IT General

Motorola's Thin Phone Fixes the iPhone Air's Biggest Problem

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 18:39

Whether we want them or not, every major manufacturer will likely release an ultra-thin phone to compete with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge and iPhone Air. One unlikely competitor that is familiar with thin phones is Motorola, and its upcoming Moto Edge 70 could fix the Air's biggest problem.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This Ugreen MagSafe 25W Charger Just Dropped 33%

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 18:15

You can get the Ugreen MagFlow 20000mAh Magnetic Power Bank right now for just $80 on Amazon. This is a major 33% discount off its original price of $120. That's a huge saving that puts this high-capacity charger at an excellent price point.

Categories: IT General, Technology

How to Check Which GPU Is Installed on Linux

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 18:15

Need to identify the Graphics Processing Unit (GPU) in a Linux computer? Here's how you can identify the graphics card from the command line and in GNOME.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Elvira on drag queens, Vincent Price, and her new cookbook — from hell!

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 18:14

As Elvira, Cassandra Peterson has become a true icon, headlining comedies like Elvira: Mistress of the Dark and Elvira's Haunted Hills, hosting hordes of TV B-movie presentations, appearing in comic books, and much, much more. Now, Peterson is resurrecting her Valley girl vamp for Elvira's Cookbook from Hell, a charming coffee table book that boasts goth recipes, glossy photos, crafting guides, and very Elvira-style hosting etiquette.

Peterson came by Mashable's Say More couch for an interview with Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko. Together, they dive into all things Elvira, including her new cookbook, how her dear(ly departed) friend and fellow horror icon Vincent Price was an inspiration, and drag queens.

Having guest judged on RuPaul's Drag Race "Monster Ball" and The Boulet Brothers' Dragula: Titans "Halloween House Party," Peterson was happy to draw a connection between her Elvira character and the queens. "I do everything drag queens do," she said of putting together her goth goddess look, "except 'tuck'!"

Peterson also shared how Elvira's Cookbook from Hell has been a dream project for thirty years, dating back to Martha Stewart's rise. Loving to cook and host herself, Peterson began to pitch a cookbook for the goth crowd — but publishers wouldn't bite. Little did they understand the vision she had, not for a Halloween-specific cookbook, but for one that brings goth flare and Elvira's spirited sense of humor to every occasion, from a graveside picnic to a spooky cocktail hour to a chic and macabre wedding complete with a multi-tier cake. (Please note the Black Widow Smashes that Puchko tested and tasted to prepare for the interview.)

Puchko, who's long been burrowing through Price's cookbooks, wondered if he was an inspiration for a particular cucumber-based recipe in Elvira's Cookbook from Hell. From there, Peterson shared a story of how Price was the source of a recipe that didn't make the final draft of her book, but is treasured by her nonetheless. Dare you give it a try?

Watch our full Say More video to learn more about Elvira, Peterson's cookbook, and how you're not getting the most out of a dishwasher unless you're using it to steam your entree.

Elvira's Cookbook from Hell is now on sale.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Google Chrome Will Help Curb Your Notification Mess

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 18:00

When browsing the internet, you've probably enabled notifications by mistake on one or two sites—it gets especially annoying on phones since it's a pop-up that you need to manually reject. Or maybe you enabled notifications for a site you're not visiting all that often these days. Now, Chrome will help you curb all of that if you don't know how to stay on top of it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The budget-friendly Sonos Beam Gen 2 is down to its best price ever

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:34

SAVE $130: As of Oct. 10, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 soundbar is on sale for just $369 at Amazon. That's 26% off its list price of $499 and matches its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sonos Sonos Beam Gen 2 $369 at Amazon
$499 Save $130 Get Deal

If you're looking to enhance your movie marathons or football Sundays, a soundbar is the ticket to an epic home theater setup. And one of our favorites happens to be on sale for its best price ever.

