Elon Musk doesn't own TikTok, but the short-form video app is evidently sensitive to criticism of the Tesla CEO.

The Hollywood Reporter reported that TikTok has "permanently suspended" the official promotional account for Musk, a new documentary that is critical of Musk's recent activities and is playing in nearly 500 theaters across the United States. The reason given was "political content" that violates TikTok's policies, but THR's report didn't include any specifics as to what, exactly, the account was doing to warrant the ban.

Bleecker Street, the film's distributor, is appealing the move, but the suspension remains in effect during a weekend when audiences are more likely to see the movie. That likely will not help Bleecker's attempts to market the movie; THR reported that the plan was to spend ad dollars to boost TikTok posts about the movie before the ban was enacted.

As THR noted, Musk has no financial (or otherwise) affiliation with TikTok, but the app is partially owned by Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison. The documentary does apparently feature a scene in which Ellison offers to help Musk pay for his acquisition of Twitter via text message. Of course, that may have nothing to do with the suspension. Until TikTok offers comment on this, we will not know the specific reasoning for the ban.

In Mashable's review of Musk, Senior Tech Reporter Matt Binder called the documentary "scathing," but also noted its fairness, stating that "it features Musk, via his own actions and words, punching himself in the face over and over again."

There's currently some tension between the video game industry and the proliferation of AI tools.

You can see the evidence of this in a recent development regarding the upcoming indie game Drunken Goddess Reflux. It's a game with the objective of imbibing alcohol until a demon vomits up her soul, a decidedly unique premise that would be hard for any AI to come up with.

As spotted by Rock Paper Shotgun, though, the developers had to cancel an upcoming public demo session. The decision is partly due to concerns that AI could quickly clone it for someone else's financial benefit. Instead, they will hold closed sessions for a "limited number of participants."

"We're concerned that the demo's content could be used to quickly imitate or replicate the game's presentation and gameplay with AI or other tools, and that such works could be released before our launch," the developers at Alliance Arts said in a post on X.

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To be fair, that wasn't the only reason given for the demo's cancellation. There were also concerns about being able to properly enforce a rule against livestreaming. But it's clear that the widespread availability of AI vibe-coding tools influenced this decision, as well.

Kotaku reported earlier this year that indie games were being cloned with AI quickly and effortlessly, and Steam has recently become rife with games that used AI in their development. While cloned products may not be as good as the original games made by hand, they can still harm the developer's bottom line and muddy the waters about which came first in the public eye.

Sennheiser is infamous for being fashionably late with its true wireless releases. Just look at the flagship Momentum True Wireless 5, which took more than two years to hit store shelves. So, it’s no surprise that the legacy audio brand waited this long to create its first-ever open earbuds.

So, the Sennheiser Accentum Clip are here, and they join an already crowded market. A direct competitor to market favorites such as the Shokz OpenDots series and the upscale Bose Ultra Open Earbuds, these clip-on buds not only live up to the Accentum line’s critically acclaimed reputation – they’re easily the best-sounding open earbuds money can buy.

There’s just one problem: Are you willing to cross the border to own a pair?

That's right — Sennheiser has decided not to release these excellent open earbuds to U.S. shoppers.

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

Sennheiser Accentum Clip: Unrivaled sound

Sennheiser developed a 12mm dynamic driver that pumps out vibrant, crisp sound. The fine-tuned combination of airy mids, smooth treble, and steady bass results in a sonically engaging listening experience no other category entry can match.

Audio is terrific right out of the box, though you can personalize it by creating your own EQ or selecting from multiple well-engineered presets in the companion app. Enabling the LDAC codec produces the best sound quality. There’s an uptick in clarity and depth when enabling the latter. Details and nuances are more noticeable. Vocals have a natural presence and remain transparent in rowdy environments; it takes incredibly loud noises to pull you away from music. However, don’t expect full-bodied sound due to the lack of an acoustic seal.

The Accentum Clip’s greatest strength is delivering lively sound without compromising ambient awareness. Some of my most compelling listening sessions occurred while watching videos outside on my balcony. Sennheiser’s Speech Clarity mode emphasized vocals and made dialogue clearer on audiobooks, movies, podcasts, and YouTube clips. External noises weren’t disruptive.

Credit: Alex Bracetti

Everything else that matters

Reviews for the Accentum Clip have been mostly positive. Performance complaints are largely limited to connectivity and wearability. I couldn’t agree more. While acknowledging the product’s weaknesses, I can also share its strengths, and there are plenty. Here’s what else you should know about the Accentum Clip before buying them.

Design: The Accentum Clip look no different from other clip-on buds. They have the same pinch design to latch them onto the outer part of your ear. Construction is made mostly of hard plastic that carries an IP54 rating for dust and water resistance, which is ideal for workout buffs. Unfortunately, this material, combined with the thick battery module, makes the buds an uncomfortable wear after two hours of use. The charging case feels flimsy as well.

Sennheiser’s Smart Control app: The mobile app is stocked with several extras that enhance performance. Most features are conveniently placed on the homepage. You can even customize their placement based on preference. The Device Settings page expands functionality by granting access to other key features, including Battery Protection mode, codec selection, wireless priority (Advanced Audio Quality or Robust Connectivity), and more.

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

Controls: Touch and voice controls are highly responsive. Every single-tap, multi-tap, and long-hold gesture registers precisely and instantly. The small design does make it difficult to input commands. I was tapping my earlobe and tragus too often. Voice assistance is spot-on, thanks to Sennheiser’s strong mic array. The feature also supports AI-powered programs such as Perplexity, which worked well and demonstrated solid voice recognition.

Battery life: Playtime is sufficient at 7.5 hours per charge when factoring in features and volume. It’s not the 9 hours Sennheiser promises, but it’s still enough for two days of moderate listening before recharging. The non-wireless charging case provides an extra 36 hours and supports quick charging: a 10-minute charge generates 2 hours of listening time.

Call quality and connectivity: The buds are great for phone and video calls, but I wouldn’t make them your go-to because the open design allows a lot of ambient noise to creep in. You’ll be able to communicate clearly in quiet and moderately busy environments. The AI noise-reduction algorithm does a decent job of isolating the wearer’s voice from noisy backgrounds.

Multipoint mode can be wonky at times. Occasionally, my buds refused to switch playback to my second device. There were also times when the Accentum Clip wouldn’t connect to the app.

Now comes the harsh reality for domestic consumers…

Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

The Sennheiser Accentum Clip are not available in the U.S.

You read that correctly. The Accentum Clip are import-only.

They launched in Canada, Central America, and South America with a $269.95 CAD price tag (est. $200 USD). 

Releasing new audio products in select regions isn’t unusual for Sennheiser. It just makes zero sense for the Accentum Clip, especially since the best open earbuds are a major draw right now. Not to mention, the company recently launched its flagship headphones and earbuds several weeks apart. Bringing the Accentum Clip stateside could have given Sennheiser the wireless audio trifecta in the U.S. market.

We asked Sennheiser if a U.S. launch was in the cards. The answer was no.

What a shame.

You might also like...

If you're not reading this in Canada, you can still buy our favorite open earbuds from Shokz, Anker, Sony, and Bose (in that order):

Shokz OpenDots One

$139.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $60

 

See It at Amazon

Anker Soundcore AeroFit 2

$79.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $50.00

 

See It at Amazon

Sonly LinkBuds Clip Open-Ear

$198 at Amazon
$228 Save $30

 

See It at Amazon

Bose Ultra Open Earbuds (Gen 2)

$299 at Amazon

 

See It at Amazon See It at Bose See It at Best Buy

Apple is trying to tighten its control of the iOS App Store, especially as it regards AI deepfake nude photos.

In a brief note on its developer website, Apple announced a change to its moderation tactics for the App Store. These new measures target apps capable of generating "nonconsensual intimate imagery" of real people using user-generated content tools.

Pornographic material is already banned on the App Store, and so are apps explicitly designed to do that, but apps that have the potential to do so are now also required to filter such content, provide a way to report it, prevent uploads, and remove anything that gets through all of that.

The change here, essentially, is that app makers are now required to self-police more thoroughly against AI nude photos. If any app is found to violate those rules, as well as a new one prohibiting "bait and switch" tactics (such as misrepresenting what the app can do during the submission review period), it can and will be pulled from the App Store. In addition, developers behind these apps can have their ability to submit to the App Store revoked.

Earlier this year, a study found dozens of apps that can create deepfake nudes of real people on both Apple's App Store and Google Play. Apple removed many of the offending apps at the time, but these new rules show there is still work to be done to prevent more from popping up in the App Store.

Starbucks is teaming up with Disney for a 20-piece Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collection celebrating 100 years of the Hundred Acre Wood. The limited-edition lineup drops on Oct. 20, delivering honey-drip cold cups, ceramic beehive mugs, and plush Bearista keychains.

It's an incredibly cute collection that is bound to cause a stir, but there's a catch. We hate to break it to you like this, but the collection is exclusive to the Asia-Pacific region.

Credit: Starbucks / Disney

What’s in the Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collection?

The 20-piece range mixes aesthetic drinkware with lifestyle accessories:

• Hunny Pot Tumblers and Cold Cups: Cold cups with honey-drip lids, golden-yellow straw toppers, and Pooh illustrations.

• Ceramic Beehive Mug: A textured, beehive-shaped ceramic mug featuring Pooh stuck in a honey pot entry.

• Bearista Costume Keychains and Phone Straps: Collectible Starbucks Bearistas dressed in plush costumes of Pooh, Piglet, Eeyore, and Tigger.

• Packable Tote Bag: A reusable Hundred Acre Wood tote that folds into its own matching pouch.

Credit: Starbucks / Disney

We want everything, but here's where it gets complicated.

How to buy this collection?

If you live in North America or Europe, you won't find these on local Starbucks shelves.

On launch day (Oct. 20), the collection will be available at participating Starbucks coffeehouses in Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. Unfortunately for collectors elsewhere, the secondary market is going to be your best bet.

Exporters will begin listing inventory from Oct. 20, but you should expect a significant markup over retail prices on high-demand pieces like the ceramic beehive mug and plush Bearista straps. Head over to eBay and good luck.

If you desperately want official Disney x Starbucks drinkware without paying reseller markups, the Disney Store regularly stocks collaboration tumblers that ship directly to U.S. and UK addresses. In fact, we've spotted a cute Winnie the Pooh tumbler going for $27.99.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon) and Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon) are available to preorder now on Amazon.

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Credit: The Pokemon Company

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon)

$694.88 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon)

$685.98 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon

If you thought Pokémon TCG collectors were already losing their minds over 30th Celebration Booster Bundles and Elite Trainer Boxes, Amazon just opened preorders for the crown jewel of the anniversary expansion: the 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections.

Both high-end boxes are currently available for preorder at Amazon for under $700 ahead of their official Nov. 6 release date.

As the ultimate flagship products for the 30th Celebration set, both Ultra-Premium Collections come packed with 29 30th Celebration booster packs, one Classic Collection booster pack, custom metal coins, deck boxes, card sleeves, and damage-counter dice. Of course, the real driver behind the hype comes from the exclusive promo cards:

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (Espeon): Includes the exclusive Espeon ex promo card with a Daytime Pikachu ex promo card and an Espeon playmat.

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Night (Umbreon): Includes the exclusive Umbreon ex promo card with a Futuristic-rarity Pikachu ex promo card and an Umbreon playmat.

The big question when buying trading cards on Amazon is whether or not you're actually getting value for money. Amazon is a reliable pick for finding readily available stock, but you often pay above market price.

TCGplayer's market price for the Day Box is currently $560.87 so there's a decent markup from Amazon here. The market price for the Night Box is $659.98, so the convenience of Amazon actually makes sense in this case.

The best stocking stuffers should surprise and delight, but too often, we miss the mark. Think: tacky socks, bulk chocolate candy from the clearance aisle, and ChapStick. Most of these last-minute gift ideas are just begging to be tossed in a junk drawer or the donation pile, never to see the light of day again. Granted, it's a fate they probably deserve.

But that's a shame, because unpacking your stocking should be the perfect start to the happiest day of the year. So, we consulted our deep bench of shopping reporters, deal hunters, and product reviewers to find out what stocking stuffers they want to wake up to on Christmas morning.

We've gathered our favorite tiny-but-impressive gift ideas that can work for everyone on your holiday shopping list. So, whether you're searching for stocking stuffer ideas under $25 or something fancier that will catch them by surprise, we have more than 60 unique gifts to inspire you.

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

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BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

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Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

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Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

The Wisconsin Badgers are looking to score a major win over the UCLA Bruins in Week 7. Wisconsin are 4-1 overall at 2-0 in conference play, but they still haven't made the rankings. A win over No. 12 UCLA could change that.

UCLA will prove tough competition in this Big Ten showdown. The Bruins are 5-1 overall and 3-0 in conference games, and want to climb beyond that No. 12 spot in the rankings. With both Wisconsin and UCLA on winning streaks, this promises to be an exciting clash.

If you want to watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Wisconsin vs. UCLA?

Wisconsin vs. UCLA takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California.

Wisconsin vs. UCLA is broadcast on NBC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

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Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

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Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

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Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

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Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

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Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Wisconsin vs. UCLA from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

The best smartwatches make it easy to monitor your health, track your workout progress, and check your notifications on the go. Top brands like Apple, Garmin, Google, and Samsung have all launched new smartwatches in recent months, so whether you're team Apple or team Android, you have excellent choices for your wrist. Now that we've researched the biggest releases, tested a handful of them ourselves, and drawn upon the expertise of our Ziff Davis colleagues at CNET and PCMag to fill in the gaps, we're ready to name the best smartwatches of 2026. Spoiler: You really can't go wrong with any of the latest flagship models.

The best smartwatches at a glance:

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Best smartwatch for most iPhone users

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$389.99 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Best budget smartwatch for iPhone users

Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm)

$219.00 at Walmart

Shop Now

---

Best Android smartwatch

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Bluetooth/WiFi)

$399.99 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Best budget Android smartwatch

Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro

$79.00 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Best Samsung smartwatch

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth)

$379.99 at Amazon

Shop Now

The smartwatch market is crowded, and that's good news

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In just the past few months, Samsung, Apple, Garmin, and Google have all rolled out new smartwatches. Later this month, Google will also debut the brand-new Fitbit Edge with a bright display and advanced fitness features. (The Venn diagram of the best smartwatches and the best fitness trackers is basically a perfect circle.) The competition intensifies when you factor in other wearables like smart rings and sleep trackers.

Price-wise, most of our favorite smartwatches cost somewhere between $250 and $400, though they're often on sale for much less. However, you don't have to spend very much to get a kick-ass smartwatch. In fact, we have an excellent option for folks with budgets capped at $100.

So, which watches deserve a spot on your wrist? (Say that five times fast.) Here's our definitive guide to the best smartwatches for 2026 shoppers.

The best smartwatch for iPhone users: Apple Watch Series 12

Credit: Stan Schroeder / Mashable

If you're an iPhone user, we think you'll be very happy with Apple's latest smartwatch, the Series 12. Mashable's Stan Schroeder is in the process of testing it right now, and he said that while it may look similar to last year's model — other than some new ceramic case options — "it does bring a number of big improvements inside."

The Series 12 has a new S11 chip that adds support for Audio Intelligence tools. Moreover, it boasts "an entirely new electrical and optical heart sensor," and offers more battery life during workouts (plus faster charging), Schroeder said. He added, "The star of the show is the heart sensor array, which allows for far more frequent measurements and opens the door for new apps such as Readiness and an overhauled Vitals app."

It's worth pointing out that the Apple Watch Series 12's chip and sensors are the exact same ones you'll find inside the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4, which costs twice as much. The Ultra 4 is awesome in its own right, especially if you prioritize battery life and durability, but this means you don't need to splash out on Apple's most expensive smartwatch to use its most advanced features. The mid-tier option has never been a smarter buy or a more worthwhile upgrade from an older model.

Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm)

$389.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Walmart

The best budget smartwatch for iPhone users: Apple Watch SE 3

Credit: Apple

Apple hasn't updated its cheapest wearable for 2026, but we're not complaining. Last year's Apple Watch SE 3 is still an outstanding budget pick with all the necessary features you're probably looking for in a smartwatch, like a gorgeous always-on OLED display, heart rate tracking, sleep tracking, gesture controls, and a water-resistant design. (For all intents and purposes, it's a last-gen Series 11 with a shorter battery life and no blood oxygen monitoring.) The new Series 12 is the "better" iOS-friendly smartwatch overall, but it's obviously much pricier and might be considered overkill if you're not especially health-conscious.

CNET's wearable expert Vanessa Hand Orellana tested the SE 3 and deemed it a great option "for anyone new to the Apple Watch world or upgrading from a much older model (think Series 6 or earlier)." It would also make a good starter device for a kid, she noted, letting parents "hold off on a full-fledged smartphone while maintaining a direct line of communication with their child."

The extra-nice thing about the SE 3 is it's much easier to find on sale than Apple's newest smartwatches, since it's technically an "older" model. It's regularly marked down to $219 these days, and on Black Friday, we expect it to dip under $200.

Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm)

$219 at Walmart
$249 Save $30

 

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The best Android smartwatch for most people: Google Pixel Watch 5

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Former Mashable senior reporter and marathon runner Christianna Silva gave the Google Pixel Watch 4 a 4.4/5 rating last year, calling it "a true runner's watch." They loved its immersive display, clear audio, repairable design, custom workouts, and "solid" battery life. It used to be our favorite Android smartwatch — until Google released the Pixel Watch 5 this summer. It justifies a $50 price bump with a faster processor, double the storage, improved GPS route tracking, faster charging, and better sleep tracking, including a new breathing emergency detection feature. It can also now monitor blood pressure and insulin resistance trends.

Those who are already using Google's Gemini AI assistant on their Android phones will appreciate its integration into the Pixel Watch 5, which is pretty extensive. Gemini "acts as a proactive companion" within the device, "surfacing your flight details on the way to the airport or suggesting a phone number while you text about dinner plans," writes PCMag's Andrew Gebhart. Plus, certain Gemini features now work offline.

All things considered, we think the Pixel Watch 5 is the best Android smartwatch for most people — though if you manage to find its predecessor in stock for way cheaper, it's still a stellar choice.

Google Pixel Watch 5 (41mm, Bluetooth/WiFi)

$399.99 at Amazon

 

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The best budget Android smartwatch: Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro

Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

Mashable readers went a bit gaga for this budget smartwatch when it was announced last July — and after testing it out for ourselves, we get it. Mashable contributor and reviewer Lauren Allain gave it a 4.6/5 rating (earning it a Mashable Choice Award), writing that it "looks, feels, and functions like a smartwatch that costs hundreds more." If you're looking for the best smartwatch under $100, nothing else comes close. (It's priced at $99, but often available for $79 these days.)

The British brand Nothing is known for its unique designs, which somehow look both retro and futuristic at the same time. CMF is the company's budget line, but the Watch 3 Pro doesn't perform like most cheap smartwatches. For starters, it offers direct ChatGPT integration, which even the Apple Watch can't do. Samsung and Google are eager to make you use their own AI tools, but if you prefer ChatGPT, then you'll love this watch.

Other spec highlights include blood oxygen monitoring, stress tracking, precise heart-rate monitoring and location tracking, and an extra-long battery life. For a smartwatch this cheap, that's an impressive roster of features. (Remember: The cheapest Apple Watch still lacks blood oxygen monitoring.) Allain said it best when she wrote that the CMF Watch 3 Pro "feels like a pricing mistake."

Nothing CMF Watch 3 Pro

$79 at Amazon

 

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The best smartwatch for Samsung fans: Samsung Galaxy Watch 9

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 is another great Android wearable packed with Gemini-powered features. While we prefer the Pixel Watch 5 a bit more, mainly because its battery life is much better, this is a sensible purchase for those who are already in the Samsung ecosystem. Its feature set includes a new Heart Health score, a Fitness Index score, a Daily Cardio Load metric, and a tool that monitors your vitals overnight. (Aptly, it's called Vitals.)

On the aesthetic side, Samsung retained "squircle" design of the older Galaxy Watch 8 — which really isn't as ugly as some people say, in our opinion. CNET's Katie Collins said it has a "relatively subtle look, which is useful for an accessory you’re just as likely to be wearing to the gym as into the office." She also found it quite comfortable to wear all day, even in the larger 44mm size. "I can’t imagine ever feeling the need to take this one off, except when it needs recharging," she wrote.

The Galaxy Watch 9 also marks a price hike over its predecessor, but only a small one ($30). The older Galaxy Watch 8 remains a good alternative if you find it at a steep discount.

Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 (40mm, Bluetooth)

$379.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Samsung

How we chose these earbuds

Let's be clear: Just because these earbuds are affordable, that doesn't mean they skimp on features.

Mashable audio experts have tested all of the most popular wireless headphones and earbuds (not to mention some wired options). And the very best noise-cancelling wireless earbuds typically cost $250 to $300 — the Apple AirPods Pro 3 retail for $249 (but often go on sale for $179), and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) come in at $299.

Fortunately, you don't need to spend $300 to get a great pair of wireless earbuds; in fact, you don't even need to spend $100. The best cheap wireless earbuds under $100 include some great options from JBL, Nothing, Anker Soundcore, and Beats. And if you're willing to spend a little more, the newest Apple AirPods 5 sound great and include new AI features such as live translation.

