Technology

We have swift boxes on the side of our home to try to encourage swifts to come and nest. There used to be nesting swifts in the area, so the hope is to lure them back. I wanted a way to track which birds were in the area based on their songs, so I set up my Raspberry Pi and an open-source app to help.

If you don't run Windows or macOS, you will probably have some flavor of Linux on your system. Or maybe even one of the BSDs if you're brave. If things had gone differently in the late '90s, you might be running something else: BeOS. BeOS still changed computing history, even though it was a flop. You can also install a successor today.

CDs were the most popular method for listening to music for over 20 years. Unsurprisingly, something new eventually came to take over...but then something old did, too.

When your internet is down and you call your ISP, what's the usual answer you get? I'm willing to bet it's either telling you to restart your router or telling you to wait. I've heard that one before; I've had my fair share of ISP troubles.

A new month means it's time to look at the list of movies coming to Netflix in August. First up is a documentary that might make you look at fried chicken in a new light. Two days later, a mysterious sci-fi thriller hits the service, and it looks like a mix between Signs and Twilight Zone: The Movie.

When I first tried Copilot in Excel, I wasn't impressed enough to keep paying for it. It felt more like an interesting extra than something that genuinely improved my workflow, so I downgraded to Microsoft 365 Classic. A year and a half later, I decided to give it another shot by testing whether it could handle more than basic spreadsheet tasks. The results might have just convinced me it was worth resubscribing.

You’ve heard of MakerWorld, Printables, and Thingiverse, and it’s true that these websites probably have more models than you’ll ever need. But there’s more to 3D printing than the top three, whether you’re looking for premium models or niche interests.

Switching away from Photoshop has always had a catch. GIMP was free, capable, and cross-platform, but actually using it felt like a trade-off. You had to justify every session. It took me so many tries to fully jump away from Photoshop. If I had tried switching over today, it would have been no problem thanks to everything GIMP has now.

Samsung just announced a bunch of fancy new phones, but don't relax just yet. Google has a big product launch just around the corner too, and we're keeping a close eye on the latest Pixel 11 leaks, rumors, and official teasers.

The Android maker has already confirmed that it will announce the next batch of Pixel phones in August. That means we have just a matter of weeks until the follow-up to the Pixel 10 lineup is unveiled, so you'd better get prepared in the meantime. Here is everything we know about the Google Pixel 11 right now.

SEE ALSO: Samsung unpacked: New foldable phones, watches and more Google Pixel 11: Release date and price

The first part of this is easy because Google isn't keeping the Pixel 11 launch window a secret. At 6 p.m. ET on Aug. 12 in New York City, Google is holding a Made By Google event where the Pixel 11 lineup will be shown off for the first time, and Mashable will be there reporting live.

Last year's event was hosted by Jimmy Fallon, for some reason, so you never know what to expect this time. You can watch Made By Google live on YouTube, or follow the news as it happens on Mashable. The phones should be on store shelves or in your hands less than a month after that.

As with last year, we expect to see four phones: the base Pixel 11, a Pro and Pro XL model, and a Pro Fold model.

Regarding price, we live in a RAMageddon world, so it sounds like there may be some mild price increases in the works. We don't know the official figures yet, but a recent Amazon leak (which we will return to throughout this piece because, holy mackerel, what a leak!) gave us these figures:

• Google Pixel 11: $899

• Google Pixel 11 Pro: $1,099

• Google Pixel 11 Pro XL: $1,299

• Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: $1,899

Unfortunately, all of those are increases year over year compared to the Pixel 10. The Pixel 11, Pixel 11 Pro, and Pro XL are all $100 more to start than they were a year ago. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, if this leak is to be believed, will cost $400 more than the Pixel 10 Pro Fold. Ouch.

Google Pixel 11: What's up with Pixel Glow?

Before we get into detailed (and unconfirmed) specs for each device, there's basically one noteworthy design change that we expect to see across all four devices this year. According to both leaks and some imagery on Google's own pre-order page, Google is going all-in on something called Pixel Glow with the Pixel 11 series.

In terms of design, that means the horizontal camera bar seen on previous Pixel phones will change a little bit to accommodate a new multi-colored light module. This module will use lights of different shades to notify you of things like incoming messages, presumably while your phone is turned over and you don't feel like looking at a screen.

Google actually gave everyone an official sneak peek at Pixel Glow a couple of weeks before the event. In a brief teaser video that shows part of a Pixel 11 Pro, you can see a small, multi-colored light in the camera bar. While the video is very brief and vague, it's clear from the video that we are looking at Pixel Glow.

Google Pixel 11: Base model rumored specs This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

The aforementioned Amazon leak included since-removed store pages for each device in the Pixel 11 family, with colors and specs galore. Let's start with the base Pixel 11, whose array of color options has been reported with different names, but basically comes out to black, gray, pink, and green. Another leaker called MysticLeaks posted a bunch of alleged specs on Telegram.

Based on both of these leaks, these could be the specs for the base Pixel 11:

• 6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Google Tensor G6 processor

• 8/12GB RAM

• 4,985mAh battery

• 50MP main camera

• 13MP selfie camera

It's worth noting that there are some small discrepancies between what Amazon posted and what MysticLeaks reported for all of these devices, especially regarding display resolution and battery size. When in doubt, this article is going by what was posted on Amazon.

The display, battery, and selfie camera specs all come from the Amazon leak, while the Tensor G6 chip would make sense as the natural follow-up to the Tensor G5 chip in last year's Pixel flagships. At the time of publication, there don't seem to be any credible leaks regarding the other camera specs for the base Pixel 11, aside from what's listed above.

None of the above is horribly surprising or all that different from the Pixel 10, either. All signs are pointing to a pretty incremental upgrade cycle in 2026, Pixel Glow aside.

Google Pixel 11 Pro and Pro XL: Rumored specs

Google is also reportedly planning on two Pro variants, as in previous years. The color options here are reportedly called Olive, Obsidian, Canyon, and Fog. Here is what both Amazon and MysticLeaks had to say about the regular Pixel 11 Pro:

• 6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Google Tensor G6 processor

• 12/16GB RAM

• 4,850mAh battery

• 13MP selfie camera

And here are the reported specs for Pixel 11 Pro XL. The XL is usually just a bigger, slightly improved version of the Pro:

• 6.8-inch OLED display with 2992x1344 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Google Tensor G6 Processor

• 12/16GB RAM

• 5,115mAh battery

• 13MP selfie camera

The main attraction here, at least as it relates to year-over-year changes, is that Google seems to be offering a new 12GB RAM variant of the Pro devices. Prior to this year, they just came with 16GB RAM. Perhaps models with less storage capacity will only come with 12GB this year as a way to save money on the manufacturing end of things.

Google Pixel 11 Pro Fold: Rumored specs Google isn't folding from the competition. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Lastly, Google is making another foldable this year, if every leak is to be believed. Here are the reported specs for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, which could have color variants called Obsidian and Olive:

• 6.5-inch outer display

• Google Tensor G6 processor

• 4,750mAh battery

• 13MP selfie camera

This is the one we know the least about, sadly. Given Samsung's recent excellence in the foldable field and the rumored price increase for the Pixel 11 Pro Fold, it's going to have to do a lot to impress in a crowded market. We'll find out together on Aug. 12.

Remember: Mashable will be reporting live from the Made By Google event, so keep checking back for the latest Pixel 11 news, leaks, and rumors.

Before you know it, Google is going to announce some new Android flagship phones. Of course, there's already info out there about them. Time to brush up.

The Pixel 11 lineup launch is all set for Aug. 12. This year, as with last year, we expect four new phones:

• Pixel 11

• Pixel 11 Pro

• Pixel 11 Pro XL

• Pixel 11 Pro Fold

Let's focus on the Pixel 11 Pro for now, as it's going to be the more premium. What does Google have up its sleeve this year with the Pro-grade Pixel phone?

We asked you to predict what Apple will do next. See the results and find out how to get a shot at winning an Apple Watch!

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Release date, price, and that Amazon leak

As previously stated, Google is going to officially unveil all of these phones at an event in New York City on Aug. 12. Mashable will be attending the launch event — Jimmy Fallon hosted last year's event, you may remember — and we'll be reporting live. Presumably, as with past years, the phones will be on store shelves and in customers' hands just a couple of weeks afterward.

Thanks to RAMageddon, everyone is bracing for price increases with every major tech product, and rightfully so. Google has not yet told us the prices of these phones, but a recent and fairly extensive Amazon leak that seemed legitimate enough pointed to a $1,099 starting price for the Pixel 11 Pro. That would be a $100 price increase over the Pixel 10 Pro. Meanwhile, the Pixel 11 Pro XL (the XL model is usually basically the same phone, but bigger) is said to start at $1,299, another $100 price hike year-over-year.

Speaking of that Amazon leak: 9to5Google spotted draft Amazon listings for the Pixel 11 lineup, revealing a lot of early details:

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

The listings could include placeholder information, but the overall gist looks legit.

What is Pixel Glow?

