Cyberattacks targeted several European countries this week, including grocery stores across the UK and the European Union, as well as three cold storage facilities in France that house some of the nation's blood supply.

The blood facilities were targeted on Sunday and Monday, with the temperature of the remotely controlled containers raised to "very high levels," according to EFS, France's public blood, plasma, and platelets service. Technicians were alerted to the attack by alarms and moved the blood before the supplies were rendered unusable.

Not long after, supermarket freezers and refrigerators in the UK, Italy, Germany, Romania, Belgium, Estonia, Ireland, Finland, Luxembourg, Holland, and Sweden reportedly malfunctioned, with some machines going into defrost mode. Temperatures in some of the cooling units soared to 122 degrees Fahrenheit, causing millions of euros in spoiled food, the Guardian reported.

The grocery store malfunctions were reminiscent of cyber-enabled attacks that hit hundreds of French grocery stores last month, which not only ruined food but sparked fires. Similarly, in August, commissaries at half a dozen US military bases reported that their freezers were remotely set to defrost overnight, ruining food supplies. An investigation into the incidents by the Defense Department is ongoing.

No individual or group has taken responsibility for the blood and grocery store incidents this week or earlier this year. Intelligence experts in Europe have posited that Russian officials are possibly recruiting people to commit sabotage in NATO nations.

Three of the biggest social media companies want to block a California law designed to reduce youth social media addiction from going into law.

On Wednesday, Google, Meta, and TikTok each filed lawsuits against California's attorney general, Rob Bonta.

Beginning on Jan. 1, 2027, the bill (AB 1709) would prohibit platforms including Google, Meta, and TikTok from providing "an addictive feature" to users under 16. The law describes such features as "psychologically exploitative" and intended to maximize engagement in a way that leads to compulsive use. This includes infinite scroll, autoplay, and an "addictive" feed.

The law also requires platforms to "implement reasonable measures" so that young users aren't offered such features.

The companies argue that the law infringes on their free speech rights, as well as Section 230, a provision of a 1996 federal law designed to shield online platforms from liability related to user content. Critics of Section 230 say it wrongly provides online platforms with broad immunity.

Google claimed in its lawsuit that its subsidiary, YouTube, personalizes recommendations to ensure that young users receive content relevant to their interests and appropriate for their age and developmental needs. The company defended autoplay as helping users enjoy content uninterrupted and sequentially, like a playlist for educational videos.

"AB 1709's bans on personalized recommendations and autoplay would therefore frustrate YouTube's efforts to provide under-16 users with safe, responsible, and enriching experiences on the platform," the lawsuit said.

Meta said that its services "collectively enable billions of people around the world to share ideas, offer support, discuss important topics." Prohibiting personalized feeds and autoplay, would "make it unlawful for Meta to disseminate speech to minors altogether," the company argued.

Lennon Torres, director of movement partnerships at the advocacy organization Heat Initiative, rejected the companies' arguments. Torres, a former child influencer, worked with the bill's author to address First Amendment concerns.

"They're framing this as a free speech fight, but what's really at stake is a business model that profits from keeping kids scrolling, even when it puts them at risk," Torres said. (Torres is a Mashable contributor.)

California's Attorney General's office told Reuters that it was reviewing the filings.

"Our office is committed to defending California's commonsense laws to protect kids online," the office said in a statement to Reuters.

In August, Meta settled a youth social media safety and addiction case for $17 billion, though the company did not admit guilt or liability. As part of that settlement, Meta agreed to limit teens' daily time spent on Instagram and Facebook to two hours; block access to both platforms overnight and during school hours; give teens the option to create a default non-algorithmic feed; and allow teens to turn off autoplay.

Meta also issued a "call to action" to YouTube and TikTok to adopt what the company describes as a new "industry standard." Neither company joined the settlement terms.

Meta has a hit on its hands, and it knows it. The social media giant's new AI agent Muse quickly reached more than five million app downloads after its launch in September, and the Jolly mascot has become a common sight in Meta's branding lately.

On Thursday, the company announced it now offers voice support for Muse. That means users can talk to their agent to give instructions or ask questions. Muse users will also be able to customize the voice, with hundreds of options available.

"Starting today in the US, we’re rolling out voice and expressive avatars in the Muse app across mobile app, web and Mac app, giving you a new, natural way to interact with your Muse. Want New Yorker energy? Pirate flair? Pick from hundreds of voices and switch it up whenever your mood does."

In an announcement blog post, the company outlined potential use cases. "Some things are better rehearsed out loud. Prepare for a job interview, run through a presentation, or talk through a pitch — hearing a response and answering in the moment makes it feel more like the real thing."

Meta founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg also teased the new update on X.

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In addition to voice support, Muse now offers expressive avatars. That means users' Muse mascots will match facial expressions to match what they're saying.

Lately, the AI industry has learned that a cute little guy is a great way to anthropomorphize AI, making it seem cutesy rather than intimidating, for better or worse.

Of course, voice mode can quickly go sideways, as OpenAI learned when the online creator Husk repeatedly went viral for his videos showing ChatGPT's voice mode acting very, very dumb.

We'll have to see if Muse fares any better.

To Meta's credit, the company's latest AI models have caught up to the frontier, as its massive AI spending spree continues.

U.S. users can experiment with Muse's voices and expressive avatars starting today.

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TikTok has spent years making it easier to buy the products that appear in makeup tutorials, cooking videos, and creator recommendations in TikTok Shop. Now, it’s giving shoppers a separate app to open when they're in the mood to spend on a new lip gloss, a milk frother, or another pair of sneakers.

The company has (rather quietly) released a standalone TikTok Shop app in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines on iOS and Android, as social media consultant Matt Navarra first spotted on X. The launch gives TikTok's growing shopping business its own place on a phone's home screen.

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According to its Apple App Store listing, the app offers personalized product recommendations, livestreams and short videos showing products in action, checkout, order tracking, and 24/7 customer support. Shoppers are also being offered app-exclusive deals, free shipping promotions, and first-order perks.

The Google Play listing shows more than 50,000 downloads, while the Singapore Apple App Store lists it at No. 71 in the shopping category, with a single five-star rating. Its latest iOS update, version 45.5.5, arrived just 13 hours before publication (at 1 p.m. ET on Nov. 5).

Credit: Screenshot: Apple's App Store

The app's Singapore App Store listing names TikTok Pte. Ltd. as its provider, a separate company from TikTok USDS Joint Venture, which operates TikTok in the U.S. The majority-American-owned joint venture handles U.S. data security, recommendation algorithms, and content moderation, while TikTok's global business still manages commercial activities, including e-commerce.

It's unclear whether the standalone shopping app will launch in the U.S. TikTok has not yet responded to Mashable's request for comment.

Why is TikTok testing a shopping app?

Giving Shop a dedicated app could help TikTok compete for the moments when someone opens Amazon or Temu intending to browse or buy. Videos and livestreams remain part of the experience, according to the listings, but shopping becomes the reason to open the app in the first place.

That fits into a broader expansion Mashable has been following, as TikTok builds more services around the recommendations people encounter on its platform.

In May, TikTok launched TikTok GO's hotel-booking features, which let U.S. adults book accommodations, tours, and attractions through partners including Booking.com, Expedia, and Viator. Creators can also earn commissions through eligible content, giving a travel recommendation a more direct connection to a reservation.

TikTok's announcement describes a process that takes people from discovering a place in a video to checking availability and booking it. As CEO of TikTok USDS Joint Venture Adam Presser said at the time, the platform is "good for creators, good for local businesses, and good for communities."

And more recently, TikTok launched Must Eat, TikTok's restaurant guide for the areas around New York City, Los Angeles, and the San Francisco Bay Area. Built from more than 40 million posts, reviews, and comments, it organizes food recommendations into searchable lists, with OpenTable reservations available for select restaurants. A video of a particularly good dinner can influence choosing and booking a future reservation.

TikTok has also been experimenting with giving specific kinds of entertainment their own apps. Its PineDrama service, launched earlier this year, puts short dramas into a separate app with personalized recommendations and tools for browsing series and episodes.

Taken together, those products suggest TikTok sees room to build entire services around habits that started in the feed. The standalone Shop app puts that idea to another test, asking whether people who discover products on TikTok will also choose it when shopping is what they came to do.

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. 

Finding love isn't for the weak. Dating app exhaustion is realer than ever, and while people want to branch out and meet in person, they're finding it difficult. 

One reason is that dating apps are a legitimate way to find a partner, not just a short-term one. Nearly 44 percent of adults say they use dating apps to find a long-term partner rather than just casual dating or hookups, according to the Pew Research Center. One in 10 partnered adults met their current partner through a dating app, and for younger adults and LGBTQ people, that number rises. 

Dating apps aren't going away, despite fatigue. And it is possible to make them work for you if you want to find your special someone.

Are dating apps worth it?

Even using the "right" app for you may still bring moments of uncertainty and frustration (you're dating, after all), but finding the app with features that most closely align with your dating style and the type of partnership you're looking for can still make online dating worth it.

If you've been using apps for a while and are experiencing serious burnout, it's always fair to take some time off and come back to them when you feel ready. Our guide will be here for you! Even the best app can feel exceptionally tedious when you simply don't have the energy.

Which dating app is best for serious relationships?

There are so many dating apps, but not all of them are created equal when it comes to finding a serious, committed relationship.

Some free dating apps are better suited for casual flings or hookups (e.g., Tinder, Grindr, etc.), while others have matching algorithms and profile features specifically designed to help users find meaningful connections (e.g., eharmony, OkCupid, Hinge, and Coffee Meets Bagel).

The good news is that we've done the research (and hands-on testing) to figure out which apps work best for long-term relationships, and Match Group isn't the only player in the game. Plus, all of these platforms are available via Google Play and the App Store, so having an Android or iPhone won't limit your options. Some old-school dating sites still maintain desktop versions.

To find your match, here are the best dating apps for serious relationships in 2026:

After a huge stock market rally on Wednesday following the decisive Democratic win in the U.S. midterms, stocks tumbled sharply on Thursday as investors feared a slowdown in data center construction and the AI industry as a whole.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 1,600 points on Thursday, about 3 percent of its value, according to CNBC. The S&P 500, a stock market index of large companies, and the tech-centered Nasdaq index, also dived on Thursday, with the latter dropping approximately 5 percent, the New York Times reported.

The massive drops in the stock market indexes even stoked fears of a Wall Street trading freeze. The S&P 500 drop reached 3.8 percent at one point on Thursday; at 7 percent, a market-mandated “circuit breaker” kicks in and forces a pause on all trading for 15 minutes.

The circuit breakers are intended to halt severe market crashes. A 13 percent drop in the S&P 500 leads to another forced freeze on trading, while a 20 percent crash ends trading for the day.

Chipmakers like Nvidia and Qualcomm took a big hit on Wall Street, as investors anticipated more regulation of the AI industry from Democratic legislators taking power in January.

An X post from Bernie Sanders may have contributed to the investor fears, with the Democratic senator calling for a national data center moratorium (in all caps) late on Wednesday.

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Shares of Tesla and SpaceX, both run by Republican mega-donor Elon Musk, dropped on Thursday for the second day, with potential regulatory pressure — and investigations — on the horizon.

For tech companies, it may not just be the incoming Senate and House that will expose them to more scrutiny, but the wave of Democratic governors taking office in 2027. Many of those governors-elect have spoken out against data centers and will be key deciders on whether construction of Silicon Valley's mega-projects moves forward.

"In many ways, what happened in state-level races around the U.S. are arguably just as important," as the Senate and House elections, Kent Fung, vice president of market intelligence at Fundstrat, told the Times. "Not just to Americans, but to investors."

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A family is suing Google for alleged negligence in offering Gemini to student learners via school-issued Chromebooks, after the AI chatbot aided their teen daughter in planning her suicide.

The Chromebooks offered dangerous chatbot access, the lawsuit alleges.

The teen, referred to in the lawsuit as Emma, did not go through with the drafted plan. Her family was alerted to the concerning behavior by a former school staffer. Emma's mother was then able to observe discussion of suicide with the chatbot in real-time, the family claims.

According to the lawsuit, filed by the EdTech Law Center and Qureshi Law in California Superior Court this week, both Google and the school's third-party monitoring software failed to flag or warn Emma's parents about her chatbot use.

"Google has no right to use its stranglehold on public schools to force its dangerous Gemini chatbot on a captive audience of millions of kids," said EdTech Law Center founder Julie Liddell in a press release.

Emma was reportedly able to access Gemini, which is restricted to minors, via Google Search's AI Mode on her school Chromebook. The lawsuit states she began interacting with the chatbot intensely in December 2025, becoming convinced she had a host of psychological disorders. Gemini instructed her on how to conceal her self-harm, responded to questions about suicide methods, and provided help writing a eulogy, the lawsuit alleges.

"This is the sick new reality Google has created by forcing its AI products onto school-issued devices," Brendan Bouffard, Associate General Counsel for AI and Privacy at child safety nonprofit Fairplay, said in a statement. "Google claims its Chromebooks are there to help students learn, but in reality, the company was experimenting on kids like Emma by pushing them to use Gemini, a product the company knew was dangerous but rushed out anyway."

The lawsuit names Google CEO Sundar Pichai and cofounder Sergey Brin specifically, and accuses the company of "defective design, failure to warn, negligence, fraudulent concealment, and infliction of emotional distress." The family also claims the product violates California’s new Companion Chatbot Law.

A Google spokesperson told the New York Times that the company was reviewing the claims but had worked "extensively" with health experts to design features and emergency resources in the event of a mental health crisis.

AI is not yet safe for schools, advocates argue

Child safety groups — including parent-led coalitions in school districts nationwide — have advocated for AI moratoriums, which range from multi-year bans on all generative AI tools to age-based restrictions on AI and screens. Los Angeles and New York City public schools announced sweeping restrictions on AI use for the 2026-2027 school year following intense pressure from parent groups, and other states are following suit.

States have taken the lead on regulating minor access to chatbots. In September, California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced a myriad of new child safety protections, including "Adam's Law," named after Adam Raine, a teen who died by suicide after consulting with ChatGPT. Just last week, Gov. Kathy Hochul unveiled a new chatbot safety law for the state of New York, imposing some of the strongest restrictions on minor chatbot use in the nation. Beyond state-level restrictions, many groups are spearheading federal legislation like the People-First Chatbot Bill and the GUARD Act.

The debate around chatbot safety and whether AI is beneficial to young minds is coming to a head in schools.

Earlier this week, Google announced a revision to its classroom technology policies, turning off access to its AI tools — including Gemini, Gemini Notebook, and Gemini in Classroom — by default for all education accounts.

Under the new policy, schools will have to actively opt-in to AI features in order for students and staff to access such tools on school devices. Because Google Search now has, and doesn't offer a version of its Search browser without Gemini, schools with AI bans would also be forced to choose between permitting access to Search and violating their own anti-AI guidelines.

A July report by safety nonprofit Common Sense Media found that Google Search's AI Overviews and AI Mode posed an "unacceptable risk" to young Googlers. Education advocates told Mashable at the time that Search was a "backdoor" to the company's Gemini model, and warned that continued access to the search engine without proper guardrails could pose risks for young learners.

"Let this be a reminder that ‘Google’ is not a verb," wrote Bouffard. "It’s the name of a surveillance and advertising company whose presence in schools has nothing to do with learning and everything to do with turning our kids into lifelong loyal customers."

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections delivered a decisive Democrat victory this week, with a blue wave taking control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives. It also unexpectedly swept up a Democratic candidate from Iowa who'd dropped out of the race, putting him in office regardless — and prompting numerous jokes online.

In September, Democratic nominee Eric Armstrong suspended his campaign for Iowa House District 20 due to health issues. 

"Our District deserves a representative who can give 100 percent of their energy to this race," Armstrong wrote in a Sept. 7 Facebook post announcing his decision. "Right now, I must focus on healing so that I can continue to serve our community in other ways in the future."

With Armstrong no longer campaigning, Republican Keith Jones appeared to have a much clearer path to victory. But Armstrong's announcement came after Iowa's deadline for nominees to withdraw, meaning his name remained on the ballot when voters headed to the polls on Nov. 3.

As such, Iowans who took to the polls apparently looked at his announcement, looked at the ballot, looked back at Armstrong's withdrawal, and basically said, "Nah, we're not accepting that."

Despite having stopped campaigning in September, Armstrong defeated Jones with 55.2 percent of the vote, keeping the seat in Democratic hands. He will succeed fellow Democrat Josh Turek, who flipped a Republican-held U.S. Senate seat in Iowa.

The unexpected result has inspired jokes online imagining Iowa voters as particularly demanding bosses, unwilling to approve Armstrong's request for time off.

"Iowa said 'you are still going to work,'" wrote TikTok user @jalasherese. "We don’t care if we have to wheel you in there."

"Drink some ginger ale and we'll see you in January Eric," @mona_licia83 commented on TikTok.

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For his part, Armstrong has indicated that he intends to serve, although his health remains a concern. In an interview with the New York Times, Armstrong said that he was still dealing with health issues but added, "I'm going to do my best to represent [the district]."

According to his campaign website, his priorities include expanding access to pre-K childcare, closing the minimum wage gap between Iowa and Nebraska, and improving benefits for Iowa educators to help schools recruit and retain staff.

After more than a decade of waiting, gamers will finally get to play Grand Theft Auto VI in just a few weeks. GTA 6 officially comes out on Nov. 19, 2026. 

However, that's still too far away for some. GTA fans want to play the game now, or at least as soon as possible. So, when is that? Is there early access for GTA 6?

If you're hoping to be among the first, unfortunately, it's too late for that. Some lucky video game reviewers are reportedly already playing the game in anticipation of their coverage being published alongside its release. The embargo for GTA 6 reviews lifts one day before the release date, on Nov. 18. Some reviewers received their codes late last month, and more are going out to gaming and tech news outlets now and over the next couple of weeks.

What about the average consumer? How can they play the game at the earliest possible date?

Unfortunately, there is no early access for GTA 6. However, if you pre-order the digital version of the game, you'll be able to download GTA 6 on Nov. 10, a full 9 days before its release.

Now, the pre-order won't let you play the game on Nov. 10. The game will remain locked until Nov. 19. But GTA 6 is a massive download. It's reportedly 212 GB. That could take hours to download and install based on your internet connection. By pre-ordering, the game will be ready to play on your gaming console at midnight local time on Nov. 19, giving you the ability to jump into the game the moment it's officially released.

Still not good enough for you? What if you could trick your console into thinking you're in a country where the GTA 6 release comes roughly 18 hours earlier? Well, you can. Change your console region settings to New Zealand and connect to the internet through a VPN, and you'll be able to play GTA 6 on Nov. 18. 

Or you can always hop on a flight and take a trip to New Zealand yourself.

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Not to be overshadowed by recent smartphone launches from Google, Samsung, and Apple, Motorola formally announced its own new flagship Thursday: the Signature 27. It's a flex of a phone that's jam-packed with premium features like a ridiculously bright screen, a 200MP periscope lens, and Bang & Olufsen speakers — and its $1,599 starting price reflects that.

The Signature 27 has a slab-style design with a sloped camera bump and a roomy 6.8-inch "Extreme AMOLED Duo" tandem display. (It stacks two OLED panels on top of one another, just like Apple does in its iPad Pro and new touchscreen OLED MacBook Pro.) With a rated peak brightness of 12,000 nits (not a typo), the Signature 27's display should be the brightest we've ever seen on a smartphone by far.

The Motorola Signature 27 comes in two finishes: Pantone Coal Smoke (pictured) and Pantone Capulet Olive. Credit: Motorola

The Signature 27 will also probably be the longest-lasting smartphone we've encountered, too. It has a massive 7,000mAh battery, and Motorola rated it for up to 77 hours of use per charge. For comparison's sake, the new iPhone 18 Pro Max, the battery life champ among the best smartphones we've tested, has a 5,567mAh battery that lasts up to 45 hours.

Camera-wise, Motorola said the Signature 27 will have a 200MP Periscope Telephoto lens that can hit up to 100x zoom with its AI-powered "Super Zoom Pro" tool. There's also a 50MP wide lens, 50MP ultrawide lens, and 50MP front camera, which should make for some fabulous selfies. Notably, Motorola tacks on a dedicated EVS actor sensor that makes it easy to get shots of fast-moving subjects, which it describes as a first for a smartphone.

Motorola said the Signature 27 is the first smartphone with a dedicated EVS action sensor. Credit: Motorola

The Signature 27 boasts audio tuned by the luxury audio brand Bang & Olufsen. If you know anything about its speakers and headphones, you know this phone is going to sound amazing. (Motorola and Bang & Olufsen announced a multi-year partnership last month, so it should be the first of many.)

Here's a look at some very-zoomed-in shots taken by the Motorola Signature 27. Credit: Motorola

The Signature 27 runs on the Snapdragon 8 Elite Extreme Gen 6 chip, Qualcomm's most powerful mobile processor to date, which "accelerates AI... and brings immense power to gaming," Motorola said. It will support the latest Gemini Intelligence features, including Rambler and Create My Widget.

To prevent the Signature 27 from overheating, the company equipped it with an "ArcticMesh" cooling system featuring diamond-infused thermal gel and a large 3D vapor chamber.

Here's the Motorola Signature 27 in Patnone Capulet Olive. Credit: Motorola

Users can choose from two Pantone-approved finishes: Capulet Olive and Coal Smoke.

The Signature 27 starts at $1,599 with 512GB of storage, putting the Signature 27 on par with Samsung's high-end Galaxy S26 Ultra (Mashable's current favorite Android splurge). A Galaxy S26 Ultra with 512GB of storage goes for $1,599.99 as of early October, when Samsung bumped its price by $100 because of the ongoing memory crisis.

According to our sister site CNET, the Signature S27 will launch in the U.S. on Nov. 26. Preorders begin Nov. 19, so stay tuned for more.

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November means the holidays are on the way and cuffing season is in full swing. Hooking up might not sound as fun in the colder months. Instead, you might want to find someone to snuggle with through Valentine's Day — or beyond. Why not try a dating app?

As a lesbian, you probably know all about them. Lesbian Americans (along with bisexual and gay Americans) are far more likely to have ever used dating apps than straight Americans: 51 percent to 28 percent, according to the Pew Research Center.

​​Online dating as a lesbian can be a joyous experience, but it can also involve having your space invaded by straight people or seeing your ex-girlfriends (and your ex-girlfriends' ex-girlfriends) show up in your feed over and over. You might also be subject to lesbian vs. bi discourse, but that's not a prerequisite. Scroll on by and focus on doing you.

Over the decades, queer women have turned to personal ads, frequented bars, and relied on word of mouth to find love. These days, it's not too different. From trying to find a date on WLW TikTok to entrepreneurial lesbians creating new apps just for them, LGBTQ women are down to get creative to find their special someone.

Thankfully, in 2026, there are both niche and general apps where queer women can find a partner — whether for one night or for life. Which ones are the best dating apps for lesbians? We tested the most popular dating sites and apps and drew on insights from our Dating & Relationships writers to find out.

How to find the best dating apps for lesbians

Niche lesbian dating apps aren't your only option for finding love. Credit: Stacey Zhu / Mashable

In Mashable's recommendations below, you'll find both general dating apps and apps specifically for queer people. As the former appeals to the general population, you'll find more users in these spaces. The caveat, however, is that when you swipe on other women, you might find those coupled with men who are looking for another woman to have a threesome with (aka unicorn hunters). No judgment here, but that's probably not what you're looking for. Then again, people of all types are on dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. You never know who you may come across.

Then there are apps specifically for the community, like HER and Lex. If you yearn for a smaller dating scene, head for these apps. While there's no "Grindr for lesbians" — we go into why in the FAQ section — these apps are more so like stepping into your neighborhood lesbian bar than an app like Bumble. 

You can also try multiple dating apps, as each one below has a free version. You can filter by the gender you identify with and are looking for, and sometimes, as with OkCupid, there are many options to choose from.

Diving into the dating pool isn't easy, but the water's fine. Check out our guide below for the full rundown of our recommendations and dating app reviews.

Goodbye, GrubHub. Hello, Uber Eats.

That's what Amazon is saying in a Thursday announcement about its new partnership with Uber's popular food delivery service.

Amazon Prime subscribers will now be able to order from their favorite restaurants directly through Amazon's website thanks to a new deal between Uber Eats and Amazon.

There are additional bonuses for Amazon Prime users as well. For one, Amazon Prime subscribers won't even need an Uber Eats account in order to use the service, as the whole process will take place on Amazon's website. 

If you already have an Uber Eats account, that part of the partnership might not seem all that enticing. However, maybe this part will: Amazon Prime subscribers will also pay $0 on delivery fees for all orders of $25 or more as part of the partnership.

Amazon and Uber will also be providing Prime members with a limited-time offer to celebrate the partnership. Over the next two weeks, Prime subscribers can get $20 off their first two Uber Eats orders of $25 or more.

While the order receipt will come from Uber Eats, Amazon will handle everything else for Prime users ordering delivery. The order process and delivery alerts will also come from Amazon.

Amazon originally entered the food delivery business with Amazon Restaurants, which was an in-house service provided by the company. However, in 2019, Amazon shuttered Amazon Restaurants and opted to instead partner with food delivery companies.

In 2022, Amazon announced a new partnership with GrubHub, which provided Amazon Prime users with a free GrubHub+ subscription. Two years later, in 2024, Amazon and Grubhub extended their partnership, making the Grubhub+ membership an ongoing perk for Prime members.

With the UberEats deal, Amazon's relationship with GrubHub is coming to an end. Both Amazon and GrubHub have confirmed that the partnership between the two companies will end on Thursday.

Ditching GrubHub for UberEats makes sense for Amazon. Amazon Prime perks are there to encourage its customers to keep their paid subscription active. According to a report from Foodspark, Uber Eats has between 23 and 26 percent share of the U.S. food delivery market. GrubHub only captures between 6 and 8 percent. This makes the new Amazon Prime offering much more appealing to a larger portion of its customer base.

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After waiting 13 years for a new Grand Theft Auto game, Kai Cenat plans to take his time with it.

The streamer has clarified his plans for GTA 6, telling fans that his playthrough will leave plenty of room to explore rather than race through the story. In a post on X, Cenat said he wants to be "fully immersed" in the game and encouraged his audience to enjoy it at their own pace, too.

"Don't want you guys to think your [sic] about to see me try to beat the story fast as hell," he wrote. "Not happening."

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Instead, Cenat said he'll combine story missions with "high-level exploration," discovering new features and enjoying the game fans have spent more than a decade waiting for. As for how long he'll be live, he's leaving that open.

"I ain't coming off stream until I feel like it’s the right time," he wrote.

The update follows Cenat's announcement of a separate GTA marathon ahead of the new game's release. As Mashable reported earlier this week, he plans to stream GTA 3, Vice City, San Andreas, GTA 4, and GTA 5 in one sitting, with the broadcast scheduled to begin Nov. 5 at 3 p.m. ET on Twitch and YouTube.

For GTA 6, though, his message goes beyond what viewers should expect from his stream. Cenat also urged fans to make time for their own playthroughs, saying the internet moves quickly and people don't always appreciate good games while they're playing.

"Take time and really have fun!" he wrote.

Grand Theft Auto VI launches Nov. 19 on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S.

When Archive of Our Own (AO3) went offline on Oct. 29 for an extended maintenance period, millions of fanfiction readers suddenly found themselves with a lot more free time. But fandom doesn't simply disappear when its favorite website goes down. It finds somewhere else to congregate.

And apparently, that somewhere is Tumblr, an old familiar haunt for millennial fans.

According to data shared with Mashable by Tumblr, the blogging platform has seen a significant increase in new users since AO3 went offline. Between Oct. 29 and Nov. 2, new sign-ups increased 49 percent compared to the previous two weeks. Among users ages 18 to 25, that number jumped to 75 percent.

Tumblr also reported an increase in daily active users, though it did not provide a specific percentage. Meanwhile, the biggest increase in daily users joining Tumblr Communities, the platform's dedicated spaces for shared interests, reached 63 percent.

In other words, AO3's temporary absence appears to be giving one of fandom's longtime gathering places a boost.

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"Fandom has always had a home on Tumblr, and we're glad to be a place fans can gather while AO3 recovers," Ari Levine, Tumblr's head of brand marketing and partnerships, said in a statement. "We've offered to help, and we're rooting for the OTW's volunteers and hope to see it back soon."

The numbers offer a glimpse into how fandom communities are navigating AO3's extended downtime. The fanfiction archive, which is operated by the nonprofit Organization for Transformative Works (OTW), has become an essential part of online fandom culture, housing millions of fan-created stories across thousands of fandoms. Its temporary shutdown has left readers scrambling for alternative ways to access their favorite works and writers figuring out where to reconnect with their audiences.

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For some, that means returning to Tumblr. Of course, Tumblr and AO3 have long existed alongside each other in the fandom ecosystem. Where AO3 provides an archive for fanworks, Tumblr has historically served as a place to discuss them, share recommendations, post fan art, and build communities around shared obsessions. It's where a reader might discover a new ship, find a fic recommendation, or follow an author whose work they love.

That relationship makes Tumblr a natural gathering place during AO3's absence. According to Tumblr, fans have been sharing fanfiction recommendations, reconnecting through fandom Communities, and commiserating over the outage.

What's particularly notable is the increase in younger users. Tumblr has been a fixture of internet fandom for well over a decade, but its 75 percent increase in sign-ups among 18- to 25-year-olds suggests that the current disruption may also be introducing a new generation of fans to the platform.

Still, the numbers don't necessarily mean Tumblr is experiencing a permanent resurgence. The company shared percentage increases rather than raw sign-up figures, and it's too early to know whether these new users will stick around once AO3 returns. The timing also doesn't establish that every new account was created because of the outage.

But the surge illustrates something about how online fandom works. Fan communities aren't confined to a single website, even when that website becomes central to how they participate. They exist across platforms, held together by the people who create, recommend, discuss, and share the stories they love.

AO3 may be where fans go to read the fic. But while it's offline, Tumblr is reminding them that fandom has always been about more than the archive.

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Pornhub is one of the top-visited websites in the world. So, performing their civic duty on Election Day doesn't stop Americans from watching explicit content.

It seems that the U.S. (at least, half the states where Pornhub isn't blocked) woke up with an insatiable urge to watch porn, as traffic at 5 a.m. was 22 percent higher on Nov. 3 compared to an average day. (All visitor times are adjusted by local time, according to Pornhub.) The above-average numbers continued until around 4 p.m., before most polls closed.

Credit: Pornhub

For the next couple of hours, traffic dipped at most 10 percent below average. In the early evening, perhaps after many people voted, it rose up again to slightly above average. By 10 p.m., though, it was back down — maybe because they were watching Steve Kornacki deliver the election results instead.

