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Taylor Swift's upcoming studio album The Life of a Showgirl probably wasn't the muse for Apple's new Cosmic Orange iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max, as many Swifties theorized. But it did inspire a new case for those handsets.

The popular mobile accessories brand OtterBox has launched a new limited-edition phone case called the Encore, a $60 entry in its slim Symmetry Series with a distinct glittery orange design. Its moniker and product details don't directly name-drop Swift or TLOAS, but the Easter eggs are in screaming color (quite literally).

Opens in a new window Credit: OtterBox OtterBox Symmetry Series Clear Encore Collection $59.99 at OtterBox.com
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"Symmetry Series Clear Encore is a new era in case aesthetics, standing center stage with brilliant sparkles and high energy," reads its description on OtterBox's website. The first bullet point on its feature list hails it as "the case of the year to match the album of the year."

For added context, the internet has been awash in tangerine ever since Swift announced TLOAS in mid-August. The Cruel Summer singer, 35, assigns a different color scheme to each of her album eras — a tone-setter that doubles as a clever marketing tool, experts told Billboard. She's claimed bright orange for her Showgirl era, and its main vinyl variant is pressed in Portofino Orange Glitter.

Even more incriminatingly, though, a press image poses the Encore next to sparkly showgirl-apt accessories and two of Taylor's classic calling cards: friendship bracelet beads, a lyrical reference that evolved into an Eras Tour tradition; and (ding ding ding!) a tube of red lipstick. A promo video for it also features a song that sounds identical to "Shake it Off" instrumentals. The only way the Encore could get even Swiftier is if people try to flip it for thousands of dollars.

As an OtterBox Symmetry Series case, the Encore features a scratch-resistant polycarbonate shell with raised edges that protect the phone's screen and camera from drop damage. It's not as durable as the brand's Commuter, Sole, and Defender Series cases, but it's a tad tougher than its entry-level Profile styles. It comes with built-in magnets to support wireless charging and compatible accessories (like MagSafe grips, stands, and wallets).

SEE ALSO: The best iPhone 17 Pro cases to protect (or hide) your new phone

The Encore is priced at $59.99 and up for preorder exclusively on OtterBox's website, where a 25% discount is available for shoppers who bundle it with a screen protector or power accessory. It's available for the new iPhone 17, 17 Pro, 17 Pro Max, 16, 16 Pro, 16 Pro Max, 15, and the Galaxy S25 Ultra. (Versions for the iPhone 16e, iPhone 15, iPhone 14, and iPhone 13 are coming soon.) All in-stock variants were estimated to ship on Saturday, Oct. 18, at the time of writing.

The Life of a Showgirl itself comes out on Friday, Oct. 3, and you can preorder it through Target or Swift's online store.

Opens in a new window Credit: Taylor Swift "The Life of a Showgirl" Sweat and Vanilla Perfume Portofino Orange Glitter Vinyl $29.99 at TaylorSwift.com
Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Taylor Swift "The Life of a Showgirl" Sweat and Vanilla Perfume CD with poster $12.99 at TaylorSwift.com
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In perhaps the most out-of-touch statement since Lucille Bluth priced bananas, Live Nation CEO Michael Rapino — the boss of the company that runs Ticketmaster — said that, actually, concert tickets are too cheap. I'd like to see him tell that to literally any non-millionaire American who's tried to see their favorite artist.

The comments from Rapino came this week while speaking at CNBC and Boardroom’s Game Plan conference. They quickly circulated online and, frankly, I thought they had to be fake. As a CEO, it's the kind of thing you might think, but probably not something you say out loud.

Ticketmaster boss Michael Rapino says concert tickets are 'underpriced' "In sports, I joke it’s like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside seat. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé"

[image or embed]

— Culture Crave 🍿 (@culturecrave.co) September 24, 2025 at 2:31 PM

And if you think we're stripping out some crucial context, think again — the executive was pretty clear in his assessment. For full context, the comments came as Rapino noted that the most expensive sports tickets go for wildly high prices compared to concerts.

