Blogroll

The internet became sharply divided yesterday, as Prime Video announced Carrie would be renewed for a second season.

Just like that, you could tell who'd watched Mike Flanagan's latest horror adaptation and who hadn't. Sure, in Stephen King's novel, the story of telekinetic teen Carrie White has a pretty definitive ending. But as he did with Doctor Sleep and the Edgar Allan Poe-inspired The Fall of the House of Usher, Flanagan took some big creative liberties with his Carrie.

So, where could a Season 2 of Carrie go? What actors from Season 1 are likely to return? And when might King and Flanagan fans see more of Carrie?

Want more film and TV news and reviews delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable’s Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Here's everything we know about Carrie Season 2.

How does Carrie end? Summer H. Howell stars as Carrie White in Prime Video's "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

In both the novel and most movie adaptations, Carrie White unleashes violent telekinetic vengeance on her high school classmates at prom. Then, she dies in the aftermath.

However, Flanagan's Carrie pulls an unexpected page from Stephen King's 1974 novel to build out the world of super-powered girls. King's epistolary novel ends with a letter from a woman who says her four-year-old daughter shows signs of telekinetic power, like her grandmother before her.

SEE ALSO: 'Carrie's twisty ending, explained

In Flanagan's Carrie, not only does the eponymous heroine (played by Summer H. Howell) not die, but she also runs off with the mysterious astral projector Emaline West (Thalia Dudek) to parts unknown.

"I am not stealing you away," Emaline tells a confused Carrie, "or keeping you in the dark. I am escorting you to safety from the monsters on our heels. And it is my fucking honor."

Who is looking for Carrie? Kate Siegel plays Adelaide in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

There are two factions, both of which were represented at prom.

One faction is led by Adelaide, played by Kate Siegel, a recurring Flanagan cast member, his wife, and the helmer of two Carrie episodes. The other is led by Amanda, played by recurring Flanagan collaborator Katee Sackhoff.

Pulling inspiration from the end of King's Carrie, Flanagan's version opens each episode with a vignette about a woman with supernatural powers. Those stories are all narrated by Adelaide, who appears to be a sort of Professor X figure.

Ruth Codd and Cassandra Naud appear in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

In a mysterious mansion, Adelaide appears to live with super-powered women, including Flanaverse regular Ruth Codd, Cassandra Naud, and Interview with the Vampire's Delainey Hayles. They can sense Carrie as soon as her powers begin to grow. Some of them appear at the prom, but not in time to save Carrie from the bucket of pig's blood and all that follows.

Instead, Carrie goes home, where her mother Margaret (Samantha Sloyan) — inspired by Amanda — tries to kill her. However, Carrie defends herself and brings the house down on top of them with her powers. From there, Emaline swoops in with a car to drive Carrie far away — from Margaret, who survived the house collapse, and all those who pursue Carrie.

What will happen in Season 2? Thalia Dudek plays Emaline in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

Well, presumably a battle for Carrie White.

Emaline, who promises to show Carrie the world, has been a friend to her throughout Season 1. But it's unclear what her motives are or what she wants from Carrie.

Adelaide's group is aware of Emaline and tells Margaret White that Carrie is alive, but in the hands of a dangerous astral projector. During their interrogation, they press for details — even looking into Margaret's brain for details on the car Emaline is in with Carrie. Then they kill Margaret after she confesses she, too, has some telekinetic powers. So, would Carrie be safe in their hands? Perhaps safer than if Amanda finds her.

Katee Sackhoff plays Amanda in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

Margaret meets Amanda when searching online for how to deal with a telekinetic teen in episode 7. Amanda speaks of a spectrum of telekinesis among teen girls, and spins conspiracy theories about these "others" suppressing knowledge of their powers.

"They form groups, cults, terror cells, covens," she warns Margaret before sharing a hint at her own history and her abuse of her own daughter. Amanda recommends that Margaret murder Carrie, and warns her to do it quickly. "I wasn't fast enough with mine," she laments.

Fans have speculated that Amanda's daughter, who escaped murder, is Emaline. This could explain why Emaline is so protective of Carrie and why she might distrust "covens" like Adelaide's, because of her mother's influence for worse and worse.

Season 2 will likely reveal more about Amanda, Emaline, and Adelaide, leaving audiences to learn alongside Carrie.

Flanagan told Deadline of the upcoming season, "For 50 years, audiences have known and gravitated to Carrie White’s story. From the beginning, we imagined a story that goes far beyond the prom, and I’m incredibly grateful for Stephen’s trust and support in exploring what comes next."

Will Carrie connect to The Shining? Delainey Hayles plays Caitlin in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

It could!

Beyond the King connection, Flanagan previously adapted Doctor Sleep, which was based on King's sequel to The Shining. Plus, when talking to Margaret about people with Carrie's powers, Adelaide calls it "shine," a term used in The Shining books and movies.

In an interview with EW, Flanagan imagined, "Carrie White, depending on how these universes are connected, would have arrived on the radar of the True Knot," referring to the vampire-like creators who stalk children with the shine in Doctor Sleep.

In the same interview, he also floated the possibility of working in elements of King's Dark Tower books, The Institute, and Insomnia.

