Technology

Last year, I thought Google’s Pixel 9 was a perfectly fine Android phone saddled with a bunch of AI features that ranged from “sorta neat to try once” to “actively pointless.” I had a similar experience with the Google Pixel 10.

The base model of Google’s latest flagship, to its credit, does offer a couple of much-needed hardware improvements, namely a larger battery and a telephoto zoom lens on the phone’s rear camera array. But for at least the second year in a row, Google has largely focused on AI features.

Google Pixel 10 will do just fine if you’re in need of a solid Android handset that takes nice photos and can give you a full day of use out of a single charge. And if you're excited about new AI smartphone features, this phone has a few notable ones. Beyond that, it's hard to get too excited about new phones in the era of incremental improvements.

Google Pixel 10: Price and specs The display is pretty nice. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

For starters, this is a $799 phone, just like the Pixel 9 was a year ago. In the tariffs era, that's a win in and of itself. Here’s what you get for that price, specs-wise:

• 6.3-inch display with 1080x2424 resolution and 60-120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Up to 3,000 nits peak brightness

• 12GB RAM

• 128GB/256GB storage

• Google Tensor G5 chip

• 4,970mAh battery

While a proper 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate (which you can get on Pixel 10 Pro) would probably help with battery efficiency, the display on offer for Pixel 10 is more than good enough. Its peak brightness is 300 nits higher than last year’s model, and I never found myself wanting for more while using the Pixel 10 in broad daylight. Everything is vivid and clear, making it a good display for both everyday usage and previewing your photos before you take them.

Aside from that, the only other big difference from the Pixel 9 is the larger battery. Pixel 9’s cell was 4,700mAh, for context. More on this later.

Google Pixel 10: Design Google didn't reinvent the wheel this year. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Pixel 10 comes in four colors: Indigo, Frost, Lemongrass, and Obsidian. My review unit was the Indigo model, and I think it’s downright gorgeous. It’s no pink iPhone, but it’s closer than any phone in recent memory to looking as good as that, in my opinion. 

Otherwise, you’d be forgiven for looking at a Pixel 10 and thinking it’s just a Pixel 9. Google didn’t go back to the drawing board this year. Pixel 10 still uses the same Cyclops-style (X-Men, not Greek mythology) horizontal camera bar at the top of the phone’s backside. The only immediate visual tell that this phone is any different from the Pixel 9 is the presence of that third camera lens on the back.

I don’t mind this, but it does underscore my overall point that if you’re not really excited about AI features, there isn’t a ton to get hyped about this year.

Google Pixel 10: Performance The Pixel 10 comes in four colors, and I really like one of them. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

The Pixel 10 is powered by a new Tensor G5 chip. Spoiler alert: It's fine!

Performance on Pixel 10 is more than adequate. Apps work quickly and smoothly, and more intensive tasks like Gemini or other AI features operate efficiently. I did notice the phone getting a little warm after extended use, but that’s nothing that a good case can’t fix. Sadly, the benchmarking software we use (Geekbench 6) was not available on Pixel 10 at the time of writing, so I can’t offer precise metrics for this initial review.

Still, in my time with the phone, performance has been smooth.

Google Pixel 10: Battery life

Battery life is also solid. Impressive, even.

Google rates the Pixel 10 for more than 30 hours on a charge, which I was not quite able to achieve in my testing. Some important context is that I used the phone’s 120Hz mode in testing, which almost certainly reduced the battery life. Even so, I was still able to go roughly 26 or 27 hours between charges, not counting time spent sleeping. Not bad, Google.

Google Pixel 10: AI features It's all about AI this year. Credit: Joe Maldonado/Mashable

Pixel 10 expands on the AI toolkit that Google has been building up for the past couple of years, sometimes in ways that feel genuinely useful and transformative, but often in ways that feel superfluous.

Let’s start with the good features. Pixel 10 offers live language translation during phone calls across a variety of commonly spoken global dialects. It happens on-device, and it enables levels of communication that may not have been feasible before. This is the kind of neat thing that AI can and should enable.

