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While my first experience of home audio was via vinyl records, the miraculous CD, or Compact Disc, was the gold standard music format of my childhood. I never liked how vinyl sounded or how annoying it was to operate. The first time I put on a pair of headphones and listened to a CD blew my mind. Crystal-clear stereo audio like I'd never heard it before practically suffused my soul.

Spinning hard drives have to spin those platters at some sort of speed, measured in RPM or Revolutions Per Minute, but they all seem to have standardized to a small group of specific numbers: 4,200 RPM, 5,400 RPM, 7,200 RPM, 10,000 RPM, and 15,000 RPM(!).

It's hard to believe it, but the Google Pixel series has been around for nearly 10 years now. The Pixel 11 is just around the corner—and unfortunately for Google, early impressions aren't looking great.

While every 3D printer owner loves the “fun” projects, it’s the ones that make your life easier that have the most impact. These range from repairing household items and making chores easier, to providing cost-effective bespoke storage to help keep your house tidy.

Bear Grylls has a gift that few possess. The popular survivalist knows how to push people beyond what they think is possible. What's even more impressive is that those same people then open up to Grylls with complete honesty, revealing their most vulnerable selves.

Amazon's Kindle dominates the market, but that doesn’t mean that they are the best eReaders. There are other companies who are free to experiment with their products in ways that Amazon will not. The DuRoBo Krono is one of the more intriguing options to come out in the past year, and there is enough uniqueness here to capture even the most devout Kindle reader’s eye.

The days of every Android phone including a microSD card slot are ancient history. Of course, it’s possible to plug external storage into your phone’s USB-C port, and portable SSDs are becoming more common. However, they have one fatal flaw that people love to point out. I wanted to solve it.

When I first picked up a 5070 Ti, I did so with gaming in mind. I didn't anticipate constantly running into the VRAM ceiling.

Home Assistant is packed with so many features that it can be hard to keep track of them all. Some features work smoothly in the background so that you never think about them until you need to use them, or until something goes wrong. That's exactly what happened with one of Home Assistant's best features, and it brought my whole smart home down.

I used to think that buying cheaper filament was a compromise to print quality. After testing both first- and third-party filaments, my stance has changed. Here’s why I stopped buying name-brand filament and what I do instead.

I love having a vintage CRT to watch older content and play retro video games. I love it so much, apparently, that I now have six of the darn things taking up space.

TL;DR: Get the iPhone 17 for free from T-Mobile when you trade in your eligible phone on an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan. Alternatively, the Apple iPhone 17 Pro is free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple T-Mobile: Apple iPhone 17 for free   Get Deal

Samsung is still the center of attention. Samsung just dropped three new foldables smartphones, two smartwatches, and smart glasses, so it deserves its moment in the spotlight. But won't someone think about Apple for a change?

Apple prices are bumping in the face of RAMageddon, but you can still secure a limited-time offer on iPhones from T-Mobile. This popular mobile carrier has just dropped a fresh batch of free iPhone deals on the latest handsets:

• iPhone 17e — free when you switch to almost any T-Mobile plan with no trade-in required

• iPhone 17 — free when signing up for 24 months of an Experience More or Experience Beyond plan and trading in an eligible phone

• iPhone 17 Pro — free when you switch to T-Mobile and bring your number on an Experience Beyond plan (no trade-in needed).

T-Mobile will charge taxes on these free deals, as well as a $35 device connection fee. That's a small catch, but that's how it often goes with this kind of deal.

If you’re still rocking an iPhone 12 or 13, you’re missing out on some genuinely game-changing features. The iPhone 17 is the first base model built specifically to handle Apple’s most advanced AI features. Mashable's Stan Schroeder said it's an "excellent phone that matches the iPhone Pro models in many ways that matter." That's enough for us to consider upgrading.

Get the Apple iPhone 17 for free this week with T-Mobile.

You can’t just stick a Canon lens on a Sony body, nor can you use a lot of the old glass that predates your modern camera. Doing so requires a lens adapter—one for every lens mount and camera body combination you own—which can get expensive fairly quickly.

