Blogroll

I imported my Excel project tracker into Airtable and immediately understood the hype

How-To Geek - 14 min ago

I'm a big Excel advocate. Whenever I see someone recommending that I replace it with another app, my first reaction is usually the same: what's the point? Excel already does most of what I need. One app I keep seeing recommended, though, is Airtable.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Keep what the internet knows to a minimum with 70% off Proton VPN

How-To Geek - 28 min 40 sec ago

We’ve all experienced searching for something on the internet only for ads about that thing to follow us around for weeks. It even crosses devices; targeted ads show up on your computer after searching a keyword on your phone. Perhaps it’s just a mild annoyance, but it’s a visible reminder that we’re all tracked across the web.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to track battery levels in Home Assistant devices

How-To Geek - 44 min ago

One of the biggest benefits of Zigbee is that it uses less power than Wi-Fi, so many devices can run on batteries. You can put battery-powered devices almost anywhere without worrying about where the nearest power outlet is, but the downside is that all batteries will eventually run out. There are plenty of ways that you can use Home Assistant to keep track of your batteries so that your devices don't keep dying.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why having a book-shaped phone means I read more books

How-To Geek - 1 hour 14 min ago

When many of us think of ebooks, we think of an Amazon Kindle eReader. But these days, there's another portable piece of tech that is literally shaped like a book—the book-style foldable phone. I carry one in my pocket, and I'm now reading more than ever.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I turned an old Android phone into a Jellyfin media server that beats any Raspberry Pi

How-To Geek - 1 hour 44 min ago

Jellyfin is a self-hosted media server that you can use to stream your TV show and movie collection to other devices. It's a popular alternative to Plex that many people run on a device such as a Raspberry Pi or a mini PC. However, an old phone can also work, and there are some significant benefits over other options.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Why I think twice before buying used Ryobi tools from Facebook Marketplace

How-To Geek - 2 hours 14 min ago

Facebook Marketplace is still probably the best place to buy and sell things within walking or driving distance of your home. For me, it’s the best reason to keep my Facebook account alive in 2026, but not everything listed is a bargain or even worth buying.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Pokémon TCG Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box drops to best-ever price at Amazon — save over $30 with rare early Black Friday deal

Mashable - 2 hours 28 min ago

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $99.64 at Amazon, down from its list price of $134.45.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box $99.64 at Amazon
$134.45 Save $34.81   Get Deal at Amazon

Black Friday hasn't really started yet, but the Pokémon TCG's recently released Delta Reign expansion is already seeing huge discounts on Amazon. This time, the Rayquaza-themed Elite Trainer Box has finally slipped below $100, setting a new record-low price with the retailer.

As of Nov. 10, the Pokémon TCG’s Delta Reign Elite Trainer Box is available for just $99.64 at Amazon, saving you $34.81 against its usual $134.45 price. That's an impressive 26% off, bringing the cost of its nine booster packs down to $11.07 apiece, before factoring in the extras.

That's $3.59 cheaper than the previous $103.23 Amazon low we covered on the Nov. 6 launch day.

SEE ALSO: Pokémon card drops and restocks: Best deals from Amazon, Walmart, TCGplayer

What’s more, this bargain has brought the ETB much closer to market price, now only $10.10 above its estimated value determined by dedicated trading card marketplace TCGplayer — currently $89.54.  

Note that this $99.64 listing comes from third-party seller Thumbs Up Distribution, rather than Amazon directly. 

Buyers are getting nine Delta Reign packs, an exclusive full-art foil Kyogre promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, seven dice, a plastic coin, six dividers, a collector's box, a player's guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card.

Categories: IT General, Technology

McDonald’s x Pokémon collab is now live: How to collect 15 new toys and 15 trading cards

Mashable - 2 hours 36 min ago

TL;DR: Starting Nov. 10, the Pokémon Happy Meal returns to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide with 15 collectible toys and 15 collectible trading cards.

