Mashable

Samsung's next batch of Galaxy phones is likely at least a few months away, but that doesn't mean we can't start talking about software updates now.

A bevy of leaks and reports are already out there regarding One UI 8.5, the next big software update to Samsung's custom version of Android. It's expected to launch with the Galaxy S26 lineup of smartphones, more than likely in January, but let's dig in now. Here are some of the bigger features we expect to see when One UI 8.5 hits in the near future.

SEE ALSO: Report: Samsung's Project Moohan headset will launch very soon

It all starts with the UI itself.

1. Samsung's own take on Liquid Glass This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

You may have heard that Apple recently launched a huge overhaul of its smartphone interface in the form of Liquid Glass. Samsung isn't quite doing that with One UI 8.5, but there are some noteworthy visual changes you can see, courtesy of Max Jambor on X and SamMobile.

In general, it looks a bit more slick, glossy, and eye-catching. App icons have a bit of a 3D effect on them now and several apps, like Digital Wellbeing and Gallery have gotten visual upgrades of their own. None of these seem quite as comprehensive or transformative as Liquid Glass arguably is, but if you've gotten tired of the way the UI looks on your Samsung device, this might work for you.

2. Comprehensive family sharing

SammyGuru reported that there are some expansive new family sharing features coming to One UI 8.5. In the Settings app, users can now create a family group using their Samsung account that will collate all of their family members' needs in one place. You can share payment methods, track other people's locations, and even share and compare health data, in case that's something you would like to do.

One other interesting tidbit is a requests page where someone can, for example, request to buy a game or paid app from the app store, pending approval from the owner of the family group. All of this sounds very convenient and nice, which is really refreshing in the age of debatably superfluous AI features.

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

Lastly for today, X user Ach (via 9to5Google) posted some screenshots of a new screen privacy feature coming to One UI 8.5.

It's not super clear just from these screenshots how this will work just yet. It looks like it triggers a privacy screen in crowded spaces when you look at "sensitive apps," which might entail anything that includes financial or personal information. The UI gives elevators and public transportation as locations where you might want to turn this on. I assume this just makes the screen unviewable to people nearby, but we'll have to wait and see how it actually looks in practice before making any judgment of it.

4. Intelligent network switching

This is an interesting feature, and one that we hope would become standard on iPhones and other devices. According to SammyGuru, the new OS will be able to automatically assess whether you should be connected to WiFi or cellular data, then switch between the options seamlessly when needed. It's a small change, but one that could be helpful when dealing with large files like videos.

One more new feature...

Finally, there's one more potential feature to discuss — support for spatial photos and video — but we don't want to get anyone's hopes up. However, as TechRadar and @LaidBackDev_ reported recently, users have spotted references to "3D, VR, and spatial media" in the Camera app code.

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

This could mean a lot of things, but some users are hoping it speaks to important upgrades to the camera tech. And if Samsung Galaxy phones could take spatial photographs and video, that would give them parity with iPhones. The timing of this upgrade also make sense, as Project Moohan is on the horizon.

There will, of course, be more than just these five features, in due time. Be patient, folks.

Oh hi! Welcome to another Taylor Swift album cycle. The singer dropped her highly anticipated twelfth studio project, The Life of a Showgirl, on Friday, Oct. 3.

With 12 new tracks to discuss and decode, the life of a Swiftie will be a busy one for the foreseeable future. Best of luck to anyone who wades into the "Actually Romantic" and "Wood" discourse; I'm personally abstaining for the sake of my sanity. But allow me to clue you in on all of the limited-time TLOAS merch drops, shimmery orange product releases, exclusive deals, and launch events tied to Showgirl's debut — official and otherwise — that you might have missed during the rollout.

Wait, why orange?

Whoever said orange is the new pink had the gift of foresight. Swift assigns a specific color theme to represent each of her albums' eras as a means of vibe-setting and savvy marketing. For TLOAS, she picked a peppy shade of glittery tangerine with mint-green accents.

Swift explained her choice of hue on the Aug. 13 episode of her fiancé Travis Kelce's podcast, New Heights, when she announced TLOAS and revealed its main vinyl variant — a Portofino Orange Glitter pressing. “[Orange] feels like kind of energetically how my life has felt," she said. "And this album is about what was going on behind the scenes in my inner life during this [Eras] Tour, which was so exuberant and electric and vibrant.”

SEE ALSO: Did Taylor Swift influence the new iPhone color? Fans seem to think so.

Swift first referenced her orange era on the very last stop of her record-breaking Eras Tour in December 2024, when she exited the stage through a pumpkin-colored door instead of descending on an elevator lift like usual. The woman famously loves an Easter egg.

All the TLOAS vinyl and CD variants you can still buy Credit: Taylor Nation LLC / Target

Speaking of vinyl: Swift has released 23 different hard copies of TLOAS so far, including eight vinyl variants, 14 CDs (counting box sets and signed copies), and one cassette tape. Many were available in limited quantities and sold out quickly.

At the time of writing, the primary Portofino Orange Glitter vinyl, a CD/poster bundle, a CD box set with a crewneck sweatshirt, and the cassette tape were still available for purchase through Swift's official online store. The orange vinyl and CD/poster bundle are also available through Amazon and Target at slight markups.

Target is carrying a couple of exclusive versions of TLOAS, including three CD/poster bundles with alternate covers and a "The Crowd is Your King" edition vinyl variant pressed in Summertime Spritz Pink Shimmer. The CDs were still in stock when I last checked, but the vinyl sold out online several days ago. Target started selling it in person at midnight on release day, so you might be able to find it in stock at a nearby store (while supplies last).

