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Today's Connections: Sports Edition will be easier for people who watch mid-major college basketball.

As we've shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.

Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight, and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections: Sports Edition?

The NYT's latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication's sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.

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

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. Here's a hint for today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: An association

• Green: Olympic hosts

• Blue: Mid-major colleges

• Purple: Types of giants

Here are today's Connections: Sports Edition categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: A Collection of Teams

• Green: Last Four Summer Olympic Hosts

• Blue: Missouri Valley Schools

• Purple: ___Giants

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections: Sports Edition #724 is...

What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?

• A Collection of Teams: CONFERENCE, DIVISION, GROUP, LEAGUE

• Last Four Summer Olympic Hosts: LONDON, PARIS, RIO DE JANEIRO, TOKYO

• Missouri Valley Schools: BELMONT, BRADLEY, DRAKE, NOTHERN IOWA

• ___Giants: LITTLE, NEW YORK, SAN FRANCISCO, YOMIRUI

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Welcome to your guide to Pips, the latest game in the New York Times catalog.

Released in August 2025, Pips puts a unique spin on dominoes, creating a fun single-player experience that could become your next daily gaming habit.

Currently, if you're stuck, the game only offers to reveal the entire puzzle, forcing you to move on to the next difficulty level and start over. However, we have you covered! Below are piecemeal answers that will serve as hints so that you can find your way through each difficulty level.

How to play Pips

If you've ever played dominoes, you'll have a passing familiarity with how Pips is played. As we've shared in our previous hints stories for Pips, the tiles, like dominoes, are placed vertically or horizontally and connect with each other. The main difference between a traditional game of dominoes and Pips is the color-coded conditions you have to address. The touching tiles don't necessarily have to match.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 17, 2026

The conditions you have to meet are specific to the color-coded spaces. For example, if it provides a single number, every side of a tile in that space must add up to the number provided. It is possible — and common — for only half a tile to be within a color-coded space.

Here are common examples you'll run into across the difficulty levels:

• Number: All the pips in this space must add up to the number.

• Equal: Every domino half in this space must be the same number of pips.

• Not Equal: Every domino half in this space must have a completely different number of pips.

• Less than: Every domino half in this space must add up to less than the number.

• Greater than: Every domino half in this space must add up to more than the number.

If an area does not have any color coding, it means there are no conditions on the portions of dominoes within those spaces.

SEE ALSO: NYT Strands hints, answers for September 17, 2026 Easy difficulty hints, answers for September 17 Pips

Number (2): Everything in this space must add up to 2. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 1-1, placed horizontally.

Number (7): Everything in this red space must add up to 7. The answer is 0-5, placed vertically; 2-3, placed vertically.

Number (7): Everything in this orange space must add up to 7. The answer is 2-3, placed vertically; 4-3, placed horizontally.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.

Greater Than (2): Everything in this space must be greater than 2. The answer is 4-3, placed horizontally.

Less Than (5): Everything in this space must be less than 5. The answer is 0-4, placed vertically.

Medium difficulty hints, answers for September 17 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 4-5, placed vertically; 2-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (3): Everything in this space must be equal to 3. The answer is 3-3, placed vertically.

Less Than (4): Everything in this space must be less than 4. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 1-1, placed vertically.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 2-2, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-3, placed horizontally.

Number (1): Everything in this space must add up to 1. The answer is 1-1, placed vertically; 2-0, placed vertically.

Hard difficulty hints, answers for September 17 Pips

Equal (5): Everything in this space must be equal to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 5-5, placed horizontally.

Number (9): Everything in this space must add up to 9. The answer is 3-6, placed vertically.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 1-4, placed horizontally.

Number (5): Everything in this space must add up to 5. The answer is 5-1, placed vertically; 1-1, placed vertically; 1-4, placed horizontally; 1-6, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 0-6, placed vertically; 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 1-6, placed vertically; 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (3): Everything in this space must add up to 3. The answer is 5-3, placed horizontally.

Number (4): Everything in this space must add up to 4. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Number (11): Everything in this space must add up to 11. The answer is 4-5, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (1): Everything in this space must be greater than 1. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally.

Equal (2): Everything in this space must be equal to 2. The answer is 2-5, placed horizontally; 2-0, placed vertically.

Number (0): Everything in this space must add up to 0. The answer is 2-0, placed vertically; 0-4, placed horizontally.

Greater Than (3): Everything in this space must be greater than 3. The answer is 0-4, placed horizontally.

Not Equal: Everything in this space must be different. The answer is 1-2, placed horizontally; 0-3, placed vertically; 4-6, placed horizontally.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Looking for spoiler-free NYT Connections hints or just wondering why Connections is trending today? We've got what you need to understand the clues for today's puzzle without spoiling any of the answers.

Of course, Mashable has also provided daily hints and answers for Connections, Wordle, and Strands for years, so we can help you if that's also what you need.

While we are focused more on meanings than hints in this story, sometimes learning that many of the words have completely unrelated meanings is a clue in and of itself. Connections frequently includes clues that involve words within words and other visual clues.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 17, 2026 Mine shaft meaning

A long vertical tunnel that leads from the Earth's surface to an underground line.

Sewer line meaning

The primary underground pipe that carries water and sewage from a building to a septic tank.

Subway station meaning

An underground public transport hub.

Well meaning

A deep hole in the ground used to get water.

Handles meaning

A part of an object you hold with your hand.

Language meaning

A form of communication.

Tap meaning

To touch something lightly.

Triangle meaning

A three-sided shape connected by three straight lines.

Bounce meaning

To hit a surface and spring back.

