Technology

The 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid isn’t just another SUV—it’s a big deal. As Toyota’s top-selling car in the U.S., a lot is riding on this redesign.

Are you tired of the never-ending pop-ups requiring your consent to cookies every time you visit a website? Well, internet users may soon get a reprieve from cookie consent prompts.

The European Commission is currently looking into relaxing a 2009 EU law that has inadvertently led to the endless cookie consent pop-ups around the web.

The law, called the e-Privacy Directive, requires websites to request consent from users before loading cookies on their computer or mobile device. 

Cookies are a small text file that websites use to store a user's information and preferences. Cookies were originally introduced to simplify things for the user. For example, cookies are the reason a user can stay logged into a social media account without having to sign in every time they open up the website. Cookies are also why a user is able to return to an e-commerce shop and their shopping cart items remain in their cart from their last session.

The e-Privacy Directive was passed with the intent to protect users' privacy, as cookies can also be used for invasive marketing purposes or shared with third-parties without a users' consent. While the law provides an exception for cookies that are "strictly necessary" to provide a service, many platforms still serve the cookies' consent pop-ups to ensure they are not violating the law.

According to POLITICO, the European Commission is currently considering how to deal with cookie pop-up overload.

The EU could add additional exceptions to the existing law, or allow users to set their consent preferences in advance in their web browser settings.

Industry lobbyists have pushed for cookie consent-related laws to be included in the EU’s broader General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). As POLITICO points out, the GDPR uses a "risk-based approach" where companies have more control over privacy safety measures. 

Privacy advocates, however, are warning against giving the industry too much power over cookie consent, as any changes could be used to give away more user data for advertising and marketing purposes.

It does appear that countries within the EU want some sort of change that deals with how many times internet users have to see cookie consent pop-ups. Denmark, for example, suggested that collecting data “for technically necessary functions” or “simple statistics" should not require a users' consent.

It's important to note that the EU law requiring cookie consent resulted in websites implementing the same pop-ups for users around the world, so what the EU decides here will affect countries outside of Europe as well.

If you haven’t seen the viral Anthropologie rock video, are you even on the internet? (Is it possible I’m too online? That's definitely up for debate.)

I’ll be the first to admit that I am an “Anthropologie Woman.” (If you haven’t read Anna Haines’s Substack on the topic, I’m urging you to go ahead and do that now.) But I also know its prices are absolutely ridiculous on most, if not all, of its decor — and yet, I still want everything it sells.

SEE ALSO: The best memes of 2025 (so far)

The coolest thing about Anthropologie, and possibly why I’m so OK with its exorbitant prices, is that the brand knows exactly what it's doing. The employees are so self-aware that they’ve recently embraced becoming a meme, just in time for all the Instagram girlies’ fall reset.

It all started with a now-viral TikTok from Phoebe Adams. In the video, she's unboxing a rock that she tells her partner, Dan, she bought from Anthropologie. In reality, the rock is just one she grabbed from outside. He has an admittedly valid crashout after learning she "spent" $150 on the rock.

In a follow-up video, the pair is in an Anthropologie store, where Adams pretends to be shocked that the Anthro rocks are back in stock. “It’s only $1,000,” she says in the video. By this point, it looks like Dan is about to pass out from the sheer ludicrousness of the situation. He says, “There’s no way this is real.”

Since Adams posted the original video, it’s gotten more than 11 million views. The trend has exploded, with hundreds of others pranking their partners (and their moms) with "unboxing" videos of their own Anthropologie rocks. Even Anthropologie itself has gotten in on the joke, making its own marketing videos in response to the meme and helping Adams pull off the prank in-store.

Anthropologie’s latest video shows a woman walking into the store and asking, “Excuse me, do you have the Anthropologie rocks?” The employee then shows her a collection of seemingly ordinary rocks, some of which are priced in the four-figure range. There’s even a little sign that says “50% off,” because of course there is.

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The best part is how much exposure this prank has generated. Instead of being sore losers, Anthropologie capitalized on the joke and created a full-blown viral moment.

Of course, the whole thing works because it’s so believable. Anthropologie is known for selling quirky, bizarrely priced items (like this Iron Stag sculpture for $2,998 or this super-simple $488 “To Do” Wall Art that you could probably make on Canva), and “bougie wellness” has only gained momentum since Goop’s crystal fiasco (among others).

So no, you can't actually buy a $1,000 rock from Anthropologie. But the fact that we all collectively shrugged and said, yeah, that tracks? That's priceless.

Tux isn’t just the face of Linux. He’s a symbol of freedom, creativity, and open-source spirit. Over the years, our favorite penguin has waddled his way into all kinds of games, from platformers to puzzlers to kart racers. And the best part? They’re all free to play.

The Apple Watch Series 11 is perhaps the easiest review I’ve ever had. The new Apple smartwatch is largely the same as last year’s Series 10 (which I also reviewed). It looks the same, performs similarly, and has almost the same functionality (with a few exclusive additions; more on that later).

But it has one extremely important improvement: Longer battery life.

And if you’ve ever used an Apple Watch, you know how huge that is.

Apple Watch Series 11: Price and specs

The specs for the Series 11 are eerily similar to the specifications of the previous model, the Apple Watch Series 10. The dimensions, chip, storage, display — everything is the same except for minute differences in weight (the new model is ever so slightly heavier). The only real difference you’ll notice is the addition of a new color (for the Aluminum case), Space Gray.

