IT General

Jenny Hoyos wants to be your internet best friend.

That might sound ambitious for someone with more than 12 million YouTube subscribers. But for Hoyos, the feeling of accessibility is a fundamental part of being a creator.

"I don't want to feel like someone that just shows [up] once a week or once a month," Hoyos told Mashable and other journalists during a roundtable at the Made On YouTube event in New York City on Wednesday. "I want them to see, 'Wow, Jenny's accessible 24/7. She is responding all the time. She is posting every day, several times.'"

Then she laughed. "Does she sleep? Maybe not. Not enough."

SEE ALSO: MeganPlays has been on YouTube for 13 years. Here's what she's learned.

Maintaining that level of intimacy with millions of people is, unsurprisingly, a lot of work. At Hoyos' scale, it's also become a team effort. "I basically have someone to do everything," she said. "I don't think that there's a single task that I have to do [alone]."

Hoyos has people helping with community posts and a community manager who assists with engagement and moderating unwanted comments. She still has final say, she said, but much of the work surrounding her online presence can be delegated. There is one obvious exception.

"Other than being on camera, that is the only thing I cannot outsource," Hoyos said. "I try to maximize the amount of time that I can on camera, just so I can show up for my viewers as much as possible."

It's a revealing look at what community building looks like at the highest levels of the creator economy. The intimacy between creator and fan might feel casual — a reply to a comment here, a livestream shoutout there — but maintaining that relationship at scale requires an increasingly sophisticated operation behind it. And YouTube wants to give creators more of the tools to run that operation without leaving YouTube.

At Made On YouTube, the video-sharing platform announced a slate of new and upcoming features designed around creator communities, including members-only Communities and more ways for fans to interact directly on the platform. Users will be able to share videos directly with friends through YouTube, with group chats coming soon. At the same time, members-only Communities will give paying channel members their own spaces to interact. YouTube is also expanding the ways viewers can participate in comments, including reaction GIFs and the ability to leave voice-to-text comments from their TVs.

YouTube is giving creators and fans more ways to interact. Credit: YouTube

Livestreaming is getting more interactive, too. Live Showdowns will turn fan participation into a kind of game, with viewers contributing to an on-screen battle as they watch. YouTube is also working to make livestreams easier to discover, including surfacing them alongside videos, Shorts, posts, and podcasts in personalized feeds. Taken together, the updates give creators more ways to turn watching YouTube into something viewers do with them and with each other.

Hoyos said that although she never deliberately set out to foster relationships among her viewers, she's watched those relationships emerge in her Community posts.

"I post almost every day," she said. "People just respond to each other, communicate with each other, and get connected."

Because Hoyos shares details about her own life and interests, fans will respond with their own, she said. Other viewers see those exchanges and discover people who like the same things.

Barbara Macdonald, Google's product manager for Live, said she sees the same phenomenon play out in livestream chats, particularly among smaller communities.

Voice comments let viewers join the conversation without leaving the couch. Credit: YouTube

"People know each other's birthdays. They know what everybody is interested in," Macdonald said of her own YouTube community. She also maintains a Discord, where some of those relationships continue outside YouTube.

But unsurprisingly, YouTube appears to be building features that could keep more of that activity on its platform. Hoyos certainly sees the appeal.

"As a creator, I want everything in one place," she said. Creators already have enough work without maintaining separate spaces for every facet of their fandom, she argued. A creator might have a YouTube channel for videos, a Discord for their community, and a Patreon for exclusive content. Each new platform doesn't just create more work for creators; it also asks fans to follow them elsewhere.

"It's a lot," Hoyos said. "It's not even just a lot for us as the creator, but also the audience, getting them to convert."

"You have all these CTAs to download all these apps," she added. "It's so much easier for everyone [to have everything in one place]."

The business of being accessible

Of course, bringing more of a creator's fandom to YouTube also creates more monetization opportunities.

YouTube has spent more than a decade building ways for fans to financially support creators, from channel memberships and Super Chats to newer products such as Hype with Jewels and the upcoming Live Showdowns.

But Hoyos said she is cautious about directly monetizing the relationship she has built with her audience. "I don't like to monetize directly through just the fans, just because I do feel bad," she said.

Hoyos offers channel memberships, but unlike some creators, she doesn't put significant amounts of exclusive content behind them. Instead, membership largely gives fans a better chance of being noticed during her livestreams. Their badges make their messages stand out in a fast-moving chat, and Hoyos said she's more likely to acknowledge them or respond to their comments.

