Technology

There are several power tools and accessories that I want but don't necessarily need. I'm constantly thinking about which new Ryobi tool I might buy next, even though I already own plenty. With that in mind, I started tracking which tools I use the most around the house to help me decide. I figured my trusty drill would top the list, but surprisingly, it came in fourth place.

This is an unusual moment for Apple's iPhone Pro. Last year’s model was a big redesign; this year’s is all about refinement. At the same time, the company launched its first-ever foldable, the iPhone Duo. While it doesn’t have all the top features of the Pro models, the Duo is, by virtue of its massive inner display and the novelty of it all, the more intriguing model.

What can the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max do, then, to grab your attention? They don’t look very different, and the new phones lack the types of flashy upgrades that you can point to as must-haves in 2026. Inside, however, the refinement has been substantial. But whether you need the more expensive iPhone 18 Pro Max very much depends on the type of user you are.

Not everyone should upgrade their phone this year.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: By the numbers

Here are the key specs for the iPhone 18 Pro Max:

• Display: 6.9-inch, Super Retina XDR display with 120Hz refresh rate / 6.3 inches for the iPhone 18 Pro

• Design: Aluminum unibody with Ceramic Shield 2 on the front and Ceramic Shield on the back

• Rear cameras: 48 megapixel triple rear camera array with 8x optical-quality zoom (main camera has variable aperture)

• Front camera: 18-megapixel selfie camera

• Processor: A20 Pro chip (6-core CPU, 7-core GPU, and dual 16-core Neural Engine)

• Storage: 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB

• Battery life: Up to 45 hours of video playback (36 hours for the iPhone 18 Pro)

• Fast charging: Up to 50 percent of charge in 15 minutes with a 60W adapter

• Software: iOS 27

• Water and dust resistance: IP68 rating

• Special features: Improved vapor chamber cooling system, spatial reframing for photos

The new iPhone Pro looks the same, except for the colors Apple says the colors on the back are a little more uniform than before, but it doesn't make a big visual difference compared to last year's design. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Starting with the design, the new Pro-level iPhones are pretty much the same as the 17 Pro. This year you can choose from four colors — black, silver, glacier blue, and burgundy, with silver being a carry-over from last year — and the colors are slightly more uniform on the back. The Dynamic Island is also smaller than before. Oh, and the new model is quite a bit heavier than the last one; we’ll go into reasons for that later.

In a briefing following the launch, Apple showed us just how much work went into reducing the size of the Dynamic Island. The company hid the infrared sensor underneath the display, roughly halving the number of pixels in that area to let the light in, but arranging them in a different way. The image quality is not as good in that little area, but as Apple’s engineers showed us, the difference is essentially imperceptible to the human eye.

In other words, Apple is still working hard to improve its phones, but those improvements don’t always show up very dramatically in the final product. There are physical limitations on just how much tech you can cram into a device that still fits in your pockets and hands. Incremental progress, folks.

The new colors are nice. Apple sent me the iPhone 18 Pro Max in Burgundy and the 18 Pro in Glacier. Burgundy is beautiful, but not as flashy as last year’s cosmic orange. Glacier, on the other hand, is not as subdued as Apple’s colors typically are; it’s an icy blue that really shines through, even in low light, and it’s my favorite color in this lineup.

Mix and match. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

If you want to customize your new phone to your liking, there are already plenty of iPhone 18 Pro cases, not to mention accessories like wallets, grips, and wrist straps. Apple itself launched six new TechWoven cases, six new silicone cases, and new straps and MagSafe wallets for the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max. So, everyone should be able to find something they like.

The iPhone 18 Pro underwent an overhaul internally

For my review, I've focused my testing on the iPhone 18 Pro Max due to time limits (and the fact that the 18 Pro is identical in most respects). Inside, both smartphones have a new heart, Apple’s A20 Pro chip, which makes them blazing fast. Nothing you’ll notice browsing the web or even playing games, mind you, but the 16-core Neural Engine that powers AI tasks has been doubled, and that makes AI tasks a lot faster — in theory.

In practice, it depends on the task. I asked the Playground to create an image of a “futuristic city with a river running through it" and hit the "Go" button at the same time on my iPhone 17 Pro Max and 18 Pro Max. Both phones completed the task in exactly the same time. Visual Intelligence, on the other hand, was a little faster on the newer phone.

The new burgundy color is fairly subdued. But the Glacier iPhone 18 Pro, which I'm holding in my hand here, is a very nice and striking shade of icy blue. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Another big internal change: Thanks to Apple’s new cooling system, which includes a massive vapor chamber that covers nearly the entirety of the phone, the phone is noticeably cooler than before. I tested this out by playing a few games of PUBG: Battlegrounds on the highest settings for a full hour. The phone barely got warm.

What you will notice is the battery life, and it’s the one new thing most users will feel in daily use. My testing confirms that Apple has significantly improved the battery, now offering up to 43 hours of video playback, up from 37 on the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Apple has rearranged the phone’s internals to put in a massive new battery. I suspect this is the main reason the phone now weighs 249 grams, up from 231 on the 17 Pro Max.

The iPhone 17 Pro Max already delivered a significant leap in battery life compared to its predecessor, making the iPhone 18 Pro Max even more impressive. We’re reaching the point at which battery life doesn’t matter that much; chargers are everywhere, and Apple’s phones have made leaps and bounds in this regard over the past couple of years. But it’s still a big deal, especially for video lovers, photographers/videographers, and creators.

Simply put, with the iPhone 18 Pro Max, you don’t have to worry about battery life at all. That one-hour session of PUBG? It only took my battery from 62 percent to 53 percent.

iPhone 18 Pro Max review: This is the camera for pros The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max both get exactly the same camera system. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The camera improvements mostly have to do with the main, wide camera, which has a new sensor and, for the first time on an iPhone, a physical variable aperture. On top of that, iOS 27 brings crucial new photography and videography tools. New software features include the Pro controls in the camera app and new cinematic mode effects for video. These features are geared more toward photographers and video creators, but new AI photo editing tools like spatial reframing and picture clean-up will appeal to everyone, I think.

Your aperture may vary. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The variable aperture has been made possible by adding six hair-thin blades that open and close to let more or less light into the camera sensor. When you’re shooting in the dark, you want more light in the sensor, but when it’s broad daylight, you’ll get a better result with a higher aperture, meaning less light is hitting the sensor.

This happens automatically, but you can also adjust it manually through one of Apple’s new Pro controls, available if you tap the dot grid icon in the lower right portion of the Camera app (you can only use this for the main camera, though). Other new features, such as manual white balance, focus, and shutter speed settings, used to be available only through third-party camera software; now it’s all there in the Camera app.