I was able to test this in a rudimentary fashion using whatever Spanish I could remember from high school and college. It was able to consistently pick up what I was saying. It does take a second to process what each speaker said, so conversations aren't seamless. Also, unlike other live translation features we've seen, it uses AI to translate what you said using your own voice. It's jarring to hear myself saying things in Spanish I didn't actually say.

I suspect this will be a love-it or hate-it feature. Personally, I would have preferred a generic voice instead, but it moves us closer to real-time universal translation.

Magic Cue in action. Credit: Screenshot: Alex Perry/Google

The other potentially interesting new AI feature is Magic Cue, which is admittedly hard to test because it’s entirely context-dependent. The basic idea here is that if you have personal information stored somewhere in your data, like in a text message, Gmail, or Calendar event, Magic Cue can pull up that information when you need it most. 

For instance, if I had information pertaining to an upcoming flight or hotel stay somewhere in my phone and someone texted me to ask about it, the Pixel 10 would bring up that information in the Messages app, without me needing to actively search for it. I tested this out by making a fake dinner reservation in my Calendar for Domino’s Pizza. When I texted the Pixel 10 from my everyday phone asking about the reservation, lo and behold, a little Calendar app icon appeared in the text window, taking me to that information.

Magic Cue is another example of an AI feature that will definitely save time for folks, even if it's not necessarily saving a ton of time.

My personalized Daily Hub. Credit: Screenshot: Alex Perry/Google

Unfortunately, the rest of the new AI features on Pixel 10 are mediocre, at best. There’s a new Daily Hub widget that collates things like the weather forecast, calendar events, YouTube videos, and news articles into one place. It’s a nice idea, in theory, but the most useful aspects of it (weather and events) have nothing to do with AI and take about 10 seconds to check outside of Daily Hub. I never wanted to tap on any of the news or YouTube recommendations, and the row of personalized Gemini prompts didn't tempt me at all.

For example, the Pixel 10 recommended that I ask Gemini about the Kansas City Royals pitching staff because it knows I’m a Royals fan. When I did, it spit out the same basic stats you'd find on the ESPN app, alongside some simplistic analysis like, “the Royals have a good pitching staff.” As a baseball fan, I don't really find that useful or compelling. If you're newer to the game, I could see it being useful for learning things like what the WHIP stat means (walks and hits per innings pitched, you're welcome), but I can't say it served me in any meaningful way.

Speaking of Gemini, Gemini Live and Circle to Search are back, integrating AI search with the Pixel 10’s camera. That means you can highlight an object in your field of view while talking to Gemini and ask the chatbot questions about said object. I was able to ask Gemini how many calories were in a can of Monster I was drinking, and it told me. That’s neat, I guess, but I could also just, you know, look at the can. That said, I can easily see this working out in certain circumstances, like when you want to identify a plant or a bug.

No edits here. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable You can tell it's edited. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Lastly, I’d say the biggest addition to the photo editing suite this year is the ability to generatively edit images with text prompts. I took a picture of a flag during the day and asked the phone to make it sunset instead. I also told it to add a “jolly old man” to a photo of some dogs I took. Did it work? Sure, though the final results were extremely fake-looking. 

I hate this. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

There are, of course, times when this might be useful. If you're inclined to sand out the imperfections in photos for social media, for instance, it's certainly easier to type "remove the pimple" than it is to do all of that yourself. Based on my experiences with this feature, I'd say it's best left to less-creative tasks like that.

Google Pixel 10: How are the cameras? Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

Google made some fairly significant changes to the rear camera array this year. Here are the overall camera specs:

• Rear cameras: 48MP wide, 13MP ultrawide, 10.8MP telephoto

• Front camera: 10.5MP

For reference, the Pixel 9’s wide lens was 50MP and the ultrawide lens was 48MP. That feels like a big downgrade, at least numerically, but it’s not without good reason: There’s now a telephoto zoom lens with 5x optical zoom on the base Pixel model, after years of that being a Pixel Pro exclusive feature.

And wouldn’t you know it, the optical zoom looks pretty nice. 

No zoom. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable 5x zoom. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

I did not have as much luck with digital zoom. Once you get past 5x, the software starts to fill in blanks, leaving some photos looking smudgy and fake. I wasn’t even standing particularly far away from the dogs in the “jolly old man” photo from earlier, but the Dalmatian on the right looks downright grotesque. Even static buildings look a little weird if you go all the way up to 20x.