We don't expect any massive design changes this year. Google has helped keep expectations low by actually posting a short video that shows the phone, weeks before the Aug. 12 event.

One thing that stood out, however, is the presence of a small, colored light in the camera bar that wasn't there on the Pixel 10 Pro. This is rumored to be part of a new "Pixel Glow" system that will use colored lights to convey basic phone notifications while the Pixel is lying down on its face. If you want to know that someone texted you even though you're focusing on something else and would rather not look at the screen, that's what this is for.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Design and colors

Ultimately, the short teaser video doesn't show much, but it does reveal one more fact: The Pixel 11 Pro's basic design hasn't changed much from last year. It still has a horizontal, oval-shaped camera bar on the back, and is still otherwise a normal-looking smartphone.

As for colors, leaks suggest the options this year will be:

• Olive

• Obsidian

• Canyon

• Fog

Those don't sound like the most vibrant colors in the world, but that sort of thing has become par for the course for "Pro" smartphones in recent years. If the Amazon leak spotted by 9to5Google proves true, the Pixel 11 will have more interesting color options, at least.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: Rumored specs

Between the Amazon listings and another leak on Telegram from an account called MysticLeaks, this is the best idea we have about the Pixel 11 Pro's specs prior to the unveiling:

• 6.3-inch OLED display with 2856x1280 resolution and 120Hz refresh rate

• Google Tensor G6 processor

• 12/16GB RAM

• 4,850mAh battery

The only real differences between the regular Pro and the XL, as far as leaks are concerned, are the display and battery size. Those same sources suggest a 6.9-inch display and a 5,115mAh battery on the XL, but everything else should be the same. That's how Google has done it in the past, too.

Believe it or not, those specs actually contain at least one notable downgrade from the Pixel 10 Pro. Prior Pixel Pro devices only came with 16GB RAM, so if Google is offering a 12GB variant, that would be a somewhat significant change. It's possible and perhaps even likely that the 12GB models will be tied to lower amounts of storage, so if you want 16GB, you may need to shell out for a 512GB or 1TB model this year.

Google Pixel 11 Pro: What about the cameras?

Last but not least, the Pixel Pro phones always have better camera specs than the base models. It's one of the main reasons to get the Pro, even though Google did start including a telephoto lens on the base model recently.

Last year, the Pixel 10 Pro had a 50MP main lens, with matching 48MP ultra-wide and telephoto lenses. We don't yet know what the camera modules for the Pixel 11 Pro will measure in at, but it would be a shock if they were downgraded at all from those figures.

Speaking of downgrades, though, the big Amazon leak suggested the Pixel 10 Pro will have a 13MP selfie camera. After the 48MP front camera on the Pixel 10 Pro, that would be an unpleasant surprise. We'll see if that actually pans out, or if the leak was wrong.

Remember: Mashable will be reporting live from Made By Google on Aug. 12, so check back for the latest Pixel 11 Pro news.

At a glance

Key specs: A speedy M5 chip, Touch ID, HDR Liquid Retina Display, and Neural Accelerators to support AI workloads — all in a body that's just 2.7 pounds and 0.44 inches thick

New starting price: 13-inch model is $1,299 (originally $1,099); 15-inch model is $1,499 (originally $1,299)

Colors: Midnight black, sky blue, silver, starlight

Our 100-word review: "The M5 MacBook Air is an impressive piece of machinery. It's incredibly thin and light, and I'm a big fan of macOS 26 Tahoe and Liquid Glass, no matter what the haters say. The default screensaver that plays is completely mesmerizing, and sometimes I find myself staring at it for minutes on end, enjoying a nice moment of zen in the middle of a workday. On top of that, you get all the premium features you expect in a modern MacBook. My one caveat: If I already had an M3 or M4 MacBook Air, I'd probably hold onto it for awhile longer."

Apple MacBook Air (M5): Our updated review

The newest MacBook Air from Apple is a damn near-perfect machine. And for a few glorious days in late May, when it was discounted to just $899 at Amazon, it was a true 10/10 product. Unfortunately, thanks to the global memory crisis, Apple has since increased the starting price of this laptop from $1,099 to $1,299, and that changes how we feel about this machine.

To be clear, from an engineering, user experience, performance, and design standpoint, the M5 MacBook Air is nearly flawless.

And as a long-time product reviewer, I try to avoid using words like "perfect" and "flawless" in my reviews at all costs. But after spending five months with this laptop, it keeps impressing me.

SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo review: Is this budget laptop still worth it after a price increase?

In my initial review of the M5 MacBook Air, I wondered whether this laptop was actually too powerful for its own good. I still think it's overpowered (and thus slightly overpriced) for the average Air customer — especially after the recent price increase — but this is undoubtedly one of the best laptops and MacBooks in the world right now.

So, after stress-testing the newest MacBook Air — and watching many hours of Dropout TV shows after work — I'm ready to lock in this product as a Mashable Choice Award winner.

The new MacBook Air (M5): By the numbers Liquid Glass looks particularly good on the MacBook Liquid Retina display. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

For this review, I tested the 15.3-inch version of the MacBook Air with 1TB of storage. You may see some slight variations in performance with the 13.6-inch model. Overall, this laptop has impressive specifications:

• Processor: M5 (10-core CPU, 8‑core GPU, Neural Accelerators)

• Colors: Sky blue, silver, starlight, midnight black

• Memory: 16GB (configurable to 24GB or 32GB)

• Storage: 512GB SSD (configurable to 1TB, 2TB, or 4TB)

• Display: 13.6 or 15.3-inch Liquid Retina display

• Video playback: HDR with Dolby Vision, HDR10+/HDR10, and HLG

• Resolution: 2,560 x 1,664

• Brightness: 500 nits

• Battery life: 17 hours, 40 minutes in video playback test

• Ports: MagSafe 3 charging port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, DisplayPort, Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 4

• Connectivity: Apple N1 chip, WiFi 7, Bluetooth 6

• Webcam: 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View

• Dimensions: 11.97 x 8.46 x 0.44 inches

• Weight: 2.7 pounds

The MacBook Air (M5) performs like a Pro Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Despite all the accolades I've given it, the new MacBook Air is definitely an iterative upgrade in many respects. Like its predecessor, it comes in 13.6 and 15.3-inch models, and you can choose from silver, sky blue, starlight, and midnight black. At a mere 0.44 inches thick and a measly 2.7 pounds, it's remarkably thin and lightweight, yet it never feels fragile or flimsy in the slightest. On the contrary, the MacBook's signature all-aluminum body makes it a very durable laptop.

The big difference, of course, is the M5 chip inside. When we put it through the Geekbench 6 benchmark test, it scored 16,099 on the multi-core test. On the single-core test, it scored 4,025, even higher than we expected. The multi-core score puts it within spitting distance of the M5 MacBook Pro released late last year. For almost all intents and purposes, it is a MacBook Pro. Minus the fans, of course.

The single-core score is a good proxy for everyday performance (what our laptop expert calls "snappiness"), and that lines up perfectly with my testing. When exporting or importing large files, it barely flinches. It can handle video editing software, complex Apple Shortcuts, and even some gaming.

Is the MacBook Air (M5) too powerful?

Apple introduced the M1 chip in 2020, its first in-house processor, kicking off a revolution in the laptop world. The M1 chip destroyed the competition, and the original M1 MacBook Air is probably the most award-winning laptop ever. It's a legendary device that was still popular six years later, an unheard-of feat.

As Apple introduced the M2, M3, M4, M5, and now M5 Pro and Pro Max chips, the MacBook Air and Pro laptops have become extremely powerful. The new M5 Max chip scored 29,000 on the Geekbench 6 test, making it so powerful that pro laptop reviewers struggled to test it properly. I know professional film editors who are still working on M1 and M2 laptops. And in 2024, my colleague Stan Schroeder wrote that "Apple's M series chips are too good for their own good." That's doubly true today.

SEE ALSO: Apple might launch a bunch of new MacBook Pro and iPad Pro devices in early 2027

The new MacBook Air also has a much higher starting price of $1,299, or $300 more than the previous generation. Yes, Apple doubled the starting storage, but Apple experts like Bloomberg's Mark Gurman say that's just Apple's way of softening the blow of a price increase.

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Traditionally, the MacBook Air has been a popular laptop for college students, early-career professionals, and more casual users. If you're running complex programs like Final Cut Pro, DaVinci Resolve, or Adobe Suite, then you opt for the Pro.

On the Geekbench 6 tests we ran, this laptop achieved 92.5 percent of the power of the latest MacBook Pro. Only hardcore superusers are going to come close to taxing the M5 Air, and those kinds of users will probably be buying a Pro or Mac Studio anyway.

So, in a world with the $699 MacBook Neo — a surprisingly capable laptop that matches the M1 Air in performance — I'm not quite sure we needed a newer, even more powerful Air. The recipe was already just right.

So, am I seriously telling you that this MacBook would be better if it were worse? Kind of! I may be in the minority on this one, but I think the average Air buyer would be better off with a slightly less powerful but more affordable device. I miss the days when the M3 and M4 Air went on sale for $799 or $899.

