Technology

I've spent decades using Excel, so I'm wary of add-ins that promise to revolutionize my spreadsheets but demand my email address or charge for features Microsoft already provides through tools like Power Query. But a handful of free add-ins genuinely earn their spot on the ribbon. I'll start with a couple of handy Office add-ins I use regularly, then move on to the heavier hitters that do real work in my spreadsheets.

Android trackers and AirTags are great for keeping track of your luggage or your keys. You can use your phone to see the location of your tracker and even get precise directions to locate some trackers once you're in their general location. There are some clever ways to use Android trackers and AirTags that go beyond just keeping tabs on your bags.

You're not alone if you can't even reach the home screen on your brand-new Galaxy S26 Ultra. Samsung has confirmed that a bug is preventing some owners from getting past the setup process, rendering the Android flagship phone effectively useless.

Walmart's early Black Friday deals: ENJOY THE PERKS Walmart+ 30-Day Trial Membership $1 (Save $11.95) Get Deal Best earbuds deal Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Best TV deal LG 65-inch C6 Series 4K UHD OLED AI Smart TV $1,399.99 (save $1,300) Get Deal Best Stick Vacuum Deal Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum $649.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best gaming deal Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G55C gaming monitor $179 (save $70) Get Deal BEST KITCHEN DEAL Ninja Professional Plus DUO 72-ounce Blender (BN750) $99 (save $30) Get Deal Best robot vacuum deal Dreame C30 Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner $239.98 (save $90.01) Get Deal Best laptop deal Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro chip, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $2,069.10 (save $129.90) Get Deal Best Carpet Cleaner Bissell Little Green Carpet Cleaner $74.62 (save $27.35) Get Deal Best Smart Watch Deal Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) $379 (save $50) Get Deal

Walmart isn't waiting around for late November, and its early Black Friday sale is already live with actual price cuts on tech, home gear, and big-ticket appliances.

To help you skip the fluff, we've sifted through the noise, checked price histories, and compared offer details against competitors like Amazon and Target. We've rounded up the early Walmart Black Friday deals that are actually worth your money, including big markdowns on Apple gear, Dyson vacuums, and OLED TVs.

SEE ALSO: It's Black Friday again — here's how to use a Visa gift card to shop

Below are the best offers you can grab right now. Take a look below and score them before the stock runs out or prices creep back up.

Best Walmart Black Friday TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65" C6 Series 4K UHD OLED AI Smart TV $1,399.99 at Walmart
$2,699.99 Save $1,300.00   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

LG's C-Series is our top OLED pick for a reason, and the 65-inch C6 delivers near-zero blooming, vivid colors, and incredible dark-room contrast that turns movie nights into a theater experience. It's equally built for modern gaming, boasting a 165Hz refresh rate and a lightning-fast 0.1ms response time across four HDMI 2.1 ports. Scoring one of the best 65-inch displays on the market at a steep $1,300 discount makes this a standout early Black Friday grab.

More early Black Friday TV deals at Walmart43 inches

• Samsung 43-Inch U8000H Series Crystal UHD 4K Smart TV — $198 $228 (save $30)

• LG 43-Inch UA7500ZUA 4K UHD Smart TV — $228 $258 (save $30)

50 to 55 inches

• TCL 55-Inch Q6LR Series QLED 4K Smart Roku TV — $298 $399.99 (save $101)

65 inches

• Samsung 65-Inch M70HB Series Mini LED 4K Smart TV — $428 $477.99 (save $49.99)

• TCL 65-Inch QM6K Series QD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV — $648 $799.99 (save $151.99)

75 inches

• TCL 75-Inch QM51L Series QD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV — $698 $899.99 (save $201.99)

• TCL 75-Inch QM7L Series SQD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV — $1,198 $1,298 (save $100)

85 inches and up

• TCL 85-Inch QM7L Series SQD-Mini LED 4K Smart TV — $1,498 $1,698 (save $200)

Best gaming deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G55C gaming monitor $179 at Walmart
$249 Save $70   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

A crisp QHD resolution (1440p) looks razor-sharp on a 27-inch display, giving you almost double the pixel density of standard 1080p without crushing your GPU's frame rates. Samsung’s Odyssey G55C pairs that visual clarity with a tight 1000R curve that comfortably wraps around your vision for deep immersion. Add in a fluid 165Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time, and AMD FreeSync to eliminate screen tearing, and it’s a high-performance gaming monitor built for smooth, competitive desktop setups.

More early Black Friday gaming deals at Walmart

• Microsoft Xbox Wireless Controller, Carbon Black — $49.99 $64 (save $14.51)

• Nintendo Switch 2 + Mario Kart World Bundle — $511.88 $564.80 (save $52.92)

Best laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 14-inch MacBook Pro (M5 Pro chip, 24GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $2,069.10 at Walmart
$2,199 Save $129.90   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

The MacBook Pro with M5 Pro chip is the Apple laptop we recommend for creatives. It has excellent battery life, a keyboard we love to use, ports-a-plenty, and a premium haptic keypad. Senior Shopping Reporter Haley Henschel explained, "It's worth the splurge for artists, content creators, developers, AI enthusiasts, and other professionals with consistently demanding workloads. (It's also the best MacBook for gaming, relatively speaking.)"

