Technology
This is why your Android phone doesn't treat every USB-C cable the same
USB-C is often touted as the universal standard for a wide range of devices, and while there's certainly more compatibility than there used to be, the reality is a lot more complicated.
Home Depot slashes Ryobi battery packs by 61% for Labor Day
Labor Day is right around the corner, and that means we can all look forward to excellent deals on all of our favorite tech, tools, and more. If you need a few more Ryobi battery packs or are gearing up for fall DIY projects, Home Depot has huge discounts you won't want to miss.
3 excellent Netflix movies to watch this week (August 31-September 6)
Netflix is set to flip its calendar over to September tomorrow, and with it comes a flood of new catalog movies to get into—including the Alien films, the whole Resident Evil pile, and dozens more. If you're a U.S. subscriber to the service, however, you might still be salivating over the 26-minute Grand Theft Auto VI preview or the chilling crime thriller Facing El Chapo.
Stop writing prompts for Claude — you can now show it what you want done instead
Claude has had SKILL.md files for a while now, and they’re one of the most useful things about it. That said, skills are only as good as the person writing them. If you describe your workflow poorly in a skill, Claude will also do the work poorly — it’s basically garbage-in, garbage-out.
I finally fixed the annoying Samsung Galaxy camera bump wobble with a simple ring
Samsung Galaxy phones have a dirty secret: the official thickness measurements do not include the camera bump. Most smartphones have this same secret, but Samsung’s design choices make it a particularly annoying problem. I set out to fix it.
Tim Cook shares emotional farewell on final day as Apple CEO
The Tim Cook era of Apple has come to an end.
Today, August 31, 2026, is Tim Cook's final day as CEO of Apple, and the outgoing Apple chief had some emotional parting words to share on social media.
"Sending lots of love to the Apple community on my last day as CEO," Cook posted on the social media platform X. "My title changes tomorrow, but the love I have for the Apple community never will. Thank you for being a constant source of inspiration. My gratitude is endless, and I’m excited for the next chapter!"
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.Tim Cook held the position at Apple for 15 years, taking over as CEO after Steve Jobs departed in August 2011, shortly before his passing the following October. Starting Sept. 1, Cook's new position within the company will be as executive chairman of Apple's board of directors.
Cook will be succeeded by incoming Apple CEO John Ternus, the company's current Senior Vice President of Hardware Engineering. At 50 years old, Ternus is the same age Cook was when he took over as Apple CEO.
Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!
Under Cook, Apple saw the launch of some of its most popular product categories, such as AirPods and the Apple Watch. Cook also led the company as it completely relaunched its computer product lines, ranging from MacBooks to desktop Macs, with Apple's own Silicon chipset.
Apple became a trillion-dollar company under Tim Cook's leadership as well.
Cook also had to navigate the company through difficult global geopolitical issues, which led to some interesting moments, such as when President Donald Trump referred to the Apple CEO as "Tim Apple." Cook responded at the time by changing his profile name on then-Twitter to "Tim ."
Ternus's first big Apple event at the helm will take place on Sept. 9, when the company is expected to launch its new line of iPhones, including its first-ever foldable device.
EU adds ChatGPT, Reddit, and Roblox to its list of very large online platforms
The European Commission announced Sunday that it has formally designated ChatGPT as a Very Large Online Search Engine, and both Reddit and Roblox as Very Large Online Platforms, under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA).
According to the Commission's press release, all three services reported reaching at least 45 million average monthly users in the EU, clearing the threshold that triggers the designation.
The new classification means that the platforms have until Dec. 31 to meet the DSA's additional requirements for platforms of this size. These include assessing and mitigating risks tied to illegal content, harm to minors, users' physical and mental wellbeing, fundamental rights, elections, and public security, per the Commission.
SEE ALSO: EU says Meta hasn't done enough to prevent minors under 13 from using Instagram and FacebookThe Commission explained its reasoning for each service individually. ChatGPT, described as an AI system capable of responding to prompts and searching the web, qualifies as a "hybrid service" that meets the DSA's definition of an online search engine.
