IT General

For a while now, your couch has not been the only place to play your Xbox games, thanks to the magic of streaming. If you'd rather play them on your PC, though, that surprisingly has not been an option. Until now, at least.

Have you tried out experimental features in ChromeOS before? I used to live on the experimental branch, but lately I have just been enjoying the stable branch—mostly because Google has rolled a lot of features that used to require flags into the main operating system.

The best streaming deals to watch 'How to Train Your Dragon' at a glance: WATCH NOW Buy or rent 'How to Train Your Dragon' on Prime Video $19.99 or $29.99 Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium yearly subscription $79.99/year (save 17%) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium for Students $2.99/month for 12 months (save $5/month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals $3.99/month (save $4/month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium for Active Military and Veterans $3.99/month (save $4/month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium for Teachers $3.99/month for 12 months (save $4/month) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium annual subscription Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $79.99/year) Get Deal WATCH LATER Peacock Premium Free for one year for JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic status members (save $79.99/year) Get Deal

Another beloved animated film has undergone the live-action treatment, but this time, we're pleased to say it's a gem. The tale of a boy and his adorably misunderstood beast, How to Train Your Dragon has dominated theaters this summer. Although it hasn't exactly reinvented the wheel, "the film manages to recreate the magic of the original through impeccable visual effects, faithful cinematography, and intricate production design."

Dean DeBlois is back in the writer and director's chair, and Gerard Butler reprises the role he voiced in the animated films as Viking chief Stoick the Vast. Meanwhile, Mason Thames stars as Hiccup, his awkward son.

While it's still floating around in theaters, the movie is officially streaming on digital on-demand streaming services (Prime Video, Apple TV, etc.) as of July 15, with a streaming debut on Peacock to come... eventually. Here's everything you need to know about how to watch How to Train Your Dragon (2025) at home.

Is How to Train Your Dragon worth watching?

Unlike Disney's Snow White or The Little Mermaid, the live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon actually manages to recapture what made the original film so delightful. Critics and audiences alike loved it, giving it a 77 and 97 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes. It earned $239 million domestically and $561 million worldwide, surpassing the original film's box office numbers.

Mashable's own reviewer raved about the visual effects, faithful adaptation, and strong performances. "Essentially, Toothless is magnificent in live-action. Every scale glimmers, every muscle moves, and the franchise's beloved dragon's signature expressiveness shines through every scene. Supported by a heartfelt performance from Thames, who is essentially working with a puppet, the Hiccup-Toothless friendship of all friendships is lovingly rendered," writes Mashable's Shannon Connellan.

Read our full review of How to Train Your Dragon.

How to watch How to Train Your Dragon at home Credit: Universal Pictures

It's time for audiences to revisit the Isle of Berk from their couches. There are a couple of different ways you can watch. You can buy it or rent it on digital for as low as $19.99, or you can wait for its future debut on Peacock to stream it. See the details below.

Buy or rent it on digital

The film is available now to buy for $29.99 or rent for $19.99. While saving a few bucks and opting for the rental option is tempting, just be aware that you'll only get 30 days to watch the film and just 48 hours to finish it once you start. If you choose to buy it instead, then it's yours to keep.

Here are some quick links to rent or purchase How to Train Your Dragon:

• Prime Video — buy for $29.99, rent for $19.99

• Apple TV — buy for $29.99, rent for $19.99

• Fandango at Home — buy for $29.99, rent for $19.99

• Google Play — buy for $29.99, rent for $19.99

Stream it on Peacock

As a Universal Pictures film, we know that How to Train Your Dragon will eventually make its streaming debut on Peacock, the NBCUniversal-owned streaming service. While we don't know the exact date yet, we expect it to make its Peacock debut in late September or October 2025. We'll keep you updated.

Don't have a Peacock subscription? You can sign up for as low as $7.99 per month with ads or $13.99 per month without to prepare for live-action Toothless' streaming debut. But before you get ahead of yourself, be sure to check out the best ways to save some money on a subscription below.

The best Peacock streaming dealsBest Peacock deal: Save 17% on an annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium annual subscription $79.99 per year or $139.99 per year (save 17%) Get Deal

The best Peacock deal on any given day is the annual subscription deal. You'll get 12 months of streaming for the price of 10 if you pay for a year upfront. An annual Peacock subscription costs just $79.99 per year with ads (which breaks down to about $6.67 per month) or $139.99 per year without ads (which breaks down to about $11.67 per month). That's about 17% in total savings compared to paying monthly.

Best Peacock deal for Xfinity customers: free Peacock Premium for eligible accounts Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock / Xfinity Peacock Premium Free for select Xfinity customers Learn More

Are you an Xfinity customer? Be sure to check the eligibility details below, as you might be able to score a Peacock Premium subscription for free. Here's a breakdown of who is eligible for the deal or you can head to Xfinity.com for more details.

• Xfinity Internet customers who are Diamond or Platinum Xfinity Rewards members can get Peacock Premium for free by redeeming a reward for it. Sign in at xfinity.com/rewards and choose Peacock as a reward. Then, wait for your email (it may take a few hours) with instructions on activating the offer.

• NOW TV customers can also receive Peacock Premium as part of their service.

• New customers with Xfinity Internet and an X1 TV Box, Flex streaming TV Box, or a Xumo Stream Box from Xfinity can get Peacock Premium for free for six months.

Best Peacock deal for students: Save $5/month for one year Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Students $2.99 per month for one year Get Deal

Students can sign up for a full year of Peacock Premium at a discounted rate of $2.99 per month instead of $7.99. That's a total of just $35.88 for the year. Just verify your student status via SheerID and retrieve the unique promo code to unlock the savings. Just note that it can only be used once, and after the promo year is up, you'll be charged full price again.