Keep in mind this Walmart deal is from a third-party seller with good reviews. If you're only after 16GB memory, head to Amazon to get the MacBook Pro on sale for $1,837.

More Black Friday laptop deals at Walmart

• Acer Nitro V (Intel Core 5, 16GB RAM, 512 SSD) — $1,249 $1,399 (save $150)

• MSI Crosshair 16 HX (Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, 512 SSD) — $1,249 $1,999 (save $750)

• Asus ROG Strix G16 (AMD Ryzen 9, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,399 $1,999 (save $400)

Best kitchen deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Professional Plus DUO 72-ounce Blender (BN750) $99 at Walmart
$129 Save $30   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

Ninja makes some of Mashable's favorite kitchen appliances. If you could use a new blender before the holidays start, the Ninja Professional Plus Duo is on sale for just $99. The pitcher holds a generous 72 ounces for whipping up a smooth soup, smoothies, or a batch of frozen margaritas. The Ninja blender bundle also includes a single-serving cup for taking drinks on the go.

More Black Friday kitchen deals

• Keurig K-Express Essentials Plus — $67.95 $79 (save $11.05)

• Ninja Creami — $149 $169 (save $20)

• Ninja Slushi Frozen Drink Machine (72 oz) — $199 $299 (save $100)

Best robot vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dreame Dreame C30 Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop Cleaner $239.98 at Walmart
$329.99 Save $90.01   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

Without spending big dollars, equip your home with the convenience of a robot vacuum and mop before holiday guests arrive. The Dreame C30 Plus Robot Vacuum and Mop has 19,000 Pa suction power, and it self-empties debris into the charging dock. Plus, you can control the vacuum via the app and send the robot off on a cleaning mission while you run holiday prep errands.

More Black Friday vacuum deals at Walmart

• Bissell Little Green Portable Carpet Cleaner — $74.62 $101.97 (save $27.35)

• ONSON 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum — $87.39 $178.88 (save $91.49)

• iRobot Roomba 1010 — $158 $198 (save $40)

• Tineco iFloor 5 — $184.99 $499.99 (save $315)

• Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead Canister Vacuum — $199.99 $379.99 (save $180)

• Roborock Q10 X5+ — $249.99 $499.99 (save $250)

• Roborock QV 35S 2-in-1 Robot Vacuum — $459.99 $749.99 (save $290)

• Tineco FloorWasher Switch Pet 7 — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400)

Best deal on toys and games Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Disney Princesses Advent Calendar 2026 $30 at Walmart
$44.99 Save $14.99   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

This is the time of year to snag Advent calendars while they're 1) on sale and 2) still in stock. This Lego Disney Princess Advent Calendar set comes with tons of mini figures and toys Disney princess fans will love. All the favorites are included, like Cinderella, Mulan, Ariel, and even Moana.

Best smartwatch deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 46mm) $379 at Walmart
$429 Save $50   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

The Apple Watch Series 11 is Mashable's top pick for an Apple fitness tracker. Its improved battery life, exceptional comfort, and scratch-resistant face all make it a worthwhile buy if you're in the Apple ecosystem.

The ending of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 might be even more ambiguous than its predecessor. And according to writer and showrunner Bartosz Sztybor, that's exactly what the creative team intended.

"We had a lot of conversation. There were a lot of endings," Sztybor told Mashable about the nearly two years spent developing the season. Ultimately, they arrived at a conclusion he described as "very ambiguous, even more ambiguous than the ending in the first season. But also somehow hopeful."

SEE ALSO: 'Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2' review: A beautiful reminder of what makes us human

That ambiguity is especially apparent in D's final moments. After spending years pursuing revenge for the destruction of his clan, the Nomad rides off with Capri, a chip containing digitized human consciousnesses, toward an orbital space station, seemingly sacrificing himself to keep her out of Arasaka's hands.

But does he actually die? And why does his ending feel so hopeful?

Major spoilers for the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 finale follow.

What really happens to D and Capri at the end of Edgerunners 2?

D has spent years hunting the people responsible for killing his clan, only to discover that they're already dead. Worse, he learns that his clan was targeted because of him. His unusual tolerance for cyberware made him a potential host for Capri, part of an Arasaka experiment that also identified David Martinez and Talia as possible candidates.

Suddenly, the revenge that has defined D's entire existence is impossible. "I think we started with this idea that what would happen [if] your whole personality is based on that revenge thing," Sztybor explained. "And suddenly you see that, oh shit, I didn't fulfill my journey. So, what now?"

Omi, the only surviving member of D's clan, puts it more simply: "You should have followed your own path. You should have lived your own life, David."

D has spent so long living for revenge that he's forgotten how to live for himself. But his relationship with Capri changes something. Despite existing as digitized human consciousnesses stored on a chip, Capri is curious, playful, and eager to experience the world. She also has little patience for D's obsession.

