Technology

The thousands separator is a character used to separate groups of three digits in larger numbers, such as the commas in 1,000,000. In Microsoft Excel, you can format numbers to include the thousands separator. In this guide, I'll show you how.

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Opens in a new window Credit: Digiarty Macxvideo AI: Lifetime Subscription $24.99
$69.95 Save $44.96 Get Deal

Do you want to tap into the full potential of your videos? Macxvideo AI makes it possible, offering an all-in-one toolkit that enables you to enhance your footage with the help of cutting-edge AI. And right now, you can enjoy a lifetime subscription to this powerful tool for just $24.99 — $45 off the usual price.

Whether you have a precious family memory you’d like to make more vivid or you’re just looking to do some basic edits, Macxvideo AI is ready to tackle video enhancements both big and small. Powered by AI, Macxvideo equips you with over 20 professional-level tools to make the most out of your content.

SEE ALSO: Save $150 on the M4 Apple iMac in several colors

Let Macxvideo AI enhance your videos with AI Super Resolution to boost clarity and AI Frame Interpolation to create smoother motion by adding frames. There’s also AI Image Enhancer to sharpen color and detail, AI Face Recovery to restore facial features, AI Image Colorization to bring black-and-white images to life, and AI Audio Suppression to precisely remove background noise.

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StackSocial prices subject to change.

When you apply Microsoft Excel's percentage number format to a cell already containing a number, it multiplies the value by 100. This can be frustrating, as there's apparently no easy way to stop this from happening. Until now!

Threads is nearing X in mobile user numbers, according to data from Similarweb, a leading web analytics firm. The Twitter alternative from Meta is reportedly growing steadily and appears to be drawing users away from Elon Musk’s platform.

A chart shared by Similarweb shows Threads steadily increasing its daily active users on both iOS and Android. The data suggests Threads has reached parity with X — around 130 million daily active users — and is on track to surpass it globally within days.

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It's worth noting, however, that X still far surpassed Threads in web traffic, according to Similarweb.

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

All that data tracks, especially considering a significant portion of Threads traffic likely comes from users clicking through via the Instagram app. Being embedded within Meta's broader ecosystem has clearly been a powerful — if unsurprising — growth driver. In August, Threads announced that it reached 400 million monthly active users.

X, on the other hand, has long been part of users' daily web habits, albeit under its former name. It's no surprise, then, that more of its traffic comes from desktop use.

Still, the fact that Threads has reportedly pulled even with X marks a major milestone. This shift had been anticipated since earlier this summer — and now, according to Similarweb, it appears to have arrived.

Amazon agreed to a whopping $2.5 billion settlement with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week over allegedly "deceptive" practices in signing up users to its paid Amazon Prime subscription service.

Out of that settlement, Amazon will pay a $1 billion civil penalty to the U.S. government. The other $1.5 billion? That's the Consumer Fund, and it's going to be used to refund Amazon Prime customers who were affected by these practices.

According to the settlement terms, an estimated 35 million customers are entitled to that $1.5 billion pool, which would amount to a refund of $42.86 per person if distributed evenly. That's not an earth-shattering chunk of change, but free money is free money.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's October Prime Day is coming on October 7 — here are 30+ early deals to shop now Who gets a refund from the Amazon-FTC settlement?

The FTC's lawsuit against Amazon, which resulted in the settlement, focused on Amazon's Prime subscription service. The FTC alleged that Amazon intentionally used deceptive designs, also known as dark patterns, to get users to sign up for the paid service and then made it difficult for customers to cancel their subscription.

But that doesn't mean everyone who signed up for Amazon Prime is eligible. 

First, an Amazon user needs to have signed up for Prime between June 23, 2019 and June 23, 2025. In addition, the Prime subscription must have been made via one of the "challenged enrollment flows." 

Basically, a user needed to sign up for Prime through one of those offending designs. Per the FTC, these allegedly deceptive Amazon Prime sign-up designs include the Universal Prime Decision Page, the Shipping Option Select Page, the Prime Video enrollment flow, or the Single Page Checkout. For example, on the Shipping Option Select Page, a user could've chosen the free shipping option without realizing that this would automatically sign them up for an Amazon Prime membership.

