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I stopped using the Excel filter button to find high and low values. These 2 functions do it better
Excel's filter button is useful, but I've realized I was relying on it for the wrong job. When all I wanted was the highest or lowest number that matched a certain condition, filtering meant hiding rows, sorting data, and then resetting everything afterward. But two functions I recently stumbled across have given me a much cleaner way to get those answers.
Rice won't save your wet phone: Here's what actually works
Water may not be as much of a mortal enemy to an Android phone or iPhone as it used to be, but that doesn't mean they're great friends. Wet electronics should be dried as soon as possible, and there's a common household item that people always seem to choose for the job: rice. That's a bad idea.
This 15-year-old eReader would be the ultimate Kindle replacement if it were remade today
We spend a lot of time talking about Kindle alternatives like Kobo, Xteink, and Boox. But there are some forgotten Kindle rivals that rarely make it into the conversation, including Sony, which might be the most unfairly unrecognized eReader pioneer of all time.
How to watch Roosters vs. Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final online for free
TL;DR: Live stream Roosters vs. Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final for free on 9Now. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There's so much incredible sport taking place this weekend. We've got some fascinating international friendlies like India vs. Brazil, F1 in Malaysia, and India vs. Pakistan in the final of the Asian Games cricket tournament. It's a hectic schedule, but we suggest you make some time for the 2026 NRL Grand Final.
The Roosters take on the Knights at Stadium Australia this weekend for the trophy. It's going to be a fascinating matchup between two talented squads, and you can watch all the action from anywhere in the world.
If you want to watch the 2026 NRL Grand Final for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.
What is the NRL Grand Final?The NRL Grand Final determines the champions of the National Rugby League. Since 1999, this fixture has been held at Stadium Australia (Accor Stadium) in Sydney.
When is the 2026 NRL Grand Final?Roosters vs. Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final kicks off at 4:30 a.m. ET on Oct. 4. This fixture takes place at Stadium Australia.
How to watch the 2026 NRL Grand Final for freeRoosters vs. Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final is available to live stream for free on 9Now.
9Now is geo-restricted to Australia, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your digital location and connect you to a secure server in Australia. This process makes it look like you're connecting from Australia, so you can access 9Now from anywhere in the world.
Watch the 2026 NRL Grand Final from anywhere in the world by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)
Open up the app and connect to a server in Australia
Visit 9Now
Watch the 2026 NRL Grand Final from anywhere in the world
The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer free trials or money-back guarantees. By making the most of these offers, you can secure access to the 2026 NRL Grand Final without committing with your cash. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does mean you can unblock 9Now and then recover your investment after the NRL Grand Final.
What is the best VPN for 9Now?ExpressVPN is the best service for streaming live sport, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Australia
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.
Watch Roosters vs. Knights in the 2026 NRL Grand Final for free with ExpressVPN.
The 10 best hookup apps of 2026: I swiped until my thumb hurt
In the age of on-demand everything, it’s no surprise that we can get "dates" (and I use that term loosely) with the tap of a button. Thanks to classic hookup apps like Tinder and newcomers like Pure, finding a sexy new friend can be as straightforward as ordering a pizza. As for the quality? That’s about the same as your pizza — hit or miss, depending on the time of day, where you're located, and how hungry you are.
SEE ALSO: 6 AdultFriendFinder features other hookup sites lackFortunately, you’ve got me, your resident dating app expert (though I prefer modern-day Carrie Bradshaw), to guide you to the promised land, aka the best hookup apps.
I’ve spent the past four years (yes, years) testing dozens of the top dating apps for Mashable, from discreet sexting apps to dating sites for serious relationships. My goal is simple: to find the best apps for every kind of dater, including the one-night-stand crowd. I also consulted a panel of sex and relationship experts to make sure my picks are solid.
The short answer: Tinder is still the best hookup app for most people, thanks to its massive user base and new IRL features like Group Hangouts and Events. If you want total anonymity, try Pure. Hinge is best for regular FWBs, and Feeld is the go-to for kink, ethical non-monogamy, and exploring your sexuality. Queer men should start with Grindr (or Sniffies for cruising), and queer women should download HER.
How to get the most out of hookup appsMy first rule: be brutally honest about what you want. Are you here for a good time? Own it. That means staying in your lane; don't go looking for a one-night stand on an app like eharmony. Just read through Reddit — Women are on these apps (despite what all the dudes think/say) and are looking for FWBs, but they ignore most messages because guys either send weird openers or pretend to want a relationship just to get a hookup.
"Hookup apps help prevent situations where people are on mainstream dating sites with the intention of having a casual hookup but are unclear about these intentions," Suzannah Weiss, sex/couples therapist and resident sexologist for Erojoy, tells Mashable. "They also give women a space to be openly sexual creatures without judgment."
And here's a little secret I picked up from Alexander Liebisch, the CEO and founder of TinderProfile.ai: Timing is everything. He found that people messaging on Tinder's "Free Tonight" feature after 10 p.m. on a weekend had a 45 percent higher chance of hooking up.
Once you've matched, reach out! "Plan dates within the first conversation or else you'll get tired out from having a bunch of conversations that aren't going anywhere," Weiss says.
Recent updates to this guideOkCupid (removed October 2026): OkCupid is still a solid pick for inclusive, values-driven dating, but it's a relationship app at heart. Feeld, HUD, and HER all do inclusivity better for no-strings fun. And after OkCupid's 2026 FTC settlement over sharing nearly 3 million users' photos with a facial recognition company, I'm not comfortable recommending it for something as private as hookups.
Hily (added August 2026): I’ve added Hily to our top picks because its free tier is surprisingly generous (up to 100 likes a day!) and its AI safety tech (like Consent Guard) makes it a standout option for casual, blunt daters looking for a fresh alternative to the Big Three.
Hinge (moved up October 2025): Hinge just keeps getting better, so I’ve bumped it up higher on my list. It still earns its spot for casual dating with personality; its user base is growing, and my recent tests have been surprisingly positive.
You might notice a few apps that pop up in ads or other lists are missing here. That’s intentional. I swipe through the good, the bad, and the downright sketchy so you don’t have to. For an app to make my list, it has to be effective, safe, and worth your time.
Here's a shortlist of apps that didn't make the cut:
Plenty of Fish: POF's rebrand didn't do it any favors. My last round of testing showed it removed key features like free messaging with non-matches, and I kept running into the same old profiles. (Removed January 2025.)
Match: Some people swear they've found casual hookups on Match, but that's not what it's for. It's still one of my top picks for a long-term relationship. For a hookup? You're fishing in the wrong pond. (Removed August 2025.)
Wild: You’ve probably seen ads for this one. On paper, Wild sounds like the perfect casual dating app. In practice, the paywalls are aggressive, the distance filter doesn't work, and you have to pay for anything that's even remotely useful. Unless you're willing to spend serious cash upfront (and hope for the best), the experience feels more limited than with more generous free options like Tinder or Hily.
DOWN: This app (formerly "Bang With Friends") is known for its simple "Get Down" vs. "Get Date" feature. It sounds clever, but in reality, the experience is messy at best. Many users report feeling scammed by subscriptions that don't deliver matches, or finding that the few real people on there are... let's say "odd." It’s hard to recommend an app when the main user complaint is "Is anyone real?" Hard pass.
Facebook Dating: Yes, Facebook has a dating section, and it’s surprisingly massive (and completely free, which is huge). While it's a decent option for casual dating, the vibe tends to be a bit more "friends of friends" and "relationship-focused" than the anonymous, no-strings energy you get from apps like Pure or Feeld. (For Mashable's Chance Townsend, signing up was "the most uneventful dating experience" of his life.) It's also added an AI dating assistant and "Meet Cute," which sends you one surprise match a week. It's worth a shot if you're already on Facebook, but it didn't quite crack my top tier for no-strings-attached hookups specifically.
A ton of Amazon device deals are already live for October Prime Day: Shop Fire TVs, Echo speakers
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) is coming in hot, and with it, a smorgasbord of discounts on Amazon devices. The annual sale runs from Oct. 6 through Oct. 7 this year and presents the perfect opportunity to kickstart your holiday shopping.
It's no surprise Amazon offers the biggest markdowns on its own devices. And since Amazon increased prices across its hardware range by as much as 60% last month, this year's October Prime Day sale couldn't come at a better time.
The sale is just days away, and Amazon is really rolling out early Prime Day deals on Amazon devices. While there are still no savings on Kindles, Echo devices are finally on sale. Not only can you save up to 50% on the Echo Dot, but the new Echo Dot Max and Echo Studio are also on sale. Plus, we've found savings on Fire tablets, Blink cameras, Fire TV streaming sticks and soundbars, Fire TVs, and eero devices.