Best Peacock deal for first responders: Save $4/month Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for First Responders and Medical Professionals $3.99 per month Get Deal

First responders and medical professionals can secure a Peacock Premium subscription at a discounted rate of $3.99 per month. Just verify your first responder or medical professional status via SheerID, and you'll get a unique promo code that will drop the cost of a subscription by $4 per month. If you continue to meet verification qualifications, you can renew the deal each year — although you may have to go through the verification process each time and receive a new promo code. Learn more about eligibility terms and requirements.

Best for active military and veterans: Save $4/month Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Military $3.99 per month Get Deal

Active duty U.S. military service members, Reservists, National Guard members, veterans, or U.S. military retirees can score a Peacock Premium subscription for a discounted rate of $3.99 per month instead of the usual $7.99 per month, so long as you can prove your military status using SheerID. Retrieve the promotional code to activate the offer. Eligible military personnel who continue to meet requirements can redeem the deal annually.

Best for teachers: Save $4/month for one year Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium for Teachers $3.99/month for 12 months Get Deal

For one year, educators who can verify their status on SheerID can get Peacock Premium for just $3.99 per month instead of $7.99. Once the promotional period ends, you'll be charged full price. Be sure to cancel before the year ends.

Best for Instacart users: free Peacock Premium for Instacart+ subscribers Opens in a new window Credit: Instacart / Peacock Peacock Premium annual subscription Free for Instacart+ subscribers (save $79.99/year) Get Deal

By signing up for Instacart+ for $99.99 per year, you'll unlock a free Peacock Premium subscription. That's on top of free grocery delivery, lower fees, and credit back on eligible pickup orders. That's a $79.99 per year value tacked on to your Instacart+ subscription for free. Oh and here's a pro tip: if you're new to Instacart+, you'll get a free two-week trial to test the waters. If you wait until the streaming release of How to Train Your Dragon, you could even watch it for free during the trial period.

Best for JetBlue members: free Peacock Premium for one year for Mosaic status members Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock / JetBlue Peacock Premium Free for one year for Mosaic status members Get Deal

If you're a JetBlue TrueBlue Mosaic status member, you can get your first year of Peacock Premium for free if you sign up before July 31 (a $79.99 value). If you don't have Mosaic status, you can earn 1,000 free TrueBlue points when you sign up for Peacock. Learn more about eligibility and terms over on Peacock's special offer page.

When Wayne's World ran with its hilarious spoofing of product placement in movies, it was almost prophetic. Today, it's hard to look past some of the immersion-breaking product spots in major films, and there's seemingly no end in sight.

Nothing is better than getting high-quality tech without paying high prices.

That's the idea behind the release of tech start-up Nothing's first pair of over-ear headphones, the aptly named Headphone (1). Clocking in at $299, these headphones are a good $100 to $150 cheaper than most premium flagship releases these days, and as of July 15, available to order.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nothing Nothing Headphone (1) $299 at Amazon
Shop Now

As someone who's tested their share of budget to premium headphones, I know that budget headphones these days can often punch above their weight, but that a lower price also comes with some trade-offs, whether that be slightly less powerful ANC, less customizability for sound and on-ear settings, or a less comfortable wear.

With that in mind, I expect the $299 Nothing Headphone (1) to be great in some areas, and just OK in others — so far, my initial testing has proven that expectation true.

(Note: the following are my first impressions based on a couple of days of use. Though not likely to change dramatically, my opinions may develop as I spend more time with these headphones.)

The Nothing Headphone (1) has a unique, futuristic design. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable Nothing Headphone (1): The specs

Before we get into my thoughts, here's the basics of what you'll encounter with these headphones:

• Size: 174mm x 189mm x 78mm

• Case size: 220mm x 220mm x 52mm

• Weight: 329 grams

• Playback with ANC: Up to 35 hours

• Playback without ANC: Up to 80 hours

• Fast charging: 5 minutes for 5 hours of playback (or 2.4 hours with ANC)

• Codecs: AAC, SBC, LDAC

• Water resistance: IP52 rated for water and dust resistance

• Inputs: USB-C and 3.5mm headphone jack

• Microphones: 4

Nothing Headphone (1): The goodDesign

First and foremost, these headphones don't look like anything else on the market. That's typical for Nothing, whose earbuds and phones lean on a futuristic, often transparent design. While the look isn't exactly my favorite, I do appreciate a brand not going for the blatant copy of already popular headphones. And I can appreciate them offering two distinct colorways: white and black.

The white nothing headphones compared to the silver Sony WH-1000XM5s. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Aesthetics aside, I love that Nothing went for tactile on-ear controls over touch controls. I find buttons to generally be more reliable and easier to use than the touch controls on headphones like the Sony WH-1000XM6s. Along with the dedicated on/off switch, these headphones have a Bluetooth button, an exterior round button, a paddle button, and a roller button. Each comes with its own presets that can be customized, earning these headphones even more points. This thoughtfulness of design and level of customizability definitely makes them feel like a premium pair of headphones.

From this vantage point, you can see three of the five on-ear controls: the volume roller, the paddle control, and the round button. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

Less practical is the lack of folding ear cups, but Nothing does keep the carrying case profile ultra slim. I also have to shout out the clean design of the companion app, which offers plenty of avenues for customization without much of a learning curve.

SEE ALSO: Dyson’s first stand-alone headphones look like a vacuum, but sound incredible Active noise cancellation

Speaking of customization, Nothing's headphones come with customizable ANC, at three different levels, plus an adaptive ANC mode. After the discontinuation of the Bose 700 headphones, adjustable ANC seemed to take a back seat for a few years, but I've been seeing it pop up in more budget models from EarFun and Skullcandy, though it's not in more premium options like the Bose QC Ultras or Sony's latest release.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones we use and love

Overall, the AI-powered ANC is solid. It's not quite as powerful as Bose or Sony's flagships — which makes sense, considering those headphones have 10 and 12 mics respectively, which help out with ANC. Still, these headphones do muffle the sound of my typing and my partner, who also works from home.

Sound quality

These headphones were created in partnership with KEF to produce high-fidelity sound, and the result is a sound profile that, so far, epitomizes the word decent.

