOS has no default, on-demand malware scanner. So, if something feels off to a user, there’s no way to really check.

The dangerous stuff doesn’t announce itself

Malware today doesn’t try to break your Mac; it hides it. That’s because infostealers operate quietly in the background, copying saved passwords and crypto wallet data.

In August 2025, the Atomic macOS Stealer (AMOS) peaked, with a 300% spike in Moonlock’s detection data, which then disappeared two months later. But a related variant, Odyssey, soon popped up, and by the first half of 2026, it accounted for roughly 63% of Mac stealer detections in Moonlock's telemetry, according to the mid-2026 report, with the broader lineage covering more than nine in ten.

The best disguise is a familiar one

Moonlock Lab also discovered a variety of software impersonators that include cracked Adobe installers, fake corporate meeting apps (Zoom, Teams, Webex), and a growing crop of fake ChatGPT and Claude installers.

In today’s challenging job market, an email from a potential employer asking to meet over a familiar video app is easy to trust. It’s tempting to tap that link and unknowingly expose yourself. 

What a safety net actually does

There’s so much more to it than the standard "beware suspicious links" advice, which assumes a person catches the trick every time, under pressure. What’s needed is something that can double-check for threats so you can focus on doing what matters most to you on your Mac.

That’s where a security app like Moonlock comes in, offering protection and antivirus capabilities that serve as the safety net most Mac users lack. Its AI-powered Scam Detector lets you paste a suspicious text, email, or job offer to get a read on its potential as a scam, flagging manipulation patterns and mismatches. 

Its Malware Scanner provides a thorough on-demand scan that macOS lacks natively, checking system files, old downloads, and attachments. And its real-time protection runs continuously in the background while its System Protection reviews a user’s Mac settings and flags the ones worth tightening. 

Tested and certified by independent lab AV-TEST, Moonlock is the kind of reassurance Mac users will want in a tech landscape that’s changing more rapidly than ever. A 7-day free trial is a low-stakes way to see what's already on your Mac.

Disclosures: 

Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. This article was paid for by Moonlock and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc.

SAVE $70: As of Oct. 8, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 are on sale for $179 at Amazon, down from $249. That's a 28% discount and $70 off their list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$179 at Amazon
$249 Save $70

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is officially over, but Amazon still hasn't flipped the price back on Apple's flagship earbuds. The AirPods Pro 3 are sitting at $179, knocking a clean 28% off their usual $249 list price. If you missed out during the sale, you can still grab Apple's top-tier noise-canceling hardware for $70 off.

Inside, Apple upgraded the noise cancellation to block up to twice as much background sound as the previous generation. Mashable's Adam Doud gave them a 4.75/5 score, noting that the new setup creates a literal cone of silence that wipes out everything from loud crowded rooms to chatter. They also revamped the acoustic design and included five distinct ear tip sizes in the box, delivering punchier bass, clearer instrument detail, and a customized Next-Gen Adaptive EQ that constantly tunes sound to your exact ear shape.

Apple also added built-in health tracking directly to the earbuds. The new heart rate sensors feed workout stats straight to your iPhone's Fitness app, while built-in Live Translation uses Apple Intelligence to translate languages in real time. Battery life gets a huge bump to 8 hours of listening with full noise cancellation active — or up to 10 hours in transparency mode using the new FDA-cleared hearing assistance features.

You also get Apple ecosystem magic: open the case near your iPhone to pair them instantly across your Mac, iPad, and Apple Watch without digging through Bluetooth menus. Add in automatic device switching, and active hearing protection that shields your ears from sudden loud noises, and these easily earn their spot as Apple's best earbuds to date — especially while they're still marked down to $179.

Head to Amazon and grab the flagship AirPods before the deal disappears.

SAVE $49.01: The 11-inch Apple iPad is on sale at Amazon for $399.99. That's an 11% discount, matching what we saw during Prime Day earlier this week.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad (11th Gen)

$399.99
$449 Save $49.01

 

Get Deal

October Prime Day officially ended last night, but in true Amazon style, some of the deals are sticking around. You can still get the Kindle Paperwhite Signature on sale, as well as several MacBook models. How long will these deals stick around? No one knows, but if you need a fresh iPad, check out these savings.

As of Oct. 8, the 11-inch Apple iPad is on sale at Amazon for $399.99, down from $449. That's an 11% discount, matching what we saw during Prime Day earlier this week.

We expect Apple to drop new iPads sometime this year, and now that it's October, that means sometime in the next three months. But if you're not interested in paying the premium for a new model, shopping this lingering Prime Day sale is a smart move.

The 11-inch iPad is equipped with the A16 chip and a liquid retina display. Unlike previous models, you're getting a hefty 128GB of storage. In Mashable's roundup of the best iPads, this model earns the top spot if you're shopping on a budget.

Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino wrote, "If you prefer saving money over splurging on the latest tech, the Apple iPad (11th generation) gets the job done." Apple's fancier (and pricier) models have a faster processor thanks to the M4 chip.

"Even though its tech is basic compared to the advanced iPad Air and Pro, it's great for someone who wants a portable screen for streaming, playing games, and reading," explained Mangino. She also mentions that it's a great option for kids.

Since this is a Prime Day sale price that's still holding on, it's smart to grab this soon. The price could return to normal at any time today.

SAVE OVER $400: As of Oct. 8, the 47mm Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire is on sale for $529.99 at Amazon. That's $470 off its full price of $999.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Garmin

Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2)

$529.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $470

 

Get Deal

During Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, the 47mm Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) popped up as one of our top fitness tracker deals. If you were hoping to grab it then and are worried you missed out, we have some good news: Amazon still has it on sale with a huge 47% price cut.

