Technology

Documentaries continue to thrive on Netflix this month, as evidenced by the solid stance of the true-crime three-parter Death of the Pastor's Wife that's been holding strong in the top spot on the streamer's Top 10, as of this writing. But the hits keep on coming, with two of this weekend's picks below also occupying space on that chart, proving that Netflix knows how to doc.

I've spent a frankly unreasonable amount of time in Excel, so I've had plenty of opportunities to find out which habits make my life easier—and which ones come back to haunt me later. Over the years, I've gradually ditched a handful of things that seemed harmless at the time but made my spreadsheets harder to sort, filter, update, or understand. Here are five things I stopped doing in Excel, and why my spreadsheets have become much more reliable as a result.

Stop letting old devices rot in a drawer and bring them back to life with the help of an inexpensive microcontroller and some code. The ESP32 is perfect for this task.

Got an old Android phone sitting unused in a drawer? By installing an open-source ROM, you can bring it bang up to date and give it a whole new lease of life. That's what I did with my old Motorola phone. Here's how it went.

The notification pull-down bar on Samsung Galaxy phones has changed quite a bit over the last few years, and not for the better. If you feel like your notifications aren't the same, out of order, and just seem a bit weird lately, you're not alone. The last two One UI updates changed the look and order of alerts, but one quick change in settings can fix it.

TL;DR: Braun Household officially launched the OptiBrew Pro in the U.S. for $199.95. The pod-free drip machine is designed to replace both your standard morning pot and single-serve pod systems.

Opens in a new window Credit: Braun Braun OptiBrew Pro $199.95 at Amazon
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Braun wants to upgrade your basic morning coffee pot. Instead of buying a separate pod machine, a cold-brew pitcher, and a stand-alone milk frother, the new OptiBrew line puts everything into one super-slim, 6.75-inch-wide machine.

The whole setup runs on regular ground coffee — meaning zero plastic pods to throw away — and uses smart temperature tech to make sure your coffee tastes good, not burnt. You can brew a single 8-oz cup before heading out the door, or brew a full 12-cup pot in under 8 minutes when people come over.

While the base OptiBrew handles standard drip and iced coffee, the U.S.-bound OptiBrew Pro goes a step further for latte lovers. It adds a "Coffee Shot" button that makes super-strong, espresso-style coffee, plus a built-in whisk on the side to froth hot or cold milk for fancy drinks.

SEE ALSO: De'Longhi just launched a coffee machine that makes both hot and iced drinks — and it's yours for under $1,000

You can dial in seven precise sizes, ranging from a single 8-oz travel mug to a full 12-cup glass carafe (which brews in under eight minutes flat). The OptiBrew Pro gives you five distinct brew styles to match whatever you're craving:

• Regular — Classic hot drip calibrated for smooth, balanced morning sipping.

• Bold — A stronger, richer hot brew for an extra punchy kick.

• Over Ice — Brews concentrated hot coffee directly over ice without watering down your drink.

• Rapid Cold Brew — Cuts out the traditional overnight wait, using specialized pressure and flow extraction to deliver low-acid, refreshing cold brew in minutes instead of 24 hours.

• Concentrated Coffee Shot — The Pro’s secret weapon — a fifth brew mode that creates a rich, intense coffee concentrate built specifically as a base for lattes and cappuccinos.

To complete your café orders at home, the OptiBrew Pro features an integrated whisk frother mounted on the side of the machine. It whips up dairy milk or plant-based alternatives into thick, creamy foam for hot drinks, or silky cold foam for iced drinks, saving you from spending extra cash on an external frothing wand.

It’s also packed with thoughtful daily features, like an intuitive control panel, a 24-hour programmable timer so you can wake up to freshly brewed coffee, and an adjustable warming plate that keeps your carafe warm for up to four hours.

Score a full coffeehouse setup at home — grab the OptiBrew Pro for under $200 at Amazon.

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Buying digital movies is a risky business. There's no guarantee that you'll always be able to access the TV show or movie that you paid for. While some companies are actively removing people's content, there's one thing you can do to give your collection a better chance of survival.

