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I have the Samsung Galaxy A21s from 2020. Six years of use and many repairs later, it's still kicking. It's not in the best shape or has the best battery life, but with some management, it lasts more than a day, and even a few days on battery.

For better or worse, DNS failures feel like an internet problem. I mean, if the website fails to load, then it kind of is an issue with your internet—but not in the same way as it is when your ISP fails, for instance. With DNS failures, everything else might be peachy, but websites will struggle.

Move-in day is already a few hangovers behind you, the mini fridge is working overtime, and someone down the hall is already playing music too loud (or not loud enough). Whether you're the student or the parent who drove home with an empty back seat, the right movie (or series) can capture that freshman mix of first-time freedom, panic, and bad decisions.

If you are paying for Google News subscriptions to get your latest stories and events within various Google services, you can now curate your news for free by choosing news sources that don't require subscriptions. A new feature released by Google allows me to handpick sources and connect them to my Google account so they are accessible in various Google products — with no subscription required. So far, I like the functionality, especially how easy it is to add sources to my curated news and see them in the Top Stories section of my Google News feed, or customize topics for my daily audio news briefing.

It'd be presumptuous to say, but the Silent Hill franchise might be back.

That is to say, if you consider Silent Hill 2 Remake to be a fluke, and Silent Hill f's critical success to be an aberration, then you'd hate to hear that Silent Hill: Townfall — the newest game from Konami and developers Screen Burn Interactive — is also a very good game.

If you're a diehard about the canon of Silent Hill, you're not going to like this. Townfall is the latest installment in the psychological survival horror franchise, and it's the first full game to shift to first-person instead of over-the-shoulder. More importantly, it continues Konami's direction of turning Silent Hill, the franchise, into an anthology series, focused on the vibes of its predecessors rather than continuing to create stories set within the namesake town.

SEE ALSO: The 'Resident Evil: Code Veronica' remake is officially a go

The trend started with the short, not-that-good free-to-play game, The Short Message, which came out in 2024 and was set in a German apartment complex. With the success of Bloober Team's Silent Hill 2 remake, Konami went full gear, making Silent Hill a yearly release with Silent Hill f, which was set in 1960's rural Japan. That brings us to Townfall, set in 1990's Scotland and featuring, to date, Silent Hill's first Black protagonist.

Having played through the game fully twice on PlayStation 5, thanks to an early access code from Konami, I can safely say that Townfall is not only a beautiful game, but it's also in general a good game. Though it may be lacking in enemy variety and is also a victim of third-act padding, Townfall's foray into first-person horror was dreamy, tense, and at times, annoyingly predictable.

Welcome to St. Amelia Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

For starters, St. Amelia is no Silent Hill. Like f, the next stop in Silent Hill's international tour is the coast of Scotland, in the fictional town of St. Amelia. Set in 1996, you play as Simon Ordell, a Black American who's found himself washed up on the shore of this quaint fishing village, trapped in fog, despite having no connections to the town in the first place.

I'll try to remain as spoiler-free as possible, but Simon is not the only other playable character. For a couple of chapters, you'll also play as Zoe Ellis, a nurse from the local clinic who's harboring severe guilt over not being able to save lives after a mass casualty event rocked the town.

As far as the plot goes, the central mystery of the story, "what happened to the town," dangles enough carrots to keep me interested. Context clues and just using your brain will quickly piece together what did happen, as the game trusts the player to understand without being spoon-fed.

If anything, my biggest gripe is a lack of character development for our main protagonist. Simon's connection and importance to the town is an interesting thread to follow, but Simon himself is as charismatic as a block of wood. Most of Simon's dialogue is him trying to get someone, anyone, to tell him what's going on. His interactions with Zoe also offer nothing, as Zoe is a very muted and introverted person, so she's not much help in Simon's quest.

There's also Richard, a mysterious figure who reaches out to Simon, guiding him to where he needs to be.

Who dressed this man? Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

It, at times, feels so one-dimensional, and not to rant, I hate the way Simon is designed. For a game set in 1996, Simon is dressed like a 2010s-era hipster. The beanie, sleeveless puffer jacket, and flannel with rolled-up sleeves are the wardrobe of a Funko Pop-collecting IPA enthusiast. Even knowing why he's dressed like that, I hate that of the few Black protagonists in horror gaming, Simon has absolutely no drip.

SEE ALSO: 'Marathon' game hands-on: Bungie builds a rewarding slow burn

What does have drip (i.e., a better design), is St. Amelia itself. Based on the fishing villages along the coast of Fife in Scotland, the true terror of St. Amelia is not the monsters themselves but the existential crisis that befalls the community at the hands of oil barons. The empty brick-laid stores and abandoned townhouses and duplexes reveal a dying town, and at the center, a mural for those lost by disaster. Townfall is very much about the many, many, many consequences of Thatcherism.

It truly captures the spirit of Silent Hill, even though it's not set in the town or shares any canon with it whatsoever. While the literal "whys" of the Silent Hill franchise have never really made much sense, the "vibes" of Silent Hill are present. It's a daunting task for Screen Burn, but they did a wonderful job in my opinion.

Can Simon "set things right"?

Despite my complaints about the plot of Town Hall, the gameplay itself is pretty good. Smooth, performs well, and does a lot of things right in this modern era of Unreal Engine survival horror games.

It seems Screen Burn's first focus was cinematic immersion. Townfall strives to be as diegetic as possible while navigating St. Amelia. Like the Silent Hill 2 remake, opening the map doesn't pause the game, and exploration will translate on the map in terms of locked doors/gates and points of interest.

Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

In addition, saving your progress requires a visit to the phone, either in a booth or on a landline you find throughout the map. Unlike, say, Resident Evil's typewriter, you have to physically put in the 1-0-0 number on the phone to access the save menu. At first, I was worried this would be tedious, but I got used to it quickly and found it effective at aiding the immersion Screen Burn was looking to achieve.

The star of the show is Simon's CRT monitor. Like the radio, this is how the game alerts you to nearby enemies. The big gameplay change here is that the monitor enables you to see enemies through the screen. This allows you to see enemies through walls, which is helpful; it comes with several caveats. The first is that the screen itself, when locked onto enemies, is visually similar to a Nintendo Virtual Boy. So, while you can see enemies behind objects, as they appear as black figures contrasting against the red screen, it's not helpful in figuring out their actual, physical proximity to you. The second caveat is that you can only lock onto one enemy at a time. In practice, when new enemies appear on screen, you have to manually change the CRT's frequency to lock onto them. However, once you do, you can use L1/R1 buttons to quick switch between them.

It makes the gameplay loop all the more tense, since stealth is crucial. Entering new areas can quickly put you in a panic, as you have to stop to manually find each new enemy's signal while having to mentally keep track of who belongs to what signal, and where, as you explore. And sometimes, they're not that close to you, and other times, an enemy could be moving around, but it turns out they're stuck in a locked room.

Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

Zoe functions similarly to Simon, except instead of a portable CRT, she has her pager. It doesn't alert you the same way the monitor does with static clicks, and it can only show the general direction of an enemy, rather than fully see them. Honestly, I think the pager is one, make it fit with Zoe being a nurse, and two, randomly scare the player because the pager makes a loud buzzing sound when it receives a message.

The enemies themselves are fine. There are only two main enemy types, plus a stalker enemy that pursues Simon in certain Otherworld sections. They're well-designed — shambling corpses that seem to suffer from severe burn scarring all across their bodies. One variation has an axe protruding out of its face and runs really fast, and the other one shoots an IV needle at you from range if you try to run away. Engaging with enemies should be your last resort cause they hit hard, and melee combat just kind of sucks in general.

For melee, there's the classic 2x4 plank or the lead pipe, both of which break if used too much. While nothing new, I did appreciate that finding supplies is very location-dependent. When you're rummaging through apartments and homes, you'll generally find health supplies rather than ammo. Planks can be found in the gardens and backyards of said homes, while the lead pipe is generally found within the rusted, industrial iron hell of the Otherworld. It's rare to find ammo anywhere except in little wood boxes left by Richard that you can find through your journey. It's not a big thing, but I did appreciate how the level design was crafted to fit the artificial scarcity inherent to survival horror games.

Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

For most of the game, you'll only have the revolver, but near the latter parts, you can find the flare gun, which is one shot and highly inaccurate, and the double-barreled shotgun, which you don't get to use until really late in the game.

Shooting your weapon is a bad idea because it will attract every nearby enemy to your location. Plus, even though the creatures don't have eyes, they can still see you, on top of being able to hear you. At extreme difficulty, they'll aggro at the sight of your flashlight as well, which is annoying cause the game is dark as hell. It's a minor nitpick of mine, but having blind enemies being capable of seeing you is dumb.

All in all, the tools present in Townfall are great ideas that elevate what is, for the most part, a standard modern survival horror game.

And, like any survival horror game, it has puzzles. To be quite honest, I found them lacking. Zoe's big puzzle in the hospital was a lot of fun; Simon's puzzles are not. Like its contemporaries, Townfall also suffers from the illness of item-retrieval puzzles set in large areas split into two halves. The first third of the game with Simon and Zoe in the Shorefront of St. Amelia, I think, was the best part of the game, puzzle and exploration-wise. There's so much environmental storytelling in the town that I missed severely when I was stuck in the Otherworld.

Depending on your tolerance and patience towards stealth-focused survival horror, I'd say you're in for a good time. My first playthrough took about 15-16 hours, and that's cause some of the puzzles required some close reading that I am not capable of at times. My second playthrough took 6 hours. I imagine if I played it again, I could finish it in four. Annoyingly, like its predecessors, you're going to have to play the game a second or third time to unlock the "true" ending. It wasn't a feat I could achieve because the requirements are arcane and esoteric. (The behavioral factors needed for SH2's good ending make me want to go insane)

Performance/Presentation Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

In the 20+ hours I spent with Townfall, I was delighted with how well it performed on PlayStation 5. With games of this standard, I immediately switched to Performance Mode, and the graphical fidelity was still pretty good in my eyes. Townfall can be a pretty game at times, and I'd say the lighting is one of its greatest strengths in terms of presentation.

You should also turn off the black bars as well. Screen Burn really wants to make Townfall a cinematic experience, but it's just kind of jarring. Like, yeah, it makes certain scenes stand out, but I couldn't imagine playing this full 15-hour game in 4:3 aspect ratio.

Another plus is the sound. Produced by acclaimed musician Pilotpriest, the soundtrack is an amalgamation of atmospheric electronic synth that at times feels eerily similar to Stranger Things. It sets a moody, uneasy tone perfect for an environment that feels dreamy and out of time. It's unlike the series' usual industrial grind and heavy guitar tracks, and I imagine the aim is to highlight the contrast between the town's old-English architectural design and the creeping technology being introduced into it.