When reviewing earbuds for this guide, we looked for features such as easy connectivity, rich and balanced sound, active noise cancellation, and a comfortable fit. And among all the earbuds we've tested, which is an extensive list, these are the best budget earbuds for 2026.

What's considered budget? 

Budget is a relative term. We know the Apple AirPods 5 ($129 to $149) and Bose QuietComfort Earbuds ($149.99 on sale) aren't budget earbuds for everyone, but there are plenty of good options under the $100, $50, and even $25 mark.

Our top pick is the Anker Soundcore P42i, which have a list price of $64.99, and have the noise cancellation of a much more expensive pair of earbuds. Going the budget route might mean making compromises, but not sacrifices. For under $100, you can still get active noise cancellation and self-charging cases. 

We do include a model closer to $200, which we get isn't exactly everyone's idea of budget-friendly. The Apple AirPods 5 with ANC is that model. Compared to premium options, the fifth-gen AirPods offer an awfully similar experience for significantly cheaper and allow folks who want to stay in the Apple ecosystem without having to jump to the Pros.

Earbuds we're currently testing 

Three other pairs of earbuds that are currently in consideration for this list are the CMF Buds 2, JBL Vibe Beam 2, and Sony WF-C510. We're currently testing these earbuds and will update this guide once complete.

Other models we've tested 

The models on this list are pulled from our extensive testing here at Mashable. One of our previous top picks on this list was the Apple AirPods 4; however, the AirPods 5 have replaced them, making them more expensive, and they also lack great Android compatibility. 

Another pair we considered for this list were the Skullcandy Method 360 ANC earbuds with sound by Bose. We tested these buds, and while they're pretty good for $100, they have a bad case design and just aren't that comfortable compared to other models on this list — plus, the $100 introductory price went up to $129.99.

On a summer morning on Mars, NASA's Curiosity rover woke in its usual crater, opened its shutter, and snapped a sprawling view carpeted in blues and grays. 

The panorama subverts the usual perception of the Red Planet, a reputation that dates to ancient civilizations. Romans called it Mars, the god of war, because its color reminded them of blood. Egyptians called it Her Desher — "the red one." Even people today associate Mars with rust: dry, desolate, and caked with iron minerals that oxidize red.   

Curiosity captured this scene on Aug. 11, around 8:30 a.m. local time with its Mastcam instrument. A pale custard sky hangs above slate-colored terrain.

What makes the image strange is what the U.S. space agency didn't do. The team almost always adjusts the colors in Mars photos before releasing them. This time, it skipped that step and kept the dim morning light as the camera recorded it. In a news release, NASA called it "an artistic choice." 

Which brings up a surprisingly complex question. No human has ever stood on Mars, so what would the planet actually look like to someone who did? The answer depends on several factors: the weaker sunlight to its farther distance, the dust suspended in the air, the minerals on the ground, the camera's sensor, the editing software, and, not to be underestimated, the eye of the beholder.

When mission teams tweak the photos, scientists say the goal is to make the rocks look as they would in sunlight on Earth. Martian dust tints everything the sun touches, so removing its influence shows the rocks' intrinsic colors. 

In photography, that correction is called white balancing. The phone in your pocket already does it, shifting every picture so the scene looks lit by ordinary daylight. 

"The surface of Mars is covered with pink-red dust that disguises the surface geology," Mike Malin, principal investigator for Curiosity's Mastcam instrument, told Mashable. "That dust is also suspended in the atmosphere, and sunlight passes through it to illuminate the surface. If you have ever been near a forest fire or something like that, the coloring of the sunlight is not unlike the coloring of the sky on Mars most of the time."

The uncropped Martian panorama has six Curiosity images stitched together. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / MSSS

Correcting for that haze gives geologists a stable reference point, whether it's a dusty or clear day, said Mark Lemmon, a co-investigator on the Perseverance rover's Mastcam-Z, who wasn't involved in processing this particular image. It also lets scientists compare the terrain to Mars-like places on Earth where they have done much of their fieldwork. Without it, everything takes on the same dusty cast, and the color differences that reveal detail fade away. When a global dust storm engulfed the planet in 2018, the uncorrected view turned "virtually monochrome," he said.

So is the editing tricking us? In a sense, yes. But the unedited image can't claim to show the real Mars, either. True color, meaning what a person would actually see, is hard to pin down. The planet orbits about 1 1/2 times farther from the sun than Earth, so it gets less than half as much sunlight, Malin said. A visitor standing beside Curiosity that morning probably would peer into a murky landscape and see distant cliffs of light tan. The shadows would reveal little color or detail.

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But the visitor's own eyes would complicate things further because they don't hold a fixed setting. Given time, a person's brain would start doing what software does.

"If you spend time in a very colored environment, the brain starts to white balance the scene," Lemmon told Mashable. "So there is also something human in the white balancing." 

Scientists hope NASA's Curiosity rover reaches the base of the yardangs sometime in 2027. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech infographic

Is the camera tricking us, then? Mostly not. Lemmon traces the blue to the ground itself. Rocks scoured clean of dust and patches of wind-driven sand look gray to blue-gray, and against the surrounding reds, oranges, and yellows, they tend to look especially blue, he said. 

But the camera can deepen the effect, Malin said. A quarter of the sensor's light-detecting elements are designed to catch blue light, yet Martian sunlight carries very little of it. When the team calibrates the camera to compensate for that weak signal, the boost can overshoot and give gray rocks and dark shadows an extra blue tint. Even a well-calibrated camera records Mars in its dust-tinted light. Images that stop at calibration come out looking orange, he said, as the Viking landers' did in the 1970s. 

For research, both scientists say they prefer the corrected view. Neither could recall a case where the raw image actually revealed something the balanced one hid. But Malin cautioned that it's possible to go too far. Some people process images with harsh contrast that turns the colors "garish," and that can distract other scientists trying to interpret the rocks.

Inspecting rocks is what Curiosity has done since 2014, slowly climbing Mount Sharp, a three-mile-high mountain in Gale Crater stacked in layers, each one recording a different chapter of Martian history. Those layers tell of a world that once held lakes and streams, then dried out billions of years ago and left salty minerals behind. In August, the rover passed one kilometer — about 0.6 miles — of elevation gain, the highest any rover has climbed on Mars. 

The cliffs on the panorama's horizon are Curiosity's next major target. Scientists call them yardangs — ridges the wind carves over long stretches of time that form in sedimentary rock of a specific grain size, Malin said. They stretch about 10 miles across the mountain's northwest flank, and they puzzle the mission team. 

The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter views dark patches between yardang ridges. Credit: NASA / JPL-Caltech / UArizona

"The yardang layer looks out of place," said Ashwin Vasavada, Curiosity's project scientist at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, in a statement, adding that its color is distinct from its surroundings, and the layer almost looks plastered on. One possibility is that ancient volcanoes blanketed the area in ash, but there are other hypotheses.

Color processing does somewhat shape how scientists read a feature like this, Lemmon said, and mostly for the better. But the yardang layer's prominence doesn't depend on editing. 

"The yardang unit stands out in images from orbit, too," he told Mashable.

Scientists hope Curiosity will reach the base of the yardangs sometime in 2027, and the rover's robotic arm can then gather close-up evidence of what they are.

In the meantime, the panorama gives the public rare insight into whether the Red Planet lives up to its name. People tend to picture Mars redder than it is, Lemmon said: "It is frequently much more butterscotch."

TL;DR: Target’s exclusive Owala holiday collection drops on Oct. 18. Eight new colorways are available to purchase this weekend.

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Credit: Owala

Owala x Target

 

Shop Now

If your emotional support water bottle is due for a festive refresh, set an alarm on your phone right now: the first of several Owala holiday drops is officially hitting Target on Oct. 18. These will inevitably sell out quickly, so be warned.

The Target-exclusive collection spans eight colorways for the standard FreeSip 24oz and the contoured FreeSip Sway 30oz:

FreeSip 24oz

• Cozy Does It: A soft cream base paired with warm, knit-inspired accents.

• Bear Hug: Earthy brown tones with a teddy-bear plush aesthetic.

• Toile Be Home: Elegant cream toile print featuring delicate blue floral patterns.

• Take a Bow: Festive pastel pink wrapped with a subtle ribbon motif.

It doesn't get cosier than Cozy Does It. Credit: Owala

FreeSip Sway 30oz

• Poinsettia: Metallic shimmer burgundy-red designed for the holiday table.

• Wintergreen: Deep pine green with a matte, frosted finish.

• Rose Quartz: Soft translucent pink hue with metallic undertones.

• Lightly Toasted: Warm golden-oat colorway with a matte finish.

Wintergreen gives off strong pine vibes. Credit: Owala

Limited-edition Owala drops at Target tend to disappear from shelves within hours. Just ask anyone desperately trying to hunt down Owala’s exclusive Pokémon bottles. We don't think this drop will have Pokémon-levels of interest, because nothing really does. But if you're interested, we recommend getting your affairs in order for Oct. 18. You might still need to act fast.

TL;DR: Get a Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license for $27.97 (reg. $219.99) and skip the yearly Microsoft 365 bill.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows: Lifetime License

$27.97
$219.99 Save $192.02

 

Get Deal

Microsoft pushes almost everyone toward Microsoft 365, and the Personal plan now costs $99.99 a year. A lot of people don’t realize they can still buy Office outright. A Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows lifetime license is on sale for $27.97 (reg. $219.99), and you pay for it once.

You get the full Professional suite, with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, and Access, plus Publisher and the free version of Teams. Access is the database app that Office Home editions leave out, so this version suits anyone who tracks clients, inventory, or invoices. Microsoft ends support for Publisher in October 2026.

Your license installs on one PC running Windows 10 or 11, for home or work. It ties to that computer instead of a Microsoft account, and a Microsoft-verified partner sells it. Because this is Office 2021 and not Microsoft 365, there are no monthly or annual fees.

Your redemption code arrives via email immediately after purchase, and you have 7 days to redeem it. This version doesn’t run in Parallels or other virtual machines, so install it directly on a Windows PC.

Stop paying every year for the apps you already use. Get Microsoft Office Professional 2021 for Windows on sale for $27.97 (reg. $219.99) through Nov. 1 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Mean Girls was more than a teen movie. When it hit in 2004, it was a comedy that defined a generation.

Screenwriter/comedian Tina Fey found inspiration for the film in Rosalind Wiseman's Queen Bees and Wannabes, a self-help book that explored how female friendships among girls could turn toxic. So, Mean Girls became more than a hilarious movie with lines we can't stop quoting; it became a parable about how to be a better friend and build a healthier clique.

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Mean Girls starred '00s It Girl Lindsay Lohan as Cady Heron, a naive new girl from Africa who's bewildered by the etiquette of American high school. Lucky for her, she's swiftly welcomed into the popular girl clique known as the Plastics, where Regina George (Rachel McAdams) rules with an iron fist and French manicure. But Cady has a secret that she's keeping from Regina and her henchgirls, Gretchen Wieners (Lacey Chabert) and Karen Smith (Amanda Seyfried). Aligned with misfits Janice Ian (Lizzy Caplan) and Damian (Daniel Franzese), this new girl is looking to bring the queen bee down by acting as an inside man. That is, if she can resist the lure of being popular.

But if you've rewatched this movie so many times you can recite it from memory, you go, Glen Coco! I mean, then maybe it's time to try something new? Want a comedy about female friendships surviving hilarious highs and wild lows? Want a teen movie that hits no matter your age? Want a film that will give you new vocal stims? We've got you covered.

Heathers

Before there were the Plastics, there were the Heathers. Set at Westerburg High School in Sherwood, Ohio, this 1989 dark comedy follows the unraveling of a clique of preppy, popular girls named Heather Chandler (Kim Walker), Heather Duke (Shannen Doherty), Heather McNamara (Lisanne Falk), and Veronica Sawyer (Winona Ryder).

But when Veronica hooks up with bad boy J.D. (Christian Slater), she not only becomes increasingly fed up with her shallow and cruel besties, but she also begins to plot how to get revenge. One murder leads to more, and before long, Veronica needs to take some serious self-evaluation before her hot-and-heavy romance with J.D. blows up in her face.

This one is definitely darker than Mean Girls, and it's rated R because of it. But it's definitely influential in terms of female-friendship comedies. Plus, it has an unexpected fraternal connection, as Heathers was written by Daniel Waters, and Mean Girls was directed by his brother Mark Waters.

Starring: Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty, Lisanne Falk, Kim Walker, and Penelope Milford

How to Watch: Heathers is now playing for free on Tubi.

Mean Girls (2024)

Another thing that Mean Girls and Heathers have in common is that each was adapted into a stage musical. In 2024, Reneé Rapp, who briefly played the role of Regina George on Broadway, reprised the role in the movie adaptation of the musical.

Members of the original film's cast make appearances, including Tina Fey and Tim Meadows, in roles as high school educators. But critics (myself included) noted that this music-driven reboot dulled the original's wit. As I wrote in my review, "It seems this team was trying to wed Mean Girls with High School Musical, bleeding out the bits that might have been too jolting for parents so that kids could expand the demographic. It's a strange call since both movies are PG-13. But there's no denying this Mean Girls is playing it safe. And that's not fetch."

Starring: Angourie Rice, Reneé Rapp, Auliʻi Cravalho, Christopher Briney, Jaquel Spivey, Avantika Vandanapu, Jenna Fischer, Busy Philipps, Tina Fey, and Tim Meadows

How to watch: Mean Girls is now streaming on Pluto TV.

Clueless

Not all popular girls are mean! In writer/director Amy Heckerling's hit comedy from 1995, a new girl in school is swept up into a world of house parties, designer fashion, and deeply clueless L.A. socialites. But as it's based on Jane Austen's Emma, Clueless offers a clique that really is trying to do their best by others.

Cher Horowitz (Alicia Silverstone) is a bright and eager student at her Beverly Hills high school. And with her no-nonsense bestie Dionne Davenport (Stacey Dash) by her side, Cher thinks she can tackle any challenge, from fending off her annoying ex-step brother Josh (Paul Rudd), playing matchmaker to improve her grades, or giving new girl Tai (Brittany Murphy) a makeover to turn her into a total Betty. And what does she get for all her efforts? An insult so scorching it still has us saying, "Way harsh, Tai."

A true landmark in female friendship comedies, Clueless is funny, vibrant, and cool.

Starring: Alicia Silverstone, Paul Rudd, Stacey Dash, Brittany Murphy, Dan Hedaya, Jeremy Sisto, Breckin Meyer, Twink Caplan, Donald Faison, Wallace Shawn, and Elisa Donovan

How to watch: Clueless is now streaming on Paramount+.

The Edge of Seventeen

Named after the Stevie Nicks song, The Edge of Seventeen is a sidesplitting comedy about a 17-year-old girl having a comically rough time. Rocked by the death of her father four years before, Nadine Franklin (Hailee Steinfeld) is a socially awkward misfit who struggles to connect to her image-conscious mom (Kyra Sedgwick) and her popular brother, Darian (Blake Jenner). Plus, she's flailing at getting her crush to notice her. The one person she can depend on is her bestie Krista (Haley Lu Richardson) — that is, until she catches Krista in bed with Darian.

Feeling betrayed, Nadine has an unhinged (and very funny) crash out, which involves turning to her sardonic teacher (Woody Harrelson) for help. Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen is a wonderful movie that masterfully captures the agony and outrageousness of being a teen girl who's trying to make sense of life, loss, and the real meaning of friendship.

Starring: Hailee Steinfeld, Woody Harrelson, Kyra Sedgwick, Blake Jenner, Woody Harrelson, and Haley Lu Richardson

How to watch: The Edge of Seventeen is now streaming on Prime Video.

Booksmart

Olivia Wilde made her directorial debut with this critically praised coming-of-age comedy about two try-hard high school seniors who are desperate to shake up their reputation before graduation. See, Molly (Beanie Feldstein) and Amy (Kaitlyn Dever) are besties, who love each other — and overachieving. But once they learn that their hard-partying classmates also got into great colleges, they fear they're underachievers on the social front. So, time to cram four years of sex, drugs, and shenanigans into one night.

Booksmart plays like Superbad for those of us who fear we relate to Liz Lemon too much. The screenplay from Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel, and Katie Silberman is chock-full of jokes that go from raunchy and witty to brilliantly stupid. And a cast overflowing with terrific comedic talent assures that there's never a dull moment. But some of the cringe comedy here may have you covering your eyes.

Starring: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Lisa Kudrow, Will Forte, Jason Sudeikis, Billie Lourd, Skyler Gisondo, and Molly Gordon

How to watch: Booksmart is now streaming on Lionsgate+.

Easy A

Another clever book adaptation, Easy A is a modern re-imagining of Nathaniel Hawthorne's 1850 novel The Scarlet Letter. Emma Stone stars as Olive Penderghast, a whip-smart 17-year-old girl who becomes the subject of much slut shaming when a prudish classmate starts rumors about her sex life. Rather than denying the claims, Olive leans in, wearing bustiers to school with a red "A" plastered on them, and accepting gift cards in exchange for letting boys lie about hooking up with her.

Written by Bert V. Royal and directed by Will Gluck, Easy A harkens back to the teen sex comedies of the '80s with less problematic sexual politics. Stone is sensational in the lead role of a wise-cracking rebel. Penn Badgley pops up as a love interest in a woodchuck costume. And Patricia Clarkson and Stanley Tucci play parents who are beautiful, funny, and cool in a way that's almost infuriating, because we want to go to there! Hilarious and heartwarming, Easy A is a great choice for a cozy night in.

Starring: Emma Stone, Penn Badgley, Amanda Bynes, Thomas Haden Church, Patricia Clarkson, Cam Gigandet, Lisa Kudrow, Malcolm McDowell, Aly Michalka, and Stanley Tucci

How to watch: Easy A is now streaming on Paramount+.

Juno

In 2007, this comedy from screenwriter Diablo Cody became a sensation for its unique vision of teen angst and teen pregnancy. Elliot Page stars as Juno MacGuff, a quirky teen girl whose life is thrown into spin she realizes she's carrying a baby after a hook-up with her crush, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera). Thanks to encouragement from her best friend, Leah (Olivia Thirlby), she cooks up a plan to find some good grown-ups to adopt the kid. But prospective parents Vanessa and Mark Loring (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman) aren't as picture-perfect as they seem.

Cody won the Best Original Screenplay Oscar for Juno, and it's easy to see why. Rather than trying to encapsulate how teenagers in the '00s were using slang, she made up her own, building a unique world that invited all weirdos in warmly. From there, a vibrant color scheme, a terrific soundtrack from Kimya Dawson, and a cast exploding with chaotic charisma makes Juno a movie that's timeless fun.

Starring: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer Garner, Jason Bateman, Allison Janney, and J. K. Simmons

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

Unpregnant

Co-written and directed by Rachel Lee Goldenberg, this underseen buddy comedy offers a road trip like no other. Based on the novel of the same name by Ted Caplan and Jenni Hendriks, Unpregnant stars Haley Lu Richardson as Veronica Clarke, a 17-year-old who seems to have her future at an Ivy League university all lined up — until she finds herself staring down a positive pregnancy test in the girls' bathroom.

Determined to get an abortion without her parents knowing, Veronica needs to travel across state lines. But her boyfriend is not the person she trusts to get her there. Instead, she turns to her former bestie, Bailey Butler (Barbie Ferreira), who is her real ride-or-die. While that sounds like the plot of the 2020 drama Never Rarely Sometimes Always, this bold PG-13 movie is firmly a comedy, turning America's culture war on bodily autonomy of pregnant people into a truly wild ride that's wonderfully funny. And beyond that, Unpregnant is a touching film about learning what it means to be a true friend.

Starring: Haley Lu Richardson, Barbie Ferreira, Alex MacNicoll, Breckin Meyer, Giancarlo Esposito, Sugar Lyn Beard, and Betty Who

How to watch: Unpregnant is streaming on HBO Max.

Bottoms

As a follow-up to her critically heralded cringe comedy Shiva Baby, writer/director Emma Seligman reteamed with writer/actress Rachel Sennott for Bottoms. This 2023 comedy stars Sennott and The Bear's Ayo Edebiri as two "ugly, untalented gays" who are desperate to get their crushes to notice them. So, they start a fight club for girls.

Naturally, these two losers have no idea how to fight. But lucky for them (and us), theirs is a world full of fools. Things get absolutely wild as horny teen antics escalate to arson, brawls, and a climax that is comically violent and utterly bizarre. One warning: Between the graphic violence, bawdy language, and general horniness, this one's rated R. So, keep that in mind before cuing it up for a family movie night.

Starring: Rachel Sennott, Ayo Edebiri, Ruby Cruz, Havana Rose Liu, Kaia Gerber, Nicholas Galitzine, Miles Fowler, Dagmara Domińczyk, and Marshawn Lynch

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

In our "maxxing" culture of optimization, no aspect of life is safe from attempts to make it as enhanced as possible. This includes our sex lives: We have to want more sex, have more sex, and have better sex. 

And there are always products to help you do just that. In 2026, there are a ton of libido products on the market, especially for women and people with vulvas. Mashable checked with experts which ones are actually worth trying, with the knowledge that there's no end-all, be-all solution.

What is libido?

"Libido" is difficult to define. In general, though, it's about desire, interest in intimacy and sex, and thoughts about it, OBGYN and co-director of the University of Chicago Medicine Center for Women's Integrated Health, Dr. Melinda Lukens, told Mashable.

