IT General

SAVE 50%: Through Sept. 29, all sizes of the TCL NXTVISION QLED art TV are 50% off for Labor Day, with savings of up to $2,000. Some sizes are sold out at Amazon, but all are available at Best Buy.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL NXTVISION Matte QLED 4K TV save 50% on sizes 55-inch to 85-inch Shop Now

Labor Day is a uniquely great time to buy a TV. While it may not see deals as intense as Black Friday or the end of football season, its timing is indisputably clutch: Labor Day deals strike right before the NFL season and spooky season, both of which call for heavy TV watching and a nice, new screen to do it on. Plus, the 50% off discount on TCL's NXTVISION art TVs sounds pretty Black Friday-ish to us. Through Sept. 29, you can save between $700 and $2,000 on the TCL NXTVISION (previously called the NXTFRAME).

Your best bet is to shop at Best Buy as some sizes are out of stock at Amazon. Note: The MSRPs listed by Best Buy are far lower than the MSRPs at TCL's website, so Best Buy's discounts look less stark — but we're trusting TCL's prices on its own TVs, and TCL says they're all half off. They're all significantly cheaper than Samsung's The Frame TVs of the same sizes, even on sale themselves.

Here's the full price rundown at Best Buy:

• 55-inch NXTVISION — $698.99 $999.99 (save $301)

• 65-inch NXTVISION — $999.99 $1,299.99 (save $301)

• 75-inch NXTVISION — $1,299.99 $1,599.99 (save $500)

• 85-inch NXTVISION — $1,799.99 $2,799.99 (save $1,000)

SEE ALSO: Fall TV preview: 25 TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

Art TVs like the TCL NXTVISION or Samsung's The Frame have comparable specs to other QLED TVs on the market. Their extra layer of quantum dots helps them to achieve higher levels of brightness that pop during daytime watching. The 2024 NXTVISION TV features a 120Hz refresh rate, doubling the responsiveness of the 60Hz seen on most cheap 4K TVs. So, what's the difference between an art TV and a regular TV? It's the matte screen that allows the TV to look like framed wall art, not a shiny black TV. When not in use, you can choose from hundreds of famous paintings available in the NXTVISION's settings. From the side, the NXTVISION only sticks out 1.2 inches from the wall — a much more subtle framed effect than the average TV wall mount.

If you're looking for an NFL Sunday Ticket deal while you're at it, those are aplenty right now: My Best Buy Plus and Total members can get the full upcoming season for $258 (returning subscribers included) while Verizon phone or home internet customers can straight up get NFL Sunday Ticket for free.

SAVE $85.04: As of Sept. 2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (64GB, WiFi) is down to just $134.95 at Amazon. That's a savings of 39% and a new record-low price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (64GB, WiFi) $134.95 at Amazon
$219.99 Save $85.04 Get Deal

If you want a tablet that simply acts as a tablet, you don't need to drop hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars. The Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ is a capable tablet that checks all the right boxes and it's on sale for less than $150.

As of Sept. 2, the Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ with 64GB of storage and WiFi connectivity is just $134.95 at Amazon. That's 39% off its list price of $219.99 and its lowest cost on record.

While you may be familiar with Samsung's flagship S-series devices, the A-series is a little under the radar. It's designed to deliver many of the same core essentials as the S-series, but with some swaps that knock the price down. It's essentially what the basic iPad is to the iPad Pro. The A-series tablets are "perfect for everyday tasks like streaming the latest movies, browsing the Internet or keeping the kids entertained," according to Samsung.

The A9+ is a reliable tablet that can handle all the basics with ease. It packs an 11-inch display with slim bezels, 4GB of RAM, quad speakers powered by Dolby Atmos, a Qualcomm Snapdragon 695 processor, expandable storage up to 1TB, and a decent battery life (it's just OK). It's certainly no laptop replacement, but it's not meant to be either. If you're looking for something that can handle productivity tasks as well as entertainment without spending a fortune, it's going to be hard to beat this deal at only $134.95.

