Technology

There are few things in the world as lovely as a cup of coffee. What could be better?

Well, maybe if it were free. Monday, Sept. 29 is National Coffee Day in the U.S. — an invented, faux holiday, sure — but it does mean lots of places are giving out free cups of joe. Here are some of our favorite deals we're seeing across the country.

Starbucks

The uber-popular coffee chain is offering 100 bonus stars in the Starbucks app for any hot or iced coffee.

Dunkin'

The popular chain is offering a free medium hot or iced coffee if you order through the app.

Wawa

The primarily mid-Atlantic chain is offering a free coffee for folks who order through the app. You should get access to a coupon you can use at checkout.

Krispy Kreme

The chain is offering both a free medium coffee and a free doughnut. It also, for whatever reason, paired-up with Joe Jonas (of the Jonas Brothers) for this promotion.

“I went and found the Krispy Kreme team and sat down with them, and I said, 'I want to make National Coffee Day history,' and that's what this is," Jonas said in a statement. OK, sure.

Einstein Bros.

Like lots of other places, the bagel chain is offering a free coffee with a purchase through its app.

Panera

The sandwich-focused chain is offering three months free of its Sip Club. That's effectively three months of free coffee.

Peets

The coffee chain is offering 25 percent off sitewide.

Burger King

Royal Perks members can get a free coffee with a $1 purchase through the app.

Emma Thompson and Ruth Wilson lead Apple TV+'s new mystery crime thriller in what can only be described as the dream I had last night.

Written by Slow Horses' Morwenna Banks and based on Mick Herron's novel, Down Cemetery Road sees Thompson as hard-edged, quip-savvy private investigator Zoë Boehm, who takes on a case that'll unearth truths all the way to the top. Wilson plays Sarah Trafford, a woman obsessed with a young girl's disappearance after an explosion at her neighbours' house — so she brings in Zoë. But there's more, as in Apple's description of the show, Zoë and Sarah "find themselves in a complex conspiracy that reveals people long believed dead are still among the living, while the living are fast joining the dead."

I'm sorry, what? I'm in!

Adeel Akhtar, Tom Goodman-Hill, Fehinti Balogun, Darren Boyd, Nathan Stewart-Jarrett, Tom Riley, Adam Godley, Sinead Matthews, Ken Nwosu, and Aiysha Hart also star, and Bay of Fires' Natalie Bailey is the series' lead director.

Down Cemetery Road debuts on Apple TV+ with the first two episodes on Oct. 29 followed by new episodes Wednesdays through Dec. 10.

Google has a new look for the first time in a decade.

Almost exactly 10 years after introducing the four-color "G" logo, the company announced in a blog post today that the logo is getting updated across the entire brand. The new logo is basically the same, except the colors smoothly transition into each other with gradients instead of having hard stops between them. According to Google, this new logo will come to its bevy of apps and services "in the coming months."

Left: The old logo... Credit: Google Right: ...the new logo, in all its glory! Credit: Google SEE ALSO: Google and Qualcomm execs confirm Android for PC is coming: 'I've seen it, it is incredible'

This is obviously not a huge change, but Google's stated reasoning for it is worth a read, at any rate.

"The new 'Google G' now represents all of Google — both our brand and the company — and visually reflects our evolution in the AI era," Google's blog post said. "While staying true to Google’s iconic four colors, the brighter hues and gradient design symbolize the surge of AI-driven innovation and creative energy across our products and technology."

Well, alright then. Gradients equal AI innovation now, apparently. Good to know.

SAVE 72%: As of Sept. 29, the JBL Live 460NC wireless on-ear headphones are on sale for just $39.99 at Walmart and the JBL website. That's a 72% discount, according to the MSRP.

With Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event just around the corner, other retailers are starting to drop their own competing deals to get a piece of the action. And right now, Walmart and JBL have the JBL Live 460NC on-ear headphones on sale for $39.99.

SEE ALSO: The best noise-cancelling headphones we use and love

As of Sept. 29, you can get the JBL Live 460NC on-ear headphones (black colorway) from Walmart and JBL for $39.99, down from $144.95 (Walmart’s list price is incorrect). That’s a 72% discount, a $104.96 savings, and a damn good deal to snag before Prime Big Deal Days officially kicks off on Oct. 7.