As of Oct. 10, the Sonos Beam Gen 2 is just $369 at Amazon post-Prime Big Deal Days. It's usually $499, so that's 26% or $130 in savings. This is just the third time ever that the sleek soundbar has dropped down to this record-low price.

The second-generation soundbar enhances what we already loved about the first generation Beam, which Mashable tech reporter Raymond Wong said "hits the sweet spot on price, design, sound quality, and features." It features a better processor, a new grill, and Dolby Atmos compatibility in addition to its immersive sound, crystal clarity, and voice assistant support. It's easy to set up and syncs with other Sonos products like a dream. So if you're already in the Sonos smart home ecosystem, it's an especially excellent choice.

Beyond just making your movies, shows, and sports pop, the second generation Sonos Beam also works double duty as a Bluetooth speaker. Even when the TV is off, you can stream music, podcasts, and audiobooks from all your favorite services.

Though the October Prime Day event has wrapped up, you can still snag this soundbar for a budget-friendly $369, making it an extra impressive value for the money.

Categories: IT General, Technology

7 TV Trends That Were Doomed to Fail

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:30

I‘ve always been a fan of home theater and TV technology. Over the decades, I’ve tried many of the “next big things” the industry has offered: projectors, rear-projection TVs, a 43” tube TV that felt huge at the time, and for a short while a curved TV. Looking back, it’s been a fun ride, but many so-called “game changers” never lived up to the hype.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Buy 3 Halloween costumes, candy items, and decor at Amazon and save 20%

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:21

BUY 3 ITEMS, GET 20% OFF: As of Oct. 10, buy 3 select Halloween costumes, candy items, or decor and get 20% off your purchase at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Buy 3 select Halloween costumes, candy items, or decor and get 20% off Get Deal

Are you all stocked up and ready for Halloween? It's still quite early, so no worries if not. You've still got time to decorate the house, stock up on candy, and pick out costumes for you and the rest of the brood. Amazon is aiming to make the process a little cheaper this year thanks to this sale, which can save you a bundle when you buy all the Halloween goodies you need this year.

As of Oct. 10, buy 3 select Halloween costumes, candy items, or decor and get 20% off your purchase at Amazon. Just choose from the items available on the sale promo page and add to cart. Your discount will automatically be applied at checkout.

SEE ALSO: The Home Depot's comically large Halloween decorations are up to 50% off today only

There's a ton to choose from when it comes to candy: Nerds Ropes, candy corn, Jolly Rancher, Sour Patch Kids, and much more, including multipacks of candy you can give out to the entire neighborhood, as well as chocolates you can just sit home and eat by yourself because you're an adult.

Choose from several kids and adult costumes like pirates, cowboys, the Statue of Liberty, witches, mummies, and more. And don't forget to grab a costume for your dog or cat because they're a part of the family too. You can even shop additional accessories to finish off your costume right.

Finally, don't miss decor and party essentials like plates, napkins, coolers, and other pieces of spooky ephemera to curate your home. Now's the time to make sure you're all ready for the scariest month of the year, so buy from Amazon and save some cash whle you're at it.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Windows Copilot Is Getting More Productivity Upgrades

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:13

Microsoft has started rolling out a new update for the Copilot app on Windows to Windows Insiders. The biggest additions are the introduction of Connectors for personal services and the ability to create and export documents directly from your Copilot session.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Amazons Echo Dots are holding their Prime Day prices

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:13

SAVE UP TO 42%: As of Oct. 10, both the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) are on sale for $34.99. That's a 30% discount on the standard model (down from $49.99) and a 42% discount on the Kids edition (down from $59.99).

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event may be over, but some of the best deals are sticking around. If you missed out on the main event, you still have a chance to snag some popular tech at a discount.

SEE ALSO: 200+ October Prime Day deals still live: Savings on Apple, Kindle, Sony, Ninja, and Lego

As of Oct. 10, both the Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) and the Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) are on sale for $34.99. That's a 30% discount on the standard model (down from $49.99) and a 42% discount on the Kids edition (down from $59.99).

