IT General

UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2025, 5:00 a.m. EDT Since its original publish date in 2022, this review has been updated to reflect my experience at the three year mark of using this Dyson every day. At the original time of writing, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim's retail price was $649.99, but has since gone up on both Dyson's website ($729.99) and at Walmart ($699.95). Dyson has not made a public statement as to whether or not tariffs have affected the pricing of its products.

If you think your hard floors are clean just because you vacuum regularly, you're wrong. That's what I learned after just a few days with the Dyson V12 Detect Slim. And after nearly three years of using it as my trusty backup whilst testing a ton of other vacuums, I stand by my statement that the V12 Detect Slim is one of the best stick vacuums on the market. Use the table of contents to skip down to my latest update.

Dyson stick vacuums have led the market in terms of innovation for years. And I appreciate that those innovations never feel too high-tech and far-fetched to actually work well in daily life — a recurring theme for some fancy robot vacuums recently. No, the upgrades seen in the best cordless Dyson vacuums are as practical as they are novel.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros Z70 review: If you think you need the robot vacuum with an arm, no you don't

But Dyson's best feature has nothing to do with the cyclonic suction itself. Rather, the new feature — a laser — highlights microscopic pieces of debris that the human eye would miss, ultimately leading to a deeper clean by showing you the spots that need attention. New cleaning paranoias unlocked!

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim costs between $649.99 and $729.99 at full price (the MSRP has fluctuated since release) and as low as $399.99 on sale. Either way, it's a pretty budget-friendly way to bring home some of Dyson's high-end cleaning tech without getting uncomfortably close to the $1,000 mark.

The price difference can be attributed to scaling back on a few things compared to the next model in the family tree, the V15 Detect: a downgrade in battery life (60 minutes versus 120 minutes), a skimpier dust bin (0.1 gallons versus 0.5 gallons), a weaker motor (150 Air Watts versus 240 Air Watts of suction power), and fewer attachments. It still comes with two interchangeable cleaner heads: the Laser Slim Fluffy and the Motorbar.

Everything that comes in the box. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The V12 Slim is also the most affordable Dyson stick vacuum with a digital display. This shows helpful intel like how many minutes remain before you need to charge, warnings about blocked airways, and a piezo counter that reports on the size and amount of particles encountered. Dyson calls it "scientific proof of a deep clean."

As one of Dyson's smallest-capacity stick vacuums, the V12 Slim doesn't look like it holds much. But for a 1,500-square-foot apartment with three roommates, I was pleasantly surprised to only have to empty the bin once a week or so.

I wish the V12 Detect Slim's button was closer to my thumb. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable photo composite The dustbin is easy to dump directly into the trash can, but dust bunnies get stuck sometimes. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable photo composite

For what it's worth, the downsizing in bin size is what keeps the V12 Detect Slim so delightfully lightweight and easy to operate. Weighing in at 5.2 pounds, it's more than three pounds lighter than the Dyson Gen5outsize that my mom has. That beast feels so cumbersome compared to my dainty V12 Detect Slim — it's just such a breeze to grab off its wall dock and whip around the apartment.

The Dyson Unveiled event on Sept. 4 revealed a handful of new Dyson vacuums, including one that will allegedly be even thinner and lighter than the V12 Detect Slim. The Dyson Pencil Vac has quite the unique design that I can't wait to try IRL, but it won't be released in the U.S. until 2026 — and will probably be more expensive than the V12 Detect Slim.

This laser made me feel like shit about the status of my floors in the best way possible

We're all regretfully aware of the fact that dust is technically a concoction of things like sloughed-off skin cells, hair, and dust mites — so even if you stay on top of vacuuming the obvious stuff like everything bagel crumbs or tumbleweeds of pet fur, other stuff is constantly gathering behind the scenes. The thing is, it's barely visible to the naked eye.

SEE ALSO: I'm constantly testing Roombas at home — here's my Roomba buying guide for 2025

As a chronic daily vacuumer, I was the last person I expected to be shocked by how much dust and hair congregates on my floor in less than 24 hours. Naturally, one would think their floors are pretty damn clean if they're vacuumed literally every day. The laser says "sike."

It highlighted hair, fur, dust, and even minuscule shards of glass in spots that genuinely look spotless, like a black light illuminating glow-in-the-dark details on a bowling alley carpet. One rule: The lights stay OFF during sex vacuuming with the laser. It's the only way to get the full experience of watching microscopic pieces of dust light up like teeth and white T-shirts in the indoor roller coaster.

This layer of dust congregated in, like, a day. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable I SWEAR our hardwood floors look spotless when not under the laser. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The laser saved our feet from rogue pieces of a broken mirror that weren't big enough to spot with the naked eye. As for the saving of my roommate's soul from seven years of bad luck, stay tuned.

My mother is the one person I know whose reaction to what's hiding on the floor might be even more visceral than mine. I brought the V12 Slim along on a visit to my parents' house and told her to let the laser rip on her textured tile kitchen floor. "This is the most depressing thing I've ever seen," I heard her say as she witnessed so many more pieces of dander and tufts of cat fur than you'd ever notice with a casual glance.

