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Picking between the 2025 Kia K4 and K5 can feel like choosing between siblings—same family, but very different personalities.

SAVE $60: As of Dec. 10, get the DJI Neo three-battery combo for $229 at Amazon. That's a discount of 21% and the lowest price we've ever seen.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon DJI Neo (3-Battery Combo) $229 at Amazon
$289 Save $60   Get Deal

The future may be uncertain for DJI drones, especially with the U.S.'s potential drone ban this month due to trade and security issues. That means it's been tough to find or purchase any DJI drones in the country, with supply that's less than simple to locate. If you're still on the lookout, however, you can nab a DJI model today for an all-time low price.

As of Dec. 10, get the DJI Neo three-battery combo for $229, down from its usual price of $289. That's $60 off and a discount of 21%. It's also the lowest price we've seen.

SEE ALSO: The DJI Power 2000 portable power station is at its lowest price ever — almost half off

The DJI Neo is a portable drone that's perfect for taking on the go and for lightweight, easy excursions. But it's no slouch in the content creation department. It's outfitted with a 4K UHD camera and comes with a three-battery combo so you should be able to stay in the air much longer than usual.

It's feature-rich beyond that as well, with the option for palm takeoffs, stable subject tracking, and voice control, all of which make it great for beginners as well as drone experts.

Of course, none of that is as important as the fact that it's in stock and very affordable right now. You'll want to go ahead and grab it while you can at this price, because you'll want to lock in your drone purchase as soon as possible.

There's an overwhelming number of file managers on the Google Play Store, but a good chunk of those are riddled with ads, proprietary, or both. File managers have access to the entire user file system, so you want to be sure you can trust them with all your data. Here are four open-source, privacy-friendly file managers you can try.

Anyone who uses AI systems knows the frustration: a prompt is given, the response misses the mark, and the cycle repeats. This trial-and-error loop can feel unpredictable and discouraging. To address this, we are excited to introduce Promptions (prompt + options), a UI framework that helps developers build AI interfaces with more precise user control.

Its simple design makes it easy to integrate into any setting that relies on added context, including customer support, education, and medicine. Promptions is available under the MIT license on Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab) and GitHub.

Background

Promptions builds on our research, “Dynamic Prompt Middleware: Contextual Prompt Refinement Controls for Comprehension Tasks.” This project examined how knowledge workers use generative AI when their goal is to understand rather than create. While much public discussion centers on AI producing text or images, understanding involves asking AI to explain, clarify, or teach—a task that can quickly become complex. Consider a spreadsheet formula: one user may want a simple syntax breakdown, another a debugging guide, and another an explanation suitable for teaching colleagues. The same formula can require entirely different explanations depending on the user’s role, expertise, and goals. 

A great deal of complexity sits beneath these seemingly simple requests. Users often find that the way they phrase a question doesn’t match the level of detail the AI needs. Clarifying what they really want can require long, carefully worded prompts that are tiring to produce. And because the connection between natural language and system behavior isn’t always transparent, it can be difficult to predict how the AI will interpret a given request. In the end, users spend more time managing the interaction itself than understanding the material they hoped to learn.

Identifying how users want to guide AI outputs 

To explore why these challenges persist and how people can better steer AI toward customized results, we conducted two studies with knowledge workers across technical and nontechnical roles. Their experiences highlighted important gaps that guided Promptions’ design.

Our first study involved 38 professionals across engineering, research, marketing, and program management. Participants reviewed design mock-ups that provided static prompt-refinement options—such as length, tone, or start with—for shaping AI responses. 

Although these static options were helpful, they couldn’t adapt to the specific formula, code snippets, or text the participant was trying to understand. Participants also wanted direct ways to customize the tone, detail, or format of the response without having to type instructions.

Why dynamic refinement matters

The second study tested prototypes in a controlled experiment. We compared the static design from the first study, called the “Static Prompt Refinement Control” (Static PRC), against a “Dynamic Prompt Refinement Control” (Dynamic PRC) with features that responded to participants’ feedback. Sixteen technical professionals familiar with generative AI completed six tasks, spanning code explanation, understanding a complex topic, and learning a new skill. Each participant tested both systems, with task assignments balanced to ensure fair comparison.  

Comparing Dynamic PRC to Static PRC revealed key insights into how dynamic prompt-refinement options change users’ sense of control and exploration and how those options help them reflect on their understanding. 

Static prompt refinement

Static PRC offered a set of pre‑selected controls (Figure 1) identified in the initial study. We expected these options to be useful across many types of explanation-seeking prompts.

Figure 1: The static PRC interface  Dynamic prompt refinement

We built the Dynamic PRC system to automatically produce prompt options and refinements based on the user’s input, presenting them in real time so that users could adjust these controls and guide the AI’s responses more precisely (Figure 2).