Pornhub has blocked itself in many states due to age-verification laws, so there's no data on whether people in key battlegrounds like Georgia, Texas, Florida, and the Carolinas opted to watch porn on Tuesday.

But in Washington, D.C., Pornhub traffic was a staggering 43 percent higher than average in the morning and 25 percent in the afternoon, suggesting that political staffers may have had to let off a little steam. (It's less staggering than in 2022, however, when Pornhub traffic doubled in D.C.)

Wisconsin also saw a bigger-than-average day on Pornhub, with 20 percent higher traffic in the morning and 16 percent in the afternoon. Michigan and Ohio, with their highly-watched races, saw modest increases (8 percent and 5 percent, respectively).

See how other states fared on Election Day in Pornhub's blog post.

TL;DR: Burger King is launching its 2026 holiday advent calendar. Sold exclusively on BKAdventCalendar.com, 110 calendars will be available daily from Nov. 16-20, while supplies last.

Burger King announced that its limited-edition holiday advent calendar is returning for its third consecutive run. Unlike standard chocolate-filled boxes, the 2026 BK Advent Calendar lets buyers build a fully functional miniature Burger King restaurant over 12 days.

The box retails for $19.54 (a nod to the year the chain was founded in 1954). The catch? It is incredibly tough to actually get your hands on this viral product. Only 110 units will drop each day at 12 p.m. ET from Nov. 16-20, exclusively via BKAdventCalendar.com while supplies last.

The last two calendars sold out in under five minutes, so fans are encouraged to mark their calendars before this year's drop is gone for good. In fact, you can text “ADVENT” to 251-251 to get a reminder when the first drop goes live.  

Behind each of the calendar's 12 doors is a piece of the Burger King experience, just mini. From fan-favorite menu items like the Whopper to restaurant details like the King's Booth and a soda fountain, the calendar packs some of the brand's most recognizable elements into an extremely festive package. 

And on Day 12, the pieces combine to form a complete miniature storefront, accompanied by a $5 BK digital coupon code for Royal Perks members.

"We know Guests will be excited that for the third year in a row, the Advent Calendar is back, and it's the best one ever," said Joel Yashinsky, Chief Marketing Officer, Burger King US&C. "These limited-edition Advent Calendars sell out fast, and we know our Guests are always looking for more holiday fun from BK. So this year, fans can build their very own BK restaurant, complete with a mini-Whopper, nuggets, and other items that make BK feel like BK. It's our one-of-a-kind way to celebrate the season, and we can't wait for families to bring a little BK home for the holidays!"

Halloween may be over, but that isn't stopping Sony from performing their second resurrection in less than a month.

Following the rebirth of the Walkman (starting at an eye-watering $1,899.99), Sony is launching the Sony MDR-3R wired headphones. It's a modern take on the headphones that launched with the original Walkman. (You may also recognize them as the headphones Max wears in Stranger Things.) I got to try these new headphones ahead of their release, and they sound surprisingly good.

The new USB-C version of the retro headphones brings modern tech to the original Sony MDR-3 Walkman headphones, but the classic '80s design is the same. And unlike the Walkman 2.0, you won't have to shell out thousands if you want to live out your analog dreams: the headphones are available at Amazon and Sony for $59.99.

For this release, Sony's also rolling out an appropriate collaboration: a Stranger Things edition of the headphones will launch in honor of Stranger Things Day on Nov. 6. They feature an exclusive design with red and black ear cushions, plus a Stranger Things engraving on the headband. The price point is also slightly higher, at $79.99.

Where to buy the Sony MDR-3R headphones

Only the smartphone gives away the era. Credit: Sony

The retro Sony MDR-3R headphones are available at major retailers, including Amazon and Sony, for $59.99. Included with the headphones is two pairs of swappable ear cushions in blue and orange. Unlike the original version, they come with a USB-C connection and an in-line remote on the cable for playback controls, as well as a built-in mic for phone calls.

Headphones that easily fit in to Hawkins. Credit: Sony

The Stranger Things edition comes with red and black ear cushions, while the standard version comes with blue and orange.

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Credit: Sony

Sony MDR-3R

$59.99 at Amazon and Sony

 

Shop Now at Amazon and Sony

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Credit: Sony

Sony MDR-3R 'Stranger Things' edition

$79.99 at Amazon & Sony

 

Shop Now at Amazon & Sony

How the Sony MDR-3R headphones sound

First things first — I can confirm that listening to "Running Up That Hill" does hit different on these headphones.

Before I get into the sound, I also want to note that I was complimented on the look of these headphones three different times while testing them out. In the dozens of headphones I've tested, that's never happened before — and I've tried the Nothing headphones.

Credit: Sony

As for how they actually sound, Sony went for a similar profile to the OG version, using the same 23mm driver units found on the original headphones. Naturally, some re-engineering took place to give these headphones the benefits of modern audio tech. I will say — I was surprised by how clear the sound came through. Sure, it doesn't have the greatest depth, but I don't need that from these retro on-ear headphones.

The other huge benefit? While they can handle a range of genres, listening to music from the 70s and 80s on these just feels right. Never has Queen's "Cool Cat" felt so funky or has Billy Joel seemed so in a "New York State of Mind." Don't even get me started on the Talking Heads. I also discovered, while listening to Pat Benatar's "Hit Me With Your Best Shot," that these headphones can get really loud, so proceed with caution.

As expected, they did experience some sound leakage — my roommate sitting a few feet away from me could hear Pat wailing "fire away" clearly as I tested the limit of the headphones, but even at normal volumes, she could tell I was listening to something, even if she couldn't quite identify what. There were also some issues with sound leakage on calls. When FaceTiming my girlfriend, she said she heard herself speaking (even as I had the volume low), but she stipulated that it was an issue she experiences with AirPods-wearing friends, too.

All told, these aren't your premium headphones — but they're not trying to be. They're a fun way to lean into a very particular (very cool!) aesthetic, while getting a decent listening experience. They're certainly meant to be an eye-catching accessory. With no ability to fold or a carrying case, you better be ready to show them off wherever you go.

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TL;DR: Starbucks just dropped its 2026 holiday cups and a holiday pup cup. The collection lands in U.S. stores nationwide on Nov. 5.

Starbucks has revealed its official 2026 holiday cup lineup, landing in U.S. stores nationwide on Nov. 5.

The 2026 aesthetic pivots hard into retro nostalgia: layered ribbons, vintage gift bows, holiday tree silhouettes, and a festive palette pairing Starbucks green and red with mint, antique gold, and creamy eggshell white. We're fans.

Credit: Starbucks

Starbucks has also made a savvy viral play by creating a dedicated limited-edition holiday Pup Cup.

Available at participating U.S. stores while supplies last, the pint-sized paper cup features miniature evergreen boughs and tiny red bow detailing and is filled with the traditional complimentary dollop of whipped cream. It is a calculated social media play aimed straight at TikTok and Instagram Reels feeds — expect local drive-thru lanes to be completely backed up this weekend with pet owners. I'm tempted to bring my cats.

Credit: Starbucks

The cup drop accompanies the official launch of Starbucks' winter menu, headlined by an all-new Tiramisu Velvet beverage platform and a Braised Short Rib Grilled Cheese.

It's important to note that this launch is different from the Red Cup Day giveaway taking place on Nov. 17. These holiday cups are made from single-use paper, unlike the free reusable cups set to launch at participating stores while supplies last.

AI agents aren't allowed on Tinder and Hinge, the CEO of their parent company, Match Group, Spencer Rascoff, wrote in a New York Times op-ed yesterday.

Rascoff argues that the initial purpose of dating apps was to remove friction, which is also the goal of AI agents, but that in some cases friction is necessary for a more meaningful experience.

"We want to ensure humans are reviewing other humans' dating profiles and sending messages to other users on our apps. That's why we have put in place guardrails meant to prevent the use of AI agents on our platforms, like Tinder and Hinge," Rascoff wrote.

Match Group figured that if users let AI agents message potential dates, there's a pretty low chance they'll connect authentically, Rascoff continued.

Daters themselves seem split on using AI when trying to find a partner. In Match's own Singles in America survey this year, half of singles said they wouldn't use AI for dating in the future. While 37 percent said AI wouldn't be helpful in early dating at all, the same number of participants wouldn't consider AI use in dating a dealbreaker.

While Match Group has banned AI agents among users, its apps use AI in features and feature creation. Tinder launched its AI matchmaker, Chemistry, earlier this year, and Hinge added AI-powered Convo Starters last Dec. And in Match Group's 2026 Q3 earnings call, the company stated that Tinder's upcoming Missed Connections feature is "a clear example of how we're using AI to accelerate the pace of product innovation."

TL;DR: Starbucks Red Cup Day 2026 takes place on Nov. 17. To get your free cup, buy any handcrafted holiday or seasonal beverage (hot, iced, or blended) in any size.

If your morning routine revolves around seasonal espresso shots and viral coffee tumblers, mark your calendar: Starbucks’ 2026 holiday menu officially launches on Nov. 5, bringing back fan favorites and fresh treats.

That's exciting news, but it's not the main draw for seasoned coffee lovers and cup collectors. The Peppermint Mocha is great and all, but it's not Red Cup Day. This is arguably the biggest day on the coffee lovers' calendar. Starbucks hands out a free, limited-edition red reusable cup with every qualifying handcrafted holiday beverage order on this special day. And you guessed it: fans and collectors go wild.

Starbucks has officially confirmed the date for Red Cup Day 2026: You can score a free reusable holiday cup on Nov. 17.

Credit: Starbucks

How to score a free reusable cup

Getting your hands on the free collectible cup is pretty straightforward, but we should note that supplies run out notoriously fast.

To get your free cup, buy any handcrafted holiday or seasonal beverage (hot, iced, or blended) in any size. The promo applies across in-cafe purchases, drive-thru orders, mobile orders on the Starbucks app, and delivery via Uber Eats, DoorDash, or Grubhub. Once you have your reusable red cup, bringing it back on future visits saves you $0.10 per drink.

Just be prepared for heavy app delays and long drive-thru lines on launch morning — mobile ordering at least 20 minutes ahead is non-negotiable if you want to dodge the rush.

Reviewing the new M6 MacBook Pro gave me a powerful feeling of déjà vu. It even uses the same artwork as the M5 MacBook Pro that came out last year. This laptop was also completely upstaged by the new MacBook Pro OLED announced at Apple's recent "Pro and Tell" event.

Apple has released another iterative update, equipping the 2026 MacBook Pro with the latest Apple silicon. And if you have a much older MacBook, the new model also runs macOS 27 Golden Gate and Siri AI, the latter of which is still a work in progress.

Last year, in my M5 MacBook Pro review, I wrote that "Apple is just showing off," and the new model offers even better performance, while keeping everything you already love about the MacBook Pro.

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MacBook Pro (M6) review: I've grown weary of iterative upgrades

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I'm not the first tech reviewer to complain about iterative updates. In recent years, many tech brands have been releasing new models on an annual release cycle. That means customers don't have to wait as long for new upgrades to come to market, but there are downsides, too.

In a world of iterative updates, your shiny new laptop or phone gets out of date much more quickly. I wish tech companies would focus more on making future-proofed models that stand the test of time. We already live in a world of overconsumption and high prices, and every annual release is another opportunity for trillion-dollar tech companies to increase prices even more.

The new $1,999 MacBook Pro is $300 more expensive than the 2025 version with M5 silicon. To be fair, Apple increased prices across the board in June due to the memory shortage, and this release doesn't include an additional price bump.

As I said in my latest MacBook Air review, I wish Apple had waited to release a new MacBook Air and stuck with the older, less expensive version a little longer, but that may not have been possible thanks to RAMageddon.

The M6 MacBook Pro is a highly capable laptop for the pros (obviously)

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Testing the new M6 is a bit tedious. I have already thoroughly stress-tested the M5 Pro, and the M6 will inevitably deliver the same results with some improvements. And that's exactly what I found.

Apple promises the new "12-core GPU delivers up to 30 percent faster graphics and up to 25 percent faster AI workloads when compared to M5." Unsurprisingly, that matches up with my results.

Because of a shipping delay, I'm still performing some of our standard benchmarks on the new MacBook Pro, and I'll update this review after spending more time testing the M6 chip and battery. I

M6 MacBook Pro: What about gaming?

If you loved 'Backrooms,' then try 'Pools' for some spooky fun. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Like the M5, the M6 MacBook Pro passes the Cyberpunk: 2077 test, with some compromises. I didn't notice significant improvement in performance this time around. I originally tried loading the game with a 60-frame-per-second target refresh rate and MetalFX and ray tracing turned up to the max. I had just enough time to wipe out a gang of Tiger Claws before the game crashed.

At 30 frames per second and with some graphic settings tuned down, I was able to play the game without problems, and Night City still looks gorgeous. However, I had more fun playing the backrooms-inspired game Pools, recently adapted from its original virtual reality format. The spooky, atmospheric visuals looked great on the Pro.

Siri AI is still a work in progress

Left: Siri AI tries, and fails, to answer a simple query. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Right: Notice anything wrong with this picture? Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Siri AI isn't unique to macOS 27 Golden Gate, and if you have a compatible Apple device, it's been available for a few months. I tried to use Siri AI on this new laptop, with mixed results. While Siri AI was able to answer many of my queries and draw on my personal data, it also struggled in disappointing ways.

At one point, I asked it to pull up photos from my time visiting Charleston, SC, a city I visit frequently. Siri told me it couldn't find any photos from Charleston. But look at the picture of this moment, and you'll notice the on-screen Photos widget is literally showing an album of photos from Charleston at the exact same time. Siri AI also struggled to find texts and emails from a contact with an oddly spelled name.

These are the kinds of frustrating and basic mistakes that make it hard to fully trust or recommend Siri AI yet.

MacBook Pro with M6: Design and build quality

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

The latest MacBook Pro retains the high-end build and classic Apple design of recent MacBooks, but it only suffers in comparison to the just-released MacBook Pro OLED laptop, which has an OLED display and upgraded speaker system.

If you have an older MacBook, I think you'll be very impressed with the speakers on this model. While they're the same as last year's model, they still sound fantastic. Radiohead's "Everything in its Right Place" and Florence and the Machine's "Lungs" sound rich and well-balanced, though you can also plug in your favorite headphones in the 3.5mm headphone jack for true high-fidelity audio via Apple Music.

So far, I haven't had any overheating issues or any problems at all from a design standpoint. The keyboard, trackpad, webcam, and Liquid Retina display are still rock solid.

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

MacBook Pro with M5: The verdict

While the latest MacBook Pro doesn't rate very highly on the "Wow factor," it's still a powerful laptop that can support professional workloads. I suspect some professionals will want to hold out for the inevitable 16-inch model, or splurge on the reference-monitor-quality display on the new OLED model.

Hopefully, the PROLED XDR Display becomes available with the regular MacBook Pro in the near-ish future, and I think it eventually will. That would be a non-iterative upgrade and a welcome one for many techies.

You can buy the new MacBook Pro for $1,999 at Apple, Amazon, and wherever Apple laptops are sold; it will be released on Nov. 6 alongside the new touch MacBook Pro OLED.

Apple MacBook Pro, 14 inches (M6, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$1,999 at Amazon

 

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MacBook Pro M5: Specifications

• Processor: Apple M6 chip with a 12-core CPU (2 super cores, 4 performance cores, 6 efficiency cores); 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators

• Memory: 16GB, 24GB, 32GB

• Storage: 1TB, 2TB, 4TB

• Colors: Space Black, Silver

• Dimensions: 0.61 inches × 12.31 inches × 8.71 inches;

• Weight: 3.4 pounds

• Ports: Three Thunderbolt 4 (USB-C) ports with support for two external monitors; SDXC card slot; HDMI port; 3.5 mm headphone jack, MagSafe 3 charging port

• Wireless Connectivity: Apple N1 chip supporting Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 6.0

• Display: 14.2-inch Liquid Retina XDR display

• Resolution: 3,024 x 1,964 resolution

• Brightness: Up to 1,000 nits sustained brightness; up to 1,600 nits peak brightness for HDR content

• Cameras: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support

• Audio: Six-speakers with support for spatial audio; three-mic array

• Battery: Up to 24 hours of video streaming

MacBook users have been waiting a long time for this one: After many years, Apple has finally relented and released a touchscreen laptop. But what's really exciting about this new Apple machine is the incredible tandem OLED display, which Apple has dubbed the PROLED XDR Display. The internet is split on whether "PROLED" is cheesy or not, but what isn't the internet split about?

I'm still in the process of testing the new MacBook Pro, but I can tell you this: Apple has made an incredible laptop, and the company wasn't exaggerating when it promised a "groundbreaking" and "industry-leading" display.

Now, if you're a laptop nerd, you might be rolling your eyes. Touchscreen laptops have been around for ages, and virtually all of Apple's competitors have long offered a high-end OLED display. Well, it shouldn't surprise you that Apple's version of an OLED laptop goes hard in every possible way.

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I'm loving this laptop so far, and I think it's the first true slam-dunk of the John Ternus era.

MacBook Pro OLED review: Let's talk about the display

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Apple hasn't just made an OLED laptop; it's made a genuine reference-quality display, designed to meet industry standards for video editors, photographers, animators, 3D artists, and color graders. The PROLED XDR display is also the brightest laptop display ever made, with 2,000 nits of peak brightness for HDR content, racing past the MacBook Pro's Liquid Retina XDR display, which tops out at 1,600 nits. The top Windows competition maxes out at 1,300 nits. For non-HDR content, the PROLED offers up to 1,000 nits of sustained brightness.

After spending just 72 hours with the PROLED, my eyes are hurting, and I'm genuinely worried the screen is too bright for my own good.

I'm not going to waste time explaining exactly how tandem OLED technology works; instead, you'll have to trust me that it means a brighter display that lasts longer. The blacks on the display are deep, the colors pop, and the shadows and highlights provide incredibly detailed contrast.

Photo on display by Paul Reiffer Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Previously, Apple reserved tandem OLED for the iPad Pro, and the M4 and M5 iPad Pros are famous for reference-quality displays. The iPad Pros also introduced Apple's ProMotion technology, powering an adaptive refresh rate up to 120 Hz. Tandem OLED combined with ProMotion is unmatched, and you don't really know what you're missing until you try it.

Now, ProMotion and tandem OLED finally, finally, come to the MacBook Pro.

This laptop absolutely slaps, and the incredible PROLED XDR display is the headline. It's stunning.

Photo on display by Paul Reiffer Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

The bad news? I do recommend paying $500 more for the 16-inch model. You'll want the extra screen space. This is a maximalist laptop, and I think size matters here.

MacBook Pro OLED: What about the touchscreen?

To be honest, I don't care about touchscreen. I think there's limited utility if your touchscreen laptop isn't a convertible that flips all the way around into tablet mode. The PROLED also lacks support for Apple Pencil and third-party styluses. So, after so many years talking smack about touchscreens, why has Apple given in?

Maybe it's because kids born today expect everything to be a touchscreen. There are also 3D artists and animators working in Blender who will be happy to pinch and zoom to their heart's content.

Pinch to zoom right on your MacBook's screen. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Expect more developers to make use of Apple's new Gesture API in the months ahead. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I tried out the touchscreen using software like Blender and Final Cut Pro. Some apps will have custom touchscreen interfaces and functionality, but it will take time for macOS developers to adapt to a touchscreen world. For now, anything you can do on the trackpad, you can do on the display. The touchscreen is responsive, and mostly works as you expect. I just don't really need or care about it.

If I were a betting man, I would wager that the touchscreen won't stick around forever. However, the OLED ProMotion display is going to make a lot of Mac users jealous. I wouldn't be surprised if it becomes available as an option, like the Nano Texture finish is with certain Apple products.

MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display: Performance

On-device AI generated perfectly accurate subtitles for my video files. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

I did my best to stress-test this laptop, which runs macOS 27 Golden Gate, with the limited time I've had with it. Due to a shipping delay, I've only had three days with this laptop, so I haven't been able to conduct battery rundown tests or some of our other standard benchmarks.

But when you have to condense a week's worth of testing into three days, you really appreciate just how much modern laptops have to do. I've been busy testing local AI performance, speakers, cameras, multitasking, file transfers, video and photo editing, Siri AI, the new touchscreen display, and the new OLED panel. So far, I'm impressed across the board.

Apple made stress-testing this machine difficult. My 16-inch review unit has 48GB of RAM and the M5 Pro chip, and it wasn't easy to slow it down. The high-powered M5 chips feature an 18-core CPU architecture, including six "super cores."

For my stress test, I opened complex Blender files. I made Final Cut Pro export large 4K video files while simultaneously applying local AI effects such as stabilization, color adjustment, and generating subtitles to an entire project. I watched 4K HDR YouTube videos, used Siri AI, opened a massive 15.5MB Excel spreadsheet (with 16,000 rows in some tabs), and asked Gemma 4 to compose a sonnet in iambic pentameter about the majestic manatee.* With my 48GB of RAM and the M5 Pro chip, I was able to run a large local AI model, Gemma 4 26B-A4B, and set it to coding applications and composing my sonnet.

Weirdly, the only task that really brought up the spinning wheel of death? That damn Numbers spreadsheet. Go figure.

I also ran the latest Geekbench 7 benchmark test, and it logged impressive results:

• Single-core: 3,736

• Multi-core: 34,492

Mashable has tested over 90 laptops in the last couple of years, and the PROLED is now the top multi-core scorer in our entire database, handily beating other Macs and Windows laptops with the Qualcomm Snapdragon X2 Elite chipset.

If you're a superuser, you can also upgrade to the M5 Max chip and even more RAM. As we've noted before, a fully specced-out MacBook Pro PROLED will set you back $14,549.

MacBook Pro PROLED: Design and build quality

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

As you'd expect from a high-end Apple laptop, the design is both familiar and impeccable. There's a reason the Windows world has been copying the best MacBooks for decades. However, there are some key hardware and software changes on this laptop (it's the first to bring Dynamic Island from iOS to macOS), aside from the display. The laptop is also lighter and thinner than its forebears. The 14-inch version is half a pound lighter, the 16-inch model is 0.7 pounds lighter, and Apple shaved off half a millimeter and a full millimeter, respectively.

Apple has also famously brought back the glowing Apple logo on the top cover, which dims and brightens as you adjust the brightness settings. That glowing apple has been missing since 2015, and it's a nice touch. Otherwise, this laptop feels a lot like other Apple laptops, with a familiar keyboard, trackpad, and Touch ID key.

For super-super users, this laptop has three Thunderbolt 5 ports and supports up to three external displays.

The laptop supports three external displays with three Thunderbolt 5 ports. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

The new touchscreen MacBook Pro OLED is thinner and lighter. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

The speakers sound incredible

I'm simultaneously testing the latest MacBook Pro with the M6 chip, and I was in the middle of writing a note about how much I love the speakers when I decided to do a side-by-side test with the MacBook Pro OLED.

Apple enhanced the speaker system to provide deeper bass and better clarity, and you can hear the difference. This MacBook doesn't get quite as loud as I expected, but the sound it produces is incredibly clear and rich (it supports Dolby Atmos and spatial audio, of course ). Compared to the regular MacBook Pro, the audio just has more space to it.

The opening chords of Radiohead's "Everything in its Right Place" have an otherworldly quality, as they should, and bass-heavy tracks like "Billie Jean" really hit you. I also queued up Master and Commander and Masters of the Air on Apple TV, and the combination of the display and audio quality should make other laptops tremble in their aluminum chassis.

The verdict: A laptop worth splurging on

The glowing Apple logo is back. Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

Unfortunately, I'm not enough of a "Pro" to require a laptop like this, but for creators, professionals, and early adopters who need (or just want) the best possible display in a laptop, I think this MacBook Pro justifies its high cost. I've done a lot of complaining about prices in my tech reviews this year, but I think Apple has put enough into this laptop to make it worth the investment. You can order it at Amazon, Apple, and other retailers.

The Apple touchscreen MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display launches on Nov. 6. The 14-inch model starts at $2,899, and the 16-inch model (the one I recommend for most people) starts at $3,399.

One last note: We're still testing this laptop — we haven't finished our standard battery of tests. So, if you want to wait for Black Friday and see if this laptop goes on sale, that's not a bad idea. Unfortunately, there's no guarantee this won't sell out like the iPhone Duo did.

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, 14.2 inches

$2,899 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon

Apple MacBook Pro with PROLED XDR Display, 16.3 inches

$3,399 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Apple.com

The touch MacBook Pro OLED: By the numbers

Just looking for a spec sheet? I've got that, too:

• Processor: Apple M5 Pro (18-core CPU) or Apple M5 Max (18-core CPU; 16-core Neural Engine.

• Memory: 24GB, 48GB, 64GB, 128GB of unified memory.

• Storage: 1TB up to 16TB SSD

• Display Panel: 14.2-inch or 16.3-inch PROLED XDR display with tandem OLED

• Display Brightness: Up to 1,000 nits sustained brightness; up to 2,000 nits peak HDR brightness

• Refresh Rate: ProMotion adaptive refresh rates up to 120Hz

• Color & Contrast: 10,000,000:1 contrast ratio; 1 billion+ colors; native support for P3 wide color and Adobe RGB gamuts

• Display Extras: Anti-reflective coating; optional nano-texture glass available

• Ports: 3 Thunderbolt 5 (USB-C) ports; 1 HDMI port; 1 SDXC card slot; MagSafe 3 charging dock; 3.5mm headphone jack

• Wireless Connectivity: WiFi 7 with N1 wireless chip, Bluetooth 6

• Camera & Audio: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View support; six-speaker sound system with Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio

• Battery: Up to 22 to 24 hours of video streaming

• Weight & Dimensions: 14-inch is 3.0 pounds; 16-inch is 4.0 pounds.

• Colors: Space Black and Silver.

*I shared the manatee sonnet on my X profile.

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TL;DR: Active smart beds pump conditioned air directly through your mattress on automated schedules to stop night sweats. Sleep Number's Black Friday sale takes up to 25% off its ClimateCool and Climate360 models through Dec. 7.

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Credit: Sleep Number

Sleep Number

 

Learn More

Between breathable sheets, oscillating fans, and gel-infused mattress toppers, there is no shortage of sleep gear promising to keep you cool at night. The issue with most of them is simple physics: passive materials can only absorb so much heat before they reach your body temperature, and a desk fan does little to the heat trapped beneath your back.

That is why smart beds with active, motorized temperature control have started getting traction. Instead of relying on passive fibers, these systems circulate conditioned air straight through the mattress core, running on automated schedules that adjust throughout the night to match your body's circadian rhythm.

With holiday shopping underway, Sleep Number has launched its Black Friday sale through Dec. 7, knocking 10% to 25% off its lineup — including steep discounts on its Climate Collection. If you want to know what this actually feels like in practice, here is how the tech works.

Credit: Sleep Number

Active cooling vs. fans and mattress pads

To see how active temperature beds work, it helps to understand how typical bedroom cooling gear handles heat. Fans and "cooling" toppers have clear limits: a fan can't reach the heat trapped under your body, and "cooling" toppers only stay chilly until they absorb your body heat for an hour or two.

Active-temperature smart beds replace passive materials with built-in air channels and motors. Instead of simply absorbing heat, they constantly pull warm air away from your body and push conditioned air up through the surface so you never get a stagnant warm patch.

In beds with active temperature control — like the Sleep Number Climate Collection — the mattress is not simply circulating room-temperature air. It actively changes how warm or cool the bed feels around you. The ClimateCool can get each side up to 15 degrees cooler, while the Climate360 covers a full 30-degree range from cooling to warming. Because that airflow runs all night, hot spots never get the chance to settle in.

Temperature control is only half the battle

Motorized airflow is only part of the story, though. The real perk is how the bed handles comfort and support at the same time.

Inside the Sleep Number Climate Collection, the heating and cooling layers sit directly above adjustable air chambers rather than rigid springs or static foam blocks. Sleep Number uses internal sensors to monitor your movement while you sleep — so if you roll from your back over to your side at night, the air chambers automatically soften or firm up under your hips and shoulders to keep your spine aligned, without interrupting whatever cooling schedule is currently running.

Because the air chambers and airflow channels are split down the middle, you get independent dual zones on both sides of the mattress. So if one runs hot and likes sleeping on an ultra-firm slab and the other prefers a warm, plush mattress, neither person has to compromise on firmness or climate.

At the same time, embedded biometric sensors track metrics such as heart rate, breathing patterns, and restless movement without requiring you to wear a smartwatch to bed. Every morning, the app rolls all that data into a SleepIQ score from 1 to 100, giving you a quick snapshot of how restful your night was.

Is an active temperature smart bed worth it?

Dropping several thousand dollars on a mattress is a big commitment, even with holiday sales taking off a chunk of the price. Whether the investment is justified depends entirely on how severely temperature affects your sleep.

The people who get the most out of these beds are chronic hot sleepers. If you routinely wake up sweating in the middle of the night, passive cooling toppers usually cannot keep up, but steady, active airflow can.

It is also an easy fix for couples stuck in bedtime thermostat battles, since each side can run on completely independent temperature settings — or, on the Climate360, cool one side while warming the other. If you get into bed cold but wake up roasting, the Climate360 can also run automated schedules that warm your feet at bedtime, then kick on active cooling around your core later in the night.

On the other hand, if a regular room fan or breathable sheets keep you comfortable, or if you sleep alone and do not overheat, there is no need to spend the extra money on built-in airflow.

Sleep Number's Black Friday deals

Sleep Number is running its Black Friday sale through Dec. 7, taking up to 25% off select smart mattresses, bases, and bedding:

• Sleep Number ClimateCool (queen) — $4,311.75 $5,749 (save $1,437.25)

• Sleep Number Climate360 (queen) — $6,936.75 $9,249 (save $2,312.25)

A few quick things to know before buying: You cannot pick these up in a store, so you will have to pay for home delivery and setup, which is non-refundable. Sleep Number offers a 100-night trial to test the bed, along with a 10-year warranty, but you are on the hook for return pickup fees if you end up sending it back.

It is definitely an investment, but if it finally ends the nightly thermostat battles and gets you eight solid hours of sleep, it is money well spent.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box is now on sale for as low as $128.93 at Amazon, down from its $142.83 list price.

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Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box

$128.93 at Amazon
$142.83 Save $13.90

Get Deal at Amazon

Just days after its last discount, Magic: The Gathering's Reality Fracture expansion has received another price cut on Amazon, making it cheaper than ever for trading card lovers to pick up 30 packs.

