IT General

I've seen plenty of posts online saying you absolutely need to buy a name brand, but they always assume you're running tools all day on a job site. If you're not, that advice doesn't apply, and following it will cost you money you don't need to spend. Off-brand power tool batteries have a bad reputation that made more sense when third-party manufacturing was less reliable than it is now. You need to consider whether your situation actually calls for a name-brand battery.

In HBO and Sky's new legal drama War, battles aren't fought in muddy trenches or torn-up fields. They're fought in elegant wood-paneled rooms or glassy offices perched high above London's streets. But just because these arenas are polished and proper doesn't mean the fighting is similarly clean. No, the lawyers who make up War's two rival firms of Cathcarts & Sons and Taylor & Byrne are itching to get absolutely filthy.

SEE ALSO: 'War' trailer promises the high-profile divorce trial of the year

They get their chance when they take on a high-profile divorce case, unleashing a flurry of betrayal and backstabbing that's so exquisitely ruthless, it's sure to make War your next drama obsession.

What's War about? James McArdle, Sienna Miller, and Phoebe Fox in "War." Credit: Miya Mizuno / Sky / Fox

The divorce in question is that of movie star Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and tech magnate Morgan Henderson (Dominic West). She's a beloved actress whose fame is beginning to wane, while he's the CEO of a social media platform that keeps rising in prominence. As their fortunes diverge, Carla questions Morgan's fidelity. She even goes so far as to enlist her friend Flora (Rose Williams) to honeytrap him for proof so she can kickstart the divorce proceedings. It's the first of several underhanded — and often ill-advised — chess moves War's characters make throughout the series, as well as a tantalizingly bitter amuse-bouche for all the delicious drama to come.

Much of that drama comes from Carla and Morgan's imploding marriage, but their woes are really a gateway to War's main draw: Carla and Morgan's lawyers, who are as relentless as they are petty.

SEE ALSO: 2026 fall TV preview: Every show you should know about

Morgan's team of choice is Cathcarts & Sons, a storied firm with deep roots in London's legal scene and even deeper pockets. Partners St. John Smallwood (Pip Torrens) and Beatrice Ubosi (Nina Sosanya) delight in taking down their opponents, discussing Morgan's case with the calculated relish of a predator playing with its food.

Their food, in this case, is Carla and her firm: the more recently established Taylor & Byrne. Partners in both law and marriage, Nicholas Taylor (James McArdle) and Serena Byrne (Phoebe Fox) hope this case can launch their firm to Cathcarts-level prominence. Winning it would make their name, but losing it would break them financially. With Morgan and Carla's respective firms in place, the board is set for a nasty divorce, with astronomical stakes for both lawyers and clients.

War turns divorce into an enthralling battleground. Nina Sosanya, Pip Torrens, and Dominic West in "War." Credit: Sky / HBO

As the divorce gets underway, War turns each stage of the proceedings into its own captivating battlefield. During mediation, lawyers shuttle settlement offers back and forth between teams, looking for all the world like messengers trying to negotiate a surrender before the war has even begun. During arbitration, Carla and Morgan's face-off carries all the explosiveness of a shootout. At each stage, their lawyers regroup to strategize, evaluating their status the way a military leader would evaluate their casualties.

Of course, Carla and Morgan get multiple opportunities to stop and settle, but be it because of greed or pride, they just keep pushing. The same goes for the lawyers. Why would they stop the process early on when they have so much to gain from a high-profile win? Time and again, War's character keep making the wrong choices, from Carla and Morgan down to lawyers like the ambitious Johnny Warren (Archie Renaux), caught in the crossfires between Cathcarts and Taylor & Byrne. Yet each choice keeps pulling at the truth at War's core: that people will go to self-destructive lengths to get what they think they're owed.

Between Carla and Morgan's collapsing relationship and their inevitable march to the courtroom, War could easily have been played as a full-on tragedy. Instead, creator George Kay turns it into something darkly funny, full of scathing remarks and playground insults. At one point, St. John and Beatrice share a laugh over how Beatrice ignored Serena, a high school mean girl moment dressed in an expensive suit. Their arch takedowns of Serena and Nicholas turn St. John and Beatrice into the closest thing War has to outright villains, but neither side escapes the trial without blood on their hands. Kay teases out the story in such a way that viewers' allegiances may flip from Carla to Morgan over the course of an episode, creating a shifty, intoxicating viewing experience.

