Mashable

SAVE $15: As of Sep. 9, get the AirFly Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $54.99. That's a discount of 27%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon AirFly Pro $39.99 at Amazon
$54.99 Save $15   Get Deal

Have trouble relaxing on planes? You're not alone. Something about the cabin noise, air pressure, and often your seatmate can make settling down and enjoying your flight seem like a nightmare instead of a convenient and fun way to travel. If raw-dogging your flight doesn't sound like a fun option and you want a little assistance enjoying your time in the air, there's a dongle that can help.

As of Sep. 9, get the AirFly Pro for $39.99 at Amazon, down from its usual price of $54.99. That's $15 off and a discount of 27%.

SEE ALSO: This $55 Bluetooth dongle made my long-haul flight way less miserable

This Bluetooth transmitter is the perfect thing for helping you get comfortable for long (or short) flights. You can connect it to your in-flight entertainment display, set up your favorite headphones, and get comfortable without having to struggle with the airline-provided earbuds or other subpar equipment.

That means you can whip out your noise-cancelling headphones with this dongle and actually feel like you're experiencing your entertainment in a way that lets you focus on it -- or just block out the noise around you.

Mashable's Haley Henschel took this device for a spin on a flight and found that it made her long-haul flight "way less miserable." If you've got some traveling to do, or you're a frequent flier who needs help getting comfy to enjoy your time in the air, it might be a good idea to take part in this rare discount and grab your own. It definitely beats staring out the window and counting the minutes until you land.

Where to buy the new Belkin SoundForm line SoundForm Dot (ANC) $34.99 at Amazon Shop Now SoundForm Play ANC Headphones $49.99 at Amazon Shop Now SoundForm Isolate Buds $59.99 at Amazon Shop Now

At IFA 2026 in Berlin, Belkin expanded its SoundForm audio family with three new budget-friendly options designed to bring premium features like active noise cancellation, dual-device pairing, and long battery life down to accessible prices. Across the whole lineup, Belkin is leaning heavily into practical daily specs — packing IPX5 sweat resistance and app-customizable EQ controls into every pair.

Here’s a dive into each of the models and what they offer: 

SoundForm Dot

For listeners after lightweight, daily-use earbuds, the SoundForm Dot line comes in two variations. The base SoundForm Dot Wireless Earbuds ($34.99) offer an ultra-affordable entry point into true wireless audio. If you want active noise cancellation, the upgraded SoundForm Dot ANC ($39.99) adds ANC while maintaining the compact design. 

Both Dot versions pack up to 30 hours of battery life, Bluetooth Multipoint for dual-device connectivity, Clear Call Quality tech, IPX5 water/sweat resistance, fast charging, three ear-tip sizes, and app-customizable EQ settings.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best wireless earbuds we've ever tested SoundForm Play ANC

Designed for listeners ages five and up, the SoundForm Play ANC ($49.99) bring over-ear active noise cancellation to school, travel, and gaming. They feature a durable, foldable design and include an optional 85dB Safe Sound volume limiter to keep young ears protected. 

Belkin also integrated a "Focus Boost" soundscape mode that generates Pink Noise, Seashore, or Brain Beats sounds to help kids lock in during homework or reading sessions. Battery life reaches up to 62 hours with ANC off (45 hours with ANC on), supported by a built-in microphone, USB-C fast charging, a 3.5mm wired backup jack, and RockStar Mode for audio sharing.

SEE ALSO: The 12 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats SoundForm Isolate Buds

The SoundForm Isolate Buds ($59.99) are built for commuters and workers who need maximum distraction blocking. They deliver up to 45dB of hybrid Active Noise Cancellation paired with three ear-tip and three wing-tip sizes to ensure a locked-in, comfortable seal. 

You get up to 32 hours of total playback time with the pocket-sized charging case, fast-charge support (10 minutes for 90 minutes of juice), Bluetooth Multipoint pairing, Clear Call Quality microphone tech, IPX5 weather resistance, and full SoundForm app EQ customization.

Head over to Belkin or Amazon to shop the new SoundForm lineup starting at $34.99 before everyone else realizes noise cancellation can actually be this cheap.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today, and see what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

SAVE $300: As of Sept. 9, the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (256GB) is down to its lowest price since launch. Snag one on Amazon for $1,799.99 down from its $2,099.99 list price — a 14% savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra $1,799.99 at Amazon
$2,099.99 Save $300.00   Get Deal

Amazon dropped the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra (256GB) to $1,799.99 — a 14% discount off its hefty $2,099.99 retail price. Saving a full $300, this deal marks the lowest price since launch on Samsung's premier folding phone.

The real draw of the Z Fold 8 Ultra is how easily it opens up from a standard phone into a bright, tablet-sized display built for productivity. You can run up to three apps side by side, letting you handle emails, review documents, and engage in video calls all at once without switching windows. Samsung’s built-in AI even learns your daily routines to predict and suggest the exact apps you'll want to open next.

In his hands-on testing, Mashable reviewer Alex Perry gave the Z Fold 8 Ultra a 4.2 out of 5 rating, calling it "the best foldable form factor" on the market. He noted that "the thin chassis, gorgeous displays, and newly improved battery go a long way towards making it a very good phone," highlighting that it also remains "extremely comfortable" in the hands.