"Music has been under-appreciated," Rapino said, according to Vice. "In sports, I joke it's like a badge of honor to spend 70 grand for a Knicks courtside [seat]. They beat me up if we charge $800 for Beyoncé."

He argued that concerts — especially those from the biggest stars — are now more complex productions and should come with higher price tags.

He even said that there's plenty of room for concert tickets to get even more expensive.

"We have a lot of runway left," Rapino said, via Rolling Stone. "So when you read about ticket prices going up, the average concert price is still $72. Try going to a Laker game for that, and there's 80 of them. The concert is underpriced and has been for a long time."

Let's, for a moment, forget that someone paying $70,000 to attend a basketball game is already ridiculous — a gross display of conspicuous consumption, and, in practice, a fee for sitting close to athletes, TV cameras, and celebrities with comped tickets. Sports games are higher priced — and remain the crown jewel of televised events — because they are one-off events with an undetermined outcome. Yes, there are 82 regular-season Laker games, but no one is like the other. You're paying for exclusive access to a thing that will never be repeated.

A concert, meanwhile, is, by its nature, much like the night before and the night after. It's also not totally dissimilar to what you'll find on Spotify. I'm saying this as someone who goes to way more shows than sports games. Buying entry to a concert or show is my primary ticket-buying experience. And, in my experience, prices are really freaking high.

On average, a ticket to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour cost $3,071 in Indianapolis, the capital of a state with a median income of $71,959. The price of a single ticket was double the average monthly rent in the city. That surely cannot be considered "underpriced."

In case you were wondering, Rapino's total compensation last year was $33 million, which was a jump from the measly $23.4 million the year prior and a big dip from $139 million in total comp — yes, you read that right — in 2022.

As consumers, we've all come to expect paying high prices — and excessive Ticketmaster fees — to go see our favorite artists. And we know that arrow is only pointing in one direction going forward. But next time you pull out your credit card to shell out hundreds of bucks — thousands, maybe — to see your favorite musician, you can at least take solace in knowing the Ticketmaster boss thinks you got a great deal.

This story reflects the author's opinion.

There are dozens of smart watches out there — Google Pixel Watch, FitBit, Suunto, Garmin, Coros, and the list goes on. But if you have an iPhone, a lot of those watches aren't supported, which can be, well, annoying. There's a rumor that might change soon.

Apple released the iOS 26.1 beta 1 code on Monday, and Macworld spotted some code that would allow smartwatches and other third-party accessories to be more compatible with iPhones using an unreleased feature called Notification Forwarding. According to Macworld, this feature will give users the ability to decide which devices show notifications from their iPhone, like, say, another smartwatch or fitness tracker. There's also some code, according to Macworld, that would make it easier to pair third-party devices.

Beyond the potential smartwatch streamlining, 9to5Mac also spotted a few updates from iOS 26.1 beta, including five new languages supported with AirPods Live Translation, eight new languages supported with Apple Intelligence features, a new swiping feature on Apple Music and MiniPlayer, new views for Apple Calendar, a new playback scrubber for the Photos app, and more.

Of course, there's no guarantee that these features will make it into the final iOS 26.1 update, which is expected to be released in October.

In late 2024, LinkedIn started using member profiles to train its AI. At the time, this was restricted to only certain areas, such as the U.S. and other countries. One year later, LinkedIn is now adding all of the regions that weren’t previously included. Once the change goes into effect, everyone’s profile on LinkedIn may be used to train the site’s generative AI. 

The announcement came quietly, like the one in 2024. LinkedIn updated its generative AI FAQ webpage to include the new rules. The new rules are the same as the old rules, except they now apply to the UK, EU, European Economic Area (EEA), Switzerland, and basically everywhere else that wasn’t impacted by the initial changes in 2024. 

LinkedIn will start using member profile data to train its AI on Nov. 3, 2025. This setting is enabled by default, so if you don’t want your data being used to train LinkedIn’s AI, you’ll need to manually log in and opt out of it. Profiles for members under the age of 18 won’t be used for training purposes at all. 