Because at the end of the day, War is downright fun. Its ensemble is excellent across the board, each scene crackling with incredible performances. Its episodes are among the most propulsive I've watched this year, rivaled only by Industry's astounding Season 4 run. And even though it loses some of its bite in its final episodes, its sharpness cuts deep. Do your best to pick a side, and head off to War.

War premieres Oct. 1 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max. In the UK, War premieres Oct. 2 on Sky and NOW.

UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2026, 11:17 a.m. EDT This article has been updated with information about War's airdate on Sky and NOW.

TL;DR: Watch Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League for free on RaiPlay. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The UEFA Nations League is back, and for Italy, that means a chance at rebuilding its status after missing out on a string of tournaments. Belgium did qualify for this summer's World Cup, only exiting in the quarter-final stage at the hands of eventual winners Spain. They'll fancy their chances against a struggling Italy.

If you're interested in watching Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Italy vs. Belgium?

Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League kicks off at 2.45 p.m. ET on Sept. 25. This fixture takes place at the Stadio Olimpico.

How to watch Italy vs. Belgium for free

Italy vs. Belgium in the Nations League is available to live stream for free on RaiPlay.

RaiPlay is geo-restricted to Italy, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Italy, meaning you can live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit RaiPlay

5. Watch Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Italy vs. Belgium without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RaiPlay?

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

• Servers in 105 countries, including Italy

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Italy vs. Belgium for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

While you may be waiting for Amazon’s highly anticipated Big Deal Days to go live in two weeks, now may be a better time to shop, as the mega retailer just quietly slashed pricing on tons of gear, including some of its most popular power tools, like DeWalt's no. 1 bestselling 20V Max XR Oscillating Tool Kit—and right now, it's under $100.

The best October Prime Day beauty deals: Best round brush deal Drybar The Double Shot 2.4-Inch Oval Blow-Dryer $131.75 (save $23.25) Get Deal Best Shark hair deal Shark FlexStyle $199.99 (save $114.01) Get Deal Best Dyson hair deal Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer $382.99 (save $67) Get Deal Best red light mask deal Dreame Chrona $209.99 (save $60) Get Deal

This is my fourth year covering Prime Day, so I've learned to be pretty cynical about pre-sale "discounts." But looking through the current beauty markdowns, a handful of these early prices actually match — if not beat — the deals we saw during June's Prime Day event.

Amazon's official October Prime Big Deal Days doesn't kick off until Oct. 6–7, but if you want to restock your essentials now, here are the best beauty deals you can shop today, sorted from least to most expensive in every section.

Best beauty deal Opens in a new window Credit: Drybar Drybar The Double Shot 2.4-Inch Oval Blow-Dryer Brush $131.75 at Amazon
$155 Save $23.25   Get Deal Why we like it

You don't need to drop $400+ on a high-end multi-styler just to get a good blowout at home. I use this exact Drybar brush every single day, and it gets me ready in minutes. The combination of ionic airflow and tufted bristles smooths out stubborn frizz and cuts drying time in half, while the 2.4-inch oval barrel gives you real volume at the roots in a single pass — so you never have to awkwardly juggle a heavy dryer and a separate round brush.

Best early hair tool and hair care deals

• TYMO Hair Straightener Brush — $42.10 $59.99 (save $17.89)

• L'ANGE HAIR Le Volume 2-in-1 Titanium Blow Dryer Brush — $48.99 $69 (save $20.01)

• Drybar The Baby Brush Crush Mini Heated Straightening Brush — $50.15 $59 (save $8.85)

• TYMO 4.0 Hair Blow Dryer Brush — $74.99 $99.99 (save $25)

• Drybar The Roller Club Curling Hot Rollers — $109.65 $129 (save $19.35)

• Dreame Pocket Cake Dual Voltage Hair Dryer with Diffuser — $119.99 $129.99 (save $10)

• Dreame AirStyle Suite Pro Hair Styler & High-Speed Dryer — $179.99 $199.99 (save $20)