Shop "The Life of a Showgirl" on vinyl, CD, and cassette: "The Life of a Showgirl" Sweat and Vanilla Perfume Portofino Orange Glitter Vinyl $29.99 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" Sweat and Vanilla Perfume CD with Poster $12.99 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" Crewneck Sweatshirt Box Set $65 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" Sweat and Vanilla Perfume Cassette $19.99 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" The Crowd is Your King Summertime Spritz Pink Shimmer Vinyl $34.99 Learn More "The Life of a Showgirl" It's Beautiful CD with Poster $14.99 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" It's Frightening CD with Poster $19.99 Shop Now "The Life of a Showgirl" It's Rapturous CD with Poster $19.99 Shop Now Stay tuned for more merch

The only official TLOAS merch you can currently buy is a crewneck sweatshirt featuring its cover art, which comes as part of the aforementioned CD box set. Swift's online store sold another box set with a sparkly orange cardigan for $70 in mid-September, but it's no longer available.

Swift's past merch collections have included apparel, jewelry, drinkware, blankets, pins, guitars, guitar picks, candles, stickers, phone cases, and journals, so a much larger TLOAS drop is virtually inevitable. Some fans are convinced that Spotify's TLOAS pop-up event in New York City this week teased some upcoming items: A TS-branded vinyl case, robe, duffle bag, slippers, and megaphone ornament were spotted inside the activation.

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.

If you're looking for more TLOAS apparel and gifts in the meantime, you'll find tons of unsanctioned options on Etsy — and on several brands' social media feeds.

Brands are in their Showgirl era

Brands have "trendjacked" Swift's TLOAS rollout with orange-drenched memes, orange-themed deals, and limited-edition releases of orange products over the past month. (Trendjacking is a marketing term that effectively means "interpolating a viral trend.") None of the drops I've spotted are licensed collabs, but they wink-wink at a Showgirl connection in their titles and product descriptions.

KitchenAid's Tangerine Twinkle Stand Mixer

KitchenAid shared a mockup of a glittery orange stand mixer on its Instagram page the day of the TLOAS announcement. The post was such a hit with fans that the company decided to make it real. Only 12 of them are up for grabs, and you can win one by entering KitchenAid's "Showbiz Sweepstakes" at some point before Oct. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Opens in a new window Credit: KitchenAid Limited-Edition KitchenAid Tangerine Twinkle Stand Mixer Enter to win through Oct. 3 at 11:59 p.m. ET Learn More OtterBox's Encore phone case

OtterBox calls the Symmetry Series Encore "the case of the year to match the album of the year" — subtle! It features a shimmering orange design that's drop-tested and scratch-resistant. It's priced at $59.99 and available for newer Apple iPhones as well as the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra.

Opens in a new window Credit: OtterBox OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear Encore Collection $59.99 at OtterBox.com
Shop Now Casetify's Showgirl phone cases

Alternatively, Casetify brings the razzle-dazzle with its new Showgirl collection of phone cases for iPhones, Samsung Galaxy phones, and Google Pixel phones. There's one with orange feathers, one with a glittery orange gradient, and one with a ringed orange hearts. They start at $38 (depending on the phone model) and can be customized with MagSafe compatibility, ring stands, bumpers, and different levels of protection.

Shop Casetify's Showgirl collection: Casetify Showgirl Feathers Case Starting at $38 Shop Now Casetify Showgirl Glow Sparkle Case Starting at $38 Shop Now Casetify Showgirl Heartlights Case Starting at $38 Shop Now Apple's Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro

Showgirl's branding is so potent that some Swifties credited it as the inspiration for Apple's new cosmic orange iPhone 17 Pro. It's not, but the timing of the phone's release a couple weeks after Swift's TLOAS announcement was serendipitous. Other Apple gadgets that come in Showgirl-coded shades of orange include the AirPods Max headphones, the Beats PowerBeats Pro 2 earbuds, and the M4 iMac.

Shop Apple's orange products: Apple iPhone 17 Pro (256GB) — cosmic orange $1,099 Shop Now Apple iPhone 17 Pro Silicone Case with MagSafe — orange $49 Shop Now Apple iPhone FineWoven Wallet with MagSafe — fox orange ​​​​​​​ $59 Shop Now Apple AirPods Max (USB-C) — orange $549 Shop Now Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 — electric orange $249 Shop Now Apple iMac (M4 with 10-core CPU and 10-core GPU, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD) — orange $1,499 Shop Now Apple HomePod mini — orange $99 Shop Now Free friendship bracelets from Insomnia Cookies

Insomnia throws in a set of free friendship bracelets if you purchase a 13-pack of cookies in stores this weekend — a reference to Swift's lucky number. (It's $29.99, the same price as a standard 12-pack.) Chai Latte and Pumpkin Chocolate Chunk are two of the featured flavors, of course. If you'd rather order in, the coupon code SHOWGIRL gets you free delivery on any Insomnia order of $20 or more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Insomnia Cookies Insomnia Cookies (13-pack) $29.99
Get free friendship bracelets in stores; get free delivery on orders 20+ with code SHOWGIRL Shop Now Uber's 'orange era' deals

Uber is running a few promos tied to TLOAS. For starters, Uber Eats users can save 12% on select orange snacks, apparel, pet accessories, and beauty items through Sunday, Oct. 5 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Items available near me included Harvest Cheddar Sunchips, orange Spindrifts, literal oranges, mango-flavored lip balm, orange Nike running shoes, orange dog collars, and orange crafting beads, for reference.

Those attending album release day parties at a local record store, bar, or friend's house can save $12 on an Uber Comfort ride using the code SHOWBIZ. It's valid through Oct. 5, so fret not if you have your festivities planned for later in the weekend.

