Mashable

On Monday, Mashable reported on the burglary of a FedEx truck carrying packages of valuable trading cards, which had recently left a Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) facility in Southern California. PSA is a leader in grading valuable trading cards.

New details have since emerged about the theft, which indicate that this was a more sophisticated, targeted heist. We also now know just how valuable some of the stolen Pokémon and sports cards were.

According to a new report from the New York Times and The Athletic, the FedEx truck was parked outside of PSA’s headquarters in Santa Ana, California on Oct. 13. The Santa Ana Police told The Athletic that the FedEx truck was left unattended for as long as 90 minutes. During that window of time, the truck's locks were broken, and three pallets of recently graded cards being sent back to their owners were stolen by the thieves, the police told the outlet. According to the report, two pallets held around 100 packages each, and a third contained roughly 50 packages.

PSA told police that two of the pallets were valued at around $963,000, The Athletic reported. The company is reportedly still assessing the value of the third pallet, but it seems likely the total value of the stolen cards will be more than $1 million.

The Santa Ana Police Department is currently investigating the crime.

"We are working closely with law enforcement and the carrier as the investigation continues," PSA told Mashable in a statement on Monday. "We have deactivated the certificates for the stolen items and notified marketplace partners so they can be on the lookout for rare and serialized items."

Online, affected PSA customers are sharing emails from PSA informing them of the theft, and some collectors are speculating about how the thieves knew to target that particular truck. The speculation isn't unwarranted. There have been previous cases where delivery workers have been found guilty of stealing trading cards and other sports memorabilia while the items were in transit.

Collectors send their trading cards to PSA, or Professional Sports Authenticator, in order to get them graded. During this process, a professional authenticates the card as legitimate and also assesses the item's condition, which could greatly boost its value to prospective buyers. 

According to PSA, the company will compensate customers for the stolen cards based on "fair market value up to the Maximum Insured Value."

However, there are potential issues with how compensation will be assessed. One PSA customer, YouTuber Sky-B Cards, shared yesterday in a social media post that he had 104 cards stolen, worth more than $100,000. In a subsequent YouTube video, Sky-B Cards went through the list of cards that he had sent to PSA to be graded. As the YouTuber pointed out, some of these cards will be hard to calculate a reimbursement value for, as they included error cards, which usually sell at a premium when compared to the card's estimated value.

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The best NBA streaming deals at a glance: Best for ESPN and ABC games ESPN Unlimited annual plan $319.99/year (save $63.89) Get Deal Best for NBC and Peacock games Peacock Premium annual plan $129.99/year (save $25.89) Get Deal Best for Prime Video games Prime Video only $8.99/month (save $6/month compared to Prime subscription) Get Deal BEST FOR OUT-OF-MARKET GAMES NBA League Pass starting at $16.99/month Get Deal

A couple monumental things happened last NBA season: the New York Knicks brought home the championship for the first time in over 50 years and the league rekindled its broadcast partnership with NBC after 23 long years. This year, the season is tipping off with a triple-header on the network (and its Peacock streaming counterpart) between the Celtics and Pistons (3 p.m. ET), the 76ers and Knicks (7 p.m. ET), and the Thunder and Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET) on Oct. 20.

Watching the 2026-2027 NBA season requires the same streaming services as last season, at least for national broadcasts. Still, if you need a refresher or you're new to watching basketball, getting your streaming lineup ready is no walk in the park. Between regional sports networks, blackout games, and national broadcasts, we have a lot to cover. Buckle up. Here's your guide to watching the 2026-2027 NBA season, including all of the best streaming deals.

When does the 2026-2027 NBA season start?

The NBA season officially tips off on Oct. 20, 2026, with a triple-header on NBC and Peacock. The 82-game regular season wraps up April 11, 2027.

What channels do I need to watch live NBA games this season?

The NBA's long-standing contract with TNT officially concluded prior to last season, with NBC taking its spot after two decades. The network and its streaming counterpart, Peacock, will air up to 100 regular season games on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday nights in the 2026-2027 season. There will also be several games exclusively streaming on Peacock.

Besides NBC, the NBA also struck up a landmark deal with Amazon last season. For the second year in a row, Prime Video is getting a slice of the basketball schedule. Prime Video will present exclusive global coverage for 67 NBA regular-season games, Emirates NBA Cup games, and the Eastern Conference Finals.

You'll also need ABC and ESPN, as the networks will broadcast 80 regular-season games for the 25th straight season. Of course, you'll also need access to your regional sports network, as in years past.

Here's a breakdown of the general TV schedule for national broadcasts:

• Sunday — ABC and NBC/Peacock

• Monday — Peacock/NBSN

• Tuesday — NBC/Peacock

• Wednesday — ESPN

• Thursday — Prime Video

• Friday — Prime Video and ESPN (starting midseason)

• Saturday — ABC/ESPN and Prime Video

How to watch NBA games this season without cableNational broadcasts

There will be 247 national broadcasts this season, once again, with games airing on ABC, ESPN, NBC, Peacock, and Prime Video. Even if you have cable, you'll still need Peacock and Prime Video in order to watch those exclusive games. No cable? No worries. Peacock has you covered with NBC broadcasts as well as Peacock exclusives, and ESPN's Unlimited tier has you covered with ESPN and ABC broadcasts. You can watch nearly 250 games this season with Peacock, ESPN Unlimited, and Prime Video alone.

Local broadcasts

Unfortunately, national broadcasts only make up a small fraction of the full slate of games. Most games are broadcast locally via regional sports networks (RSNs), though many teams have started to move away from these traditional RSN models. Regardless, for these games, it will largely come down to whether or not the team you want to watch is in-market or out-of-market.

In-market games:

In order to watch in-market games, you'll still need access to your team's RSN or streaming counterpart this year. But here's the thing: this might be the last year of RSNs. These regional sports networks are largely going bankrupt due to customers cutting the cord. Next season, look out for a centralized streaming hub that houses local NBA broadcasts of most teams. Until then, you'll have to subscribe to your team's specific RSN or streaming service for the 2026-2027 season.

DAZN signed on as a partner for the NBA this season, with the exclusive or digital local broadcast rights to 10 different teams. Prime Video has also acquired the exclusive rights to Hawks games, plus non-exclusively shows four other teams. If you're unsure of what network or service you need to watch your team in 2026, see our FAQs below.

Out-of-market games:

If you're a fan of an out-of-market team, you'll need NBA League Pass. League Pass streams practically all regional broadcasts for teams that aren't in your local market. For example, if you live in New York City, you'll be able to watch every team via NBA League Pass except the Knicks and Nets. NBA League Pass costs $16.99 per month to watch on one device with commercials or $24.99 per month to watch on up to three devices with in-arena streams (no commercials).

The best live TV streaming deals for NBA gamesBest for ESPN and ABC games: Save 16% on the ESPN Unlimited yearly plan Opens in a new window Credit: ESPN ESPN Unlimited annual plan $319.99/year (save $63.89) Get Deal

ESPN's direct-to-consumer streaming service, launched last year, unlocks access to the entire suite of ESPN networks and services in one subscription. You'll get to stream NBA games from ESPN and ABC (as well as plenty of other sports and leagues) in real time. It typically costs $31.99 per month, but if you commit to a full year, you'll save about 16% or over $60. Of course, you can watch more than just NBA games, making the yearly plan worth it, particularly for fans of multiple sports.