Libido is also incredibly personal and changes throughout a woman's lifespan, Lukens said. This is due to relationship changes, outside stressors, trauma, pregnancy and postpartum, as well as perimenopause and menopause.

And there are different types of desire: spontaneous desire and responsive desire, sexpert for sex toy brand LELO, licensed psychologist, and certified sex therapist Dr. Laurie Mintz told Mashable. Spontaneous desire is a male model and youth-oriented model — and it's unfortunately the one we see in the movies when someone is overcome with passion and wants sex immediately. People experiencing spontaneous desire might also feel the beginning stages of arousal, like tingling in the genitals, warmth, and lubrication, Mintz noted.

Responsive desire is wanting sex without feeling those physical feelings, she explains. Sexual activity comes first, then desire comes. And people want to have sex for a variety of reasons. In a 2007 paper titled "Why humans have sex," participants identified 237 individual ones. The top wasn't being horny, but being attracted to the person they had sex with. Next on the list was wanting to experience physical pleasure, and because sex feels good. (Being horny was reason #7.)

Most women — as they get older and/or are in long-term relationships — lose spontaneous desire. Mintz tells those women to have sex to get horny rather than waiting to be horny to have sex.

How to increase libido, really

Both Lukens and Mintz said that desire is multifaceted and that there's no one-size-fits-all solution. The best place to start is a doctor's office.

With patients who come in who want to increase their desire for sex, Lukens first asks a number of questions: What exactly is bothering them? How long has this been going on, and why do they want to fix this now?

Then, she asks about the patient's relationship with their partner and what conversations they're having. She also asks if the patient has been able to orgasm during sex. Lukens utilizes the Female Sexual Function Index, which asks questions about desire, arousal, and satisfaction. She wants a deep history of what's been going on, and that can illuminate which direction to take this. 

She recommends Mintz's book, A Tired Woman's Guide to Passionate Sex, to patients. Sometimes, the process of getting desire back also involves a therapist, a sexual health professional, or another mental health professional. 

If a patient tells her she has a safe relationship with her partner, and she's able to enjoy sex and intimacy but needs a little bit more oomph to get things started, Lukens will talk about medication therapy. Her current go-to is testosterone therapy. (More on that below.)

If someone lost their desire because they hate their husband, they probably shouldn't take medication to get it back, Mintz said. But if someone lost their desire because of normative age-related changes, the first course of action would be to teach about responsive desire, scheduling sex, and the like. 

"But there are some women who learn about responsive desire, they use it effectively, but they grieve. They grieve the feeling of being horny, because it's a glorious feeling, right?" Mintz said. "And for those women, I think these medicines can be extremely useful." She used to be against desire meds, but she's since changed her tune. 

So what products do the experts actually recommend?

Libido treatments

Mindfulness

"If I had a woman coming to me with desire issues, my first thing would be the psychological stuff," Mintz said, such as being mindful during sex. 

"Mindfulness, responsive desire, all that," she said. "If she says, 'Yeah, yeah, yeah, but I really miss feeling horny,' I'd send her to a sexual medicine physician for something FDA-approved or testosterone, Addyi, Vyleesi, and I would also tell her about vibrators and marijuana because the evidence is strong there."

Testosterone

Testosterone isn't yet FDA-approved for women, but both Lukens and Mintz mentioned it as an option for post-menopausal women. Like any of these medications, it's not a cure-all. Lukens pointed out that 40 percent of women see improvement over placebo, but she said it's a nice option for someone who's already exhausted other avenues.

Vyleesi

Vyleesi is the brand name for a medication called bremelanotide, an FDA-approved injection for premenopausal women. Patients inject Vyleesi around 45 minutes before sexual activity, and it can't be used more than once in a 24-hour period or 8 times in one month. There's no safety data for pregnant people using Vyleesi, so it's advised to use reliable contraception. 

Lukens doesn't prescribe Vyleesi, but found that the treatment effect was modest in absolute terms. In one study, around 24 percent of bremelanotide patients achieved a more than 1.2-point increase in their desire score versus 18 percent with placebo, as measured by the Female Sexual Function Index. The change in the number of satisfying sexual events wasn't significantly different from placebo, though a post-study analysis showed a higher percentage of these events with the drug, Lukens said. 

Patients with high blood pressure should avoid using Vyleesi. It's also advised to avoid if you're taking naltrexone (used to treat alcohol use disorder and opiate use disorder). Side effects include nausea, transient increase in blood pressure and decrease in heart rate, and hyperpigmentation (patients with darker skin have a higher risk of this).

But, positively, it doesn't interact with alcohol the way Addyi does.

Addyi

Addyi (the drug flibanserin) is a daily oral pill that's also FDA-approved. Lukens said it also has a modest benefit to increase the number of satisfying sexual experiences by around 0.5 per month. Common side effects include dizziness and fatigue. This also has interactions with alcohol that cause low blood pressure, so you shouldn't drink while taking this. 

Cannabis

Mintz pointed out that studies have shown a link between cannabis and higher sexual desire and performance, in small doses. In higher doses, though, it's associated with the opposite (which makes sense — you might fall asleep before anything sexy happens). 

Vibrators

Vibrators aren't just linked to greater sexual satisfaction. Studies have shown that vibrators can also increase sexual desire. So if you've been wanting an excuse to buy a new sex toy, here it is — and Mashable has lots of suggestions on which vibrators to buy.

Erotica

No need to shun your Heated Rivalry fan fiction habit. Erotic literature has also been shown to increase desire and satisfaction compared to a placebo. 

What about libido gummies?

There are many supplements and pills out there that claim to boost libido. Just one example is Lemme Play Gummies, from the Kourtney Kardashian-owned brand Lemme. On its website, it claims these gummies are for "daily intimacy." They have ingredients like ashwagandha, maca root, nitric oxide, and horny goat weed.

Only one of those ingredients, ashwagandha, has clinical trials, said Mintz, who recommends only FDA-approved drugs or products with clinical trials published in scientific journals. Maca root has suggested evidence, and nitric oxide has nothing to do with desire, just blood flow to tissues. Horny goat weed has nothing studied, she said.

"So what do I think of those products? Not much," she said. "They're taking things that have evidence or not, making them go together and saying this is a desire pill. And my thinking is, first of all, we have FDA-approved medicines, and if you want to take something with evidence, then take the one ingredient that has evidence, ashwagandha." But you need to talk to your doctor about whether to take certain ingredients. People with thyroid issues, for instance, shouldn't take ashwagandha. 

Lukens said, "The truth is that so many of these supplements do not have actual evidence behind them. They really aren't held to the same premarket efficacy and safety standards as something that's FDA approved," but companies can market them however they'd like.

"Women deserve to know what evidence is really behind what they're putting in their bodies," she continued.

People might experience a change because they believe a product they're using works — that's the placebo effect. "Our mind and body — everyone says they're connected. They're not connected. They are one," Mintz said. "They're more than connected. They're the same thing."

But the problem with the placebo effect is the cost, Lukens said, monetary and potentially otherwise (such as taking an ingredient that has a negative impact on your body).

Don't believe the social media hype

Lukens has noticed an increase in the last three to five years of women coming to her to talk about their libidos. Historically, she said, women were shamed for being sexual, but now it seems that we're swinging in the opposite direction and women can feel like they're supposed to want more sex.

"I'm glad we're talking more openly about women's sexual health, but I do worry that with…all this talk online, that we're starting to replace one kind of pressure with another," she said.

Research fellow at the Kinsey Institute, Dr. Jaclyn Siegel, told Mashable over email that she believes the push to sell women things to "fix" their "broken" sex drive instead of understanding the circumstances to affect their desire to have sex — such as working multiple jobs, childcare, uneven domestic labor, and pain during sex — is a money grab. 

"Supplements also aren't regulated. I empathize with women who feel broken in some way, but this does not seem like the way," Siegel said. 

Similarly, Lukens said, "Some of these companies online and these social media influencers are really pathologizing libido," she said. Despite what you see on Reels, you won't feel like your 20-year-old self again if you just take one supplement or medication.

But that doesn't mean there's nothing to be done. There are a host of ways, medicinal or not, to try to increase your desire. Taking the pressure off yourself might be the first step.

What do Street Fighter and Fast X have in common? Well, two things, actually. Both feature Jason Momoa playing a chaotic figure with great hair. Beyond that, however, both are big, bonkers action movies that end on a cliffhanger.

Written by Kitao Sakurai and T.J. Fixman, and helmed by the former, Street Fighter takes place in 1993, when a power-hungry M. Bison (David Dastmalchian) mounts the second World Warrior Tournament. His goal is to lure out the first tournament champion, Ryu (Andrew Koji). But after the death of his sensei, Gouken (Don Lee), Ryu went into hiding, even becoming estranged from even his best friend, Ken Masters (Noah Centineo).

Chun-Li (Callina Liang) is tasked with gathering the world's best fighters for Bison's tournament. But when she invites Ken, she's pretty up-front that his exploits fighting animals and vehicles have made him a joke. He's being invited chiefly as bait to attract Ryu to the event. With a chip on his shoulder, Ken travels to the tournament to prove himself. But he soon learns there's a bigger battle brewing.

What is M. Bison's plan?

David Dastmalchian as M. Bison in "Street Fighter." Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CAPCOM AND LEGENDARY

Bison is seeking to increase his own fighting abilities by draining the "psycho power" out of other warriors. While early test subjects die without giving Bison the juice he desires, he becomes convinced that Ryu's special brand of power is what he needs. The initial plan seems to be to siphon it from Ryu during the tournament's fights.

However, after a bar brawl ends with a bunch of the contenders KO'ed in a street, Ryu is imprisoned and forced to combat the green-skinned redhead Blanka (Momoa). During this cage match, Bison's team of terrorized scientists use special devices to try to harness Ryu's power. But his power is so great that it blows out the machines.

However, in the end, Bison seeks a new target for his power-drain: Akuma (Joe "Roman Reigns" Anoa'i).

Who is Akuma?

Joe “Roman Reigns” Anoa’i in PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES In Association with CAPCOM.A LEGENDARY PICTURES Production “STREET FIGHTER” Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CAPCOM AND LEGENDARY

Introduced in the 1994 fighting game Super Street Fighter II Turbo, Akuma is younger brother of Gouken in the franchise's lore. His origins in the movie are less clear. In animation flashbacks, Street Fighter reveals a pivotal battle between Gouken and Akuma, witnessed by the former's adopted sons/proteges, Ryu and Ken.

In this battle, Akuma, whose eyes turn red to reflect his evil power, urges Ryu to rescue his master by surrendering to the darkness inside himself. Even while gasping for breath, Gouken advises Ryu against this, even if it means his death. And the pupil listens. Ryu does not deliver the Hadoken blow. And Akuma kills Gouken in front of him.

How does Street Fighter end?

Alexander Volkanovski plays Joe in "Street Fighter." Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CAPCOM AND LEGENDARY

In the movie's finale, Akuma crashes the tournament expecting to face off against Ryu. But instead, he finds Joe (Alexander Volkanovski), an Aussie fighter swiftly demolished so that only his flashy belt remains.

When Ryu arrives at the arena, he surrenders to the darkness to combat Akuma. His white gi turns black, and his irises turn red to reflect his turn into Evil Ryu, a playable variant in Street Fighter Alpha 2. With this power surge, Ryu is able to best Akuma, knocking him into the stone bleachers, where he falls unconscious in the rubble. But the real battle is not over.

Still fueled by his dark side, Ryu does not welcome the arrival of allies Ken, Chun-Li, and Dan (Andrew Schulz) to the arena. Instead, he attacks them. They gang up on him, fighting not to kill but to break him out of this rampage mode. But they are no match for Evil Ryu.

Then, Ken, determined to fulfill his promise to their departed master that he'd protect Ryu from himself, unlocks his full power to knock Ryu out — or knock some sense into him. His blow sends Ryu out of the darkness, but also into unconsciousness. But after a passionate sing-along of 4 Non Blondes' "What's Up?" Ryu is restored, and the friends are happily reunited.

But in the meantime, Bison and his Dolls have taken off with Akuma, setting up a sequel.

Street Fighter 2 would be a rematch.

Callina Liang stars in PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES In Association with CAPCOM.A LEGENDARY PICTURES Production “STREET FIGHTER” Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CAPCOM AND LEGENDARY

If Street Fighter makes enough to kick off a sequel, Sakurai and Fixman have established the battle lines. M. Bison and his ferociously devoted underlings Vega (Orville Peck), Cammy (Mel Jarnson), and Juli (Rayna Vallandingham) are on one side. Plus, they've got a captive (or rescued?) Akuma, who shares their hatred for Ryu.

On the other side, Ryu, Ken, Chun-Li, and Dan are joined by Guile (Cody Rhodes) and Dhalsim (Vidyut Jammwal). In the film's final sequence, this United Air Forces fighter and yogi buddy pick up the other four as they hitchhike on a rural road. Plus, there's the possibility that Blanka could come back, as he considers Ryu a friend now.

But the mid-credit scene reveals Bison has picked up a new ally of his own.

What happens in the Street Fighter mid-credit scene?

Vidyut Jammwal stars in PARAMOUNT PICTURES AND LEGENDARY PICTURES In Association with CAPCOM.A LEGENDARY PICTURES Production “STREET FIGHTER” Credit: PARAMOUNT PICTURES, CAPCOM AND LEGENDARY

To explain this, we need to go back to the film's anime opening.

In the original World Warrior Tournament, Ryu was readying for the championship bout against Sagat, when Ken finds him trying to relax by listening to "What's Up?" (Who would have thunk Linda Perry would get such love from Street Fighter?)

A final boss in several Street Fighter games, Sagat is known as the "Emperor of Muay Thai," and a former bodyguard for Bison. In the movie, he's only shown in animation and given no backstory.

In the opening battle sequence, he is a mighty combatant. But Ryu taps into his own darkness to deliver a brutal blow across Sagat's chest for the win. Then, in the movie's mid-credit scene, Bison and his allies — in another anime sequence — find Sagat on a tropical island. Now, he's brandishing his signature scar across his chest, a mark made in the movie by Ryu.

This suggests that if a sequel should come, Sagat will join the live-action cast. Begin your fancasting posts now.

Street Fighter is now in theaters.

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

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BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

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Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

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---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

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Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

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Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

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BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

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There's a big Southeastern Conference showdown today as the Kentucky Wildcats go on the road to face the Oklahoma Sooners in Week 7 action.

The pressure's on No. 15 Kentucky, who are 5-1 overall, to push further up the rankings, particularly after an overtime win against LSU — the Wildcats' second overtime win in a row.

But the unranked Oklahoma, who are 3-2, will prove tough competition. They've got momentum following a win over their rivals, the Texas Longhorns.

If you want to watch Kentucky vs. Oklahoma for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Kentucky vs. Oklahoma?

Kentucky vs. Oklahoma takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium in Norman, Oklahoma.

Kentucky vs. Oklahoma is broadcast on SEC Network.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

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ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

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Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

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Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

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YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Kentucky vs. Oklahoma from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Kentucky vs. Oklahoma from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Kentucky vs. Oklahoma from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

• 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.

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

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As the college football season rolls into Week 7, we're already looking towards the playoffs. With the Oklahoma State Cowboys set to face the Houston Cougars, both teams are fighting to pick up wins and climb the rankings.

Oklahoma State are at 18 with an overall 4-1 record, while Houston are sitting at 20 with a 5-1 record. It's going to be a battle for them to stay in contention for the playoffs, but not impossible — and both teams are on winning streaks in the Big 12.

If you want to watch Oklahoma State vs. Houston for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Oklahoma State vs. Houston?

Oklahoma State vs. Houston takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas.

Oklahoma State vs. Houston is broadcast on FOX.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Oklahoma State vs. Houston from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Oklahoma State vs. Houston from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Oklahoma State vs. Houston from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

It's Week 7 in the 2026 college football season, and there's a stacked lineup of Southeastern Conference games. The schedule includes the Mississippi State Bulldogs vs. the LSU Tigers, a game that could see No. 16 Miss State edge toward the top of the SEC and climb the AP rankings if they get the win.

Miss State are 4-1 overall, while No. 22 LSU are 4-2 but undefeated at home. Could they stop the Bulldogs in their tracks? Both teams are coming off a loss, but Miss State are also coming off a bye week — LSU will need to secure a victory to keep the playoff dream alive.

If you want to watch Miss State vs. LSU for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Miss State vs. LSU?

Miss State vs. LSU takes place at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Tiger Stadium in Baton Rogue, Louisiana.

Miss State vs. LSU is broadcast on ESPN.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Miss State vs. LSU from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Miss State vs. LSU from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Miss State vs. LSU from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

Week 7 promises big action from the Southeastern Conference, including the Missouri Tigers on the road against the Ole Miss Rebels.

No. 9 Ole Miss are coming off a huge win against Vanderbilt, while No. 13 Missouri are on a two-game streak, having bounced back from a one-score loss to MS State, their only loss of the season. Ole Miss have also lost just one game this season, against the Florida Gators.

However it plays out, this should be an exciting showdown with big implications for both SEC and AP rankings, with both teams looking to stay in the running for the playoffs.

If you want to watch Missouri vs. Ole Miss for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Missouri vs. Ole Miss?

Missouri vs. Ole Miss takes place at 3.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Vaught-Hemingway Stadium in Oxford, Mississippi.

Missouri vs. Ole Miss is broadcast on SEC Network.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Missouri vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Missouri vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Missouri vs. Ole Miss from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

There's an exciting Week 7 fixture for college football fans. The Alabama Crimson Tide and Tennessee Volunteers meet in a classic showdown known as "the Third Saturday in October."

No. 6 Alabama has had the better season so far, with a 5-1 record overall and 3-1 in the Southeastern Conference. No. 14 Tennessee has the same overall 5-1 record, but they're only 2-1 in conference games. Expect both teams to put it all on the line as they fight for a victory over their biggest rival — while staying in contention for the playoffs.

If you want to watch Alabama vs. Tennessee for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Alabama vs. Tennessee?

Alabama vs. Tennessee takes place at 8.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Alabama vs. Tennessee is broadcast on ABC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Alabama vs. Tennessee from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Alabama vs. Tennessee from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Alabama vs. Tennessee from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

There's a major test for two of the best-performing teams in college football today, as the Notre Dame Fighting Irish go on the road to face the BYU Cougars in Week 7. Both teams are undefeated so far, with No. 2 Notre Dame at 6-0 and No. 8 BYU at 5-0.

It should be an exciting game, as one team is guaranteed to break the other's perfect record. A win for BYU should keep them comfortably on top of the Big 12 conference, while Notre Dame is currently a safe bet for the playoffs.

If you want to watch Notre Dame vs. BYU for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Notre Dame vs. BYU?

Notre Dame vs. BYU takes place at 7.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo, Utah.

Notre Dame vs. BYU is broadcast on ABC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Fox One

Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

Shop Now

Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: FuboTV

FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Hulu

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: Sling

Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

Opens in a new window

Credit: YouTube TV

YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Notre Dame vs. BYU from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Notre Dame vs. BYU from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Notre Dame vs. BYU from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the U.S.

• 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.

Opens in a new window

Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.

Fortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.

I’ve spent the past four years (yes, years) testing dozens of the top dating apps for Mashable, from discreet sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships. My goal is simple: to find the best apps for every kind of dater, including the one-night-stand crowd. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.

The short answer: Tinder is still the best hookup app for most people, thanks to its massive user base and new IRL features like Group Hangouts and Events. If you want total anonymity, try Pure. Hinge is best for regular FWBs, and Feeld is the go-to for kink, ethical non-monogamy, and exploring your sexuality. Queer men should start with Grindr (or Sniffies for cruising), and queer women should download HER.

How to get the most out of hookup apps

My first rule: be brutally honest about what you want. Are you here for a good time? Own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony. "Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, sex/couples therapist and resident sexologist for Erojoy, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."

And here's a little secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "Free Tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.

Once you've matched, reach out, be honest, and follow through! "Plan dates within the first conversation or else you'll get tired out from having a bunch of conversations that aren't going anywhere," Weiss says.

Recent updates to this guide

• OkCupid (removed October 2026): OkCupid is still a solid pick for inclusive, values-driven dating, but it's a relationship app at heart. Feeld, HUD, and HER all do inclusivity better for no-strings fun. And after OkCupid's 2026 FTC settlement over sharing nearly 3 million users' photos with a facial recognition company, I'm not comfortable recommending it for something as private as hookups.

• Hily (added August 2026): I’ve added Hily to our top picks because its free tier is surprisingly generous (up to 100 likes a day!) and its AI safety tech (like Consent Guard) makes it a standout option for casual, blunt daters looking for a fresh alternative to the Big Three.

• Hinge (moved up October 2025): Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list. It still earns its spot for casual dating with personality; its user base is growing, and my recent tests have been surprisingly positive.

Why some popular hookup apps didn't make the cut

You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.

Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut:

• Plenty of Fish: POF's rebrand didn't do it any favors. My last round of testing showed it removed key features like free messaging with non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles. (Removed January 2025.)

• Match: Some people swear they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. It's still one of my top picks for a long-term relationship. For a hookup? You're fishing in the wrong pond. (Removed August 2025.)

• Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels more limited than with more generous free options like Tinder or Hily.

• DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.

• Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's also added an AI dating assistant and "Meet Cute," which sends you one surprise match a week. It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for no-strings-attached hookups specifically.

You can find a TV on sale any given day of the year, but the real record-low sale prices tend to follow an (unofficial) schedule. So, when is the best time to buy a TV?

