Mashable

Google is officially launching its AI-powered Search Live feature in the U.S. on Wednesday, which enables mobile users to get real-time information with their voice and phone camera. Previously available as part of Google Search Labs, Search Live is available now in the Google app on iOS and Android.

Search Live is part of Google's AI Mode search tool, powered by Gemini, that lets users ask questions and receive conversational answers with help from AI. Search Live basically takes AI Mode and integrates a conversational voice feature, but it also goes a step further by letting Gemini see what you see. Using Search Live, users can show Google their camera feed and receive real-time information based on what's in frame.

The Search Live feature, which goes live today, was originally announced in June and required users to opt in via Google Labs to try it out. Now, all U.S. users will be able to access the Search Live feature by simply tapping the Live button under the search bar in the Google app. From there, users can ask questions with their voice or share their camera feed.

In addition, Search Live will also be accessible in Google Lens. Users will simply need to tap the Live icon in the app and start their conversation, as camera sharing in Google Lens is turned on by default.

Mashable got the chance to demo the new feature before its official rollout. In a live demo with Google, Gemini was able to quickly identify objects, products, games, and other items, while also engaging in a back-and-forth conversation with the user about those items.

In our experience with Search Live, even if there were five to 10 objects in the camera's view — and even if those items were upside down — Gemini was still able to correctly identify and answer questions about them.

Google also provided some examples of scenarios where Search Live could be helpful. For example, Search Live could teach you how to fix a broken appliance or learn the rules for a board game with a missing instruction manual. The camera feed can also be used for tech troubleshooting, as a user can show Search Live a new home theater setup and get instructions on what to do. Because queries can be performed with just your voice, Search Live also enables a hands-free experience.

Search Live's official rollout (and prominent placement within the Google app) shows just how much Google is centering AI Mode and AI-powered search over its classic search product. This is happening despite ongoing concerns about the accuracy of AI chatbots and hallucinations, particularly with AI Overviews.

Search Live is only available in English for now, but expect Google to add support for more languages and regions in the future.

Meet 101 creators, handpicked by a team of Mashable writers and editors, shaping digital culture right now. From viral innovators to community builders, these are the voices remixing the internet, rewriting the rules, and setting the trends we’ll all be talking about tomorrow.

https://mashable.com/mashable-101-top-creators-2025

SAVE $34: As of Sept. 24, the Monster S220 Bluetooth soundbar is on sale for just $49.98 at Amazon. That's a savings of 40%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Monster Monster S220 Bluetooth soundbar $49.98 at Amazon
$83.99 Save $34.01 Get Deal

If you're seeking a soundbar for your desktop setup, but don't want to spend a fortune, this budget option from Monster might be for you.

As of Sept. 24, the Monster S220 Bluetooth soundbar is on sale for only $49.98 at Amazon. That's a savings of 40% or $34 off the list price of $83.99.

Is it the best soundbar on the market? Well, no, for the price, you should keep your expectations low. But it's also not designed to be. Instead, the Monster S220 is built to pair with desktop setups to enhance gaming audio or boost your tunes while you work. It's pretty small at just 20 inches by 2.4 inches, so it can slip onto your desk seamlessly. You could pair it with your TV, but it won't get as loud as you'd expect from more premium soundbars.

The S220 features a 2.0-channel system with dual 52mm full-range speakers and two bass diaphragms. You can connect it via AUX, USB, TF Card, or Bluetooth, so if you want to transport it from your office to the patio for entertainment purposes, it's no problem.

Most of our favorite soundbars on the market average at about $500, so snagging a soundbar for under $50 is pretty wild. Just don't expect mind-blowing cinematic sound, and you'll be pleased with the Monster S220.

SAVE $200: The Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner is on sale at Amazon for $599.99, down from the list price of $799.99. That's a 25% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner $599.99 at Amazon
$799.99 Save $200 Get Deal

Some people have the ideal home and routine for a robot vacuum. Others prefer a stick vacuum, and others still could use a combo vacuum that can suction up hair and debris while also cleaning up sticky messes like a standard mop would. If that last option sounds like your ideal floor cleaning solution, check out this deal.

As of Sept. 24, the Roborock F25 Ultra Steam Wet Dry Vacuum Cleaner is on sale at Amazon for $599.99 with the on-page coupon, down from the list price of $799.99. That's a 25% discount that takes $200 off. This is the first discount we've seen on one of Roborock's latest models.

Ready to tackle all of life's messes, the Roborock F25 is a wet and dry vacuum, sucking up hair and debris with 22,000 Pa suction power. But it's also available to clean up sticky spills in the kitchen with an impressive 302-degree Fahrenheit steam mop.