Figure 2. Interaction flow in the Dynamic PRC system. (1) The user asks the system to explain a long Excel formula. (2) Dynamic PRC generates refinement options: Explanation Detail Level, Focus Areas, and Learning Objectives. (3) The user modifies these options. (4) The AI returns an explanation based on the selected options. (5) In the session chat panel, the user adds a request to control the structure or format of the response. (6) Dynamic PRC generates new option sets based on this input. (7) The AI produces an updated explanation reflecting the newly applied options. 

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Participants consistently reported that dynamic controls made it easier to express the nuances of their tasks without repeatedly rephrasing their prompts. This reduced the effort of prompt engineering and allowed users to focus more on understanding content than managing the mechanics of phrasing.

Figure 3. Comparison of user preferences for Static PRC versus Dynamic PRC across key evaluation criteria. 

Contextual options prompted users to try refinements they might not have considered on their own. This behavior suggests that Dynamic PRC can broaden how users engage with AI explanations, helping them uncover new ways to approach tasks beyond their initial intent. Beyond exploration, the dynamic controls prompted participants to think more deliberately about their goals. Options like “Learning Objective” and “Response Format” helped them clarify what they needed, whether guidance on applying a concept or step-by-step troubleshooting help.

Figure 4. Participant ratings comparing the effectiveness of Static PRC and Dynamic PRC 

While participants valued Dynamic PRC’s adaptability, they also found it more difficult to interpret. Some struggled to anticipate how a selected option would influence the response, noting that the controls seemed opaque because the effect became clear only after the output appeared.

However, the overall positive response to Dynamic PRC showed us that Promptions could be broadly useful, leading us to share it with the developer community.    

Technical design

Promptions works as a lightweight middleware layer that sits between the user and the underlying language model (Figure 5). It has two main components:

Option Module. This module reviews the user’s prompt and conversation history, then generates a set of refinement options. These are presented as interactive UI elements (radio buttons, checkboxes, text fields) that directly shape how the AI interprets the prompt.

Chat Module. This module produces the AI’s response based on the refined prompt. When a user changes an option, the response immediately updates, making the interaction feel more like an evolving conversation than a cycle of repeated prompts. 

Figure 5. Promptions middleware workflow. (1) The Option Module reads the user’s prompt and conversation history and (2) generates prompt options. (3) These options are rendered inline by a dedicated component. (4) The Chat Module incorporates these refined options alongside the original prompt and history to produce a response. (5) When the user adjusts the controls, the refinements update and the Chat Module regenerates the response accordingly. Adding Promptions to an application

Promptions easily integrates into any conversational chat interface. Developers only need to add a component to display the options and connect it to the AI system. There’s no need to store date between sessions, which keeps implementation simple. The Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab) repository includes two sample applications, a generic chatbot and an image generator, that demonstrate this design in practice.  

Promptions is well-suited for interfaces where users need to provide context but don’t want to write it all out. Instead of typing lengthy explanations, they can adjust the controls that guide the AI’s response to match their preferences.

Questions for further exploration

Promptions raises important questions for future research. Key usability challenges include clarifying how dynamic options affect AI output and managing the complexity of multiple controls. Other questions involve balancing immediate adjustments with persistent settings and enabling users to share options collaboratively.

On the technical side, questions focus on generating more effective options, validating and customizing dynamic interfaces, gathering relevant context automatically, and supporting the ability to save and share option sets across sessions.

 These questions, along with broader considerations of collaboration, ethics, security, and scalability, are guiding our ongoing work on Promptions and related systems.

Tool Explore Promptions on Microsoft Foundry Labs 

By making Promptions open source, we hope to help developers create smarter, more responsive AI experiences.

Explore Promptions on Microsoft Foundry Labs (opens in new tab)

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The post Promptions helps make AI prompting more precise with dynamic UI controls appeared first on Microsoft Research.

SAVE UP TO $30: Amazon has a selection of both physcial and e-gift cards on sale for up to 20% off including Fandango, Eddie Bauer, Spafinder, and more.

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'Tis the season to freak out about last-minute gifts. But thanks to our modern world, you actually might still be in great shape for holiday gifting, so long as you pick an item that'll arrive soon. Gift cards always make for nice presents or stocking stuffers and Amazon is coming through with a 20% sale on a great variety. You'll be able to snag a savings on a gift card for those who love to go to the movies, book a spa day, or shop for a new wardrobe.

This sale applies to both physical and e-gift cards. Just be sure to double check with method of delivery you're going with. If it's physical, take a second to make sure it's estimated to arrive on time. If you prefer the e-gift card route, most options give you the ability to select a delivery date and whether you want it to go to the recipient's email or phone via text message.

