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Matriculating college students are beginning their higher education journeys with an AI-assisted bump — or so tech companies want you to think.

According to a 2024 global survey of students by the Digital Education Council, more than half used AI tools on a weekly basis. The most common was ChatGPT, as well as tools like Grammarly and Microsoft CoPilot. Educators report students leaning on chatbots to complete assignments, streamline research, and even write college admissions essays.

But nearly the same percentage of students reported that they didn't feel equipped with the skills necessary to use and understand AI. A vast majority said they were discouraged by their university's integration of the modern tech. A recent Gallup poll of students around the country revealed nearly half were unsure of their school's stance on AI.

As universities contend with the potential consequences of generative AI use, students themselves are feeling the pressure, and even excitement, to use it more and more.

SEE ALSO: I tried learning from AI tutors. The test better be graded on a curve. AI partnerships vs. AI policies 

Behind the mass adoption of generative AI in university systems is a push from AI companies to pen official deals with educational leaders. To this end, most major AI developers have launched educational products, including tutor modes for their chatbots and broad licensing options for universities.

Part of ChatGPT for Education, OpenAI has announced educational partnerships with Harvard Business School, University of Pennsylvania's Wharton College, Duke, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), UC San Diego, UC Davis, Indiana University, Arizona State University, Mount Sinai's Ichan School of Medicine, and the entire California State University (CSU) System — OpenAI's collaboration with CSU schools is the largest ChatGPT deployment yet. But there are dozens more, an OpenAI spokesperson told Mashable, that haven't made their ChatGPT partnerships public.

Ed Clark, chief information officer for CSU, told Mashable that the decision to partner with OpenAI came from a survey of students that showed many were already signing up for AI accounts using their student emails — faculty and staff were too. "One of the concerns, as an access institution, was there are folks in our system that can afford the $30 per month and there are many folks that can't," he explained. "It was about access and equity, and addressing this digital divide that was already occurring, not only within our system, but across the country and beyond."

The system's AI advisory committee urged administrators to ensure equitable AI access, and while the partnership is still in its infancy, Clark said that students have been eager. Of more than 140,000 CSU community members who have enabled their accounts, Clark said, around 80 percent are students. The other 20 percent are comprised of faculty and staff. "The adoption is clearly growing the quickest with our student population."

Google offers its Google AI Pro plan and Gemini chatbot to college students for free, and is in over 1,000 U.S. higher education institutions, according to a recent blog post. These numbers are due in part to its AI for Education Accelerator, which offers schools free access to AI products and training certificates. 

The company also announced a partnership with California Community Colleges, offering "2 million students and faculty across the state’s 116 community colleges with free access to AI training, Google Career Certificates, and some of Google's cutting-edge AI tools including Gemini for Education and NotebookLM." It's considered the largest highest education system in the country. 

Anthropic, maker of chatbot Claude and its accompanying Claude for Education program, has taken a slower approach to educational partnerships. So far only, Northeastern University, London School of Economics (LSE), the University of San Francisco Law School, Northumbria University, Champlain College, and Breda University of Applied Sciences have announced Claude for Education investments. "Many universities prefer to manage their own communications about AI adoption, and we respect their preferences around timing and messaging," an Anthropic spokesperson told Mashable, explaining that more schools are using Claude than are publicly shared. 

Microsoft offers AI tools, including CoPilot for Web and CoPilot in 365, for schools through its 365 office suite. Students can now get Microsoft CoPilot for free, as well. 

An official partnership with an AI company, which Clark explains usually comes with a high initial cost and an array of enterprise features, differs from a university's policies on the use of generative AI, though. 

Most guidelines governing the use of AI are grouped under academic integrity or honesty policies (students, definitely read them). The specifics can vary by school, department, and individual professors within a larger university — an onus that many educators say is too much for them to handle, as the already over-burdened workforce battles new methods for cheating. 

Take New York University's policy, for example: "Because of [AI's] novelty and flexibility, there are few standard approaches to its use beyond an institution-wide restriction on taking credit for AI output without acknowledging its use. Most policies will be set by the schools or by individual faculty members. Check with your school or department to see if there are local policies."