Even if you're not a pro, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max take excellent photographs:

Fortunately, you don't have to touch any of the Pro settings to take photos like this. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

I welcome the ability to set the white balance manually; automatic white balance often gets it wrong (not just on the iPhone; on standalone cameras too), resulting in photos that look too cold or too warm. The aperture setting can be used to create certain cool effects, but it’s not something I’ll use regularly, and the same goes for most of the other new settings.

Playing with the new Pro camera coontrols such as aperture and shutter speed can help you capture sharp photos of fast-moving wildlife. This guy wasn't moving very fast, though. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

It’s a recurring theme in Apple’s “Pro” devices, be it Macs, iPads or iPhones: They truly are aimed at pros. That doesn’t mean the regular user won't benefit, but I do bet that the majority of people will try out the manual aperture setting once and then leave it on auto. (You can always hold out for the new iPhone 18 base model, which we expect to arrive in early 2027.)

The telephoto camera doesn't seem to have been upgraded since last year, but it's still very good. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The most important part of Apple’s new main iPhone camera is that it is an entirely new system. The sensor is new, and the maximum aperture now goes to f/1.48 (the iPhone 17 Pro models had an f/1.78 aperture), which, in theory, improves low-light performance. The new A20 Pro chip should also help with image and color quality.

The night photos I got with the iPhone 18 Pro Max were gorgeous. But so were the ones taken with the iPhone 17 Pro Max. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

It’s definitely true that the iPhone 18 Pro Max cameras take excellent nighttime and low-light photographs, but it’s not immediately apparent unless you dig in. In my camera testing, I was often getting better results on my iPhone 17 Pro Max. But that’s because its Night Mode automatically fired for 3 seconds, whereas the 18 Pro Max only needed 1 second, precisely because the sensor was getting more light. When I manually disabled Night Mode, the results were clearly better on the iPhone 18 Pro Max, with far more details and an overall sharper photo with less noise.

Left: The iPhone 17 Pro Max did a oood job, but when you turn off Night Mode, the differences are obvious. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable Right: The iPhone 18 Pro Max took a sharper, less noisy image. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

That’s a problem modern smartphone manufacturers are facing; the tricks they’ve been using to improve phone photography can overcome the constraints of the physical lens and sensor. Putting a new lens and sensor in might not mean you’ll get better photos, at least not at first glance. But make no mistake, the iPhone 18 Pro Max does have a better main camera.

The telephoto camera and the ultra-wide camera, as well as the 18MP Center Stage selfie camera, produced very similar photos as the ones I took with last year’s models, however. Apple does say all of the cameras' capabilities have been enhanced through software improvements, but the differences are small.

Selfie camera: Unchanged. Face expression: Unchanged. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Apple also launched a feature called Apple Reference Image, and it can be used to verify whether a photo is authentic, as it stores only the data that was captured by the camera sensor at the pixel level, at the moment of capture. You have to manually turn it on in the Camera Settings, as it’s off by default; once it’s on, you can decide to share the reference image together with the regular image to prove your work isn't AI-generated.

I presume this will mostly benefit journalists and media outlets, who will be able to verify whether a photo has actually been taken by someone’s camera or if it’s been visually altered. In the era of omnipresent AI slop, it’s the type of feature that could soon become a must-have.

Other new tricks

There are other improvements, though they really are tiny. The Dynamic Island, for example, can now support three live activities at the same time. Have a workout timer on while waiting for Uber Eats and your favorite team is playing? Great, you can get info on all of those at a glance.

Wired charging is a little faster, too. You can now get up to 50 percent charge in 15 minutes (it was 20 minutes on last year’s model) using a 60W-capable adapter.

Finally, iOS 27 brings a whole new Siri AI experience and various Apple Intelligence upgrades. Mashable will have more to say about Siri AI once we've done a bit more testing, and we didn't want to wait to get readers our initial iPhone 18 Pro review.

Should you buy or wait? It's a tough choice this year. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max start at $1,199 and $1,299, respectively, a $100 price hike over last year’s smartphones. They look and feel largely the same, and while they do bring a few big improvements, including better camera, cooling, and battery life, they don't make this phone a necessary upgrade for folks who already have the 17 Pro. If you have an even older model, the 18 Pro will be a massive upgrade, especially when it comes to battery life.

If you’re a photographer, videographer, creator, or simply an advanced user who runs through battery life at twice the speed of mere mortals, then the new iPhones are pretty amazing, and you should get them despite the higher price.

With the iPhone Duo being held until October, a lot of people will wonder whether they should hold out for that model. I’ve only spent a very short time with the Duo (full review pending), but I can already tell you it’s a completely different beast. It’s almost twice the price, has a less powerful camera, but comes with that gorgeous foldable display. It’s a tough call at this point; if you’re not sure, maybe wait until you can actually try the Duo in person.

SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between them Apple iPhone 18 Pro, 256GB Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile
  See It at T-Mobile See It at AT&T Wireless See It at Walmart iPhone 18 Pro Max, 256GB Save up to $1,200 at T-Mobile
  See It at T-Mobile See It at Apple.com See It at Walmart

If you're new to Linux, you might wonder whether you really need to use the terminal. While Linux comes with modern desktop environments, you can benefit from knowing the Linux terminal. It's easier than you think. Just a few simple steps, and you'll be a pro in no time.

A little more than a year into its lifespan, the Nintendo Switch 2 has almost everything you could ask for. We've gotten a great 3D platformer from the core Mario team, the triumphant return of Star Fox, a bevy of excellent third-party ports, and a library full of older games that look and run fantastic on the new console.

But one thing it's been lacking is a new, exclusive, original RPG to sink dozens and dozens of hours into. I feel the pain of people who have been begging for this since launch; I put a collective few hundred hours into the Xenoblade Chronicles series on Switch 1, and while The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is not strictly an RPG, it was a huge game you could devote your entire life to right when the older console came out in 2017.

Without beating around the bush, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave fixes that problem. Developer Intelligent Systems' latest entry in the long-running series of tactics RPGs is almost exactly what I wanted out of the true follow-up to 2019's Three Houses: A big, dense tactics game with memorable characters, a setting with lots of cool stories to tell, and multiple ways to experience it all.

While Fortune's Weave falls short of Three Houses in some respects, it outshines its predecessor in others, and gives Switch 2 owners exactly what they've been missing since last June.

