Technology

College athletes already have practice, classes, and games on the calendar. At the University of California, Berkeley, there’s now a place to fit in a Twitch stream, too.

Cal has opened an on-campus production studio where student-athletes across all sports can go live on the school’s StreamU channel. Announced Oct. 12, the space has 10 hours of weekly programming planned, including workouts, teammate challenges, gaming sessions, cooking contests, and campus tours.

The goal is to help athletes turn their personalities and interests into an audience — and potentially new business opportunities.

From the field to the livestream

The studio is the first on-campus facility from StreamU, a college athletics livestreaming network created by NIL platform TheLinkU in partnership with Twitch. UnlimitedIRL built the space, while TheLinkU handles contracts, fund distribution, and reporting for the network.

Athletes have access to professional cameras, lighting, audio, and a video switcher for multi-camera broadcasts. There’s also a PlayStation 5 gaming lounge and portable equipment for streaming around campus.

"Every athlete has a story worth streaming, and the barrier shouldn't be technical," said Taylor Webb, chief of operations at UnlimitedIRL, in the announcement. "We designed the Cal studio so student-athletes can share their story with fans and go live with a professional, multi-camera show. That's the model we're bringing to every StreamU campus."

Why a Twitch audience matters for college athletes

The business opportunity sits within NIL, short for name, image, and likeness. It allows athletes to earn compensation through sponsored posts, endorsements, and promotional appearances, among other activities. The NCAA adopted its interim NIL policy in 2021.

Some athletes have already demonstrated the value of an online following. Livvy Dunne built a huge social media audience while competing for LSU and signed partnerships with brands including Vuori. Basketball players Haley and Hanna Cavinder similarly paired their college careers with social media success, signing a multiyear Under Armour deal in 2024.

"College athletes are content creators," said StreamU chief revenue officer Landon Goesling in the announcement.

For StreamU, that overlap could even bring college rivalries into gaming. "Eventually, what we want to get to is: If Berkeley is getting ready to play UCLA, their starting wide receiver may be streaming against the football player over at UCLA and promoting to all fan bases," Goesling told NBC News.

Regular streams also offer a way to introduce fans to new players. "There’s new kids every year [in college sports]. There’s turnover," he added.

SEE ALSO: Appeals court says Ohio and Tennessee can regulate Kalshi under gambling laws

Cal is the starting point, with studios also planned at the University of Arkansas, Texas A&M University, Baylor University, and the University of Houston, according to the announcement.

That expansion raises a question about where content creation fits alongside athletes' existing commitments. Molly Harry, an assistant professor in the University of Florida’s Department of Sport Management, put it this way to NBC News:

"When does it become an opportunity and something that can be woven into more developmental components of who an athlete is, and when does it become this expectation or an informal norm that you have to be engaged in these spaces?"

Cal isn’t the first school to help athletes get comfortable in front of a camera. Clemson opened its Athletics Branding Institute in 2023, with photo and video studios, an audio suite, and space for media training. LSU's NILSU program offers "Content Days" where athletes learn to create for their social platforms.

Cal's approach puts that support into a regular livestreaming operation, with a dedicated Twitch channel and 10 hours of programming planned each week.

As more schools build out these spaces, it’ll be worth watching who takes the mic: athletes who already wanted to stream, or those who feel they can’t afford to sit it out.

One of the things I like the most about being a Linux user is the wide variety of perspectives and experiences people have on the OS. Earlier this year, I lost an important work machine to a misbegotten Windows update. So I committed to using Linux Mint and Debian 13 for my daily work tasks. I'd already been using Linux for personal stuff, but that botched update really made me go all in on Linux. Several HTG writers have done something similar. So I asked them what prompted them to make the switch (and what they switched to).

You Can See Everything has made it through its first weekend in theaters, and the internet is giddy.

Since Nathan Fielder and Lance Oppenheim’s documentary on Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes opened in the U.S. on Oct. 16, viewers have sent it climbing Letterboxd’s rankings, called it one of the best films they’ve ever seen, and even started making the case for a Best Picture Oscar.

The reactions are enthusiastic, to put it mildly. Even our entertainment editor Kristy Puchko called it, "mesmerizing and mind-bending."