SEE ALSO: The Roborock Q7 M5+ robot vacuum and mop has dropped to its best-ever price at Amazon — save over $100

Roborock packed this cordless floor cleaner with tons of features like hot water cleaning, blue-light illumination, and what it calls AI assistant wheels, so you can make sure you get way under the couch and in the kitchen corners. Roborock also mentions that the 187-degree Fahrenheit hot water cleaning is excellent at removing stubborn grease from floors.

The F25 is also great for getting under furniture and tables, thanks to its 180-degree lay flat ability. Plus, this model has self-drying with hot air that reaches 203 degrees Fahrenheit. The LED display and app support are also great for user-friendly features.

While there's a $200 off coupon, snag the new Roborock F25 Ultra and take care of vacuuming and mopping with one versatile and powerful cleaner.

Two U.S. senators have sent a letter to Match Group to compel its CEO to act against romance scams.

Romance scams occur when a scammer gains someone's trust — sometimes on a dating app — and then starts requesting money. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), Americans lost $1.3 billion to romance scams in 2022. They're a global problem: In the UK, people lost £36.5 million to such schemes in 2023.

SEE ALSO: As Tinder struggles to attract paid users, one dating app is gaining popularity

Reuters reported that Republican Senator Marsha Blackburn from Tennessee and Democratic Senator Maggie Hassan from New Hampshire sent the letter to Match Group and Tinder CEO Spencer Rascoff on Wednesday. In addition to Tinder, Match Group owns dating apps like Hinge and OkCupid.

In the five-page letter, the senators claim that, "Over the years, many events have raised questions about whether Match Group — in its business practices and algorithmic design — has contributed to the proliferation of romance scams online." They cite the 2019 complaint the FTC filed against Match about false advertisements (which Match just settled this year), as well as other reporting about Match not making scammers or bad actors a priority to root out.

"Match Group's business model is to keep users engaged, but this engagement is dangerous when it involves scammers," the letter states.

Blackburn and Hassan are requesting evidence of Match Group's efforts to prevent romance scams by October 15.

In 2023, Match Group launched a campaign to help stop romance scams, which involved in-app messages warning users of scammer red flags. Tinder also now requires facial recognition scans for new California users.

In a statement sent to Mashable, Match Group's head of trust and safety, Yoel Roth, said:

Protecting users from scams is essential to our business and to earning the trust people place in our platforms. In recent years, we have made significant investments in advanced fraud detection, cutting-edge safety features, and expanded partnerships with law enforcement, industry, and civil society groups to better safeguard our communities. As a founding member of the Tech Against Scams Coalition, we are working across the industry to tackle these challenges. We look forward to constructive conversations with Senators Hassan and Blackburn on these important issues.

UPDATE: Sep. 24, 2025, 2:15 p.m. EDT This article has been updated with a statement from Match Group.

It’s time for another PlayStation showcase, with Sony set to spend about 35 minutes sharing the latest updates on games in development and new announcements. You can catch the action live on Sony’s YouTube and Twitch channels.

The livestream will begin today, September 24, at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET and last approximately 35 minutes.

What to expect

It’s always tough to predict what might show up at these events, but with Sucker Punch’s Ghost of Yotei right around the corner ahead of its Oct. 2 release, it’s safe to expect something new on that front. What has been confirmed is that Saros, the upcoming arcade shooter from Returnal developer Housemarque, will get an extended spotlight during the show.

Many fans are hoping that Marvel’s Wolverine will finally make an appearance. The game, from Marvel’s Spider-Man developer Insomniac Games, was officially announced at the September 2021 State of Play, and we haven’t heard a word since — outside of the massive 2023 data leak.

What we do know for sure is that Bungie’s Marathon won’t be at State of Play. The extraction shooter was delayed indefinitely after lukewarm feedback from its closed alpha, followed by a confirmed case of plagiarism that derailed its release schedule. Originally planned for this month, Bungie said during the delay announcement in June that a new release date would come sometime in the fall, but it obviously won't be tonight.

SAVE $100: As of Sept. 24, the TCL NXTPAPER 14 is on sale for $369.99 instead of its usual $469.99 at Amazon. That's a savings of 21% and its lowest price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL NXTPAPER 14 $369.99 at Amazon
$469.99 Save $100 Get Deal

Tablets are hard on your eyes — unless, of course, you own the TCL NXTPAPER 14. Launched in 2024, this paper-like tablet is unlike anything else on the market. And for a limited time, it's on sale for $100 off.