"Why is everyone so obsessed with getting revenge anyway? Is getting revenge, like, fun?" she asks while controlling Talia's body.

The surprisingly simple question cuts to the heart of D's story. Revenge has given him a reason to keep going, but it hasn't made him happy.

After years spent seeking revenge for his fallen clan, D finds an unexpected sense of freedom in his relationship with Capri. Credit: Netflix

Capri, on the other hand, does. For the first time in years, D seems to be having fun. His time with her offers a reprieve from the nightmares that have haunted him since his clan's destruction, and there's something almost intoxicating about that relief. Their relationship can even be read through the lens of addiction, with its initial rush of euphoria and the danger of becoming consumed by the thing that makes you feel good. In Capri, D seems to rediscover a part of himself that existed before his life became defined by trauma.

It's not hard to understand why he'd become so attached to her. His revenge has reached a dead end, and his actions have left him with few options in Night City. But with Capri, he gets to experience something he thought he'd lost. And in keeping her out of Arasaka's hands, he offers Capri a chance at freedom, too.

Their final rampage is violent, reckless, and, in its own twisted way, almost joyful. D isn't suddenly a hero, and his decision to take Capri toward the orbital space station may ultimately cost him his life. The series leaves their fate uncertain, but there's something liberating about those final moments. For once, he's no longer acting out of anger toward the people who destroyed his past. He's doing something because he wants to.

And in his final recording for Roman, D smiles. It's the very expression Roman has spent the season trying to capture on camera. After everything D has endured, that small moment of happiness feels like its own kind of resolution.

Talia's fate raises questions about what it means to truly live.

Talia's story explores a different side of that same idea. Born with a terminal illness, the teenager has spent much of her life having her failing body parts replaced with cyberware, all in an effort to prolong her life. But those decisions were made by her parents, not Talia herself. And throughout the season, she tries to escape their control, adding even more chrome to her body in an attempt to reclaim the autonomy she's never really had.

It's what makes cyberpunk fiction feel so relevant. Beneath all the futuristic technology is a very real conversation about medical intervention, bodily autonomy, and the difference between keeping someone alive and allowing them to actually live.

When her mother seeks a treatment that would remove the cyberware from her body to extend the time she has left, Talia protests, "I wanted to die beautiful."

With her time running out, Talia fights to reclaim control over her own body and decide how she wants to live. Credit: Netflix

And that's what makes her friendship with Roman so meaningful. With him, Talia gets to experience something resembling an ordinary teenage life. She makes a friend closer to her own age. They go to the movies. It's such a mundane thing to do, especially in Night City, where so much of life is defined by violence and survival. But for Talia, those moments are precious because they're hers.

In the finale, Talia tells Roman that seeing herself through his camera made her feel beautiful. "You are beautiful," he replies.

It's a small exchange, but it brings her story full circle. After spending so much of her life having other people decide what her body should look like and how long she should live, Talia finally gets to see herself through the eyes of someone who appreciates her exactly as she is.

Her condition is irreversible. But when she leaves with Weak, she's finally making a choice about how she wants to spend whatever time she has left.

Weak finds a new purpose in protecting Talia.

Weak has spent much of the season trying to protect Talia after her mother tells him that he's her biological father. But Talia's father later claims that story was a manipulation, leaving the truth uncertain.

By the finale, however, their biological relationship matters less than the one they've formed.

Once a legendary edgerunner known as King, Weak finds a new purpose in protecting Talia, regardless of whether they're biologically related. Credit: Netflix

Once a legendary edgerunner known as King, Weak has spent years living in the shadow of his former glory. His relationship with Talia gives him something meaningful to care about beyond his own reputation.

And despite knowing that he can't save her, he chooses to stay. "Come on, let's live!" he tells Talia as they drive away. Weak can't promise her a cure or a long future. But he can give her the freedom to spend the rest of her life on her own terms. And in choosing to be there for her, he finds something worth living for, too.

Roman's final moments reveal why the ending is so hopeful.

Before leaving with Weak, Talia shares a tearful goodbye with Roman, the young aspiring filmmaker whose analog camera has documented much of the season's events. Along the way, he's captured something more personal, too: the lives of a group of misfits whose stories might otherwise have been lost to Night City.

"Roman, we'll see each other again. I know it," she tells him. "For now, you just keep that camera rolling, and you can come show me what you've made. Scroll something so great, it will make all this stuff feel small."

Her words echo D's own farewell to Roman: "This is the high point of my story, not yours. You still have a lot ahead of you."

Both characters, whose futures have become so uncertain, encourage Roman to imagine something bigger for himself.

Armed with an analog camera, aspiring filmmaker Roman captures the lives of Night City's misfits and gives them something to be remembered by. Credit: Netflix

Sztybor described Roman as "the only perfectly innocent character" in the violent world of Night City. While the first Edgerunners was, in his words, "a story about the end of innocence," Roman's presence helped the creative team arrive at a more hopeful conclusion for the second season. Roman's love of filmmaking became central to that decision. Roman has witnessed terrible things, but those experiences haven't extinguished his desire to create.

