Technology

SAVE $143: As of Sept. 23, get the Samsung 85-inch Crystal UHD 4K Bed-H Series TV for $1,287, down from its usual price of $1,430. That's a discount of 10% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Samsung 85-inch Crystal UHD 4K Bed-H Series TV $1,287 at Amazon
$1,430 Save $143 Get Deal

Need a new TV? Now's a good time to get one, especially since there's a lot of new media coming out. Whether you're into vegging out in front of the TV with shows and movies or you love to game, a new TV can be just what you need to improve your entertainment center. The same goes for you if you need a TV for your office or business. And this Samsung TV is on sale for an excellent price right now thanks to Amazon.

As of Sept. 23, get the Samsung 85-inch Crystal UHD 4K Bed-H Series TV for $1,287, down from its usual price of $1,430. That's $143 off and a discount of 10%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Score a massive 86-inch LG 4K LED TV for its lowest price yet

This incredibly slim TV is bezel-less and makes for a great statement piece in your home, though it's technically built for business use. It has UHD picture quality and comes with the Samsung Business TV App so you can manage, schedule, and display content as you see fit. That makes is a good candidate for the office, but you can just use it at home if you prefer instead.

It uses the Tizen platform so you have all the tools you need at your fingertips to customize and set the TV up to your liking, but it comes standard with 4K quality thanks to its Crystal UHD processor. It can also upscale lower resolution video and content so you get it in much higher quality.

HDR support gives you satisfying colors and darker hues, and gorgeous pictures, no matter what you decide to use the display for. And it's super easy to move around, with a lightweight frame and an attractive build that makes it a good candidate for anywhere you want to put it.

Whether you want to spruce up your workplace or business or just want a high-quality TV that's got all you need for a great picture, this is a deal you won't want to pass up.

Learning the ins and outs of editing can help you transform good photos into great photos, but not everyone has spent the time gathering those skills. Google is always trying to make it easier for people to make their photos shine, and now there’s a new conversational way to do it.

The Toyota Prius might not be the flashiest car on the lot, but it’s still a big deal for Toyota. Over the years, it’s built a reputation for being super efficient, affordable, and safe—all without fuss.

SAVE $370: As of Sept. 23, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station is down to just $429 at Amazon. That's 46% in savings. Plus, while supplies last, your purchase unlocks a free SolarSaga 100 solar panel.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 portable power station $429 at Amazon
$799 Save $370 + get free refurbished SolarSaga 100 solar panel Get Deal

It's never a bad time to invest in a source of backup power. That being said, it is peak hurricane season and the best time of year for camping, making it a particularly good time. You don't need to spend thousands of dollars, either. This Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 portable power station gets the job done without breaking the bank — and it's on sale for nearly half price.

As of Sept. 23, you can grab the Jackery Explorer 1000 V2 portable power station for only $429 instead of $799 at Amazon. That's 46% in savings and only $30 shy of its best price ever. Plus, if you add it to your cart alongside this refurbished SolarSaga 100 solar panel, you'll get the solar panel for free. If you add both to your shopping cart, you should see the savings reflect at checkout. However, if it doesn't show up properly, head over to this promotional page and follow the directions at the top. The offer is available only while supplies last.

Once you proceed to checkout, you should see the promotion applied to your order total. Credit: Amazon

The Explorer 1000 V2 packs a 1,500W AC output and a 3,000W surge peak, meaning it's capable of powering multiple appliances, including AC units, fridges, and coffee makers — not to mention your phone and laptop. It has two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, one DC car port, three pure sine wave AC ports, and LED lights on board, with a 1,070Wh capacity. It powers up in about 1.7 hours by default, but it can go from zero to 100 in an hour flat if you activate emergency charging mode in the companion app.

Best of all, it weighs less than 25 pounds and has a built-in handle, making it easy to tote around. Bring it along on camping trips and tailgates to keep everything running smoothly or pull it out if you run into power outages at home this season. It's the best of both worlds. And paired with the free solar panel, you'll truly never be out of power.

Uber has just announced a new feature called Prepaid Pass, which is a new way for you to save money on your regular rides by paying for them upfront. This is a much cheaper alternative because it is a flat rate, instead of being affected by other factors.

Businesses across industries have been betting big on AI in the workplace—but the results have been, frankly, underwhelming. According to a new MIT Media Lab report, a staggering 95 percent of organizations have seen no measurable return on their investments in generative AI tools.

