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SAVE $70.99: As of Jan. 14, get the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse for $89, down from its usual price of $159.99. That's a discount of 44%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Razer Razer Basilisk V3 Pro $89 at Amazon
$159.99 Save $70.99   Get Deal

A great gaming mouse is a must if you're looking to make PC gaming your main setup. If you like twitchy games, having one with a high DPI is important. And if you prefer more precision, it can help make you feel more comfortable with certain games. This Razer mouse that's on sale right now is a great all-rounder pick that can elevate anyone's game time.

As of Jan. 14, get the Razer Basilisk V3 Pro gaming mouse for $89, down from its usual price of $159.99. That's $70.99 off and a discount of 44%. This price is also within a dollar of its lowest price yet.

SEE ALSO: Lenovo debuts a concept 'no-charging' keyboard and mouse combo at CES 2026

This wireless mouse has a 30K optical sensor with 10 programmable buttons so you can customize it to your liking. That gives it fantastic tracking, even on surfaces like glass, to give you improved aim and control. It also has a 90-million click life cycle with 0.2ms actuation, so you have no click delay.

Its hyperscroll tilt wheel makes it perfect for everyday use, as well as its hyperspeed wireless connectivity from Razer, which boasts speeds up to 25 percent faster than other mice of this ilk. And with a lengthy 150-hour battery life, you don't have to worry about charging it often, unlike most wireless controllers.

If you like color, you can add a splash of hues with the 13-zone Chrome lighting option as well, with 16.8 million color combinations to choose from and 150 Chroma-integrated games to make things match.

If you're ready to upgrade to a more fleshed-out precision gaming mouse, this is one to pick up. Just be sure to do so while it's nearly half off.

When was the last time you took stock of what storage types you were using? If you have an older computer, it’s possible at least one of your drives is using a tech that’s 40 years old. Here are five storage types that are officially too old to use in 2026.

Samsung Galaxy phones are packed with apps and underrated features, and sometimes it's easy to overlook some of the best ones. Instead of constantly using your phone and fumbling through settings, let this amazing feature do all the hard work for you. Smartphones are supposed to be "smart," and this one Samsung feature actually delivers.

Euphoria is getting on the time jump train.

Season 3 of Sam Levinson's smash hit picks up five years after the events of Season 2. For everyone keeping track at home, that's just one year more than the real-life wait time between seasons, to which I must quote the immortal words of Maddy Perez (Alexa Demie) and say, "Bitch, you better be joking."

SEE ALSO: 2026 TV preview: All the TV shows you need to know, and where to stream them

Now, though, we finally have a full trailer and an Apr. 12 release date. And based on the trailer, a lot has gone down for Euphoria's protagonists since Lexi Howard's (Maude Apatow) play sent shockwaves through East Highland High School.

Five years after Season 2, Rue Bennett's (Emmy-winner Zendaya) debt to drug trafficker Laurie (Martha Kelly) has finally caught up with her, sending her on an odyssey to Mexico to pay what she owes. Nate Jacobs (Jacob Elordi) and Cassie Howard (Sydney Sweeney) are engaged and living in the suburbs. There, Cassie is "making content," implied to be for adult sites like OnlyFans. Jules (Hunter Schafer) is attending art school and exploring life as a sugar baby, while Maddy and Lexi are working in Hollywood.

If that sounds like a lot, you'd be right. If that also sounds like more of the same sensitive subject matter Levinson has struggled to portray with nuance in prior seasons of Euphoria and the first (and only) season of The Idol, you'd be right again. With that in mind, will Season 3 be able to stick the landing?

Euphoria Season 3 premieres Apr. 12 at 9 p.m. ET on HBO and HBO Max.

SAVE $1,200: As of Jan. 14, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K TV is on sale for $1,299.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's nearly half off its list price of $2,499.99 and only $2 away from its Black Friday price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $1,299.99 at Amazon
$2,499.99 Save $1,200.00   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K TV $1,299.99 at Best Buy
$2,499.99 Save $1,200.00   Get Deal

Between the NFL playoffs, awards shows, and all of your favorite TV shows coming back, 'tis the season for staying indoors and watching TV. If your current setup is looking a bit dull, it also happens to be one of the best times to upgrade your TV for less.

As of Jan. 14, the Hisense 75-inch U8 Mini LED QLED 4K TV is on sale for only $1,299.99 at both Amazon and Best Buy. That's nearly half off its list price of $2,499.99 and just $2 shy of its best price ever from Cyber Week.