Universities more closely regulate the use of AI by faculty and researchers — for reasons like data privacy and academic ethics — in many cases. But that may not be where it is most needed. According to a meta analysis of faculty and student surveys, AI adoption among educators lags steeply behind student use. Some surveys report that over 85 percent of students have used generative AI for coursework. 

A web of stances and policies on AI  

A lot of that student use could be on personal accounts, but many students have been encouraged by university administrations to take advantage of their generative AI services. Others have granted only limited access to students, or mandated clearer processes for acknowledging AI use in coursework, like a new AI Disclosure Form currently being used by students at American University's business school. Some seem to be pushing it to the back burner. 

Ivy Leagues 

America's Ivy League system — which includes Brown, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Harvard, University of Pennsylvania, Princeton, and Yale — doesn't have a blanket policy for generative AI use. 

Yale, for example, built the AI Clarity platform and chatbot to help staff and students access AI tools like ChatGPT, as well as CoPilot and Gemini services. The university offers many resources on AI, and even encourages students not to use it as a replacement for learning. But "each course at Yale sets its own policies for using AI. Using AI when it’s not authorized in a course constitutes academic dishonesty," the university writes. 

For now, Princeton students can only access Microsoft CoPilot chat and Adobe's AI image generation tools. Use of other generative AI falls under the school's Rights, Rules, and Responsibilities, which prohibit using non-Princeton AI tools to fulfill academic requirements: "If generative AI is permitted by the instructor (for brainstorming, outlining, etc.), students must disclose its use rather than cite or acknowledge the use, since it is an algorithm rather than a source."

Columbia has also licensed ChatGPT for student use, and has issued an overarching generative AI policy for staff and students. But it's more clear on student use than others: "Absent a clear statement from a course instructor granting permission, the use of Generative AI tools to complete an assignment or exam is prohibited. The unauthorized use of AI shall be treated similarly to unauthorized assistance and/or plagiarism." 

Keep in mind, much of the liability falls on users: You can't put confidential or personal information into generative AI programs, its use must be disclosed, and any output of an AI is your sole responsibility. 

Public and private systems 

Duke University, one of a few private schools that recently announced a ChatGPT Edu partnership, gives students unlimited access to the ChatGPT default model and even lets students migrate their personal accounts to student accounts. As for policies on using gen AI, Duke's Community Standard says any unauthorized use of generative AI is treated as cheating. But teachers are encouraged to write their own policies on how, if, and when generative AI may be used. 

California's many colleges vary quite a bit. The California community college system's public partnership with Google, for example, shouldn't be confused with the California State University system's massive collaboration with OpenAI. And every school within those systems will have varying AI policies. 

CSU schools, Clark explained, got to choose if and how they deployed the ChatGPT Education platform, according to their own AI stances. Students at large can access general AI resources from faculty, experts, and all of their AI partners on the system's AI Commons website. 

The University of California system schools are entirely different, too. UC San Diego, a ChatGPT Edu partner, also licenses and has built its own in-house AI assistant known as TritonGPT, which uses Meta's Llama model. UC Irvine has taken a similar approach, building its own ZotGPT AI, but also contracting with CoPilot and Gemini. 

Tech and research institutions 

Many research institutions are directly investing in AI research and are figuring out ways to responsibly make gen AI tools and LLMs available to students and staff.

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), for example, has approved licenses for Adobe's generative AI tools, Google Gemini and Notebook LM, and Microsoft CoPilot — that means all student accounts can access them. ChatGPT (the advanced version) is only available for faculty use. According to MIT's policies, the use of generative AI tools must be disclosed for all academic, educational, and research-related uses. 

While the California Institute of Technology (CalTech) offers CoPilot to students and has been reviewing ChatGPT for faculty and staff, it warns users that the use of unlicensed AI tools carries risks. Like many other research-focused schools, AI use is permitted, but at the discretion of faculty and with definitive disclosure and privacy requirements. 

Georgia Tech has approved the use of the full suite of Microsoft AI tools and says it is exploring ChatGPT Edu, but the OpenAI tool is not approved for student use yet. DeepSeek is entirely prohibited on the campus. The use of other gen AI tools is the responsibility of professors and specific course guidelines.