Opens in a new window Credit: Uber Save 12% on select orange items in the Uber Eats app Get Deal Lyft's Showgirl promo

Similarly, you can save 13% on a Lyft ride (up to $10) if you enter the code ELDESTDAUGHTER in the Payment tab. It's only valid "while supplies last," so grab your getaway car ASAP.

Opens in a new window Credit: Lyft Save 13% on Lyft rides with code ELDESTDAUGHTER Learn More Get tickets for The Official Release Party of a Showgirl

If you don't have any release weekend plans yet, throw on your finest orange garb and head to your local movie theater: Blondie returns to the big screen for The Official Release Party of a Showgirl from Oct. 3 to 5. The 89-minute event will feature the music video premiere for "The Fate of Ophelia," TS12's first single, plus behind-the-scenes footage of its shoot, lyric videos for the other 11 songs on the album, and Swift's explanations of each track's meaning.

"Dancing is optional but very much encouraged 💃," the singer wrote on Instagram. Tickets are available at releasepartyofashowgirl.com.

Opens in a new window Credit: Taylor Nation LLC "The Official Release Party of a Showgirl" In theaters Oct. 3 to 5 Learn More

Fall is here and with it arrives another Amazon Prime event. You may be wondering if you should pull the trigger on deals you've been eyeing once the official sale kicks off or wait until the next Prime event. We're here to lay out all the details to help you decide, including when to expect the next Prime Day.

When is the next Prime Day?

While it may seem like Amazon is holding Prime events every other month, Prime Day technically only happens once a year in the summer. However, Amazon has also been holding another major sale event the past three years in the fall (called Prime Big Deal days). For all intents and purposes, it's colloquially known as Prime Day 2 or October Prime Day. Amazon has also held a week-long shopping event in the spring, dubbed Amazon's Big Spring Sale, for the past two years. The deals aren't quite at the level of Prime Day, but it is considered Amazon's first major savings event of the year.

In 2025, Prime Day proper kicked off on July 8 and ran through July 11. Yes, that's four full days of deal shopping, marking the longest Prime Day ever. While it was longer than usual, the sale still fell at its usual time: Amazon historically holds the Prime Day event in mid-July with a Tuesday start date.

If you missed out on Prime Day proper, fall presents another opportunity to shop some sweet sales. Prime Big Deal Days, aka October Prime Day, will run from Oct. 7 through 8 in 2025 — following the same schedule it has since its 2022 debut.

This year's event promises millions of deals across categories, giving customers a head start on holiday shopping. Plenty of early deals have already caught our eye, and you can follow along with the best discounts in Mashable's Prime Day hub.

Are Prime Day deals worth it?

It's hard to get excited for a huge shopping event when you have recession on the brain. Everything from electronics to clothes to cleaning supplies has become more expensive this year due to President Donald Trump's tariffs and other general economic chaos.

If you're wondering whether or not Prime Big Deal Days is actually worth shopping, inflation-weary shoppers can rest assured that Prime Day is notoriously full of great deals. Besides Black Friday and Prime Day proper (in July), it's probably the best time of year to buy Amazon devices, Apple products, robot vacuums, everyday essentials, smartwatches, headphones, and more. If you're in the market for tech, it's certainly worth perusing. Mashable has a running list of the best October Prime Day deals that can give you more in-depth analysis on what products are worth grabbing and which ones are worth passing on.

The best October Prime Day Echo device deals at a glance: Best Echo deal overall Amazon Echo Buds with ANC $34.99 (save $85) Get Deal Best smart speaker deal Echo Spot $49.99 (save $30) Get Deal Best Echo deal for kids Echo Show 5 Kids with Echo Glow $64.99 (save $64.99) Get Deal Best Echo display deal Amazon Echo Hub $119.99 (save $60) Get Deal

We're on the brink of another Amazon Prime Day, y'all. Well, technically it's called Prime Big Deal Days, but the names are practically interchangeable at this point. While the shopping event officially kicks off Oct. 7, tons of items are already getting the deal treatment.

Amazon's own devices typically see some of the biggest discounts during Prime events, including Echo speakers, displays, and other smart gadgets, so we've been keeping our eyes peeled in the days leading up to the event. While a few Echo devices are already hanging out at their best prices ever, like the Echo Buds with ANC and the Echo Hub, we're still waiting on others to drop down to previous lows. For example, the Echo Dot is on sale for $34.99 (reg. $49.99), but we've seen it drop to as low as $22.99 in the past. We'll be watching to see if that record-low deal resurfaces.

Amazon also just unveiled four new Echo devices at the end of September. Could the new Echo Show 8, Echo Show 11, Echo Dot Max, and Echo Studio get their first price drops during the October Prime event?

Below, we've rounded up the best Amazon Echo device deals ahead of October Prime Day 2025. Stay tuned to see if any more devices drop to their best prices ever. For more than just Echo deals, check out our full list of Amazon devices on sale for Prime Big Deal Days.

Note: Deals with a 🔥 next to them have dropped to record-low prices.

Best October Prime Day Echo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Buds with ANC $34.99 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $85 Get Deal Why we like it

The Amazon Echo Buds with ANC are now quite a few years old, so we wouldn't enthusiastically recommend you run out and buy them at full price. However, ahead of the Prime Big Deal Days event, they're down to just $34.99 — a massive 71% or $85 drop from their $120 list price — which makes a world of a difference. This is only the second time we've seen the buds at this record-low. Sure, they won't compete with the AirPods Pro or other luxury earbuds, but they're still solid noise-cancellers with a comfortable fit, decent sound quality, and acceptable battery power. As Mashable's Alex Perry wrote in his review, "Considering how much cheaper these are than other big-name ANC-enabled earbuds, it's pretty incredible that the ANC works as well as it does." And at only $34.99, they're cheaper than any of the earbuds on our list of the best budget picks.

