Technology

When it comes to photo editing, Photoshop is the 800-pound gorilla in the room. It is so universal that the name has even become a verb.

YouTube TV customers will get a $20 apology credit for the ongoing blackout of Disney networks — which includes ESPN and ABC channels — if a new pricing deal isn't reached today (Nov. 9). The platform has become a popular source for live sports fans.

The company's On-Demand streaming platform has been blocked from such channels since Oct. 30, after Disney and YouTube parent company Google failed to reach an agreement on a new contract before the existing deal had expired. Disney has been negotiating higher contract fees and new pricing models with hundreds of distributors over the last year.

SEE ALSO: What's new to streaming this week? (Nov. 7, 2025)

Subscribers have been understandably frustrated by the block, with many saying they will cancel their memberships and move to competitor platforms, such as Disney-owned Hulu + Live TV, unless the two companies come to terms soon. In response, YouTube told customers that they would offer a discount if a deal wasn't reached. As of Saturday, the media giants are still in heated negotiations, with YouTube TV accusing the entertainment giant of negotiating in bad faith.

"We know that subscribers are frustrated with the disruption, and we continue to urge Disney to work with us constructively to reach a fair agreement that restores their networks to YouTube TV as soon as possible," YouTube wrote in a statement.

How to claim your $20 YouTube TV credit

Fortunately, YouTube TV subscribers won't have to do much to get the $20 credit, which, doing some quick math, is about a quarter of the base monthly subscription fee.

YouTube says it will begin emailing all customers instructions on how to apply a single-time credit to their next billing statement. Emails should go out soon, as the company has promised to issue all credits by Wednesday (Nov. 12). If a deal is signed, service would be restored in a matter of hours, according to the company.

Every photo you take is secretly telling a story you might not want to share. Buried inside the image file is hidden metadata that can show exactly when and where you took it, what camera or phone you used, and even your camera settings. This information can then be misused by anyone online to find your home address or track your movements.

Your iPhone has gotten a ton of updates and improvements recently that you might not know about. Beyond the divisive Liquid Glass design and a few new Apple apps, some features and tweaks have been flying under the radar. One seemingly small change goes a long way to improve user navigation on big iPhone screens.

While there is still only one Windows, Linux distros come and go. While some early distros have stood the test of time, others have fallen into computer history. I'll look back on some pioneering Linux distros you can't get anymore, at least in current versions.

Viewing and editing spreadsheets on a tiny phone screen can be a challenge. However, there are some tricks and workarounds when using the Excel mobile app that make the experience surprisingly straightforward, turning frustration into productivity.

SAVE $600: The Roborock Qrevo Edge robot vacuum is on sale for 43% off, now priced at $799, down from its original list price of $ 1,399.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Qrevo Edge Robot Vacuum $799 at Amazon
$1,399 Save $600   Get Deal

Indeed, our society has not advanced as far as the world of iRobot, where fully functional animatronic robots are available for in-house chores and support. However, the Roborock Qrevo Edge’s features are quite similar (although without the less-than-ideal flaws of the iRobot robots). This model can literally check off about three chores from the average household to-do list. This robot vacuum and mop can smart-map your home, vacuum and mop the floors, then return to its dock to empty and clean itself. The robot vacuum cleans itself with hot water and dries with warm air to reduce post-cleaning odors, then lives in its docking station until its next use. 

The Roborock Qrevo Edge also has AI obstacle recognition and an industry-first "adaptilift chassis," allowing it to get over doorframe ledges up to 4cm high. The vacuum also comes with voice assistant technology and pet-friendly features, such as video calls for checking on your pets, pet hair pickup, and low noise. It also notes places in your home that accumulate more dirt, so you can be sure to double-check those areas in the future.

The device can map your home all by itself, although you can indicate no-go zones in the corresponding app. A common critique in the device's reviews is that the cost doesn't always match the perceived value. The 43% discount on Amazon this weekend can alleviate some of that dissonance, but it likely won’t last long.

Tick-tock: President Donald Trump's golden smartphone is late. Again.

Trump Mobile, the cellular business endeavor led by Trump's children, has yet to bring its flagship product to market, despite its initial claims that the Trump-branded cellphone would shake up the industry amid rising prices.

SEE ALSO: We put the top 10 headphones of 2025 to the test — these are the ones we'd pick up during Black Friday

The T1 Phone was originally set to ship in August (later pushed to October, reported The Verge) and would reportedly retail for just $499. The announcement came alongside information on the new mobile network's 47 plan, which boasted unlimited talk, text, and data for $47.45 per month — a nod to Trump being the 45th and 47th President.

Like its competitors, Trump Mobile would offer customers 24/7 roadside assistance and free international calling, but also advertised "no contracts and no credit checks." Future customers were invited to preorder the phone with a simple $100 deposit.

