Technology
Funko warns its struggling to survive
Funko, the company behind the ubiquitous collectibles that defined mid-2010s geek fandom, is facing serious financial trouble, according to its latest SEC filings.
In documents filed on Nov. 6, Funko raised "substantial doubt" about its ability to continue operating over the next 12 months. The report, which covers the third quarter ending Sept. 30, reveals mounting debt that the company attributes to a “challenging retail environment” — fallout from U.S. tariffs on imports from many countries.
SEE ALSO: People with disabilities are 'eating the cost' of tariffsWhile Funko has secured some loan relief, it remains uncertain whether it can meet the conditions of its loan agreements. To stay afloat, the company may need to raise additional capital, renegotiate its loans, or risk default.
Even with global and domestic sales dropping 14.3 percent and 20.1 percent year-over-year for the third quarter, there are a few bright spots. Funko reports strong sales for its Bitty POP! line, plans to expand its blind box offerings, and is set to be one of the few companies selling KPop Demon Hunters merchandise this holiday season.
Still, the broader picture looks grim. Many of Funko’s struggles in the filing are attributed to the ongoing U.S. tariffs — now being challenged before the Supreme Court — that have strained retailers. With stores scaling back or outright canceling restocks amid a weakening economy, Funko’s future remains uncertain.
Rumor suggests Apple could kill Dynamic Island with under-display camera
Apple is rumored to be removing the Dynamic Island cutout, replacing it with an under-display camera. In other words, Apple might be going with a clean, all-screen look for its display.
Apple-focused tech site MacRumors reported on Monday that rumors suggest the 20th anniversary iPhone in 2027 could conceal the front-facing camera and have no visible cutouts on the screen. It's worth noting that these rumors come from anonymous leakers, so there remains reason to be skeptical. And it's a long time until 2027, so plans could always change.
SEE ALSO: The 20th anniversary iPhone model could have an 'all-screen' designBut this is not the first time we've heard this rumor. There were reports back in May that the 20th anniversary iPhone could have an all-screen display. The iPhone certainly wouldn't be the first phone to cram tech under the display, but it would mark a major change in how the devices would appear and operate.
By 2027, the iPhone could have a totally new look.
Before the holiday rush, snag a like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite for the lowest price ever
SAVE $37: A like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) is on sale for $106.99, down from the list price of $143.99. That's a 26% discount that matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) $106.99 at Amazon$143.99 Save $37.00 Get Deal
Black Friday is coming up, which means the holiday rush is truly about to begin. If you prefer to shop early and then ignore the chaos, maybe you also want some quiet reading time. If you've been eyeing upgrading to a Kindle but haven't made the move yet, now might be a great time thanks to this deal.
As of Nov. 10, a like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) is on sale at Amazon for $106.99, marked down from the usual price of $143.99. That's a 26% discount that shaves $37 off the price. It also matches the record-low on the refurbished model.
Tested by Amazon to be fully-functional with updated software, snagging a refurbished Kindle is a great way to get into e-books for less. Today's refurb deal applies to the latest Kindle Paperwhite model with 16GB of storage — enough space for thousands of downloaded books.
SEE ALSO: Kobo is getting a cool new accessory — a remote for your e-reader (updated)Aside from the stunning Paperwhite display, which is one aspect that makes it Mashable's favorite Kindle, it has a wildly impressive battery of up to 12 weeks. That means you can possibly go three months before needing to recharge your e-reader.
It's a travel-worthy device, too. It's lightweight and compact and it's water resistant. That means you can invite it along to a pool-side vacation and not worry about damage. Plus, the Paperwhite is great for reading in full sunlight thanks to the glare-free display.
This refurbished Kindle Paperwhite comes with the same warranty as a new model, and Amazon tests each Kindle to be in like-new condition. The only major difference will be the savings.
While it's back at $106.99, a price that matches the record-low, upgrade your winter reading session with the Kindle Paperwhite. It's worthy of reading on the couch, in bed, during a bath, and it's perfect for upcoming holiday travel.
How a bean helped me stop doomscrolling on my phone
Focus apps are a dime a dozen, but once in a while, an app stands out from the crowd. One of them is Focus Friend by Hank Green, which is an incredibly cute and fun app that uses something you would never expect to motivate you: a bean.