His biggest praise went to the new 5,000mAh battery — a welcome bump from the 4,400mAh cell in the Z Fold 7. In Mashable's video test, it churned out 24 hours of continuous playback, fixing what Alex called last year's "biggest downfall".

SEE ALSO: Galaxy Z Fold 8 review: Why this is my favorite new foldable

Unlike earlier foldables that compromised on camera hardware, the Z Fold 8 Ultra packs a flagship 200MP main sensor paired with an upgraded 50MP ultra-wide lens, giving you crisp extreme close-ups and wide landscape shots without sacrificing detail. Performance is powered by Qualcomm's high-end Snapdragon 8 Elite processor, handling intensive mobile gaming and AI tasks with zero lag.

Head to Amazon to score the Galaxy Z Fold 8 Ultra for $1,799.99 and get Samsung's top foldable at a far more palatable price point.

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

The Pumpkin Spice Latte has returned to Starbucks, the leaves are starting to change, and shelves are already lined with Halloween-themed decor. For the dedicated fall fanatics, 'tis the season to revisit the Emmy Award-winning animated mini-series Over the Garden Wall — aka the ultimate autumn watch with darkness and whimsy.

A dozen years after the show's debut, Over The Garden Wall is still a spooky season staple. So, in the spirit of the season, Loungefly has unveiled an all-new Over the Garden Wall collection dedicated to Wirt and his little half-brother, Gregory's trek through the Unknown. This comes after Funko's first-ever Pop! Figures inspired by the series were unveiled last month. Once again, Mashable has the exclusive first look.

The iconic mini backpacks from Funko's lifestyle brand Loungefly are basically God-tier in the fandom world. A status symbol in the form of pop culture-themed accessories. So diehard fans of Over The Garden Wall will definitely want to get their hands on these. The collection includes two exclusive mini backpacks that perfectly capture the show's whimsical nature in lavish detail: a Pottsfield embroidered mini backpack and a web-exclusive Greg cosplay mini backpack. Let's take a look.

First look: Loungefly x Over The Garden Wall Collection Pottsfield Embroidered Mini Backpack The front of the backpack features the lead duo: Wirt and Gregory. Credit: Loungefly Flip over the bag to reveal The Woodsman in his signature hat and trench coat. Credit: Loungefly

First in the collection is a mini backpack dedicated to Over The Garden Wall's lead duo: Wirt and his half-brother Gregory. Its cream and olive tones, paired with the corduroy detailing, make it perfect for your fall wardrobe. On the front, you'll find Wirt and Gregory in their signature getups: Wirt in a navy blue cloak and red hat, and Greg in his overalls and tea-kettle hat with a satchel. Alongside them, of course, are the no-nonsense bluebird Beatrice and Greg's frog of many names. Elegant embroidered flowers surround them.

Flip the bag over and you'll find The Woodsman, donning his gray hat and trench coat and wielding an axe and the Dark Lantern. On the sides, you'll also find Beatrice and the many-named frog.

The Pottsfield Embroidered Mini Backpack is about 10.5 inches tall and 9 inches wide and features adjustable shoulder straps to fit all backs. It retails for $90.

Greg Cosplay Mini Backpack (Web Exclusive) The Greg cosplay backpack features his classic overalls with actual buttons and a frog coin bag. Credit: Loungefly The applique leaves and embossed Gregory on the back are nice touches. Credit: Loungefly

Next up, we have the web-exclusive Greg Cosplay Mini Backpack, a charming replica of Gregory's signature look. It features his classic green corduroy overalls with real buttons, a 3D molded metal brooch, a velvet ribbon, a brown satchel strap, and debossed detailing. It even comes with an adorable detachable coin bag featuring, of course, his beloved frog (aka Kitty, Wirt, Dr. Cucumber, and Jason Funderburker). The details really bring the bag to the next level, including applique flowers on the adjustable straps and a hidden Gregory silhouette on the back.

Like the Pottsfield Backpack, the Greg Cosplay option also stands at about 10.5 inches tall and 9 inches wide, and retails for $90.

How to buy the Loungefly x OTGW collection

The Loungefly x Over The Garden Wall collection is officially available for purchase on the Loungefly website as of 12 p.m. ET on Sept. 9, 2026. Head over to Loungefly.com to snag yours for the season. And while you're at it, check out the Funko Pop! figurines of these curious characters, which are coming soon.

Apple's iPhone 18 event is almost upon us, and we're still hearing new rumors about the devices just hours before the big show.

Bloomberg reporter and well-connected Apple insider Mark Gurman shared news on X on Wednesday morning about the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone Duo devices, specifically, which colors will be available. Gurman's latest report matches months of rumors, and he says the traditional iPhone 18 Pro will be available in light blue, black, burgundy, and silver. The foldable iPhone Duo, on the other hand, will only available in dark blue and white varieties.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Gurman is also responsible for breaking the iPhone Duo's name, which we had been calling the iPhone Fold or iPhone Ultra in the months leading up to the event on Wednesday. He's usually right about these things, so these colors seem like very safe bets.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today, and see what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

Starbucks just announced a new collab: Starbucks x Peanuts, which, rationally, could only mean one thing — a Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The full 10-piece collection will be available to purchase on Sept. 15, just days before fall officially starts on Tuesday, September 22. Normally, I'm not a fan of premature pumpkin-spicing, but I'm letting this slide. I WILL be standing in line at 4 a.m. for this one. (I have two beagles, and if this isn't the cutest damn thing.)