As of Sept. 24, you can get the NXTPAPER 14 tablet (256GB, WiFi), as well as the T-PEN stylus and a protective and convenient flip case, for only $369.99 at Amazon. That's 21% off its usual cost and cheaper than the tablet retails on its own (reg. $399.99).

The TCL NXTPAPER 14 uses the company's NXTPAPER 3.0 technology, which mimics actual paper to keep your eyes working without strain. It's like a Kindle, only double the size at 14.3 inches and with the ability to do tablet-like things. It features a 2.4K anti-glare screen that automatically filters blue light and adjusts brightness, while delivering rich, lifelike colors. You can choose between three viewing modes: regular, color paper, and ink paper.

"From the get-go, their displays really do look like photos printed on actual paper," Mashable's Stan Schroeder said after some hands-on time with the NXTPAPER. "They appear perfectly still and perfectly flat, for lack of better words."

Paired with the T-Pen stylus, the tablet makes an ideal drawing pad, with over 4,000 pressure levels designed to mimic the feel of an actual pen gliding across paper. When you're not using it, the pen snaps onto the magnetic case so you won't lose it.

The NXTPAPER 14 does all the things a regular tablet can do, but you'll find it works best for drawing, note-taking, reading, and multimedia entertainment. And as for the paper-like screen, Schroeder says, "It’s something I didn’t know I needed, but now I wish other manufacturers followed suit." For $369.99, it's certainly worth a shot if you're in the market for a tablet.

SAVE $44: As of Sept. 24, get the Asus Dual Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 OC Edition for $395.99, down from its usual price of $439.99, at Amazon. That's a discount of 10%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Asus Dual Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 OC Edition $395.99 at Amazon
$439.99 Save $44 Get Deal

If you're looking to play the new Silent Hill f game, the recently-released Borderlands 4, or one of the many other great titles out now on PC, you'll want to make sure your gaming PC is up to the task. If your setup needs a bit of a lift in the GPU department, Amazon has a lightning deal going on right now that can ensure you're ready to tackle them.

As of Sept. 24, get the Asus Dual Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 OC Edition for $395.99, down from its usual price of $439.99, at Amazon. That's $44 off and a discount of 10%.

SEE ALSO: Tons of Nvidia gaming tech is on sale during Walmart's GeForce Week

This GPU comes at a base clock of 1830 MHz and can be overclocked to 2505 MHz, with 8 GB of DDR6 RAM. It's an excellent choice to enjoy 1080p gaming if you're on a budget, with support for DLSS 3, fantastic ray-tracing performance for a card in its class, and "Ada Lovelace" architecture that helps it support some of the more demanding games that have come out in recent months.

It isn't the powerhouse you'd get from paying much more to bring home one of the latest and greatest GPUs on the market, but with these specs, it's more than capable of allowing your gaming PC to play more recent releases at respectable graphics settings.

For under $400, it's a budget graphics card that won't steer you wrong, though it will likely go quickly as a lightning deal, so best to get one while you still can.

SAVE 44%: As of Sept. 24, the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor is on sale for $896.99 at Amazon, down from $1,599.99. That's a discount of 44%, or a savings of $703.

LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor $896.99 at Amazon
$1,599.99 Save $703 Get Deal

The line between a gaming monitor and a TV gets blurrier every year, and this 39-inch display from LG might be the device that erases it. It has the high-end specs of a premium gaming monitor, but with LG's webOS smart TV platform built right in. And for a limited time, you can get it on sale for a new all-time low price.

As of Sept. 24, the LG 39GX90SA-W 39-inch Ultragear OLED Curved Gaming Monitor is on sale for $896.99 at Amazon, down from $1,599.99. That's a discount of 44%, or a savings of $703.

SEE ALSO: Tons of Nvidia gaming tech is on sale during Walmart's GeForce Week

For gamers, the specs here are top-tier. You're getting an immersive 39-inch curved WQHD (3440 x 1440) OLED panel that delivers the deep blacks and vibrant colors OLED is known for. It has a 240Hz refresh rate for smooth motion, a 0.03ms response time for fast inputs, and is compatible with both Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync Premium to prevent screen tearing.

But what really sets this monitor apart is the built-in webOS smart platform. It essentially functions as a standalone smart TV. You can stream Netflix, Prime Video, and YouTube with the included remote — no PC required. This makes it a great dual-purpose display for a dorm room, bedroom, or anyone who wants a single screen for both high-end gaming and streaming.

