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TL;DR: Sling TV is offering its Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months. With this, you can access over 30 sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, and Red Zone. This limited-time offer ends on Sept. 23.

Opens in a new window Credit: Sling TV Sling TV Season Pass: $199.99 for 5 months   Get Deal

A new football season is upon us, and if you're looking for a way to watch all of the action this year, Sling TV is here to help.

Sling TV is offering its Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months, combining Sling Essentials, Sling Select, and Sports Extra into one impressive streaming package.

Compared to paying for each of those plans on their own each month, you're actually saving quite a bit. Sling Essentials and Sling Select are both $19.99 per month, while Sports Extra is $11 per month. All together, that'd normally cost you $254.90 over a five-month period, so through this prepay offer, you get to keep $54.91 in your pocket.

SEE ALSO: Meatball sub: The NFL's new sandwich slang, explained

Sports fans, in particular, are in for a real treat with this package. With the Season Pass, you'll have access to over 30 sports networks, including ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network, and Red Zone, so there's plenty to watch. And outside of sports, there's also channels like Disney, FX, and National Geographic available, plus access to Freestream, which features over 600 free channels.

And if you find it's not for you, Sling TV notes that there are no contracts or long-term commitments, so you can cancel or switch plans at any time.

This offer is only live until Sept. 23, so be quick to score Sling TV's Season Pass for $199.99 when you prepay for five months.

You can now get a taste of the AirPods Max 2 without paying for the privilege. Apple has released the Beats 360, Beats' first customizable headphones, and they offer that familiar customization at a discount — and better support for Android.

We caught wind that a new pair of Beats over-ear headphones might be imminent when several World Cup stars stepped out wearing unrecognizable headphones from the brand in June. Then, there were the product filings and Amazon UK listings that teased out some more clues.

Now, the Beats 360 are finally here as of Sept. 22. The over-ear headphones are the first from the brand to feature customizable ear and headband cushions, and retail for $349.99. Preorders for the headphones open immediately, with full availability following shortly after on Sept. 24 at Amazon, Apple, Beats, Walmart, and Best Buy. At Apple and Beats, headphones are available in four colorways: black, cloud, sky, and pink, while only the former two colors are available at additional retailers.

The corresponding color of ear cups and cushions will be included with the headphones, but additional Beats 360 Cushion Kits will be available for $49.99. However, if you take advantage of the special intro offer, you can pick them up for just $9.99, knocking a whopping $40 — or 81% — off the price.

Beats 360 $349.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Walmart Pre-order Here at Best Buy Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats 360 Cushion Kits $9.99 at Apple
$49.99 Save $40   Pre-order Here

So what's new with these headphones? We break it down below.

Beats 360: Price and specs Mix and match your favorite color combos. Credit: Beats

The Beats 360 cost $349.99, and come with the following basic specs:

• Battery life: 32 hours per charge

• Active noise cancellation: Yes

• Microphones: Nine, with eight dedicated to ANC

• IP rating: IPX4

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3, one-touch pairing for Apple and Google Fast Pair for Android users

• Colors: Black, cloud, sky, pink

Beats 360: What's new

Beats last launched a pair of over-ear headphones in 2024: the Beats Studio Pro, which are Mashable's current favorite Beats headphones. The Beats 360 are an entirely separate product line with new features. Most notable are the interchangeable ear and headband cushions. Included with the headphones is a pair of the "Performance Knit" cushions in the corresponding color.

Users will also have the choice of purchasing an extra pair of Performance Knit cushions or UltraPlush cushions. The former features memory foam, wrapped in a diamond knit strand, while the latter is the same engineered leather found in the Beats Studio Pro and Solo 4. Performance Knit kits are available in black, cloud (white), pink, sky (light blue), navy, and volt (bright green). The UltraPlush cushions come in cloud and black.

SEE ALSO: The 13 best headphones of 2026: We tested the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

Alongside cosmetic changes, these headphones are the first over-ear model from Beats to feature an IPX4 sweat and resistance rating, making them equipped to stand up to workouts (which they should, based on the World Cup rollout). Unlike the Studio Pro, these headphones feature a fold-flat design, so they don't get quite as compact.

Noise cancellation-wise, Beats claims the ANC on these headphones is 1.75 times that of the Beats Studio Pro. At $349.99, they have the same launch price as the Pros (which will now be available for $299.99).

Beats 360: Where to buy

The Beats 360 are available on Apple's website and additional retailers for $349.99. The cushion kits are available in Performance Knit and UltraPlush for $49.99, with a special introductory price of $9.99.

Where to buy the Beats 360 headphones Amazon Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Apple Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Beats Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Best Buy Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here Walmart Beats 360 $349.99 Pre-Order Here

What defines a PC has changed substantially over the course of my life. They've drastically changed shape and size, but until I bought my most recent one, they were all at least vaguely similar. Now my concept of a PC has been completely turned on its head.

Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days sale is just around the corner — and so are some excellent Apple deals, no doubt. This 48-hour "October Prime Day" serves as Amazon's kickoff to the Black Friday/holiday shopping season, which is the best time to find discounts on popular Apple devices, among many other tech products. This year, it will double as some year-end relief from RAMageddon price increases.