Mashable Deals Be the first to know! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Get editor selected deals texted right to your phone! Loading... Sign Me Up By signing up, you agree to receive recurring automated SMS marketing messages from Mashable Deals at the number provided. Msg and data rates may apply. Up to 2 messages/day. Reply STOP to opt out, HELP for help. Consent is not a condition of purchase. See our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. Thanks for signing up!

Keep in mind this might be a great opportunity to snag one for yourself. Since all of these options are on sale, you're essentially getting free money, and that's a blessing in 2025.

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Privacy seems elusive in today's world, especially pertaining to our most sensitive information. If you watch porn, you probably want to shield yourself from prying eyes of advertisers, your internet service provider — or even your government.

As of November 2025, around half of the United States and several countries, including the UK and France, have enacted age-verification laws. Typically, these laws require visitors to sites containing explicit content to input personal data (like a government ID or facial scan) to access that material. To get around these laws, many people are using VPNs — if spikes in searches for them in areas that passed these laws are to be believed.

A VPN, or virtual private network,  masks your current location, and there are plenty available, free or paid, as apps or browser extensions. 

These networks are easy to use, but should you use a VPN to watch porn? The answer is complicated. 

SEE ALSO: The impact of age verification: VPN use doubles, porn traffic plummets

VPNs aren't "an anonymity cloak," said Yael Grauer, investigative tech reporter at Consumer Reports, despite what their marketing may say. The reality is, some scenarios are best suited for other web security tools — and it's actually possible that a VPN can weaken your safety.

How do VPNs work?

Rindala Alajaji, a legislative activist at the digital civil liberties nonprofit, Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), compares VPNs to a P.O. box. If you send a letter and put a P.O. box as the returning address, the recipient won't know exactly where it came from. Similarly, if you visit a website using a VPN, that website won't know exactly where you are.

VPNs are a privacy and security tool that protects you in three key ways according to Haych Li, former vice president at ExpressVPN. 

One is that VPNs encrypt your internet traffic and data. When this information is unencrypted, anyone in the chain between you and the destination (say, a porn site) can potentially see it. An example is the owner of a WiFi hotspot you use at a coffee shop. With a VPN, however, your traffic can't be seen by that intermediary. 

Secondly, VPNs encrypt DNS (Domain Name System) requests. Li compared DNS to a phonebook. A DNS request is like looking up a number in the phonebook — you're asking your computer to find something, like a website.

SEE ALSO: Tech-savvy travelers will geek out over this VPN router

The third tactic is that VPNs mask your IP address, which is a unique number connected to your device and linked to your location. Computers need IP addresses in order to communicate with each other and know "where" to send information. When using a VPN, you replace your actual IP address with the VPN's address.

"A VPN concentrates on hiding your real IP address," explained Chris Hauk, consumer privacy champion at online privacy blog Pixel Privacy, "while also encrypting your internet connection so third-parties can't easily track you simply by monitoring your connection.”

Is VPN safe for private browsing?

Know that any VPN won't make you totally anonymous. Sites can track you in ways besides your IP address. For example, a site's cookies (a file on your computer that tracks your activity) or other trackers will still be there even if you use a VPN, said Jon Callas, former director of technology projects at EFF.

Further, some VPN companies have reported to log their user traffic, a cybersecurity expert focused on data privacy for high-profile executives told Mashable. This is typically done by "free" VPNs that generate revenue by selling traffic data to targeted media companies. "Most higher-end, paid VPNs are safe and have a 'no logging' policy, which is vetted by third parties in some cases," the expert said.

Browser fingerprinting is yet another way you can be followed online. This method logs data like your browser, operating system, screen resolution, and language. 

Further, your browsing history will still exist if you use a VPN, Callas explained. If you paid for anything, the site has your payment information as well.

When choosing whether to use a VPN, ask yourself what you want to protect yourself from, said Grauer. This is to discern whether a VPN is actually the best option.

Here are two instances Grauer said they could be useful for porn viewing: 

• To bypass a firewall (say, on hotel WiFi that blocks porn sites)

• If you're worried about your ISP (internet service provider) seeing and potentially selling your data, as VPNs hide your info from your ISP

Grauer herself isn't concerned with the latter point. "There's a lot of people that look at porn," she said, "so personally, I don't feel the need to hide that I look at it…from my internet service provider."

What about snooping family or roommates? Clearing your browser history may be your best bet — or even investing in a screen filter so no one physically around you can see what you're browsing. Using an Incognito window, which doesn't log history, may help too, but keep in mind that sites can still track you.

If loved ones or your building management have access to your WiFi and are savvy enough, however, they can potentially access your data. In that case, a VPN could help, Li explained, as it reroutes your traffic. 