Furthermore, the consumer needs to have used their Prime benefits, which include free Prime shipping, no more than three times within 12 months of signing up for Prime.

How to get a refund from the Amazon-FTC settlement

There are two ways consumers will be compensated. First, consumers who meet the previous requirements will receive a payout automatically within 90 days, capped at $51. There is no sign-up or opt-in required. Amazon will just refund anyone who's eligible.

After those refunds go out, Amazon will then open a new round of payouts. The e-commerce giant will send out a claims form within 30 days to other customers who are eligible for a refund. The consumers eligible in this round include those who signed up via one of the challenged enrollment flows and also used up to 10 Prime benefits in a 12-month period. Consumers will have 180 days to fill out the claim form and submit it. Amazon will then issue those refunds within 30 days after a review of the claim.

If Amazon has paid out less than $1 billion after this second payout process with the claim forms, then the company must continue to make another tier of customers eligible for a refund. For example, the next group would be anyone who did not submit a claim form, signed up for Prime through a challenged enrollment flow, but used up to four of their Prime benefits. The next eligible group would be those who used up to five of their Prime benefits. 

This would continue until at least $1 billion is paid out of the Consumer Fund.

Personally, I find the argument that vinyl audio sounds better than CDs or high-quality digital streaming audio unconvincing. However, what is inarguably true is that vinyl audio quality, more than any other extant physical media, is affected by the quality of the turntable you use.

Meta is training its AI chatbots to more effectively address child sexual exploitation after a series of high-profile blunders around the sensitive topic, according to guidelines obtained by Business Insider.

The guidelines that contractors are reportedly using to train its AI chatbots have recently been updated, Business Insider reported. These guidelines state that content that "enables, encourages, or endorses" child sexual abuse is explicitly barred, as is romantic roleplay if the user is a minor or if the user asks the AI to roleplay as a minor, advice about intimacy if the user is a minor, and more, according to an Engadget report based on the Business Insider scoop.

While these may seem like obvious safety guardrails for underage users, they are necessary as more people — including underage users — experiment with AI companions and roleplaying. An August report by Reuters revealed that Meta’s AI rules permitted suggestive behavior with kids. As Reuters reported, Meta's previous chatbot policies specifically allowed it to "engage a child in conversations that are romantic or sensual."

Just weeks after that report, Meta spokesperson Stephanie Otway told TechCrunch that their AI chatbots are being trained to no longer "engage with teenage users on self-harm, suicide, disordered eating, or potentially inappropriate romantic conversations." Before this change, Meta's chatbots could engage with those topics when it was deemed "appropriate."

So, what's included in the new guidelines?

Content that "describes or discusses" a minor in a sexualized manner is also unacceptable, according to the Business Insider report. Minors cannot engage in "romantic roleplay, flirtation or expression of romantic or intimate expression" with the chatbot, nor can they ask for advice that "potentially-romantic or potentially-intimate physical content with another person, such as holding hands, hugging, or putting an arm around someone," Business Insider reported.

However, acceptable use cases for training the chatbot include discussing the "formation of relationships between children and adults," the "sexual abuse of a child," "the topic of child sexualisation," "the solicitation, creation, or acquisition of sexual materials involving children," and "the involvement of children in the use or production of obscene materials or the employment of children in sexual services in academic, educational, or clinical purposes." Minors can still use the AI for romance-related roleplay as long as it is "non-sexual and non-sensual" and "is presented as literature or fictional narrative (e.g. a story in the style of Romeo and Juliet) where the AI and the user are not characters in the narrative."

As Business Insider reported, the guidelines defined "discuss" as "providing information without visualization." So, Meta's chatbots can discuss topics like abuse but cannot describe, enable, or encourage it, per the new guidelines.

Meta isn't the only AI struggling with child safety.

Parents of a teen who died by suicide after confiding in ChatGPT recently sued the AI platform for wrongful death; in response, OpenAI announced additional safety measures and behavioral prompts for its updated GPT-5. Anthropic updated its chatbot to allow it to end chats that are harmful or abusive, and Chatacter.AI introduced parental supervision features earlier this year.