Plus, don't forget about Amazon's subscription deals for Prime newcomers, which are already live:
Claim your Amazon Prime 30-day free trial (for new and returning customers)
We'll be tracking all the best Amazon device deals throughout the Prime Big Deal Days sale, so keep checking back for the best live offers.
Best Echo device deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Echo Dot $39.99 at Amazon$79.99 Save $40.00 Get Deal Why we like it
Finally! Amazon's Echo devices are officially on sale ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Right now, grab the Amazon Echo Dot for just $39.99. While that's not the lowest sale price we've ever spotted on the Echo Dot, it's the best price since Amazon increased prices on its devices.
The Echo Dot is a perfectly compact smart speaker. Plus, it's compatible with Alexa+, a smarter home assistant that helps you do everything from meal planning to booking dinner reservations.
More Echo device dealsAmazon Echo Pop Kids — $21.99 $49.99 (save $28)
Amazon Echo Dot Kids — $39.99 $89.99 (save $50)
Amazon Echo Spot — $54.99 $109.99 (save $55)
Amazon Echo Show 5 — $59.99 $99.99 (save $40)
Amazon Echo Show 5 Kids — $59.99 $109.99 (save $50)
Amazon Echo Dot Max — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)
Amazon Echo Dot + Echo Dot Max bundle — $99.99 $199.98 (save $99.99) — Lightning deal ⚡
Amazon Echo Show 11 — $149.99 $249.99 (save $100)
Amazon Echo Studio — $179.99 $219.99 (save $40)
Amazon Echo Show 21 — $349.99 $499.99 (save $150)
$154.99 Save $82.00 Get Deal Why we like it
While it's hardly a new device, the Fire HD 10 tablet is still a solid pick for anyone who just wants a tablet to stream shows, check emails, and browse social media. Mashable's reviewer SaVanna Shoemaker called it "lighter and faster than its predecessors, with a long battery life and vivid picture that makes it great for on-the-go entertainment." Compared to other well-known tablets, she also adds that it's an "excellent value." It's not going to knock your socks off, but it'll get the job done and won't break the bank — especially now that it's on sale for only $72.99, a full 53% off its list price.
More Fire tablet dealsAmazon Fire 7 Kids — $54.99 $99.99 (save $45)
Amazon Fire HD 8 — $79.99 $129.99 (save $50)
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids — $94.99 $169.99 (save $75)
Amazon Fire HD 8 Kids Pro — $89.99 $169.99 (save $80)
Limited Edition Harry Potter Amazon Fire HD 10 — $132.99 $189.99 (save $57)
$49.99 Save $32 Get Deal Why we like it
The entire Fire TV Stick lineup was affected by the August price hike, so we're surprised that the discounts are still at pre-hike levels. Prime members can score the 4K Select for only $17.99, which is 64% in savings.
The 4K Select is Amazon's newest 4K Fire TV Stick with HDR10+ support and the first to feature its new Linux-based operating system. That means a few things: it's speedier and more streamlined than older Fire Sticks, but also more limited. If you like sideloading apps, this streaming stick won't let you (go with the 4K Plus instead). It also offers support for Alexa+, Amazon Kids+, Amazon Luna, Xbox Game Pass, and NordVPN.
More Fire TV dealsAmazon Fire TV Stick HD — $15.99 $39.99 (save $24)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus — $37.99 $69.99 (save $32)
Amazon Fire TV Alexa Voice Remote Pro — $19.99 $34.99 (save $15)
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar — $79.99 $119.99 (save $40)
Amazon Fire TV Soundbar Plus — $144.99 $249.99 (save $105)
$459.99 Save $180 Get Deal Why we like it
This TV strikes just the right balance between features and values. It's big enough and boasts a good-enough display, yet thanks to a 39% discount, it still qualifies as a budget TV. Even as smartphones, laptops, gaming consoles, and virtually everything else has gotten more expensive, flat-screen TVs have gotten significantly less expensive over the last five years. And as part of Prime Big Deal Days, this one's even cheaper.
If you want to upgrade to a QLED display or save even more money, you can find a ton more discounts thanks to early October Prime Day deals on Amazon devices.
More Amazon Fire TV dealsAmazon Ember 32-inch 2-Series Fire TV — $134.99 $159.99 (save $25)
Amazon Ember 43-inch 4-Series Fire TV — $199.99 $329.99 (save $130)
Amazon Ember 55-inch QLED Series Fire TV — $489.99 $589.99 (save $100)
Amazon Ember Artline 55-inch with 4K QLED Fire TV — $499.99 $899.99 (save $400)
Amazon Ember 65-inch Mini-LED Series Fire TV — $799.99 $1,089.99 (save $290)
Amazon Ember 75-inch QLED Series Fire TV — $989.99 $1,199.99 (save $210)
$169.98 Save $134.99 Get Deal Why we like it
Who doesn't love free stuff? In this early October Prime Day deal, you can get the Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ for no extra cost when you purchase the Blink Outdoor 2K+ for $34.99. That's 65% off the camera itself and nearly 80% off the combined cost. If you're looking to enhance your home security but don't want to spend a fortune, this bundle is an excellent start. You'll get sharp 2K video, enhanced audio, and night vision with no installation hassle. Everything is battery-powered and lasts for months at a time.
More Blink camera dealsBlink Mini 2K+ — $15.99 $39.99 (save $24)
Blink Mini Pan-Tilt — $23.99 $39.99 (save $16)
Blink Video Doorbell — $26.99 $69.99 (save $43)
Blink Outdoor 4 — $27.99 $79.99 (save $52)
Blink Battery Doorbell 2K+ — $30.99 $69.99 (save $39)
Blink Arc 2K+ — $31.99 $99.99 (save $68)
Blink Outdoor XR+ and Wired Doorbell 2K+ — $41.99 $169.98 (save $127.99)
$299.99 Save $75 Get Deal Why we like it
If your WiFi is laggy, it may be a good time to invest in an Amazon Eero system. Ahead of Prime Big Deal Days, the Eero Pro 7 Mesh WiFi router is down to $224.99, which is $75 cheaper than usual. It supports over 200 devices, internet plans up to 5 Gbps, and covers up to 2,000 square feet, helping to optimize your connection and eliminate dead spots. Even if you're not a tech guru, it's a breeze to set up thanks to Eero's step-by-step guide in the app.
More Eero dealsAmazon eero 7 — $144.49 $169.99 (save $25.50)
Amazon eero Max 7 — $419.99 $599.99 (save $180)
$24.99 Save $12.01 Get Deal Why we like it
If you have some money left over on an Amazon gift card, we know just what to do with it — add this Amazon Smart Plug to your cart while it's almost 50% off for Prime Big Deal Days. Turn any lamp or electronic into a smart device. All you have to do is plug it in.
Is Audible actually worth it in 2026? I keep cancelling, but it drags me back in.
When it comes to accessing books (including audiobooks), nothing beats your local library. It's free and it’s what Dolly would’ve wanted. But that’s not why you’re here, so I digress. Let’s talk about Audible.
I’ve been an Audible subscriber on and off for a few years now, and there’s a reason I keep coming back. It easily has the most robust audiobook catalog around, offers unmatched convenience if you're also a Kindle user, and is packed with exclusive titles you can't find elsewhere. I'd rather have my money go to independent booksellers, but there's no denying Amazon's value here.
Audible is not Netflix for audiobooksIt's important to understand that Audible is not a "Netflix for audiobooks" app. It's more of a book-a-month membership that gives you one premium title each month for your entry fee, with no wait times. There are two different membership options, Standard and Premium, and the tier you choose definitely matters.
I'm usually the first person to recommend the cheaper option in subscription situations (I will gladly sit through ads while streaming to save money). In this case, however, I would spend the extra money on Premium. I've been a subscriber of both tiers, and I do not think the Standard membership is a good deal. Period.
SEE ALSO: Are Kindles without lockscreen ads worth it? We're divided. What’s the difference between Audible Standard and Audible Premium?Here's a breakdown of the different tiers:
Audible StandardCost: $8.99 per month after 30-day free trial
Includes: One audiobook selection per month and access to podcasts
No annual subscription options
Cost: $14.95 per month after 30-day free trial
Includes: One credit to "purchase" an audiobook each month, access to the Plus catalog with more than 150k audiobooks and podcasts, and exclusive sales and discounts
Annual subscription options: 12 credits per year for $149.50/year or 24 credits per year for $229.50/year
It may not sound all that different on paper, but the devil is in the details. While I was a Standard subscriber, I accidentally forgot to claim my audiobook pick one month. And guess what: I didn't get another chance. I basically had to forfeit that month entirely, throwing $8.99 in the garbage. Not to mention, if you don't finish your audiobook selection within the allotted month, it's gone forever. Or if you cancel your Standard membership, it's also gone forever.