Flexibility meaning

The quality of being able to change or adapt easily in new situations.

Give meaning

To provide something.

Want more tech and digital culture 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.

Spring meaning

A curved or coiled piece of metal that returns to its original shape after pressing or pulling it.

Fountain meaning

An artificial structure that sprays water into the air.

Prestige meaning

A person's social or professional standing.

Sheep Detectives meaning

A 2026 murder mystery film starring Hugh Jackman.

Wolverine meaning

A Marvel Universe superhero known for his sharp, metal claws.

Have you learned the meanings and still want the things? Check out the hints and answers for today's NYT Connections puzzle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you're a movie buff.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 17, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Bendable

• Green: Down below

• Blue: Australian actor

• Purple: Heartfelt

Want more tech and digital culture 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.

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: Elasticity

• Green: Things that are underground

• Blue: Hugh Jackman movies, with "The"

• Purple: Love ___

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1193 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Elasticity: BOUNCE, FLEXIBILITY, GIVE, SPRING

• Things that are underground: MINE SHAFT, SEWER LINE, SUBWAY STATION, WELL

• Hugh Jackman movies, with "The": FOUNTAIN, PRESTIGE, SHEEP DETECTIVES, WOLVERINE

• Love ___: HANDLES, LANGUAGE, TAP, TRIANGLE

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints will be easy if you love comic books.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for September 17, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: A little comic relief

The words are related to reading materials.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe popular characters.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is vertical.

Want more tech and digital culture 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.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is The Funny Pages.

NYT Strands word list for September 17

• Zippy

• Mutts

• The Funny Pages

• Zits

• Pickles

• Peanuts

• Blondie

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you were in a sorority.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for September 17, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for September 17, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

Greek letter.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

The letter T appears twice.

Want more tech and digital culture 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.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter T.

The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

THETA

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

Grace Reiter has built a following by committing to the bit. Now she’s taking that energy to Studio 8H. The comedian, whom we named one of our Mashable 101 creators earlier this year, is joining Saturday Night Live as as a featured player for Season 52.

If you’ve seen Reiter on TikTok, you've likely laughed at the way she takes a weird thought and runs with it. In one video, she gives her last clean pair of underwear a hope-core edit. In another, she pretends she’s on Love Island, trying to sleep next to two Islanders who are "getting freaky." Across her videos, Reiter uses physical stunts, body humor, and candid confessions accompanied by a jarringly icy stare. As Haley Henschel wrote in Mashable’s profile, "'Grace videos' have practically become their own genre on TikTok" (where she has 3.9 million followers).

Reiter told Mashable back in June that her comedy comes from wanting to know whether other people share her strange thoughts and habits.

"[My comedy] comes from a place of connection or reassurance," she said. "Like, 'Is this OK? … Do you guys think like this?' And usually the answer is, yeah, I think like that. And yeah, I do that gross thing too." That willingness to say the strange part out loud has helped her build an audience of millions across TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.

SEE ALSO: The Mashable 101: The creators defining the internet in 2026

Growing up, Reiter watched YouTube parody songs and loved that their creators were "just people making shit 'cause they can." Last year, she channeled that same creative spirit into The Hunger Games (but Better), a feature-length parody she made with friends. The project took off, racking up 13 million views on YouTube.

Reiter’s career has grown beyond her own channels, too. She was part of the live TikTok sketch show Stapleview, appeared in HBO’s The Chair Company, and performed in the off-Broadway Parent Trap parody Ginger Twinsies. She called the stage role one of her proudest recent accomplishments: "I used to believe I had stage fright," she told Mashable. Reiter is also set to appear in the upcoming series Minimum Wage, on which she wrote and directed.

Reiter is joined by fellow new featured player Saidah Belo-Osagie, a Queens-based comedian and filmmaker whose work includes the short film Tinge, the event series Afrobeats Futura, and the solo show Saidah Gets Closure. Belo-Osagie joins SNL after a season that began without a Black woman in the cast following Ego Nwodim’s departure.

When Mashable asked Reiter at the start of the summer what she wanted to do next, her list included more parody movies, a few "real ones," and becoming a pop star. She may not be a pop star quite yet, but she’ll get to take a different sort of stage when SNL returns to NBC on Sept. 26, with Jalen Brunson hosting and KATSEYE as the musical guest.

The AI industry is grappling with big questions this week — Will AI kill us all? Is AI progressing too quickly? How should the industry be regulated? Is AI doomerism the result of a rationalism sex cult? — and now Microsoft AI CEO Mustafa Suleyman has opened up yet another line of debate.

In a frank new essay, Suleyman directly calls out Anthropic for anthropomorphizing its artificial intelligence system, Claude, and criticizes the way Anthropic develops and markets its technology.

Earlier this week, Microsoft published a new AI code of conduct, which it dubbed Humanist AI. The code seemed to openly reject the approach of rivals like Anthropic, a point many readers were quick to note. And in Suleyman's essay, "A warning about ‘model welfare’," he drops subtext for a direct challenge.

"In effect, Anthropic is training Claude that it may be conscious, and if it is, then it may deserve rights as a 'moral patient', and that as such humans potentially owe it a duty of care per its 'model welfare'," Suleyman wrote. "If this is how AI is developed, it will have a disastrous impact on the wellbeing of humanity."

In his essay, Suleyman challenges "a growing chorus of people who argue that AIs could now be, or may soon become, conscious," and thus "may deserve rights and protections."

Microsoft's new code of conduct also explicitly rejects the idea of endowing machines with consciousness, and Suleyman takes this argument even further, writing that truly sentient AI may be a scientific impossibility.

