Technology
60+ early Black Friday deals: Score big savings on MacBooks, Nintendo Switch 2, Keurig, and Garmin
We're officially back in Black Friday season, folks.
Though Black Friday falls on Nov. 28 this year, retailers are already kicking off sales. Best Buy dropped early deals and doorbusters on Oct. 31, and Target started their first holiday savings event on Nov. 6. Even though retailers like Amazon haven't kicked off any programming yet (you can expect that to start on Nov. 20,) we've spotted plenty of Black Friday-worthy deals that you can shop early to get ahead of your holiday list.
Keep checking back for the best Black Friday deals from Amazon, Target, Walmart, Best Buy, and beyond.
Best early Black Friday Apple deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M4, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $749 at Amazon$999 Save $250 Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it
The 13-inch MacBook Air is down to a record-low price of $749 ahead of Black Friday. This is our favorite laptop for students, thanks to its M4 silicon and slim design. This markdown is so good that even if it does happen to drop lower for Black Friday or Cyber Monday (and we're not counting on it), you still score a great deal without all the chaos of Black Friday shopping.
More Apple 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 at Amazon
$1,199 Save $250 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $117 at Amazon
$129 Save $12 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Pro 2 $139 at Walmart
$239 Save $100 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) $479.99 at Amazon
$549 Save $69.01 Get Deal Apple AirTag $17.97 at Amazon
$29 Save $11.03 See It at Amazon See It at Walmart See It at Best Buy Apple Airtags, 4-Pack $64.98 at Amazon
$99 Save $34.02 See It at Amazon See It at Walmart See It at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (42mm, GPS) $349.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $49.01 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + cellular) $249 at Walmart
$499 Save $250 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Best early Black Friday headphones deal Bose QuietComfort Ultra headphones $299 at Best Buy
$429 Save $130 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it
Read our full review of the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (Gen 1) headphones.
The Bose QC Ultra headphones have long been some of our favorite noise-cancelling headphones. Even though Bose recently replaced them with a new Gen 2 model, the originals are still an excellent value for your money — especially at the record low price of $299.
More Black Friday headphones and earbuds deals Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Sony WF-C710N Wireless Earbuds $78 at Amazon$129.99 Save $51.99 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose Ultra Open Earbuds $199 at Bose
$299 Save $100 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) $249 at Amazon
$299 Save $50 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Beats Fit Pro $149 at Amazon
$199 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Tune 670NC On-Ear Headphones $54.95 at Walmart
$109.95 Save $55 Get Deal Best early Black Friday robot vacuum deal Narwal Freo Z10 Ultra $799.99 at Amazon
$1,299.99 Save $500 Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it
Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart sees Narwal's newest robot vacuum mop combo as a dupe for the $1,599.99 Roborock Saros 10R. Its edge cleaning is comparable to that of the Saros 10R's, thanks to dual spinning mopping pads that flex out from under the vacuum to scrub in corners and along walls. When mopping, the Freo Z10 Ultra ensures that it does a thorough job by taking a before-and-after picture of the spill, going back for another pass if necessary. The livestream pet camera is a bonus for homes with pets.