More Echo device deals

• Echo Auto — $14.99 $54.99 (save $40) 🔥

• Echo Pop — $24.99 $39.99 (save $15)

• Echo Pop Kids — $24.99 $49.99 (save $25)

• Echo Show 8 adjustable stand — $24.99 $34.99 (save $10)

• Echo Dot — $34.99 $49.99 (save $15)

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

• Echo Pop Kids with Echo Glow — $34.99 $79.98 (save $44.99)

• Echo Dot Kids with Echo Glow — $44.99 $89.98 (save $44.99)

• Echo Spot — $49.99 $79.99 (save $30)

• Echo Show 5 — $54.99 $89.99 (save $35)

• Echo Show 5 Kids — $54.99 $99.99 (save $35)

• Echo Show 5 Kids with Echo Glow — $64.99 $129.98 (save $64.99)

• Echo Show 8 — $99.99 $149.99 (save $50)

• Echo Hub — $119.99 $179.99 (save $60) 🔥

• Echo Frames — $119.99 $299.99 (save $180) 🔥

Taylor Swift loves a good mystery.

From the countless Easter eggs she drops for fans to releasing albums like The Life of a Showgirl without any singles ahead of time, Swift tends to shield her next moves in cloak-and-dagger secrecy. Now that secrecy has extended to her upcoming music video for The Life of a Showgirl's Shakespeare-inspired lead single, "The Fate of Ophelia."

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

For her past two non-rerecorded albums, Swift released videos for her lead singles — Midnights' "Anti-Hero" and The Tortured Poets Department's "Fortnight" — on YouTube on the same day as their album's release. For "The Fate of Ophelia," though, fans will have to go to movie theaters first to experience Swift's next music video, where it's playing as part of The Official Release Party of a Showgirl. Running from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5, the 89-minute long film also features behind-the-scenes footage of "The Fate of Ophelia" video, breakdowns of The Life of a Showgirl's songs, and brand-new lyric videos.

But when will fans who can't make The Official Release Party of a Showgirl be able to see "The Fate of Ophelia"?

When does "The Fate of Ophelia" premiere on YouTube?

Written and directed by Swift, "The Fate of Ophelia" music video premieres on YouTube Sunday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. ET. The release coincides with Swift's fiancé Travis Kelce's 36th birthday.

In the song, Swift sings about how Kelce saved her heart from the fate of Hamlet's tragic heroine Ophelia, who is driven mad when Hamlet spurns her, then drowns. Fittingly, in the pre-chorus, Swift sings, "If you'd never come for me / I might've drowned in the melancholy."

The Swift-Ophelia connection doesn't just stop with "The Fate of Ophelia," though. The album cover of The Life of a Showgirl, which sees Swift partially submerged in water, is a reference to painter John Everett Millais' 19th-century painting "Ophelia," which depicts Ophelia lying in a river.

According to Swift's interview with BBC Radio 1, "The Fate of Ophelia" music video was also inspired Millais' painting, bringing the Ophelia reference full circle.

The Official Release Party of a Showgirl is in theaters from Oct. 3 to Oct. 5.

SAVE $170: The Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) is on sale for $329 at Amazon, a 34% discount from its usual $499 price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) $329 at Amazon
$499 Save $170 Get Deal

The Apple Watch Series 10 may no longer be the newest Apple Watch, but it still runs circles around the average smartwatch and fitness tracker, at least for Apple fans. And over at Amazon, you can save a record $170 on select models of the famed watch. To be clear, we've never seen a discount this big, which makes us think Amazon and other retailers may be clearing their Series 10 inventory to make room for the latest model.

You may have heard that the new Apple Watch Series 11 (along with a new Apple Watch SE and Ultra 3) has officially arrived. The new watches have some notable improvements to battery life and display, but some of the upgrades are available on even older Apple smartwatches, so long as you upgrade to watchOS 26. And that makes this Amazon deal even sweeter.

Ahead of next week's Prime Big Deal Days sale, the Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) is discounted $170. That brings its price to $329. Not only is that the lowest price we've ever seen for this model, but it's the same price as the version without cellular connectivity. Previously, this smartwatch had never dipped a cent below $375 at Amazon, which makes this deal stand out all the more.

Again, while it's not the newest model anymore, the Series 10 received a strong endorsement from Mashable when it was first released.

Here are some of the reasons we loved the Series 10 (and still do):

• Wide-angle OLED display

• A comfortable, lightweight design

• Excellent fitness, health, and sleep tracking abilities

• Lightning-quick charging

• A brighter and better display compared to Series 9

• 2000 nits maximum brightness

You can shop even more Apple Watch deals right now thanks to Prime Big Deal Days, which starts Oct. 7. Check out our guide to the best early Apple Watch October Prime Day deals.

Apple Watch Series 10 offers: Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS + Cellular) $329 (save $170) Get Deal Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS) $329 (save $70) Get Deal

Best early Prime Day Ninja deals Best Ninja deal overall Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer $159.95 (save $20.04) Get Deal Best 'Prime Exclusive' deal Ninja CREAMi $199.97 (save $55.01) Get Deal Best runner-up deal Ninja Air Fryer & Toaster Oven (DT501​) $229.99 (save $120) Get Deal

We’ve been testing Ninja products for a long time now, and one thing we can confidently say is that it’s always a treat to see what pops up on sale during major retail events like Prime Day and Black Friday. And, as you’ve probably gathered by now, October Prime Day (officially known as Prime Big Deal Days) kicks off on Oct. 7, and the deals are already coming in.

