IT General

With macOS 26 Tahoe on the horizon, many Mac users are looking forward to Apple’s annual free software update. While you wait, why not check out some premium apps that more than justify their price tags?

Walmart is celebrating the fifth anniversary of its Walmart+ membership program with a new perk for subscribers called "Video Streaming Choice." Starting Sept. 15, Walmart+ members will get nonconcurrent access to ad-supported Paramount+ and Peacock plans for free.

The new benefit positions Walmart+ as a stronger alternative to Amazon Prime, which includes access to the retail giant's Prime Video streaming platform on top of free delivery. (A Walmart+ membership costs $98 per year after its free 30-day trial, while Prime is $139 per year after a monthlong trial.) Amazon also offers add-on subscriptions to services like Apple TV+, HBO Max, Paramount+, and, most recently, Peacock Premium Plus via Prime Video.

Walmart's announcement comes as Amazon moves to restrict Prime's free two-day shipping perk.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Walmart+ $98/year Learn More

The big-box store originally introduced complimentary Paramount+ Essential plans (normally $59.99 per year) as a member benefit around its two-year anniversary in September 2022. With annual Peacock Premium subscriptions valued at $109.99 per year, its annual membership fee can now pay for itself and then some.

“The additional option of Peacock Premium adds even more value and more choice to our membership, without raising the price,” said Deepak Maini, senior vice president of Walmart+, in a press release.

Walmart+ members are only allowed to use one of the two streaming services at any given time, but can switch every 90 days if they tire of one library's offerings.

In addition to those free streaming offerings, a Walmart+ membership unlocks additional benefits like free shipping (with no order minimums), fuel discounts, a Scan & Go checkout tool, and early access to deals during Walmart's Black Friday sale, among other major savings events throughout the year. If you can wait a couple of weeks, Walmart+ memberships are usually 50% off during the holidays.

Samsung just released its new Sound Tower models, the ST50F and ST40F. These new models, which were unveiled at IFA 2025, are the latest in its line of portable audio devices for parties and large gatherings. However, these models have a lot more features than you'd expect at first glance.

SAVE 30%: As of Sept. 3, you can get the Hisense 55-inch Class QLED 4K CanvasTV Series TV for just $697.99, down from $999.99 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount and over $300 off.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 55-inch Class QLED 4K CanvasTV Series TV $697.99
$1,000.01 Save $302.02 Get Deal

If you’ve had your eye on Samsung's Frame TV but can’t stomach the cost, we found a deal on a dupe that’s worth considering.

As of Sept. 3, you can get the Hisense 55-inch Class QLED 4K CanvasTV Series TV for just $697.99, down from $999.99 at Amazon. That's a 30% discount and a $302 savings. While it's not the absolute rock-bottom price, it's only about $10 more, so you're still snagging a solid deal.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time of year to buy a TV? Yes, there's an answer.

The whole point of this TV is to look like art on your wall, and not just another screen (just like the Frame). The Art Mode lets you put up paintings when you're not watching shows, and the anti-glare, Hi-Matte screen is what keeps it from looking like a cheap screensaver. Everything you need to get that flush-mount look comes right in the box, including the wall mount itself and a snap-on teak frame.

When it's time to actually watch something, it's still a top-notch 4K QLED TV. The picture is super vibrant (thanks to Quantum Dot tech), and if you're a gamer, the 144Hz Game Mode Pro will keep things from getting choppy. Since it's a Google Smart TV, all your streaming apps are already built-in, so you're good to go.

SAVE $150: The 10th Gen Apple iPad (256GB) is on sale for $349 at Amazon, down from the list price of $499. That's a 30% discount that matches the lowest price on record at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad (10th Gen, 256GB) $349 at Amazon
$499 Save $150 Get Deal

We have just a few days left before we're graced with a new season of one of the best shows ever — The Great British Bake Off. If you plan to tune into the new season on your tiny phone screen when it drops on Netflix, it's time to reconsider. How will you catch the finite details of cake week on a mini screen? That show, and plenty of other new fall shows, deserve to be viewed on a top-quality tablet.

As of Sept 3, the 10th Gen Apple iPad (256GB) is on sale for $349 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $499. That's a 30% discount that takes $150 off the price. It also matches the lowest on record at Amazon. Keep in mind you'll want to go with the pink colorway to score this deal. If you're not a pink person, a tablet cover will fix that right up.