More robot vacuum and vacuum deals Opens in a new window Credit: Eufy Eufy E20 3-in-1 $349.99 at Amazon$449.99 Save $100 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: iRobot iRobot Roomba 105 $199 at Amazon
$219 Save $20 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson V12 Detect Slim $399.99 at Walmart
$729.99 Save $330 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Dyson Big Ball Turbinehead Canister Vacuum $229.99 at Walmart
$349.99 Save $120 Get Deal at Walmart Best early Black Friday TV deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U6 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $547.99 at Walmart
$847.99 Save $300 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Why we like it
"If you're not sure what size TV to get, we consider 65 inches to be the sweet spot for most folks. While the Hisense U6 Mini LED QLED TV falls into the budget-friendly category, its specs don't scream "budget" at all. It features a Mini LED backlight system, which essentially means its uses smaller LEDs to deliver a brighter and more detailed picture. Plus, it packs a 144Hz native refresh rate, WiFi 6 connectivity, an ATSC 1.0 tuner under the hood, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. It uses the same interface as Amazon's own Mini LED Fire TV and is equipped with on-board Alexa. Our friends at PCMag (also owned by Ziff Davis) called it 'easily the brightest and most colorful budget-friendly TV we've tested.' At $547.99, the 65-inch Hisense U6 is already down to its best price ever at Amazon ahead of Black Friday." — Christina Buff, Mashable Contributor
More TV and streaming deals Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 55-inch Class Q6-Series QLED 4K TV $279.99 at Target$449.99 Save $170 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku 65-inch Pro Series Mini LED QLED 4K Smart TV $798.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $401 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch Class U6 Mini LED QLED TV $547.99 at Amazon
$847.99 Save $300 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Samsung 55-inch The Frame LS034 4K QLED Smart TV (2025) $897.99 at Amazon
$1,197.99 Save $300 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Samsung Get Deal at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense QD6 QLED 4K TV $199.99 at Best Buy
$329.99 Save $130 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 65-inch QN65 QLED 4K TV $448 at Walmart
$599.99 Save $151.99 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $21.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $18.00 Lowest price ever 🔥 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roku Roku Streaming Stick Plus 4K & HDR (2025) $29 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $10.99 Get Deal Best Black Friday fitness tracker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Whoop Whoop 4.0 $149
$199 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it
Whoop has teased its Black Friday sale, set to start on Nov. 20. When the sale officially begins, we can expect discounts on the Whoop 5.0 and Whoop MG. However, until then, we'll settle for a discount on the Whoop 4.0, which comes with the One membership included. It provides deep insights on sleep, strain, recovery and hormonal cycles. An annual membership is usually $199, and includes the Whoop 4.0 device, but ahead of Black Friday it's down to $149, saving you $50 and 25% off.
More Black Friday fitness tracker deals Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 265 Running Smartwatch $299.99 at Amazon$499.99 Save $200 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Fitbit Fitbit Versa 4 Fitness Smartwatch $119.95 at Amazon
$199.95 Save $80.00 Get Deal Best Black Friday kitchen deal Ninja Slushi (88 ounce) $269.99 at Amazon
$369.99 Save $100 Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it
The Ninja Slushi is a blast in any season — frozen margs in any flavor you want when it's hot, apple cider slush or gingerbread frappé when it's chilly. (Mashable Senior Shopping Reporter Leah Stodart loves her Slushi, and so do all of her friends.) A year after the first Slushi came out, Ninja released two larger capacity versions in a few fun colors. The 88-ounce model on sale for $269.99 at Amazon can make a slightly bigger batch than the original 72-ounce model, which is on sale for $249.99 at Walmart. $20 more for extra beverages and a chic green build? Sold. (If you want the purple one, it's $269.99 at Target.)
More Black Friday kitchen deals Nespresso Festive Vertuo Pop+ Coffee and Espresso Maker $129 at Amazon$209.95 Save $80.95 Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Our Place Our Place Wonder Oven Pro $275 at Our Place
$325 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Luxe Café Pro Espresso and Coffee Machine $634.99 at Amazon
$749.99 Save $115 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: All-Clad All-Clad HA1 13-piece Nonstick Cookware Set $489.99 at Amazon
$699.99 Save $210 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Keurig K-Elite Coffee Maker $139.99 at Target
$209.99 Save $70 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nutribullet Nutribullet Personal Blender $47.49 at Amazon
$71.99 Save $24.50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ninja Ninja Creami $179.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $20 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: KitchenAid KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-quart Stand Mixer $349.95 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $150.04 Get Deal Best early Black Friday home deal Opens in a new window Credit: Brooklinen Brooklinen's Black Friday Sale Score 25% off on Brooklinen bedding and bath linens. Get Deal Why we like it
The best early Black Friday deal for the home is at Brooklinen. Right now, the brand is offering 25% off across its products. You can find Brooklinen's super-plush Turkish cotton bath towel bundle for just $107, saving you 30% off. All prices are marked, no discount code needed.
