Blogroll

SAVE $1,302: The 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount.

Opens in a new window Credit: Hisense 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV $1,697.99
$2,999.99 Save $1,302.00   Get Deal

October Prime Day is over according to the official dates, but that doesn't mean the deals are dry. If you forgot about the sale or got stuck in a purchase indecision loop, no sweat, because there's a TV deal in store at Amazon that is well worth some attention.

As of Oct. 8, the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV is on sale for $1,697.99, down from the normal price of $2,999.99. That's a 43% discount that shaves a major $1,302 off the price and marks the best price we've ever spotted at Amazon.

A 100-inch TV is a real treat. Unless you want an art TV, going with a giant model is a great way to turn streaming sessions into an optimal experience. The 100-inch Hisense will be awesome for watching fall's best sporting events and streaming shows.

SEE ALSO: The 15+ best Prime Day tech deals still live: Last chance deals on MacBooks, TVs, headphones, and more

In addition to the QLED display, the TV hits a native refresh rate of 144Hz, which means you'll be able to game all winter on this model. Hisense also used AI Smooth Motion with this model, so your action movies will look better than ever.

Before this lingering Prime Day deal expires, snag the 100-inch Hisense E7 Cinema Series QLED TV while saving over $1,300.

Preorder the new Amazon Alexa Tablets Preorder now Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro $499.99 Pre-Order Here Preorder now Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 $329.99 Pre-Order Here Preorder now Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 $229.99 Pre-Order Here Preorder now Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen $89.99 Pre-Order Here Preorder now Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard $149.99 Pre-Order Here

In the aftermath of Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon quietly dropped a new line of tablets now powered by Android with access to the Google Play Store. The lineup includes three new tablets, all with an aluminum unibody construction, similar to the design of the new Kindles.

As you might guess from the name, Alexa Tablets are built to run on Alexa+, Amazon's most advanced voice assistant. This also marks the retailer's transition away from Fire Tablets, likely to be phased out in favor of the new Alexa Tablets.

Here's what we know about the new Amazon Alexa tablets.

Meet the new Amazon Alexa Tablets

The new Amazon Alexa tablets are available in three sizes: 12 inches, 11 inches, and 8.7 inches. The 12-inch unit, the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro, is Amazon's most advanced tablet yet while the 11 and 8, offer mid- and budget-range options.

All of the new tablets run on Android, an upgrade from the Fire Tablets, which ran on Amazon's native system. This means that the tablets finally have the Google Play Store, making millions of apps now available on Amazon's tablets.

Plus, Amazon has made the Alexa Tablets more functional for the tasks you do the most. Now, they have a built-in Kindle sanctuary on the devices. When you open the Kindle app, the tablet goes distraction-free by silencing notifications, reducing blue light, and stretching battery life.

Here's a breakdown of the tablet models and prices:

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro (available in standard or Nanomatte) — $499.99 to $679.99

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 (64GB or 128GB) — $329.99 to $379.99

• Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 (64GB or 128GB) — $229.99 to $279.99

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro: Amazon's most advanced tablet The Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro is built to rival the iPad Pro. Credit: Amazon

As Apple's iPad Pro features two different screen types, Amazon did something similar with the design of the Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro. The new premium tablet comes in a standard display or Nanomatte, a new precision-etched anti-glare technology. Amazon partnered with Corning to craft the process that makes the nearly undetectable textured glass. It allows you to read in any angle or light without glare.

Designed for the Alexa Tablet 12 Pro are two new accessories, the Alexa Tablet Pro Pen and Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard. Both turn the tablet into a full work setup for a laptop-like experience.

It starts at $499.99 and is available for preorder now, shipping as soon as Oct. 14.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet 12 Pro $499.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Pen $89.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet Pro Keyboard $149.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Meet the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8 Amazon is offering two Alexa Tablets at more affordable price points, the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8. Credit: Amazon / Mashable Photo Composite

In addition to the 12 Pro, Amazon has released the Alexa Tablet 11 and 8.

The Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 is an 11-inch tablet with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It comes with 8GB of RAM and dual Dolby Atmos speakers. Its new aluminum casing comes in matcha, amethyst, and graphite. It starts at $329.99.

For a more budget-friendly option, there's the Amazon Alexa Tablet 8. It's the best size for readers who want to log hours on the Kindle app. It weighs just 329g and is 7.95mm thin. It has 4GB of RAM and an 8-core processor. It comes in graphite, rosette, and teal. It starts at $229.99.

Both tablets are available for preorder now, to be released Oct. 14.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet 11 $329.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Alexa Tablet 8 $229.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here

Halloween is almost upon us again, and for those of us blessed with one (or more) 3D printers, it's the perfect time to get into the real spirit of Halloween and decorate your home with things you can't just buy off store shelves.

You can't scroll through TikTok without seeing someone using a pocket mic in their videos. These little gadgets have become a staple for content creators, and the UGC mic market continues to expand.

Our favorite brands are DJI and Rode, but a hot new bombshell has entered the scene. On Oct. 8, Sony introduced the ECM-AX10 spatial audio microphone.

Sony ECM-AX10 price and specs

Sony's new spatial audio microphone retails for $249.99 and is available for preorder now.