Best for NBC and Peacock games: Save 17% on Peacock annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: Peacock Peacock Premium annual subscription $129.99 per year (save 17%) Get Deal

When Peacock isn't running any sort of special (which it does a few times per year — keep an eye out around Black Friday), the best Peacock deal for most people on any given day is the annual subscription plan. When you pay upfront for the year, you'll end up getting 12 months for the price of 10. A monthly subscription with ads usually costs $12.99 per month (which adds up to $155.88), but paying upfront drops that price to only $129.99 (which breaks down to $10.83 per month). That's a total savings of 17%.

The Peacock Premium Plus plan costs $199.99 per year (which breaks down to about $16.67 per month instead of $19.99) and offers ad-free content. Live sports, however, will still include ads. If you're subscribing to Peacock specifically for NBA games, you might as well go for the cheaper option.

More Peacock deals:

• Free Peacock Premium for eligible Xfinity customers

• Free Peacock Premium for Instacart+ subscribers

• Free Peacock Premium for Walmart+ subscribers

• Students save $6/month on one year of Peacock Premium

• First responders, medical professionals, military personnel, and teachers save $5/month on Peacock Premium

Best for Prime Video games: Save $6 per month on Prime Video only Opens in a new window Credit: Prime Video Prime Video only $8.99 per month Get Deal

If you're only interested in Prime Video for the NBA games, you probably don't care about all the extra perks of being a Prime member. In that case, you don't need to pay $14.99 per month for Prime. You can simply subscribe to Prime Video as a standalone service for only $8.99 per month instead and save yourself $6 per month.

Of course, Amazon makes it unnecessarily complicated to sign up for Prime Video on its own. When you go to sign up for a subscription, be sure to select the option to "see more plans" or "change plans." Then, navigate to the option for Prime Video on its own. You can still cancel whenever you want, just as you would a full Prime membership.

More Prime Video deals:

• Save 22% on an Amazon Prime annual membership

• Students save $7.50 per month with Prime for Young Adults

Best for out-of-market games: Save over 40% on NBA League Pass annual subscription Opens in a new window Credit: NBA League Pass NBA League Pass annual plan $109.99 per season with ads, $159.99 per season without ads Get Deal

Similar to NFL's Sunday Ticket, minus the outrageous fee, NBA League Pass gives fans access to live out-of-market games. Plus, you'll get to enjoy games from the NBA's archive, analysis, documentaries, highlights, and more. Local games on NBA TV, as well as nationally broadcast games, will be blacked out live. You can tune into locally blacked-out games three days after the live broadcast and nationally broadcast games three hours after. It costs $16.99 or $24.99 per month, but if you pay for the whole season upfront, it'll only cost you $109.99 or $159.99. The more expensive option unlocks ad-free viewing and the ability to stream on three devices at once.

The first five episodes of Love Is Blind Season 11 hit Netflix on Wednesday, Oct. 14, and this time, we’re following 30 singles from the Boston area who are ready to find true love and settle down.

The fresh group of New Englanders is taking on the challenge of getting engaged without seeing their potential spouses. The season is hosted by married celebrity couple Nick Lachey and Vanessa Lachey, who have seen their fair share of engagements, marriages, and breakups across 10 prior seasons of Love Is Blind. Season 11 introduces us to 14 men and 16 women ages 28 to 40, from entrepreneurs and engineers to consultants and account executives.

Here’s the rundown on this season’s cast members, with biographical details from Netflix Tudum, including their Instagram handles (and astrological signs, if you’re curious).

Spoilers for the first five episodes of Love Is Blind Season 11 follow.

Blake Carver (@tropicanacoyote)

Blake, 38, is a Cancer – a fitting sign for someone who is also a yacht captain. The water sign is looking for someone who is open to being out on the open seas with him, which is why he was surprised to hit it off with Benita, who hasn’t spent that much time on a boat before. 

The two bonded over Balkan culture, since Benita is Albanian and Blake briefly lived in Croatia. However, Blake also made a connection with Erika, and the two had some great banter talking about their favorite sleep practices and how they show up in relationships.

Credit: Netflix

Benita Paloja (@benitapalo)

Credit: Netflix

Benita is a 31-year-old insurance agent and Taurus from Kosovo, Albania. She immigrated with her family to the United States in 1999, which she says has made her extremely close with her family. She hit it off with both Blake and Morrey, but seemed to have a stronger connection with Blake. 

However, after getting the sense that Blake had a stronger connection with Erika, Benita chose to walk away from their connection and said that Blake was making the "biggest mistake of his life."

Erika (@errrika1)

Credit: Netflix

Erika, 37, is a marketing director who loves her home just as much as she loves to travel. A Cancer like Blake, Erika said she feels grounded by the sea, with Blake suggesting that she join him on his yacht. 

The pair hit it off after discovering that they had many similarities, like previously living in San Diego and starting beverage companies.

While Erika was uncomfortable that Blake had a connection with Benita, she decided to keep growing a connection with him, and the pair ended up getting engaged in the pods.

Morrey Eglin (@morrey__)

Credit: Netflix

Morrey is a 32-year-old entrepreneur who is also a boxer, a part-time bouncer at a busy Boston bar, and a full-time Libra. He got to know both Benita and Sarah in the pods, but things got a little messy after he got into a tiff with Benita. He called off their connection, deciding that he didn’t want to rush into a commitment with her.

However, Sarah had already formed a stronger connection with John, and ended things with Morrey.

Sarah Williams (@swillyyyy)

Credit: Netflix

Sarah, 34, is a healthcare program manager and part-time bartender. Sarah, a Libra, said she has been single for six years and is hoping to make a connection built on friendship rather than looks.

She formed connections with both Morrey and John, but ended up choosing her connection with John.

John Shannon (@johnshannon_)

Credit: Netflix

John is a 33-year-old account executive, Gemini, and most importantly, a dog dad. He recently found out he has multiple sclerosis (MS), and is looking for a lifelong partner with strong convictions. 

John shared an awkward moment with Sarah after she overheard him calling her part of his “bottom two,” but the two were able to move past this and ultimately hit it off in the pods, ultimately getting engaged.

Cameron "Cam" Halloran (@cameronhalloran)

Credit: Netflix

Cam is a 29-year-old HR generalist and Scorpio who has spent some time in Ghana and India. During his time in India, he read a book called My Gita (based on the Hindu text The Bhagavad Gita) several times.

It’s no surprise that he hit it off with Aneha, who comes from a Hindu family. But he also hit it off Malaine, a breast cancer survivor who bonded with Cam after he confided that his mom survived cancer.

He ended up forming a stronger connection with Aneha, saying that she might be his person, and broke up with Malaine. 

Aneha Singh (@anehahaha)

Credit: Netflix

Aneha, 28, is a principal engineer and Aquarius. She describes herself as "stubborn," and says that a surprising fact about her is that she’s never drunk alcohol. She’s passionate about her biotech research, and says that she’s looking for a "gentleman."

It looks like Aneha might’ve found that gentleman in Cam, who proposed to her in the pods. 

Malaine Thorpe (@melinmotionxo)

Credit: Netflix

Malaine, 33, is a senior portfolio analyst and Pisces who values self-improvement. She said her relationship goals are Barack and Michelle Obama, and that she’s looking for someone that could join her at the gym as a workout buddy. 

Malaine connected with Cam and Wilson, but ended up leaving the experiment after Cam broke up with her.

Wilson (@willymilll)

Credit: Netflix

Wilson, 35, is a senior compliance manager and Gemini who likes to play recreational basketball in his free time. He said that he used to struggle with believing that he deserved love, but is ready for the experience of self-discovery in the pods, even if he doesn’t find a match. 

Wilson made strong connections with both Malaine and Wilnie, but decided to focus on his connection with Wilnie after Malaine left. 