Normally listed for $999.99, the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire is down to $529.99 for a limited time. That matches the price we saw during the 48-hour sale period, and saves you a whopping $470 overall. Unfortunately, the whitestone model does not match its deal price right now, but if you prefer the black model, this is a great time to grab it before the discount expires.

When it comes to Garmin trackers, the Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire is a premium pick, boasting a 1.3-inch always-on AMOLED display with a scratch-resistant sapphire lens and titanium bezel. Of course, it's also stacked with features including tracking for HRV status and Pulse Ox, advanced sleep monitoring, strength training features, and more. There's even a morning report feature that provides a summary of your sleep, training, and more before you start the day.

If you're someone who prefers to workout or train at night, it also comes with a built-in LED flashlight that features different intensities and even a strobe mode so you can be more aware of your surroundings while you're out. And in terms of battery life, it can last you up to 16 days in smartwatch mode, or 30 hours in GPS mode.

This deal won't be available for long. Act fast to save on the black Garmin epix Pro (Gen 2) Sapphire while it's still discounted at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• AirPods Pro 3 — $179 $249 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 — $319 $359 (save $40)

• MacBook Air M5 — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)

We're almost at the New Moon, which means visibility is very limited. The New Moon is the part of the lunar cycle where the Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Thursday, Oct. 8, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase, with 6% of its surface visible.

Tonight, you'll only be able to see the Grimaldi Basin, and only with the assistance of either binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon completes an orbit around Earth in roughly 29.5 days. During that time, its position changes relative to the Earth and Sun, altering how much of the Moon's illuminated surface is visible to us. This produces the familiar lunar phases, beginning with a thin crescent and progressing through the quarter phases before reaching a Full Moon. The sequence then repeats as the Moon continues its orbit. According to NASA, the phase visible from Earth is determined by the Moon's changing position in relation to both Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

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.

TL;DR: Live stream Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys for free on 7Plus. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Thursday Night Football is about to kick off, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers visiting the Dallas Cowboys for their Week 5 showdown.

The Cowboys are undoubtedly confident. They looking stellar in offense and, at 2-2, they're just one win away from making this is a winning season so far. The Bucs, however, have had a miserable start to the new campaign, with zero wins and four losses. They're also missing their quarterback, Baker Mayfield. Can they turn things around with an upset win on the Cowboys' home turf?

If you want to watch Buccaneers vs. Cowboys in the NFL for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Buccaneers vs. Cowboys?

Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys starts at 8.15 p.m. ET on Oct. 8. This fixture takes place at AT&T Stadium.

How to watch Buccaneers vs. Cowboys for free

Buccaneers vs. Cowboys in the NFL is available to live stream for free on 7Plus.

7Plus is geo-restricted to Australia only, 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 Australia, meaning you can live stream Buccaneers vs. Cowboys for free from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the NFL by following these simple steps:

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

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit 7Plus

5. Watch Buccaneers vs. Cowboys for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Buccaneers vs. Cowboys without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus NFL action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the NFL?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream the NFL, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always 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 usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs. Dallas Cowboys for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $269.99 at Amazon, just $8.81 above its current TCGplayer market price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box

$269.95 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

There are still plenty of great live Prime Day deals on Amazon right now, but Pokémon TCG collectors looking forward to the arrival of Delta Reign can now secure an entire Booster Display Box for a low price.

As of Oct. 8, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is available to preorder for $269.99 on Amazon from third-party seller Kings Games. At the time of writing, delivery is set for Tuesday, Nov. 10; that’s four days after the expansion’s Nov. 6 release date. There’s also Amazon’s usual 30-day refund/replacement policy if you run into any issues with your box when the time comes. 

Spread across the Display Box's 36 boosters, this is currently the best way to get the lowest price per pack, with Amazon making it so you’re paying about $7.50 per booster. 

As usual, each pack contains 10 random Pokémon cards, a Basic Energy card, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card, leaving you with 360 random cards to open altogether. 

Following the popular 30th Celebration expansion, Delta Reign is causing a stir. Among its 135+ cards, you’ll find what’s likely to be very popular chase cards like the Mega Rayquaza ex SIRs — along with the same for Raikou ex, and Mega Golurk ex. 

If you’re the type of Pokemon collector who cares more about the artwork than playing, you can buy single cards from Storm Emeralda (the Japanese version of Delta Reign) right now on TCGplayer.

Microsoft's got a new laptop to take on Apple's MacBook Pro, and it's an absolute powerhouse.

Called the Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, it runs on Nvidia's RX Spark N1X chip that either has a 5,120-core GPU and an 18-core CPU, or a 6,144-core GPU and a 20-core CPU. Memory options range from 24 to 128GB, and storage is either 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB.

The Surface Laptop Ultra is available in two colors: Platinum and Nightfall (pictured). Credit: Microsoft

The specs above are important for developers and AI creators, as they offer a massive amount of AI computing in a portable form factor. With the Surface Laptop Ultra, you'll be able to run local AI agents with more than 120 billion parameters, which is roughly on par with what you can do with Apple's most powerful MacBook Pro.