While the sale isn't scheduled to begin for a few more weeks, Amazon is already rolling out some early October Prime Day deals on select gadgets, including most AirPods, Apple Watches, iPads, and MacBooks. That raises the question: If you're thinking about upgrading from an older Apple device to a newer model, should you start adding items to your cart now or hold off for a bit?

SEE ALSO: Amazon announces dates for Prime Big Deal Days, its 48-hour 'October Prime Day' sale

The answer depends on the exact product you're eyeing. Having covered Amazon's sales for years now, I think most of its current Apple deals will get much better on Oct. 6 and 7, when Prime Big Deal Days is officially live. However, a couple of the deals are worth grabbing immediately. In fact, you might miss out if you wait too long.

Read on to find out which four Apple deals I'd add to my cart ASAP, and which others I'm hoping to see once Prime Big Deal Days starts. I've come up with some October Prime Day discount predictions for every current Apple product based on their pricing histories and Amazon's deal patterns. I'm also keeping an eye on rivaling retailers like Walmart and Best Buy to see if they can one-up their offers. (Check back for updates as we get closer to the sale.)

The only Apple deals I'd shop before October Prime Day Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 at Amazon
$399 Save $9.01   Get Deal

Apple's latest flagship smartwatch hit shelves in mid-September alongside the AirPods 5, Apple Watch Ultra 4, and iPhone 18 Pros. It has an upgraded chipset and sensors that support better heart rate monitoring, a new Readiness feature, and new Audio Intelligence tools. Amazon is currently selling it for $389.99, which is almost $10 off its usual sticker price of $399. That discount isn't huge, but it's probably not going to get any bigger once Prime Big Deal Days starts. Its predecessor, the Series 11, was also only $10 off during its first Prime Big Deal Days.

Check out our breakdown of all the differences between the Apple Watch Series 12 and Series 11.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 at Amazon
$799 Save $19.01   Get Deal

Similarly, the rugged Apple Watch Ultra 4 isn't heavily discounted but probably won't get any cheaper than it currently is, if history repeats itself. Last year, during Prime Big Deal Days, the last-generation Apple Watch Ultra 3 was marked down to $779.99 (normally $799). Ahead of this year's sale, the Ultra 4 is already matching that. Its upgrades include a faster processor, a longer battery life, and a new heart rate monitoring system; it has the same new health and fitness features as the Series 12.

Read Mashable's review of the Apple Watch Ultra 4.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 at Amazon
$2,099 Save $200   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 at Amazon
$1,499 Save $200   Get Deal

Amazon still has a couple of older M4 iPad Pros in stock and on sale at deep discounts. One is an 11-inch model with a nano-texture (matte) display and 2TB storage; the other is a 13-inch model with Apple's standard display and 512GB of storage. They're marked down to $1,899 and $1,299, respectively, which is a $200 savings either way. (For reference, they were $250 off and $100 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025.) They're significantly cheaper than their newer M5 counterparts right now, so I can see them selling out well before this year's October Prime Day.

Read Mashable's review of the 13-inch Apple iPad Air (M4).

October Prime Day AirPods deals to watch

• Apple AirPods 4: Apple's last-gen earbuds are out of stock on Amazon following this month's launch of the AirPods 5. However, I could see it bringing them back at $99 (normally $129) for Prime Big Deal Days — that's their lowest price of the year so far, and a very classic Prime Day deal. In the meantime, they're still up for grabs at Walmart for $99.

• Apple AirPods 5: The latest flagship AirPods debuted in mid-September, and they're currently stuck at full price. (The standard models retail for $129, while the ones with a wireless charging case cost $149.) They should get cheaper next month, but not by much. The AirPods 4 only saw a small $10 discount during their first Prime Big Deal Days in 2024, so I think they'll probably go for $119 and $139, respectively.

• Apple AirPods Pro 3: The AirPods Pro 3 have better ANC than the regular AirPods 5, plus a longer battery life, an added heart rate sensor, and an exclusive Hearing Aid mode. They're down to $199 right now — a 20% savings — but there's a strong chance they'll dip even lower for October's festivities. Amazon could revive its record-low price of $169, which last appeared right before June's Prime Day sale.

• Apple AirPods Pro Max 2: Apple's over-ear headphones are currently on sale for $479 (or $70 off their $549 MSRP), but I'd wait. We saw them fall to $399 a couple of months ago on Prime Day — an impressive 27% savings.

Read our reviews of the AirPods 5, the AirPods Pro 3, and the AirPods Max 2. Plus, find out where they ranked on our guides to the best wireless earbuds and the best noise-canceling headphones.

The best early October Prime Day AirPods deals for now: Apple AirPods 4 $99 (save $30 at Walmart) Get Deal Apple AirPods 5 $129 Shop Now Apple AirPods 5 with wireless charging case $149 Shop Now Apple AirPods Pro 3 $199 (save $50) Get Deal Apple AirPods Pro Max 2 $479 (save $70) Get Deal October Prime Day Apple Watch deals to watch

• Apple Watch SE 3: Normally $249, Apple's budget smartwatch has been as cheap as $189.99 before — a savings of just under $60. It's definitely not worth buying now at $239, or only $10 off.