6 Ways Phishing Scammers Imitate Real People and Brands
Phishing scams have evolved well beyond the old “payment failure” or “delivery issue” emails. Scammers now use far more sophisticated tactics—spoofing legitimate email addresses, creating fake QR codes, and even posting fake job listings. Here are some of the latest tricks they use to deceive people.
Yoshis design in Super Mario Galaxy may have leaked thanks to a box of cookies
Nintendo is typically very good at keeping things under wraps and preventing leaks, but that might be harder to do now that it's making billion-dollar Hollywood movies.
The Super Mario Galaxy Movie releases in April 2026, but aside from a quick teaser trailer, we haven't seen much of it yet. It's not a surprise that the sequel to 2023's The Super Mario Bros. Movie would feature Yoshi, Mario's green dinosaur friend, as it was teased in a post-credits scene in the first movie.
However, a box for a Pillsbury product promoting the movie (sugar cookies resembling Yoshi eggs) appeared on the Tops Market website. On that box, you can see what seems to be Yoshi’s appearance in the film, though it hasn’t been officially revealed yet through a trailer or other promotional material.
SEE ALSO: Nintendo is about to retire the OG Switch This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.As you can see, Yoshi’s design here closely resembles his look from the modern Mario games. The main clue that this is connected to the new movie is the Mario flying behind Yoshi on the box — it’s clearly Chris Pratt's animated version of the character. That, and the fact that the product is heavily Galaxy-themed, which would be odd unless it were tied to the upcoming film based on the 2007 game. As a bonus, there’s even a small Bowser Jr. tease on the back of the box.
Now I kinda want to try those cookies.
Amazon just dropped all the details about its Black Friday sale
Black Friday is coming up quickly and Amazon has joined the party with official dates. On Nov. 9, the mega-retailer dropped the big news: Amazon's Black Friday sale will begin on Thursday, Nov. 20 and run through Monday, Dec. 1 with plenty of deals on offer throughout.
SEE ALSO: Best Buy's early Black Friday deals are live. As a shopping reporter, here's what I would buy now.Black Friday is one of the biggest shopping events of the year. What used to be a single day on the Friday after Thanksgiving has turned into a full-blown event that starts far before the holiday itself. But we're not complaining. Shopping online before Thanksgiving is pretty convenient, and it sure beats standing in line at 3 a.m. armed with a leftover turkey sandwich on Black Friday.
Amazon's announcement of Black Friday dates and deals joins the likes other major retailers that have already dropped full sale info including Best Buy, Target, and Home Depot.
What deals to expect during Amazon's Black Friday saleAmazon's Black Friday is event is always packed with deals that range from today's best tech to kitchen appliances to toys all the kids want this under the tree this year. We anticipate this year will follow suit and offer record-low prices, beating or at least matching previous lows that we usually see during Prime Day events.
SEE ALSO: The 40 best Christmas gifts for the 2025 holiday season, hand-picked by our product reviewersWe're already seeing record-low prices on hot items like Lego sets, robot vacuums, and portable power stations. And It's also proving to be a hot time for great Apple deals. According to Amazon's official press release, these are the deals we can look forward to beginning on Nov. 20:
Up to 55% off select home products from Shark and kitchen appliances from Ninja
Up to 50% off Amazon devices like the Echo Dot Max, Fire TV Stick lineup, Fire tablets, and Kindles
Up to 50% off electronics from JBL and Canon
Up to 45% off Bose audio
Up to 40% off kitchen items from Vitamix, Staub, Nespresso, and more
Up to 40% on select floorcare from Bissell and iRobot
Up to 40% off home entertainment from Hisense, TCL, and LG
Up to 40% on toys from Melissa & Doug, Little Tykes, Play-Doh, and Nerf
Up to 35% on select Samsung and Google products
This is an abbreviated list of the top deals, but rest assured there will be thousands more. Don't forget Black Friday is one of the best times to score major discounts on both Kindle books and print books. Amazon mentions Kindle editions will be up to 80% off and physical books will be up to 65% off.