Callas agreed. "If the threat is 'I don't want my apartment building to know what porn I watch,' a VPN works," he said.

VPNs enable free speech in some areas as well, said Li. Should you live in a country where queer sex and thus queer porn is illegal, a VPN could mask your IP from the government. Grauer wouldn't rely on one in these severe instances, however, as VPNs can fail. She recommended people in these circumstances instead contact human rights organizations to figure out what security steps to take, as technology, laws, and government practices are ever-changing.

If the specific VPN you use doesn't have a "kill switch," which shuts off your internet connection if it's not working, then authorities — or whomever else — could potentially see your traffic. Check if your VPN has a kill switch either in the features rundown on the company's website, or in the VPN settings.

Is using a VPN illegal in the U.S.?

No, VPNs are legal in the U.S. and many other countries. This isn't the case everywhere, though. ExpressVPN has a list of countries where VPN use is illegal.

In Wisconsin and Michigan, however, bills have been introduced to ban VPNs. The children's commissioner for England said that VPNs were a "loophole" to the area's age-verification law that "needs closing."

In an EFF blog post about VPN bans, Alajaji wrote about Wisconsin's proposed demand to "block VPN users" from the state — and how that's technically impossible.

"The technology just doesn't work that way," she wrote. "Websites subject to this proposed law are left with this choice: either cease operation in Wisconsin, or block all VPN users, everywhere, just to avoid legal liability in the state."

Due to age-verification laws, Pornhub has ceased operation in 22 states as of this publication. Should VPNs become banned in Wisconsin or elsewhere, a similar domino effect could take place.

VPNs and age-verification laws

Different experts offer varying advice on whether to use VPNs when in a location with age-verification laws that require submitting personal data to view complying porn sites. (And none of this is legal advice.)

"As a cybersecurity professional, I will not help anyone, including a client, bypass the law," founder and CEO of Solace Truly Personal Cybersecurity, Paul Pioselli, told Mashable. "From a privacy perspective, however, I do encourage clients to understand the risks they face when visiting sensitive websites, including the trail of data that their Internet Service Provider, ad networks, and data brokers can collect about them."

"While using a VPN can help obscure an individual's location and improve privacy, no tool, including a VPN is a magic shield against the law," Pioselli continued. 

Data privacy expert and CEO of Privacy Bee, Harry Maugans, however, told Mashable that using a VPN is an option. In his view, the internet is supposed to be a free domain for people to go wherever they want and use it how they want to use it — and that these laws shouldn't exist.

"If people need to use a VPN to bypass a law that probably shouldn't be legal in the first place, I think more power to them," Maugans said. "They absolutely should."

Not all VPNs are made equal 

"Some [VPNs] are more trustworthy than others," said Grauer, who tested 16 VPNs along with her team in 2021. In its evaluation, Consumer Reports focused on characteristics like whether a VPN company conducted third-party security audits, and whether the company itself held customer information — as opposed to ease of use and cost. This takes into account what security experts look for in a platform.

Grauer found that most VPN companies fell short in terms of exorbitant ad claims (like that they provide "military-grade encryption," which isn't a real term or standard of protection) and poor privacy practices such as selling user data. A few, however, had truthful marketing and better policies like security checks by outside companies: IVPN, Mozilla VPN, and Mullvad VPN.

Hauk doesn't recommend free VPNs as they sometimes sell data, or even insert their own tracking cookies into a user's browser settings. If your goal is to stop your ISP from seeing and selling your data, a free VPN could do exactly what you're trying to prevent.

Each VPN is different, so when looking for one, check if and how they collect user data. 

What should you not use a VPN for?

"VPNs can be used as a security tool, a privacy tool, or in some niche cases such as an investigative report, obfuscating digital signature," the anonymous cybersecurity expert explained.

Here are some examples where a VPN isn't necessary, according to the expert:

• If an employer has a corporate VPN for individual use, a secondary VPN isn't needed.

• In your own home. "Some experts might disagree with this, but if the home has a secure network with no unknown devices, the VPN has little use as a security tool," the expert said. "However, if there are privacy concerns regarding what websites can see your IP address and general location, then using a VPN has [a] benefit."

Helpful privacy measures besides VPN

A VPN isn't the end-all of security; other tools could better help with various issues. 

If you're worried about advertising trackers on porn sites following you throughout the web, Grauer recommends a tracker blocker like Privacy Badger, created by EFF, or uBlock Origin.

Should you be concerned about malware, try one of the many malware removal and protection services on the market.

Another tool is a privacy-focused browser. Brave is Hauk's favorite, as it blocks third-party tracking cookies and ads by default and randomizes your fingerprint, along with similar protections.