The ECM-AX10 comes with a wind screen to cut down outdoor noises. Credit: Sony

This is the first Eclipsa Audio-certified microphone for smartphones, and it features the following:

• Four omnidirectional microphone capsules

• USB-C connection

• Three recording modes: Ambisonics, binaural, stereo

• Weight: 24 grams

• Selfie mode for front and rear alignment

• 3.5mm headphone output

• Noise cut filter

• Included accessories: Wind screen, extension USB-C cable, cold-shoe microphone holder

Sony ECM-AX10 Spatial Audio Microphone $249.99 at Amazon
  Pre-order Here at Amazon Pre-order Here at Sony Pre-order Here at B&H Photo Video What makes the Sony ECM-AX10 different

Unlike most pocket mics, the Sony ECM-AX10 attaches directly to your phone — there aren't separate receivers or microphones. So, you don't have to hold anything or clip anything to your clothes.

It's designed to capture spatial audio, not just voice pickup. It's ideal for recording live concerts and shows, sporting events, travel, and city walks — any type of content where the background noise is part of the ambiance.

Capture the full sonic scene of a live music session with the ECM-AX10 mic. Credit: Sony

The ECM-AX10 houses four omnidirectional microphone capsules and has three recording formats. Ambisonics recording uses four mic capsules to capture spatial audio for immersive and Eclipsa Audio production, binaural recording captures audio best for two-channel headphone listening, and stereo recording is your standard two-channel audio for broad speaker compatibility. Sony has a dedicated Spatial Audio Video Tool app where you can edit the footage and sound that you capture.

The microphone has a built-in accelerometer that automatically detects the mic's tilt angle, so your audio is aligned with your video, no matter your phone's orientation. On the mic itself, you'll find a peak-level meter, a spatial/stereo mode switch, an ATT switch (loud-sound protection), a Noise Cut filter, a selfie mode switch, and a 3.5-millimeter headphone jack.

If you mostly make talking head content in your home, you're probably better off with a cheaper DJI Mic Mini or Rode Micro. But the Sony ECM-AX10 would be an awesome investment for creators whose content focuses on immersive, atmospheric, or spatial experiences, or those who just want rich, full sound in their videos.

Content creation remains one of the most computer-dependent jobs in the world. While almost any laptop can handle a few emails and compose a slideshow or spreadsheet, content creators have specific needs.

The Home Assistant 2026.10 update is here, and it's aimed at making the open-source smart home platform easier to use. Rather than any major new features, this release improves several parts of Home Assistant that users interact with regularly, including automations, maps, and dashboards. Here’s what has changed and why it matters for your smart home.

As much as I like to talk trash about my laptop behind its back, the truth is that the cheap, useless thing is a lot less bad than that same amount of money would've gotten me a decade ago. It's true: cheap Windows laptops have come a long way.

Your iPad already has your inbox, shopping tabs, and unfinished to-do list. Now Meta wants to put an AI agent in charge of making some progress on them.

Meta’s Muse is now available on iPad, as announced in an Oct. 7 Threads post, following its Sept. 8 mobile debut. The free app’s latest update adds iPad support alongside more connections to the services people use for work and everyday tasks.

If you’ve missed Muse’s arrival, the pitch is an agentic AI assistant that can help you complete a variety of everyday tasks, such as booking reservations, ordering groceries, managing appointments, and making purchases. Users choose which accounts to connect, giving the agent access to particular parts of their digital lives.

There’s already considerable interest. Muse has surpassed an estimated 6.6 million installs.

SEE ALSO: 10 ways to use Meta's Muse AI app, from flight credits to outfit ideas An AI assistant with business ambitions

The update also makes Meta’s small-business ambitions pretty clear. Its App Store release notes list connectors for Asana, Canva, Dropbox, Figma, QuickBooks, GitHub, Klaviyo, Zoom, and Meta ad accounts, plus Granola and Notion.

Meta says users can give Muse a business goal and have it plan marketing content, build client pitches, and create product pages, with their approval. The company announced its small-business push on Sept. 29. That’s a fairly ambitious job description for an app that’s barely a month old.

Shopping is another part of the push. Meta announced more retail partners at Connect, including Best Buy, Gap, Sephora, Walmart, and Wayfair, expanding the places Muse can shop on users' behalf.

There’s a catch, though: Websites can mistake an AI assistant for an unwanted bot and block it. Meta says it’s working with industry partners on an open standard that would let personal agents identify themselves to businesses, but Amazon has already taken steps to block Muse altogether.

Handing an AI agent the keys to your digital life has already raised concerns.

As Mashable reported, one user said Muse shared his home address and arranged a Facebook Marketplace pickup without checking with him first. Separately, columnist Jason Aten alleged Muse accessed private messages he hadn’t authorized it to read. And on Oct. 3 Wired reportedly found instructions for Muse to compile profiles of users' friends, family, and colleagues. As Muse expands to more devices and services, Meta will have to make its boundaries as clear as its ambitions.

SEE ALSO: Big banks are worried AI agents could increase the risk of scams and fraud

Want to learn more about getting the best out of your tech? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories and Deals newsletters today.

With just over a month until Grand Theft Auto VI launches and America experiences an unprecedented flood of PTO requests, Rockstar has given us another taste of the game's musical identity.