After Talia and Weak drive away, he looks at his camera, smiles, and takes off running with an exuberant yell.

The series then closes on a flickering space station in the sky, an image evoking D and Capri's final journey without confirming their fate.

That's the beauty of Edgerunners 2's ambiguous ending. We don't know whether D and Capri survive, how much time Talia has left, or what Roman will eventually create. But the finale isn't really about promising these characters a happy ending. It's about giving them the freedom to decide what to do with their lives. Because even in Night City, where so much of your life is decided for you, there's still something powerful about getting to choose how your story unfolds.

Cyberpunk: Edgerunners 2 is streaming on Netflix now.

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Today I want to take a closer look at a set of tweaks and adjustments that can help you preserve battery life during emergency scenarios. Most battery-saving advice focuses on reasonable tasks that do have an impact, but this time we'll push it further.

Updated on Thursday, Oct. 22 at 12:25 p.m. ET — The PHP security issues known as PHP2Shell sent the cybersecurity world into a frenzy yesterday, and now we have some data on the fallout.

VirusTotal, a cybersecurity tool owned by Google, reported that there are about 5.1 million IP addresses running PHP, showing just how widespread the vulnerability is.

Cogent Security, an agentic AI cybersecurity company, released data on how the issue affected big companies. Cogent reported that the average Fortune 500 company had 2,266 affected assets, with an average of 16 assets demanding immediate action. As of 8 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Cogent reported that less than 1 percent of affected assets had been patched.

Cloudflare CEO Matthew Prince reported a surge in attempts to exploit PHP2Shell across the company’s network: thousands in the 10 hours before the public announcement, tens of thousands within 45 minutes afterward, and hundreds of thousands within two hours. By the time of his post, the count had reached millions.

PHP2Shell caused outages across the web, including at Wikipedia, and many government, gaming, and business websites required emergency maintenance. By Thursday morning, most services had been restored.

The PHP Foundation, the non-profit team behind the PHP coding language, released emergency security updates on Wednesday to fix two critical vulnerabilities, a day after details about the flaws leaked online.

The UK’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the Prime Minister of Japan, and the U.S. National Security Agency all urged organizations to install the fixes immediately.

The newly exposed PHP vulnerability led to a number of outages on Wednesday, as webmasters around the world scrambled to update their websites.

What is PHP?

PHP is a programming language that runs on web servers. When you load a webpage, PHP often runs behind the scenes, retrieving data from databases and building the page before it reaches your browser. BleepingComputer notes that it powers many websites, including content management systems, online stores, and custom web services. According to the NCSC, PHP is also built into a range of other products.

The NCSC says the two flaws, tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, could allow an attacker to run their own commands on a PHP-based server without logging in. This is called remote code execution, and it’s one of the most serious kinds of security bugs.

According to the NCSC, an attacker could overload PHP’s memory to corrupt it, then, under certain conditions, use that corruption to take control of the server. One of the flaws involves how PHP processes form submissions and file uploads.

PHP rated each flaw 9.2 out of 10 on CVSS, the industry’s standard severity scale. Security firm watchTowr described them as a perfect 10, BleepingComputer reported, and so did an anonymous Hacker News post that has since been deleted. Researchers have started calling the bugs "PHP2SHELL."

The fixes were originally planned for a coordinated release later this week, so companies would have time to prepare. Then, information about the flaws leaked early. Speaking to BleepingComputer, watchTowr CEO Benjamin Harris said the vulnerabilities are "indeed real" and affect PHP versions 5 through 8. The firm said it had reproduced one of them.

PHP moved its release up to 10 a.m. ET Wednesday. As of Tuesday, watchTowr said it hadn’t seen anyone exploiting the flaws. By Wednesday, Cloudflare CTO Dane Knecht said on X that the company was seeing early attacks, according to BleepingComputer.

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

The NCSC says organizations running PHP 5 or later are affected and should update to the latest fixed version. Anyone still using an older, unsupported version should move to a supported one.

Wikipedia and government websites impacted by PHP vulnerability

Wikipedia went down for a time on Wednesday, and the Wikimedia Foundation, the nonprofit that runs the site, confirmed to Mashable that the outage was tied to the PHP vulnerabilities.

In a statement to Mashable through email, the foundation said it is working to address the flaws in PHP, which it described as the programming language behind most wikis, including its own projects. "This issue affects all known versions of PHP, and is not specific to the Wikimedia Foundation," the statement said.

The foundation added that all of its PHP-based systems are affected, along with volunteer-run systems that use PHP. It has also taken several other systems offline as a precaution until they can be safely patched. Wikipedia was back up as of this writing.

SEE ALSO: PHP vulnerability: Which websites and services are affected? Who else is affected, and what should you do?

If you only browse the web, there’s nothing for you to install. The fix is up to the people who run websites.

If you run a website, blog, or online store, check whether it uses PHP and make sure it’s up to date. If a hosting company manages your site, contact them to confirm they’ve applied the patch.

For organizations, the NCSC recommends:

• Finding every system that runs PHP, starting with the ones reachable from the internet.