I also have a sound quality section below — that's because I truly feel like these headphones fall most in the middle in this specific category. For its good points, it has some depth out of the box with a respectable amount of clarity, but it just doesn't compare to more expensive options. However, with the companion app, it does have the most intricate equalizers I've ever seen on consumer headphones. I need to play around with it more before I give my final thoughts, but I am impressed by its existence.

The app equalizer offers simple... Credit: Screenshot / Nothing And advanced equalizers. Credit: Screenshot / Nothing

Alongside the equalizer, the app also offers a bass enhancement mode with several different levels, and two different kinds of spatial audio (fixed and head-tracking) that, upon a listen to "In My Life" by the Beatles, definitely makes a difference in the listening experience.

Battery life

At 35 hours per full charge with ANC on, these headphones have better battery life than the AirPods Max, Bose QC Ultras, and Sony WH-1000XM6s. The Dyson OnTrac have them beat at 55 hours, but they also cost $500. At a $300 price point, I'm impressed.

Nothing Headphone (1): The badComfort

I'll start with the point that could easily be in someone else's pro column: how these headphones wear. Other reviewers have found the stronger grip and heft of these headphones preferable, but it wasn't my cup of tea. For me, I like the feeling of headphones so comfortable and lightweight that I forget I'm wearing them. Though the Headphone (1) were not outright uncomfortable, they do squeeze and weigh down my head — I much prefer options like the Bose QuietComfort line or the Sony WH-1000XM5 or XM6s for long-term wear. All this to say, headphone fit can be so personal.

SEE ALSO: The most comfortable headphones we've ever tested will take care of your ears So-so sound quality

To be clear, these headphones don't sound at all bad. They just don't quite match up with the rest of the premium market right out of the box. The more bass-heavy cover of "God Only Knows" by Scary Pockets and Pomplamoose lacked a richness and some clarity, while "Cookie" by New Jeans sounded good enough, but not excellent in the way it sounds on the Sony WH-1000XM6s. In other words, so far, the sound profile of these headphones reflects their lower price point.

It's also worth pointing out again that these are my very initial, out-of-the-box impressions. I'm curious to play around more with the extensive equalizer settings and test out the spatial audio more to see how that impacts my experience with the sound.

No passive playback

Where I don't imagine my opinion changing is the lack of passive playback. Though not a hugely important feature, I cannot wrap my head around the trend of requiring headphones to be on for the aux cord to provide audio playback — it defeats the purpose. It's a smaller gripe (and one also seen on the QC Ultra headphones), but one worth mentioning.

On-ear volume control

As much as I love the tactile experience, the volume roller is my least favorite of the on-ear buttons. I appreciate the thought behind swiping left or right to change the volume, but the reality is that it's hard to control the amount either way, and the way it registers touch is inconsistent.

Where to buy the Nothing Headphone (1)

If you're ready to check out the Nothing Headphone (1) based on the above, you can buy it now from Amazon or Nothing's website.

Where to buy Nothing Headphone (1) Amazon Nothing Headphone (1) $299 Shop Now Nothing's direct site Nothing Headphone (1) $299 Shop Now

If you're a programmer, particularly in data science or analysis, you've probably suffered headaches over the packages included in a Linux distribution. What if there were a way you could have a separate programming environment for your projects that was isolated from the system without having to set up a virtual machine? Mamba might be what you need.

Right now, you can snag the ASUS Vivobook 14 at Best Buy for an impressive $320, which is a massive $280 off its usual $600 price tag. This excellent deal makes it an great time to grab a reliable laptop without breaking the bank.

Farscape is—and I don't want to undersell it—one of the best sci-fi TV shows to ever grace our screens. When most sci-fi TV shows just gave use dudes with thick makeup, Farscape (with the help of Jim Henson's puppets) gave us actually alien aliens. The only other show that came close was Babylon 5, but that's a story for another day.

Microsoft has pushed generative AI features into every corner of Windows 11, but most of them aren’t actually useful to most people, and some of them are actively distracting or harmful. Thankfully, the latest addition is actually great: a ‘Describe image’ feature.

Flying was never the most stress-free way to travel, but thanks to never-ending airline delays, unruly passengers, and the incredible shrinking airline seat, it can be a nightmare. Not to mention the added anxiety of recent airplane crashes. If you're ready to add some peace to your flying experience, picking up a pair of noise-cancelling headphones can go a long way.

You definitely have options: plenty of headphones, from over-ear headphones to wireless earbuds, offer active noise cancellation. And in 2025, it's not too hard to find ANC headphones for under $100. That said, we do recommend spending a little more to enjoy maximum calm at 35,000 feet. To make sure your investment is worth it, we've tried and tested the top noise-cancelling headphones on the market.

SEE ALSO: The best MacBooks in 2025: Which should you buy? How much should I spend on noise-cancelling headphones?

If you want to find the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying, you should be prepared to pay $250 to $500. Premium headphones offer improved active noise cancellation, customizable settings, and transparency modes that allow you to hear those all-important gate announcements.

Many cheap headphones claim to offer "noise-cancelling" features, but a random pair of $50 over-ear headphones with passive noise cancellation will let a lot of sound through. They'll also struggle to connect and switch between devices easily, or simply feel uncomfortable.

SEE ALSO: What does Airplane Mode do?

At the end of the day, going for that good all-around pair is worth it, because on a flight, ANC on its own won't save the day — otherwise, we'd just direct you to our guide to the best noise-cancelling headphones. For long flights, comfort is also key. It won't matter if your headphones block sound if you only want to wear them for two out of five hours of your flight. And because this is a flying-focused roundup, we did give extra points to headphones with thoughtful design that makes storage easy.

If that $250-plus price range feels totally out of the question, we've included a couple of budget earbuds in the under-$100 category, but they come with tradeoffs. If you're okay with a mid-range pick, consider buying wireless earbuds with ANC instead of over-ear headphones.