The GTA VI developer posted an entry on its official website detailing several of the game's in-game radio stations, giving us an idea of what to expect both in terms of music and their interstitial talking bits. The six stations detailed in the blog post are as follows:

• Cocoteo FM: A Latin radio station for all your reggaeton and merengue needs.

• Back Country Radio: A country radio station with hosts including Morgan Wallen, Lana Del Rey, and Jeremy Dufrene.

• AfroBank FM: A station devoted to African music from across the decades, up until now.

• The Chamber 106.6: The requisite '80s-and-beyond metal station, with hosts Tom Araya and Kerry King of Slayer.

• Flash FM: A pop station that seems to be the only holdover from GTA: Vice City so far, hosted by Robyn and model Alex Consani.

• Dirty South Classics: A Southern rap station, naturally, hosted by Trick Daddy and Trina.

SEE ALSO: New GTA 6 Cyberleek video has story clips, gameplay footage, and one very NSFW detail

Interestingly, you can sample each of these stations on a separate page on Rockstar's website. People on social media have also already started compiling every song that's been confirmed on the radio so far. That's on top of what we've heard on the official soundtrack album and what we heard in the Netflix trailer that aired in August.

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

Rockstar's blog post did not go into much detail about this, but there are apparently also on-demand in-game podcasts for Jason and Lucia to listen to. Both podcasts and radio stations can be listened to either while driving or walking around, the latter being justified by earbuds that connect to the protagonists' smartphones.

Only about five weeks left to wait, folks.

We thought we were done with notorious Grand Theft Auto VI leaker known only as Cyberleek, but we were proven wrong on Thursday with a fresh GTA 6 leak.

The still-anonymous leaker (or group of leakers) posted their first update since late August, in the form of a nearly 25-minute-long video that's easy enough to find on social media. It's our most detailed look yet at the hotly anticipated game from Rockstar, at least outside of the official "Extended Look" that aired on Netflix in August.

If you manage to find the video, be warned: Major portions of it are strictly not safe for work. It includes a lot of footage of Jason, the male protagonist, walking around completely nude, and everything is modeled in full detail. It's unclear if this is something you can actually do in the final game, or if Cyberleek used some kind of developer tools to pull it off. There are a couple of bits of evidence pointing to the latter; NPCs do not react at all to Jason's nudity, and at one point, the person playing the leaked build spawns a tank out of thin air, suggesting capabilities beyond what normal players will be able to do.

SEE ALSO: Jason from 'GTA 6' feuds with Link from 'The Legend of Zelda' on 'SNL's Weekend Update

There is also a very brief clip of Lucia, the game's other protagonist, who is seen mostly nude at the very end of the video. There was some speculation earlier in the week that nudity would be part of the game, and it seems like it's at least partially confirmed now.

Beyond the NSFW bits, nothing in the video is all that surprising. We see a couple of different vehicular races, both of which are pre-empted by cutscenes introducing the characters in charge of racing in the countryside and on city streets. These cutscenes aren't especially spoiler-heavy, but if you're really precious about not seeing them ahead of release, you should probably avoid Cyberleek's latest GTA 6 leaks.

We also get a brief look at vehicle customization, which includes the ability to upgrade the engine, transmission, and other aspects of cars. There's also some footage of the game being played in first-person, both while driving and walking around. This was a popular feature Rockstar added to GTA 5 years after release (and incorporated into Red Dead Redemption II), but it hasn't been shown in GTA 6 yet.

As a reminder, GTA 6 is out on Nov. 19 and is available for preorder now for Xbox Series X/S and PlayStation 5.

SAVE $215: As of Oct. 8, the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch Glossy OLED monitor (XG27AQDMGR) is on sale for just $384 at Amazon instead of its usual $599. That's 36% in post-Prime Day savings.

Opens in a new window Credit: ASUS ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch OLED Monitor (XG27AQDMGR) $384 at Amazon
$599 Save $215   Get Deal

If you have the post-Prime Day blues, this gaming monitor deal might cheer you up. For those looking to switch to an OLED setup, the ASUS ROG Strix XG27AQDMGR is now the cheapest it's ever been.

As of Oct. 8, the ASUS ROG Strix 27-inch Glossy OLED monitor is down to just $384 at Amazon. It's usually $599 and recently dropped to $399 during Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days event. Miraculously, after the sale concluded, it dropped to its lowest price ever. That's 36% in total savings.

The XG27AQDMGR packs a 27-inch 1440p TrueBlack Glossy WOLED panel with a buttery smooth 240Hz refresh rate, 0.03ms response time, and peak brightness of 1,300 nits. Other features include AMD FreeSync Premium Pro technology and NVIDIA G-SYNC compatibility, VESA DisplayHDR 400 True Black compliance, and a 99% DCI-P3 gamut. If all the tech mumbo jumbo is foreign to you, that essentially means its colors are vibrant, it's plenty bright for most setups, and it's designed for efficient gaming and beyond.

If the risk of burn-in is what's keeping you from upgrading to an OLED monitor, ASUS monitors have a built-in Neo Proximity Sensor that detects when you step away and switches your screen to black to protect it. ASUS OLED Care Pro also provides a full suite of customizable settings to protect your panel and ensure its longevity. It's not foolproof, but it's certainly nice to have.

Who cares if you missed October Prime Day? At over $200 off its list price, this is the perfect excuse to grab a big-ticket OLED monitor for less.