• Watching for updates from vendors whose products include PHP.

• Taking systems offline if they can’t be fixed quickly.

• Checking any system that couldn’t be updated right away for signs of a break-in.

Cloudflare has added emergency firewall rules designed to block suspicious requests linked to the flaws. The rules are available to all its customers, including those on free plans.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters or get Mashable push alerts today.

Do you play video games like Street Fighter, Resident Evil, or Monster Hunter online? If so, you probably have a Capcom ID — and you should know that there has been a major data breach that has affected millions of accounts.

Capcom, the developer of the aforementioned titles, posted a notice on Thursday informing users of a major data breach affecting more than 11 million accounts.

"Capcom Co., Ltd. has determined that certain customer information associated with CAPCOM ID, an online membership account service operated by the company, was subject to unauthorized access by a third party," the company said in a statement. "Capcom sincerely apologizes for the complications and concern this has caused its customers and other stakeholders."

SEE ALSO: The Capcom Home Arcade revives classic games for a steep price

Data breaches are seemingly becoming a regular occurrence, which may result in some becoming desensitized to this news. However, the specific information Capcom has shared should be concerning to those with a Capcom ID, as the company has confirmed that some accounts have experienced unauthorized changes due to the breach.

According to Capcom, the company first noticed suspicious activity on Capcom IDs on Oct. 19, then began blocking access and opened an investigation. Capcom's investigation found that approximately 11,774,247 accounts were impacted in a data breach. The account information exposed to the unauthorized party includes email address records, the date and time an account was created, the total number of logins, the date and time of the last login, and the IP address used for that last login.

Of those more than 11.7 million accounts, 43 had their date of birth, gender, country/region, and nickname affected, and 196 had unauthorized changes to their Capcom ID login password.

Capcom says it has already reset the passwords associated with those 196 accounts. 

One positive piece of news is that Capcom says it has yet to find any evidence that the passwords originally set by its users were leaked in the data breach. In addition, Capcom shared that it does not appear that its games were affected in the data breach.

While Capcom continues its investigation, it is warning its users to be wary of phishing emails that weaponize data leaked in the breach.

"If you receive any suspicious email or message, please exercise caution and refrain from accessing any URLs contained therein or opening any attached files," Capcom said in its breach notice.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

NFC tags are really useful for triggering smart home automations. They're cheap to buy, they don't need batteries or to be connected to power, and you can stick them almost anywhere. I wondered if it would be possible to use my expired credit cards as NFC tags, and it turned out that they can be even more useful than the standard stickers.

You probably know where the coffee shops and gas stations are in your neighborhood. But the cameras logging your license plate as you drive past? Those can be a little harder to keep track of.

Proton, the Swiss privacy company behind Proton Mail and Proton VPN, is helping make them easier to find by hosting a free map of Flock surveillance devices on its servers (you can explore the map on Proton's website). Flock tried to get the researcher behind the original project to take it down, according to The Intercept.

If you need a refresher on Flock, the company makes automated license plate readers used by police departments, businesses, schools, and homeowners associations. The cameras photograph passing vehicles whether or not their drivers are suspected of anything. Flock devices can record license plates, times, and locations, plus identifying details such as a vehicle’s make, model, color, and bumper stickers. According to Flock, its cameras log more than 20 billion vehicle sightings each month across 49 states.

SEE ALSO: What are Flock cameras and why are they so controversial?

Those records then go into Flock's cloud, where police can search them and share them with other agencies across city and state lines. You don’t have to be pulled over for your car to become part of a searchable record of where you’ve been — and that access has been abused. A Washington Post investigation found at least 50 officers accused or charged with misusing license plate readers, often to track people in their personal lives. (Flock's system was involved in 46 of those cases.)

On Proton's map, you can enter your ZIP code to see devices in your area, or zoom and pan around the country. Note that the data is a snapshot from December 2025, though. Cameras installed or removed since then won’t be reflected.

"You have a right to know who's recording you when you leave home"

This isn't the first effort to put surveillance cameras on the map (literally). As Mashable previously reported, DeFlock Maps lets people look up license plate readers in their neighborhoods, including devices from Flock, Motorola Solutions, and other manufacturers. Volunteers report cameras they spot and add their locations to OpenStreetMap, the open-source mapping project.

MapQuest also added a "Surveillance Layer" to its app this month, letting users see known license plate reader locations, including Flock cameras. Turn it on under Map Options, and camera markers appear alongside the roads you’re traveling.

The difference here from other crowdsourced projects is that the locations come from Flock's own systems, according to the map's creator.

Security researcher Joshua Michael discovered in November 2025 that Flock's servers were exposing an access token anyone could obtain without logging in. He used it to retrieve an inventory of device locations, reported the issue to Flock, and published his findings and a map in December. That inventory included more than 170,000 cameras and over 130,000 other Flock devices.

Proton has questioned Flock's leadership directly about how its technology is used. In an interview published in August, CEO Garrett Langley said, "Any level of abuse greater than zero is unacceptable and makes me sick," pointing to audit logs and an optional tool designed to detect potentially abusive activity. But he declined to say how many police department contracts Flock had suspended or terminated over abuse. "I don’t think you should hold the entire city accountable for just the bad decisions of a few," he said.