It looks a little weird, right? Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Aside from that, everything else is basically as it should be. Photos taken with the default lens settings can look pretty gorgeous, especially when you’re shooting the greatest city in the world in the middle of an unbelievably beautiful late-summer day. 

NYC rocks. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

Night Sight continues to be good at keeping the essence of nighttime intact while illuminating photos so they’re actually, you know, legible. 

This is without Night Sight. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable And with Night Sight turned on. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable

And portrait shots look as good as ever.

Not much to say here. Credit: Alex Perry/Mashable If you care about photography, upgrade to the 10 Pro

An important note here: Google's biggest upgrade with the new Pixel line is a Pixel 10 Pro exclusive. I'm talking about the main rear camera on the Pixel 10 Pro, which Google repeatedly called the world's best-ever phone camera during the Made by Google event.

In our testing, the Pixel 10 Pro and its 100x zoom beat out the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra, and it mostly lives up to the hype.

So, if you care about photography above all else, go with the Pixel 10 Pro this year, which starts at $999. The Pixel 10 Pro is a Mashable Choice product; the base Pixel 10 is not.

Is the Google Pixel 10 worth it?

It’s hard for me to recommend anyone sprint to their nearest smartphone distillery to get Pixel 10 because its non-AI changes are largely incremental, and the new AI toolkit failed to impress this AI-skeptical reporter.

But that’s not to say it’s a bad phone, at all. And if you're excited to use its AI features, the Pixel 10 offers good specs at a competitive price. The cameras work well, and having telephoto zoom on a base Pixel is really nice. Performance and battery life are also strong.

I just can’t sit here and tell you that you need this phone, unless you’re several generations behind and can get a nice discount through your carrier or something. That’s less of an indictment of Google than of the incremental upgrade era. These annual smartphone launches are becoming extremely iterative and reliant on features that feel less and less impressive over time.

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A good story needs a beginning, middle, and end. However, with TV series that have uncertain futures and are basically open-ended for most of their runs, an ending isn't always on the cards.

SAVE $15: As of Aug. 27, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is just $34.99 at Amazon. That's down from its regular $49.99 list price.

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If you’ve been thinking about cutting down on clutter or simply giving your old TV a modern refresh, this little stick might be all you need.

The Roku Streaming Stick 4K aims to take the fuss out of setting up your entertainment hub. As of Aug. 27, it’s sitting at $34.99 on Amazon — 30% off its usual $49.99 price.

SEE ALSO: Bring home this 77-inch LG C5 OLED TV for its lowest price yet

Just plug it in and you’re ready to dive into your favourite apps like Netflix, HBO Max, and Disney+ with thousands of channels available — including a healthy mix of free shows, films, and even live TV.

Where it apparently really earns its keep is in picture performance. Supporting 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Vision, and HDR10+, Roku says this handy stick will transform everyday viewing into something far sharper and more vibrant. Colours pop, contrast feels deeper, and fine details come through in a way that standard HD simply can’t match.

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At just under $35, this deal makes upgrading your setup almost too easy. For reliable performance, effortless access to apps, and picture quality that feels far above its price tag, the Roku Streaming Stick 4K is a smart buy while it’s still on sale.

For upgrading the best of your setup for less, also check out our roundup of the best budget TVs in 2025. If you’re after the chance to create a much larger entertainment display, we also have a selection of the best 65-inch+ TVs for watching in dark and bright rooms.

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For mornings with a coffee and evenings on the couch, a good tablet is the perfect partner. And the Amazon Fire Max 11 is about as good as it gets for most users. One of the most advanced in the range, this tablet is just right for both work and play.

And as of Aug. 27, it's discounted at Amazon for just $224.99, saving you $55 on list price. This deal is specific to the 128GB device without lockscreen ads.

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This deal is stamped as limited-time only at Amazon, so don't miss out.

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Ready to take a trip down memory lane? Imagine playing the retro games you loved — without having to blow in a cartridge to get them to work. That’s what the Kinhank Super Console makes possible, combining games from vintage consoles like Atari, Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and PlayStation into one easy-to-use device.