Wilnie (@wilnie_)

Credit: Netflix

Wilnie is a 33-year-old mental health counselor and Aries. The youngest of her siblings, Wilnie is hoping to find a partner who gets along with her family.

She made it clear to Wilson that she was falling for him, and the pair ended up getting engaged in the pods. 

Jacqueline "Jax" Guelli (@jacquelineguelli)

Credit: Netflix

Jax is a 31-year-old entrepreneur and Taurus who admits that she does care about looks, as someone who works in the beauty industry and owns a skincare line. She bonded with Scott, also known as "Stew," about their shared interest in saunas and design.

Despite things going well between the two, things hit a rough patch after Stew said that he’s never said "I love you" to a girlfriend before, souring their last meeting. Stew still proposed to Jax, who accepted, but the engagement didn’t work out after they met face-to-face.

Scott "Stew" (@scooterstew)

Credit: Netflix

Stew, 34, is a director of engineering, Gemini, and self-proclaimed "sauna aficionado." He bonded with Jax in the pods, even describing their dream weddings to each other.

However, Jax still had doubts about Stew, which were solidified after meeting him for the first time in-person. Jax ended up leaving the experiment shortly after.

Rob (@feels_3310)

Credit: Netflix

Rob, 40, is an Aquarius who works in AI infrastructure sales. He’s looking for a partner with traditional family values who is comfortable hanging out with his friends, and also joining him on the golf course. 

Rob formed connections with both Michaella and Diana, and had a difficult time deciding which relationship to prioritize in the pods.

Diana (@diananicolep)

Credit: Netflix

Diana, a 29-year-old nanny and Sagittarius, describes herself as an old soul who is "annoyingly traditional." A proud Sicilian, Diana bonded with Rob over their love of family.

However, things took a turn when Diana expressed her discomfort at Rob’s connection with Michaella, asking him to break up with her. 

Michaella Giorgio (@michaellagiorgio)

Credit: Netflix

Michaella, 35, is a retail consultant and Virgo who is looking for a partner that she can always laugh with. She found that in Rob, who she spent time bantering with in the pods, including a great Donald Trump impression (courtesy of Rob).

After struggling to decide between Diana and Michaella, Rob ultimately decided to focus on his connection with Michaella and proposed to her in the pods. He gifted her a bracelet that belonged to his late father, cementing their care for each other.

Amenawon "Iman" Johnson (@aggamenawon)

Credit: Netflix

Iman, 34, is a software engineer and Pisces who describes himself as a "geek at heart." Iman said that he’s previously put his partner’s needs above his own, and is afraid of falling in love with someone who takes advantage of this.

Jay Robinson (@jrobb__)

Credit: Netflix

In true Capricorn fashion, Jay, 36, says his career as a director of sales in the sports industry leaves him too busy to date. He’s looking for a partner with a similar drive and goals of her own (and someone who doesn’t mind his freestyle rapping).

Mark A. Colantonio (@markacolantonio)

Credit: Netflix

Mark, 37, is a wine sales consultant who hopes to find a partner that remains understanding even under times of stress. As a Taurus, Mark values acts of service as a love language, and his friends say that he’s the type of person who would give you the shirt off his back.

Matt Waldrip (@mattsmenu14)

Credit: Netflix

Matt is a 37-year-old beekeeper, Capricorn, and father to an 8-year-old son. He says he’s looking for his “queen bee” in the pods, and is ready to impress with romantic dinners like his signature chicken parmesan. 

Michael Arisco (@m_arisco)

Credit: Netflix

Michael is a 35-year-old account executive and Leo from Connecticut. He values vulnerability, and is hoping that being open in the pods will allow him to find a genuine connection.

Scott Shuman (@scottshuman9)

Credit: Netflix

Scott, 38, is an Aries who doesn’t believe in astrology. He’s a former professional baseball player turned baseball coach who is looking for a woman who shares his Christian values (and hopefully doesn’t believe in astrology, either). 

Tucker Myhre (@tmyhre802)

Credit: Netflix

Tucker is a senior solutions consultant who describes himself as a know-it-all who loves Wikipedia rabbit holes. The 35-year-old Aries is looking for a partner who shares his love for Boston sports teams, especially the Red Sox.

Brittany Bianco (@britt_catalina)

Credit: Netflix

Brittany, a 34-year-old attorney from a "huge Italian family," says her love language is cooking (as long as her partner cleans up after). As an Aquarius, Brittany said she’s open to dating all astrology signs… except for Sagittarius men. 

Jenn Mouser (@jennmouser)

Credit: Netflix

Jenn, 39, is a master hairstylist and mother to a 7-year-old son. She describes herself as a Pisces “through and through,” and is looking for a partner who is sensitive, open to children, and down to hit the beach with her every morning to watch the sunrise.

Kara Grumoli (@karagrumoli)

Credit: Netflix

Kara is a 32-year-old strategic account manager and Virgo. She’s hoping to find someone who can balance out her “calm, cool, and collected” personality, and maybe someone who can accompany her to her family’s annual trip to the Vineyard.

Kerry Cashman (@kerryc2)

Credit: Netflix

Kerry, 37, is an athletic director and Scorpio who is looking for a partner that can keep up with her extroverted, upbeat personality. She wants someone that she can be both deep and silly with. 

Liz Rounds (@liz.rounds)

Credit: Netflix

Liz is a 34-year-old NICU nurse who is looking for a "generous and committed" partner to enjoy her free time with. As an Aries, Liz is passionate about music and binge-watching TV on Sundays.

Rachel Aukema (@thatsaukward)

Credit: Netflix

Rachel, a 32-year-old academic advisor and Cancer who is looking for a partner who is a strong leader. Despite previously living in Spain, Rachel has decided to settle down in Boston permanently, and hopefully have “Bostonian babies” one day.

Sahar (@saharm11)

Credit: Netflix

Sahar is an orthodontist and proud Persian who immigrated to the US when she was 10 years old. The 34-year-old Scorpio says that while she’s gotten her life ruined by Leo men before, she doesn’t hate them (but is a little afraid of them). She wants to find a caring partner, one that she can possibly build a multicultural household with.

The first five episodes of Season 11 of Love is Blind were released to Netflix on October 14. New episodes are scheduled to air every Wednesday at 3 am ET, until the Episode 12 season finale on November 3. 

SAVE UP TO 12%: As of Oct. 20, Amazon has select configurations of the M5 Apple MacBook Air on sale for $150 off, with prices starting at $1,149 (normally $1,299).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,149 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $150   Get Deal at Amazon Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,649 at Amazon
$1,799 Save $150   Get Deal at Amazon

Apple will probably announce its first MacBook Pro with an OLED touchscreen at a hardware event next week, and we expect it to be a pricey premium laptop geared toward power users. If you're more of a casual, everyday user who doesn't do a lot of video editing or programming, we highly recommend the existing M5 MacBook Air — which happens to be on sale right now.

Select configurations of Apple's ultraportable are $150 off on Amazon, including most variants of the 13-inch size and a silver 15-inch model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage. Best Buy is matching Amazon's deals on the 13-inch ones, but not the 15-incher.

Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

This MacBook Air deal isn't quite as good as the one Amazon was offering during this month's Prime Big Deal Days sale, its "October Prime Day" event, which saved shoppers a full $200. Still, they're welcome in the wake of Apple's MacBook price hikes earlier this summer. (FWIW, that $200 discount probably won't return until Black Friday in late November.)

In his review of the M5 MacBook Air, Mashable tech editor Timothy Beck Werth said it offers "fantastic performance for the value" and has "all the premium features you expect in a modern MacBook." That includes a haptic touchpad, colorful display, sharp 12MP webcam, and superb speakers. Werth ultimately rated it at 4.6/5, which earned it a Mashable Choice Award.