SEE ALSO: Get ready to fight for your life: Starbucks is dropping a new Pink Drink Bearista Cup

Inspired by the 60th anniversary of It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown, the limited-edition drop includes drinkware (obvs), a plush, and accessories. And because Starbucks knows exactly how this is going to go (as do we all), they're enforcing a strict two-item purchase limit per customer on the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup.

The Snoopy Glass Cold Cup Credit: Starbucks Everything in the Starbucks x Peanuts 'Great Pumpkin' collection

• Snoopy Glass Cold Cup ($39.95): The star of the collection is obvs the Snoopy Glass Cold Cup. He's wearing a pumpkin-colored beanie, a green scarf, and is adorned with a Woodstock straw topper.

• Snoopy Plush ($34.95): If you can't get your hands on the Cold Cup, you can get a cute Snoopy plush. He's wearing Starbucks green and holding what I could only assume is a PSL.

• 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler ($32.95): Need another tumbler? The 16-ounce Stainless Steel Tumbler is super cute and features a Woodstock charm and a dancing Snoopy.

• Stainless Steel Cold Cup ($32.95): The Stainless Steel Cold Cup includes a straw and shows an illustration of Lucy and Snoopy sharing coffee.

• The Great Pumpkin Tumbler ($32.95): This cute coffee tumbler features Snoopy and Woodstock artwork inspired by the movie.

• 14-ounce Ceramic Mug ($29.95): If you want a collectible that includes the whole gang, you should get the 14-ounce Ceramic Mug. It also "reveals a surprise Snoopy with every sip," which maybe means that there's a Snoopy at the bottom of the mug?

• 24-ounce Cold Cup ($27.95): The 24-ounce Cold Cup is a clear, plastic cold cup covered in Snoopy and The Great Pumpkin fall imagery.

• Accessories: The drop also includes a Mini Tote ($29.95), a Bag Charm ($16.95), and an Enamel Pin Set ($14.95).

Peanuts + Starbucks collection launches Sept. 15. Credit: Starbucks

SAVE 25%: Through Sept. 11, rewards members can take 25% off pre-order books at Barnes & Noble with the code PREORDER25. Paid Premium members save an extra 10%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Barnes & Noble Save 25% on pre-order books at Barnes & Noble with code PREORDER25 Get Deal

2026 has already been an excellent year for new books, from the satirical influencer-inspired Yesteryear, to the new Dungeon Crawler Carl book A Parade of Horribles, to the supernatural horror The Caretaker. But the year is far from over and we still have plenty of new releases to add to our shelves. Why not save a little cash on those highly anticipated titles?

From Sept. 9 through 11, Barnes & Noble is giving rewards members 25% off pre-order books with the code PREORDER25. The offer is for online pre-orders only on the most anticipated nonfiction and fiction titles and you must be a rewards member to redeem the code at checkout. Fortunately, if you're not yet a member, it's free to join. There's also a paid Premium membership option available ($39.99/year), which will save you an additional 10% on pre-orders if you choose to sign up.

There are hundreds of books available for pre-order on the Barnes & Noble website, but a few standouts include I'll Believe in Anything: The Making of Heated Rivalry Season 1 by Jacob Tierney, Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel, Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones, Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult, Hollywood Ending by John Green, and The Witch by Freida McFadden. Be sure to get your pre-orders in by 2:59 a.m. ET on the morning of Sept. 12 to score the 25% off discount. And don't forget the code PREORDER25.

Looking to score some deals on existing titles? Here are a few discounts I spotted on Amazon worth adding to your cart.

Best book deals at Amazon

• And Now, Back to You by B.K. Borison (paperback) — $10.40 $19 (save $8.60)

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach (paperback) — $14.24 $18.99 (save $4.75)

• Heart of Glass by Jennifer Hillier (harcover) — $14.50 $29 (save $14.50)

• Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke (hardover) — $14.99 $30 (save $15.01)

• Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty (hardcover) — $22.10 $34 (save $11.90)

• Under Story by Chloe Benjamin (hardcover) — $22.38 $32 (save $9.62)

Everyone who misses Andrew Scott's Priest from Fleabag better prepare themselves for the upcoming series, It Gets Worse.

Created by UK comedian Leo Reich, It Gets Worse is about three university friends in London. A clip of the show recently dropped, and it already has the internet in a (figurative? literal?) chokehold.

The two-minute snippet features Reich as an adrift 24-year-old and Scott as a therapist and apparent hookup app match. Reich's character, though, uses the opportunity to speak to the therapist and laments that he feels like his life is over. But his woes are curtailed pretty quickly when the therapist kisses him.

It gets worse better: The therapist holds the 20-something by the neck and tells him, "You're just a hole for daddy." After telling him he's fine mentally, valid, and enough, he spits in his mouth.