Unfortunately, laptops are getting more expensive across the board. The top alternatives to the MacBook Air have also gotten price increases in 2026.

MacBook Air (M5) review: Speakers, display, and design Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

As I mentioned earlier, I've been using this laptop to watch Dropout TV, which isn't available on my smart TV, sadly. Not only does it have enough processing power for most workloads, but it's also a great entertainment laptop. The HDR Liquid Retina Display looks fantastic, even if it's not quite at OLED level.

Similarly, the speakers sound strong and clear when listening to music or watching TV shows and movies. When using the four-speaker sound system, the laptop supports spatial audio and Dolby Atmos; spatial audio is also supported when listening with AirPods.

For video calls or voice recording, you'll benefit from a three-mic array, directional beamforming, voice isolation, and a 12MP Center Stage camera.

Of course, as strong as they are, none of these components has been upgraded from last year's M4 MacBook Air.

MacBook Air (M5) review: Battery life Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When testing a laptop's battery, we evaluate how long it lasts while using the laptop as our daily driver — doing work, browsing the web, streaming music and TV. And we've been able to get consistent all-day performance out of this device. However, we also test the battery life during video playback. (We conduct a battery rundown test by playing the 1080p version of Tears of Steel on loop, at 50 percent brightness and 50 percent volume.) And this is the one area where the new MacBook Air didn't quite meet our expectations.

Typically, we expect new MacBooks to achieve 19 hours of battery life (the smaller and more affordable MacBook Neo is the exception). However, when running down the 15-inch MacBook Air (M5), the battery only lasted 17 hours and 40 minutes. That's more than enough power for virtually all use cases, but we have tested other MacBook and Windows laptops with better battery life.

The M5 Air has two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a MagSafe charging port, and a headphones jack. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable M5 MacBook Air review: Is it worth it?

As much as I hate the new $1,299 price, this laptop is definitely still worth buying.

Sure, for $899, or even $949, I'd find this laptop irresistible, and it would get a perfect 5.0 score from me. But here's the bottom line: For the new $1,299 price — and with Windows laptops also getting price hikes — this laptop still justifies its price with premium components, the newest WiFi and Bluetooth tech, and a fast chip with no true competition in the Windows market.

Personally, I'd wait and see what this laptop's new sale price will be during events like Black Friday. Before the price hike, it was discounted to $899 to $949, but I suspect we won't see this laptop for under $1,000 for a long while, if ever. So, if you have the coin, and if you want near-MacBook-Pro-level performance but in a lighter and more portable body, then spring for the new and improved Air.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Air 13.6 inches (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,049 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple MacBook Air 15.3 inches (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,249 at Amazon
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In preparation for my honeymoon, getting a camera was at the top of my list. Although my iPhone 17 Pro Max takes next-level photos, I wanted to be able to stay off my phone and stay in the moment. I needed something beginner-friendly, and while I love the look of film, I wanted the convenience of digital. That's where the Camp Snap comes in.

Originally designed for summer campers who want a digital camera to capture camp memories, the Camp Snap is screen-free. However, the Camp Snap has attracted an audience beyond summer campers, thanks to its nostalgic-looking photos.

I own the Camp Snap, but when I tried the Camp Snap 2, I totally fell in love. It was the perfect camera to bring on my honeymoon, and now I have the sweetest photos to look back on.

Camp Snap 2 at a glance The Camp Snap 2 is more high-tech than it looks. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Camp Snap 2 is a screen-free digital camera, which costs $69.95. It has a playful, vintage look, but it's not a gimmick. It has flash and five filters and is exceptionally easy to use. Without a screen, you stay in the moment; however, it does make using the filters a bit of a guessing game. It still creates stunning digital photos with a film-like look. Uploading photos is straightforward, requiring only a USB-C connection to get them on your phone or computer, even on the go.

A camera made for amateurs The only screen on the Camp Snap 2 displays your photo count and filters. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

You know when someone hands you their camera, and there are so many buttons that they need to point out the right one to hit snap? Well, that's not an issue on the Camp Snap 2 because there are so few buttons, it's obvious which ones do what. There are exactly three buttons: an on/off/flash switch, the shoot button on top of the camera, and a filter button.

There's no guessing on which button does what on the Camp Snap 2. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

There's a viewfinder and a tiny screen that displays the photo count and the filter the camera is set to. There are no lens details to futz with; you just turn it on and shoot. There's no learning curve to worry about. It also takes photos in a 3:4 or 4:3 ratio.

This meant that on our honeymoon, we could whip out the camera, snap the shot, and go. Plus, if we ever handed the camera to someone so we could get a couple shot, it was self-explanatory. It has a little shutter sound that clicks when the photo is taken, so you know you've got the shot.

The photos have a sweet, nostalgic feel to them Camp Snap 2 photos look like film but still have the convenience of digital. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Camp Snap's photos are just as charming as the camera itself looks. It has a vintage-inspired design, and the Camp Snap 2 now comes in colorful jelly shades.

The photos the camera takes also have a nostalgic look, most reminiscent of photos from a disposable camera digitized. It looks like film, but it has the convenience of digital. Don't expect crisp, detailed photos; everything has a slight fuzz to it, but that's part of the style to just embrace.

Camp Snap 2 Lake Vouliagmeni captured on the Camp Snap 2. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable iPhone 17 Pro Max Lake Vouliagmeni captured on my iPhone. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Without a screen, you're always taking a gamble on a bad shot, but since it's digital, it's not the same stakes as with a film camera. But out of the hundreds of photos I took, none of them were true duds.

Camp Snap 2 On the Camp Snap 2, the foreground is too dark compared to the sunset. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable iPhone 17 Pro Max The iPhone gives a more balanced photo. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

It doesn't perform well on high-contrast images. For example, a crowded street in the shade with a bright sunset behind it lost much of the detail that a similar photo I took on my iPhone did. As long as you have bright, well-balanced sunlight, you'll have beautiful photos. If not, make sure to turn on flash.

Upload to any device on the go With its easy uploads, I could look at photos from the day as soon as I took them. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

On vacation, I didn't have a full computer setup, just my phone and a USB-C cord, but that's enough to upload photos. While we were traveling between destinations, I plugged the Camp Snap 2 into my phone, watched the photos appear in the Photos app, uploaded them, and even deleted them to free up space on the camera. It was so simple, required no WiFi connection, and was really quick.

While I tested the Camp Snap on iOS and Mac devices, it's also compatible with Android and PC.

No worries about battery life or storage

There were plenty of devices I had to worry about charging during our honeymoon: my phone, iPad, and portable fan. But the Camp Snap wasn't one of them. It has extensive battery life, and one charge gets you 500 photos. With the included MicroSD storage, the camera stores 2,000 photos; however, if you need even more space, you can swap out cards.

There's a bit of a learning curve with the filters This is the standard shot taken on the Camp Snap 2, without filter. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Photos taken in bright light will have a darker tint to them even without filter. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The biggest upgrade between the Camp Snap and Camp Snap 2 is the inclusion of filters. The Camp Snap 2 comes with six built-in filters: standard, vintage 1–3, analog, and black & white. The filters are a nice touch, but I never found myself reaching for them.

Trying out the filters with my dog, Milly. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Since there's no screen, you can't see what the filter looks like until you upload it later. This means you'll need to spend a little time playing around with them to see how they look and what you like.

Is the Camp Snap 2 worth it? The Camp Snap 2 adds instant nostalgia to photos. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The Camp Snap 2 is 100 percent worth it. At $69.95, it's about half the price of a standard digital camera, and although it definitely has some drawbacks, like no screen or zoom, it makes up for them with ease and charm. It's so easy to use, whether you're an amateur photographer or a summer camper. The upload process is just as simple, too.

Camp Snap 2 $69.95 at Camp Snap
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Kindles are the darling device of BookTok, where you can scroll through thousands of videos on the best accessories and gadgets to maximize your reading experience. One thing about the BookTok girlies: They're right. While I've spent hours watching videos of people decking out their Kindles with accessories, I never really understood the extras until I tried them for myself.

Kindle accessories are add-ons like remote page turners, gooseneck stands, clear cases, PopSockets, and hand straps, which are all aimed at improving your reading comfort.

You may roll your eyes at a gooseneck stand or page-turning remote — I once did — but you're missing out on a life of luxury. A life that includes a Kindle on a stand, a remote page turner in hand, and you all tucked into the covers.

And keep in mind that while Kindles are the buzziest e-readers, there's a whole lot of love for Kobo e-readers on BookTok and here at Mashable. Even though the Kindle Paperwhite is our favorite e-reader, we still have a lot of love for the Kobo Clara Colour and Kobo Libra Colour.

So if you own a Kindle or use another e-reader, this guide is for you: It features the essential accessories, including stands, remotes, grips, and cases. Plus, all the recently launched remotes from Kobo and Boox.