SEE ALSO: The 3 best VPNs we've tested in 2026

When it came to Michael's research, Flock's response included legal threats, The Intercept reported. The company fixed the exposed-token flaw, while also publicly maintaining that it had never been hacked and that no Flock information had leaked. On his website, Michael says Flock also sent him a cease-and-desist letter (which he published) threatening litigation and told customers it had notified law enforcement, describing him as a "malicious actor."

Michael says that customer email acknowledged Flock had found no indication of unauthorized access when it closed the issue in December. He argues that this illustrates the very concern behind his research: that information could be taken without the company detecting it.

"I’m not backing down," he recently wrote on Instagram.

In September, brand-protection company Doppel also filed a trademark complaint on Flock's behalf. It argued that Michael's website could confuse customers or harm the company, even citing the disclaimer saying it wasn't affiliated with or endorsed by Flock — though Flock had not disputed the map's accuracy, as CyberNews reported.

Proton rejected the trademark argument and published a copy of the map on its Swiss servers in order to keep it available.

"This is an attempt to suppress information, not to prevent consumer confusion," Proton head of legal Marc Løebekken said.

For residents, that means another way to find out what's watching their streets — and a starting point for questions to local officials. As Proton puts it on the map's website: "You have a right to know who's recording you when you leave home."

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Wi-Fi is one of the best inventions in history, but also one of the worst. I have spent so many hours of my life troubleshooting Wi-Fi dead zones or spotty performance that the only devices in my home that use Wi-Fi are those that absolutely need to.

Electronic music purists and brick builders, this one is for you: Daft Punk is officially entering the Lego game.

Following a cryptic teaser that interrupted the duo's WDPK 83.7 stream on Oct. 21, Lego has now confirmed a multi-year partnership with the legendary artists. The shining star of the announcement? Lego has officially greenlit a retail set based on Daft Punk’s 2007 Alive pyramid stage, complete with custom minifigures of Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo behind a mixing console made out of bricks.

The approved concept recreates the glowing pyramid from the 2007 world tour — arguably the most influential live stage production in EDM history. Alongside this exciting stage build, the official launch film features the helmeted robots and a giant holographic red brick, confirming that official Daft Punk minifigures are finally hitting shelves.

Here's the catch: the pyramid stage build from Daft Punk’s 2007 Alive tour will not be available to buy for some time. Lego confirmed that while the partnership is official today, final product launches and retail availability are slated for 2027.

The original fan submission relied on intricate translucent bricks and custom lighting rigs. Whether Lego retains the full LED light-brick integration remains to be seen. If Lego does somehow pull off the illuminated stage lighting and chrome-finished helmets, this will easily be one of the fastest sellouts in Lego Ideas history.

This fan idea will now advance into the next stage to officially become a Lego set. Credit: Lego

Julia Goldin, Chief Product and Marketing Officer at the Lego Group said, "What makes this partnership so special is the enduring appeal both brands share. Like the LEGO brand, Daft Punk inspires generations through creativity, innovation, and a deep connection with fans. We’re excited to build on these foundations to reimagine the Daft Punk legacy in a fresh and unexpected way, creating something unique that resonates with fans across all ages. This is just the beginning of a bigger journey — a creative collab made for fans ready to lose themselves to play.”

Your flashy-yet-affordable headphones might just sound better. Bose has acquired Skullcandy, and there's a potentially huge impact on the audio world.

Earlier this month, some Apple Music fans had a negative response to their first look at the app's new logo. After an explanation from Apple, it seems like people are becoming more OK with it.

Apple put out a short YouTube video (via MacRumors) detailing the upcoming Apple Music redesign, which is coming with iOS 27.2. The new app logo is black and white with a hint of Liquid Glass, eschewing the red color scheme Apple Music had before. In the video, Apple detailed how the app's new visuals were "made by sound," or in other words, Apple played sound through a container in which liquid vibrated at the frequency of the music, thus inspiring the new app logo.

SEE ALSO: iPhone Duo reviewers dislike this one thing about Apple's foldable

Apple worked with music producer Fred Again and NEST Acoustics on the redesign.

When reports of the new logo started coming out earlier in October, some fans on social media were unhappy. If you search "Apple Music" on X now, though, it seems like some folks are warming up to it a bit, especially after Apple's explanation.

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

We'll see if this warm reception holds once the update is out for everyone later this month.

A subwoofer is essential to getting a complete audio experience. It's the only way to access those deep-down frequencies that you don't just hear with your ears but feel in your body. Regardless of your favorite genres of music or movies, expanding into the depths of the bass realm will elevate the whole thing.

Chipotle’s most reliable annual food hack is back.

On Oct. 31, Chipotle is reviving its iconic Boorito promotion. Starting at 3 p.m. local time through closing, Chipotle Rewards members who show up at participating restaurants dressed in a Halloween costume can grab any regular entrée — burrito, bowl, salad, or order of tacos — for just $6. A scarily good deal.

