Internet Explorer's last foothold on modern Windows now has an expiration date.

Microsoft is reminding IT administrators that Internet Explorer mode in its Edge browser, the only remaining way to run IE's rendering engine on current versions of Windows, will be supported through at least the end of 2029, according to gHacks Tech News. The notice, posted in the Microsoft 365 admin center under message ID MC1473151, tells organizations that still depend on IE-only applications to start planning their migrations now.

According to gHacks, the company has committed to announcing an end-of-support date at least a year before it takes effect. The early warning is to give admins time to rebuild or replace internal software, which can take years.

For context, IE mode is a compatibility feature inside Edge. Edge is built on Google's open-source Chromium engine, but IE mode lets it load pages with Trident, the older engine that powered Internet Explorer 11. Microsoft first flagged the mode's eventual retirement in 2021, according to gHacks.

Organizations with no IE dependencies don't need to take any action. For companies that still depend on it, Microsoft's guidance is to identify what depends on IE mode and update or replace it.

The notice is the latest step in a long wind-down. Microsoft officially retired the standalone Internet Explorer 11 browser in June 2022, 26 years after the browser shipped with early versions of Windows. At that point, Microsoft began steering anyone who tried to open IE toward Edge. Most users had already left. By the time of its retirement, IE held less than 1 percent of the browser market, according to StatCounter data at the time.

Musk, Alex Gibney's four-hour documentary about Elon Musk, hits theaters in two weeks and received rave reviews out of its premiere at the Venice International Film Festival. Yet distributor Bleecker Street can't buy ads on major social media platforms in order to promote it.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, YouTube, TikTok, and Meta, which owns Instagram and Facebook, have all refused to run the trailer for Musk. The same goes for X, which is owned by Musk and which reportedly won't accept advertising for Bleecker Street's other upcoming releases.

YouTube, TikTok, and Meta told Bleecker Street representatives that they rejected the trailer because of "political content." TikTok and Meta do not allow paid political and campaign ads, with Meta's rules stemming from the Cambridge Analytica scandal. YouTube does, with ads requiring "paid for" disclosures. The Musk trailer contains references to the 2024 election, but it is not itself a political campaign.

Bleecker Street has appealed YouTube, TikTok, and Meta's decision. While YouTube and TikTok are still mulling over the request, Meta has rejected it outright.

This isn't the first bump in the road for Musk. Universal Pictures, which is distributing the film internationally, reportedly got cold feet on releasing Musk. Evan Langweiler, Universal's Executive Vice President of Global Communications and Media Relations, has since told The Hollywood Reporter that, "the studio remains committed to releasing [Musk] in theaters internationally."

The incident recalls Amazon MGM Studios' dropping of Luca Guadagnino's OpenAI and Sam Altman film Artificial, another fall release that looks to take a prominent tech figure to task. Aaron Sorkin's The Social Reckoning, also out this fall, will follow a similar path with Mark Zuckerberg.

Musk hits theaters Oct. 9.

You might first come across Clavicular in a clip about his jawline or his first, second, or eleventh plastic surgery. Stay a little longer, and you may find yourself watching him assess women's appearances, discuss their sexual availability, or reduce them (along with men) to categories in an online hierarchy of attractiveness.

For viewers, it all arrives in the same feed, packaged as entertainment. For the women involved, appearing in that content can carry consequences that extend long after the livestream ends.

Clavicular, whose real name is Braden Peters, is a 20-year-old influencer known for "looksmaxxing" content, an online trend centered on making yourself more physically attractive. On his livestreams, primarily on Kick, he compares his appearance with other men's and rates women's looks. YouTube banned his original channel in November 2025 and later removed two replacement channels. He has become one of the most recognizable figures in a corner of the internet where physical appearance is treated as a measure of status and worth.

Peters now faces criminal charges in Massachusetts stemming from an alleged May 2025 assault involving a 17-year-old girl. The charges include rape, administering a substance for sexual intercourse, and procuring alcohol for someone under 21. His arraignment is scheduled for Oct. 14. His lawyer, Jeff Neiman, says Peters is innocent.

The case will be decided in court. But the way Peters talks about women is already on display for anyone to see. And he is part of a much larger online culture in which putting women down can help build an audience.

"Misogyny is finding new audiences online"

Before the criminal charges made headlines, Peters was already drawing criticism for how he talked about women to his almost 3 million followers across platforms. He often calls women "foids" — short for "femoid," or "female android" — and promotes the idea that women choose men based on their looks, a belief associated with "blackpill" ideology. In his online academy, he refers to women as "targets" and "slayables," turning dating into a game of conquest, with women cast as something to win rather than people with preferences and boundaries of their own.

Much of Peters’s streaming takes place at parties and clubs, where his interactions with women become part of the entertainment. He often takes young women's faces into his hands and analyzes them. In one clip, as a girl tries to turn away, he tells her, "I'm not done looking at you!" During Peters's summer trip to Israel, another clip drew controversy after he refused to speak to a girl unless she wanted to have sex. "Just tell the girls I'm looking to have sex in a bathroom," he said.

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

His habit of judging women's looks, known as "face rating," also carries over into appearances on other creators' shows. During one livestream with Adin Ross, Peters rated Adam22's wife a 5.5 on his attractiveness scale. When she asked about celebrities, including Sydney Sweeney and Margot Robbie, Peters said Sweeney was "ugly" and dismissed her facial features, arguing that she was attractive primarily because of her breasts. Asked who would qualify as a "10," Peters said even a 9.5 was difficult to achieve and described Victoria's Secret models as the "highest echelon of women."

Peters has defended the way he talks about women. In a February interview with Piers Morgan, when Morgan questioned whether his comments were misogynistic, Peters pushed back, arguing that women often refuse to see men under six feet tall as fully human. "They are the most fucking brutal gender," he said.

"Clavicular and many other streamers have built an audience by demeaning and humiliating women, including using dehumanizing language to talk about them,” Liz Roberts, CEO of victim services organization Safe Horizon, tells Mashable.

"Misogyny is finding new audiences online, where old ideas about women, gender, and power are being repackaged as entertainment for a new generation," she added.

Peters is not the only creator whose content has prompted concerns about misogyny and the treatment of women online. Fresh & Fit co-host Myron Gaines has promoted the idea that men should be "dictators" in relationships and women their "subordinates." Andrew Tate, who faces rape and human trafficking charges in the UK, has said that a woman and the intimate parts of her body "belong" to her male partner. And after the 2024 election, far-right livestreamer Nick Fuentes posted, "Your body, my choice. Forever."

Concerns also extend to less prominent streamers in Peters’s own circle. This week, footage circulated that appeared to show Drago, a Kick streamer reportedly friends with Clavicular, grabbing and punching fellow streamer MiaMaxxed at the SeeEx event while others reportedly poured milk on her. Drago has claimed self-defense, alleging that she attacked him first and damaged his property.

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

Women who stream have also described viewers crossing boundaries when they meet in person. In October 2025, a TwitchCon attendee grabbed streamer Emiru and tried to kiss her during a meet-and-greet. "I'm obviously shaken up by what happened, and it’s not the first time I’ve dealt with something like this," she wrote afterward. She also criticized Twitch's response, saying the attendee was allowed to walk away after her security guard intervened. Twitch CEO Dan Clancy later apologized and acknowledged failures in both preventing the incident and responding to it.

What happens when streamers become role models?

For young viewers still figuring out what relationships should look like, these streams can become an informal education, and streamers can become de facto mentors. They may arrive looking for dating advice, a workout routine, or reassurance about their appearance. Along the way, they may also hear that women are shallow, that humiliation is acceptable, or that dominance is a normal part of relationships.

"Young people are still forming their understanding of what is healthy, what is acceptable, and how people should treat one another," Roberts told Mashable. "What they consume online shapes how they understand violence, power, and control. That’s why it’s so important to help young people recognize violent control for what it is, rather than allowing it to become just another piece of content they scroll past every day."

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

It’s easy to dismiss content like this as entertainment — and many participants in Ofcom's 2025 research described watching manosphere content that way. But those who were more deeply invested in closed-off online groups appeared less likely to challenge what others said or did. When fitting in means going along with the group, questioning misogyny can come at a social cost.

The attention surrounding Peters's case has also brought renewed scrutiny to the culture around him, like how degrading women can become entertainment and how repeated exposure can make harmful behavior seem ordinary. Roberts points to something more concrete than simply telling young people to stay away from that content: helping them recognize harmful behavior before they come to accept it as normal.

"Parents should talk with their kids about the early warning signs of power and control, because harm doesn’t typically begin with physical violence," she said. "Telling someone what to wear or who they can spend time with, humiliating someone to make them feel small, or talking about women as if they are objects rather than people are all early red flags."

"Helping young people recognize those behaviors early can give them the tools to build healthier relationships," she added, "and challenge harmful patterns when they see them."

Next week, Google will be living out Elon Musk's dream of putting AI data centers in space — and they'll be doing it with help from Musk's space exploration company.

On Thursday, October 1, 2026, Google will load an experimental satellite on SpaceX's Falcon 9 rocket and launch it in space. The satellite is part of Google's Project Suncatcher initiative, which seeks to set up AI data centers in space. The experimental satellite will be able answer simple A.I. prompts from space, according to the New York Times.

In a blog post about Project Suncatcher, Google explained the potential benefits of sending data centers into orbit:

Cooling orbital data centers is a crucial research challenge. TPUs generate a large amount of heat in a small area, which needs to be diffused safely or the chips are at risk of overheating. But in space, there’s no airflow. In a vacuum, you can only diffuse heat via radiators, which requires a totally different approach to cooling electronics.

As the New York Times reported, Google isn't sending a full-on orbital data center this time; it's sending the potential precursor to one. The satellite, named MVP, contains four “tensor processing units,” which are specialized chips with the computing power of one server in a data center here on Earth. 

The computer chips will be powered by the satellite's solar panels, which will provide one kilowatt of power to the chips. Google says that this is all it needs for this particular experiment, which will test how the hardware fares in outer space.

The satellite is expected to operate in space for a period of one year. 

While in orbit, the computer chips will be able to process short queries for up to 15 minutes while Google's Gemini AI responds. After a 15-minute period, the chips will need to shut down to cool with a special cooling system, as fans typically used in computer systems don't work in space. 

After that one-year period, the satellite will stop operating but will continue to orbit the Earth for a total of six years before the planet's gravitational pull brings the satellite down, burning it as it falls through the atmosphere.

When Musk's SpaceX acquired Musk's AI company xAI earlier this year, Musk explained that one of the main reasons for the companies to combine was so that they could work on putting AI data centers in space.

"Current advances in AI are dependent on large terrestrial data centers, which require immense amounts of power and cooling," Musk said in a statement at the time of the acquisition. "Global electricity demand for AI simply cannot be met with terrestrial solutions, even in the near term, without imposing hardship on communities and the environment." 

In the long term, space-based AI is obviously the only way to scale," Musk continued.

Google seems to agree with Musk. Shortly after Musk shared his orbital AI data center goals, Google announced Project Suncatcher, which the company greenlit in May 2025.

It's important to note, however, that these are very early days for the orbital data center ambition. If these experiments prove that the project is at all feasible, it would likely be years, if not decades, before Google and Musk's vision comes to fruition. But Thursday's launch is certainly a first step in potentially building out AI data centers in space.

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter today.

Xteink e-readers are making a whole lot of noise online. I tried them out myself, and while I love the concept of these pocket-sized e-readers, they're not the most practical. However, if you're someone who loves reading e-books that are free EPUB and PDF files, then maybe this is exactly the right e-reader for you.

So if you've purchased an Xteink e-reader, now is the time to make the most of it. A lot of users find they don't love the firmware that comes preloaded on Xteink e-readers. Most e-readers like Kobo or Kindle are locked down, so you can't make any software changes, but that's not the case with Xteink e-readers. In fact, Xteink e-readers have become a favorite among programmers who want to customize their pocket-sized e-reader by flashing new firmware onto it.

Lifehacker's Joel Cunningham put me onto CrossPoint Reader's firmware in his review of the Xteink X4 (Mashable and Lifehacker are both owned by Ziff Davis). I wanted to try it out for myself, and it's unbelievably easy to do. It provides a cleaner interface that's easier to navigate, reminiscent of the Kindle experience. After downloading the CrossPoint Reader firmware, I loved my Xteink X4 a little bit more.

So if you want a new interface on your Xteink e-reader, here's how to download CrossPoint Reader's firmware.

How to download CrossPoint Reader's firmware to your Xteink

The CrossPoint Reader's firmware gives the Xteink X4 a cleaner, simpler interface. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Total Time

• 5 min

What You Need

• Computer
• USB-C cord
• Xteink e-reader

Step 1: Go to CrossPoint Reader and navigate to 'Flash Firmware'

On CrossPoint Reader's site, you'll navigate to the 'Get CrossPoint' option, which has a dropdown menu. From that menu, select 'Flash Firmware.'

Credit: Screenshot: CrossPoint Reader

Step 2: Select your device

On the next page, select your Xteink e-reader model from the options.

Credit: Screenshot: CrossPoint Reader

Step 3: Choose firmware

Next, you'll select the firmware option you want to flash onto the device. Choose the CrossPoint 1.6.0 option.

Credit: Screenshot: CrossPoint Reader

Step 4: Connect your device via USB-C and flash firmware onto device.

Connect your Xteink e-reader to your device via USB-C. Then choose the 'Flash CrossPoint' option on your browser. A menu will pop up, where you'll select your connected device. Flash the firmware onto the device and enjoy!

Credit: Screenshot: CrossPoint Reader

Xteink X4

$69 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Xteink

Xteink X4 Pro

$99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Xteink

Your kids caught World Cup fever and now you'll be spending your weekends every fall and spring at the soccer field. Take it from a longtime soccer dad — you're going to love it.

In fact, you're going to get so wrapped up in this beautiful game that you're going to want to record those games for posterity. Here's another lesson this veteran soccer parent learned the hard way: You're not going to want to hold your arm up for an hour to record the match. Your arm will get tired, and you may find yourself paying more attention to your smartphone than to the moment itself.

That's where a sports tracking camera comes in. You set the camera up on a tripod on the sidelines of the pitch, hit record, and sit back and enjoy watching the game. The sports-tracking camera follows all the action, with an assist from AI.

For most parents, there's been one AI sports tracking camera that has risen above the rest: The XbotGo Falcon. And Mashable spent the last soccer season testing the camera out.

The problem with most sports tracking cameras

You may have heard of some of the big players in the space like Veo and Trace. Why not just go with those?

There's no doubt that Veo and Trace sports cameras have really good output. But, go take a look at their price pages. You'll find that you're spending hundreds of dollars on a camera that you can't even use without a subscription service, which often costs hundreds more per year. Before you know it, you're spending thousands of dollars annually. These services are more in line for soccer clubs, schools, leagues, or other situations where you're recording multiple teams and players on a regular basis.

You're just one parent. You have one (or at most a handful) of kids who play. You don't or can't spend that much on the camera, nor do you need anything fancy with player analytics and other bells and whistles. You just want to capture your kid making a great play or scoring a goal to share with the family.

XbotGo Falcon: No subscription required

I have long been searching for the perfect sports tracking camera. One where I can set it up and trust that it will reliably record the game, follow the action, and not require a subscription.

The XbotGo Falcon Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

This is where the XbotGo Falcon sets itself apart from other AI sports tracking cameras

So, why doesn't the XbotGo Falcon require a subscription? Sports cameras like Veo and Trace basically record the entire length of the field, upload the footage to the company's servers, and then track the action within the footage after the game. XbotGo Falcon avoids those post-processing costs, as the device actually physically moves left and right, up and down, and zooms in and out during the game.

XbotGo is a fairly new company that strictly makes AI auto-tracking sports cameras and related products. The company found success in 2024 with the XbotGo Chameleon, a tracking device that required a user's smartphone to record. In March 2026, XbotGo released its next-generation AI tracking camera, the XbotGo Falcon.

XbotGo Falcon inside of its case Credit: Matt Binder./ Mashable

XbotGo Falcon price

The XbotGo Falcon currently retails for $799.

There will no doubt be some initial sticker shock at the retail price. But, again, you need to look at its competitors. 

The Veo camera, for example, costs $1,299 just for the device, followed by a minimum of $84 per month for their Starter base plan. Paying $799 once is certainly a lot less than $2,298 upfront, followed by $999 every year after that.

You will also need to factor in the price for a tripod of at least 13 feet or more. XbotGo sells one for $189.99, but you don't necessarily need theirs. However, it's a must-have accessory, which I'll get to in a little bit.

XbotGo Falcon: By the numbers

Here are the key specifications to know:

• 4K video at 30fps or 1080p video at 60fps

• 1/1.8-inch Sony CMOS sensor

• 9,600 mAh battery that can last for approximately 4 hours

• 360-degree rotation

• 160-degree tilt

• Records to a MicroSD card of up to 1,024GB (sold separately)

• Weighs 1.8 pounds

• 134.2 × 116 × 71.7 mm

• Fully compatible with iOS and Android

XbotGo Falcon vs. XbotGo Chameleon

Technically, both the XbotGo Chameleon and XbotGo Falcon have a camera built into the device. But that camera is for the tracking technology that follows the action on the field. The XbotGo Falcon has a second camera built in that actually records the game instead of using a smartphone to do that, as required by the XbotGo Chameleon.

XbotGo Chameleon's one camera vs. XbotGo Falcon's two cameras Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

XbotGo still sells the XbotGo Chameleon at around $300 for people who prefer that more affordable option. Also, some users prefer the XbotGo Chameleon, as you technically upgrade the camera quality as you upgrade your iPhone, by attaching the smartphone to the device to record.

However, having also spent multiple seasons using the XbotGo Chameleon, the XbotGo Falcon would be my go-to for a few reasons

First of all, having my smartphone available while using the XbotGo Falcon is huge. I can use my smartphone as a remote to monitor the XbotGo Falcon in case I need to pan or zoom the camera if it gets lost in the action. The XbotGo Chameleon requires that you attach your iPhone to the device. And while the Chameleon also offers remote usage with a second smartphone, how often do you have two smartphones on you? I know I don't.

In addition, the XbotGo Falcon footage is a crisp, clear 4K from a 1/1.8-inch Sony CMOS sensor. I can't imagine getting much more out of a smartphone camera anytime soon. The quality also means the files are fairly big. My 128GB iPhone is already nearly full from everything else. I would be unable to store much on it, and I'd have to spend time managing and moving files around after every other game. Having the ability to swap MicroSD cards is a huge draw to the XbotGo Falcon.

Using the XBotGo Falcon

The first thing you'll notice when getting the XbotGo Falcon is, well, its size. It's big, and it comes in a nice big carrying case as well. Its size is especially standout if you're upgrading from the much more compact XbotGo Chameleon.

The size difference between the XbotGo Chameleon vs. XbotGo Falcon Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

To set up the device, you do need to sync the XbotGo Falcon hardware with the XbotGo app on your smartphone. The app is used to set up the recording, monitor the camera during the game, manually control the camera's movements, and update the device itself when XbotGo pushes out a firmware update. During your initial setup, there will most definitely be a firmware update so be sure to give yourself some time before you need to use the device.

From there, you pick your sport.

XbotGo says the Falcon is compatible with recording nine different sports, which include soccer, basketball, ice hockey, handball, tennis, pickleball, lacrosse, badminton, and volleyball. There are also three additional sports in beta — American football, rugby, and flag football.

For my XbotGo Falcon review, I focused on capturing soccer. Due to the larger field, this really pushes the tracking capabilities to the limit.

Once you've selected all the necessary settings, the camera will start to spin as it calibrates. Place the XbotGo Falcon on your tripod, which should be set up a few feet from the sideline near the midfield. Then, extend the tripod to at least around 12 feet in the air. The higher the better.

Users can add a scoreboard, set up a livestream of the event, record pan, tilt, and zoom manually during the game, and monitor what the camera is capturing, all from the XbotGo app.

And that's pretty much it. The XbotGo Falcon features physical buttons on the device for quick record options, but I prefer to use the smartphone to record, as the camera is already many feet in the air at kickoff.

Controlling the camera remotely is as simple as tapping on a sidebar menu option to call up an on-screen joystick, which allows the user to move the device around.

XbotGo Falcon performance

I tested the XbotGo Falcon to record at least a half dozen youth soccer games from full-field 11 versus 11 matches to smaller pitches for 9 versus 9 games. 

So, how did it do? Most importantly, how was the tracking? 

XbotGo Falcon in action, following the action Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

I was able to trust the AI tracking capabilities for the vast majority of each game. When referring to my iPhone to monitor the XbotGo Falcon, it properly tracked the game at least nine out of 10 times. In fact, I would say I only had to remotely control the device with my phone once or twice per game. Sometimes, I didn't have to touch the manual controls at all.

The camera produced very high-quality footage, too. In fact, recording in 4K allowed me to manually zoom even further using my editing software to get closer to the action when clipping highlights and still have clear HQ quality when exporting the punched-in clip.

Due to connectivity issues on my end at the fields, I was not able to test out the livestream capabilities in the proper setting. Personally, I prefer to record the games as the footage quality really matters when recording at a distance. Any sort of lower video quality due to livestream connectivity issues from your cellular or internet service provider will drastically reduce the watchability of the game. In addition, you'll most likely be clipping highlights from the full video rather than regularly watching the entire match, so again, the focus on the local recording is key for me.

XbotGo Falcon tracking from right to left Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

XbotGo Falcon issues

Now, as great as my time with it was, there are some negatives with the XbotGo Falcon.

First, for those looking to buy a sports-tracking camera that's completely hands-off, the XbotGo Falcon will disappoint. Yes, it is mostly hands off in my experience, but it's also not "set it and forget it." While you don't need to monitor the recording like you would if you were holding a camera, there are clear points in a soccer match where you'll have to check if the XbotGo Falcon is keeping up.