Remote page turner Opens in a new window Credit: Datafy Datafy Remote Control Page Turner $15.99 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $4.00   Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Kobo Kobo Remote $29.99 at Kobo
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Boox Boox Tappy Remote $29.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: DuRoBo DuRoBo Moodi Remote $35.99 at DuRoBo
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The remote control page turner was one of the first Kindle-adjacent gadgets to come across my feed. It clips onto the side of a Kindle, and then you press a button on the remote to turn the page, rather than tapping or swiping the screen. Tapping the screen is easy enough, but the page turner is an added layer of convenience.

At the end of the night, when you want to be cozy in bed, tucked under the blanket to stay warm, the remote allows you to do just that. Combined with the gooseneck stand? Nighttime reading is about to be the coziest it's ever been.

And while the page turner is great for getting cozy, it's also ideal for when you're using a Kindle while on the treadmill.

Kindle does not make a remote for its e-readers, while Kobo, Boox, and Durobo all do. While the Boox Tappy and Durobo Moodi aren't my favorite, the Kobo remote is perfectly designed.

Gooseneck stand Opens in a new window Credit: Magipea Magipea Gooseneck Stand $29.99 at Amazon
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While the remote page turner helps you click through your book, to go truly hands-free, you need to prop up your e-reader, too. Enter the gooseneck stand. After seeing this viral video, I, and the rest of the internet, was influenced to get a clip-in stand for an e-reader.

And let me tell you, it is a luxury to have this stand. While a Kindle is still lightweight, when you're on a reading marathon, your arm inevitably gets tired from holding up the device. But having a gooseneck stand positions the Kindle within reading distance without any arm fatigue.

To test out a gooseneck stand, I tried the Magipea Gooseneck Stand, which is compatible with either a Kindle or Kobo e-reader (I used it with both). I find the bendy arm of this stand to be a little too stiff, but overall, it still works well.

Clear case Opens in a new window Credit: CoBak CoBak Clear MagSafe Case $15.99 at Amazon
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There are plenty of Kindle cases in the sea, but the most popular option among BookTok is a simple, clear case. Sure, that seems boring, but the exciting part is decorating it. Add-ons like charms also bring personal flair, and some people even buy inserts or stickers to swap out over time.

And if you're interested in using a PopSockets grip with your Kindle, I recommend getting a case that's MagSafe compliant so you can take it on and off. PopSockets has its own Kindle case that also happens to be MagSafe.

MagSafe PopSockets Opens in a new window Credit: PopSockets PopSockets MagSafe PopGrip $30 at PopSockets
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PopSockets are already the best ergonomic grip for your phone, so why wouldn't they be the best grip for another handheld device? When I'm not using my Kindle with the gooseneck stand, I like using it with a PopSockets grip for an ergonomic hold.

With a traditional PopSockets grip, you attach it to a device with adhesive, but that means once it's on, it's on. But using a MagSafe PopSockets grip allows you to attach and reattach the grip, depending on whether you want your Kindle to lie flat.

I personally use the PopSockets MagSafe Kick-Out Stand with my Kindle since that's what I use on my phone, and I like that I can prop it up to stand vertically. However, PopSockets launched a line of bookish MagSafe grips to go with its line of Kindle cases.

My PopSockets Kick-Out Grip works as a stand on-the-go. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Strapsicle Straps Opens in a new window Credit: Strapsicle Strapsicle Straps $19.99 at Amazon
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If PopSockets grips aren't really your thing, then Strapsicle makes a nice alternative. Strapsicle's straps attach to the corners of your e-reader, creating a cross pattern. Your hand then slips through the straps, delivering an easy hold on your e-reader. While I personally prefer the feel of a PopSockets grip, the Strapsicle lets your hand lie flat, so it doesn't cramp up from being in a hold. The Strapsicle works best when it has a snug fit, so using it with a case can be a little tight.

Just slide your hand in between the straps for an easy hold. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable Page Kindle Cases Opens in a new window Credit: Page. Page Kindle Case $40 at Page.
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Before I went deep into the world of Kindle accessories, I really just wanted a good case. After several well-placed Instagram ads, I landed on a case from Page. Not only do they have a ton of really cute designs, but they also make cases for a variety of e-readers, including the full Kindle and Kobo lineups.

The case automatically wakes and sleeps your e-reader, and it includes a hand strap for a nice grip while reading. Plus, I like this case because it guards the poorly placed power button on the e-reader. This way, when I'm reading on the treadmill, the button doesn't accidentally get pressed.

You could also always go for an official Amazon case for a simple cover with good protection. Any protective case is a good choice, especially one with reinforced corners to protect against drops.

If I had to buy every book I read, I wouldn't be able to pay rent. Reading for free isn't hard; I'm always exchanging books with friends, scouring my neighborhood's little free libraries, shopping Stuff Your Kindle Day, and of course, I love my local library. However, as an e-reader expert and enthusiast, I'm almost always using a device for reading. But as I use and test e-readers, I still need to be able to use my library card and read for free. That's where Libby comes in.

Libby is an app that connects you with your library's digital collection so you can borrow e-books, audiobooks, and magazines. You can then enjoy these digital copies on your phone, tablet, or e-reader. The best part — it's totally free.

Having used Libby for several years, it's a crucial part of my content diet and an invaluable resource for staying well-read. This guide walks you through how it works, how to use it on Kindle and Kobo, plus some details on its updated hold system.

How does Libby work with your library card? Felt like hitting the jackpot to find Emily Henry's "Great Big Beautiful Life" as ready to borrow. Credit: Screenshot: Libby After several weeks, my copy of "Stag Dance" by Torrey Peters was finally ready to borrow and be added to my library. Credit: Screenshot: Libby

Libby, which is part of the OverDrive system, connects you with your library's digital collection. More than 90 percent of public libraries in North America use OverDrive, and Libby is available in 78 countries globally, so it's a universal system.

To use Libby, sign in using your library card information from a participating public library. Have multiple library cards? You can attach as many cards to your account as you want. Once logged in, you can browse your library's digital collection.

You can search for specific titles, or you can get suggestions from Libby as it highlights and curates titles. Some books will be ready to borrow right away, which you can check out and will automatically be added to your library.

Other books will require you to place a hold. New and popular books will often require long waits, because borrowing follows a licensed-copy model, but a pro tip: Having multiple library cards allows you to compare wait times at different libraries, so you can get in the shortest line.

Once a hold is ready to borrow, it will appear in your library, allowing you to check it out. The app also sends notifications for holds and loans. So if your library doesn't have a title, add a smart tag on it, and you'll be alerted when it gets a copy.

Libby lets you borrow books for up to 21 days, depending on your library's rules. Some books can be renewed, while others that have people waiting to borrow them can't be renewed. Books are returned automatically, which means no late fees.

A major 2025 Libby app update View this post on Instagram

If you're new to Libby, this change won't mean much to you, but existing users may have noticed a change to how holds work.

On Sept. 18, 2025, Libby made a major change to its hold system that upset some users. Now, instead of being able to delay holds for a certain amount of time, users will need to suspend holds until they're ready to receive them.

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Users complained about the change, saying they won't remember to unsuspend their holds. In response, Libby explained via Instagram that the new system: "helps libraries serve more readers by keeping books moving and reducing expired holds."

Where can you read books with Libby? When you borrow a book on Libby, it'll give you multiple options on how to read. Credit: Screenshot: Libby

You have a couple of options on how to read your e-books, whether that's in the Libby app on a smartphone or tablet, in a browser through the Libby website, or on a supported e-reader.

The best part about using the Libby app or website is that it syncs your progress across all devices. That way, if you leave your iPad at home, you can read on your iPhone and pick up right where you left off. Within the app or on an e-reader, you can adjust the font size, book layout, and background color for a truly customizable reading experience.

Libby also allows you to read its books as ePUB files. The best way to do so is by using Adobe Digital Editions, so if you have a device with Adobe access but not Libby access, like Boox e-readers, you can still access your borrowed books.

To read on an e-reader, you can either have it automatically sync to a Kobo or send it to your Kindle device. However, the Kindle and Libby integration is only available with U.S. libraries and Amazon accounts.

Kobo has the smoothest Libby integration. You can log in via Overdrive (Libby's parent company) on your device, and when you borrow books, they'll auto-populate in your library.

For Kindle users, there are a couple of extra steps in the process.

Featured Video For You Kindle Paperwhite vs. Kobo Clara Colour: Which one is better? How to read Libby books on Kindle To read Libby books with Kindle, you'll have to manually send it to your Kindle library. Credit: Screenshot: Amazon Once you send your Libby loan to the Kindle, it will automatically populate to your library. However, you still need to download it to your device. Credit: Screenshot: Kindle

To read Libby books on a Kindle, select the "Read With Kindle" option within the Libby app, which lets you send borrowed e-books to your Kindle (only in the U.S.). That'll take you to Amazon, where you'll click the "Get Library Book" button. From there, the book will automatically appear in the library of your Kindle app and devices. Just remember, once the book is in your library, you'll need to download it on your Kindle to start reading.