The best early October Prime Day Apple Watch deals for now: Apple Watch SE 3 (GPS, 40mm) $239 (save $10) Shop Now Apple Watch Series 12 (GPS, 42mm) $389.99 (save $9.01) Get Deal Apple Watch Ultra 4 (GPS + cellular, 49mm) $779.99 (save $19.01) Get Deal October Prime Day MacBook deals to watch

• Apple MacBook Neo: The cheapest MacBook hasn't gotten any major discounts at major retailers since its March release. (Its current sale price of $689 on Amazon, or $10 off, is its all-time low there.) There's no world where Amazon matches the Apple Store's $100 student discount for Prime Big Deal Days, IMO, but maybe we'll see it hit $649 for the first time next month. It's due for better deals now that it's more than six months old.

• Apple MacBook Air: One 13-inch M5 MacBook Air variant was $150 off at the time of writing, but don't add it to your cart yet. Both sizes of last year's M4 MacBook Air were $200 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025. If Amazon matched that offer in the coming weeks, it would erase the M5 Air's recent price hike. For reference, the 13-inch one usually starts at $1,299, while the 15-inch size typically starts at $1,499; snag them as soon as you catch them at $1,099 and $1,299, respectively.

• Apple MacBook Pro: The 14-inch, M5-powered base model with 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage is $150 off right now, but I think Amazon might sell it for $1,799, or $200 off, come Prime Big Deal Days. That's the discount its equally configured predecessor got last fall. (It wouldn't fully negate the MacBook Pro's recent $300 price increase, but it would be a welcome deal regardless. We haven't spotted it on sale for less than $1,849 since June.)

Read our reviews of the Apple MacBook Neo, the M5 MacBook Air, and the M5 MacBook Pro. Plus, find out which MacBook is best for you.

The best early October Prime Day MacBook deals for now: Apple MacBook Neo (A18 Pro, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD) $689 (save $10) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 13-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,449 (save $150) Get Deal Apple MacBook Air, 15-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,499 Shop Now Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) $1,849 (save $150) Get Deal October Prime Day iPad deals to watch

• Apple iPad: Apple's flagship tablet is on sale for $399 in the lead-up to Prime Big Deal Days (usually $449). Wait to see if Amazon matches or beats its $70 discount from last year's sale, which would bring it down to just $379.

• Apple iPad mini: The smallest, most portable iPad was also $70 off during Prime Big Deal Days 2025, so it's now on sale for $569 (only $30 off). It's worth adding to your cart if you see it drop to $529 or lower.

• Apple iPad Air: Both sizes of the latest M4 iPad Air are $100 off right now. That's not bad, but we saw last year's M3 models go on sale for $150 off last October. If Amazon can replicate that for Prime Big Deal Days 2026, it would completely nix the 11-inch version's price hike. That size would return to $599, while the 13-inch model would only be $799 (normally $749 and $949, respectively).

• Apple iPad Pro: As mentioned up top, last year's M4 iPad Pros were $100 to $250 off during last year's Prime Big Deal Days — making Amazon's current deals on their successors look pretty pathetic. The 11-inch M5 base model is now $1,139, only $60 off, and the 13-inch model is now $1,427, just $72 off. Ideally, they'll soon hit $1,099 and $1,399 or less, respectively.

Read our reviews of the iPad mini, the M4 iPad Air, and the M5 iPad Pro. Not sure which iPad to buy? Allow us to offer some guidance.

The best early October Prime Day iPad deals for now: Apple iPad, 11-inch (A16, WiFi, 128GB) $399 (save $50) Get Deal Apple iPad mini (A17 Pro, WiFi, 128GB) $569 (save $30) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 11-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB $649 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Air, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 128GB) $849 (save $100) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-Inch (M4, WiFi, 2TB, nano-texture glass) $1,899 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M4, WiFi, 512GB) $1,299 (save $200) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 11-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,139 (save $60) Get Deal Apple iPad Pro, 13-inch (M5, WiFi, 256GB) $1,427 (save $72) Get Deal

Amazon's Prime Air delivery drone service is still in the early stages of rolling out across the United States, but residents of one test community have already had enough.

The New York Times reported on residents of Richardson, Texas, a suburb of Dallas where Amazon has been testing drone deliveries throughout 2026. According to several Richardson residents interviewed by the Times, Amazon's Prime Air drones can fly as low as 150 feet above houses and backyards, creating bothersome amounts of noise. One resident even said the drones can be heard inside, even with the TV turned on.

SEE ALSO: Amazon blocks Meta's Muse AI agent from shopping

An Amazon spokesperson told the Times that "fewer than 1 percent" of complaints so far this year have had to do with noise. The same spokesperson also compared the noise of a drone to that of a window fan on a low setting. That may be true of just one drone, but one of the residents interviewed, Stephanie Puri, counted the number of drones flying over her house one Friday, and the final tally came out to 52. According to Puri, that was a slow day.

There's also the issue of privacy. These drones have cameras for navigational purposes, and the Richardson residents interviewed for the story noted their discomfort with the possibility that their backyard activities could be recorded. Amazon says the images are stored on encrypted drives and are only used to improve customer service, but the company has previously used human reviewers to listen to recordings captured by Alexa devices, for example.