With a 10.9-inch display, the Apple iPad is the perfect accessory to get you through the fall and winter season by streaming your favorites. It's also a great size for travel or taking to campus for taking notes during lectures. It clocks in at just a smidge over one pound. Plus, you can turn the Apple iPad into a mini laptop by pairing it with the Magic Keyboard Folio.

SEE ALSO: The Apple AirTag is a must-have item and it's still on sale after Labor Day

This model comes with 256GB of storage, so you won't need to be too picky about downloads and it has a 12MP front and back camera for video chats. Apple mentions this model has "all-day battery life" which the brand equates to 10 hours of web surfing on watching videos over WiFi.

Apple launched the 10th Gen Apple iPad in 2022 and it uses the A14 bionic chip. While this isn't the latest and greatest Apple iPad, it does a great job, especially considering this sale price and upgraded storage of 256GB.

Start fall streaming season off right by viewing on a luxurious screen thanks to the 10th Gen Apple iPad. It's a game-changer for watching shows and it's also highly portable and weighs just one pound. What's not to love?

To say I was skeptical coming into The Paper would be an understatement.

After all, producing a spinoff of the U.S. version of The Office seemed like a fool's errand. How could you possibly hope to live up to one of the most beloved sitcoms of all time? Any new characters risked living in the shadow of Michael Scott (Steve Carell) and Dwight Schrute (Rainn Wilson), and the threat of using cloying fan service to win back fans of the original series loomed large. Not even the involvement of The Office creator Greg Daniels and Nathan for You's Michael Koman could put an end to my worries.

SEE ALSO: 'The Office' spinoff: Everything you need to know about 'The Paper'

Then, I pressed play on the first episode, and all my worries melted away.

From the jump, The Paper captures the spirit of The Office, from its mockumentary format and cringe comedy to the return of The Office's own Oscar (Oscar Nuñez). But it also manages to forge a path of its own, all thanks to its already obsession-worthy ensemble and a surprisingly pertinent take on the current state of journalism.

How is The Paper connected to The Office? Sabrina Impacciatore and Domhnall Gleeson in "The Paper." Credit: John P. Fleenor / Peacock

That new path begins with The Paper's main conceit. The show doesn't return to The Office's stomping grounds of Scranton, Pennsylvania. Instead, it heads to Toledo, Ohio, where the Dunder Mifflin documentary crew has found a new subject in the local paper, the Toledo Truth Teller.

Once a lauded historical institution, the Toledo Truth Teller is now an understaffed, underfunded shell of its former self. Instead of writing about Toledo news, managing editor Esmeralda (Sabrina Impacciatore) thrives on writing clickbait articles for the online version of the paper. Unfortunately, "You Won't Believe How Much Ben Affleck Tipper His Limo Driver" is no replacement for in-depth local reporting.

SEE ALSO: 'The Paper' trailer: 'The Office' spinoff follows a struggling newspaper

Enter Ned (Domhnall Gleeson), the Truth Teller's new editor-in-chief. An idealistic journalism lover, Ned's dream is to bring back the Truth Teller's glory days. But with no funding from up top, he'll have to resort to creative solutions, like recruiting the Truth Teller's accountants and ad sales reps as volunteer reporters.

The new Truth Teller team's lack of journalism experience makes up a solid chunk of The Paper's comedy, as these inexperienced reporters bumble through finding stories, forget to fact-check sources, and carry out ridiculous undercover investigations. The Paper also follows in The Office's cringe comedy footsteps, reveling in characters who can't stop digging holes for themselves. From awkward exchanges about #MeToo to some seriously repressed daddy issues, brace yourself for scenes that will have you screeching in discomfort. (Don't worry, Office fans, at least there's nothing quite as bad as "Scott's Tots.")

The Paper's ensemble is downright delightful. Chelsea Frei, Ramona Young, Melvin Gregg, Gbemisola Ikumelo, Alex Edelman, Eric Rahill, and Oscar Nuñez in "The Paper." Credit: John P. Fleenor / Peacock

Just like in The Office, The Paper's greatest strength is the cast of characters it's building: a group of coworkers with little in common aside from their workplace, who soon become so much more.

Leading the team is Gleeson's Ned, whom The Paper smartly avoids turning into a Michael Scott copycat. For starters, Ned is actually a competent manager, one who tries to help his colleagues become better journalists instead of terrorizing them with "that's what she said" jokes. That doesn't mean he's without his flaws, though. His desire for approval and journalistic prestige leads down some wildly embarrassing roads, making him one of my favorite character tropes: guy who seems normal but can quickly become unhinged with the right trigger. (See also: Parks and Recreation's Ben Wyatt and the Cones of Dunshire.)