TL;DR: Live stream PSG vs. Barcelona in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is all about huge games between the best teams in the world, and it really doesn't get any bigger than PSG vs. Barcelona.

It's the defending champions against a team that a lot of fans think will go all the way this season. They are first and second in the standings after two games, scoring a combined 19 goals. Both teams are absolutely packed with elite talent, so expect dazzling displays from the likes of Lamine Yamal and Ousmane Dembélé. It's going to be a goalfest, right?

If you want to watch PSG vs. Barcelona in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Barcelona?

PSG vs. Barcelona in the Champions League kicks off at 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 20. This fixture takes place at the Parc des Princes.

How to watch PSG vs. Barcelona for free

PSG vs. Barcelona is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access it for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Barcelona for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch PSG vs. Barcelona for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream PSG vs. Barcelona (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries, including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and usually offers a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99.

Live stream PSG vs. Barcelona in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

Some iPhone Duo buyers who were told they’d have to wait until 2027 may be getting their phones much sooner.

Pre-orders for the Duo opened Friday, Oct. 16, and sold out almost immediately. Delivery estimates quickly slipped into late January 2027. Over the weekend, though, a number of customers began reporting that Apple had moved their delivery dates up, in some cases to the phone’s Friday, Oct. 23 launch.

SEE ALSO: iPhone Duo vs iPad: How they differ

Given the rush on the Duo, Apple has capped purchases at two per order. According to a post from TechDroider on X, the company is also canceling suspicious orders to curb reselling. Apple hasn’t confirmed the cancellations.

The earlier dates first appeared for buyers in Japan, according to 9to5Mac, which rounded up several of the reports. One Japanese user posted that their Duo, originally scheduled to arrive in December, was now set for launch day. 9to5Mac also flagged the trend on Twitter, noting that shipping dates appeared to be getting bumped up in Japan.

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.

9to5Mac later updated its report to note that U.S. customers have started seeing earlier delivery windows, too. So far, the changes appear limited to orders placed directly through Apple, rather than through carriers or other retailers.

It’s not clear what changed. As 9to5Mac points out, Apple hasn’t publicly said why the estimates shifted, and it’s possible the new dates are a mistake that could be reversed. One possibility is that Apple padded its initial estimates as a precaution against the flood of orders. It’s also possible the original dates were a glitch, or that Apple’s supply simply improved. For now, it’s all speculation.

Mashable has reached out to Apple for comment and will update this story if we hear back.

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.

UPDATE Tuesday, 12:08 p.m. ET: Google said in an update on its Cloud status webpage that most issues have been resolved on its end, with some lingering problems still being worked on.

"The issue with impacted GCP products has been mitigated for most of the customers and it is believed to be affecting currently a very small number of customers and our Engineering Team is working on it," the update stated.

At the time of this update, some banking institutions were still showing errors on their status pages, such as Revolut and HSBC.

Google reported that "multiple" Cloud services experienced issues on Tuesday morning, with some banking customers struggling to use their services.

SEE ALSO: Why does the internet keep crashing so often? First Google Cloud, then AWS, now Cloudflare.

"We are experiencing an issue with multiple services in europe-west2 beginning on Monday, 2026-10-19 23:08 PDT," Google shared in an update on its Cloud status page. "Our engineering team continues to investigate the issue. We will provide an update by Tuesday, 2026-10-20 04:00 PDT with current details. We apologize to all who are affected by the disruption."

However, by around 10 a.m. ET on Tuesday, Google closed the issue on its website, with it seemingly being resolved on Google's end. Even after that, though, some banks such as Revolut showed issues were still ongoing as late as 11:30 a.m. ET.

Banks like Revolut, Halifax, HSBC and Lloyds are among the services with customers reporting issues, per the BBC. A source told CNN that the Google Cloud outage was directly related to Revolut's issues.

At the start, it seemed as though the issue was localized to Europe. However, Revolut's United States status website also showed many of the same issues late on Tuesday morning. It's unclear if that means U.S. customers were actually affected, or if that was merely an error on the website's part.

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ORDER FOR FREE: Grab your copy of Amazon's Holiday Kids Gift Book 2026 for free delivery to your mailbox.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kids Gift Book 2026 $0 at Amazon
  Get Deal at Amazon

Amazon is already coming in hot with the early Black Friday discounts. While we still haven't filled up on Halloween's candy corn yet, it's time to order Advent Calendars and get shopping for the holiday season before the selection dwindles. If you love to browse holiday gift guides that appear in your mailbox, there's a special one you'll want to order.

If it hasn't shown up in your mailbox yet, you can order a copy of the Amazon Kids Gift Book 2026 for free as of Oct. 20.

SEE ALSO: Early Black Friday 2026 deals: See holiday gift guides from Amazon, The Home Depot, Nordstrom, Ulta, and more

Amazon included over 100 top toys of the year in this adorable catalogue any kid or grown up will enjoy browsing. There's even space to write out a personal wish list on a tear-out page. You can also shop easily thanks to the included product QR codes.

In addition to checking out this year's hottest toys, Amazon added in free stickers and activities for kids to enjoy as they check out the magazine. The gift guide features great options like Legos, Squishmallows, and ideas for gamers.

If the catalogue didn't already land in your mailbox, order your free copy from Amazon while they're still in stock.

SAVE $200.06: As of Oct. 20, a Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 electric toothbrush bundle is on sale for the record-low price of $199.93 on Amazon (normally $399.99) — a 50% savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: Philips Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 Electric Toothbrush Bundle $199.93 at Amazon
$399.99 Save $200.06   Get Deal at Amazon

Amazon's sixth annual Holiday Beauty Event kicked off on Oct. 19, and I've been scouting out the best deals from the sale. If you and your roommate or live-in partner need new toothbrushes, you're especially in luck: A bundle of two Philips Sonicare DiamondClean 9000s is on sale for half off as part of the event.

These smart electric toothbrushes usually sell for $399.99 as a pair (or $199.96 on their own), but right now, you'll only pay $199.93 total. That's a record-low price, according to the Amazon price-tracking site camelcamelcamel.

Rated highly by Amazon reviewers for its cleaning performance and value, the Sonicare DiamondClean 9000 has four adjustable brushing modes and a built-in pressure sensor. (It'll vibrate if it thinks you're brushing too hard.) If you're really trying to optimize your dental health — teeth-maxxing? — you can track your brushing habits using its companion mobile app. Philips says it can last up to 14 days on a single charge.

Amazon's BOGO offer applies to the bundle that includes rose (light pink) and white variants of the Sonicare DiamondClean 9000. Both come with their own travel cases.

The best early Black Friday cordless tool deals Best Early Black Friday Cordless Tool Deal DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit $178 (Save $60) Get Deal Best Early Black Friday Cordless Tool Combo Kit Deal Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit $199 (Save $50) Get Deal Best Early Black Friday Cordless Ratchet Deal Milwaukee M12 F12V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Ratchet $299 (Save $100) Get Deal Best Early Black Friday BOGO Cordless Tool Deal Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Drive Impact Wrench Kit $539 (BOGO) Get Deal

If there's a shelf that still needs hanging or a deck repair you've been ignoring since spring, a good cordless tool can make the job a little more palatable. Buying one before the holidays is a great idea, especially since retailers have already started rolling out early Black Friday deals ahead of the actual sale. Cordless tools are one of the categories where prices drop first. There's no reason to wait until the end of November when the discounts are already here, so we've done our homework to bring you some of the best and earliest to choose from.