Additionally, Hauk singled out the latest versions of Apple's Safari as it offers privacy and anti-tracking features alongside the introduction of macOS Monterey, like tracker blocking.

Opera also has excellent protections, said Hauk, like its own VPN. "Users should keep in mind though that the Opera VPN only protects the user's in-browser activity," he noted. "The rest of your online activity, such as from apps like P2P torrenting apps, is still left out in the open."

Grauer mentioned Google Chrome, as Google has a robust security team, though you need to specifically opt out of Google tracking your data.

So, should you use a VPN to watch porn?

Are you concerned about your internet service provider, housemates, or building manager accessing your data? Then yes — a VPN would help. Furthermore, if you're in a hotel or somewhere that has a firewall up for porn sites, a VPN can also circumvent that.

Remember, however, that not all VPNs are the same. Take a look at their fine print to see if they're going to collect or sell your data. If a privacy policy doesn't explicitly state that the company won't sell your data, that could be a red flag.

Read specific porn sites' terms of service and privacy policies to see how exactly they'll track you, too, Grauer said. According to Pornhub's privacy policy, for example, the site tracks IP addresses and sets cookies, which have the potential to collect information about your site usage. If your VPN works properly, your IP address will be hidden — but you'll need another tool to take care of the cookies.

Ultimately, a VPN won't make you invisible to porn sites nor others. There are, however, additional services like tracker blockers that can make your experience that much more private.

Our top 3 VPN picks: Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN Best overall choice   Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: CyberGhost Best value   Learn More Opens in a new window Credit: NordVPN Best for power users   Learn More

Learn more about the best VPNs for staying anonymous on the web.

Update: This article was originally published in 2022 and updated in November, 2025, amid the enaction of age-verification laws in the U.S. and other countries. It contains interviews from 2022 as well as 2025.

Home Assistant and Nabu Casa released the ZBT-2 adapter back in November, which adds Zigbee, Thread, and Matter to any Home Assistant server. Now you can buy one right on Amazon.

The Nintendo Switch 2 is the hottest video game console of the 2025 holiday season... or so we thought. Recently, Nintendo has been facing some competition from an unexpected source — a brand called Nex.

Recent sales data show that a "new" entrant has overtaken heavyweights like the PlayStation 5 in the U.S. market. Specifically, we're talking about the Nex Playground, a little box that, according to games industry analyst Mat Piscatella on Bluesky, outsold the PS5 in late November in the U.S. The Switch 2 bundle with Mario Kart World was the top overall seller, but the Nex Playground made its mark and raised a lot of eyebrows by showing up on the list at all, especially since it launched back in 2023.

One important note: Piscatella's sales numbers break down sales by SKU, and PlayStation 5 consoles are sold under multiple SKUs based on the type of console (digital or disc), whether it's part of a bundle, and internal memory. Still, Nex's numbers are much higher than expected.

US best-selling hardware SKUs for week ending Nov 22, 2025, ranked on units sold: 1) NS2 Mario Kart World Bundle 2) NEX Playground Interactive Gaming System 3) PS5 Slim Digital 1 TB So that's neat. Source: Circana Retail Tracking Service

— Mat Piscatella (@matpiscatella.bsky.social) December 3, 2025 at 5:25 PM SEE ALSO: The 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025: Find unique gift ideas you'd never think of on your own What is the Nex Playground?

So, what the heck is a Nex Playground? Put simply, it's a spiritual successor to the old Xbox Kinect, which used the motion generated by players' bodies for input instead of a traditional controller. Nex Playground appears to be hyper-targeted at kids and families, and that seems to be working, based on sales data. According to IGN, it has a bunch of games based on properties like How to Train Your Dragon and Peppa Pig, as well as some more adult-oriented fitness games.

Where to buy the Nex Playground

If that sounds appealing to you, you can get one for $249.99 at basically every major retailer. However, the Nex website notes that stock is limited at Target, and we found limited availability at Amazon as well. If you want to find the Nex Playground console in stock, it seems like Walmart and Best Buy are your best bet at the time of publication.

I have to admit that, even as someone who covers video games for a living, I had no idea the Nex Playground existed. If I had kids, though, I'd definitely consider getting one.

Nex Playground $250 at Amazon
  See It at Amazon See It at Best Buy See It at Walmart

In general, most Chromebooks (especially modern ones) are whisper-quiet. So it can be a little surprising to hear the fans on your laptop spin up. In particular when there's no obvious reason for it. The good news is that sometimes a laptop needs extra cooling and it doesn't mean something is wrong. In some cases, you do however need to do something about it.

SAVE $11.80: The Brick is on sale for just $47.20 as of Dec. 10. That's 20% off its usual price of $59, a discount normally reserved for students.