What's the best e-reader for Libby? The Kindle Paperwhite and Kobo Libra Colour are easily the best e-readers for Libby. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

The best e-readers for Libby are either the Kobo Libra Colour or the Kindle Paperwhite. Which one you go for depends on how you use Libby. If you just have one library card, the Kobo is the best e-reader for Libby. All of your borrowed Libby books automatically populate on the device without needing to press any extra buttons. The downside is that you can only have one Libby account attached to your Kobo at a time.

If you have multiple library cards, the Kindle Paperwhite is the best e-reader for Libby. While it requires one extra step to get your books on the device, you can borrow with multiple cards simultaneously.

If you don't want to buy an e-reader, you can get started with Libby immediately by reading on a smartphone or tablet that you already own. If you're going to read on a tablet, I recommend the iPad mini, which is smaller than other models, preventing wrist strain while holding the device. The screen of an iPad is sometimes too glossy for reading, and if that hurts your eyes, you can add a paper-like screen cover.

Avoid the Barnes & Noble Nook and Boox e-readers for reading with Libby, as both require tedious steps to get your library books on the devices.

If you're primarily using Libby for audiobooks, you don't need an e-reader. The Libby app on your phone also works well for audio, letting you download for offline reading or stream if you need to save space on your device. Its built-in player lets you control playback speed, which ranges from 0.6x to 3.0x. Listening in the car? It will play via Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, too.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kobo Kobo Libra Colour $229.99 at Rakuten
  Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Paperwhite $159.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now Downsides to Libby

There aren't many downsides to Libby — I'd argue there technically are none. But as a word of warning, I think it's important to view Libby as the library that it is and not as an e-book store. With an e-book store, you can buy nearly any title you want, but with a library, sometimes books aren't available.

This can sometimes be because libraries have limited copies, so you have to wait weeks or even months for a book to become available to borrow. The change to the Libby hold system will hopefully cut back on long wait times. And if you're stuck waiting on e-book waitlists in Libby, explore your library's vast collection of digital magazines, which have unlimited simultaneous use.

Sometimes your library just won't have a book in its collection at all. The best way to avoid this issue is to get multiple library cards since different networks have varying catalogs.

Updated on Aug. 1 at 6 a.m. ET — On June 25, Apple announced sweeping MacBook price increases due to the global memory crisis. The MacBook Neo now starts at $599 with an education discount and $699 without it. The version with 512GB of storage and TouchID now costs $799. We've updated our MacBook Neo review and adjusted the Mashable score from 4.8 to 4.7.

On March 11, Apple dropped the MacBook Neo like a bomb on the laptop market. I was at a New York City launch event to see its big unveiling, and the colorful budget laptop made a strong first impression. As I wrote at the time: If I were a Windows laptop that cost under $1,000, I'd be shaking in my boots.

Since then, we've seen a wave of price increases in the Windows world. Eventually, the MacBook Neo got a $100 price increase, too. But even at its new $699 starting price, the MacBook Neo offers unbeatable value, and I think it's easily the best laptop under $1,000 right now. And after spending an extra four months with this laptop on my desk, I've updated this review.

The Neo brings premium MacBook features — Liquid Retina Display, the intuitive macOS, a sleek aluminum design — to an entirely new market segment. For the first time, we have a true budget laptop from Apple.

Even with its repurposed A18 Pro chip and 8GB of RAM, this is a laptop with no viable competition, full stop.

Who is the MacBook Neo for? The MacBook Neo in citrus and indigo at the Mashable office. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo is Apple's first MacBook without an M-series chip since 2020. For that reason, the Neo is not a laptop for professionals like myself. If you need to do heavy-duty photo or video editing, work with 3D modeling programs, or run open-source AI models on your device, you'll want that MacBook Air or Pro with the latest M5 chips.

SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo vs. MacBook Air (M5): How Apple's new laptops compare

Instead, the MacBook Neo is meant to be baby's first laptop, and I mean that as a compliment. It's a starter laptop you might buy for a high school or college student who will eventually graduate to the Air or Pro, depending on their needs. But I also foresee another popular use case for this device — the party laptop.

Lots of people, including myself, use two laptops on a daily basis. You have your work laptop — in my case, a MacBook Pro — and then you have what I call the party laptop. It could be a simple Chromebook, an old work laptop, a gaming laptop, or even a tablet. When your workday is done, you put away the work laptop with your email and calendar, and fire up your party laptop for streaming, music, casual browsing, and retail therapy.

The MacBook Neo would be a perfect party laptop or Chromebook alternative, and while it lacks storage and RAM, Apple definitely didn't skimp on the entertainment features.

MacBook Neo design: We gotta talk about the colors Credit: Timothy Werth / Mashable

No tech brand does design better than Apple, at least, not for the mass market. And in the under-$1,000 laptop category, the Neo stands out for its premium design. Lately, we've seen many Windows laptops imitating the MacBook's metal body and rounded edges, but those are typically Ultrabooks that cost quite a bit. The Neo offers a budget price without compromising on Apple's signature all-aluminum build quality.

Let's look at the competition: Our favorite Windows laptop under $1,000 as of August 2026 is the Framework Laptop 13, which costs $899. We also love the Acer Aspire 16 AI, which costs $699 (if you can find it in stock). It's a good laptop, but it also has a flimsy hinge and plastic components. With the Neo, you get an aluminum chassis, plus it's $100 cheaper, plus it comes in fun colors, plus it has Dolby Atmos speakers. The keyboard and components also have a premium feel. Apple even matches the color of the key caps to the laptop's color, a very nice touch.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable The Neo has an all-aluminum design; Apple matches the color of the keys to the aluminum. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo comes in four colors: silver, indigo, citrus, and blush. Now, I will say, the blush is a very subtle pink. I say, if you're going pink, go pink. But in person, the citrus and indigo really pop. Apple also color-matches the keys to the aluminum finish, and it's those little details that elevate the design. The Apple team has been having a lot of fun with this product launch, and I think shoppers will, too.

MacBook Neo: Performance and battery Be honest, did you notice the home screen artwork says "MAC"? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

When Apple unveiled the Neo, two competing opinions spread in the tech world. The MacBook Neo, with its fun colors and killer price, would either disrupt the entire Windows laptop market, or it would be an underpowered waste of space with its old iPhone chip and a measly 8GB of RAM.

In this case, the optimists were proven right.

To be sure, you're not going to edit a professional music video, mix a song, or work on an animation project with 8GB of RAM and the A18 Pro chip, first introduced for the iPhone 16 Pro. But don't believe what the haters are saying online: You can still do a lot with 8GB of RAM.

Here's what people are forgetting: Over the past few years, Apple has quietly made its MacBook Air and Pro laptops way overpowered for the average user. (The same is true for the iPad Air and Pro, as I explain in my M4 iPad Air review.) The original M1 MacBook was a legendary laptop that truly changed the category for good. Six years later, I know professional film editors who are still working on M1-era MacBook Pros and have zero complaints about performance or speed.

Apple M-series silicon changed the laptop market for good. Credit: Mashable SEE ALSO: Apple's M series chips are too powerful for their own good

As you can see in this chart, ever since Apple launched the M1 chip in 2020, the company's M-series silicon has progressed by leaps and bounds. At one point, it seemed like Qualcomm's Snapdragon X Elite chip might finally offer some true competition for Apple silicon, but then Apple released a new M chip.

Apple's M series chips have made such massive leaps in performance that you have to be a serious superuser to tax these devices to their limits. So, a simpler MacBook with less firepower makes sense for a ton of reasons. You don't need 16GB of RAM and an M5 chip to stream Netflix, make Word documents, and send emails.

But let's get specific. Let's talk benchmarks.

MacBook Neo review: Geekbench performance and stress tests

When testing a new laptop, Mashable runs a series of standardized tests, including the latest Geekbench 6 benchmark. The MacBook Neo received a multi-core score of 8,770, nearly identical to the 8,783 we recorded for the M1 MacBook Air. We also assessed its single-core performance, since that's a good measure of what we call snappiness, or how quickly it responds in everyday use. And this is where it gets interesting. The MacBook Neo achieved a single-core score of 3,484, significantly higher than most other laptops.

For reference, the Razer Blade 18 with an Intel Core i9-275HX processor scored 3,057 in single-core testing. So, it's no wonder I've been able to do a surprising amount with the A18 Pro Chip.

I was able to edit a simple, cheesy video in Final Cut Pro using the MacBook Neo without struggling against the spinning wheel of death. Even when I layered video clips on top of each other and added a series of totally unnecessary transitions, the Neo handled the tasks just fine, as you can see for yourself:

For my MacBook Neo review, I also set up multiple Apple Shortcuts to perform complex tasks. I set up one Shortcut to automatically convert raw image files into JPEGs, crop them into a 16:9 aspect ratio, auto-adjust the color balance, hue, and saturation, and then save them in a specific folder. Using this Shortcut, the Neo edited a dozen massive image files with ease in under 30 seconds.

I set up another Shortcut to automatically convert all my video files into GIFs, also without problems.