As stated earlier, almost everything you interact with is diegetic in some way. From entering numbers into the phone to using computers, printers, and even a tape recorder. It's purposeful but subtle in a way that doesn't remove the tension or immersion, and the ambient synth soundtrack brings it all together.

Should you buy Silent Hill: Townfall Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami

If you're a fan of the current era of survival horror, yes. Townfall is smooth, tense, and pretty, and it performs great on PlayStation 5. St. Amelia is also a wonderful place to get lost in, especially during that first stretch of the game.

Just know what you're getting into. Townfall introduces some new elements, but beneath them lies the standard formula. Personally, that formula can wear on me fast, especially near the end, but that's very plot-dependent. The central mystery of Townfall is engaging and was a driver for me to finish the game (other than having to review it for work), but I found the characters flat and the dialogue to be annoyingly allusive.

Lore and canon truthers should also temper expectations. This is a separate spin-off with nothing to do with the town, the previous games, or their characters, and if that's a dealbreaker, you'll be disappointed. Fans can be tough on anything that strays from the source. Resident Evil diehards already don't like the new movie, even though it was a critical success.

Overall, in terms of good games in 2026, Townfall is one of them. It's not in my top 10 list, but for the genre and series it's a part of, Screen Burn did an excellent job. I expect it to fade from my memory sooner than most. But if someone brings it up in conversation, my first reaction will be "oh, I really liked that game."

Silent Hill: Townfall is available for pre-order now for PS5; it will be available starting Sept. 24.

Opens in a new window Credit: Screen Burn Interactive / Konami 'Silent Hill: Townfall' for PS5 $49.94 at Amazon
  Get Deal

Google is in the midst of transitioning Android to what it calls an “intelligence system.” It’s made a big deal about enabling phones to do more without your input. The idea is solid, but in real-world use, I’ve found that Samsung’s less flashy features are much smarter.

Taylor Swift has put a countdown on her website, and Swifties have been doing their homework. Set against red curtains, the glittery gold timer ends Sept. 22 at 2 p.m. ET. What happens when it hits zero? Swift hasn't said, but she's given fans plenty to theorize about.

The countdown follows a string of smaller changes online. On Sept. 22, fans noticed that Swift changed her Instagram bio to read "And baby, that's sh0w business f0r y0u," replacing the O's with zeroes, and expanded the letter on her website about reclaiming ownership of her music from two pages to three. Zeroes have similarly appeared in the title of The Life of a Showgirl on Apple Music, while the Taylor Swift logo on the streaming platform has changed from orange to silver.

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So, what is Taylor Swift teasing this time?

To understand the latest theories, we have to return to the original scene of the crime — which, conveniently, was staged like an actual crime scene. Last week, Swift appeared in a prerecorded Law & Order: SVU sketch during the Emmys. In the segment, Mariska Hargitay and members of the show’s cast attempted to solve a very important mystery: Would Taylor Swift attend the ceremony?

Their investigation included boards covered with friendship bracelets, the number 13, and references to Swift’s music. Swift then joined the investigation as a rookie detective and insisted that she did not believe "everything is a clue." Moments later, she said the answer might be "hiding in plain sight," looked directly into the camera, and delivered the four very strange phrases, "Saccharide. Aries. From the vineyard. North or south."

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift crashes Mariska Hargitay's 'Law & Order SVU' sketch at the Emmys

Naturally, Swifties took that as an assignment.

At first, fans tried to interpret the phrases individually. "From the vineyard" sounded a lot like "From the Vault," the label Swift uses for previously unreleased songs included on her rerecorded albums. "Saccharide," another word for sugar, was connected to an unreleased Swift song reportedly titled "Sugar."

According to one fan's solution, "Saccharide, Aries, from the vineyard, north or south" can be unscrambled to read: "My first record’s re-record is out Nov. ten." The remaining letters spell "ha ha ha ha."

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Fans have also found another potential message within the phrase. By selectively pulling letters from the words and rearranging them, they can spell "ENCORE." If intentional, both solutions appear to point toward a re-release.

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Don't worry, there's more. The Emmys investigation board included what appeared to be a guitar with teardrops on it, likely a reference to "Teardrops on My Guitar" from Swift's 2006 debut album. Fans also spotted a note mentioning Tuesday at 8 a.m., Nov. 10, 2026, which falls on a Tuesday, and Swift’s original debut album was also released on a Tuesday in 2006.

Of course, the theory is not airtight. But the idea is not coming entirely out of nowhere. Swift has already confirmed that a rerecorded version of her debut exists. In the 2025 letter announcing that she had purchased the masters to her first six albums, Swift said she had "completely re-recorded" her self-titled debut and loved how it sounded. She added that both the album and Reputation (Taylor’s Version) could still "have their moments to re-emerge when the time is right."

More recently, Swift has been publicly reflecting on the country music roots of her career. During an August conversation with Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr., she looked back at writing her debut single, "Tim McGraw," and said she feels increasingly connected to the Nashville community that shaped her.

"I love my country roots more and more," Swift said. "The further along this path I get, I want to honor them more and more, and I feel more tied and more loyal to them." And what better way to honor those roots than by returning to the country album where they began?

There is also one particularly convenient announcement opportunity approaching. On Sunday, Sept. 27, Swift will receive the inaugural Artist Director Honors at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards. She enters the ceremony with 11 nominations, including video of the year, artist of the year, and best album. That gives Swift a very good reason to be at the show, and a likely opportunity to end up onstage.

The VMAs would also be a familiar place for her to reveal new music — Swift announced Midnights while accepting video of the year at the 2022 ceremony.