Price check before you buyOn first glance, a deal might look great, but it's worth a few extra seconds of research. To confirm you're actually getting a good deal, head to Camelcamelcamel to check on a product's price history. Just copy the Amazon URL into the price tracker and you'll get full stats. On occasion, Amazon can make a deal look better than it actually is by inflating the list price. On the flip side, we've also seen Amazon post the list price as something lower than the recommended MSRP which can spell an awesome deal for Amazon shoppers.
Venmo's debit card will now pay you to use it
Cashback is a staple feature of rewards credit cards, but it's something we don't see too often on debit cards—banks want you to get credit cards with them, so they're not going to put amazing rewards programs on their run-of-the-mill debit cards. Venmo's latest rewards program for its debit card might actually be better than your credit card's, though.
Apple removes popular gay dating apps from Chinas App Store
Apple has removed top Chinese gay dating apps Blued and Finka from the country's App Store, WIRED has reported.
Apple received a government order to remove the apps. "We follow the laws in the countries where we operate. Based on an order from the Cyberspace Administration of China, we have removed these two apps from the China storefront only," an Apple spokesperson told WIRED in an email. "Earlier this year, the developer of Finka elected to remove the app from storefronts outside of China, and Blued was available only in China."
SEE ALSO: The best gay dating apps of 2025: Grindr is still king, even if we wish it weren'tBlued and Finka, which are owned by the same parent company, BlueCity, have also reportedly been removed from several Android stores. Users who have already downloaded the apps can still use them, according to WIRED.
Blued launched in 2012 and had 60 million registered users worldwide as of 2021. It was a location-based dating and livestreaming service for gay and bisexual men, Rest of World reported that year, and was originally a Chinese-language copy of the American gay dating app Jack'd. Finka, meanwhile, is a social network for younger gay and bisexual men, and BlueCity acquired it in 2020. Blued is branded as HeeSay internationally.
This is part of the Chinese government's increasing crackdown on LGBTQ content and advocacy groups in recent years. While public acceptance of LGBTQ people has grown in China, according to Human Rights Watch, there's increased government repression and censorship. Same-sex marriage isn't legal in China.
Grindr is already delisted in China's App Store, meaning that it's unsearchable there. According to the 2021 Rest of World article, the reason that BlueCity was able to function in China was at least in part because it offered sexual health services such as HIV testing. But in 2022, founder Ma Baoli stepped down as CEO and hinted at how difficult it was to operate an LGBTQ business in China.
This breached credentials dump has millions of actively used passwords
Breaches are always bad, but we often don't find out about many of the smaller breaches, which aren't advertised much and can be just as bad—especially if you're the kind of person to use the same password everywhere. If you need yet another reminder that this is bad practice, this breached credentials dump is just what you need.
The Realme GT 8 Pro has flagships specs at an unbeatable price
Every once in a while, a new smarpthone comes out that just does something unique and forward-thinking. Such is the case with the Realme GT 8 Pro, which launched in China in October with a global launch to follow in November. The phone features a swappable camera layout, but that's far from its main selling point.
Firefox is blocking more fingerprinting methods to improve privacy
Mozilla has announced that its new Firefox 145 update is rolling out major privacy upgrades designed to fight browser fingerprinting. This will basically lower the number of users trackable by this insidious method by half, making things a lot more secure for the user.
Don’t buy an F-150 until you see what this Porsche costs
Somewhere, a guy in New Balance sneakers is about to buy a brand-new 2026 Ford F-150 XL—the ultimate all-American truck. He’s dropping $39,330 before fees, bedliners, or that “premium convenience package” that somehow adds extra cupholders and Bluetooth. It’s a solid truck—reliable, capable, and all the Built Ford Tough vibes you expect.
Ditch Google Calendar: 5 reasons Samsung Calendar is superior for mobile workflows
Google Calendar is everywhere, and the app comes pre-installed on just about every Android phone. But I don't use Google Calendar on my Samsung Galaxy phone—I much prefer Samsung Calendar instead.
The brand-new M5 MacBook Pro is over $60 off ahead of Black Friday
SAVE OVER $60: As of Nov. 10, the Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for $1,538 at Amazon. That's a saving of over $60 on list price.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $1,538 at Amazon$1,599 Save $61 Get Deal
We're all on the lookout for Apple deals are we approach the busiest shopping season of the year. We're already seen some signs of things to come, but the big wave of deals hasn't come just yet. We're not overwhelmed at this early stage, but we are suitably impressed by the latest discount on the brand-new M5 MacBook Pro.