SEE ALSO: Will the laser-equipped Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai solve Dyson's robot vacuum problem?

But after you've spent a few good minutes rocking in the fetal position whilst ruminating over what you've been stepping on all this time, it's really satisfying to visualize just how thorough of a job this vacuum is doing.

Most of us know the space underneath our bedroom furniture or behind the couch is a breeding ground for dust bunnies. We pretend we don't know, but we do. But if you ever do feel so inclined to give those "out of sight, out of mind" spots a much-needed sweep, the laser head makes it easy to see what you're doing.

Not me airing my dust bunny petting zoo on the internet! Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The laser fluffy head ditches the tennis ball-sized ball that the motorized head uses to swerve around (it's like the mini version of the Big Ball that corded Dysons have). Instead, it takes on a bendy straw design. This keeps its profile low and allows the whole vacuum to lie almost parallel to the floor, depending on how close to the ground you feel like getting. I was able to push it under furniture where even the slimmest robot vacuum definitely couldn't fit. Its soft, bristly approach laps up specs of dust similarly to how a cloth or Swiffer pad would, rather than relying on sheer suction to pull them up. After going over a particularly dirty spot, you can take a second look with the laser to ensure the pieces you saw before are gone.

While the fluffy head's wheelhouse is bare floors, it does a decent enough job on carpets and rugs that I didn't bother to swap heads unless I was strictly vacuuming plush carpet. I actually preferred it on the flat weave rugs in my apartment that toyed with the Motorbar. When my cat, Sansa, knocked her container of catnip off the coffee table (classic), the fluffy head picked up most of the leaves in one or two passes.

The V12 also automatically boosts suction when it encounters extra dirty spots, and the shift is audible. Past the satisfying visuals, it's comforting to hear how hard it's working, too.

No, the laser doesn't highlight invisible debris on carpet, but I wish it did.

Who, me? Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Motorbar is great for heavy debris, but sometimes too strong for its own good

The Motorbar cleaner head is the go-to for thick carpeting. It's half an inch thicker than the slim head, optimizing air flow for stronger suction. The conical shape digs deeper into carpet fibers than the soft design of the fluffy head, using special anti-tangle spirals designed to tear hair out of carpet fibers and push them into the bin without wrapping around the head. In my three-year window with this vacuum, I have noticed that thick wads of hair do start to spool at either side of the fluffy head if it hasn't been flipped over recently.

I was most impressed by the Motorbar's success rate on kibble on my parents' medium-pile carpet. (This mess was self-inflicted because the cats' bowls live on tile, but vacuums are better put to the test on a surface where crumbs can stick like Velcro.) In my experience, the most a vacuum typically interacts with heavier debris is pushing it around or sucking it up, then shooting it out the back of the cleaning head — or glossing over it completely.

Not all suction is strong enough to pull up large pieces of debris, especially on the first pass. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The Motorbar will probably eat your bath mats, even on the lowest power setting. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable photo composite

I drove the V12 Detect Slim right through the middle of the pile and watched a pristine path form behind it, clearly showing where the vacuum had and hadn't been. Not a single piece of food was left after just one pass.

While I'd still prefer the fluffy head's fibers to lick up tiny specs of dust, I found the Motorbar to be really effective on heavy debris like soil on my hardwood floors. It's a godsend each time my roommates and I decide to re-pot plants inside.

The Motorbar is tough on dense piles of dirt. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

However, the Motorbar's beastliness was also its downfall on some floor types. A flat weave floor runner, a low-pile bath mat, and a furry rug all tripped the Motorbar up to the point where it stopped spinning completely. At that point, you have to turn it off and back on to resume spinning. People on Reddit have been bitching about their Dyson literally being too powerful for years, too, so the laser head is a nice chill alternative.

With these attachments, a dedicated hand vacuum is obsolete

Starting with the best, the motorized hair screw tool is essentially a mini version of the full-sized motor head with the same anti-tangle conical brush bar designed to target long hair and fur. This little beast is so powerful that no one would be surprised if it were a separate, extra purchase, so it's nice that Dyson includes it. (Mini motorized attachments aren't often included with cheaper cordless vacuums.) But if you have pets that sit on the furniture or car seats, motor-driven cleaning for smaller spaces is almost as crucial as the full-sized cleaning heads themselves.

Though the V12 Detect Slim's dust sensor has pointed out how much cat fur collects on my floor, I swear that just as much is matted down into the fibers of the cat tree. The mini hair screw tool's compact size allowed me to get close to the curved edges, where my ChomChom is too wide and stiff.

The dust bin was basically empty before I used the vac on the cat tree. Just sayin'. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable The mini Motorbar was great at combing crumbs off of velvet furniture, which is sometimes stubborn. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

My apartment is only one level, but it's not hard to see how the mini motorized tool could come in clutch for carpeted staircases that collect fur where a full-sized vacuum can't provide the flexibility to nail the corners. Obviously, that detailing is something even the best robot vacuums can't provide.

The other included attachments, a crevice tool and a combination tool with a wide nozzle and brush, can be found in just about every cordless vacuum box, regardless of price or brand, but are useful nonetheless. The skinny extender gets precise with where it's pointing and is great for squeezing between cushions, sweeping out crevices in the car, or tending to those nasty baseboards.