Security cameras are great at recording what's happening inside and outside your home, but on the whole, you still need to look at the video yourself to understand what's going on. Some cameras have object recognition that can detect people, animals, cars, or packages, but there's an open-source tool that can do a whole lot more.

When I started reviewing Sony's most expensive consumer headphones yet, I naturally expected them to offer an elevated experience. I didn't expect to hear the best spatial audio I've ever encountered. I say this, too, as someone who has been left completely unimpressed by spatial audio features time and time again.

Be forewarned, though: the Sony 1000X the Collexion headphones clock in at a whopping $649.99 — putting them nearly $200 higher than the WH-1000XM6. The reason for the fanfare? The Collexions are the 10th anniversary celebration of the 1000X line (hence the...creative name).

The brand certainly delivers on some of its best features in the Collexion headphones, but really, the experience for the high price point is only likely to appeal to a select few who prioritize sound and looks above all else.

The Sony 1000X the Collexion at a glance These aren't the 1000X headphones you're used to. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

What I liked: These are the best sounding headphones Sony's made, and the spatial audio with the 360 Upmix tech really highlights that. The lack of hard plastic usually found on Sony's headphones makes the look more sleek and luxe, and the wear feels plush and comfortable. The noise cancellation is still solid, too.

What I didn't like: The fancy metal hinges mean no more folding ear cups, which was one of my favorite features on the XM6 headphones. The looser fit also means less passive noise cancellation, so the older headphones win out there as well. Finally, I expected the $190 price jump between the XM6 and Collexion headphones to mean upgrades across the board in the user experience, but beyond the improved sound and design, other features on the headphones went basically untouched.

Specs

• Drivers: Bespoke 30mm driver

• Spatial audio: Yes

• Noise cancellation: Active noise cancellation powered by V3 and QN3 processors

• Battery life: 24 hours with active noise cancellation

• Microphones: 12

• IP rating: None

• Connection: Bluetooth 5.3

• Codecs: SBC, AAC, LDAC, LC3

• Inputs: USB-C, 3.5mm audio jack

• Weight: 320 grams

• Colors: Black and platinum

Pricing and availability

At $649.99, the Collexion headphones are undeniably on the high end of the consumer headphones market. They're not the most expensive we've seen — that honor belongs to the Bowers & Wilkins Px8 S2 headphones — but they're still $100 more than the Apple AirPods Max 2 and $200 more than the Bose QuietComfort Ultra (2nd gen) headphones.

Sony 1000X the Collexion $648 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Shop Now at Best Buy Shop Now at Sony Sony 1000X the Collexion performanceSound quality

As these are Sony headphones, they sounded excellent, but the real star of the audio show was the spatial audio.

To be clear, I usually feel neutral about spatial audio at best, finding that it often makes music sound hollow and unbalanced in an effort to make it sound live. With the Sony Collexion headphones, I could make some peace with the fact I didn't grab Olivia Rodrigo tickets because her entire album sounded legitimately live and immersive with the 360 Upmix spatial audio tech, whether I was listening to the Cure-inspired (and Robert Smith featuring) "what's wrong with me" or the pared down piano ballad "less."

For the first time, I found myself actually preferring to toggle on the spatial audio. For gamers and movie lovers, there are also modes specific to both formats. The non-spatial audio still stunned, lending music gorgeous balance and clarity, with Sony's classic slate of equalizer settings and custom options to fine-tune the sound just so.

Noise cancellation

In the press briefing for these headphones, Sony's team made it clear that they focused on comfort over noise cancellation with these headphones compared to the XM6s. They do feature the exact same tech as the XM6s, but the slightly looser fit means less passive ANC. In practice, I found that it did mean working in cafes was slightly more distracting, reducing chatter and the radio to a dull hum instead of fully immersing me in my own private listening bubble.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best noise-cancelling headphones we use, love, and recommend

By no means is it subpar ANC — it's still some of the best, but I would have liked Sony to work a little more magic for $650.