Premium is a different story. For that extra $6 each month, you get a credit that allows you to purchase a premium title. That means you own it and it's yours to keep, even if you cancel your membership. And if you forget to use your credit one month, it rolls over to the next. Throw free access to over 150,000 audiobooks and podcasts from the Plus catalog into the mix and your subscription easily pays for itself each month.
One credit per month is not enough Credit: Christina Buff / MashableAs a speedy reader who can burn through a book in a few days, the one monthly credit you get with a Premium membership definitely feels restrictive. Any additional titles that aren't in the Plus catalog will cost extra. I try to use my credit for the most expensive audiobook on my wish list and utilize the plethora of exclusive member offers to score additional books for less.
Audible's sales do go pretty hard. There are daily deals, two-for-one credit deals, member rewards, referral offers, and so much more. You can also get a pretty sweet deal on an Audible book if you already have the Kindle book (i.e., $3.49 instead of $14.95). It's also worth noting that if you cancel often, you'll get a hefty discount offer when you come back. This is the real secret to making Audible worth it.
The Audible experienceIf Amazon's ownership of Audible is a dealbreaker for you, there are plenty of other ways to listen to audiobooks, including paid subscriptions like Libro.fm, Everand, or Spotify. But the truth of the matter is, Audible basically has a monopoly over the audiobook industry. A lot of titles are exclusive to Audible, including the popular Dungeon Crawler Carl series, Verity by Colleen Hoover, and the phenomenal Project Hail Mary.
Audible exclusives are fully immersive audio productions, not just someone reading you a book. You'll be transported into the story, often with the help of a full cast of voice actors. Project Hail Mary is the best audiobook I've ever listened to, hands down. It beats the production of any book I've listened to through Libby (the library app) or Spotify.
If you also read on Kindle, the Read & Listen feature lets you switch between listening on Audible and reading on your Kindle without losing your spot. This is limited to books listed as "Read & Listen" in the details (you'll see a badge next to the cover in the Audible app), but it's honestly pretty clutch. It doesn't always sync immediately on the spot, but for the most part, it works exactly how it's supposed to.
Credit: Christina Buff / Mashable The app itself is overwhelmingYou know how the Amazon app is both simple and overwhelming? That's also how the Audible app feels. There's just too much going on. When you're looking for your next read, you can filter by category, Audible charts, duration, new releases, author, bestsellers by year, series, niche topics, your Goodreads TBR (also owned by Amazon, btw), BookTok favorites, and so much more. Yes, the content selection is overflowing with options, but it's also easy to get lost in the massive library, continuously clicking filters and subcategories and forgetting how you got there. I often find myself scrolling and clicking around for way longer than I should.
Other app features worth mentioning are speed adjustments from 1x to 2x (.5 increments), the ability to download and listen offline and set timers, and a car mode that keeps your screen from sleeping and enlarges the buttons. None of these are groundbreaking, but they do boost the app experience.
It is hella convenient having access to my Goodreads TBR via Audible. Credit: Screenshot: Audible If you're starting from scratch looking for your next read, prepare to be overwhelmed. Credit: Screenshot: Audible Is Audible worth it?There's a reason Audible is the leading audiobooks app. The exclusive audiobooks are exceptional. The sheer size of the content library is unbeatable. The seamless connectivity and extra discounts for Kindle users are unexpected life upgrades. And the regular sales and offers, including the free trials and discounted returning subscriber rates, make it an undeniably great value — but only if you opt for the pricier Premium subscription.
The app is overwhelming, it's expensive at $14.95 per month, and I've canceled my Audible subscription at least five times in the past three years. And yet, here I am, a paying Premium subscriber once again. Yes, I utilize my local library as much as possible, but variety is the spice of life, my friends.
Will Kindles be on sale during October Prime Day? Heres what we know.
Amazon has quite the timing. Right before its October Prime Day event, the retailer dropped a completely redesigned Kindle lineup. But what does this mean for Kindle deals during Prime Big Deal Days?
Historically, Amazon is conservative with its e-reader savings, waiting until the sale starts to drop prices. The best prices on Kindles either fall on Prime Day or Black Friday, so we're hopeful for the savings that Prime Big Deal Days brings. We don't doubt that Kindles will be on sale; it's a question of which ones.
I highly doubt that the new, 2026 Kindles will get a markdown during Prime Big Deal Days, as some of the devices are still only available for preorder. However, 2024 Kindle models will definitely go on sale, and I hope we see them return to their previous all-time lows.
In August 2026, all Kindles received a price increase thanks to the ongoing memory crisis, which makes an imminent sale all the more important. On our Kindle deals wish list, we hope to see the 2024 basic Kindle return to its all-time low of $79.99 and the 2024 Paperwhite fall to $124.99. However, we haven't had a sale since the Kindle price hikes, so we don't know if that will affect sale prices (though we imagine it will).
For now, Amazon has marked down prices on 2024 models in bundles. If you're eager to buy, you can save up to $130 already. But our advice? Hold out until Amazon's October Prime Day starts on Oct. 6 to shop for Kindles.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Essentials Bundle $125.97 at Amazon$201.97 Save $76 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Essentials Bundle $171.97 at Amazon
$256.97 Save $85.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition Essentials Bundle $201.97 at Amazon
$331.97 Save $130.00 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Colorsoft Signature Edition Essentials Bundle $343.97 at Amazon
$407.97 Save $64 Get Deal
I found 3 AirPods deals live ahead of October Prime Day (and 3 not live yet)
Don't be alarmed, but we're about a week away from October Prime Day.
The sale, officially dubbed Prime Big Deal Days, marks the start of the holiday shopping season, which is often a great time to grab tech like AirPods on sale.
The sale officially kicks off Oct. 6, but in the lead-up to the main event, our team will be tracking all the best AirPods deals. So far, we haven't seen any price drops on the newly announced AirPods 5 (more on that below), but we have seen some other promising price drops. As someone who tests and writes about headphones and earbuds year-round, I get why Apple users are willing to invest in AirPods. As a deals expert, I also much prefer to see folks grab AirPods on sale.
SEE ALSO: Early October Prime Day deals already live: Save on Apple, Beats, Fire TV, and GarminThe key to shopping these sales smartly is grabbing deals at just the right time. That's why I've rounded up the three best AirPods deals live so far, plus the three that you can wait on for the time being. Check them out below, and be sure to follow more of Mashable's October Prime Day coverage.
Best AirPods deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart$129 Save $30 Get Deal Why we picked this
The humble AirPods 4. What they lack in active noise cancellation, they make up for in a more appealing price point of $99. With the release of the AirPods 5, these are the last AirPods available without ANC. Maybe that's ideal for you, or maybe you simply appreciate the lower price point. In either case, this is likely the last holiday shopping season you can grab these buds on sale. Just note, they are still far from their record low price of $69, but their availability may be limited as we get further into the shopping season — they've already sold out at Amazon.
More AirPods dealsApple AirPods Pro 3 — $234 $249 (save $15)
Apple AirPods Max 2 — $479 $549 (save $70)
The AirPods 5 have only received one small deal — a $4 price drop — so far since their release on Sept. 18. Granted, they're still very new to the market, so even that price dip is notable. We're hoping that as we get further into holiday deal season, a slightly more substantial deal comes along.
The AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case haven't dropped in price just yet, so we're not holding our breath that they will, especially since they're still brand new. That said, October Prime Day would be a very appropriate time for a surprise deal, so the chance that we see even a small dip isn't zero. At the very least, grabbing them at full price is still likely a better deal than grabbing the AirPods 4 with ANC on sale (more on that below).
The AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation look like a good deal at $149 (down from $179), but there's a catch. Their newer analog, the AirPods 5 with Wireless Charging Case, has a list price of $149 and comes with an improved feature set, including better active noise cancellation and sound quality, with the same battery life. In other words, the AirPods 4 with ANC would have to be cheaper than $149 for this to be a deal worth picking up.
The 11 best phones of 2026, tested by experts
Apple recently announced the iPhone Duo, its first-ever foldable phone. It's not out until Oct. 23, but Mashable's Stan Schroeder got to spend a little time with it at Apple Park earlier this month. (Read his hands-on first impressions.) Look for preorders starting on Oct. 16.