A closer look at Hype With Jewels. Credit: YouTube

She doesn't see that as shutting everyone else out. "I still give energy and attention to everyone," Hoyos said. "It's just the ones that are members, I immediately see it first."

That distinction gets at a complicated part of the modern creator-fan relationship: Fans are no longer only consuming content — they're being asked to participate in the economy surrounding it.

According to Macdonald, YouTube's research has found that viewers spend money on creators for several different reasons. Some simply want to support someone whose work they enjoy. Others want exclusive content. And some are paying for a moment of recognition.

"If they happen to be doing a livestream and you send a Super Chat, and then they say your name, they shout you out, they answer the question that you've asked in Super, you just — you feel it," Macdonald said.

The culture around that exchange has changed dramatically since YouTube first began developing fan-funding products around 2015, she said. At the time, Macdonald recalled creators being uncomfortable with the idea. "'I don't know how I feel about having my fans pay to hang out with me,'" she recalled creators telling her.

Eleven years later, Macdonald said creators are actively asking YouTube for those tools, and viewers are now accustomed to using them.

Hoyos has noticed the shift, too. "It's definitely become more part of the culture to support your favorite creators," she said.

You can't outsource showing up

YouTube can build more tools to help creators find viewers, talk to them, moderate them, and eventually monetize them. But Hoyos doesn't think the platform can do the most important part of community building for them.

For smaller creators struggling to find an audience, Hoyos argued that the problem isn't always discovery. Sometimes, they simply aren't making compelling enough live content.

"It's on the creator to actually have good content and not just go live and, like, 'Oh, I hope people show up,'" she said. Creators should promote their livestreams, have something resembling a show planned, and, crucially, actually talk to the people who arrive.

"If you're not interacting with people, why are they going to tell their friends [to watch you]?" Hoyos said. "Why are they even going to continue watching?"

It's perhaps the simplest explanation of Hoyos' "internet best friend" strategy. YouTube can make it easier for creators to gather their communities in one place. AI can help moderate their comments. Teams can schedule posts, manage communities, and handle the day-to-day logistics of running a creator business.

But someone still has to show up. For Hoyos, that's the part she isn't willing to outsource.

Most people assume a slowing phone means it's time for an upgrade, but that's not true. The real answer is almost always that the battery behind your screen is wearing out. Once you see how much the battery matters, you'll stop blaming the rest of the phone. A new battery fixed my phone, and I swore up and down it was something else.

Matchmaking is having a moment, whether it's an AI matchmaker for college students or human matchmakers with decades of experience. And while singles are increasingly vexed by dating apps, the platforms are trying to pull in loved ones to help them date, too — like with Hinge's recent feature Friend's Take.

Amid these trends, a new app for both singles and wannabe matchmakers launches today: Rivet. Founded by former Tinder and Match Group executive Taru Kapoor, Rivet is a "social matching" app that will attempt to replace algorithms with the wisdom of crowds. Users sign up as Daters or Matchers, and all are encouraged to pair up others.

SEE ALSO: I tried Co-star's Readme, the dating app for readers. It's fine.

"Dating has always been social," said Kapoor in a press release shared with Mashable. She spent years thinking that dating apps were removing friction from meeting each other, but instead, "we removed the people."

Dating apps created matches by connecting people who wouldn't have met otherwise, Kapoor continued, but a side effect was that they turned something fundamentally social and human — dating — into a transactional, isolated activity.

"I built Rivet to change that," she said. "Rivet is built on a simple truth: humans understand chemistry and compatibility in a way that no algorithm can. You don't have to find your person entirely on your own, let people help you find your person."

How does Rivet work?

On Rivet, all Daters are also Matchers, but not all Matchers are Daters, Kapoor told Mashable. "Even if you're married, in a relationship or simply not currently looking to date, you can still join Rivet to be a Matcher and help people find meaningful connections," she said over email. You can make a Dater profile later if you'd like, but you're never required to.

Matchers provide their opinions on potential pairs and recommend introductions for users they believe would be a good couple. Pairs who receive high "Social Matching scores" are then introduced to each other on the app, and each person decides whether to match and start a conversation.