If the cost of a pair of headphones is off-putting, you can always wait for a sale to start. We see headphones from Bose, Sony, and Apple get marked down year-round — if you don't want to keep your eyes peeled yourself, Mashable's deals coverage is a great place to find any noteworthy headphone deals. For the picks on our list, we recommend waiting to buy at the following prices:

• Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones — At least $349, if not $329

• Sony WH-1000XM5 — At least $329, if not $299

• Apple AirPods Pro 2 — At least $189, if not $179 or lower ($199 is technically a sale price, but typically what these earbuds go for at Amazon)

SEE ALSO: The best gifts for people who love to travel What are the best noise-cancelling headphones for flying?

Noise-cancelling headphones are at their most useful on airplanes. It's difficult to find a moment's peace when so much is going on around you. Frequent flyers may prefer to rest or work, and the best way to prepare for either is by using the best ANC headphones to block out the chaos. 

Because shopping for headphones shouldn't be as stressful as heading to the airport, we've done extensive testing to bring you the top options. Our top pick is the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones, but read on to see other great picks for the best noise-cancelling headphones for airplanes in 2025 — all based on Mashable's hands-on testing.

Recent testing updates

In July 2025, we swapped the Sony WH-1000XM5 headphones for the newer Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones.

As of May 2025, we're evaluating whether the Panasonic Technic AZ100 are a better pick for earbuds over the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds, and whether the new Skullcandy Method ANC 360 earbuds might be a good budget option.

After testing them for a few weeks, we decided in February 2025 that the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds earned a spot on our guide as our top budget pick, knocking out the cheaper but inferior Anker Soundcore P3i earbuds. Shortly after, we added the Sennheiser Momentum 4 headphones as one of our recommendations, thanks to their long battery life.

For September 2024, we didn't change our lineup, deciding against including the Dyson OnTrac headphones — although we really like their long battery life, the 55 hours of charge might be overkill for air travel. Plus, they're a little too bulky and expensive to recommend as travel headphones.

Among Amazon's flagship gadgets, like Kindles and Fire TVs, Echos are the star of the show. These multitasking smart home devices do a little bit of everything in nearly every room in the house. (Plus, with this year's rollout of Alexa+, they're now supercharged with extra AI features.) Whether you need a smart speaker, alarm clock, or hub for your other smart devices, there's an Echo to help you out. Amazon's list of devices is ever-growing, so we've tested them to find the best Echo devices for your smart home.

If you're ready to invest in an Echo, you don't need to buy these devices at full price. They always go on sale during events like Prime Day and Black Friday. This past Prime Day, we saw Echo discounts of up to 73% off devices like the Pop, Dot, and Spot. So, if you are going to buy an Amazon smart home device, it's worth holding out until the next sale.

Changes to Echo devices in 2025

For existing Echo owners, or those looking to become ones, a major change happened in 2025 that affects user privacy. Amazon sent out an email to users saying the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" feature on the device will no longer be available as of March 28, 2025. But what does that mean?

Previously, the "Do Not Send Voice Recordings" setting allowed the devices to process requests locally without sending them to Amazon servers. However, with that setting no longer supported, all requests will now go through Amazon servers. Plus, if you do have that setting turned on after the change goes into effect, you'll lose access to the Voice ID feature as well.

While Amazon promises that all information requests are encrypted and secure, it still means that the retailer has access to all of that data.

What can an Echo smart speaker do? Trying out the new Echo Spot smart alarm clock. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

All Echo devices utilize Amazon Alexa's AI superpowers — it's just a matter of which form you want your Echo to take. The Echo and Echo Dot are smart speakers that you can use for music, phone calls, calendar reminders, or news alerts. Amazon Echo Show devices, on the other hand, can do all of the aforementioned audio stuff, but they also boast colorful displays for making video calls, streaming entertainment, or managing your day. Think of Echo Shows as stationary, more affordable tablets, essentially.

Most Echo devices are designed to act as smart hubs within your home, but some Echo devices can also be taken on the road. Echo Auto brings hands-free Alexa functionality to the car, while Echo Buds and Echo Frames can travel with you anywhere.

What can Alexa+ do?

Alexa is to Amazon as Siri is to Apple, and is the driving force behind every Echo. But Alexa just got a big upgrade. Now there's Alexa+, a new AI-powered version of Alexa introduced to Echo devices in March 2025. For Prime subscribers, Alexa+ will be included in membership, and non-subscribers will have to pay $19.99 per month for the service.

Alexa has an answer to almost anything you ask. Just by shouting out, you can play music, adjust the volume, and set an alarm or timer. And that's just naming a few options. On devices like the Echo Show, you can also ask Alexa to pull up recipes or answer questions that come up while cooking. With Alexa+, the AI agent doesn't just respond to commands but can actually engage in conversation.

Here's a short list of what Alexa+ can do:

• Provide a highlight reel of the day's security footage

• Read stories to kids

• Plan a date night

• Book restaurant reservations

• Control your smart home technology from one central hub

• Access your calendars and set reminders

• Get answers to any question you can think of

• Make phone calls (and video calls with an Echo Show)

• Get the latest weather and news

• Follow recipes

• Shop on Amazon

• Stream music (and video on an Amazon Echo Show)

• Play games

There are more than 100,000 Alexa skills that you can utilize via an Echo device, and Amazon is always adding more.

Alexa gets supercharged when other smart home tech comes into the picture. If you have a smart thermostat or smart light bulbs, as long as they're compatible with the Alexa system, you can create routines through your Echo. That can be as simple as telling Alexa to turn on the lights in one room or programming Alexa to turn the thermostat down before you come home.

If you're ready for an Alexa-powered home, read on for the 10 best Amazon Echo devices of 2025.

Whether your TV is brand new or 20 years old, chances are it has a remote control that uses IR (infrared) light to work. There's nothing inherently wrong with that, but there are many things that annoy me about IR remotes, and, honestly, there are better ways to control devices at a distance these days.