As expected, the internet is extremely horny about this:

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The UK recently banned strangulation porn in its Crime and Policing Bill (as well as incest porn). It's now an offense to possess or publish images of strangulation and suffocation if the image is pornographic. The law states that the image is banned if it "portrays, in an explicit and realistic way, a person strangling," but doesn't go into detail about what, exactly, this means, or whether what Scott is doing in the clip would be allowed if the parties were naked.

Obviously, a UK sitcom isn't the same as pornography, but it's notable that a famed star can hold his costar by the neck and be shown at the BFI London Film Festival, while adult performers can't do the same.

Why are Windows laptops so expensive right now?

The ongoing memory crisis, aka "RAMageddon," is the main reason why Windows laptop prices have skyrocketed this year. But it also doesn't help that Microsoft reportedly raised its Windows 11 licensing fees by abnormally high rates. In other words, PC makers are spending more on both hardware and software right now, so they're making consumers eat the extra costs.

Some of our current picks have faced price hikes in recent months (see below). We've re-evaluated them and decided that they're still worth recommending at their higher prices, but will remove them from this guide if we find better-value alternatives or if their prices keep climbing to exorbitant levels.

What's new this month

In early September 2026, I updated this guide with one new pick. The Dell XPS 13 is my new favorite budget Windows laptop for its elite build quality. (It's also the best MacBook Neo rival I've encountered thus far.) It succeeds the sold-out Acer Aspire 16 AI.

SEE ALSO: MacBook Neo vs. XPS 13: The golden age of ultraportables is here

I've started looking for a replacement for the Alienware 16X Aurora, our former pick in the gaming category, which is no longer available. I'm also in the process of testing a possible alternative to the Asus Zenbook A16, our current favorite 16-inch Windows laptop, which just got a $300 price hike. I still love it and think it's a decent value in the age of RAMageddon, but I want to double-check that it's still the best option out there.

Finally, I'm monitoring the availability of two of our other current picks: the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI and Intel-powered Acer Swift X 14. They were both out of stock at the time of writing but could return, so I'm keeping them on this guide for now. If it turns out they've been fully discontinued, I'll replace them with other models. (As things stand, the Dell 14S would become my top choice for students, and the AMD-powered Acer Swift X 14 AI would be my new pick for photo and video editing.)

As a quick note before we get into the picks, Mashable tests laptops on the basis of performance, battery life, design/build quality, and value. We do so using a combination of synthetic benchmarking and real-world usage. You can read more about our testing process in the "How We Tested" section.

A note about ARM-based Windows laptops Asus' Zenbook A-series laptops are two of the best ARM-based laptops I've tried. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Qualcomm's Snapdragon X series chips use ARM-based architecture, not traditional x86 architecture like Intel and AMD chips. As such, their compatibility differs. ARM-based laptops don't work natively with certain specialty software (like AutoCAD), nor can they run as many PC games.

ARM compatibility issues are a non-concern for the majority of general-purpose Windows users, but they'll be dealbreakers for some demographics — PC gamers being an obvious one.

College students should also steer clear of ARM laptops. When I examined the 10 top public universities' hardware recommendations for the 2026 fall semester, I found that a couple schools explicitly advised their students against getting ARM-based laptops to make sure they can run all of their necessary coursework without emulation. (This is one big reason why I recommend the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI and Dell 14S for college students, in particular: They have x86-based Intel chips.)

The good news is that ARM compatibility has gotten better over the past couple years, and it will definitely continue to do so now that Nvidia is coming out with its own RTX Spark "superchips," which run on ARM.

What we're testing right now

The Mashable team has a bunch of other Windows laptops in hand for testing right now, including the Alienware 16 Area-51, Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i, Lenovo Yoga 7i 2-in-1, Lenovo LOQ Essential 15, Lenovo Legion 5i, Lenovo Legion Pro 7i, MSI Prestige 16 AI+, Framework Laptop 13 Pro, Asus ProArt PZ14, Asus Zenbook Duo, and Acer Swift Air 14. Stay tuned to see if any of them make the cut for a future update to this guide.

What to look forward to

PC makers announced lots of new laptops earlier this month at IFA, a tech trade show in Berlin. The models confirmed for an eventual U.S. release are:

• Lenovo IdeaPad Vibe, a budget laptop that comes in two sizes and seven colors

• Lenovo Yoga Pro 5n and Yoga 9n 2-in-1, two creator laptops powered by Nvidia's RTX Spark platform

• Lenovo ThinkBook 14 Gen 9 and ThinkBook 14x Gen 2, two fresh business laptops

• Acer Swift Air 16, a slim 16-incher

• Another version of the Dell 14S with more colors, less powerful processors, and a cheaper price tag

FREE MARS CANDY WITH TICKET PURCHASE: As of Sep. 9, get a free Mars candy when you purchase a ticket to see Verity starring Anne Hathaway at a Regal Theater on opening weekend.

Opens in a new window Credit: Regal Theaters Free Mars Candy with Verity Ticket at Regal   Get Deal

Can't wait to see Anne Hathaway's latest movie in theaters? Make sure you head to Regal to get your money's worth. After starring in a string of hits like The Odyssey, Mother Mary, The Devil Wears Prada 2, and The End of Oak Street, the actress is appearing in a new theatrical adaptation of the Colleen Hoover bestseller Verity, and you have a chance to get a nice little freebie for checking the movie out as soon as it hits theaters.