You can be on Rivet solely as a Dater, Kapoor continued, though the app encourages Daters to participate in matching others.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of Gen Z and millennials said they'd be interested in helping someone they don't personally know find a potential romantic match (if they can do so anonymously, and the pair themselves made the final decision), according to a national survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by Rivet.

And some prizes can sweeten the deal, too. Matchers can receive rewards for helping people find love, according to Rivet's website. "Match a pair that you think will click or call a mismatch, and you earn Karma. Karma gets you bragging rights and can be redeemed for rewards," it states.

Currently, reaching 15,000 Karma with a strong MQ (Matcher Quotient, the app's way of displaying a Matcher's thoughtfulness and accuracy) can be redeemed for $30 equivalent in cash or gift cards, Kapoor said. The team is working on making more reward and redemption options available soon.

Those with high MQ might also be bestowed as Elite Matchers.

In addition to the app, Rivet also hosts live events, such as a dating show in New York City in early Oct.

More dating apps are adding AI — meaning, more algorithms — and Rivet is bucking the trend. It's now available for free on iOS and Android.

Bambu Lab is often painted as the “worst” 3D printer manufacturer that happens to make the “best” 3D printers. The company’s walled-garden approach and clashes with open-source projects have earned it some deserved pushback over the years, and yet this week they still don’t look as bad as Stratasys.

How to live stream 2026 F1 for free: Best Apple TV Deal Apple TV 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Prime Video Deal Apple TV Prime Video Channel 7-day free trial Shop Now Best Apple One Deal Apple One 30-day free trial Shop Now

This season of F1 is unlike any other. Every season of F1 has a number of fascinating storylines to follow, but due to a major set of regulation changes, there's so much uncertainty right now. And uncertainty can lead to exciting racing.

Mercedes looked totally dominant in the early stages of the season, but now McLaren has cut the gap.

If you are interested in watching F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

What is F1?

Formula One (F1) is the highest class of international open-wheel single-seater racing. A season consists of a series of races held in multiple countries and on multiple continents, either on purpose-built circuits or on closed public roads.

Lando Norris is the defending champion. McLaren won the Constructors Championship in 2025.

When is F1 in 2026?

The 2026 F1 season is the 77th edition of the championship. This year's championship features 24 Grands Prix events held all over the world between March and December:

1. Australian Grand Prix — March 8

2. Chinese Grand Prix — March 15

3. Japanese Grand Prix — March 29

4. Miami Grand Prix — May 3

5. Canadian Grand Prix — May 24

6. Monaco Grand Prix — June 7

7. Barcelona-Catalunya Grand Prix — June 14

8. Austrian Grand Prix — June 28

9. British Grand Prix — July 5

10. Belgian Grand Prix — July 19

11. Hungarian Grand Prix — July 26

12. Dutch Grand Prix — Aug. 23

13. Italian Grand Prix — Sept. 6

14. Spanish Grand Prix — Sept. 13

15. Azerbaijan Grand Prix — Sept. 26

16. Singapore Grand Prix — Oct. 11

17. United States Grand Prix — Oct. 25

18. Mexico City Grand Prix — Nov. 1

19. São Paulo Grand Prix — Nov. 8

20. Las Vegas Grand Prix — Nov. 21

21. Qatar Grand Prix — Nov. 29

22. Abu Dhabi Grand Prix — Dec. 6

It's important to note that these dates are only for race days. The Chinese, Miami, Canadian, British, Dutch, and Singapore GPs will host a sprint race.

How to watch F1 for free

For the first time, Apple TV has made an entire F1 race weekend available for free to viewers in the U.S., with live coverage of the Austrian Grand Prix from June 26–28. Fans can watch every session live on Apple TV — including practice, qualifying, and Sunday’s Grand Prix — with no subscription required.

In the U.S., F1 is now exclusive to Apple TV. If you want access to the whole season, an Apple TV subscription costs $12.99 per month or $99 per year.