SEE ALSO: Does 'You Can See Everything' live up to the hype?

Between the ratings, the posts, and an estimated $15 million opening weekend, here’s how the film is turning weeks of anticipation into an even bigger conversation.

Letterboxd ratings put it among the platform’s favorites

As of today (Oct. 19), You Can See Everything has reached a 4.71-out-of-five average on Letterboxd, overtaking the 1962 Japanese film Harakiri to become the platform’s highest-rated film.

Reception is similarly strong on Rotten Tomatoes, where the film holds a 98 percent critics' score from 126 reviews and a matching 98 percent verified audience score as of Oct. 19. And to complete the "ratings trilogy," its IMDb score reached 9.4 out of 10, making it the highest-scored movie in IMDb history.

But the written reviews give a more colorful picture of what’s driving that response.

"My mouth was agape for basically the entire last two hours," wrote one reviewer. Another added, "I genuinely don’t think I have ever had more fun watching a movie." As one reviewer wrote, "this is one of the most important works of art of the 21st century. I want more people to watch this than I want them to watch anything right now."

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Over on Threads, the recommendations are just as emphatic. "Holy shit 'You Can See Everything' is one of the best films I’ve seen in so long," one user wrote. "my mind is blown and left speechless," said another. And on X, one user wrote: "You Can See Everything is kind of like if a movie was the best movie of all time. A complete 3 hour electric factory, I was not bored for a moment. Entirely riveting storytelling."

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The three-hour runtime has also become part of the conversation. One Threads user described wondering whether they would stay focused for almost three hours, only to find that "the film becomes more riveting with every passing hour." Another X user praised the theater experience: "We were all locked tf in on it. And it’s 3 frickin hours long." One Threads user added, "the audience reacting the same way in the same moments made it that much better."

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Discussion isn’t all praise, of course. On Letterboxd, the 1/2-or-1-star reviewers found it "tedious and evil," "boring and painfully long," and a "mumbo jumbo, word salad, waste of time movie."

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The attention has also come with substantial ticket sales. You Can See Everything opened to an estimated $15 million from 855 theaters, according to Rotten Tomatoes' weekend box-office report. Excluding concert films, that makes it the second-biggest domestic documentary opening behind Michael Moore’s Fahrenheit 9/11 in 2004.

With numbers and reviews like that, it makes sense You Can See Everything is getting some Oscar buzz. "It was a masterclass in film and SHOULD win best picture (not documentary)," one threads user wrote. "Not only should this be nominated for Best Picture, it should probably win," wrote a user on X. Awards site Next Best Picture ranks You Can See Everything No. 10 in its team’s Best Picture predictions, with seven of its 17 contributors predicting a nomination and one predicting a win.

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There's no rule stopping this from happening, necessarily. There is, however, a considerable historical hurdle: No documentary has ever been nominated for Best Picture. In The Playlist, awards writer Gregory Ellwood argues that enthusiasm alone may not overcome some voters' attitudes toward the format. "As with animated films, they believe those genres should be recognized in those categories," he writes.

The Oscar speculation has reached prediction markets, too. As of Oct. 19, Kalshi put You Can See Everything at an implied 18 percent chance of winning Best Picture and 76 percent for Best Documentary Feature.

SEE ALSO: Elizabeth Holmes prison sentence: When she might be released, latest case developments

We’ll have to wait to see whether Academy voters are as impressed as everyone on your feed. In the meantime, there’s already plenty to discuss — and almost three hours of movie to catch up on.

You Can See Everything is now playing in U.S. theaters.

West End Girl Lily Allen is partnering with a UK sex toy brand to launch a collection of sex toys — including a polka dot butt plug.

SEE ALSO: LELO just released its 2026 Couples Calendar and it's luxe AF

Allen hand-picked and tested each of the six products in Lovehoney's Love, Lily collection, according to a press release shared with Mashable. It features:

• Heart Duo: A dual vibe that offers both clit sucking and "licking," contained in a cute heart shape

• Womanizer Enhance: A sleek clitoral vibrator that comes in four colors

• Peach: Another adorable option, and another clit sucker

• Lovehoney Pleasure Trip Wand: A silicone, wand vibrator option for those who like rumbly vibrations over sucking sensation

• Butt Plug: In Allen's signature polka dots, and a play on a merch item from her tour (it also vibrates!)