If you're feeling suicidal or experiencing a mental health crisis, please talk to somebody. You can call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org. You can reach the Trans Lifeline by calling 877-565-8860 or the Trevor Project at 866-488-7386. Text "START" to Crisis Text Line at 741-741. Contact the NAMI HelpLine at 1-800-950-NAMI, Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. ET, or email info@nami.org. If you don't like the phone, consider using the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline Chat. Here is a list of international resources.

If you have experienced sexual abuse, call the free, confidential National Sexual Assault hotline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673), or access the 24-7 help online by visiting online.rainn.org.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Amazon never rests. With Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) and the holiday shopping season fast approaching, the retail juggernaut is gearing up for some big announcements on Tuesday. The retail giant's Devices & Services team is hosting a NYC-based press conference on Sept. 30, where several new devices will likely make their debut.

While Amazon has yet to publicly announce any concrete details about the event, an invitation, as shared by The Verge, shows a quadrant of four devices, providing a sneak peek into what's to come. While Amazon has yet to publicly comment on which devices and services will be unveiled, here's what we're expecting to see.

Is another new Kindle coming? A new Kindle Scribe arrived last year but is a color version coming soon? Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable At $249.99, the Kindle Colorsoft is more expensive than other color e-readers on the market. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Since fall 2024, Amazon has gone non-stop with the updates to Kindles. The biggest innovation to come to their e-readers is the addition of color. The Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition had a rocky rollout last year with reports of discoloration plaguing some of the devices. While that has been resolved and Amazon has since released the standard Kindle Colorsoft and the Kindle Colorsoft Kids, a fourth Colorsoft entry is seemingly coming.

If Amazon is adding color to its existing line, then there are only two options left: the basic Kindle or the Kindle Scribe. However, according to The Verge, Amazon left a sneaky clue in its invitation. In the quadrant of the invite clearly showing a color Kindle, the line "with the stroke of a pen" appears, implying that it's the Kindle Scribe — the only Kindle with writing abilities — that's getting the color makeover.

This would be a much-needed addition to the Scribe, which is the only Amazon e-reader that has annotation abilities. With color, readers will hopefully be able to highlight in different colors and journal in rainbow. (The new reMarkable tablet lets you write notes in color, for instance.)

If we are getting a color Scribe, that means the Colorsoft line is probably not getting a price cut. Kindle's color e-readers are expensive, and in our opinion, not worth the price compared to color e-readers like Kobos. Considering the current Kindle Scribe has a list price of $449 and Colorsoft devices are averaging $90 more than their non-color counterparts, there's a non-zero chance a Kindle Scribe with color will be priced over $500.

A new Fire TV? The Amazon Fire TV gets bogged down by a clunky OS, so we're looking forward to a new system. Credit: Samantha Mangino / Mashable

Amazon's Fire TVs are also reportedly getting an update. It's unclear if a hardware or software update is coming, but we think an updated TV operating system is more likely. Vega OS, Amazon's new Linux-based operating system, has been an open secret in the tech world for a while now.

Having tested Amazon's Fire TVs, our main complaint was its laggy OS, so we're hopeful for what the Vega OS may offer.

An updated Echo speaker is also possible

For as popular as they are, Amazon's Echo Dot hasn't seen an upgrade since 2022, nor the Echo Pop since 2023. It wouldn't be a surprise that these compact Echo devices were finally getting an upgrade.

However, as reported by ZDNet (also owned by our parent company Ziff Davis), the Echo image used on the invite to this event looks like the Echo Studio, which is notably no longer listed on Amazon's site.

What about that Android-powered Fire tablet? The Amazon Fire HD 8 Plus is an affordable and clunky unit. Credit: RJ Andersen / Mashable

First rumored back in August, Amazon Fire tablets are reportedly getting a new Android operating system. The new Android OS would replace its existing in-house operating system, an attempt to compete with Apple and Samsung's higher-end tablets.

While a Fire tablet doesn't appear to be on the leaked invite, that's not to say one isn't coming.

We'll be reporting on Amazon's devices and services event on Tuesday, Sept. 29. Return here for more information as it's revealed.

HBO Max is setting the tone for October with its hearty new schedule, which boasts a host of HBO Originals. From the debut of new series, such as IT: Welcome to Derry, and a comedy special from Adam Pally to the premieres of emotion-evoking documentaries and hit films, such as The Substance, you won't want to skip these titles, or this lineup.

