Blogroll

Get More Value Out of Your AI Efforts

Havard Management Tip of the Day - 1 hour 50 min ago

If you’re experimenting with gen AI across your company, be careful not to spread your efforts out too much. Shallow and broad AI deployments may produce short-term wins, but they rarely lead to lasting advantage. A smarter strategy is to go deep and narrow by using AI to strengthen one high-impact area that competitors can’t […]

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Categories: Management

Moon phase today: What the moon will look like on November 20

Mashable - 1 hour 51 min ago

Tonight the moon’s completely out of sight, that's because it’s a New Moon. This means the side facing us is in shadow, so there's to see at all. After tonight, we'll be in a new lunar cycle and the moon will slowly start getting brighter and brighter each night.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Thursday Nov. 20, the moon phase is New Moon. This means 0% of the moon is lit up tonight, according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation. So, if you were hoping to catch a glimpse of the moon tonight, you’re out of luck. Just enjoy the dark sky for now, the moon will be back in a few days.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Dec. 4, this will be the last of three consecutive supermoons. The last full moon was on Nov. 5.

What are moon phases?

Moon phases are part of a repeating lunar cycle that lasts about 29.5 days, according to NASA. They describe how the moon appears from Earth as it orbits our planet. While we always see the same side of the moon, the amount of sunlight illuminating it changes throughout its orbit. That’s why sometimes it looks full, sometimes half, and sometimes disappears entirely (the New Moon). There are eight main moon phases:

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.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to watch the 2025-26 Ashes online for free

Mashable - 1 hour 51 min ago

TL;DR: Live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series for free on 7plus. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Cricket fans have been treated to some truly special events this year. We've been dazzled by the Asia Cup, gripped by India's tour of England, and the ICC Champions Trophy produced some thrilling moments that we'll remember for a long time. But for now, it's time to forget all about that and focus on arguably the biggest contest on the stacked schedule: the 2025-26 Ashes series.

It really doesn't get much bigger than a five-Test showdown between bitter rivals England and Australia. England have not won a single Test in Australia since the 2010-11 series. They lost 5-0 in the 2013-14 series and then suffered back-to-back 4-0 defeats in 2017-18 and 2021-22. Can they turn things around and secure a rare win Down Under?

If you want to watch the 2025-26 Ashes series for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is The Ashes?

The Ashes is a Test cricket series contested biennially between England and Australia. There have been 73 Ashes series in total. Australia have won 34 and retained six times from draws. England have won 32 and retained once from a draw.

Australia are the holders of the Ashes after winning in 2021–22 and retaining after drawing in 2023.

When is the 2025-26 Ashes?

The 2025-26 Ashes series takes place in Australia between November 2025 and January 2026. The full schedule is as follows:

  • Test 1 (Optus Stadium) — Nov. 21-25

  • Test 2 (The Gabba) — Dec. 4-8

  • Test 3 (Adelaide Oval) — Dec. 17-21

  • Test 4 (MCG) — Dec. 26-30

  • Test 5 (SCG) — Jan. 4-8

The good news for fans is that every Test match is available to live stream without spending anything.

How to watch the 2025-26 Ashes for free

The 2025-26 Ashes series is available to live stream for free on 7plus.

7plus is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Australia, meaning you can unblock 7plus from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025-26 Ashes by following these simple steps:

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

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

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

  4. Visit 7plus

  5. Watch the 2025-26 Ashes for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series before recovering your investment. If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for 7plus?

ExpressVPN is the best service for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on 7plus, for a number of reasons:

  • Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

  • Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

  • Fast connection speeds

  • Up to eight simultaneous connections

  • 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream the 2025-26 Ashes series for free with ExpressVPN.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Pips hints, answers for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

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

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

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

How to play Pips

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

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 8, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 8, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 20 Pips

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

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

Less Than (8): Everything in this space must be less than 8. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 2-2, placed vertically.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 2-2, placed vertically; 3-1, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 20 Pips

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

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

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

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

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 0-2, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed horizontally; 3-0, placed vertically; 6-2, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Nov. 20 Pips

Number (18): Everything in this space must add to 18. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 6-4, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 6-4, placed horizontally; 4-4, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Equal (5): Everything in this red space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-5, placed horizontally; 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically.

Equal (6): Everything in this orange space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 6-2, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this green space must be equal to 2. The answer is 6-2, placed horizontally; 5-2, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically; 2-1, placed vertically.