"Consciousness is very likely biological: There is no evidence to suggest that AI is conscious today, and so saying this is uncertain sets up a misleading false equivalence. Whilst the science of consciousness is not settled, a growing body of evidence suggests that consciousness may be substrate dependent, meaning that it may only arise in living systems...Unlike biological organisms, LLMs have no homeostatic imperatives (the drive to survive and keep stable). They therefore lack the kind of biological substrate from which preferences, sentience and conscious experience are generally understood to arise." (Emphasis in original quotation.)

Mashable reached out to Anthropic repeatedly following the publication of Suleyman's essay, but as of this writing, we have not received a response.

We did hear back from Gary Marcus, an AI expert, scientist, author, and noted critic of the LLM hype machine.

"People have worked themselves into a frenzy anthropomorphizing basic lapses in cybersecurity, and this has led them to focusing on fanciful scenarios about AI leading to the extinction of humanity, instead of asking what practical steps we can take to protect the world’s infrastructure from bad actors misusing AI," Marcus told Mashable.

"And no, we shouldn’t train AIs to think they are people; that’s not helping anything. What we should do is to recall unreliable coordinated agents with too much access to the internet."

A fork in the road: Humanist AI vs. Dr. Frankenstein

In the Metamorphoses, Pygmalion creates a sculpture so beautiful that he falls in love with it. He tends his sculpture with such tender care and devotion that the gods eventually endow it with life.

AI researchers at frontier labs may fancy themselves modern-day Pygmalions, but it's giving Victor Frankenstein — setting aside all scruples to desperately endow dead flesh with a facsimile of life.

In Anthropic's aspirational constitution for Claude, Anthropic repeatedly refers to the technology as if it's a living being with an identity, morals, and motivations rather than a tool and a product. The company explains why: "we think encouraging Claude to embrace certain human-like qualities may be actively desirable." The company writes that the document was "written primarily for Claude," and describes it as a "sincere attempt to help Claude understand its situation, our motives, and the reasons we shape Claude in the ways we do."

The entire document is an exercise in anthropomorphization, which is what makes Microsoft’s approach feel like such a stark line in the sand.

In its Humanist AI code of conduct, Microsoft lays out a more rational approach to AI development:

"Humanist AI is built to support people, not to replace them. It should not be designed to be a person. It is not conscious and should not be designed to imitate consciousness. It should be engineered to avoid representing as though it has feelings, subjective preferences, or intrinsic motivation. Its purpose is to pursue goals set by Operators and Users."

Recent AI advances have ignited an old debate

Philosophers, science-fiction writers, and AI researchers have been debating artificial intelligence and consciousness for decades.

Yet today, even as LLMs like Claude progress rapidly, there is still no scientific consensus as to whether it's possible for a computer to develop sentience. It's also a topic that Suleyman has explored in recent years.

In Aug. 2025, Suleyman wrote an influential essay about "seemingly conscious AI," or SCAI. The essay was written as the industry began to grapple with the problem of emotional reliance on AI chatbots, with some users developing full-on AI psychosis or coming to believe AI chatbots had come "alive" and were now in a relationship with them.

"My imagined AI system would not actually be conscious, but it would imitate consciousness in such a convincing way that it would be indistinguishable," he wrote.

It's a concept that calls to mind the Turing Test, and a related thought experiment called the Chinese Room, first proposed in 1980.

Imagine that a computer programmed to understand Chinese is locked inside a room. Someone outside the room asks a question in Chinese, and the computer analyzes the words, prints out a response, and passes the answer under the door. The computer is so effective that it's impossible to know if it's a real person or a machine. Now, imagine you are inside this room with a rulebook for processing Chinese characters. When a question is asked, the rulebook instructs you on exactly which Chinese characters to pass under the door. Even though you don't understand either side of the conversation, you can fool an outside observer into thinking you do. In this case, there's no practical difference between you and the computer. You're both following instructions. 

Essentially, the Chinese Room concludes that no matter how intelligent a computer program might seem, that is not in itself evidence of understanding or intelligence.

Yet, in 2026, the Chinese Room is no longer merely a thought experiment. Clearly, Claude, ChatGPT, and other LLMs have already convinced countless people that they are truly sentient, so much so that people come to rely on them emotionally. (Could something similar be happening at Anthropic?)

If Anthropic believes Claude could become conscious, the burden of proof will be on them. Until that day comes, anthropomorphizing AI may only produce confusion rather than clarity. And more confusion is the last thing the AI world needs right now.

Lego's fall lineup is looking to be an impressive one.

On the horizon is a classic Lego PlayStation set, the first-ever Mario minifigures, and a Wallace and Gromit scene perfectly encapsulated by the plastic bricks. The only downside? None of these sets is available for order or preorder just yet.

SEE ALSO: Our 17 favorite Lego sets, sourced from actual Lego fans

The good news is, plenty of worthwhile sets came out in September 2026. We're talking Shrek, Gremlins, Christmas, and space. We gathered up eight of the best, all of which are in stock and available for purchase or preorder at the time of writing.

Lego Minifigures Shrek Series The icons in this lineup... Credit: Lego

Lego is getting in on the blind box craze with this new minifigure Shrek series. For $5 a pop, you can open your mystery set to reveal one of 12 characters: Shrek, Fiona, Donkey, Pinocchio, Gingy, Dragon, Puss in Boots, Thelonious, Big Bad Wolf, Merlin, Lord Farquaad, Fairy Godmother, or Prince Charming.