Here are the best early Prime Day Ninja deals we could find as of Oct. 3:

Best Ninja deal overall Ninja Crispi 4-in-1 Portable Glass Air Fryer $159.95 at Amazon
$179.99 Save $20.04 Get Deal Why we like it

The Ninja Crispi is currently on sale for $159.95. This means if you missed out during July’s Prime Day event, you can get it for the same price once again. The Crispi is a Mashable favorite for its innovative tech and portability. Shopping reporter, Samantha Mangino, says it’s “made for meal preppers” and “stores nicely and can be used on the go.” During her French fry trial, the Ninja Crispi “made every fry perfectly crispy on the outside while remaining soft on the inside,” which is definitely something anyone who’s on a tight schedule would appreciate.

More early Prime Day Ninja deals

• Ninja Blast Portable Blender (BC151BK) — $49.99 $69.99 (save $20)

• Ninja 4-in-1 4QT Air Fryer (AF101) — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)

• Ninja Professional Blender 2.0 (BR201AMZ) — $89.99 $109.99 (save $20)

• Ninja Professional Compact Smoothie & Food Processing Blender (BL660) — $99.99 $139.99 (save $40)

• Ninja Pod & Grounds Specialty XL Single-Serve Coffee Maker — $109.99 $139.99 (save $30)

• Ninja 6-in-1 5QT Air Fryer (DZ302) — $179.99 $229.99 (save $50)

• Ninja CREAMi — $199.97 $254.98 (save $55.01 with Prime)

• Ninja Air Fryer & Toaster Oven (DT501​) — $229.99 $349.99 (save $120)

Best Apple Watch deals ahead of October Prime Day Best Series 11 deal Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $389 (save $10) Get Deal Best Series 10 deal Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + cellular, 42mm) $329 (save $170) Get Deal Best SE deal Apple Watch SE, 2nd generation (GPS, 40mm) $179 (save $70) Get Deal

We're just days away from the start of Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale, and Apple Watch deals are reflecting that.

The sale, also dubbed as October Prime Day, kicks off on Oct. 7. However, as of Oct. 3, you can grab the Apple Watch Series 10 with cellular connectivity for an impressive $170 off (putting it down to the same price as it's non-cellular counterpart).

SEE ALSO: Amazon's October Prime Day is coming on October 7 — here are 30+ early deals to shop now

More interested in the newer models? No problem — the Series 11 has a small $10 price cut. On a budget? The second-generation SE watches are both below $200. So far, we haven't spotted any deals worth highlighting on the Apple Watch Ultra, but we'll be updating this list up to and through the sale, so check back.

Best Apple Watch deal Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS + cellular, 42mm) $329 at Amazon
$499 Save $170 Get Deal Why we like it

Check out our full review of the Apple Watch Series 10.

The Series 10 offers lightning fast battery charging, the fitness sensors like heart rate monitoring, temperature sensing, and depth gauges, and in this model, cellular capability for the cost of the non-cellular models out there. The $170 price cut marks an all-time low for this watch, which earlier this week was priced at $429. Most times, we anticipate that the best deals will come during the actual days of the sale, but this is one of those cases where we'd be surprised if the price dips any lower, making it a great grab for an early deal.

More Apple Watch deals

• Apple Watch SE, 2nd generation (GPS, 40mm) — $179 $249 (save $70)

• Apple Watch SE, 2nd generation (GPS, 44mm) — $199 $279 (save $80)

• Apple Watch Series 10 (GPS, 42mm) — $329 $399 (save $70)

• Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) — $389 $399 (save $10)

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft launched on Sept. 30 at Amazon's Devices & Services event in New York City. And while it's not even available for preorder yet, there's already buzz around the new e-reader. The new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is priced at $629.99, making it the most expensive Kindle yet.

Now, the Scribe Colorsoft can do a lot. It was already the largest Kindle, but now it's adding color and a slew of new features to the device. Zooming out, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's $629.99 price tag is outrageous when you consider everything it can't do.

At $629.99, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is $280.99 more expensive than the most basic iPad, which costs only $349. Even when you add on the Apple Pencil Pro for $129, the combo is still $151.99 cheaper. While both devices have a similar look and can be used for reading and writing, they still have very different use cases.

An iPad is a tablet that allows you to read, write, draw, stream, and play games. And with iPadOS 26, it's even more like a laptop. Meanwhile, the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is an e-reader that also falls into the category of an e-ink tablet. E-ink tablets are essentially digital notepads, providing you the ability to write or draw but not the ability to browse the internet or stream video.

And in terms of e-readers, the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is also far more expensive than most models. However, when it comes to e-ink tablets, its $629.99 MSRP is actually on par with most other models. So why buy an e-ink tablet if it's more expensive than a standard tablet?

Who are e-ink tablets for? SEE ALSO: Hands-on with the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft: It looks like something Apple would have designed

Despite their price tag, e-ink tablets are extremely useful tools. If you're constantly taking notes and prefer to write by hand but need to be able to convert them digitally, e-ink tablets are the ideal device for doing just that. They come with a stylus that allows you to take handwritten notes on the digital surface. Rather than a typical tablet with a home screen of different apps, the home base of these devices will be a library of notebooks where you can keep your notes organized.

E-ink tablets are designed for the perpetual notetaker, especially those who want to easily reorganize their notes. Not to mention, since e-ink tablets don't allow for streaming or gaming, they're distraction-free.

In addition to writing in digital notebooks, e-ink tablets also allow you to annotate e-books, textbooks, and PDFs. So with the new Kindle Scribe Colorsoft, users will be able to read from their Kindle library, import PDFs from Google Drive, and annotate in color.