Here are the highlights:

• Display size: 42/46mm

• Chip: S10

• Storage: 64GB

• Display resolution: 416x496 pixels

• Colors: Rose Gold, Silver, Space Gray, Jet Black (Aluminum), Gold, Natural, Slate (Titanium)

• Water resistance: 50m

• Dust resistance: IP6X

Apple Watch Series 11: Design and display

The display is exactly the same size as before, as is the design. The Watch Series 11 is still incredibly comfy, practically disappearing as soon as you put it on. The added weight (which is minute) makes no difference. The only way I’d be able to tell the Series 11 from my old Series 10 Watch is the color. Apple sent me the review unit in the new Space Gray Aluminum finish. I’ve always been a sucker for Apple’s Space Gray color, and the contrast between the case and the black display is nice, though I reckon not vastly different from the previously available Silver finish.

The Space Gray color is a nice change from my previous all-black Watch. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Ultra 3 battery life gets massive boost over Ultra 2

To go with the new Watch, Apple sent me a Space Black Sport Band. It’s alright, but I prefer the less-rubbery feel of Apple’s Sport Loop. Apple makes enough different wristbands (not to mention the thousands of third-party options) that everyone will surely find something they like.

Apple says the new display is two times more scratch-resistant than the previous one, thanks to something Apple calls Ion-X glass. While that’s hard to test without damaging the watch, it’s a nice improvement, especially since I do tend to hit various objects (such as walls and closets) with my hand, including with the new Series 11.

Even though the display isn’t particularly new, it’s still incredibly sharp and vibrant, even when viewed from an angle. It’s the best display I’ve ever seen on a smartwatch, and one of the key reasons why I’d have a hard time switching to a non-Apple smartwatch like the Samsung Galaxy Watch 8.

Apple Watch Series 11: Performance

Don't worry, the Apple Watch is still snappy, thanks to the S10 chip inside. I've never had to worry about memory on an Apple Watch (64GB is included). Various measurements, such as blood oxygen monitoring and heart rate measurements, still work fairly accurately, as far as I can tell.

However, there are a couple of entirely new features, such as hypertension notifications and Sleep Score, but those are also available on several older models now with watchOS 26. I didn’t receive any hypertension notifications while wearing the watch, which is a good thing for me personally, but perhaps not so good for this review. As for the new Sleep Score, I enjoyed having a detailed overview of just how abysmally poorly I slept, thanks to the tiny person (my son) waking me up every hour or two during the night.

Excellent, but only when compared with my typically abysmal sleep quality. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

Workout Buddy is another new feature, an AI-powered, virtual workout coach and companion. It doesn't really work for my workouts, which involve calisthenics and strength training; in fact, I couldn't get it to say anything of interest at all. Apple's promotional materials mostly focus on activities like running, and the Workout Buddy might be a better fit for those.

As far as new watch faces go, Apple's watchOS 26 brings two new ones: the colorful Flow and the Exactograph. I didn't like Flow much at first as it made time barely legible, but playing with the settings (try removing the background, for example) can make it a lot nicer. The Exactograph is a geeky triple chronograph, with separate dials for hours, minutes, and seconds. Tap on it once or twice to "explode" the minutes and the seconds dial — it's really cool.

Apple Watch Series 11: Battery life

Last year’s Apple Watch had 18 hours of battery life. Apple says the Series 11 has 24 hours of battery life. For a device that’s with you (on you) most of the time, this is a big step up in performance. But how do Apple’s figures translate into real life use?

The Series 11 now tracks your heart rate, blood oxygen, blood pressure, and temperature, among other metrics. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

I’m happy to report that Apple wasn’t lying about the increased battery life. When I got my unit, I charged it to 100 percent and started wearing it at about 4 p.m. I wore it during the night (my sleep score was 81, which sounds a lot better than it felt), and the next day at 4 p.m. it was still at 38 percent. That day, I charged it to full power late in the evening, and I only had to charge it again two days later. After nearly a full week of use, I can say that the Apple Watch Series 11 is easily a one-and-a-half-day smartwatch now, and it's possible to extend that to a full weekend if you carefully use Low Power mode.

My old Apple Watch Series 10 would sometimes last a full 24 hours, but mostly not. Often, it would switch to power-saving mode just before I went to bed — goodbye, precise sleep tracking. Most annoying were short weekend trips, which I do very often. I’d have to bring a charger every single time, even if I was careful to use the Low Power setting often.

Flow is one of the two new watch faces you get with the Series 11 (or, more precisely, with watchOS 26). Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

The Series 11 is a significant upgrade in this regard. My sleep was tracked every night, and even a weekend away from a charger seemed possible (though, not if I used GPS a lot). Honestly, I’d still prefer if Apple somehow found a way to make these things last a week, but at least now the company’s claims of a full-day battery life aren’t ridiculous anymore.

Is the Apple Watch Series 11 worth it?

Yes. Even if you already have a Series 10, which has nearly all the same features, the new Apple Watch Series 11 doesn’t require you to charge it mid-day in order to keep it going through the night. With the new Sleep Score feature, this is more important than ever. And in my testing, the battery life improvements were absolutely real. It’s simple: Trade your old Watch in, and get the new one, especially if you use your Apple Watch as a sleep tracker or fitness tracker.

The improved battery life makes this one a winner. Credit: Stan Schroeder/Mashable

There is one exception, however. If you’re into sports such as long-distance running, swimming, or diving, you should also consider Apple’s new Ultra 3 over the Series 11. It, too, has even longer battery life this year, and you’ll feel the difference. It’s also a lot heavier and bulkier than the Series 11, which may or may not be a tradeoff.

You can buy the new Apple Watch (starting at $399) at Amazon, the Apple Store, or anywhere Apple Watches are sold.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $399 at Amazon
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In the years since OpenAI launched ChatGPT to the world, kicking off the generative AI boom, developers have relied on LMArena (previously Chatbot Arena) as the default AI leaderboard. Now, Scale AI is bringing some much-needed competition to the AI benchmarking space with its new Seal Showdown benchmarking tool.