I've owned several gaming laptops at this point, and honestly they are my preferred way to play PC games thanks to the versatility and mobility they offer, but there's no arguing that choosing to be a laptop gamer comes with compromises—or at least, so I thought.

SAVE $30: As of Sept. 2, the Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones are on sale for $29.99 at Amazon. This is 50% off their list price of $59.99 and marks their lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Soundcore Soundcore Anker Life Q20 Headphones $29.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal

The majority of Labor Day deals may be behind us, but thankfully, a few are still lingering around. Amazon has quite a few strong offers still available today, including some excellent deals on headphones. This includes the Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones, which are currently down to their best-ever price of $29.99.

That's a whopping 50% off their list price of $59.99, and saves you $30. This discount only applies to the black Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones, but for a pair that boast hybrid active noise cancellation, that's a fantastic price.

SEE ALSO: The 8 best budget headphones we've tested under $100

The Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones feature hybrid active noise cancellation that can reduce up to 90% of outside noise around you. 40mm dynamic drivers bring you high-quality sound, with an extra boost for bass thanks to BassUp technology. And its battery life will keep you going for up to 60 hours in standard music mode (or 40 in wireless ANC mode), making them a great travel companion for any long trips you have planned.

Keep in mind that these are listed as a limited-time deal, so grab the Soundcore Anker Life Q20 headphones at this discounted price while they're still available. And if you're looking to drop some cash on a higher-end model instead, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones are still discounted after Labor Day.

TL;DR: The JBL Charge 6 speaker offers 28 hours of playtime, a built-in power bank, and is currently on sale for only $139.99 (reg. $199.95) with free shipping.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Charge 6 (Open Box) $139.99
$199.95 Save $59.96 Get Deal

Are you ready to kick back and relax with some good tunes? Pack up your cooler, grab some sunscreen, and whatever you do, don’t forget this Open Box JBL Charge 6 to keep the party going. With 28-hour playtime, a built-in power bank, and a waterproof design, this could be your go-to companion for years to come, and now it’s on sale for only $139.99.

From beach trips and poolside summer barbecues to treacherous hikes and scenic campsites, this JBL speaker is adventure-ready. How? First, let’s admire its lightweight and portable design. Weighing in at only 3 pounds, that’s nothing considering it’s a powerhouse speaker and power bank. Plus, it features a built-in, detachable handling strap, making it easy to clip and carry around. 

SEE ALSO: Level up your home theater experience with a Bose TV Speaker Soundbar for its lowest price yet

Second, the Charge 6 boasts an IP68 waterproof and dust-proof rating. So, don’t fret about having rice on hand; this speaker can handle water submersion. 

Whether you’re in a crowded space or looking to add a nice ambiance after a long day, this speaker has built-in smart AI technology to enhance your listening experience. Enjoy deeper bass, clearer highs, and balanced sound with minimal distortion in real-time. For an immersive listening experience, use the JBL Portable app to connect two Charge 6 speakers or other JBL Auracast-enable speakers. 

If your phone is running low from streaming all day, its built-in power bank with USB-C connect can keep the party bumping without skipping a beat.

As an Open Box model, reap the benefits of a like-new JBL without the hefty price tag. Open Box models are often a result of excess inventory. So, while you may see a random sticker or two on the package, the item has been inspected, tested, and cleaned before rejoining the market. If you’re still hesitant, this deal comes with a 1-year warranty for added security.

This JBL Charge 6 Speaker won’t last, and for a limited time, you can get it for $139.99 with free shipping.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Outfit your computer with helpful tools for life with this Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC lifetime license, now just $159.97 (reg. $249.99).

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $159.97
$249.99 Save $90.02 Get Deal

Sick of paying for Microsoft Office tools month after month? You don’t have to rent them, you can buy them for life with this license to Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business. It works on both Mac and PC devices, and right now you can save $90 on this suite of apps and secure this lifetime license for just $159.97 (reg. $249.99).