SAVE UP TO $119.99: Buy a $150+ Delta gift card and get a free $10 Starbucks gift card, or buy a $300+ Delta gift card and get a free year of Paramount+, which ordinarily costs $119.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Delta Free Starbucks gift card or free year of Paramount+ with Delta gift card purchase Get Deal

We're heading into the end of October, and that means it's time to start booking holiday travel. If your route is serviced by Delta or you plan on flying Delta anytime soon, there's a no-brainer deal in store.

Until Oct. 2 or selection sells out, buying a Delta gift card for $150 or more comes with a free $10 Starbucks gift card. A Delta gift card that totals $300 or more will earn you a free year of Paramount+, which ordinarily comes with a $119.99 price tag. Current Paramount+ subscribers aren't eligible for the free year.

SEE ALSO: How to get free Peacock, Paramount+, and Max streaming through services you might already have

Delta gift cards don't expire, so this is a great deal whether you plan on booking with Delta today or next year. If you think about it for long enough, you'll probably find a reason to travel in the next year, so snagging a gift card to pay for future travel is a simple task. Buying it before Oct. 2 means you'll get added value with a free Starbucks gift card or a free year of Paramount+.

The end of September also means it's time to consider holiday gifts. If someone on your list is deserving of a $150+ Delta gift card, no one will know if you gift yourself the Starbucks gift card or the year of Paramount+.

Delta lists the Paramount+ deal as expiring on Oct. 2 at 11:59 p.m. ET or until supplies last. The Starbucks gift card benefit says it's good while supplies last. In either case, it's probably best to jump on this deal soon.

iOS 26 is here, and if you've noticed a decline in your battery life since updating, you're probably not imagining it.

It's been a long-held belief among Apple users that an iPhone's battery performance declines — at least temporarily — after updating to a new operating system.

Apple itself acknowledges that there may be a decline in battery performance on a page dedicated to software updates.

Apple wrote:

"Immediately after completing an update, particularly a major release, you might notice a temporary impact on battery life and thermal performance. This is normal, as your device needs time to complete the setup process in the background, including indexing data and files for search, downloading new assets, and updating apps.

New features are exciting and help you get even more out of your Apple product, though some may require additional resources from the device. Depending on individual usage, some users may notice a small impact on performance and/or battery life. Apple continually works to optimize these features in software updates to ensure great battery life and a smooth user experience."

However, iOS 26 could also be the answer to your iPhone battery problems, as well as the cause.

iOS 26 comes with battery management tools, which, in my experience, have actually helped me hold a charge more reliably after updating. The new software has a feature called "Adaptive Power," which should work in the background to make adjustments to save your battery life. This could mean dimming your screen, letting low-priority activities take a bit longer, or automatically turning on low-power mode when your charge is low. The new OS also has a feature that tells you how long it will take you to charge to 80 percent, which is a personal favorite update. I've found it has helped me charge my phone more efficiently.

So yes, your battery life might be a bit down with iOS 26. But it should also prove easier to manage.

Our lives are inextricably intertwined with what happens in digital spaces — from the news and current events we consume to the TV and music we stream and the viral videos we share in the group chat. 

American teens spend about 5 hours a day on social media. Internet users in the U.S. reportedly spend more than 7 hours online daily.

Driving it all? The content creators we love (and, sure, some you may love to hate).

About 57 percent of Gen Z aspire to be content creators someday. The creator economy is expected to reach $480 billion in the next two years, according to some projections.

These creators are shaping trends, what we consume and share, how we think, build, and connect online. 

It’s the reason the team at Mashable felt compelled to craft The Mashable 101, our ultimate list of the creators shaping the internet in the past year. 

Meet The Mashable 101: the creators keeping the internet interesting. From meme-makers to movement-starters, these are the people powering our timelines today. Dive into the full list and find your next favorite follow.

From the high-profile names you may recognize like MrBeast and Kai Cenat, to those who’ve surprised and delighted their way into the spotlight in the past year like Jools Lebron and Reesa Teesa, these creators, listed in no particular order, have been chosen for their ability to entertain, drive conversation, educate, inspire, or capture our attention again and again — sometimes to positive effect, but not always.

Some on our list may not be content creators by trade but have broken through all the same, at times in surprising ways. Others are behind the tools and platforms that keep us online and coming back for more (like BlueSky and Canva CEOs Jay Graber and Melanie Perkins). Our package also includes five cover stories, featuring creators Taryn Delanie Smith, Tineka "Tini" Younger, Arun Maini, Tefi Pessoa, and Morgan Jay.

All are cultivating engaged online communities and, in their own ways, are defining — and redefining — what the internet looks and sounds like right now. 