And that's to say nothing of the various videos and photos showing Prime Air drones dropping packages in hot tubs and other places where they shouldn't go. As a reminder, Prime Air is in the process of expanding to 500 towns and cities across America as we speak.

Meta launched its new AI assistant Muse to much fanfare earlier this month.

Now, just a few weeks later, a zero-day vulnerability has reportedly been discovered that could put access to your entire Mac computer in the wrong hands. (Meta currently does not have a Windows version of Muse for PC.)

macOS security expert Patrick Wardle posted on X about the vulnerability with the Muse app. According to Wardle, and as first covered by Ars Technica,  the vulnerability lets "local malware/attackers invisibly hijack" a user's Mac.

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

Wadle explains that thanks to the macOS permissions that Muse requires, an attacker could access and change the endpoint where transcription for dictation occurs. The server address is pointed to one that belongs to Meta, but with this change, the attacker could then gain access to the token that controls the Muse account.

From there, the attacker doesn't need to deploy any specific trojan or code to steal data from a user's machine, Wardle explained. They can simply take control of Muse to do so.

As a personal AI agent, Muse is able to help complete tasks and perform actions on a user's computer. This requires that a user give Muse a lot of permissions on their device, more than a user would provide to most other third-party applications. Other popular AI agents like OpenClaw have the same security risks.

Meta predicted the potential security issues with Muse requiring so many system permissions. The company addressed the issue at launch, saying Muse was designed to run on "a dedicated secure computer with its own browser" called Muse Secure VM.

"Personal agents need a new kind of secure computer, so Meta built one for everyone," Meta said. "Muse Secure VM has first-of-its-kind privacy, safety, and security protections engineered into it that no other agent provides."

However, according to Wardle, specific decisions Meta made when creating Muse led to this vulnerability. For example, Wardle shared how Apple keeps all dictation locally on devices for its own applications and transcription features. Meta opted to use the cloud for dictation, which makes the exploit possible, he claimed. 

Meta has not yet addressed the zero-day vulnerability. But, they likely will soon. On the same day the exploit was unveiled, Amazon announced that it would be blocking Meta's Muse AI assistant from being able to purchase products for users on its e-commerce site.

This has been an astoundingly brutal year for Xbox, and the carnage continued on Tuesday.

Microsoft's gaming division announced in a blog post that it's laying off 268 people across its first-party studios, on top of 1,600 roles that were cut in July. According to Xbox executive Matt Booty, Tuesday's cuts bring us to roughly 75 percent of all currently planned cuts to Xbox's payroll, which means more layoffs are presumably coming.

For the employees who do remain, Xbox is also reshuffling its development deck to a severe degree. Perhaps most notably, the celebrated Halo franchise is now under the control of Xbox subsidiary Activision, maker of Call of Duty. Halo Studios, which was created with the sole purpose of making Halo games, will live on as a support studio for the time being. Age of Empires developer World's Edge and Sea of Thieves developer Rare are also under the Activision umbrella now.

Beyond that, Elder Scrolls and Fallout developer Bethesda has taken Pentiment and Avowed developer Obsidian under its wing. Mobile game developer King is fusing with Microsoft Casual Games, too. Lastly, Playground Games and Turn 10 will join forces to be the stewards of both the Fable and Forza franchises. Many of those partnerships already existed in a sense, as Obsidian had worked with Bethesda before, while the same is true of Playground and Turn 10, but they're seemingly more formalized now.

The blog post also addressed some of Xbox's former subsidiaries. The studios Compulsion, Double Fine, and Undead Labs have all escaped the Xbox ecosystem, but agreements for Hellblade developer Ninja Theory fell through, and Xbox is exploring a possible closure. Dishonored developer Arkane is still in negotiations with Xbox to potentially be spun off.

While some Xbox fans may have found optimism in the recent leadership changes at the company, but so far the Asha Sharma era has been defined almost entirely by layoffs and studio closures. That's to say nothing of the recent harsh limits imposed on Game Pass streaming and the ongoing BDS boycott of the Xbox brand over the past year and a half. Needless to say, things are not going well from the outside looking in.

TL;DR: Live stream the 17th season of The Great British Baking Show for free on Channel 4. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

You know that summer is making way for fall when The Great British Baking Show returns to screens. Things are about to get a whole lot cozier. Which is what The Great British Baking Show, aka Bake Off, is all about — comforting, wholesome fun.

The Great British Baking Show pits Britain's best amateur bakers against each other in the iconic white tent. They battle it out — in the nicest possible way — by dazzling the judges with technical challenges and stow-stopper bakes.

This year, things will look a little different as longtime judge Prue Leith has departed the show. She's replaced by cookery show queen Nigella Lawson, who will judge 12 new bakers alongside Bake Off mainstay Paul Hollywood.

If you're interested in watching The Great British Baking Show in 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is The Great British Baking Show in 2026?

The 17th season of The Great British Baking Show starts on Sept. 22 in the UK. Episodes go live a few days later in the U.S.

How to watch The Great British Baking Show for free in 2026

The Great British Baking Show is available to live stream for free on Channel 4.