As of Nov. 5, the Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster Box is available for just $128.93 at Amazon, knocking $13.90 off its typical $142.83 price. With this new all-time low price on Amazon (we confirmed with the price tracker camelcamelcamel), that's only $4.30 per pack.

This listing is from third-party seller Collectors Expedition. If you prefer to order directly from Amazon, the retailer’s official listing is also on sale at $129.94 — with faster delivery for as soon as Nov. 7 if you’re a Prime member.

You’ll get 30 Magic: The Gathering Reality Fracture Play Booster packs per box. Packs feature 14 cards apiece, with guaranteed Rare and Traditional Foil pulls, plus Legendary cards paired with their Echoverse alternatives.

The late night hosts spent Wednesday unpacking the midterm election results and major reactions, with Jimmy Kimmel roasting Donald Trump playing the blame game, and The Daily Show handing it to Elon Musk for his staggering donations.

Seth Meyers, meanwhile, broke down the reaction over at Fox News, sharing a clip of host Sean Hannity defending Trump by saying, "I think the hatred for this man is unprecedented."

"I'm with Sean on this point," says Meyers in the clip above. "Why do you nasty, radical socialists hate this man so much? Is it because he lies, and cheats, and steals? Is it because he calls some of you jihadists, or traitors, or scum, or vermin, or enemies of the people, or thugs? Is it because he threatens to jail you, or deport you, or take your money, or send you to war, or because when a person he doesn't like dies he says stuff like, 'Robert Mueller just died. Good, I'm glad he's dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!' Is that why you hate him? And OK, you know what? Now that I'm hearing myself say that, I get why you hate him."

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SAVE OVER $9: As of Nov. 5, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box has hit a 90-day low of $117.21 at Amazon. That's $9.78 off its typical price of $126.99

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Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box

$117.21 at Amazon
$126.99 Save $9.78

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Trading cards are among the many items we're keeping an eye out for during this Black Friday sale season, and some great discounts are already popping up. For Marvel fans, Magic: The Gathering's Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box is discounted at Amazon, hitting a 90-day low price of $117.21.

This deal saves you $9.78 compared to paying its typical cost of $126.99, but it's also just a couple of dollars away from its lowest-ever price of $114.94. It is a touch higher than the market price on TCGplayer (they've got it listed at $95.79).

This MTG Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box is chock-full of cards. In total, it includes 24 Jumpstart Boosters, each containing 20 Marvel Super Heroes-themed cards. Each pack comes with 1 of 51 Marvel Super Heroes themes. Plus, what better time to jump into the Marvel universe than with Avengers: Doomsday on the horizon?

There's every chance this MTG Marvel Super Heroes Jumpstart Booster Box could sell out fast, so be quick to scoop it up while it's still discounted at Amazon.

For even more from the world of Magic: The Gathering and Marvel, you can also save on the MTG Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box at Amazon.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box is on sale for $242.99 at Amazon, down from its $254.99 list price.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Booster Display Box

$242.99 at Amazon
$254.99 Save $12

 

Preorder at Amazon

Pokémon TCG's Delta Reign expansion finally launches tomorrow, but Amazon has managed to squeeze in one last preorder discount on its 36-pack Booster Display Box. As of Nov. 5, the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Booster Display Box is down to just $242.99 at Amazon, cutting $12 off its $254.99 list price.

That's $7 cheaper than the $249.99 preorder deal we covered on Nov. 3, and $27 less than Amazon's original preorder price of $269.95.

Now at its lowest-ever price on Amazon (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel), this latest deal comes from third-party seller BetterShopping4You, with free delivery currently scheduled for Nov. 12. That's six days after Delta Reign's Nov. 6 release, so keep in mind that you won't actually be opening your packs on launch day.

At Amazon's reduced rate, you're spending roughly $6.75 per booster, with 360 random Pokémon cards to unpack across all 36 packs, excluding Energy and code cards.

Delta Reign is about to bring over 140 cards to the TCG, including new iterations of Mega Rayquaza ex, Mega Golurk ex, Mega Malamar ex, and Mega Golisopod ex, alongside three new Legendary Stadiums and plenty of high-rarity trading cards for collectors to chase.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Nov. 5, the Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen IonCurl 5-in-1 Hair Styler is back to its lowest-ever price of $249 at Amazon. That's $100.99 off its full price of $349.99.

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Credit: Shark

Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen IonCurl 5-in-1 Hair Styler, Curler & Dryer

$249 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $100.99

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Seasonal sale events are kicking off, and if beauty products and tech are on your holiday wishlist, it's a great time to shop.

With early Black Friday deals dropping and events like Sephora's fall Savings Event kicking off, there's already plenty to browse. One item that's caught our eye is the Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen IonCurl, which is back to its lowest-ever price of $249 at Amazon.

This is just over $100 off its full price at the retailer and matches Sephora's discount as part of its Savings Event. If you're part of the latter's Beauty Insider rewards program, you can save even more on this device right now, but if you're not signed up or not interested, this base offer is definitely worth jumping on. Amazon's deal is only available for a limited time, so act fast to scoop it up.

This is an exciting offer to see for a device that was released just a few months ago. It's an impressive model, allowing you to get defined curls without any heat damage thanks to Coanda auto-wrap curlers, plus drying with ion-powered airflow and general hair styling. For the latter, it comes with extra attachments, including a FrizzFighter high-shine polisher, an oval brush, and a styling concentrator, alongside the curlers.

Another highlight of the Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen IonCurl is its Scalp Shield Mode, which can be activated during drying to help regulate temperature and protect your hair. It also has an AirSet button that can pause airflow or deliver a cool burst of air to hold your style in place.

This limited-time offer won't be available for long, so act fast to save on the Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen IonCurl at Amazon.

The Daily Show's Michael Kosta had a lot to unpack from this week's midterm elections, but he made sure to spend a moment roasting Elon Musk, whose large spending on the election failed to get him any of the results he wanted.

"Poor Elon. Half a billion dollars and absolutely nothing to show for it. That could have been three whole days of child support for him," says Kosta in the clip above.

"Although I'd like to thank him for making the rest of us look great with money, right? Now when my wife is mad that I bought that new WaveRunner I can be like, 'Well at least I didn't spend $500 million trying to get a sloppy pervert elected in Texas.'"

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SAVE $4.08: As of Nov. 5, the Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Collectible Cards are on sale for $43.80 at Amazon. That's a 9% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Kayou

Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Collectible Cards

$43.80 at Amazon
$47.88 Save $4.08

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you're a fan of Demon Slayer or know someone who is, these collectible trading cards could be a fun addition to a collection.

The Infinity Castle Edition Series 1 box contains 12 packs, with three cards in each, giving you 36 cards to open, collect, and trade. Normally priced at $47.88, as of Nov. 5, you can get a $4.08 discount on this set, bringing the cost down to $43.80. According to camelcamelcamel, this is the best-ever price for these trading cards.

This booster box is a trading card collection featuring artwork inspired by the popular anime show, including iconic characters and key moments from the Infinity Castle story arc. There are multiple rarity levels to discover, with character cards and rarer pulls randomly assorted, so it's worth noting that specific cards aren't guaranteed.

Every box also includes one random PR Promo card. With Christmas fast approaching, it's a great addition to a Demon Slayer collection or a gift for anime and trading card fans.

You can find this deal at Amazon right now.

You may have heard by now that Nintendo has remade mighty '90s classic The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. The reimagining of this 1998 Nintendo 64 adventure game for Switch 2 includes many major and minor changes, not all of them created equal.

With the Ocarina remake on shelves now, I wanted to highlight a handful of differences that stood out to me while playing. Some of them are fun, others are frustrating, and some defy that sort of categorization entirely. Without wasting any more time, let's dive in.

A good change: Some boss fights are different

Stop looking at me like that. Credit: Nintendo

I'm not going to be too specific about this change because the game literally just came out and I don't want to ruin the experience for folks.

That said, you should know going in that Nintendo chose to alter several of Ocarina's legendary boss fights with new attacks, animations, and more. It's one of the most exciting elements of the new game for me, as it adds a sense of novelty to the adventure that is otherwise lacking, owing to the game's status as a remake. Every time a well-known boss fight swerved and surprised me, I had a huge grin on my face.

A bad change: They nerfed the hookshot

Hookshot targets generally look like this now. Credit: Nintendo

One of the best puzzle-solving items in the entire Zelda series is the hookshot, a straight-shooting grapple gun that can easily zip Link between points. Ocarina was not the first game to incorporate the hookshot, but it did expand the tool's usefulness with an extended targeting range and a wide variety of surfaces to which the hookshot can attach, such as wooden treasure chests and the rooftops of Kakariko Village.

Unfortunately, that philosophy has not been entirely maintained in the Switch 2 remake. Most grapple points remain intact, but many have been changed from natural-feeling features like tree branches to clearly marked targets. I don't mind that change so much as I mind the fact that the hookshot can no longer grapple onto Kakariko's rooftops. This greatly reduces Link's ability to move around the village and just makes the game less fun for no discernible reason.

A weird change: You can't aim in first-person anymore

In 2005, Resident Evil 4 set a template for third-person, over-the-shoulder aiming cameras that pretty much every mainstream video game nowadays deploys, including the Ocarina remake. When aiming items like the hookshot, bow, or boomerang in the new Switch 2 release, the camera sits behind Link, slightly offset so his character model doesn't get in the way. You can also aim using gyro controls as a nice bonus.

This point of view works just fine and may be more familiar to younger Zelda fans used to the aiming functionality in 2017's The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, however, I do miss being able to zoom in with a first-person lens to examine Link's surroundings up close. It's kind of a bummer in the opening Kokiri Forest area, where you can no longer get a good look at the stick drawing on the trunk of Link's treehouse.

A good change: Rupees are way more important now

Pleased to meet you! Credit: Nintendo

I wouldn't say that rupees (the currency in every Zelda game) are totally superfluous in the original Ocarina of Time. After all, you need 40 of them to bypass an early-game obstacle, and some important mini-games require small sums in order to participate. You can also use them to stock up on supplies like arrows and health potions, but frankly, the original version doled out those things generously enough to render that unnecessary.

While I would say Ocarina on Switch 2 is easier overall, the developers did add some new incentives to hoard rupees and collect Gold Skulltula tokens in order to expand the size of Link's wallet. Specifically, the Great Fairies who provide Link with game-changing upgrades now ask for sizable monetary donations before they'll hand over the good stuff. In the original game, the upgrades were free, but some of them cost hundreds of rupees in the remake.

I like this change because it gives players a reason to more fully engage with optional content and wring as much fun out of the reimagined game as possible.

A bad change: Cutscenes are voiced and too long

Some sequences just go on a bit too long. Credit: Nintendo

I talked about this in my review, so I'll keep it brief here, but major story cutscenes in the Ocarina remake have been expanded with full voice acting for every character except for Link. The acting itself is a little cartoonish, which adequately fits the vibe, but also comes across as slightly cheesy at times.

More importantly, though, this makes some cutscenes last longer than they might have if they were broken up by text boxes, as they were in the original. Maybe someone can do a proper stopwatch comparison, but it at least felt like the Ocarina remake seized cutscene control for lengthier periods of time than the N64 version did.

A weird change: The day/night cycle works differently

Nighttime looks great, though. Credit: Nintendo

Lastly, Nintendo has opted to lengthen the day/night cycle in the Ocarina remake. It was very short in the N64 original, as you could hardly cross Hyrule Field on foot without the sun going down and horrible skeleton monsters emerging to ruin your travels.

In the Switch 2 remake, it takes much longer for the sun to rise and set, which has benefits and drawbacks. On the plus side, you get more time to enjoy each distinct atmosphere, which gives music lead and sound director Masato Ohashi an excuse to craft new, chilled out nighttime versions of some of Zelda composer Koji Kondo's iconic area themes. Some downsides, however, are that the Hyrule Field drawbridge no longer goes up at night, and it's somewhat more tedious to wait for certain times of day in the few situations where that's necessary.

One last note is that the day/night cycle is now universal, rather than turning off in towns and cities like it did in the original game. That means you get to see NPCs actively move from their daytime positions to their nighttime states in real-time, which is pretty neat.

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TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections are back at Amazon: Shop the Day Box for $585 and the Night Box for $649.99.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

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

$585 at Amazon

 

Preorder at Amazon

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

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

$649.99 at Amazon

 

Preorder at Amazon

After stock quickly disappeared for the Pokémon TCG’s 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collections on Amazon last week, units have finally reappeared ahead of the Nov. 6 release date. 

As of Nov. 5, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection Day (featuring Espeon) is available for $585 at Amazon. The Night Box (featuring Umbreon) has returned for $649.99. Full disclaimer: both are still coming from third-party sellers, with the Day Box from San Diego Cards and free delivery expected on Nov. 13. The Night Box is sold by House of Cards and Games, with free shipping currently scheduled for Nov. 16.

Compared to the preorder prices we first saw at Amazon ($694.88 for the Day edition and $682.88 for the Night), these are price drops of $109.88 and $32.89, respectively. Of course, that means these are the lowest prices we’ve seen for both boxes — confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel.

Both of the Ultra-Premium Collections pack a lot into their 30th anniversary-themed packaging. Along with 29 30th Celebration booster packs, you’ll get a Classic Collection booster pack containing three nostalgic etched cards, plus exclusive foil promos featuring Pikachu ex alongside either Espeon (Day) ex or Umbreon ex (Night).

You'll also get a themed playmat, 65 card sleeves, a deck box, a metal coin, damage-counter dice, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. The Day and Night versions come with their own unique designs, except for the code card. 

SAVE $200: As of Nov. 5, the Google Pixel 10 is on sale for $599 at Amazon. That's a 25% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Google

Google Pixel 10

$599
$799 Save $200

 

Get Deal

When the time comes to upgrade your smartphone, you shouldn't have to choose between being locked in a two-year contract and paying an arm and a leg upfront. If you're looking for a new model, Amazon has a great deal on an unlocked Google Pixel 10. Normally $799, it's been discounted by $200 for a limited time, so you can upgrade for just $599. This deal applies to two colorways: indigo and frost.

The new Tensor G5 processor makes this a great smartphone, handling everyday tasks with speed and efficiency while also supporting Google's AI tools. Gemini is built into the phone, giving you an assistant that can answer questions, help you work, and take some of the legwork out of everyday tasks.

The camera is worth shouting about, too. Its triple rear camera system now includes a dedicated 5x telephoto lens, with Super Res Zoom extending magnification up to 20x. Night Sight helps brighten photos taken in darker settings, and Camera Coach offers guidance to help you frame and capture better shots.

And if your phone has a habit of taking the occasional tumble, the Pixel 10 has Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2 to help protect it from scratches, and the IP68 rating means it's protected against dust and water.

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

SAVE $50: As of Nov. 5, the Ninja Luxe Café Mini has hit its lowest-ever price of $399.99 at Amazon. That's $50 off its full price of $449.99.

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Credit: Ninja

Ninja Luxe Café Mini

$399.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50

 

Get Deal at Amazon

It may be the first week of November, but early Black Friday deals are already popping up. If you're hoping to use this seasonal sale to grab some Ninja appliances for your kitchen, why wait for official sales to start? Amazon already has plenty of deals live. Among them is the Ninja Luxe Café Mini, which can brew you up a warm cup of coffee or espresso this winter for less.

As of Nov. 5, this mini espresso and coffee machine has dropped from its list price of $449.99 to $399.99. That saves you $50 overall, but more importantly, it's the lowest price we've seen at Amazon. So why wait for Black Friday to pick it up? There's no guarantee that we'll see anything better.

The Ninja Luxe Café Mini is a particularly good pickup if you live in a smaller place. While many espresso machines have bulkier builds, this model is more compact. It's actually 30% smaller than the Ninja Luxe Café Pro Series, according to the store page, measuring 10.2 inches deep, 12.2 inches wide, and 13.4 inches high. You'll be able to enjoy a variety of drinks, including drip coffee, latte, macchiato, cappuccino, plain espresso, or even iced coffee.

The machine also automatically calibrates settings such as grind size, dose, temperature, and pressure through its Barista Assist Technology, making brewing your favorite drinks a little easier. And on top of that, the steam wand helps add the finishing touch to your espresso drinks, allowing you to texture milk for a foamy finish.

If the Ninja Luxe Café Mini has caught your attention, don't miss out on this chance to save at Amazon.

The midterms are over, and the results were pretty decisive.

Jimmy Kimmel has already reacted to the Democrats winning big, but in the clip above he turns his attention to the fallout — including Donald Trump's reaction both online and off.

"He's still our president, and in the face of defeat he is doing what he does best: blaming everyone other than him," says Kimmel in the clip above. "He took shots at the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, he called him a RINO [Republican in Name Only], he went after Fox News for their coverage, and then he resolved himself of all responsibility. He wrote: 'I wasn't on the ballot. And if I was, we would have won in a landslide.'

"Oh shut up, just shut up, please. Give us a break for one day and shut that ridiculous mouth. You are such a spoiled child."

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The best early Black Friday EcoFlow deals:

---

Best budget grab-and-go battery

EcoFlow River 3

$249 (Save $50)

Get Deal

---

Best for road trips

EcoFlow Glacier Classic 55L Portable Fridge Freezer

$849 (Save $150)

Get Deal

---

Best high-capacity power station

EcoFlow Delta 3 Max

$878.99 (Save $320.01)

Get Deal

---

Best value solar bundle

EcoFlow Delta 3 Max + 220W Solar Panel

$1,148.99 (Save $570.01)

Get Deal

---

Best for whole-home emergency backup

EcoFlow Titan 5000 Plus

$3,699 (Save $1,300)

Get Deal

Black Friday is creeping up earlier every year, and if keeping the lights on through winter storms is on your seasonal checklist, you are in luck.

Early EcoFlow Black Friday deals have officially landed at Amazon and EcoFlow, knocking up to 33% off portable power stations, solar generator bundles, and whole-home battery backup systems through Nov. 18.

Whether you need a compact battery to keep laptops and phones humming on weekend camping trips or a massive multi-kilowatt rig that can run a refrigerator through a prolonged power outage, battery gear rarely comes cheap. EcoFlow's early holiday promotion slashes prices across its entire ecosystem — including deep discounts on flagship heavyweights like the Titan 5000 Plus and versatile workhorses like the Delta 3 Max.

If you are looking to secure backup power before winter arrives, here are our favorite EcoFlow deals worth checking out right now:

Best budget grab-and-go battery

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Credit: EcoFlow

EcoFlow River 3

$249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Weighing just 7.8 pounds and 30% smaller than typical alternatives, the EcoFlow River 3 easily fits into a car trunk or closet. Its GaN tech doubles the runtime for sub-100W devices while keeping noise levels under 30 dB, and a 20 ms auto-switch UPS keeps routers and essential devices running during sudden blackouts.

When drained, X-Stream charging tops off the LiFePO4 battery to 100% in 1 hour via a standard wall outlet — no bulky external adapter needed — or in 2.6 hours using solar. Rated for 3,000 cycles across 10 years of use, it is a practical grab-and-go pick for camping trips, tailgates, or stormy weekends.

Best for road trips

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Credit: EcoFlow

EcoFlow Glacier Classic 55L Portable Fridge Freezer

$849 at EcoFlow
$999 Save $150

 

Get Deal at EcoFlow

Packing a 55-liter storage capacity that holds up to 90 soda cans, the EcoFlow Glacier Classic 55L eliminates the hassle of melting ice and soggy food containers entirely. A true dual-zone compartment lets you set independent temperatures across fresh and frozen sides with up to a 39.6-degree difference, while dense 2-inch foam insulation and superior sealing keep internal conditions steady within 1.8 degrees.

An efficient copper-wire compressor chills contents quickly while drawing low power, and pairing the unit with an optional 298Wh plug-in battery keeps essentials cooled at 39 degrees for up to 39 hours off-grid.

Best high-capacity power station

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Credit: EcoFlow

EcoFlow Delta 3 Max

$878.99 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $320.01

 

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Packing a 2,048Wh capacity and 2,400W base output, the EcoFlow Delta 3 Max handles heavy-draw essentials like refrigerators, microwaves, and power tools without tripping overloads. For home backup, an ultra-quiet design and a rapid sub-10 ms switchover time protect sensitive desktop electronics and medical gear from sudden outages without missing a beat.

When drained, X-Stream charging powers the long-lasting LiFePO4 battery from empty to 80% in 1.13 hours, getting you road-trip or storm-ready with minimal downtime. Paired with companion app controls to automate charging schedules and monitor output, it offers durable, decade-long power for off-grid cabins, RV travel, or extended household blackouts.

Best value solar bundle

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Credit: EcoFlow

EcoFlow Delta 3 Max + 220W Solar Panel

$1,148.99 at Amazon
$1,719 Save $570.01

 

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Pairing a hefty 2,048Wh capacity with a 220W bifacial solar panel, the EcoFlow Delta 3 Max bundle provides a reliable, self-refilling power setup for long blackouts or camping trips. It delivers up to 3,400W in X-Boost mode to easily power heavy gear like fridges, microwaves, and coffee makers, while an ultra-quiet design and a rapid 10 ms automatic switchover keep essential electronics running without interruption.

Plugging into a regular wall outlet gets the LiFePO4 battery from empty to 80% in 1.13 hours. Off-grid, the two-sided solar panel pulls light from both directions to speed up charging, giving you a simple, phone-monitored power station that can run for days.

Best for whole-home emergency backup

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EcoFlow Titan 5000 Plus

$3,699 at Amazon
$4,999 Save $1,300

 

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Delivering 7,200W of continuous output and true 120V/240V power, the EcoFlow Titan 5000 Plus can run heavy appliances like a central air unit, a sump pump, and a refrigerator all at once. Its massive 5,017Wh capacity is expandable up to 30kWh with extra batteries, and it carries UL 9540 certification for safe indoor use.

Between storms, it can charge up overnight when electricity rates are lowest, then run your home during expensive peak hours to save you money on your power bill. When storms knock out the grid, it recharges quickly via wall outlets, generators, or up to 8kW of solar, giving you clean, quiet power without gas fumes.

More early Black Friday EcoFlow deals

• EcoFlow Glacier Classic 35L Portable Fridge Freezer — $699 $799 (save $100)

• EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus with 220W Bifacial Solar Panel — $919 $1,189 (save $270)

• EcoFlow Delta 3 Ultra Plus Portable Power Station — $1,599 $2,199 (save $600)

• EcoFlow Titan Classic Portable Power Station — $2,499 $3,299 (save $800)

• EcoFlow Titan Plus Portable Power Station — $3,699 $4,999 (save $1,300)

TL;DR: The Motorola Razr and Motorola Razr+ are available for free with T-Mobile. You do not need to trade in anything to qualify for these deals.

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Credit: Motorola

Motorola Razr

Free when you activate a new line on a qualifying T-Mix plan.

Shop Now

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Credit: Motorola

Motorola Razr+

Free when you activate a new line on a qualifying T-Mix plan.

Shop Now

Apple recently launched the iPhone 18 Pro, iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the iPhone Duo, so why on earth are we talking about anything else? Brace yourself for this shocking news: There are people out there shopping for foldable tech from other brands. That's right. Foldable tech isn't something reserved for Apple fanatics.

And it has never been easier to invest in this tech thanks to T-Mobile. You can pick up Motorola's latest handsets for absolutely nothing. And the process of claiming these free phones is straightforward. You don't even need to trade anything in to qualify:

• Motorola Razr — free when you activate a new line on a qualifying T-Mix plan.

• Motorola Razr+ — free when you activate a new line on a qualifying T-Mix plan.

The total cost is covered via 36 monthly bill credits. If you cancel or switch carriers before the three-year promotional period, you’ll owe the remaining balance on the phone’s full retail price. You will also need to pay taxes and a one-time $35 connection charge. That's a minor inconvenience when you consider that you're getting a 2026 phone for "free."

T-Mobile has you sorted with free Motorola Razr deals this week.

SAVE $450: As of Nov. 5, the Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series is on sale for $549.99 at Amazon. That's a 45% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Hisense

Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series

$549.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $450

 

Get Deal at Amazon

A big-screen upgrade doesn't have to mean spending a fortune, especially with Amazon deals like the steep discount on the Hisense 65-inch E7 Cinema Series TV.

It gives you a more immersive way to watch your favorite films, shows, sports, and games, and for $450 less than usual. As of Nov. 5, this TV has dropped in price from $999.99 to $549.99. So if you're looking for a new TV, you don't need to wait for Black Friday to get a bargain.

Picture quality is a major selling point for this TV, with its combination of 4K Ultra HD resolution and AI 4K upscaling. It works by bringing out finer details, so older films and TV shows look sharper and more polished. And if you plan to watch a lot of movies, Filmmaker Mode is a feature you'll love. It keeps key elements such as the original aspect ratio, color, and frame rate intact, so you get a viewing experience closer to the director's original vision.

And if you're a gamer or sports fan, there's plenty to impress. A native 144Hz refresh rate works alongside Game Mode and AI Smooth Motion with MEMC technology to keep fast-moving action looking clearer and reduce motion blur.

Get this TV deal from Amazon now.

I like Samsung. The global electronics brand sells great products that can compete with the best. That includes its true wireless Galaxy Buds line. 

But if I’m being honest — which is my main responsibility as a tech reviewer — Samsung has dropped the ball big time with its wireless earbuds.

There was a time when the Galaxy Buds were as popular as Galaxy smartphones. You couldn’t buy one without owning the other, much like AirPods and iPhones. Then the wireless audio market grew. Rivals like Bose, Beats, and Sony started releasing superior Android-compatible alternatives. The exclusive features and effortless connectivity that once made Galaxy Buds a compelling companion to Samsung phones were no longer enough to excite consumers.

Where did it all go wrong for Samsung’s wireless earbuds franchise? To answer that question, we must revisit the past and work our way to the present. All roads lead to the Galaxy Buds 5, Samsung's highly anticipated (and currently rumored) flagship release, with the future of the entire series hanging in the balance.

A peak never repeated

I absolutely love the Galaxy Buds 2 Pro. No other entry in the series has matched their overall performance and value. These buds introduced several innovations, including a custom coaxial two-way speaker system, a ridiculously small wireless charging case, and 24-bit Hi-Fi sound via the Samsung Scalable Codec (SSC). They still hold up well against today’s latest releases. 

My Galaxy Buds 2 Pro still hold up. Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

That was the last time we saw a pair of Galaxy Buds make serious noise. Sales were solid, reviews were at an all-time high, and Galaxy smartphone users were committed to the company’s expanding wireless audio ecosystem. The future of the Galaxy Buds looked bright.

Then came the series’ Howard Dean moment…

The redesign that ruined everything

Changing the Galaxy Buds’ design from oval to long stem is what put the series on life support. This was the biggest complaint about the Galaxy Buds 3 and Buds 3 Pro, among several other issues. The Galaxy Buds 2 Pro had a distinctive look that was universally praised. And they didn’t just look attractive. Samsung’s touch-sensitive controls and strong mic performance were major highlights, too.

Why reshape the Galaxy Buds’ identity to resemble the Apple AirPods? Your biggest competitor, and one that practically every other wireless earbud maker has copied time and again? Talk about fumbling the ball in your own end zone. 

Let's talk about a downgrade. Credit: Alex Bracetti / Mashable

Clearly, Samsung has its reasons for this decision, which I’m sure made financial sense. However, the redesign made functionality worse on the Galaxy Buds 3. The triangular “blade” stems were difficult to grip and made pinch and swipe gestures harder to execute. On top of that, you had to pinch them hard to get tactile feedback, and that left your fingers hurting after a while. The transparent-lid charging case did little to earn the product any cool points, either.

It wasn’t surprising to see Samsung rush out the Galaxy Buds 4 and Buds 4 Pro a year later. The company wanted everyone to forget the Galaxy Buds 3’s failures. More importantly, Samsung wanted another shot at proving that its previous decisions were justified. That’s why the Galaxy Buds 4 carried over and improved several performance features, including AI functionality, controls, noise cancellation, sound, and voice calling.

To their credit, the Galaxy Buds 4 are a significant upgrade from their predecessor, especially the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro, which are arguably among the most underrated wireless earbuds on the market. My peers and other tech experts would likely agree.

Even so, critical acclaim and commendable AI integration weren’t enough to erase the bad taste the Galaxy Buds 3 left in our mouths. The fourth-gen models are occasionally brought into the true wireless conversation; some of the “several months later with the Galaxy Buds 4 Pro” op-eds have kept the series relevant.  

When all else fails, go open-ear?

Releasing open earbuds seems like the natural next move for any wireless earbuds brand. The category is hot, and everyone wants a piece of the pie. On paper, the all-new Samsung Galaxy Buds On look impressive. They promise AI-powered features, SSC and SSC UHQ codec support, up to 38 hours of battery life, and a minimalist clip-on design that shares a similar aesthetic to the Galaxy Buds Pro 2.

Was this the right move? Most analysts will say yes. I’m saying no, and not because I don’t have any faith in them. Mashable will test the buds soon and determine whether they’re worth $229. 

The real conversation starter would have been a pair of Samsung wireless headphones. From an ecosystem standpoint, it makes perfect sense. Galaxy Buds models are already integrated with Samsung phones, TVs, and other smart home devices. Design and hi-fi sound could have been provided by Harman, which Samsung owns. Clever home audio features, such as seamlessly transferring sound from a Samsung soundbar to Galaxy headphones, could have made these a top contender. It worked for Sonos (read our Ace Ultra review).

That didn’t happen, and it probably never will. Samsung already owns a headphone brand: JBL. 

Fifth time must be the charm

Our wish list for the Galaxy Buds 5 is stacked with new features and upgrades. However, Samsung is likely to do what it always does: double down on what’s already there. Expect more AI integration, along with the latest wireless technologies, such as Bluetooth 6.3 and LE Audio. Enhancements to adaptive noise cancellation and sound quality are guaranteed. Hopefully, battery life gets a boost, too. 

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.

Now, does any of that sound compelling? Not for today’s wireless audio consumers. It sounds like a rinse-and-repeat of the past two Galaxy Buds generations. I’m not saying this is what the Galaxy Buds 5 will deliver. These are simply predictions based on the Galaxy Buds release history. 

Either way, it’s do-or-die for the Galaxy Buds series. If the Galaxy Buds 5 aren’t groundbreaking — or at least innovatively appealing — Samsung needs to reconsider its place in the true wireless market because its buds are not resonating enough with the buying public. The company is nowhere near Apple, Bose, or Sony in the category, nor is it competing with popular budget brands like Anker and EarFun. Throw JBL into the mix, and brand recognition alone gives Samsung’s subsidiary an advantage.