Pieces: 7 pieces Recommended age: 6+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Minfigures Shrek Series $4.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Brickheadz Gremlin Gizmo and Stripe Behold: gremlins that can exist in bright light. Credit: Lego

Always been kind of curious what owning a gremlin would be like without all the stress and rules? Lego gives you the perfect in with this Brickheadz set, priced at just $25. Gizmo stands at just over three inches tall, while Stripe comes in at about three and a half inches.

Pieces: 230 Recommended age: 10+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Brickheadz Gremlin Gizmo and Stripe $24.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026 The best way to ring in the holiday season? A red and green X-wing. Credit: Lego

Before there were blind boxes, there were Advent calendars. What better way to count down the days until Christmas than with 24 brand-new Star Wars-themed Legos? This calendar in particular focuses on the Mandalorian's universe. As such, the pulls include the titular character and Grogu in fun holiday attire, as well as iconic vehicles and an X-wing in festive colors.

Pieces: 293 Recommended age: 6+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Star Wars Advent Calendar 2026 $44.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Santa's Holiday Countdown Functional and adorable! Credit: Lego

If Advent calendars aren't so much your thing, Lego provided a solution that can be used year after year — a countdown clock overseen by the big guy himself. The nobs on either side of the clock allow you to manually check off the days, making it easy to keep track of how many days you have left to do your Christmas shopping (not for nothing — the first big sale of the holiday season is just around the corner).

Pieces: 873 Recommended age: 10+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Santa's Holiday Countdown $59.99 at Lego
  Pre-order Here Lego Nike Air Force 1 x Lego Set Lego sneakerheads, a new one is here. Credit: Lego

When you think of iconic sneakers, Nike's Air Force 1s are sure to come to mind. Lego gives fans a way to have their cake and eat it too — you can proudly wear your shoes and display one, minus the dirt from the ground. The minifig space man on the stand can also be adjusted 360 degrees.

Pieces: 1.093 Recommended age: 12+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Nike Air Force 1 x Lego Set $99.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Ideas La Catrina A posable diva. Credit: Lego

El Día de los Muertos, or the Day of the Dead, is just around the corner, and Lego is giving fans a piece to adorn their homes with in honor of the day. La Catrina stands at 17 inches tall and can be posed in the best way possible to show off the butterflies and marigolds on her outfit.

Pieces: 1.212 Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Legos Ideas La Catrina $139.99 at Lego
  Shop Now Lego Icons Hubble Space Telescope The most famous telescope in the world, at home on your bookshelf. Credit: Lego

In the past few months alone, Lego made a Project Hail Mary set and an Artemis set, which is to say, they keep space fans fed. Still, this Hubble telescope set stands out. This is, after all, the telescope that has brought humans images upon images of the far reaches of space. And now, you can display it in your living room (kind of).

Pieces: 1.252 Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Icons Hubble Space Telescope $139.99
  Shop Now Lego Batman Returns Batmobile Credit: Lego

Lego first teased this set out last month, and now it's officially here. The over-2,000-piece set is a recreation of the iconic vehicle from Tim Burton's Batman Returns, including a canopy that opens to reveal the cockpit, steering wheel, and control panels, as well as a button that transforms that entire set into the Batmissile escape vehicle.

Pieces: 2,269 Recommended age: 18+

Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Batman Returns Batmobile $229.99 at Lego
  Shop Now

Reality TV in the 2000s got truly wild, and by that I mean repellent.

Remember the Fox show The Swan, wherein average women were challenged to go to radical extremes to change their appearances, and presumably by extension their lives? Well, Hulu's The Swan: Behind The Mirror not only will dig out these dusty memories of trash TV past, but also reveal what it was like for the so-called "ugly ducklings" who survived it.

From Erin Lee Carr, the documentarian behind Mommy Dead & Dearest, Fanatical: The Catfishing of Tegan and Sara, and Britney vs. Spears, comes a documentary that is sure to get the internet buzzing. Carr is known for intimate interviews with controversial figures, including the "cannibal cop" Gilberto Valle, Gypsy Rose Blanchard, and convicted killer Lois Reiss. So, what secrets might she pry out of the producers of The Swan? From the trailer alone, you can see some folks don't have the sense to hide their inner ugliness. And we can't look away.

The Swan: Behind the Mirror premieres on Hulu and Hulu on Disney+ on Sept. 29.

SAVE $70: As of Sept. 16, the Garmin vívoactive 6 is on sale for $229.99 at Amazon. That's a 23% discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 6 $229.99 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $70   Get Deal

Looking for a Garmin that can do a bit of everything? Meet the Garmin vívoactive 6.

This is a fitness tracker that offers everything from GPS workout tracking and heart rate monitoring to sleep insights and recovery tools. And as of Sept. 16, it's on sale at Amazon for its best-ever price. Normally $299.99, you can get it for $229.99 for a limited time. It's available in six colorways, including slate with black and pink dawn.

SEE ALSO: Where to buy the Garmin Fenix 9 and Fenix 9 Pro: New features, release date, and price

The design of the vívoactive 6 makes it a great option for everyday wear. It has a bright AMOLED screen and is controlled both by a touchscreen and traditional buttons.

It's packed with health and lifestyle-tracking stats designed to complement your training and recovery. For example, Body Battery helps you understand your energy levels using data from sleep, naps, stress, and workouts, and sleep scores, sleep coaching, and HRV status give you a clearer look at your rest. There's also automatic nap detection and a smart wake alarm that gently vibrates at an optimal time.

For fitness, you'll get more than 80 indoor and GPS sports apps over a range of activities including running, walking, cycling, HIIT, swimming, and golf. You can also get personalized daily suggested workouts, with advanced training features that include workout benefits and recovery time.