Of course, you could probably guess that Black Friday and Prime Day are high up on the list, but those aren't the only good times to score a big screen at a massive discount. There are a few other times the TV deals will really wow you throughout the year, like during football season or in the spring when the new TVs of the year are finally hitting shelves. It's kind of like a "once per season" thing.

TV pricing tends to follow a yearly cycle of sorts: The upcoming main sale window will likely match or beat the best deals from the previous one. For example, Prime Big Deal Days 2026 just outpriced most of the best TV deals we saw during Prime Day proper in June. But many of those Prime Big Deal Days prices will likely be beaten by Black Friday.

Given how big an investment they are, understanding the peaks of the TV calendar is a crucial chapter in the unofficial TV buyer's guide. Let's break down the best months of the year to find TV deals. And if you could use a breakdown of what the heck a QLED or mini LED TV even is before making your purchase, my TV specs explainer lays it all out.

The No. 1 best time to buy a TV: Black Friday and Cyber Monday

Months: Late October, November, and early to mid-December

People may not be ready to throw hands in a Best Buy parking lot at 4 a.m., but Black Friday TV deals are still unmatched — they just don't require you to leave the house at the crack of dawn.

Black Friday is trending toward a month-long affair at this point, with retailers shifting into Black Friday mode online as early as October. The extended time frame raises the question of whether TV sale prices will drop even further closer to Black Friday. Thankfully, most of the big retailers are up front about early deals. Best Buy and Samsung will straight-up tag certain deals as Black Friday deals if they drop before the big day, letting buyers know there's no need to hold out until the week of Thanksgiving.

This is an especially auspicious time for budget shoppers looking for the cheapest possible version of a 4K TV at a certain size. During Black Friday, basic budget-friendly 4K TVs are typically the doorbusters that sell out soon after they drop — and are much less likely to return in the next few months.

In-store or not, Best Buy TV deals during Black Friday include elite prices on TVs 65 inches or larger. You can save hundreds on high-end QLEDs and OLEDs. You'll also find big-screen budget QLEDs at shockingly low prices. Walmart also stays in the mix with a handful of wild doorbuster deals on the best cheap TVs, while Amazon mostly caters to the affordable TV crowd, focusing most on its own Fire TVs and brands like Hisense and TCL.

Post-holiday sales and New Year sales are absolutely a thing, but you can be confident that most TV prices are generally better before Christmas than after. We've seen firsthand how TV sale prices quietly go up by $100 to $200 during post-holiday sales. However, if you miss the Black Friday-Cyber Monday season, another chance to save on TVs is around the corner.

The second-best time to find TV deals: NFL playoff season

Months: Mid-January to early February

Waiting for the festive hustle and bustle to pass is definitely a strategy to save in some categories. So, are TVs cheaper after the holidays?

The answer is technically yes, but not in the "after-Christmas sales" way that you're thinking. By "after the holidays," we mean the last few weeks of football season. Football-fueled TV deals kick off near the start of the NFL playoffs (sometime in mid to late January) and last until the big game (some in early to mid-February).

It makes sense that TV deals are pushed so hard during the lead-up to the most-watched sporting event in the U.S. Hosting a watch party is a perfect excuse to upgrade to a bigger screen. Or maybe it's the fact that the last 18 weeks of the regular season have brought you to your breaking point with your current TV. The field looks washed out, small details like the score bug are pixelated, the glare from your windows makes afternoon games unbearable — whatever the issue, TV brands aren't about to let this opportunity pass.

Football playoff deals tend to spotlight TVs that are good for watching sports: i.e., big-screen QLED TVs, plus some of the brighter OLED TVs of the year. The vibrant lighting supplied by a QLED panel is ideal for following small details like a ball or a tiny score box, as well as for highlighting the brightness of the team's colors and the field, making your experience feel as live and in-person as possible. It's not uncommon for most of these deals to be identical to what we saw on Black Friday, or, in some cases, to drop even further in price due to the proximity to CES. (Read more about that below.)

The third-best time to find TV deals: Spring

Months: March and April

The annual TV release cycle mostly revolves around CES: a Las Vegas-based tech trade show where the latest and greatest consumer tech is unveiled to gadget enthusiasts. This is where brands like Samsung, LG, TCL, and Hisense show off their new TV designs for the year. Sony doesn't always participate in CES, but its TV announcement and release cycle still has similar timing.

While these fresh new TVs aren't the ones getting major discounts, their existence does trigger major price cuts on the previous year's flagship TVs. These deals pop up not when the TVs are announced at the event in January, but once they start being officially released to the public in the spring.

Surprisingly, it's not that uncommon to see small discounts on the brand-new models in their first few months on the market.

The fourth-best time to find TV deals: Prime Day

Month: June or July

Amazon stands out as a TV destination during the shopping holidays it made up for itself: Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days (basically a second Prime Day). The summer sale was consistently held in July until 2026, when Amazon bumped Prime Day to June.

Naturally, Fire TVs are the focal point during Prime events — we've seen a 43-inch Amazon Omni 4K Fire TV drop below $100 during Prime Big Deal Days. Prime Day is packed with unbelievably cheap QLED TVs (in price, not quality) from Hisense or TCL, even in the big sizes.

But many of the best Prime Day TV deals aren't actually at Amazon. They're at Best Buy, which loves to hold a mega sale conveniently during the same week as Prime Day. Best Buy is the best place to shop for a TV if you're looking for a higher-end model from Samsung, LG, or Sony, such as a flagship OLED or an RGB TV.

Does a TV deal seem too good to be true? Check its price history.

Pro Amazon tip: Any time you spot a seemingly good discount, you can confirm you're actually getting a good deal by checking its price history on camelcamelcamel, a free Amazon price-tracking site. Just copy and paste the URL to get a graph showing that TV's price fluctuations over the past year or so, plus confirmation of its lowest sale price ever on Amazon. If the deal you're currently eyeing doesn't match that, it's probably best to wait — that record-low price is sure to pop up during one of the peak sale times we just discussed.

There's also a Walmart price tracker now: Camelmart, obviously. Hopefully, Best Buy's is next.

As a good rule of thumb: If a deal seems too good to be true, there's a good chance it is. But don't underestimate how steep TV discounts can get, either.

TL;DR: The Apple iPhone 17e is free with T-Mobile. To claim this offer, simply switch to T-Mobile on most plans.

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T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17e for free

 

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We know everyone is obsessing over the iPhone Duo right now. You can even get your hands on Apple's first-ever foldable for $1,000 off this weekend, but that's not what we're here to talk to you about. We're here to discuss free deals.

T-Mobile has been the home of incredible iPhone deals all year. We've been blessed with free giveaways of the iPhone 17 and iPhone 18 Pro in recent times, and even though those deals are no longer live, you can still walk away with an iPhone for free this weekend.

The Apple iPhone 17e is totally free right now with T-Mobile. To qualify for this wild offer, you simply need to switch to T-Mobile on most plans. If you want to upgrade to the iPhone 17, you can get it for under $100 when you bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

The full savings are distributed as monthly credits over a 36-month payment plan. If you leave T-Mobile before the end of the three-year commitment, you will need to pay the remaining balance. You do also need to pay local sales tax on the phone's full retail value upfront, plus a standard $35 device connection fee per line at checkout.

We reviewed the iPhone 17e earlier this year. Stan Schroeder said "The iPhone 17e is a decent upgrade over its predecessor, and a good choice if you want the cheapest new iPhone you can get." If you don't need all the power of the iPhone 18 Pro, it's a solid choice for normal users.

Get the Apple iPhone 17e for free this weekend with T-Mobile.

The best Disney+ deals and bundles in October 2026:

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Best Hulu Bundle Deal

Disney+ and Hulu Bundle

6 months for $11.99/month

Get Deal

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Best HBO Max Bundle Deal

Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle

$21.99/month with ads, $34.99/month ad-free

Get Deal

---

Best ESPN Bundle Deal

Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle

$35.99/month

Get Deal

Whether you're looking to jump into the latest superhero saga or journey to a galaxy far, far away, Disney+ is the streaming service for you.

Home to Marvel, Star Wars, Pixar, and more, Disney+ offers a library that's stuffed with shows and films to keep both adults and kids entertained. With Disney+, you can watch movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu or Toy Story 5, the new Marvel series VisionQuest, and much more.

The service was just hit with a price hike, but it still offers some great bundle deals if you're hoping to save some cash. Among them is a six-month offer for the ad-supported Disney+ and Hulu bundle that brings the price down to $11.99 per month, then renews at $12.99 per month after that six-month period. Its ad-free plan also includes this deal, dropping the price to $19.99 per month for the first six months, then renewing at $21.99 per month.

There's also the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max package, which was unfortunately hit by the price hike as well but is still a great investment for those who already use the other two streaming services and want to cut costs. We've detailed all available bundle deals below, along with basic information on Disney+ plans if you just want the House of Mouse's service on its own.

Best Hulu bundle deal

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Disney+ and Hulu Bundle

Get 6 months of Disney+ and Hulu (With Ads) for $11.99/month, then $12.99/month

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Why we like it

For those interested in the Disney+ and Hulu bundle, the streamer is offering deals on both its ad-supported and ad-free plans. For the plan with ads, new and eligible returning subscribers can lock in at $11.99 per month for six months before it returns to $12.99 per month. And if you're interested in going ad-free, the Premium plan is down to $19.99 per month for six months, then returns to $21.99 per month.

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle — $11.99 per month for six months, then $12.99 per month

• Disney+ and Hulu Bundle Premium — $19.99 per month for six months, then $21.99 per month

Best HBO Max bundle deal

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Credit: Disney

Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max Bundle

$21.99/month with ads, $34.99/month ad-free

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Why we like it

The Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max bundle is one of the best available at the moment. Starting at $21.99 per month, you can have three excellent streaming services right in the palm of your hand. The $21.99 per month option is for the With Ads plan, but if you'd prefer to watch your favorite content without ads, the No Ads plan costs $34.99 per month. Compared to what you'd pay for each of these on their own, you're saving 38% with the ad-supported plan and 43% with the ad-free plan.

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (with ads) — $21.99 per month (save 38%)

• Disney+, Hulu, HBO Max Bundle (no ads) — $34.99 per month (save 43%)

Best ESPN bundle

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Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited Bundle

$35.99/month

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If you're a sports fan looking to add ESPN to your bundles, you're in luck: Disney offers bundles with both ESPN Select and ESPN Unlimited. According to ESPN, "ESPN Select includes ESPN+ content only. Fans who want ESPN+ exclusively may subscribe to the ESPN Select plan. ESPN Unlimited includes all of the ESPN networks and services, including ESPN+."

The Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle, which has ads, is available for $35.99 per month. The Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited premium bundle without ads is available for $44.99 per month.

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $21.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $32.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle — $35.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Unlimited Bundle Premium — $44.99 per month

Best Disney+ monthly plans

Disney+ offers two standard plans if you just want the service on its own. The Disney+ ad-supported plan comes to $12.49 per month, while the ad-free Disney+ Premium plan will set you back $21.49 per month or $214.99 per year if you'd rather pay annually.

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $12.49 per month

• Disney+ Premium (No Ads) — $21.49 per month, $214.99 per year

Disney+ has also created an "extra member" plan for people who use your account but live outside your household, as they crack down on password sharing. If you're looking to add another person to your account, you're only allowed one extra profile and can choose from the following add-on plans:

• Disney+ (With Ads) — $6.99 per month

• Disney+ Premium — $9.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle — $7.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu Bundle Premium — $10.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle — $11.99 per month

• Disney+, Hulu, ESPN Select Bundle Premium — $14.99 per month

There's a wealth of shows and films to check out on Disney+ after you sign up. If you want some help finding something to watch, check out our roundups of the 12 best TV shows for adults on Disney+ and the 20 best movies on Disney+ to start building out your watchlist.

TL;DR: Get a one-year Sam’s Club Plus Membership with Auto-Renew for $120 and make holiday shopping a little easier.

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1-Year Sam's Club Plus Membership with Auto-Renew*

$120

 

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The holiday season has a way of turning a simple shopping list into a full-blown project. Between festive dinners, gifts, decorations, and everyday essentials, having a single place to handle multiple errands can make a difference. A one-year Sam’s Club Plus Membership with Auto-Renew is $120, making now an ideal time to join before the seasonal rush begins.

At Sam’s Club, members can shop for groceries, kitchen supplies, electronics, furniture, and holiday decorations, along with household staples worth keeping stocked year-round.

The Plus membership adds perks that can make shopping more convenient, especially during busy weeks.

Early shopping hours let Plus members get a head start before regular club hours. Qualifying in-club purchases also earn 2 percent back in Sam’s Cash, up to $500 annually (subject to program terms).

Prefer shopping from home? Plus members can get free shipping on eligible online orders and complimentary curbside pickup.

Membership benefits extend beyond groceries and gifts. Members can access fuel savings at select locations, while Plus perks include pharmacy savings on hundreds of generic medications and optical discounts.

Vehicle-related services include complimentary flat-tire repair, battery testing, and wiper-blade installation.

You’ll also receive a complimentary household card for another eligible household member to shop. For families planning holiday gatherings, the combination of members-only prices, convenient pickup, and early access can help simplify seasonal shopping. And these benefits aren’t just for December. They can be useful throughout the year for groceries, household essentials, and everyday errands.

Get a one-year Sam’s Club Plus Membership with Auto-Renew for $120 and start planning your holiday shopping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

From Christmas markets to seeing the neighborhood's outdoor lights, I'm a huge fan of the holiday season. I'm the type of person who begins Christmas shopping in the summer in anticipation of watching people open a present I carefully selected after pondering the perfect gift for months. But once December rolls around, I'm all in on Advent calendars.

Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, an Advent calendar is a fun way to get a small surprise each day as a small pat on the back for making it through another day in December, or you can even save it for the chilly, dark month of January. I also think gifting Advent calendars is a fun way to surprise someone on Dec. 1.

However you wish to celebrate, these are my favorite Advent calendars for 2026. Keep in mind some of these are so popular they'll sell out well before December, so it's best to shop early.

A special treat for the coffee crowd

For many of us, coffee is the reason we get out of bed in the morning. We all have our favorite coffee method, be it a Keurig machine, Nespresso, or heading to the cafe. But if you're on board with 24 delicious, quick, and hassle-free coffee beverages, you must go with the Cometeer 2026 Advent Calendar.

If you're new to Cometeer, here's a quick intro. Coming from exceptional coffee companies around the country, Cometeer flash freezes freshly brewed coffee into aluminum capsules. When you're ready to enjoy, thaw the capsule for five minutes in hot water. Then add it to your favorite hot milk or cold water for whatever drink you'd like. No machine needed.

The Cometeer Advent Calendar for 2026 includes some of the company's favorites, such as Joe Coffee, Bird Rock Coffee Roasters, and Onyx Coffee Lab. The finale on day 24 is a rare light roast from Stellar Series.

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Cometeer 2026 Advent Calendar

$129 at Cometeer

 

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The stationery lover's dream

If you're at all interested in stationery or planners, you're familiar with Papier. Their planners, organizers, journals, and notebooks have made the brand well known as one of the most aesthetically appealing. Bundling 24 days of fun, luxurious stationery items, the Papier 24 Day Advent Calendar is a delight.

I won't give away any spoilers, but the collection of goodies is amazing, not to mention the incredible treasure chest and packaging. If the 24-day option feels a bit too spendy, consider the 12 Day Advent calendar that comes in an adorable keepsake cottage.

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Papier 24 Day Advent Calendar

$195 at Papier

 

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Papier 12 Day Advent Calendar

$95 at Papier

 

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A gift for the adventurous candy fanatic

Candy in an Advent calendar is standard, and maybe even a bit boring, if we're being honest. But fill 24 days with a licorice and chocolate treat from a popular Danish company, and we're in for a delicious experience. The Lakrids by Bülow Advent Calendar features black licorice coated in flavored chocolate, offering two bites of delight per day.

You're in for flavors like salty caramel, passion fruit, sour cherry, frozen mint, dark truffle, and more. Plus, all Lakrids by Bülow in the calendar are both gluten-free and made without gelatin. If you've never heard of this brand and think you hate black licorice, this is the Advent calendar to change your mind.

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Credit: Lakrids by

Lakrids by Bülow Advent Calendar + free Lakrids by Bülow Classic Caramel

$69.99 at Amazon

 

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Wings for the whole season

The brand that's brought us the most ridiculous and enjoyable sporting events has entered the world of Advent calendars. The Red Bull Advent Calendar has 24 standard 8.4-ounce cans in packaging that's so joyful, it's hard to throw away at the end of the season.

The variety pack includes 11 flavors, including the tried-and-true original, the Coconut Edition, and the Peach Edition. It also includes two cans of Red Bull Fuji apple and ginger and the new 2026 Winter Edition flavor of pistachio and berries.

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Credit: Red Bull

Red Bull Advent Calendar

$54.98 at Amazon

 

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A season of enjoyment from Lovehoney

This year, Lovehoney didn't hold back on the holiday treats. The brand gave us five Advent calendars to choose from. And yes, that does mean you're gonna need to open five windows on your computer to compare specs. Mashable Contributor Tabitha Britt explained that the Lovehoney Romance Advent Calendar (7-Day) is "ideal for couples who want to add a little ~spice~ to their bedroom routine without spending a fortune."

If you feel like going all-out with 24 days of goodies, the Lovehoney Luxury Advent Calendar (24-Day) is well worth the money, and it comes with a festive candy cane glass dildo.

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Lovehoney Romance Advent Calendar (7 Day)

$129 at Lovehoney
$219.91 Save $90.91

 

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Lovehoney Luxury Advent Calendar (24 Day)

$369 at Lovehoney
$908.75 Save $539.75

 

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A mini puzzle a day

For some quiet and calm fun, we have Advent calendars in the form of jigsaw puzzles. The Winter Lights 12 Days of Puzzles from Galison is filled with delightful winter scenes on each of the 80-piece puzzles. The 12 puzzles measure just five by seven inches each, so there's always room on the table despite it being covered in sugar from baking and wrapping paper. This option makes a great gift for the beginning of December. Galison uses recycled paper and no dust. The brand makes puzzle pieces that are so high quality, I pretty much refuse any other brand.

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Credit: Galison

Winter Lights 12 Days of Holiday Puzzle Countdown

$23.03 at Amazon
$26.99 Save $3.96

 

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Cozy tea time for two

December is a hectic season. Slow down with afternoon tea time and the Twinings Tea Advent Calendar. Each of the 24 doors contains two tea bags, so you can share with a friend. The calendar includes black, green, and herbal teas, including my favorites like Lady Grey, as well as lemon and ginger. Seasonal flavors include Christmas Tea, Gingerbread Joy, and Winter Spice.

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Credit: Twinings

Twinings Tea Advent Calendar

$23.98 at Amazon
$25.98 Save $2

 

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A spicy winter surprise

For those who add spice to every dish, we have two Fly by Jing Advent Calendars for 2026. The famous chili crisp brand has a 2026 limited-edition 12-Day Advent Calendar and a 24-Day Calendar for the die-hard fans of keeping things spicy. Both include classic flavors and never-before-launched flavors.

In addition to the edible sauces, both Fly By Jing Advent Calendars include a jar ornament for your tree. Keep in mind, last year's Fly By Jing calendar sold out by Nov. 5, so act accordingly with this one.

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Fly By Jing 12-Day Advent Calendar

$98 at Fly By Jing

 

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Fly By Jing 24-day Advent Calendar

$175 at Fly By Jing

 

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A chocolate Advent calendar with chocolate that's worth eating

Chocolate, like coffee, has a large range of quality. Some is top-tier, and some is barely worth ingesting. Instead of getting the random grocery store Advent calendar with waxy chocolate, go with the Lindt Teddy Assorted Chocolate Candy Christmas Advent Calendar. The 24 days include Lindt double milk-chocolate balls, Lindt mini hazelnut cream chocolate balls, and other classic flavors. Of course, there's also a Lindt Teddy to enjoy.

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Lindt Teddy Assorted Chocolate Candy Christmas Advent Calendar

$13.97 at Amazon

 

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Treats for the hair care buff

With 12 doors of curated surprises from Kitsch, your holiday season can be one of beauty. The brand included items such as accessories and festive surprises. Even the brand's everyday products get a festive spin with this calendar. And Kitsch didn't go mini with the Advent calendar. All doors feature a full-size treat.

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Kitsch Holiday Advent Calendar

$118.99 at Kitsch
$184 Save $65.01

 

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A flavorful and sweet season

It's become one of the most popular Advent calendars ever, which means it's time to snag it before it sells out for the year. The Bonne Maman Advent Calendar 2026 includes 24 mini jars of the brand's exceptional jams and spreads. Plus, the mini glass jars with signature red-and-white checkered lids are reusable all year long.

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Bonne Maman Advent Calendar 2026

$55.99 at Amazon

 

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12 ornaments that make for a great gift

Who can deny googly eyes? Brass Monkey's Googly & Bright Holiday Ornament Countdown Calendar comes with 12 delightful holiday ornaments that have (drumroll, please) googly eyes. The food-themed collection is a great Advent calendar for the friend who has everything and needs nothing more. It also makes for a great White Elephant party option.