Both models feature Amazon's improved audio for clearer vocals and deeper bass, so you should be able to stream music from services like Spotify or Apple Music without issue. The standard Echo Dot includes motion and temperature sensors to trigger smart home routines, while the Kids edition comes with a year of the Amazon Kids+ subscription for ad-free stories and games, easy-to-use parental controls, and a two-year worry-free guarantee.

Amazon Echo Dot (5th Gen) $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15 Get Deal Echo Dot Kids (5th Gen) $34.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $25 Get Deal
Categories: IT General, Technology

Creators are using AI to prank loved ones with fake ‘homeless intruders, but the police arent laughing

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:11

There's a new TikTok trend, and it's dangerous, manipulative, and feeds off the dehumanization of people facing housing insecurity.

People are using AI to generate false images of "homeless" men entering their houses to trick their parents, roommates, or partners. In one viral video, creator Joe Mele used AI to create an image of someone who looks unhoused standing on the other side of his screened front door. He sent the picture to his dad with the text: "Hey dad there's this guy at the front door, he says he knows you?"

"No I don't know him," his dad seemingly said. "What does he want?"

"He said you guys went to school together, I invited him in," Mele responded along with another AI-generated photo of the man sitting on his couch.

"JOE PICK UP THE PHONE," his dad responds. "I DON'T KNOW HIM!!!!!!!!" Followed by, "Hello???" along with three missed calls.

"He said he's hungry, grabbing a quick snack," Mele sent again with another AI-generated photo of the same AI-generated man taking food out of an open refrigerator.

"PICK UP THE PHONE," his dad said. "Are you getting my calls?" along with a screenshot of seven missed calls.

This goes on for some time, as Mele tells it. Mele sends an AI-generated photo of the man using his dad's toothbrush and sleeping in his dad's bed. The video has wracked up over 10.4 million views, and it's not the only one. There are dozens of videos with thousands of of views all following the same trend, many of which use Google Gemini AI, according to one user. Google recently added its new Nano Banana Ai image tool to Gemini, which makes it easy to edit photos.

Of course, Mele's entire video could be some kind of scripted skit, but Mele's hardly the only one making videos like this.

Not all parents, roommates, and partners respond with panicked texts and phone calls, as intended. Some respond with an immediate call to the police. The BBC reported that Dorset Police have received calls based on the prank, and asked people to "please attempt to check it isn't a prank before [dialing] 999" if they "receive a message and pictures similar to the above antics from friends or family."

The Salem Police Department in Massachusetts also posted a news release about the trend, calling the prank "stupid and potentially dangerous."

Not only does the prank involve manipulating loved ones, but it's also a pretty blatant dehumanization of people facing housing insecurity, depicting them as scary, dirty, or invasive — all harmful stereotypes — and using them as a prop for a joke.

"This prank dehumanizes the homeless, causes the distressed recipient to panic and wastes police resources," the City of Salem Police Department wrote. "Police officers who are called upon to respond do not know this is a prank and treat the call as an actual burglary in progress thus creating a potentially dangerous situation."

Categories: IT General, Technology

Anker’s New Portable Projector Has a Unique Audio Upgrade

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 17:02

Portable projectors are a great way to enjoy a backyard movie night on a fall evening, and they're a good alternative to big-screen TVs. Anker's sub-brand Nebula just debuted the P1, the world's first portable projector with detachable speakers.

Categories: IT General, Technology

This $279 Apple iPad Prime Day deal is still live

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:57

SAVE $70: As of Oct. 10, the 11th generation Apple iPad (128GB, WiFi) is on sale for only $279. That's 20% off the list price of $349 and its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $279 at Amazon
$349 Save $70 Get Deal

If you completely spaced on Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, you're in luck. Several deals are still live (though the event technically concluded early Thursday morning) including one of our favorite iPad deals.

As of Oct. 10, the standard Apple iPad with an A16 chip and 128GB of storage is on sale for just $279 at Amazon — that's $70 or 20% off its list price of $349 and its best price ever on record.

