IT General

Save $101.99: As of Dec. 16, you can grab the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds for $198 at Amazon, saving you $101.99 on their $299.99 retail price. You can also grab the earbuds for a dollar more at Best Buy and Target, with all three deals giving you roughly a 33% discount, and the best prices we've ever seen on these earbuds.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds $198.00 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $101.99 Get Deal

If you're currently scrambling for last-minute Christmas gifts and kicking yourself for not shopping during Black Friday, I'd like to remind you that good things come to those who wait.

For example, as of Dec. 16, the Sony WF-1000XM5 earbuds are down to $198 at Amazon, beating their Black Friday and Cyber Monday price by about $30 and marking a new record low price for the earbuds that usually cost $299.99. If you're not a fan of Amazon, you can also find them on sale at Best Buy and Target for $199.99.

While testing headphones and earbuds for Mashable, I tried the Sony WF-1000XM5s, and was blown away by their sound quality and easy pairing, while their active noise cancelling placed them among some of the best noise-cancelling earbuds I've tried. Mashable Shopping Reporter Sam Mangino also named these one of her top picks for the best noise-cancelling earbuds, calling out their "distinct audio" that "pick up on the subtleness of every lyric and beat."

SEE ALSO: The 6 best Bluetooth speakers for basically any situation

What helps make that audio shine is the custom equalizer on the earbuds' companion app. Though the interface can be a bit difficult to navigate, the "Find Your Equalizer" feature makes it easy for audiophiles and non-audiophiles alike to fine tune the settings they most prefer with their music.

Typically, the biggest con of these earbuds is their price point, but at $198, they're near the price of AirPods Pro on sale, and lower than the sale price of our favorite overall noise-cancelling earbuds, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra earbuds.

The last thing you want on Christmas Day is for your kids to be unable to play the game console they've waited so long to enjoy. Read on as we highlight why you need to pre-game your console gift-giving experience.

HDMI 2.2, the new HDMI specification is set to debut in early January.

In an email sent to the press, including Mashable, the HDMI Forum, which oversees the development of HDMI specifications, said HDMI 2.2 will be announced on Jan. 6 in Las Vegas, a day before the official start of CES.

Not much else was shared beyond the details of the press conference at the massive consumer tech conference. But the email did say that the new HDMI 2.2 specifications "will support a wide range of higher resolutions and refresh rates."

As Tom's Guide pointed out, the date of the announcement coincides with scheduled press events from Nvidia and AMD. Both companies are expected to announce new GPUs (GeForce RTX 50 from Nvidia and Radeon RX 8000 from AMD). If this is the case, the launches might be timed to align with the new HDMI standard.

The current HDMI standard, HDMI 2.1, was introduced in 2017. The most recent HDMI 2.1 update supports 48Gbps bandwidth, up to 10K resolution, and has up to 120Hz refresh rate at 4K. So whatever the specs are for HDMI 2.2 should be a significant upgrade from this. Mashable will be on ground at CES covering this, and other tech news.

YouTube is providing more ways to limit your child's access to the unfettered landscape of YouTube content.

Announced on Dec. 13, the platform will now offer an additional parent code feature on the YouTube app for TVs. With the code in place, users will have to input a password to access YouTube, even when signed out of an account with parental controls in place — a common work around to account safety settings. Young watchers will also need the code to access accounts for older members of your household (13 years and up), and to remove accounts on TVs.

SEE ALSO: Holiday tech gifts for kids: 5 things to know

YouTube is gradually changing the way young users access its platform, parental controls or not. Last week, YouTube unveiled its newly revamped YouTube Kids app, originally launched in 2015. Compared to its previously simplistic design, the new YouTube Kids looks more like it's enticing adult version, but with far more safety controls for young viewers. YouTube removed its standalone YouTube Kids app for TVs earlier this year, instead integrating the child version into the general YouTube app, accessible through a child's profile — other media sites, including streaming platforms, have moved in a similar direction.

The new parent code is a response to user concerns about children having access to the adult platform following the introduction of integrated profiles on TVs.