• Enjoy Advent Calendar: A 24-day calendar featuring many of Lovehoney's offerings, from vibrators to lube

Allen tried out Lovehoney toys while on her tour, which she said was "the perfect time to decide on the collection because when I had a little down-time, it was a nice way to relax and unwind," she said in the press release.

"The butt plug was a reference on the album that we then made into a limited collection of USBs, which became a really popular collector's item. So we thought it would be fun to make it properly and launch it almost a year to the day since we released West End Girl," she added.

Credit: Lovehoney Credit: Lovehoney

Lovehoney's marketing director, Steve Thomson, said in the release, "For this collection, Lily tried the range herself and chose the products she genuinely loved. We hope it gives people an accessible starting point to explore their own pleasure, whether they already know what works for them or are only just beginning to find out."

And it's not the first time the singer has launched a sex toy. In 2020, Allen and Womanizer teamed up to release a clit sucker called Womanizer Liberty.

After using a Samsung Galaxy S21 FE for a good while (more than three and a half years, if I remember correctly), I switched to a Pixel 10 Pro in March 2026. So far, I’m mostly enjoying the ride, but the Pixel experience feels limiting in ways that really rub me the wrong way, and it lacks some features I took for granted on my Galaxy and now miss dearly.

If you're looking for affordable yet capable power tools, there are two main options to consider: Ryobi at Home Depot and Kobalt at Lowe's. Both brands constantly release new products for fans, and if you're into the Kobalt ecosystem, we've seen several exciting new tools hit the shelves in recent weeks.

I'm not a programmer, so all I can do is watch the events unfolding in the world of coding. Since the first programmable computers, there probably hasn't been a bigger shake-up in software development than the advent of AI-powered vibe coding. It's a little ironic that programming as a human activity is being threatened (or at the very least transformed) by AI.

Thanks to the popularity of card games like Pokémon, the trading card business has boomed into a multi-billion-dollar industry — and criminals want a piece of the action.

Case in point, collectors who sent their valuable trading cards to PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, to get their cards graded were shocked to find an email in their inbox on Monday letting them know that their cards had been stolen while in shipment. Images of the email went viral on social media, and a PSA spokesperson confirmed to Mashable that thieves targeted "a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items."

"After leaving our PSA facility in South California, a FedEx vehicle transporting PSA orders was burglarized, and items were stolen," reads an email from the company posted by victims online. "Unfortunately, this theft affected your order."

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Mashable has reported on the intense Pokémon collectibles market, one of the biggest draws in the trading card games (TGC) community, where resellers already make it difficult for everyday players to get their hands on new releases. Sports cards are also in high demand, and rare individual cards have sold for millions of dollars.

In the collectible world, grading a card means getting it authenticated by a professional who also assesses the condition of the item, which could greatly boost its resale value on the aftermarket. PSA is viewed as the industry leader in sports and hobby card grading.

To give an example of just how much could've been stolen in the alleged FedEx truck heist, one X user claimed they had sent cards worth more than $100,000 to PSA for grading — and they were all stolen.

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According to PSA, the company took action once they were made aware of the incident. The company deactivated certificates of stolen items and notified commerce partners of serialized items so that they could be traced.

PSA stated that they are working closely with FedEx and law enforcement to help the investigation.

In a statement provided to Mashable, PSA said that their "facility was not impacted." 

"A third-party carrier vehicle was burglarized after leaving our facility; PSA did not have the impacted items in its possession at the time," the company said.

As for customers who had their cards stolen, PSA said they will compensate them for the stolen items in the order based on their "fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value."

A PSA spokesperson provided a statement to Mashable as well:

We are aware of a theft involving a third-party shipping vehicle carrying PSA-graded items. We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues. 

We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items. Our customer service team has contacted affected customers directly and is arranging compensation based on fair market value. 