SAVE $150: Amazon still has the brand-new Apple Mac mini on sale following its Prime Big Deal Days event. Some of the M6 and M5 Pro variants are down to all-time low prices.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $949.99 at Amazon
$1,099 Save $149.01   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) $1,549 at Amazon
$1,699 Save $150   Get Deal

ICYMI, Mashable's shopping team spotted over 20 Apple devices and accessories that were on sale for record-low prices during Prime Big Deal Days, Amazon's "October Prime Day" sale on Oct. 6 and 7. Surprisingly, most of those deals are still live even though the sale is over — even a $150 discount on the brand-new Mac mini.

Right now, three variants of Apple's latest mini PC with the M6 and M5 Pro chips are still up for grabs at their lowest prices yet, starting from just $949.99. That translates to up to 14% in savings, which is a pretty decent discount for a fresh Apple product that's less than a month old. Plus, you don't have to be a Prime member in order to be eligible for the deals.

Remember: The new Mac minis launched at much higher prices than their predecessors due to the ongoing memory shortage, so buying them on sale is a great call. Take your pick from the following configurations:

• Apple Mac mini (M6, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $949.99 $1,099.99 (save $149.01)

• Apple Mac mini (M6, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,149.99 $1,299.99 (save $149.01)

• Apple Mac mini (M5 Pro, 24GB RAM, 512GB SSD) — $1,549 $1,699 (save $150)

The base Mac mini with an M6 chip, 16GB of memory, and 256GB of storage is currently on sale, too, but at $779.99 (normally $899), it's $10 away from its all-time low.

The Mac mini is Apple's most compact desktop computer. Credit: Apple

The Mac mini is a popular choice for AI enthusiasts, and Apple says its new chips offer up four times faster AI performance (plus up to twice as fast graphics and storage). They also have the latest wireless connectivity options, WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6.0, and can drive up to three displays at once. The M6 model has two USB-C ports, an HDMI port, an Ethernet port, and three Thunderbolt 4 ports, which the M5 Pro one swaps for faster Thunderbolt 5 ports.

After testing the M6 Mac mini, our sister site, PCMag, named it an Editor's Choice winner and deemed it "a good-value powerhouse for most everything you’ll want to do on a Mac." The version with an M5 Pro chip is much more powerful in demanding multi-core workloads and better-suited for professional creatives and AI developers.

Now, the question is: Should you buy a Mac mini now or wait to see if they get even cheaper in a couple weeks on Black Friday? According to our previous coverage, the base model of the older M4 Mac mini was $120 off over the holidays last year, while an upgraded M4 Pro model was $200 off. You might score some additional savings down the road, though you also run the risk of certain configurations selling out.

On paper, there's a massive difference between standard "Full" HD and 4K UHD. A 4K screen has four times the pixels found in an FHD model. Coming to around 8.3 million pixels.

TL;DR: Krispy Kreme launched a limited-edition Halloween lineup featuring Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Taz, Tweety, and Sylvester. You can grab four brand-new flavored doughnuts in custom specialty dozens, or score a free Original Glazed doughnut just by wearing a costume on Oct. 30-31.

Halloween season just got a whole lot more exciting. Krispy Kreme is officially teaming up with Warner Bros. Discovery to drop a nostalgia-heavy Looney Tunes Halloween Collection, bringing classic Saturday-morning cartoon icons straight into the doughnut case.

The new limited-time lineup features four custom treats starring Bugs Bunny, Lola Bunny, Taz, and the ultimate chaos duo, Tweety and Sylvester — each decked out in their own spooky costume.

The drop comes right on the heels of the new Looney Tunes movie Coyote vs. Acme, finally hitting theaters, so the timing couldn't be better for a cartoon throwback. Here's what you're actually eating in this four-doughnut lineup:

• Bugs Bunny Doughnut — An unglazed shell packed with chocolate dulce Kreme filling, dipped in glossy red dulce icing, and finished off with chocolate drizzles, black bat-shaped sprinkles, and a sugar piece of Bugs dressed as a vampire.

• Taz Doughnut — Made for total cookie lovers, this unglazed shell is stuffed with Oreo Cookies & Kreme, dipped in chocolate icing, rolled in crushed Oreo pieces, and wrapped up with neon green icing drizzles and a Taz Mummy sugar piece.

• Lola Bunny Doughnut — Built for original glazed purists, this one takes Krispy Kreme's signature ring base and dresses it up with a purple buttercreme-flavored swirl, sparkling gold star sprinkles, and a Lola Bunny Witch sugar piece.

• Tweety & Sylvester Doughnut — Leaning into classic Halloween vibes, an Original Glazed ring gets dipped in candy corn-flavored icing, covered in yellow, white, and orange confetti sprinkles, and topped with a sugar piece showing Sylvester poking out of a jack-o'-lantern with Tweety sitting right on his head.

Where to grab them (and how to get free doughnuts)

You can pick up the Looney Tunes lineup individually, as part of a custom Looney Tunes Halloween Specialty Dozen, or bundled up with a second box of Original Glazed rings for party catering. If you don't live near an official shop, Krispy Kreme is also shipping fresh 6-packs directly to select grocery chains and retailers like Publix and Kroger throughout the month.