The 11th-generation iPad is nothing flashy, but it's not meant to be. Not every tablet needs to double as a laptop. The base model has a sizable 11-inch display, which is plenty of room for watching your favorite shows, browsing the web, reading, or using it as a drawing pad or journal (compatible with the Apple Pencil 1st generation and USB-C). It doesn't have an M-series chip like the more advanced iPad models, but the A16 Bionic chip will still deliver enough processing power for everyday use. It also packs enough storage space at 128GB to enjoy all your favorite apps without offloading them.

There's plenty of options to choose from when it comes to tablets, but if you'd prefer to stick to the basics, you can't go wrong with the entry-level iPad. It's our top pick for a tablet for most people and our favorite budget pick for Apple users. And at an all-time low $279, it's an even better value than usual.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Get this 2-in-1 soundbar and streamer for only $69

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:48

SAVE 31%: As of Oct. 10, you can get the Roku Streambar SE for $69, down from $99.99, at Amazon. That's a 31% discount and a $30.99 savings.

Roku Streambar SE 2-in-1 Soundbar With 4K Streaming $69 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $30.99 Get Deal

If your TV's built-in speakers are underwhelming or its smart interface is slow, there's a way to upgrade without splurging on a brand-new TV. Enter: The Roku Streambar SE, a compact device that functions as both a soundbar and a 4K streaming player. All you have to do is plug it into your TV's HDMI port and connect to the internet to get started. And right now, you can get it for just $69.

SEE ALSO: The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K is the best thing I bought in Prime Day - and it's still on sale

As of Oct. 10, you can get the Roku Streambar SE for $69, down from $99.99, at Amazon. That's a 31% discount and a $30.99 savings. This isn't the lowest we've seen it go for (it was around $59 during last year's October Prime Day event), but it's still a pretty good deal for a two-in-one streaming device.

The Streambar SE is designed to make dialogue crisp and clear. It even saves you from scrambling for the remote by automatically lowering the volume during loud commercials. When it's time to stream, the easy-to-use interface delivers a 4K HDR picture from all your favorite apps, including Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hulu, and Peacock. Plus, with Bluetooth compatibility, you can easily stream music from your phone for those times you'd rather listen than watch.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Take to the skies with 20% off the DJI Mini 3 drone at Amazon

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:46

SAVE $84: As of Oct. 10, get the DJI Mini 3 drone for $335, down from its usual price of $419 at Amazon. That's a discount of 20%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Mini 3 $335 at Amazon
$419 Save $84 Get Deal

Looking to take the plunge on a drone, but still feeling a bit hesitant due to the price? Now's the time to buy. When December arrives, it's not quite clear how drone sales in the U.S. will change, so you may as well go ahead and lock yours in while you can. It's a good idea to go ahead and grab one of DJI's affordable drones while it's on sale at Amazon.

As of Oct. 10, get the DJI Mini 3 drone for $335, down from its usual price of $419 at Amazon. That's $84 off and a discount of 20%.

SEE ALSO: Don't miss DJI's last-chance Prime Day deals: Get DJI drones for $159, DJI Mic Mini for $99

The DJI Mini 3 is a small but powerful drone that weighs about half a pound, but still packs quite the punch. It's small and compact, but it still behaves and can be controlled like a drone that's much larger. That makes it a great option for filming on the go, taking it with you on camping or hiking trips, or just playing around with at home. Just fold it up and go.

You get about 38 minutes with standard intelligent flight and 51 minutes of intelligent flight plus, with 4K HDR video quality, vertical footage options, and a wide selection of additional features that make it the perfect starter drone for beginners and a capable option for drone professionals looking for something small and easy to pack with them.

This DJI drone is on sale from DJI instead of a third-party seller, but once it's gone, it's probably gone for a while. Make sure you snag yours before it's all out of stock, especially since you can get it at such a great price right now.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Visual Studio Code's Latest Update Adds More OS Integrations

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:45

Visual Studio Code's September 2025 release (version 1.105) has officially dropped, but a little late since it is October already. This update focuses on better operating system integration, developer productivity, and adding to the experience with remote coding tools.