Right now, you can bring the Kinhank Super Console home for just $89.97 (reg. $159.99), with free shipping through Sept. 7.

This multi-tasking console lets you game and stream for hours

For less than $100, you can turn your living room into your favorite arcade from yesteryear. Play some Pac-Man or show off your Street Fighter skills — this console is packed with thousands of games you know and love from Atari, PlayStation, Nintendo, Sega Genesis, and more. And the best part? You don’t have to keep up with a single cartridge or disc.

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SEE ALSO: The 4 best premium gaming monitors instantly level up your desktop — for a price

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Wish you could read that buzzy new book everyone’s talking about, but can’t find the time? That’s where Headway Premium comes in, offering an easy way to keep up with nonfiction best sellers with easily digestible 15-minute summaries that can fit into any busy schedule.

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Get the key concepts from bestselling books in just 15 minutes

While we wish we had time to curl up with a good book, life can get pretty busy. Headway Premium gives you an excellent solution — serving up 15-minute summaries of some of the world’s best nonfiction books that you can devour in line at the grocery store, on your morning commute, or while you do the dishes.

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If you’re a fan of Prime Video, here’s some good news: September is going to be a killer month full of great movies and TV shows. Those who enjoy the rough and rowdy world of The Boys will be pleased to know that Season 2 of Gen V (the spinoff that takes this quirky comic franchise back to school) is releasing on September 17. Fan hopes are high, especially among those of us who felt the last season of The Boys failed to make the grade.

Just about everything is wireless these days, and that includes the charging system of many smartphones. It's convenient for sure, but will wireless charging ever become the default way to charge or power our devices? I think the odds are pretty much zero.

Summer is winding down, but it's not over yet. That's why Samsung just launched several summer deals that'll help you save big on its best phones, foldables, earbuds, and more. You can get $300 off the all-new Galaxy Z Fold 7, and even more with a trade-in, or grab the fancy Galaxy S25 Edge at a discounted price.

Shop new PopSockets Kindle cases PopSockets PopSockets Kindle 12th Generation Case $40 Shop Now PopSockets PopSockets Kindle 11th Generation Case $40 Shop Now PopSockets PopSockets Bookish Besties MagSafe Grip $30 Shop Now

BookTok has undeniable power. It has sent books to the top of bestseller lists and even helped revive book sales. Now it's helped to create a popular Kindle and e-reader accessory. PopSockets just launched the brand's first-ever Kindle case that comes with a built-in MagSafe ring — finally answering TikTok's call.

In the marketing for PopSockets' new Kindle case, the brand states, "You asked, we answered," referring to the existing popularity of using a PopSockets grip with an e-reader. BookTok is flooded with users posting ideas on how to trick out your Kindle for a more practical hold while also making it a bit more stylish. In the past year, the Ganinno R MagSafe Stand has gone particularly viral for its ability to detach from the Kindle if you want it to be able to lie flat. But now PopSockets is taking matters into its own hands and coming out with its own flagship case.

The PopSockets grip is perfectly placed on the bottom for an ergonomic grip. Credit: PopSockets

The PopSockets Kindle case fits 11th and 12th-generation models of Amazon's e-readers. If you use a Kindle Paperwhite, Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition, or Kindle Colorsoft, you'll find a case to fit your e-reader. Unfortunately, PopSockets does not have a case available for the basic Kindle or Kindle Scribe.

The new PopSockets Kindle cases have built-in MagSafe rings. The cases are certified with a 10-foot drop protection and have raised edges to guard against screen damage. They come in several different colors and prints, including a fun gingham or bookshelf design. PopSockets also delivered a clear case, a favorite option among Kindle users who like to customize their e-reader with personalized stickers.

Opens in a new window Credit: PopSockets PopSockets Kindle 12th Generation Case $40 at PopSockets
Shop Now Opens in a new window Credit: PopSockets PopSockets Kindle 11th Generation Case $40 at PopSockets
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These Kindle cases are made to be compatible with PopSockets' MagSafe grips, and the brand released a line of bookish options to match the new line of cases. All cases and grips are now available for purchase on PopSockets' website. Plus, all MagSafe grips are 30% off with the purchase of a new Kindle Case.