Some of the best early Black Friday deals we've found so far are on cordless drills, impact drivers, and combo kits from brands like DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, and Ryobi, with battery-and-charger bundles among the most heavily marked down.

If you've been waiting for the right moment to build out your garage or workshop setup, this is a good week to start adding things to your cart. Check out some of our top picks below.

Best early Black Friday cordless tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot DeWalt 20V Max Cordless Drill and Impact Driver Combo Kit $239 at The Home Depot
  Get Deal at The Home Depot Why we like it

The drill/driver and impact driver in this DeWalt kit are both compact enough to fit between studs and under cabinets, so it can handle a variety of jobs. It has an LED light that illuminates whatever you’re working on as well, so you don't have to struggle with visibility when handling each project. The drill uses a 1/2-inch ratcheting chuck that holds bits tight without a key, while the impact driver’s hex chuck lets you load and swap bits with one hand. You also get two 20V Max batteries, a charger, and a carrying bag to make a complete tool kit that's perfect for DIY jobs or handing over to repair enthusiasts.

Best early Black Friday cordless tool combo kit deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Ryobi ONE+ 18V Cordless 4-Tool Combo Kit with Compact Battery $199 at The Home Depot
$249 Save $50   Get Deal at The Home Depot Why we like it

Ryobi’s four-tool ONE+ kit pairs a 1/2-inch drill/driver and a 1/4-inch impact driver with a 5-1/2-inch circular saw. It also comes with an LED work light with a pivoting head that should make visibility a bit less of a concern when working in hard-to-reach places. Two 18V batteries come in the bag, a compact one for lighter jobs and a 4.0 Ah pack for longer runtime, and both work with every tool in Ryobi’s ONE+ lineup if you decide to add on later. The battery is a great addition to give you some extra oomph as well.

Best early Black Friday cordless ratchet deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Milwaukee M12 F12V Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Ratchet $299 at The Home Depot
$399 Save $100   Get Deal at The Home Depot Why we like it

Get in there and get things done with this cordless ratchet. It has a brushless motor that gives you air-ratchet speed without the hose or the compressor, so you can get into an engine bay or under a sink and finish those frustrating jobs. Its slim in-line body is balanced for one-handed use, and an LED near the head lights up fasteners in tight spots. Plus, its onboard fuel gauge shows how much charge is left so you know how much longer you have to work at a glance.

Best early Black Friday BOGO cordless tool deal Opens in a new window Credit: The Home Depot Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion Brushless Cordless Drive Impact Wrench Kit $539 at The Home Depot
Buy One, Get One Free Get Deal at The Home Depot Why we like it

This BOGO deal nets you two tools instead of one. This impact wrench puts out 430 ft-lbs of nut-busting torque from a brushless motor, which is enough to break loose over-tightened lug nuts. A four-speed selector lets you dial the power down for smaller fasteners, and the auto-stop modes cut the motor once a nut comes loose so it doesn’t spin off the socket. The kit comes with two 5.0Ah batteries, a rapid charger, and a bag, and the whole thing weighs about four pounds with a battery attached. Twice is always nice.

More cordless tool deals

• Ryobi ONE+ 18V Starter Kit with 4.0 Ah Battery and Charger — $129 $159 (save $30)

• DeWalt 20V MAX XR Cordless 1/4 in. 3-Speed Impact Driver (Tool Only) — $129 $169 (save $110)

• Milwaukee M18 18V Lith-Ion Cordless Compact Blower w/ 2.0 Ah Battery — $129 $239 (save $40)

• DeWalt 20V MAX Cordless Brushless Screw Gun (Tool Only) — $149 $199 (save $50)

• DeWalt 20V MAX XR Cordless 1/2 in. Impact Wrench (Tool Only) — $199 $279 (save $80)

• DeWalt 20V XR Battery Starter Pack (8.0Ah + 4.0Ah with Charger) — $199 $329 (save $130)

• Milwaukee M12 12V Cordless Green 250 ft. 3-Plane Laser Level Kit — $599 $649 (save $50)

• Milwaukee M18 18V Cordless Combo Kit (8-Tool) with (2) Batteries and Charger — $649 $1,298 (save $649)

Best early Black Friday Dyson deals at a glance: Best Dyson vacuum deal for hard floors Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones $423.99 (save $176) Get Deal Best Dyson vacuum deal for carpet Dyson V16 Piston Animal $799.99 (save $180) Get Deal Best Dyson air purifier deal Dyson HushJet $279.98 (save $70.01) Get Deal Best Dyson haircare deal Dyson Airwrap i.d Multi-Styler $534.49 (save $175.50) Get Deal

It feels like we just finished recovering from October Prime Day, but Black Friday is already around the corner. (It officially lands on Nov. 27 this year, but retailers are clearly jumping the gun to get deals out early.) I'm honestly shocked to see these Dyson discounts hitting Amazon this far ahead of Thanksgiving.

SEE ALSO: Amazon Prime Day vs. Black Friday: When are the deals actually better?

We will obviously be updating this all month long leading up to the main event (and even after), so you can expect this list to grow as we get closer to the big day. But if you want to beat the holiday rush and cross some big-ticket items off your list, here are the best early Dyson deals you can grab right now.

Best Dyson vacuum deal for hard floors Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones Cordless Vacuum $449.99 at Best Buy
$599.99 Save $150   Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Dyson Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

As of Oct. 19, the Mashable Choice Award winner Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones (what a name, right?) is on sale for $423.99, down from $599.99, at Amazon. That's a 29% discount, or $176 in savings. Not only is this the lowest price we've seen on this model in the last 30 days, but it's also a new all-time low, according to our trusty price-history tool CamelCamelCamel. Its previous record-low price was $449.99, which it last hit on March 29, 2026.

In our review, Mashable's Leah Stodart noted that it "weighs nothing and fits everywhere," making it ideal for smaller homes or apartments. The Fluffycones head swivels a full 360 degrees to glide around tight furniture legs, and dual lasers point out every speck of dust in your path. Just keep in mind that its battery life is relatively short (30 minutes), and it has a tiny dustbin — plus, it's built for hard floors and struggles on carpet.

Read our Dyson PencilVac Fluffycones review.

Best Dyson vacuum deal for carpet Dyson V16 Piston Animal $799.99 at Amazon
$979.99 Save $180   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Dyson Why we like it

If your home has thick carpets or shedding pets, the ultra-slim PencilVac won't cut it — you need heavy-duty suction. Meet the Dyson V16 Piston Animal. It's on sale for $799.99, down from $979.99, at Amazon. That's an 18% discount or $180 savings. It's also the best price we've seen on this model to date.

Not to be dramatic, but this is the most powerful Dyson vacuum ever made. It offers 315 Air Watts of suction power, features an anti-tangle All Floor Cones cleaner head that yanks deeply embedded hair right out of rug fibers, and has a newly designed compression dustbin that makes it easier to just set it and forget it.

Read our Dyson V16 Piston Animal review.

More Dyson vacuum deals

• Dyson Ball Animal 3 — $299.99 $449.99 (save $150)

• Dyson Ball Animal 3 Extra — $399.99 $549.99 (save $150)

• Dyson V15 Detect Origin — $589.99 $839.99 (save $250)

Best Dyson air purifier deal Opens in a new window Credit: Dyson Dyson HushJet (Black/Teal) $279.98 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $70.01   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The Dyson HushJet is our official pick for "the perfect lazy person air purifier," mainly because its fully sealed Electrostatic and Activated Carbon filtration system can last for up to five years before you need a replacement. It's designed to purify spaces up to 203 square feet, making it a practical addition to stuffy bedrooms or home offices (it's also helpful for pet parents — I have two beagles, and I love my HushJet).