AI is bolstered by student demand 

OpenAI recently announced the ChatGPT Lab for Students program, a pilot that connects AI student enthusiasts with OpenAI's developers, gaining early access to features and providing feedback. Students "will leave the program with a broader understanding of how to use AI in their own lives, new relationships with a special group of passionate peers, and insights into how OpenAI builds products and shapes its storytelling," OpenAI explained in a call for applicants. 

OpenAI's spokesperson also explained that they've seen a rise in student community groups and AI-focused clubs across U.S. campuses, where students learn the science behind AI and encourage its use among their peers. Students at UPenn's Wharton College, for example, run both the AI & Analytics Club for MBA students and the Wharton Artificial General Intelligence Collective (WAGIC) under the campuses' AI and Analytics Initiative. Columbia University Business School students operate the Artificial Intelligence Club. 

Clark said students across the CSU system have already taken advantage of ChatGPT Edu's platform by building their own bots — students at Cal Poly in San Luis Obispo designed a scheduling bot for picking courses and extracurricular activities, for example. 

Anthropic runs student ambassador programs and Claude builder clubs, too.  

It's not just at the college level. If you were to Google "AI student clubs," you'll probably come across SAILea, an initiative to build out a network of AI clubs across high schools run by students from Duke, Georgia Tech, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. 

Students in the U.S. and Canada have become spokespersons for companies like OpenAI. They're demoing new tools — like ChatGPT Study Mode — for the public, peers, and press, and they're increasingly getting a seat at the table.

The C7 generation of America’s sports car offers supercar performance without the six-figure price tag, making it one of the best bargains on the used market. With sharp handling, a thundering V-8, and unmistakable styling, it delivers an exotic driving experience at a fraction of the cost of European rivals. For enthusiasts seeking maximum thrills per dollar, it’s hard to beat.

Building a smart home is easier than ever, but building a smart home that meets your expectations is a little trickier. Much of the time, your smart home’s trajectory is determined by the very first purchases you make.

Less than 24 hours after receiving attention and going viral, the Neon Mobile app has already exposed users' phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts.

Just yesterday, Mashable covered a viral new app that was rising up the App Store charts called Neon. The app paid users to record their phone calls, which Neon then provided to AI companies for training. Mashable warned users at the time to be cautious if using the app as there was too much unknown about the company, its founder, and their claims about keeping data safe and anonymous.

Now, 24 hours later, Neon has gone offline after TechCrunch uncovered a security flaw that exposed users' phone numbers, call recordings, and call transcripts.

"Your data privacy is our number one priority, and we want to make sure it is fully secure even during this period of rapid growth," reads an email sent to users by Neon founder Alex Kiam. "Because of this, we are temporarily taking the app down to add extra layers of security."

As TechCrunch notes, while Kiam took down the app's servers and let users know about the downtime, the email failed to warn users about the specific security issue that exposed their phone numbers, call recordings, and transcripts.

Also, it should be noted that it appears only the app's servers have been taken down, rendering the app itself, which remains in the App Store, available but useless.

According to TechCrunch, they discovered the security flaw using a network analysis tool that showed data both being pushed into and sent out of the app. While users logged into the app itself could not access private user data, the data was exposed to anyone utilizing such a tool. This data included a URL to the recorded call's audio files, which was accessible to anyone with the link, and a text transcript of the call. 

However, it wasn't just call files and transcripts that were accessible. TechCrunch discovered that Neon's servers also exposed data concerning the most recent calls made by other users of the app. TechCrunch was able to access audio links and transcripts to those recorded calls as well. Furthermore, the metadata connected to those calls were also exposed. This metadata included the user's phone number, the phone number they called, how long the call was and what time it was made, as well as how much was earned from the call.

It's not everyday that a chart-topping app in the App Store is outright pulled from distribution. TechCrunch reports that app platform Appfigures tracked that Neon was downloaded 75,000 times just yesterday. If and when Neon makes a comeback, it will certainly receive increased scrutiny to be sure it addressed the issues.