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft also has the exact same price as another e-ink reader, the ReMarkable Paper Pro. The ReMarkable e-ink tablet is slightly larger than the Kindle Scribe, but it essentially offers the same display. So when you look at the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft's cost in context of other e-ink tablets, it's not totally ridiculous.

Still, I think most people would take the iPad.

What's so special about the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft? Credit: Timothy Beck Werth / Mashable

The Kindle Scribe Colorsoft is priced similarly to other e-ink tablets, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's worth $630. Mashable's Tech Editor, Timothy Beck Werth, was in person at Amazon's event and got a brief hands-on experience with the device. The newest Scribe is extremely thin and features a new front light design supported by over 70 mini LEDs, an intriguing development. I thought this might mean that it had a higher color resolution, but it remains at 150 ppi for color displays, just like the rest of the Kindle Colorsoft line-up.

Its writing capabilities do seem to have improved. Amazon has redesigned the Kindle Scribe homescreen to put notebooks front and center, and it also features integrations with Google Drive and Microsoft OneDrive. The redesigned stylus is reminiscent of the Apple Pencil Pro, and Amazon claims that the new custom-built oxide-based display is easy on the eyes and no longer suffers from flashing, a common problem in color e-readers and e-ink tablets.

Having tested the two previous Kindle Scribe models, I've always loved their matte screens, finding that they offer a better texture for writing and drawing compared to an iPad's glossy surface. On paper (digital, paper that is), the Kindle Scribe Colorsoft holds a lot of promise, but also a lot of questions.

We won't know for certain if it lives up to its $629.99 price or how it compares to other Kindles or the ReMarkable Paper Pro, but for now, I'm keeping an open mind.

Perplexity has officially launched its Comet AI web browser to everyone for free. At this time, Comet is only available as a desktop browser.

Over the summer, AI company Perplexity launched its very own web browser known as Comet. However, when Comet first rolled out, the AI web browser wasn't available to everyone. Users either needed a paid Perplexity subscription, or they needed to sign up for a wait list and get invited to try the browser out. Or they could've scoured the internet for an invite code. Or begged someone who had extra.

Now, there's no subscription, waitlist, or invite code required. (Now, people are hunting down Sora 2 invite codes.)

Here's how to download Comet from Perplexity.

How to download Comet

Perplexity has set up a very simple landing page for Comet, so simply head to the Comet website and follow these instructions.

Total Time

• 2 minutes

What You Need

• Internet access
• Laptop or desktop computer

Step 1: On the Perplexity Comet webpage, click the Download Comet button

Step 2: You will be taken to a page that automatically downloads the latest version of Comet

Step 3: If the download doesn't automatically begin, click the Download Comet button on that page

Step 4: Install Comet to your computer

Step 5: Open Comet and choose your setup settings, such as whether you want to import your data like bookmarks and extensions from your existing web browser

Credit: Perplexity

Comet is currently available for Windows (Windows 10 and 11) and macOS (M1 or newer chips), but Perplexity says it will be launching for more platforms in the near future.

What is Comet?

Comet is an AI web browser from the AI search engine company Perplexity. 

Mashable tested Comet out back when it was invite-only in July. Perplexity's stand out feature that separates it from other web browsers is its integrated AI features, particularly its built-in AI assistant. Perplexity users don't have to have a browser tab with an AI chatbot open or a separate app at the ready. Perplexity's AI assistant enables users to interact, ask questions, and assign tasks right there in the browser itself.

AI web search is increasingly becoming a hot commodity. Google clearly views AI search as the direction search engines should go in, which explains why they've integrated AI Mode so visibly into its default web search engine.

Google's web browser Chrome is extremely popular, so much so that it commands nearly 72 percent of the entire web browser market share around the world. And because Google Search is built-in as the default search engine in Chrome, the browser's popularity ensures that Google's search engine remains popular too, even as the quality of Google search degrades.

Perplexity, an AI search company, wants to replicate Chrome and Google Search's tandem success. As more internet users move to Comet, it ensures more users perform web searches with Perplexity, the built-in default search engine in the AI web browser.

Did you try out Comet? What did you think? Let us know in the comments below. You can also get prompt ideas and other resources at the Perplexity Comet Resource Hub.

Apple has removed apps that track the movement of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, which some communities had been using to crowdsource raid information to keep their residents safe.

The tech giant's purported reasoning for the removal is that apps that surveil immigration operations may jeopardize the safety of federal officials. "Based on information we've received from law enforcement about the safety risks associated with ICEBlock, we have removed it and similar apps from the App Store," the company has said in a statement. But behind the scenes, Apple reportedly faced pressure from the Trump administration to crack down on app developers.

SEE ALSO: U.S. government website's 'radical left' popup may violate the law

One of the apps, known as ICEBlock, became the most downloaded app in the app store earlier this year, amid national protests over the deployment of immigration officials across U.S cities. At the time, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem called the app — which collates anonymous geolocation reports without storing personal data that can be traced back to individuals — an "obstruction of justice." Meanwhile, anti-immigration apps like ICERaid launched in response, offering individuals blockchain rewards for "capturing, uploading and validating photographic evidence" of criminal activity by undocumented people. It also advertises monetary incentives for "hard working" undocumented individuals to self report their status through the CBP Home app, which was recently overhauled by the Trump administration.

"ICEBlock is designed to put ICE agents at risk just for doing their jobs, and violence against law enforcement is an intolerable red line that cannot be crossed," said Attorney General Pam Bondi. Bondi previously threatened to prosecute the app's creator and has argued his actions are not protected under the constitution. Noem also threatened to prosecute news publications that covered the app's popularity.

