Technology

I spent $10 on a smart home remote on the off-chance that I’d find some use for it. Now I’m sad I only bought one, since I’ve found so many good uses for it in my Home Assistant smart home.

There are a lot of VPN services out there, and many of them claim to be the cheapest. We went through our VPN reviews to find the services and make sure you get the best value.

Like any other piece of software, Microsoft Word is prone to bugs and other technical issues. Usually, these issues are nothing more than minor inconveniences, but some of the more severe glitches can have terrifying consequences.

SAVE 35%: As of Oct. 5, the Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects kit is on sale for $29.99 at Amazon — down from $45.99 for a limited time.

Opens in a new window Credit: Crest Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects – Teeth Whitening Kit $29.99 at Amazon
$45.99 Save $16.00 Get Deal

We’ve seen plenty of the best early Prime Day deals, even before the Big Deal Days event starting on Oct. 7 and 8, but this Crest 3D Whitestrips discount is one that literally shines.

In honor of Amazon Prime Day, the fan-favorite whitening kit is back down to $29.99, a 35% savings off its usual $45.99 price tag. For anyone who’s been eyeing an at-home smile refresh before holiday season selfies kick in, now’s the time to stock up.

The Crest 3D Whitestrips Professional Effects kit comes with 22 treatments total (20 regular and two bonus 1-hour express treatments) and 44 strips overall. It’s designed to whiten like a $400 professional treatment, using the same hydrogen peroxide ingredient that dentists rely on, while staying gentle and enamel-safe.

SEE ALSO: Some of Amazon's early Prime Day Apple deals are already add-to-cart worthy

Thanks to Advanced Seal Technology, the strips grip securely to your teeth so you can still sip water or talk without worrying about them sliding off. That’s a small but meaningful win for multitaskers. 

Crest has also advised that you can achieve whitening results of up to 19 levels brighter, with a noticeably whiter smile after just a few uses. Altogether, you’re being promised a 100% visibly whiter smile, guaranteed.

Each treatment takes about 45 minutes, with the 1-Hour Express strips offering faster touch-ups when you need a last-minute glow-up. Whilst some customers on Amazon left reviews mentioning mild sensitivity, most agree it’s a small trade-off for how effective these strips are at erasing coffee, tea, and wine stains that have built up over time.

Crest is still the #1 dentist-recommended at-home whitening brand, and this kit has more than 98,000 five-star ratings on Amazon to prove it. Prime members can snag free delivery and lock in this limited-time price while it lasts.

In Taylor Swift's newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, she has an oft-debated new song, "CANCELLED!" The biggest argument about the song is who it's about (Blake Lively? Brittany Mahomes? Sophie Turner?). But one specific lyric has some wondering whether a viral TikTok meme apparently referenced in the song could earn a payout for the creator who coined it.

In the pre-chorus, Swift sings, "Did you girlboss too close to the sun? / Did they catch you having far too much fun?"

If that first line feels a bit familiar to you, it might be because of a viral 2021 TikTok in which influencer and comedian Caroline Timoney said: "Listen, I can’t give any more information, but I fear I may have girlbossed a bit too close to the sun." It currently has 7.5 million views, and Timoney told Mashable she "couldn't be more excited."

SEE ALSO: Taylor Swift's 'The Life of a Showgirl' is here, and the internet is divided

Timoney is "total Swiftie," so when her friends started texting her ahead of Swift's album release, saying her iconic turn of phrase was in one of the songs, she didn't really believe it.

"The next morning I woke up first to like 100 text messages on my phone," she said. "I'm from the East Coast, so most of my friends were already up. It was a really insane day... [She's] been my Spotify number one for the past five or so years. I went to the Eras Tour. I'm a huge Swiftie, so I was just so excited by it more than anything. Just truly so, so excited and really shocked."

Later that day, she posted a video to TikTok saying she "woke up this morning to discover that my TikTok audio that I made as a sophomore in college — 'I girlbossed too close to the sun' — was in a Taylor Swift song. Am I her Shakespeare? Yes. Do I see us as co-writers? As fellow songwriters? Yeah, all of it, all of the above. But I haven't changed. I've forgotten a few names of friends and family because I'm blowing up. These kinds of things happen. But I am genuinely so shocked."