Krispy Kreme is also running its annual Halloween freebie promo along with the drop. If you walk into any participating location wearing a full Halloween costume on Friday, Oct. 30, or Saturday, Oct. 31, you get a free Original Glazed or classic ring doughnut with zero purchase required.

Head over to your nearest shop or check the app to order a dozen before the limited run wraps up after Halloween night.

I have two old laptops sitting around doing nothing most of the time. One, until very recently, was literally sitting in a closet collecting dust. That's a waste of perfectly good hardware—many local AI jobs will run just fine on a CPU with 16GB of RAM as long as you have time to let them run. My old laptops fit into that scheme perfectly.

SAVE $1,000: Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days wrapped up last night, but as of Oct. 8, the LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $999.99, thanks to an on-page coupon. That's $1,000 off its list price. Not to mention, you'll get a free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar with your purchase (a $220 value).

Opens in a new window Credit: LG LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV $999.99 at Amazon
$1,999.99 Save $1,000 + get free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar Get Deal

Just because Amazon's massive October Prime Day sale concluded last night doesn't mean the deals immediately dissolved. In fact, one of the best TV deals popped up in the final hours of the sale and is still going strong in the aftermath.

As of Oct. 8, the LG 65-inch B6 OLED 4K TV is on sale for just $999.99, thanks to an on-page coupon. The original list price for this TV is $1,999.99, which brings the savings to a full $1,000. That's the cheapest we've ever seen this TV and the first time it's dropped below $1,000. As if that's not incentive enough to snag it, Amazon is also throwing in a free LG S30A 2.1 ch soundbar (a $220 value) with your purchase.

You don't even need to be a Prime member in order to claim this outrageous deal. You do, however, need to make sure the "Save $300 at checkout" box is checked and to click on "Claim free item" below the price details to secure your free soundbar. Add both the TV and soundbar to your cart to see the full discount.

Credit: Screenshot: Amazon

The B6 is a great choice for anyone who wants to upgrade to an OLED without breaking the bank. While it's LG's entry-level model, it's nearly as good as our favorite OLED for most people. It features a 0.1ms response time, 4K 120Hz refresh rate, four HDMI 2.1 ports, Dolby Vision Gaming, Dolby Atmos sound, the webOS 26 smart TV platform, and a bold picture that's better than its predecessor. Paired with the free soundbar, you're in for a truly immersive viewing experience, all for under $1,000.

SAVE $200: As of Oct. 8, the Apple 2026 MacBook Air M5 is on sale for $1,099 at Amazon. That's a $200 discount on the list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple 2026 MacBook Air M5 $1,099 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $200   Get Deal

Prime Day is officially in the rearview mirror, but Amazon clearly forgot to flip the price switch back on Apple's latest ultraportable.

The 13-inch MacBook Air with the M5 chip is currently sitting at $1,099, taking $200 off its standard $1,299 retail cost. After Apple bumped the base price up following global component crunches, catching this machine back down at its launch price right after a major shopping event is a solid second chance to grab top-tier Apple hardware on a deal.

The M5 chip delivers so much speed that Mashable's Timothy Beck Werth noted it might actually be "too powerful for its own good" for the average laptop buyer. In benchmark testing, its single-core snappiness makes daily multitasking effortless, while its multi-core performance comes remarkably close to matching last year's MacBook Pro.

You get 16GB of unified memory and a generous 512GB SSD right out of the box, giving you twice the base storage and memory capacity to handle intense workloads, creative editing, and on-device Apple Intelligence tasks without stuttering.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day: We found 22 Apple products at record-low prices that you need to grab before midnight

Despite packing near-Pro power into an ultra-thin 0.44-inch aluminum frame that weighs just 2.7 pounds, it still delivers true all-day battery life. The 13.6-inch Liquid Retina display reaches 500 nits for razor-sharp visuals, complemented by a punchy four-speaker sound system with Spatial Audio support. Apple also upgraded the webcam to a 12MP Center Stage camera with Desk View, keeping you automatically centered on video calls.

Connectivity gets a future-proof boost as well, thanks to Apple's N1 wireless chip, which delivers full WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 6 compatibility. You get two Thunderbolt 4 ports, a dedicated MagSafe charging connector, support for dual external monitors, and seamless integration with your iPhone.

Head over to Amazon to score the M5 MacBook Air for $1,099 while stocks last.

SAVE $40: As of Oct. 8, the Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are on sale at Amazon for $319, down from their $359 list price. That's an 11% discount and $40 off their retail price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) $319 at Amazon
$359 Save $40   Get Deal

Prime Day is officially over, but Amazon still hasn't flipped the price tag back up on Bose's latest over-ear heavyweights.

The Bose QuietComfort Headphones (2nd Gen) are currently sitting at $319, shaving $40 off their standard $359 retail price. If you missed out on picking up a pair of elite noise-canceling cans during the main event, this is a second chance to grab top-tier audio gear without hunting for a promo code.

The big reason to jump on this second-gen refresh comes down to physical comfort and updated acoustics. Bose revamped the design with sleeker pill-shaped earcups and a wider headband wrapped in plush synthetic leather, dialing in just the right amount of clamping force so they sit feather-light on your head for hours on end. Sound-wise, Bose TrueSpatial Technology creates a more natural soundstage, and they also added support for high-fidelity lossless audio over a direct USB-C connection.

