Technology

In this episode of How It Hits, we break down the tricks behind dog acting, from classic inspirations like Air Bud and Rin Tin Tin to modern award-winning performances like Messi in Anatomy of a Fall. We hear directly from filmmakers Ben Leonberg and Kari Fischer about what they learned from the 3-years process of making Good Boy with their own dog, Indy. We’ll also explore how editing magic, method acting (dog style), and even play-fighting help animals deliver unforgettable performances on screen.

For more of Indy, check out Good Boy, now in theaters.

With more carriers and phone manufacturers embracing eSIMs, it's time to consider what exactly they can do for you. One of the biggest advantages of an eSIM is that it allows you to easily use multiple SIMs with a single phone, making dual-simming incredibly easy.

As we slide right on in to October’s streaming season, its first weekend is on fire with multiple new releases. From the Josh Hartnett-led action flick Fight or Flight to the highly anticipated new season of Netflix hit anthology series Monster, these titles are guaranteed to be well worth your time. Besides, you know you’re curious. There’s even a Cillian Murphy movie in the mix.

If you've noticed a remarkable amount of pastels in fall, people wearing a surprising number of impractical yet whimsical accessories, or an abundance of shells and flowers motifs, don't worry, babe. You haven’t wandered into Merengue's house in Animal Crossing — you're just noticing the resurgence of Rococo.

You might know Rococo as the late Baroque-period art style from 18th-century France that eventually made its way to the U.S. It's known for ornate, playful, and lighthearted qualities, often expressed through pastel colors, asymmetry, intricate curves, and shell or flower motifs. Basically, whatever makes you think, "Wow, that's whimsical." 

SEE ALSO: Is 'castlecore' the aesthetic of our technofeudal future?

Rococo lacks the grandeur of Baroque, instead incorporating more intimate and decorative elements without appearing too delicate. One prime example of Rococo is the Catherine Palace in Russia, which looks a lot like a Sabrina Carpenter stage outfit if it were a building.

If you're reading all of this and thinking, “That sounds a lot like 2025's most ubiquitous accessory, the Labubu,” you and I are on the same page. They're (arguably) whimsical. Their colorway is (predominantly) pastel. They are (undoubtedly) useless beyond aesthetics. They're frivolous, lighthearted, playful, and ornate. Fellas, they're Rococo.

Rococo is having a moment. According to Pinterest, which included the "Rococo Revival" in its Pinterest Predicts 2025 trend report, interest in Rococo is on the rise. 

"Rococo Revival is part of a broader movement towards embracing more maximalist interiors and style," Sydney Stanback, the global trends and insights lead at Pinterest, told Mashable over email. Searches are booming: Rococo weddings are up 95 percent, Rococo parties are up 140 percent, and a simple search for "Rococo outfit" is up 5,456 percent.

"The Rococo Revival trend is all about ultra-feminine and opulent celebration," Stanback said. "Think corset gowns, luxe accessories, and ornate tablescapes, but with a lighter, whimsical feel."

That doesn't always mean replicating a perfect outfit from the 18th century — but for some creators, that's exactly the point.

"Fashion’s all about expression, and so is makeup and hair. Why not express yourself in the ways you could only dream of? We’re so far removed from that period, but I just think it’s playful. I think it’s fun," Morgan Ryan, aka @msmaverickmuse, a creator who curates vintage looks on Instagram and TikTok, told Mashable.

Stanback pointed out that this trend fits into a "bigger cultural shift around vintage we’ve seen over the past few years." In 2023, Pinterest predicted "Hipstoric Homes," which involved blending vintage finds with modern interiors. Rococo, she says, feels like the natural evolution of that movement, now bleeding into celebrations and personal style. 

"At the same time, cultural moments like Bridgerton have driven popularity with Regency-era style," Stanback noted. 

Of course, part of this boom comes from cultural touchpoints. Bridgerton reintroduced a fantasy of powdered wigs and Regency ballrooms, while TikTok’s coquette aesthetic and Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette keep Rococo-adjacent visuals alive in fashion and online moodboards. But deeper down, Rococo’s return mirrors the cultural forces that birthed it the first time.