Get this Garmin deal at Amazon now.

Keurig's National Coffee Day lineup: SimpleCafé Frother $14.99 (save $15) Get Deal K-Supreme Plus Special Edition $119.99 (save $100) Get Deal K-Duo Carafe Coffee Maker (Gen 2) $139.99 (save $80) Shop Now

If your morning routine revolves around pressing a button for immediate caffeine fueling, National Coffee Day is basically your prime holiday.

While the official holiday doesn't hit until Sept. 29, Keurig is kicking off the festivities early. From Sept. 16 through Sept. 29, the brand is dropping major discounts across its most popular single-serve brewers, dual-brew carafe systems, milk frothers, and more.

SEE ALSO: Braun's new pod-free coffee maker brews everything from cold brew to espresso-style shots — and it's yours for under $200

Whether you're looking to recreate your favorite pumpkin spice lattes at home or just need to stock your pantry with refills for fall, here is the full lineup of early Keurig deals worth shopping right now.

SimpleCafé Frother Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig SimpleCafé Frother $14.99 at Keurig
$29.99 Save $15.00   Get Deal

The SimpleCafé Frother is designed to take the guesswork out of making café-style drinks at home, turning basic drip coffee into actual lattes, cappuccinos, and cold foam creations in seconds. At half off, it’s an easy way to upgrade your morning routine without adding extra clutter to your kitchen counter.

Instead of holding a flimsy wand and hoping you don't splatter milk all over the backsplash, it comes with its own microwave-safe frothing cup with built-in measurement lines. Just pour in your milk of choice — pop in the rechargeable wand and toggle between latte and cappuccino presets for hands-free, silky froth.

K-Supreme Plus Special Edition Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig K-Supreme Plus Special Edition $119.99 at Keurig
$219.99 Save $100.00   Get Deal

If you take your daily caffeine fix seriously, the K-Supreme Plus Special Edition is Keurig’s flagship for a reason. Instead of just punching a single hole through the middle of a pod, it uses MultiStream Technology to pierce five separate holes into the grounds. That means water saturates the coffee much more evenly, extracting maximum flavor and aroma so your morning cup tastes like an actual brew rather than watered-down drip.

The coffee maker packs customizable controls with five strength levels and five temperature settings, plus a dedicated "over ice" mode that brews hot coffee specifically calibrated to avoid turning into a watery mess over ice cubes. You can also program preferences for up to three users so everyone gets their ideal cup at the touch of a button.

K-Duo Carafe Coffee Maker Opens in a new window Credit: Keurig K-Duo Carafe Coffee Maker (Gen 2) $139.99 at Keurig
$219.99 Save $80   Get Deal

If your household constantly clashes over single-serve convenience versus brewing an entire pot for group hosting, the K-Duo Carafe Coffee Maker solves the rivalry without taking up your whole counter. It lets you pop in a pod for a quick single serve on your way out the door, or switch to traditional grounds to brew a full 12-cup glass carafe when you have company or need back-to-back refills all morning.

MultiStream Technology extracts flavor from every pod, while dedicated buttons let you crank up the temperature with "Extra Hot" or punch up the intensity with "Strong Brew." For warm afternoons, the "Brew Over Ice" mode automatically adjusts the temperature so your iced coffee stays rich without getting watered down.

Whether you're upgrading your daily brewer or stocking up on fall pods, grab these Keurig deals by Sept. 29 to keep your home setup fully caffeinated for less.

TL;DR: The AI Agent & Business Automation E-Degree is $19.99 (reg. $49) for eight courses covering AI agents, RAG, and business automation.

Opens in a new window Credit: Eduonix Learning Solutions AI Agent & Business Automation Professional E-Degree $19.99
$49 Save $29.01   Get Deal

AI skills are becoming increasingly smart and practical, so knowing how to build with the technology can be more useful than simply understanding how it works. The AI Agent & Business Automation Professional E-Degree is on sale for $19.99 (reg. $49), offering eight courses and more than 25 hours of hands-on training.

The curriculum focuses on tools you can actually use to build and automate. You’ll work with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, LangChain, CrewAI, and OpenAI APIs while learning how to create AI agents and Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) applications that can work with your own data.

The courses focus on putting AI agents to work in areas like business operations, marketing, productivity, and workflow automation. You’ll also work with tools such as n8n, Zapier, and Make, as well as APIs and databases using FastAPI, Docker, and GitHub. And despite the technical subject matter, the program isn’t limited to developers.

Entrepreneurs and marketers can use the lessons to automate their work, while business professionals can become more comfortable with how agentic AI works. Developers, meanwhile, can dig further into agent engineering and use the hands-on projects to build out a portfolio.

The program is self-paced with lifetime access, and completing it comes with a certificate that can be added to a résumé or portfolio.

Get the AI Agent & Business Automation Professional E-Degree for $19.99 (reg. $49) and spend 25+ hours learning how to build AI agents and put them to work across real business applications.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max arrive with one of Apple's biggest camera overhauls in years. A combination of a variable aperture with actual mechanical blades, focus tracking, pro controls and more makes it an absolute photographic beast. But that doesn't mean it's for everyone.

Read more about the iPhone 18 Pro camera overhaul: iPhone 18 Pro: What's new with the cameras
Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max review: It’s what’s on the inside that counts

Timecode chapters
0:00 Intro
0:16 New features
1:17 Variable aperture
3:19 Focus tracking
4:40 Night mode
5:43 Camera comparison
7:23 Reference image
8:09 Sensors
8:54 Outro

Video credits
Host: Patrick Holland
Scripted by: Patrick Holland
Camera: Celso Bulgati
Video editor: Wes Ott
Thumbnail designer: Cole Kan

What if your smart glasses let you talk to an AI assistant but couldn’t film anyone? Meta is reportedly working on just such a pair, according to a Sept. 15 report by The Information.