If you’re like most of us, you’ve been counting on Microsoft Office tools to help you with work, school, and everything in between since the ’90s. Not only are there new tools to rely on, the old staples are also still around to help you out and this Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC lifetime license gives you both.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft Copilot is coming to Samsung TVs and monitors

This edition includes five of Microsoft Office’s most helpful apps — Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote. They can be downloaded directly to your Mac or PC so you can create content, stay organized, tackle work projects, and more.

Though most of these names are familiar, they offer some brand new features like the ability to record presentations with voice narration and videos in PowerPoint, or the ability to access AI-powered suggestions in Word. Advanced data analysis and visualization tools are available in Excel, and there’s also an updated accessibility checker in Outlook.

Need to work with others? This license also includes new collaborative tools like co-authoring, enhanced commenting, and even deeper Microsoft Teams integration for a seamless workflow.

Take advantage of this deal on a Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business for Mac or PC lifetime license, now for only $159.97 (reg. $249.99).

StackSocial prices subject to change.

Google is breathing a big sigh of relief today.

Why? A judge has ruled that the company will not be forced to sell Chrome or Android, two suggestions that were being pushed by the U.S. Department of Justice as a result of the search giant losing a major antitrust case last August brought against it by the government.

On Tuesday, Sept. 2, District Judge Amit Mehta in Washington rejected the DOJ's push to break up Google. Instead, Judge Mehta ruled that Google can no longer take part in exclusive deals regarding its search engine, such as the one that saw Google pay billions of dollars to Apple in order to maintain its search dominance on iOS devices.

In addition, the judge ruled that Google must also share some of its search data with competitors.

SEE ALSO: Google just lost a big antitrust case for running illegal ad tech monopoly

The judge's decision marks a judgment in just one of Google's antitrust cases, which spanned from President Donald Trump's first administration into the preceding Biden administration and now into Trump's second term.

Google is currently involved in a separate antitrust case regarding digital advertising, which the company also lost in April.

Regardless of the judge's remedy, the search giant says it will appeal the decision, as Judge Mehta claimed that the company was acting like a monopoly and controlled 90 percent of the search market thanks to exclusive deals like the one the judge banned with Apple.

Nevertheless, Judge Mehta's refusal to break up Google must be welcomed news to both Google and other Silicon Valley companies undergoing antitrust lawsuits.

However, some, like OpenAI and Perplexity, may not be thrilled with the judge's decision, as these AI companies were eager to acquire the popular Chrome web browser if Google had been forced to sell it. That definitely won't be happening now.

In the early days of anime dubbing, it regularly took months or even years for shows and films to get an English dub—and these dubs usually featured the worst voice acting imaginable. Today, many anime series receive multiple language dubs within days of their Japanese airing, and that's all thanks to the growing popularity of "simuldubs."

Scripting is often seen as something only IT admins do to lengthen their coffee breaks, but home users can benefit from command line automation, too. Here are 10 PowerShell commands you can use to write scripts to lighten your workload, troubleshoot problems, and uncover new functionality.

Google's new Subscriptions Management feature lets you pool together a list of your mailing list senders and unsubscribe them one by one. You don't have to open random emails and unsubscribe manually. Gmail handles it for you by automatically sending the unsubscribed content to spam. You can try it right now on your phone or desktop.

The Chrysler Pacifica has quietly become one of the last great survivors. In a market obsessed with SUVs, it’s still pulling in impressive numbers.

I tend to download stuff and work on my desktop by default. So like most people, my desktop (and even the downloads folder) is almost always a mess with just random icons, files and folders everywhere. So I set up an automation system that automatically clears up that clutter by sorting and organizing my files every hour.

Oura Ring has announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD), and many users online are not happy about it. The announcement sparked immediate backlash across social platforms, with concerns ranging from misinformation about data privacy to broader moral objections over the company's willingness to work with the U.S. military.