If you want a lighter color, there's always Platinum. Credit: Microsoft

The Surface Laptop Ultra boasts a 15-inch PixelSense Ultra display and a 3,270x2,180 pixel resolution and a 120HZ refresh rate, and a battery that's good for 12 hours of active web usage or 15 hours of local video playback. It weighs 4.5lbs, it's only 18 millimeters thin when closed, and it's available in two colors: Platinum and Nightfall. In terms of connectivity, you get three USB-C port, one USB-A port, an HDMI port, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

This is Magnetic Connect, the "world's first built-in magnetic USB-C charging on a laptop." Credit: Microsoft

If you need more proof that Microsoft is positioning this one as an alternative to the MacBook Pro, consider Magnetic Connect; it's essentially Microsoft's version of MagSafe, only with a USB-C port. Oh, and if you trade in an eligible MacBook, you get a $1,000 "break up" bonus.

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra is available for pre-order, starting at $2,599, but that's with the less powerful chip and just 32GB of memory; the most powerful version will set you back $5,899.99. Availability starts on Oct. 16.

Need the power without the extra bits? That's what the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box is for. Credit: Microsoft

Besides the Surface Laptop Ultra, Microsoft also launched the Surface RTX Spark Dev Box, a compact box with essentially the same performance as the laptop, only without the keyboard and display. Primarily aimed at developers, it offers up to 1 petaflop of AI performance and 128GB of unified memory, and also supports AI models with more than 120 billion parameters.

In terms of specs, it runs a NVIDIA RTX Spark™ N1X chip that combines a 6144-core GPU with a 20-core CPU. 128GB LPDDR5x unified memory is the only option when it comes to RAM, and storage is a removable SSD with 2TB of space. It's fairly portable, at 12.85x6.77x1.69 inches in size and 4.4lbs of weight.

It's available for pre-order at Microsoft's website for $5,999, and it'll start shipping in November.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is available to preorder for $140 at Amazon, just $8.72 above its current TCGplayer market price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box

$140 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

If the current prices for Pokemon’s 30th Celebration ETBs are a little too high for you, preorders for Delta Reign’s Elite Trainer Box have finally gone live for a little less. 

As of Oct. 8, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is available to preorder for $140 at Amazon, sold and shipped by third-party seller MVP Marketplace. That's not too far from the market price of $131.28 on TCGplayer.

With the expansion officially arriving on Nov. 6, Amazon's earliest estimated delivery is Nov. 9-12, or Nov. 16 with free shipping. Whilst you won’t get your ETB on release day, you’ll still get Amazon’s 30-day refund/replacements policy should you run into any problems. 

In said box, you’ll be getting what you can usually expect from a Pokémon ETB: nine titular booster packs from the Delta Reign expansion, a full-art foil Kyogre promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, seven dice, a plastic coin, six dividers, a collector's box, a player's guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card.

When not counting the extras, you’ll be paying $15.56 per pack. 

In this particular expansion, you’ll have over 135 cards to collect. If you want to check out which sort of beautiful Special Illustration Rares you can get (including Mega Rayquaza ex, Raikou ex, Mega Golurk ex, etc) — you can check out the Japanese versions with single cards available to buy right now on TCGplayer. 

TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Oct. 8-10. Halloween Hauntfest, hosted by Indie Visible, is offering free spooky books in all genres.

We've been firmly focused on Prime Day for some time, and even though some deals are still live, we're glad to switch our attention to shopping events that don't require any spend. We like finding good deals, and it doesn't get any better than free.

Stuff Your Kindle Day is the ultimate opportunity to stock up on reading material without spending anything, and a new giveaway has dropped.

Halloween Hauntfest, hosted by Indie Visible, is offering free books until Oct. 10. Everything you download is yours to keep forever, so don't hold back.

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?

Halloween Hauntfest takes place from Oct. 8-10. This three-day giveaway gives you ample time to peruse all the options and seriously stock up ahead of the winter months. You're not going to be leaving the house anyway. You might as well start working through that TBR pile.

Which books are free?

Halloween Hauntfest promises to offer books in all genres, but naturally, there's an emphasis on spooky reads. You can filter by genre and tag on the helpful event hub page. We suggest filtering for "free books" to exclude all $0.99 options. A $0.99 book is still a real win, but it's the free reads that make these events so special.

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

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, 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

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

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

$103.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $46.00

 

Shop Now

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.

SAVE OVER $800: As of Oct. 8, the LG 45-Inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor is on sale for $884.99 at Amazon exclusively for Prime members. That's $815 off its full price of $1,699.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

LG 45-Inch Ultragear WQHD OLED Curved Gaming Monitor

$884.99 at Amazon
$1,699.99 Save $815

 

Get Deal

In a real post-Prime Big Deal Days treat for members, Amazon has the LG 45-Inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor marked down to $884.99. That's a massive 48% discount off its full cost of $1,699.99, but you'll want to be quick to grab it at this price.

As of Oct. 8, this gaming monitor may not be on sale for much longer, especially as we get further away from October Prime Day. If you're a Prime member who's been longing for a monitor upgrade to add to your gaming setup, don't miss out on this chance to save on this sleek display.

This LG 45-inch ultrawide display can make your games really pop thanks to WQHD 3440x1440 resolution, which brings out incredible detail, and OLED technology to enhance contrast, color, and brightness. The screen's 800R curve is another exciting element, allowing you to feel even more drawn in to the action on screen.

Speaking of jumping into the action, it also boasts a 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms (GtG) response time, so you can move around quickly without dealing with lag or ghosting. The monitor also has AMD FreeSync Premium Pro and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, which allows you to enjoy smooth visuals without screen tearing or stutter.