Apple TV Opens in a new window Credit: Apple TV Apple TV (7-day free trial) Apple TV comes with a 7-day free trial for new subscribers. This is a sneaky trick, but you could sign up to watch the next F1 race and then cancel your subscription before you need to spend anything. This obviously isn't a long-term fix, but it does give you the opportunity to live stream select F1 race weekends for free. Shop Now Apple TV Prime Video Channel Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel (7-day free trial) Already an Amazon Prime member? You're in luck. You can sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels. This lets you watch select F1 races live with the Prime Video app. The subscription typically costs £9.99 per month after the trial ends, but you can cancel at any time. That means you can watch select races without actually spending anything. Shop Now Apple One Opens in a new window Credit: Apple One Apple One (30-day free trial) Apple One bundles Apple TV with Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness Plus, Apple News Plus, and 50GB of iCloud Storage for $19.95 per month after a one-month free trial. Time it right and this trial could provide access to up to four race weekends for free. You do need to be a new or returning subscriber to each of the included services to get the free trial. Shop Now

It's worth noting that the best Apple TV free-trial offer comes with purchases of new Apple devices. New subscribers can get three months of Apple TV for free after purchasing any eligible Apple product, including iPhones, iPads, Macs, or Apple TVs. This special offer goes live for 90 days after the new device is activated — that's a good chunk of the season.

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the Azerbaijan GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the Azerbaijan GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

Kimi Antonelli tops the F1 standings coming into an electric weekend of action in Azerbaijan. The talented Italian secured a dramatic victory in the Spanish GP, extending his lead over teammate George Russell.

McLaren continues to show pace after the last round of updates, but Norris now has a mountain to climb. The defending champion is over 100 points behind Antonelli, a margin that's probably too great. Still, Norris will be aiming to cut the deficit at the Baku City Circuit.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN review: A stylish VPN service with proven privacy and a large U.S. presence

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the Azerbaijan GP?

The Azerbaijan GP is the 15th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Baku City Circuit:

• Practice 1 — 4:30-5:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 24

• Practice 2 — 8-9 a.m. ET on Sept. 24

• Practice 3 — 4:30-5:30 a.m. ET on Sept. 25

• Qualifying — 8-9 a.m. ET on Sept. 25

• Race — 7 a.m. ET on Sept. 26

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the Azerbaijan GP for free

Amazon Prime delivers fast shipping, Prime Day discounts, and access to the Prime Video library.

For F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is absolutely key this season. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's Azerbaijan Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

Of course, if you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is questionable. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:

• Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

• Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

• Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.

There are many people who still value and embrace local TV broadcasting—I'm one of them, even though I love streaming services. I'd love all the amazing benefits ATSC 3.0 provides in my area, but I also like the nostalgia of turning on the TV, seeing what is on, and choosing what I want to watch for free.

TL; DR: Samsung TV Plus is turning on House of Hallows for October, bringing a massive collection of free, subscription-free horror directly to Samsung Smart TVs. The lineup features AVOD premieres of A24 hits like Heretic and MaXXXine, iconic blockbusters like The Sixth Sense and Resident Evil, and paranormal series on the Fear Zone channel.

If you are looking to queue up a spooky movie marathon without adding another paid subscription to your monthly bill, Samsung has you covered. Throughout October, Samsung TV Plus — the global, subscription-free streaming service available on Samsung Smart TVs — is launching its House of Hallows hub.

Designed to be a one-stop destination for horror classics, paranormal series, and nightly frights, the event delivers an absolute mountain of horror content straight to your living room with no logins or credit cards required. Whether you want to stream blockbuster movies on demand, binge ghost hunts on live channels, or just leave eerie visuals running in the background during a fall party, here is everything landing on Samsung TV Plus this Halloween season.

Featured movies and classic thrillers

Available across Movie Hub, the Samsung Television Network (STN), and on-demand streaming, the October film lineup ranges from nostalgic sci-fi and slasher hits to international thrillers and family-friendly spooky flicks:

• The Sixth Sense

• Resident Evil and Resident Evil: Apocalypse

• Mars Attacks!

• Suspiria

• Urban Legend and Urban Legends: Final Cut

• You're Next

• Cobweb

• Exhuma

• Labyrinth

• R.L. Stine’s Zombie Town

• Tourist Trap

• In the Cut

• Salmokji: Whispering Water

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Sept. 25, 2026) The A24 Horror Collection

For fans seeking acclaimed, modern genre hits, the dedicated A24 collection brings together psychological thrillers, supernatural scares, and unsettling cinema. This channel includes several major free ad-supported streaming (AVOD) premieres alongside beloved cult favorites:

• AVOD Premieres — Heretic, The Front Room, and MaXXXine

• Modern Classics and Cult Favorites — Talk to Me, Hereditary, Midsommar, X, Pearl: An X-traordinary Origin Story..., The Blackcoat's Daughter, Lamb, Under the Skin, Life After Beth, The Monster, Climax, In Fabric, and Enemy

If you prefer unscripted ghost hunting and real-world paranormal investigations, the Fear Zone channel features primetime spots spotlighting a different series each night on a weekly rotation:

• Most Haunted

• Paranormal Survivor

• The Other Side

• Death Walker

• Boogeyman

For moments when you need a break from intense jump scares, Samsung TV Plus is adding a couple of lighter seasonal options:

• AFV with Alfonso Ribeiro — Watch continuous runs of favorite Halloween-themed episodes from America’s Funniest Home Videos.