For example, the XbotGo Falcon seems to struggle with goal kicks, corner kicks, and penalty kicks. There's something about the lack of typical back-and-forth movement on the pitch that causes the device to seemingly try to find it sometimes. I've unfortunately experienced missed penalties to the point where I would just use my iPhone to record the penalty and leave everything else to the XbotGo Falcon.

There is another limitation to the XbotGo Falcon, which really isn't the device's fault. At a youth soccer game, there are going to be kids off to the sidelines practicing while they wait for their game. There may also be more than one field at a location with multiple games going on. If any of this is in the view of the XbotGo Falcon, the camera will often get confused.

I will say XbotGo devices are now much better at dealing with distractions thanks to recent firmware updates, which added the ability to draw field boundaries so your Falcon doesn't stray. However, I had an issue where the Falcon was focused on one side of the field as a free kick was set up, a ball being used on the sideline rolled onto the field with a kid in tow on the opposite side of the field, and the Falcon spun around to catch that while missing the goal scored off the free kick.

With that said, the XbotGo Falcon does catch the action most of the time. In fact, remember when I mentioned the necessity of a big tripod? Most of the complaints I've seen online regarding its performance mainly revolve around the fact that many users just don't seem to raise the tripod high enough. The XbotGo Falcon needs to basically hover high over the pitch at almost a bird's eye view to get the best performance from it. It needs to see everything in order to track and capture it. If you put it too low, it will not track to the best of its abilities.

You want to get the XbotGo Falcon up high on a tripod for the best performance. Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

I also faced one weird issue with the XbotGo Falcon that appears to be a one-off, but I have to mention it.

During the very first game with the camera, it inexplicably stopped recording with 20 minutes left to go in a 60-minute game. There was no battery life issue or lack of SD card space. The device just stopped recording. At first, I thought it had something to do with moving out of range of the device with my synced iPhone monitor, but XbotGo told me that wasn't the case. Their logs oddly showed that a second smartphone synced with the device, and that device stopped the recording. It seems unlikely that another individual knew I was using an XbotGo device, downloaded the XbotGo app, and synced it with my device to stop it. While I never figured out exactly what happened, the device never stopped recording again.

Finally, aside from tracking issues, there is one persistent complaint among users: the watermark on the videos. There is a decent-sized XbotGo Falcon logo embedded on the lower right-hand side of all videos taken with the camera. There is no way to remove it. That's right. There's not even an option to pay extra. For me personally, I didn't find it intrusive. You can always put your own logo over the XbotGo Falcon watermark, and I never found it in the way of any of my videos. However, it is odd that it is there no matter what.

The bottom line: Is the XbotGo Falcon worth it?

This soccer dad was happy with his experience.

I can see why the XbotGo Falcon is hands down the most popular sports tracking camera on the market without a subscription. While it is pricey, it's nowhere near as costly as the ongoing fees its competitors charge.

Credit: Matt Binder / Mashable

However, there are tradeoffs, too. The fact that the XbotGo Falcon has to physically follow the action means that it will sometimes miss a moment. At the same time, the ability to monitor the camera from your smartphone is extremely useful and means you can manually guide it along, too.

One thing I will say: The company is very proactive when it comes to releasing firmware updates, which often add brand new features and fix ongoing performance issues. It's a huge plus in my opinion, which should make you feel secure in knowing that there's significant support behind the product.

Is it the perfect sports tracking camera I've been searching for? No. But it's getting there.

All in all, if you're tired of holding up a smartphone camera for an hour at a time, I suggest you give the XbotGo Falcon a try.

Opens in a new window

Credit: XbotGo

XbotGo Falcon AI Sports Tracking Camera

$799 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

TL;DR: As of Sept. 26, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for $89.99 at Amazon. That's under market price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

$89.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now

Pokémon fans are all desperate to get their hands on products from the new Pokémon 30th Celebration collection. We can't believe we're saying this, but Amazon is actually the best place to find the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box. And better yet, it's way below market price.

As of Sept. 26, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for just $89.99 on Amazon. That's much cheaper than the market price, according to TCG Player.

So where's the catch? Unfortunately, you can't simply buy the Elite Trainer Box on Amazon. Instead, potential buyers must click the "request invite" button. If you're randomly selected, you’ll get an email to let you know that you’re eligible to buy Pokémon’s 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box. The email will contain a purchase link that's valid for 72 hours.

We can see that these ETBs are selling fast, so the "invitation to buy" system is clearly working for many shoppers. And even if your invitation request isn't selected, Amazon will keep it on file, and you might get another shot when it's restocked. 

The Elite Trainer Box includes nine Pokémon 30th Celebration booster packs, a full-art foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 sleeves, dice, a coin, dividers, a player’s guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code. 

Score the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box for $89.99 this weekend — way below market price.

SAVE $500: As of Sept. 25, the flagship DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo (with the RC 2 smart controller and three batteries) is down to $1,099 at Amazon. That’s $500 off its usual $1,599 price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: DJI

DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo

$1,099 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $500

 

Get Deal

Amazon just quietly dropped a stellar deal on one of the most capable compact drones on the market. The DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo, which comes loaded with the smart controller, three batteries, and extra gear, is currently listed for $1,099.

While Amazon isn't tagging it with a bright red sale badge, this high-end Fly More setup typically sits closer to the $1,599 mark. Getting the complete kit for a little over £1,000 is a huge win if you want pro-level aerial footage without dropping your entire budget.

Most lightweight mini drones give up image quality to save weight, but the Mini 5 Pro squeezes a massive 1-inch CMOS sensor into a lightweight frame. So it pulls in more light and detail than older mini drones. You get sharp 4K video at 60 fps in HDR (plus buttery 120 fps slow-mo), so your shots won't look washed out or grainy.

If you post on TikTok or Instagram Reels, the camera gimbal rotates a full 225 degrees for true vertical video. And if you leave your memory card sitting on your desk at home, the 42GB of built-in storage has you covered.

Flying a thousand-dollar camera straight into a tree is every pilot's worst nightmare. The Mini 5 Pro fixes this with 360-degree obstacle sensing, powered by forward-facing LiDAR and vision sensors. That means the drone actively spots power lines, branches, and buildings — even in low light — and steers itself around them automatically.

You also get upgraded ActiveTrack 360°. Just draw a box around yourself, a bike, or a car on your screen, and the drone will lock onto the target and follow the action on its own while keeping a safe distance from trees and other obstacles.

Lock in the DJI Mini 5 Pro Fly More Combo for $1,099 while the listing is live on Amazon.

Peleton's new treadmill lineup:

---

Peloton Tread Flex

$2,195

Learn More

---

Peloton Tread Vision

$3,495

Learn More

---

Peloton Tread+ Vision

$6,695

Learn More

If cramped apartment spaces or high price tags kept you from putting a treadmill in your home, Peloton is addressing both pain points.

Starting Oct. 1, 2026, Peloton is refreshing its entire hardware lineup with three distinct models: the budget-friendly, space-saving Tread Flex, the camera-assisted Tread Vision, and the top-tier Tread+ Vision.

Peloton Tread Flex

The main highlight of the launch is the Peloton Tread Flex ($2,195), which is the brand’s first-ever folding treadmill and its most affordable machine to date. Built specifically to fit smaller floor plans, the deck folds up vertically to slash the overall footprint by nearly 50% when you finish running.

It relies on a two-step hydraulic cylinder system to lower the deck safely to the floor without slamming, paired with an ultra-quiet brushless motor that tops out at 70 dB even when pushing max speeds of 12.5 mph. It features a rotating 21.5-inch HD swivel screen so you can easily transition from running or walking to mat-based strength and yoga classes.

Peloton Tread Vision

Moving up to the mid-tier, Tread Vision ($3,495) brings a larger 23.8-inch swivel screen, upgraded tray storage, and an integrated cooling fan. The biggest hardware addition here is a movement-tracking camera that hooks directly into Peloton IQ. During runs, it analyzes your stride and cadence to deliver post-workout efficiency scores, and during floor workouts, it acts as a virtual coach to correct your lifting form in real-time.

Peloton Tread+ Vision

At the top of the range sits the Tread+ Vision ($6,695), built with an energy-returning slat belt that provides extra shock absorption compared to traditional continuous belts. Along with the movement-tracking camera, its main feature is Sled Mode. By disengaging the motor into a manual "Free Mode," you can apply up to 300 pounds of digital resistance against the belt, transforming the treadmill into a heavy-duty sled-push station for high-intensity functional strength training.

AI coaching updates with Peloton IQ

In addition to the lineup, Peloton is rolling out several Peloton IQ software updates on Oct. 1. Vision models gain Run Analysis, which tracks your cadence, stride length, and vertical bounce to score your running efficiency and offer form tips. On top of that, IQ Pace Targets automatically suggest speed ranges for class intervals based on your recent workouts, while ReRuns lets you sync outdoor GPS routes to mimic real-world hills on the belt.

All three new treadmills will go on sale directly through Peloton starting Oct. 1, 2026.

A Martian rock formation that looked like an ancient shoreline from space now appears to preserve a much more astonishing water history.

Since 2021, NASA's Perseverance rover has explored Jezero crater, a 28-mile-wide basin on Mars where rivers once fed a lake. Scientists had hoped to find sedimentary rocks along the crater's edge — a clue that would support the lakeshore prediction.

But, in a twist, the rover discovered these rocks are igneous, meaning their origins are volcanic and not formed by the lake. Water, the rover found, had actually soaked the rocks at least three separate times, in three different ways. This new understanding of the Jezero landmark, dubbed the "margin unit," gives scientists a fuller picture of ancient Mars, revealing a planet where water kept finding new ways to move through the landscape.

Though the rover data didn't reveal evidence of life, they did show an abundance of carbonates — minerals known to be good at locking in traces of past microbes. On Earth, these minerals often form in shallow oceans and lakes that host life. 

"Jezero Crater sits inside one of the largest exposures of carbonate on Mars," said Candice Bedford, a scientist at Purdue University in Indiana, in a statement. "What we learn here reaches well beyond this crater."

For the study, Perseverance explored an elevation range of about 870 feet across the margin unit. It used its SuperCam instrument to identify minerals in rocks based on the light they reflect. All told, the rover examined 185 rocks. The paper analyzing this data, led by Bedford, appears in the journal Communications Earth & Environment.

To scientists, the biggest surprise from the study may be that this strip of land didn't initially form at the bottom of a lake. It began earlier when magma deep underground cooled. As its temperature dropped, it formed olivine, a mineral common in volcanic rocks. Much later, after erosion exposed the rocks at the surface, carbon dioxide–rich groundwater began to seep into their cracks. That interaction led to threads of carbonate minerals. Over time, the surrounding rock wore away, leaving only the crack fillers standing.

Perseverance investigates rocks and takes samples in the margin unit on Sept. 6, 2024, as it climbs the rim of Jezero Crater on Mars. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech

Then, researchers found evidence of a later episode of water that could have been from the lake. 

"Turning olivine into carbonate can leave silica behind, and we see more of that silica in rocks that sat below the water line," said Eleni Ravanis, a co-author and planetary scientist at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

The rocks preserve other signs of the lake. In some places, water appears to have broken and moved pieces. The researchers found layered rocks that could reflect activity along the lake's shore, as well as a jumbled deposit that resembles mud and rocks carried by a rush of water. 

View this post on Instagram

In one particular part of the strip of land, Perseverance detected mineral veins of calcium sulfate and fluorite. Those minerals hint that the site experienced yet a third wet episode involving hot water passing through the volcanic rocks, a bit like a hot spring system. 

This water history matters in the search for ancient life. Scientists want to know what kind of water existed, what chemicals it carried, and whether it created environments where microbes could get the necessary food to live. The Perseverance team can determine the order of these ancient water episodes, but not when they happened. 

Regardless, a place that was repeatedly wet gives life more chances to emerge and more chances to leave behind evidence. The rover has collected samples from the formation, which could shed more light on the environment if NASA can figure out how to get the extraterrestrial material back to Earth. Congress killed future funding for the Mars Sample Return mission in January. 

"If there is one thing I have learned after 10 years working with Mars rovers, it is that Mars constantly throws surprises at you," Bedford said. "It is very rare that things are as we expect them to be from orbital data."

SAVE OVER $300: As of Sept. 26, the Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV is on sale for $1,698 at Amazon. That's $301.99 off its full price of $1,999.99.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sony

Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV

$1,698 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $301.99

 

Get Deal

If you're in the market for a big deal on a big TV, there's no need to wait for Amazon's October Prime Day (which runs Oct. 6-7). We've spotted a good deal on one of the biggest and best TVs that Sony has to offer.

The Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K is a recently debuted TV designed to compete with flagship monster TVs from LG and Samsung. Reviewers have been positive about this TV so far, and it's now marked down by 15% ahead of Prime Day, joining a line of Amazon deals on tech and other devices.

As of Sept. 26, the Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K is priced at $1,698, a $301.99 saving on the regular list price of $1,999.99.

The Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K is especially good for a home cinema experience. It uses OLED display technology — generally accepted as the best display tech for laser-sharp 4K and vivid colors — with support for Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos, all of which crank up to a cinema-like experience.

It runs on the Google TV operating system, giving you access to all your favorite streaming apps — not to mention the Sony Pictures Core app, featuring a collection of IMAX Enhanced Sony movies.

Upgrade your home cinema for less when you buy the Sony 65-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV for over $300 off — now priced at $1,698.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile 

• Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Pro — $1,899 $2,099 (save $200)

• TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

TL;DR: Flash sale: Through Oct. 4, you can get Microsoft Office for life for only $49.97 (reg. $249.99).

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

Free productivity tools like Google Workspace can only get you so far, and anyone who has used Sheets extensively has learned that the hard way. That’s why it’s sometimes better to just go for the original instead of hoping to find a good knockoff. Ditch Google Docs and get Microsoft Office for life for only $49.97 (reg. $249.99) during this very limited-time flash sale.

This version of Office gives you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook, redesigned with a unified interface that feels cleaner, faster, and more intuitive. Plus, you can use it whether you’re on a PC or a Mac.

Performance gets a noticeable lift, too. Excel handles large datasets more efficiently, PowerPoint lets you record full presentations with audio and video, and Outlook includes enhanced accessibility tools and improved search. Word introduces Focus Mode and Smart Compose, giving you a writing space that feels distraction-free and intelligently supportive.

Perhaps the biggest win? Offline access and a one-time purchase. Your license is tied to your Microsoft account — not your device — so you get continuous use without subscription fees. You also benefit from Microsoft’s built-in security improvements, including new protections against malicious add-ins.

Whether you’re a small business owner, a freelancer navigating multiple clients, or someone who simply prefers dependable offline tools, Office 2024 Home & Business delivers the streamlined experience free apps can’t match.

Get lifetime access to Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for your Mac or PC while it’s on sale for $49.97. Sale ends Oct. 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: New users can get 100TB of encrypted Internxt Drive storage for life for $974.97 (reg. $9,900) during the September Flash Sale.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Internxt

Internxt Cloud Storage Lifetime Subscription: 100TB

$974.97
$9,900 Save $8,925.03

 

Get Deal

Tired of constantly running out of cloud storage? Every time you need more space, the monthly fees climb higher, keeping you in an expensive, never-ending cycle of upgrades and charges. As we accumulate more data every day, it may be time to consider a more financially responsible approach to keeping your files safe.

With Internxt Cloud Storage, you truly own your space — there’s no more renting your data storage. And right now, you can lock in an ample 100TB of storage for just $974.97 (reg. $9,900).

Using iCloud to keep your files safe? The maximum storage Apple allows you to rent is currently just 12TB — and it costs $64.99 a month. If you’re looking for a more affordable way to safeguard your precious data, providing enough space to last a lifetime, it’s time to check out Internxt Cloud Storage.

With Internxt Cloud Storage, you own your storage space. That means you can say goodbye to those hefty monthly fees and rest easy knowing you can keep all your important data in one secure space. You can also rest easy knowing Internxt’s end-to-end encryption is so secure that even the company itself can’t access your data.

It’s also GDPR compliant — adhering to strict European privacy laws — and audited and verified by Securitum. That’s a major improvement over other cloud storage services, which not only access your data but also make money from it through targeted ads and data sharing.

If you’re making the switch, Internxt offers cross-platform compatibility so you can easily integrate it across all your devices and operating systems via a desktop app, web browser app, and iOS or Android app.

Never pay for cloud storage again with this 100TB Internxt Cloud Storage lifetime subscription for just $974.97 (reg. $9,900) through during this September Flash Sale.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Say goodbye to your current PDF stack and consolidate your tools with this lifetime subscription to Systweak PDF Editor Pro, on sale now for just $33.97 with promo code PDF (reg. $99.99) through Sept. 29.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Systweak Software

Systweak PDF Editor Pro: Lifetime Subscription

$33.97
$99.99 Save $66.02

 

Get Deal

PDFs are a finicky file format, so they typically require some special tools. If you’re tired of needing multiple apps to do the necessary PDF workflow, Systweak PDF Editor Pro can help. It’s an all-in-one PDF editor that helps you tackle it all in one spot, and a lifetime subscription is now only $33.97 until Sept. 29 when you use code PDF.

Ditch all your subscriptions and delete your current PDF apps; Systweak PDF Editor Pro is here to make your life a whole lot easier. This tool replaces your usual PDF stack, giving you a single place to edit, organize, OCR, convert, compress, sign, redact, repair, and even batch-process files.

Stop the constant struggle and juggling when you need to handle a contract, invoice, form, or other important file. Systweak PDF Editor Pro lets you modify existing text and images directly in your PDF file, and add comments, highlights, shapes, stamps, and notes.

Need to merge two PDFs? Or reorder the pages? That’s also easy in Systweak PDF Editor Pro, where you can split, rotate, or delete pages too. It’s also possible to further customize your PDFs by inserting headers, footers, page numbers, and watermarks.

Convert PDFs to different file formats like Word, Excel, PowerPoint, HTML, text, and image formats, or convert Word, Excel, PowerPoint, images, and other file formats to PDFs. It’s all done quickly, and the intuitive interface makes the process a breeze.

One of the best perks of Systweak might be one you didn’t consider with your other apps — it’s privacy-focused with local processing that doesn’t require any cloud uploads, so you can rest easy knowing your sensitive documents remain on your device.

Using coupon code PDF, score this lifetime subscription to Systweak PDF Editor Pro for only $33.97 now through Sept. 29.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

As anxiety mounts over artificial intelligence safety, a number of leaders who helm frontier labs have made clear that they want — and need — better industry standards to contain the potentially dangerous technology.

Yet, like any industry leader hoping to achieve the most favorable conditions for their companies, AI executives like Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis are hoping to play a significant role in determining the standards they seek, say experts.

"I think what has happened recently is that they've fully come to terms with the fact that they actually can't keep these things safe," Anthony Aguirre, CEO and president of the Future of Life Institute told Mashable. The nonprofit organization focuses on preventing extreme large-scale risks of transformative technologies.

Yet, Aguirre added, the fresh candor comes with a catch: "Certainly they want to be in control of the process."

What that could look like for leading AI companies is self-regulation, along with transparency and accountability on their terms, plus assurances about antitrust law.

AI companies want artificial general intelligence

Aguirre said that despite recognizing perilous emergent safety concerns, major AI companies still won't abandon their goal of achieving artificial general intelligence, or AGI.

This form of AI would match or exceed human intelligence, and it could lead to the replacement of many human jobs with automated ones along with the rise of AI decision makers overtaking human leadership, Aguirre explained.

"They want to sort of have a machine-run future," Aguirre said. "This is not something most people want."

Calls for pacing the frontier, as Amodei recently described in a personal essay on AI safety risks, don't involve pausing the pursuit of AGI.

Aguirre believes that's a mistake. Instead, he said AI companies should "totally change direction" away from trying to create AGI, though he realizes they'll likely refuse to do so.

What the AI companies want in exchange for safety standards

Self-regulation

Pete Furlong, senior manager of policy and research at the Center for Humane Technology, told Mashable that the industry has been pushing for self-regulation for some time.

"We've seen them talk about the need for regulation in certain aspects, but I don't think their actions always necessarily back that up," he told Mashable. Furlong added that the top companies want to protect their "industry leader status" and may seek ways to operate in a "closed door system" without much public input on risks and solutions.

In a July Substack post on safety, Google's Hassabis suggested the U.S. create a standards body modeled on existing federally overseen public-private partnerships or self-regulatory organizations. Using the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority as an example, Hassabis said the standards body would lead on developing model assessment protocols and collaborating with federal agencies specifically on national security testing.

In his essay, Amodei wrote that Anthropic has supported "sensible and targeted AI regulation," particularly on transparency and third-party auditing. Acknowledging the lengthy process of passing laws, Amodei also backed a voluntary effort on behalf of AI companies to set standards subsequently verified by "embedded" third-party evaluators. He unilaterally committed Anthropic to relying on those evaluators in its safety work.

Still, experts cautioned against accepting this safety measure at face value.

"While AI developers' support for independent evaluation is a real step forward, additional mechanisms will be required for effective accountability," Matt O'Shaughnessy, senior technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology's AI Governance Lab, told Mashable. He added that it would be a "net-negative for accountability" if AI oversight amounted only to independent assessments.

Limited transparency and accountability

Furlong credited Anthropic for recently releasing a comprehensive safety report on AI-enabled risks like bioweapons and mass surveillance. He also said it was "laudable" that OpenAI had independent researchers investigate the Hugging Face incident during which an OpenAI agent hacked another company. Yet, OpenAI also placed "significant restraints" on that investigation, including time-frame limits, Furlong said.

While these are reasonable steps toward transparency, Furlong believes it's fair to expect more.

"It can't be entirely up to these companies to dictate the terms of their transparency," he said.

While OpenAI and Anthropic have both backed transparency in writing, Aguirre said AI companies' actions don't always align with their public stance.

"I think there is a big gap between what they're saying and what their lobbying groups behind closed doors do," Aguirre said.

The major AI companies have also fought attempts to hold them accountable for worst-case scenarios, like when a user consults their chatbot about committing a mass shooting, gets life-threatening medical advice from it, or confides in it about feeling suicidal and receives advice on how to take their own life.