TL;DR: The ASUS TUF Gaming 32-inch curved monitor (VG32VQM5AZ) is on sale for $189 at Amazon for a limited time, knocking $60 off its $249 price.

Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS The ASUS TUF Gaming 32-Inch 240Hz Curved Gaming Monitor $189 at Amazon
$249 Save $60 Get Deal

A high-speed curved gaming monitor for under $200 is already a pretty sight for your gaming budget, but the fact that it’s a deal on a model from a top-tier brand like ASUS is even better. 

As of Sept. 11, the 32-inch ASUS TUF Gaming monitor (VG32VQM5AZ SKU) is $189 at Amazon as a limited-time deal, knocking $60 off its $249 list price for a 24% discount. The new monitor is sold and shipped by Amazon, and free 30-day returns are included as well. 

For what’s now this TUF Gaming monitor’s lowest price with the retailer (confirmed with price tracker camelcamelcamel), you get a 31.5-inch Full HD panel with a 1500R curve — giving the display a more enveloping shape than ASUS' flatter TUF alternatives. The top spec here is its top overclocked speed of 240hz alongside a minimum 0.5ms GTG response time.

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That’ll not only keep your rounds of Fortnite or whatever single-player game you’re playing feel more fluid, but the added AMD FreeSync Premium for variable refresh rates — and ELMB Sync — will altogether reduce ghosting and tearing to make your display feel far less choppy. 

To keep anything you play or watch extra eye-popping in terms of pure visuals, this monitor covers 120% of the sRGB color gamut and supports HDR, with Shadow Boost available to lift detail in darker parts of a scene or level. 

To round out the package, the DisplayWidget Center even lets you tweak settings with a mouse instead of repeatedly digging through the monitor's physical controls.

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Back in 1998, four of the biggest names in enterprise computing agreed on something wild. IBM, the Santa Cruz Operation (SCO), Sequent, and Intel would merge their separate UNIX systems into one OS for Intel's upcoming 64-bit chips. They called it Project Monterey.

Spending time with the iPhone Duo and iPhone 18 Pro has Bridget Carey rethinking what’s important in an iPhone upgrade. She breaks down the standout Duo features, what the crease is really like, and the questions she has for the future of Apple Watch and the next era of Apple.

Top iPhone pre-order deals

• AT&T: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free with qualifying trade-ins of iPhone 14 or later

• T-Mobile: Get the iPhone 18 Pro for free when you switch or trade-in an eligible phone on an Experience Beyond plan

• Total Wireless: Save $600 on iPhone 18 Pro or Pro Max on the All Access plan

• Verizon: Get up to $1,200 off when you add a new line (with qualified trade-in) on eligible myPlan

• Visible: Buy the iPhone with Visible+ Pro and receive $480 through monthly credits

Read more about the iPhone Duo and foldable phones: Apple's iPhone Duo: The foldable phone of the future
Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them
The Xiaomi 18 Fold is an iPhone Duo lookalike with one huge advantage

Timecode chapters
00:00 Apple’s new iPhone tricks
00:14 Reporting from the iPhone event at Apple Park
00:19 Opening and closing the iPhone duo
00:28 Big changes coming to iPhone
00:38 John Ternus has one more thing
00:46 Bridget Carey’s iPhone duo event experience
01:03 iPhone duo
01:14 Taking video on iPhone duo
01:37 Smart take on iPhone duo
02:04 Snoopy comes to iPhone duo
02:21 iPhone duo crease
02:41 Hidden camera behind iPhone duo screen
02:51 iPhone duo size
03:11 iPhone duo cases
03:28 MagSafe on iPhone duo
03:34 iPhone 18 Pro updates
04:07 Aperture on iPhone 18 Pro
04:42 Apple Watch changes
04:43 Apple Watch audio intelligence, recording, transcribing
05:20 New Apple Watch sensor
05:33 New Apple iPhone and Apple Watch accessories
05:47 One more tip to help cover the cost of your new iPhone
05:56 Get the most money for your iPhone trade-in
06:18 Let us know in the comments what you want to see from one more thing

Video credits
Host: Bridget Carey
Scripted by: Bridget Carey
Producer: Carly Marsh
Camera: Celso Bulgatti, Bridget Carey
Video editor: Carly Marsh
Thumbnail designer: Tharon Green

"No kings."