Right now, you can get it for $279.98, down from $349.99 at Amazon, saving you $70. For a purifier that works this well while running at a whisper-quiet 24 decibels on sleep mode, that's a damn good early Black Friday steal.

Read our Dyson HushJet Compact Air Purifier review.

Best Dyson haircare deal Dyson Airwrap i.d. Multi-Styler and Dryer and Dyson Chitosan Post-Style Serum (Amazon Exclusive) $534.49 at Amazon
$709.99 Save $175.50   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

If you've been waiting for the Airwrap i.d. to get cheaper, now's the time to whip out your wallet. The Amazon-exclusive bundle with the Dyson Chitosan Post-Style Serum is on sale for $534.49, down from its $709.99 list price — saving you $175.50 (25% off).

This deal includes six versatile attachments for curling, smoothing, drying, and adding volume without heat damage, plus the post-style serum to lock in your finished look with all-day hold. Yes, it's still an investment, but getting the multi-styler and full-size product for over $175 off makes it much easier to swallow.

More Dyson haircare and beauty deals

• Dyson Supersonic Nural Hair Dryer — $372.49 $449.99 (save $77.50)

• Dyson Airstrait Straightener — $427.74 $554.99 (save $127.25)

If you’re still on your parents' Spotify Family plan after moving out of the house, keeping your share of the subscription could be getting harder.

Spotify is now asking some Premium Family members to scan a changing QR code on their plan manager’s phone to verify that they live together, according to Spotify's support page. Members have seven days from the date of notification to complete the check. Miss the deadline or fail verification, and they cannot join a different Family or Duo plan for 12 months.

That could put a sizable dent in the savings from sharing. In the U.S., Premium Family costs $21.99 a month for up to six accounts — roughly $3.67 each if everyone splits the bill equally. Premium Individual costs $12.99 a month, more than three times that amount.

SEE ALSO: How much is Spotify Premium in the U.S.? Spotify's household rule goes back years

Despite the name, Spotify's Family subscription doesn't cover relatives living wherever they please.

The company originally introduced its Family plan in October 2014 for five accounts, touting a $4.99 per-month subscription in the U.S. for each additional family member, on top of the main subscriber’s $9.99 subscription. (They expanded to 6 accounts in 2016.)

In a 2019 newsroom post, Spotify announced updates to the Family plan and described it as for family members "living under one roof." They are clearly starting to take that terminology more seriously.

As of an Oct. 19 report by 9to5Google, Family plan members must share an address and allow the company to request verification again to confirm it. Rumors about this feature also predate this week's coverage: A Reddit post from December 2025 describes the same rotating-code verification.

Spotify's support page says it may ask "some" Family members to complete the scan, without specifying how widely the checks are being used.

What members need to do Credit: Screenshot: Spotify Support Page

If Spotify asks you to verify through a QR code, you'll have seven days from the notification to complete the scan with your plan manager — the person who manages and pays for the subscription.

The manager opens Spotify on their phone and taps their profile picture, then Your Premium → Manage. You scan the code with your phone's camera. Spotify says both people must be in the same place and have the latest version of the mobile app installed. The code changes every few seconds, so a screenshot could expire before you use it.

If you're having trouble, Spotify recommends checking the date and time settings on both phones and restarting the app. If you miss the deadline or can’t complete verification, you cannot join a different Family or Duo plan for 12 whole months, but you can still subscribe to another option, such as Premium Individual (which costs $12.99 a month in the U.S.).

SEE ALSO: Spotify hits 300 million Premium subscribers

For members who live together but are temporarily apart, that leaves a practical problem: Your household may qualify, but you still need to coordinate an in-person scan before the clock runs out. Let the panic commence!

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Early Black Friday Gift Guide deals at a glance Best Walmart deal Apple Airpods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Best Amazon deal Hisense 85-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV $797.97 (save $102.02) Get Deal Best Target deal Tineco Go HammerHead Cordless Wet/Dry Mop & Vacuum $149.99 (save $130) Get Deal Best Ulta deal Conair InfinitiPRO DigitalAIRE Drying Wand $90.99 (save $39) Get Deal Best Home Depot deal Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit $649 (save $649) Get Deal

It's not often walk to the mailbox and find something inside we're excited about. Amidst the bills and junk mail, top brands launch their Black Friday gift guides, and some might be landing in your mailbox.

The official Black Friday date is Nov. 27 this year, the day after Thanksgiving. But you don't need to wait for deals to drop then. Amazon, The Home Depot, and Target all have Black Friday sales underway right now.

Browsing the deals is half the fun of shopping during Black Friday. And if you're trending toward Analog life, you can request a free physical copy of some gift guides including Amazon's Holiday Kids Gift Book 2026. But you have plenty of other browsing to do, too.

The Home Depot Black Friday Gift Guide is packed with cordless power tools, holiday decor, and gifts for the gardener in your life. Walmart has conveniently broken down the top 100 gifts including Apple Airpods Pro 3 and the Nintendo Switch 2.

SEE ALSO: Early Black Friday kitchen deals from Ninja, De'Longhi, and Viking are already live

Ulta's Black Friday Gift Guide is the perfect cheat-sheet for buying beauty gifts for your friends, and Costco has excellent deals on artificial Christmas trees and laptops if you're a member. Nordstrom is a great place to grab stocking stuffers and gifts are already up to 40% off.

If toys are on your shopping list, be sure to peek the Target Black Friday Gift Guide, as well as the Meijer Toy Book and the Fleet Farm's Toyland which opened earlier in October. Remember if you're shopping for tech deals, sometimes Target offers better discounts than Amazon's Black Friday offerings.

Below, we've rounded up some of our favorite early Black Friday deals from the top gift guides.

Best Walmart deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Airpods Pro 3 $199 at Walmart
$249 Save $50   Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

A classic sale on some of the best Airpods, you can already snag them for $199 at Walmart. The Airpods Pro 3 come with great sound, exceptional noise cancellation, good battery life, and even a heart-rate monitor. On Mashable's list of the best earbuds, the Airpods Pro 3 earn the top spot as the best option for Apple users. While the $199 sale price isn't unheard of, they do tend to sell out during busy sale seasons, so shop early to avoid the stress.

Best Amazon deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 85-inch E6 Hi-QLED 4K TV $797.97 at Amazon
$899.99 Save $102.02   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

The holidays are a time for relaxing and what better to do so than with a massive TV to watch romantic Christmas movies? The giant 85-inch Hisense E6 QLED 4K TV is already on sale at Amazon well before Black Friday and it's under $800. Plus, it's the perfect early holiday gift for anyone who's recently moved into a bigger place.

Best Target deal Opens in a new window Credit: Tineco Tineco Go HammerHead Cordless Wet/Dry Mop & Vacuum $149.99 at Target
$279.99 Save $130   Get Deal at Target Why we like it

No one likes to spend the holidays cleaning the house. Keep the task of cleaning the floors as quick and painless as possible with the Tineco Go HammerHead Cordless Mop and Vacuum. All in one go, you'll be able to vacuum and mop, and maneuvering is made easy thanks to Tineco's swivel steering.

Best Ulta deal Opens in a new window Credit: Conair Conair InfinitiPRO DigitalAIRE Drying Wand $90.99 at Ulta
$129.99 Save $39.00   Get Deal at Ulta Why we like it

Black Friday sales is one of the best times of the year to shop for beauty deals. Instead of paying big time for a Dyson hair dryer, Ulta has great deals in store on Conair beauty tech including the InfintiPro Drying Wand, which is on sale for under $100.