Featured Video For You Budget MacBook arrives, AI tutoring gets an upgrade, Uber launches women-only feature | Tech Today The MacBook Neo does have one big flaw The lack of Thunderbolt 4 ports is a big drawback. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

In stress-testing the Neo, I found its kryptonite, which won't be a surprise. Because the Neo lacks a Thunderbolt 4 port, it can only offer transfer speeds of up to 10Gb/s, compared to 40Gb/s with the latest MacBook Air. Likewise, the A18 Pro chip offers 60GB/s memory bandwidth, compared to 153GB/s memory bandwidth on the M5 Air.

The A18 Pro chip offers:

• 6-core CPU (2 performance cores and 4 efficiency cores)

• 5-core GPU

• 16-core Neural Engine

The only time I encountered the spinning wheel of death? When importing or exporting large files. M-series MacBooks can multitask while doing this, but as you can see in my screen recording, the Neo really struggled to multitask while transferring large video files.

MacBook Neo battery life

Apple promises "all-day" battery life with the Neo. Specifically, the company promises up to 16 hours of battery for video streaming (and 11 hours for wireless web browsing). In our battery rundown test, we got exactly 14 hours and 50 minutes of battery performance.

If you want the MacBook Neo to last for an entire day of classes or a long travel day, I think it will be up for the challenge. And once again, it compares very favorably to Windows laptops under $1,000. In Mashable's testing database, the media battery life for this category is only 10.5 hours. So, once more, the MacBook Neo can do more for less money.

MacBook Neo: Display and speakers The headphones jack and side-firing speakers. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo has the same Liquid Retina display tech that you'll find on the $1,299 M5 MacBook Air (previously priced at $1,099) and other Apple laptops. The Neo's Display is 0.9 inches smaller than the Air, however. It can offer up to 500 nits of brightness on its 13-inch, 2,408 x 1,506 resolution display. The color, clarity, and sharpness are as impressive as ever, particularly when you compare them to the average Windows laptop in this price range. It's a premium display in a budget laptop.

The MacBook Neo isn't simply a MacBook Air with a bunch of performance sacrifices, however. Apple actually improved the speaker system for the Neo (further solidifying it in my mind as the party laptop). Apple added two side-firing speakers, which you might mistake for SD card readers at first. The result is a speaker system that's surprisingly loud, clear, and compatible with Dolby Atmos.

MacBook Neo: What's missing? The MacBook Neo has the MacBook's signature all-aluminum design. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

The MacBook Neo does make both performance and hardware sacrifices to keep its price low, of course. Before buying the Neo, you need to understand what you're not getting:

• No 12MP Center Stage Camera (the Neo has a 1080p FaceTime HD camera)

• No True Tone technology

• No fast-charging capabilities

• No Thunderbolt 4 ports (it has one USB-C 3 and one USB-C 2 port)

• Only supports one external display

• $599 version only has 256GB of memory and no Touch ID (the $799 version has 512GB and Touch ID)

The MacBook Neo has a Magic Keyboard, but it's not backlit like you're used to. It also features a different trackpad. While it's extra-clicky, it's not quite as nice as a standard MacBook. That's hardly a breaking point, though.

Will Siri AI work with the MacBook Neo?

At WWDC 2026, Apple finally introduced Siri AI, which will be coming with macOS 27 Golden Gate. Even though the Neo lacks M-series silicon, Apple says it will be ready to support the new OS, the updated Siri, and new Apple Intelligence features.

For now, these features are only accessible on the Neo via the macOS 27 developer beta, but they will be widely available starting in the fall.

Final thoughts: Is the MacBook Neo still worth it for $699? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

My verdict: The MacBook Neo is 100 percent worth it for budget shoppers, even after the recent price increase. Unless you need a Windows laptop, or if your educational institution recommends a laptop with more processing power, you won't find another laptop under $1,000 than can go head-to-head with the Neo.

I will continue to update this review for as long as I'm using the Neo. But as someone who works with a lot of video, photography, and AI tools, the MacBook Neo can handle quite a bit of my daily workflow. First-time buyers will also appreciate how easily it works with the iPhone and iPad. As per usual, your files can instantly sync across devices, and AirDrop fills any gaps.

As I said, if you're comparing the $699 MacBook Neo with a similarly priced Windows laptop or Chromebook, it's going to be really hard to say no to the Neo, especially as Dell, Microsoft, Lenovo, and Acer raise prices. And if you qualify for the $599 education pricing (unfortunately, Apple has cracked down on the requirements), don't overthink this one.

Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $689.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon

UPDATE: Jun. 14, 2026, 5:00 a.m. EDT We updated our MacBook Neo review after conducting addtional testing.

UPDATE: Mar. 11, 2026, 11:18 a.m. EDT We replaced one of the images in this review to correct a photo-editing mistake.

How to watch the 2026 NFL preseason at a glance: ESPN Unlimited $299.99/year (save $59.89) Get Deal YouTube TV Sports free 10-day trial, then $54.99/month for 12 months (save $120) Learn More ESPN Unlimited + NFL+ Premium bundle $39.99/month (save $4.99/month) Get Deal Fubo Sports $54.99/month for 1 month (save $10) Get Deal NFL+ Premium $79.99/year (save $20) Get Deal

While preseason might not bring all the action of the regular season, which kicks off in September, it does give football fans a glimpse into the new talent pool for 2026. You'll see the 2026 NFL Draft Class take the field in hopes of earning starting spots on each team. And, of course, scout players for your fantasy team and build up excitement for the best time of year.

Watching live sports, particularly football, is exceedingly complicated in the streaming era. Yes, that even includes the preseason schedule. So, I've done the grunt work for you and broken down the necessary details you need to know to tune in. Here's a handy watch guide for the 2026 NFL preseason so you don't miss out on your team's early exhibition games.

When is the 2026 NFL preseason?

The 2026 NFL preseason begins with the Hall of Fame Game on Aug. 6 at 8 p.m. ET, featuring the Carolina Panthers vs. the Arizona Cardinals. The official preseason schedule then runs from Aug. 13 through Aug. 29, with the regular season kicking off on Sept. 9.

How to watch NFL preseason games live

There are 48 games total in the 2026 NFL preseason schedule; 32 of those games will be broadcast on either ESPN/ ESPN Unlimited or NFL Network. The other games will be dispersed between Prime Video and your local CBS, ABC, NBC, and Fox stations.

The good news is all of these networks will also carry regular season games. So, if you make the investments now in your streaming lineup, you'll be set for the full NFL season. The bad news is, you'll need at least a couple different subscriptions to watch your home team. While there are a number of different ways to gain access to every game, I recommend one of two options. You can buy a digital antenna for access to local networks (CBS, NBC, Fox) and sign up for subscriptions to ESPN with NFL Network and Prime Video. Or you can sign up for a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV or Fubo to get access to local networks as well as ESPN and NFL Network in most markets. Unfortunately, you'll still need to sign up for Prime Video separately if you're not already a Prime member. Make note that blackout restrictions apply to local broadcasts, just as they do in the regular season. To access out-of-market preseason games, you'll need an NFL+ subscription.

Note: The only preseason game on Prime Video is the Aug. 27 matchup between the Cleveland Browns and the New England Patriots. Feel free to skip the Prime Video subscription for preseason if you don't care about this game.

Let's break down what those two options would cost you.

Option 1: Digital antenna + ESPN/NFL Network + Prime Video

Digital antenna options and prices vary depending on the range. Do a quick search of how far you live from your local TV stations by miles, and be sure to grab an antenna that has a range of at least that far. Mashable's sister site, PCMag, has some recommendations if you need help in your search. On average, you're looking at about a $30 to $40 purchase. That will grant you access to local games on Fox, CBS, and NBC. In order to access the 32 games on ESPN and NFL Network, you'll need an ESPN Unlimited subscription with the NFL+ Premium add-on (scroll down to the "Looking for more?" section on the ESPN website). This will cost you $39.99 per month for the bundle. Throw Prime Video into the mix for $8.99 per month, and you have a grand total of around $80 to $90 for a month. After your initial investment in the digital antenna, however, that price will go down to just $49 per month for the ESPN bundle and Prime Video, making this a better deal in the long run.

Option 2: Live TV streaming service + Prime Video

Another smart option to watch preseason NFL games is to sign up for a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV. Recently, YouTube TV added a more affordable Sports Plan, which grants you access to NBC, CBS, FOX, NFL Network, and ESPN — all of the networks you'll need for the preseason. It'll only cost you $54.99 per month for your first year, which is a pretty solid deal. All you'll need in addition to the YouTube TV Sports Plan is a Prime Video subscription for $8.99. That brings the grand total to $64 for a month.

The best streaming deals for the 2026 NFL preseason Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited $29.99/month Learn More

ESPN Unlimited costs $29.99 per month, but you can save $59.89 by signing up for a full year at $299.99. Unfortunately, if you want to bundle it with NFL+ Premium for the ultimate football streaming package, you'll have to stick with the monthly plan. However, you'll save about $5 per month on the bundle deal.