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Credit: Brass Monkey

Brass Monkey Googly & Bright Holiday Ornament Countdown Calendar

$25.40 at Amazon

 

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Chocolate for making it through another day in December

Even if you love the Christmas season, it can be tiring. Add some pep to the day with the Awake Very Caffeinated Christmas Advent Calendar. Each of the 24 days includes one caffeinated chocolate bite from the brand's flavor lineup. There's dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and my favorite salted caramel dark chocolate.

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Credit: Awake Chocolate

Awake Chocolate A Very Caffeinated Christmas Advent Calendar

$37.99 at Amazon

 

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A classic Lego option for all ages

A sell-out every year, the Lego Star Wars Advent calendar is now a staple during the holidays. This year's version has 293 pieces, and some come with a festive twist. This year's calendar has Grogu and the Mandalorian in holiday sweaters. Need we say more?

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Credit: Lego

Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026

$30 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $14.99

 

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Libations for the month

Gather up friends, family, and neighbors to check out the new 12 Days of Harry & David Christmas Wine collection. The lavish box contains pinot gris, moscato, sav blanc, two bottles of merlot, and two bottles of cab sav, to name a select few.

Unlike most wine Advent calendars, the Harry & Davis features full-size 750-milliliter bottles, so you'll have some for sharing.

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12 Days of Harry & David Christmas Wine

$249.99 at Harry & David

 

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A whole new sock wardrobe

Who couldn't use 24 pairs of new socks? The Happy Socks Advent Calendar Gift Set features a fantastic mix of holiday-themed socks and classics like polka dots. Happy Socks have a reinforced heel and toe, and all pairs are 83% cotton for breathability. As a bonus, this means you don't have to wash socks until Dec. 25.

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Happy Socks 24-Pack Advent Calendar Gift Set

$252 at Happy Socks

 

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Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

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BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

Neither the North Carolina Tar Heels nor the Duke Blue Devils are ranked as we head into this Week 7 clash. But that's why it's all to play for as the Atlantic Coast Conference teams meet today — they're out to prove themselves and improve that win-loss record. North Carolina are currently at 4-1, and Duke at 3-2. They're both 1-1 in conference play, so a win here would give either team the edge.

If you want to watch North Carolina vs. Duke for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is North Carolina vs. Duke?

North Carolina vs. Duke takes place at 3.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at Brooks Field at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham, North Carolina.

North Carolina vs. Duke is broadcast on ESPN2.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

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ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

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Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

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Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

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Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, on top of live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

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Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

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YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch North Carolina vs. Duke from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream North Carolina vs. Duke from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch North Carolina vs. Duke from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

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ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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TL;DR: Get lifetime access to AskAnyModel AI Pro for just $39.99 (reg. $499).

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AskAnyModel AI Pro Plan: Lifetime Subscription

$39.99
$499 Save $459.01

 

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ChatGPT says one thing. Claude has another suggestion. Gemini takes a different approach. Comparing AI responses can be useful, but bouncing between platforms gets old quickly. AskAnyModel AI Pro offers lifetime access for $39.99 (reg. $499), bringing more than 50 AI models into one workspace.

The standout feature is side-by-side comparison. Enter one prompt, select up to six models, and review their answers simultaneously. It’s a practical way to compare writing styles, coding suggestions, research approaches, or brainstorming ideas without constantly switching tabs.

AskAnyModel supports familiar names like GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Llama, and Mistral, with a model library that’s regularly updated.

The lifetime plan includes unlimited chats with 30 standard models, so you can handle everyday writing, research, and creative tasks without monthly message limits on those models.

For more advanced work, you’ll receive 500 premium credits each month to use across 19 flagship models. There’s also a Gemini model with Google Search grounding, available for up to 300 chats weekly.

Need visuals? AskAnyModel supports unlimited AI image generation across compatible models without using your premium credits.

You can switch models mid-conversation, view responses as they stream, and access everything directly through a web browser. No downloads or installations are required.

Lifetime access doesn’t mean unlimited use of every premium model. The 500-credit monthly allowance applies to flagship models, while the unlimited chat benefit covers supported standard models.

For anyone regularly experimenting with different AI tools, AskAnyModel offers more flexibility without requiring separate subscriptions to every provider.

Get AskAnyModel AI Pro Lifetime on sale for just $39.99 (reg. $499) for a limited time.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

When dating sites and apps first emerged on the scene, they were not only fairly straightforward in their design and matchmaking abilities, but they were also very much conservative in their outlook, designed for heterosexual singles to find a monogamous relationship. Fast forward to today, however, and mainstream online dating has loosened its restrictions considerably, with a wider embrace of human sexual orientations and a greater legitimacy given to connections of all shapes, sizes, and durations.

Couples dating, however, is still not as widely supported, with only a handful of apps and sites offering native support for non-monogamous lifestyles. Two of the standouts in that respect are AdultFriendFinder, one of the internet's oldest adult dating sites, and Feeld (originally 3nder), an app designed from the ground up for practitioners of polyamory, kink, and swinging to connect.

Whether you're new to couples dating or only recently expanding your search to the digital world, you're probably curious about where it's best to start your search. We put AdultFriendFinder and Feeld in a head-to-head contest to see which one offers couples the best chance of finding connection, whether they're looking for other couples or simply another single to add to their fun. 

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AdultFriendFinder

 

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Feeld

 

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Interface and ease of use

One immediate difference between the two services is that Feeld looks and feels modern, while AFF's interface has not meaningfully changed in decades, so if you're a digital native with an affinity for apps over web-based dating, you're going to gravitate to Feeld. 

However, as dated as the AFF interface looks, it offers fantastic native support for couples dating and does a great job integrating couples' accounts into its search algorithms. In other words, though it still looks every bit the '90s-era website, its functionality for couples dating is basically unmatched against other web-based dating sites. 

In feel and design, Feeld is AFF's opposite, eminently modern and aesthetically pleasing, but Feeld and AFF share a common support for non-monogamous dating. From the signup screen, you'll be asked about the "group dynamics" that you're interested in, as well as how open you are to exploring outside your comfort zone. And if you are already in an open relationship with another Feeld user or users, you have the option to add them to your "Constellation," a collection of partnered profiles that will be visible to everyone who comes across you on the app and with whom you share an automatic ability to group chat. 

A lot of the decision here comes down to whether you're more comfortable using your phone or computer, but since both services offer extensive native support for couples looking to date, we're not going to give the edge to either. 

Winner: Tie

User base

Both AdultFriendFinder and Feeld have remained relatively tight-lipped about their user counts. AFF has more than its fair share of bots and spam accounts, while Feeld users aren't all active when you want them to be. Feeld claims it has more than 14 million registered users worldwide, with roughly 30 percent year-over-year growth since 2022, while AFF claims to have more than 50 million active users worldwide and more than 100 million registered accounts. 

So, in absolute terms, AFF has almost five times as many active users as Feeld has total users, but the differences don't end there. According to Feeld's own statistics, the most active users are between 28 and 32, while the average AdultFriendFinder user is between 30 and 38. Unfortunately for Feeld, this discrepancy can't exclusively be attributed to preference; Feeld is much less popular among the over-40 crowd, which means anyone middle-aged and above will probably have better luck on AFF.

There's one final difference worth mentioning, though it's harder to quantify with statistics: Feeld users are much more concentrated in cities, especially big cities like Los Angeles and New York, whereas AdultFriendFinder users are much more spread out geographically. If you're already in LA or NYC, you can definitely have great luck on Feeld, but if you live somewhere more remote, you'll quickly realize there just aren't many Feeld users in your area. 

Winner: AdultFriendFinder

Culture

By far the most important aspect when evaluating a dating service for couples is the site's culture, since some sites or apps aren't always welcoming to non-monogamous daters. Religious dating sites, for example, don't even offer the option to date as a couple, while even hookup-oriented services like Tinder don't offer native support for joint profiles, and only recently offered listings for polyamory and ethical non-monogamy in dating profiles. 

Thankfully, this is one area where both AFF and Feeld are clear standouts. Both services have an open-minded user base that doesn't just tolerate but openly accepts non-traditional dating practices.

In other words, from a culture perspective, you can't go wrong with either Feeld or AFF. 

Winner: Tie

Value

For all their other similarities in values and features, one obvious standout between Feeld and AFF is their value proposition. To do almost anything on AdultFriendFinder, from viewing profiles to sending private messages to other singles or couples, you have to have a paid membership. Feeld, on the other hand, operates much like Tinder, allowing non-paying users a wide range of features: swiping through profiles, sending likes and dislikes, and even chatting with matches. You don't even need to be a paying member to use Feeld's Constellation feature. 

The major downside of being a free user of Feeld is that you can only send a limited number of likes per day (much like Tinder!), and that's not much of a downside at all if you're willing to be patient.

In terms of a value proposition, then, the choice is obvious: Feeld offers much more for less. 

Winner: Feeld

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who like college football.

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

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

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

What is Connections: Sports Edition?

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

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

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

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

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

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

• Yellow: Swim gear

• Green: English naming conventions

• Blue: Award-winning student athletes

• Purple: Sounds like a WNBA team

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: A Swimmer's Needs

• Green: Words in English Premier League Team Names

• Blue: Heisman Trophy Winners

• Purple: WNBA Teams, Minus the First Letter

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #754 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• A Swimmer's Needs: CAP, GOOGLES, POOL, SUIT

• Words in English Premier League Team Names: CITY, FOREST, PALACE, VILLA

• Heisman Trophy Winners: BURROW, BUSH, CROUCH, WARE

• WNBA Teams, Minus the First Letter: EVER, IRE, PARKS, REAM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Easy difficulty hints, answers for October 17 Pips

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-2, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (5): Everything in this space must be greater than 5. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically; 6-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (1): Everything in this space must be less than 1. The answer is 0-0, placed horizontally; 5-0, placed horizontally.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for October 17 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally; 4-6, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (8): Everything in this space must be greater than 8. The answer is 4-6, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 3-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 3-6, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for October 17 Pips

Number (8): Everything in this space must add up to 8. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 6-1, placed horizontally; 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 3-5, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 3-2, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 5-0, placed vertically.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally.

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 6-2, placed vertically; 3-0, placed horizontally.

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

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

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed vertically.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add up to 10. The answer is 6-3, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 0-0, placed vertically.

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

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

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The Southeastern Conference showcases another big noon kickoff today, as the Florida Gators visit the Texas Longhorns for a Week 7 clash.

These teams are just one place apart in the SEC standings (Texas are 4-1 overall and Florida are 4-2), though the Longhorns are faring much better in the rankings — they're at No. 7 while the Gators are currently unranked. Both are coming off losses, following Texas's defeat at the hands of also-unranked Oklahoma and Florida's two-game losing streak against Missouri and South Carolina. This could be a crucial showdown for both teams.

If you want to watch Florida vs. Texas for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Florida vs. Texas?

Florida vs. Texas takes place at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at the Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Florida vs. Texas is broadcast on ABC.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

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ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

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Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

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Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

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Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

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Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

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YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Florida vs. Texas from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Florida vs. Texas from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Florida vs. Texas from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

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Credit: ExpressVPN

ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.95 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

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TL;DR: Watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Bundesliga has a stacked schedule of exciting fixtures this weekend, including a fascinating clash between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. These teams are separated by two points, so a win for the visitors would see them leapfrog the defending champions.

Bayern Munich are looking to bounce back after a disappointing draw in the Champions League in which Michael Olise was sent off.

If you're interested in watching Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig?

Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga kicks off at 12.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free

Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, 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 Brazil, meaning you can live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig 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 Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free from anywhere in the world

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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 Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for the Bundesliga?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• 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 Bayern Munich vs. RB Leipzig for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Want to watch college football this season? Here are your best options:

---

BEST FOR ESPN

ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

Shop Now

---

Best for Fox and Big Ten

Fox One

3-day free trial, then $199.99/year (save $39.89)

Shop Now

---

BEST FOR SINGLE GAME

FuboTV

5-day free trial, then $63.99/month for 1 month (save $25)

Get Deal

---

Best for channels

Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

Shop Now

---

Best for affordability

Sling Orange & Blue

$60.99/month

Shop Now

---

BEST for INTRODUCTORY OFFER

YouTube TV

5-day free trial, then $49.99/month for 5 months (save $110)

Shop Now

It's Week 7 of the 2026 college football season, and there's a noon game today that could have big ramifications for the Big Ten — not to mention the AP rankings.

The No. 4 Ohio State Buckeyes visit the No. 5 Indiana Hoosiers, which is a battle for the top spot in the conference — with an eye on a playoff bid. Both teams have shown exceptional form so far, with Ohio at 5-1 and Indiana undefeated at 6-0. A win for Ohio would put them level for overall wins and losses.

If you want to watch Ohio vs. Indiana for free from anywhere in the world, here's all the information you need.

When is Ohio vs. Indiana?

Ohio vs. Indiana takes place at 12 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This game takes place at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.

Ohio vs. Indiana is broadcast on FOX.

How to watch college football in 2026

Fans can live stream college football on a wide range of recommended services, some of which include free trials so you can follow the action without actually spending anything.

ESPN Unlimited (no free trial)

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ESPN Unlimited

$31.99/month for 1 year

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Channels: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPNEWS, ESPN Deportes, SEC Network, ACC Network, ESPN on ABC, ESPN+, ESPN3, SECN+, and ACCNX

ESPN Unlimited provides access to everything that ESPN has to offer. For college football, you get live access to games on ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU, ESPN+, SEC Network, SECN+, ACC Network, and ABC. The Unlimited plan will set you back $31.99 per month, but for an extra $4 per month you can secure a plan that also includes Disney+ and Hulu.

Fox One (free trial)

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Fox One

7-day free trial, then $199.99/year

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Channels: Fox, FS1, FS2, Big Ten Network

Fox One provides access to live broadcasts on Fox, Fox Sports, FS1, FS2, and Big Ten Network. It costs $19.99 per month, but you can save $38.89 by opting for the annual plan at $199.99. You can also start with a three-day free trial, so you've got the chance to watch select games without spending anything.

FuboTV (free trial)

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FuboTV

7-day free trial, then $54.99/month for 1 month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, Marquee Sports Network, Monumental Sports, NBC, NBCSN, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network, and The CW

FuboTV offers more than 250 live TV channels and lets you watch on 10 screens at once, if that's your thing. You can try FuboTV with a five-day free trial period. 

Fubo takes sports seriously, and that's something we appreciate. With the Pro subscription, you get access to most college football broadcasts. But hardcore fans may want to consider upgrading to the Elite plan, which unlocks access to ESPNU, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, and ACC Network. Either way, we suggest you test the waters with a trial before you make any commitment.

Hulu + Live TV (free trial)

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Hulu + Live TV

3-day free trial, then $99.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, and The CW

Hulu + Live TV is not exactly cheap, but it does offer good bang for your buck. You need to cough up $99.99 per month (after a three-day trial), but you get access to over 95 live TV channels, plus Hulu, Disney+, and ESPN+ (all with ads). Plus, the first month will only cost $49.99.

The included ESPN+ access provides bonus coverage of even more college football games, in addition to live TV networks like ABC, FOX, ESPN, The CW, ACC Network, and more. Now that's value.

Sling (no free trial)

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Sling Season Pass

$60.99/month

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Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPN 3, ESPNews, ESPN U, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, Pac-12 Network, SEC Network

Sling is a comprehensive sports streaming service that offers a wide range of benefits, but you do need to be careful when selecting a plan. The Orange and Blue package gives you access to FOX, NBC, ABC, ESPN, plus ACC Network, SEC Network, Big Ten Network, and more. We recommend checking your local market to ensure you get access to the channels you actually need.

YouTube TV (free trial)

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YouTube TV

7-day free trial, then $49.99/month for your first 3 months

Shop Now

Channels: ABC, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, ESPN 2, ESPNews, Fox, FS1, FS2, NBC, NBCSN, SEC Network, and The CW

YouTube TV provides access to over 100 live channels. Newsflash: that's a lot. This huge list includes most of the channels you actually need to watch live college football, including NBC, CBS, ABC, FOX, and ESPN, plus networks like FS1 and SEC Network. YouTube TV also offers that all-important free trial so you can watch select games without spending anything.

How to watch Ohio vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world

If you're abroad for this fixture, you might need to use a VPN to unblock your favorite streaming service. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the U.S., meaning you can unblock live streams of college football from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Ohio vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Sign in to your favorite streaming service

5. Watch Ohio vs. Indiana from anywhere in the world

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including the U.S.

• 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.

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ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan)

$12.99 at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee)

Get Deal

TL;DR: Watch Real Betis vs. Barcelona in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

We're still in the early stages of the new season, but Barcelona look very strong. They seem to be marching towards another La Liga title, and the big question is whether anyone can trip them up. The defending champions face off against Real Betis in their next clash, a team that has started the season very well. This could be a tough test for Barcelona.

If you're interested in watching Real Betis vs. Barcelona in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Real Betis vs. Barcelona?

Real Betis vs. Barcelona in La Liga kicks off at 12.30 p.m. ET on Oct. 17. This fixture takes place at the Estadio de La Cartuja.

How to watch Real Betis vs. Barcelona for free

Real Betis vs. Barcelona in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, 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 Brazil, meaning you can live stream Real Betis vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Real Betis vs. Barcelona 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 Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Real Betis vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world

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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 Real Betis vs. Barcelona without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus more La Liga action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for La Liga?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• 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 Real Betis vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Strasbourg vs. PSG in Ligue 1 for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Ligue 1 has started with some surprising results. PSG are not used to being in sixth place in the standings, but you'd expect the defending champions to climb towards the top. They are fresh from beating Manchester City in the Champions League, after all.

If you're interested in watching Strasbourg vs. PSG in Ligue 1 from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Strasbourg vs. PSG?

Strasbourg vs. PSG in Ligue 1 kicks off at 11:15 a.m. ET on Oct. 17. This fixture takes place at the Stade de la Meinau.

How to watch Strasbourg vs. PSG for free

Strasbourg vs. PSG in Ligue 1 is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, 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 Brazil, meaning you can live stream Strasbourg vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Strasbourg vs. PSG 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 Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Strasbourg vs. PSG 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 Strasbourg vs. PSG without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Ligue 1?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• 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 Strasbourg vs. PSG for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

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

Perfecting.

Hurdle Word 1 answer

ACING

Hurdle Word 2 hint

More rational.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SANER

Hurdle Word 3 hint

One of the five senses.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

TOUCH

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Prickly plant.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

BRIAR

Final Hurdle hint

Spoiled.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

MOLDY

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

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.

Alert meaning

A warning signal about danger or important information.

Chime meaning

To make a clear ringing sound.

Ding meaning

A short, sharp metallic ringing sound like a bell, timer or doorbell.

Ping meaning

A quick electronic message/signal sent to check someone's status.

Boheme meaning

"The bohemian" or "the bohemian life" in French.

Brea meaning

A thick, black, sticky substance used for waterproofing and roadmaking.

Paz meaning

The word for peace in Spanish.

Scala meaning

A Latin/Italian word for ladder or staircase.

Print meaning

Physical publications like books, newspapers and magazines.

Shot meaning

A single photographic exposure (snapshot) or an uninterrupted sequence of film/video captured by one camera.

Snap meaning

To break something thin or brittle with a sharp, cracking sound.

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Still meaning

A single, unmoving snapshot or film frame.

Fiddler meaning

A musician who plays the fiddle.

Hermit meaning

A person who lives in deliberate solitude and avoids human society.

King meaning

A male ruler or emperor.

Snow meaning

A white, crystallized precipitation that forms in colder temperatures.

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 glued ot your phone.

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: "You've got mail!"

• Green: Take a pic

• Blue: Sea creatures

• Purple: Spanish article

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Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Digital notifications

• Green: Photo

• Blue: Kinds of crabs

• Purple: La __

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 #1224 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Digital notifications: ALERT, CHIME, DING, PING

• Photo: PRINT, SHOT, SNAP, STILL

• Kinds of crabs: FIDDLER, HERMIT, KING, SNOW

• La __: BOHEME, BREA, PAZ, SCALA

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 catch feelings easily.

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: Quite the crush

The words are related to feelings.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe developing feelings for someone.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

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NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Fall in Love.

NYT Strands word list for October 17

• Stumble

• Giggle

• Babgle

• Fidget

• Fall in Love

• Perspire

• Blush

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 tend to slip up.

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:

Blunder.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter F appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

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...

GAFFE

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.

When Ukraine struck Russian data centers earlier this week, it was a stark reminder that the massive buildings are becoming a target in warfare. In March, the Iranian military struck Amazon data centers in the United Arab Emirates, which remained out of service several months later.

While warfare attacks on data centers may seem like a distant threat for Americans, a cybersecurity expert tells Mashable that they remain a valuable target for physical and digital breaches, even in the U.S.

"Everything you do online goes to a data center," says Charles Brooks, an adjunct lecturer in cybersecurity at Georgetown University.

The average person's Netflix viewing, Google Doc usage, and personal online banking, for example, typically rely on the servers housed in data centers.

Additionally, cloud computing services used by the government, healthcare systems, financial institutions, and businesses need data centers. They're also vital for Earth-to-space communications, Brooks says.

That's why stealing sensitive information from data center servers or disrupting their operations altogether has become alluring for state-backed criminal hackers and operatives.

Brooks says the 20-year-old adage of "data is the new oil" feels particularly true today. Just as oil supply and revenue have long been targets of war and government pressure campaigns, data has become immensely valuable and part of critical infrastructure.

"If something does happen it could be catastrophic," Brooks says of a potential data center breach in the U.S.