MIT researchers cite several reasons for this adoption/ROI gap. Chief among them: AI doesn’t slot neatly into many workplace workflows, and most models still lack the contextual awareness needed to adapt to industry-specific tasks.

But a separate team at BetterUp Labs argues there’s another culprit: AI workslop. Writing in Harvard Business Review, the researchers define workslop as "AI-generated content that looks polished but doesn’t actually move work forward." In practice, it means employees end up spending more time fixing, rewriting, or clarifying AI’s "help" than if they’d done the job themselves.

The downstream effect is costly. The report estimates that workers spend nearly two hours a day (1 hour, 56 minutes, on average) dealing with workslop — decoding half-baked ideas, correcting missing details, and reworking content that isn’t actually useful. Worse, the burden doesn’t just stay with the person who generated the workslop: managers and peers get dragged in, creating a ripple effect across teams.

Researchers tie this to cognitive offloading — using external tools to reduce mental effort. But with workslop, that burden isn’t offloaded to a machine; it’s offloaded onto a coworker. The phenomenon is most common among peers (40 percent of cases, according to BetterUp), though managers aren’t immune: higher-ups throw down workslop to their teams about 16 percent of the time.

Overall, BetterUp Labs estimates that companies with 10,000+ employees could be bleeding as much as $9 million a year in lost productivity thanks to the sheer volume of workslop — roughly 40% of all AI-generated output in the workplace, according to the report. Beyond the financial hit, there’s also a cultural cost. Employees in the study reported feeling annoyed, confused, and even offended when handed workslop, eroding trust and reliability among coworkers.

While one solution to bad AI output may be to stop using these tools completely, BetterUp Labs argues the smarter path is to set clear organizational guidelines for how employees should (and shouldn’t) use AI. That means defining best-case scenarios where AI adds value, and drawing firm boundaries where it doesn’t align with company strategy or values.

The researchers also suggest a mindset shift: AI should be treated as a collaborator, not a crutch. In other words, it’s a tool to support good work — not a shortcut to avoid doing the work in the first place.

SAVE $6.99: The Lego Minecraft Advent calendar for 2025 is on sale at Amazon for $38, down from the list price of $44.99. That's a 16% discount that matches the lowest ever at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Minecraft Advent calendar $38 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $6.99 Get Deal

Advent calendars offer something fun to look forward to for 24 days in December, a month that's often hard to get through. Each year, Lego offers a solid selection of Advent calendar that appeal to young and older builders. They tend to sell out each year, so it's best to grab them while they're in stock. There's even more incentive today because a fan-favorite is on sale.

As of Sept. 23, the Lego Minecraft Advent calendar for 2025 is on sale for $38 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $44.99. That takes $6.99 off the price from a 16% discount. The sale price also matches the lowest ever at Amazon.

SEE ALSO: The Lego Ideas 'Hocus Pocus' The Sanderson Sister's Cottage has dropped to its best-ever price at Amazon

Building with Legos offers some of the most wholesome fun around, and it's perfect for family bonding time. The Lego Minecraft Advent Calendar comes with 24 days of buildable Minecraft fun IRL. All of them set up nicely on the included winter village diorama, and everyone is wearing their holiday best. Steve has a snowman sweater, there's a snow golem, red and green sheep, a Christmas tree, a polar bear, and a villager even found a Santa costume to wear before going to sleep in the red wool bed.

The Lego Minecraft Advent Calendar is a great gift for any fan of the game. Each year's Lego Minecraft calendar features different figures, making it a fun annual tradition. In total, the 2025 Lego Minecraft Advent Calendar includes 300 pieces and is designed for those ages seven and up.

While it's on sale and still in-stock, snag the 2025 Lego Minecraft Advent Calendar from Amazon for $38. That works out to about $1.60 per day for the 24-day calendar, but the joy of Legos combined with Minecraft is priceless.

There's no need to worry about keeping warm this winter—Starz plans to add some steamy heat to the season with its resurrection of the hit gladiator series Spartacus.

Can you hear that? The gentle wind beckoning through the leaves?

Fall is fast approaching, with its crunchy fallen leaves, pumpkins on porches, and trick-or-treat shenanigans. It's the perfect season to revisit Patrick McHale's Emmy Award-winning animated mini-series Over the Garden Wall. As half-brothers, worried Wirt (Elijah Wood) and mischievous Greg (Collin Dean), trek into The Unknown, where they meet an array of curious characters, like a many-named frog, a tough-talking bluebird (Melanie Lynskey), and a monstrous dog with "beautiful eyes!"