While Timoney is not interested in taking legal action ("It's so public. I'm so proud of my little phrase that I wrote. And I do think I have some ownership over the fact that I came up with that. And I think it's cool, but I don't think I trademarked it or should or could trademark it."), many of the comments encourage her to "lawyer up" and "get that money."

However, one commenter pointed out that the line "girlboss too close to the sun" is a reference to Candace Owens, who said as much in a YouTube video from earlier this year about Swift's alleged involvement in Blake Lively’s lawsuit against Justin Baldoni. "But I came up with the phrase," Timoney wrote in a comment in response.

One copyright lawyer on TikTok, Rocky Retrograde, drew parallels between this and the situation between Lizzo and Mina Lioness, who tweeted "I did a DNA test and found out I'm 100% that bitch" before Lizzo released her album Truth Hurts. Lizzo ended up giving Lioness a writing credit on the song. Retrograde — along with many of Timoney's fans and commenters — recommended that Timoney reach out and try to do the same with Swift.

Timoney, for her part, just isn't interested in that.

"I feel like the phrase 'I girlbossed too close to the sun' became such a public phrase. I've had friends say it to me, who maybe first heard it from my TikTok audio or from a friend repeating the phrase to them, and they don't necessarily know that it's me," she said of its evolution. "It's cool to have contributed to the public lexicon."

It's a common joke that Python makes a great calculator in its interactive mode. You can make it an even better one with the built-in math module, which contains a lot of the same math functions you would find on a handheld scientific or graphing calculator.

SAVE $30: The JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker (camo) is on sale at Amazon for $99.95, down from the list price of $129.95. That's a 23% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Clip 6 (camo) $99.95 at Amazon
$129.95 Save $30.00 Get Deal

We're just days away from Amazon's October Prime Day event, which spans Oct. 7 and 8 this year. But if you're ready to snag the deals already, Amazon is giving us non-procrastinators a little treat. The mega retailer already has excellent discounts on hundreds of products, and that includes one of Mashable's favorite portable speakers.

As of Oct. 5, the JBL Flip 6 Bluetooth speaker (camo) is on sale for $99.95 at Amazon, marked down from the list price of $129.95. That's a 23% discount that shaves $30 off the price.

A Halloween party requires a spooky soundtrack, and if you're in need of a portable speaker to pump the "Monster Mash," the JBL Flip 6 could be perfect. It gets up to 12 hours of playtime, and it's designed to be more powerful and louder than previous versions of the speaker. The two-way speaker system should be great at delivering powerful sound while coming in a super portable size.

SEE ALSO: Outdoor deals are hot ahead of October Prime Day from brands like Coleman, Yeti, Jackery, and plenty more

The JBL Flip 6 weighs about 1.2 pounds and is waterproof. That means it'll be perfect for trips to the pool come summer, and it's lightweight enough to be worthy of packing along on vacation. JBL used a durable fabric and rubber housing to make it extra safe to use outside.

Before potential shipping delays that tend to come along with Prime Day chaos, snag the JBL Flip 6 speaker while it's on sale for $30 off. Plus, Amazon is throwing in free access to Amazon Music for 90 days. Since that'll cover the holiday season, the speaker will be great for both Halloween and Christmas tunes.

If camo is not your thing, the Red and Teal versions of the JBL Flip 6 are also currently on sale at Amazon for $99.95 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 5, you can get the Insignia 65-inch QF Series QLED 4K Fire TV for just $299.99 at Amazon and Best Buy. That's $200 off its list price of $499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insignia Insignia 65-inch QF Series QLED 4K Fire TV $299.99 at Best Buy
$499.99 Save $200 Get Deal

Amazon Prime Big Deal Days is less than 48 hours away, but you really don't need to wait around to score the best TV deal.