“When I was in my twenties, I saw Sofia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette, and I was just enthralled with the colors… It kind of solidified my love for this period," Ryan said.

"A reaction to boredom with order and symmetry, Rococo artists opted for depicting wit, humor, emotion, and especially this idea of whimsy," Jen and Ginny said in their podcast Art History Babes. They later added that Rococo emerged as a “reaction to the grandeur of the baroque style of King Louis XIV."

You could draw a similar reaction to the minimal styles of athleisure and normcore that overtook the early 2010s. As Ryan said, "We’re used to seeing more casual, laid-back styles — a sea of Lululemon and athletic wear. The most obvious opposite of that is putting on a 1700s Rococo gown and wearing a huge wig. It feels like a rebellion against our current way of living."

Rococo rose to prominence after the death of Louis XIV, whose Baroque tastes built Versailles as a monument to order, spectacle, and absolutism. His cult of personality was so strong that he became synonymous with the nation itself. Rococo, by contrast, was an ever-so-slight rejection of that weight: it embraced wit, whimsy, and playfulness over symmetry and grandeur. (It would eventually give way to the French Revolution, but that’s another story.)

Fast-forward to now. Our culture, too, is saturated with personality-driven politics and media spectacle, from stadium rallies to social feeds that blur the line between world leader and celebrity. Power is once again performed through image, and loyalty is measured by spectacle. Modern figures from Donald Trump to Silvio Berlusconi to Narendra Modi echo that same Baroque-style playbook — cultivating personal brands as though they were Versailles incarnate.

That's why Rococo’s pastel whimsy hits so hard today. Just as 18th-century artists responded to the heaviness of Baroque absolutism with satire, intimacy, and excess, we’re reaching for a style that feels both escapist and subversive. In a culture obsessed with order, dominance, and endless seriousness, Rococo offers something else: celebration, fantasy, and play.

Seashell jewelry, frothy corset gowns, and Labubus dangling from someone’s tote bag — it’s history repeating itself, in pastels.

Google just gave the business tier of Gmail users a handy new cybersecurity feature.

In a company blog post, Google said that enterprise Gmail users can now send end-to-end encrypted emails to anyone. Not just people in their network and not just people who use Gmail, but people who use any email service. All they have to do is click "Additional encryption" when writing their message, and Gmail does the rest.

SEE ALSO: Google Drive will now detect ransomware with help from AI

"This capability, requiring minimal efforts for both IT teams and end users, abstracts away the traditional IT complexity and substandard user experiences of existing solutions, while preserving enhanced data sovereignty, privacy, and security controls," the blog post said.

The way it works is pretty interesting.

As explained by BleepingComputer, Google encrypts the message on the client end prior to sending it to the cloud, which means that no one, not Google or any other entity beside the intended recipient, can read its contents. That keeps it in line with various data regulation laws. If the intended recipient doesn't use Gmail, they'll have to click a link that will take them to a gated version of Gmail where they're essentially a temporary guest user, giving them the ability to read the message.

Just be sure to actually, you know, turn this on before sending your super secret important corporate emails.

Best early Prime Day deals at The Home Depot Best Halloween deal Home Accents Holiday 5-ft. Skelly's Cat $149 (Save $50) Get Deal Best tool deal Milwaukee M12 Cordless Hammer, Drill, Impact Driver Combo Kit $199 (Save $170) Get Deal Best furniture deal Harper & Bright Designs Entryway Storage Bench with Shoe Rack $184.90 (Save $210.90) Get Deal

When Amazon announces a new Prime Day sale, other retailers start cooking up their competing sales. Target and Walmart have already announced their plans to compete with Prime Big Deal Days, and now The Home Depot is joining in on the fun.

While The Home Depot hasn't given their fall savings event an official name yet, there are still plenty of savings to be had. The retailers deals will run the same days as Prime Big Deal Days on Oct. 7 and 8. We expect to see big deals on power tools, vacuums, and home essentials .