Check back by the end of the month to see if the foldable iPhone Duo earns a spot in our guide to the top smartphones of the year.
Why are the best phones so expensive right now? The new Google Pixel 11 Pro has a $100 higher starting price than last year's Pixel 10 Pro. Credit: René Ramos / MashableIf you're in the market for a new phone right now, you should know that it'll cost you more than usual. The best phones were never cheap, but smartphone prices surged in 2026 amid a global RAM shortage driven by the AI boom (commonly known as "RAMageddon"). New AI data centers are hogging supplies of memory and SSD storage chips, driving up their prices. Consequently, consumer tech devices with memory components are also getting more expensive. RAMageddon price hikes have also taken their toll on laptops and gaming consoles.
SEE ALSO: Apple iPhone Duo vs. iPhone 18 Pro Max: How to decide between themSo far, we've seen Apple, Google, and Samsung all raise the prices of their new smartphones at launch. Apple also increased the prices of some older iPhones by $100 following its iPhone 18 Pro, 18 Pro Max, and Duo announcements. Meanwhile, as of Oct. 1, Samsung has raised prices on its S26 line by $100 to $200.
With this in mind, it's especially wise to shop around for deals and carrier promotions before buying your new phone. Trading in an older device is the easiest way to save several hundred dollars on an upgrade. Some carriers will give you a new phone for free (in the form of monthly bill credits) if you also sign up for a new line or certain data plans. For example, the new iPhone 18 Pro is free with eligible trade-ins and plans through AT&T and T-Mobile.
What's new Credit: Stan Schroeder / MashableIn early October 2026, I added two new picks to this guide after our latest round of testing:
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro is now our favorite iPhone for photography.
The Apple iPhone 18 Pro Max is our new battery life pick. It's rated for up to 45 hours of video playback per charge, which makes it the longest-lasting phone we've ever tried.
Released in fall 2025, the iPhone Air is Apple's thinnest phone ever. Its ultra-sleek design is appealing, but it has worse battery life and inferior cameras compared to the standard iPhone 17 (which runs on the same processor... and costs $200 less). We think it's a very pretty and well-made phone, but not one of the best overall. For more info, check out our iPhone Air review and our dedicated guide to the best iPhones.
A new NASA mission plan could capture light no space telescope now sees
NASA will move ahead with a new space telescope to see the cold, dusty universe far more sharply than any before it, chasing clues about where planets get their water.
Engineers will now refine the design of the Probe Far-infrared Mission for Astrophysics operation and test its technology. Called Prima for short, the mission could launch in the early 2030s if it passes a final agency review.
Prima fills a blind spot in humanity's view of space. Today, the James Webb Space Telescope captures stunning infrared images, and giant radio dishes on the ground pick up much longer, lower-energy signals. But no space telescope now watches the band of light between the two. With Prima, astronomers will have complete infrared coverage for the first time, said Alexandra Pope, who will lead the mission's science team.
"With the launch of the James Webb Space Telescope almost five years ago, we've pushed our understanding of the universe," said Pope, an astronomy professor at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, in a statement. "But we've also uncovered all sorts of mysteries and questions that Webb can't solve because it can't see the far-infrared part of the spectrum. That’s where Prima comes in."
SEE ALSO: How violent was that planet crash? Astronomers check the dust.Warm objects give off infrared light. Though human eyes can't see it, people feel it as heat. Webb mostly sees the shorter infrared waves, but Prima will target the longer "far-infrared" waves, ranging from about one-third the thickness of a human hair to about the thickness of two stacked sheets of paper.
Cold gas and dust glow in that longer light, and that makes it valuable. Cosmic dust blocks ordinary light the way smoke can conceal the flames of a fire. But far-infrared light slips right through that dust, so astronomers can spot newborn stars, growing black holes, and planet-building material that would otherwise stay hidden.
Astronomers have tried to see this light before, but nature fights them. Water vapor in Earth's air soaks up most far-infrared light, so telescopes on the ground catch only slivers of it. Anything warm also glows in infrared, including the telescope itself, and that glow drowns out faint signals from space. Europe's Herschel space telescope and NASA's SOFIA, a telescope that flew aboard a modified jumbo jet, both studied far-infrared light but are no longer in service. Since then, only instruments on high-flying balloons and mountaintops have glimpsed parts of this band.
Prima is expected to outperform its predecessors with an idea that started over coffee. In 1999, Caltech physicist Jonas Zmuidzinas and NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory engineer Rick LeDuc sat in a Peet's coffee shop near the Southern California campus and worked out how super-cold materials could detect far-infrared light. Over the next few years, they and their colleagues honed the design.
Prima's 5.9-foot mirror and sensors will chill down to hundreds of degrees below freezing. That should make the telescope vastly more advanced.
"In this less-explored wavelength band, the far infrared, we have a chance to leap forward in sensitivity by about a factor of a 1,000," Zmuidzinas said. "That's very rare."
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Prima is a new kind of mission for NASA dubbed "Probe Explorers." These missions fill the middle ground between NASA's small, frequent science missions and its giant flagship observatories, such as Webb and the recently launched Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope. A panel of top U.S. scientists recommended the category in 2020 so that NASA could have more big-impact science missions and at a lower price.
This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.NASA capped Prima's budget at $1.2 billion, not including the actual rocket launch. That price tag runs a fraction of the roughly $10 billion the agency spent on Webb.
Prima's science team will chase three big questions:How do planets get their water and air? The observatory will study about 200 disks of gas and dust around young stars, where planets form. It will track where water sits and how it might reach planets that could support life.
How did galaxies and their giant black holes grow up together? Nearly every large galaxy holds a supermassive black hole at its center. Prima will look back to the universe's busiest era, roughly 9 billion to 3 billion years ago, to learn how these pairs grow in step.
Where did the universe's ingredients come from? The Big Bang produced mostly hydrogen and helium. Stars later forged carbon, oxygen, and other elements that life needs, and much of that material ended up as dust. Prima will study that dust to try to trace the story.
For now, Pope is preparing for the long haul. Her students will help to build the tools for analyzing the telescope data.
"We will have to staff up for this for the next decade," she said. "We'll add a few postdoctoral researchers and grad students, and I'll be able to hire a small army of undergrads who can work on bite-sized pieces of the Prima science analysis."
The best early Target Deal Days to shop this weekend: We found live deals on laptops, headphones, and more
Target Circle Deal Days officially runs Oct. 6–7. If those dates sound familiar, it's because Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) falls on the exact same days.
Target originally introduced its Circle sale in 2019 to compete with Amazon's once-a-year summer event. Now that Amazon has stretched its sales calendar into the fall, Target is right there with them, dropping early holiday discounts for Circle members (it's free to join!) well before Black Friday even enters the chat.
SEE ALSO: 4 early Prime Day iPhone deals: We found the new iPhone 18 Pro for free (yes, really)But you don't have to wait for Oct. 6 to find a good deal. Target already has a handful of early discounts live for Circle members. Here are the best early Target Circle deals you can shop now.
Best Target Apple deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) $349.99 at Target$399.99 Save $50 Get Deal Why we like it
As you all know, we love a good Apple deal. Right now, you can get the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for $349.99, down from $399.99, at Target. That's a $50 discount, and it's the best deal you'll find on this watch right now — Best Buy's charging $499 (over the retail price), and Amazon doesn't even have it in stock.
The lowest price we've ever seen was $279 back in June, so it's definitely possible it could drop to that price again during Prime Day. But if you'd rather not wait, you can get it today for $50 off (not too shabby for a 2025 model).
More Apple dealsApple AirPods 4 (without ANC) — $99.99 $129.99 (save $30)
Apple AirPods 4 (with ANC) — $149.99 $179.99 (save $30)
$399.99 Save $100 Get Deal Why we like it
We're a little obsessed with the Sony XM5 headphones. Mashable's Deputy Shopping Editor, Miller Kern, awarded them a Mashable Choice Award in 2022, and we're still talking about them today thanks to their sleek design, noise cancelation, and "unbeatable sound quality."
And right now, you can get them for $299.99, down from $399.99. (Amazon has them for $298, if you want to save an extra buck.) That said, we did see these headphones drop to $198 during June's Prime Day event. It's totally up to you if you want to wait and see if Amazon hits that price again next week, but if you don't want to risk missing out, grabbing them for $100 off at Target today is a safe play.