Roblox was described as an immersive gaming and creation platform where users build, publish, and play games made by other users. Reddit was categorized as a discussion-based platform where users create and interact with content inside topic-focused communities. Because both enable the public spread of third-party content, the Commission classified them as online platforms rather than search engines.
With these designations, the Commission gains new investigative authority to examine the functionality of these services and any related systems, and will oversee DSA compliance in partnership with national regulators where each company is legally established in the EU. For ChatGPT and Reddit, it'll be Ireland's Coimisiún na Meán; for Roblox, it's the Netherlands' Authority for Consumers and Markets.
"Reddit is committed to complying with the EU Digital Services Act," a spokesperson for the company told Mashable through email. "We’ve been preparing to meet the VLOP requirements and look forward to coordinating with EU regulators while providing transparency for Reddit users."
All three services were already subject to the DSA's baseline rules for platforms and search engines before Sunday's announcement. The new designation adds them to a growing list of 28 very large online platforms and search engines that have now been designated under the law overall.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
Why governments worldwide are abandoning Windows for homegrown Linux alternatives
Windows is still the most popular desktop wos.While Linux may be obscure on the desktop, there are some prominent users already adopting it. Governments around the world are doing it to be independent or sometimes cut off from Western software. Here are some of the governments building their digital infrastructure around Linux.
Blush Novelties is celebrating Labor Day with up to 30% off vibrators, dildos, and more
If you need a new vibrator (I mean, who doesn't?), there are tons of Labor Day sales going on right now where you can get your hands on some of the best vibes on the market for a fraction of the price. (That's right, Labor Day isn't just for discounted mattresses and kitchen appliances!)
SEE ALSO: I've tested 100+ sex toys. Here are the 15 most mind-blowing toys I've ever owned.Blush Novelties, an OG brand in the business, just shared that it's offering up to 30% off from Sept. 2 through Sept. 8 (no code required). You can shop brands under the BN name on the official Blush website or via Amazon. I honestly think Amazon is probably the better bet here, since you'll get fast, free shipping with Prime.
Even though the sale hasn't officially kicked off just yet, a handful of toys are already discounted on Amazon and the website. You can browse the site's "sale" section (you'll find up to 50% off select items there now), or hold out until Sept. 2 to see if a better deal comes along.
A quick note before you add anything to your cart: Blush is a legacy brand, so its catalog is just a smidge outdated and includes some older jelly or TPE (porous) toys. Definitely DO NOT buy those. You only want to use body-safe, non-porous materials on, in, and around your intimate bits.
Stop storing your Milwaukee tools dirty—how to clean them the right way
Milwaukee tools are built to take a beating, but caked-on grease, sawdust, and other messes will quietly wreak havoc on your gear. You're probably thinking, "Who cleans their power tools?" but it's pretty common and more important than you think.
Your smart TV might have a camera—here's what you can do with it
Did you know that a number of smart TVs come equipped with cameras? While that idea may raise privacy concerns for many people, and rightfully so, these cameras offer several neat features you can explore.
Live Labor Day deals: We found the best discounts on TVs, robot lawn mowers, and Apple iPads to shop before the long weekend
Summer is coming to an end. While that seems a bit sad, it also means the temperatures cool off and we still have one final long weekend to enjoy before fall kicks in.
Like most long weekends, big retailers are offering special discounts on some of our favorite products. That's great news if you're in the mood for a fall refresh. Consider getting a mattress upgrade if you haven't been sleeping well or browse the REI Labor Day sale to get new outdoor gear to replace anything that's worn out over the summer. It's also a great time to get a new TV ahead of NHL and NFL season.
After Labor Day, we might not see a major sales until Black Friday. In an era when tech prices continue to rise, it could be smart to shop these deals ASAP.
Best Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $649$749 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it
The Apple iPad Air with an M4 chip is something to behold. It's a step up in performance level compared to the previous M3, not to mention it's incredibly lightweight and thin. In addition, it's powerful and smart enough to handle intense programs like Final Cut Pro, making this a great option for creators and artists.
Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth reviewed the M4 iPad Air and wrote, "Artists and note-takers will definitely appreciate this one."