We cover a lot of collabs, because there's something special in seeing two of your favorite brands come together to create something fun. And you clearly feel the same, because fans go wild for the limited-edition merch that drops.

Of course, there are levels to this game. The Burger King x Hello Kitty collab was popular. The Starbucks x Winnie the Pooh collab went down well. But when we talk about McDonald's x Pokemon, you know it's going to be absolute chaos.

McDonald’s and Pokémon are reuniting this November. Starting Nov. 10, the Pokémon Happy Meal is returning to participating McDonald’s restaurants nationwide with 15 toys and 15 trading cards to collect. Fans and trainers can also scan the QR code on their Happy Meal box to access a digital game where they can look for the 15 Pokémon Happy Meal toys hidden around a virtual classroom and playground.

This 2026 rollout will mark the first time since 2018 that customers get a genuine 3D collectible toy with playable cards. The mini-boxes are designed to resemble iconic McDonald's cartons shaped around fan-favorite Pokémon. Here's the roster of 15 collectible character boxes:

  • Bulbasaur

  • Charmander

  • Chikorita

  • Eevee

  • Espeon

  • Espurr

  • Minccino

  • Munchlax

  • Pikachu

  • Piplup

  • Rowlett

  • Sobble

  • Squirtle

  • Sprigatito

  • Weedle

Credit: The Pokémon Company

Inside each meal, you will also find two randomized cards drawn from a specialized 15-card McDonald's reprint set, including seven foil cards.

These new Pokémon Happy Meals are available for a limited time, while supplies last, at participating McDonald’s. Check out the full release schedule below:

  • November 2026: Australia, Canada, Fiji, France, New Zealand, Spain, and USA

  • December 2026: Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belgium, Brunei, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Egypt, Finland, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hong Kong, Hungary, Indonesia, Malaysia, Malta, Mauritius, Moldova, Morocco, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, and Vietnam

  • January 2027: Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Estonia, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Thailand, Uruguay, and Venezuela

  • February 2027: Ireland and UK

Categories: IT General, Technology

Microsoft just made Edge faster on Windows 11, so I tested it against Chrome

How-To Geek - 2 hours 44 min ago

I've been annoyed for years by that awkward gap between clicking a browser icon and actually seeing a window. It's only a couple of seconds, but it happens dozens of times a day, and it adds up. It also feels like we're too far in the future for this to be an issue. Microsoft seems to have fixed this in Edge on Windows 11, and Chrome is what it is being tested against. So I set up a few launch tests on real machines to see what changed and what didn't.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Anthropic announces Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2. Theye already solved black hole physics problems.

Mashable - 3 hours 4 min ago

Anthropic dropped two new frontier AI models on Monday, Claude Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2. 

According to the AI company, Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2 were designed to "tackle the most daunting technical challenges" and present "improvements in areas like coding, reasoning, and vision."

New frontier models from OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and Meta have been released at a rapid clip in recent months, and the two new Anthropic models closely follow the release of Google Gemini 4 Carbon, Meta Muse Wonder, and OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra. On launch day, Claude Fable 5.2 claimed the top spot on the Artificial Analysis Intelligence leaderboard, previously held by Gemini 4 Carbon.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Jensen Huang Nvidia affair scandal: What we know, what we don’t

Anthropic said that in pre-release testing, the models "designed three working electronic devices from scratch, solved two open problems in the physics of black holes...and formalized the proof of Fermat’s Last Theorem in 30 hours."

Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2 also generate these outputs 30 percent faster than their 5.1 predecessors and "communicate more clearly" than previous models, Anthropic said.

Fable 5.2 Benchmarks Credit: Anthropic

Performance is up across the board with Fable 5.2 with benchmarks showing significant increases when compared to other AI models.

For example, Fable 5.2 scored a whopping 74.6 percent on Terminal Bench Science benchmark. This is a significant increase from the 52.6 percent of its predecessor. It even scores higher than OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra's 68.1 percent.