Aiming for a faster drying experience, the Conair detangles, smooths, and adds volume. It'll be a staple for getting ready for holiday parties this season.

Download the Ulta app and you'll be in line for special daily savings you won't find online. Today's mobile app deals include saving 20% on CeraVe products, makeup from Smashbox, and free gifts with purchase.

Best Home Depot deal Opens in a new window Credit: Milwaukee Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit $649 at The Home Depot
$1,298 Save $649   Get Deal at The Home Depot Why we like it

With eight cordless power tools and two batteries, the Milwaukee M18 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit is the ultimate gift for anyone in your life who could use a tool upgrade. Winter is the perfect time for garage and home renovation projects, so this deal couldn't come at a better time.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Pokémon trading card game, Pokémon is dropping a massive wave of free digital loot for Pokémon TCG Pocket players.

Starting Oct. 20, players who log into the mobile card game can participate in the Pika Pika! Pikachu event, where logging in for just 10 days unlocks a free, exclusive Pikachu ex immersive card designed by Japanese graphic artist YOSHIROTTEN.

How to claim your free Pikachu ex card and event loot

The first step you need to take is to open Pokémon TCG Pocket on iOS or Android on any 10 separate days between Oct. 20 and Oct. 19 of next year. That's not going to be particularly challenging for dedicated players. Logging in during the event awards special Pika Pika! Pikachu booster packs, containing Pikachu cards across various rarities.

The event also includes a guaranteed Pika Pika! Pikachu Pack ex, which promises either a 2-star rarity card or a Shiny Pikachu ex. Players can also unlock matching Pikachu-themed playmats, card sleeves, and digital coins to customize their in-game battle decks.

We want to be very clear that this is a digital card inside a mobile app, not a physical piece of cardboard you can sell for a lot of money on eBay.

It's a refreshingly player-friendly move from Pokémon TCG Pocket, offering a full year-long claim window with zero microtransaction requirements. If you already play Pokémon TCG Pocket during your daily commute, taking 30 seconds to log in for 10 days gets you one of the highest-value digital collectibles in the game for free. That kind of promo doesn't come around too often.

Microsoft may have borked Outlook for some folks with a new Windows update.

Specifically, a Windows Server security update has caused access issues for Outlook on some Exchange Server systems, according to a Microsoft security note (cited by BleepingComputer). This is specifically affecting systems running Windows Server 2019 and later, per Microsoft. As a result, users may not be able to access Outlook, or sent messages might just remain in the Outlook outbox without actually going anywhere.

SEE ALSO: Microsoft president warns AI is less regulated than milk and washing machines

There is no firm fix for this problem just yet. Microsoft says that the severity of the problem will differ from server to server, with some not encountering any problems at all. In a different post, Microsoft urged users not to uninstall the problematic update, instead offering a workaround:

1. Open an elevated Command Prompt on an Exchange Server

2. Enter the following as a command: "reg add "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Rpc" /v EpmapSavedContextCap /t REG_DWORD /d 65536 /f"

3. Reboot the server

That should help alleviate the issue until Microsoft offers a long-term fix for it.

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The best early Black Friday Amazon device deals at a glance: Best Fire TV Stick deal Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K $19.99 (save $40 with on-page coupon) Get Deal Best Echo deal Echo Dot Max $89.99 (save $30) Get Deal Best Fire tablet deal Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet $72.99 (save $82) Get Deal

Amazon's official Black Friday sale technically doesn't kick off until next month, but time means nothing to retailers in 2026. The actual dates of Black Friday have been blurred beyond recognition and deals start popping up in October and last well into December. That's good news for anyone looking to save some cash and spread out their holiday shopping.

If there's an Amazon device on your list, there are already quite a few live deals floating around on Fire tablets, Fire TV Sticks, and Echo devices. Whether they're lingering discounts from October Prime Day or early Black Friday deals doesn't really matter. What matters is you can score an Amazon device for cheaper than usual — especially since many of these devices saw price increases in 2026 (thanks, RAMageddon). Other devices like Kindles, Fire TVs, Blink cameras, and more are still at full price, but we're keeping an eye out for any drops.

We'll be tracking all of the best Amazon device deals leading up to, during, and post-Black Friday below. For early deals beyond Amazon devices, be sure to follow along with all of Mashable's coverage in our Black Friday hub.

Best early Black Friday Fire TV Stick deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K $15.96 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $44.03 with on-page coupon code 'FTV4K' Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Sadly, the whole lineup of Fire TV Sticks was hit with a price increase back in August. But that doesn't seem to affect how impressive the discounts are. Prime members can grab the brand-new Fire TV Stick 4K, which was released in September, for just $19.99 with the on-page coupon code FTV4K. That's its best price so far on record.

The 4K Select was only released last year, but the 4K has officially replaced it. It features the Vega 2.0 operating system for even speedier navigation and a more robust app store. Amazon listened to customer qualms with the 4K Select and added over 2,000 more apps to the 4K, including Spotify, Xbox, VLC, and a range of VPNs. The all-new 4K also comes with 8GB of storage, a quad-core 1.7GHz processor, support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.3, HDR10+, HLG, and Alexa+. It also features an all-new Fire TV remote.

More Fire TV Stick deals

Fire TV Stick deals

• Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Select — $14.99 $49.99 (save $35 with on-page code SELECT4K)

• Amazon Fire TV Stick HD — $17.99 $39.99 (save $22 with on-page code HDFTV)

Best early Black Friday Echo deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Echo Dot Max $89.99 at Amazon
$119.99 Save $30   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

One of Amazon's most popular speakers got a refresh last year specifically with Alexa+ in mind. The Echo Dot Max is a super-powered speaker that's just slightly bigger than the Echo Dot, but features nearly three times the bass and can fill up large spaces with lossless, high-definition audio. It can also adapt to its environment to offer the best sound possible, have more natural conversations via Alexa+, double as a mesh WiFi extender, and seamlessly control all of your smart devices.

The Echo Dot Max got a $20 price increase back in August, so we're glad to see an early Black Friday discount that negates the price hike and then some. While we have seen it cheaper in the past, this is still a pretty solid deal if you don't want to wait.

More Echo deals

• Amazon Echo Show 8 — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Echo Show 11 — $199.99 $249.99 (save $50)

Best early Black Friday Fire tablet deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet $72.99 at Amazon
$154.99 Save $82.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Amazon surprise-released a new line of tablets earlier this month, so it only makes sense for its older tablets to see huge discounts. We're certainly not complaining. The Fire HD 10 tablet, while several years old, still serves as a solid pick for anyone who just wants a tablet to stream shows, check emails, and browse socials. It won't wow you like a speedy new iPad, but it'll get the job done without breaking the bank — especially since it's on sale for just $72.99. That's more than 50% off its list price. For what it's worth, I bought this exact tablet for my dad last Christmas and it's well-loved.

More Fire tablet deals

• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet — $79.99 $129.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids tablet — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)

• Harry Potter Amazon Fire HD 10 tablet (limited edition) — $132.99 $189.99 (save $57)

When it comes to Halloween decorating, Arby's just raised the steaks.

The fast-food chain is launching a limited-edition "Meat Sweats" tracksuit ahead of the spooky holiday, but not just any tracksuit: one "made specifically for 12-foot skeletons," according to an email sent to press.

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

That could only refer to "Skelly," the viral giant skeleton animatronic that The Home Depot has sold since 2020; this year, it was updated with app controls. The tracksuit doesn't appear to be an official collaboration between the two brands, though they had an exchange about it on social media this week. (Mashable has reached out to The Home Depot for comment.)