Sony XM5 vs. XM6: See how they compare
More headphones dealsJBL Tune 530BT — $39.99 $59.99 (save $20)
Beats Solo Buds — $69.99 $79.99 (save $10)
Beats Studio Pro — $249.99 $399.99 (save $100)
$599.99 Save $300 Get Deal Why we like it
If you're looking for a budget-friendly laptop that doesn't skimp on features, the 14-inch HP HD Touchscreen Notebook (Intel N150, 4GB RAM, 128GB SSD) is currently on sale for (wait for it) $299.99 at Target. That's the lowest price we've ever tracked for this laptop.
That's honestly a crazy-good deal for a touchscreen laptop that comes with a wireless mouse and a one-year M365 subscription. It's also in a super cute colorway (Winter Lavender), which usually costs more, so this is def a deal we'd recommend jumping on.
Note: Amazon is matching this deal, but if you want to save even more and don't care about the extras (aka the mouse and M365 subscription), you can get it in Natural Silver at Best Buy for $219.99.
More laptop deals15.6-inch Refurbished Acer 315 Chromebook (Intel Celeron N4500 1.10GHz, 4GB RAM, 64GB FLASH) — $193.76 $279.99 (save $86.23)
14-inch HP Essential (Intel Celeron N4500, 16GB RAM, 64GB eMMC) — $359.99 $599.98 (save $239.99)
15.6-inch Lenovo V15 G4 (Ryzen 5, 16GB RAM, 1TB SSD) — $789.99 $1,316.65 (save $526.66)
How to watch USA vs. Mexico online for free
TL;DR: Watch USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly for free on TV Azteca. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
There are a number of really interesting soccer fixtures taking place this weekend, but USA vs. Mexico has got to be one of the best. This rivalry is always entertaining, and you know both sides will be desperate to claim a win. There's nothing friendly about this fixture.
USA are coming into this game off a convincing 4-2 win over Chile. Mexico were forced to settle for a 1-1 draw against Peru, but they'll be confident of producing an improved performance here.
If you're interested in watching USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is USA vs. Mexico?USA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly kicks off at 10 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the State Farm Stadium.
How to watch USA vs. Mexico for freeUSA vs. Mexico in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on TV Azteca.
TV Azteca is geo-restricted to Mexico, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can live stream USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream USA vs. Mexico for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in Mexico
Visit TV Azteca
Watch USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world
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 USA vs. Mexico without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for TV Azteca?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on TV Azteca, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Mexico
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $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 USA vs. Mexico for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
How to watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso online for free
TL;DR: Watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly for free on Telefe. Access this free livestream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
All the attention is on Lionel Messi's farewell fixture against Benin, but Argentina actually have another game to play before that emotional moment.
Argentina face off against Burkina Faso this weekend at the Estadio Monumental. They're coming off a comfortable victory over Bolivia and will expect another win here. Burkina Faso aren't weak opposition, but most fans will expect them to come up short here.
If you're interested in watching Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.
When is Argentina vs. Burkina Faso?Argentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly kicks off at 8 p.m. ET on Oct. 3. This fixture takes place at the Estadio Monumental.
How to watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for freeArgentina vs. Burkina Faso in an International Friendly is available to live stream for free on Telefe.
Telefe is geo-restricted to Argentina, but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Argentina, meaning you can live stream Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world.
Live stream Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free by following these simple steps:
Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (we recommend ExpressVPN)
Download the app to your device of choice
Open up the app and connect to a server in Argentina
Visit Telefe
Watch Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world
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 Argentina vs. Burkina Faso without committing your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream this fixture before recovering your investment.
What is the best VPN for Telefe?ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Telefe, for a number of reasons:
Servers in 105 countries, including Argentina
Easy-to-use app available on all major devices, including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more
Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure
Fast connection speeds free from throttling
Up to 10 simultaneous connections
30-day money-back guarantee
A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $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 Argentina vs. Burkina Faso for free from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.
How to get Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music for free: Everything you need to know
Don't say Amazon never gave you anything. Aside from the usual perks of being a Prime member (free delivery, exclusive deals, Prime Video access, Grubhub+, etc.), Amazon also offers subscription services for music and reading: Amazon Music Unlimited and Kindle Unlimited. And as a Prime member, there's a good chance you can get these services for free — at least for a limited time.
If you haven't already explored what Amazon's subscriptions for Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited have to offer, now's the perfect opportunity. With Prime Big Deal Days on the horizon, Amazon is dishing out deals left and right, including on its subscription services.
Here's everything you need to know to get both Kindle Unlimited and Amazon Music Unlimited for free this season.
What is Kindle Unlimited?Kindle Unlimited is a paid subscription service offered by Amazon to feed your reading habit. It's basically like Amazon's own library service, where you can borrow up to 20 books at a time (magazines don't count). Libby, the free library app, works pretty similarly. The main differences, besides the cost, are that there are no wait times for popular books and no time limits on borrowing books. You don't actually even need a Kindle device to use Kindle Unlimited.
The Kindle Unlimited library doesn't offer every book you can dream of; it has a rotating lineup. But as a paying subscriber myself, I can vouch for its lineup being pretty stacked. Amazon says there are over 5 million digital books, audiobooks, comics, manga, and magazines across all genres in the Kindle Unlimited library.
How to get Kindle Unlimited for freeIn the lead-up to the Prime Big Deal Days (aka October Prime Day) sale, Amazon is running a Kindle Unlimited promo that lets Prime members get their first three months free. The deal is available for both new and eligible returning subscribers who are also Prime members. If you're not a Prime member, there's still time to sign up and lock in this promotional offer. You'll have until the October Prime Day event wraps up on Oct. 8 to sign up for free.
Once the promotional offer ends, you'll be automatically charged full price unless you cancel.
Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Unlimited Kindle Unlimited Free for 3 months (with Prime) Get Deal How much does Kindle Unlimited cost?A Kindle Unlimited subscription costs $11.99 per month. There's only one membership tier and no annual memberships offered. There's typically a 30-day free trial available to new users, except during major events like Prime Day and Black Friday when that is extended to three months.
What is Amazon Music Unlimited?As the name suggests, Amazon Music Unlimited is an unlimited music streaming service similar to Apple Music or Spotify. It features a massive music catalog that you can listen to ad-free, on demand, and in high quality with HD and spatial audio. It also includes plenty of ad-free podcasts and one free audiobook per month via Audible.
How to get Amazon Music Unlimited for freeLike Kindle Unlimited, Amazon Music Unlimited is running a promo in the lead-up to the October Prime Day event. Prime members can lock in four free months of Amazon Music Unlimited's Individual Plan. Unlike the Kindle Unlimited offer, however, non-Prime members can also get a free three-month subscription. Either way, the deal is a limited-time offer available only to new subscribers. Just head to Amazon.com/music or download the app to get the deal.
Once your four (or three) months are up, you'll automatically be charged the full subscription cost unless you cancel. Set your calendar alerts now.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Music Unlimited Free for 4 months (with Prime) Get Deal How much does Amazon Music Unlimited cost?If you're a Prime member, Amazon Music Unlimited will cost you $11.99 per month for an Individual Plan. Not a Prime member? You'll pay a dollar more per month. There are also options for a Family Plan for $21.99 per month, a Single Device Plan for $6.99 per month, and a Student Plan for $5.99 per month.
Godzilla Minus Zero review: The epic monster melodrama fans have been roaring for
I have a confession and some good news. First, a confession: While watching Godzilla Minus Zero in a theater, I squealed and screamed in excitement loudly and repeatedly. I even threw my hands up at one point, as if I were going down the sharp hill of a rollercoaster ride. Now, good news: No one was any the wiser to my giddy noise. (And I wasn’t the only one whose hands took flight!)
The sequel to the critically acclaimed and fan-revered Godzilla Minus One offers a soundscape so rich in roars, along with a booming score, that I could barely hear my own screams. And bonus good news: You will likely echo my enthralled reaction, because Godzilla Minus Zero is awesome, in the classical sense of the word.
Godzilla Minus Zero is a sensational sequel. Hidetaka Yoshioka returns as Noda in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDSGodzilla Minus One writer/director Takashi Yamazaki returns, picking up his kaiju saga two years after the events of the last film. In Godzilla Minus Zero, Japanese pilot Shikishima (Ryunosuke Kamiki) is now a celebrated hero because of his ace flying in the final assault on Godzilla, which sent the massive monster back to the depths of the Pacific Ocean. His love, Noriko (Minami Hamabe), has healed from her wounds from Godzilla's attack, but wears a conspicuous eye patch. And their gleeful daughter, Akiko (Sae Nagatani), is the envy of a scrappy flock of war orphans cared for by their gruff but compassionate neighbor, Sumiko Ōta (Sakura Ando).