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3 threats to U.S. data centers

While a foreign drone-powered attack on an American data center is highly unlikely, Brooks says one could become the target of a physical breach with explosives. Though the damage might be limited, such an attack would be a symbolic victory for terrorists, or violent groups opposed to AI and its infrastructure.

Physical security vulnerabilities

Brooks says data centers must be fortified with more than surveillance cameras, alarms, and barbed-wire fences. He recommends electrified perimeters, security guards, and defensive spaces around the control center and water-cooling systems.

The inside job

The most likely source of a breach is the insider who can access servers, data, and infrastructure because they have permission to be in the building, Brooks says. Whether this person is disgruntled, on an adversary's payroll, or makes a costly mistake, they can still provide valuable information to bad actors, share security vulnerabilities, or interfere with a data center's critical operations.

Brooks suggests using AI surveillance to detect unusual behavior and guard against malicious insiders. He believes the trade-off of potential false positives, in which a worker is falsely flagged as acting suspiciously, would be worth it given the types of vital information stored at data centers.

Brooks also supports rigorous background checks similar to the kind staff in hospitals and power plants undergo.

"Who you hire has a responsibility that that may go beyond a normal security job," Brooks says.

AI-powered hacking

AI tools allow bad actors to rapidly scale their hacking efforts, including those against data centers.

For example, Anthropic recently released a security report detailing how individuals, including those backed by foreign governments, have used AI to automate cyber spying operations and conduct espionage.

Brooks says AI makes it easier for criminal hacker groups to efficiently "pan" the internet for clues about how to digitally infiltrate an AI data center. That might mean phishing an employee to access and use their system credentials.

"They're scaling these attacks [with] much greater capacity, and they're using AI software to find vulnerabilities that they didn't know were there before," Brooks says.

Why Americans should care about U.S. data center security

Brooks argues that data center security is a national security issue, given that the facilities have become critical infrastructure.

Even if a digital breach in an American data center feels invisible, it would likely have a ripple effect on ordinary people's lives. People might be unable to work or conduct business or become the victims of a ransomware attack that includes their personal and sensitive data.

Brooks said that data center security should be guided by partnerships between the government and private companies that own them.

Fortifying U.S. facilities, he added, is essential because they're "really the repository of all key data."

You Can See Everything, comedian Nathan Fielder's documentary about Elizabeth Holmes' last days of freedom before being sent to prison for fraud, is now in theaters. So, now audiences curious and dubious can see for themselves if it lives up to the hype.

From the moment the internet got a glimpse of You Can See Everything, people have been obsessed. Rumors about what the movie contained sparked out of its Telluride Film Festival premiere, and grew more intense at its New York Film Festival debut.

That's where this critic saw the film. And in the span of its nearly three-hour runtime, I went from dubious about its conceit to a believer in its brilliance.

In my review, I wrote: "The project seemed preposterous, like something born from MadLibs or a brain-rot meme."

But whether you want to know more before you purchase a ticket or want to make sense of what you've just seen or just want to be up on the discourse, we're now going into spoilers for You Can See Everything.

Is this a real documentary? 

Yes. Co-directed by Nathan Fielder and filmmaker Lance Oppenheim (Primetime), You Can See Everything documents the 34 days of Holmes' life ahead of her incarceration for fraud.

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The film employs fly-on-the-wall footage around the home she shares with her partner, Billy Evans, and their children. It also includes interviews conducted by Fielder with Holmes, Evans, and her parents, as well as re-enactment sequences.

Why is You Can See Everything rated R? 

Mainly because the film includes full frontal nudity.

Who is naked in You Can See Everything? 

Billy Evans is filmed in the shower of the rental home that he and Holmes share ahead of her incarceration. 

What's the context of the teaser, where Holmes stares? 

Days before her incarceration, Fielder speaks with her without Evans around to get a sense of what she might be hiding. It plays out in the movie as it does in the teaser. 

Is Nathan Fielder playing a character or himself? 

This will be a matter debated by his fans. Compared to Nathan for You or The Rehearsal, Fielder is less comedically wooden in You Can See Everything. He more often cracks a smile or is openly incredulous or challenging. However, there are scenes of deep social discomfort that play well to his style of comedy. 

Does the doc go up to the present day?

No. The film ends around the winter of 2025.

In a Q&A following the New York Film Festival premiere of You Can See Everything, Fielder and Oppenheim revealed that communication with the couple broke down from there. 

Has Elizabeth Holmes seen You Can See Everything? 

In the NYFF Q&A, Fielder confirmed she had not. 

Has Billy Evans seen You Can See Everything? 

In the NYFF Q&A, Fielder confirmed he had not. 

Nathan Fielder lives with Elizabeth Holmes, Billy Evans, and their children in "You Can See Everything." Credit: A24

Who's running Elizabeth Holmes' social media accounts? 

Is Amanda Seyfried in You Can See Everything? 

Yes. Among some of the more mind-bending elements of this documentary, Fielder urges Holmes to watch The Dropout with him while cameras roll. The Dropout was a critically acclaimed Hulu mini-series in which Amanda Seyfried played Holmes; she later won an Emmy for her performance.

Ahead of You Can See Everything's theatrical release, Seyfried seemed to deny any knowledge of the documentary.

Asked about her rumored involvement in the doc while on the red carpet for the Toronto International Film Festival premiere of The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd, Seyfried told Entertainment Tonight, "It's Nathan Fielder, and I know what he does. It's wild. And everybody's saying it's wild. So, I don't know. I want to know more."

Seyfried is in You Can See Everything, and in more than just clips from The Dropout. 

Fielder reached out to Seyfried because of her Emmy–winning turn in The Dropout to dissect some of his interactions with Holmes. Then, he invited her to re-enact other interactions, with Seyfried in the Holmes role. Christopher Abbott also appears, playing Billy Evans.

Is Elizabeth Holmes lying to Nathan Fielder?

This is the biggest question presented by You Can See Everything. The film leaves it up to the viewer to decide who to trust. The final act even calls Fielder's perspective into question, as he reflects on his feelings about "Liz" and how that impacts whether or not he can believe her.

At the NYFF Q&A, Fielder and Oppenheim said the crew was often divided on what a scene or moment meant. And the film's tight aspect ratio, which offers a close look at its subjects' micro-expressions, urges viewers to look close and decide for themselves. So, who do you believe?

Who's on first?

Who.

You Can See Everything Is Now playing in theaters.

SAVE $152: As of Oct. 16, you can get the 75-inch Toshiba Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (75Z670R, 2026) for $847.99, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That's a 15% discount, or $152 in savings.

75-inch Toshiba Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (75Z670R, 2026)

$847.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $152

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you're in the market for a large living room upgrade that won't totally drain your bank account, this Toshiba TV deal is worth a look. (And with the big football game inevitably coming up again this winter, you might want a larger-than-life screen, depending on the type of person you are.)

Right now, you can get the 75-inch Toshiba Z670 Series Mini-LED 4K UHD Smart Fire TV (75Z670R, 2026) for $847.99, down from $999.99, at Amazon. That's a 15% discount, or $152 in savings. This is the lowest price we've seen on this model to date.

The Z670 Series features a Mini-LED display with full-array local dimming and QLED color technology. That combo gives you precise control over the backlighting for deeper blacks, brighter highlights, and vibrant colors. It also has a built-in bass woofer, so you get room-shaking audio without necessarily needing to buy a separate soundbar right away. (Though you definitely can.)

For anyone connecting a PS5 or Xbox Series X, this model is specifically equipped to handle next-gen consoles. It features a native 144Hz refresh rate and a Game Mode Pro that supports VRR, ALLM, and AMD FreeSync Premium for smooth, tear-free gameplay (great news for anyone planning to play GTA 6). Bonus: It's a Fire TV, so you'll also get access to all your streaming apps, plus built-in Alexa for voice commands.

The dragons haven't even taken flight, and Fourth Wing fans are already breathing fire.

Prime Video has reportedly found its Violet Sorrengail and Xaden Riorson for the upcoming adaptation of Rebecca Yarros's bestselling romantasy series, with Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya set to play the enemies-turned-lovers at the center of the story. And naturally, people online have thoughts.

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For years, readers have imagined what the dragon riders of Basgiath War College might look like in real life, sharing fancasts, character edits, and fan art across social media. But now that two of the series' most beloved characters have actual faces, not everyone is ready to embrace the casting.

According to Deadline, Sakraya was already a popular choice among fans to play the shadow-wielding Xaden, and early reactions suggest that plenty of readers are happy to see the German actor land the role.

McGregor's casting as Violet, meanwhile, has sparked a more contentious conversation, with some fans questioning whether she fits their vision of the character, while others urge readers to reserve judgment until they see her in costume.

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But some fans can already see the vision. "Just picture Esther brunette. That's a perfect Violet. She looks like she has bird bones. I can see it. I can see her dislocating things. It makes sense to me," TikToker @kittykiju said, referencing Violet's physical fragility, which plays a significant role in the books.

Others are praising McGregor's acting skills. "I dont go here but Fourth Wing fans i am so jealous you got the amazing Esther McGregor as a lead because shes just fantastic," one person posted on X.

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Of course, some fans have already turned to AI to visualize McGregor as Violet, which raises its own questions about how much AI-generated character art has shaped readers' expectations of what these fictional characters should look like. After all, there's a difference between imagining a character and expecting a real person to look exactly like that imagined version.

Previously, McGregor starred in the Prime Video teen thriller We Were Liars, and Sakraya's English-language credits include Netflix's Warrior Nun and the Peacock series Those About to Die.

The debate has gotten so lively that the Fourth Wing subreddit had to create a second casting megathread after the first surpassed 1,000 comments.

Welcome to the parapet, Esther and Emilio. It's going to be a bumpy ride — but I, personally, can't wait.

Those About to Die airs on Peacock in the U.S.; Prime Video distributes it in some international markets.

Teachers have a lot to get off their chests. Helping a classroom full of students learn to read, write, and work on their own is already a big job. Add chatbots that can do the homework — or create the lesson it’s based on — and there’s even more to work through.

Some are taking those frustrations to TikTok and Reddit, and finding plenty of people to commiserate with. Self-described teachers share accounts of students who need help getting through a sentence, or who hand in assignments they can’t explain. Some teachers for advice, others just need to vent.

In the replies, fellow educators recognize their own school days, while parents weigh in with concerns about their children’s education. The discussions can get heated, but some of the posts drawing attention are more personal — teachers admitting how hard their jobs have become.

In a TikTok posted a week ago, first-grade teacher Carol Fernandez broke down in tears as she talks about her students' struggles — along with her own.

"Clearly theyre not studying at home. Theyre failing." She gave an example of an exam, stating that only 1 student passed out of 34, and also telling a story about how they can't write words correctly, even when copying them from a board.

"It's exhausting," she says. "Its almost scary. And then you start questioning yourself, thinking, is it me?"

Teachers and parents in the comments tell her she isn’t alone, sharing their own concerns about students and their children falling behind.

"It's not you. These kids are DIFFERENT nowadays," wrote one commenter. "I had to quit. I ended up in an in-patient unit in September due to poor mental health. 30 beds...5 of us were teachers. This is nuts," wrote another. One commenter had her own theory: "It's the iPads. Now they have shorter attention spans so it's harder to teach them and it's harder for them to learn."

The frustration in those comments shows up in the research, too. In a Pew Research Center report published in 2024, 77 percent of U.S. public K–12 teachers said their jobs were frequently stressful, and 68 percent said they were frequently overwhelming. Most said they couldn’t get everything done during regular work hours. And students are having a hard time, too: On the 2024 Nation’s Report Card, 40 percent of fourth graders scored below the test’s Basic level in reading, with average scores falling from 2022.

Then there’s the challenge of getting students to focus long enough to learn. In a federal survey, about a quarter of public school leaders said student inattention severely hurt learning at their schools. The same share said it severely hurt staff morale. Many also share that commenter’s concerns about screens: In Feb. 2025, 73 percent said cellphone use had negatively affected students' attention spans. Apparently, "eyes on the board" has become a pretty big ask.

Over on Reddit’s r/Teachers, users express the same exhaustion — and can sound considerably angrier. In a thread titled "I do not know how to teach kids this low," a user identifying themselves as a high school teacher writes: "They do not know how to write words and I have to stand over them and give them each letter. This is HIGH SCHOOL."

In one viral screenshot titled "My 8th graders are absolutely helpless," the user writes, "Independent work doesn't exist anymore because if I'm not right by their side holding their hand then nothing will get done," adding, "Maybe this isn't the right career for me." Another poster directs their anger at districts allowing students to advance without catching up: "Why are you okay with these students not getting appropriate help?" they ask. "I'm horrified at how our districts baby these parents."

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Now add in a chatbot that can fill in the answers before class even starts, and teaching becomes harder than ever. In another r/Teachers thread, "Student 'finishing' the activities in seconds," a user describes a student who repeatedly announced she was finished with textbook exercises almost immediately. The giveaway came when she claimed to have completed an activity requiring a video the teacher hadn’t played yet. Asked to put her answers on the board, the student struggled. "Half of them were completely wrong, and the other half were barely intelligible," the poster writes. As another user added, "That's what you get for trusting ChatGPT."

In the replies, users debated extra assignments, consequences, and moving more work into the classroom. One suggested having students watch recorded lessons at home and complete assignments in class, using pencil and paper, saying it's best if "students don't see the assignment until they get to class." Another questioned why suspected cheating should create yet another task for the teacher: "Oh, so the student who cheats through everything gets to have their teacher create more work for them to cheat through?" "The kid needs a detention and a call home lol," she adds.

Using a chatbot for schoolwork doesn’t automatically mean cheating. But teachers are navigating a classroom where those tools are already common: A Pew Research Center report published in February found that 54 percent of U.S. teens had used chatbots for help with schoolwork, and one in 10 said they did all or most of their schoolwork with chatbot assistance. For teachers already worried about students working independently, a completed assignment doesn't even give any sense of comfort.

Of course, students aren’t the only people hoping AI can make the school day more manageable. As Mashable reported in July 2025, the American Federation of Teachers announced an AI training academy backed by Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic. That means teachers are being encouraged to embrace AI to ease their workloads, even as figuring out how students use it adds more to their plates.

Even figuring out whether a student used AI can become a project of its own. In a 2025 essay for Mashable, college writing professor Jonathan D. Fitzgerald discussed tools including GPTZero, ZeroGPT, and TurnItIn, describing how AI detectors could give conflicting verdicts on the same text. "How can a teacher approach a student with an accusation of AI plagiarism without concrete evidence, or really any way to get that evidence?" he wrote.

Interestingly, as per the Reddit threads, some students have questions about the teacher’s work, too. In another post, a student reportedly recognizes a teacher’s assignment formatting because it resembles the study guides they make with ChatGPT and reported it to the co-teacher. "It’s literally the meme of two AIs just communicating with each other," the poster writes.

Separate images circulating as alleged examples of classroom handouts show counting hands with six digits apiece, a fraction diagram with more sections than its label calls for, and a population map containing garbled place names.

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Some school systems are putting limits on how far this AI experiment can go. On Sept. 2, New York City announced a one-year moratorium on student-facing generative AI from pre-K through eighth grade, with exceptions including assistive uses. The policy allows limited, supervised high school pilots and lets teachers continue using approved tools for planning and operational tasks.

"There are a lot of holes in the policy, if we are being honest," Liat Olenick, AIM Coalition and Climate Families NYC organizer, told Mashable. "But Kindergartners will not be talking to chatbots this fall, and that is huge progress. We made that change this year."

As we move into the next phase of AI in schools, more policies like this will be needed. As generative AI becomes part of everyday life, the goal should be to make the most of what it has to offer while making sure neither students nor teachers take shortcuts that leave students unprepared for what comes after graduation. How well schools strike that balance is something teachers — and the rest of us — will be watching.

MapQuest will not go gentle into that good night.

The navigation software — which debuted in 1996 and was later eclipsed by competitor Google Maps — is currying favor with new users by taking a hard line against Flock cameras.

Users can now track nearby Flock cameras and other surveillance systems using the platform's new Surveillance Layer, released yesterday to its mobile app. The layer includes location data for automatic license plate readers (APLRs) and other public cameras from almost a dozen companies: Flock, Motorola Solutions (Vigilant), Genetec, Axis Communications, Axon, Leonardo (ELSAG), Neology, Rekor, PlateSmart, Ubicquia, and Verkada.

According to MapQuest's terms, the data is sourced from Open Street Map contributors. Open Street Map is an open source, community-created mapping database.

Crowdsourced Flock maps have risen in popularity over the last year as communities fight back against the "public security" company. A nationwide backlash to ALPRs has resulted in intense scrutiny on Flock, including a recent Senate inquiry. Flock's CEO has doubled down on the company's partnerships with law enforcement and city governments, recently stating that only a small number of bad actors have abused its technology.

MapQuest shows nearby license plate readers as well as general surveillance cameras. Credit: MapQuest

Credit: MapQuest

Flock partners have faced multiple accusations of misusing the surveillance system to stalk, harass, and profile individuals.

MapQuest saw an influx of new users in September, after the website announced it wouldn't honor President Donald Trump's executive order to rename Lake Ontario to "Lake America." Last year, the platform also debuted a customizable map feature that let users rename the Gulf of Mexico, following the Trump administration's announcement it was changing the geographical area's name to "Gulf of America."

How to turn on MapQuest's surveillance layer

Credit: MapQuest

Credit: MapQuest

You Can See Everything, a three-hour documentary about Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, opens in theaters this week. You'd think Holmes would be the main point of focus, but people are coming out of it wondering about her husband, too.

Holmes is married to a man named Billy Evans, who is not a household name like his wife. If you saw You Can See Everything or want to see it, and you need to know more about Evans, here is a basic rundown of how he got to this point.

Who is Billy Evans? His life before Elizabeth Holmes

Prior to meeting Holmes, Evans came from a San Diego family known for a line of family-owned hotels in the area. William and Anne Evans, Billy's grandparents, founded the company in 1953, according to the Evans Hotels website. According to Business Insider, Evans Hotels operates the Bahia Resort Hotel, the Catamaran Resort Hotel and Spa, and The Lodge at Torrey Pines.

Evans, however, did not work in the hotel business prior to meeting Holmes. According to his LinkedIn profile, he graduated from MIT in 2015 with a Bachelor of Science in Economics. During his time at MIT, he took student gigs at financial companies around California and was also a student brand manager at Red Bull.

Eventually, Evans took a job at LinkedIn in 2017 as a "strategy and leadership program analyst." Later in 2017, he joined Luminar Technologies, an autonomous-car tech firm.

How Billy Evans met Elizabeth Holmes

It's around this time that Evans met Holmes at a house party in San Francisco in 2017, per a joint interview the two gave to the New York Times in 2023. The timing of this is important, as Holmes was not indicted for fraud until early 2018. She had been a source of controversy prior to meeting Evans, but had not yet been charged by the SEC.

As stated in that interview, Holmes and Evans talked for three consecutive hours at the party. According to Evans, it "isn't an overstatement" to say they fell in love right away. Per Holmes, her public controversy allowed Evans to "get to know [Holmes] in a totally different way," leading them to connect in "a really deep way."

Their relationship became a public matter after they were spotted together at Burning Man. The two of them got engaged in August 2018. A few months later, at the start of 2019, Evans left his job at Luminar, per the New York Post. The Post's report included the nugget that his co-workers at the firm thought he left because of the public scrutiny around his relationship with Holmes.

Where Billy Evans and Elizabeth Holmes stand today

Evans would become one of several people who submitted letters of support during her 2022 trial in an effort to reduce her sentence. In his statement, he wrote he fell in love after speaking with her at the party before he really realized who she was. He was reluctant to start a romantic relationship for about six months because of the controversy, but it "was not long before the friendship turned into something more," per his letter.

The couple has two children: a son named William, born in 2021, and a daughter named Invicta, born in 2023. The family relocated to Texas prior to her imprisonment, close to the minimum-security facility where Holmes now resides. You Can See Everything covers the move and the family's last days together before Holmes had to leave. Family visits between Holmes and her husband and children are allowed, but conjugal visits between husband and wife are not, per People.

Evans insists that Holmes is his "best friend and soulmate," according to People. Holmes continues to maintain her innocence.

SAVE $195: As of Oct. 16, the Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler for Curly + Coily Hair is on clearance at Best Buy for only $454.99. That's 30% off its suggested retail price of $649.99.

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Credit: Dyson

Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler for Curly + Coily Hair (Amber Silk)

$454.99 at Best Buy
$649.99 Save $195

 

Get Deal at Best Buy

If you're planning on gifting a Dyson Airwrap this holiday season (to a loved one or just yourself), heed my advice: Don't bother putting off your purchase until Black Friday rolls around. Best Buy currently has the special-edition "amber silk" colorway of the Airwrap i.d. for Curly + Coily Hair marked down to only $454.99 as part of a clearance deal. That's a very rare 30% savings.

For some added context, Airwrap discounts usually max out around $150 during the holidays. I should also point out that another model geared toward straight and wavy hair has already sold out at Best Buy at its clearance price of $552.99. (And that's a way worse deal!)

Launched in 2024, the Airwrap i.d. is a mid-tier variant of Dyson's legendary multi-styler with several different attachments and Bluetooth support — meaning you can use the MyDyson mobile app to program a custom hair routine. It was re-released in amber silk for the holidays last year, so I'm assuming Best Buy is just getting rid of its remaining inventory to make way for this season's new limited-edition "plum and copper" finish.