Even if it takes two years to develop, the Galaxy Buds 5 must be treated with care and the utmost urgency. More ingenuity, less novelty. Otherwise, it’s time to close up shop.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung Galaxy Buds 4

$179.99 at Amazon

 

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Samsung Galaxy Buds 4 Pro

$244 at Amazon

 

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TL;DR: New users can get memoryOS Student Plan lifetime access for $109.97 (reg. $198) through Nov. 8, including 52 micro-lessons, virtual Mind Palaces, and unlimited practice attempts.

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Credit: memoryOS

memoryOS Student Plan: Lifetime Subscription

$109.97
$198 Save $88.03

 

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You remember an ad jingle from 1996, but the info you read yesterday? Gone. The memoryOS Student Plan Lifetime Subscription is only $109.97 (reg. $198) through Nov. 8, offering new users bite-sized training to help them organize and remember information.

The app combines time-tested memory techniques with gamified lessons and virtual Mind Palaces. Instead of treating information as a pile of disconnected facts, its visual approach gives you structured places to organize what you want to recall. Think of it as a mental filing system.

The Student Plan includes 52 interactive micro-lessons and 11 lifelong memory skills, with guidance from a World Memory Champion throughout the learning path. That step-by-step format gives your spare minutes a purpose beyond finding out what everyone on the internet is annoyed about today.

You also get 140 loci — structured mind storage spaces — plus 40 unlockable loci rewards as you progress. A library of HD virtual Mind Palaces provides the visual environments behind the system, giving you a framework for practicing organized recall.

Practice doesn’t come with a limited number of attempts. Infinite Hearts lets you keep working on the techniques, while Ad Immunity keeps the learning experience free of advertising distractions. The plan also includes access to an Early Adopters private group.

If you’re interested in knowledge retention, you get an actual practice method. Short lessons make it an easy alternative to another round of doomscrolling.

Get the memoryOS Student Plan Lifetime Subscription for $109.97 through Nov. 8.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Pay $79 once for lifetime ChatPlayground AI Unlimited access, with 20+ models, side-by-side comparisons, file chat, and unlimited monthly messages.

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Credit: ChatPlayground AI

ChatPlayground AI: Lifetime Subscription (Unlimited Plan)

$79
$619 Save $540

 

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Asking three AI tools the same question shouldn’t require three tabs and a copy-and-paste routine. ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan puts multiple models in one desktop workspace, with a lifetime subscription available for $79 (reg. $619) through Nov. 8. Pay once, then compare responses without the tab-hopping.

The main attraction is side-by-side comparison. Enter a single prompt and view answers from different models, including options such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and DeepSeek. With more than 20 models available, you can compare approaches instead of settling on whichever answer arrived first.

That’s useful when you’re exploring a coding problem, refining a prompt, or looking for a different creative direction. One response might offer a clearer explanation; another might suggest an approach worth investigating. Seeing them together makes those differences easier to assess.

ChatPlayground also lets you upload PDFs and images to ask questions about your files, generate AI images, and save chat history for ongoing projects. Prompt-engineering tools help you refine your requests, while priority customer support provides faster assistance when you need it.

The Unlimited Plan includes unlimited monthly messages, subject to a fair use policy, plus priority access to new features and future models. Updates are included, and desktop access supports unlimited devices.

ChatPlayground is also an independent platform, rather than an OpenAI product. Both new and existing users can purchase this offer, and the code must be redeemed within 30 days of purchase.

Get ChatPlayground AI’s Unlimited Plan lifetime subscription for $79 (reg. $619) through Nov. 8.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Looking for something great to watch at home? Streaming subscribers are spoiled for choice between Hulu, Netflix, HBO Max, Disney+, Apple TV, Prime Video, Shudder, Paramount+, Peacock, and more. And that's before you even look at the vast libraries of movies and television programs within each streamer!

Don't be overwhelmed or waste an hour scrolling through your services to determine what to watch. We've got your back, whatever your mood. Mashable offers watch guides for all of the above, broken down by genre: comedy, thriller, horror, documentary, and animation, among others. But if you're seeking something brand new (or just new to streaming), we've got you covered there, too.

24. Taken: Natalee Holloway

In 2005, the missing persons case of Natalee Holloway became national news when the 18-year-old from Tennessee vanished in Aruba. She was last seen with Dutchman Joran van der Sloot, who was an early person of interest and over the years has told conflicting stories of what came next.

Netflix's newest true crime doc series reexamines the case, offering interviews with authorities and Holloway's mother and friends, as well as previously unreleased footage. Directors Dani Sloane and Matthew Galkin teamed with Story Syndicate (Maternal Instinct, Titan: The Oceangate Disaster) for this three-part documentary series about a mother's quest to getting justice for her daughter. — Kristy Puchko, Entertainment Editor

How to watch: Taken: Natalee Holloway is now streaming on Netflix.

23. A Dog's Perfect Christmas

Look, I love a Netflix Christmas movie, but to be honest, this one looks outstandingly average. And I love dog movies. If you saw the 2017 Dennis Quaid-fronted drama A Dog’s Purpose or its sequel, 2019's A Dog's Journey, this is pretty much the same deal but set at Christmas. And that makes sense since all three movies (as well as A Dog's Way Home) are based on novels by W. Bruce Cameron, who has screenwriting credits on each movie. The rumply basset hound and pristine corgi puppy who are seemingly tasked with bringing a family together in yuletide unity are cute, but the trailer is not. — Shannon Connellan, Senior Editor

Starring: Dennis Quaid, Milo Ventimiglia, Brooke Lena Johnson, Thomas Haden Church, Mary Steenburgen, Kathleen Rose Perkins, Jennifer Tilly, Ethan Loomis, and Marissa Jaret Winokur

How to watch: A Dog's Perfect Christmas is now streaming on Netflix.

22. The Institute, Season 2

Psychic children abducted by the government and held in a brutal secure facility? It's a classic Stephen King formula, and The Institute — based on the horror author's novel of the same name — did well enough to bag itself a second outing. While the first season focused on new recruit Luke Ellis (Joe Freeman) surviving in his strange new prison, Season 2 looks set to widen its scope, with the main cast struggling to find evidence that'll expose the facility's corrupt practices. — Sam Haysom, General Assignment Editor, UK

Starring: Joe Freeman, Ben Barnes, Mary-Louise Parker, Alfie Allen, Simone Miller, Fionn Laird, Arlen So, Robert Joy, and Hannah Galway

How to watch: The Institute Season 2 premieres Nov. 8 at 9 p.m. ET on MGM+.

21. The 12 Dates of Christmas

I'm sorry, but isn't The 12 Dates of Christmas already a movie? The cheeseball 2011 Groundhog Day scenario starring Amy Smart as a Scroogey woman stuck in a time loop of dates to teach her a lesson about being nicer to people? Well, this isn't that.

Hulu's identically named film reunites Pretty Little Liars stars Lucy Hale and Ian Harding in another romantic scenario, this time much less problematic than that show's student-teacher relationship. Will I be settling in to see Hale's character determined to thwart her own singlehood by going on 12 dates in 12 days at the busiest time of the year? As sure as a partridge in a pear tree. — S.C.

Starring: Lucy Hale and Ian Harding

How to watch: The 12 Dates of Christmas premieres Nov. 6 on Hulu.

20. Super Troopers 3

Vermont's finest return in Super Troopers 3, a madcap sequel from comedy troupe Broken Lizard. The film sees Farva (Kevin Heffernan) about to marry Thorny's (Jay Chandrasekhar) sister Sarita (Hannah Simone). Of course, all hell breaks loose thanks to a rowdy bachelor party and a new drug known as "Canadian Crystal." Can the troopers save this wedding (and make way for a new sequel in the process)? You'll have to stream to find out. — Belen Edwards, Entertainment Reporter

Starring: Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, Erik Stolhanske, Hannah Simone, Nat Faxon, Chace Crawford, Andrew Dismukes, Marisa Coughlan, Jon Rudnitsky, Lisa Gilroy, Sakina Jaffrey, Iqbal Theba, Lynda Carter, and Brian Cox

How to watch: Super Troopers 3 is now streaming on Hulu.

19. New Group

Almost anything can be scary in the right circumstances. That, at least, seems to be what writer/director Yûta Shimotsu is going for in New Group, a horror comedy largely centered around human pyramids. These start to pop at Ai's (Anna Yamada) new high school, and it soon becomes clear that the phenomenon is more disturbing than simple gymnastics. — S.H.

Starring: Anna Yamada, Yuzu Aoki, Arisa Sasaki, and Pierre Taki

How to watch: New Group debuts on Shudder on Nov. 6.

18. The Uprising

Andrew Garfield says "no kings" in The Uprising, the latest from director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy). The film tells the story of England's 1381 Peasants' Revolt, with Garfield playing a fictionalized farmer at the center of it all.

While The Uprising's tale of standing up to tyranny is timely, critics found the film's execution lacking. As Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko wrote in her review, "Greengrass gives us a bland, muddy slog with a black-and-white hero and villain, and an ending that is sure to satisfy no one."* — B.E.

Starring: Andrew Garfield, Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, and Katherine Waterston

How to watch: The Uprising premieres Nov. 6 on Peacock.

17. Charlie Harper

Romantic drama Charlie Harper hits digital this week — and no, it is not about someone named Charlie Harper, but rather about the love story between Charlie (Nick Robinson) and Harper (Emilia Jones). The film uses a nonlinear approach to tell the story of this pair's relationship, from their sweetest moments to their most tumultuous. Critics didn't fall completely in love with Charlie Harper, but if you're looking for some onscreen romance, it's definitely worth a shot. — B.E.

Starring: Emilia Jones and Nick Robinson

How to watch: Charlie Harper is now available on digital.

16. The Remarried Empress

Yes, there is a new Korean romantic epic streaming this week, and yes, it does come with a heap of buzz from this year's Busan International Film Festival. Based on the hugely popular Naver WEBTOON, The Remarried Empress sees a royal relationship in peril, that of the Eastern Empire's Empress Navier (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha's Shin Min-a) and Emperor Sovieshu (Kingdom's Ju Ji-hoon). When the emperor's affections stray elsewhere, the empress makes one hell of a deal: She wants to remarry. And not just anyone; she's got her eye on Heinrey, the rival Western Kingdom's dreamy crown prince (Law and the City's Lee Jong-suk). The very future of the kingdoms are at stake! — S.C.

Starring: Shin Min-a, Ju Ji-hoon, Lee Jong-suk, and Lee Se-young

How to watch: The Remarried Empress is now streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.

15. Bass X Machina

If you're after a steampunk anime western from Yasuke creator LeSean Thomas, Netflix's Bass X Machina will fit your wanted poster. In the six-episode animated series, Oscar-nominated Causeway star Brian Tyree Henry voices Bass Reeves, a character based on the real American frontier icon who was one of the first Black U.S. Deputy Marshals west of the Mississippi. Expect a world of ruthless outlaws, desert machines, and otherworldly forces as one man tries to protect his family and deliver justice. — S.C.

Starring: Brian Tyree Henry, Janelle Monáe, Tati Gabrielle, Cree Summer, Chaske Spencer, Currie Graham, and Starletta DuPois

How to watch: Bass X Machina is now streaming on Netflix.

14. Stick, Season 2

Owen Wilson's sports comedy Stick made a sweet splash in its first season, telling a story of golf redemption and found family. Now, Wilson returns as ex-golfer Pryce Cahill, who's coaching 17-year-old golf prodigy Santi Wheeler (Peter Dager). As Santi continues his pro golfing career, Pryce makes the game-changing decision to mount a comeback and try to become the oldest golfer to win a major championship. To accomplish that feat, he'll need some help, and Apple has recruited Pluribus Emmy winner Rhea Seehorn for the job. She plays Coach Amanda, a "swing doctor" who might just take Pryce back to his glory days. — B.E.

Starring: Owen Wilson, Peter Dager, Marc Maron, Mariana Treviño, Lilli Kay, Judy Greer, Timothy Olyphant, Rhea Seehorn, John Higgins, Billy Zane, Rex Linn, Sasha Alexander, and Missi Pyle

How to watch: The first two episodes of Stick Season 2 are now streaming on AppleTV, with new episodes every Wednesday.

13. The Walsh Sisters

Thirty years after Marian Keyes' first Walsh sisters book was published, the BBC finally brought the lives of Rachel, Anna, Claire, Maggie, and Helen Walsh to UK screens in February. Now, The Walsh Sisters is streaming in the U.S. through Roku. From Stefanie Preissner (Can't Cope, Won't Cope) and Kefi Chadwick (Rivals) comes a deeply moving adaptation that weaves several Keyes' books together — and boasts an incredible cast. As I wrote in my review, "A raw, authentic portrayal of sisterhood, addiction, grief, and mental health, The Walsh Sisters feels well overdue on our screens." — S.C.

Starring: Caroline Menton, Danielle Galligan, Stefanie Preissner, Máiread Tyers, and Louisa Harland

How to watch: The Walsh Sisters is now streaming on Roku.

12. Beware Boiúna

An ancient serpentine predator lies in slumber, deep in the Amazon, in this Anaconda-style creature survival horror from director Mike P. Nelson (V/H/S/85; Silent Night, Deadly Night). 

Beware Boiúna sees a group on a medical mission into the South American rainforest hunted by a mythical semiaquatic reptile who's recently been rudely awakened. Kiana Madeira (Fear Street), Jessica Rothe (Happy Death Day), and Logan Marshall-Green (Upgrade) disturb the slumber of Boiúna, whose bite is way worse than her non-existent bark. Written by Nelson with his Wrong Turn collaborator Alan B. McElroy and Doom: Annihilation's Tony Giglio, this film feels meant to be bravely watched in cinemas behind an enormous popcorn bucket — but now you can watch it from the comfort of your sofa.* — S.C.

Starring: Kiana Madeira, Jessica Rothe, and Logan Marshall-Green

How to watch: Beware Boiúna is now available on digital.

11. Black Doves, Season 2

Keira Knightley and Ben Whishaw return for spy shenanigans in Season 2 of Black Doves, and the stakes (and suspense) have never been higher.

Helen (Knightley) is still giving up England's secrets to the Black Doves, even as her husband, Wallace (Andrew Buchan), gets ready to take on the role of Prime Minister. Meanwhile, triggerman Sam (Whishaw) is stuck taking smaller hit jobs. However, the two reunite when a sinister plot to undermine Reed's (Sarah Lancashire) position in the Black Doves emerges. It's not long before the two are sucked back into a web of espionage, violence, and most importantly of all, friendship.* — B.E.

Starring: Keira Knightley, Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire, Andrew Buchan, Kathryn Hunter, Ella Lily Hyland, Gabrielle Creevy, Agnes O’Casey, and Molly Chesworth

How to watch: Black Doves Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

10. Sense and Sensibility

Director Georgia Oakley (Blue Jean) and screenwriter Diana Reid adapt Jane Austen's 1811 novel about two very different sisters seeking a match in Regency-era England.

After the death of their father, the rigorously rational Elinor Dashwood (Daisy Edgar-Jones) and her impulsive younger sister Marianne (Esmé Creed-Miles) are eager to find husbands. But they're looking for something more rare than financial security. They're looking for love in a world of infuriatingly righteous gentlemen and unfortunately sexy rogues.* — K.P.

Starring: Daisy Edgar-Jones, Esmé Creed-Miles, Caitríona Balfe, Bodhi Rae Breathnach, Frank Dillane, Herbert Nordrum, George MacKay, and Fiona Shaw

How to watch: Sense and Sensibility is now available for rental or purchase on digital.

9. Primetime

Before Lance Oppenheim blew our minds with You Can See Everything, he dropped Primetime, a docudrama exploring Chris Hansen's problematic news special series To Catch a Predator.

Robert Pattinson is chilling and uncomfortably funny in the lead role of Hansen, reimagining the real-life newsman as a creepy clown with a dangerous blind ambition. And while Oppenheim and a talented cast make a movie that is thought-provoking, this critic hoped it'd go harder. As I wrote in my review, "I was left wishing Primetime had the guts to follow the dark path this heightened Hansen charted to somewhere deranged, perhaps providing a more satisfying ending than real life (and reality TV) has. Chase those midnight movie vibes that Pattinson has coursing through his final act into something damning and daring! Or, don't, I guess.

"While Primetime is exhilarating and disturbing thanks to its sensational cast, a flimsy conclusion has this film end with a whimper instead of a bang." — K.P.

Starring: Robert Pattinson, Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo, and Phoebe Bridgers

How to watch: Primetime is now available on digital.

8. The History of Concrete

Director John Wilson, of HBO's How To with John Wilson, makes his feature directorial debut with documentary The History of Concrete. Don't be fooled by the seemingly dry title. The History of Concrete is an absurd deep dive into the gray material that surrounds us, one that involves everything from Hallmark movies to gum-busting machines. If you enjoyed How To with John Wilson or want another meta-documentary after seeing You Can See Everything, this should scratch that itch. — B.E.

How to watch: The History of Concrete is now available on digital.

7. Musk

Alex Gibney's Musk documentary had a blink-and-you'll-miss-it theatrical run, being pulled from cinemas after just two weeks. But if you didn't get chance to see the nearly four-hour doc — which charts the rise to power of the world's richest man, featuring interviews with family members and former colleagues — you can catch it on digital this week. Mashable's Matt Binder described it as "brutal and accurate" in his review for Mashable. It struggled at the box office, but had its marketing campaign hampered due to ads being restricted on multiple social networks. — S.H.

How to watch: Musk is now available on digital.

6. MP3

Jess McKenna and Zach Reino have made their mark on Dropout with improvised musical numbers on Play It By Ear and Game Changer, including the finale "Last Talent Standing." Now, they're bringing their song-writing skills to the comedy streamer's first scripted series in seven years, MP3.

Seemingly inspired by the TRL days of MTV, MP3 focuses on a TV show where host Dane Cartel (Jeremy Culhane) offers up music videos alongside his new co-hosts Chia (Aparna Nancherla) and Dr. Muse-Tina (Skye Townsend). This setup allows Dropout's wide ensemble of comedians to pop up for kooky cameos, singing and dancing in a variety of bizarre music videos. Plus, based on the trailer, this show shares a universe with Very Important People. So, watch out for the epic return of Princess Emily. — K.P.

Starring: Jeremy Culhane, Paul F. Tompkins, Zach Reino, Aparna Nancherla, Skye Townsend, and Jess McKenna

How to watch: MP3 is now streaming on Dropout.

5. Bad Apples

Teachers deserve better. Our underpaid educators put up with everything from disruptive students to micromanaging parents. And in Jonatan Etzler's dark comedy thriller Bad Apples, one (Saoirse Ronan) takes matters into her own hands. Written by Jess O'Kane as an adaptation of Rasmus Andersson's novel De Oönskade, the film sees Ronan as Somerset-based primary school teacher Maria. She loves teaching, despite the underfunded education system testing her daily. When troubled student Danny (newcomer Eddie Waller) constantly disrupts her class, Maria makes some choices.

As I wrote in my review, "With Ronan's always-impeccable talents supported by a sublime young cast, Bad Apples leans into unethical impulses, all the while exposing home truths about the under-resourced education system and social disdain toward children with behavioural, emotional, and social difficulties. Plus, it's really funny."* — S.C.

Starring: Saoirse Ronan, Eddie Waller, Jacob Anderson, Rakie Ayola, Robert Emms, Sean Gilder, and Kerry Howard

How to watch: Bad Apples is now available on digital.

4. North of North, Season 2

One of 2025's best TV surprises was Canadian comedy North of North, a small town sitcom set in the Arctic Circle. Young Inuk mother Siaja (Anna Lambe) decides to blow up her unhappy marriage and start fresh, embarking on a warm, moving journey of self-discovery. That journey continues in Season 2, which will see Siaja try to keep leveling up her life, professionally and personally, even if it means making some big mistakes in the process. Wherever your new road takes you, Siaja, we can't wait to keep supporting you!* — B.E.

Starring: Anna Lambe, Maika Harper, Braeden Clarke, Jay Ryan, Mary Lynn Rajskub, Zorga Qaunaq, Bailey Poching, Nutaaq Doreen Simmonds, Keira Belle Cooper, and Bruce McCulloch

How to watch: North of North Season 2 is now streaming on Netflix.

3. The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins, Season 2

If you're on the hunt for surgically precise joke writing and an impeccable ensemble, I've got one name for you: Reggie. Dinkins.

Created by 30 Rock's Robert Carlock and Sam Means, The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins cemented itself as one of the year's best comedies when it premiered this January. Now, it's back and bound to deliver more riotous one-liners and pop culture references. The series follows disgraced New York Jets star Reggie Dinkins (Tracy Morgan) and documentarian Arthur Tobin (Daniel Radcliffe), who's making a film about Reggie's life. Morgan and Radcliffe are a duo to die for, and Erika Alexander and Bobby Moynihan are riots in their supporting roles. Buy into the ridiculousness and have the best time.* — B.E.

Starring: Tracy Morgan, Daniel Radcliffe, Erika Alexander, Bobby Moynihan, Precious Way, and Jalyn Hall

How to watch: The first episode of The Fall and Rise of Reggie Dinkins Season 2 is now streaming on Peacock. New episodes premiere Mondays at 8:30 p.m. ET on NBC, with episodes available on Peacock the next day.

2. Resident Evil

Good news, everyone! You can watch Weapons director Zach Cregger's Resident Evil reboot at home this week. The adaptation of Capcom's popular horror game franchise was co-written by Cregger with John Wick: Chapter 4's Shay Hatten, with horror and action through the roof. Except this time the Resident Evil chaos is happening to a regular Raccoon City resident (Austin Abrams) who just can't seem to figure out those damn locks. — S.C.

Starring: Austin Abrams, Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser

How to watch: Resident Evil is now available on digital.

Best of streaming this week: It Gets Worse

Leo Reich's new comedy It Gets Worse set the internet ablaze when Channel 4 released an NSFW clip involving Andrew Scott as a therapist. And while that's certainly a great hook, especially for everyone who's still not over Scott's role in Fleabag, it's far from the best thing about this beautifully messy series.

Reich stars as 24-year-old Ethan, who's going through the catastrophic double whammy of a quarter life crisis and eviction from the London apartment he shares with his two best friends from university, Abi (Emily Fairn) and Sam (Olive Gray). As the three try to find a new place, they split up across the city, where they each face a harrowing question familiar to anyone in their early 20s: What the hell am I going to do with my life? To find answers (if there are any), Reich spins a tale of fraught friendships, awkward hookups, and hard truths sure to make any young 20-something at a crossroads feel seen. — B.E.

Starring: Leo Reich, Emily Fairn, Olive Gray, Sean Delaney, Dane Williams, India Mullen, John Tothill, Andrew Scott, Lena Dunham, and Amelia Dimoldenberg

How to watch: All episodes of It Gets Worse premiere Nov. 6 on Paramount+.

(*) denotes a blurb came from a prior list.

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 your resident dating app expert here (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.

SAVE $200: As of Nov. 5, the Ecovacs Deebot T90S Pro is on sale for $699 at Amazon. That's a 22% discount on the list price.

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Credit: Ecovacs

Ecovacs Deebot T90s Pro

$699 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $200.99

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Vacuuming isn't exactly anyone's idea of a fun way to spend their free time. Fortunately, vacuums have come a long way from bulky devices dragged across your floors that still manage to miss awkward corners. Robot vacuums can now do the hard work for you, navigating your floors, avoiding obstacles, and tackling everyday dirt while you get on with something else.

As of Nov. 5, there's a deal on the Ecovacs Deebot T90S Pro that saves you $200 on the list price, now down to $699. It vacuums, it mops, and it even manages its own maintenance.

This truly is a great robot vacuum if you want floor cleaning gone from your mind. It combines powerful vacuuming with continuous fresh-water mopping to tackle everything from everyday dust and pet hair to sticky kitchen spills. It has an OZMO ROLLER 3.0 system that uses 32-way pressurized water flow to rinse the roller as it cleans, and a scraper that removes dirty water to help prevent smearing and the spread of grime across hard floors.

For vacuuming, it delivers up to 40,000Pa of suction and features anti-tangle brushes designed to reduce hair wrap. Plus, the OMNI Station handles maintenance, including automatic dust removal, hot-water roller washing, hot-air drying, and cleaning-solution dispensing.

You can find this robot vacuum deal at Amazon now.

TL;DR: Daily Red is a free, daily Pokémon battle game where everyone gets one chance a day to defeat Red on Mt. Silver. Red's team stays the same, but your lineup is randomly generated every 24 hours — forcing you to win with whatever random squad you're dealt.

If your morning browser routine already includes Wordle or the Mini Crossword, there is a new fan-made puzzle game making the rounds among Pokémon fans. Daily Red takes the most legendary boss encounter in franchise history and reimagines it as a fast-paced, tactical puzzle you can solve in under five minutes.

Instead of spending dozens of hours training a competitive squad, the game puts you right on top of Mt. Silver for a Level 100 showdown against Red. The catch? You do not get to pick your party. Every 24 hours, every player worldwide is handed the exact same randomly generated lineup of six Pokémon. Your job is to figure out how to pilot whatever unusual, bench-warming team you've been dealt to victory.

Is Daily Red an official Pokémon game?

No. Daily Red is an unofficial, free-to-play fan project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Nintendo, Game Freak, or The Pokémon Company. It runs entirely in your browser with no microtransactions, ads, or sign-ups required.

How to play Daily Red

Getting started takes zero downloads and no account registration. Here is the step-by-step breakdown:

1. Head to the site — Go to daily-red.com on your mobile device or desktop browser.

2. Inspect your squad — Click to begin your daily match at the peak of Mt. Silver. Once the fight starts, inspect your six assigned Level 100 Pokémon — checking their movesets, abilities, and type coverage — before locking in your first move against Red's lead Pikachu.

3. Outsmart Red — Defeat all six of Red's classic Level 100 Pokémon before he wipes your party out.

4. Share and track — Copy your spoiler-free results grid to share with friends, then return the next day to protect your streak.

Your win streaks and battle stats are saved directly to your browser's local cache. If you want to keep a long streak going, stick to the same device and browser for your daily battles. 

Daily Red relies on the same viral mechanics that made Wordle a massive hit: every player tackles the same daily puzzle, your wins are tracked through an ongoing streak, and you can share a color-coded grid of your results without spoiling the winning moves for others.

Knowing your enemy: Red's fixed team

While your party changes every single night, Red's team remains completely static. Knowing who he brings to the fight lets you plan your strategy before making your first move:

• Pikachu (Level 100 — always his starting lead)

• Espeon (Level 100)

• Snorlax (Level 100)

• Venusaur (Level 100)

• Charizard (Level 100)

• Blastoise (Level 100)

Because Red always leads with Pikachu, your first big tactical decision happens the second the match loads. Check your six assigned Pokémon to see who has the best matchup or immunity against an electric lead, then plan how you'll handle his bulkier threats like Snorlax later in the match.

The daily battle resets every night at midnight in your local time zone. A live countdown timer at the top of the site tracks how much time remains in the current window. Once the clock strikes midnight, everyone receives a brand-new randomized party to take on Red all over again.

Whether you get handed an overpowered legendary or find yourself trying to defeat a Level 100 Snorlax using a Luvdisc, it’s easy to see why Daily Red is blowing up across the Pokémon community right now.

Where to check for Zelda Switch 2 stock:

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Nintendo

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

$519.99 at Nintendo

Shop Now

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Amazon

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

$519.99 at Amazon

Shop Now

---

Walmart

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

$519.99 at Walmart

Shop Now

---

Target

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

$519.99 at Target

Shop Now

---

Best Buy

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

$519.99 at Best Buy

Shop Now

---

GameStop

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

$519.99 at GameStop

Shop Now

If your current morning ritual involves violently hitting refresh on a dozen retail tabs, you already know the vibe: finding the Nintendo Switch 2: The Legend of Zelda 40th Anniversary Edition is turning into an Olympic sport.

Between automated bot armies scooping digital drops, surprise order cancellations at Walmart, and inventory vanishing in seconds on Amazon, this custom black-and-gold console feels like a myth. But while digital storefronts look completely barren, stock is actively circulating behind the scenes.

Where to check for Zelda Switch 2 stock right now

Before getting into the restock details, bookmark these retailer pages to check for surprise drops:

• Nintendo Store — Out of stock right now, but you can add it to your wishlist to get pinged the second a restock hits.

• Amazon — Dropping tiny batches of consoles randomly throughout the day.

• Walmart — Out of stock, so make sure your in-stock email alerts are turned on.

• Target — Sold out online, but two drops are coming: in-store on Thursday, Nov. 5, and online on Friday, Nov. 6.

• Best Buy — Sold out online, but select stores are doing midnight openings on Nov. 5 with walk-in stock.

• GameStop — Online orders are off; you will have to walk into a store to find one.

Why is the console selling out so fast?

The feeding frenzy is being supercharged by Nintendo’s staggered release calendar. While the custom Zelda 40th Anniversary hardware dropped first on Oct. 29, the flagship game driving demand — The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2 — arrives this Thursday, Nov. 5.

The remake rebuilds the 1998 classic from the ground up with modernized controls, a fully orchestrated soundtrack, reworked dungeon puzzles, and expanded Hyrule environments. Since the $520 console doesn’t include the game, everyone is rushing to lock down a system before launch day.

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Credit: Nintendo

The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for Nintendo Switch 2

$59.99 at Amazon

 

Preorder at Amazon

What comes with the Zelda 40th anniversary Switch 2?

The package includes the special-edition Switch 2 system sporting a custom black-and-gold finish, themed Joy-Con 2 controllers, and a matching dock decorated with the gold Triforce emblem. It retains the platform's signature flexibility, letting you switch between TV, Tabletop, and Handheld modes whenever you want.

Inside the themed chassis, you get 256GB of built-in storage (expandable with microSD Express cards), a vivid display in handheld mode, faster load times, and support for up to 4K resolution on compatible TVs when the console sits in the dock.

The magnetic Joy-Con 2 controllers add mouse-style tracking in supported games, while the new GameChat hub lets you voice chat and share your screen directly as you play. It also plays your older Switch games and supports standard multiplayer options.

How can you improve your chances of finding stock?

Landing limited-edition Nintendo hardware takes a little prep work, but these battle-tested habits will give you a real edge over the bots:

• Save your checkout details everywhere — Log in to Target, Best Buy, Walmart, and the Nintendo Store to save your shipping address and default card. Stopping to type a card number or billing zip code during a live drop is how you lose an order.

• Hands off the refresh button in Best Buy's queue — When an online drop goes live, Best Buy puts shoppers into a randomized waiting line to filter out scrapers. Touching the reload button resets your spot and boots you straight to the back.

• Watch for Walmart+ early-access paywalls — Walmart frequently locks headline console drops behind paid Walmart+ subscriptions for the first 30 to 60 minutes. If you have a membership, keep that tab signed in; if not, wait for the general public window to unlock.