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

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be a good time if you're familiar with Florida sports.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable 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. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise 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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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: Sunshine State sports

  • Green: Playing surfaces

  • Blue: Regular season honors

  • Purple: Top pick in the draft

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

  • Yellow: Florida Teams

  • Green: Types of Tennis Courts

  • Blue: NHL Awards

  • Purple: NFL Draft No. 1 Picks, Familiarly

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 #423 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
  • Florida Teams - DOLPHINS, LIGHTNING, MAGIC, RAYS

  • Types of Tennis Courts - CARPET, CLAY, GRASS, HARD

  • NHL Awards - HART, LADY BYNG, NORRIS, VEZINA

  • NFL Draft No. 1 Picks, Familiarly - BAKER, ELI, KEYSHAWN, ORLANDO

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

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

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

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you take care of your teeth.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for November 20, 2025 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: To attach

  • Green: To lightly touch

  • Blue: Found in one's mouth

  • Purple: Two syllables

Here are today's Connections categories

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

  • Yellow: Adhere

  • Green: Graze

  • Blue: Parts of a tooth

  • Purple: Words that sound like two letters

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 #893 is...

What is the answer to Connections today
  • Adhere: FIX, PASTE, PLASTER, STICK

  • Graze: BRUSH, KISS, SKIM, STROKE

  • Parts of a tooth: CROWN, ENAMEL, PULP, ROOT

  • Words that sound like two letters: ANY, ARTY, DECAY, ESSAY

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

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

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

NYT Strands hints, answers for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're always in the know.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

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.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: Busybody buzz

The words are related to stories.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe the word on the street.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Spread the Word.

NYT Strands word list for November 20
  • Rumor

  • Report

  • Gossip

  • Hearsay

  • Spread the Word

  • Scuttlebutt

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're familiar with the dead.

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.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20, 2025 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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for November 20, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

A burial place.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter G.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. 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...

GRAVE

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.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20, 2025

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

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

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Hurdle hints and answers for November 20, 2025

Mashable - 3 hours 51 min ago

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.

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

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A particle.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

FLAKE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

A sweet crystal.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for November 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

SUGAR

Hurdle Word 3 hint

A clear alcoholic drink.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for November 20 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for November 20, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

VODKA

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A meteor.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for November 20 Hurdle Word 4 answer

COMET

Final Hurdle hint

Taken out.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

DRAWN

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Black Friday 2025: Get live updates on the latest sales, doorbusters, and deal drops

Mashable - 6 hours 43 min ago

Once upon a time, Americans lined up in droves outside Walmarts and Targets, still full from Thanksgiving dinner, so they could be first in the door. Thankfully, these frenzied Black Friday free-for-alls are a relic of a bygone era. Now, not only can you order all of the best Black Friday deals online, but for the past few years, retailers have also been launching their Black Friday sales weeks in advance of Thanksgiving.

So, ready or not, Black Friday is already here. You can tell because Mashable is once again working around the clock to bring you live updates on all of the latest sales, standout deals, price drops, and inventory updates. Already, we've spied record discounts on flagship noise-cancelling headphones, Apple laptops and tablets, Dyson appliances, and some of the year's most popular tech gifts.

Check out the top early deals so far, and keep scrolling for the full schedule of events and the latest live updates and news from the Mashable shopping team.

Top Black Friday Deals at a glance: The best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (1st Gen) $299 (save $130) Get Deal Best Earuds Deal Apple AirPods Pro 2 $139 (save $100) Get Deal Best Deal Under $25 Apple AirTag $17.97 (save $11.03) Get Deal Best TV Under $1,000 Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS03F 4K QLED Smart TV $897.99 (save $300) Get Deal Best TV Under $500 Samsung 65-inch QN65 4K QLED Smart TV 2025 $448 (save $151.99) Get Deal Best Amazon Device Deal Amazon Echo Pop $21.99 (save $18) Get Deal Best Apple laptop deal 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4) $749 (save $250) Get Deal Best Kitchen Deal Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender $299.95 (save $250.04) Get Deal Stocking Stuffer Deal Orastone Electric Hand Warmers $17.99 (save $12) Get Deal Best Lego Deal Lego Wicked Welcome to Emerald City Building Set $79.95 (save $20.04) Get Deal

Remember: Black Friday 2025 takes place on Friday, Nov. 28, and is quickly followed by Cyber Week, which starts on Monday, Dec. 1. However, you can already shop plenty of sales at all the major online retailers. If you want to be the first to know when new sales go online, then keep checking back as we provide live updates on the shopping festivities.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Whats the best cordless vacuum? I tested several at home, and Dyson isnt my only recommendation.