SEE ALSO: The best headphones and earbuds deals on October Prime Day, including my favorite Bose headphones

Bose's active noise cancellation gets a real upgrade here, too. With updated ActiveSense Tech, the headphones automatically smooth out harsh, sudden blasts of ambient noise when you're hanging out in Aware Mode. You also get brand-new preset profiles like Cinema Mode — which boosts dialogue clarity and spatial depth for movies — plus a full "ANR off" toggle if you want to turn off active noise reduction completely and just rock passive isolation.

The battery specs match up perfectly for heavy daily wear, delivering a full 24 hours of playback with noise cancellation enabled (or up to 18 hours with TrueSpatial Immersive Audio enabled). If you ever get caught on low power, plugging in via USB-C for just 15 minutes gives you 2.5 hours of juice.

Grab the new Bose QuietComfort 2nd Gen before the price goes back up to $359.

For a generation of American anime fans, discovering a new series once meant staying up late to watch Toonami, Cartoon Network's seminal anime programming block, or tracking down low-quality, fan-subtitled episodes online. (Or on VHS.) Today, your introduction to anime might be a 30-second TikTok edit, an Olympic figure skater referencing her favorite character on TV, or an artist casually dropping a track inspired by Jujutsu Kaisen.

The path into anime fandom has changed dramatically, and social media has helped make what was once considered a niche, nerdy interest an increasingly visible part of mainstream pop culture.

SEE ALSO: 'Gachiakuta' might be the most original shōnen anime in years

That shift was the subject of a conversation at Crunchyroll's Anime Future Forum in New York City, where rapper Big Sean, Olympic figure skater Amber Glenn, and content creator Jordan Howlett gathered for a panel titled "The Influencers Shaping Anime Fandom." The three come from different corners of entertainment, but they're united by a shared love of Japanese animation and an understanding of how the internet has helped bring that fandom into the mainstream.

Big Sean's anime fandom predates social media entirely. "I'm a Toonami kid," the Detroit rapper told the audience, recalling his early exposure to Dragon Ball Z, Cowboy Bebop, Gundam Wing, and YuYu Hakusho — the latter of which he recently rewatched. He also spoke about how anime resonated with him and his friends in Detroit, particularly its stories about overcoming adversity and pushing past seemingly impossible odds.

That enthusiasm never went away. Sean has continued to draw inspiration from anime throughout his music career, and he recalled the surreal experience of having Sean Schemmel, the English-language voice of Goku, visit his home while he was working on an album.

For longtime fans like Sean, discovering anime was often a matter of finding the right show at the right time. Today, anime has a way of finding you, whether you're looking for it or not.

From Toonami to TikTok

Anime has been finding American audiences since Astro Boy debuted on U.S. television in 1963. Its fan communities grew through VHS trading and conventions in the decades that followed, before Pokémon, Dragon Ball Z, Sailor Moon, and Cartoon Network's Toonami helped introduce Japanese animation to a new generation in the late '90s.

Today, anime's growth in the U.S. has been fueled by several overlapping developments, including the expansion of streaming services like Crunchyroll, which recently broadened its reach with a dedicated digital manga platform featuring over 250 localized English titles. Meanwhile, anime has become a major force at the box office. Last year's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – Infinity Castle grossed nearly $794 million worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing anime film of all time.

But beyond streaming subscriptions and blockbuster theatrical releases, social media has introduced another pathway into fandom, one that doesn't necessarily begin with someone deciding to watch anime at all. Sometimes, it begins with a clip.

SEE ALSO: How the internet turned 'Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Infinity Castle' into the No. 1 movie

Howlett, known for his viral storytelling videos, recalled becoming curious about Solo Leveling after seeing clips and fan edits on social media. The first caught his attention. By the second, he was hooked. "I'm like, 'This is the greatest thing I've ever seen,'" he recalled. He was so intrigued that he wrote down the name of the series on his phone so he wouldn't forget to watch it. Now, he's slowly making his way through the dungeons.

It's a familiar experience for anyone whose algorithm has ever served them a particularly compelling anime edit. These fan-made videos can condense an emotional turning point, character arc, or spectacular fight sequence into a few seconds of delicious tension and occasional yearning, often accompanied by music and dramatic transitions. Even without knowing the context, viewers can find themselves invested enough to seek out the original story.

Glenn understands the appeal. The figure skater described watching anime edits that stirred emotions she wanted to translate into her own performances. "There are edits of anime that make me feel more than like an entire movie could," she said.

For Glenn, who said she can't wait to catch up on The Apothecary Diaries Season 3 after her Dancing With the Stars run, these clips aren't simply advertisements for the shows themselves. They're creative works that inspire other forms of expression. She's an avid cosplayer who's dressed as Qifrey from Witch Hat Atelier and Yor and Loid Forger from Spy x Family. During her Olympic run, she shared her love for Maki Zenin from Jujutsu Kaisen, bringing her anime enthusiasm to an audience more accustomed to triple axels than cursed energy. She also pointed to One Piece on Ice, the Japanese ice show inspired by the long-running anime, as an example of the overlap between anime and her sport.

And that's part of what makes this moment in anime fandom so interesting: You don't have to be looking for anime to find yourself surrounded by it, at least not anymore.