SEE ALSO: The Nintendo Switch 2 is getting a 'Legend of Zelda' makeover Fire Emblem weaves a compelling, if occasionally scattershot, tale

Part of what endeared Three Houses to so many, including myself, was its grandiose story that followed a few dozen characters in a large-scale conflict across a period of years. Fortune's Weave is broadly similar, though it carves its own path, for better and worse.

After a relatively quick prologue, you're asked to choose from one of four protagonists for the first part of the story, which revolves around a large martial tournament in Dagsion, the capital city of the massive Dagdan Empire. The winner of the tournament will have one wish granted, and naturally, each of our heroes has their own motive for being there. Leda is a dancer hell-bent on revenge for the death of her father, Cai is a teenage boy who wants to rescue his father from prison and certain execution, Dietrich is a foreign warrior who live to fight increasingly stronger opponents, and Theodora is the newly crowned queen of a semi-autonomous nation within the empire with distinct cultural needs.

There isn't a dud among the crowd here, which is one of Fortune's Weave's strengths. I like all four protagonists a great deal, and thoroughly enjoyed playing through all four of their campaigns. What makes it work is that each of them gives the player roughly 25 percent of the information they need to piece together what's going on in the grander story, while showing off different parts of the very cool setting. Leda's campaign takes you through Dagda's seedy underworld, Cai's exposes some of the underlying tensions in its system of worship, Dietrich's illuminates the continent's relationship with wider Fire Emblem lore, and Theodora's adeptly sets up the latter half of the story.

Eventually, this is a story about saving the world, and that's a little bit less compelling than where it starts. Credit: Nintendo

Where things get a little jarring is that the tournament only represents a third of the story. Parts two and three almost tell entirely different stories of their own, though the events of each part do lead into the next. My problems begin here, as I found more to chew on and enjoy in the tournament arc than in the arcs that come after it. I became invested in each of the four protagonists' individual struggles, only for those struggles to largely get resolved and fall by the wayside about halfway through the game in favor of something grander and a little more conventional.

In contrast, from beginning to end, Three Houses had a pretty consistent thematic throughline about class stratification and the role of the church in that game's setting from beginning to end. Fortune's Weave touches on a lot of different things, like the relationship between the Dagdan populace and its gods to the way that seemingly minor decisions about imperial land transfers can destroy the lives of regular people. But ultimately, there isn't one single thread carrying you all the way through the story, and it's a slightly lesser experience for it.

You're doing tactics even when you're not doing tactics in Fortune's Weave Battles look like this, which is nothing new for the series. Credit: Nintendo

Of course, Fortune's Weave is a video game, so there's more to it than just watching cutscenes and pondering themes. As with every other Fire Emblem game, it's a turn-based tactics game with a strong emphasis on individual units in your army having their own personalities and relationships with one another that you nurture as you go along. That includes doing things like inviting people out to meals or to theatrical performances in order to increase their bonds with each other, which in turn has benefits in battle.

Battles work about the same as they always have. Each unit has its own class, which dictates what kinds of weapons and abilities they can use, as well as how many spaces they can move on the grid-based map. Different maps will have their own bespoke hazards and objectives, and these become increasingly challenging to work around as the game progresses. I am honestly not much of a tactics game guy, but I found myself consistently engaged with what Fortune's Weave threw at me. Some of the later battles are so large in scale and complex in strategy that I found myself legitimately exhausted by the time they were over, in a good way.

When you're not engaging in these chess-like battle sequences, Fortune's Weave throws almost an entire other game's worth of things to do at you. Aside from the aforementioned character-building activities, there is a board-game-like world map to traverse, and a limited number of turns with which to traverse it, depending on which part of the story you're in.

The world map is great. Credit: Nintendo

I really, really liked this aspect of Fortune's Weave, as it adds a second layer of strategizing on top of the tactical thinking you have to do in battles. It pays off to look at the world map and decide what you want to accomplish before the story deadline, and how you plan on accomplishing it without running out of time. Each protagonist also has unique actions only they can perform on the map, such as Dietrich's ability to conjure powerful opponents and Theodora's ability to recruit soldiers for her army in towns and cities. These serve to make each campaign feel a little different from one another, even when what you're doing is broadly the same across all of them.

All of that expands even more in the third part of the story, as you'll eventually have to command several squads on the map at once. At that point, Fortune's Weave feels like a tactics game on top of another tactics game, and it's absolutely riveting. I love being forced to think strategically outside of battles, and there's plenty of that here.

My only real issue with this aspect of the game is that one of the main activities on the world map becomes a little tiresome over time. I'm talking about dungeons, which are short, little areas you explore in third-person to find treasure and fight enemies. Dungeons are extremely useful for leveling up several units at a time, and the treasures hidden within can be game-changing. But the conventional RPG-style combat in these dungeons is fairly simple, and over time, I found myself opting to just let the game auto-battle my way through all of them.

These dungeons typically don't take longer than about 10 minutes to complete, but you might find yourself doing the same ones multiple times before the story is over, and that's kind of a bummer. I respect the ambition of adding these onto an already very large and experience-rich game, but they're not the best part of it.

The structure fixes the biggest problem with Three Houses

Quickly, I'd like to mention that Fortune's Weave allows you to play through each of the four protagonist campaigns in parallel with one another. You can bookmark and suspend one and go to another at any time with no penalty. This stands in contrast with Three Houses, which had several branching paths in the story, but no real way to see everything in one playthrough.

Fortune's Weave is structured in such a way that playing through each campaign is not only encouraged but also extremely rewarding. Not only do you get the full breadth of the story that way, but you can bring the armies you've recruited in each campaign into the game's exceptionally challenging final act. I sincerely cannot imagine finishing this game without doing all of that. It just wouldn't be a great experience, narratively or mechanically.

Be ready to lock in for the long haul with this one Well, hello, stranger. Credit: Nintendo

Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave took me a clean 100 hours to finish. Yes, that says 100. This is a beast of a game, almost as if it's trying to over-compensate for the lack of a big Switch 2 RPG up to this point. Fortune's Weave does earn that length, as you'll get as much out of it as you put into it, but the fact that it's so long means it isn't for the faint of heart.

One minor disappointment I should acknowledge before closing out here is that Fortune's Weave is not exactly a visual showcase for the Switch 2 hardware. Character models are largely excellent, thanks in part to outstanding art direction, but environments are pretty plain. It is also one of the few first-party Nintendo games to be locked to 30 frames per second, despite looking worse than several games that run more smoothly. This is not a particularly huge deal, as frame rate does not impact playability in turn-based tactics games to any real extent, but it does stand out among Nintendo's other Switch 2 titles.