Opens in a new window Credit: PopSockets PopSockets Bookish Besties MagSafe Grip $30 at PopSockets
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The internet and the web are changing in ways that can be hard to follow. The short version is that using web search is no longer the best way to get the content you actually want.

Apple made a lot of fuss about its Liquid Glass design overhaul at WWDC 2025, with the new visual style set to debut on all of its operating systems in the fall. One thing that’s striking about the upcoming macOS release is how different the OS can look from Apple’s past releases with the right settings.

Google's annual refresh of its Pixel line is always a treat. The Pixel hardware is lovely, and the visor on the back is quickly becoming an iconic look. (For Star Trek fans, it's giving major Geordi LaForge vibes.) The software offers one of my favorite user interfaces in the Android world, and it comes with a ton of goodies to play with besides. Anecdotally, I have seen more and more Pixel phones out "in the wild" in 2025, and not just among my fellow tech-nerd friends. The market share isn't there yet, but it's certainly climbing.

This year's Pixel 10 Pro refresh doesn't have as much new as previous years, and not all of the new features are necessarily welcome. Google made some choices with this phone that aren't landing for me, and that is not a reference to having Jimmy Fallon host the Made by Google event.

Overall, this has been a really fun phone to play with, largely because of the aforementioned camera bump on the back. Google promised the new flagship Pixel would land with the world's best-ever phone camera, and so far, it's living up to the hype. I've been using the Pixel 10 Pro for just under a week, and these are my initial thoughts. There's a lot to love in this phone (and the closely related Pixel 10 Pro XL), so let's get to it.

Pixel 10 Pro specs and design: Same old, same old Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

First, let's take a peek under the hood:

• Processor: Google Tensor G5 chipset

• Rear cameras: 50MP wide, 48MP ultrawide, 48MP telephoto

• Front camera: 48MP

• Display: 6.3-inch Super Actua LTPO OLED display (1280x2856 resolution)

• Refresh rate: 1-120Hz adaptive refresh rate

• Brightness: 3,300 nits peak brightness

• RAM: 16GB RAM

• Storage options: 128GB, 256GB, 512GB, 1TB storage

• Battery: 4,870mAh battery

In terms of its aesthetics, Google clearly didn't want to alter the instantly recognizable look of the Pixel line. The phone has the exact dimensions as its predecessor. On top of that, the Pixel 10 and Pixel 10 Pro are so similar looking that I accidentally grabbed the Pixel 10 on my way to do some camera testing, and didn't notice until I'd been driving for 30 minutes.

I get it — that's a me problem.

The Google-engineered Tensor G5 processor, built on a 3nm process, brings the Pixel in line with other modern flagships. The phone has a plentiful 16GB of RAM, but Google sent me the 128GB version, which is already 56 percent used up — not great! We're well past the time when 256GB should be the standard, especially on a flagship. At least Google makes it easy to upload to its cloud storage.

The battery is up just a hair over last year's Pro model by 3 percent. But the biggest upgrade to the battery has little to do with the actual battery. All phones in the Pixel 10 series now come with wireless Qi2 charging enabled — magnets and all. That's right, MagSafe Pixelsnap charging accessories are here. This is great news for me — I am a MagSafe addict. 

This is arguably the first mainstream phone with built-in magnet support. Frankly, it's about time.

I love Pixel software, but some AI features feel undercooked Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

For Android-heads, the Pixel software is among the best, if not the best. It's clean and has fun interactions throughout the operating system. Two new AI features that Google is touting are the Daily Hub and Magic Cue, though they represent both good news and bad news. Both are driven by Google's onboard AI.

The good news is the daily hub, which gives you a sort of summary of your upcoming day at the top of your Google Discover feed. Tap on it, and you get a summary of what's going on based on your calendar, email, and other tastes. The top gives you upcoming events and reminders, while the bottom feeds you YouTube recommendations, because of course it does. How good they'll be probably depends on how much you use the platform.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

Meanwhile, on the other side, Magic Cue — in theory — can help you manage information from various sources, so when you need to recall that information, it'll serve it up to you. The most common way this can happen will be in the Messages app. Someone asks you for someone else's phone number, and Magic Cue will grab the contact information and feed you an autocompleted field with that info — at least, in theory.