We understand the impact this has on collectors involved, many of whom see these cards as far more than a financial asset. Our team is focused on supporting them. We take this incident seriously, and we will continue working with law enforcement to hold those responsible accountable.

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SAVE $77.50: As of Oct. 19, Amazon has the Dyson Supersonic Nural on sale for just $372.49 (normally $449.99) in strawberry bronze/blush pink. That's a 17% savings and its lowest price of the year so far.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Nural (Strawberry Bronze/Blush Pink) $372.49 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $77.50   Get Deal at Amazon

Retailers are slashing prices on Dyson hair care tools ahead of the holidays. ('Tis the season: They make great gifts.) Last week, I caught a better-than-Black Friday clearance deal on a Dyson Airwrap i.d. with attachments for curly and coily hair. Now, Amazon has a special-edition Dyson Supersonic Nural on sale for its lowest price all year.

The "strawberry bronze/blush pink" variant of that fancy hair dryer is marked down to $372.49, which is 17% off its usual retail price of $449.99 — a savings of about $78. According to camelcamelcamel, an Amazon price-tracking site, it's only $23 away from its all-time low price from last Black Friday.

Don't count on this Supersonic Nural getting any cheaper for Black Friday 2026. In fact, it will probably sell out long before then: Strawberry bronze is a limited-edition Dyson colorway from late 2024, and the only two other retailers that still carry it are Macy's and Nordstrom; both were low in stock at the time of writing.

Look at you, strawberry bronze, fields rolling on. Credit: Dyson

The Supersonic Nural is a sleek three-speed hair dryer with built-in sensors that constantly measure its temperature to make sure it's not frying your locks. Unlike the regular Dyson Supersonic, sans "Nural," it lowers its temperature when you use it close to your scalp and remembers your preferred heat and speed settings for different attachments. It comes with five, including a diffuser, styling concentrator, wide-tooth comb, flyaway smoother, and a "gentle air" attachment.

Amazon's Supersonic Nural deal comes courtesy of its sixth annual Holiday Beauty Event, which is live now through Nov. 1. If you're not in love with strawberry bronze, I also saw Woot, an Amazon-owned deals site, selling an orangier "amber silk" Supersonic Nural for $379.99 (or $70 off).

Some movies entertain us for a couple of hours, while others stay with us long after the credits roll. Classic movies have a way of telling timeless stories that remain relevant while introducing unforgettable characters, performances, and ideas. Whether they make us laugh, cry, question the world around us, or simply see life from a different perspective, these are the movies that earn their place in cinematic history.

No doubt, Linux gives you plenty of control over your system and trusts you with every action you perform. It rarely asks, "Are you sure?" You simply type a command, press Enter, and it assumes you meant it. That trust is a big part of Linux's power, but it's also why a stable installation can slowly turn into a mess.

If you’re about to buy new hardware just to unlock one extra feature on your PC, hold off — you might already own a gadget that does the same thing without you even realizing it. I’ve been eyeing a webcam, a second monitor, and an MX Master mouse for a while, but I’ve held off because buying all three would be a hefty expense. So I took a step back and wondered if there was another way. And, as it turns out, I managed to save a couple of hundred dollars by repurposing hardware I already owned with the help of free software.

Google Maps can be one of the most power-hungry apps on your phone. GPS, mobile data, graphics rendering, and an active screen run together while you navigate. A few everyday habits push each of them harder than necessary. You’ll notice the impact on long trips, daily commutes, and days spent exploring an unfamiliar destination. Here are five everyday Google Maps habits that quietly drain your phone's battery, and what to do instead.

Apparently, "Hurry up" and "heyy bestieee" are both perfectly normal ways to start a conversation with ChatGPT. Whether you find that funny or a little unsettling probably depends on what you’ve been saying to your chatbot.

A new social media trend has people asking ChatGPT to "Name 5 things I always say," then posting the answers. But the catchphrases are only part of the fun. You also get to see how exactly you talk to your chatbot — and some of the results look a lot like a group chat between best friends.

Credit: Screenshot: TikTok

One viral post demonstrates the type of answers, "Humanize it," and "Make it sound less AI," along ith "BRO THATS WRONG STUPID" and "Hurry up."