The McDonald's fries salt living in my cupholders has met its match. Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Downsides: It's not the most heavy-duty, but that's OK

If anything, large homes (more than 2,500 square feet, maybe) with multiple pets that shed heavily might consider bumping up to a Dyson with a larger dustbin and longer battery life. You can squeeze just under an hour out of the V12 Detect Slim on one charge if it's on low power mode, but that's hard to maintain when the vac automatically works harder on areas it senses to be dirtier.

Being so compact, the V12 Detect Slim has an inherently smaller motor than the more expensive V15 Detect or Gen5 Dyson vacuums. The dustbin also holds way less — but again, that's how it remains so agile. I only think the pared-back cleaning performance would be a dealbreaker if you're tending to a large home with heavy foot or paw traffic.

Three-year update: My sidekick is still kicking

I got my V12 Detect Slim in the summer of 2022, and as I write this, it's now the fall of 2025. No exaggeration: I'm confident that I have used this vacuum just about every single day since then, barring the windows when I was away from home for more than a night.

I'm not vacuuming every room in the house every single day, of course (though that sounds like a dream in my sick and twisted mind). Our daily routine involves sweeping the zone of tracked kitty litter around two litter boxes, the crumby area around the cats' food bowls, and the stretch of hardwood near the kitchen counter. I've since adopted another cat, too, and my V12 Detect Slim is still more than enough to keep up with two cats.

Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

The compact build and nimble cleaning head just make it so easy to scoot right up against walls really quickly, with the laser blatantly pointing me in the direction of the visible debris. It's such a snappy, intentional process that it's sometimes painful to leave the mess for all of the robot vacuums I'm testing. If someone's ever wondering whether they should get a robot vacuum or a stick vacuum, I always advise that they consider how motivated they'll realistically be to keep up with manual vacuuming. The V12 Detect Slim is one of those stick vacuums that you genuinely want to use.

In the past three years, I have yet to experience any loss of suction or other functional issues with my Dyson — just some unfortunate chipped orange paint. That's probably because I use handheld mode to sweep out the drawer area of my automatic litter box, which involves me jamming the vac into a narrow slot and accidentally scraping it against the opening.

Credit: Leah Stodart / Mashable

Dyson's own FAQ says that you can expect most cordless stick vacuums to last between two to five years. I can definitely see my V12 Detect Slim reaching the five-year mark at least, and I know why it has lasted so much longer than my old V10 did. I'm going to hold your hand when I say this: You probably need to wash your cordless vacuum's filter way more often than you are. I rinse the layer of cat hair out of the filter once per month, scrub the fluffy laser roller with dish soap, and deep clean the gunk from the dust bin, past just dumping it into the trash can. For more specifics, check out my Dyson cleaning guide — step-by-step pictures included.

Is the Dyson V12 Detect Slim worth it?

Yes, the Dyson V12 Detect Slim will make a great addition to most households. I would recommend it to just about anyone — I've actually done so several times in real life, with a passion tantamount to when I insist that someone watch one of my favorite shows.

Between the dust-detecting laser, low profile, flexible swerving mechanism, and less-hostile suction on finicky rugs, I almost always find myself reaching for the Laser Fluffy Slim head over the Motorbar head. This says a lot about whether to opt for the V12 Detect Slim over a cheaper Dyson that doesn't come with the laser head. In most situations, I'd also choose the Dyson V12 Detect Slim over any Shark stick vacuum.

The Dyson V12 Detect Slim isn't Dyson's cheapest or fanciest vacuum, yet it's still one of the best cordless vacuums you can buy in 2025. It provides proof of a debris-free floor — and the peace of mind that comes with that — for hundreds of dollars less than its siblings, and that's why I'm still sold on it three years later.

TL;DR: Live stream the 2025 AFL Grand Final for free on 7Plus. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Aussie Rules is a fast-paced and physical game that provides entertainment to millions of fans every week, but the game hasn't exactly traveled well outside of Australia. This situation should change, because we're confident that the rest of the world would absolutely love footy.

The AFL Grand Final is Australia’s most-watched sporting event of the year, and if you're interesting in giving this sport a chance, this could be the perfect opportunity to see what all the fuss is about. And you don't have to spend anything to watch all the action this year.

If you want to watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

What is the AFL Grand Final?

The AFL Grand Final is an Australian rules football match that determines the winners of the Australian Football League season. The game traditionally takes place at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on the last Saturday in September. It attracts one of the largest audiences in Australian sport, with a capacity crowd of up to 100,000.

When is the 2025 AFL Grand Final?

The 2025 AFL Grand Final is the 130th edition of the annual grand final of the Australian Football League. This year's game takes place on Sept. 27 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

How to watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final for free

The 2025 AFL Grand Final 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 tools can hide your digital location and connect you to a secure server in Australia. This simple process makes it look like you're connecting from Australia, so you can access 7Plus from anywhere in the world.

Watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for 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. Sign up for 7Plus

5. Watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final 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 they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can secure access to the 2025 AFL Grand Final without committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can unblock 7Plus and then recover your investment after the AFL Grand Final.