Honestly, the fact that you can get a pair of headphones with solid ANC and that signature JBL sound for just $40 is pretty wild. You'll also get up to 50 hours of playtime (with ANC off; 40 with it on), a built-in mic for hands-free calls, and multi-point connection so you can switch from your phone to your laptop in seconds.

Are you trying to become more efficient when using ChromeOS? Well, these five keyboard shortcuts are worth memorizing on your Chromebook to boost your productivity.

SAVE $350.01: The Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 air purifier is on sale at Amazon for $284.98, down from the normal price of $599.99. That's a 53% discount and the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Blueair Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 air purifier (T20i) $284.98 at Amazon
$599.99 Save $315.01 Get Deal

October is just a few days away and even if it's still hot where you live, winter temps are coming. If you tend to have an air purifier running at all times, winter's chill with the fan blowing on air purifier can add an undesired breeze. Thankfully, there's a great Blueair purifier that doubles as a heater and as a huge bonus, it's on a deep discount today.

As of Sept. 29, the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 air purifier (T20i) is on sale for $284.98 at Amazon, marked down from the standard price of $599.99. That's a 53% discount that takes a massive $350.01 off the price. It's also the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

When I was testing units for the Mashable list of the best air purifiers, the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 blew me away in terms of performance and design. Honestly, the only negative I could come up with was that it comes with a hefty price, which is negated thanks to today's 53% discount.

For starters, the Blueair ComfortPure is designed for larger rooms that measure up to 1,689 square feet. Using it in a smaller space will simply mean you'll get more air changes per hour which just means more clean air. The air purifier uses a HEPA filter to rid your indoor space from dust, dander, pollen, and other irritants. But if we're being honest, that's something a ton of air purifiers can claim.

SEE ALSO: The Shark NeverChange Compact Pro air purifier has a long-lasting filter and is whisper quiet

The Blueair ComfortPure stands out in its ability to serve as both a fan and a heater, and both functions are super effective thanks to the overall design. There's also the remote control, so you can adjust the temperature from the couch. Or you can ditch the remote and control the purifier via your phone and the Blueair app.

Credit: Lauren Allain / Mashable

From the get-go, it's obvious Blueair knows how to design an air purifier that simply feels like a more luxury model. The back panel effortlessly attaches to the purifier via a magnetic closure system, it can oscillate up to 350 degrees, and the fabric carrying handle is really great.

Overall, this air purifier is really impressive in its ability to clean the air, work as a fan in warm months, and double as a space heater in the winter. I know mine will be switching to warm mode any day now.

While it's on sale a new record-low, snag the Blueair ComfortPure 3-in-1 air purifier (T20i) is on sale for $284.98 at Amazon. Buying now will mean you can avoid the chaos that's soon to come with the October Prime Day event.

SAVE $100: As of Sept. 29, the Kindle Scribe (16GB) is down to just $299.99 at Amazon. That's a rare 25% or $100 off its usual list price of $399.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Scribe (16GB) $299.99 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $100 Get Deal

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event formally kicks off next week, but with the impressive deals we're already seeing, you might as well start your shopping now. Readers looking for a new Kindle device are in for a particularly good discount, as the 2024 Kindle Scribe is $100 off already.

As of Sept. 29, the Kindle Scribe (16GB) is down to just $299.99 at Amazon. That's a rare savings of 25% or $100 off its regular list price. Need more storage? The 32GB and 64GB models are $105 and $110 off, respectively.

The Kindle Scribe is a bigger e-reader at 10.2 inches and offers more than just reading. It's the only Kindle device that also gives you the ability to take notes. It includes a premium pen that makes jotting down thoughts, annotating in the margins of books, and more as seamless as writing on paper. Mashable's resident e-reader expert tested the 2024 Scribe recently and found that the anti-glare screen and premium pen truly emulate the feeling of putting pen to paper, making it "preferential to the slippery texture of writing on an iPad with an Apple Pencil."