More early Black Friday home deals Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark StainForce Portable Stain Remover $149.99 at Amazon$199.99 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Shark NeverChange Air Purifier $139 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $40.99 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Casper Casper Original Pillow $60 at Amazon
$75 Save $15 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Casper Casper Hybrid Snow Pillow $144.90 at Amazon
$179 Save $34.10 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ugg Ugg Adalee Faux Fur Throw Blanket $84.99 at Amazon
$108 Save $23.01 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Shark Dyson Air Purifier $449.99 at Target
$549.99 Save $100 Get Deal Best early Black Friday power station deals Jackery Explorer 2000 v2 $699 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $800 See It at Amazon Why we like it
"A solid mid-range power station, the small and mighty Explorer 2000 v2 is lightweight enough (under 40 pounds) to carry with you on camping trips, boating, tailgating, and other outdoor adventures. It's also equipped with 2,042Wh capacity, which makes it powerful enough to serve as a home battery backup in emergencies as well. That's enough power to keep your fridge running for over a day, heat up a meal in the microwave, and brew plenty of cups of coffee. It packs three AC outlets, one USB-A port, and two USB-C ports, as well as a built-in light and super-charge emergency mode on board for a variety of needs. With $800 off, it's down to its best price on record ahead of Black Friday." — Christina Buff, Mashable contributor
More Black Friday power station deals EcoFlow River 2 $269 at Amazon$449 Save $180 Get Deal at Amazon Bluetti Elite 200V2 $1,099 at Amazon
$2,299 Save $1,200 Get Deal at Amazon Early Black Friday deals from Amazon
Even though Amazon's Black Friday sale hasn't officially started (you have to wait until Nov. 20 for that), Amazon devices such as Fire TVs are already marked down in advance of the sale. In addition, you can find plenty of limited-time deals on popular gadgets, power stations, smart home tech, outdoor gear, and Christmas gifts. Amazon is also a great place to stock up on stocking stuffers, as you'll find an abundance of deals under $25.
Opens in a new window Credit: Bissell Bissell Little Green Mini Portable Carpet Cleaner $84.98 at Amazon$94.99 Save $10.01 Get Deal Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet $94.99 at Amazon
$194.99 Save $100.00 Lowest price ever 🔥 See It at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad, 11 inches (A16 Chip) $299
$349 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon 55-inch Omni Series 4K QLED Smart Fire TV $349.99 at Amazon
$499.99 Save $150 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Orastone Orastone Electric Hand Warmers $17.99 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $12 Editor's pick ✅ Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: National Tree Company Pre-Lit 6.5-Foot Dunhill Fir Artificial Christmas Tree $199.98 at Amazon
$254.03 Save $54.05 Bonus coupon: Get Echo Pop & Amazon Smart Plug for $15 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig Keurig K-Supreme Single Serve Coffee Maker $99 at Amazon
$189.99 Save $90.99 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Vitamix Vitamix 5200 Professional-Grade Blender $299.95 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $250.04 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blink Blink Outdoor 4 wireless security cameras (5 cameras + sync module) $119.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $180 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Like-new Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) $106.99 at Amazon
$143.99 Save $37.00 Refurbished with great reviews Get Deal Amazon Echo Dot (2022 release) $31.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $18.00 Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Meta Meta Quest 3S VR Headset (128 GB) $249.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $50 Get Deal Nintendo Switch 2 Mario Kart World Bundle $499 at Walmart
$1,049.66 Save $550.66 Editor's pick ✅ See It at Walmart See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy Early Black Friday deals from Walmart
As in years past, Walmart+ members get early access to the best Black Friday deals, and you can either sign up for a free trial or get 50% off a membership. Until its next official Black Friday sales event (mark your calendars for Nov. 25), the original Everything Store has great early deals on video games, kitchen gadgets, Legos, and even Dyson vacuums.
Opens in a new window Credit: Crock-Pot Crock-Pot Manual 7-Quart Slow Cooker $34 at Walmart$40.53 Save $6.53 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: HP HP 14-inch HD Chromebook (Intel Processor N200, 4GB RAM, 128GB UFS) $119 at Walmart
$329 Save $210 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Alienware Alienware 16-Inch Aurora Gaming Laptop (Intel Core 7-240H, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5050) $1,128 at Walmart
$1,249.99 Save $121.99 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch 2 Console + NBA 2K26 $499.99 at Walmart
Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars: The Clone Wars and The Mandalorian Gift Set $45 at Walmart
$62.97 Save $17.97 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Wicked Welcome to Emerald City Building Set $78.99 at Walmart
$99.99 Save $21 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Sony Borderlands 4 $54.97 at Walmart
$69.99 Save $15.02 Get Deal Early Black Friday deals from Best Buy
Best Buy has an interesting Black Friday system: It's been dropping new doorbusters every single Thursday since Halloween. Some of those deals have stuck around, and some are fleeting. You can plan ahead for the official Black Friday sale (kicking off on Nov. 20) with the Best Buy Black Friday ad scan, but here are some deals that are confirmed to be at their Black Friday prices.
Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch C5 OLED 4K TV $1,399.99 at Best Buy$2,699.99 Save $1,300.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Asus Asus Vivobook 14 (Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $279.99 at Best Buy
$529.99 Save $250 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Met Meta Quest 3S The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners bundle (128GB) $249 at Best Buy
$299 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: De'Longhi De'Longhi Classic Espresso Machine $149.95
$229.95 Save $80 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bambu Lab Bambu Lab A1 Combo 3D printer $379.99 at Best Buy
$499.99 Save $120 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: GoPro GoPro HERO13 Action Camera Bundle $369.99 at Best Buy
$479.99 Save $110 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SteelSeries SteelSeries Apex 9 Mini 60% Wired Gaming Keyboard $64.99
$129.99 Save $65.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 27-inch Odyssey G50D QHD Gaming Monitor $199.99 at Best Buy
$349.99 Save $150 Get Deal Early Black Friday deals from Target
We're scanning Target's weekly ad to find the best early Black Friday deals of 2025, including plenty of products that are cheaper at Target than on Amazon. Strangely, that includes some of Amazon's own products. So, if you're a Target Circle member and you need a new kids' tablet or espresso machine, now's your chance to save.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire 7 Kids Tablet $44.99 at Target$99.99 Save $55.00 Costs $5 more at Amazon Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: DeLonghi DeLonghi Magnifica Espresso Machine $499.99 at Target
$779.95 Save $279.96 Costs $50 more at Amazon Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hearth & Hand with Magnolia Magnolia Wood Finish Retro Record Player $149.99 at Target
$179.99 Save $30 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Universal Music Group Taylor Swift 'The Life of a Showgirl: Sweat And Vanilla Perfume' Vinyl $29.99 at Target
$34.99 Save $5.00 Get Deal
5 reasons the Steam Machine will never match the Steam Deck
The Steam Deck didn't break any sales records, but it did leave a major mark on the world of PC hardware. It's by far the most popular hardware product from Valve, it made PC handhelds mainstream, and is the best-selling PC handheld ever. Could the new Steam Machine repeat its success? Likely not.
Home Assistant's new ZBT-2 adapter supports Zigbee, Thread, and Matter
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Spicy AI chatbot and image generator left millions of photos exposed
A platform that promises "spicy AI chatting" left nearly two million images and videos, many of them showing private citizens, exposed to the public, 404 Media reported.
Secret Desires, an erotic chatbot and AI image generator, left cloud storage containers of photos, women's names, and other personal information like workplaces and universities, vulnerable, according to 404 Media.
This "massive leak" is the latest case of people using generative AI tools to turn innocent photos into nonconsensual explicit deepfakes.
SEE ALSO: Is AI porn the next horizon in self-pleasure — and is it ethical?Some of the photos and videos were taken from real influencers, public figures, and non-famous women. The latter category includes Snapchat screenshots and at least one yearbook photo. Some of the exposed media included user-generated AI images, such as those created with a now-defunct "faceswap" feature, which Secret Desires removed earlier this year.
Like Character.AI or Replika, Secret Desires allows users to create AI personas and chat with them. While pornographic content isn't allowed on Character.AI (and is only allowed for certain Replika users), Secret Desires says it "provides limitless intimacy and connection" on its Quick Start Guide.
As 404 Media found, the AI-generated media found in the vulnerable storage containers were mostly explicit. Some of the file names included terms like "17-year-old."
The company didn't respond to 404 Media's request for comment, but the files became inaccessible around an hour after the publication reached out.
For years, women and girls have been victims of explicit deepfakes, which are AI-generated content. Many deepfakes are women's likenesses "faceswapped" onto pornographic videos. This applies to celebrities like Taylor Swift as well as women who are not famous. This also happens to girls, creating online child sex abuse material.
This year, Congress passed the Take It Down Act to combat deepfake images. The law proved controversial, as several free speech and advocacy groups claim that it can be weaponized against consensual explicit material or political speech.
The most reliable budget-friendly SUVs that require minimal repairs
Looking for an affordable SUV that won’t drain your bank account with constant repairs? In 2025, several budget-friendly crossovers stand out for their proven reliability and low cost of ownership. These models are dependable enough to give you real peace of mind, whether you're commuting, road tripping, or just running errands.
The new Slimbook has KDE Plasma and a Ryzen 9 CPU
Slimbook is one of several companies selling PCs with desktop Linux. The KDE Slimbook is one of its most popular laptops, and now a seventh-generation model has arrived with impressive hardware and pre-installed KDE Plasma.