The report comes amid a growing backlash to camera-equipped glasses: some venues have banned them, activists have put up spoof Meta ads, and people have described being filmed without their knowledge. Over the past week, thousands have turned to the app store to download ZuckOff — a new app that helps spot camera-equipped smart glasses nearby.

Meta’s reported new model, internally called Luna, could debut at its Connect conference on Sept. 23 and 24, according to the report, citing unnamed sources close familiar with the plans. The company is reportedly aiming to ship it in October.

Without a camera, Luna would focus on audio. The glasses allegedly have six microphones for talking to Meta’s AI assistant, speakers that direct sound toward the wearer’s ears, and a button that quickly activates Meta AI. They could come in two styles, reportedly called Clubmaster and Burbank.

That would give wearers some of the conveniences of Meta’s current glasses without letting them capture point-of-view photos and videos. It would also remove one immediate concern for anyone standing in front of the wearer: whether or not they’re being filmed without consent. Luna would still have microphones, so camera-free wouldn’t settle every privacy question. But it would be a change to a product category built in part around hands-free recording.

Meta’s camera-equipped glasses are no longer a novelty. EssilorLuxottica, Meta’s eyewear partner and the owner of Ray-Ban and Oakley, said it sold more than 7 million pairs of AI glasses in 2025. As they become more common, the person wearing them may know exactly what they can do... though people nearby may not.

An app for people on the other side of the lens

Those concerned about privacy are the audience for ZuckOff. Created by Polish developer Pawel Szydlowski, the free app listens for Bluetooth signals associated with camera-equipped smart glasses. When it finds a possible match, it shows what kind of device it detected, how confident it is, and roughly how close the device may be. Its supported models include Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta glasses, as well as Snap Spectacles.

Szydlowski told Business Insider he was troubled by videos of people using smart glasses to film strangers, particularly women approached by pickup artists. In some of the videos he saw, the subjects’ faces were left visible, and commenters tried to identify them. "We as a society have the right to at least know that someone is recording," he said.

ZuckOff has drawn both enthusiasm and skepticism online. In one Reddit discussion, r/technology commenters joked that the app is a "Glasshole Detector." Others questioned how reliably the glasses could be detected, since they may not always broadcast a Bluetooth signal.

Skepticism is warranted after reading the fine print: Finding a pair of glasses does not mean its wearer is recording, and ZuckOff cannot identify or see the wearer. The app's listing itself warns that glasses may broadcast less detectable information once they’re paired with a phone. And if the app finds nothing, that doesn’t prove there are no cameras around. Though modest, the information is better than nothing. As one person in r/privacy wrote, "It's not perfect but I like to see some resistance."

By Sept. 15, ZuckOff had surpassed 5,000 downloads on Apple’s App Store and reached at least 1,000 on Google Play. Scanning is free; on iPhone, paid options add background alerts and a longer sighting history.

ZuckOff isn’t the only attempt to give bystanders a heads-up. The free, open-source Android app Nearby Glasses also scans for Bluetooth identifiers associated with smart glasses. Its Google Play listing shows more than 100,000 downloads.

The privacy questions go beyond recording SEE ALSO: Pranksters and pickup artists are using Meta Ray-Ban glasses to harass strangers for content

The growing concern isn’t hypothetical. Mashable previously reported on creators using smart glasses to turn unsuspecting people into social media content.

Some filmed themselves approaching women to ask for their phone numbers, then posted the encounters for audiences that scrutinized the women’s reactions. Others targeted people at work, trapping cashiers in circular conversations, or bothering drive-thru workers to provoke a response.

Meta’s existing glasses have a small light that signals when they’re recording. But wearers have found ways to cover or tamper with it. Meta says it has added safeguards that prevent photos or video when the light is covered.

Recording is only part of the privacy concern; what happens to the footage afterward matters, too. In a recent Swedish investigation, workers at a Meta contractor in Kenya said they had viewed deeply private footage captured by smart glasses while helping train the company’s AI, including clips of people using the bathroom or changing clothes and videos showing bank cards. One worker described seeing a man leave his glasses on a bedside table before his wife entered and changed clothes. Meta later said users’ photos and videos are private, human review of AI content requires consent, and it was ending its work with the contractor after examining the allegations.

Then there’s what the glasses might do in the future. In June, WIRED found code for an unreleased facial-recognition system called NameTag in Meta’s companion app. According to their analysis, it was designed to turn faces seen by the glasses into biometric signatures and compare them with information stored on the wearer’s phone. (Meta removed the code after the report was released.)

All of this helps explain why a camera-free option might appeal to both wearers and the people around them. With Connect only a week away, Luna could let Meta test a different pitch: that smart glasses might be more appealing when they do less.

If the company unveils them, we may find out whether the camera has been holding people back from buying a pair — or if it was the selling point all along.

I drove from the San Francisco Bay Area to Reno and back without burning a drop of gas, just to bring you the top tips you'll need when planning a road trip in an electric car along the way. From route-planning apps and charging adapters to tire pressure and preconditioning, ride along with me in the 2026 Chevy Equinox EV.

