Technology

The holidays are almost upon us, and Google is giving us some security advice as a gift.

In a wide-ranging fraud and scam advisory blog post on its website, Google warned users of a number things, including malicious VPNs. According to Google, there are bad-faith actors disguising their software as legitimate VPNs for users who feel they might need such a thing. Anyone who downloads one of these might be subject to data theft (or worse). Google did not name any specific examples of VPNs you shouldn't mess with, however.

SEE ALSO: Google warns about major online scam threats for November. See the list.

While it was light on specifics, Google did offer some advice that should help keep you safe.

"Only download VPN apps from official sources, and check for apps with the VPN badge in Google Play. Be skeptical of free offers and avoid sideloading unknown apps," Google wrote. "Users should look carefully at the app's requested permissions — a VPN should not need access to things like your contacts or private messages. Always pay attention to browser download warnings and keep your antivirus software enabled."

In other words, don't sideload strange apps onto your Android device if you don't know where it's coming from. If you're getting something from the Play Store, there should be a verification badge letting you know it's OK to use. Follow this advice and you should have an easier time avoiding serious problems this holiday season.

Best early Black Friday MacBook deals at a glance Best overall MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749.99 (save $249.01) Get Deal Best MacBook Pro deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,779 (save $220) Get Deal Best MacBook M5 deal Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,538 (save $61) Get Deal Best budget MacBook deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M1, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $599 (save $50) Get Deal

You might still be enjoying leftover Halloween candy, but the calendar days are rolling by and Black Friday is hot on out heels. While most major retailers like Amazon and Best Buy have the official kick-off date set for Nov. 20, plenty of deals are already on offer that are well worth adding to your cart. Shop great Lego sets, today's best tech, portable power stations, and tons more.

SEE ALSO: The 20+ best early Black Friday deals: We found record prices on Apple, headphones, robot vacuums, and more

Apple itself doesn't usually celebrate Black Friday, aside from sometimes tossing in a free gift card, but other major retailers sure do. We have great deals on iPad, Apple Watches, and MacBooks ahead the official Black Friday sales. Shopping early means you'll have one less thing to think about and you're likely to avoid any potential shipping delays that can come along with everyone shopping all at once.

If you could use a MacBook upgraded, check out these early Black Friday sales.

Best overall MacBook deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749.99 at Amazon
$999 Save $249.01   Get Deal Why we like it

In Mashable's analysis of the best MacBooks, the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air earns the top spot as the best option for students. It's lightweight and thin which makes for ultimate portability. Noting it's sale price of $749.99, Mashable's resident laptop expert Haley Henschel wrote, "I seriously doubt it'll get any cheaper on Black Friday proper. That's a bargain."

More early Black Friday MacBook deals Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M2, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $699 at Best Buy
$799 Save $100   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $949.99 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $249.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,339 at Amazon
$1,599 Save $260   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 16-inch (M4 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $2,199 at Amazon
$2,499 Save $300   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M4 Max, 36GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $2,823.71 at Amazon
$3,119 Save $295.29   Get Deal

I use Jellyfin to watch TV shows, and while some series' introductory credits I love to watch every time, others really try my patience. That's why I decided to add the "Skip Intro" button I've seen on other streaming platforms but was missing from my Jellyfin server.

Paramount Plus is hitting its US subscribers with another price hike, which is set to kick in early in 2026. This is the big news coming out of the company’s recent Q3 2025 earnings report, and if you’re not a subscriber, you’ll probably want to get in before prices rise.

Movies come and go from Netflix regularly, but the service doesn't do a great job at alerting you when something is on the way out. If you've built a watchlist and have anything on there that isn't a Netflix original, it's best to watch it sooner rather than later.

TL;DR: On Veterans Day (Nov. 11), Krispy Kreme is offering free doughnuts and coffee to veterans and active duty military members.

Opens in a new window Credit: Krispy Kreme Krispy Kreme Veterans Day 2025   Learn More

Krispy Kreme is one of a number of retailers offering Veterans Day freebies to those who’ve served in the military.

On Nov. 11, active duty military members and veterans can grab a free doughnut at participating Krispy Kreme stores nationwide. And better yet, this special giveaway includes a free cup of coffee. So stop what you're doing and head immediately to your nearest Krispy Kreme. These sort of free giveaways don't come around too often, so make the most of them when they do.

SEE ALSO: Starbucks Red Cup Day nears: When, how to get your free cup

The other great thing about this Veterans Day giveaway is that you don't need to purchase anything to qualify. A lot of these "free" events require some sort of qualifying purchase, which takes some of the shine off the whole thing. That's not the case here. Leave your cash at home.

