IT General

TL;DR: Get a refurbished MacBook Air for $189.97 (reg. $999) — ideal as a second laptop for the kids, travel, or everyday basics.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air 13.3-Inch 2017 (Refurbished) $189.97
$999 Save $809.03 Get Deal

Your “extra laptop” doesn’t have to come from a random brand you’ve never heard of. If you want a reliable second computer for your kids, travel, or just keeping up with bills and online shopping, this refurbished Apple MacBook Air 13.3-inch (2017) is a smart choice — especially at just $189.97 with free shipping.

It may not be Apple’s newest release, but the 2017 MacBook Air still delivers where it counts. With a 1.8GHz Intel Core i5 processor, 128GB SSD storage, and 12-hour battery life, it’s more than capable of handling the daily stuff: browsing, streaming, emails, spreadsheets, homework, and beyond.

SEE ALSO: Amazon has knocked the 15-inch 2025 MacBook Air M4 back down to its lowest-ever price

And since it runs macOS, you’re not sacrificing familiarity or ecosystem perks — you’re staying firmly in Apple territory.

Here’s what you’re really getting:

• 13.3-inch display with crisp 1440×900 resolution

• Intel Core i5 (1.8GHz) for smooth multitasking

• 128GB SSD storage for files, apps, and downloads

• Wi-Fi + Bluetooth for easy connectivity

• Intel HD Graphics 6000 for sharp streaming and visuals

• 12-hour battery life to keep you powered all day

This unit comes with a Grade A/B refurb rating, which means it’s in excellent working condition with only light cosmetic signs of use (if any).

Grab this refurbished MacBook Air while it’s on sale for $189.97 (reg. $999) with free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Pay once, own Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business forever. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote — all for $169.97 (reg. $249.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC: Lifetime License $169.97
$249.99 Save $80.02 Get Deal

When it comes to your productivity, time, and business, outdated tools shouldn’t be slowing you down. Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business is here to make sure you stay sharp — with the latest apps, smart AI features, and seamless collaboration — all for a one-time price of $169.97 (reg. $249.99).

That means no monthly subscription fees, no renewals, no “trial expired” messages. Just a lifetime license to the latest version of Microsoft Office, ready to install on your Mac or PC.

• Word 2024: Create polished reports and documents with new Focus Mode and Smart Compose.

• Excel 2024: Analyze data faster with dynamic arrays, AI-powered insights, and improved speed.

• PowerPoint 2024: Record presentations with voice, video, and captions for remote work.

• Outlook 2024: Smarter search and improved accessibility for easier inbox control.

• OneNote 2024: Organize notes and ideas with a refreshed, unified interface.

Office 2024 isn’t just a facelift. You’ll see faster performance across apps, improved accessibility, and smarter collaboration. AI now helps you write cleaner, analyze data more effectively, and even suggest design ideas for presentations. Plus, with built-in Teams integration, real-time co-authoring, and version history, working together is simpler than ever.

For professionals, small business owners, or anyone who needs reliable tools to stay ahead, this suite delivers both power and peace of mind. It’s also fully optimized for Mac and PC, so whichever device you prefer, your workflow just got an upgrade.

Get a lifetime of Office 2024 Home & Business while it’s still $169.97 (reg. $249.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

On Thursday afternoon, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that facilitates the sale of TikTok to a group of American investors. So, is TikTok officially off the chopping block in the United States? Not quite. Technically, the deal still hasn't been finalized, according to CNN.

SEE ALSO: Everything we know about the TikTok deal so far

The executive order declares that the TikTok deal meets the requirements of a 2024 law that banned TikTok from operating in the United States. Moving forward, data for U.S. users would be managed by Oracle, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has said that the U.S. algorithm would also be controlled domestically. In addition, Vice President JD Vance said the deal values the U.S. TikTok assets at $14 billion, per Deadline.

In addition to Oracle, the new consortium of owners could include Oracle head Larry Ellison, Dell Technologies CEO Michael Dell, and Fox Corp.

This comes after years of Trump posturing and signing executive orders to hold off the Biden-era ban, which also took years of posturing and debating.

ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, has been on a timeline to either find a new owner or get banned in the U.S. due to security reasons. Trump has signed executive orders to extend the deadline time and time again. Finally, after talks between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the leaders struck a deal.