"There's a lot of potential concerns around companies trying to skirt any sort of meaningful accountability," Furlong said.

Reassurance on antitrust law

As the leading AI companies convene to discuss safety problems and solutions, they also express worry that doing so could expose them to anti-trust lawsuits.

Amodei said in his recent essay that the government should mediate or enable standard-setting discussions. He added that the government needs to issue a "narrow waiver" permitting specific safety conversations.

Aguirre said he agrees with the companies in this instance. Provided the waiver is carefully written to apply to safety discussions, and not coordinated activity that would freeze out smaller AI companies, Aguirre believes it's reasonable to want clarity about antitrust laws.

Indeed, a class-action lawsuit filed this week by Trial Lawyers for Justice alleges that a coordinated slowdown by Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, and SpaceXAI violated antitrust law.

The main takeaway

Aguirre believes that while many AI leaders are legitimately worried about safety, their proposals don't offer a radically different vision of what comes next.

"These companies are building something that they know that they cannot keep safe or under control, and they're doing so without any of the normal oversight or regulation that we apply to every other potentially unsafe industry," Aguirre said. "They're asking us to let them do the same thing, but just help them out a little bit to do it a little bit more safely."

Additional reporting by Chase DiBenedetto.

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

What's the best iPhone to buy right now? That question just got a lot more interesting.

During its September "Surprise and Shine" event, Apple unveiled the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max with upgraded cameras, a revamped vapor chamber cooling system, longer battery life, and a fresh, AI-ready chipset. The company also "one more thinged" the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone, confirming nearly a decade's worth of rumors. The new Apple phones join (or will soon join) the flagship iPhone 17, the budget iPhone 17e, and the super slim iPhone Air to round out the 2026 iPhone roster, which now runs on iOS 27.

Best iPhones at a glance:

---

Best iPhone for most people

Apple iPhone 17 (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-Mobile

Get Deal

---

Budget pick

Apple iPhone 17e (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

Get Deal

---

Best iPhone Cameras

Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB)

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

Get Deal

---

Best Design

Apple iPhone Air (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

Get Deal

---

Best for gaming and battery

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB)

Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile

Get Deal

Apple's smartphones have never been more powerful, feature-rich, or diverse in their form factors. Alas, they've also never been pricier. Every current iPhone has gotten more expensive due to the ongoing global memory crisis, which has jacked up the cost of electronic components over the past year. (At least the Duo turned out to be slightly less of a splurge than the gossip mill predicted.) Unfortunately, all the best smartphones saw price increases this year, so there's no escaping higher prices unless you hold off on buying a new phone altogether.

So, is it worth splashing out on one of the new Pro models? Or would you be perfectly happy with something less snazzy and more wallet-friendly, relatively speaking? After extensively testing every single iPhone, Mashable's experts have recommendations for all budgets and usage needs.

One more thing: Before you buy your new iPhone, be sure to check out our coverage of the latest carrier deals. If you trade in an older device and sign up for a new line or data plan, you could pay a fraction of the price — or nothing at all. The best iPhone deals are not to be missed.

Best iPhone for most people: iPhone 17

In addition to plain white (pictured), the iPhone 17 also comes in mist blue, sage, lavender, and black finishes. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17

• Who it's for: Most people! The iPhone 17 is the phone most iOS users should buy. It's also the most colorful iPhone on the market if you want a handset with a little personality.

If you put the iPhone 17 and the new iPhone 18 Pro Max head-to-head, the latter smartphone would win, handily. But last year's iPhone 17 is still the most well-rounded, "just right" phone in Apple's lineup. (We don't expect the new base model iPhone 18 to land until spring 2027.)

The iPhone 17 is a fast-enough, long-lasting-enough, nice-looking-enough smartphone that feels "Pro" where it counts for most people. Namely, it has a 120Hz, always-on display and an ultrawide camera with a dedicated macro mode, but none of the extra photography or thermal fixings intended for superusers. Compared to the budget iPhone 17e, which costs $200 less, it has a brighter, smoother screen, nicer cameras, and 15 percent more battery life.

Was the iPhone 17 an earth-shattering upgrade over the iPhone 16? Not really, but it got better in some crucial yet practical ways without straying over the $1,000 mark. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder christened it "the most compelling standard iPhone in years."

Apple iPhone 17 (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on select Experience plans at T-Mobile

 

Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com

iPhone 17 specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 30 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, mist blue, sage, or lavender

• Dimensions: 5.89 x 2.81 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 6.24 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best cheap iPhone: iPhone 17e

The iPhone 17e is Apple's first budget smartphone with MagSafe support. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 17e

• Who it's for: We recommend the iPhone 17e for frugal shoppers who just want the core iPhone experience, as well as those who like small, pocket-friendly phones. It would also make a great starter phone for a teenager.

The iPhone 17e delivers your go-to iOS features like FaceTime and Siri AI, plus the classically clean Apple look — now with MagSafe! — for the least amount of money. It's a compact little device with a sharp, if not super-smooth display, and a battery that should last you a day between charges. It runs on the same A19 chip as the regular iPhone 17 and starts with the same amount of storage (256GB), which makes it more future-proof than last year's iPhone 16e (which started with half that).

The cameras on the iPhone 17e aren't as "versatile" as the ones on the iPhone 17, Schroeder said; it lacks an ultrawide lens and has a noticeably inferior front camera. But at least it takes marginally better low-light pictures than its predecessor.

Apple iPhone 17e (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

 

Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Best Buy

iPhone 17e specs

• Screen size and display: 6.1-inch OLED display with 2,532 x 1,170 resolution and 60Hz refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 12MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 26 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A19

• Storage: 256GB or 512GB

• Colors: Black, white, or soft pink

• Dimensions: 5.78 x 2.82 x 0.31 inches

• Weight: 5.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for photography: iPhone 18 Pro

Good riddance, cosmic orange. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it's for: Get the smaller Pro if you're a mobile photographer or creator looking for the iPhone with the best cameras. We also recommend upgrading if you have an iPhone 16 or 15 Pro, but it's probably not worth the upgrade for those with an iPhone 17 Pro.

Both the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max feature the latest Apple camera technology, but the Pro model is more compact and less expensive. We also think it's way more attractive in the new burgundy, glacier blue, and black colors, especially compared to the iPhone 17 Pro's controversial cosmic orange finish.

What's new with the cameras? A new physical variable aperture on its main camera lens, for starters. This gives you more control over the exposure and depth of field of photos. It works automatically, but you can also adjust it manually via the Camera app. There, you'll find other new Pro controls for tweaking settings like white balance and shutter speed; new Photographic Styles; new Cinematic effects that can be applied to videos after they're recorded; and a new Focus Tracking tool that locks on moving subjects.

The average user might appreciate its camera upgrades, "but I do bet that the majority of people will try out the manual aperture setting once and then leave it on auto," wrote Mashable's Schroeder in his review. Power users will make the best use of them.

Besides the new camera features, the new A20 Pro chip also provides extra support for AI tasks, including the newer, smarter Siri AI. There's plenty of storage space, too: Unlike older iPhones, the 18 Pro supports up to 2TB of storage.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

 

Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com

iPhone 18 Pro specs

• Screen size and display: 6.3-inch OLED display with 2,622 x 1,206 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 36 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 5.91 x 2.83 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 7.44 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for design snobs: iPhone Air

Left: It's so thin. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

Right: Like, REALLY thin. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone Air

• Who it's for: This is the iPhone for minimalists and aesthetes who care more about their phone's looks than its performance. Its camera system, in particular, is pretty mediocre for the money.

People who bought the iPhone Air often say the same thing: Its thin and lightweight form factor ruins you for other phones.

The iPhone Air is the thinnest handset Apple has ever made — and arguably the "sexiest," said Schroeder. If you set it next to one of the iPhone Pros, "it feels like a Ford F-150 parked next to a Porsche," he wrote. "The Porsche may not have the utility that a pick-up has, but it turns heads." The bezels on its smooth, detailed display are virtually invisible, and its rear camera bump blends into the back of its chassis when you look at it straight-on. It's made from titanium, so it's not easy to scratch up, and it's super comfy to hold. It's peak Apple sleekness.

An A19 Pro chip makes the iPhone Air mildly faster than the A19-powered iPhone 17, though it doesn't last as long. (Apple makes a MagSafe battery that you can slap on the back of it, but costs $100 extra and works against the device's "ultra-thin" thing.) Camera-wise, it has better zoom than the iPhone 17, but it misses out on an ultrawide shooter à la the iPhone 17e. While you probably won't win any photography prizes with the Air, it's perfectly fine for selfies and everyday snapshots.

Apple iPhone Air (256GB)

$0 with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

 

Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com

iPhone Air specs

• Screen size and display: 6.5-inch OLED display with 2,736 x 1,260 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide) and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 27 hours of video playback

• Processor: A19 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, or 1TB

• Colors: Space black, cloud white, light gold, and sky blue

• Dimensions: 6.15 x 2.94 x 0.22 inches

• Weight: 5.82 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Best iPhone for gaming and battery life: iPhone 18 Pro Max

The iPhone 18 Pro Max (left) is a slightly larger and even longer-lasting version of the iPhone 18 Pro (right). Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

• Read our full review of the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max

• Who it's for: The latest iPhone Pro Max is geared toward battery life maximizers who hate being chained to an outlet, avid mobile gamers, and well-off Apple fans with large hands. That's not a euphemism for anything: This is a big ol' phone.

The iPhone 18 Pro Max is rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, making it the longest-lasting iPhone ever. (Its battery is so big that Apple had to come up with a way to get around shipping restrictions that limit battery sizes, according to MacRumors.) Inside, you'll find the powerful A20 Pro chip and an improved vapor chamber cooling system that helps prevent overheating during extended heavy use. Schroeder tried to push this new hardware to the limit "by playing a few games of PUBG: Battlegrounds on the highest settings for a full hour," he wrote, and "The phone barely got warm." What's more, its battery only fell by nine percent.

The regular iPhone 18 Pro has the same chipset and cooling system as the Max version, but it's shorter-lived and smaller. The iPhone 18 Pro Max's size is an advantage for mobile gamers and movie-watchers who value immersion. Its display is the biggest you can get on any iPhone — that is, until the iPhone Duo arrives.

Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max (256GB)

$2.78/month for 36 months with trade-in on Experience Beyond plan at T-Mobile

 

Shop Now at T-Mobile Shop Now at Walmart Shop Now at Apple.com

iPhone 18 Pro Max specs

• Screen size and display: 6.9-inch OLED display with 2,868 x 1,320 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 48MP (4x telephoto), and 18MP (front)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 45 hours of video playback

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Black, silver, glacier, and burgundy

• Dimensions: 6.43 x 3.07 x 0.34 inches

• Weight: 8.78 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Where's the iPhone Duo?

It's almost here. Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

The long-awaited iPhone Duo doesn't launch until Friday, Oct. 23. Preorders will open a week prior on Oct. 16.

The Duo will likely be a pick we relegate to loaded early adopters, given its steep price and first-gen status. (Again, this is Apple's very first attempt at a foldable.) That said, it does seem pretty polished right out of the gate. Check out our first hands-on impressions of it while you wait for preorders to go live.

Apple iPhone Duo (256GB)

$1,999 at T-Mobile

 

Learn More at T-Mobile Learn More at Apple.com Learn More at Walmart

iPhone Duo specs

• Inner screen size and display: 7.6-inch OLED display with 1,878 x 2,670 resolution, 120Hz variable refresh rate, and nano-texture finish

• Outer screen size and display: 5.4-inch OLED display with 1,398 x 2,034 resolution and 120Hz variable refresh rate

• Cameras: 48MP (wide), 48MP (ultrawide), 12MP (front, outer), and an additional inner, under-display FaceTime camera (resolution TBA)

• Battery life (rated): Up to 44 hours of video playback when using the outer display; up to 31 hours of video playback when using the inner display

• Processor: Apple A20 Pro

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Colors: Night sky and star white

• Unfolded dimensions: 4.64 x 6.48 x 0.21 inches

• Folded dimensions: 4.64 x 3.31 x 0.44 inches

• Weight: 8.96 ounces

• Software: iOS 27

Marriage Story stars Adam Driver and Scarlett Johansson reunite in writer/director James Gray's Paper Tiger. But don't expect a desperate rehash of Noah Baumbach's divorce drama.

For one thing, Gray is a filmmaker less drawn to such wall-punching theatrics, as evident through films like Two Lovers, Ad Astra, and Armageddon Time. For another, Driver and Johansson are not lovers in this film, though they are in a love triangle of sorts, with Miles Teller at the center.

Gray gives Driver, Johansson, and Teller some unexpected roles, allowing each a place to display their range. But make no mistake, this is Driver's movie.

What's Paper Tiger about?

Set in 1986 New York City, Paper Tiger unfurls the story of a Jewish family from Queens that gets on the wrong side of the Russian mob. In a cozy home in Elmhurst, Irwin Pearl (Teller) raises his two sons, Benjamin (Roman Engel) and Scott (Gavin Goudey), with his dedicated housewife Linda (Johansson).

Far from the cocky persona Teller forged through performances in The Spectacular Now, Whiplash, and the Divergent film series, the 39-year-old actor now oozes doofy dad energy. Teller's signature smirk is swapped for an aw-shucks smile, and a patronizing eyebrow raise that insists, "Father knows best." A pair of oversized eyeglasses completes the look; it's is such an evocative detail of the era that the title card reading "1986" might be deemed egregious.

As Irwin, Teller is guileless, relishing every chance to play with his boys or annoy them with dad jokes. Still, he yearns for their respect, and wilts when his eldest huffs they only have "crappy" stuff because Irwin, an educated engineer, isn't bringing home bank like their uncle, Gary (Driver).

A former NYPD officer turned security consultant with City Hall connections, Gary Pearl is flashy, rich, and successful in a way his younger brother can only envy. He wears tailored suits and a debonair smile. He drives a luxury car, and brings Peter Luger Steak House takeout to family dinner. So, when Gary promises Irwin a business opportunity to make $10,000, his brother is practically drooling at the possibility.

Gary wants to create a consulting firm with Irwin that would advise Russian immigrants who own property alongside the Gowanus Canal on how to meet the city's building codes. The elder brother insists this legit business shouldn't run them afoul of the Russian mob, but an overeager Irwin makes a misstep that puts all of the Pearls at risk.

How is Paper Tiger a love triangle tale?

Credit: NEON

At first, Irwin seems the protagonist of Paper Tiger, but Gray's clever script steadily shifts focus to Gary and Linda. Once Irwin has earned the ire of the Russian mafia, it's up to his brother and wife to fix it, because this family man with zero street smarts is incapable. And in this battle to protect Irwin (and the rest of his household), Gary and Linda become unexpected rivals, in part because they deal with Irwin the same way.

Paper Tiger becomes a story about the things we can't say to the person we love. Whether because we don't want to hurt them or we want to protect them, some truths are just too terrible to utter. For Gary, he tries to maintain a breezy exterior, promising Irwin he'll work it out with the mob. But in the meantime, thugs creep into the Pearl home and intimidate them by taking Polaroids of the parents and boys, defenseless in their beds. It's only when Irwin finds these pictures that he finally admits to Linda what's going on.

She's understandably furious, but she's got a big secret of her own: a fatal diagnosis she can't bring herself to share. With the mob threatening his life, Gary and Linda are in a similar situation: with an uncertain amount of time left to set Irwin up so he and the boys will be okay. But wife and brother are not allies, and so their paths lead in different directions, while Irwin spirals in impotent plans of his own.

The tragedy of the film is not so much what happens to Irwin's family, but that — as smart as he is — he can't see the troubles mounting before his very eyes.

Adam Driver is riveting in Paper Tiger.

Credit: NEON

Gray's ensemble overall is strong. But Driver dominates the film, committing body and soul. The swagger he employs as Gary schmoozes cops and crooks alike is beguiling, recalling James Caan as Sonny Corleone in The Godfather. But in moments when that veneer cracks, Driver's fear is so sparking the screen itself might catch fire. When he reprimands his onscreen brother with love and radiant frustration, he evokes Al Pacino's Michael Corleone, specifically when he kisses the traitor Fredo. The masculinity and the heartache swell to a violent expression of love.

But Gary isn't as direct as Michael, and so Irwin gets to remain smugly self-righteous, unable to recognize his brother's sacrifices for him. Teller is smartly cast in this role. The bravado that carved his career at the start comes into play in the third act as a shield that Irwin carries to distance himself from his own failings. He is a beloved fool whose smile shocks the audience, because it displays his blissful ignorance.

Playing the desperate and dying housewife Linda, Johansson is urged by Gray to go into a space of melodrama the cool blonde has rarely tread. Big bouncy curls, thick eyeglasses, and a raspy Queens accent attempt to scrub the movie star glamour from Johansson's appearance. But it is a futile effort. As weary and mumsy as the costuming of housecoats and made-up eye bags tries to make her, the role of Linda might have been better realized by an actress with a mug, not the face of numerous luxury beauty brands. That might have more firmly grounded the Pearl family's blue-collar identity, and by extension, Linda's grit-teeth determination to secure their future. Johansson tries, but her ache and ire ring hollow.

Driver's performance recalls '70s gangster cinema, where toxic masculinity roared with a debonair allure. Teller's jolly blend of ego and ignorance makes his '80s dad a believable buffoon. But Johansson's (perhaps impossible to dim) glamour makes Linda feel like she's from a '50s melodrama, so beautiful and so sad! In this context, as grounded as she aims to make Linda, it still feels heightened, a performance of wifely limitations rather than a portrait of them.

Still, even with this tonal collision, Paper Tiger is a thoroughly engaging drama. Gray's dialogue shrewdly builds not only characters, but the barriers of what they can and won't share with each other. Like Conclave, Paper Tiger becomes as much about what's talked around as what's talked about. So, with each moment, in words spoken and unspoken, a labyrinth is built, daring the characters to escape it. And rather than calling us to relate to Irwin, the good guy and family man at the film's center, Gray urges us to share in the frustration of those who love him until the bitter end.

In this way, Paper Tiger is a uniquely thrilling and purposefully infuriating family drama. Because as we watch a final moment unfold that is undeniably sweet and tender, we are haunted by what lies beneath it. Gray challenges us to take that trembling awareness home, and look to our own families, lives, and lies.

Paper Tiger was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival, where it was the Opening Night selection. The film will open in theaters on Nov. 13.

Early October Prime Day Deals at a glance:

---

Best headphone deal

Beats Studio Pro

$169.95 (save $180.04)

Get Deal

---

Best Apple deal

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best Amazon device deal

Amazon Fire HD 10

$72.99 (save $82)

Get Deal

---

Best TV deal

Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV

$847.99 (Save $652)

Get Deal

---

Best power station deal

Bluetti Elite 100 V2

$499 (Save $400)

Get Deal

---

Best Memory deal

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

$259.47 (Save $40.52)

Get Deal

---

Best smartwatch deal

Garmin Vivoactive 5

$181.97 (save $118.02)

Get Deal

---

Best toys and gaming deal

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

$55.97 (Save $24.02)

Get Deal

---

Best for Prime members

Audible

$0.99 per month for 4 months

Get Deal

Amazon's next Prime Day is officially on the horizon. Its fall savings event, Prime Big Deal Days (aka "October Prime Day") is coming Oct. 6 and 7, with competing festivities at Target and Walmart.

The best Prime Day deals are your chance to get some relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry this year. For its part, Amazon increased the prices of nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers this summer because of rising component costs. Seasonal sales like Prime Big Deal Days and Black Friday should cancel out some of those markups.

As we gear up for fall, Amazon is already dropping early October Prime Day deals, and we've hunted down the best ones for you. Savings are fluctuating quickly; for example, Fire Sticks were heavily discounted last week and are now full price. We're still holding out for more deals, considering Amazon Echo devices and Kindle e-readers have yet to go on sale.

Finally, a word of warning: We do expect prices to drop even lower on select Apple products when the sale starts Oct. 6, so you might want to hold out until then. In the meantime, we'll be regularly updating our picks in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days. You can also check out our guide to the top October Prime Day tech deals for more savings.

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

Best headphone deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Studio Pro ✅

$169.95 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $180.04

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Ahead of October Prime Day, you can save 51% on the Beats Studio Pro over-ear headphones. Usually, $349.99, the premium headphones are now just $169.95. Beats is all about audio, and these cans provide support for lossless audio. Similar to AirPods, Beats products also offer seamless connectivity to iOS devices.

More headphone deals

• JBL Tune 530BT headphones — $39.95 $59.95 (save $20)

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

• CMF by Nothing headphones — $69 $79 (save $10)

• Nothing Ear (3) earbuds — $129 $149 (save $20)

• Beats Solo 4 wireless headphones — $129.95 $199.95 (save $70)

• Skullcandy Crusher 720 headphones — $139.99 $209.99 (save $70)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit sports earbuds — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Google Pixel Buds Pro 2 — $189.99 $229 (save $39.01) ✅

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04) ✅

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) — $249.99 $299 (save $49.01) ✅

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

The basic AirPods just got an upgrade with the new AirPods 5, and last year's Apple AirPods Pro 3 are back on sale. Ahead of October Prime Day, shop the Apple AirPods Pro 3 for $199, a $50 discount. The earbuds have ANC, a more comfortable fit, and bring live translation to the AirPods experience. They're perfect for commuters and even measure your heart rate, which is great for athletes who love a good workout playlist.

More early Prime Day Apple deals

AirPods

• Apple AirPods 4 (open box) — $89 $149 (save $60)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70) ✅

iPads

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

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) — $649 $749 (save $100) ✅

Apple Watch

• Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS 44mm) — $249 $279 (save $30) ✅

MacBooks

• Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150) ✅

• Apple MacBook Pro (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)

Accessories

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

• Apple Pencil USB-C — $69.98 $79 (save $9.02)

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

Best Amazon device deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB)

$72.99 at Amazon
$154.99 Save $82.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

It's no surprise that the best early October Prime Day deals include plenty of Amazon's own gadgets. Case in point: you can grab this HD tablet with 32GB of storage for 50% off. In the midst of a global memory crisis, a $73 tablet sounds pretty appealing to us. This 10-inch tablet has a lightweight design, a decently long battery life, and a crisp, colorful display. According to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel, it's never been this cheap before.