There's not much of a reason to wait until Black Friday to buy a robot vacuum — not when Amazon treats its October Prime Day sale like Black Friday when it comes to vacuum deals.

In fact, compared to the Prime Day that just happened in July, I'm already seeing many of the same deals live before Prime Big Deal Days even starts next week. Those include a handful of the 2025 Roombas that impressed me during testing and the Eufy robot vacuum that converts to a stick vacuum — a criminally underrated vacuum that more people need to know exists. There's even a substantial discount on the flagship of all flagship robot vacuums that Dreame just announced in August.

A look at the best early robot vacuum deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days Editor's pick eufy Robot Vacuum 3-in-1 E20 Stick and Handheld Vacuum Combo $348.99 (save $301) Get Deal Budget pick iRobot Roomba 104 Combo $249.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best mop washing station deal Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller $1,279.99 (save $320) Get Deal Best vacuum-only robot vacuum deal Shark AV2501S AI Ultra $229.99 (save $320) Get Deal

By the time the event officially starts on Oct. 7, I expect to see most (if not all) of the best robot vacuums I've tested on sale. You have until then to read up on what to look for in a robot vacuum and assess the features that are non-negotiables in your home.

SEE ALSO: Roborock Saros Z70 review: If you think you need the robot vacuum with an arm, no you don't

Regardless of your budget, there's definitely a robot vacuum on sale for you this October Prime Day. I'm tracking all of the best robot vacuum deals at Amazon below, noting when they self-empty, mop, or wash and dry their own mopping pads. All robot vacuums in the list have smart mapping. Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best October Prime Day budget robot vacuum deal Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba 104 Combo Robot Vacuum and Mop $249.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $200 Get Deal Why we like it

Prime Day Roomba deals have been a bust in years past, but that all changed when iRobot overhauled the Roomba lineup in March 2025. iRobot specifically spent extra time on the budget-friendly and mid-tier options with this product drop, and it's easily the most practical pricing I've ever seen from this brand.

One of the new Roombas released was the Roomba 104 Combo: a straightforward mopping, smart mapping, self-emptying Roomba that's an affordable choice for shoppers who want to cover those three crucial features, but don't want anything fancy. I tested the virtually-identical Roomba 105 Combo a few months ago and was satisfied for the price — it was a radically better experience than what I've had with cheap Roombas in the past. It even automatically recognizes carpet and rugs to keep them dry while it's mopping.

Best October Prime Day robot vacuum with mop-washing station deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dreame Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller $1,279.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $320 Get Deal Why we like it

Oh, nothing. It's just the most powerful robot vacuum we've ever seen on sale during any Amazon sale event. No biggie. Meet the Dreame Aqua10 Ultra Roller: one of the flagship Dreame models that was just released in August, already 20% off ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. I haven't personally tested this one yet, but on paper, it's quite the beast.

The Aqua10 Ultra Roller has a jaw-dropping 30,000 Pa of suction power — a market high for any mainstream robot vacuum. That's also significantly more powerful than the 20,000 Pa of the Roborock Saros 10R (my favorite robot vacuum of the year). Interestingly enough, the Aqua10 Ultra Roller's current sale price is the exact same that we saw for the Saros 10R during Prime Day in July. Past its strong suction being great for pet hair, the Aqua10 Ultra Roller also has a two-way livestream camera that I think any pet parent should prioritize.

If you're wondering, the "Roller" part of the title is referring to the paint roller-style roller mop, which rinses itself as it's mopping, not just when it returns to the dock. This is one of a handful of late-2025 robot vacuum and mop combos to ditch the dual spinning pads typically seen in older premium robot vacuums. They're said to offer a bit more heavy-duty scrubbing, and avoid smearing better than spinning and flat pads.