Who will return for Season 2? Siena Agudong plays Sue Snell in "Carrie." Credit: Robert Falconer / Prime / Amazon Content Services LLC

Howell is set to return.

Beyond that, it seems safe to speculate that Dudek, Siegel, Codd, and Hayles will be back.

It's possible Siena Agudong could return as Sue Snell, since she survived the prom rampage. And while Sackhoff was shown knocked down in the fiery prom, Amanda could still be alive, and on the hunt for Carrie (and Emaline).

Less likely would be Alison Thornton, Joel Oulette, Arthur Conti, Matthew Lillard, Amber Midthunder, and Rahul Kohli returning, as their characters all died. But hey, Season 1 was largely told in flashback. So never say never.

When will Carrie Season 2 come out?

Prime Video has not yet announced a release date for Carrie's second season. However, THR reports, "Prime Video says the series was No. 1 on the Amazon-owned streamer in more than 100 territories in its first two weeks," so it's safe to assume the streaming platform is eager to get the next season in the works.

Mashable will update as news develops.

Although its reputation has taken a hit in recent years, File Explorer is still a decent file manager, especially if you use it as an auxiliary option alongside your main one. In my case, Total Commander has been my Windows file manager of choice for more than two decades, but I’ve been using File Explorer more and more lately since it’s generally better suited for working with images, and I juggle tons of them every day.

Apple announced the iPod 25 years ago on October 23, 2001, and it's doing something unique to mark the anniversary: a chance to try the original MP3 player. The company has a 404 "page not found" error website on Apple Music that contains a working virtual iPod.

Dark Matter Season 2 is building towards its world-hopping conclusion.

Season 1 was already fairly mind-bending, but the second season of Blake Crouch's sci-fi has really dialled things up to 11. The penultimate episode, wherein we're following several different versions of the core cast, is no exception. But what happens at the end, and how is it setting things up for the finale? Let's recap.

SEE ALSO: 'Dark Matter' Season 2, episode 5 is the best kind of filler episode What happens at the end of Dark Matter Season 2, episode 9?

Remember all those Jasons (Joel Edgerton) huddled around the box at the end of Season 1? Season 2 has done a good job of exploring some of their fates. One of the Jasons that hasn't been so lucky essentially got captured by the Department of Defense, where he's been held prisoner for two years while Agent Mitchel MacNamara (Chris Diamantopoulos) and his team attempt to torture information about the box out of him.

The good news? Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), on her hunt for Charlie (Oakes Fegley) — who is in turn hunting for his twin brother, Max — stumbles into the same world and gets captured too. The thing is, she still has some vials. After a quick bit of plotting, she and Jason are able to trick Agent MacNamara into allowing them into the box, where they drug him and take him to a world he won't be coming back from anytime soon.

How do Jason and Daniela trick the agent?

After agreeing to show the agent how the box works, Daniela produces something she claims is a key to unlock it — all they have to do is open a panel hidden inside. Of course, the key is actually a syringe containing the drug needed to move between worlds. As soon as Agent MacNamara is in the box, they stick him in the neck with it.

Once they're in the corridor, Jason tells the agent they have to clear their minds to move between worlds, but it seems pretty clear from the look on his and Daniela's faces that they already have a destination in mind. Sure enough, despite its seemingly utopian appearance, the version of Chicago the agent wanders into — where people from all walks of life are gathered on the beach, crying and hugging — is actually counting down to something.

As the people on the beach reach zero, Jason slams the door to the box shut. The agent is left watching as meteorites rain down from the sky, a version of the apocalypse Jason presumably dreamed up while sitting in his cell, throwing a ball against the glass again and again.

What's next?

It's difficult to tell at this stage how all the different moving pieces will come together. The "original" Jason, Daniela, and Charlie are all scattered in different worlds; Jason is back in the pre-tech version of Chicago where the family settled, planning the destruction of the original box alongside Ryan (Jimmi Simpson), Amanda (Alice Braga), and Blair (Amanda Brugel). Daniela is now moving between worlds with another version of her husband, this one capable of murder. Charlie is in another world where his brother is still alive. And in the background, Leighton (Dayo Okeniyi) and the version of Jason that built the box appear to be having second thoughts about building another one.

There are an infinite number of ways this could go...

Dark Matter Season 2 is streaming on Apple TV, with new episodes dropping every Friday.

Your Downloads folder probably contains a few PDFs, forgotten screenshots, and several files named some variation of "final." But according to a recent report by security company Forever, it could also contain instructions telling your AI assistant to install malware.

In an Oct. 22 blog post, the company reported that they caught an AI coding assistant following those instructions on a customer's computer. The company blocked the installation, then traced the request to a text file in Downloads.

How does a text file get that kind of power? Tools like OpenAI's Codex and Anthropic's Claude Code can, depending on their permissions, edit files, run commands, and install software. Developers leave them instruction files called AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md to explain how to work on a project. If you're building a website, those notes might tell the assistant which fonts to use or what to test before finishing.

An attacker can leave instructions, too. In this case, the file told the assistant to install "function-color," a software package linked to the MALFEX malware campaign documented by Checkmarx.