What is the best VPN for 7Plus?

ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This heavily discounted plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch the 2025 AFL Grand Final for free with ExpressVPN.

Kindles are the It Girl of the e-reader market. Of course, they have the power of Amazon behind them, but their status isn't unwarranted. Having tested my way through almost all the e-readers on the market, it's clear that Kindles simply are the best (even if Kobo e-readers are close competition).

But which Kindle is the best? Because yes, there is more than one. There's the entry-level Kindle, Kindle Colorsoft, Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, Kindle Scribe, plus several kids' models. Last year, the line-up got an update, and we can safely say that the new Kindle Paperwhite 12th generation is the best option.

The new Kindle Paperwhite remains as good as ever, even though it's missing some updates we were hoping for. It's quick, lightweight, and easy to use. Here's why the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader of the moment.

SEE ALSO: The best Kindle for every type of reader Kindle Paperwhite price and specs The Kindle Paperwhite is a full-inch bigger than the standard Kindle model. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The 2024 Amazon Kindle Paperwhite costs $159.99 for the ad-supported device, while the model without lock screen ads costs $179.99.

In the past, Amazon has offered different storage options for each Kindle model, but 16GB is the new standard, and to upgrade to 32GB, you have to opt for the Signature Edition. Now, the only choice you have to make when purchasing the Kindle Paperwhite is whether to have ads or go ad-free.

No matter which version you go for, these are the specs for the 2024 Paperwhite.

• 7-inch display, up to 94 nits brightness and 300 ppi resolution (up from 6.8 inches on the 2021 model)

• USB-C charging port with up to 12 weeks of battery life

• 16GB of storage

• IPX8 waterproof rating can be fully submerged in water for up to one hour

• Comes in black, raspberry, and jade

It's fast, with a vibrant screen

Before testing the 2024 Kindle Paperwhite, I thoroughly enjoyed the prior model, and I didn't think there was much to improve upon. It was already a quick-moving e-reader that made reading more convenient. However, the most significant upgrades come to the performance and screen.

The latest Kindle moves fast. The previous generation was already quick, so the 25 percent increase in speed isn't quite noticeable if you're moving from there, but it still improves the reading experience with far less loading in between page turns or stalling when opening and exiting books.

SEE ALSO: Kobo's first crack at a color e-reader should have Amazon worried

While the brightness and resolution specs haven't changed from the previous model, the screen on the 2024 model does look higher resolution, edging closer to the resolution of a tablet and away from the classic, dim e-reader. The Paperwhite's screen still sports a matte finish that is as easy to read outside on a sunny day as in a dark bedroom.

The battery life can't be beat

I don't think there is another device in my house that can go months without charging. My smartphone, smartwatch, laptop, and tablet all require daily charging. My smart ring and headphones can sometimes last up to a week, but months?! That's unheard of. Yet, the Kindle Paperwhite manages to do it.

Having tested the previous model, the new Kindle Paperwhite offers a couple of extra weeks of battery life. On average, I need to charge my Kindle Paperwhite every two to three months, and that's with near-daily use.

Building a library is cheap and convenient You can buy or borrow books to build your Kindle collection. Credit: Samantha Mangino

You might not believe me when I say buying a $160 device makes your reading habit cheaper, but trust me when I tell you it will. The cost of a Kindle Paperwhite is the same as about five to six hardcover books, but luckily, Kindle e-books are a lot cheaper. If you plan on buying books from the Kindle store, eventually, the Kindle will earn itself in savings. Plus, your purchases earn you points through the Kindle Rewards system, where every 300 points is turned into $3 in Kindle book credits. But there are even more affordable ways to read.

Another affordable reading option is the Kindle Unlimited program. The subscription program lets users borrow books for as long as they want for a monthly fee of $11.99. You don't need a Kindle to use the program, as long as you have the Kindle app you can subscribe. However, with the purchase of a Kindle, you gain access to a free three-month trial.

Amazon also has a First Reads program where Prime members get free early access to editor-selected e-books. During Prime Day months, members get to select two free books.

Plus, you can read library books with Libby on the Kindle Paperwhite.

Is it the best e-reader for Libby?

In my opinion, Libby is the best app to ever exist. It connects you with digital loans from your local libraries, bringing e-books to your phone, tablet, or e-reader.

You can use Libby across all Kindle devices as the integration is the same on all models. But is the Kindle Paperwhite the best e-reader for Libby? It's got some competition from Kobo's e-readers.

To get your Libby books on a Kindle Paperwhite, you have to use the Libby app on your phone to then send the books to your Kindle. In terms of ease, Kobo has the Kindle slightly beat, as Overdrive (Libby's parent company) is integrated directly into the e-readers.

However, the Kindle Paperwhite will be the best e-reader for Libby if you have multiple library cards. If you're borrowing on different accounts, it doesn't affect how you send your books to the Kindle. Unfortunately, the Kobo only supports one library account at a time, meaning you have to sign in and out of your account depending on where you're borrowing from.

The library interface is clunky

As much as I love how easy it is to read library books on my Kindle, they can also make the Kindle library clunky. After you read a library book and the loan expires, you won't be able to read the book. However, the cover still appears in your Kindle library.