Just installed Linux on an old PC and want to know how to you can make the most of it? Or maybe you want to do more in the terminal? I've gathered some free and open source software for Linux that's worth an install this weekend.

AI is slowly becoming integral to many operating systems, including Windows. Copilot and Windows Recall are two of the main AI features available on Windows PCs. But what if you want your Windows computer to be free of these AI features? In that case, you can use Flyoobe to install Windows 11 without any AI components.

ChatGPT Pro users have a new way to feed their data to the machine.

OpenAI's flagship product got a new feature this week called ChatGPT Pulse, as outlined in a company blog post. Pulse is available as a preview now for ChatGPT Pro users on mobile only.

ChatGPT Pulse takes your chat history and, if you feel up to it, your Gmail and Google Calendar data and synthesizes it all into a daily set of personalized updates for your perusal. If you have a trip to London, it'll offer tips for fun things to do there, according to an example screenshot in the blog post.

SEE ALSO: Colleges are giving students ChatGPT. Is it safe? An example of what Pulse can do. Credit: OpenAI

According to OpenAI, this is meant to be a quick hub you glance at in the morning, not necessarily something you check throughout the day. That said, it seems like you can turn any of its recommendations into chat topics, if you want. It should also be noted that connecting Gmail and Calendar to Pulse seems to be optional, in case you're not a fan of OpenAI having that much of your personal data on hand.

AI-powered personal daily digests aren't necessarily new, as the latest flagship phones from Google and Samsung offer their own built-in versions of this sort of thing. A platform-agnostic version that can theoretically work on any smartphone while referencing ChatGPT conversation data could be a winner for some people, though, especially those on iOS.

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

You'd be forgiven for not knowing it, but Nothing had a budget sub-brand, CMF, that sold a few budget-friendly products. It will now continue its life as an independent brand, so now we have a new smartphone company.

Grand Tourers on a budget. The more I engage with that question, the more examples I find that could meet that need. (Most of these) cars were built strong in a time to meet strict quality requirements and were built to last. Sure, the clientele demanded high quality cars, but those same buyers have long since moved on. This abandonment means that there are quality-built GTs that still exist out there, some occupying second-hand dealer lots or having been traded in search of a new appreciative owner. One who will breathe new life into them. And in return, be rewarded with a few more years of enjoyment.

If you have ever accidentally signed up for Amazon Prime when checking out, or had a ridiculously hard time trying to cancel, you could be getting some money back soon. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is forcing Amazon to pay members back for the unnecessary difficulties with its memberships.

The latest Blink Mini 2 security camera is now available for an impressive 50% discount. This excellent deal slashes the price to just $20 on Amazon, which is a massive drop from its usual $40 price tag. This low price gives you a new security camera with a built-in spotlight and color night vision.

Amazon has agreed to a $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which took Amazon to court over allegedly "deceptive" Prime membership signups, the regulatory agency announced Thursday. Amazon was accused of violating both the FTC Act and the Restore Online Shoppers’ Confidence Act (ROSCA).

Per the terms of the settlement, Amazon will pay a $1 billion civil penalty and provide $1.5 billion in refunds to an estimated 35 million customers. If every one of those customers received an equal amount, they would be entitled to a refund of $42.86.

In its suit, the FTC alleged that Amazon used deceptive practices to sign up customers for its signature Prime membership program. Not only that, but the FTC argued that Amazon trapped customers by making it excessively difficult to cancel those memberships, even likening the cancellation process to a Homeric odyssey.

When the settlement was announced, Amazon was on the third day of a jury trial in a federal court in Seattle. Ultimately, a jury could have awarded even more damages or harsher fines. In 2024, Amazon facilitated $638 billion in sales, resulting in net income of $59.2 billion, facts that were unlikely to win a jury's sympathy.

The FTC lawsuit was originally brought under the Biden administration in 2023, but FTC leaders were quick to credit the Trump administration for the large settlement.

"Today, the Trump-Vance FTC made history and secured a record-breaking, monumental win for the millions of Americans who are tired of deceptive subscriptions that feel impossible to cancel," said FTC Chairman Andrew N. Ferguson in a press release. "The evidence showed that Amazon used sophisticated subscription traps designed to manipulate consumers into enrolling in Prime, and then made it exceedingly hard for consumers to end their subscription. Today, we are putting billions of dollars back into Americans’ pockets, and making sure Amazon never does this again."