"We hope this change gives you added comfort in knowing kids cannot use accounts and features on your smart TV that aren’t meant for them," the company wrote, "while also making recommendations in your profile more relevant to your interests rather than what you previously watched together as a family."

On Dec. 16th, get up to 50% off on Govee smart lights and smart bulbs at Amazon.

The appeal of Govee is simple, these smart lights provide endless color variations. Simply replacing a couple of bulbs in your room could entirely change the feel of your apartment, allowing you to sculpt variation of hues. However, Govee’s selection of lights goes far beyond smart bulbs. Govee also offers outdoor rope lights that snake color through your yard, floor lamps, Christmas tree strands, and customizable LED panels.

Just ahead of the holidays, Govee is throwing down with a massive sale across their products on Amazon. Shop the sale to find Prime-member coupons hitting up to 50% off, overall price cuts, and more. Since the sale is on Amazon, if you shop now, you’ll still be able to get these before holiday go-time. Here are our favorites:

The best outdoor light deal Opens in a new window Credit: Govee Govee Outdoor Neon Rope Lights $120.00 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $79.99 Get 40% off with on-page coupon Get Deal Why we like it

Snaking along the side of your walk, winding through the limbs of a crepe myrtle tree, or outlining the eaves of your home, Govee Outdoor Neon Rope Lights provide premium outdoor lighting that's fully customizable and weatherproof enough to survive the elements.

At 32.8 feet, this rope light has enough length to highlight roof lines on the entire front façade of a home, or line two sides of a walk. An IP67 ingress protection rating certifies that it's weatherproof enough to withstand rain and sand. A perfect something special to throw into the mix with your Christmas lights, now is a fantastic time to spring for Govee Neon Rope Lights. Order now and sign in to your Prime account to take advantage of the on-page coupon and get 40% off.

The best smart bulb deal Opens in a new window Credit: Govee Govee Smart Light Bulbs $24.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $10.00 Get Deal Why we like it

Govee's smart light bulbs screw into regular light sockets then connect to the Govee app to revolutionize what your lamp can be. With a vast array of colors, temperatures, and brightness levels, a few bulbs will paint your space in color. Set one bulb to a warm orange and another to a cool purple, or simply tune your bulbs to your ideal temperature of white.

I switched to Govee Smart Light Bulbs this summer, and while I mostly keep them set to my preferred warm off-white settings, they've drastically improved the feel of my room. When I want to watch a show, I open the app and tap my preset for dim orange. On an especially bright morning, I might switch one lamp to a pale pink to create the feeling of a spring dawn.

Whatever your color preference, Govee smart bulbs will oblige. At 29% off, this four pack is terrific value.

The best wall light deal Opens in a new window Credit: Govee Govee Glide Wall Lights $49.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $20.00 Get $20 off with on-page coupon Get Deal Why we like it

Whether you want to add strips of light over your doors, or you'd like to offset the TV with a geometric pattern, the Govee Glide Wall Lights are designed to make it happen. This pack comes with six lights calibrated to attach one to the next, that will create two light panels.

Millions of colors adapt to different scene settings and even sync to your musical selections to create a pulsing multimedia vibe. Order the Govee Glide Wall Lights now and take advantage of a $20 on-page coupon.

More Govee smart light deals

Govee Icicle Lights — $69.99 $139.99 (save 50%)

Govee Envisual TV LED Backlight T2 with Dual Cameras — $89.99 $139.99 (save 36%)

Govee Smart Outdoor String Lights H7021 — $57.99 $99.99 (save 42%)

Recently, I saw a reader comment that they're not going to bother learning a new Excel function because Copilot can do the work for them. This made me wonder, "Do we still need Excel skills in today's AI world?" After some thought, the answer was a resounding "YES!" Here's why.

From working in construction to helping labour shortages and performing surgeries, robots have been keeping busy this year. In no particular order, here are the mechanical creatures that impressed, excited and, well, freaked us out a little, in 2024.