Magic Cue is based on several apps all working together to give you this info, and on my review unit, I didn't have all the necessary software I needed. After working with Google for a bit, I got part of the way there.

In the scenario I described above — asking for someone's number — Magic Cue worked. It gave me an autocomplete suggestion with the person's phone number. Super! When I was asked what time my flight was, Magic Cue opened a button to jump to my calendar, which is also nice, but the whole point of Magic Cue was to give you the information without jumping between apps. Finally, I was asked what my Global Entry number is, which is a pinned note in Google Keep (which is supposed to be a supported app), and I wasn't given any information at all.

I also tried calling United Airlines, and I was served up a travel voucher that United Airlines sent me from my last flight. It's nice that it connected those dots, but honestly, if I'm calling United Airlines, and I'm flying tonight on United Airlines, wouldn't my itinerary be more helpful?

So, Magic Cue seems to be halfway there, which is arguably better than a certain other company's track record rolling out AI features, but that's a different matter entirely. It's also fair to mention that Magic Cue can take some time to curate the proper information, so I think the fairest criticism I can make is that it's not quite done cooking, but as with any software, that can change fast.

Performance and battery Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

Historically speaking, Google Tensor processors have not been the best on the market. Like Samsung Exynos processors (Google collaborated with Samsung on Tensor processors from the beginning), they suffered in comparison to Apple and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors. I also noted the performance gap between Exynos and Snapdragon processors when I reviewed the latest Samsung Galaxy Z Flip7 a few weeks ago. That being said, while the processor isn't the fastest out there, it's plenty fast to open apps, switch between them, and power onboard AI features like live language translation.

I played a few games on the Pixel 10 Pro, the heaviest of which was Asphalt Legends. After a 20-minute gaming session, the phone showed no lag, nor did it heat up too much. That's an improvement over past Pixels I've reviewed, and I'm happy about it.

Anecdotally, I can say that the battery life seems to be fine. (As a smartphone reviewer, my usage isn't exactly typical.) Beyond the times when I was testing the cameras to their limits, I still had 30-40 percent left in the tank at the end of the day. Bottom line, unless you're a heavy gamer or taking high-def videos, you should be fine.

Pixel 10 Pro cameras: A case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

I already tested the camera set extensively when I compared it with the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. Here's the headline: The Pixel 10 Pro main camera lives up to the hype, and Google set the hype bar extra high this year. On balance, the Pixel 10 Pro beats out the S25 Ultra.

The 100x Super Res zoom in particular is eye-popping. Other aspects, like portrait mode, are a bit clunky, but overall, you'll struggle to take a bad photo during the day with this smartphone.

Left: The 100x zoom on the Pixel 10 Pro (left) Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable Right: The 100x zoom on the Galaxy S25 Ultra (right) Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

At night, it's a different story. The main camera is OK, taking very acceptable photos at night with some amount of grain in the darker areas and blown-out highlights from light sources, but if you stray from that main camera to the ultrawide or telephoto lenses, or if your subjects are living (and therefore moving, even minimally), your photos fall apart quickly.

Video is a similar story, unfortunately. The exception to that rule comes from the Night Sight video mode. This is not a new concept this year — Night Sight Video Boost, which launched on the Pixel Pro 8, can do a lot of heavy lifting to clean things up in such a situation. There's still a good bit of grain, but the shudder and shake from footsteps is cleaned up considerably. I still wouldn't shoot — to imagine a completely random scenario not at all based on real events — a music video with it, but a fun night out with friends could work.

This is pretty disappointing, to be perfectly frank. Considering how good the cameras are during the day, to see this much drop off by night is surprising. Google has built its Pixel brand on being great at photos, and this isn't it.