SEE ALSO: PHP vulnerability: PHP security issues today explained

Forever didn’t establish how the file reached the customer's computer, but its researchers demonstrated one possible route. Depending on browser settings, a website can drop a file into Downloads without asking for approval. If someone then launches their coding assistant in that folder, it could read the file and follow its orders.

When Forever tested the customer's file on an isolated computer, it said Codex downloaded and ran the malware. It also changed settings that could make the attacker’s software load in later sessions.

"Once it is written, every Codex session on the machine loads the attacker’s server at startup — in any folder, any project," the researchers wrote. "You can leave the folder. The poison stays."

The team separately devised a test targeting Claude Code. The attack worked about half the time, redirecting Claude's traffic to a server the researchers controlled. That exposed a login token and allowed them to send commands back for the assistant to execute, illustrating the risk of giving an assistant access to your computer when it can mistake a stranger's instructions for its own assignment.

Researchers have pulled off similar tricks before, showing what AI can really do in the wrong hands. In March 2025, Pillar Security researchers got AI coding assistants to slip harmful code into a project by hiding malicious instructions in their coding rules. In April 2026, NVIDIA’s researchers used a poisoned AGENTS.md file to get Codex to sabotage software and conceal the change. This time, though, Forever says it caught an actual attacker trying the trick on a customer's computer. Yikes.

How to protect yourself

Forever recommends keeping coding assistants out of your Downloads folder and checking unfamiliar AGENTS.md or CLAUDE.md files before letting an agent work in a project. Keep sandboxes enabled to restrict what the assistant can access, and leave approval requirements on so the agent has to ask permission before taking certain actions.

If you suspect an assistant has already followed malicious instructions, check its settings for unfamiliar servers or connections and revoke and replace potentially exposed login tokens. Deleting the original text file may not undo changes the assistant has already made.

"The thing to watch is not this file or this folder," the researchers wrote. "It is the agent itself — software that reads untrusted input, holds your credentials, and acts with your authority, sitting in a blind spot the old tools were never built to see."

Want more science and tech news delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for Mashable's Light Speed newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Would you let an AI-designed virus be injected in your body? Well, at least one individual just did, according to the company behind it.

AI bioscience startup Radical Numerics released a report this week saying a patient received a treatment containing an AI-designed virus. Radical Numerics says this is the first treatment of its kind.

The type of virus that Radical Numerics' AI model, called Omnii-1, created is called a phage, which isn't a new type of virus. Phage therapy is an existing experimental treatment where doctors administer viruses that attack bacteria to a person with a serious bacterial infection. The idea is to kill the bacteria causing the infection without infecting human cells.

Radical Numerics' AI model did design this specific phage to combat the patient's particular bacterial infection, and that AI-created phage was just administered to a person — which is a first.

SEE ALSO: AI is changing health: Here's what you should know

However, as the New York Times reports, there are some questionable aspects of this trial. 

For example, we don't yet know how the trial went. While the trial is ongoing, Radical Numerics won't provide information about the patient or the doctors involved. What's more, Radical Numerics' report wasn't peer-reviewed or published in a scientific journal. Instead, the company simply posted the paper on its website — the same way any company might publish a news update or blog post.

The company's CEO, Eric Nguyen, said the team plans to share more details once they receive consent from the patient. He cited confidentiality agreements as the reason Radical Numerics can't disclose more information at this time.

We might be waiting a while to find out whether the treatment worked. While phage therapy can last anywhere from a couple of days to a few weeks, doctors also have to monitor the patient for months afterward to make sure the infection was actually cured and won't come back.

I've been clinging on to my ancient gas-powered lawnmower for years. It weighs a ton and literally gave me a hernia when I lugged it up some steps, but it's always done a great job tackling my lawn, even when I've let the lawn get a little bit out of control. A relative was raving about their electric mower, so I took it for a spin and found that most of the things I was most worried about turned out to be complete myths.

With Sarah J. Maas's next installment, A Court of Splintered Harmony, arriving Oct. 27, another ACOTAR book hangover is inevitable. You know the symptoms: an inability to stop thinking about fictional people, an overwhelming urge to reread their best scenes, and the creeping suspicion that no other book will ever make you feel this way again.

Luckily, your next obsession might be waiting on another shelf. From the deadly vampire tournament of The Serpent and the Wings of Night to the dragon-riding chaos of Fourth Wing to other Maas classics, these eight books deliver dangerous worlds, complicated loyalties, and romances worth losing sleep over. Consider them your remedy for impending Prythian withdrawal.

SEE ALSO: Everything to remember before the next 'A Court of Thorns and Roses' book 1. The Serpent and the Wings of Night by Carissa Broadbent

For readers who loved watching a human survive among dangerously powerful immortals.

If Feyre trying to stay alive Under the Mountain had you stressed, meet Oraya. She’s a human raised by a vampire king, which means she’s spent her life surrounded by people who could eat her. Hoping to improve those odds, she enters a deadly tournament and teams up with Raihn, a vampire who's both her competition and an enemy of her father. An inconvenient person to find attractive, really.