More Apple dealsApple AirTag (2nd Gen, 4 pack) — $79.99 $99 (save $19.01)
Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $225 $249 (save $24)
Apple iPad, 11 inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) — $399 $449 (save $50)
$2,499.99 Save $1,102.00 Get Deal Why we like it
At a massive 44% off, the 65-inch TCL QM8L could be the perfect upgrade for streaming fall TV shows, movies in the winter, and gaming thanks to the 144Hz refresh rate. While it usually sits at $2,499.99, Amazon has it on sale ahead of Labor Day for $1,397.99 which is the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.
TCL used their DeepColor System technology in this mode for big contrast and deep blacks. Plus, it comes with Google TV built in for keeping all of your favorite streaming apps neatly organized and easy to access.
I ditched Claude's built-in search for a local embedding model, and my context window finally stayed clean
If you've ever had a long session with Claude Code or Cowork, you've probably had your context compressed before. Once that happens, Claude starts to lose track of the things you've already worked on. When you reference something in your code, like the "retry logic" section, Claude is going to have a harder time specifically finding that segment of your code. If you pay attention to what it is doing, you'll often see it run multiple commands trying to search for strings that turn up the correct portion of the code.
How to watch Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano online for free
TL;DR: Watch Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano in La Liga for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
La Liga offers up another big game today, with last year's champions Barcelona in action against Rayo Vallecano.
Rayo Vallecano are yet to win a game this season. And though it's very early days, the talk around Barcelona is whether they can make this another winning campaign, which would make it three league titles in three years. A win against Rayo Vallecano would certainly remind Barcelona's biggest rivals, Real Madrid, that they're in fine early-season form.
If you're interested in watching Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano in La Liga from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano?Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano in La Liga kicks off at 3.30 p.m. ET on Aug. 31. This fixture takes place at the Camp Nou.
How to watch Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano for freeBarcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano in La Liga is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.
CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil
Visit CazéTV
Watch Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano for free from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for La Liga?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil
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 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.
Live stream Barcelona vs. Rayo Vallecano for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
OpenClaw 2.0 is here: A Crowdsourced update to the AI agent is now live
A new version of OpenClaw, the open-source AI agent, is available now.
OpenClaw 2.0 was released over the weekend, promising a "simpler setup" and a new browser app. On its website, OpenClaw calls it "by far the largest update in the history of OpenClaw."
The OpenClaw Foundation says that OpenClaw 2.0 was completely crowdsourced with 933 contributors. Of those 933 contributors, 569 of them contributed to the project for the first time.
Guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!
Here's what we know about OpenClaw 2.0, including how you can try it for yourself.
What's new with OpenClaw 2.0The new release acknowledges that the original OpenClaw (the AI agent formerly known as Clawdbot, then Moltbot) was more complicated than it needed to be for a first-time users. The update notes say that configurations were moved out of the installation process, simplified, or completely removed in order to make the installation process quick and easy.
The update also includes a completely rebuilt browser in order to simplify OpenClaw. The browser is where users interact with OpenClaw, assign tasks to agents, and track ongoing work and processes.
OpenClaw 2.0 also introduces Shared Cloud Sessions, a feature labeled as a "multiplayer experience." Shared Cloud Sessions allow a user to bring in team members onto ongoing work, allowing multiple people to come in and take over existing tasks with all of the context still attached.
Other new features in OpenClaw 2.0 include a new search function for previous conversations, live session cards that display task progress in real-time, and an assortment of additional new widgets and dashboard features.
There are a number of major security updates in OpenClaw 2.0 as well, including a new private credential request feature, which allows users to securely share credentials with an agent without exposing them in a chat.
OpenClaw quickly went viral when it was released late last year. The self-hosted, open-source agentic AI platform developed such a cult following that founder Peter Steinberger was quickly hired by OpenAI. OpenClaw is now managed by a nonprofit that's supported by OpenAI.
However, OpenClaw has struggled to maintain its position as other AI platforms rolled out similar agentic AI features that were more easily accessible to non-technical users. Perhaps a simplified setup process in this newest version will help OpenClaw retain its positioning among AI users.