SAVE $50: An Amazon Echo Auto with one month of Amazon Music Unlimited is just $14.98, down from the typical bundled price of $64.98. That's a 77% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Auto with one month of Amazon Music Unlimited $14.98 at Amazon
$64.98 Save $50.00 Prime member exclusive Get Deal

Ahh the open road. It offers us freedom to explore, see new and exciting areas, or just drive into work five mornings each week. Regardless of how often you drive or how you feel about driving, listening to music makes the activity far more enjoyable. Thanks to today's deal at Amazon, rocking out to tunes in the car just got a lot cheaper.

As of Dec. 16, an Amazon Echo Auto and one month of Amazon Music Unlimited is just $14.98, down from the typical price of $64.98. That saves you $50, working out to a 77% discount. It also means the Amazon Echo Auto device costs just $4.99, instead of the usual $54.99.

The Amazon Music Unlimited subscription will auto renew at $9.99 per month, but you're free to cancel at anytime. To score this deal, you'll need to be an Amazon Prime member and a new customer to Amazon Music Unlimited.

The Echo Auto adds Alexa to your car with a slim and simple device. That means you'll have all the hands-free features that come with Alexa like making calls, answering text messages, changing the song, or tuning into a podcast. You can connect the Echo Auto to your car's Aux input or through Bluetooth. It also comes with an adhesive car mount, so you'll be able to safely secure it near your car's stereo.

If you have Alexa-enabled devices at home, you can also use the Echo Auto to give those gadgets instructions. Tell Alexa to turn up your home's thermostat as you're driving home or turn on the lights.

In addition to the Echo device, this bundle includes one month of Amazon Music Unlimited, giving you access to millions of songs and podcasts with zero ads. It also includes audiobooks from Audible. All of this means your time spent in the car will no longer feel wasted, but rather be time spent catching up on your favorite podcasts and discovering new music.

If you'll be taking to the road this holiday season, employ the company of the Amazon Echo Auto bundled with Amazon Music Unlimited. Together, they're 77% off today for Prime members.

Sharing files between a Mac and a Linux machine isn’t complicated. You can do it easily and securely, using practical tools and methods designed for seamless cross-platform sharing.

Connections is a game from the New York Times that challenges you to find the association between words. It sounds easy, but it isn't—Connections categories can be almost anything, and they're usually quite specific. If you need a hand getting the answers, we've got you covered.

Uber and Lyft are two very similar services. Both are "ride-sharing" apps you pull up on your phone to quickly get a ride somewhere from a driver using their own car. These two services have diverged a bit over the years, but there are still major similarities between them.

I’ve been using the Steam Deck since launch day, and I picked up an iPhone 16 Plus on release day. The time I spend with both has led me to discover something surprising: these seemingly mismatched devices are closer competitors than you'd think.

In what must be the least anticipated recap of the year, British online bank Monzo has dropped its answer to Spotify Wrapped for another brutal round.

Debuted last year to many, many memes, Monzo's 2024 wrap-up released once again to low moans across the UK. No, I don't need to know how much I spent on [REDACTED], I already know. But this year, the team listened — you can customise what the banking app tells you about your year of spending, whether "nice" or "savage."

"The nation’s favourite spending summary is back," the website reads. "And this time, you choose how we recap your year. We can be nice or savage. Your call."

SEE ALSO: Porn viewers wanted 'demure' tradwife content this year, Pornhub's Year in Review shows

If you pick "nice," the app "goes easy on you" when telling you the top places you've shopped, where you've eaten out, and where you spent on entertainment. You'll also see who you split bills most with, how much you saved, and the countries you spent money in if you used your card there.

If you pick "savage," it shows you the same things — but it's meaner about it. It's exactly the same data, but the library is open.

The app literally mocked me for my choices. "Okay fancy pants," it spat at me for my M&S snack purchases. "Newsflash: your fridge is closer," it barked showing my preferences for eating outside of my house. "Money can't buy friendship. But you sure did try," it says, showing me the friends I split bills with.

You've got to hand it to Monzo, they took those memes into consideration.

Looking to stream games and more on Discord, but running into problems? We'll help you troubleshoot the most common issues.