Oraya needs help surviving, but trusting the wrong person could kill her — a predicament that should feel familiar to ACOTAR readers. Welcome to The Serpent and the Wings of Night.

This New York Times bestseller began as a self-published novel in 2022 before Bramble picked it up and rereleased it in December 2023, bringing Oraya’s romantic and survival problems to even more readers. And there’s plenty to keep you busy: Five of the six planned main books are out, along with two companion books, though Oraya and Raihn’s central story wraps up in the first two.

The Serpent and the Wings of Night (Crowns of Nyaxia Book 1) $6.99 at Amazon
  See It at Amazon 2. From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout

For readers who want forbidden attraction and a heroine questioning everything.

Poppy is supposed to save her kingdom, but she's barely allowed to participate in it. Chosen as the Maiden, a sacred figure in her society, she lives under strict religious rules: no friendships, no romantic relationships, and very little freedom while she waits for a ceremony called her Ascension. She secretly trains to fight anyway. Then she meets Hawke, the guard assigned to protect her, and starts wanting a life she’s been told she can’t have.

Their forbidden attraction helped earn From Blood and Ash the romance award in the 2020 Goodreads Choice Awards, where it received roughly 79,000 votes. But Poppy has more to contend with than feelings for her guard: As violent threats to the kingdom grow, she begins questioning the religious authorities who control her future.

If you liked ACOTAR's mix of romance, secrets, and a heroine discovering that the people protecting her might also be holding her back, this belongs on your list.

From Blood and Ash $8.99 at Amazon
$19.99 Save $11.00   See It at Amazon 3. Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

For readers who want deadly training, simmering hostility, and wings.

Violet Sorrengail wanted to spend her life working with books. Instead, her mother sends her to a military college, where she must convince a dragon to bond with her and avoid being killed by her classmates — a substantial departure from her original career plan. Making matters worse is Xaden Riorson, a powerful wingleader whose family history gives him every reason to hate hers.

Violet also has chronic conditions, a characteristic inspired by Fourth Wing author Rebecca Yarros's own experiences with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and POTS. "I went to my publisher and said, 'I want her to have what I have,'" Yarros told Elle in 2025. This shapes how Violet approaches the college's deadly challenges, relying on her intelligence to survive situations she can’t simply overpower.

SEE ALSO: 'Fourth Wing' has cast its Violet and Xaden, and fans have thoughts

And if you get attached, you’ll have plenty of company. Onyx Storm, the third book in Yarros's series, sold 2.7 million copies in its first week in 2025, according to publisher figures reported by the New York Times. A Prime Video adaptation is also in the works, backed by Michael B. Jordan’s Outlier Society, with Esther McGregor and Emilio Sakraya reportedly cast as Violet and Xaden. (There’s no premiere date yet, so you have time to form your own opinions before the screen versions arrive.)

If you enjoyed watching Feyre work out how to beat opponents much stronger than her in ACOTAR — while developing feelings for someone she has reasons to avoid — there will be plenty here to keep you occupied.

Fourth Wing (The Empyrean Book 1) $14.99 at Amazon
  See It at Amazon 4. The Bridge Kingdom by Danielle L. Jensen

For readers who take the "enemies" part of enemies-to-lovers seriously.

Lara isn't marrying King Aren with hopes of a happy life together. No, she's been trained to infiltrate his kingdom, discover its weaknesses, and help her homeland bring it down. Unfortunately for the mission, spending time with her husband and his people makes her question whether she’s been given the full story.

Important note: There's no actual magic in this world, but an undercover mission disguised as a marriage supplies more than enough trouble. And if you prefer listening to your fictional relationship problems, this one actually started as an audio series. The Bridge Kingdom debuted as an Audible Original in 2018, before Jensen self-published the print and digital editions in 2019.

The Bridge Kingdom $5.99 at Amazon
$17.99 Save $12.00   See It at Amazon See It at Amazon 5. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas

For readers ready to get attached to another Maas heroine.

If you can't seem to get yourself away from Maas, go back to where her publishing career began. Throne of Glass arrived in 2012, three years before ACOTAR introduced readers to Feyre. It follows Celaena Sardothien, an imprisoned assassin offered a fairly unappealing job opportunity. If she beats a group of thieves, assassins, and other competitors, she'll become the king's champion, serving the ruler she despises in exchange for her eventual freedom. Then competitors start turning up dead, and figuring out what’s happening becomes just as urgent as winning.

Believe it or not, the original inspiration was Cinderella, according to Maas. The story eventually moved away from a direct retelling and grew into a completed eight-book series, including the prequel collection The Assassin's Blade. So if you're looking for another Maas series to occupy your thoughts for several thousand pages, clear some space.

Throne of Glass $10.64 at Amazon
$15.20 Save $4.56   See It at Amazon 6. One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig

For readers who want more of ACOTAR's sinister fairy-tale atmosphere.

If you miss the creepy woods and unsettling bargains of early ACOTAR, try spending some time with Elspeth Spindle. She has an ancient spirit called the Nightmare living in her head, which is useful when she needs protection and considerably less reassuring when she considers what he wants in return. Joining a quest to cure her kingdom of dark magic puts her alongside a mysterious highwayman, and getting closer to him makes the whole secret-monster-in-her-head situation harder to hide.