The Pixel 10 Pro captures a lot of detail even in a busy, fast-moving scene. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashabl;e The ultra-wide lens compares favorably to other flagships. Faces blurred for privacy. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable The Pixel 10 Pro has a new AI photography tool called Camera Coach. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable The photo I took with Camera Coach's help. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable A photo taken with 5x zoom. Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable Pixel 10 Pro: My final verdict

Overall, this is an excellent phone with a few notable flaws. I haven't even addressed the fact that Pixels went to eSIM only in this review, which is at best inconvenient (as evidenced by the 30-minute hold required with T-Mobile's customer service to activate it), and at worst, consumer-hostile. eSIMs won't adversely affect the average consumer's life, but they're heckin' annoying for phone reviewers and anyone else who switches phones more than once per year.

Nighttime photography is also very disappointing, though daytime performance (and Super Res Zoom) almost entirely makes up for it. Beyond those two drawbacks, though, this phone is quite good and a worthy upgrade.

The hardware is on point, though the color selection could be better and brighter. The software is great as is, and if Magic Cue can start to deliver what it promises, that could range from neat to game-changing. Right now, it's more toward the "neat" side. The only thing stopping me from using this phone full-time is the fact that it doesn't fold, but that will change in October when the Pixel 10 Pro Fold lands, and I am here for it.

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TL;DR: Live stream Alcaraz vs. Bellucci in the 2025 US Open for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The fourth and final Grand Slam of the season presents an opportunity for superstar Carlos Alcaraz to end the year on a high. Alcaraz won this competition back in 2022, but has since failed to make it past the semi-final stage. Can he go all the way this year and forget all about his dramatic Wimbledon final defeat? Next up he faces Bellucci.

If you want to watch Alcaraz vs. Bellucci in the 2025 US Open for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

How to watch Alcaraz vs. Bellucci for free

Alcaraz vs. Bellucci in the 2025 US Open is available to live stream for free on 9Now.

9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone from around the world can access this site with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to secure servers in Australia, meaning you can unblock 9Now from anywhere in the world.

Access free live streams of the 2025 US Open by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit 9Now

5. Watch the 2025 US Open for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but leading VPNs do tend to offer free-trial periods or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can gain access to free live streams without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term solution, but it does give you time to watch the 2025 US Open before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for 9Now?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Australia

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is always secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Alcaraz vs. Bellucci for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Social Security Administration's Chief Data Officer is blowing the whistle on President Donald Trump and Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency, better known as DOGE.

According to the Government Accountability Project, which is representing whistleblower Charles Borges, DOGE officials have risked the security of more than 300 million Americans by creating a "live copy of the country's Social Security information in a cloud environment that circumvents oversight."

SEE ALSO: Elon Musk's xAI sues Apple and OpenAI over App Store drama

Borges says that he became aware of "serious data security lapses, evidently orchestrated by DOGE officials, currently employed as SSA employees" in recent weeks, as the Social Security database was copied to an insecure live cloud system.

What did DOGE do with Social Security data?

The Government Accountability Project sent a letter detailing Borges' account of DOGE's actions to members of Congress and the U.S. Office of Special Counsel on Tuesday. The letter claims that DOGE "violated laws, rules, and regulations," as well as partook in "abuse of authority, gross mismanagement, and creation of a substantial and specific threat to public health and safety."

"This vulnerable cloud environment is effectively a live copy of the entire country's Social Security information from the Numerical Identification System (NUMIDENT) database, that apparently lacks any security oversight from SSA or tracking to determine who is accessing or has accessed the copy of this data," the letter says.

"NUMIDENT contains all data submitted in an application for a United States Social Security card — including the name of the applicant, place and date of birth, citizenship, race and ethnicity, parents' names and social security numbers, phone number, address, and other personal information. Should bad actors gain access to this cloud environment, Americans may be susceptible to widespread identity theft, may lose vital healthcare and food benefits, and the government may be responsible for re-issuing every American a new Social Security Number at great cost."

The letter also includes an email from July 15 from the DOGE-embedded SSA Chief Information Officer (CIO) Aram Moghaddassi signing off on the project.

Moghaddassi is quoted in the email as saying, "I have determined the business need is higher than the security risk associated with this implementation and I accept all risks associated with this implementation and operation."

As Ars Technica points out, Moghaddassi previously worked at Elon Musk's social media platform X and Musk's brain chip company Neuralink. Moghaddassi was onboarded into a government role through DOGE, originally embedded at the Department of Labor before becoming the CIO and the SSA around two months ago.