Fable 5.2 also scored a 74.2 percent on the Humanity's Last Exam benchmark, another increase over its predecessor's 65.6 percent.

Fable 5.2 and Mythos 5.2 pricing and availability

Pricing for the new models is also lower than their predecessors at $8 per million input tokens and $40 per million output tokens.

Fable 5.2 launches today for all Claude users. The company said that Fable 5.2 has "strong cybersecurity and biology safeguards to guard against misuse," which is why it's available to all users. Mythos 5.2, however, is only available for verified organizations working on cybersecurity or biomedical research.

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. 

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.

Categories: IT General, Technology

I gave my desktop PC a laptop dock, and it’s the best $30 I’ve spent on it in years

How-To Geek - 3 hours 14 min ago

Back when I built my current PC in late 2020, I thought its six USB ports, along with the two on my case’s front panel, would be enough for my needs. The one thing I didn’t account for was that I’d still be using the same motherboard six years later, and that I’d end up with a bunch of USB peripherals, each needing its own port. Something had to be done, so I took the road less traveled: instead of getting a PCIe USB card, I expanded my USB ports with a USB-C dock.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Bring sudoku-style murder mysteries to your phone or desktop with Murdoku

How-To Geek - 3 hours 43 min ago

As a puzzle lover, I am a huge fan of apps that challenge the mind. Solving logic-based problems or riddles scratches an itch inside my brain that nothing else can. If you're a Wordle addict, you'll relate. One popular format that I keep coming back to is an age-old classic: sudoku.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Will Ferrell returns as Buddy the Elf to heckle Jimmy Kimmel interview

Mashable - 4 hours 1 min ago

Being heckled mid-interview is bad enough, but it adds an extra dimension of humiliation when the heckler is wearing a full elf costume.

In the clip above Andy Richter appears on Jimmy Kimmel Live! to promote Elf Unwrapped, a book he wrote about making the movie Elf — only to be interrupted by Will Ferrell sitting in the audience dressed as Buddy the Elf.

"Well this is such a great surprise, and it means so much to me that you're here to help me promote the book I wrote about making Elf!" says Richter.

"What?" comes Ferrell's gruff response. "Are you high? Who even are you?"

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Hidden carrier features on Android are the privacy tool I never thought to audit

How-To Geek - 4 hours 13 min ago

I never thought about auditing my carrier's software because I never knew how easy it was. I'd checked app permissions, turned off ad tracking, and cleaned out old apps, but the preloaded packages that came with my Galaxy stayed untouched because I assumed they were just part of the phone. I spent an afternoon looking into what T-Mobile and Samsung put on my device, what it can actually do, and what happens when you turn it off. It's easy enough to try yourself.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Legos Black Friday centerpiece is a 5,300-piece Godzilla with an attachable heat ray: How to buy with a free gift

Mashable - 4 hours 22 min ago

TL;DR: The Lego Godzilla is priced at $449.99 and launches on Nov. 27. Buy the Godzilla set from Nov. 27-30, and you will receive the Lego Ideas Godzilla Logo and Footprint set for free.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Ideas Godzilla (21375)   Learn More

Lego has revealed a monstrous 2026 Black Friday centerpiece: The Lego Ideas Godzilla (21375) is dropping on Nov. 27 for $449.99. Weighing in at a colossal 5,363 pieces, the titan takes the crown as the largest Lego Ideas set ever produced.

It's the perfect gift for fans of Godzilla movies and monster merch collectors. But you know what? Maybe keep this one for yourself.

Credit: Lego

Measuring 27.5 inches tall (with the attachable heat ray), 10.5 inches wide, and 15.5 inches deep, this model stands over two feet tall. The segmented tail can be constructed sweeping left or right, while articulated joints across the neck, jaw, arms, wrists, and individual claws allow for constant adjustments.

Godzilla’s standard tongue can be swapped out for an attachable, translucent-blue Heat Ray. Tilting the head skyward lets you stage its iconic atomic breath attack.