And who better than Mashable to curate a list like this? Our team is and has been a leading source for digital culture, from the creator economy and internet trends to influencer news and the tech that powers it all. Mashable's reporters and editors don't just write about digital culture; they're embedded in it.

Our list is not just about numbers, though many creators here have amassed huge followings. It’s also filled with those who cut through the noise, jumped onto our feeds, and caught our attention in the past year (through August 2025), who we’ve featured on our pages, or who are creating compelling content in the spaces we, too, love and cover — including tech, science, entertainment, social good, and more. 

So many members of our team, too, brought a little of themselves, their feeds, and their personal interests to this months-long effort. And in that way, this list highlights not only these standout creators but also what makes Mashable such a special publication.

You may already know some of these creators, but we hope to introduce you to a few new voices, too. 

They’ve made us laugh, made us cry, and helped shape how we see the world. Now, without further ado, dive in and meet the creators shaping the now and building what’s next in The Mashable 101. 

From YouTubers and TikTok stars to streamers and podcasters, Mashable talks to creators about how they built their platforms, the gear they swear by, and the trends they see coming next. Read more of our creator coverage to discover the internet's most exciting voices.

SAVE UP TO $170: Two configurations of the 11-inch Apple iPad Air (M3, WiFi) are on sale for record-low prices at Woot as of Sept. 24. Get the 256GB model for $539 (normally $699) or the 512GB variant for $729 (usually $899).

Woot's Apple iPad Air deals at a glance: Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 256GB) $539 (save $160) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M3, WiFi, 512GB SSD) $729 (save $170) Get Deal

We consider Apple's M3 iPad Air from early 2025 to be the best iPad for most people: It's thin, light, and offers MacBook-level performance in "a more affordable package," wrote Mashable's Samantha Mangino. It starts to get a little less affordable as you add more storage — its base model only has 128GB — but right now, two upgraded configurations are cheaper than ever before.

As of late September, Amazon's daily deals site Woot has the 256GB and 512GB variants of the 11-inch M3 iPad Air marked down to new all-time lows. (Note that they're only available in the blue hue.) The former is priced at $539, or 23% off its $699 sticker price, while the 512GB model is going for $729 — that's 19% off its $899 MSRP. Those prices beat their previous record lows on Amazon by $10 and $20, respectively, per the price-tracking site CamelCamelCamel.

Credit: Samantha Mangino

I checked Best Buy, Walmart, and Amazon itself to see if any of them were matching Woot's M3 iPad Air deals and came up dry. Both models were still stuck at $549 and $749 at all three retailers.

For reference, the iPad Air's M3 chip notched a multi-core score of 11,464 in Primate Labs' Geekbench 6 benchmark, our go-to performance test. That makes it almost as fast as the M3-era MacBook Pro and MacBook Air, which scored 11,998 and 12,057, respectively. This caliber of power, plus the new "windowing" system introduced in iPadOS 26, makes modern Apple tablets like the M3 iPad Air viable laptop replacements, Mangino said. (If you want a Magic Keyboard to seal that deal, it was $20 off on Amazon the last time I checked.)

SEE ALSO: Whether you're a creative or a traveler, these are the best iPads for everyone

Other notable specs you'll find on the M3 iPad Air include a bright anti-reflective Liquid Retina display, a 12MP Center Stage selfie camera, a 12MP rear camera, and a battery that lasted nearly 15 hours per charge in our testing. Our reviewer recommended it for anyone who's coming from an iPad that's at least two generations older: The M2 iPad Air is basically identical to it, chipset aside.

If you still need some time to mull over your purchase, just be aware that Woot's M3 iPad Air markdowns will be live for the next two weeks or until they sell out — whichever comes first.

SPEND $50, GET $15: Through Sept. 27, Target Circle members save $15 when they spend $50 on household essentials like paper towels, cleaning supplies, toilet paper, laundry detergent, and more.

Opens in a new window Credit: Target Household essentials at Target Save $15 when you spend $50 Get Deal

Despite household essentials (along with practically everything else in 2025) slowly eating away at your wallet, you still have to buy them. So why not save some money while you stock up?

Through Sept. 27, Target Circle members can save $15 when they spend $50 on household essentials of all kinds — from paper towels and paper plates to laundry detergent and cleaning supplies. Just load up your Target cart with items from the promotion until you reach the $50 threshold and select the red button that says "apply $15 off" to see the offer automatically applied at checkout. The offer is also valid in stores, if you prefer to do your shopping in person.