As of Nov. 10, the Apple MacBook Pro (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale for $1,538 at Amazon. That's a saving of over $60 on the regular price of $1,599.
SEE ALSO: The Apple Watch SE is down to under $190 ahead of Black FridayDoes everyone need a MacBook Pro M5? Absolutely not. I use my laptop for editing words, flicking between the same 10-15 tabs, and playing too much Football Manager at the weekend. Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth recommends this model for "professionals, AI enthusiasts, and creators." If that sounds like you, this deal is worth checking out.
The M5 MacBook Pro is our latest Mashable Choice Award winner. The cheaper M4 MacBook Air is still the top choice for most people, but the M5 delivers a brighter mini-LED display with a better 120Hz refresh rate, improved sound, and a better mix of ports that include an HDMI port and an SDXC card slot. If you have the budget, the upgrade is very much worth it.
Save over $60 on the M5 MacBook Pro ahead of Black Friday.
I set up a Windows XP virtual machine just for these 3 classic apps
From Windows Messenger and Outlook Express to MSN, Windows XP used to support a long list of interesting applications. While all these apps were great in their own way, I spent most of my time on my Windows XP computer using three main apps.
PONGBOT Pace S Pro: The smart tennis robot that trains like a real opponent
Tennis practice has always depended on consistency, timing, and a reliable partner. The PONGBOT Pace S Pro takes that idea and gives it a smart upgrade. Designed for players who want to sharpen their game without a coach or opponent, this AI-powered tennis robot turns solo practice into a personalized, data-driven experience.
Amazon has matched Best Buys stunning AirPods offer — get AirPods 4 for their lowest-ever price
SAVE 34%: As of Nov. 10, Apple AirPods 4 are on sale for $84.99 at Amazon. That's 34% off the $129 list price and a new all-time low for this model.
Apple AirPods 4 $84.99 at Amazon$129 Save $44.01 Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Get Deal at Best Buy
I am that person with AirPods always on their last leg. One bud is always quieter than the other, or I've dropped the case one too many times. I've been waiting for a good deal to replace my old pair, and this is the first big price drop I’ve seen on the Apple AirPods 4.
As of Nov. 10, you can get the Apple AirPods 4 on sale for $84.99 at Amazon, down from $129. That's a 34% discount and over $44 in savings. It's also a new all-time low — they were $89 in July.
SEE ALSO: 10 Apple deals that prove Black Friday 2025 is starting earlier than everThe AirPods 4 offer a more comfortable, stable fit with a shorter stem. Inside, they’re running the H2 chip, which powers the Personalized Spatial Audio and, more importantly, the new Voice Isolation feature. This is a huge upgrade for calls (it uses computational audio to reduce background noise, so you sound clearer).
They're also IP54 rated for dust, sweat, and water resistance, which applies to both the buds and the USB-C charging case. Battery life is solid, with up to five hours of listening time on a single charge (30 hours total with the case).
Note: This $84.99 deal is for the standard model without Active Noise Cancellation. Apple has an ANC version of this design, but it's $149.99. If you don't need ANC, you might want to jump on this deal before it's gone.
I tried Acers first Chromebook with an NPU: AI features aside, its just a nice budget laptop
Acer is upgrading one of its premium convertible Chromebooks with more AI prowess. Announced Wednesday at IFA 2025 in Berlin, the latest Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) packs a new MediaTek Kompanio Ultra chip that has a neural processing unit (NPU) with up to 50 TOPS (or trillions of operations per second), enabling a pair of exclusive software features.
The Spin 514 is the only Chromebook Plus with an NPU besides the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which has the same processor. Like its counterpart, the Spin 514 comes with a free trial of Google AI Pro that unlocks 12 months of access to advanced AI tools like Veo 3 Fast and NotebookLM. It's an AI smorgasbord.
"With powerful performance, AI tools, and robust and premium build, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will empower creators, employees, and teachers to create, work, and be productive from anywhere," James Lin, General Manager of Notebooks at Acer, said in a press release.