But ahead of the event, we're tracking deals at The Home Depot and have found some real gems ahead of its anti-October Prime Day sale. Right now, grab Halloween decor up to 25% off or tools up to 46% off.

Best Halloween deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Home Accents Holiday 5-ft. Skelly's Cat $149 at Amazon
$199 Save $50 Get Deal Why we picked this

This Halloween, Skelly is joined by his pets, and right now, you can get his bony companions on sale. You can find the Skelly's Cat and Dog on sale ahead of Prime Day, but the best deal is on Skelly's five-foot cat.

Right now, Skelly's Cat is on sale for $149, down $50 from its usual $199. That provides some nice savings of 25%. If you want to complete your yard, explore all the best Halloween deals at The Home Depot.

More Halloween deals

• Home Accents Holiday 5-ft. Skelly's Cat — $149 $199 (save $50)

• Home Accents Holiday 5-ft. Skelly's Sitting Dog — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Home Accents Holiday 8-ft. Giant Color Changing LED Wyvern — $299 $399 (save $100)

• Home Accents Holiday 15-ft. Giant LED Worricrow — $299 $399 (save $100)

Best Tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Milwaukee M12 Cordless Hammer, Drill, Impact Driver Combo Kit $199 at The Home Depot
$369 Save $170 Get Deal Why we picked this

Sales are always a good time to stock up on big ticket items like appliances and tools. Milwaukee is offering the best savings with their M12 Cordless Hammer, Drill, Impact Driver Combo Kit. Normally $369, this hammer, drill, and impact driver combo kit is down to $199 for $170 off, saving you 46% off.

More tool deals

• Ryobi Cordless String Trimmer — $149 $199 (save $50)

• Milwaukee M12 Cordless Hammer, Drill, Impact Driver Combo Kit — $199 $369 (save $170)

• Rigid 18V 8 Tool Combo Kit — $399 $599 (save $200)

• Ryobi 18V 12 Tool Combo Kit — $649 $799 (save $150)

• Ryobi Electric Cordless Riding Mower — $4,999 $5,999 (save $100)

Best Furniture Deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Harper & Bright Designs Entryway Storage Bench with Shoe Rack $184.90 at The Home Depot
$395 Save $210.10 Get Deal Why we picked this

With a new school year, kids coming and going, your entry way might be a tangle of shoes and backpacks. To keep things tidy, level things up with some new storage. The Harper & Bright Designs Entryway Storage Bench with Shoe Rack is a stylish but functional option. Right now it's extremely discounted, down 53% at The Home Depot. Shop now for just $184.90 and saving $210.19 off its usual $395.

If this entryway bench isn't your style, there are lots of other on sale options at The Home Depot.

More Furniture deals

• Harper & Bright Designs Entryway Storage Bench with Shoe Rack — $184.90 $395 (save $210.19) 53%

• Harper & Bright Designs Dining Bench — $205.86 $244.99 (save $39.13) 16%

• Harper & Bright Designs Entryway Storage Bench with Fabric Basket — $228.38 $354 (save $126.52) 36%

• Harper & Bright Designs Tufted Storage Bedroom Bench — $229.87 $326.99 (save $97.12) 30%

Taylor Swift's newest album, The Life of a Showgirl, dropped today, and I am not the first person to notice this. Swiftie or not, if you've been online at all since midnight on Oct. 3, you've probably noticed a flooding of posts — on X, on Instagram, on Reddit, on Threads, you name it — about Swift's 12th studio album.

According to data from global social listening and insights tool Meltwater, 1.32 million users have mentioned the album on X. Reddit was the second-strongest platform after X, with 81.7K mentions. Overall, the sentiment towards the album is overwhelmingly neutral, according to the insights tool, with 975,000 neutral mentions, 492,000 positive mentions, and 105,000 negative mentions.

SEE ALSO: The ultimate 'The Life of a Showgirl' shopping guide for Taylor Swift fans

But if you search her name on X, it's relatively difficult to sift through the negative and find those 492,000 neutral mentions.

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Even Nicki Minaj can't stop posting on X about it (I don't want to talk about all the other things Nicki's been posting about).