As of Sep. 9, get a free Mars candy when you purchase a ticket to see Verity starring Anne Hathaway at a Regal Theater on opening weekend. That means you must purchase a ticket between Oct. 1 and Oct. 4, and you'll get one free eligible Mars candy per ticket. The movie officially hits theaters on Oct. 2, so you can preorder your tickets if you like, as long as you buy them at a Regal theater, while supplies last. This offer is only available to Regal Crown Club members as an exclusive.

SEE ALSO: 'Mother Mary' review: Anne Hathaway and Michaela Coel are rapturous

Verity follows writer Lowen Ashleigh (Dakota Johnson), who's hired to ghostwrite for author Verity Crawford (Hathaway). She's given all the notes and reference materials she needs when she heads to the Crawford residence to get started, but there's something not quite right about the situation, and it all comes to light when she happens upon an extremely dark confession about Verity's husband Jeremy (Josh Hartnett).

It's always good to get a freebie when you head to the movies given how expensive everything is, so if you're headed out to see this one anyway, might as well get something sweet for your trouble!

With hours to go before Apple's "Surprise and shine" event on Wednesday, new Apple CEO John Ternus took to X/Twitter to share a short teaser video.

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Within an hour, the video had already been viewed more than 1.1 million times by X users, and Apple fans are speculating wildly about what it could mean. We'll know for sure later today, as the September Apple event livestream is scheduled to start at 1 p.m. ET later today.

The short video clip shows a bright beam of light shining down on what appears to be a camera lens. That could point to the rumored iPhone 18 Pro Max camera upgrades, which include a variable aperture.

However, considering that the tagline for the event is literally "Surprise and shine," it's always possible that Ternus is teasing something totally unexpected, like a Vision Pro 2 or Apple's long-rumored smart glasses.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 9, the Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core 5 320, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) is on sale at Best Buy for only $599.99. That's 25% off its $799.99 MSRP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Dell Dell XPS 13 (Intel Core 5 320, 8GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $599.99 at Best Buy
$799.99 Save $200   Get Deal

Best Buy is offering a steep discount on Dell's premium budget laptop in the wake of its recent price increase. An entry-level Dell XPS 13 with 8GB of memory and 512GB of storage is currently on sale there for just $599.99, or $200 off its newly higher MSRP. That nullifies its price bump and then some.

The global memory crisis is making all laptops more expensive, and budget models like the XPS 13 are no exception: Dell just raised the price of its MacBook Neo competitor by $100 and introduced a new base model with half the storage as before. This 512GB variant, which used to be the starting configuration, went from $699.99 to $799.99. (Note that Best Buy is still showing its original list price — this deal is better than advertised.)

The Dell XPS 13's "sky" colorway is a subtle light blue hue. Credit: Dell

Like the mega-popular MacBook Neo, the XPS 13 has a luxe all-aluminum build that makes it look and feel much more expensive than it really is. Unlike the Neo, it has a backlit keyboard and a touchscreen display with a slightly sharper resolution, thinner bezels, and a much smoother 120Hz refresh rate. It's also half a pound lighter than the Neo, weighing only 2.2 pounds.

This XPS 13 runs on a low-end Intel Core 5 320 chip that's best for basic tasks like sending emails and surfing the web. If you're a tab-happy user who likes to multitask, consider upgrading its RAM from 8GB to 16GB. (Windows 11 eats up a big chunk of its memory.) Best Buy is still selling a 16GB RAM variant at its original price of $899.99; it's now going for $999.99 on Dell's website.

Updated on Sept. 9 at 2:00 p.m. ET — Apple finally unveiled the iPhone Duo, ending months (years, really) of speculation. Read our full story on the launch of the foldable iPhone Duo.

The foldable iPhone Ultra is finally here. Wait. Scratch that. Apple's first folding iPhone is apparently not going by that name anymore. And along with a new name, the foldable will apparently be more affordable than expected, too.

On the eve of the Apple iPhone launch event, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman dropped some big news about Apple's foldable iPhone. Apple is expected to announce the iPhone 18 line, along with the foldable smartphone, at the big "Surprise and Shine" event later today.

Want more tech news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Apple has reportedly decided to call the foldable the "iPhone Duo."

The foldable device has been referred to by Apple insiders, analysts, and leakers for months as the iPhone Ultra, so this is a bit of a surprise. The iPhone Duo does seem to fit a bit better as a name, as it's not technically a premium iPhone 18 experience as "Ultra" tends to convey. It's a whole new product line for Apple.

If you really liked the iPhone Ultra name and are disappointed by the news, Gurman reported some additional updates that may act as a consolation for the name change.

The iPhone Duo is expected to launch with a retail price of $2,000. That's several hundred dollars less than most analysts expected. The launch price was recently pegged at around $2,300 with an average cost of $2,550.

We will know more about the iPhone Duo very shortly when Apple officially announces the foldable device at the event.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park. See what our readers guessed would happen at today's Apple event in our Big Guessing Game.

In what's become a regular Bat-Signal for tech enthusiasts, the Apple Store was down Wednesday morning.

Hours ahead of the tech giant's big Apple Event, where the new iPhone 18 lineup is expected to be unveiled, the retail section of Apple's website was showing an error.