Choosing the perfect iPad isn’t just about specifications or price, it’s about finding the right tool for your digital lifestyle. Whether you’re a content creator or a casual user, certain iPads will offer better value depending on your needs.

A wedding abroad, two ex partners and a long journey stuck in a camper van is the recipe for Paramount+'s romantic dramedy The Road Trip, based on Beth O'Leary's novel of the same name.

In the trailer above a car accident forces former girlfriend and boyfriend Addie (Emma Appleton) and Dylan (Laurie Davidson) into a long trip from England to Spain, while the friends (and one stranger) they're stuck with try to to get to the bottom of what went wrong between them.

The Road Trip is streaming on Paramount+ from Dec. 26.

Apple released MacOS Sequoia 15.2 last week for its laptops and desktop computers. As usual, this MacOS update brings some new features as well as some fixes and upgrades to existing ones.

But, as MacOS Sequoia is the first with Apple Intelligence, the new features that come with MacOS Sequoia 15.2 mostly involve new additions to Apple's own AI model.

So, what's new in MacOS Sequoia 15.2? Here are the biggest new features.

Apple Intelligence: Image Playground

If you have a Mac powered by Apple's Silicon chipset, the new Apple Intelligence features are by far the biggest new releases in MacOS Sequoia 15.2.

SEE ALSO: Apple's iOS 18.2 arrives: Here's 4 new features to be excited about

The latest MacOS update brings Image Playground to Mac. Image Playground allows users to generate AI-generated images with text prompts. Apple lets users choose from animation or illustration styles and images can be created in existing Mac apps like Messages and Freeform for direct usage in those applications.

Apple Intelligence: ChatGPT integration

The new MacOS Sequoia 15.2 also brings OpenAI's ChatGPT directly to Mac via a direct Apple intelligence integration. ChatGPT can be accessed through Siri or Writing Tools. 

SEE ALSO: WatchOS 11.2 is here. This new feature alone is worth the update

Users don't need a ChatGPT account to use ChatGPT via Apple Intelligence. Mac users will be able to anonymously make ChatGPT requests and their data won't be used to train OpenAI's models. ChatGPT users can login to their account if they'd like to though to take advantages of their account benefits.

Additional Apple Intelligence features

Apple has one more addition to Apple Intelligence with MacOS Sequoia 15.2.

Users can now tell Writing Tools exactly how they want a text document rewritten. For example, if a user writes a paragraph but wants it rewritten into a poem, the user can just tell Apple Intelligence that they want it to be rewritten as poetry.

Photos

The Photos app also has some updates in MacOS Sequoia 15.2.

Viewed and Recently Shared album history can now be cleared in the latest update. The Favorites album also appears in the Utilities collection as well as the Pinned Collections.

Safari

Safari has received some updates in MacOS Sequoia 15.2 too.

There are new background image customization options on the Safari Start Page. HTTPS upgrade will try to use secure HTTPS on all websites. And there is a new simplified import and export process for history, bookmarks, and passwords.

Additional updates: Weather in the menu bar, Sudoku, and more!

That's not all with the MacOS Sequoia 15.2. Alongside the bigger aforementioned updates, there are additional upgrades and changes to other Mac features.

Weather is now accessible in the menu bar and allows users to get current weather conditions. For more detailed forecasts, users can click through on the menu bar to get more weather information. 

Find My has a new Share Item Location feature that helps users locate and recover misplaced and lost items by allowing them to securely share the location of an AirTag of accessory with third parties.

SEE ALSO: United launches Apple AirTag-powered baggage location

The Podcasts app allows users to choose favorites and get show recommendations based on them with the Favorite Categories feature. A new Personalized Search page in Podcasts will also highlight relevant categories and bring editorially curated collections to users.

Users can now describe what content they're looking for in Apple Music and the Apple TV app with new natural language search.

There's also a few more additional features such as Sudoku for News+ subscribers and a presenter preview which lets users choose whether to share a specific app or the whole screen when connecting to an external display via AirPlay.

MacOS Sequoia 15.2 is available now as a free update for all compatible Mac and MacBook users. However, Apple Intelligence features only work with Macs with the Apple Silicon chipset, such as the M1, M2, M3, or M4 line of computers.