It does have some lagging issues and a ghosting problem, which makes its typically steep price tag hard to justify. At $100 off, however, the Kindle Scribe is a much better purchase. We've only seen its price drop lower than this on Prime Day earlier this year. So if you're looking to buy a Kindle and want the ability to mark up readings, now's the next-best time to add the Scribe to your cart.

MAME has officially released MAME 0.281, and the biggest news this time around is the addition of full support for Windows on ARM. If you’ve been running MAME on newer ARM-based laptops or mini-PCs, you can now expect binary packages specifically for 64-bit ARM versions of Windows 10 or later.

Since introducing Apple Pay in 2015, Apple has committed to its mission of replacing the physical wallet. While the company has made strides toward that goal, gaps remain.

Generative AI is advancing at a breakneck pace, and every creative industry has been affected. If you’re someone involved with making music in any capacity—whether as a professional producer, an indie songwriter, or even just a curious hobbyist—you’d be downright foolish to ignore how these tools are reshaping the industry.

Glittery orange is the new brat green and Barbie pink, it appears. Brands drenched themselves in the hue last month after Taylor Swift announced her 12th studio album, The Life of a Showgirl, to which she's assigned a sparkly pumpkin-toned theme. Some just did it for the meme (or marketing ploy). But several have committed to the bit with real Showgirl-inspired products that Swifties can actually buy — or in one case, win.

For its part, KitchenAid wants to make your whole counter shimmer in the Showgirl era's signature shade. The premium appliance brand is giving away a dozen stand mixers in a new, limited-edition finish called Tangerine Twinkle as part of a "Showbiz Sweepstakes" ahead of Swift's album release this Friday, Oct. 3. That's 12 winners in honor of TS12.

Opens in a new window Credit: KitchenAid Limited-Edition KitchenAid Tangerine Twinkle Stand Mixer Enter to win through Oct. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET Learn More

Fans can enter the sweepstakes at kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/showbiz from Monday, Sept. 29 at 10 a.m. ET until Oct. 3 at 11:59 p.m ET.

This announcement has been a couple of weeks in the making. KitchenAid first shared a photo of a sparkling orange stand mixer on its Instagram page in mid-August, joining myriad other brands in interpolating Swift's TLOAS teaser prior to its cover reveal. The post was so popular that KitchenAid decided to make the mixer a reality for a lucky few.

View this post on Instagram

This isn't an official collab between Swift and KitchenAid, to be clear. The company doesn't mention her or TLOAS by name on its sweepstakes page (probably because that would be very, very expensive). But you'd be forgiven for thinking it was: A KitchenAid x Taylor tie-in feels like a long time coming.

Swift, 35, a KitchenAid stand mixer owner herself, has a well-documented love of baking. During the Aug. 13 episode of her fiancé Travis Kelce's podcast, New Heights, on which she announced TLOAS, Swift spent several minutes waxing poetic about her post-Eras Tour sourdough fixation.

"I have a different baking obsession every six months. Right now, we're very deep in a sourdough obsession that has taken over my life," Swift explained. At the time of the episode's recording, she was perfecting a recipe for Funfetti sourdough. (Enter: Pillsbury's contribution to the TLOAS hype cycle.)

Recipes for pumpkin chocolate-chip and eggnog-glazed chai cookies have been a part of Swiftian lore for over a decade; the singer baked them for fans to nosh on during private album listening parties called "Secret Sessions" in 2014.

Homemade Pop-Tarts are another one of Swift's more recent specialties. Kelce is on the record calling them "unbelievable" last year.

KitchenAid is walking fans through some of Taylor Swift's favorite baking recipes on its Instagram account this week. Credit: KitchenAid

Alongside its sweepstakes, KitchenAid is hosting live virtual cooking classes on its Instagram page this week, starting Tuesday, Sept. 30. Confetti sourdough, chai cookies, and "Pastry Pockets" are all on the docket, of course.

If you aren't one of the 12 winners chosen to take home a Tangerine Twinkle stand mixer, the Scorched Orange variant of KitchenAid's five-quart Artisan Series tilt-head stand mixer ($499.99) is a decent replacement. Other, less Showgirl-y colors of that same mixer are $150 off on KitchenAid's website through Oct. 6 when bundled with a premium accessory pack.