The 2025 Hisense U8 model is a 4K QLED Mini-LED TV with 5000 nits peak brightness, up to 5,600 local dimming zones, a 165Hz native refresh rate, and support for HDR in Dolby Vision, HDR10, HDR10+, and HLG. All of that translates to an extra bright and colorful display that's great for watching sports, gaming, or fully immersing yourself in movies and TV. CNET (Mashable's sister site, also owned by Ziff Davis) reviewer Ty Pendlebury called it the brightest TV he's ever reviewed, but noted that "it complements that brightness with excellent contrast and well-saturated colors."

It uses the Google TV smart TV platform, which features a full interface covering all major streaming services. It has Google Cast by default for local streaming from Android devices or Chrome tabs, but Hisense also adds Apply AirPlay for those with Apple devices. Google Assistant is built in for easy, hands-free control of the TV and your smart home devices. You can ask it to search for content, set alarms, check your doorbell camera, and much more.

The 2025 Hisense U8 is slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but now that it's on sale for 48% off, we highly recommend upgrading.

Google Gemini — the tech giant's generative AI video model — is launching the ability to generate social media-ready vertical video. That's all well and good, but it raises the question: Does that mean even more AI slop?

Google Veo is widely regarded as the leading AI video model (different versions of Veo claim the top four spots on LMArena's text-to-video leaderboard), so the answer is almost certainly yes.

Google announced this week that Veo 3.1 — the latest version of Gemini's text-to-video generator — could now generate "social-ready 9:16 videos directly." In other words, the videos are generated with the vertical, scroll-ready format that you see on TikTok, YouTube Shorts, and Instagram Reels.

"Designed for mobile-first applications, this mode delivers faster results and optimized composition by generating full-frame vertical video rather than cropping from landscape," read a statement from Google.

The online world is increasingly populated by AI-generated vertical video, some of which is the much-maligned slop. Meta, for instance, launched Vibes, a social site entirely dedicated to generating and scrolling AI videos. AI critics call it an "infinite slop machine."

It tracks that Google would give users the ability to generate social-ready video — people want it — but it might not make your scrolling experience any better.

SAVE $649: As of Jan. 14, get the DJI Mavic 4 Pro for $3,999, down from its usual price of $4,649. That's a discount of 14%.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Mavic 4 Pro $3,999 at Amazon
$4,649 Save $650   Get Deal

Getting your hands on a DJI drone, no matter the model, has been an exercise in frustration for some time now. Though the brand has faced several issues with getting its product into the hands of U.S. consumers, some shipments here and there come from third-party sellers that do occasionally get some models in. If you've wanted to splurge on one of the company's drones for some time now, today's your lucky day as the DJI Mavic 4 Pro is officially in stock as well as discounted.

As of Jan. 14, get the DJI Mavic 4 Pro for $3,999, down from its usual price of $4,649. That's $649 off and a discount of 14%.

SEE ALSO: The DJI Mic 2 just hit its lowest price ever at Amazon

This DJI drone comes with all the bells and whistles you could ask for as a professional or even casual user. This tri-camera unit comes with a 100MP 4/3 CMOS Hasselblad camera with a 51-minute max flight tme, three batteries, a charging hub, spare propellers, shoulder bag, and more. In short, it has everything you need to not only get off the ground but stay in the air as long as possible and keep your new drone there.

It uses a new gimbal that allows for 360-degree rotation with Dutch angles and other intriguing angles since you can turn the drone while recording, and a top speed of 90kph. There's also a 41km range that's perfect for both taking time lapse and panoramic photos.

In short, this is the drone to get if you're looking to get something that can tackle a wide range of purposes, whether your aim is to do more photography or just see sights. Grab yours now while it's still in stock and discounted to boot.

SAVE $150: As of Jan. 14, the Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise-cancelling headphones are down to $279 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. That's 35% off their list price of $429 and just shy of their best price ever. Inventory is running low, so secure a pair while you can.

Shop Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise-cancelling headphones: Best deal at Amazon Bose QuietComfort Ultra (black, deep plum) $279 (save $150) Get Deal Best deal at Best Buy Bose QuietComfort Ultra (lunar blue) $279 (save $150) Get Deal Best deal at Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra (deep plum) $279 (save $150) Get Deal

We're living in an era of iterative upgrades and the newest version of Bose's flagship headphones are proof. The Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) headphones look largely the same as their predecessors, but offer improved on-head detection, better battery life, and slightly better noise cancellation. They also cost $449 ($20 more than the first generation), though you can find them on sale as of Jan. 14 for $399.