What the phrase means in 2026 America might be different to what it meant to England during the 1381 Peasants' Revolt, but it's a powerful declaration in either context.

Connecting these words across time, Paul Greengrass' The Uprising tracks one of the defining moments of radicalism in British history. We meet Andrew Garfield as John Ploughman, a farmer who plays a key role in the resistance. In the 14th century, farmers, artisans, priests, and more common folk took on the tyranny of King Richard III, as the impact of the Black Death hung heavy, the Poll Tax ruined lives, and the Hundred Years’ War between England and France raged.

And in the film, Ploughman indeed says aloud, "No kings."

"It was a line that Paul thought he should cut because he had written it before all of the "No Kings" protests that were happening in the United States against Trump," said Garfield. "He was worried that it would feel like we are trying to say something specific in response to something that's just happening. But in fact, it predated any of that stuff happening in real time.

"It felt the right thing just to go, no, this is something universal. This is something that is unfortunately timeless. And it's a beautiful sentiment. The idea of hierarchy that is preordained being deconstructed feels very important."

"This is something universal. This is something that is unfortunately timeless." - Andrew Garfielf

Mashable Senior Editor Shannon Connellan sat down with Garfield, in the historic Charterhouse in London, a medieval monastery built before the revolt, just around the corner from St Johns Priory and Smithfield, where major events in the uprising happened (you'll see them in the film).

Watch the interview above, in which Garfield unpacks The Uprising, including working with co-stars Cosmo Jarvis and Jamie Bell, the choreography involved with Greengrass' handheld, documentary-style action, and wielding farm tools against steel and armour.

The Uprising opens in theaters in the U.S. on Sept. 10; a UK release will follow on Oct. 9.

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TL;DR: Narwal unveiled three new floor cleaners across three categories: the Freo 20 Edge robot vacuum ($799 for 31,000 Pa suction), the 3.1-lb V50 Cube self-emptying stick vac, and a next-gen wet & dry vacuum powered by 752°F steam cleaning.

Opens in a new window Credit: Narwal Narwal Freo 20 Edge robot vacuum $799 at Amazon
  Shop Now

Narwal just expanded its home-cleaning lineup with three new devices across three core categories: a feature-packed robot vacuum, an ultralight self-emptying stick vacuum, and a heavy-duty steam wet-and-dry vacuum.

Credit: Narwal

Built to deliver premium floor care without high-end compromises, the Freo 20 Edge packs flagship-grade 31,000 Pa suction for deep carpet cleaning. It features real-time self-cleaning mopping at room temperature, so it never drags dirt back across your floors, alongside 150+ object recognition powered by hidden dToF LiDAR navigation and structured light sensors to avoid household obstacles.

It automatically empties the robot's dustbin into a 2.5L self-sealing dust bag (good for up to 120 days) and uses 45°C (113°F) hot air to dry the mop track after every run. The Freo 20 Edge is available on Amazon for $799.

SEE ALSO: The best robot vacuums of 2026 so far: I've tested 10+ new models since January, but these 4 stood out Credit: Narwal Credit: Narwal

The V50 Cube is Narwal’s first stick vacuum in the US, also its most compact model yet, with a handheld body weighing just 3.1 lbs. It combines AI-optimized suction technology and carpet-focused vacuuming with a compact 5-in-1 dock that handles automatic dust emptying, brush self-cleaning, and tool storage.

The base station takes up less floor space than an iPad Air while doing all the heavy lifting. Slide the vacuum in, and the dock takes over — emptying the dustbin into a 100-day UV-sterilized bag, scraping the cyclone mesh, detangling the brush roll, charging the battery, and hiding all your attachments inside.