Opens in a new window Credit: KitchenAid KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (Scorched Orange) $499.95 at Williams Sonoma
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Movies have often been described as a form of escapism, and that may be what I most like about them. No matter what’s stressing you out (your job, your relationship, or maybe just the nightly news), you can always disappear into a great movie. And thanks to Prime Video, you have plenty of films to help you escape life, if only for an hour or two.

The portable power and energy company EcoFlow just launched two big new power stations designed to power homes during an outage. The latest EcoFlow Delta 3 Max Plus and Delta 3 Ultra Plus are here, upgrading the previous generation with better efficiency and performance to help keep your lights and essentials running. These new units are a durable whole-home backup solution.

As we head into October and the movie options on Paramount+ refresh with a new batch of titles for the spooky month, there are still plenty of great movies to enjoy for your weekly viewing.

The layers of meta fiction stack up quickly in the trailer for Jay Kelly, Noah Baumbach's new movie. Here, George Clooney plays a suave Hollywood A-lister whose face regularly appears on giant posters, but is sometimes criticised as an actor who only plays himself.

Directed by and co-written by Baumbach and Emily Mortimer, the trailer makes this one look like a whimsical journey that splices comedy and drama with a ridiculously stacked cast. Alongside Clooney, Adam Sandler, Laura Dern, Billy Crudup, Riley Keough, Grace Edwards, Stacy Keach, Jim Broadbent, Patrick Wilson, Eve Hewson, Greta Gerwig, Alba Rohrwacher, Josh Hamilton, Lenny Henry, Emily Mortimer, Nicôle Lecky, Thaddea Graham, Isla Fisher, Louis Partridge, and Charlie Rowe also star.

Jay Kelly hits select theaters Nov. 14, and arrives on Netflix Dec. 5.

Hybrid cars are slowly but surely winning over more drivers, and honestly, it’s easy to see why. Today’s hybrids pack some of the best performance and efficiency numbers we’ve ever seen, thanks to a decade of improvements in batteries and electric tech.

SAVE OVER $40: As of Sept. 29, the Kindle Essentials Bundle (which comes with a Kindle, fabric cover, and power adapter) is on sale at Amazon for $117.97 for Prime members. This is $44, or 27% off its list price of $161.97.

Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Kindle Essentials Bundle $117.97 at Amazon
$161.97 Save $44 Get Deal

Amazon's sale events are a great opportunity to score discounts on the retailer's own devices. With Prime Big Deal Days coming up soon, we're already seeing some items get nice price drops. This includes bundles like the Kindle Essentials Bundle, which comes with a Kindle, fabric cover, and power adapter, and is currently discounted exclusively for Prime members.

The Kindle Essentials Bundle is currently on sale for $117.97. This is $44 away from its usual bundle list price of $161.97, and extremely close to its lowest-ever price of $116.97. If you've been itching to jump on the e-reader bandwagon, this is an excellent discount to take advantage of.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

This model of Kindle boasts 16GB of storage to hold a massive library of digital titles, so you can set yourself up this fall with plenty of exciting novels as the weather gets a little colder. It also features a six-inch glare-free display with an adjustable front light and dark mode, so you can keep reading even in darker settings without a bright light in your face.

The standard Kindle also comes with up to six weeks of battery life, which makes it perfect for traveling with to keep you busy. And with a fabric cover and power adapter packaged with it, the Kindle Essentials Bundle is a worthy pick-up for avid readers.

Don't miss out on this Prime exclusive deal on the Kindle Essentials Bundle at Amazon. And if you're looking for even more Amazon device deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can also save on the Fire Max 11 tablet right now.

SAVE $50: As of Sept. 29, the Garmin vívoactive 6 is on sale at Amazon for $249.99. This is 17%, or $50, off its list price of $299.99 and marks its lowest price yet.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 6 $249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50 Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days is about a week away, but if you simply can't wait to score some good deals, Amazon already has a selection of discounts to explore before its next big sale event even kicks off. If a smartwatch has been on your shopping list, there's quite a few on sale right now, including the Garmin vívoactive 6.