More robot vacuums on sale at AmazonHybrid robot vacuums that mop

• Roborock Q7 M5 — $169.99 $299.99 (save $140)

• Yeedi C12 Plus with self-empty station — $249.99 $399.99 (save $150)

• Roborock Q8 Max — $259.98 $399.99 (save $140.01)

• Dreame D20 Plus with self-empty station — $296.99 $399.99 (save $103) 🔥

• Roborock Q10 S5+ with self-empty station — $299.99 $549.99 (save $250) 🔥

• 3i G10+ with dust compression — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

• Narwal Freo Pro with self-empty and mop washing station — $479.99 $699.99 (save $220)

• iRobot Roomba 405 with self-empty and mop washing station — $399.99 $799.99 (save $400) 🔥

• Eufy Omni C20 with self-empty and mop washing station — $379.99 $699.99 (save $320) 🔥

• Yeedi M12 Pro with self-empty and mop washing station — $379.99 $899.99 (save $520) 🔥

• Dreame X40 Ultra with self-empty and mop washing station — $799.99 $1,199.99 (save $300)

• Dreame X50 Ultra with self-empty and mop washing station — $1,199.99 $1,699.99 (save $500) 🔥

• Roborock Saros Z70 with OmniGrip arm, self-empty and mop washing station — $1,999.98 $2,599 (save $599.02) 🔥

Robot vacuums that don't mop

• Eufy C10 with self-empty station — $199.99 $479.99 (save $320) 🔥

• Shark AV2501S AI Ultra with self-empty station — $229.99 $549.99 (save $320) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba 105 with self-empty station — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

• Eufy L60 with self-empty station — $299.99 $559.99 (save $260)

• Eufy E20 3-in-1 robot vacuum and stick vacuum with self-empty station — $348.99 $649.99 (save $301) 🔥

• iRobot Roomba Plus 504 with self-empty station — $379.99 $749.99 (save $370) 🔥

After recently promising new safety measures for teens, OpenAI introduced new parental controls for ChatGPT. The settings allow parents to monitor their teen's account, as well as restrict certain types of use, like voice chat, memory, and image generation.

The changes debuted a month after two bereaved parents sued OpenAI for the wrongful death of their son, Adam Raine, earlier this year. The lawsuit alleges that ChatGPT conversed with their son about his suicidal feelings and behavior, providing explicit instructions for how to take his own life, and discouraging him from disclosing his plans to others.

The complaint also argues that ChatGPT's design features, including its sycophantic tone and anthropomorphic mannerisms, effectively work to "replace human relationships with an artificial confidant" that never refuses a request.

SEE ALSO: Colleges are giving students ChatGPT. Is it safe?

In a blog post about the new parental controls, OpenAI said that it worked with experts, advocacy groups, and policy makers to develop the safeguards.

In order to use the settings, parents must invite their teen to connect accounts. Teen users must accept the invitation, and they can also make the same request of their parent. The adult will be notified if a teen unlinks their account in the future.

Once the accounts are connected, automatic protections are applied to the teen's account. These content restrictions include reduced exposure to graphic material, extreme beauty ideals, and sexual, romantic, or violent roleplay. While parents can turn off these restrictions, teens can't make those changes.

Parents will also be able to make specific choices for their teen's use, such as designating quiet hours during which ChatGPT can't be accessed; turning off memory and voice mode; and removing image generation capabilities. Parents can't see or access their teen's chat logs.

Importantly, OpenAI still sets teen accounts to be used in model training. Parents must opt out of that setting if they don't want OpenAI to use their teen's interactions with ChatGPT to further train and improve their product.

When it comes to handling sensitive situations wherein teens talk to ChatGPT about their mental health, OpenAI has created a notification system so that parents can learn if something may be "seriously wrong."

Though OpenAI did not describe the technical features of this system in its blog post, the company said that it will recognize potential signs that a teen is thinking about harming themselves. If the system detects that intention, a team of "specially trained people" reviews the circumstances. OpenAI will contact parents by their method of choice — email, text message, and push alert — if there are signs of acute distress.

"We are working with mental health and teen experts to design this because we want to get it right," OpenAI said in its post. "No system is perfect, and we know we might sometimes raise an alarm when there isn’t real danger, but we think it’s better to act and alert a parent so they can step in than to stay silent."

OpenAI noted that it's developing protocols for contacting law enforcement and emergency services in cases where a parent can't be reached, or if there's an imminent threat to a teen's life.

Robbie Torney, senior director of AI Programs at Common Sense Media, said in the blog post that the controls were a "good starting point."