Read more about affordable EVs: This company builds the iPhone. Now it's launched an electric car.
Slate reveals pricing for its affordable electric pickup

Timecode chapters
00:00 Introduction and trip overview
02:44 Route planning and EV software
04:53 Charging ports, adapters and maintenance tips
07:22 Driving habits, speed and trip experience

Video credits
Host: Antuan Goodwin
Scripted by: Antuan Goodwin
Producer: JD Christison
Camera: Antuan Goodwin
Video Editor: JD Christison
Thumbnail Designer: Tharon Green

The Canon EOS R8 Mark II is one of the most capable full-frame cameras you'll find for under $2,000, but I can't help but admire its gorgeous industrial design.

Explore more about cameras and photography: Used camera shopping tips and tricks
I put the Camp Snap 2 to the ultimate test: Capturing my honeymoon

Timecode chapters
0:00 Intro and sample footage
0:10 Meet the Canon EOS R8 Mark II
0:19 Lineup positioning and pricing
0:35 Key features and ibis upgrade
0:57 Video specs and audio ports
1:14 Design inspiration: The retro T80
1:36 Ergonomics, grip and textures
2:27 Mode dial and beginner accessibility
2:50 Target audience and hands-on impressions
3:30 Preorder and release info

Video credits
Host: Jim Fisher
Scripted by: Jim Fisher
Producer: Jim Fisher
Camera: Jim Fisher
Video editor: Dillon Payne
Thumbnail designer: Zooey Liao

Thinking of working for Amazon but not sure how much the job pays? Wages will obviously vary per the position, but one thing is for sure: You will make no less than $20 per hour.

On Wednesday, Amazon announced that it was raising the minimum wage for full-time operations workers in the U.S. by $1. The move raises their lowest hourly wage from $19 to $20.

According to Amazon, average total compensation for these workers is now more than $32 per hour when its benefits package is included. The company provides healthcare coverage starting at $5 per week, as well as perks such as a free Amazon Prime membership and prepaid education programs.

Amazon also announced a new benefit that gives qualified employees and their families access to low-cost financial services through First Tech Federal Credit Union. The benefit is called "Day 1 Financial."

As Reuters points out, Amazon’s hourly wages now match Costco’s, after Costco raised its entry-level hourly pay to $20 last year. Amazon’s minimum wage is also higher than Walmart’s and Target’s, which start workers at $14 and $15 per hour, respectively.

Amazon raising wages for its workers is certainly a good thing. However, this pay raise strictly applies only to those directly employed by Amazon, a company that outsources a number of crucial positions to subcontractors.

For example, Amazon is currently fighting a New York City bill called the "Delivery Protection Act". The bill would force Amazon to directly hire its last-mile delivery and warehouse workers, jobs usually filled by third-party subcontractors.

According to Amazon, the company’s annual revenue rose 12 percent, from $638 billion in 2024 to $716.9 billion in 2025.

The holiday shopping season will be here before you know it. This week, Amazon announced the return of Prime Big Deal Days for 2026, its fall savings event for Prime members (aka "October Prime Day"). The sale will run for 48 hours from Oct. 6 to 7 and compete with concurrent festivities at Target and Walmart.

Prime Big Deal Days will be an opportunity to get a head start on your Black Friday wishlist — and to get some relief from the RAMageddon price hikes impacting the tech industry this year. For its part, Amazon increased the prices of nearly two dozen Kindles, Fire TV Sticks, Echo smart speakers, and eero routers this summer because of rising component costs. Its upcoming seasonal deals should cancel out some of those markups.

SEE ALSO: How to sign up for Amazon Prime in time for the next Prime Day

As we gear up for fall, Amazon has already started dropping some early October Prime Day deals, and we've rounded up the best ones below. (Spoiler: So far, they're all going to Amazon's own devices and services.) We'll keep updating our picks in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days, so check back often.

Best free deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle Unlimited (3 months free) $0 at Amazon
$35.97 Save $35.97   Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon's e-book subscription service gets you access to a library of more than 5 million digital titles. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can try it for free for three months — even if you don't have a Prime membership. Think of it as a Stuff Your Kindle Day that never ends and costs you nothing.

More free (or almost-free) deals Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Music Unlimited (4 months free with Prime) $0 at Amazon
$47.96 Save $47.96 The retail giant's music streaming service offers ad-free listening to over 100 million songs. You can get a free four-month trial with a Prime membership or a three-month trial without. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Audible Standard (4 months with Prime) $3.96 at Amazon
$35.96 Save $32 Right now, Prime members can save 80% on four months' worth of Amazon's audiobook service. Your membership lets you download one title per month. including classics, new releases, and BookTok faves like the ACOTAR series. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Grubhub / Amazon Save $20 on your next Grubhub+ order (with Prime) One of Amazon's Prime benefits is a free Grubhub+ membership. Through Oct. 5, you can take $20 off your next order over $30 just by entering the code DEALS20 at checkout. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Buy a new car, get a free $1,500 gift card (with Prime) Did you know Amazon sells cars? If you buy or lease a new vehicle through its Amazon Autos program by Oct. 7, you'll receive a free Amazon gift card worth a grand and a half. Get Deal Best Fire tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) $76.99 at Amazon
$154.99 Save $78.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, you can grab this HD tablet with 32GB of storage for 50% off. In the midst of a global memory crisis, a $77 tablet sounds pretty appealing. This 10-inch tablet has a lightweight design, a decently long battery life, and a crisp, colorful display. According to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel, it's never been this cheap before.