At Snapdragon Summit this year, Qualcomm introduced a new generation of its flagship computer processor — the Snapdragon X2 Elite chip. This is a monster powerhouse that can stand up to the likes of even the mighty Apple M4 processor. At the event, Qualcomm brought some reference devices to show what these chips could actually do, and one mini PC immediately caught my attention.

Affectionately called "the UFO," it's a circular mini PC roughly five inches in diameter, and it captured my heart the instant I saw it. I've never seen anything quite like it before.

What's the purpose of reference devices like this? They allowed Qualcomm to show what its new chipsets can do.

A chip, like the engine of a car, only goes so far on its own. Without the rest of the vehicle — the wheels, doors, and seats — you're not going to get very far. But while the new flagship chips were supposed to be the main event, I was drawn to the UFO's unique design.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable SEE ALSO: The new flagship Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has a rear display and massive battery

The Snapdragon logo on the top even acts as a power button, which is a lovely little touch. Aside from the Snapdragon X2 Elite processor inside, the reference design also has 16 or 32GB RAM, three USB-C ports around the periphery, a power port for a barrel plug (boo for not charging with USB-C), and a 3.5mm headphone jack. There's no word on storage, but 256GB would be a safe assumption.

Mini PCs are great for keeping things minimal on your desk and staying out of the way. And this mini PC definitely qualifies. You could pick this PC up and slip it into a backpack, or even a moderately-sized fanny pack, but that's not really what it's for. Its design lets you keep your desktop almost completely free.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

The round plate, for lack of a better word, is very thin. It's shaped like a large coaster or wireless charging puck. Including the feet that keep it from lying flush on the table, it's about 14mm tall, or about the height of eight U.S. quarters, which is fun. You could also say it's about as thick as a folded Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7. Either way, it's tiny, and I love the form factor.

Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable Credit: Adam Doud / Mashable

Of course, this is a reference device that will never see store shelves, but it shows you what's possible with the latest generation of processors. I can only hope that a computer maker will pick up this design concept and run with it.

What I think is even more exciting is the idea of running Snapdragon chips on wired hardware. Up until now, Snapdragon-powered PCs have been exclusively laptops and portables, which have been great. But working with a hard-wired concept like a mini PC will allow Qualcomm and computer makers to push the hardware even further, without having to worry about battery life.

But in the meantime, this "UFO" is the mini PC of my dreams, and I would love to see a company turn it into reality.

SEE ALSO: The 7 best Windows laptops of 2025 will make Apple fans jealous

Long-exposure photos always look super impressive. You might wonder what kind of high-tech camera was used to do it. Well, you don't need a fancy camera—you can take long-exposure photos with your Samsung Galaxy phone.

If you've never been to a major live sporting event, they're usually broadcast using big, bulky TV cameras. That won't entirely be the case in Friday night's matchup between the Detroit Tigers and Boston Red Sox.

The game, which will be broadcast nationally starting at 7:10 p.m. ET for Apple TV+ subscribers, will be the first professional live sporting event to be (partially) broadcast using iPhones, per MLB.com. Specifically, there will be four iPhone 17 Pro cameras set up throughout Fenway Park in Boston that will occasionally be used when appropriate. According to MLB, there will be a "special overlay" on-screen to let viewers know when they're looking at something that was shot on an iPhone.

SEE ALSO: Forget the iPhone 17, the Xiaomi 17 Pro Max has an extra screen and a huge battery

Apple did a test run of this last week during a Los Angeles Dodgers game, but tonight's game will be the first live fire drill for public consumption. It couldn't come at a better time, either. If you aren't typically a baseball person, you should know that this Red Sox-Tigers game has massive implications for the upcoming MLB playoffs. Both of these teams are scratching and clawing to stay in the race, especially the Tigers, who have been in the middle of a historic late-season collapse after holding the best record in baseball earlier in the year.

In other words, both teams are good and full of star players to go along with the minor technological innovation happening behind the scenes. Should be a good one!

SAVE $41.88: New and eligible returning subscribers can get their first three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month (a grand total of $2.97) through Dec. 16. Usually $14.95 per month, that saves you $41.88 total.