Like LMAerna, Seal Showdown allows users to test various AI models head-to-head and vote on which one performs better. However, Scale AI says that unlike LMAerna, Seal Showdown will more closely reflect how everyday users feel about various models. In an X post, Scale CEO Jason Droege said that Seal Showdown "actually captures real preferences, powered by a platform used by real people."

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"Most benchmarks rely on synthetic tests (coding puzzles, math problems) or feedback from a small slice of people," said Scale AI’s head of product, Janie Gu, in a blog post. "They miss the full spectrum of how real people actually use models in their daily lives. By treating diverse users as a monolith and lumping all feedback into one generalized score, critical nuance is lost."

Scale AI launched its Safety, Evaluations, and Alignment Lab (SEAL) leaderboards last year, but these leaderboards relied on expert evaluations. Now, ScaleAI will offer leaderboards based on user testing, offering an alternative to the LMArena.

The startup says its new benchmarking tool is based on real-world use and feedback from "users spanning over 100 countries, 70 languages, and 200 professional domains." (The company also provided the precise methodology for Seal Showdown.)

"Showdown introduces something never before seen in public leaderboards: rich user segmentation," Gu wrote in the blog post announcing the project. "Because rankings are derived from conversations that contributors have on Scale’s Outlier platform, Scale is able to verify each user’s country, education level, profession, language, and age — enabling anyone to see how models perform for people like them."

Because of this demographic information, Scale AI will be able to show which models are most popular according to specific regions, languages, ages, or use cases.

The criticism that Scale AI has with existing leaderboards is that they “rely heavily on hobbyist participation” and that current rankings are “based on a narrow group of users and their interests,” which leads to a misrepresentation of how those LLMs perform in general use.

LMArena has also been criticized for bias against open models. Critics say that LMArena's system favors frontier models from big AI companies like Google, xAI, and OpenAI. However, Scale AI's solution may not be ideal, either. The initial leaderboard results overwhelmingly rank GPT-5 the highest, which may merely reflect user preference rather than objective performance.

The updated SEAL leaderboards are live now. Currently, GPT-5 tops all of the benchmark categories, a stark contrast to LMArena, where Google's Gemini 2.5 Pro, 2.5 Flash, and Veo 3 lead most of the leaderboard categories. 

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.

Best deals of GeForce Week Best gaming laptop deal Lenovo Legion 5i $1,199 (Save $300.99) Get Deal Best graphics card deal PNY Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Overclocked Triple Fan Graphics DLSS 4 Video Card $499.99 (Save $49.01) Get Deal Best PC deal MSI Aegis R2 (Intel i7 14700F, Nvidia RTX 5060Ti, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD) $1,199 (Save $400.99) Get Deal

Anyone who games likely agrees that the least fun part of the hobby is trying not to break the bank when upgrading, or starting, a setup.

Whether you're the type to build your own PC, buy a prebuilt, or prefer the portability of a gaming laptop, costs can add up quick. But, from Sept. 22 to Sept. 28, Walmart's GeForce Week eases the financial burden with markdowns on Nvidia graphics cards, as well as Nvidia-powered PCs and gaming laptops.

SEE ALSO: Nvidia vs. AMD: Putting the GPU giants side-by-side

Below, we've selected some of our favorite deals from the sale so far — you'll find laptops as low as $599, triple fan graphics cards, and pre-built PCs. We'll be updating this post as the sale goes on, so if you don't see anything that catches your eye just yet, be sure to check back.

Best gaming laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lenovo Lenovo Legion 5i $1,199 at Walmart
$1,499.99 Save $300.99 Get Deal Why we like it

This Lenovo gaming laptop isn't going to be the option for gamers who want something top of the line, but it is a solid pick for someone who wants something a step above the most basic budget models. For example, you'll get an OLED display, 1TB of storage, and of course, a GeForce RTX 5060 display. The trade off comes in the form of limited RAM and according to reviews online, a short battery life, but for $1,199, the value of this laptop is still impressive. It's unsurprising — the previous gen of this laptop was deemed by our sister site PC Mag (also owned by Ziff Davis) as a great, all-around budget option.

More GeForce Week deals

Laptops

• HP Victus 15 (Intel Core i5-13420H, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050, 16GB RAM, 32GB SSD) — $599 $1,049.99 (save $450.99)

• Acer Nitro V 16 AI (AMD Ryzen 5 240, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5050, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $699 $899 (save $200)

• Lenovo Legion 5 (AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $799 $1,095 (save $296)

• HP Omen 16 (Intel Core Ultra 5, Nvidia RTX 5050, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $849 $1,399 (save $549)

• Lenovo Legion 5i (Intel Core i7 processor 14700HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,199 $1,499.99 (save $300.99)

• ASUS ROG Strix G18 (AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $1,799 $2,099.99 (save $300.99)

• MSI Stealth A16 AI+ (AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070TI, 32GB DDR5, 2TB NVMe SSD) — $2,349 $2,899.99 (save $550.99)

Graphics cards

• MSI Ventus GeForce RTX 3060 — $269.99 $344 (save $74.01)

• PNY Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti Epic-X ARGB OC Triple Fan — $379 $598.50 (save $219.50)

• PNY Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Overclocked Triple Fan — $499.99 $549 (save $49.01)

• MSI SHADOW GeForce RTX 5070 — $549.99 $639 (save $89.01)

• PNY NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5080 OC Triple Fan, Graphics Card 16GB GDDR7 — $929 $1,099 (save $170)

PCs

• CyberPowerPC (AMD Ryzen 5 8400F, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 8GB, 16GB DDR5, 1TB SSD) — $799 $979.99 (save $180.99)

• MSI Aegis R2 (Intel i7 14700F, Nvidia RTX 5060Ti, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB SSD) — $1,199 $1,599.99 (save $400.99)

• Skytech Azure (Intel Core i7, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD) — $1,399 $1,799 (save $400)

• Skytech Gaming King 95 (AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti 16GB, 32GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD) — $1,999 $2,599.99 (save $600.99)

• Skytech Gaming Prism 4 (AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, Nvidia RTX 5090 32GB, 64GB DDR5 RAM, 2TB Gen4 NVMe SSD) — $3,899 $5,399.99 (save $1,500.99)

If you’ve tried and failed to get back into drawing, try installing one of these apps on your phone or tablet. If you have a stylus, that’ll be perfect, but you can even get started with finger painting. The point is to get something out on the canvas. We spend so much time on our phones, and if the phone is the canvas, we’ll eventually fall back into the habit.