In addition to the $2.5 billion settlement, Amazon also agreed to make specific changes to its Prime membership sign-up and cancellation process.

According to the FTC, Amazon agreed to include "a clear and conspicuous button for customers to decline Prime." In addition, "Amazon can no longer have a button that says, 'No, I don’t want Free Shipping.'"

The company must also create a simple way to cancel Prime memberships, which "cannot be difficult, costly, or time-consuming and must be available using the same method that consumers used to sign up." Finally, Amazon agreed to pay for a third-party monitor to ensure compliance with these agreements and the refund distribution.

Meta announced today (Sept. 25) that it would be expanding its youth safety feature, Teen Accounts, to Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram users around the world — a move that will place hundreds of millions of teens under the company's default safety restrictions. 

The tech giant has spent the last year overhauling Teen Accounts, including placing limitations on communication and account discovery, filtering explicit content, and shutting down the option to go Live for users under the age of 16. 

Meta has labelled Teen Accounts a "significant step to help keep teens safe" and a tool that brings parents "more peace of mind." But some child safety experts feel the feature is an even emptier promise than previously thought. 

SEE ALSO: Colleges are giving students ChatGPT. Is it safe?

A new report also released today accuses Meta's Teen Accounts and related safety features of "abjectly failing" to keep users safe. The report, titled "Teen Accounts, Broken Promises" found that many of the features core to the Teen Account ecosystem — including Sensitive Content Controls, tools that prevent inappropriate contact, and screentime features — did not work as advertised. The analysis was conducted by Cybersecurity for Democracy and Meta whistleblower Arturo Béjar and based out of New York University and Northeastern University. The report was published in partnership with child advocacy groups based in the U.S. and UK, including Fairplay, Molly Rose Foundation, and ParentsSOS.

"We hope this report serves as a wake-up call to parents who may think recent high-profile safety announcements from Meta mean that children are safe on Instagram," the report reads. "Our testing reveals that the claims are untrue and the purported safety features are substantially illusory."

Meta safety tools don't stand up to real-world pressure, expert says 

Researchers based their tests on 47 out of 53 safety features listed by Meta and that are visible by users. Thirty of the tested tools — that's 64 percent — were given a red rating, which indicates that the feature was discontinued or entirely ineffective. Nine of the tools were found to reduce harm but came with limitations (yellow). Only eight of the 47 tested safety features were found to be working effectively to prevent harm (green), according to researchers.

For example, early tests showed adult accounts were still able to message teen users, despite Meta's measures to prevent unwanted contact, and teens could message adults that didn't follow them. Similarly, DMs with explicit bullying were able to slip past messaging restrictions. Teen Accounts were still recommended sexual and violent content, and content featuring self-harm. Researchers found there weren't effective ways to report sexual messages or content.

The research relied on realistic user scenario testing to simulate how predators, parents, and teens themselves actually use platforms, explained Cybersecurity for Democracy co-director Laura Edelson. "For many of the risk scenarios that we are talking about, the teen is seeking out the risky content. That is a normal thing that any parent of a teen knows is, frankly, developmentally appropriate. This is why we parents parent, why we set up guardrails," said Edelson. But Meta's approach to addressing this behavioral tendency is ineffective and misinformed, she told Mashable in a press briefing. 

"If a teen needs to experience extortion in order to report, the damage is already done," added Béjar. He compared Meta's role as that of a car manufacturer, tasked with making a vehicle that's equipped with robust safety measures like airbags and brakes that do what they're supposed to do. Parents and their teens are the drivers, but "the car is not safe enough to get in."

"What Meta tells the public is often very different from what their own internal research shows," alleged Josh Golin, executive director of nonprofit kids advocacy organization Fairplay. "[Meta] has a history of misrepresenting the truth."

In statement to the press, Meta wrote: 

“This report repeatedly misrepresents our efforts to empower parents and protect teens, misstating how our safety tools work and how millions of parents and teens are using them today. Teen accounts lead the industry because they provide automatic safety protections and straightforward parental controls.