Ned finds a more outwardly bizarre foil in Impacciatore's Esmeralda, who yearns for the spotlight of the documentary, and also to regain control of the Truth Teller. Her scheming and antagonistic relationship with the rest of the staff make her The Paper's closest analogue to Dwight Schrute, but she's a wild card all in her own right. White Lotus viewers who enjoyed Impacciatore's more uptight turn as Season 2's resort manager Valentina will have a blast watching her unleash here, as Esmeralda's delusion and obsession with "sexy" clickbait clash nicely with Ned's ideas for the Truth Teller.

SEE ALSO: The internet is talking like Kevin from 'The Office' now

In addition to Gleeson and Impacciatore, The Paper's ensemble runs like a well-oiled machine even after just ten episodes together. As the only other member of the Truth Teller with actual journalism experience, Mare (Chelsea Frei) makes for a great straight woman to the rest of the cast's antics. The Paper also establishes her and Ned's bonding as the beginnings of a Jim and Pam style "will they, won't they" relationship, but for the most part, it prioritizes Mare rediscovering her love of reporting alongside someone who's actually willing to give her resources for it. So far, I'm rooting for them, but I'm rooting for the whole paper to succeed more!

As the only returning main Office cast member, Nuñez serves as a nice bridge between the two shows. A gag about him not wanting to be on camera again is a solid bonus, and allows the documentary crew to be an active presence early on. Rounding out the main cast are Melvin Gregg, Ramona Young, Tim Key, Gbemisola Ikumelo, and Alex Edelman, who, when thrown into any large meeting scenes together, stir up beautiful comedic chaos.

While The Paper does a solid job balancing its ensemble's roles and cooking up new character combinations from episode to episode, Ikumelo's anti-establishment Adelola and Edelman's sheltered family man Adam get the least to do so far. However, they have all the makings of supporting roles who will take a step up in later seasons, and Ikumelo and Edelman clearly have the chops to bring more to the table if given the opportunity.

The Paper nails the current state of journalism, and I feel attacked. Duane Shepard Sr. and Oscar Nuñez in "The Paper." Credit: John P. Fleenor / Peacock

While The Office took place at a paper company, it wasn't about selling paper. Instead, it was about how Dunder Mifflin's employees found human connection in an often demoralizing workplace. The Paper transfers that same search for connection to the often demoralizing — and currently suffering — field of journalism. In doing so, it becomes as much a show about journalism as it is a workplace comedy.

According to a 2025 report by Muck Rack and Rebuild Local News, there's been a 75 percent decline in local journalists per 100,000 residents on average since 2002. The Paper cannily reflects that decline by juxtaposing the Truth Teller's storied past with its bleak present. The paper's staff used to take up an entire building, but now, in a painful twist of fate, they're relegated to a small section of a floor otherwise devoted to the Softees toilet paper company. The show's opening credits add further to the bleakness, with images of people using the Truth Teller to wrap sandwiches or potty train their dogs — basically, as anything but an actual news source.

The Paper's portrayal of journalism doesn't just apply to local, print outlets, but to digital media, too. Esmeralda's ad-ridden clickbait articles are reminiscent of online content mills, while Ned's attempts to find the Truth Teller's version of Wirecutter or Wordle speak to the ways in which publications hope to remain relevant and profitable thanks to methods like affiliate links (which this article contains!) and games. Ned even starts beef with a high schooler whose local news blog has 300,000 followers, a reflection of the divide between old media and new media journalists. It's damn funny, but it's also painfully accurate. (For journalists, emphasis on the pain.)

Thanks to its focus on local journalism, The Paper becomes the latest in a trend of mockumentaries that highlight the plight of employees in crumbling, yet vital institutions. ABC's Abbott Elementary showcases the struggles of public school teachers, while NBC's St. Denis Medical examines the stress on doctors and nurses at an underfunded hospital. They, along with The Paper, function both as comedies and as extra-relevant windows into the crises workers in these fields are facing.

That focus is what brings The Paper over the edge. Yes, it and its brilliant ensemble stand on the shoulders of The Office. But it's so much more than a carbon copy, and it has the potential to be a sitcom that's great all on its own.

All episodes of The Paper premiere Sept. 4 on Peacock.

Novak Djokovic may be chasing yet another Grand Slam title at the 2025 U.S. Open, but his mind — and his moves — are never far from home. And KPop Demon Hunters.