Social media has fundamentally changed how people find anime. Where viewers once relied on television schedules, physical media, or recommendations from fellow fans, they can now stumble upon new characters and stories through the content those fans create and share. On TikTok alone, there are nearly 178 million videos tagged #anime, while Threads has an anime community with more than 531,000 members.

And you don't necessarily have to be an anime fan to encounter any of it. Sometimes, that's all it takes to turn a casual viewer into a fan.

Howlett described anime's mainstream growth as a combination of longstanding fan communities and the willingness of celebrities, musicians, athletes, and other public figures to openly embrace their interests. Social media, he suggested, has helped bridge the gap between those existing communities and audiences who might never have encountered anime otherwise.

And fans themselves are helping drive that discovery. According to Crunchyroll's 2026 Global State of Anime Fandom study, conducted by National Research Group and unveiled at the Anime Future Forum, 77 percent of surveyed anime viewers said they've recommended anime to someone who hadn't watched it before. The research also found that two-thirds of international anime fans reported watching more anime than they did three years ago.

Younger audiences are helping fuel that momentum. According to Hub Entertainment Research, 39 percent of 16- to 24-year-olds regularly watch anime, compared with 21 percent of the average general population.

With more than 21 million paid subscribers worldwide as of March 2026, Crunchyroll is a testament to anime's growing reach. But while streaming services have made anime easier to watch, social media has made it easier to discover. And that accidental discovery is all it takes.

Being an anime fan is part of your identity

Yet discovery is only part of the story. Social media has also changed how comfortable people feel expressing their interests publicly.

Glenn suggested that online platforms have created more opportunities for people to share their enthusiasm for anime, whether through cosplay, makeup, fan art, or simply talking about their favorite shows. As a result, fandom has become a part of people's identities, including those whose careers have little to do with anime.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Amber Glenn (@amberglenniceskater)

Her own relationship with anime began with Yuri!!! on Ice, the beloved 2016 figure-skating series. She recalled meeting members of its creative team during pre-production for the sequel, which was later canceled in 2024. Still, discussing her skating experience with them helped cement her enthusiasm for anime, which eventually became a recognizable part of her public persona.

For years, though, she was simply a figure skater with a nerdy side. As her athletic career progressed and more people became interested in her life beyond the ice, her anime fandom attracted greater attention. She recalled receiving an enormous amount of anime swag after the Olympics and introducing other people to series they might not otherwise have watched.

Howlett experienced something similar when an offhand mention of his favorite Dragon Ball Z video game and his affection for Vegeta on the red carpet prompted an unexpectedly enthusiastic online response. Fans flooded his inbox with their own opinions and lengthy debates about the character. What had seemed like a casual answer became an invitation into a much larger conversation.

That's part of what makes anime fandom particularly suited to social media. Fans don't just consume the slice-of-life stories and heroes' journeys. They debate characters, defend their favorites by virtue and/or attractiveness, create art and cosplay, and reinterpret scenes. Platforms built around sharing and responding to content give those conversations a potentially enormous audience.

And those online connections extend into the real world. Conventions like Anime NYC bring fans together to showcase their cosplay, meet artists, attend panels, and celebrate their favorite series with others who share their enthusiasm. The convention reported 172,000 visits across its four-day event in 2026, up from 148,000 in 2025. For many fans, the conversations that start online don't stay there. They turn into friendships, convention meetups, and entire communities built around a shared obsession.

Of course, anime fandom isn't immune to gatekeeping, and greater visibility doesn't necessarily mean every corner of the community has become more welcoming. Even Megan Thee Stallion has had to deal with sexist gatekeeping over her love of anime. But social media has created more opportunities for people to find others who share their enthusiasm, even when they don't consider themselves part of a traditional anime community.

Anime's influence goes beyond your feed

Anime has become a fixture of mainstream pop culture, and nowhere is that more apparent than in sports. Glenn pointed to the growing number of athletes incorporating anime references into their performances. Olympic sprinter Noah Lyles has celebrated victories with Dragon Ball Z's signature Kamehameha pose and flashed Yu-Gi-Oh! cards before races, while tennis star Naomi Osaka brought magical-girl anime aesthetics onto the court with her elaborate outfits at the 2024 U.S. Open. In the NBA, Cooper Flagg said that Crunchyroll is his most-used app and has professed his love for One Piece. Meanwhile, Knicks star Jalen Brunson declared in a team TikTok that "Dragon Ball Z fighters are stronger than the Omni-Man people" was a hill he was willing to die on.

That influence also extends into Hollywood. Michael B. Jordan, an outspoken anime fan, drew inspiration from Naruto, Dragon Ball Z, and Hajime no Ippo for his 2023 directorial debut, Creed III, incorporating anime's heightened action and emotional storytelling into the film's boxing sequences. But the connection runs deeper than visual references. At the heart of many of these stories is a familiar story: an underdog who faces seemingly insurmountable odds, pushes past their limitations, and refuses to give up.

It's a theme that resonated with all three panelists. Big Sean described anime as a source of motivation throughout his life, particularly its stories about unearthing your potential and overcoming the limits others place on you. Howlett, meanwhile, recalled finding inspiration in Naruto as a child who struggled with bullying. “I was bullied a lot, and when I got home, I didn't really have friends," he shared. "When I was introduced to Naruto for the first time, the story inspired me... I felt so connected to these characters. It was my first introduction to really understanding a story and feeling like I was part of it."