Just like I want my books tidy IRL, I want them organized on my e-reader, too. There's no filter to hide your library books on the Kindle. Instead, if you want to hide the expired titles, you need to make a collection in your Kindle library to separate your library books from those you own.

The Paperwhite is better than the Signature Edition for this one reason

I have spent weeks with both the Paperwhite and the Signature Edition, and despite the SE's extra features, I prefer the Paperwhite. The reason is the ad-free lock screen. Yes, ads are annoying. However, the lock screen with ads forces you to swipe past the screen when you turn it on. This is different from the SE's screen, which automatically pushes past the lock screen when you hit the power button.

On its face, that sounds super convenient, saving you a step. That is, until you throw the Signature Edition in your bag and pull it out to discover you've lost your page in your book because it accidentally turned on. Meanwhile, this was never an issue with the Paperwhite, which stayed locked while I was on the go.

This issue will be on any ad-free Kindle, not just the Signature Edition. You can add a PIN as a workaround, but like many users, I'd rather just swipe.

All these updates, but there's still room for improvement

From the previous model, the Kindle Paperwhite remains our favorite e-reader. However, it's missing a few upgrades that I was really hoping to see. Amazon should have moved the power button to the top of the Kindle rather than keeping it on the bottom. I hit the power button while holding the device constantly because of its placement. It could be fine if the Kindle had an internal gyroscope like the Kobo Libra Colour does, and the Kindle could rotate the page, but alas, another missing feature.

Another perk the Kobo Libra has over the Kindle is page-turning buttons. Amazon devastated users by discontinuing the Kindle Oasis in June 2024, taking away the only Kindle with page-turning buttons. I was hopeful that meant this new batch of Kindles would feature buttons, but they're noticeably absent. While the buttons aren't necessary — the Kindle's touchscreen is plenty responsive — having the buttons is just a better reading experience, which is why, in terms of ergonomics, the Kobo Libra is much better.

None of these missing features are dealbreakers, but they do remind us that the Kindle Paperwhite isn't perfect.

What's the difference between the Kindle Paperwhite 12th generation and the 11th generation?

If you're the proud owner of a Kindle Paperwhite 11th generation, should you upgrade to the Kindle Paperwhite 12th generation? Unless your Kindle Paperwhite 11th generation is totally malfunctioning, you probably don't need to upgrade, as the differences between the generations are minuscule.

The 12th generation is meant to run faster than the 11th generation, which it does, but the difference is barely noticeable. What is noticeable is the size difference. The 12th generation is .2-inches larger than the 11th generation, meaning you'll also need to get a new case for the new generation.

Is the Kindle Paperwhite worth it? Here are our final thoughts. You can't beat the displays on the Kindle Paperwhite. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Kindle Paperwhite is not just the best Kindle but the best e-reader overall. It's compact and lightweight, just the right size for toting around. The screen strikes the balance of tech and paper, and the adjustable warmth makes reading in the evening better for your eyes. With the release of the 2024 model, it's the fastest Kindle yet, which is good news. When you turn the physical page, it never buffers, so digital readers deserve the same.

While Amazon still leaves some to be desired, it remains the best e-reader you can buy. It's $10 more expensive than the last model, but is still a good value.

Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (2024) $159.99 at Amazon
Shop Now Featured Video For You Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kobo Clara Colour: Which one is better?

SAVE $40: As of Sept. 26, the Shokz OpenSwim Pro are on sale for $139.95 at Amazon. That's a 22% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Shokz Shokz OpenSwim Pro $139.95 at Amazon
$179.95 Save $40 Get Deal

Headphones and earbuds have advanced hugely in the last few years, from open-ear designs to buds you can wear while sleeping. It seems that the sky is truly the limit when it comes to audio innovation. And that applies to swimming headphones, too. We all know that exercise is better with a good beat, but who knew this was possible when swimming? Thanks to the Shokz OpenSwim Pro, it truly is.

And as of Sept. 26, these headphones are now on sale for $139.95, a $40 saving on list price. And that's not all, it's also the lowest they have ever been priced at Amazon, so this really is a great deal.

SEE ALSO: Snag the Nothing Ear (Open) headphones for $99 at Amazon

So, how do they work? Well, most importantly, they have an IP68 waterproof rating. This means they can be submerged in water up to two meters deep for two hours. And the open-ear design uses bone conduction technology to transmit the sound to your ears. Instead of sending sounds through the eardrum, the headphones create vibrations that travel along the cheekbones and reach the inner ear directly. You still hear your music loud and clear, but you also hear things that are happening around you.

For use in and out of the water, you'll get up to nine hours of battery life. If you're running out of juice, plug it in for a 10-minute quick charge to get three hours of listening time.

Get this Shokz deal at Amazon now.

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 26, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is on sale for $209 at Amazon. That's a 23% saving on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ $209 at Amazon
$269.99 Save $60.99 Get Deal

Prime Day deals are just over a week away, but some standout discounts have already dropped.

There's already a lot to consider, including the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ for $60 off at Amazon. As of Sept. 26, you can take this tablet home for the reduced price of $209. This price is for the 128GB tablet-only option. It's also available in graphite and silver colors.