SEE ALSO: Apple Event 2026: Live updates on iPhone 18 Pro, Apple Watch 12, and new AirPods

It's not a crash, however, instead it's become an annual occurrence when new iPhones wait in the wings. And with Apple's first-ever foldable iPhone expected to emerge today, you know that storefront is getting an overhaul.

Today, Apple will hold its "Surprise and Shine" event at 10 a.m. PT at Apple Park in Cupertino, California. However, you can watch the keynote live on YouTube and follow Mashable's live updates on the ground.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

Featured Video For You What would really 'surprise' at Apple’s iPhone event

In a handful of hours, Apple is holding its big annual September event. You'd think the rumor mill would slow down at some point, but it hasn't.

Everyone expects to see new iPhones and some other fun stuff as well. Those details are more or less set in stone. There are little things in the margins, though, such as device prices, colors, and specs, that are still leaking out ahead of time. Here are some last-minute rumors to catch up on before the show at 1 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

SEE ALSO: What would really 'surprise' at Apple’s iPhone event We may have a name and price for the foldable iPhone

In a last-second report for Bloomberg, Mark Gurman revealed that the foldable iPhone will be called the iPhone Duo and will launch at $2,000 for 256GB of storage. That's quite a bit less than expected, and Gurman said that Apple will be eating some of the higher memory costs.

He also says the two colors for the device are white and a dark blue, and that shipments will come "as early as October." It should also have Apple Pencil support, per Gurman.

Leaked iPhone 18 Pro and Ultra cases, with one device notably missing This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Last week, a handful of third-party phone accessory makers posted renders of cases for the iPhone 18 Pro, Pro Max, and Ultra phones. While the renders are almost certainly not real photos of the phones, they do give us an idea of what to expect in terms of size and shape, especially for the foldable Ultra. As has been rumored for months, it appears to be a short, wide foldable with two cameras on the rear.

These iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max case leaks included four colors: deep burgundy, light gray, black, and misty blue, all of which have been previously reported as colors for those devices. The only slightly weird thing here is that there are no renders of the base-model iPhone 18. It's becoming more and more expected around the tech world that Apple will wait until next spring to launch the base iPhone 18, giving the Pro and Ultra models more time to shine this fall.

No AirPods with cameras at "Surprise and Shine" event

In the same report where he revealed the foldable iPhone's name and price, Gurman also predicted that the rumored AirPods with cameras will not be released at today's event. Instead, Gurman said the new AirPods 5 will be revealed, with the camera-equipped AirPods Pro Ultra coming soon after.

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A video of the new AirPods with cameras leaked back in August, suggesting a release is indeed imminent, even if it doesn't happen today.

Late-coming foldable iPhone specs

An earlier Gurman interview also contained some basic specs for the device, which line up with what we've been hearing for a while now. Gurman said to expect a 5.5-inch outer display and a 7.8-inch inner display. He also said the phone will have MagSafe support, which had been a big question mark prior to this interview. He compared the hinge to those on recent Samsung foldables, which means it likely won't be completely invisible, but it will be close enough.

Price hikes may not be as big as we thought

Following reports that the iPhone Duo could have an average price of over $2,500, and rumors that the new iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max could see $200 to $300 price increases, the latest report from Gurman predicted softer price increases of around $100.

That would definitely be good news amid the global memory crisis, though Apple has been preparing us for iPhone price increases for months.

No major Apple Watch updates

We already reported that the new Apple Watch Series 12 (not to mention a new SE and Ultra) won't see major changes this year. However, we do have some tidbits, including the existence of a new health app designed to help the Apple Watch compete with trendy screen-free wearables like the Whoop and Oura ring.

Follow our Apple event live blog to catch up on the latest news and announcements from the "Surprise and Shine" keynote, with live updates from Apple Park.

What would have happened to Carrie if she'd gone to school in the age of smartphones and the internet?

The trailer above for Mike Flanagan's Prime Video adaptation of Stephen King's classic novel sets out to answer that question, placing Carrie White (Summer H. Howell) into a present-day version of King's nightmarish story about a bullied girl with telekinetic powers.

Judging by the trailer, the key moments from the book have been kept. But the forever nature of the internet looks set to make Carrie's suffering all the more painfully relatable.

Following its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival next week, Carrie debuts on streaming on Prime Video Oct. 7.

Blame the American school system for my rubbish knowledge of England's Peasants' Revolt in 1381 prior to seeing The Uprising. Blame writer/director Paul Greengrass for making a movie about a "no kings" rebellion joltingly boring.

Aside from a string of Bourne Identity sequels (The Bourne Supremacy, The Bourne Ultimatum, Jason Bourne), the English journalist-turned-filmmaker has favored adapting true stories into films such as Bloody Sunday, United 93, Green Zone, The Lost Bus, and now The Uprising.

His latest stars Andrew Garfield as an impoverished farmer whose whole family has died from plague. This humble everyman trusted in his king. But surrounded by power-hungry yes-men, the ruler of the land ignores the needs of his people and bleeds them dry with taxes that could literally starve them. The modern-day relevance is hard to miss even before Garfield hisses, "No kings!"

So, why does this story feel less like a protest shout and more like a shrug?