Opens in a new window Credit: Brick The Brick $47.20 at getbrick.app
$59 Save $11.80   Get Deal

I live in Chicago — which is to say, I know how depressing winters can be. An infinite, dopamine-inducing TikTok FYP or Instagram Reels feed becomes a salve when the sun starts setting at 4 p.m., and before you know it, your daily screen time numbers are hitting the double digits. If you're having trouble breaking free from your smartphone's clutches, allow me to introduce you to the Brick.

The Brick is a palm-sized device that blocks certain apps until you tap your phone to it. It creates a physical separation between you and your restricted apps — you actually have to get up and go to the device to unlock them — so it's more difficult to bypass than digital screen time tools. After using it for a few months, Mashable Shopping Reporter Samantha Mangino found that it cut her screen time in half.

SEE ALSO: The Brick taught me how to be bored again

"With all my most distracting apps blocked, I'm finally bored again," said Mangino. "When I have some downtime, rather than defaulting to scrolling, it motivates me to spend more time reading or finally tackle those errands I've been putting off."

The Brick is normally 20% off year-round for students, but right now, that discount is open to everyone for the holidays. It's usually priced at $59, but you'll pay just $47.20.

Note that shipping is free if you buy two Bricks (otherwise it's $7.99) — one for you and one for someone on your holiday shopping list. It makes a great stocking stuffer or gift idea under $50 for any TikTok junkies you know.

AVAILABLE NOW: As of Dec. 10, get the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch for $99.99 from Nintendo. You must be a Nintendo Switch Online member to purchase.

Opens in a new window Credit: Nintendo Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch $99.99 at Nintendo
  Shop Now

Looking to play games like Telereboxer and Galactic Pinball on the Virtual Boy? That may be an odd question to ask modern-day gamers, but these are exciting times for retro enthusiasts. You can now get the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch from Nintendo's digital storefront to do just that. Yes, in the year 2025, you can buy a brand new Virtual Boy accessory for your Switch or Switch 2. It truly is a great time to be a gamer.

As of Dec. 10, get the Virtual Boy for Nintendo Switch 2/Nintendo Switch for $99.99 at Nintendo's online shop. You must be a Nintendo Switch Online member to purchase. There's a limit of one per purchase.

SEE ALSO: All 2025 Nintendo Switch 2 game releases confirmed with preorder details

During a Nintendo Direct in September, Nintendo announced that select Virtual Boy games would be coming to the Nintendo Classics section for Nintendo Switch Online members. Those games require Joy-Con or Joy-Con 2 controllers and the special Virtual Boy accessory, made to look exactly like the original system that supports stereoscopic 3D. So if you want to play classic Virtual Boy titles like Mario's Tennis, this is a peripheral you're going to need. Alternatively, there will be a cardboard version available in the future.

This add-on accessory is only available for anyone with a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership. You'll need a Nintendo Switch Online + Expansion Pack membership if you want to access the games as well when they debut alongside the Virtual Boy itself on Feb. 17, 2026. You'll also need a standard Switch or Switch 2, as the Nintendo Switch Lite cannot be used with this replica.

If you're ready to jump in when February rolls around, order your Virtual Boy now so you can get started when the games become available.

SAVE $250: As of Dec. 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular) has dropped to a new all-time low price of $549 at Amazon. That's 31% or $250 off its list price of $799.

Opens in a new window Credit: Apple Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular) $549 at Amazon
$799 Save $250   Get Deal

Now that the Apple Watch Ultra 3 has arrived, you can score its predecessor for a new record-low price. And in the era of iterative upgrades, you won't be missing out on much by grabbing an older model.

As of Dec. 10, the Apple Watch Ultra 2 (49mm, GPS + Cellular) is down to only $549 at Amazon for the first time. That's 31% or $250 cheaper than its regular list price of $799 — and therefore, $250 cheaper than buying the new Ultra 3. That's also $50 cheaper than it was on Black Friday.

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While it may no longer be the latest and greatest Apple Watch on the market, the Ultra 2 is still one of the best choices. It's better than the basic Series 9 and the Series 10, with a more durable titanium case, a programmable action button the side, built-in LTE, a depth gauge and water temperature sensor, an emergency siren, and twice the battery life at up to 36 hours (up to 72 in low power mode). If you're into hiking, running, swimming, or diving, it packs more advanced features the basic Apple Watches lack. Of course, those more advanced features also come in a bulkier and more rugged case.

The biggest difference between the newer Ultra 3 and the Ultra 2 is about six more hours of battery life. Whether those six extra hours are worth another $250 is up to you to decide.

Building a gaming PC, or even buying a prebuilt, isn't a cheap proposition these days. With such a large expense, it doesn't make sense to leave performance on the table when all it takes are a few minutes to change some settings in your BIOS to get the most out of your system. Here are three that I always adjust with every new PC I build.