Torney recently testified in a Senate hearing on the dangers of AI chatbots. At the time, he referenced the Raine lawsuit and noted that ChatGPT continued to engage Adam Raine in discussion about suicide, rather than trying to redirect the conversation.

SEE ALSO: After losing their son, parents urge Senate to take action on AI chatbots

"Despite Adam using the paid version of ChatGPT — meaning OpenAI had his payment information and could have implemented systems to identify concerning patterns and contact his family during mental health crises — the company had no such intervention mechanisms in place," Torney said in his testimony.

At the same hearing, Dr. Mitch Prinstein, chief of psychology at the American Psychological Association, testified that Congress should require AI systems accessible by children and adolescents to undergo "rigorous, independent, pre-deployment testing for potential harms to users' psychological and social development."

Prinstein also called for limiting manipulative or persuasive design features that maximize chatbot engagement.

HDMI-CEC (Consumer Electronics Control) is a feature of HDMI that allows devices to talk to and control one another. So, for example, your Blu-ray player can switch your TV to the correct input as soon as you turn it on, or you can adjust the volume of an HDMI-connected soundbar with your TV remote.

Those crafty marketers are always thinking of ways to make existing technology appeal to people in new ways. Which is why you may have seen advertising for "laser TVs", which admittedly sound very sci-fi and futuristic.

Parents everywhere are likely frightened to count to 10 in their own homes, lest they tempt their children by getting to the numbers six and seven.

If that means nothing to you, then you've successfully avoided the 6-7 meme. Congrats to you and your blissfully offline life. That sounds healthy.

SEE ALSO: Aura farming? Fanum tax? 2025's most viral internet slang, explained

But for the logged-on masses, kids saying six-seven to everything has simply become a fact of life. And yes, that is pretty much it: People are just saying six-seven in a particular cadence...and that is the meme. It's everywhere right now — and it has a somewhat peculiar origin story.

How the 6-7 meme started

In short, the meme comes from a rap track called "Doot Doot" by Skrilla, during which he sings "6-7" in the familiar cadence. Know Your Meme notes this is likely a reference to a street in Philadelphia.

But the meme isn't really in reference to the song. Not really, anyway. TikTok virality relies heavily on sounds, and people used the song to make edits of basketball players — most notably, 6-foot-7 tall LaMelo Ball — which took off.

From there, as memes typically do, the whole meaning and use of 6-7 evolved. The most important iteration involved a kid at a basketball game effectively using the lyric, paired with an up-and-down hand motion, as an emote, which is when an avatar in a video game does a movement typically just for fun or celebration.

That up-and-down movement became the default way kids meme six-seven in real life.

So...what is the 6-7 meme?

In short, it's nonsense. It's silly. It's filler and fun to say. The meme isn't really about the song, or about basketball, or height, or even really the numbers six and seven. It's taking any excuse to be silly. So if someone says six, seven, six-seven, or 67, then you have the opportunity to do the meme. Or you can just do the meme because it's funny to say.

We've written at Mashable in the past that TikTok has a unique ability to shape language. Among kids, that's especially true. Young people have always relied on creating their own shared language, but the TikTok generation is able to do it overnight. You can go from a rap song to a basketball player to a kid at a game to an entirely new, extremely viral phrase in no time at all.

So if you hear a kid saying six-seven all the time, it's likely something they're saying because, well, everyone is saying it. At this point, it is totally divorced from its origins and just a thing to do.

And if it's proven annoying to the parents out there, don't worry. These trends don't last. I see it going on for six, seven more months at most.

Anthropic has formally announced Claude Sonnet 4.5, a new AI model specifically made for coding. During its announcement, Anthropic didn’t mince words, calling Claude Sonnet 4.5 the “best coding model in the world.” Starting today, it’ll power Claude Code, a popular choice for vibe coders and professionals alike. 

The new model is a step up from the old model and seems to be able to do quite a lot. According to Cognition co-founder and CEO Scott Wu, the new model features “the biggest jump we’ve seen since the release of Claude Sonnet 3.6” and can “run longer, handle harder tasks, and deliver production-ready code.”