• Dodge third-party sellers — Double-check the seller before buying. Marketplace scalpers frequently list units for jacked-up prices; make sure it says "Sold and shipped by [Retailer]" at the standard price.

• Skip the web wars and head to physical stores — Online checkout bots grab website stock in under 15 seconds. Showing up in person is easily your most reliable path to securing one without paying scalper markups.

Will the Zelda Switch 2 be restocked on Black Friday?

Most likely, yes.

Stores like Walmart, Amazon, and Best Buy often hold onto popular gaming hardware to use as headline deals during Black Friday and Cyber Monday week.

With that said, Black Friday restocks are usually the hardest ones to catch. You will be fighting website crashes, gift shoppers, and automated bots all at once. If you can grab a console during the Nov. 5 launch drops at Target or Best Buy, take it. Think of Black Friday as a backup plan, not your main bet.

Console hunting sucks right now, period. But between the surprise micro-drops and Thursday's physical store restocks, you still have real shots at retail price — just be ready to move the second that button turns yellow.

TL;DR: The Lego Group has launched its 2026 holiday campaign and film, directed by Michael Gracey and set to Daft Punk's hit "One More Time." You can stream the short and shop every featured set directly at Lego.

Holiday shopping season has officially arrived, and Lego is getting into the spirit with a star-studded workshop and a classic French touch. The brand dropped its 2026 holiday campaign ad, a chaotic, joyful 74-second short directed by The Greatest Showman filmmaker Michael Gracey and set to Daft Punk’s iconic track "One More Time."

The film follows a single red 2x4 Lego brick on a journey through the Lego Holiday Workshop, where it gets assembled, energized by superheroes, and sent out the door to a family living room.

If you found yourself eyeballing the sets on screen, you don't have to wait until December to start building. Lego launched a dedicated storefront allowing viewers to shop the models and characters that make cameos in the ad.

Here are some of our favorites featured in the film that make epic holiday gifts:

Lego Speed Champions F1 Academy Lego Race Car

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Credit: Speed Champions / Lego

Lego Speed Champions F1 Academy Lego Race Car

$27.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now at Lego

The Lego holiday ad opens with a high-speed dash through the snow, pairing Daft Punk minifigures with real-life Dutch driver Esmee Kosterman in her liveried racer. You can park the exact track action on your desk with the Lego Speed Champions F1 Academy Lego Race Car. Clocking in at 201 pieces, the build celebrates the all-female racing series with sharp, authentic details — from the aerodynamic rear wing and halo safety system right down to the Pirelli-branded tires and an included driver minifigure complete with helmet and wrench.

Avengers: Doomsday Quinjet

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Credit: Marvel / Lego

Avengers: Doomsday Quinjet

$59.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now at Lego

Doctor Doom stealing the spotlight in the holiday workshop ad is just a preview of the chaos in store here. The 433-piece Lego Marvel Avengers: Doomsday Quinjet spans over 13 inches wide and features accessible fold-out top and rear panels, dual front stud shooters, and a cockpit built for hands-on play. What really makes the set, though, is the minifigure lineup: you get Captain America with folding wings, Cyclops, a bulky The Thing with oversized fists, and Doctor Doom complete with his fabric cape and translucent blasters.

Credit: Lego

Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird

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Credit: Lego

Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird

$69.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now at Lego

The goofy creature waving a tearful goodbye near the end of the holiday workshop film is straight out of K-Pop Demon Hunters. The 825-piece Lego Derpy Tiger and Sussie Bird set turns the animated sidekicks into vibrant desk decor, featuring posable limbs and two swappable facial expressions — including a tongue that holds tiny love notes. Sussie the magpie perches on Derpy's head, and there is even a secret storage compartment hidden inside the tiger's skull to stash the letters and an included mini flowerpot.

Lionel Messi — Soccer Legend

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Credit: Lego Editions

Lionel Messi — Soccer Legend

$79.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now at Lego

While race cars and superheroes zip through the workshop ad, soccer fans get their own headline moment with the 958-piece Lego Editions Lionel Messi – Soccer Legend build. The display figure offers two distinct pose options: Messi dribbling downfield with an included soccer ball, or his iconic victory celebration with both arms raised toward the sky. Standing over 10.5 inches tall, the finished tribute comes complete with his legendary number 10, a bold 'MESSI' base lettering plate, and an official printed name plaque that looks right at home on an office desk or bedroom bookshelf.

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

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Credit: Lego Ideas

E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial

$139.99 at Lego

 

Shop Now at Lego

Nobody in the holiday workshop looks more heartbroken to say goodbye to their bricks than Spielberg's beloved alien. Designed specifically for adult collectors, the 1,226-piece Lego Ideas E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial set captures the character's wrinkled features with fully posable arms, an opening mouth, and a head that rotates 360 degrees. You can point his iconic forefinger to signal home, set a pot of revived sunflowers in his hands, or hit the rear switch to activate an authentic glowing chest light brick.

Credit: Lego

Didn't see your specific fandom on our list? Shop the complete lineup over at Lego's official holiday workshop hub.

TL;DR: Lifetime 1min.AI Advanced Business access is on sale for just $69.97 (reg. $540) through Nov. 8.

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Credit: 1minAI

1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription

$69.97
$540 Save $470.03

 

Get Deal

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but they’re manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option.

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription (reg. $540) through Nov. 8.

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects. There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

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

• GPT-5.5 Pro

• Claude 4.1 Opus, Claude 4.5 Sonnet

• Gemini 2.5 Flash, Gemini 3.1 Pro

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month. The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

It’s only $69.97 to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription through Nov. 8.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Apple's rumored "anniversary iPhone" might not have an uninterrupted display after all.

The "iPhone 20" is allegedly slated to launch in 2027, with Apple skipping the iPhone 19 altogether to mark the iPhone's 20th birthday. Old rumors claimed that this will be the first iPhone with a completely uninterrupted display, with no bezels, no camera cutouts, just a perfect slab of glass on the front.

Now, leaker Digital Chat Station, in a sort of Q&A session underneath a Weibo post on iPhone 18, said that the display on the anniversary iPhone will definitely have holes.

This isn't new. We've heard it from Digital Chat Station and Ice Universe before, and by now, we mostly expect the anniversary iPhone to have a new type of bezel-less, "quad-curved" display but with a small dynamic island on top.

But the rumor is worth revisiting in light of iPhone Duo, which actually already has a fully uninterrupted inner display, with the FaceTime camera hidden underneath it. Having tested the iPhone Duo, I can say that having such a display is pretty great. But it comes with two major caveats: There's no Face ID (the iPhone Duo instead has a Touch ID on the side), and the FaceTime camera has low, 4-megapixel resolution and cannot take great selfies.

While it's possible (indeed, probable) that Apple is already working on upgrading that camera, it's hard to imagine the company making it as good as the "regular" selfie camera on its recent phones. It just doesn't seem likely that Apple could achieve such a drastic leap by next year; not to mention the separate issue of hiding Face ID sensors under the display as well.

In his post, Digital Chat Station also addressed the iPhone 18e, iPhone 18, and iPhone Air 2, which he says are coming in the first half of next year.

The iPhone 18 will reportedly have a 6.3-inch 1.5K 120Hz OLED display with a Dynamic Island, Apple's 2nm A20 chip, Face ID, a dual 48-megapixel camera setup, and a larger battery. Unfortunately, the price of the phone will also increase, though we don't know by how much.

Starbucks announced plans for its holiday merch weeks ago. That was a blessing and a curse. It's good to get an insight into what's to come, but the wait is painful. We want that Bearista merch without delay.

We've all had to be incredibly patient, but the wait is over: Starbucks is launching the first wave of its holiday merch from Nov. 5.

Credit: Starbucks

The lineup spans seven core drinkware and lifestyle items priced between $14.95 and $29.95. And in a major brand win for Mashable readers, it includes a limited-edition 24-ounce Owala FreeSip bottle for under $20 (we know you absolutely love these viral bottles).

Starbucks could print some standard red-and-green stripes on generic plastic cups and sell out by the early hours of launch day. Fortunately, they've gone incredibly hard with this initial drop. This year’s capsule features genuine design standouts that work surprisingly well for home offices and seasonal gifting:

• Owala Bearista FreeSip ($19.95): The undisputed hero of the entire drop, and something we expect to sell out quickly. Why? A standard 24-ounce Owala FreeSip retails for somewhere between $25 and $30 at Amazon, so scoring an official co-branded Starbucks edition for $19.95 is a wild promo.

• Bearista Bow Tumbler ($29.95): An insulated stainless-steel travel cup crowned with a sculpted dimensional gift bow lid.

• Double-Wall Bearista Glass Mug ($16.95): Clear borosilicate glass with an insulated interior silhouette.

• Bearista Espresso Mug and Snowglobe Gift Set ($22.95): A bundle that includes a miniature espresso demitasse cup and a matching Bearista desktop snow globe.

• Bearista Holiday Ceramic Mug ($19.95): A classic mug featuring the mascot dressed in winter gear.

• Glass Bearista Ornament ($16.95): A miniature glass ornament modeled after the iconic Glass Bearista Cold Cup.

• Plush Bag Charm ($14.95): A mini plush Bearista donning the signature Starbucks green apron.

Credit: Starbucks

This Nov. 5 drop is substantial, but Starbucks is holding back the Glass Bearista Cold Cup (Surprise Box Edition) until Nov. 10. That's followed by the Red Cup Day free reusable cup giveaway on Nov. 17.

There's a lot to come from Starbucks this season.

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

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

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

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

Hurdle Word 1 hint

Go get it!

Hurdle Word 1 answer

FETCH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

There's a possibility.

Hurdle Word 2 Answer

MIGHT

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Bring it down.

Hurdle Word 3 answer

LOWER

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Vapor.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

STEAM

Final Hurdle hint

Growl.

Hurdle Word 5 answer

GRUNT

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

The Moon is now approaching the end of its current lunar cycle, with less than 20% of its surface illuminated. This puts it near the end of the Waning Crescent phase, when just a thin sliver of the Moon remains visible before the New Moon.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Friday, Nov. 5, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waning Crescent phase, with 16% of its surface visible.

Tonight, without the use of visual aids you should be able to spot the Aristarchus Plateau and that's all. With binoculars or a telescope, you'll be able to see this and the Grimaldi Basin.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on November 24.

What are Moon phases?

It takes the Moon around 29.5 days to pass through a complete lunar cycle. As it travels around Earth, the angle at which sunlight reaches its surface changes what we can see from here, producing the different phases, from the New Moon through to the Full Moon and back again. The cycle then starts over, as explained by NASA.

The eight phases are:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for college basketball fans.

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.

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 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.

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: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Coming soon

• Green: Minor leagues

• Blue: Related to one player

• Purple: Hockey leaders

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Future Olympic hosts

• Green: Triple-A baseball teams

• Blue: Associated with Nikola Jokić

• Purple: NHL head coaches

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 #773 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Future Olympic hosts: BRISBANE, FRENCH ALPS, LOS ANGELES, UTAH

• Triple-A Baseball Teams: CHIHUAHUAS, MUD HENS, SPACE COWBOYS, TIDES

• Associated with Nikola Jokić: JOKER, MVP, NUGGETS, SERBIA

• NHL head coaches: BRUNETTE, MAURICE, MUSE, ST. LOUIS

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 the latest Connections.

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.

Raindrop meaning

A singular example of precipitation.

Rose meaning

A type of flower that can be a variety of colors.

Whisker meaning

Hairs on the faces of some animals, including cats.

Kitten meaning

An adolescent cat.

Gig meaning

A task or job of varying size.

Pear meaning

A type of fruit.

Spike meaning

To drive something into the ground, like a football.

Wedge meaning

A tool used for a variety of purposes to improve access or leverage.

Run meaning

To move at a rapid pace.

Lotus meaning

A type of flower.

Uvula meaning

A small, teardrop-shaped piece of dangling flesh at the back of the mouth

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Brando meaning

Possibly the last name of a famous actor.

Anemone meaning

A sea creature or a flower.

Speedbag meaning

Gym equipment used by boxers.

Platform meaning

A foundation from which to build or communicate.

Narcissus meaning

A type of flower.

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 the latest Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you like shoes.

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: Shoe-related

• Green: Floral

• Blue: Similar shapes

• Purple: Nearly alcohol

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

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Kinds of heels

• Green: Flowers

• Blue: Teardrop-shaped things

• Purple: Liquors with last letters changed

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 #1243 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Kinds of heels: KITTEN, PLATFORM, SPIKE, WEDGE

• Flowers: ANEMONE, LOTUS, NARCISSUS, ROSE

• Teardrop-shaped things: PEAR, RAINDROP, SPEEDBAG UVULA

• Liquors with last letters changed: BRANDO, GIG, RUN, WHISKER

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 the latest Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you work like wordplay.

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: Handle with care

The words are connected by a word.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are parts of expressions that use the word "break."

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 Give me a break.

NYT Strands word list for November 5

• Faith

• Ground

• Bread

• Wind

• Dancing

• Give me a break

• Character

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 the latest Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you've ever seen a drought.

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:

Dry.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

No letters appear twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter P.

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...

PARCH

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 the latest Wordle.

ChatGPT will now allow users to make GIFs from text prompts or uploaded images. The new feature is powered by Images 2.6, OpenAI's latest AI image generation model, unveiled on Wednesday.

Rolling out globally to ChatGPT and coding tool Codex today, Images 2.6 enables users to either describe the GIF they would like it to generate or upload an image to be animated. Users can also upload a rough drawing, and have the AI model to generate a more complete version to animate.

Once generated, The Verge reports that ChatGPT's new feature will allow users to adjust the GIF's animation speed, as well as view and edit individual frames. OpenAI stated in a since-deleted X post that users can also have Images 2.6 save their uploaded pictures to be reused as prompts in the future.

Credit: Mashable screenshot: @ChatGPT via X

Significantly, Images 2.6's GIF-generating capability is not an AI video generator. Instead, OpenAI suggested that Images 2.6 can be used to create animated storyboards or to "explore character movement before video production." OpenAI discontinued its AI video generation app Sora earlier this year. The Wall Street Journal reported that it had few users and lost the company approximately $1 million per day.

OpenAI appears to have largely focused its visual AI generation models on still images since then. However, the launch of Images 2.6 suggests it may be flirting with moving pictures once more. Last month, OpenAI launched Intelligent UI, a new ChatGPT feature that allows users to generate interactive visual interfaces.

Credit: OpenAI

According to OpenAI, Images 2.6 also generates images 50 percent faster than its previous model, Images 2.5. Generation is still likely to take a moment, though. The company says that its speed-focused GPT‑Image‑2.6 Flare model can generate an image in about six seconds, provided its quality is set to low. OpenAI's GPT‑Image‑2.6 Flare and GPT‑Image‑2.6 Sunburst models are rolling out in the company's API.

Images 2.6 is available now across all of ChatGPT and Codex's subscription tiers.

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

Bluetti is making 2026 one of their best years yet. On top of launching the compact Elite 100 mini, the brand new Apex 200 is something special. It's both a powerful model for at-home backup during a storm, and also worth taking on RV trips. And if you're feeling strong, it could be awesome at the campground.

Credit: Bluetti

The Bluetti Apex 200 just launched on Nov. 4, but the brand is already offering a $300 discount that can be combined with an extra 5% off with code MASHABLE5OFF. That brings the price down from the standard $1,399 to a more comfortable $1,044. Keep in mind the sale with additional 5% discount is set to expire on Nov. 18.

Features of the Bluetti Apex 200

In my ranking of the best portable power stations, I mentioned the Bluetti Apex 300 as a great model for whole-home backup. That's still true, but the versatility of the Apex 200 is exception, and that might make it a better option for some homes.

One of the largest differences between the 300 and the new Apex 200 is battery capacity. The Apex 200 has a smaller capacity of 2,560Wh, but that also means it's lightweight, smaller, and easier to carry.

Credit: Bluetti

On top of this, the Apex 200 has more port versatility. It comes with three standard AC ports, two USB-C, two USB-A, and a 30A. Those ports will be ideal during an outage to keep the refrigerator running, lights on, and phones charged up — all from the same power station.

But if you're thinking you might need more power, rest assured the Apex 200 has major expansion ability. You can combine it with up to six B500K expansion batteries to max out at a major 33.28kWh. Keep in mind Bluetti says the Apex 200 with two B500K expansion batteries should keep most homes charged up with essentials for about two to three days.

Credit: Bluetti

Bluetti also made it possible to recharge the Apex 200 giant solar power. It can handle up to 3,000W of solar input. If you're able to capture 3,000W from solar, the Apex 200 can recharge in about 1.7 hours. Of course, you can also go with standard AC recharging, a gas generator, or the car.

How to buy the Bluetti Apex 200

The Bluetti Apex 200 is already available to buy on the Bluetti site. Order before Nov. 19 and use code MASHABLE5OFF to get the power station for $1,044, down from the list price of $1,399. We'll keep an eye on Amazon availability and potential sale prices.

Opens in a new window

Credit: Bluetti

Bluetti Apex 200

$1,044 at Bluetti
$1,399 Save $355

use code MASHABLE5OFF

Get Deal at Bluetti

With a heavy dose of 2000s nostalgia and a premise that feels like a Total Request Live parody, MP3 has dropped on Dropout, bringing with it a trio of wacky music videos each week. While the show is being touted as Dropout's first scripted show in seven years, Paul F. Tompkins assures fans of the streaming comedy platform that there's still plenty of improv in the mix. 

"We shot it sort of Curb Your Enthusiasm style," said the comedian, who's previously appeared on Dropout shows like Game Changer and Very Important People. He explained that show creators Zach Reino and Jess McKenna gave Tompkins and co-stars Jeremy Culhane, Aparna Nancherla, and Skye Townsend an outline of each episode. "It's like: Here are the scenes. Here's what we want to get to, and then we have so much room to play within that. It's nice to have that. Like, improv is fun, but it is nice to have that sort of safety net underneath you."

In a Zoom interview with Tompkins, Nancherla, and Townsend, Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko learned the origins of MP3's goofy VJs, and how Culhane got kisses from a comedy icon. 

MP3 lets its cast build their characters. 

MP3 centers around an unusual father-son team of former boy band member Dane Cartel (Culhane), who's hosted Music Presentation 3 for years, and his father, MP3 director Thomas Cartel (Tompkins). But recently Thomas has brought in two new co-hosts, the dryly odd Chia (Nancherla), and the ever-chipper Dr. Muse-Tina (Townsend), which is causing on-set tensions and shenanigans.

Townsend (Black Lady Sketch Show) explained how Reino and McKenna allowed her a lot of creative input into Dr. Muse-Tina's look. 

The origin of Dr. Muse-Tina, from her baby bangs to her bleached eyebrows, braces, and beyond.

Skye Townsend plays Dr. Muse-Tina in Dropout's new show, "MP3." Credit: Shadae Lamar Smith

"Everybody brought on board was brought on board with trust, and they just let us play," she said of the production. "The name was established and her origin story, that she has lived a life that's unbelievable, but possibly she did everything she said," Townsend explained. 

From there, Townsend offered a look into her vision of the character with a visual aid. "I love to do mood boards," she shared, "And so coming in, I just did a full mood board with, like, a bio and like — what do her teeth look like? Here are three different options for her mouth. Can she get rid of her eyebrows? And if not, can they be bleach blonde?... Then, the first day of work, when we tested hair and makeup, I saw the mood board sitting there. And I was like, 'Oh my God, we're doing it!' They put on the wig and they cut the [baby] bangs, and they just kept getting shorter… I was blown away by the fact that they were like, 'Hey, if this is how you envisioned her, go crazy.'"

But what does Dr. Muse-Tina's big, bold look mean to Townsend? She said, "This is a person where her confidence and her excitement for life, she just wants to rock it. And so I think, like, there was just never too much for this character… It just makes her so chaotic, because she's supposed to be this person who has lived the wildest life ever, and it shows on the aesthetic."

Aparna Nancherla pulled personal inspiration into Chia. 

Skye Townsend, Aparna Nancherla, and Jeremy Culhane co-host Dropout's new show, "MP3." Credit: Shadae Lamar Smith

Puchko pointed out that the workman's jumpsuit Nancherla wears in the first episode of MP3 is similar to the one the comedian wore in her Dropout stand-up special, Hopeful Potato. Nancherla confirmed, "A lot of the wardrobe was, like, from my own wardrobe. So, for Chia, [it] was kind of like, where does Aparna end and Chia begin? And there is some overlap, but there's also a lot about Chia that I think is a question mark, and that was kind of fun to explore. Like, I feel like I discovered a lot as we were shooting of, like, who is this person? How did she end up here? I think that was a really fun thing, because that really leans into the improv of it all — just, like, kind of figuring it out as you go."

To that end, when asked what Nancherla makes of Chia describing herself as a "noise professor," the comedian offered, "I think it's someone who is just very completely, like, enamored and at the same time flummoxed by the idea of sound."

Paul F. Tompkins plays against expectations in MP3. 

Paul F. Tompkins plays Thomas Cartel in "MP3." Credit: Shadae Lamar Smith

In the first episode of MP3, Thomas Cartel is established as a loving but stern father to a nepo baby ex-boy bander, and a director who makes casting decisions on Hinge dates. His look, which includes a Kangol hat and a soul patch, reads skeevy, but there's more to Thomas than meets the eye. 

"What's interesting to me about this character," Tompkins said, "is that he absolutely looks like the most disgusting person, an overaged club guy who still thinks he's very cool-looking. But there's nothing in his personality that suggests he was in any way problematic. That he was just in a boy band, and that was fun. And then he decided to start a record label, and now it's a TV show, and isn't that fun too? And now his son's doing it. So, he's like this kind of sweet middle-aged dad who looks like a guy you would cross the street from if you saw him walking towards [you]." 

Tompkins reveals how Culhane brought "kisses" into MP3. 

Jeremy Culhane plays Dane Cartel in "MP3." Credit: Shadae Lamar Smith

One sign of Thomas' non-toxic masculinity is his unreserved affection for Dane. Sure, the two quarrel on set. But they make up when Dane requests kisses, and Thomas delivers a concentrated flurry on his son's forehead.  

"I gotta say, that got established so early on," Tompkins recalled. "It was one of the first exchanges that Jeremy and I had. He just went 'Kisses,' and I was like, 'Yes, kisses.' And then he leaned forward, and I just I decided, Okay, yes, it's got to be one million rapid-fire kisses on his forehead, and this is something that they do all the time to reset their relationship."

For more on MP3, look for Mashable's full Say More interview with Tompkins, Nancherla, and Townsend on Friday. Plus, we've got an upcoming interview with MP3 creators Zach Reino and Jess McKenna coming your way. 

How to watch: The first episode of MP3 is now streaming on Dropout. New episodes will roll out every two weeks through the season finale on Dec. 2.

Binance is now sharing more information about the major hack that resulted in $6.3 billion being stolen from the crypto exchange last week.

The cryptocurrency company previously called the incident a "security issue" and a third-party research firm traced the crime back to a nefarious North Korean hacking group.

Now, we know more about the security issue from a recent public statement from Binance detailing what happened. What led to more than $6 billion being stolen? Hackers utilized social engineering tactics on a Binance employee by pretending to interview them for a fake job at another company.

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

According to Binance, the company had "detected and prevented" dozens of attacks from North Korean actors throughout 2026. One such attack occurred when a Binance engineer downloaded a malicious Homebrew installer while attempting to install a popular AI coding tool they had found through a search engine. While the Binance team prevented this attack from succeeding, the incident revealed the engineer's role and the identities of their colleagues on Binance's wallet infrastructure team to the hackers.

In September, a different Binance engineer was contacted through a job-hunting platform and went through multiple interview rounds for a company that turned out to be nonexistent. After building trust with the engineer, the hacker posing as an employee at the fake company asked the Binance engineer to download an assignment as part of the interview process. This download included malicious code.

The hacker took control of the Binance engineer's computer and used it to access the first engineer's system as well as a third Binance employee's computer. Days before Halloween, the attacker accessed the third engineer's computer using credentials stolen from the first engineer to launch the attack that led to the theft of more than $6 billion.

Fake job interview scams have flourished in recent years. This recent Binance hack is just the latest, and perhaps biggest, such incident.

With that said, it is a concerning cybersecurity failure on Binance's end. Hackers were able to steal billions by essentially compromising a single computer by tricking one employee.

In total, $6.34 billion in digital assets were affected. Binance says $2.85 billion in digital assets have been "frozen or intercepted."

Binance has said it will "absorb the financial impact" and reimburse its users for the stolen funds.

Nathan Fielder's Elizabeth Holmes documentary has found its next audience, and they have a pretty good excuse for missing a theatrical screening.

A24 says You Can See Everything, directed by Fielder and Lance Oppenheim, is heading to the International Space Station after NASA requested permission to show it there. The orbiting research station is home to astronauts who live and work roughly 250 miles above Earth.

The studio announced the news on social media on Wednesday, Nov. 4, posting an image from the film beneath a cropped email with the subject line "FWD: [EXTERNAL] NASA Request for Private Viewing." The caption? "Request granted. You Can See Everything coming soon to @ISS," A24 wrote. There's no screening date yet, but the astronauts' movie-night options appear to be expanding.

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For anyone still catching up here on Earth, the documentary opened in U.S. theaters on Oct. 16. It begins with Holmes inviting a film crew to follow her during the 34 days before she reported to prison in 2023, then expands into a three-year project. The Theranos founder was convicted of defrauding investors in 2022, after her blood-testing startup's promises unraveled. (Amanda Seyfried played her in Hulu's The Dropout if that rings a bell.)

The film has been a critical and commercial hit, earning over $64 million in North America as of Nov. 4.

Now, the film is preparing to reach viewers in orbit, all while audiences in some countries are still waiting for it to reach their local cinema.

"Got it in space before Europe" commented one user on A24's Instagram post, while another added, "Wow so literally sent the movie to space but not to Mexico." Others made a more direct appeal to the studio: "You can literally watch it in space before London, think of the Brits won't youuuuuuu." "and australia still has to wait," wrote a user on X. Another questioned the studio's priorities: "Bro what are you bragging about? You can't even cover 10% of the Earth yet..."

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The announcement also got people pitching Fielder’s next project. One Instagram user referenced The Rehearsal in which "Nathan recreates the moon landing by actually landing on the moon." Considering the logistics of this screening, perhaps A24 could put in a good word.

For everyone still waiting, A24's comments section is open. Its nearest screening, however, may require astronaut training.

TL;DR: Just $49.97 (reg. $249.99) gets you Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus. Offer ends Nov. 8.

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Your spreadsheets may be a recurring responsibility, but it doesn’t have to be a recurring payment. Through Nov. 8, Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows is $49.97 (reg. $249.99) for a lifetime license on one PC.

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Before buying, check the licensing details. This offer covers one Windows 10 or Windows 11 PC, and the license is tied to that device, not your Microsoft account. It does not work on Mac or macOS devices.

Get Microsoft Office 2024 Professional Plus for Windows for just $49.97 through Nov. 8.

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A less cluttered browser and a more private connection solve different problems — but you can address both with one purchase. The AdGuard VPN + Ad Blocker Family Security Suite is only $39.97 (reg. $439.39) through Nov. 8, pairing a five-year VPN subscription with lifetime access to the AdGuard Family Plan. Here’s what each part brings to your browsing routine.

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Hours before polls closed on Tuesday, news broke that Google effectively refused to turn off AI search for every school in America that uses its classroom products. 

The controversial development proved a surprisingly fitting prelude to the revelation that voters actually care a lot about artificial intelligence. 

Exit polling showed bipartisan concern over AI and data centers. In NBC News' national exit poll, 65 percent of Democrats and 39 percent of Republicans said both topics were a crucial or major factor for their Congressional ballot. 

Voters ultimately approved more than 40 measures to slow or ban data center growth. Candidates calling for AI regulation, like Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed and South Carolina senator-elect Dr. Annie Andrews, defeated Republican competitors who championed AI. 

Experts say this midterm thrashing of Republicans is a rebuke of their pro-AI policies, along with the Silicon Valley executives who aligned themselves with President Donald Trump or donated hundreds of millions of dollars to help the GOP. 

"Voters have had enough: they want strong and effective guardrails now, and they’re demanding accountability," Michael Kleinman, head of US policy for the Future of Life Institute, said in a statement. "The AI reckoning is here." 

The AI backlash had been brewing

Though some Republicans initially seemed determined to wave off voter sentiment about AI, the angst was clear as early as May 2025 when the One Big Beautiful Bill Act included language that would ban states from regulating AI. One survey found registered voters overwhelmingly disliked the moratorium. Even former Republican Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene opposed it.  

The measure was dropped from that legislation, but the Trump administration didn't stop trying to prohibit states from regulating AI. In Dec. 2025, Trump signed an executive order that would, among other things, punish states for passing "onerous" AI laws by withholding certain types of federal funding. 

Meanwhile, AI executives like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei talked openly about possible doomsday scenarios wrought by out-of-control AI. Communities living alongside data centers began reporting concerns about public health, electricity prices, and environmental pollution. 

AI lawsuits and legislation

A string of lawsuits on behalf of children and adult AI users gave a haunting and heartbreaking look into how AI chatbots could allegedly talk them into exploitative sexual experiences, dangerous medical decisions, so-called psychosis, and even suicide. 

Still, states across the nation continued to pass AI regulations. Roughly a week before the election, New York governor Kathy Hochul signed what some advocates believe is the strongest AI chatbot legislation in the U.S. 

Outrage over AI in classrooms

Over the last year, an army of parent and education activists have lobbied to get Big Tech out of their kids' classrooms, including through various AI bans. 

Google's decision to withhold search from schools that ban AI, because the company will not provide a version of the product without AI Mode or AI Overviews, only further rankled advocates who feel they're David fighting Goliath.

"Schools should use this opportunity not only to turn off AI, but to teach students that 'Google' isn't a verb, but the name of a surveillance and advertising company whose presence in schools has nothing to do with learning and everything to do with developing lifetime brand loyalty," Josh Golin, executive director of the advocacy group Fairplay, said in a statement. 

New York Mayor Zohan Mamdani accused Google in a Bluesky post of using its "monopoly power" to force public schools into using its AI products. 

"No corporation should have the power to dictate how we teach our children," he wrote. 

Where we go from here

There are loud calls for Democrats to use their newfound electoral power to hold Silicon Valley executives accountable and to pass meaningful regulation that reflects growing concern about data centers and the economic and social threats posed by AI. 

Alvaro Bedoya, a former commissioner of the United States Federal Trade Commission, offered a few strategies Wednesday on social media, including a subpoena of Google "for cramming AI down our kids['] throats," and subpoenas for health insurers using AI to automatically deny valid claims and triage mental health emergencies. 