• Shark FlexStyle Air Multi-Styler & Drying System — $199.99 $314 (save $114.01)

• Dreame AirStyle Era Multi-Styler — $259.99 $349.99 (save $90)

Best early skincare and makeup deals

• Garnier SkinActive Micellar Water For Waterproof Makeup — $8.39 $11.99 (save $3.60)

• Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles Concealer — $9.82 $12.99 (save $3.17)

• Grace & Stella Lip Gloss Butter (Vanilla Ice Cream) — $9.95 $13.95 (save $4)

• Maybelline Lash Sensational Sky High Washable Mascara — $10.82 $13.99 (save $3.17)

Best early device deals

• Wavytalk Red Light Therapy Mask — $109.99 $179 (save $)

• Wavytalk IPL Hair Removal — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Nood Flasher Pro — $299 $399 (save $100)

Best brand-wide sales

• Anua: Get up to 47% off select gift sets and best sellers.

• From Labs: Get up to 16% off best sellers.

• Grace & Stella: Get 15% off when you buy any two items, and get a surprise free gift when you spend $60+. Bonus offer: Get 50% off the Eye Mask Variety Pack with code PRIMEOCT.

• Joylux: Get up to 20% off select products.

• Live Tinted: Save on select gift sets, including the Eye Awakening Routine gift set and Juicy Lip Gloss Duo.

• Nood: Get up to 43% off select products.

• Sand + Fog: Save on select scents and personal care items at Sand + Fog.

• Tower 28: Save on select lip gloss gift sets, plus get a free mini pouch on your first order.

TL;DR: Preorders are live for the $399.99 GTA VI: Vice City Collection. The 11-piece crate packs custom Oakley sunglasses, a New Era cap, and a physical map of Leonida — though the actual game is sold separately. Lock yours in directly at the Rockstar Store before the limited run sells out.

Opens in a new window Credit: Rockstar GTA 6 Collector's Box $399.99 at Rockstar
  Pre-order Here

Rockstar Games officially launched preorders for the Grand Theft Auto VI: The Goodtime State – Vice City Collection on its webstore, priced at $399.99. The massive 11-piece crate is themed after Macca the Gator, a hit TV show inside the fictional state of Leonida, and comes packed with high-end apparel, barware, and physical lore collectibles.

Before grabbing your wallet, you should know the major catch: the actual game is sold separately. This is strictly an elite merch drop for hardcore collectors, so you will still need to buy your copy of GTA 6 when launch day hits.

Credit: Rockstar What's inside the box

Rockstar packed this 11-piece crate with apparel, barware, and lore collectibles:

• Oakley Frogskins Sunglasses — Matte black frames with Prizm Sapphire lenses and a Vice City pink GTAVI logo

• New Era 9FORTY Snapback Hat — A-Frame cap featuring Vice City and Leonida embroidery

• Leonida Keys Crossbody Bag — Ripstop bag with black-and-pink lining and a debossed YKK zipper pull

• Macca the Gator Figure — 6-inch figurine with a secret twist-open stash base

• Macca the Gator Magnetic Mirror — Electroplated pink glass mirror for hanging or tray use

• Chunkee the Manatee Shot Glass — Features Chunkee on the front and a laser-etched Rockstar logo

• Vice City Collectible Swizzle Spoon — Decorative spoon with debossed enamel Vice City branding

• Double-Sided Souvenir Poster with Map of Leonida — Macca the Gator TV show art on the front and the full physical state map on the back

• Vice City Razor Blade Keychain — Metallic razor-blade-style keychain

• Leonida Keys Enamel Pin Set — Nine enamel pins inside a custom metal tin

• Leonida Keys Sticker Pack — Nine vinyl stickers in a stash bag

Credit: Meta / Rockstar

You can place a preorder directly on the official Rockstar Store. This is a limited-run release shipping out on Nov. 19, 2026. Due to the size of the box, it does not qualify for free shipping, and orders are strictly capped at one per customer. Secure your preorder while the first batch is still up before stock runs dry.

You've likely noticed that your Windows computer tends to slow down after it's been running for a while. This can happen even on brand-new laptops and powerful gaming PCs, yet few people understand why this happens. The good news is that I have a solution.