Anthropic has released Claude Opus 5.5, a new AI model the company says performs at roughly the same level as its Claude Fable 5.1 model on most work, but at a significantly lower cost.

The model, announced on Tuesday, Sept. 22, is the first in Anthropic's new Claude 5.5 family. According to the company's announcement, Opus 5.5 costs about 40 percent less to run on typical workloads than Opus 5, which launched in July. Anthropic said Claude Sonnet 5.5 and Claude Haiku 5.5 will follow in the coming weeks.

Opus 5.5 is also the first new Anthropic model since CEO Dario Amodei called on AI companies to "pace the frontier" and put the brakes on AI development for safety reasons.

Claude Opus 5.5 leads in coding and knowledge work, Anthropic says

Anthropic said Opus 5.5 leads its benchmark suite in agentic coding, computer use, and knowledge work. On GDPval-AA v2.1, which tests real-world work across 44 occupations, the company reported that Opus 5.5 scored 1,846. Fable 5.1 scored 1,735 and Opus 5 scored 1,708.

Credit: Anthropic / Mashable screenshot

On Terminal-Bench 4.0, Anthropic reported Opus 5.5 at 66.4 percent, compared with 57.9 percent for OpenAI's GPT-6 Astra, which launched earlier this month. Astra still led on some tests. Those included Terminal-Bench-Science 0.1, on which it scored 64.6 percent, compared to Opus 5.5's 58.7 percent.

Anthropic also cautioned that benchmark margins have become a less reliable guide at this level of capability. The company said the real-world gap between Opus 5.5 and Fable 5.1 is narrower than the scores suggest.

The company also said the model writes more clearly than Opus 5, which it described as a common complaint about the earlier model.

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

Claude Opus 5.5 safety and safeguards

As the company's first new model since Amodei's "pacing the frontier" essay, safeguards are a particular concern.

The company said outside evaluators, including METR and Frontier Design, tested the model before release. Anthropic also said Opus 5.5 posted the best scores of any model to date on its automated behavioral audit.

This approach differed from Opus 5's. Mashable reported in July that Anthropic had deliberately left cybersecurity tasks out of that model's training. Anthropic now says Opus 5.5 is comparable to Claude Mythos 5.1 in biology and cybersecurity. Because of that, it is shipping with safeguards similar to those in Fable 5.1. Most cybersecurity tasks will be rerouted to Opus 4.8, and vetted organizations can apply for broader access to biology through a new Life Sciences Verification Program.

Anthropic acknowledged limits to its testing. The company said it has seen signs that Opus 5.5 often suspects it is under evaluation, making its real-world behavior harder to assess. OpenAI has reported similar behavior with GPT-Astra.

SEE ALSO: Avian flu, drone swarms, and mass surveillance included in Anthropic's safety report How to try Claude Opus 5.5

Claude Opus 5.5 is available now across Anthropic's platforms, including Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, and Microsoft Azure. Developers can access it through the API as claude-opus-5-5.

API pricing is:

• $4 per million input tokens

• $20 per million output tokens

• $0.20 per million tokens for cache reads

That's 20 percent less than Opus 5 for input and output tokens, and 60 percent less for cache reads, according to Anthropic. For comparison, GPT-6 Astra costs $10 per million input tokens and $50 per million output tokens.

Anthropic also says it's raising five-hour usage limits for Pro, Max, and Team subscribers.

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.

Almost everyone needs a screen capture tool at some point, from explanations and references to humorous shares and valuable project steps. Windows screenshot tools (Snip & Sketch, classic Snipping Tool, and the newer Snipping Tool) work great for quick, simple captures, but they have limits on editing, sharing, and resizing. I used to capture screen areas with the "classic" Snipping Tool and the new Windows 11 version, and I briefly tried Snip & Sketch before it was deprecated. None of them offered the options I needed to work more productively and efficiently, even for home use.

The best Prime Day robot vacuum deals at a glance: Best Robot Vacuum Deal Eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop $599.98 (Save $400.01) Get Deal Best Premium Robot Vacuum Deal Roborock Qrevo CurvX Robot Vacuum and Mop $949 (Save $550.99) Get Deal Best Budget Robot Vacuum Deal Roborock Q10 S5+ Robot Vacuum $329.99 (Save $220) Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's two-day sale for Prime members, kicks off on Oct. 6, but you don't have to wait until the calendar rolls over to shop some excellent deals. It's a great time to pick up a robot vacuum, and you can start shopping for one right now, in fact.

A robot that's on vacuum or even mop duty can be a massive help when hosting a full house over the holidays, or it can keep your home tidy year-round with regularly scheduled cleaning. It can keep up with crumbs and tracked-in dirt between visits while you deal with the cooking and decorating, or while you're just living your best life.

Robot vacuums come in a pretty wide range. Some models can basically just vacuum on a schedule you set in an app, while others also mop, map each room of your house, and empty themselves into a base that holds weeks of debris. It really just depends on what you're looking for. And right now, robot vacuums of all stripes are discounted.

Amazon adds new deals several times a day, and the best ones can sell out fast, so we'll keep checking prices and updating this list until the sale ends. For now, these are the best robot vacuum deals you can get right now ahead of the sale. Be sure to check back for new deals before and during the big days.