As of Oct. 5, you can pick up the Insignia 65-inch QF Series QLED 4K Fire TV for only $299.99 — a $200 discount from its typical $499.99 list price. While Amazon and Best Buy are both offering this same deal, we recommend grabbing it from Best Buy since Insignia is a Best Buy brand. You'll likely receive it faster if that matters to you. For instance, Best Buy estimates an Oct. 9 delivery for me, while Amazon estimates a delivery between Oct. 10 and 21. Plus, should you run into any issues, reaching Best Buy's customer service will be much more streamlined. That being said, we're not the boss of you — pick whichever one you want. Either way, you'll be saving $200.

This same TV was the cheapest 65-inch option during July's flagship Prime Day sale at $329.99. Now, it's actually $30 cheaper ahead of October's Prime Day event. It's not a top-of-the-line model, but it's a great opportunity to upgrade to a QLED without breaking the bank. If you're used to an LED TV, you'll definitely be able to tell the difference the quantum dots make. Its picture quality and color vibrancy will pop, whether you're watching NFL matchups or the latest theatrical releases.

If you're in the market for a new TV on a budget, this is going to be a hard deal to beat, even once Prime Big Deal Days kicks off.

SAVE 30%: As of Oct. 5, Amazon's early Prime Day deals have a bargain on Anker’s MagSafe UFO 3-in-1 charger, now only $62.68 in a limited-time deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker MagSafe Compatible MagGo UFO 3-in-1 Charger $62.68 at Amazon
$89.99 Save $27.31 Get Deal

If there’s one thing worse than a dead phone, it’s juggling a nest of cables just to keep your devices alive. Fortunately, Amazon's early Prime Day Deals include a bargain on Anker’s latest MagSafe UFO 3-in-1 wireless charger to fix that; for today only, it’s 30% off in a limited-time lightning deal.

For a Prime Day bargain, this all-in-one charging station powers your iPhone, Apple Watch, and AirPods simultaneously. All that capability is kept within a single foldable pad that’s small enough to fit in your palm. Designed with frequent travellers and desk minimalists in mind, the MagGo UFO folds into a roughly golf ball-sized sphere that slides neatly into your backpack or carry-on. 

It even includes a 40W USB-C adapter and a five-foot cable, so you’re ready to plug in right out of the box.

SEE ALSO: Some of Amazon's early Prime Day Apple deals are already add-to-cart worthy

Performance-wise, this Qi2-certified charger delivers as well as looking futuristic. With 15W fast charging, you can boost your iPhone 15 Pro up to 20% in just 15 minutes, and your Apple Watch Series 9 up to 30% in under half an hour. Strong MagSafe alignment keeps your devices securely in place, while StandBy Mode support turns your phone into a smart display when docked in landscape view.

Weighing only 4 ounces and measuring under three inches across, the UFO charger also gets bonus points for build quality, something Anker fans have come to expect. Product reviews on Amazon praise its compact design, powerful magnets, and reliable charging, especially for travel setups and nightstands. Plus, for both the sleek Black Stone and Aurora White SKUs, each finish gives it that understated Apple-adjacent vibe that won’t clutter your workspace.

It’s not every day you can ditch three chargers for one that actually looks good doing it. This deal ends within just over 12 hours at the time of writing, or sooner if stock runs out. So, if you’ve been waiting for a smarter, lighter charging solution, now’s the time to grab it.

Are you experiencing FOMO by not having foam tips on your older AirPods Pro 1 or 2? Well, I’m here to save the day. You can actually upgrade your previous-generation AirPods Pro with foam tips!

Saturday Night Live Season 51 started with a bang.

The first cold open of the season featured Colin Jost as the former Fox News anchor and current U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who is now called the Secretary of War. The skit was a take on Hegseth's decision to gather military officers in Virginia for a pretty unusual meeting last week.

"Earlier this week, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth had the brilliant idea to gather all of our nation's top generals in one place at one time. And to throw our enemies off the scent, he told them exactly where and when it would happen," an announcement said at the top of the cold open. "We take you to this meeting now."

Enter: Jost as Hegseth, walking in with an absurd bravado and rock music blaring on stage. "Cut the track," he said before going on to call the military "gay" and "fat" and encouraging all members to begin emulating President Donald Trump: "6'6", buck 75, A-cups, perky, with a dump truck in the back you wouldn't even believe."

Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, interrupted Hegseth's speech to make sure SNL doesn't "do anything too mean about me," referencing his role in Jimmy Kimmel Live's recent suspension.

"Remember: Daddy's watching," Johnson's Trump said. "And live from New York, it's Saturday night!"

The cold, harsh winter months are quickly approaching, and snow is on the way, which means it's time to get out or upgrade your winter tools. There's no need to manually shovel snow from the driveway when it's freezing, especially when cordless options exist. With that in mind, here are a few cordless winter tools you should buy before winter.

The best early October Prime Day speaker deals at a glance: Best Anker Soundcore deal Anker Soundcore Boom 3i $99.99 (save $40) Get Deal Best Amazon speaker deal Amazon Echo Spot $44.99 (save $30) Get Deal Best JBL deal JBL Go 4 $39.95 (save $10) Get Deal Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $75.99 (Save $24) Get Deal

Whether your fall schedule consists of hosting parties, heading out on camping trips, or solo nights in, a quality speaker makes a great companion. Not to mention, they make excellent gifts — practically everyone listens to music, right? No matter the reason, if you're in the market for a Bluetooth speaker of any shape or size, Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days is a great time to score one for a sweet price.

The shopping event informally known as October Prime Day doesn't kick off until Oct. 7, but Amazon is dropping plenty of early deals. You can start your shopping early with speaker deals from brands like Sony, JBL, Anker Soundcore, and Amazon itself. However, if you're looking for more heavy hitters like Bose, Sonos, or Ultimate Ears, you'll have to hold off. These brands seem to be waiting until the actual event begins to lower their prices.

We'll be tracking the best speaker deals as we get closer to the Prime Big Deal Days kickoff and updating this page with the latest and greatest prices. Stay tuned.

Best early October Prime Day Bluetooth speaker deal Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 $75.99
$99.99 Save $24 Get Deal Why we like it

The Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 Bluetooth speaker brings big sound in a small, rugged shell, now also packing an early Prime Day price of $75.99 from $99.99. Don’t be fooled by its compact size; this portable speaker delivers impressively rich 360-degree audio with strong, punchy bass that fills outdoor spaces with ease, which is what earned this model a spot on our list of best Bluetooth speakers.

It’s built to handle just about anything: waterproof, dustproof, and even floatable, making it perfect for pool parties, hikes, or beach trips. With up to 14 hours of battery life and a 131-foot Bluetooth range, it’s designed for all-day listening wherever adventure takes you. Plus, it supports recycled materials and a minimalist aesthetic that looks as good as it sounds. Simply put, the Wonderboom 4 is the kind of speaker that proves small can be seriously mighty.

More speaker deals

• Anker Soundcore Select 4 Go — $24.99 $34.99 (save $10)

• Amazon Echo Pop — $24.99 $39.99 (save $15)

• Anker Soundcore 2 — $29.44 $44.99 (save $15.55)

• Amazon Echo Dot — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

• JBL Go 4 — $39.95 $49.95 (save $10)

• Sony SRS-XB100 — $48 $59.99 (save $11.99)

• Amazon Echo Spot — $44.99 $79.99 (save $35)

• Sony ULT Field 1 — $95.95 $129.99 (save $34.04)

• JBL Flip 6 — $99.95 $129.95 (save $30)

• Anker Soundcore Boom 3i — $99.99 $139.99 (save $40)

• Anker Soundcore Boom 2 — $119.99 $139.99 (save $20)

• Sony ULT Field 3 — $133 $199.99 (save $66.99)

• Marshall Acton III — $199.99 $299.99 (save $100)

• JBL FLIP 5 - $89.95 $99.95 (save $10)

• Beats Pill - $129 $149.95 (save $20.95)

Saturday Night Live brought two of the internet's biggest obsessions into one of their skits this week: KPop Demon Hunters and Bad Bunny.