A magic potion is the only thing standing between a tiny village and the invading Roman force in Netflix's upcoming Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight series, based on René Goscinny and Albert Uderzo famous graphic novels.

In the teaser above the animated duo swill beer while comfortably fending off an entire legion of invading troops, knocking them aside like bowling pins before accidentally crushing their own potion master – and the secret to their superhuman strength – beneath a boulder. Uh-oh.

Asterix and Obelix: The Big Fight is coming to Netflix in 2025.

By now, you've likely heard all about the post-election exodus from Elon Musk's X, formerly known as Twitter.

Users on X, which Musk has branded the "everything app," have been fleeing the platform. The ripple effects of the election season and Musk's support of Donald Trump have given a rise to a deluge of misinformation and toxic discourse on the platform being forced into users' feeds. As a result, X alternative Bluesky has seen a sudden surge in user signups and daily active users.

This may seem like a blip for X. It might appear like just a temporary reaction to the result of the election. However, new data points to X's woes being much bigger than a post-election backlash. 

Musk's X has been steadily losing users even preceding the election. And, based on the current trajectory, millions of X users are poised to leave over the next year as well.

X's election day traffic was a flash in the pan

Since the days of being called Twitter, X has traditionally seen a significant spike in traffic and daily active users based on big current events. Elections, specifically the U.S. Presidential elections are big traffic drivers for X. 

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk hints that X throttles posts with links

According to data from SimilarWeb, as reported by the Guardian, this was indeed the case in 2024 as well – at least, on election day and a day or two immediately following the election as well. 

However, in the broader leadup to the elections, X actually continuously shed daily active users. In fact, for the entire month of October, X saw a drop in anywhere from 300,000 to 2.6 million daily active users in the U.S. each day. Since early October, daily active U.S. users have fallen from 32.3 million to 29.6 million, a drop of 8.4 percent.

X likely to continue losing users in 2025

Mashable previously reported on X's declining user base just one month prior to the time period covered by the latest data. In September, we published data showing that X lost nearly one-fifth of its daily active user base with a similar downward trend in the UK and EU.

However, according to analysts, it appears like X will continue its decline in 2025.

According to analysts at Emarketer, from when Musk acquired X in 2022 until 2025, they expect X to have lost 7 million monthly active users in the U.S.

The declining user base pales in comparison to the decline of X's brand and value. According to a recent report from Brand Finance, X's brand is now worth 673 million. The brand was valued at $5.7 billion before Musk's takeover in 2022. When it comes to revenue, X's revenue fell by 40 percent when compared to the prior year based on internal company data from June 2024.

TL;DR: Live stream New Zealand vs. England for free on TVNZ+. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

England have looked really impressive in their Test match series against New Zealand. England beat New Zealand by 323 runs to win the second Test and series, which was somewhat surprising after a disappointing defeat against Pakistan in their last outing.

New Zealand were coming off a 3-0 win against India, so expectations were high for the home side. The Black Caps might have lost the series, but they can still end on a high.

If you want to watch New Zealand vs. England (3rd Test) for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is New Zealand vs. England (3rd Test)?

The 3rd Test between New Zealand and England takes place from Dec. 14 to Dec. 18 (in New Zealand). This Test match takes place at Seddon Park.

The final Test match in this series is available to live stream for free.

How to watch New Zealand vs. England for free

New Zealand vs. England (3rd Test) is available to live stream for free on TVNZ+ in New Zealand.

If you're abroad for this Test series, you might need to use a VPN to unblock TVNZ+. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in New Zealand, meaning you can access free live streams of New Zealand vs. England from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of New Zealand vs. England by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in New Zealand

4. Visit TVNZ+

5. Stream New Zealand vs. England for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Year Subscription + 3 Months Free) $99.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch New Zealand vs. England (3rd Test) without committing with your cash. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream this Test series before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for TVNZ+?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live cricket on TVNZ+, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including New Zealand

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Live stream New Zealand vs. England (3rd Test) for free with ExpressVPN.