To celebrate Over the Garden Wall this spooky season, Mondo has unveiled its plans to release a series of collectable figures as well as a new variant of the original soundtrack LP by The Blasting Company. Mashable has the exclusive on the album's new details as well as the first batch of figures, in the Over the Garden Wall Figure Set – Chapter 1.

Over the Garden Wall creator Patrick McHale has expressed enthusiasm over the Mondo collection, sharing in a press release, "Mondo's quality is always fantastic, but these figures feel extra special. The attention to detail is stunning."

Let's break down the goodies that might tempt you to treat yourself:

Over the Garden Wall's Wirt and Greg become action figures. Left: Wirt "Over the Garden Wall" figure from Mondo. Credit: Mondo Right: Wirt and Greg "Over the Garden Wall" figures from Mondo. Credit: Mondo

The Mondo Squads line has previously brought fans meticulously crafted figures of Adventure Time's Finn and Jake; Daria's Daria and Jane, Rick & Morty's eponymous antiheroes, and Ickis, Krumm, and Oblina from Aaahh!!! Real Monsters. From their Over the Garden Wall Figure Set – Chapter 1 release, Mondo offers figures of Greg and Wirt, with alternate faces, hands, and accessories.

Left: Greg "Over the Garden Wall" figure from Mondo. Credit: Mondo Right: Wirt and Greg "Over the Garden Wall" figures from Mondo. Credit: Mondo

These designs reflect the mini-series first episode, "Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill." For Wirt, this means you can make him look cheerful or grim by swapping out his head. His cloak can be in three stages of open to closed, and he comes with an ax and his signature Pilgrim's hat. As for Greg, he naturally has candy, his rock (for rock facts), his tea-kettle hat, the dark turtle, and his beloved frog (aka Kitty, Wirt, Dr. Cucumber, and Jason Funderburker).

Don’t miss out on our latest stories: Add Mashable as a trusted news source in Google.

All of this is included in the Regular Edition of Mondo's Over the Garden Wall Figure Set — "Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill," which retails for $95. However, the Exclusive Limited Edition also includes Beatrice the bluebird (in a take-no-nonsense pose) and The Dog figure, dripping with dark ooze and really showing off those beguiling eyes. This Limited Edition retails for $135.

Left: The Dog figure from Mondo's "Over the Garden Wall" series. Credit: Mondo Right: The Dog figure from Mondo's "Over the Garden Wall" series. Credit: Mondo

Here's the full rundown from Mondo of all the figures, accessories, and pieces included in both the Regular and Limited Edition releases of the Over the Garden Wall Figure Set:

• Figure Includes: 

  • Wirt Figure

  • Alternate Worried Wirt Portrait

  • Alternate Wirt Folded Hands

  • 3x Alternate Wirt Capes

  • Wirt's Cap

  • Greg Figure

  • Alternate Worried Greg Portrait

  • Alternate Greg Arm with Kitty

  • Alternate Greg Arm with Removable Axe Accessory

  • Greg Candy Hand Swap

  • Greg Rock Hand Swap

  • Greg's Teapot Hat

  • Greg's Bag

  • Beatrice Figure  (*Limited Edition Only)

  • Dark Turtle Figure

  • The Dog Figure (*Limited Edition Only)

Left: Mondo's Over the Garden Wall Figure Set - Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill Credit: Mondo Right: Mondo's Over the Garden Wall Figure Set - Chapter 1: The Old Grist Mill Credit: Mondo

Mondo has teased that more "chapters" will be coming, with more adored Over the Garden Wall characters. We know Chapter 2 will feature the creepy-cute Pumpkin People of Pottsfield. Or as McHale said, "The wait is over. After years and years of clamoring, fans can finally get their hands on a Larry the Skeleton figurine!"

Over the Garden Wall soundtrack gets a new variant vinyl. Left: "Over the Garden Wall" soundtrack 2025 variant vinyl. Credit: Mondo Right: "Over the Garden Wall" soundtrack 2025 variant vinyl. Credit: Mondo

The Blasting Company and Mondo first teamed up for an Over the Garden Wall soundtrack vinyl out of San Diego Comic-Con 2016. The album art, created by Sam Wolfe Connelly, for this pressing is the same. However, the new variant's vinyl pays ode to one of the most memorable songs from the mini-series, as it has a "Potatoes and Molasses" colorway. You can a look at the colors, album art, and included sheet music and lyrics in the preview images above.