The iPhone 17 has been officially released, and this is usually a happy time of year for Apple fans jonesing for a new smartphone. Overall, the early iPhone 17 Pro reviews are very positive, but this year’s model does have some issues, one of which is that the new iPhone 17 can be pretty easily scratched. 

As Apple Stores put the new iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max on display, shoppers noticed that the demo units were already getting scratched. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman also reported that the new aluminum unibody frame was especially prone to scratching, particularly on the darker colors like Deep Blue. (Gurman and others speculated that this is actually why Apple didn't release the Pro models in black.) The iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max had a more scratch-resistant titanium body, and many new iPhone 17 Pro owners were surprised by how quickly their new phones showed wear and tear.

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So far, it seems the affected phones are the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max with the anodized aluminum shell. 

What is Scratchgate?

The tsunami of scratch-related complaints flooding social media has been dubbed "scratchgate." About 24 hours after iPhone Day, early adopters had already settled on this term. Some users have even found scratches on the aluminum body after leaving their phones in the same pocket as coins or keys. The scratches reveal the silver-colored aluminum underneath, which contrasts greatly with the bright orange or dark blue colors in particular.

Why does this happen? Anodized aluminum has a top layer that acts like the candy shell around an M&M. Once you scratch off the shell, you’re left with what’s underneath, and what’s underneath is your everyday silver-colored aluminum. Thus, even after a couple of days, people who rock their iPhone 17 Pro models without a case have noticed some surface damage. YouTubers like JerryRigEverything, known for breaking down phones, literally, are already sharing videos of the problem, which doesn't occur with the iPhone Air, thanks to its titanium enclosure.

The problem manifests in an even worse way around the back of the phone. Per JerryRigEverything, the camera bump on the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max was designed with a sharp corner instead of a chamfered edge. This design choice, mixed with how anodizing works, makes the camera bump on the new iPhone 17 Pro models prone to chipping, the YouTuber says. This problem can’t be solved and never goes away. We recommend watching the video in full to properly understand the phenomenom.

“The ISO standard says that sharp edges should be machined into a radius 10 times the intended thickness (of the anodized layer),” says JerryRigEverything. “Which if Apple is using 25 micrometer thick anodizing, the minimum radius would be between a quarter and half a millimeter. The U.S. military standard says about the same thing. But Apple just didn’t follow any of those public suggestions.”

So, in short, the candy coating-like anodized aluminum layer around the iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max are not only prone to scratching, but the camera bump on the back is prone to chipping, and it’s completely unfixable for the end user. 

Of course, there is a simple solution to scratchgate...

How to avoid scratches on iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max phones

The only way to reduce the likelihood scratchgate? Slap a case on your new iPhone ASAP. This will protect the aluminum frame as well as that sharp edge on the camera bump. This should also help keep larger digs and scratches from coming out if you drop the phone. Fortunately, you can find tons of iPhone 17 Pro cases (plus cases for the iPhone 17), with MagSafe-compatible options starting at $14.99.

Of course, the “relic” look is pretty popular among musicians these days, who intentionally age their guitars to make them look like road-worn antiques. If you dig that vibe, then leave your phone out of a case, and it’ll get there in pretty short order.

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone 17 cases you can buy for your new phone, including some on sale already

UPDATE: Sep. 22, 2025, 12:25 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with new details about the categories of deals to expect during Target Circle Week, as announced through a second press release from Target on Sept. 22.

Target is holding a second Target Circle Week in 2025. The fall version of Target Circle Week will start on Oct. 5 and end on Oct. 11, overlapping with Prime Big Deal Days on Oct. 7 and 8. Circle Week deals will span categories like kitchen appliances, floor care, skincare, LEGO, denim, kids' clothing, books, and bedding.

If you think Halloween decor hitting shelves in August is bad, imagine seeing the words "holiday magic" in a shopping-related press release in mid-September. That's how Target announced that it would be holding its second Target Circle Week of 2025, just a few months after holding an event with the same name in July.

When is Target Circle Week 2025? (Fall version)

The fall Target Circle Week 2025 will run between Oct. 5 and Oct. 11 in 2025, Target confirmed on Sept. 16.

It's a hectic little practice, this one: Holding a giant shopping event in October even though the same retailers will be in full Black Friday mode before November even starts. Naturally, it was Amazon that originally decided a big pre-Black Friday sale was necessary back in 2022 — it was called the Prime Early Access Sale for the first year, but is now Prime Big Deal Days (colloquially, October Prime Day). As with Prime Day in July, other big retailers like Target now hold competing sales that often overlap with Amazon's sale window.

Is Target Circle Week worth it?

Yep, it's quite the solid savings opportunity. Most notably, Target Circle Week rocks because it's a much more accessible sale than any Prime event. Access to Target Circle Week deals is free because the Target Circle membership needed to unlock the deals is free — unlike participation Prime Day, which requires a paid Prime membership.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime shipping perk is changing. Here’s what you’re losing.