The reality is teens who were placed into these protections saw less sensitive content, experienced less unwanted contact, and spent less time on Instagram at night. Parents also have robust tools at their fingertips, from limiting usage to monitoring interactions. We’ll continue improving our tools, and we welcome constructive feedback – but this report is not that.”

Maurine Molak of David’s Legacy Foundation and ParentsSOS and Ian Russell of the Molly Rose Foundation signed on to the report as well — both of their children died by suicide following extensive cyberbullying. Parents around the world have expressed alarm at the growing role of technology, including AI chatbots, in teen mental health. 

Advocates debate the role of federal regulators

In April, Meta announced it was shifting its youth safety focus to bolstering Teen Accounts, following a year of federal scrutiny over its role in the youth mental health crisis. "We're going to be increasingly using Teen Accounts as an umbrella, moving all of our [youth safety] settings into it" said Tara Hopkins, global director of public policy at Instagram, told Mashable at the time. 

Many tech companies have leaned on the importance of parent and teen education as they simultaneously launch platform features, offering training and information hubs for parents to sift through. Experts have criticized these as placing an undue burden on parents, rather than tech companies themselves. Hopkins previously explained to Mashable that Meta's automatic tools, including AI age verification, are designed to take that pressure off of parents and caregivers. But "parents aren’t asking for a pass, they are just asking for the product to be made safer," Molak said. 

Child safety nonprofits like Common Sense Media had long criticized the company's slow-to-launch safety measures, calling Teen Accounts a "splashy announcement" made to cast themselves in a better light before Congress. After the roll out of Teen Accounts, other studies by safety watchdogs found that teens were still exposed to sexual content. Meta later removed over 600,000 accounts linked to predatory behavior. Most recently, Meta made interim changes to Teen Accounts that limit their access to the company's AI avatars, following reports they could engage in "romantic or sensual" conversations with teen users. 

While child safety advocates agree on the pressing need for better safety measures online, many disagree on the extent of federal oversight. Some of the report's authors, for example, are calling for the passing of the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA), legislation that has become a divisive symbol of free speech and content moderation. The report also recommends the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general evoke the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act and Section V of the FTC Act to pressure the company into action. UK-based participants urge leaders to strengthen the 2023 Online Safety Act. 

Just two weeks ago, Meta whistleblower Cayce Savage called for outside regulators to step in and evaluate Meta during a testimony in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee. 

"More research into social media user safety tools is urgently needed. Our findings show that many protections are ineffective, easy to circumvent, or have been quietly abandoned," the report authors write. "User safety tools can be so much better than they are, and Meta’s users deserve a better, safer product than Meta is currently delivering to them."

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

UPDATE: Sep. 25, 2025, 3:34 p.m. EDT This article has been updated to correct the spelling of Josh Golin's name.

The Raspberry Pi 500 was the first Pi computer with an integrated keyboard, and now there’s an upgraded model to get excited about. The new Raspberry Pi 500+ has arrived with a higher-quality mechanical keyboard, better internal hardware, and all-important RGB lights.

Huge news for anyone who likes fast, long-lasting computers (which should be most people): Qualcomm announced new Snapdragon X2 Elite chips on Wednesday at its 2025 Snapdragon Summit in Maui, Hawaii. The upgraded Snapdragon X2 Elite and the all-new Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme are set to supercharge next-generation Windows laptops starting next year.

What's the big deal? You may recall that Qualcomm made a splash in mid-2024 when it released its first-gen Snapdragon X series chips, the Snapdragon X Elite and X Plus. They were all-new ARM-based alternatives to Intel and AMD's well-established x86 options that wound up delivering impressive processing power and power efficiency. (The Snapdragon X chip, a third variant for budget-friendly laptops, arrived in early 2025.)

SEE ALSO: Google and Qualcomm execs confirm Android for PC is coming: 'I've seen it, it is incredible'

The original X Elite chip, in particular, fuels some of the best Windows laptops we've tested over the past year, offering all-day battery life without sacrificing zippy performance in thin-and-light machines. It's even managed to compete with the M-series silicon in Apple's MacBooks, which had been leaving Windows laptops in the dust for some years.