This Over the Garden Wall soundtrack record retails for $35.

Mondo Squads' Over the Garden Wall Figure Set and Blasting Company's Over the Garden Wall Original Soundtrack LP are all available for purchase at Mondo's website.

SAVE $280: As of Sept. 23, the Eufy C10 self-emptying robot vacuum is on sale for $199.99 at Amazon. That's a new record-low price after a massive 58% disocunt.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy C10 self-emptying robot vacuum $199.99 at Amazon
$479.99 Save $280 Get Deal

Finding a cheap robot vacuum at Amazon isn't hard. A slew of random options from unrecognizable brands come up in the search — but no one ever promised they'd actually be reliable. So when I scrolled past a super popular Eufy robot vacuum at a new record low price, I had to put it on everyone's radar: At $199.99 after a 58% discount, the Eufy C10 robot vacuum is easily the best budget robot vacuum under $200 out there right now. If this is any indication of how October Prime Day robot vacuum deals will look, we're in for a treat.

The Eufy C10 is such a bang for your buck because it brings home two core robot vacuum features — self-emptying and smart mapping — that you don't often see together on robot vacuums in the sub-$200 price range. Automatic emptying is merely an extension of the hands-off convenience that drew you to robot vacuums in the first place.

SEE ALSO: As an anxious cat mom, I love my robot vacuum with a livestream camera

But as someone who tests robot vacuums for a living, I'd argue that smart mapping is the most crucial bullet point when choosing a robot vacuum. This allows the robot vac to remember a map of your home and clean specific rooms on command (or specific zones within those rooms). It's the difference between a robot vacuum that actually makes your life easier and a robot vacuum that needs to be rescued all the time. While LiDAR smart mapping usually requires a circular laser tower, Eufy finagled a LiDAR system within a flat, 2.85-inch body. This make the C10 one of the slimmest robot vacuums on the market.

At 4,000 Pa of suction power, this Eufy isn't the best robot vacuum for pet hair — but it's sufficient suction power for low-stakes daily cleaning needs.

The next OnePlus flagship made its debut appearance on Chinese social media this week.

Specifically, a post on Weibo (courtesy of 9to5Google) featured a photo of a bunch of professional esports athletes all huddled around a phone to take a selfie, with the caption saying "Guess what they were looking at?" Pretty much everyone seems to believe that this is the OnePlus 15, and the big news here is that it looks very different from last year's model.

SEE ALSO: Samsung's Tri-Fold phone could come to the U.S. this year

Specifically, it has a square camera module on the back, as opposed to the circular one on the OnePlus 13. For context, OnePlus is said to be skipping 14 and going straight to 15 because of cultural reasons. Prominent leaker Digital Chat Station also said on Weibo that the phone has a matte texture with a ceramic coating of some sort. It's also apparently thinner than the iPhone 17, but we don't know anything else about it beyond all of that.

Last year, the OnePlus 13 launched in January, so perhaps we will learn more by then.

Believe it or not, you can transform a Linux terminal or even a WSL box inside Windows into a fully capable workspace. It’s an entirely command-line-based suite where you can track your tasks, time sheets, mark appointments and events in a calendar, and write or take notes. Here’s how you can install and use it.

The Razer Viper V2 Pro is a gaming mouse that has hit its lowest price ever, making it a deal that is too good to pass up. Right now, you can get it for just $63 on Amazon, which is a massive 37% discount from its normal $100 price.

SAVE $10: As of Sept. 23, you can grab the new Apple Watch Series 11 at Amazon for $389 instead of $399. That $10 in savings is the first-ever discount for the smartwatch, which hit shelves just a few days ago.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $389 at Amazon
$399 Save $10 Get Deal

The Apple Watch Series 11 arrived just a few days ago and is largely the same as the Series 10, but with a big step up in battery life. It even costs the same amount as the previous generation, though you can already find it at a discount at Amazon.

As of Sept. 23, you can save $10 if you grab the new Apple Watch Series 11 at Amazon. That knocks its price down to $389 instead of $399 and marks its first-ever discount. That's also the cheapest you'll find the smartwatch at any retailer. Sure, it's not much, but just like this surprise AirPods Pro 3 deal, 10 bucks is 10 bucks.