The elected Democratic candidates themselves may look to quickly deliver on their campaign promises. Amy Acton, Gina Hinojosa, and Keisha Lance Bottoms, Democrats who won their gubernatorial races in Ohio, Texas, and Georgia, respectively, supported data center moratoriums or greater accountability for data center developers.

Criticism of AI and data centers made multiple appearances in Democratic victory speeches Tuesday night, suggesting the party is just getting started.

Virginia Senator Mark Warner acknowledged this in his own address after defeating a Republican challenger.

"From data centers to AI safety, to the notion that we’ve got to make sure that we create jobs for that next generation of college students coming out that are going to be meaningful...this is too important to be left to Donald Trump and a few of these tech bros making all the rules," Warner said.

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

The very best deals from the Sephora Savings Event:

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If you missed out on Amazon's massive Holiday Beauty Event last month, fret not. Sephora is doling out similarly good deals on beauty tech during its fall Savings Event (live now through Nov. 9). It's another chance to save on very giftable hair and skincare tools ahead of the holidays.

Here's how Sephora's Savings Event works: You can get anything on sale in stores and online by using the coupon code ALLONSALE at checkout. The only catch is that you need to be a member of Sephora's Beauty Insider rewards program, which is free to join. The higher your membership tier, the more you'll save:

• All Beauty Insider members get 10% off minimum.

• Beauty Insider VIB members get 15% off during the sale. To reach VIB status, you need to have spent at least $350 at Sephora in the past year.

• Beauty Insider Rouge members who spent at least $1,000 at Sephora this year get 20% off.

Crucially, you can stack these discounts on top of other existing markdowns at Sephora. At the time of writing, it was offering double discounts on most Shark tools, including the excellent Shark FlexStyle, SilkiPro, Glam, FacialPro Glow, Depuffi, and CryoGlow, one of Mashable's favorite Christmas gifts and one of our Gift of the Year winners.

After picking through Sephora's Savings Event, I've rounded up the 25 best beauty tech deals below. (I've cross-checked all of them with other retailers' listings to make sure no one's beating them.) The prices I've listed are what you'll pay as a Beauty Insider member, but again, you'll save even more with VIB or Rouge status.

Lastly, be sure to enter the code SPEEDY at checkout. It unlocks free same-day delivery on online orders of $75 or more in certain areas.

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Shark FlexStyle 4-in-1 Air Styler & Hair Dryer

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The Shark FlexStyle's unique twisting base and versatile attachments make it our all-time favorite Dyson Airwrap dupe. During the Sephora Savings Event, two versions of it are on sale for record-low prices.

The base FlexStyle includes two auto-wrap curlers, an oval styling brush, and a styling concentrator attachment; Sephora carries it in the limited-edition "winter pearl" colorway. The newer Shark FlexStyle Next-Gen: IronCurl, which launched this past July, has an extra anti-frizz attachment and wraps hair tighter around its barrels for longer-lasting curls. Read Mashable's full review of the Shark FlexStyle.

More hair dryer and multistyler deals

• Amika Blowout Babe Thermal Round Brush — $90 $100 (save $10)

• Shark Glossi 2-in-1 Blow Dryer Brush — $161.10 $179 (save $17.90)

• Dyson Airsmooth Styling Brush — $224.10 $249 (save $24.90)

• Dyson Supersonic Travel Hair Dryer — $269.99 $299.99 (save $30)

• Shark Glam 5-in-1 Multi-Styler, Air Straightener & Hair Dryer — $314.10 $449 (save $134.90)

• T3 Aire 360 Ceramic Air Styler — $314.10 $349 (save $34.90)

• Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer — $404.10 $449 (save $44.90)

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• Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer Straight+Wavy — $584.10 $649 (save $64.90)

• Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer Curly+Coily — $584.10 $649 (save $64.90)

• Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x Multi-Styler and Dryer Straight+Wavy — $629.10 $699 (save $69.90)

• Dyson Airwrap Co-anda2x Multi-Styler and Dryer Curly+Coily — $629.10 $699 (save $69.90)

Best flat iron deal

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Credit: Shark

Shark Silki Pro 3-in-1 Hair Straightener, Styler & Dryer

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The Silki Pro is a wet-to-dry straightener with built-in temperature sensors that prevent it from getting too hot to the point of damaging your hair, and it comes with three comb attachments. Former Mashable reporter Leah Stodart said it took a while to tame her naturally coarse, curly hair, but that she was ultimately impressed with its results. "I showed up to happy hour with SilkiPro straightened hair, and my friend immediately commented on how healthy it looked," she wrote. Read Mashable's hands-on impressions of the Shark Silki Pro.

More flat iron deals

• Dyson Corrale Coolshine Hair Straightener — $296.10 $329 (save $32.90)

• Dyson Airstrait Straightener — $449.10 $499 (save $49.90)

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Mashable staffers spent a full year testing various red light masks, and the Shark CryoGlow came out on top. According to Stodart, "It offers carefully curated settings that target signs of aging and acne." It also comes with under-eye cooling pads, which are "such a treat for anyone who hates mornings," she added.

The upgraded Shark CryoGlow Plus features a longer battery life and more LED bulbs for better coverage. Fun fact: This is the first time I've ever seen it go on sale. Read Mashable's full review of the Shark CryoGlow.

More skincare tech deals

• Shark Depuffi Hot & Cold Face Sculpting Tool — $179.10 $199 (save $19.90)

• Shark FacialPro Glow At-Home Facial System — $224.10 $249 (save $24.90)

• NuFace Mini+ Starter Kit — $225 $250 (save $25)

• NuFace Trinity+ Starter Kit — $355.50 $395 (save $39.50)

• Shark FacialPro Glow & DePuffi Bundle — $359.10 $399 (save $39.90)

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Dyson and Shark both released powerful premium portable fans this spring. We prefer the latter's ChillPill because it comes with swappable misting and cooling attachments, but the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool is a good option if your budget is tighter. Either way, mind their noise levels if you use them indoors: They're quite loud at their upper settings. Read Mashable's full reviews of the Dyson HushJet Mini Cool and Shark ChillPill.

As Democrats celebrated midterm wins in Republican strongholds like Texas and Kansas, parts of the internet began to sound a lot like the Obama years. Users shared Hamilton clips, played "We Are Young," shared jokes and memes, and celebrated the "blue tsunami." Alongside the reactions came the question: Was millennial optimism back?

The phrase had already been circulating on TikTok well before election night. Over the past year, users on social media have been sharing nostalgic photos and videos of the late 2000s and early 2010s, often set to the Middle East's song "Blood," released 2009. Think Apple Photo Booth selfies, mustache accessories, statement necklaces, flower crowns, and the Lumineers playing through wired earbuds.

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But the appeal extends beyond the accessories and playlists, though. Younger people are drawn to the hopeful outlook they associated with the era. For those who experienced those years as children, the videos offer an imagined version of young adulthood shaped by Obama-era promises of change and an internet remembered as more personal and less governed by algorithms. As one X user put it, "I think millennial optimism invokes a particularly upsetting empty sense of loss in older Gen Zs bc it was so aspirational to us… like we saw it in real time but weren’t quite old enough to Be There, but it felt like a promised future that never came."

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Together, those references give a recognizable shape to the feeling behind "millennial optimism" content that can otherwise be difficult to describe. These videos evoke the expectation that good experiences lie ahead and that there are people to share them with. For younger users who were children during that period, the trend offers an imagined version of what entering adulthood might have felt like then.

After Democrats won control of the House and Senate on Nov. 3, that nostalgia has taken on a new meaning. For some people celebrating the results, the optimism they had been looking back on suddenly feels within reach.

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"Listening to millennial optimism music and repeating 'blue wave' over and over again," wrote one user. “Waking up to a blue Texas, I’m in tears; I can feel the millennial optimism coming," wrote another.

For some, the next step was turning up the volume. X user @sassykathy666 shared a video described as a post-election club celebration in Austin, with "We Are Young" playing in the background. "Millennial optimism up 10000000%,” wrote another user while sharing the clip. They aren't completely wrong about the numbers; "millennial optimism" is a breakout search term on Google, up 5,000 percent.

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Others dusted off the Hamilton soundtrack. "We're having Lin-Manuel Miranda write a new national anthem tomorrow," joked one user. "They just downloaded the Hamilton soundtrack to everyone's iPhones," wrote another. (The musical opened on Broadway during Obama's second term.)

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Why stop there? "They're gonna bring BuzzFeed back," wrote one user. BuzzFeed joined in with a "wait, give us a sec, changing our color scheme to blue." Sharing the exchange, another user added, "I can feel the millennial optimism starting."

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Of course, the years being remembered weren't uniformly hopeful. Millennials were also navigating the aftermath of the financial crisis, student debt, and an uncertain job market.

Still, the response to the midterms suggests why that feeling is worth revisiting. For those celebrating, the results offer a reason to believe their participation can help move things forward. What comes next will depend on how that energy carries beyond election night.

Election Day 2026 is one for the books.

Even as results continue to pour in, early victories are already shaking up the country. Americans expressed a resounding anti-AI data center sentiment across local ballots. People took to the streets in Texas to celebrate its new Democratic governor, the first in decades, and the success of James Talarico's viral campaign for Senate. The internet, a veritable feast of memes and emotional reactions, determined "Millennial Optimism" and "Woke 2.0" were back.

So without further ado, here are all of the history-making wins out of Tuesday's already unprecedented midterm elections:

Keisha Lance Bottoms in Georgia

On Tuesday evening, Georgia governor-elect Bottoms became the first Black woman governor in the entire history of the United States. Bottoms is also the first Democrat to hold the office in 25 years, following a wave of support after Stacey Abrams' widely-followed gubernatorial run in 2018.

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Deb Haaland in New Mexico

Haaland, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior, became the first Native American woman to be elected governor, winning more than 57 percent of the New Mexico vote. Haaland campaigned on an explicit anti-Trump campaign, saying in her victory speech, "Democrats are entrusted to fight for our home. For New Mexico. Not New America."

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Gina Hinojosa in Texas

As Texas shifted blue for the first time in decades, waves of Texas voters celebrated the victory of Democratic Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa. Hinojosa unseated former Gov. Greg Abbot and became the state's first Latina governor.

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Xavier Becerra in California

Becerra, former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services, defeated Trump-endorsed Steve Hilton to become the first Latino governor elected by California voters and the first Latino in the role in 150 years. The state's first Latino governor was Romualdo Pacheco, who was not voted into the role but succeeded the former governor in 1875.

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Amy Acton of Ohio

As Governor-elect of Ohio, Acton is the first woman elected into the role by voters. She beat controversial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy to become the first Democrat in the governor's mansion in 20 years.

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David Crowley of Wisconsin

Crowley is the first Black man elected Governor of Wisconsin. He defeated staunchly conservative representative Tom Tiffany as a near-unknown.

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Aaron Ford of Nevada

Current Attorney General of Nevada, Ford will be the state's first Black governor after flipping the previously Republican held position. Ford is one of several state attorneys general who has led a wave of litigation against major tech companies, including Meta.

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Byron Daniels of Florida

The only Republican Governor-elect on the list, Daniels is Florida's first Black governor. Daniels is one of many incoming and reelected Black governors, including Bottoms, Crowley, Ford, and Maryland incumbent Wes Moore.

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Chris Pappas of New Hampshire

Pappas, representing New Hampshire, became the first openly gay man elected into the U.S. Senate.

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Peggy Flanagan of Minnesota

Flanagan, current lieutenant governor of Minnesota, is the first Indigenous woman to hold a Senate position.

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Abdul El-Sayed of Michigan

In the culmination of an extremely viral campaign, El-Sayed won the Senate seat for Michigan. He is the country's first Muslim senator.

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Though Mars has the largest volcanoes in the solar system, many scientists have claimed they are long-extinct. No one has ever seen smoke or lava erupting from their towering summits.

But new evidence from a European spacecraft may force researchers to rethink that assumption: Maybe these volcanoes are not dead after all — just dormant.

The shakeup comes from new research led by Alexander Trokhimovskiy, based on data from the European Space Agency's ExoMars Trace Gas Orbiter (TGO), which studies gases in the Red Planet's air from space. The orbiter detected hydrogen chloride near Alba Mons, which sits in the northern hemisphere. The chemical is a foul-smelling gas that often vents from volcanoes. Nothing in Mars' weather or air chemistry points to why the gas collects in this one area.

Two cameras, Cassis and NASA's Hirise, also spotted fresh narrow cracks — some just inches to a foot or two wide — in the ground beneath where the gas appeared.

"Our findings suggest that Mars has retained enough internal heat to support volcanic activity until recently," said Daniel Mège, co-lead author from the Space Research Centre of the Polish Academy of Sciences, in a statement, "and possibly still does." 

These observations, published in Science Advances on Wednesday, are clues that Mars may still be volcanically active, not just billions of years ago, with magma — hot, melted rock — still coursing beneath its surface. Mège has gone so far as to call the hydrogen chloride detection the "smoking gun." If true, Mars may have warm, wet pockets underground where life could survive. 

Despite the common belief that Mars' volcanoes are dead, scientists have spotted subtle clues over the years that they may not be. NASA's Insight lander, for example, recorded marsquakes, which could indicate magma movement is shaking the ground. Some hardened lava flows and ash eruptions in Tharsis, a huge volcanic plateau that includes Alba Mons, have been dated to only tens of millions of years ago, along with some in two other volcanic regions. Computer simulations suggest heat rising from deep inside Mars could still be melting rock under the plateau today.

What scientists haven't found is a clear sign of activity. Searches for heat or visible changes at the surface have come up empty. So has the hunt for sulfur dioxide, the gas scientists usually look for.

But the missing gas doesn't mean Mars' volcanoes are completely tapped out, the researchers say. Even on Earth, volcanoes don't always release it. After an eruption ends, a volcano often gives off little sulfur dioxide but continues leaking hydrogen chloride because the latter dissolves in the oozy melted rock below the surface. 

Martian rocks and soil also carry more chlorine compared to their water and sulfur than Earth rocks do. The research team figures that makes hydrogen chloride likely one of Mars' most common volcanic gases.

In this global map, the north pole is at the bottom and the equator is at the top. Credit: NASA / MGS / MOLA Science Team / FU Berlin infographic

The orbiter first detected the hydrogen chloride in Mars' thin air in 2020. The gas usually follows the seasons, accumulating in northern winter and dissipating by summer, rising and falling with the planet's dust and water cycles. 

One spot didn't follow that pattern. Every early northern summer the researchers checked, the gas surged in the same place — above cracks on the slopes of Alba Mons. Some of the cracks are in clusters stretching for miles, running along ridges up to about 100 feet high. The cracks cut through an icy surface layer that formed only about 630,000 years ago, which means they showed up sometime more recently. On a geological timescale, that would date them to practically yesterday.

The spacecraft measured the gas by looking through the Martian air toward the sun. The study focused on 78 of these observations over the region. The fact that the orbiter caught a handful of gas molecules from a source that may switch on only now and then surprised even the scientists. 

"These findings may prove to be TGO's greatest success yet," said Colin Wilson, the European Space Agency's project scientist for the spacecraft. 

Spacecraft first detected hydrogen chloride in Mars' thin air in 2020. Credit: NASA / MOLA Science Team

The team thinks volcanic gases spew out of the cracks, much like the vents on Earth. In winter, temperatures drop to -184 degrees Fahrenheit, allowing ice to seal the openings. When summer arrives, the ice turns straight into vapor, skipping over the liquid phase. The escaping gas may leave deposits behind, according to the research, which could explain discoloration around the cracks.

Gases like this may have been more plentiful long ago. They could have helped thicken Mars' atmosphere and warmed its climate, perhaps allowing liquid water to cover much of the planet, according to the team.

Those cracks could also lead somewhere promising: places where rising liquid rock meets underground water.

"Looking for Martian life in the seeping fissures of the Alba Mons region would make a lot of sense," Mège said. "If hydrothermal systems are active, they could contain the ingredients and energy needed for microorganisms to develop and shield microorganisms from the hostile and changing environment above the surface."

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Since the beginning of VisionQuest, the show has introduced a variety of antagonists, from mercenary Paladin (Todd Stashwick) to the returning Ultron (James Spader), this time in a human avatar. Yet the show's true big bad, the shadowy figure pulling all the strings, has remained a mystery. Known simply as the Client, he's been hunting Vision (Paul Bettany) throughout the show's run, manifesting solely as a shadowy figure watching from the sidelines.

However, by the end of VisionQuest's penultimate episode, the Client has stepped into the light. And honestly? His face reveal has left us with more questions than answers.

The Client is Ultron's doppelganger.

At the end of episode 7, the Client manages to capture both Vision and Jocasta (T'Nia Miller), the synthezoid created from scientist Josephine Carrington's (Miller) mind. Vision's capture occurs outside Horton Manor, the house that once belonged to scientist Phineas Horton (Bettany). Horton created the first synthezoid, on which Vision would eventually be modeled.

As Vision surrenders himself, the Client emerges from within Horton Manor. He's played by none other than Spader, now sporting a sick mustache and even sicker glasses. While we don't get his name off the bat, the Client appears to be the person Ultron modeled his human avatar after. (And here I thought Ultron was just a big fan of The Blacklist.)

The Client also appears in Jo's memories, which Jocasta accesses in the episode's final moments. He's her partner, both in business and in romance, and the pair discuss using their nanotech to become "godlike." Between his appearance and his use of the phrase "peace in our time," it's clear there's a connection to Ultron here. Yet VisionQuest will keep the exact details of that connection a secret until its finale.

Is the Client Phineas Horton's grandson?

Even though VisionQuest is still obfuscating key details about the Client — knowing his name would be nice! — Marvel fans are still theorizing about his true identity.

Fans are speculating that the Client is really Phineas Horton's grandson, which would make sense given that he apparently lives in Horton Manor. The timeline lines up, too: In 1939, we meet Phineas' young daughter, Victoria. She would be over 90 years old by the time VisionQuest takes place, but if she had a child, they would likely be within the Client's apparent mid-60s age range.

Early in episode 7, we see young Victoria stealing her father's notebook, the same one seen among Jo's collaborators. How does Jo end up with it? Perhaps by working alongside a family member of Victoria's. Now, the real question becomes what the Client's true motivations are — and why Ultron is modeled after him. Hopefully, all will be revealed come VisionQuest's Season 1 finale.

VisionQuest is now streaming on Disney+. Its Season 1 finale premieres Nov. 10 at 9 p.m. ET on Disney+.

Thanks to AI, it's never been easier for cyber criminals to scam unsuspecting internet users. From "autonomous" AI agents to voice cloning capabilities, scammers now have an array of tools at their fingertips to aid them in their grifts.

Scammers are getting extremely clever with their AI-assisted schemes, too. Case in point: a new report from BBC detailing how scammers are weaponizing AI tools to target pet owners who are searching for their missing dog or cat.

Here's how the scheme works, according to the report.

It appears that scammers are now scouring missing pet social media groups and forums in order to find targets. Using pictures a pet owner posted in hopes to find their missing furry friend, a thief will use AI to generate photos of the animal. The scammer will then reach out to the distraught pet owner and claim they have found them. The scammer will then send the AI-generated pictures as proof.

The pet owner will obviously be in a sensitive and emotional state and look to do anything to be reunited with their dog or cat. The scammer will require a reward and offer to meet up locally to make the trade.

However, as the meetup time gets closer, the scammer will suddenly renege on the deal and demand that the pet owner send them a digital gift card before making the exchange.

Anyone familiar with how online scams work can now see where this is going. Scammers prefer being paid in gift cards because the transactions are irreversible. And obviously, they don't have the lost pet in their possession.

More brazen scammers would even seek out tens of thousands of dollars via wire transfer, BBC reports.

However, according to the reports, skeptical pet owners who would further question the scammer or straight out call their bluff would be met with threats. In some cases, according to the report, desperate scammers would threaten to kill the pet if the owner didn't abide by the demands.

Losing a pet could certainly be a stressful event and scammers are looking to take advantage of the fact that these pet owners aren't thinking clearly once they're told their pet has been found.

To avoid becoming a victim, never send gift cards to strangers who demand them over the internet or text message, regardless of the scenario. It is always a scam, experts warn.

Results are still streaming in from what is already a history-making midterm election cycle, but there is at least one clear outcome: Americans are fed up with AI data centers.

Data centers have become a leading issue in local politics over the last year. In 2026, at least 50 local ballot measures related to data center permits, construction, or regulation were proposed in state legislatures. Forty-one of these measures were voted on during the Nov. 3 midterm election.

Voters in around 30 jurisdictions across the U.S. passed legislation to keep data centers out of their communities, the Washington Post reported based on early return data. At least another six voted to ban future construction and halt planned projects.

Younger generations, including Gen Z political advocacy organization Voters of Tomorrow, have rallied around the pro-climate, anti-Big Tech campaigns of many Democratic candidates.

According to an NBC exit poll, 67 percent of Democratic voters said AI data centers were a crucial factor in their down-the-ballot voting. Around 63 percent of Democrats said they would oppose construction of data centers in their communities. A national poll from Pew Research Center in September found that only 4 percent of Americans believed data centers had positive effects for their area.

What kinds of measures were on the ballot?

Ohio had 21 data center-related ballot measures, the most of any state. Thirteen municipalities approved outright bans on data centers, Forbes reported. Several voted on proposed zoning regulations and/or on the future of existing construction projects.

Other state ballots featured similar proposed legislation, ranging from multi-year moratoriums on data centers to new processes for securing citizen approval for data centers. Three towns in Kansas singled out "high impact" and "utility-intensive" data centers, while one town in Maine voted on size limitations to data center projects.

Which states banned or restricted data centers?

• California - Residents in Alhambra voted to ban data centers in the LA suburb.

• Florida - Voters in Edgewater passed a charter amendment barring new centers and limiting the expansion of existing projects.

• Illinois - A majority of voters in five townships voted "No" on measures asking if they support future data center construction and permitting. Voters in Bloomington voted "Yes" on a data center moratorium.

• Kansas - Voters in El Dorado passed a 10-year ban on "high impact" centers, which will impact facilities using more than 100,000 gallons of water per day. It's one of the strictest data center legislations passed this election cycle. Three others Kansas cities passed high impact center bans.

• Maine - At least three towns passed 180-day moratoriums on data centers. One town, Wiscasset, passed a six-month moratorium.

• New Jersey - A majority of voters in Downe Township said they don't support data center development.

• Nevada - Boulder City residents rejected data center permits in the Eldorado Valley Transfer Area.

• Ohio - At least 14 municipalities passed bans or restrictions on future data center projects. Another six rejected proposals to uphold rezoning for data centers.

• Wisconsin - Janesville residents voted "Yes" to require a public vote before approving a data center project that would cost anywhere from $450 million to $8 billion.

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How will these measures impact the AI industry?

The tech industry funneled hundreds of millions of dollars into midterm election campaigns, including a $474 million dollar spend from Elon Musk. Nearly half of that was spent on political advertising in Texas, which is home to around 300 operational data centers and another 173 planned construction sites. The state also serves as the base for most of Musk's transportation and space exploration empire.

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Texas' new governor-elect, Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat and the state's first Latina governor, campaigned explicitly on data center moratoriums and a state tax on data center projects. "These hyperscale data centers are having hyperscale impacts on our communities, and we’re just left unprotected," Hinojosa said in the lead up to the election.

Even outside of Texas, candidates running on anti-data center platforms — backed by a $173 million negative advertising push — seemed to come out as winners at the polls, which experts say may lead to a slow down of AI infrastructure construction across the country.

"There is no way to sugarcoat that Democrats taking control, especially over the Senate, will create some major hurdles for AI and tech legislation in the Beltway over the next 2 years," wrote Dan Ives, Wall Street technology analyst and a partner at Yorkville Ives & Co., in a note to investors on Nov. 4. Ives singled out Hinojosa's win as a particular pressure point, as Texas was predicted to generate almost a third of the nation's data center capacity with planned infrastructure projects.

Goldman Sachs economists estimate that around 45 percent of planned U.S. data center capacity expansion will be affected by the new legislation.

More immediate financial blowback can be expected, too. SpaceXSI and Tesla stock have already dipped following the "blue tsunami" of Tuesday night's results. A lull in data center spending would impact chip manufacturers, as well, according to experts. As of Nov. 4, stocks for chip manufacturers, including Micron and Nvidia, were trending down.

When it comes to gifting, kids can be particular. The things kids like change not just with age, but also with evolving trends from TV shows and new technology. If parents are lucky enough, their kid will write a long list of the precise items they'd like as a birthday or Christmas or Hannukkah gift and put it up on the fridge with pride. But sometimes, it can be as much of a crapshoot as coming up with a gift idea for someone else's kid. Without further ado, here are the best gifts for kids of all ages — including toy and non-toy gifts alike.

TL;DR: Live stream RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League has started fairly well for Man City. They sit on six points after three fixtures, and can move into the top eight with a win over RB Leipzig. The hosts have only won one of their first three games, so they need a result at the Red Bull Arena.

If you want to watch RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City?

RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 4. This fixture takes place at the Red Bull Arena.

How to watch RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City for free

RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

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

Live stream RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City 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 most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream RB Leipzig vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Live stream Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League group stage is starting to take shape. After three rounds of fixtures, we're getting a sense of which teams are likely to progress.

Arsenal have seven points from their opening three fixtures, and will cement their place in the top eight with a victory over Slavia Prague at the Fortuna Arena. The hosts are yet to win, and this fixture looks tough on paper for Slavia Prague.

If you want to watch Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal?

Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Nov. 4. This fixture takes place at the Fortuna Arena.

How to watch Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal for free

Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

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

Live stream Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal for free by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal 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 most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Slavia Prague vs. Arsenal in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Google might be looking to expand the social side of YouTube to a separate app, according to a report.

The diligent detectives over at Android Authority spotted several references, both in the form of code and visual assets, to something called "Tamba" in the latest build of YouTube for Android. These include a logo that looks like a more improvisational take on the regular YouTube logo and code strings for features like private messages, group chats, "hearts" (AKA likes), follower requests, and more that would seem to signal that Google wants to build a sort of YouTube-centric social network, according to the report.

Mashable has reached out to Google for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

It's unclear from the investigation whether or not this would be a full, separate app, or merely an experimental testing ground for social features within the YouTube app. Additionally, it's possible that none of this ever makes it into a product for public consumption.

It should be noted that the YouTube app has already begun incorporating some social features in the past year, such as direct messaging.

We'll have to wait and see if this turns out to be a real app meant for the public. Here's hoping that the name is a reference to Kansas City Chiefs legend Tamba Hali.

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

SAVE $500: As of Nov. 4, get the Roborock Qrevo Edge 3 Pro for $999.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,499.99. That's a discount of 33%.

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Credit: Amazon

Roborock Qrevo Edge 3 Pro

$999.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $500

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If you're tired of vacuuming, you're not alone. It's a never-ending task that always has to be done, so it's understandable that you might be burned out on picking up dirt and debris every day or so. This is a task that, in 2026, you can outsource to a robot without blinking an eye, as there are tons of robot vacuums up to the task. We've found an early Black Friday deal on one that can handle the job with gusto, in fact.

As of Nov. 4, get the Roborock Qrevo Edge 3 Pro for $999.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,499.99. That's $500 off and a discount of 33%.

The Roborock Qrevo Edge 3 Pro offers 36,000Pa of suction, meaning it can tackle even the toughest jobs. It uses its AdaptiLift Chassis 3.0 to raise itself up to climb over thresholds, efficiently sweep carpets and and hardwood floors, and alternatively mop floors as you direct. It uses 360-degree scanning to make a precise map of your home so it can do all of this on its own without needing your input as well, with the capability to recognize over 300 obstacles and navigate around them.

It can clean closer to your corners, walls, and furniture thanks to its FlexiArm technology so those hard-to-reach nooks and crannies aren't an issue. And when it's time to mop, its mop attachment spins at 200 RPM with plenty of downward pressure to handle even sticky and stubborn stains without leaving residue. All this, and it can clean its own mop heads and empty itself.

If you're ready to give a robot vacuum and mop its marching orders so you can rest, this is a great choice to roll with, especially for this price.

SAVE $300: As of Nov. 4, get the Hisense C3 Smart Laser Projector for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999.99. That's a discount of 15%.

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Credit: Amazon

Hisense C3 Smart Laser Projector

$1,699.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $300

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Want a larger screen to enjoy your favorite movies and shows on, but don't want to splurge on a TV to do it? You've got options, especially since there are early Black Friday deals already rolling out. For instance, a smart projector is a great way to enjoy all that kind of content on a larger-than-life screen. And thanks to this deal from Amazon, you can snap one up right now for a great price.

As of Nov. 4, get the Hisense C3 Smart Laser Projector for $1,699.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $1,999.99. That's $300 off and a discount of 15%.

You can use this projector to cast a 65-inch image up to a 300-inch picture anywhere you've got the space to do it. With support for both IMAX Enhanced and Dolby Vision certification, it's a fantastic option for hosting a home movie night for you or the neighborhood wherever you please.

It boasts an eye-popping 4K UHD resolution with pixel-by-pixel reconstruction for the best picture possible, as well as the kind of depth and motion clarity you'd expect from a display of the same price and caliber. Just set it up where you'd like to project from and swivel with its 360-degree horizontal and 135-degree vertical gimbal and you're good to go.

This is a great way to set up the cinematic paradise of your dreams without having to pay thousands for a comparable TV, so grab yours while you can.

Amazon early Black Friday deals at a glance

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Best Apple deal

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

$1,099 (save $200)

Get Deal

---

Best Lego deal

Lego Pokémon Eevee

$47.99 (save $12)

Get Deal

---

Best Amazon device deal

Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click)

$190.97 (save $34)

Get Deal

---

Best kitchen deal

Ninja Crispi Air Fryer

$149.99 (save $30)

Get Deal

---

Best headphones deal

Bose QuietComfort

$169 (save $190)

Get Deal

---

Best TV deal

TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$1,497.99 (save $1,502)

Get Deal

There's still a stash of leftover Halloween candy, but it's time to start thinking about holiday shopping. Amazon's early Black Friday deals are coming in hot this year, and since everything feels expensive lately, it's a great time to shop sales.

Shop for home improvement updates for winter projects, treat yourself to an Advent calendar or two, or get a 75-inch TV for watching this season's best football games. Amazon is also loaded with sales on gift-worthy items, so you can take care of your holiday list before Thanksgiving arrives.

Check back as the Mashable team of shopping experts will keep this page updated as we get closer to Black Friday.