Credit: Lego

Planning to blow your Black Friday budget on this beast? To sweeten the launch-weekend sting, early buyers can score an exclusive Godzilla Logo and Footprint gift for free from Nov. 27-30 while supplies last. The 359-piece bonus build features a brick-built logo with Mothra perched atop a skyscraper, along with a 1:1-scale replica of the main model’s footprint. This free bonus will disappear fast.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jimmy Kimmel responds to the White House saying he has a peanut-sized brain

Mashable - 4 hours 42 min ago

The White House is going after Jimmy Kimmel again.

In the clip above the host responds to yet another statement from spokesperson Davis Ingle, who this time has accused Kimmel of having a "peanut-sized brain".

"Sick burn, bro. You know what, you should enter a rap battle spitting dope rhymes like that. Trump now has interns insulting me," says Kimmel. "This guy says I have a peanut-sized brain. Let me explain something. I know you're young. That's impossible. You know what happens when you try to run a full human body with a peanut-sized brain?"

Cue a clip of Trump trying and failing to pronounced the word "gnome" on stage.

"You start saying things like that guy," Kimmel says.

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Old consoles, stereos, and PCs are worth restoring, but leave the CRT alone

How-To Geek - 4 hours 44 min ago

That Game Boy in your closet or the stereo you spotted at an antique store probably isn't as dead as it looks. A lot of vintage electronics come back to life with a new belt, a few fresh capacitors, or a drop-in screen that needs little or no soldering. Others, like a CRT that can run around 27,000 volts, deserve a lot more respect. Here are five restorations worth your time, starting with the easiest.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Jon Stewart breaks down Trumps viral 60 Minutes interview

Mashable - 4 hours 57 min ago

Donald Trump was asked some tough questions in his recent 60 Minutes interview, and he gave some answers on immigration that appeared to confuse some people in his base.

In the Daily Show clip above, Jon Stewart breaks down some of the key moments — including the U.S. president saying "I'm really good at money and finances" before saying "I guess it's gone up, I don't even know" when asked about his own net worth increasing.

"So when it's global finance, Trump is Keanu Reeves from The Matrix," says Stewart. "But when it's his own $3 billion post-election windfall, he's Keanu Reeves from Bill and Ted."

Another entertaining moment? Trump being asked about what happens after we die and whether he'll go to heaven, with the president responding, "I hope so, I don't wanna go to hell."

"You know that's not how hell works, right?" says Stewart. "It's not a check your preference, like fish or steak."

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

T-Mobiles early Black Friday sale is live: Shop free phones from Apple, Samsung, Motorola, and Google

Mashable - 5 hours 19 min ago
The best early Black Friday T-Mobile deals: Best Apple deal Apple iPhone 18 Pro $0 (save $1,199.99) Get Deal Best Samsung deal Samsung Galaxy S26+ $0 (save $1,199.99) Get Deal Best Google deal Google Pixel 11 Pro $0 (save $1,099.99) Get Deal Best Motorola deal Motorola razr+ $0 (save $999.99) Get Deal

It may be a couple of weeks until the big day, but this year Black Friday seems to be kicking off earlier than ever. Deals are already starting to appear on everything from household essentials to tech and gaming. These early offers are particularly useful if you're looking to finally upgrade your phone.

T-Mobile is one retailer that has dropped discounts early, with a range of Black Friday deals already live.

It's worth checking the terms and conditions before jumping on a deal, as many of these offers require a new line, a qualifying plan, or a trade-in to unlock the full discount. Some savings are also delivered through monthly bill credits rather than an upfront price reduction.