The clock is ticking on this Prime-exclusive LG 45-Inch Ultragear WQHD OLED curved gaming monitor deal at Amazon, so act fast to save.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• AirPods Pro 3 — $179 $249 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 — $319 $359 (save $40)

• MacBook Air M5 — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Bundle is available to preorder for $74.99 at Amazon, below its current $78.52 TCGplayer market price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Bundle

$74.99 at Amazon

 

Pre-order Here

Now that Prime Day is over (though plenty of deals are still live), it’s the perfect time for the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign preorders to go live. And surprisingly, preorders are below market price at Amazon.

As of Oct. 8, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Bundle is available to preorder for $74.99 at Amazon, through third-party seller Kings Games

The Delta Reign expansion is coming out on Nov. 6, and delivery for this box is currently set for Nov. 10 — four days later. Despite coming from a third-party seller, you’re still getting Amazon’s 30-day refund/replacement window in case there are any issues.

It’s surprising to see a preorder for a new expansion product in the Pokémon line immediately go up for under market price, but that's the case with this booster bundle. At $74.99, Amazon is already $3.53 below TCGplayer's estimated market value of $78.52.

With six Delta Reign booster packs in the box, you're paying around $12.50 per pack. Meanwhile, actual listings at TCGplayer are only going as low as $77.22 at the time of writing. 

In those six packs, the contents are business as usual: 10 trading cards from the titular expansion, one Basic Energy, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. Across all six packs, that's 60 trading cards to start building your Delta Reign collection.

With over 135 cards in this particular Mega Evolution expansion, Delta Reign’s headliners include stunning SIRs and MHRs for Mega Rayquaza, Raikou ex, Mega Golurk ex, and more. 

Want to save some money? Join Mashable's tech editor for a Prime Big Deal Days show-and-tell.

Read more about the best Prime Day deals: 25+ book deals to shop during Prime Big Deal Days from Ali Hazelwood, Abby Jimenez, and more
Beat RAMageddon with Prime Big Deal Days: Samsung's 4TB 9100 Pro SSD drops to $749.99

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction and Apple products
03:51 Kindles and e-readers
10:21 Beauty and grooming products
18:42 Headphones and audio gear
28:46 Smartphones and foldables

Video credits
Host: Timothy Beck Werth
Producer: Mark Stetson, Stephen Beacham, Numi Prasarn, Carly Marsh
Camera: Numi Prasarn, Carly Marsh, Mark Steston
Thumbnail designer: Zain bin Awais

TL;DR: Microsoft Windows 11 Pro is $7.97 through Oct. 11 during Deal Days, giving one compatible PC a lifetime, non-transferable license.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Windows 11 Pro

$7.97
$199 Save $191.03

 

Get Deal

Some upgrades just feel right. This is one of them.

If your PC has been running a little sluggish or you’ve been meaning to bring your system up to speed, Windows 11 Pro is just $7.97 (reg. $199) through Oct. 11 during this Deal Days sale, which is our version of Prime Day.

This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.

Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.

For professionals, creators, and power users, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.

And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.

But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one. Get Windows 11 Pro for just $7.97 (reg. $199) through Oct. 11 at 11:59 p.m. PT as part of this Deal Days sale.

Click here to view more of the Deal Days collection.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get help with your CAD projects with this one-year subscription to Autodesk AutoCAD for just $338.97 (reg. $2,095) until Oct. 11.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Autodesk

Autodesk AutoCAD: 1-Year Subscription

$338.97
$2,095 Save $1,756.03

 

Get Deal

If you’re someone spending your workdays making blueprints, floor plans, 3D models, or anything else that requires 2D drawings, you know the pain of messing up a tiny detail. Autodesk AutoCAD is the industry-leading computer-aided design software made to help you create precise 2D drawings and professional 3D models.

Right now, you can lock in a one-year subscription to Autodesk AutoCAD for just $338.97 (reg. $2,095) through Oct. 11.

We’ve all got enough on our plates. Fortunately, there’s now AI to help you streamline any workflow, and if you’re working with 2D and 3D designs, Autodesk AutoCAD handles all the integration.

This computer-aided design software is trusted by architects, engineers, designers, and construction professionals worldwide thanks to its suite of powerful tools that support drafting, modeling, documentation, and visualization on a single platform.

Autodesk AutoCAD comes packed with AI-powered features to make life easier. Use Smart Blocks to automatically detect, create, and replace reusable blocks, reducing repetitive drafting and speeding up your workflow. AI can also interpret markups, track drawing history, and keep up with project changes for faster collaboration.

Precision 2D drafting tools help you create accurate technical drawings with annotations, dimensions, layers, and layouts. Advanced 3D modeling makes it easier to design solid, surface, and mesh models for architecture, product development, and engineering projects.

You’ll be working with industry-standard DWG files, so you can share them easily and use them with compatible CAD applications.

Secure this one-year subscription to Autodesk AutoCAD for just $338.97 now through Oct. 11.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

SAVE OVER $70: As of Oct. 8, the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl is on sale for its lowest-ever price of $279.95 at Amazon. That's $70.04 off its full price of $349.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Ninja

Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl

$279.95 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $70.04

 

Get Deal

Amazon's big October Prime Day sale is all done, but there are still some discounts hanging around that deserve attention. Our favorite Ninja Creami, the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl, is still marked down to its lowest-ever price of $279.95.

This is a huge price cut of just over $70 from its full price of $349.99, though keep in mind it currently has a limited-time deal tag. The further we get from Prime Big Deal Days, the less likely it is to remain on sale, so be quick to shop if you've been wanting this delightful 13-in-1 ice cream maker in your kitchen.