Channel 4 is geo-restricted to the UK, but anyone worldwide 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 watch The Great British Baking Show from anywhere in the world.

Live stream The Great British Baking Show for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

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

4. Visit Channel 4

5. Stream The Great British Baking Show 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 they do tend to offer generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch episodes of The Great British Baking Show without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream a large chunk of the season before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for Channel 4?

ExpressVPN is the top choice for accessing free live streams 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

• 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 The Great British Baking Show for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

SAVE $20: Beats 360 headphones launch on Sept. 24. You can now preorder Beats 360 headphones for $329 at Walmart, saving $20 on the $349.99 list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats Beats 360 $329 at Amazon
$349.99 Save $20.99   Pre-order Here

Apple literally just unveiled the customizable, gym-ready Beats 360, and Walmart is already cutting the price ahead of launch day.

Apple hardware rarely sees price cuts, let alone preorder price cuts. Apple’s official store lists the brand-new Beats 360 at the full $349.99 list price, and you can find the same price at Amazon. Walmart has quietly dropped its preorder listings with an immediate $20.99 discount, dropping the entry price to $329.

The Beats 360 represent a significant shift for Beats. They fall somewhere between the $299.99 Beats Studio Pro and the $549 AirPods Max, delivering an IPX4 sweat and water-resistance rating for over-ear cans for the first time. That makes them the ultimate hybrid for heavy gym sessions and WFH desk duty. Plus, the swappable earcup and headband cushions mean you can switch vibes in seconds.

Mashable's Bethany Allard has covered the announcement in more detail here, so we'll focus on the best deal. If you want to preorder these stylish and sport-ready headphones ahead of the Sept. 24 launch, Walmart is the best place to shop right now.

Will Amazon respond with its own deal? There's no reply just yet, but it wouldn't be the first time.

The best deals this week, hand-picked by our shopping experts

• Apple iPhone 18 Pro — free at T-Mobile 

• Paramount+ — $0.99 for 2 months with code p2mcs26prem

• Apple AirPods Pro 3 — $199 $249 (save $50)

• Apple iPad 11-inch — $399 $449 (save $50)

• TCL 85-Inch Class QM8L Series TV — $2,497.99 $3,999.99 (save $1,502)

Best early Prime Day deals under $50, at a glance: Best Amazon Device Deal Amazon Echo Glow (2-Pack) $47.98 (Save $12) Get Deal Best Earbud Deal JBL Vibe Beam 2 Noise-Canceling Earbuds $39.94 (Save $25.01) Get Deal Best Kitchen Deal Chefman Everything Maker & Pizza Oven $49.99 (Save $15) Get Deal Best Home Security Deal Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ $43.99 (Save $75.99) Get Deal Best Outdoor Deal Gootop Outdoor Bug Zapper $33.29 (Save $4.70) Get Deal Best Beauty Deal Tymo Hair Straightener Brush $42.10 (Save $17.89) Get Deal

Prime Big Deal Days is on its way once more, and Amazon's fall sale is open to Prime members Oct. 6 and 7. Discounts cover everything from kitchen gadgets to smart home devices, which makes this the perfect time to cross a few names off your holiday list early. And if you don't want to wait until early October to get cracking on your must-buy list, you don't have to — some of the upcoming deals are actually live right now.

Some prices have already started falling in the weeks before the event, especially on Amazon's own devices and Kindles. Fresh deals are showing up with each new day, and plenty of them come in under $50. That's good news if you're shopping for stocking stuffers, a small gift for a coworker, or something for yourself that won't eat into your holiday budget.

We'll keep this list updated leading up to and throughout the sale. In the meantime, here are some of the best early Prime Big Deal Days deals you can grab for less than $50.

Best Amazon device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Glow (2-Pack) $47.98 at Amazon
$59.98 Save $12   Get Deal Why we like it

Need a smart speaker appropriate for younger family members? Amazon's Echo Glow is a great choice. It pairs with an Echo Dot Kids or Echo Pop Kids, so your kid can ask Alexa to change its color or dim it for bedtime after a long day of listening and learning. You can also set it up as a sunrise alarm that slowly brightens the room in the morning. At this price, you can put one in two kids' rooms and still stay under $50.

Best earbud deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon JBL Vibe Beam 2 Noise-Canceling Earbuds $39.94 at Amazon
$64.95 Save $25.01   Get Deal Why we like it

These earbuds have active noise cancellation to cut down on the chatter around you, plus a Smart Ambient mode that lets outside sound back in when you need to hear what's going on in the real world. They boast 10 hours of playtime with an additional 30 hours from the charging case, and they're IP54-rated, so rain and sweat won't hurt them. For under $50, they're a great option to toss in your bag and go.

Best kitchen deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Chefman Everything Maker & Pizza Oven $44.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $15   Get Deal Why we like it

This versatile "everything" oven heats from the top and bottom plates simultaneously to give pizza a crispy crust, and it's ready to cook in as little as three minutes. The 12-inch nonstick plates also work for plenty of other goodies: quesadillas, omelets, pancakes, grilled sandwiches, you name it. When it's time to clean up, just wipe it with a damp cloth. Then close it and stand it upright so it doesn't take up much counter space when dinner is over.