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Of course, there was also a flood of negativity towards the album, from fans and haters alike. The general negative consensus online is that she's a millennial who is in love, so we should have expected a bit of a cringy album.

Another complaint is that the album didn't match the visuals strongly enough. Some of the meaner reactions (it is the internet, and the internet is not nice!) imply she's made her lyrics more childish for her football player fiancé.

SEE ALSO: The ultimate 'The Life of a Showgirl' shopping guide for Taylor Swift fans This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Of course, there were many posts about the alleged Charli XCX diss track, "Actually Romantic," which sounds like an Olivia Rodrigo track (perhaps it's intentional?).

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It's clear that no matter the sentiment, Swift is giving us something to talk about — from her relatively explicit language on "Father Figure" to the alleged Charlie XCX diss track and everything in between.

Whether you loved it or hated it, are shopping for it or are ignoring it, chances are, you're hearing about it.

If you want to master the Bash shell on Linux, macOS, or another UNIX-like system, special characters (like ~, *, |, and >) are critical. We'll help you unravel these cryptic Linux command sequences and become a hero of hieroglyphics.

Last week, YouTube TV and NBC Universal were both rather public about their ongoing negotiations, which led to a lot of coverage about YouTube TV losing access to countless important TV stations and channels. After a short-term deal was announced earlier this week, we finally have some better news.

Best early Prime Day tablet deals Best early Prime Day tablet deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) $899 (Save $100) Get Deal Best early Prime Day Android tablet deal Samsung Galaxy Tab S10+ $899.99 (Save $100) Get Deal Best early Prime Day budget tablet deal Amazon Fire Max 11 $189.99 (Save $90) Get Deal

Amazon's October Prime Day is just days away. From Oct. 7 through Oct. 8, you'll be able to shop a variety of different deals on just about every item in the digital storefront. That includes everything from fitness trackers to kitchen goods and whatever you can name in between. That also means tablets will be on sale, with some of them dipping to their lowest prices yet.

Whether you're looking to bring home a new iPad, a powerful Android tablet, or a budget option that you can enjoy without having to spend an entire paycheck, there will be plenty on offer for everyone. But you don't actually have to wait until Prime Day proper this year to score the best tablet deals.

We've hand-picked some of the best early Prime Day deals you can shop right now, from Fire tables to Google Pixel picks and all the popular brands you can think of. They're all heavily discounted now, so if you don't want to wait to pounce, you can add them to your cart right now. Below, find our picks and be sure to check back for more as Prime Day approaches.

Best early Prime Day tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 256GB) $899 at Amazon
$999 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it

The formidable iPad Pro is one of the most powerful tablets you'll find from Apple. It offers the zippy, incredibly beefy M4 chip, and it's unbelievably thin at just 0.21 inches, weighing less than a pound. It's super sleek, perfectly portable, and its power rivals many laptops and some of Apple's own MacBooks. Not only does it work as a daily driver for professionals and creatives who need something that can keep up with them, but it's the perfect tablet in terms of ability and flexibility for just about anyone else as well. It offers a runtime of 16 hours, it can be used as the "heart" of a laptop setup with a portable keyboard, and it's fast enough to handle anything you throw at it. If you want a snappy Apple product but don't want to shell out for a MacBook, this is the next best thing by far.

More Prime Day tablet deals

Fire tablets

• 2022 Amazon Fire 7 Kids tablet — $54.99 $109.99 (save $55)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet — $54.99 $99.99 (save $45)

• Amazon Fire Max 11 tablet — $199.99 $279.99 (save $80)

Samsung tablets

• Samsung Galaxy Tab S10 FE (128GB, WiFi) — $429.99 $499.99 (save $70)

• Samsung Galaxy Tab A9+ (64GB, WiFi) — $159.99 $219.99 (save $60)

Apple tablets

• Apple iPad Air, 10.9-inch (64GB storage, 8GB RAM) — $535.65 $599 at Amazon (save $63.35)

• Apple iPad Air (5th Generation), 10.9-inch (64 GB storage) — $689 $749 (save $60)