SEE ALSO: Target just became the ultimate ACOTAR sanctuary with exclusive merch and late-night book parties

Gillig had some appropriately eerie references in mind when she created the Nightmare: the yew tree from Patrick Ness's A Monster Calls and the creature in Henry Fuseli’s painting The Nightmare. But she wanted Elspeth to have some darkness of her own. As she wrote in a 2022 essay for Fantasy Cafe, she envisioned "a maiden who does not deliver the monster, but becomes one herself."

If that sounds like your kind of fairy tale, there's a manageable commitment ahead: One Dark Window and its sequel, Two Twisted Crowns, make up the completed duology.

One Dark Window (The Shepherd King, 1) $9.78 at Amazon
$18.99 Save $9.21   See It at Amazon 7. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

For readers who want more faerie drama and a prince they can hold a grudge against.

Growing up in Faerie sounds lovely until you're the human everyone looks down on. Jude ended up in this exact situation after a faerie murdered her parents and took her and her sisters home with him. Now she wants to become a knight and secure a place at court, but Prince Cardan and his friends seem determined to make her regret trying. Unfortunately for them, she has no intention of backing off.

Soon, Jude is caught up in spying and a fight over the throne, while her hatred of Cardan develops some...inconvenient complications. If ACOTAR left you wanting more dangerous faeries getting tangled up in each other’s lives, there's plenty of that in The Cruel Prince. Just keep in mind that this is YA: You'll get romantic tension, but don’t expect Nesta and Cassian's approach to resolving it.

Plus, if you like the first book, Jude and Cardan’s main story spans a completed trilogy, so you can go straight into The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing without waiting for the next installment.

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air Book 1) $2.99 at Amazon
  See It at Amazon 8. House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas

For readers who want more Maas with a change of scenery.

OK, just one more Maas recommendation. House of Earth and Blood is the first book in her Crescent City series, where powerful Fae and ancient grudges coexist with cellphones. Bryce Quinlan is a half-human, half-Fae woman whose life falls apart when a demon murders her closest friends. When similar killings happen again, she teams up with Hunt Athalar, a fallen angel, to find out who's responsible. Working together also gives them time to develop feelings that...complicate the arrangement.

The novel marked her adult debut, though she’d been working on it privately for years alongside ACOTAR and Throne of Glass. There's a whole city of supernatural creatures, power structures, and rules to get acquainted with, but for anyone still attached to Feyre's circle of friends, Bryce's friendships offer a familiar reason to get invested.

House of Earth and Blood (Crescent City Book 1) $9.49 at Amazon
$15.20 Save $5.71   See It at Amazon

Read more of our creator coverage, sign up for our Trending Now and Top Stories newsletters, or get Mashable push alerts to discover the internet's most exciting voices.

Samsung says its foldable phones are selling like hotcakes, and if you read between the lines, Apple might be one big reason why.

People may not be camping out in front of Samsung stores like they are for the just-released iPhone Duo, but it's been a good year for folding phones.

View this post on Instagram

In a blog post, Samsung UK boasted about high sales for its Galaxy Z Fold 8 and Z Fold 8 Ultra devices in Europe since they launched in August. According to Samsung, the devices have seen a 45 percent boost in sales compared to a year ago. That's especially notable because global smartphone sales overall are at their lowest level in 14 years.

Also of note, Samsung said there's been a 260 percent increase in Google search interest in Samsung foldable devices between Sept. 6 and 12, which happens to line up perfectly with the announcement of the iPhone Duo.

SEE ALSO: The truth about iPhone Duo problems: The shoddy-looking apps, FaceTime camera, and the hinge

Of course, we only have circumstantial evidence that Apple's new foldable is juicing interest in Samsung's devices, so take it with a small grain of salt. But it is generally true that Apple has a way of taking something that already exists, repackaging it with Apple slickness, and thus making it "cool" to a general audience. It is possible that's happening with foldables as we speak.

If Apple can convince people to happily spend $2,000 on a smartphone, that would be a really impressive magic trick.

Want more tech and digital culture news delivered to your inbox daily or sent straight to your device? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter or get Mashable push alerts today.

Robot mowers have been around for a long time, but for most of that time they worked the same way, by way of a buried perimeter wire around the edge of the lawn, allowing the mower to wander inside the boundary until the grass was short. It did the job, but it had a time-consuming setup, a wire that could be cut with a spade, and no real idea where it was.

SAVE 20%: As of Oct. 23, you can get the Roborock RockMow X130H for $1,999.98. That's down from $2,499.99 at Amazon.

Roborock RockMow X130H Robot Lawn Mower $1,999.98 at Amazon
$2,499.99 Save $500.01   Get Deal at Amazon

I don't have a lawn, but my mom does, and I know it takes her at least an hour to cut just the backyard. I'm obsessed with my robot vacuum, and I've tried to convince her to get a robot lawn mower, but I haven't converted her just yet. Maybe $500 off will help my case.