Despite a handful of shortcomings, Fire Emblem: Fortune's Weave is that beefy, juicy Switch 2 RPG you've been looking for. It marries great character work with demanding tactics, battles, and a lot of things to do when you're not engaging in said battles. Even with its somewhat unfocused story and some kinda boring dungeons, this is one of the best Switch 2 games yet, and one of the best games of 2026 so far.

Fire Emblem Fortune's Weave $0 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Best Buy Pre-order Here at Nintendo

Need a reminder of the many times Trump has been accused of falling asleep on camera? Jimmy Kimmel has you covered.

Inspired by Trump apparently napping during the recent 9/11 remembrance event at the Pentagon ("He was sleeping so much on camera the White House had to put out a statement that said he wasn't asleep," says Kimmel), the host plays a montage of the president appearing to doze off at various events.

"It's so perfect, the guy who spent four years screaming 'Sleepy Joe, sleepy Joe,' constantly falling asleep on camera," Kimmel says.

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

Those of us who complain about slow Wi-Fi are often left scrambling for answers. And scramble, I have.

TL;DR: Watch Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Europa League is calling for Sunderland. After an incredibly impressive return to the Premier League last season, Sunderland now find themselves playing midweek games against Europe's elite. Their campaign starts with a match against AZ Alkmaar at the Stadium of Light.

If you're interested in watching Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar?

Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 16. This fixture takes place at the Stadium of Light.

How to watch Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar for free

Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar in the Europa League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Europa League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Sunderland vs. AZ Alkmaar for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

TL;DR: Watch Milan vs. Benfica in the Europa League for free on CazéTV. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Europa League is back, and the first round of fixtures includes some really interesting matchups. One of the standout games on the schedule is Milan vs. Benfica, two teams hoping to advance to the knockout rounds of this competition.

All eyes will be on frontman Gonçalo Ramos as he comes up against his old side.

If you're interested in watching Milan vs. Benfica in the Europa League from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Milan vs. Benfica?

Milan vs. Benfica in the Europa League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Sept. 16. This fixture takes place at the San Siro.

How to watch Milan vs. Benfica for free

Milan vs. Benfica in the Europa League is available to live stream for free on CazéTV.

CazéTV is geo-restricted to Brazil, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Brazil, meaning you can live stream Milan vs. Benfica for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Milan vs. Benfica for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Brazil

4. Visit CazéTV

5. Watch Milan vs. Benfica for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Milan vs. Benfica without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture (plus Premier League action) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Europa League?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on CazéTV, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Brazil

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream Milan vs. Benfica for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Visual Studio Code (VS Code) is arguably one of the most popular text editors and integrated development environments widely used by individual coders and professionals. But the standard setup can make you work harder than necessary for simple tasks. Whether it's catching a syntax error that requires you to squint at the Problems panel at the bottom or scrolling through dozens of lines to find a matching closing tag for your HTML block.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 16, Amazon has discounted every model of Fire TV Stick (4K Max, 4K Select, 4K Plus, and HD) ahead of its Prime Big Deal Days sale event in October.

Amazon Fire TV Stick Deals Best Fire TV Stick HD Deal Fire TV Stick HD 17.99 (save $17) Get Deal Best Fire TV Stick 4K Select Deal Fire TV Stick 4K Select 19.99 (save $20) Get Deal Best Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Deal Fire TV Stick 4K Plus 39.99 (save $10) Get Deal Best Fire TV Stick 4K Max Deal Fire TV Stick 4K Max 49.99 (save $10) Get Deal

Shoppers, ready your wallets: Amazon has officially announced that its Prime Big Deal Days event is returning next month, running from Tuesday, Oct. 6, through Wednesday, Oct. 7. Compared to the summer's four-day-long Prime Day event, that's a shorter 48-hour period to explore what's available, but the good news is there's actually already some solid discounts popping up before the sale even begins.

Fire TV Sticks are some of the discounts that have caught our eye at the retailer, with the 4K Max, 4K Select, 4K Plus, and HD models all on sale right now. And while the discounts may not seem that big at first glance, Amazon actually has the typical price listed on the store pages. These devices were all recently hit with a price hike, so you're actually grabbing them for much less than they're usually priced nowadays.

Below, you can learn a little more about each model's discount and the differences between each model, so you can find the best fit for your streaming plans.

Fire TV Stick HD Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick HD $17.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $17.00   Get Deal Why we like it

If you're not interested in dropping cash on one of the 4K models, the Fire TV Stick HD is also on sale right now, and for just $17.99 (which is a good deal cheaper than its new $39.99 list price). It supports 1080p Full HD picture quality and WiFi 6, plus it comes with 8GB of storage for holding all of your favorite streaming apps.

Fire TV Stick 4K Select Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal Why we like it

The 4K Select is a great entry-level pick if you're just making the jump from HD streaming. Priced at $19.99 right now, it supports 4K Ultra HD streaming with High Dynamic Range 10+ picture, and WiFi 5 for streaming quality. It also lets you play games through Xbox Game Pass via cloud gaming and comes with 8GB of storage, just like the 4K Plus model.

If you're not looking to spend too much on a streaming device but still want to enjoy 4K picture, this option is well worth a look.

Fire TV Stick 4K Plus Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $39.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10   Get Deal Why we like it

If you don't need that much storage, the 4K Plus model could be the perfect fit for you. Similar to the others, it offers 4K Ultra HD picture quality alongside Dolby Vision, HDR10+, and Dolby Atmos audio, though it uses WiFi 6 instead of WiFi 6E and comes with 8GB of storage instead of 16GB.

If you have an Xbox Game Pass subscription, this model also lets you play games via cloud gaming. So, if you're not looking to splash out on the 4K Max, you can get a lot of the same features with the 4K Plus for $10 less.

Fire TV Stick 4K Max Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max $49.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $10   Get Deal Why we like it

The 4K Max recently had its price raised to $84.99, so it's quite a treat to grab it for $49.99 right now. With this streaming stick, you'll be able to enjoy your favorite shows and movies in 4K Ultra HD with support for Dolby Vision and HDR10+. It even supports Dolby Atmos audio, so you can feel fully immersed in the sounds on screen, and WiFi 6E for smooth streaming.

Not to mention, it also comes with the Fire TV Ambient Experience, which lets you display art and photos on your TV when you're not watching anything, and it has 16GB of storage. That's double what the other streaming sticks offer, so this is a great pick if you want to go all out on a streaming device.

Plus, you can play Xbox games on it via Xbox Game Pass cloud gaming (though a Game Pass subscription and a controller are required).