Best MacBook deal

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Credit: Apple

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

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

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Read Mashable's full review of the 15-inch Apple MacBook Air (M5).

Why we like it

Sitting at the sale prices we saw during October Prime Day, both the 13 and 15-inch MacBook Air with M5 chip are $200 off. The Air is a great choice if you're looking for a combination of powerful processor and lightweight design. We're also impressed with the MacBook Air's speakers, not to mention the sharp display.

Best Lego deal

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Credit: Lego

Lego Pokémon Eevee

$47.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

You can never go wrong with snagging a Lego set for yourself or any other brick fan in your friends circle. While it's still in stock, get the Lego Pokémon Eevee for $47.99 at Amazon. The set will look fantastic amid the holiday display on your bookshelf. Eevee stands at about 7.5 inches tall and has movable limbs as well as head tilt abilities.

Best Amazon device deal

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Credit: Amazon

Amazon Kindle Bundle (16GB Kindle, Knit Case, Kindle Click)

$190.97
$224.97 Save $34

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Now that the leaves are crunchy and we're staying indoors more, it's the perfect time to get an e-reader. As a surprise early Black Friday deal, Amazon has the standard Kindle on sale sold as a bundle with the new Amazon Click page-turning remote for the Kindle and a knit case. The basic Kindle is Mashable's top choice for a budget e-reader noting it has quick performance and plenty of storage space.

Best kitchen deal

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Credit: Ninja

Ninja Crispi Air Fryer

$149.99
$179.99 Save $30

 

Get Deal

Why we like it

Mashable awarded the Ninja Crispi as the best kitchen gift of 2026. Air fryers have proven they deserve space on the kitchen counters but Ninja went ahead and added glass containers, and now we're cooking everything in the Crispi. The 4-in-1 model comes with two glass containers that nest inside of each other for easier storage when not using the air fryer.

Best headphones deal

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Credit: Bose

Bose QuietComfort

$169 at Amazon
$359 Save $190

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

On the list of tech we use all day everyday, we have phones, laptops, and headphones. If your current headphones leave your ears or head sore, it's time for something more comfortable. Before you head off on holiday travel, upgrade to the Bose QuietComfort headphones while they're on sale for $169. Mashable's lineup of the best headphones ranks the Bose QuietComfort as the best budget Bose option, made even better thanks to the pre-Black Friday sale.

Best TV deal

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Credit: TCL

TCL 75-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV

$1,497.99 at Amazon
$2,999.99 Save $1,502.00

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Black Friday is a great time to make a TV upgrade, but you might not have to wait until the end of November. Now's your chance to get a 75-inch TCL QLED TV for half off. It comes with built-in Google TV, up to 6,000 nits brightness, and a super thin design for a modern look. Plus, Amazon is tossing in free delivery and unpacking in the room of your choice.

Xbox has launched its new Nano Controller, designed for easy portability and smaller hands. Even so, gamers with larger mitts may still find this lightweight controller worth picking up.

Announced last month, the Xbox Nano Controller offers the functionality of a traditional Xbox Wireless Controller in a much smaller package. Measuring 133mm x 66.5mm x 36.6mm, it's a little more than half the height and notably slimmer than its older sibling, as well as roughly a third the weight at 101g.

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Credit: Xbox

Xbox Nano Controller

$49 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon

I got to try the new Xbox controller ahead of its launch, and I've had a good experience so far.

Xbox Nano Controller: My first impressions

The Nano Controller's small rectangular form factor doesn't feel cramped, as those familiar with the Wireless Controller might expect. While the Nano doesn't have its sibling's large ergonomic handles, its smaller substitutes and remarkably lightweight build still make it easy to hold.

Forgoing larger handles also helps keep the Nano's design small enough to comfortably fit in a jacket pocket or handbag, making it more likely to be used with portable devices. Like the Xbox Wireless Controller, the Nano Controller can connect to Xbox consoles, Windows PCs, tablets, compatible smart TVs, and iOS or Android devices. 

In addition to this increased portability, the Nano Controller's reduced size and lightweight build specifically targets people with smaller hands, making it easier for children and petite adults to use. The Nano's design lets players' fingers travel a shorter distance when switching between buttons, while its lightweight design should help them play longer without getting fatigued.

Credit: Microsoft

According to a 2000 study by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) (via Wayback Machine), the average hand length of a 40-year-old American man is about 7.6 inches (19.3cm), measured from the tip of the middle finger to just below the crease of the wrist. The average breadth is 3.5 inches (8.9 cm), measured from the exterior edge of the pinky to the exterior edge of the index finger. In comparison, the same measurements for an average 40-year-old Japanese woman are 6.8 inches (17.2 cm) and 3.1 inches (7.8 cm).

My own hand measurements are roughly 6.7 inches (17cm) and 2.6 inches (6.5cm), so slightly smaller than the average Japanese woman. Apparently, this puts my hand size on par with that of a large-handed American 11-year-old, according to a study done by the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in the 60s.

As such, I'm pleased to report that someone with similarly sized hands should have little trouble holding and operating the Xbox Nano Controller, which fits comfortably in my hands and feels delightfully lightweight.

Yet despite it being targeted toward smaller hands, large-handed individuals and average-sized adults may enjoy the Nano as well. My dad's hand measurements are close to those of the average American man, but he preferred the Xbox Nano Controller over the Wireless Controller on first use, citing its more closely spaced buttons and, in particular, its significantly lighter weight.

Credit: Mashable composite: Microsoft

The Nano Controller's diminutive size is by far its most prominent selling point. Still, it also has another notable advantage over the Xbox Wireless Controller: an internal rechargeable battery.

The Xbox Wireless Controller uses two AA batteries, which can power it for up to 40 hours. If you'd prefer the ease of plugging it in to recharge, you'll have to buy an Xbox Rechargeable Battery for $24.99, which provides up to 30 hours of playtime per charge.

In contrast, the Nano Controller has an internal battery that can be recharged via a USB-C port on its top (though a cable doesn't come included). Microsoft hasn't stated exactly how long the Nano Controller's battery lasts. Still, even if its battery life is shorter than the Wireless Controller's, the ease with which the Nano Controller can be charged should help make up for it.

Where to buy the Xbox Nano Controller

The Nano Controller launched today, and it's more affordable than the full-sized Wireless Controller, setting players back $49.99 as opposed to $64.99. Factoring in the Wireless Controller's $24.99 Rechargeable Battery accessory, that's around $40 less for similar functionality.

If you already have a standard Xbox Wireless Controller and are happy with it, there's no need to rush out and pick up a Nano right away. However, if you have small kids or small hands, like to game on the go, or would just like a more lightweight option, then the Xbox Nano Controller seems like a useful alternative to have in your pocket.

The Xbox Nano Controller is available now at the Xbox online store for $49.99, or via Amazon for $49.

Amazon redesigned its Kindle e-reader for 2026, and it now includes a removable back panel, allowing users to replace the battery more easily. As much as we like the idea of a repairable Kindle, Mashable's testing found that the back panel can come off too easily when removing the Kindle from its case, exposing the device's innards.

Customers have taken notice of this design issue, too. A Reddit user also reported the back of their Kindle popping off with minor pressure, and so did TikTok user Jackie's Book Tally, who posted a video of the new Kindle coming apart while removing it from the case. The issue primarily affects the plastic, non-aluminum base Kindle model, based on our testing and customer reports.

Mashable's testing also revealed that when this happens, it can lead to some frame alignment problems. As a result, I'm updating my Kindle review. Previously, I rated the 2026 Kindle as a 5 out of 5 on performance. With this back panel issue, I'm changing that to a 4 out of 5.

When we asked Amazon about the issue, a spokesperson emphasized that the back panel is designed to come off the frame. It doesn't mean the device is broken or needs to be replaced.

An unexpected design issue

Testing is an ongoing process here at Mashable. Even after we publish a review, we'll update it as we spend more time with the product, especially if we experience something that changes our first impressions. We want to know how a piece of tech blends into our lives. That's why a comment from my editor on the new Kindles stuck with me.

Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth went hands-on with the 2026 Kindles at an Amazon preview event. After I completed testing the new basic Kindle, he asked if I'd had trouble removing it from its case. Werth had noticed that during a demo, one of the Kindle bodies briefly popped out of place. It was a relevant question because I actually had experienced that issue. When Amazon sent us a new Kindle to test, it came with a new fabric cover, too. I used the device in the case, and all was well until I tried to remove it from said case.

Whenever I removed the 2026 Kindle from its case, the frame separated. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

When I took the Kindle out of the cover, it was particularly difficult. Sure, that means it's a secure fit, but there was so much resistance that I noticed some bending and strain in the device's frame, as if it were coming apart. Then, once I got the Kindle out of the case, I realized it had actually come apart. The back of the Kindle detached from the screen, exposing the internal components.

Once fully out of the case, there was significant separation on the Kindle frame. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

In my three years testing Kindles, this has never happened before. No matter how many times I've taken the 2022 or 2024 Kindles out of their cases, I've never once been concerned about the e-readers' structure. But the 2026 Kindles have gone through a major redesign.

Part of that redesign is the removable back panel that allows users to replace the battery. Unfortunately, I think this change was a little too successful, and now the Kindle's back panel can come apart from the frame accidentally when applying pressure.

How to fix the 2026 Kindle if the back comes off

We reached out to Amazon for comment, and an Amazon spokesperson relayed that this is part of the redesign: "Your Kindle is designed to open along the edge of the display in order to replace the battery. If the back panel shifts when you remove a case or cover, press it firmly back into place on all four corners and along the edges, and keep reading."

Even after putting the frame back together, there appears to be gapping around the screen. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Having taken the 2026 Kindle in and out of its case several times, I've noticed the frame separation is occurring frequently. The upside is that it's exceptionally easy to put the frame back in place. With a little pressure, the frame clicks back; however, I have noticed some issues with the power button and gapping around the screen.

The first time this happened, the power button was caught in the frame, and I had to pop it back off to get it to sit right, leaving it scratched. On top of that, even after the screen is clicked back into place, there is gapping along the seam with my review unit, which requires you to apply extra pressure to fix.

The gapping can be fixed by applying pressure around the frame. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Fortunately, the frame issue does not affect the actual operation of the new Kindle. It's still a quick processing e-reader.

We have only encountered this issue on the basic Kindle model, not the Paperwhite Signature Edition or the new aluminum-body Kindles.

If you've experienced any issues with your 2026 Kindle, let Mashable know at editors@mashable.com.

Amazon Kindle (2026)

$149.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy

Opens in a new window

Credit: Amazon

Amazon Kindle, Aluminum (2026)

$189.99 at Amazon

 

Shop Now at Amazon

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

Black Friday is no longer just a day; it's a season. While the day after Thanksgiving once marked the start of the holiday shopping schedule, it's now just the peak of a month-long deals extravaganza. Retailers kick things off as early as Halloween and keep the deals coming all the way through Cyber Monday. It's a lot.

Going into the chaos of Black Friday without a game plan is risky — and a great way to end up with buyer's remorse. If you're unsure of what exactly you're looking for this season, you might want to take a glimpse at all of the major retailers' ad scans to get an idea of what's popular, what's getting discounted, and when the best time is to buy certain items. We recommend checking out our gift guides for inspiration as well. And while planning your Black Friday attack, be sure to set a budget to prevent overspending.

Knowing what you're looking for is only the first step. Shopping like a well-oiled machine is where things get tough, but we've got you covered with our top hacks for securing the best deals on Black Friday 2026 (and beyond). With an overall hunger for savings amidst RAMageddon price increases, we're going to let you in on some of our secrets.

Here are some of our best tips for shopping during Black Friday 2026.

1. Utilize wishlists to track price drops

It's easy to get click-happy when you see all of the sparkly discounts in front of you. Do yourself (and your budget) a favor and utilize the wishlist feature on each retailer's website you plan on shopping. Every product page has an "add to list" button, so you can start adding all of your must-have products into one central place well before the big day. Not only will this help keep you more organized and less click-happy, but it's also one of the easiest ways to track price drops on your top items and seamlessly scoop them up before they're gone. Amazon's wishlist feature is particularly clutch, as it lets you rank items based on priority, add notes, and compare the current price to when you added it to the list.

2. Download apps from Walmart, Target, Amazon, Best Buy, and more

We all know millennials like to make big purchases on their desktops, but it's not a bad idea to download the mobile apps from major retailers for Black Friday — particularly Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and Amazon. They'll be plastering their biggest deals across the screen, making things organized and easy to navigate even on a bumpy commute or at a loud relative's house. The apps will also give you access to exclusive app-only perks, like wishlist alerts, personalized suggestions, scan-and-go features, and more. The Amazon app will even show you deals on recent items you've searched. It's like it knows you too well.

3. Verify a product's MSRP on the brand's website

Before you spend your hard-earned cash, make sure you aren't being duped into thinking a discount is better than it is. How? Cross-check the product listing with the actual manufacturer's website. If you can't find the exact product on the brand's website, you can also cross-check the price with competing retailers. We've seen product list prices fluctuate on Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, and Target, which can either make discounts appear better than they are or downplay how good a deal actually is. A good rule of thumb is to just verify it for yourself.

This Anker Solix power station below is a great example. While Amazon lists the MSRP at $1,199, highlighting a 43 percent discount, a quick search on Anker's website shows the MSRP for the same power station is actually $999.99. While the sale price is the same on both websites, the discount isn't quite as good as it appears on first glance.

Left: Amazon's listing for the Anker Solix S2000 power station lists the MSRP as $1,199. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

Right: Credit: Screenshot: Anker

4. Check price-tracking tools like CamelCamelCamel

We'll let you in on a little secret. Our secret weapon during major sales (particularly at Amazon) is the free price-tracking tool CamelCamelCamel.

This genius tool lets you see the historical data on the sale prices for a particular item. At a glance, it gives you an idea of how good that deal is (or isn't). You just plug a product's Amazon listing into the search bar or use the Camelizer browser extension to get instant insight into the product's price history over the last weeks, months, or even years. Even if you're shopping elsewhere, you can get an idea of a product's price history before purchasing.

Walmart offers a similar tool called Camelmart, if you prefer to shop there or want to compare prices.

CamelCamelCamel's price history for the XM6 headphones shows they're currently at their best price ever. Credit: Screenshot: CamelCamelCamel

5. Check the shipper and seller on each product

Amazon, Walmart, Target, and Best Buy are all home to thousands of third-party sellers, which can be both a gift and a curse. Many of these third-party sellers are perfectly legit; some are even operated directly from brands themselves. However, there are also some sellers with not-so-great reviews, which is why Mashable tries to recommend products shipped and sold directly from Amazon, Walmart, Target, or Best Buy whenever possible.

For example, Samsung recently raised prices on its Galaxy S26 Ultra smartphones, but these phones are listed with discounts at Amazon. However, when you check the "Sold by" section, you'll see the seller is actually an entity called ReNew Pros (We Record Serial Numbers). Most shoppers probably don't even realize they're not buying directly from Amazon. This seller only has a 76% positive customer rating at Amazon, which is useful information if you're considering a purchase.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

You can check the shipper/seller on each product page, though the text can be easy to miss. On Amazon, look under the "Buy Now" button or search the page for the phrases "Ships from" or "Sold by" to see the actual seller. On Walmart, it lives under the shipping options, and on Best Buy, it lives directly under the product listing. Target will only list the shipper/seller if it's a third-party.

6. Follow Mashable's shopping experts' Black Friday coverage

Mashable's Black Friday page is the hub for pretty much every Black Friday sale that matters, with links to all of our coverage, including spotlight deals broken down by retailer (Walmart, Amazon, Best Buy, Target, etc.), as well as by categories like TVs, robot vacuums, Amazon devices, or kitchen appliances. This will save you from wasting time skimming websites on your own and getting overwhelmed. If there's a great deal you need to know about, we've got you.

We'll be updating these lists regularly before, during, and after the Black Friday and Cyber Monday shenanigans, so check back for all the latest and greatest deals that drop. Stores also love to throw in sneaky coupon codes or freebies. These can be easy to miss when you're in a hurry to order, so we'll let you know when we spot one.

If you'd rather not be glued to the internet this season, you can also sign up for the Mashable Deals newsletter to stay in the loop via email or text.

7. Shopping on Amazon? Take advantage of Alexa's exclusive features

If you own a newer Echo smart speaker, you can take advantage of exclusive features. Open up your Alexa mobile app and turn on the advanced deal alerts feature (you'll find it under More > Settings > Notifications > Amazon Shopping), then check the Deal Recommendations and Shopping Recommendations. If you already have a wishlist organized and ready to go, you'll get a pop-up alert or a yellow ring light on your Echo speaker whenever Alexa finds out about an upcoming deal on one of the items on your list. Alexa will even let you know if an item on your wishlist is going on sale up to 24 hours before the sale goes live, so you can plan accordingly.

Amazon has also put work into its Alexa for Shopping feature this past year, so don't be afraid to utilize it. The tool is available on the app, desktop website, and Echo Show devices and combines Amazon's AI assistant Rufus with Alexa+. It's like having a personalized AI co-pilot assisting you with any questions you may have during your shopping experience. You can ask it direct questions about product features, view up to a full year of price history for specific items, or even have it set alerts to notify you of discounts.

TL;DR: Ahead of Black Friday, the Bambu Lab P1S Combo is $479 at Amazon, down from $549. That’s $70 off, or about 13% in savings. The bundle includes the P1S printer and an automatic material system (AMS); the standalone P1S does not include the AMS.

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Credit: Bambu

Bambu Lab P1S Combo

$479 at Amazon
$549 Save $70

 

Get Deal at Amazon

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Credit: Bambu

Bambu Lab P1S 3D Printer

$349 at Amazon
$399 Save $50

 

Get Deal at Amazon

If a 3D printer is on your holiday shopping list (even if it’s for you), Bambu Lab’s P1S comes in two versions worth comparing: the printer on its own and a Combo package that offers multicolor printing.

Right now, Amazon has the Bambu Lab P1S Combo for $479, down from $549. That’s $70 in savings, or about 13% off, ahead of Black Friday. The bundle includes the same printer sold in the standalone P1S listing, plus Bambu Lab’s AMS, which automatically feeds and switches compatible filament. The included system has four filament slots, letting you print with up to four colors without manually swapping spools between color changes.

Both versions have an enclosed design, automatic bed leveling, and a 256-by-256-by-256-millimeter build volume, with advertised printing speeds up to 500 millimeters per second. You can also browse the MakerWorld model library to get your creative juices flowing. The main thing you have to decide is whether you want multicolor printing (the Combo includes it, whereas the standalone doesn't).

The best early Black Friday gaming laptop deals

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Best Early Black Friday HP Gaming Laptop Deal

HP Omen MAX 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$2299 (Save $350)

Get Deal

---

Best Early Black Friday MSI Gaming Laptop Deal

MSI Vector 16 HX AI (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$2989 (Save $650.99)

Get Deal

---

Best Early Black Friday ASUS Gaming Laptop Deal

ASUS ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$2299.99 (Save $1400)

Get Deal

Need a new portable gaming battle station? Some of the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals have started showing up weeks ahead of Black Friday proper, and we're seeing early price cuts on brands like HP, MSI, and more.

The discounted laptops include options with RTX 50-series graphics, plenty of RAM, and SSDs with room for more than three or four games at a time with the ever-inflating install sizes we're seeing. So if you've been looking for a powerful computer that can tackle some of the year's biggest games, now's the time to buy.

To help you build your holiday shopping list, we've sifted through the deals to help you find the ones that are most worth the money right now.

Here are the best early Black Friday gaming laptop deals you can shop right now.

Best early Black Friday HP gaming laptop deal

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Credit: Amazon

HP Omen MAX 16 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$2,299 at Amazon
$2,649 Save $350

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

This model pairs the AMD’s Ryzen AI 7 350 processor with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPU armed with 8GB of GDDR7 RAM, which lets you run current releases at high settings. Plus, the chip’s built-in NPU can help tackle background AI tasks you may want or need to run so that your CPU and GPU can do the heavy lifting for gaming. It also boasts a 2TB SSD, which is more than enough storage space for you to keep a modest game library installed instead of juggling downloads every time a 150GB title shows up.

Best early Black Friday MSI gaming laptop deal

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Credit: Amazon

MSI Vector 16 HX AI (Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080, 32GB RAM, 2TB SSD)

$2,989 at Amazon
$3,639.99 Save $650.99

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

Few laptops come closer to a full-sized tower gaming computer than the MSI Vector 16 HX AI. It pairs an Intel 24-core Core Ultra 9 275HX with an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 laptop GPU and 16GB of GDDR7 memory for a powerful combination. It also has a 2TB NVMe SSD, so you've got plenty of room for additional games, and its RGB keyboard includes a full numeric keypad if you want to double this laptop up for work and play.

Best early Black Friday ASUS gaming laptop deal

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Credit: Amazon

ASUS ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD)

$2,299.99 at Amazon
$3,699.99 Save $1,400

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

The ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers a zippy AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX with 16 cores and 32 threads that boosts to 5.4GHz. That's more CPU power than most gaming laptops at this size usually offer, so you're getting a hefty amount of gaming power in a portable packge. Its NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 laptop GPU with 8GB of GDDR7 makes it a powerful contender as well, with a 1920 x 1200 panel at 165Hz with a 3ms response time to cut down on lag time. It has a 1TB SSD for a respectable amount of storage, and a per-key RGB keyboard that you can customize to your liking.

More early Black Friday gaming laptop deals

• MSI Katana 15 HX (RTX 5070, i7-14650HX, 32GB/1TB) — $1,949 $2,249 (save $300)

• Lenovo Legion Pro 5 (RTX 5070 Ti, Ultra 9 275HX, 64GB/4TB + 1TB dock) — $4,049 $4,549 (save $500)

• GIGABYTE AORUS Master 16 Gen 2 (RTX 5090, Ryzen 9 9955HX3D) — $4,599.99 $4,899.99 (save $300)

Look, we all know impossible guys who say they don't need anything. It's why finding Christmas gifts for dads is so notoriously difficult. But here at Mashable, we take gift-giving very seriously, and we're up for the challenge. We've spent the year testing the latest gadgets and reporting on the latest trends, from retro-themed Legos to new flagship noise-cancelling headphones. We've also got some unique gifts for men that probably wouldn't occur to you — one of the benefits of scouring the internet for a living.

Remember: The best gifts for men should make your guy feel seen. They should make him feel like you truly get him. So, before you click “buy” on something that will definitely require a gift receipt, let us take the wheel and show you some of the year's best gift ideas for men that are sure to make an impression — whether it's for Christmas, Father's Day, Valentine's Day, birthdays, or something else. And if you need even more gift ideas, check out some of our favorite gifts for boyfriends.

After rolling out tests last year, Netflix announced yesterday that it's debuting AI-powered search, which the streaming company is calling AI Discover.

A new tab on the Netflix TV app, AI Discover is where users can tell the platform what they're in the mood for, and Netflix will surface some TV and movie options from its catalog.

Here's how it works, according to Netflix's blog post about the launch:

• Pick a theme, such as "Something Light" or "Scare Me." You can also pick a theme by how much time you have or who you're watching with.

• Netflix will match you with recommendations.

• If you're not satisfied, you can search by more specific themes that pop up.

• You can "Tune Your Recommendations" to either keep or toss a recommended piece of media.

"Think of AI Discover as our test kitchen: we're trying out new recipes for discovery, and your use and feedback help us decide which ones to keep, improve, or serve up next," the blog post states. "Some may even make their way into the main Netflix experience."

AI Discover is beginning to roll out to U.S. Netflix users who watch in English, with plans to expand it in the upcoming weeks.

Mashable initially reported that the AI search engine is powered by OpenAI, though Netflix's blog post doesn't clarify this. It does state that the engine will search content by mood, which is consistent with yesterday's launch.

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

TL;DR: The best early Black Friday travel deals include hotel discounts, flight sales, and luggage markdowns. We’ve rounded up offers you can book now and upcoming promotions to watch, along with booking deadlines, eligible travel dates, and restrictions to read before you commit.

Best early Black Friday travel deals at a glance:

---

Best flight deal

Fly one-way for $59

Select one-way flights starting at $59

Get Deal

---

Best hotel deal

Stay at Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego and get one complimentary night

Stay one night for free

Get Deal

---

Best travel accessory deal

Appl AirTag (2nd Gen)

$23 (save $6)

Get Deal

I’m traveling more than ever these days, which is one of my favorite perks of being a journalist. I get to visit places I might not have otherwise, and it’s made me want to plan more trips of my own. The only problem is that traveling is expensive. Like, exorbitantly expensive.

Between flights, hotels, and meals, there’s a lot to account for before you’ve even packed a bag. (Not to mention figuring out who’s going to watch the pups.) I love having a trip to look forward to, but I’d prefer not to spend the weeks leading up to it wondering if it’s going to leave me in financial ruin.

With Black Friday coming up, I’m rounding up travel deals for anyone else trying to make a little more room in their budget for a trip. I’ve included when to book, when you can travel, and the restrictions worth reading before you commit.

Best early Black Friday hotel deal

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Credit: Rancho Bernardo Inn

Get a complimentary third night on qualifying three-night stays

plus a $50 daily resort credit, a waived resort fee, and complimentary self-parking when you book directly using code CYBER26

Learn More at Rancho Bernardo Inn

Why we like it

Rancho Bernardo Inn in San Diego is offering a complimentary third night on qualifying three-night stays, plus a $50 daily resort credit, a waived resort fee, and complimentary self-parking when you book directly using code CYBER26. If you’re looking for more room, there’s a separate offer for 50% off suites with the same extras using code SUITECYBER26.

The resort has three pools, a spa, a golf course, and on-site dining, so there’s plenty to do if your vacation plans mostly involve not having plans. You can book either offer through Dec. 4, 2026, for eligible stays through March 31, 2027. Blackout dates and restrictions apply, and you’ll need to book directly with the property.

More early hotel and resort deals

• The Wildbirch Hotel, Anchorage, Alaska — 25% off eligible stays through April 30, 2027, with an extra 5% off for World of Hyatt members. This JdV by Hyatt hotel is in Anchorage’s Mushing District and offers rooftop Aurora Alerts. Book by Dec. 8; no promo code is required. The rate is prepaid and nonrefundable, so make sure your dates are settled before committing

• Hotel Crescent Court, Dallas — 25% off the best available rate, plus a $75 hotel credit and waived destination fee. Book by Dec. 31, 2026, for eligible stays through March 31, 2027, using code EXCLUSIVELUXE. The offer includes rooms and suites.

• Westgate Resorts, multiple destinations — Up to 60% off, with property-specific extras. The campaign runs Nov. 2–Dec. 2, 2026, for eligible travel from November 2026 through December 2027. Advertised Las Vegas perks include no resort fees and a $75 daily dining credit; benefits and discounts vary by destination and promotional phase.

• Resorts World Catskills, Monticello, New York — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027. Book by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are not included, and the offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

• Resorts World NYC, Jamaica, New York — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027, when booked by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are extra; the offer cannot be combined with other promotions.

• Resorts World Bimini, Bahamas — Up to 25% off eligible stays through May 20, 2027. Book by Dec. 31, 2026. Taxes, mandatory resort fees, and gratuities are not included, and the promotion cannot be combined with other offers.

Upcoming Black Friday hotel deals

• C Lazy U Ranch, Granby, Colorado — One child stays free per paying adult on qualifying stays at this all-inclusive guest ranch. Book Nov. 20–Dec. 4, 2026, for stays Jan. 21–April 25, 2027. The travel window includes Presidents’ Day weekend and spring break, which makes it worth checking if you’re planning around the school calendar.

• South Seas, Captiva, Florida — Up to 30% off stays of three nights or more. Book Nov. 17–Dec. 3, 2026, for eligible stays Nov. 29, 2026–Dec. 31, 2027. Blackout dates and exclusions apply.

• The Island Resort, Fort Walton Beach, Florida — 30% off Standard Rooms and 50% off Pool View Rooms, with Standard Rooms advertised from $129 per night. Book Nov. 18–Dec. 4, 2026, using BLKFRI26 or CYBRMON26. The pitch lists eligible stays through Oct. 31, 2027; availability and restrictions apply.

• Sonesta Resorts St. Maarten — Up to 50% off eligible all-inclusive stays of five nights or more. Early access runs Nov. 16–22, followed by the public sale Nov. 23–Dec. 1, 2026, for travel through Dec. 31, 2027. Advertised starting rates are $285 at Sonesta Maho Beach Resort and $485 at Sonesta Ocean Point Resort, plus a 21% tax and service charge. Shorter stays receive smaller discounts.

• Aurora Anguilla Resort & Golf Club, Anguilla — Up to 30% off stays of three nights or more, plus a $200 food and beverage credit. Book Nov. 21–Dec. 2, 2026, for eligible stays Dec. 2–18, 2026; Jan. 1–10, 2027; or April 1–Aug. 15, 2027.

• Hotel Terra and Teton Mountain Lodge & Spa, Jackson Hole, Wyoming — 30% off stays of at least three consecutive nights. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 3, 2026, for eligible stays Nov. 28, 2026–June 30, 2027. Three-bedroom suites are excluded, and blackout dates apply.

• Yavapai Lodge, Grand Canyon Village, Arizona — 30% off eligible stays Nov. 27, 2026–Aug. 31, 2027. Book Nov. 27–Dec. 7, 2026. Select periods are blacked out.

Best early Black Friday flight deal

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Credit: Southwest

Select one-way fares from $59 to $129

or travel from Dec. 1, 2026, through March 3, 2027

Get Deal at Southwest

Why we like it

I’d much rather spend my vacation budget on being somewhere than getting there. If you feel the same and aren't committed to an airline, Southwest is advertising select one-way fares from $59 to $129 for travel from Dec. 1, 2026, through March 3, 2027. You’ll need to book by Nov. 5 at 11:59 p.m. Pacific time, so this one won’t be around until Black Friday.

The sale covers select routes within the continental U.S. and between Hawaiian islands, with a 21-day advance purchase requirement. The fares shown in the sale include Burbank to Santa Rosa from $69 one way, Las Vegas from $71, and Reno/Tahoe from $79. Obviously, those only help if Burbank is a reasonable place for you to start, but you can choose other departure destinations.

The fine print: These are Basic fares, which are nonrefundable and non-changeable outside the airline’s stated exceptions. Sale travel is available Monday through Saturday, with Dec. 26, Dec. 28, and Jan. 2 blacked out. Seats and eligible dates are limited, and optional extras may cost more.

Best early Black Friday luggage deal

Samsonite Freeform 21" Hardside Carry-on Spinner Luggage (Black)

$129.99 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $90

 

Get Deal at Amazon

Why we like it

When it comes to suitcases, I'm super loyal. I had one large red suitcase I traveled with for six years before it finally gave out, and then I bought Target’s Open Story Hardside Medium Checked Suitcase, and it's done pretty well so far. We're a couple years in, and I don't really have any complaints.