Best home security deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ $43.99 at Amazon
$119.98 Save $75.99   Get Deal Why we like it

Keep an eye on who darkens your doorstep with this video doorbell. It records 2K footage with a head-to-toe view, so you can see a visitor's face and packages, pets, or other guests in the same frame. It's battery-powered, so you can mount it right outside your door without touching any wiring, though you can also connect it to your existing doorbell wiring if you'd like it to ring inside your home. When someone stops by, you can talk to them from your phone through two-way audio with noise cancellation.

Best outdoor deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Gootop Outdoor Bug Zapper $33.29 at Amazon
$37.99 Save $4.70   Get Deal Why we like it

This effective bug zapper draws in mosquitoes, gnats, flies, and other pests with its blue-violet light, then zaps them on contact with a 4,200-volt grid. That means no bug spray required for your outdoor hangouts. It starts working as soon as you plug it in and has a coverage area of up to half an acre. This model comes with a hanging ring so you can put it on a porch hook or a tree branch to keep it out of sight and out of mind. Dead bugs fall into a removable tray that you can clean out with the included brush.

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How many times do you hit "send" when you're telling someone a story over text? Do you type the whole thing out in one message, complete with sentences and maybe even punctuation? Or does the story arrive like this?

wait

so I have to tell you something

because this is insane

lol

Your answer, according to the latest generational debate on TikTok, might reveal your age.

In a since-deleted TikTok video, a Gen Z user explained that she recently discovered her millennial coworkers were annoyed by the way she texts.

"I was sat with my millennial coworkers, and they were annoyed by the fact that when I text, I go, like, dah dah dah dah dah," she explained, mimicking the rhythm of sending several messages in quick succession. Instead of putting an entire thought into one message, she sends each sentence — sometimes each thought — separately. Her millennial coworkers, meanwhile, send "one big chunk."

SEE ALSO: The latest Gen Z vs. millennial debate is the space above your head

"And I hate it when it's a big chunk because it takes me so long to read it," she said. "That's not how my thought process works."

Naturally, millennials took this extremely well. In screen-recorded stitches on the app, they pointed out that these "big chunks" have another name: paragraphs. Others complained about watching their phone light up again and again as someone sends six messages that could have been one. And some latched onto the creator's theory for the generational divide: Millennials learned to text when cell phone carriers charged by the message, so they learned to cram as much information as possible into a single text.

There is some truth to the ancient millennial lore. Before unlimited texting became commonplace, wireless customers could pay for individual messages, and SMS messages have historically been counted in 160-character units. Even today, AT&T's terms note that on plans without unlimited messaging, messages exceeding 160 characters can be counted as multiple texts.

But as a millennial who also routinely sends texts like:

omg

did you see this

I'm crying

lol

I think my fellow millennials are being a little too harsh. Because the more interesting difference here isn't whether Gen Z knows what a paragraph is. It's what different generations think a text message is supposed to represent.

For a lot of millennials, a text bubble is still a container. You formulate a thought, type it out, and hit send. Maybe it's one sentence. Maybe it's three. But the message itself is a complete unit.

The Gen Z style described in the TikTok treats texting more like a live transcript of a conversation. The send button isn't the end of the message so much as a form of punctuation.

wait

send.

I just realized something

send.

actually nvm lol

send.

Read together, those aren't necessarily three separate messages. They're one conversational turn, broken into beats.

And this isn't entirely anecdotal. Gen Z's preference for breaking thoughts into separate messages has been observed before. In 2022, The Washington Post reported on generational differences in workplace communication and noted that younger workers were more likely to split thoughts and questions across multiple messages rather than putting several ideas into a single block of text.

There's even some evidence that people don't necessarily like the rapid-fire approach. One experiment involving 805 participants compared reactions to a hypothetical coworker who sent one paragraph with reactions to the same coworker sending several back-to-back messages. Participants rated the rapid-fire texter less favorably, and, interestingly, that effect was strongest among younger participants, complicating the idea that this is a clean Gen Z-versus-millennial divide.

Context matters, too. A Slack message from your coworker is not the same thing as a chaotic group chat at 11 p.m. And even the most paragraph-loving millennial probably isn't carefully composing a thesis statement, supporting evidence, and conclusion when their best friend sends them a screenshot of their ex's Instagram Story.

The closer the relationship and the more active the conversation, the more texting can resemble speech.

Even the smallest choices can change how a message is read. A 2025 study of 200 undergraduates found that short text messages ending in a period were perceived more negatively than the same messages without one. That effect disappeared with longer messages, suggesting that punctuation over text can convey emotional information beyond its grammatical function.

Over the past two decades, texting and social media haven't simply shortened the things we say. They've developed ways of communicating rhythm, tone, hesitation, emphasis, and reaction without hearing someone's voice.

Take "lol."

"LOL" ostensibly means "laughing out loud," but nobody has actually needed to laugh out loud to type "lol" for a very long time. Linguists have studied how "lol" functions as a discourse marker: It can soften a statement, signal engagement, mitigate awkwardness, or simply tell the other person how to interpret the sentence around it. One analysis of text conversations found people using "lol" to signal laughter, defuse uncomfortable situations, and essentially communicate "I hear you."