For reference, Mashable's current favorite Windows laptop, the 13.8-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop 7 with an X Elite chip under its hood, is just as fast as the overachieving M4 MacBook Air. What's more, the Surface Laptop 7 lasted almost 23 hours on a single charge in our battery life benchmark — that's two hours longer than the 16-inch, M4 Pro-powered MacBook Pro, our reigning battery life champ among Apple laptops.

Two newer Intel-based Windows laptops have scored higher than the Surface Laptop 7 in our performance benchmark, but neither lasted more than 12 hours at a time.

The Snapdragon X Elite-powered Microsoft Surface Laptop 7, our top Windows laptop, has speed and stamina for days. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Succinctly put, the first-gen Snapdragon X chips have set a massive precedent for their successors — and Qualcomm claims they'll live up to the hype.

"With superior performance, multi-day battery life and groundbreaking AI, these new processors are the fastest, most powerful and efficient processors for Windows PCs," a company press release reads.

To quickly cover some more granular spec details, Qualcomm says its X2 Elite series chips will pack up to 18 CPU cores, or six more than the standard X Elite and up to 10 more than the X Plus. The beefy X2 Elite Extreme, which is geared toward intensive workloads involving agentic AI experiences, huge datasets, and multimedia editing, supposedly offers "up to 75% faster CPU performance than competition at ISO power" (i.e., when compared to another chip with the same amount of juice).

When stacked up against the previous-gen X series chips, the X2 Elite Extreme is said to boast up to 50 percent faster CPU performance at ISO power, while the X2 Elite will be up to 31 percent faster. Both new chips will consume 43 percent less power than their predecessors, Qualcomm says.

SEE ALSO: What is a Copilot+ PC? Everything to know about these AI laptops.

The X2 Elite series chips will also have new Adreno GPU architecture with 2.3 times better power efficiency compared to the OG chips, plus a neural processing unit (NPU) with 80 TOPS (trillions of operations per second, an AI performance metric). That should make for some of the most capable Copilot+ PCs ever.

Qualcomm said laptops featuring the X2 Elite chips are slated to arrive in the first half of 2026, so keep an eye out if you're due for an upgrade soon.

Get paid to record your phone calls and hand them over to third parties? It may seem a bit dystopian, but this app has quickly risen to the top of the App Store charts.

Neon Mobile is a new app for iOS and Android devices that's quickly growing in popularity, at least according to the mobile app charts. On Apple's App Store, Neon is currently sitting at number 2 for free Social Networking apps and is in the number 4 position in the top rankings of all free apps in the App Store.

But, what is Neon and why are so many people downloading it? Here's what you need to know.

What is Neon?

It's simple: Neon records users' phone calls and then pays them for it.

Why does Neon want to record your phone calls? That's simple too: To collect your data to sell to third-parties. 

Neon is quite open about what they're using it for too. On Neon's website, the app makers say that they sell your anonymized data to "companies training AI." Neon says it removes all personal information so there's nothing identifiable being handed over to these AI companies.

Neon's pitch to users is also pretty straightforward. 

"Telecom companies are profiting off your data, and we think you deserve a cut," Neon's website says.

According to Neon, the app only records the Neon users' side of the call. The person that the Neon user calls is not recorded, unless they are also a Neon user too.

Neon pays users 15 cents per minute when they talk to a non-Neon user and pays 30 cents per minute when talking to another Neon user. Neon users can make a maximum of $30 per day from calls and an unlimited amount of money from referring people to Neon. Each referral pays $30.

To hit that $30 per day maximum for making calls, a user would need to talk to Neon users for 100 minutes per day or talk with non-Neon users for 200 minutes per day.

Is Neon legit?

Neon appears to have raised money from Upfront Ventures, according to Neon founder Alex Kiam. As TechCrunch points out, the company seems to be run out of a New York City apartment. This alone isn't a reason to be skeptical. Many startups have been run out of small living spaces before.

However, there are some red flags. Neon Mobile doesn't provide much information about the company on its website. In fact, Alex Kiam simply refers to himself as "Alex" on the site.

The company also simply promises to keep your private and identifiable information safe on a "trust us" basis. However, there's not many details surrounding Neon or their processes to keep that information anonymous that enables that trust.

The reviews for Neon on the App Store and Google Play store are also mixed, with users reporting problems using the app or receiving their payout. It's unclear, however, if those are issues being experienced by just a few individual users or if it's more widespread.