To claim this limited-time promo, you need to follow these straightforward steps:

1. Wear a costume and head to your local Chipotle after 3 p.m. on Halloween

2. Open the free Chipotle app and have your digital Rewards member card scanned at the cash register before paying

3. Score a $6 entrée

"We love that Chipotle has become part of so many fans' Halloween traditions," said Stephanie Perdue, Senior Vice President, Brand Marketing. "The passion around Boorito inspires us to find new ways to celebrate and surprise our fans year after year."

What's important to note here is that this is strictly an in-restaurant promo. You cannot order ahead for mobile pickup via the app to bypass the dinner rush, and third-party delivery apps like DoorDash or Uber Eats won't honor the $6 price tag. The offer is also capped at one discounted entrée per costumed guest.

When you think of Black Friday, there's a good chance your mind goes to waiting in long lines to grab doorbuster deals at your local Walmart store. While the shopping event has drastically transformed over the last decade, one thing still rings true in 2026: Walmart has one of the most anticipated Black Friday sales of the season.

Walmart is still where you go if you want to shop Black Friday deals in person and avoid shipping altogether. But the retailer also hosts a pretty epic online savings event each year. You'll find deals and discounts across practically every department in the lead-up to the holidays, with things coming to a head on Black Friday proper.

To help you get the details straight and gear up to shop at Walmart on Black Friday 2026, here's everything you need to know, including when stores open, what will be on sale, and how to get early access.

When exactly is Walmart's Black Friday sale?

Black Friday officially takes place on Friday, Nov. 27 in 2026. However, most retailers will kick off their Black Friday sales before that. While Walmart hasn't officially announced its Black Friday plans, we can make an educated guess based on its 2025 savings event.

Last year, Walmart ran a multi-part sale for Black Friday with this schedule:

• Walmart Black Friday deals sneak peek: Nov. 14 to 16

• Walmart Black Friday event: Nov. 25 to 30 (online only from Nov. 25 to 27)

• Walmart Cyber Monday sale: Dec. 1 (online only)

Stay tuned for the latest details of Walmart's Black Friday sale. If the retailer follows a similar schedule for 2026, we expect the sale to run from Nov. 24 through 29. On Nov. 30, Walmart will run a Cyber Monday sale that takes place exclusively online.

Walmart Black Friday early access

Last year, Walmart+ members got five hours of early access to both Walmart's Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales before the events kicked off for the public. It's highly likely that members will get some sort of exclusive early access and benefits for the 2026 Black Friday event as well, although we don't have exact details yet.

A Walmart+ membership costs $98 per year or $12.95 per month for its base plan. You can also bundle it with Sam's Club Plus for $120 per year. A membership comes with tons of free perks, including free delivery, free next-day shipping, free access to either Paramount+ or Peacock, pharmacy delivery, gas savings, and more. You can kick off a 30-day trial for just $1.

Opens in a new window Credit: Walmart Walmart+ Membership 30-day trial for $1 Get Deal at Walmart What time do Walmart stores open on Black Friday?

Since Walmart's Black Friday sale takes place both in-store and online, its stores will be open, too. Last year, Walmart stores opened at 6 a.m. local time on Black Friday. We expect stores to open at the same time this year, on Nov. 27. There may be exceptions to those hours, so it's best to check Walmart's store locator for the exact opening hours at your local store. Walmart stores are closed on Thanksgiving Day.

What will be on sale at Walmart for Black Friday?

In short: practically everything. Walmart is best known for its doorbuster deals on budget TVs, popular toys, gaming consoles, and small appliances. We expect those categories to be its strong suits once again, but there will be plenty of other categories worth shopping as well.

Last year, we saw pretty wild deals on the Oura Ring 4 and PS5 Disc Console, as well as $69 AirPods, an older generation MacBook Air for only $549, and a 75-inch Hisense QLED TV for only $378. Follow along with Mashable's Black Friday coverage for all the best deal drops from Walmart (and beyond).

We also saw Walmart+ memberships for 50% off during last Black Friday season, a deal we're hoping the retailer revives for 2026.

Best early Black Friday deals at Walmart

While Walmart isn't officially labeling anything as an early Black Friday deal yet, we've found a few noteworthy discounts well ahead of the sale. Here's a glimpse at a few of our favorite early deals so far.

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C6 OLED 4K TV $1,399.99 at Walmart
$2,699.99 Save $1,300.00   Get Deal at Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: onn. onn. 32-inch 720p HD TV $68 at Walmart
$88 Save $20   Get Deal at Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V15 Detect Cordless Vacuum $649.99 at Walmart
$849.99 Save $200   Get Deal at Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: Dreame Dreame C30 Plus robot vacuum and mop combo $239.98 at Walmart
$329.99 Save $90.01   Get Deal at Walmart Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G55C Curved Gaming Monitor $179
$249 Save $70   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart
$129.99 Save $30.99   Get Deal at Walmart

Cursor made AI-assisted coding feel effortless, but its subscription and cloud dependence left me looking for something leaner. Cline, an open-source extension for VS Code, covered most of what I needed, including working fully offline with local models.