This machine is one of our favorites from Ninja. Mashable's Samantha Mangino reviewed it and said it's "worth it as long as you have the counter space." She highlighted that, compared to the standard Ninja Creami, it offers "improved performance, requiring fewer re-spins to achieve a creamy consistency", plus the dispensing feature "is exceptionally easy to use and, not to mention, really fun."

It comes with 13 one-touch programs. This includes programs for Soft Serve, Fruit Whip, Frozen Custard, CreamiFit, Swirled Frozen Yogurt, and Lite Ice Cream. It also makes customizing your go-to treat simple and easy, so you can add in your preferred ingredients, flavors, and even mix-ins of candy or chocolate.

Act fast to save on the Ninja Creami Scoop & Swirl while it's still on sale at Amazon.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• AirPods Pro 3 — $179 $249 (save $70)

• Bose QuietComfort Gen 2 — $319 $359 (save $40)

• MacBook Air M5 — $1,099 $1,299 (save $200)

It's Fox News 30th birthday this week, and Jimmy Kimmel has a special message for the network he frequently finds himself going up against.

"Fox News turned 30 years old today, and what do you get for the network that ruined everything? Fox News launched on October 7th, 1996 as sort of a BET for angry white grandpas," says Kimmel in the clip above. "Three decades ago, a visionary named Rupert Murdoch asked a simple question. He asked, 'What if the news was whatever I want it to be?' And with nothing more than millions of dollars and a complete disregard for the America in which he wasn't born, he turned that idea into what has become the number one reason you can't talk to your dad anymore."

Cue a montage of Fox News clips that are as depressing and ridiculous as you'd expect.

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

SAVE $100: As of Oct. 8, Beats Solo 4 are on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's a 50% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Solo 4

$99.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $100.00

 

Get Deal

Audio deals continue to impress post-Prime Day, with many still live and at their best-ever prices. Much like this discount on the Beats Solo 4, which brings the popular headphones down to $99.95. According to camelcamelcamel, this is just $2 shy of their lowest price.

The Beats Solo 4 are truly a powerful audio option, with updated drivers and custom acoustic architecture that deliver fuller, more detailed sound. They also benefit from Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking.

And it's not just the sound quality that's been well designed. Comfort has been given some serious thought, too. The headphones have a lightweight build with a flex-grip headband and adjustable, angled ear cups to help keep them in place comfortably. UltraPlush ear cushions add extra padding.

And the cherry on top is the battery life. You'll get up to 50 hours of listening time, so they can easily see you through a whole day. If you do run low, Fast Fuel charging gives you up to 5 hours of playback after just 10 minutes of charging.

With Prime Day over, we don't know how long this deal will last. If you're interested in the Beats Solo 4, head to Amazon now.

Hurricane Isaias strengthened Thursday morning as it continues its arcing path toward the Gulf Coast.

The storm is expected to make landfall as a hurricane late Friday or early Saturday morning, according to the National Weather Service, which offers a suite of online storm-tracking forecasts and graphics on the National Hurricane Center website.

As of 5 a.m. ET Thursday, Hurricane Isaias has 80-mph maximum sustained winds and is moving east-northeast at 9 mph. It's located about 420 miles away from the mouth of the Mississippi River, according to the NHC forecast.

The National Hurricane Center's prediction cone shows the storm turning north early Friday as it approaches the Gulf Coast.

Most of the spaghetti models predict the storm strength to reach Category 1 and Category 2, according to storm tracking site Cyclocane. While many of the spaghetti models place landfall between Biloxi, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida, it's important to remember that the impacted areas are far larger than the plotted points of a spaghetti model.

Hurricane warnings are in place from Ocean Springs, Mississippi to the Bay and Gulf County lines in Florida, with tropical storm warnings extending even further east and west of the storm's path.

A spaghetti model is a collection of storm-tracking forecasts that plot their predictions of a storm's path, all overlaid on a map to provide an estimated visual track of the storm.

The latest forecasts, updated multiple times daily, can be tracked online on the National Hurricane Center website.

SAVE $80: As of Oct. 8, the Kindle Paperwhite is on sale for $169.99 at Amazon. That's a 32% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Kindle Paperwhite

$169.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $80

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is over, but some Amazon deals still remain.

If you're looking for a new e-reader to help you fly through the rest of your TBR pile, the Kindle Paperwhite is still heavily discounted. As of Oct. 8, you can save $80, with the price dropping from $249.99 to $169.99. This price is for the 32GB 2024 model, available in black, metallic raspberry, or metallic jade.

The Paperwhite is the right choice if you want a device that's dedicated to reading and nothing else. It's built specifically for books, so there are no streaming apps or social media distractions to pull you away from your latest read.

It has a 7-inch display with a glare-free finish, so it's comfortable to read in different lighting conditions. You can also adjust the screen from a cooler white to a warmer amber shade depending on your preference. And you won't need to worry about constantly charging it, either. The battery can last for up to 12 weeks on a single charge.

This post-Prime Day Kindle deal is available on Amazon right now.

SAVE $81.99: As of Oct. 8, the Sony XM6 headphones are on sale for $378 at Amazon. That's an 18% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony WH-1000XM6

$378 at Amazon
$459.99 Save $81.99

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is over, but your chance to pick up a great deal isn't. While many discounts have come to an end, some are lingering. Like this impressive deal on the Sony XM6 headphones.

Normally $459.99, these are currently down to $378, saving you over $80. There is a wide range of colors you can choose from, including black, blue, silver, and more, all at the same reduced price.