Best Apple deal at T-Mobile Opens in a new window Credit: Apple iPhone 18 Pro $0 at T-Mobile
$1,199.99 Save $1,199.99   Get Deal at T-Mobile Why we like it

You can get the iPhone 18 Pro 256GB for free with T-Mobile, thanks to $1,200 in bill credits spread across your monthly payments. To qualify, you'll need to open a new line, transfer your number from an eligible carrier (such as AT&T or Verizon), and sign up for a qualifying plan costing at least $95 per month with AutoPay. You'll also need to keep your line active and continue with the financing agreement to receive all the credits. If you cancel early or pay off the phone ahead of schedule, you could lose the remaining credits.

More Apple deals at T-MobileBest Samsung deal at T-Mobile Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy S26+ $0 at T-Mobile
$1,199.99 Save $1,199.99   Get Deal at T-Mobile Why we like it

This deal gets you the Samsung Galaxy S26+ 256GB completely free, with T-Mobile offering up to $1,200 in monthly bill credits to cover its $1,199.99 retail price. To qualify, you'll need to open a new voice line and sign up for a qualifying plan costing at least $95 per month with AutoPay. You'll need to keep the line active and stay on the financing agreement to receive the full discount. Unlike some of T-Mobile's other phone offers, this one doesn't require you to transfer a number from another carrier.

More Samsung deals at T-MobileBest Google deal at T-Mobile Opens in a new window Credit: Google Google Pixel 11 Pro $0 at T-Mobile
$1,099.99 Save $1,099.99   Get Deal at T-Mobile Why we like it

Another "for free" deal: you can wave goodbye to the $1,099.99 retail cost and get the Google Pixel 11 Pro (256GB) for nothing thanks to $1,100 in monthly bill credits. To qualify, you'll need to open a new voice line and sign up for a plan costing at least $75 per month with AutoPay. You'll also need to have two Picks for the duration of the financing agreement and keep your new line active and in good standing to receive all the credits. Just bear in mind that there's a $35 device connection charge, and you'll pay tax on the phone's full price upfront.

More Google deals at T-MobileBest Motorola deal at T-Mobile Opens in a new window Credit: Motorola Motorola razr+ $0 at T-Mobile
$999.99 Save $999.99   Get Deal at T-Mobile Why we like it

The Motorola razr+ is one of the many phones you can pick up for nothing in T-Mobile's Black Friday sale. Its $999.99 retail price is covered by up to $1,000 in monthly bill credits, although getting the deal means opening a new voice line and signing up for a plan costing at least $75 per month with AutoPay. You'll also need to put two of your plan's Picks towards the promotion for the length of the financing agreement. A $35 device connection charge applies, and tax is due upfront on the full price. Remember, the line needs to stay active and in good standing for you to receive all the credits.

More Motorola deals at T-Mobile
Categories: IT General, Technology

Amazon has cut $430 off the Jackery HomePower 3600 Pro Max power station before Black Friday

Mashable - 5 hours 35 min ago

SAVE $430: As of Nov. 10, the Jackery HomePower 3600 Pro Max is on sale for $2,469 at Amazon. That's a 15% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3600 Pro Max $2,469 at Amazon
$2,899 Save $430   Get Deal at Amazon

If you're looking to add some serious backup power to your home, Amazon has an early Black Friday deal on a Jackery unit that is capable of powering many of your devices. The Jackery HomePower 3600 Pro Max is currently available with two 200W solar panels for $2,469, down from $2,899. That's a saving of $430.

This portable power station delivers 4,000W of power and supports both 120V and 240V appliances from a single unit. Its starting capacity is 3.6kWh, but you can expand it to up to 43kWh with additional batteries, so it's a great choice for full-home backup.

It can switch to UPS backup in under 10 milliseconds, keeping connected electronics running during a power supply interruption. It also uses EV-grade LFP battery cells rated for 6,000 cycles, with Jackery saying this gives it a lifespan of more than 16 years. A fire-resistant housing and an emergency power-off switch also provide additional longevity and safety features.

Plus, the included solar panels give you another way to keep the system topped up, alongside its eight other supported recharging methods, including gas generator and DC-DC alternator charging.

Find this Jackery deal at Amazon now.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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