Mark Veterans Day with free coffee and doughnuts at Krispy Kreme.

Samsung just announced its new Vision AI Companion platform. This is transforming the familiar TV screens from passive viewing devices into a connected, conversational hub for the entire household. Users will be able to communicate with their televisions with just conversational dialogue.

TL;DR: Veterans, military service members, and military spouses can enjoy a free Starbucks coffee on Veterans Day 2025 (Nov. 11).

Opens in a new window Credit: Starbucks Starbucks Veterans Day 2025   Learn More

Starbucks are honoring veterans, military service members, and military spouses with a tall (12 fl oz) hot or iced brewed coffee on Veterans Day. This special offer is valid at participating stores on Nov. 11. You can find your nearest participating store here.

Before you set off in search of your free drink, it's worth noting that cold brew, nitro, and customizations are excluded from this promotion. You're also limited to one drink per customer. This isn't a never-ending supply of caffeine, folks.

SEE ALSO: Starbucks Red Cup Day nears: When, how to get your free cup

This isn't the first time that Starbucks has supported the military community. Since 2013, Starbucks has worked alongside more than 40,000 veterans and military spouses in its cafés. Starbucks also supports the Wounded Warrior Project and the USO by donating $200,000 divided evenly between both organizations.

What better way to celebrate Veterans Day? Score your free tall hot or iced brewed coffee at Starbucks.

Google is warning users to stay alert this month as scammers step up operations across job sites, app stores and shopping platforms.

In a Nov. 6 advisory, Google’s Trust and Safety team said it’s tracking a rise in sophisticated scams — many powered by AI — that target job seekers, small businesses and holiday shoppers. Here’s what to watch for:

Fake job postings

Fraudsters impersonate real employers and demand upfront "training" or "processing" fees. Some scams use fake interviews to steal banking or ID info. Google advises applying only through verified company websites.

Review extortion

Businesses are being "review-bombed" with fake one-star reviews, followed by ransom demands to stop the attacks. Google is introducing tools that enable merchants to report these cases directly.

AI impersonation scams

Scammers are using hype around AI to push fake "free" versions of tools or apps that actually install malware or steal credentials. The best advice is to only download from official app stores or domains.

Malicious VPN apps

Scam VPNs disguised as trusted brands are spreading on social media and third-party sites. They often request excessive permissions or deliver spyware.

Fraud recovery scams

Scammers pose as investigators or government agencies, promising to recover stolen funds for an upfront fee. Legitimate entities never charge to start a case.

Holiday shopping scams

With Black Friday and Cyber Monday approaching, fake storefronts and phishing texts are on the rise. Avoid "too good to be true" deals and unexpected delivery notices.

Google Photos is not only a good way to look at the photos you've saved online, but it's also a solid app for making quick edits to your photos. Now, Google Photos is getting a few AI-infused features that you might actually find yourself using a lot.

I love scouring Facebook Marketplace for a used bargain. Local sellers seem happy to list items at reasonable prices in order to encourage a sale, and I don’t have to worry about delivery costs or bumps in the mail. It’s also nice to inspect in person, before you buy.

Advent calendars are one of the most coveted gifts of the season. The catch is that they're one of the only gifts that has to be given at the beginning of December to follow proper daily opening rules, which cuts several weeks off of your possible shopping time. Naturally, everyone's scrambling — so when Amazon drops some limited-inventory Advent calendar deals ahead of Black Friday, you'd be wise to jump on them.

SEE ALSO: Best gifts under $50 that are great for absolutely everyone

As of Nov. 11, we've found a really fun variety of Advent calendars (outside of the classic Lego sets that always sell out). Themes include Mini Brands, Bluey, Hello Kitty, and several Disney Funko Pop! options. Some are flash deals with limited inventory, so if you see one still in stock and on sale, grab it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Mini Brands Mini Brands Kawaii Advent calendar $24.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $10.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Mini Brands Mini Brands Books Advent calendar $24.99 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $10.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: MEGA Mega Pokémon holiday calendar building toys set $21.49 at Amazon
$24.97 Save $3.48   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: National Geographic National Geographic Gemstone Advent calendar $20.49 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $9.50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Funko Funko Pop! Bitty Countdown Calendar: Marvel Comics $29.49 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $5.50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Funko Funko Pop! Bitty Countdown Calendar: Disney Princess $29.49
$34.99 Save $5.50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Funko Funko Pop! Bitty Countdown Calendar: Stitch Holiday $29.49 at Amazon
$34.99 Save $5.50   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Funko Funko Pop! Advent calendar: Disney Mystery Box $39.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: BLDR BLDR Hello Kitty and Friends Advent calendar building toy set $23.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $16.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Jazwares Hello Kitty and Friends Advent calendar $26.99 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $18.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bluey Bluey Advent calendar $18.76 at Amazon
$24.99 Save $6.23   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Penguin Young Readers Bluey: Awesome Advent Calendar Book Bundle $19.60 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $10.39   Get Deal

It's about to get a little bit more difficult to ace your sleep score on the Apple Watch.