These are a great choice of headphones for dedicated audiophiles. They use a carbon-fiber dome driver to reproduce audio while staying true to the original recording. There are multiple ways to tailor the sound to your surroundings, including Adaptive NC Optimizer for noise cancellation and Auto Ambient Sound mode for hearing what's happening around you.

The battery life won't let you down either. You'll get up to 30 hours of playback on a full charge, and when you're running low, you only need a three-minute charge to get three hours of listening time.

This Sony deal is still live on Amazon, but since Prime Day is over, don't wait too long to buy.

SAVE $80: As of Oct. 8, the Beats Studio Buds+ are on sale for $89.95 at Amazon. That's a 47% discount on list price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Studio Buds+

$89.95 at Amazon
$169.95 Save $80.00

 

Get Deal

Prime Day is officially over, and with it go many of the discounts we saw over the last two days. But if you didn't snap up the deal you wanted, you might still have a chance. Not all the deals are so quick to disappear. Some, like this deal on the Beats Studio Buds+, hang around for a little while.

If earbuds are on your wishlist, you can get this pair for their best-ever price of $89.95.

These are a great option if you want premium features without moving into the higher-end price bracket, especially now when they're priced under $90. They come with Beats' custom acoustic platform, which is designed to deliver detailed audio, plus advanced Active Noise Cancellation that helps to block out surrounding distractions. When you need to stay aware of what's happening around you, Transparency mode lets ambient sound in instead. There's also Spatial Audio support for a more immersive listening experience.

They're also IPX4-rated for sweat and water resistance, so they're a great choice of workout earbuds, and can cope with a little rain and outdoor use.

Because Prime Day is over, this deal might not stick around for long. So, if you're interested, head to Amazon now.

The Bark x Crocs collection:

---

Crocodile Plush Tug Dog Toy

$10 at Bark

Shop Now

---

Crocs N' Roll Ball Fetch + Enrichment Dog Toy

$14 at Bark

Shop Now

---

Crocs Foam Flyer Super

$14 at Bark

Shop Now

---

Crocs for Dogs Collar

$16 at Bark

Shop Now

---

Crocs for Dogs Leash

$22 at Bark

Shop Now

---

Crocs Shoes For Dogs

$34.99 at Bark (save $15.01)

Shop Now

If you thought putting mini foam clogs on your dog's paws was the peak of internet pet culture, Bark and Crocs are here to prove we've barely scratched the surface. After their original dog shoe collab blew up social media and sold out almost instantly, the two brands are officially turning that viral footwear energy into a full-blown lifestyle lineup. From plush squeakers shaped like iconic shoes to color-coordinated leashes and collars, you can now dress your dog from head to paw in full Crocs fashion.

The new BARK x Crocs collection retains the quirky charm of the original shoes while making them more practical for daily use. If your dog isn't keen on wearing shoes, you can still get in on the action with durable fetch gear, plush tug toys, and walking accessories that match your own favorite pair of clogs.

If your pup refuses to wear actual shoes without doing the hilarious high-stepping freeze, you can still let them in on the joke through playtime. For 10 bucks, the Crocodile Plush Tug Toy is the easiest impulse buy to see if your dog is into the hype.

But if your dog treats soft fabric like a personal challenge and destroys plushies in under two minutes, Bark brought over their Super Chewer tech to save the day. The Crocs N' Roll Ball uses heavy-duty rubber that can take a beating while doubling as a peanut-butter-stuffed puzzle, while the Foam Flyer converts the same indestructible rubber into a teeth-friendly fetch frisbee for park runs.

Credit: Bark / Crocs

Credit: Bark / Crocs

The real fun happens when it’s time to head outside. Crocs are basically the unofficial uniform for low-effort dog walks anyway, so Bark decided to make it official with matching walk sets. You can grab a weather-resistant collar and a matching leash in four colorways — including a surprisingly slick new Espresso brown — so you and your dog can roll up to the park looking absurdly coordinated.

And for the purists who do want their dog rocking footwear, the viral Crocs Shoes for Dogs are on sale for $34.99, down from their usual $50 price tag. They're built from flexible EVA foam with grippy treads and breathable vents, and are available in three sizes and six colorways. Oh, and if you're a BarkBox subscriber, keep your eyes peeled: they're teasing a giant "Snore Mode" clog dog bed complete with plush Jibbitz charms coming later this month.

Because at this point, why stop at shoes?

Go scoop your pup's set before social media finds out and wipes out the stock.

Rampant data collection, from your health data to your scrolling habits, has become a leading profit stream for companies small and large. Users are consenting — often unconsciously — to sharing more and more information with our tech overlords every time they upgrade a new device or buy-in to the latest industry hype.

Meanwhile, public concerns about surveillance are escalating as cities push back against invasive public safety apparatuses, like Flock ALPRs, and more people call into question the normalization of personal surveillance tech, like Ring cameras and tracking apps like Find My or Life360.

The integration of generative AI across all areas of our lives is cranking the dial up even higher.

Since the launch of Apple Intelligence, the company has brought new AI-powered upgrades across its systems and devices, including brand new features in Apple Maps. Maps users can now fly through cities using AI-enhanced aerial views or even return to places they may have forgotten they visited. The company has even integrated personalized ads and sponsored searches.

But while tech is making it easier than ever to see the whole world without leaving your room, its also making it easier for people to find you.