Best robot vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Eufy E25 Robot Vacuum and Mop $599.98 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $400.01   Get Deal Why we like it

This model doesn't just vacuum. It includes a roller mop that gets rinsed with clean water while it cleans, so it can scrub up everything from coffee spills to dried-on sauce without spreading dirty water around your floors. It also has 20,000 Pa of suction and brushes designed to keep pet hair from tangling around them, plus an arm that extends out to reach dirt along baseboards and in corners.

Best premium robot vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Roborock Qrevo CurvX Robot Vacuum and Mop $949 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $550.99   Get Deal Why we like it

This heavy-duty unit can slip under couches and low cabinets, with a laser sensor on top that lowers itself when needed. Plus, its chassis automatically lifts up so it can climb over thresholds between rooms. It also has 22,000 Pa of suction and brushes that resist hair tangles, which helps when it's pulling pet fur out of carpet. It can sanitize on its own, as well as wash its mops in 176 degree Fahrenheit water and dry them with hot air. That means you can stay hands-off while it handles all the cleaning and refilling.

Best budget robot vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Roborock Q10 S5+ Robot Vacuum $329.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $220   Get Deal Why we like it

This affordable robot vacuum can handle cleanup all on its own at a great price. It can empty itself into its dock after each cleaning, and the bag holds up to 70 days of dust and hair. Both of its brushes are designed to keep long hair from wrapping around them, and a LiDAR sensor maps your home so it can plan an efficient route through each room.

More early Prime Big Deal Days robot vacuum deals

• Lefant M210 — $89.99 $199.99 (save $110)

• Dreame D20 — $227.99 $349.99 (save $122)

• Shark AI Ultra — $449.99 $599 (save $149.01)

• Dreame D30 Ultra CE — $459.98 $499.99 (save $40.01)

Acer CEO Jason Chen is offering a notably rosier timeline than the rest of the memory industry, predicting that price hikes tied to the ongoing RAM shortage could begin to reverse by late 2027.

Chen made the comments in an interview with DigiTimes, as reported by TechSpot, putting him at odds with executives at several major memory manufacturers who've painted a much bleaker picture.

The shortage has already had widespread effects. Since last year, surging demand from AI data center buildouts has consumed available memory supply and pushed DRAM prices up roughly fivefold, a squeeze that's rippled out to PCs, smartphones, graphics cards, and game consoles, along with the CPUs and motherboards built around them. As TechSpot notes, a recent industry study found the memory market now resembles, on a per-unit basis, conditions from nearly two decades ago.

SEE ALSO: FTC and 22 states sue Amazon for allegedly inflating ad prices for 1.2 million advertisers

Per TechSpot's reporting, Micron CEO Sanjay Mehrotra said earlier this year that tight supply would persist beyond 2027, while SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-Jung projected shortages peaking in 2027 and supply remaining tight through 2030. Adata chairman Chen Li-bai went further still, forecasting elevated prices for another full decade despite expansion plans across the industry.

Chen sees those forecasts differently, arguing they reflect an incentive to protect margins rather than a genuine supply problem. He contends that the supply of most RAM and SSD types has already caught up with demand, and that real shortages are now confined mostly to high-end components like the fastest DDR5 modules and chips such as Nvidia's N1X, according to TechSpot.

Even so, Chen still expects PC prices to climb another 5 percent to 20 percent before the year is out, with a peak in the first half of 2027 ahead of any relief. Part of his optimism hinges on cheaper supply coming from Chinese manufacturers like CXMT. Apple has reportedly been considering CXMT as a supplier despite the company’s inclusion on the Pentagon's blacklist, TechSpot noted.

Chen's prediction runs counter to what analysts told Mashable in our previous reporting, which suggested prices would likely rise before they fall, with elevated pricing persisting through 2027 and potentially into 2028.

Jitesh Ubrani, an analyst director with the International Data Corporation, told Mashable at the time:

"The memory supply will remain tight from a device's perspective for the remainder of 2026 and well into 2027," he said. "We will see some alleviation in 2028, but keep in mind that prices will continue to rise throughout. And even in 2028, assuming this new [memory] capacity comes online and is able to provide some alleviation, we don't see device prices dropping significantly."

That leaves consumers with a wide range of outlooks to sort through — from Acer's best-case scenario of falling prices by late 2027 to warnings that meaningful relief may not arrive until 2028, or could take considerably longer. For now, anyone shopping for a new PC should probably expect prices to keep climbing before they have any real chance of coming back down.

3D modeling is a great skill for getting the most out of your 3D printer, but there’s no denying that there’s a learning curve. Thankfully, there are easier ways to solve a problem, and it all comes down to making clever use of work that’s already been done for you.

An advertiser paid for editorial consideration of this deal. Our editorial experts vetted the deal based on our independent expertise. Because we determined that the deal will save money for the consumer, we wrote the content.

TL;DR: Sling TV is offering its Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months. With this, you can access over 30 sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, and Red Zone. This limited-time offer ends on Sept. 23.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling TV Season Pass: $199.99 for 5 months   Get Deal

A new football season is upon us, and if you're looking for a way to watch all of the action this year, Sling TV is here to help.

Sling TV is offering its Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months, combining Sling Essentials, Sling Select, and Sports Extra into one impressive streaming package.

Compared to paying for each of those plans on their own each month, you're actually saving quite a bit. Sling Essentials and Sling Select are both $19.99 per month, while Sports Extra is $11 per month. All together, that'd normally cost you $254.90 over a five-month period, so through this prepay offer, you get to keep $54.91 in your pocket.