During his tournament press conference on Tuesday, the 24-time Grand Slam champion expressed a bittersweet truth: advancing deep into the competition would mean missing his daughter Tara's eighth birthday. And after a quarterfinal victory over American hopeful Taylor Fritz, Djokovic now finds himself in exactly that position.

But the mercurial Serbian tennis superstar turned a rare moment of levity into a viral one.

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In his post-match interview, 38-year-old Djokovic delivered a surprise performance that lit up New York's Arthur Ashe Stadium and social media. Channeling his inner K-pop idol, he broke into the fizzy choreography from KPop Demon Hunters, the wildly popular Netflix film in which a fictional K-pop girl group, HUNTR/X, battles demons and breaks records. One of the film's catchiest hits, "Soda Pop," from dreamy demon boy band the Saja Boys, currently sits at no. 5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart — and no. 1 in Tara's heart, apparently.

"For Tara. Soda popping into semifinal," he posted on X, along with a photo of the picture-perfect moment on the court.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. SEE ALSO: Netflix's 'KPop Demon Hunters' review: Balancing demon-slaying with idol realness

"This is a big present for her," Djokovic told press with a grin after the match. "The dance at the end — she’s going to rate me tomorrow. Because she told me how to dance... We're at home doing different choreographies [from the movie], and this is one of them, so hopefully I'll make her smile when she wakes up tomorrow morning."

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The moment offered a rare glimpse into Djokovic’s off-court life, where Grand Slam prep sometimes takes a backseat to dance rehearsals with his daughter.

KPop Demon Hunters director Maggie Kang reposted Djokovic's courtside interview, adding, "Well, this is a nice surprise." She even replied directly to the tennis star, thanking him and Tara for the "KPDH love." Arden Cho, the voice of Rumi in the film, also excitedly reacted to the clip, posting, "This was incredible!!! Let’s goooooo!!!"

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The win over Fritz improves Djokovic’s 2025 record to 31-9 and secures his place in the semifinals of every major this season. Up next? A blockbuster clash with world No. 2 Carlos Alcaraz on Friday, Sept. 5 — a match fans have been waiting for.

SAVE OVER $800: As of Sept. 3, get the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max solar generator for $1,198.99 a Amazon. That's down from its usual price of $2,019.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon EcoFlow Delta 2 Max $1,198.99 at Amazon
$2,019 Save $820.01 Get Deal

Fall is here, and that means it's time for spooky season, color-changing leaves, and cozy nights in. That being said, there's still the very real risk for severe weather and other situations that could put your power at risk. A good way to make sure you're covered even in an emergency is a portable power station.

Today, you can get a power station at Amazon that can get you through even the gnarliest of disasters, at least for a while. As of Sept. 3, get the EcoFlow Delta 2 Max solar generator for $1,198.99 a Amazon, down from its usual price of $2,019. That's over $800 off for a limited time.

SEE ALSO: The Anker Solix C800 portable power station is down to its best-ever price at Amazon

The EcoFlow Delta 2 Max portable power station gives you 2,048Wh of power to do whatever you need, which means you can recharge your phone, keep your laptop powered to get some work done, or cook some food with small appliances. It can also make sure you have light so you can actually see what you're doing in an emergency.

It can power all of your important devices in addition to your refrigerator, medical appliances like CPAP machines, and other electronic items that you may otherwise find necessary for daily life. It also has a 220W solar panel to help charge it back up, with six AC ports, four USB, and two USB-C ports at 100W to make this an even easier affair.

Don't get caught unprepared this fall, and snag a power station that has your back while it's on sale.

Amazon just got a little less generous with its Prime membership perks.

Starting on Oct. 1, Prime members will no longer be able to share the free two-day shipping benefit with people outside of their household, as spotted by the Associated Press (AP).

Previously, the Prime Invitee Program let Prime members share with one other adult, even if they had a different home address. But that's being replaced by a program called Amazon Family which only extends Prime membership benefits to people sharing the same home address, according to a notice on the Amazon site.

SEE ALSO: The Apple AirTag is a must-have item and it's still on sale after Labor Day

The change comes after a report that Prime signups leading up to its Prime Day event — which was extended to a whopping four days this year — were down compared to previous years. According to Reuters, Amazon missed their projected goal by about 2 percent.

The new program, Amazon Family will offer Prime benefits to one other adult, up to four teens (if added to the membership before April 17, 2025), and up to four children — as long as they all have the same primary address.

Adults sharing the Prime membership have to share payment methods to verify their billing addresses and link their accounts through the Amazon Family program. Students and Prime members between the ages of 18 and 22, free trial members, and Prime Video-only members aren't able to join the sharing program, so college kids are out of luck.