Opens in a new window Credit: Audible Audible Premium Plus $0.99 per month for 3 months Get Deal

It's that time again: Amazon is running another epic deal on Audible Premium Plus. And just like clockwork, I re-signed up for it once again. When Audible tells me to jump, I jump.

Through Dec. 16, new and eligible returning subscribers can get three months of Audible Premium Plus for just $0.99 per month. That's a grand total of $2.97. It usually costs a steep $14.95 per month, so that amounts to nearly $42 in savings.

SEE ALSO: Enhance your home audio with this Hisense soundbar and subwoofer for the lowest price we've seen

If you've ever been even the slightest bit curious about whether audiobooks are a good pick for you, this is the perfect opportunity to find out without spending an arm and a leg. While there are free services to check out too, like Libby, there's often long waits for new and popular titles. With Audible, there's zero waits. All Audible subscribers get access to the Plus catalog, which features thousands of audiobooks, podcasts, originals, and more, but Premium Plus members also get access to the premium selection. This is where you'll find all of those best-sellers and BookTok gems.

With a Premium Plus membership, you unlock a credit you can use each month to "purchase" these premium titles. So if you sign up for the three-month promotion, you'll get to "buy" three titles and enjoy hundreds of other Plus titles and Audible Original audiobooks. Books aren't cheap, so that's a pretty impressive lineup for less than $3.

If you're still on the fence, you have until Dec. 16 to snag this deal. Just remember that after the three-month promotional period ends, you'll have to fork over $14.95 per month unless you cancel.

Have you ever looked at a subwoofer, or a speaker cab containing a woofer and wondered what that hole or slot is for? Obviously, since pretty much every subwoofer has one, it must have an important function, but what?

Amazon's Fire TV streaming devices are hugely popular. And they're even better when they're discounted. The Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K, the newest model, is currently half off, and a great deal if you want a basic streaming stick for your 4K TV.

SAVE $400: As of Sept. 26, get the Shark Robot Vacuum & Mop Combo for $299.99, down from its usual price of $699.99. That's a discount of 57% and the lowest price we've seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Shark Robot Vacuum & Mop Combo $299.99 at Amazon
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Spring cleaning is great, but a nice deep clean for fall when the weather changes so you can get as cozy as possible is nice, too. You can make it even easier on yourself with a robot vacuum. And one that can handle mopping, too? Even better. You can get a unit that tackles both right now thanks to this Amazon deal, all without spending more than you budgeted for.

As of Sept. 26, get the Shark Robot Vacuum & Mop Combo for $299.99, down from its usual price of $699.99. That's a $400 off and a discount of 57% and the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The best robot vacuums in 2025

This unit boasts powerful suction that can empty its own dustbin. It'll cut through dirt and debris with multiple passes, thanks to its precision matrix grid, so your floor can get as clean as possible. With its CleanEdge Detect, it employs blasts of air and corner recognition to hit all those nooks and crannies, too.

On the flip side, its sonic mopping tech means cleaner hard floors as it tackles mopping duties right after it gets rid of all the dirt. That's perfect for tough, stuck-on stains as it scrubs floors 100x a minute, with Matrix Mop in the app letting it employ 50% better stain cleaning in certain zones.

What's all that mean? This is a serious ally in the cleaning space for you, so you can just set it up and let it go. And at the lowest price we've seen it go for right now, it's a no-brainer, so grab one while you still can.

Fat Bear Week is officially underway at the Katmai National Park and Preserve in Alaska. So, take a break from all of the stressful stuff going on in the world for a little while and check out some of the most famous bears in U.S. history. In fact, we encourage you to kick back, relax, and pop on a stream to check out this year’s candidates for Fat Bear Week.

For the uninitiated, Fat Bear Week takes place every year in late September and early October. (It's like Shark Week, but more wholesome.) At the beginning of the year, the brown bears at Katmai leave hibernation and are photographed with their svelte post-hibernation bods. As you can imagine, a whole winter of sleeping and not eating makes for a very skinny bear. Over the course of the season, the bears eat and eat, and they put on quite a few pounds. During the annual salmon run, the brown bears gorge on high-calorie salmon to beef up for the upcoming winter. In fact, some of these chonky boys and girls gain as much as 1,000 pounds or more over the course of the year. 