The Moon is almost completely full in the sky, so tonight, there's another chance to spot some of the features that stand out on its surface. Here's what to look for if you've got clear skies.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Friday, Sept. 25, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 98% of its surface visible.

With just your naked eye, tonight you can see the Mare Crisium, Mare Fecunditatis, and the Oceanus Procellarum. If you have binoculars, they'll also help you see the Posidonius Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Mare Frigoris. On top of this, if you have access to a telescope, you'll see the Apollo 12 and 16 landing spots, and the Schiller Crater.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on September 26.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon goes through a repeating cycle as it orbits Earth, taking roughly 29.5 days to complete. During that time, the amount of its sunlit side visible from Earth changes, giving us the different lunar phases. It starts with a slim crescent, grows to a half Moon and eventually reaches the Full Moon, before beginning the cycle again. NASA explains that which phase we see depends on where the Moon is in relation to Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

While the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and the iPhone Duo may be grabbing all the headlines, the Motorola Razr Fold is the sleeper hit book-style foldable of the year. This phone undercuts the alternatives on price while outperforming them in many of the areas that matter most. Yet, just like other Motorola phones, it’s the software that attracts me, and it’s the software that pushes me away.

TL;DR: Davolink's officially licensed Minions WiFi router went viral on X, racking up over 4 million views and wiping out Amazon's inventory. You can still grab the Bob (AX1800) model via third-party Amazon sellers for $79.49.

Opens in a new window Credit: Davolink Bob (AX1800) Minion WiFi Router $79.49 at Amazon
  Shop Now

If you thought home networking equipment was strictly limited to glowing black boxes with spider-like antennas, social media just proved otherwise.

A viral X post praising Davolink’s officially licensed Minions WiFi router racked up over 4 million views in less than 24 hours — causing Amazon's direct stock to sell out almost instantly. Underneath the denim-overalls exterior, these devices are surprisingly capable WiFi 6 and 6E routers built by an enterprise networking company.

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Built as a compact upright unit, it sits easily on a desk or bookshelf like a vinyl figurine while delivering actual high-speed home networking. Performance-wise, Bob runs on both the 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands, with combined theoretical speeds up to 1.77 Gbps. It is specifically built for low-latency tasks like wireless PC VR streaming, online gaming, and 4K media streaming, where a steady connection matters. On the back, you get 1 GbE WAN and LAN ports to connect your modem, PC, or gaming console directly.

Versatility is where Bob shines. You can run it as your main home router, set it up as a standalone access point, use it as a range extender, or link it to another compatible Minions router to build a full mesh network to cover dead zones in your apartment. It also comes with standard WPA3 encryption to keep your connection secure.

Amazon still has select third-party listings for the Minions Bob router at around $79.49. You can also check eBay, where completed sales have been popping up rapidly following the social media spike. Just make sure to double-check total seller pricing and shipping costs so you don't overpay.

Grab the Davolink Minions Bob Router for $79.49 on Amazon before this third-party stock also dries up.

Thirty years of Pokémon means 30 years of absolutely bizarre, confounding, and totally lovable little freaks populating our screens.

To be clear, I say "little freaks" with nothing but admiration and love. The entire appeal of Pokémon, to me, is that every few years you get a couple hundred strange new creatures to look at and, eventually, learn to love. In fairness to all Pokémon, basically every single one of them is a weird little freak, but the 10 on this list go above and beyond. Lightning-powered mice are pretty weird, but not as weird as sentient ice cream cones, if you get what I'm saying.

Pokémon 30 year anniversary celebrations are in full swing everywhere. Whether you're mucking about in the cutthroat world of trading card collecting or simply obsessed with Pokémon Pokopia, we're all in the mood to celebrate three decades of greatness and, importantly, abundant little weirdos.

Appropriately, here are 11 of my favorite Pokémon, included mostly for how strange they are.

SEE ALSO: Target is hosting a huge Pokémon 30th Anniversary event: How to claim free promo cards Klefki

Introduced in Gen VI (2013)

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Some of the later generations of Pokémon (well, later by the standards of someone who started playing in the 90s) introduced a bunch of little freaks who are more or less just mundane, inanimate objects with faces. These are some of my favorite Pokémon because it feels like whoever designed them was just glancing around the room, looking for anything they could anthropomorphize.