The list of products included in the promotion is pretty long, so there's a good chance it includes items you use regularly and need to stock up on. There are plenty of well-known brands like Downy, Arm & Hammer, Clorox, Dawn, Cottonelle, Tide, Mrs. Meyer's, Bounty, and Glad. But Target's own brands, like up&up and Dealworthy, are also included. Pro tip: You can get more for your money if you opt for Target's brands. There are over 50 pages worth of household essentials, but you can filter them by brand or product type if you're looking for specific items.

You'll need a Target Circle account in order to enjoy the savings, but unlike Amazon Prime, it's totally free to sign up. Beyond this household essentials sale, your free membership will also unlock access to Target Circle Week, which starts Oct. 10.

The first Hades was Mashable's choice for the best game of 2020. It blended entrancing roguelike gameplay with gorgeous character art, sharp writing, and a unique form of storytelling that inched forward bit by bit every time you died. It was a huge hit and everyone loved it, so naturally, the prospect of a sequel was incredibly tantalizing.

After spending a few dozen hours or so with the final launch version of Hades II on Nintendo Switch 2, I'm pleased to report that developer Supergiant Games hasn't lost its touch. This is every bit the sequel you wanted, with a larger scope than the original, more variety, and a whole new set of 2D illustrated Greek gods to thirst over.

However, even as I feverishly enjoyed basically every second I played of Hades II, I couldn't help but notice that I was never as enthusiastic about it as I was about the 2020 original. While Hades II might technically be better than the first in some key ways, it's hard to match the sheer novelty of a new, wholly original creation from Supergiant, one of my favorite developers.

Hades II builds on the original in smart ways SEE ALSO: Nintendo Direct September 2025 livestream: New Switch 2 games incoming

As with the first Hades, the sequel spent a good amount of time in Early Access on PC. That means most of its new tricks were gradually revealed over the course of the last year and a half or so, which certainly dampened the surprises to some degree as I played it. Still, if you haven't followed along with the pre-release build of the game, there's a lot of new stuff to chew on here.

Most of the first game's mainstays, including the protagonist Zagreus, are nowhere to be found, as the titan Chronos has somehow resurrected himself and put them all in time prison. This time, you step into the boots of Melinoë, a previously unknown daughter of Hades and Zag's little sister, as she fights through both the underworld and the surface above to save her family and restore order.

On a moment-to-moment basis, this is still Hades, through and through. You'll spend most of your time dying at some point in a randomly generated journey to defeat Chronos, but there will almost always be something new to unlock or some new dialogue to experience with one of the many excellent characters back at your home base before the next attempt to take down the titan. There's an expansive suite of new weapons, new forms for said weapons, keepsakes with passive effects, and other upgrades for Melinoë to gradually collect throughout her quest, and unlocking all of them is still just as addictive as it was last time.

I suspect people will like Nemesis. Credit: Supergiant Games/Nintendo

Melinoë also plays fairly differently from Zagreus, which is one of the better things about Hades II. She was trained in the ways of ancient Greek witchcraft, so combat is now reliant on managing a magic meter that can do a lot of different things.

By default, Melinoë can set down a binding circle that traps enemies within it for a few seconds, making her adept at crowd control in a way Zagreus wasn't until he got a few upgrades under his belt. Combat encounters are often built with this in mind, and it's just a tremendously fun thing to do to a group of unsuspecting satyrs. Naturally, boons from various gods can modify her magic spells in dozens of different ways. Adding an extra layer of meter management onto the gameplay of Hades was a smart move that definitely pays off here.

By far the biggest structural change to Hades II is that there are now two separate routes for Melinoë to take, each with its own set of levels, boss fights, and hidden areas to discover. One goes down to the house of Hades, while the other goes up to the surface world, ending at the summit of Mount Olympus. That means there's effectively twice as much game here as there was last time, and the added variety is hugely important to keeping Hades II fun for long stretches of time.

Credit: Supergiant

Several of the new zones in Hades II also have much more interesting things going on than the simple "enter room, defeat enemies, collect prize, go onto next room" routine of the first game. I'll let you discover those for yourself, but to put it simply, it makes each run feel substantially more distinct from the last.

Hades II's narrative is also something that's best seen for yourself, but if you liked the character work and writing from the first game, you'll feel right at home here. Melinoë is a great protagonist who is a little less brash and impulsive than her older brother, and her relationships with figures from Greek mythology like Hecate, Nemesis, and Eris evolve over the course of the game in compelling ways. I also still really like the unique workplace atmosphere of the world in Hades, in which existential matters of life, death, and the fabric of time itself are treated with about as much gravity as a jammed office printer.