If anyone is curious about how LinkedIn will use the data and what data the company intends to use, LinkedIn has a whole webpage dedicated to just that. The list is pretty long and contains just about every piece of data you can generate on the platform. 

How to opt out of LinkedIn’s AI training

Fortunately, opting out of AI training is pretty simple. We have a full guide here, but here is a quick version in case you need it. 

On the website:

• Go to LinkedIn and log in to your profile. 

• Click your profile picture and select Settings & Privacy.

• In the left margin, select Data privacy.

• Next, click where it says Data for Generative AI Improvement.

• Toggle it off. 

On the mobile app

• Open the LinkedIn app and log in. 

• Tap your profile picture in the top corner, then select Settings.

• Select Data privacy.

• Find and tap on Data for Generative AI Improvement.

• Toggle it off. 

Once done, LinkedIn will no longer use your profile data to train its AI. This will prevent LinkedIn from using any data that you generate moving forward. However, it may still keep the data it collected before you toggled it off. Should you want that data removed from LinkedIn’s database, there is a “Data Processing Objection Form” that you can fill out to have your data removed after the fact. 

The latest in a long line

Using social media profiles to train data has been something of a trend over the last year. Meta started using posts to train AI in mid-2024, and opting out of that wasn’t particularly easy at the time. X confirmed that it allows third parties to train AI off of your X posts in late 2024. So, while you’re on your LinkedIn profile opting out of this, consider checking your other social media profiles as well, as there are likely a few places where you need to opt out.

Sometimes when characters are recast with a new actor, it's a big deal. Just look at the reaction to the recasting of Geralt of Rivia for The Witcher TV show. People are still arguing about it in the forums, and probably in the comments of this very article.

High-end processors for PC laptops were stuck in a duopoly between Intel and AMD for decades, but that finally changed when the first ARM-based Snapdragon X chips arrived from Qualcomm. Now, the company is revealing its second-generation X Elite chipsets with some impressive improvements.

We're nearing the tail-end of 2025, which means we're already about to see the hardware that will power next year's phones. Now, Qualcomm has just announced the Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 5, and while that name is awful, the chip is actually pretty good.

One of the greatest joys of reading is sharing what you love. When you buy a physical book, and you love it, you pass it along to friends and family members who might glean some of the same happiness, or sadness, or wonder that you had when you read it. But sharing that joy isn't always so easy when you've got an e-book instead of a physical book. Handing your entire Kindle over to someone just doesn't feel realistic — but that isn't the only way to share an e-book.

Amazon used to allow readers to loan Kindle e-books to friends or family temporarily, however the company quietly did away with the feature. Now if you want to loan out a book, you can only do so through the Family Library.

Kindle e-readers have a lending feature built in called the Family Library. It's a great way to share your book collection with your friends and family: It links together two adults and up to four children, from an adult's account, to share Amazon Prime benefits and Kindle e-books. To set it up, you'll need to link all the accounts together through Amazon Family.

Once you've got that set up, then you can start sharing with the whole household. Here's how to share books within your Amazon Family.

How to share Kindle books within your Amazon Family Total Time

• 2 minutes

What You Need

• An Amazon account

Step 1: Navigate to your Content Library

Under the Account & Lists tab, navigate to the Content Library section.

Credit: Screenshot / Amazon / Mashable

Step 2: Navigate to your Books

Once you're in the Content Library, navigate to the Books section where all of your EPUB files, library loans, and Kindle Store purchases live.

Credit: Screenshot / Amazon

Step 3: Select book and share with family

Browse through your book library to select the book in your library you'd like to share. Once you've found the book, select the More Actions tab and find Manage Family Library. Then you can select who in your Amazon Family can also access that title.

Credit: Screenshot / Amazon / Mashable

Netflix's Haunted Hotel introduces a new scene-stealing cartoon chaos agent in the form of Abaddon (voiced by Jimmi Simpson), a demon trapped in the body of a small Victorian child.