ESPN Unlimited deals:

• ESPN Unlimited annual subscription — $299.99/year $359.88/year (save $59.89/year)

• ESPN Unlimited and NFL+ Premium — $39.99/month $44.98/month (save $4.99/month)

• Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN Unlimited bundle — $35.99/month $53.97/month (save $17.98/month)

• ESPN Unlimited and Fox One bundle — $39.99/month $49.98/month (save $9.99/month)

Opens in a new window Credit: YouTube TV YouTube TV Sports plan free 10-day trial, then $54.99/month for your first year Learn More

We're big fans of YouTube TV's massive 100+ channel lineup, which includes nearly all of the networks you'll need to tune into the NFL preseason live. We're even bigger fans of the 10-day free trial offer. We're not so thrilled with the full price of the Base Plan, however, so we recommend going for the new Sports Plan.

YouTube TV will cost you $67.99 per month for your first three months of the Base Plan, then $82.99 per month thereafter. The Sports Plan, on the other hand, is just $54.99 per month for your first 12 months and $64.99 per month thereafter.

YouTube TV deals:

• YouTube TV Sports — free 10-day trial, $54.99/month for your first year $64.99/month (save $120)

• YouTube TV Base — free 10-day trial, $67.99/month for your first 3 months $82.99/month (save $45)

Honorable mention live TV streaming deal:

• Fubo Sports — $54.99/month for 1 month $64.99/month (save $10)

Opens in a new window Credit: NFL+ NFL+ Premium annual plan $79.99
$99.99 Save $20 *Best for out-of-market preseason games* Get Deal

If you're a fan of a non-local team, you'll need an NFL+ plan to watch out-of-market preseason games. Fortunately, NFL+ is running a preseason deal just in the nick of time. Save 20% on an annual plan to NFL+ or NFL+ Premium and catch your favorite team on your mobile devices. Of course, if you're already an ESPN Unlimited subscriber, the best deal is to bundle it with NFL+ Premium for an extra $10 (see above).

Note: Though you can watch out-of-market preseason games, you'll only be able to watch your local in-market games during the regular season with NFL+. I don't know why and I don't make the rules, but it's something to consider.

NFL+ deals:

• NFL+ — $39.99/year $49.99/year (save $10)

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Farewell, Ser Criston Cole (Fabien Frankel).

House of the Dragon's most-hated knight came to the end of his prolonged death march in Season 3, when he took three arrows to the chest and face. But before he met his unceremonious fate, he proved why he called himself the realm's greatest warrior, killing at least 10 enemy soldiers over the course of a brutal ambush.

SEE ALSO: 'House of the Dragon' Season 3, episode 6: We counted Criston Cole's body count in the first 5 minutes. It's more than you think.

Even though Criston makes mincemeat of several Rivermen, Frankel never wanted the fight to feel like a walk in the park.

"The big thing I found with all those fight scenes in general, in medieval-adjacent films, [is that] everyone always looks like it's so easy, and I wanted him to look exhausted," Fabien Frankel told Mashable Entertainment Reporter Belen Edwards in a Say More interview.

He continued: "They've been on the road for so long, and we really worked super hard, me and the stunt team, to build the beats in where you find him exhausted, where you find him out of breath."

Criston's rising exhaustion is just one of the many stories House of the Dragon spins throughout the fight scene. Another has to do with Criston's weapons of choice. He begins the fight with a flail, the very same weapon he uses against Daemon Targaryen (Matt Smith) in their tourney fight in House of the Dragon's very first episode. Later, he picks up a sword, reminiscent of his days in the Kingsguard and as a commander. He also pulls a dagger on his enemies, and this particular dagger is one that Frankel has been eager to use since Season 1.

In Season 1, Criston tries to stab himself with that same dagger, before a young Alicent Hightower (Emily Carey) stops him. He's been carrying around that dagger at his back ever since.

"I had this dagger for a long time, and I wanted to find a reason to use it because it's unbelievably uncomfortable," Frankel said.

Enter Criston's last stand at the Butcher's Ball.

"We were looking for a few extra beats in the fight, and I was like, 'Guys, this is the moment, and the dagger has to come out now,'" Frankel said. "We had that amazing beat, which was so cool. They choreographed that so well, and the weapon progression was really joyful to do."

Watch Mashable's full interview with Frankel above.

House of the Dragon Season 3 is now streaming on HBO Max, with new episodes premiering Sundays at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

Magic: The Gathering has produced plenty of expensive trading cards over its long history, but you do not need to dig through sets from the 1990s to find singles worth hundreds (or even thousands) of dollars.

The current Standard format (used for competitive MTG) stretches from 2023’s Wilds of Eldraine through to Marvel Super Heroes, covering traditional Magic planes alongside Universes Beyond crossovers such as Final Fantasy, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Avatar: The Last Airbender. Even among these relatively new collections, you can find enough expensive chase cards to fully fund a pension plan and then some.

With that, we’ve checked the top five leading cards from every Standard-legal set using TCGplayer market prices — including those sporting alternate artwork, premium foil aesthetics, and coveted serialized versions. Just like with the most valuable Pokémon cards in the modern TCG, Magic prices can change as more copies are opened and sold, but these are the five most valuable chase cards right now.

Wilds of Eldraine

Wilds of Eldraine is one of the more affordable Standard expansions at the upper end, with none of its five leading cards currently stretching far beyond $50:

• Agatha’s Soul Cauldron (Extended Art, #366): $50.29

• Agatha’s Soul Cauldron (#242): $38.31

• Beseech the Mirror (Extended Art, #336): $35.51

• Beseech the Mirror (#082): $18.73

• Moonshaker Cavalry (Extended Art, #325): $18.56

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan

The Lost Caverns of Ixalan sits at the opposite end of the scale to Wild of Eldraine. Not only are its top five cards dominated by rare borderless Cavern of Souls variants, but the most valuable version carries a market price of roughly $4,900:

• Cavern of Souls (0410a, Borderless, #410a): $4,900

• Cavern of Souls (0410e, Borderless, #410e): $797.16

• Cavern of Souls (0410d, Borderless, #410d): $528.68

• Cavern of Souls (0410c, Borderless, #410c): $480.07

• Cavern of Souls (0410f, Borderless, #410f): $256.52

Murders at Karlov Manor 

Murders at Karlov Manor’s biggest cards have been dominated by serialized versions of familiar Ravnica characters:

• Niv-Mizzet, Guildpact (Serial Numbered, #319): $695

• Vannifar, Evolved Enigma (Serial Numbered, #323): $600

• Trostani, Three Whispers (Serial Numbered, #322): $500

• Rakdos, Patron of Chaos (Serial Numbered, #320): $400

• Lazav, Wearer of Faces (Serial Numbered, #318): $329.99

Outlaws of Thunder Junction

Outlaws of Thunder Junction is considerably cheaper than many of the sets that came before and after. That’s slightly surprising, given Bristly Bill, Spine Sower, and Terror of the Peaks account for four of its five leading cards:

• Bristly Bill, Spine Sower (Extended Art, #338): $62.40

• Terror of the Peaks (Extended Art, #337): $45.76

• Bristly Bill, Spine Sower (#157): $42.35

• Terror of the Peaks (#149): $30.04

• Goldvein Hydra (Extended Art, #341): $12.20

Outlaws of Thunder Junction: The Big Score

The Big Score was released inside Outlaws of Thunder Junction boosters, pushing the wider set’s value much higher than one might normally expect. Its Raised Foil Vaultborn Tyrant and Sword of Wealth and Power sit very comfortably above the main expansion’s biggest pulls, with market prices well over $200 and $150, respectively:

• Vaultborn Tyrant (Showcase, Raised Foil, #061): $220.83

• Sword of Wealth and Power (Showcase, Raised Foil, #064): $164.13

• Vaultborn Tyrant (Showcase, #050): $86.94

• Simulacrum Synthesizer (Showcase, #036): $68.76

• Sword of Wealth and Power (Showcase, #056): $54.32

Bloomburrow

Bloomburrow's animal-focused setting might be an approachable set to dive into, but its most desirable Raised Foils carry some seriously high prices:

• Lumra, Bellow of the Woods (Borderless, Raised Foil, #343): $769.57

• Baylen, the Haymaker (Borderless, Raised Foil, #345): $412.83

• Ral, Crackling Wit (Borderless, Raised Foil, #353): $359.81

• Camellia, the Seedmiser (Borderless, Raised Foil, #346): $244.41

• Vren, the Relentless (Borderless, Raised Foil, #354): $226.66

Duskmourn: House of Horror

Duskmourn: House of Horror has a strong collection of premium cards without reaching the four-figure price brackets of Standard’s biggest releases:

• Valgavoth, Terror Eater (Showcase, Textured Foil, #407): $303.06

• Enduring Vitality (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #404): $282.09

• Overlord of the Balemurk (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #401): $256.26

• Enduring Curiosity (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #398): $197.46

• Overlord of the Hauntwoods (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #405): $191.82