Mashable - 7 hours 6 min ago

Whether you should get a robot vacuum or a stick vacuum boils down to one question: How picky are you about cleaning?

Everyone can probably acknowledge the appeal of not lifting a finger to clean their floors. But to some, that convenience may not be worth the cringe sparked by watching a robot vacuum ignore a crumb or eat a phone charger. Despite notable upgrades in smart mapping and cleaning performance over the past half-decade, even the best robot vacuums of 2025 can't match the precision of the best cordless stick vacuums operated by, you know, an actual human with a brain.

Cordless vacuums also just have the physical advantage in a lot of tricky spots. If you'd like to keep up with couch cushions, car seats, stairs, or the dusty abyss lying behind every door, a stick vacuum that can go handheld (and go outside) is the only option with that flexibility.

SEE ALSO: The best way to make your Dyson stick vacuum last? Clean it regularly.

But to be real, your willingness to do all the cleaning yourself also matters — if you dread vacuuming by hand so much that you'll just put off doing it, your floors might actually be cleaner with a robot vacuum. I personally have both at the ready at all times and can argue for the value and practicality on either side, depending on the situation. And while the convenience of robot wouldn't want to completely live without the convenience robot vacuums provide when I'm frazzled, I haven't been able to shake the reflex to reach for a cordless vacuum in more cases than not.

Not sure if buying both types of vacuums is in your budget? Black Friday could change that. Along with a ton of Black Friday robot vacuum deals, cordless stick vacuums from brands like Dyson, Shark, LG, Roborock, and Tineco are anticipating heavy discounts — this is your chance to save $100 (or several hundred) on your dream vacuum. For Black Friday Dyson deals, your best bet is Walmart or Dyson's own website. For the other top brands, Amazon, Walmart, and Best Buy will all have competitive selections.

Other cordless vacuums I've tested

I've tested several other vacuum cleaners that didn't make the most recent cut for this list. Some, like the Shark Detect Pro with auto-empty station and LG All-in-One Cord Zero with auto-empty station, were a top recommendation at one point, but have since been overshadowed by newer, more powerful models that are a better bang for your buck.

There are also a few Dyson vacuums from years past that still garner substantial search interest, but that I no longer think are worth your money compared to what else is out there. The Dyson V8 and (seemingly discontinued) Dyson V10 that my parents have lying around have a tendency to push large debris like cat food and rocks around, and leave behind a layer of pet hair on many dark rugs. While these Dysons may have been powerhouses in the late 2010s, $300 could get you a more powerful option — maybe even automatic emptying, like with the Shark Detect Pro I just mentioned. The only upside would be that Dyson includes the motorized hair screw tool with the V8 and V10.

I also bumped the Dyson V15 Detect Submarine out of the list. The Roborock 2-in-1 cordless mop that took its place just offers a more seamless mopping system all around. The swappable wet roller head that turns the V15 Detect into a "mop" completely cuts off airflow to the dust bin of the vacuum, meaning there's no real wet suction going on. During my testing, this just pushed liquid around instead of soaking up spills, which then led to a soggy manual cleaning process that was super prone to leaks and weird smells. It just required way too much maintenance by hand, compared to the self-cleaning features of the Roborock F25 Ace Combo.

I also test robot vacuums. Are they as powerful?

I also test a ton of robot vacuums at home. While I think the convenience of robot vacuums is worth for, say, keeping up with the layer of dust and crumbs that accumulate during the work week, I have found that cordless vacuums are consistently tougher on elusive debris like pet hair or fine powders. This is especially when they've been pressed down into rug fibers or have been caked into corners.

Cordless stick vacuums are generally more powerful than robot vacuums. The upright design is optimal for airflow and has the real estate to house larger motors and more complex cyclone systems that create extra force on top of suction power alone. A robot vacuum's motor can't exceed the three or four-inch clearance that the vac needs to scoot its whole body under furniture. The motor of an upright vacuum typically lives completely separately from the vacuum head and roller brush and is thus under fewer constraints.

Physics aside, you could argue that a cordless vacuum is less likely to leave debris behind because a person is actively assessing where the suction needs to be focused. This includes tricky spots that aren't even on a robot vacuum's radar, like staircases or cars.

