IT General

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.

SAVE OVER $10: As of Sept. 25, the Lego Pokémon Eevee set is on sale for $47.99 at Amazon. That's $12 (20%) off its full price of $59.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego LEGO Pokémon Eevee (72151) $47.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $12   Get Deal

Select Lego sets have been among our favorite early deals to pop up on Amazon ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days sale, which kicks off on Oct. 6.

If you're in the mood to build something new this fall, and don't want to wait for the sale's start to buy, the incredibly cute Lego Pokémon Eevee set is one that's caught our attention. It's currently just cents away from its lowest-ever price at the retailer.

While it's usually available for $59.99, Amazon has slashed this Eevee set to $47.99 ahead of the October Prime Day sale. That saves you $12 overall. And again, it's less than 10 cents from its lowest-ever price ($47.95, according to the price-tracking website camelcamelcamel).

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

In total, it comes with 587 bricks that create a posable Eevee. The head, limbs, ears, and tail can all be moved around, so there are plenty of options at your fingertips when it comes to finding an adorable position to show off Eevee after assembling.

There's a surprise detail hidden within the build that pays tribute to Eevee's evolutions, which is a real treat for fans to uncover. And while Pokémon is great for all ages, this build is meant for adults ages 18 and up. However, as with any of these more complex assemblies, younger builders can tackle it with the help of an older individual.

This discount may not be available for long. Act fast to save on the Lego Pokémon Eevee set at Amazon.

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)

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box is on sale for $169 at Amazon, down from its $213.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box $169 at Amazon
$213.99 Save $44.99 Get Deal

Only a week after dropping within touching distance of its previous all-time low, Amazon has gone several steps further with Magic: The Gathering’s The Hobbit Play Booster Box — cutting the 30-pack display to its lowest price yet. 

As of Sept. 25, the Magic: The Gathering The Hobbit Play Booster Box is $169 on Amazon, down $44.99 from its typical $213.99 price. That’s around 21% off and comes to roughly $5.63 for each of the 30 Play Boosters inside. 

These particular boxes are sold and shipped by Amazon itself rather than a third-party seller, with free delivery for Prime members. 

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration ETB is way under market price on Amazon — buy for under $90 (if you get an invite)

Dropping even lower than the $189.98 price drop we covered last week, this is another all-time low for MTG’s Hobbit Play Booster Box — as confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel. 

Amazon isn’t quite the cheapest place to buy. Walmart is over $4 cheaper at $164.90 while stocks last. Meanwhile, TCGplayer is even lower with listings available from $159.88 — only 37 cents above its estimated $159.52 market price. 

Inside The Hobbit Play Booster Box are 30 Boosters (containing 14 trading cards) plus one traditional foil Middle-earth Box Topper. Each pack contains one to three cards of rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, seven to nine commons, one land, and one traditional foil card of any rarity. 

I’ve installed plenty of apps over the years simply because my phone couldn’t do something I wanted it to do. Need to identify a song? Download an app. Want to send a file to someone nearby? There was an app for that, too. But Android has come a long way, and many of those once-essential apps are no longer necessary. Modern Android phones now have built-in tools for just about everything.

SAVE $60: As of Sept. 25, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is on sale for $439 at Amazon. That's a 12% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Pocket 3 $439 at Amazon
$499 Save $60   Get Deal

Amazon's October Prime Day may not kick off until Oct. 6, but you don't necessarily have to wait until then to find a decent deal.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is already $60 off at Amazon, dropping from $499 to $439. This is a creator favorite from DJI, so if you're looking to take your content to the next level, it is a great choice.

One of its best features is its compact size, making it a great option for traveling and filming on the go. And its size doesn't compromise its quality; it has a 1-inch CMOS sensor that records 4K video at up to 120 fps, making it ideal for shooting everything from sunsets to night scenes.

It also has a rotating 2-inch touchscreen that lets you switch between horizontal and vertical shooting, plus a 3-axis mechanical stabilization that keeps footage smooth as you move. ActiveTrack 6.0 can keep you centered in the frame as you film, with fast focusing helping keep your subject sharp.

The Pocket 3 can also connect easily to two DJI Mic 2 or Mic Mini transmitters for vlogs and interviews.

Find this DJI deal at Amazon now.

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)

After some iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max owners started complaining about a weird bug that reboots their phone, Apple has acknowledged the issue, and a fix is coming.

First reported by 9to5Mac, the bug can happen after a failed Face ID attempt, with the phone freezing and ultimately rebooting. It doesn't happen to everyone; I've tried it out on an iPhone 18 Pro, both by unlocking the phone itself and the Passwords app while covering Apple's Face ID sensors, and everything worked as expected.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

However, the issue is definitely real, and Apple confirmed to 9to5Mac that it's working on a fix.

SEE ALSO: iOS 27.2 beta arrives. How to try the new iPhone Health app.

The important thing to note is that this is not a hardware failure; it's a software glitch that Apple should be able to remedy with a simple upgrade. No need to take your new phone back to Apple just yet, as the fix should be available "early next week."

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TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is on sale for $78.99 at Amazon, down from its $81.93 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box $78.99 at Amazon
$81.93 Save $2.94   Get Deal

The Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box has bounced around the sub-$80 range lately on Amazon, but its latest dip has brought the Pokémon TCG box within touching distance of its market value — making this a great opportunity to stock up.

As of Sept. 25, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box is available for $78.99 at Amazon, down $2.94 from the $81.93 price noted on price tracker camelcamelcamel. 