If you don't have the same address, Amazon says you'll have to sign up for your own Prime account. The AP reported that Amazon is offering a limited time discount of $14.99 a year, which is valid through Dec. 31. After that, you'll have to pay the full subscription price of $14.99 per month, or $139 annually.

The Prime membership is a solid deal for people who buy lots of products from the retail giant. It offers free two-day shipping, exclusive Prime Day deals, access to Prime Video, audiobooks, and other benefits.

SAVE 36%: As of Sept. 3 you can get the Soundcore Boom 3i by Anker for $89.99 on Amazon. That's down from $139.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore by Anker Soundcore Boom 3i by Anker $89.99 at Amazon
$139.99 Save $50.00 Get Deal

Labor Day may be over, but some of the deals are still lingering. If you missed your chance to shop for a new speaker over the holiday weekend, you're in luck: Amazon still has major discounts on popular models from brands like JBL, Sony, and Anker.

As of Sept. 3 you can get the Soundcore Boom 3i by Anker for $89.99, down from $139.99. That's a 36% discount and a $50 saving on list price. This is the lowest price ever recorded for this model, according to price checker camelcamelcamel. The only caveat is that this deal price is exclusively for the black model of the speaker. The other colors (blue, brown, and green) will run you $10 more.

SEE ALSO: 7 of the best speakers for those who want crisp, clear audio

The Soundcore Boom 3i by Anker isn’t your average portable speaker. This thing features “industry-first” floating, which means it can float upright, sound-forward, even in waves. It won’t sink or distort the audio (which blasts up to 50W of sound at 96dB loudness). It’s also IP68 waterproof and dustproof, and five times saltwater-resistant against sea, sweat, and spray — it’s the ultimate beach day companion and the toughest speaker you’ll ever own, probably.

Do you want an anxiety attack on this fine day? Then check out the trailer for Netflix's A House of Dynamite, the upcoming missile crisis drama from Academy Award-winning director Kathryn Bigelow (The Hurt Locker, Zero Dark Thirty).

Directed by Bigelow and written by Noah Oppenheim (Zero Day, Jackie), A House of Dynamite focuses on the tense scramble following the news that an unattributed nuclear missile is headed straight for the US. Now, there is only 18 minutes to save the country from a devastating strike.

SEE ALSO: 2025 fall movie preview: Every upcoming film you ought to know about

Oppenheim gives us different perspectives on these 18 minutes, showing them over and over in the point of view of officers in the Situation Room (Rebecca Ferguson and Jason Clarke), security advisors (Gabriel Basso and Greta Lee), and of course, the US President himself (Idris Elba). All of whom must reckon with their responsibilities in this time of impending peril.

Just yesterday, A House of Dynamite had its world premiere at the 2025 Venice International Film Festival, where it was met with critical acclaim for its intensity and its relentless ability to tap into anxieties about nuclear war. While I haven't seen the film myself, I can confirm that even the trailer alone manages to stir up these anxieties.

Chillingly set to Carl Sagan's iconic "Pale Blue Dot" speech, A House of Dynamite's trailer is a nightmarish exercise in building tension. Seeing the DEFCON rating tick relentlessly upwards is already bad enough, but pair that with the chilling tagline of "not if, when," and you've sent me into a spiral.

Check it out for yourself above, but be prepared to have the inevitability of nuclear war looming over you like a gloomy mushroom cloud for the entire day.

A House of Dynamite also stars Jared Harris, Tracy Letts, Anthony Ramos, Moses Ingram, Jonah Hauer-King, Malachi Beasley, Brian Tee, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Willa Fitzgerald, Renée Elise Goldsberry, Kyle Allen, and Kaitlyn Dever.

A House of Dynamite hits select theaters Oct. 3 in the UK and Oct. 10 globally. The film will debut on Netflix Oct. 24.

SAVE $200: Amazon has the 13-inch Apple MacBook Air (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) on sale for just $799 as of Sept. 3, but only in two colors. That's 20% off its $999 MSRP and its lowest price to date.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $799 at Amazon
$999 Save $200 Get Deal

Apple's 13-inch M4 MacBook Air has been on sale for the record-low price of $799 on Amazon since just after Prime Day in late July — a $200 savings on the usual $999 sticker price. It's a sizable discount we never expected to see so soon in the laptop's life cycle, given its popularity and already reasonable MSRP. That said, it looks like we might not see it for much longer.