But Trump Mobile has gone silent as the phone's shipping deadlines have passed, last posting to its public social media channels on Aug. 27, USA Today reports. The white-label venture has removed shipping dates from its website and instead added several refurbished Samsung and Apple phone options for purchase. The T1 Phone is still up for preorder.

At the time of its launch, Trump Mobile claimed the new device was entirely American-made, a pitch intended to catalyze American tech companies, including Apple, to transition to domestic manufacturing. The Trump Administration's tariff plan, which targeted foreign countries that perform the bulk of the tech manufacturing work, was set to skyrocket phone and laptop prices.

Just hours later, internet sleuths deduced the phone's mock-up images and limitedly disclosed specs bore a striking resemblance to the Wingtech REVVL 7 Pro 5G base model, a device manufactured by Chinese supplier Luxshare. Industry experts agreed: There was no way the T1 phone could be entirely "made in America."

Trump Mobile has since relabeled the smartphone as a device "designed with American values in mind." What could that mean for a 5G Android device offered by a company also selling "renewed" South Korean- and Chinese-built tech? Only time will tell.

Microsoft has improved Windows 11 a lot over time, but one thing it still hasn't paid attention to is the context menu. If you feel the same way, I highly recommend using Nilesoft Shell to customize your context menu.

The Now Playing music recognition feature that's built into Google Pixel phones is pretty useful if you use it. But if you don't feel comfortable with Google always listening in the background, or would rather use a dedicated app instead, it's easy enough to disable.

By any measure, there is an enormous number of programming languages. Some lists contain hundreds, while the Historical Encyclopedia of Programming Languages lists just under 9,000. You’ve probably only used a handful, and you might not be too surprised to discover that many of the rest are obscure, archaic, and just plain bizarre.

Google Tasks is a competent to-do app, especially if you're already using Gmail and Google Calendar. But if you own a Galaxy phone or tablet, there may be a better option. Samsung Reminder has been my go-to for the past year, and after the recent One UI 8 update, it has only gotten better.

Driving these days requires you to be aware and keep your eyes completely focused on the road. Google Maps shows you a lot of information on your dashboard, but you should keep your eyes on the road as much as you can while actively driving. A good way to do this is to use voice commands.

Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson joined Colin Jost and Michael Che at the Weekend Update desk this week to briefly offer excuses for his recent cancellation — and then jump back into ragging on SNL, Lorne Michaels, and the segment hosts.

SEE ALSO: 'SNL' Cold Open gets Trump's thoughts on the NYC mayor, SNAP, and the Grinch

Davidson and other comedians, including Louis C.K. and Dave Chappelle, have faced widespread criticism for agreeing to perform at the recent Riyadh Comedy Festival in Saudi Arabia. Political analysts believe the event is a piece of clever reputation rehab, as the conservative country deflects its startling human rights record. Davidson's reasoning for joining the bill? To pay for the money-guzzling Staten Island Ferry.

Brushing over the public's concerns, the comedian addresses other NYC news, too, including Staten Island's reaction to Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani and the future of SNL: "If Lorne Michaels has taught us anything, it's never, ever give up — even if everyone says the time has come and Tina Fey is ready to take over."

Are you beginning Docker and finding it a little overwhelming? The commands can be unwieldy, and best practices are not clearly spelled out. I have three things I wish I knew when starting Docker, which may help you.

VPN kill switches are an additional security measure for when you're browsing the internet—but what exactly do they do?

Saturday Night Live kicked off the fifth episode of its latest season with a targeted jab at President Donald Trump's odd behavior during a recent Oval Office press appearance, letting cast member James Austin Johnson run wild with his eerily accurate Trump impression.

SEE ALSO: Win tickets to see 'Hamnet' early at Mashable's advanced screenings

As the head of pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly (Mikey Day) begins to unveil how the administration is going to address the squeeze — flanked by "medical experts" RFK Jr. and Dr. Oz — right as new cast member and Dropout regular Jeremey Culhane dramatically dips to the ground. Cue a 4-minute Trump rant on NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani, SNAP benefits, and stealing Christmas.

"Each week I like to create a big visual that sort of sums up how things are going," Johnson drawls before launching into his spiel. "This week, it's a medical professional almost dying in the Oval Office at the mere thought of charging less for drugs."

Saturday Night Live debuted a new advertisement sketch this week, featuring host Nikki Glaser promoting life-sized American Girl Dolls.

The premise is simple: as women grow older, their American Girl Dolls remain the same. Thus, the proposed solution is the same dolls, just taller. It’s a clever concept, if not for the twist that the men in the sketch have very different ideas about what to do with a six-foot Molly or Samantha that don’t exactly involve tea parties or historical reenactments.

If the idea of what a man would do with an adult-sized American Girl Doll immediately raises red flags, you can see where the sketch is heading. That’s what makes it both 1) funny and 2) a little alarming in how accurately it captures the likelihood that some men would outfit their American Girl XL in a crop top.