The 2nd generation headphones are obviously in a league of their own, but if your budget tops out at $300, we still heartily recommend the original QuietComfort Ultras. Especially because they're on sale for just $279 at Amazon, Best Buy, and Bose. That's $150 or 35% off their list price of $429 and just shy of their best price ever.

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Since these headphones have been replaced by the 2nd generation, they won't be on shelves too much longer. Inventory is running low across retailers. Amazon has the largest supply, but only the black and deep plum options are down to $279. Meanwhile, Best Buy only has the lunar blue color in stock and Bose only has the deep plum remaining. So, if you want to secure a pair of the OG Bose QuietComfort Ultra noise-cancelling headphones for $150 less than their retail value, add them to your cart ASAP.

Two of Mashable's shopping reporters tested the QuietComfort Ultras and noted that they can easily be worn all day without earaches, even while wearing accessories. The all-day comfort even pairs with all-day battery life; with noise cancellation turned on, the QuietComfort Ultras headphones will last from 18 to 24 hours per charge. These headphones also deliver pretty good noise cancellation, excellent sound quality, and convenient foldable earcups. "They're still some of the most comfortable and best-sounding headphones we've ever tested," Mashable's Sam Mangino writes.

SAVE 38%: As of Jan. 14, the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station is on sale for $1,499 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount on list price.

Bluetti Apex 300 $1,499 at Amazon
$2,399 Save $900   Get Deal at Amazon

Living on the east coast of southern Virginia has its advantages. Being minutes from the beach and having actual summers is great, but the "hurricane-prep" lifestyle is very real. One bad gust of wind and the whole neighborhood is in the dark for the foreseeable future, which is why having a way to keep the fridge and AC running is the only way to weather the storm.

As of Jan. 14, you can get the Bluetti Apex 300 portable power station for $1,499, down from $2,399 at Amazon. That's a 38% discount or $900 in savings.

SEE ALSO: Bluetti just launched four new power solutions at CES 2026 — here's how to upgrade

The Bluetti Apex 300 is tiny but mighty, which is exactly why we ranked it best for whole-home backup. It can handle 120V and 240V output at the same time and has enough kick to run a full-sized fridge, an AC unit, or even an EV charger without needing a box full of adapters.

It comes with 2,764.8Wh of capacity built in, and if you’re worried about being off the grid for a few days, you can chain it with extra batteries to get up to 58,000Wh (that's enough to keep an entire house powered for about a week). It also charges from 0 to 80 percent in about 45 minutes, which is huge when you see a storm warning and only have a short window to top things off.

It weighs 84 pounds, so you aren't going to be moving it around on a whim. But with a battery designed to last about 17 years, it’s exactly what you want sitting in the garage when the wind starts picking up.

TL;DR: Live stream Senegal vs. Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2025 Africa Cup of Nations has been everything we wanted it to be. We've seen some incredible fixtures, magical individual performances, and passionate stadiums, and we're not done yet. Senegal take on Egypt in the first semi-final matchup. All eyes will be on Mohamed Salah as he looks to lead his side into another final.

That's not going to be an easy task. Senegal have scored 11 goals in the five games they've played so far. They're stacked with talent, including Salah's old teammate Sadio Mané. This is going to be an evenly-matched contest between two talented and motivated squads, and fans can watch all the action without spending anything.

If you want to watch Senegal vs. Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Senegal vs. Egypt?

Senegal vs. Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on Jan. 14. This fixture takes place at the Tangier Grand Stadium.

How to watch Senegal vs. Egypt for free

Senegal vs. Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in the UK, meaning you can unblock Channel 4 to stream AFCON for free from anywhere in the world.

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Live stream Senegal vs. Egypt for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like 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 the UK

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Watch Senegal vs. Egypt 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 AFCON without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Senegal vs. Egypt (plus more 2025 Africa Cup of Nations fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Channel 4, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

• 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 $78.18 and includes an extra four months for free — 78% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Watch Senegal vs. Egypt in the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations for free with ExpressVPN.

Harry Lighton's critically acclaimed BDSM romance Pillion hits U.S. theaters just in time for Valentine's Day, and you can get in the mood by watching the latest trailer from A24.