How to try OpenClaw 2.0Since OpenClaw is open-source, developers should have no problem getting it up and running. For less technically-inclined users, you can download OpenClaw 2.0 for Mac or Windows at the OpenClaw website. Simply download the installer and follow the instructions to get started. You can also read all about OpenClaw v2026.8.1 (aka OpenClaw 2.0) in the official release notes.
Be warned — you should understand the cybersecurity risks of handing your device over to an AI agent before installing or using OpenClaw.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
This is how I use my Android phone like a flash drive
These days, most of us share files using methods like email or cloud storage with shareable links. While thumb drives don't seem to be going anywhere, the days of carrying one around with you wherever you go are long over.
Furious finale explained by Liz Meriwether, Emmy Rossum, and Lola Petticrew
With episode 8, Furious closed the case on the vengeance-seeking serial killer named Catherine (Lola Petticrew). But with that final scene, FBI Agent Alice Black (Emmy Rossum) unlocks a new mystery that might be pursued in a second season.
Where could that lead? Mashable Entertainment Editor Kristy Puchko sat down with Furious creator Elizabeth Meriwether and stars Emmy Rossum and Lola Petticrew to dig into finale burning questions and what could be ahead for Season 2.
Obviously, spoilers from "Hart Island" ahead.
Who killed Isabel on Furious? Lola Petticrew and Emmy Rossum star in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah ShatzWith the trauma of being trapped and sexually assaulted in a child trafficking ring, Catherine has been fighting all season to remember what exactly happened the night Isabel died. In the final episode of the season, she goes back to where it all went down, the posh mansion of Jay Easton (Peter McRobbie).
There, an ailing Jay relies on his daughter Emma (Hope Davis) to clean up his mess. In this case — with cops, Feds, and Catherine incoming — that means destroying any evidence, including Jay's treasured collection of child porn.
While Catherine killed the pimp who trafficked her, Jay's son who was there that night, and two of the family's lawyers, she does not kill Jay. But in searching for the truth, she realizes that it was she who killed Isabel. In a tearful scene with Emma, Catherine realizes that Isabel was bleeding, possibly from postpartum complications but also because Jay beat her in the face. Crying out in pain, she asked Catherine for help. And Catherine administered a deadly dose of intravenous drugs to euthanize her first love.
So, Catherine killed Isabel, but out of love.
Furious dropped a clue to Isabel's killer in episode 1. Lola Petticrew in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah ShatzIn episode 1, Catherine is swiftly shifting from different identities and using masks to hide her face. But there's one bit of costuming that singles her out, even from the crime scene of Caleb Easton's brownstone: that sequined purse.
Alice finds a dislodged sequin on Caleb's bathroom floor. Later, Catherine will collect other clothing and accessories from other victims. Like, when she meets Becky in Central Park, she appears to be wearing a men's trench coat (possibly the late Oliver's), and she takes Mira's backpack (though she leaves her alive).
Asked if these trophies were a clue that Catherine killed Isabel too, Petticrew told Mashable, "I think that it is," noting of the bag, "What I treated it like was an anchor and a reminder at every step of the way that this is what she was doing it for, and who she was doing it for. You know, Isabel, she's the love of her life. And I think that that physical girlish reminder — even when she's sort of dressed up and and and being seen by men or the world as like sexy — there's always this sort of thing that sits upon her that reminds you that she was a child when all of this happened, and a child that was forced into this situation."
Who killed Jay on Furious? Emmy Rossum in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah ShatzAt first it seems like the fates — not the furies — took Jay's life. After Alice assures that Catherine's captured without being killed, she goes upstairs to Jay's bedroom. There, it seems he dies of natural causes as he gasps for air. However, when Alice visits Catherine in prison, Catherine suspects the truth, saying she knows Alice's "secret."
Furious cuts back to that sequence, the one where Jay recognized Alice, but not as an agent on the investigation into the murder of his son. When he saw her, he said, "I know you. You're the movie star. I like your video. It was always one of my favorites."
As Danny (Scoot McNairy) discovered from the files Alden (Steve Way) got off Hal's computer, Alice was the subject of child porn in her youth. Finally, the audience might understand why Alice is so determined to not only join the sex crimes department of the FBI, but also why her eyes keep drifting to the high-security screening room where child trafficking video evidence is stored.