Then, around this time every year, they are photographed again, all fat and ready for another winter of hibernation. During this time, the Katmai National Park and Preserve hosts Fat Bear Week, where people can vote for their favorite fat bears before they head out for hibernation. Voters are encouraged to meet the bears first, and you can learn more about their stories and identification at the National Park Service's Explore.org website. 

I’ll admit, I have a sweet spot for Chunk. Homeboy broke his jaw, a lifelong condition for a bear since Katmai brown bears don’t receive veterinary treatment. Despite his new disability, Chunk managed to re-learn how to eat salmon and remains one of the largest bears in the whole park. Go Chunk, go!

Fat Bear Week: Tune into livestreams of all the ursine action

There are eight total live streams to watch the bears fish out of the river. That includes seven river shots and one underwater camera that catches the salmon swimming upstream, although the camera has been known to catch the occasional bear walking or swimming by.

The live streams are all available online via the National Parks Service Explore website and YouTube. Here are the links to each of the Fat Bear Week livestreams on YouTube:

• Brooks Falls

• Brooks Falls 2nd View

• River Watch

• Riffles

• Kat’s River View

• Naknek River

• Brooks Camp area

• Underwater Salmon Cam

The streams are all free and run almost all the time (night vision kicks in after dark), so you can drop in and see what the bears are up to 24/7.

Fat Bear Week: How to vote for your favorite fat bears A very rotund bear. Credit: National Park Service

Voting began for Fat Bear Week on Sept. 18, so the first few rounds are already over. However, there are still a couple of rounds left, and the final voting takes place on Sept. 29 and 30. To vote, head to the explore.org voting page to cast your vote. There is also a pretty sweet bracket you can fill out to predict the winners. 

With only a few more days of voting, make sure to check it out and cast your vote for your favorite bear.

TL;DR: Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga for free on BBC iPlayer. Access this free live stream from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

Can anyone stop Bayern Munich from winning another Bundesliga title? And can anyone stop Harry Kane from scoring?

Bayern Munich sit at the top of the standings after four games, with a perfect record and 18 goals scored. Kane has already netted eight times this season, making it 98 competitive goals for Bayern in just 103 games. Werder Bremen would be sensible to give Kane special attention when they meet Bayern at the Allianz Arena in the fifth round of Bundesliga fixtures.

If you want to watch Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen?

Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga kicks off at 7:30 p.m. BST on Sept. 26. This fixture takes place at the Allianz Arena.

How to watch Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen for free

Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga is available to live stream for free on BBC iPlayer.

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

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

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

4. Visit BBC iPlayer

5. Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen without committing with your cash. This isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to live stream select fixtures from the Bundesliga before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for BBC iPlayer?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including the UK

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A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $139 and includes an extra four months for free — 61% off for a limited time. This plan also includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.95 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Bayern Munich vs. Werder Bremen in the Bundesliga for free with ExpressVPN.

Apple Music is the only subscription I’ve kept active for a decade or more. To say I was pleased to see Apple add some improved organizational tools after ten years is an understatement.

SAVE $10: As of Sept. 26, the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) is on sale for $389 at Amazon, down from its list price of $399. That's only a 2.5% discount, but a discount's a discount, right?

Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm, S/M Black Sport Band) $389 at Amazon
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Well, that was fast. Earlier this week, Amazon dropped the price of the brand-new Apple Watch Series 11 for the first time ever. Of course, right after we covered the deal, the price shot back up to full MSRP. But if you missed out, you've got a second chance.

As of Sept. 26, the deal is back. You can get the Apple Watch Series 11 (GPS, 42mm) for just $389 at Amazon. While Amazon isn’t showing the discount off a list price right now, we can confirm that's a $10 savings off the regular $399 price tag — and it's the lowest you'll find anywhere.

SEE ALSO: Apple Watch Series 11 review: The same, but better

And the timing couldn't be any better: we just named the Series 11 our new top pick for the "best smartwatch fitness tracker" in our guide to the best fitness trackers of 2025. As our roundup noted, the "biggest upgrade is the battery life," which is a huge factor for anyone who uses their watch for sleep tracking. A better battery means you can take full advantage of new watchOS 26 features without the watch dying in the middle of the night.