The difference between Prime Day and Black Friday — their roots, anyway — probably isn't a mystery to anyone who has dabbled in online shopping before.

Most of us know that Black Friday is the big sale frenzy that happens around Thanksgiving as a precursor to the holidays, and that almost every store you can think of participates. Alternatively, the name "Prime Day" suggests that the event is indeed an Amazon-specific event made up by Amazon for members of its Prime subscription service.

The lines between these two shopping holidays also aren't quite as blurred as they are between Black Friday and Cyber Monday, which have become pretty indistinguishable from each other due to 1. being just a few days apart on the calendar, and 2. Black Friday relying just as heavily on online shopping as Cyber Monday does.

But back to the question at hand. Most people aren't concerned with these shopping holiday semantics. The people just want to know: Does Prime Day or Black Friday have better deals?

Does Amazon have better deals on Prime Day or Black Friday?

Amazon hypes Prime Day up so much that you can't help but assume those few days in July are its Olympics. The retail giant also hosts a 48-hour fall counterpart called "Prime Big Deal Days" in October, which really makes you wonder: It can't possibly have the bandwidth to turn around and do the same damn thing a month later for Black Friday, right?

Jeff Bezos is heard cackling in the distance.

Amazon price history shows us that, in many cases, Amazon does go as hard for Black Friday as it does for Prime Day. It's not uncommon to plug the Amazon URL for any popular item into the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel and see a handful of very consistent dips to that item's all-time low pricing — those few instances being middle of July (Prime Day) and the end of November (Black Friday), plus a common third dip in mid-October (Prime Big Deal Days).

SEE ALSO: Walmart vs. Amazon: Who actually has the best deals?

Amazon's Black Friday deals do tend to be a little more accessible than its Prime Day deals, since you don't have to be a paying Prime member to unlock them. (It's the same story for Walmart's anti-Prime Day and Black Friday sales, though being a paid Walmart+ member still has its perks, like getting early access to deals.)

In terms of what's on sale, there's a ton of overlap between Prime Day and Black Friday deals. Robot vacuums, headphones, Apple devices, and kitchen gear are likely to get similar treatment for both, so if you find a stellar deal on one of those items, there's probably no need to hold out until the other event to see if the deal is better then.

A few categories are better to shop on Black Friday than Prime Day

A few categories do play favorites, though. For one, deals on TVs tend to be better on Black Friday. Aside from discounts on its own Fire TVs, Amazon doesn't go super hard on them at any time throughout the year. Best Buy has a much wider selection on its (virtual) shelves at any given point, specifically offering way more premium big-screen options than Amazon. Though Best Buy does hold competing sales during Prime Day, it tends to put on the bigger show during Black Friday.

We see better laptop deals on Black Friday for the same reason. Amazon's selection just isn't that great compared to its competitors, who typically reserve their best offers for the year-end holiday shopping season. It's not just because they know more shoppers are primed to shop at that point: According to Mashable's Haley Henschel, it's also because "manufacturers are trying to offload their inventories ahead of next-gen refreshes" at the start of the following year.

Finally, toy deals also tend to pop off more heavily for Black Friday in true nostalgic holiday prep. If you're looking to sign up for a streaming service for cheaper than usual, many of the big ones (Hulu and Peacock come to mind) are almost guaranteed to have a Black Friday sale, while they wouldn't exactly have any reason to participate in Prime Day.

Despite various woes in both the gaming hardware and software department, one place where Microsoft has always been the undisputed leader in gaming (in my opinion) is when it comes to accessibility.

For years, some daters have used chatbots to flirt for them. Now, one of these "wingman" apps has leaked hundreds of thousands of messages.

The makers of FlirtAI, which promotes itself as the "#1 AI Flirt Assistant Keyboard" on the App Store, have leaked 160,000 screenshots that users have shared with the app, according to an investigation by Cybernews. FlirtAI promises to help craft "charming, personalized, and instant" messages to dating app matches, its App Store description says. On the App Store, FlirtAI says it "works with every dating and chat app," and lists many of the most popular of each, including Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, WhatsApp, and Instagram.

SEE ALSO: Should you be using AI in your dating life?

Users upload screenshots of their private dating app conversations, and FlirtAI generates responses. FlirtAI's privacy policy mentions this method: "When you use our service, we may collect certain information from you, including the prompts and text detected inside the uploaded screenshots." It also states that uploading screenshots implies that everyone involved has consented to the use of FlirtAI.

The Cybernews team found an unprotected Google Cloud Storage bucket owned by Buddy Network GmbH, the company behind FlirtAI, containing such screenshots of conversations and dating app profiles. After the team notified the company, it closed the exposed bucket.

Cybernews said that the leak data appeared to contain screenshots from a large number of teenage users. According to initial research out of MIT, using ChatGPT to write for you can impair cognitive ability. And while FlirtAI isn't an AI companion, researchers at Common Sense Media say that AI companions aren't safe for teens, because they can become emotionally dependent on them. One section of FlirtAI's privacy policy states that minors may not use the app, while another states that teens over 13 can use it with permission from a parent or guardian.

Buddy Network GmbH has also created an app to talk to an "angel" AI and a "90-second AI journal" app. Mashable has contacted the company.

It can be frustrating to swipe through your Facebook Feed and be inundated with accounts dedicated to stealing other people's work, impersonating people, and generally participating in copycat antics. But Facebook is trying to put a stop to that slop.

In April, Meta implemented changes aimed at improving the Feed experience by reducing spammy content tactics used to boost views, gain followers, and monetize inauthentically, ultimately leading to a less enjoyable scrolling experience. The platform announced it would reduce the reach of, or completely remove, accounts that engage in this behavior, while boosting visibility for those who share original content.

SEE ALSO: Facebook determined to use Meta AI — even on the private photos in your camera roll

In a Monday blog post, Meta said it "took action on" 500,000 accounts engaged in spammy behavior during the first half of 2025 by "applying measures ranging from demoting their comments and reducing the distribution of their content to preventing these accounts from monetizing." The platform also took down 10 million profiles impersonating large content producers.