As of Sept. 3, the base M4 MacBook Air is still marked down to $799 on Amazon, but only in two colors: starlight and sky blue. The midnight and silver variants have risen to $879, or just $120 off. We check the listing daily, and this is the first time we've noticed this change.

SEE ALSO: Should you skip the M5 MacBook and hold out for the OLED version?

Meanwhile, all four colorways are bumped up to $879.40 at Best Buy, which usually matches Amazon's MacBook deals to the cent. The writing's on the wall: This deal is probably on its way out.

For reference, the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air is the latest iteration of Apple's smallest, lightest laptop and its best option for budget shoppers, IMO. It's ridiculously fast but quiet, its 12MP selfie camera is an improvement over its predecessor's 1080p shooter, and it now supports two external displays with its lid open. (Read our full review of the 15-inch model.)

The M4 MacBook Air starts with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. If you need a tad more storage in your daily driver, you can upgrade to the 512GB model for $999 (normally $1,199) — and take your pick from any color.

SAVE OVER $100: As of Sept. 3, get the Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) for $894.99 at Amazon. That's down from its usual price of $999.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) $894.99 at Amazon
$999 Save $104.01 Get Deal

In the market for a new tablet? There are always excellent options to choose from when it comes to Apple's iPad selection. And though we're now past Labor Day weekend, there are still plenty of deals to be had on popular models. This applies to models like the 11-inch M4 iPad Pro, which is actually more like a portable and lightweight version of the MacBook Pro.

As of Sept. 3, get the Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M4) for $894.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $999. That's $104.01 off and a discount of 10% on list price.

SEE ALSO: Pixel 10 Pro review: A very impressive camera makes up for some notable flaws

This is a powerful tablet that can do just about anything you need it to. Powered by an M4 chip, it offers speed and top-tier performance no matter whether you're creating a presentation or watching your favorite movies or TV shows. It's a master of multitasking too, so you can get things done at breakneck speed for a tablet.

With an 11-inch screen and just 0.21 inches of thickness, it's all about power and efficiency while remaining a lightweight and perfectly portable build. Plus, if you add peripherals like a keyboard, it can be used as a MacBook alternative that just so happens to have a touchscreen. If you don't want to do all that, it's still a tablet that you can take notes on with an Apple Pencil, join meetings, and then some.

If you're in the market for a tablet that runs more like a laptop, this is the deal to scoop up while it's still live.

Samsung’s desktop mode, known as DeX, is the reason I bought a Galaxy phone. DeX went years without a major update, but that has changed in the latest version of Samsung’s One UI interface.

Thousands of pieces from Lego's "Pick a Brick" service are no longer available to customers in the U.S. and Canada as of this week, which could make it harder for hobbyists to customize their sets and replace lost bricks. You can probably blame President Donald Trump.

Pick a Brick is an online service offered by the Lego Store that lets fans order individual pieces for as little as three cents. The Lego news and reviews site New Elementary reports that "thousands of elements" from its "Standard" collection were removed from the service for North American customers on Aug. 25. Approximately 1,500 pieces from its mainstream "Bestseller" collection still remain.

A screenshot of Lego's Pick a Brick page on Friday, Aug. 29. Credit: Mashable / Screenshot via Lego.com

Lego is calling the removal a "service pause" in a note at the top of the Pick a Brick landing page. "In the US & Canada, Standard pieces are temporarily unavailable," the note reads. "You can still shop our Bestseller range which includes thousands of the most popular bricks and pieces ready to order."

When reached for comment, a Lego spokesperson shared a similar statement with Mashable:

We have temporarily paused orders and shipment on a small selection of Standard pieces in the Lego Pick a Brick range in the U.S. and Canada. We are working with our delivery partners to resolve this as quickly as possible. 

Customers in the U.S. and Canada can still shop the Lego Pick a Brick Bestseller range which includes thousands of our most popular bricks and pieces.

Lego didn't specify why its selection had changed, but as New Elementary and others note, Trump's tariff policy is the likely cause. (The company's spokesperson declined to answer a question asking to confirm this.)

More specifically, Trump has eliminated the "de minimis" import rule that exempted packages from taxes and customs duties like tariffs if they amounted to less than $800. The change went into effect on Aug. 29, four days after New Elementary flagged the Standard pieces' disappearance.

SEE ALSO: The best new Lego sets that just dropped: 'Star Wars,' 'One Piece,' and Botanicals fans will be happy

USA Today reports that more than 30 countries have stopped shipping to the U.S. in response to the end of di minimus — including Belgium and the Czech Republic, where Lego has distribution centers. Per New Elementary, Standard Pick a Brick pieces are stored and shipped to North American customers from Lego's European warehouses, while Bestseller pieces are located in the U.S.