SEE ALSO: 'Pillion' trailer sees Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling enter a Dom/sub relationship

Based on the 2020 novel Box Hill by Adam Mars-Jones, who co-wrote the film with Lighton, Pillion stars Harry Melling as introverted parking attendant Colin. A chance encounter leads him to meet his polar opposite in self-assured motorcycle club leader Ray (Alexander Skarsgård), and it's not long before the pair embark on a Dom/sub relationship.

While the confident Ray is engrained in BDSM culture, this is Colin's first sexual relationship. What follows is an exploration of kink that earned rave reviews out of its premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival.

SEE ALSO: 'Heated Rivalry' fans, we've got your next must-see MLM romance

As Siddhant Adlakha wrote in his review out of Cannes, "Lighton's electric, modern-day British drama explores a master-slave relationship that's as upsetting as it is invigorating. Led by a pair of fine-tuned performances from Alexander Skarsgård and Harry Melling, the movie walks a fragile tonal tightrope with remarkable flair, resulting in one of the finest (and most crowd-pleasing) experiences at this year's Cannes Film Festival."

To see the beginnings of Colin and Ray's unlikely romance for yourself, check out the above trailer, which features a back alley tryst and several awkward scenes of Colin trying to explain his new interests to his parents.

Pillion hits theaters Feb. 6.

We know that Apple is working on new versions of its MacBook Pro laptop computer. The company launched a new 14-inch MacBook Pro with an M5 chip in October, but never followed through with a more powerful, 16-inch version.

Now, however, the company might have dropped a clue as to when the new 16-incher will arrive, and it lies in the company's recently launched Creator Suite.

The Creator Suite is a subscription package that bundles a bunch of video and audio tools aimed at professionals, including Final Cut Pro and Logic Pro. It's launching on January 28, and therein lies the clue.

According to Macworld, this could very well also be the date the company plans to launch new MacBook Pro devices. Why? Well, because Apple does often launch pro-grade software tools in connection to pro-grade hardware devices.

Furthermore, January 28 is a Wednesday, and that is typically the day in the week (besides Tuesday) when Apple launches new hardware.

SEE ALSO: Apple launches a 'Creator Studio' package that bundles video and audio tools

Of course, all of this is speculation, and we will know whether it's true when Apple says so.

As for what kind of hardware we can expect from Apple on the date, we'll probably get the 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro laptops, powered by the new M5 Pro and M5 Max chips. These probably won't bring any massive architectural changes; they'll simply be faster and more powerful than the 14-inch MacBook Pro with the regular M5 chip.

In a segment where complexity often leads to costly repairs and unpredictable ownership costs, one hybrid SUV stands out in 2026 for its exceptional reliability. While many electrified crossovers still struggle with long-term dependability, this Japanese-built model combines proven engineering with low maintenance needs, making it one of the smartest choices for buyers who want efficiency and peace of mind.

Windows 11 has been progressively getting worse with every feature update since last year. Here's how I've been doing some damage control to keep it usable.

Maladaptive daydreamers, I have some bad news. TikTok just released its annual TikTok Next trend forecast for marketers in 2026, and the headline takeaway is blunt: fantasy is out — and reality is in.

In TikTok's telling, 2026 will be less about fantasizing your way out of life and more about intentionally engaging with it. After years dominated by "romanticizing," "delulu," and digital escapism, users are shifting toward discipline, routine, and shared accountability as ways to cope with an increasingly unstable world.

SEE ALSO: Why is TikTok so obsessed with 365 buttons?

TikTok frames this moment as a turn toward collective processing of life's chaos. Instead of aestheticizing adulthood from afar, users are documenting what it actually takes to get through it. Trends like #TheGreatLockIn, alongside rising keywords such as #lockedin, #hygiene, and #joblife, point to a growing appetite for structure, maintenance, and realism.

This doesn't mean joy is gone. It means joy is being redefined. Rather than cinematic fantasies or perfectly curated lives, users are finding satisfaction in progress, consistency, and small, tangible wins. Content that acknowledges both the highs and the lows, and finds humor in imperfection, is now resonating more deeply than polished escapism.

In other words, the fantasy era may be coming to an end, but reality is gaining its own aesthetic. And daydreamers, look, we still have Heated Rivalry. That counts for something.

Last year at the Consumer Electronics Show, a solidly built Windows laptop that weighed just over two pounds was an exciting and novel concept. The 2.18-pound, Qualcomm-powered Asus Zenbook A14 took tech's biggest showcase by storm as the thinnest and lightest Copilot+ PC in the world at the time. Among other accolades, it clinched our Best of CES award in the laptop category for its feathery yet rigid design, pretty OLED display, and all-day battery life. Even Oprah was a fan.