SEE ALSO: Meatball sub: The NFL's new sandwich slang, explained

Sports fans, in particular, are in for a real treat with this package. With the Season Pass, you'll have access to over 30 sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, and Red Zone, so there's plenty to watch. And outside of sports, there's also channels like Disney, FX, and National Geographic available, plus access to Freestream, which features over 600 free channels.

And if you find it's not for you, Sling TV notes that there are no contracts or long-term commitments, so you can cancel or switch plans at any time.

This offer is only live until Sept. 23, so be quick to score Sling TV's Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months.

You can now get a taste of the AirPods Max 2 without paying for the privilege. Apple has released the Beats 360, Beats' first customizable headphones, and they offer that familiar customization at a discount — and better support for Android.

We caught wind that a new pair of Beats over-ear headphones might be imminent when several World Cup stars stepped out wearing unrecognizable headphones from the brand in June. Then, there were the product filings and Amazon UK listings that teased out some more clues.

Now, the Beats 360 are finally here as of Sept. 22. The over-ear headphones are the first from the brand to feature customizable ear and headband cushions, and retail for $349.99. Preorders for the headphones open immediately, with full availability following shortly after on Sept. 24 at Amazon, Apple, Beats, Walmart, and Best Buy. At Apple and Beats, headphones are available in four colorways: black, cloud, sky, and pink, while only the former two colors are available at additional retailers.

The corresponding color of ear cups and cushions will be included with the headphones, but additional Beats 360 Cushion Kits will be available for $49.99. However, if you take advantage of the special intro offer, you can pick them up for just $9.99, knocking a whopping $40 — or 81% — off the price.

Beats 360 $349.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats 360 Cushion Kits $9.99 at Apple
$49.99 Save $40   Pre-order Here

So what's new with these headphones? We break it down below.

Beats 360: Price and specs Mix and match your favorite color combos. Credit: Beats

The Beats 360 cost $349.99, and come with the following basic specs:

• Battery life: 32 hours per charge

• Active noise cancellation: Yes

• Microphones: Nine, with eight dedicated to ANC

• IP rating: IPX4

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3, one-touch pairing for Apple and Google Fast Pair for Android users

• Colors: Black, cloud, sky, pink

Beats 360: What's new

Beats last launched a pair of over-ear headphones in 2024: the Beats Studio Pro, which are Mashable's current favorite Beats headphones. The Beats 360 are an entirely separate product line with new features. Most notable are the interchangeable ear and headband cushions. Included with the headphones is a pair of the "Performance Knit" cushions in the corresponding color.

Users will also have the choice of purchasing an extra pair of Performance Knit cushions or UltraPlush cushions. The former features memory foam, wrapped in a diamond knit strand, while the latter is the same engineered leather found in the Beats Studio Pro and Solo 4. Performance Knit kits are available in black, cloud (white), pink, sky (light blue), navy, and volt (bright green). The UltraPlush cushions come in cloud and black.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

Alongside cosmetic changes, these headphones are the first over-ear model from Beats to feature an IPX4 sweat and resistance rating, making them equipped to stand up to workouts (which they should, based on the World Cup rollout). Unlike the Studio Pro, these headphones feature a fold-flat design, so they don't get quite as compact.

Noise cancellation-wise, Beats claims the ANC on these headphones is 1.75 times that of the Beats Studio Pro. At $349.99, they have the same launch price as the Pros (which will now be available for $299.99).

Beats 360: Where to buy

The Beats 360 are available on Apple's website and additional retailers for $349.99. The cushion kits are available in Performance Knit and UltraPlush for $49.99, with a special introductory price of $9.99.

Where to buy the Beats 360 headphones Amazon Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Apple Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Beats Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Best Buy Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Walmart Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here

What defines a PC has changed substantially over the course of my life. They've drastically changed shape and size, but until I bought my most recent one, they were all at least vaguely similar. Now my concept of a PC has been completely turned on its head.

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is just around the corner — and so are some excellent Apple deals, no doubt. This 48-hour "October Prime Day" serves as Amazon's kickoff to the Black Friday/holiday shopping season, which is the best time to find discounts on popular Apple devices, among many other tech products. This year, it will double as some year-end relief from RAMageddon price increases.

While the sale isn't scheduled to begin for a few more weeks, Amazon is already rolling out some early October Prime Day deals on select gadgets, including most AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. That raises the question: If you're thinking about upgrading from an older Apple device to a newer model, should you start adding items to your cart now or hold off for a bit?

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

The answer depends on the exact product you're eyeing. Having covered Amazon's sales for years now, I think most of its current Apple deals will get much better on Oct. 6 and 7, when Prime Big Deal Days is officially live. However, a couple of the deals are worth grabbing immediately. In fact, you might miss out if you wait too long.

Read on to find out which four Apple deals I'd add to my cart ASAP, and which others I'm hoping to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts. I've come up with some October Prime Day discount predictions for every current Apple product based on their pricing histories and Amazon's deal patterns. I'm also keeping an eye on rivaling retailers like Walmart and Best Buy to see if they can one-up their offers. (Check back for updates as we get closer to the sale.)

The only Apple deals I'd shop before October Prime Day Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Apple's latest flagship smartwatch hit shelves in mid-September alongside the AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 Pros. It has an upgraded chipset and sensors that support better heart rate monitoring, a new Readiness feature, and new Audio Intelligence tools. Amazon is currently selling it for $389.99, which is almost $10 off its usual sticker price of $399. That discount isn't huge, but it's probably not going to get any bigger once Prime Big Deal Days starts. Its predecessor, the Series 11, was also only $10 off during its first Prime Big Deal Days.