I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve heard the same story, someone’s hard drive dies, and with it go years of photos, videos, music, and memories. It’s one of those frustrating moments that’s entirely preventable, yet many don’t think about it until it’s too late. The truth is, the biggest mistake people make with their media files isn’t that they don’t back them up at all, it’s that they only back them up once. One external drive, one cloud folder, all your memories in "one safe place."

The pet parent contract comes with certain terms and conditions, and that includes a tolerance for omnipresent pet hair. You're also signing off on a lot of stains, paranoia about your pet's activities when you're not home, and the slim (but never zero) chance that you'll come home to an accident on the floor. The best vacuum for pets can help mitigate these problems. How do I know? Because I've spent years testing vacuums in my own apartment (not a lab), cleaning up after my own cats.

While every pet parent needs a vacuum to quell the pet hair situation, some vacuums can take on even more pet-related responsibilities. There are robot vacuums that can avoid pet waste, robot vacuums with livestream pet cameras, and a robot vacuum that comes with its own portable carpet cleaner — now we just need Roborock to expand the Saros Z70's robotic arm capabilities to pet toy cleanup. Manual cordless vacuums come with their own advantageous flexibility, like the option to go handheld and extend cleaning to furry furniture and staircases. I use both types of vacuums daily and wrote a whole buying guide for anyone stumped between a robot vacuum and a stick vacuum.

SEE ALSO: How long should a vacuum last? The lifespan to expect from corded, cordless, and robot vacuums.

Black Friday is definitely one of the best times of year to buy a vacuum. While all of my favorite stick and robot vacuums have already been on sale at some point in 2025, Black Friday vacuum deals are typically the most drastic discounts of the year. Both the expensive, high-power flagship vacuums and the already budget-friendly vacuums could easily be half off in November.

So, which vacuum would be the most helpful in your household? I'm continuously testing the top robot vacuums and cordless stick vacuums in my two-cat apartment, and I'm ready to name the best vacuums for pet owners as of late 2025.

How to choose a robot vacuum for pet hair

For a full breakdown of these features, check out my guide to everything you need to know before buying a robot vacuum.

Suction power and brush rolls

I recommend vacuums with at least 6,000 Pa suction power for effective pet hair pickup, though homes with heavy carpeting and more than two pets should consider suction power of at least 12,000 Pa. But the brush roll system is nearly just as important when choosing a vacuum for pet fur. In my testing, vacuums with dual brush rolls are far more effective.

I also recommend keeping a good cordless stick vacuum on hand — stick vacuums are just more powerful than robot vacuums in general. Shark, Dyson, and Dreame all make powerful stick vacuums with enough power to make pet hair disappear.

Automatic emptying

Pet parents should definitely opt for a self-emptying robot vacuum — so much fur being sucked up will lead to a full dustbin faster, and you won't feel like emptying it yourself every day. Even with daily usage, an auto-empty robot vacuum can last between one and three months before you need to empty the dustbin.

Mopping

If hardwood or tile is prevalent in your home, the best robot vacuum and mop combo for pet hair will be able to sanitize the floor while mopping and then wash its own mops to rinse off any lingering hair. Mopping is also much more likely to effectively wipe up other minuscule pet-related debris, like pet dander and kitty litter dust, that are too small to be inhaled by a vacuum's suction power.

Smart mapping

Some rooms or spots on the floor within those rooms get furrier than others. A smart mapping robot vacuum learns the layout of your home and can head to specific zones on command, which you can queue up right from the app. In my opinion, smart mapping is the most worthwhile robot vacuum feature, and should be a baseline even when searching for a cheap model — cleaning performance is a moot point if the vacuum can't get where it needs to go in the first place.

Small obstacle avoidance

Some advanced robot vacuums use cameras and 3D sensors to pinpoint any small roadblocks in the cleaning path in front of them. When successful, these vacuums save themselves from eating most pet toys, cords, laundry, or socks or shoes, avoid ramming into pet bowls, and even dodge pet waste.

Other robot vacuums I've tested recently

I tested several other top robot vacuums in the past that didn't make the most recent cut for this list. Some, like the Roborock S8 MaxV Ultra, Roborock Qrevo Master, Narwal Freo X Ultra, and various versions of the Roomba j7, were my top recommendations at one point, but have since been overshadowed by newer, more powerful models that are a better bang for your buck. Most recently, I was impressed by the Roomba Plus 505 Combo, Plus 405 Combo, and Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra, but they ultimately just weren't the most thorough vacuum cleaners in their price range.

Vacuums I'm testing soon

The next vacuums slated for at-home testing are the Shark Stratos 2-in-1 NeverTouch, the Roborock H60 Hub Ultra, and eventually, the Dyson Spot+Scrub Ai. I'll be getting my hands on these as soon as possible and updating my top picks for pet owners accordingly.