SAVE $9.01: As of Sept. 16, preorders for the new Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm in Dark Bronze Aluminum with Olive Sport Band) are down to $389.99 on Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 $389.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Amazon has already dropped the preorder price on Apple's new flagship smartwatch before it hits store shelves. The base 42mm GPS model in Dark Bronze Aluminum technically has a $399 list price, but you can lock in your order at $389.99 right out of the gate.

After last year's minor incremental updates, Apple is officially pitching the Series 12 as the "ultimate device for a healthy life." In her reporting for Mashable, Anna Iovine notes that the centerpiece of this push is a majorly upgraded Health Sensing System. It takes background heart rate readings every five seconds — 60 times more often than before — and tracks HRV every five minutes to deliver precise stress and recovery tracking.

These stats will also feed into a redesigned Health app featuring "personalized guidance powered by Apple Intelligence, Health Age, and a new Longevity tab." To tie all those metrics together on your wrist, Apple introduced a new Readiness score based on your sleep, vitals, and activity, alongside smart Audio Intelligence features like Live Rewind and Siri Recap.

However, as Iovine points out, these additions come with a couple of caveats: "the Oura Ring already has a Readiness score," and those clever Audio Intelligence tools won't actually be ready on day one, rolling out in English beta later this year.

Aluminum models now feature Ceramic Shield 2, paired with up to 24 hours of normal battery life and fast charging that delivers 12 hours of power in just 15 minutes. You also get deep hands-free capabilities powered by Siri AI and Apple Intelligence, including Live Rewind to replay conversations and Workout Buddy for real-time fitness motivation.

Secure your preorder on Amazon to get Apple’s most capable health and fitness tracker delivered straight to your door on launch day.

Android trackers used to lag far behind AirTags, but they've closed the gap considerably. Google's Find Hub now supports crowdsourced location finding, tracker sharing, and Ultra Wideband (UWB) precision finding when using compatible phones and trackers. AirTags still do a few things that Android trackers can't when using Google's Find Hub.

SAVE $599.02: As of Sept. 16, the Anker Solix C2000 power station is on sale for $899.98 at Amazon. That's a 40% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Solix C2000 $899.98 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $599.02   Get Deal

If you're heading off-grid, camping, traveling, or just want a backup for when the power goes out, a portable power station can be a seriously welcome bit of kit. These rechargeable battery packs let you power or charge everything from phones and laptops to lights, small appliances, and other essentials, without needing to be near a wall outlet. 

There are hundreds of models to choose from at Amazon, but right now, the Anker Solix C2000 Gen 2 has dropped in price by nearly $600, taking the list price down to $899.98

This portable power station has a 2,400W rated output and 4,000W peak power, making it a great option for running multiple appliances at once. It's even powerful enough for most window and RV air conditioners. 

It uses 9W on standby and can power a dual-door fridge for up to 32 hours, or up to 64 hours with an expansion battery that increases its capacity to 4kWh. When it's time to recharge, it can reach 100% in just 58 minutes using either AC or solar power, while an 800W UltraFast alternator charging can fully recharge it in three hours from a car. 

It's also a great addition to your camping kit, because, despite its high power capacity, it weighs only 41.7lb. According to Anker, this makes it 25% lighter and 29% smaller than similar products, and also easier and less bulky to carry to your pitch site.

Find this limited-time deal at Amazon now.

It's been a few months now since Stephen Colbert's finale Late Show episode, and he's used the summer since to 1. write a movie, and 2. grow a beard.

In his late night return interview above on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, the host talks to him about both those things — before suggesting he shave one of them off.

SEE ALSO: Stephen Colbert tries to get 'Late Show' staff jobs in Emmy acceptance speech

It's an entertaining 20-minute segment featuring anecdotes about a wedding Colbert and Kimmel attended (including a red wine spillage that occurred over Colbert's tan suit), and the former Late Show host being pulled over by a friendly officer in New Zealand for speeding (a conversation he recreates with the help of his own son John, who calls into the show to roleplay the incident).

Want more of the best of late night? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

When MeganPlays started uploading gaming videos to YouTube in 2013, being a "creator" wasn't exactly a conventional career path.

She wasn't thinking about brand deals, TikTok algorithms, audience retention, or the creator economy. A college freshman who had been gaming practically her entire life, Megan saw people uploading videos of themselves playing The Sims and had a simple thought: I could do that.

So she did.

"I just downloaded a capture thing and just talked into it and threw it up on the internet," Megan told Mashable at VidCon in June. "It was really raw. Not a lot of great content there, but it was a really fun start."

More than a decade later, MeganPlays has built an online career spanning YouTube, Roblox, and an audience of millions across platforms. She's also been doing this long enough to watch practically every supposed rule of content creation change.

SEE ALSO: How MeganPlays has adapted through every era of YouTube

YouTube went from raw and relatable to highly produced and back again. Long-form gave way to short-form, only for longer videos to begin creeping onto vertical platforms. Games rise and fall in popularity. Algorithms change so quickly that, as Megan puts it, "what you knew two weeks ago is no longer relevant."

Her career has changed with them — sometimes successfully, sometimes painfully. She's burned herself out running too many channels, learned the risks of sharing too much personal information, struggled to escape the niche that made her famous, and discovered that millions of views on one platform don't necessarily translate into a sustainable business.

For Mashable's Creator Playbook, MeganPlays shares what 13 years online have taught her about building an audience, surviving the algorithm, knowing your worth, and why sometimes the best creator advice is the simplest: Just start.

Credit: Ian Moore/Mashable/Getty Images

Mashable: Take me back to the beginning. How did you get started on YouTube?

MeganPlays: In 2012, I made my channel. In 2013, I started posting content. I saw other people posting gaming content, and I was like, "I want to do that. I could do that." So I just started. I downloaded a capture thing, just talked into it, and threw it up on the internet. It was really raw. Not a lot of great content there, but it was a really fun start.

I started with The Sims, then I went to Minecraft, and then it kind of went into Roblox. It developed from there over, like, 13 years. I haven't done the math.

Was gaming already a natural community for you?

Super natural. I've been gaming my entire life. There's a video of me when I was two years old on my dad's PC, playing an Elmo game. So I've been gaming my entire life. I just kind of naturally fell into place.

You said your advice to people starting out is simply to start. Why do you think people get hung up on that first step?

I feel like a lot of people don't start because they're like, "Well, I don't know if I have the perfect idea. I don't know if I have the perfect editing software. I don't know if I have the perfect title."

You don't need it. You should just start, and you learn that stuff along the way. You figure out what works as you gain experience. No one's going to be amazing at something the first time they try it, so you've got to just start.