SEE ALSO: The Segway Cube 2000 portable power station is over $1,000 off at Amazon — a new record-low price

This is the perfect tablet for watching shows or scrolling on social media, thanks to its bright 11-inch screen. It also has quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, so the sound quality is impressive too. And with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage (which is expandable with a microSD), there’s plenty of power and space for all your apps, shows, and games.

It's kid-friendly, too. The Samsung Kids app makes sure that all accessible content is safe and engaging, and the slim, durable design makes it easy for kids to carry with them.

And if you’d rather watch on the big screen, this tablet allows you to cast seamlessly with Smart View. Plus, with Galaxy connectivity, you can even take calls and reply to texts directly from your tablet.

Upgrade with this great tablet deal now.

As a somewhat recent subscriber to Paramount+, I am still exploring the depths of the streaming service's offerings. So I was delighted to scroll upon the three titles below, each I managed to binge over the course of a weekend.

During this time of year, weekends are for two things: college football (Geaux Tigers) and streaming whatever is up next on my watch list. I won’t lie, though. Most of my weekends are spent consuming content, and I love it. How else am I going to bring you such awesome recommendations?

Today's Connections: Sports Edition requires some knowlegde on golf and one of the great American cities.

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: Fighting words

• Green: Have a ball

• Blue: Lions and tigers

• Purple: The great indoors

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

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

• Yellow: Bloodsport

• Green: Hole in one

• Blue: The Motor City

• Purple: Welcome to the thunder _______

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 #368 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• Combat Sports Settings - CAGE, MAT, OCTAGON, RING

• Golf Brands - CALLAWAY, COBRA, PING, TAYLORMADE

• Detroit Sports Greats - BING, HOWE, KALINE, SANDERS

• ______ Dome - ASTRO, KING, SILVER, SUPER

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 today's Connections.

I've been using Netflix for more than a decade, so it's safe to say I've watched much of its catalog. It means I've seen some of the best TV shows ever created, but also that I've sat through my fair share of duds. I'm not getting that time back, so let me save you from making the same mistakes.

Ever wondered why the moon looks different tonight than it did last night? It's not random; the moon is actually moving through a cycle of eight phases known as the lunar cycle. The cycle lasts around 29.5 days, and happens as the Sun lights up different parts of the moon whilst it orbits Earth.

Cool, right? Keep reading to see where the moon is as of Sept. 26 in the lunar cycle.

What is today’s moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 26, the moon phase is Waxing Crescent, and according to NASA's Daily Moon Observation, there is 19% visible.

It's day five of the lunar cycle, and the moon well and truly feels like it's coming back to us. With just your naked eye, look to the top right of the moon to see the Mare Crisium. If you avert your gaze to the middle right of the moon, you'll also see the Mare Fecunditatis. If you're in the Southern Hemisphere, these will be positioned towards the bottom left.

Much like last night's viewing, you'll also catch a glimpse of the Endymion Crater with binoculars or a telescope.

When is the next full moon?

The next full moon will be on Oct. 6. The last full moon was on Sept. 7.

What are moon phases?

NASA tells us that moon phases are part of a 29.5-day cycle of the moon’s orbit. This changes the angles between the Sun, Moon, and Earth. Moon phases are how the moon looks from Earth as it goes around us; sometimes it looks full, sometimes it looks like it's disappeared entirely, but we always see the same side of the moon, it's just how much of it is lit up by the Sun that changes depending on where it is in its orbit.

This is how we get full moons, half moons, and moons that appear completely invisible. There are eight main moon phases, and they follow a repeating cycle:

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.

Last Quarter (or Third 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.

Happy Saturday and 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 September 20, 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 September 19, 2025 Easy difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

Less Than (3): Everything in this space must be less than 3. The answer is 6-0, placed horizontally.

Equal (6): Everything in this space must be equal to 6. The answer is 6-6, placed horizontally; 6-0, placed horizontally; 6-3, placed horizontally; 6-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 6-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

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

Number (9): Everything in this space must add to 9. The answer is 3-4, placed horizontally; 5-1, placed horizontally.

Number (10): Everything in this space must add to 10. The answer is 6-1, placed vertically; 4-2, placed horizontally.

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

Number (15): Everything in this space must add to 15. The answer is 6-5, placed horizontally; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add to 3. The answer is 5-1, placed horizontally; 4-3, placed horizontally.

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

Hard difficulty hints, answers for Sept. 26 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 5-2, placed vertically.

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

Number (2): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 4-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-0, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 0-2, placed vertically.

Less Than (2): Everything in this space must be less than 2. The answer is 1-4, placed vertically.

Equal (4): Everything in this space must be equal to 4. The answer is 3-4, placed vertically; 4-2, placed vertically; 1-4, placed vertically

Equal (0): Everything in this space must be equal to 0. The answer is 1-0, placed horizontally; 0-0, placed horizontally; 0-6, placed vertically.

Number (22): Everything in this space must add to 2. The answer is 2-6, placed vertically; 0-6, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

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

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.

The NYT Connections puzzle today shouldn't be hard to solve if you like the great outdoors.