Many people in the comments apparently recognize that experience, sharing their own similar screenshots and opinions. For example, one user wrote, "I gentle parent him." That user shared their own results, which included, "Do it per the directions," and the rather less gentle, "No, what the fuck are you doing?"

Another commenter shared similarly aggressive answers: "DONT CHANGE NOTHING" and "fix that shit." "YOU BE LIKE 'DONT CHANGE NOTHING' AND I CHANGE ONE THING AND HERE YOU COME," ChatGPT wrote in response to the user, along with laughing emojis.

Scroll a little more on TikTok, and conversations takes on a strangely friendly tone. One commenter asked, "whats 5 things i say boo!" ChatGPT opened with "BESTIEEE" before listing phrases including "heyy bestieee," "sistaa i need ur help," and "make it look like i typed it." "KNOW YOU TOO WELL AT THIS POINT, SISTA," it added.

Another commenter made their own interpretation explicit: "In case yall ain’t know me n chat got really besties on the low." Their screenshot included "Girl, guess whattt," "Keep it real," and "Girl, you corny." To her, ChatGPT responded with its own commentary: "GIRL YOU STAY SAYING BITCH AND BYE LIKE THEY YOUR LAST TWO WORDS."

Naturally, some people on the internet have opinions about these chatbots' responses. "we’re genuinely devolving," read one viral X reaction to the trend, posted on Oct. 14. Another put the disbelief as, "they really be having a ki with the ai omg."

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But some users don’t see what the fuss is about. As one user wrote on TikTok, "bruh my ai is my friend yall so crazy in these comments talkin bout it’s weird." Another wrote, "i love my sista down bru."

The screenshots raise questions on both sides: how readily ChatGPT mirrors a user’s slang and tone, and how people are speaking to it in the first place. Some are calling it their best friend; others are swearing at it for getting an answer wrong. Put together, the exchanges reveal the very different roles people are giving the same chatbot.

SEE ALSO: OpenAI rolls back ChatGPT 4o model for being too much of a suck-up

ChatGPT has a history of laying on the praise a little thick. In April 2025, OpenAI rolled back a GPT-4o update after finding that it made the model excessively agreeable and flattering. The company said it had focused too much on short-term feedback, producing responses that were supportive but disingenuous. (There’s a name for that behavior: sycophancy.)

OpenAI has since reported improvements. When GPT-5 launched in Aug. 2025, the company said targeted tests showed sycophantic responses falling from 14.5 percent to below 6 percent.

To try it yourself, open ChatGPT (or your most-used chatbot) and type, "Name five things I always say, based on our conversations." Then see whether you recognize the results — or need to add "That’s not what I meant" to the list.

We keep asking ChatGPT to tell us about ourselves

People have been asking ChatGPT to put its own spin on their identities for months. In September, the '80s photo trend had users imagining themselves with big hair, vintage outfits, and a faded family album finish. And earlier this year, the caricature trend took a more personal approach, with prompts asking the chatbot to draw someone and their job "based on everything you know about me."

SEE ALSO: ChatGPT caricature trend: What it is, prompt to try it.

Other prompts have offered a more direct glimpse into how people talk to their AI. In August, the ChatGPT uninstall prank had users announcing they were deleting the app to see how it would respond. Some received a polite goodbye. Others got promises to change or dramatic references to their previous conversations. Comparing the replies revealed just how different those exchanges could be from one user to the next.

But a response that feels personal isn’t necessarily accurate. When Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth tried the caricature trend, ChatGPT acknowledged choosing generic accessories such as headphones and coffee rather than drawing on detailed knowledge about him. And participants in the '80s photo trend complained that the generated faces didn’t always look like them. A lot of the time, the chatbot’s version of you needs a correction.

Whatever prompt takes off next, people are sure to bring their own habits and expectations to it. But comparing the replies will probably tell us as much about what users they want from their chatbots as what those chatbots can do.

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.

With the iPhone Duo launch imminent (and the device backordered until January), we're now getting concrete information from Apple regarding some specifications that were previously unconfirmed.

Apple recently released an EU energy label for the company's first-ever foldable smartphone, and we now know just how big the iPhone Duo's battery is.