Joe Hill on the surprising reason he writes a screenplay every year
Alongside his novels, Joe Hill is paid to write a screenplay each year. But he doesn't do it for the money.
Hill, whose new novel King Sorrow published in October, has also found success in the world of film and TV through adaptations of his work. For example, The Black Phone franchise is based on his 2004 short story, and King Sorrow is currently being developed for TV. While news of adaptations of Hill’s work is frequently reported in the trades, his screenwriting hasn't been widely publicized. Sitting down with Mashable recently to speak about everything from Stephen King references in his new novel to AI, though, he confirmed that it's a big part of his professional life.
"I write a screenplay every single year," Hill told Mashable. "And I do it for the healthcare."
SEE ALSO: Joe Hill breaks down the Stephen King references in his new novelHill explained that he gets healthcare for his family through the Writers Guild of America (WGA), which is the union that represents screenwriters. In order to be eligible to receive this, you have to meet annual minimum earning requirements. In 2024, Hill's wife Gillian received a cancer diagnosis that required surgery. Having insurance through the WGA saved the family tens of thousands of dollars.
"There were a whole bunch of tests, you know, and consultations in the lead-up to the operation, but the operation alone was $60,000," Hill said. "Because I have Hollywood healthcare that I get for writing screenplays, I only had to pay 700 bucks. So in a very practical way, it's impossible to put a value, to me personally, on the work I do as a screenwriter, because it's so important to have access to that healthcare insurance."
Hill explained that the screenplay he's working on at the moment is a an adaptation of his own work.
"Right now I'm revising a screenplay that I was paid for for 2025," he said. "The script I'm working on now is an adaptation of an unpublished novella that I'd written that will be published eventually."
Featured Video For You Cooper Hoffman and 'The Long Walk' cast compete for ultimate Stephen King film knowledgeHill said there was a lapse in his healthcare coverage a while back that led to him going round Hollywood to try and drum up some work — and writer/director Scott Derrickson, who directed The Black Phone, wanted to help out.
"He treated it like we were talking about his family healthcare," said Hill. "He's like, 'We're booking you a gig.' And, you know, we talked about possibilities, and then I sent him this novella I had written that hadn't been published, and a pitch for how I'd adapt it, and he got psyched. And he's like, 'We gotta do this.' And so he got me the gig to write the script. Now I'm revising it for Sony Screen Gems."
"it's so important to have access to that healthcare insurance"Hill's wife has now made a full recovery, but Hill still thinks of screenplay writing as "the best thing I can do for my family." He's going to keep working on one every year, alongside his plans to write a novel each year in his fifties.
"The next two things I've got lined up are adaptations of other people's words," Hill said, "which I'm really excited about."
Building a smart home? These tips can help you plan for the future
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The Steam Machine is already getting custom screen plates
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T-Mobile is removing this free perk from some plans
T-Mobile is officially dropping its popular Apple TV "On Us" perk. This means customers on premium plans will soon have to pay a monthly fee for the streaming service. However, it all depends on your plan.
OpenAI board member Larry Summers resigns as Epstein links revealed
As Congress looks to maybe, potentially, finally release the Epstein files, an email document dump from Jeffrey Epstein's estate released last week by the House Oversight Committee has already delivered some shocking revelations.
And those emails have already led to at least one high-profile resignation at one of the biggest tech companies in the world.
Economist Larry Summers, a former Treasury secretary under the Clinton administration and a former president of Harvard, has resigned from OpenAI's board, according to statements provided by Summers and the company to Axios. Summers had previously acknowledged he'd be stepping away from all public commitments in light of the Epstein document release.
"In line with my announcement to step away from my public commitments, I have also decided to resign from the board of OpenAI," Summers said in a statement provided to Axios. "I am grateful for the opportunity to have served, excited about the potential of the company and look forward to following their progress."
Despite Summers' statements, he plans to continue teaching at Harvard, where he currently works as a Professor of Economics, Axios also reported.
"Larry has decided to resign from the OpenAI Board of Directors, and we respect his decision," OpenAI's board said in its own statement. "We appreciate his many contributions and the perspective he brought to the Board."
Summers' ties to Epstein have long been known. During Summers' tenure as President of Harvard, Epstein donated tens of millions of dollars to the university. Epstein was even given his own personal office at the school during this time. Flight records released during the 2021 trial of Epstein associate Ghislaine Maxwell showed that Summers had previously flown on Epstein's private plane, according to the Harvard Crimson.