SEE ALSO: 'Haunted Hotel' review: 'The Shining' meets 'Bob's Burgers' in Netflix's charming animated comedy

Throughout the course of Haunted Hotel, Abaddon learns how to use a computer and discovers the power of YouTube. So it was only a matter of time before he stumbled on the cultural juggernaut that is Netflix's KPop Demon Hunters.

But would this ancient entity really root for demon-fighting K-pop band HUNTR/X? Of course not! He's a demon himself, so he'd obviously stan the villainous Saja Boys.

That's the premise behind a new Netflix promotional video for Haunted Hotel. The video sees Simpson-as-Abaddon performing the (literal) hell out of the Saja Boys' sinister banger "Your Idol," one of many chart-topping hits from KPop Demon Hunters' stacked soundtrack. All in a day's work of trying to indoctrinate people into your cult, right?

Abaddon's impromptu "Your Idol" music video cuts together several scenes from Haunted Hotel, which I praised in my review as "the perfect watch to get you in the Halloween spirit. More kooky than spooky, it's a sweet twist on the family sitcom format that'll have you champing at the bit for October to arrive sooner."

Which KPop Demon Hunters song should Abaddon perform next? The logical answer is the Saja Boys' bubbly "Soda Pop," but based on the way Simpson was hitting those "Your Idol" high notes, I think he could do a sneakily solid "Golden."

Haunted Hotel is now streaming on Netflix.

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Sitting down and scrolling through movies and TV shows to find the perfect one for your mood at the moment can be challenging. There are so many streaming services out there and so little time. Sometimes, you'll be able to find the same movie or show on multiple streamers, making it more likely that you're going to choose it. But if you're not in the mood for that genre of content, you'll move past it.

Google just released Search Live to everyone in the United States, following an open beta period. Instead of typing your questions, you can have a full-on conversation with an AI assistant in real time, and you can even use your phone's camera to show it what you're talking about.

The Pokémon Company International is not pleased that President Donald Trump's Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is using its intellectual property to promote the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) raids.

“We are aware of a recent video posted by the Department of Homeland Security that includes imagery and language associated with our brand," said a statement from the Pokémon Company International provided to Mashable. "Our company was not involved in the creation or distribution of this content, and permission was not granted for the use of our intellectual property.”

On Tuesday, the DHS posted a 1-minute video across their social media accounts on platforms like X and Facebook set to the theme song for the Pokémon TV show. 

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

The DHS video includes clips from various ICE raids, where individuals alleged to be undocumented immigrants are being searched and arrested by ICE officers. Interspersed between the footage are clips of Pokémon's protagonist, Ash Ketchum. The video is another example of the Trump Administration's unapologetic, meme-centric, and often dehumanizing approach to social media.

After fans of the franchise spoke out against the dehumanizing video, the Pokémon Company initially stayed silent. The company's former legal boss even told IGN that the company would probably avoid commenting and let the situation blow over. He also noted that several of the company's executives are green card holders, and likely don't want to antagonize the Trump administration.

After the @DHSgov X account posted the video, many social media users quickly tagged the official X accounts for Pokémon and Nintendo and urged the companies to take action. Nintendo, for example, is known to be stringent when it comes to protecting its IP, as many video game content creators on platforms like YouTube have experienced firsthand.

As the Daily Beast points out, one clip used in the DHS video is from a raid overseen personally by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. This particular raid reportedly resulted in two U.S. citizens being wrongly detained. 

It's unclear if the Pokémon Company International or Nintendo intend to take further action against the unauthorized use of their intellectual property. As of Wednesday, Sept. 24, the video is still available on official DHS accounts on social media.

Mashable contacted the Department of Homeland Security for comment, and we'll update this story if we receive a response.

Do you want a wireless keyboard that only needs the power of nature and your own initiative to stay running for a long time? Logitech might have the answer.

This week, the company announced the launch of a repairable, solar-powered keyboard, the Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980.