TechCrunch also noticed that Neon's privacy policy and terms has users giving away much more than they might have thought they were when signing up for the app. For example, Neon grants itself the following rights to your content:

…worldwide, exclusive, irrevocable, transferable, royalty-free, fully paid right and license (with the right to sublicense through multiple tiers) to sell, use, host, store, transfer, publicly display, publicly perform (including by means of a digital audio transmission), communicate to the public, reproduce, modify for the purpose of formatting for display, create derivative works as authorized in these Terms, and distribute your Recordings, in whole or in part, in any media formats and through any media channels, in each instance whether now known or hereafter developed.

Neon also carves out exceptions for its guarantees to users regarding any beta features due to the fact that they might contain bugs.

In addition, Neon is offering conflicting payout information. On the App Store, Neon's description claims that the company pays 45 cents per recording phone call minute and $25 per referral. This runs counter to the 30 cents per minute payment the $30 per referral as detailed on its website.

Users should proceed with caution regarding Neon until more is known about the company. And, even then, the company's purpose is to sell your recorded phone calls to companies for AI training. Users should consider if that's worth the price they're being paid.

Editor's note: Currently, many DJI products are unavailable in the United States through official retailers, but they can still be purchased via third-party sellers on platforms like Amazon.

You know the saying that people eat with their eyes first? I'm convinced most people watch videos with their ears first. Without good quality audio, even the most visually stunning video can fall flat.

Admittedly, finding the right mic can be a lot harder than picking out a content-worthy camera (which, for most people, can be found right on their phone). Then there's the fact that a portable mic can run you anywhere from $10 to well over $400, making it challenging to know where to invest. However, after testing out the DJI Mic Mini for weeks and watching it in action with Mashable's social media team, I'm convinced it's one of the best upgrades for content creators.

DJI Mic Mini $109 at Amazon
$169 Save $60 Shop Now What makes the DJI Mic Mini different

DJI has made a name for itself in the creator space thanks to gadgets like the Osmo Pocket 3, but if you pay a little extra attention, you'll notice how many creators on TikTok use the brand's pocket mics. DJI's mic selection includes the newly-released DJI Mic 3, the Mic Mini, and the Mic 2, though the latter will be phased out following the release of the Mic 3.

The DJI Mic Mini setup, in its charging case. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

While all three mics have their pros, at the time of writing, the Mic Mini is one of the best sellers in the musical instruments category on Amazon. (The other two mics don't even show up in the top 50 listings.)

What makes it so popular? For starters, it retails for $169, compared to the $349 Mic 2 and $329 Mic 3. In the past few weeks, it's even been hovering around a $109 price point. With that price discrepancy, there is somewhat of a tradeoff in performance: the Mic Mini doesn't have the 32-bit depth of the more expensive models (meaning it captures less of an audio range), nor can it capture recordings internally.

However, for under $170 ($110 if you can grab it on sale), here's what you get:

• Two transmitters (mics) and one receiver

• Up to 48 hours of battery life with the charging case

• A USB-C phone adapter for the receiver

• Level metrics visible on the receiver to ensure audio isn't peaking

• Two clip magnets, four windscreens for the mics

• Companion app with features like noise cancellation, mono/stereo recording, and clipping control

• Carrying case

Who should get the DJI Mic Mini

If you need any degree of portability with your mic setup, the DJI Mic Mini offers a lot of versatility, and for a great value. That makes it a solid option for making vlogs and TikToks, and for anyone who feels less than confident with their tech skills — once I plugged the receiver into my phone, the mics connected easily and started working with the camera app automatically. It's also possible to use the DJI Mimo app to track the audio levels on your phone and adjust some mic settings, but not necessary if you prefer the mic to plug and play.

The DJI Mismo app allows for audio level monitoring and settings adjustment. Credit: DJI / Screenshot Credit: DJI / Screenshot How the DJI Mic Mini sounds

During my testing period, I tried my best to put the Mic Mini through the wringer, bringing it to a park near a busy street on a windy day, as well as recording myself while my boyfriend played piano in the next room over (with just one closed door separating us).