One configuration of the Spin 514 is now available on Acer's website for $799.99; another will hit Best Buy's shelves later this month for $100 less, and I was one of the first people to try it before its launch. I've only spent an afternoon with it so far, so I haven't given it a formal rating just yet (as per our laptop testing methodology), but my initial impressions of it are positive. Splashy AI features aside, it's just a really nice budget 2-in-1 laptop.
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 specs and availability Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableAcer sent me a Spin 514 (model number CP514-1HN-K6DY) with the following specs:
MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 processor
Arm Immortalis-G925 MC11 integrated graphics
12GB RAM
256GB UFS storage
14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen display with a 120Hz refresh rate, 16:10 aspect ratio, and stylus support (sold separately)
1080p webcam (see below)
WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4
Non-backlit keyboard
Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the left side; two USB-A ports and a Kensington lock slot on the right
While my review unit came equipped with a 1080p webcam, the final version you can soon purchase at Best Buy will have a better 5MP webcam. It's priced at $699.99 and set to launch sometime later this month.
Acer started selling another configuration on its website for $799.99 on Sept. 4 (model number CP514-5HN-K4ZE). It comes with 16GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, and a backlit keyboard, and its display has a higher 2.8K resolution but a lower 60Hz refresh rate.
Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-1HN-K6DY) $699.99 at Best BuyLearn More Opens in a new window Credit: Acer Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN-K4ZE) $799.99 at Acer.com
Shop Now Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 design Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable
The 2025 Spin 514 measures 12.32 x 9.13 x 0.61 inches and weighs three pounds, making it only slightly bulkier than an M4 MacBook Air. (Apple's 13-inch model weighs 2.7 pounds and measures 0.44 inches thin.) It's certainly svelte and portable, even if it's not the most thin-and-light laptop available.
The Spin 514 is on the pricier side for a Chromebook, but its design feels aptly premium, and I'm impressed by its build quality. There's zero give to its lid when I press down in the center of it. Its hinge wiggles a little bit when I adjust or tap its screen, but it holds very sturdy and doesn't creak when I flip the display around into tent mode. The Spin 514's lid can rotate a full 360 degrees to lay flat in tablet mode, too.
Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Spin 514 is military-grade MIL-STD810H compliant, which basically means it's been tested for extreme durability. Acer says it can survive four-foot drops and 25,000 open/close cycles, to which I say: Let's get YouTube's tech-it on the case.
Aesthetically, the Spin 514 is an attractive laptop that's just flashy enough for my taste. It has an aluminum exterior with reflective metallic accents on its hinges and the outer edges of its top cover, which match the iridescent "Acer" logo in the middle of the lid. Its Platinum Silver finish picks up fingerprints pretty easily, though.
The Spin 514's keyboard cover is made from matte plastic, but it doesn't feel cheap and matches the rest of the chassis for a cohesive look. I had to hold it right up to my eyeballs to even notice that it's a different material.
Display Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Spin 514's upper and lower bezels are a little chunky, but the touchscreen itself is pretty and responsive. My review unit didn't come with a stylus, so I did all of my scrolling and tapping with a fingertip. Big ups to the fact that it has a 120Hz refresh rate, which made a Fortnite match and a few fast-moving scenes in YouTube videos look silky smooth. (The Spin 514 isn't technically a gaming Chromebook, but it's workable for light cloud gaming.) It's always nice to see this spec on cheaper laptops.
Text and tinier details didn't seem blurry on my Spin 514, so without having tried its other configuration, I wouldn't spend an extra $100 for a higher-res display with a worse refresh rate. Maybe consider upgrading if you desperately need the extra four gigs of RAM, but 12GB is already a lot for a Chromebook (and so is $700).
The screen on my Spin 514 is rated at only 300 nits of brightness, so I usually used it cranked all the way up to max. The pricier model's display offers up to 340 nits, which is a negligible difference.
Keyboard and touchpad Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Spin 514's keyboard is great, for the most part — snappy, comfortable, and well-spaced — but it gets docked a few points for having a hollow-sounding space bar and lacking backlighting as well as a fingerprint reader. Again, both are available in the pricier configuration.
Of special note, there are dedicated keys for the Launcher (a searchable start menu) and for a "Quick Insert" tool. The latter shares a spot with the caps lock.