Rossum said of this reveal, "Alice has a lot of secrets...We don't know why she wants to get into the room. We don't know that she knows about the videotape. That is information she would have hidden when she was being interviewed by the FBI. They would ask you a question like, 'Does anybody have anything on you that could be used against you?' She certainly didn't disclose her history or what had happened to her as a young teenager. She doesn't say why — you know, Nora (Quincy Tyler Bernstine) says to her in the first episode, 'Why do you want to work in the squad?' She doesn't give the full answer."
She continued, "Alice just kind of smiles and doesn't say anything. And we see her looking at that door. We know she wants to get in that room, right? To see how many people have seen that tape. Is that tape out there? Does it exist? Can they find me? Have people looked at me and my body in that way? So there's a lot riding on Alice being found out. And she has even more secrets at the end of Season 1 than she did at the beginning."
By the end of the finale, Alice will tell Nora about the video. What she won't tell her is that Jay didn't die of natural causes.
In that flashback, a new camera angle reveals the truth hidden the first time the scene played in Furious. This time, Jay doesn't just start choking out of the blue. This time, we see Alice's foot stamp on his ventilator tube, suffocating him in a way no one detected.
But this is not where the finale ends.
Where could Furious Season 2 go? Emmy Rossum and Quincy Tyler Bernstine in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah ShatzSeason 1 of Furious ends with Alice finally getting into that evidence room, and there she searches for her own name. The results don't show her the video, but rather information on how many cases have included it as evidence (312) and how many downloads of it have been made online (over 50k).
As she looks over a list of usernames, we hear Catherine's voice asking from prison, "Did you like the way it felt"? Alice smiles, presumably thinking not only of how she killed Jay, but also how there are so many more rapists and pedophiles out there, prime for a reckoning.
Meriwether told Mashable that as an "almost lifelong Law and Order SVU fan, I love the idea of a unit in the FBI that like takes on these cases....but one case over the course of a season."
She continued, "I love the Nora/Alice relationship, especially as we kept working on the first season. And I felt like there's so much there to explore and just give them a different case. I think going forward, Season 2 is them working on a different case."
But Alice won't be able to leave this case behind her. Merwether noted, "Alice has a lot of secrets, more secrets now, and things that people can hold against her, and things that she needs to unpack about what happened in this season."
When is Season 2 of Furious coming? Quincy Tyler Bernstine and Danny McCarthy in "Furious." Credit: Disney / Sarah ShatzAt the time of the interview, Meriwether said of the show's future, "Fingers crossed, but I'm hoping we get to do more."
On Aug. 27, days ahead of Season 1's finale's release, Hulu announced Furious has been renewed for Season 2. So stay tuned for more.
Amazons Labor Day 2026 Sale is live: Shop deals on TVs, Apple gear, Amazon devices, and more
If the Pumpkin Spite Latte's return to Starbucks didn't already alert you, Labor Day Weekend's arrival certainly will. Fall is coming, whether you're anticipating the season change or dreading it. The unofficial last hurrah of summer, Labor Day is the perfect excuse to squeeze in some last-minute beach days, backyard barbecues, and shopping sprees (obviously).
With tech prices constantly rising, major shopping holidays like Amazon's Labor Day sale are your best opportunity to score the devices you want at a discount. We've already noticed all-time low prices on some of our favorite TVs of 2026 and noise-cancelling headphones we adore. Plus, we're seeing some of the best discounts on Apple gear and Amazon devices since price hikes went into effect.
We fully expect this list to grow as the weekend nears, but here are some of the best deals we've spotted at Amazon so far.
Best Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $649 at Amazon$749 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it
The M4 iPad Air is hands down our top pick for an iPad for most people. While it's incredibly similar to its predecessor, that's not necessarily a bad thing. It features a thin and lightweight build, brilliant Liquid Retina display, insanely fast performance powered by the M4 chip, and Apple's N1 and C1X connectivity chips. Mashable's tech editor says its powerful enough to handle memory-intensive programs like Final Cut Pro and even goes as far as calling it "way overpowered for most users." It starts at $749 for the 128GB version after the price hike, but for Labor Day, it's $100 cheaper.