It's a really smart way to write characters who don't have to worry about the limits of mortality the way we do.

But novelty is hard to beat The art is gorgeous all around. Credit: Supergiant Games/Nintendo

I don't really have any substantive criticisms of what Hades II is, but I want to talk a little bit about what it is not.

Every Supergiant game up to this point was wholly unique and original, with no ties to anything else. The progression from the twitchy action RPG Bastion to the melancholy tactics of Transistor and into the distinctive choose-your-own-adventure sports drama of Pyre was fun to follow as a fan of the studio from the very beginning. Every new Supergiant game promised something you hadn't really seen before, or at least a mix of familiar ingredients you hadn't seen put together in that way before.

As the studio's first direct sequel, it was always going to be next-to-impossible for Hades II to have as much inherent novelty to it as its predecessors. I wholeheartedly recommend Hades II to anyone who has even a passing interest in it, but I just can't do so with quite as much verve as I might for something that was truly new instead. I absolutely respect and appreciate that Supergiant felt compelled to make the first sequel in its portfolio, but I hope its next game is something original.

It's really a small gripe, though, in the grand scheme of things. This is still Hades, complete with a kick-ass soundtrack courtesy of composer Darren Korb and others, excellent voice acting, and a cast of characters who are sure to fill the pages of various fanfiction websites for years to come. I'm not going to complain about that.

Hades 2 will be officially released on Switch 2 on November 20. You can pre-order it now for $49.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Supergian Hades 2 $49.99 at Amazon
Pre-order Here

SAVE $100: As of Sept. 24, get the M4 Apple Mac mini for $499, down from its usual price of $599, at Amazon. That's a discount of 17%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon M4 Apple Mac mini $499 at Amazn
$599 Save $100 Get Deal

Looking for a new desktop, but have very little space for a traditional tower? A Mac mini is the way to go. Not only is it small enough to put just about anywhere, it brings the kind of power you'd get in a much larger package, but in a smaller, more convenient form factor. And you can save big on one right now thanks to this Amazon deal.

As of Sept. 24, get the M4 Apple Mac mini for $499, down from its usual price of $599, at Amazon. That's $100 off and a discount of 17%.

SEE ALSO: Get Apple’s iconic M1 MacBook Air for under $400

The M4 Mac mini is just 5 x 5 inches overall, which Apple claims is less than half the size of its previous model, with a series of front-facing ports with two USB-C options and a headphone jack to make setup much easier than before.

The M4 chip makes it a speedy option no matter what it is you need to get done, and it's built to support Apple Intelligence from the start. That means that for less than $500, you get a small, zippy desktop option, and you can use Apple accessories you may already have (like a Magic Keyboard).

You can also use it to mirror what's on your iPhone and iPad, so if you're already in the iOS ecosystem, you can come straight to macOS and continue to use your photos, videos, and everything else that's important to you without having to transfer all your data.

If you're looking for simplicity, speed, and power in a compact size, this is an excellent option while it's still available on sale.

SAVE $1,400: The Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station with two 200W solar panels is on sale at Amazon for $1,599, down from the normal price of $2,999. That works out to a 47% discount, which is the lowest we've seen at Amazon. Plus, today's deal includes a free renewed Jackery Explorer 550 portable power station.

Opens in a new window Credit: Jackery Jackery HomePower 3000 with two SolarSaga 200W solar panels $1,599
$2,999 Save $1,400 get a free renewed Jackery Explorer 550 Get Deal

Fall storms are coming. Try as we like to hang onto summer, eventually the autumn weather will arrive. In some parts of the country, that means wind and rainstorms. Other parts of the country will hunker down as hurricane season peaks. In either case, the power might go out. To combat that inconvenience, you might want to consider a portable power station. Thankfully, Amazon is making this an easy decision by offering an epic sale.

As of Sept. 24, the Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station with two 200W solar panels is on sale for $1,599 at Amazon, marked down from the normal price of $2,999. That works out to a 47% discount and a savings of $1,400, which is the lowest we've seen at Amazon. Plus, today's deal includes a free renewed Jackery Explorer 500 portable power station, which has a standard list price of $250.

No one likes dealing with a power outage, but a portable power station can make life a whole lot smoother without grid power. For starters, the Jackery HomePower 3000 provides 3,072Wh of capacity. In real-world terms, that equals keeping the refrigerator cooling for a day or two, a light on for up to 10 days, a WiFi router powered on for 66 hours, or a fan for 60. Of course, you can also keep your phone charged via the USB-C ports.