• Halloween Vibes Channel — Turn your television into a cozy seasonal backdrop with ambient fall-aesthetic visuals, eerie nightscapes, and haunted hideaways to set the mood for spooky gatherings.

Skip the extra $15 streaming subscription this month — grab your popcorn, dim the lights, and turn on your Samsung Smart TV this fall.

MX Linux is one of the most popular distros, and while its Debian base is attractive, it's not even its biggest draw. The bigger draw is MX Tools, a suite of in-house utilities that turn tedious jobs into a few clicks. Three of them, specifically, are stuff I'd love to see more often in other distros.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 24, the XTEINK X4 Classic Pocket eReader is marked down to $78.99 at Amazon. That's $10.01 off the list price of $89.

Opens in a new window Credit: XTEINK XTEINK X4 Classic Pocket eReader $78.64 at Amazon
$89 Save $10.36   Get Deal

You may have been one of the Kindle fans who were alarmed by news that Amazon would be hiking prices across its devices — more fallout from the ongoing AI-enforced RAMageddon crisis, which is driving up tech prices.

The bad news for Kindle readers is that upgrading your Kindle is going to come at a literal cost — and more than you normally expect to pay for a Kindle. Fortunately, the XTEINK X4 Classic Pocket eReader, which is one of the trendiest Kindle alternatives, is currently marked down as part of the early October Prime Day deals.

As of Sept. 24, the XTEINK X4 Classic Pocket eReader is down to $78.99. It's usually priced at $89, so that's a $10.01 saving.

The big selling point of this e-reader is just how practical and compact it is. It attaches magnetically to the back of your smartphone, so your e-books are right there on the phone and in your pocket. You can also turn pages with either physical buttons or by just shaking the device. The main catch with this one is that it requires DRM-free EPUB files, so you won't get the full range available to Kindle.

Pick up the XTEINK X4 Classic Pocket eReader today for just $78.99.

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)

SAVE OVER $100: As of Sept. 24, the Hisense 65-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K UHD Smart TV is on sale for $399.99 at Amazon. That's $150 off its full price of $549.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-Inch Class E6SR Series Hi-QLED 4K UHD Smart Roku TV $399.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Amazon's stacked with great early deals ahead of its October Prime Day sale, especially on TVs.

In the sweet spot of 65-inch screen sizes, we've found some discounted models that are well worth checking out right now, including the Hisense 65-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K UHD Smart TV. This is our favorite budget find so far in this size range, with a $150 discount ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.

While it's normally priced at $549.99, this discount has brought the price down to $399.99. Amazon notes that this is a 30-day low for the model, but the price-tracking tool camelcamelcamel lists it as the best-ever price.

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

If you've been looking to upgrade to a bigger screen, Hisense's 65-inch model is a great mid-range pick that offers a larger display without taking up most of your wall space. It has high-quality specs, too. 4K resolution and Hi-QLED technology pair together to bring a crisply detailed and colorful picture to your screen, which is further boosted by Dolby Vision.

It also comes with DTS Virtual:X, which enhances the sound quality of what you're watching, so you don't miss a beat of dialogue as it unfolds. And on top of that, streaming from your favorite apps is simple and easy since it's a Smart Roku TV.

Amazon's sale is still a little way away, so why wait to jump on this deal? Be quick to save on the Hisense 65-inch E6SR Hi-QLED 4K UHD Smart TV at Amazon right 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)

Where to buy Adidas’s limited-edition Pokémon collection: Adidas See the collection Shop Now Foot Locker See the collection Shop Now Sole Play See the collection Shop Now

Adidas has officially dropped another limited-edition Pokémon collection, marking the latest release in a wild string of collabs celebrating the franchise’s 30th anniversary. We've covered Owala bottles, Stance socks, Polaroid cameras, and much more, but this might be the coolest Pokémon drop to date.