Some users speculated — incorrectly — that personal health data from Oura's consumer rings was being shared with the military. Others focused less on privacy and more on principle: questioning whether they want to support a company that collaborates with the Department of Defense at all.

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

To clarify, Oura's work with the U.S. military isn't new. Tom Hale, Oura's chief executive officer, called their relationship with the DoD "longstanding" in a press release last week.

"We’re proud to expand manufacturing to the United States and are committed to empowering the Department of Defense with technology that prioritizes security and promotes readiness, resilience, and effectiveness to support service members and their missions," Hale said.

According to Oura, this expanded partnership is limited to its enterprise business, which is separate from its consumer offerings — meaning none of your data is currently being used to support military projects.

In an email to Mashable, Oura said it would "never sell, rent, or share your personal data with any third party without your express consent." This announcement, Oura told its customers, is "exclusively limited to our project support for U.S. service men and women." That support includes investing in manufacturing operations in Fort Worth, Texas, working closely with active duty military "to determine factors that impact soldier effectiveness," and "advancing military readiness," according to Oura's press release.

"Unless you’re a service member who is enrolled in a Department of Defense (DoD) health or human-performance program that uses Oura Ring — AND you have consented to share your data with that program — your data will never be shared with the DoD," Oura told concerned customers.

Hale also took to TikTok to clarify that user data is safe.

Users online also worried about Oura's connection with Palantir, a software company that works with intelligence agencies and defense departments and has a significant presence in Israel and the U.S.

"Underscoring its commitment to responsible data practices, ŌURA will be available to support population-level analysis of risk and Readiness on Palantir's FedStart platform, which is authorized at IL5 — enabling deployment of the Oura Enterprise Platform in environments with heightened security and compliance needs," Oura said in a press release.

SEE ALSO: Ultrahuman sues Oura over patent infringement in the battle of the smart rings

In a clarification to concerned users, Oura said it does not have a partnership with Palantir, but rather "Palantir provides the security layer for some of the DoD’s projects with Oura, particularly projects with rigorous security requirements to operate Oura’s platform within secure environments."

Despite these clarifications, the announcement has left some customers reconsidering their relationship with the brand. While Oura's consumer data does appear safe from military use, the company’s willingness to align with defense and intelligence contractors is now part of the equation for users deciding whether to keep wearing the ring.

The question now is whether users are comfortable supporting a tech company that openly collaborates with the U.S. military, regardless of how securely their data is handled.

Have you ever tried to explain a complex process to someone over the phone? Perhaps you've spent hours typing out a detailed guide on how to use a new software feature that ended up being tedious to use? A good screen recorder can solve those headaches by transforming long explanations into a simple, shareable video that can be reused time and time again.

OpenAI is appealing directly to concerned parents as the AI giant announces plans for a new suite of parental oversight features.

The company explained in a new blog post that it is moving ahead with more robust tools for parents who hope to curb unhealthy interactions with its chatbot, as OpenAI faces its first wrongful death lawsuit after the death by suicide of a California teen.

The features — which will be released along with other mental health initiatives over the next 120 days — include account linking between parent and teen users and a tighter grip on chatbot interactions. Caregivers will be able to set how ChatGPT responds (in line with the model's "age-appropriate" setting) and disable chat history and memory.

OpenAI also plans to add parental notifications that flag when ChatGPT detects "a moment of acute distress," the company explains. The feature is still in development with OpenAI's panel of experts.

SEE ALSO: I 'dated' Character.AI's popular boyfriends, and parents should be worried

In addition to new options for parents, OpenAI said it would expand its Global Physician Network and real-time router, a feature that can instantly switch a user interaction to a new chat or reasoning model depending on the conversational context. OpenAI explains that "sensitive conversations" will now be moved over to one of the company's reasoning models, like GPT‑5-thinking, to "provide more helpful and beneficial responses, regardless of which model a person first selected."