Read our full review of the Apple iPad Air 2026 (M4).
More Apple dealsEarbuds
Apple AirPods 4 (without ANC) — $99 $129 (save $30)
Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) — $149 $179 (save $30)
Beats Studio Buds + — $149.95 $169.95 (save $20)
Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199.99 $249 (save $49.01)
iPads
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) — $849.99 $949 (save $99.01)
Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) — $949 $1,049 (save $100)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,549 $1,699 (Save $150)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 512GB) — $1,299 $1,399 (save $100)
Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) — $1,399.99 $1,499 (save $99.01)
Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 1TB) — $1,649.99 $1,799 (save $149.01)
Accessories
AirTags (2nd gen, 4-pack) — $79.99 $99 (save $19.01)
Apple Pencil Pro — $97 $129 (save $32)
Apple Magic Keyboard Folio for iPad (A16) — $175 $249 (save $74)
$249.99 Save $60 Get Deal Why we like it
Amazon surprised everyone with a monstrous price hike across all of its Fire TV, Kindle, and Echo devices earlier this month. This is the first big sale since the price hike, so we're happy to see many of these devices still getting the deal treatment. The Echo Show 11 is down to $189.99, which is $30 cheaper than its original price before the increase. Dubbed Amazon's "most advanced smart displays yet," the Echo Show 11 features the new in-house AZ3 Pro chips and Omnisense technology for AI-based, highly personalized experiences. There's also front-facing stereo speakers, a custom woofer for spatial audio, ambient visuals that adapt to your environment, and a built-in 13-megapixel camera that can recognize faces.
More Amazon device dealsFire TV Stick HD — $15.99 $39.99 (save $24 with Prime code SAVEHDFTV)
Fire TV Stick 4K Select — $17.99 $49.99 (save $32 with Prime code 4KFTVSAVE)
Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $24.99 $69.99 (save $45 with Prime code 4KSAVE)
Echo Pop Kids — $29.99 $49.99 (save $20)
Fire TV Stick 4K Max — $49.99 $84.99 (save $35)
Echo Dot Kids — $54.99 $89.99 (save $35)
Echo Dot — $54.99 $79.99 (save $25)
Echo Show 5 — $69.99 $99.99 (save $30)
Echo Spot — $69.99 $109.99 (save $40)
Echo Dot Max — $94.99 $119.99 (save $25)
Fire TV Cube — $109.99 $199.99 (save $90)
Echo Show 8 — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)
Echo Studio — $194.99 $219.99 (save $25)
Echo Show 15 — $269.99 $349.99 (save $80)
$2,499.99 Save $1,102.00 Get Deal Why we like it
It's been out less than six months, but it's already our top pick for a QLED TV for most people. That "SQD" in the title stands for "super quantum dot mini LEDS," which is a lot of tech jargon for extremely bright quantum dots. Mashable's TV expert calls it one of the brightest TVs you can buy, period, shouting out its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling." The 65-inch model clocks in at $2,499.99 on a normal day, but it's down to a best-ever $1,397.99 at Amazon for Labor Day — a 44% discount.
More TV dealsInsignia 50-inch F50 LED 4K TV — $159.99 $299.99 (save $140)
Amazon 50-inch Omni QLED 4K Fire TV — $259.99 $469.99 (save $210)
Hisense 65-inch U6 Pro Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $598.99 $1,099.99 (save $501)
LG 55-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $699.99 $1,299.99 (save $600)
Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED ULED 4K TV — $847.99 $1,499.99 (save $652)
LG 65-inch LX7B Gallery Mini LED 4K TV — $899.99 $1,799.99 (save $900)
Hisense 65-inch S7 Canvas Hi-QLED 4K TV — $997.99 $1,999.99 (save $1,002)
Hisense 85-inch U6 Pro Hi-QLED Mini LED 4K TV — $1097.99 $1,999.99 (save $902)
Samsung 85-inch M80H Mini-LED 4K TV — $1,199.99 $1,799.99 (save $600)
Samsung 65-inch S85H OLED 4K TV — $1,397.99 $1,999.99 (save $602)
LG 65-Inch B6 OLED 4K TV — $1,399.99 $1,999.99 (save $600)
LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV — $1,499.99 $2,699.99 (save $1,200)
$449 Save $200 Get Deal Why we like it
Since these headphones have been replaced by the 2nd generation, they won't be on shelves too much longer. We're huge fans of the latest generation, but like most modern tech, the upgrades are iterative. The original QuietComfort Ultras are "still some of the most comfortable and best-sounding headphones we've ever tested," Mashable's Sam Mangino writes. They can easily be worn all day without earaches, offer all-day battery life with noise cancellation turned on, have convenient foldable earcups, and superb sound quality. At only $249, they're a total steal (and the cheapest they've ever been)
Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultras.