The skit featured Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Chloe Fineman, and Bad Bunny as friends catching up over brunch. They're chatting about what they're excited to watch — Paul Thomas Anderson's One Battle After Another and Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein — when Bad Bunny says he's been watching KPop Demon Hunters.

SEE ALSO: How 'KPop Demon Hunters' became a love letter to K-pop and its fandom

The other three ask if he's watching with his kids, and Bad Bunny's character admits he doesn't have kids and says the movie is "actually not for kids" but "for smart adults." Each time the other three try to talk about something else — the Epstein files or Sydney Sweeney’s American Eagle ad — he brings it back to KPop Demon Hunters. They don't take him seriously until Bowen Yang shows up dressed like a demon from the movie. Then, Ejae, Audrey Nuna and Rei Ami from KPop Demon Hunters join them on stage to perform one of the movie's songs, "Golden."

Windows always has a ton of background processes running, and if you're trying to clear up some CPU space and increase your performance, it's hard to know what you can and can't afford to disable. Here are some Windows processes you can turn off without a care in the world in the Services app.

SAVE $70: As of Oct. 5, the Beats Studio Buds are on sale at Amazon for just $79.95. That's nearly 50% off their list price of $149.95 and close to their best-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats Studio Buds $79.95 at Amazon
$149.95 Save $70.00 Get Deal

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event kicks off on Tuesday, but deals are flooding our feeds already. If noise-cancelling earbuds are on your shopping list, check out this early deal on the Beats Studio Buds.

As of Oct. 5, the Beats Studio Buds are on sale for only $79.95 at Amazon in red, black, and white colorways. That's nearly a 50% discount from their usual list price of $149.95 and just $8 or so shy of their very best price on record.

The Studio Buds hit the market in 2021 and have since been "replaced" by the upgraded Studio Buds+. But you can still find the regular Studio Buds on shelves, which means they're still relevant in 2025. Mashable's tech reporter Alex Perry called them "Apple's new go-to entry-level earbuds" when they first came out, claiming they put the basic AirPods to shame. They pack powerful bass, decent active noise cancellation, transparency mode, spatial audio, and can last 24 hours with the help of the charging case. And even though Beats is owned by Apple, the earbuds are device agnostic and will work seamlessly with just about any phone.

If you want a pair of earbuds that will actually sound good, cancel noise, and be friendly on your wallet, the Studio Buds make a great pick — particularly when they're on sale for basically half price.

If you've ever looked into buying a smart TV, you've probably noticed that some models are advertised as being AI-enhanced. This label isn't just a marketing gimmick; recent AI-enhanced smart TVs have multiple advantages over ordinary screens, but there are some things you should know before you decide to buy one.

Bad Bunny hosted SNL this weekend for its first week back on air and his monologue didn't disappoint.

He started off talking about his 30-show, three-month residency in San Juan, Puerto Rico featuring his incredible dance moves and Jon Hamm aka Juan Jamón, who was in the audience. Then, he brought up the fact that he'll be headlining the Super Bowl 60 halftime show.

"I am very happy. I am very happy and I think everyone is happy about it," he joked, nodding towards the mixed responses some people had online. Some fans were ecstatic to see him on the main stage; other people complained it might be hypocritical of him to play the show after refusing to add U.S. dates to his upcoming world tour; and other people were upset that the show would likely be predominately in Spanish.

SEE ALSO: Bad Bunny is headlining the Super Bowl halftime show, but not everyone's cheering

He added a few sentences in Spanish to convey how excited he was to play the Super Bowl halftime show for all the Latinos and Latinas in the U.S. and around the world.

"And if you didn't understand what I just said," he joked, "you have four months to learn."

Annabelle has nothing on the murderous doll Chucky. Debuting in the late 1980s, the serial killer possessing a toy has become as much of a slasher icon as Freddy Krueger or Jason Vorhees. He might be small, but he’s got a filthy mouth, maniacal laugh, and brutal methods of taking out people three times his size.

Sometimes, choosing the exemplary streaming service has less to do with taste than budget. There are so many options for streaming movies and television, even the abundance of selection isn’t a factor. Of course, plenty of free streaming services exist, but sometimes you want to splurge for something a little without ads.