Target Circle Week will also set itself apart by running significantly longer than October Prime Day. It starts two days earlier, and lasts three days longer. It's always nice to have some extra time to strategize the best deals to take advantage of rather than panic-buying just because the deals are fleeting.

What goes on sale for Target Circle Week?

Target Circle Week deals consist of direct discounts on big name items from Shark, Ninja, Apple, and more, plus savings on general categories like kitchen, laundry, or beauty. Target is also known for its free gift card deals — the store will often throw in $5 or $10 for free just for buying household or self-care items you would have purchased anyway.

A Sept. 22 press release gave more specific intel about some of the categories these deals will fall under:

• Deal of the Day: Offers starting at 40% off or more, with three or more new discounts revealed daily including on national brands like Apple, Bissell, Champion, Crocs, and Heydude

• Holiday: 40% off Halloween costumes, BOGO 50% off trick-or-treat candy

• Apparel and accessories: 30% off denim for adults, 30% off women's sweatshirts and sweatpants, 20% off Converse, and 20% off kids' apparel

• Home: Up to 50% off kitchen appliances and vacuums, up to 30% off bedding, up to 40% off storage

• Beauty and essentials: 20% off select skincare, BOGO 50% off Method, OLLY, Nature Made, or Quest products, BOGO 25% off laundry products

• Fun and entertainment: 30% off select Lego products, buy two, get one free books, movies, music, and Funko, plus $10 off when you spend $40 on toys

• Food and beverage: BOGO 50% off cereal, granola, coffee, and trail mix

Like Prime Day, Target Circle Week will also run a Deal of the Day promo. Each day, at least three new deals will be revealed from big brands like Apple, Bissell, Crocs, and GE, with discounts starting at 40% off.

All of the above deals will be open to anyone who has a free Target Circle membership. However, those who pay for Target Circle 360 will get deals access 24 hours before Target Circle Week starts (online and in-store). Target Circle 360 members will also get a first chance to shop big only-at-Target drops, including Nintendo accessories in a Target-exclusive color. For every $100 spent, Target Circle 360 members will get $10 back in Circle Rewards. The $99 per year Target Circle 360 membership is worth it if you do a lot of your shopping online — it unlocks free two-day shipping on nearly everything, plus unlimited, no-markup, same-day delivery on orders over $35.

Note that Target has formally ended its price match policy as of July 2025.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Sign up for Target Circle for free Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: Target Sign up for Target Circle 360 $99/year Learn More

SAVE $330: As of Sept. 22, you can get the Hisense 55-inch U65QF Mini-LED TV for $469.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of 41%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 55-inch U65QF Mini-LED TV $469.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $330 Get Deal

A premium viewing experience doesn't have to break the bank. The latest budget-friendly Hisense U6 Mini-LED TV has a picture quality that rivals much pricier models — and it's on sale for less than $500.

As of Sept. 22, you can get the Hisense 55-inch U65QF Mini-LED Fire TV for just $469.99 at Amazon. That's 41% or $330 in savings — just about $20 shy of its best price on record.

Our sister site PCMag (also owned by Mashable's publisher, Ziff Davis) spent some time with the Hisense U65QF — released in March 2025 — and called it "easily the brightest and most colorful budget-friendly TV we've tested."

It uses the same interface as Amazon's own Fire TV Omni Mini-LED, which is a seamless (yet ad-heavy) smart platform that makes watching all of your favorite streaming services a breeze. It's also equipped with Alexa, although you'll have to press a button and speak into the remote to use it. No biggie. Specs-wise, the U65QF is a QLED TV with a Mini-LED backlight system, which means it uses smaller LEDs to deliver a brighter, more detailed picture. It also packs a 144Hz native refresh rate, WiFi 6 connectivity, an ATSC 1.0 tuner under the hood, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. Translation: for the price, the Hisense U65QF checks all the right boxes.

If you're in the market for a new TV, but don't want to spend a fortune, we highly recommend grabbing the latest budget-friendly Hisense U6 TV while it's down to just $469.99 at Amazon.

Google’s default keyboard app can do a lot more than basic touch typing or swipe typing. You won’t find them unless you go looking or stumble upon them, but the Gboard app comes with a bunch of features that make texting and writing better.

Apple’s new iOS 26 update is finally rolling out to the masses after a months-long beta. Paired with the launch of the iPhone 17 lineup, you’d expect fireworks. But so far, the reception to Apple’s so-called “biggest iOS update in years” has been… meh. To be fair, that’s par for the course with iOS updates. Apple can never please everyone. But if you’re staring at that update notification wondering whether to pull the trigger, here’s what you should know.

What Mashable is saying

As the proud owner of a battered iPhone 13 Pro, I went ahead and upgraded. My biggest gripe has been the battery life. It feels shorter than usual — though, to be fair, that might just be the "new iOS tax" while my phone re-indexes and chews through storage. I’m hoping a few days (and maybe a little spring cleaning) will fix that. Beyond that, iOS 26 feels… fine. Nothing groundbreaking, just some quality-of-life tweaks dressed up as revolution. Apple’s obsession with rearranging the furniture and calling it progress is, as always, a little maddening.

I’m not alone, either. Tim Marcin, our associate digital culture editor, loves the new charging feature that tells you how long it’ll take to hit 80% — and he swears his phone charges more efficiently now. But he also finds the Safari redesign clunky and irritating.

Meanwhile, Tech Reporter Alex Perry summed up his feelings bluntly: to him, iOS 26 is basically Apple “just changing some colors.”

What the internet is saying

Over on Reddit, opinions on iOS 26 are mixed but leaning positive. Scroll through threads in the iPhone and iOS subreddits and you’ll find the full spectrum: some users swear the update feels half-baked and laggy, while others report everything running smoothly and say they’re loving it. As always, it kind of depends on who you ask — and whether they’ve been living with the beta for weeks already.