For both, anime and its characters offered a way to imagine what they themselves might become. And that might help explain why so many fans are eager to share these stories with others. Whether it's an athlete replicating Satoru Gojo's Unlimited Void hand symbol, a filmmaker borrowing from Goku vs. Vegeta's visual language, or a creator posting about their favorite character, these expressions of fandom can get people curious about anime — even if they never thought it was for them.

Toward the end of the panel, Howlett had a simple message for anime fans: Don't be afraid to share what you love. In a way, that sums up how anime fandom has changed. The internet didn't make people passionate about anime; it just made that passion easier to share — and for someone else to discover it for themselves.

And now, it's almost impossible to miss.

The best October Prime Day Kindle deals at a glance: Best Kindle Deal Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition (2024) $169.99 (save $80) Get Deal Best color Kindle deal Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (2024) $189.99 (save $100) Get Deal Best Scribe deal Amazon Kindle Scribe (32GB) $379.99 (save $120) Get Deal Best Kindle Kids Deal Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids (2024) $169.99 (Save $60) Get Deal Budget pick Amazon Kindle (2024) $103.99 (save $46) Get Deal Also Consider All-new Amazon Kindle (32GB, aluminum) $189.99 Get Deal

I test e-readers and Kindles for Mashable, and after a year of painful price hikes, I am dying for a sale on e-readers (as are the rest of my friends on BookTok). Prime Big Deal Days delivered, discounting all 2024 Kindle models. Even though Amazon's October ended on Oct. 7, Kindle deals are still live as of Oct. 8.

RAMaggedon wreaked havoc on tech prices this year, and that includes Kindles. In August, we saw huge price increases on Amazon's e-readers, with prices on Kindles going up about $50. So, what does this mean for this year's October Prime Day Kindle deals?

Let's start with the good news: The latest deals roll back the recent price hikes. The bad news: Because of those price increases, few of Amazon's e-readers are at all-time low prices.

Finally, we have to remind you that Amazon just dropped an all-new collection of Kindles, and none of the 2026 models are on sale, nor do we expect them to be. So if you don't mind buying the 2024 Kindle models (which we loved and still recommend), there are plenty of Prime Day deals on Kindles to shop. There's also plenty of Kindle book and physical book deals live too, which you can find more at our full deals breakdown.

We're not sure how long these deals will last, so if you see a Kindle you like, add it to your cart ASAP.

Best Kindle deal Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition $169.99 at Amazon
$249.99 Save $80   Get Deal Why I like it

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is my top pick for October Prime Day shoppers. In August 2026, the e-reader's MSRP rose to $249.99 from its previous list price of $199.99. Now, the Paperwhite Signature Edition has dropped back down to $169.99. That's 32% off its new list price, saving you $80 on the e-reader. I'd typically advise you to buy the standard Paperwhite, but right now, it's more expensive than the Signature Edition.

The Kindle Paperwhite Signature Edition is my favorite e-reader, the one I use every day. With 32GB of storage, it has space for thousands of books. It also has an auto-adjusting front light and wireless charging capabilities. It's exceptionally fast, too, as it never stutters when opening books or turning pages.

If you want to save $20, you could go for the standard Paperwhite, but right now, the Signature Edition is the better savings.

Plus, when you buy a new Kindle, make sure to include three months of Kindle Unlimited in your purchase because it's totally free (a $35.97 value).

Budget pick: Kindle (2024) Opens in a new window Credit: Kindle Amazon Kindle (2024) $103.99 at Amazon
$149.99 Save $46.00   Get Deal Why I like it

There's still a lot to love about Amazon's basic Kindle e-reader. It's a great starter e-reader if you're new to the category, and it has the same famous E Ink display that makes Kindles so popular. It may not have as much storage as the Paperwhite or Paperwhite Signature Edition (it also lacks waterproofing), but you can still hold a whole library's worth of books.

The 6-inch screen is still large enough to enjoy your favorite reads, and it's a lightweight and thin e-reader that's easy to take on the go.

More Kindle deals

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (16GB) — $149.99 $199.99 (save $50)

• Amazon Kindle Paperwhite Kids — $169.99 $229.99 (save $60)

• Amazon Kindle Colorsoft (16GB) — $189.99 $289.99 (save $100)

• Amazon Kindle Scribe (32GB) — $379.99 $499.99 (save $120)

• Amazon Kindle Scribe Colorsoft (32GB) — $479.99 $629.99 (save $150)

Kindle e-reader price history

During Black Friday 2025, the 2024 Kindles dropped to their lowest prices ever. That brought the Kindle to $79.99 and the Kindle Paperwhite to $124.99. But this was before Amazon raised prices on Kindles in August 2026.

The current Kindle Prime Day prices fall somewhere in between previous all-time lows and the device's current prices. However, two Kindles are notably not on sale. The 2024 Kindle Paperwhite is finally on sale for $149.99, which is just $10 lower than its pre-price hike list price.

SEE ALSO: October Prime Day 2026: We livestreamed the best Amazon deals so far

The basic Kindle is $103.99, which makes it cheaper than its previous list price ($109.99) but $24 more than its all-time low of $79.99. Kindle Scribe e-readers, however, are on sale for their lowest prices ever, with the Scribe dipping back down to $379.99 and the Scribe Colorsoft dropping to $479.99.