That brings me to Klefki, which is literally a living ring of keys. Series lore suggests Klefki uses the keys as a defense mechanism by rattling them, but the keys also hold deep meaning for the creature, as it will hold onto its favorite ones for long periods. I love this little guy.

Chandelure

Introduced in Gen V (2010)

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Chandelure is another "random inanimate object" Pokémon, which is best described as a ghostly chandelier. It's the final evolution of a line that also includes a ghostly candle and a ghostly lamp. One thing I love about Chandelure is that it has a Mega Evolution in Pokémon Legends: Z-A, turning it into an even more ornate chandelier. We love a Pokémon who can dress for the occasion.

Garbodor

Introduced in Gen V (2010)

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Garbodor is a living, breathing pile of trash. I don't mean that in a derogatory sense; that's literally what it is. Presumably, someone saw a bunch of garbage piled up outside the Pokémon office one day and used that as a source of inspiration. I love it.

SEE ALSO: I tried to buy my son some Pokémon cards at retail price. It was almost impossible. Mimikyu

Introduced in Gen VII (2016)

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Mimikyu made waves online when it was first introduced 10 years ago because, frankly, it has one of the saddest backstories of any Pokémon. It's actually a tiny ghost whose true form we never really see, hidden under a shoddy, low-effort Pikachu costume. The reason it wears the costume? To make friends, of course, given Pikachu's massive popularity and the presumed ugliness of Mimikyu's true self.

Personally, I'm sure the real Mimikyu is beautiful, too, but I can't say I dislike the way it presents itself.

Unown

Introduced in Gen II (1999)

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I really cut my teeth as a Pokémon video game player in the second generation of games, otherwise known as Gold, Silver, and Crystal. Gen II had a lot of really neat stuff going on, including Unown, a new Pokémon that exists in a couple of dozen different forms that all resemble hieroglyphs or, in some cases, just regular letters. They like to hang out on the walls of ruins, but that's only when they leave the special other dimension that only they get to live in.

Unown has a place in my heart for contributing to a real sense of mystery when it first appeared, even if later Pokémon games sort of demystified it over time. It's also the only Pokémon that you can use to form sentences.

Gimmighoul

Introduced in Gen IX (2022)

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Gimmighoul is a strange little fella who lives in treasure chests, which is how it is encountered in the core video games in which it appears. It loves gold coins, which is key to its weirdness; it is actually possible to evolve Gimmighoul into an also-very-weird golden humanoid monster, but only if you collect literally 999 gold coins. I love Pokémon with specific, deeply involved evolution processes, and I have to applaud Gimmighoul for being as high-maintenance about evolution as it is.

Lickitung

Introduced in Gen I (1996)

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So far, I've focused on weird little freaks who were introduced after Pokémon got its start in 1996. I don't want anyone to think I'm ignoring the original 151, plenty of whom are quirky and goofy in their own ways. One such weirdo is Lickitung, who just has a giant tongue that it uses to lick things. Sometimes weirdness is simple like that. Give a little guy a big tongue and make that his defining feature, and you've got yourself a 30-year-strong weird little guy.

Mr. Mime

Introduced in Gen I (1996)

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Mr. Mime is a classic weird little freak. It's one of the best Pokémon ever, purely because it likes doing parlor tricks and will slap the hell out of anyone who isn't impressed by them. You have to respect Mr. Mime's hustle or suffer the consequences. I like a Pokémon who has a day job.

Rotom

Introduced in Gen IV (2006)

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Rotom is not, in and of itself, a living inanimate object. It's more like a living spark of electricity. It has no evolutionary tree, but it does learn to inhabit a variety of household objects, gaining different abilities. At different points in the series, Rotom has been a microwave, a washing machine, and a lawn mower, and it has even served as the basis for smartphones in modern Pokémon video games.

In other words, Rotom benefits society.

Vanilluxe

Introduced in Gen V (2010)

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There isn't much to say about Vanilluxe other than it's literally just an ice cream cone with a face. Well, two faces, technically. It looks like two ice cream cones smashed together because it's the third form of an evolutionary line, and I guess they needed to do something to differentiate it from the other two, which also just look like ice cream cones. I mostly put Vanilluxe on this list because I really like ice cream.