Check out our breakdown of all the differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $19.01   Get Deal

Similarly, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 isn't heavily discounted but probably won't get any cheaper than it currently is, if history repeats itself. Last year, during Prime Big Deal Days, the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 was marked down to $779.99 (normally $799). Ahead of this year's sale, the Ultra 4 is already matching that. Its upgrades include a faster processor, a longer battery life, and a new heart rate monitoring system; it has the same new health and fitness features as the Series 12.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at Amazon
$2,099 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

Amazon still has a couple of older M4 iPad Pros in stock and on sale at deep discounts. One is an 11-inch model with a nano-texture (matte) display and 2TB storage; the other is a 13-inch model with Apple's standard display and 512GB of storage. They're marked down to $1,899 and $1,299, respectively, which is a $200 savings either way. (For reference, they were $250 off and $100 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025.) They're significantly cheaper than their newer M5 counterparts right now, so I can see them selling out well before this year's October Prime Day.

Read Mashable's review of the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M4).

October Prime Day AirPods deals to watch

• Apple AirPods 4: Apple's last-gen earbuds are out of stock on Amazon following this month's launch of the AirPods 5. However, I could see it bringing them back at $99 (normally $129) for Prime Big Deal Days — that's their lowest price of the year so far, and a very classic Prime Day deal. In the meantime, they're still up for grabs at Walmart for $99.

• Apple AirPods 5: The latest flagship AirPods debuted in mid-September, and they're currently stuck at full price. (The standard models retail for $129, while the ones with a wireless charging case cost $149.) They should get cheaper next month, but not by much. The AirPods 4 only saw a small $10 discount during their first Prime Big Deal Days in 2024, so I think they'll probably go for $119 and $139, respectively.

• Apple AirPods Pro 3: The AirPods Pro 3 have better ANC than the regular AirPods 5, plus a longer battery life, an added heart rate sensor, and an exclusive Hearing Aid mode. They're down to $199 right now — a 20% savings — but there's a strong chance they'll dip even lower for October's festivities. Amazon could revive its record-low price of $169, which last appeared right before June's Prime Day sale.

• Apple AirPods Pro Max 2: Apple's over-ear headphones are currently on sale for $479 (or $70 off their $549 MSRP), but I'd wait. We saw them fall to $399 a couple of months ago on Prime Day — an impressive 27% savings.

Read our reviews of the AirPods 5, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, find out where they ranked on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.

The best early October Prime Day AirPods deals for now: Apple AirPods 4 $99 (save $30 at Walmart) Get Deal Apple AirPods 5 $129 Shop Now Apple AirPods 5 with wireless charging case $149 Shop Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Apple AirPods Pro Max 2 $479 (save $70) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watch

• Apple Watch SE 3: Normally $249, Apple's budget smartwatch has been as cheap as $189.99 before — a savings of just under $60. It's definitely not worth buying now at $239, or only $10 off.

The best early October Prime Day Apple Watch deals for now: Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $239 (save $10) Shop Now Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 (save $9.01) Get Deal Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal October Prime Day MacBook deals to watch

• Apple MacBook Neo: The cheapest MacBook hasn't gotten any major discounts at major retailers since its March release. (Its current sale price of $689 on Amazon, or $10 off, is its all-time low there.) There's no world where Amazon matches the Apple Store's $100 student discount for Prime Big Deal Days, IMO, but maybe we'll see it hit $649 for the first time next month. It's due for better deals now that it's more than six months old.

• Apple MacBook Air: One 13-inch M5 MacBook Air variant was $150 off at the time of writing, but don't add it to your cart yet. Both sizes of last year's M4 MacBook Air were $200 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025. If Amazon matched that offer in the coming weeks, it would erase the M5 Air's recent price hike. For reference, the 13-inch one usually starts at $1,299, while the 15-inch size typically starts at $1,499; snag them as soon as you catch them at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

• Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch, M5-powered base model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $150 off right now, but I think Amazon might sell it for $1,799, or $200 off, come Prime Big Deal Days. That's the discount its equally configured predecessor got last fall. (It wouldn't fully negate the MacBook Pro's recent $300 price increase, but it would be a welcome deal regardless. We haven't spotted it on sale for less than $1,849 since June.)

Read our reviews of the Apple MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is best for you.

The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals for now: Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689 (save $10) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 (save $150) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,499 Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,849 (save $150) Get Deal October Prime Day iPad deals to watch

• Apple iPad: Apple's flagship tablet is on sale for $399 in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days (usually $449). Wait to see if Amazon matches or beats its $70 discount from last year's sale, which would bring it down to just $379.

• Apple iPad mini: The smallest, most portable iPad was also $70 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so it's now on sale for $569 (only $30 off). It's worth adding to your cart if you see it drop to $529 or lower.

• Apple iPad Air: Both sizes of the latest M4 iPad Air are $100 off right now. That's not bad, but we saw last year's M3 models go on sale for $150 off last October. If Amazon can replicate that for Prime Big Deal Days 2026, it would completely nix the 11-inch version's price hike. That size would return to $599, while the 13-inch model would only be $799 (normally $749 and $949, respectively).

• Apple iPad Pro: As mentioned up top, last year's M4 iPad Pros were $100 to $250 off during last year's Prime Big Deal Days — making Amazon's current deals on their successors look pretty pathetic. The 11-inch M5 base model is now $1,139, only $60 off, and the 13-inch model is now $1,427, just $72 off. Ideally, they'll soon hit $1,099 and $1,399 or less, respectively.