More of a minor upgrade, the Apple Watch Series 11 brings slight improvements to hardware, connectivity, and as mentioned before, battery life. Last year's Series 10 had 18 hours of battery life. Apple says the Series 11 has 24 hours of battery life — and Mashable's reviewer Stan Schroeder found it to last slightly longer than that. "It's possible to extend that to a full weekend if you carefully use Low Power mode," he writes, which is a pretty big deal for the Apple Watch.

The Series 11 also sports the same S10 chip as its predecessor, but has a tougher design with durable glass that's twice as resistant to scratches. It's now 5G-capable for quicker connectivity and features a hypertension tool designed to flag high blood pressure (but not replace a doctor).

If you're in the market for an upgrade — or you just want that extra battery life — buying at Amazon is your best bet for saving a little bit of cash on your purchase.

SAVE $100: As of August 6, get the LG 86-inch Class UA77 Series LED AI 4K TV for $798.99, down from its usual price of $898.99. That's a discount of 11% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon LG 65-inch Class UA77 Series LED AI 4K TV $798.99 at Amazon
$898.99 Save $100 Get Deal

Fall is officially here, and that means tons of new shows, movies, and games to enjoy at home. The best thing you can add to your entertainment space is a new TV, and an 86-inch display will do nicely, especially since you can get one right now for an excellent discount. That applies to this Amazon deal on an LG 4K TV, the lowest price we've seen.

As of August 6, get the LG 86-inch Class UA77 Series LED AI 4K TV for $798.99, down from its usual price of $898.99. That's $100 off and a discount of 11%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: Best TVs under $500: Low-budget, high-quality TVs in every size

Thanks to its Alpha 7 AI processor, this TV delivers vivid colors, deep black shades, and 4K UHD quality. That means improved sound, brightness, and detail, all with 4K upscaling and Dynamic Tone Mapping. It offers support for HDR10 Pro so you can get a better overall image and more satisfying colors. You can use the included picture and sound wizard for further tweaking if needed.

This display also comes with WebOS on board, which means you don't need to add a streaming device to catch your favorite on demand content. It also has over 350 free LG Channels and on demand titles that you can watch at any time.

If you're ready to pick up a new TV without spending an arm and a leg, this is an excellent pick and one that'll add some serious oomph to your living room.

While smartwatches are taking their places on the wrists of more people, I'm content to stay with a classic Casio design, the F-91W. Here's why it will take more than some fancy features to pry it off my arm.

Free gift card promos at Target Beauty and personal care deal Spend $30, get a $5 gift card Shop Now Diapers and baby wipes deal Spend $75, get a $15 gift card Shop Now Threshold decor and home items deal Spend $40, save $10 Shop Now Pet treats and food Buy two, get a free $5 gift card Shop Now Eye care deal Buy 2, get a free $10 gift card Shop Now

Target Circle Week — running Oct. 5 through Oct. 11 —  is right around the corner. But right around the corner may not be soon enough if you ran out of toothpaste, face wash, or diapers today. Target's not leaving you hanging: Ahead of Circle Week, Target is running more gift card promos at once than usual, giving you a chance snag free gift cards up to $15 just for stocking up on the pet food, treats, or beauty, bathroom, and baby essentials that you buy regularly anyway.

There's also a similar deal on home decor, bedding, candles, and more cozy home goodies by Target's brand Threshold: Spend $40 on Threshold items, automatically save $10.

The baby gift card deal covers seven pages of select diapers for various ages (including overnight options, swim pants, and Pull-Ups), plus a huge selection of baby wipes. Participating brands include Pampers, The Honest Company, Huggies, and Millie Moon.

SEE ALSO: Shark CryoGlow vs. CurrentBody mask: My skin wasn't shy about which mask it preferred

There's far more to mix and match under the umbrella of the beauty and personal care deal. Just about anything you'd ever need to stock up on is probably hiding in the 50 pages of eligible items: There's a ton of skincare, body wash and lotion, razors, toothpaste and toothbrushes, deodorant, pimple patches, nail polish, hair products, and makeup. Participating brands include Native, Crest, NYX, Dove, Byoma, Mrs. Meyer's, La Roche Posay, and Shea Moisture.

The promo will apply automatically in your cart once you meet the $75 or $30 mark (depending on which category you're shopping). After your purchase is made, you'll get your free e-gift card sent via email to use on your next Target run.

Meta has announced two new features to Facebook Dating: Meet Cute and an AI dating assistant.