Over the last year, AI companies have come under heightened scrutiny for failing to address safety concerns with their chatbots, which are increasingly being used as emotional companions by younger users. Safety guardrails have proven to be easily jailbroken, including limits on how chatbot's respond to dangerous or illicit user requests.

Parental controls have become a default first step for tech and social companies that have been accused of exacerbating the teen mental health crisis, enabling child sex abuse materials, and failing to address predatory actors online. But such features have their limitations, experts say, relying on the proactivity and energy of parents rather than that of companies. Other child safety alternatives, including app marketplace restrictions and online age verification, have remained controversial.

SEE ALSO: What the Supreme Court hearing about age verification could mean for you

As debate and concern flare about their efficacy, AI companies have continued rolling out additional safety guardrails. Anthropic recently announced that its chatbot Claude would now end potentially harmful and abusive interactions automatically, including sexual content involving minors — while the current chat becomes archived, users can still began another conversation. Facing growing criticism, Meta announced it was limiting its AI avatars for teen users, an interim plan that involves reducing the number of available chatbots and training them not to discuss topics like self-harm, disordered eating, and inappropriate romantic interactions.

If you're suffering from Marvel fatigue, the trailer for Marvel Zombies is here to wake you right up.

The upcoming animated show lures viewers in with a gonzo premise initially explored in Season 1, episode 5 of What If...?: What would happen if the Avengers became zombies?

SEE ALSO: All the Marvel Cinematic Universe movies, ranked worst to best

The answer: Pure, unbridled carnage.

The four-part series transports viewers to a world overrun by a zombie plague. Its victims include Avengers like Captain America, Scarlet Witch (voiced by Elizabeth Olsen), and Hawkeye, along with Marvel villains like Namor and Thanos. The virus may have taken their lives, but it did not take their powers, meaning we've got superpowered zombies on our hands. Hell yeah! I mean... oh no.

Luckily, many heroes have escaped infection and are working to save the world. They include Yelena Belova (voiced by Florence Pugh), Shang-Chi (voiced by Simu Liu), and Kamala Khan (voiced by Iman Vellani). Which team of heroes will prevail: infected or uninfected?

If the premise of zombies with superpowers didn't already sell you on Marvel Zombies, the trailer certainly will thanks to a hard rocking soundtrack and several fight scenes that made me gasp. Blade fighting Moon Knight? Spider-Man ripping a dozen zombie heads off with his web? The sheer amount of blood and guts and gore? It's a two-minute adrenaline rush.

In addition to Olsen, Pugh, Liu, and Vellani, several other MCU actors reprise their roles in Marvel Zombies. The cast includes Paul Rudd, David Harbour, Tessa Thompson, Awkwafina, Hailee Steinfeld, Wyatt Russell, Randall Park, and Dominique Thorne.

Marvel Zombies premieres Sept. 24 on Disney+.

Home Assistant is a dizzyingly powerful smart home platform, thanks in no small part to its vast array of integrations. But the vanilla installation is just the tip of the iceberg.

As someone who watches TV for a living, I eat a lot of meals while checking out new shows. Sometimes that system can get a little dicey, like when I decided to accompany dinner with the many surgeries of The Pitt. (While not the best eating experience, I did do it again.)

SEE ALSO: Did 'Alien: Earth' episode 5 freak you out? Us too.

However, no show has outright killed my appetite quite like Alien: Earth, episode 5.

To be clear, I was able to handle the rest of the show just fine, pairing Xenomorph attacks with copious snack breaks, no problems in sight. But all that changed in episode 5, titled "In Space, No One..."

The episode is an extended flashback, trading Boy Kavalier's (Samuel Blenkin) Neverland research facility for the USCSS Maginot in the lead-up to its crash landing on Earth.

Featured Video For You 'Alien: Earth' episode 5 was its own 'Alien' movie. Here's how they made it.