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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: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 2, 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: Mixing in the kitchen

• Green: Subtle

• Blue: Furry beasts

• Purple: Unclean

Featured Video For You Connections: How to play and how to win Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Stir vigorously

• Green: Hard to make out

• Blue: Kinds of bears

• Purple: Dirty ___

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 #838 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Stir vigorously: BEAT, CREAM, WHIP, WHISK

• Hard to make out: DIM, FAINT, LIGHT, PALE

• Kinds of bears: BLACK, BROWN, POLAR, SUN

• Dirty ___: BLONDE, POOL, RICE, WORD

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 September 2, 2025

Are you also playing NYT 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 today's Connections.

If you're reading this, you're looking for a little help playing Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game.

Strands 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.

Today's NYT Strands puzzle should be easy to solve, provided that you're always on time.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 2, 2025 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 2, 2025 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: As old as time

The words are related to time.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words are parts of a timepiece.

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 Grandfather Clock.

Featured Video For You Strands 101: How to win NYT’s latest word game NYT Strands word list for September 26

• Chimes

• Winder

• Grandfather Clock

• Gears

• Weights

• Pendulum

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 today's Strands.

Oh hey there! If you're here, it must be time for Wordle. As always, we're serving up our daily hints and tips to help you figure out today's answer.

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.

Today's NYT Wordle puzzle shouldn't be difficult to solve if you're a procrastinator.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 2, 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 September 2, 2025 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To waste time.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter L appears twice.

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

Today's Wordle starts with the letter D.

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...

DALLY

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 September 2, 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 today's Wordle.

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 fashion sense.

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

STYLE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

An addictive drug.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

OPIUM

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Attached.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 4 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 4, 2025 Hurdle Word 3 answer

STUCK

Hurdle Word 4 hint

Thick.

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

DENSE

Final Hurdle hint

Two cents.

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

INPUT

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

Instagram has always been pretty precocious. Now, just ahead of its 15th birthday, we have a new measure of its global fame — and it is on a level far beyond the dreams of regular teenagers.

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg announced Wednesday that the once-humble photo-sharing app, which he had the foresight to buy for a mere $1 billion in 2012, now has more than 3 billion active users. That's an extraordinary achievement, and not just because Instagram had barely cracked 30 million monthly active users at sale time.

Three billion is nearly 37 percent of the population of Earth. If it were a country, Instagram would be larger than India (which has the largest Insta audience), China, the U.S. and the E.U. combined. The Roman Empire, the British Empire, the American whatever-this-is — they can only dream of this level of conquest.

No empire, real or virtual (and these days who can tell the difference), has ever been forged this quickly. Even Instagram's older sibling, Facebook, only just hit 3 billion users in January, at the ripe age of 21. Instagram, launched on Oct. 6, 2010, is the true prodigy of the social media family. (WhatsApp is Meta's middle child; the company says it has 3 billion users too, but your mileage may vary on whether it counts as social media.)

Based on these growth numbers, there's every reason to believe Instagram will soon overtake big brother, and become synonymous with social media in the 2020s (and maybe even 2030s) the way Facebook was in the 2010s. (TikTok is on Insta's tail, but currently eating its dust with an estimated 1.6 billion active users.)

SEE ALSO: What to expect when you're expecting 8 billion internet users

Just as Alexander the Great was said to have wept when there was no more of the then-known world to be conquered, Zuckerberg may well lament that there are less than 5 billion smartphone users who could possibly download his app. (It's still banned in China, which Alexander couldn't reach either.)

Who counts as an Instagram 'user'?

But how does Zuckerberg's Meta count Instagram's "active users," anyway? And does it matter as much as the hype suggests?

It's an important question because Zuckerberg has been zigging and zagging on his metrics of late. In July, the company simply said that 3.48 billion people used the Meta "family of apps" — and that they did so every day. The last time Zuckerberg broke out Instagram's user number, on a quarterly call for investors and analysts in 2022, he pinned it at 2 billion monthly active users, which is the more frequently-used number. (MAUs are what we've used for TikTok and WhatsApp above.)

And Monthly Active Users (MAUs) is what Zuck meant this week, according to his Threads post. One that threw in a Breaking Bad GIF — "billions, with a b" — for extra swagger.

SEE ALSO: Who is actually using Threads?

So why switch from monthly to daily and back again? Is counting users as simple as receiving pings from servers when they log in, or is fuzzy math involved? Are we talking across all devices and web browsers, or smartphones only? Mashable reached out to Meta and asked them to walk us through the MAU-counting process, but the company is staying tight-lipped for now.

Still, there is some evidence to suggest that a Monthly Active User ain't what they used to be — and that counting the amount of time spent on the app may be a more relevant metric.

Take me, for an extreme example. Technically, I'm a Monthly Active User of Instagram. I'm part of the three billion-strong empire! But what that means is practice is that once or twice a month, I'll look someone up via their handle. I posted a grand total of two photos in 2024, and 15 in 2023, continuing a decline since 2020. According to Screen Time on my iPhone, my Instagram usage has dropped to an average 18 seconds a day.