According to 9 to 5 Mac, watchOS 26.2 is updating its sleep score to be more accurate. Currently, your sleep score is based off of three categories: duration (worth 50 points), bedtime (worth 30 points), and interruptions (worth 20 points). Then, you're given one of five scores: very low (0-29), low (30-49), OK (50-69), high (70-89), or excellent (90-100). That "excellent" score will soon be no more.

SEE ALSO: I tested the top fitness trackers for running a marathon (by running the NYC marathon)

Apple is changing the new sleep scores by eliminating the score "excellent" and replacing that with "very high." It is also easier to get a very low score and more difficult to get that very high score. According to 9 to 5 Mac, very low will now be 0-40 points, low will be 41-60 points, OK will be 61-80 points, high will be 81-95 points, and very high will be 96 to 100 points.

In general, I've found that the Apple Watch overestimates my quality of sleep, so I see this change as a good thing. For example, last night I slept for seven hours and 16 minutes and went to bed around 10:30, which earned me a 47/50 for duration, a 30/30 on bedtime, and a 16/20 on interruptions (I have a chatty cat). In total, that was a 93 — an "Excellent." In comparison, my WHOOP MG 4.0 gave me an 87 percent sleep performance score, based on sleep duration vs. need, consistency, efficiency, and stress.

Tesla has launched a rental program letting customers drive one of its cars for three to seven days starting at just $60 per day, plus taxes and fees. The deal comes with perks like unlimited mileage, free Supercharging, and access to Full Self-Driving (Supervised) while you’re behind the wheel.

Google’s Gemini for Home voice assistant is officially two weeks into its rollout, and early reactions from users suggest it’s already changing how people talk to their smart homes.

A Nov. 11 update on the Google Nest Community blog said the Gemini for Home team has been collecting feedback "across support channels, social media, in-app feedback, and the community itself." The post claims users have praised the Gemini upgrade for making Google Home "actually useful beyond asking for today’s weather" and called it a "massive improvement" over the old Google Assistant.

The biggest question, however, remains: when will everyone get it? Google said the Gemini for Home rollout is still limited to U.S. users but will expand to other regions starting in early 2026. The company advised users to make sure their home address is current in the Google Home app.

Google also clarified confusion for people managing multiple homes. Gemini for Home is enabled at the Home level, not per account — meaning an upgrade in one household doesn’t automatically apply to others linked to the same user.

The post noted updates to the FAQ page addressing early-access questions, including troubleshooting, and how to submit feedback directly by saying, "Hey Google, send feedback."

Google said its teams are investigating reported issues and iterating quickly. Future progress updates will be posted on the company’s "Things to Know" blog.

"Your feedback is critical to helping us improve," the post said. "Please keep it coming."

Gmail continues to improve over time, which is good news, considering it's one of the most popular email services around, and it's about to get even better. Last month, news began to surface that Google was planning to add a few new filters and labels to help with organization. And now, right in time for the holiday season, two new labels are almost here to make life easier.

Hybrid cars used to take a hit on resale compared to gas-powered rides, but lately they’re holding their value better thanks to improved reliability and growing familiarity with American buyers. Rising fuel costs have pushed these efficient models into higher demand.

Apple has a new iOS beta out now for your perusal.

Specifically, the beta for iOS 26.2 is out now for iPhone users. As the second update to iOS 26, it doesn't seem like it's going to be especially transformative or revolutionary. But, the fine folks at places like 9to5Mac have dug into iOS 26.2 and come back with information about the biggest new features you can expect when the update drops in the near-ish future.

SEE ALSO: iOS 26.2, macOS 26.2, and iPadOS 26.2 betas are here: How to download iOS 26.2 beta: The biggest new features

Here's what you can expect from iOS 26.2.

Changes to Apple Podcasts

As I said, iOS 26.2 isn't a huge update. Many of the changes are minor updates to apps and whatnot, starting with Apple Podcasts.

Specifically, podcasts will now have AI-generated chapters with timestamps. Podcast creators are free to make their own chapters that will override the AI-generated ones, but if they don't feel like doing that, you'll at least have something to use as a guide for when to avoid spoiler discussions about a movie you haven't seen yet. There's also a new "Podcast Mentions" feature that will link to other podcasts that are mentioned in the one you're listening to.