Sometimes "lol" doesn't even need a sentence around it.

lol

That's a complete response. You know exactly what it means.

The same thing has happened with "wait," "HELP," "oh," "well," "???" and any number of other fragments that would make your high school English teacher reach for a red pen. They're not necessarily failed sentences. In a text conversation, they're beats.

Social media has only accelerated that style of communication. Twitter trained users to package thoughts within a character limit. TikTok comments reward quick reactions. Group chats move fast enough that by the time you've finished composing your carefully structured paragraph, the conversation may have moved on to an entirely different topic.

There is a larger conversation happening about literacy among young people. The average reading score for U.S. 12th-graders fell three points between 2019 and 2024 and was 10 points below the first assessment in 1992, according to the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

But blaming the Gen Z text barrage on declining literacy would be a leap the evidence doesn't support. Researchers have been pushing back against the idea that internet language represents linguistic decay since millennials themselves were the teenagers supposedly destroying English with AIM. A 2008 study examining more than a million words of teenagers' instant messages found that IM language remained firmly rooted in existing language rather than representing its collapse. More recent work has similarly examined things like "lol," "lmao," and emoji as tools people use to reproduce some of the tone, expression, and social cues that disappear when conversation moves onto a screen.

In other words, Gen Z didn't invent supposedly terrible texting. They inherited it from us and developed their own dialect. Which is what makes the millennial outrage over the TikTok so funny. Millennials were once the generation being accused of butchering the English language with "lol," "brb," unnecessary ellipses, lowercase letters, and away messages containing Fall Out Boy lyrics.

In 2003, a 13-year-old girl in Scotland reportedly submitted a school essay written entirely in text-message shorthand. The story made international headlines and became part of a much broader panic over whether texting was destroying young people's ability to write. As researchers David Crystal and others would go on to point out, however, many of the linguistic horrors blamed on texting weren't particularly new, and evidence that texting was causing a collapse in literacy was lacking.

Sound familiar?

Two decades ago, millennials were the teenagers supposedly mangling English by communicating in fragments and abbreviations. Now, some of us are in the TikTok comments defending the sanctity of the paragraph.

But the technology changed, and our language changed with it. Texting has become less like sending someone a tiny letter and more like having an ongoing conversation, one in which a period can convey a mood, "lol" can be a complete response, and hitting send can create a beat in the conversation just as effectively as punctuation can.

The real generational divide isn't whether you can read a paragraph. It's whether you think the person on the other side of the screen is reading something you wrote or listening to you talk. For millennials, texting grew out of writing. For Gen Z, texting increasingly looks like conversation.

And sometimes a conversation takes six bubbles. Sorry about the notifications.

For months, dialogue on my soundbar sounded muddy and inconsistent, and I assumed the hardware was to blame. It wasn't. A small shift in placement solved almost the entire problem.

Best early Prime Day deals under $25: Best earbuds deal Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds $20.99 (save $19) Get Deal Best smart home deal Govee LED Smart Light Bulbs (2 Pack) $19.99 (save $6) Get Deal Best Apple deal Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) $24 (save $5) Get Deal Best Amazon device deal Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro (newest model) $24.99 (save $10) Get Deal

In case you haven't noticed, it's gotten expensive to simply exist. Between astronomical gas prices (it was literally $4.20 a gallon the other day, and I'm in the South!), groceries, and, of course, rent, finding any deal is a win in my book — which is exactly why we're already tracking down the best early Prime Day deals for under $25.

SEE ALSO: I found 3 AirPods deals live ahead of October Prime Day (and 3 to wait for)

October Prime Day, officially known as Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days, doesn't officially start until Tuesday, Oct. 6, but a lot of the best under-$25 steals we saw during June's Prime Day are live again right now. (We're still two weeks away from the sale!)

So if you're sticking to a budget, you might want to get these to your cart ASAP before they sell out. And be sure to check back, as we'll be updating and adding new $25-and-under finds as more discounts drop.

Best deal under $25 Anker Soundcore P20i True Wireless Earbuds $20.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $19.00   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

If you're looking for a pair of earbuds (and you're not too picky about needing active noise cancellation), the Soundcore by Anker P20i True Wireless Earbuds are only $20.99, down from $39.99, at Amazon right now. This is almost the lowest we've ever seen these buds go for — during June's 2025 Prime Day event, they were $19.97.

SEE ALSO: The 10 best wireless earbuds we've ever tested

For less than $25, you'll get 10 hours of battery life on a single charge without the case and 30 hours with it. A quick 10-minute charge will get you an extra two hours of playtime if you're in a pinch. Plus, the AI-enhanced mics make taking calls even easier.

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Bambu Lab might be best known for its 3D printers, but today, it's taking the next step in conquering the maker space with the R1. The Bambu Lab R1 is the brand's first dedicated laser with a 55W CO2 glass tube, and after spending a few weeks with it, I am thoroughly impressed.