Gengar

Introduced in Gen I (1996)

The best of the best. Credit: Jan Woitas/picture alliance via Getty Images

This choice almost feels like a cop-out in some ways because Gengar is one of the most popular Pokémon of all time. Everyone loves this guy, and he's been a favorite since the series started all those years ago.

But I can't help but include Gengar because, I mean, just look at him! No fictional character has ever been more down to party than Gengar. But, like, in a kind of insidious way. You never know how things are going to go with Gengar is around, but they're always going to be interesting, and that's one of the best qualities a person (or Pokémon) can have.

My first "big-screen" TV was a 51-inch Samsung Plasma, which I held on to for such a long time that I made the leap from 720p straight to 4K in 2016, when I purchased a 55-inch Samsung LED LCD TV. Coming from CRTs, I already thought these TVs were enormous, but standards have changed.

For months, right-click menus and legacy context options on my Windows 11 machine felt like they were lagging half a beat behind my mouse. The delay wasn't imaginary — it's baked into several layers of the operating system, and untangling it revealed fixes that take mere seconds.

It won't shock you that there's a superabundance of interview podcasts and internet series out there. You're probably subscribed to a bunch of content creators (perhaps those who made this year's Mashable 101), or maybe you depend on your feed to hand-deliver the most viral clips.

But I consider your time precious, the algorithm treacherous, so I've rounded up the best on the internet this week.

Whether you're into deadpan showdowns, niche hot takes, or simply wholesome interviews between creative minds, here's what we reckon is worth your time (and of course, I'd never leave out Mashable's own Say More, what are you, nuts?).

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026 The Comment Section with Drew Afualo: Grace Reiter

Watching two superstar content creators at the top of their damn game? Calendar cleared. Mashable 101 alums Grace Reiter and Drew Afualo chatted on the latter's The Comment Section, and it's one of the most fun, real chats you'll see this week. From growing up loving Jack Black movies to going to premieres and getting a proper stylist, the latest addition to Saturday Night Live and Afualo have a lot to talk about when it comes to how being a content creator actually works.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Royal Court: Maitreyi Ramakrishnan

Best of the Best star Maitreyi Ramakrishnan attended Brittany Broski's Royal Court and it's a delightful time. From talking through the attribute she'd give Kirby to being humbled by her friends and family at home, Ramakrishnan is a wonderful guest. And while you're at it, check out the actor's appearance on Recess Therapy.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

Mythical Kitchen: Josh Johnson

Josh Johnson enjoyed his "last meal" on Mythical Kitchen, and halfway through, he called his mom. What a gem. The comedian, writer, Daily Show host, and Mashable 101 alum joined host and chef Josh Scherer for a tasty stroll down memory lane. They dine on fruit slushes, a giant charcuterie board, lychee milk tea boba, pad thai, New York-style pepperoni pizza, pumpkin soup, chicken and shrimp gumbo, and young coconuts (served as a soup), as the comedy star talks through memories.

It's a delightful chat, with Johnson stopping during the soup course to call his mother to check gumbo details and tell her that "someone's doing it right out here."*

How to watch: YouTube, TikTok, Instagram

Hot Ones: Willem Dafoe

Willem Dafoe is something of a hot sauce warrior himself. The Oscar-nominated screen icon took on First We Feast's Hot Ones with Sean Evans, surviving increasingly spicy vegetarian wings while talking through his experiences playing Hunter S. Thompson in Gonzo Girl, working with sled dogs in Togo, being pitched by Martin Scorsese to play Jesus in The Last Temptation of Christ, being buried alive in multiple movies, and an early experimental theatre show involving nude hula dances.

For more Defoe, check out Mashable's Kristy Puchko chatting with the Late Fame star in the Say More studio.

How to watch: YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

The Romesh Ranganathan Show: Stephen Graham 

Stephen Graham joined British comedian Romesh Ranganathan on his podcast this week and it's a most excellent chat. The Emmy-winning Adolescence star talked through his epic screen career, from Shane Meadows' This Is England to Philip Barantini's one-shot wonder Boiling Point and groundbreaking series Adolescence, as well as breakdancing in his teens, fatherhood, and his new book Letters to Our Sons.