SEE ALSO: DJI has a new mini drone coming soon — and you can't have it

The Mic Mini impressed me in both situations, showing its prowess over the $20 miniature mics you can grab on Amazon. With and without the noise-cancelling feature, the mic picked up my voice while barely picking up the sound of wind — birds and car engines were lost in many cases. To my surprise, the mic also somehow avoided picking up the piano playing, despite the fact that I was recording about 20 feet away from my partner.

The receiver (usually plugged into a device) allows you to see which mics are active and adjust the audio gain in increments of six from -12dB to 12db. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

It also shone in even noisier settings. During Mashable's trip to VidCon, we used the DJI Mic Mini when interviewing the inaugural Hall of Fame inductees — despite being surrounded by other outlets conducting interviews and in an echoey convention center hall, the audio came through crisp and clear.

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DJI Mic Mini vs. Mic 2

So who might not be jazzed with this mic? Anyone who's looking for something especially professional-grade might prefer either of DJI's more expensive offerings. Don't get me wrong, the Mic Mini sounds great enough to use as a full-time content creator, but its limited size means you can't save audio internally like the Mic 2 and 3.

Beyond that, the audio won't sound quite as good as the more expensive mics due to its more limited 24-bit depth, and there's no option to connect it to a lavalier mic as there is with the Mic 2, which can be useful for applications where you want to hide the mic as much as possible. It's still great for a lot of situations, it's just not a perfect catch-all.

Outside of pocket mics, if you generally record audio in a stationary position, like at a desk for a livestream or recording setup for a podcast, you might prefer to invest in a USB or XLR microphone.

Lightning port owners, beware

As happy as I am to sing the DJI Mic Mini's praises, I do have a warning for anyone out there who still has a Lightning port on their phone. The Mic Mini only comes with a USB-C phone adapter for the receiver. This means you have to purchase the DJI Lightning port adapter, which is an additional $19 and is often sold out. As an iPhone 14 owner, I couldn't use the mics until DJI sent me an adapter to test out.

Again, there's no internal storage on this mic — without a plugged-in receiver, the audio you're recording on the mics won't transmit to your device, even if they're connected via Bluetooth, making them technically useless. While I did read some Reddit posts about workarounds with third-party apps, this mic is $169, so it would be annoying not to use it as the plug-and-play mic it's intended to be.

Amazon is preparing to replace Android with its own custom-built Vega OS on Fire TV devices, and an accidental job posting for a software development manager for Prime Video just leaked it. We've been hearing rumors about this for a while, but it should arrive before the end of the year.

Anker is now offering the Nebula X1 Pro, a high-end rolling cart projector designed for indoor and outdoor venues with screens up to 300 inches. It costs $5,000 and is available for pre-order today.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 25, get the Ninja Slushi for $299.99, down from its usual price of $349.99, at Best Buy via Best Buy Drops. That's a discount of 14%. This discount is only available via the Best Buy app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Best Buy Ninja Slushi $299.99 at Best Buy
$349.99 Save $50 Get Deal

Do you love frozen treats? Do you find an excuse to get a slushie every time you go out? Stop spending all your extra money on frozen goodies when out and about and just make them at home with the Ninja Slushi, which you can snag for a great price right now.

As of Sept. 25, get the Ninja Slushi for $299.99, down from its usual price of $349.99, at Best Buy via Best Buy Drops. That's a discount of 14%. This discount is only available via the Best Buy app.

SEE ALSO: The coolest kitchen gear and gadgets we'll always recommend

To participate in Best Buy Drops deals, you need to download the Best Buy app, as this sale price won't appear on the Best Buy website proper. Head to the Ninja Slushi store page, and just add the item to your cart. You'll see when the Drop is live on the app as there will be a status bar with a percentage showing what's already been claimed of Best Buy's inventory. Once a Drop is gone, you're out of luck. But at the time of writing, there appear to be plenty of Slushi machines in stock.

This frozen drink maker is all about whipping up frozen drinks at home, with no ice needed. With just one touch, you can have a variety of drinks ready to go in about an hour, whether that means juice, soda, coffee, milk, or whatever it is your heart desires. It has 5 preset settings, simple temperature control, and plenty of ways to customize how your drink will come out. Plus, it can keep your drinks frozen for up to 12 hours.