Soon, the Zenbook A14 won't be an outlier: Almost every PC maker had an exceptionally thin and light model in tow at CES 2026. Like the Zenbook A14, which got a subtle next-gen update (and a sibling), the new laptops have premium magnesium alloy chassis, OLED displays, and builds that hover around 2.2 pounds. They make the 2.7-pound Apple MacBook Air feel chonky.

If 2025 was the year of the ultra-thin phone, then 2026 is shaping up to be the year of the ultra-ultraportable Windows laptop.

A chip from Intel's new Ultra Core Series 3 line, previously code-named "Panther Lake." Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Most of these super-svelte Windows laptops run on new Intel Ultra Core Series 3 chips, which offer broader app compatibility than ARM-based Qualcomm models and promise up to 27 hours of battery life. The refreshed Zenbook A14 and the new HP OmniBook Ultra 14 will come with Qualcomm's new Snapdragon X2 chips, and the former is rated for up to 35 hours of stamina. (The 2025 model held out for about 22 hours in our testing.) The OmniBook's spec sheet just lists "multi-day" battery life for now.

SEE ALSO: Best of CES 2026 awards announced: See all the winners and nominees

Stay tuned for final pricing and availability info for most of these CES laptops — and brace for impact, as the ongoing RAM shortage is expected to jack up costs. We hope to test as many of them as possible in the near future.

Acer Swift Edge 14 AI Acer's Swift Edge 14 AI is super light yet super durable. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Acer's new ultra-ultraportable offering features a 14-inch 2K or 3K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, "multi-day" battery life, and up to an Intel Core Ultra 9 386H processor. Its chassis is made from a stainless steel-magnesium alloy that meets the U.S. MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability standard, yet it comes in at just 2.18 pounds and 13.9 millimeters thin. There's a laser-etched geometric design on its lid, but it's otherwise a humble little silver laptop. Look for it sometime in Q2.

Asus ExpertBook Ultra The Asus ExpertBook Ultra will come in Jet Fog (left) and Morn Grey. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Asus' new 14-inch business laptop is configurable with up to an Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processor, Intel's new high-end chip, and it comes standard with a 3K tandem OLED display featuring a variable 120Hz refresh rate and a matte finish. (Sort of like Apple's nano-texture upgrade for the MacBook Pro, but it doesn't cost extra.)

Impressively, it only weighs 2.18 pounds and measures 10.9 millimeters thin, yet it manages to cram in a haptic touchpad; Asus' rep told me that there's a divot in its battery to make room for it.

Here's that bad boy from the side. It's SO thin. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The ExpertBook Ultra features a wind tunnel-like thermal design with large fans that can spin slowly for minimal noise. The chassis itself is made from a strong magnesium-aluminum alloy that has a "Nano Ceramic" coating, which is also used in airplanes and Formula 1 cars, the rep said. It's a slightly different material than the Ceraluminum on the Zenbook A14, but it uses the same bonding process and is also scratch-resistant.

Asus's rep said the EliteBook Ultra "will be on the upper end of the price spectrum." It doesn't have a launch date yet.

Asus Zenbook A14 (and A16) Asus had the 2026 Zenbook A14 on display in Iceland Gray at CES, but a rep told me that U.S. models will only come in Zabrinskie Beige. (See the Zenbook A16, background.) Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

Asus has given my beloved MacBook Air rival a minor next-gen rework. The 2026 version of the 14-inch, Ceraluminum-clad Zenbook A14 will have a new Snapdragon X2 Elite chip with more AI processing power, up to 35 hours of battery life, thinner bezels, 24GB of base RAM, and a new matte keycap coating. It still starts at just 2.18 pounds and 13.5 millimeters thin with a 2K 60Hz OLED display.

The Zenbook A14 is also getting a 16-inch counterpart. The new Zenbook A16 will be the first next-gen laptop to market with the Snapdragon X2 Elite Extreme, Qualcomm's most powerful processor yet. It will have a 3K 120Hz OLED touchscreen and an extra SD card reader slot, and it will only weigh 2.65 pounds — making it nearly an ounce lighter than the 13-inch MacBook Air and over half a pound lighter than the 15-inch model. It should get at least 21 hours of battery life.

Asus hasn't set a price or release date for either Zenbook A-series size yet.