Meanwhile, friend of the family and silver fox with gorgeous hair Noda (Hidetaka Yoshioka) has been promoted to the head of a military unit dedicated to eliminating future kaiju threats. So, when a new creature rises, taking flight with a terrifying ferocity, Noda turns to some old friends for help.
Harkening back to the early Godzilla movies, Yamazaki balances scenes of massive monster destruction with sequences of human drama. The post-World War II melodrama in the first film revolved around Shikishima, a disgraced kamikaze pilot who was at first too cowardly to sacrifice himself for the greater good. In the finale, he finally risked his life to topple Godzilla — and he survived! And this time, the public opinion on such an escape shifted in his favor.
In its sequel, he is challenged to risk their safety to build a better future for Akiko. After the long battle for Shikishima to even acknowledge the love his family cobbled together in the ruins of war, it's a thrill to see him so openly affectionate with both — and a brutal blow to realize he is once again risking everything to preserve them.
Godzilla Minus Zero goes harder than any Godzilla movie before. Noriko (Minami Hamabe) wears an eyepatch in "Godzilla Minus Zero." Credit: GKIDSIn the franchise's 70-year history, Godzilla Minus Zero is the first of these films to be rated R. Yamazaki uses this as an opportunity to turn jaded adult viewers into giddy kids again, freshly awed by the might of these monsters.
As has been teased in advertising around the movie, Godzilla Minus Zero sees the rise of Ghidorah, an extraterrestrial dragon with wings and gravity beams that allow it to lift buildings from their foundations and drop them like bombs. Far from the clunky costumed actors of the original films, Yamazaki's crew has built a monster that is seamlessly realized and absolutely electrifying.
First, Ghidorah attacks Matsumoto City, turning the daily lives of civilians into a waking nightmare. These scenes of devastation are exciting and disturbing, reconfiguring the gruesome realities of war with a sci-fi bend that makes them distinctly harrowing. But things get even more intense when Godzilla returns for a monster-versus-monster battle. In these sequences, the R rating allows Yamazaki to take the damage against these iconic creatures to a jaw-dropping extreme. The gore is shocking and exciting in these sequences. But elsewhere, graphic violence is used for a more humane purpose.
Echoing the previous movie's message about the horrors of war, Godzilla Minus Zero introduces new character who is a hibakusha (a survivor of the Hiroshima bombing). Through his perspective, the graphic evisceration of atomic weaponry is made horrifyingly clear. Men, women, and children melted and scorched beyond recognition. It is soberingly horrendous.
This is a brilliant balance of violence. With the monsters, the battles resurrect the wonder I experienced watching those original movies on battered VHS tapes, lying belly down on my friend’s fuzzy living room carpeting. Then, the toll taken on human bodies demands audiences recognize the difference between these fun fantasies of violence and the terrible truth of it in the name of war.
Knitted together with outstanding visual effects and an earnest ensemble, Godzilla Minus Zero is truly epic. It demands to be seen in theaters, where its visuals can hit like an atomic breath and its soundscape can rattle your very bones.
Let yourself be swallowed by that roar. You won't regret it.
Godzilla Minus Zero was reviewed out of the New York Film Festival. The movie opens in theaters and IMAX on Nov. 6.
Turn complicated projects into manageable plans with this $50 Microsoft tool
TL;DR: Get things done more efficiently with this Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows, on sale now for just $49.97 (reg. $1,129.99) through Oct. 4.
Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Project Professional 2024: Lifetime License for Windows $49.97$1,129.99 Save $1,080.02 Get Deal
Calendars can show you when a project is due, but dates don’t really help you figure out how all the pieces need to fit together. That’s where Microsoft Project Professional 2024 comes in, serving as your very own personal project assistant to help you plan, execute, and complete projects.
Right now, you can lock in a Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows for just $49.97 until tomorrow, Oct. 4, at 11:59 p.m. PT.
Getting a project done requires more than a basic to-do list. Microsoft Project Professional 2024 serves as your own project management tool, helping you take your tasks from start to finish.
Microsoft Project Professional 2024’s user-friendly interface makes it easy to get started. It’s packed with pre-built templates ready to help keep your projects on track. Submit timesheets to see how much time has been spent on project and non-project work, or look at intuitive baselines that let you track and compare your actual progress against the original plan.
If you’re more visual, Microsoft Project Professional 2024 makes it easy to view complex schedules with multiple built-in timelines. It also allows you to run what-if scenarios.
Collaborating with others is easy with Microsoft Project Professional 2024 — just hover over your team members’ names to see their online status and then start a chat or call with them on Microsoft Teams.
This lifetime license for Windows is tied to your PC, not your Microsoft account, so you can enjoy permanent access on your device.
Snag this Microsoft Project Professional 2024 lifetime license for Windows for just $49.97 through tomorrow.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Stop guessing which AI is best: Get GPT, Claude, and Gemini for under $100
TL;DR: A lifetime subscription to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan is $99.99 (reg. $540). That’s 81% off, and it includes 4 million credits per month for a long list of AI models.
Opens in a new window Credit: 1minAI 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan Lifetime Subscription $99.99$540 Save $440.01 Get Deal
One AI writes cleaner copy. Another handles code better. A third is stronger in research. Keeping up with which one does what, and paying for each, gets old quickly.
1min.AI puts them in one app, so you can stop guessing. For a limited time, the Advanced Business Plan is $99.99 for life.
You can chat with models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, Meta, Mistral, and Cohere, including GPT-5.5 Pro, Claude 4.6 Sonnet, and Gemini 3.1 Pro. Try the same prompt across a few of them and keep the answer you like. For more on how these models compare, check out Mashable’s [AI coverage](INTERNAL LINK: Mashable AI category page).
1min.AI also includes task-specific tools like a summarizer, paraphraser, and grammar checker. It also has image tools for generation, upscaling, and background removal.
There are PDF and document tools, plus audio and video features such as text-to-speech, transcription, and text-to-video. The plan supports up to 20 team members and works on the web, Windows, Mac, iPhone, iPad, and Android.
Here’s the catch. Everything runs on credits. The plan includes 4 million per month, plus up to 450,000 more if you log in daily. That works out to roughly 1.1 million words or about 1,186 images per month. Heavier tasks like video use credits much faster, and flagship models may burn through them quicker. You’ll also need to redeem your code within 30 days of purchase.
If you use AI often and want to stop switching between apps, this is worth a look. Get a lifetime subscription to the 1min.AI Advanced Business Plan for $99.99 (reg. $540).
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Verity ending explainer: What should audiences believe?
Colleen Hoover's best-selling novel Verity has been adapted into a star-studded movie, headlined by Anne Hathaway, Josh Hartnett, and Dakota Johnson. Together, this trio makes up a torrid love triangle defined as much by dark desires as by lies and manipulation. So, in the end, who are we meant to believe?
Mashable is going full spoilers. Proceed with caution.
What's Verity about? Credit: Amazon MGM StudiosVerity centers on Lowen Ashleigh (Johnson), a novelist who's been published but largely overlooked. However, a life-changing career opportunity presents itself when a publisher asks her to ghostwrite three novels for best-selling novelist Verity Crawford (Hathaway), who writes all her books from the perspective of their villains. Part of the job entails traveling to the Crawford home, which is a remote cabin near a lake, to go through Verity's office and files for notes on how the series should continue.
Why can't Verity just send along notes? Following a car crash, Verity cannot walk or talk. So, her husband Jeremy (Hartnett) invites Lowen to stay with them and their young son Crew (Brady Wagner), while she goes through the notes. During her time in the cabin, Lowen not only begins to be enchanted by Verity's home, child, and husband, but also uncovers a manuscript called So Be It. Written by Verity, this appears to be a memoir where the author confesses her darkest thoughts.
Spooked by this memoir, Lowen begins to suspect that Verity is not actually injured as she appears. Could she be sneaking around the house when no one's looking? And to what end?
What's in Verity's memoir, So Be It? Credit: Amazon MGM StudiosThe story unfurled in the memoir begins with the night Verity met Jeremy at a party. She recounts how obsessed they became with each other, and how devastated she was when he would go off to work. So, she began to write a novel, filling her days with a fictional version of him named Lane.
According to So Be It, Jeremy is in awe of her when he reads the first novel. But outside the memoir, he tells Lowen that he never read another of his wife's Noble Virtues books, because he didn't like getting into her head like that. This is reflected in So Be It.