The Uprising lacks the guts of its heroes. Thomasin McKenzie, Jamie Bell, and Andrew Garfield in "The Uprising." Credit: Focus Features

As a critic, I wish I thought less often of Blues Traveler's "Runaround." As songs go, it still slaps. But often when I'm bored by a movie, I hear John Popper in my head as if he's sitting beside me, whispering, "A bad play where the heroes are right / And nobody thinks or expects too much / And Hollywood's calling for the movie rights / Singing, 'Hey babe, let's keep in touch.'" (Hey babe, let's keep in touch.)

Which is all to say that Greengrass wants to make the Peasants' Revolt as black-and-white as possible. So, he casts a handsome, affable, and respected actor as its hero, an everyman who is defined not by his name or his family but by his job: Ploughman.

The Uprising begins with Garfield at the plough, enacting back-breaking toil within view of three modest graves, marked by hand-rigged crosses. The quiet sequence sets up that this is a hard-working family man who has nothing left to lose.

Then, this simple man faces the king's representatives, who brutally demand taxes in the form of harvests from the village that's scraping by in the wake of so much death. Ploughman himself is snagged in brutal bureaucracy as the taxman argues essentially that if the widower didn't pay the "death tax" on his wife and kids, he must pay the increased fee now, as if they were alive. But that's not the real focus of this sequence. That would be a string of sexual assaults conducted by the king's soldiers in the background.

See, if a girl is "of age," her family will be taxed more. And how the soldiers determine if she's old enough to qualify is by reaching up her skirt. Doing this once isn't enough to get the point across, or so thinks Greengrass. So nameless, weeping girls cry out one after another before crumbling into defeat, as Ploughman looks distraught and argues with a taxman. Then he snaps, declaring, "Enough!" and leaping on a soldier. The rest of the village follows, chasing the king's men away, save for the soldier that Ploughman has beaten to death. But who could blame him, right?

While some might balk at the Ploughman's violent response, The Uprising will soon introduce more radical characters, like the pro-fighting priest John Ball (Jamie Bell), the warrior Wat Tyler (Cosmo Jarvis), and a cynical nun named Alyce (Thomasin McKenzie). Their push for violence makes the Ploughman uneasy, as he again and again pushes for diplomacy, haunted by his own past violence. So, by contrast to those who seek a fight, he's almost saintly in his restraint. But more than that, he seems bored by it. Or maybe that's just me.

Andrew Garfield can't save The Uprising. Director Paul Greengrass and actor Cosmo Jarvis during the production of "The Uprising." Credit: Betina La Plante / Focus Features

Garfield is a great actor. But Greengrass' style is is typically one of restraint, which makes little sense in a time of such political upheaval. These people are fighting for their survival on no uncertain terms, yet that primal urge to live is lost in The Uprising. Garfield's shining eyes, paired with a tense jaw, speak of his character's inner agony. It's up to Bell and McKenzie to sell us festered rage, as neither is new to the fight. Their scenes offer brief flickers of life. She seethes with a monologue about religious corruption that is stirring, albeit brief.

Bell ignites onscreen. He is Garfield's foil. Where Ploughman's brush with violence makes him yearn for peace, Bell's Ball craves the bloodshed that might scare the upper class into actual, meaningful change. Theirs is a compelling dynamic I craved more of, but Greengrass has his grim battle scenes to get to. Oh, then there's the sympathetic but useless queen mother's subplot. Katherine Waterston plays Joan of Kent, mother of Richard II (Woody Norman), a boy royal who rules with the impetuousness of youth and the cruelty of privilege. Her horror at her son's actions is, I don't know, there. But in terms of what it means in the movie? A whole lot of nothing. Greengrass also looped in the likes of Stephen Dillane, Jonny Lee Miller, and Tom Hollander for thankless supporting roles.

Tom Hollander, Woody Norman, and Katherine Waterston in "The Uprising." Credit: Betina La Plante / Focus Features

The whole of the film is draped in a bleak tone that regards revolution as inevitable yet regrettable. This maudlin perspective is reflected in a low-contrast palette, often with a faint yellow tint. It has the effect of treating The Uprising like a forgotten photograph, bleached by age. However, cinematographer Pål Ulvik Rokseth's handheld camerawork conflicts with this antiqued look. These shots, jostled by his body's motion, the breath in his lungs, the blood in his veins, give life to the film in a way that doesn't fit the rest of Greengrass' approach. And that's probably why I responded to it so much. I yearned for the energy Rokseth's cameras gave, which Greengrass' writing and direction lacked.

In shooting a story of rebellion that's hundreds of years old, Rokseth reflects the modern language of not just journalists in war zones but also average citizens recording atrocities on their phones. The "shaky cam" look reminds us that we are witnesses, not just an audience. And in that, The Uprising's cinematography asks what we will do with what we know. It's a visual call to action.

What a shame that the rest of the movie can't commit to such boldness. Instead, Greengrass gives us a bland, muddy slog with a black-and-white hero and villain, and an ending that is sure to satisfy no one.

The Uprising opens in theaters in the U.S. on Sept. 10; a UK release will follow on Oct. 9.

SAVE $350: As of Sept. 9, the JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar with Wireless Subwoofer is down to its lowest price ever. Snag one from Amazon for $549.95, down from $899.95 — a 39% discount.