The Curly + Coily version of the Airwrap i.d. comes with conical barrel, diffuser, volumizing brush, loop brush, long barrel, fast dryer, and detangling comb attachments (plus a storage case and filter-cleaning brush).

SAVE $85: As of Oct. 16, the Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler is on sale for $340 on Amazon in the color "venom." That's 20% off its usual sticker price of $425, which is its biggest discount ever.

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Credit: Yeti

Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler

$340 at Amazon
$425 Save $85

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Late-season clearance sales and early holiday discounts are the perfect recipe for some excellent outdoor deals this time of year. Case in point: Right now, Amazon has the Yeti Roadie 48 Wheeled Cooler on sale for a record-low price of $340, shaving $85 off its MSRP.

The Roadie 48 can hold up to 76 cans (without ice) or 54 pounds of ice (without cans) and is tall enough to fit most wine bottles and two-liter soda bottles, making it ideal for bustling tailgates and watch parties. It has a retractable handle and puncture-resistant wheels, so you can take it just about anywhere. Amazon reviewers have rated it very highly for its cooling performance and mobility.

Credit: Yeti

Note that Amazon's deal only applies to the lime green "venom" colorway, which is a win for Seattle Seahawks fans (or angels who are still bumping Charli xcx's 2024 album, brat). The other colors are still stuck at full price at Amazon and other retailers, including the Yeti website.

When you think of Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel series, "horror" isn't the first word that comes to mind. While the franchise has dealt with some frightening elements, from Koh the Face Stealer to Korra being haunted by visions of her poisoned self, it has rarely crafted an episode that delves fully into the horror genre.

The sole exception is The Last Airbender's Book 3 episode "The Puppetmaster," the show's 2007 Halloween special. Throughout the episode, The Last Airbender fashions an unsettling mystery about disappearances from a Fire Nation village during the full moon. By the episode's end, the culprit is revealed to be Hama, a waterbender who's able to manipulate people's bodies by bending the blood in their veins. The bloodbending reveal has lasting consequences, popping up again in The Legend of Korra in a major way, but it also opens the door for some genuinely frightening body horror. No Avatar fan can forget the first time they witnessed the herky-jerky movements of Katara, Aang, and Sokka as they succumbed to Hama's bloodbending. The Legend of Korra ups that body horror significantly, twisting bloodbending victims' limbs to impossible positions, but it's the sinister build-up and Hama's betrayal that keep "The Puppetmaster" standing tall as Avatar's scariest episode.

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Now, though, Avatar: Seven Havens has gifted viewers with a new addition to the Avatar Halloween canon with its sixth episode, "Night of the Afflicted."

The episode's name references George A. Romero's classic zombie movie Night of the Living Dead, and it delivers on its promise with a storyline that can only be described as "zombies by way of Avatar."

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The zombies in Seven Havens are not reanimated corpses, but rather citizens who have been "afflicted" by contact with the diamond anomaly from the show's second episode. In the case of Brigade Commander Bountan (voiced by Clyde Kusatsu), that means getting zapped by the anomaly's energy ray. In the case of Brigade members like Tala (voiced by Anjali Bhimani), that means making contact with the strange red crystals the anomaly left behind, which then embedded themselves in her skin in a case of gnarly body horror.

On top of the crystals, Seven Havens adds further disconcerting physical characteristics to its afflicted to turn them into zombie analogs. The darkened circles around their eyes give them a near-undead look. Meanwhile, their eyes themselves are downright terrifying: glowing, red, and bloodshot. What they see through these eyes is even worse. Under the anomaly's influence, twin Avatars Pavi (voiced by Saheli Khan) and Nisha (voiced by Aishu Devan) turn into downright monsters.

Possessed by fear, the sight of Pavi and Nisha sparks a fit of violent paranoia in the afflicted, resulting in a stampede akin to that of a zombie horde. What follows is a claustrophobic chase through darkened tunnels, the kind that would be right at home in a zombie film.

Threaded through it all is the moving story of Pavi learning to ask for help from Nisha. At the start of the episode, Pavi begins feeling phantom pain from her lost leg. While she waits for a new prosthetic, she uses a crutch and insists she doesn't need assistance from anyone, worrying that her limb difference will make her a lesser Avatar in the eyes of the White Lotus. By the episode's end, though, she overcomes that fear and asks Nisha for help in their fight against a newly manifested anomaly. The question doesn't just aid Pavi: It also aids Nisha, who looked terrified at the thought of facing the spooky diamond alone. Thanks to Pavi's request for help, the twins are able to lean on each other, literally and figuratively, and energybend the anomaly away. Their teamwork puts an end to the zombie story they've found themselves in and sets the stage for the next steps in their joint Avatar journey.

Between its zombie riff and its heartfelt twin story, "Night of the Afflicted" proves to be another strong entry in Seven Havens, as well as its most tonally unique. Pair it with "The Puppetmaster" for extra Avatar spookiness this Halloween season.

Avatar: Seven Havens is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes every Friday.

Quick Answer: Choose the Theragun Relief for approachable, everyday muscle recovery, the Theragun Mini for portable recovery and the TheraFace Mask Glo for an upgraded skincare routine. The limited-edition Y2K Grape Blast Theragun Mini adds nostalgic 2000s style to the portable Mini.

Struggling to find the perfect gift for friends and family? Sick of worrying about favorite colors or ideal sizes? Simplify your shopping list by giving the gift of wellness this holiday season and you'll only have to ask one question: Which option benefits my friend's wellbeing the most?

That's where Therabody's self-care lineup comes in handy, especially when you choose one that fits something your giftee already enjoys doing. A massage gun might make sense for the runner who's always complaining about sore legs, while someone with an elaborate skincare routine may get more use out of an LED face mask.

Here's how to find the right Therabody model for each person on your list at Best Buy.

Which Therabody device fits each person on my gift list?

The best Therabody gift comes down to what the person you're shopping for will actually use. Think about whether they're more likely to reach for it after a workout, at their desk, while traveling or during their skincare routine.

A runner can put a massage gun to work after tough workouts, while a frequent traveler may prioritize a compact, lightweight design they can take on a business trip or vacation. For the skincare devotee, the TheraFace Mask Glo brings the focus to self-care, stimulating collagen production for firmer, more radiant skin. Think about how your recipient will actually use the gift, and the right fit becomes much easier to spot.

What to look for when choosing a Theragun

Choosing a Theragun is less about finding the model with the most features and more about figuring out which features you'll actually use. Think about how and where you'll use it, then consider:

• How often you'll use it: Regular recovery or occasional soreness?

• Where you'll use it: Mostly at home or at the gym and while traveling?

• Size, weight and grip: Consider portability, how comfortable it is to hold and whether you can reach areas like your back and shoulders.

• Intensity and speeds: Look at how much control you have over the massage.

• Attachments: Different attachments can target different muscles and areas of the body.

• Noise level: This may matter if you plan to use it around other people.

• Battery life: Frequent users and travelers may want longer stretches between charges.

• Budget: Consider which features matter enough to pay more for.

Theragun Relief vs. Mini: Which one should you gift?

For straightforward everyday recovery, the Theragun Relief is an approachable pick. It weighs 1.37 pounds and boasts one-button control with three speeds, plus standard ball, dampener and thumb attachments for treating different areas. 

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Credit: Theragun

Theragun Relief

$159.99 at Best Buy

 

Shop Now at Best Buy

Theragun Relief is good fit for someone who wants a massage gun without much of a learning curve, whether they're sore after workouts or spend long hours at a desk. And you’re not just giving them a feel-good gift, either: A 2023 systematic review published in the Journal of Functional Morphology and Kinesiology found that massage guns may help improve short-term flexibility and range of motion and may support muscle recovery, although research remains limited.

People who travel a lot, meanwhile, may prefer the Theragun Mini 3rd Gen, which CNET’s experts named the best lightweight massage gun. It's Therabody's smallest and lightest Theragun, with three speeds and three attachments, plus Bluetooth connectivity to the Therabody app for additional controls and guided routines.

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Credit: Theragun

Theragun Mini

$219.99 at Best Buy

 

Shop Now at Best Buy

If it'll mostly live at home, the Relief keeps things simple. If it's going to the gym, out on the golf course or to the airport and everywhere in between, the Mini is easier to bring along.

What is the best Therabody gift for a self-care fan?

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Credit: TheraFace

TheraFace Mask Glo

$379.99 at Best Buy

 

Shop Now at Best Buy

For someone who's more concerned with skincare than sore muscles, the TheraFace Mask Glo makes more sense.

The wearable mask uses 504 LEDs to deliver red, red plus infrared and blue light across the face. A preset treatment takes 12 minutes, and the head strap adds vibration for a scalp massage.

Research into LED skincare is promising, although expectations should stay realistic. A randomized, double-blind study published in 2025 in Medicine found that a home-use mask combining red LED and infrared light improved crow's-feet measurements compared with a sham device after 16 weeks of use.

The Mask Glo can also slip into an existing skincare routine: Put it on, start the preset treatment and let it cycle through its light modes. For someone who takes their skincare time seriously, it's easy to picture this gift getting regular use.

Therabody's new Y2K Mini is made for nostalgic tech fans

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Credit: Therabody

Y2K Grape Blast Theragun Mini

$229.99 at Best Buy

 

Shop Now at Best Buy

The limited-edition Y2K Grape Blast Theragun Mini gives Therabody's portable massage gun an early-2000s makeover.

The translucent purple design takes its cues from the colorful, see-through electronics of the Y2K era, but underneath it's a Theragun Mini 3rd Gen. You still get the compact design, three speeds, three attachments and Bluetooth connectivity.

It's a fun pick for someone who'd appreciate a massage gun but doesn't want another black or gray gadget, combining the Mini's portability with a much more eye-catching design.

You can shop Therabody at Best Buy to find a recovery or self-care gift for someone on your list — even if that someone is yourself.

FAQs

Which Therabody is the best gift?

The best choice comes down to how the recipient likes to unwind or recover. Choose the Theragun Relief for everyday recovery, the Mini for portability, the TheraFace Mask Glo for skincare or the Y2K Grape Blast Mini for someone who'll appreciate its limited-edition styling.

Which Theragun is best for travel?

The Theragun Mini 3rd Gen is Therabody's smallest and lightest massage gun, making it the most travel-friendly option covered here. It fits easily into backpacks, gym bags and suitcases, so you can take it wherever you find yourself needing quick relief.

What is the difference between a Theragun and the TheraFace Mask Glo?

Theragun devices use percussive massage for muscle recovery. The TheraFace Mask Glo is a wearable skincare device that uses red, infrared and blue LED light plus vibration massage.

Is there a new Theragun launch this season?

Yes. The limited-edition Y2K Collection includes the Theragun Mini 3rd Gen in Grape Blast, a translucent colorway inspired by the colorful tech of the early 2000s. 

Where can I buy Therabody products?

Therabody products, including Theragun massage guns and TheraFace devices, are available at Best Buy. Shop Therabody at Best Buy to find the device that best fits your holiday wish list.

You remember the wings. You remember the mating bonds. You probably remember Nesta and Cassian's training sessions better than the political situation on the continent (or maybe that’s just me).

But with Sarah J. Maas's next A Court of Thorns and Roses book approaching, some details suddenly feel more pressing. Who is Koschei again? Where did we leave Elain and Lucien? And why are people talking about a sword from an entirely different series?

The last ACOTAR installment, A Court of Silver Flames, gave Nesta a love story, a new community, and a very expensive bargain with the Cauldron. Since then, Maas has expanded this world through her Crescent City books, leaving ACOTAR readers with developments they might have missed.

Here’s what to remember before opening A Court of Splintered Harmony.

Warning: Major spoilers for the published ACOTAR books follow. The Crescent City section also spoils House of Sky and Breath and House of Flame and Shadow.

When does the next ACOTAR book come out?

A Court of Splintered Harmony arrives Oct. 27, 2026. It’s the sixth published installment and carries the subtitle The Valkyrie Cycle, Movement I.

A Court of Forgotten Melody follows on Jan. 12, 2027. Both titles and dates are listed on Maas's official website. Your return to the Night Court could become an extended stay.

What is A Court of Splintered Harmony about?

The official synopsis puts Koschei the Deathless at the center of the threat. Bound to a mountain lake for millennia, he is attracting allies who want to reclaim the human lands.

Prythian is still recovering from the war with Hybern, while betrayals and revelations have divided the Night Court. Everyone will need to work through their issues to confront him.

There are also clues about perspective: A publisher teaser names Lucien in a passage following his thoughts, while another features a character communicating with shadows, strongly suggesting Azriel.

Which ACOTAR books come before it?

The published reading order is:

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses

2. A Court of Mist and Fury

3. A Court of Wings and Ruin

4. A Court of Frost and Starlight

5. A Court of Silver Flames

The shorter Frost and Starlight bridges Wings and Ruin and Silver Flames. Including it is why the upcoming release is called ACOTAR 6, even if you’ve seen readers count four novels and a novella.

For a targeted reread, start with Silver Flames. Its ending leaves several characters, magical objects, and alliances worth revisiting.

Where did we leave Nesta and Cassian?

By the end of Silver Flames, Nesta has accepted her mating bond with Cassian and defeated the human queen Briallyn. Then Feyre's childbirth crisis forces another decision.

Feyre cannot safely deliver her winged baby, Nyx. Her bargain with Rhysand means her death would also kill him. Nesta uses the Dread Trove and offers back the power she took from the Cauldron to save them, surrendering most of it.

She retains some magic and reveals that she also changed her own body so she could safely carry a winged child. After so much conflict with her family, Nesta ends the book as the person who saves Feyre, Rhysand, and their son.

Why do the Valkyries matter?

Nesta's recovery is closely tied to Gwyn, a priestess, and Emerie, an Illyrian shopkeeper. Through friendship and training, the three revive the traditions of the Valkyries, an ancient order of female warriors.

They're tested when they are kidnapped and forced into the Blood Rite, a dangerous Illyrian trial. Gwyn and Emerie reach the summit of Ramiel; Nesta stays behind to defend the pass so they can continue.

With the upcoming books branded The Valkyrie Cycle, their shared project deserves attention, even if the subtitle doesn’t establish which woman will lead the story.

Who is Koschei, and what does he want?

Koschei is an ancient sorcerer and the brother of the Bone Carver and the Weaver. Confined to a lake on the continent, he still manages to manipulate events beyond it.

He is responsible for the human queen Vassa's curse: She becomes a firebird during the day and returns to human form at night.

In Silver Flames, he works with Briallyn, whose schemes involve acquiring the Dread Trove. Nesta defeats her, but Koschei remains at large — and, according to the new synopsis, his influence is growing.

What's happening with Elain, Lucien, Azriel, and Gwyn?

Elain and Lucien have a mating bond, but she hasn't accepted it. Meanwhile, Elain and Azriel’s attraction becomes explicit in Azriel’s bonus chapter from the Books-A-Million edition of A Court of Silver Flames.

They nearly kiss before Rhysand interrupts. He orders Azriel to stay away, warning that pursuing Elain could provoke a confrontation with Lucien and serious political consequences.

Later, Azriel interacts with Gwyn. After Elain returns the necklace he gave her, he leaves it with Clotho to pass to Gwyn. His response to Gwyn — and his shadows’ behavior around her — has fueled competing romantic theories.

There’s plenty left unresolved, but none of this confirms an endgame pairing.

What is the Dread Trove again?

The three objects central to Silver Flames are the Mask, Harp, and Crown. The Mask can raise the dead, the Harp manipulates passage through space and time, and the Crown can control others.

Nesta’s connection to them comes from having been Made by the Cauldron herself. These objects are separate from the magical weapons she creates during training.

What happened in Crescent City that ACOTAR readers should know?

Skip this section if you want to experience the crossover unspoiled.

At the end of House of Sky and Breath, Bryce Quinlan crosses into the ACOTAR world. House of Flame and Shadow develops that crossover, including her exploration of underground passages with Nesta and Azriel.

Their discoveries connect the Prison’s island to the lost Dusk Court. They also reveal that the Asteri, the powers ruling Bryce's world, are the beings known in Prythian as the Daglan.

Bryce’s Starsword is known in Prythian as Gwydion and is connected to Azriel’s dagger, Truth-Teller. Nesta later lends Bryce the Mask. When Bryce returns it, she also leaves Gwydion with Nesta and encourages her to investigate the eight-pointed star that has repeatedly appeared in her life.

Do you need to read every Sarah J. Maas book first?

For a refresher, prioritize Nesta and the Valkyries, Koschei, the unresolved mating bonds, and the magical objects now in play.

To experience the Crescent City crossover yourself, read House of Earth and Blood, House of Sky and Breath, then House of Flame and Shadow. Maas's official reading guide lists each series in order.

Some of the world's biggest tech companies donated tens of millions of dollars for the construction of President Donald Trump's White House ballroom — and now we know exactly how much money they gave to the White House, too.

According to a new report from the Washington Post, Apple and Nvidia topped the list of donors to Trump's ballroom project, giving $25 million each for the president's pet project. The two tech companies were among the top four donors overall, alongside the Adelson Family Foundation and Charles Ergen, the co-founder of Dish Network.

However, Apple and Nvidia were far from the only tech companies to make massive donations for the ballroom.

Google provided $22 million, via a settlement the company made with Trump related to the shutdown of his YouTube channel following the events of Jan. 6, as Mashable reported previously.

Microsoft donated $10 million, and Palantir was right behind them with a near $10 million donation of their own.

Amazon, Meta, and T-Mobile donated $5 million each.

A number of cryptocurrency companies like Coinbase, Ripple, and the Winklevoss twins, who represent their Gemini crypto exchange, also donated $5 million. Crypto exchange Kraken donated $1 million.

HP and Micron each gave the president $2.5 million and Salesforce donated $2 million.

Non-tech companies like defense contractors and the former CEO of Marvel's foundation also gave tens of millions of dollars to the ballroom project.

In Avatar: Seven Havens, the world of Avatar as we know it has been upended by a devastating cataclysm. However, according to the show's fifth episode, some key relics from Aang and Korra's time still remain.

Episode 5, titled "The One Left Behind," sees twin Avatars Pavi (voiced by Saheli Khan) and Nisha (voiced by Aishu Devan) continuing to investigate their mysterious past. Their sleuthing leads them to a secret room in Commander Karthik's (voiced by Akshay Khanna) office, which is filled to the brim with Easter eggs for keen-eyed Avatar: The Last Airbender fans. Clearly, the White Lotus are expert collectors.

What Avatar: The Last Airbender Easter eggs are in Karthik's office?

The Easter eggs start as soon as Pavi and Nisha enter Karthik's secret office. First, they pass a series of toys, including a propeller, a toy hog monkey, and a hand drum. These are the Avatar relics, which the Air Nomads use to find their Avatars at a young age. They appear in The Last Airbender's Book 1 episode "The Storm," when the monks tell Aang that he picked the correct four toys from a selection of thousands, proving he is the Avatar's latest incarnation. Right next to the toys is a Kyoshi warrior war fan.

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On the wall behind Nisha and Pavi are two other key items from The Last Airbender lore. One is Sokka's water tribe club, which Pavi mistakenly identifies as a back scratcher. Next to it is an instrument that resembles the dramyin that nomad Chong, first introduced in Book 2 episode "The Cave of Two Lovers," plays on his journeys. Given the amount of secret passages and rooms in Ellora, there's no doubt his eternal jam "Secret Tunnel" would fit right in in this new world. Pavi could even join in on her kalimba!

Later, Pavi points out a map of the old world, which is the same map The Last Airbender fans saw in the opening credits of every episode. And as Nisha continues her investigation, you can make out several important artifacts on a bookshelf behind her. The bottom shelf holds another Kyoshi warrior fan, while the middle shelf holds Zuko's Blue Spirit mask. Right above it is a sword, which is likely the meteor sword Sokka forged in Book 3 episode "Sokka's Master."

Also present in the room are some beaded Air Nomad necklaces, which could have been worn by Aang, as well as a red umbrella, which may be the same one he received as a gift from villagers in the Book 1 episode "The Fortuneteller." Other prominent artifacts include a strange lantern, whose bulbous red form feels like something out of the Spirit World; a hanging scroll bearing a painting in the same style as the Avatar Wan episodes in The Legend of Korra; and a set of blue and purple robes that appear to be from the Water Tribe.

Karthik's room is filled to the brim with old radios, which would have been technology from Korra's time. But they're by far the least significant Legend of Korra Easter eggs in the room.

Avatar: Seven Havens gives Korra and Asami their first onscreen kiss. Kind of.

That's because the most important Legend of Korra Easter egg is none other than Korra herself! Karthik's room contains a wooden figurine of her, as well as her girlfriend, Asami Sato, and Pavi makes the two figures kiss.

Although Korra and Asami have kissed in the comics, Pavi's playdate with the toys marks their first onscreen kiss, bringing further joy to Korrasami fans everywhere. The moment is made all the funnier by the fact that Pavi likely has no idea who these two figures are. Her knowledge of the prior Avatar is mainly limited to the frightening mural of Korra bringing about the cataclysm, and the monstrous masks performers wear during the festival, neither of which look anything like this figurine. There has also been no mention of Asami yet as a key figure in Korra's life, suggesting she's absent from Ellora's historical records of the old world.

Basically, Pavi just saw figurines of Korra and Asami and knew they should kiss. (Maybe Korra's spirit was moving her to do so?) You know what that means: Korrasami doesn't just transcend lifetimes. It transcends the whole dang apocalypse.