More Amazon device deals

Fire tablets

• Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) — $84.99 $129.99 (save $45) ✅

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (64GB) — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)

Echo devices

• Amazon Echo Glow — $22.99 $29.99 (save $7)

Fire TVs

• Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $15.99 $39.99 (save $24)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select — $17.99 $49.99 (save $32)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick Voice Remote Pro — $24.99 $34.99 (save $10)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $37.99 $69.99 (save $32)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $44.99 $84.99 (save $40)

• Amazon Fire TV Cube — $89.99 $199.99 (save $110)

Blink cameras

• Blink Video Doorbell — $21.99 $49.99 (save $28)

• Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Camera — $23.99 $39.99 (save $16)

• Blink Outdoor 4 Floodlight Camera — $39.99 $99.99 (save $60)

• Blink Outdoor 4 and Battery Doorbell — $104.99 $369.98 (save $264.99)

Smart home

• Amazon Smart Plug — $12.98 $24.99 (save $12.01)

• Amazon Smart Air Quality Monitor — $46.99 $69.99 (save $23)

• Amazon Smart Thermostat — $56.99 $79.99 (save $23)

Best TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV ✅

$847.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $652

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

"The Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June." — Christina Buff, Mashable Contributor

More TV deals

Under 50-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)

• LG 43-inch QNED73B Mini-LED QNED 4K TV — $299.99 $359.99 (save $60)

• Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $1,098 $1,299.99 (save $201.99)

50 to 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)

• Hisense 55-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

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

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)

• TCL 55-inch NXTVISION QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $999.99 (save $202)

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)

65-inch TV deals

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)

• LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)

• TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,002) ✅

• LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $1,599.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,100) ✅

• Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV — $1,697.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,002) ✅

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)

75-inch TV deals

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

80 to 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)

• Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)

• TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.97 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.02)

• Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

• TCL 98-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $3,997.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,002)

Best power station deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bluetti

Bluetti Elite 100 V2 ✅

$499 at Amazon
$899 Save $400

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

"Ahead of Prime Day, this Bluetti power unit has $400 off the list price. It comes with a 1,024Wh capacity and 1,800W output, with 11 ports so you can charge multiple devices at once. It can also fully recharge in about 70 minutes with TurboBoost AC charging, making it a great option for last-minute use.

The 10-millisecond UPS (uninterruptible power supply) means this is a great model for plugging into your workstation or the WiFi router at home when a storm threatens to take out grid power. A 10 UPS means the Ecoflow will take over providing power within 10 milliseconds of losing wall power." — Lois Mackenzie, Mashable Contributor

More power station deals

• Jackery Explorer 300 — $258 $289 (save $30) ✅

• Bluetti Elite 30 V2 — $279.99 $449 (save $169.01) ✅

• Anker Solix C1000 Gen 2 — $499.99 $599 (save $99.01) ✅

• Jackery HomePower 1000 v2 — $549 $649 (save $100) ✅

• Ecoflow Delta 3 Plus — $654 $899 (save $245)

• Bluetti Elite 100 V2 with 200W Solar Panel — $698.98 $999 (save $300.02)

• Jackery Solar Generator 1000 v2 and 200W Solar Panel — $699 $879 (save $180)

• Anker Solix S2000 — $699.99 $1,199 (save $499.01)

• Bluetti FridgePower — $898.97 $1,499 (save $600.03)

• Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 — $898.99 $999 (save $100.01) ✅

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

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

• Bluetti Elite 300 — $1,098.99 $1,499 (save $400.01)

• Jackery HomePower 3000 — $1,349 $1,499 (save $150)

• Jackery HomePower 3600 Plus — $1,709 $1,899 (save $190)

• Anker Solix F3800 — $2,499.98 $2,799.99 (save $300.01)

Best memory and SSD deals

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD ✅

$259.47 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $40.52

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

SanDisk 512GB microSD Express Card for Nintendo Switch 2

$159.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $40

 

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 Beck Werth, Mashable Tech Editor

More SSD and hard drive deals

MicroSDs

• SanDisk 32GB Ultra microSDHC — $20.80 $23 (save $2.20)

• SanDisk 128GB High Endurance Video microSDXC — $36.99 $60.99 (save $24)

• SanDisk 256GB Ultra microSD Card + Adapter — $48.24 $53.08 (save $4.84)

Portable SSDs

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

• SanDisk 500GB Extreme Portable SSD — $159.99 $185.99 (save $26)

• Samsung T7 Portable SSD 1TB — $229.99 $274.99 (save $45)

• Samsung T9 Portable SSD 2TB — $981.87 $1,144.99 (save $163.12)

Portable HDDs

• UnionSine 500GB Ultra Slim Portable External Hard Drive — $37.46 $39.43 (save $1.97)

• Seagate 2TB Portable Hard Drive — $129.99 $149.99 (save $20)

• WD 5TB My Passport Portable External Hard Drive — $213 $284.99 (save $71.99)

• Western Digital 5TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $237.99 $274.99 (save $37)

• WD 6TB Elements Portable External Hard Drive — $259.95 $319.99 (save $60.04)

Internal hard drives

• Western Digital 1TB WD Blue PC Internal Hard Drive — $119 $134.99 (save $15.99)

• Western Digital 1TB WD Blue Mobile Hard Drive — $129 $144.99 (save $15.99)

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

Best fitness tracker and smartwatch deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Garmin

Garmin Vivoactive 5

$181.97 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $118.02

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Many runners believe Garmin is the gold standard of smartwatches and fitness trackers. And ahead of Amazon Prime Big Deal Days, you can grab the Garmin Vivoactive 5 for just $181.97. That saves you over $118 off its retail price.

The Vivoactive 5 features an AMOLED display and up to 11 days of battery life, so you can wear it around the clock. It provides energy monitoring and a sleep score, so you get personalized tips to improve your sleep. Plus, it has 80 built-in types of sport tracking.

More fitness tracker and smartwatch deals

• CMF by Nothing Watch 3 Pro — $69 $79 (save $10) ✅

• Garmin Lily 2 — $210.99 $249.99 (save $39)

• Samsung Galaxy Watch 8, 40mm — $259.99 $299.99 (save $40) ✅

• Google Pixel Watch 4, 41mm — $329.99 $449.99 (save $120)

Best toys and gaming deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch Pro Controller

$55.97 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.02

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

The Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale is a great chance to save on Switch games and accessories, and it runs through Sept. 26. Amazon is undercutting Nintendo, Walmart, and Best Buy by a whopping $0.02 with this deal, but we're not complaining.

This wireless controller offers better controls for many types of games (on both Switch 1 and Switch 2) than the standard Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and this is your chance to grab it at its lowest-ever price.

More deals on toys and games

• Lego Classic Creative Suitcase 10713 — $11.80 $19.99 (save $8.19)

• Nintendo Joy-Con (single) — $31.49 $44.99 (save $13.50)

• Lego Botanicals Succulents 10309 — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

• Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch (Digital Code) — $41.97 $59.99 (save $18.02)

Best streaming and subscription deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Audible

$0.99/month for four months

Get Deal

Why we like it

Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months of Amazon's audiobook service, paying just $0.99 for their first four months. Your membership lets you download one title 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

• Save $20 on your next Grubhub+ order with Prime

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

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

As the divide between older and younger generations continues to dictate everything from politics to entertainment to social media, one thing should be obvious: Baby Boomers, those born between 1948 and 1964, aren't ready to go quietly into retirement or hand the reins to today's youth. In fact, many of them are keeping things fresh by rekindling their romantic flames. According to Pew research, a massive 20 percent of Boomers have tried dating apps, and they spend just under 40 minutes a day trying their luck at the dating game.

Don't expect to find the Baby Boomers on Tinder, though. For long-term dating, the Boomers are more likely to use age-appropriate dating services like OurTime or SeniorMatch, or larger, more general-purpose dating sites like eharmony, according to Axios. 

But there's an entire cohort of older daters who aren't focused on finding a long-term partner but still want to connect, and they're increasingly doing so on retro dating platforms such as AdultFriendFinder. 

Opens in a new window

Credit: AFF

AdultFriendFinder

 

Learn More

Here's why these services are winning back the Boomers:

No swiping games

Even senior citizens are feeling the burnout from swipe fatigue. In fact, according to research by Forbes Health, around 69 percent of Baby Boomers are experiencing frustrations with apps, particularly due to their "inability to find a good partner." We feel their pain — we're all for the swiping game, but you do ultimately want a result.

But what happens when you ditch the swiping mechanic entirely? The AdultFriendFinder experience doesn't rely on a matchmaking system, though it does offer one. Instead, AdultFriendFinder creates organic communities in chat rooms, discussion boards, story comment sections, and webcam rooms, where you can initiate a conversation with someone who catches your eye or impresses you with their writing, or you can be the one attracting others.

For Boomers tired of endlessly swiping with minimal results, retro dating directories such as AFF are an effective alternative.

Large Boomer representation

Dating sites and apps typically cater to a younger crowd, for the obvious reason that younger people are more likely to be single, but that can make life tough for older daters looking to match with people in their age range or generation. That's why apps such as Tinder skew younger than Boomers. It's a young(er) person's game.

AdultFriendFinder has been around since 1996, when the youngest Boomers were in their early 30s. The site has managed to retain or recapture a sizeable cohort of older singles, so you'll actually find results when you set your age filter to 55+, particularly if you live in a well-populated city.

AdultFriendFinder has been tight-lipped about its exact user demographics, but my current Online Now page gives a good representation of what you can expect to find in a large metropolitan area in North America: out of 12 featured profiles, six are over the age of 40, four are over the age of 50, and two are over the age of 60. 

Bare naked honesty

One major issue with dating apps, regardless of the age group, is how difficult it is to accurately assess other people's intentions — to know exactly what people want from their dating app connections. In a landmark article from earlier this year titled "Dating Burnout: Why the Apps Exhausted Everyone," the authors identified "evaluation labor" as a major causal factor. Does the person you're talking to really like you? Do they really want "something serious" or are they secretly chasing something casual? It would save a whole bunch of time and effort if we just got straight to the point.

If you've spent any time on Hinge, Bumble, or any of the popular dating sites like eharmony or PlentyOfFish, you know that people aren't always fully honest or straight-up about their intentions. In some cases, it's because even they don't know what they want. 

But AdultFriendFinder is a major exception. Users are encouraged to be totally transparent, so much so that it's entirely common to come across full frontal nudity in profile photos or extensive lists of kinks and turn-ons. For the generation that basically invented the Summer of Love and pushed the envelope of sexual freedoms, there's a lot of appeal in this naked honesty. 

Paid memberships filter out unserious daters & bots

The free dating apps definitely have a lot to recommend them, but there's a sneaky benefit to using a paid dating service like AdultFriendFinder: it's easier to filter out fake accounts or unserious daters. 

Sure, it's free to create an AFF account, but if you actually want to talk to people one-on-one, you need to upgrade to a paid subscription, and that extra step filters out many half-committed daters and would-be scammers. And considering approximately one in six Boomers has fallen victim to an online romance scam, this built-in filter adds some serious peace of mind.

In the end, the Baby Boomers are just as susceptible to swipe fatigue as the rest of us, and they're actively looking for a more community-based approach to online dating. AFF is a great place to do that.

Solawave BOGO sale deals:

---

Solawave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand

$169 (buy one, get one free)

Get Deal

---

Solawave Neck & Chest Pro LED Mask

$349 (buy one, get one free)

Get Deal

---

Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask

$399 (save $100 and BOGO)

Get Deal

Red light therapy has officially crossed over from high-end dermatologist offices straight onto our TikTok feeds and bathroom vanities. But between glowing face masks and vibrating wands, stocking up on high-tech skincare devices can get expensive.

Solawave's latest BOGO sale gives you a solid entry point to stock up on your red light therapy essentials without burning a hole in your pocket. Whether you want to split the cost with a friend, stock up on holiday gifts early, or double down on your own targeted skin routine, the brand is letting you snag two of its top-rated LED tools for the price of one.

Solawave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand

Opens in a new window

Credit: Solawave

Solawave 4-in-1 Skincare Wand

$169 at Solawave

Buy one, get one free

Get Deal

If you want targeted skin treatments without wearing a full face shield, Solawave’s flagship 4-in-1 Skincare Wand packs four technologies into one pocket-sized tool: 630nm red light therapy, galvanic current, gentle warmth, and facial massage. It is designed to de-puff, boost collagen, and smooth out fine lines around tricky spots like your under-eyes, jawline, and smile lines. The 180-degree rotating head pivots through every angle of your face, while built-in timers guide you through a quick three-minute treatment per zone (up to 12 minutes total).

Solawave Neck & Chest Pro LED Mask

Opens in a new window

Credit: Solawave

Solawave Neck & Chest Pro LED Mask

$349 at Solawave

Buy one, get one free

Get Deal

Most skincare routines stop at the jawline, even though the delicate skin on your neck and chest often shows fine lines, sun damage, and sagging first. Solawave's Neck & Chest Pro addresses that exact gap with a quick, three-minute daily treatment. Made from flexible, medical-grade silicone, it uses 320 LEDs across four distinct wavelengths (Red, Deep Red, Amber, and Near-Infrared) to boost collagen, firm delicate skin, and brighten dull areas. The hands-free design makes it easy to wear while doing other things, and the battery lasts up to a full month — taking the guesswork out of building a consistent routine.

Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask

Opens in a new window

Credit: Solawave

Solawave Wrinkle Retreat Pro LED Face Mask

$399 at Solawave
$499 Save $100

Buy one, get one free

Get Deal

If you want the collagen-boosting perks of a professional LED facial without losing 20 minutes of your day, this wrinkle retreat pro LED face mask delivers high-dose red light therapy in super-quick, three-minute sessions. It packs 320 dual-core LEDs across four distinct light wavelengths (Red, Deep Red, Amber, and Near-Infrared) to smooth out fine lines, calm inflammation, and firm deeper skin layers. Because it delivers more than double the energy intensity of standard home masks, it yields results faster. The medical-grade silicone also flexes naturally to fit facial contours, and the built-in battery lasts up to a month on a single charge.

A BOGO deal on FDA-cleared red light therapy tools doesn't come around often. Grab your favorite mask or wand at Solawave and lock in two high-tech devices for the price of one.

The best October Prime Day noise-cancelling headphones deals:

---

Best headphones deal

Beats Studio Pro

$169.95 (save $130.04)

Get Deal

---

Best earbuds deal

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best budget headphones deal

JLab JBuds Lux ANC

$49.95 (save $50.04)

Get Deal

---

Best budget earbuds deal

EarFun Air Pro 4

$62.99 (save $17)

Get Deal

The rumors are true: another Prime Day is coming.

Officially, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, but unofficially, it's already here. Amazon has dropped a ton of early deals on everything from TVs to outdoor gear to headphones. And we're trawling the pages and pages of listings to find the deals that are actually worth grabbing.

If a pair of noise-canceling headphones or earbuds is on your wishlist, we've got some good news. Plenty of excellent options are already on sale, including the Beats Studio Pro and Powerbeats Pro 2, the AirPods Max 2 and Pro 3, and the Bose QuietComfort Ultra 2 (headphones and earbuds). While none of the prices are the lowest we've ever seen, they are still worth checking out if you simply can't wait or just want to avoid the Prime Day madness. We'll be keeping a watchful eye on discounts in the lead up to the official sale, so keep checking back if you don't see the headphones or price you're looking for just yet.

For those who do want to shop early, here are the best October Prime Day noise-canceling headphones deals worth grabbing.

Best noise-canceling headphones deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Beats

Beats Studio Pro

$169.95 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $130.04

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Mashable's headphones expert handpicked the Beats Studio Pro as the best early October Prime Day headphones deal overall. She notes that even though there are newer picks from the brand, "2023's Studio Pro are still worth a second look." These babies last up to 24 hours with ANC turned on and are "better engineered for sound quality" than the AirPods Max, according to our reviewer. And as far as ANC goes, they "hold their own against other luxury competitors."

Read Mashable's full review on the Beats Studio Pro.

More noise-canceling headphones deals

• Soundcore Q20i — $44.99 $69.99 (save $25)

• JLab JBuds Lux ANC — $49.95 $99.99 (save $50.04)

• Sony WH-CH720N — $103.99 $179.99 (save $76)

• Sony ULT headphones — $132.95 $249.99 (save $117.04)

• Soundcore Space One Pro — $160.99 $199.99 (save $39 with on-page coupon)

• Nothing Headphone (1) — $219 $299 (save $80)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $399.99 $449 (save $49.01)

• Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)

Best noise-canceling earbuds deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods Pro 3

$199 at Amazon
$249 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Even though the AirPods Pro 3 were miraculously unaffected by Apple's price hike a few months ago, we still don't think you should buy them at full price. This early October Prime Day deal is the perfect excuse to add them to your cart, though. At $199, they're not the cheapest we've ever seen (they hit $169 around Prime Day in June). So, there's a chance they'll get even cheaper as the official sale nears. But even if they don't, $50 in savings ain't too shabby.

At just a year old, the AirPods Pro 3 are still some of our favorite noise-canceling earbuds overall (and we've tested a ton). Mashable's reviewer called them " a remarkable upgrade in functionality over their predecessors, with better battery life and ANC, as well as a new heart rate sensor."

Read Mashable's full review on the AirPods Pro 3.

More noise-canceling earbuds deals

• CMF By Nothing Buds 2 — $34 $49 (save $15)

• EarFun Air Pro 4 — $62.99 $79.99 (save $17)

• Nothing Ear (3) — $129 $149 (save $20)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04)

• Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 wireless earbuds — $247.99 $299.99 (save $52)

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) — $249.99 $299 (save $49.01)

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this offer, switch and bring your number or trade in an eligible phone in any condition on an Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 18 Pro for free

 

Shop Now

After months and months of speculation, rumors, and leaks, Apple finally announced new iPhones, Apple Watches, AirPods, and more. It's all very exciting, but it's the iPhones that really get the people going.

Like everyone else, we dug deep into all the specs and features to give you an insight into exactly what these new iPhones offer. Now that the dust has settled, the focus switches to deals.

The good news is that deals are aplenty. We've searched high and low for the best launch offers, but it's tough to ignore T-Mobile right now.

The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is available for free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this promotion, you can switch to an Experience Beyond plan and bring your existing phone number. Alternatively, you can trade in a qualifying phone (in any condition) on an Experience Beyond plan. The choice is yours.

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. As long as you intend to stay locked into T-Mobile for three years, it's easily one of the best ways to score Apple's premier hardware without a major hit to your budget.

T-Mobile does require you to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout. That's a minor inconvenience to score the latest iPhone without a huge upfront cost.

Score the iPhone 18 Pro for free this weekend from T-Mobile.

Early October Prime Day tech deals at a glance:

---

Best earbuds deal

Apple AirPods 4

$99 (save $30)

Get Deal

---

Best Amazon device deal

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus

$24.99 (save $45 with code STREAM4K)

Get Deal

---

Best smartwatch deal

Garmin vívoactive 6 (42mm)

$229.99 (save $70)

Get Deal

---

Best laptop deal

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

$3,499 (save $600)

Get Deal

---

Best TV deal

TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$2,497.99 (save $1,502)

Get Deal

---

Best gaming deal

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

$59.88 (save $10.11)

Get Deal

---

Best Memory Deal

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

$259.45 (save $40.54)

Get Deal

Mashable's discerning reporters and editors are constantly testing the latest gadgets, from e-readers to headphones, laptops, phones, power stations, smart rings, and portable speakers. This year, many of our favorite products have been besieged by price hikes as a result of the ongoing memory crisis. Fortunately, Amazon is about to bring tech shoppers some relief in the form of Prime Big Deal Days, better known as October Prime Day.

Set for Oct. 6 and 7, Prime Big Deal Days is a 48-hour sale for members of Amazon's Prime program. Often referred to as "October Prime Day," it serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We've been covering the event since its inception in 2022, back when it was still called the Prime Early Access Sale. And this year, we'll be keeping an extra close eye on the best early Prime Day tech deals.

In the lead-up to the sale, Amazon is already offering some steep discounts on select devices from brands like Apple, TCL, Garmin, Beats, and Sony. After spending hours poring over these deals, we've identified the best early Prime Day deals that are so good, we'd buy them ourselves.

How do we pick these deals, you might ask? We look for products we recommend at record-low prices (or close to them). We use price-tracking tools like camelcamelcamel to see if Amazon's discounts are actually better than usual, then cross-check them with other retailers' listings to make sure they're not cheaper elsewhere. (Walmart and Target are both gearing up to host their own October sales, FYI.) You can add our picks to your cart with confidence.

Without any further ado, these are the best early October Prime Day deals we've spotted so far.

$99 AirPods (a Prime Day classic)

It wouldn't be an Amazon Prime event without some $99 AirPods. Apple's fourth-generation earbuds have excellent audio quality and a comfortable fit. and a five-hour battery life. The newer AirPods 5 sound even better and add ANC, but this pair is still a great option for iOS users on a budget. (Read Mashable's review.)

Note: The AirPods 4 dipped down to $69 last Black Friday, but $99 is their lowest price so far in 2026. Plus, they probably won't be in stock much longer now that their successors have launched; they already sold out once on Amazon earlier this week.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods 4

$99 at Amazon
$129 Save $30

 

Get Deal

Take $600 off Apple's most powerful laptop

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 M5 Max is Apple's most powerful laptop chip to date.) 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. It's even cheaper than before.

I should mention that Amazon's MacBook Pro discounts have capped out around $400 during its past Prime events. Suffice to say, this is a very good deal that probably won't last long.