There are some one-to-one comparisons where a robot vacuum could be as powerful or more powerful than a stick vacuum. For instance, I've tested both the Roborock Saros 10R robot vacuum and Roborock F25 Ace cordless vacuum, and both offer 20,000 Pa suction power. But robot vacuums with that kind of power typically reside in the $1,000+ category, while it's much more affordable to hit that number with a stick vacuum. Even with identical stats on paper, the cordless vacuum would probably have a higher pickup rate over time just because the person operating it can see when more passes are necessary.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This open-source program saved me from buying an Xbox or PlayStation

How-To Geek - 7 hours 51 min ago

Gaming isn't a cheap hobby, and it only gets more expensive if you want to branch out and use multiple consoles. A gaming PC and a console can easily cost more than $1200 together.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Join Sam’s Club for $25 and shop smarter this holiday season

Mashable - 7 hours 51 min ago

TL;DR: A Sam’s Club membership with auto-renewal is available for $25 (reg. $50) for a limited time—great timing for anyone who wants easier holiday shopping, bulk savings, and a one-stop shop for family essentials.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sam's Club 1-Year Sam's Club Membership with Auto-Renew $25
$50 Save $25   Get Deal

If you’ve been debating whether a Sam’s Club membership is worth it, this is a pretty convenient moment to jump in. For a limited time, one-year Sam’s Club Membership with auto-renewal is just $25 (reg. $50), and the timing lines up perfectly with the holiday season — aka the time of year when your grocery list, gift list, and general to-do list all seem to double overnight.

With a Sam’s Club membership, families can find a wide range of groceries, snacks, fresh foods, drinks, cleaning supplies, seasonal décor, electronics, toys, and more, all in one place. It’s especially helpful for holiday hosting, stocking up on the staples that always disappear too fast, or grabbing gifts without making multiple stops.

SEE ALSO: The new iPad Pro M5 is down to its best-ever price ahead of Black Friday — save over $70 at Amazon

For families looking to stretch their budget, buying in bulk can make a noticeable difference. Items like diapers, kids’ snacks, cereal, toiletries, and cleaning supplies often last longer and cost less per unit when purchased in larger quantities. It also makes weekly errands feel a little less overwhelming.

And beyond in-club shopping, members also get access to extra perks — like savings on hotels, car rentals, movie tickets, and live events — which can come in handy whether you’re planning a family outing or planning to travel.

If you’re someone who likes simplifying your life as much as saving a little money where it counts, this offer is a well-timed opportunity.

Between holiday prep, gift-buying, and the general December chaos heading your way, having one place to grab most of what your household needs can make a real difference.

Get a one-year Sam’s Club membership with auto-renewal for just $25 (reg. $50) before the holidays begin.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Categories: IT General, Technology

NVIDIA earnings report: Why the AI bubble will bounce into 2026

Mashable - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 23:55

That sound you hear isn't the pop of the AI bubble — it's every company that relies on the AI economy breathing a huge sigh of relief.

NVIDIA, the king of fancy GPU chips that power most AI models, just beat market expectations again. During the third quarter of 2025, the company made $57 billion in revenue; this was $2 billion more than most Wall Street analysts expected.

Even better for NVIDIA, and for the whole AI economy, almost all that extra revenue came from the company's data center business — which is where the rubber of AI models meets the road of the internet.

The one NVIDIA division that came in lower than estimates was its gaming chip business — which AI world need not care about.

SEE ALSO: Everything Revealed at Nvidia's 2025 Computex Press Conference in 19 Minutes

"Sales are off the charts," NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said of the company's Blackwell chips, its latest GPU model, in a statement. "Cloud GPUs are sold out." For the fourth quarter of 2025, the company predicts even higher total revenue of $65 billion.

Huang went on to claim that the "AI ecosystem" had "entered a virtuous cycle" and was "scaling fast." The CEO denied as recently as October that we're in an AI bubble; now he seems to be saying this growth can last indefinitely.

Will the AI bubble still burst?

That bubble still exists, however. OpenAI, Anthropic, Microsoft, and almost every other business in the space have so far failed to show any revenue growth from all the AI services that rely on NVIDIA chips. But given that almost all the market focus is on the health of NVIDIA's business, these companies effectively just got more runway in which to prove themselves.

As invulnerable as NVIDIA looks now, there was bad news for Jensen Huang in Google's recent announcement of its latest top AI model, Gemini 3. The model "was trained using Google's Tensor Processing Units (TPUs)," the company says — in other words, not NVIDIA GPUs.