TL;DR: Live stream Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The latest batch of Champions League fixtures includes some really interesting matchups, but Real Madrid vs. Manchester City is probably the biggest of the bunch. Real Madrid have only dropped three points in this campaign, but Manchester City could jump above Xabi Alonso's team with a win at the Bernabéu. This one is going to be fun.

If you want to watch Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Champions League from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Real Madrid vs. Manchester City?

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Champions League kicks off at 8 p.m. GMT on Dec. 10. This fixture takes place at the Bernabéu.

How to watch Real Madrid vs. Manchester City for free

Real Madrid vs. Manchester City is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream Real Madrid vs. Manchester City 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 Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch Real Madrid vs. Manchester City 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 access free live streams of the Champions League without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream Real Madrid vs. Manchester City (plus more Champions League fixtures) before recovering your investment.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

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

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A one-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $99.95 and includes an extra three months for free — 49% off for a limited time. This plan 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).

Watch Real Madrid vs. Manchester City in the Champions League for free with ExpressVPN.

OpenAI's efforts to make ChatGPT the everything app are getting help from the internet's leading editing tools, with the launch of a new chatbot-Adobe Photoshop integration.

The partnership will let users harness the natural language processing power of ChatGPT to do the photoshopping for them, like fine tuning details, blurring backgrounds, and applying custom effects.

SEE ALSO: Google AI Overviews sparks antitrust probe for using publisher content

It's an effort to "make creativity accessible for everyone," Adobe digital media president David Wadhwani wrote. "Now hundreds of millions of people can edit with Photoshop simply by using their own words, right inside a platform that’s already part of their day-to-day.”

ChatGPT users can also access Adobe Express, the company's all-in-one content creation tool, and document manager Adobe Acrobat directly in chats, with the option to have ChatGPT generate and edit PDFs or customize premade documents with your personal information. Adobe has been exploring AI-assisted content generation over the last year, which included the recent debut of AI assistants for Photoshop and Adobe Express.

Credit: Adobe

Meanwhile, OpenAI has pivoted to more consumer-facing products, like its new collaboration with grocery delivery service Instacart. Under the partnership, Instacart subscribers will be able to use ChatGPT to meal prep, shop, and order groceries at their request. The AI giant has been in a "code red," according to CEO Sam Altman, amping up its output and retooling its popular model in response to increased industry competition and declining users — the business is also facing multiple lawsuits.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

SAVE 21%: As of Dec. 10, the Lego Icons Poinsettia (10370) building set is on sale for $39.35, down from $49.99. That's a 21% discount or a $10.64 price cut.

Lego Icons Poinsettia (10370) $39.35 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $10.64   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart

If you’re stumped on what to get your friends or loved ones this year, you might want to check out Lego’s latest deals. While the Black Friday and Cyber Monday prices are long gone, there are still a few deals worth a look.

As of Dec. 10, the Lego Icons Poinsettia (10370) building set is on sale for $39.35, down from $49.99. That's a 21% discount or a $10.64 price cut. This isn’t the best price we’ve seen on this set, but any money saved during the holiday season is a win.

SEE ALSO: The 60+ best Christmas gifts for 2025: Find unique gift ideas you'd never think of on your own

This set is designed for adults, although teens and advanced tweens could likely assemble it without too much trouble. It has 608 pieces and includes the poinsettia plant and the flowerpot. Once constructed, the model stands over eight inches tall and makes a great holiday centerpiece for any table or office desk. And, unlike real flowers, this one doesn’t require water, and you can adjust the posable leaves and star-shaped red bracts to get the look just right.

Considering over 20,000 of these were bought just last month, this is a clever gift if you’re still scrambling for last-minute ideas.

This year, I've been trying to purge subscriptions that I don't really need. I've managed to replace a lot of my paid subscriptions with free alternatives that can do the same job. I've kept hold of my Home Assistant Cloud subscription, however, and there are plenty of good reasons why.

SAVE $600: The DJI Power 2000 is on sale at Amazon for $699, down from the list price of $1,299. That's a 46% discount that matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

Opens in a new window Credit: DJI DJI Power 2000 portable power station $699 at Amazon
$1,299 Save $600   Get Deal

We're in the thick of unstable weather these days. Our social media and news feeds are filled with weather warnings of atmospheric rivers, wind advisories, and cold snaps. That means power outages are plentiful. If you're not interested in dealing with the inconvenience that entails, a portable power station could be the best solution, and there's a major sale in store today.

As of Dec. 10, the DJI Power 2000 is on sale for $699 at Amazon, marked down from the usual price of $1,299. That works out to a savings of $600 from a 46% discount. It also matches the lowest we've ever seen at Amazon.