"I’m honestly disappointed with nearly every design decision they made. It seems Apple prioritized flashy mimicry over actual functionality, which feels like the least Apple-like direction I’ve ever seen," one user said. Another on the same thread stated that "My screen time has been cut in half with the same amount of drainage."

In other threads, plenty of users were less than impressed. Some complained the update "feels almost exactly the same," while others roasted the redesign, saying the "visual style was designed and approved by a bunch of people who don’t use dark mode."

Still, it’s not all grumbling. A chunk of users say they’re genuinely enjoying iOS 26. And honestly, that tracks: with any big iOS overhaul, a lot of the frustration just comes down to retraining your muscle memory. Give it time, and what feels jarring today usually becomes second nature tomorrow.

SAVE $50: The DJI Osmo Action 4 essential combo is on sale at Amazon for $239, down from the list price of $289. That's a 17% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo $239 at Amazon
$289 Save $50 Get Deal

We're only a handful of weeks away from the mountains opening for snowy winter sports and that means it's time to check on your recording set-up. Even if you're not a professional YouTuber or TikTok creator, it's likely you'll want to capture footage of adventures. One of the best ways to do just that is with a DJI camera, and a great model is on sale today.

As of Sept 22, the DJI Osmo Action 4 essential combo is on sale for $239 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $289. That's a 17% discount that takes $50 off.

If you're looking to make life easier, the DJI Osmo Action 4 essential combo is perfect since it's a one-click purchase that includes everything you'll need for recording. The bundle includes the DJI Osmo Action 4 camera, the Osmo locking screw, anti-slip pads, the action lens hood, a protective frame, the Osmo Action Extreme battery, and a quick-release adapter mount.

SEE ALSO: DJI has a new mini drone coming soon — and you can't have it

The DJI Osmo Action 4 is ready for all sorts of adventures from underwater exploration that goes as deep as 18 meters to cycling during autumn foliage to skiing this winter. The Osmo Action 4 can record in temperatures as low as -4 Fahrenheit and it's also designed to be great in low-light settings.

While DJI does have a camera coming soon that'll record in 8K, the Osmo Action 4 records in 4K at 120fps with a 155-degree ultra-wide field of view. It also has stabilization features that makes for smoother footage while filming is done while moving.

Before winter sports begin, snag the DJI Osmo Action 4 essential combo is on sale for $239 at Amazon. It comes with all the accessories to get you started on a content creation journey as we head into the end of 2025.

The AMD-powered Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 had me asking myself, “Is this illegal? It feels illegal.” TikTok trends aside, this laptop seamlessly merges affordability with great performance and stellar battery life, all wrapped up in a beautiful navy blue chassis.

Additionally, it has an excellent variety of ports (albeit both USB-C ports reside on the laptop’s left side), boasts a fairly comfortable keyboard, and it’s well-built, which is essential for convertible laptops that are constantly utilizing the hinges to flip between laptop, tent, and tablet modes.

The Dell 14 Plus in tent mode. Credit: Sarah Chaney

That said, a budget-friendly laptop has to cut corners somewhere to preserve its affordability. This laptop lacks a decent webcam, comes with a set of bottom-firing speakers that leave you searching for bass, and features a display that’s unfortunately capped at a 60Hz refresh rate. Even with those minor negatives, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is still one of the best cheap laptops when you consider how many fantastic features it offers at such a low price.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) price and specs

Intel has dominated the laptop space for quite a while, but I’ve always had a slight preference for AMD processors. They’re just as powerful in most scenarios, offer excellent battery efficiency, and usually stay budget-friendly. The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 highlights those strengths at an impressive price.

Our Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 review unit is $949.99 via Dell and comes with the following specs: 

• AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor

• Integrated Radeon 860M graphics

• 16GB RAM

• 512GB of SSD storage 

• 14-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) touch display

There’s another AMD-powered Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 configuration for $999.99 at Best Buy that bumps SSD storage up to 1TB and downgrades slightly to Radeon 840M integrated graphics. With both the Best Buy configuration and our review unit configuration at Dell, I’d highly recommend waiting for a sale because I’ve seen them dip to $599.99 and $699.99, respectively.

An aluminum-plastic mix for an affordable, yet durable build

Despite being a budget-friendly laptop, Dell’s 14 Plus 2-in-1 avoids the typical boring gray or black colorway. Instead, its chassis comes in an attractive deep navy finish called midnight blue, which covers the lid, base, edges, keyboard, and trackpad.

The laptop has an attractive design. Credit: Sarah Chaney

The lid features a subtle Dell logo and, along with the base, is made with aluminum to help resist fingerprints. Opening the laptop, however, the palm rest area is plastic, which can get greasy during use and feels like a budget-friendly material with slight give when pushed.

The laptop’s hinges are smooth and sturdy when flipping between tablet and laptop modes. Combining this durable, convertible form factor with its compact dimensions (12.4 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches) and a fairly light weight of 3.5 pounds, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is a great companion laptop for frequent travelers or commuters.

A great display for a budget-friendly laptop

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 features a 14-inch FHD+ (1920 × 1200) touch display that's best described as passable. It’s a decent display, but it won’t blow you away with vivid colors or deep blacks, which isn’t surprising for a budget-friendly config.

The screen delivers a sharp, well-lit picture, but colors come across muted and blacks appear more gray. Using the touchscreen to download Spotify and type with the on-screen keyboard, response time was excellent, though the display’s refresh rate is capped at 60Hz.

Overall, for consuming content and browsing the web, the display works great. But if you need high color accuracy for graphic design or creative work, this laptop’s display won’t be up to the task.

Great port variety, but it’s missing one vital feature

For a budget laptop, Dell’s 14 Plus 2-in-1 offers a solid port selection — with one big caveat.