If Google, whose CEO has admitted there is a bubble, becomes a major player in the AI chip space, price wars between Google and NVIDIA could result. But that too could lift the players that rely on AI compute, making it significantly cheaper to provide services.

In other words, don't count on the AI bubble popping immediately — but don't count it out, either. At least, not after NVIDIA's next quarterly earnings report, due in January 2026.

Categories: IT General, Technology

60+ early Black Friday deals: Score big savings on MacBooks, Nintendo Switch 2, Keurig, and Garmin

Mashable - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 23:38
Best early Black Friday deals Best Apple deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 (Save $150 at Amazon) Get Deal Best headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones $299 (Save $500 at Amazon) Get Deal Best robot vacuum deal Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra $799.99 at Amazon (Save $500 at Amazon) Get Deal Best TV deal Hisense 65-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $547.99 (Save $300 at Amazon) Get Deal Best kitchen deal Ninja Slushi (88 ounce) $269.99 at Amazon (Save $100 at Amazon) Get Deal Best power station deal Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 $829.00 at Amazon (Save $800 at Amazon) Get Deal Best Kindle deal Like-new Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) $106.99 (Save $37 at Amazon) Get Deal

We're officially back in Black Friday season, folks.

Though Black Friday falls on Nov. 28 this year, retailers are already kicking off sales. Best Buy dropped early deals and doorbusters on Oct. 31, and Target started their first holiday savings event on Nov. 6. Even though retailers like Amazon haven't kicked off any programming yet (you can expect that to start on Nov. 20,) we've spotted plenty of Black Friday-worthy deals that you can shop early to get ahead of your holiday list.

Keep checking back for the best Black Friday deals from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and beyond.

Best early Black Friday Apple deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 at Amazon
$999 Save $250   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The 13-inch MacBook Air is down to a record-low price of $749 ahead of Black Friday. This is our favorite laptop for students, thanks to its M4 silicon and slim design. This markdown is so good that even if it does happen to drop lower for Black Friday or Cyber Monday (and we're not counting on it), you still score a great deal without all the chaos of Black Friday shopping.

More Apple deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $699 at Best Buy
$799 Save $100   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $250   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $117 at Amazon
$129 Save $12 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $139 at Walmart
$239 Save $100 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) $479.99 at Amazon
$549 Save $69.01   Get Deal Apple AirTag $17.97 at Amazon
$29 Save $11.03   See It at Amazon See It at Walmart See It at Best Buy Apple Airtags, 4-Pack $64.98 at Amazon
$99 Save $34.02   See It at Amazon See It at Walmart See It at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS) $349.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $49.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + cellular) $249 at Walmart
$499 Save $250 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Best early Black Friday headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones $299 at Amazon
$429 Save $130 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 1) headphones.

The Bose QC Ultra headphones have long been some of our favorite noise-cancelling headphones. Even though Bose recently replaced them with a new Gen 2 model, the originals are still an excellent value for your money — especially at the record low price of $299.

More Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WF-C710N Wireless Earbuds $78 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $51.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $199 at Bose
$299 Save $100   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) $249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Beats Fit Pro $149 at Amazon
$199 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Tune 670NC On-Ear Headphones $54.95 at Walmart
$109.95 Save $55   Get Deal Best early Black Friday robot vacuum deal Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra $799.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $500   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart sees Narwal's newest robot vacuum mop combo as a dupe for the $1,599.99 Roborock Saros 10R. Its edge cleaning is comparable to that of the Saros 10R's, thanks to dual spinning mopping pads that flex out from under the vacuum to scrub in corners and along walls. When mopping, the Freo Z10 Ultra ensures that it does a thorough job by taking a before-and-after picture of the spill, going back for another pass if necessary. The livestream pet camera is a bonus for homes with pets.