Alien: Earth has already hinted at what happened to the crew of the Maginot in their final hours. Episode 1 revealed that a Xenomorph got loose, slaughtering crew member Zaveri (Richa Moorjani), and likely many others. Later, in episode 2, when Hermit (Alex Lawther) and his fellow soldiers investigated the wreckage, they saw several of the Maginot crew's corpses, eyes bloodied, faces terrified. They also caught a glimpse of one crew member on a medical table with his chest cut open and signs of alien bodies in his GI tract. Basically, whatever happened to them, it wasn't good! But it also wasn't enough to raise my queasiness levels to alarming rates.

Still, seeing the corpses is one thing. Seeing the horrors on the Maginot actually play out is a totally different story — one that left me shunning my snacks and even my trusty water bottle for some time after watching. No spoilers, but it is predictably grisly! Nauseating, even.

So Alien: Earth fans, heed my warning. Eat or drink before you check out episode 5, but certainly not during. Don't make this a TV dinner event, don't break out dessert, don't even think about a relaxing glass of wine. You'll regret it more than the crew of the Maginot regret setting foot on that blasted spaceship in the first place.

Episode 5 of Alien: Earth premiere tonight at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX. New episodes premiere Tuesdays at 8 p.m. ET on Hulu and FX.

Leaks suggest that Jimmy Donaldson, better known as MrBeast, is planning to launch his own mobile phone service in 2026.

The scoop comes via Business Insider, which reviewed an internal pitch deck showing one of YouTube’s biggest stars eyeing a move into the telecommunications industry. It’s just one of several ambitious ideas from Donaldson and his team to expand the ever-growing MrBeast empire, alongside pitches for everything from a creator platform to financial services.

SEE ALSO: MrBeast pulls AI tool for YouTube thumbnails, issues video apology

According to Business Insider, Donaldson isn’t expected to build a phone network from scratch. Instead, the service would likely be a white-label venture — branded with MrBeast trademarks but powered by an established carrier like Verizon or T-Mobile. This setup, known as an MVNO (mobile virtual network operator), has become a popular side hustle among celebrities. Ryan Reynolds famously co-owned Mint Mobile before selling it to T-Mobile for $1.35 billion.

A leap into telecom may sound unusual, but it fits with Donaldson’s ongoing push to diversify beyond media. His brand already spans a successful chocolate line, Feastables; the packaged lunch competitor Lunchy; and the ghost kitchen chain MrBeast Burger.

For MrBeast, the phone in your pocket could be the next frontier. And if even a fraction of his more than 400 million subscribers get on board, it could mean massive profit in the future.

The world "cult classic" gets thrown around a lot these days, too often intended to mean a movie or TV show with a cult following. But before the internet gave us access to everything and anything, true cult classics meant movies that you had to be introduced to by someone already initiated. The Rocky Horror Picture Show was such a sensation, going from a London fringe play to a flopped movie to a midnight madness phenomenon that's lasted for 50 years.

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror is a documentary that looks back on the origins of this truly iconic film, as Richard O'Brien, author of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, lays out ahead of the trailer above.

His son, documentarian Linus O’Brien, interviews a slew of the original cast members, including O'Brien, Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon, and Barry Bostwick. To get an idea of the impact this movie about kinky aliens had on pop culture, O'Brien also speaks to stars who grew up obsessed with Rocky Horror, including Tenacious D's Jack Black and RuPaul's Drag Race All-Stars champion Trixie Mattel.

Archival footage from the '70s allows audiences to do the time warp again, taking us back to the rise of the shadow casts and all the in-theater mayhem that came to be a part of the show's legacy. But beyond that, this documentary aims to explore why this "freak" show appeals to so, so, so, so many.

How to watch: Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror opens in a limited theatrical run in more than 50 cities starting on Sept. 26, including the Landmark Theatres Nuart in Los Angeles, the Village East by Angelika in New York, and the Music Box Theater in Chicago.