What other Easter eggs did you catch in Karthik's secret room?

Avatar: Seven Havens is now streaming on Paramount+, with new episodes every Friday.

Spoilers for You Can See Everything below.

A lot is dissected in the nearly three-hour runtime of Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim's new documentary, You Can See Everything, much of it centered on the very Fielderian topics of truth and reality. The question of whether disgraced biotech founder Elizabeth Holmes is lying threads throughout the film, and extends to her X account, which is active even as Holmes is serving her 11.25-year prison sentence.

Some imprisoned people do post. When asked how he can comment on Instagram from behind bars, Tiger King's Joe Exotic explained, "it's all corrupt girl." But, as revealed in You Can See Everything, Holmes isn't exactly the one with Twitter fingers.

Holmes' X account becomes a point of contention for Fielder and actor Amanda Seyfried, who joins partway through the film to reenact moments that weren't or couldn't be filmed. In Sept. 2025, years into Holmes' time in prison, Fielder and Seyfried scroll through the account to find inflammatory posts that don't sound like her — or are lies. One example is someone who asked Holmes if she ever watched The Dropout, the series based on the Theranos story starring Seyfried. "Holmes" said, "Never will," despite how she watched it on camera for the documentary.

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

As it turns out, the posts are created by her partner, Billy Evans. In You Can See Everything, Evans said he takes it upon himself to post on Holmes' account.

Social media is only one way Evans speaks for Holmes. As shown in the film, he also created an AI version of her to speak to business partners, their children, and the world on social media. (He apparently doesn't care about deepfake explicit imagery that might be created of her.) He has power of attorney for her. He explicitly stated that he feels comfortable speaking for Holmes, and often didn't consult her when making business decisions (their next startup is about — what else? — blood testing).

Since the documentary has been released, viewers have figured out what's going on. The above post and many others have renewed interest, with people replying with memes, call-outs specifically to Billy ("Any update on this Billy"), and calling Holmes/Evans a liar.

The account has posted many times in the last year, and it's unknown whether the words were Holmes' or Evans'. Examples include a eulogy to Lindsey Graham calling him a patriot, cryptic warnings that "No one can stop what's coming," and about Charlie Kirk in the wake of his death. (Evans said in the documentary that he was a fan of Kirk.)

There are also several posts that appear to be screenshots of emails Holmes sent, which are directly her words.

Weeks before the film's wide release on Oct. 16, the pair posted to Holmes' X account stating a new rule: "Starting now, all posts in my own words will be marked -EAH...Posts without that signature are from the team managing this account." The post includes a selfie of Holmes and Evans. Some posts since then, Sept. 27, do have that signature, and others don't.

As of this writing, the latest post on Holmes' X account is, "I really don't think you are ready for this doc." It doesn't contain Holmes' signature.

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

Best iPhone Duo preorder deals:

---

Apple Store

$1,114 (get up to $885 in instant trade-in credits)

Pre-Order Here

---

AT&T

$799 (save up to $1,200 with trade-in worth $230 or more and AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan)

Pre-Order Here

---

T-Mobile

$999 (save up to $1,000 with eligible trade-in or new line and port on Experience Beyond plan)

Pre-Order Here

---

Xfinity Mobile

$999 (save up to $1,000 with qualifying trade-in and new Mobile Plus line)

Pre-Order Here

---

Verizon

$1,999 (no activation fees for new and Verizon Loyalty customers)

Pre-Order Here

Apple is about to launch the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone, and preorders began Oct. 16. The passport-style device starts at $1,999, making it the most expensive iPhone ever. Maxed out with 2TB of storage, it'll run you a cool $3,199 — the same price as a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip and the same storage capacity. (Ah!)

The good news is that you don't have to pay full price if you take advantage of various iPhone Duo preorder offers. One major carrier will give it to you for as cheap as $799, provided you trade in an older phone and sign up for certain wireless plans. (That makes the Duo $100 less expensive than the standard iPhone 17.) Below, we've rounded up the best iPhone Duo preorder deals that are currently live.

Heads up: The Apple Store's initial batch of iPhone Duo preorders sold out instantly, and the device is now backordered there until January. You can get it much sooner by placing your preorder through your carrier instead. Most were advertising shipping dates in November or December at the time of writing, and one was still promising release-day delivery.

The very best iPhone Duo preorder deals require a trade-in. Credit: Apple

Apple Store: Save up to $1,200 with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon

Patient shoppers can leverage three iPhone Duo carrier deals directly through the Apple Store (both in person and online).

AT&T customers can save up to $1,200 on their new foldable (via 36 monthly bill credits) by trading in an iPhone 14 Pro Max or newer and activating a new AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan. Earning the full trade-in amount means you'd only pay $799 for your new iPhone Duo, excluding any applicable taxes or fees.

T-Mobile customers can save up to $1,000 on the iPhone Duo (via 24 monthly bill credits) by coughing up an older device and signing up for an Experience Beyond or Go5G Next plan. That brings it down to $999 — right between the iPhone 17 and the $1,099 iPhone Air.

Meanwhile, Verizon customers can earn up to $840 in trade-in credits through Apple. This is a better deal than what Verizon itself is offering (see below), though it's shipping the Duo way faster.

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Credit: Apple

Preorder the iPhone Duo at the Apple Store

$1,999

Save up to $1,200 with AT&T, T-Mobile, or Verizon.

Preorder

Apple Trade In

Trading in your current iPhone through the Apple Store nets you up to $885 in instant credit towards an iPhone Duo. The newer the device, the more credit you'll earn. (The oldest you can go is an iPhone 13, according to a company press release.) You can put that credit towards one of the aforementioned carrier plans, monthly Apple Upgrade payments (see below), or Apple Card Monthly Installments. Here are Apple's maximum trade-in values for older iPhones:

• iPhone 17 Pro Max — $885

• iPhone 17 Pro — $785

• iPhone Air — $585

• iPhone 17 — $585

• iPhone 16 Pro Max — $610

• iPhone 16 Pro — $510

• iPhone 16 Plus — $430

• iPhone 16 — $430

• iPhone 16e — $270

• iPhone 15 Pro Max — $455

• iPhone 15 Pro — $370

• iPhone 15 Plus — $315

• iPhone 15 — $305

• iPhone 14 Pro Max — $360

• iPhone 14 Pro — $285

• iPhone 14 Plus — $210

• iPhone 14 — $195

• iPhone 13 Pro Max — $320

• iPhone 13 Pro — $255

• iPhone 13 — $175

Apple Upgrade

Apple Upgrade is the company's relatively new Klarna-powered product leasing program. You can rent an iPhone Duo for as low as $57.99 per month on a 24-month plan. (That doesn't include taxes or any trade-in credit you've earned.) Once your lease term has ended, you can buy your iPhone Duo outright, upgrade it to a newer device, or just return it.

The iPhone Duo is a passport-style foldable with a nano-texture (matte) inner screen. Credit: Apple

AT&T: Save up to $1,200

AT&T is offering the same iPhone Duo preorder deal directly on its website: trade in another device and sign up for an eligible unlimited plan to save up to $1,200 (via 36 monthly bill credits). The offer specifically requires an older phone from any brand that's worth at least $230 and an AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan.

Shoppers switching to AT&T from a different carrier will get a bonus AT&T Visa Reward card worth up to $800 to pay off their old contract. You can get an additional $200 off just by signing up for your new line online. (Getting paid to stay home and avoid the preorder crowds? You love to see it.)

At the time of writing, AT&T's iPhone Duo preorders were set to ship in early November.

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Credit: Apple

Preorder the iPhone Duo at AT&T

$799
$1,999 Save $1,200

Requires trade-in worth $230 or more and AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan.

Preorder

T-Mobile: Save up to $1,000

At T-Mobile, you can get an iPhone Duo as low as $999 (via 36 monthly bill credits. with an eligible trade-in or a new line and port on an Experience Beyond plan. Unlike the Apple Store, it's shipping the device as early as December.

You'll get a bonus Virtual Prepaid Mastercard worth up to $800 if you switch to T-Mobile from another carrier, give up your old phone, and activate a new line.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Preorder the iPhone Duo at T-Mobile

$999
$1,999 Save $1,000

Requires eligible trade-in or new line and port on Experience Beyond plan.

Preorder

Xfinity Mobile: Save up to $1,000

New Xfinity Mobile Plus customers and existing Diamond members with a Mobile Plus plan can also preorder an iPhone Duo for as low as $999 with an eligible trade-in. Current Mobile Plus customers who aren't yet Diamond members can get the Duo for as low as $1,499 with a trade-in. ("Diamond" is the highest tier of Xfinity's membership program. It's reserved for customers who have been with the carrier for at least a decade and those who use four of its services.)

Your savings will be applied as 36 monthly bill credits, and your preorder should ship on release day.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Apple

Preorder the iPhone Duo at Xfinity Mobile

$999
$1,999 Save $1,000

Requires qualifying trade-in and new Mobile Plus line.

Preorder

Verizon: No activation fees

Verizon is just waiving activation fees on iPhone Duo preorders for new and Verizon Loyalty customers — a $40 value. Verizon Loyalty is a free-to-join rewards program that offers 3% back in "Verizon Dollars" every month, plus exclusive access to certain sweepstakes, dining discounts, gift cards, and concert presales.

While this offer doesn't save you as much as the Apple Store's trade-in deal for Verizon customers, Verizon's iPhone Duo preorders were shipping as soon as mid-November the last time I checked. In other words, go this route if you'd rather have a Duo in hand well before the new year than save a chunk of cash.

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Credit: Apple

Preorder the iPhone Duo at Verizon

$1,999

No activation fees for new and Verizon Loyalty customers.

Preorder

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 16, get the Hisense VoyageBoom Bluetooth speaker for $249.97. That saves you $50.02 off its $299.99 list price.

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Credit: Hisense

Hisense VoyageBoom Portable Bluetooth Speaker

$249.97 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50.02

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you're prepping for spooky season, getting your Skelly assembled and lawn decorated with cobwebs and ghosts, don't let the ambiance end there.

As trick-or-treaters march up to your house, make sure you have spooky sound or better yet, Monster Mash, playing to greet them. And don't worry, you don't need to rent a whole sound system — check out the Hisense VoyageBoom instead.

The portable Bluetooth speaker delivers 24 hours of playback and boosted bass. The ultra-portable speaker has an IP67 rating, so it's dust- and water-resistant, meaning it can handle the outdoors. It even has ambient light for some added decor. And the best part? It's currently on sale.

As of Oct. 16, get the Hisense VoyageBoom for $249.97. That's 17% off the Bluetooth speaker's list price of $299.99, saving you $50.02. This deal is available at Amazon and brings the speaker to its lowest price ever. Get it now to complete your very spooky Halloween preparations.

PREORDER NOW: The new Apple TV 4K (4th Gen) is available for preorder on Amazon for $289.99. That's $10 less than Apple.

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Credit: Apple

Apple TV 4K (4th Gen)

$289.99 at Amazon
$299 Save $9.01

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you're looking to upgrade an aging streaming setup or you're already too deep in the Apple ecosystem to turn back, preorders for the next-gen Apple TV are officially live.

You can lock in the Apple TV 4K (4th generation) on Amazon for $289.99 right now, with units scheduled to ship on Nov. 13. That's about $10 less than the $299 price at Apple.

This 2026 model has a few notable upgrades, including a shiny new A19 chip. It boosts CPU processing speed by 50 percent, making menu navigation, app switching, and animations feel seamless. It also has Siri AI, which uses Apple Intelligence to process more natural, conversational requests. And thanks to far-field microphones built directly into the device, you can control playback or search for shows hands-free by talking to the room.

Perhaps the most practical improvement is the remote. The updated Siri Remote now includes Find My support, so you can use your iPhone's Precision Finding to pinpoint its exact location or trigger a sound whenever it disappears into the couch cushions. (Just think of how many arguments that'll solve.)

Apple's AirTag has a speaker on it that plays a sound when the device is away from its owner. A company called Elevation Lab tried to subvert that, but quickly learned that maybe that isn't a great idea. Apple learned the same lesson the hard way after launching the original AirTag, which stalkers quickly realized could be used to track their victims.

According to MacRumors, Elevation Lab sent out emails to users earlier this week alerting them to the fact that its "AirTag Silencer" product had been pulled from sale. The email was also posted on Elevation Lab's website in the form of an apology.

The device gave owners a simple way to disable the speaker in every AirTag. In case you don't use AirTags, those speakers are meant to emit a noise to help users find lost items, but that sound is also utilized as an anti-stalking measure. If you have an unwanted AirTag moving with you and someone is tracking it, at least theoretically, it should make a noise to alert you to that fact.

In recent years, Apple introduced a variety of anti-stalking tools for AirTags and even worked with Google to ensure people with Android devices are alerted if they're being tracked by an AirTag.

According to Elevation Lab, the device was meant for AirTags that live on bicycles and was never meant to facilitate stalking or anything of the sort.

"We have always made products we want for ourselves, and this was no different - we wanted it for AirTags on our bikes," the Elevation Lab post said. "In retrospect though, this also has the side effect of aiding someone with bad intentions to track someone that wouldn’t get phone notifications."

This came after a brief backlash that included sites like MacRumors refusing to cover the launch of the product earlier this month, and a blog post by tech journalist Glenn Fleishman that called the product "appalling."

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Lilly Singh is going back to her YouTube roots. And honestly, it's about time.

The comedian and former late-night host, who rose to internet fame in the 2010s as Superwoman, officially returned to YouTube on Thursday, Oct. 15, with her first sketch comedy video in nearly five years. Titled "My First Day Back at YouTube," the video marks the beginning of a new chapter for one of the platform's original breakout stars.

For longtime fans, that means the return of Singh's observational comedy, exaggerated characters, and culturally specific humor. But don't expect the same sketches about high school crushes and strict parents that helped make her famous. Singh is 38 now, and her comedy is growing up with her.

"It's not back-to-school videos anymore," Singh told USA TODAY. "It might not be about my first crush anymore. But it's going to be about like the stuff I'm going through, and me and my friends are going through today."

According to a press release, Singh's new YouTube era will feature a mix of situational comedy, cultural commentary, personal vlogs, higher-production digital formats, and collaborations with other creators. Fan-favorite characters will also make a comeback.

For anyone who spent their teenage years watching Singh's sketches, it's a welcome dose of nostalgia. But her return also reflects how much the relationship between internet creators and Hollywood has changed.

At the height of her YouTube fame, Singh was among a relatively small group of digital creators who successfully made the leap into traditional entertainment. In 2019, she became the host of NBC's A Little Late With Lilly Singh, making history as the first woman of Indian descent to host a late-night show on a major American broadcast network. The show ran for two seasons before ending in 2021.

Singh has since expanded her career into acting, producing, writing, and sports ownership, including the 2025 comedy film Doin' It, which she co-wrote, produced, and starred in.

But working within Hollywood's traditional systems also came with creative limitations. "I think being in that system for a while has made me feel restricted creatively," Singh told USA TODAY, describing the experience of going from creating videos alone in her room to navigating a system of gatekeepers and creative notes. For someone who built an audience by doing things her own way, it was a major adjustment.

And in some ways, Singh is returning to a very different YouTube than the one she left. The platform has evolved into an entertainment ecosystem of its own, where creators can build production companies, develop original programming, and reach massive audiences without necessarily relying on traditional Hollywood gatekeepers.

For Singh, though, the motivation seems much simpler. She wants to have fun again. "I feel like we don't prioritize joy enough, and this is something that brings me so much joy," she told USA TODAY.

She also acknowledged that she's returning from a different place in her career. Unlike her early YouTube days, when views translated directly into opportunities and financial stability, she no longer feels the same pressure to make every video a hit. After all, Singh has already experienced the kind of mainstream success that an earlier generation of YouTubers dreamed about.

Now, she's returning to the thing that started it all, not because she has to, but because she wants to.

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage, sign up for our Trending Now and Top Stories newsletters, or get Mashable push alerts to discover the internet's most exciting voices.

It's almost iPhone Duo day, folks. Announced in September after years of rumors, Apple's first-ever foldable phone is now available for preorder ahead of its Oct. 23 release (though you probably won't get it that soon).

The iPhone Duo features a passport-style design with a nano-texture inner display, a hidden selfie camera, a blazing-fast A20 Pro chip, and a hinge with a flexible graphite pipe inside — its secret to effective cooling. Mashable senior editor Stan Schroeder got to spend a little time with the Duo at Apple Park last month and said it "works amazingly well."

If you have any questions before preordering the iPhone Duo, we're got all the answers.

Apple iPhone Duo (256GB)

As low as $799 with eligible trade-in and wireless plan at AT&T
$1,999 Save $1,200

 

Preorder at AT&T Preorder at T-Mobile Preorder at Verizon

How much does the iPhone Duo cost?

The iPhone Duo starts at $1,999 with 256GB of storage. A 512GB model goes for $2,199 and a 1TB model costs $2,599.

A maxed-out iPhone Duo with 2TB of storage comes in at an eye-watering $3,199, making it the most expensive iPhone ever made. For comparison's sake, you can get a 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 Pro chip and 2TB of storage for the exact same price.

When do iPhone Duo preorders start?

iPhone Duo preorders began at 8 a.m. ET (that's 5 a.m. PT) on Friday, Oct. 16.

Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports that buyers who purchase a Duo in-person at an Apple Store location will be able to personalize its startup screen with their name.

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Is the iPhone Duo sold out?

The iPhone Duo is already proving difficult to buy. The Apple Store's initial batch of preorders sold out instantly, and the device is now on backorder there until January. Major mobile carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon were showing Duo delivery dates in November to December at the time of writing.

Apple reportedly increased its Duo production by 30 percent in response to anticipated demand, according to China’s Securities Times (via 9to5Mac), but apparently that wasn't enough.

When will the iPhone Duo be released?

The iPhone Duo comes out on Friday, Oct. 23. But if you weren't able to lock in a preorder right away, it could be months until yours arrives. There's always a chance the devices ship faster than the delivery dates displayed on the Apple Store, but there's no guarantee.

What are the best iPhone Duo preorder deals?

You can save a ton of money on your iPhone Duo preorder by trading in an older device. Credit: Apple

As of this writing, the best iPhone Duo preorder deals from carriers like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Xfinity can save you up to $1,200 via monthly bill credits. (Taking full advantage of those savings means you'll only pay $799 for the base Duo when all's said and done. The base iPhone 17 costs $100 more.) Some fine print: All carriers' preorder offers require trading in an older device and/or signing up for a premium wireless plan.

Apple itself will give you up to $885 in trade-in credits toward your new Duo. You can also lease a Duo through Apple's new Klarna-backed Upgrade program.

• Apple Store: Get $175 to $885 in instant credits when you trade in an iPhone 13 or newer.

• Apple Upgrade program: Lease an iPhone Duo for as low as $57.99 per month for 24 months.

• AT&T: Save up to $1,200 with a trade-in worth $230 or more and an AT&T Elite 2.0 or Premium 2.0 plan. Switch to AT&T for a bonus Visa Reward card worth up to $800 to pay off your old contract. Get an extra $200 off by signing up for your new line online.

• T-Mobile: Save up to $1,000 with a trade-in and an Experience Beyond plan. Or, if you don't have an older device to trade in, save up to $1,000 with a new line and port on an Experience Beyond plan. Get a Virtual Prepaid Mastercard worth up to $800 when you switch to T-Mobile, trade in a phone, and activate a new line.

• Xfinity Mobile: Save up to $1,000 with a qualifying trade-in and new Mobile Plus line.

• Verizon (via Apple Store): Save up to $840 with an eligible trade-in in any condition.

What colors does the iPhone Duo come in?

Pink iPhone Duo when????? Credit: Apple

The Duo is available in two colors: star white and night sky (black-ish blue). The best iPhone Duo cases add a little more personality to it.

How much will the iPhone Duo cost to repair?

Apple's estimated iPhone Duo repair costs are steep if you don't have an AppleCare+ protection plan. (They cost $19.99 per month or $199.99 a year.) For instance, fixing the Duo's inner screen without coverage costs $999, but with AppleCare+, it's only $99.

Service costs without AppleCare+

• Battery service — $229

• Cover layer damage — $49

• Back glass damage — $199

• Outer display damage — $379

• Outer display and back glass damage — $509

• Inner display damage — $999

• Rear camera damage — $229

• Other damage — $1,499

Service costs with AppleCare+

• Battery service — $0

• Cover layer damage — $19

• Back glass damage — $29

• Outer display damage — $29

• Inner display damage — $99

• Other accidental damage — $99

• Theft or loss — $149

Does the iPhone Duo have Face ID?

The iPhone Duo does not have Face ID, Apple's facial recognition feature, but it does have a Touch ID sensor built into its side button.

Does the iPhone Duo have MagSafe?

Yes, the Duo supports MagSafe wireless charging.

What are early reviewers saying about the iPhone Duo?

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iPhone Duo reviews aren't live just yet — stay tuned — but my colleagues at Mashable and other Ziff Davis sites have some thoughts after briefly trying it.

Mashable's Stan Schroeder wrote that "everything on the iPhone Duo looks and feels as if Apple has been doing foldables for years." He called its opening transition "mesmerizing" and its inner matte display "glorious ... it immediately makes your old iPhone feel very cramped in comparison." He thought it was a little difficult to hold because its polished edges are slippery and advised prospective buyers to get a case for it.