The Sony 1000X the Collexion design and build quality The metal accents gave the headphones an elevated look, but I was looking for more functionality. Credit: Bethany Allard / Mashable

The Collexion headphones look and feel notably elevated, with metal accents and faux leather wrapping the exterior of the headphones (as opposed to the hard plastic shell found on the rest of the 1000X line).

They feel built to last, but again, for their price point, I wasn't too thrilled about the finished result. Yes, the metal buttons were a nice touch, and the wider headband did add more comfort. However, I missed the folding ear cups from the XM6 headphones, which do legitimately help with toting them around town, and I didn't find them more comfortable than the Bose QC Ultra 2s (the single most comfortable headphones I've ever worn).

I can acknowledge that I'm being nitpicky, but I must mention the price again. For $650, I want the headphones to look impressive and also be oozing functionality in every aspect of the design. I found these more of a statement fashion piece than an ultra-functional pair of headphones — and if that's the vibe that Sony's going for, I want them to offer more than two colorways.

Who should get the Sony the Collexion headphones?

The Sony Collexion headphones have a weird name, a pretty design that doesn't always rise to the occasion, and the best sound quality I've encountered on a pair of headphones. Truly, they feel like the very first to have finally unlocked undeniably good spatial audio.

With that said, the price point will make them hard to stomach for most. If you've been dying for spatial audio and love that live sound, shelling out on these will get you the best version of it. That said, these headphones should be the best in category in more areas if they're to be priced the way they are. A $550 or even $600 price point would have been far more stomachable, but maybe this one is ultimately for the super fans who want the anniversary edition headphones more than they want the best headphones available.

If your feeds are blowing up with talk of the upcoming total solar eclipse, this might burst your bubble: The show might not be coming to a sky near you.

On Aug. 12, the moon will sweep its shadow across the top of the world, briefly turning day into twilight along a narrow path through Greenland, Iceland, northern Russia, northern Spain, and a sliver of Portugal. That's the path of totality — where the sun is completely blocked — and it's the first time in 27 years that mainland Europe has gotten a full, real-deal solar eclipse.

But people in the United States won't be in that bullseye. Instead, a part of the country will see a partial solar eclipse, where the moon nips the sun but never covers it completely. The sky won't go dark, the stars won't pop out, and you won't get the full moody effect. But with the right eyewear, you could still see the sun turn into a yummy space crescent roll in the middle of a Wednesday.

For a U.S. audience, this eclipse is either a drop-everything-and-fly-to-Iceland kind of deal or a fun coffee break at work. Here's how to plan 15 minutes to step outside and look up safely — or, better yet, ditch the special eyewear and get a front-row seat to the main event with a livestream from where the real action is happening. 

SEE ALSO: Pluto has a heart. Scientists discovered that it's bleeding. Where in the U.S. can you see it?

The farther north you are, the better the show.

As the moon's shadow creeps from Russia to Greenland and Iceland and onward to Europe, the outer part of that shadow — the penumbra — brushes North America. Within that outer shadow, the sun is only partially blocked, but the effect might still be noticeable if you're paying attention.

The United States will not experience a total solar eclipse on Aug. 12, 2026, but many states will get a partial solar eclipse. Credit: NASA infographic

Nationwide, 26 states and Washington, D.C., will get a very slight partial eclipse. The states include Alaska, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Montana, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. 

Many parts of Alaska and the far north will see the larger bites, with the eclipse unfolding earlier in the day. In parts of the south, it may register more as a subtle dimming — not much different from a little cloud cover. Just over the border, Canada gets a better view. Much of the country lies deeper in the partial zone. Northern and western areas catch the show in the morning; eastern provinces get it in the afternoon.

For the United States, the event begins at 7:34 a.m. Alaska Standard Time and ends on the East Coast at 2:52 p.m. ET. To zero in on your specific area's times, visit Timeanddate.com and enter your city or ZIP code. 

Watching the solar eclipse online

For U.S. viewers, NASA plans a live broadcast on Aug. 12, with telescope views, commentary from scientists, and footage from research aircraft flying under the moon's shadow. 