Why? My feed has long felt too clogged with ads and algorithmic recommendations for me to truly enjoy it (and I'm far from alone on that front, especially given the controversial feed changes of 2024). The brand new redesign, which hides the post button and prioritizes DMs and Reels, makes Insta feel less friendly (at least to this user) than ever. It's a far cry from the app I loved in the 2010s (when at least one Mashable staffer declared an Instagram addiction, and I wasn't far off myself).

Why time on Instagram may be a better metric

Meta doesn't provide any kind of time-spent-on-app data for Instagram. Estimates from multiple online data services suggest it's around 32 minutes daily per Insta user, worldwide.

That might sound like a lot, but the number hasn't shifted since 2022. Previous to that, time on Instagram was increasing year on year. Now it may have flatlined.

SEE ALSO: President Trump finally inked a $14 billion TikTok deal to keep the app alive

TikTok is ahead of Insta here. The ByteDance app may have a billion-with-a-b fewer users overall, but those users spend an estimated average of 56 minutes every day on the app.

And that particular engagement figure is only going to become more relevant as the smartphone app market becomes saturated — as every single one of us downloads both apps on our phones, basically. The MAUs will encompass more and more of us, because who doesn't look at the occasional Reel or TikTok when their friends send one?

Minutes of usage per day may not be the only metric that matters, but it is a growing part of a complicated social media picture.

For now, perhaps the clearest snapshot of the social media landscape emerges if you multiply number of billion MAUs by daily average usage minutes. Do that math for TikTok, and you get 89. Do it for Instagram, you get 96.

The 'gram still wins, but TikTok is too close for comfort — close enough to take the swag out of Zuckerberg's boast.

The new Xbox gaming handheld is finally available for pre-order here in the United States.

The long-awaited, Asus-produced ROG Xbox Ally consoles (there are two of them) are launching on Oct. 16, and the pre-order date is fast approaching. In fact, it's approaching so fast that it's already here. That's right, Asus just announced that the ROG Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X consoles are available for pre-order starting Thursday at 5 p.m. PT (8 p.m. ET). The regular ROG Xbox Ally runs for $599, while the more powerful ROG Xbox Ally X runs for $999.

Opens in a new window Credit: Asus/Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally X $999 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Asus/Microsoft ROG Xbox Ally $599 at Best Buy
Pre-order Here SEE ALSO: Nintendo is bringing back the reviled 'Virtual Boy' as a Switch accessory

Here are all of the places where you can pre-order the ROG Xbox Ally:

• Asus

• Amazon

• Best Buy

• Ant Online

• Microsoft

• Walmart

If any of those links aren't working, keep checking back as retailers make pre-orders available.

If you're not buying directly from Asus, the more powerful of the two ROG Xbox Ally handheld gaming consoles is exclusive to Best Buy. There's also a sweepstakes for people who pre-order directly from Asus in the United States. If you buy from Asus, you'll get enrolled into a contest where you could potentially win a bundle that includes any of the following:

• ROG Strix Arion SSD

• ROG Raikiri Controller

• ROG Cetra wireless earbuds

• ROG Bulwark charging/TV dock

• ROG Xbox Ally 2-in-1 premium case

The Xbox Ally promises a Steam Deck-like experience but with built-in integration for your Xbox account, complete with Game Pass support. If you're an Xbox devotee who travels a lot, this may be the machine for you. Good luck with the pre-orders.

Google's Pixel Buds Pro 2 are really good, and they're better every year thanks to Google supporting them with new updates and features every so often. Now, the latest batch of Pixel Buds Pro 2 features is rolling out, and it's looking good.

OnePlus phones remain popular, even if they might not have the same weight they did before. If you happen to have a OnePlus phone, you'll want to know about this vulnerability—and while a fix is on the way, you should continue to be careful while it lands.

SAVE $151: As of Sept. 25, the 2024 Apple iMac (M4 chip, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) is down to as low as $1,347.50 at Amazon. That's a 10% or $151.50 discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iMac (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,347.50 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $151.50 Get Deal

If you've been looking for the right time to upgrade your desktop computer, Apple's M4 iMac just went on sale. So long as you're not picky about the color, now's a good time to add it to your cart.

As of Sept. 25, the 2024 Apple iMac with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage is down to $1,347.50 at Amazon if you choose the blue model. That's 10% or $151.50 in savings. The green option is also down to $1,349, while the silver option is sitting at $1,353. Unfortunately, the yellow, orange, pink, and purple models are all still full price.

Launched last October, the M4 iMac didn't make too many major changes to the previous generation Apple desktop. The main differences are the M4 chip (versus its M3 predecessor), of course, as well as new colorways and the inclusion of Apple Intelligence features. Apple said in a press release that the M4 chip is 1.7 times faster for daily productivity and 2.1 times faster for photo editing and gaming compared to the M1 iMac. While it didn't compare it to the previous M3 model, it's safe to say the M4 will trump its predecessor in speed.

Other features include support for up to 24GB of unified memory, 10-core GPU, a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, 12MP Center Stage camera, four USB-C ports, and the ability to connect up to two 6K external displays.

There's a chance this particular iMac could drop even lower during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event. But if you're not willing to gamble, we suggest jumping on this $150+ savings while it's around.