"But there’s more to do. Too often, the same meme or video pops up repeatedly ‑ sometimes from accounts pretending to be the creator and other times from different spammy accounts. It dulls the experience for all and makes it harder for fresh voices to break through," Meta wrote in its blog post.

Going forward, accounts that repeatedly reuse others' videos, photos, or text posts without proper transformation or credit will lose access to Facebook's monetization programs and see a drop in overall content distribution. Facebook also said it will reduce the visibility of duplicated videos "so that original creators can get the visibility that they deserve." These changes will roll out gradually over the coming months.

If you're worried these new protocols will affect your work, Facebook says you can do a few things: post original content, make meaningful enhancements, tell a story, avoid watermarks, and use high-quality captions.

It's a tale of two retail behemoths vying for your dollars.

In one corner is Amazon, the scrappy bookseller-turned-global ecommerce empire that's the reason why we're all a tad impatient. In the other is Walmart, the veteran department store with one-stop, starburst-studded supercenters in every neighborhood.

From speedy shipping to members-only perks, both retailers pull out stops to entice shoppers to buy from them. But in the battle of Walmart vs. Amazon, whose deals are actually better?

Mashable's shopping experts have spent years tracking online discounts on popular tech across both retailers, including TVs, laptops, headphones, robot vacuums, and video games/gaming consoles. In covering their daily deals and their massive sitewide sales, we constantly cross-check prices between the two of them to recommend the most worth-it discounts. Here's how we see things.

Where Amazon wins: More competitive pricing and useful deal-finding tools

There's a ton of overlap between the two retailers, but Amazon is where we normally find the most competitive prices on any given day. Anecdotally, if a product isn't on sale there, it's probably not on sale anywhere.

Our experience is backed up by ongoing research from the ecommerce analytics firm Profitero, which conducts an annual Price Wars study comparing everyday online prices across major U.S. retailers. In examining more than 13,000 items across 15 product categories over a 12-week period from July to September, the 2024 edition of the study found that Amazon's prices were five percent lower than Walmart's on average. (It's worth noting that the time frame included Amazon's flagship Prime Day sale and Walmart's counter-programming.) In the electronics category specifically, Amazon's prices were six percent lower on average.

Amazon also put items on sale more frequently, undercutting Walmart about a third of the time on like-for-like items, according to Profitero's "low price reliability" metric. They otherwise tended to price-match one another; Amazon offered higher prices than Walmart just four percent of the time. (Neither Amazon nor Walmart have formal price-matching policies allowing customers to request price adjustments if an item is cheaper elsewhere, FYI.)

To Walmart's credit, it was Amazon's closest price competitor in most of the Profitero study's categories, "most aggressively" when it came to appliances. Walmart has gained a little ground on price competitiveness in the electronics category in the past year, but lost some of its edge with video game prices.

The other big pro to shopping on Amazon is that consumers have more deal-finding tools at their disposal (beyond your usual shopping browser extensions or Google Shopping features). If something you're interested in buying isn't on sale, you can keep tabs on price drops by adding it to a Wish List, your Shopping Cart, or your cart's "Saved for later" section. Amazon flags deals on wish-listed items underneath their product names and in the occasional notification pop-up if you have the Amazon Shopping mobile app. In your cart, you'll see a "Messages about items in your cart" notification at the very top of the page if a product's price changes.

This fancy colored pencil set has gotten slightly cheaper since I first wish-listed it. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon Amazon let me know about its discount via mobile notification, too. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Visit your cart and click the "See all updates" line in the "Messages about items in your cart" notification. A pop-up window will tell you which products you've been eyeing have gotten less (or more) expensive since you added them. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

If you're a member of Amazon's Prime subscription service and you own an Echo smart speaker, you can also enable an "Advanced deal alerts" feature that will notify you if a wish-listed item is about to go on sale — up to 24 hours ahead of time.

Crucially, Amazon shoppers also have the ability to verify how good its deals actually are using a website called CamelCamelCamel. Enter an item's Amazon URL in the search bar, and you'll pull up its complete pricing history. (There's a supplementary browser extension, too.) CamelCamelCamel occasionally misses coupons and skips over limited-time deals during Amazon's sitewide sales, including Prime Day and Prime Big Deal Days, its fall counterpart. But it's generally great for determining whether a discount is even worth considering. Mashable's shopping experts rely heavily on it to appraise Amazon deals year-round.

Here's the Amazon price history of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones as of late June 2024, per CamelCamelCamel. Credit: Screenshot via CamelCamelCamel

There's no CamelCamelCamel equivalent for Walmart, though there is a "Droplist" tool in the free browser extension Honey that can offer some Walmart price history insights for products. However, it only uses data from the past 120 days, and it doesn't appear to take third-party sellers into account — which can sometimes pose a problem. (More on those later.)

Where Walmart wins: Hidden gems

Don't rule Walmart out entirely. As mentioned, its prices are more competitive than any other retailer when stacked up against Amazon's, and the two price-match each other more often than not — especially during major savings events like Prime Day and Black Friday. We also think it's important to note that Walmart's deals are occasionally better than they appear.

Every so often, Walmart does this thing to on-sale items where it advertises deflated sticker prices. In other words, the "original price" you see on a listing is lower than the actual MSRPs you'd see on the brand or manufacturer's website — so, in actuality, you're saving more than Walmart lets on. (We've run into this on Amazon, too, but it seems to happen far more often at Walmart.)

We're not exactly sure why Walmart chooses to do this, since it kind of works against its bottom line. (Wouldn't the real, bigger discount entice more shoppers to buy…? We asked a Walmart representative and never heard back.) But it can result in pleasant surprises for meticulous shoppers who cross-check prices before adding items to their carts. You might even snag a deal that may have sold out sooner had it been advertised accurately.