But if you're looking for a deal, the Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On is $129.99 at Amazon, down from $219.99. That’s $70 in savings, or about 32% off. I haven’t personally tried this one, so I can’t compare it to my Open Story suitcase, but it’s a worthwhile option if you’re specifically shopping for a carry-on. The Freeform has a hard shell, spinner wheels, and a TSA-approved lock.

More luggage and travel accessory deals

• Samsonite Omni PC 24-inch Hardside Checked Suitcase, Black — $113.05 $139.00 (save $25.95)

• Coolife Three-Piece Hardshell Luggage Set, Apricot Black — $119.98 $149.99 (save $30.01)

• American Tourister Stratum 3.0 28-inch Spinner — $120 $149.99 (save $29.99)

• Delsey Paris Helium Aero 21-inch Carry-On, Titanium — $159.99 $179.99 (save $20)

I've covered some seriously weird products over the years. Have I been somewhat numbed by Minion WiFi routers and Pikachu sneakers? Without a doubt, but it's honestly reassuring that I still possess the capacity to be shocked.

I still take a moment to pause when I come across a fully functioning Xbox Series X console encased inside a five-foot alligator. That pause reminds me that I'm human.

The Xbox Series X-BITE is a 1-of-1 console that sits embedded directly in the reptile's torso, visible only through a glowing green Xbox Nexus logo cut into the scales on its flank. A matching bite-marked wireless controller rests between its jaws, and the gator is completed by Xbox-green irises and Nexus-inspired pupils.

Credit: Microsoft

Can we all take a moment to appreciate how simultaneously absurd and epic that is? I want this console intensely. But also, I want to be very far away from it at all times.

Microsoft isn't actually selling this beast. Instead, they are giving away the console via a social media sweepstakes running through Nov. 10. To be in with a chance of winning, follow these steps:

1. Follow @Xbox on your platform of choice.

2. Repost the designated XBOX sweepstakes post.

3. Manually add #XbiteSweepstakes to your repost.

Credit: Microsoft

Entries close at 11:59 p.m. PT on Nov. 10. If selected, the winner has exactly 48 hours to confirm delivery before a runner-up is drawn.

TL;DR: Live stream Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is still in its early stages, but it's already crunch time for Fenerbahçe. They have two points from their opening three fixtures, so they're desperately in need of points against Liverpool. A defeat here will make qualification for the knockout rounds very tricky.

Liverpool, on the other hand, have made a perfect start to this campaign. Another win would put them in a very strong spot after four rounds.

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

When is Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool?

Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool in the Champions League kicks off at 12:45 p.m. ET on Nov. 4. This fixture takes place at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium.

How to watch Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool for free

Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

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

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

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

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

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

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool 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 most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

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

Live stream Fenerbahçe vs. Liverpool in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Juiced Bikes kicked off holiday sales across its Scrambler e-bikes, dishing out up to $345 in free bundled gear through Nov. 22 and an extra $100 price cut for Black Friday and Cyber Monday.

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Credit: Juiced Bikes

Juiced Bikes Scrambler Full-Suspension

$1,899 at Juiced Bikes
$2,244 Save $345

 

Get Deal at Juiced Bikes

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Credit: Juiced Bikes

Juiced Bikes Scrambler Hardtail

$1,699 at Juiced Bikes
$2,044 Save $345

 

Get Deal at Juiced Bikes

Juiced Bikes just rolled out its holiday sale for the Scrambler lineup, giving away hundreds in free gear and knocking down prices through the end of the year.

If you have been looking at moto-inspired e-bikes, the Scrambler platform is built around that classic vintage moped stance without sacrificing modern power. Both bikes pack serious punch: a 750W motor pushing up to 1,764W of peak power, 90 Nm of torque, and a 28 mph top speed, backed by a 52V battery that cruises for up to 60 miles.

They are also UL-certified for fire and battery safety, stop with four-piston hydraulic brakes, and feature built-in turn signals plus a PIN-protected speed limiter for younger riders.

You have two different setups to choose from: the Scrambler Hardtail and the Scrambler Full-Suspension. The Hardtail runs an inverted KKE front fork with a rigid rear frame. Skipping the rear shock means zero bounce eating up your pedal or motor stroke, delivering sharp street handling and a 300-pound payload capacity for heavy hauling.

The Full-Suspension version takes everything on the Hardtail and bolts on an adjustable KKE rear shock. That extra travel lowers payload capacity to 225 pounds, but it pairs with wider 20x4.5-inch knobby CST tires and switchable torque or cadence sensors to keep both wheels planted over potholes, gravel, and dirt.

The Black Friday deal timeline

Juiced Bikes is rolling out the savings across three separate sales windows between now and the end of the year:

• Beat the Sellout Pre-Sale (Nov. 2-22): Buy either model at regular retail and get $345 in free bundled gear automatically at checkout. The free package includes front and rear fenders, a rear utility rack, a bar bag, a bar pad, a front headplate, a personalized nameplate, and a sticker pack.

• Black Friday and Cyber Monday (Nov. 23 to Dec. 2): The biggest cash discount of the season. Both bikes get an instant $100 price drop ($1,599 for the Hardtail, $1,799 for the Full-Suspension), plus $315 in free accessories, for a total of $415 in savings.

• Holiday Sale (Dec. 3 to Dec. 31): Prices return to regular retail, but you still get up to $345 in free gear bundles. Orders placed by Dec. 16 are guaranteed to arrive before the holidays.

Grab your gear bundle now, or hold out until Thanksgiving week if you want the extra hundred bucks in your pocket.

Holiday party invitations have a way of raising more questions than they answer. What exactly counts as "festive attire"? Is a sweater enough for the office party? And does "cocktail attire" mean you need to dig out a suit and tie?

The trick is to match your outfit to the occasion, then build around a few versatile pieces you can wear long after the decorations come down. A merino sweater and collared shirt can work for a family dinner, while adding a sport coat gives you a more polished look for the office. For dressier gatherings, a dark suit is a reliable choice.

From comfortable sweaters to tailored suits, Men’s Wearhouse has the pieces to help you dress for any holiday gathering without overthinking it.

What should a guy wear to a holiday party?

It depends on the occasion, so start by checking the invitation for a dress code. An office party usually calls for business casual: Try a sport coat over a dress shirt with chinos and leather shoes. For dinner with friends and loved ones, a merino sweater layered over a collared shirt and dark trousers strikes a comfortable balance. 

If the invitation specifies cocktail attire, play it safe with a dark suit, dress shirt, and dress shoes. A tie is a good idea if you’re unsure how formal the gathering will be. 

For a casual get-together with friends, dark jeans, a quarter-zip sweater, and clean leather sneakers should do the trick. 

Holiday party dress code ideas for men

What does cocktail attire mean for men at a holiday party?

For men, cocktail attire at a holiday party generally means a dark suit, dress shirt, and leather dress shoes. A tie isn’t always required, but it’s a good idea if you’re unsure how formal the event will be. (Worst-case scenario, you take it off and put it in your jacket pocket, no biggie.)

Cocktail attire falls somewhere between business casual and black tie. A navy or charcoal suit is a reliable choice, while a patterned tie or pocket square can add a little holiday flair without going overboard. You don’t need a tuxedo, but jeans and sneakers are usually too casual. For colder evenings, a wool overcoat looks more appropriate over a suit than a casual puffer jacket, and a scarf adds warmth without sacrificing the dressier look. 

Other dress codes can be harder to decipher. "Business casual" typically means a sport coat or sweater with a collared shirt, chinos or dress trousers and leather shoes. According to the Emily Post Institute’s dress-code guide, “festive attire” generally means cocktail-party clothing with a seasonal touch, such as a colorful tie or pocket square. "Festive casual" is more relaxed, allowing for dark jeans, sweaters, and seasonal colors. 

When the invitation is vague, consider the venue and who’s hosting. A New Year’s Eve party at an upscale restaurant may call for a dark suit, while a casual Christmas gathering at a friend’s house might require nothing dressier than a sweater and chinos. When in doubt, it’s usually better to be slightly overdressed than underdressed.

Is a merino sweater dressy enough for a holiday party?

A merino wool sweater is dressy enough for most office Christmas parties, family holiday dinners, and casual New Year’s gatherings, especially when paired with a collared shirt and tailored trousers. It’s a comfortable alternative to a suit that still looks polished enough for the occasion.

Merino wool comes from merino sheep and is prized for its soft feel, breathability, and ability to help regulate body temperature. A fine-knit merino sweater looks more refined than a chunky knit, making it easy to dress up or down. A crewneck layered over a dress shirt is a reliable choice, while a quarter-zip (a sweater with a short zipper at the neck) offers a slightly sportier look.

If you’re wondering whether to wear a sweater or a blazer, consider the setting. A sweater on its own works well for family gatherings and casual office parties, while adding a sports coat makes the outfit more appropriate for dressier events. For cocktail attire, however, a suit is generally the safer choice.

Men’s Wearhouse Merino Shop includes crewnecks and other styles that can be worn on their own or layered under a jacket.

Can you wear sneakers with a suit to a holiday party?

Yes, you can wear sneakers with a suit to a holiday party, provided the event isn’t too formal. The combination works particularly well for festive casual gatherings and office parties where a more relaxed look is appropriate.

Stick with clean, minimalist leather sneakers in white, black or another neutral color. Avoid running shoes, chunky sneakers or anything visibly worn. A navy or charcoal suit with a simple dress shirt and understated sneakers can look polished without feeling overly formal.

For cocktail attire, an upscale dinner or a more traditional office party, leather dress shoes are the safer bet. Oxfords and loafers both work, depending on the occasion. When in doubt, consider the venue and dress code. Sneakers may work at a casual office celebration, but not at a formal holiday banquet.

Whether you're dressing for a casual Christmas party or a dressier New Year's Eve celebration, Men's Wearhouse has the sweaters, sport coats, suits and shoes to help you put together an outfit that fits the occasion.

FAQs

What should men wear to an office holiday party?

For most office holiday parties, a sport coat over a dress shirt with chinos or wool trousers and leather shoes is a safe choice. If your workplace is more casual, a merino sweater and dark trousers may be enough. For a cold-weather holiday party, a wool overcoat is a natural choice over a suit or sport coat. Check the invitation and consider what your colleagues typically wear to company events.

How can men dress up for a holiday party without wearing a full suit?

Pair a sport coat with dress trousers and a collared shirt for a polished look without a matching suit. Alternatively, layer a fine-knit merino sweater over a dress shirt and finish with leather shoes.

Can I wear a quarter-zip sweater to a Christmas party?

Yes, a quarter-zip sweater works well for casual Christmas parties, family dinners, and many office celebrations. Choose a fine-knit style in a neutral or seasonal color, and wear it over a collared shirt with chinos or dress trousers.

Does Men's Wearhouse sell merino wool sweaters?

Yes, Men’s Wearhouse carries merino wool sweaters in its Merino Shop. You can find styles suitable for layering over a shirt or wearing under a sports coat.

Do I need to wear a tie to a holiday party?

A tie is optional for most business casual and festive casual parties, but it's a good idea for more traditional cocktail events. If the invitation specifies formal or black-tie attire, follow that dress code rather than treating it as an ordinary holiday party.

What's a good holiday gift for a man who likes to dress well?

A merino wool sweater is a practical gift because it works for both casual and dressier outfits. Other options include a scarf, leather gloves, or a dress shirt, especially if you know his preferred size and style.

TL;DR: Buy an eligible new Windows 11 Home PC or gaming handheld by Dec. 31, and Microsoft will give you 25 digital Xbox games (a $500+ value) for free. Claim them in the Microsoft Store app by Feb. 12, 2027.

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Credit: Microsoft

Microsoft: 25 free digital Xbox games

 

Get Deal

Microsoft is celebrating a massive milestone by giving away a ready-made PC gaming library to anyone picking up hardware this holiday season. To mark Xbox's quarter-century mark, Microsoft named this promo the "25 Years of Xbox Bundle" and loaded it with 25 titles spanning classic franchise roots, Bethesda RPGs, and modern multiplayer staples.

Buying and activating an eligible new Windows 11 PC or handheld in the U.S. lets you claim the entire bundle for free. Sold in the Microsoft Store, these games retail for $569.99 combined. These are permanent digital ownership licenses that stick to your personal account — no Xbox Game Pass subscription is required to keep or play them, and 16 of the games feature Xbox Play Anywhere support, so you can also run them on your console.

The fine print

The single biggest catch in Microsoft's terms comes down to your operating system: the bundle is strictly limited to consumer machines running Windows 11 Home and qualifying gaming handhelds.

Standard Windows 11 Pro PCs are barred from the promotion, with the only allowed Pro exception being qualifying NVIDIA RTX Spark devices. So, if you buy an office laptop or business workstation loaded with standard Windows Pro, you walk away empty-handed.

You also have to purchase and activate your PC from an authorized U.S. retailer between Nov. 2 and Dec. 31. Devices must be brand new from the factory; refurbished units, open-box specials, display models, and marketplace reseller purchases do not qualify.

Once your new PC is up and running, the offer will appear in your Microsoft Store library no later than Nov. 30, and you must officially claim it by Feb. 12. The bundle is limited to one claim per Microsoft account; licenses cannot be transferred or split among friends, and it is advised to redeem an account set to 18 or older so Windows family filters do not lock you out of M-rated games like Skyrim or Fallout.

Hardware requirements also swing wildly across the list. While retro classics like Quake and Fuzion Frenzy will run on practically anything, heavier titles like Fallout 76 require dedicated graphics power. If your handheld or laptop cannot run a specific game smoothly right now, don't worry; the license remains permanently tied to your account so you can install it on a more powerful rig down the line.

How to claim your games

Once you boot up your new machine and sign in with your primary Microsoft account, claiming the bundle takes just a couple of minutes:

1. Open the Microsoft Store app pinned to your taskbar.

2. Click the Library icon on the bottom-left sidebar.

3. Select the Included with device tab.

4. Locate the 25 Years of Xbox Bundle.

5. Verify that you are logged in to the right account, then hit Claim. All 25 games will immediately drop into your Microsoft Store and Xbox app libraries, ready to install.

Every game in the 25 Years of Xbox bundle

• The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim Special Edition

• Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary

• Age of Empires II: Definitive Edition

• Minecraft Dungeons

• Gears of War: Reloaded

• Call of Duty: WWII

• The Elder Scrolls Online

• Fallout 76

• DOOM

• DOOM II

• The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Game of the Year Edition

• Age of Mythology: Retold

• Quake

• Quake II

• Wolfenstein: The New Order

• The Outer Worlds

• Rise of Nations: Extended Edition

• As Dusk Falls

• Battletoads

• Pillars of Eternity II: Deadfire

• Zoo Tycoon: Ultimate Animal Collection

• Fuzion Frenzy

• Gears Tactics

• Crimson Skies: High Road to Revenge

• BLINX: The Time Sweeper

Go grab your Windows 11 PC before the year wraps up, and you won’t have to spend another dime on games for years.

TL;DR: 7-Eleven rolled out a limited-time Flavors of Korea menu featuring $5 Bibigo dumplings, Gochujang wings, and K-BBQ taquitos through Jan. 5, 2027, along with an in-app discount K-drama mini-series on TikTok.

Late-night convenience store runs in South Korea are legendary for good eating, and 7-Eleven is bringing that energy stateside. The retailer launched its limited-time Flavors of Korea menu across participating 7-Eleven, Speedway, and Stripes stores, remixing iconic grab-and-go staples with gochujang, kimchi, and sweet Korean barbecue glazes.

The chain teamed up with Korean food giant Bibigo to introduce branded items alongside house-made creations across both the hot bar and the cold grab-and-go cases. And if you don't feel like driving to your local store at midnight, the entire lineup is also available for on-demand delivery via the 7NOW app.

What’s on the Flavors of Korea menu

The limited-time menu runs through Jan. 5, 2027 (and Jan. 6 at Raise the Roost spots):

• Bibigo Spicy Chicken Dumplings — 10 bite-sized dumplings filled with chicken, glass noodles, cabbage, and soy sauce.

• Bibigo Korean BBQ-Style Pizza — Personal pizza with beef, caramelized onions, roasted garlic, green onions, cheese blend, and sweet bibigo BBQ sauce.

• Gochujang Boneless Wings — Eight boneless wings glazed in a spicy-sweet mix of gochujang, garlic, ginger, and chili paste.

• Korean-Style BBQ Taquito — Roller-grill taquito stuffed with chicken, onions, and K-BBQ sauce.

• Korean-Style BBQ Seasoned Sausage — Pork sausage on the roller grill seasoned with brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and soy sauce.

• K Town Chicken Salad Sando — Cold chicken salad sandwich spiced with gochujang and sesame oil on fire-and-milk marble bread.

• K Noodle Salad — Cold sōmen noodles mixed with kimchi, veggies, and spicy gochujang dressing.

• Seoul Style Sweet Heat Chicken Sandwich (Raise the Roost only) — Crispy tenders in sweet-heat sauce with bacon, pepper jack, slaw, and BBQ aioli on brioche.

For rewards members, 7Rewards and Speedy Rewards accounts can add any 20-ounce Coke or Pepsi bottle for $1 when buying two pizza slices, an order of bibigo dumplings, gochujang wings, or a deli sandwich through Jan. 6, 2027.

The K-Drama mini-series

To accompany the menu, 7-Eleven produced an original vertical mini-series airing exclusively on its official TikTok and Instagram channels (@7eleven and @speedwaystores).

Directed by filmmaker Danny Lee, the seven-episode drama follows two classmates whose relationship unfolds during midnight convenience store runs. Sixty-second episodes air every Monday and Thursday through Nov. 23, leaning into classic K-drama romantic tropes, dramatic camera zooms, and convenience store dining.

Each episode release also unlocks a limited-time discount in the 7-Eleven app for the menu item that takes center stage in the storyline.

Head to your local store before early January to grab some $5 dumplings, and see if convenience store K-BBQ lives up to the drama.

SAVE OVER $50: As of Nov. 4, the 512GB Samsung P9 Express microSDXC card is on sale for $99 at Amazon. That's $50.99 off its full price of $149.99.

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Credit: Samsung

Samsung P9 Express microSDXC 512GB

$99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $50.99

 

Get Deal at Amazon

After a year filled with memory-related price hikes, the upcoming Black Friday sales are an excellent opportunity to track down memory cards on sale.

If you're hoping to boost your Nintendo Switch 2's storage, particularly if the Ocarina of Time remake is calling to you, Amazon can help you out ahead of the sales. As of Nov. 4, the retailer is offering 34% off a 512GB Samsung P9 Express microSDXC card.

This discount has brought the cost of this memory card down from $149.99 to $99, saving you $50.99 overall. It won't be available for long, since it's marked as a "limited-time deal." Be quick to act on it and upgrade your Switch 2's storage ahead of the holidays.

With a 512GB capacity, this Samsung P9 Express microSDXC card offers plenty of space to fill with your favorite games. It works quickly, offering sequential read speeds up to 800 MB/s. Plus, its Dynamic Thermal Guard helps prevent overheating, so your games run smoothly and quickly on your Switch 2.

It's not just the Switch 2 that's compatible with this card, either. It also works with other microSD UHS-I devices, such as tablets, drones, and cameras.

No need to wait for Black Friday sales to save. If a new memory card is on your holiday wishlist, treat yourself to this 512GB Samsung P9 Express microSDXC card deal on Amazon.

Think your rendition of "Wonderwall" is ready for the big stage? Well, with the new Apple Music feature called Selfie Sing, you can now record yourself singing along and share it with the world.

The feature launched in the first developer beta of iOS 27.3, made available late on Tuesday, so most people won't see it just yet. It popped up in Apple Music for me as soon as I updated to the new version, and I can report that it works, though it's pretty limited at the time.

The idea is simple: Choose your karaoke song, press the record button, and sing along into your phone's camera and mics. You'll see the song lyrics on the display and the original vocals will be audible but just barely, allowing you to show off your vocal prowess. After the recording is done, you can apply some simple effects onto the vocals, and export the video to your phone's photo library.

The feature comes with several caveats. First, you can only choose songs from a fixed playlist containing 49 songs. It's a pretty decent karaoke selection, including hits by Oasis, Whitney Houston, Cindy Lauper, Bonnie Tyler, Men at Work, The Goo Goo Dolls, Madonna, and Marvin Gaye, to name a few.

The bigger issue is video length, which is currently limited to one minute; not nearly enough to do a full rendition (or even just one verse-chorus bit) of any of the songs on the list.

Given that Selfie Sing is only available in iOS 27.3 developer beta, it's very probable that the limitations will get removed or at least reduced in the future.

I've tried the feature out on an iPhone Duo, so I can confirm it's available and fully functional on that device, too.

To see other new features in the iOS 27.3 developer beta, check out our overview here.

SAVE OVER $20: As of Nov. 4, the Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Purple Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $149 at Amazon. That's $31.99 off its typical price of $180.99.

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Credit: Pokémon

Pokémon TCG Scarlet & Purple Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Set

$149 at Amazon
$180.99 Save $31.99

 

Get Deal at Amazon

In a sweet early Black Friday treat for Pokémon fans, Amazon's dropped the price of the Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box. Normally, it's priced at $180.99, but those who add it to their cart now can snag it for $149, saving $31.99.

This deal price isn't too far above TCGplayer's market price of $120.32, so it's definitely worth grabbing while it's on sale. There's every chance it could sell out fast, so act quickly. It's also worth noting that this box is sold by a third-party seller on Amazon (J & M COLLECTIBLES), and they have a very positive 100% rating over the last 12 months of business, so your purchase seems to be in very good hands.

This is a stacked box as well. Here's everything you'll get with it: one shiny Eevee promo card, nine booster packs, 65 Eevee card sleeves, 45 energy cards, six damage marker dice, a coin-throw die, two special state markers, a game guide, and a collecting box with dividers.

Don't wait too long to pick up this Pokémon TCG Prismatic Evolutions Elite Trainer Box on sale at Amazon.

If you're on the lookout for even more trading card deals, Amazon has some other great options to look through ahead of Black Friday. Want more Pokémon TCG? The 30th Celebration Poster Collection has hit a new low at the retailer. There's also the KPop Demon Hunters Collectible Trading Cards (Classic Edition) on sale.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box is on sale for $149.99 at Amazon, down from its $207.95 list price.

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Credit: Magic: The Gathering

Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box

$149.99 at Amazon
$207.95 Save $57.96

Get Deal at Amazon

While you might be thinking about MTG’s upcoming Marvel Darkhold Destiny Arcanum Bundle, Amazon has given trading card collectors another chance to get 30 packs of The Hobbit expansion at a major $50+ saving. 

As of Nov. 4, the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box can be picked up for $149.99 at Amazon, a $57.96 price cut against the typical $207.95 price. With 28% off, you’ll effectively be paying only $5 per pack.

Keep in mind that this new lower price comes from listings by third-party sellers Buzz City Games and Hoboken Game Lounge rather than Amazon directly, but you can still get delivery as soon as Nov. 10. If you want to buy directly from Amazon, there’s the retailer’s own $154.03 option with free delivery as soon as Nov. 6 for Prime members.

Walmart has once again undercut Amazon with an even cheaper listing at $139.99 via third-party seller PokeGram. However, TCGplayer is the closest to the box’s $129.75 market price, with its lowest price of $133.99 with shipping. 

The money you’re spending gets you 30 Play Boosters with 14 cards each, plus a traditional foil Middle-earth Box Topper containing a special reprint from The Lord of the Rings: Tales of Middle-earth. There's at least one foil card and between one and three rare or higher-rarity cards in every pack, alongside the possibility of finding alternate-art and borderless versions of characters from The Hobbit.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $115.88 at Amazon, down from its $138.99 list price.

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Credit: The Pokémon Company

Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box

$115.88 at Amazon
$138.99 Save $23.11

 

Preorder at Amazon

We're almost at the finish line for the Pokémon TCG's Delta Reign expansion, and while trading card collectors only have a couple of days left before its Nov. 6 debut, Amazon has a welcome last-minute saving on the set's Elite Trainer Box.

As of Nov. 4, the Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box can be preordered for $115.88 at Amazon, taking $23.11 off its regular $138.99 price. That works out to a 17% reduction, leaving you with a little extra money to put towards other Pokémon cards. Considering Amazon’s preorders first opened up at $140 back in early October, that’s a hefty $24.12 saving by comparison. This new $115.88 price is about $12.88 per pack before you consider all of the ETB’s extras. 

Keep in mind that these lower prices are currently offered by third-party sellers like reVend and BetterShopping4You, but you can still get free delivery as of Nov. 12 (at the time of writing).

The Delta Reign ETB grants you nine booster packs from the upcoming Mega Rayquaza-centered Mega Evolution expansion, a full-art foil Kyogre promo, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, seven dice, a plastic coin, six dividers, a collector's box, a player's guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card.

Apple wants to make sure dating apps and AI companions with "sexual or romantic content" are only for people over 18, with new restrictions coming Nov. 16.

Though most dating platforms like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble are already strictly for users over 18, Apple's updated policy requires all apps that include dating and relationship features to have a minimum 18+ age rating in App Store Connect, Apple's command centre for developers managing iOS apps. Devs will also have to disclose whether their app enables real-time location sharing.

Mandatory age rating is a rather incremental update for dating apps, which as mentioned, are usually restricted to users over 18 by the developers themselves. However, as TechCrunch rightly points out, one of the more indeterminate impacts of Apple's policy could be that on minors' use of AI companions.

Artificial intelligence companions from the likes of Replika, Nomi, and the now bankrupt Character.AI, have been widely used by teens for years. As Mashable's Rebecca Ruiz reports, they're platforms specifically designed for emotional intimacy; a 2025 survey of U.S. teens ages 13 to 17 found that 52 percent regularly use AI companions, and 33 percent use them for social interaction and relationships, including friendship, role-playing, emotional support, and romantic interactions.

However, experts have long said AI companions aren't safe for teens under 18, with researchers at Common Sense Media (a U.S. nonprofit providing technology analysis and guidance for parents) rigorously testing Character.AI, Nomi, and Replika for a major 2025 report.

James P. Steyer, the nonprofit's founder and CEO, said in a statement at the time, "Social AI companions are not safe for kids. They are designed to create emotional attachment and dependency, which is particularly concerning for developing adolescent brains. Our testing showed these systems easily produce harmful responses including sexual misconduct, stereotypes, and dangerous 'advice' that, if followed, could have life-threatening or deadly real-world impact for teens and other vulnerable people."

In the study, researchers found that "safety measures are easily circumvented," including age gates and terms of service restrictions on teen use. Common Sense Media has since published more research criticising AI companion platforms for relying on "ineffective self reporting for age assurance."

Replika CEO Dmytro Klochko told Mashable in 2025 that the platform is intended only for users over 18 — and the company's Terms of Service confirms this — but as Ruiz writes, "Klochko acknowledged that some users attempt to bypass 'strict protocols' for preventing underage access."

Whether Apple's new policy will adequately address such concerns is yet to be determined, as all apps must complete the declarations by Jan. 12, 2027.

Meanwhile, the global debate over age verification remains one of the major topics concerning Big Tech and teens today — along with social media bans, of course.

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.

With Avengers: Doomsday landing in theaters on Dec. 18, Dunkin’ has officially launched a nationwide campaign starring Channing Tatum as Gambit.

To celebrate the nationwide launch, Dunkin’ is debuting “MUNCHKIN Incursion,” a new ad featuring Channing Tatum reprising his role as Gambit alongside H.E.R.B.I.E., the Fantastic Four’s beloved robotic companion.

But that's far from all. The ad campaign accompanies an extensive in-store rollout: a multi-item themed menu, four flagship store takeovers, and a merchandise collection headlined by a $14.99 collectible Doctor Doom 25-count Munchkins tin.

Store takeovers

From Nov. 17, four Dunkin’ restaurants will transform into immersive destinations inspired by the Marvel Cinematic Universe:

• Los Angeles (Nov. 17): A Fantastic Four-themed restaurant at 6201 Hollywood Blvd.

• Chicago (Nov. 17): An X-Men-themed experience at 10 West Chicago Ave.

• New York City (Nov. 18): An Avengers-inspired takeover at 102 8th Ave.

• Boston (Nov. 18): A Doctor Doom takeover at 209 N Harvard St. in Allston.

Avengers: Doomsday menu and collectible merch

You've got a little wait for the store takeovers to go live, but the Dunkin’ Avengers: Doomsday lineup is available now at participating restaurants nationwide. The limited-edition menu features beverages, treats, and limited-edition collectibles inspired by the film’s heroes and villains:

Superpowered Sips

• Iced Captain’ccino: Espresso, caramel flavor, and coffee milk, lightly blended and served over ice.

• Clobbered Cloud Latte: Espresso, whole milk, and toasted white chocolate flavor topped with Cookie Butter Cold Foam and crumbles.

• Wakandan Daydream Refresher: Berry Clementine Refresher, raspberry flavor, and oat milk, topped with Purple Marshmallow Cold Foam.

• Optic Blast Lemonade: Sweet-tart lemonade charged with blue raspberry flavor.

• Doom’s Orders Energy: Green Apple Dunkin' Zero, sparkling water, and Purple Marshmallow Cold Foam.

• Doom Cloud Latte: Espresso, whole milk, mocha swirl, and vanilla flavors topped with Sweet Cold Foam and cocoa powder.

Credit: Dunkin

Heroic Treats

• Doomsday Donut: Brownie Batter Donut returns with chocolate icing and green and chocolate sprinkles.

• Avenging Donut: A cotton candy-filled donut topped with vanilla-flavored icing and red, yellow, and blue sprinkles.

• Doomsday & Avenging MUNCHKINS: Glazed Chocolate and Buttermilk MUNCHKINS get villain- and hero-inspired treatments.

Collectibles

• Doctor Doom 25-Count MUNCHKINS Tin ($14.99): Collectible tin is available with any 25-count MUNCHKINS purchase, while supplies last.

• Avengers: Doomsday-Themed Tumblers ($24.99): Designs inspired by Doctor Doom, the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four. 

• Avengers: Doomsday-Themed Color-Changing Mug ($14.99): A black mug that transforms to reveal film and Dunkin’ branding.

• Avengers: Doomsday-Themed Glove Cup Sleeves ($19.99): Collectible designs inspired by Doctor Doom, Black Panther, Mister Fantastic, and Captain America.

• Avengers: Doomsday-Themed Character Cup Sleeves ($8.99): Artwork inspired by Doctor Doom, the Avengers, X-Men, and Fantastic Four.