The collection features over 10 new footwear designs across staple silhouettes like the Samba OG. Prices range from $60 to $180, with listings on every pair live online right now across major retailers. Charizard, Pikachu, Mewtwo, and other favorites are featured, so you can expect these to sell fast.

Here's everything you need to know about the lineup and where to secure your size before stock runs dry.

What's included in the collection?

There really is something for everyone in this wild collection, from fuzzy sneakers with Pikachu ears to more understated Sambas featuring lavender suede:

• Pikachu (Superstar II in Yellow and White): The bold yellow pair features a fuzzy upper with plush Pikachu ears attached to the tongue. The clean white option keeps things subtle, with yellow stripes and lightning-bolt embroidery on the heel.

Credit: Adidas / Pokémon

• Charmander (Superstar II): Cream white leather base accented with shock-orange stripes and a custom graphic of Charmander using Ember across the side panel.

Credit: Adidas / Pokémon

• Charmeleon (Superstar II): Shifts to deep crimson shades with textured shell toes and character-specific tongue tags.

• Charizard (Superstar Vintage): Features an orange dragon-scale leather upper, removable wing overlays, and custom lace jewels.

• Mewtwo (Samba OG) Soft lavender suede terrace silhouette with iridescent sheen, glossy purple heel tabs, and an acrylic lace tag referencing Mewtwo's signature Psystrike move.

• Gastly (Adistar Control 3): Dark smoke-grey and deep purple breathable open-mesh runner.

• Haunter (Adistar Control 5): Deep purple performance runner built with extended tongue tags and hidden pink accents.

• Gengar (Adistar XLG 2.0): A chunky 2000s-inspired silhouette where raised side panels mimic Gengar's glowing eyes.

• Rayquaza (Adistar Control 5): Emerald green mesh performance model featuring textured dragon-scale cage overlays and metallic gold accents.

Collabs can be lazy, but this 30th Anniversary collection stands out for its high-grade materials and character-driven designs. We expect popular sizes to sell quickly, so don't hesitate to grab your size at Adidas, Foot Locker, or Sole Play while stock remains available.

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, young coconuts (served as a soup), all with different spoons — “You didn’t have to do different spoons for me,” Johnson says — 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."

In another highlight of the video, Johnson invites the Mythical Kitchen crew including Ash Guenin, Colby Bleistein, and Tony Manlutac to join the table so he can congratulate them on their cooking skills. Bon appétit.

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.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 24, the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor is now available for $499.99 at Amazon. That's a $400 saving on the list price of $899.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG Ultragear OLED Gaming Monitor $499.99 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $400   Get Deal

Top-level gaming gear doesn't come cheap, so whenever you find a good deal on gaming hardware, it's a serious 1-up moment.

The good news for gamers is that we expect plenty of gaming deals as part of October Prime Day, which runs Oct. 6-7. Even better news is that some super early deals are already available, including a good selection of price drops on gaming monitors. For instance, check out the mega discount you can currently get on the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor, a 27-inch model from one of the best names in TV and monitor tech.

As of Sept. 24, the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor is available for $499.99 at Amazon. That's a total saving of $400 from the regular list price of $899.99.

There are plenty of reasons to pick up this deal — other than the $400 price reduction, that is. Not least of all is the OLED display, widely considered one of the best screen technologies. It's not quite 4K, but it delivers QHD resolution, a 240Hz refresh rate, 0.3ms response time, DisplayHDR True Black, and compatibility with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium Pro.

At just $499.99, the LG Ultragear OLED gaming monitor is more than worth grabbing to upgrade your gaming setup. Get it now and save a massive $400 off the usual price of $899.99.

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: As of Sept. 24, the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G8 gaming monitor is now available for $699.99 at Amazon. That's a $250 saving on the list price of $949.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G8 Gaming Monitor $699.99 at Amazon
$949.99 Save $250   Get Deal

If you're a dedicated gamer, you'll know that top-quality hardware is the difference between winning and losing — spec absolutely matters when you're competing in fine margins. The problem is price. Good gaming hardware costs top dollar, which is why any gamer who knows their stuff is firmly locked in on major sales like October Prime Day.