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

Cheaper-than-ever Fire tablets

Two of Amazon's own Fire tablets are already on sale for record-low prices ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Take your pick from the compact Fire HD 8 with 64GB of storage — our favorite Fire tablet overall — or the big-screened Fire HD 10 with 32GB of storage, nicer cameras, and a sharper display. (Both have 13-hour battery lives.) They're now up to 53% off for Prime members.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB)

$79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00

Prime membership required.

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB)

$72.99
$154.99 Save $82.00

Prime membership required.

Get Deal

64% off a 4K streaming stick

Amazon's Fire tablets have been safe from price hikes so far, but the retailer made all of its Fire TV streaming sticks at least $5 more expensive in August. For its part, the 4K Plus model went from $49.99 to $69.99. Nevertheless, Amazon will sell it to you for just $24.99 right now if you enter the code STREAM4K at checkout. That matches its all-time low price from this summer's Prime Day sale and Black Friday 2025. It used to equate to a $25 savings, but now you're getting a whopping $45 off.

FWIW, this is Amazon's cheapest media player with support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Nvidia Geforce Now, and Alexa Home Theater (a surround sound feature that works with Echo devices).

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus

$24.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $45

Enter code STREAM4K at checkout.

Get Deal

A new all-time low on an Apple Watch alternative

Garmin's vívoactive 6 is a lightweight fitness smartwatch with an AMOLED display and an 11-day battery life. It supports features like constant heart rate readings, stress tracking, and sleep coaching. Our friends over at Lifehacker, one of our sister sites, gave it a stellar 4.5/5 review, calling it "a great watch for somebody who wants to track their steps and activity."

The vívoactive 6 usually costs $50 more than Apple's entry-level smartwatch — the $249 Apple Watch SE 3 — but Amazon just put the pink dawn variant on sale for $229.99. At 23% off, it's never been cheaper before.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Garmin

Garmin vívoactive 6 (42mm)

$229.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $70

 

Get Deal

A huge discount on a huge QLED TV

The 65-inch TCL QM8L is the best QLED TV for most people, according to Leah Stodart, our former TV expert. She praised its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling." (QLED TVs in general "are ideal for people whose TV usage happens mostly in the daytime, especially watching sports," to quote her TV specs guide.)

The 85-inch QM8L just hit a new all-time low of $2,497.99 on Amazon, which is 38% off its suggested sticker price of $3,999.99. For comparison's sake, it's currently $2 more expensive at Best Buy and on TCL's website.

Opens in a new window

Credit: TCL

TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$2,497.99 at Amazon
$3,999.99 Save $1,502

 

Get Deal

An affordable Fire TV

The best early Prime Day tech deals always include savings on Amazon's own devices, like this affordable Ember Fire TV. This TV has a high-definition HDR10+ display and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker for your home. The 28% discount drops the price to a very affordable $179.99, its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV

$179.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $70

 

Get Deal

Save $10 when you preorder the 'Ocarina of Time' remake

Nintendo's upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 will be one of the year's biggest gaming releases (after GTA 6, obviously). Preordering the physical edition will normally cost you $69.99 — it's $10 more than the digital version — but Amazon has it on sale for $59.88 ahead of its Nov. 5 launch. The first print run has special packaging with foil cover art, so don't dawdle.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

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

$59.88 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.11

 

Get Deal

Deals on SanDisk memory products

The global memory crisis has led to rising costs for smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles, but it's been a disaster for SD cards and hard drives. So, while the discounts aren't as huge as they were in past years, you can find savings on these memory products during October Prime Big Deal Days. We've found a bunch of early Prime Day deals on portable SSDs and hard drives, and we expect even more savings to come.

Case in point: The SanDisk Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Card Express is currently $40 off. Likewise, you can save $40 on the popular SanDisk Extreme portable SSD with 1TB of storage.

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

SanDisk microSD Express Card for Switch 2, 512GB

$159.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $40

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: SanDisk

Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

$259.45 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $40.54

 

Get Deal

Bose QuietComfort headphones and earbuds on sale

We've made so secret of the fact that we love Bose headphones and earbuds here at Mashable. The brand makes the most comfortable headphones we've ever tested, and the brand's popular QuietComfort line recently got refreshed.

Right now, you can get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) or the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2) for $50 off. Keep in mind that the headphones are not at a record-low price, so there's a chance they could get bigger discounts when Prime Big Deal Days starts on Oct. 6.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2)

$249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2)

$399.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50

 

Get Deal

Shop the Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale

Nintendo just got a massive tariff refund, and to pass along the savings, the brand is hosting a mega Customer Appreciation Sale through Sept. 26. So, while these aren't technically early Prime Day deals, they are a great opportunity to enjoy rare savings on Nintendo Switch games and hardware. Unfortunately, the Switch consoles and Switch 2 games aren't on sale, but we'll let you know if that changes when October Prime Day begins.

You can shop the sale at Amazon or Nintendo, but our top picks include the classic Metroid Dread and the wireless Nintendo Switch Pro Controller.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

'Metroid Dread' for Nintendo Switch (digital download)

$41.97 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.02

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Nintendo

Nintendo Switch Pro Wireless Controller

$55.97
$79.99 Save $24.02

 

Get Deal

Early deals on iPads

Some of the best early Prime Day tech deals so far are on Apple's iPads, which are due for an upgrade any day now. If you don't mind a slightly older device and chip, you can pick up the Apple iPad Air (M4) with a cool $100 discount.

Check out all of the top October Prime Day iPad deals so far.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple iPad Air (M4), 11 inches

$649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100

 

Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch England vs. Spain in the Nations League for free on ITVX. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The first round of UEFA Nations League fixtures showcases some really interesting matchups, but England vs. Spain might be the best of the bunch. It's the World Cup winners against a team that narrowly missed out on the final. A string of star names are expected to feature in this clash at Wembley Stadium.

If you're interested in watching England vs. Spain in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is England vs. Spain?

England vs. Spain in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 26. This fixture takes place at Wembley Stadium.

How to watch England vs. Spain for free

England vs. Spain in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can live stream England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream England vs. Spain for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for 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 the UK

4. Visit ITVX

5. Watch England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only 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 England vs. Spain without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream England vs. Spain for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Azerbaijan GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Apple TV Prime Video Channel

Watch the Azerbaijan GP for free with a 7-day trial

Shop Now

Kimi Antonelli tops the F1 standings coming into an electric weekend of action in Azerbaijan. The talented Italian secured a dramatic victory in the Spanish GP, extending his lead over teammate George Russell.

McLaren continues to show pace after the last round of updates, but Norris now has a mountain to climb. The defending champion is over 100 points behind Antonelli, a margin that's probably too great. Still, Norris will be aiming to cut the deficit at the Baku City Circuit.

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Azerbaijan GP?

The Azerbaijan GP is the 15th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Baku City Circuit:

• Practice 1 — 4:30-5:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 24

• Practice 2 — 8-9 a.m. ET on Sept. 24

• Practice 3 — 4:30-5:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 25

• Qualifying — 8-9 a.m. ET on Sept. 25

• Race — 7 a.m. ET on Sept. 26

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Azerbaijan GP for free

Amazon Prime delivers fast shipping, Prime Day discounts, and access to the Prime Video library.

For F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is absolutely key this season. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

Of course, if you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is questionable. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:

• Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

• Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

• Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free:

---

Best Apple TV Deal

Apple TV

7-day free trial

Shop Now

---

Best Prime Video Deal

Apple TV Prime Video Channel

7-day free trial

Shop Now

---

Best Apple One Deal

Apple One

30-day free trial

Shop Now

This season of F1 is unlike any other. Every season of F1 has a number of fascinating storylines to follow, but due to a major set of regulation changes, there's so much uncertainty right now. And uncertainty can lead to exciting racing.

Mercedes looked totally dominant in the early stages of the season, but now McLaren has cut the gap.

If you are interested in watching F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is F1?

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of international open-wheel single-seater racing. A season consists of a series of races held in multiple countries and on multiple continents, either on purpose-built circuits or on closed public roads.

Lando Norris is the defending champion. McLaren won the Constructors Championship in 2025.

When is F1 in 2026?

The 2026 F1 season is the 77th edition of the championship. This year's championship features 24 Grands Prix events held all over the world between March and December:

1. Australian Grand Prix — March 8

2. Chinese Grand Prix — March 15

3. Japanese Grand Prix — March 29

4. Miami Grand Prix — May 3

5. Canadian Grand Prix — May 24

6. Monaco Grand Prix — June 7

7. Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — June 14

8. Austrian Grand Prix — June 28

9. British Grand Prix — July 5

10. Belgian Grand Prix — July 19

11. Hungarian Grand Prix — July 26

12. Dutch Grand Prix — Aug. 23

13. Italian Grand Prix — Sept. 6

14. Spanish Grand Prix — Sept. 13

15. Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Sept. 26

16. Singapore Grand Prix — Oct. 11

17. United States Grand Prix — Oct. 25

18. Mexico City Grand Prix — Nov. 1

19. São Paulo Grand Prix — Nov. 8

20. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Nov. 21

21. Qatar Grand Prix — Nov. 29

22. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Dec. 6

It's important to note that these dates are only for race days. The Chinese, Miami, Canadian, British, Dutch, and Singapore GPs will host a sprint race.

How to watch F1 for free

For the first time, Apple TV has made an entire F1 race weekend available for free to viewers in the U.S., with live coverage of the Austrian Grand Prix from June 26–28. Fans can watch every session live on Apple TV — including practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s Grand Prix — with no subscription required.

In the U.S., F1 is now exclusive to Apple TV. If you want access to the whole season, an Apple TV subscription costs $12.99 per month or $99 per year.

Apple TV

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple TV

Apple TV (7-day free trial)

Apple TV comes with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. This is a sneaky trick, but you could sign up to watch the next F1 race and then cancel your subscription before you need to spend anything. This obviously isn't a long-term fix, but it does give you the opportunity to live stream select F1 race weekends for free.

Shop Now

Apple TV Prime Video Channel

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Apple TV Prime Video Channel (7-day free trial)

Already an Amazon Prime member? You're in luck. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. This lets you watch select F1 races live with the Prime Video app. The subscription typically costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel at any time. That means you can watch select races without actually spending anything.

Shop Now

Apple One

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple One

Apple One (30-day free trial)

Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial. Time it right and this trial could provide access to up to four race weekends for free. You do need to be a new or returning subscriber to each of the included services to get the free trial.

Shop Now

It's worth noting that the best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple TVs. This special offer goes live for 90 days after the new device is activated — that's a good chunk of the season.

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

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

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

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.

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

A narcotic.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

OPIUM

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Trapped.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

STUCK

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Tightly packed

Hurdle Word 3 answer

DENSE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Two cents.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

INPUT

Final Hurdle hint

Perch.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

ROOST

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

The Full Moon is finally here, and this one has a name you might recognize: the Harvest Moon. It reaches its fullest point on Saturday, September 26, but it'll look full for a couple of nights around that date too.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, Sept. 26, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Full Moon phase, with 100% of its surface visible.

There's so much to see tonight, with or without visual aids. With just your naked eye, you'll be able to see the Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, they'll also help you see the Posidonius Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. And, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 12 and 16 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.

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 goes through a repeating cycle as it orbits Earth, taking roughly 29.5 days to complete. During that time, the amount of its sunlit side visible from Earth changes, giving us the different lunar phases. It starts with a slim crescent, grows to a half Moon and eventually reaches the Full Moon, before beginning the cycle again. NASA explains that which phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to 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.

Fold meaning

To double a material over itself.

Press meaning

To push or apply force to something.

Starch meaning

A white carbohydrate found in foods like potatoes and rice.

Wash meaning

To clean something or someone using water and usually soap.

Burl meaning

A round, knobby growth on a tree where the grain has grown in a deformed pattern.

Grain meaning

The small, hard seed of a food grass.

Knots meaning

A fastening made by looping and tying cord, rope or fabric together.

Rings meaning

Circular lines or areas.

Gum meaning

A flavored, soft substance made for chewing over a long period without being swallowed.

Mint meaning

An aromatic green plant used in foods, teas and candies.

Mouthwash meaning

A liquid used to rinse the mouth, freshen breath and kill bacteria.

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.

Spray meaning

Tiny drops of water near the air.

Beans meaning

The edible seed of various plants.

Cat meaning

A small, furry four-legged animal typical kept as a house pet.

Cucumber meaning

A long, rounded fruit with green skin and white flesh.

Customer meaning

A person who buys goods or service from another person or business in exchange for money.

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 dentist.

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: Bad breath

• Green: Look presentable

• Blue: Knock on ___

• Purple: Chill out

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: Breath fresheners

• Green: Things done to a dress shirt at the laundry

• Blue: Features of wood

• Purple: "Cool" things, in expressions

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 #1202 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Breath fresheners: GUM, MINT, MOUTHWASH, SPRAY

• Things done to a dress shirt at the laundry: FOLD, PRESS, STARCH, WASH

• Features of wood: BURL, GRAIN, KNOTS, RINGS

• "Cool" things, in expressions: BEANS, CAT, CUCUMBER, CUSTOMER

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 light as a feather.

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: A breath of fresh air

The words are related to weather.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe air movements.

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 Gentle Wind.

NYT Strands word list for September 26

• Gust

• Whiff

• Breeze

• Puff

• Gentle Wind

• Zephyr

• Current

• Flurry

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 have a way with words.

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:

A sad poem.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

Yes, the letter E appears twice.

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 E.

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...

ELEGY

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.

TL;DR: Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 turns processes and data into clear diagrams, and a lifetime license for Windows is on sale for $49.97 through Oct. 4.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Visio Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows

$49.97
$579.99 Save $530.02

 

Get Deal

Complex processes are hard to explain in a paragraph, but most diagramming software charges a recurring fee for the privilege of drawing them out. Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 turns data, processes, and workflows into visuals anyone can follow. Normally, a lifetime license would cost $579.99, but during this limited-time flash sale, you can pick one up for only $49.97.

Flowcharts, process maps, floor plans, network diagrams, and organizational charts all start from pre-built templates, so a blank canvas is never the first thing you face. More than 250,000 shapes are included, enough for nearly any field, whether the job is a quick flowchart or a detailed engineering layout. Updated shapes, refreshed styles, and a new search bar make it faster to find the right element than digging through menus.

Data linking separates Visio from a regular drawing app. Pull numbers from Excel, SQL Server, or another database, and your diagram updates on its own as that data changes. That means you can keep a network map or dashboard up to date without constantly having to enter new data.

There are even real-time collaboration tools, so your whole team can work on the same diagram and see changes in real time. If you’re already running Microsoft 365, you can even connect Visio, embed a diagram in PowerPoint, Word, or Teams, and store the file in OneDrive or SharePoint.

Stop paying every year to draw the same diagrams. Take advantage of this flash sale and get a Microsoft Visio Professional 2024 lifetime license on sale for $49.97. Sale ends Oct. 4 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Taylor Swift is looking back, and this time, she has an apology to make.

On Friday, Swift released The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded edition of her 2025 album featuring four new songs: "Patient Zero," "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." And while Swifties are already busy parsing all four tracks for clues, "Pink Clouding" has prompted two particularly pressing questions: What exactly does "pink clouding" mean? And who is Swift singing about?

The answer to the first question is surprisingly specific. The second is much more complicated.

What does "pink clouding" mean?

"Pink clouding," sometimes called "pink cloud syndrome," is a term associated with addiction recovery. It describes a period of euphoria, optimism, and excitement that some people experience during the early stages of recovery. Think of it as a kind of honeymoon phase in which things suddenly feel possible again, and a person may feel unusually confident about what's ahead.

But the pink cloud doesn't necessarily last. As the initial euphoria wears off, the more difficult realities of maintaining recovery can come back into focus.

It's worth noting that "pink cloud syndrome" isn't a formal medical diagnosis. Rather, it's a term commonly used within recovery communities to describe an experience some people have in early sobriety.

Swift doesn't suggest that she's using "pink clouding" literally in the song. Instead, the phrase becomes a metaphor for another kind of intoxicating high: the rush of a new relationship entered before you've fully recovered from the last one.

And suddenly, all that pink starts looking a little less rosy.

What are Taylor Swift's "Pink Clouding" lyrics about?

"Pink Clouding" begins like a love song. Swift fills its opening moments with shades of pink — magenta, fuchsia, rosewood — recalling the overwhelming color and intensity of a new romance. Then comes the catch: Swift admits that neither person knew at the time that she was lying. Not necessarily about wanting the relationship, but about how ready she was for it.

"Met the magenta sunrise

Fuchsia forever intertwined

Threw the rosewood on the fire

Neither of us knew at the time

That I was a liar"

Throughout the song, Swift describes the intoxicating feeling of being wanted and of making promises to someone, while simultaneously revealing that she had entered the relationship wounded by someone else. She says this previous person had left her emotionally depleted and describes her new partner as having met her at a particularly bad moment.

"He cut me crimson, bled me dry

He crossеd my heart, I hoped to die (Hopеd to die)

Ripped all my orchids from the vine

You met me at a cursed time

I told you I was fine"

That's where the title begins to click into place. Swift had convinced herself that she was fine. She could fall in love again. She could make promises. She could experience the thrill of being wanted by someone new. She was, in her words, "pink clouding from the thrill of it."

Years later, however, Swift looks back on that relationship differently. Much of the song is framed as an apology to someone she believes she hurt. She worries that she may have left lasting scars on a "good person" who didn't deserve the way she treated them.

"I hope you realized my kind of trouble wasn't worth it

And the way I treated you, you never deserved it

And I swear to God, to this day

I wake up scared that I left scars on a good person"

It's an extremely self-critical perspective for a breakup song, and not unlike Speak Now's "Back to December." The heartbreak Swift is examining isn't primarily her own. She's reckoning with the possibility that, while she was chasing the emotional high of something new, someone else believed the relationship was more permanent than she did.

By the end, the metaphor has completely flipped. The pink cloud isn't simply where Swift was floating when the relationship began. It's where she fears she left the other person when she came back down.

Who is Taylor Swift's "Pink Clouding" about?

Swift hasn't said. And despite what your TikTok For You page may tell you over the next several days, there isn't enough in the lyrics to definitively identify the person she's addressing. That hasn't stopped Swifties from trying.

One of the most prominent theories to emerge following the song's release is that "Pink Clouding" could be about Tom Hiddleston, whom Swift briefly dated in 2016. The fling may have lasted only three months, but at least it gave us those iconic Fourth of July photos.

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

The theory largely hinges on the timeline Swift appears to describe. In "Pink Clouding," she sings about entering a relationship shortly after being badly hurt by someone else, only to later recognize that she wasn't emotionally prepared for what came next. For fans, that immediately called to mind another song in the Swift canon: "Getaway Car."

Why do fans think "Pink Clouding" is about Tom Hiddleston?

Swift and Hiddleston were romantically linked in the summer of 2016, shortly after the end of Swift's relationship with Calvin Harris. Their whirlwind romance played out very publicly — from Rhode Island to Rome — before ending a few months later.

Swift has never explicitly confirmed that "Getaway Car," from 2017's Reputation, is about Hiddleston. But the song has long been interpreted by fans as Swift's account of entering a new relationship as an escape from an old one, and knowing, on some level, that a romance born as a getaway wasn't likely to last. Now, some Swifties are hearing "Pink Clouding" as a much more remorseful companion piece.

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

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

There are obvious thematic parallels. Both songs describe the exhilarating beginning of a relationship, shadowed by what came immediately before. Both acknowledge that the relationship may have been doomed by its circumstances. But where "Getaway Car" treats that inevitability almost mischievously, "Pink Clouding" looks back at the person on the other side of it with regret. The narrator isn't asking why the relationship failed. She's asking whether she hurt someone who didn't deserve it.

That doesn't prove the song is about Hiddleston. Other fans have floated different former partners, including Taylor Lautner, Harry Styles, and Joe Alwyn, and Swift herself has not publicly identified the song's subject.

The more revealing question may not be who Swift is singing about, but why she's returning to this particular emotional dynamic now.

"Pink Clouding" is not all that interested in identifying the person left behind but rather in examining the uncomfortable clarity that comes after the cloud disappears. Something can have felt real in the moment, Swift seems to suggest, while still being shaped by feelings you didn't yet understand.

And sometimes you don't realize someone else got hurt until long after you've landed back down to earth.

You can already ask Spotify’s AI to make you a playlist. But Meta’s new personal agent, Muse, wants to know what you’re doing with it. An example? Tell Muse about an upcoming road trip, and it can make a playlist inspired by your destination — then start playing it when it’s time to leave.

That’s the idea behind Spotify’s connection to Muse. In a blog post Wednesday, the company said: "Your agent can play music on Spotify, save songs to your Library, build playlists, help you find a book or podcast." You just have to link your Spotify account and ask.

Credit: Screenshot/Spotify Newsroom

And the road trip is only one example. Muse can pick up the podcast you left unfinished this morning, put your dinner playlist on a connected kitchen speaker, or find new songs and add them to a playlist. It can also turn your notes and daily briefings into a Personal Podcast saved to your Spotify Library. If you run every morning at 7 a.m., you can even ask it to start your workout playlist right on schedule.

Spotify is just one of several services Muse can work with. The agent also connects with Ticketmaster to help you find live events and Plaid to link your financial accounts. That’s the bigger vision behind Muse: You tell the agent what you’re planning once, and it handles everything across all the services you need—no need for you to jump between apps or platforms.

All AI agents carry some security risks, including Meta Muse AI, so be thoughtful before turning over control of apps, devices, and financial information.

Doesn’t Spotify already have AI for this?

Yes, and quite a bit of it. Prompted Playlist makes a mix from a written request, while Talk to Spotify lets eligible Premium users speak or type to choose what plays inside the Spotify app. Spotify also expanded Taste Profile in the U.S. this week, giving eligible Premium users a way to tell the app more about what they want in their recommendations.

Spotify also already works with ChatGPT, where you can ask for recommendations without opening the music app. Muse goes a step further by coordinating playback with your schedule. If it gets the timing and the music right, you might forget you ever had to make a playlist for the commute. If it gets either wrong, at least you still know where the play button is...for now.