Joshua Aaron, ICEBlock's developer, said in a statement to 404Media following the takedown that the move was an attack on free speech and that the team wouldn't back down in the face of government pressure. “I am incredibly disappointed by Apple's actions today. Capitulating to an authoritarian regime is never the right move," Aaron said. "ICEBlock is no different from crowd sourcing speed traps, which every notable mapping application, including Apple's own Maps app, implements as part of its core services. This is protected speech under the first amendment of the United States Constitution.”

The best October Prime Day book deals at a glance: Best hardcover book deal Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez $10.98 (save $17.02) Get Deal Best paperback book deal Deep End by Ali Hazelwood $8.09 (save $11.91) Get Deal Best Kindle book deal The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose $1.69 (save $8.30) Get Deal

Amazon's October Prime Day event is just around the corner (officially running from Oct. 7 through 8), but we've been blessed with deals galore before the event even begins. Book deals, in particular, are outrageously good in the days leading up to the event. So if you're looking to stack your TBR list for cozy season, it's time to get going.

This Prime Big Deal Days event is shaping up to be an excellent shopping holiday for book lovers. Not only is Amazon offering three free months of Kindle Unlimited and Audible to new members, but we're also seeing some of the best discounts on hardcovers, paperbacks, and Kindle books we've seen all year — up to 65% off. And that includes some of 2025's bestsellers. Whether you hope to load up your Kindle with e-books or hold a physical stack of crispy new pages in your hands, there's definitely a deal waiting for you at Amazon.

We'll be tracking all the best October Prime Day book deals below and updating the list with the latest and greatest price drops when the main event kicks off.

Best early October Prime Day paperback book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Berkley Publishing "Deep End" by Ali Hazelwood $8.09 at Amazon
$20 Save $11.91 Get Deal Why we like it

One of Goodreads' top 10 books of 2025, Ali Hazelwood's latest romance follows a competitive diver and an ace swimmer as they tread forbidden waters. It's a steamy yet thoughtfully written love story with character chemistry that's off the charts. This edition features a glistening cover and illustrated four-color interior art. Typically $20, you can grab the paperback for only $8.09 during October Prime Day.

Best early October Prime Day hardcover book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Forever Publishing "Say You'll Remember Me" by Abby Jimenez $10.98 at Amazon
$28 Save $17.02 Get Deal Why we like it

The queen of contemporary romance, Abby Jimenez has done it again with Say You'll Remember Me, published earlier this year. It has an average of over 4 stars on Good Reads and is currently number six on the list of the most popular 2025 releases. A feel-good read, it follows veterinarian Dr. Xavier Rush and social media manager Samantha Diaz, who fall in love but are separated when Samantha moves to care for her mother with dementia. The hardcover version is currently just $10.98 at Amazon for October Prime Day — a total steal.

Best early October Prime Day Kindle book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Blackstone Publishing "The Perfect Divorce" by Jeneva Rose $1.69 at Amazon
$9.99 Save $8.30 Get Deal Why we like it

The Perfect Divorce is another Goodreads favorite of 2025. From Jeneva Rose, the author of the multimillion-copy bestselling thriller The Perfect Marriage, it's the second in the series and picks up eleven years after high-powered attorney Sarah Morgan defended her husband, Adam, against murder charges. It's filled with page-turning suspense and plenty of twists and turns, which is hardly surprising if you read the first book. If you have a Kindle device — or don't mind reading on your phone or tablet — you can pick up a digital copy for less than $2 during the Prime Big Deal Days sale.

Physical book dealsPaperback

• A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson — $5.03 $10.99 (save $5.96)

• Parable of the Talents by Octavia E. Butler — $6.75 $19.99 (save $13.24)

• Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez — $6.91 $16.99 (save $10.08)

• The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood — $6.95 $16 (save $9.05)

• The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden — $7 $17.99 (save $10.99)

• People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry — $7.04 $16 (save $8.96)

• The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston — $7.10 $17 (save $9.90)

• The Crash by Freida McFadden — $7.10 $17.99 (save $10.89)

• Local Woman Missing by Mary Kubica — $7.18 $16.99 (save $9.81)

• The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman — $7.36 $18 (save $10.64)

• First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston — $7.44 $19 (save $11.56)

• The Coworker by Freida McFadden — $7.58 $17.99 (save $10.41)

• The Inmate by Freida McFadden — $7.91 $17.99 (save $10.08)

• The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna — $7.91 $19 (save $11.09)

• Just the Nicest Couple by Mary Kubica — $7.93 $18.99 (save $11.06)

• Deep End by Ali Hazelwood — $8.09 $20 (save $11.91)

• Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant — $8.36 $20 (save $11.64)

• Redeeming 6 by Chloe Walsh — $8.50 $14.99 (save $6.49)

• Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman — $8.53 $22 (save $13.47)

• One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune — $9.48 $19 (save $9.52)

• The Conditions of Will by Jessa Hastings — $9.48 $18.99 (save $9.51)

• Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez — $9.65 $17.99 (save $8.34)

• Everything I Know About Love by Dolly Alderton — $9.78 $18.99 (save $9.21)

• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler — $10.06 $19.99 (save $9.93)

• Lock Every Door by Riley Sager — $10.58 $19 (save $8.42)

• The Lies They Told by Ellen Marie Wiseman — $10.80 $18.95 (save $8.15)

Hardcover

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi — $8.42 $19.99 (save $11.57)

• Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown — $10.76 $28 (save $17.24)

• Say You'll Remember Me by Abby Jimenez — $10.98 $28 (save $17.02)

• Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt — $11.38 $29.99 (save $18.61)

• Matriarch by Tina Knowles — $12.62 $35 (save $22.38)

• Witchcraft for Wayward Girls by Grady Hendrix — $12.92 $30 (save $17.08)

• The Names by Florence Knapp — $14.11 $30 (save $15.89)

• The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien — $15.14 $30 (save $14.86)

Kindle book deals

• The Perfect Divorce by Jeneva Rose — $1.69 $9.99 (save $8.30)

• The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters — $1.99 $17.95 (save $15.96)

• The Guest List by Lucy Foley — $1.99 $16.99 (save $15)

• This is Why We Lied by Karin Slaughter — $1.99 $10.99 (save $9)

• Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka — $1.99 $18.99 (save $17)

• Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad — $1.99 $20 (save $18.01)

• Neon Gods by Katee Robert — $1.99 $14.99 (save $13)

• Life's Too Short by Abby Jimenez — $2.99 $17.99 (save $15)

• In The Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros — $2.49 $4.99 (save $2.50)

• Keep Your Friends Close by Lucinda Berry — $2.49 $4.99 (save $2.50)

• Matriarch by Tina Knowles — $2.99 $35 (save $32.01)

• Think Twice by Harlan Coben — $2.99 $19.99 (save $17)

• Anxious People by Fredrik Backman — $3.99 $19.99 (save $16)

• Count My Lies by Sophie Stava — $3.99 $28.99 (save $25)

• The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger — $3.99 $19.99 (save $16)

• Throne of the Fallen by Kerri Maniscalco — $3.99 $19.99 (save $16)

Best early Prime Day drone deals Best drone deal overall Potensic ATOM SE $249.99 (save $70) Get Deal Best DJI drone deal DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo $499 (save $99.99) Get Deal Best drone deal for kids Contixo F19 Drone $49.99 (save $30) Get Deal

Prime Day (and its fall spinoff, Prime Big Deal Days) is usually one of the best times of the year to buy a drone. This year, however, things are a little bit complicated. As you might have heard, there’s a potential U.S. ban on DJI drones due to growing concerns over national security and a required risk assessment that all DJI products must undergo before they can be sold in the United States. This, of course, has caused issues with the availability and pricing of popular models, with many being listed as “out of stock” on the DJI website.

SEE ALSO: Amazon's October Prime Day is coming on October 7 — here are 30+ early deals to shop now

The good news is that Amazon has a ton of drones, including DJI, on sale for Prime Day. But there’s a catch: many of these deals are on drones sold from sketchy, third-party sellers with ridiculously jacked-up prices. With our help, you can find the deals that are actually worth it.

We’re expecting more deals to be added as we get closer to the official sale (which kicks off on Oct. 7), and we’ll be updating this post accordingly. For now, here are the best early Prime Big Deal Days drone deals we could find as of Oct. 3:

Best drone deal overall Potensic ATOM SE $229.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $70 Get Deal Why we like it

For under $250, getting a drone with this many features is pretty rare. The Potensic ATOM SE shoots stable 4K video, takes 12MP photos, and has an impressive 62-minute flight time thanks to the two batteries included in this kit. It's a great middle-ground for people who want to move beyond a basic beginner drone without shelling out for a DJI.

With this deal, you get the drone itself (which weighs less than 249g, so no need to register it with the FAA), a remote controller, two batteries, and a carrying bag. It’s a complete kit that has everything you need to start flying right out of the box.

Best DJI drone deal DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo $499 at Amazon
$598.99 Save $99.99 Get Deal Why we like it

Most, if not all, of the Amazon DJI drone deals we spotted just two days ago are now gone (there are some at Target, though). But you can still get the DJI Mini 2 SE Fly More Combo for 17% off at Amazon. This bundle includes the DJI Mini 2 SE (which also weighs less than 249g), a remote controller, connector cables, three intelligent flight batteries (for a total flight time of 93 minutes), a two-way charging hub, a shoulder bag, and a few other accessories.

SEE ALSO: DJI drones are going out of stock, but this incredible alternative has never been cheaper

Even though it may seem like a lot is going on here, this drone is beginner-friendly. It even has a “Return to Home” button so you don’t have to worry about losing your drone if it flies out of sight or runs low on battery. Plus, several reviewers who’ve never flown before said the setup was super simple and the photos were crisp and clear.

“I’ve taken it very high up in the sky and it keeps an amazing signal as well as the gimbal stabilizing the footage or images,” writes one Amazon reviewer. “It’s so sophisticated for the price, it blows me away.”

Best drone deal for kids Opens in a new window Credit: Contixo Contixo F19 Drone $49.99 at Target
$79.99 Save $30.00 Get Deal Why we like it

It’s actually really hard to find a decent drone for kids on Amazon that isn’t sold by a sketchy third-party vendor. But other retailers, like Target, have a wider selection of child-friendly drones that you can trust for a reasonable price.

The Contixo F19 Drone looks like a “real drone” instead of a toy and comes with all the things your kid needs to get started, including a remote control, beginner-friendly features, and an integrated camera for aerial photography and videography. It’s also foldable and comes with a carrying case, so they can take it wherever they go.

More early Prime Day drone deals you can trust

• Snaptain K30 Mini — $74.99 $89.99 (save $15)

• Contixo F24 Pro Drone — $249.99 $299.99 (save $50)

• DJI Neo Drone Mini 4K UHD Video Quadcopter + Extended Warranty Accessory Kit Bundle — $339.99 $1,499.99 (save $1,159.01)

• DJI Neo Drone Fly More Combo — $549 $628.92 (save $79.92)

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.

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.

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)

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)