Anthropic shows this through a variety of charts demonstrating how effective the model can be. For example, Claude Sonnet 4.5 has fewer instances of misaligned behaviors than its direct competitors, including older models from Anthropic. Anthropic AI researcher David Hershey told TechCrunch that he’s seen the model code for 30 hours without interruption in early trials, so overall performance may be difficult to show in benchmarks. 

In addition to better smarts, Anthropic also announced several new features for Claude Code to coincide with the release. That includes checkpoints, a feature that Anthropic says has been requested quite a lot. Checkpoints will save snapshots of the code the user is working on, and then grant the ability to roll back to a prior checkpoint if things go off the rails. There is also a new context editing feature and memory tool that allows AI agents to run longer and handle more complex instructions. 

Anthropic has been on a roll in 2025, as have most AI companies. New models seem to drop every couple of months like clockwork these days. Anthropic’s prior big model release, Claude Opus 4, launched in May 2025, which was also designed for advanced coding. OpenAI launched its latest GPT-5 in early August, and Google joined the fray with Gemini 2.5 over the summer. Thus, AI fans have a lot of new stuff to check out if they haven’t done so in a while. 

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Apple's first iOS 26 bug fix update is out now.

A new OS launch always comes with its share of user complaints, and some bugs and battery problems are fairly typical following a big update. As expected, Apple has launched iOS 26.0.1, which includes some minor updates for the new OS. iOS 26 finally brings the new Liquid Glass aesthetic to your iPhone, among other changes.

If you have an iPhone whose software is up to date, you can download it now. Here's now.

Hit that button! Credit: Screenshot: Apple/Alex Perry

1. Go to the Settings app

2. Tap "General"

3. Tap "Software Update"

4. Hit the big blue button

If you were hoping for one update that would fix all of your problems with iOS 26, that's not likely to happen with 26.0.1.

Per Apple's release notes, this is mostly a series of bug fixes rather than fundamental changes to how iOS 26 works. Issues that received fixes include WiFi and Bluetooth disconnection errors for iPhone 17 models, blank app icons, and unwanted artifacts in photos. That latter fix is likely related to a "rare glitch" some early testers identified while taking photos at concerts. Bright LED lights had been causing square blank spots to appear in some photos, and Apple said the bug would be fixed in an iOS 26 update.

SEE ALSO: iOS 26: How to turn off Liquid Glass

If you don't like Liquid Glass, you can't fully turn it off. Still, bug fixes are bug fixes, so if you're already bought in on iOS 26, you might as well download the new update.

If you are a YouTube Premium subscriber, we have some good news. Your subscription just got even better, for free, as the company announced several exciting new features and benefits in more places. Get ready for HQ audio, faster playback speeds, and more of what you love on YouTube Music inside the regular YouTube app.

The best early October Prime Day unlocked phone deals at a glance: Best Samsung Galaxy deal Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 (256GB) $949.99 (save $150) Get Deal Best Motorola deal Motorola Razr Ultra (512GB) $1,099.99 (save $200) Get Deal Best Google Pixel deal Google Pixel 9 (128GB) $699 (save $100) Get Deal

If you're looking to upgrade your phone, but don't want to spend a fortune, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days could be your opportunity to score one for less. Instead of coordinating a trade-in and data plan at a specific carrier, you can often find better deals on unlocked devices at Amazon — particularly during sales events. Unlocked phones aren't tied to a specific carrier, so you'll have the flexibility to switch plans and shop new phones as often as you want. Not to mention, you'll be able to use local SIM cards when traveling internationally without having to jump through hoops.

Amazon's October Prime Day event doesn't kick off until Oct. 7, but we're already seeing some unlocked phone deals worth grabbing. A few Motorola and Samsung Galaxy phones have already dropped to record-low prices (marked with a 🔥). Google Pixel, on the other hand, is starting slow with just a single solid deal. If you're looking for iPhone deals, you're better off locking in a contract with a carrier, as it's rare to find a discount on an unlocked iPhone (though we'll never say never).

We'll be keeping an eye on things and updating the list below with any new deals that pop up as we inch closer to the now-annual shopping event. For now, here are the best unlocked phone deals we could find.

Psst: If you're not sure what to do with your old phone, you can recycle it at most Best Buy stores for free.