You no longer have to get an iPhone to use Adobe's flagship video editor on your smartphone. Almost a year later, Adobe has released Premiere for Android as a free editor for anyone serious about mobile video production, albeit with limits.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 22, the Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED 4K TV is available for $847.99 at Amazon. That's a saving of $652 on the list price of $1,499.99.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED 4K TV $847.99 at Amazon
$1,499.99 Save $652   Get Deal

Any major sale event hinges on big deals on big TVs. For whatever reason — other than the fact that top-of-the-range TVs cost a fortune — the TV remains the go-to item for Black Friday and Prime Day. You want a bargain? Then jump on a major shopping event to upgrade your TV. It's that simple.

Fortunately, Amazon's signature event is about to return with October Prime Day, a two-day bonanza of bargains that runs Oct. 6-7. And while that's two weeks away, we're already seeing some price reductions trickle through. Including, that's right, TVs. And in the case of this Hisense deal, it's not just any TV but a 65-inch 4K monster with gaming and cinema mode specs.

As of Sept. 22, the Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED 4K TV is down to $847.99 at Amazon. That’s a $652 discount from the regular list price of $1,499.99.

This Hisense U7 series is perfect for gamers and cinema lovers alike. Running on the Google TV operating system, it offers a suite of gaming features, including a 165Hz refresh rate, AI-powered motion smoothing, and a dedicated games bar to optimize your gameplay. As for movie watching, it's IMAX Enhanced and comes equipped with Dolby Atmos for the full home cinema experience — not to mention the sheer size of its 65-inch display. As a high-spec bonus, it also uses AI to keep upscaling and refining the picture quality as you watch.

Don't miss the chance to save over $650 on the Hisense 65-inch U7 Mini-LED 4K TV — now priced at just $847.99.

TL;DR: As of Sept. 22, the DJI Avata 360 8K drone (including backpack and landing pad) is available for $719 at Amazon. That's a $98.95 saving on the list price of $817.95.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Avata 360 8K Drone $719 at Amazon
$817.95 Save $98.95   Get Deal

Top-flight drones don't come cheap, which is why we're always watching the skies. You never know when a significant price drop is going to, well, drop.

Thankfully, October Prime Day is just a few weeks away, with the two-day event running Oct. 6-7 on Amazon, and we're already seeing early deals across a wide range of categories.

Among those early deals is $98.95 off the DJI Avata 360 8K drone, one of the most popular models from the leading name in consumer drone tech. And you get much more than just the drone with this deal — it's a bundle that includes a backpack for transporting the drone and a landing pad.

SEE ALSO: The best early October Prime Day deals on DJI creator tools: I found deals on mics, drones, and cameras

As of Sept. 22, the DJI Avata 360 8K drone (including backpack and landing pad) is priced at $719 at Amazon. That’s a $98.95 discount from the regular list price of $817.95.

As the name suggests, the DJI Avata 8K drone captures stunning 8K footage (at 60 fps) and 120 MP photos. It's built on a single-axis gimbal, with a 360° virtual gimbal for all-around imagery, and uses two 1/1.1-Inch square CMOS sensors. It also boasts a wide range of creative features that combine fun flying and professional-quality video. In addition to the backpack and landing pad, the bundle includes a DJI RC 2 remote controller and a 128GB microSD card for added storage.

There's another reason to grab this drone. Recent changes to the law have effectively banned Chinese-made DJI products from entering the U.S., but retailers are still allowed to sell their existing stock. It's a case of getting them while you can — not to mention the fact that DJI prices will likely skyrocket once stocks become scarce.

Don't miss the chance to save $98.95 on the DJI Avata 360 8K drone.

SAVE $400: As of Sept. 22, the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 Portable Power Station is down to $499 at Amazon, marked down from its original $899 list price. That's a 44% discount and a match for its lowest price to date.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bluetti Bluetti Elite 100 V2 $499 at Amazon
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Having solid backup power is one of those things you don't think about — until the neighborhood power grid dies during a summer thunderstorm or your phone hits 2% in the middle of a camping trip. The catch? High-capacity battery banks are usually bulky, heavy, and painfully expensive.

If you've been thinking about buying one, Amazon just shaved $400 off the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station, bringing it down to $499. What makes this updated V2 model worth grabbing over older power banks is how much muscle Bluetti squeezed into a smaller body. It’s roughly 35% smaller and lighter than standard 1kWh generators, weighing 25 pounds with a hidden handle so you can carry it one-handed.

SEE ALSO: Prime Day deals on power stations are already live: Shop the best deals on Jackery, Anker, Bluetti, and more

Inside, it uses durable LiFePO4 battery cells rated for over 4,000 charge cycles, which translates to roughly a decade of regular use before the battery's health even starts to degrade. As for real-world capability, it has enough juice and wall-plug power to run 90% of your everyday appliances, including mini-fridges, microwaves, coffee makers, and power tools.

With 11 different ports, you can keep your laptop, phone, camera batteries, and camping lights plugged in all at once. When it runs flat, topping it back up doesn't take all day. Plugged into a regular wall outlet, it recharges from zero to full in about 70 minutes (or the same time via solar panels if you're off the grid).

Ready to upgrade your emergency setup? Grab the Bluetti Elite 100 V2 portable power station and lock this price in before stock runs out.