The vacuum uses a certified ZeroWrap 4-stage detangling brush roll with a wide-angle aqua LED light that exposes micro-dust and pet hair hiding in dark corners. Rollouts for the V50 Cube begin in Europe in September 2026. Official U.S. pricing and launch dates will be announced soon.

Credit: Narwal Credit: Narwal

Designed to conquer greasy kitchen messes and sticky, dried-on spills, the next-gen wet & dry vacuum turns up the heat with extreme sanitization. It combines a high-temp 752°F steam function at the source with 203°F hot-water floor mopping to instantly dissolve stubborn grime and kill floor bacteria without harsh chemical sprays.

It features 25,000 Pa of suction power paired with 33N of downward mopping pressure to force dirty water into the recovery tank in a single pass. When docked, the base station flushes the internal pipes and roller with hot water and steam, followed by a quiet hot-air drying cycle to prevent mold and unpleasant odors.

SEE ALSO: iRobot unveils its most powerful vacuums yet — everything to know about the Roomba Max 875 and Plus 678

Narwal has this high-temp steam series slated for an official European rollout in 2027, with U.S. availability and exact price tags to follow closer to launch.

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SAVE OVER $50: As of Sept. 11, the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set is on sale at its lowest price yet, $423.99, on Amazon. Compared to its full price of $479.99, that saves you $56.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego LEGO Icons Tropical Aquarium Building Set (10366) $423.99 at Amazon
$479.99 Save $56   Get Deal

Lego's massive 4,154-piece Tropical Aquarium set has received a huge $56 discount on Amazon, hitting its lowest price yet at the retailer. If you've been on the lookout for a big new build to put together this fall, or over the cooler months to come when you're spending more time inside, this set is well worth a look.

While this Lego set is usually priced at $479.99, Amazon's knocked it down to $423.99. This marks its lowest price yet there, so it's a perfect time to grab it if its delightfully vibrant underwater display has caught your eye.

SEE ALSO: First look: Lego’s 1,911-piece PlayStation set is the ultimate retro gaming flex

While the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium set's colors are certainly eye-catching, its 4,154-piece build is quite detailed as well. Within the aquarium, you'll find four fish, an oyster shell with a pearl, plants and coral, sea worms, sea snails, and more. It even features dials and cranks you can rotate to make the fish swim or coral sway, which is an incredibly cool way to breathe a bit of life into it.

You'll also want to make sure you have plenty of space available for it, as the store page says it measures over 14 inches high, 20.5 inches wide, and 11 inches deep. It's also worth noting that this set is recommended for adults to assemble, likely due to its high piece count and more complex functional elements.

There's no telling how long this deal will be live for, so act fast to save on the Lego Icons Tropical Aquarium at Amazon.

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Wi-Fi 7 routers and network cards are finally becoming affordable and commonplace, but if you're a homelabber or someone who just enjoys any sort of self-hosting, you probably haven't had a pressing reason to upgrade to this latest standard.

TL;DR: The Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is on sale for $147.98 at Amazon, down from its $209.70 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Magic: The Gathering Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box $147.98 at Amazon
$209.70 Save $61.72 Get Deal

As a Magic: The Gathering expansion, Marvel Super Heroes has been one of the biggest examples of major price fluctuations in trading card products since its release in June. While stocks last, though, you can score over $60 off the 30-pack Play Booster Box.

As of Sept. 11, the Magic: The Gathering Marvel Super Heroes Play Booster Box is $147.98 at Amazon through third-party seller Industrial Resolution. Altogether, that cuts $61.72 from the $209.70 list price — bringing the cost of each Play Booster down to approximately $4.93.

Delivery is set for Sept. 18 on this one in particular at the time of writing, but also a $148.88 Amazon listing sold by The Game Capital and fulfilled by Amazon itself, with delivery estimated for Sept. 16, if you don’t mind spending slightly more. 

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That said, you can save even more by shopping elsewhere. Walmart has the same Play Booster Box for $119.95 via ForgeAndFireGaming.com, with Walmart handling fulfillment and free shipping; meanwhile, TCGplayer has listings going for as low as $116.73 (including shipping) — only 91 cents above its estimated $115.82 market price. 