AFOLs in search of Standard pieces that Lego no longer carries might have luck on third-party marketplaces like BrickOwl and BrickLink.

After ending the de minimis exemption for imports from China and Hong Kong in May, Trump ordered its global termination in July. A White House fact sheet announcing de minimis' suspension called it "a catastrophic loophole used to, among other things, evade tariffs and funnel deadly synthetic opioids as well as other unsafe or below-market products." But as Mashable previously reported, the end of the exemption will make previously cheap products more expensive for U.S. shoppers, and force small businesses that rely on international goods to decide between absorbing the new costs or increasing their prices.

UPDATE: Sep. 3, 2025, 9:00 a.m. EDT This story has been updated with a statement from a Lego spokesperson.

Hybrids have been around long enough now that it’s easy to forget how big of a deal they once were. Back in the early 2000s, every automaker rushed to slap a hybrid badge on something—sedans, crossovers, even a few trucks. For a while, it looked like hybrids were going to take over the entire market.

Linux gamers are familiar with Proton, the go-to solution for running Windows games on Linux, but there’s another, similar tool in the shed. It’s called Proton GE, and while it performs the same function, it differs from Valve’s Proton. Let’s find out how they differ and which one you should use.

Since I fell in love reviewing the ReMarkable 2 in 2020, I've had one wish for the Norwegian whizz kids behind this state-of-the-art e-ink tablet: Make one like this but smaller, please.

Why? Because while it's nice to write on a super-slim, silver, LED-free "magic legal pad from the future," as I still call it, there are times when the form factor of a legal pad feels like too much. Use one on a plane tray table, for example, and you might feel exposed to the prying eyes of seatmates. Then there's the portability factor: An e-ink notebook/sketchbook you can just slip into your pocket like a smartphone, rather than tote it around in a laptop bag, seems like a no-brainer.

SEE ALSO: I tested the best Kindles to help you find the perfect e-reader

The ReMarkable Paper Pro, released last year, went in the wrong direction bulk-wise. To gain a color screen, it had to get slightly wider and slightly heavier than the ReMarkable 2. The screen size jumped from 10 to 11 inches. I've often looked wistfully at my 7-inch Kindle Paperwhite, thinking: why can't I just write on that size of e-ink screen? (To be fair, judging by the 10-inch Kindle Scribe, Amazon doesn't get this need either.)

Now, finally, ReMarkable is the first e-ink tablet maker to get it. With the launch of the Paper Pro Move ($449 with regular Marker stylus, $499 with Marker Plus, available for order now on Remarkable.com), we have a 7.8-inch notebook screen that's satisfyingly small and portable. Amazingly, ReMarkable has done this while retaining all the Paper Pro's color e-ink functionality — and the aspect ratio of its pages.

I've been using the Move for two weeks, and I very much like what I'm seeing. Because here's the ingenious part of the Move's design: ReMarkable didn't opt for the form factor of a regular old Kindle (or a medium Moleskine, to put it in paper notebook terms). Instead the company drew inspiration from something so obvious, this reporter has smacked his head that he didn't think of it: the classic reporter's notebook.

Opens in a new window Credit: ReMarkable ReMarkable Paper Pro Move Starting at $449 on Remarkable.com Shop Now ReMarkable enters your pocket

It's not just that reporter's notebooks are longer and thinner, all the better to take fast notes while on your feet at a press conference. It's not just that a thinner device is easier to stuff in your pocket (some pockets, to be fair, are too small to fully contain the Move). It's also what a longer, thinner design means in the context of ReMarkable world.

In landscape orientation, the Paper Pro Move's screen is literally 1/3 of the Paper Pro's screen. You might almost think the company makes its Moves by chopping its Paper Pros into three (to be clear, that's not how it's done). What this allows you to do is open a document on the Paper Pro Move at the exact same size as it is on the Paper Pro. You just need to scroll a few times to see the whole thing.

Such smart design thinking is not a given. Indeed, this was one problem with the switch between ReMarkable 2 and Paper Pro: the devices created documents at different sizes, so it was annoying to go back and forth between them. (The Markers were also not interoperable; thankfully, the Paper Pro and Paper Pro Move can both use the same Marker).