Google Pixel tablets

• Google Pixel Tablet (256 GB storage) — $421.50 $599 (save $77.50)

Lenovo tablets

• Lenovo Tab M9, 9-inch — $132.99 $139.99 (save $7)

Microsoft tablets

• Surface Pro 8, 13-inch — $779.99 $1,299.99 (save $520)

I've never been truly satisfied by any weather widget that I've found for my iPhone. The native Weather app's widget is fine, and options such as CARROT Weather are funny, but neither lets me see what the weather is like in an instant, without having to interpret all the data and icons. That's why I decided to create my own using Shortcuts.

Amazon's October Prime Day (otherwise known as Prime Big Deal Days) is nearly here, running on Oct. 7 and 8, but you don’t have to wait until the official sale begins to save some money. A range of gaming laptops, spanning a variety of player needs and budgets, are already discounted at Amazon, giving you the chance to upgrade your setup early.

Whether you’re after a lightweight machine that can handle casual older and indie titles, a reliable mid-range laptop for everyday play at average performance, or a beastly system capable of running AAA games at ultra settings, there’s a bargain for everybody right now.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

We’ve rounded up a selection of gaming laptops at Amazon that stand out for their value, power, or portability. Along with the best Amazon early Prime Day deals in general, we’ve also tracked down 11 amazing gaming deals and 10 incredible Nintendo Switch deals to try, too, and will update these lists (and more) when Amazon’s Big Deal Days commence.

Best gaming laptop deal Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS ROG Strix G16 (2025) Gaming Laptop $1,399.99 at Amazon
$1,499.98 Save $99.99 Get Deal Why we like it

The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is an excellent gaming laptop that strikes a great balance between price and power, coming in at $1,399.99 (down from its $1,499.99 list price). While that $100 drop isn’t the largest cut out there, it’s solid value when considering what you get in return. 

For starters, ASUS ROG is a premium gaming brand that has a reputation for reliable build quality and gamer-focused features. Under the hood, it packs an Intel Core i7-14650HX processor and a beastly NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5060 GPU, backed up by 16GB of fast DDR5 memory and a spacious 1TB Gen 4 SSD. 

Together, that’s a spec sheet that can comfortably handle modern games at high settings — whether you’re into competitive esports games like Fortnite and Valorant, or AAA hits like Cyberpunk 2077 and Black Myth: Wukong — all at blisteringly high frame rates. If you’re also a professional creative, this gaming laptop also works brilliantly for other technologically intensive tasks like video editing, too. 

What’s more, the 16-inch FHD+ display offers a smooth 165Hz refresh rate with a 3ms response time, making it even more ideal for fast-paced shooters. With intelligent cooling, Wi-Fi 7, and customisable RGB touches, this is a laptop designed to keep up with both serious gamers and creators without breaking the bank. With an extra $100 off, you can stack up your backlog with Steam’s Autumn Sale, which runs through Oct. 6.

More gaming laptop deals

• HP Victus 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS, 8GB DDR5 RAM Memory, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050, 512GB SSD, Mica Silver - $549 $610 (10% off)

• KAIGERR TX16PRO 16-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 7 5825U (8C/16T, Up to 4.5GHz), 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD - $524.99 $1699.99 (69% off) (Note: There is currently also a coupon button, which brings the price down to $498.74)

• MALLRACE TX16PRO 16-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 7 5825 Series(8C/16T, Up to 4.5GHz), 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD - $549.99 $1699.99 (68% off) (Note: There is currently also a coupon button, which brings the price down to $499.99)

• AOC RX16 16-Inch Gaming Laptop — AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS Processor (8C/16T, up to 4.75GHz), 16GB DDR5 512GB NVMe SSD - $659.99 $1899.99 (65% off)

• Jumper EZbook X8A 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 5 7430U(Up to 4.3GHz), 16GB DDR4 1TB NVME SSD - $479.99 $1699.99 (72% off)

• KAIGERR LX15PRO 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 7 5700U(8C/16T, Up to 4.3GHz), 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD - $499.97 $1699.99 (71% off) (Note: There is currently also a coupon button, which brings the price down to $474.97)