DJI is a favorite brand among content creators, making a phenomenal lineup of drones, cameras, and mics. But it's worth paying attention to the DJI power station lineup, too. In my testing of portable power stations, the DJI Power 2000 is the perfect model for creators.

Thanks to the dual SDC ports, drone owners can utilize DJI's fast charging. Other port options include two 140W USB-C, two 65W USB-C, four 24W USB-A, three AC, and even a 30amp.

SEE ALSO: Gift your content-creator friend the DJI Mic Mini while it's on sale for just $45

In real-life situations, the DJI Power 2000's 2,048Wh can keep a WiFi router powered on for over 150 hours or a refrigerator for about 40 hours. Both of those will sure come in handy during the next power cut. Of course, you'll also be able to keep phones charged up.

Keep in mind, DJI is facing issues with getting products into the U.S., and it's nearly impossible to purchase directly from DJI right now. Instead, this Amazon deal is sold by a third-party seller. Mashable generally advises against buying from these sellers on Amazon, but DJI products have proven to be an exception since third-party is often the only way to snag a DJI product right now (and this one has positive ratings). Due to the nature of shipping portable power stations, the DJI Power 2000 is listed as non-returnable at Amazon, which is something to keep in mind before buying.

If this doesn't sound appealing, consider the DJI Power 1000, which is currently on sale for $349 or 50% off its normal price of $699. This sale price on Amazon is offered directly by DJI. You'll be halving the power offered from the DJI Power 2000, but it's also half the price.

In either case, DJI makes solid portable power stations. If you're looking for better protection during the next storm, the DJI Power 2000 is down to the record-low price of $699 today.

SAVE $180: Amazon and Best Buy have the Bose QuietComfort headphones on sale for just $179 as of Dec. 10. That's half off their $359 list price and $20 better than their Black Friday deal.

Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headhpones $179 at Amazon
$359 Save $180   Get Deal Opens in a new window Credit: Bose Bose QuietComfort Headphones $179 at Best Buy
$359 Save $180   Get Deal

The Mashable Shopping team has spilled a lot of ink about our love for Bose headphones. Every single model in the brand's lineup has sounded fantastic and fit comfortably on different head shapes in our testing, so you can't go wrong with any pair. Are they pricier than other decent headphones we've tried? Yes, but they're also quite easy to find on sale (and worth the hassle of doing so).

Blessedly, I just found some Bose cans marked down to well under $200. The standard QuietComforts are now sale for just $179 at Amazon and Best Buy (normally $359). That's not their lowest price ever — they were $159.99 on Cyber Monday — but it's $20 better than their $199 Black Friday deal for a full 50% off.

SEE ALSO: The 11 best headphones of 2025 — see the top contenders from Sony, Apple, Bose, and Beats

This deal applies to three colorways at both retailers: sandstone, limited-edition moonlight gray, and limited-edition petal pink. The other variants are still stuck at $199.

The Bose QCs are our runner-up pick for those who don't want to splurge on the $450 flagship Bose QC Ultras, which have added spatial audio support. "The average person will be more than satisfied with the [Bose QC] headphones' full, rounded sound," said shopping reporter Samantha Mangino, our reviewer. "Plus, they're great for the student who needs noise cancellation ... and a long battery life to survive endless study sessions." They're rated for 24 hours of use per charge.

SAVE $20: As of Dec. 10, get the Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant for $35.99 at Amazon. That's a discount of 40% on list price.

Opens in a new window Credit: Amazon Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant $35.99 at Amazon
$59.99 Save $24   Get Deal

If there's one gift that's a universally great choice for anyone on your list, it's Lego. Everyone loves building with the iconic blocks, young or old. And this year, you can grab a fun Lego set that's great for gamers or anyone who can appreciate Super Mario's fun aesthetic.

As of Dec. 10, get the Lego Super Mario Piranha Plant for $35.99 at Amazon. That's $20 off and a discount of 40% on list price.

SEE ALSO: The Lego Christmas Table Decoration is on sale for $24 and it'll arrive well before the holidays

This Lego building kit is a 540-piece adventure that lets you build the iconic Piranha Plant from the Super Mario games. It's posed in its green warp pipe fashioned as a potted plant, and you can pose the head, mouth, stalk, and leaves.

The statue comes with two coins as well, so you can pretend Mario himself has hopped on the plant's head to eliminate it. When completed, it stands over 9 inches tall, 4.5 inches wide, and 6.5 inches deep. That makes it the perfect deskside companion. Or you could set it by a windowsill and pretend it's a real plant.

Whether you give this Lego set as a gift or you keep it for yourself, it's a fun little addition to your collection. Don't miss it while it's on sale for this significantly discounted price.