On the left, you’ll find:

• HDMI 1.4 port

• Two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports

The left side ports. Credit: Sarah Chaney

And on the right:

• Audio jack

• USB-A Gen 1 port

The right side ports. Credit: Sarah Chaney

From a laptop at this price, I’m not complaining about the lack of an Ethernet port, a higher quality HDMI port, or even multiple USB-A ports. However, what really gets my goat is Dell failing to divvy up this laptop’s USB-C ports between the left and right sides. C’mon, we’re almost in 2026. Shouldn’t all laptops have USB-C ports on both sides for charging convenience?

Bottom-firing speakers are no bueno

A budget-friendly laptop, unfortunately, can’t have it all, and one of the areas where Dell sacrificed quality for affordability with the 14 Plus 2-in-1 is with the speakers. The laptop features two 2.5-watt, bottom-firing speakers that have zero bass and can be muffled, depending on where you set the laptop down.

I fired up “cliché” by MGK in the Spotify app, and the bass was nonexistent. All the atmospheric hums in the intro and punchy bass notes in the chorus were gone, leaving the audio feeling very empty and one-note.

The one perk these speakers do have is volume. They can get pretty loud with minimal distortion up until around 80% volume — it’s just not high-quality audio.

A relatively comfortable keyboard paired with a mid trackpad

I wouldn’t necessarily say the 14 Plus 2-in-1 has a stellar keyboard, but there are pleasant elements to it that I wasn’t expecting from an affordable laptop. 

The keys are large, well-spaced, and feel as though they have a decent amount of travel, providing a fairly good, comfortable typing experience overall. However, as a self-proclaimed keyboard snob, the keys are a little mushy for me and don’t deliver quite as much clickiness as I’d like.

It features a comfortable keyboard and a mid trackpad. Credit: Sarah Chaney

Moving on to the trackpad, it failed to impress, to say the least. 

Dell’s 14 Plus 2-in-1 has a mylar trackpad, which is naturally less smooth than glass trackpads, but this laptop’s trackpad was worse than other mylar trackpads I’ve tried. My fingers stutter across its surface awkwardly, unless I’m deliberately trying to move my fingers super lightly, and clicking feels wimpier than I’d like. In short, the trackpad is usable, but I didn’t love using it.

Its webcam delivers muted colors and a grainy picture

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 falls victim to a problem far too many laptops share: having a terrible webcam. 

It’s equipped with a 1080p camera that has the potential to look fine in the right lighting, but in practice, it delivers grainy images with poor color accuracy. My light green eyes may as well have been gray in all of the selfies I snapped.

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1's webcam delivers grainy images with poor color accuracy. Credit: Sarah Chaney

I also noticed pesky motion blur, with a trailing effect behind my face and objects as I moved the laptop around. While this effect can look artistic when intentional, it’s not something I want in a video call or work presentation.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) benchmarks and performance

Powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor, the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 delivers reliable performance, easily handling a daily workload of flipping between 20+ Chrome tabs with Spotify streaming music in the background.

Even with all those Chrome tabs open — including two YouTube videos running on mute — I experienced no lag when typing in Google Docs or loading new pages. While this laptop can’t handle intense video editing or native gaming, it can tackle daily internet-based tasks with grace.

When loading up multiple new pages, the fans do kick up, but they’re pretty quiet, and they die down once tabs are fully loaded. That said, expect slightly noisier fans and increased surface temperature when the laptop is plugged in.

Like all review laptops, we put this laptop through a standard performance benchmark. On the Geekbench 6 test, Dell’s 14 Plus 2-in-1 churned out a multi-core score of 11,301, which I’d say is pretty impressive at its affordable price. 

It’s a higher score than what we’ve seen on a few of Dell’s more expensive, older models, like the Dell XPS 13 9350, but pales slightly in comparison to modern laptops with Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H processor, which generally deliver scores of 12,000 to 13,000. For example, the Lenovo Yoga 9i (Gen 9) and the HP Spectre x360 14 earned scores of 12,345 and 12,955, respectively.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) battery life

The Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 lasted a jaw-dropping 20 hours and 52 minutes on a full charge during our battery test, which consists of looping a 1080p video at 50% brightness and 50% speaker volume. 

Even the new 15-inch M4 MacBook Air pales in comparison, notching just over 10 hours on the same battery test. AI-powered processors are finally allowing Windows laptops to deliver better battery results, and the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is proof.

Is the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD) worth it?

For everything this laptop offers at just $949.99 full price (and often even less if you catch it on sale), the Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 is absolutely worth it for those looking to get the best bang for their buck. 

Sure, it has a lousy webcam, middling speakers, and a trackpad that gives me the ick. But it’s powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 7 350 processor that provides impressive performance and assists in delivering jaw-dropping battery life — and those two features alone are objectively more important than a good webcam, set of speakers, or trackpad.

Stellar performance and efficiency aren’t the only two things the 14 Plus 2-in-1 has going for it, either. During testing, I enjoyed typing at my normal lightning-fast pace on its keyboard, found its plentiful ports to my liking (though I wished one of the left-side USB-C ports would scooch over to the right side), and loved how sturdy the hinges felt, even after multiple mode switches.

All in all, this budget-friendly laptop is a fantastic option for students, frequent travelers, or anyone who simply needs a reliable performer for daily productivity tasks.

Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1 (AMD Ryzen AI 7 350, 512GB SSD, 16GB RAM) $699.99 at Dell
$949.99 Save $250 Shop Now

Your Raspberry Pi is already a pretty compact and complete package, and if you get smart with it, it's also very, very expandable. Now, this compact daughterboard can add NVMe to your Raspberry Pi without greatly increasing its size.

The first step towards Apple's long-awaited foldable iPhone might have already been taken this year.