Whichever retailer you choose, the box contains 30 Play Boosters, each with 14 cards from the Marvel hero-themed collection. Every pack has one Traditional Foil, alongside one to four cards of rare or higher rarity, three to five uncommons, six to nine commons, and one land. There’s also a sub-1% chance of finding a Foil Borderless Mythic Rare.

Sometimes the best Excel projects start with something the program can't do out of the box. Surprisingly, Excel doesn't have a built-in timeline chart. So I experimented with a regular line chart, and 10 minutes later, I had a series of events mapped out in a dynamic timeline. Want to give it a try this weekend? Here's what I did.

Apple upgrades its 18 Pro line with improved camera aperture and AI capabilities. CNET's Patrick Holland unpacks the main things you need to know about the latest iPhone 18 Pro handsets.

Read more about the iPhone 18 Pro and Apple’s latest iPhones: Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them
iPhone 18 Pro Max vs. Samsung Galaxy S26 Ultra: Battle of the flagships

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:18 Variable aperture
01:20 Pricing increase
01:56 Other design updates
02:52 iOS 27 goodies
03:30 Battery life
03:55 Conclusion

Video credits
Host: Patrick Holland
Scripted by: Patrick Holland
Producer: Celso Bulgatti
Camera: Celso Bulgatti
Video editor: JD Christison
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

Didn't manage watch Trump's midterm convention? You weren't the only one.

The good news is Daily Show host Michael Kosta has recapped the whole thing. In the clip above Kosta goes through the lowlights, from Senate hopeful Ken Paxton's jokes falling a little flat ("Oh no he didn't...make anyone laugh," says Kosta after a clip of Paxton's jokes getting a tumbleweed response) to Trump offering Americans $5,000 if the Republicans win both the House and the Senate.

"$5,000? That's two trips to the grocery store!" says Kosta. "Or one if you buy raspberries. I like how Trump calls this a dividend. Do you know when businesses hand out dividends, when they're raking in money? The last time I checked, we, as a country, have negative $40 trillion of money."

Kosta wasn't the only one to poke fun at the convention. Elsewhere, Jimmy Kimmel also had some thoughts about the empty seats.

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Our Samsung Galaxy phones get better with each update, but sometimes the best features are completely hidden or don't get talked about enough. A prime example is the powerful "Finder" app feature that apparently Samsung doesn't want you to know about. Better yet, you can now put it right on your home screen.

SAVE $10: As of Sept. 11, select colors of the Anker Nano Power Bank (45W, 10,000mAh) are on sale for $49.99 at Amazon. That's $10 off their list price of $59.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Nano Power Bank, 45W 10,000mAh Portable Charger $49.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $10   Get Deal

For those who are frequently on the go, or if you have big travel plans this fall, a portable charger is a very helpful tech item to have on hand. The Anker Nano Power Bank (45W, 10,000mAh) is one option to consider, especially since Amazon's knocked $10 off its list price. The deal won't last for much longer, though.

As of Sept. 11, select colors of this power bank (black, green, and white) have dropped from $59.99 to $49.99 at the retailer. However, each of these has a percentage bar on its store page indicating how much of the sale inventory has already been claimed, and some colors are selling fast. If you're hoping to grab it, be quick to pick up your favorite before the offer runs out.

SEE ALSO: Here's when you can preorder the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and foldable iPhone Duo

This Anker Nano Power Bank is a very compact charger, with the store page noting that it's 16% smaller than standard models (measuring 3.21 × 1.99 × 1.42 inches and weighing 8.2oz) and featuring a retractable charging cable that makes it easy to carry around. That built-in cable is quite durable as well, with the store page noting it can withstand over 20,000 bends. The power bank is also flight-approved, which is great for travelers.

In terms of power, it boasts a 10,000mAh capacity and 45W max fast charging, alongside pass-through technology and a smart display so you can keep an eye on your charging devices. If you need an extra battery boost when you're out and about, this power bank seems well worth picking up.

The deals are being claimed quickly, though, so be quick to score this discount on select colors of the Anker Nano Power Bank at Amazon.

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