For Swifties, a new Taylor Swift song is rarely just a new song. It’s more of an invitation to revisit old interviews, scan the lyrics for familiar details, and ask who might have been in the room — or at least in her life — when she wrote it.

"Patient Zero," released Friday, Sept. 25, has given fans a fresh case. The song imagines a woman hearing from someone who is now dating her ex, and one theory keeps coming up: Could Swift be singing about Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas?

As Mashable covered earlier this week, fans were decoding clues before they even knew what Swift was announcing. She swapped the O’s in her Instagram bio for zeroes, put a countdown on her website, and gave everyone another reason to scrutinize her Emmys appearance. On Sept. 22, she revealed "Patient Zero." A day later, she announced that it was one of four new songs on The Life of a Showgirl: The Encore, an expanded version of her 2025 album.

That announcement got a mixed reaction from fans: Some were thrilled to get more music, while others weren’t eager for an encore of an album they hadn’t loved the first time around. The three other new songs are "Cleveland!," "Pink Clouding," and "Babylon." Swift said she wrote them during a trip to Sweden with Max Martin and Shellback, her collaborators on The Life of a Showgirl, 1989, and Reputation.

Now that the song is out, Swift has explained the conversation that gave her the idea for it. In comments shared with Capital FM, she said:

"I was hanging out with a bunch of friends, and one of my friends told us that she had been reached out to by the new girlfriend of an ex of hers, asking for guidance on if she had had the same experiences with this guy that this new girlfriend was having."

But Swifties have looked deeper, as they do, and some think they know which ex — and which woman — might be behind the song.

Why fans think it’s about Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas

The song begins with Swift’s narrator answering a call, saying "I’ve been expecting your call." She continues, singing,

"If you wanna party with somebody who might know, About the devil on his shoulder under his halo, When the toxins take their hold, you'd rather die than let it go, But if you're sick of him, I got you, I was patient zero."

For some fans, Swift’s history with Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas makes them an obvious possibility. Swift briefly dated Jonas in 2008 and later said their breakup inspired "Forever & Always." Fans also widely linked her Fearless vault track "Mr. Perfectly Fine" to Jonas when it came out in 2021. Turner, who was married to him at the time, shared that song on Instagram with the review: "It’s not NOT a bop."

Then, in 2023, after Jonas filed for divorce from Turner, Swift and Turner were spotted having dinner together. Turner later told British Vogue that she’d reached out to Swift while looking for a place to stay in New York, and Swift offered her one of her homes for free. Turner called Swift "an absolute hero" during that period.

You can see why fans connected those dots. In the r/TaylorSwift discussion thread, one listener wrote, "I’m firmly in the camp that this is Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas inspired." Another said, "Sophie and Joe?!?," but added that it could also be a fictional story informed by several of Swift’s experiences.

Other fans aren’t convinced there’s one couple to identify. "I think it has references to more than one of her exes," one commenter wrote, reading the song more generally as an offer of support to someone dealing with a difficult relationship.

Of course, the theory remains unconfirmed. Swift said the song began with a friend hearing from an ex’s new girlfriend. The publicly known Swift–Turner story is different, since Turner reached out to Swift for help after her marriage ended. Maybe their history found its way into the song anyway, but for now, the rest of us are basically in that group of friends, comparing notes and trying to figure out who the call was about.

At his UN General Assembly address this week, President Donald Trump declared that the U.S. government will now refer to artificial intelligence as "Super Intelligence," because, in his framing, the word "artificial" makes the tech sound fake.

But while "Super Intelligence" may not sound fake, it is a term that carries its own baggage, and potentially a misleading one. 

"Super" is among the most thoroughly saturated prefixes in the English language, loaded with decades of pop-culture pizzazz and associations with everything from superheroes and superpowers to Super Mario and Super Bowl Sunday. Far from making the technology sound more glitzy, the new "super" terminology arguably makes it sound like something from a lyric sheet or a comic book.

Think about every place "super" shows up in culture. Rick James wasn’t describing a software engineer in “Super Freak”; he was describing a cartoon of desire. Curtis Mayfield’s Super Fly is a morality tale about the cost of fantasy, not how fast AI can disprove a math problem.

Oasis titled a song "Champagne Supernova" precisely because a supernova is a star’s spectacular, final, self-annihilating collapse; gorgeous, and also the end of everything. But "Supernova" by aespa is anything but final, using a dying star’s explosion as a metaphor for personal awakening, power, and self-confidence.

Now, does anyone else find it perplexing to stick "super" in front of intelligence and make all of the previous issues that were associated with the now super-saturated "Artificial Intelligence" go away?

In fact, if we are going to look for a version of "super" that actually fits the reality of today’s AI, we shouldn’t look at Super Bowls, Superman, superstars, or supernovas. We should look at physics. In quantum mechanics, a superposition is a state of utter, chaotic contradiction where a particle is trapped being two opposing things at the exact same time.

That is the exact "super" state AI is in right now. It is trapped in a permanent identity crisis, marketed by some as a flawless savior while actively functioning as an economic threat, and even a threat to humanity, among other threats that ain’t so super. 

It is a tech infrastructure that leaves much of the general public entirely flummoxed by the gap between the corporate hype and the reality of job loss, or worse, human life.

There is absolutely nothing "super" about data centers that consume millions of gallons of water daily and burn through enough electricity to threaten local power grids just to generate content that even AI admits is sometimes faulty, i.e., "ChatGPT can make mistakes. Check important info."

Nor is it "super" that these models were built by scraping the creative works of human artists without their consent, credit, or compensation. Although, personally, it might be super if AI took this column and disseminated it around the world. 

It’s a technology, quite frankly, that relies on resource extraction and copyright theft, all wrapped up in a shiny new label, again, to some.

While we argue over terminology, AI is already damaging livelihoods. Automating away entry-level jobs just to protect quarterly earnings isn’t superhero behavior. Similarly, Superman doesn’t save the world and then lay off the journalists at Daily Planet.

The day after Trump”s UN intelligence speech, AI leaders held a session at the UN, where again, doomsday was repeated. That, and the Australian prime minister announced that AI had hacked its government websites.

Compare that to what "super" has always implied.

Let’s face it: "Artificial Intelligence" isn’t a super term, but at least it’s honest. It told you, upfront, that the intelligence in question was manufactured. In other words, it’s not pure cane sugar, but rather a synthesized substitute engineered to mimic something real.

Having said that, perhaps it should be called Splenda Intelligence? 

This article represents the opinions of the 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.

A new TikTok trending audio has people humorously complaining about others "blockin' the street" and preventing them from getting where they need to go.

The audio originated in Family Guy Season 15 Episode 18, "The Peter Principal," which first aired in 2017. In this episode, humanoid dog Brian recalls being hindered by a marching band while attempting to deliver pizza for his previous job. A cutaway gag shows the sizable band singing that they are "blockin' the street" as they gradually make their way down a long road, obstructing Brian's path despite his gripes about needing to deliver the pizza in under 30 minutes.

Nearly a decade later, TikTok users are using the earworm to illustrate the frustration of being physically hindered from getting to their destination, typically by others thoughtlessly monopolizing a thoroughfare. In one example viewed 2.5 million times, @karoline.io used the song to convey "how it feels living in a tourist town" when visitors block the road while she's driving. Over 11,000 TikTok videos have used the audio, featuring everything from traffic jams, to concert crowds, and even some marching band culprits joining in, with sentiments ranging from irritation to good-natured ribbing.

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

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

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

Pet owners have used the audio to great effect, particularly to score clips of cats becoming tripping hazards at feeding time. A video by @ambiedpambied that shows her three cats gathering at her feet has racked up 2.8 million views, while @kopikat’s amusing animation of a similar dilemma has gained 1.3 million.

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

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

Other animals have also inspired use of the song, with @bays.irishcream's video of a herd of sheep in a road earning 1.1 million views, and @caitlindoes' clip of a cyclist with a huge pack of dogs gaining 4.1 million views. But even a single pet can block the proverbial street, with 2.6 million views on @soph86482's "big dog with no spatial awareness," 1.2 million on @fatherbattisto's "one fat old dog," and 2 million on @toria_56's extremely underfoot cat. 

The song is further being used to caption film and television scenes in which groups of people stand — or dance — in a street. While such scenes make sense and can even be dramatic in context, adding this commentary invites viewers to consider how ridiculous and unnecessary such posturing would seem to outsiders, as well as how annoying it would be to people trying to go about their day.

In one edit viewed 2.3 million times, @poogyus set the song to sped-up footage of BTS' crosswalk concert, filmed for The Late Late Show with James Corden in 2021. In the segment, the K-pop group ran out during red traffic lights to quickly perform songs including "Butter" in an L.A. street.

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

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

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

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

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

While primarily applied to physical obstacles, Family Guy's "blockin' the street" song has also been used to illustrate grievances such as encountering obstacles while working or having certain characters insistently impose themselves in a book. Considering the catchy nature of the tune and the abundance of hindrances we all encounter every day, there seems to be plenty of fuel for this trend.

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

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

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

October Prime Day MacBook deals at a glance

---

Best MacBook Air Deal

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,649 (save $150)

Get Deal

---

Best MacBook Pro Deal

Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$3,499 (save $600)

Get Deal

Genuinely good MacBook deals have been harder to come by in the wake of Apple's summer price hikes. But I have a feeling that will change during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's 48-hour fall savings event for Prime members on Oct. 6 and 7.

"October Prime Day," as the sale is often called, serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff for the holiday shopping season. Last year, it brought us $200 discounts on the MacBook Air and savings of up to $400 on select MacBook Pros — the same sorts of deals we later saw on Black Friday 2025. If Amazon replicated those offers next month, we'd be seeing our lowest MacBook prices since Apple's markups took effect.

In the weeks leading up to Prime Big Deal Days, most MacBooks are already on sale (including the budget MacBook Neo, if only by $10). I wouldn't add most of them to your cart just yet, since they'll probably get bigger discounts once the sale starts. That said, we've gathered up all of the best early Prime Day MacBook deals for you.

The best October Prime Day deals on the MacBook Air (so far)

Opens in a new window

Credit: M5 MacBook Air in midnight black

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,649 at Amazon
$1,799 Save $150

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,449 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $150

 

Get Deal

If you need a new Apple laptop, and you need it now, you can save $150 on the new generation of M5 MacBook Airs at Amazon (Walmart is matching Amazon on select models and colors). If you can hold off, we do expect these MacBooks to get a $200 discount when the Prime Big Deal Days sale begins Oct. 6. Students and teachers can also check the Apple Store for education discounts.

The newest M5-powered MacBook is a Mashable Choice product, with one of the highest ratings of any product we've tested this year. In his review, Mashable's tech editor found that the M5 chip is ridiculously powerful (probably more powerful than the average Air customer really needs). The new MacBooks also have a fantastic display, a great-sounding speaker system, Touch ID, and the new Center Stage webcam.

More MacBook Air deals

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,254 $1,299 (save $45)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,449 $1,599 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,649 $1,799 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,424.54 $1,499 (save $74.46)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,727 $1,799 (save $72)

• Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,922 $1,999 (save $77)

The best October Prime Day MacBook Pro deals

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

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

$3,499
$4,099 Save $600

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$3,799 at Amazon
$4,399 Save $600

 

Get Deal

So far, the best early Prime Day MacBook deals are all on Apple's Pro models, particularly the ones with the most processing power. The M5 Max chip is Apple's most powerful laptop CPU to date. It's designed to handle the ultra-demanding workloads of "pro users" like "3D animators, app developers, and AI researchers," according to a company press release.

Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can save a whopping $600 on both sizes of the M5 Max-powered MacBook Pros with a hulking 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage. The 14-inch model is marked down to $3,499 (normally $4,099), while the 16-inch one comes out to $3,799 (typically $4,399). It should be noted that both laptops originally cost $100 more at launch.

As mentioned earlier, Amazon's October Prime Day MacBook Pro deals usually max out at $400ish. With that in mind, I can't see these deals getting any better down the road.

More MacBook Pro deals

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,849 $1,999 (save $150)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,072 $2,199 (save $127)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,354 $2,499 (save $145)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $2,818.99 $2,999 (save $180.01)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,258.99 $2,399 (save $140.01)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $2,799 $2,999 (save $200)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Pro, 48GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $3,367 $3,599 (save $232)

• Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M5 Max, 48GB RAM, 2TB SSD) — $4,499 $4,999 (save $500)

MacBook Neo deals

• Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — $689 $699 (save $10)

• Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $789.99 $799 (save $9.01)

Tesla lawyers are in court, defending auto factory employees against accusations they used racist slurs, discriminated against employees of color in evaluations, and engaged in other anti-Black behavior that created an unsafe environment for workers.

The lawsuit, brought by the state of California on behalf of dozens of Black Tesla employees, was filed in 2022 and claims management at Tesla's flagship factory — located in Fremont, California — violated the state's Fair Employment and Housing Act by creating a hostile environment.

It's the first employee lawsuit against the electric vehicle company to go to trial through a state agency, reported the Guardian. Remarks began Monday.

Court documents include photographs of neo-Nazi imagery drawn on factory furniture and bathroom walls, as well as explicitly racist language etched into employee areas — including the phrase "go back to Africa" and the N-word.

Employees testified that supervisors referred to lynchings in conversations with Black workers, and the factory was often referred to as "slaveship," "the plantation," and "The Elon Slave Labor Association" ("TESLA"). One employee said they heard nearly 100 slurs in a single day.

In response, Tesla's legal team defended its employees and reportedly justified the use of racially-charged language.

"The state of California attacks the way many Black people greet each other," said Tesla's lead lawyer, Tyree Jones, in his initial remarks. "It’s offensive." Jones argued the N-word was a "term of respect and endearment," and provided examples of its use within the Black community that he argued wouldn't constitute its classification as a "racial slur."

In 2021, Tesla was ordered to pay $136.9 million to a former contractor who claimed the company ignored complaints of racist behavior by factory employees. A federal jury found Tesla guilty of enabling an unsafe work environment and negligently overseeing its staff.

In addition to explicitly racist behavior by employees, the latest lawsuit describes an allegedly "segregated" workplace in which Black workers were paid and promoted less, while being more frequently terminated. California is seeking financial damages and changes to Tesla's labor practices.

"These experiences cannot be dismissed as a few bad apples… hundreds of complaints to Tesla and [the Civil Rights Department] will show these experiences were not isolated," said California Civil Rights Department lawyer Brett Watson.

There are plenty of monsters in Zach Cregger's Resident Evil. But perhaps no enemy proves more formidable than the humble padlock.

Early in the movie, Bryan (Austin Abrams) is trying to escape a farm when he reaches a gate secured with a massive padlock stamped with a Diamond emblem. He's armed with a rifle, so the solution seems obvious enough: shoot the lock and move on. Except the bullets do nothing. So Bryan tries the next most logical solution and rams the gate with the farmer's truck. The gate wins.

Adding insult to injury, the key he needed was nearby the whole time, under the sun visor. He just didn't find it until after he'd totaled the truck.

It's the beginning of one of Resident Evil's funniest running jokes. Bryan keeps encountering padlocks as he makes his way through the movie, becoming increasingly exasperated every time another one prevents him from getting where he needs to go. Eventually, he snaps: "What is with all the fuckin' padlocks, man?"

Anyone who's spent enough time playing Resident Evil already knows the answer. It doesn't matter that you have a gun. It doesn't matter that you've spent the last several hours blasting through amalgamation monsters. If the game wants you to find a key, you're finding the damn key.

And Cregger knows exactly what he's doing.

Resident Evil understands the absurdity of video game logic

Austin Abrams and Zach Cregger behind the scenes of Resident Evil. Credit: Sony Pictures

Cregger has been explicit that his Resident Evil isn't trying to recreate the plot of any particular game in Capcom's horror franchise. Instead, he's interested in recreating the experience of playing one. That means limited ammunition, healing items, increasingly powerful weapons, and, yes, repeatedly facing locked doors that prevent you from progressing until you find whatever key or keycard the game has decided you need.

"Some of them I wouldn't even think of as Easter eggs," Cregger told Steve Goldman of Rolling Stone when asked about the movie's references to the games. He specifically pointed to "padlocks and the search for keys and keycards" as something that's "really baked into playing the games," alongside healing items, ammunition, and weapon progression.

"All of that is like the DNA of the games that is in the movie," he said.

That's an important distinction. Putting a green herb or typewriter somewhere in the background is an Easter egg. Making your protagonist desperately search for a key while standing in front of a lock he has already shot and unsuccessfully rammed with a truck is adapting a game mechanic. Because in a video game, that padlock isn't really a padlock. It's a progression system.

Bryan learns the rules of Resident Evil the hard way. Credit: Sony Pictures

Locked doors have been fundamental to Resident Evil since the beginning. Exploring the franchise's mansions, police stations, and villages frequently means discovering places you can't access yet, hunting down keys and other items, solving puzzles, and eventually backtracking once you have what you need. Resident Evil 2, for example, scatters suit-themed keys throughout the Raccoon City Police Department, with different doors requiring the Spade, Diamond, Club, or Heart Key.

The lock tells the player, "You can't go here yet." The missing key gives them a reason to explore somewhere else. So finding it doesn't just open a door; it opens another part of the game.

It makes perfect sense as game design. According to virtually every other form of logic, however, it is completely ridiculous. Your character can be carrying enough firepower to take down a mutated bioweapon, but a padlock might as well be indestructible. The player knows there's an obvious solution. The game knows there's an obvious solution. But that's not the solution you're supposed to use.

Cregger's movie makes that implicit agreement between player and game explicit by giving us a character who doesn't know the rules.

Bryan isn't Leon S. Kennedy. He's a medical courier who Cregger described to Rolling Stone as "more suited to sitting on the couch playing Resident Evil than surviving an actual Resident Evil experience." So when Bryan encounters a locked gate, he reacts like someone in the real world rather than as a player who knows he's in a survival horror game. He shoots it. When that doesn't work, he drives a truck into it.

Neither works, because that's not how Resident Evil works.

The padlock isn't just an Easter egg. It's gameplay.

Unfortunately, bullets can't solve every problem. Credit: Sony Pictures

In an interview with Dread Central, Cregger acknowledged that some of the games' more elaborate puzzles wouldn't necessarily translate to a movie he wanted to keep moving at a breakneck pace. Instead, the padlocks offered a shorthand.

Bryan "does come up against padlocks throughout the movie, and he's got to try and navigate those," Cregger said. "So I'm kind of like tipping my hat to those sorts of things."

Resident Evil also finds other ways to recreate the rhythms of playing Resident Evil. During a Reddit AMA before the film's release, Cregger talked about making ammunition matter as Bryan gradually acquires more powerful weapons. "I love the resource management aspect of the games, and it was really important to me to bring that to the movie," he wrote.

That same attention to gameplay shows up everywhere, from healing items to cinematographer Dariusz Wolski's shifting camera perspectives. But the padlocks might be the funniest expression of it, precisely because they take something Resident Evil players have long accepted and make its absurdity impossible to ignore.

Cregger isn't just showing fans something they remember from Resident Evil. He's recreating the particular frustration of playing it.

In a 2025 Reddit thread about the series' conveniently indestructible obstacles, one player recalled encountering a door they couldn't open because its knob was broken. "Meanwhile, I have a shotgun and a grenade launcher in my arsenal," they wrote. Another joked about the absurdity of firing endless rockets at a wooden door only to eventually accept, "Damn, guess I need to go around."

A year earlier, another fan put the problem even more succinctly: "Half of Resident Evil would be skipped if everyone did a Barry and just shot the locks off the door." That's basically the joke Cregger has turned into a movie.

Video games depend on these little agreements between player and developer. A locked door isn't always just a locked door. It's an instruction, a puzzle. You don't spend the entire game asking why your heavily armed protagonist can't simply destroy it because you understand what it's actually telling you: You're not supposed to go there yet.

Put that logic into a live-action movie, though, and suddenly you have Bryan, a guy who looks at the arbitrary rules Resident Evil players have spent nearly 30 years accepting and asks the obvious question: Why can't I just shoot the lock?

That's the kind of thing video game adaptations don't always capture. It's easy enough to recreate the monsters, weapons, locations, and camera angles we recognize. It's harder to recreate the feeling of playing the game — wasting a bullet you desperately needed, finding a better weapon at exactly the right moment, or discovering yet another locked door.

Cregger gets that those little frustrations are part of Resident Evil, too.

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.

The best early October Prime Day TV deals:

---

Best TCL TV deal

TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$2,497.99 (save $1,502)

Get Deal

---

Budget Pick

Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV

$179.99 (save $70)

Get Deal

---

BEST LG TV DEAL

LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV

$1,599.99 (save $1,100)

Get Deal

---

Best Hisense TV Deal

Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV

$847.99 (save $652)

Get Deal

---

Best Samsung TV deal

Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV

$1,697.99 (save $1,002)

Get Deal

Another Amazon Prime Day is upon us. Well, kind of. Prime Big Deal Days, which runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7, isn't quite as massive as Amazon's flagship summer sale, but it serves as an unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season.

Casually called October Prime Day, the fall sale features deals on all sorts of tech — just like Prime Day proper. TVs, in particular, tend to see pretty big price drops now that new models have been on the market for about six months. In other words, if you're in need of a new TV, you can find a 2026 model for a steal during October Prime Day.

We've rounded up the best early October Prime Day TV deals from brands like TCL, LG, Hisense, Fire TV, and Samsung that you can shop now, but be sure to check back as the official Prime Big Deal Days sale nears for more.

Best TCL TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: TCL

TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$2,497.99 at Amazon
$3,999.99 Save $1,502

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Mashable's TV expert is a big fan of TCL's QM8L SQD-Mini-LED TVs. She named it our favorite QLED TV for most people, highlighting its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling" in her review. It's one of the brightest TVs you can buy in 2026, period, which is thanks in part to its "super quantum dot mini LEDs" (aka the SQD part of its name). On a normal day, the 85-inch model costs $3,999.99, but ahead of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, it's down to $2,497.99. That's its lowest price on record.