Sold by third-party seller BetterShopping4You, this ETB will get to you as soon as Oct. 5-6 at the time of writing (if you’re a Prime member). 

The latest drop puts Amazon almost level with the market value estimated by TCGplayer. The trading card marketplace currently estimates an unopened Pitch Black ETB at $77.31, leaving Amazon only $1.68 higher. 

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion has launched: Where to buy, best deals, and market price

As for listings on TCGplayer, the cheapest legit option is $79.10. Since Walmart is only going as low as $84.99, Amazon is by far the best place to buy right now.

Inside the Pitch Black Elite Trainer Box are nine booster packs, a full-art foil Zarude promo card, 65 card sleeves, 40 Energy cards, and a player’s guide. You also get six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, six dividers, a collector’s box, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. 

For any collectors after any of the expansion’s high-value singles, including the $180+ SIR Mega Darkai ex and the $145+ MHR version, you can individually buy any Pokémon Pitch Black card right now at TCGplayer.

Jalen Brunson is showing he can do deadpan comedy just as well as basketball. The New York Knicks point guard and NBA Finals MVP made a recent appearance in the Emmys' opening song alongside Mariska Hargitay. And in the clip above he teases his upcoming SNL hosting gig alongside KATSEYE.

"I'm Jalen Brunson, and I'll be hosting the season premiere of SNL with musical guests KATSEYE," he says in the clip above, before cast member Marcello Hernández tells him to try "a silly one."

"That was a silly one," comes the deadpan response.

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Any meeting between Donald Trump and another world leader normally provides good material for some late night roasting, and the president's recent hosting of China's Xi Jinping was no exception.

"My nine-year-old had a friend over to the house for the first time this weekend, and he wanted to show them all this stuff, his Legos, his video games, his bunk beds, everything — and this is exactly what Trump did today," says Jimmy Kimmel in the clip above.

"He dragged President Xi around the house showing him all the insane gold paint he put on the walls, he showed him his half-built ballroom, and he's also very proud of his new helipad," the Jimmy Kimmel Live! host added, bringing up a clip of the president waffling to reporters about the White House helipad.

"There really is nothing that guy will not brag about," Kimmel concludes. "Guys, I know gas is $6 a gallon — look at how beautiful my helipad is."

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

Home Assistant is free, open-source software that costs nothing to download and install. But the software is only the beginning. Running Home Assistant involves plenty of costs, many of which can be higher than you think.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 25, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available for $89.99 at Amazon. That's well under market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $89.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now

For Pokémon fans, there are few greater pleasures than finding product at way below market price. And that's exactly what you'll get with Amazon's current price on the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box.

As of Sept. 25, the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box is available on Amazon for just $89.99. According to the market price listing at TCG Player, that's a total saving of $88.64 vs. the current market price of $178.63.

The catch is that you can't just rock up on Amazon and buy one. It's so in-demand that Amazon requires potential buyers to click the "request invite" button, which puts you in a random ballot to actually purchase one.

SEE ALSO: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Sylveon ex Tin is under market price at Walmart — buy for under $60 while stocks last

If you're randomly selected, you’ll get an email to let you know that you’re eligible to buy Pokémon’s 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box. The email will contain a purchase link valid for 72 hours. But don't wait around — at this price, there's no guarantee that this Elite Trainer Box will still be in stock.

If your invitation request isn't selected, Amazon will keep it on file, and you may receive an invitation after restocks. 

The Elite Trainer Box includes nine Pokémon 30th Celebration booster packs, a full-art foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 sleeves, dice, a coin, dividers, a player’s guide, and a Pokémon TCG Live code. 

Don't miss the chance to grab the Pokémon 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box at $89.99 — almost half of the current market price.

SAVE $250: As of Sept. 25, the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop is down to $499.99 at Amazon. That's a 33% discount on a high-suction, fully automated flagship robot cleaner.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dreame Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 $499.99 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $250   Get Deal

If you're looking for a top-tier robot vacuum that cleans your floors entirely on autopilot, Amazon just chopped $250 off one of the best on the market. As of Sept. 25, you can score the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 Robot Vacuum and Mop for $499.99, down from its usual $749.99 list price.

The Gen 2 packs a massive 25,000Pa engine with five customizable suction levels, so it pulls pet hair, stray cat litter, and ground-in dirt out of high-pile carpets instead of just skimming the surface. The Dreame L40 uses robotic arms to physically extend its side brush and mop pads. It reaches deep into 90-degree baseboard corners and underneath low couch legs to snag dust bunnies where other vacuums fail.

SEE ALSO: I found the best robot vacuums for every floor, budget, and level of laziness

You also don't have to worry about soggy rugs. When it hits a carpeted room, it automatically lifts its dual spinning mop pads up by 0.41 inches (10.5mm) and cranks up the vacuum power. Once the run is finished, it returns to the dock to empty its own dustbin, wash its mop pads, and dry them with warm air so they don't sit around smelling like a damp towel.

Using 3D structured light and LiDAR mapping, the robot maps out your floor plan in minutes. It actively identifies everyday floor clutter and navigates around it without getting hung up. The massive 5,200mAh battery runs for up to 231 minutes on a single charge, and you can set it to charge during off-peak hours to keep your electricity bill down.

If you want to put your daily vacuuming and mopping routine on autopilot for under $500, head over to Amazon to grab the Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 before this deal expires.

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