How to watch/listen: YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Instagram

And, of course...Say More: Dropout

In this week's episodes of Mashable's Say More, Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko gets all your Dropout questions answered. Following the Game Changer finale, Sam Reich revealed the secrets of "Last Talent Standing," and stars Vic Michaelis (Very Important People) and Jacquis Neal (Crowd Control) came by Mashable's SXSW Say More studio to unpack some of Dropout's biggest moments.

How to watch/listen: Mashable, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok

And here's a few more the internet loved this week:

• Call Her Daddy: Tinashe

• Subway Takes: Ms Rachel

• Criterion Collection: Karen O x Barnaby Clay

• Therapuss with Jake Shane: Carly Rae Jepsen

• New Heights: Matthew McConaughey and Woody Harrelson

• Off Menu with Ed Gamble and James Acaster: Sanjeev Bhaskar

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage, sign up for our Trending Now and Top Stories newsletters, or get Mashable push alerts to discover the internet's most exciting voices. 

During promotional interviews for Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, two-time Academy Award winner Mahershala Ali and celebrated writer/director Bassam Tariq have shared how this fantastic film rose from the ashes of the MCU's fumbled Blade reboot.

In this interview with Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko, Ali and Tariq discussed how they met through the Blade project and found a deeper connection that led them to collaborate on Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother. This not only allowed Ali to employ the physical training he'd begun for Blade, but also to take on a leading man role that gave him space to explore.

SEE ALSO: 'Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother' review: Mahershala Ali flashes his blade in epic thriller

But there's much more to Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother than its ties to Blade. Puchko dug into the film's details, including its distinctive fighting style, the platinum grills of John Cho's villain, and its thoughtful depiction of furry culture.

Plus, Ali reflected on how he made the transition from TV to film, and what he learned along the way.

Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother is now in theaters.

Hard drives rarely announce their flaws on day one. A new disk can sail through setup, then fail weeks later with your data on it. That's why I spend a fair amount of time stress-testing every new HDD first before I put it somewhere important. Here's what burn-in is, how it works, and whether you should bother.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 25, the Beats Pill portable speaker is on sale for $99.95 at Amazon. That's $50 off its full price of $149.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Pill Portable Bluetooth Speaker $99.95 at Amazon
$149.95 Save $50.00   Get Deal

Amazon's upcoming Prime Big Deal Days sale is an excellent 48-hour window to scope out tech deals ahead of Black Friday and the holidays. But before that sale officially starts in October, the retailer has some early deals worth a look.

The Beats Pill is one discounted find we've come across, with its price dipping to $99.95 at Amazon.

This marks a $50 price cut from this portable speaker's original price of $149.95, and it applies to all available colors: matte black, champagne gold, and statement red. That's not all: You can get up to three free months of Apple Arcade, Fitness+, and News+ with your purchase.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

If you enjoy being out in the cooler fall weather, the Beats Pill is perfect to have with you while you're enjoying a bonfire, camping trip, or outdoor gathering with your favorite people. It has a battery life of up to 24 hours and is IP67-rated for dust and water resistance, which is a big win if you're going on more adventurous outings and want to make sure it's durable enough for the journey.

It also boasts powerful sound: its racetrack woofer displaces 90% more air volume, so you get bigger bass as you listen. We're big fans, giving it the title of "best to buy on sale" in our portable speakers roundup. Perfect timing to grab it then, huh?

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile 

• Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad Pro — $1,899 $2,099 (save $200)

• TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

For a long time, if you needed to do any video editing, it felt like you only had two real options: pay for software or settle for a free but incomplete replacement. Adobe's move to a subscription model has only aggravated the problem; Premiere now costs you at least $20 per month, usually more.

TL;DR: Amazon is allowing third-party online stores to offer fast, free Prime shipping directly at checkout. Shoppers get standard Prime delivery speeds without needing to log in to an Amazon account, while merchants keep their own checkout systems intact.

If you love getting fast, free shipping on your online orders, Amazon is making it a whole lot easier to get that familiar Prime speed without having to shop on Amazon.com.