And audiences don't necessarily want everything to be perfect anymore, right?

They have swayed back. It started out with people really wanting raw, relatable stuff. Then there was a time on YouTube where it started becoming very overly produced, and people were like, "This is amazing. It's TV quality." Then things started getting overproduced.

Now we're back in the swing of, "No, no, let's bring it back. Let's make it more personable, more real, more raw." People are definitely more interested in that these days, which I love, because I never went the high-production route. I don't have the budget, the time, or the energy. I just like being myself.

What's one lesson you wish you'd learned earlier?

I wasn't very consistent when I started, and I learned that consistency is key. If you do start, of course, as I said, do what you can do. But what you need to do eventually is start getting really consistent with your uploads so people and the algorithm know what to expect, because we are all playing to the algorithm at the end of the day. That's one lesson I wish I had learned sooner. Not that I suffered any consequences from it. I think it just would have jump-started my growth.

Gaming is an incredibly crowded space. What do you think helped your content stand out?

Initially, because I have been in the space for a long time, it was that I was a girl in the gaming space. That was a little bit of an uphill battle.

When I switched to the Roblox space, there were already a lot of women content creators. I think what people really liked and enjoyed about my content is that I was more personable. I spent a lot of time in my comments section talking to people, reacting to them, sharing their comments in my videos, and really building up my community, because that's what I like most about being a YouTuber: my community.

I love coming to VidCon. I love doing stuff like this because I get to meet the viewers. Building that community and having them really close to me makes me feel really happy.

Does meeting viewers in person change your perspective on the numbers you see online?

Yes. It really humanizes it all because you can get really bogged down when you only see the numbers — big ups, big downs, big ups, big downs. Your brain starts to work a little differently, and you start not to really process them as individual people but instead as numbers.

That is really harmful in a lot of ways. It's like, "Oh dang it, this video only got 300 views." Put 300 people in a room and be like, "That many people spent 10 minutes of their time watching a video."

Coming to stuff like this and being close with your community really helps put everything back into perspective whenever things get a little bit too analytical.

You spend a lot of time in your comments. How do you engage with your community without letting the negativity get to you?

I heard a little piece of advice a long time ago. I can't remember where I heard it, but it was: "If they don't know you personally, don't take it personally." They don't know you, so what do they even have to say?

I find that when people are being mean online, they're trying to hurt you. I don't know what that's about, but it doesn't [resonate] with me because I'm like, "OK, if you're trying to hurt me, then it doesn't hurt me because you're only trying to be mean." You don't even know if they really believe what they're saying.

Normally, in those situations, if it's too bad, I'll block it. I'll just delete it. I don't like that stuff to pile on. Constructive criticism is great, but some people can just be really hateful for no reason, so they've got to go. No freedom of speech on the page if you're gonna be a bully. Sorry.

You've watched the internet change dramatically over the past decade. If everything around creators keeps changing, what actually stays consistent?

The person. The creator. The personality and what they like to do. That's what's steady. That's what brings people back, and that's your anchor. Your anchor should always be yourself or your community. You can ride those waves, and you can always learn and adapt.

How much should creators actually be paying attention to their analytics?

Personally, I'm not making decisions based on the algorithm, which is not a smart decision. If I were to give advice to somebody who's more left-brain than me — because I'm very, like, whatever, la la la — you want to play to the algorithm.

You have two seconds to catch somebody's attention. If somebody's dipping out at one part of the video where you're kind of lulling a bit, you can learn so much in your back-end analytics: when people are jumping out, when they're jumping in, what they're rewatching.

If they're rewatching a part, add more bits like that. If they're clicking off at a part, stop doing those bits. That's stuff you try to wire into your brain to know what people consistently want to see throughout your content, and to get them to stick. The longer people watch your content, the better it does in the algorithm and the better it monetizes.

Is it difficult to move an audience from one platform to another?

It's very hard to transfer audiences per platform. A lot of people have tried over the years, and many have failed. If someone's enjoying short-form, they often aren't enjoying long-form. Those ideas don't really overlap for a lot of people.

But remember: We had long-form, then we're all doing short-form, and now the short-form verticals are going back to long-form, and they're making them all 10 minutes again. It's going back to long-form, but now vertical. These algorithms, these trends — they all cycle.

So how did you approach building your TikTok audience?

On TikTok, you just post every day, multiple times a day. Whatever you want, anything you think of — if it comes to mind, do it. If there's a filter, put it on. Just anything at all.

What I like to do is little vlogs and stuff like that, and connect with my audience that way. But sometimes a fun little lip sync doesn't hurt. Makes you feel cute. Throw it up.

You've always been very open with your audience. Have you ever felt like you shared too much?

I've always just had no filter. I kind of went in being an oversharer. That's always who I've been. I would say I'm a super open book — but also, not everything. But that's why I'm like, don't do everything I did, for sure.

I had a whole year of burnout, and it was really difficult. It was after COVID, in 2021, because I had my biggest year during COVID in 2020. I was running four or five channels at the time, and they were uploading consistently. It was a lot of work. I got really tired, then really uninspired, and hit a wall. It was really hard to create content after that. You do not want to burn yourself out.

Also, if I could go back and do anything, I would not have shared my last name or my middle name online. There are people making TikTok pages with my full government name on there, and I don't like that. Do not share your name online. Just your first name. Make a fake last name.

Are there any other hard lessons you've had to learn from spending so much of your life online?

It's really hard to go into a space and assume that everybody is your friend, because I do that. Then you find out they're not your friend. You've done a lot for them, they've taken from you, and all of a sudden, you're left in a position you wouldn't have been in.

I'm not saying don't trust anyone. Keep your heart open, but guarded. Don't give everybody everything. Don't over-pour yourself into anybody, and always take care of yourself first.

You have millions of followers on TikTok, but you've said that doesn't necessarily translate into income. How do you decide which platforms are actually worth investing in?

Personally, I've just acquired little knowledge over time, so I kind of do what feels right in my gut. Looking at it from a fresh perspective, I think YouTube is really valuable, and TikTok is really valuable. Those are your two most important platforms for growth.

TikTok is really good for discoverability. It's not good for monetization. YouTube is good for monetization, but it's very oversaturated. That's the thing you have to juggle.

For me, I'm doing amazing on TikTok. I have 5 million followers, and each of my TikToks right now is getting like a million views. I'm not making any money. So I'm going back to YouTube and starting to make Roblox content again, long-form, because that's what monetizes.

At the end of the day, creators have to pay their bills, so you kind of have to go where the money goes.