In Europe, the European Space Agency and other organizations, such as the Royal Observatory, will host their own streams. The Exploratorium, which has a long track record of eclipse coverage, will again provide a live telescope feed from inside the path of totality in Spain. Here's a go-to list of live broadcasts that you can hop to and from without having to board a jet: 

• NASA: Streaming on NASA+ and YouTube, with views from Spain and high-altitude aircraft, starting at 1:15 p.m. ET.

• ESA: Hosting a live broadcast from the Observatorio Astrofísico de Javalambre in Teruel, Spain, and a separate telescope feed, starting at 19:30 CEST, or 1:30 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. ET. 

• The Exploratorium: Broadcasting a live telescope view from Spain at 1:30 p.m. ET.

• Royal Observatory: Hosting a live broadcast from the Royal Observatory Greenwich, where the United Kingdom will see about 90 percent sun coverage during the eclipse, starting at 1:10 p.m. ET.

• TimeandDate.com: Streaming the event with real-time animations, maps, and expert commentary, starting at noon ET. 

Everything to know about eclipse glasses

It's plain and simple: If any part of the sun's face is visible, you must protect your eyes to look up at it. That's true in Alaska, Texas, Iceland, Spain — everywhere.

For Americans in the partial zone, the go‑to tools are protective eyewear or a handheld solar viewer designed for viewing the sun. Eclipse glasses are not just dark sunglasses. Legit eclipse glasses are thousands of times darker and built to block most of the sun's visible and invisible light. 

Reputable ones follow the ISO 12312‑2 safety standard; when you put them on indoors, you shouldn't be able to see anything except maybe the brightest lights.

Keep the glasses or viewer on the whole time you're looking at the sun. Never look through eclipse glasses into a telescope or binoculars unless the optics also have a proper solar filter on the front. Concentrated sunlight can burn through a filter and through the delicate tissue at the back of your eyes, far faster than you'd expect.

A simple pinhole projector — or even a small hole in an index card projecting the sun's image onto the ground or another surface — will show you the sun's change from a circle to a crescent and back again without ever having to look up. During the partial phases, the gaps between tree leaves do the same thing naturally, scattering tiny crescent suns onto sidewalks.

Tree leaves reveal crescent suns like pinhole projectors on the ground as its partially obscured light filters through them. Credit: Michael S. Williamson / The Washington Post via Getty Images If you're not in totality, is it still worthwhile?

That all depends on your appetite and attitude. On the ground in the United States, you'll get a sun that looks wrong in an intriguing way, light that feels a little hushed, and shadows that sharpen. 

At the same time, cameras and telescopes along the path of totality will be streaming the full blackout — the sun's corona glowing behind a black disk like a scalloped crown. You might like to take an imaginary journey in your mind, see what it looks like from Reykjavik or a Spanish hillside.

TL;DR: Trusted by millions of learners, you can pay $159 once (reg. $299) for lifetime access to all 14 Babbel languages through Aug. 16 with the StackSocial code LEARN.

Opens in a new window Credit: Babbel Babbel Language Learning: Lifetime Subscription (All Languages) $159
$299 Save $140   Get Deal

Learning a new language isn’t easy, but it also might not be as hard as some apps make it seem. If memorizing vocab lists isn’t working for you, check out Babbel. They take a more practical approach to teaching, and there’s even an AI conversation partner who can help you practice your pronunciation.

Normally, a Babbel lifetime subscription would cost $299, but right now it’s on sale for $159. Check out what that gets you.

Babbel gives you lifetime access to courses in 14 different languages, and the format is designed to fit into real life. Each lesson takes around 10 to 15 minutes, so you can actually stick with it whether you’re commuting, traveling, or just squeezing in some study time between meetings.

Here are a few of the included languages:

• Spanish

• French

• German

• Italian

• Portuguese

• Swedish

And that’s just the beginning.

There’s a reason Babbel has become one of the biggest names in language learning. It’s trusted by more than 15 million users worldwide, holds 4.5 out of 5 stars on Google Play and 4.6 out of 5 stars on the App Store.