However, the newly released email documents revealed that Summers' association with Epstein continued well after Epstein's 2008 conviction for soliciting prostitution from a minor. In emails from 2018 and 2019, Summers reached out to Epstein seeking advice on pursuing a relationship outside of his marriage with a woman he described as a "mentee." In the emails, Epstein referred to himself as Summers' "wing man." In addition to the conversations on romantic relationships, Summers also made numerous sexist comments.
Summers' final correspondence with Epstein in the email documents occurred on July 5, 2019 — just one day before Epstein was arrested and federally charged for the sex trafficking of minors.
Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.
The fastest naturally aspirated V-12 car ever made
A select few performance cars have reached true icon status, but none have done it with the purity and power of the fastest naturally aspirated V-12 ever built. In a world dominated by turbochargers and hybrid assistance, this machine still holds a record no modern supercar has been able to touch. Its achievement isn’t just about an extreme top speed, it represents the pinnacle of what a high-revving engine can deliver when a manufacturer pushes traditional engineering to its absolute limit.
The Risks of Undervolting: Components to Avoid Tweaking
Most of your PC components come out of the factory set to use a certain amount of electricity. In some cases, lowering this amount, or "undervolting" the components, can improve their performance or increase efficiency. But if you want to dabble in undervolting, leave these parts alone.
How to Find Your Android Device's Info for Correct APK Downloads
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Gemini 3 launches: Heres every new feature and how to try them
Google has officially launched Gemini 3, its newest and most advanced AI model — and the company is calling it its "most intelligent" system yet. The model rolled out across Google products on day one, marking the first time a new Gemini release has gone live in Search at launch.
Gemini 3 represents what Google execs describe as the next major step in their push toward more capable, more context-aware AI. In a note sharing the launch, the company stated that the model incorporates deeper reasoning, stronger multimodal understanding, and enhanced awareness of user intent compared to earlier versions.
What’s new in Gemini 3?The headline upgrade is reasoning. Google says Gemini 3 is built to understand nuance, break down complex problems, and "grasp depth and context" in ways its predecessors couldn’t. In benchmarking tests, Gemini 3 Pro took the top spot on the LMArena leaderboard with a 1501 Elo score, outperforming both Grok and Gemini 2.5 Pro.
SEE ALSO: Google's Gemini 3 is smarter, better at figuring out what you needThe model also demonstrates significant improvements in academic-style reasoning. On Humanity’s Last Exam, Gemini 3 Pro hit 37.5 percent without any external tools, and on GPQA Diamond, it reached 91.9 percent. It also posted state-of-the-art scores across math and multimodal tasks, including video understanding and factual accuracy.
A new enhanced mode called Gemini 3 Deep Think pushes those capabilities even further. Deep Think improves scores on nearly every benchmark, including a jump to 41 percent on Humanity’s Last Exam and 45.1 percent on the ARC-AGI-2 challenge. It’s designed for the most challenging, long-horizon reasoning tasks.
Where can you use Gemini 3?Gemini 3 is already live across the Google ecosystem. That includes:
AI Mode in Search, with more dynamic, generative interfaces and complex reasoning support. (Currently available for Google AI Pro and Ultra subscribers.)
The Gemini app is getting a redesign, including the My Stuff folder and improved shopping experiences.
Gemini for developers, available now in AI Studio, Vertex AI, Gemini CLI, and Google’s new agentic development platform Antigravity.
Gemini Agent, an upgraded system that can complete multi-step tasks like inbox organization, appointment management, and more.
If you want hands-on time with Gemini 3 immediately, there are a few pathways:
Use AI Mode in Search (Google AI Pro or Ultra subscription required).
Open the Gemini app, where Gemini 3 is the default model starting today for most users globally.
Developers can experiment with AI Studio or Vertex AI, gaining full access to Gemini 3 Pro.
Enterprise customers can deploy it through Vertex AI and Gemini Enterprise.
Deep Think, the highest-end version, will be rolled out in the coming weeks following additional safety evaluations.
Microsoft warns Windows 11 AI could put malware on your PC
Microsoft keeps injecting AI into Windows, and now even the company itself is admitting that there are safety risks in doing so.