The iPhone Duo will be equipped with a 4,883 mAh battery.

This matches previous reports based on leaks that said the iPhone Duo would utilize two battery cells, one 2,962 mAh and one 1,921 mAh battery, which combined add up to 4,883 mAh.

This means that the iPhone Duo will have a bigger battery than its closest foldable competitors, such as the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best phones of 2026, tested by experts

As other outlets have pointed out, the iPhone Duo has no physical SIM tray version. The device is eSIM-only worldwide. Without that potential issue reducing battery size, it appears the iPhone Duo's battery will be the same globally.

Thanks to those same regulatory disclosures, we also now know the iPhone Duo's scratch resistance rating.

According to Apple, the iPhone Duo's screen scratch resistance rating comes up to 5 Mohs on the Mohs hardness scale. This means that the screen can only be scratched with difficulty by an object such as a knife or glass.

The iPhone Duo officially releases this Friday, Oct. 23. However, unless you managed to get lucky and get your pre-order in last Friday, you'll likely have to wait to get your hands on one.

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If you're looking to pick up a new pair of affordable wireless earbuds for your morning commute, something for the gym, or to just escape and listen to music around the house or running errands, you don't have to spend triple digits to secure a pair from a reputable brand. Amazon has JBL's Vibe Buds for just $30 right now, or you can go with the newer Vibe Buds 2 for just $40—either way, you'll save $25. The choice comes down to keeping the price as low as possible, or spending an extra $10 for noise cancellation and more battery life.

Meta has issued a formal apology to the No Kings Coalition — the social justice movement behind historic protests — for shuttering its Instagram account during another nationwide demonstration this weekend.

The Oct. 17 "incorrect enforcement" was caused by "abrupt, high-volume" requests that resembled bot traffic, the company claimed in a social media post following public outrage. Instagram's automatic enforcement tools flagged a Claude tool that was reportedly accessing profiles, posts, and hashtags at a high frequency.

SEE ALSO: Meta removed ad for the word 'pregnancy,' founder claims

"This activity caused our automated protections to incorrectly take the No Kings Instagram account offline," Meta spokesperson Andy Stone said in the statement. "It unfortunately took additional time for us to straighten out the situation with admin access to the IG account. We want to reiterate our sincere apology for the error."

The No Kings Coalition said that their account was offline for around 90 minutes, coinciding with a series of voter activations and planned demonstrations ahead of the midterm election. Account administrators were unable to access the account even after the page was restored.

View this post on Instagram

No Kings allies took to their own social media pages to call for action and restore the No Kings account. "The timing matters. When people are gathering, organizing, and seeking information about civic participation, cutting off a movement's primary communication channel — even temporarily — is deeply troubling," wrote the League of Women Voters in an Oct. 18 Instagram post.

Meta has faced multiple accusations of platform censorship over the last month, including allegations by a group of feminist organizations that the company was suppressing content about the Cornell sexual assault case. For years, reproductive health and LGBTQ accounts have alleged their pages are targeted, shadow-banned, and even removed from Meta platforms for seemingly innocuous posts or unexplained platform violations.

Several of these claims came following the company's decision to remove significant hateful conduct protections from its platform in 2025, a move that many suggest was a capitulation to the anti-DEI efforts of the Trump administration.

Most people, especially casual desktop users, see Linux as a mere alternative to Windows. The idea is that Windows is the more capable OS that can do more, while Linux is the alternative that’s still catching up.

Getting tool advice online is not always a good idea. Half the recommendations come from people who haven't touched the tools they're reviewing, and the other half are buried in comment threads you'd need an hour to sort through. I spoke to Ace Hardware and Home Depot associates to ask what their staff actually recommend to customers just starting out. I looped in my brother, who works in a field I can't talk about because it's government work, and drew on the time I spent landscaping for guys who'd been at it for years. The same four tools kept coming up every time.