Amazon dropped the price on the JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar System down to $549.95 — a 39% discount off its $899.95 list price. That cuts $350 off the retail cost and marks the absolute best price ever for this heavy-hitting home theater setup.

The coolest feature of this soundbar is its detachable, battery-powered rear speakers. When you want full surround sound for movies or sports, you simply lift the end caps off the main bar and place them behind your couch. There are no speaker wires to string across your floor and no extra wall outlets needed. Once you're done watching, you snap them back onto the main unit to recharge automatically for your next viewing session.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best expert-tested soundbars to upgrade your TV setup

Delivering 780 watts of total system power, this setup packs plenty of punch. The included 10-inch wireless subwoofer handles the deep low end, giving action scenes and music basslines a heavy, physical rumble in your living room. 

Opens in a new window Credit: JBL JBL Bar 700MK2 Soundbar $549.95 at Amazon
$899.95 Save $350   Get Deal

Built-in Dolby Atmos and DTS Virtual:X bounce sound off your walls and ceiling to simulate overhead audio, while wide-dispersion tech spreads the sound evenly across the room so everyone on the couch gets a great seat.

To keep quiet conversations from getting buried during loud action scenes, the built-in voice-enhancement tech analyzes scene volume on the fly to keep speech crisp and easy to hear. When the TV is off, the system works as a standalone home speaker with built-in WiFi and Bluetooth, making it easy to stream music or podcasts straight from your phone or laptop.

Score the JBL Bar 700MK2 for $549.95 at Amazon and never ask "what did they say?" again.

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SAVE $40: As of Sept. 9, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 portable speakers are on sale for $59.99 at Amazon. That's $40 off their list price of $99.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Ultimate Ears Ultimate Ears WONDERBOOM 4 Portable Waterproof Speaker $59.99 at Amazon
$99.99 Save $40.00   Get Deal

Amazon's Labor Day sale featured some excellent discounts, including a deal on one of our favorite portable speakers, the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4. While the sale event may be winding down, this offer is still live so that shoppers can snag this portable speaker for $59.99.

As of Sept. 9, every available color on Amazon is down to this price, $40 off the usual list price of $99.99. For some of the color variants, it even marks a return to this speaker's lowest-ever price at the retailer, making now a great time to grab it. Keep in mind that some colors are marked as limited-time deals right now, so be quick to pick up your favorite while it's still on sale.

SEE ALSO: 40+ Labor Day deals still available, including TVs, mattresses, Apple, and more

If you're planning some outdoor excursions this fall, whether that be camping or just a cozy bonfire, a portable speaker like this is perfect for bringing music along on your journey. It has a compact, sturdy build (IP67-rated waterproof, dustproof, and floatable, according to the store page) that boasts 360-degree sound alongside a rechargeable battery that lasts up to 14 hours.

It's one we think is certainly worth picking up, earning a spot in our roundup of the best portable Bluetooth speakers as it's "a powerhouse for its size and price." And with a deal like this, it's even more worth grabbing.

If it's been on your radar, don't miss out on this opportunity to save on the Ultimate Ears Wonderboom 4 portable speaker at Amazon.

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SAVE $150: As of Sept. 9, the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (256GB) is down to its lowest price since launch. Snag one from Amazon for $1,049.99 down from $1,199.99 — a 13% discount.

As of Sept. 9, Amazon has dropped the price of the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 (256GB) down to $1,049.99 — a 13% discount off its $1,199.99 list price. This deal marks the lowest price we've seen on Samsung's latest flip phone since its release.

Samsung refined the design on this generation to make it lighter and thinner than its predecessor, so it easily disappears into a pocket. The expanded, customizable cover screen lets you respond to texts, run app widgets, and access AI shortcuts without opening the phone. You can also prop the phone up hands-free to snap photos at any angle or record video. 

SEE ALSO: Everything announced at Samsung Galaxy Unpacked, including Z Fold 8, Z Flip 8, and smart glasses

It packs a top-tier Snapdragon 8 Elite processor paired with 12GB of RAM, giving you fast app loading, smooth multitasking, and quick photo processing. An upgraded 4,300 mAh battery delivers reliable daily runtime and fast-charging support. For iPhone switchers, Samsung has simplified the setup process to bring over your photos, contacts, passwords, and alarms in a few taps. 

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 8 $1,049.99 at Amazon
$1,199.99 Save $150   Get Deal

Mashable Tech Editor Timothy Beck Werth gave the Galaxy Z Flip 8 a 4.25 out of 5 rating and a Mashable Selects award, calling it "an interesting phone in a time when most phones are aggressively boring." He singled out the lightweight frame, subtle crease, and customizable outer display as major wins, praising the pink colorway as "our favorite phone design in years." 

SEE ALSO: Samsung Galaxy phones could soon get a popular Apple feature

However, he did point out that the 50MP main camera is "just OK" and the 10MP selfie camera could be eliminated in favor of using the cover screen preview. Despite those minor trade-offs, he concluded that "if you don't need a 200MP camera or 8K video recording... then this phone will suit your needs just fine."

Grab the Galaxy Z Flip 8 for $1,049.99 on Amazon and snag Samsung's sleekest flip phone for its best price yet.

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