The touchpad is made from Acer's "OceanGlass" material. It's technically ocean-bound plastic, but it really does feel quite a lot like glass: It's soft and smooth like velvet. Acer says it's moisture-resistant, so accidental coffee spills probably won't be a cause for panic.
Speakers Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Spin 514 has upward-firing speakers running down both sides of its keyboard. They're a little tinny, but they're not the worst-sounding laptop speakers I've ever tried (and there are some absolute stinkers out there). I've been listening to Fleetwood Mac's 1997 live performance of "Silver Springs" almost every day for the past couple of weeks while learning it on the piano; on the Spin 514, the audio is missing some bass and depth but otherwise clear. The positioning of the speakers prevents them from sounding muffled.
Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 performanceThe Spin 514 has a fan, unlike Lenovo's Chromebook Plus 14, but I couldn't get it to turn on during a quick stress test with 20 Chrome tabs open and two apps running (YouTube and Recorder). It ran quiet and almost completely cool; the fan vent on the bottom side of the machine barely got warm.
In the Android version of Primate Labs' Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, our other performance test for Chromebooks, the Spin 514 got a multi-core score of 7,187. That makes it the second-fastest model we've tried after the heftier Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, which notched a score of 7,660. It beats eight other models we've tried over the course of the past two years, including an $819 HP Chromebook x360 14c (4,318) and a $699 Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (5,223).
Google AI featuresChromebook Plus models support a suite of AI features that you won't find on regular Chromebooks. The Spin 514's NPU adds two extra exclusives to the mix: a tab-sorting project management tool called "smart grouping" and an on-device image editor within the Gallery app. I briefly tried both.
To test smart grouping, I pulled up five tabs about the same topic (horseback riding near me) and three unrelated tabs in a single Chrome window. When I pressed the F4 key, a bubble appeared in the lower left-hand corner, prompting me to organize a topic called "Chicago Horse Riding Information" in a new "desk." Clicking that button pulled all of the horseback riding-related tabs into a separate workspace while keeping the other tabs in my original desk. I tend to be a tab minimalist, but I can see how this would be immensely useful for multitaskers who keep a mishmash of websites and windows open at once.
Left: Before and after smart-grouping my tabs. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable Right: Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableThe Gallery app's AI image editor includes tools that can expand and remove pictures' backgrounds, erase parts of a scene, and make stickers. I played around with them using a photo of a hot dog I took at a Cubs game last month, and most of the results were pretty clunky and fake-looking.
My original picture of the beautiful Chicago dawg. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable The picture with its background "expanded" using AI. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable The picture with its background removed. (The "make a sticker" tool produced an identical result.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable I tried to erase the pickle in this one. Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableSmart grouping and the Gallery app's image editor are both still "experimental" (in beta) and may improve with time.
Battery lifeI haven't run a formal battery life test on the Spin 514 yet, but Acer has it rated at up to 17 hours of web browsing per charge. If it lives up to that number, that would put it well over the nine-hour minimum we expect to squeeze from Chromebooks.
Who should get the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514? Credit: Haley Henschel / MashableBased on my few hours with the Spin 514 so far, I think it's a great pick for early AI adopters, but also just anyone who wants a solid budget 2-in-1 laptop with a premium design and good amount of power for the price. Its main rival is obviously the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which offers a brighter (non-touch) OLED display, quad speakers with Dolby Atmos, and a backlit keyboard for $649.99, or $50 cheaper. However, it starts with half the storage and can't double as a tablet.
The Spin 514's battery life will be a big determining factor in my final analysis, so stay tuned.
UPDATE: Nov. 6, 2025, 5:10 p.m. EDT The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 lasted 18 hours and 11 minutes in our battery life test, making it the longest-lasting Chromebook we've ever tried. It's secured a spot on our list of the best Chromebooks.
UPDATE: Sep. 4, 2025, 1:05 p.m. EDT Listings for the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) are now live. Acer originally priced the upgraded model at $749.99, but it's actually retailing for $799.99 on its website. We've updated this story accordingly.
Samsung Health is copying a popular Apple Fitness+ feature, with limited free access
Samsung is partnering with iFIT to bring a massive library of premium, expert-guided workouts directly into the Samsung Health application. This move is huge because it finally closes a major feature gap Samsung had compared to Apple, which has had a premium fitness service for years.