• AOC AX16 Pro 16.1-Inch Gaming Laptop — with Ryzen 7 5700U (8C/16T, Up to 4.3GHz) FHD Display, Radeon RX Vega 8 Graphics, 16GB RAM & 512GB NVMe SSD  - $599.99 $1699.99 (65% off) (Note: There is currently also a coupon button, which brings the price down to $499.99)

• KAIGERR RX16 16-Inch Gaming Laptop — with AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS (8C/16T, Up to 4.75GHz), 16GB DDR5 512GB NVMe SSD - $539.98 $599.98 (10% off)

• MALLRACE LX15PRO 15.6-Inch Gaming Laptop — AMD Ryzen 7 5700U(8C/16T), Radeon RX Vega 8 Graphics, FHD Display, 16GB RAM 512GB NVMe SSD - $1597.99 $1699.99 (6% off, but only with the coupon button checked)

Families looking for the perfect balance of space, comfort, and fuel efficiency are turning to hybrid SUVs more than ever in 2025. Rising fuel costs and the growing demand for eco-friendly options have made these vehicles the smart choice for drivers who don’t want to compromise on practicality.

While there seems to be no end to the ever-increasing prices of all the major streaming services, it's no surprise that the menu of free, ad-supported streaming TV (FAST) movie sites and services continues to expand, too.

SAVE $500: As of Oct. 3, the roborock Qrevo CurvX is on sale for $999.99 at Amazon. That's a 33% savings on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: roborock roborock Qrevo CurvX $999.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $500 Get Deal

At Mashable, we love a good robot vacuum, especially when it’s marked down with a great deal. And with October's Prime Day just around the corner, we've found some of the best early robot vacuum deals at Amazon. One new discount that caught our eye is this $500 off deal on the roborock Qrevo CurvX.

As of Oct. 3, this $1,499.99 robot vacuum is now down to $999.99, its lowest-ever price. This is obviously still a very large price tag, but if you've been looking for a seriously advanced model, then this is definitely one to consider.

It has a 22,000Pa HyperForce suction and Dual Anti-Tangle tech, so it can tackle everything from deep carpet debris to pet fur and even long hair up to 40cm. It's only 7.98cm tall, making it the slimmest roborock yet. Why is this a benefit, you ask? Well, it can slip under sofas and cabinets to catch any hidden dirt or dust

But this model doesn't just vacuum, it mops too. And don't go picturing a dirty, never-cleaned fabric mop sitting in the device. The mops stay clean with the 80°C hot water washing that makes stubborn stains disappear. It even uses its Reactive AI feature to recognize obstacles and avoid over 100 types of objects.

The docking station is its hub, and where it will handle everything from hot water mop washing and warm air drying to auto-emptying, refilling, and even self-cleaning. There's really no work for you to do, except downloading and opening the app. From here, you can set and schedule cleans, and over time, it learns your cleaning habits to make vacuuming easier and more efficient.

Get this robot vacuum deal from Amazon now.

SAVE $15: As of Oct. 3, the Echo Dot is on sale at Amazon for $34.99 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. This is 30%, or $15, off its retail price of $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15 Get Deal

Amazon's own devices have seen some very nice price drops ahead of the retailer's Prime Big Deal Days sale event. This includes a variety of discounts on its Echo devices. The Echo Dot's current deal has caught our eye, with the price of the smart speaker dropping below $35 before the sale event kicks off next week.

Usually, the Echo Dot has a list price of $49.99, but right now it can be picked up for $34.99 at Amazon before October Prime Day. This makes for $15 in savings, which is a nice deal to jump on while it's still available. All colors are on sale at this price as well, so you can choose between glacier white, charcoal, and deep sea blue.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

The Echo Dot smart speaker is great for playing your favorite songs, listening to a podcast, or enjoying an audiobook out loud. Its smaller size makes it a great fit for a variety of smaller rooms at home, too, like a bedroom. It can even be used with voice control, so you can ask Alexa to set timers or reminders, tell you about the weather, or ask it to control compatible smart devices around your home.