Take this 65-inch Samsung QLED TV: Walmart had it marked down from $997.99 to $798 during its Deals Holiday Kickoff Event in October 2023, advertising a discount of $199.99. But when the Mashable Shopping team searched for the TV's model number on the Samsung website, we discovered that it had an MSRP of $2,699.99 there — meaning Walmart's deal was actually saving shoppers just over $1,900.

Along similar lines, Walmart periodically releases extra-cheap products as "Special Buys" during sales. It doesn't attach any original MSRPs to these products, so there's no way of determining how much you're actually saving, but the prices tend to be low enough that it almost doesn't matter. (See: this 65-inch onn. 4K TV, which went on sale at Walmart for $278 a few weeks before Black Friday 2023. We didn't know how much it was truly worth, but compared to other TVs of that size, it was absurdly cheap.)

Where both win: Memberships are useful for scoring deals

In addition to other benefits, Amazon and Walmart's membership services both include varying degrees of access to certain deals during tentpole sales throughout the year.

An Amazon Prime membership ($14.99 per month or $139 per year) is non-negotiable if you want to shop the best deals of Prime Day in July and Prime Big Deal Days in October. No Prime, no access — though making use of Amazon's free 30-day Prime trial still counts you in. This members-only restriction hasn't applied to Amazon's Cyber Weekend sales.

SEE ALSO: How to get free Amazon Prime: Switch to this Metro by T-Mobile phone plan

Meanwhile, a Walmart+ membership ($12.95 per month or $98 per year) unlocks early access to Walmart's biggest sitewide sales throughout the year — usually three to five hours before they're open to the general public, but sometimes up to 12. Those sales would be its main summer savings event, which competes with Prime Day; an October deals event that goes up against Prime Big Deal Days; and lastly, its staggered Black Friday Deals events. Featured doorbusters can sometimes sell out during these early-access phases or get slightly more expensive once the paywalls lift, so it's worth taking advantage of this membership perk.

There's one catch, which is that early deals access for Walmart+ members is restricted to paid members; you don't count if you're using its free 30-day trial. On the plus side, we usually see subscriptions go on sale for half price immediately before Walmart's summer and Black Friday sales.

Where both lose: Sketchy third-party sellers

Be sure you know exactly whose deals you're shopping — because it may not be Amazon or Walmart itself. Amazon is better known for hosting myriad third-party sellers, but Walmart's listings are also rife with so-called "MarketPlace Sellers." 

Some of these merchants are simply storefronts for verified brands, like Roborock or Dyson, which are unremarkable. But many others across both retailers are no-name independent sellers that shoppers should treat with caution. Third-party sellers on Amazon may not use its customer service, and Walmart's Marketplace Sellers may have different return policies or warranty terms.

Counterfeit products are also a huge issue for both online retailers. Amazon has been particularly aggressive in fighting fakes: The company has a dedicated Counterfeit Crimes Unit and invested over $1.2 billion into the cause in 2023. Walmart says it "regularly monitors Marketplace seller performance" and identifies those who provide the best service with "Pro Seller" badges. It also maintains pages where consumers can report intellectual property infringements and suspicious marketplace activity.

Walmart appears to have once been a member of the Buy Safe America Coalition, an industry lobby group that aims to protect consumers from counterfeit and stolen goods on online marketplaces (like Amazon), according to a 2020 Business Insider story about its formation. However, the big-box store's name wasn't listed on the coalition's website at the time of writing. Walmart's rep didn't respond to a request for comment.

Third-party sellers are typically easily identifiable by their titles, like Mall of Americ (sic), Emma's Market, busylittlebee, Delight Tech Electronics, and QuickNDeals. However, we've encountered one instance where an unauthorized seller was using the same name and branding as the real one on Amazon.

A third-party Amazon seller named "Issaquah Highlands Tech" was selling a Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 for $1,349.99 (with a free stylus) in March 2025. Skip it. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon The same Surface Laptop 7 configuration was $40 pricier when purchased directly from Amazon. We think it's worth it: It's still a great deal, and more importantly, you're not taking chances on such a big purchase. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

This isn't to say that all third-party sellers are inherently malicious or scammy — looking at their reviews can be enlightening, usually. And for their parts, both retailers offer recourse if shoppers have issues with them. Amazon's A-to-z Guarantee and Walmart's Marketplace Promise both cover problems with delivery, item condition, returns, and refunds for items sold and fulfilled/shipped by third-party sellers. Both require an eligibility and claims process.

That said, we recommend avoiding third-party sellers entirely, even if you see one offering a lower price on an item that Amazon and/or Walmart also sells directly. Avoiding unnecessary hassle or risk is an excellent rule of thumb when your money's on the line.

A third-party Walmart seller named "Value Tech" was selling PlayStation 5 copies of "Madden NFL 25" for $31.96 in March 2025. That's a less risky buy than a $1,350 laptop, but we'd still skip it. Credit: Screenshot: Walmart The same game was $3.01 pricier when purchased directly from Walmart. We think it's worth it: It's still a great deal, and $3 is a small price to pay for total peace of mind. Credit: Screenshot: Walmart

Put it this way: Would you feel better about buying an $800 Roomba directly from Amazon or someone who does business under the name "wacky jacky"? That's all we can really tell you about them: Their seller bio is also, succinctly, just "wacky jacky."

Stick with products that have "Ships from/Sold by Amazon.com" or "Sold and shipped by Walmart.com" labels underneath the "Add to cart" buttons on their listings. Walmart makes this easy by letting shoppers filter out third-party sellers from searches.

When the competition heats up: More insights about Prime Day and Black Friday deals

Amazon and Walmart both reliably drop their prices to new or year-round record lows during Prime sales and Cyber Weekend. Again, Walmart typically hosts its own festivities alongside Prime events.

From our experience, these sales are also when both retailers do their most aggressive price-matching. If one retailer offers a huge discount on an item during a major savings event, it's normal for the same deal to pop up at its competitor in a matter of days — sometimes even hours. We see this a lot with Apple products, particularly AirPods, Apple Watches, and iPads.