Categories: IT General, Technology

What Does the ChromeOS and Android Merger Mean for You?

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:30

Google has announced that ChromeOS and Android will become one unified operating system at some point in the future. That's no small goal, and it's going to have a knock-on effect for both hardware and software.

Categories: IT General, Technology

The Infinix HOT 60 Pro+ Is Officially the World's Thinnest 3D Curved Display Smartphone

How-To Geek - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:20

Slimness has become an industry trend. Smartphone makers are competing to deliver devices that feel lighter and sleeker, and even Apple has entered the race with the iPhone 17 Air.

Categories: IT General, Technology

Beware phony Sora apps on the Apple App Store

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:08

Demand remains high for Sora, OpenAI's new invite-only AI video app for iOS users. So high, in fact, that scammers are rushing to fill demand.

As TechCrunch reported, phony Sora apps somehow slipped past Apple's App Store review process. TechCrunch reported that at least a dozen copycat apps were on the App Store after Sora's launch, though most of these listings have since been removed. As of this writing, we didn't find any copycat apps using the name Sora, though there are other AI video apps claiming to grant access to the underlying Sora 2 generative AI video model.

However, over at the Google Play app store, some phony Sora listings are still live. We're not talking about unrelated, previously existing apps that use the name Sora in some way, but listings with names like "Sora 2 Video Maker."

For now, the Sora app is only available on iOS for users in the United States and Canada, "with the intent to quickly expand to additional countries," per OpenAI. The app is free to download even without an invite code, but you won't be able to do anything without an invite.

If you are downloading Sora, it's easy to find, as it's still the No. 1 app in the App Store. Before downloading, make sure it's provided "by OpenAI."

Credit: Screenshot: Apple Credit: Screenshot: OpenAI

Sora is an AI video generator with a built-in social feed, and eager OpenAI fans are still scrambling for invites. The app is currently in the midst of a copyright drama. In the days after the app launch, the Sora feed was dominated by videos of copyright-protected characters like SpongeBob Squarepants, various Pokémon, and Rick and Morty.

We've been testing the app here at Mashable to see how it compares to other AI video models like Google Veo 3 and LumaAI's Ray3, and we'll have more coverage coming soon.

In the meantime, be wary of any unknown apps you find on the app stores. Don't assume that just because an app appears in the store that it's safe to download.

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

Categories: IT General, Technology

Microsoft Word will now automatically save your docs in the cloud

Mashable - Fri, 10/10/2025 - 16:05

This week, Microsoft quietly announced a small but important change to Word. The popular word-processing software will now automatically save documents to OneDrive, Microsoft's cloud platform.

Microsoft announced a number of changes at a special OneDrive and CoPilot event this week. The change to the process for saving docs in Word didn't exactly earn the top billing at the event. Or, as Windows Central put it, the news was "buried in the announcements."

"NEW-Cloud-first creation: Starting today, new documents in Word desktop on Windows (Insiders) now save directly to OneDrive, with autosave enabled your work is protected and ready for real-time collaboration.

-New files save directly to OneDrive

-Autosave is enabled from the start

-Your work is protected, instantly shareable, and ready for real-time collaboration"

So, in other words, your Word documents will auto-save to the cloud moving forward.

Microsoft has touted this as a positive change. As someone who has lost many documents throughout my life — say, because my computer crashed before I remembered to save my progress — I can appreciate the auto-save feature. And saving your docs on the cloud means you can access them across different devices. That comes in handy if you think of an edit but only have your phone handy.

SEE ALSO: Did Microsoft go down? The MS 365, Teams, Outlook, and Azure outage explained.

But some users will have privacy concerns about their documents being automatically sent to the cloud. For those folks, they'll still have the option to save documents locally — but that's a change they'll have to make in their settings.

From now on, saving to the cloud will be the default for Microsoft Word users.

Categories: IT General, Technology
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