If you've had your eyes on it, now is a great time to scoop up the Echo Dot at this discounted price before the Prime Big Deal Days sale event officially starts on Oct. 7.

It's not the only Amazon device to be discounted early, either. Have a look at our breakdown of early October Prime Day Amazon device deals to see even more Echo device deals alongside the Echo Dot.

After you start using Linux for the first time, you may wonder what you should install to make use of it. There's a ton of software to choose from, but it's hard to sort through it all. Here are three I think are worth trying.

SAVE $370: As of Oct. 3, the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 is on sale for $429 at Amazon. That's a 46% savings on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery Explorer 1000 v2 $429 at Amazon
$799 Save $370 Get Deal

There are many wonderful things about fall. Pumpkin-spiced lattes, the leaves turning brown, rewatching Gilmore Girls for the 100th time. But the one not-so-great part of fall is the change in the weather, often bringing about storms. If you live in a particularly storm-prone area, you'll know all too well the plight of losing power. For times like these, a portable power station is a great option to keep you connected.

Portable power stations can vary vastly in price, with some hitting the thousands of dollars. These can provide a whole-home backup for days at a time. But if you're looking for something smaller and more affordable that can keep your essentials connected, why not try the Jackery Explorer 1000 v2? And as of Oct. 3, this model is on sale at Amazon ahead of October's Prime Day.

Right now, you'll save $370 with the new price at $429. This price is for the power station only, but there are upgrade options for travel bags and solar panels too.

This model is both powerful and compact. It has a 1,500W AC output (3,000W surge) and a 1,070Wh battery, so it's great to use for camping and road trips, as well as in emergencies. It can charge from 0–100% in as little as one hour with emergency mode via the Jackery App, and its durable LFP battery lasts over 10 years, so you're getting your money's worth.

It has multiple charging ports, including a USB-C, USB-A, DC car, and three AC outlets, and it can power several devices at once. Head to Amazon to grab this great early Prime Day deal.

Do you hear that? That’s the sound of Star Wars fans everywhere simultaneously whispering, “This is the way,” in celebration of finally seeing The Mandalorian and Grogu film’s first official trailer, released September 22. It’s been quite a wait since the two were announced as the focus of Lucasfilm’s ever-evolving movie slate, and now that the trailer is here, fans are left with one burning question: What the heck is this movie about?

SAVE $50: As of Oct. 3, the Garmin Forerunner 55 is on sale at Amazon for $149.99. This is 25%, or $50, off its list price of $199.99 and marks a return to its lowest-ever price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Forerunner 55 $149.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $50 Get Deal

Before Prime Big Deal Days kicks off next week at Amazon, there are already plenty of early deals to take a look at. If you enjoy checking out smartwatch and fitness tracker deals during sale events like these, the good news is there are a handful of offers already available. This includes a price drop on the Garmin Forerunner 55, which is back to its best-ever price.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 is currently on sale for $149.99 ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. This is 25% off its usual retail price of $199.99, saving you $50. Since it's a return to its lowest-ever price, now is a great time to scoop it up if it's been on your radar. Especially if you're a runner, this watch is worth picking up.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime ahead of Prime Big Deal Days

With a battery life that lasts up to two weeks in smartwatch mode (or up to 20 hours in GPS mode), the Garmin Forerunner 55 comes with plenty of features for runners. These include a PacePro feature, which provides you with GPS-based pace guidance, training tools including predictions for race times and finish time estimates, and built-in activity profiles for running, cycling, swimming, and more.

The Garmin Forerunner 55 also tracks steps, intensity minutes, heart rate, stress, and more. If you've been looking for a tracker to keep you on top of your fitness goals, this discount on the Garmin Forerunner 55 is worth checking out ahead of Prime Big Deal Days.

There are a few more Garmin deals worth checking out right now alongside the Forerunner 55, too. Looking for a more stylish pick? Check out this discount on the Garmin Lily 2 Active. The Garmin vívoactive 6 has also dropped to its best price right now at Amazon.