Mashable's Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart praised the Ninja Slushi for whipping up frozen treats in less than an hour, calling it a "guaranteed hit" in homes with kids who will drink their healthier fruit juice when it "basically feels like a Slurpee". She also praised its straightforward buttons and indicator lights as well as how quiet it is when in operation.

If making frozen drinks at home sounds like fun, this is a Drop you'll want to pounce on while it's still available.

This week marks nearly 120 years since the 1906  Atlanta Race Massacre, when white mobs laid waste to Black‑owned businesses and lives. At SXSW this spring, I experienced that history through a phone‑based augmented‑reality installation. Standing on a downtown sidewalk, I watched a true-to-life hologram of an actor portraying Black journalist Jesse Max Barber describe the violence as it occurred. The smoke and fear felt immediate, in a way no book or film could convey. It reminded me that immersive media, used with care, can turn cold facts into felt experience.

We’re rightfully wary of technology. Algorithms feed us outrage; screens swallow our evenings. Critics warn that headsets will lure us into isolation. (WALL‑E, anyone?) That risk is real. 

But by focusing only on the dangers, are we missing the other side of the story? Immersive tools can also cut through the noise, slow us down, and connect us to truths we cannot grasp on a flat screen.

Evidence for that power is growing. Researchers found that participants who navigated a 360‑degree video simulating violent intergroup conflict became less likely to demonize the opposing side and more open to compromise. The Messy Truth, a virtual-reality series that places viewers in scenarios like racial profiling, was shown at the Conservative Political Action Conference; police officers who experienced being a Black teenager pulled over by a cop said they saw the world differently. 

These projects hint at how immersive media might help us reclaim attention and rebuild connection in an age of lies and fragmentation. When you inhabit someone else’s perspective, or even something’s perspective — a kid with ADHD, a farmer in the Himalayas, or a spore in a mycelial network — abstract issues become personal. At a time when climate change is reduced to statistics and racism to slogans, the chance to feel another life for a few minutes can seed empathy and action. I’ve been surprised at how often these experiences slow me down. They’re not adrenaline rides. They’re invitations to linger and listen.

For immersive media to meet its promise, we need more than experiments. We need institutions, artists, and community groups to build with these tools — and to do so thoughtfully. That’s why I cofounded Agog, a philanthropic institute dedicated to using emerging media to cultivate empathy and connection, and inspire action. Projects like Kinfolk Tech, which uses AR to surface hidden Black and Brown histories in public spaces and prompts 91 percent of users to learn something new when engaging with the app, and Electric South’s New Dimensions Lab, which supports African creators making nonfiction XR, show what’s possible. Yet most nonprofits still view XR as costly or difficult to wield. Meanwhile, tech giants are racing ahead. Meta’s Ray‑Ban Display glasses — smart frames with an AI‑powered screen that debut next week — signal that mainstream spatial computing is near. Apple’s new “Liquid Glass” design language, which uses translucent layers and parallax on phones and tablets, trains us for interfaces that live in three dimensions. If the mission-based world doesn’t join this conversation, the commercial players will set the terms.

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I get the skepticism. Immersive media could be used to manipulate, to addict, to surveil. It could lull us into passivity or feed unhealthy impulses. The antidote is intention. We must ask: Does this experience reconnect us to reality or replace it? Does it foster empathy, or does it sensationalize suffering? Does it create new ways in, or push people to the margins? For example, new features in smart glasses, like real-time captions for people who are deaf or hard of hearing, or instant text-to-speech for those with visual impairments, can expand participation. That’s momentum we can build on.

As the National Center for Civil and Human Rights Museum reopens in Atlanta, and features the 1906 Race Massacre AR experience this weekend, we have a choice. We can treat immersive tech as another entertainment toy, or we can harness it to reclaim attention, relay truth, slow us down, and build connections across divides. I remain agog at the possibilities. With curiosity and care, we can ensure that immersive media doesn’t usher in a dystopia, but helps us imagine and build a better reality.

Chip Giller, along with Wendy Schmidt, is co-founder of Agog: The Immersive Media Institute, a philanthropic organization that helps people use emerging media like virtual and augmented reality to create human connection, cultivate empathy, and inspire action toward a brighter future for all.

This column reflects the opinions of the writer.