Babbel centers its content around practical conversation topics. You’ll get lessons on travel, shopping, business, culture, and more, all developed by expert linguists and backed by academic research.

Speech recognition helps fine-tune your pronunciation, while the AI-powered conversation partner lets you practice speaking in real time.

Lessons sync across devices, so you can start on your computer and finish on your phone. There’s also an offline mode if you want to download lessons in advance. You can move at your own pace, revisit review sessions, and switch between beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels based on your comfort level.

Use the exclusive StackSocial code LEARN by Aug. 16 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a Babbel lifetime subscription for only $159.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $69.97 (reg. $540) through Aug. 9 only and access ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, image generation, video tools, PDF chat, and more with one lifetime purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $69.97
$540 Save $470.03   Get Deal

AI subscriptions aren’t cheap, but it’s manageable if you only use one model like ChatGPT. However, if you need tools for generating images, writing copy, analyzing documents, or translating between languages, a platform like 1min.AI is a more viable option. 

1min.AI gives you lifetime access to some of the most popular AI tools, including ChatGPT, Gemini, Mistral, and many others. It’s also only $69.97 for a lifetime subscription (reg. $540).

1min.AI runs in your browser and pulls a ton of everyday work into one place. You can research keywords, draft blog posts, rewrite and shorten text, generate social posts, and keep a consistent brand voice across projects.

There are tools to summarize or translate documents, chat with multiple PDFs at once, and spin up slide presentations. For visuals, you can generate images from prompts, upscale low-resolution pictures, remove backgrounds, extend edges, or turn rough sketches into cleaner artwork.

Here’s a small sample of the AI models you’ll get access to:

• GPT

• Claude 3 Opus and Claude 3 Sonnet

• Gemini Pro 1.5

• Llama 3

• Mistral models

The Advanced Business Plan includes 4,000,000 credits each month, plus the chance to earn up to 450,000 more through daily logins and other tasks. Credits are shared across writing, images, audio, and video, so you can lean harder on whichever tools you need that month.

The plan supports up to 20 members, with shared workspaces, an unlimited prompt library, unlimited storage, and unlimited brand voices. If you don’t use all your credits, they just roll over, so you aren’t missing out if you have a lighter month.

It’s only one $69.97 payment to get a 1min.AI lifetime subscription through 11:59 p.m. PT on Aug. 9.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Get a lifetime Windows 11 Pro license for $11.23 (reg. $199) through today only with code AUG25 — that’s nearly $188 in savings and no ongoing fees.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Windows 11 Pro $11.23
$199 Save $187.77   Get Deal

If your PC has been running a little sluggish or you’ve been meaning to bring your system up to speed, Windows 11 Pro is just $11.23 (MSRP $199) through 11:59 p.m. PT tonight — a rare, time-sensitive offer that rewards quick, savvy decisions.

This isn’t about chasing trends; it’s more about giving your computer the modern foundation it deserves. Windows 11 Pro brings a sleeker UI, better multitasking, and enhanced security — all in a one-time lifetime license.

Think of it as the difference between driving a reliable car and suddenly upgrading to one with a smarter dashboard, smoother handling, and built-in security features.

For professionals, creators, and anyone who relies on their PC for serious work, this upgrade also unlocks features like Hyper-V, Windows Sandbox, BitLocker encryption, and seamless Azure AD integration — tools that make a real difference when you’re working across projects or managing sensitive data.

And yes, Windows 11 comes with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI-powered assistant that can summarize pages, change settings, or even help you generate code on the fly. It’s like having a co-pilot (literally) inside your OS.

But you don’t need convincing — you already know a smart upgrade when you see one. Get Windows 11 Pro for just $11.23 (reg. $199) through today, Aug. 9, at 11:59 p.m. PT using code AUG25.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

___cliff bar.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

HEATH

Hurdle Word 2 hint

From the Netherlands.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for August 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DUTCH

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

To cleanse the body.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for August 9 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for August 9, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

BATHE

Hurdle Word 4 hint

To grant.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

ENDOW

Final Hurdle hint

To compare.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

LIKEN

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