We like limited-time deals because they're an impulse buyer's best friend—and they provide some of the best savings you can find outside of specific shopping holidays. If you've ever wanted to check out a Windows 11 ARM laptop, this might be one of the best deals you can find.

System76 just dropped the long-awaited beta release for its Pop!_OS 24.04 LTS operating system. It's coming bundled with the beta milestone of the COSMIC desktop environment. COSMIC is designed to replace the customized GNOME Shell that Pop!_OS used to use, and it's built from scratch in Rust.

This week, Qualcomm unveiled its next-gen mobile system-on-a-chip (SoC), the Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5 chip.

We live in a world where tech refreshes every year. That isn’t just true for smartphones like the iPhone 17 or the Samsung Galaxy S26, but the technology inside of them as well. For Android fans, that means a new Snapdragon chipset that will power most flagship-level phones released over the next year.

For starters, the chip has already been rebranded once. Its original name was the Snapdragon 8 Elite 2, so that it followed in the footsteps of the Snapdragon 8 Elite that went into flagship phones like the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra. However, just like Microsoft when it skipped Windows 9 and Apple when it went from iOS 18 to iOS 26, Qualcomm decided to skip a few numbers and go straight to the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5. This coincides with the fact that it’s actually the fifth generation chip in the Snapdragon 8 lineup, so now the numbers make more sense. 

Here's everything we know about the new flagship mobile chipset, including when it's coming to the North American market.

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Specs

Let’s start with the specs and compare them to the existing Snapdragon 8 Elite to give us an idea of how the chip will be different from last year. There are still some question marks about the SoC despite it being fully announced. For example, Qualcomm didn’t include the GPU name in the product brief but did mention that it was an Andreno GPU of some sort. 

• Model name: SM8850-AC

• Process size: 3nm

• Cores: 2 prime cores and 6 performance cores

• Frequency: 4.6 GHz (two cores), 3.62 GHz (6 cores)

• Cache: 24MB

• GPU: Currently unnamed Adreno GPU clocked at 1.2 GHz

• Memory cache: 18MB of Adreno High Performance Memory (HPM)

• NPU: A new Hexagon NPU with an upgraded Qualcomm Sensing Hub

• ISP: Qualcomm Spectra AI

• Modem: Qualcomm X85 5G Modem-RF

• Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB: Qualcomm FastConnect 7900 Mobile Connectivity System

So, right away, there are some things we can glean. The top clock speed is slightly higher than the outgoing Snapdragon 8 Elite. The Elite Gen 5 also gets the upgraded X85 modem and a host of upgrades to the core tech, like a faster GPU and NPU. 

However, it’s not an upgrade across the board. Last year’s Snapdragon 8 Elite also housed the FastConnect 7900 system, so Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and UWB specs will be the same as they were in 2025. 

The new hardware also enables some new features, such as the Advanced Professional Video (APV) codec, making it the first mobile platform to do so. In addition, the new Adreno GPU allows for mesh shading, which gives mobile game developers more efficient options when rendering games. 

Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5: Performance improvements

Qualcomm promises quite a nice little performance bump. Here are all of the promised performance improvements, although we would note that these percentages will certainly change from device to device depending on a variety of factors. 

CPU

• 20 percent single-core improvement

• 17 percent multi-core improvement

• 32 percent responsiveness improvement

GPU

• 23 percent GPU performance improvement

• 20 percent more GPU efficiency

• 25 percent ray tracing performance improvement

• With the Adreno High Performance Memory, Qualcomm is boasting 10 percent power improvement and 38 percent faster performance over the old memory

• 30 percent faster “AI inference for superior 5G performance”, which Qualcomm says will lead to a 50 percent reduction in latency while gaming

ISP, Modem, and NPU

• 4x larger dynamic range thanks to the new ISP chip

• 37 percent higher NPU performance, leading to vastly improved on-device AI performance

• Can handle AI inquiries at 220 tokens per second, up from the 70 tokens of the Snapdragon 8 Elite

• The AI-powered modem boasts a 40 percent power savings over the prior model.