More robot vacuum and vacuum deals Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy E20 3-in-1 $349.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $100 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba 105 $199 at Amazon
$219 Save $20   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V12 Detect Slim $399.99 at Walmart
$729.99 Save $330 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead Canister Vacuum $229.99 at Walmart
$349.99 Save $120   Get Deal at Walmart Best early Black Friday TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $547.99 at Walmart
$847.99 Save $300 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Why we like it

"If you're not sure what size TV to get, we consider 65 inches to be the sweet spot for most folks. While the Hisense U6 Mini LED QLED TV falls into the budget-friendly category, its specs don't scream "budget" at all. It features a Mini LED backlight system, which essentially means its uses smaller LEDs to deliver a brighter and more detailed picture. Plus, it packs a 144Hz native refresh rate, WiFi 6 connectivity, an ATSC 1.0 tuner under the hood, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. It uses the same interface as Amazon's own Mini LED Fire TV and is equipped with on-board Alexa. Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) called it 'easily the brightest and most colorful budget-friendly TV we've tested.' At $547.99, the 65-inch Hisense U6 is already down to its best price ever at Amazon ahead of Black Friday." — Christina Buff, Mashable Contributor

More TV and streaming deals Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 55-inch Class Q6-Series QLED 4K TV $279.99 at Target
$449.99 Save $170   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku 65-inch Pro Series Mini LED QLED 4K Smart TV $798.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $401   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch Class U6 Mini LED QLED TV $547.99 at Amazon
$847.99 Save $300 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS034 4K QLED Smart TV (2025) $897.99 at Amazon
$1,197.99 Save $300 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Samsung Get Deal at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense QD6 QLED 4K TV $199.99 at Best Buy
$329.99 Save $130   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-inch QN65 QLED 4K TV $448 at Walmart
$599.99 Save $151.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $21.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $18.00 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K & HDR (2025) $29 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $10.99   Get Deal Best Black Friday fitness tracker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Whoop Whoop 4.0 $149
$199 Save $50   Get Deal Why we like it

Whoop has teased its Black Friday sale, set to start on Nov. 20. When the sale officially begins, we can expect discounts on the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. However, until then, we'll settle for a discount on the Whoop 4.0, which comes with the One membership included. It provides deep insights on sleep, strain, recovery and hormonal cycles. An annual membership is usually $199, and includes the Whoop 4.0 device, but ahead of Black Friday it's down to $149, saving you $50 and 25% off.

More Black Friday fitness tracker deals Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch $299.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch $119.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $80.00   Get Deal Best Black Friday kitchen deal Ninja Slushi (88 ounce) $269.99 at Amazon
$369.99 Save $100   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The Ninja Slushi is a blast in any season — frozen margs in any flavor you want when it's hot, apple cider slush or gingerbread frappé when it's chilly. (Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart loves her Slushi, and so do all of her friends.) A year after the first Slushi came out, Ninja released two larger capacity versions in a few fun colors. The 88-ounce model on sale for $269.99 at Amazon can make a slightly bigger batch than the original 72-ounce model, which is on sale for $249.99 at Walmart. $20 more for extra beverages and a chic green build? Sold. (If you want the purple one, it's $269.99 at Target.)

More Black Friday kitchen deals Nespresso Festive Vertuo Pop+ Coffee and Espresso Maker $129 at Amazon
$209.95 Save $80.95   Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Our Place Our Place Wonder Oven Pro $275 at Our Place
$325 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Luxe Café Pro Espresso and Coffee Machine $634.99 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $115   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: All-Clad All-Clad HA1 13-piece Nonstick Cookware Set $489.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $210   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Keurig K-Elite Coffee Maker $139.99 at Target
$209.99 Save $70   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nutribullet Nutribullet Personal Blender $47.49 at Amazon
$71.99 Save $24.50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Creami $179.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $20   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: KitchenAid KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-quart Stand Mixer $349.95 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $150.04   Get Deal Best early Black Friday home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Brooklinen Brooklinen's Black Friday Sale Score 25% off on Brooklinen bedding and bath linens. Get Deal Why we like it

The best early Black Friday deal for the home is at Brooklinen. Right now, the brand is offering 25% off across its products. You can find Brooklinen's super-plush Turkish cotton bath towel bundle for just $107, saving you 30% off. All prices are marked, no discount code needed.