The Swiss computer peripheral company's new wireless keyboard is available now, and it sports a couple of very interesting features. It features a solar cell that the company claims can last up to a decade. Second, it's meant to be repairable, per The Verge. Logitech told The Verge that it's encased in a plastic casing that should be easy for users to work around, and spare parts for repairs are being sold by iFixit, a website that partners with a lot of tech companies to sell replacement parts for all sorts of devices.

Credit: Logitech SEE ALSO: The Apple Magic Keyboard is on sale for $50 off right now at Amazon

Even cooler is that the keyboard will apparently work with artificial light, not just true solar rays. So, even if your office doesn't get direct sunlight, you can stay powered up.

Aside from the solar aspect repairability, it looks like a fairly standard wireless Logitech keyboard. It's got both Mac and PC button labels as well as a new dedicated key for launching whatever AI assistant your operating system defaults to, or ChatGPT, if you prefer.

The Logitech K980 keyboard goes for $99.99 and is available now at the Logitech website.

Opens in a new window Credit: Logitech Logitech Signature Slim Solar+ K980 $99.99
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We all know Instagram is prioritizing short-form video content via Reels, so it should come as no surprise that a redesign is on the horizon.

In a post on Instagram Reels (of course), Instagram head Adam Mosseri announced the app has reached three billion users, which prompted them to look at what fueled that growth. "And if you look at the last few years, almost all of that growth has been driven by DMs, Reels, and recommendations," Mosseri said in the post. Because of that, Mosseri said, they're redesigning the app.

Right now, if you swipe right on Instagram, you'll be brought to your DMs; if you swipe left, you'll be prompted to post a story; and the buttons on the bottom navigation menu are for the home page, the search/explore page, the button for creating your own post, the Reels page, and, of course, your own profile. Soon, that'll change.

View this post on Instagram

In the coming months, Instagram is going to change that selection you see at the bottom of your app to home page, Reels, DMs, search/explore, and your own profile. Say goodbye to the dedicated posting button. You'll still be able to post on the app, of course, but you'll just have to click at the top left instead.

Instagram has also begun testing a new "way for you to tune your algorithm by adding and removing topics based on your interests, starting with reels," Mosseri's post reads. Users will be able to navigate to a page in your settings that informs them what the algorithm thinks they're interested in, and then tailor it to their actual interests.

"Really excited for all that’s to come. Thank you for being on the journey with us and making Instagram so special. 🙏🏼," Mosseri wrote.

You know exactly what you're going to get when a new V/H/S movie drops — a bite-sized sampling of gnarly stories and thematically linked frights — and judging by the trailer, V/H/S/HALLOWEEN doesn't look like it'll disappoint.

The video above teases six new tales in the ongoing horror anthology series, with directors Bryan M. Ferguson, Casper Kelly (who directed the truly upsetting Too Many Cooks), Micheline Pitt-Norman and R.H. Norman, indie auteur Alex Ross Perry (Her Smell, Queen of Earth), Paco Plaza (creator of the REC franchise), and Anna Zlokovic bringing a variety of gore-spattered Halloween scares. We're expecting nightmarish horror houses, trick-or-treating expeditions gone terrifyingly wrong, a gnarly monster known as The Mommy, found-footage nasties, and much more.

V/H/S/HALLOWEEN just premiered at the world-famous genre film festival Fantastic Fest to fairly positive reviews. That's never a bad sign for horror hounds, so grab some snacks and brace yourself for some seasonally appropriate shocks... if you dare!

V/H/S/HALLOWEEN debuts on Shudder October 3.

Reliability can make or break a compact SUV. Drivers want something affordable, practical, and built to last without piling on repair costs.

Jessica Chastain — star of the upcoming Apple TV+ series The Savant — has publicly disagreed with Apple's decision to pause the release of the show.

The show is focused on infiltrating and stopping extremist hate groups online. And while Apple's reasoning for the postponement was vague — a statement mentioned only "careful consideration" — many have assumed the tech giant decided it wasn't appropriate timing after the killing of rightwing activist and commentator Charlie Kirk.