In case you’re wondering if these claims hold up to benchmarks, it appears as though they do. Based on benchmark tests performed by Android Police, Hot Hardware, and others, Geekbench 6 scores appear to sit right where Qualcomm promised they would when compared to the reference hardware from a year ago. In fact, it’s good enough to put it in the same ballpark as Apple’s A19 Pro. It’s fair to say that the two platforms have more or less reached parity, at least on the benchmark side of things. 

When is it coming to America?

With mobile phones being how they are, a lot of these performance benefits will only be seen in specific use cases. For example, phones don’t lag when scrolling Instagram anymore, so a speed increase may not be noticed by casual users. However, they will notice the increased battery efficiency, and power users, like gamers, will certainly notice that their games run at more stable FPS numbers while also consuming less battery. 

The chip is expected to make it into the next wave of Android flagship devices. In fact, OnePlus has already announced the upcoming OnePlus 15 will run the Elite Gen 5. The OnePlus 15 is expected to launch globally in October, and rumor has it the flagship handset will arrive in North America faster than usual, possibly as soon as mid-November. According to OnePlus, that will make the OnePlus 15 the first phone in North America to run the new Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5.

SAVE $200: As of Sept. 26, the Samsung 75-inch Q6F QLED TV is down to just $697.99 at Amazon. That's 22% off its list price and its best price on record.

Opens in a new window Credit: Samsung Samsung 75-inch Q6F QLED TV $697.99 at Amazon
$897.99 Save $200 Get Deal

Samsung makes some of the best TVs on the market, so when we see a model on sale for $200 off, we have to flag it for our readers.

If you're in the market for a new TV, the Samsung Q6F QLED TV is a worthy upgrade that won't break the bank. As of Sept. 26, the 75-inch model is on sale for just $697.99 at Amazon. That's 22% off its list price of $897.99. There's no need to wait around until Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event — it's already down to its lowest price on record.

While it's not the fanciest TV on the market specs-wise, most casual viewers won't mind. It shines where it matters: good picture quality. With a 75-inch QLED display paired with HDR10+ support, you'll get vibrant colors and superior contrast. The 100% color volume with Quantum Dot technology ensures that colors stay true even in the brightest scenes. And next-gen features like AI 4K upscaling and object-tracking sound make your content more even more immersive.

The Samsung smart TV platform includes seven years of automatic OS updates. And as a 2025 model, you can rest assured that the Samsung Q6F is an upgrade that's relatively future-proof (for the next few years at least).

If you're rocking an older TV and want to upgrade without breaking the bank, the Samsung 75-inch Q6F is a solid pick at under $700.

SAVE 9%: As of Sept. 26, the 65-inch Samsung Class QLED Q7F Series AI Smart TV is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon, down from its list price of $547.99. That's a savings of $47.01, and it's the lowest price to date.

65" Samsung Q7F Series 4K QLED Vision AI Smart TV (2025 Model) $499.99 at Amazon
$547.99 Save $48 Get Deal

Fall is officially here, which means it's prime time for cozy movie nights and long Sundays spent watching football. If your current TV isn't quite cutting it, Amazon's already dropping some pretty good pre-Prime Day deals (though this one isn't labeled an official "Prime Day" deal).

As of Sept. 26, the 65-inch Samsung Class QLED Q7F Series AI Smart TV is on sale for $499.99 at Amazon. That's a $47 discount off its regular $547.99 price tag, matching the all-time low it first hit on Sept. 22.

SEE ALSO: What's the best time of year to buy a TV? Yes, there's an answer.

This TV is equipped with Samsung's Vision AI, which uses an AI processor to automatically upscale older content to sharp 4K resolution and optimize the picture and sound for whatever you're watching. With an advanced 4K QLED display powered by Quantum Dot technology, you'll be able to see a billion shades of vibrant, true-to-life color, validated by Pantone. (That's pretty impressive, IMO.)

Gamers will also appreciate the native 144Hz refresh rate for smooth motion, and the built-in Samsung Gaming Hub lets you stream games directly to your TV from services like Xbox Game Pass, no console required.