Below, we share more granular insights on the way Amazon and Walmart approach deals during these sales that shoppers can use to strategize.

Prime events

Amazon offers a couple weeks of official early deals ahead of its Prime events, giving shoppers a chance to nab certain promotions before the chaos of the event. It also teases some of its top day-of deals in a press release ahead of time, though they come in the form of a discount range, not exact pricing. ("Save up to 50% on select floorcare from Bissell and iRobot," for example.) Shoppers can find deals across all departments during these sales, and new batches of them drop constantly, but there's an especially big focus on Amazon's own devices and services.

On the flip side, Walmart's anti-Prime event deals don't go live until its sales actually start. However, it usually previews some of its top offers in a press release well before then, and uses specific numbers — "Nintendo Switch Joy Con with Game for $69.00 (was $99.00)," for instance. You know exactly what you'll be paying ahead of time.

Black Friday

In recent years, Amazon and Walmart have both moved to kick off their Black Friday sales in early to mid-November. They both still save some of their deepest markdowns for the day of — that being the fourth Friday of the month — but shoppers are wise to comb those early deals in case they wind up selling out (or getting pricier) down the road. As with Prime events, both retailers preview these Black Friday deals in their own ways: Amazon teases its discounts as vague "up-to's," while Walmart names them as specific "before-and-afters."

Walmart takes a more structured approach to its Black Friday festivities, staggering its deals across several mini week-long events leading up to Black Friday proper, so shoppers also have a better idea of how long certain offers last. (They can stick around beyond that timeframe, but it's not guaranteed.) Some of its doorbusters pop up in Walmart stores a few days after launching online.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals better?

Alternatively, Amazon simply starts its Black Friday season sale on a certain day and adds or removes deals whenever it feels like doing so. Sometimes they'll run the course of the whole event, sometimes they'll be gone in a day. It's more of a revolving-door approach.

On the off-chance that something you buy from Amazon or Walmart during their Black Friday sales gets cheaper there later, you won't be able to get a price adjustment — but you can take advantage of their extended return policies. In the past, eligible year-end purchases from either retailer have been returnable through January of the following year.

The bottom line: Where should you shop for the best deals?

To recap: We think Amazon is the place to shop if you want the most options, if you need help finding deals, and if you care about the quality and rarity of a discount. Walmart can also fit the bill for bargain hunters who are willing to do a little digging. Both retailers host huge savings events in the summer and before the holidays, which is when they bring their best deals to the table.

If you're already an Amazon Prime or Walmart+ member, you might be inclined to peruse the respective retailer's wares first. It might give you exclusive or early access to certain deals.

Ultimately, though, you're not doing yourself any favors by being loyal to a single retailer. One of the best ways to make sure you're getting the very best deal is by cross-checking prices across the web, comparing offers at Amazon, Walmart, and elsewhere… especially elsewhere. For what it's worth, we have a lot of luck at Best Buy when it comes to deals on big-ticket items like TVs and laptops — and it's not swarming with questionable third-party sellers. (Not yet, anyway.) Smart shoppers know all of their options.

For extra help finding the best, most up-to-date discounts on popular tech, consider bookmarking Mashable shopping experts' dedicated deals coverage. We only highlight the best deals we've personally vetted at Amazon, Walmart, and beyond.

Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart, Lead Shopping Reporter Bethany Allard, and Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino contributed to this story.

Most people overlook Android tablets, but Samsung makes some of the best ones in the segment. They can also often be just as expensive as an iPad, though. Now, you can grab a Galaxy Tab S9 for under $500. Not the most recent model, but it will suffice for most people.

Generative AI continues to penetrate every area of human creative artistry, and while image and video generation has received the most public attention, music-generating AI have been progressing at a steady pace.

WeTransfer was forced to respond this week after changes to its terms of service (TOS) triggered major backlash from users who believed the new language granted the service access to users' files to train AI.

"We don't use machine learning or any form of AI to process content shared via WeTransfer, nor do we sell content or data to any third parties," a WeTransfer spokesperson told BBC News on Tuesday.

WeTransfer clarified this after users noticed recent changes to its TOS page, which initially said the following policy would go into effect in August (via Wayback Machine on July 14, 2025).

You hereby grant us a perpetual, worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, transferable, sub-licensable license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, commercializing, and improving the Service or new technologies or services, including to improve performance of machine learning models that enhance our content moderation process, in accordance with the Privacy & Cookie Policy.

The language seemed to imply that WeTransfer could use data and files from users to train AI models, either their own or that of a third party. Outrage from users swiftly followed, many of whom are independent artists who use WeTransfer to send large files like film footage or music.

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Users took to social media to call attention to the change, with some vowing to switch to another service. The issue of users' content being used as AI training data is a contentious one that has become increasingly widespread as companies look to develop their own AI models and features; particularly since these tools that can automate creative work and have already impacted job markets. Users are wary of freshly-updated terms of service, since it could mean signing their data away to AI models and automating themselves right out of a job.

Similar confusions happened with other platforms, like CapCut's policy update, which sounded alarming but is actually pretty standard. And Adobe had to clarify its policy changes last year, when the update made it sound like it was using creators' content to train its Firefly model without permission. However, companies like Google and Meta rely on user data to train their models, following the whole "if something free, you're the product" doctrine.

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But WeTransfer has changed the language in the content section of the policy after acknowledging to BBC News that the previous update "may have caused confusion for our customers." The company further clarified to the outlet that the original language was intended to "include the possibility of using AI to improve content moderation" for the purposes of identifying harmful content.

The section now reads:

You hereby grant us a royalty-free license to use your Content for the purposes of operating, developing, and improving the Service, all in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy.

In both versions of WeTransfer's TOS, the company states that the users own and retains all the rights to their work. That should clarify and confusion that WeTransfer was trying to take ownership of the work. Although WeTransfer does have a license to users' files, it's for the ostensive purpose of content moderation — not to train AI models.