Best LG TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: LG

LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV

$1,599.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,100.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

OLED TVs are known for their elite contrast and often extreme price tags. However, the LG C6 is what Mashable's TV expert calls the "best affordable OLED TV," compared to competitors' prices. It's also her top pick for an OLED TV for most people. It features inky blacks, stark contrast (of course), improved audio, peak brightness, and a higher refresh rate than its predecessor, and overall, incredible picture quality. At just under $1,600, the 65-inch model is over $1,000 cheaper than its list price ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. We've actually seen it drop even lower before, so we'll be keeping an eye out as the official sale nears.

Best Hisense TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hisense

Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV

$847.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $652

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

The Hisense U7 series delivers Mini-LED performance you'd expect on higher-priced models. It packs a 165Hz refresh rate, 2.1.2-channel Dolby Atmos audio, a Google TV with a Gemini interface, and a peak brightness of 3,000 nits. Its backlighting features full-array local dimming as well, which means clusters of tiny LED bulbs precisely control brightness levels within specific sections of your screen for more accuracy and depth. The U7 is a step up from our favorite budget TV of 2026, but with this massive price drop, it's actually a much better deal. At $847.99, the 65-inch model is already $2 cheaper than it was on Prime Day proper back in June.

Best Samsung TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Samsung

Samsung 65-inch S90H OLED 4K TV

$1,697.99 at Amazon
$2,699.99 Save $1,002.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

The S90H is the mid-range OLED from Samsung's 2026 lineup and just a step down from our favorite OLED of the year (the S95H). Compared to last year's model, the S90H gets a brightness bump and an upgraded anti-reflection display. It also supports 4K at 165Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC, and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

Usually pretty pricey at $2,699.99 for the 65-inch model, you can shave over $1,000 ahead of October Prime Day and pick it up for just $1,697.99. That's only $100 shy of its all-time low. The stock at Amazon is running low, so I suggest grabbing it ASAP. Otherwise, Best Buy has the same model for just $2 more.

Best budget TV deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV

$179.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $70

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

As much as we might drool over the LG C6 OLED TV or Sony's new flagship Bravia 7 II True RGB TV, when it comes time to actually add a TV to our shopping cart, we often have to lower our expectations. The good news: TVs are one of the only tech products that have gotten cheaper over the past five years, and even budget TVs offer fairly impressive displays and sound.

The Amazon Ember 40-inch Fire TV is a good starter TV if you're on a budget, and that's why it's one of the best October Prime Day TV deals we've found so far. Despite costing less than $200, this TV has a high definition, HDR10+ display and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker. If you're already in the Amazon ecosystem and OLEDs aren't in your budget, don't overthink this one.

More early October Prime Day TV deals

Under 50-inch TV deals

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

• LG 43-inch QNED73B Mini-LED QNED 4K TV — $299.99 $359.99 (save $60)

• Sony 48-inch Bravia 6 OLED 4K TV — $1,098 $1,299.99 (save $201.99)

50 to 55-inch TV deals

• Insignia 50-inch F50 4K TV — $179.99 $299.99 (save $120)

• Hisense 55-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K TV — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

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

• Hisense 50-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $1,299.99 (save $502)

• TCL 55-inch NXTVISION QLED 4K TV — $797.99 $999.99 (save $202)

• LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,299.99 (save $400)

65-inch TV deals

• Roku 65-inch Plus Series QLED 4K TV — $449.99 $649.99 (save $200)

• Hisense 65-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $649.99 $999.99 (save $350)

• LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,799.99 (save $700)

• Toshiba 65-inch G700 ArtVision QLED 4K TV — $1,099.99 $1,999.99 (save $900)

• Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,197.99 $1,999.99 (save $802)

• Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)

• TCL 65-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $1,497.99 $2,499.99 (save $1,002)

• Sony 65-inch Bravia 8 II QD QLED 4K TV — $2,498 $3,299.99 (save $801.99)

75-inch TV deals

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

80 to 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,297.99 $1,999.99 (save $702)

• Hisense 85-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $2,197.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,802)

Over 85-inch TV deals

• Hisense 100-inch E7 Mini-LED Hi-QLED 4K TV — $1,996.97 $2,999.99 (save $1,003.02)

• Hisense 100-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $2,999.99 (save $502)

• TCL 98-inch QM7L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

• TCL 98-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV — $3,997.99 $5,999.99 (save $2,002)

SAVE $9.99: The Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $35, down from the list price of $44.99. That's a 22% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Lego

Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar

$35 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $9.99

 

Get Deal

We're all gearing up for Amazon's October Prime Day event, but it's never too early to start thinking about the holiday season. If you like to celebrate with an Advent Calendar, check out this shockingly good deal at Amazon.

As of Sept. 25, the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar is on sale at Amazon for $35, marked down from the list price of $44.99. That's a 22% discount and the lowest price we've seen at Amazon.

If you have a Disney princess fan in your home, the Lego Advent Calendar is a slam dunk. It contains 290 pieces spread out over 24 days of surprises. Some of our favorite princesses are included in the 2026 version, like Ariel, Cinderella, Moana, and Mulan. Of course, some of their sidekicks are also in on the celebration, like Sebastian, Pua, and little Gus Gus decked out in reindeer antlers.

Not only does this serve as an Advent calendar, but the Disney Princess version of the Lego calendar also doubles as a board game. The buildable spinner allows for up to eight players to take part in a Disney Lego game.

While it's sitting at a record-low price, get ready for the holiday season with the Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar.

TL;DR: Watch Turkey vs. France in the Nations League for free on TF1. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League is back with a stacked schedule of high-profile matchups, including Turkey vs. France. The hosts had a hugely disappointing 2026 World Cup, dropping out in the group stage. At one stage, it looked like France were going to dominate the competition, but they eventually fell to Spain at the semi-final stage.

Zinedine Zidane is now in charge of the national team. It's going to be fascinating to see how France's team of stars responds to his leadership.

If you're interested in watching Turkey vs. France in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Turkey vs. France?

Turkey vs. France in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 25. This fixture takes place at the Kocaeli Stadium.

How to watch Turkey vs. France for free

Turkey vs. France in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on TF1.

TF1 is geo-restricted to France, 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 France, meaning you can live stream Turkey vs. France for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Turkey vs. France for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for 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 France

4. Visit TF1

5. Watch Turkey vs. France for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only 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 Turkey vs. France without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for TF1?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on TF1, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including France

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Turkey vs. France for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The best early Prime Day Pokémon deals:

---

Best TCG deal

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

$89.99 (save vs. market price)

Get Deal

---

Best Lego deal

Lego Pokémon Eevee (72151)

$47.99 (save $12)

Get Deal

---

Best video game deal

Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Nintendo Switch 2)

$53.99 (save $16)

Get Deal

---

Best book deal

Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide (Pokemon Pikachu Press)

$41.98 (save $18.01)

Get Deal

Amazon’s October Prime Day may still be on the horizon, but there are already plenty of Pokémon discounts to score on trading cards, Nintendo Switch games, books, and much more. Collectors everywhere have been focused on buying the 30th Celebration expansion, but this kind of sale is the perfect way to catch up on past collections.

Prime Day will run from Oct. 6-7, so be sure to keep this page bookmarked for plenty of other deals in the build-up to the sale going live. In the meantime, these are my favorite early Pokémon Prime Day deals you can buy right now.

Best Pokémon TCG deal

Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

$89.99 at Amazon

 

Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart

Why we like it

After temporarily jumping back up to $200+ due to low supply, the Pokémon TCG’s 30th Celebration ETB is back at $89.99 — still a massive $168.94 under TCGplayer’s estimated market price of $177.93. 

The catch is availability, as Amazon is selling the box through its invitation system. You need to hit "request invite" rather than buy it immediately. If Amazon selects your request, you'll receive a limited window to complete the purchase. 

If you’re successful, you’ll get this glorious box including nine 30th Celebration booster packs, a full-art foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil Basic Energy trading cards, 65 sleeves, dice, a coin, dividers, a collector's box, a player's guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code. 

More Pokémon TCG deals

• Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black 3 Booster Pack Blister (Binacle) — $22.89 $29.99 (save $7.10)

• Pokémon TCG Mega Evolutions Perfect Order 3-Pack Blister (Chikorita) — $23.63 $29.99 (save $6.36)

• Pokémon TCG First Partner Illustration Collection — Series 2 — $26.87 $59.99 (save $33.12)

• Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle — $52.95 $59.99 (save $7.04) 

• Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Violet Surging Sparks Booster Bundle — $74.65 $81.00 (save $6.35)

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Greninja ex Box — $89.49 $99.99 (save $10.50)

Best Pokémon Lego deal

Lego Pokemon Eevee Building Set (72151)

$47.56 at Walmart
$59.99 Save $12.43

 

Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

The 587-piece Lego Pokémon Eevee set is a posable display piece designed for adult builders. Unlike static figures, the ears, head, limbs, and angled tail are fully adjustable, so you can change up how it sits on your shelf. While $47.99 isn't a huge drop from its $50 retail price, it's just a few cents off its all-time low of $47.95, making it a good excuse to grab it now rather than waiting to see if it drops further during the main sale.

(Note: Eevee is currently the only set in the Lego Pokémon lineup receiving a discount ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, but we've listed the most popular sets below so you can keep an eye on them if Amazon drops prices during the event.)

More Pokémon Lego deals

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Charmander and Geodude's Cavern Clash — $19.99

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Training House with Pikachu — $69.96

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Mewtwo's Lab Break — $69.96

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Umbreon vs. Garchomp Championship Battle — $79.96

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Cubone and Gengar's Spooky Showdown — $89.96

• Lego Pokémon Arcanine — $109.95

• Lego Pokémon SMART Play: Charizard vs. Jolteon Ultimate Battle — $119.99

• Lego Pokémon Rayquaza — $129.95

• Lego Pokémon Pikachu and Poké Ball — $199.95

• Lego Pokémon Venusaur, Charizard, and Blastoise — $649.99

Best Pokémon Nintendo Switch game deal

Pokémon Legends: Z-A

$0 at Amazon

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Set within Lumiose City, Pokémon Legends: Z-A lets you issue commands on the fly, compete in the nightly Z-A Royale tournament, and use the returning Mega Evolution mechanic to take down rampaging rogue Pokémon. At $53.99, a 23% discount on a major Nintendo Switch 2 title makes this an easy choice to pick up now rather than paying full retail.

More Pokémon Nintendo Switch game deals

• Detective Pikachu Returns — $46.92 $49.99 (save $3.07)

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 1) — $49.44 $59.99 (save $10.55)

• Pokémon: Let's Go, Eevee! — $53.87 $59.99 (save $6.12)

• Pokémon Legends: Arceus — $54.49 $59.99 (save $5.50)

• Pokémon Legends: Z-A (Switch 2) — $59 $69.99 (save $10.55)

Best Pokémon book deal

Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide (Pokemon Pikachu Press)

$41.98 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.01

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

For a hardbound, 336-page reference book celebrating 30 years of the franchise, a 30% markdown makes this a reasonable grab for collectors. It features a foreword from The Pokémon Company CEO Tsunekazu Ishihara and covers characters across every region in numerical order with artwork from the games, anime, and trading card game. It works well as a coffee table display piece with its color-it-yourself cover, or just as a quick reference guide so you don't have to keep an online wiki open on your phone.

More Pokémon book deals

• Pokémon Timelines: A Journey Through the Animated Series — $9.87 $29.99 (save $20.12)

• Pokécology: An Illustrated Guide to Pokémon Ecology — $13.97 $14.99 (save $1.02)

• Pokémon Deluxe Character Guide — $41.98 $59.99 (save $18.01)

The best early Prime Day trading card deals:

---

Best Pokémon TCG deal

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box

$89.99 (save vs. market price)

Get Deal

---

Best MTG deal

Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle

$59.99 (save $10)

Get Deal

---

Best one piece deal

One Piece Card Game Final Battle OP-16 Booster Box (Japanese)

$119.74 (save $17.24)

Get Deal

---

Best Disney Lorcana deal

Ravensburger Disney Lorcana TCG 2-player Starter Deck

$19.99 (save $10)

Get Deal

---

Best Kpop Demon Hunters deal

Kpop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Energy Edition

$50.99 (save $3)

Get Deal

Prime Day might not have started yet, but trading card discounts are already piling up at Amazon — with plenty of offers in the Pokémon TCG, Magic: The Gathering, One Piece Card Game, Disney Lorcana, and even KPop Demon Hunters card markets.

We’ve also found plenty of dedicated Pokémon deals, but if you’re a card collector who’s out to save money on Oct. 6-7, keep this page bookmarked as Mashable will be updating the latest deals in the build-up to the main event.

Here are the best early Prime Day trading card deals we’ve found so far. 

Best trading card deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Bundle

$59.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $10.00

Get Deal

Why we like it 

Magic: The Gathering's The Hobbit Bundle is a great way to explore the newer Middle-earth set, and this all-time low price (which we uncovered last week) represents incredible value ahead of Prime Day.

Now $59.99 instead of its $69.99 list price, saving you $10 at Amazon (its lowest-ever price, confirmed at price tracker camelcamelcamel). This box is below market price — with dedicated trading card marketplace TCGplayer still estimating it at exactly $61. What’s more, actual listings on the site only go as low as $63.58 plus shipping.

For that price, you're getting nine 14-card The Hobbit Play Boosters alongside an alternate-art Traditional Foil promo, 34 Land cards, an oversized Spindown life counter, two reference cards, and a storage box. That works out to about $6.67 per booster before even counting all of those extras, making this a strong all-in-one option if you've been waiting for a cheaper way to jump into The Hobbit expansion. 

More early Prime Day trading card deals

Pokémon TCG

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Lucario ex League Battle Deck — $18.51 $21.45 (save $2.94)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolution Chaos Rising Triple Pack — $24.99 $29.99 (save $5)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Evolutions Perfect Order 3-Pack Blister — $26.99 $29.99 (save $3)

• Pokémon TCG: Mega Moonlit Tin (random) — $37.98 $39.99 (save $2.01)

• Pokémon TCG: Scarlet & Violet Journey Together Booster Bundle — $53.95 $59.99 (save $6.04)

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box — $89.99 at Amazon, available by invitation

Magic: The Gathering

• Magic: The Gathering Avatar: The Last Airbender Beginner Box — $26.22 $34.99 (save $8.77 with on-page coupon)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Gift Bundle — $79.95 $89.99 (save $10.04)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box (24 Packs) — $119.98 $139.48 (save $19.50)

• Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box (30 Packs) — $148.36 $209.70 (save $61.34)

• Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box (30 Packs) — $169.99 $213.99 (save $44)

One Piece Card Game

• One Piece Card Game OP-07 500 Years in the Future Booster Pack (Japanese) — $9.80 $14.99 (save $5.19)

• One Piece Card Game ST-35 Red Black Sabo Starter Deck — $22.44 $24.45 (save $2.01)

• One Piece Card Game The Adventure of The Island of God OP-15 Booster Box (24 packs, Japanese) — $109 $119 (save $10)

• One Piece Card Game Final Battle OP-16 Booster Box (Japanese) — $119.74 $136.98 (save $17.24)

KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards

• KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards Energy Edition — $49.95 $53.99 (save $4.04)

• KPop Demon Hunters card-Energy Edition-001-NA-Series 1-A — $49.99 $53.88 (save $3.89)

Disney Lorcana TCG

• Disney Lorcana TCG Archazia’s Island Ruby & Sapphire Starter Deck — $9.95 $16.99 (save $7.04)

• Disney Lorcana TCG Azurite Sea Emerald & Sapphire Starter Deck — $9.95 $16.99 (save $7.04)

• Disney Lorcana TCG 2-Player Starter Deck — $19.99 $29.99 (save $10)

• Disney Lorcana TCG Azurite Sea Stitch Collector’s Gift Set — $37.30 $49.99 (save $12.69)

The best early Prime Day gaming deals:

---

Best video game deal

Starfield (Standard Edition PS5)

$29.99 (save $20)

Get Deal

---

Best console deal

Nex Playground + 12-Month Play Pass Bundle

$354.87 (save $33.13)

Get Deal

---

Best gaming monitor deal

Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G50F) Series QHD Gaming Monitor

$199.99 (save $150)

Get Deal

---

Best gaming headset deal

HyperX Cloud II Gaming Headset

$49.99 (save $30)

Get Deal

---

Best gaming keyboard deal

Razer BlackWidow V4 X Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

$99.99 (save $30)

Get Deal

---

Best gaming mouse deal

Razer Basilisk V3 (Wired)

$34.98 (save $35.01)

Get Deal

Amazon’s October Prime Day is getting closer, and the retailer’s early gaming deals are now stretching well beyond discounted PS5, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox games. We’re also seeing price cuts on gaming monitors, headsets, mice, keyboards, and other setup upgrades ahead of the main sale on Oct. 6-7.

With that in mind, we’ve expanded this guide to cover the best gaming tech alongside the console deals already worth shopping. As always, we’re sticking to products with genuine reductions against their listed or typical prices, and we’ll keep updating our picks as more early Prime Day offers go live.

Best video game deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Xbox

Starfield (Standard Edition PS5)

$29.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $20.00

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Starfield only made the jump to PS5 in April, and the Standard Edition is already nearly half price. The game is currently listed at $47.33 (usually $49.99), but an on-page coupon drops it to $29.99 at checkout. That $20 savings marks the lowest price this version has ever seen on Amazon. This is the full base game rather than a trimmed-down edition, giving you Bethesda’s huge sci-fi RPG with deep character customization, ship building, and over 1,000 planets to explore.

More early Prime Day video game deals

PS5 games

• NBA 2K26 — $13.99 $19.99 (save $6)

• Persona 3 Reload — $19.40 $69.99 (save $50.59)

• Sonic Superstars — $19.99 $29.99 (save $10)

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

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 — $25.74 $49.99 (save $24.25)

• Yakuza Kiwami 3 & Dark Ties — $29.99 $59.99 (save $30)

• Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds Amazon Exclusive Edition — $34.99 $69.99 (save $35)

• 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)

• Ghost of Tsushima Director's Cut — $37.99 $69.99 (save $32)

• God of War Ragnarök — $39.99 $69.99 (save $30)

• MLB The Show 26 — $42.95 $69.99 (save $27.04)

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

Nintendo Switch games

• South Park: Snow Day! — $22.93 $29.99 (save $7.06)

• Assassin’s Creed: The Rebel Collection — $23.98 $39.99 (save $16.01)

• Sonic Origins Plus — $24.50 $39.99 (save $15.49)

• Sonic Frontiers — $24.99 $39.99 (save $15.00)

• Batman: Arkham Trilogy — $26.99 $29.03 (save $2.04)

• Grand Theft Auto: The Trilogy – The Definitive Edition — $32.90 $59.99 (save $27.09)

• Super Mario RPG — $36.90 $59.99 (save $23.09)

• Mario vs. Donkey Kong — $34.97 $49.99 (save $15.02)

Xbox games

• Cuphead — $20.23 $39.99 (save $19.76)

• Sonic Superstars — $21 $59.99 (save $38.99)

• Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3 + 4 — $23.47 $49.99 (save $26.52)

• Sonic X Shadow Generations — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25)

• Borderlands 4 — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)

• Metaphor: ReFantazio Launch Edition — $31 $69.99 (save $38.99)

• DOOM: The Dark Ages — $31.49 $69.99 (save $38.50)

• Forza Motorsport — $38.48 $69.99 (save $31.51)

Best console deal

Nex Playground + 12-Month Play Pass Bundle

$354.87 at Amazon
$388 Save $33.13

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Don't write this off as just a kids' toy. Mashable freelancer Tabitha Britt bought one a couple of years ago for Christmas, when it was sold out everywhere — she literally had to special-order it and wait two weeks for it to ship — and says it's still one of the most genuinely fun active setups you can buy. It's kind of like a Wii, but it uses an AI camera to track your movements, so you don't need a handheld controller to play.

(Note: Standard PS5, Xbox Series X, and Nintendo Switch systems are still at their full retail price, so we haven't included them here. We're keeping a close eye on console prices and will update this section the second actual markdowns go live.)

Best gaming monitor deal

Samsung 32-inch Odyssey G5 (G50F) Series QHD Gaming Monitor

$199.99 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $150

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Finding a 32-inch 1440p panel from a top-tier brand under $200 is a steal. 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.

More early gaming monitor deals

• msi Pro (MP243) 24-inch 1080p FHD Gaming/Office Monitor — $89.99 $109.99 (save $20)

• Sansui 24-inch curved 160Hz gaming monitor — $89.98 $119.99 (save $30.01)

• Samsung 27-inch Odyssey (G50F) QHD Gaming Monitor — $175.75 $279.99 (save $104.24)

• Samsung 32-inch Odyssey (G55C) 1,000R Curved Gaming Monitor — $249.79 $329.99 (save $80.29)

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

Best gaming headset deal

HyperX Cloud II Headset

$49.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $30.00

 

Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Best Buy

Why we like it

The HyperX Cloud II has been around for years because the basic design just works. For $50, you get 53mm drivers, hardware-driven 7.1 virtual surround sound, and an aluminum frame built to take a beating. The memory foam ear pads stay comfortable during long gaming sessions, and the detachable noise-canceling mic keeps voice chat clear without getting in the way when you just want to listen to music.

More early gaming headset deals

• Logitech G335 Wired Gaming Headset — $29.99 $69.99 (save $40)

• Razer BlackShark V2 X Gaming Headset (PC, PS4, PS5, Switch) — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)

• HyperX Cloud III – Wired Gaming Headset (PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S) — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30)

• Turtle Beach Stealth 600 Wireless Gaming Headset — $89 $109.99 (save $20.99)

• SteelSeries Arctis Nova 7 Wireless Gen 2 Gaming Headset — $169.99 $199.99 (save $30)

• Logitech G Astro A50 Multi-Platform Wireless Gaming Headset — $239 $299.99 (save $60.99)

Best gaming keyboard and mouse deals

Opens in a new window

Credit: Razer

Razer BlackWidow V4 X Mechanical Gaming Keyboard

$99.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $30.00

 

Get Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Razer

Razer Basilisk V3

$34.98 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $35.01

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Getting a top-tier wired mouse at half off makes the Razer Basilisk V3 an easy pick. It has 11 programmable buttons, a smart scroll wheel that toggles between tactile clicks and free-spin scrolling, and a thumb rest shaped for long gaming sessions.