The Garmin vívoactive 6 is normally available with a retail price of $299.99, but shoppers can save $50 on it right now as its dropped down to $249.99. This marks its lowest price yet, according to price tracker camelcamelcamel, so now is an excellent time to scoop it up if you've had your eye on it. All of the available colors are on sale as well, so you can choose between the slate model with a black band, lunar gold with a bone band, metallic jasper green with a jasper green band, and metallic pink dawn with a pink dawn band.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

Featuring a sleek and bright AMOLED display, the Garmin vívoactive 6 is packed with features to help you out throughout the day, from a sleep score to personalized suggested workouts each day to Body Battery energy monitoring. The latter shows you where your energy levels are at for the day, so you can plan ahead for any workouts you're looking to do or if you need the day to rest.

The Garmin vívoactive 6 also boasts a battery life of up to 11 days in smartwatch mode, so you can stay focused on your routines instead of thinking about constant recharges.

Don't miss out on $50 off the Garmin vívoactive 6 at Amazon. If you're looking for even more great smartwatch deals ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can also save on the Fitbit Sense 2 there right now.

Streaming your PlayStation 5 gameplay to Discord is a fun way to spice up game night with friends. You can chat while sharing whatever you're doing for a more social experience. There are two methods you can use to do this. Let's take a look at how they both work.

Amelia Dimoldenberg celebrated 10 years of Chicken Shop Date over the weekend by digging into exactly what it takes to become one of the major creators shaping digital culture right now. And if you missed it, you can stream every panel for free.

The 31-year-old British journalist, comedian, red carpet favourite, and creator of the wildly popular interview series — not to mention Mashable 101 honoree — hosted a two-day event on Friday and Saturday in London's Protein Studios.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators shaping the internet in 2025

Joined by fellow content creators, journalists, producers, talent managers, and other special guests, Dimoldenberg's Chicken Shop Date: 10 Years of an Idea explored the strategies and challenges of creating content online and exactly how Chicken Shop Date got started. An exhibition outside the panel hall took attendees through the history of the show including Dimoldenberg's very first episode with Ghetts.

Amelia Dimoldenberg at "Chicken Shop Date: 10 Years Of An Idea." Credit: Dave Benett/Jed Cullen/Dave Benett/Dave Benett/Getty Images for YouTube

But if you weren't in London over the weekend or a ticketholder, you can still watch all four panels online for free through Dimoldenberg's YouTube channel. Not a bad gift for her 2.3 million subscribers. It's honestly invaluable information if you're thinking of becoming a content creator. They're all around 45 minutes long and full of genuinely practical advice.

• "In Conversation" interview: Subway Takes creator Kareem Rahma chatted to Dimoldenberg about credibility and comedy in their work, and the power of scripting vs improv, and how they select their guests (it's specific).

• "The Next Era of Format" panel: Hosted by BuzzFeed News journalist Ade Onibada, this panel gets into the future of entertainment and how content creators are redefining the power structure of the film and TV industry, with Dimoldenberg alongside People Just Do Nothing creator, actor, and writer Asim Chaudry, digital commissioning executive Kaio Grizelle, and producer Trent Williams-Jones.

• "From Viral to Valuable" panel: Dimoldenberg examines whether you can make something viral become something actually sustainable in this panel hosted by journalist Chanté Joseph, with Trippin co-founder Kesang Ball, cultural commentator Mimi The Music Blogger, Recess founder, producer, and cultural curator David Sonubi, and Dimoldenberg's talent manager Rebecca Dowell.

• "Everybody Can Create" panel: Connecting with communities is the core of this panel hosted by presenter Lea Ogunlami, with Dimoldenberg, DJ and writer Elijah, Friends Are Always Welcomed co-founder Anthony Idahosa, Polyester editor-in-chief Ione Gamble, and creative Mikey Krzyzanowski.

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If you want more practical advice for becoming a content creator, check out Mashable's series Creator Playbook, and if you're looking for more technical, hardware suggestions, take a peek In My Bag.