"things get spooky Wednesday," Arby's captioned a picture of the tracksuit on Instagram Monday, adding, "be afraid @homedepot." In the comments, the home improvement retailer replied: "That's one way to beef up your Halloween decor 👀"

View this post on Instagram

The Meat Sweats suit features an all-over print of folded roast beef and an Arby's logo on its chest. Priced at $46.66, it will be available exclusively in Arby's online merch store starting this Wednesday, Oct. 21 at noon ET.

Skelly has built up quite the wardrobe over the years. The Home Depot released Santa, scarecrow, and witch costumes for the oversized animatronic in 2021, and many Skelly owners have DIYed their own outfits for it.

Opens in a new window Credit: Arby's Arby's Skeleton Sweat Set $46.66 at ArbysShop.com
Launches Wednesday, Oct. 21 at 12 p.m. ET. Learn More at ArbysShop.com

The Moon is more than half illuminated, which means we're getting closer to the Full Moon. Each night the Moon will appear bigger in the sky, with lots of opportunity to spot some features on its surface.

What is today's Moon phase?

As of Tuesday, Oct. 20, NASA's Daily Moon Guide tracker tells us the Moon is in the Waxing Gibbous phase, with 65% of its surface visible.

Tonight, you should be able to spot the Mare Crisium, the Tycho Crater, and Mare Fecunditatis without any visual aids. If you have binoculars you'll also see the Endymion Crater, the Alphonsus Crater, and the Appenine Mountains. Plus, if you have a telescope, you'll also see the Apollo 15 and 16 landing spots, plus the Rima Hyginus.

When is the next Full Moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on October 25 or 26, depending on your timezone.

What are Moon phases?

The Moon takes around 29.5 days to travel around Earth, and its appearance changes throughout the month. As it moves around our planet, we see different amounts of its sunlit side, from a slim crescent to the quarter phases and eventually a Full Moon. It then begins the cycle again. As NASA explains, these phases are caused by the Moon's changing position relative to Earth and the Sun.

The eight phases are:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it's not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

There's so much to want to love in Canadian series Yaga, from its small-town mystery to its hints of folklore and witchcraft. But the biggest draw of all is undoubtedly its cast, which includes Carrie-Anne Moss, Noah Reid, Clark Backo, and Heated Rivalry breakout Hudson Williams.

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Yaga is Williams' first major project to come out since the runaway success of Heated Rivalry catapulted him and co-star Connor Storrie to stardom. With that comes an opportunity for Williams to further showcase his range beyond his Canadian Screen Award-winning work as Shane Hollander. It's a shame, then, that Yaga gives Williams and his co-stars so little to latch onto, in a dark feminist fable that feels more hollow than revelatory.

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What's Yaga about? Noah Reid and Clark Backo in "Yaga." Credit: Crave / Christopher Lawrence

Based on the play by Kat Sandler, who also serves as showrunner, Yaga invites us to the small town of Whittock, where Henry Park (Williams), heir to a powerful fishery owner, has gone missing. Enter private investigator Rapp (Reid) and local police detective Carson (Backo), who are paired — reluctantly, on Carson's end — to get to the bottom of this mystery.

What begins as a standard missing persons investigation soon becomes something darker and stranger. Chicken carcasses hang menacingly on doors. Bloody symbols mar crime scenes. Through it all, Rapp hears whispers of Baba Yaga, a legendary witch from Slavic folklore known for living in a house on chicken legs and flying around in a mortar and pestle. Could Henry's disappearance be tied to the occult? Given that the whole series opens with images of an unknown figure being burned at the stake, and that each episode opens and closes with a voiceover monologue from a wizened witchy figure, the answer appears to be an unequivocal "yes."

SEE ALSO: 'Crystal Lake' review: Linda Cardellini slashes her way through this bloody Friday the 13th prequel

So the stage is set for a strange, folkloric mystery. Yet Yaga's witchiness never truly sings. Too often, the show resorts to the same style of surreal fakeout dream sequences, where a stream of bloody feathers and foreboding masks blends into a shorthand for horror without truly scaring. The voiceovers, presented as coming from Baba Yaga herself, offer up platitudes about women who have been othered as witches, but they feel familiar to anyone who's ever read a "we are the granddaughters of the witches you couldn't burn" bumper sticker.

Hudson Williams pulls double duty in Yaga. Hudson Williams in "Yaga." Credit: Crave / Christopher Lawrence

At the center of this witchy vortex is Williams' Henry, who mostly haunts Rapp and Carson's investigation in flashbacks, including a steamy podcast recording with him and intriguing professor Katherine (Moss), an expert in all things bone. Henry's not alone: Williams also plays Logan, Henry's roommate, podcasting partner, and doppelganger. (Yaga sticks Williams in a prosthetic nose and fake acne for the Logan role, and the result is a jarring trip to the uncanny valley.)

A dual role should be rich territory for any actor to mine, yet neither Henry nor Logan get enough screen time for Williams' double turn to truly sink in. Henry is primarily a confident, if sleazy, charmer, while Logan is mostly presented as an awkward, almost wooden foil to that charm. Logan was not a character in the original stage play, and it shows in his thinness here.

Yaga introduces a fascinating thread about Logan perhaps wanting to be (or maybe be with) Henry, but it rarely pulls it beyond the occasional unsettling sex scene. While onscreen intimacy can often be a great showcase of character dynamics, here, these scenes are often over too fast or accompanied by a voiceover that explains said dynamics without letting the actual performances breathe.

As Yaga unfurls, Henry and Logan become much more sinister figures. While the thought of Williams taking a villainous turn is an exciting one, his Henry and Logan don't make particularly compelling villains because we know so little of them. Yaga's leads don't tend to fare much better. Moss is slippery fun as Katherine, but too often she remains on the margins. Backo and Reid's buddy cop dynamic is punchy, yet often dragged down by Rapp's incessant flirting. That most of the women in Whittock practically throw themselves at him is one of Yaga's most infuriating features. As it happens again and again and again, these women's advances bypass sexual empowerment and move straight into bewilderment.

Yaga gestures out to interesting concepts, but ultimately, it never dives deep enough. As an examination of witchcraft as a conduit for female rage, it's not angry enough. As an erotic thriller, it's not titillating enough. As a mystery, its twists and turns are intriguing, but never quite captivating. The ingredients for success are there, but they never quite come together to cast the right spell.

The first two episodes of Yaga premiere Oct. 23 on AMC+.

TL;DR: Live stream Sabah vs. Dortmund in the Champions League for free on Virgin Media Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League is back this week with some crucial matchups, including Sabah vs. Dortmund. Both teams are on three points after two games, so a win here would help safeguard their playoff positions.

We're expecting a close game that could go either way, but Dortmund will be confident of gaining the upper hand here. Dortmund are still unbeaten in the Bundesliga and possess the talent to beat any side on their best day.

If you want to watch Sabah vs. Dortmund in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Sabah vs. Dortmund?

Sabah vs. Dortmund in the Champions League kicks off at 12:45 p.m. ET on Oct. 20. This fixture takes place at the Baku Olympic Stadium.

How to watch Sabah vs. Dortmund for free

Sabah vs. Dortmund is available to live stream for free on Virgin Media Player.

Virgin Media Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access it for free with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock Virgin Media Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Sabah vs. Dortmund for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit Virgin Media Player

5. Watch Sabah vs. Dortmund for free from anywhere in the world

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The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Sabah vs. Dortmund (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Virgin Media Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Virgin Media Player, for a number of reasons:

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Live stream Sabah vs. Dortmund in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.