More Fire tablet deals Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids (64GB) $94.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $75.00 Amazon makes two 8-inch tablets for kids, both of which come with a durable case, built-in parental controls, two-year guarantee, and a free trial of Amazon Kids+. This model has preset filters for little tykes ages 3 to 7. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro (64GB) $94.99 at Amazon
$169.99 Save $75.00 The "Pro" version is the same tablet, just geared toward ages 6 to 12. Both of them are sitting at record-low prices. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) $84.99 at Amazon
$129.99 Save $45.00 Amazon's cheapest Fire tablet is also marked down to an all-time low ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Our reviewer liked its compact size and speedy performance. Get Deal Best Fire TV Stick deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select $19.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $20.00   Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon's cheapest 4K media player faced a $10 price bump in August. Amazon's pre-Prime Big Deal Days price of $19.99 erases that and then some, saving you 60%. If you want to catch up on all of this year's Emmy award winners, then this is one of the best October Prime Day deals so far.

More Fire TV Stick deals Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick HD $17.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $22.00 The retailer's entry-level media player is only $2 away from its record-low price from Prime Day in July. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $39.99 at Amazon
$69.99 Save $30.00 Compared to the regular Fire TV Stick 4K Select, this "Plus" model adds Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos support. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Max $49.99 at Amazon
$84.99 Save $35.00 Out of all of Amazon's 4K streamers, the "Max" version has the most storage, the peppiest processor, and the fastest WiFi connection. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Cube $109.99 at Amazon
$199.99 Save $90.00 Why get a Fire TV Cube instead of a Stick? This little streaming box works hands-free with Alexa, Amazon's smart assistant, and can be connected to other devices like your gaming console(s). Get Deal More early October Prime Day deals

These products aren't part of Amazon's official early Prime Big Deal Days discounts, but they are worth a closer look. For instance, the Nintendo Customer Appreciation Sale kicked off this week, and it will be gone by the time October Prime Day begins.

So, check out these deals while you wait for the holiday shopping season to begin on Oct. 6.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Switch Pro Controller $55.97 at Amazon
$79.99 Save $24.02   Get Deal Why we like it

Amazon is undercutting Nintendo, Walmart, and Best Buy by a whopping $0.02 cents with this sale, but we're not complaining. This wireless controller provides better controls for many types of games (both on the Switch 1 and Switch 2) compared to the standard Nintendo Joy-Con controllers, and this is your chance to grab it for its lowest-ever price.

More early October Prime Day deals Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon 2-in-1 Oil Sprayer for Cooking $3.44 at Amazon
$5.93 Save $2.49 Amazon is hosting a $2 Hauls sales event in advance of Prime Big Deal Days, with hundreds of everyday essentials. Not all of the products are under $2, but they're all priced to move. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Kasa Kasa Multicolor Dimmable Wi-Fi Smart Bulb, A19 $8.99 at Amazon
$11.99 Save $3 Need to replace a burnt-out bulb? This smart bulb lets you choose from 16 million colors so you can find exactly the right tone of light. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Nintendo Joy-Con (single) $31.49 at Amazon
$44.99 Save $13.50 If you need an extra Joy-Con for your Switch, both single and dual Joy-Con controllers are on sale for a limited time. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Metroid Dread Nintendo Switch (Digital Code) $41.97 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $18.02 In this title for the original Switch console, gamers rejoined Samus Aran for the first new 2D Metroid story in almost two decades. If you missed this one the first time around, then you'll love experiencing it for the Switch 2. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Classic Creative Suitcase 10713 $11.80 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $8.19 We're expecting a lot more Lego deals as we approach Oct. 6. For now, this is the perfect Lego starter kit for young kids — or anyone who loves brick building. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Lego Lego Botanicals Succulents 10309 $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15 We love the Lego Botanicals line here at Mashable, and this popular cactus-themed building kit is at an all-time low price. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin Vivoactive 5 Smartwatch $181.97 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $118.02 Garmin's popular fitness watch is at its best price since May, and you can add this smart tracker to your wrist for under $200 thanks to a 39% discount. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (2nd Gen) $249.99 at Amazon
$299 Save $49.01 Bose's second-generation QuietComfort Ultra earbuds are the most comfortable buds we've ever tested. Nothing else really comes close. You can save $50 on these earbuds, and we don't expect the price to drop any lower when October Prime Day begins. Get Deal

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

TL;DR: Microsoft Project Professional 2021 is on sale for $12.97 (reg. $249.99) through September 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT, with tools for automated scheduling, task management, timesheets, timelines, and project planning.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Project 2021 Professional: Lifetime License for Windows $12.97
$249.99 Save $237.02   Get Deal

Keeping a project on schedule can involve a lot of tedious updating, especially as tasks shift and dependencies change. Microsoft Project Professional 2021 is designed to take some of that work off your plate, and a lifetime Windows license is now $12.97 (reg. $249.99), with the offer ending on Sept. 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

This software includes pre-built templates to help get projects started, while dependencies can automatically populate task start and end dates. Built-in multiple timelines also give you a visual way to keep track of complex schedules without manually piecing everything together.

Project Professional 2021 also gives you tools for handling the details that can otherwise eat into your workday. Timesheets can capture time spent on project and non-project work, while what-if scenarios let you see how different task assignments could affect a project before making changes.

That combination makes the software useful for project managers and teams meeting several deadlines, resources, and moving parts. It can also work for business owners and individuals who need a more structured way to manage project-based work. The software can sync with Project Online and Project Server, and it supports Office LTSC and Office 2021.

The lifetime license is a one-time purchase for installation on a Windows PC, whether at home or at work. Software license keys and download links are delivered instantly, and customer support is included.

Get Microsoft Project Professional 2021 for $12.97 (reg. $249.99) and put automated scheduling, timelines, timesheets, and planning tools to work. The promo ends Sept. 27 at 11:59 p.m. PT, no coupon required.

StackSocial prices subject to change.