When you first started getting brand deals, how did you figure out what you were worth?

I didn't. And a lot of people don't. When brands come to you, they'll offer you anything, and you kind of just take it because you're like, "Oh, this is exciting." You've got your hat in the ring. You're making connections in the space. Everyone does that.

Over time, I started talking to other creators. I'd be like, "Hey, I got this deal. What do you think I should charge for this?" You can always ask your big brothers or sisters in the space what they're doing, and that can be helpful. At this time, I still wouldn't know what I'm worth. I hand it over to one of my friends — and "friend" is a fancy word for agent — and I'm like, "Can you just give them a price?"

I would ask around. Ask your friends. Ask your creator friends and see what they're doing.

Do you find that creators are pretty open with one another about rates?

I'm an open book. Everybody that I've ever asked has been helpful. I know it can be rude to ask, so I like to ask close friends. I'm not going to randomly walk up to somebody. But if I'm hanging out with somebody or I'm collaborating with them, I'll be like, "Hey, this brand did this. What do you think I should do?" And they'll give you advice. You should always, first and foremost, never go back to a brand immediately and give them your numbers. Say, "What's your budget?"

These brands have a lot more money, and they will lowball you. Ask, "What's your budget? And I'll see what I can do with your budget." Do that in reverse. And if they're like, "No, you tell us," say, "No, you tell me."

If somebody created their first channel tomorrow, what's the one piece of advice you'd give them?

Find a niche and follow it. If you really like Roblox, find a niche within Roblox. Find out what you want to do.

If I had a recommendation, it would be variety content. I think that's everyone's dream because it doesn't put you in a box. But that is very hard to achieve. The more niche the niches, the easier they are to achieve.

Because if you get too niche, you risk putting yourself in a box.

And when that box goes down the river, you're going with it. That happened to me. I'm not saying that to throw shade at anyone but myself. I put myself in a box. I was the Adopt Me! girl. I was doing Adopt Me! all the time. Then people stopped caring about Adopt Me!, and they no longer needed to watch my videos for news. All of a sudden, I had built this profile of, "Oh, this is the Adopt Me! girl." Then I tried to break into other spaces, and it just didn't work as well because they didn't know me for that. They already had their other favorite creators that they went to for that.

Putting yourself in a corner can be difficult. But, you know, you go where the money goes because you have bills to pay.

I feel like you're going to break back in. You're going to find it.

Adopt Me! is back up, baby! I'm excited. I love Adopt Me!, so that's the best news for me.

TL;DR: Prime members can get Audible for just $0.99 per month for four months.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Audible: $0.99 per month   Get Deal

If your audiobook backlog is getting longer and longer, this new Audible deal is a great excuse to start making a dent in it.

Right now, eligible Prime members can get Audible Standard for just $0.99 per month for four months. That's more than 80% off the usual $8.99 monthly price, with Amazon calling this Audible's "best deal of the year."

With an Audible Standard membership, you can select one audiobook each month from Audible's entire collection and listen to it for as long as you remain a member. You can also purchase additional audiobooks at the full price if one book per month isn't quite enough to satisfy your listening habit.

There's no long-term commitment, so you can cancel at any time. Just remember that the membership will automatically renew at the regular price of $8.99 per month after the promotional period unless you cancel. If you don't want to continue at full price, set a reminder on your phone for the day before renewal.

One thing to remember is that not all audiobooks remain accessible after you cancel. Any titles you've purchased outright with cash or credits are yours to keep, but you'll lose access to books from the Plus Catalog and any audiobooks you selected as part of your Audible Standard membership. These will show with a lock icon in your library and become available again if you resubscribe.

Interested? Don't wait too long to sign up. This offer is available to eligible members but ends on Oct. 7 at 11:59 p.m. PT / 2:59 a.m. ET.

TL;DR: Ahead of October Prime Day, Prime members can get four months of Apple Music Unlimited for free.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Music Unlimited: Free for 4 Months (Prime Exclusive)   Get Deal

Amazon Music, Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, the list goes on. There are plenty of platforms to consider when it comes to your tunes. And the best way to decide? A free trial. And this month, Amazon Music is taking that trial to new extremes, giving you a chance to try Amazon Music Unlimited for four months, totally free.

The offer gives you access to the Individual Plan for four months (after which your subscription will automatically renew at the standard price of $12.99 per month, or $11.99 per month for Prime members). You can cancel at any time in your Amazon Music settings, but make sure you do so before the trial ends to avoid being charged.

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

This is a limited-time offer available only to new Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers. It also can't be combined with any other promotion and is limited to one offer per customer and account. If you're not a Prime member, you can still try out the service for three months.

Find this Amazon Music Unlimited deal online now.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Booster Display Box is on sale for $354.39 at Amazon, down from its $377.53 typical price.

Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokemon Company Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Booster Display Box (36 packs) $354.39 at Amazon
$377.53 Save $23.14   Get Deal

All eyes in the Pokémon TCG space may be on the 30th Celebration expansion, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t deals on other collections. In fact, you can save a good amount of money on Mega Evolution right now.

As of Sept. 16, the Pokémon TCG Mega Evolution Booster Display Box is $354.39 at Amazon. That puts $23.14 back in your pocket for a discount of roughly 6%. The listing comes from third-party seller Collectors Expedition, with free delivery currently estimated for Sept. 22, and only 10 units left in stock at the time of writing.

When that listing sells out, third-party seller Air Capital Supply is also selling the display boxes at a discount for only $354.40. 

Split across all 36 booster packs, Amazon's price works out to approximately $9.84 per pack before tax. Each pack contains 10 random cards, giving you 360 trading cards to crack through altogether. That’s over $5 cheaper compared to buying single Mega Evolution packs à la carte — currently going for $15.20 on Amazon.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Walmart and TCGplayer have swept in with opportunities to save you even more money. TCGplayer's English unopened listings start at $308 shipped, while Walmart has the same Mega Evolution Booster Box for $299.95 with free shipping. That even undercuts TCGplayer’s own market price of $314.34. 

Those 36 packs give you three dozen chances to pull one of Mega Evolution’s most valuable chase cards — including the $240+ MHR Mega Lucario ex. 

If there is a particular card you want from the expansion, you can buy any single Mega Evolution card right now on TCGplayer. 

SAVE $4.01: Preorders for the new Apple AirPods 5 are down to $124.99 on Amazon. That’s a 3% discount on brand-new ANC hardware before release day.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 5 $124.99 at Amazon
$129 Save $4.01   Get Deal

Preordering brand-new Apple gear usually means paying full retail price and waiting by your front door for the delivery truck. But Amazon is bending the rules just enough to make hitting "preorder now" feel a little sweeter.