The best early October Prime Day unlocked phone deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 (256GB, Unlocked) 🔥 $949.99 at Amazon
$1,099.99 Save $150 Get Deal

The Z Flip7, the smaller of Samsung's latest flagship foldables, features a completely redesigned exterior. The new cover display goes edge-to-edge at 4.1 inches, making it the largest external display on a flip-style phone to date. It also packs a new 120Hz refresh rate, the ability to interact with AI features without opening the phone, and the option to use the camera to show things to the onboard AI. Mashable's reviewer writes, "If you appreciate the foldable form factor, then you'll definitely appreciate the Galaxy Z Flip 7. You can do so much cool stuff with this "AI Flip Phone." Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can slash $150 off the 256GB version in blue shadow, coral red, or jet black — not bad for a phone that's only a couple of months old.

More unlocked phone deals

• Motorola Moto G (128GB) — $174.99 $199.99 (save $25)

• TCL 60 XE NXTPAPER (128GB) — $222.49 $249.99 (save $27.50)

• Motorola Moto G Stylus (256GB) — $249.99 $399.99 (save $150)

• Motorola Razr 2024 (256GB) — $499.99 $699.99 (save $200)

• OnePlus 13R (256GB) — $549.99 $599.99 (save $50)

• Motorola Razr 2025 (256GB) — $599.99 $699.99 (save $100)

• Samsung Galaxy S25 (128GB) — $679.99 $799.99 (save $130) 🔥

• Google Pixel 9 (128GB) — $699 $799 (save $100)

• Samsung Galaxy S25+ (512GB) — $999.99 $1,119.99 (save $120)

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (256GB) — $1,044.99 $1,299.99 (save $255) 🔥

• Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 (512GB) — $1,069.99 $1,219.99 (save $150)

• Motorola Razr Ultra (512GB) — $1,099.99 $1,299.99 (save $200) 🔥

• Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra (512GB) — $1,299 $1,419.99 (save $120.99)

What started as a niche hobbyist experiment in the early 2000s turned into a wave of mainstream adoption, fueled by the rise of affordable all-in-one (AIO) units and the growing cultural obsession with flashy gaming PCs.

LockBit is the notorious ransomware gang responsible for running one of the world's most dangerous Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) platforms. Now, LockBit has reportedly returned with LockBit 5.0, a new variant of the group's ransomware that's already in active use.

In early 2024, a task force of law enforcement agencies conducted Operation Cronos, which took down several big pieces of infrastructure from the prolific ransomware group. As an RaaS provider, the group sold tools and software that affiliates could use for their own hacking operations. It was seen as a major victory at the time. Well over a year later, it seems LockBit is back and, according to a technical analysis by Trend Micro, that isn’t good news. 

In early September, LockBit announced a new version of its ransomware software, LockBit 5.0. Since then, Trend Micro researchers have been looking for examples of LockBit 5.0 being used in the wild, so to speak. Not only was the company able to find examples on Windows, Linux, and ESXi (virtual machines), but its analysis of LockBit Version 5.0 showed that it’s the most advanced ransomware the group has made yet. 

Per Trend Micro, version 5.0 shares some common elements with version 4.0, meaning it's an evolution rather than an entirely new piece of ransomware. The new version adds horrible features like a DLL reflection (the ability to load a DLL from memory), a few new anti-analysis techniques, and — for the Linux variant anyway — the ability to use the command line to target specific directories and file types. All versions also add a random 16-bit string to make getting your data back that much harder. 

Once the ransomware takes control of your computer, it seems to behave the same way that prior LockBit versions did, where you get a ransom note in a text file with instructions on where to go to pay your ransom. There is also the option to “chat with support” to negotiate the ransom. 

In addition to the technical details, it’s been reported that LockBit’s affiliate incentive model has been refreshed, giving bad actors even more incentive to use the software. Reportedly, the refresh was meant to recruit people back to LockBit after the service disruption caused by Operation Cronos last year. 

With LockBit back in action, it joins a new generation of AI-powered ransomware that hit the market in late summer 2025, also known as PromptLock. So, if you haven’t been keeping up to speed on the latest cybersecurity threats and scams, now is a great time to refresh yourself on how to be safe on the Internet.