Foundations

Magic: The Gathering’s Foundations offers plenty of recognizable Magic staples, and its Fracture Foil treatments have ended up becoming very high value in terms of chase cards:

• Llanowar Elves (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #439): $778.73

• Doubling Season (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #438): $624.11

• Twinflame Tyrant (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #437): $469.21

• Bloodthirsty Conqueror (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #436): $354.33

• Progenitus (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #441): $294.72

Aetherdrift

Aetherdrift's most valuable cards are relatively cheap compared to other expansions released around the same time. Radiant Lotus and Loot, the Pathfinder lead through their Fracture Foil treatments, but neither currently reaches much beyond $140:                                                                                         

• Radiant Lotus (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #416): $136.34

• Loot, the Pathfinder (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #414): $104.25

• The Aetherspark (First-Place Foil, #496): $86.59

• Chandra, Spark Hunter (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #411): $72.86

• Cursecloth Wrappings (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #410): $51.73

Tarkir: Dragonstorm

Tarkir: Dragonstorm was released with one enormous chase card separating it from almost everything else in the expansion. The serialized Mox Jasper carries a market price of roughly $1,757, putting it more than $1,200 ahead of the Halo Foil Ugin, Eye of the Storms:

• Mox Jasper (Serial Numbered, #419): $1,757.08

• Ugin, Eye of the Storms (Showcase, Halo Foil, #409): $464.06

• Elspeth, Storm Slayer (Showcase, Halo Foil, #411): $303.04

• Craterhoof Behemoth (Showcase, Halo Foil, #414): $270.18

• Dracogenesis (Showcase, Halo Foil, #412): $125.90

Final Fantasy

Magic: The Gathering’s Final Fantasy expansion was one of the most anticipated trading card releases in a long while — and is now one of the most expensive by far. Unsurprisingly, for those who kept up with MTG Final Fantasy at launch, all five of the most valuable chase cards are the Traveling Chocobo variants:

• Traveling Chocobo (Borderless, Japanese Exclusive, #551): $5,950

• Traveling Chocobo (Borderless, Neon Ink Blue, #551c): $1,937.28

• Traveling Chocobo (Borderless, Neon Ink Green, #551d): $1,862.90

• Traveling Chocobo (Borderless, Neon Ink Yellow, #551a): $1,766.81

• Traveling Chocobo (Borderless, Neon Ink Pink, #551b): $1,754.61

Edge of Eternities

Edge of Eternities mixes a single four-figure showstopper with several more moderately priced Fracture Foils. Leading the top five by far is the Singularity Foil version of Sothera, the Supervoid, with a market price of over $1,200, while Icetill Explorer drops to around $348 in second place:

• Sothera, the Supervoid (Singularity Foil, #382): $1,222.82

• Icetill Explorer (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #388): $347.95

• Exalted Sunborn (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #384): $222.85

• Starfield Vocalist (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #385): $196.77

• Sothera, the Supervoid (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #386): $128.71

Marvel’s Spider-Man

Marvel’s Spider-Man unexpectedly included a high-priced Infinity Stone sitting at the top of its rankings, with the borderless Soul Stone carrying a market value of nearly $1,700:

• The Soul Stone (Borderless, #243): $1,698.11

• Spectacular Spider-Man (0235, Borderless, #235): $417.15

• Spectacular Spider-Man (0236, Borderless, #236): $308.02

• Spectacular Spider-Man (0240, Borderless, #240): $267.55

• Spectacular Spider-Man (0238, Borderless, #238): $264.05

Avatar: The Last Airbender

Magic: The Gathering’s Avatar: The Last Airbender expansion brought the iconic Nickelodeon series’ bending to the tabletop and has one of Standard’s most valuable collections of premium treatments:

• Avatar Aang (Raised Foil, #363): $3,908.42

• Toph, the First Metalbender (Borderless, Neon Ink Foil, #362): $900.80

• Aang, Swift Savior (Borderless, Neon Ink Foil, #359): $534.64

• Katara, the Fearless (Borderless, Neon Ink Foil, #361): $479.35

• Fire Lord Zuko (Borderless, Neon Ink Foil, #360): $466.79

Lorwyn Eclipsed

Lorwyn Eclipsed returned to the land of light and shadow with a noticeably smaller gap between its premium pulls and the rest of the expansion. Bloom Tender leads through its Fracture Foil treatment at approximately $356, followed by Moonshadow at just under $150:

• Bloom Tender (0400, Showcase, Fracture Foil, #400): $355.52

• Moonshadow (0396, Showcase, Fracture Foil, #396): $147.77

• Selfless Safewright (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #401): $75.11

• Spinerock Tyrant (0399, Showcase, Fracture Foil, #399): $74.81

• Winnowing (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #392): $70.75

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles emerged from the sewers and became another heavyweight Universes Beyond release, largely thanks to its beautiful Gold-Stamped borderless cards:

• Leonardo, Sewer Samurai (Borderless, Gold-Stamped, #301): $2,957.03

• Donatello, Mutant Mechanic (Borderless, Gold-Stamped, #302): $2,700

• Michelangelo, Improviser (Borderless, Gold-Stamped, #304): $2,250

• Raphael, Ninja Destroyer (Borderless, Gold-Stamped, #303): $2,175

• Super Shredder (Showcase, Fracture Foil, #295): $320.47

Secrets of Strixhaven

Secrets of Strixhaven has perhaps the most uneven top end of any expansion on this list. Its serialized Double Rainbow Foil Emeritus of Ideation is valued at approximately $2,900, but the second-place card sits at only around $18:

• Emeritus of Ideation (Retro Frame, Serial Numbered, Double Rainbow Foil, #306): $2,900

• Emeritus of Woe (Extended Art, #324): $18.04

• Witherbloom, the Balancer (Borderless, #288): $13.30

• Improvisation Capstone (Borderless, #294): $12.99

• Emeritus of Woe (#080): $12.86

Marvel Super Heroes

Magic: The Gathering’s fun Marvel Super Heroes expansion closes out the current Standard lineup with another hugely valuable Infinity Stone:

• The Mind Stone (Borderless, #386): $1,641.39

• Thanos, the Mad Titan (Borderless, #400): $222.82

• Doctor Doom (Borderless, #394): $150.50

• Ultron, Artificial Malevolence (Borderless, #401): $93.71

• Shang-Chi, Master of Kung Fu (Borderless, #396): $84.89

TL;DR: Get the iPhone 17 for free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free Switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. Get Deal

While Samsung continues to dominate the news cycle with its latest wave of foldables and smart glasses, we can't simply ignore Apple.

With memory costs creeping up under global RAMageddon supply squeezes, getting your hands on the latest iPhone usually requires a steep upfront cost. However, T-Mobile is cutting through the noise with a major carrier deal: you can score an Apple iPhone 17 for free right now when you switch networks. The best bit? Unlike most promotions that force you to trade something in to qualify, this offer bucks that trend.

To qualify for this promotion, you simply need to switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan.

T-Mobile finances the $829.99 device balance over 24 months, then applies an equal monthly bill credit to cancel out that fee. You are responsible for local sales tax on the full pre-credit price plus T-Mobile’s standard $35 device connection charge due at checkout. This is a 24-month carrier agreement. If you cancel the service, switch to another plan, or leave T-Mobile before the 24-month period is up, the remaining unpaid device balance becomes due immediately.

If you’re still clutching an iPhone 12 or iPhone 13, you’re missing out on Apple’s most transformative generational leap in years. The iPhone 17 is the first base-model handset built to run Apple Intelligence features without lag. Check out our review for a more detailed breakdown.

If you’re already planning to switch carriers or want a premium unlimited plan with high-speed data, grabbing Apple’s latest flagship for free without giving up your old phone is a no-brainer upgrade.

SAVE $50: You can pre-order the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 bundled with a $50 Amazon gift card for $379.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 + $50 Gift Card   Get Deal

Samsung Unpacked brought the usual overwhelming wave of new gear — new Samsung phones, new watches, and even Samsung Galaxy Glasses — because, apparently, Samsung decided to surprise everyone.

Here's where it gets good: Amazon is currently bundling the Samsung Galaxy Watch 9 with a free $50 gift card. Pre-order now and it'll ship Aug. 7. It's not just a good preorder deal — it's a good preorder deal with a little something extra tucked in for later.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Unpacked: What to expect from Samsung's new smartwatches

Once it's on your wrist, the Watch 9 tracks your vitals while you sleep and flags anything that's off from your normal patterns, so you get a heads-up on anything that might need your attention. There's also a Fitness Index feature that adjusts its coaching based on what you're training for, whether that's building endurance for a hike or just getting stronger.

The AI assistant skips the wake word entirely — just raise your wrist and start talking, and it's already listening. And instead of making you check five different health stats separately, the watch combines sleep, BMI, activity, and vascular load into one Heart Health Score that tells you how your heart's doing at a glance.

Quick note on the gift card: you'll need to select the gift card bundle variation at checkout to get it, and the offer ends Aug. 6 — a day before the watch even ships. So if you want that $50 gift card, grab the Galaxy Watch 9 asap.