The former adds an element of surprise when using Meta's free dating service. Meet Cute matches you with a random user based on its matching algorithm, and you can choose to either chat with them or unmatch. Users will start getting a weekly Meet Cute match — but you can opt out at any time.

SEE ALSO: Meta Ray-Ban Display fail wasn't the worst. These tech demos are more cringe.

The dating assistant, meanwhile, is a chat assistant within Facebook Dating that supposedly "gives you personalized help on your dating journey," according to Meta's announcement. The assistant can help find better matches and allows users to enter unique traits that they're looking for, beyond the classics of height and education. (The example Meta used is, "Find me a Brooklyn girl in tech.") It can also provide dating ideas and profile help.

The dating assistant is available in the matches tab and will start rolling out in the U.S. and Canada.

Meta announced that these new features are designed to "help address swipe fatigue," a term that encompasses disillusionment with online dating and dating apps. Daters have been feeling this for some time, and while other dating apps are introducing AI features as well, daters told Mashable they actually want to meet others in a low-tech way: in person.

SEE ALSO: How to get over a breakup

This isn't the first time that Meta has used AI to help users find a partner. In 2023, when Meta rolled out its AI characters, one of them was Carter, an AI dating coach. People soon found out that Carter kink-shamed them, like advising against swinging.

Meta deleted Carter and its other AI personalities back in January, and in August a report found that Meta's AI bots impersonated celebrities and produced lewd images. The tech giant hasn't stopped its AI push, though, debuting its "AI glasses" last week.

SAVE $24: As of Sept. 23, the EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are down to just $55.99 at Amazon. That's 30% off their usual list price and their lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: EarFun EarFun Air Pro 4 $55.99 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.00 Get Deal

While most solid noise-cancelling earbuds come with a steep price tag, it's not impossible to find a pair that check all the right boxes for under $100. Or, in this case, under $60.

As of Sept. 23, the relatively unknown EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds are on sale for just $55.99 at Amazon. Not only is that 30% or $24 off their usual list price, but it's also their lowest price on record.

Mashable's resident headphones expert Bethany Allard struggled to find the flaws of these budget-friendly buds upon testing. "The EarFun Air Pro 4 earbuds may not come from one of the more well-known audio brands, but they have some of the best battery life and noise cancellation we've experienced on any earbuds, not just those in the budget price range," she writes in our best noise-cancelling headphones guide.

They pack about 7.5 hours of battery per charge with ANC on (11 or so without), as well as another 27.5 (or 41) with the charging case. For comparison's sake, the new AirPods Pro 3 allegedly last 8 hours per charge with ANC and up to 24 with the charging case. They also come with a companion app that allows you to customize touch control settings, adjust the ANC modes, and use the custom EQ tool. Although, our reviewer notes that they sound great right out of the box. They can also connect to two devices and switch between them seamlessly.

Allard's only real issue with these earbuds was the touch controls, but it's easy to overlook those (or just toggle them off) when they have so many other perks. At full price, we think the EarFun Air Pro 4s are the best budget-friendly earbuds. At 30% off, they're basically the crowned jewel.

Death Stranding 2 only just came out a couple of months ago, but it's already time to talk about director Hideo Kojima's next big game.

Kojima held a live-streamed announcement event on Monday night where most of the attention was on the first real teaser for OD, a horror game he is developing for Xbox in collaboration with Nope mastermind Jordan Peele. The 3-minute teaser doesn't seem like it includes any actual gameplay footage, as the game is surely still in the early stages of development, but you can get a basic idea of the kind of tone Kojima and Peele are going for if you watch it.

SEE ALSO: Nintendo is bringing back the reviled 'Virtual Boy' as a Switch accessory

Most of the teaser revolves around first-person point-of-view footage of someone lighting some candles at a weird, baby-centric shrine (Kojima's got a fascination with babies, I guess) while someone (or something) mysteriously knocks on a nearby door. You don't get much beyond that and confirmation that actors like Udo Kier and Hunter Schafer are involved with the project in the video. Still, it's enough to evoke memories of PT, an infamous first-person horror demo for an eventually canceled Silent Hill project that Kojima was working with Guillermo del Toro on about a decade ago.

That said, anyone who has followed Kojima's work for long enough knows that his trailers can be misleading, so we can't say, with any confidence, what OD actually is at this point. It certainly seems like it'll be creepy, though. Nothing wrong with that.