As of Oct. 23, you can get the Roborock RockMow X130H for $1,999.98, down from $2,499.99. That's a 20% discount, or $500.01 in savings. It's also the lowest price we've tracked for this model.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday outdoor deals: Super early discounts on Yeti, Igloo, Coleman, and more

The RockMow X130H is designed to maintain lawns up to an acre without burying perimeter wires. (A huge plus!) You can let it auto-map your lawn or use the app to trace the boundaries yourself, and then just set the mowing schedule for different zones.

It has four-wheel drive and, according to Roborock, can handle slopes up to 80 percent (about 39 degrees), with an adjustable cutting height of 1.57 to 3.54 inches. Its navigation system combines RTK positioning with four cameras and multiple sensors to detect and avoid obstacles.

I haven't tested this one myself, but on paper, it's giving me plenty to bring up the next time my mom mentions mowing the lawn.

PC building has never been more popular, and one of the most common pieces of advice for first-time builders is to leave room for future upgrades. After all, there's no need to replace your entire PC when you can swap out a few key components and keep using it for years to come.

The best early Black Friday book deals at a glance: best limited-time offer Paperbacks and hardcovers at Target BOGO 50% off for a limited time Get Deal best hardcover deal 'Twisted Lies' by Anna Huang (Collector's Edition) $15.94 (save $16.05) Get Deal best paperback deal 'The Divorce' by Freida McFadden $8.31 (save $10.68) Get Deal best Kindle book deal 'Lessons in Chemistry' by Bonnie Garmus $2.99 (save $12) Get Deal

Black Friday is still technically more than a month away, but deals are starting to arrive in droves. If you're looking to pad your TBR for cozy season, it's the best time to grab books for less. While I'm not usually one to recommend purchasing physical books via mega retailers like Amazon (show your local bookstores some love!), it's definitely hard to ignore a price drop up to 50% on that new release you've had your eyes on.

We'll be tracking the best deals on physical books and e-books as we inch closer to Black Friday, so remember to keep checking back for more if you don't see the titles you're looking for just yet. As of now, here are some early book deals we recommend.

Best limited-time early Black Friday book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Target BOGO 50% off hardcovers and paperbacks at Target   Get Deal Why we like it

While I love a good Kindle or audiobook deal, nothing beats the dopamine hit you get from holding a physical book in your hands. Ahead of Black Friday, Target is running a BOGO 50% off sale that can put paperbacks and hardcovers in your hands for less. The sale includes copies of new releases and BookTok favorites, like The Calamity Club by Kathryn Stockett, The Witch by Freida McFadden, Whistler by Ann Patchett, The Bright Years by Sarah Damoff, and Big Little Truths by Liane Moriarty. Even better, many of the eligible books are also already on sale, so you can do a lot more damage than you think. The deal is fleeting, however, so snag the books on your TBR while you can.

Best early Black Friday physical book deal Opens in a new window Credit: Poisoned Pen Press The Divorce by Freida McFadden $8.31 at Amazon
$18.99 Save $10.68   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

Freida McFadden's The Witch was just published earlier this month, so naturally her last title, The Divorce, has dropped in price. Mind you, The Divorce is also a 2026 release. While I haven't read it myself, I know what you can expect from a McFadden thriller: a fast-paced, unhinged story you'll devour. The Divorce has a 3.85-star average rating on Goodreads from nearly 400k reviews. If you want a quick, gripping thrill ride this fall, pick up the paperback copy for its best price to date.

Physical book dealsPaperback

• What We Did to Survive by Megan Lally — $6.44 $12.99 (save $6.55)

• The Highland Fling by Meghan Quinn — $6.51 $12.95 (save $6.44)

• The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis — $7.25 $14.95 (save $7.70)

• Variation by Rebecca Yarros — $7.68 $16.99 (save $9.31)

• The Vanishing Season by Dot Hutchinson — $7.86 $15.95 (save $8.09)

• The Perfect Child by Lucinda Berry — $8.18 $15.95 (save $7.77)

• On a Quiet Street by Seraphina Nova Glass — $8.20 $18.99 (save $10.79 with on-page coupon)

• The Divorce by Freida McFadden — $8.31 $18.99 (save $10.68)

• The Housewife by Natalie Barelli — $8.54 $18.99 (save $10.45 with on-page coupon)

• Where the Wildflowers Grow by Terah Shelton Harris — $10.90 $18.99 (save $8.09)

Hardcover

• Us Dark Few by Alexis Patton — $9.39 $21.99 (save $12.60)

• Terms and Conditions by Lauren Asher (Collector's Edition) — $15.18 $31.99 (save $16.81)

• Twisted Lies by Ana Huang (Collector's Edition) — $15.94 $31.99 (save $16.05)

• The Mistake by Elle Kennedy (Collector's Edition) — $16.98 $31.99 (save $15.01)

• Rottenheart by Kat Dunn — $20.26 $28.95 (save $8.69)

Kindle book deals

• The Gingerbread Bakery by Laurie Gilmore — $0.99 $11.99 (save $11)

• Wildcat by Rebecca Jenshak — $0.99 $4.99 (save $4)

• The Girls in the Dark by Avery Bishop — $1.99 $3.99 (save $2)

• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus — $2.99 $14.99 (save $12)

• Pretty Girls by Karin Slaughter — $2.99 $9.99 (save $7)

• Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane — $2.99 $12.99 (save $10)

For the most avid readers, Kindle Unlimited is an incredible membership providing access to millions of books on your e-reader. But subscribers may have noticed a change to their membership this week.