SEE ALSO: The portable Jackery Explorer 1000 power station is $370 off and comes with a free solar panel

The portable power station weighs about 50 pounds, but it comes with built-in handles that make for easier transporting. When it comes time to recharge the Jackery HomePower 3000, the two SolarSaga solar panels will get it back to 80 percent capacity in about nine hours. A full charge with solar will take about 11 hours.

Today's deal also throws in a free renewed Jackery Explorer 550 portable power station. Jackery lists this coming with a typical price of $250, but it's totally free right now. The Jackery Explorer 550 is awesome for taking to the campground. The power station has three USB-A ports, one DC, and one AC. Jackery offers a six-month warranty on refurbished products.

Before major storms arrive, get prepared with the Jackery HomePower 3000 portable power station with two SolarSaga 200W solar panels. It's down to a record-low price at Amazon ahead of storm season.

SAVE 33%: As of Sept. 24, the Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) (Renewed Premium) are on sale for $139.99 at Amazon, down from a list price of $209.99. That's a discount of 33%, or a savings of $70.

Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Generation) (Renewed Premium) $139.99 at Amazon
$209.99 Save $70 Get Deal

AirPods Pro are one of the best-sounding wireless earbuds available, but they're not exactly inexpensive. If you've been holding out for a deal, buying renewed is one of the smartest ways to save a significant amount of money without sacrificing quality.

As of Sept. 24, you can get a pair of "renewed premium" Apple AirPods Pro (2nd Gen) for just $139.99. That's a 33% discount and $70 savings. (For comparison, a brand-new pair will set you back about $249).

SEE ALSO: The new Apple AirPods Pro 3 are already on sale — get the best-ever price at Amazon

Of course, the keyword here is "Renewed Premium." This is Amazon's guarantee that the earbuds are certified to be in "like-new" condition and have a battery that functions at over 90 percent of its original capacity. They're also backed by the same one-year satisfaction guarantee as a brand-new Apple product, so there's really nothing to lose with this deal.

You'll get all the features that brand-new AirPods Pro have: active noise cancellation, Adaptive Transparency for when you need to hear what's going on, and Personalized Spatial Audio for an immersive, 3D listening experience. The deal also includes the MagSafe Charging Case and four sizes of silicone tips for a comfortable fit.

What if bringing nature back to our gray cities could help us contain urban flooding? When architect Kongjian Yu first pitched this concept, he was celebrated in the West, but ignored in his native China. Until a devastating flood in 2012 hit Beijing and forced policymakers to give his green idea a chance. Today, the so-called sponge cities have revolutionised landscape architecture in China and serve as inspiration to some Western architects. In this video, we explore the genesis of Kongjian Yu's sponge cities, some of the architects applying this model on a global scale, and how efficient sponge cities are in the face of climate change.

Wicked absolutely dominated 2024. Not only was it a box office smash, it also picked up 10 Academy Award nominations, winning two for Best Achievement in Production Design and Best Achievement in Costume Design.

SEE ALSO: 2025 fall movie preview: Every upcoming film you ought to know about

Now, director Jon M. Chu and Oscar-nominated leading ladies Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande look to defy gravity once again in Wicked: For Good, based on the second act of the beloved Broadway musical. The film's trailer is downright spectacular, but be warned: It also gives away some major twists from the musical and Gregory Maguire's original novel. View with caution if you don't want any spoilers.

Wicked: For Good picks up in the wake of Elphaba's (Erivo) showdown with the Wizard of Oz (Jeff Goldblum). Now wanted for her "wickedness," she fights back against her foes from the shadows.

Meanwhile, Glinda (Grande), embracing her role as "Glinda the Good," has become the mouthpiece for the Wizard and Madame Morrible (Michelle Yeoh). But as the trailer shows, Glinda hasn't abandoned Elphaba. In fact, Glinda hopes to protect Elphaba from the Wizard's quite literal witch hunt. Can this spellbinding pairing find a happy ending for themselves, and for the land of Oz?

On top of focusing on the tight bond between Elphaba and Glinda, Wicked: For Good's latest trailer also highlights some of the songs that will be featured in the movie. The trailer kicks off with Grande's rendition of "Thank Goodness" before switching to Erivo's take on "No Good Deed." Finally, it closes out with the pair joining forces on "For Good," which is guaranteed to give Wicked fans chills. Check out the full trailer above to become as "obsessulated" with the film as Glinda is with her bubble.

Wicked: For Good also stars Jonathan Bailey, Ethan Slater, Bowen Yang, and Marissa Bode.

Wicked: For Good hits theaters Nov. 21.