According to Mark Gurman's latest Power On newsletter at Bloomberg, the basic design of the iPhone Fold (that's just what we're calling it for now, it doesn't have a real name yet) should be pretty easy to visualize right now. That's because it's apparently, per Gurman's sources, similar to two iPhone 17 Air models strapped together. Of course, it would be one large folding screen with a hinge rather than two separate displays attached to one another, but you get the point.

SEE ALSO: People are already breaking their new iPhones (and not always on purpose)

One reason why that's an interesting comparison is the thickness. Apple's new ultra-thin handset measures in at just 5.6mm of thickness, and the iPhone Fold is reportedly about that thick when unfolded. Gurman also went on to say the iPhone Fold might run consumers at least $2,000 when it is planned to launch late next year. It should be noted, though, that we had at least one report over the summer claiming the phone would cost a bit less than that, so perhaps the price is a moving target at the moment.

Previous reports also indicated the iPhone Fold would have a 7.8-inch inner display when unfolded and a 5.5-inch outer display. We'll see if any of that holds true if/when the phone launches a year from now.

Some cars may look tempting on the lot, offering strong performance, plush interiors, or a badge that signals prestige. But when it comes time to sell or trade in, their value can drop far faster than expected, leaving owners with a painful financial hit. Depreciation is one of the biggest hidden costs of car ownership, and certain models lose value at an alarming rate, sometimes far more quickly than competitors in the same class.

The federal government is taking Amazon to task over the difficulty of canceling a Prime subscription.

It's a particularly modern problem: You sign up for a service, perhaps intending to run out the clock on a free trial, then forget to cancel the subscription — or can't even figure out how to cancel in the first place. This issue is so common that there are services that help you cancel unwanted subscriptions — and yes, these services themselves often require a subscription.

This particular case was brought by the Federal Trade Commission, which alleges that the tech giant's Prime subscription may rope in some unsuspecting customers and also proves especially difficult to cancel. The FTC claims that as many as 40 million users have been affected by these practices.

The jury trial begins this week, and as The Wall Street Journal reported, the FTC first sued Amazon in 2023, under the Biden administration:

"The FTC, which sued Amazon in 2023, alleges the company tricked people into signing up for the service without their knowledge or consent, including by obscuring details about billing and the terms of free trials. It says Amazon created a labyrinth to make it hard to cancel, which the company dubbed 'Iliad,' a reference to Homer’s epic about the long, arduous Trojan War. Several individual Amazon executives are also named as defendants."

Jury selection was set to begin Monday, with opening arguments following not long after. The trial should last about a month, The Verge noted.

The FTC alleges that, at one point, Amazon required users to navigate four webpages and 15 options to cancel a Prime subscription. An Amazon spokesperson denied any wrongdoing, telling the Journal that "the bottom line is that neither Amazon nor the individual defendants did anything wrong."

The FTC brought a similar case against Uber earlier this year. In that suit, the FTC claimed that Uber signed up some customers for an Uber One membership without their knowledge, while also making it unnecessarily difficult to cancel the monthly subscription.

So, take this as a reminder to be wary of free trials — that auto-renew really can sneak up on you.

SAVE $330.02: The Jackery Explorer 500 portable power station with a 100W solar panel is on sale at Amazon for $468.98, down from the list price of $799. That's a 41% discount that matches the record-low at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 500 portable power station with a 100W solar panel $468.98 at Amazon
$799 Save $330.02 Get Deal

Welcome to the official beginning of fall. The season packs in plenty of fun with Halloween (and Skelly's return,) Amazon's October Prime Day sale, a holiday centered around eating, and Black Friday. But while these are usually fun events, fall also comes with some tumultuous weather. Autumn storms tend to come with power outages, and if you're not up for dealing with the fear of a dead phone every time to wind kicks up, check out this deal at Amazon.

As of Sept. 22, the Jackery Explorer 500 portable power station with a 100W solar panel is on sale for $468.98 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $799. That works out to a 41% discount, slashing $330.02 off the normal price. Today's deal matches the record-low at Amazon.

Before the winds and rain arrive, it's smart to have a plan in place should the power go out. Instead of relying on weather reports and keeping your phone plugged in 24/7, a portable power station gives you the reassurance that you can stay connected without grid power.

The Jackery Explorer 500 gives you 518Wh of portable power. In real life terms, that will recharge a phone about 23 times or keep a TV on for about 7.5 hours. It'll also allow you to use the coffee maker in the morning, get some toast for breakfast, or whip up a smoothie.

Today's deal also comes with a Jackery SolarSaga 100W portable solar panel that will be great for recharging the Explorer 500. Plus, you can charge devices while recharging the Explorer 500 with the solar panel.

SEE ALSO: EcoFlow is giving away free gear with select power station purchases — here's how to claim it

Keep in mind the Jackery Explorer 500 uses lithium ion battery cells which is an older technology compared to the battery in every model on Mashable's list of the best portable power stations. That's not to say a lithium ion Jackery isn't a good option, but it does mean it'll have a shorter lifespan before the batteries start losing power.

Jackery says the Explorer 500 should have about 800 cycles before it'll recharge to about 80 percent capacity. The latest technology in portable power stations involves using LiFePO4 (lithium iron phosphate) batteries. Those get about 3,000 to 4,000 cycles before they'll only recharge to 80 percent capacity.

The Jackery Explorer 500 with the 100W solar panel, however, could be great for those who plan to use the portable power station for recharging phones during a power outage or weekend camping trips. Realistically, 800 cycles from a lithium ion battery is still over two years of using all battery capacity in the power power station everyday.

While it's back at a record-low price, get the Jackery Explorer 500 ahead of fall storms. You entire household will benefit from keep phones charged and the ability to make coffee in the morning.