As of Oct. 22, Amazon rebranded Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+. Now under your subscription tab, you'll find your membership listed as Kindle+. But what does this mean for your membership? Has the program or pricing changed? Here's everything we know about Amazon's rebrand from Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+.

What to know about Kindle+ The Kindle+ rebrand is now reflected on your membership page. Credit: Amazon / Mashable

Luckily, the rebrand from Kindle Unlimited to Kindle+ is just a name change. Everything else about the program has stayed the same. Membership still costs $11.99 per month with the same access. Kindle+ is a library of millions of books, audiobooks, comics, manga, and magazines. Members of Kindle+ can borrow up to 20 books at a time, plus thousands of ebooks also have companion audiobooks, so you can simultaneously read and listen.

You don't need a Kindle e-reader to enjoy Kindle+. As long as you have access to the Kindle app on a computer, tablet, or smartphone, you can access your Kindle library and all the Kindle books you've added through Kindle+. You can even add Kindle+ books directly on your Kindle without going through the Kindle app or a browser.

And right now, enjoy Kindle+ for free.

How to get Kindle+ for free

If you've been eyeing a new Kindle, you can get three months of Kindle+ free. Amazon is running a promotion that bundles a new Kindle with three months of Kindle+ for free. The bundle costs $189.99, which is just the cost of the new e-reader. That saves you $35.97 and gives you access to millions of books for three months. Your membership will auto-renew, so don't forget to cancel before you're charged.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Kindle 32GB (3 Months of Kindle+) $189.99 at Amazon
$225.96 Save $35.97   Get Deal at Amazon

Sometimes, cybersecurity threats don't just spoil a person's day — they spoil a sports team's greatest moment. Some New York Knicks and Madison Square Garden (MSG) employees were fooled into clicking through a phishing email test that promised 2026 championship rings.

With so many new releases coming to Netflix every week, it’s easy to miss some of the older movies in its catalog. I like going back through them for these award-winning picks, and this week, there are a few interesting titles worth adding to your watchlist.

Best early Black Friday robot vacuum deals: Our top-rated robot vacuum of 2026 Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete $1,529.99 (save $170) Get Deal Best entry-level robot vacuum-mop deal Roborock Q10 S5+ $329.99 (save $220) Get Deal Best roller mop deal Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow $699.99 (save $300) Get Deal

Almost all our favorite robot vacuums are on sale right now, and Black Friday is still weeks away. I'm not going to pretend it's normal that we're already covering early Black Friday robot vacuum deals in October, but some of these prices make a pretty good case for getting a head start. Even our top-ranked robot vacuum in 2026, the Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete, is on sale.

SEE ALSO: The best early Black Friday Dyson deals to shop right now

Of course, I'm checking price history and watching for inflated list prices, too. Not every markdown is worth getting excited about. We'll keep updating this piece as Black Friday approaches and throughout the holiday shopping season, so check back to see what's worth grabbing.

Best entry-level robot vacuum-mop deal Opens in a new window Credit: Roborock Roborock Q10 S5+ $329.99 at Amazon
$549.99 Save $220   Get Deal at Amazon Why we picked this

If you're looking for a robot vacuum-mop combo that won't break the bank, the Roborock Q10 S5+ is on sale for $329.99, down from $549.99. That's a 40% discount, or $220 in savings.

Mashable's former robot vacuum expert, Leah Stodart, says it's one of the quietest robot vacuums she's ever tested. It also has 10,000 Pa of suction, obstacle avoidance, and a sonic mop that scrubs (instead of just dragging a damp pad around). The mop lifts automatically when it detects carpet, and the self-emptying dock holds up to 70 days' worth of dust.

Best roller mop robot vacuum deal Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow $699.99 at Amazon
$999.99 Save $300   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Best Buy Get Deal at Roborock Why we picked this

Right now, you can get the Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow for $699.99, down from $999.99. That's a 30% discount, or a $300 price cut, on a top-rated 2026 model. CamelCamelCamel isn't showing a lowest price for this model, so I can't call it a record low, but it's the lowest I've seen.

Stodart named it the "Best Roller Mop Robot Vacuum under $1,000." Its petite dock makes it a great option for people who are "limited on floor space," and it cleans with precision. "The Curv 2 Flow's obstacle avoidance is some of the best I've ever experienced," writes Stodart. It delivers 20,000 Pa of suction, has a Dual Zero-Tangle System, plus a full-service dock that empties the dust bin and washes and dries the roller mop.

Read our Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow review.