Sleep Score adjustments

Interestingly, Apple decided to refine the Apple Watch Sleep Score system. Here are the new score classifications, with the previous ones in parenthesis:

• Very Low: 0-40 (was 0-29 before)

• Low: 41-60 (was 30-49 before)

• OK: 61-80 (was 50-69 before)

• High: 81-95 (was 70-89 before)

• Excellent: 96-100 (was 90-100 before)

In other words, it's a little less forgiving than it used to be.

Apple News redesign

Apple also made some UI changes to the Apple News app. For instance, the "Today" screen now has easy-access buttons for food, puzzles, politics, and sports, so you don't have to seek those out yourself. There's also a new "Following" tab that will surface stories you've saved and things you've favorited.

Liquid Glass lock screen customization

Lastly, Apple is continuing its quest to make people like Liquid Glass more.

After introducing an ability to tint the Liquid Glass UI in iOS 26.1, the new iOS 26.2 beta gives you even more control over it. There's now a slider that lets you adjust the opacity of the clock on your lock screen. This isn't a huge change, but it should be welcome for people who really, really don't like Liquid Glass.

It's happened to all of us. You fully charge your smartphone battery because you know you'll be out for the whole day and, somehow, your battery dies. Your smartphone doesn't always run out of charge this quickly, so it can't be solely a battery-related issue. There has to be some other culprit.

Good news, Android users. Google is going to step in and help you find the perpetrators.

Google just announced the launch of a new beta vitals metric for Android app developers that will result in a visible warning in the Google Play store for end users if an app causes excessive battery drain.

Google's new “excessive partial wake locks” metric, co-created by Samsung, aims to deter app developers from creating battery-draining apps while also warning users.

Rapid battery drain is usually the result of third-party apps that use wake locks to prevent smartphones from entering sleep mode in order to run background processes on the device when the screen is off.

Google says excessive wake locks are a “heavy contributor to battery drain.” As such, the company has created a threshold of what is deemed acceptable and unacceptable for apps running in the background.

According to Google, the company "considers a user session excessive if it holds more than 2 cumulative hours of non-exempt wake locks in a 24 hour period." Google has exemptions for apps that offer "clear user benefits" and provides "audio playback or user-initiated data transfer" as examples that would not fall under its bad behavior threshold.

However, the company says the bad behavior threshold for most apps will be crossed "when 5% of an app’s user sessions over the last 28 days are excessive."

When this happens, Google will warn the app developer in their Android vitals overview dashboard.

This is how the Google Play warning label for battery draining apps will be displayed. Credit: Google

If an app developer doesn't deal with their excessive wake locks issue, then it will affect how users see the app. According to Google, apps that cross the bad behavior threshold will receive a warning label in the Google Play store.

"This app may use more battery than expected due to high background activity," reads the notice.

Furthermore, Android users may have trouble finding these apps at all as Google will also make these apps ineligible for some discovery sections in the Google Play store.

This new update from Google seems like a pretty clear win-win. It forces app developers to create better apps and helps preserve users' battery life.

Paramount+ subscribers will be ringing in 2026 with a price increase.

During its Q3 2025 earnings report on Monday, the newly merged Paramount Skydance announced that it would be raising prices on both Paramount+'s ad-supported and ad-free plans, effective Jan. 15, 2026. The company will also be terminating free trials for any new users.

SEE ALSO: How much does Paramount+ cost per month?

The news comes as Paramount CEO David Ellison revealed plans to cut 1,600 employees in South America, in addition to the 1,000 employees already impacted by layoffs in October. It is just the latest in a series of price hikes from major streaming services, including Disney+ and HBO Max.

How much will Paramount+ cost after the price hikes?

Paramount+ currently offers two plans: one with ads and one without. The ad-supported tier, called Paramount+ Essential, currently costs $7.99 per month, or $59.99 per year. On Jan. 15, the monthly cost will go up $1 to become $8.99 per month, while the annual subscription will cost $89.99 per year.

With the annual subscription, Paramount+ subscribers will save $17.89 per year. That's less than half of the savings under the old plan, which came out to $35.89.

Paramount+'s ad-free tier, Paramount+ Premium, will also increase by $1, going from $12.99 per month to $13.99 per month. Come Jan. 15, the annual plan will cost $139.99, as opposed to $119.99. Subscribers who choose the new annual plan will ultimately save $27.89 per year, as opposed to the $35.89 savings under the old plan.