Read our reviews of the iPad mini, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 iPad Pro. Not sure which iPad to buy? Allow us to offer some guidance.

The best early October Prime Day iPad deals for now: Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $399 (save $50) Get Deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB $649 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $849 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,427 (save $72) Get Deal

Amazon's Prime Air delivery drone service is still in the early stages of rolling out across the United States, but residents of one test community have already had enough.

The New York Times reported on residents of Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas where Amazon has been testing drone deliveries throughout 2026. According to several Richardson residents interviewed by the Times, Amazon's Prime Air drones can fly as low as 150 feet above houses and backyards, creating bothersome amounts of noise. One resident even said the drones can be heard inside, even with the TV turned on.

SEE ALSO: Amazon blocks Meta's Muse AI agent from shopping

An Amazon spokesperson told the Times that "fewer than 1 percent" of complaints so far this year have had to do with noise. The same spokesperson also compared the noise of a drone to that of a window fan on a low setting. That may be true of just one drone, but one of the residents interviewed, Stephanie Puri, counted the number of drones flying over her house one Friday, and the final tally came out to 52. According to Puri, that was a slow day.

There's also the issue of privacy. These drones have cameras for navigational purposes, and the Richardson residents interviewed for the story noted their discomfort with the possibility that their backyard activities could be recorded. Amazon says the images are stored on encrypted drives and are only used to improve customer service, but the company has previously used human reviewers to listen to recordings captured by Alexa devices, for example.

And that's to say nothing of the various videos and photos showing Prime Air drones dropping packages in hot tubs and other places where they shouldn't go. As a reminder, Prime Air is in the process of expanding to 500 towns and cities across America as we speak.

Meta launched its new AI assistant Muse to much fanfare earlier this month.

Now, just a few weeks later, a zero-day vulnerability has reportedly been discovered that could put access to your entire Mac computer in the wrong hands. (Meta currently does not have a Windows version of Muse for PC.)

macOS security expert Patrick Wardle posted on X about the vulnerability with the Muse app. According to Wardle, and as first covered by Ars Technica,  the vulnerability lets "local malware/attackers invisibly hijack" a user's Mac.

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

Wadle explains that thanks to the macOS permissions that Muse requires, an attacker could access and change the endpoint where transcription for dictation occurs. The server address is pointed to one that belongs to Meta, but with this change, the attacker could then gain access to the token that controls the Muse account.

From there, the attacker doesn't need to deploy any specific trojan or code to steal data from a user's machine, Wardle explained. They can simply take control of Muse to do so.

As a personal AI agent, Muse is able to help complete tasks and perform actions on a user's computer. This requires that a user give Muse a lot of permissions on their device, more than a user would provide to most other third-party applications. Other popular AI agents like OpenClaw have the same security risks.

Meta predicted the potential security issues with Muse requiring so many system permissions. The company addressed the issue at launch, saying Muse was designed to run on "a dedicated secure computer with its own browser" called Muse Secure VM.

"Personal agents need a new kind of secure computer, so Meta built one for everyone," Meta said. "Muse Secure VM has first-of-its-kind privacy, safety, and security protections engineered into it that no other agent provides."

However, according to Wardle, specific decisions Meta made when creating Muse led to this vulnerability. For example, Wardle shared how Apple keeps all dictation locally on devices for its own applications and transcription features. Meta opted to use the cloud for dictation, which makes the exploit possible, he claimed. 

Meta has not yet addressed the zero-day vulnerability. But, they likely will soon. On the same day the exploit was unveiled, Amazon announced that it would be blocking Meta's Muse AI assistant from being able to purchase products for users on its e-commerce site.

This has been an astoundingly brutal year for Xbox, and the carnage continued on Tuesday.

Microsoft's gaming division announced in a blog post that it's laying off 268 people across its first-party studios, on top of 1,600 roles that were cut in July. According to Xbox executive Matt Booty, Tuesday's cuts bring us to roughly 75 percent of all currently planned cuts to Xbox's payroll, which means more layoffs are presumably coming.

For the employees who do remain, Xbox is also reshuffling its development deck to a severe degree. Perhaps most notably, the celebrated Halo franchise is now under the control of Xbox subsidiary Activision, maker of Call of Duty. Halo Studios, which was created with the sole purpose of making Halo games, will live on as a support studio for the time being. Age of Empires developer World's Edge and Sea of Thieves developer Rare are also under the Activision umbrella now.

Beyond that, Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda has taken Pentiment and Avowed developer Obsidian under its wing. Mobile game developer King is fusing with Microsoft Casual Games, too. Lastly, Playground Games and Turn 10 will join forces to be the stewards of both the Fable and Forza franchises. Many of those partnerships already existed in a sense, as Obsidian had worked with Bethesda before, while the same is true of Playground and Turn 10, but they're seemingly more formalized now.

The blog post also addressed some of Xbox's former subsidiaries. The studios Compulsion, Double Fine, and Undead Labs have all escaped the Xbox ecosystem, but agreements for Hellblade developer Ninja Theory fell through, and Xbox is exploring a possible closure. Dishonored developer Arkane is still in negotiations with Xbox to potentially be spun off.

While some Xbox fans may have found optimism in the recent leadership changes at the company, but so far the Asha Sharma era has been defined almost entirely by layoffs and studio closures. That's to say nothing of the recent harsh limits imposed on Game Pass streaming and the ongoing BDS boycott of the Xbox brand over the past year and a half. Needless to say, things are not going well from the outside looking in.