The Trump Administration created DOGE along with Elon Musk after Trump won the 2024 presidential election in a stated effort to eliminate waste, fraud, and abuse within the government.

However, DOGE quickly became embroiled in controversy. It accessed sensitive data without going through the proper security channels, cut lifesaving programs through the dismantling of USAID, and misinformed the public about its findings of so-called waste, fraud, and abuse.

DOGE's access to Social Security data has been known, and its handling of this data has been criticized. But this new revelation from whistleblower Borges that DOGE has created a live copy of the database has not been previously disclosed.

In their letter, Borges and the Government Accountability Project are urging Congress to investigate the matter.

Switching from Windows to ChromeOS might feel like a big change, but there’s no need to worry. ChromeOS is simpler and easier to use than Windows. However, to switch without hiccups, you have to get familiar with ChromeOS basics and take care of a few things beforehand.

Autosave has been a thing with Microsoft 365 apps for a while, but unless you're really into OneDrive, chances are you rarely use it. Now, though, it's actually useful for a change, even if you don't use OneDrive.

Notorious and controversial imageboards 4chan and Kiwi Farms are taking the UK government to task in U.S. federal court, filing suit against the country’s Office of Communications (Ofcom) over the controversial Online Safety Act (OSA).

The lawsuit, filed on Wednesday, August 27, follows earlier threats made by the site’s legal counsel, Preston Byrne. Byrne warned that the platforms would challenge Ofcom’s attempts to levy fines and penalties under the OSA. Their goal is clear: to have U.S. courts recognize the UK’s sweeping internet law as unenforceable on American companies that operate entirely outside the UK.

SEE ALSO: YouTube will begin using AI for age verification next week

Since taking effect on July 25, the OSA has introduced broad age verification requirements that force UK citizens to provide proof of age to access even mainstream platforms like YouTube and Spotify. The law, billed as protecting children from "harmful" content like pornography, has instead drawn fire from critics who argue it undermines privacy, restricts access, and effectively walls off parts of the internet.

Noncompliant sites like 4chan and Kiwi Farms have faced threats of fines and outright blocking in the UK. Both platforms argue that Ofcom has no jurisdiction over them since their servers and operations are based in the United States. The lawsuit marks the most significant legal challenge yet to the OSA, which has already proven to be one of the most controversial internet laws in recent memory.

In a statement to Mashable, a spokesperson with Ofcom stated the following:

“We are aware of this lawsuit. Under the Online Safety Act, any service that has links with the UK now has duties to protect UK users, no matter where in the world it is based. The Act does not, however, require them to protect users based anywhere else in the world.”

According to the lawsuit, 4chan alleges that Ofcom has threatened to slap the site with an £18 million ($24 million) fine and warned that site operators could even face prison time if they refused to comply with the Online Safety Act.

"American citizens do not surrender our constitutional rights just because Ofcom sends us an e-mail," Byrne said in a statement on X. "If foreign countries feel like bullying Americans, that is their prerogative. The First Amendment bar is prepared to hale any foreign censor into federal court at any time to defend any American."

UPDATE: Aug. 27, 2025, 3:15 p.m. EDT This article was updated to add a statement posted on X from 4chan and Kiwi Farms' legal counsel.

TL;DR: Live stream Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United in the EFL Cup for free on ITVX. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The pick of the games in the second round of the EFL Cup has to be Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United.

The Mariners are unbeaten in the league this season, but they'll face their toughest test against Manchester United, still seeking their first win of the year. Rubem Amorim's side will obviously be favorites to progress, but you never know in the cup.

If you want to watch Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United in the EFL Cup for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United?

Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United in the EFL Cup starts at 8 p.m. GMT on Aug. 27. This fixture takes place at Blundell Park.

How to watch Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United for free

Grimsby Town vs. Manchester Unitedl in the EFL Cup is available to live stream for free on ITVX.

ITVX is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These handy tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock ITVX from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit ITVX

5. Live stream Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream this game before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for ITVX?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee.

Stream Grimsby Town vs. Manchester United in the EFL Cup for free with ExpressVPN.

Microsoft is constantly making changes to Windows 11, and this past week is no exception. Here’s everything Microsoft started testing in Windows this week.