More headphones dealsSony WH-CH520 — $38 $69.99 (save $31.99)
Anker Soundcore Q20i — $39.98 $69.99 (save $30.01)
Marshall Major V — $89.99 $169.99 (save $80)
Sony ULT Wear — $148 $249.99 (save $101.99)
Sony WH-1000XM5 — $198 $278 (save $80)
Bose QuietComfort — $229 $359 (save $130)
Sonos Ace — $299 $399 (save $100)
Sony WH-1000XM6 — $398 $459.99 (save $61.99)
Another tri-folding phone is coming soon, with a catch
Huawei is gearing up to unveil its next triple-folding smartphone, the Mate XT 2, at an event in China on September 7. The company will also debut HarmonyOS 7. Huawei hasn't published a full spec sheet yet, but a video teaser has given the clearest look so far at the device, according to GSMArena.
SEE ALSO: It's official: OnePlus smartphones will no longer be sold in U.S. and EuropeThe teaser confirms earlier rumors that the Mate XT 2 will switch to an inward-folding, U-shaped design, a departure from the Z-shaped fold used on the original Mate XT and the Mate XTs. Other rumored specs include a 6,000 mAh battery and either a Kirin 9050 Pro or Kirin 9030S chip, while the camera setup is expected to closely resemble that of the Mate X7.
This is your last chance to guess what Apple will release in September in our Big Guessing Game: Apple edition. Enter now for a chance to win an Apple Watch!
Huawei devices, including its foldables, have effectively been locked out of the American market for years — the result of a national security dispute between the company and the U.S. government that stretches back nearly two decades.
The roots of that dispute go back to the mid-2000s, when networking giant Cisco accused Huawei of stealing its intellectual property, an early sign of the friction that would eventually escalate into formal government action.
Things came to a head in 2019, when the Trump administration signed an executive order effectively banning Huawei from U.S. communications networks and added the company to the Commerce Department's Entity List, restricting American firms from exporting technology to Huawei without a license.
SEE ALSO: The U.S. DJI drone ban, explainedThat same year, the Justice Department charged Huawei with financial fraud and sanctions violations. In 2020, prosecutors added allegations of racketeering and trade secret theft. The U.S. also tightened restrictions on Huawei's access to foreign-made semiconductors built with American technology, while Congress provided $1.9 billion to help remove and replace Huawei and ZTE equipment in domestic networks.
The fallout extended well beyond politics and into Huawei's actual device lineup. As CNET has chronicled extensively, Huawei's CFO, Meng Wanzhou, was detained in Canada for nearly three years before striking a deal with the Justice Department in 2021 that allowed her to return to China. Around the same time, Huawei lost its license to use Google's Android services on new phones, and countries including the U.K. and Sweden banned Huawei equipment from their 5G networks entirely.
The Biden administration largely kept those restrictions in place and, in some cases, tightened them further. They remain in force today. The result is a company that remains one of the world's largest telecom equipment and smartphone makers, with a presence in more than 170 countries, but without an official smartphone retail presence in the U.S.
So while the Mate XT 2 may generate plenty of buzz when it launches next week, don't expect to find it at your local carrier store. For now, seeing Huawei's latest tri-fold in person will likely require a trip to a market where it is officially sold.
5 new movies to watch this week across Netflix, Prime Video, and more (August 31-September 6)
With September starting this week, many of the major streaming services will be adding new movies. Paramount+ welcomes the latest installment of a long-running comedy franchise that hit theaters in June. At Prime Video, Gal Gadot headlines an original thriller set in London.