More early Black Friday home deals Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark StainForce Portable Stain Remover $149.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark NeverChange Air Purifier $139 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $40.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Casper Casper Original Pillow $60 at Amazon
$75 Save $15   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Casper Casper Hybrid Snow Pillow $144.90 at Amazon
$179 Save $34.10   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ugg Ugg Adalee Faux Fur Throw Blanket $84.99 at Amazon
$108 Save $23.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Dyson Air Purifier $449.99 at Target
$549.99 Save $100   Get Deal Best early Black Friday power station deals Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 $699 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $800   See It at Amazon Why we like it

"A solid mid-range power station, the small and mighty Explorer 2000 v2 is lightweight enough (under 40 pounds) to carry with you on camping trips, boating, tailgating, and other outdoor adventures. It's also equipped with 2,042Wh capacity, which makes it powerful enough to serve as a home battery backup in emergencies as well. That's enough power to keep your fridge running for over a day, heat up a meal in the microwave, and brew plenty of cups of coffee. It packs three AC outlets, one USB-A port, and two USB-C ports, as well as a built-in light and super-charge emergency mode on board for a variety of needs. With $800 off, it's down to its best price on record ahead of Black Friday." — Christina Buff, Mashable contributor

More Black Friday power station deals EcoFlow River 2 $269 at Amazon
$449 Save $180   Get Deal at Amazon Bluetti Elite 200V2 $1,199 at Amazon
$2,299 Save $1,100   Get Deal at Amazon Early Black Friday deals from Amazon

Even though Amazon's Black Friday sale hasn't officially started (you have to wait until Nov. 20 for that), Amazon devices such as Fire TVs are already marked down in advance of the sale. In addition, you can find plenty of limited-time deals on popular gadgets, power stations, smart home tech, outdoor gear, and Christmas gifts. Amazon is also a great place to stock up on stocking stuffers, as you'll find an abundance of deals under $25.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bissell Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner $84.98 at Amazon
$94.99 Save $10.01   Get Deal Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet $94.99 at Amazon
$194.99 Save $100.00 Lowest price ever 🔥 See It at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad, 11 inches (A16 Chip) $299
$349 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 55-inch Omni Series 4K QLED Smart Fire TV $349.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $150   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Orastone Orastone Electric Hand Warmers $17.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $12 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: National Tree Company Pre-Lit 6.5-Foot Dunhill Fir Artificial Christmas Tree $199.98 at Amazon
$254.03 Save $54.05 Bonus coupon: Get Echo Pop & Amazon Smart Plug for $15 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Keurig K-Supreme Single Serve Coffee Maker $99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $90.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Vitamix Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender $299.95 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $250.04   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Outdoor 4 wireless security cameras (5 cameras + sync module) $119.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $180   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) $106.99 at Amazon
$143.99 Save $37.00 Refurbished with great reviews Get Deal Amazon Echo Dot (2022 release) $31.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $18.00   Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Meta Meta Quest 3S VR Headset (128 GB) $249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50   Get Deal Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle $499 at Walmart
$1,049.66 Save $550.66 Editor's pick ✅ See It at Walmart See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy Early Black Friday deals from Walmart

As in years past, Walmart+ members get early access to the best Black Friday deals, and you can either sign up for a free trial or get 50% off a membership. Until its next official Black Friday sales event (mark your calendars for Nov. 25), the original Everything Store has great early deals on video games, kitchen gadgets, Legos, and even Dyson vacuums.

Opens in a new window Credit: Crock-Pot Crock-Pot Manual 7-Quart Slow Cooker $34 at Walmart
$40.53 Save $6.53   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP 14-inch HD Chromebook (Intel Processor N200, 4GB RAM, 128GB UFS) $119 at Walmart
$329 Save $210   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Alienware Alienware 16-Inch Aurora Gaming Laptop (Intel Core 7-240H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050) $1,128 at Walmart
$1,249.99 Save $121.99   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 Console + NBA 2K26 $499.99 at Walmart
  Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian Gift Set $45 at Walmart
$62.97 Save $17.97   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Wicked Welcome to Emerald City Building Set $78.99 at Walmart
$99.99 Save $21   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Borderlands 4 $54.97 at Walmart
$69.99 Save $15.02   Get Deal Early Black Friday deals from Best Buy

Best Buy has an interesting Black Friday system: It's been dropping new doorbusters every single Thursday since Halloween. Some of those deals have stuck around, and some are fleeting. You can plan ahead for the official Black Friday sale (kicking off on Nov. 20) with the Best Buy Black Friday ad scan, but here are some deals that are confirmed to be at their Black Friday prices.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C5 OLED 4K TV $1,399.99 at Best Buy
$2,699.99 Save $1,300.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus Vivobook 14 (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $279.99 at Best Buy
$529.99 Save $250   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Met Meta Quest 3S The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners bundle (128GB) $249 at Best Buy
$299 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: De'Longhi De'Longhi Classic Espresso Machine $149.95
$229.95 Save $80   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bambu Lab Bambu Lab A1 Combo 3D printer $379.99 at Best Buy
$499.99 Save $120   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: GoPro GoPro HERO13 Action Camera Bundle $369.99 at Best Buy
$479.99 Save $110   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SteelSeries SteelSeries Apex 9 Mini 60% Wired Gaming Keyboard $64.99
$129.99 Save $65.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G50D QHD Gaming Monitor $199.99 at Best Buy
$349.99 Save $150   Get Deal Early Black Friday deals from Target