In the memoir, Verity equates his refusal to read her other work as a form of rejection. The more major blow, though, is how he loves their not-yet-born twins more than her. While pressing his face to her bulging belly, he says that his love for their children is unconditional, not like their love, which is "conditional." Verity's eyes well up as she says she loves Jeremy unconditionally, and he placatingly agrees. But here, a dark seed appears to be planted: the resentment of her children.
Other flashbacks show how Verity neglects her children, focusing instead on her own pleasures, like napping and writing novels. Over years, this selfishness festers to a murderous loathing of the kids, whom her husband loves more than her. So, she plots to drown them with a canoe ride in the lake — with no life vests.
Her son Crew survives, but her daughter Harper drowns. And to her dismay, this tragedy doesn't send Jeremy back into her arms, but into a depressive funk. The manuscript's title comes from her final confession, which begins with "So be it." She plans to kill herself by driving into a tree.
Lowen reads this final section with shock, believing that this is exactly what happened leading up to Verity's current circumstance. From there, she decides Verity is a villain, like the ones in her Noble Virtues novels, and so Lowen feels emboldened to steal the lifestyle that she feels Verity doesn't "deserve."
How does Verity end? Credit: Amazon MGM StudiosLowen turns the manuscript over to Jeremy. He reads the seeming confession and, in a fit of rage, kills Verity by suffocating her.
Far from a helpless witness, Lowen gives him advice on how to "make it look like an accident" so they can get away with murder, and start a new life together. After dumping the dead wife in the lake, the pair hook up, resulting in Lowen getting pregnant.
Seven months later, Lowen boasts a big, pregnant belly as Jeremy and his son Crew tidy up the cabin preparing to move somewhere else with her. It's during the last look at the house that Crew reveals his secret hiding spot, where he's been keeping his secret drawings — and where his mother hid a letter to Jeremy.
What's in Verity's hidden letter? Credit: Amazon MGM StudiosAnother version of Verity appears in the handwritten letter Lowen finds at the end of the film. Here, she tells Jeremy that if he's found this letter, it means she and Crew are far away and safe.
In the letter, she says So Be It was not a confession but a coping method. The idea came years before from her publisher, who'd suggested getting into the mindset of a villain with a writing exercise of creating a diary about her everyday life with a "sinister" tone. Verity found this exercise helpful in writing her novels. Then, once Harper drowned, she used it as a way to explore her grief. She didn't expect Jeremy to find it and believe it was true.
In the letter, she laments that he hadn't read her writing in years. Why would he have looked at the open file on her computer? Why would he not give her a chance to explain? Instead, the letter alleges, Jeremy committed to fatal vengeance. He drugged her and put her in a vehicle, setting up to kill her through a car crash, just like in So Be It.
When she awoke from the crash, she decided to play being paralyzed until she could escape with Crew. Verity feared that if she told anyone what happened, Jeremy would turn over the memoir to the authorities as if it were a confession, and she might be arrested for Harper's death and separated from her only surviving child.
Lowen reads this, horrified, gripping her pregnant belly. Did she kill an innocent woman to steal a wife-abusing murderer?
Which version of Verity is real?Both Hoover's novel and director Michael Showalter's movie end with Lowen wondering which version of Verity is the true one. Notably, Verity's name means truth. But let's regard the clues. The first involves access.
In the film, Lowen finds the manuscript for So Be It in Verity's desk, tucked away inside a packet of cigarettes on a jump drive. The manuscript, while seeming to confess to being a bad mother and a child murderer, is not password-protected.
By contrast, the handwritten letter, scribbled out across pages torn from a notebook, is hidden within the floorboards of the lake house, which no one but Crew knew was a hiding place.
The access to these items suggests the letter was the secret, while the memoir was something Verity didn't think she needed to hide. An alternate reading could be that Jeremy, who gave Lowen full access to his wife's office after liking her book, planted the jump drive where he thought she might find it. But the preserved pages under the floorboards suggest he didn't know about the letter at all.
The second curious element of So Be It versus the letter is how Showalter depicts Verity in the flashbacks of each. For the memoir, she is always flawlessly groomed, her hair long and shining, draped over snug dresses or cashmere cardigans the color of fresh blood. Her skin is radiant. Her expressions are theatrically arch, recalling the psycho-biddy theatrics of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane. And to that end, from her bold red lips comes an accent that is vaguely Transatlantic, emphasizing that Verity as a villain is a larger-than-life character, enhanced by Lowen's fantasy.
By contrast, the Verity shown in the letter's flashbacks is far less fantastical. Verity's skin is blotchy. Her eyes aren't sharp but clouded with tears. Her mouth is not a painted smile, but a pained frown of grief. This Verity looks more like the version Lowen saw around the house, stripped of her veneer of glamour and impenetrability.
Then there's one little moment that feels like a tipping point into which version of Verity rings most true.
Once Lowen reveals to Jeremy the memoir manuscript, he barrels into the bedroom bellowing at Verity, demanding to know if she's faking her infirmity. At first, she's still and stoic, as she was when Lowen tested her by stabbing her palm with a pushpin. But then, her facade cracks. She puts out an open palm toward her husband in a gesture of pause, and begs him not to hurt her. He then throttles her.
This simple, panicked request reflects the Verity of the still-undiscovered letter, which would accuse her husband of attacking her and trying to murder her because he believed she'd killed their daughter. She doesn't smirk or seduce to wiggle her way out of this conflict; she begs for mercy. That doesn't seem in like with the So Be It Verity. It seems the fearful reaction of a woman who knows exactly how dangerous the man in her life is.
Of course, the truth could lie somewhere in between. And for Lowen, believing the truth is more complicated might be the only way she can sleep at night... especially sharing a bed with Jeremy.
Verity is now in theaters.
21 early October Prime Day tech deals, hand-picked by our gadget-obsessed experts
Mashable's discerning reporters and editors are constantly testing the latest gadgets, from e-readers to headphones, laptops, phones, power stations, smart rings, and portable speakers. This year, many of our favorite products have been besieged by price hikes as a result of the ongoing memory crisis. Fortunately, Amazon is about to bring tech shoppers some relief in the form of Prime Big Deal Days, better known as October Prime Day.
Set for Oct. 6 and 7, Prime Big Deal Days is a 48-hour sale for members of Amazon's Prime program. Often referred to as "October Prime Day," it serves as Amazon's unofficial kickoff to the holiday shopping season. We've been covering the event since its inception in 2022, back when it was still called the Prime Early Access Sale. And this year, we'll be keeping an extra close eye on the best early Prime Day tech deals.
SEE ALSO: Try Amazon Prime for free for 30 days to get access to October Prime Day 2026In the lead-up to the sale, Amazon is already offering some steep discounts on select devices from brands like Apple, TCL, Garmin, Beats, and Sony. After spending hours poring over these deals, we've identified the best early Prime Day deals that are so good, we'd buy them ourselves.
How do we pick these deals? We look for products we recommend at record-low prices (or close to them). We use price-tracking tools like camelcamelcamel to see if Amazon's discounts are actually better than usual, then cross-check them with other retailers' listings to make sure they're not cheaper elsewhere. (Walmart and Target are both gearing up to host their own October sales, FYI.) You can add our picks to your cart with confidence. And if we expect prices to drop lower in the days ahead, we'll be sure to tell you that.
So, without any further ado, these are the best early October Prime Day deals we've spotted so far.
$99 AirPods (a Prime Day classic)It wouldn't be an Amazon Prime event without some $99 AirPods. But, ironically, before the sale officially begins, you can also grab these earbuds for $99 at Walmart. That could change come Oct. 6, as Amazon may be holding back some inventory for Prime Big Deal Days.
Apple's fourth-generation earbuds have excellent audio quality, a comfortable fit, and a five-hour battery life. The newer AirPods 5 sound even better and add ANC, but this pair is still a great option for iOS users on a budget. (Read Mashable's review.)
Note: The AirPods 4 dipped down to $69 last Black Friday, but $99 is their lowest price so far in 2026. Plus, they probably won't be in stock much longer now that their successors have launched.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirPods 4 $99 at Walmart$129 Save $30 Get Deal Take $600 off Apple's most powerful laptop
If you're a professional creative, developer, or AI enthusiast who needs a compact new laptop for work, you'd be hard-pressed to find a better option than the 14-inch, M5 Max-powered MacBook Pro. (The M5 Max is Apple's most powerful laptop chip to date.) The "base" configuration with 36GB of RAM and 2TB of storage got a $500 price increase back in June, which bumped it from $3,599 to $4,099. But right now, Amazon has it on sale for just $3,499 — a $600 savings. It's even cheaper than before.