While you won't see dramatic clearance-rack strike-throughs on unreleased tech, Apple's new AirPods 5 are already seeing a quiet preorder price drop. They technically sit at a $129 list price, but Amazon currently has them listed for $124.99 right out of the gate.

SEE ALSO: AirPods 5 review: Are these really open earbuds?

If you’ve been waiting to upgrade your daily earbuds, the AirPods 5 hit a really nice sweet spot. In her coverage for Mashable, Bethany Allard points out that "unlike the previous gen, both [AirPods 5 models] feature active noise cancellation — but this doesn't result in a price hike." Even at the base level, you get solid upgrades. Apple packed in "50% more active noise cancellation than the AirPods 4," an "improved transparency mode for a more natural sound," and an "updated adaptive EQ, which helps power better spatial audio."

Personalized Spatial Audio with dynamic head tracking creates a theater-like soundstage across movies, music, and games. On top of that, it includes Live Translation and hands-free access to the upgraded Siri AI via Apple Intelligence.

Where it holds back compared to the $149 step-up version comes down to charging and battery. This base pair comes with an ultra-compact USB-C wired charging case — so you'll need to plug it in rather than using a wireless charging pad — and offers up to four hours of listening time per charge with ANC (or 20 hours total with the case).

Claim this early $124.99 preorder deal on Amazon ahead of the official release date.

TL;DR: The Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration expansion has finally launched. A lot of product is already available to buy on Amazon and other top retailers, including the under-market-price deal for the Elite Trainer Box — still sold on Amazon for $83.44 per invite request.

The Pokémon 30th Celebration collection is causing a stir in the trading card game market. We've all been waiting impatiently for this one, and there's now more to buy compared to when Pitch Black and Chaos Rising launched. That's great news for collectors.

This expansion is incredibly special, with not only historic reprints (like the classic Charizard), but also special SIRs, and a rare Pikachu card in every booster pack. It's worth noting that only some products in the range are available to buy right away. Others are being made available later this year. 

With that, we've tracked down every available box, pack, blister, and collection you can immediately buy from the Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration. Plus, we've listed what you can already preorder for later in 2026.

Best Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Pokémon Company Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box $83.44 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $6.55   Shop Now Why we like it

The 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Box officially launched on Sept. 16, but Amazon's $83.44 invite-only offer is still the price to beat. It takes $6.55 off the retailer's $89.99 price, provided Amazon approves your request to buy.

Oddly, this is the only product from the 30th Celebration range to be added to Amazon’s high-demand, invite-only system. That may be because the U.S. retailer is testing the waters to gauge the impression it leaves with American customers. This system has been widely used on Amazon UK for the Pokémon TCG for some time.

Amazon’s deal makes this the best place to buy readily available 30th Celebration Elite Trainer Boxes. TCGplayer's lowest current ETB listing is $150 plus $2.25 shipping, while Walmart has the box at $159.95.

Inside are nine 30th Celebration booster packs, a full-art foil Nidorina promo, 16 foil Basic Energy cards, 65 card sleeves, a player's guide, six damage-counter dice, a competition-legal coin-flip die, a plastic coin, a collector's box with dividers, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card.

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration products you can buy right now 

The ETB isn't the only product launching on Sept. 16. Amazon has several other main collections available, while TCGplayer currently offers several products that aren't as easy to find elsewhere. Prices below are as of Sept. 16:

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Pokémon ex Box — four booster packs, one foil Sylveon ex or Greninja ex promo card, and an oversize foil version of the same Pokémon

  TCGplayer — Greninja ex from $67.32; Sylveon ex from $76.82

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Poster Collection — three booster packs, foil Articuno, Zapdos, and Moltres promos, plus a double-sided poster

  TCGplayer — $43.69

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection Lucario — three booster packs, Lucario foil promo card, and tech sticker sheet

  Amazon — $49.99

  TCGplayer — $42.99

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Tech Sticker Collection Alolan Exeggutor — three booster packs, Alolan Exeggutor foil promo card, and tech sticker sheet

  Amazon — $49.99

  TCGplayer — $42.99

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration 2-Pack Blister — two booster packs, an Eevee foil promo, and a plastic coin 

  TCGplayer — $47.69 

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration Knock Out Collection — two booster packs, an Eevee foil promo card, and a plastic coin 

  Amazon — $37.99

  TCGplayer — $29.97 

• Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration single booster pack — six foil cards in total, with the set guaranteeing a Pikachu rare in every pack

  TCGplayer — $18.97

Pokémon TCG 30th Celebration products you can preorder

Launch day is only the first part of Pokémon’s 30th Celebration rollout, with more products on the way. Several already have preorder listings live. Amazon doesn't have a matching listing for everything, so TCGplayer and Walmart fill some of the gaps below.

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Booster Bundle (early October) — six 30th Celebration booster packs

  Amazon — $136.75

  TCGplayer — $114.94

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Mini Tin (Oct. 2) — two booster packs, a sticker sheet, a collectible art card, and a Pokémon TCG Live code card

  Amazon — $71.68

  Walmart — $69.95

  TCGplayer — from $46.25; $354.06 for a 10-tin display, containing one of each design

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Binder Collection (early October) — five booster packs and a themed nine-pocket binder

  TCGplayer — $85.75

  Walmart — $136.99

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Battle Deck (Oct. 30) — an all-foil 60-card Espeon ex or Umbreon ex deck, damage counters, plastic coin, deck box, double-sided playmat and strategy sheet, and an online code card

  TCGplayer — Umbreon ex for $51.18

  Walmart — Espeon ex for $48.99

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Ditto Premium Collection (Nov. 6) — eight booster packs, a Ditto promo card, and an acrylic display for showing off that card or another pull from the set

  Walmart — $248.99

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Figure Collection (Nov. 6) — five booster packs, a foil promo and oversize foil card featuring either Mew or Mewtwo, plus a sculpted figure of the same Pokémon

  TCGplayer — Mewtwo for $96.60; Mew for $124.91

  Walmart — Mewtwo for $99.98; Mew for $194.49

• Pokémon TCG: 30th Celebration Ultra-Premium Collection (Nov. 6) — Pikachu and Espeon ex foil promos, 29 standard 30th Celebration boosters, one Classic Collection booster, a playmat, 65 sleeves, deck box, metal Espeon coin, dice, acrylic card display, and TCG Live code

  TCGplayer — $604.32

  Walmart — $548.99