Sure, we're still a few weeks out, with Prime Day officially set for Oct. 6-7, but there are already some gaming deals available — including gaming monitor deals we think are worth highlighting. That includes the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G8 gaming monitor, a high-end model that goes beyond most other monitors thanks to 5K resolution.

As of Sept. 24, the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G8 gaming monitor is available for $699.99 at Amazon. That’s a $250 discount from the regular list price of $949.99.

Sure, it's not the biggest monitor you'll find — there are some curved display options that are absolute beasts — but it's a great fit for mid-size gaming setups. And that's not to say it doesn't go big on spec, because it's loaded with features to improve both your gaming experience and performance: a 360Hz refresh rate, a 1ms response time, a Fast IPS panel, Nvidia G-Sync compatibility, HDR10+ plus AMD FreeSync.

At just $699.99, the Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G8 gaming monitor is a great value hi-spec addition for any gaming station — $250 is a significant saving. Don't miss your chance to level up with this deal.

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)

Adobe is constantly adding new features to its Creative Cloud toolbox, and Photoshop’s new AI-assisted Editor is the latest player in the mix. It should make editing tasks, from background removal to adding new objects, easier and faster.

TL;DR: Launching Nov. 1 exclusively at Best Buy and direct from EverBoard, the EverBoard is a 21.5-inch tabletop digital console designed for up to six players. It packs licensed Hasbro classics like Monopoly, Connect 4, Chutes and Ladders, and Scrabble into a controller-free touchscreen

If your family game night usually ends with missing dice, lost cards, or arguments over house rules, a new digital tabletop console wants to save your game night. The EverBoard is an all-in-one digital game system launching at select Best Buy stores and online, built to bring family and friends around the same screen without the physical clutter. Built around a 21.5-inch touchscreen, the board supports up to six players at once — no extra controllers, plastic pieces, or mobile app downloads needed.

At launch, EverBoard is partnering with Hasbro to offer digital versions of classic favorites like Monopoly, Connect 4, Chutes and Ladders, and Scrabble. Players access these titles through EverPass, a monthly service with over 50 games out of the box.

But the real party trick here is the EverVibe Game Creator, an AI feature that lets you build original games using simple voice or text prompts. Instead of sticking to pre-made rules, you can describe a custom game idea out loud and watch the board generate a playable version right on the screen.

The physical hardware is built to fit almost any setup, offering four distinct modes that let you play flat on a table, propped up at an angle, locked vertically, or packed into a portable hardshell case for trips. Since the multi-touch screen registers inputs from all sides, anyone around the table can take their turn naturally.

Game night is officially getting an AI upgrade — look for the EverBoard at Best Buy and online starting Nov. 1.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Night Pikachu Mini Tin is available to preorder for $44.99 at Walmart, nearly $5 below its current market price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Night Pikachu Mini Tin $44.99 at Walmart
  Pre-order Here

Amazon is missing one of the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion’s core products, but not only is the Pikachu-themed variant available elsewhere, but you can preorder now for under market value. 

As of Sept. 24, the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Night Pikachu Mini Tin is $44.99 at Walmart. The preorder is sold and shipped by marketplace seller T. Gaming, with free shipping and an estimated Oct. 15 arrival at the time of writing. That’s nearly two weeks after its Oct. 2 release date, but Walmart’s preorder price guarantee is also included, so you’ll pay the lower price if it drops again before launch. 

With this new low for preorders, you’re paying $4.91 below market price — estimated by trading card selling platform TCGplayer. As for TCGplayer listings, the lowest currently available is $45.99, making it a nice backup if Walmart runs out of stock. 

SEE ALSO: Shop the best early Prime Day deals on Pokémon, including 30th Celebration trading cards for under market price

Inside are two Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration booster packs, a sticker sheet, a Pokémon art card matching the Pikachu-, Unknown-, and Toxitricity-decorated tin, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card. 

Night Pikachu is one of 10 Mini Tin designs. Collect all of their matching art cards, and they combine into two larger scenes.

If you’re a Pokémon collector who’s keen to complete the set from the get-go, you can buy the 10-unit 30th Celebration Mini Tin Display Box for $352.24 on TCGplayer. 

My phone is full of apps with various accounts for email, social media, messaging, banking, work, etc. I don't mind most of these apps being together on the same device, but there are some I'd like to keep separate. Thankfully, my Samsung Galaxy allows me to do that without needing a second phone.