In portrait mode, the Paper Pro Move automatically fits the page to the screen. (It also pins the menu bar to the top of the page, which makes more sense than left or right.) If you go back and forth between portrait and landscape mode, you'll probably be able to tell which mode any particular notes were written in; the words might look too small or too large in the other mode.

Using the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move in the wild Credit: Chris Taylor / Mashable

Personally, I've really enjoyed writing in tight, tiny lines in portrait mode, as if I'm trying to save paper, and quite enjoy how that looks in regular (landscape orientation) size. But your writing mileage may vary. And if you're using ReMarkable's highly effective handwriting-to-text conversion feature, the size of your scrawl may not matter at all.

Your battery mileage will vary too In my enthusiastic testing, the battery life came nowhere close to ReMarkable's claim that it can last a full two weeks. To be fair, this is going to depend largely on how much you use the e-ink backlight (which also seems improved, and more evenly distributed around the screen, than in the Paper Pro). If you're not going to use the backlight at all, two weeks of battery life seems a reasonable expectation.

ReMarkable Paper Pro Move comes with caveats

The form factor of a reporter's notebook isn't great for everything you can do on an e-ink screen. Many PDFs and EPUB files will look a tad too small in Portrait Mode, so you either have to flip the screen and scroll a lot, or mess around with pinch and zoom. That, unfortunately, is not helped by the one thing that still feels buggy about e-ink screens: if you're moving through or around pages too fast, they can't always keep up. A slow refresh rate can have you scrolling through pages faster than you intend.

If you're used to LED-screen smartphones rather than Kindles, say, this may be an exercise in frustration. Also frustrating is the color refresh problem that carries over from the Paper Pro: Any color you use that isn't black has to flash on and off. But if you're new to ReMarkable world, and to writing with e-ink, you're going to be pleasantly surprised at how fast and natural writing itself (in regular black on white) feels.

You'll have to decide whether to go naked without the Folio covers, which cost extra, or spend up to $100 more to protect your screen from whatever scratch-creating objects might be in your pocket or bag. With the Paper Pro I tended to go naked, because it slotted into my bag nicely next to my iPad and Macbook. The Paper Pro Move feels more comfortable with its cover on.

The Paper Pro Folio also comes with a keyboard, which isn't an option with the Move Folio covers. The Move has only an on-screen keyboard, but ReMarkable says it will play nicely with external Bluetooth keyboards in a future update.

Having a cover doesn't help with what I believe to be one of the biggest battery drains with all ReMarkable devices: it's too easy to press the on button when it's in your pocket or bag. Not for e-ink tablets the smart detection that prevents this from happening with an iPad.

There's one final caveat on cost. if you want more than your 50 most recent documents to sync to other devices (including the ReMarkable desktop, iOS and web app readers), you'll need the ReMarkable Connect service. This is free for the first 100 days, and costs $2.99 a month or $29 a year thereafter.

Conclusion: This notebook is magic

Ultimately, the proof is in the writing. And I have been writing, in more places than ever: On planes, on trains, in automobiles (I don't recommend the latter if you get carsick easily, but the desire was there). I've written in bed while disturbing my partner less. I've pulled it out of my pocket in waiting rooms; I've jotted notes on it while friends I was having coffee with were busy typing "just one quick email" on their smartphones.

The best notebook or writing tablet, to paraphrase a common saying about cameras, is the one you have with you. And the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move is a notebook you're going to want to have with you, for the sharpness of the result as well as the portability factor. If you've got room in your pockets for a second gadget to tote everywhere like you tote your smartphone, and if you're prepared to leave your wallet a little roomier, then this may be the Move.

Where to buy the ReMarkable Paper Pro Move Opens in a new window Credit: ReMarkable ReMarkable Paper Pro Move Starting at $449 on Remarkable.com Shop Now

When you think of cozy games, you probably think of cutesy farming sims like Stardew Valley and neighborvanias like Animal Crossing. These casual experiences offer easy to pick up laid back gameplay loops, but they can sometimes feel a bit too candy and rainbows.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 2, 2025 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: The inception

• Green: To connect

• Blue: Old-school tech

• Purple: Associated with a springtime month

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

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

• Yellow: Beginning

• Green: Join

• Blue: TV-related abbreviations in the '80s

• Purple: May___

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #815 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Beginning: BIRTH, DAWN, GENESIS, START

• Join: BOND, COMBINE, FUSE, WED

• TV-related abbreviations in the '80s: ALF, MTV, NES, VHS

• May___: DAY, FLOWER, FLY, POLE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for September 2, 2025

Are you also playing NYT Strands?

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

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to today's Connections.