HP EliteBook X G2i The lightweight HP EliteBook X G2i comes in Atmospheric Blue. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

The new HP EliteBook X G2 series of 14-inch business laptops includes a lightweight clamshell-style Intel model (the G2i) with an Atmospheric Blue chassis that's mostly made of magnesium. It's only 2.2 pounds and measures 14.4 millimeters in the back, but only 9.2 millimeters in the front. It comes with an Intel Core Ultra 7 or 7 processor (in business or consumer configurations), an anti-glare 3K 120Hz tandem OLED display, and a haptic touchpad. Its price will be announced closer to when it goes on sale in February.

HP OmniBook Ultra 14 Here's the Qualcomm-powered HP OmniBook Ultra 14 in Stone Blue. Credit: Joe Maldonado / Mashable

This 14-inch consumer model from HP has a forged (read: very strong) anodized aluminum chassis with gorgeous metallic accents around its edges; it's a really stylish and elegant machine. It's the only model on this list that doesn't weigh 2.2 pounds or less — it comes in at 2.81 pounds — but it deserves a spot because of how skinty it is.

Measuring 10.7 millimeters in the back and just 7.4 millimeters in the front, it's the thinnest laptop I saw at CES 2026. Come to think of it, it just might be the thinnest laptop I've seen, like, ever.

The OmniBook Ultra 14 is configurable with an Intel Core Ultra 3 chip in Eclipse Gray and Silk Sand finishes, or with a Snapdragon X2 Plus or Elite chip in Stone Blue. All variants have a 3K OLED touchscreen with a 120Hz variable refresh rate. Its pricing and release timeline aren't available yet.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition The Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition will come in Seashell (pictured) and Cosmic Blue. Credit: Haley Henschel / Mashable

"Whoa." That's what one of my coworkers said when he first held the 14-inch Yoga Slim 7i Ultra Aura Edition in Lenovo's private showroom. It's 13.9 millimeters thin and a mere 2.15 pounds, making it the lightest laptop we encountered at CES.

It's equipped with a 2.8K 120Hz POLED (flexible Plastic OLED) display and up to a top-tier Intel Core Ultra X9 Series 3 processor. It also has a "Force Pad" trackpad that you can draw on with a stylus (sold separately). Its magnesium alloy chassis comes in fingerprint-resistant Cosmic Blue and Seashell finishes.

This one actually has an estimated price point: It's slated to start at $1,649 when it drops this June.

Honorable mention: Dell XPS 13 A silver finish and an island-style keyboard... yeah, it's giving MacBook Air. Credit: Dell

Dell's new XPS 14 and XPS 16 don't come with discrete graphics anymore, so they're way slimmer than the previous generation. (Haven't you heard? XPS is back from the dead.) But Dell promises its thinnest, lightest, and cheapest XPS laptop ever in a forthcoming 13-inch model, which will come in under 13 millimeters. For reference, the 2023 XPS 13 weighed 2.6 pounds, measured 15.3 millimeters thick, and started at $1,299.99.

Dell showed a prototype of the XPS 13 to me behind glass in its CES showroom, and while I can't tell you anything about it yet, I can confirm it's real and set for release later this year. I will point out that the early product photo Dell provided appears to show an island-style keyboard rather than the XPS line's traditional lattice-style keyboard. If that makes it to production, it will look very MacBook Air-y.

If you’re in the market for an affordable phone, an iPhone is probably not your first thought. There are several reasons why a lower-cost Apple device is better than an entry-level Android phone, so here are the three top reasons you should go team iPhone when saving money.

Are you curious about terminal file managers but overwhelmed by the options? Wondering which one won’t require memorizing 100 keybindings just to copy a file? Well, here’s my list of the five best Linux terminal-based file managers and how they rank against one another.

All it took for me to take wireless charging seriously was a MagSafe charging stand on my desk. Unless I need a fast-charging top-up, this is now how I choose to charge my phone 90% of the time.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult to solve if you're a shopaholic.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for January 14, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Locked

• Green: Buyer

• Blue: Precipitation

• Purple: Quiet

Here are today's Connections categories

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

• Yellow: Fixed

• Green: Receiver of goods or services

• Blue: Starting with weather conditions

• Purple: Silent ___

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

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

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #948 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• Fixed: FAST, FIRM, SECURE, TIGHT

• Receiver of goods or services: ACCOUNT, CLIENT, CONSUMER, USER

• Starting with weather conditions: FROSTY, MISTY, RAINMAKER, SNOWMAN

• Silent ___: AUCTION, MOVIE, PARTNER, TREATMENT

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

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for January 14, 2026

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

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

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