How to keep your home off Apple Maps

Two of the most commonly used digital maps, Google Maps and Apple Maps, offer users the option to obscure their residences from public view. Both companies automatically blur faces and license plates in the process of documenting and updating their street maps, as well. But no tech is infallible.

Google Maps — the most used navigation app in the country, if not the world — offers a one-stop shop for blurring addresses and other identifying information directly in Maps. Even so, it still takes some due diligence, and a bit of patience, to ensure your home isn't there for all to see.

Learn how to blur your entire home from Google's Street View.

Apple's process is a bit more convoluted, and you may have to deal with the company's customer service despite the tech behemoth's frictionless ecosystem. But with millions of daily users, Apple Maps is an essential part of your privacy plan.

Here's how to do it:

Credit: Apple / Mashable Screenshot

Credit: Apple / Mashable Screenshot

Credit: Apple / Mashable Screenshot

Credit: Apple / Mashable Screenshot

There's no guaranteed timeline for how long it will take to remove images of your property from Apple Maps, but you can spend those precious hours requesting removals on Google Maps and even Bing Maps, or removing your personal information from the internet entirely. It may be worth it.

If you have further questions or special circumstances, email the company at MapsImageCollection@apple.com.

When Netflix announced Below, it billed the Josh Hartnett sea monster thriller as a limited series. However, the show itself actually leaves the door open for more story.

In Below's finale, fisherman Cal Penney (Hartnett), research Fonda Howander (Mackenzie Davis), and Cal's entire family manage to save their small Newfoundland community of Snook's Arm two times over. First, they lure the giant, aggressive cephalopod that's been terrorizing Snook's Arm away from the town by towing the giant iceberg it was using as a nest out of the bay. Then, they expose the wealthy Crocker family's plans to force Snook's Arm's residents to resettle so they can mine the cobalt and copper below the town.

After that, Below flashes forward a year to 2027. The town is celebrating Come Home Year, but that's less of an event for the Penneys this year: Wade (Charlie Heaton), Mary (Ruby Stokes), and Jay (Rohan Campbell) all live in town now. Fonda is still working at the Ocean Science Center, although without the Crockers' funding, it's getting harder to keep the lights on. (She and Cal also share a charged moment that may speak to romance plans down the line.)

Speaking of the Crockers, Snook's Arm has bucked their influence, but they are still advocating for a settlement vote. Now, though, the townspeople know the value of their land, so it seems like they're expecting much higher payouts.

Overall, it seems like things are looking up for Snook's Arm, right? Well, don't get too excited for them just yet. In the episode's final moments, Cal and Wade take their boat out into the bay — a sweet shift from Cal's early refusals to let him on the boat. However, the ride quickly sours when they come across a whole herd of icebergs heading straight for Snook's Arm.

What's the deal with the icebergs at the end of Below?

Look, these could just be normal icebergs. But as Below's final episodes established, the show's giant squid monster used the iceberg as a nest. In all likelihood, these icebergs are also new squid nests.

But where did these many, many squid come from? Have they just been hiding out in the ocean? Or could they be the offspring of Snook's Arm's giant squid?

Before the icebergs appear, Fonda says that none of the squid's children would have survived. Because of climate change, the water is too warm for them, and it's just getting warmer. But what if Fonda was wrong, and some of the offspring were uniquely adapted to survive in harsher environments? What if this species is evolving?

If that's the case, then the squid's babies could have matured in the year since she laid them, and they're now able to have offspring of their own. Maybe they're all returning to the Snook's Arm area to give birth, since it's where they were born themselves.

Obviously, the arrival of many more squid in Snook's Arm would be a major problem, not only because of the increased chance of deadly squid attacks, but also because of the impact their secretions and their melting iceberg nests could have on the town's water supply. Snook's Arm's residents really shouldn't have to go through yet another bout of that dreadful wasting disease!

Will there be a Below Season 2?

Based on Below's final moments, Cal and his community certainly have their work cut out for them. Will we actually get to see the next stage of their story onscreen in a Season 2?

Netflix has not yet renewed Below for a second season. Again, the show was originally stated to be a limited series, so the streamer may be content to let the show end here. However, depending on popularity and audience response, Netflix could bring Below back for more underwater thrills.

Below is now streaming on Netflix.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

22. The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story

This three-part true crime series seems perfectly suited for spooky season by its title alone. As teased in the trailer, the story centers on a murder investigation in 1985, when the proprietor of a pet cemetery in a small town outside of New Orleans was found dead in a bayou, her body bound in thick chains.

Director Philip Cairney speaks to detectives, locals, and Dorothy's best friend about what could have brought her to such an end. And that is a winding story that goes back decades, looping in other possible murders. And yes, a ghost becomes a pivotal player in this investigation. However, for as creepy as this story sounds. Cairney's mini-series is pretty bland, save for the interviews with Dorothy's spirited bestie. There's better true crime docs and better ghost stories now streaming. Some on this very list! — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: The Pet Cemetery Murders: A Ghost Story premieres on HBO Max on Oct. 11.

21. R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2

Looking for a spooky movie for younger audiences? Then check out R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2, streaming for free this week on Tubi.

The movie returns viewers to the town of Redhaven, where a new Pumpkinhead curse means new frightening disappearances. Sam (Bean Reid) and Becka (Adeline Lo), protagonists of the first film, will have to find a way to stop the curse before it's too late. Thankfully, they have a witchy ally in their corner: Cassandra, played by none other than horror icon Cassandra "Elvira" Peterson. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Cassandra Peterson (aka Elvira), Bean Reid, Adeline Lo, Matty Finochio, Sebastian Billingsley-Rodriguez, Bob Frazer, Seth Isaac Johnson, and Kendra Anderson

How to watch: R.L. Stine's Pumpkinhead 2 debuts on Tubi on Oct. 9.