This week, Microsoft added some new agentic AI features to Windows 11 Insider users, which give AI permission to automate things like sending emails and sorting files. These are turned off by default and need to be opted into, but for those who choose to enable them, Microsoft published a security note on its website warning that there are security risks to giving AI access to all of your files:
SEE ALSO: The 8 best tablets of 2025: I compared iPads, the Microsoft Surface Pro, and Amazon Fire"As these capabilities are introduced, AI models still face functional limitations in terms of how they behave and occasionally may hallucinate and produce unexpected outputs," Microsoft said. "Additionally, agentic AI applications introduce novel security risks, such as cross-prompt injection (XPIA), where malicious content embedded in UI elements or documents can override agent instructions, leading to unintended actions like data exfiltration or malware installation."
In other words, it's technically possible for something that's meant to help users to harm them instead. This may very well be a super unlikely hypothetical edge case, but the fact that Microsoft felt compelled to say anything about it at all is a bit alarming. As a possible solution, Microsoft is rolling out an experimental feature called "agent workspace," which limits what the AI agent has access to on the PC. In basic terms, it means the agent can only access things that are available to any user of the machine, while files locked behind specific user profiles are off-limits.
We're still in the relatively early stages of all of this, so it will take some time to see how it shakes out. But just be careful before turning on these features.
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OpenAI announces new ChatGPT for Teachers
OpenAI is making another major investment in AI-powered education, announcing a new teachers-only ChatGPT workspace designed specifically to help educators with their classroom workload.
With the new ChatGPT for Teachers, users get full access to ChatGPT 5.1 Auto with unlimited messages, search, file uploads, connectors, and image generation, as well as educator-specific onboarding, admin controls, and personalized prompts. The features have already rolled out to 150,000 teachers and staff across U.S. school districts, says OpenAI.
SEE ALSO: Want to chat on Roblox? You'll need to verify your age.Rather than the standard security framework built into ChatGPT, ChatGPT for Teachers is designed with "education-grade privacy, security, and compliance programs," says OpenAI, intended to bring the tech in line with requirements under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). Under these guidelines, ChatGPT for Teachers can't retain any student data to be used for model training.
Educators and administrators can also collaborate on projects and custom GPTs within the shared workspace, the company explains, and upload existing files from Google Drive or Microsoft 365 accounts to provide ChatGPT with context for lesson plans, grades, and data analysis.
OpenAI is offering it for free to verified educators and school leaders until June 2027.
According to the AI giant, K-12 teachers are "leading education's AI transformation" and OpenAI has increasingly pushed for its AI tools to enter the early childhood education space as its refashioned EdTech for higher education. "Universities are starting to treat AI as core infrastructure for education, and we also know that students use ChatGPT as a 24/7 learning companion," says Leah Belsky, vice president of education for OpenAI. "In our view, every student today is going to grow up in a world that is shaped by powerful AI and teachers will play a key role and helping both students and parents navigate that change."
OpenAI has placed a huge bet on AI's educational potential, launching a nationwide AI training program with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), signing deals with college systems that give ChatGPT to students for free, and even consulting with the Ministries of Education of foreign governments.
Elon Musks Tesla Diner chef just quit to open a deli
Elon Musk's Tesla Diner — the billionaire's shiny, UFO-shaped restaurant in Los Angeles — may be in the market for a new chef.
The Los Angeles Times reported this week that chef and co-operator Eric Greenspan is leaving the project. The chef said that he was leaving to focus on opening his new spot, a Jewish deli, but the paper also noted he faced stark pushback for joining forces with Musk.
"I am leaving the Tesla Diner project to focus on the opening of Mish, my long-desired Jewish deli," Greenspan told the LA Times in a text message. "Projects like Mish and the Tesla Diner require a sharpness of focus and attention, and my focus and attention is now squarely on Mish."
Mashable visited the Tesla Diner back in August, which serves the classics — burgers, fries, shakes, etc. — but with Muskified names. So you get items like "electric sauce," "autopilot avocado toast," a "giga burger," and now-defunct "epic bacon." The food did earn decent reviews from Mashable editor Neal Broverman, even if it felt overpriced for the portion size.
This isn't the first big change at the Tesla Diner. Shortly after the diner's opening, patrons noticed that the menu had been scaled back — thus the goodbye to "epic bacon." The LA Times also reported that the diner was looking to move to a full-service model — for the time being, you order at a tablet and get counter service. And, of course, now the chef has left.
In short: It seems quite unclear what the future holds for Musk's futuristic restaurant.