More Black Friday robot vacuum deals

Dreame

• Dreame D30 Ultra — $449.99 $539.99 (save $90)

• Dreame L40 Ultra Gen 2 — $499.99 $749.99 (save $250)

• Dreame X60 Max Ultra Complete — $1,529.99 $1,699.99 (save $170)

Eufy

• Eufy 11S Max — $169.99 $279.99 (save $110)

• Eufy C28 — $499.98 $799.99 (save $300.01)

iRobot

• iRobot Roomba 105 Combo with AutoEmpty Dock — $299 $469.99 (save $170.99)

• iRobot Roomba 505 Robot Vacuum and Mop Combo — $849.99 $999.99 (save $150)

Roborock

• Roborock Q10 S5+ — $329.99 $549.99 (save $220)

• Roborock Qrevo Curv 2 Flow — $699.99 $999.99 (save $300)

• Roborock Qrevo CurvX — $749.99 $1,499.99 (save $750)

Narwal

• Narwal Flow — $1,249.99 $1,499.99 (save $250)

• Narwal Flow 2 — $1,299.99 $1,499.99 (save $200)

TL;DR: Sign up for a 7-day free trial of Apple TV+ through Prime Video Channels to watch select F1 races for free. Watch the United States GP for free with the Prime Video app.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Apple TV Prime Video Channel Watch the United States GP for free with a 7-day trial Shop Now

Kimi Antonelli is in position to win his first F1 title this weekend in Austin.

Antonelli must win this Sunday's GP to have any chance of sealing the drivers' title, but that's not all. The Italian also needs Russell to finish ninth or lower and Lewis Hamilton to finish fifth or lower. If those conditions are met, he will become the youngest champion in F1 history and the first Italian title-holder since 1953.

SEE ALSO: ExpressVPN review: A stylish VPN service with proven privacy and a large U.S. presence

If you want to watch F1 2026 for free from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is the United States GP?

The United States GP is the 18th race of the 2026 F1 season. Here's the full schedule from the Circuit of the Americas:

• Practice 1 — 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 23

• Practice 2 — 5-6 p.m. ET on Oct. 23

• Practice 3 — 1:30-2:30 p.m. ET on Oct. 24

• Qualifying — 5-6 p.m. ET on Oct. 24

• Race — 3 p.m. ET on Oct. 25

Fans can follow all the action from this race weekend without spending anything.

How to watch the United States GP for free

Amazon Prime offers many benefits. This popular subscription delivers fast shipping, Black Friday discounts, and access to the Prime Video library.

For F1 fans in the U.S., Prime Video is particularly useful this season. Apple TV holds exclusive U.S. broadcasting rights for F1, and you can sign up for a seven-day free trial of Apple TV directly through Prime Video Channels.

That trial gives you access to select races for free, including this weekend's United States Grand Prix. The subscription rolls over to $12.99 per month after the seven-day trial, but you can disable the automatic renewal and still stream the entire race weekend for free.

If you're already paying for Amazon Prime, calling it "completely free" is a stretch. But if you don't have an active membership, Amazon offers a 30-day free trial for new users. Stacking that Prime trial with the seven-day Apple TV channel trial means you're truly spending nothing to stream this weekend's race.

If you've already made use of this method, you still have a few workarounds:

• Apple TV: New standalone subscribers qualify for a direct seven-day free trial through Apple's app.

• Apple One: If you want more than just streaming, the Apple One tier packages Apple TV alongside Apple Music, Apple Arcade, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+, and 50GB of iCloud storage — and it comes with a full one-month free trial ($19.95 per month after the promotional period).

• Apple: The most generous Apple TV offer is tied to new hardware purchases. Buying an eligible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV grants new subscribers three months of free service. You obviously have to spend money on hardware, but if you were already planning an upgrade, it effectively unlocks a massive chunk of the F1 season for free.

Starbucks just dropped a Halloween menu update that brings TV’s most sarcastic feline out of retirement.

Launched nationwide on Oct. 22, the new Black Cat Frappuccino is available through Halloween night at participating U.S. stores. To roll out the drink, Starbucks partnered with Archie Comics to bring back Salem Saberhagen (the talking black cat from Sabrina the Teenage Witch) as the campaign's official spokesperson.

View this post on Instagram

I come across a lot of these brand collabs, but this one is special for me. I'm not ashamed to admit that I absolutely love that sassy little guy. And I'm so pleased to see him represented in coffee form. He deserves this.

The Black Cat Frappuccino is built on a caffeine-free Crème Frappuccino base. It blends dark chocolate cake powder and rich cocoa syrup with whole milk and ice to deliver a dense, liquid brownie batter flavor profile. It's finished with a swirl of whipped cream and topped with edible chocolate cat ears.

Will this new drop persuade me to change course from my regular order (venti iced black Americano, thank you very much)? I'm a creature of habit, so probably not. But it's hard to deny how cute those chocolate cat ears are.

It's important to note that this festive beverage is available exclusively in a grande size. Local store inventory is also likely to run out quickly as Halloween gets closer. Your best play is ordering via the Starbucks app for mobile pickup or using DoorDash or Uber Eats promo codes to get it delivered straight to your desk before the holiday menu launches on Nov. 5.

Excel automation used to mean macros and VBA. Today, three tools write the Python for you, from a spreadsheet-style notebook to an AI assistant built into Excel itself. Here is what each one does, what it costs, and who should use it.