We're scanning Target's weekly ad to find the best early Black Friday deals of 2025, including plenty of products that are cheaper at Target than on Amazon. Strangely, that includes some of Amazon's own products. So, if you're a Target Circle member and you need a new kids' tablet or espresso machine, now's your chance to save.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet $44.99 at Target
$99.99 Save $55.00 Costs $5 more at Amazon Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: DeLonghi DeLonghi Magnifica Espresso Machine $499.99 at Target
$779.95 Save $279.96 Costs $50 more at Amazon Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Magnolia Wood Finish Retro Record Player $149.99 at Target
$179.99 Save $30   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Universal Music Group Taylor Swift 'The Life of a Showgirl: Sweat And Vanilla Perfume' Vinyl $29.99 at Target
$34.99 Save $5.00   Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

5 reasons the Steam Machine will never match the Steam Deck

How-To Geek - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 23:30

The Steam Deck didn't break any sales records, but it did leave a major mark on the world of PC hardware. It's by far the most popular hardware product from Valve, it made PC handhelds mainstream, and is the best-selling PC handheld ever. Could the new Steam Machine repeat its success? Likely not.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Home Assistant's new ZBT-2 adapter supports Zigbee, Thread, and Matter

How-To Geek - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 22:59

Nabu Casa and the Open Home Foundation just revealed the Home Assistant Connect ZBT-2. It's a USB adapter for adding Zigbee, Thread, or Matter devices to your Home Assistant setup, and you can order one starting today.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Spicy AI chatbot and image generator left millions of photos exposed

Mashable - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 22:44

A platform that promises "spicy AI chatting" left nearly two million images and videos, many of them showing private citizens, exposed to the public, 404 Media reported.

Secret Desires, an erotic chatbot and AI image generator, left cloud storage containers of photos, women's names, and other personal information like workplaces and universities, vulnerable, according to 404 Media.

This "massive leak" is the latest case of people using generative AI tools to turn innocent photos into nonconsensual explicit deepfakes.

SEE ALSO: Is AI porn the next horizon in self-pleasure — and is it ethical?

Some of the photos and videos were taken from real influencers, public figures, and non-famous women. The latter category includes Snapchat screenshots and at least one yearbook photo. Some of the exposed media included user-generated AI images, such as those created with a now-defunct "faceswap" feature, which Secret Desires removed earlier this year.

Like Character.AI or Replika, Secret Desires allows users to create AI personas and chat with them. While pornographic content isn't allowed on Character.AI (and is only allowed for certain Replika users), Secret Desires says it "provides limitless intimacy and connection" on its Quick Start Guide.

As 404 Media found, the AI-generated media found in the vulnerable storage containers were mostly explicit. Some of the file names included terms like "17-year-old."

The company didn't respond to 404 Media's request for comment, but the files became inaccessible around an hour after the publication reached out.

For years, women and girls have been victims of explicit deepfakes, which are AI-generated content. Many deepfakes are women's likenesses "faceswapped" onto pornographic videos. This applies to celebrities like Taylor Swift as well as women who are not famous. This also happens to girls, creating online child sex abuse material.

This year, Congress passed the Take It Down Act to combat deepfake images. The law proved controversial, as several free speech and advocacy groups claim that it can be weaponized against consensual explicit material or political speech.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The most reliable budget-friendly SUVs that require minimal repairs

How-To Geek - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 22:30

The Soul has always stood out as one of the quirkier options out there, with its boxy looks being pretty controversial. Despite what some might say, we think its looks are endearing. Not only is it one of the most affordable crossovers on the market, though its more like a raised hatchback, but it comes loaded with equipment, and it is impressively light on fuel.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The new Slimbook has KDE Plasma and a Ryzen 9 CPU

How-To Geek - Wed, 11/19/2025 - 21:55

Slimbook is one of several companies selling PCs with desktop Linux. The KDE Slimbook is one of its most popular laptops, and now a seventh-generation model has arrived with impressive hardware and pre-installed KDE Plasma.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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