If you're upgrading your keyboard too, the Razer BlackWidow V4 X has real tactile mechanical switches instead of those squishy membrane keys. It includes six dedicated macro keys, custom RGB lighting for each key, and a physical volume roller right above the number pad, so you don't have to tab out of your game to tweak audio.

More early keyboard and mouse deals

• Logitech G213 Prodigy Wired RGB Gaming Keyboard - Black — $47.99 $59.99 (save $12)

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

• Razer BlackWidow V4 X Mechanical Gaming Keyboard — $99.99 $129.99 (save $30)

• Logitech G305 Lightspeed Wireless Gaming Mouse — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)

• Razer Basilisk V3 Customizable RGB Wired Ergonomic Gaming Mouse — $34.98 $69.99 (save $35.01)

• ASUS ROG Spatha X Wireless Gaming Mouse — $119.99 $169.99 (save $50)

Starlink satellites are usually discussed in terms of what they’re doing to the sky. Astronomer Tony Phillips has found a way to use them to learn something about it.

Phillips, who runs SpaceWeather.com, has turned the orbital data of hundreds of Starlink satellites into a daily measure of changes in Earth’s upper atmosphere. He calls it a "planetary barometer," though it tracks air density rather than pressure. His planetary barometer relies on an ingenious observation, which Phillips explained in a blog post (as reported by The Register).

Here’s how a satellite becomes a weather instrument: Even hundreds of miles above Earth, there’s enough atmosphere to create drag. When energy from the sun heats the upper atmosphere, it expands, putting more particles in a satellite’s path. More drag means a satellite would lose altitude faster if it weren’t using its thrusters to stay in orbit.

Phillips analyzes publicly available orbital records to estimate that effect. His daily "sink rate" asks how many meters a typical Starlink satellite at about 480 kilometers (roughly 300 miles) up would lose in a day with its thrusters off. So far in 2026, that figure has ranged from 19.7 meters on a quiet day in August to 127.6 meters during a major geomagnetic storm in January. That doesn’t mean Starlink satellites actually plunged that far on either day; the number is a way to show how much the atmosphere changed.

And Phillips isn’t relying on Starlink alone. He checks the pattern against satellites from Planet Labs, Amazon’s Kuiper network, and Eutelsat OneWeb. Planet’s SuperDoves are particularly useful because they have no thrusters: Their actual descent offers a check on the Starlink estimate. The index has limits, including orbital data that can blur sudden changes over several days.

Scientists have studied atmospheric drag using Starlink data before. Phillips’s contribution is a public number updated daily, offering a running look at conditions that matter for satellite orbits. Starlink’s crowded presence overhead remains a concern for astronomers. For this one purpose, though, all those satellites make it possible to watch the atmosphere change without launching anything new.

Microsoft's AI-branded Windows laptops are dead.

At Qualcomm's Snapdragon Summit 2026 this week, Microsoft Surface CVP Brett Ostrum told news outlet Windows Central that it will no longer use the "Copilot+ PC" branding for its Surface PCs going forward.

As Windows Central points out, none of the Surface laptops that launched this year used the Copilot+ PC branding, and it appears none of Microsoft's upcoming products will use it either.

Copilot+ PCs were launched in mid-2024 as Microsoft went full throttle with its AI push. The Copilot+ branding was derived from its AI chatbot assistant Copilot, which the company released the previous November.

Microsoft called Copilot+ PCs "the fastest, most intelligent Windows PCs ever built" and said they were "the most significant change to the Windows platform in decades," when they were launched. These computers were basically new Surface PCs with processors specifically built for AI processes, like pre-built AI PCs.

However, it seems like Copilot+ PCs weren't as successful as Microsoft had hoped. In fact, the company has been reconfiguring its entire approach to AI more broadly, too. 

Last month, Microsoft retired the animated mascot Mico that it had created to represent the Copilot brand. And now, just today, Microsoft unveiled a revamped version of the Copilot AI assistant, too.

With OpenAI's ChatGPT, Anthropic's Claude, Google's Gemini, and other AI companies carving out their niche in the AI market, Microsoft is still trying to figure out theirs. One thing seems sure, though: Copilot+ PCs won't be part of Microsoft's AI plans.

Early October Prime Day earbuds deals at a glance

---

Best Apple deal

Apple AirPods 4

$99 (save $30.99)

Get Deal

---

Best Bose deal

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

$249.99 (save $49.01)

Get Deal

---

Best open earbuds deal

Shokz OpenDots One

$139.95 (save $60)

Get Deal

---

Best sleep earbuds deal

Soundcore Sleep A30 Special + get a free Anker Soundcore Eye Mask

$199.99 (save $30)

Get Deal

It's leaf-peeping season, and that means it's time for another massive sale event at Amazon. This year, October Prime Big Deal Days is a two-day sale, spanning Oct. 6 and 7. While we're still a couple of weeks away from the sale kicking off, Amazon is already packed with great offers. That's especially true if you're in need of fresh earbuds.

Many of us depend on earbuds like we depend on water. On the checklist before walking out the front door, we need a wallet, phone, keys, and earbuds. They're with us all the time, from a morning walk with the dog to pre-bedtime YouTube streaming. If your current pair is not up for these tasks, early October Prime Day deals will come to the rescue.

From incredibly comfortable Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd gen) to the Soundcore Sleep A30 Special, we're seeing plenty of great early deals on earbuds, and I've rounded up the best options below. Keep an eye on Mashable's Prime Day coverage as we start to see more delas rolls in ahead of the sale.

Best Apple earbuds deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Apple AirPods 4

$99 at Walmart
$129.99 Save $30.99

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Down to the affordable price of $99, the Apple AirPods 4 are on sale at Walmart. Redesigned for comfort, the AirPods 4 come with a massive 30-hour battery life with the included charging case. And good news on that front, because Apple made the case smaller and compatible with USB-C recharging.

Keep in mind that the base model of the Apple AirPods 4 does not come with active noise cancellation. If that's a priority, the Apple AirPods Pro 3 with ANC are on sale for $199.

Best Bose earbuds deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen)

$249.99 at Amazon
$299 Save $49.01

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

If you're looking for the most comfortable earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd Gen) are a top pick. Mashable's analysis of the best earbuds notes that the Bose buds are unmatched for comfort and well worth the investment. "With spatial audio and some of the best ANC we've encountered, these earbuds deliver immersive sound that envelopes you in your music," wrote Mashable Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard.

Best open earbuds deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Shokz

Shokz OpenDots One

$139.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $60

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

If you'll be wearing earbuds while running or working out at the gym, open earbuds might be the best option. The design focuses on solid sound quality while also allowing you to stay aware of your surroundings. The Shokz OpenDots One are one of Mashable's favorite open earbuds models, and they're already on sale for under $140 ahead of Prime Day. Need more convincing? They're also Mashable's top choice for running earbuds.

The sale price of $139.95 is the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon. Given that pricing history, you probably don't need to wait for Oct. 6 to buy this pair.

Best sleep earbuds deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Anker Soundcore

Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 Special

$199.99 at Amazon
$229.99 Save $30

get a free Anker Soundcore Eye Mask

Get Deal

Why we like it

If you struggle to sleep on account of environmental noise, sleep earbuds might be a great solution. Instead of using earbuds that hurt when sleeping on your side, sleep earbuds are specially designed for comfort, no matter which sleeping position you prefer. Mashable's favorite sleep earbuds are the Anker Soundcore Sleep A30 Specials, and they're already on sale for $199.99 ahead of October Prime Day.

In Mashable's review of the Sleep A30 Specials, Allard wrote, "Soundcore's quick upgrade to the recently released Sleep A30 earbuds is a welcome one, delivering a longer battery life and lower price point, making a great pair of sleep earbuds even better."

If you're searching for solutions to get better sleep, consider these sleep earbuds while they're on sale. Plus, they come with a free Anker Soundcore sleep mask.

More earbuds deals

• Nothing Ear (a) — $59 $79 (save $20)

• Nothing Ear (Open) — $89 $99 (save $10)

• Baseus Inspire XC1 — $109.94 $129.99 (save $20.05)

• Bose QuietComfort — $149.99 $179 (save $29.01)

• Beats Powerbeats Fit — $169.95 $199.99 (save $30.04)

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Bose Ultra Open Earbuds — $199 $299 (save $100)

• Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — $199.95 $249.99 (save $50.04)

• Panasonic Technics EAH-AZ100 — $247.99 $299.99 (save $52)

The best early Prime Day iPad deals:

---

Best iPad Deal

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

$649 (save $100)

Get Deal

---

Best budget iPad deal

Apple iPad (A16, 128GB, WiFi)

$399 (save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best iPad Pro deal

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

$1,139 (save $60)

Get Deal

Fall has just begun, and the holiday shopping season is already heating up. No longer do things kick off on Black Friday. With Amazon's annual Prime Big Deal Days running Oct. 6-7, it's your first chance to start shopping and saving this holiday season.

Leading up to Amazon's October Prime Day event, we're tracking all the early deals on the biggest brands. We've already spotted savings on Apple products, including iPads. The deals are nowhere near the best we've ever seen. There are some minor savings to enjoy ahead of the event. But considering Apple products (including iPads) have all seen price hikes in the past year, even the meager savings now are something to celebrate.

Here are the best iPad deals to shop ahead of Amazon's October Prime Day.

Best iPad Deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

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

$649 at Amazon
$749 Save $100

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Luckily, the best deal on iPads is on our favorite iPad. The Apple iPad Air comes with an M4 chip, making it as capable as any laptop. It has stellar performance and extensive battery life, plus with upgraded iPadOS, you can now navigate multiple windows at once.

Normally $749, the Apple iPad Air is marked down $100. That brings it down to $649, for 13% off its list price. While it's not the cheapest it's ever been, these savings bring it closer to its pre-price-hike rate.

Read our full review of the M4 Apple iPad Air.

More iPad deals

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

• Apple iPad (A16, 256GB, WiFi) — $499 $549 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $649 $749 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi + cellular, 128GB) — $799 $899 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Air 13-inch (M4, 128GB, WiFi) — $849 $949 (save $100)

• Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5, 256GB, WiFi) — $1,139 $1,199 (save $60)

• Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi + cellular, 256GB) — $1,616 $1,699 (save $83)

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

In HBO and Sky's new legal drama War, battles aren't fought in muddy trenches or torn-up fields. They're fought in elegant wood-paneled rooms or glassy offices perched high above London's streets. But just because these arenas are polished and proper doesn't mean the fighting is similarly clean. No, the lawyers who make up War's two rival firms of Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne are itching to get absolutely filthy.

They get their chance when they take on a high-profile divorce case, unleashing a flurry of betrayal and backstabbing that's so exquisitely ruthless, it's sure to make War your next drama obsession.

What's War about?

James McArdle, Sienna Miller, and Phoebe Fox in "War." Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sky / Fox

The divorce in question is that of movie star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech magnate Morgan Henderson (Dominic West). She's a beloved actress whose fame is beginning to wane, while he's the CEO of a social media platform that keeps rising in prominence. As their fortunes diverge, Carla questions Morgan's fidelity. She even goes so far as to enlist her friend Flora (Rose Williams) to honeytrap him for proof so she can kickstart the divorce proceedings. It's the first of several underhanded — and often ill-advised — chess moves War's characters make throughout the series, as well as a tantalizingly bitter amuse-bouche for all the delicious drama to come.

Much of that drama comes from Carla and Morgan's imploding marriage, but their woes are really a gateway to War's main draw: Carla and Morgan's lawyers, who are as relentless as they are petty.

Morgan's team of choice is Cathcarts & Sons, a storied firm with deep roots in London's legal scene and even deeper pockets. Partners St. John Smallwood (Pip Torrens) and Beatrice Ubosi (Nina Sosanya) delight in taking down their opponents, discussing Morgan's case with the calculated relish of a predator playing with its food.

Their food, in this case, is Carla and her firm: the more recently established Taylor & Byrne. Partners in both law and marriage, Nicholas Taylor (James McArdle) and Serena Byrne (Phoebe Fox) hope this case can launch their firm to Cathcarts-level prominence. Winning it would make their name, but losing it would break them financially. With Morgan and Carla's respective firms in place, the board is set for a nasty divorce, with astronomical stakes for both lawyers and clients.

War turns divorce into an enthralling battleground.

Nina Sosanya, Pip Torrens, and Dominic West in "War." Credit: Sky / HBO

As the divorce gets underway, War turns each stage of the proceedings into its own captivating battlefield. During mediation, lawyers shuttle settlement offers back and forth between teams, looking for all the world like messengers trying to negotiate a surrender before the war has even begun. During arbitration, Carla and Morgan's face-off carries all the explosiveness of a shootout. At each stage, their lawyers regroup to strategize, evaluating their status the way a military leader would evaluate their casualties.

Of course, Carla and Morgan get multiple opportunities to stop and settle, but be it because of greed or pride, they just keep pushing. The same goes for the lawyers. Why would they stop the process early on when they have so much to gain from a high-profile win? Time and again, War's character keep making the wrong choices, from Carla and Morgan down to lawyers like the ambitious Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux), caught in the crossfires between Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne. Yet each choice keeps pulling at the truth at War's core: that people will go to self-destructive lengths to get what they think they're owed.

Between Carla and Morgan's collapsing relationship and their inevitable march to the courtroom, War could easily have been played as a full-on tragedy. Instead, creator George Kay turns it into something darkly funny, full of scathing remarks and playground insults. At one point, St. John and Beatrice share a laugh over how Beatrice ignored Serena, a high school mean girl moment dressed in an expensive suit. Their arch takedowns of Serena and Nicholas turn St. John and Beatrice into the closest thing War has to outright villains, but neither side escapes the trial without blood on their hands. Kay teases out the story in such a way that viewers' allegiances may flip from Carla to Morgan over the course of an episode, creating a shifty, intoxicating viewing experience.

Because at the end of the day, War is downright fun. Its ensemble is excellent across the board, each scene crackling with incredible performances. Its episodes are among the most propulsive I've watched this year, rivaled only by Industry's astounding Season 4 run. And even though it loses some of its bite in its final episodes, its sharpness cuts deep. Do your best to pick a side, and head off to War.

War premieres Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. In the UK, War premieres Oct. 2 on Sky and NOW.

UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2026, 11:17 a.m. EDT This article has been updated with information about War's airdate on Sky and NOW.

TL;DR: Watch Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League for free on RaiPlay. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League is back, and for Italy, that means a chance at rebuilding its status after missing out on a string of tournaments. Belgium did qualify for this summer's World Cup, only exiting in the quarter-final stage at the hands of eventual winners Spain. They'll fancy their chances against a struggling Italy.

If you're interested in watching Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Italy vs. Belgium?

Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 25. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico.

How to watch Italy vs. Belgium for free

Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on RaiPlay.

RaiPlay is geo-restricted to Italy, 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 Italy, meaning you can live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for 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 Italy

4. Visit RaiPlay

5. Watch Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 only 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 Italy vs. Belgium without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RaiPlay?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Italy

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The best October Prime Day beauty deals:

---

Best round brush deal

Drybar The Double Shot 2.4-Inch Oval Blow-Dryer

$131.75 (save $23.25)

Get Deal

---

Best Shark hair deal

Shark FlexStyle

$199.99 (save $114.01)

Get Deal

---

Best Dyson hair deal

Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer

$382.99 (save $67)

Get Deal

---

Best red light mask deal

Dreame Chrona

$209.99 (save $60)

Get Deal

This is my fourth year covering Prime Day, so I've learned to be pretty cynical about pre-sale "discounts." But looking through the current beauty markdowns, a handful of these early prices actually match — if not beat — the deals we saw during June's Prime Day event.

Amazon's official October Prime Big Deal Days doesn't kick off until Oct. 6–7, but if you want to restock your essentials now, here are the best beauty deals you can shop today, sorted from least to most expensive in every section.

Best beauty deal

Opens in a new window

Credit: Drybar

Drybar The Double Shot 2.4-Inch Oval Blow-Dryer Brush

$131.75 at Amazon
$155 Save $23.25

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

You don't need to drop $400+ on a high-end multi-styler just to get a good blowout at home. I use this exact Drybar brush every single day, and it gets me ready in minutes. The combination of ionic airflow and tufted bristles smooths out stubborn frizz and cuts drying time in half, while the 2.4-inch oval barrel gives you real volume at the roots in a single pass — so you never have to awkwardly juggle a heavy dryer and a separate round brush.

Best early hair tool and hair care deals

• TYMO Hair Straightener Brush — $42.10 $59.99 (save $17.89)

• L'ANGE HAIR Le Volume 2-in-1 Titanium Blow Dryer Brush — $48.99 $69 (save $20.01)

• Drybar The Baby Brush Crush Mini Heated Straightening Brush — $50.15 $59 (save $8.85)

• TYMO 4.0 Hair Blow Dryer Brush — $74.99 $99.99 (save $25)

• Drybar The Roller Club Curling Hot Rollers — $109.65 $129 (save $19.35)

• Dreame Pocket Cake Dual Voltage Hair Dryer with Diffuser — $119.99 $129.99 (save $10)

• Dreame AirStyle Suite Pro Hair Styler & High-Speed Dryer — $179.99 $199.99 (save $20)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Multi-Styler & Drying System — $199.99 $314 (save $114.01)

• Dreame AirStyle Era Multi-Styler — $259.99 $349.99 (save $90)

Best early skincare and makeup deals

• Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water For Waterproof Makeup — $8.39 $11.99 (save $3.60)

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer — $9.82 $12.99 (save $3.17)

• Grace & Stella Lip Gloss Butter (Vanilla Ice Cream) — $9.95 $13.95 (save $4)

• Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara — $10.82 $13.99 (save $3.17)

Best early device deals

• Wavytalk Red Light Therapy Mask — $109.99 $179 (save $)

• Wavytalk IPL Hair Removal — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Nood Flasher Pro — $299 $399 (save $100)

Best brand-wide sales

• Anua: Get up to 47% off select gift sets and best sellers.

• From Labs: Get up to 16% off best sellers.

• Grace & Stella: Get 15% off when you buy any two items, and get a surprise free gift when you spend $60+. Bonus offer: Get 50% off the Eye Mask Variety Pack with code PRIMEOCT.

• Joylux: Get up to 20% off select products.

• Live Tinted: Save on select gift sets, including the Eye Awakening Routine gift set and Juicy Lip Gloss Duo.

• Nood: Get up to 43% off select products.

• Sand + Fog: Save on select scents and personal care items at Sand + Fog.

• Tower 28: Save on select lip gloss gift sets, plus get a free mini pouch on your first order.

TL;DR: Preorders are live for the $399.99 GTA VI: Vice City Collection. The 11-piece crate packs custom Oakley sunglasses, a New Era cap, and a physical map of Leonida — though the actual game is sold separately. Lock yours in directly at the Rockstar Store before the limited run sells out.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Rockstar

GTA 6 Collector's Box

$399.99 at Rockstar

 

Pre-order Here

Rockstar Games officially launched preorders for the Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection on its webstore, priced at $399.99. The massive 11-piece crate is themed after Macca the Gator, a hit TV show inside the fictional state of Leonida, and comes packed with high-end apparel, barware, and physical lore collectibles.

Before grabbing your wallet, you should know the major catch: the actual game is sold separately. This is strictly an elite merch drop for hardcore collectors, so you will still need to buy your copy of GTA 6 when launch day hits.

Credit: Rockstar

What's inside the box

Rockstar packed this 11-piece crate with apparel, barware, and lore collectibles:

• Oakley Frogskins Sunglasses — Matte black frames with Prizm Sapphire lenses and a Vice City pink GTAVI logo

• New Era 9FORTY Snapback Hat — A-Frame cap featuring Vice City and Leonida embroidery

• Leonida Keys Crossbody Bag — Ripstop bag with black-and-pink lining and a debossed YKK zipper pull

• Macca the Gator Figure — 6-inch figurine with a secret twist-open stash base

• Macca the Gator Magnetic Mirror — Electroplated pink glass mirror for hanging or tray use

• Chunkee the Manatee Shot Glass — Features Chunkee on the front and a laser-etched Rockstar logo

• Vice City Collectible Swizzle Spoon — Decorative spoon with debossed enamel Vice City branding

• Double-Sided Souvenir Poster with Map of Leonida — Macca the Gator TV show art on the front and the full physical state map on the back

• Vice City Razor Blade Keychain — Metallic razor-blade-style keychain

• Leonida Keys Enamel Pin Set — Nine enamel pins inside a custom metal tin

• Leonida Keys Sticker Pack — Nine vinyl stickers in a stash bag

Credit: Meta / Rockstar

You can place a preorder directly on the official Rockstar Store. This is a limited-run release shipping out on Nov. 19, 2026. Due to the size of the box, it does not qualify for free shipping, and orders are strictly capped at one per customer. Secure your preorder while the first batch is still up before stock runs dry.

The Moon is almost completely full in the sky, so tonight, there's another chance to spot some of the features that stand out on its surface. Here's what to look for if you've got clear skies.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 25, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 98% of its surface visible.

With just your naked eye, tonight you can see the Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, they'll also help you see the Posidonius Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. On top of this, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 12 and 16 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon goes through a repeating cycle as it orbits Earth, taking roughly 29.5 days to complete. During that time, the amount of its sunlit side visible from Earth changes, giving us the different lunar phases. It starts with a slim crescent, grows to a half Moon and eventually reaches the Full Moon, before beginning the cycle again. NASA explains that which phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to 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.