Why would anyone want a foldable phone? That's easy: You want a pocketable phone that still has a display large enough to truly enjoy books, magazines, games, and perhaps do some work without squinting.

With the iPhone Duo (read our review here), Apple did an amazing job with the user interface, as well as optimizing its own apps to look great on the Duo. But it's up to third-party developers to bring their apps up to speed and create versions that play nice with the Duo's dual displays and all that screen estate on the inner display.

The news here is mixed: Many apps, even some very popular ones (we're looking at you, Google), still haven't been redesigned to look great on the Duo. But among those that have, there are a couple that really stand out in terms of design and creativity. Here's our list of the best iPhone Duo apps so far.

Two notes: I've skipped Apple's own apps. They look universally great, but it's to be expected, and everyone who gets the Duo gets all of them anyway. Second, some of my experience comes from beta versions of these apps that were shared with me in advance for the purpose of testing; your experience on finalized apps might be slightly different (hopefully even better).

Netflix Netflix went all in iPhone Duo, and we're here for it. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

One of the first apps to receive a complete Duo overhaul, Netflix is the one you'll show to friends on your new foldable iPhone. Not only does the larger inner display show a ton of content, but the app does different tricks depending on how you fold and position your iPhone Duo. Not all of it will be useful, but ultimately, video streaming apps are perfect companions for the Duo, and we're glad to see Netflix looking ahead here.

Edits Video editing on a phone can be hard. On the Duo, if you're using Edits, it's a little easier. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Instagram's video editing app was one of the first to get thoroughly optimized for the Duo, and it's the type of app that really takes advantage of the extra screen space. Video editing can quickly get complex, and handling a video project's minutiae on a tiny phone display simply isn't as good as doing it on the Duo's large inner screen.

As a side note, Instagram, too, has been revamped for the Duo, but given its native vertical bias, it looks a bit odd when you hold the Duo horizontally. It's not bad, but I think Instagram's designers will probably do some more tinkering to really make use of the extra screen real estate on the Duo.

RainViewer I could stare at this precipitation chart all day. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Weather app makers took the Duo seriously. I've gotten numerous pitches from several app makers that have updated their apps to play nice with the Duo. The one that looked nicest to my eyes was RainViewer, whose updated iOS app is currently under review by Apple. The app offers an incredibly clean, beautiful weather map focusing on incoming precipitation.

Other weather apps that have updated their apps for the Duo include Carrot Weather and Mercury Weather.

Deck-man Just like the olden days. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The Deck-man mimics a walkman on the Duo. Yes, an actual, analog walkman, with cassette tapes that you virtually drag from a catalog on the left to the player on the right. The visual trick that Deck-man does is that the playback doesn't start until you've folded the iPhone Duo, as if you were closing an actual Walkman. This is way too annoying to actually use as a serious music player, but it's a nice novelty idea that you just cannot have on a normal, candybar phone. Your friends that were born in the 80s or earlier will probably be delighted with this one. Anyone younger will probably give you a puzzled stare.

Headspace Cute, simple, effective. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

This meditation app is an example of how you can create a very effective, Duo-friendly app with simple graphics and smart design choices. When I opened the app on the Duo for the first time, the smiling sun logo rising across the Duo's entire display brought a smile to my face.

Finalist This is where the matte display of the iPhone Duo really fits the task perfectly. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Finalist is a beautiful daily planner/journal combo which has been thoroughly optimized for the Duo and looks absolutely beautiful in all orientations. This is where the fact that the Duo's inner display is matte really shines; spread out the phone on your desk with Finalist on, and it'll look like a wonderfully themed notebook holding all your tasks and meetings.

MD Vinyl Do I need this? No. But do I want it? Hell yeah. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Sorry to include two retro music apps, but both Deck-man and MD Vinyl are perfect for showcasing what the Duo can do. Instead of cassette tapes, in MD Vinyl your music turns into records. To start playback, you need to actually move the needle onto the record, which will bring a true vinyl fan to tears (and make them subscribe to this app, which, frankly, is far from necessary to enjoy music). Yeah, it all works and looks nice on the regular iPhone, but the Duo's large display was made for apps like this, and the experience is just so much better there.

Bonus: Any app in side-by-side mode This will never stop being cool. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The iPhone Duo has a special side-by-side mode which allows you to have two apps opened next to each other in landscape mode, and it immediately makes even the most pedestrian apps so much better. On a video call with someone and need to check out the weather? Pull up the Weather app next to your video call, and you'll feel like a multitasking machine, handing out weather reports like a pro. Numerous apps like email and calendar work so well together that you can even opt to glue them together persistently.

Apple iPhone Duo Save $1,000 at T-Mobile
  Preorder at T-Mobile Preorder at Apple.com Preorder at Verizon

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Building a smart home can be an expensive business. Some devices, such as cheap Zigbee sensors, can cost just a few bucks, but other devices can run to hundreds of dollars. The good news is that it's often possible to build your own smart home devices, and the total cost can sometimes work out far less than buying a ready-made product.