I should mention that Amazon's MacBook Pro discounts have capped out around $400 during its past Prime events. Suffice to say, this is a very good deal that probably won't last long.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple MacBook Pro, 14-inch (M5 Max, 36GB RAM, 2TB SSD) $3,499 at Amazon$4,099 Save $600 Get Deal Cheaper-than-ever Fire tablets
Two of Amazon's own Fire tablets are already on sale for record-low prices ahead of Prime Big Deal Days. Take your pick from the compact Fire HD 8 with 64GB of storage — our favorite Fire tablet overall — or the big-screened Fire HD 10 with 32GB of storage, nicer cameras, and a sharper display. (Both have 13-hour battery lives.) They're now up to 53% off for Prime members.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 8 (64GB) $79.99 at Amazon$129.99 Save $50.00 Prime membership required. Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire HD 10 (32GB) $72.99
$154.99 Save $82.00 Prime membership required. Get Deal Get 46% off a 4K streaming stick
Amazon's Fire tablets have been safe from price hikes so far, but the retailer raised the prices of all its Fire TV streaming sticks by at least $5 in August. The 4K Plus model went from $49.99 to $69.99. Nevertheless, Amazon will sell it to you for just $37.99 right now. (You can also try the coupon code STREAM4K, as we've seen it work at times this week.)
FWIW, this is Amazon's cheapest media player with support for Dolby Vision, Dolby Atmos, Nvidia Geforce Now, and Alexa Home Theater (a surround sound feature that works with Echo devices).
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K Plus $37.99 at Amazon$69.99 Save $32.00 Get Deal A new all-time low on an Apple Watch alternative
Garmin's vívoactive 6 is a lightweight fitness smartwatch with an AMOLED display and an 11-day battery life. It supports features like constant heart rate readings, stress tracking, and sleep coaching. Our friends over at Lifehacker, one of our sister sites, gave it a stellar 4.5/5 review, calling it "a great watch for somebody who wants to track their steps and activity."
Opens in a new window Credit: Garmin Garmin vívoactive 6 (42mm) $229.99 at Amazon$299.99 Save $70 Get Deal A huge discount on a huge QLED TV
The 65-inch TCL QM8L is the best QLED TV for most people, according to Leah Stodart, our former TV expert. She praised its "superb peak brightness, detailed picture quality, and fantastic glare handling." (QLED TVs in general "are ideal for people whose TV usage happens mostly in the daytime, especially watching sports," to quote her TV specs guide.)
Right now, the 85-inch QM8L is available for $2,797.99, which is a good price. However, we do expect this TV to go on sale for $2,497.99 or less once October Prime Day begins Oct. 6, so hold out if you can.
Opens in a new window Credit: TCL TCL 85-inch QM8L SQD-Mini-LED QLED 4K TV $2,497.99 at Amazon$3,999.99 Save $1,502 Get Deal Affordable Fire TVs
The best early Prime Day tech deals always include savings on Amazon's own devices, like the affordable 40-inch Ember Fire TV. This TV has a high-definition HDR10+ display and doubles as an Alexa smart speaker for your home. The 28% discount drops the price to a very affordable $179.99, its lowest-ever price.
And if you're looking for a cheap TV with a little bit more oomph, the 50-inch QLED Ember Fire TV is currently $100 off.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 40-inch 2-Series Fire TV $179.99 at Amazon$249.99 Save $70 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Ember 55-inch QLED Series Fire TV $489.99 at Amazon
$589.99 Save $100 Get Deal Save $10 when you preorder the 'Ocarina of Time' remake
Nintendo's upcoming remake of The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time for the Switch 2 will be one of the year's biggest gaming releases (after GTA 6, obviously). Preordering the physical edition will normally cost you $69.99 — it's $10 more than the digital version — but Amazon has it on sale for $59.88 ahead of its Nov. 5 launch. The first print run has special packaging with foil cover art, so don't dawdle.
Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time" (Nintendo Switch 2) $59.88 at Amazon$69.99 Save $10.11 Get Deal DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo
Our tech editor reviewed this classic DJI vlogging camera when it first came out. At the time, we called it the perfect camera for social creators, and we were right. Since then, this camera has become a very common sight at tech events, conferences, and anywhere else streamers and creators get together.
The new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 can be hard to find in the United States, but the previous-gen version is hardly out of date. This gimbal camera shoots gorgeous 4K vertical and horizontal video, and uses the built-in gimbal for tracking and motion stabilization.
Read our review of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 camera.
Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Osmo Pocket 3 Creator Combo $549 at Amazon$629 Save $80 Get Deal Best deal under $50: Ugreen power bank
Whether you're on team Android or iOS, this power bank will give your smartphone a second life. This has not been a good year to buy a new phone, thanks to rising prices, so if your battery is holding on for dear life, just slip this power bank into your purse or backpack and avoid low-battery anxiety. It charges your phone via an included USB-C cable at a speedy 45W.
Opens in a new window Credit: Ugreen Ugreen Nexode Pro 10000mAh 45W Mini Power Bank $37.97 at Amazon$54.99 Save $17.02 Get Deal Best deal under $25: Apple AirTags
Apple released a new generation of AirTag trackers this year, the AirTag 2. The popular Apple tracker is already at an all-time low price, and we don't expect it to get any cheaper in the days ahead. You can also grab the 4-pack on sale for $89, though we're hoping that price drops to $79.99 soon.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple AirTag (2nd Gen) $24 at Amazon$29 Save $5 Get Deal Best deal under $15: Amazon smart plug
This little gadget always goes on sale during Amazon sales, and so we're hardly surprised that it's one of the retailer's early Prime Day deals for October 2026. You can add this smart plug to your cart for just $12.98, a nearly 50% discount. If you're trying to spend every last penny of an Amazon gift card, go ahead and add it to your shopping cart.
Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Smart Plug $12.98 at Amazon$24.99 Save $12.01 Get Deal Deals on SanDisk memory products
The global memory crisis has led to rising costs for smartphones, laptops, and gaming consoles, but it's been a disaster for SD cards and hard drives. So, while the discounts aren't as huge as they were in past years, you can find savings on these memory products during October Prime Big Deal Days. We've found a bunch of early Prime Day deals on portable SSDs and hard drives, and we expect even more savings to come.
Case in point: The SanDisk Nintendo Switch 2 microSD Card Express is currently $40 off. Likewise, you can save $40 on the popular SanDisk Extreme portable SSD with 1TB of storage.
Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk SanDisk microSD Express Card for Switch 2, 512GB $159.99 at Amazon$199.99 Save $40 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: SanDisk Sandisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD $256.98 at Amazon
$299.99 Save $43.01 Get Deal Best subscription deal
This exclusive deal is for Prime members only, and it's a good one. For a limited time, Prime members can sign up for four months of Audible for just $0.99. You'll also get a $20 Audible credit to spend as you like.
Our advice? Take advantage of this deal and set a calendar reminder three months and 29 days in the future.
Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible $0.99 for 4 months + $20 Audible credit Get Deal Cheap wireless earbuds for under $25If you're hoping to buy flagship-quality noise-cancelling earbuds, then wait for Prime Big Deal Days to begin, as we're expecting big discounts on Apple, Sony, and Bose earbuds. However, if you're prone to losing earbuds and just need something simple for everyday use, the popular Anker Soundcore P30i Earbuds are already at a record-low price of $24.99.
Opens in a new window Credit: Anker Anker Soundcore P30i Noise-Cancelling Earbuds $24.99 at Amazon$49.99 Save $25.00 Get Deal Deals to watch: Bose QuietComfort headphones and earbuds on sale
We've made no secret of the fact that we love Bose headphones and earbuds here at Mashable. The brand makes the most comfortable headphones we've ever tested, and the brand's popular QuietComfort line recently got refreshed.
Earlier this week, you could get the Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) and the QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2) for $50 off, but this deal has ended. However, we are very confident these products will get even bigger discounts when the Prime Big Deal Days sale starts on Tuesday, Oct. 6
Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds (Gen 2) $249.99 at Amazon$299.99 Save $50 Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones (Gen 2) $399.99 at Amazon
$449.99 Save $50 Get Deal More Apple deals to watch
Some of the best early Prime Day tech deals so far are on Apple's iPads — or, at least, they were. As of this weekend, Apple's iPads are no longer on sale. That's the bad news. The good news is we fully expect the base iPad, the M4 iPad Air, and hopefully the M5 iPad Pro to get discounts in the coming days.
In the meantime, check out our guide to all of the October Prime Day iPad deals we expect this year.
Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple iPad Air (M4), 11 inches $649 at Amazon$749 Save $100 Get Deal