Chastain posted a statement to Instagram saying she was "not aligned" with Apple's decision to pause the show.

She wrote, in part:

"I wanted to reach out and let you know that we’re not aligned on the decision to pause the release of 'The Savant.' In the last five years since we’ve been making the show, we’ve seen an unfortunate amount of violence in the United States: the kidnapping attempt on Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer; the January 6th attack on the Capitol; the assassination attempts on President Trump; the political assassinations of Democratic representatives in Minnesota; the attack on Speaker Pelosi’s husband; the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk; the recent shooting at an ABC affiliate station in California; and over 300 school shootings across this country. These incidents, though far from encompassing the full range of violence witnessed in the United States, illustrate a broader mindset that crosses the political spectrum and must be confronted. I’ve never shied away from difficult subjects, and while I wish this show wasn’t so relevant, unfortunately it is. 'The Savant' is about the heroes who work every day to stop violence before it happens, and honoring their courage feels more urgent than ever."

Chastain made sure to note that she valued her partnership with Apple and hoped the show would still reach audiences soon. The original release was scheduled for Friday. Apple has not yet provided a new premiere date.

Reviews of the show have not yet been released, but after the postponement, Variety called the decision a "huge mistake," noting The Savant was "precisely the type of show America needs right now."

Are you disappointed by the sound profile in what are arguably Apple’s best AirPods to date? While the active noise cancellation is seriously impressive and the earbuds no longer fall out of my ears, I’ll admit that the bass can feel a little overcooked.

Just getting off the Wednesday high and craving new stories and thrilling characters? Netflix has you covered with its lineup of shows and movies for October, giving your watch list a well-deserved fall refresh.

After a nearly week-long suspension, Jimmy Kimmel Live! is back on the air. But not for everyone.

While Jimmy Kimmel Live! network ABC and its parent company Disney decided to bring back the late night show, broadcast station owners Nexstar and Sinclair are preempting new episodes of the show with alternate broadcasts. Nexstar and Sinclair criticized Jimmy Kimmel's monologue remarks about far-right commentator Charlie Kirk's killer, for which Kimmel apologized in his first monologue following his suspension.

SEE ALSO: Jimmy Kimmel returns to air, addresses Kirk comments in emotional monologue

According to Reuters, Nexstar and Sinclair own over 25 percent of the nation's ABC affiliates. Impacted markets include Washington, D.C; Nashville, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; and Seattle, Washington.

Kimmel even joked about his continued preemption by Nexstar and Sinclair in his first monologue back. When discussing the overwhelming number of people who reached out to him during his suspension, he gave a special shout-out to "the guy who fired me from my first radio job in Seattle — where we are not airing tonight, by the way. Sorry, Seattle."

How can you watch Jimmy Kimmel Live?

If you are not in a media market with an ABC affiliate owned by Nexstar and Sinclair, you'll be able to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! as it airs at 11:35 p.m. ET on weeknights. You can catch the show on broadcast TV, or on live TV streaming services like Hulu + Live TV, YouTube TV, Sling TV, DirecTV, and Fubo TV.

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However, if you are in one of the media markets owned by Nexstar and Sinclair, you will be unable to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! as it airs on broadcast TV. The same goes for live TV streaming services, as they require your location in order to provide you with local channels, meaning you'll end up with Nexstar and Sinclair's preempted local broadcasts.

You can try to circumvent these local restrictions by using a streaming VPN in order to change your location. While using a VPN in this way isn't illegal, it does violate streaming platforms' terms of service, meaning you might incur account restrictions or simply get an error message when you try to watch something.

Instead, your best bet for watching Jimmy Kimmel Live! is to stream the episode following its broadcast. Jimmy Kimmel Live! is streaming on both Disney+ and Hulu, with new episodes available the day after they air. However, if you'd prefer to watch Jimmy Kimmel Live! for free — especially since Disney+ and Hulu prices are increasing soon — the show's YouTube channel also regularly uploads segments from the show, including Kimmel's monologue and his interviews.

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