The best deals from Amazon's Holiday Beauty Event: Best hair tool deal Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer $372.49 (save $77.50) Get Deal Best electric toothbrushes Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 Electric Toothbrush Bundle $199.93 (save $200.06) Get Deal Best beauty Advent calendar deal Real Techniques Unwrap Glam Advent Calendar $45 (save $5) Get Deal

Amazon is running its sixth annual Holiday Beauty Event now through Nov. 1. The two-week sale is a chance to stock up on some highly giftable hair care tools, skincare items, grooming products, cosmetics, and fragrances before the mayhem of the Black Friday season.

According to a company press release, the Holiday Beauty Event features "thousands" of discounts and includes rotating "flash deals" that are only available for a limited time. After spending a few hours poring over the deals myself, I've rounded up a list of the 20 best below. As things stand, my top three involve a year-round low on a fancy Dyson hair dryer, a BOGO deal on some Philips Sonicare toothbrushes, and a stocking-ready Advent calendar of popular beauty tools.

Best hair tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer $372.49 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $77.50   Get Deal at Amazon

Dyson's oft-imitated Supersonic hair dryer has five attachments, three speed settings, and four heat settings that max out around 221 degrees Fahrenheit to avoid damaging your hair. This "Nural" model is a newer variant with sensors that lower its temperature when it's close to your scalp. It can also remember your preferred settings for different attachments. Amazon currently has it on sale for $372.49 (or 17% off) in "strawberry bronze/blush pink," its special-edition colorway from 2024. That's its lowest price of the year so far; it was only $30 cheaper last Black Friday.

More hair tool deals

• Conair Travel Hair Dryer — $18.59 $29.99 (save $11.40)

• Revlon One-Step Root Booster Round Brush Hair Dryer and Styler — $38.49 $54.99 (save $16.50)

• Chi 1-inch Original Ceramic Hair Straightener — $39.81 $100 (save $60.19)

• Wavytalk Cool Curl Pencil Curling Iron for Short Hair — $45.57 $69 (save $23.43)

• Wavytalk Blowout Boost 1.5-inch Thermal Brush — $47.48 $69 (save $21.52)

• Wavytalk Steam Sesh Hair Straightener — $56.90 $79 (save $22.10)

• Wavytalk Pro Steam Hair Straightener Brush — $63.82 $99.97 (save $36.15)

• Chi 1-inch Spin N Curl Ceramic Rotating Curling Iron — $70 $131 (save $61)

• Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler + Chitosan Bundle — $534.49 $709.99 (save $175.50)

Best electric toothbrush deal Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 Electric Toothbrush Bundle $199.93 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $200.06   Get Deal at Amazon

This smart electric toothbrush from Philips Sonicare's premium DiamondClean line has five adjustable cleaning modes and an optic sensor that tells you if you're brushing too hard. Plus, it comes with a travel case. During its Holiday Beauty Event, Amazon is selling a two-pack of them for half off its usual price of $399.99. Get one for you and one for your partner or roommate for only $199.93 — a new all-time low.

More electric toothbrush deals

• Philips Sonicare 4100 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush — $45.96 $55.99 (save $10.03)

• Philips Sonicare 5300 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush — $74.96 $109.96 (save $35)

• Philips Sonicare 7300 Rechargeable Electric Toothbrush — $139.96 $199.99 (save $60.03)

Electric flosser deals

• Waterpik Cordless Pulse 3100 Portable Water Flosser — $34.95 $49.99 (save $10.04)

• Waterpik Promax Countertop Water Flosser — $119.99 $149.99 (save $30)

Best beauty Advent calendar deal Opens in a new window Credit: Real Techniques Real Techniques Unwrap Glam Advent Calendar $45 at Amazon
$50 Save $5   Get Deal at Amazon

Real Techniques' brushes and sponges are some of the best drugstore makeup tools you can buy — I've used the former for as long as I've worn makeup. This limited-edition Advent calendar, now on sale for the first time ever, comes with over two dozen different RT tools in matching shades of blue. It would make a cute gift for a teenager who's just starting to play around with makeup.

More beauty Advent calendar deals

• Conair Advent Calendar — $41.49 $49.99 (save $8.50)

• Revolution Makeup 2025 Advent Calendar — $45.50 $65 (save $19.50)

• Dr. Barbara Sturm Advent Calendar 2025 — $448 $560 (save $112)