The retail giant just rolled out a major logistics update for direct-to-consumer brands: independent online stores can now slap the iconic Prime badge and free fast delivery directly onto their own checkout pages. You don't even have to sign into an Amazon account to get it.

So if you are shopping for clothes, skincare, or gear directly from your favorite brand's site this fall, don't be surprised to see fast Prime shipping available at checkout.

SEE ALSO: Amazon device deals are live ahead of October Prime Day: Shop Fire tablets, Blink cameras, Fire TV Sticks, and more How Prime delivery works outside of Amazon

Up until now, if an independent brand wanted to offer Prime shipping on its own storefront, it usually had to use Amazon's "Buy with Prime" widget. That meant clicking an Amazon button, logging into your Amazon account mid-checkout, and routing your payment through Amazon's system instead of the site you were actually on.

With this new update, sellers using Amazon’s back-end fulfillment network can simply list Prime delivery as a standard shipping option at checkout. You stay on the store's site, check out using Apple Pay, Shop Pay, or your usual credit card, and your Prime membership is verified after you place the order.

This way, the store gets to keep its checkout flow, customer support, and return policies intact.

Why are independent brands jumping on board?

For small online businesses, getting the Prime badge is a massive upgrade. Shoppers trust Amazon's delivery speeds, so seeing a Prime label gives first-time buyers an instant peace of mind. The upgrade also goes beyond just fast shipping. Because these orders run through Amazon's back-end logistics network, you get the same reliable package tracking and delivery updates you expect when buying directly on Amazon — meaning fewer lost packages and less shipping anxiety.

According to Amazon, early merchant adopters saw over 40% of eligible orders ship via Prime, with early-testing brands like Skinnies Instant Lifts reporting a nearly 10% bump in overall sales. To sweeten the deal for merchants right before the holiday rush, Amazon is also giving sellers a 15% to 25% discount on fulfillment fees when they use its shipping network.

If you prefer supporting independent brands directly on their own sites but hate waiting a week or two for standard shipping, Amazon just gave you the best of both worlds. Keep an eye out for that blue Prime badge the next time you hit a direct-to-consumer checkout page.

TL;DR: The latest Stuff Your Kindle Day takes place on Sept. 23-26. Gotta Get 'Em All, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is a series book blast with 100+ free titles on offer.

Where have all the Stuff Your Kindle Days gone? That's what we've been shouting into the abyss over the last few weeks.

It wasn't so long ago that we couldn't go a week without a free book giveaway, but the schedule seriously dried up over the summer. Fortunately, Stuff Your Kindle is back to boost your TBR pile ahead of fall and winter.

Gotta Get 'Em All, hosted by Indie Author Collective, is offering free books until Sept. 26. Everything you download is yours to keep forever, so you can get greedy and really stock up without a care in the world. That's what these popular events are all about.

SEE ALSO: T-Mobile is giving away the 2026 Motorola Razr for free — how to qualify

Looking to make the most of the latest Stuff Your Kindle Day? We've lined up everything you need to know about this popular event.

When is Stuff Your Kindle Day?

Gotta Get 'Em All takes place from Sept. 23-26. This four-day giveaway gives you plenty of time to assess your options and stock up ahead of the winter months.

Which books are free?

Gotta Get 'Em All is a series book blast, offering (you guessed it) books in a series. There's a helpful hub page with filters for price (free or 99 cents), platform (Kindle or Kobo), representation, and genre. With the help of these filters, you can find exactly what you want to read.

Is Stuff Your Kindle Day the same as Amazon Kindle Unlimited?

Everything you download on Stuff Your Kindle Day is yours to keep forever, and there's no limit on the number of books you can download. Stuff Your Kindle Day downloads don't count towards the 20 books that Amazon Kindle Unlimited subscribers can borrow at the same time.

The best Stuff Your Kindle Day deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle (16GB) + Kindle Unlimited (3 Months) $149.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Why we like it

These popular e-readers let you take your entire library on the go. With weeks of battery life and an anti-glare display, you can read anywhere and anytime with the Kindle. Plus, you can get three months of Kindle Unlimited for free with your purchase for a limited time.