20. Is It Cake? Halloween, Season 2

Mikey Day is back with more cakes that are so good at looking like not-cake that you feel compelled to ask, "Is it cake?" This is the second selection of Halloween-themed confections sure to question your grasp on reality. And the trailer reveals some of our favorite comedians are getting in on the game as guest judges. — K.P.

Starring: Mikey Day, Paul Scheer, Cedric Yarbrough, Kristen Schaal, and Lil Rel Howery

How to watch: Is It Cake? Halloween Season 2 debuts on Netflix on Oct. 9.

19. Matchbox: The Movie

Yup, Matchbox cars now have their own movie. John Cena stars as a spy who reconnects with his childhood friends, accidentally looping them into a dangerous mission to clear his name when he's framed for the theft of a nuclear weapon.

Got all that? Don't sweat it. Take a look at the cast and the trailer, and trust that Matchbox: The Movie is gearing up to bring exciting action with much silliness, and many flashy vehicles.* — K.P.

Starring: John Cena, Jessica Biel, Sam Richardson, Arturo Castro, and Teyonah Parris

How to watch: Matchbox: The Movie debuts on Apple TV on Oct. 9.

18. Who is Martin Mull?

Martin Mull is a character actor who you might recognize from Clue, Roseanne, or Arrested Development. But while he is revered by actors and comedians for his distinct humor and inarguable comedic timing, performing is not his passion. Painting is.

This tender documentary from the late Bob Saget and Neil Berkeley explores the career and art of Mull in all its forms. And perhaps he'll inspire you too. — K.P.

Starring: Martin Mull, Bob Saget, Paul Feig, David Alan Grier, Steve Martin, Kerri Kenney, and Penn Jillette

How to watch: Who is Martin Mull? is now on Netflix.

17. Insidious: Out of the Further

The opening seconds of the trailer for Insidious: Out of the Further will probably give you a pretty good indication of whether or not this is a movie for you. The latest installment in the long-running horror franchise follows Gemma (Amelia Eve), a mother who discovers she has the unfortunate ability to travel into the titular demonic realm — all of which makes her a target for the creatures who want to get out of it. Probably not one to watch while you're eating, and definitely one to avoid if you have happen to work as a dentist. — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Amelia Eve, Brandon Perea, and Lin Shaye

How to watch: Insidious: Out of the Further is now on VOD.

16. Onslaught

Director Adam Wingard and screenwriter Simon Barrett have previously given horror fans such vicious offerings as You're Next, The Guest, and Blair Witch. Now they reteam for Onslaught, an A24 thriller about a single mom (Adria Arjona) who must defend her child against a squad of merciless super soldiers who've escaped their experimental facility. This task might seem impossible. But it helps that this mom is a trained sniper.

Expect blood, explosions, and carnage. Plus, The Guest's Dan Stevens as a mad scientist who looks like a Halloween decoration.* — K.P.

Starring: Adria Arjona, Dan Stevens, Eric Wareheim, Reginald VelJohnson, Michael Biehn, Alex Pereira, Drew Starkey, and Rebecca Hall

How to watch: Onslaught is now on VOD.

15. Fall 2: Deadpoint

In 2022, Fall delivered a survival thriller that rattled with suspense and boasted a sensationally WTF ending. Now comes a sequel of sorts with Fall 2: Deadpoint.

Scott Mann and Jonathan Frank, who cowrote the first film, are reunited here, scripting a spin-off story with some striking similarities. Harriet Slater stars as Jax Hunter, the younger sister of the late Shiloh Hunter (Virginia Gardner). Spiraling from grief, she teams up with Hunter's friend Luce (Arsema Thomas) to tackle an adventure her sister never got to attempt: a treacherous climb of Mount Kwan in Thailand that ends before a statue of the Death Dragon, which is said to eat your fear.

Will this attempt to overcome grief by taking a risky climb play out better for Hunter's sister? Well, a rockslide promises a rough path. But we'll have to see to find out if Fall 2 can live up to its sister prequel. — K.P.

Starring: Harriet Slater, Arsema Thomas, Tom Brittney, Virginia Gardner, and Grace Caroline Currey

How to watch: Fall 2: Deadpoint is now on VOD.

14. Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger

The English rock band Oasis is as arguably known for its infighting between brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher as they are for their music. So, when the band reunited after 15 years of estrangement between the siblings, fans bought tickets for the tour with baited breath. Would they take to the stage or breakup before they got there? Spoilers: They made it. And Don't Look Back in Anger — a perfect title for a doc about this band in particular — captured the the process from rehearsals, backstage footage, and concerts captured on video.

So, now, even if you couldn't get that hot ticket, you can feel a part of the tour, thanks to documentarians Will Lovelace and Dylan Southern. — K.P.

Starring: Liam Gallagher and Noel Gallagher

How to watch: Oasis: Don’t Look Back In Anger comes to Hulu and Disney+ on Oct. 9.

13. Your Attention Please

The concept of the attention economy, and the tech billionaires profiting from our addiction to the algorithms they've created is something that we've been discussing for years now. Sara Robin's documentary explores it in more detail, following mother Kristin Bride as she fights for social media reform in the wake of her 16-year-old son's death by suicide after a period of cyberbullying. — S.H.

How to watch: Your Attention Please is now on Apple TV to rent or own.

12. Animals